From the back rows, Raito stretched his neck with a light crack, watching the others with faint amusement.

“Well,” Rikuya said, tugging on his glasses, “looks like this year’s batch is already trembling.”

Mitsuru lazily leaned on one leg. “Or maybe they’re just thinking hard. Big difference.”

Raito gave a half-smirk. “Either way, only the strong’ll last past stage one. Guess we’ll see who’s bluffing.”

Aoi turned to the girl beside her, “Hey, I wanted to ask… where’s your bag?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh that? Don’t worry, I kept it safe in one of the lockers before I came looking for you earlier.” Ayane smirked.

“Hm, alright.” she replied, turning her head toward Asuka and the others as they conversed amongst themselves. Ayane grinned, leaning closer to Aoi’s side.

“Worried about your snacks, huh?” she teased, as Aoi rolled her eyes, nudging her aside gently.

“That’s not it,” she lied, earning a small chuckle from Ayane. Suddenly, the speakers crackled again, and a voice boomed from them.

“All first-years, report to the field. Endurance Stage One begins in twenty minutes.” That was it. No fanfare. No prep talk. Just the blunt call to action.

Ayane stiffened. “Twenty minutes?! We’re really jumping right in…”

Aoi nodded. “Let’s not waste time.”

The sea of students slowly turned, streaming toward the field—a wide-open training zone carved out like a miniature war field. A series of obstacle courses, climbing structures, and rope swings framed the perimeter. Instructors and senior students stood scattered around, clipboards in hand, some smirking, others entirely blank-faced.

Shino stood at the front with his laptop, voice echoing through a portable speaker now. “Groupings will be announced shortly. Line up according to your assigned numbers. You will each be given a fitness band to monitor vitals, and your performance will be recorded.”

Aoi stared questionably at the navy-blue band wrapped around her left wrist, the tiny screen of a two-digit number in the middle flickering. Ayane, beside her, visibly tittered as she stared at hers. 

“Wow… the wristbands of all participants of the entrance exams! They look so cool!” she giggled then turned to Aoi. “Hey, what’s your number?”

“76.” Aoi replied, tapping repeatedly on the screen of her wristband while Ayane chuckled.

“Mine’s 77. Guess we’re stuck together.” She smirked, earning a side glance from Aoi.

One of the instructors barked, “First mistake in the course? You’re out. Anyone trying to cheat or assist others? Immediate disqualification.”

Rikuya glanced sideways at Raito and Mitsuru. “Guess we won’t be partnered this round.”

“Nope,” Mitsuru replied, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Just you, the mud, and whatever hell they’ve built into this place.”

Aoi tightened her laces and looked toward the jagged wall climb towering at the far end. Ayane glanced over and gave her a small grin. “You nervous?”

Aoi gave a faint shrug. “More like... focused.”

Ayane beamed. “That’s the spirit!”

With a small smirk, Raito’s gaze locked on the wall climb. “I’ll show him…” he breathed, his eyes alight with resolve. Minutes ticked by as the first-years warmed up, stretching and talking amongst themselves. Ayane stretched her arms above her head, exhaling a soft sigh.

“Ah, warming up feels great. Don’t want to be stiff for this!”

“Hm,” Aoi murmured, stretching her own arms behind her. Ayane’s eyes drifted around, taking in the other students, when a quiet gasp escaped her. Her eyes widened, practically sparkling as she muffled a squeal. Aoi, noticing her reaction, raised an eyebrow, let her hands fall, and followed Ayane’s star-struck gaze to the far end of the field.

“What’s up?” Aoi asked, her own gaze following Ayane’s to a familiar feminine figure with silver hair, eyes closed as she stretched.

“There’s no doubt about it. Silver hair... violet eyes. I can’t believe she’s actually here~” Ayane tittered; her fists balled close to her star-struck face. “Mei Xue…”

“Mei Xue?” Aoi repeated, her curiosity piqued.

“Huh-hunh!” Ayane nodded vigorously, pulling out her notebook and flipping through the pages. “She’s from the Xue clan! They’re absolutely famous—more like a legend! Masters of the Harmonized Way. They mediate peace, not wage war. The name “Xue” is Mandarin Chinese for ‘snow,’ and their techniques... stories speak of impossible grace. The Xue family is renowned across Asia, especially in the interconnected worlds of martial arts and esoteric knowledge. For generations, they've been famous for so many fighting techniques and methods. I wish I could just walk up to her and ask a million questions!” she practically bounced, stars in her eyes.

“Wow. That’s quite a bit,” Aoi remarked, her lavender eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl’s retreating back; her hair a flowing cascade.

“I’m curious what she’s doing here in Sokyoshi, though. My intel’s a bit sparse, but I heard she relocated here about two years ago,” Ayane continued, diligently noting in her book. “Once I knew she was in town, I desperately wanted to meet her, but she vanishes like smoke. I can never pinpoint where she lives. It’s almost like... she’s operating under the radar.” She sighed, tucking her notebook into her jacket.

A slight smirk curved Aoi's lips. She looked from Ayane to the now distant figure. Just like me, huh? She mused.

A loud buzzer suddenly rang out. The lineups began moving forward. Students began running to begin the first phase of the Endurance Evaluation: a brutal stamina gauntlet involving speed, balance, reflexes, and raw willpower.

“That was kind of quick,” Ayane blurted, her hands on her hips.

“Yeah. Try to keep up,” Aoi stated blankly, zooming past Ayane who stared at her in shock. Her look of surprise morphed into a smirk as she picked on her heels. The first stage… had finally begun.