Chapter Ten

Throughout January, the girls trained nonstop as they both trained on their hidden power and spirituality. Rose's training changed entirely and took a toll on the girls, as they never expected it to be more challenging. The girls needed to control themselves as they couldn't let their hidden power go out of control. Maya watched the girls and could tell how differently they acted. The girls would skip breakfast and eat until noon. The fight between Rose and the girls has caused damage to the yard, and they were scolded by Xóchitl and Maya. Of course, Rose and the girls apologized and needed to practice controlling their strength. It excited the girls as they felt a considerable improvement and got better at what they needed to train. Pixel and Jean's hidden power hasn't come out as they weren't sure how, and that's the reason why Rose is training them. For now, Rose led the girls back to the Pre-exam. Pixel and Jean felt confident as they prepared to fight Lia and Mario. As the girls stood before the entrance, Pixel and Jean stretched themselves as they could hear their bones creak slightly.

"I'll see you guys back at the tribe," said Rose as she gave them a thumbs up before walking away. Pixel and Jean glanced away as they entered the Pre-exam. Once they entered, the fog became thicker as it left Pixel and Jean alone, and they did the Pre-exam by themselves again. Pixel knew what to do as she started to run through the dim forest. Through the Pre-exam, Pixel swiftly avoided every trap and made it easier for her now. Her reflexes became more attentive, and that's what Pixel needed. But she also needed to prove her offense as she trained to the fullest. Pixel avoided every dagger, soon a falling trunk. Arriving at the end of the Pre-exam, Pixel stretches herself before encountering Lia. However, getting closer, Lia and another figure appeared, making Pixel tilt her head in confusion. That is, until Pixel felt another presence beside her as she turned to spot Jean.

"Jean?" Questioned Pixel, grabbing Jean's attention.

"Pixel!?! Holy shit! How are you here?" Jean asked, her eyes widening. Pixel shrugged.

"Not sure."

"You two are together because we want to test if you can survive alone AND help each other. A two vs two. Think you have a chance?" Asked the male figure, Mario. Mario wore the same uniform as Lia, except his mask was sad, and he wore shorts.

"Oh, we do have a chance," grinned Jean as she crossed her arms. Lia smirked as Mario summoned his sword.

"Then let's get started," said Lia. In an instant, Lia and Mario dashed toward the girls at full speed. Pixel and Jean immediately avoided the attack, and right as they safely landed, Lia went towards Pixel and Mario at Jean. Lia gripped her wooden bo as she neared Pixel and rapidly swung her weapon. Pixel carefully watched Lia's weapon movement and avoided each of them. But taking a risk, Pixel grabs Lia's wooden bo, pulls her towards her, and strongly kicks her. Lia gasped as saliva came out, and right as she faced Pixel, Pixel spun the wooden bo and slammed it against Lia's stomach. Lia backs away and holds her stomach. She was impressed and couldn't wait to get more. Pixel glares at Lia as she rapidly runs towards Lia, and Lia gets herself ready. Pixel moved the wooden bo backward and swung it at Lia, who swiftly dodged the attack and appeared behind Pixel. Pixel quickly turns around and blocks Lia's punch. However, Lia grabbed her wooden bo, turned her body around, and kicked Pixel, sending her flying. Pixel shifts her body around and safely lands on the ground. Before Pixel could go against Lia, she heard Jean yell,

"Pixel!! Behind you!" Pixel immediately turns around, and her eyes widen as she sees Mario falling and ready to swing his sword at her. Pixel moves to the side and sees Mario crashing his sword against the ground and destroying it. But he soon pulled it out and appeared in front of Pixel. Pixel gasped as she swiftly dodged Mario's attack, and she knew she couldn't keep dodging as she needed to attack him as well. Pixel breathes through her nose as she relaxes, and right as Mario lowers his sword, his eyes widen. Jean and Lia were shocked as they never expected it to happen. On Pixel's forearm stood an ice shield. Mario backed away and faced Lia. Pixel also moves back and stares shockingly at her hidden power.

"Ice-related hidden power? Your hidden power is related to ice? I-Impossible! That can't be?!" Mario gasped with a smile on his face as the ice melted. Pixel quickly glanced at Jean, who appeared to be shocked.

"Why is it impossible?" Asked Pixel, getting nervous.

"It's not bad! It's just! We are surprised your hidden power is related to the previous protectors. Are you by any chance a Medina?" Asked Lia, shocking Pixel, who widened her eyes.

"Yes...? By protector, what do you mean?" Asked Pixel, raising her left eyebrow.

"You don't know?" Pixel shakes her head, making Lia cover her mouth in surprise, and Mario rests his left hand on his hip.

"This whole protector keeps coming up, and we haven't gotten an answer. Why is it so important?" Jean inquired, making Pixel agree with her.

"I'm pretty shocked that you haven't apprised. But, having your hidden power related to the previous protectors is because you're their descendant," explained Lia.

"And to prove more that you're the descendant is by having a golden lyre," added Mario.

"Why is the golden lyre important?" Asked Pixel. She genuinely wanted to know and hoped to be answered.

"The Golden Lyre, or by its proper name, the Lyre of the Gods, is an essential and dangerous item that could cause massive destruction. The Four Gods created the lyre and handed it down to the God of Light, who took the role of protecting our land. But after that, there was a war called the Ancient War. It was a war against the God of Light and another God. The story is pretty long, and I have forgotten most of it," informed Mario.

"The only person who knows the whole story is the leader of the Demon Slayers," added Lia.

"Damn, now I want to know more. You got me curious," said Pixel, resting her hands inside her pockets.

"Same here!" Jean agreed as she raised her right hand.

"Sorry if we haven't informed you a lot," apologized Lia.

"No, it's fine! I'm getting more information than I could ever get," comforted Pixel, waving her left hand.

"Since you awakened your hidden power. Let's continue the fight," said Mario, pointing his sword at Pixel. A smirk forms on Pixel's face as she slams her fist into her right palm.

"Then let's fight," said Pixel. Mario soon ran directly at Pixel, and, getting closer, he started swinging his sword. Pixel once more created her ice shield and blocked Mario's attacks. Mario takes another swing, and Pixel blocks it, yet Mario deepens the blade and goes behind Pixel. Pixel turns around and, gazing up, sees Lia coming down. Pixel instantly moved to the side and held her balance as she felt the immense air force from Lia's attack. But coming from behind came Jean as she threw a punch. However, Lia sensed Jean's presence and turned around to block Jean's punch. Lia grinned as she saw Mario appear behind her. However, Pixel threw her ice shield at Mario, who quickly avoided it. Pixel ran towards them, and Lia pushed Jean as she went up to Pixel. Lia is proud of Pixel for showing a lot of offense and getting better. The same goes for Jean, as Mario is impressed seeing Jean blocking and avoiding all of Lia's and his attacks. But what Mario is waiting for is to see Jean's hidden attack. Jean holds her side as she breathes heavily. A stream of blood comes down her lips and towards her chin. Jean wipes it off and glares at Mario. She needs to land a hit on Mario and prove she's strong. Jean then took a deep breath through her nose and dashed towards Mario. Mario got himself ready to block Jean's attack. Once Jean neared Mario, her fist engulfed in flame, and Mario quickly took the blow. Mario flew and crashed into the ground multiple times before shifting his body around. Mario falls to his knees, staring at his sword with a dent.

'Fire–Jean's hidden power is flame...INCREDIBLE!!!' Cheered Mario as he stood up and was excited to see Jean's hidden power. What even excites him is how Mario is again meeting his idol.

"Impressive job at awakening your hidden power, Jean! You had me fired up!" Praised Mario as Jean chuckled at his pun.

"Get ready to get some more," said Jean as she ran up to him. Mario grinned as he also dashed at Jean.

Pixel and Jean can hold themselves and their immense teamwork for nearly five minutes. Pixel and Jean were catching their breath as Lia and Mario watched them. Lia and Mario were impressed and knew they qualified for the Entrance exam. But they were worried about other paths they wished not to consider. Pixel grabs her right shoulder and rolls it around as if she might pull a muscle.

"You guys did a wonderful job. You even landed a punch on us which surprised us a lot," praised Lia as she made her wooden bo disappear.

"It's all thanks to you that we were able to have an actual fight and understand what we needed to learn," said Jean.

"Now we can use our hidden power and note what the Entrance exam could be," added Pixel.

"The Entrance exam is way different from the Pre-exam. Rose sent you here because you girls need to feel what it could truly feel like to be alone in a forest without anybody's help. The Entrance exam will not hold back, and we're telling you this because we don't want you girls to end up like us," informed Lia.

"End up like you? Huh? What happened?" Asked Pixel. Lia and Mario stayed quiet as they took off their masks. Looking closer, Pixel and Jean could swear Lia and Mario have the same facial features as Rose.

"Our name isn't precisely Lia and Mario. My actual name is Natalia, and beside me is my twin brother, Diego. We are Rose's kids who unfortunately died at the Entrance exam," revealed Natalia. Pixel and Jean stood there, eyes widened, as Jean covered her mouth.

"Thank you again for training and teaching us what we needed to learn. We will consider your training when we head to the Entrance exam," thanked Pixel as she showed respect.

"Thank you for everything," Jean said as she showed respect.

"Thank you for showing respect; we greatly appreciate you girls. But we only wanted to prepare you girls for the Entrance exam and not have our mother back in her depressive state. And please, make our mother proud. Once you finish your Entrance exam, please send a letter to Rose to inform her about your success," said Mario, making Pixel and Jean feel extremely bad for Rose.

"We will do our best to make Rose feel better again," Pixel promised.

"Thank you once again. Good luck out there, and do your best," thanked Natalia as she bowed down. Diego gives the girls a thumbs-up before watching them leave. Pixel and Jean waved them goodbye and soon were out of the Pre-exam. Natalia and Diego smiled before turning into white particles and fading away. Upon leaving, the girls were now in front of the two graves. Pixel walks up to it, and, getting closer, she rests her hand on her chest and bows down. Jean came up and stood beside Pixel, also bowing down. Once they showed their respect, the girls stood straight and left.

Returning to the tribe, Rose spotted them and walked up to see how injured they were. Pixel and Jean saw Rose running up to them and soon stopped.

"Welcome back. How did it go?" Asked Rose, folding her arms.

"All good! We were able to use our hidden power!" Exclaimed Jean as Rose was proud.

"That's good! So proud that you girls were able to use your hidden power," said Rose, now resting her hands on her hips. Now Rose became curious about what the girls' hidden power could be. But for now, Rose leads the girls back inside so they can get in the shower, get healed, eat, and soon rest.

February has passed, with the girls training non-stop. February is the month when the girls need to get themselves ready as March is arriving, and the Entrance exam begins on the third. Now that the day has come, Pixel and Jean are incredibly nervous. Inside the girls' room, Pixel wore a tight black turtleneck with long sleeves, a black jacket with blue stripes at the end of her sleeves, a medium-sized collar, black gloves, and black pants with pockets on her thighs. Jean wore the same clothes as Pixel but in a different color. They got their combat knife on their back. Jean admired the clothes as she spun around, and she felt accomplished. Over three months, the girls pushed themselves to the greatest. They proved a lot and were ready to take the entrance exam. The girls took a deep breath and let it all out. They faced each other, and Pixel smiled as she fronted Jean and asked,

"This is it. Are you ready?" Jean nodded.

"Holy shit, I'm so nervous, yet so excited," exulted Jean, making Pixel laugh and nod in agreement.

"Now that we're ready. Let's head outside. Rose and the others are waiting for us," said Pixel, opening the door. The girls leave the room and walk down the hall. They were going to miss the house. They soon reach the living room, and when Pixel opens the door, they are welcomed by the whole tribe. The tribe surrounded Xóchitl's house, and they looked happy. Standing in front of the tribe were Rose, Xóchitl, and Maya. Rose went up to them and held her hands.

"Over three months, you improved your ability to take the exam. You have strength, vigilance, agility, and power. I knew you girls would surpass this from the beginning. We're all proud. Keep this up, and you'll become the strongest and perhaps become a Champion. But overall, congratulations on reaching the Rose. The photographer raised the camera, and they all got together. The girls stood in front, while Maya stood beside, Jean and Lee stood beside Pixel. Xóchitl stands beside Lee and Rose behind everyone.

"Alright, on three, I want you guys to give the biggest smile," instructed the photographer. Pixel looked around and noticed that Lee wasn't there.

"Where's Lee?" Asked Pixel.

"We're not completely sure. We tried looking for Lee, and nowhere to be found," answered Xóchitl, confusing Pixel and Jean.

"But no worries. We'll find Lee later," said Maya, pointing at the camera.

"For now, let's take our picture." The girls were saddened but changed their faces into happy ones.

"Three...two..one...Cheese!"

"Cheese!" said everyone. The photographer took two pictures, and the pictures came out. He hands the pictures to Rose, and she shows them to them. There they were, smiling. This moment was incredible. The girls softly smiled as Rose smiled softly at the picture and sighed. She puts the photo away and hands the other to Pixel. Pixel takes it and stares at it. Pixel and Jean smiled as they cherished it. Pixel then puts the photo away in her pocket.

"Guess it's time to depart," said Rose. The people move to the side and watch them leave. Rose, Xóchitl, Maya, and the girls walk past them and up to the exit.

Rose, Xóchitl, Maya, and the girls stroll down the dirt path, and when they make it to the way, they give others their last hug. Maya didn't hug the girl; she only shook their arms and withdrew them.

"Well, it's nice meeting you girls. Hope we see each other again," said Xóchitl.

"Been a pleasure meeting you."

"And thank you for teaching us about our spirituality, even though we haven't succeeded in fusing with our soul," stated Pixel as Xóchitl sighed.

"No worries. Even though you girls haven't been able to fuse with the souls ' soul, all you need to do is follow my instructions, and you'll be fine. Keep meditating, and you'll get there, I promise," instructed Xóchitl, making the girls nod.

"But before you girls leave. Remember this. To kill a demon fully is to destroy their heThey are going to be multiple demons with unusual bodies. If you decapitate their head, some will grow a body, and others will continue living. Hit the heart, and they will be gone," informed Rose. The girls nodded and watched as Xóchitl and Maya turned around and left.

Rose and the girls watch them fade away. Rose turned around and started to walk away. The girls also turned around and followed Rose. They took the same route that Lee showed them. Now they know where the train is. They took a turn down the hidden path. They arrived at the stone stairs and went up. Once they reach the train station, the loud train roars, and it is coming. The train slowed down and then stopped. The doors open, indicating that it's time. The girls noticed that inside the train were people.

"Welp, it's been a journey training you guys. Going to miss you guys a lot," said Rose, getting on their level. She raised her right hand and offered them a fist bump. The girls smiled and fist-bumped back.

"Don't do anything idiotic. I want you guys to come back safe and sound," worriedly whispered Rose. Pixel and Jean gave her a thumbs up. Rose smiled and stood up.

"Do your best out there," encouraged Rose.

"Oh, before you go. Remember what Xóchit,l said, since it's imperative. To fully kill a demon is to destroy its heart. Those demons are going to be multiple with unusual bodies. If you decapitate their head, some will grow a body, and others will continue living. Hit the heart, and they will be gone," informed Rose, tapping her. The girls nodded and gave her a tight hug. Before the girls could enter the train, Rose stopped them again.

"Oi! One more thing before you girls leave. Take these packs," said Rose as she revealed two small cloths. The girls grabbed them, and Rose explained,

"Inside are peaches that help you heal any injury. Take one bite, and you're all good."

"Lee could at least use these for our injuries," mused Pixel as she put the cloth inside her pocket. Jean did the same thing.

Pixel and Jean separated from Rose and ran onto the train. Rose watches them enter the train and take a seat. The door closed, and the train roared. Steam came out of the smokestack and started to move. It was time for the girls to head to the entrance exam.