"Y'all dragged here like us?"
I heard someone say.
"I won't be able to follow my dreams anymore…"
Another voice said.
It was obvious that many of the other "cadets" weren't very fond of being here. Many already had plans for the future, and nobody knew what we'd do here or for how long. I could see Kenji and Hachiro already talking with some other cadets. Natsumi and Akito were standing in a corner like if they were trying to hide. Haruna looked flustered at the fact that her smartphone didn't have signal. I figured they would probably cut all types of communication from us.
"Hey, you're pretty tall! What's your name?"
I heard a voice behind me. I turned around.
"Name's Emi. Yours?"
It was a girl. She had blue pink hair. Cuter than your average girl.
"Hiro. Hiro Saito. I'm 185 centimeters."
I responded.
"Oh, cool name! So you were dragged here too, huh? None of us expected it."
Emi said.
"My fans must be worried about me…"
Emi added.
"Fans?"
I asked.
"Yeah. I'm kinda of a popular social media star and influencer. Not trying to brag or anything!"
Emi said while laughing awkwardly.
"Why'd you think they'd choose you for this?"
I asked.
"I guess they wanted someone popular to motivate you guys or something. Some people have recognized me, but they don't talk to me."
She responded with a frown.
As we spoke, I hadn't noticed that Natsumi had walked next to us and was hearing us speak. She was standing with her arms crossed.
"Hey uh… Natsumi this is…"
I tried to say.
"I know her. She's a popular internet celebrity. Emi right?"
Natsumis said.
"Correct. Do you know Hiro?"
Emi responded.
"Do I know him? I've been his best friend since we were little. Why'd you speak to him out of the blue?"
Natsumi said in an annoyed tone.
"Um… I'm just trying to make some friends…"
Natsumi interrupted before Emi finished.
"Let's go Hiro. You have to stick with your old pals."
I didn't know what was happening, but I felt some kind of jealousy emitting from Natsumi. I decided to do as Natsumi said, and waved back at Emi, while she waved back at me with an embarrassed look on her face.
"We can't make many friends, Hiro. They might try to use us to make their lives easier in here."
Natsumi said whispering.
I agreed with her, but it didn't hurt to make new friends. I already had a few friends, excluding the other Young Killers members, who I didn't consider "friends" but more like associates.
We walked back to where Akito and Haruna were at.
"Why is this taking so long? They take us here and then delay our welcome ceremony or whatever. I can't even use my phone"
Haruna said disgruntled.
Suddenly, the lights went out. The room we were in became completely dark. Many people started whispering and felt confused.
A huge screen then started emerging from the wall. The white light emitting from it blinded us, as if it was a flash-bang grenade. The screen then began playing a video.
"Welcome War-Knight cadets. This is your introduction video."
Everyone looked confused but realized that we were meant to watch the video.
"The War-Knight Division is part of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and acts as an auxiliary defense force to support the protection of our nation. We chose talented young citizens to train and become part of this division. Using new technology and advanced weapon systems, we will make sure the all of you will become dominators of the battlefield. Not only are you doing your service to our nation, but you will protect other citizens when they are in peril. Don't worry, your friends, and family will be informed of your service. That's your main objective as a War-Knight. Your training will begin as soon as all of you have settled in the barracks. Thank you and stand firm."
The video showcased little cartoon depictions of War-Knight uniforms, weapons, and what some of our training would look like. As the video ended, some people showed excitement about the challenge that they would have to face. Others looked distraught, as they didn't want to be here. Mixed reactions.
Reiko suddenly came out and asked us if we had any questions.
"I made the video myself. Cool, right? Any questions?"
Reiko asked.
Everybody was silent. We all knew we had to abide.
Even though I felt indifferent about being chosen to be here, I knew that this was my chance to put my skills to the test. I had fought people with weapons and barehanded, but this might take it to another level. I felt a slight feeling of excitement as I would be recognized by the others. As a fighter.