"Now you will partake in situations that would resemble the chaos of actual combat", the old man sternly stated, "Once again, you all will be randomly broken into teams of five. Inside the forest, you will face off against five other teams. Do you understand"?
"Yes Sir!", the members responded with pride.
"This is a competition so you are expected to hold nothing back.", the old man emphasized, "However, there are set rules that will be followed. Any unnecessary attacks, actions that only produce harm, will result in the immediate disqualification of your team. This exercise is about honing your skills and understanding the true nature of combat, not for blatant violence".
The old man paused, surveying the group of determined trainees in front of him.
"There will be 4 rounds, each round having one winning team. After rest and recovery, those 4 winning teams will then battle it out once more…to determine which team stands above all the rest.", the old man stated his tone intense, "Your objective is simple...be the last one standing".
"Be the last one standing...", Kurashi whispered to himself, as if that is the only word he heard.
Jin glanced over to Kurashi, curious of why he repeated the old man's statement.
"You will be given some time before the battle begins. Use this time wisely to prepare your strategies with your team members. Trust in your teammates and prepare yourselves well.", the old man stated, his words filled with wisdom.
Kurashi slowly turned his gaze over to Jin, his expression unreadable.
"Do you fear failure?", Kurashi asked Jin, his voice monotonous.
"Yeah, I-I guess...I think everyone does to some extent.", Jin responded with an uneasy tone, confused by the question he was asked, "Why are you asking"?
Kurashi lazily shrugged his shoulders, turning his gaze back away.
The assembled trainees were then broken into teams, most of the members trembling with a mix of adrenaline and nervousness. Soon after being broken up, the first six teams gathered at the forest's edge, each of them full of determination. As the last team entered the forest, disappearing behind the large trees, the battle began with the sound of a whistle.
For those that were not fighting yet took this time to strategize with their teams. As his team huddled to come up with a plan, Kurashi stood there quietly, his hands tucked in his pockets and his eyes closed, absorbing the whispers around him.
"If we set up an ambush along the east side of the forest, we can catch at least two teams off guard.", a tall boy wearing glasses spoke out.
"We need to stick together no matter what happens. Watch each other's back and don't take any unnecessary risks", a girl with short brown hair whispered to her team.
After a few hours, a team emerged from the forest victorious. Leading the team was a girl with straight jet black hair and piercing pink eyes. She walked with a silent confidence, her expression serious yet lacked any concern. The holster around her right thigh held a sai, its handle wrapped in black silk. The members of her team followed behind, none showing signs of any injury despite their anxious steps. It was a stark contrast to the bruised and beaten members from the other teams that appeared soon after. It was then that Kurashi noticed something was off about that girl. It was that the two of them were the only members that were equipped with any type of weapon.
"Well done team two, rest up and prepare...You all will be moving onto phase two", an instructor stated, his voice reaching out to all of the members.
Whispers began to erupt with the ending of the first round.
"They came out without even a single scratch! It's like they weren't even in battle.", a member said, his voice filled with admiration.
"That's Misaki...I heard that she's the prodigy from the Ohara clan", another member whispered, gossiping to the girl next to her.
"Really...the Ohara clan? She must have started training when she was really young.", another girl replied.
Kurashi remained silent, absorbing the chatter with detached interest. His gaze was briefly locked on Misaki for a moment, only looking away when her eyes met his.
"Um, Kurashi...", a girl in his team stated from behind him, her voice shaky from nervousness, "Would you...like to discuss the plan with us"?
Kurashi turned around to see the girl who had just spoken as well as the rest of the his team members. He regarded her silently for a moment to process the request. He has done everything alone, so the concept of working together with others was foreign to him.
"Yeah, if we all strategize together, it would greatly increase our chances of winning", a boy added on, his tone more confidant and assertive, "Working together as a team would definitely give us an edge above the others".
The rest of the team held their attention on Kurashi, awaiting any type of response.
"There is no plan...I'll do it alone.", Kurashi responded, his voice voided of emotion.
"What do you mean by that?", one of them spoke up, his voice speaking for the rest of the teams curiosity.
"I'll do this alone", Kurashi responded, repeating himself in the same tone.
The team members then exchanged bewildered looks to each other, unable to interpret the meaning of Kurashi's stale response.
"Well, if you change your mind or want to add anyth-", a boy stated before being abruptly cut off.
"The second round will now commence!", an instructor stated with a sense of urgency.
As the next six teams began to enter the forest, one of the members caught Kurashi's eye. A boy with snow white hair had stepped into the fight.