They were:
Arjun
Rohan
Kiran
Dev
Ishaan
None of them carried surnames, but the way they stood made it clear that their clan name alone was enough.
Opposite them, five rookies from the Minamoto Clan stepped forward, each also Rank-5, each wearing combat attire with subtle armor plates and traditional design patterns along their sleeves.
Their names were:
Minamoto Haruki
Minamoto Renji
Minamoto Takumi
Minamoto Shiro
Minamoto Daichi
Their swords gleamed faintly under the sunlight, and their eyes carried a sharpness that made them look older than they were.
The two teams faced each other at the center of the arena, their mentors standing at the edges like judges of blood.
The referee's voice echoed.
"Team battle begins in ten seconds."
A faint barrier shimmered around the battlefield.
The air tightened.
And above them, on the balcony, the clan heads watched with expressions that held far more interest than they wanted to show.
*
