For a moment, absolute silence.
The recruits stared at one another in disbelief.

Then chaos erupted.

“Why, Oku?!” Serbice shouted.
“Why does the white-haired one make it and I don’t?!
This is ridiculous!”

Oku turned, looking at him with contempt.
“The fact that you don’t understand it… only confirms my decision.”

Then he walked away.

Finde remained still.

Katrin was no longer looking at him.

“I’m sorry, Kat…”

Her eyes were glossy.
“Maybe if you had let me fight Jhoanna, I could have proven something.
Instead, you dragged me along like dead weight.
It’s right that Oku is sending me away.”

“Katrin, I....”

“There’s no need, Finde. Don’t say anything.”

She stood up and left.

The hall exploded into cries of anger and tears.
Serbice was almost tearing his hair out, pointing a finger at him.

“You! What did you do to deserve it, huh?
Did you pay Oku?
Bastard!!!”

Finde looked at him, still dazed.
“I… I don’t know.”

He stood up and walked toward the exit.
He passed by Gozen.
He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

“Do you know why I’m happy?” he said.
“Because I’ll get the chance to make you pay…
Very dearly.”

Finde didn’t even look at him.
He walked past and reached his bunk.

The night was long.
Finde lay on his bunk, staring into emptiness.
He felt hollow and alive at the same time.

He had won—but at what cost?
All his teammates had been eliminated.

He thought of Katrin.
Then of his parents.
Of his mother’s smile and the scent of home.

The tears fell without a sound.
For the first time since leaving his planet, he desperately needed his mother’s embrace.

Dawn came.
Silent.

He was awakened by murmurs of farewell drifting in from outside.
In the arena courtyard, the rejected recruits were hugging each other,
leaving with bundles on their backs.

Finde watched them in silence, until Katrin approached him.
“Hey, Finde.”

He lowered his gaze.
“Katrin, I…”

“No, wait. I want to apologize.”
She took his hands in hers.
“I was unfair. It’s not your fault.
You were a true companion.”

Then she hugged him.
“Take care of yourself. And maybe…
We’ll meet again, when you’re a Castorian officer.”

Finde let out a soft laugh.
“It’s more likely we’ll meet again than me becoming an officer.”

They both laughed.
Then she kissed him on the cheek and walked away, toward the desert.

The group faded into a line of dots on the horizon.

Finde remained alone.

I could have been among them, he thought.
Only the future would tell whether staying had truly been a blessing.

After breakfast, Oku walked out of the mess hall, belching.
“Boys, if you want to eat, hurry up.
Atrui’s about to clear everything!”

Finde chased after him.
“Oku! What now? What kind of training do we have today?”

“What you needed to learn, you’ve already learned,” he replied.
“Soon, the ones who will decide your fate will arrive.”

Finde grabbed his arm.
“What do you mean?
I’m still not good enough with a sword, not strong enough....”

“Finde!” Oku snapped.
“Don’t you get it yet?”

“Get what?”

Oku laughed.
“That you’re much stronger than you think.”

Then he walked away.

Finde watched him go, confused.

He entered the mess hall and took a fruit.
He went back outside and sat in the shade.
He was eating in silence when....

“FINDE!!!
It’s been so long!!”

His heart leapt into his throat.

He turned.

“Gladyo! It’s you!”

They embraced.

“Sorry I haven’t come to see you,” Gladyo said.
“We’ve had to neutralize quite a few Singularities lately.”

“Singularities?”
Finde asked.

Gladyo smiled.
“I’ll explain someday. In the meantime…
Congratulations on the tournament!!”

Finde lowered his gaze.
“I don’t know. I’m happy, but… also sad.
Katrin left. And I feel like I failed.”

Gladyo laughed.
“Nonsense. She wasn’t rejected because of you.
The decisions weren’t Oku’s.”

“What do you mean?”

“Castorian warriors are divided into three Companies.
Each Company, in turn, has two squads, each led by a squad leader.
I’m a squad leader of the First Company.
We squad leaders observed the tournament.
Each of us could choose two recruits.
The Third Company selected Jhoanna and Guster.
The Second, Yano and Gozen.
The First Company… chose you.”

“Only me?”

“Exactly.”

“But there were stronger warriors…
Serbice, May....”

Gladyo smiled.
“And yet none of them fought like you.
You stood your ground against Yano and Gozen.
You didn’t give up.
You improvised.
You protected your companions.
That is what matters.”

Finde remained silent.

Gladyo continued:
“On the battlefield, it’s not who hits hardest that wins...
but who stays standing.
The tournament was meant to see who has spirit, ingenuity, and courage.
And you have all three.”

“You understood all that in three hours?” Finde asked, stunned.

Gladyo laughed.
“Real battles last much less.”

Then he grew serious.
“And now… would you like to come to Gommhon with me?”

Finde stared at him.
“I don’t think I’m ready…”

“No one ever is. But you have nothing left to learn here.
From today on… I’ll be your mentor.”

Finde felt something reignite inside him.
“I want to become stronger, Gladyo.
I want to be able to save everyone.”

“Then come with me.”
He handed him a new bracelet.
“Put it on, and touch the symbol on the dial.”

Finde followed the instructions.

A countdown appeared on the small screen: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

A flash.

The world vanished.
Blue light, an energy tunnel pulling him forward.
Then.....
white.

When he opened his eyes, he stood on an immense rocky platform,
suspended between sky and abyss.

Before him rose a majestic temple, surrounded by vast colonnades,
gardens, and inner cloisters.

On the pediment, solemnly engraved:

“First Company.”

Gladyo looked at him, with a smile that tasted of destiny.

“Welcome to the First Company:
Ferus.”