After the incident, the school remained closed for around a month for repairs. Most of the students were enjoying the sudden break, but Tsukasa was still pondering on whether or not he should join the JSA candidates.
He was walking down the road at night and saw a woman getting harassed. The woman tried to tell the man that she was not interested, and that she has somewhere to be, but the creepy guy wouldn't budge.
Tsukasa tried to brush it off as not his problem, but then, the man pinned the girl to a wall and began caressing her hair. Tsukasa looked at them one more time and saw her shaking. She whispered, hoping that someone would act.
"Somebody... please." She said in a Shakey tone, "save me"
Tsukasa knew that he couldn't turn a blind eye, and that if he did, his sister would hate him if she found out. He let out a sigh and walked over to the guy.
Tsukasa had no actually skill in terms of combat, and the only thing that he only used to watch his grandfather whenever the old man would be training.
He walks up to the two and calls out to the guy, saying that the lady looked uncomfortable. He asked the man to kindly step away from the woman, to which the man ust scoffs. Tsukasa acts calm, trying to hide the fear in his voice, as he firmly states that the man is just a useless, unemployed, weak coward who only preys on unsuspecting girls. The man, looking very clearly agitated, turns and asks Tsukasa to repeat what he had just said. Tsukasa looks him dead in the eyes, his heart screaming at him on the inside, as he tells the man.
"You heard me, or do you need a hearing aid, grandpa."
Right as he finished his statement, a fist came flying at his face, though he managed to dodge the attack.
"Who're you calling grandpa? Kid!"
As the man prepares to strike Tsukasa one more time, the police arrive.
It is then revealed that Tsukasa had called the police and informed them about the situation before he approached the two.
The officers then tried to catch the man, but he begins to run away. The police officers then begin chasing the man. Tsukasa helped the woman to stand straight as her legs were still trembling from what had just happened.
He stayed with her for some time and he then sent her off. As he was walking her to her destination, she continued to express her gratitude towards the boy for saving her. As they reached her destination, she gave him one last thank you, and apologised for him having to walk her home. He says that it's nothing for her to worry about and that he'll be on his way.
The next day at school, Tsukasa's homeroom teacher stated that all the JSA candidates were being requested outside the front gate. The teacher then began to call out the names of the students who were requested for.
"Kijiri Sakuraba, Miyuzaki Homura and finally, Tsukasa Murusaki"
Everyone was shocked upon hearing Tsukasa's name being called out, wondering how he was also selected for the admission exams. The students walk out of the school and see all the other selected candidates from their school. they are shocked to see only five other students there, making a total of eight students. Among the students, five were first years, those being Tsukasa and his other two classmates, and two other girls. the others are some third year students, student council president Shinomiya, and the vice president Takaharu.
Then suddenly, a man walks up to the group and requests their attention. He informs them that the exams will be held at the JSA headquarters in their local area, and if they pass, then they will be able to go to one specific JSA school.
"Umm... isn't it that we can chose any academy after we pass the exam?" one girl asks
"Normally yes" the man responds, "but due to the increasing number of young talents such as yourselves at the other academies, there is only one available"
He then tells them that their exams will commence once they arrive at the designated location. The students then head off to the site where the exams would be taking place. Once they arrive at the location, it is already dark. the man books a few hotel rooms for the students and tells them that their exams will be held first thing in the morning. The man booked four rooms, so two people per room. When the students get to the hotel, one of the boy suggests that he and Shinomiya-san share a room, to which she coldly responds with a no. They then divide themselves based on genre and each go to their separate rooms. In Tsukasa's room, he is with the vice president, Takaharu-san. Takaharu tells Tsukasa that there's no need for him to address him by vice president, seeing as how they might no longer be members of their former high school, so he agrees to just call him Takaharu-san, and Tsukasa introduces himself as Tsukasa Murusaki. they begin talking about how they are going to give it their all in the admission exams the next day.
Takaharu then asks Tsukasa what his battle prompt is.
"Battle prompt? What's that?" Tsukasa asks.
Takaharu then explains that it's a type of command used in combat against spirits, and that without one, he's gonna have a pretty hard time fighting, especially if he doesn't know how to use his battle prompt. Tsukasa then asks how a battle prompt works. Takaharu then begins to explain. Battle prompts are embedded into weapons. these weapons are called conduits. A long time ago, when spirits first appeared, humans didn't have any way to defend themselves. Then one day, a group of miners had been attacked buy a spirit as they were underground. One man was reported to have tripped on a rock and fallen over, but just before the spirit could kill the man, his friend grabbed a sharp rock and slashed the spirit across the back. After the spirit was struck, it began to act strange before completely disappearing.
When the miners reported this to their boss, he examined the metal and discovered that the metal had been ordinary iron at first, but then and unknown substance chemically bonded to the particles in the iron, changing it's properties and behaviors. This metal became known as soul stone.
They then discovered that soul stone itself gave humans supernatural abilities, and that was how the first sparks were born.
"This story's cool and all but what does any of this have to do with battle prompts?" Tsukasa asks
"Shhhh, I'm getting there" Takaharu responds
battle prompts are commands that aid sparks in combat. for example, captain Chisaki's perception enhancement.
"Oh so that's a battle prompt, kinda cool" Tsukasa says.
That's not all. Battle prompts that are unique to the wielder of a conduit, sometimes a reflection of the self are called vitality surges. Not everyone can use them though. For someone to be able to use a vitality surge, they'd have to be at least the level of a captain.
Tsukasa just sat quietly there for a moment before asking another question.
"Is it possible for two people to have the same vitality release"
"I'm not too sure about that"
"what about someone who can use other people's vitality releases?" Tsukasa asks again.
"Oh please, that's just straight up impossible. anyone who could do that would be in a league of their own."
As he says this, Takaharu tells Tsukasa goodnight and drifts off to sleep. Tsukasa lies down on his bed and stares blankly at the celling.
"Impossible huh.... funny" he says as he finally drifts off to sleep.