Things move quickly after we arrive at the guild. We head to the reception desk, and Trinn exchanges a few words with the guild receptionist, an overly friendly redhead named Gilly, who then begins my application process. I'm asked basic questions like my name, age, magic type, hometown, and anything else they need. Once that's finished, she sets the application sheet with all my information in a small desk, then guides me out behind the guild as Trinn waves me off.
I follow Gilly outside and finally see how big the property really is. There is a giant field along with a couple of miscellaneous buildings, all within the guild's borders. We walk toward the center of the field to what looks like a sparring ground, and I assume this is where they will test me. She tells me to wait a moment while she goes to find a guild member to conduct the test. I nod and watch her walk off, then casually take a seat on the dirt beneath me as I look around and take in the yard.
It is a very nice day, warm with a good breeze, and the whole place feels peaceful. But I know that peace won't last, because any minute now I'm about to face some real, blood-pumping action. I can't deny I'm excited. I haven't had many other mages to test my mettle against, coming from such a small village, so this is a great opportunity to see where I stand in the pecking order and just how close or far I am from my dream of becoming the strongest.
After a few minutes of waiting, Gilly returns with a rather unusual-looking man. He is wearing a long silk kimono with a katana at his side, and he has a grizzled look on his face, his long jet-black hair tied back in a bun. He basically looks like some gruff, middle-aged samurai master. I have never seen anyone like him before and had only ever heard about people like this in stories, yet here he is in front of me, clearly the real thing or at least someone very committed to the look. Gilly introduces him as one of the senior members of the guild who has been with Silver Roar for almost twenty years, Ryozo the Metal Bender.
"You are the young pup looking to join our ranks, right? Our little Trinn thinks you're some hot stuff, but I am not impressed. You might have a bit of a physique, and I can sense some decent magical ability, but all of that is just for show. What matters is how you use those abilities, boy, and my gut is telling me you do not have what it takes," Ryozo says to me in a stern tone, wearing a look that practically screams superiority. I get it; I am just some kid who walked in from nowhere hoping to join the big, tough Silver Roar guild. But the way he speaks and clearly looks down on me in his voice makes my blood boil. I want to kick this guy's ass so badly.
"You can say whatever you want, old samurai guy; I don't give a damn. You can look down on me all you want; it won't change anything. I won't stop until I'm at the top. So let's get this test started so I can show you how wrong you are about me and beat your ass into the dirt," I say in a loud, confident tone, not afraid of him at all as I ready myself for the clash that is coming. He laughs with an almost giddy excitement as he unsheathes his blade, drops the scabbard on the ground, and takes his place across from me, pointing his katana straight at me.
"Wow, kid. You have guts, I will give you that. I have conducted plenty of these tests over the years, and not one person has ever declared they would beat my ass into the dirt. I like you, so this will be doubly disappointing when you let me down," Ryozo says in a tone that is less stern and more casual, though still overflowing with confidence in what he believes is his inevitable victory.
Gilly walks to the center of the sparring ground, then moves off to the side as she checks with both me and Ryozo to see if we are ready. We both shout our confirmation while staring daggers at each other. She explains the rules: the fight ends when one of us is knocked down, incapacitated, or when the five-minute time limit runs out. I nod in understanding before she raises her hands and signals for the match to begin.
The fight starts fast as we charge at each other with tremendous speed. He swings his katana at full force right at my head, clearly not holding back. I duck under the swing and counter with a blazing lightning fist, also not holding back, but he notices the move in time and leaps back to dodge. We exchange quick glances of respect at each other's reflexes before diving back into the fight. For the next minute it becomes a stalemate as we dodge each other's attacks. He can lengthen and reshape his sword, almost using it like a whip, which must be why they call him the Metal Bender. I go at him with a barrage of lightning punches, but he dodges every strike with incredible speed and precise movements.
So this is what a real fight against an adventurer feels like. It is every bit as awesome as I imagined.
I keep pressing him, unrelenting in my attempt to knock him down or knock him out. Now he has shifted into dodging and countering, and his counterattacks with his blade send me flying back, though I manage to catch myself each time before hitting the ground. I try a few misdirects, aiming at one spot before switching mid-strike, but he sees through every one. Then he snaps his sword out like a whip and hits me with it, and as I am thrown back, I fire a thunder roar at him. He barely dodges, and the edge of the blast grazes his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
We both steady ourselves before either of us falls, then with wide grins we rush at each other, charging everything we have for one final clash. I can see in his eyes that he feels the same rush, the same adrenaline flooding every sense.
But before our attacks connect, Gilly signals that the five minutes are up, and we halt just a centimeter away from colliding.
It seems my test is over.