The city of Neo-Tokyo floated upside-down above the bay, its neon veins blinking to a beat only the sky could hear. Down on the man-made island, sixteen-year-olds queued inside glowing circles that looked like lottery rings—and in a way, they were.
Today was Awakening Day.
Kai Murakami adjusted his second-hand headphones, the cord patched with electrical tape. He'd been told the ritual was painless, but no one mentioned how loud hope could be: heart-thunder mixed with distant J-pop and the crackle of holograms.A holo-koi fish swam past his face, flickering cyan. He resisted the urge to touch it; the rules said no interference with auguries. Besides, touching things that weren't real was how you ended up with disappointment.The circle beneath his shoes brightened. A mechanical voice—genderless, too cheerful—echoed inside his skull.
"Candidate 17-B: Kai Murakami. Pull the lever when ready."
A chrome handle materialized: old-school slot machine, complete with spinning fruit icons no one had eaten in a century. Kai gripped it. His palms were cold, but his pulse was fire.
"Three slots will be drawn. Rarity ranges Common to Mythic. Skills refresh every 24 hours. Good luck."
He pulled.
SLOT 1 – SKILL
The first reel slowed: white glow, plain font.
Common – "Soap Bubble"
Desc: Creates one iridescent bubble. Pops on contact.
Laughter rippled through the crowd. Phones rose; memes wrote themselves in real time.Kai's cheeks burned, but he kept his gaze forward. Soap bubble? Really, universe?
SLOT 2 – WEAPON
Second reel spun—purple, then gold—then iridescent, colours that didn't exist in daylight.
Mythic – "Mirror Blade"
Desc: Reflects any single attack once per day. Shows your own face before strike.
Gasps replaced giggles. A Mythic weapon in District 12? The algorithm had rolled a 0.0003 % chance.The blade materialised: a transparent katana, edge shimmering like spilled gasoline. Inside the reflection Kai saw himself—smiling, confident, everything he didn't feel.
SLOT 3 – COMPANION
Third reel: blue beam, Rare tier.
Rare – "Rex"
Form: Micro-Dragon (palm-sized)
Personality: Sarcastic, loves popcorn.
A spark of lightning, then a tiny dragon perched on Kai's shoulder. Scales mirrored the blade's spectrum; eyes glowed like glitch pixels.
"Sup, loser," Rex squeaked. "Let's break the meta."
The circle lowered.Cameras flashed. Someone shouted, "Mythic weapon, Common skill—absolute troll build!"
Kai exhaled slowly. Troll or not, I'm still standing. He lifted Mirror Blade; the crowd parted like a ripple.
A girl in violet uniform stepped forward—Luna Violet, top-ranked freshman. Her slots had been two Epics and one Legendary last year. She studied Kai's face, then the blade, then the bubble wand that had appeared in his left hand.
"Interesting combo," she said, voice neutral. "Don't waste the Mythic on parlor tricks."
"I don't do parlor," Kai answered. "I do puzzles."
Luna's eyebrow arched. "Puzzles get people killed here." She walked away, heels clicking like dropped coins.
Inside Kai's vision a countdown appeared:
23:59:59 – next daily roll.
Rex flapped, scattering sparkles. "Clock's ticking, partner. Let's test the soap."
Kai flicked the wand; a single bubble drifted upward, surface swirling with rainbow fractals. He poked it—pop—a tiny shock-wave of glitter. Phones recorded; hashtags spawned.
But Kai noticed something others didn't: the glitter reflected the holo-koi for a split second, duplicating its code. A digital echo swam inside the bubble before it burst.
Reflection, he thought, glancing at the blade. Maybe the universe didn't troll me… it gave me a mirror.
LOCATION UPDATE Academy gates opened—titanium petals folding like a flower greeting the sun. Students streamed in, colours separating into four towers: Crimson, Azure, Emerald, Violet.
Kai's wristband beeped—automatic faction assignment:
VIOLET TOWER – Creativity / Chaos Sub-set.**
Rex snickered. "Chaos, baby. That's us."
CLOSING BEAT
On the main stage the principal lifted a microphone.
"Welcome, fresh blood. Remember: Resonance favours the bold, but ** Chaos favours the prepared.** Your first exam begins in twelve hours. Survive, and tomorrow you roll again."
The countdown in Kai's eye ticked to 11:59:59.
He tightened his grip on Mirror Blade.
Soap bubble, mythic sword, micro-dragon, twenty-four hours of unknown.
Kai smiled—small, sharp, determined.
"Let's pop the system."
END OF CHAPTER 1