章節 12: It's Time

Gana was fidgeting nervously while sitting in front of the security head of Dalna. Kazar glanced at him as he continued reading a letter of recommendation from Shiki. It has been a week after Gana reached sixteen. Gana's sat there with his usual hand wrappings, elbow sleeves as well as his headband that enfolded his eyes. His chest wore an embroidered green triangular-circle patterned vest over his colourless tunic which Ziri personally sewed. His muscles were more well-defined compared to three years ago. His leggings are all black in colour while his feet were dressed with rattan-wrapped sandals.

After a few more moments Kazar spoke up, "Your trainer, Shiki, speaks highly of you. By the rules of the Dalna, you are eligible for the exam to be a bounty hunter. You will get a special badge where most tribes acknowledged it throughout the South Gerta."

Gana just nodded as he contemplated," Kazar sir, do my teacher have such a high reputation?"

"Hm? Shiki is quite well-known for taking down multiple high-profile pirates, criminals and raiders. Think he burst onto the scene like five years ago. Yeah, a lot of tribes and villages employed his services due to his skill."

"I see. I knew he was good. I just don't know how great he is."

"No one knows Gana. I don't even know how he will fare against the top-level fighters of South Gerta but I would give him a fair chance. Anyways, follow me to the training site."

"Yes, sir." Gana stood up, strutting to follow Kazar from behind. They arrived in what it seemed to be an open-air ring. There were a few spectators to be seen as well as examiners. Kazar approached a fierce-looking overseer of the arena. Gana at the behind, heard the metal clinking against one another, someone grunted to swing his sword as well as spectators exclaiming and cheering.

"So Kazar, is this the young kid you want us to test?" The overseer eyed at Gana from his dark-purplish hair to his sandals.

Kazar nodded, "That's right Serat, he's that boy."

"A bit too young, no?"

"Well yeah, but Shiki recommended him and also-" Kazar leaned in to whisper into Serat's ear," he's that famous Heir-Hunter of the previous Pencak."

Serat eyes widened in disbelief as he opened his mouth but Kazar stopped him. Serat understood that Gana's reputation should be a secret. After reading the recommendation letter, he fell into deep thought before trudging up to Gana.

"Alright, boy. Step up into the ring. You wield a sword, hm? Oi, Palu! Test out this kid. See if he's any good."

The scrawny-looking Palu stumbled as he rushed to them. Gana looked at Palu's direction, his instincts felt a very intimidating aura. The aura may be lacking when compared to Shiki but Gana's instincts kept telling him to be careful. 'This guy's aura, it probably meant that he's a veteran.' Gana grinned as he thought of challenging a capable swordsman other than Shiki. The clenched right fist to his side quivered in eagerness. Palu sheepishly looked at Gana who was brimming with confidence.

Their feet now inside the ring. Swords were withdrawn. Gana tried to feel the direction his opponent was at. Serat who was acting the referee gave way for the spar to start, "GO!"

Palu and Gana did not move. Palu was still sizing up Gana as he side-stepped slowly towards Gana's left. Gana stood like a pole, trying to find where his opponent's location. Palu took three steps to pounce forward as he fired a side slash. The blade was about to graze Gana's cheek. Calmly, went to execute the First Stance: Fleeting Wind. Evading the slash, Gana swung his right arm windmill-like for an overhead attack. Palu flexibly raised his guard.

PANG!

The blades scratched and squeaked. Palu's sweated profusely trying to withstand the power of the Third Stance: Skyfall.

"Ergh," Palu grunted.

The stench sweat entered Gana's nose, as his mind made a mental note of recognition. 'Got you.' Gana grinned as he hopped back to stabilise his body. His nose twitched at Palu's direction, leading him to attack Palu's inside. Just as Gana let his arms moved into an upwards slash, his instincts blared in danger. Gana somersaulted backwards as Palu's knee whiffed past his chin. 'Fuh, that was as dangerous as hell. That's a one-way ticket to sleep,' Gana gasped.

Gana balanced himself after that one-handed somersault. Not letting Gana have a breather, it was Palu's turn to go inside. His sword was in a thrust position as it hastened forward to Gana's heart. Gana opened his body with his arms out wide as he spun his whole body around the thrust. Gana's intuition recognized this was an opportunity to counter, therefore his right arm that was holding the curved sword, automatically spurred towards Palu's nape. Palu responded by ducking his head and crouching in a single breath to as low as Gana's knee. He then rolled out of Gana's range of attack. Gana could hear Palu's body in a rolling motion. 'Shit that was the chance,' Gana mused.

There are five steps in between the two swordsmen. The other examinees and spectators were holding in their breath in awe to witness the result of this spar. Gana smelled something other than the sweat's stench of his match-up. 'Wariness. Is that wariness I smell?' Gana smiled faintly. Palu's chest throbbed uncontrollably, Gana apprehended this when they clashed as his ears took account of his opposition stamina. They crossed swords once more as their energy level depleted heavily. Gana's back drooped. 'Constantly using these Amaterasu stances is consuming my stamina ravenously, fuck. I can't exploit my opponent's low stamina cause I'm still too weak'.

Serat stepped in between them as he elevated his hand. "HALT! Fighters exit." Lush sweat arisen from both fighter's expression and clothes. The audience hissed at the overseer in dissatisfaction.

"Oi, we want more!"

"Yeah, yeah. Let them have it."

"Let them get fucked you muscle bird-brain"

Insults were hurled at Serat while he authoritatively shouted, "SHUT THE FUCK UP ALL OF YOU! I AM THE OVERSEER OF THIS ARENA! ANYONE DARES TO CHALLENGE ME, HM!?

The angry spectators turned into cowardly mice as none refuted him. Kazar peered at Serat with a big question mark over his head. Serat simply replied," They both are about to fight till death if I don't stop them. They were on the brink of exhaustion. Tell the kid he passed. Bronze badge two stars."

Kazar acknowledged and went to get Gana. "Boy, you will have a bronze badge with two stars on it. To be promoted into a silver badge bounty hunter, you need five stars on your bronze badge."

They both sauntered back to Dalna Head of Guards building. Once inside Kazar's office, he issued a bronze badge with two stars stick into two of the five empty slots above the bounty hunter symbol. Kazar put the badge into Gana's open palms. Gana's fingers began fiddling around the badge that he sought after the rigorous training he done with Shiki. His thumbs discern a dagger engraved into it, Gana deemed it to be penetrating a skull. 'A pirate symbol is it? So the dagger represents the hunters. I see.' Gana kept on fiddling his new badge.

"You may go home once you are done admiring your badge. Your first job will come tomorrow morning. Report at the dock as soon as possible."

Gana turned his head towards Kazar while putting his right arm across his chest and bowed.

"Yes, sir."