Suzuki Tadashi

I was walking through a forest covered with trees and grass all around me. I had my back tilted a little down because of exhaustion. I carried a big cylindrical bag behind my back. “Argh…” I murmured.

In front of me walked Sasaki-senpai, who was wearing his dominant white shirt and pair of lowers which was brown by dust. His determined eyes and thick white beard and mustache were fixed at the front.

“Where are we even going, Sasaki-senpai?!” I irritably said. “It’s so heavy!”

“Just a few more minutes, twerp,” He replied in his hard coarse voice. “I’m just trying to get my hands on the thing which I’m finding.”

“What’s that you’re finding?”

“I need not tell you.”

***

Shiratori Haruto

“Why has my life turned such a damned hell?” I thought. I was walking through the empty field with my head tilted down at the ground in despair. In front of me walked Ichika and Itsuki, and on my back walked Airi. Itsuki had his eyes wide open, trying to be confident. Ichika was sweating with anxiety as she walked towards the front. She gulped in as she had her eyes fixed at the front. The sound of our footsteps was all over my ears as I had my head tilted down. Soon, the cheers of a crowd started to rise up in my ears.

“Kabata. Kabata. Kabata. KABATA! KABATA! KABATA! KABATA! KABATA!” The crowd of people in front of the four of us started to get aside as they energetically raised their hands and shouted on top of their lungs. “KABATA! KABATA! KABATA! KABATA!” Itsuki looked at the front as the last part of the crowd stepped aside and Kabata, who stood in the center, had his evil streamlined eyes fixed at us. A small gust of wind flew as the streaks of blonde hairs on his forehead moved a little. He wore the same green robe on top of his black pants and white shirt.

***

Suzuki Tadashi

Sasaki-senpai stepped upon a bush and moved ahead. Behind him, I stepped upon the bush too and continued following him. As I walked with my head tilted a little down, I soon bumped over something soft and white. I turned my head up and looked at the figure of Sasaki-senpai standing in front of me. “Keep the bag down,” He whispered in a low voice.

“A-Ah…” I moved my right hand out of the strap of the bag, then twisted it right in front of me and bumped it down on the ground.

Sasaki-senpai turned to the back, crouched down, and quickly opened the bag. He took out three swords, and then two shields out of the bag, and then moved one sword to me. “Hold it.” I took it from him and held it in my right hand. He then moved a shield at me again, and I held it with my left hand. He stood up again, tied a scabbard—which was connected to a black thin cloth—around his waist. He then bent down, took up a sword, kept it inside his scabbard, and then took the other sword up and the shield. “Now see,” He turned at me, and then turned his head to the front. I stepped a little left and looked at what he was looking. I soon noticed a bear—quite bigger than the usual adult bears, maybe about the size of me and senpai together—behind a thick tree. It was scratching the bark of the tree continuously. “We gonna kill that.”

“W-What?!” I whispered. “Don’t you think you should have done it yourself?”

“No, since you’re a part of this world now, you gotta learn the ABCs of living here,” Sasaki-senpai whispered back. “Now, go.”

“B-B-But—”

“Don’t worry, kid. When one’s life is in danger, they reflexively start to beat the shit outta the other one,” Sasaki-senpai said. “I’m behind you. I just wanna see how you fight. If you’re unable to do it, I’d come for help.”

“B-B-But—”

“I can kill a bear like that in a second. It looks like a Class-B Bear. A Bear-B is easy for someone like me.”

“B-B—”

He turned his head down at me and said, “See, you’re new here, kid. I’m never gonna be by your side to wipe yo ass, got it?” He turned his head to the front again. “You gotta yield the powers within you.”

I had my gaze fixed at the top of his head. I turned my head to the front, gulped in, and whispered, “I guess I got no other choice, eh?”

“Yeah,” He said. “Be cool. You’re surely not gonna die there. Just show it what you’re made up of. You’re a steel-hearted guy.”

***

Shiratori Haruto

“So, should we start?” Katsuki asked.

The four of us walked into the circle of the crowd and stood in front of him. Ichika turned her head up in determination. Airi walked from my left and gave Katsuki her frowning face as she stood in front of him, her left leg in front of her right, as she took out a sword from her right hand slowly, shining brightly with Katsuki’s image as it was pulled out. Itsuki walked to the left and frowned angrily at Katsuki on his right as he walked and sliced out his own sword. He walked all the way at the edge of the circle of the crowd. Katsuki turned his head left as he looked at Itsuki walking to the edge. At the left of Katsuki, Itsuki stopped, turned his legs at him, and aimed his sword at him, his eyes determined. Katsuki turned front and looked at Ichika and Airi. Katsuki took out his own sword from the scabbard and held it on his left hand beside his knee.

“It’s gonna be fun.”