The line at the HQ entrance moved fairly quick, much to Riarshi and the other two's surprise. Carol must have had the check-in process down to a science. 

Riarshi followed the same procedure as he did when visiting the library. He walked up to the glass separating him and the older secretary. Before he could even say hello, Carol broke in. 

"Name?"

"Riarshi."

"And last name?" Carol sighed with a lick of annoyance. She never looked up from her computer.

"Oh, sorry. Thomas. Riarshi Thomas."

Carol snapped her wrinkled fingers. "Once you receive your key move along into the lobby. Next!"

A Hero HQ card materialized around his neck. Holding it up to the light, the card shone blue, and was attached to a green lanyard that hung loosely around his neck.

"Move along!" chirped Carol from behind the glass.

"Sorry," Riarshi nodded. 

He remembered what to do next. Prepping his muscles and closing his eyes, Riarshi bolted toward the two black doors at the end of the reception area. He knew what would happen the moment he touched them, but the thought of sprinting at doors which looked thicker than lead was still just as daunting.

With a head-down rush, Riarshi phased through the doors and slid into the large, brightly lit atrium. The doors and frame rippled weightlessly behind him like a disturbed pond, eventually returning to their original flat, black finish. 

His landing was a bit smoother than yesterday. Instead of falling flat on his face, he remained upright, and his feet screeched to a halt on the freshly waxed floor. He steadied himself by widening his stance, evening out his weight, and opening his eyes.

It was only a few seconds before he was joined by friends.

Tabito did the same, except almost slipping backwards and onto his rear once his feet met the tile floor. His flailing arms somehow centered his balance as he stopped next to Riarshi. 

Hara's landing was a lot more graceful than that of the boys. Bursting through the rippling doors, she touched down lightly with a tap of her feet and wave of her hair. She didn't even have to shift her weight. 

The sound of splashing water resonated from the pool at the center fountain's base. The golden railings and statues sparkling throughout the atrium reflected long rays of sunlight beaming from the ceiling. Everything before Riarshi's eyes was the same as it had been the day prior, except for one difference in front of the fountain.

Mina was nowhere to be found. Replacing her small information desk was a wide stage draped with flowing white fabric. A single microphone stood at its center and several rows of navy-blue plastic chairs lined the back.

As other students continued to pour in through the black doors, the floor of the atrium slowly formed into another sizeable crowd. Bodies surged in number, pushing everyone together so that there was hardly any room left to breathe.

This feels just like the entrance ceremony, Riarshi thought as he tried to squirm his arms free of his neighbors' backs and armpits. Well, with definitely a lot fewer people.

The comparison became even more apparent after the last student filed in. Everyone was busy talking and creating their own elbow space that no one noticed at first. Unbeknownst to most in the buzzing crowd, a familiar figure ascended the steps to the side of the stage and stood before the centered microphone.

The mob began to quiet. One by one attention was shifted to the stage. 

The man's gray hair lost color in the atrium's lighting, appearing pearl white. His mustard-yellow eyes didn't follow this theme, and were made ever more golden by the day. His skin was a very light brown, only becoming darker within the folds of his many wrinkles. A red and navy-blue cape draped from his shoulders to his boots.

This man was Commissioner Aryl of the POH - the one who commanded all of Aginem's Magic Heroes. His presence was no less intimidating than it was three months ago at the Hero Program's entrance ceremony. His thin eyes and ancient, stoic face silently commanded respect.

His bright yellow eyes swept over the crowd in front of him as students whispered to each other. He cleared his throat and began his speech, sending them all into a stiffened silence.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he began, echoing throughout the atrium. It seemed like the atrium was reserved for the speech, since it was only he and the students in this massive chamber. "I first want to congratulate all of you on making it this far in the Aginem Magic Hero Program. As I said three months ago, this Program is far from easy. It has tested your toughness, perserverance, and committment to your goals." His voice was surprisingly sincere and energetic, but contained a smoky grit reflective of his age. 

"You all have beaten the odds and have qualified to partake in today's Internship Tryout. I welcome you all to the real test. Those who pass this final examination will be named official POH interns for the next six months. So I say once again-" his eyes suddenly met Riarshi's in the middle of the crowd, the man paused for a moment, but continued so to not skip a beat, "-congratulations."

***

Aryl continued his speech for another fifteen minutes about the same geezer garble regarding the importance of Heroes and such. 

Hell if Riarshi knew, anyway.

Spaced out from the relaxing sound of the fountain's crashing water and the savory smell of meat from the nearby cafeteria, Riarshi barely absorbed any of the old man's ramble. The hypothetical snot bubble growing from his nose popped once Aryl left the microphone with a bow and sat in a plastic chair at the back of the stage.

The commissioner received a light applause from the students.

There was a brief pause of silence and unease. The Commissioner simply sat back in his chair and waited. Waited, but for what?

A sudden burst of energy and wind rushed though the atrium, sending ripples through the fountain pool and snapping Riarshi from his doze.

An aqua colored circle emerged mid-air, just behind the microphone. Within its twirling glow emerged a foot, then a leg, then the remainder of a body. 

The students were too blinded by the light to make out who the new arrival was. Aryl watched without the slightest change in emotion.

"Hello, all you magnificent guys and gals!" came a loud, metallic voice through the atrium's hidden speakers. "You know who it is, spokesman of the POH, the famous, the dashing, the portal user, Chester!"

The light had finally died down enough for the students to see the man behind the microphone. Contrary to his amped and electrifying claim, Riarshi had zero clue who this man was.

Chester was a younger male with dark-brown skin and tall black hair to compliment his obsidian eyes. He was neither skinny nor buffed, but carried a fit physique evident of extensive training. A gold plate sat in the center of his Hero uniform.

Chester wrapped his hand around the neck of the mic and bent it over like a rockstar, or rather a tango dancer readying for a kiss. Riarshi couldn't decide which made more sense - this wild man could have done either.

"For those of you who somehow don't know who I am, my name is Chester - gold ranked Hero and current Number 10 in the Top Ten!"

Riarshi's jaw dropped. The crowd oohed and awed. This electrifying man screaming into the mic was a current Top Ten member - one of the ten strongest magic users in the country. Not wanting to look foolish, Riarshi used his hand to close his mouth.

Riarshi imagined each of the Top Ten to be like Giradin: quiet, cold, and overpowering in terms of aura and strength. This man displayed none of those qualities. 

"I will be today's MC and will help guide you all throughout the Tryout's duration!" Chester bellowed. "I bet y'all have a million questions about the Tryout and what exactly you will be doing today!"

Nearly everyone in the crowd nodded. 

"But first-" he raised a finger, swung his hand around in a circle, and pointed over his shoulder to the end of the stage, "-I'll introduce you to the ones who will determine if you have what it takes to become a Hero Intern!"

At that moment, a large blinding ball of blue energy erupted on top of the stage behind Chester, forcing Riarshi and the others to shield their eyes with their hands and forearms. 

The growing light shined red through Riarshi's fingers and overtook every inch of the atrium.

Once the light faded and Riarshi could see again, nine men and women of all heights, widths, and ages stood on stage. They were all dressed in uniforms of white, blue, and purple.

With his eyes still adjusting from the second sudden blast of light that day, Riarshi painfully counted eight gold plates framing their chests, and one shining diamond plate towering at the front.

"These - ladies and gentlemen - are my comrades, my teammates, and my family. These are the nine others members of the Top Ten!"

The crowd of over one hundred students gawked at the line of pure, palpable power standing on stage in front of their very own eyes. A rippling heat broke sweat over dozens of brows, including Riarshi's.

They could see them. They could feel them...

Their beauty, their aura, their undeniable, unquestionable power.

"Today, the Top Ten will only make up half of the judges who will determine which of you advance to the next stage of the Hero Program." said Chester. 

He snapped his fingers again, and another ten bodies joined the Top Ten on stage with the same theatric of blinding blue light.

What the hell is with these Heroes and light?! Riarshi's mind cursed as he shielded his eyes once more.

The light faded. Each new arrival had a gold circle plating their uniformed chest.

Riarshi immediately recognized one man in the second group of ten. He had dark brown hair pulled up into a bun and a slight smirk spread on his face. And if Riarshi was not mistaken, the man might have even winked at him.

It was Professor Khohn.

"These ten other gold rank Heroes will also help with judging you young guns!" added Chester, throwing a fist into the air. "The more the merrier."

With introductions done, the crowd of students erupted into a round of applause for the Heroes on stage. The twenty Heroes bowed in appreciation, turned, and sat one-by-one in the rows of plastic chairs. Giradin sat next to Aryl, and Khohn sat in the back row. 

Chester put his mouth up to the mic and continued his duties once the roaring of clapping hands and shriek of whistles dulled throughout the atrium.

"Right now, there is much to discuss concerning the Tryout," said Chester with a much more serious tone, "but I will first start by announcing the number of students we plan on taking as interns for the next six months." He cleared his throat. "Out of the hundred and fifty or so here today, we will be awarding thirty of you with an internship position at the POH."

At first, Riarshi failed to register Chester's words. His attention was instead fixated on Giradin - whose arms were crossed and feet planted firmly on the stage floor, and Khohn - who shot him a quick thumbs up from the back row of seats.

It took a while, but the number thirty met Riarshi's ears and he shifted wide eyes toward Chester, who looked as though he was awaiting a response from the otherwise silent crowd.

Normally, a twenty percent pass rate would be absolutely terrifying for anyone facing such odds. But after surviving a ninety three percent fail rate in their first semester, this possibility felt incredibly more achievable for the students.

A small applause sounded from the crowd, to which Riarshi joined in. Chester smiled and bowed excessively.

As the sound of applause throughout the atrium disappeared, a silent unease had remained floating over the heads of the crowd. They all fell into a low chatter.

"I can tell by your mumbles you all are dying to learn how this Tryout will go down. We've all seen the articles and arguements online. Everyone had their guesses and speculations, but no one got it right. I'd love to tell you all everything... But first!"

Enough of the 'but firsts'! Riarshi's mind screamed.

Chester extended an arm, spread his fingers, and his obsidian-black eyes shone an intense teal that illuminated his face. A large aqua-colored portal similar to the first burst of light formed to the left of the crowd, sending a powerful gust of wind and the eye-watering smell of chlorine throughout the atrium.

It looked like an upright hurricane with multiple sea-blue arms spinning around counterclockwise, levitating in the air. A few drops of water splashed from its center and landed on the floor, glittering like liquid mercury in the overhead skylight.

"All right, get in!" Chester shouted, pointing his finger at the portal.

No one moved. 

Chester tilted his head. "What? Are you all scared or something?" He seemed utterly perplexed by the crowd's hesitancy. "Ugh fine..." he moped. "I made this portal, don't worry. I promise to explain the specifics of the Tryout once you all jump through it. All of it, don't worry. Just get in!"

With no other options to consider, all one hundred fifty students lined up and began jumping into the swirling circle one-by-one. Each hesitated for a moment before diving in feet first.

"Uh, are we sure this is safe?" Tabito nervously muttered before two hands pushed him from behind, sending him headfirst into the magic circle. His scream faded into the distance.

"Just go, idiot!" Hara belted before jumping in herself.

Riarshi gulped and slowly inched one foot into the circle as though he was checking the temperature of a cold pool. When his foot touched the aqua-colored hurricane, a light flashed before his eyes.

This sensation was different from that of the blue card. When the blinding light faded and he opened his eyes, it looked like he was speeding down a teal-tinted water slide with multiple turns, loops, and twists. His heart clashed against his ribs and his adrenaline pumped as his body slid and spun in varying direction. 

He slowed a bit at one turn, and took the time to look over the side of the embanking. He saw nothing but black.

Despite each turn nearly launching him off of the side and into the never-ending abyss, this portal was oddly enjoyable. The danger added to the thrill. 

Woah, this is actually somewhat fun. He thought, and threw his hands overhead as he swooped, twisted, and accelerated. His clothes weren't even getting wet, though he felt the water beneath his bottom. 

After a joyful minute-long ride, the teal tube disappeared, and Riarshi slipped into a white tunnel. Light blinded him again. 

The light gradually faded, and his bottom suddenly plopped into a bed of bright green grass. It was a hard landing, but nothing that would leave a mark. He pushed himself off of the ground, brushed the seat of his pants, and surveyed his surroundings.

He was in a small patch of grass - one of many scattered throughout the middle of an enormous square, lined with numerous shops and towering buildings that cast long shadows along the edges. At the center of this square sat a band stage. Beneath that was a web of concrete pathways running every direction.

Something about this place seemed oddly familiar. The certain breeze that snuck through the buildings, the building architecture, and the pattern of the pathways all brought back recent recollections. A sense of revelation struck through his body like a bolt of lightning, awaking joyful memories that anxiety had shut off. This place wasn't just familiar. He knew exactly where he was.

Wait, this is the Spiritfield Square!

Riarshi spun his head around like an owl. He could see Merino's Diner, hidden in its usual far corner of the square with its blinking neon sign, still missing a few of its letters.

He twisted in the other direction and spotted The Grimoire in its own end of the square. Rays and flashes of colorful lights danced around the outside of the club.

Why the hell are we here? He wondered. There was nobody here besides the students. It was dead quiet.

The other students who landed out of the portal before him appeared just as confused, staring about the city square with bewildered looks on their faces. Some scratched their heads, some paced throughout the grounds, and some rubbed their rears after landing on the hard concrete rather than the soft grass.

Suddenly, a loud scream erupted throughout the field. It sounded far off in the distance, but it increasingly grew louder, as though someone was falling from the sky. Riarshi tilted his head to follow the voice and almost screamed just as loud.

Someone was indeed falling from the sky.

Crash!

A spiky orange-haired boy dropped out of the sky and landed on Riarshi's chest, crushing him into the grass and knocking his wind away.

"T-Tabito, what the hell, man?" grunted Riarshi while his friend laid motionless on top of him.

Tabito, suddenly realizing where he was, pushed himself off Riarshi and onto the ground next to him. "Dude, I'm so sorry!" He rolled onto his rear and brushed his shirt of loose grass and dirt. "I swear I didn't mean to do that."

"Well, I could've guessed that," Riarshi groaned, propping himself up on his elbows. "How did you take so long to get here?" He peeled himself from the ground with a grunt. "You jumped into that portal before me."

"I - Uh... hate tunnels or rides like that, so I guess... I - hung on to the side of the tunnel? Heh heh..." Tabito laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. The tips of his ears were beat red. "Hara sped right by me. I think I heard her saying a few choice words to me on the way down. She was always the thrill seeker of our childhood."

At that moment, another scream erupted from the sky, and again, a body crushed Riarshi into the now flattened field grass.

With the wind knocked out of him again, Riarshi laid on his back breathless as his throat made awful gurgling sounds. Whoever this person might be was much lighter than Tabito, but it still felt as though a one hundred pound weight had destroyed his ribcage.

"Urrrrghh," Riarshi grunted and clutched his side with his hand. Everything hurt.

Luckily for him, he didn't say what his brain was thinking, because when he lifted his head, a pair of sparkling sapphire eyes stared back at his own from only four inches away. Two shapely legs straddled between his and the sweet scent of vanilla hit his nostrils from the ends of long black hair caressing his face.

"W-W-W-What the hell are you doing?! GET OFF OF ME!" a shrill voice screeched from behind a bushel of midnight-black hair. The scream pierced his ears.

Hara violently pushed herself off Riarshi and bounced back on her rear. Her body coiled reflexively away from him. Her cheeks glowed a bright scarlet and lips quivered. She shot up from the ground and patted around her body, ensuring she still had clothes on.

"What the hell do you mean?" Riarshi yelled, struggling to find the voice that had been plowed into the earth. "You landed on top of me!"

"W-Whatever! Just don't touch me, you freaking creep!" Hara squealed, her face now completely flushed red.

Riarshi facepalmed with annoyance and let out a deep grumble. "Ugh, whatever. I'm not even going to question how portal magic or any magic works anymore." He stood from the ground, brushed his pants clean, and performed a few side-to-side back bends to see if his spine still worked.

It did.

Hara's face was still distorted with a red rage. She was about to let out another boiling insult from her position on the ground when Chester's voice suddenly echoed throughout the air.

"Hello? Hello? Ah, it's working, perfect!" he said, sounding as though he was speaking from the sky. "Attention everyone. Most of you are probably confused. But that's expected! You all may think you're in the Spiritfield Hotspot, ya know - the party zone, and you would be... well, partially correct.

"However, this is not the actual Spiritfield Square," he continued. "This is a spell-made replica of the entire city. Every building, street light, and mailbox you see is fabricated for the purposes of the POH. This city will be used as your battlefield for the long-awaited Internship Tryout."

Battlefield? Riarshi questioned.

Everyone scattered throughout the square looked around at the buildings and shops, squinting their eyes to distinguish the differences between this supposed spell and the actual city. It was too hard to tell, it all looked like the real deal.

"Now, what you've all been waiting for. It is time to announce the format of this year's Internship Tryout!"

All attention shot up toward the voice in the sky.

"After long and drawn out discussions here at the POH, we've decided on a format that will allow us to observe and examine every possible skill you currently possess as a prospective Hero. This year, in this replica city, you all will fight in a one hundred and fifty person... sixty minute... rule free... Battle Royale!"

Silence.

"Every man and woman for themselves."