//Hey, well I`m looking for a proof-reader, pm me if you are interested. English is not my first language and I feel like the dialogue of the characters and the descriptions of my fanfic are kind of 'weak', also when I go full Philosophical mode I can`t find the right words to express the idea...So yes I need a experienced proof-reader with lots of patience :Xno: //

Chapter 8- Royal Academy of Daudis (III)

In the massive marble pavillion there were roughly six hundred students standing, some of them were in a sorry state with bruises covering all their body and ragged clothes. It was like they were assaulted by a fierce tigress in their way to the pavillion. But they were standing there waiting for the instructions of the examinators regarding the next test.

The middle-aged magician examinator who gained a little bit of notoriety that morning after sending one of the parents of a student flying was looking at the students with a calm and calculating gaze from the podium. After what seemed to be a long time, he spoke. His voice was probably infused with illeidos and it resounded in every corner of the pavillion. Traversing the columns, bouncing against the crystal windows, spinning around the mass of students.

"Students candidates, as some of you might already know we proceeded with the second test while you were resting. With the help of some members of the Student Council and Blue Spark, we held a test to check your ability to respond when facing an unexpected situation. Nowadays, it`s essential to be always alert and have a clear mind, only a fool would fall prey to the panic when facing the unknown, and those are the kind of people that in the future would bring demise to their comrades while raiding the Great Forest of Magical Beast, Summing up, the kind of people we don`t need in our academy."

His voice echoed with power in the hall, making the hearts of every candidate there, tremble.

"It was not a dificult test since as long as you tried to retaliate, the attackers would automatically retreat, we don`t expect you to defeat the attackers with your current power, but we do expect some nerve to face the danger, to be calm even in the darkest abyss. Of course, we couldn`t test everyone, we don`t have that much personnel and time available, so maybe the only reason that some of you are still here is because of luck and nothing else." His gaze swept the mass of students as if defying them to deny his words.

"Nevertheless, luck is also an attribute we want our students to have, without luck you wouldn`t be here today. The luck to have been born with a strong body, the luck to suddenly understand one of the several truths in the way of magic, the luck to not come across a Azure Divine Dragon on your very first trip to the Great Forest of Magical Beast..."

The man kept walking with a relaxed pacing on the podium, crisscrossing his fingers like if that were way more interesting than paying attention to the students candidates that were in front of him.

"Now we will proceed with the last test. I won`t say it again, so listen carefully. Everyone present in this room has his own unique qualities, his own good points, depending of you use those, you might be one of the 150 lucky ones. No one is here only because of luck, you worked hard, you shed tears, blood and sweat to be here. Be confident in yourself and you will achieve it. "

Apparently those were the last words the examinator had for the candidates. He swiftly left the podium, and a younger examinator took over.

"So, as professor Dars said we will proceed shortly with the last test. I think that everyone already knows but I will explain it just in case. Every year the last test is a fighting test held in a pocket-dimension created by the combined effort of all the professors of the academy. A pocket dimension is like a independent 'world' where you can control certain laws, make them diferent from the real world. In our case, we changed the pocket-dimension`s law of life and death. As long as your attack is lower in power than a platinum-ranked hit, you won`t be able to provide mortal wounds to your opponent, so you don`t need to hold back in the fighting test. This years`rules are simple, you must find a partner within 5 minutes and you will together be teleported to the pocket-dimension, there you need to fight against the other pairs until only 150 students are remaining."

The candidates started analyzing their companions looking for a suitable partner. After all only 75 pairs would pass the trial, so they had to make sure their partner was someone with considerable strength. The girls tried to attract the attetion of the powerful youths with coquetish smiles. Of course, most of the attention was focused around two major figures. Ren Fangsfall and the red-haired youth. Both of them were on their own ligues, they were without a doubt the two most promising candidates of the year and anyone who could manage to become their partner would surely pass the exam easily.

"Also, I will remind you that if you are unable to find a partner within those five minutes you will be automaticaly disqualified. You can choose one of the weapons the school has provided for the trial, there." Said the examinator as he pointed a corner of the pavillion where there were several desks filled with weapons of all sorts. From spears and axes to firearms such as rifles, revolvers or machine guns.

"That`s all, good luck." Finished the examinator with a wide smile.

Oz, Tzura and Cana were on the back side of the pavillion, near the windows where the sunlight passed through and iluminated their faces giving them a radiant aura. As Oz saw the complicated looks on the faces of Tzura and Cana after the last words of the examinator. He smiled and said.

"Don`t worry I wouldn`t dare to get in the middle of your wonderful relationship. And it would be a crime to separate the two of you. Besides, I shouldn`t have too much trouble looking for a partner."

"Sorry, Oz..." Said Tzura in a low voice with a regretful expression on her face.

"Rezlley, I`m...No, good luck. I`m sure you will find an awesome partner, let`s meet here again as students." Smiled Cana.

"Sure. But don`t blame me if I`m merciless if we encounter each other in the battlefield." Grinned Oz.

"Hohoho, Tzura it seems we will have to discipline this bragging brat."

"Fumu, Oz be careful, even if you are my friend, I won`t hold back."

Oz started to walk into the sea of people. There was a turmoil near the place where the two rising stars were standing. A lot of students tried to talk to them, but at the last moment they retreated like if they were not worthy of being their partner. But then an impressive incident ocurred.

Ren approached the red-haired youth with a friendly smile as he extended his hand. "Hello there, my name is Ren, would you like to be my partner?" He had a confident smile, like it was already a fact that the two of them would become partners for the upcoming trial.

"Damn, as expected only a genius can be the partner of another genius." sighed a tall guy.

"Hmm, now if we encounter this pair on the battlefield we are doomed..."

"Birds of a feather flock together...huh?"

All the students engaged in whispers about the birth of the ultimate pair for the test, but then a even more shocking event ocurred. The red-haired youth dind`t shake the extended hand of Ren and only looked at him for a second. Then he ignored him like a bug in the road and went in the opposite direction. Everyone was speechless...

Ren was frozen like a statue for a few seconds, still with his hand extended. His brain couldn`t process what just happened. A few whispers and mocking laughs rose in the crowd.

"Hah..hahah! Look at his face, look at his f***ing face, man. Like a poem, hahahah."

"Poor Lord blessed young master, maybe he is not as blessed as he thinks. Well, after all that red-haired is far above him."

"Hey, did you see the look of the red-haired? He was like looking at a bug, fuahahah."

"Poor Ren, if he asked me, I would never refuse him." Said a cute girl while looking with a grin towards Ren`s direction.

After a few seconds, Ren finally assimilated the event and with a cold expression he turned to leave. His gaze was like a sharp knife filled with murderous intent. "Huh, you wanted it, just pray we don`t encounter each other on the battlefield." Whispered Ren with a dangerous grin. He was the young master of the Fangsfall family, he had never suffered such a humilation in his whole life. And if he dind`t do something about it he would bring shame to his family`s honor. He had to show that ignorant red-haired the true might of one of the most influential households of the Kingdom of Sayence.

Oz watched the succesive events like it was a rather appealing soap opera. Just then, a golden haired youth with a handsome face with a defined, slightly pointed chin and a sturdy jaw line, Approached him. He had a friendly smile on his face, showing all of his white teeth. His eyebrows were shaped into a deceivingly perfect arch that followed the slight curve of his clear blue eyes.

As he got near Oz, he bowed his head a little bit and said with a gentle voice. "Sorry for my boldness, but you probably don`t have a partner, right?"

"No, don`t worry. That`s right I don`t have a partner yet for the last test."

"Then, would you like to form a pair with me? I don`t know why, but I kind of feel like we can work well together. And trust me, my senses are first-rate."

"Haha, you flatter me. But if you are ok with me, then sure, let´s be partners." Agreed Oz, while inspecting carefully the youth.

He was a thin guy with a rather normal build. But, Oz had the experienced eyes of a mercenary and he could see that the muscles under the black cotton shirt of the guy were as hard as steel. Obviously this guy had experience in fights and slaughter, and his calm demeanour revealed a lot. He probably was a cold-minded expert in the battlefield, able to analyze the situations carefully, whitout falling prey to fear.

"Oz Rezlley. You can call me Oz." Oz extended his hand.

"Demiurgos Hatchel, just call me Demiurgos." Replied the golden-haired youth, Demiurgos, as he shook hands with Oz.

The two youths chatted a little bit as they went to the desks to get their weapons. After a while, Oz decided to go with a short dagger and a pistol, it was one of the 'locust' models of the Seryth Brand, it had impressive piercing power, even if you had low density illeidos, you could pierce through the protective layers of illeidos of the target as long as he were not on the monster level. But it was also more dificult to control and aim due to the strong recoil of the weapon.

Oz returned to the meeting point he agreed before hand with Demiurgos. There he saw his partner with a cheerful smile waving his hands. He had a small shield on his arms.

"So what weapons did you choose?" Demiurgos asked with bright eyes.

"A short dagger and a pistol, and you?"

"Well, as you can see I chose this shield." Said Demiurgos as he raised the shield, it had a black metallic surface, with a texture similar to a turtle shell.

Oz frowned a little bit, but he didn`t inquire further. He knew that Demiurgos was not a newby nor a fool, so he probably had one or two hidden trump cards.

"Don`t worry, my best weapon is this." Said Demiurgos as he touched his head a few times with this fingers. His jaw contorted in a feracious grin. A sinister smile that gave Oz shivers.

"All candidates attention please! you will be teleported in a few seconds to the pocket-dimension. You will appear in a random spot and as long as you hold hands with your partner, we will record you as a pair and you will be teleported to the same location. There shouldn`t be any problems during the test, but we will monitore the whole exercise, so rest assured."

All the pairs started linking hands. A few mixed pairs, integrated by candidates of diferent genders, linked their hands nervously with blushing faces.

Demiurgos formed a mocking smile on his face as he bowed slightly and extended his hand in a faceup position, like when one was asking his beloved for a dance. "If you please..."

Oz linked his hand with Demiurgos and said ironically "You are truly a gentleman Demiurgos, How can I refuse?"

Then, countless flashes spread across the hall and all the pairs dissapeared. Leaving behind an almost empty pavillion with a few examinators and unlucky student candidates who couldn`t find a partner.