Kaen walked alone through the corridors of the Senshi center. The walls vibrated gently under the flows of Ni, like an invisible heartbeat. Every step seemed to echo in the silence. He stopped before a window and gazed at the luminous arches of Kuzari, the city lights casting a flickering glow across his face.
"Why does Floch always talk about my power?" he thought.
As if it's a bomb ready to explode. As if I'm just an accident. I don't hate what I am… but it tires me. I don't want to be their problem. I just want to understand."
The memory of Ishikawa resurfaced, clear as crystal. Weeks earlier, in an evaluation room, Ishikawa had stood alone before several Senshi. Their low voices resonated like a verdict.
"He carries a fragment of the Goldo. We can't integrate him into the modules."
"His energy is unstable. He could put others in danger."
Ishikawa lowered his eyes, clenching his fists, absorbing every word in silence.
Kaen then entered, confident, without hesitation.
"You speak as if it were a disease. But Ishikawa is more stable than all of you. And if he is a bearer… then he also carries our future."
A sudden silence fell. The Senshi went quiet. Ishikawa lifted his head.
"That day… Kaen didn't save me. He recognized me. Even when everyone else rejected me… he was there. Not to defend me. But to remind me that I was not alone."
Back in the present, the common room of the center displayed a floating announcement on the holographic screens:
Sanuya Entry Trial — Required Level: Confirmed Shonen or Stable Bearer. Evaluation: Tactics, Resonance, and Emotional Mastery.
The group gathered around the display.
Floch exhaled, resigned but impatient: "Here it is. This is it. Now we'll see who's ready."
Astou placed her hand on the stabilization module in front of her. "This isn't just a fight. It's a trial. And each of us will experience it in our own way."
Akiriho crossed her arms, determined. "I want in. Not for rank. But for recognition. I want them to stop calling us the 'kids from Zone 7.'"
Kaen took a deep breath. "I don't know if I'm ready… but I know I don't want to run anymore. So I'll try."
Ishikawa's gaze fell on Kaen, voice calm but firm. "You've never run. You were just waiting for the right moment to step forward. And that moment… is now. Whatever happens, I'll be there."
They were not yet Senshi. Yet an invisible line had just been crossed. The Sanuya trial would not only test power—it would test truth.
And some, already, had begun to answer it.
To be continued…