Morning light filtered through the leaves outside Hasib’s window, and somewhere out there a bird had already started up its chattering. His eyes opened slowly.
He splashed water on his face, tore off a piece of bread, dunked it, and ate standing up before heading out the door.
He hadn’t gotten far toward school before he spotted a familiar figure cutting in from a side alley up ahead.
"Hey, Hasib!"
Lio fell into step beside him easily, already talking before Hasib had fully caught up to the conversation...something about how he’d trained harder than anyone else this past week, how there wasn’t a single doubt in his mind about where he’d land today.
Then his eyes landed on Sara up ahead, and without warning he broke into an exaggerated little victory dance, throwing up two fingers toward the sky.
"Today’s the day, Sara! You’re looking at your future top-ranked Cadet!"
Sara didn’t even turn around fully, just enough to fix him with a narrow, unimpressed look. "Keep it down."
No sign of Rocky anywhere, she noted silently, scanning the street ahead.
By the time they reached the school grounds, the courtyard was already packed.
"There he is." Sara spotted Rocky first and made a beeline toward him, Hasib trailing a step behind with Hina, Simon, and Lio close at his heels.
Off to one side, the Principal paced with his notebook in hand, scribbling furiously, occasionally pausing to underline something with theatrical importance. A handful of visiting instructors stood nearby teachers back briefly from field missions elsewhere...while Madam Habi watched over her students with the usual warmth in her expression.
Then Yamin Sir stepped forward, a sheet of paper in hand, and the courtyard fell quiet almost instantly.
"This year’s Cadet Selection results are in," he announced. "In first place...Nimo Hito."
The courtyard erupted into cheers and applause. Rocky’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, teeth grinding together for just a moment before his expression smoothed back over.
"Nimo?" Hina murmured, half to herself.
A tall boy stepped forward, long hair falling loose around a set of traditional, formal robes, a crooked, knowing smile already curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Second place...Rocky Liago."
The moment the surname left Yamin Sir’s mouth, the crowd broke into excited chatter, several voices repeating it back and forth like they couldn’t quite believe it.
Liago...Liago...
Sara’s cheeks colored faintly at the sound of it.
*He’s basically a celebrity,* she thought, watching the way people reacted just to his name.
The names kept coming Lio Venco, Simon Sango, and eventually Hina, Sara, and Tasu were called in turn, each one drawing its own ripple of applause.
Hasib’s stomach twisted tighter with every name that wasn’t his.
Finally, Yamin Sir’s voice cut through again.
"Candidate thirty-two Hasib Yuzo."
For a moment, Hasib’s whole chest seemed to lift at once.
*I made it. I actually made it.*
But the applause was immediately drowned out by a rising chorus of protest from somewhere in the crowd.
"Devil! That’s the devil boy!"
"He shouldn’t even be here..."
Hina turned to him with a small, warm smile despite the noise. "Congratulations, Hasib. Don’t listen to them...they don’t know anything."
"...Thanks, Hina."
She glanced away almost immediately, rubbing her fingers together, a faint flush rising in her cheeks.
The remaining ten names followed in quick succession, ending with Aris Sogo... a boy with bright yellow hair and clothes that looked far too expensive for a school field, flanked by Rohan and Raka.
"And with that," Yamin Sir said, folding the paper closed, "we bring the 42nd Cadet Selection session of Dragoland to a close."
The instructors rose together as one, voices carrying in practiced unison across the courtyard.
"We trust you’ll fight for your nation and your people and carry the name of Dragoland with honor."
"We promise!" the assembled Cadets answered as one.
"Now," Yamin Sir continued, "your training groups."
A ripple of nervous energy moved through the crowd. Beside Hasib, Hina’s lips moved in a silent, hopeful prayer that she might end up in his group. A few feet away, Sara pressed a hand flat against her chest.
*Please don’t let me end up anywhere but Rocky’s group.*
"First group," Yamin Sir read. "Simon Sango, Cham Rengo, Irin Inogo."
Hasib turned to Simon with a rueful grimace. "Bad luck, man. Guess we’re not together."
Simon huffed out a small laugh, disappointment plain on his face. "Seriously? I actually thought we’d end up paired."
A short distance away, Irin’s gaze drifted toward Rocky for a beat too long before catching sight of Sara standing near him, and something in her expression shifted.
"Group B," Yamin Sir went on. "Lio Venco, Nimo Hito, Tasu Togo."
Lio threw both hands skyward in an exaggerated little victory dance, then turned toward Sara with an exaggerated bow.
"It pains me deeply that you won’t be by my side, Sara but don’t worry. I’ll train harder than anyone alive and make you mine regardless."
Sara’s eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?!"
Before she could say anything else, Hasib cut in, grinning. "Hey, relax Sara’s ending up with me anyway. I’m going to be a Legendary Warrior, so obviously she belongs right next to me."
Sara’s hand shot out twice in rapid succession, landing a sharp knock on each of their heads.
Several more groups were called out in turn. Then Yamin Sir raised the paper once more.
"Last two groups."
The courtyard quieted.
"Group G... Rocky Liago."
A wave of murmurs swept through, half the crowd repeating the name in disbelief. "Liago, in Group G? Seriously?"
"Hasib Yuzo."
Hasib blinked. "Wait...what? Me? With..." He glanced toward Rocky, already dreading the return of that monk-like silence he’d have to put up with again. Somewhere behind him, another voice muttered devil-cursed boy under their breath, but he barely registered it anymore.
Sara’s throat had gone dry, eyes fixed on the sky above, silently praying for one last name to be called.
"Sara Hono."
She froze completely, stone-still for a full second then broke into a wide, triumphant grin. "Yes! Finally!"
A few feet away, Hina let out a soft breath, disappointment flickering across her face before she managed to smooth it over.
...Why couldn’t it have been me instead?
Yamin Sir offered a few final words to the students who hadn’t been selected, encouraging them to train harder and try again next term, and then dismissed everyone to find their respective groups.
Hasib spotted Sara first, and some of the tension in his shoulders eased, fingers absently rubbing together with relief. Then his gaze slid to Rocky, and he scratched at the back of his neck instead.
How am I supposed to survive this.
Sara came to stand beside them, cheeks still faintly flushed from the excitement.
"Well," Hasib said, "guess we’re finally on the same team."
Sara didn’t so much as glance at him, already turning toward Rocky instead. "I know with you on the team, we’re going to be the best group here."
Rocky’s eyes drifted toward Nimo across the courtyard, unreadable as ever. "I was hoping to go up against the number one and put him in his place," he said flatly. "Instead I get stuck with two weaklings. Guess we’ll find out what kind of trainer we’ve been handed."
Hasib’s brow snapped down instantly. "Excuse me?! Who exactly are you calling weak?!"
His fist was already curling, halfway raised, when a booming voice cut across the courtyard.
"All training instructors, please make your way to your assigned groups!"
A man approached their small cluster a moment later an eyepatch strapped over one cheek, a jagged scar cutting down through it, a sword sheathed at his hip, and a lollipop stick jutting casually from the corner of his mouth.
"So," he said, looking the three of them over. "You’re Group G."
"Yes, sir," Sara answered.
"Mm. Alright, then." He pulled the lollipop from his mouth with a faint click. "Might as well learn my name first."
"Itoshi Yoto."
"Sir, I’m Hasib Yuzo!"
"Sara Hono."
A short pause followed before the last introduction came.
"...Rocky Liago."
Hasib snorted under his breath. "Look at him, all full of himself."
Itoshi’s expression flickered for just a moment at the name. "...Liago." He studied Rocky a beat longer than the others. "So. Rocky, is it."
He tucked the lollipop back between his teeth and turned to walk off.
"Alright. Follow me, all of you."
They were led into a small, dimly lit chamber.
A man wearing a fox mask stood waiting for them. Without saying a word, he placed three swords on the table before them.
One had a white hilt.
One had a pink hilt.
And the last had a black one.
"The three of you," the masked man said calmly, "these three swords were forged according to the bloodlines of Liago, Yuzo, and Hono."
Sara stared at the swords, her eyes widening.
"A-Are these our new swords? With special sheaths?"
"Yes. I saw your names on the cadet list yesterday, so I made them."
Hasib’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"But why are you hiding your face?"
Itoshi stepped forward immediately.
"Enough. Don’t bombard him with questions."
The masked man remained silent for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"Fine. I’ll tell you why."