The training ground at the back of the guild. Opposite Rei was Supervia, another test participant who was taking the same rank up test.

As usual, the Death Scythe was in Rei’s hands. In Supervia’s hands, he was holding a long sword.

「I’ll say this first, in the end, this is a mock battle. The aim is to examine each other in the open and know their abilities, the real rank up test is subjugating bandits. Don’t get too heated about it.」

Rei, Supervia and everyone else who was there nodded at Gran’s words.

「Are there any questions?」

Rei spoke up and asked Gran.

「Though I have my combat style, my main battle style is in combination with Set……is it not possible?」
「Of course. If you brought your Griffon to rank D’s and rank E’s, it won’t be a match anymore. It’s prohibited. For your information, during the bandit subjugation, you’re prohibited from using your Griffon. Even if you said that taming is one of your skills, can you always have the Griffon at your side?　The test you are in right now is strictly to test your own strength.」
「Ah, taming is my power too……but I guess I understand.」

Naturally, he nodded at Gran before spitting out a sigh. He readied the Death Scythe against Supervia, opposite him.

Rei felt lucky that he was able to receive such advice and observed his opponent without minding what he had been told.

(……Heh~)

He voiced his admiration in his mind as he faced Supervia, who had his weapon poised.

It was because his posture with the sword was excellent. Of course, there were various flaws compared to Milein, who he had worked with in the Orc subjugation force. Still, he looked to be a lot more skilled than Arogan, who relied on the raw attack power of his magic sword.

Similarly, Supervia raised his caution as he confirmed the position Rei had set the Death Scythe in.

(Though he introduced himself as a magic warrior……if anything, he probably leans towards the warrior side. He is also considerably skilled. Watching like this, I can’t find a gap. However, his weapon is a large scythe. With it’s length, if can get right up to him, it will be hard for him to cope. Then!)

「Haaaa!」

Raising a voice with fighting spirit, he kicked against the ground and at his fastest speed, dived towards Rei’s chest.

(I’ll strike the first blow at his chest. If I do that, I have a chance of winning.)

Thinking that for an instant in his heart, he concentrated his consciousness on the assessing initial movement of the huge scythe as Rei began to move the Death Scythe.

「Here!」

The moment Supervia entered Rei’s range, he tried to parry the scythe with a sweep of his long sword, but……

Catching part of the Death Scythe, trying to parry it……Supervia was blown away together with his long sword by the overwhelming weight behind the single blow from the Death Scythe.

「Gaah~!」

Flying through the air for nearly 10m, he finally stopped his movements after bouncing several times along the ground.

His entire body felt like it was hit by a hammer. Inside the training ground, it was dead silent.

「Guh, damn……what’s with that attack……」

Still, he was someone taking the rank up test. Supervia used his sword to support him as he staggered up, his feet unsteady from the attack. He turned towards Rei.

Rei looked with surprise at this situation.

「Heh, he can still stand after that attack. That’s a little unexpected. I was surprised for a moment. ……Do you still want to continue?」
「Of course……ha!」

While staggering on his feet and losing his balance, he tried to gather that momentum to charge again……

「That’s enough!」

Gran’s voice stopped Supervia’s movements.

「Examiner, I can still continue.」
「While staggering on your feet?　I said it before, in the end, this is a mock battle to find out the power of your companions for the bandit subjugation.」
「……I understand.」

Spitting out a deep sigh, Supervia dragged his still unsteady legs to his original position.

Rei saw that as well and moved to a place a bit further from Supervia

「……Hey, was I imagining things?　That person seemed to have been blown away」
「No, it’s not a dream. It’s reality. Look, see over there. There are furrows left on the ground.」
「That’s right. Looking from a spectators viewpoint, that scythe is huge, it must have a considerable weight and a destructive power. However, that Rei is small and slender. With such a physique, how can he have that much power. I mean, is his rank E a lie?」
「Well, I did expect that.」
「Expect?」
「Ahh. Think about it. Didn’t that guy defeat the Orc King, a rank B monster?　For a ordinary E rank……no, at that time he was rank G. Anyway, it’s impossible for a low rank adventurer to defeat an Orc King.」
「Ah, well, if you say it like that then certainly……even then, the high quality of his weapon aside, his skill is also top class, his physical strength is top grade as well. Adding to that, he’s accompanied by a rank A monster, Griffon. At the same time, he can use fire magic. ……If you can add him into a party, his combat power would be life saving……」

An adventurer with a sword muttered involuntarily while watching Rei.

However, the adventurer with the spear shook his head from side to side.

「Certainly, there’s no doubt that he’s a top grade adventurer if you look at just his combat power, but they say his character is equally strong.」
「Character is strong?」
「Ahh. A typical example is his dispute with the Claws of the Hawk at the guild on his first day after registering.」
「That reminds me……」
「His combat strength maybe high, but he’s the type that won’t follow the instructions of the party leader unless he’s convinced by it.」

While listening to such a conversation, Gran, who had overseen the fight against the Claws of the Hawk, called out.

「Next, Arogan and Culotte. Step out.」
「Tch, a woman.」
「Hey, wait, what about a woman!　Don’t take it so lightly. I may not look like it but even I have the ability to take the rank up test.」

Culotte snapped back at Arogan who was muttering. Gran gave a sigh while looking amazed at the two people.

「Arogan, ability is what is needed to be an adventurer. Not gender. Culotte, you as well. Even in the meeting room, you were hounding Rei. At the very least, if you want to be a D rank adventurer, a lack of coordination is an issue.」
「……Hmph.」
「Sorry about that.」

Arogan gave a scornful hmph at Gran while Culotte apologised obediently. In that way, Arogan readied his magic sword and Culotte readied her daggers as they faced each other.

「Though I’ve already said this to Supervia, this is a mock battle to see each other’s strengths. Don’t get too heated. ……Begin!」

Along with the signal to start, Culotte moved her body forward quickly, a method particular to thieves.

In order to meet it, Arogan pulled his magic sword from it’s sheath.

Before the start of the mock battle, Arogan had taken that attitude to fool Culotte, there was no carelessness in his eyes. No, instead, he was observing Culotte’s movements rather seriously.

「Haah!」

From the self introduction, Culotte had heard that Arogan’s sword was a fairly high level magic sword, in the fight, the full power of the sword was displayed. ……No, he tried to display.

Along with a sharp cry, the tip of the dagger was thrust out. According to Culottes aim, Arogan would not be able to deal with the dagger thrust at his neck and she would win.

However, the tip of the dagger never reach the figure of Arogan. Maybe he had read Culotte’s aim or maybe it was an intuitive judgement. Arogan sharply kicked against the ground and jumped backwards. Kicking against the ground the moment after Culotte’s attack, he slipped around to Culotte’s side and held his magic sword close to her neck.

Seeing the glossy black blade held close to her neck, Culotte instinctively held her breath.

「That’s enough. The winner is Arogan!」

Gran’s voice echoed into the surroundings, when Arogan heard it, he released his sword from Culotte’s neck and sheathed it.

Culotte, who’s confidence had been lost at her instant defeat, went back next to Scola while repressing her vexation.

Though Arogan was going to move back, he stopped at Gran’s words.

「Is the effect of the magic sword physical reinforcement?」
「Well, something like that.」
「I see, then I take back the words I said earlier. It can be said you have sufficient mastery of the magic sword.」
「……But, I was snubbed by him.」

Arogan muttered in this mouth as he looked in Rei’s direction.

A few days ago during Rei and Arogan’s fight. At that time, though he had strengthened his physical ability using the magic sword like just before, his weapon was unceremoniously knocked away. As for the fight just now, he had confidence in his own power, his heartbeat increased as he felt proud about it. Yes, against people like Culottes for example, who was in his line of sight.

「In the first place, that fellow is so out of standard that it’s strange for him to be in rank E, you don’t need to worry about it. ……Well, that’s fine. Go back.」

At Gran’s words, he glanced at Rei for a moment before immediately looking away and moving back to his original position.

And while looking at Arogan’s back, the two adventurers with the sword and spear discussed their impressions of the fight.

「How do view that fight?」
「Well, about that. Should I say, it couldn’t be helped?　In the first place, isn’t that girl a thief?　Asking a thief to fight a warrior head on is just unreasonable. He even had a magic sword.」
「Ah well. A warrior’s job is to fight, a thief’s job is to scout and clear traps, if it can’t be helped, it can’t be helped.」
「But, if she can pass the rank up test, she will receive an intense number of invitations as a thief.」
「Ah.」

Warrior and thief. When registering with the guild, an overwhelming number were warriors, thieves had fewer numbers.

After all, the thief occupation required a lot more specialised techniques compared with the warrior. And unlike the warrior, who was active in combat, there were fewer opportunities to be recognised. Therefore, the number of people aiming to be a thief adventurer was rare, although not to the same degree as mages.

「Now then, then next is the last mock battle. Scola and Firuma. Step out. Ah, Firuma will fight purely using magic without the bow this time.」
「I will do my best.」
「Spirit magic only?　……Well, it can’t be helped.」

To Gran’s voice, Scola and Firuma came forward in front of everyone. Scola showed his will to win on his naive face. Firuma barely showed any change in her facial expression as she put the bow and quiver in her hands onto the ground.

Though the two people were facing each other like this, Scola spoke up before Gran gave the signal to start.

「Hey. To use spirit magic, don’t you need a magic casting tool?」

Looking at his cane, Scola called out to Firuma.

To Scola’s words, Firuma nodded her head with a small smile.

「Yes. However, it is not necessary to use a magic casting tool to use spirit magic. There is no problem as long as you can communicate with the spirits and befriend them.」
「Heh, that’s convenient. That’s nice……can I also use it?」
「I wonder. If you can see spirits, hearing from a story, you might be able to befriend them.」
「That’s enough talk. Though I’ve told you all already, this is a mock battle to examine each other’s abilities, don’t get too heated. ……Then, begin!」

At the same time as Gran’s signal, Scola began chanting a spell while pointing his cane at Firuma.

Similarly, Firuma also called on the spirits she had befriended.

『Wind, turn into an unseen arrow to pierce those before me.』

Scola’s incantation warped the world and an invisible arrow was created before his eyes.

『Wind Arrow!』

At the same time the magic was completed, several arrows were fired. The invisble arrows from the spell darted toward Firuma. However……

『Wind spirits, shield me.』

From the few words that Firuma spoke, the spirits of the wind responded by creating a barrier of wind around Firuma.

The wind arrow’s speed increased as they drilled into the barrier, trying to pierce it. After a few seconds of struggle, the wind barrier won out and the wind arrows shattered.

『Spirits of the land, break his steps.』

As soon as the wind barrier disappeared, Firuma spoke again. But rather than the spirits of the wind, she called out to the spirits of the land.

「-!?」

Scola heard that and immediately sprung back. The next moment the ground were Scola was standing sunk down by several cm.

While seeing that, he once again jumped back toward Firuma while pointing his cane and casting a spell.

『Water, turn into a whip to strike my enemies!』

According to his incantation, the water at Scola’s hand formed into a whip.

『Water Whip!』

With the completion of the spell, the water whip was raised……and swung down!

However, Firuma evaded the whip’s attack with a light movement specific to elves and advanced forwards, reducing the distance to Scola.

『Spirits of the wind, spirit of the land. Bind him.』
「……Eh?」

Though Scola tried to swing the whip down as Firuma came close, he suddenly noticed that dirt was wrapped around his feet, at the same time, his body’s movements were restricted by wind.

And the moment he realised his difficult situation and tried to do something about the dirt and wind, the figure of Firuma was already in front of his eyes with a palm directed at Scola.

「That’s enough!　The winner is Firuma!」

Gran’s voice echoed through the training field at the same time, all the mock battles had been completed.

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