"Blaine? You up yet? Remember I told you the higher-ups want to see us?"
Wayne's loud, rough voice came from outside the door.
Blaine washed up quickly and headed out.
"Of course I remember. I don't want to stay in that shabby rental forever, and I'm not planning to rot in the patrol squad either."
Blaine sighed helplessly. Wayne looked at him with open envy.
"With how insane your awakened ability is, if they still keep you patrolling streets, that would be the biggest waste ever."
Wayne looked like he wanted to say something more, but eventually let it go.
After half an hour's walk, the two arrived at the district's meeting hall.
Inside were eight squad captains, four on each side. Sitting in the main seat was the Chief of District 175.
Blaine was originally just a regular patrol member of the 175th district's third squad, a job any normal human could take. Dangerous, low-paying, and the reason he started video editing to make ends meet.
"Chief, sir! I brought my brother here. He's the one who killed an entire group of B-class demons by himself, he awakened a powerful post-birth ability."
Wayne spoke up for him immediately. He knew Blaine wasn't good with these formal situations.
"A whole group of B-class demons? We checked the bodies. The total count was forty-six B-class demons and twenty-three C-class demons."
The captain of Squad Two spoke in a mocking, yin-yang tone that made Blaine uncomfortable.
"What?! Him? Don't joke!"
Squad One's captain burst into laughter.
He had never heard anything so ridiculous in his entire life.
A former ordinary human, newly awakened, claiming to wipe out nearly fifty B-class demons?
Forget ridiculous, even in dreams it wasn't that exaggerated.
Blaine understood their disbelief. After all, he'd been a "normal guy" in the patrol squad for three years. That label stuck deep.
Except for the two captains who constantly fought on the front lines, the others stayed silent.
The Chief's expression remained unreadable. The situation was absurd.
A post-birth ability evaluated at A-rank could, at most, fight three B-class demons without being overwhelmed.
Actually killing them? Nearly impossible.
Only someone whose awakened ability reached S-rank could slaughter B-class demons with ease.
S-rank was a boundary, those who crossed it were monsters. Even across the entire Human Alliance, such people were rare.
But Blaine? A fresh awakened… became one of them?
The Chief had fought demons for decades. Even he couldn't accomplish such a feat.
"Blaine, my young friend," the Chief finally spoke warmly, "you're quite the genius. Could you show me your ability?"
Ignoring the disdain of the two captains, Blaine lifted the pitch-black blade he had prepared, holding it horizontally across his chest.
"My ability is this Black Blade. You can call it 'Anime Manifestation.'
For now, with my current strength, I can only summon this blade."
Everyone's attention shifted from him to the blade.
"This thing… is no ordinary weapon."
The Chief approached with curiosity, reaching out to touch the blade.
The instant his finger brushed the surface,
A tide of murderous aura surged into his mind like a storm of blood, roaring and crashing endlessly.
Such terrifying killing intent!
The Chief's eyes widened. Even after fighting thousands of demons across decades, his own killing intent was not even a fraction of this blade's.
Judging by the feel alone…
This blade must have existed for centuries, maybe thousands of years.
Countless lives had clearly fallen beneath it.
He quietly swallowed, the authoritative posture he held moments ago crumbling.
Blaine simply smiled. This reaction was within his expectations.
After all, this was one of the strongest black blades from the pirate world.
Before anyone could speak, Squad One's captain stepped forward again.
"I don't accept this! Why should he represent our district in the tournament? What about the merits I and Second Brother have earned all these years?"
"Chief, you're trusting him too easily. How could he kill B-class demons just because he has some fancy blade?"
Squad Two's captain slammed the table, glaring at the Chief.
"Old fool."
The other captains stayed silent. They could already see where this was going.
Tournament?
What tournament?
Blaine blinked in confusion.
"Chief, what tournament? Why do I not know any of this?"
"You didn't tell him? Seriously?"
Squad Two's captain cursed under his breath.
"Our district already lacks resources. If we can't place well in the Eastern Division Championship, our territory will eventually be overrun by demons! Chief, you're being reckless."
Blaine took a slow breath.
Ever since he stepped in, these two captains had looked down on him, their attitude dripping with contempt.
"So what you're saying is… you doubt my strength?"
His calm voice chilled the entire room. Even Wayne didn't stop him, he knew his brother's temper best.
"We're only concerned about the district's future. After all, you just awakened, "
Squad One was still trying to sound reasonable, but Squad Two shoved him aside.
"That's right! We don't believe you at all! I don't know how you fooled the Chief, but you won't fool us!"
The Chief simply sighed and waved a hand.
"Fine. Since that's how it is, you can all spar. Remember, go easy."
The two captains exchanged a triumphant glance.
"Don't worry, Chief. We know our limits. We won't break him. Someone still needs to handle patrol duty."
Little did they know…
The Chief wasn't talking to them.
He was talking to Blaine.
Blaine looked at the two captains, excitement on their faces, and slowly tightened his grip on the Black Blade.
"You two brothers can come at me together.
Saves me the trouble of swinging twice."