Akeno staggered, her balance rocked as the weight dragged her limbs down.
Around her, other girls were already hitting the floor – some on their knees, others trembling just to stay upright.
The examiner didn't flinch. He crouched beside one girl who'd collapsed his tone so casual it felt almost insulting.
"In case you're wondering how these straps work," he said, flicking the band on her wrist, "they're not just for show." He stood and began pacing slowly, hands in his pockets like it was all routine.
"Each one's packed with a compressed Nexa core that increases gravitational resistance – basically multiplying bodyweight. Think of it as gravity – dialed up." He gestured lazily to the room.
"Depending on your strength, these bad boys stimulate double, sometimes even triple your own bodyweight. And yeah – it kicks in instantly."
A few more girls dropped to their knees with grunts of frustration.
"This test isn't about power alone," he continued, voice dry. "It's about control. Precision. If you don't know how to move your own body without flailing around like a newborn deer, you're not passing."
He gave a slow grin, eyes sweeping the room. "No Nexa-boosted shoes. No gadgets. No shortcuts. Just you and how well you can move under pressure, you either move with purpose….."
One girl tried to stand and face planted. "…..or you eat the floor."
Akeno rolled her neck, smirking through the strain. "Man, I thought this was a guild exam," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Not warm-up day at the dojo."
The examiner stopped mid-stride, turning to look at her. She met his gaze, unfazed. "If this is supposed to break us…. You're gonna need to turn that dial way higher."
A few heads turned. Some girls scoffed. Others winced. The examiner smiled – slow and wicked. "Careful, smart mouth. The test just started. Save the barking for when you've earned a bite."
Akeno just grinned back. "Keep talking. I'll be standing when the rest start crying."
Kinuko's legs buckled. She grit her teeth, struggling to steady herself — but her knees gave again, nearly sending her down.
She caught herself at the last second, fists clenched, breath ragged. Akeno, standing beside her, blinked in disbelief.
"No way…" she thought. "Kinuko's struggling?"
Sure, the gravity straps were tough – but this? This was the same girl who ate full-contact drills like breakfast back in the village. Kinuko had always been the tough one. The one who didn't flinch.
"Kinuko," Akeno whispered, concern creeping into her voice. But Kinuko didn't answer. She wasn't even fully present. Her mind drifted – back to the moment he stepped in.
"Touch her again…. and I'll kill you." Most men mocked her. Brushed her off. Tried to break her pride.
But he?
He threatened blood over it.Akeno called her again, louder this time. Still nothing. Then…. a slow grin crept onto Kinuko's face.
"Don't get soft now." She forced one leg under her. "What do you think he'd say if he saw you like this? On your damn knees? Get up!"
Her inner voice barked like a drill sergeant, and she obeyed. One knee up. Then the other. Her body shaking, but rising. And right then–
The examiner's voice cut across the hall like a blade:
"Time's up."
Assistants rushed in almost immediately, un-strapping the weighted bands from the applicants like pit crew techs.
Akeno winced as they peeled the gear off her – arms still tingling. The examiner strolled over with that same smug walk and tone, stopping right in front of her. "Congratulations," he said, voice laced with mockery. "You're the only one who managed to stay on both feet."
He spared Kinuko a lingering look — unreadable, but not without interest — then walked off.
"Tch. Damn bastard," Akeno muttered, then stormed over to Kinuko and grabbed by the shoulders.
"Hey! You good? I called your name like three times."
Kinuko blinked and scratched her chin casually. "Really? Didn't hear a thing. Hehe."
Akeno narrowed her eyes. "What the hell happened back there? The old bastards from the village used to put us though much worse training and you tanked it like it was nothing. I thought this would be easy for you."
Kinuko chuckled, brushing dust off her thighs. "Let's say I got…. distracted."
She leaned in, voice low. "We can't go all out. We don't want people looking too much into our background because of how strong we are."
"You remember what the merchant guy said right?"
Akeno's face straightened as the dots connected. "Yeah strong people are often targeted, right?"
"Exactly. We might've cut ties with the Eraba clan, but the less attention, the better. We're not here to make noise."
Akeno snorted. "So basically…. Fail just enough to stay boring. Got it."
"Play it smart," Kinuko replied grinning.
Unbeknownst to them, a figure stood near the back of the room – arms folded, face mostly shadowed beneath a decorated officer's cowl.
"My, my," he said under his breath, eyes locked on the girls. "Now I wonder what those two are whispering about…."
The examiner stepped up to the front of the room, his voice booming through the tense silence."Alright, listen up! I'm calling out results now so shut your traps and pay attention!"
One by one, he rattled off scores. Whispers, groans and sighs filled the space – until he stopped in front of the two latecomers.
"You two weren't registered," he said. "So I'll just read out your scores directly."
He pointed at Akeno."You – 18.2 out of 20."
The room broke into scattered gasps and whispers "Wait, that's the highest?"
"No way…."
"She had to have cheated."
Akeno's eye twitched. She clicked her tongue and folded her arms. "Tch…. bunch of haters."
Next, he turned to Kinuko."And you – 14.8" Kinuko exhaled, rubbing her arm. "Fourteen's damn low….. guess that's what I get for letting myself get distracted."
Some people kept whispering, but in the shadowed stands above the testing floor. A hooded man watched intently. He leaned toward a subordinate beside him, tapping the man's shoulder.
"Eighteen's mighty high for a lady, don't you think?"
"Yes sir... I'm still surprised," the man replied, eyes still on Akeno.
The hooded figure lowered his cowl slightly, a gleam in his eye.
"Call Ford after this exam. I want to talk to him….. about those girls."
"Yes sir."
The hooded man stood up slowly, turning toward the corridor. "Well then... let's head over to the men's side."
Meanwhile, the examiner clapped his hands, snapping everyone's attention back.
"Alright enough gawking. Next test – line up and get ready."
Kinuko leaned in a little and called out, "Akeno."
Akeno turned her head. "Yeah? What's up?"
Kinuko hesitated, eyes scanning the room. "….Nothing. It just felt like someone was watching us."
Akeno glanced around too, then shrugged. "Creepy."
She shook if off and followed the rest of the group, but the uneasy feeling stuck with her like a shadow
.......…
Back in the boys' chamber, the room was dead silent. Scarlet stood frozen, and so did everyone else – all eyes locked on Boros.
Two pads – shattered. Pads built with rare Nexa crystal cores, the kind they said couldn't be broken even by beasts. And yet, this guy just casually wrecked them like cheap gym equipment.
"Now that we're done with the pre-strength test," Scarlet finally said, her voice regaining edge, "we can move on to the real one. And just so we're clear – your performance from both tests will be graded."
She blinked, snapped out of it fully, and cleared her throat as the air buzzed with disbelief. "Right…" she muttered, forcing her tone into something more commanding.
"Okay – eyes front!" she called out, clapping her hands. "Before anyone else thinks they're some kind of legend, listen up. Let me explain how these pads actually work."
She gestured to the intact training platforms along the walls."These are pressure-calibrated Nexa pads. Unlike the ones you saw earlier, these don't break – they measure."
"Every push-up you do is analyzed in real time: arm extension, pressure distribution, core balance, even breathing rhythm. It is not just about how many you can do, but how well you do them."
A few boys exchanged glances, suddenly less confident. "Now listen carefully. You're being judged on five factors per rep: form, control, breathing, consistency and stamina over time." She held up five fingers and dropped them one by one.
"Mess up any of those – even a little – and the rep gets disqualified." She walked across the front row slowly.
"Each successful rep gives you 0.2 points. You max out at 20 if you hit 100 perfect push-ups. Simple math. Sloppy reps won't help you. And you have to do this within 1 minute 30 seconds."
One boy in the back muttered, "Man, this is gonna be hell…."
Scarlet smirked, catching it.
"It is. But if you're aiming to become a member of the White Tigers, you better start treating hell like home."