Promotion/Madness near the town

After a week of intensive training Jun and Ann were in full sinch. They were fighting without even saying a word to each other. They thought like one person.

"I think this is enoug for today. Let's go home." - he said to Ann.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am. Tomorrow is our final test and our promotion. We have to be in top shape for then so we'll have a nice meal and rest."

"Yay! Meal!"

===The next day, early in the morning===

"Yawn... Oh, it's time to get up. Maki, wake up." -Lili said while gently pushing Maki on the shoulder.

"Ok...yawn. Getin up." - she replied while still drousy.

They got ready fast and ate their breakfast, just as they were going to get out and go to Jun's house, the bell rang.

"Who might that be? This early in the morning." - Maki asks.

"I don't know." - Lili answers her and opens the door.

To their surprise Jun and Ann were waiting for them outside.

"Jun,Ann!? I didn't expect you to come here."

"Well, what can I say, I couldn't sleep because of the excitement so I got up earlier." - he answers Lili's question with a smile.

"Not true! You slept like a tree." - Ann corrects him.

"Haah...Sometimes you are suuper tactless. Couldn't you get it was a joke?" - he tells her.

"Looks like you two are getting along pretty well, let's go Maki."

After a few minutes they reach the base and head to the training area. Everyone had gathered in front of the door. Unlike every other day almost everyone is tense and there's no one that talks freely.

"What's happening Eric? Aren't we going in?" - Jun asks.

"No, we're waiting for vice-commander Chizaki. Looks like we'll be going there with our initiators alone and we'll be fighting the unchained Gastrea."

"Oh, that sounds a bit scary." - Lili adds.

"It is. And those that aren't fighting will be atching everything from the control room. And I also heard that those, who can't defeat the Gastrea are going to repeat the whole training but much harder this time." - Eric adds.

"Are you nervous Jun?" - she asks.

"To tell you the truth I'm more excited than nervous." - the boy said with a grin.

That moment Chizaki appears.

"Everyone, follow me."

The trainees follow her as she leads them to the control room.

"As you might already know yoi'll be fighting the gastrea without it's chains but don't worry. They still have their jaws secured so at least you won't turn in a Gastrea but you can get killed if the Promoters that are responsible for safety don't reach you in time, so be carefull. When your name is called go with your initiator down these stairs, after you hear the signal, the Gastra will be released. I wish you luck and don't die. That's all" - she ended her explanation.

After that they started to call the trainees one by one. Everytng went well, there were a few badly injured but no one died. Bern Volt, as expected, did the best till now. He and his Initiator quickly closed the distance. The girl was supporting him from the back and he was attacking with his sword aggressively. It was a strange sight to see a little girl boosting up a grouwn up man but only a few payed attention to it. He finished the monster with one last slash at it's neck but even he didn't get out unscratched. It looks like the Gastrea managed to scratch his shoulder. The time he took to defeat it was 2 min.

"Not bad. The best score for this year but it's still slow. Next are Jun and his initiator. Get in." - the vice-commander said.

"Haha! We're going to have a laugh!" - said one of the others.

"Yeah, the boy with the standby Initiator is going to fail! I bet he'll fight while his Initiator drinks " - Volt adds.

Ann tries to turn back and say something but Jun stops her.

"Thery're not important now, we're going to shut their mouths by beatind Volt's score! Got it?"

"Yes, got it."

"OK. Let's finish this in less than a minute!"

The metal door closes behind them and the countdown starts. 3, 2, 1...Beep! One of the doors in front of them opens and a Wolf type stage 1 Gastrea appears. At the sight of it they both thought the same thing.

This is too easy!

The monster ran towards them. The boy pointed his gun at it and shot two bullets. Both bullets hit their targets, the Gastrea's eyes. As it's sight was lost Ann dashed towards it, jumped and with one strong kick it was defeated. In the control room everyone looked in confusion and amazement at them and the timer. Jun and Ann had managed to defeat the gastrea in 20 seconds. They returned to the room.

"H...how is this possible?!" - Bern yelled.

Without paying attention to him Jun and Ann sat next to their friends.

"That was amazing!" - Lili praised him.

"You were super fast bro. I doubt I can do it that fast." - Eric said.

"You too, Ann." - the big Yuki said.

"Really?" - she asks.

"Y...yes. You are so strong. I...I also would like to be able to do such things." - the small Yuki said.

(If you are confused Yuki, the Promoter, is 16 and Yuki, the Initiator, is 9. That's why I say the big and the small Yuki.)

After that no one could get better result than Bern. When the last trainee has passed, they announced the results. Jun was first. He and his friends were finally promoted and got their cards. On the way home they started to discuss their plans for the future.

"Hey, Yuki. What do you plan to do? Where are you going to start work?" - Eric asks.

"My uncle has an agency called Hanamure. I'm going there for now." - she answered without any delay.

"I see. So you have connections, eh? I'm thinking to start at whichever agency accepts me."

"You're as easy going as ever Eric. I'm going to Mamusu agency. And you Jun?" - Lili asks.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know."

"What you still haven't decided?!" - Lili says suprised.

"Well, something will work out, I know it."

At the train station they go in different ways.

"You're not going straight home to tell your grandparents?" -Lili asks him.

"No, we'll go get some sweets to celebrate it. After that I'm going home.

"OK. See ya soon."

Jun and Ann ride the train for a bit and get down in the west part of the city, a few hundred metres away from the place they went to train. He buyes a sweet roll from the shop near the station and then...

"Ann, I'm done. Let's...huh?" - he stos.

His partner is looking towards the forest with a strange look in her eyes.

"What are you looking at?" - he asks with a worried face.

At first she remained silent, like she didn't even heard him. Then she said something.

"Sound...It's that sound again..."

"What sound? Hey!"

Before he knew it she had ran towards the direction she was looking at. He followed her as fast as he could but he got tired. They were already outside of the city.

"huff, Ann...huff...wait!" - he shouted after her but she ignored it.

Oh no! If she sontinues that way she'll leave the protected area! I have to stop her or she'll get eaten by the Gastrea! - was what he thought but it was hardly possible.

They had reached the borded of the area. Ann without any hesitation continued. Jun stopped for a bit but then continued with the same determination. Although this wasn't how he imagined it would be, this was his first time, ever since the Gastrea war, going outside of Tokyo area. Will he return home with Ann ro will he be eaten? That is still about to be seen.