In the elite chamber high above the stadium pillars, the atmosphere was thick with the restlessness of the powerful. Kaoru, succumbing to the sheer boredom of the wait, was idly poking Tatsuro's cheek. Tatsuro smacked his hand away with a flash of visible anger, causing Kaoru to let out a long, dramatic sigh. Nearby, Raizen was fast asleep, snoring loudly with his head resting on Akihito's shoulder, while Akihito simply stared forward, his expression unreadable and vacant.
Kuro watched his fellow Elites with a look of mounting disappointment before turning his attention to Ayumu. The Rank #1 leader was staring into the distance, lost in thought.
"Is everything alright, sir?" Kuro asked quietly. "If you're worried about your sister being in danger, I can call off the exam right now."
Ayumu shook his head slowly. "No. Calling off the exam for her wouldn't be justice to the other contenders, especially to those who have already failed. Besides, I'm not worried about her safety. I know she can survive on her own. Unlike the others, she understands the nature of Orvex; I taught her how to control it myself. But..." Ayumu's fist balled up tightly. "She has only mastered twenty percent of her Orvex input after three years of training. I told her she was halfway there because I didn't want her to feel like all those years were a waste, but I truly thought she would be further along before the exam started."
Kuro placed a hand on Ayumu's tensed fist and smiled, shifting his glasses up. "Channeling one's Orvex is a brutal discipline to master. I'm actually impressed she reached twenty percent in only three years. Not everyone is a natural born anomaly, Ayumu. Just because you mastered it instantly doesn't mean she will—but she will get there eventually. For now, we both know that twenty percent is more than enough to handle this exam."
Ayumu nodded, finally relaxing his grip.
At the entrance to the weapon warehouse, Ren walked with a casual stride, his hands laced behind his head as he whistled a tune that echoed down the hallway. Aiko watched him with growing disbelief.
"Throughout the entire time I was giving you guys tips, you weren't listening at all, were you?" she asked.
Ren glanced at her. "Yes, I was. Something about... channeling?"
Aiko's eyebrow twitched. "Channeling? Is that all you got?"
Ren shrugged dismissively. "It doesn't really matter. You said it yourself: someone with great Orvex doesn't have to train. The power just enhances the blade automatically, right?"
Aiko stopped in her tracks. "Are you honestly assuming you were born with a great Orvex?"
"I'm not assuming," Ren said with a confident smirk. "I know."
Aiko let out an exasperated breath. "That is not how it works, Ren. Yes, if you are born with high Orvex, your weapon will technically enhance itself the first time you pick it up—but only by a tiny one to five percent. The rest of that massive energy is just leaking out of your body, becoming Wasted Orvex. You have to train day and night to learn how to force that energy into the steel until you and the weapon are one."
Ren's eyes widened. "Well, you didn't tell me that part!"
"You would have known if you had listened!" Aiko snapped back.
"Quick! Tell me how to channel it right now!" Ren demanded, suddenly panicked. "I gotta know!"
Aiko stared at him in pure disbelief. "Really? Right now? Again, Ren, if you had just paid attention—"
"Can you two stop slacking and get over here?" Zen called out from up ahead. He was standing with Hoshizaki and Tsukiko by a series of heavy metal doors. Aiko apologized and hurried forward, with Ren sulking behind her.
"The instructor told us to go to the door that matches our weapon choice," Zen explained, pointing to the labels. "But before we enter, we have to hit this timer. We have exactly five minutes. In and out. No delays. Got it?"
Everyone nodded. The team split up to their assigned stations: Hoshizaki to Door 1 (Blade), Zen to Door 2 (Blaster), Ren to Door 3 (Blade), and Aiko to Door 4 (Blaster). Tsukiko stood in the middle of the hall, looking around frantically.
"Hey, where is my door?" she asked.
Zen paused. "You're the Special Attack class. I guess the supervisors have to hand-deliver yours. Just wait here, we'll be right back."
Tsukiko pouted, crossing her arms. "I'd rather go in with my big brother."
Zen let out a heavy sigh, his patience wearing thin. "We don't have time for this! One more minute of delay will cost us everything. GO!"
Zen slammed the timer on his tablet, and the four of them vanished into their respective rooms, leaving Tsukiko alone to mumble to herself in the hallway.
Inside Door Three:
Ren stepped into a massive chamber filled with rows upon rows of swords, sabers, and katanas stretching as far as the eye could see. A supervisor stood waiting in the center of the room.
"Excuse me, sir. Over here," the man called out. As Ren approached, the man gave a stiff bow. "I am your weapon assigner. You may call me Dain. I am here to ensure you are confident in your choice and to verify that your weapon is set to minimum performance levels. Rest assured, our blades are efficient even at low output. So, which one calls to you?"
Ren looked around at the expensive-looking steel and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Oh, man... I definitely can't afford these. Is there anything in the back that costs way less? I promise I'll pay the Guild back after the exam."
Dain blinked in confusion. "You do realize these are free, right?"
Ren froze. "Really? For free?"
"Yes," Dain replied. "Your examination fee covered the equipment costs."
Ren chuckled, his eyes lighting up. "In that case, don't mind if I do!"
"Our list is long," Dain said, pulling up his tablet. "We have dual-curved blades, heavy pickaxes, cavalry sabers, longswords..."
"Dagger," Ren interrupted.
Dain stopped scrolling. "Pardon?"
"I asked for your daggers," Ren repeated firmly. "I need a dagger for my weapon selection."
Dain's confusion deepened. "Wait, you realize that a dagger is a support tool, not a primary weapon choice for a frontline Blade class, right?"
Ren sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm just more comfortable with a dagger in my hand. Now, if you don't mind..."
"You're being serious?" Dain asked, gesturing to the hundreds of powerful swords. "You could have a claymore or a katana, and you want a support knife?"
Ren's expression darkened slightly. "Yeah. That's what I specialize in. Is there a problem?"
Dain quickly waved his hands. "No, no problem. I just wanted to be certain." He noted the choice on his tablet and walked over to a neglected desk in the corner. He pulled open a heavy drawer, blowing away a thick layer of dust and brushing off cobwebs. He presented a small velvet tray. "If daggers are what you want, you can pick from these."
Ren's face broke into a look of pure joy. He reached down and grabbed a slightly larger, weighted dagger, testing its balance. He gave a satisfied nod. "Yeah. This will do perfectly."
Dain forced a polite smile. "Since you have selected your weapon with two minutes to spare, you must wait here until the timer expires."
Ren nodded, sheathing the blade at his waist. He was finished, just like Aiko, who was already waiting in her room with her own selected gear.
Meanwhile, inside Room 2: