Molly and Lea arrived at their respective places.
The city square used as a meeting point was packed with people. It wasn´t a problem since the space was huge.
Squads of Molly´s clan were supervising the surroundings to disqualify anyone who caused conflict or arrived late at the established time. Part of them were intimidating warriors dressed as samurais, while others were silent shapes watching in the shadows.
Tough Molly could fit in both groups, this time she was part of the most visible.
A lot of the candidates let out a mocking sigh after looking at Molly, the tough of "Is this girl gonna order me around?" was passing through their heads.
About Molly´s thoughts, she was calm. She expected that much from the beginning, and it was irrelevant.
When the sun wasn´t visible anymore for the ninja placed over the highest rooftop the sound of a bell drifted to the ears of the crowd.
The ninjas waiting on the perimeter pulled out a mana crystal and placed them in front of their feet, they poured mana into them and then disappeared with no trace.
At the same time, Molly showed her crystal, the light coming out of it took the shape of a giant screen flying in the center of the square.
A man covered in white armor appeared, his chest had painted a golden cherry blossom, and his head was protected by a kabuto with a sinister blue mask with the face of an oni.
-Time´s up!! From here onwards you´re have all started the selection process!!
His voice fell as an earthshaking thunder. The little beasts fled in despair as the ears of all those with a great sense of hearing protected themselves to avoid an eardrum implosion.
"He´s always so noisy". Thought Molly when her ears were safe.
Who was giving indications was one of her relatives, Raiden Takeda, her grandfather.
One of the most important figures inside the cherry blossom clan.
His face was not known by the general public, but his armor and mask were.
-The white lightning!
-To think I´d get the chance to see him! Lucky me!
A strepitous motivation invaded the viewers. Those relaxed tensed up their muscles, and those who were already paying attention were now glued to the ground with peeled eyes.
Glorious and imposing.
Raiden was able to represent all of that from an intangible and distant screen.
-To all of you who came from afar, I once again give you the welcome to Lafonía. Though most of you won´t make it, I wish you all good luck.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! *
In response to those words, a cry worthy of a coliseum caused a vibration in the air.
The face of Raiden went to the edge of the screen, now a map of the kingdom was the main attraction.
Soon after, the samurais started to provide metallic bracelets to the aspirants, each one of them had a different number and a counter showing [30:00].
-We´re close to the west district entrance, your task is to arrive at the center of the district before your counter reaches zero, you´re free to use any method and tool you have.
The routes were marked on the map with several red lines going through the west district and ending in a group of camping tents. Lots of symbols with the shape of cherry blossoms appeared around each route.
-If you´re badly injured or you identify any weird attitude don´t doubt it for a second and notify one of our members, all of them have been marked with our symbol.
Instinctively, the aspirants took a look at the people in black armor. Like Raiden, they had the symbol of the cherry blossom on their chest protector, and the weapons hanging in their bodies changed according to the size and appearance of the samurai; some of them had swords like the katana, while others held spears and short weapons such as sai and naginata.
Their faces were hidden by black ceramic masks or pieces of dark cloth.
-The number of candidates is 430, only the first 200 arriving at the goal are going to continue with the selection process. Remember that even as candidates you must show the dignity of the clan protecting the crown and its people, so compete with honesty. That´s all.
The screen disappeared, leaving an awkward and strange atmosphere.
"Eh? Is that it?". That was what most of the candidates asked each other. In consequence, some of the samurais laughed noiselessly, the melancholy had reached them.
-... Then, should we start moving?...
-I-I have no idea.
Ping*
The pitting of the bracelets unified in a unique sound, the counter had started the countdown.
!!*
-Ocean flow!
-Smoking speed!
-Light foot!
-Stampede!
Skills and spells were shot like a machine gun. People running everywhere with all the might of their hearts were seen over the roofs, skies, and streets.
-Move it fatass!
-You move aside!
-Woah?! Hey! Watch where you´re aiming dumbass!
-Out of the way idiot!
Fights started in all places, bloodthirst was the new tendency on the field.
There was a group of ninjas surrounded by darkness watching everything, the crystal pinball getting close to their mouths were transmitters used to communicate with Molly and the samurais.
-... I got it
With the message received, the leader turned to the members under his orders.
-Time to get dirty... Make sure nobody steps out of the evaluation zone, avoid as much as you can any fatality and don´t forget to register the number of the disqualified candidate.
Molly and all her teammates nodded and moved through the routes to their corresponding positions. Once there, the conflict was halted only when it looked like someone was about to die.
Molly spent most of her time writing down numbers and faces, her intervention was only necessary twice, and only that number was needed to show how Molly was a girl out of the ordinary.
-Yo! You good?!
Just a few meters away to where she was, Molly heard the voice of Lea. And as if a new instinct awoke within her, she sprinted to the source of the scream. When she arrived she saw Lea giving first aid to one of the candidates with what remained of her teared-up clothes.
-Please, leave me! You´ll lose your place! Argh!
-Your wound is more important, if we don´t heal this it could get infected, and living without a leg is quite hard, believe me.
-HRG! * ... Shit... I´m so sorry...
Lea replied to the boy with a kind smile, her capacity to treat wounds was basic, but it was good enough to stop the bleeding from the dangerous-looking cut in the boy´s leg.
When Lea determined there was nothing else she could do, she looked at the map on her wrist. Without losing her destination, her eyes immediately found the quickest way to the closest samurai.
-All righty! I can do this!
-W-Wait, what are you-? Woah?!
-I know where I have to go! Hold on tight! This could get shaky!
Lea lifted the body of the boy with the legendary "princess-like carrying".
A person would think that such action would be hard due to the difference between their constitutions, but Lea annihilated that assumption in the blink of an eye with magnificent speed.
The panic turned scream from the boy was the slipstream of the shooting star.
Molly was only able to laugh softly before the tremendous and absurd performance developed in front of her.
"She´s an idiot... But I don´t dislike her".
Those were her honest thoughts as she kept doing her labors.
In the first minutes, more than 57 people were already been disqualified, and 23 of them won't be able to move as they always did.
Resist and produce wounds were always anticipated in the tests, though there were times where some injuries were worse than others.