After the announcement, everybody began forming groups. Some were already familiar with each other, so forming a group wasn't hard, while others were perfectly fine with conversation.
As for me, I'd rather stay solo than have a conversation with anybody. Truly, I'd rather die than start up a conversation.
You can't blame me, I'm just a toxic introvert.
"Hey!"
Someone called.
I turned to see who it was, only to find the red-haired guy. What was his name…
"Kitetsu, right?"
"Yes, you remember me, Ryuma."
"Haha, you also remembered my name."
"Yeah, mind if we make a team?"
"A team?"
"Mhm… I'm on my own, and it's best if we make teams in situations like this."
"Yeah, that's definitely true. What about your sister?"
"Oh, Big Sis is on her own. She goes solo. It's depressing, but she only sees me as a liability. I'll only drag her back."
"Damn, that's bad."
"Mhm, so can we make a team?"
"Yeah, sure, why not."
Together with the red-haired boy Kitetsu, we made a team.
***
In the control room where the examination was supervised, almost everybody in the room was seated and glued to their computers. At the front was a very big screen that displayed everything happening in the examination grounds and the details of the people taking the exams.
In front of the widescreen stood a man in a military uniform. He was the person in charge, supervising the exams.
"Someone, display more details on the individual with physical capability."
"Yes!"
Someone answered, and immediately a tab popped up on the screen.
"Tokita Ryuma… I don't know why someone would have such a low number. Wait a second, isn't he the person Doctor Alfred told us about?"
"Affirmative, but Doctor Alfred didn't mention any physical deformity. Rather, he praised him."
A voice spoke from behind.
"Then what happened? Is it a system error?" The man rubbed his chin as he pondered.
"We also have someone with very high physical capability, Ko Hinetsu, with a capability level of fifty-four percent."
A tab appeared beside Ryuma's.
"We have quite the participants this time around. I think the last person with similarly high capability was—"
Suddenly, the door behind slid open, and three people entered. Among them was Benchiro Saiya.
"Oh, Captain Leonard, what brings you here?"
The Supervisor greeted.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. I just came to watch the exam. You know my squad is three men short, so it wouldn't hurt to watch the new recruits."
"Indeed, you're right—"
"Wait a minute, isn't that Ryuma?"
Saiya noticed the tab on the screen.
"A friend of yours?" Leonard asked.
"F-Friend? No way! I can't be friends with an old creep," she scoffed. "But why the hell is he at one percent?"
"That's a surprise to us too,"
The supervisor exclaimed, walking towards the screen.
"His vitals are normal, everything about him is normal except his capabilities," he stated.
"So are you saying he's not cut out for the military?" Leonard asked.
"Hmmm… I wouldn't say it like that. Even if he's not cut out for the frontlines, he can still join us at the back. We still have to watch him and see what he's capable of."
***
According to Kitetsu, the suit and weapon have a lot of benefits.
The suit helps to boost physical ability to a certain degree to help in combat against Nephilims.
But!!
Everything boils down to one's physical capability. The higher the capability, the more power the suit draws out.
I'm really fucked.
A fucking one? Like, how? Now, this exam isn't about passing; it's about surviving.
A countdown began on a large board. As soon as it dropped to zero, some screeching sounds could be heard.
"Bro, I sense some lower beasts. You won't have a problem dealing with them after we transform—"
"Are you fucking stupid? How can we transform here?"
"I'm just bringing suggestions, considering how tense you are."
"Don't bring any, and I can take care of myself. I've got a gun, after all."
With a proud look, I gazed upon the pistol in my hand.
"Ryuma, let's move!"
Kitetsu called out, and together we made our way towards the direction of the horde of Nephilims.
"In this examination, performance is everything. They will judge us based on performance and will assign us to squads based on that same performance, so we need to make an appearance."
"Y-Yes!"
I sounded like an apprentice taking lessons.
The horde of Nephilims came into sight. All of them were similar to the ones I saw just outside the walls. They looked like insects of different types.
Several other individuals ran at the horde, slaying every single Nephilim with ease, some in teams and some solo. Among the ones that went solo was the individual Hinetsu. Petite with red hair, she swung her synth, decapitating anyone that crossed her path. Her movements were fluid and entertaining to watch.
"Awesome,"
I exclaimed unknowingly.
"Haha, that's Big Sis for you. Come on, let's not lose to her."
Dude, we're already losing.
"Here goes…"
Kitetsu dropped his assault rifle on his shoulder and shot multiple rounds, instantly killing four Nephilims.
I can't just sit back and watch them get all the kills.
I cocked my pistol and rushed ahead. For some reason, I was already getting exhausted from running all over the place, but I didn't mind.
Suddenly, a spider-looking Nephilim jumped at me. I raised my gun and got a clear view of the spider.
I pulled the trigger, and my bullet shot forward but dissolved upon contact with the spider.
"Ehh?"
In that moment, I saw it. Yes, the gates of the afterlife.
But immediately, a barrage of gunshots rang in my ear, and the Nephilim shattered into pieces.
"Hey, what happened?"
Kitetsu came rushing towards me.
"Eh, ermm, nothing. I think my gun is broken."
"This is bad, in the middle of a battle. Here, bring it. Let me check it out."
He collected the pistol and shot at the ground. It created a crater on the ground.
"But nothing's wrong with the gun."
"B-But… that can't be. I pulled the trigger, and it couldn't shoot."
"Well, that's… something for later. Let's get on with the wave—"
A voice shouted out from the speaker:
"First wave completed. Individual with the highest kills: Ko Hinetsu, with a total of twenty-one kills. All individuals should get ready for the second wave."
I stood there, my eyes and mouth gaping open, watching the screen displaying the little girl. I was amazed, but little did I know that there was no time to be amazed, as what was coming next was different.
After the rest countdown was completed, the roof of the combat ground opened, and multiple cages were brought down by pulleys.
The cages snapped open, and what came out from each cage shook everyone. Creatures standing on two feet with upright backs but different appearances—almost similar to the tentacled Nephilim I fought.
I wasn't shocked by what I saw. Rather, I asked myself a question: If these creatures in front of us were given the title of Grade D, then what do Grade A creatures look like?