The sound of machines was louder than any thought that could form in Tsukari's mind.
Screeching alarms, the grinding of metal, and the vibration of the concrete floor beneath his feet… this had been his world for three years
A huge car factory on the outskirts of the city, filled with thousands of workers, yet no one noticed anyone
Tsukari was one of those who went unnoticed
He wore a gray uniform stained with oil, his hands rough as if they were made only to tighten bolts and lift heavy parts.
No talent, no great ambition—just a young man in his mid-twenties trying to survive from one day to the next.
"Next."
The supervisor's voice brought him back to reality.
Tsukari picked up another metal part, fixed it in place, and pressed the button.
Clang—!
The assembly line moved again.
Ten years ago, the gates appeared, and with them came the Marked Ones, humans who carried mysterious marks and gained extraordinary powers.
The rest… remained ordinary. Like Tsukari.
He held a metal part in his hand and looked at the clock.
One hour left in his shift.
Suddenly, the factory shook violently.
The workers screamed, machines stopped… and an unnatural cold spread through the air.
A figure appeared before him.
A human—not a monster—but far more terrifying.
He wore a long black coat, and his right hand was covered in black, sticky liquid, emitting a deadly scent.
Anyone who touched it—or even got close—would lose consciousness and be abducted… leaving no trace.
Before the hand could touch him, a strange feeling swept over Tsukari:
The floor trembled, and a sudden whistling sound erupted, as if the wind itself carried something impossibly fast.
A small, weak-looking young man appeared, wearing simple clothes, but his eyes were sharp like arrows.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the barely conscious Tsukari and held him tightly.
"Hold on!" the young man said, his voice low but firm.
In a flash, they vanished from the factory, as if cut out of time and space.
The mysterious figure raised his hand into the empty air, but they were gone, and he could not reach them.
Tsukari tried to open his eyes, still dizzy from the poison.
The young man moved at an unbelievable speed, his body seeming to melt through space and time until they arrived at a distant place…
A dark area filled with old buildings, appearing like an abandoned school.
Huge stone gates, a wide courtyard, and a training ground filled with wooden dummies and practice targets.
"The Graveyard…" the young man said, reading Tsukari's thoughts.
"But it is not what it seems. Here, we learn how to fight. Everything is about survival."
The young man took a deep breath and introduced himself:
"Niizumi. Weak? Yes, compared to others… but my weakness is not what you think. Here, I will show you how to live."
Tsukari, still weakened by the poison, felt fear and confusion.
Yet something inside him stirred: this was his chance to escape his ordinary life, his meaningless existence.
"Why are you helping me?" he muttered.
Niizumi gave a mysterious smile:
"Because you will become… more than just an ordinary person."
And in the courtyard, the true nature of the Graveyard began to reveal itself:
Training areas, strange weapons, and Tsukari's first lesson…
Survival depends on strength. Strength alone.