The final exam (2)

Amidst the lush forest, Belial strolled leisurely, whistling a tune, and relishing the invigorating air. His carefree attitude was palpable in his relaxed posture and the way he sauntered along the path. Unexpectedly, a streak of movement caught his attention, and in a split second, a shadowy figure was hurtling straight at him.

With swift reflexes, Belial evaded the assault with ease and found himself perched atop a tree branch. He gazed down at his assailant and discerned a diminutive, clawed humanoid creature with long ears and a tail. Though the creature looked youthful, Belial was wise enough not to underestimate anyone in this domain.

"Hey there, little guy,"

Belial said with a grin.

"What's the rush? Did you miss your naptime?"

The exam proctor growled in response, clearly not amused by Belial's mocking tone.

"Do not call me short I'm a lot older than you! And who are you to call me that!??"

He demanded, his voice laced with annoyance.

Leaning against the tree trunk, gazing down at the proctor with a sly grin.

"Me? I'm just a wandering traveler. But you, my friend, you look like you're in need of a good beating."

The proctor's gaze turned cold and calculating, and he bared his teeth in a threatening grin

"You think you're so tough, don't you? Well, let's see what you're made of. Show me what you've got, and maybe I'll consider letting you join our guild."

Belial's lips curved into a smirk as he looked down at Pacey, his rival in this examination.

"You really think you can take me down, shorty?"

he taunted, eliciting a growl from Pacey.

"Watch your mouth, Belial,"

Pacey retorted, his long ears twitching in annoyance.

"Just because you can't use your hax doesn't mean you can take me lightly."

"Don't worry about me, Pacey,"

Belial said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Hey, I don't need hax to take care of you. I'll just have to rely on my good old-fashioned skills."

Belial's smile grew even wider as he clenched his fists and cracked his knuckles.

"Challenge accepted,"

he said, jumping down from the tree branch.

"Let's do this."

Raising his hands, he sent a sudden gust of wind blasting towards Belial, who skillfully avoided it with swift maneuvers.

A chuckle escaped Belial's lips.

"Nice try, short stack, but you'll have to do better than that to take me down."

Pacey growled menacingly, his tail thrashing as he unleashed another burst of wind. Belial sidestepped the attack, but Pacey was ready this time, and lunged forward with a barrage of claw strikes. Belial did his best to fend off the onslaught, but the sweat on his brow was evidence of the exertion.

"Okay, okay, I see you're not messing around,"

he said, grinning despite himself.

"But let's see how you do against this!"

In a sudden blur of motion, he closed the distance between them, launching a fierce assault of punches and kicks. Pacey staggered back, wind whipping around him as he struggled to regain his footing.

They clashed repeatedly, each one fighting for the advantage. Belial's speed and dexterity made him a challenging target, but Pacey's wind hax allowed him to excel in long-range attacks. Even as they fought, they teased and taunted each other, hurling insults and wisecracks.

"You fight like a rusty tin can!"

Pacey sneered.

"At least I don't look like a flea-ridden alley cat!"

Belial retorted.

They circled each other warily, neither one making a move. In a sudden burst of action, Pacey launched himself forward, aiming his claws at Belial's face. But Belial was too quick, dodging out of the way with effortless grace. He weaved left and right, trying to find an opening in Pacey's defense.

"Come on, little guy,"

Belial taunted.

"Is that all you've got?"

Pacey growled, then suddenly a gust of wind knocked Belial off his feet. He tumbled backwards, but quickly regained his balance. He charged forward, his fists flying. Pacey dodged and weaved, but Belial was too fast. His punches landed with a satisfying thud, but pacey quickly recovered, using his hacks, he propelled himself up in the air.

With a fierce charge, Belial attempted to strike Pacey's chest, but the proctor evaded the blow and swept his tail, causing Belial to lose balance.

Belial stumbled, but quickly regained his footing. He tried a roundhouse kick this time, but Pacey ducked under it and used his claws to slash at Belial's side.

"Ow!"

Belial yelped, jumping back. He hadn't been expecting that.

"You fight dirty!"

Pacey grinned. "Hey, all's fair and love in this guild ."

Without hesitation, Pacey created another fierce gust of wind that sent Belial hurtling into a tree with a sickening thud. Dazed and disoriented, Belial shook his head in a desperate attempt to regain his bearings, but it was no use - Pacey was already charging towards him, his sharp claws glinting in the bright light.

Sidestepping Pacey's attack, Belial seized his tail and flung him to the ground, causing a loud thud. Pacey sprang back up and charged again, but Belial was ready, nimbly dodging and delivering a forceful punch to his gut.

Pacey faltered, stumbling backward and gasping for breath, while Belial grinned in triumph.

"Looks like I win."

"Not even close.." said pacey

Belial's eyes widened in alarm as Pacey unleashed a powerful scream, conjuring a devastating cyclone that tore through the forest, uprooting trees and hurling them at Belial.

With little time to react, Belial dodged and weaved as the tornado raged on, flinging him through the air like a helpless rag doll.

After what seemed like an endless onslaught, the tornado finally abated, leaving Belial lying on the ground, bruised and battered, his hat lost to the wind.

With Belial lying prone on the ground, Pacey appeared above him, his beaming expression signifying his satisfaction.

"Well, that was fun! I didn't think you'd last that long against my tornado. But hey, you're still standing! That counts for something, right?"

Despite his injuries, Belial gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, letting out a groan of agony as he did so.

"You're...you're crazy. That tornado almost killed me."

Although Pacey seemed to be having fun, Belial couldn't shake off his irritation at being used for entertainment, a twinge of annoyance gnawing at him.

{Sword technique..}

In a sudden move, Belial launched himself at Pacey from behind, catching the smaller creature off guard. Pacey let out a surprised yelp as Belial's fist connected with the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

Belial took a few steps back, his breathing ragged and heavy. He had not meant to knock Pacey out, but he had needed to demonstrate that he was not to be toyed with.

"Sorry little guy"

As he observed Pacey's inert figure, a sense of regret washed over Belial, knowing he had pushed the limits too far.

Checking to ensure that Pacey was still alive, Belial lowered himself to one knee and took his pulse. When he determined that the proctor was not in danger, Belial lifted him onto his back and began the journey back to the guild.

The realization hit Belial that he had likely flunked the exam, but at that moment, it didn't matter. All he could think about was making amends with Pacey and showing him how remorseful he was for his actions.

With Pacey's body draped over his shoulder, Belial emerged from the forest, his failure in the exam weighing little in comparison to the need to make amends with the proctor. His only objective now was to apologize to Pacey and make things right between them.

As Belial walked towards the guild, he couldn't shake off the unease that had settled in his gut. What if they refused to let him in now? What if he had ruined his chances entirely?

Entering the guild building, Belial focused on his next objective and made his way towards the reception desk. Xin, his exam proctor and friend, was standing next to Natalie, the receptionist, his tall and muscular figure accentuated by his distinctive green dreadlocks.

Belial approached the desk and caught Natalie's attention; she gazed up at him with an inscrutable expression.

"What happened to Pacey?"

Natalie regarded Belial with a professional demeanor

Belial shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"I knocked him out,"

he admitted, feeling a pang of guilt.

While arching an eyebrow, Natalie remained quiet and shifted her attention towards Xin.

"And how did your exam go?"

she asked.

Xin shrugged.

"I passed,"

He said, his voice low and rumbling.

Natalie nodded.

"Good. And you, Belial?"

Belial hesitated, unsure of how to answer.

"I didn't pass,"

he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Natalie looked at him for a long moment, then sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear that,"

she said.

"But I'm afraid you'll have to wait here for a bit longer. I need to assess you both to see if you qualify to join the guild or not."

The feeling of dread washed over Belial as he understood that he couldn't simply leave and forget about everything; he was trapped there for an unknown duration of time.

Natalie led Belial and Xin to a cramped waiting room, leaving him with a surge of anxiety. Would he be allowed to join the guild, even though he had failed the exam? Or would he be dismissed as a disappointment?

Only time would tell, and the uncertainty was almost too much to bear.