On the training grounds, Yumé and Kenny were catching their breath after an intense fight with Zeno. From a distance, Zeno noticed Ikku and Carla returning. A faint smile appeared on his face as he saw their auras glowing a clear sign of their progress.When they arrived, Zeno greeted them.
"As I said, you're truly promising."
"Thank you, professor!" they exclaimed, pleased with the praise."Alright," Zeno continued. "We can now move on to the next step. Yumé, Kenny, during your free time, you'll explain to Ikku and Carla what they missed. Now that you've awakened your spiritual energy, it's time to advance to the next phase."Zeno handed each of his students a small rod with a tiny paper wheel attached to the end."Hold this rod firmly in your hand and release your spiritual energy," he instructed calmly.
The recruits obeyed with a mix of curiosity and focus. Moments later, something happened."The wheel is spinning!" Ikku exclaimed.
"Same here," Kenny added with a faintly satisfied smile.Carla, however, frowned as she observed her still rod."Nothing's happening for me..." she said, visibly perplexed.
"Me neither," Yumé murmured, lowering his eyes, clearly embarrassed.Zeno crossed his arms and replied, "Don't worry. That's perfectly normal. Thanks to this exercise, we now know which category you belong to.""Category?" they repeated in unison, intrigued.Zeno nodded and continued his explanation."That's right. Spiritual energy, also known as Prana, is divided into three categories: positive, negative, and neutral. You can only belong to one category, and from there, you can develop a unique power called a Brand."
"A unique power… amazing!" Ikku exclaimed, visibly excited.Kenny, curious, raised his hand."Professor, what's the difference between these categories?"
Zeno nodded, as though expecting the question."Good question. These categories form the foundation of creating your Brand. Let me explain in detail."
He pointed to Kenny and Ikku."The positive category influences and modifies something that already exists. For example, you can change your size, become faster, or even transform your Prana into flames. For you, Kenny, and you, Ikku, the wheel spun clockwise, meaning you belong to this category."
He paused, letting the students absorb the information."The negative category, on the other hand, doesn't modify but rather controls or manipulates something that already exists. It could be an element, a person, an animal, or even objects. To belong to this category, the wheel would have spun counterclockwise. However, none of you fall into this category."
He then turned to Carla and Yumé, who were listening intently."Finally, the neutral category can materialize something entirely from your own energy. The fact that the wheel didn't move for either of you indicates that you belong to this category."
A silence followed his words as each student pondered what this meant for them.Ikku, unable to contain his enthusiasm, exclaimed, "This is incredible, Professor! So, we can create our own power?""Exactly," Zeno replied. "But don't get ahead of yourselves. Creating a Brand will require extensive practice."Zeno continued his explanation, his calm, steady voice resonating through the space."I've explained the basics of Brands, but to create a true one, there's a fundamental principle you must understand."
Ikku, still curious, timidly raised his hand."What is it, Professor?"
Zeno slowly turned his gaze to him, his expression unreadable."It's called the 3C principle: constraint, condition, and consequence. These are the pillars upon which a Brand is built. Any power you create must include a constraint, in other words, a limit. For example, imagine you want to create a Brand that increases your speed. You would need to define a restriction, such as not being able to exceed the speed of sound."
Kenny frowned slightly."Why add a limit? Doesn't that make the power weaker?"
Zeno turned his gaze to him."No. A constraint doesn't weaken your power; it enhances its efficiency. By setting limits, you focus your spiritual energy on a specific goal. That focus is what strengthens your Brand."
He paused, scanning each of them to ensure they were following."Next comes the condition. This is the rule that activates your power. For example, for a speed-enhancing Brand, the condition might be that you have to say the Brand's name out loud."
Carla, deep in thought, raised her eyes to Zeno."What if we don't want a condition?" she asked hesitantly.
Zeno held her gaze for a moment before replying, still in a neutral tone."It's possible. But without a condition, your Brand is often weaker. A condition acts as a catalyst to focus your energy. Without it, your efforts are diluted."
He turned away, gazing at some distant point as if choosing his words carefully."Finally, there's the consequence. This isn't mandatory, but it's what separates an ordinary Brand from an exceptional one. A consequence occurs if you break a constraint or condition. For instance, if you exceed the speed limit or forget to say your Brand's name, you might temporarily lose access to your power."
Yumé hesitated before asking, "So… if we add a consequence, does it make our power stronger?"Zeno nodded slowly, his face remaining impassive."Exactly. The more demanding your 3Cs, the more powerful your Brand becomes."
Ikku, despite the serious tone of the explanation, couldn't hold back his excitement."So… basically, the more risks we take, the stronger we get?"
Zeno turned to him, his expression still neutral."It's not about taking risks, it's about discipline. If you take unnecessary risks, you'll fail. But if you're disciplined and precise, your Brand will become a formidable weapon. Remember: a Brand isn't just a display of strength. It's an extension of who you are and what you want to achieve."
He crossed his arms again, letting his students absorb his words. A heavy silence fell, not from discomfort, but from the weight of the possibilities they had just learned about.Zeno gave his students one last look, his tone still calm and devoid of emotion.Ikku raised his hand."Can you show us an example, Master Zeno?"
Zeno remained silent for a moment before releasing his spiritual energy and extending his arm. Ikku and his friends watched intently. Zeno opened his hand, then closed it. At that moment, a sword materialized. Its blade was black and double-edged, inscribed with what looked like ancient, unknown symbols. The blade wasn't large, and the sword seemed designed for one-handed use."Wow!" they all cried out, awestruck by what they had just seen.The sword vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared."That's all for today. I'll let you guess which category I belong to, and you can tell me your answer during our next meeting. Continue training and working on mastering your spiritual energy. In one week, we'll begin your first mission."Kenny, intrigued, raised an eyebrow."With you, Professor?"
Zeno replied in a neutral tone, "That's correct. For new recruits, the first five missions must be completed under the trainer's supervision. Once you've completed them, your training will be considered finished."He paused briefly, ensuring they understood, then added,"Rest up until then. The training grounds are open if you want to practice more. You're free to come anytime."
Turning on his heel, he walked a few steps before stopping to deliver one final instruction."Meet here next Tuesday at 9 a.m. sharp. Don't be late."
Without waiting for a response, Zeno left the training grounds, leaving his students absorbed in the thought of their first mission.