“Sorry if that is not what you’re looking for, but I’ve been told I can’t let you go soon.”
“Right now they have no idea what to do with you. On one hand, the original idea was to have you killed, as it kills off what the main threat is currently.”
“On the other hand, they kept you under my wing for the remainder. Only I can keep the threat of the sovereign of the Unwritten under control.”
“Sadly I don’t think your life would go back to normal as I said.”
“By normal I mean everyday life as you know it.”
So that’s how it is now, huh.
I never truly cared for fighting over things that I don’t care about.
Hell, even getting into conflicts.
But if this is, I’ll try to keep myself sane through this.
Because this is my life now!
“Mr. Syuuto, could you train me in using this Tamaryoku I’ve been hearing about.”
“Even if it’s just the basics, I want to live through this…”
“No, I want to FIGHT! So I can never fall victim to something like this.”
“There we go!”
“That’s the good spirit I want to see. Fortunately they have you under me, if it was anyone else well… I imagined they would be much more deterrent to you, given your current situation.”
Swoop!
What’s with that speed?
What the when did he—
“Heh heh, this is a glimpse of the basic things I will teach you. First of all, you said you did not have proper use of Tamaryoku, and that you needed some sort of catalyst to help you use it.”
“Well here catch this.”
SWOOSH
It’s some type of tablet, it’s silver on the top black on the bottom.
“So what am I supposed to do with it?”
“Ingest it, you’ll see for yourself.”
STRRKKK!
“Oh, that was fast, don’t tell me you’d just ingest things from strangers now?”
What is this flowing stream around me?
Is this Tamaryoku?
It looks so beautiful, but mine isn’t as intense as Shimizu’s or even as mystical as hers.
“That should open your body up to the acceptance of Tamaryoku. Surprisingly you got it to work on the first try.”
“First try, what do you mean by that?”
“Well if I were to give that to a normal person who had not had their soul awakened as yet.”
“They would pass out, sometimes even foam from the mouth. But they are completely ok, besides the chest cramps.”
“…I wouldn’t say that is painless.”
“I know. But you should concentrate on your breathing, mental space, and overall focus to keep channeling Tamaryoku around your body.”
“That should be the basics of Tamaryoku.”
“What I find more interesting about you, is that you have no ‘Kussetsu’. While in most cases that is not a problem, your family records tell another story.”
A Kussetsu?
“My family history? So you looked through relatives’ information?”
“It’s all the procedures that are required when dealing with something like this.”
“It says your father, while being a foreigner, had capabilities of a Kussetsu. This also extends towards your mothers side as well, albeit it’s more abundant.”
So does the government really keep tabs on those who can use this type of power?
I think that’s pretty shady, but I guess it makes sense to an extent.
“It’s not a crazy thing to say you can still awaken a Kussetsu, though if you weren’t born with it or have clear signs of developing one I’m not sure you could ever have one.”
“Damn, if I did hope for anything, It would be to have cool abilities. Like shooting out beams, even having a cool shockwave sword.”
“Even shooting flames…”
“Haha, Woah there, get a hold of yourself, it’s not crazy to say you could develop other abilities besides that.”
“Though a Kussetsu makes up most of a person’s ability in this world, if not all in some cases. So you would have to suffice with other means.”
“Let’s get back to your training for the basics of Tamaryoku, besides that I need to teach you some basic fighting skills as well.”
“So prepare yourself, because I don’t intend to go easy on you.”
Oh no…
TWIHACK!
That punch hurts like hell?!
“So how are you getting a feel for Tamaryoku?”
“To be honest I never expected such a consistent stream of it, I can feel it flowing normally now, before I had an acute sense of it but never why could I activate it?”
“Hmm that is odd, but now that you’re actually training for it you’re more adept at it now. Haha, to think you’ve been striking me without me using anyone reinforcing my body.”
“Striking you without you reinforcing, what do you mean by that?”
“What I mean is the whole time I’ve been teaching and training you, I have not yet felt the need to enhance myself with Tamaryoku.”
Gosh he’s really physically strong, just holding off my punches with his bare hands.
He didn’t even use it when he was teaching me.
“After all, I don’t think you’re quite skilled yet in making me try. Though your strikes are sloppy and need work.”
“But when they do land, they are precise and carry a good bit of weight to it. So all in all we will need to work on your speed and agility, so you won’t be lagging behind in hits.”
“After all opponents tend to find weakness in your fighting style in a world like this, so be wary.”
“Now then, I am still focusing on improving your basics, because after that I am going to teach you to improve your Tamaryoku.”
“How so? Like I will be able to produce a much higher amount of Tamaryoku at a single time?”
“Partially true. Tamaryoku is a pure energy source that comes from the center of you as a person.”
“You could say it’s your soul that produces this, liken it to the more lively the more fruitful.”
“It can be quite difficult to increase the amount of it, it’s easier to have higher outputs of it.”
“Think of it like a videogame, ever played those classic RPG’s. Think of it as training not only in the traditional sense, but the mental sense as well.”
“But I’ll tell you this as a rule of this world. It goes for the real world as well, talent will trump hard work. But if that talent fails to work at all, hard work is what will kick in.”
“There’s always cheaters to this rule, so expect anything.”
“I got it.”
“Hmm alright then, I’ll show you a live exercise this time. Follow me.”
Live exercise?
Like I’ll be fighting other people?
“Oh Iruka! Please open up the test doors to the facilities.”
“Iruka, do you hear me? Iruka, are you there…”
BZzzt
“Yes I am here Saijou… What do you want?”
“Could you kindly open up the doors to one of the test facilities!”
“No.”
“Last time you utterly WRECKED the place, REFUSED to clean up. I also HAD to get the cleaning team in when they had their day off.”
“Didn’t I tell you I got blasted out of the place, far into the atmosphere?”
“How does that eve-? Yeah that is why I stopped allowing you in.”
“I’ll get you a 1/35 Zenbekaru Silver plush if you open up?”
“Wait?! Like the classic series?”
“Yeah…”
“Ok ok ok, just this once. BUT IF I CATCH ANY AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT WILL DESTROY IT, I WILL MOVE PERSONALLY CLOAK AND REMOVE THE TEST FACILITY. Ok?”
“Heh yeah ok, bye bye love you Iruka-san.”
…..
“Mr Syuuto who was?”
“She is our Lead technician supervisor, she and her ‘team’ basically controls the electronic systems and security systems.”
“Think of her as one of our support walls, as she does this nation wide across many of our locations in Japan.”
“Surprisingly she is also one of our strongest personnel over here.”
“Well not in terms of strength, unlike me who actually does stuff.”
“I heard that…”
“Oh is this thing still on, let me just.”
Ssztt-
“There.”
“Back to what I was saying, she basically has a role like me, though hers is much more important.”
“Well what are we waiting for, let’s go in.”
“So what will I be doing here?
It’s a live exercise right?
So I’ll be fighting people I’d assume?
“No, not quite. You’ll be testing your current skills against something more malicious, a Kara.”
“What now?”
“Well, you’ll see once you fight it, this one is a little special as it’s a testing dummy.”
What are you talking about, ‘you’ll see once you fight it’.
What exactly am I fighting?
“Don’t worry, if things get too hectic. If your life truly is in danger I will jump in and obliterate it.”
Huh, he’s just going to leave me in here?
KRRCHUN!
What’s going on with that door?
“SKEREEE!”
It’s one of those things?!
I haven’t forgotten how they felt.
The same malicious energy as the one that attacked school.
“H-hey?! MR SAIJ–”
BIZZUTT!
What, it disappeared?
“Behind you Masashi!”
“Tch.”
Just caught it in time, it doesn’t hurt as much since I am actively reinforcing my body.
VWISH
Are they always this fast?
It’s that same movement it made earlier.
“My my it created an impressive shockwave, Masashi stay steadfast this one is a little faster than the rest.”
BIZZUTT
That same movement again.
“Masashi! These things have the ability to teleport, well it’s really complicated bu-”
It keeps dodging, can I even touch it at this point?
“It keeps evading my hits, it’s acting like I am the monster.”
“Good dodging Masashi!”
There!
“Are you surprised I can keep up with you?”
Why am I even talking to it?
WRRSSSH
“Blasting it back with using your energy, nice one, it takes skill to utilize it outside of enhancing your overall abilities”
“Hey Mr. Syuuto. What’s going on with this one?”
Are those missiles?
Ew, it’s ripping out of its back like something biomechanical.
SWOOSH
It’s fa–
BOOM!!
But it seems to just get harder and harder, the movements, now the ranged attacks.
I need something where I could hit from afar.
CRRSSSHHHH!
If I can just keep it in place, in place—
“If it troubles you to keep your goals down. Then chain the things you want, and keep it on the floor… Do that and you might find a piece of the truth.”
ZSSOWSHING!
“Woah, So is that your ability Masashi? I guess you do have one after all. ”
“Keep it up!!”
Oh woah, these chains that just came out of my hand, it’s so transparent and so light.
“RAARGHH!!!”
If I just pull it!
It can’t use the rockets anymore!
BWOOSH!
It broke the chains!
SCKRISH!
Did these chains just…
“Well, well, congrats Masashi, you slayed your first Kara!”
“Hey wait! I still haven’t. Well… Huh.”
That was intense.
Was that Fantazumu who whispered in my ears?
Guess that’s their ability, but wouldn’t that be mine as well?
“I wouldn’t say it’s the first one of these things I defeated.”
“Hmm, you don’t say. Well congrats on proving yourself, this should be a good showing on how you can handle yourself”
“Well Mr. Syuuto. What’s next?”
“You can take a break, but later I’ll be introducing you to the squad that will be looking after you, essentially my team.”
“If this all feels like we are going really fast, it’s because we are!”
“The thing is… the higher ups would rather kill you then let you grow like this, obviously I beg to differ. So try to keep up with this pace.”
“Oh ok. Got it. I’ll keep up then, I won’t let those bastards treat me like a tool.”
“Well, then let’s get going, Masashi! I really don’t want her yelling at me.”
…
“Well, what are you waiting for? Step in.”
Whoosh!
The vibes here are so different it’s like I just entered a new city.
“Hey you! You’re that kid right? I’ve only now heard about your situation!”
“Y-yeah, my name is Yanagidate Masashi. Nice to meet you!”
Woah that man has a shiny head.
“Heh, interesting fella, I’m Hashimoto Kyo. Nice to meet you too.”
“So I’ll be staying with you guys soon, right? I’m guessing.”
“Indeed, you’ll be under our roof for sometime. You could say you’re in good hands right now.”
“Well then, it’s time to meet the rest of our squad!”
“We only have one more person in this squad, Saijou….”
“Yes yes I know, but I think it’d be more grandiose to get an introduction like that. If you get me!”
Woah even this part is more different then the initial room, it is personalized to someone’s taste.
It’s just aesthetically pleasing.
!!!
“Oh, hello I am–”
“I already know who you are, Yanagidate Masashi… Nice to meet you.”
“So… you’re the kid with the scary entity inside of you? Eh, you don’t look like you’d have something like that in you.”
“Uh… Nice to meet you too?”
Woah this is the first time I’ve seen someone with red eyes?
Is it some sort of albinism?
Wait I think i am asking the wrong question-
“Are you just gonna stare at me?”
“N-no, wait a moment, what is your name?”
“Suwarofusukī, Amaiaruheitō.”
“It’ll be nice having you around, kid.”
“Same here!”
Oh my she is pretty.
“Saijou, what’s with the missions we have been doing lately? The abundance of those things has been increasing a lot lately.”
“Unfortunately there has been a spike in the Tokyo area, due to high amounts of Tamaryoku. It’s either people are dying a lot, or just emotions are just running too high.”
“Sheesh, to think that this is happening a lot now. Reminds me of 2002… anyways Masashi gets some rest, We haven’t decided on what to do with our next mission. So you rest up.”
“Oh alright, guess I could sleep since it’s getting really late.”
“By the way, where are the beds? Matter of fact, where are the rooms?”
“Over there… it might look complicated but you’ll get a hang of it”
Complicated?
“Thanks!”
Now it’s near one o clock huh.
Sheesh if I had just gone in earlier at home.
This probably would not have happened.
Damn he wasn’t lying, why did I have to go through a horrid passageway to get these rooms….
Probably just a security thing.
Finally a bed!
SPLOUFF
Thinking about it.
Should I even feel excited over this?
This is possibly the worst thing to happen to me.
Shimizu coming, me getting kidnapped and having this ‘sovereign of the Unwritten’ inside of me.
Just what the heck is all of this, some sort of fairytale?
To think if I just sleep, I could wash away all of this temporarily.
SWOOSH!
What the hell!
What is this shadow?
Wait a moment, It’s just like when I was talking to Fantazumu.
Where are they?
The place looks different as well, it’s not as shadowy.
I can actually see things
Tip
Tap
Tip
“Welcome back other me, you have grown. But not enough, perhaps you aren’t helpless.”
“Fantazumu!”
“SSHHH, no more words, I could tell. You’re starting to realize, you’re growing out of this stillness. Though it’s not enough, there is still much for you to learn.”
“Trust in yourself, then maybe you can trust in me.”
“There is more to yourself than you know.”