A large building stood near the training grounds, marked clearly with a wooden board that read "Infirmary" in bold, black strokes.
The scent of medicinal herbs and antiseptic hung thick in the air as the sliding doors opened to reveal a spacious room lined with rows of futon beds.
On those beds lay several trainees, all resting—some unconscious, others groaning faintly, their bodies still trembling from the extreme physical strain of the run.
Among them lay Tatsuo, his body still and unmoving on one of the beds near the far wall.
Minutes later, another body was brought in—this time, it was Yamaguchi Naomi, a girl from one of the Five Great Clans. A pair of attendants gently laid her down on the bed next to Tatsuo, her limbs limp, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.
A few seconds passed.
Tatsuo stirred.
His fingers twitched first, then his eyes fluttered open. With a low groan he slowly sat up clutching his head with one hand as a sharp pain pulsed behind his eyes.
"Aah... What happened? Where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
His gaze swept across the room, blinking at the sight of other trainees lying on the beds or sitting quietly, some wrapped in bandages, others drinking water.
"Right... I was running," he murmured. "Did I fall? How far did I even make it...?"
"Hey! You're awake?"
The voice pulled his attention to the bed directly opposite to his. Sitting there with a casual grin was Atsushi.
Tatsuo turned toward him and offered a faint wave.
"You were brought in after me," Atsushi continued, resting his arms behind his head. "Looks like you've got good stamina."
"Thanks," Tatsuo replied, rubbing his temple. "So... what now?"
"Nothing much. We just wait. There are still a few out there running."
Tatsuo furrowed his brows. "How can you be so sure?"
"Well," Atsushi said, nodding toward the bed beside Tatsuo, "that girl—they just brought her in a few seconds ago. And my sister hasn't been brought here yet and trust me, she's a great runner. If she's not here, she's probably still out there."
Tatsuo glanced at the girl beside him, recognizing her face now that he had a clearer look. He nodded slowly.
"Yeah... I think you're right. Just before I collapsed, I remember seeing three people ahead of me. She was one of them... and your sister too."
A few minutes later, another person was brought into the infirmary. It was Tanaka Aoi—Atsushi's younger sister. Her face was pale, her breath faint but steady.
The moment he saw her, Atsushi sprang to his feet and rushed to her side as the attendants gently lowered her onto the bed next to Yamaguchi Naomi.
"Aoi... you did great," he murmured, brushing a few strands of hair away from her sweat-drenched forehead.
A short while after, the final trainee was brought in. It was Amano Takayuki. The moment he was settled into a bed, the sliding doors of the infirmary creaked open once again.
There stood Instructor Yami.
His presence was quiet yet commanding, and the chatter in the room ceased instantly.
"Everyone," he said in a calm, clear voice, "today's training is now over. You are free to rest here for as long as needed—but be sure to report to the trainee building on time tomorrow morning."
Some nodded silently, others too weak to respond. A few were still unconscious. however Instructor Yami didn't wait for them.
"One more thing," he continued. "Starting today, every training session under my supervision will be tied to a merit system. You will earn merit points based on your performance. For this training you earned one merit point for each minute you stayed on your feet."
Murmurs stirred through the room. Relief flickered across some faces. Others wore expressions of regret, knowing they could've pushed themselves a little further.
Instructor Yami's gaze swept across the room. Then, he spoke again.
"The top five trainees based on today's points are as follows: Matsuzaki Ryo – 21 points. Takigawa Tatsuo – 23 points. Yamaguchi Naomi – 25 points. Tanaka Aoi – 28 points. And Amano Takayuki – 32 points."
"Congrats," Atsushi said to Aoi, who had regained consciousness and was now resting upright against her pillow. "You came in second."
Instructor Yami added, "The purpose and use of merit points will be explained in the coming days. But a word of advice from me, accumulate as many as you can. They will serve you well."
With that, his body seemed to blur into shadow, and he vanished from the room.
The atmosphere shifted. Even in their exhausted state, the trainees were now filled with a renewed sense of determination.
Tatsuo sat quietly, his fingers tapping one after another as if counting something. Atsushi noticed and tilted his head.
"What are you counting?"
"Thirty-three," Tatsuo muttered under his breath.
"Thirty-three?" Atsushi repeated. "What do you mean?"
"I have 33 merit points now," Tatsuo replied, glancing at him. "You've probably got... what, around 28 or 29?" Then he turned to Aoi with a teasing smirk. "Which is the same as your sister... and she got that from a single training. Honestly, you should be ashamed to be her brother."
"Haha!" Aoi burst into laughter at the jab.
"Wha—hey!" Atsushi exclaimed, flustered. "I-I'm just not a great runner, okay!? And besides... you're not that far ahead. We'll catch up to you soon!"
They all shared a laugh, the tension easing. After chatting for a while longer, the three decided to leave the infirmary together.
The sun had not yet begun to set—judging by the soft golden light filtering through the trees, it was probably around 2 or 3 p.m.
-----
Outside the infirmary, Tatsuo turned to the siblings. "Let's meet again tomorrow. By the way, which way are you two heading?"
"We're going to the inn," Aoi replied.
"Really? I'm heading that way too," Tatsuo said, perking up. "The innkeeper mentioned he's throwing a party tonight and invited me."
"Oh? Do you stay at the inn?" Atsushi asked.
"Used to," Tatsuo answered. "I moved out this morning since we were assigned rooms in the trainee dorm. And... I couldn't afford the rent anymore."
"I see... then let's walk together," Atsushi said with a grin.
------
A few minutes later, they arrived at the inn and stepped inside. The familiar scent of grilled fish and miso wafted through the air.
As soon as they entered, the innkeeper spotted Atsushi and Aoi—and rushed toward them, arms open wide.
"My kids!" he cried joyfully, embracing them both in a tight squeeze.
Tatsuo blinked in surprise. Kids?
Just then, the innkeeper turned to him, eyes lighting up. "Ah, Tatsuo! You came with them, then you've already met eachother. These two are my children!"
Aoi groaned under the crushing hug. "Wait!, Dad! Stop squeezing so hard—I can't breathe!"
"Ah ha! Sorry! sorry!" he laughed, releasing them and patting their backs.
Turning to Tatsuo again, he beamed. "So! This is my son, Tanaka Atsushi and my daughter, Tanaka Aoi."
Tatsuo's eyes widened. "So they're your kids... That explains it. They looked familiar when I first saw them."
"Hahaha! Yeah, they take after me!" the innkeeper said proudly. "Alright, go grab a table and catch up. I'll bring out some snacks."
"Oh, you really don't have to—" Tatsuo began, but the innkeeper cut him off with a raised hand.
"Think of it as my treat—for being a friend to my children."
"Yeah, come on," Aoi said, grabbing Tatsuo's hand and pulling him toward a table in the corner. "Don't be so modest!"