The day before the first examination, Dec 3rd, all candidates were given hard envelopes via the receptionist and hotel workers, the envelope contained information regarding the examination. Tohgi opened his envelope and saw a document and a letter, the letter read: "You have been assigned to a group with eleven other candidates, you would all partake in the same tests at the assigned times, contained in this envelope is your schedule for the next month, familiarize yourself with it, tardiness or absence with no justifiable reason would be recorded as an automatic fail.
Tohgi: I wonder what they consider justifiable?
Tohgi thought back to the examiner that explained the rules and couldn't think of a single reason he would deem justifiable.
Tohgi: (death?) Well I guess it would be nice to get a pardon in the afterlife.
The document included the details of 15 groups each containing 12 candidates and the schedule of activities that they would partake in. Tohgi found his name listed in group XI which also included Tashiro, Ron, Zell, Hanzo, Bracken, Dante, Lyman, Tobi, Gimva, Yamna and Edana. The grouping of the candidates elated him, as he saw Hanzo's name listed. Tohgi's first examination was to commence on the 6th, a test of agility. On the day, all candidates from his group gathered at the examination hall. Hanzo and Edana approached him.
Hanzo: In the final test, pray you get paired with someone else, unlike your toy my blade draws blood
Tohgi: Oh, I definitely wouldn't want that.
Hanzo laughed mockingly, he could not possibly concieve the thought that Tohgi's response was one of sarcasm.
Hanzo: Go home peasant, a man who cowers before a blade isn't worth my time.
Edana: Ignore Hanzo, he's too absent minded, this "pampered child" on the other hand still has some steam to blow off. I don't forgive so easily.
Tohgi: (I couldn't care less about you)
Tohgi nonchalantly brushed off Edana, his only concern was Hanzo and his comment prior to the examination.
Hanzo: Edana, leave the peasant be, you wouldn't want to get associated with that.
Edana was angered by Tohgi's dismissal of her.
Edana: (I can't wait to burn you into ashes).
Examiner: The test begins with all candidates at the starting point, the goal is to reach the end point in the shortest time possible with as few mistakes as possible.
Tohgi realised that there was an aspect to the test that the examiners had not specifically told them about.
Tohgi: (if we are all running the course at the same time, that would count other candidates as obstacles, ideally everyone should run their course without interrupting the other to attain the fastest speed possible, but people are never that straightforward. Apparently, these examinations are a competition that only half would succeed in barring special circumstances. Besides aiming for the best scores, a more vindictive strategy would be to reduce the scores of those around you making you the best. That being said, the bigger picture remains that there are fourteen other groups with other competitors with recorded times we would not be made aware of until the final grading. Risking my recorded time to make 11 out of 180 fail is not really a strategy I am willing to take. Simple is best.)
Examiner: Get ready.
Tohgi: it's not like I need it anyway
Tohgi concentrated all his reiki to the sole of his feet.
Examiner: Start!
Tohgi released his reiki and blasted away giving him a massive head start.
Dante: Wow! Transformation magic: legs of a cheetah
Dante was incredibly quick and separated himself the instant the race started. The rest of the candidates attacked each other while making their way to the finish line
Hanzo: pointless!
Hanzo dodged and parried attacks with his blade whilst running towards the finish line.
Edana: Flame Magic: Fire balls
Edena shot fireballs towards Tohgi
Tohgi: (to think there was a time I submitted to this)
Tohgi dodged the balls of flames that was shot at him. Edana lost concentration because of her irritation with Tohgi, a rock was blasted her way without her notice.
Hanzo: Wind Magic: Air slash
Hanzo countered the attack aimed at Edana and yelled at her to focus.
Edana: tch
Tohgi: (He enhances his blade's range with wind, he might actually be problematic)
Dante crossed the finish line ahead of Tohgi for first place, Hanzo came in third and Edana finished fifth.
Dante: You're crazy!!! Why would you use that much reiki at the start, what if an attack had hit you?
Tohgi: I just needed enough to reinforce my legs to run, i didn't expect anyone to get close enough to actually be able to hit me
Dante: Oh? Cheetahs are the faster animals on land!
Dante responded to Tohgi with a grin, but Tohgi felt insulted by the fairly obvious fact that he stated.
Tohgi: oh really? I would never have known
Dante: I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I was just showing off a little. Anyway, I hear all the whispers and wanted to say you're amazing despite coming from the south.
Tohgi: ("despite" kind of ruins your goodwill, well I guess they aren't all bad) Thanks.
The examinations continued through the month until all the non-combat tests had been finalised. On the last day, Tohgi was heading back to his room when he encountered a candidate he hadn't seen before.
Candidate: Hey, I never see you in any of the facilities besides the cafeteria and this hallway.
Tohgi: I don't think there is any point to training in between the tests. They are designed to test our limits, I am better off resting than exhausting myself.
Candidate: You have a point, but I haven't seen you in the recovery centre either.
Tohgi: I have my methods.
Candidate: (methods?) Oh okay
Tohgi: What are you doing in this wing with sorry excuses for rooms anyway?
The candidate laughed nervously at Tohgi's question.
Candidate: About that, I rather avoid the company of most people here.
Tohgi: Then why are you talking to me?
Candidate: you seem different?
Tohgi: well, I am from the south.
Candidate: Do you feel defined by where you're from and what family you were born to?
Tohgi: I don't have the luxury to worry about family status.
Candidate: I'm sorry, you must have misunderstood
Tohgi: I'm not offended, the question is just irrelevant to me
Candidate: I see
Tohgi: The name is Tohgi, what's yours?
Candidate: Tohgi, I'm Winfell, it was nice meeting you.
Tohgi: likewise.
They parted ways, Tohgi to his room and Winfell to his.
Winfell: Tohgi.
Tohgi undressed and opened his tank to take a bath. The water in the tank was so clear it looked empty, he had gotten the water from a spring in the southern forest that Somver had shown him. Water from the spring had special qualities that restored the reiki and physical condition of anyone who was immersed in it, it also cleansed all impurities from their bodies. Those that knew of it called it the primavera vitae, as it supported and healed all living things. After intense training sessions, Tohgi and his masters would often soak in the spring to heal wounds and refresh their spirits. It was Tohgi's routine to soak after every test, and use the two-days break to recover and relax his mind.
Tohgi: (although this heals my body, it doesn't change the fact that these tests are exhausting)
He got out of the tank and layed on his bed pondering.
Tohgi: (I wonder who I'd be fighting first, no point thinking about that now)
He heard a knock on his door and got up to respond.
Receptionist: Sir, a package arrived for you
It was an envelope, similar to the first one he received containing the details of the examination. He quickly opened it to see the match ups they had set.
Tohgi: That was quick (I wonder how they decide the match ups)
The letter read, "The following matches have been set for the relevant dates. The table below shows who you would be fighting and when the examination would hold. All fights would take place in the battle arenas, each battle has been assigned to its arena and the schedule has been pasted across every notice board. Should there be any change to the schedule, a notice would be sent prior to the fight. Listed below are the conditions for victory:
1. Force your opponent into submission.
2. Put your opponent into a state of unconsciousness.
3. The referee seems the match too dangerous or ireedemable and declares a winner."
The table showed the following match-ups:
December, 21st.
10:00 - Tashiro Vs Ron and Hanzo Vs Gimva
14:00 - Tohgi Vs Dante and Zell Vs Tobi
18:00 - Edana Vs Lyman and Bracken Vs Yamna
December, 24th.
10:00 - Tohgi Vs Edana and Zell Vs Lyman
14:00 - Hanzo Vs Yamna and Bracken Vs Ron
18:00 - Dante Vs Gimva and Tobi Vs Tashiro
December, 27th.
10:00 - Dante Vs Yamna and Bracken Vs Tobi
14:00 - Edana Vs Gimva and Tashiro Vs Lyman
18:00 - Hanzo Vs Tohgi and Ron Vs Zell
Tohgi was elated after looking at the match-ups
Tohgi: 27th.
END!