The new recruits sat in their classroom anxious and waiting. They all wore black tops, long-sleeved, tank tops, or t-shirts. Their pants were of any color camouflage they desired with the pant legs tucked into the top of their thick, black, heavy combat boots. There was quite a bit of talking among the recruits until the door opened. At that very moment all talking ceased and all eyes were forward within a spit second.

In through the door came a shorted man older then the recruits, who were all between the ages of 14 to 19. He stood for a while before he said, “As you were. Resume anything you may have been doing.” At first it felt like the test had started and everyone hesitated on resuming what he or she had been doing but they quickly picked it back up after a few awkward moments. Talk about what team each person would end up in after this final test swarmed the room and everyone pointed and whispered their thoughts among their friends. Others were begging to be placed in certain teams while desperate to not end up in others. Everyone agreed about one thing; NO ONE wanted to be in group Zero known as the dragon team. Being called a dragon might sound neat to the outside world but everyone had heard stories of that team and the biggest rumor was it was known as the 3 D’s – difficult, dangerous, and detestable.

A boy, the top student so far, sat near the center of the room and was talking with a couple people to his left. He had shaggy black hair and dark blue eyes with fair but slightly tanned white skin. He had a gentle and cool smile but his eyes burned like a fire. He clearly had strong determination and was ready to prove it by acing this final test.

The boy was talking with his friends about who would end up where and he sat forward for a moment and stretched hitting the person to his right in their face. He looked over at the girl he hit seeing he’d just woken her up. She groaned and shoved his hand away before the boy apologized and turned back to his friends. “Well we all know who’s going to end up sporting a nice dragon patch.” He had a more serious tone and the others nodded.

“Kiba, I bet you’re going to end up in team one and I can’t wait to see you in that wolf’s patch.” Exclaimed one of his friends after their moment of silence for the girl.

“I sure hope so. I’d love to be in the combat squad so I’m really hoping to get in,” Kiba explained. “What about you Hiro?”

“Me?! Oh I’m actually hoping to get into team 3. I think I’m more cut out for surveillance and the intelligence department rather then combat,” Hiro replied.

“Oh a Fox patch nice!! Me? I want to be in groups one or two. Both are combat and though group one is the most powerful I think I’d be ok as group two and work as an independent to fill into the teams of group one,” hissed Seth slyly practically already earning his snake patch.

The three continued to talk about the four groups they could be assigned to before the short man in the front of the room clapped his hands twice and shouted over everyone. “Sit and be quiet. The General in on his way!” He shouted

Everyone went quiet and waited in his or her seat for the general to show up. Kiba quickly nudged the girl to his right to try and wake her so she could at least pretend to pay attention. When he looked away the girl half opened her eyes looking at the male then at the door. Just as she saw a black boot come into the doorway she reached her arms up yawning loudly causing everyone to turn their heads.

“You! Show some respect to your elders! The General is in the room!” snarled the short man who’d been there a while but just as he was about to continue to tell the girl off the general raised his hand to stop the man.
“You’d best do well on your final exam to make up for that little rudeness,” the general mocked glaring at the female.

“Ha! I’ll be fine” She smirked staring at the frowning general. The two held their stares for a while before the general turned to address that rest of the recruits.

“Alright your final exam starts as soon as you get into the battle zone. This zone has monsters, however, you should be able to handle them because nothing above a class C can get in. You now have ten minutes to get any weapon you wish to use that suits your style and report to the Battle Zone”

…………..

“Think we can actually handle a class C? I mean we’ve never fought anything above a class D.” Seth wondered out loud.

“I don’t know about me but I bet you and Kiba will be fine,” Hiro replied. “Right, Kiba? Ah, Kiba?”
“What?” Asked their zoned out friend.

“Yikes, it’s a bad day when the top student is spacin’ out on us. It might even start snowing in the middle of this horrid summer!”

Hiro brushed Seth off to the side and asked, “Are you ok Kiba?”

“Fine.” He replied curtly. Hiro was about to speak again when Kiba interrupted. “What’s her deal? She acts like the rules don’t apply to her and did you see how she mouthed off to the general earlier?” He quickly spun around making his two friends jump back.

“Dude relax and forget about her. After today you’ll never see her again so let’s go before they start the test without us.” Seth patted his friend’s shoulder and the three finished putting together their gear and headed out with their weapons in hand.

…………..

Everyone stood waiting for the doors to open into the ultimate battle zone – the outside world. Unlike in the classroom, their lives would now be at risk to try and learn their final lessons before going into the real world in their teams for beating the monsters that have somehow appeared in the world. All the students were fidgeting to get let in, their bows in hand with arrows at the ready, swords of all kinds gathered in hands of left, right, or both. Some held small scythes and others large axes, projectiles, and close range styles. Everyone was fit and ready to go.

The huge, black, double door creaked open letting in a stench like that of burned rubber. The outer world had changed a lot and now it was time for anyone eligible and willing to fight, to get out there and to save the citizens from the strange monsters that have appeared.

All the recruits rushed in like a flood, being fully used to this scent already, and knew all they had to do was fight and show off their stuff until time ran out.

“Guys we should head in deeper because everyone will be staying close to the doors and there won’t be much for us to fight.”

“Just what I was thinking, Hiro. Let’s go!” Kiba called back.

When the three ran just out of range of the rest of the recruits, a huge beast came up from under a rock letting out a loud roar at the small group. Its huge, pink, slimy body rose up like a worm and opened its round jaws of a million teeth at them. The roar threw spit at them, in which they quickly avoided. It was a good thing too because the spit ended up being acidic and burned away the ground and rock that it touched.

“Kiba, open it up with an attack to its center and Seth when it throws its head back, finish it off,” Hiro shouted from on top a huge rock.

The two quickly complied and Kiba ran at the monster whose attention turned to the one shouting. Kiba used his sword to make a big gash in the center of the huge beast that, as Hiro predicted, threw his head back in agony. Seth was already waiting on a huge rock nearby and jumped swinging his ax down with full force onto the neck of the worm. The blade easily sliced through the creature and the body dropped to the ground, headless.

The two cheered and gathered together again. Sadly the rest of the recruits also wanted a piece of the action and ran forward following the first group. The three wanted to continue to be the first and ran on. It wasn’t long before the whole group was together again now all running like it was just one of their daily obstacle courses.
After about a minute or two Kiba started to sniff the air. Something wasn’t right, this was a scent he knew from class but was having a hard time figuring it out. Suddenly it hit him like a brick in the face and he screamed for everyone to stop. Some slowed but it was too late and the whole ground gave out. The class dropped into an enormous hole in the ground getting covered in rubble and rock.

When the dust cloud settled, Kiba sat up and looked around seeing everyone else on the ground. There were many moans of pain but no one was moving to get up. Kiba sat up and looked for his friends who were nearby, but both unconscious. Kiba could hear laughing and quickly turned his attention towards a couple monsters. The two were huge and hairy. They had paws like basketballs and stood on two feet like humans. One had blue hair with ram horns. The other had dark purple hair with elk horns.

“Looks like our meal fell right into our paws,” The blue one snickered.
“Yep they really wanted to drop on in for a bite,” Smirked the purple one.

No way! Talking monsters?! I’ve only heard rumors on them but they’re supposed to be class SS monsters. Kiba thought fearfully as he stared at the two. The monsters must have sensed his fear because they looked at him and were surprised to find him still conscious. I have to get up! I have to protect my friends!! If I don’t then everyone will die! Come on… GET UP!!

“Oh he actually stood up,” Said the purple monster in surprise. He laughed as Kiba, who was shaking in fear, gripped his sword tightly in both hands and glared at the two viciously. Before the monsters could do more, however, Kiba had launched himself full force forwards at the two and swung his blade sideways aiming for the lower ribs of the purple beast.

The purple monster simply reached out and grabbed both of Kiba’s arms in his one huge paw stopping his movement entirely. His eyes widened in fear and another huge paw found its way around the back of Kiba’s neck as the blue beast lifted Kiba off the ground like a feather.

“My, my aren’t you quick to die. You fight for your friends don’t you?” Growled the low raspy voice of the blue monster. “You think you’re so tough wanting to play the hero. Well hero what if you saw your so called “friends” die?”

The two creatures smiled, pleased with themselves and the purple beast let go as the sword was held still in his right arm while his left tried desperately to get the large paw away from his neck. There was a loud snap and all of Kiba’s focus changed to his right arm as his sword fell to the ground clattering away from his now broken arm. Kiba, however, didn’t have the time to scream in pain before he was shot back into the pile of rocks where his comrades laid. Everything went white for a moment as Kiba’s head fell back and his whole body bending backwards before reality set in. Pain shot to every nerve as Kiba screamed in pain as he hit his back. He fell completely limp and was in too much pain to even pass out.

He screamed at himself to get up but his body refused to listen to him. He knew that his friends were going to die because he couldn’t save them. His vision was blurry but he could still see the two large colored figures moving closer. Suddenly their movements stopped and a smaller figure landed on the ground, before the beasts, from above.

“Now how did a couple SS class beasts get in here, hu?” A female voice called out in a light tone.

“It seems one managed to avoid our trap!” Smirked the purple fiend. The blue one kept an unusually serious look as he looked upon the female.

“Ya, well, what can you do? You know you can’t fool everyone!” Finally the voice made sense to Kiba. It was that of the female he made fun of before the test. How could someone like her not have fallen into the trap?

“I know you!” The blue beast shouted taking a small step back.

“Awe, I’m flattered” The girl snickered as she ran her right hand backwards through her mid-length, straight, silvery-blue hair. There was a small ‘click’ from a snap button and the girl pulled an enormous duel-sided blade out of the sheath on her back held by one strap that crossed from her right shoulder to her left hip. The blade was nearly as big as she was and with the amount of metal required it would have to have been 50 lbs. at the very lightest. She simply twisted the blade in one wrist but still had to grab the handle with both hands in order to fully control the weapon.

Both beasts jumped back getting ready to fight. The girl was half their size and yet something had them scared. Kiba’s eyes started to focus enough to make out the outlines of each fighter. Kiba wanted to help so badly but just as his left arm started to lift it seemed to be forced back down. The cave already seemed cool but now it felt as though the world might freeze over. There was a harsh pressure that felt like gravity had increased and it was pushing Kiba down against the rocks binding him to not move. The sent of blood quickly filled the air and more fear rushed over Kiba as he desperately looked to see if the girl was still alive.

Not only was she alive, but also, she was actually the one giving off this heavy aura and deep, cold bloodlust. Her crystal blue, and gentle eyes turned hard and vicious. Not only was she fighting and holding her own, but was in fact winning. The girl was incredible. Every swing of that huge blade smashed any and all rocks it touched and yet, she moved it like her dance partner. The girl had a flow to her moved and was incredibly fast.

The aura was slowing the monsters down but they still moved so fast it was nearly impossible to see their movements. The girl somehow knew where they’d strike before they did and was able to block any move that came at her. Out of nowhere the girl vanished leaving nothing but a footmark in the ground from where she moved. The mark was actually indented a few inches into the solid rock showing how much pressure she must have forced into the ground to move as quickly as she did. Both beasts froze in place before the purple one suddenly dropped to the ground, the top half of its body falling away from its bottom half.

The blue monster looked on shocked before saying, “you’re the true monster.”

“Remember it,” the girl replied from behind him in a front leaning stance with her sword all the way off to her left side. As her words finished she swung her blade to her right side taking down the blue beast. Just as the girl turned to Kiba he blacked out.

…………..

“Alright and now for your results!” The general called out to all the kids. Everyone had injuries but Kiba’s were the worst. He had his head and back all bandaged along with his right arm in a cast and a sling. His left leg was also in a boot cast. He had other bruises and cuts but nothing else major.

Everyone groaned to the idea of the results, an opposite affect they’d had in the past. Each kid was called up one by one and told which group they’d be joining. Kiba was the last on the list and the only one that didn’t actually have to go up to the front for the results.

“Kiba, you’re in group Zero,” the general said.

“What why?!” He shouted back sitting up too fast and causing more pain to wave into all his injuries.
“It was a request of the Team Captain”

“Let’s work together,” called a happy female voice as the girl with the sliver-blue hair jumped in front of Kiba and held her left hand out to him to shake hands. “My name is Ayame Inuyama.”

“Oh no,” whispered Hiro towards Kiba, who wasn’t shaking the girl’s out stretched hand.
“What is it?” He replied.

“I’ve heard that name before.” He glanced down the female and then half glanced away from his friend and the girl. “Look at her pants… I just realized this now… Blue camouflage pants are only worn by-“
“Alright get in line! These are your captains. Each of them has 5 years or more under their belts, so, you listen to them and we shouldn’t have any problems,” The general said.

Kiba was almost afraid to look. He turned and looked at all the captains. Each had on black boots, a jacket with a patch that symbolized what squad they belonged to over their black shirts, and Blue camouflage pants.