Sword Rankers
The End Of First Test

Somewhere dark.

"I lost?" Ask Tim to himself.

Tim looked at the dark ceiling while covered in blood and sweat, "I lost? Against those boys? Rghhhhh......!!!!!" The team went berserk, lying down, hitting the floor where it lay until it was destroyed.

Tap Tap Tap

Footsteps suddenly sounded closer to where Tim was. The footsteps were from two people, they were Ranker Amare and Emily. They both seem to know about Tim.

"Where's this? It doesn't seem to be in the waiting room, does it?" Ask Tim.

"Of course, this isn't in the attendee's waiting room, this is a special room that I made out of my ability to catch you the base of the intruder." Ranker Emily replied in a cold tone.

"Inbreathers? Hey Hey Hey Hey! Don't be so reckless as to accuse, after all, you're so rude, arresting and imprisoning a poor Hyper."

Rankers Emily and Amare seemed irate at Tim's casual reply, in an angry tone, Ranker Amare snapped at Tim, "Don't joke!!! You think we don't know, if you're not a real participant, we've found the real Team killed."

"Ahhhhh... Caught dad? I was too hasty in getting the body cleaned up."

"Who are you really? You must be a Ranker, right? Uh! There's no need for you to answer now if you don't want to, we'll make you answer it by force."

"Pffff!? By compulsion? How arrogant, it seems that because I lost to the boys earlier, you guys thought I was a weak Ranker huh? Too bad, as long as you know, during the test, I continued to suppress my strength so as not to be discovered, well even a little release at last. But since it's been discovered, all of you." Said Tim while pulling a ring on his ring finger

When the ring on his ring finger came off, Tim's energy instantly overflowed out, far greater and stronger than all the energy he expended during the exam.

Rankers Emily and Amare put up a defense, they prepare to fight Tim.

However, Tim just looks disinterested, he is like focusing on something else, instead of focusing on 2 Rankers in front of him. Then Tim said the incomprehensible thing, "Ah~ What a pity, I was going to serve you both, but unfortunately my master asked me to come back soon."

"You want to run away, huh!? I won't let it." Shouted Ranker Emily, he pointed both his hands forward, instantly, the floor around Tim went up forming a trap that trapped the Team inside.

But, unfinished Tim was trapped, Tim instantly destroyed the trap from that floor just by shaking his hand.

Bumm

All the floors that tried to trap Tim, were instantly smashed into pieces, but it was all unfinished. Ranker Amare was already preparing before Tim, he was carrying a shiny dagger, accompanied by poison in his blade.

With a movement that was difficult to follow the eye, Ranker Amare was about to slash Tim's neck, however, Tim suddenly disappeared without a trace before being successfully attacked.

"Where is he? Emily, track him down!"

"Can't! He disappeared completely, I can't trace him at all."

The team managed to escape.

...****************...

"Good Ran, stand up your body, don't get limp!" Shouts William.

"Good!" Reply Ran.

The two of them were currently practicing swordsmanship, or rather, Ran was being taught how to swordplay by William.

Ran was the one who asked for this because he felt like a burden to William.

Ran was taught how to form the correct position of the horses, even William also taught Ran the sword technique.

"Yeahaaa....." Ran shouted while swinging his sword towards the tree.

Ran swung his sword while making a deceptive move, he swung his sword from above, but instantly pulled it back when it was halfway through then twisted his entire body and attacked the tree before him from the side.

The Crakkk Kretekkkk

The sword that Ran slashed down instantly collapsed and fell to the ground.

"Well... Huh... Huh..."

"Good Ran, your moves are good to outwit the opponent, but unfortunately, your slashes are still weak, you have to practice more diligently physically."

"Ahaha... Your physical standards seem to be very high." Ran chuckled in response to the advice of William.

"Then, enough for now, I hear a voice, someone comes get ready Ran." William drew his sword.

"Good!"

The two of them were getting ready from the direction the voice came from, not long after, a person with an annoying look appeared.

"Hooo~ Anybody? Good thing, I'll finish you off so that this exam is over quickly." Said the person casually, it seems that he did not know about William.

The stranger took out a fireball from his hand, and threw it at William, but William brushed it off with just one hand without difficulty.

"A-What? Who the hell are you?" The man hesitated to see his attack dismissed by William.

Without waiting for a long time, William immediately moved quickly towards the person, and directly punched him in the face until he bounced far back, crashing into the trees to shatter.

Bhumm.. Krakkk

"Tourism..." The person vomited blood after once punching William, and instantly disappeared afterwards. It seemed like his HP had been instantly depleted after a single attack from William.

"Uwooooo's... As always, you have always been amazing William. Eh but, don't you have a principle not to attack the weak well?"

"Indeed, but under these circumstances, I wouldn't know which weak person is not, I don't have the method and time to check the strength of others. So I chose the safest move by assuming everyone was equal."

"Ahahaha, then I'm lucky enough to be helped by you at the opening of the exam well, so you know that I'm weak. Well~ It's very unexpected, I thought you were a complicated person because of your principles, but it turns out you're quite simple and flexible well."

"Is that so? Glad to hear it."

"Just now, let's eat yuk!"

"Come, it just so happens that from the morning we haven't eaten anything yet because of directly practicing the sword."

They both went to the thickest of the grasses, and from it, they took a leaf folded into a bundle, and in it, there were fruits which they took.

Ran and William each took one and ate it, they both did not need water because the fruit they took was full of water, so they did not become dehydrated.

"Oh yeah William, I'd like to make a suggestion." Ran opened the conversation after they initially kept quiet while eating.

"What advice?"

"But sorry, no offense."

"Just calm down, I'm not easily offended."

"Ummm.... Ok. So then.... What if you change the way you talk, Dad... Not to be so formal."

"Eh?"

"Not that I'm mocking, but it feels weird if you're talking so formally when we're the same age. B-But if you don't want to, it's okay."

William was silent for a moment, thinking about the advice given by Ran.

Seeing William who was just silent, made Ran think if William felt offended.

Panicking, Ran apologizes to William and intends to retract his advice, "Aa... Ah.. W-If you don't like ti-"

"May be."

"Eh?"

"Eh... Ah... Haha, i-iya's right. I thought you were angry with William."

"Not really, I'm not angry, after all I've been thinking about eliminating my way of speaking that is too rigid, my family also once said that in order to find a friend."

"Haha..."

The two of them fell silent again, even though they did not show it, Ran was still curious about one thing. Berserker Mode.

Ran was eager to ask William. But he was still afraid that William would be offended because it seemed like it was a pretty sensitive topic.

But, the sensitive William with Ran's attitude who seemed to want to ask but hesitant, realized it.

"Ran, you're curious about berserker fashion, right?"

Ran was surprised to hear William's words that seemed to penetrate his heart, "Ti-No."

"There's no need to fear Ran, I have no problem telling it."

"Yeahhh.... I was a little curious. But I'm afraid it's a sensitive topic for you, Will."

"It's okay Ran, I'm always ready to tell you about this if you want to ask."

"In that case, what is the trigger of the berserker mode?"

"Aah.... You're curious about that, Dad? Yahh... No problem, I'll start from the origin of this berserker mode, this mode was first used by my grandfather, you know about it right?"

"Yes, Aldrich Austin, the strongest Ranker who became a hero after sacrificing himself to stop the greatest Gate."

"You really know well, well the point is that this mode first appeared when my grandfather was pressed against all the monsters that came out of the biggest Gate, I myself did not know the details because I was not born yet. I just heard it from my parents."

"Wait? You're not born yet? How old are you?"

"Ah, I'm 15 years old."

"What's? You're 3 years younger than me? I thought you were older."

"Haha... Physical appearance is sometimes deceptive, well back to the topic. My grandfather used the berserker mode when his life was on the edge, in a situation where his life was threatened, he had unknowingly activated the screech mode as his final form of protection, and it seemed like I inherited that berserker mode as well, he had unwittingly activated the screech mode as his final form of protection, my parents did not inherit it. At least that's what I heard from my parents."

"Then are you the same?"

"Yes... For my own case a little different, like that, when I should not be in a condition that makes my life threatened, but the mode itself is active. From the calculations done by my family, this mode will be active when my physical condition is injured by 70%, as a result of the tests carried out, a Ranker B from my family is seriously injured."

"Owh... I've heard it, it's the same news you beat Ranker isn't it?"

"Yes, it was the same incident, out of nowhere that I defeated a Ranker, even word spread that I was challenging him myself to a duel. That's not true."

"Ma-I'm sorry."

"Haha... Why apologize Ran? You're not the one spreading it. Ah besides, there's another condition where the switch mode is on."

"What conditions?"

"The conditions in which I use all my strength."

"What's? So that's why you never meant it, I guess it's because of your code of conduct."

"The code of ethics is just one of the reasons, the main reason being that I can be swallowed and run amok if I use all my strength. Did you see that? Appearing a leather-like head armor?" William said as he pointed at his neck.

"Ah yes."

"If the armor were to cover my entire face, my entire consciousness would be gone, that's when I went berserk from being swallowed by the berserker mode."

"Is there no way but violence to stop you?"

"Nothing, it is necessary to inflict great damage on me if I am to become a full-fledged berserker mode."

Ran becomes saddened to hear William's explanation.

Seeing Ran become sad, William tried to be cheerful and positive, "Eh but, don't just look at the bad side. Know it? If I get hurt in berserker mode, my wounds will heal when they become normal."

"Ehhh...? How could that be? That's so cheated."

"Hahaha, that's the advantage of berserker mode, so I was able to immediately get up and fight again even though it had been beaten all out."

"It's very bad your ability to know..."

The gloomy atmosphere instantly vanished after they dispelled their bad thoughts.

Then, the bell rang, the bracelet in their hands lit up and gave a message.

[Congratulations! You have passed the first test. You will be transferred within 10 seconds after the message is sent to the second exam place. Once again, congratulations!]

Seeing the message, Ran and William raised their hands and did a tos

Plaques

"Good! We made it."

"Feed!"

10 Seconds later, their bodies were moved back to the exam building when they first arrived.

Just as before, Ran saw familiar faces, there was Eduardo covered in blood, Rocky whose face was bruised. And there are Rankers Emily and Amare on stage.

"Congratulations to you, the 100 people who passed the test, even if there is a slight problem, this time the test can go smoothly."

Rankers Emily and Amare continued their explanation, "The test this time will be done in groups. Each team will contain 4 people, and it will be determined by your own. And the test that will be done this time will come from a simple child's game. That is, TAG PLAY. Please for you to register your team in the post we have provided." In front of the stage appeared a registration post from underground. "And as a reminder, your deadline is 10 minutes. If you don't register before the deadline runs out, you'll be eliminated."

Whahuh? Eliminated?

Kidding them, right?

How can you make a team with a stranger so quickly?

Shit, there were a lot of people yesterday after me.

Who can I trust.

All the rowdy participants with a limited time limit, Ran was also included in the section of those people.

Of course Ran and William will be a team, then who are the remaining 2 people.

Ran glanced around, trying to find someone who looked trustworthy.

But in vain, Ran's mind was filled with negative thoughts about these people. Because of Tim, Ran becomes hard to trust anyone other than William. He's afraid of meeting a psychopath like Tim again.

Amidst the confusion, someone drew closer to Ran, "Bewildered huh? What if we team up with me?" Ask the guy.

Ran turned his head and saw someone who was very surprising, someone who was very unexpected would offer to become a team.

"The eduardo!" Ran said in disbelief.

While Eduardo smiled wryly.