The morning after the collapse of the Tenshō Tower, a black car left Shinkase, silent like a shadow.
It drove along the paved road that cut through the forest, trees sliding past on either side.
Inside the vehicle sat two familiar faces of the Reikeitai: Akizame and Tetsuya.
Akizame was driving, his hands steady on the steering wheel.
"So… how about you finally tell me the truth?" Tetsuya suggested, his gaze lost beyond the window, chin resting on his hand in a bored gesture.
"Could you be more specific?" the other replied, deliberately vague.
Tetsuya let out an annoyed sigh.
"Seriously? You really want to play this game?" he snapped.
"Why didn't you mention the presence of that boy…" he raised his thumb, pointing toward the back seats,
"…and her, when I found you outside the subway?"
In the back of the car lay Yume, still unconscious.
She was stretched across the rear seats, her wrists locked in handcuffs, her body wrapped in a worn blanket that revealed a few bruises.
Her breathing was faint, barely noticeable, as if she were suspended in sleep.
"Want me to be even more specific?" Tetsuya provoked, tilting his head slightly.
Akizame narrowed his eyes for a moment, clearly irritated.
"Do you remember the weapons that boy was carrying?" he asked without looking at him.
"Of course. You mean those blades that absorbed spiritual energy…" Tetsuya replied, watching him closely.
"Good. Then you'll understand faster." He continued speaking in that characteristically elusive tone.
"When I was still a recruit, my squad was assigned a strange guy…" he began, his gaze slowly clouding over.
---
A young Akizame, barely sixteen years old, was facing the day of assignment to his first squad.
A group of boys and girls had gathered in front of a large notice board near the training grounds, each searching for their name.
—I hope I end up with good teammates— he thought, his eyes scanning the list.
"There it is…" he murmured when he finally spotted his name.
He squinted and leaned forward slightly to read better.
"Training Field Number Three," he read quietly.
—Good… now I'll find out who I'll be teamed with— he thought, starting down the sandy path.
Training Field Three lay at the base of a large waterfall, the roar of water crashing against the rocks echoing through the area.
Around it stood several small buildings acting as outposts: storage rooms, training halls, locker rooms.
Inside, one could find every kind of equipment for combat practice—wooden dummies, blunted weapons, weights, targets.
Outside, dense trees formed a natural veil, hiding the field from the rest of the facility.
"You're the second to arrive."
The voice came from behind him.
When Akizame turned, he saw a young man, just over thirty.
He wore the standard Reikeitai uniform. A long scar ran across his face, from chin to forehead.
His hair, slicked back and slightly lifted, allowed a single loose strand to fall over his face.
His presence was calm, yet authoritative.
"Are you our squad leader?" Akizame asked bluntly.
"That's right. My name is Kurogane Hayato," he introduced himself.
"From today, for an entire year, I'll be guiding and training you until you become full-fledged members of the Reikeitai." He gave a faint but confident smile.
Behind him, a figure tried not to draw attention, staying slightly off to the side.
"Ah, right… almost forgot." Kurogane suddenly turned, grabbed the figure by the shoulders, and gently pushed her forward.
"She's one of your teammates," he said casually.
"Go on, introduce yourself," he urged, as the girl looked visibly uncomfortable.
"N-nice to meet you… my name is Rin Shindō," she said, her face and cheeks flushed.
Rin had short black hair, and her bright eyes carried a shade close to amber.
She wore the female Reikeitai uniform: the classic coat, paired with long stockings and boots of the same color, giving her an orderly yet still inexperienced appearance.
"My name is Akizame," he said, not giving her much attention.
"Now that we've met, all that's left is to wait for our last teammate," Kurogane said, heading toward one of the buildings.
"Let's wait inside." He opened the door and motioned for his trainees to enter.
Akizame and Rin found themselves in a training room: strength-training weights lined one wall, while rubber mats covered the floor, designed for one-on-one combat practice.
At the center of the room stood a transparent table, behind which the squad leader had just taken a seat.
"Come on, kids, have a seat."
—For someone who's supposed to be our instructor, isn't he a bit too carefree?— Akizame thought, observing him.
—Well, whatever. I'm curious… I wonder who our last teammate will be.— He sat down, waiting with the others.
Time passed faster than expected.
An hour had already gone by since the group had gathered.
"Master!" Akizame called out, standing up with clear irritation.
"Can we know where our last teammate is?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"I hope you'll take action when he gets here."
Kurogane didn't answer immediately.
"Akizame, calm down." He tossed him a key.
"And what's this for?" the boy asked, catching it midair.
"Open your locker and put on the Reikeitai uniform." He paused briefly.
"You're all here now."
Someone knocked on the door.
When it opened, a boy with long white hair stepped inside.
"Sorry I'm late. Let me introduce myself: my name is Ren Ryuzen."
At that name, Akizame's mind snapped back to the present.
"That was the first time I met him," he explained to Tetsuya.
"The last time I saw him was during an extremely dangerous mission… and that's when I understood who he really was." His words remained vague.
"From what I later learned, he and Rin had gotten married. After that, I lost all contact." He slightly turned the steering wheel.
"And what does all of this have to do with that kid?" Tetsuya asked, puzzled.
"Why did you protect him? He must have stolen those weapons."
"Ren was no weakling. He knew how important those blades were." Akizame's expression hardened.
"He gave them to him of his own free will."
"I have no doubt about that."