Chapter 162 -Spec Ops Exam PT 1
"Ahhh… here it is…! I've finally arrived!"
The voice of a young female figure spoke, said figure being shadowed by the sunlight as she stood atop a small hill, but one big enough to overlook the city of MICROSOFT, the place where she needed to be by today. Her time had finally arrived, the beginning of her journey would finallu begin. With the way things had shaped up for her, she hoped that she would be able to succeed where her father stopped at, so she could have more of an impact on the world… plus, some other things.
"Its… so huge… I've never been to the big city myself, so seeing it for the first time like this is… kind of scary…"
The female figure spoke, no small amount of nervousness being audible in her tone as she shook a little. Seeing the huge city spread out before her, what with all the walls and the people and the buildings it had, made her feel like a complete ant. Especially since she came from a small village which only looked to be a ¼ of the City's size. MICROSOFT, more like COLLOSSALSOFT, this place completely DOMINATED the surroundings with how big it was! Part of her worried that, if she were to head closer to it which she inevitably would have to in order to fulfil her purpose for coming here, then the city might squash her like a bug. She was already small enough, much unlike the tall girls her age back in her village, this just seemed downright unfair! A feeling of frustration and sadness formed within her chest, and her shadowed eyes began to tear up because of it whilst she began to glare at the ground like it were her mortal enemy. Memories filled her mind of times back in her village, memories she didn't have very high fondness for. Why could she not be born with a taller height?! Boys back in her Village called her a pint-sized midget because of her height, and she was in her late teens already! Not even a single boyfriend in her 19 years of living, and girls her age are more likely to be engaged by this point!
After a few moments, the girl took a deep breath and tried to calm herself back down, nothing good would come from her venting like a naiev, immature brat. She had learned this lesson long ago the hard way, a lesson taught to her by flames and ashes, alongside the fact that if she truly wanted to make a difference, she needed one thing above all else: power. In this city, many people with power existed, people who could destroy buildings and cities with ease. Destructive power was dangerous, but it seemed to be the one thing which people paid attention to, case in point her village… but she didn't want to think about that right now. However, she also knew something else, and that was to not underestimate this city, especially with how peaceful it looked. Not only did it have the size and intimidation factor going for it, but she had heard from her mother how there had been a huge political war going on between the various Nobles and Military Families with MICROSOFT as their battleground. Some of her female friends had once told her of times when they briefly visited the city for one reason or another, only to get sexually harassed by a passing Noble whom had been irritated with the status quo between the two sides. It kind of reminded her of the situation in Lastation, as she'd heard an incident had happened there and thus, control over the Nation was currently split between multiple factions. A civil war just seconds away from acting out, she'd say. According to recent events however, her mom had mentioned how things had begun to settle down on THAT front… only to get heated by the fact that Leanbox had a huge threat greater than even the Abnormals knocking on their door.
A threat she herself had a firsthand experience with.
Whilst her form remained shadowed by the sunlight, the young girl DID have something… something LARGE strapped to her back, something which sent a wave of fiery passion into her being through the connection that they shared. The feeling brought back some… recent memories for her, memories which caused her hidden eyes to narrow as she gripped the clothing covering her chest with her right hand tightly. It had been all because of THAT… whilst it did so much damage, most of it being nigh-irreparable for many, however it also became the source of her golden opportunity, the chance for her to finally achieve the dream she had ever since she was a small child. Even if it were comforting her right now, and she DID appreciate the gesture, the memory of its origins still continued to plague her nightmares to this day, though that would only be expected since she had only gotten this thing recently… still felt quite painful even holding it in her hand, but she had been training herself to endure it.
'Just hold on guys, I'll do it soon… I'll pass the Spec Ops Exam for all of your sakes…!'
With that thought in her mind, the female figure took off, jogging down the hill in order to head towards MICROSOFT.
Inside the city of MICROSOFT, things were absolutely BUZZING with excitement, excitement which rarely came for these people thanks to recent events concerning the demonic forces.
Everyone eagerly chatted and gossiped amongst themselves, as rumours of the Spec Ops exam being today circulated throughout the community. The common folk couldn't help but be excited, because thanks to the recent changes with the Demons and other enemy forces, this year's Spec Ops Exam had more applicants than ever before whom were going to be fighting against them, and whomever had the galls to apply for such a gruelling test HAD to have some quality to them, otherwise they wouldn't have had their applications accepted. A small minority of them didn't have as much eagerness as the rest of them, and these people had been victims of the Nobility in one form or another. They themselves knew how powerful political influence and connections were, and each of them believed that many Nobles had strongarmed the Guild into letting their own heirs to pass this Exam regardless of their results, letting them enjoy the prestige without even working for it.
Speaking of the Nobles, many of them also had a vested interest in this year's Spec Ops Exam, and mostly for the reasons those in the minority believed in. They wanted the fame, prestige and honor which came with having relatives whom had served diligently in an advanced military branch like the Spec Ops. Not only that though, but they also wanted to see just what kind of new blood could end up surfacing from it to recruit them into their fold. Spec Ops Agents are monsters in all but name, so having them as part of their personal armies made sense. The idea seemed detestable in the past, but considering the weeks that passed since the Demonic Invasion and the fighting which had happened since, a lot of Nobles had decided to keep their grieviances to themselves and actually GET THEIR ASSES into gear so they don't lose their assets… or their lives, that's WAY more important.
However, none of this registered in the mind of a certain woman who'd prepped for the Exam…
"Heh, looks like things are getting a bit hectic…"
This woman spoke, currently sitting cross-legged on a chair sipping on some tea to recover some of her composure, having recently had to reject the 20th 'confession of love' from several of her fellow applicants. She was located in a newly made yard outside the Guild Building, a yard which had a wooden fence separating it from the rest of the City. In it, were all the applicants for the Spec Ops Exam, each of them having their own leisure time which was meant to both prepare their nerves for the upcoming tests as well as give the applicants time to gather whilst the tests were prepared inside the Guild Building. Currently, the weather particularly leaned on the nicer side too, although that was to be expected given the season Leanbox was closely related to, so that helped too. Looking around at the various applicants whom either chatted excitedly or seemed to be seriously studying last minute, the woman couldn't help but snort mentally whilst rolling her eyes. She remembered what her cherished one and his mother/mentor had told her about these exams and about what a 'true' Spec Ops Agent was like, so she didn't resist the disdain she felt inside. Whilst she COULD see a couple of the applicants taking this seriously, the amount of them compared to the rest was like a 5 to 1 ratio. If this had been what the standards had been reduced to, she honestly pitied those up top who had to deal wth the Nobles… then that pity vanished when she remembered how they treated someone she cared about a whole hell lot, a slightly sadistic image of them being beaten within an inch of their lives by her entering her mind, prompting a small smirk to form on her lips. "Well, it could have been worse, I guess…"
"Ah, hey there IF! How's things going for you?"
"?!"
Just then, a female voice spoke up to her, to which the woman known as IF the Windwalker of Gamindustri, turned to the source of it after being broken from her thoughts. Looking towards the entrance to the yard which had two Spec Ops Agents guarding it, IF saw a certain red glove-wearing martial artist walking up to her, waving in greeting with a massive smile on her face. The moment she saw her, IF's eyes brightened up as she waved back at her, her lips curving into a shark-like grin whilst the hand gripping her cup's handle clenched it tighter. Not enough to break it, she'd been holding back that urge, but enough for it to tbe noticeable. "Hey there, Tekken, didn't think you'd show up on time." She greeted warmly, yet her eyes screamed just how excited for battle she felt inside. Her BOW instincts acting up right now, people!
"Heh, sorry bout that IF." Tekken apologized, laughing nervously with her hand resting behind her head. She then took a seat opposite IF on the same table after receiving a visual gesture of approval from the brunette to do so, heaving a sigh of relief at being able to sit down. "MAGES. has been running me ragged recently with searching for materials for her research. I've been able to fight some tough opponents though, so its all good. Though this, combined with my own studies for this exam… you can say I'll look forward to when this is all over." she remarked, getting a chuckle of amusement from her fellow woman. It was then that she noticed something about said BOW, something which caused her eyes to brighten in surprise and amazement. "Ooooh! You've went for a wardrobe change, eh? I didn't notice until just now, it looks super awesome IF!"
Looking down at herself, IF's smirk widened into a grin not unbefitting for that of a Demon. "Yup, I did. Figured it was time to make a change, since I wanted to step into a new chapter in my life." she replied, gesturing to her new look. Now her colours had changed with a darker blue coat which neared the black category, like the ocean depths. The cooat had a high collar around the back of her neck, with a small compartment that had a hood inside. The collar also sported these sharp, nigh blade-like edges to it which looked like they could be used as piercing weapons, whilst the collar's interior almost looked like it was… pulsating, or something similar. Dangling from the collar's sides, were a pair of dark green chains similar to a sickly person. Her coat's sleeves each had these long, vine-like designs travelling down them from the shoulders, going into some dark green rolled backwards cuffs which had some bladed leaf-like shapes protruding outwards up the arms. The coat fell to her ankles in length, with its edges being tattered like they were shredded by animal claws. Around her neck, was a black choker covered in dark green spikes, whilst her tank top and short combo now had black colouring with dark green highlights where the white had once been. The last, most notable change to her wardrobe, was the fact that instead of her usual blue and white boots, IF now sported a pair of thigh high stiletto heeled black ones which covered the matching nylon stockings beneath them, stockings which were connected to some garters which went into her shorts. Lastly, IF had her stash of Phones strapped around her waist instead of her coat, nothing would make her part with those after all.
In essence, IF looked like a mix of beauty and deadliness, seductive woman who like a rose, had deadly thorns underneath.
"Guess you got inspired by Raven and Lucy, eh…?" Tekken remarked with a smile, remembering a few times when IF and the mentioned Spec Ops Agent conversed. If Lucy had taken to Compa like a mentor and her student, then Raven took to IF in a similar manner. Only, instead of a mentor/student relationship they were more like fellow warriors who fought on the battlefield. Perhaps given time, Tekken believed it COULD evolve down that route, but that would be depending if Raven let go of that icy cold stoic behaviour of hers, something which Tekken doubted would ever happen. Still, IF having been influenced by her made sense, since that Agent really kicked ass with the high Abnormal kill count she had, plus she did so with a decent fashion sense as well. How could she NOT be inspired?
Nodding her head in response, IF plucked out one of the Phones from her belt, which had become a black one as well as one which could hold all her phones in place. "Heh, what can I say she's quite a badass character…" she responded. "You probably don't know this, but throughout the days since the Demonic Invasion, Raven and her team have been throwing themselves at Demons left and right, countering many of their invasions just by themselves. Heck, last I heard Raven's been killing off Greater Demons even by her lonesome, whilst her comrades take on their minions."
"EH?!" Tekken screeched out, her eyes bulging as she leaned forwards on her chair. Did she just hear that right? Team RAIL had been taking on Greater Demons, Demons which three Goddesses working together couldn't defeat, and WON?! What the heck, what's up with that?! "J-Just what the heck are those guys, then? If it were the four of them together fighting Greater Demons, that'd be more believable, but Raven soloing Greater Demons?! That's just…"
A sympathetic gaze fell onto the BOW's features, knowing just how Tekken was feeling at the moment. "You heard me, and I thought the same way as you once. Then, one time when a Greater Demon appeared close to a nearby village with a legion of Demons and World Eater soldiers, Raven let me in on the action too so I could test my metal… I only got to kill the lesser ones, but I saw it myself. You should have seen it, Tekken, her and Lucy are both more monstrous than MANY of the Abnormals throughout Gamindustri." She had once heard from Neptune that it had been Lucy whom had been the one to finish off the Bloodthirster back during that attack on the Gala, so she could understand it better if Lucy could solo Greater Demons, something she'd seen for herself as true as well, but for Raven to do the same… she guessed it just went to show that Team RAIL were NOT a bunch of pushovers.
If the whole of the Spec Ops community had power similar to theirs… IF shuddered at the thought.
"That's so unreal…" Tekken mumbled, before she sighed in defeat, slumping down on her chair. Since it was IF whom had told her this, the young martial artist didn't think she was lying to her, IF wasn't someone to lie to her about something like that. If anything, Tekken felt like she was seriously underestimating just how powerful those four really were. It didn't take her long to get excited again though, as stars took the place of her eyes as she shot up into a sitting position again. "Then that's all the more reason why I should be a Spec Ops Agent too! I'll be able to fight strong monsters as well, then I'll be able to challenge them myself!" she proclaimed, pumping a fist in front of her face with a determined grin erupting from her lips.
Something which IF snickered at behind a closed fist. Havin studied by Tekken's side for a while, she knew the girl pretty well, and as such seeing her act like this was quite normal for her. Heck, IF could understand her feelings since her BOW instincts pretty much made her feel the same way, the thoughts of being able to sink her fangs into potentiall worthy opponents filling her with brutal, animalistic joy. 'Betchya daddy dearest would have flipped if he could see me as I am now…' part of her thought, and for a moment her mood dampened as her grin fell, but it didn't last long. Whilst IF believed that her father was a good man, she also felt aware of how much he disliked monsters, so it would always be left up in the air whether or not he would have still accepted her as his daughter as she currently was. Much of IF's faith in humanity had gone out the window with all the things she'd seen and heard at this point, leading to this thought process.
Not only that, but IF also wanted to pass this exam not for protecting others, although that was still a reason albeit diminished significantly on her priorities list, but she also wanted to have much more freedom in what quests she could take and her methods for operating. Spec Ops taking on solo quests which usually only groups of Guild Agents or Adventurers would usually take had been one of their norms. Aside from better pay, they actually had higher kill counts, though that was to be expected. IF looked towards her friend afer thinking this, and then she noticed something she didn't expect about her, prompting her to question the martial artist. "Say, where's MAGES.? I would have thought she were with you or something."
"I'm right here."
"Guh!"
All of a sudden IF nearly jumpd, barely suppressing it and her instinct to form any bladed weapon to decapitate the source of her sudden fright. Looking to the source instead, IF saw MAGES. standing not too far from her, leaning on her sinister-looking Staff which stood tall on the ground beside her. Unlike IF, MAGES. seemed to retain her original wardrobe, but IF knew for a FACT that something had changed inside of her, and recently too. She couldn't quite place her finger on it just yet, but she felt that if she saw MAGES. fight with that Staff of hers, she'd be able to figure it out. All the same though… "Geez, girl! Don't scare me like that!" IF yelled, putting a hand over her chest. Also, if one looked closely at her used hand, something which both MAGES. and Tekken did, they'd see how its form returned to its original state from a previously veiny and pulsating one, implying how close it had come to morphing its shape entirely.
"My apologies, walker of wind, nevertheless it is understandable that you could not perceive my presence, for I have been dabbling in concealment magic in the past 4 days." MAGES. explained, taking her Staff in her right hand and pulling it out of the ground, sitting on the only other seat available. Glancing at the ground, both girls noticed that the space where her Staff had once embedded itself had a sizable hole left behind, which explained how she was able to lean on it for support, though it raised questions in their minds of its true nature. Crossing one leg over another for comfort, MAGES. placed her hat on the table whilst ignoring the looks which she received from the more… perverted of applicants and rested her Staff horizontally on her lap. "Concealment Magic seems to be progressing nicely, if neither yourself, nor the martial demon here managed to track me." She then gazed over at IF whilst her eyes shone with a gleam which sent shudders down her spine. "Reminds me of that time I asked you to be my test-I mean, research partner for a bit…"
At hearing her tone and remembering what MAGES. did to her, IF could not help but shudder uncontrollably, especially when she tried to keep her body under control. It ad gotten some VERY dangerous vibes off MAGES. whenever she got that look in her eye, the look of a scientist about to go crazy over a promising specimen for research. Not to mention this concealment magic threatened her safety, since she could jus kidnap-well, take, IF away whenever she so pleased if she didn't do anything to counter it, for whatever diaboloical research sessions she had planned for. Part of IF wanted to see if she could dabble in some magical studies just so she could find out a way to mutate an ability to grow an immunity to Magic, just so that MAGES. or any other Mage would be unable to hide from her. It came from her instinctual need to root out any weakness, what with how her Cells constantly evolved under the threat of others destroying and assimilating them. Nevertheless, those thoughts got pushed aside for the time being, as IF shook her head and forced herself to regain her composure. "Yeah well, that sounds about right Mrs mad scientist." She remarked, getting an amused smirk from the Mad Magician in return. "That aside, I gotta ask: are you guys prepared for this? We studied all we could about the Spec Ops programm, making sure we have a lot of 'Ammo' for this 'battleground'…"
Tekken and MAGES. nodded their heads, both becoming stone cold-faced whilst they each pondered the incoming task at hand. Passing the Spec Ops Exam like this wouldn't be easy, each of them knew this. For such an elite section of the Guild, they'd likely have some twisted tests planned for them to weed out the weaker ones and select only the strongest to continue as one of them. Each remained aware of this situation like a looming threat about to destroy the city, which had been their main driving point for them to study as hard as they did to prepare for their Exam. Although, one session IF had to scrutinize Tekken like a computer scanning a document when she made mention of having run into Nico a while back (Tekken had looked really happy when mentioning this, so the brunette's womanly instincts screamed at her to be wary of a potential rival). She herself knew just how well she saw the redhead since she had learned of Nico's actions regarding her at the Hellverse Dungeon, so if it became reality that Tekken would end up falling for him… well, she would be slightly annoyed, but she wouldn't be surprised.
Their silence and expressions told her everything that she needed to know, prompting IF to nod in satisfaction. It was then that she and the others heard the sound of a bell ringing, similar to when a schoolbell rang and the children playing in the yard had to come back inside for classes, indicating to the applicants that the Spec Ops Exam was ready for them. "Looks like its time…" IF noted as the three of them stood up, noting the seriousness of the atmosphere.
"Indeed. Looks like the battle will be beginning. Whatever trials await in that corridor of darkness, this Mad Magician will not falter…" MAGES. declared, and a second later she smirked in a shameless manner. "Those resources will be mine, no matter what…" she mumbled, but the other two heard her which caused them to sweat drop in her direction. Trust it to the Mad Magician to desire the resources of an elite military group for her research. Her title as the Mad Magician definitely wasn't for show.
Shaking her head and oushing this aside, knowing how her friend usually acted to the point she was used to it, Tekken pumped a fist in front of her face. "No matter what we face, its nothing that a marital artist can't solve." She proclaimed to herself, psyching herself up as she recalled the memories of all the studying she had done (read: got forced to by MAGES., ending up having sleepless nights only to wake up to more studying. The Mad Magician was also a slave driver when it came to knowledge…).
The doors to the Guild Building, which remained closed throughout the previous prep time, slowly opened like the entrance to an evil overlord's castle, and the Applicants soon stepped inside.
Once inside, the doors closed behind them, leaving the applicants to be inside the main Guild Building where they would have normally gone to the quest counters for Quests. However, this would NOT be like their ordinary days not by a long shot since all but one of the counters was empty, that counter having a woman whom looked to be dressed in formal military wear. This woman sat doing some paperwork behind the counter, and when she heard the doors closed, she shifted her lips towards a Mike located beside her and spoke into it telling them the following:
"Spec Ops Candidates, you all are gathered here today for your exam, the last thing separating you from a world with REAL monsters. You may THINK you know Abnormals, you may have EXPERIENCE with them, but they are only a mere FRACTION of our world, a world where even the slightest mistakes will end up with you having a hole through your vital areas. I am EVA, and I shall sort you all into specified groups for the first half of your exam. After the first half is over, there will be an hour's break in this area here, before the second portion of the Exam will begin. Now, I will call out your names and you will each be given a Card as said by the messages we've sent you all. These cards will determine which group you will be part of for the remainder of the Exam. Now, we shall begin…"
And so, began the process of grouping up the Applicants, likely so the tests could be initiated easier than they would be if they were just one class. IF mentally kept note of each person assigned to a different group, there being about 6 groups in total. Each group had a total of 40 people in them, with there being about 240 Applicants for this exam. Kind of put into perspective how many applied for an Exam like this, the brunette felt but didn't mention it verbally since she was currently alone with her thoughts at the moment, even if she stood alongside a bunch of strangers she didn't know. Strangers who, much to her chagrin, kept giving her looks of lust and desire, especially on certain… parts of her body. 'Now I understand how Vert, Nep and the other big breast faction feel when they're oogled… Guess some of their complaints weren't so fake after all…' IF thought to herself, glancing at her enlarged chest area.
Now, don't get her wrong, IF really LOVED her new body, the body she had gained thanks to assimilating World Eater soldiers back during the invasion of the Gala. Not only did she look more womanly, her body actually had greater physical ability, not to mention her powers functioned much better with it, it was almost like her body had evolved to an almost perfect level, even though IF kind of despised and looked down on such things since, really, there wasn't anything else beyond that. No room to be better, no ways to improve, its all just one big dead end. One can CHASE perfection, but never catch it cause if they did then that would well end up with nothing to go further with. She loved the heck out of it since she had always DREAMED of having a body like that, however both her genetics and her overall luck seemed to be against her since she never quite developed beyond what she had when first meeting Neptune and her comrades. The fact that she had this body only due to throwing away her humanity and becoming the textbook definition of a monster wasn't lost on her, but IF didn't really care much about that, not when she had so many perks and so few drawbacks to her body. However, now that she had it, IF noticed things that she never did before due to lacking the proper 'equipment' back then, and soon enough she began to see that maybe the girls with bigger boobs ad rocking bodies that she'd seen throughout her life… may not have necessarily been kidding about the attention they got. It definitely irked her now, since she already had someone in her sights whilst everyone else seemed to want to have a piece of her.
By the time that the groups were formed, IF discovered that each of her friends were placed on different groups, making it so she would not bhave ANYONE she would know on hers. Kind of made her feel like fish out of water, but then again this could also be a golden opportunity for her to scope out her fellow applicants, no matter what kind of looks they were giving her right now. 'They said in the message that the first part is an academic one, so I should be alright. Things will likely only get interesting when the second half comes around, since they never revealed what it was till today.' She thought whilst cupping her chin. Part of her thought about enlisting the other members of her group to assist her, but she soon thought better when she gave them a look over each and noticed just how… frail, and weak that they looked. She quickly figured out that, aside from this and their rather posh clothing and rather snide behaviour, that a lot of these were children from Noble Families who wanted the prestige of their relatives being in the Spec Ops. A lot of them looked like they lazed about all day, with the few female daughters looking like they were built for one specific purpose in mind (perverts know this purpose well, as much as it sickened her). Furthermore, she could see some of them looking down on her, their eyes shining with both lust and slight disdain for how she dressed, as if they thought of her as just some slut who wanted to have a good time. As for the worst thing about them, was that beyond these traits, a lot of them looked like they had hardly even picked up a weapon in their lifetimes, let alone seen the true terror of the battlefield, something which caused her to groan to herself inside. 'I'm surrounded by idiots as well… whelp, doubt things can get any worse than this, but I'm going to not say that, so I don't jink myself.'
"Oh yes, I forgot to mention, before your all going to your assigned rooms for the first half, you will also be gathered for your own group photos, just for a commerative memory so you don't forget the progress you all have made."
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'… Me and my big stupid mental mouth.'
After a moment of sheer humiliation, IF and her group got sent on their way to their class, as in they got sent deeper into the Spec Ops section of the Guild Building though the brunette doubted, they'd see anything TOO amazing along the way. If anything, the more interesting stuff like unknown technology, spoils of war, etc would be put in a secret vault or something either in another city, the Basilicom, or in another Nation where they would be better guarded due to better technology and security policies. These guys were proper professionals after all…
Hardly like the idiots whom she had the misfortune of being partnered with.
The walk there had been just as bad as the photo itself, what with so many males layering their arms around her like they were better than her and she belonged to them. Meanwhile the 'hussies' as she mentally dubbed the nobleman's daughters, just glared hatefully towards her, like they thought they were more worthwhile than her. IF would have scoffed at them at that moment if she weren't putting on a neutral air and expression to hide what she truly felt inside. She just didn't want to deal with these morons any longer than necessary, any more than that then she felt she just might snap, rip one of them apart or perhaps even more, then cause a political fallout between her party and the Nobles who'd sustained those losses. Her party didn't need that, plus she wanted to get this over and done with so she could regroup with her friends quicker. Apparently, once the first half was done, she would have been able to socialise with whomever she wanted for the hour before the next half of the exam started. IF SO couldn't wait for that to happen, a sentiment which grew more and more with each passing segment. A few of the guys tried chatting her up but the brunette just remained silent, though she did want to thrust some of her weapons into their guts more than a few times, one of them more so than the others.
This one noble boy looked to be about 17 years of age, and had a traditional 'prince' like appearance, wearing a red suit with a white dress shirt beneath it, a crimson tie and some black dress shoes. Looked more like a businessman or a beurocrat, not a warrior in IF's eyes (she got that description from a movie she'd once watched about vampires fighting warewolves, she liked it as well as the heroine). His name had been Simon, and the guy's personality irked her like all hell, not only did he constantly flirt with her and flexed his 'handsome' appeal to her, something IF just wasn't into whilst other hussies just swooned over him with hearts in their eyes like useless, dumb fangirls. He had the GALL to try and discreetly feel her up when he thought she was distracted. Fortunately, she'd managed to keep those advances at bay for now, but if he dared try anything then she would make sure to slice off his groin with a claw then make it so he can never talk again, cause that voice of his just irritated her like all hell.
One time he even compared himself to Nico, calling him by his Codename, and saying how he was better than that 'useless guard dog' in every way with his little posse supporting him. He belittled him and his recent accomplishments, saying things like he'll eventually 'learn his place' under his heel like he always had been and always should be, all the while making comparisons between Nico and himself… although the brunette felt like Simon was simply taking credit for things which he'd never done before judging from how fragile he looked. Seriously, one pinch from her felt like enough to shatter the bones in his arm, almost, but the insults towards her interest continued non-stop till they reached the examination room.
Never had she come so close to butchering someone before, and if the others heard that…
By the time they reached the examination room, IF had it up to here with that Simon jackass, and so as soon as she got the chance the brunette pulled herself away from them and sat at one of the desks located at the farthest top left corner of the room. The room itself looked like those one would find in a university, all circular with a hill-like format and each desk shaped like a semicircle. The others each took their places, with Simon attempting to sit beside IF had the brunette not 'looked' at him with such killing intent and bloodlust that made him see nothing but thousands of grotesque abominations floating around her. All of them looking DIRECTLY at him making the rich-looking boy become pale as a ghost before wisely choosing to sit on the OPPOSITE side of the room, just in case he needed to make a quick getaway. IF herself got a couple dozen glares from his fangirls for that one, but she ignored them whilst everyone else got seated.
Immediatelly afterwards, the door to the examination room opened and someone stepped inside. The moment that her eyes laid their gaze on him, immediately IF tesned up and straightened on her seat as she put her full attention on him, such was the aura and dominating presence that the person, a man, gave off. The man looked to be middle aged, yet that did not look like it diminished any of his ability one bit, it almost looked like he could still throw down with the best of Agents. The man had a large, imposing figure, which he complements with a rugged head and face covered with old wounds and scars. His head was covered by a black beanie, yet that did not detract from his intimidation factor in the slightest, in fact it actually enhanced it. The man's eyes remainded IF of black holes in outer space with how black and… well, blank they were, expressionless being a better word to describe them. For clothing, the man wore a military vest underneath a flak jacket, a pair of black pants which were tucked into some military boots. Over this, was a thick, black Trench Coat, something which made the thought of Trench Coats usually being associated with badasses pop into the brunette's head alongside images of herself, this guy and a certain redhead.
Even so, none of this distracted her from realizing just WHO this man was just before he started speaking.
"And here I thought the other times were bad…" the man mused, his eyes casting their expressionless gaze across the classroom. His eyes did linger on a few of them longer than the others, with IF being one of them, before he continued speaking. "Guess I shouldn't have opened my mouth back then. These Nobles… Anyways, listen up pieces of garbage, although you may THINK your wealth, status and political power means anything here, I'm here to crush those foolish ideals to the ground. My name is Ibiki Morino, I'm the head of the Guild's Torture and Interrogation department, and I will be the proctor for this first half of the Spec Ops Exam. Now, look down at your desks!" The man known as Ibiki commanded. Whilst the various Nobles all grumbledunder their breaths at the rude insults to their families, a flash of illing intent from Ibiki quickly shut them up as they did as instructed. At least there were a few among them whom had marginably better attitudes as they only slightly grumbled whilst looking at their desks, where each of them noticed some papers and writing tools. Things which none of them had noticed were there before, not even IF much to her shock. "Before you, are your exam papers. Answer the questions correctly, and you shall pass. The tests are graded with a point reduction system, and unlike what you may thing each person starts with a total of 10 points. Points will be deducted based off how many questions one gets wrong, so if you get 4 wrong, you will have 6 points at the end. The final question however, will not be available until the end of the testing period. However, if any of you even THINK of trying to cheat and are caught…" the man spoke, pausing to click his fingers.
Upon doing this, several men and women in similar garbs to Ibiki seemingly shimmered into existence, lining up on all sides of the examination room with cold, blank expressions on their faces. Not to mention that each of them possessed a similar 'feel' to them as Ibiki had, something which only IF and a few others managed to notice and sense to the fullest, making them think that these people worked with Ibiki either a lot or in the same department. Now that she had thought about it, IF remembered hearing some rumours about the TAI department, how some Nobles have been trying to tie them down in scandals or bring them undertheir heel due to how effective they were in their respective fields. She'd also heard rumours about how much even Spec Ops Agents feared them for their brutal efficiency in acquiring information. Of course, more information about those rumours had been pretty much scarce, but IF had a good idea as to why that was, so she didn't question it. "These are your fellow exam proctors, and they will be keeping a CLOSE eye on ALL of you for even the slightest signs of cheating. Those who are caught 5 times are thus sent out of the exam and are unable to retake it for the next 5 years!"
Cue shocked gasps from the rest of the applicants, even IF although hers was more subdued than the rest. If what this guy said was true, and she had no doubt about that in her mind, then that would definitely mean that a lot of Nobles would lose out on getting their kin into the Spec Ops ranks for their own benefits. It was like they were specifically making a statement, one which spoke on how they would not tolerate ANY kind of slippery behaviour like they may have done in the past to bolster their ranks. It seemed almost like they had started to shift from quantity to quality in terms of priority potential in their recruits. Mentally, she couldn't help but grin in excitement, knowing that THIS Exam seemed to be tailor made for a specific purpose rather than just an easy breeze that these people would have been expecting, one which she found herself agreeing with wholeheartedly. If those Nobles thought their children would get a free pass this year, then they would have another thing coming, and THAT felt more than enough to make her day just a little bit better. 'This written test will be a cinch for me, then...' she thought, recounting all the studying she, MAGES., and Tekken had done together. Something which she doubted that the other Nobles' children had done nearly as much, in favour of getting cosy wit each other for political agendas she had no care for.
"Alright, settle down worthless swine's! Let the first half of the Spec Ops Exam... BEGIN!"
Instantly, the atmosphere changed, becoming increasingly tense and oppressive as the applicants hustled to begin their work. IF did the same, not caring much for any of the others since she wanted to get this done as soon as possible. 'Alright, which one should I start on...' she thought to herself as she looked through the content. To her, thsi would be a cinch since she had prepared herself for it, so she couldn't wait till she could leave these bunch of pansies. As she did so, her eyes cast their gaze across each question, and the more she read them...
'Huh?'
… All of the knowledge she had amassed, everything she had thoroughly memorized with Tekken and MAGES. in their sessions... most of it didn't return to the forefront of her mind. She couldn't even remember most of it all, and her memory usually had been pretty solid what with how her powers worked. She would have been able to remember the scenery of when she had been 5 years old and travelling with her father, so the fact that she couldn't recall nearly EVERYTHING she had researched on about these Spec Ops guys completely baffled her. 'What the hell, what's going on here?! Why can't I remember a goddamn thing about this?! I'm SURE I researched this shit thoroughly for weeks, so why...?'
None of this made any sense to her, and that began to unnerve the brunette a little even as she retained her composed demeanour. A flower of panic blossomed in her chest, but she suppressed it as well as the agitation, anxiety and dread which tried to grip her heart in its cold vice. She didn't give away the slightest hint of her inner turmoil, perfectly manipulating her body's functions thanks to her powers as a BOW. Idly, she heard a few names get called out, which made her realize just how good these guys must be. A quick glance at the clock had told her that only 5 minutes had passed and already about 10 or so Applicants had been kicked out of the exam, truly demonstrating the skills these practical 'watchers' had in their jobs. She could see why they were chosen for this appointed task, which also made her realize that if she slipped up even just a bit, then she would likely be tossed out just like the rest of them and unable to retake the exams for a while.
She could only IMAGINE the humiliation that would bring her
As she thought about all this, IF randomly glanced towards the front of the Examination room, where Ibiki sat behind a desk with his hands clasped together in front of him whilst... looking right at her. That caused her to stop all thoughts inside her mind faster than a DJ hurriedly halting the song he played on those disk records. 'Huh? That guy...' she thought, resisting the urge to shudder under the intense, scrutinizing gaze that he possessed. 'He's... watching me. Creepy much? But, more than that, WHY? Why be watching ME of all people, since its obvious he's not like the guys in this damn Exam. It looks more like he's... judging me, trying to analyse my reaction to something.' the brunette thought as another thought process took hold. 'Could he be aware of something I'm not, like the whole knowledge thing? Could he have done something to me? If so, then what was his purpose? It couldn't be to sabotage me, he doesn't seem like that kind of guy. No, there has to be some other reason...'
Whilst IF thought about all this, she decided to answer the one question she DID know about the Spec Ops Agents: What the name of their founder was... which turned out to be question 1. 'Ugh, now That's some useless info, the worst kind of thing to remember...' the brunette thought in bitterness, before gazing down at the questions. The order of the questions were as follows:
What is the name of the Spec Ops Founder?
How are the Spec Ops Ranked?
If a Spec Ops were to be given a choice between completing the mission or saving a comrade, what should they choose?
What are the preferred method of transportation for Spec Ops Agents? Give reasons why
When acquiring gear and resources from Monster Dungeons, what is the protocol for such actions?
Who are the Military Families most prevalent in the Spec Ops Program?
How long has the Spec Ops Program been in use for?
What are the rankings for the Abnormals?
On what conditions can a Spec Ops Retire?
These were the questions on the paper, but IF knew for a FACT that Ibiki had one last question to share with them at the end of this session, something which she kind of dreaded but not NEARLY as much as her sudden loss of knowledge. 'Ug, this sucks... if I can't remember what I've been able to amass up till this point, then how am I going to pass this? Alright, calm down IF...' before she could suffer a mental overload, IF quickly regained her wits and mentally forced herself to calm down, running through the facts in her mind. 'Lets assess the situation here: I can't seem to recall what I revised for the exam, the reasons of which continue to elude me. People have been literally cheating in the exam judging by the fact that people have been sent out, don't know why they would do that though. I know these questions seem hard, but... hold on... thinking about it, Ibiki's words before about cheating...' whilst thinking, an epiphany struck her as she recalled the words that the man had said. 'He mentioned about being CAUGHT cheating, but never said anything about NOT cheating... even made a fuss about these other examination watchers being used like lookout posts for cheaters. Then, could that guy possibly intend to...?' the more IF thought about it, the more she began to realize it, the true nature of the exam, and it WASN'T just what she had initially assumed regarding the Noble sons and daughters whom, according to her senses, were also having as much a difficult time as one another. Some made some suspicious movements, some getting caught whilst the others kept their actions tightly concealed behind some thought-out disguises.
All this just confirmed it in her mind: the goal of this exam...
WAS to cheat.
Now that she thought about it, that made sense. The way the exam was structured, what with the examiners, the teacher in question, the rules dictating the exam as a whole as well as the protocols regarding cheaters, all of it just SCREAMED 'try to cheat but not get caught'. Thinking back to his introduction, IF realized that he had SPECIFICALLY called himself by his job title, that had been the first hint as to the exact nature of this Exam. Everything else soon became so obvious to her that it seemed like it was being sent right into their little idiotic faces. Why Ibiki had set the Exam up like this eluded her for now, but she had a strong suspicion that the man had his job as an influence on this. 'Alright then, if we're meant to cheat, then how should I do so without getting caught...?' IF wondered, before the solution came to her a couple seconds later, and if she weren't being watched right now then she would have grinned like a criminal mastermind would. 'Well, then, lets see about using THAT...'
Later, it finally reached the 10 minute mark of the exam, and IF finally managed to finish the Exam questions, letting out a small sigh afterwards as she recalled her little 'helper through the sole of her feet.
Now that she had known what the goal of this test was, she had to figure out how to best use her next move without giving herself away. Her end result, her ZEN SHIYA, a prototype ability for her Ocular one known as the RYOKUGAN, in which she manifested it as a blob of Biomass through the sole of her right foot beneath her Desk. She'd planted it on the ground and had it slip through some of the old cracks, before allowing it to spread across the entirety of the underground floor then the room itself, infesting it and setting up surveillance for her benefit. She also made sure it didn't interfere with anything inside the space between the walls of the room like any wires or electrical appliances, since that could give it away. The reason why she used THIS ability and not her ocular one, was simply due to how every time it activated there were some OBVIOUS visible changes to her face which even an idiot could take notice of, and right now this task required the utmost stealth. As such, the ZEN SHIYA which basically allowed her to be informed of other people's answers so she could make an educated guess of what each one could have been.
With the help of her ability, she had managed to ascertain the best possible answers to the questions she had laid out for her, which were the following:
What is the name of the Spec Ops Founder?
Mograine
How are the Spec Ops Ranked?
The Spec Ops are Ranked by a class system which is calculated based off their overall destructive ability, as well as their physical combat prowess. The Weakest Spec Ops for example, is at least put at Street Class, since their abilities can level an entire street if not careful. Then there are the small and large Building Class Agents who have been known to destroy entire buildings, with the next one being small Village Class Agents, the previous explanations apply to this class too. These classes belong to what is commonly known as the 'lower Echelon' Category Agents, but then there's the Upper Echelon Agents whom are Small City, Large City Class, Small Mountain and Large Mountain Class respectively. These Agents have extremely dangerous capabilities and have proven to be as such from their missions, and when an Agent showcases that their strength has increased be it from their missions or simple training, it is possible to be promoted to a higher classification.
If a Spec Ops were to be given a choice between completing the mission or saving a comrade, what should they choose?
It largely depends on the circumstances of the mission at large, as well as the supplies available and the extent of the Comrade's injury. If the goal is simple and quick to accomplish, then the mission should take priority as one can then go back and save the comrade in question. Should the mission be harder beyond the Leader's capability to complete such as if time was short and they wouldn't be able to complete the goal then the mission should still take priority, but the Comrade may have to use their Emergency Eject Buttons to return to their base of operations.
What are the preferred method of transportation for Spec Ops Agents? Give reasons why
In terms of Transportation, it depends initially on the Agent themselves, because each of them have their own preferences such as walking, running or other means. A Spec Ops Agent is expected to have prepared for multiple types of transport, such as having fuel, a spare ride, or anything along those lines prepped beforehand in case the original transport is unavailable for any reason. When it comes to group missions or Urgent Quests, transportation is usually provided by the Spec Ops Program in the form of either an aerial or land transport, more commonly air if its in the territory of another Nation whilst land Transport is reserved only for the home Nation if the mission takes place there.
When acquiring gear and resources from Monster Dungeons, what is the protocol for such actions?
Item disputes are rare in the Spec Ops Program as to an extent it is stated that each Spec Ops Agent can keep the items that they find in Dungeons, so long as they aren't beyond the pre-requisite danger/threat levels. If an item is beyond that level, then it is protocol for the Agent to hand it in to the Program for storage or research purposes on how to use it safely without threat of injuring allies o the field. To judge whether a item goes beyond this threshold or not, the Agents have to manually hand them in at the Guild Building, however there is technology available which does this for them like Bracers belonging to one DEATHSTROKE, or certain other Agents.
Out of the Four Nations, which are the ones with the most Spec Ops Agents in numerical order?
The Nation with the most Agents is Planeptune, as they have the most technological advancements and tests needed to train potential Agents, not to mention that they have the lowest Abnormal count out of the rest of the Nations. Following them is Lastation, wit a slightly less Spec Ops Count, but with recent times have surpassed Planeptune in the Abnormal count. The same can be said for Leanbox as they have surpassed Lastation with their Abnormal Count, but have less Spec Ops Agents to fight them. Lowee may have the lowest Spec Ops Count, however those that they do have are part of the Upper Echelon which allows them to keep many of the weaker Abnormals in line.
How long has the Spec Ops Program been in use for?
500 Years
What are the rankings for the Abnormals?
Abnormals are ranked using an alphabetical System, starting from the weakest Abnormals which are F ranked. These rankings go up depending on the Abnormal themselves and not their race, as it has been shown that these creatures can gain strength through unknown means as well as additional abilities. An E rank Abnormal for example can potentially grow into a B rank threat, with more extreme examples being prevalent. The ranking system views these Abnormals individually due to there being far too many Races out there to properly document, so this ranking system is there for Agents to measure the power of an Abnormal at first encounter or if Scouts have already confirmed the likelihood of what ranked Abnormals are in a specific area. Furthermore, the ranking system determines on what classification of Agent is necessary for the mission to be completed, for example any Abnormal below the A rank is liable to be defeated by the Lower Echelon Agents, but beyond that like with the S and X rank Abnormals it is recommenced that the Upper Echelon Agents be mobilized.
On what conditions can a Spec Ops Retire?
Spec Ops Agents generally don't retire till they die, as it is generally accepted that once they step into the battlefield, they are resigned to the fact that they will never leave it. A Spec Ops Agent has a low life expectancy because of it, even though officially the retirement age is in the late 60's, the average Spec Ops Agent tends to die around the 40 - 50 mark.
By the time that the 10 minute mark came by, IF had to recall the ability into her whilst looking like she had finished her work and was now waiting patiently for the next 10 minutes, pulling off what she would LOVE to call her 'legendary poker face' whilst twiddling with her thumbs. Nothing had been able to escape her and into the ever-watchful eyes of her opponents, which was something IF had WANTED to sigh in relief for, but she didn't want to give anything away so she had kept it all to herself. She couldn't stop now, not when she had gotten herself so far. 'Still though, that was ROUGH...' the brunette mused in her head, stretching her legs once the ZEN SHIYA returned to her completely. 'I had almost given up there, if I hadn't figured out the intent behind this written test then I would have been BUSTED...' let it be known that IF had TRULY felt the pressure of the situation back then, and had to use all her mental fortitude to make sure she didn't give away anything regarding her own misfortunes. However, even with this she still felt like she had gotten it off easy, especially with how over HALF the original Applicant count had just gone, having been caught cheating way too many times so they would not be able to retake the Exam for the next 5 years.
'Whelp, sucks to suck for them...' The brunette thought to herself, her inner BOW cackling smugly and throwing all kinds of smug retorts at the vanquished Applicants. ESPECIALLY that Simon guy, he had been one of the earliest Applicants to go, as his deception Skills had proven to be ABYSMAL to a point where she had to wonder if the idiot had even known what being deceptive even meant. 'Maybe the guy just didn't grow up right or got hit on the head too much when he was a baby or something.' Yeah, she didn't like the guy period, not to mention she hadn't missed the few looks he'd given her once he had thought nobody would be looking at him.
Dick...
"Alright, you maggots, time's up!"
Instantly, IF's form straightened like when a rookie hears a sergeant's booming voice in boot camp, when she heard the commanding voice from Ibiki echo throughout the examination room. She wasn't the only one either, as every remaining student did the same thing with an even greater urgency about them due to the Nobles not being used to such a commanding aura before. IF had seen it more than a few times with her encounters with the military, so she wasn't as affected, but Ibiki still commanded that response regardless.
Standing up from his Desk, Ibiki stepped in front of it and placed his hands behind his back, observing the rest of the class. "Alright since you've made it this far and the 'truly hopeless' have mostly been weeded out, lets end with the tenth question." he stated to the rest of them, causing each of the Applicants to grow either tense or excited, wanting to get this test over with yet also weary of what the question might be.
IF, for once, didn't blame them since she felt the same way.
"However...!" Before he did so though, Ibiki gave them a hard stare, his eyes shining like an approaching predator about to leap onto its prey, The amount of intensity coming from those black pools could very well rival a Khornate Demon in the brunette's eyes, something which caused her to shudder in anticipation. "Before I give out the question, there are a few MORE rules you will need to be made aware of."
'MORE RULES?!'
The whole set of Applicants thought this in unison, but still kept their complaints to themselves. Ibiki so far seemed like the type of guy who specialized in playing mind games, and only a few of them had a good idea of how right that statement truly was. The atmosphere, thick with tension and hidden unease, filled the air and gave it a murky kind of feel to it, the kind of oppressive aspect which could force someone to kneel over to some higher power in fear of being harshly punished. Not to mention that Ibiki now had turned away from them, so they could no longer see his face but his bare back instead... something which honestly felt even scarier than his front if that were even possible. In IF's case, she realized he was deliberately showing his back to them to prove a point: that he didn't think any of them would be good enough to even scratch him, let alone fight him one-on-one... and she didn't think he was bluffing either.
"These rules are unique to question 10, so listen up and at least TRY not to let them frighten you. Rule Number one: You may choose whether you wish to or not to answer the tenth question."
"?!"
Shocked looks crossed over onto the faces of each Applicant still in the running, the atmosphere only INCREASING in its volume thanks to his words. Each of them wondered just what the heck it could mean, his words anyways, as in why the heck did he say that they could choose whether or not to answer this last question. That sounded kind of counter productive, especially with how much the guy had been hyping it up all this time.
"Sir..." IF began, no longer able to keep quiet anymore. This got the attention of not only Ibiki, but also the rest of the class including those Watchers. Even so, she retained her composure despite the intense pressure forcing itself on her shoulders, even though Ibiki had said he wouldn't answer any questions at the beginning of the exam, these circumstances felt necessary for this one to be asked. Plus, since nobody else had the balls to do so, she'd do it instead, and it wasn't like she had faced tense situations before, she'd fought in life or death battles all the time. "Say that we don't want to take the question, what happens then?"
Ibiki answered her promptly, making sure to keep both eyes trained on the brunette who did the same in return. "If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero. In other words. you FAIL." his words got accompanied by an evil, sadistic smile like one which promised no small amount of pain for those that it was directed to.
Well, one can expect the audience's reaction, right?
"Eh?! Whats the choice in that?!"
"Who would want to fail after getting it this far?!"
"No way will I let my family down after hearing that!"
"Lets do it, then!"
All sorts of comments made in hushed manners were made, but it just boiled down to these sets since they pretty much were of similar minds. Heh, how ironic, for next generation Nobles to be unified by a previous generation Spec Ops Agent, despite their relationship not being the best of one. IF remained aware of it, even though she herself had foreseen this to be one of the outcomes this Exam could go. She could also guess what Ibiki would be saying next judging by what she had observed from his movements, his words and mannerisms.
"Not so fast. You didn't let me finish. If you all choose to undertake the tenth question, but answer it incorrectly... YOU WILL BE BARRED FROM EVER ATTEMPTING TO RETAKE THE SPEC OPS EXAM, EVER AGAIN! THAT INCLUDES GOING ON SPEC OPS DESIGNATED QUESTS AND ANY BENEFITS PROVISED BY US!" Ibiki bellowed at the top of his lungs, staring down each of the now HORRIFIED Applicants with an aura of pure, unadulterated bloodlust. "And before each of you complain like the whiny brats that you have been till now... I haven't been the one to make the rules before, but I AM now. Of course, you can all choose NOT to take it, then try again NEXT year, that is if your parents will even let you out of your diapers after this... hmhmhmhm!"
Deep, dark chuckles of sadistic amusement filled the otherwise silent room, as each and every complaint that the Noble Children could have thought to make against Ibiki's words got smashed into nothingness, brutally and without mercy. Those chuckles, to the receiver, sounded nothing like that of a human, but a beast in human flesh, the way Ibiki looked at them only cementing this feeling even further as if he had claws aimed right beneath their necks ready to tear their throats out... and he wasn't even doing anything outwardly threatening, either. He just stood there, enjoying the reactions they were giving to his words, words which they knew for a FACT weren't a bluff. Only NOW did the true terror of this Exam hit them like a truck going at full speeds, taking away their ability to breathe as silent gasps escaped their mouths involuntarily. The atmosphere got tenser than it had ever been, with none of their foreheads bare of sweat as everyone felt like their entire beings were gradually being crushed by the sheer WEIGHT behind their next choice. On one hand, they could choose to accept the question and preserve their pride as Noble children, but the problem there was that they risked losing the right to EVER get involved with Spec Ops related matters forever, matters which didn't just pertain to this Exam as Ibiki so carefully mentioned.
The opposite path may make it so they could try again next year, but the stain upon their pride, the one thing which Nobles all valued more than anything, wouldn't go away no matter what. It would remain with them till the end of their lives, and that was something none of them felt like they were EVER prepared for.
'Tch… even I'm being shaken...' IF thought, gritting her teeth behind her lips as the tension affected her completely, just like the rest of the Applicants. Not only did she clench her fists tightly to the point where veins could be seen from them, but she couldn't remain completely upright anymore, what with the thick and heavy weight now present in the atmosphere. She had to take a gulp, an unusually human gesture if she were frank, but with the emotions swirling within her gut like a violent whirlpool in the middle of a maelstrom, she doubted she could regain her composure so quickly. 'This... this is no joke, I would have thought this to have been easier for me since I prepared myself, but... that was just an arrogant as hell way of thinking about it. I feel like those damned Nobles right now for thinking that this would be a cinch to pass... if Nico or the others were here they'd scold me immediately for making light of this exam. I guess I've been so disconnected from humanity for so long now that I forgot one thing: that even humans can pressurize monsters into unfavourable situations if they knew how...'
STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP-!
The sounds of footsteps reached her ears, but IF didn't look up to see who they belonged to. She already had a good idea that they belonged to some Applicant, probably multiple judging by how infrequent they sounded, unable to cope with the pressure of this situation and had decided to go the easy way out. She honestly couldn't blame them either, if she were her past self IF wasn't so sure that she wouldn't have joined them since, out of all her life and death battles before meeting Nico and the others, IF had NEVER felt such pressure as this. This pressure sort of reminded her of her days training under her father's tutelage to becoming an independent mercenary, learning the tricks of the trade whilst he supervised her with intense scrutiny that it made her feel like something monstrous was crawling up her back. 'Shit... this is tough... but I can't give up now!' she screamed within her mind, crushing any and all urges to leave so she could remain in her seat. 'I've come too far to give up now, and even if I fail I can at least say that I gave it my all and stuck to my guns the whole way through. I may end up endangering myself without their help due to my... condition, but I'll bear that burden myself. Despite that, I'll make sure to answer this question as best as I can, hope for the best, expect the worst and take what comes...'
With that out of the way, IF managed to find the resolve to steel her nerves and remain seated, the steel in her eyes pretty much speaking volumes about her decision.
Ibiki looked at her for a moment, realizing quickly that the brunette had decided to stick around and wouldn't be moving. 'Hmmm... so she's staying, as expected... looks like Helen wasn't wrong about her...' he thought to himself, before looking to the rest of the group. Out of all of them that had started this test, about 18 remained with the rest having either been thrown out or having just given up. 'Looks like these brats aren't leaving either. There's something within them that's changed, something which got sparked by the pressure... no, its not that exactly. Moreover, its like they've started to understand the true nature of the world they are stepping into. In that case...' With his thoughts cleared up, the man pocketed his hands in his Trench Coat before addressing them. "Well, I'll admire your resolve, if anything. In that case, for those of you whom have stayed, there is only one thing left for me to do..."
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"... And that's for me to tell you..."
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"...That you've AL PASSED THE FIRST EXAM!"
Finally, after an almost AGONIZING silence which seemed to just be for messing with their heads, Ibiki said those words with an approving grin on his face. A grin which evolved into full blown laughter when he saw the absolutely dumbfounded expressions form on the Applicants' faces as the entire previous atmosphere just got OBLITERATED right before their eyes. Now, instead of intense and foreboding, everything just felt... normal, like what had happened before was nothing but a pipe dream of theirs. For a moment, only the older man's laughter filled the air... until each of them returned to the reality of the situation before them.
"EEEEHHHHHHHHHH?!"
… Yup, that's pretty much the best way to summarize their response, if a bit too much like an Anime or something.
"There never was a tenth question to begin with." Ibiki explained, grinning like a fox as he eyed them all. "Or rather, your decision to stay for it WAS the correct answer that you all had been looking for."
"Now hold on a moment!"
Just then a young looking noblewoman, something which IF looked surprised at especially with the ratio now being more female than male Applicants in the room, shouted. "Then what was the point of those first nine questions?! I refuse to believe they were just a waste of time!" she yelled angrily and, well, more than a LITTLE frustrated. Although a bit rude, she did have a point plus she had gone through that ordeal just like the rest of them, so she had room to talk. Plus, she pretty much just spoke as the voice of the entire Applicant population.
"Heh, a Noblewoman with some balls, quite rare these days but not uncommon." Ibiki mused, getting glares from the women in the room (although IF just snickered to herself). "Well then, let me explain. The first nine questions DID have a purpose to them, they were meant to test both your individual drive, willingness and ability to discreetly gather strategic intelligence under stressful circumstances. Whilst most Spec Ops missions won't require this, it is an essential skill when learning how to properly defeat an enemy whilst limiting casualties on your end. In addition, learning about a new ambushing Abnormal you've never seen before during battle will be the key difference in saving your life, I've lost count of how many Agents who've died from such tactics, rookies too. Any Spec Ops you ask will agree with me on that one." he explained, causing the woman to frown to herself before nodding in acceptance, seeing the logic and sitting back down to contemplate this information. "Of course, this test was DESIGNED to make you have to cheat, practically demand it, so I even snuck in a couple Spec Ops Agents who'd already wrote out the answers among you." he explained further, with some of the 'Applicants' raising their hands to show their true identities.
But Ibiki didn't stop there. "Those nine questions, as you all realized, were difficult, too difficult for rookies like yourselves who aren't familiar with our world to be able to solve. However, there is also this." The man took a moment from his explaining to pull out a stick-like device from his coat pocket, and when she saw it, IF's eyes widened when she remembered the commemorative photo, having seen the stick being used on them back then as well. "This here was used on all of you before assembling here, it is a memory alteration device which we used to seal away all memories of prior preparation that you all may have attempted, save for the answer to ONE question. That one question always took the first spot on your list of questions due to what these devices would and wouldn't block. In other words, you would be guaranteed to have at least one answer on those questions, but the other 8 required you to recon and search for possible answers."
'THAT'S why I don't recall anything! This guy set it up from before we even assembled here so that we would have to learn how to recon under pressure and keep it discreet so our foes wouldn't pick up our true intents!' IF realized, as well as becoming impressed with Ibiki's Exam design choices. She had to admit, that when it came to the amount of Abnormals in Gamindustri, that the ability to figure things out about them on the fly would most certainly be the difference between life and death on the battlefield. It also extended to normal monsters and other non-abnormal threats too, since it provided quick improvisation skills whenever tactics went awry for whatever reason. 'So, this is an experienced Agent, huh...?' If the Program had people like Ibiki in it, she guessed she could see why it managed to help humanity survive for so long.
"Those who were caught, failed. Better not to cheat, than to cheat clumsily." Ibiki further explained whilst reaching for his Beanie. Whilst he did so, everyone reflected on just how much wisdom those words contained, but when he pulled the Beanie off, those thoughts quickly vanished as shocked gasps ran through the remaining Applicants, even IF's eyes widened in shocked surprised at what she saw. For the moment Ibiki took off his headwear, they saw that beneath it... lay nothing but a bald scalp covered almost COMPLETELY in all kinds of battle scars. Burns, cuts, bruises, you name it, there was a scar of it on that head of his, and yet he just gave them the same look which he'd given them since declaring that they had passed. "INFORMATION! It can be the most valuable weapon in battle, not your super powers, not your special gear or weaponry, or even your tactical advantages. How well you can gather information determines whether or not you can call yourself, and any missions you undertake, a failure or success. There will even be times where you will have to risk your LIFE to get it, though you must also consider your sources, as enemy intelligence tends to not be completely accurate, always bear this in mind. Disinformation can be WAY worse than no information at all." he explained, almost like a professor in a university. "It can mean the loss of valuable comrades, the loss of a strategic position or an innocent settlement. It can BREAK you if your not careful, which is why I forced you to gather accurate intelligence, cheating in order to survive, which is why the inept were weeded out from the beginning, leaving only the rest of you."
This time, it was IF who spoke, as she just couldn't get enough from this exam. It was proving to be more thought-provoking than many of the conversations she had taken part in her life, plus when else would she get an opportunity to converse with an Agent as experienced as Ibiki? "Then, what was the last question about, sir? Was it to test our willingness to go beyond the norms for information?"
"Partially correct." Ibiki answered. "This is by far the most important part of the Exam. For it not only tested your abilities as individuals, but whether or not you were truly Spec Ops Material. We pride ourselves on our individual ability, but more than that if we are put with other Agents we are MORE than capable of standing up to the challenge. The final question gave you two difficult choices, either play it safe and choose the easy way out, or you could try and potentially fail, a true no-win situation. This is the sort of thing us Spec Ops Agents have to contend with every day. Let me give you a hypothetical mission, say you and a squad will have to seize a document from an enemy stronghold. A document which contains knowledge of the enemy's plans, tactics for management, or even orders from their leaders themselves. You have no idea of the enemy count, their weapons and armour, what training they went through, their organisation, and yet you have to complete the mission whilst risking the lives of yourself and any squadmates that you are with. Now, do you have a choice of 'taking the easy way out'? in this hypothetical situation? Of living to fight another day with your comrades like some picturesque fairy tail? No!"
At this point, Ibiki's speech grew more and more passionate, yet despite their prejudices against Agents like him none of the Applicants dared to interrupt, so engrossed in his words they were. "There will ALWAYS be missions which may seem suicidal if one thought about it, but you DON'T. Think only of the goal and how to achieve it, those are the qualities needed of a Spec Ops Agent. Those who choose the easy path, those who cower in the face of danger, or would rather risk the lives of their comrades to preserve their own, do not deserve to be part of our program! At least while I have a say in the matter." he explained, and at that moment, Ibiki gave them a fond smile of approval, the first one he'd made throughout this whole exam. "As for you all, despite your snobby backgrounds you chose to answer all 10 questions I put out for you, passing through the first gate, allowing me to declare this half of the exam complete. There's nothing else for me to say other than good luck."
'WHEW...!' IF exclaimed in her mind when he finally said those words, allowing herself to slump backwards on her seat. 'Finally, this is over! I thought I'd fail more than a few times there!' the combination of both the trials this test provided, her own worries, and the lecture on what it meant to be a Spec Ops Agent from an actual experienced one, pretty much wore her out mentally. She honestly couldn't wait till they were finally let out for that hour long break, something which appealed to her more and more by the second.
Hopefully Tekken and MAGES. passed alright, cause if SHE had this much trouble, then what about them?
