When I opened my eyes, it was dark compared to that place. I couldn't see properly. There was a single person; based on the silhouette, I could tell that it was Kenji. The lights turned on, and Kenji said,
"Why were you sweating? Your shirt got drenched fully, and you were shivering with fear. What happened?" with a concerned voice.
"Just a bad dream," I said while wiping the sweat off my face and continued,
"What time is it?"
"Evening," he replied.
"What? I slept the whole afternoon, shit, all because of that fucking dream," I said with that after-sleep effect.
"How worst was it to make you sweat like this?" he said, sitting beside me.
"Enough about me, did you make it?"
"Of course, who do you think I am?"
"Nice. What about them?"
"They too."
"Good, where are they?" I asked him.
"Akiko went to bring water, and Keiko went to bring you a shirt," the two of them arrived while he was saying that.
Akiko gave me the bottle of water while making fun of me for sweating over a dream. Keiko got me a shirt and a towel. I got changed into the new shirt, and they all said that they would help me with the dinner, and we all prepared a fabulous dinner. All of them had to go to bed as they have to fight again the next day.
The next day, by the time I woke up, the three of them left, and I got freshened up and headed to the HQ.
I started with my torture lessons again, as it has been a month, and I need to stand the sight of blood if I need to maintain myself in the tourney matches.
My tolerance was as same as ever. Before, I would faint, but now, I feel dizziness and nauseousness first, and after a few minutes of continuous staring, I would lose my consciousness.
This is after a month of not seeing any blood. If it was any more than a month, I think I would've fainted right away.
The morning was over just like that. When I was having lunch, Kenji called me and asked me to come, saying my grandpa asked me to be there. Just hearing that made me angry enough that I threw my sandwich at the face of my code.
After getting myself a new sandwich and a juice, I went to the Stadium.
By the time I reached there, all of the matches were over, and everyone was having a little party. Kenji saw me and reached out to me.
When I asked him about the situation, he answered that the matches were cancelled as there were no more competent trainees, and they officially announced all the candidates who are going to China.
When I asked him about the names, he answered thirteen names, including our four. They are the ones I thought would get selected.
Enomoto twins from Kansai
Higashi Haruto from Tohoku
Watanabe Akihiko from Shikoku
Ito Aina and Serizawa Izumi from Chubu
Saito Yuudai and Ishikawa Karen from Kyushu
Umemoto Kyoko from Okinawa
"So, it's the thirteen of us going, is that it?" I said.
"No, there are two more, as all the countries are sending fifteen, as it is mandatory to send fifteen from each country," he said.
"Why?"
"I don't know all the details. I heard my grandpa talking to someone. He said that all the countries are short on manpower and can't send trained ones to the tourney, and that's why we were selected in a hurry and are being sent."
"So, all the ones that will attend would be of the same age as us?" I asked.
"That's what I heard," he replied.
I asked who the other two were, and he showed them to me. Both were from Tohoku.
A male, his name was Zen'in Shoya. That's the first time hearing his name. He was standing beside Keiko and Akiko and was speaking to them.
The other one was a female. Her name was Inomata Susan. That's also a name I was hearing for the first time.
She was standing along with Zen'in, her eyes locked onto our direction. It gave me chills, so I turned my head to the side, and there were fifteen swords all in a line.
When I asked him about them, he said they were for us as a memento for getting selected.
Those swords picked my interest. I moved to them, held one in my hand. They were nice to see, but when held in hand, it didn't feel good.
My dad's shop provides swords for the JSA for a cheaper price than the market, and the quality's good, but these aren't from our shop. I could tell the difference even though there is no logo of our shop.
Logos aren't used on swords for the JSA as they are for the nation, but every sword shop has its own touch and making, which makes it easy to identify.
But this one didn't have that touch and was just "Trash," I said that out loud, looking at the sword.
"Aw, that hurts," a voice came from behind.
We both turned our heads back, and the person standing was Zen'in-san with a glass of juice.
He was a person with a height of five foot and eleven inches, brown hair and eyes, fair skin as everyone, and a face full of pride and arrogance, as if a king looking down on worthless people.