The exam field was trampled and torn, with patches of dark earth and small puddles of fresh blood dotting the landscape. Enough bodies had fallen and enough blood had been spilled that the stench of death followed me wherever I went on the field.

The sounds of clashing swords were less frequent now, as were the screams. Figures moved slowly, both from caution and exhaustion, about the area. When the exam had started, the stark contrast between the immaculate robes of the nobles and the plain clothes of the commoners had been obvious. But now, few had unstained clothes.

I walked towards the center of the circular area where we were to complete this final task. Seven sword artists stood there in a loose cluster shouting at each other while brandishing their weapons. About ten more were scattered around them, watching from further away.

From what I could tell, they had been trying to convince each other to form alliances but were running into the types of difficulties I had envisioned. Next to the arguing group were two unmoving bodies on the ground nearby.

I stopped a distance away from the main group. I would need to be careful proceeding now. Traditionalists adhered to a certain minimum standard of honor, but expecting that from anyone else was foolish. Treachery wasn't out of the question, as the stocky boy had proven, in his own way.

A fight broke up between two onlookers near the edges of the field, and everyone stopped to watch. Hm. One of the fighters was a long-haired girl in a black tunic. The thief. I suppose I wasn't surprised that she had made it this far.

The dual-wielding thief clearly outmatched her opponent, a slow-moving boy with a single sword and no signs of qi augmentation. I would have guessed that the brown-haired boy was an G or H-rank, maybe a hired hand who had outlasted his employer.

The duelists were vulnerable, but no one interfered, which gave me some sense of satisfaction. At least the remaining participants weren't entirely without honor, for now.

I watched as the thief's two swords cut closer and closer to the boy's flesh. Was she after a thumb or ear? I didn't think she was trying to kill from the way she directed her strikes. Rather, she was systematically breaking down his guard to leave him open for--

One ear fell to the ground. The long-haired thief swooped low, mid-fight, and plucked the bleeding body part from the grass while blocking a lunge with her other hand.

"Yield!" I shouted. "You could lose more than your ears if you keep this up."

The brown-haired boy raised one hand, signaling that he was ready to yield. The thief's eyes flashed to me. They lingered briefly on the stained corner of my robe, and I turned at an angle to move them out of her view. She looked back at the surrendering boy.

The thief wasted no time slicing off the other ear. I had been wondering where she stored her trophies, but that question was answered when she slipped her hand down the front of her tunic. The black color hid any bloodstains.

I moved towards the thief, but stopped at a safe, unthreatening distance.

"How many more do you need?" I called out to her.

She raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. "Why? Are you going to rob me?"

I bit back a rude retort. "I'm not an honorless thief."

The thief laughed, a light tinkling sound. "Don't tell me you're really one of those cranky, old traditionalists..." She paused, then laughed again. "You are!" She slapped her leg with the flat of a blade. "The rustic clothes, no implants or etchings...I don't believe it. I thought you were lying the other day."

Several of the nearby participants joined in the laughter. I waited quietly for the laughter to fade.

A strong voice interrupted. "A traditionalist? Good." A tall girl with a powerful frame and the graceful gait of a fencer walked towards me. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun, and her eyes were a light shade of blue, almost gray. Unlike most of the others, her silver robes lined with gold were in relatively good condition. She rested a greatsword casually over her shoulder.

I pivoted to face the newcomer, raising my swords in a guard position.

"No, you misunderstand. A temporary truce." The girl tilted her head toward the thief. "Naisha, hear him out." Her gaze snapped back to me. "I'm fond of traditionalists. They're quirky but dependable. I'm Alanna, by the way."

They knew each other? What business did a thief have with a noble?

Alanna stepped closer, ignoring my raised swords, and held out a bare hand to shake. The edge of her tunic's sleeve drew back with the motion to reveal a qi etching at the wrist. This Alanna was no weakling.

I didn't move, not bothering to spare the outstretched hand a second glance. "I'm not a fool, either."

Alanna smiled. "Not a thief. Not a fool. Tell us, who are you?"

At that moment, a brown-haired girl with a rapier shot towards me with blazing speed. I had noticed her slowly edging closer and closer, so I blocked her thrust easily with a swing of my sword.

Both the assailant and I jumped apart when Alanna swung her greatsword between us. "Stop!" she roared.

I covered my face with one arm, using the other to bat away the debris exploding from the ground where Alanna had struck. When the explosion cleared, I could make out a three-foot long gash of fresh earth splitting the grass. I stared at her, then her greatsword. Yellow flames flickered along the length of her blade.

The brown-haired girl withdrew with a sulk, but I barely noticed.

"Oh, quit showing off." Naisha pointed a sword at Alanna.

"You--" I began. I studied Alanna more carefully. This was becoming a ridiculous meetup. "You're Lord Vox's daughter." At least she didn't seem to hold a grudge from the other night.

Alanna gave a slight nod of the head. "We've met, haven't we?"

If I was being honest, most of the noble girls looked somewhat similar to me. Blonde hair, dyed or natural, all done in the same way. The same blue eyes and high-cheek boned faces that the nobles favored in their wives. The same silvery robes. It's not like I got a particularly good look at her when she was skulking about in the dark...

"Are you a thief, too?" I asked.

Alanna's eyes widened, then crinkled with amusement. She turned to the thief, then back to me. "Hm. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding last time."

She didn't seem quite as hostile as when I had met her alone in a dark alley. A bit less uppity, too. I suppose I didn't blame her if she had thought I was, in fact, a rogue trying to rob her home.

"Naisha, what were you doing last night?" Alanna asked.

The thief, Naisha, shrugged. "Another time." She nodded to me. "I've got eight. So what?"

For a moment, I stared at the two of them, trying to figure out how they were connected, and why Naisha had broken into the home of someone she knew...oh.

"You're sisters?" I asked.

"It's complicated," Alanna said. Half-sisters, then? Or a child out of wedlock?

"Well?" Naisha prodded with a faint frown.

I sighed. Her timing was impeccable. I wasn't going to put the exam in jeopardy by questioning her.

"Fine," I said. "I may have a deal," I said. I motioned to Alanna. "And you?"

Alanna gestured to the pocket at her hip. "I need two more thumbs." Her eyes gleamed. "You offering yours?"

My qi quickened, racing through my channels. "Then your word counts for nothing."

Alanna rolled her eyes. "No, what's your deal?"

Another pair began fighting in the distance, but most of the onlookers were watching us. As far as I could tell, the remaining ones in the area were all at least Lesser Masters. Perhaps they had already tested each other's strength and arrived at a stalemate. I mean, I had found them arguing with each other over alliances when he had first arrived.

I offered a grim smile. "I'll trade two thumbs for two ears," I said in a raised voice. "Anyone?"

Naisha cut in. "What kind of trade is that? You growing thumbs out of your butt?"

Alanna nodded. "I see." She turned her head to address the others. "I'm forming an alliance with him, and anyone else who bargains with him." She paused and tilted her head towards me. "You never said who you were."

"A Koroi clansmen." I hesitated. It was time to do or die. I withdrew two thumbs from the corner of my tunic. "Your ears first, or I destroy these."

I breathed steadily, readying my qi for the possibility of a fight, but Alanna nodded. A few gasped as the powerful sword artist cut off both of her ears with two swings of her greatsword. Alanna tossed the bloody ears over to me. I caught them and tossed the pair of thumbs back to her.

Naisha made a face. "Did you really have to do that? You could have teamed up with him and taken one of the others. We could have taken him."

Alanna dabbed at the sides of her head before shaking it. Her tied-up hair made her lack of ears even more obvious. "No, he's right. This bloody mess of an exam is a disgrace. Better to minimize the waste." She rubbed her temples again. "Besides, father can pay for a healing treatment."

Another boy with a wide face and short blond hair stepped towards me. His clothes were torn and dirty, but I suspected that he was a noble as well. He waved one of his two swords. "I agree. This is turning into nonsense. I need two thumbs."

Before I could reply, the blond boy snipped both of his ears off and tossed them to me. I threw the last of the thumbs in my tunic to him in return.

I had worried that the others wouldn't negotiate in good faith, but at least some sword artists were true to their word. The only other option would have been all-out fighting, which everyone was sensible enough to avoid.

"Got more?" A pale boy with silver hair and a ghostly complexion moved to cut his ears with a rapier.

"No!" I quickly shouted before the pale boy completed the move.

The pale boy sighed and lowered his rapier.

I finally turned my attention back to Naisha. "May I call you Naisha?"

Naisha giggled. "You're right, Alanna. Traditionalists are kind of charming." She gave me a wide smile, one that I didn't trust. "Of course you can."

I nodded. "The deal, then."

At this, Naisha crossed her arms, her two swords sticking out awkwardly in opposite directions. I recognized the pose from the other night.

"Let me guess," she said. "You need two more ears? No, absolutely not."

I frowned. Had she already guessed what I would ask? I had my doubts that she would agree, but seeing as Alanna was fair game, I had to try with Naisha as well. The conditions were perfect.

"Your ears for mine. It's the most honorable way."

Naisha scowled. "Screw your honor!" She glared at Alanna, who had chuckled. "I take that back. Traditionalists are annoying and insufferable. And you look like an idiot without your ears." Alanna grinned as she posed with a hand behind where her right ear had been.

I called out to the others. "My ears for yours. Any takers?"

No one replied. So, the rest were thumbs. Or killers in disguise. Well, I had tried the better way, but I had to pass this exam. I glanced at Alanna. "You promised an alliance. Will you help?"

Alanna beamed, much more cheerfully than I had expected. "Absolutely!" She advanced upon Naisha with her greatsword.

"What?" Naisha shrieked. "Alanna, you idiot!"

I flanked Naisha to take a spot on her right while Alanna approached from her left.

"Alanna!" Naisha yelled. She stamped a foot and huffed. "Fine, I'll do it."

Alanna winked. "See? This is why I like traditionalists."

I waited silently as Naisha sliced off her ears with her sword. She let out a drawn-out groan, but it was one of annoyance rather than pain. I mean, she was still a sword artist, and no less than a Master.

I caught the two ears, smaller than the others, that she tossed me. I had no doubt that Naisha, along with Alanna, could afford the healing treatment. As for myself, I hoped that the Emperor's bounty would be enough, and that the elders would agree to the expense. If not, I would just have to deal with looking like a ruffian for the time being.

I had half-expected to see those blue words appear upon completion of the task, but nothing happened. We would all have to survive, then, for a few more more minutes. Naisha waved for me to hurry up with my end of the deal.

I didn't bother to use my blades. I sent my qi into both ears, then hardened them into a cutting edge that neatly removed them. I caught the ears and tossed them over to Naisha.

Alanna whistled. "Nice."

I tried not to smile. A sword artist's rank primarily measured raw power, and the fastest way to advance in ranks was to practice acquiring and handling larger and larger amounts of qi. Other than traditionalists, few bothered with the more subtle arts of qi manipulation, as they wouldn't contribute as much to new ranks.

Naisha stepped towards me, but I raised my hand to stop her. "An alliance?" She had not given her word yet, or proof that she had, in fact, met her victory condition.

Naisha waved a sword at me. "Yeah, yeah." She pointed at Alanna and the other blond boy. "Come on."

Alanna and the other boy formed up into a defense ring, facing outwards, along with me and Naisha.

"Your name?" Alanna asked the blond boy.

"Zeriko," the boy replied.

The sound of intermittent fighting rang across the field as the final minutes wound down.

"I'm Talen." I eyed the sword artists outside their group. While attacking the four of us was unlikely to succeed, it was difficult to predict what would happen once the remaining candidates became desperate.

The pale boy who had missed his chance wavered on the edge of our defensive formation. His hair was nearly white, and if not for his dark eyes, I would have thought he was an albino.

Those black eyes were currently trained on us. "Your thumbs. A hundred thousand gold pieces for them."

Zeriko snorted. "I know ladies who would pay more for one of my fingers."

"Oh, that's classy," Naisha muttered.

Alanna shrugged without replying.

"A million."

I knew that the range of wealth in the Empire was wide, but a million gold pieces? That was an unthinkable sum, enough to take care of my clan for generations. If I gave up my thumbs, though, who would take over the clan when the elders passed away? It was tempting, in a perverse way, but no, this was madness.

A petite girl in a plain brown tunic raised her two swords. "I have no chance of passing. A million for my thumbs. Half a million for my ears."

"Deal!" the pale boy grinned.

My stomach twisted in discomfort as the girl tucked her swords under one arm and held out her hands, thumbs outstretched. Alanna made an exasperated sound.

It had been stupid of me to consider the offer for even a moment. Greed had blinded reason, for there was no reason to trust that the pale boy would pay as promised. Not to mention that the girl would be defenseless after losing her thumbs. If she died, no one would uphold the debt. While only a minute remained--

"Don't do it." The words came out of my mouth before I knew what I was doing. I didn't like to interfere with the business of others, but this was ghastly.

Naisha tossed her head. "If she wants to whore herself out, let her."

The girl in the brown tunic met my eyes, then shook her head slowly. "I've already failed my clan. We're not so different, Talen Koroi."

"No," I whispered. "No!" I stepped forward, but a strong hand grabbed me by the shoulder.

It was Alanna. "I allied for our defense. I'm not risking myself for her."

A group of four sword artists had already encircled the pale boy and the girl in brown. A bitter taste crawled up my throat, but in the end, I took a deep breath and stepped back. I could not win against that many. My oath was to the Koroi, first and foremost. Alanna grunted her approval.

"Wait, what clan?" I asked.

The girl's deep brown eyes were bright and steady. "The Selai."

The Selai. I hadn't heard of them, but that wasn't surprising as traditionalists were a thin and dying breed. We should have sought each other, banded together, but the old ones were stubborn and proud.

I would not forget this Selai. If I could, I would make sure her clan would know what had happened.

Two thumbs fell to the ground. As soon as the pale boy retrieved them, before he had even withdrawn, the waiting group collapsed like dogs pouncing on fresh meat.

The clash was brief. In the end, a second body lay dead next to the clanswoman, both missing their thumbs and ears. I looked away.

At last, blue letters appeared in my vision, but this time, their glow cast a painful and taunting hue.

We are pleased to inform you that your application to the Sword System Academy has been accepted! You were chosen out of a field of over a thousand applicants. The Swordgeists have great expectations for each one of you and would like to offer their personal congratulations.

+700 xp. Total: 1005 xp.

Someone shouted and pointed towards the sky. Three bright figures, little more than motes of light at this distance, were descending from above. Someone, likely Alanna, clapped me on the back. Others shouted. I glanced up for only a second.

As I waited for the celestial beings to arrive, my eyes returned to the crumpled form on the grass with its cheap, now blood-stained, brown tunic and roughly cut hair. This was supposed to be momentous, a glorious event when the Swordgeists themselves deigned to grace us with their presence and power. Legends coming to life. A historical moment in the making. I should have joined in the cheering, fallen to my knees in worship, screamed in shock. But when I looked back up at the ghostly figures now visible within clouds of flame, no awe, joy, or fear touched me.

What was I getting into? Saving the world, or simply earning the Emperor's gold? The exam had been nothing like what I had expected. The Swordgeists had exacted a steep price of admission, and I was certain the costs would only increase as I progressed further. I wouldn't go this far for power alone. For my clan's struggle and for the Void's threat, I tried to tell myself.

A stray thought whispered from the recesses of my mind. I tried to clamp down on it, worried that they would be able to hear it. But like a lingering cold, the thought persisted: that as gods were responsible for all of this, only a god could put an end to it.