PAACC—Power Arranged At Conception Concept—is not a law, nor a proven truth. It is simply a name given to something no one fully understands.
Every human is born with PAACCe, an invisible energy that exists within the body from the moment of conception. In extraordinarily rare cases, a person may be born with none at all. Among those who possess it, however, there is no hierarchy at birth—no destiny written in blood. Anyone can awaken an ability. Anyone can become dangerous.
Behind the towering walls of Gigatara, that danger feels distant.
Gigatara is a city of peace and prosperity, where life flows so smoothly it borders on effortless. Violent crime is nearly unheard of. Petty theft is rare. Streets remain clean, orderly, and calm at all hours of the day. To most of its citizens, Gigatara is proof that the world still works.
Yet peace does not exist without pressure.
Military police patrol every neighborhood, every street, every block. They move with authority unquestioned—granted the legal right to enter any home, seize property, or quarter when deemed necessary. Their power over civilians is vast, nearly absolute. Officially, they are still bound by the law. Any officer who crosses the line can be arrested and tried. Unofficially, very few ever are.
The Gigatara Military Police, or GMP, are largely composed of ordinary individuals with average PAACCe, their strength amplified through specialized PAACC-enhanced equipment. Above them stand the Captains—six in total—each ruling a sector of the city with the power of a general. And above even them stands the GMP General, protector of the sixth sector and the strongest individual in all of Gigatara.
Beyond Gigatara's walls, the world is nothing like this.
Across the sea lies Rusticka—smaller, poorer, and overflowing with people who can wield PAACC. There, nine out of ten people you pass on the street possess an ability. Crime is constant, violence unavoidable. At the city's center stands PAACC Academy, where those born with power are forcibly enrolled, trained to control their abilities whether they desire to or not.
Rusticka, like Gigatara, is divided into six sectors, each overseen by powerful PAACC users. But order is fragile, and authority is earned through strength alone. Most people survive by becoming bounty hunters, taking contracts from sector captains and living one job at a time.
Two cities.
Two systems.
One world shaped by a power no one can truly explain.
And soon, that fragile balance will break.
Carmen, a ten-year-old girl in a fluffy pink dress, walked beside Ren, who towered over her in a worn bounty hunter's uniform. Together, they made their way from Sector Three of Rusticka toward PAACC Academy.
"Carmen," Ren said in his usual low, tired voice, "did you talk to Zee? Is she meeting us at the Academy entrance?"
"Y-yes," Carmen replied, nodding. "I did. She said she's already there."
Ren hummed. "Figures. She's always too eager to see you."
Carmen chuckled, then broke into laughter. "W-well, y-yeah, we are best friends—but—" she struggled to speak through giggles, "s-s-she's totally obsessed with you."
"Yeah, whatever you say," Ren replied, smirking as he chuckled softly.
Suddenly, the sound of screaming tore through the street.
Two women were yelling from an alleyway behind them.
Ren didn't hesitate. He broke into a run, Carmen following close behind. When they reached the mouth of the alley, the scene became clear: two terrified girls backed against the wall, surrounded by six men. Three held guns. Two carried knives. The last was unarmed—but even from a distance, Ren could feel it.
His PAACCe was dense.
"Carmen," Ren said calmly, "you take the three with guns. I'll handle the ones with blades—and the PAACC user."
She nodded instantly.
Ren activated the crimson rings on his left hand. Energy flared, forming razor-sharp claws along each finger. The two knife-wielding men rushed him with clear intent to kill.
"Gotcha," Ren muttered with a smirk.
In an instant, two impossibly precise blasts tore through their chests, dropping them before they could even reach him.
Before the gunmen could finish pulling their triggers, Carmen was already moving.
She dashed forward faster than their minds could process, snapping fingers, disarming them, and knocking all three unconscious in seconds.
"Good job, Carmen," Ren said proudly. "For someone who only just awakened her PAACC, you're really skilled."
"H-hey!" a booming voice echoed through the alley.
"YOU LITTLE BRATS THINK YOU CAN JUST KILL MY MEN LIKE THAT?!"
The unarmed thug stepped forward, malice pouring off him.
"I'M GOING TO DISCIPLINE THE HELL OUT OF YOU TWO."
Ren leaned slightly toward Carmen and spoke quietly.
"You can tell this guy barely has any PAACC compared to us, right?"
"Yes," Carmen replied calmly. "And his skill level is lower than yours, too. I can tell."
Ren straightened.
"Well then," he said in a deep, mocking tone, "looks like I've already won."
"DIE!" the man screamed. "YOU CAN'T BLOCK SOUND WAVES, BOY!"
Without hesitation, the thug clapped his hands together.
A visible shockwave exploded outward, cracking the alley walls on both sides as it surged toward Ren.
Unbothered, Ren continued walking forward.
"The Pressure Effect really is something," he said lazily. "First time I've gotten to see it up close."
Just as the shockwave reached him, Ren extended his claws and forced direct contact between their PAACCe.
The result was instant.
The man's energy was completely overwhelmed—dominated—and dispersed into nothing.
"When someone's PAACC density vastly exceeds their opponent's," Ren explained tiredly, "their attacks, effects, and barriers can be canceled outright. Skill and creativity can override that… but unfortunately for you—"
He looked down at the trembling thug.
"You're outclassed."
Ren grabbed the thug by the neck and slammed him into the cement. The impact knocked him unconscious instantly.
Carmen stepped toward the two girls, fidgeting slightly as she spoke.
"A-are you… uh, um… a-are you g-guys o-okay?" she blurted out.
"Are you two unharmed?" Ren asked tiredly.
"Uh—w-wow… um, y-yeah," the first girl said nervously, her face flushing as she looked away from Ren.
The second girl's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face.
"We—we really appreciate your help. Without you two… I don't want to know what would've happened. Thank you. So much."
Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out a crimson ring, pressing it into her palm.
"Take this. If anyone ever pressures you like that again, hand it to them and say boom."
The girls stared at the ring before carefully accepting it.
With Carmen and Ren's help, they stood up, still shaken but safe.
"Well," Ren said, already turning away, "you ladies stay safe, alright?"
He raised a hand in a casual wave as he walked off.
"U-uh—y-yeah! S-stay safe!" Carmen called after them, giving a small, nervous wave of her own.