Some time later, Hanzo had just arrived at a busy street. It was full of bars.

Why did sensei ask us to meet here? There’s nothing but bars. And to make things worse, she’s late as usual.

Suddenly, her loud laughter echoed from somewhere nearby. Hearing it, Hanzo followed the sound, trying to locate her. The laughter led him to one of the bars.

There she was, sitting at the counter, drinking and laughing with strangers.

Annoyed, Hanzo stormed in and grabbed his sensei by the arm, dragging her outside.

“We agreed to meet here and you used it as an excuse to drink?”

“But you were taking too long! Who told you to be late?” said Aoi, clearly drunk.

“I wasn’t late! You just got here early so you could start drinking!”

“I wasn’t drinking… I was… looking for another candidate!”

“Looking for a candidate in a bar? Come up with a better lie… wait, what do you mean another candidate?”

“Duh! For the Arena. Each captain must present at least two candidates. So far, I only have you. If I can’t find another one, you won’t be able to compete.”

“What!?” Hanzo exclaimed, stunned. “And you’re only telling me this now? The Arena is tomorrow! Where are we supposed to find another candidate at this point?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know! If I knew, I wouldn’t be searching in bars, would I?”

“Why not check the academies!?”

“The active captains have probably already combed through them. And also, they wouldn’t let a dropout like me snoop around. I still believe we’ll find someone outside the academy who wants to enter the Arena, just chill.”

“Usually, people who want to enter the Arena stay in the academy to prepare for it!”

“But I found you outside the academy, didn’t I?”

“That’s different. When my brother started getting sick, we left the academy. And since everyone there knew me and my brother, I couldn’t go back or they’d find out my secret.”

“Oh, stop whining and help me search. Let’s go!”

She started pulling Hanzo by the arm, but he didn’t budge.

“Sensei, that way’s just more bars,” Hanzo said, frowning.

“Oh, right… then let’s go the other way!” she said, embarrassed and grinning.

And the two of them walked off.

 

***     

 

At the headquarters, in a room full of papers and files, sat an old man dressed in a samurai kimono. He was in charge of administrative affairs at the base.

He held a document in his hand. In front of him, there was someone standing quietly.

“To join the Special Unit, one must pass the Arena. That’s the only rule,” the old man stated firmly.

Hearing that, the person sighed in disappointment.

It was Meme Bizarrime — a 15-year-old girl. She was skinny, short, and carried herself with a timid posture, always looking down. She had long purple hair with bangs covering her eyes.

She wore a dark purple samurai kimono and had a katana at her waist. Over that, she wore a short shoulder cape and matching dark purple gloves.

“But I heard there are special candidates who enter the Special Unit without passing the Arena…” Meme insisted in a soft, desperate voice.

“Yes, as you said… special candidates. That means people with such exceptional skill they don’t need to fight in the Arena. So far, only those with purple blood or from the Kamui Clan have earned that privilege.”

“Please, sir. I can be very useful with my ability. The Special Unit might need someone like me for infiltration missions.”

“That’s what the First Division is for. Any kind of power is useful there. But to actually join the Special Unit, you must pass the Arena.”

“With my ability, I can’t fight in the Arena. I’d be humiliated, massacred in front of everyone. I've already endured enough humiliation during all my years at the academy for having a useless combat power…” she confessed, sorrowfully.

“Anyone who passes the Arena has the right to join the Special Unit, regardless of their ability.”

“I thought that by writing this report describing all the possible uses for my ability in special missions, they’d let me in…”

“Sorry, but the only place you can show those uses is in the Arena… not on a piece of paper.”

“Understood… Excuse me,” she said, dejected.

She walked out, deeply saddened. When she opened the door to leave, she came face to face with Hanzo, who had just arrived.

She passed by him and left.

Hanzo entered the room. He walked up to the old man at the desk.

“Yes, boy. Go ahead.”

“I’m Hanzo Hakai, from the Village of Cards.”

“That small village on State land. We have two project proposals for that area: one for a warehouse of medical equipment, another for weapons. The soldiers will need them for the Great War.”

“I understand. We received the proposal that if I passed the Arena and joined the Special Unit, those construction projects would be moved to another place and the village could remain.”

“Yes, I remember that case. Let me find your file.”

The old man searched through the documents while Hanzo waited with visible anxiety.

The man returned to the desk with a file in hand and examined it.

“So, you’ve turned 15?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let me see your card.”

Hanzo handed him a card. The man examined it carefully.

“Very well, boy. If you pass the Arena tomorrow, your village will be saved through the service you’ll provide in the Special Unit. You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir! Excuse me.”

Hanzo turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Hanzo froze, uneasy. He turned slowly.

“Yes…?”

“Let me see the line on your hand.”

Hanzo calmly raised his hand and revealed the scar on his palm. The old man stared at it closely, intrigued, but Hanzo maintained his composure.

 

***         

 

Meme walked down the hallway of the headquarters, sad and discouraged.

What was I thinking, believing I could convince them to let me into the Special Unit without passing the Arena? Now my only strategy has failed. And worse, I bragged to everyone that I was going to make it in…

That’s what Meme was thinking when suddenly she bumped straight into Aoi’s breasts — the woman was drunk, holding a bottle of wine in one hand.

“Girl, watch where you're going, or you'll get crushed by these two giants,” Aoi said with a teasing smile, pointing at her own breasts.

“Sorry…” Meme replied, looking down, her face full of sorrow.

“Hey, girl… what’s with that face?”

“It’s nothing. Excuse me!” Meme said softly and started to walk away.

“Wait! I’m waiting for my candidate. While he’s gone, you can talk to me. I’m not great at giving advice, but I’m a good listener.”

Meme paused, thought for a moment… then decided to talk. They both sat down.

“I wanted to join the Special Unit, but they didn’t let me…”

“Of course they didn’t,” Aoi cut her off. “You’re alone. It has to be two candidates and a captain to represent them. But lucky for you… here I am! You can join my team!” she said, cheerful.

“No! Wait… you didn’t understand. It was because my ability is useless in combat.”

“What’s your ability?”

“Body manipulation: I can transform, reshape, and distort my body however I want and change my form or appearance.”

“Yeah… that’s pretty useless in a fight. No point in turning into someone else if the one taking damage is still you.”

“Exactly…” Meme replied, disheartened.

Just then, Hanzo arrived, looking excited.

“Sensei! It all worked out. All I have to do now is show up to the Arena, pass, and save my village.”

“Great! Guess what? I found our second candidate!” Aoi exclaimed, practically bursting with joy.

Hanzo and Meme both looked at her, puzzled.

“Her!” said Aoi, beaming as she pointed straight at Meme.

“What!? Were you not listening to a word I said!?” Meme asked, confused.

“Sensei… looks like she doesn’t want to,” Hanzo said awkwardly.

“Too late for that now! She bumped into my boobs… that’s binding!” Aoi said without hesitation.

“Sensei… that’s not how you convince someone to fight in the Arena.”

“Oh, right… Let me say something wise. Let me think…” she paused to think, then with a dramatic expression, she said: “‘any ability is dangerous in the hands of a genius’… how about that?”

Those words caught Meme off guard. From the look on her face, it was clear they had struck a chord deep within her.

“Whoa, sensei. That was actually pretty good,” Hanzo said, clearly impressed.

Meanwhile, Meme was overcome with emotion. With her expression now firm and determined, she declared:

“I’m in!” Hanzo and Aoi looked at her, stunned. “I’ll fight in the Arena.”

“Seriously?” Hanzo asked, incredulous.

“Yes. Those words made me realize… the problem was never my ability… it was me. I’ll fight in the Arena. And I’ll win,” Meme replied motivated.

Out of nowhere, Aoi sprinted off at full speed.

“Where are you going, sensei?”

“To register you both before she changes her mind!” she shouted back as she ran.

Hanzo then sat down next to Meme.

“I’m Hanzo. Hanzo Hakai.”

“Meme. Meme Bizarrime.”

“They say that training one kick over and over will make you better than someone who trained many kicks just once. What I mean is… it’s not about the ability, but it’s how well you master it that makes it dangerous.”

“My ability may not be dangerous. But I know how to use it with mastery. So I’ll make it dangerous. Starting tomorrow, in the Arena.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

“And you? What’s your ability?” Meme asked, curious.

“Can you keep a secret?” Meme nodded silently. “I don’t have elemental blood. So… I have no special powers.”

“This team’s worse than I thought…” Meme muttered. “So the only one with actual powers is the sensei!?”

“Actually… she lost her powers.”

“WHAT!?” Meme yelled, horrified.