"Hello, Mr. Aado," Anjero said as he returned to the instructor's office, still confused about why he'd been there in the first place.
Hajime looked up from his desk, his expression serious. "Anjero, this doesn't get out to anyone unless I say so, OK?"
"Yeah, I promise," Anjero replied, though he had no idea what 'this' referred to.
"OK, well, go back to training."
"Yes, sir."
As Anjero left the office, Hajime immediately turned to his communication device. "S.E.I.D., call the three other schools."
"OK, immediately, sir."
"Thank you." Hajime paused, then activated a different channel. "Hey, James, you still interested in that idea? Nice."
Whatever Aalto had warned him about, Hajime was already taking action. If the Ancient Spirits were concerned about something coming in the next two or three years, then the guardian schools needed to start working together more closely than ever before.
Moments later, Hajime made his way to the training facility where his students were engaged in their usual practice routines. The sight of them—young, dedicated, unaware of the larger forces moving around them—reinforced his determination to prepare them for whatever was coming.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Aado! What brings you here? Come to spar with us?" Kamira asked, pausing in her combat exercises.
"Ahem, no, um..." Hajime cleared his throat, organizing his thoughts. "Future guardians, the other schools and I have come up with a field day for all of you to get used to working together with the other guardians of each school."
"Field day?" Yoku asked, his interest immediately piqued.
"Yes, there will be four different events that day. I'll give out details and sign-up forms later on, after dinner time."
**Later That Night**
Anjero sat in his dorm room, reviewing the email that had just arrived from Hajime. The blue glow of his S.E.I.D. device illuminated his face as he read through the event descriptions.
"S.E.I.D., email from Hajime Aado. Confirm yes to open."
"Yes... OK, let's see:
• Mile relay race
• Obstacle throw
• Ultimate tag
• Guardian Tournament (All guardians in training have to participate)"
Anjero leaned back in his chair, considering his options. "Well, I guess I'll try the Ultimate tag. I wonder if Jeremi and Nanshi are gonna participate also... nah, she's too young."
"Actually, Anjero," S.E.I.D. interjected, "even the middle schoolers train to be guardians. They just don't go on missions like you older kids. So Nanshi will be participating in the field day festivities."
"That makes sense. OK, we have two weeks—no, three weeks before it starts. Can't lie, I'm kinda getting excited for this."
A knock at his door interrupted his planning. "Come in!"
Shinkei entered, looking uncertain and slightly overwhelmed. The past few days at the guardian school had been an adjustment for someone who'd lived a completely normal life just a week ago.
"Hey, are you participating in any of these other events?" he asked, gesturing toward Anjero's glowing screen.
"Yeah, probably the Ultimate tag. Sounds fun."
"Oh, OK. I don't think I should participate in any of these. My spirit is not built like that."
Anjero laughed, remembering his own early struggles with Aalto. "Hahaha, I get it, man. You can just fight in the tournament and try not to kill anyone, Shinkei."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just have to learn to control my anger and I'd be good." Shinkei's expression grew more serious. "Can you help me train till then?"
"Me? Why?"
"Well, you're the only person I know here right now. Also, you can use your water to douse me out if I lose control."
The request touched something in Anjero's chest. His little brother, thrust into this strange new world, was asking for help in the only way he knew how.
"OK, sure, bro. I can do that."
"Thanks, Anjero. Have a good night, bro."
"You too."
As Shinkei left, Anjero settled back into his bed with a sense of contentment. "OK, time to get some sleep.
**Two Days Later**
The training facility buzzed with renewed energy as the team prepared for the upcoming inter-school competition. Anjero found himself wondering about the scope of what they were facing.
"I wonder how many strong guardians are out there?"
Hajime, who had been observing their practice session, looked up from his notes. "Seeing that there's more than just regular elemental spirits now, I wouldn't be surprised if it was too many to count. Focus up—we'll be at a disadvantage since we only have six trainees here. The other schools will have multiple students participate in these events."
"I'm pretty sure we'll be OK," Anjero replied with characteristic optimism. "We've all been on plenty of missions together."
"Well, North collectively has been on over three hundred missions. East with two hundred twenty-six, and West with one hundred fifty-six missions completed."
The number hit the room like a cold wave. Yoku was the first to voice what they were all thinking.
"And how many have we done?"
Hajime's pause was telling. "Collectively... fifty-two missions."
"But we took out Bradoon Tenki! Doesn't that count for something?" Yoku protested.
"Yeah, with the help from Jeremi from the North," Anjero pointed out, though he hated to diminish their accomplishment.
"Exactly. So you all need to work extra hard to win this," Hajime confirmed.
Kamira, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "What do we get for winning this thing?"
"Bragging rights for a whole year," Hajime announced.
The silence that followed was deafening. Even the facility's ambient hum seemed to pause in disappointment.
"Ahem... and a trophy made after the spirit tree," Hajime added hastily.
"That's kinda lame," Kamira said bluntly, "but whatever. If I can let loose on those girls from the West, that's all I need."
Anjero turned to Yuko with curiosity. "Hey, Yoku, why does Kamira hate the West so much?"
"She doesn't hate the West," Romaji interjected, "just the female guardians there. Long story short, she originally wanted to go there, but they kinda bullied her out of that school."
"Oh my, Kamira, I'm sorry," Anjero said, genuine sympathy in his voice.
"That's OK. It filled me with aggression to become strong. I'll crush them all, especially the Sanda twins." The way she said it made it clear this was more than just competitive spirit—this was personal.
"We'll leave you to that, hehe," Mashū said, wisely steering clear of Kamira's vendetta.
"OK, I'll announce the participants for the events," Hajime said, consulting his tablet.
"5-mile relay race: Romaji Jon-zu, Yokudan baka."
"I'm kinda surprised about Yoku, but I'm also not," Anjero observed.
"Obstacle throw: Kamira Yusei, Mashū Mori."
"Geez, Kamira," Yuko commented with admiration.
"Ultimate tag: Mashū Mori, Yokudan Baka, and Anjero Sutanrì."
Hajime looked toward the newest member of their group. "Shinkei, you sure you don't want to participate in any of these? Maybe the relay race would be good."
"I don't know. I can't exactly control my spirit yet. Plus, I'm not much of a runner," Shinkei replied uncertainly.
Anjero felt compelled to encourage his brother. "It'll be OK, man. You just need to use your spirit like it's an everyday thing. It took a good minute to kinda control Aalto. You just need to get to know Pyrus. She'll teach you so much."
Shinkei considered this for a moment, then nodded with determination. "OK, fine, I'll give it a try. You all have been warned."
"Nice! More power. I wish you all luck in your training till it's time," Hajime said with genuine pride.
"What are you gonna do, Mr. Aado?" Kamira asked.
"I have to get this all organized. This'll be so big for the Trusted Guardian Foundation."
The name triggered a memory in Anjero's mind. "Hm, I've heard of them before, but from where?"
"They're the company that gives us all this cool equipment and the creators of S.E.I.D.," Kamira explained.
"I thought Mr. Aado made him," Anjero said, looking confused.
"No, he only programmed him to be less annoying," Kamira replied with a grin.
"I heard that," S.E.I.D.'s voice came from speakers throughout the facility.
The entire team burst into laughter. "Hahahaha!"
Despite the challenges ahead—the experienced competition, the personal vendettas, and the pressure to prove themselves—there was something infectious about their camaraderie. They might be the underdogs, but they were underdogs who had faced down monsters and emerged victorious.
The field day would test not just their individual abilities, but their growth as a team. And win or lose, they would face it together.
As they returned to their training with renewed purpose, none of them noticed the way Hajime's expression grew thoughtful as he watched them. Aalto's warning about a coming presence still echoed in his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this competition was about more than just inter-school rivalry.
If something dangerous was approaching in the next few years, these young guardians would need to be stronger than anyone had ever been before.
The training ahead would determine whether they were ready for whatever was coming.