Exam

The trainees walked in silence towards the training camp.

The superior that was leading them to that place was quiet. He didn't even give a glance to any of them, never avoiding his gaze from the horizon.

All the trainees knew that it was just a means to make them lose their cool and begin to panic, which would make them fail the test, but it was still difficult to avoid feeling oppressed by that atmosphere.

Their other "comrades" didn't help as well. The ones that were more confident and carefree about that environment just looked at each other with malicious eyes and exchanged defiant gestures. They were challenging themselves and threatening others just to take advantage to some degree over their rivals.

Dean was walking on that line with his head lowered. He was very nervous but trying to calm himself down. The fact that he was short-tempered also had side effects on this kind of thing. It wasn't easy for him to settle down, not as much as it was for others. He needed to concentrate as much as possible and eliminate the external factors that were trying to exert pressure on him.

Xavier was beside him, biting his fingernails. He seemed to have a bunch of things to say, however, he didn't utter a word. Whenever he tried to do so, he would stutter and give up in the next moment. It was kind of pissing off Ares, but the latter tried his best to ignore his partner and focus on what he needed to do.

'Just think about what you will gain after this exam. Concentrate on it and you will see that there is no room for anxiety right now,' he thought, comforting himself.

What was concerning Ares the most was the fact that he was the only trainee that couldn't use any Mystical Art or mana in general. He also didn't know a thing about martial arts. Everything he knew when it came to fighting with weapons came from experience and constant practicing the basics that his father told to him.

Also, there was another thing getting him very worried...

"Damn...", he unwillingly cursed out loud after stepping too strongly with his left foot.

Fortunately, nobody seemed to even care about what he said or for what reason did he curse so suddenly. Nobody, except one person that couldn't take her eyes off Ares since their duel.

Ares felt someone placing their hand on his shoulder delicately and approaching him. He got surprised when he recognized Amelia's scent, then turned to see her beautiful face.

"Are you ok?" She solemnly asked.

Ares tilted his head for a moment, trying to pretend not to know anything, but just her look of reproach was enough to make him spill the beans.

"I am okay. It's just a light injury. It won't affect me so badly."

Amelia glanced at his ankle, grimacing.

"It seems a bit swallowed and red... You injured it while training, right? I saw you training already. Your swings are always very wild and you put a lot of effort into your legs to get them stronger. I know that it isn't a light injury, Ares."

The boy shook his head.

"Don't worry about me. There are more important things to think about," he brushed off her hand, quickening his step, even though it hurt a bit.

Amelia bit her lips in frustration. She wanted to say something more, but she knew that there was still a limit on how much she could be concerned about him and show it explicitly. They weren't friends nor anything like that, after all.

"Let him be," one of her friends told her. "Let's see if he is saying the truth while on the test."

Amelia nodded her head, though her eyes didn't leave Ares. She wanted to fight him again, but in his best condition, not with a broken ankle.

'I messed up with my ankle in the duel that I had against her... I bet that it isn't the smartest thing to tell her so, otherwise, she will surely feel guilty, and I don't want anyone pitying me. Of course, my harsh training just made it get worse, so great part is my own fault,' Dean thought, looking at his ankle with frustration.

'Also, despite this injury that I got, I cannot back away nor make myself a victim. After all...', Dean's eyes moved towards Arwin, who was carefreely walking a bit ahead of Ares.

'Arwin still has that injury on his shoulder. It didn't heal at all. Even so, he is acting as if it is nothing much. I bet that he is fighting against his apprehension now... Or not. He seems just as much arrogant and confident as me. Maybe he is sure about his victory, even though his shoulder is messed up.'

Ares didn't want to lose to Amelia. However, he felt even worst by losing to Arwin. That boy touched his pride since Ares' very first day in the trainees' dormitory.

There was also the other boy that could be considered their rival, but he wasn't too outstanding, so Ares couldn't find him at all. Anyway, he didn't trigger Ares' rage as much as the other two. Maybe he would have more chances to interact with him in the future if it was convenient for him.

'I know that it is very reckless of me to keep going like this. An injury on the shoulder is very bad, but our base is the most important thing when fighting. My broken ankle messes up with my base, so I lose strength and footwork.'

Thankfully for Ares, he didn't have much more time to think about those things. The group finally arrived at the training grounds. The superior led them to the top of a very big arena, that had about one thousand square kilometers.

"Line up properly!" The guardian shouted, turning to face them.

Before he could turn, the trainees were already in line. Ares was the only one who delayed more than the others, due to his lack of training and broken ankle.

"Great... Now, listen well while I tell you more about this exam! If you have any questions, keep them to you and answer them yourselves! I don't want to be interrupted by dumbasses!"