There's currently an OC poll on my page if you'd like to vote on it, or you can submit your own OC and have it added to the poll. Voting on it is appreciated as the people who created the OCs were creative enough to do so and deserve credit along with some recognition. It isn't mandatory, but it is appreciated if you do vote.


[Chapter 6]

Shiri Sensos.

She was the last newcomer that needed to be tested. Everyone's eyes were on her as she slowly made her way to the center of the arena. She stared up at Harez.

"I'm ready."

Harez responded with a grin. "Ya got it!"

He snapped his fingers. The arena didn't change, but a person appeared adjacent from Shiri. "…!"

Like her, all of us stared at the person in disbelief. It seemed even Harez was shocked.

As Shiri's eyes met the man's, all of us broke into murmurs.

"I-Is that the Original Ruler?"

"I thought he was dead!"

"I didn't know the BSA could do that!"

"This hasn't happened on any other Entry Exam before!"

"The daughter of the Second Ruler versus the Original Ruler. That's going to be an interesting match!"

"It's like two Rulers fighting each other!"

Our group was giving each other funny looks. Luna tugged on my sleeve. "Bro, is that really the First Ruler?"

I remembered the many statues, biographies and sections in history books about him. All of them had shown the same face as the person staring at Shiri. "There's no mistaking it. That is the First Ruler..."

"But I didn't know you could spawn him into the Entry Simulation!" Neptune exclaimed.

My eyes met her. "Neither did I. It's because it's never happened before..."

Noire shook her head and crossed her arms. "Then what does it all mean...?"

"Wish we could tell you..." Brindle said. "But you're asking the wrong people..."

"The best we can do is see how this battle turns out," Vert advised. "Besides, this is the most hyped up battle."

Blanc nodded. "And it just got a lot more interesting..."

All of us focused our attention to the battle that was about to unfold.

The daughter of the Second Ruler was about to fight the First Ruler.

Shiri could only stare in horror at the Ruler. She then spun her head to Harez. "What the hell is this!? Is this some kind of joke!?"

"I-I didn't plan this, lass," Harez said, fumbling for his words. "The BSA simply generates worthy opponents based on your abilities that it already knows."

Shiri bit her lip before turning back to the First Ruler, Kibou Hikari.

"Who are you?" Kibou asked. "Something about you feels...familiar..."

"I don't know you," Shiri raised her hands at the Ruler. "And you don't know me..."

"Do you wish to fight?" Kibou wore a calm expression while he stared at Shiri. "Surely we can solve this more civilly..."

"I don't want to fight you either," Shiri admitted. "But I have to meet my goal. Even if I have to defeat you..."

A smile appeared on Kibou's face and he closed his eyes. "Then, so be it..."

*HSHH!*

A blue beam of light erupted from Kibou. His body began to glow and various tattoos began coiling around his body, glowing like his eyes. Static resonated from his body and was accompanied by a fiery blue aura as the beam of light disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Kibou's voice was now much more echoey. "But I cannot hold back against any opponent I fight against. If you wish to live and want to have a chance of accomplishing your goal, then fight me with all of your strength!"

"…" Shiri balled up a fist and gritted her teeth. "Fine... If it's against you, then I'll go all out!"

Shiri closed her eyes. A blinding golden light bursted from her and the area around her began to tremble. As Shiri opened her eyes, it revealed that they were now also glowing blue. "I don't use this very often, so be glad..."

Kibou nodded and sparks crackled at his fingertips. "I expect a good fight from you. You know that ability, so my expectations are high..."

"The same goes for you," Shiri's hands cast prisms in her hands. "After all, you are the First Ruler."

"Then let's not waste anymore time," Kibou closed his eyes and silence fell over the arena.

"…" We all held our breath, tense about what was about to come next.

*BOOM!*

Kibou's eyes shot open and the spot he stared at was struck with lightning, Shiri's position.

Shiri's arm turned to stone and she knocked the lightning away. Before Shiri could retract her arm, Kibou appeared in front of her and kicked her down to the floor.

As Shiri fell, Kibou's fingers became sharp blades and he slashed down at Shiri.

Fire appeared at Shiri's hands and she waved at Kibou.

He quickly performed a spinning motion and retreated away from the flames. The moment his feet touched the floor, the metal floor bent and knocked Kibou up into the air.

Shiri formed a ghostly revolver in her hands and took aim on Kibou.

*Plink!*

Several bullets fired at Kibou. However, his aura burst and knocked the bullets away. Kibou's feet touched the floor once again.

This time, several balls of energy circled around him while his eyes slowly grew brighter and brighter.

Kibou waved his hand and all of the energy spheres rocketed towards Shiri.

Shiri took a step back and braced herself. "…!"

*Boom!*

She raised the metal floor and shielded herself from two of the seven blasts. As the other five came at her from her other sides, Shiri shot at two of them.

Two blasts dispelled into tiny energy particles. Shiri's arms turned to metal and she knocked the rest of the blasts away with a punch.

Shiri began to pull back and turn her arms back to normal. It was at that moment that Kibou suddenly appeared in front of her. "…!"

*Crash!*

Grabbing her by the head, Kibou slammed Shiri into the floor, creating a large dent. Kibou kicked Shiri up into the air and blasted energy right at her face.

"Gah!" Shiri was blown back and knocked off of the glass barrier, crashing to the arena floor.

Shiri, injured and out of breath, forced herself to her feet. Her eyes glared into Kibou's calm face.

"I'm pretty disappointed," Kibou stared at Shiri. "For having the ability that I created, you somehow can't even put up a good fight. Your motives for winning must not be that great..."

"…!" Hearing the last few words seemed to make Shiri snap. "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

Energy burst from Shiri's body and various elements began to spiral around her. "I'LL MURDER YOU!"

"Now, that's no way to talk..." Kibou shook his head. His aura of energy amplified as well. "Talking like that will get you killed..."

"This battle might go on for awhile..." Luna murmured.

Neptune nodded. "Yup, so get your popcorn and 3D glasses ready!"

I glanced over at Neptune. "Are you suggesting that it'll turn into a Michael Bay movie?"

"That's not even possible," Neptune smiled. "This isn't a film! It's a story!"

"Can you talk like a normal person for once?" Noire shot back at Neptune.

"Can you guys shut up so that I can watch this battle?" Blanc glared up at us.

"I agree," Vert said her opinion. "It's an interesting battle."

"Just try to focus on the fight," Brindle advised us.

"Or take a nap like Uzume and Plutia," Angel nodded to the two girls that had fallen asleep.

"Yeah, I got it..." Letting out a sigh, I turned back to the fight.

Raising a hand, multiple elements burst from Shiri and blasted towards Kibou.

Kibou just shook his head and sighed. "Come on. This is just getting sa—"

Before Kibou was allowed to finish his sentence, the blast split into multiple and took aim on Kibou from multiple directions.

"Gh!" Kibou gritted his teeth and his aura burst once again, dispelling the blasts.

Seeing that Kibou was trying to recover, Shiri pointed her revolver at Kibou and pulled the trigger.

*Bang!*

He quickly reacted by dodging to the side, the bullet grazed his cheek and ricocheted of the wall.

"Forget this," Kibou's energy flared high into the sky. "I'm ending this right now..."

The energy all turned into a large fox with nine tails. It's bloodshot red eyes glared down at Shiri.

"GROOOAR!"

Letting out a roar, the fox formed a ball of energy at it's mouth and blasted it towards Shiri, shooting like a bullet.

The metal quickly formed into a barrier in front of Shiri, shielding her from the powerful blast.

After the blast had thrashed against Shiri's metal barrier and disappeared, she hopped over the barrier. Following that she fired several bolts of elements aimed at the fox.

As the fox knocked them away, Shiri formed a ball of energy in her hands, sapping away at the energy around.

"GROOAHH!"

The fox lunged towards her while she formed the energy. As it readied itself to bite Shiri's body, she stepped out of the way.

Before the fox turned, she drove the ball of energy into the fox's head.

We watched as the fox's head slowly became distorted and the ball's energy veiled over the fox, vaporizing it.

Her attention turned back to Kibou and fired several bolts of magic aimed at him.

Kibou switched his positioning and hooked a kick that knocked all of the bolts away.

As Kibou pulled his kick back, Shiri appeared in front of him, accompanied by a pair of knives.

*Shk*!

Tackling him to the floor, Shiri drove both knives into his heart. Blood spurted out from his chest and he fell to the floor, the blue aura fading away.

"Haa...haaa..." Shiri staggered to her feet, struggling to stand. She took a final glare at him and spat blood onto his face. "T-That's what you get..."

Shiri then turned to Harez. "W-What's my—"

"You spat on my face because of what?"

We all turned our attentions back to the corpse of Kibou. Except Kibou was alive.

He picked himself off of the arena floor, the blood still leaking from his body.

"Gh!" Kibou yanked the knives from his chest, the blood began to spill. "I'm going to finish this fight right. I'm not going to die so pitifully..."

Shiri's had a glare fixated on Kibou. Her teeth and fists were clenched tightly. "I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DIE!"

A pair of revolvers appeared in Shiri's hands and she began firing away at Kibou.

As much as she fired, Kibou would find a way to evade the bullets and dodge the one after. Bullet after bullet Shiri fired, though it was to no avail as no bullet managed to hit him.

"Damn you!" The last bullets left Shiri's revolvers and she threw them to the floor.

"How about we finish this fairly now?" Kibou asked.

"FUCK YOU!"

Several pairs of throwing knives appeared in Shiri's hands this time. She threw the first set towards Kibou.

He stepped out of the way. "Oh come on. Do you really think you'll get me with those th—Agh!"

Just as the knives passed Kibou, their trajectory snapped to him and stabbed him at his side.

Kibou chuckled. "Maybe you're more clever than I thought..."

"JUST DIE ALREADY!"

Shiri threw the rest of the knives at Kibou, all aimed right at his head.

With the little strength he had, Kibou dodged several of the knives. As they turned back and more took aim on him, he kicked at one and caught it.

*Clang!*

In a circular spin, Kibou smacked all of the knives to the floor. "…!"

*Crash!*

As he tossed his knife to the floor, he found Shiri right in front of him again.

Shiri tackled him to the floor and followed by pummeling his face with her fists, blood staining her.

After several rounds of smashing her fists into his face, Shiri rose to her feet and held a blast inches away from Kibou's distorted face.

"Just die already..."

However, Kibou smiled before mouthing a word, one that none of us could make out. But it was a word, that made Shiri go cold.

Her eyes were wide in terror and her body was trembling.

Her teeth gritted. "JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!"

The blast exploded, vaporizing the First Ruler and blowing Shiri back.

"…"

For a second, nobody moved. The arena was quite, without a single movement.

"…" But then, Shiri wobbled to her feet, out of breath but alive. Her gaze was on Harez. "J-Just...tell me..."

Harez wore a bright smile. "Anything for ye, lass! Yer part of the Sorcerers now! I hope that's okay for ya!"

A faint smile appeared on Shiri's face. "Y-Yeah..."

Harez then looked up at us, the people sitting in the stands. "Alright! Ya'll get down here! It's time to get to yer dorms!"

We all followed Harez's instructions. Filing into a line, we made our way down to the arena floor. Harez faced us. "The lot of ya who know where yer goin' are gonna show these newcomers to their new homes!"

We nodded and divided into four groups, each representing one of the factions.

The groups finished dividing and I scanned the groups.

Shiri, Luna and Yami were heading with the Sorcerers.

The Researchers had Plutia, Uzume, Vert and Blanc.

The Bladers, besides Neptune and I, were joined by Brindle, Angel and Noire.

Sadly, nobody worth noting was in the Gunners' group.

I let out a sigh and turned to Neptune. "Alright. Let's get going..."

Without anymore words, we all began to make our way to our districts.