The Office for Going Outside
The office responsible for approving requests to leave the facility was unusually quiet despite the warm weather.
Several workers sat around eating and resting. The heat was so intense that one of them joked, "At this rate, even an elephant would die without water."
"Yo, I brought the drinks!" a worker announced cheerfully.
"Finally!" another replied.
The workers quickly grabbed their cups and began drinking. Some complained that the drinks were too cold, while others added even more ice cubes.
Knock. Knock.
Suddenly, a sound came from the window.
Because of the dark glass, the figure outside was barely visible. To the workers, it looked like the silhouette of a dangerous man standing silently in the heat.
On the other side of the window stood Ashina Shigaru, who had come to reapply for permission to go outside.
"Hey, check who's there," one worker said.
"No way," another groaned. "I've been working since last night. I'm going to sleep."
"Fine, I'll do it. Where are my glasses?"
After putting on his glasses, the worker slowly opened the window.
For a moment, he saw no one.
Then a calm voice spoke.
"Who are you, and why are you here?"
Ashina let out a sigh.
"I'm Ashina Shigaru. I came to reapply for permission to leave this place."
The worker stared at him.
"But I heard Ashina suffered severe injuries. Are you really him?"
Ashina's expression remained lifeless.
"Yes, I am Ashina. If you want confirmation, contact the hospital."
His voice was heavy, almost suffocating. The worker felt as if an invisible hand had tightened around his throat. A strange chill spread through the air, and the office suddenly felt much colder than before.
"O-Okay. Just fill out the form," the worker said quickly.
Ashina took the paper and began writing.
The worker whispered under his breath, "What is that boy…? How did he recover so quickly?"
A few moments later, Ashina returned the form.
"I'm done, sir."
"Leave it there. We'll contact you once the process is complete."
Ashina nodded, turned around, and quietly walked away.
Four Hours Later
"Hell no! We've been here for four hours and still haven't found enough people for our team!" Shikai complained angrily.
Hirata leaned back with an annoyed expression.
"Shikai, didn't I tell you to go look for them? We only need three more members."
Before Shikai could answer, a small stone suddenly struck the desk.
Tap.
Then a much larger stone came flying in and smashed part of the desk.
Hirata slowly turned toward the direction it had come from.
"Is someone playing with me?" he muttered.
Shikai had already left to follow Hirata's order, so Hirata stood alone.
He suddenly sensed several sharp streams of water rushing toward him. In one smooth motion, he drew his katana and sliced through them as if cutting air.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Alright," he said, "let's play."
When he turned around, he saw three students—two girls and one boy. Their bodies trembled with fear.
Someone is forcing them to attack me, Hirata realized.
He began walking toward them.
None of them moved. They stood frozen like statues.
"Who made you do this?" Hirata asked calmly.
Before they could answer, the sound of multiple footsteps echoed behind him.
Hirata's smirk widened.
Five students charged at him at once.
He raised his head, his expression turning deathly cold.
Their attacks came simultaneously, but Hirata dodged every one of them with ease. He grabbed one attacker by the shoulder and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
The remaining four froze.
"Now let me get a good look at all of you," Hirata said.
Three boys and one girl stood before him while the fifth boy groaned on the ground.
"Who's the leader?"
One of the boys stepped forward. He had an aggressive face, short hair, and decent clothes.
"What's your name?" Hirata asked. "And why are you bullying those three?"
The boy slowly lifted his head.
Hirata's eyes sharpened.
"Did I tell you to raise your head? Keep it down."
The boy immediately lowered it again. The difference in strength between them was overwhelming.
"My name is Gachi No," he answered.
After a brief pause, he added, "We just wanted to meet the famous Hirata."
"Raise your head," Hirata said.
Gachi obeyed.
Looks like he fell for my act, Gachi thought.
In an instant, Hirata grabbed his head and punched him hard enough to break one of his teeth.
"Don't think you've fooled me," Hirata said coldly. "Now get out of here. These three are part of my group from this moment on."
All five students fled immediately.
Hirata turned toward the frightened trio.
His expression softened slightly.
"So," he asked, "what are your names?"
To be continued…