Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz!
In a dimly lit room, a cell phone vibrated on top of a rumpled bed, waking up the white-haired boy next to it. He drowsily turned to check his phone and saw the phone's notification light glowing.
Bzzzz!
The phone vibrated again, but the boy merely rolled over, ignoring it.
Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz! Bzzzz!
The phone erupted into a frenzy of notifications, forcing the boy to finally reach for it, grumbling in annoyance. He glanced at the clock on the screen. It read 7 a.m.
'For f*ck's sake, who could be texting at such ungodly hours on a Saturday?' the boy thought, still half-asleep.
He swiped the screen, unlocking the phone. A multitude of notifications appeared on the display, all of them from a single person: Jake.
"What does this idiot want?" Seth grumbled as he opened the messenger app, which revealed over 50 unread messages from Jake.
"Seriously?" Seth exclaimed, growing irritated.
As he entered the chat, a lengthy column of messages filled the left side of the screen. They all bore the same repetition: "Bro!" Jake had spammed Seth with the word "Bro!" over 50 times, and he showed no signs of stopping until he received a response.
What?!-
-Oh good you are awake
-I thought you would be asleep
It's 7 am on a Saturday-
Of course I'd be awake-
-Yeah, that's what I thought
I was being sarcastic you dumbass-
Of course I was sleeping-
It's f*cking 7 am on a Saturday-
-Easy now
-Looks like someone got up in a bad mood
I'm going back to sleep-
-Wait wait
What?-
-It's today
What do you mean?-
-You seriously don't remember?
Make it quick I wanna go back to sleep-
-Dude, let's see if this rings a bell
-HSA
Seth's eyes widened in realization. 'Damn, what day is it today?' He glanced at the date on his phone. 'Saturday, December 8th. It's today!' he thought with a sudden surge of urgency.
The tournament's inauguration!-
-Exactly
-That's why I thought you would be awake
Then why did you message me-
-Well
-I thought you might have forgotten
-Since you didn't mention it yesterday
-But that's not the main reason
Then what is it?-
-You have to see it yourself
-Go turn on your TV
Without hesitation, Seth bolted to the living room, turning on the TV and tuning it to any news channel. Such a momentous event would undoubtedly be covered by all news outlets, making the choice of channel unimportant
The grand inauguration of the Rising Espers Tournament wasn't an event that took place in a simple stadium, as one might expect. Instead, it resembled a splendid mix of a parade and a military spectacle, a true celebration. On TV appeared a procession of non-esper soldiers, clad in traditional military attire, marching forth, accompanied by formidable military vehicles such as tanks, armored vehicles, towering mechas operated by humans, and even missile launchers, all heavily armed.
Following the non-esper division came the HSA esper force. Although smaller in numbers, they emanated a more powerful aura of danger. Clad in white hoodies, black tactical pants, and what appeared to be bulletproof vests, their faces concealed behind gas masks, they wielded a wide range of weapons, from swords and bows to more exotic weapons like katanas. These seemingly simpler weapons were, in fact, meticulously designed to unleash the full potential of each esper's abilities. Just like their non-esper counterparts, they too paraded alongside imposing mechas, but their mechas were significantly more powerful.
Finally, following behind the esper division was the renowned Black Guard, the pride of the HSA. Despite only presenting a mere ten operators, their presence exuded an unparalleled air of danger that eclipsed the other two divisions combined. Devoid of any robotic or vehicular accompaniment, as well as any kind of visible weapon, their austere simplicity amplified their threatening aura. Cloaked in all-black tactical outfits, their faces concealed by stark white masks featuring only two eyeholes, they proudly wore the Balck Guard's logo on their backs. Every step they took sent shivers down the spines of all present.
The Black Guard was the last segment of the military parade. Following closely were an array of imposing vehicles, transporting prominent figures that included three influential Uspire politicians, two important HSA higher-ups, and two celebrity figures. The small number of important figures and Black Guard operators attending the inauguration was because the tournament simultaneously unfolded in the world's top five leading cities and there was a limited number of important figures and Black Guard operators. To ensure equity and due regard for each city's significance, the attendance had been divided accordingly, a principle that extended to the Black Guard.
This emphasis on equitable representation between cities and nations also explained the notable absence of national leaders or the President of the HSA at any of the tournament locations. In fact, the national leaders didn't rule from their nations either. After the Dark Era, the world was completely transformed, and as a result, three colossal continents emerged as the sole nations: Uspire, Rosnova, Suthorna. These expansive landmasses formed a circular configuration, encircling a vast central sea. The continents themselves were separated from one another by colossal rivers of such breadth that traversing them by boat took days.
Situated within the central sea was a remarkable island known as Avalon Island, placed equidistant to each continent. This island now served as the epicenter of global power. The three national leaders governed from their respective territories, encircling the central sovereign domain, home to the headquarters of the HSA, from which ruled the HSA President.