The Sanuya of Kirina, Ishara Center, stretched out before them like a suspended world. Vibrating platforms, translucent energy bridges, floating spheres — everything seemed balanced above the void. The sky was black, studded with shimmering lines of Ni, weaving a living web that resonated with every step they took. Every movement felt heard; every breath awakened the space.
The Senshi moved silently, all in uniform, displaying the insignia of their rank. The Taishō, commanding figures, imposed their presence like spiritual gravity, while their seconds, the Jōtan, scrutinized every gesture, tacticians and instructors at once.
A holographic panel activated before them:
Sanuya of Kirina — Ishara Center
Taishō: Naomi Zinkebeg
Jōtan: Dante Veyron
Naomi, Taishō of Kirina, stepped forward, her dense, immobile aura filling the room. Even the silence seemed to bow before her.
"You are not here to be judged," she announced, her voice firm and calm. "You are here to be revealed.
Three trials await you:
1. Emotional Resonance
2. Tactical Confrontation
3. Inner Awakening
Floch crossed his arms, ironic. "Three trials? Not even a lunch break? What is this, Sanuya… a spiritual torture center?"
Akiriho glared at him sharply. "You can always quit if you're afraid of sweating."
"Me? Afraid?" Floch replied with a smile. "I was born to shine. And to talk, mostly. If my mirror reflects my genius, I might get stuck there."
Kaen remained calm, eyes fixed on him. "Then talk to your mirror. It will show you what you really hide."
Trial 1 — Emotional Resonance
Each member of the group was enclosed in a Ni sphere. The space around them folded and twisted to reflect their most buried memories.
Kaen found himself in a fractured version of his apartment. Sakina's absence weighed heavily on him. The walls cracked under an invisible force, and a voice whispered in his ear:
"You are not supposed to exist."
He moved forward and saw a figure: a child, himself, but without Ni, without light.
"This power… does not define me. What matters is what I do with it."
He reached out toward the child. The sphere shattered, disappearing in a burst of pure light.
Back on the platform, Kaen found Floch sitting, unusually serious.
"Not funny… but I survived," Floch muttered. "And you? Did you cry?"
"No," Kaen replied calmly. "I understood. And you, did you stop running?"
Floch looked away, but his gaze was no longer mocking.
Naomi and the Ni
The group gathered in a resonance chamber just before the tactical trial. Naomi stood at the center, every word striking like a silent blade.
"Before you face others, you must understand what you carry.
Ni is not a weapon.
It has no will of its own.
It commands nothing.
It listens to you.
And it only awakens… if you accept to respond to it."
She raised her hand, and a pure vibration filled the room.
"Ni evolves in three stages. It is not a rise in power… but a metamorphosis."
The Three Stages
Shiki — Initial Awakening
The first release. Ni becomes tangible, shaped according to your soul. It amplifies your abilities but remains unstable. A Senshi in Shiki discovers… but does not control.
Naniya — Pure Intention
Second stage. Ni lives through your intention. It anticipates, it foresees. A Senshi in Naniya can accomplish the impossible… not through force, but through clarity. It is determination that makes them a weapon.
Laban — Ultimate Release
Third and final stage. Ni becomes you. Your aura changes. Your form changes. Your presence becomes… other. It does not seek itself. It reveals itself. And sometimes… it breaks you before it accepts you.
The group remained silent, frozen. Floch exhaled nervously:
"Okay… So it's not a glowing sword. It's a judging sword. Great."
Kaen thought: "If my Ni is a memory… then I must listen to it. Not dominate it."
Ni was not a weapon. It was a fracture. And those who pass through it never emerge unchanged.
Kaen realized, for the first time, that his power was not an anomaly. It was an answer.
To be continued…