The Police Force Entrance Exams — the trial that separated those who merely dreamed of justice from those strong enough to fight for it.
It was the exam Sentarō had trained for these past five years, and the same exam that kept both Ujiyuki and Shigekatsu on edge.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a cold breeze swept through, brushing against the walls of Ujiyuki's home. Night fell quietly, but unlike other nights, this one felt heavy. There was something in the air — thick, invisible, and suffocating.
Anxiety.
Two long weeks had passed since Sentarō's test against the bear, and now the day of the entrance exam loomed just hours away. None of them could sleep. Instead, they prepared.
"Hey, kid! Come here!" Ujiyuki's voice echoed through the quiet house.
Sentarō stepped into the main room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Ujiyuki sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, dressed in a royal purple kimono. Beside him sat Shigekatsu in blue, sipping tea with his usual calm demeanor.
In front of them lay two neatly folded pieces of clothing, a sealed envelope, and a long, cloth-wrapped object. Sentarō eyed the items curiously but kept silent — he knew better than to interrupt Ujiyuki's ritual-like seriousness.
Ujiyuki studied Sentarō for a moment, immediately noticing the tension behind his eyes. "You couldn't sleep either, huh?"
Sentarō scratched the back of his head, forcing a small grin. "Yeah… can't really relax when the exam's tomorrow."
"Sit down, kid," Shigekatsu said gently, gesturing to the mat. "Let's talk about tomorrow."
Sentarō obeyed, settling between them.
Ujiyuki picked up the letter and tapped it against his palm. "Alright. As you know, the entrance exam is tomorrow morning. After sending the letter of recommendation, we received this from the exam officials."
Shigekatsu nodded. "It includes your candidate number and exam location."
Sentarō's heart skipped a beat. The first real step toward his dream — right there in that envelope.
But confusion quickly crossed his face. "Wait… what do you mean by my location?"
"Let me handle this one, nii-san," Shigekatsu said before Ujiyuki could answer. He leaned forward, tone calm but serious. "Like I told you before, the exam is dangerous. There are over a thousand candidates this year."
"WHAT?!" Sentarō's jaw dropped. "A thousand?!"
"Keep it down, you idiot," Ujiyuki snapped, glancing toward the paper-thin walls. "It's the middle of the night."
"Sorry," Sentarō muttered, shrinking a bit.
Shigekatsu chuckled lightly before continuing. "Anyway, because of the sheer number of applicants, it's impossible to hold one centralized exam. So, candidates are distributed across multiple divisions — each one hosting its own trial."
"I see…" Sentarō nodded slowly, processing the information.
"Good. Now listen carefully," Ujiyuki said, straightening up. "You've been assigned as Candidate 103. Your location is the fourth division"
"The Fourth Division! Where's that?" Sentarō interrupted.
"Stop cutting me off, you damn brat!" Ujiyuki's voice cracked, his face twitching in irritation.
"Calm down, nii-san. He's just curious," Shigekatsu said with a teasing smile.
Sentarō looked between them, unsure if they were about to argue or start sparring.
Shigekatsu turned back to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're lucky, Sentarō. The Fourth Division is located in my home district."
Before he could elaborate, Ujiyuki interrupted again, voice edged with annoyance. "Can you two finish up? It's late, and I plan to sleep soon."
Shigekatsu gave him a comically dark glare. "Nii-san, you do realize it's rude to interrupt people mid-sentence?"
"I know," Ujiyuki replied flatly, unfazed. "But you two are leaving early tomorrow, and he'll need his rest. Unlike you, I actually care about punctuality."
That earned a grin from Shigekatsu. "Once again, Ujiyuki nii-san proves me wrong."
Ujiyuki sighed dramatically but turned his attention back to Sentarō. "Alright, listen carefully, kid. The letter has the official approval seal — that's your only way into the exam grounds. But don't worry, Shigekatsu will handle it for you."
He handed the envelope to Shigekatsu, who nodded solemnly.
"Next," Ujiyuki continued, picking up the folded clothes, "this is your Zoroye. I chose it specifically for you." He handed the outfit to Sentarō. "It has my signature stitched on the sleeve. That mark will let the examiners know you were trained by me."
Sentarō held it carefully, like it was something sacred. "Thank you, Ujiyuki-san."
Shigekatsu chuckled. "Not that it really matters, nii-san. The letter already proves he's your student."
"Shut it, Shigekatsu!" Ujiyuki snapped, his eyebrow twitching.
"Hahaha, fine, fine," Shigekatsu said, raising his hands in mock surrender.
Ujiyuki sighed and picked up the last object — the stick-like figure wrapped in brown cloth. He held it out for Sentarō. "And this… is your final gift."
Sentarō blinked. "What is it?"
"Find out yourself."
Hesitantly, he took the wrapped item and began to unravel the cloth.
The dull gleam of metal caught the light — a katana. Its handle was matte black, and the blade a muted silver, worn but strong. It wasn't flashy or ceremonial. It was practical. Real.
Sentarō's face lit up like a child receiving his first toy. "A real sword! I can't believe it!"
Shigekatsu laughed. "You're that excited over an old katana?"
"Of course I am!" Sentarō grinned, holding it reverently. "Now I have everything I need to pass the exams!"
Ujiyuki's tone hardened. "Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. The exams aren't that simple."
The air shifted. Even Shigekatsu's playful expression grew grim.
"Ujiyuki nii-san is right," Shigekatsu said quietly. "Out of every thousand candidates, at least six hundred die during the exam."
Sentarō froze. "Six hundred…? That's insane."
"That's the reality," Ujiyuki said sternly. "If you want to fight for justice, you have to be ready to face death. These exams are designed to weed out the weak — physically and mentally."
Sentarō's hands trembled slightly as he held the sword, but then… he smiled. "I don't know why," he said softly, "but after hearing all that, I feel even more excited."
Ujiyuki blinked, startled by the boy's words.
"I'm not afraid anymore," Sentarō continued, voice steady. "I've trained for this. I've bled for this. If six hundred die… then I'll be one of the ones who live."
For a moment, silence filled the room. Then Shigekatsu burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Ujiyuki nii-san, this kid's got spirit!"
Ujiyuki grinned widely, pride gleaming in his eyes. "ALRIGHT, KID! I believe in you!"
Sentarō stood tall, gripping his new sword. "JUST YOU WAIT! I'M GONNA CRUSH THAT EXAM!"
"WILL YOU TWO KEEP IT DOWN?!" Shigekatsu shouted, though even his stern voice couldn't hide the smile creeping onto his face.
Their laughter and bickering echoed through the quiet night, breaking through the heavy tension that had filled the air.
For that moment, it wasn't anxiety that surrounded them — it was determination.
Tomorrow would mark the start of Sentarō's journey into the world of samurai.
And no matter how dangerous it would be, he was ready to face it head-on.