Keep Your Cards Close To Your Chest

Marlon kicked Phineas' resting face from the bed, which was in a small compact room, into the main hall.

"Every. God. Damn. Morning." Phineas screamed.

The Explorer Examinations were postponed for a week due to undisclosed reasons. A week had passed and within that week. Everybody was training. Phineas was with Hatred, Marco was with Vincent, Wither was with Jeremy, Sarah was with David. Phineas was mastering his URI along with the others. The Exploring Commission told them to meet them at the Forest of Merlin. A forest with no end and with creatures being discovered every day. They had been told to arrive there at 11:00 sharp.

"Hey, guys!" Phineas shouted.

"Oh Hey," The boys replied.

David had bruises from head to toe blood leaking from his finger, wounds barely patched up.

Everyone in the forest stared at David including Vincent, Phineas, and Jeremy.

"Take a picture, it will last longer!" he exclaimed.

"What the fuck happened?" Jeremy asked.

"Let's just say I tried to fight Sarah, so I could leave, and I lost." David replied.

The boys laughed, everybody else had a wide grin whilst they chuckled amongst each other.

"Enough of the laughter, my name is Vicor Hernan and his Mariot Beerman, A-Class Explorers," Vicor explained, " we live in a world of imagination, anything you can think of exists. Today, you will be tested on your ability to kill and think under pressure!"

Everybody was startled but David smiled.

"Comeback with five heads of anything or anyone. Scatter!" Vicor exclaimed.

Everybody jumped and ran from tree to tree through but one boy just casually walked through.

Mariot pointed him out to Vicor.

Cristian is in pretty good shape. He is tall with dark skin, grey hair, and blue eyes.

"I don't sense any energy from him." Vicor explained.

Five Flame Wolves appeared in front of Cristian uses slaps his hands together and summons a creature.

"King Ape: Ozai, appear!" Cristian commanded.

The ape ran rampant against smashing the wolves into mush. Cristian calms him down and the ape disappeared. Jumping through the trees Emily Monrosa sees the heads of the five wolves. She jumps right to the scene as she arrives she receives the bloodlust intent hanging in the air from Cristian. The two engage in a fight, Cristian is pushing her boundaries. She throws a punch and Cristian just dodges it. He slaps his hands and hits her with the ape's fist appearing from the ground, it hits her chin. With her confidence shaken, she tries to retreat Cristian sees this.

"Don't fall back now." Cristian smirked.

Cristian hits her with a roundhouse kick. She quickly regathers herself and jumps into the shadows of the forest. Cristian picks up the five heads and tosses it to Mariot. Mariot looks shocked.

"He concealed both sources of energy, its impressive energy control." Vicor explained.

On his way back, Phineas saw several people fighting different types of creatures from demi-gods to Danavas.

Phineas, Cristian, David, Vincent, and Emily were in the top ten to make it back. Jeremy struggled to kill the Danava. He remembered what Wither thought him channel half of your Zing-Zang into your vision and into to your fist. He finally realized why he told him so.

"Light Vision I, Awake!" Jeremy said.

His left eye had white eyeliner as bright as the sun.

He located the weak points of the Danava and targeted its neck, he sliced the water dragon's neck off and it returned to its solid form. He dragged the head to the examiners.

"That's not enough heads." Vicor laughed.

Phineas threw him the heads of a couple of Tree Dinosaurs he killed.

They all looked shocked, Cristian stared deeply into Phineas' eyes.

"Phineas, you fail then." Vicor added.

"A comrade who tried he's hardest is worth more than a badge." Phineas explained.

David was shocked, it went against all his ideal mindstate, Phineas cared for them in such a short span of time.

Mariot put his hand on Vicor's shoulder, this wasn't the first time Vicor had seen this reaction from Mariot.

"You pass, Phineas. You are all Explorers" Vicor added.

"Fine" Phineas replied.

Phineas' attitude had changed ever since he found out the truth. David, Jeremy, Vincent saw this change. They were worried, how will he develop? Who will he be once the job is over?

His attitude quickly changed.

"Let's go to back to my place boys!" Phineas said enthusiastically.

The boys followed him, Emily teleported away, Cristian disappeared and the examiners waited for the rest of the participants to finish.

Meanwhile...

Marlon was sent on a job by Marco, to investigate the movements between the Holio border and the western border.

Marlon saw two hooded figures amongst the destroyed city of Eliaim.

"Mistake to come here alone, Marlon of Might." They said.

"Who exactly are you?" Marlon asked.

"I am Harrison and He is Slost. We are members of the Ace of Spades" Harrison explained.

"Why are you here and what are you planning?" Marlon asked.

"This doesn't concern you or that group of vigilantes that you're in," Harrison responded.

"Looks like I'll have to beat it out of you," Marlon said.

"Indeed, you will" Harrison chuckled.

The two charged at each other, ready for war.