After finishing their meal, it was time for them to report to their assigned squads.
Everyone stood up to pay the old woman. Shinji, Lio, and Omelet had each finished only one cup, so they placed down exactly one coin each. Meanwhile, Alba and Akidou had to empty their pockets just to cover the massive amount of water they had gulped down.
Afterward, the group split up. Shinji and Lio went ahead, while Akidou, Omelet, and Alba mentioned they had some "private business" and would follow later.
Lio led Shinji through the wide streets of Heavenfield, finally stopping in front of a massive military complex. High walls and thick steel gates guarded the area, with a large sign overhead that read:
MILITARY DISTRICT 01
The two walked through the heavy steel gates. Inside was a vast sandy training ground, scattered with wooden dummies, targets, and fresh marks from recent drills. In the center of the field, a man sat cross-legged, waiting.
The right side of his face was completely encased in ice, shimmering with a pale blue light. He wore large ski goggles that covered most of his face, making him look both dangerous and eccentric. This was Commander Tachi Tsukigami.
Seeing Shinji and Lio enter, he immediately stood up and waved enthusiastically.
"Welcome, recruits! Head over to that bin and pick your assignment numbers!"
Shinji and Lio looked where Tachi was pointing. Beside him was a square steel box filled with small slips of paper.
"By the way, you'd be lucky to land in Squad 3. That's the one I lead."
The two approached the bin. Shinji drew first, followed by Lio. As they unfolded their papers, Tachi explained the groupings:
Numbers 1 to 5: Squad 1.
Numbers 6 to 11: Squad 2.
Numbers 12 to 17: Squad 11.
Shinji looked at the number in his hand: 6.
He turned to Lio.
"Lio, what number did you get?"
Lio held up his paper: 11.
The two stared at each other for a moment and then smiled simultaneously. Behind them, Tachi let out a disappointed "Ah," his voice tinged with regret.
"That's a shame... looks like you two are in Squad 2."
In contrast to Tachi's face, Shinji laughed happily and turned to Lio. "Awesome! We're still in the same squad!" Lio nodded firmly, raising a fist, his eyes clearly smiling.
But Tachi wasn't finished.
"Listen. The commander of your squad isn't exactly the 'friendly' type. Be careful."
The smile on Shinji's face froze instantly. Lio blinked, tilting his head in confusion.
"And make sure you get along with your seniors, understood?"
With that, Tachi pointed toward a small path in the distance, tucked behind the training barracks.
"Go that way. From now on, that's where you'll be living."
Shinji and Lio nodded and headed toward the path.
As the two disappeared from the training ground, three more recruits appeared at the main gate.
The leader was Therion, a thin youth with glasses sliding down his nose and a gaze full of curiosity. Beside him was Macaw, wearing large headphones and constantly looking around as if afraid to miss a single detail. Finally, there was Vdolky—towering and broad-shouldered like a fortress wall, his mouth hidden behind a cold steel mask.
Tachi greeted them and gave the same instructions.
Meanwhile, Shinji and Lio followed the path Tachi had shown them. Passing the rows of training barracks, they arrived at a spacious, quiet area. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged under thick, leafy trees, with sunlight filtering through the leaves to create dappled patterns on the ground. In the distance stood a small, cozy-looking house.
Shinji looked around and laughed.
"I guess this is... the mess hall?"
Lio nodded slightly and pulled out a chair to sit with him.
Back at the training ground, Therion, Macaw, and Vdolky had finished drawing their lots.
"So, all three of you are in Squad 3?"
Tachi laughed.
"Great, you all belong to me now."
Therion didn't answer immediately. He tilted his head, staring intently at the ice covering half of Tachi's face.
"Hey... you look like someone I've seen before."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Tachi's voice dropped, becoming cold and sharp.
"Speak with respect to a Commander."
Therion shrugged, seemingly unbothered. "That's not important. I just want to ask... are you the younger brother of Grand Commander Umi Tsukigami?"
The moment the words were spoken, Tachi spun around. His eyes darkened, and the ice on his face seemed to grow even colder.
"I told you,"
he hissed, his voice gritted.
"I hate anyone who mentions that name in front of me."
The tension was so thick it felt frozen. Vdolky immediately stepped forward, placing a hand on Therion's shoulder to push him back while raising his other hand in apology. Despite the steel mask, his voice was deep and sincere.
"Sir, we apologize. Therion speaks without thinking. We hope for your leniency."
Tachi didn't respond. He simply stood there, his icy gaze following the three of them. Realizing they had crossed a dangerous line, the group quickly retreated without another word.
When he was finally alone, Tachi slowly sat back down on a wooden chair. His anger hadn't subsided; his eyes were locked onto a wooden dummy in the center of the field as if it were the person who had just insulted him.
"Arrogant bastard."
Tachi raised his hand, his fingers slowly curling.
"Frost Blade."
In a split second, the ground vibrated. Two razor-sharp ice knives erupted from the earth, whistling through the air. The wooden dummy was sliced perfectly in half in less than half a second, its torso hitting the sand with a dry thud.