The morning after Lucien his first full night of good sleep, Lucien sat up in his new room within the Fifth Division's mobile command post. The white dirty walls felt more like a cage than a place of recovery, but it was a far better than the cold, stinkey and dirty alleyway he had been left in—half dead, and alone. This was his reality now, or at least, part of it.
Rylen's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Ready to start?" Rylen asked, standing at the doorway, his expression unreadable as usual. The ever-present tablet glued in his hand and flickered with data, but Lucien had learned to ignore it by now.
Lucien gave a nod, still not quite sure what "ready" even ment. After all, this was the first real day of his trial, a month-long process to officially join the Fifth Division. Rylen had already warned him that it wouldn't be a easy walk in a park and shouldn't underestimate it, but he hadn't said much more than that.
"You're not an official member yet," Rylen reminded him again and again, his voice sharp like always. "You still need to earn your place in the fifth. Today marks the beginning of that process. Follow the steps, and you'll have your place here with us. Fail, and you're out unfortunately thats the reality."
Lucien's heart pounded at the harsh reality of it all, he already thought of this as his new home. Rylen wasn't lying—he had no guarantee of staying with the Corps. Everything depended on his performance in the trials.
Test 1: Physical assessments:
The first test was simple enough. Physical assessments. He had already passed the first step without even realizing it: his measurements. He was 6'2" now, and though he had always been lean, the powers coursing through suddenly gave him more muscle to his frail frame. 150 pounds, an odd number in his mind, but it felt right because he was probably 115 before this. His white hair had become a distinguishing feature, like gojo´s his favourite manga character, though his was less deliberately styled and more a byproduct of the power that now coursed through him, it was black first. His eyes, purple and blue in hue like always. His reflection in the mirror was someone new—someone stronger. Lucien looked like a brand new man
Step 2: Theoretical Training — Week 1
"Step one's done. No problem, that was easy," Rylen continued, noticing Lucien's distracted face. "Now comes the theory. You'll spend the first week learning about the monsters we fight, their patterns, and the basics of combat against them. This is important, Lucien. More than you might think."
They made their way to the classroom. Inside, a simple chalkboard stood at the front, though the rest of the room was filled with advanced technology—holographic displays, monster data projections, and walls with the newest weaponry. The atmosphere was very tense in the room, like it always was when the reality of the monsters they faced was laid bare.
Lucien took a seat in one of the front rows of the class. Rylen stood at the front, talking to some of his comrades in the force, bringing up a very detailed map of Tokyo and regions surrounding Tokyo. A few moments later, the holographic display shifted, showing a towering, monstrous figure that sent a shiver down Lucien's body.
"This," Rylen began, "is a Level 4 to level 3 monster. These monsters are building-level/ town level threats—large, fast, and very deadly if you don´t look out. They're among the most dangerous we face in our urban areas."
Lucien leaned forward, studying the creature closely. Its reptilian skin and claws seemed almost too alien to comprehend for him but he had seen something like it during his battle—its horrific features burned into his mind. The monster that nearly killed him.
Rylen continued, "Monsters come in five levels of danger, from weak to nearly apocalyptic and danger to the human race. We rank them based on their power, size, and threat to human life. You'll learn how to fight these nasty things in time."
He clicked a button, and the hologram shifted again. This time, it showed multiple different creatures of different sizes and shapes, moving across a grid.
"Level 5: Is the weakest. They're about the danger level of a small building, so not much more dangerous than a large predator. They could be as big as a small building or as small as a human itself. Think of them as urban pests, they come up regularly but aren't much of a threat to us.
Level 4: Monsters, like the one we just saw, are building to town-level threats. They're dangerous, but not unstoppable. These are the most common monsters we encounter on a daily basis in the force.
Level 3: These Monsters are more of a challenge and need atleast 5 people from the force to defeat, spanning from town to city-level destruction. Our strongest captain and vice captain can take them easily on their own.
Level 2: Monsters could level entire cities are level 2 monsters, thats when they rival our strongest captain and vice captain that are part of the first division.
And then there's Level 1."
Lucien's throat tightened at the mention of Level 1:
"These monsters are continent to plantet- level threats," Rylen said grimly. "They can devastate whole regions and destroy almost evrything. We've only seen them twice in japan in the last decade, but if more of them will show up, we're all in big trouble."
Our strongest people can´t go up against them on their own. We need atleast our top 20 strongest people in the entire force to take one down if they ever show up again.
Lucien's mind flashed back to the first monster he'd encountered. It was already to powerfull to handle that monster on its own for Lucien. A Level 4 to 3, as Rylen had said. Was that all he could barely handle?
"Understand the levels?" Rylen asked, his look hardening as he scanned the room full of students. Lucien nodded, still processing the overwhelming information he just took in.
"For the first week, that's the theory. It's essential that you know what you're up against. There's no specific way to kill these monsters—use your weapons, use your skills, whatever it takes with your life on the line. We can't afford any slight bit of hesitation in the Nightguard Corps."
The conversation shifted to the monsters' behavior. They only come out at night, preferring the darkness over the sun, though they could survive in daylight as we have seen a couple of times. The reason they stayed hidden was unknown as of yet, just like their origins. One moment, they weren't there. The next, they appeared, ten years ago. No one knew why and what their goal is.
Rylen turned off the hologram and glanced at Lucien while he asked the class. "Any questions?"
Lucien opened his mouth, but no words could come out. His mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. It was all happening so fast. And yet, he couldn't deny it—this was his chance to belong somewhere, to be part of something bigger than himself, and most importantly. To have a family.
"Good," Rylen said, as if reading the class their thoughts. "Everyone will begin the trial in the next few days. First, we'll test your basic combat skills."
Lucien nodded, his nerves replaced by resolve. No matter the odds that are bet against him, he had to prove himself. This was the first step. The first of many.