The morning was cold, and the sky was gray. In the long corridor leading to the testing grounds, Ken walked with steady steps, cigarette smoke trailing lazily behind him. He wore his sleeveless black combat suit, his muscular arms bare, and his face calm and unreadable.
Everyone who saw him stepped aside. Some whispered his name, others simply stared in cautious silence. Ken didn't need to speak; his presence alone carried a weight that silenced the air around him.
When he reached the field, he stopped. Before his eyes stretched a scene completely transformed. What had been an open arena just a week ago was now crowded with scattered structures, small wooden huts, watchtowers, and narrow stone passages.
One of the nearby fighters whispered:
"What's going on? None of this was here during the first test…"
Another replied in a worried tone:
"Looks like they changed the entire format for the second round."
Ken observed every detail, taking a slow drag from his cigarette before exhaling towards the sky. His voice was low, almost swallowed by the breeze:
"If they want to raise the difficulty… so be it."
He flicked the cigarette to the ground, crushed it under his boot, and continued forward as every pair of eyes followed him, some in admiration, some in fear, others in pure awe.
The field gradually filled with participants, rows forming along the edges of the new buildings. The air grew heavy with tension, everyone's gaze fixed on the high platform where the chairman would appear any moment.
Akio entered the arena alone, a little late. He stood among the rows, trying to look calm, though his chest tightened with a nervous weight he couldn't hide. He looked up at the platform, then at the unfamiliar buildings, swallowing hard.
'Was I good enough?'
That question had haunted him since the end of the first test.
'Even if I lost… did they notice anything? Or was I just another failure in their records?'
He ran a shaky hand through his hair, when footsteps echoed behind him. He turned to see Mabushi walking lazily beside Ann, one hand in his pocket, his eyes were wandering with boredom as Ann talked animatedly, waving her hands like always.
Mabushi's steps were confident, careless, and his half-smirk made him look as if nothing in the world could bother him.
'What an arrogant guy…'
She thought, watching the way he straightened his shoulders and scanned the area without a hint of fear, as if this next test was nothing more than a stroll.
But then her imagination painted a different picture: Mabushi standing in the middle of the arena, his face is covered in sweat and dust, his opponent smiling after knocking him down. For a moment, she pictured his expression: that fool who couldn't accept defeat.
In her mind, his fist struck the ground so hard it cracked the tiles. He rose slowly, his face was twisting into a storm of rage as he roared,
"Lose? Me? Impossible!"
Then he'd charge like a madman, kicking pillars, smashing the ring as if he's taking revenge on the arena itself for witnessing his loss. Ann chuckled quietly, covering her mouth, which made Mabushi glance at her with narrowed eyes.
"What's so funny?"
She smiled teasingly.
"Just imagining your reaction if you lose in the second test."
He raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"Lose? That's not even possible in fiction. But I appreciate that you thought of me."
She crossed her arms and replied with exaggerated confidence:
"I'm just mentally preparing to watch a destroyed arena."
He laughed softly:
"Then make sure you pick a seat far away… because you'll be the first one to fly with the debris."
Akio couldn't take it anymore. Mabushi's smug grin alone was enough to reignite his energy. He strode toward him quickly, voice rising between the rows:
"Mabuuushi!!"
Mabushi turned, barely managing to say:
"What—"
Before Akio stood before him, grinning, waving enthusiastically like an old friend.
"Hey there, troublemaker!"
His cheerful tone made several heads turn. Ann sighed, covering her face:
"Akio… keep your voice down. Everyone's staring."
But Akio only grew more animated, pointing at her excitedly:
"Waaah! Ann! You're here too! Awesome! Haven't seen you in days!"
Ann smiled tiredly.
"I was enjoying some peace away from you, but I guess fate won't let me rest."
Akio laughed loudly, patting Mabushi's shoulder:
"Didn't expect to see you here again in this crowd. Let's make this an unforgettable match!"
Mabushi stepped back slightly, raising an eyebrow, his tone was dripping with sarcasm:
"Calm down, hothead. Don't celebrate before you even know if you've been chosen."
Akio chuckled, clasping his hands behind his head with exaggerated confidence.
"They'll choose me for sure. Who could refuse the future Shogun?"
Ann gave him a sideways look, smirking:
"You're such a child."
The three of them laughed briefly, until the atmosphere shifted when the director's voice echoed from the platform above:
"Welcome, participants… Congratulations on reaching this stage."
Silence fell across the arena. He continued:
"It has been a week since the first test ended. During that time, we carefully reviewed every battle, every move you made. We didn't only measure victory, but courage… strategy… and determination."
His eyes swept over the rows, pausing briefly on each face.
"Today, we will announce the names of those advancing to the second test, only one hundred participants."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, but the director raised his hand, and silence returned instantly.
"Among these hundred, only fifty will prevail in the end and become part of our organization. The rest… this will be their final participation here."
Faces shifted between anxiety and dread, and the tension thickened in the air. Ann bit her lower lip nervously, Mabushi crossed his arms with feigned indifference, while Akio felt his heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest.
'A hundred… and only fifty will remain…'
Akio thought, swallowing hard as his eyes stayed fixed on the stage.
The director continued firmly:
"The second test will not be a direct battle like the first. This time… we'll test your ability to think, lead, and survive."
He took a brief breath, then opened a file in front of him and said slowly:
"Now… let's begin announcing the names."
He stepped forward, his voice got sharper than ever before:
"Before I begin, everyone must understand this… those whose names are not called among the hundred qualifiers must leave the arena immediately after the announcement. No exceptions. No second chances."
Tense glances were exchanged. Some clenched their fists in silence.
The director opened the official document and continued:
"The names will be announced in groups of five. Each group has been chosen to work as a team during the second test. Every group will fight, think, and survive together. If one collapses, they all fall."
He looked up from the file and began saying clearly:
"Group One:
1 - Nero Han.
2 - Raya Tsu.
3 - Hito Kai.
4 - Logan Aster.
5 - Nina Flar."
Five young contestants stepped forward, their faces tense but their eyes gleaming with pride. A few polite claps followed, while others waited breathlessly for their turn.
The names continued to rain down, his voice was rising and falling as the number inched closer to a hundred.
In the front rows, Ken stood motionless, arms crossed, head slightly tilted, watching in silence. Akio, on the other hand, was the complete opposite, each name felt like a blow to the chest. With every group announced, sweat pooled in his palms.
'Why haven't they called my name yet?! Did they forget me?!'
'Maybe I didn't perform well enough… but I didn't give up. They saw that… didn't they?!'
The director's steady voice cut through the thick air:
"Group Four… Group Five…"
With every new group, the chances dwindled, and so did the hearts clinging to hope. He paused, slowly turned a page, then spoke in a low tone that rose gradually:
"And now… Group Thirteen."
Lifting his eyes from the papers, he clearly announced each name:
"Mabushi the Rogue,
Sarutobi Ann,
Yukaji Ken,
Miss Silvara,
and Sakamoto Akio."
The last name struck Akio's mind like lightning. His eyes widened, and he froze for seconds before whispering,
"I… I am chosen?!"
At that exact moment, Mabushi glanced at him with a crooked smile.
"Hah, looks like luck's on your side today, kid."
Ann raised her brows in mild shock, then gasped softly.
"Silvara too?! Oh no… this team's going to explode before it even starts."
Murmurs spread through the other contestants, some surprised, others uneasy. The combination of those five names wasn't random. It was a deliberate challenge.
Mabushi's jaw tightened the instant he heard her name. His mocking grin vanished, replaced by a sharp, burning glare. He reached up and brushed the black tattoo on his neck, muttering through clenched teeth,
"Silvara… that damned woman?!"
His voice dropped lower, trembling with rage as his veins bulged:
"If I see her face right now, I'll tear her apart before this day ends."
Ann turned toward him, her tone came uneasy:
"Calm down, don't start the test with a massacre."
Then, from among the crowd, Silvara finally appeared. She walked gracefully, her green dress swaying with the wind as her eyes searched for the faces of her teammates, until they landed on him. She stopped a few steps away, her lips curling into a faint, unreadable smile.
Lifting her chin slightly, she spoke in a soft, composed voice:
"Nice to see you again, Mabushi the Rogue."
Mabushi strode towards her, fury flashing in his amber eyes. His arm tensed, hand rising as if ready to strike, his muscles coiled tight. But before he could move another inch, another hand shot out, gripping his wrist firmly.
It was Ken. He had appeared silently behind him.
Ken spoke quietly, but his voice cut through the noise like a blade:
"Lower your hand, Mabushi."
Mabushi froze for a second, then turned his head slightly, glaring:
"Let go of me before I—"
Ken interrupted without raising his tone:
"I'd rather not to get expelled before the test even starts."
For a heartbeat, the air stood still between them. Then Mabushi gave a dry, bitter laugh, pulling his arm free slowly.
"Damn it… you ruined my moment."
He shot Silvara a sideways glare:
"Consider yourself lucky this minute."
Silvara didn't respond. She simply smiled faintly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She walked past him calmly, as if nothing had happened. When she reached Ken, she stopped briefly and murmured in a voice so soft only he could hear:
"Thank you, Yukaji Ken."
Then she continued toward one of the stone benches at the edge of the field, sat down gracefully, crossed her legs, and brushed her hair over her shoulder.
In the back, Akio watched silently, his eyes was shifting between Ken, Silvara, Mabushi, and Ann, as if each carried a secret darker than the last. He didn't realize yet he was trapped in the middle of a group far crazier than himself.