Examination

< So where exactly are we headed? >

“You will see soon enough.”

< I would prefer to know this instant. >

“I know.”

< Then why will you not tell me now. >

“Because you’ll see it in a few minutes anyway. Plus, a little surprise once in a while is good for you.”

< You’re pushing your luck. >

I smile to myself.

Despite knowing what she can do to me with a snap of a finger, it’s reassuring to know that she’s at least tolerant of a little teasing.

It’s strange though.

I don’t feel as afraid of her as when I was in the other world.

Nothing has changed though. I know exactly how dangerous she is.

So why am I this comfortable around her now?

I don’t have an answer.

Maybe it’s because she saved my life.

Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time with her in my head that having her around feels normal.

Or maybe I’ve simply started trusting her.

And those visions I saw of her…

I don’t think she’s someone I need to fear.

If anything, she seemed like someone who was highly respected.

But I shouldn’t get too comfortable.

She was far too insistent on getting me to accept her power.

There has to be something she wants.

< What is that?. >

Her voice interrupts my thoughts.

“What?”

< That building on the right. >

“A convenience store.”

< And that box with the buttons? >

“A vending machine. It sells drinks.”

< Without a merchant? >

“You put money into it and then it will dispense what drink you picked.”

< How peculiar… >

I keep walking.

< And that contraption with the wheels? >

“That’s a car.”

< How does it move without being pulled by anything? I don’t sense any magic or power behind it either. >

“It has an engine.”

< And what is an engine? >

“...It’s what makes it move.”

< Your explanations have been quite inadequate.>

“It’s too much to explain all at once. I’m sure you’ll understand everything with enough time, Princess.”

<...>

< Your world is strange. >

< But yet, I feel a connection to it. >

“A connection?"

< The land and the people.>

< Much has changed… but not everything. >

I slow down slightly.

“What do you mean?”

< I cannot say. It is simply a feeling. >

She falls silent for a moment.

There’s a hint of sadness in her voice.

I don’t pry any further.

Whatever she means by that, she clearly doesn’t understand it herself.

Besides…

< These structures are rather impressive. >

“Hm?”

I look up at the buildings around us.

< They are remarkably grand. Surely those of great importance must reside within them. >

I can’t help but smile.

“You really moved on fast. Already back to being curious.”

< There is little point dwelling on something I cannot explain. >

“I suppose you’re right.”

We continue walking.

The conversation gradually fades into silence as the familiar streets come into view.

It doesn’t take long before I recognize the building ahead.

My workplace.

I’ve walked through those doors countless times over the years.

Usually with a cup of convenience store coffee in one hand, half-awake and already thinking about how much work I had waiting for me.

It’s strange seeing it again.

After everything that happened, this place looks exactly the same.

People coming and going. Cars passing by. The usual morning rush.

I know my boss told me to take the day off. But I have something I need to do.

And after being gone for a week, I should at least show my face and reassure people that I’m alive.

I never really interacted with my coworkers too often, but it doesn’t change the fact that I saw them every day for hours. They’re good people that have treated me well over the years. I should properly apologize for being absent.

Still, it’s not like I’m particularly close to anybody.

Mainly due to my own reasons. Mina would always get angry if I didn’t go home in time, so I always immediately left after work.

I never really thought much about it.

I just thought Mina was all I had.

But now that I think about it, I probably kept everyone at arm’s length without even realizing it.

Perhaps it’s time to change things.

I stop in front of the entrance.

The doors are the same as ever.

Yet standing in front of them now feels different.

For years, this was simply the place I went to work.

Now, I’m just glad I get to walk through them again.

I take a breath.

With no dread, I step through the doors.

The familiar sound of keyboards fills the office.

Phones ring in the distance. Someone is talking about a report. The printer is already running.

Everything is exactly as I remember it.

I take a few steps inside.

Nobody notices me at first.

Then someone looks up.

“...Yusuke?”

I stop.

A few more heads turn in my direction.

“Wait, you’re back?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

The questions come one after another, but nothing feels overwhelming. They’re not crowding around me. Just surprised to see me standing here after disappearing for a week.

I give them a small bow.

“Sorry for worrying everyone.”

“You should be apologizing to the boss,” someone says.

“Already planning to.”

A familiar voice comes from behind me.

I freeze.

I slowly turn around.

My boss is standing there with his arms crossed.

He looks relieved and annoyed at the same time.

Probably more relieved than annoyed.

“I told you to take the day off.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I have something I need to do.”

He sighs and stares at me for a moment.

Then his expression softens.

“It’s good to see you again.”

I bow deeply.

“Likewise.”

He lets out a loud chuckle.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Come on in.”

I follow him further into the office.

As I walk past the rows of desks, I notice stuff I never really paid attention to before.

The lingering aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The sunlight coming through the windows.

The screens of people not doing work.

It’s the same office.

But everything feels so lively.

The quiet chatter.

The occasional laughter.

People complaining about work.

It’s nothing special.

But it’s warm.

I never realized how much I had taken all of this for granted.

“So,” my boss says.

I look over at him.

“What exactly did you come here for? I know you can’t be dying to work that badly.”

“I need to register my power.”

He stops walking.

“Your power?”

I nod.

“Yeah.”

For a moment, he just stares at me with his head slightly tilted.

Then he looks around the office before lowering his voice.

“You got one?”

“Apparently.”

“I thought you were going to tell me you found some paperwork you forgot to submit. Is that why you have been gone for so long?”

“Sort of. It’s hard to explain.”

“I’m guessing you’re not going to explain it.”

“Not right now.”

He sighs.

“Fair enough.”

He turns toward the other end of the office.

“Come on. The examination section should be able to take care of it.”

“I know.”

He glances at me.

“Of course you do.”

He gives me a firm pat on the back.

“I got something to do, so go on. I’m sure you don’t need me to babysit you there, you’ve been working here long enough, Yusuke.”

“Yes, sir.”

I bow to him as he makes his leave.

I’ve spent years processing registration forms from that department.

I’ve just never had to go through the process myself.

I make my way toward the examination section.

Unlike the rest of the office, this part of the building is usually much quieter.

I open the door.

Inside are several examination rooms separated by glass walls. A few employees sit behind their desks, reviewing results and filling out forms.

I’ve seen their work countless times.

Usually, I’m the one receiving the paperwork after everything is finished.

Now, I’m the one sitting on the other side.

A woman behind the nearest desk looks up.

“Power registration?”

“Yeah.”

“First registration?”

I nod.

“Then you’ll need to fill out this form first. Make sure not to write anything on the backside”

She hands me a clipboard.

I look down at it.

All the typical things you would expect from a form like this.

Full name, date of birth, address, and occupation.

Nothing I haven’t seen before.

Near the bottom is the only part that actually concerns my power.

[Power name]

I write.

Authority

I move on to the next section.

[Date of Manifestation]

I pause.

I don’t actually know the exact date, but I can write a rough estimate.

Supposedly, I’ve been gone for about a week.

I check the date and fill in exactly a week ago from today.

Then I hand the clipboard back.

“That’s everything?”

“Yes, sir. The rest will be determined during the examination.”

She gestures toward a row of chairs along the wall.

I nod and take a seat.

It doesn’t take long before another employee comes out of one of the doors.

“Yusuke?”

I stand.

“That’s me.”

“This way, please.”

I follow her down the hallway.

There are several doors along the walls, each leading to one of the examination rooms.

I’ve seen the results from these rooms countless times.

But I’ve never actually been in one of them before.

It’s strange knowing that I’ll be the one being examined this time.

We stop in front of a door.

The woman opens it and steps aside.

“Please come in.”

I enter the room.

The room is larger than I expected.

At first glance, it looks almost like any other examination room. There’s a desk along one wall, a computer terminal, and a chair positioned in the middle of the room.

But the rest of it is anything but ordinary.

A large marking engraved into the floor beneath the chair catches my attention.

Several circles overlap with one another, with strange symbols and lines connecting them together. It almost looks like something you’d find in an old book about magic, except for the small scanner mounted above the chair.

I’ve seen this equipment countless times in examination reports, but I’ve never actually been inside one of these rooms before.

The woman gestures toward the chair.

“Please take a seat.”

I sit down.

The scanner above me adjusts slightly, positioning itself over my head.

She places my clipboard on the desk before taking her seat at the terminal.

“Before we begin, I’ll explain how the examination works.”

I already know most of it.

Still, I keep quiet and listen.

“The initial examination will determine your power’s classification, known abilities, limitations, and estimated danger level. The results will be recorded automatically.”

I glance down at the markings beneath my feet.

The examiner’s power does most of the work.

The markings provide a stable area for the examination, while the scanner records the information and sends it to the terminal.

I’ve processed hundreds of these results over the years.

I’ve just never seen the actual process.

“Once the initial assessment is complete, we’ll perform additional tests if necessary.”

I nod.

“Understood.”

She places one hand on the terminal.

“Then we’ll begin.”

I sit still as the scanner above me comes to life.

The markings beneath my chair begin to glow, one section at a time, as the scanner moves slowly around me.

It’s kind of nerve-wracking.

Having to actually sit under the scanner is a lot more intimidating than reading about it.

A few seconds pass.

I wait.

The woman looks at the screen.

Then she frowns.

I glance over at her.

She doesn’t answer immediately.

Her fingers move across the keyboard.

The scanner continues making subtle whirring sounds as it spins above me.

The markings beneath my chair continue to shine.

But nothing appears on the screen.

No classification. No abilities. No limitations. Not even a danger level.

Just blank fields.

Is something wrong?

The woman tries again.

The scanner stops and the markings on the floor slowly fade.

She looks at the terminal for a few seconds before turning toward me.

“...That’s strange.”

“What is?”

She hesitates.

“The examination didn’t detect anything.”

I stare at her.

“That can’t be right.”

“I know.”

Scratching her head, she looks back at the screen.

“Let’s try it again.”

The scanner starts up once more.

The terminal processes the examination.

And once again…

Nothing.

The woman slowly leans closer to the screen.

“That’s impossible.”

I look at the screen.

[ERROR]

[ERROR]

[ERROR]

[ERROR]