First Contact

"Alright, we're here," Grant announced, stopping in front of the entrance with a firm stride.

"Finally... We made it...!" Wes said, stretching his arms in relief.

"Let's move! Gear up!" Grant ordered, then nodded toward Seth. "You, the rookie... Harbon, right? You'll be in charge of the extra load and equipment."

"Um... my name is Harper," Seth muttered, somewhat confused.

"Oh, right. Harper," Grant tossed the heavy bag of supplies to him with visible disdain. "Carry it carefully. All you need to do is stay out of the way and keep your head down. Got it?"

"Yeah... Got it..." Seth replied resignedly.

Cass glanced at him when she heard that, saying nothing for the moment.

Well... I'm part of the mission, at least, Seth thought, as he began to organize the bags with an inevitable resignation.

Cass approached more gently, her presence less intrusive.

"Hey, I'm Cass. You're the newbie, Seth, right?" she said with a faint smile.

"Yeah, um, nice to meet you."

"Look," she said, her gaze quickly sweeping over the others, "let me lay something out for you. Our team is... complicated. And this mission will extend a bit beyond just filing a report. So..." She lowered her voice slightly. "For now, your best bet is to stick to simple tasks. It's not that we want to leave you out, but facing this stuff without experience is... well, deadly."

With his head down and a frown, Seth replied:

"I know. I just hope I can help with something... anything else."

Since the results of this mission will determine whether I make the team selection this year or not... he thought, squeezing his hand.

"Don't sweat it, rookie," Wes cut in, clapping a hand on Cass's shoulder. "I was a D-rank too. Had to claw my way up until I hit A-rank and snagged a spot on this team, with Grant and the rest."

"Well, your grades are still those of a D-rank, idiot," Cass replied, shaking Wes's hand off her shoulder.

Wes's laugh cut off abruptly, his face falling. "Yeah... don't remind me."

"At our age, they're already choosing the most promising teams based on both missions and academy grades," Cass retorted, turning to Seth. Her tone softened slightly. "That's why I think you should try to learn everything you can from us today."

"Thanks... I will," Seth said, the words toneless. He gave a nod that didn't reach his eyes.

"What about me? No exam tips for your favorite teammate, Cass?" Wes asked mockingly.

"For you... How about quitting the academy?" Cass replied sarcastically, turning to follow the group.

Wes laughed again and followed her, but Seth stayed a step behind.

"...you should try to learn everything you can from us today."

Cass's words echoed in his mind like a hollow sound.

Try, is it? That's all I ever do. And three straight years of not being selected... he watched the others move ahead. I need to do more than just 'try' if I want this year to be any different.

Seth kept walking, the weight of his backpack pressing not only on his shoulders but also on his mind. He couldn't afford to just 'try.' He needed a real opportunity to prove himself, anything at all.

GRRUUAASH…!! A deep, booming growl abruptly interrupted their stride.

Grant gripped his sword and reacted instantly, dropping into a guard position.

"This is no time to space out! Get ready!"

"Over there!" Wes pointed toward the source of the roar, and the group spun around as one.

"Two hybrids! Akki-class, by the looks of them!" Wes called out, unsheathing a peculiar dagger attached to a coiled metallic wire.

A wave of stunned revulsion hit Seth. The creatures were walking biological aberrations. Their vaguely humanoid shapes did nothing to soften the shock; if anything, it made the distortion more unsettling.

Slowly, the hybrids began to move toward them with an erratic, menacing gait.

It's hard to believe these things were once human... Seth thought, both impressed and overwhelmed.

Grant stepped forward, imposing and ready, his long, slender gray saber held at the ready. Its design was striking, even extravagant, but that wasn't what caught Seth's attention.

The Rem energy… he's imbuing his sword with it! Seth's head snapped toward the others. And they're doing the same!

Basic academy teachings, buried under panic, surged to the forefront of his mind.

They're using Rem Body amplification. It protects us and heightens our reflexes... but if our Rem energy drops below 20%, conversion could start in less than five minutes if one of those things claws you.

The thought vanished as Grant stepped forward, his gray saber held ready. Then, it began to glow. A ripple of blue energy—the telltale sign of Rem Imbuement—crawled up the blade, solidifying into a razor-sharp edge of pure power.

He's channeling so much, Seth thought, his own inadequacy screaming at him from within. To imbue a saber that size... he'd have to divert almost all his Bodily Amplification. One solid hit from a hybrid and he'd be left wide open.

GRRUUUAAASHH!!!

The first hybrid charged, a clawed arm lashing out toward Grant's face. But Grant didn't flinch. He stood motionless, as if reading its every move.

In a single fluid motion, he used the creature's own momentum against it. A nimble pivot, a subtle shift of his weight, and the hybrid was completely off-balance. It tripped over its own feet and hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

Scrambling back up, the creature staggered to its feet, disoriented. But before it could regain its bearings, Grant's saber flashed blue once more. A single, precise stroke, and the hybrid's head tumbled from its shoulders.

Seth watched the glow fade from the blade, then looked down at the simple dagger on his own belt.

That guy can imbue an entire saber, and I can't even channel energy into this small blade.

For him, the Rem energy always stayed locked within, a static hum under his skin, useless for anything but the most basic Rem Body Amplification.

FWOOSHHH!

His gaze shot to the remaining creature as it lunged forward in a frantic, erratic zigzag.

Wes reacted instantly. His arm shot forward, but the dagger never left his grip. Instead, the coiled metallic wire glowed a vivid blue, snapping rigid as he manipulated the Rem energy within. The bladed tip became a projectile, streaking ahead while he maintained taut control from a distance.

Rem Manipulation... Seth watched, mesmerized. Wait... he's using Imbuement and Manipulation simultaneously. But to pull that off, he's had to completely sacrifice his defensive Bodily Amplification. It's a reckless gamble.

With unnatural, jerking speed, the hybrid twisted its torso, the projectile whistling past it by a hair's breadth. That forced evasion stalled its charge for a mere heartbeat, just long enough for Cass to blur into position beside it.

Her sword carved a silver arc, shimmering with condensed Rem energy. A sharp crack split the air. The hybrid's head spun away, and its headless body crumpled to the ground a second later.

"Everyone alright? That was an unexpected warm-up," Grant said, the glow of his saber winking out as he released the Imbuement, restoring his full Bodily Amplification.

Stunned, his mind struggling to process the flash of violence, Seth could only think:

So this is how real Rem users fight... he thought, the bitter truth settling in. And here I am, unable to even control it. What the hell am I even doing here...?

His gaze fell to his own hands, clenched into useless fists at his sides.

"Yeah... We're okay," Mira replied, her voice steady.

"Nothing to sweat! Just a little stretch for the reflexes," Wes said, rolling his shoulders with a grin.

"Don't get overconfident," Cass countered, her gaze drifting to the supply bag on Seth's back. "Remember, we only have one reserve capsule. We can't afford to burn through our personal reserves. Thirty minutes of extra combat time disappears fast."

"True," Grant acknowledged, the distinctive shink of his saber being sheathed cutting the air. "Not surprising this place is crawling with them, though. The beasts overran this university while Hibüra was still being built."

"Those hybrids... they look like they were our age," Mira observed, staring at the corpses with a somber focus.

"From what they say, it was a total slaughter," Cass added quietly. "Middle of the day, students in class... then the beasts broke in. A massacre."

Seth noticed a shattered emblem on the floor—half-buried under dust and blood.

A stylized flag with a red sun, fractured beyond recognition.
Nothing else remained.

His gaze drifted back to the bodies.

Since the Rem Cataclysm in 2024…
They went from everyday lives to this nightmare.

Students. Just like us.