Chapter Five

Hunter Examination-Test End

The room was now pitch dark. "Saijo Kurako," a speaker sounded, "You are about to be put through an obstacle course. This is the most demanding test for hunters. Your score is based on how many enemies you hit, how hard you hit, and how well you evade attacks. You loose points when you are hit. You must survive for ten minutes. Good luck."

I tightened my grip on the saber. Suddenly I realized something, this saber had a heavier blade then my own. Then I heard a low creaking sound. The wall opposite me was opening. I got myself into a stance that I could easily react to anything with. No sooner were the doors open then some object was flying right at me.

"No time to think," I told myself, "Just act." I swung with the saber and hit the object. Whatever that was it smashed into the wall and exploded. I looked around quickly; the guild had designed a literal horror place. Weird looking machines were all over the place. They looked as though they were designed to look like creatures from someone's worst nightmare. The only common thing they had was a target symbol, a bulls-eye.

Two eight armed machines (or was it eight legged) advanced on me. I ran right between the two. Both of them raised four extra long arms. I thrust my saber into the target on one of them. The machine crashed into the wall. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the arms coming down from the other machine. With no time to turn my saber around I reversed it, ramming the hilt into the target. I then used the saber to hoist this thing into the air. I threw it at the new creation that had entered the room.

This new machine looked like a humanoid robot with four arms and two legs. I don't remember exactly but at least two arms and the head came off when I slammed the first machine into it. The door to the next room opened.

I ran inside and then stopped dead in my tracks. That first room was just for warm up. There must have been at least fifty machines in this room. And all of them seemed to want just one thing, my demise. There was a long line of enemies right in front of me. Without stopping to think I threw the saber. The point rammed the first in line right on the target. Then that machine went flying backwards into the one behind it. In moments the whole line was on the ground not moving.

Now I had a problem, no weapon. I ran towards the saber, and then two more machines tried to stop me. These eight armed freaks looked just like the previous ones. Once again I charged them, this time without a saber. While I ran I put my hands on the ground, then I flipped onto my hands. My feet hit them in the head as I completed the flip. Both machines crashed to the floor as I flipped back onto my feet. I picked up the saber and wheeled to face whatever was next.

Right then I wished I hadn't turned around so quick. The green portal lied beyond a massive robot. It was a giant robotic wall with a head. There were target markers all over it. This guy was big, and I mean huge. It was at least two stories tall and about just as wide. I saw some slots open up on the front of this robotic wall. Missiles came streaming out. It was all I could do to dodge each of the oncoming missiles. As I slid and dodged another I took a look at the saber in my hand. Suddenly I had an idea. I stood up and then held the saber away from my body, to the side. Another missile came at me. This time instead of dodging I swung the saber. I hit the missile and sent it flying back to the robot wall.

The missile hit true. The explosion shook the wall. I took the opportunity and leapt toward the top. Once I got about halfway up I swung the saber from over my head. Then I hit the machine with the full weight of my body plus the force of the leap and the saber. I must have knocked it of balance or something, for then a low moaning sound was heard. Sparks came from the base as the machine was torn loose from the floor. The robot was falling over. As the last connection on the floor severed the machine wall toppled over, right into the green door.

The door split open as the head of the machine wall fell through it. I climbed over the remains and into the main room. John and the android were there, staring. The android recovered quickly though, "Sir, all you had to do was hit the targets. Please hand back the saber."

I am about to raise the saber and hand it to her, then I notice much lighter all of a sudden. I looked down at the saber and saw that the handle had broken off from the force I hit it with. A steel core with computer chips in it showed in the snapped of blade, no wonder it was heavy. I handed the remains over. "Do either of you two want to be a Force?" the android asked. Both John and I nodded our heads. "Please follow me the android said as she lead us into another room."

In the next room there wasn't much. There was a computer panel on the wall, a black leather chair, a screen in front of the chair, and some strange device over the chair. "One of you please take a seat," the android said. This time I was going before John.

I sat down in the chair. A metal helmet lowered onto my head. The screen in front of me turned on. The screen was completely white, except for a black X and a black circle. The android spoke from the control panel. "For five minutes I need to you to concentrate on moving the circle into the X. The circle will not move according to your will but by a random pattern. You must try to keep up with the computer."

For five minutes I sat there as the circle kept moving all over the screen, the X too. I just kept at it, concentrating on moving the circle to the X. When the five-minute mark was reached the screen went blank. The helmet lifted off my head. I got out of the chair, mentally drained. John sat down, looking a little anxious. I just sat on the floor against the wall. John did exactly what I did for five minutes. When John had finished, he sat against the wall too. The android stood still and waited, apparently she knew we would be in this condition. It took about ten minutes but we did recover.

Once I felt like I could think straight again I stood up. The android walked over and handed both John and me a paper, our test results. "Please take these back to the lady at the desk. She will help you finish your registration."

"Finish our…" I began, "You mean we passed the tests!" The android nodded. John and I practically ran out of the test area and back to the main desk.

"Hello gentlemen, welcome back. May I please see your result papers." The lady asked. We both handed her our papers. She looked over John's first. "John Nakz, you have qualified for a position as a Hunter, a Ranger, or a Force. Which do you want to register as?"

John simply smiled and said, "Force."

The lady then looked at me, paper in hand. "Kurako Saijo, you have qualified for a position as a Hunter or a Ranger. You mental potential falls one below minimum tolerance for Force class. Which do you want to register as?"

I just stood there, stunned. I wasn't able to become a Force… I wasn't able to follow my father. I looked at John, and for the first time in my life, I felt jealous of him, he was able to follow his father in his footsteps. I just stood there glaring.

Then, without even looking at me, John spoke, "Kurako, you are upset that you can't follow your father's footsteps perfectly. But why should you let that stop you. Would Kano Saijo be pleased if his son just gave up and quit because everything didn't go perfectly." John turned and faced me, "The Kurako I know was always willing to try anything, no matter what. If you can't try make your father proud as a Hunter or a Ranger instead of a Force you don't deserve to have taken the test."

I felt tears on my checks; John had a point I couldn't argue. What would father think if I just sulked about not making Force class instead of doing my best in another field. "All right," I said with more determination then I had ever had in my life, "I will register as a Hunter. If I can't make my father proud in his footsteps of the mind, I will make him proud with the blade, and all the skills I have learned and will learn for it."

While the lady behind the desk worked on the registration forms I just stood there, both hands on the edge of the desk. I could still feel the tears on my face. I had almost made a fool of myself there, and John had saved me at the last moment. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked to my side, and John was there. His deep blue eyes were filled with joy in that soft expression he wore. "Now that is the Kurako I know," he said, "Stubborn and proud to the core."

The lady at the desk turned back to us, that annoying smile still there. "Your registration is complete. Kurako, you are a HUmar, registration number 01825932. John, you are a FOmar, registration number 10325931. You both will be housed in Hunter Residence H503. The rules are two per residence block. You will find attention rules as well as handbooks in the residence. At 18 sant please report back to block A001 to pick up your new uniforms. Here are your keys." The lady handed us our room keys.

We left the Hunters Guild and started walking to the Hunter's Residence building. As we left I had one thing to say to John, "Thanks John, I own you back there. You mind reading saved my skin."

John looked confused, "Kurako, I can't read minds." I must have had a confused look on my face for he then said, "People are just to predictable, except you are usually hard to predict."

John walked on while I stood there staring for about half a minute. "Hey John, wait!" I said as I ran to catch up.