One Month Later
The skyline of Tokyo shimmered beneath the perpetual glow of neon. At night, the city pulsed like a living organism—its veins made of train lines and highways, its heartbeat the distant hum of electricity. But in the cracks between skyscrapers and alleyways, monsters still roamed around the city. That was where the Nightguard thrived.
For the past month, Division Five had carved out a pretty nice rhythm. Lucien had finally settled into the life of a Nightguard member—a real member this time. No more tests or trials he had to endure. Just missions, shifts, training, and the comfort of camaraderie.
Their days began late and ended even later. They trained in the early afternoons, patrolled by night, and laughed in between. Meals were shared between eachother, stories were told, and friendships slowly solidified like concrete left to cure.
For once, Lucien felt stable in life.
Wendsday 30th of april, 2025, 10:03 AM.
The apartment above Division Five's command post was very quiet—until the smell of sizzling garlic rice drifted through the air. Lucien rubbed his eyes and walked barefoot into the kitchen.
"You're late Lucien," Rylen said without looking up. He was polishing a short spear near the dining table.
"It's barely ten," Lucien muttered, grabbing a glass of milk.
"In Nightguard terms, that's late."
Jason sat cross-legged on the floor, locked in a deadly duel with a half-finished sudoku puzzle. Emiluna stood at the stove, dressed in her faded apron, flipping eggs like a seasoned chef.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "You sleep like someone who's not being hunted by nightmare creatures every single night. I'm jealous man."
Lucien snorted, sinking into a chair. "For once, I dreamed of nothing thankfully."
"You might wanna dream of your schedule for today," Emiluna said suddenly. "You're due at headquarters today."
Lucien looked up. "Why do i need to go to the headquarters?"
"Re-evaluation," Rylen said. "Remember Week Two of the trial? Skill trials. Conditioning tests. They want to see how far you've come in a month of being a Nighguards member."
Lucien blinked. "That's today?"
Jason leaned back and grinned. "Try not to break the testing rooms this time, you´ve gotten a lot stronger."
Lucien sighed, stood up, and stretched. "Fine. I'll be back before the night shift starts."
"Good luck Lucien," Emiluna said softly, sliding a bento box toward him. "Eat it on the way to the headquarters."
Nightguard Corps Headquarters – Skill Re-Evaluation
The headquarters was as imposing as ever—granite halls, steel-plated doors, and the eternal coldness of military order. But this time, Lucien didn't feel like an outsider in there. He wasn't here as a recruit. He was a soldier now.
He was early—but not the first to be there.
Standing near the steel bench in the waiting corridor were four familiar faces: Kagetsu, arms crossed as always. Lisa, bouncing lightly on her heels. Kisuke, chilling casually. And Ayumu, leaning against the wall with that same unreadable look in her eyes.
"Hey, Lucien," Kisuke said with a nod. "Didn't think we'd see you here today."
"Guess they want to measure the fallout I cause," Lucien replied.
Lisa smiled and waved. "Good to see you again Lucien! Been a while since we´ve seen eachother. Happy that you passed the Death Trial."
Kagetsu stepped forward and offered a short nod. "Heard about your trial. You made it out alive. Barely but still."
Lucien nodded. "Barely is still alive."
He looked to Ayumu, who met his gaze for a brief moment before looking away. Lucien didn't press it.
Before the awkward silence grew worse, an operator stepped out of the hallway. "All participants. Proceed to Evaluation Chambers please."
Evaluation Room 1 – Strength
A massive steel sled sat at the center of the room, loaded with three thick, weighted panels—3,000 pounds in total. A clean digital screen blinked above it.
Lucien cracked his knuckles and stepped up.
"Previous record: 1,000 pounds," the operator said. "Begin the test."
Lucien planted his feet into the ground, gripped the horizontal bar, and pushed.
The entire sled groaned, then began sliding across the reinforced floor with a screech. The sound echoed through the room as the digital readout glowed:
3000 LB MOVED — PASS: EXCEPTIONAL
Gasps. Whispers even from the observation deck.
Lucien stood upright and stepped back, heart rate didn´t even elevate.
Kagetsu raised a brow. Ayumu remained impassive.
Evaluation Room 2 – Speed
A clean hallway. White lights overhead. Pressure sensors lined the corridor.
"Goal: Sprint from one end to the other. Its 1 mile. Full output."
Lucien lowered his stance.
Then—boom.
He vanished in a sonic boom, the floor cracking slightly beneath him as he broke the sound barrier again. Monitors scrambled for a second before recalibrating.
Speed: Mach 1.05
The room fell completely silent.
Even Ayumu's eyes widened for just a fraction of a second.
Evaluation Room 3 – Durability test
Mechanical arms surrounded Lucien in a tight circle. Each one held a weighted steel bat, ready to strike him.
"Maximum: 100 direct hits. No shields, no dodging, no nothing."
The arms activated.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
Blow after blow struck Lucien's chest, ribs, arms, shoulders and back. Bruises bloomed. Blood trickled. But Lucien didn't even flinch.
His body had adapted. Regeneration also helped him out. But it was more than that—his pain tolerance had increased. His muscles were denser, his bones stronger than ever.
At the 100th strike, the machine halted. Lucien stood, exhaling slowly.
Durability Test: PASS
Evaluation Room 4 – Endurance
Plank hold. Wall sit.
Two simple tests. But each lasted nearly an hour.
Plank: 31 minutes. Wall sit: 42 minutes.
The evaluators exchanged stunned glances. One whispered, "He's not human anymore."
Outside, the others waited.
When Lucien stepped out, they turned to him, expecting something—fatigue, smugness, maybe pain. But Lucien simply nodded and sat beside them.
Kagetsu looked at him, half-grinning. "You've gotten too strong."
Lucien shrugged. "Had to."
Kagetsu stepped forward. "You even passed me."
Lucien tilted his head. "It's not a race Kagetsu."
Kagetsu smiled, faint but genuine. "Maybe not. But I'm still going to beat you someday."
He held out a hand. Lucien took it.
Then Kagetsu leaned in. "Don't get comfortable tho. You'll need more than raw power to be a perfect Nightguard Corps member."
Lucien didn't answer, but in his eyes burned a quiet flame.
Lucien returned to the Division Five command post just before sunset hit the city of Tokyo. He dropped his bento box—empty—and geared up for his nightshift.
Armor. Radio. He checked each piece with automatic precision.
Rylen entered, chewing on a protein bar. "Heard you melted the test machines today"
"Something like that."
Jason peeked in from the hallway. "Heard you made sonic boom noises. You trying to steal my thunder show?"
Emiluna smiled faintly. "You've grown a lot in the past month."
Lucien strapped armor to his back. "Still just me."
Rylen's radio buzzed.
"Division Five. We have an incident—Sector 19. Confirmed Level 2 presence. Multiple Level 4s. Requesting support."
Jason's smile vanished. Rylen answered calmly. "Division Five on route."
The team moved quickly —out the door, into their transport unit, and down into the city of Tokyo. Shinjuku district again. Neon lights still blinked, but the streets were empty. Civilians had been evacuated. Something dark was brewing in there.
Sector 19 – Combat Zone
The battle was already underway when the fifth arrived.
The clash of metal echoed through the alleys. Screams—inhuman, high-pitched. Debris scattered across the street. The smell of blood, smoke, and ozone clung to the air.
They rounded the corner—and saw them.
Division One and Division Two were already engaged in battle.
Kagetsu's twin daggers clashed against the hide of a massive hound-like monster. Ayumu danced between enemies and using her gravity field.
And at the center—an elegant figure slicing through monsters with unnerving grace.
She had long, flowing blue hair and piercing yellow-green eyes. Her sword—a shimmering, curved blade nearly as long as she was tall—moved like water between her enemies. Each step she took was like a performance.
That was the Captain of Division Two.
She fought alongside Kagetsu and Ayumu, but they were struggling in vain. Around them swarmed ten Level 4 monsters, shielding a larger threat just behind them:
A Level 2 Abomination.
It hadn't revealed its full form yet to them, but its aura was suffocating—twisted, warped, heavy with malice. It pulsed like a dark heart at the center of the chaos.
Lucien took a step forward.
Emiluna's voice was calm. "We're late to the scene."
Rylen adjusted his gloves. "We're just in time don´t worry."
Jason cracked his knuckles. "Round two, huh?"
Lucien's eyes glowed faintly.
"Let's show them what Division Five can do."
And with that—
They stepped into the fray.