A few months passed and the climate started to change drastically. There was a good amount of thick snow covering the grounds of the capital and the areas around, but despite the beautiful whiteness of the Empire nothing really went down. There were no danger beasts to battle for the protection of the village. There was no corruption in the capital as of late. And most importantly, Night Raid had gone quiet. Considering your last encounter with them, four of the girls from Night Raid did have a hard time keeping up with your techniques. For them taking such a risk like that, they probably went silent to prepare themselves for greater battles. Your nonstop training actually paid off. Had it not been for your improvements from training, you most likely wouldn't have survived them. Honestly, you had to thank Kurome for your latest strive. She was the one that made fun of your work ethic and bullied you into working harder to prove yourself.
But at the same time...
It was still wrong of her.
One cold morning, you spotted Esdeath walking in the hallway, so you wanted to say hi to your commander.
(YN): Morning, commander. You look a little down. Is something bothering you?
Esdeath: Not really. It's just that Night Raid hasn't been active for the past few months. Ever since you faced them, I believe.
(YN): Oh yeah.
Esdeath: I'll be fine, though. Besides, to keep myself entertained I've decided to hold my own tournament to see if I could find myself a new member for the Jaegers or my very own companion.
(YN): Companion?
Esdeath: I know. It's unoriginal. All my life, I was only interested in warcraft and torture. But I've come across this recent desire for love. It's a strange feeling, but I enjoy it.
(YN): Hm. Well, I hope you find the perfect warrior for you.
Esdeath: Would you like to join the tournament?
(YN): Huh?
Esdeath: Not to be my companion, of course. I honestly really haven't seen you in action against a strong opponent yet. I finally want to see what you're capable of. You must be strong if you were able to survive against four Night Raid members. What do you say?
(YN): What do I say? Count me in!
???: *someone peeking around a corner runs away*
Esdeath: Excellent. I expect you to at least make it to the finals.
(YN): I won't disappoint you, commander.
Later that morning, you went to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat for breakfast, but then you spotted Kurome and Wave kissing in each other's arms.
Wave: Good morning, Kurome.
Kurome: Good morning, Wave.
You didn't pay any attention to their conversation. Instead, you turned around and headed back out the kitchen, but Run showed up.
Run: Morning, (YN). I heard that you're participating in the tournament held by Esdeath tomorrow afternoon.
Kurome: *looks at you*
(YN): Yeah. I just want to fight for the fun of it.
Run: Since I'm the advisor of the games, I can rearrange a position for you.
(YN): Hey, thanks! I really appreciate it. That's what I like about you. You're a cool guy.
Run: No problem.
