The circular room of the Senshi center was bathed in pale light. Holographic screens projected maps of Kirina, some areas marked in red, blinking as if bleeding over the city. The group stood in silence, listening to the commander.
"A series of spiritual interferences have been detected in the Natsuro district," he announced in a grave voice. "No direct attacks, but unstable Ni flows, deactivated beacons, and witnesses report moving silhouettes. You are sent for observation only. No intervention. If it escalates… you flee."
Floch squinted. "We're still Shonen. Why send us there?"
"Exactly," replied the commander, almost smiling. "Because you are still invisible. And the dissidents don't fear you—not yet."
The Natsuro district was dense and vertical, a tangle of metal walkways and energy conduits. The atmosphere was strange, almost suffocating. Residents spoke in hushed tones, their eyes averting whenever they passed the group. Security beacons flickered irregularly, as if hesitant to light up themselves.
Akiriho scanned the rooftops. "There's movement… but it's not combat. It's preparation."
Kaen, frowning, murmured, "I sense something… like an inverted frequency. Someone is mimicking Ni."
The group moved slowly through the alleys. Children played silently; adults watched before turning away. A man passed near them with a deactivated spiritual module, seeming to want to vanish from the scene.
"This district is on standby," whispered Takumi. "Not asleep… just waiting. As if they know something is coming."
Astou frowned. "Or as if they've already chosen sides."
In a narrow alley, the group crossed paths with a boy of about twelve. Alone, eyes glowing with a strange light, his aura seemed unstable.
"He's a bearer… but not yet awakened," observed Astou, concerned. "His energy is too strong for his age."
Takumi added quietly, "He's been altered. Someone exposed him to a forbidden catalyst."
The boy panicked and dashed into the dark alleys. The group hesitated.
"No! Stop. Don't follow him," warned Floch. "It's not our job. Let's report this."
Ishikawa clenched his fists. "I can't leave him like that. I can act."
Kaen nodded, eyes determined. "I trust you, Ishikawa. We'll save him."
Ishikawa gave a faint smile. "Just like you did for me. You can count on me."
Convinced, they pursued the boy and managed to rescue him before he was exposed to irreversible danger.
Back at the center, the report was submitted. The commander remained silent for a moment, studying the screens. Then he murmured, "This is not an anomaly. This is a test. Someone is preparing something… and you are the first to have seen it. I thank you, young ones."
That evening, the group gathered in the common room. Kaen collapsed onto a sofa, exhausted, while Astou flipped through a care manual and Floch tinkered with a stabilization module.
"So, Kaen…" Floch teased, "are you planning to join the Sanuya someday? Or just survive each mission?"
Kaen gave a tired smile. "I'm starting to think about it… but I don't have the Senshi style yet. I'm more… improvisation. Ask Ishikawa instead."
"You want to become a Senshi?" Akiriho teased. "Then start by not passing out."
Ishikawa shrugged calmly. "He's already more stable than some Chutan. And he doesn't even have a rank."
Later, Kaen found himself alone on the terrace, watching the arches of Kuzari outlined against the night sky. Takumi joined him silently, contemplating the city alongside him.
"You handled yourself well today," he finally said. "You didn't try to prove anything. You just… protected."
Kaen took a deep breath. "I don't want to become a Senshi for the rank. I just want… to understand what I am and help if I can. And no longer be afraid of what I feel."
Takumi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then you are already on the right path. The Sanuya doesn't make warriors. It reveals those who already are."
The Natsuro district hadn't erupted, but it had spoken, silently. In its whispers, an unsettling truth: someone was preparing the shadows. And Kaen, for the first time
, was beginning to walk toward the light.
To be continued…