The next day, at the military headquarters' central command building, Grey was standing in line with a crowd of other young men looking to enlist as soldiers. He took in the large, tall youth lined up in front of him, then glanced back to see another guy who looked just as massive.
"Looks like we're the smallest ones here by a mile… ugh, I hate the smell of all these dudes," Gizelle muttered in Grey's head.
"Shut up. Even if we're smaller, our strength is right up there with theirs," Grey replied with forced optimism.
"Yup, you got that right, Big Brother," Gizelle conceded.
Grey then glanced around and noticed quite a few girls also lining up to enlist—some looked absolutely ripped, and others looked terrified, as if they were being forced.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" Gizelle challenged.
"Just seeing that girls are signing up too," Grey replied.
"Of course they are. We ladies want to fight just as much, you know, Big Brother," Gizelle shot back.
"Okay, okay… just looking," Grey said, turning his attention back to the front of the line.
The line moved forward. A youth, no bigger than Grey and actually thinner, stood before a stern-looking senior officer. The officer took a file from the young man and read it carefully, then shook his head.
"Son, is your goal in becoming a soldier just to chase money?" the officer asked.
"That's right, sir," the young man replied loudly.
"Hmph. You should really find work in another field. You don't belong here. Everyone who comes here must be prepared to go to the front lines and fight on the battlefield without a thought for their life, all to defend the country. If your only goal is money, you really shouldn't be here," the officer stated.
"B-but, I can't get a job… my last boss turned out to be a Shifter... I need this job, sir," the young man stammered.
"I'm telling you this for your own good, son. You have a long future ahead of you, and this isn't your place. You'll definitely find work somewhere else. Now go," the officer said, returning the file to the young man's chest with a firm but kind look on his face.
"B-but, sir," the young man pleaded.
"No buts. Look at yourself—you're skinny and small. You might not even be able to lift a weapon, much less fight in a war. Now leave, don't waste our time here," the officer said, his voice a little sharper, deliberately saying something harsh for the young man's benefit.
"Hahahaha!" All the large, seemingly bully-type youths in the room burst into laughter.
"Silence! This is not something to laugh at! Next!" the officer roared, his voice echoing through the room and instantly shutting up the laughing youths.
Seeing what happened right in front of him, Grey quickly opened the folder in his hands to double-check what he had written.
"Why didn't you just say we're here to hunt the souls in the Shifters and Cherubs, Big Brother?" Gizelle asked.
"Hah… no way I'm writing that down. Don't be ridiculous," Grey replied.
"Next!"
The large young man in front of Grey stepped forward. The officer immediately scanned the youth's body up and down, then took his file and read it carefully. "Klap," he closed the file.
"You're only sixteen years old, son?" the officer asked.
"That's right, sir," the young man replied.
"Alright, son. You'll have to go through two years of military academy training for preparation. Now head out to the next room for your physical exam. You've passed," the officer said, setting the file down and handing the young man a health screening card.
"Thank you, sir," the young man said, giving a sharp salute.
After the officer returned the salute, the youth left the room. "Next!" the officer shouted. Grey took a deep breath, let it out, and stepped forward, standing straight before the officer as he handed over his folder. Naturally, the officer immediately looked Grey over—the long black hair, the muscular but shorter build, the handsome face—as if measuring him with his eyes.
"Hmm… you're small, aren't you," the officer muttered.
Then he opened the folder Grey gave him and carefully read Grey's application form, occasionally looking up at Grey's face as he stood at attention. Suddenly, the officer's eyes fell to Grey's arm, and his hand reached out to squeeze Grey's bicep. A slight smile crossed his face, but it immediately snapped back into a stern look.
"Very well, son. You pass. Head straight to the next room for your physical. You'll be going through a one-year term at the military academy," the officer said without much more conversation, handing Grey the card for his health screening.
As Grey walked out, "Next!" the officer yelled, and Grey briefly turned his head to see a muscular blonde girl stepping forward from the other line. Then he was out of the room. "Huuuuf," Grey let out a massive sigh of relief. He walked to the next room for the physical examination, which also had a line. The large young man who left before him was standing right in front. He turned and saw Grey behind him.
"Oh, you passed too?" he asked.
"Seems like it," Grey replied curtly.
"My name's Marco. What's yours?" the big youth named Marco asked.
"Grey. Nice to meet you, Marco," Grey replied.
"You too, Grey. Hope we end up in the same battalion," Marco said.
"Yeah, I hope so, Marco," Grey answered.
"Tuk… tuk." Grey turned because someone tapped his shoulder. He was surprised to see the fit, muscular blonde girl who had been called up earlier now standing in line behind him.
"Hi, my name's Lana. What's yours?" Lana asked.
"Grey. Nice to meet you, Lana," Grey replied with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, too. And the guy in front of you?" Lana asked.
"Oh, I'm Marco," Marco said, introducing himself and sticking out his hand.
The two shook hands, then started chatting while waiting for the line to move forward for the medical examination. Grey felt confused because Gizelle was silent, especially since Lana, standing next to them, was so beautiful and fit.
"Thank god she's being quiet," Grey thought to himself while answering and talking to his two new friends.
But suddenly, a bright black-and-white light enveloped Grey's body, making Marco and Lana instinctively step back, confused and ready for a fight. They weren't the only ones; every youth lining up immediately tensed up. After the light faded,
"Hello, Lana. I'm Gizelle," Gizelle said, holding out her hand.
"Huh… Gi-Gizelle, you… you're Grey?" Lana asked, confused and shocked.
"Yup, I'm Grey's girl-version. My name's Gizelle, and I wanted to meet you too," Gizelle replied.
"Huh… y-you're really Grey? How is that even possible?" Marco asked.
"Oh, hi, Marco. My name's Gizelle now, and shut up, I'm talking to Lana," Gizelle snapped.
Marco instantly went silent, staring blankly at his new friend who had suddenly turned into a woman. Then, Gizelle's body was again enveloped in the black-and-white light, and she turned back into Grey.
"Huh," Marco and Lana said in unison.
"S-sorry… ha ha ha," Grey stammered, unsure of how to explain the situation.
"Ultimate Double Mode!"
"Hah!"
Grey's body was again covered in light, and suddenly, "What the hell are you doing?! This is too much! Change back now! Why can't you just be a normal sister for once?!" Grey yelled in a voice that was merged with Gizelle's, grabbing the right side of his head—which was Gizelle's head—with his male left hand.
"Shut up, Big Brother! Don't bother me! I wanted to meet her too! You're the one who's not normal!" Gizelle screamed in a similarly merged voice, yanking the left side of Grey's hair with her female right hand.
"Gasp," "Blugh." Several test candidates who saw Grey and Gizelle fused together, now half-and-half, immediately fainted, and the rest stared at them with faces contorted in pure terror. Meanwhile, Marco and Lana instantly backed up, pressing themselves against the wall, frozen, speechless, and mouths agape at the sight of their new friend fighting with himself or herself.