Nothing but silence filled the air, tension coiling like a spring ready to snap. Sentarō and Tadatoshi stood locked in a fierce standoff, their eyes fixed on each other. This was more than a fight—it was a clash of ideologies. Sentarō believed the weak deserved compassion, that they should never be ridiculed. Tadatoshi, on the other hand, believed weakness demanded punishment, that only the strong deserved to survive.
Two diametrically opposed philosophies, one born of arrogance, the other of humility, now collided at the Police Force entrance exams. Both warriors assumed their stances, muscles tensed, and eyes burning with determination.
"It's already fated for me to pass this exam," Tadatoshi said, his voice calm but dripping with deadly intent. "And since you're going to fail anyway, I will end you and your dream right here."
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them with lightning speed. Sentarō's eyes widened, momentarily stunned by the velocity of his opponent. Tadatoshi swung his Wakizashi downward in a precise, deadly arc.
"WATCH OUT!" Reiko shouted, diving forward and shoving Sentarō to the side just in time.
SWISH!
Tadatoshi's blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing him, but he wasted no time.
THUD!
A devastating straight left kick slammed into Reiko's stomach, sending her flying backward.
"REIKO!!" Sentarō yelled, horror flashing across his face.
"You were distracted," Tadatoshi called coldly, dashing toward Sentarō as he readied his next attack. A horizontal slash followed, but Sentarō ducked just in time. Tadatoshi's follow-up knee struck sharply, snapping Sentarō into the air and slamming him down onto the ground. Dust and debris erupted around him, marking the sheer force of the blow.
Tadatoshi stood above him, eyes sharp and merciless, his expression radiating disgust.
"Not only are you weak," he sneered, "you are a disgrace to all samurai."
"After kicking that lady, you had the chance to at least graze me with your sword..." Tadatoshi continued, circling Sentarō like a predator. "...but instead, you chose to worry about her, wasting that opportunity."
He stopped directly in front of Sentarō, eyes burning with contempt. "You get angry at me for being cruel, but at least I can defend my convictions." He spread both arms horizontally. "Having beliefs but not defending them is the truest definition of weakness..." He dropped his arms, leaning closer, his voice like a razor. "...and you, you are even worse than those who have none at all."
"Is that truly what you believe?" Sentarō asked, struggling to stand. "If so, you are no different from the bandit you fought."
Hearing this, Tadatoshi's blood boiled. Veins throbbed beneath his skin, yet his face remained eerily calm. "I think I've heard enough," he hissed. "You're so weak I don't even want to know your name."
With a blur of motion, Tadatoshi closed the distance again in a flash of Shunpū, drawing both of his swords. "Have a taste of my power, TWO-SWORD STYLE!!," he declared, aligning his blades in parallel.
"Nijū Shizan!!" (Twin Layered Death Slice).
CLANG!!
Sparks flew as Tadatoshi's devastating strike collided with a sheathed sword. Dust erupted in a mini shockwave as Shimizu Ryōtarō effortlessly blocked the attack.
"The exam instructor? What is he doing here? Did he just stop my attack with his sheathed sword? How…?" Tadatoshi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Both of you are to stand down," Ryōtarō commanded, his voice firm and resolute. "Since the issue couldn't be resolved before, you are to cease fighting and proceed with today's exam."
Tadatoshi paused, his glare fixed on Sentarō. Then, with a snarl only barely restrained, he sheathed his swords and stepped back into the crowd, clearly affected by what Sentarō had said.
Breathing heavily, Sentarō dashed to Reiko's side. "Are you okay?" he asked, worry etched across his features.
"No need," Reiko replied, dusting herself off. "A kick like that isn't enough to bring me down."
The commotion had drawn the attention of the other candidates, but order was quickly restored. Ryōtarō climbed the raised platform, his presence commanding silence.
"ALRIGHT! NOW THAT THE COMMOTION HAS BEEN DEALT WITH, IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO THE EXAMS!" he bellowed.
"MAYONAKA FOREST LIES A SHORT DISTANCE FROM HERE, AND IT WILL BE THE SITE OF YOUR TEST!" He pointed northeast. "The trees are so dense that once inside, it will seem like the dead of night!"
"The exam is simple," he continued, voice echoing across the courtyard. "All you have to do is survive for two days!"
Relief washed over many of the candidates.
"Just two days," murmured one male candidate.
"This is going to be easy," a female candidate said.
"I thought it would be harder," another male candidate added.
Ryōtarō's grin widened. "For those two days, your goal is survival—but you will not be alone! Within the forest are exactly four hundred criminals, all marked for death two days from now."
The revelation hit the candidates like a thunderclap. Silence fell, punctuated by gasps and whispers.
"But your objective does not change," Ryōtarō continued, his voice firm. "Survive by any means necessary—you may not even need to kill!"
A few brave candidates exhaled, relief flickering in their eyes. But Ryōtarō was not finished. "BUT! The criminals have been given a condition. Should they succeed in delivering the bodies of three candidates, they will be pardoned and set free!"
Fear gripped the courtyard like a vice. Candidates whispered frantic warnings to one another.
"Oh no… I'm going to die," one panicked young man muttered under his breath.
Despair spread like wildfire among the crowd. Yet a small handful—Sentarō, Reiko, and Tadatoshi included—remained unafraid, their eyes alight with anticipation rather than terror.
"HAHAHAHAHA!! THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN!!" Tadatoshi shouted, his voice ringing with excitement.
"Hey, Sentarō," Reiko said, a grin stretching across her face, "I know I don't like him, but I agree with him."
"Yeah, me too!" Sentarō replied, exhilaration shining in his eyes.
"So will you kill to survive and achieve your goals or die trying!" Ryōtarō yelled
All three shared a single expression—pure, confident joy. It was the face of warriors ready to face impossible odds, unshaken by fear, their hearts dancing with anticipation for the challenges that awaited in Mayonaka Forest.