The Director's scarred lip twitched into something that might've been a smile or might've been annoyance, or curiosity, it was hard to say, the man has seen and experienced a lot of weird things over the years.

  As such his eye's met, Nier's glowing orbs, as he said.

  "The Goddess Kakia, huh?"

  Zoltris said with a cautious tone.

  "Interesting. We've had a handful of Corrupt cases over the years with Fluxes decring they are a God, or entities beyond even the God's, often times acting as a divine patrons, basically the whole dramatic package."

  He stopped then continued.

  "How many of those were real deities versus some bored Flux rping as one? Hard to prove either way. But truth and or not, the Association itself doesn't care about theology, and only results, if your God makes you a Hero, that's all we really care about, so I must say, I am excited to see how strong you are Nier."

  He said casually, before changing the topic again.

  “But that is not why we're here today."

  Said Zoltris, as Bel stepped forward before the silence got awkward, her heels clicking sharp on the tiled floor.

  "Exactly. So when can I have my bodyguard here start the tests?"

  Zoltris turned his full attention to her, the smile warming a couple degrees.

  "Straight to business. I always liked that about you, Miss Zane. Three tests, as you well know, physical, theory, and the capability demonstration. Same gauntlet you ran a few years back if memory serves."

  Nier shoved both hands into the pockets of his hoodie, his shoulders loose.

  "Physical, theory, capability. Yeah, I heard before I came here."

  Zoltris nodded once.

  "Good... Then we can skip the formalities, and get down straight to business. First, you need a number. Normally applicants line up two days early, tests only run Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but your… connection to the Zane family opened a slot today. Lucky you."

  His gaze flicked to Vanessa.

  The silver-haired woman hadn't blinked once since Nier walked in. Her violet eyes were wide, pupils blown, literal pink hearts swirling where the irises should be. A thin string of drool slipped past the ring in her lip. She was vibrating with ecstacy.

  "Vanessa, the badge."

  Zoltris said without looking.

  She didn't move, nor did she even breathe, rather she was frozen as she looks upon Nier glowing red eyes punching it's way from the darkness of his hood.

  Then she moved once more.

  One second she was standing still before him until the next instance she unched herself at Nier like a heat-seeking missile made of tex and piercings.

  "MY BELOVED!!!"

  She screamed, her voice cracking into a register that made dogs three blocks away start barking.

  She tackled him around the waist, her arms locking like steel cables around his back, and her face was buried in his chest hard enough to leave bruises.

  "I know this is sudden but I don't care! Marry me! Put a baby in me right now! Ten babies! Twenty! I'll quit my job, and buy us a vil in the country, I will do anything for you, just love me love me LOVE MEEE!!!"

  Nier's hood flew back from the impact, crimson eyes wide for once.

  "The fuck…”

  Bel's face went through three emotions in half a second: shock, realization, then pure venomous jealousy. Her own eyes narrowed to slits.

  "Get the hell off him!"

  She grabbed Vanessa by the back of her leather jacket and yanked, hard. Vanessa didn't budge, rather she just clung tighter, her legs wrapping around Nier's hips like a horny koa.

  Zoltris pinched the bridge of his nose shocked at this embarrassing sight before his eyes.

  "Vanessa... Professional conduct."

  Lex sighed as he stepped forward, and wrapped one massive arm around Vanessa's waist, and simply lifted. She came off Nier with a wet pop sound, still kicking and thrashing.

  "NOOO! LET ME GO YOU OVERSIZED COW! HE'S MINE! I SAW HIM FIRST!"

  Lex carried her away under one arm like she weighed nothing, her combat boots kicking uselessly in the air while she sobbed about eternal love and breeding schedules.

  The lobby had gone dead silent. Every hero, receptionist, and random bystander stared like they had just witnessed a train derail into a clown car.

  Zoltris cleared his throat, bent down, and picked up the fallen number badge from the floor where it had been dropped during the chaos.

  He wiped a smear of Vanessa's lip gloss off it with his thumb and offered it to Nier.

  "Number 69."

  He said, completely deadpan.

  "Proceed to Waiting Hall C with the other applicants. Testing begins in twenty minutes. Again, my apologies for… that."

  Nier took the badge, gnced at the bold bck 69, and snorted despite himself.

  "...It has been a wild since I saw my curse work that fast."

  Nier said to himself, and Bel grabbed his sleeve the second Zoltris turned away and dragged him a few steps to the side, her voice low.

  "You okay?"

  Nier shrugged, pulling his hood back up.

  "Yeah. Happens more than you'd think. Women see me and just… lose it sometimes."

  Bel's fingers tightened on his sleeve for a second before she forced them to let go. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

  "Must be rough, being that irresistible... You're extremely handsome, it's only natural girls will cling to you like that."

  "Hehehe if only it where just that."

  Nier jokingly replied.

  Causing Bel to chuckled nervously, as she spoke once more.

  "Anyway."

  She said, stepping back.

  "I can't go past this point. Applicants only in the waiting hall. Kick their asses, yeah?"

  Nier gave her a zy two-finger salute and started walking toward the big double doors marked TESTING WING, number 69 pinched between his fingers.

  Behind him he could still hear Vanessa's muffled, heartbroken wails echoing from whatever broom closet Lex had stuffed her in.

  He smirked under the hood and said,

  "This is gonna be fun, let's see just how skillful some of these examinees truly are."

  Nier pushed through the heavy double doors and the lobby noise died instantly, repced by the low murmur of forty-something nervous applicants, the buzz of fluorescent lights, and the faint smell of sweat mixed with industrial cleaner hit his nostril hard.

  Waiting Hall C was bigger than it looked from outside. Rows of hard pstic chairs bolted to the floor, a couple vending machines humming in the corner, and a massive digital board on the far wall fshing numbers and instructions in red.

  #50–#68: PHYSICAL EXAM ROOM 1

  #69–#85: PLEASE WAIT

  #86+: REPORT TO REGISTRATION DESK

  "Just on time it would seems."

  Nier said to himself.

  As be began to strolled towards the back row, and dropped into the st seat, his legs kicked out wide, and his hood was still low.

  The badge, with the big bck 69 he had in his hands, he clipped it to his hoodie. Just as the other participants had done as well.

  A couple people gnced at the number and smirked. One girl actually snorted out loud.

  Nier ignored them, leaned his head back against the wall, and let his Occultist Eye sweep the room slow and zy stares as he check out some more people here.

  Most of the auras were what he expected: mid-to-high Level 1 Hesta, a few weaker Corrupt users, he could tell the strong from the weak, Vanessa for example was insanely strong with multiple Flux signatures, compared to her, he was sure that no one in this room would st a good ten seconds against him.

  Till eventually, the seats began to flood before him, as the other contestants began to wait.

  And as they do, he heard a voice behind him as a hand grabbed the chair from behind, and a feminine voice rang out.

  "Is anyone sitting here?"