Huff… huff. Tadatoshi's ragged breathing echoed faintly through the forest, each inhale scraping against the pain that still wracked his body from the brutal encounter with Abe. Every muscle screamed in protest, his bones feeling heavy and unresponsive, as though his strength had been hollowed out and discarded.
His vision swam, the forest blurring into streaks of shadow and motion. Tree trunks bent and twisted in his sight, the world tilting as he drifted in and out of awareness. Then, gradually, the haze thinned. Shapes sharpened. The first clear image that entered his vision was Sentarō, carrying him through the forest with firm, steady steps.
The moment realization struck, disgust surged through Tadatoshi like venom. Anger boiled up from deep within his chest, eclipsing the pain. With what little strength he could muster, he shoved Sentarō away and dropped heavily to the ground, barely managing to stay upright.
Sentarō stumbled back in surprise. "Huh? What are you doing?" he asked, startled by Tadatoshi's sudden resistance.
Tadatoshi's eyes burned as he glared up at him. "Who do you think you are?" he whispered, his voice trembling with restrained fury.
"What did you say?" Sentarō replied, confusion flickering across his face as he tried to understand the hostility.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO LOOK DOWN ON ME, WEAKLING?" Tadatoshi roared, his voice cracking under the weight of his rage. Yet even as he shouted, he knew the anger was not truly directed at Sentarō. It was aimed inward, at the shattered remains of his own convictions.
He alone understood the truth. Everything he had believed in—everything he had built his pride upon—had been crushed beneath the overwhelming strength of a superior opponent. His worldview had collapsed in a single, merciless exchange. "YOU ARE THE WEAKLING, NO—"
THUD!
The sharp impact of a punch cut him off mid-sentence. Sentarō's fist slammed into Tadatoshi's face, snapping his head to the side and sending him reeling. The blow was not heavy, but it was decisive.
"You fool," Sentarō muttered, his voice low and tight with frustration. "I didn't realize you were this blind."
"Hey, did you just—" Tadatoshi began, staggering back.
"DON'T YOU KNOW HOW WRONG THAT MINDSET IS?" Sentarō shouted, seizing Tadatoshi by the collar of his torn zoroye and yanking him forward. His eyes blazed with intensity, far fiercer than before.
"Shut up. What do you know, huh?" Tadatoshi snapped, struggling weakly to pry Sentarō's grip from his collar.
"You really are an idiot," Sentarō said sharply. "That idea of letting the strong live and the weak die—it's wrong. Completely wrong." His grip tightened as his voice hardened. "That way of thinking suppresses people. It crushes those who are working every day, pouring everything they have into achieving their dreams."
The force of Sentarō's words struck Tadatoshi harder than the punch. He froze, his breath catching in his throat. The conviction in Sentarō's eyes, the weight behind his words, overwhelmed him. "Everyone has a dream," Sentarō continued, his voice unwavering. "And they work tirelessly to make those dreams real."
His grip tightened once more. "Are you saying they deserve to die after putting in all that effort? After sacrificing so much just to reach for their goals?"
Tadatoshi's face drained of color. The question pierced straight through him, exposing the hollow core of his beliefs. He realized, with growing unease, just how far he had fallen from the ideals he once claimed to uphold.
"Yes, people's dreams are different," Sentarō said, finally releasing his hold and guiding Tadatoshi back until he could lean against a tree. "And sometimes those dreams clash. But that doesn't make them meaningless. Every dream matters… even yours. Strength means nothing if you don't use it to move toward what you truly want."
Tadatoshi lowered his gaze. The memory of that night—the night his brother turned his blade on him—still lingered like an open wound in his heart. The words his brother had spoken echoed relentlessly in his mind. Yet, despite himself, Sentarō's words managed to reach him in a way nothing else had.
He let out a slow breath. "Heh…" A faint sigh escaped his lips. "Just shut up already," Tadatoshi muttered, though this time a small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was not mockery, nor arrogance, but a quiet sign of easing tension.
"SENTARŌ!" A loud shout rang through the forest.
Both men turned toward the sound. Emerging from between the trees were Reiko and Ichio, their expressions urgent.
"Huh? What are you two doing here?" Sentarō asked, surprised.
"This is really bad," Ichio said, his voice trembling. "I mean, really bad."
Tadatoshi straightened slightly, still leaning against the tree. "Hey, girl, don't you know how loud you are?" he said, pulling a face of exaggerated annoyance.
"Like you're one to talk!" Reiko shot back, her irritation clearly feigned. She turned to Sentarō. "Why is he even here? I thought you were going to fight him."
"Yes, that's true, but—"
"Miss Reiko, we don't have time for this," Ichio interrupted, his body visibly shaking.
Reiko's expression shifted instantly, her playful demeanor vanishing. The sudden seriousness left both Sentarō and Tadatoshi confused. "What is it?" Sentarō asked.
"It turns out the criminals in this forest aren't acting independently," Reiko said gravely. "They're working under a single mastermind."
That revelation only deepened Sentarō and Tadatoshi's confusion.
"Hey, explain properly," Tadatoshi demanded, his usual arrogance slipping back into his tone.
"You can't tell me what to do!" Reiko snapped back reflexively.
"Anyway—"
"Wait," Ichio said suddenly, cutting her off. "Do you guys smell that?"
They all went silent. The air was thick with the unmistakable scent of ash and burning wood. Beyond the trees, an ominous orange glow lit the sky, accompanied by rising black smoke.
"Oh no… THE FOREST IS ON FIRE!" Ichio screamed, tears streaming down his face.
"What? How did this happen?" Sentarō asked, shock evident in his voice.
"It seems they've started," Reiko said quietly.
"Who?" Tadatoshi asked.
"The mastermind," Reiko replied, her expression grim.
"Hahahaha! Alright, boys, time to earn our freedom!" Abe's booming laughter rang out as he and a swarm of criminals burst from the blazing forest, cheering wildly.
The surrounding samurai were caught completely off guard. The chaos unfolding before them was no accident—it was the result of meticulous planning.
It had all begun three days before the exam.
"Damn, I lost again. No wonder you're the boss," one criminal muttered, slumped across from Abe inside a dim prison cell. The creaking wood, damp straw, and stench of sweat spoke of long confinement.
With execution only days away, the prisoners had resigned themselves to killing time—until fate intervened.
Tap… tap. A knock echoed at Abe's cell door.
"Huh? A guard?" Abe muttered. "What do you want at this hour?"
Instinct screamed at him. As the guard raised an arm, Abe leapt back just in time.
"I see your instincts are still sharp," the guard said calmly, lowering his arm.
"Why are you here… Ryunosuke?" Abe asked, dread creeping into his voice.
"The boss is displeased that you allowed yourself to be captured," Ryunosuke replied with a faint smile.
Abe swallowed hard. "There's nothing I could do."
"We're breaking you and your men out on the day of the police force entrance exams."
Abe's face went pale. "That's impossible."
"Lower your voice," Ryunosuke said. "You're still considered valuable. I've been ordered to assist you."
Though his tone was calm, the murderous intent beneath it chilled Abe to the bone.
"I'll escape with my men," Abe said at last, though it felt like surrender rather than agreement.
"The plan is simple," Ryunosuke continued. "This year's exam is a two-day survival mission. You and several other criminals are designated as enemies."
"And they plan to motivate you by offering freedom in exchange for three candidate corpses each."
"That's a lie," Ryunosuke added coldly. "Any criminals still alive after the exam will be executed by the samurai."
Abe clenched his fists, fury rising.
"I'll be stationed with the samurai surrounding the forest," Ryunosuke said. "You'll kill candidates as needed, but submit none. Once the forest is set ablaze—"
"That's the signal," Abe finished. "You slaughter the guards, and we escape in the chaos."
Ryunosuke grinned. "I knew you weren't completely useless."
"What was that?" Abe snapped.
"Prepare," Ryunosuke said, turning away. He paused, casting a bloodlust-filled glance over his shoulder. "If you fail… die."
Abe nodded stiffly. "Tell the boss I'm on my way."