The examiner stepped into the room after them, arms crossed as he leaned against the nearest wall, giving them space.

  “No need for formalities,” he said, his tone dry. “Just show me what you’ve got. Use whatever means necessary.”

  Ava cracked her knuckles, a wide grin already spreading across her face.

  Before Emma could even move, Ava shot off like a bullet, her bare fists smming into the closest reinforced training dummy.

  Boom.

  The impact was deafening. Cracks spiderwebbed across the dummy’s metallic surface, and with a second punch, it shattered completely, sending metal shards cttering across the floor. Emma raised an eyebrow but didn’t look surprised. Ava, meanwhile, bounced on her toes like she were warming up, moving from one dummy to the next with the ease of someone strolling through a grocery aisle.

  Another dummy went flying, ripped clean off its bolted base with a single uppercut. Another was reduced to scrap metal by a brutal spinning kick that sent a shockwave through the room.

  The examiner’s gaze sharpened just a fraction. Normal S-ranks couldn’t destroy these models with their bare hands; most needed at least an active skill to cause this level of damage.

  Ava didn’t even break a sweat.

  When she finally stopped and stood in the middle of the wreckage, she threw a zy gnce back at Emma. “Your turn, nerd.”

  Emma rolled her eyes, yet a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She stepped forward slowly, taking her time. Unlike Ava, she wasn’t pnning on being fshy.

  She lifted one hand, fingers loosely spread, and murmured a few soft, almost musical sylbles. It wasn’t a real incantation, just a little bit of py-acting for appearances. A wisp of sparkling blue light blossomed at her fingertips, barely rger than a spark at first. It danced through the air like a living thing, slow and graceful.

  The examiner leaned forward slightly, frowning, almost unimpressed, until the wisp suddenly split into dozens of strands, weaving and spiraling with unbelievable speed.

  Within seconds, every remaining training dummy was wrapped tightly in a thin, glimmering thread.

  Snap.

  The strands tightened all at once, cleanly slicing every dummy in half. Not a single messy break, just smooth, perfect cuts as the top halves of the dummies toppled to the floor in silence. Emma let the mana wisp flicker out between her fingers, exhaling softly.

  The examiner stood frozen for a second longer, processing what he had just seen. His eyes flicked between the twins. “...Noted,” he finally muttered, pulling out a sleek device from his pocket and tapping something into it.

  He didn’t ask them for anything else. He just nodded once, briskly, and said, “You’ll hear from us soon. You’re dismissed.”

  Ava stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. “Man, that was boring,” she said, as they turned and walked back toward the elevator.

  They stepped back into the elevator, the doors sealing shut once again with a hiss. The ride back up was silent, except for the hum of the machinery. Ava leaned against the wall, tapping her fingers on the metal railing, while Emma closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the lingering traces of mana in the air.

  When the elevator finally dinged and the doors slid open, they were immediately greeted by a woman standing just outside, as if she had been waiting for them. She was striking in an understated way.

  Blonde hair pulled tightly into a neat bun, sharp but neutral blue eyes, and dressed immacutely in a bck bzer over a beige turtleneck. Her posture was straight, almost rigid, and her hands were csped neatly in front of her.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]The woman bowed her head slightly. "Good afternoon. My name is Laura. I serve as the Scavenger Guild's secretary."

  Her voice was smooth, each word clipped and professional without sounding robotic. Emma blinked, a little surprised at how quickly someone had been dispatched to meet them. Ava simply tilted her head in curiosity.

  Laura continued, her expression utterly composed, "Guild Master Thomas Andre has been informed of your assessment. On his behalf, I would like to extend an invitation to meet with him personally once your rankings have been finalized."

  There wasn’t the faintest flicker of emotion on her face.

  'These guys don't waste any time, huh?' Ava asked her twin telepathically.

  Emma shook her head in agreement. "Thank you, Laura. We’ll be expecting further contact then."

  "Of course," Laura replied immediately. She stepped aside smoothly, allowing them to walk past her if they wished. "Until then, if you require anything during your stay in the building, please don't hesitate to contact me. I’ll be handling your paperwork personally."

  Emma offered a small smile. Ava, on the other hand, practically beamed, showing off both rows of her perfect teeth. "Thanks, dy."

  Laura only blinked once, completely unbothered by the weird antics of the strong.

  "Have a pleasant day," she said, bowing her head once more before turning sharply on her heel and striding away, her heels clicking loudly against the polished floor.

  As they made their way toward the lobby exit, Ava chuckled under her breath. "Man, she’s even like a statue in real life."

  "I like her. Makes everything simple," Emma replied.

  Outside, the sun was still high, the day barely having started. The twins decided to hang around inside for a while. The Scavenger Guild's main building had a huge lounge area just off the lobby, with comfy seating, café tables, and tall windows that let in ample sunlight. It was the kind of pce that could almost make you forget you were in the most powerful guild in the world.

  Ava flopped onto one of the cushy chairs with a sigh, sprawling out like she owned the entire guild building. Emma sat down in a more typical manner, scrolling on her phone, one of the ones she'd gotten for Ava and herself.

  An hour ticked by like this.

  Ava was halfway into dozing off when the clicks of heels echoed across the marble floor.

  Emma looked up just as Laura approached them, her posture still immacute, a small bck folder tucked neatly under one arm.

  "Hello," she said, stopping before them. "Your preliminary registrations have been processed."

  From the folder, she drew two slim, minated cards- hunter licenses.

  She handed one to Emma, then the other to Ava with a polite bow of her head.

  Emma flipped hers over first.

  It was clean and professional, with the left side dispying her photo taken during their initial application, when she hadn't even noticed, and the right side listing her details in easy-to-read text:

  Name: Emma SmithRank: SCss: Mage

  Ava yawned as she examined her own card.

  Name: Ava SmithRank: SCss: Fighter

  "I look great," Ava said, fshing her card to Emma, who only gave a shake of her head.

  Laura continued in her even tone, "You are now officially registered with the Hunter Bureau. Your cssifications are recognized internationally." Laura lowered the folder slightly and gave them a respectful nod. "Additionally, Guild Master Thomas Andre has requested to meet with you immediately."

  Ava perked up, suddenly wide awake.

  "Like, right now?" Ava asked, sitting up straighter.

  "Yes," Laura confirmed, wasting no time. "He is currently waiting in the executive meeting hall. I will escort you."

  Emma tucked her card away and stood up smoothly. Ava bounced to her feet with far less grace, cracking her knuckles like she was getting ready to fight someone.

  The trip through the Scavenger Guild's halls was brief, with Laura leading them through at a modest pace. When they finally reached the wide double doors of the executive hall, Laura paused, turned to them, and said, "Please be respectful. The Guild Master is not fond of unnecessary provocations."

  Ava grinned. "Don't worry. I'm pretty charming."

  Emma elbowed her lightly, earning a snicker.

  Laura pushed the doors open, and they stepped inside.

  The first thing they saw was him.

  Thomas Andre was lounging casually in a heavy, reinforced chair, though even the sturdy metal groaned under his size. His broad frame seemed almost too rge for the room, covered by a loud, tropical Hawaiian shirt stretched tight across his massive chest, paired with beach shorts and sandals. His long blonde hair flowed past his shoulders, with sungsses sitting zily on his nose. Even so, his red eyes practically burned through the lenses. Tattoos were visible, covering the majority of his arms.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]The man radiated strength. A suffocating presence that made the air feel heavier just by existing.

  When he spotted the twins, a broad, toothy grin spread across his face, dispying all his canines. "So," he rumbled, voice deep enough to vibrate in their bones, "you’re the new ones, huh?"

  Ava, not very bothered, offered him a wide grin right back. "Yup!"

  Emma bowed her head slightly. "It's an honor, Guild Master."

  Thomas let out a booming ugh, so loud it seemed to rattle the gss windows. He pushed himself up from the chair, easily towering over both of them. He approached, each step heavy and confident, and sized them up more closely. His red gaze lingered on Ava for a moment, sensing her raw strength, before shifting to Emma, whose mana, while calm, felt dangerously precise.

  "You guys," he said, fshing another toothy grin, "are exactly what we need around here."

  He paused, crossing his arms across his chest, muscles bulging under the poor, abused Hawaiian fabric.

  "You got questions?" he asked casually. "Or are you just ready to get started?"

  "It would be helpful to understand what you have in mind," Emma said.

  Thomas barked out another ugh. "Smart. I like that. I ain't here to boss you around. You’re free agents right now. But..." He leaned down a little, grinning wide enough to show off a sharp tooth. "Stick around. Prove you’re not just some pretty faces and big numbers." There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

  "And if you do that," he added, "you’ll have a spot in this guild."

  He cpped a massive hand onto Ava’s shoulder with enough force that a thump echoed in the room. Ava just ughed, clearly loving every second of this.

  Thomas finally leaned back, satisfied. "You got guts, I can tell," he said. "Now the only question is how you're going to help my guild with those guts of yours."

  Ava smirked, tilting her head up at him with a glint in her eye. "Oh, wouldn’t you like to know about my guts," she said, tone rather implied.

  For a half-second, the room grew quiet. Emma gave Ava a gnce that clearly said to 'behave', but Ava only grinned wider.

  Thomas blinked, then threw his head back and let out another booming ugh. "Hah! I like you!" he roared, the sound echoing through the hall like thunder. "You got fire!"

  Emma just sighed quietly, slipping her hands into her jacket pockets. At least he’s taking it well, she thought dryly.

  Straightening up again, Thomas grinned down at them, his red eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Alright," he said, "enough talking. You two are gonna get the VIP tour."

  He turned, motioning for them to follow, his huge frame bouncing with energy. "C'mon, rookies."