May 15, 2013
“What is… strength? What is... power? What is... heart?” Surata muttered to himself, coming to a standstill in the middle of the sidewalk. The weight of his thoughts dragged him down, and he couldn’t stop asking himself the questions that were haunting him.
“Why are these three things created... and why do we need them? Father says these three things are all intertwined, but... ah. I just don’t understand.” He lets out a frustrated sigh, gazing up at the cloudy sky.
“I know I have a good heart... but I don’t have the strength that comes with it. How can I achieve that? Is it by training more? Or is there something I’m missing? I have trained for as long as I can remember, yet nothing has changed.” Surata’s anger made him want to bang his head on a wall. His bruised hands and athletic physique showed off his results over the years, but he still doubted himself, beginning to blame himself for his “failures”. “Damn it. I wish I was a Shikari already. That way, I can fight alongside Father.”
Feeling frustrated and powerless, he clenched his fists at his side, trying to somehow awaken his true power- but failed. He continued thinking about this with no real answer until he arrived home.
___
The Aoi country. Known for being the most peaceful and free, it’s one of the three biggest and most powerful countries in the world.
Its capital, Heiwa, is no different. A couple of years ago, this country wasn’t always as peaceful as it is now. That was because the world had just gone through a huge, long-lasting war known as “The War of the Fallen.” It took a while for the country to recover what it had lost. Before, people were afraid to step outside, afraid of getting killed. Now, people happily come to visit, some never wanting to return home.
Surata had just left school. To get to his house, he had to walk through the downtown area. Downtown was the liveliest yet busiest part of the country. The streets were lined with neon billboards and screens, and it attracted many tourists with its retail stores, food, and entertainment. Its vibrant colors in the morning and the stunning, gazing lights at night gave a tourist a place to never forget.
Surata’s thoughts faded away as the sounds of cars driving past him distracted him.
Suddenly, screams of people and the sound of shattering glass echoed, drawing everyone’s attention to downtown’s main street.
“What’s that noise? Did some drunk get into a fight?” Surata’s curiosity was piqued, and he entered the gathering crowds to see what the commotion was.
Surata didn’t stand out much in the crowd. He was average in height, not being short or tall, with clothes commonly worn by the citizens. Despite being a male, his long night-black hair pulled back into a small ponytail that kept his vision clear, often mistook him for a girl from behind. Squeezing his way to the front, he noticed a man with a large, buff figure cornered by multiple police cars.
“Arji Rosin! Stop resisting, we have you surrounded!”
The man smirks, “Oh really? We’ll see about that.” Arji’s eyes widen as he suddenly lifts his shirt, unveiling a marking on his stomach.
Surata’s eyes widened in confusion, along with one of the officers who seemed new to the scene.
“Umm... what’s he doing?” asked the rookie officer, clearly puzzled by the situation.
“Oh, Officer Wilson. You’re the new rookie, aren’t you?” Another officer replied. “Long story short, it looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”
Without explaining, he left Officer Wilson more confused.
Seeing a man randomly lift his shirt up to show a mark will make any normal person wonder. Maybe he wanted to show off his abs to the women watching him.
The mark on Arji’s stomach and his eyes slowly pulsated to a brown-leather color, making the air feel heavier.
Surata could feel the intimidating aura and pressure lingering around him. “Who is this guy? He has some insane aura around him.”
Arji’s aura expanded, and before anyone could react, he went on a rampage, effortlessly overpowering the paralyzed police officers.
“Is this Noye?” Surata shockingly asked himself, seeking verification.
Noye is the name for the technique people use to gain supernatural abilities. Not everyone can gain this technique, as one must endure years of training to awaken it. The ability one gained is unique to themselves, as their Noye corresponds to their emotions.
In theory, when an angry person has adrenaline running through them, they could temporarily have better performance. The same concept can be applied to Noye. Each color represents a different Noye, ultimately granting them unique supernatural abilities.
“Fire!” Struggling from the immense aura, the officers became desperate, as they fired their guns repeatedly at Arji. The acrid scent of gunpowder assaulted Surata’s nostrils and made his heart race, engulfed in fear.
Arji utilized his arms as a shield as he began to defend himself. He took multiple shots to his body, but... the bullets bounced off him, inflicting no damage whatsoever.
Their attempts seemed to be futile, like throwing pebbles at a mountain.
“Ha-ha, that tickles,” Arji laughed, mocking their pathetic attempts to defeat him. As the shooting momentarily stopped, Arji simultaneously assumed a charging stance, his eyes and marking pulsating a brighter brown.
“What kind of stance is that? He looks like he’s a bull waiting to attack a red flag.”
Like a raging bull, the chaos escalated as Anji charged toward the remaining officers, leaving Surata and the crowd in awe and disbelief.
With each blow, shockwaves of adrenaline rushed through Surata’s veins, and his breath caught in his throat.
“How did he just get more powerful? This is the first time I have seen Noye being used in person before. How can he still move after he got shot? How did he gain such speed and power in seconds?”
The police had no chance of defeating Arji, so they attempted to call for reinforcements. Would the situation really change if more police officers arrived? Realizing the danger, the crowd began to disperse. The screams of the terrified bystanders echoed through the air, blended with malfunctioning sirens and shattering of glass as Arji’s powerful blows demolished nearby police cars. Debris and smoke from cars being inflamed surrounded the arena. It’s complete chaos.
“Wow, this is so cool.” The corners of Surata’s mouth couldn’t stop expanding, exposing his big grin. As his nostrils filled up with the smell of smoke, he couldn't take his eyes off the action, his excitement mixed with fear. He knew he should run as the crowd began dispersing, but he found himself locked in place, amazed by the emerging battle.
“Who is going to stop him though? If I went in, I would’ve no chance of stopping him.” Surata reflected on his powerlessness. “If father was here-”
Interrupting his inner thoughts, Surata could feel another strong aura slowly getting closer. This aura felt powerful but calm.
Looking around, he stumbled on a man calmly walking towards Arji.
“What is this man doing? Is he trying to get himself killed? It’s too dangerous.”
The man stepped forward with an air of calm confidence, his baggy attire moving slightly in the breeze. His left arm casually rested on the hilt of his sheathed sword, with a sharp toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth, making him stand out amongst the chaos.
Surata couldn’t help but wonder how the aura he sensed earlier was coming from that man. All eyes that weren’t running away shifted toward the man as he made his way toward Arji.
Officers urged the man, “Sir, it’s not safe here! Please evacuate! We are waiting for reinforcements to show up.”
“Don’t worry...I am the reinforcement,” the man replied, pulling out a card from his pockets. The card, containing a photo identification, read:
Special Noye Agency
8th Division Captain
Yuki Hattori
“No way! A shikari is about to fight?!” Surata’s excitement peaked, his heart unable to contain all of it.
The only people who had the ability and authority to confront powerful threats like Arji were… Shikaris. They were licensed hunters entrusted with maintaining peace and order in the country.
The intimidating aura that surrounded Arji seemed to pale in comparison to the composed aura surrounding Yuki. His presence alone sent a clear message: he was no ordinary opponent.
“I don’t know where your other friends went, but no worries. Your little display of power is quite impressive, Arji.” Yuki said, his smirk revealing his confidence. His words hung in the air, drawing everyone’s attention. “Unfortunately, it won’t do you any good against me. I understand how your ability works now.”
Arji chuckled, trying to call Yuki’s bluff. “What are you talking ab-”
“It involves energy, right?” Yuki explained, his voice deepened, interrupting Arji. “Your body acts like storage. Your body absorbs damage, then you can charge that damage and use it offensively.”
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Arji’s expression quickly changed with disbelief. He truly believed his ability to be impenetrable, yet Yuki managed to effortlessly decipher his ability. The crowds held their breath, waiting for the two men to clash.
Thinking he still has the advantage, Arji laughed maniacally, taunting, “Even if you know that, it’s futile. How do you expect to defeat me? I can just absorb your attack.”
“That’s easy. I just need to deal enough damage that your body can’t absorb.”
“Go ahead and try!”
Arji charged Yuki, thinking his brute strength would overwhelm his opponent. He aimed a powerful punch at Yuki, only to be shocked by the shikari’s movement. Yuki effortlessly sidestepped the attack, his calm demeanor unfazed.
“Your moves are too predictable,” Yuki explained, his voice unwavering. “You’re too focused on your Noye and not on your opponent.”
Surata’s eyes widened in admiration. “Wow, this is a real battle! I’ve never seen such skill in person.”
Yuki continued to evade Arji's powerful attacks, each leaving cracked holes in the ground.
“Are you too scared to fight back?” Arji asked, taunting Yuki. “All you’ve been doing is dodging.”
“All right, I’ll you what a real attack looks like.”
With a swift, fluid motion, Yuki unsheathed his sword, enough to reveal its gleaming edge. The slight glint caught the attention of those nearby, who focused on his weapon.
In the blind of an eye, the fight… was over.
It was a complete blur, unable to see with the naked eye. The sound of metal sliced through the air.
Keeping his composure, Yuki slowly sheathed his sword, chanting out the name of his attack,
“Repelled Wind”.
Arji stood there completely paralyzed. He gradually stumbled backward, his body bleeding from a deep cut on the left side of his stomach.
Surata was at a loss for words. “Woah. That was so… fast. I didn’t even see him swing his sword.”
The overwhelming power that once radiated from him had vanished with a single executed strike by Yuki. The crowd is left paralyzed and confused, amazed by Yuki’s instant victory. They erupted in cheers and gratitude towards the Shikari who had saved the day.
“Someone go fix him up, then throw him in jail,” Yuki commanded the officers. “The other escapees fled, but don’t worry, they couldn’t have gone far.”
Yuki Hattori had solidified his reputation as an amazing and respected figure in the eyes of the onlookers, reminding them how strong Shikaris were and how well-protected they were.
Surata’s heart was cluttered by a mix of emotions- excitement, admiration, and a refined sense of determination. The display of true strength and skill he witnessed ignited a fire in him. If he can train hard enough, maybe he can become strong like Yuki- becoming a Shikari.
As the crowd dispersed, Surata couldn’t help but feel hopeful. He knew that he still had a long way to go before he could become a Shikari, but he was determined to seek his own strength.
___
Near the downtown area, the sound of the sirens and smells of smoke faded away as he entered his neighborhood. Looking around, the houses seemed to be built close to one another. Most neighborhoods in the country had the same structures. With their compact style homes, this was where the middle-class lived.
Soon, Surata would arrive at his house. Like the other houses, theirs was a split-level house with a Western-style layout.
Surata walked up to the front door and opened it with excessive force.
“I’m home!” Surata exclaimed with excitement, his mind still buzzing from the battle earlier. He removed his shoes and made his way to the living room.
As Surata entered, the bathroom door slowly opened. Large amounts of steam burst out of the room.
Through the mist, a young man walked out of the room wearing a white tank top and a towel wrapped around his neck and lower body. Droplets of water from his wavy cherry-pink hair dripped onto the floor.
“Huh?” the boy mumbled, with a toothbrush in his mouth, scratching his head.
Surata’s eyes widened, sparkling with excitement, struggling to keep the words from falling out of his mouth. “Hey, Koroki, you won’t believe what happened today. There was this massive brawl downtown. Someone named Arji was causing trouble.”
With slouched shoulders, Koroki’s eyes started drooping, struggling to keep them open.
Surata continued. “But a Shikari showed up and took him out in one attack! And… Wait, are you even listening?”
Koroki exerted a powerful yawn. “Huh? Yeah, yeah, sounds exciting. Keep talking.”
“Did you just wake up?”
“Yeah. So what?” Koroki replied nonchalantly, scratching his wet hair.
Surata’s frustration grew. “Seriously!? It’s literally 4 in for the afternoon and you’re just waking up now!?”
Koroki sarcastically complained, “Ok Mom, I didn’t realize I had an alarm. What’s the problem?”
He let out another loud yawn, stretching his arms as high as he could, using all his remaining energy on that stretch. “Ah, the perfect time to start my day. I wonder if my show started.”
“Unbelievable! This kid does nothing but eat and sleep all day. The least he can do is help pay rent.” Surata complained to himself, showing his irritation.
Surata sighed, “It’s been like this ever since he moved in with us four years ago. I don’t know why, but my father told me he would be living with us. Since then, we’ve been like brothers.”
Exhausted from oversleeping, Koroki made his way toward the living room, leaving behind water spots on the floor. He collapsed onto the couch as if his limbs had turned to jelly.
Surata stood there in awe, questioning Koroki’s weird behavior.
“You’ve been living with us for a while, Koroki. Have you considered getting a job? Or going to school? You must be bored staying home all day.”
Raising his head from the pillow that his face had fallen onto, Koroki used his arms to support himself, struggling to sit up, his expression nonchalant.
“Well, yeah, but why would I? I don’t really like the whole work thing. And going to school would just ruin my schedule. I kinda’ like my current life.”
That pretty much summed up Koroki’s daily routine- an extremely lazy teenager who simply enjoyed eating and sleeping, with the occasional indulging in watching TV shows. Add video games and anime to his schedule and one wouldn’t be far off labeling him as a NEET.
“He’s the complete opposite of when we first met.”
During their first encounter, Koroki appeared to be a completely different person—serious, edgy, and intimidating. Now, it seemed like the opposite. He might have taken the term “get comfortable” a bit too literally.
Koroki’s carefree attitude had become a constant source of frustration for Surata. He knew Koroki had better fighting skills than him. He hoped their relationship would improve, with Koroki lending him support to achieve his dream, but it hasn’t worked out at all.
Koroki suddenly noticed that the TV remote was missing, causing a slight panic. He desperately searched for the remote, as if he had lost his favorite toy.
Interrupting his search, Surata asked, “Hey, umm… is Father around?”
“…”
Surata continued to watch Koroki, mentally sighing and palming his forehead.
“Yeah, he’s in his room,” Koroki replied.
“Thanks,” Surata said, deciding to leave Koroki alone on his little quest while he headed off to find Ishio.
___
With the house’s layout, all the rooms, including Ishio’s, were on the second floor. Surata climbed the stairs and strolled down the narrow hall to his father’s room. The floor screamed after each step Surata took.
Approaching his father’s door, Surata noticed a dim light leaking through the cracks. To his surprise, he also heard multiple voices, slowly getting louder and clearer as he walked closer. Amongst the voices, he heard sounds of paper crumbling and being tossed around.
With a slow, creaking motion, Surata opened the door.
Looking inside the room, Surata was greeted by the back of Ishio’s head, his long, straight ash-grey hair covering his back. He appeared to be struggling with writing something. It seemed as if he had left everything until the last minute, just like a student procrastinating on a final paper.
Surata was so focused on his father’s frustrated expression, that he did not notice the two police officers standing beside him. “Police officers? Why are they here?”
The officers’ bodies were angled towards the door as they concluded their conversation. As the officers were leaving, Surata paused, puzzled, standing in the doorway as they passed by him.
Was Ishio being interrogated? Was he getting arrested? To an outsider, it could have appeared that way.
“Hello, Father. What... was that all about?”
Surata’s voice managed to break Ishio’s concentration for a moment. Ishio lifted the pen off the paper, turning his head back slightly.
“Oh, hello Surata. Sorry about that. Those guys just had some urgent information to tell me.”
Behind Ishio’s gentle smile, Surata could tell how frustrated he was getting.
“Looks like being the chief leader of the Noye Agency is tough,” Surata commented.
Ishio held a strong position in the country, not as president or prime minister but more like his right-hand man.
He oversaw a special organization tasked with tracking down and apprehending powerful criminals with supernatural abilities.
While there is a police force for handling everyday crimes, the Noye Agency deals with threats beyond their capabilities. In other words, Ishio oversaw both the agency and the police.
More questions began to stir into Surata’s mind. Having an idea of what his father was doing, Surata couldn’t help but wonder why the floor around them was drowning with crumbled pieces of paper.
“What’s with the mess, Father?”
“I’m just trying to finish writing something...” Ishio explained, pausing again. “How was your first day at Noye school?”
Noye School looks like any ordinary school, but behind the scenes, there’s something special. It serves as a training ground for students to master their potential power.
“Oh, it was amazing! Aside from the boring lectures and stuff, getting to practice Noye combat was incredible!”
Ishio could see the joy bursting from Surata’s face. “That’s great to hear!” he responded with a heartfelt smile before quickly returning to writing.
“...”
The two sat in the room for a while. Awkwardness quickly surrounded the silence. An uncomfortable feeling struck Surata. Ignoring it, Surata decided to continue his small talk with his father.
“Um… I heard from the school that you used to be a teacher. You should join the class, Father, and teach us! I’m sure the students and staff would love to have you back.”
Having some doubt in his mind, his father hesitated for a moment.
“…I don’t know, son. I am way too busy at the moment. Besides, teaching isn’t really my thing anymore.”
“Oh… ok.”
“...” Another awkward silence. The same feeling returns. Surata felt a sense of being a burden to his father, adding to the unease in the air. Deciding to leave Ishio to continue his work, Surata raised a quick question.
“By the way, Father, can you… help me with my training today? I wanted to practice my Noye-”
Ishio gently interrupts, his attention momentarily diverted from the letter. “Sorry son, I can’t help you train today. I am currently trying to finish this up.”
Surata’s hope frowned at his father’s response.
Unable to help his son, Ishio suggested an idea. “Oh, have Koroki train with you today.”
Surata thought of Koroki. The thought of even thinking of letting that lazy bone help him out just exhausted his brain.
“I think I’ll pass. It’s fine, Father. I’m going to head out to get some groceries for dinner,” Surata replied, a bit of disappointment in his voice.
Excitement suddenly sparked through Ishio, slightly breaking his composure. “Oh, what are you going to cook today?”
“Um…I don’t know. Maybe some Chicken Curry?”
“Whoo!” Ishio cheered. “I can’t wait for dinner then.” Nothing satisfies Ishio more than the taste of Surata’s cooking. Just the thought of it instantly changed his mood.
___
On the other hand, while Surata had his conversation with his father upstairs, Koroki finally found the tv remote. Upon being relieved mentally, his exhausted expression stayed unchanged as he turned the television on. The television turned on to a news channel. News reporters were speaking of a major event. The channel displayed a headline that read:
“Downtown Noye Attack: 3 suspects have escaped. Arji captured.”
That sounded like the attack that Surata was telling Koroki earlier. A book falling could have entertained Koroki more. “What a joke. How haven’t they captured them yet.”
The channel uploaded an image to the screen, containing portraits of the three escapees. Koroki, uninterested, glances at the image. “They don’t even look strong.”
Uninterested in the news, the only thing Koroki had in mind was something to eat. The growling from his inner beast managed to drag him to the kitchen. Feeling like he was at death’s door, he rubbed his stomach, trying to tame his inner beast.
“Ugh. I’m soooo hungry. What should I eat?”
To satisfy his appetite, he decided to have a snack before dinner was ready. He popped open the refrigerator's top door and was left in shock.
His eyes were fixated on a popsicle box. Memories of its fruity banana flavor from the popsicle flooded his mind. Filled with anticipation, he searched through the box... only to find the box empty.
Koroki flipped the box upside down and shook it violently, hoping a popsicle would magically appear. However, no popsicle was found.
His hopeful expression quickly turned into disappointment. Feeling mentally defeated, he decided to head back to the living room, glumly holding the empty box.
“Dang it! Why is the box in the freezer if there’s none left?” He whined to himself as he sat back down.
Gazing at the box, a flood of memories from his early childhood reappeared.
“Damn it. Why now? Why do I have to remind myself of her?”
___