The day of the Trials arrived, cloaked in a heavy silence.

Standing before the gathered five hundred samurai, General Hyosei revealed the true purpose of the event.

“For centuries, this sacred test had served one purpose: to unearth a courageous heart to take on the duties of a Yaibasho.”

Hyosei drew the Soulborn Relic from his waist and raised it before the five hundred samurai.

“And to find the one soul, worthy of wielding the Edge of the Glacial Vow, the clan’s ancestral and sacred odachi.”

The crowd stood silent as Hyosei declared, his voice steady as iron.

"But know this: the blade is not a mere tool to be claimed by force.”

Hyosei paused to stare at the participants.

“It is a dormant spirit. The winner shall bear the title, but only the sword itself can decide if it will grant its true, sacred power."

“Some of you may awaken your own true power—the ability to weave the elements at will.”

The general began pacing.

“Yet, such gifts are merely a whisper in the wind compared to your true duty. Your strength is not found in magic, but in your unwavering commitment to Yaiba-Tsutsumi."

Asatsuyu stepped in, voice cold as ice but loud as the crashing waves.

“I shall now explain the outline of the Trials.”

The Vice General continued.

“The Trials will consist of the following: Elimination, the Race, the Survival, and finally, the Battle Stage.”

“We will begin at dawn.”

Hyosei delivered the final words.

…

A single, resonant bell echoed across the training grounds, signaling the start of the Elimination Stage.

Hyosei’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“Each of you shall look for a partner. If you find yourself unable to pair with someone, do not fret; you only need to answer a special challenge.”

Haruki, stiff with reluctance, signaled for his loyal comrade, Ishito.

Eiji paired with Seiya, and Nobutaka linked arms with Nadare.

“Is anyone left without a partner?”

Silence…

Hyosei then turned to the high-ranking blades, each of them holding a basket of paper.

“A piece of paper shall be handed to each of you. But you shall not read its contents until I say so.”

Hyosei commanded, his tone allowing no objections.

"A question is written on each piece, and you shall keep your answer in silence. Any word spoken, any shift of posture, or any flicker of emotion will result in immediate disqualification."

After the papers had been given to everyone, Hyosei stepped forward.

“You may open and read your paper.”

Eiji took his paper with steady hands, but his heart hammered against his ribs.

“Are you willing to eliminate your partner?”

Hyosei gestured toward the heavy oak table at the front of the courtyard, where a single, ornate pen rested beside a sacred glass jar.

"When you’re ready, use the pen provided and place your answer within the jar."

The general’s voice carried over the quiet assembly.

One by one, the apprentices stepped forward and wrote the answer on their paper.

The moment a paper slipped into the glass jar, it burst into blue flames, reduced to ashes before it could even settle.

Haruki betrayed no weakness, though his jaw was locked in tight annoyance; Eiji’s fingers felt like lead, his nerves humming like a plucked bowstring.

When the last wisp of smoke faded into the air, the courtyard held its collective breath.

Hyosei’s gaze swept over the ranks like a winter wind.

"Any second now," the general murmured,

"A blue mark will ignite upon the paws of the chosen. If it appears, step forward."

Slowly, figures began to detach from the formation.

The apprentices stared at their paws in awe as they flared with a spectral blue glow.

One by one, they stepped toward the outer edge of the courtyard until more than half the field had emptied.

Eiji stared down at his own paws; clear, clean, and entirely unmarked.

He sighed.

"No mark. Now that's a relief."

"I just couldn't vote Seiya out. She was so eager to join."

Then Eiji remembered Hyosei's words from the night before, spoken in the quiet shadows of the estate.

"Knowing you, I know you won't participate in the Sacred Rite."

"But please reconsider."

"And I believe you'll pass the first round." Hyosei smiled.

Eiji frowned, wondering if his foster father had misjudged him entirely.

He glanced sideways and saw Seiya standing beside him, her paws just as bare as his own.

"Hey,"

Eiji whispered, leaning in with a crease in his brow.

"You didn't make the cut either?"

"Dumbass, just watch," she shot back, her voice a low hiss.

Confused, Eiji scanned across the remaining crowd.

Standing beside them, their paws equally unmarked, were Nobutaka, Nadare, Ishito... and even Haruki.

“What is happening…”

When the last glowing hand stepped clear of the group, Hyosei gave his verdict.

His voice dropped to a ringing finality.

"Those who are marked..."

Hyosei paused.

Not a single soul moved.

"...may leave."

"Your trial is over."

Silence gripped the courtyard.

For two agonizing heartbeats, nobody moved, nobody breathed.

Then, as the true weight of the words crashed down upon the remaining apprentices, a loud cheer broke through the ranks.

But Eiji remained frozen, his mind spinning in a haze of bewilderment.

Seiya rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"You really are an idiot, huh?"

"Don't you get it?"

Nobutaka chimed in, a grin splitting his face despite the tension.

"We all had the same question. The blue mark meant judgment! It branded the ones who chose to sacrifice their partners."

Eiji stood rooted to the frozen ground, his breath catching in his throat as the cruel, brilliant simplicity of the trial finally took hold.

"Attention!"

Hyosei’s voice cracked like a whip, and the remaining apprentices snapped into a razor-sharp line.

"Congratulations to those who refused to abandon their comrades,"

The general announced, his gaze sweeping over the survivors.

He then shifted his gaze to the group of eliminated participants, his expression hardening with disappointment.

"As for those who faltered, your choice reveals your character. You will face a punishment befitting your betrayal when the Sacred Rite concludes."

The celebration died instantly as Hyosei continued.

"For the second phase, you will be divided into two factions: the Stone Team and the Water Team. Vice General Asatsuyu will distribute your headbands, yellow for Stone, blue for Water."

Slowly, the Vice General moved down the line, handing out the colored cloth.

As the groups formed, a strange pattern emerged.

Eiji, Seiya, Nobutaka, Nadare, Ishito, and Haruki found themselves standing together, all adorned in the yellow bands of the Stone Team.

A flicker of calculation... or perhaps irony... touched Hyosei's lips.

Haruki’s pride flared instantly. He stepped forward, his posture rigid.

"General, I request to be transferred to the Water Team."

Hyosei’s reply was instantaneous and absolute.

"No."