08:44 JST – Interior of Train Car 4 — MagLev Track 7 The Crucible personnel worked quickly. One medic—tall, hair tucked under a white cap—knelt beside a trembling boy clutching his arm. "Pulse is high, but stable. Minor shock. Recommend observation." Another slid a scanner across a girl's eyes; the lens blinked green.
Sekhmet stayed where she was, scarf still partially pulled over her mouth. The glow from her singing was gone, but she could feel the aftereffects still humming in her chest like distant thunder. She looked to Shirogane, who was sitting up straighter now—but still pale.
"Isshin-Namikaze, Sekhmet?" one of the medics asked, glancing at a tablet. "Are you injured?"
"No," she said. Then corrected herself. "Just winded. I'm fine."
"Let me check your vitals," the woman said, already holding up a scanner. Sekhmet flinched as the blue light passed over her. A soft beep. The tablet flickered green. Readings appeared in neat columns across the screen:
Heart Rate: 98 BPM
BP: 121/78 mmHg
Core Temp: 37.3°C
The medic gave a short nod. "Vitals normal. Slightly elevated heart rate, but no signs of corruption or shock. You're cleared." Sekhmet exhaled quietly. She hadn't realized how hard she'd been gripping the hem of her sweater. "Next," the medic said, glancing at her slate. "Shirogane, Yu-Yevon?" Shirogane sat up straighter, visibly trembling. "Th-that's me," she said, voice cracking at the edges.
The medic knelt beside her and offered a reassuring smile. "Just a quick scan, alright? Won't hurt." A pale light passed over Shirogane's face and upper torso. She squeezed Sekhmet's sleeve as the scanner beeped.
Heart Rate: 123 BPM
BP: 134/86 mmHg
Core Temp: 37.8°C
The medic's eyes softened. "Heart's racing. You're fine, just a little shaken up." Shirogane let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "I—I thought it was going to break through the roof…"
"I know," the medic replied gently. "But it didn't. And you're safe now." She stood and tapped a button on her earpiece. "Two cleared for extraction. Student IDs verified: Isshin-Namikaze Sekhmet and Shirogane Yu-Yevon. Need an escort to the ground."
The retrieval team glanced between each other. One of them raised a hand to volunteer—
—but a voice cut in first.
"I'll take them." Their eyes turned as Nishiyama stepped forward, arms now tucked behind her back, "Since I was one of the first responders. It's only right I make sure the cadets inside are seen through." The medic blinked, then nodded. "Understood." Nishiyama approached the two freshmen, but there was a flicker of tiredness in her eyes.
Sekhmet looked at her, puzzled. "You were one of the ones on the roof?" Nishiyama forced a small grin. "Sure was. I'm the one who finished it off, actually." Her tone was light, but her gaze flicked toward the cadets who were still chatting about Mitsuki and Koby. Shirogane nodded slowly. "That was… really cool of you."
"Thanks," Nishiyama said. "Come on. The maglift's waiting outside." As they walked, the cabin's conversations continued. Full of murmurs about the Drive "Boosted Gear" and "the angel guy." Nishiyama kept walking and stuffed her hands into her pockets. Just ahead of them, the sunlight poured through the open doors, bathing the platform lift down to the ground.
08:51 JST — Train Car Exit Ramp, Near Shinsen StationThe lift platform was already in place beside the train car, its metal arms locked into the side of the car. Sekhmet flinched as the platform shuddered underfoot. Shirogane held her hand tightly, not with fear now. But something closer to instinct. "Step slowly. The drop's not fun if you slip," Nishiyama warned over her shoulder. The three of them stepped out together, the bright open sky above making everything feel too exposed.
The wind at ground level was heavier than it looked—stiff with city soot and the distant tang of ozone. They descended the lift in silence, the whir of the hydraulics echoing through the plaza below. At the base, Crucible personnel had cordoned off a safety perimeter. Officers barked into radios, med drones buzzed overhead, and a few towering spell circles hummed faintly as they scanned for remaining Spiral traces.
As they touched down, a woman in a matte-blue coat approached. The Crucible crest marked her left breast—same silver phoenix, but embossed with smaller gold wings. A secretary, maybe. Intake officer, more likely. She looked tired, sharp-eyed, and slightly under-caffeinated. "You three were in Car 4?" she asked. "Only these two ma'am," Nishiyama replied crisply, offering a quick informal salute.
Sekhmet and Shirogane stepped forward. The woman's eyes skimmed across her tablet. "Isshin-Namikaze, Sekhmet. Shirogane, Yu-Yevon. First Year students," she read off her tablet. "Vitals came in from medical—no injuries, stable. Good." She tapped once on her screen. She then glanced toward the main gate a mile away. "You're cleared for ground intake. Follow Nishiyama for processing." She turned briskly, already halfway to the next task. Sekhmet exchanged a look with Shirogane, who shrugged. "Guess we follow Nishiyama-senpai," Shirogane mumbled.
The morning sun crept higher as the three of them walked along the road. A gentle breeze passed through the open gaps in the buildings—just enough to move the banners that hung off lampposts, each bearing the silver phoenix crest with the phrase:
"To Endure Is To Rise."
Nishiyama walked a few paces ahead of the two freshmen, her coat fluttering behind her like a cape. "So…" she started, hands resting behind her head, "you two survived your first Spiral encounter. Congrats. That's more than some manage on their first day." Sekhmet said nothing, her eyes flicking between buildings and the sky. Shirogane, still hugging her arms, mumbled, "That wasn't even a proper mission, right? That was just… an accident?"
Nishiyama shrugged. "Welcome to the Crucible Shirogane." She turned slightly, walking backward now. "But don't let that scare you. The campus is safe. Mostly. Ish. It's built on a former imperial defense stronghold. It has surveillance grids, Spiraal containment cells the size of buildings. Hell, we've even got vending machines." Sekhmet stopped her sightseeing and gave Nishiyama a deadpan stare. "Comforting."
Nishiyama winked. "Oh, and don't get too relaxed. Orientation's a full-day ordeal. Intake interviews, Drive compatibility syncs, dorm assignments. And if you're lucky—" she raised a finger like she was listing dessert options, "—maybe a classmate challenges you to a duel before noon." Shirogane stiffened. "Is… that normal?"
"For a first-year?" Nishiyama grinned. "Completely." They rounded a bend, and there it was.
09:01 JST — Daelic Crucible, East CampusThe Crucible
The main gates were matte-black steel, manned by two guards. Beyond them stretched a sprawling campus of slate rooftops, courtyard towers, and skyrails connecting distant buildings. "Home sweet home," Nishiyama said, slowing just enough to let the two girls take it in.
Shirogane's eyes widened. Sekhmet's hand instinctively moved to adjust her scarf again. Nishiyama caught the gesture. "Hey," she said more softly. "You're here now. Whatever you were before? It doesn't matter. You passed the first test. That means something." Sekhmet looked at her, surprised by the shift in tone.
Then Nishiyama turned and stretched her arms out, voice going dramatic again: "Behold! The legendary halls of Crucible Academy, where heroes are forged, monsters are dissected, and tea breaks are scheduled between close-quarters combat drills!" Shirogane snorted. Even Sekhmet allowed the ghost of a smile. The trio approached the wide arch of the Crucible's outer gate. Embedded into the stone just ahead was a small pillar with a circular interface. A scanning lens blinked blue. Above it, the words "Cadet Identification – Touch to Verify" floated in pale holographic text. Nishiyama stepped up first.
She placed her palm flat against the scanner. A faint whir kicked on, followed by a low chime.
NISHIYAMA, AVA
Third Year
Theta-4 Operative
Clearance Verified – Welcome Back
A soft click from the gate confirmed it, and the inner doors began to part slightly, just enough to let a person through.
Nishiyama turned and gave a small wave. "Alright, go ahead. It doesn't bite."
Sekhmet stepped up next, hesitating only a moment before pressing her hand to the scanner. The blue light swept over her fingers.
ISSHIN-NAMIKAZE, SEKHMET
First-Year Cadet
Status: Registered
Clearance Confirmed – Welcome to the Crucible
The system beeped once more. A secondary tone played, slightly different in pitch. Sekhmet blinked at the gate as it allowed her through. Shirogane followed after, hands still slightly trembling. Her scan took half a second longer.
SHIROGANE, YU-YEVON
First-Year Cadet
Status: Registered
Clearance Confirmed – Welcome to the Crucible
The gate welcomed her too. She stepped through quickly and fell in beside Sekhmet. Nishiyama gestured forward as the three of them crossed fully into the threshold. "Congrats. You're officially in. You'll get your badges and housing assignments at the tent up ahead." She tilted her head, smiling slyly.
"And for the record? That scanner does bite if you lie about your name."
Shirogane flinched. Sekhmet stared at her blankly.
Nishiyama just laughed and kept walking.
For a second, Sekhmet just stared. Everything felt… too normal for what she'd just survived. Crucible students were already flooding in behind them. Wearing coats with house trims. Some had walked from dorm towers nearby, others stepped off silver-shuttled trams that hovered silently over the main bridgeway.
They looked normal. They laughed. Argued. Looked at class schedules from their phones.
The plaza was a soft blend of stone and light, open-air with a distant view of the cityscape still cloaked in a thin morning mist. A small fountain bubbled quietly in the center.
As they crossed into the main quad, the tone shifted. Cadets clustered in tight groups, dressed in fitted coats marked with house emblems. Some wore combat boots, others charmed sneakers. A sudden BOOM rang out from the courtyard to their right. Two upper-classmen were sparring in an open ring.
One of the duelists—a lean boy with short, windblown hair—snapped his arm forward. A bolt of wild fire appeared in his hand.
"Have some of this!" he exclaimed as the firebolt shot out of his hand.
His opponent sidestepped the firebolt.
"What was that Taiyo? Planning to miss shots like that when it's a Spiral in front of you?" She sneered.
Seconds later, it curved in midair unnaturally.
"Yeah right Amane! You think I'd miss this?" Taiyo grinned, tracing his finger to guide the flame toward her like a hunter on command.
Sekhmet blinked.
"He's shaping the trajectory mid-flight?" Sekhmet whispered. "That's not basic fire magic," Shirogane murmured. "He's using Fire Magic: Flame Hound. Guided flame construct."
The other duelist—Amane, tall with shoulder-length dreads—planted her boot hard into the ground and twisted. A spell circle appeared below her and wind exploded outward in a low, harmonic burst. A shield of compressed air bloomed from her arm, unfurling like petals mid-spin. "So you were hiding something, you sly dog," she muttered, wind magic humming around her.
KA-THOOM!
The fire blast collided with the shield. Sparks rained outward as cadets along the ring barrier cheered wildly. A few flinched while others whooped and placed open bets, waiving their money in the air.
"Five hundred credits says Amina wins this round!" someone yelled.
"Are you high? Taiyo's been studying fire magic all semester!" another yelled back.
"All she needs is one redirect. That will get him to yield!"
Shirogane half-hid behind Sekhmet, eyes wide. "I can't believe this is just warmups…" Sekhmet didn't respond right away. Her eyes were fixed on the way the spells moved. It was control over power, technique over winging it. Like a language being written mid-motion. "They make it look like dancing," she said quietly. Nishiyama glanced over her shoulder. "You'll be in that ring soon enough. Hope your footwork's better than your flirting."
"I don't flirt," Sekhmet replied flatly.
"Exactly my point." Nishiyama smiled. Shirogane flinched. "Is this… normal?"
"Completely," Nishiyama said, grinning. "Just keep your head low and don't stare too long at the Battle Majors. They love proving a point."
Up ahead, a large white canopy stretched over an arc of stone, marked INTAKE — FIRST YEARS in soft letters on the tent. A dozen newcomers waited in line while Crucible personnel waved scanners over each one to fully register them into the system.
A short woman with frizzy hair, circular glasses, and the most frazzled energy Sekhmet had ever seen, was half-jogging between check-in desks, waving a clipboard and muttering. "No, he goes to Thorne Dorm B, not Myrrin. Did no one cross-check their Flux? Gods above—okay! Next group!" She turned sharply, spotting Nishiyama. "Oh thank the Founders, someone competent."
"Flattery'll get you nowhere, Emi-sensei," Nishiyama said.
Emi blew a strand of hair from her glasses and gestured sharply. "Bring them here. Right table's clear." Nishiyama gave Sekhmet and Shirogane a nudge. "Go on. She only bites if you lie about your birthday."
Sekhmet blinked.
Shirogane froze. "Is that a joke?" Nishiyama didn't answer. She just walked off, hands in her coat pockets, whistling.
Emi ushered them forward and immediately began searching for their profiles from her clipboard-tablet. "Let's see… Isshin-Namikaze, Sekhmet. Magic Category: Unknown. Unknown? I guess they'll update it when they do a sync scan. Origin: Shinjuku Sector. Incident Report: Spiral Encounter—seriously?" She squinted at Sekhmet like she was expecting horns to grow. "And you're still upright?"
Sekhmet nodded stiffly. "I… I guess so. A Spiral attacked our train earlier this morning. Shirogane and I were in Car 4."
Emi's fingers froze mid-scroll.
"Nishiyama-senpai and her team took it down. Saved everyone in the car." Shirogane nodded quickly beside her, still pale but firm. "They got there just in time."
Emi blinked, then slowly resumed tapping. "That's… not in the preliminary report. Typical. Give a clipboard to a retrieval officer and suddenly they forget how to record a first-hand account."
She turned to Shirogane, who straightened fast like a cadet under inspection. "Shirogane, Yu-Yevon. First-year. Magic Category: Ice. No dorm listed… seriously, still no dorm?" She tapped harder. "What are they doing up there, playing cadet roulette?"
A low ping finally confirmed the upload.
Both student profiles glowed green on the tablet.
"Alright, both of you are cleared. You'll be housed in Varnen Dorm C, third tower in the southern campus. It's coed, which means keep your drama inside your rooms and keep the noise to a minimum during sleep hours."
She handed them two slim wristbands. semi-translucent, with Crucible's silver phoenix engraved across the surface.
"These are your Cadet IDs. They scan you into buildings, mark attendance, and keep track of your Flux levels during training. Lose them, and you'll be training ten times harder for a week. Got it?"
Both nodded.
"Good. Now get moving." Then softer, as if the intensity cracked for a second, "And… welcome to the Crucible." Sekhmet stepped out first, her new cadet ID still snug on her wrist. Shirogane followed just behind, glancing around like she was half-expecting another Spiral to leap from the rooftops.
Near the base of a pale stone ramp, Nishiyama was waiting. Arms folded, back against the railing, she flicked through something on her phone. Though her eyes weren't really reading. When she spotted them, she pushed off with one foot. "So," she called, dryly. "Varnen Dorm, huh?"
Sekhmet blinked. "How do you—?" Shirogane leaned in, whispering, "Wait… did she bug our wristbands?" Nishiyama rolled her eyes. "Please. You think I'd waste a bug on two rookies still figuring out how doors work?"
"Then how do you know?" Sekhmet asked, frowning. "I read fast," she said with a shrug, clearly enjoying herself. "Besides, Emi-sensei yells like she's dying in a horror film." Shirogane paled. "That… actually makes sense." Nishiyama just waved them forward. "Come on. I'll walk you. Varnen's a hike."
09:26 JST — Daelic Crucible, East Campus — Intake CanopyThe three followed the winding stone path, wide enough for five cadets across. Sekhmet kicked a loose stone as they walked. "So… how long have you been here, Nishiyama-senpai?"
"Two years," she said without looking back. "Long enough to know when the cafeteria's going to run out of curry rice." Shirogane raised a brow. "That's what you consider senior wisdom?" Nishiyama smirked over her shoulder. "Survival is about instincts. Especially in the dorm kitchens."
A group of upper-year cadets passed on the other side of the path. They didn't even glance at them—too caught up in their own chatter. One was mid-gossip, voice just loud enough to carry. "Heard Professor Shikama tore into Mitsuki again during Combat Analytics. Said he's 'hiding behind protocol' instead of using his head in ever changing scenarios."
The other snorted. "Damn, what's Miki doing this time? Guy's top five, but man, he pisses Shikama-sensei off like it's a full-time job." Nishiyama scoffed under her breath. "Miki, what the hell are you doing in class to get bullied by him again?"
Sekhmet glanced at her. "You know him well?"
She gave a sideways smirk, eyes still on the road ahead. "We've been partners for two years and have known him for all my life. He LOVES to play dead until the last second, then pulls off some miracle like it was part of the plan. It's infuriating."
"But it works?" Shirogane asked.
Nishiyama shrugged. "Sometimes. And sometimes I have to bail him out. He's passive. I'm not. That's how Theta-4 works." Her voice softened, just slightly. "Still… I wish he'd stop bottling things up. Everyone thinks he's just laid back, but he's just... scared of what happened last time." She shook her head once. "Anyway. He'll be fine. He always is."
They walked a little further in silence. Then—a deep rumble rolled across the plaza. Sekhmet stopped. The ground shook, like something was coming up from deep below ground. But something felt… wrong. It felt like the air pressure dropped dramatically. Shirogane tilted her head upward. "Is it getting darker…?"
The morning sky, just moments ago blue and crisp, was now shrouded in rapidly forming cloud cover—dark, roiling masses like storm fronts crashing into each other. Then, without warning, the clouds split.
A hole tore open in the sky.
A roar like thunder layered over itself three times echoed downward. Something enormous began to emerge. A Spiral, but not like the ones from the vids. This one was huge, its coiling form thick with spiraling plates of iridescent chitin. Its face was masked in a gleaming carapace that spiraled backward. A single glowing red eye blinked open near its core. Sekhmet's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Shirogane took two slow steps back. "That's a Spiral," she said quietly. "A Spiral just breached campus—"
"Calm down," Nishiyama said, not looking worried at all.
"It's in the sky—!"
"It's not attacking," Sekhmet said slowly, noticing. "It's… circling." Then, just as the Spiral Worm banked overhead, a figure stepped into view—on its back.
Someone was standing on top of it.
Shirogane's brain stopped working for a second. "That's a person. There's a person. Standing. On a Spiral." The figure knelt, then leapt from the creature's back. They dropped like a missile—straight toward the quad.
Shirogane's eyes widened in horror.
"They're gonna die!" she shouted, practically tripping backward.
WHUMP.
The landing kicked up dust but no crater. Just a controlled burst of pressure, like someone had landed in a practiced, impossibly efficient drop. The figure stood up.
Long black coat. Crimson trim. Pale boots. Wind swept around her, kicking her silver hair loose from behind a clipped high collar.
Sekhmet stared. "Who…"
Nishiyama lifted her hand in a lazy wave. "Commander Hoshino." Shirogane gawked. "That's the Chairwoman?!"
"She rides a Spiral like a mount?" Sekhmet whispered. Nishiyama just grinned. "She trained it herself. Name's Svarog. Technically it's classified as a tamed enforcer Spiral, but yeah. That's the boss." The Spiral Worm let out a low croon and banked upward again, fading into the cloudbreak. The sky began to clear almost immediately.
Hoshino stood alone in the middle of the quad, brushing dust off her coat like she'd just stepped out of a lecture. Sekhmet felt her knees lock. Shirogane leaned toward Nishiyama and whispered, "Is everyone here like this?" Nishiyama smirked. "Nah. She just loves scaring the first years like that. Says it weeds out the ones who were never serious."
The dust hadn't even settled.
Sekhmet stood frozen in place, her hand still clutching the strap of her satchel. Shirogane clung to her sleeve, wide-eyed and shaking slightly. In the wake of the Spiral Worm's retreat and the sudden silence that followed, a new kind of tension fell over the quad—reverent, heavy, almost sacred.
Then—
"You three."
Sekhmet turned slowly.
Commander Hoshino stood at the edge of the stone ring, wind still tugging faintly at her coat. Her arms were crossed, boots planted like nothing could move her. Her silver hair gleamed faintly in the returning sunlight.
Nishiyama straightened immediately, arms to her sides in practiced reflex. "Ma'am."
"At ease, Nishiyama," Hoshino said, voice lower now. "Report."
Nishiyama relaxed her stance just slightly. "Theta-4 and Cadet 1-1 responded to the Spiral breach within ninety seconds. Zero cadet fatalities. We neutralized the Spiral and held the perimeter until Crucible med and retrieval teams arrived." Hoshino gave a single nod, her eyes already moving to Sekhmet and Shirogane. "You held your line. Good work."
Then her gaze fixed.
It wasn't Sekhmet she was looking at—but the smaller figure half-shadowed behind her. "You." Shhe called out. "Cadet hiding behind the tall one. Step forward."
Shirogane froze.
Sekhmet instinctively shifted to protect Shirogane.
Hoshino didn't raise her voice. "At ease, tall one. I'm not going to hurt the small one." Sekhmet gave her a wary glance, then eased back—just a little. "Hey, Sin… why'd you stop blocking me?" Shirogane whispered, panicked.
"You were on that train, weren't you?" Hoshino asked, eyes pinned on her. Shirogane hesitated, then slowly stepped forward. "Y-Yes, ma'am." Hoshino's eyes narrowed, "Then why do you still look like you're bracing for death?"
Sekhmet opened her mouth to speak, but Hoshino cut her off with a single, subtle gesture. "I asked her, tall one."
"She's still scared," Sekhmet interjected. "That had to be her first Spiral encounter." Nishiyama's brows lifted slightly. Shirogane shrank behind Sekhmet again. Hoshino smirked—just a little. "This one's bold… I like her."
She turned her full gaze on Sekhmet. "Name, cadet." Sekhmet straightened. "Isshin-Namikaze, Sekhmet."
Hoshino didn't respond right away.
But something changed.
The air shifted, the temperature itself seemed to drop as welll. Sekhmet's breath fogged on the exhale.
A thin shimmer of silver-blue light leaked out around Hoshino, shimmering along her body. It wasn't Flux—it was something… Different. Denser. Her presence was distilled and weaponized.
It was her Killing Intent.
Cadets nearby flinched. A boy with silver-rim glasses fainted sideways into the grass. One of them fell to a knee, hand on his chest like something had stabbed him. Someone by the Intake Canopy back threw up behind a bench.
A low pressure gnawed at Sekhmet's spine, then stabbed forward into her ribs like unseen claws. Her pupils sharpened involuntarily. For a half-second, the rings in her irises spiraled faintly—golden-yellow, then disappeared. For a second, she didn't flinch.
She smiled. It was the kind of smile you wore when you'd tasted worse. Shirogane felt it too. She grabbed Sekhmet's sleeve. "S-Sin…?"
Sekhmet didn't move.
Her voice came out quiet, "I've had worse things try to kill me." It wasn't the first time something tried to peel her soul from her body. It just wasn't usually this polite about it. Hoshino's lips twitched—not quite a full smile, but close. There was a glint of something behind her eyes. Respect? Curiosity? Hard to say.
But the weight lifted like it had never existed. Cadets nearby exhaled all at once, unsure why their lungs had locked up. "Good spine, and a dangerous one. Let's hope it grows straight." Hoshino said. She stepped forward, and stopped just beside Sekhmet. The commander's presence felt heavier up close as she leaned in. ""Try not to break early," she whispered. "I want to see what kind of beast you become."
Then she pulled back without waiting for a response, already turning to walk toward Central Campus as if the moment had never happened. Her coat swept behind her, the Crucible phoenix catching the sun like molten silver.
A long whistle cut the silence.
Nishiyama stood with her hands in her coat pockets, rocking back on her heels. "Wow, approval from her?" She tilted her head toward Sekhmet with a grin. "Not bad, 'tall one'. Not many stay standing." Behind her, Shirogane sank to her knees in the grass with a quiet fwump.
"I'm gonna change," she mumbled.
Sekhmet blinked. "Change what?"
"My whole aesthetic," Shirogane moaned, burying her face in her hands. "No more Gyaru me Sin. I'm gonna be normal. Study-focused. Library-core. Just... neutral colors and no nail polish."
"You're still wearing glitter mascara," Sekhmet pointed out.
"I've lived a loud life and I've seen death today Sin," Shirogane replied dramatically. "Let me 'spiral'." She placed her face in the grass, "I just wanted to ride a train and have a cute dorm room," she whispered to the grass.
Nishiyama just laughed, slinging an arm around Sekhmet and offering her hand to Shirogane. "Welcome to the Crucible."