The room smelled of disinfectant and the warmth of a new beginning.
A nurse, her gloves still damp, glanced at the monitors specialized in measuring Seimei.
They displayed their numbers.
"Hm… what do we have here…" she murmured, reading each line one by one.
"Normal flow… rather high purity… measured quantity: eighty-two…"
She jotted down the data, then smiled.
"A tiny little Alpha."
In her arms, the newborn still didn't cry.
He simply breathed calmly, eyes closed, as if listening to a song only babies hear before the world becomes harsh.
"Your baby was remarkably quiet during the tests," the nurse said, looking up.
"That's very rare!"
The mother, still breathless but peaceful, tenderly brushed the tiny hand peeking from the blanket.
"Have you chosen a name for your son, Mrs. Shiozumi?"
She nodded, her smile fragile but certain.
"Yes.
I'll name him… Sakuya."
The nurse turned to the room's computer, entered the information, and confirmed the file with a click.
"Shiozumi… Sa-ku-ya…"
A small beep validated the registration.
She stepped back toward the mother with a warm expression.
"You're officially a mother. Congratulations."
---
Official N.A.S.C File n°S-12-004821 — Shiozumi Sakuya
• Class: Alpha
• S/Q: 82
• Purity: High
• Anomalies: None
…
Click
Confirmed.
---
"Hey, Sakuya!"
"What is it, Shinobu?"
"Well… aren't you a little excited? Class starts today!"
Sakuya exhaled softly.
"You mean the Seimei initiation course?"
"Well yeah! Kinda a big deal!"
"To be honest… I find it more depressing than anything."
Shinobu froze, mouth hanging open.
"Huh!? Why would you say that? It's a force everyone has! It's super impor..."
"No. Not everyone."
"Come on… what's that supposed to mean?"
Sakuya looked down, uneasy.
"I don't know, Shino. I've never felt anything. Nothing that makes me believe it's worth learning more about…"
Shinobu waved a hand dismissively.
"You think too much. Everyone has Seimei, some people just don't feel it as much. It's fine."
"Maybe."
"And even if you're an Alpha, so what? It's still important to learn how it works."
Sakuya turned his eyes away with a faint smile.
"That's the problem… maybe it's a bit too important for me. Probably something I'll never…"
Neither noticed the bell had rung minutes ago.
"Oh crap! We're late! Hurry!"
Shinobu looked around in panic, then took off running after Sakuya in the hallway.
"I'll beat you there!"
"…"
Their footsteps echoed in the nearly empty corridor.
One walked with a strange mix of anxiety and determination, the kind of energy only people who know they're already late can have.
The other kept the same unenthusiastic expression as before, letting himself be overtaken without much reaction.
When they reached the classroom door, they froze.
Yoshikawa stood at the entrance, arms crossed, watching them like two sparrows caught misbehaving. His displeased expression was enough to chill the air.
"So… you care that little about my initiation course?"
Sakuya bowed immediately, cheeks heating with shame.
"My apologies, Yoshikawa-sensei !"
Shinobu bowed too, automatically letting Sakuya speak for them both.
The teacher observed them for a moment, gaze sharp and assessing.
"You will both stay after class. I'll give you additional work. And I expect this not to happen again. Is that clear?"
"But Yoshikawa sen..."
"Is that clear, Shiozumi?"
The voice was calm, but unquestionable.
Shinobu stiffened, then nodded silently, his whole posture dripping with shame.
---
As soon as they stepped inside, silence fell.
The entire class stared at them as if they had interrupted a sacred ritual. In an instant, they had earned the worst reputation of the day.
Every eye was fixed on them.
Every one… except Kanao's.
Sitting near the window, she offered them a soft smile, almost relieved to see Sakuya finally attending his first initiation class.
Shinobu gave Sakuya a knowing look.
He knew perfectly well how much Kanao's quiet presence affected him.
Once the two troublemakers were seated, Yoshikawa-sensei stepped to the center of the room.
"Alright. Good morning, everyone. I imagine you've been waiting for this class for six years now."
He paused, crossing his arms.
"The Introduction to Seimei."
He let the title hang in the air before continuing:
"To begin, who can tell me what Seimei is?"
Almost every hand shot up.
Except Sakuya's.
"Fujiwara, no need to raise your hand. You should've arrived on time."
Shinobu dropped his hand instantly, cheeks flushing crimson.
"Alright then. Kirishima, tell me what it is."
Kirishima puffed out his chest.
"It's a force everyone has that lets us use crazy powers! Some people can recreate elements, or get super strength, like actual superheroes!"
The teacher smiled, amused.
"Incorrect. Anyone else?"
Half the hands lowered immediately, apparently they had all thought the same thing.
"Haragane, go ahead."
Kanao straightened a little.
"Seimei is an energy measured by the government, which categorizes us based on potential. It can be trained and refined almost indefinitely. Thanks to it, people can enter prestigious professions, like becoming a doctor."
She glanced at Sakuya, who, as always, seemed captivated by her explanation.
The teacher was silent a few seconds, waiting for more.
"Incorrect. One last try?"
Only four hands rose this time.
One of them was Sakuya's.
This clearly surprised Yoshikawa.
"Seishō. Speak."
The boy inhaled calmly.
"Seimei is the vital essence of all living things. It is an immutable force, forming the foundation of our society… and of existence itself."
The teacher's expression shifted.
His amusement became genuine approval.
"Exactly. Well said. How did you know? Did your parents teach you before I could?"
The student scratched the back of his head, awkward.
"My father works in law enforcement… so I've heard about this stuff all my life."
"I see."
Yoshikawa swept the room with his gaze to ensure everyone was focused.
"As Seishō said, Seimei is the fundamental energy flowing through everything alive. And as Haragane mentioned, this is precisely why it forms the very foundation of our society."
"Now, the government measures everyone's Seimei and assigns each citizen to a category."
He lifted a remote and displayed a slideshow.
"First, we have the Alphas. The most common class. Their Seimei flows like anyone's, but with low purity, low flow, or low quantity, often all three."
"They make up about eighty percent of the population. They are rarely considered for military or law-enforcement roles, and almost never for special forces. They cannot consciously use their Seimei."
He switched slides.
"Next are the Betas."
The letter β appeared behind him.
"Betas are the first class considered functionally capable. Their measured values aren't high, but they possess useful potential. This is the minimum class required to join the police."
The class listened half-heartedly.
They already knew all this. What they truly awaited… were the higher levels.
The next slide appeared: Γ.
"Then we have the Gammas."
He let a deeper silence settle.
"From Gamma onward, things get serious. Their Seimei density is far above average. They are strongly encouraged to join the military or law enforcement. This is also the minimum required to enter the Seimei Anomaly Confinement Forces.'"
"Every person you've seen on television stopping crises or fighting creatures was at least a Gamma."
The room brightened instantly.
Dozens of eyes sparkled with awe.
Yoshikawa-sensei watched them… then his expression darkened.
"I see you getting excited, but let me stop you right now. Being Gamma or higher is not fun. Yes, the N.A.S.C looks glamorous… but that is not the reality for most of them."
Silence spread.
"Being Gamma also means you are potentially dangerous. To monsters, yes… but also to yourselves. And to others."
He paced slowly.
"That is why this course exists: to teach control. A Gamma or stronger can cripple themselves for life from a single moment of anger. Seimei is part of you, like your head or your arms. Does knowing how to headbutt mean you'd smash your skull against a concrete wall?"
He paused.
"No."
The students' excitement faded into unease.
"It's the same with Seimei. The higher your class, the more likely you are to hit that wall… and injure yourselves."
Sakuya raised his hand again.
"Yes, Shiozumi?"
"Why do you need a high class to practice medicine, then, if Seimei is that dangerous?"
Yoshikawa-sensei smiled faintly.
"Ah… Shiozumi, perfect timing."
He switched slides.
A large Z filled the screen.
"The next class: Zeta."
He pointed to it.
"Zetas are exceptions among high-class users. They don't necessarily have dense flow or high quantity… but their purity is extremely high. That gives them precise control, and above all, a restorative Seimei rather than a destructive one."
"These people almost always become doctors. Their power serves society on a level few others can."
Sakuya's eyes lit up.
Everyone knew he dreamed of becoming a doctor.
Yoshikawa-seisei continued.
"Finally, there are two classes none of you will ever reach."
He turned off the screen.
"The Epsilon. And the Theta."
The atmosphere tightened.
"They are our society's elite in raw capability… and at the same time, the most disabled among us. Many die young without strict supervision. They spend most of their childhood and adolescence in specialized facilities just to live somewhat normal lives."
Shinobu let out a nervous laugh.
"So that's why people call them the Epsidiot and the th..."
"Fujiwara. Silence."
The teacher's voice cut like a blade.
"Those nicknames are exactly why they must be kept apart from you. Because of the stigma they constantly endure."
Shinobu shrank into himself, staring at the floor.
Yoshikawa continued, his voice heavier.
"What happens today is more than learning how to break a wall or save a life. This isn't a flashy lesson. It's a turning point."
He stepped forward.
"You will enter the Capsule Eight. It will measure your Seimei… but more importantly, it will determine the path your life will take. For most of you, nothing will change. But for a few… tomorrow will not be the same."
A ripple of tension ran through the room.
Sakuya felt it too.
Ever since his mother's death, he had held onto one dream: becoming a doctor.
And all he wished, with everything inside him, was to be a Zeta.