I woke up to the sound of someone having a complete breakdown in the hallway.
"ONE NIGHT!" a voice was shouting. "They gave us ONE NIGHT to prepare for combat trials! How is that fair?!"
Rolling out of bed, I found the entire dormitory in chaos. Students were frantically practicing techniques in their rooms, some were doing last-minute physical conditioning, and others were just pacing around in panic.
"This is insane," Kenji muttered as I passed his room. He was going through combat forms with mechanical precision, but I could see the tension in his movements. "Six months of Academy training and they spring combat trials on us with twelve hours notice."
"At least you have perfect technique," I pointed out, trying to work some flame threading practice into the small space of my room. "Some of us are still figuring out basic control."
Daichi emerged from his room looking uncharacteristically frazzled. "Mountain kingdom academies give students weeks to prepare for combat evaluations. This is completely unreasonable."
"Unreasonable doesn't begin to cover it," Rina added, joining our impromptu hallway meeting. "We're supposed to demonstrate our capabilities against people we've been studying and training with for months. How do you strategize against someone who knows all your techniques?"
"You don't," said a voice from down the hall. "You just fight and hope for the best."
Great. That was exactly what I wanted to hear on the morning I might have to duel my way into my future career.
The Academy dining hall was a disaster zone of nervous energy and last-minute cramming. Students were reviewing notes between bites of food, some were practicing hand techniques under the table, and more than a few looked like they hadn't slept at all.
"Did anyone else notice they didn't give us any details about the combat format?" asked a girl from Tsuchi Region at the table next to ours. "Are we talking full-contact duels? Limited technique demonstrations? Sparring matches?"
"The uncertainty is probably intentional," Daichi said grimly. "Tests your ability to adapt to unknown situations."
"Or it's just poor planning," I said, trying to inject some optimism into the conversation. "Maybe they'll give us more details when we get to the arena."
The arena, as it turned out, was both more and less intimidating than I'd expected.
More intimidating because it was clearly designed for serious combat—reinforced platforms, protective barriers for spectators, and medical stations positioned at strategic intervals. Less intimidating because it was smaller than I'd imagined, which somehow made the whole thing feel more personal and immediate.
The bracket boards were surrounded by clusters of anxious students trying to figure out their matchups and study potential opponents. I pushed through the crowd to find my name and felt my stomach drop.
First round: Kaito Hayashi vs. Saki Windrunner (Kaze Region).
Saki. The quiet girl with wind techniques who'd been on my team during tactical exercises. She was fast, precise, and had a tendency to disappear from sight when she really focused. Fighting her was going to be like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands.
"At least it's not me," Daichi said, appearing beside me to check his own bracket. "I'm matched against someone from Mizu Region I've never even talked to."
"Small comfort," I muttered, still staring at Saki's name. "How do you fight someone who can literally fly?"
"Carefully," suggested a voice that made everyone in the immediate area go completely silent.
I turned around to find myself looking up at a man whose presence seemed to alter the very air around him. Tall, elegant, with silver hair and the kind of bearing that suggested he was accustomed to people falling silent when he spoke. But what really caught my attention was the ornate mask covering the lower half of his face—intricate metalwork that somehow made him look both mysterious and commanding.
"Captain Akira Tenshin," he said simply, and I felt my brain short-circuit slightly. "Crimson Fang Guild."
Crimson Fang. The most prestigious guild in the region. Their captain was standing right there, talking to us like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"S-sir," I managed, trying to remember if there was some kind of protocol for addressing guild leaders. "I'm Kaito Hayashi."
"I know who you are," Captain Tenshin said, his voice carrying amusement behind the mask. "Your Academy performance has been... noted."
Before I could ask what that meant, movement behind him caught my attention. The other guild leaders were arriving, and seeing them all together was like witnessing legends step out of stories.
A woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes moved with the kind of controlled grace that spoke of deadly precision. Everything about her, from her posture to the way she examined the arena setup, suggested someone who approached combat like a chess match.
"Captain Yuki Shirayuki, Silver Moon Guild," Tenshin said, following my gaze. "She's evaluating the tactical possibilities of the arena layout."
Next to her stood a mountain of a man whose presence made even the reinforced arena platforms look fragile. Battle scars decorated his exposed arms, and when he shifted position, I could see the kind of controlled power that suggested he could probably level a building if he felt like it.
"Captain Raiden Kurogami, Storm Hawks Guild," Tenshin continued. "He's wondering if the arena barriers will hold up to full-power techniques."
A third woman caught my attention—cooler and more calculating than Captain Shirayuki, with dark hair and the kind of expression that suggested she was already three steps ahead of whatever conversation was happening. She was studying the students rather than the arena, apparently cataloging everyone's visible capabilities.
"Captain Mizuki Aomine, Azure Blade Guild. She's probably already figured out who's going to win each bracket."
But it was the fifth figure that made me do a double-take. While the other guild leaders stood with the dignity befitting their positions, this one was lounged in a chair like he was at a casual outdoor picnic. His posture screamed 'I'd rather be literally anywhere else,' and he was examining his fingernails with the kind of bored attention usually reserved for watching paint dry.
"And Captain Ryo Hazama, Broken Chain Guild," Tenshin finished with what sounded suspiciously like mild exasperation. "He's... present."
"Are they always like this?" I whispered, unable to help myself.
"Unfortunately," Captain Tenshin replied, loud enough that the other guild leaders could definitely hear him.
Captain Shirayuki looked over with raised eyebrows. "Some of us take recruitment seriously, Akira."
"Some of us take everything too seriously," Captain Hazama said without looking up from his nails. "They're Academy graduates, not legendary warriors. The trials will sort out who's actually useful."
"Useful is a relative term," Captain Aomine added, her analytical gaze settling on our group. "The question is whether any of them understand that guild membership requires adapting to situations they can't prepare for."
"Like combat trials announced twelve hours in advance?" I found myself saying before my brain could stop my mouth.
All five guild leaders turned to look at me, and I immediately wished I could melt into the arena floor.
"Exactly like that," Captain Kurogami said, his voice like distant thunder. "Real threats don't give you weeks to prepare strategy. They show up when you're having lunch and demand immediate response."
"The Academy curriculum teaches theory," Captain Shirayuki added. "Guild work requires applying that theory under pressure, often with incomplete information and inadequate resources."
"So the lack of preparation time is intentional," Rina said, apparently braver than I was when it came to questioning legendary guild leaders.
"Everything is intentional," Captain Aomine replied. "How you handle unexpected challenges tells us more about your potential than any number of prepared demonstrations."
Captain Hazama finally looked up from his nails. "Besides, if you can't handle a little time pressure, you're not ready for guild missions anyway. Most of our jobs involve making split-second decisions that affect people's lives."
"Speaking of which," Captain Tenshin said, checking something that might have been a timepiece, "we should begin the trials. Students, prepare yourselves. First bracket will be called shortly."
As the guild leaders moved toward their designated observation area, I felt a mixture of excitement and terror building in my chest. These were the people who would determine my future, and they'd just made it clear that everything about the trials was designed to test how we handled the unexpected.
"Well," Daichi said quietly, "at least we know what we're dealing with now."
"Do we?" I asked, watching Captain Hazama somehow manage to look bored while observing potentially life-changing combat trials.
"Elite individuals with very different approaches to leadership and recruitment," Rina said thoughtfully. "This is going to be interesting."
Interesting was one word for it. Terrifying was another.
But as I watched the guild leaders settle into their observation positions, I felt something else building alongside the fear—determination. These people protected our entire region. They handled threats I could barely imagine. They were offering the chance to join something truly important.
Whatever the trials demanded, I was going to give everything I had.
"First bracket!" called an Academy official. "Daichi Yamamoto versus Hana Mizusawa! Prepare for combat!"
My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched my roommate step toward the arena platform. Daichi looked calm and composed as always, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.
Time to see what these trials were really about.