Kyros was astounded about the disastrous situation he found himself in. All he'd asked to do was to join the Wild Hunt Guild. But, of course, things could never be that simple for him. According to Runa, there was a routine or rite of passage people had to take to join the organization. From Kyros' understanding, it seemed to be quite the spectacle since dozens of people stood around the wall in the guild training ground located in the back.

The military man stood directly in front of a weapons rack presented to him by Sarra. Weapons ranging from brass knuckles to swords waited there for selection. But Kyros chose none of them, deciding to stick with his signature gauntlets.

On the other side of the courtyard resided his opponent, personally selected by majority vote. It was The Mono, Cailey. The buff woman performed a few practice swings with her sword, winking at Kyros when they made eye contact.

The spectating Hunters circled Runa, handing money to the woman as part of some transaction. Gambling. They were gambling on the outcome of the exam.

"Explain to me again why I'm fighting the receptionist?" Kyros wondered. Out of everyone he expected to get placed against, the receptionist of the guild was the last person on his mental list. Well, at least it wasn't Runa. Something told him that she'd enjoy kicking the shit out of him.

"It's a physical examination," explained Sarra as she pushed the rack of weapons out of the way. "Anyone that wants to join has to pass the exam by facing a current member in combat."

"And everyone voted on the receptionist?" Kyros activated his gauntlets, grinning as they enveloped his fists.

"Don't underestimate, Cailey, Mr. Kyros. She's known as 'The Wrangler' of the guild. Her current rank is C, but rumor has it that she's as strong someone from S-Class."

"Interesting," Kyros heeded the little girl's warning and proceeded to approach his examiner. The Hunters shut their mouths and watched in anticipation as both combatants met in the center of the courtyard.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," Cailey politely bowed to Kyros. To him, it was a sign of respect, but to those that knew her, it was evident sarcasm. She straightened her posture and continued, "The name's Cailey, and I'll act as your physical examiner today. If you want to join Wild Hunt, you must pass this test."

"What is it exactly that I have to do to pass? I understand that we must fight. But do I have to defeat you?" Kyros inquired. If Cailey was as powerful as Sarra claimed, then perhaps he didn't stand a chance against her. Even if that were the case, that fact wouldn't stop him from trying.

Laughter erupted from the Hunters around them. Voices of mockery and ridicule bombarded his eardrums.

"T-This guy? Defeat Cailey?"

"That'll be the day!"

"What should we write on his tombstone?"

"I call dibs on his armor when she kills him!"

Cailey stabbed her sword in the ground, silencing the unwanted voices. She was in charge of the exam; she wouldn't have spectators raising their voices without her permission.

"Ignore them," Cailey said. Kyros nodded his head, taking her words as a small gesture of apology. "No, you don't have to defeat me. Just last five minutes against me without hitting the ground three times. If you fail, that's it."

"Understood," Kyros retained the information for the exam.

Almost immediately after the explanation, Cailey unleashed an immense pressure from her body. So much that it nearly blew Kyros and the others around her into the walls surrounding the courtyard.

While Kyros struggled to regain his balance, Cailey wasted no time in closing the distance between them. She swung her sword horizontally, aiming to cleave the young man's head clean off his shoulders. Kyros leaned back as far as he could and watched the blade cut through the air. The wind pressure from the swing knocked over the rack of weapons and other Hunters behind them.

Fear immediately set itself in. The woman planned to kill him. There was no doubt about that.

Kyros readjusted his position and went on the offensive, stepping forward for a right hook. Cailey's palm captured the man's fist, and she followed up with a knee strike to his mid-section. The attack forced Kyros to hunch over, but he found himself on his back after the next blow from the examiner.

"That's one," Cailey stepped back and raised her index finger. The Hunters cheered and applauded the first point the woman scored against Kyros.

Kyros got to his feet immediately, noting his first mistake. Having two more tries, he activated the Ignis Vitalis in his gauntlets, allowing them to catch ablaze. From there, he launched flaming projectiles at the woman.

However, with a single swipe of her sword, the flames dissipated.

"Neat trick. You'd at least be able to light some birthday cake candles with those flames," Cailey taunted, earning another roar of laughter from the spectators.

Kyros didn't let it get to him. He was used to mockery and ridicule from the residents of his home country.

"I'm just getting started," He warned. He stepped forward again, firing more flaming projectiles. Cailey evaded them all, ignoring the cries from the unfortunate watchers that got caught in the flames. When he got close enough, he threw a flaming punch.

His fist of flames and Cailey's sword collided. The clash from their weapons sent out a ripple that knocked down some of the Hunters. Just when Kyros pulled his fist back for another attack, Cailey kicked him to the ground again, marking the second time his back met the concrete.

"That's two," Cailey revealed. "One more and you're done."

Unlike the last time, Kyros didn't get up. Not immediately. He stayed on the ground, staring up at the sky. The onlookers got impatient, booing and jeering for the man to make his move.

"What's he doing?" Runa wondered. It wasn't like Kyros to stay down for too long.

"Not gonna get up? Are you giving up already?" Cailey asked. Suddenly, her feet sank into the ground. The bright shine from Kyros' gauntlets told her everything that she needed to know. Her opponent used the Terra Vitalis in his gauntlets to manipulate the ground beneath her, keeping her stuck in place.

Kyros took advantage of the situation, getting up and charging the woman with his gauntlets of flames once more. Even when restrained, Cailey's fighting spirit never wavered. She tossed aside her sword and grabbed Kyros' shirt and arm, using his momentum against him to flip him over her shoulder.

All eyes widened in anticipation for Kyros' back to hit the ground, but it didn't happen. The young man landed safely on his feet, instantly blasting the trapped woman with a torrent of flames once freed from her grasp. Even the extreme heat of the fire did nothing to stop the woman.

A fist shot through the flames and struck Kyros in the stomach. Thankfully he used his Praus to soften the blow, but it still hurt like all hell. But he didn't back down.

Kyros returned the favor and drove his fist into Cailey's stomach. She didn't budge an inch. But a quick wince of pain crossed her face. Afterward, the two combatants traded a series of fierce blows. It didn't seem like a sparring match any more than a test of endurance.

One way or the other, one of them would fall. But Kyros swore that it wouldn't be him.

When Cailey went for another punch, Kyros evaded her first by a hairsbreadth. Then, he increased his Praus output, flaring the flames around his fists more wildly. His final flaming punch against Cailey launched the woman out from the ground and into the wall.

Everything grew silent the moment Cailey got brutally buried underneath the pile of rubble. Just when Kyros prepared for more, the timer ran out, signaling the end of the exam. The new recruit had somehow survived his test against The Wrangler.

However, Kyros didn't feel like celebrating. Not out of disappointment for his failures during the exam, but rather the fear. He battled against a well-respected member of the guild and won. He had no idea how its members would react to him beating one of their friends.

Soon enough, the outcome of the match processed in the minds of the Hunters. Everyone besides Runa gave a thunderous ovation to Kyros' victory. The one-eyed Huntress sighed and returned some of the money she collected to their rightful owners.

The first person to congratulate Kyros on his victory was Sarra. The little girl crossed the courtyard and embraced the young man in a tight hug.

"Congratulations, Mr. Kyros! You passed!" Sarra smiled. She'd seen many people come and go in the guild, trying to join the prestigious organization. But they always came up short when it came to the physical exam, especially since Cailey was their opponent. About a year passed since she'd seen someone else join the guild.

"Isn't Cailey the one that has an overall say in that?" Kyros looked at the pile of rubble. A single hand popped out from the heap, giving him a thumbs up. He took that as a pass.

Cailey stepped out from the rubble, clearing her clothes from the debris. She collected her sword from the ground and approached Kyros with a smile, "Not bad for a souvenir. Not bad at all. You pass the exam."

"Thanks so much," Kyros smiled.

"Now there's only one thing you need to do before you can officially join the guild," Cailey placed a firm hand on Kyros' shoulder. "The Guild Master needs to have an interview with you."

"Is the Guild Master here?" Kyros asked.

"Upstairs," Cailey pointed to the window at the highest point of the building. "C'mon and follow me. Runa, Sarra, you two can come along as well."

The Mono woman led the group into the building and up the seven flights of stairs. Cailey and Runa walked side by side while Kyros and Sarra stayed behind.

"So, what's the Guild Master like?" Kyros whispered to Sarra, wanting to collect as much information as he could about the individual. If the receptionist was as eccentric as she was, he couldn't imagine how the leader of the organization acted.

"He's hilarious," giggled Sarra, recalling all the times she'd met with the man himself. "He tells me funny stories and gives me lots of candy whenever I complete a quest."

"Is he strong?" Kyros wondered.

"Incredibly," Sarra nodded. "He's the strongest person in the guild. Only Cailey and the other S-Class Hunters can match him."

Kyros made sure to retain the information, noting why Cailey was so strong. Even though he passed the exam against her; he felt that if it were a full-blown battle, he wouldn't have won. Not that he felt troubled about the potential outcome. He knew that he was far from the strongest. It only inspired him to train harder.

The group walked down a long hallway, eventually reaching a well-refurbished door at the end of it. Loud barks and howls came from the other side of the door. Runa and Sarra pressed their backs against the nearest walls before Cailey opened the door.

A stampede of hounds poured out of the room, knocking Kyros on his ass. They ran down the hallway and rushed off down the stairs.

"Seriously, I wish he kept those things on leashes," Runa complained.

"The Guild Master is quite the free spirit," Cailey nonchalantly commented, not bothered by the rowdy animals causing a ruckus in the guild building. She ignored all the cries and screams from the members downstairs.

Not too long after the hounds escaped, a tall man dashed out of the room. Kyros' eyes immediately locked onto the man's most distinguishing figure, the large cartoon dog mask worn over his head, concealing his entire face. It was then he recalled a familiar statue outside of the guild building. At first, he imagined the statue was meant as a joke.

But that was far from the case.

The man was the Guild Master, Serhan.

"No! No! No! My dogs! My precious dogs! Come back! Come back!" The man desperately pleaded. He shouted out the names of the dogs, but none rushed to return to him.

"Should we do something?" Kyros asked, feeling somewhat guilty about the situation.

"No, give him a minute. He'll come to his sense eventually," Runa, Sarra, and Cailey wasted no time in wandering into the Guild Master's room. While hesitant, Kyros followed the others inside and waited with them.