"WHAT?!" Atomu put his hands on his shoulders.

"He was so mad when he learned I only had 5 Silver. He threatened to kill me!" Chyuuichi beamed.

"Don't ever go into those places again!"

"Huh? Why not?" Chyuuichi was confused. "I bet I can make even more money!"

"No, Chyuuichi." Atomu shook his head. "If you somehow lose in Sizi, the enemy is allowed to do or take all the things you bet on. It can only end in a bitter loss if you forget your words!"

"It's just some money, he wouldn't do that. Pff." Chyuuichi walked past Atomu, taking something out of the money bag. "Here's your share, like I promised." He handed him 500 Silver, and Atomu hesitantly accepted. "Those guys say all those words but don't do any of that stuff! They think they're tough, but a guy who forgets what he betted on is way harder to beat!" he announced. "Maybe."

Atomu sighed. "P-Please don't make irrational decisions." he put his hands together.

Chyuuichi signalled to him to keep calm, striking another 'cool' pose.

"Atomu!" A voice sounded, and Atomu turned around, spotting Ella in a nice thick coat, standing next to a man who stepped off a horse.

Chyuuichi ran forward, and Atomu quickly followed.

The guy next to her took off some of the things tied to the horse's body, big bags, big sheaths, great tools and a helmet he quickly put on.

"I see that you found your friend." Ella crossed her arms.

"I won two thousand Silver in the capino!" Chyuuichi exclaimed.

"Ooh. I used to gamble a few years back, but I stopped when I went a bit too far one night." she put her hand on her chin.

"See?" Atomu looked at Chyuuichi. "Bad idea!"

"That won't possibly happen to me!" Chyuuichi jumped up.

"Anyways, back to what I wanted to say since I don't have too much time. Every foreigner you've heard of is flocking to my bar, even in the morning. Bearing that in mind, comes this guy, which I wanted you to meet."

Atomu gulped. "Is he a guard or something?"

"Nope!" the guy turned around, and Chyuuichi looked up, opening his mouth. "I'm what you call a blacksmith! Or, the words I like to use are, tools guy."

"W-Woah." Atomu took a step back, and the guy stuck his hand out, smiling. The sun, which peaked through the clouds shined directly onto his eyes, and their colour matched Atomu's. "H-Hi."

"He's also a Paladian!" Ella added.

"Taller than me, though," Atomu muttered.

"Jeez louise, height was always a thing that set me back!" The guy put his hands together, awkwardly. "It's okay, I manage. Kinda hard squeezing through all those small Morian doorways, but hey, fifth time here."

Atomu smiled awkwardly, and Ella flashed a grin in his direction.

"Oh! I'm Elton Kasper! The weaponsman for the new up-and-coming Demonears! Ella told me that there will be a few people attending tomorrow's test. I better get ready, then!" he sighed. "- and you are?" he quickly stuck his hand out.

"Atomu Turon." Atomu shook his hand, looking away.

"Turon?" Chyuuichi looked dazzled.

"Oh, Turon! You're from Prope Portam, eh?"

"Yeah. Haven't been there in a while though." Atomu explained.

There aren't many surnames for Paladians in Prope Portam, and they're usually shared between people who aren't connected in any way, ending with the letters 'on', 'er' or 'ski'.

"Okay, and you?" he turned to Chyuuichi.

"Chyuuichi! Gamma!" Chyuuchi said, in excitement.

"Gamma?" Atomu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't shun me, Turon!" Chyuuichi pointed, and Elton laughed.

"If Ella brought attention to fellows such as you, it must mean only one thing." Elton tipped his head.

"Two, figure out the other one yourself," she whispered.

"What was that?" Atomu asked.

"Nothing." she looked back.

"You're participating in tomorrow's test, right?" Elton asked.

"Mhm! Will you forge me a cool weapon?" Chyuuichi asked.

"If need be!" Elton chuckled.

"W-What if no one passes?" Atomu asked. "What are you here for, then?"

Suddenly, Elton crouched and looked deep into Atomu's eyes. The other Paladian took a hesitant step back, and Elton eventually straightened up. "Sorry for that! One look into your eyes and I can tell exactly what gear will fit you." he clapped his hands together.

Atomu moved back. "R-Really?"

"A big sword, as sharp as the look in your eyes," he uttered, and Atomu covered his mouth. "It's a thing you get from a good few generations of forgers. Start young and you'll go to any place in this world just to see it for yourself. Everyone is unique, and I'd say, every tool I've crafted or passed from one to another was alike. There's your answer." he beamed.

"Me now! Me!" Chyuuchi said, and Elton crouched even lower.

Atomu breathed out and looked at Ella, who winked. "What?!"

"Nothing," Ella smirked.

"Gh." Atomu ground his teeth. "I guess that's why you two are getting along, isn't it? You both stare into people's eyes."

"I only intend to gain as much information as possible!" Ella raised a finger. "Not to make someone fall in love with me." she shook her head. "Already got that one covered."

Atomu put his hand on his forehead, and she laughed out loud, before walking away.

Afterwards, Elton sat back on his horse and ventured towards the small hut he owned in Kyrkogarde, preparing his equipment and starting a fire, which pumped smoke out the chimney.

Atomu spent the rest of his day in Handulia, earning money through physical work. Chyuuichi waddled back to the casino, and any trace of him disappeared. Morio, Jyuzou and Jeffy finished their training, and went back to Jeffy's house, finishing the day off with a soup Jyuzou prepared and a nice sleep in the warm, cotton beds and closed windows.

***

After Eryk's midnight walk, preparations began. Tributals stood guard from the early hours, and the ones behind the organisation of this entire event prepared pedestals, speeches or necessary equipment. The cooks woke up earlier, preparing at least two portions for the hundred participants, and Lamon, Eryk's favourite guard brought a different throne to the main square, decorated with green marbles.

In the morning, the participants were instructed by signs all around town to head to the Midcity bar, where breakfast and a warm cup of cocoa awaited them.

"Dudes." Jeffy put his hands around the drink. "Have you seen all these peeps? All royalty and guards!" he said, looking at Morio who snacked on the food without a second thought.

"Safety precautions." Atomu sat near the three. "I think." he nodded.

"Oh jeez. Is it that scary?" Jeffy asked.

"Jeffy, what?" Morio was confused. "It's all gonna be a piece of cake, I tell you! After all our training together, we're undefeatable!" Morio yelled out, and the others gave him a strange look. "Guys? Where's the positive attitude, where's the energy?"

"H-Have you seen what everything over there looks like?" Atomu asked, stressed. "It's rigorous, from how the others s-strut about."

"That's on you how you view it." he pointed.

"Oh, my." Atomu put his hands on his head. "It's all too much."

"Loosen up, Atomu," Morio stated, and Atomu turned his eye to him. "I'm sure a confident beast hides behind this shy mask!"

Atomu sighed. "Where the hell is Chyuuichi, anyways?"

Thirty minutes later, everyone left, heading for the star-shaped square in the middle.

There, stood a large pedestal, and a throne was next to it, with Eryk slumped in the middle, holding a large bottle of wine, Lamon stood by him, awaiting any request, yet Eryk didn't say anything. He carefully observed as the participants gathered.

Then, a bell sounded, and a man with short, grey hair and a big, green cloak stepped onto the white pedestal, holding a cane in his hand.

Elton eyed everyone who stood in the middle, and the Tributals guarded the exits of Midcity. His glance met Atomu's, and the other Paladian quickly looked away.

Morio kept peering back and forth, almost excitedly, while Jeffy turned to the two boys, further away, who bullied him the other day. He sighed, scratching his head.

Atomu seemed uncertain, as if he ever was certain about anything, in all honesty. With another bite of his nails, he heard a familiar hum, followed by a few words.

"Tip, toe, over here," Chyuuichi uttered, sneaking past Atomu and whispering something under his nose.

"Chyu- CHYUUICHI? What happened to your face?!" Atomu yelled out.

"This?" Chyuuichi pointed to his black eye. "I don't know."

"I told you it's dangerous! What about the money?"

Chyuuichi blinked slowly. "I don't know."

Jeffy trembled a bit.

"Stand!" The man in green yelled out, and suddenly, everybody in line put their hands behind their backs, even ones that didn't understand the meaning of his words, like Jeffy, quickly followed the others. The man squinted his eyes. "Give them their weapons." he signalled, as ten Tributals ran out from behind the pedestal, each carrying ten sheaths, five in each hand. They sprinted around the crowd, handing one to every person.

"Oh, it's not needed!" Morio signalled. "I have my sword!"

The Tributal gave him a strange look and moved on. Atomu clenched it tightly with an awkward smile, Chyuuichi almost dropped it, and Jeffy breathed in, glancing at the same two other Morians again. They waved, and Jeffy closed his eyes, before starting forward.

"Present your weapons." The man instructed, and the people all around took their blades out of their sheaths, creating a simultaneous 'bling' noise.

He put his hands behind his back, much as the participants earlier, and stepped down from the pedestal, carefully walking around the soon-to-be Demonears.

"Out," he muttered, passing by a girl who held her sword below her hip.

"What?" she asked.

"I said out," he repeated, and the girl turned on her heel, leaving. "The way you hold your sword determines if you're to be a fighter or just a good-for-nothing weakling. Fifth row, fourth participant, out," he stated, and the Paladian immediately left, throwing the weapon to the ground.

He closed his eyes, before stopping in front of a Morian. Morio gulped his eyes following the man's movements.

"You." he pointed.

"M-Me?" the Morian asked.

"Name?" the man asked.

"J-Junya, sir." he uttered. "Jyuzou Junya."

Morio's eyes widened, with a gasp following his shocked expression. A small smile appeared, but then he stepped back, with Jeffy fearfully bumping his shoulder.

"I expect a fighter not to cower in fear. Get that book off your head, will you?" he asked, and Jyuzou moved his head to the side. "Good. You're holding your sword better than half of them here."

"Ah?" Morio seemed taken aback. "Jyuzou?" he whispered, with a certain sting to his words.

The mentioned Morian turned, before grinning, ever so lightly.

"You sly bastard!" Morio pointed, with a bigger beam.

The man returned to the pedestal, before putting his hands together and breathing loudly. "Luffa, in old Manjuno, means love, and Darē means hate. When it comes to demons, there is no balance. In yours, and their hearts exists a feeling opposing one another. I'll let you guess which word stands for humans, and which one, for those wrecked creatures."

Atomu dug his nails into his clothes, Chyuuichi closed one eye, and Morio, oddly enough, quickly understood the seriousness of the situation.

"My name is Kashmir, Kashmir Zenon, and I'm a Demonear. Although my years of grace have long passed, the rule of my surname still stands to this day. Do you know Kyrkogarde? I'm talking about the cemetery district of Magna. Half of its graves are empty for one simple reason. I protected all of these lives, and I will continue doing so, even if my weapon doesn't leave its sheath."

"Who's that guy? Is he new?" Ella crossed her arms, stepping towards Elton.

"It's the other Zenon brother," Elton explained. "Jakob used to hold these every year, but he unfortunately died last Dear."

"Huh... a shame. He always came to the bar afterwards and spun around a little neat story about the year's test." Ella said. "But Jakob wasn't a Demonear." she squinted her eyes.

"He knew how to create warriors, though." Elton nodded.

"How did I become the man I am today?" Kashmir asked. "With thousands of tragic, traumatic stories, mine was rather simple. I killed a demon, with only my wit, and determination to make it out of its deathly grasp. I once too was just like you. Scared, and unsure, but once you look into death's eyes, you change. Physical tests and mental struggles won't make you a Demonear. It's that first kill that settles it all in."

Jyuzou's grasp around the sword tightened.

"That's why, during the fifty-second Demonear test, I will require you to do exactly that," he announced, pointing forward. " Kill a demon."

The crowd immediately stormed up, and conversations could be heard all around.

Eryk stood up for a moment, but only to fix his sitting position.

"But that's impossible!" A Morian yelled out. "You can't kill a demon with your bare hands!"

"I don't care how you do it." Kashmir continued.

"This is unfair!"

"Kill a demon, has he gone mad?" Atomu muttered.

"Shuckle seeds..." Jeffy started shaking.

"This isn't what we expected. How can you ask us something we can't do?!" Someone from the back continued.

"Just admit that you're weak, and see yourself out," Kashmir uttered. "I don't want pathetic people who'd throw a fit over their tea being too sweet in the morning. Much like Jakob and as a Zenon, I intend to create warriors. Fighters, who won't become cowards against this world's cruelty."

"Yeah, I'm not putting myself through all this danger, just for some old prick's approval. Screw this." someone dropped their sword to the ground, and it bounced off a few times. Then, they walked away, pushing through the Tributals.

More noise and commotion appeared, and the participants all around started chucking their weapons and leaving.

Morio breathed out, and Jyuzou trembled. Atomu closed his eyes, and Chyuuichi opened his mouth.

Jeffy's grip loosened, but at the last moment, it tightened. He turned around, looking at the same spot his other friends stood in, but they were gone. He shook his head, turning back.

"A hundred quickly turned into only fifteen," Kashmir uttered. "As expected."

Eryk laughed a bit, and Lamon glanced at him.

In the middle of the fourteen, stood Morio, Jyuzou, Atomu, Chyuuichi, Jeffy, Rowan's Chicho - Ambrosia, two Erans, three Paladians, three Morians, and a girl who eyed Atomu.

"In just a few minutes, the rest of you will head out towards your exam. You'll have exactly twenty-four hours to prove your wit, and change, in that matter. You'll be working in groups of three, and each must kill at least one demon. You'll have two portions of food and anything you find in the Tukman Woods."

Eryk raised an eyebrow.

"When it comes to-"

"Hold it, Zenon." Eryk put his hand up.

"Please don't interrupt me, Nuil Eryk," he replied, turning to him. "In the Tukman Woods-"

"No, no, no. You can't do this to me." Eryk stood up, immediately holding onto Lamon's back. "I won't allow for any of them to leave their filthy marks on my sacred land, you asshole!" he pointed.

"We agreed to this last Herbes, Nuil Eryk." Kashmir bowed. "Are you forgetting your own words?"

"I won't allow it! It's my forest!" Eryk raised his voice.

"Just let them have it, Nuil," Lamon muttered. "It's not like they'll burn it down."

"Of course, they would! In a situation like this, you'd look for any way to kill those demons!" Eryk raised his voice. "This is unacceptable!"

"Nuil Eryk, it was written down on paper, signed with your name. You can't back out now." Kashmir stated.

Eryk huffed. "We'll talk about this in my palace, Zenon!" he pointed. "You won't be getting away with this, apple!"

Kashmir sighed, looking down. "I assume there might be one more question appearing in the back of your many minds. Don't worry. I've learnt from experience, that if you're looking to kill a demon, it will look back to do the same. Your defenceless appearance will attract their bloodied will."

Morio gazed at him.

"Don't be fooled, though. Demons, even the weakest, are a hundred times stronger than humans."

Morio's eyes widened.

"Even if you're not ready for the sun to go down, it can't always shine bright. One day, you'll have to face the reality of this world, and some of you might not even live to see that grace," he explained.

"Good luck, warriors."