The summons arrived without ceremony.
A soft chime echoed through Team 7's quarters, followed by a line of text glowing on the wall display.
> TEAM 7 — REPORT TO DIRECTOR'S OFFICE
TOP FLOOR, IDHA TOKYO MAIN BASE
IMMEDIATE
Ren blinked at the message.
"…Director's office?"
The Misoke twins exchanged a brief, wordless glance.
Ayla straightened, fingers curling once before relaxing.
Akira's chest tightened.
The highest floor.
That meant one thing.
Authority.
The elevator ride was silent. Glass walls revealed Tokyo shrinking beneath them as they ascended. Floors passed in a blur—training sectors, command centers, weapon labs, medical wards.
Every level reminded Akira of how small they were.
No one spoke.
The elevator slowed.
Then stopped.
TOP FLOOR — AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED
The doors slid open.
The hallway beyond was wide, quiet, almost empty. Dark panels lined the walls, broken only by faint blue lighting embedded in the floor.
At the far end—
A single door.
Two guards stood at attention, heavy but restrained. They didn't speak. One placed a hand on a scanner beside the door.
A soft beep.
The door opened.
The office was vast, but not extravagant. A wall of glass dominated the far side, giving a breathtaking view of Tokyo. A single desk sat near the center, uncluttered and precise. Shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly arranged files and data slates.
Behind the desk stood a man.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair streaked faintly with gray.
He wasn't sitting. He was watching the city.
When he turned, the air shifted.
"I am Viran Varanasi," he said calmly.
"Head of the IDHA Tokyo Branch."
No introduction beyond that.
He studied them in silence, eyes sharp but unreadable.
"Sit."
The word was soft.
They obeyed instantly.
Viran rested his hands on the desk.
"You passed an abnormal entrance examination," he said.
"One overseen by an abnormal agent."
Akirawa, leaning against the wall near the door, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Viran did not look at him.
"That does not make you special," he continued.
Ren swallowed.
"You survived," Viran said.
"That is all."
He tapped a control on his desk.
A holographic display bloomed into the air—images of Nightmareisation incidents, damage reports, evacuation maps.
"Nightmareisation occurs in two types," Viran explained.
Type A — Non-Living (Calamity-Form):
Includes non-sentient manifestations such as firestorms, floods, seismic ruptures, toxic fogs.... These incidents are primarily handled by the AM Fire and Safety Department.
Type B — Living (Entity-Form):
Includes sentient or semi-sentient manifested beings—commonly referred to as monsters or entities. This is the most frequently occurring classification and also the most dangerous. IDHA is responsible for the direct containment and neutralization of all Type B threats.
Twisted silhouettes filled the air.
"This is the world you are entering," he said.
"Manifested monsters do not care about talent. They do not care about courage. They do not care about effort."
The images shifted—collapsed buildings, broken streets, civilians running.
"They care only about fear and destruction."
His gaze returned to them.
"You are not heroes. You are not soldiers.
You are liabilities being refined."
Silence filled the office.
"From today onward," Viran said, "you will train. You will fail. You will break."
A pause.
"And if you survive that—then you may become useful."
An attendant entered quietly, placing folded black jackets on the desk. IDHA insignias glinted faintly under the light.
"These," Viran said, "mark you as provisional rookie agents."
Akira stepped forward and took his jacket. Under Viran's gaze, it felt heavier than before.
Viran straightened.
"Prove," he said, "that you are worth the resources spent keeping you alive."
No encouragement.
No congratulations.
Just expectation.
As they turned to leave, Viran spoke again.
"Oh—and one more thing."
They froze.
He looked out at the city once more.
"Welcome to IDHA."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"Do your best…"