The entire building was lit up by candles with a large altar in the front with about twenty pews facing the altar. Large stained glassed windows were on each side of the building; all of them displayed images of stories that helped create the religion.

“It’s always an amazing sight to look at,” I remarked as I walked behind Martin in awe.

“Indeed so, it is our way of giving thanks to the Great Blessing that occurred all those years ago,” Martin responded.

“Just to be clear, you are fine with doing this examination in the rain?”

“I mean, I should be fine,” I took a moment to ponder at the thought.

If I do the physical examination now, I can leave this afternoon, but the rain could cause me to get injured. I got to be careful.

“Yeah, it won’t hurt,” I remarked. I’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive. There was no reason to back out now that I had made it so far.

“Very well, then let us head to the back.” As I followed Martin down the aisle, I couldn’t help but feel anxious at the thought of the test.

Martin reached the end of the church and opened a door leading to a large courtyard. As I walked through, I felt my eyes light up; it was a stone-paved circular arena. On the sides were large wooden fences that reached up to about my neck.

I pulled off the hood of my jacket and unsheathed my blade.

“Wow, ready to go, Ace?” Martin retorted, “I haven’t even got ready myself.” Martin walked over to the other side of the courtyard directly across from my position.

“I I don’t believe you have yet to see my authority! Allow me to show you!” Martin placed out his hand as it began to glow. It was hard to tell due to the rain, but it was clear he had begun to chant a spell; as he continued, I noticed something rise from the ground. A transparent human-like figure had appeared; it glowed a bright yellow as it summoned a claymore.

“The authority of guardians,” I was astonished; it was one of the more powerful authorities if honed and enhanced over time. It allowed the caster to summon a human-like guardian and a weapon of its choice out of pure mana.

“Indeed, so Ace! Let’s see what those years of training with Mark taught you!” Martin smirked as the guardian readied its blade.

It was almost double my height even if it wasn’t standing up completely straight, “I got this. I got this.”

I readied my blade and stepped forward. As I started at the guardian, it lunged forward with its blade as I quickly jumped back, covering my chest with my sword.

Despite holding a claymore, the guardian was fairly quick to posture itself back into its stance. I quickly dashed towards the guardian taking a quick slash at its chest, near-instantly it went to block my attack.

Sparks flew in the air while I continued to attack the guardian. I quickly slid underneath the legs of the being as Martin looked stunned by my actions.

“Very impressive!” He called out.  I smirked as I got back up on my feet, dodging the claymore once again.

I backed up from the guardian, regaining some distance noticing the major problem at hand. My visibility, I I can’t see.

Lacking vision, the guardian took an opportunity to lunge at me quickly. I dodged it, sliding to the side. I looked at my clothes; they were all muddy from my constant dodges from the huge blade. While I have focused on my clothes the guardian grabbed my leg and threw me across the courtyard.

“Shit!” I cried out. My body went flying as I lost grip of my sword. I landed right near the fence as my sword collapsed too far from my reach.

“I have to get up; otherwise, the test will be over,” I gritted my teeth. I quickly wiped off the mud on my face and tried to pull myself back onto my feet.

I closed my eyes as I was pulled back to an old memory.

“Remember Ace, no matter how close you are to defeat you can always get around a situation,” My grandfather smirked as he pointed the wooden sword at my chest.

“Think of the spellbook I showed you and think of a spell that could be used to ease the situation!” I quickly got back up on my feet and used my wooden sword to parry my grandfather’s attack.

“Good! Now imagine that element, that movement and pull out your mana from your body in a quick burst and aim for me!” My grandfather instructed.

“Push!” I screamed out the wind spell as my grandfather pretends to collapse onto the floor from a gust of wind.

“The minute you awaken your stats and authority nobody will be able to take you down,” My grandfather chuckled as I stood up triumphant from our spar.

The guardian took another swing right next to me, snapping me back to reality. It readied its blade for another strike.

“Is this really the Ace that Mark trained?” Martin smirked as he continued to control the guardian.

I leaned on the fence, reaching out my hand for the one trick I had left up to my sleeve.

“You really think he just taught me sword fighting!” I smirked. I closed my eyes and focused just like he told me all those years ago. Unlike then, I felt wind racing around my palm, the burning sensation of my own mana.

Focus Ace. Focus.

I pointed directly at the guardian and let out a cry, “Push!”

I moved my arm slightly forward, and a gust of wind came rushing from behind my body. The guardian fell to the ground from the force.

Now.

My body was aching, but I knew the fight was not over yet. I made a run for the blade, and as I grabbed the hilt, I threw it at the guardian while I tumbled onto the ground. Just as the guardian tried to get up, the sword dived straight into its chest.

I looked at the guardian as it slowly dissolved from the wound, my blade collapsed onto the ground. I took a sigh of relief and relaxed my arm.

My body was covered in dirt and bruises from constant dodging and diving onto the stone dirt ground. 

Just as I thought it was over, the guardian’s final remnants started to become brighter.

“This has to be some joke,” I grumbled. If the guardian started to move, I was in no condition to continue the test.

The guardian once again appeared, this time far smaller and with a dagger. It quickly dashed towards my collapsed body.

Get up, get up, get up get up.

I quickly got up, grabbing my blade dodging the first strike from the guardian.

“You really thought the test was over? It ends once you’ve slain my final guardian. Unless you want to fail?” Martin chuckled.

I gritted my teeth and endured slashing away at the guardian. Its movement was far tighter than its previous counterpart, leaving no openings for me to bury the blade into its chest.

I could try a wind spell again, but if I’m not careful, I’ll blackout.

The guardian jumped into the air holding the blade straight down. I rolled to the side, dropping my sword in the process.

Nevermind, I gotta use the spell.

I held out my hand again. This time I felt more determined. Focusing on the concept of wind, I felt my hand burn with mana as a light gust of wind surround my body.

“Push!” I weakly cried out, compared to before the gust of wind only startled the guardian rather than losing balance.

It may have not made you fall, but I can use this moment.

The guardian readjusted its blade while I rushed towards it grabbing my blade from the ground and leaped into the air.

My entire body is burning.

I was over-exhausted from mana usage and constant movement. I turned my sword around, diving the blade right into the head of the guardian.

I collapsed onto the floor as I lost grip of the blade.

“Congratulations, Ace,” Martin smiled, “Just rest. I’ll get a healer for you.

I gave him a thumbs-up, and my arm collapsed back to the ground. The most demanding part of the examination had come to an end.