"H-Hello..."
I awkwardly greeted a man standing nearby. He just gave me a slight nod before turning his attention back to his own sword. The atmosphere in this plaza was even more tense than facing a Soul Either. Hundreds of people were scattered around, some gathered in small groups talking quietly, others silently sharpening their weapons. Every glance was filled with assessment and competition.
I walked on and noticed that everyone had a number tag pinned to their chest... Crap! I don't have one yet!
Then my eyes caught a familiar figure... that weird girl! Miwa! She was leaning against the ruins of an old wall, looking as casual as if she were out for a stroll.
"Hey, you..!"
"Hey, you..!" She looked at me with a mix of surprise and amusement.
"You actually made it?" Miwa asked.
"Of course I made it," I retorted, not wanting to seem weak.
"You made it... so where's your number, huh?" She looked at my empty chest and gave me a teasing smile.
"Huh... I don't know where to get one."
"You have to register over there first, silly," Miwa said, pointing her finger towards a small wooden hut at the far end of the plaza. "Better hurry, they're about to close registration. Hehe."
I immediately sprinted towards the hut, my heart pounding... only a few minutes left!
I burst into the wooden hut.
"Registration!"
I immediately handed my slightly crumpled certificate to the man sitting behind the desk.
"You almost didn't make it, kid," he grumbled, but quickly took the certificate and stamped it.
Soon, he handed me a number tag and pointed for me to pin it on the left side of my chest. It was number 166.
"166... so there are 166 candidates?" I asked the registrar.
"That's about right," he replied nonchalantly. "Alright, get going. It's about to start."
The registrar began to pack up, but just then!
"Whoa! Wait a minute, sir!"
Thump!
A frantic-looking man burst into the hut. He slammed his certificate down on the table with a loud bang!
"G-Give me one too, please!!"
The registrar looked at him with a weary expression, let out a deep sigh, and reluctantly pulled out the last number tag... number 167.
"Thank you so much!!" The man bowed his head quickly in thanks.
"Let's go, friend!" he said, turning to pat my shoulder chummily before rushing out, leaving me standing there confused for a moment.
I followed him out. The whispers of the other candidates filled the air.
I decided to walk over to Miwa. At least she was the only person I sort of knew here.
"Hey, hey, you know what?" As soon as I got close, she spoke in a mysterious tone. "I heard that this batch of the Soul Order... is a special one."
"Normally, the Soul Order only opens recruitment once a year."
"But this is the second time this year... and the number of applicants is unusually high."
"Try sensing the spiritual energy around you. Hehe," she smiled slyly.
"How do I do that?"
"Ugh... is there anything you actually know how to do?" Miwa looked completely exasperated.
But her words jogged my memory... The first time I went outside Stone City, I did it once. I had to remember that feeling...
I closed my eyes, focusing on that sensation... the feeling of perceiving the unseen...
And when I opened my eyes again... the world I saw had changed! I could see the auras of spiritual energy radiating from every single candidate! Some blazed like fire, some were as cool as water, some were as sharp as a blade... and yes... when I looked back at myself...
My own spiritual energy was so faint... like a single candle flame in the midst of a massive inferno...
...The gap in power... it was like heaven and earth.