It didn't take long for the trio's rescue party of one to arrive. Luckily for Mr. Hermy, they were in the exact same spot from when he left the office. His body weight startled most wildlife, sending them scattering in different directions but the thuds of his sprints also alerted the monsters watching over Xeno, Tow, and Rufo. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get a surprise attack of the four-armed beast guarding his bait, he made his presence as known as possible by bolting directly at the Maji. 

        Bracing himself for the same impact it forced upon Xeno, the Maji crossed both its arms in front of itself which managed to weaken the force of Mr. Hermy's ram. The Maji's balance shifted but enough for Mr. Hermy to get a solid hit on him. Instead, Mr. Hermy started throwing punch after punch at different open spots on the Maji. Having fought more than one Maji in his time, Mr. Hermy knew his best chance was to either get a hold on the beasts' bigger horns atop its head or get a solid hit on its ribs. Neither of those options was available to him so he decided to go at the monster until one was. 

        He didn't necessarily have a strategy when throwing punch after punch at the beast. The more random he was, the better. People mistook most monsters for brainless creatures who wanted nothing but to cause destruction but that was rarely the case. Most Maji's had brains, in fact, most were quite intelligent. Though when it came to other monsters, the more humanly natured things the creature could do, the higher level it would be. If the beast could speak fluent sentences, they were higher up on the scale. Mr. Hermy knew that was why the first round was so easy for Tow and Rufo. They were skilled hunters but they weren't stable enough to face a beast as strong as a Maji, along with anything else that came at it.

        Ducking under a double-sided, left-armed punch from the Maji, Mr. Hermy clasped his hands together and slammed his elbows into the beast's shoulder. Not hitting the spot he wanted, the Maji recovered a lot quicker than he expected. The Maji turned, its attacks becoming more careless as the battle progressed but no damage was done. Finding Mr. Hermy's taunting dodged infuriating, the Maji paused when a bit of distance grew between him and the Hunter.

        "Come to save your subjects?" the beast asked, rolling its left top shoulder in circles. Mr. Hermy took note that even though he didn't crack the shoulder blade, he still most likely weakened the arm entirely. "You're a hair too-"

        Mr. Hermy wasn't one for monologuing in the middle of a battle, especially in this one. With the participants' bodies still scattered on the ground, they were still his biggest concern. Getting them out without defeating the Maji was impossible, there was no denying that.

        Making another sprint towards the Maji, Mr. Hermy tried his first attack again. Using the same block tactic, the Maji's balance rocked again but more than last time. Using that opening, Mr. Hermy took hold of the beasts' horns whilst it was still trying to stabilize itself. Mustering up every bit of strength in his body, Mr. Hermy lifted the Maji over himself before simply... Letting go.

        Like the bouquet at a wedding, the Maji soared across the field before landing across the field face first, just like Xeno. Bouncing a few times and then rolling to a stop, Mr. Hermy knew the Maji was down for the count. Though, that didn't ensure his or the others' safety. Deciding against taking the broken horn of the Maji as a souvenir for the unconscious participants, Mr. Hermy collected the trio. With Xeno and Rufo over both his shoulders and Tow in his hands, he scanned the trees for the camera he used to locate them.

        Giving Sam a thumbs up under Tow's back as best he could, he headed right back to the tunnels. 

        As if time slowed, Gin found himself standing alone as he watched his brother get taken down by a Maji. Accurate updates on their rescue weren't provided to the other participants but Gin knew just how terrifying and overwhelming it could be to come face to face with a foreign beast. It wasn't the easiest task, but they were there to learn how to complete it. No one in the room was as confident as they were when they came in, which the two instructors expected. Though, Mr. Hermy had a point. 

        So, being the only one left to bestill the peace in the building, Sam brought another announcement to the participants left watching the first trio's exam. "If any of you are no longer interested in training to become a hunter, you are free to leave now."

        Erupting into unsure murmurs and whispers, some participants did indeed start to slowly file back into the registration office. By the time silence returned to the lounge, Gin was finally able to focus on Xeno's rescue but took a moment to notice it was just him, Nere and Neo left. Much to his surprise, Nere approached. "Gin, come on." Reluctant to look away from his vulnerable brother, Gin decided to give her only a minute of his time. "What're you talking about?"

        "Did you see what just happened to Xeno?" While Gin could tell Nere was terrified to participate after watching Xeno and his teammates get thrown around like ragdolls, Nere had no idea what was running through Gin's head. Unable to see his expression, she relied on body language and tone. He didn't seem too concerned which worried her even more.

        "So you expect me to leave him? No, thank you. You can leave but I'm staying right here," Gin answered before turning his attention back to the battle on the screen. What seemed like drones seemed to be flying overhead the Maji and Mr. Hermy, they'd been there the entire battle but the Maji had yet to notice them. It made Neo wonder if they had a cloaking device for their mobile cameras. One flying camera focused on the battle between the Maji and Mr. Hermy while the other three stayed on the trio, in case one woke up. 

        Mr. Hermy was a skilled Hunter. He thought of and executed his plans within seconds and should something backfire, he had an even quicker recovery. It was mesmerizing to watch him fight but Gin was more focused on the camera that stayed focused on Xeno's unconscious figure.

        "Gin, you can't be serious. Do you see how hard Xeno's exam was? The entire system malfunctioned for crying out loud, these people don't care about your life!" Tearing his sight from the television once more, he turned back to Nere.

        "This is what Xeno and I came here for. If you-"

        "Do you really think this is what Xeno would have wanted for us?"

        "Stop talking about him like he's dead." Jumping to his feet, the annoyed scythe-wielding participant startled Nere. "If you're not willing to risk your life in the exams, the process of becoming a Hunter, how will you expect to fight in a real battle? You can go but I'm not a coward. I'm staying with my brother." Glancing over Nere's shoulder, Gin could see Neo watching him, a look of approval on his face.

        Gin was aware his words hurt Nere but he didn't want that negativity around him. Mr. Hermy was able to knock out the Maji which meant Xeno would be perfectly fine. She had no right to speak to Gin like that, to even offer the idea of leaving Xeno behind. Nere wanted to keep going, tell him that he was wrong and that they shouldn't have to almost greet death during the sign-up portion of becoming a Hunter but Sam's voice quickly interrupted her.

        "Sorry for the mishap but the first three participants of the first exam have been found and returned to the city. The remaining participants please wait patiently for your exam to begin!"

        Without anyone moving from where they stood, the lounge room door slammed shut, along with the windows. The televisions that broadcasted the first exam shut off, leaving the second trio in awkward silence. Gin didn't say anything else to Nere who took a seat at the wooden table.

        Whilst Neo was well aware of the gas seeping from the vents, slowly slipping them all into a deep sleep, the other two remained blissfully unaware.