Sephiria's A-S rank exam: The Stubborn Poison Dragon Slayer

At the crown of the Eclipse Soul guildhall, above guildmaster Zeno's quarters, was the Phoenix's Nest. It was the highest point in Karakuri City and the freezing winds reminded him of that fact. The Nest was located on the roof of the guildhall's tower. It was a beautifully decorated shrine; rare ebony wood branches intertwined and arched around the shrine, embracing the meditation area in its center as walls and giving it the shape that earned its name. There were equally spaced holes in the branched walls from which the city and the mountainous scenery could be admired and watched.

The shrine was circular and seemed incredibly old, some tiles on it's cone-shaped roof broke the spiral pattern here and there to it's crystalline peak, a large lacrima crystal completed the point shining every brighter as the shimmering lights of dusk faded with the sun.

Beneath the shrine's cover were huge candles indicating the four corners of the world, blazing more strongly than torches. In the center was a stone semicircle, the sides of the arch facing upwards to suggest a circle perpendicular to the ground.

Zeno was seated in a meditational fashion on a rug before the stone arch. The rug led down the steps of the shrine onto the path to the closed wooden door. Behind the door was the long staircase all the way down to the VIP Lounge that was only accessible to Eclipse Soul's strongest mages.

The Phoenix's Nest served several important purposes, among which was one of the most challenging test of power an Eclipse Soul member could participate in.

The S Rank Examination.

Not many things could unnerve Sinon Noir, better known to her friends as Sephiria.

It would take a lot to get her to not be meditating at a time like this, while her companion and friend Akari was asleep. She was calm and level-headed most of the time, with her few small quirks coming out on occasion. And yes, she had various moments where she went into a crazed state for a while. But while all of that was true, she had never been as nervous as she was now. Sitting in the middle of the floor of her room, the poison dragon slayer was contemplating an issue that had been stuck in her mind for quite some time. Normally by now, she would have probably gone to her friend Kyll about the situation. But with her growing strength and more constant losses in emotional control, she didn't want to put her friend in a situation where one of them might end up severely hurt. So Sephiria needed the help of someone she new was strong enough to help her with the situation, and wise enough to assist her where she needed it.

Sephiria needed the help of Zeno Sombras. Her guild master.

It was true that the poison dragon slayer had never exactly spoken one on one with her guild master. In fact, she was certain that Zeno had never been in the same room as her without Kyll being around somewhere. But, she would have to ignore that fact and try to gain his help. Not only was she stronger than when she originally entered, she had become much more open than she originally was. Zeno was kind enough from what she had saw, so she was going to just have to dive in and hope that he didn't turn her away at the door. Of course, her psychotic outbreaks weren't the only reason she was going to see her guild master. There was a second, but equally important, reason for her mental debate.

The S-rank exam.

Sephiria knew she was strong, no doubt about it. And since her last exam with Kyll, she had only grown in power. And being the curious little devil she was, there was only one way to test how strong she had become. This exam would prove if she needed something more, or if she had grown strong enough to call herself S-rank. Zeno was obviously the only one who could truly tell her, so Sephiria was ready to go and finally figure out the answers to any questions and doubts in her mind.

With that settled, she opened both of her eyes and lowered her eyepatch over her left eye. Rising, she went over towards a dark corner of her room and picked up her giant odachi. Strapping it neatly onto her back, Sephiria quietly nodded to herself and left her room. Akari wasn't needed for this, so the poison dragon slayer wouldn't disturb her rest and just went on alone. Sephiria spent a little bit of time asking around where the guild master went, and when she got her answer she eventually found herself in the VIP Lounge, looking for a way up to the Phoenix's Nest. Eventually, Sephiria spotted a flight of stairs. It seemed to lead to nowhere, so obviously that was the only place that she could go.

Sephiria walked up the stairs with some hesitation, obviously the doubts and fears starting to creep into her head. But the poison dragon slayer continued onwards, not wanting to stop for anything now. After a long length of time, which was mostly spent by ignoring the racing fears in her mind, Sephiria eventually reached a wooden door. As she was about to enter, Sephiria felt the power behind the door and froze on the spot. It was easily as much, if not more than, the amount of power that her boyfriend Ayeseru showed on a regular basis. However, it wasn't withheld and just came full force. However, the poison dragon slayer steeled her nerves and opened the door. While the door was opening, Sephiria had to block out the blinding light from the room until her eyes managed to adjust to the brightness. Once she did, the poison dragon slayer could only marvel at the room. The torches, large and burning with intensity, each one facing what Sephiria believed to be one of the four corners of the world. A large, shining and very pretty lacrima crystal that only brightened as the sun started to set. The ebony branches, and even the broken tiles added to the unique type of beauty the place held. A rug led up to the shrine ahead, where her guild master sat meditating.

Sephiria felt small in the wake of the power that the room output, not to mention the amount of power Zeno had. It made her slightly reconsider the idea of asking for an exam, but the poison dragon slayer steeled herself again and entered. She walked up to the shrine, but instead of climbing it like some annoying brat she bowed respectfully. "Master Zeno, I come asking for an exam." Her tone was respectful, and she was being as humble as she could possibly be.

"Would you please consider my request?"