"Hm." Ash muttered.

"I see." he said.

"Can't fault the reasoning." he told her.

"Tell you what, it's up to Cass." he then said.

"She accepts you, sure. I'll do it." he told her.

"Otherwise, you can't even try again until you're old enough." he went on.

"Deal?" he asked.

"Prepare?" Ash asked.

"Simple." he said.

"Be sure that your skills are what Candentus Lux wants." he told her.

"Be confident you can prove yourself useful." he said further.

"And have NOT AN OUNCE of self-doubt inside you." he went on.

"Want something more specific?" he then asked her. "Tough." he quickly said.

"It's impossible. The acceptance process is like a test. That's different for EVERY applicant."

"Heh." Ash chuckled.

"You DID learn." he said.

"Fine." he then muttered, before taking out his cell phone and calling someone.

"Yo." he said when they answered.

"Got a fresh applicant for you." he told her.

"They think they got what it takes to make it in the business." he went on.

"When can ya run 'em through the wringer?"

"........." Ash was silent for a moment.

"Vyn." he replied.

"This applicant needs to be shown what the best of the best can do." he told her.

"They need this baptism." he said further.

"Phyra? Nah. Phyra'd probably be enough, but... no. Let's do this RIGHT." he reasoned.

"Yup." Ash replied.

"See ya." he said, before hanging up.

"One hour." he told Desiree.

"You get your shot in one hour." he reiterated.

"You sure you're ready?" he asked.

"There's no turning back once you confirm it."

"Very well." Ash responded.

"One hour." he repeated.

"Come find me in one hour." he told her.

He then turned around and went back to what he was doing... which looked like preparing some things for their dinner later. And it looked like it was going to involve Tusk Lamb meat, as well as a marinade that smelled really good.

Ash turned around, and merely nodded.

He then lightly grabbed her hand, and the two of them disappeared in a swirl of black fire, appearing at the front door of the guild.

They walked up to the door, where Ash pressed a button near it.

"Hunter codename AJ. Passcode Skye BlueDeer." he said.

"Got a situation 'Fresh' here." he then added, knowing whomever was on the other side would know what it meant.

Ash sighed.

"Dani knows me, I suppose." he said.

"And Vyn?" he then addressed her.

"Pull no punches." he told her.

"This is gonna be a trial by fire, so to speak." he said. "It'd be Phyra if it were to be a literal one." he then added with a laugh.

"Regardless, give her hell, and show her what an elite is made of." he finished.

"Will Dani be presiding over this test?" he then asked.

"I know she usually doesn't, but... well, one could see this is a special occasion." he reasoned with a small shrug.

"Got it." Ash replied, before looking at Desiree.

"Later." he said.

He then left the two females, making his way to Dani's office, where he knocked on the closed door.

"It's AJ!" he called in.

".....of course." Ash muttered, after having read the text.

"Guess I know where I'M going." he said.

He then made his way down to the courtyard, but stopped at the closed door.

'....do I really want to watch this?' he thought. 'Is this something I really... REALLY... want to see?' he asked himself further.

He sighed, and shrugged. He wasn't sure. So he went with the first basic instinct he had.

He opened the door, and stepped through.