Ace was preparing to start his second year of high school in Japan. He had always been a bit nervous about the transition, but he was also excited about the new opportunities and challenges that awaited him.
His parents had decided to enroll him in Tokyo Inter-high, a prestigious and highly competitive school known for its academic excellence and strong sports programs.
On the first day of school, Ace woke up early, eager to make a good impression. He put on his new school uniform, a crisp white shirt with a navy blue jacket and pants, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
His mother had prepared a delicious meal of miso soup and rice, a traditional Japanese breakfast. As they ate, his parents gave him words of encouragement and advice for the day ahead.
After breakfast, Ace grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. As he walked to school, he couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.
He had heard stories about the intense competition and strict rules at Tokyo Inter-high, but he was determined to do his best and make his family proud.
He hopped into their car waiting for his mom to arrive. His sister, Emma sitting beside him, ready to go to her new school. The both sat in anticipation as William warmed up the car while waiting for Nichole.
"I'm ready, we can go now". Nichole spoke at a distance while walking to the car, spontaneously arranging her attire.
Ace, upon seeing his mother's arrival, started pondering the environment of his new school with a smile on his face as his mother opened the door and entered the car.
As soon as she entered the car, the words that escaped her mouth were,
"Let's head to the secret academy".
The one who was surprised at the words wasn't Nichole, rather Ace was the one put in a traumatic state. There was absolutely zero percent of astonishment in Nichole's eyes. Only a hint of confidence and joy made its presence known.
As Ace tried to grasp the situation, Nichole's loyal husband stepped on the gas. The car moved at full speed, further accelerating Ace's surprised state..
Emma was left in the dark, ignorant, and paying no attention to the situation.
William drove the car at full speed, till they arrived at a facility, much like the previous one, but taking a slightly different structure and shape portraying a school-like setting.
The car stopped, and they all alighted the car. Surprising to Ace, voices reverberated in the building, sounding like teenagers. The first thing that came to Ace's mind was a school, but the question was,
"What is this hidden academy about?".
As they proceeded, Ace's fear suddenly vanished for a reason, unknown to Ace.
The Slay Force is a hidden academy under the cover of a religious institution bestowing knowledge on future monks. The mirage it portrayed gave it room to carry out its activities.
A special institutions created, solely to train young individuals to exorcise demons and bring an end to their era.
William and Nichole took Ace to a room in the institution and dropped him off there They took Emma back to the car and drove her away.
Ace, still ignorant of the current situation sat on a seat, conveniently with his name written on it. Soon after, students flooded into the room along with a teacher behind them.
"A new class, a new session. All of you brought here from different parts of the world through various means. Some arrived here out of deception, and some deliberately."
"Whatever reason you're here,"
"It means no business to me and I don't give a damn about it. Okay". The teacher said, suddenly disrupting his smooth style of speech.
"Today I'll be explaining two major things, the Innate Century and the Spectrum".
"We have a major problem here and around the world. The Innate Century, is is ais century of void and chaos, filled with demons and evil. A century that occurs every half a millennium."
"A state of exactly 100 years as the name suggests. Where the demons become significantly active and the Demon Lord himself makes his appearance".
At that point, a student in Ace's class stood up and asked the teacher a question confidently.
"Master, I'd like to ask something".
"It has been 600 years since the last Innate Century but the last century was not an Innate Century". The student said with a smirk on his face, awaiting for his response.
"If you would just let me talk, you little brat I would have told you".
"Yes, I know it has been 600 years since the last Innate Century, but demon activities haven't increased. If anything, they have slightly dropped."
"But, our lab workers have made us know that this may be the next Innate Century and a fierce one at that."
"They speculate the sudden drop in demon activities is to reserve their powers for the next Innate Century."
At this point, all the students looked at each other and gasped. They knew what had to be done. They immersed themselves fully into the lesson to be prepared for any future demons.
A brief silence came upon the class, untill a student stood up and asked,
"Spectr, Sir could you enlighten us?" The teacher looked at him a couple of times, changed his view to his, and cleared his throat before saying,
", Ah Spectrum. The power you all are bestowed with. The ultimate power that makes one able to deal damage and exorcise demons."
"Although typically everyone can see demons, only those with the spectrum can fight them."
"You all understand what I just said. All of you here have the spectrum, but your power needs to be determined before you can join the Slay Corp."
"Yes, the Slay Corp, a corporation you go to when you are ranked above a certain number. But this is a tale for another day."
"I'll have to end this lesson."
All the students stood up, grabbed their bags, and exited the class. Unbeknownst to Ace, that the school was over, he stayed behind waiting for the teacher.
The teacher took one glance at his face and became annoyed.
"What are you doing here? I said go.
The teacher looked at Ace in annoyance as he muttered to himself,
"A pretty short day for a school day. These students have it easy on them."
The teacher looked at Ace once again and snapped. As he was about to scold Ace for the second time, Ace interrupted him saying,
"I know you are annoyed, depressed, and all, but try venting your anger on yourself and not the innocent students."
What surprised the teacher was not the comment Ace made, but the cold blue eyes that accompanied it. Ace, for a moment, experienced his previous lifestyle. His mentality changed for an instant. His old personality surfaced once again, but he reverted soon after.
For what reason did Ace behave in that way? Was it the will of the Supreme Lord or did an unknown power ignite due to his teacher? Find out more in the series.