Axel watched as the four captains sat on their golden chairs, each radiating power in their own way.

The first captain was a man with a hood over his head. His face was hidden, except for an expressionless smile.
He carried himself mysteriously, as if hiding his true self.

The second captain was a woman with long black hair. She wore a crimson long dress that matched the red of her eyes.
She sat slouched back in her chair, exuding arrogance.

The third captain was a young man with blond hair, having a grand smile with a friendly gaze.

As for the last captain, he was a bearded man with messy black hair and a battle scar across his cheek.
He sat silently, his dark gaze piercing the air, as though he could see straight into anyone's soul.

The disciple selection began.

The first-place candidate, named Damian, stepped forward.
Three captains raised their hands, all except the bearded man.
They offered him a place by their side, promising fame, money, and glory.

Whispers spread instantly because Damian bowed politely.

"I'm honored… but I must decline all the offers."

Gasps echoed through the stadium. The captains exchanged looks — shocked but slightly impressed by his confidence.


The second-place candidate, Sol, stepped up.
Two captains made offers, one of them the crimson-eyed woman. Sol didn't hesitate.

"I'll go with Madam Camellia," he said with a grin.

The crowd cheered as he stepped back in line.


The third participant, Han, received two offers, one from the bearded captain this time.
After a moment of thought, he accepted the offer from the blond-haired captain instead.


The fourth is a girl named Luna with long red hair. She recieved offers from three captains.
The crimson captain Camellia added softly to her offer,

"Your brother Sol, is already my disciple. So I need you as well."

Without hesitation, she chose Captain Camellia offer.


And then… Axel.

He stepped forward calmly, waiting for one of the captains to raise their hand.

Seconds passed..

Then another...

No one moved.

The silence was deafening, but the commentator's voice broke it.

"Well… that concludes the disciple selection! Let's give our top five participants a round of applause!"

The stadium roared. For Axel, it was a relief as he stepped back in line.



Later, in the grand hall of the stadium, Hector awaited Axel and Gini's arrival.
When he saw Axel walking towards him, he screamed with excitement.

"Congratulations, my brother! Top five, that's no small feat."

Axel sighed. "Thanks. Could've gone worse."

Hector raised a brow, pulling him closer. "Did you use your SINISA on that muscular guy?"

"No," Axel smirked faintly. "I used something called logic."

Hector frowned, "Logic?"

"I figured you wouldn't know what that is." Axel said laughing.

Hector laughed as well while shaking his head.
Axel thought to himself, "it was just a liver shot… any human receiving such a blow would've been in pain."

While lost in thought, something came from behind, startling Axel.
But it was just Gini.

"Did you pass?" Axel asked.

Gini nodded and Hector laughed while grabbing Axel's shoulders.

"This kid's good at sneaking — pops outta nowhere like a ghost! As you just saw, hahaha! But he is not as strong as you, though."

Axel smirked, showing a bag full of gold coins.

"Well, landing in the top five rewarded me with some extra money at least."


The three walked through the city square afterward, picking supplies at the market for dinner.
Hector tried to bargain with a vendor, but failed. Then he tried again with another.
Axel chuckled while looking around the market until he noticed a narrow alley leading off the main street.

Something about it caught his attention.
Without a word, he slipped away.
Gini noticed him walking away, but stayed quiet.
Moments later, Hector turned after his first succesfull bargain.

"See that— wait, where's Axel?"
Gini shrugged.



Axel followed the winding alleys until he reached a small door. A weathered sign read: SUPER Blacksmith.
He pushed it open. Inside was chaos, piles of metal, scraps of armor and dust everywhere.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

A bald, bearded man with a bandana appeared from behind a pile of junk, rubbing his eyes.

"Huh? Oh! A new customer? That never happend before."

Axel smiled faintly. "I'm looking for a dagger of high quality."

"You've come to the right place. But quality comes at a price." the man replied with a grin.

Axel placed his coin pouch on the counter. "Just give me the best you've got."

The man's eyes widened, sparkling briefly before he coughed and composed himself again.

"That's… a lot of money. Where'd you get it?"

"I competed in the Fresh Blood Tournament this year," Axel replied.

"Oh really?" The man chuckled. "To get this much, you must've ranked high. Let's see what I can find for you. Follow me."

Axel followed the man as they stepped through the mess in the shop, but then the man slipped on some tools and fell.
Axel helped him up. As he did, a chain slipped from under the man's shirt.
A strange symbol hung from it.

"Your necklace fell out," Axel said while pointing at it.

The man's eyes widened briefly before he tucked it under his shirt, laughing awkwardly.

"Ah, that old thing. Don't worry about it."

Axel tilted his head. "That symbol… it's the letter Yaz, isn't it? Are you—"

Before he could finish, two long blades rested coldly against Axel's neck.
The man's expression changed completely. No longer lazy or friendly, but deadly serious instead.
He opened his mouth and asked in a low-pitched voice:

"Who sent you, kid?"