Karl followed Aina as they left the elevator. A middle aged man welcomed them.
"I was informed about your arrival madam so I have come personally to ensure everything goes smoothly." He said with a smile. "Nice to meet you am Robert."
They did the introductions and he led them to a separate room. They passed by different equipment from weapons, battle suits and much more.
"You will have to pass through different tests for us to grade you accordingly. There are many grades for Espers officially known. From Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond,..."
He was told to enter a small room. There was a dummy in the centre.
"You have to punch it with all your strength. Don't hold back anything."
He nodded and stepped back alittle. Gathering his strength....
Boooom
A tremor passed through the building. A slight dent appeared in the dummy's chest.
Disappointment flashed in his eyes. Though he had limited his strength alittle, he expect to atleast create a gaping hole in it but there results were saying otherwise.
The same couldn't be said for Robert who looked at him in astonishment. Up until now at his work no one had managed to cause any damage to that thing.
The dummy has to ability to absorb that force leaving no damage on it but this man had managed to leave noticeable damage.
He quickly recovered and continued the accessment. But then realised what a monster Karl was. His stats were very high for a novice.
After some turns and twists, everything was done.
Since Aina was a from a powerhouse family, Robert didn't make things hard. He processed everything very fast.
[Name: Karl Ainsworth
Race: Human
Age: 21
Rank: Gold ##### ]
Karl looked at his card and nodded. He just wanted things simple not a whole list as if he was looking for a job.
"Now that everything is done we can go and you pick a weapon of your choice." Robert offered his help but Karl politely denied.
He left the building with Aina. It was 4:30 pm. He had nothing to do.
"Is there any nearby restaurant here. I kind of feel hungry let's grab something." Karl said. Honestly he wasn't that hungry but just had nothing to do at the moment.
Aina raised an eyebrow. Was this guy this cunning.
"Is it a date your asking for?" She couldn't help but ask.
"Am just hungry that's it but you can call it so if you want. I just want to relax abit. Are you in?"
Aina sighed and pointed at a building 5 blocks away. He nodded and walked straight away to which she just followed.
She didn't have anything to do at the moment so it wouldn't hurt to tag along, right.
They were welcomed by a beautiful waitress. She led them to a vacant table by the window.
Aina sat across him. They were given menus to select. They gave out their orders.
"What do you know about tomorrow's competitions?" Aina asked suddenly.
"Honestly I don't know much except being University competitions. The principal didn't get into details."
Aina nodded in understanding. That wasn't expected but the principal seemed to have her reasons.
"Actually different Universities in America bring their best students and participate in the competitions. These aren't anything normal as you might think. The best University becomes the leader of all for 5 years. Our University is new compared to others so they won't take us seriously."
They served them everything as ordered. Immediately they started digging in.
"Here comes the twist. The principals aren't your normal humans. They are powerhouses. These competitions also are used to solidify their power and influence in the country. Its not about only normal people but supernatural inclusive. Do you think it will be normal." Aina said everything softly.
"You as the representative has to look after your fellows and above all, it comes with a package of responsibilities."
A smirk appeared on her beautiful pink lips. His lips twisted slightly.
Who would have thought he had been dragged into some scheme he knew nothing about. He looked at the smiling woman and calmed down.
Lamenting at his ignorance would lead to nothing.
Aina glanced at him slightly. She was deeply amazed by his calmness. She had expected an intense reaction but nothing of sort. He didn't lose his composure at all.
"If so then this will be more interesting than I thought. I can't wait to meet so bastards there. And above all, the supernatural is vast, I will need experience."
He said as they left the place after their fill. It was getting dark now and he didn't want to make things hard for her.
"I will keep looking around for a while, you can join if you want but..." Karl said and gestured at Aina's car. Her driver was still present and he didn't want to make things difficult for her.
Aina turned around and made a few calls. After sometime, the car left. She turned around with a smile.
"Done."
Karl nodded. They disappeared.
In a warehouse house, 4 men knelt on the ground. Their clothes covered in blood. They appeared heavily injured.
They were surrounded by armed men. They were in the middle of an ancient looking circle with strange patterns inscribed on the ground.
They knelt in daze, they had lost a large amount of blood. Blood circulated around. The circle was not yet complete.
Cosmic energy was getting drawn towards the area as time passed.
At the front was a man who appeared to be the leader.
He had a creepy grin on his face. The ritual was going as planned. His hard work was about to pay off.
He had accumulated many Souls morethan enough for his breakthrough.
He held a black crystal high towards the ceiling.
The warehouse darkened. The crystal gave off an ominous aura. Everyone's hair stood at the back of their heads. They didn't dare to move for fear of what could happen.
The sky above also darkened slightly proof that this thing was powerful.
The blood reacted as darkness sipped into it. The circle lit up.
Unbearable pain assaulted the 4 men. They screamed their lungs out as if their lives depended on it.
Strangely though no sound came out of the warehouse.
This went on under Karl and Aina's watch. They couldn't just burge into the warehouse without gaining information.
That old man was in no way weak, the ones held captive were all Saint Ranks but appeared hopeless.
Saint Ranks were nothing to scoff at but this situation said otherwise.
"I can't believe this is happening in the middle of the city. If he completes what he's doing many might die. That ritual is morethan eyes meet." Aina analysed. Honestly she was confident in fighting the old man but there was a price she had to pay. And that was the innocent lives.
Karl looked slightly at the warehouse. They were levitating in the sky. He sighed as he made up his mind.
"I will take that old man somewhere but everything else is up to you."
Aina wanted to say something but only a golden trail was left behind.
Inside the warehouse, the armed men looked around nervously.
Boom
A figure landed on the ground through the roof. A gaping hole could be seen above.
"I wasn't wrong when I sensed something, huh. You took your time. Sadly your nothing before this old man, boy." The old man said.
Karl looked at the old man silently. He was far stronger than him. This meant he was at the late stage of Legendary rank or above. The aura he gave off was dreadful to say the least.
No one deared to move as the tension increased. This man had just appeared through the roof, he was by no means normal.
"Am kind of interested in that crystal old man. Care to hand it over, maybe I will let things slide. Don't you think so."
His face became unsightly as the crystal was brought into this. A dark aura sipped out of his body but.....
Booom
They disappeared. Only a golden trail was left with a gaping hole in the ceiling. They were no more.
Everyone looked on in confusion. They couldn't comprehend what had transpared.
They all subconsciously turned their heads at the entrance. There she was, a nation toppling beauty. Her gaze was fixed at the hole above.
"He is very first, huh. I can't even react to that speed." She said, "Now then boys, lets also have our turned."
Aina said as she walked forward.
No one knew who started it but they all started shooting at the pink haired woman as if their lives depended on it. Bullets flew around like water, strangely though they couldn't hit her.
She simply zipped around leaving after images.
Aina immediately lifted her first target off the ground, rotated him slightly and threw him towards his comrades.
She didn't stop as she appeared behind another, disarmed him and shot his legs.
She zoomed around doing the same to the rest until none was left. Sh never intended on killing them and only shot their legs rendering them immobile.
Everything happened in a split second. They couldn't believe what had happened before their very eyes but before they could make a scene, their eyelids became heavy and they slept off.
"How annoying. I had to limit myself strength there." Aina sighed and looked around.
The ware house had returned to normal the moment that strange crystal was taken away with the old man.
She approached the captives. After confirming they were alive, she made a few calls.
Several kilometers away from New York City, Karl appeared and immediately punched the old man who was still shocked.
He descended like a meteor and crashed into a mountain.
Booom
A huge crater curved into the mountain. The shock wave swept away the trees 100 metres around.
In a split second, a figure shot out of the crater.