Rin cracked his knuckles. Yuji rolled his shoulders. Daichi pointed dramatically at Hinata.
"PREPARE YOURSELF, COMMONER! I, PRINCE DAICHI, SHALL—"
"Go," Hinata said quietly.
All three of them charged.
Rin went low, aiming for Hinata's legs. Yuji came from the right, his katana already half-drawn. Daichi... well, Daichi mostly just ran forward screaming.
Hinata's hand moved to his katana.
And then he *vanished.*
"What the—" Rin's eyes went wide as he skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into Yuji.
*THUD.*
Daichi hit the ground face-first, a perfect boot print on the back of his head.
"One down," Hinata said calmly from behind them.
Rin spun around. "When did you—"
*THUD.*
Rin crumpled like a sack of potatoes, the world spinning as pain exploded across the back of his skull.
"Two down."
Yuji was already moving. His instincts kicked in a split second faster than the others—he twisted mid-turn, katana flashing out to block the inevitable strike from behind.
His blade cut through empty air.
"Wha—"
*THUD.*
Yuji's face met the dirt.
Three seconds. That's all it took.
Hinata stood in the center of the training yard, katana still sheathed, expression unchanged. He looked like he'd just finished a light warmup instead of dismantling three recruits simultaneously.
"Pathetic," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
---
Rin groaned, pushing himself up on shaky arms. His head was *pounding.* "What... the hell... was that?"
"That," Hinata said, walking toward them, "was a lesson. We don't accept weaklings in Division 1."
He stopped, looking down at the three of them sprawled across the ground like discarded laundry.
"You have one month," he continued. "If by then, you can't make me draw my blade—even once—some of you will be discarded. I don't care if you're royalty." He glanced at Daichi, who was still face-down and possibly unconscious. "I don't care if you're rich." His eyes shifted to Yuji. "And I don't care what rank the sphere gave you."
His gaze landed on Rin.
"How can two S-ranks and an A-rank lose to a D-rank in three seconds?"
Rin blinked. "Wait... you're D-rank?"
"Yes."
"But you just destroyed us!"
"Correct."
Yuji sat up slowly, dirt smeared across his cheek. "That's impossible. D-rank means your life force is below 500. How are you—"
"Modern samurai are weak," Hinata interrupted, his tone cutting. "You rely on your life force. On the gods sealed in your blades. You've forgotten what it means to be a *warrior.*" He turned and started walking away. "That's why a D-rank is the strongest non-captain samurai in this country."
The three of them sat there in stunned silence.
Daichi finally stirred, lifting his head weakly. "Did... did we win?"
"No," Rin and Yuji said in unison.
"Oh." Daichi's head hit the dirt again.
---
A few minutes later, Maki appeared with a tray of tea and an apologetic smile.
"Rough first day?" she asked sweetly.
"He didn't even *draw his sword,*" Rin muttered, accepting a cup with shaking hands. "He just... appeared. And then we were on the ground."
"That sounds like Hinata," Maki said, setting the tray down. "He's... intense. But he's the best trainer you could ask for. Trust me."
"Best trainer?!" Daichi sputtered, finally sitting up. "He assaulted royalty! I could have him *executed!*"
"You could try," Maki said cheerfully. "But you'd lose that fight too."
Daichi deflated.
Yuji took a sip of tea, his expression thoughtful. "Maki... what did he mean by D-rank? His speed, his technique—there's no way someone with low life force could move like that."
Maki's smile faded slightly. She sat down across from them, folding her hands in her lap.
"Hinata," she began slowly, "is... special. He was the first person with *zero* life force to ever become a samurai."
"Zero?!" Rin nearly dropped his cup. "Wait, how is that even possible? Shouldn't that make him, like... dead?"
"That's what most people think," Maki admitted. "But life force doesn't actually have anything to do with being alive. The person who named it just wasn't very creative. It's more like... an energy you're born with. It determines how strong your bond is with the god in your katana, how much raw power you can channel. But it doesn't increase or decrease—you're stuck with whatever you're born with."
"So Hinata has none," Yuji said quietly.
"Exactly. No special abilities. No god bonuses. No energy boosts. He's just... a guy with a sword." Maki smiled softly. "But that's what makes him so dangerous. Every single thing he does—his speed, his precision, his reflexes—is pure skill. Physique, experience, and swordsmanship. Nothing else."
Rin stared at his tea. "That's... insane."
"That's Division 1," Maki said. "Everyone here has something unique. Or some kind of flaw." She counted on her fingers. "Hinata has zero life force. I'm a woman—which technically means I shouldn't even *be* a samurai, but Captain Minato doesn't care about outdated rules, so here I am." She glanced at Daichi. "And you're here because you can't control your abilities. Your family sent you to avoid you accidentally blowing up the palace or something."
Daichi winced. "It was *one* chandelier..."
Maki turned to Rin. "And you... well. You're kind of all flaws and nothing special."
"Wow. Thanks," Rin deadpanned.
"I don't even know why the Captain recruited you," Maki continued, tapping her chin. "Everyone knows your 999 was just a system glitch."
Rin opened his mouth. Closed it. Tried again. "I'm... right here, you know."
"Sorry!" Maki said quickly. "I didn't mean it in a *bad* way! Just... you know. Objectively."
"That doesn't help!"
Maki turned to Yuji, her expression brightening. "And then there's you. The opposite of Rin. No flaws. Perfect technique. A prodigy in every sense. The only thing you're missing is experience, but that'll come with time."
Yuji, who had been sipping his tea calmly, suddenly choked.
"I—what—I'm not—" His face turned red. "That's not—"
"You're blushing," Rin said, grinning for the first time all day.
"I am *not.*"
"You totally are."
"Shut up, glitch boy."
"Oh, *now* we're using insults?"
Maki giggled, covering her mouth. "You two are funny."
Daichi, who had been quietly sulking, suddenly perked up. "Wait, did you say I can't control my abilities? That's ridiculous! I have *perfect* control! Watch!"
He stood up dramatically, drawing his katana. A faint golden glow began to emanate from the blade.
"Behold! The power of—"
The glow intensified. Then flickered. Then *exploded* in a burst of light that sent Daichi flying backward into a tree.
The tea tray went flying. Rin dove for cover. Yuji sighed deeply.
Maki just smiled patiently as Daichi peeled himself off the tree trunk, his hair smoking slightly.
"I meant to do that," Daichi wheezed.
"Sure you did," Rin said, brushing dirt off his uniform.
---
That night, Rin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling again.
His body ached. His pride was bruised. And yet...
He couldn't stop grinning.
"One month," he muttered to himself. "I've got one month to make that guy draw his sword."
Outside his window, the moon was bright and full.
Somewhere in the training yard, Hinata was probably still awake, practicing alone in the dark.
Rin closed his eyes.
*Alright, Hinata. Let's see what you've got.*
---