Somewhere in the world, three men were conversing.
"It's time to go see the new recruits, Shiro."
"Fine, but I don't think they'll last long."
"I agree with the burnt one."
"Who are you calling 'burnt,' old man?"
"Shiro, don't get angry. Welcome, Katsuro."
The black-haired man laughed softly while stroking his son's hair. Meanwhile, the other two men glared at each other with hatred.
"Now is not the time to fight, go get changed instead. Cyrus, did you take the cakes already?"
"Yes, we also put up the decorations with Aunt Libby."
Abaddon's eyes shone upon hearing that. Immediately after, he observed his companions, who were now ready.
"White is the worst possible color, isn't it, burnt one?"
"Perfect, for seeing your blood cover my body!" Before Shiro could attack, Abaddon stopped him.
At that moment, a blonde man with green eyes, Makisig, entered.
"Let's go now, all the kids are gathered."
The tension dissipated at that moment. They all walked in silence, the rubber of their boots echoing against the floor.
---
There they were, a large group of gathered youths: some expectant, others fearful, and a few, visibly scared.
"Welcome to the 'Order of the Sky.' I'll be clear with all of you," he said, while adjusting his garments with great care. "Here, we are all one big family, and as such, I will help you achieve your dreams, just as you will help me achieve mine."
The young people raised their arms, celebrating with excited shouts.
"But, before we continue, if any of you have already regretted coming… now is the time to leave. I will not harm you. I am your father, and you may leave in peace, my children."
Some boys looked at each other, doubtful, and finally separated from the group.
"Good," he nodded with a soft smile on his face. "Take them away."
Shiro, accompanied by the other two hooded men, escorted them out of the hall, leading them to a private room.
"Huh…?"
"Why are you locking us in?"
"Did you really think we would let you go just like that?" Makisig responded with a cold smile.
Shiro raised his hand.
"Aim…"
Katsuro and the young blonde man raised their weapons. When Shiro lowered his hand, everything became a blur.
The potential screams of pain were smothered by shouts of happiness, and the supposed gunshots, by the burst of confetti.
The bodies were removed in silence, during the penumbra of the night. The other kids celebrated their admission with the prepared cakes and drinks.
"Aunt Libby, stop flirting," Cyrus said before pulling the woman away from the men.
The man with orange eyes observed everything calmly. This was the 35th group they had prepared.
Everything proceeded naturally, until bedtime.
"Excuse me… where are you taking us?"
"Tell me your name."
"Uh… yes, of course. Ren Suzuki."
Ren Suzuki? Oh, right, Sora said this one shows a lot of promise. Though his appearance… I don't like it at all, Shiro thought.
"We are going to the dormitories."
And his scent is detestable, he's a spoiled brat like the others. How disgusting.
Ren smiled widely. This was his opportunity.
That's great, everyone is so kind. I'll make lots of friends and then I'll apply again. That way I can be with Takumi.
The night passed uneventfully, with everyone resting.
---
The dawn shone, birds chirping around the AOE entertainment center.
A young man dressed quickly as sunlight streamed through his window.
As he left his room, Kohaku was waiting for him with a mocking smile.
"Good morning, Professor Kohaku."
"Ohhh, you're calling me that already? How sweet~~."
"I don't have another choice, do I?"
"Correct. Let's go. Your new friends are waiting for us~~."
Takumi frowned. It wasn't that he hated his teammates… they simply hated him.
They walked through the long hallways until they reached the meeting point.
"Excellent! Everyone is here," Kohaku said energetically, pushing each one into the car.
The vehicle started, heading for downtown Tokyo.
"What are we going to do in this place?" Hotaru asked.
"A tour!~ Rossetti is international, so we have to show her the best of Japan~~."
Everyone turned to look at the black-haired, green-eyed girl, who crossed her arms and averted her gaze with disgust.
"Come on, don't be mad!" Kohaku said, laughing.
"I don't want to do anything, especially with him," she pointed at Takumi, who flinched slightly.
Kohaku just laughed as he guided them towards a park.
"To start the tour off right, we're going for a run!"
"WHAT!?" everyone complained except Ryouma.
"With those scrawny bodies, you won't even defeat a Class Empat Ghost! So run while you appreciate the scenery."
The group started running. Ryouma was in the lead, followed by Rossetti and Hotaru, and Takumi, panting, brought up the rear.
"Is all this exercise really necessary…?" Hotaru asked between gasps.
"An exorcist who only relies on their Jaki is an idiot on legs!" Kohaku responded, who had joined the jog. "And listen up! Whoever catches me… gets the rest of the day off!"
Everyone's eyes lit up. They ran after him, but Kohaku would speed up just as they were about to catch him.
"Ha, ha, ha! Come on~~ Is that all you've got?!"
"How is he so fast?!"
"Is he knitting while he runs?!" Takumi shouted, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Ryouma, seeing Takumi falling behind, slowed his pace and approached him.
"Are you okay?"
"Huh? Yes… I just don't do this every day," he responded with a forced smile.
"Stay alert. Kohaku always does what he wants."
"I've noticed," he said, watching the albino knit a scarf without losing speed.
After running more than 50 kilometers, Kohaku forced them to do squats, push-ups, and sit-ups. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted.
"Sleep well," Kohaku said before leaving.
"I'm wiped out."
Before Takumi could relax on the sofa, Rossetti shoved him off the seat.
"AGH!? What the hell is your problem?"
"Guys like you shouldn't even be alive! You're a coward."
Takumi looked at her sadly, remembering Mirio and Haruka. He wasn't going to respond, but then someone spoke for him.
"There's no need to fight," the Director mentioned, approaching with slow steps. "He earned his place through hard work, just like you did, Livia. Do you understand?"
Rossetti's expression turned slightly somber.
"Sorry…"
The old man simply nodded, while Ryouma took Takumi's hand and helped him up.
"You'll get used to it in time. Falling is part of being an exorcist," Hotaru commented, shaking Rossetti gently to ease the tension.
"… Yeah, and especially when you're with your best friend."
Takumi smiled. The Director did the same, enjoying the moment of calm among his students.
As he left, he saw Kohaku standing in a dark corner.
"You saw and did nothing."
"Ha, ha, I knew it wasn't necessary. If you want strong children, you must make them face tigers."
"I didn't do that with you, or did I?"
"Well, everyone teaches differently. By the way, do you want to go for a drink?"
"You never change, but you're paying."
"Fine, dear Director."
The two presences disappeared into the dark hallways. Everything around them was calm.
No one knew of the danger approaching.
---
The six beings were gathered in a small room, drinking sweet tea and sake.
"So, what's your new information, Furlo?" Sora questioned, taking a sip of his sake.
Everyone looked at the table, where several folders had just been thrown.
"Russia. Over twenty thousand youths were rejected, many of them in precarious situations."
"Perfect. More brats to look after."
"Good. Thank you for the information. You may leave."
The person in the darkness left the place. Then, they all smiled with enthusiasm.
"Every day we get closer to our goals. All that's left is… the 'Umbra Core.'"