From the outside, the building looked like nothing — just another weather-stained block of stone wedged between warehouses. Windows shuttered, ivy curling up cracked plaster, the kind of place people passed by without sparing a glance.
But if you listened carefully, the illusion broke.Faint whirs. Metallic clicks. Even a sharp pop followed by a muffled curse.
Kazuo inspected the building. "Doesn't look like much."
Tetsu stood very still, gaze fixed on the door. His hand brushed the edge of his glasses. "Don't be fooled. This… this is where it started for me. My love for gadgets, inventions — all of it. I was just a kid when I first came here. One look inside, and I knew."
Sora flicked her tail, unimpressed. "That's great and all, professor. But if we stand out here any longer, we'll die of boredom." She marched forward and yanked at the handle. "Let's go already."
The door creaked open — and the lie of the old exterior collapsed at once.
Inside, the air buzzed with energy. Sleek brass instruments ticked and clicked in precise rhythms. Glass chambers pulsed with faint glows, measuring flows of heat, pressure, and elements. Coils turned, wires sparked, and strange silhouettes of prototypes lined the benches. Dozens of assistants in smocks rushed between tables, their hands full of tools, diagrams, or unfinished parts. No one spared Kazuo, Sora, or Tetsu even a glance.
Sora wrinkled her nose. "So much for a warm welcome."
She raised her voice. "Excuse me—"
No response.
Near the center platform, a small man stood perched on a stool, violet eyes magnified comically by a pair of wide goggles. His skin was pale from too many hours indoors, his beard trimmed unevenly as if he'd forgotten half the job. A wild tuft of hair stuck straight up at the crown of his head, defying both gravity and dignity, while the rest flopped sideways in a chaotic tangle. He muttered to himself as he wrestled with a metal frame that squealed under the strain of his wrench.
"Too tight… too damn tight. No, no, no, screws never listen… ah—blast it, start over—"
She tried again, louder. "Hello? We're—"
"Shh!" he snapped suddenly, though not at her — more at the machine, which had begun to smoke faintly. He pressed a cloth against the gears, muttering as though the device were a misbehaving child.
Kazuo exchanged a glance with Tetsu.
The elf's eyes, however, were alight. Nostalgia hung in the air, every click and hiss pulling him back to the first time he'd seen this place.
Sora groaned, throwing up her hands. "Unbelievable. He hasn't even noticed us. Kazuo, what do you think—"
The man on the stool froze. His wrench slipped with a metallic clang. Slowly, his goggled eyes swiveled toward them.
"Kazuo?" His voice cracked. Then louder, breathless with sudden energy: "Kazuo? You mean the KAZUO??"
He scrambled down from the stool with surprising speed, nearly tripping over his own beard as he hurried across the floor. Assistants had to swerve out of the way as he barreled forward, goggles magnifying his violet eyes to a ridiculous size.
At once, he seized Kazuo by the shoulders, leaning close as if trying to peer into his very skull. "Yes! Yes! The contradiction himself. One green, one black — impossible, and yet right here in front of me! Do you have any idea how many theories I've written, how many sketches I've dreamed of testing?!"
Kazuo stiffened under the sudden grip. Sora stepped forward quickly. "We're not here for that. He's here for the measurement."
Veyra froze, then blinked twice behind the lenses. His voice dropped back to a calmer register. "…Ah. I see. I see."
He released Kazuo with an awkward pat to the shoulders, then straightened his coat. Clearing his throat, he finally offered something resembling composure. "Allow me to introduce myself. Dr. Veyra. I run this facility."
His mouth twitched beneath the beard, muttering as if to himself. "Well… since my late partner decided to skedaddle. Or vanish. Or die. Whatever you prefer."
Then, louder again, he spread his arms. "Now! Shall we?"
Kazuo didn't move at first. He couldn't process all of it — the manic energy, the talk of theories and tests, the sudden calm. But what lingered most was how casually Veyra had brushed off his "late partner," as if it hardly mattered whether the man had run, vanished, or died. The thought left him confused.
The backroom was darker, cooler — the hum of magic filling the air like static. Two colossal boards loomed across the far wall, their surfaces alive with shifting glyphs and glowing names. One board listed the Captains, their titles blazing at the top in silver script. The other listed squad members, names rising and falling as if the stone itself breathed with power.
"This is the Rankings Board," Veyra said, stepping down from his stool with a dramatic wave of his hands. "Captains above, squad members below. Do not confuse them — the scales are different. The Crown insists it looks impressive. But truth? This is my work."
Sora squinted, tail flicking. "Since I went through the process, I never asked… but how exactly does it measure people?"
Veyra puffed out his chest, goggles slipping slightly as he spread his hands wide. "With my magic, of course."
He hopped off the stool and tapped the glowing board with his wrench. The glyphs shimmered in response.
"They call it Gauge Magic. A fine name, don't you think? It allows me to read what others cannot: the parameters of the body and soul. But I never reveal everything—only the extremes. The highest, and the lowest."
He lifted a finger, counting them out one by one: "Magic. Luck. Strength. Intelligence. Speed and Stamina."
"There you have it. Six categories. Together they form your profile. And make no mistake…" His grin stretched crookedly. "The numbers never lie."
He pushed up his goggles with one finger. "And before you ask — yes, I keep them accurate. Training shifts the numbers, not battles. It's a science. My science."
Kazuo's eyes drifted to the Captain's board. There was no surprise at the very top.
1. Setsuna
Right beneath him, however: 2. Captain Asahi.
Kazuo's brow creased. Captain Asahi… I remember him. His aura was so bright, so warm. And he's number two?
He scanned lower: Shiranami, third. Idris, fourth. Vaskel, fifth.
"Wow," He murmured, "Captain Shiranami is in the top three—"
"Of course I am."
The voice cut sharp and sudden. All three of them — Kazuo, Sora, and Tetsu — jolted at once. Kazuo spun toward the doorway, where Captain Shiranami stood, her violet eyes like shards of glass.
"Wha—what are you doing here?" he blurted.
"I live here. The real question is—what is Setsuna's squad doing here?"
Sora crossed her arms. "We want to measure Kazuo."
Shiranami's lips curved faintly — but there was no warmth in it. "What a waste of time."
Veyra tilted his head. "Strange. You're on the board as well. You went through the process yourself."
She faltered, then muttered through clenched teeth, "Because you forced me to."
Kazuo's gaze shifted between the two of them. A hunch stirred at the back of his mind — one he didn't dare voice outright. Instead, he angled the question carefully toward Veyra. "…You two. Is there some kind of connection?"
Shiranami's answer was sharp. "No. Don't assume that just because we share the same eye color."
But Veyra chuckled. "Oh, but we are."
She turned on him. "Not by blood."
Without another word, she swept a stack of books into her arms and strode for the door. The sound of her steps lingered even after she was gone.
Veyra muttered, almost to himself, "Well, I adopted her when she was still young."
Kazuo stiffened. The thought in his head began to align, pieces falling into place. He knew something was off.
Veyra's violet eyes flicked toward him, catching the weight in his silence. For a moment it seemed he might say more. Then he clapped his hands once, the sound sharp.
"Enough dramatics! Squad board, top ten only. Let's have a look."
Kazuo glanced up. The first name was no surprise.1. Aoi.
Sora smirked at her own position: 2. Sora.
At 3. Mimi — a name Kazuo didn't recognize.
"She's in Aoi's squad," Tetsu explained. "Of course she's up there."
4. Yuki.
5. Rulthan.
6. Kaya.
7. Kaien.
Other names blurred together — some Kazuo didn't know, others faintly familiar.
He frowned. "Wait. You're not registered, Tetsu?"
"I am," Tetsu said flatly, pushing up his glasses. "Just not top ten."
Veyra wagged a finger. "The Crown has no interest in tracking progress like this. Too much paperwork, too many egos bruised. But this is offical."
He gestured grandly toward a platform of stone etched with glowing runes. "Now then. Shall we measure you?"
Kazuo hesitated, then stepped onto the stone. It thrummed beneath his feet, a low hum that seemed to crawl up his legs. I wonder how I compare… The thought pressed in — against Tetsu, and especially Sora, who looked almost giddy with anticipation.
Veyra's eyes lit up as his hands wove intricate motions in the air. Then—crack. A spark shot up Kazuo's leg, making him jolt.
He blinked. "What was that?"
Kazuo grit his teeth. "That's what I'd like to know."
Again Veyra circled him, muttering under his breath, hands sketching new signs in the air. The stone hummed, then faltered. Sparks fizzled out.
"Strange… something's blocking my reading." He tapped his goggles, frowned, then tilted his head as though weighing options. For a long beat he just stared, beard twitching with thought.
Veyra snapped his fingers. "Aha. Solution's simple. Get naked."
Kazuo stiffened. "Huh? I'm not doing that."
Veyra waved a hand. "Nonsense! i saw plenty of naked man. There is nothing you have that can surpise me."
"I said no!" Kazuo backed a step, clutching his jacket.
But the old man was already circling again, muttering, then suddenly tugged at Kazuo's sleeve. "Something is interfering. And it must be your clothes. Off with it—ah, and these trousers too, they always carry dust—"
Kazuo swatted his hands away, face burning. "Stop pulling my pants, you maniac!"
Sora doubled over laughing, ears twitching. "Alright, alright—this is getting too weird. Tetsu, come on. We'll wait outside."
Tetsu grumbled. "Probably for the best."
The door clicked shut. Kazuo sighed, cheeks hot, and finally gave in. Moments later, he stood bare on the glowing rune, shoulders tense, gaze fixed stubbornly to the side.
Veyra adjusted his goggles, peering at him critically. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. You're a handsome young man! Now then—let's get to it."
He raised both hands, weaving intricate signs. Sparks leapt across the circle, and his violet eyes flickered like an electric current was passing through them. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.
Kazuo swallowed. "…And?"
Veyra's grin faltered into surprise. "Weird. Very weird." He scratched his beard. "Your lowest stat is barely visible at all… Luck. You don't have much, do you?"
He snorted. "Tell me about it."
"But your magic…" Veyra's voice softened, almost reverent. "Marvelous. Off the charts. Extraordinary, even among the captains. By totals you land at fifth — right between Rulthan and Kaya."
Kazuo blinked, stunned. Fifth…? His pulse kicked, heat rising in his chest. On par with them?
Kazuo stooped to grab his clothes, eager to cover himself again, when Veyra's hand lifted sharply. His voice had lost all trace of its usual manic lilt.
"That medallion," he said. "Could you… perhaps wear only that — and step onto the circle again?"