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6 chapters to the system
Don't forget to add to library
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"Do you seriously want to die?" Sinon asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
Tatsuya remained silent, staring at her with calm, unblinking eyes. The lack of response only made her angrier. With a swift and deadly motion, she swung her sword at him, the blade slicing through the air with precision.
Had it connected, it would have been fatal—or at least enough to make someone wish for death.
But Tatsuya was quicker. He deflected the strike with ease, his shield absorbing the impact as if it weighed nothing.
Without hesitation, he countered with a punch aimed directly at her solar plexus. But Sinon was no amateur. She brought her sword up just in time, using it as a barrier between them.
Tatsuya glanced at the clock above them. Only thirty seconds remained.
Time was running out. His brow furrowed as he gritted his teeth, the pressure mounting.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, just loud enough for Sinon to hear. His voice was laced with a hint of regret, though it was hard to say if it was directed at her—or himself.
For a moment, he stood completely still. Sinon, sensing something was off, paused as well. She watched him cautiously, her grip tightening around her sword.
It only took a few seconds for her to realize what he was doing. He was stalling.
On the other side of the training arena, the president of the Infinitum Set (IS) sat in the observation room, his eyes glued to the tablet in his hand.
He had been tracking Tatsuya's performance closely, but something strange was happening. The stats on the tablet showed a rapid increase—Tatsuya's power levels were rising exponentially in mere moments.
The president's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible…" he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Sinon, not wanting to waste another second, charged at Tatsuya with renewed determination.
But just as she closed the distance, she witnessed something miraculous. Tatsuya's shield, which had protected him throughout the fight, began to shrink.
It contracted, growing smaller until it covered only half of his arm.
In its place, a small dagger materialized in his free hand. His stance shifted, the weight of the battle shifting with it.
And then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.
It was as if the world flipped upside down. One moment, Sinon was lunging at him with all her might, and the next, she found herself standing still—with her back to him.
They were frozen, both of them facing away from each other as if they had swapped places in an instant.
Tatsuya's voice broke the silence, calm but with an edge of finality. "I'm sorry, miss, but I can't afford to have my memories tampered with. There are too many skeletons I need to hide. Too many things I need to repent for."
As the words left his mouth, Sinon's sword began to fracture. Tiny cracks spread across its surface like spiderwebs.
In seconds, the blade shattered into countless fragments, raining down around her. She stood there, stunned, as the weight of her defeat sank in.
And then, without warning, Tatsuya collapsed to the ground, his body giving out from the strain.
Kisame, who had been watching from the sidelines, rushed over. He didn't hesitate as he pulled Sinon's identification chip from her helmet and inserted it into Tatsuya's.
The battle had officially ended.
When Tatsuya awoke, it was already evening. He found himself in the infirmary, the soft hum of medical equipment surrounding him. His body felt heavy, sore from the exertion of the fight, the pain he was feeling was too much to be called fine. On the small bedside table next to him, there was a phone, a smartwatch, and a folded note.
The phone immediately caught his attention. It was strange—unlike any phone he had seen before. There was no network connection, and the list of apps was minimal. Just the basics: alarm, weather, compass, calculator, and one other app that stood out to him.
It looked like a messaging app, but it was exclusive to the IS.
He opened the app and saw a single message waiting for him. It was an instruction: report to the homeroom the next morning. His assigned tutor would be someone named Mr. Yuu.
The name stirred something in him. Nostalgia, perhaps. He couldn't quite place it, but it felt familiar. As the fatigue overtook him again, Tatsuya drifted back to sleep, the mysterious name lingering in his mind.
The next morning, Tatsuya felt refreshed. He followed the map on his phone to the homeroom, arriving to find 40 other students already waiting in silence. The air was thick with tension. No one dared to speak, likely still reeling from the recent battles. Tatsuya could sense it too. The reluctance to form connections was palpable. After all, they might be forced to fight each other again soon.
The room grew quieter as time dragged on. One by one, instructors arrived to call out names, collecting their students and leading them away. But Tatsuya's instructor, Mr. Yuu, had yet to appear.
An hour passed. Still, no sign of him.
Frustrated, Tatsuya scribbled a quick note and left it on the teacher's desk before slipping out of the room. He wasn't one to sit around and wait for someone who couldn't be bothered to show up on time.
As he wandered around the campus, his thoughts drifted back to the fight with Sinon. It had been too close. He had won, but just barely. The strain on his body from using the dagger and the shield together had been immense. He needed to be stronger, faster. There was no room for hesitation in a place like this.
About 400 meters from the homeroom, Tatsuya spotted Kisame sitting on a bench, a familiar grin on his face. When Kisame saw him approaching, he waved.
Tatsuya returned the smile, taking a seat beside him. There was something on Kisame's mind—that much was clear.
After a few moments of silence, Kisame spoke in English. "You're also from East Asia?"
"Yes," Tatsuya replied, raising an eyebrow at the sudden question.
"Which country?"
"Country J," he answered.
Kisame seemed surprised. A smile tugged at his lips. "It's been a long time since I've spoken to someone younger from Country J."
"How old are you anyway?" Tatsuya asked, curious.
"Twenty-three," Kisame said nonchalantly.
Tatsuya blinked. "You must be quite the talent to get here so young. Most people are at least 24 when they enter this program. Are you a special entry?"
"No, I passed through the regular tests."
Kisame nodded, though a sceptical look crossed his face. After a brief pause, he spoke again. "Aren't you supposed to be meeting your tutor right now?"
Tatsuya scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah… I just met him, and he let me go for a walk."
Kisame raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Who's your instructor?"
"He's called Mr. Yuu. Not the most exciting name, right? I was expecting something flashier for someone in a secret organization like this. You know, like Ethan or James or—"
Tatsuya's words trailed off as he saw the look on Kisame's face. It had turned deadly serious, even murderous.
"Watch your mouth," Kisame growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You're insulting the colonel who saved countless lives. If you say another word, I swear I'll kill you."
The threat was real. Tatsuya could feel the weight behind it. He raised his hands in surrender.
"Sorry," he said, genuinely meaning it. "I didn't know."
Kisame's expression softened, though the tension lingered in the air. "You haven't met him yet, have you?" he asked, his tone quieter now. "If you had, you'd understand. He's not just some teacher. He's a legend."
Tatsuya studied Kisame's face, seeing the reverence in his eyes. "So, you were in the army too?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
Kisame nodded.
Tatsuya smirked. "Ever regret it? Leaving behind everything you loved to be here?"
For a moment, Kisame didn't respond. His gaze drifted into the distance, as if recalling something long buried. Then, he sighed.
"There's always regret. But you learn to live with it."
Tatsuya nodded; his thoughts clouded with his own regrets.