"To meet my standards and prove you are worthy to carry the title of Ophis, you must pass three trials," announced Leron.
"The first trial is a simple water test. Everyone will enter one of five lines and dip their finger into the water. By channeling nature energy into your finger, it will change the color of the water. If you look above me, the color of the water will match one of these five colors excluding this sixth one. Each color represents a different gift class, and I will rank them based on difficulty. Dark Sea green represents 'Kikaku,' the most basic gift. In short, its only use is to strengthen your base stats, such as strength, speed, and durability. Red represents 'Zokyo,' the enhancement. This grants the user a single amplified trait such as x-ray vision or, in my case, the ability to see lies. Blue represents 'Genso,' the creation or manipulation of the elements or the constructs of nature. Yellow represents 'Henka,' the ability to transform or alter the biology of oneself or others. Lastly, Purple represents 'Seikyu,' the ability to bend the laws of nature and manipulate concepts such as time travel. Failing to change the color of the water will result in immediate ejection from the trial. The first trial begins now." Immediately after Leron explains the trial, the crowd shuffles into lines. Looking ahead, Jugo notices some people being led into another room and others being sent back the way he came. As the lines move on, Jugo's turn arrives. He nervously dips his finger into the pedestal filled with water. Remembering the words of his sensei, Jugo channels nature energy into his finger, turning the water yellow. The observer in front of Jugo writes something down on her notepad and instructs him.
"Go through that door and wait for the next trial." Jugo easily passes the trial and waits in the other room. After the first trial finished, there were fifty-four Ophi candidates left. The door opens, and Leron appears.
"After reviewing the information gathered from the first trial, the second can now be set in motion. Each person will be handed two items, a compass pointing to the center of the forest outside of town and a large sticker to be placed on your back. Everyone will be split into groups of three based on the class of gift you possess. Here are the rules for the second trial; there are two ways to pass this trial enter the safe zone with your sticker still attached or steal the sticker of another candidate. Teammates do not count. This will result in an immediate pass, and you will not be permitted to fight or defend your teammates after. You are not required to work as a team, but defending yourself from three people at once will be harder. Sounds easy so far, doesn't it? Here's the kicker, failure to enter the safe zone or steal a sticker within 20 minutes results in ejection from the third and final trial. For a normal person making it to the forest's center is impossible, but you all have awakened your gift. Everyone is permitted to use their gift as they see fit, but killing is forbidden. The observers are handing out location points for each team. You will meet your team members at this location and start the trial from there. The trial starts in ten minutes, so get into position and make it count." After the announcement, everyone rushes to their starting location. Jugo running to his starting location, realizes he is the last one to arrive.
"You can't be serious. Why am I paired up with the class bum and bossy redhead," questioned Hisoka.
"I'm not happy about this either. You better not slow us down, Jugo," demanded Kyou.
"I'll try my best I've gotten decently fast; I should be able to make it to the safe zone in twenty minutes," replied Jugo.
"We're not going for the safe zone. We're going for stickers," claimed Kyou.
"Why should we go with your plan when it's easier to go for the safe zone," asked Hisoka.
"Because it's faster to steal the sticker and get this trial over with," explained Kyou
"But that also makes it more dangerous," interjected Jugo.
"Just follow my lead," stated Kyou. Echoing through the forest, Leron's voice could be heard.
"The second trial shall now commence in 3, 2, 1, go!" The team rushes into the forest following Kyou's lead.
"Can we run towards the safe zone for now and steal stickers later," asked Jugo
"Fine, you better keep up, though," demanded Kyou. Running through the forest, the team hears others fighting. As other candidates get their stickers stolen, Leron announces the winners and losers.
"There, that team isn't paying attention; let's steal their stickers," indicated Hisoka. Jumping onto a branch, Hisoka readies his bow and activates his gift, 'Zoom.' 'Zoom' allows Hisoka to see at farther distances than the average human. Depending on how much nature energy is channeled into his eyes determines how far he can see. Rushing forward, Kyou claims.
"I got 'em!" Pulling out seeds from her pockets, Kyou scatters them on the ground. Placing her palms down, she activates her gift 'Bloom.' 'Bloom' allows Kyou to rapidly grow plant life from seed and manipulate them at will. Attempting to subdue the enemy team, Kyou grows vines too large, blocking Hisoka's arrow.
"Hey, I almost had him. Watch where you grow those trees 'Red.'" Noticing the overgrown vines, the enemy team scatter to dodge the vines.
"Mina put up a smokescreen," demanded one of the enemies. Pointing her hands towards the group, a port appears from her palm, engulfing the area in a pink smog. blinded by the smog, Jugo activates his gift, 'Animal Kingdom.' 'Animal Kingdom' allows Jugo to transform or take on aspects of animals whose DNA he's touching.
"If I can't see normally, ill use thermal vision instead," Jugo thought. Taking on the aspect of a 'Black Fire Bettle, ' Jugo develops pit organs to see everyone's thermal silhouette. Rushing towards Kyou, one of the enemies touches a tree molding the bark onto his fist.
"Kyou duck," excalimed Jugo. Dodging the fist, Kyou switches to hand-to-hand combat. Hisoka goes to reposition himself but is met by a guy spitting darts at him. Frustrated by the smog, Hisoka yelled.
"Can either of you do anything about this smog?" Annoyed by the tone of his voice Kyou uses her vines to knock over a large tree. The tree cleared the smog but also made a loud crash.
"Jugo do something," demanded Hisoka. Thinking for a second, Jugo takes on the speed aspect of a rabbit and bolts toward Mina. Before he could reach her, the boy who spits darts defends Mina with a flurry of darts.
"I'll cover you. Just get the girl," ordered Hisoka. Distracting her guard, Hisoka allows Jugo to subdue Mina. Being too spread out, Jugo activates his thermal vision again to find his teammates. Hisoka is taking care of the dart boy. and Kyou is busy too.
"What is that," questioned Jugo. A large red spot appeared in the distance closing in on Kyou at a blinding speed.
"Kyou behind you!" A spiraling flame charged from the forest's darkness, and at that very moment, Leron's voice echoed through the woods.
"Kyou Haruki has been ejected from the trial." Someone else stole Kyou's sticker. Calming down his flames, a red-haired boy turns to Kyou.
"Sorry, princess, but you're too slow." A second announcement echoes through the forest.
"Kazan Reito passes the second trial."
"Damn it, Kyou," grumbled Hisoka. Catching up to Kazan, his teammates target Hisoka and Jugo. One of the members throws a kunai at Jugo, but he jumps in the air to dodge it, letting go of Mina too. A small girl jumps into the cord connected to the kunai turning into an electrical current exiting at the end of it. Immediately leaving the cord, she throws another kunai into the air just behind Jugo. In the blink of an eye, she runs through another cable sticking her arm out to steal Jugo's sticker. At the same time, a boy points a laser over Hisoka's head onto the tree. Running in the opposite direction, The boy points another laser at another tree and runs into it. Before realizing what the boy is doing, he appears above Hisoka's head. Coming from above, the boy swipes Hisoka's sticker just as he lands on the branch.
"Jugo Gyaku and Hisoka Yuge have been ejected from the trial. Inari and Tazuna pass the second trial," Leron announced. Falling to their knees, Jugo, Hisoka, and Kyou despair realizing their dreams were crushed before they started. As the first enemy group escapes, the second celebrates gleefully. Coming from the tree, Hisoka puts Kyou's arm over him to pick her up. Jugo follows them from a distance. Making their way out of the forest, the group sobs wishing they could have done anything differently. Turning to watch them leave, Kazan's heart feels heavy with guilt.