"Izumi.." kenji whispers. 

"What do you think is about to happen?" "Yoro just left us here" Confused look in Kenji's eyes.

I turned to look at him and I calmly said, 

"Relax"..  "Remember stay the course and go with it."

"There is no telling what they have up there sleeve" 

"Keep your emotions in check, and do not show them you are scared."

"Got it?" I said swiftly. 

"What! I'm not scared Izumi!" He replied quickly. 

"In an annoying face I told him he is full of shit". 

"I saw you talking to yourself earlier. Your not fooling anyone Kenji." 

"You were saying your not up to this, correct?"

"Take your own responsiblity and grow a pair because I'm not going to babysit you." I replied to him in a slight tone so he understood I wasn't messing around with him. 

Kenji was not ready for any of this. I was unsure of what shitshow was about to be put down on us anyway. Was I ready for this? I kinda felt bad for him. My feelings were hid underneath my stoic face. You never show your revealing feelings. It is dishonarble Izumi. I understood he was a softer person but does not give him the right to clling to me and try and be my bestfriend when I never met this person beforehand. I - then Yoro comes walking out. 

"Men! Stand up!" Yoro walking toward us. 

"Men, today is the day of the beginning to your training." "You will be made warriors!" "You will be apart of the clan of the Yorozuya and you will have the luxury of gold and a nice place to put your heads at night!" 

Yoro smilng as he is giving his speech to us. 

"Today is the day of reckoning. Do you deserve this or not?" "Show me!" Yelling in a authortative voice. 

"Good luck to you all" As Yoro turns around to leave someone comes walking behind him to take his place. 

"My name is Azaku and many of you will see me on a day to day basis." Azaku speaking in a tone but a soft voice to all of the others. 

"Enjoy your time now but soon there will be a reckoning to come." 

"My main advice for all of you is this." 

As Azaku pauses and looks every one of up and down and side to side he says. 

"Always be alert, always find a way to stay alive." 

"This is our motto here." "It will keep you out of trouble and it will help you prosper through difficulty."

"Everyone follow me to get your belongings and find way to your designated areas." "You have 1 minute to move and grab your number from the pot I have laying on the ground beside me". 

"Let's go!" "Grab your number now!" 

I hurried to grab my number and get in the front of the line so I could move quickly and not loose the sight of Azaku. Overall, we were all confused and this could just be another test they give us. Kenji was right behind me during this time and that was good to see. Everybody scurried along and was behind Azaku waiting for the next command he was about to give us. He was walking us to go retrieve our belongings and our placements for our designated area to be assigned into our blocks. 

We walked through two steel gates. On both sides nothing but concrete and no windows to look out from. The concrete walls were more than 50 feet high. It felt like I was in a cell prison. We walked into another group of steel doors and were met by other Yoruzuya members. There was a big statue inside that was a resemblence of Yoro's father since he found this place long ago. There were torches lit on the sides of the walls and below them were our belongings and a sword which was inside its sheath. It looked brand new like it was never touched before. I was in awe. 

"My own sword .. finally." 

"Men, fall in line after each other and retrieve your bag and sword only when I say so."

"Do not move unless authorized to do so or you will be dealt with."

Azaku said with a blank stare. 

In my mind I'm thinking, "dealt with?" what does that even mean? This is different I thought. What are they up to?

Meanwhile, I lost sight of Kenji for the first time. I'm suprised he wasn't right beside me like he usually is bugging me to damn death. 

"When I call your number you come to retreive your things." Azaku speaking loudly for all of us to hear. 

"56 ...  87 ... 85 ...." Azaku yelling aloud. 

Looking down to see my number I couldn't find my piece of paper I grabbed. "What the hell?" I was thinking where did it go? I kept looking in my pockets but I found nothing. 

"Did someone steal my paper?"

88 ... yelled Azaku. 

88 he yelled again!

Where is 88?! 

You have thirty seconds to come up here and grab your belongings!

Azaku counted down ... twenty seconds ... ten seconds .... five seconds ... 

He was furious. 

To my suprise I was number 88. Not another man moved a muscle because they didn't have the number 88.

I chose to say something to Azaku. 

"Sir." I said. 

"What?" Azaku said impatiently. 

"I seemed to have lost my number sir."

He came swiftly toward me and stood direclty infront of me staring into my eyes and said calmly and sarcasticly. 

"Oh .. you have lost your number? 

"I see" .. as he pauses.

I was looking downard and not at him. My adrenaline was bubbling from within my viens. This heart was pumping beats not phsycially possible. I was uncertain and scared. I kept my demeanor in check, and my face was not showing a expression at all. What ever he had for me to endure I was ready and this is what I thought in my mind. Everything became a blur because not a single one of us here knows what happens behind these walls until now. I started to think, "I was built for this" I am a warrior.

"What's the worst he could do to me?"

"Embrace this." My mind giving me postive relfections to endure the scolding I was about to recieve. 

With Azaku arm raised he yells and points at me. "This is a prime example gents!" 

"He will be made a example of and he will endure his punishment" 

"You lousy piece of sh--"

Before he finished he balled his fist up and started to beat me. 

"This is what you get" Azaku yelling and laughing while he is beating me in my stomach.

"You are nothing!" As he yells while he is doing it. Taking his anger out on me because I lost my number. 

I do not scream and just bite my tongue. I am in pain as im beaten. I fall to the floor and he starts to kick and beat the living crap out of me. Other Yorozuya members join and enjoy the beating they can give to me. Kenji was watching in fear as the other men were watching in agony. Nothing but silence in the room except for Azaku enjoying and yelling his fustrations out onto me. As Azaku picks me up after beating me for about five minutes he tells the other Yorouzya members to take me to the "Reckoning Room". 

My eyes barely open and blood spewing from my mouth as they drag my body and as my feet are dragging across the floor I'm thinking to myself what the hell is the reckoning room? After all that, I could care less I just want to rest and sleep off the pain so I can come back to finish the program. I drift off to a slumber. 

The loss of blood made me impaired so now I don't know what is waiting for me down below. 

To be continued.