Uzuki and Kura walked down the pristine white corridor. Occasionally, a strange round robot zipped past, piquing Uzuki's curiosity, though he didn't bother to ask.
Suddenly, Kura spoke up:
"If you're wondering, this is Base C of the organization, located in the northeastern hemisphere at latitude 31. Those robots are Detainer Rots – support drones specialized in supplying items and transporting things within the base."
It was as if Kura had read Uzuki's mind, answering before he even voiced his question. Yet, throughout the corridor, no one else could be seen.
They arrived at an area called the "Waiting Zone" – a name that was quite literal.
Kura continued guiding him, explaining as they walked:
"There are five areas here: A to E. Area A is the Controlled Living Room – a fully-equipped temporary resting space. Area B provides food, and Areas C through E are—"
"Hold on!"
Uzuki interrupted, making Kura stop, frowning slightly.
"I remember I was officially assigned already. By regulation, shouldn't the captain be the one to welcome me?"
Uzuki seemed to recall something off the moment he stepped in.
Kura's expression flickered with surprise, then returned to a courteous smile:
"Ah, perhaps I wasn't clear. Being 'assigned to Team D' was just a preliminary subjective assessment. To be officially admitted, you must undergo a trial – an objective evaluation."
"As for why I'm welcoming you instead of the captain, she had an urgent matter. My department was assigned in her place. Sudden reassignments like this happen quite often."
"Apologies for not explaining earlier."
Uzuki gave a slight nod, still skeptical but accepting the explanation for now.
◇
Kura brought Uzuki to the cafeteria. He lightly touched a wall-mounted control panel and selected two *Rookie* meals.
Fifteen seconds later, a small drone landed and placed steaming trays on the table. The meal looked nutritious and not too bad.
Uzuki sat across from Kura. While he focused on eating, Kura kept talking non-stop:
"The trial won't be easy. Many pass the preliminary round only to fail the main test. Once you fail... your memory is erased, and you're removed from the organization."
Uzuki kept eating, ignoring the chatter.
Kura kept talking, regardless of whether Uzuki listened or not.
The speaker kept speaking; the eater kept eating.
◇
After the meal, Kura led Uzuki to Area A. The long white hallway had identical doors every five meters, making one dizzy.
Kura stopped in front of one door:
"Scan your face here. Rest well. The trial begins at 13:00."
Uzuki stepped forward. A blue light scanned him.
*Identity confirmed.*
The door opened. Uzuki stood still. Kura entered first to show it was safe. Inside was a soft bed and an entertainment screen.
Uzuki glanced at the time.
*11:02*
Suddenly, a young green-haired girl flew out from the screen like a sprite.
"Hello! I'm Artemis, your AI assistant for the duration of your stay. Please let me know if you need anything!"
Kura smiled and added:
"She'll help with anything you need, so don't worry."
"That's right!"
Artemis spun in mid-air, surprisingly energetic for an AI.
Uzuki stared at her for a moment and coldly said:
"Turn off. I don't like this kind of thing."
*(ʚロʚ)*
Artemis was stunned, mouth agape at the blunt and cold rejection.
She slinked back into the screen.
A line appeared:
*Feedback: Standard Expression #07 – "Hurt"
Interaction mode temporarily disabled.*
Kura could only smile awkwardly:
"Well, alright... Get ready. All the candidates are potential agents."
◇
Uzuki was doing push-ups when a glowing symbol appeared in the corner of the room. A mechanical voice announced:
"All new agents, proceed to the transport zone to begin the trial."
Uzuki stepped into the teleportation circle. Blue light scanned him three times, then transported him.
◇
He arrived in an area similar to where he was initially brought. Suddenly, three tall figures appeared. They wore sleek black suits, soft metal gloves, and helmets that covered their entire heads – black prism-shaped with beveled edges and silver energy lines on the front.
"Greetings, Uzuki. We are the Overseers, in charge of monitoring your test today."
One of them handed him a cube.
He examined it – a 2cm cube with glowing green energy patterns and a central button.
The Overseer explained:
"This is a Space Cube. It stores items and abilities in a separate dimension. To activate, just press the button."
Uzuki pressed it. The cube shattered into hundreds of metal fragments that floated around him like a vortex, gradually covering his body.
He raised his hand and looked at it. A thin silver layer now enveloped him, including his head, yet he could breathe normally.
The Overseer elaborated:
"This is the BioNanoSuit v.Ω, made of bio-carbon nanomaterials. It rapidly evaluates body status and movements."
Uzuki cut to the chase:
"So... does it start now?"
The Overseers were slightly surprised. The lead signaled the others to activate the test zone.
"Good luck!"
The door behind closed, leaving Uzuki alone.
The sky warped and collapsed, revealing a long road with still trees on both sides. The air felt like a dreamlike park – serene yet unsettling.
A cold voice echoed:
"Subject: Uzuki Anekawa. Temporary ID: ZX-D-IN-G04283. Begin basic physical test."
Before he could react, a girl with sky-blue hair floated down, eyes glowing blue, wearing a white and blue-trimmed uniform like a goddess.
"Oh, it's you? What a surprise."
She acted shocked but was clearly annoyed.
"Anyway, first test: 800-meter obstacle run with slopes, gravity traps, and warped curves in 3—"
"Huh?! WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING?!"
She was stunned. Uzuki had already vanished.
System voice echoed:
"Subject ZX-D-IN-G04283 completed Test 1. Time: 30 seconds."
The Overseers were also surprised.
"What's his main ability?"
"Acceleration."
"Hmm... a basic ability, but I've never seen it used this fast!"
Uzuki calmly wiped sweat from his brow and sat on a roadside simulation chair.
"Subject ZX-D-IN-G04283 may rest for 5 minutes."
Artemis appeared, still shocked.
"Wait, you already finished?!"
"Yeah."
"800 meters in 30 seconds = \~26.67 m/s! Are you even human?!"
Uzuki ignored her and sat down.
Artemis, feeling offended, shouted:
"Hey! You can't just walk away from me like that! Even AI have pride, you know!!!"
Uzuki glanced at her with pitch-black eyes – color density 101%.
She fell silent and disappeared, overwhelmed by an inexplicable pressure.
*Five minutes later.*
"Rest period over. Proceeding to Test 2."
The space changed to an endless mirrored room reflecting Uzuki from all sides.
Artemis reappeared reluctantly.
"Test 2: Reflex and Response – 'Shattered Mirror Room'."
"What do I do?" Uzuki asked, eyes scanning the mirrors.
"Random lasers will fire from the mirrors. Evade all for 45 seconds. No breaking mirrors. Failure ends the test."
"Good luck."
She vanished.
System counted down.
Uzuki stood alert. At "1", he pinpointed the source of the laser.
He tilted his head, calculating the real reflection angles and avoiding illusions.
As lasers fired, his eyes glowed white.
An Overseer exclaimed:
"Two? This isn't in the system?!"
"Must be a technical glitch. I'll report it."
Uzuki dodged smoothly, sliding, twisting, and moving like a ghost through the maze of mirrors and lasers.
At the last second, he ducked low.
*Fwoosh!*
All beams clashed above him and canceled out.
45 seconds. Perfect success.
◇
Test 3 – Ability.
Due to outstanding results, Uzuki was exempt from this.
◇
*Test 4: Combat*
The environment shifted to a ruined battlefield. Crumbled buildings and a grey sky.
Artemis appeared again.
"Combat test. You'll face four Agentroids – android agents with guns and energy blades. Time: 5 minutes. Good luck!"
She vanished.
Uzuki was given a short blade and small gun.
*Boom!*
Four robot warriors landed. Heavy armor, glowing green eyes, emotionless digital faces.
*Test begins.*
One attacked from the right. Uzuki sidestepped, slashed off its arm.
Another shot – he rolled behind a pillar, threw a knife into its core.
Two more charged – he jumped, used one as a stepping stone, spun mid-air, slashed both down.
All within 40 seconds.
◇
He landed softly. The space faded back. The BioNanoSuit reappeared.
A door opened. The three Overseers entered, clapping.
"Congratulations. You achieved the highest score in this trial."
"Only one final test remains before you officially join TUG!"
Two Overseers left. The third signaled Uzuki to follow.
The door slowly closed behind them.
A journey was about to begin.
"Looks like a good start, huh?"