Reality of black and white: Fushinakai

The next day after school, the three young men were in the backyard of Shoun's house. The yard had well-kept green grass and tall wooden fences.

—These fences should let you train in peace while keeping prying eyes away—Shoun explained as he sat on a plastic chair. According to Sein, his grandmother had agreed to let him become a Seeker, which took a weight off Shoun's shoulders.

—And you're not going to train, Shoun?—Sein asked as he came out of the house after changing his clothes. Instead of his white shirt and black pants, he now wore a white T-shirt with a black sports jacket with white stripes, black shorts with star patterns, and white sneakers.

—Why are you wearing your soccer gear? And I don't use weapons... mainly because I don't have one, but my ability lets me fight hand-to-hand pretty well—Shoun and Kaze had already explained their abilities to Sein beforehand to avoid having to do it when they finally went to the mirror world in a couple of days.

—You said I should wear something comfortable that lets me move well. This is perfect when I play—Sein explained briefly before turning around—Thanks for training me, Kaze.

—No problem—Kaze drew Wind Cutter from its sheath and looked at Sein—What form do you want it to take?

—What forms can your weapon take?

—...I think as long as I know what it looks like, it can take any form.

—Hmm... Then make it a Claymore!—Kaze didn't know what that weapon looked like, so after seeing an image online, he made his sword take the form of a standard Claymore. It was about 1.2 meters long, with a black leather-wrapped hilt, a crossguard with two large circles at the ends, and a long, straight double-edged blade—Wow! It looks just like in the movies!

—I didn't know this type of sword was called that—Kaze held the sword by the blade and handed it to Sein, who took it with his right hand. The sword weighed two kilograms, and for someone as athletic as Sein, it wasn't too hard to move—Alright, I know more about swords like mine, but I understand a bit about this type of weapon... I think. First, you need to hold the sword with both hands. Otherwise, it'll be hard to make quick movements when attacking.

—Okay, let me try!—Sein held the sword with both hands and tried a couple of wide slashes. Due to his poor technique and foot positioning, the sword flew out of his hands on the second slash and embedded itself in the ground in front of Shoun's legs.

—Hey, watch where you're pointing that!—Shoun shouted angrily as he pulled the sword out of the ground and handed it back to Sein—You need to work on those butterfingers of yours.

—Sorry.

From that moment on, Sein and Kaze worked on the basics so the former could learn to handle his sword for his first encounter with a vestige. As the hours passed, Shoun got bored but still had to keep an eye out in case Sein dropped the sword and accidentally cut off a limb, which almost happened a couple of times.

The next day, after training for a few hours, the three young men walked through the city streets toward one of the guild's branches, specifically the one located near the middle-class area.

In New Caven, the guild and the government, being the two most prominent Codex bearer factions in the city, divided the city in a 6/4 ratio, respectively. The government covered the upper and upper-middle-class areas, while the guild handled the middle, lower-middle, and lowest-class areas.

This was because the government, being the more powerful faction, was preferred by the wealthier and more resourceful people. Another factor was that some guild-affiliated Codex bearers were hired as private security, leaving the less economically prosperous areas more vulnerable. In Shoun's family's case, while they earned a decent amount of money, they were nowhere near being able to afford living in the upper-middle-class area.

—I'm a bit nervous—Sein said as he walked ahead of the other two—Do you think I can do it?

—I taught you the basics. With my sword, you should be able to handle it.

—If you don't feel ready, we can wait longer. There's no rush—Shoun said this in an attempt to calm his friend. He himself had insisted on going to the mirror world as soon as possible, so they skipped classes that day and trained from early in the morning.

—No... I can do it. I'm sure I can do it.

—Alright, Sein. I believe in you, buddy—Shoun extended his fist to Sein, who bumped it.

—What does that mean?—Kaze asked, pointing at the gesture.

—It's a fist bump! It's a gesture friends do to show trust in each other. Here, let's try it—After his brief explanation, Sein extended his fist to Kaze, who hesitated but eventually bumped it softly—That's it!

—(Thankfully, I don't have to explain these things to Kaze anymore. It's good to have Sein on board)—Shoun thought as he looked at the building they were approaching. It was a large structure with many windows and a sign that read "Guild" above the entrance. The three walked through the door and found themselves in a well-decorated reception area with pristine white floors, comfortable waiting chairs, and paintings to add ambiance. After admiring the surroundings, they approached the counter—Good afternoon. We have a 3:00 PM appointment to become Codex bearers.

—Let me check... Yes, that's correct. Please pay the fee, and then head through that door—The receptionist explained with a warm smile. Since Shoun was the responsible one (and the only one with money), he paid the fee for the guild to supply a captive Grunt-rank vestige, provide facilities, and ensure safety in case something went wrong during the awakening. The total cost was a whopping 5,000 Crestos—(This left me with only 5,000 Crestos in savings... Considering I now have to feed Kaze too, food and other expenses are going to eat into my savings... But this is worth every Cresto. Sein will be safe).

After paying, the three went through the indicated door and waited in a white-walled hallway for a while. A few minutes later, a man in his early 30s appeared. He had brown hair with some gray streaks and wore a gray uniform with insignias. Kaze and Shoun inspected him as he approached and confirmed he was just an apprentice. But then Shoun realized a problem.

—(Wait... What if he asks for our IDs? He'll see that Kaze isn't registered as a Codex bearer. Damn it! How could I overlook something so basic!?)—Shoun started to get nervous but was saved by Sein, who was oblivious to his worries.

—Hi, sir! Are you the one who'll supervise me during my battle?

—...That's correct, kid. My name's Lawrence, apprentice and squad leader. Please follow me—Lawrence had already inspected Shoun and Kaze but was only there to do his job, so he didn't care who the young men accompanying the boy were.

The squad leader guided them through various hallways until they reached a specific room. Inside, they found a large indoor arena with smooth concrete floors and bleachers on the sides. At the back of the room were several cages, from which the sounds of scratching and banging echoed as the creatures inside tried to break free.

—I'm going to release your opponent. From that moment on, you're on your own until you kill it, so get ready—The squad leader approached one of the cages and began opening it slowly.

Sein, somewhat nervous, looked at Shoun and Kaze, but they simply nodded. The boy took a deep breath and drew his sword.

—I can do this...—Sein positioned his feet as he had learned, gripping the Claymore with both hands in a ready stance.

Finally, Lawrence finished opening the cage, but nothing came out. After waiting a moment, the squad leader got impatient and kicked the cage, causing a black figure to shoot out.

It was about two meters long, with a vaguely humanoid but elongated shape. It had large black claws and a head covered in a thick black mane that also covered much of its chest. The only visible part of its face was a single glowing red eye.

The beast scanned the arena and its potential opponents. When it saw Sein, it fixed its red eye on him as the weakest link. Without hesitation, the vestige charged at the boy.

Sein watched as the creature ran straight at him. Without panicking, he realized he couldn't avoid its charge, so he adjusted his sword to hold it vertically in front of his chest, with one hand on the hilt and the other on the flat of the blade. He braced for the beast's impact.

The creature's massive claws slammed into the sword, sending sparks flying. Sein dug his feet into the ground and pushed back, destabilizing the vestige. He adjusted his grip and swung the Claymore with both hands, delivering a powerful thrust to the creature's chest.

The vestige didn't stay still. It crouched on its knees, and the sword passed over it. The creature counterattacked, lunging forward to strike Sein. The boy, due to his arm positioning and the close distance, couldn't attack or defend effectively.

In this tough spot, Sein chose the lesser of two evils. He shifted his left leg slightly and leaned to the right. The creature's claws tore into Sein's left calf, but before it could do more damage, the boy brought the sword down with all his strength, smashing the flat of the blade into the vestige's head like a hammer hitting metal.

The beast, stunned and injured, jumped back a few meters. Sein, on the other hand, had tears welling up in his eyes. His left leg hurt badly, burning and barely able to move.

—I-It hurts... it hurts so much—Sein clenched his teeth. The fight wasn't over yet. He still had to finish this.

The creature recovered from its confusion and charged at Sein again. The boy shifted his feet slightly, sending a paralyzing wave of pain through his leg, but he managed to position himself and swing. However, something unexpected happened—the sword flew out of Sein's hands due to his butterfingers.

—Huh!—Everyone in the room panicked at the sudden turn of events. Lawrence even started to intervene, but a miracle occurred. The flying sword spun through the air and struck the creature's right arm, severing it completely before embedding itself in the ground behind the vestige.

—Graaa!—The creature writhed in pain from the lost limb. Everyone froze, but Sein was the only one who reacted. With tears streaming down his face, he lunged forward, driven mainly by his right leg.

Before the now-hunched creature could react, Sein punched it directly in the eye, causing it to writhe in pain again. The boy ran behind the creature and pulled the sword from the ground.

Gripping the sword with all his strength, Sein thrust it with all his might into the creature's head, piercing it from front to back thanks to Wind Cutter's power.

Even with the sword embedded, the creature collapsed to the ground. As it died, it began to dissolve. A message appeared before Sein's tear-filled eyes.

[You have slain the "Red-Eyed Monster." You have officially become a Seeker.]

Without warning, the entire room was flooded with a bright light emanating from Sein's body.