The next recruit to step forward was a decent-looking man armed with a sword. He launched his attack on Vorenus in traditional swordsman style. To assess his skills, Vorenus drew his dagger and began parrying the man's attacks. Despite his best efforts, the swordsman seemed weaker compared to the previous recruits, and Vorenus easily won the match.
Then came a charismatic recruit, also armed with a sword. However, his sword was different from the first swordsman's. Rather than launching an immediate attack, he stood still, his sword at the ready. After a moment, he sent shockwaves around the training center, a display of his power that left the recruits in awe. He moved towards Vorenus with precision and efficiency, his movements echoing his earlier display of power.
Vorenus managed to dodge the attack, but not entirely unscathed. The edge of the recruit's sword caught a piece of Vorenus's clothing, a small victory that added to the recruit's impressive performance. His skills and charisma had set a high bar for the remaining recruits, including Haizen, who was up next.
Finally, it was Haizen's turn. As he stepped forward, he gripped his daggers tightly, preparing to use his full power from the start. He decided not to use his teleport skill initially and instead charged towards Vorenus, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. However, Vorenus effortlessly countered all his attacks.
In a sudden move, Haizen threw his two daggers in opposite directions, creating a diversion. While Vorenus was distracted, Haizen attacked him directly. Then, in a swift move, Haizen teleported to one of his daggers, grabbed it, and threw it at Vorenus. He then vanished again, reappeared at the location of his other dagger, picked it up, and threw it at Vorenus as well.
Haizen executed all this while in mid-air, using his teleportation skill. He vanished again, and Vorenus braced himself to counter the two incoming daggers. But in a surprise move, Haizen teleported directly to Vorenus and launched a coordinated attack from three different directions. "Not bad," Vorenus acknowledged. But then he added, "But you made a mistake. You assumed that only you can use this skill." Suddenly, Vorenus disappeared, only to reappear behind Haizen. He delivered a swift kick, sending Haizen rolling back. "Now, everyone except the mages, come with me," Vorenus instructed, indicating the end of the initial assessment. Despite the varying skill levels, each recruit had given their best, and now they were ready for the next phase of their training with the Brotherhood.
Haizen remained on the ground as the other recruits passed by him. The swordsman who had been the first to face Vorenus extended his hand to Haizen. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Haizen accepted his help and got up, responding, "Yeah, let's go." Neither of them spoke much as they followed the others. As they walked, Vorenus noticed one of his daggers was cracked. He thought to himself, "Some freaks we have this year." Once they entered a room, all the recruits formed a line. Vorenus was going to assess their power levels based on the tests he'd just conducted.
Vorenus began to call out each recruit by name. He started with Ryo, the first to face him in battle. "Ryo, you possess strong physical abilities, but you lack in other areas," Vorenus began. "You are at the grandmaster level in martial arts, but this rank is solely based on your strength." He then moved on to the spiky-haired fighter, Malach. "Malach, you are also granted the rank of grandmaster," Vorenus announced. The gloomy guy, known as Kenta, was next. "Kenta, you too are awarded the rank of grandmaster," Vorenus stated. Haizen wondered why Kenta, who appeared more skilled than the others, received the same rank. Sirius, the emotionless and seemingly cold-blooded fighter, was also given the rank of grandmaster by Vorenus. The ranking process continued, with Vorenus evaluating each recruit based on their performance in the assessment tests.
The next recruit called by Vorenus was the swordsman named 'Talon'. He too received the rank of grandmaster. Hiroshi, the last swordsman to be ranked, was also given the grandmaster title. Finally, Vorenus called out Haizen's name. "Haizen," he began, "you also get the rank of grandmaster." After all the ranks had been given out, Vorenus addressed everyone. "These ranks are granted to you based on your current strength, but that doesn't mean you are all on the same level. Even within the grandmaster rank, there are various power levels," he explained. "And remember, despite these assessments, you are still only recruits. You must work hard to earn your place in the Brotherhood. The three mages will join you after their rank assessments. Everyone will be given details about your first mission and you will be sent in teams. We will assess your worth to the Brotherhood through these missions. So, give your best. That's all."