Glenn kept on flying for seven days.

On the eighth day as he was flying away from Bramble Forest, ten crows besieged him, attacking him with wind blades and petrifying lights (lights that could peg down the ones attacked.)

The crows had three eyes and the third one was worth studying for their ability to petrify living things. If it was not for the fact that Glenn was on a mission, he would engage and capture some for their eyes.

Instead, he dodged, steered away from them and headed towards the destination. Temporary interests must be sacrificed for the greater purpose.

The crows stopped their hunt after having lost their target.

Another seven days had elapsed. Coming into sight was the Full Autumn range, which had the similar height as the small hills alongside the coastal line of the Black Isotta. The mountain was not a problem and held no strategic importance for sorcerers who could just fly through. But it was important for many of the students because most of the students couldn't fly, and they needed to get across the A Strip of Sky----mouth of the mountain if their destination was beyond the Range.

On the ground was a five member team with the leader being a girl riding on a unicorn. Her face was decorated with a black pattern,a patch over her eye and a dark blue earring dangling on her ears. She wore a dark cloak which accentuated the mysterious aura she had.

She looked out at the One Strip of Sky. "We're gonna climb onto the Full Autumn range. We'll be out of the Compass territory once we get across, and by then we can reach the destination in a month."

The one in the rear of the team was a two-meter tall man. He had broad shoulders and his body was coated in full armor, with a huge sword and a basket containing carrots on his back. The way he spoke and acted was quite awkward.

"Hey, Mysterious, what team do you think the Black Isotta would send to contact a strong team like us?"

A boy who was riding an enormous leaf looked back at the giant. A strain of weed was in between his teeth. "There're great students down there these years. I witnessed a student called Bethany going crazy and committing something horrible during the war between the schools. Don't underestimate their strength."

"I think you're the best, Okayama!" A voice belonging to a little girl arrived. Just then a girl stuck out her head from the basket the giant was carrying, and the next second she had withdrawn after she heard an instruction of "get back inside".

The one who gave that order was a gloomy looking male student who had a brown crutch. The strange thing about him was that he had no pupils in his eyes. Instead, a double, black helix was in each of his eyes.

"Got it." The girl in the basket wailed.

The team seemed to have developed a special bond between them after a long time fighting together. And they knew the codes during fighting. In short, it seemed to be a better team than Glenn's.

Mysterious replied. "I've been dealing with the Black Isotta for many years. Believe me, I know how to handle them. I'll act as circumstances dictate. If their signer is a tough one, I'll compromise and sign a parity pact, or I'll just kill him or her if the signer is a wuss." She licked her lips after she finished talking.

"Ho, the magnificent Mysterious!" The little girl in the basket yelled, with both of her hands motioning in the air.

The team went on and on, and the One Strip of Sky came into sight.

What also came in sight was a fully-armored man sitting before them.

The team became shocked. "Why would a man sit here for a rest?" But they did not intend to pull up. They thought the man was one of their students----someone from the Compass. They approached the Mouth.

As they approached, the stranger looked up and stood with his big sword, his eyes beneath the Ashen Mask staring at the team.

Mysterious scowled, and became cautious. "I've never seen him in the Compass." She motioned the team to stop 20 meters away from the stranger, and asked. "Who're you? Why are you here? I've never met you in the Compass."

The masked man swept a glance at the team and said: "One, two, three, four, five. Five! You're going to Dexter then?"

"How did you know?" The dumb giant asked, followed by a volley of angry glances cast by the other three. Even the girl in the basket kicked him in the back. That let him know that he had been too rash in divulging the purpose of their travel.

The little giant shut his mouth up.

The man in the mask nodded, and then appeared right in front of the group in a second. The men motioned to defend themselves.

Magical waves spread as if there was going to be a battle.

Surprisingly, the man took out a paper and said to the team. "Sign this parity pact and this mission is accomplished. Do it quickly. I'm in a hurry."

The pattern in Mysterious' face started moving. This sorcery was similar to Alastair's. it should be an outburst of the concentration of magical force after a long time.

"Who are you?" The girl asked for the second time. "You're not on the top ten or whatever list. What made you think we would sign the pact with you?"

Glenn stared back. "Don't you want a pact? And how would you like me to prove my identity?"

The girl smiled, and waved her hand backwards. "I could see you're a constitution-building student so why don't you show your skills with him before we even talk about the pact? And you might be spared the trouble of going back at all."

Mysterious was not in the intention of signing a pact with someone whose background was unclear. She had to obtain something useful, such as an evaluation on this man's power.

It would be an advantage to obtain information of such a powerful opponent whose background was such a blur before the Tryout, during which time she should steer clear of him.

"Hoho..." The giant shouted as he charged at Glenn like a rhinoceros. Thick earth elements started diffuse in the air. His skin turned into armor as he accelerated as the ground shook.

A sword came at Glenn's neck with great force.

Glenn squinted as he fended off the giant with his sword.

Boom. A buzzing sound of metal against metal was heard.

The ground at Glenn's feet trembled, but he didn't move backwards at all.

The next second the sword in the giant's hand had been flung away, and his hand was covered in blood after the earth element had been dispersed. The giant couldn't stop until he moved seven or eight steps backwards.

"Such a loser?"

Glenn kicked the ground at his feet and launched a charge at the giant. He slashed at it.

However, he missed. The giant had been pulled back by some unknown force and his body had turned into green-colored, thin strands when he was drawn back.

"Enough!" Mysterious thundered. She was sure that she saw a real giant the moment her "giant" engaged with Glenn. It didn't exert much effort and her beast that she was proud of had been pushed back meters away. Her little giant was no match for Glenn at all.

Cold sweat appeared on her back. She stared at Glenn as if he was a kind of beast.

"He'd be a real competitor in the Tryout, someone in the dark." The Mysterious thought. She was very sure of her evaluation. "Since I've got the 'information', there's no need to antagonize him. I wouldn't benefit from fighting him."

She then said lightly. "That's good. You've got yourself recognized. Now let's talk about the pact."

"Recognized? Pact?" Glenn shook his head. "Since you initiated the attack, then you're not in a position to say anything about the pact." He appeared in front of the team. "On behalf of the Black Isotta, we're not going to sign a pact, instead we'll have a war."