"Okay, everyone, please line up here and take this paper, one each person." A woman with a pair of glasses said as she guided the soon-to-be-student.
"Kyaa…! Demon!" A scream from the back line made everyone froze in their place as they directed their eyes to a young boy with a short red hair like fire and crimson eyes like blood, also a pair of pointed ears and pale skin.
There was two female behind the red-haired boy, one was a human-looking girl with a white robe covered her attire down to her knees, she looked 'safe' and walked calmly behind the 'demon'. The other was a human wearing a mask with a white imperial guard uniform. Just who was this so-called 'demon'? Everyone thought with a pale face and cold sweat dripping.
"Oh, Julian! Come here! Here!" A voice calling out made the red-haired boy glanced. The voice came from an old man (around thirties) with a big sword by his side.
The masked-woman bent down a bit and whispered something to the red-haired boy, Julian, then the three of them walked to the old man.
"Hello, Sir. It is my honor to have you known my name." Julian bowed in formality as Karo smiled gently, then greeted.
Karo bowed and held a tip of her dress, "Karo greet Sir Timotheus Martio, the great swordman of the capital guild."
The man, Martion, laughed loudly, "Ahaha… what a good lad you two are. Sit here, don't be shy… this line gonna take forever to finish, so feel free to wait here with me."
"But, Sir, we—"
"Yo, whose we got here?" A voice from beside Martio made Julian glanced. A girl with a short hair and mischievous smile, Rafa!
"Yo, guys! We meet again, how's the dorm? I heard that you got a 'special' room." Rafa asked with a big grin on her face.
"Rafa… Sir Martion know her?" Karo asked as she uncovered her hood.
Martio laughed, "Gahaha… this lad pique my interest with her sword, her twins also very good at telling stories. So, we just hang out together and these lad asked to sit here. Well, I don't mind, so just sit, you two!" Martio held Julian and Karo, then dragged them to sit beside him.
"Sir, forgive me for asking this, but what are you doing here?" Karo asked with her right eyebrow furrowed.
Martio grinned, then stood up. He held his big sword and posed similarly to the holy chariot statue. "I am your examiner today."
Martio thumbed up with an excited face while the others could only bore a flat stare and face. So, Martio was really the 'enemy' today.
"Looks like we don't have any choice." Rafa said as she jumped from her seat and stood steadily on the granite floor.
"How about a 'morning exercise', Sis?" Rafa stretched out her hand to the other girl who had a similar look to her.
The girl held Rafa's hand, "Sure. But, please, don't destroy the arena there." The girl pointed at the square arena made of layers of rare stone to prevent any 'accident'.
Rafa hit her own chest lightly as if she saying leave-it-to-me.
The examiner, Martio, will have a battle with Rafa and Nia, known by the guilds as 'The Twins of Calamity'.
Both Rafa and Nia jumped up to the arena, followed by Martio behind them.
"Sir? Are you sure you would leave your sword there?" Rafa askes while her right hand pointed at the sword beside Julian's leg.
"Nah, my weapon's too big to clash here. The headmaster might protest me if I use it to do this mock battle." Martio scratched his left cheek awkwardly as he thought about what the headmaster might do.
Ting…
"Please choose your weapon." A robotic voice heard from the middle of the square arena, followed by a plate bringing a few weapon.
Rafa and Nia nodded to each other as they approached it and chose their weapon. Martio also did the same as he left his big sword before. Three of them will start tye battle, the 'senior' with a big grin, and the other two with a poker face.
"You have pick weapons. Please listen to these rules." The robotic voice came from a small blue ball which floating from the middle of the arena.
"The rules are simple. No touch with hand or part other than the weapon you chose. Sneak attack is allowed, but no touching 'sensitive' area. Surrender is allowed with saying 'OUT', no false alarm. Breaking rules would result to a certain punishment detailed by the committee. Now, battle begin!"
Pwung…
The blue ball disappeared and the arena was blocked by a thick but transparent protection spell, so any ruckus would not do any damage to the outside.
…
"Who do you think will win?" Julian asked.
Karo replied, "Based on the quantity, Rafa would win. As for the quality, I am still not sure until we see the performance."
"And you?" Julian asked as he turned his face to the girl with animal ears whose sitting beside Karo.
The girl with a pair of white wolf ears, Tiana, didn't budge her eyes from the battle arena. "I am not biased by my ladies, but for sure, this time, my ladies are the winner."
Julian held his hands in front of his chest, examining the match after heard what Tiana said. "So, what do you based on to think that those two will be winning this match?"
Tiana glanced a little bit, "Because their weapon is the best suit for them."
Clang…!
"Woah, there." Martio grinned as he held the attack Rafa gave with his sword. An aggressive move, yet a clean slash. The aura was cold and stings somehow. Like an 'aggressive panther' didn't let their 'prey' got away alive.
Martio gazed a bit to the other girl behind Rafa. The girl used the assassin type blue dagger, but her awkward posture looked very obvious that she haven't ever held any before. Martio almost smirked as he thought he would wi—
"Not so fast, Sir."
Clang…!
A sudden attack from behind made Martio flinched. Gratefully, Martio still be able to avoid and held the attack. Nia, the one whose awkwardly holding the dagger before, now looked like a skilled-full desert assassin. The aura was cold, even close to non-aura. Like an 'aggressive but calm lion', waiting calmly and attacked furiously.
[Note : In this story, a desert assassin is a group of professionals and skilled-full assassin trained only to assassinate and find the necessary information (even they could have the kingdom's secret in their hand if they want)]
'No doubt that these two called 'The Twins of Calamity', they sure hold up a good reason on that.' Thought Martio while his long sword clashing and defensed himself from the attack.
"OUUUTTT!!!" Martio loudly said it.