Chapter 3: Training Session

  I

  The flame on his finger tip widened and flared and sparked as he struggled to keep it under control. Junshin held his breath as he concentrated, using the square breathing method to keep his anxiety at bay while he controlled his pyrokinetic ability. He noted that Hina and Rika watched him carefully, noting his body languages and thoughts and expressions on his face whiel he just tried not to burst the entire training area in flames.

  Hina gave him a gentle look, before saying, “You will be fine, Junshin-kun.”

  “What makes you so sure?” Junshin said, feeling the sweat come from both his anxiety and the heat from his Aura and the flame from his fingertip.

  “Because I trust you,” Hina said simply.

  These words warmed not only his heart, but he could also feel heat flush against his cheeks as well at the sentiment behind them. Junshin struggled to control the flame on his fingertip while Rika gently coaxed him in instructions for fine tuning his control, giving his measurements and statistics of what he should do to mathematically calculate the proportions and spread of the flame he needed to create.

  “Focus,” Rika said, nodding in approval every time that he brought the flame down to a small, pinprick size. “Imagine it getting it smaller and smaller, to a compact prick of light like a firefly or even smaller, if you can visualize an atom or even smaller than that.”

  “I think I get what you’re saying,” Junshin said, trying to visualize at a molecular level the very atoms in the flames vibrating at high speeds and trying to make them not as potent.”Like this?”

  “Better,” Rika said with approval. “Remember to work with the pulse and rhythm of the molecular structure of flames. You have thermal applications, you know, to make the atoms vibrate slower to make the surrounding air cooler and the atoms not vibrating as fast so that the flames aren’t spreading or vibrating in higher temperatures.”

  Hina clapped her hands together, before she said, “Ah, Rika, you’re a pretty good teacher! Though that is to be expected, of course.”

  “Please,” Rika said with a self-deprecating smile. “There’s still much I’m learning myself, and of course new discoveries are being made everyday in the field of psionics and science. So remember to never be too complacent and constantly research and train.”

  Junshin manipulated the flame, before he let it sputter out completely, feeling a sense of relief as he felt sweat bead on his brow. “I think I’ve got the hang of it, though of course I will continue to train and learn underneath you, if that doesn’t bother you.”

  “That is perfectly fine with me,” Rika said.

  “I would like to observe too,” Hina said. “It will help me with my own training.”

  “That would be no problem at all,” Rika gestured with a nod toward Hina, before she gave a cool blue-eyd gaze to Junshin, slinging one hand on her hip. “You’re a rather quick learner, though of course psionics takes a steady mind and fierce concentration. Many factors can influence how one can manipulate and control their powers, and if one of those factors are out of alignment, we can have a forest fire or worse on our hands.”

  Junshin thought for a moment, before he asked, “What do you think mastery over our powers means, Rika?”

  “Is there ever such thing as true mastery?” Rika said. “It’s something that we strive for, though perfection or the ideal of mastery that we would love to achieve is never truly attainable but an ever growing benchmark that is constantly surpassed, measured, surpassed, then continually growing and evolving to new heights and surpassing our limits.”

  “So that’s how it is,” Junshin mused as he scrunched his brow, before blowing a piece of shaggy bangs away from his eyes. “What do you think about the fact that people are trained by their environments, circumstances, and experiences to bring out the best of them?”

  “I think that what is known as ‘genius’ is a myth,” Rika said. “It’s cultivated through environmental factors and experiences and circumstances that culminate together to fortuitous opportunities that one can take advantage of and exploit to become ‘brilliant’ or ‘adept’ or ‘skilled’ or ‘what have you’. The one mistake that I could’ve made, being born with an ability such as Infinite Telekinesis, is become complacent and figure it’s the only thing I can rely on and use and that I neglect my training. No. That is utterly wrong. I’m not my powers—and neither are you. We are individuals in a collective society who are here to raise one another up, interacting with one another in relationships and harmony and cohesiveness to form what we call society. The outliers—such as the criminals who disrupt the peace—through unfortunate circumstances of character flaw due to childhood trauma or wounds, act out, lash out, and hurt others in turn.”

  “That is why we, the ANGeLS, are here,” Junshin said, slamming a hand into his open fist. “Though we focus on rehabilitation rather than eliminating people from society. It’s needlessly cruel to separate and isolate a human being unless if they are an active threat. Though if they’re managed and put under control, their abilities, some of these criminals—can be put to good use.”

  “The world is of many shades of grey, Fujimoto Junshin,” Rika said. “The perception of good and what is percieved as right goes into the hands of the victors. There are many tough dilemmas and situations you will have to face as an ANGeLS member that will test your fortitude and character. Are you ready to ‘graduate’ from the program and see what the ANGeLS has to offer, should you decide to commit?”

  Junshin nodded.

  “I am ready to commit.”

  “Then watch my previous simulations and try to analyze ways where you might be able to kill my replica,” Rika said. “Because one day…I fear that one day I would be the true Calamity of the World. Preventative measures are being put into place to s top me, should I go Rogue—though obviously there is mistrust among people who should be allies, and people that I wanted to make alliances with. Would you help me, Fujimoto Junshin?”

  Rika extended a hand, to which Junshin did not hesitate and shook hands with her.

  “I will.”

  Rika nodded in approval, smiling a bit, before Hina looked on with a shine in her eyes that she knew that this meeting would be a fortuitous one. “All right. I’ll look over the past simulations of me and see if there’s anything that you can replicate or perhaps surpass so that you one day can ‘overcome’ me in a battle, should the countermeaseures holding my powers in place don’t hold.”

  “This feels odd that I’m talking about killing a friend,” Junshin said, before Rika chuckled.

  “You’re actually killing me with kindness, Junshin. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Maybe things can be resolved through words alone, rather than fights and powers.”

  “I should hope so,” Junshin said, before he included Hina into the conversation. “Hina…what do you think about the whole manner?”

  “Hm, me?” Hina said, giving a languid yawn and stretching. “Ah, let’s see. I’m glad that you’ve made friends with Rika-chan. She’s willing to share and part her knowledge with us. In fact, she’s the one who helped me get in with Gin-sensei and his medical and scientific research with my atomokinetic powers.”

  “So our powers are occupations and also used for combat fighting,” Junshin said. “It’s an ubiquitious part of life by now, for us Psions, that we might as well be put to some use in society so that Naturals will get used to us.”

  “There’s a tentative peace between us,” Rika said with a smile. “IT’s thanks to your brother’s Kazuki’s efforts that Natural and Psion alike are aligned.”

  “So, when you said about Gin-sensei testing various poisons on you, Hina,” Junshin said. “Why is he doing that, exactly?”

  “We’re trying to use my blood samples as vaccines for other people, to give them immunity toward diseases that may infect them,” Hina said as she rattled off the reasons behind why she was doing such a thing. “I love to donate blood, though I have to make sure that I keep my glucose levels up and I eat a lot to compensate for my blood drives. And besides having some blood samples for other people to survive off of with special immunities, it helps Gin-sensei research bacterial and viral strains of diseases that could potentially evolve and wipe out humanity.”

  “I see,” Junshin said, finding himself admiring Hina and Rika more and more by the moment. They remained a few moments in silence while they watched the simulation replays of Rika gracefully performing obstacles courses and destroying polygonal figures plus other exercises in the training simulator that harbored various scenarios for them to train. Junshin watched them, keeping note of Rika’s movements, her techniques, the amount of power that she used and imagined himself replaying those same techniques under the same circumstances and scenarios while also keeping in mind the adaptability of the situation.

  “Wow,” Hina said as she looked over the simulation replays herself. “No wonder you’re the top ANGeLS member, Rika-chan. You got first place in all categories. How do you do it?”

  “It all comes down to the fundamentals,” Rika said humbly before she smiled. “I hope that one day there will be someone who will surpass me.”

  Junshin smiled back, before he stretched languidly and said. “I think that’s enough training for today. I will certainly come back and practice my fundamentals and learn the fundamentals, but I’m dying for a cup of coffee myself. Would anyone like to do a study session together while drinking some coffee? I’ll do my special home made brews.”

  “I would LOVE that,” Hina said with a twinkle on her eye, while Rika nodded.

  “Studying is always important,” Rika noted. “Especially when it comes to student life. There may be such thing as ‘talent’ in that some people may be blessed with some more aptitude toward something, though ‘genius’ is more something that is cultivated rather than innate. All kinds of brains can learn and achieve great things—and when it’s we’re all in constant communication and dialogue through onee another that we learn and synthesize and become something greater than ourselves than we would have alone.”

  “That makes sense,” Junshin said with a nod as he thought about it. “Like when I’m reading books, when the printing press was created, it made literacy a widespread thing and it’s not something that we think about now but it’s ubiquitous everywhere. Reading makes us more informed and part of the dialogue of the greats, past and present, of many different cultures and ways of thinking and ideologies.”

  “And the great thing about books,” Hina said as she folded her hands with a sparkle in her eye. “Is that books are something that are readily available, whether for cheap or free. There are libraries too, which are great institutions that I could spend all my time in. Oh! Maybe I should have introduced you to the library, Junshin-kun. There are so many great things there, all kinds of works from different cultures and classical eras that you will spend your time with a nose in a book for a good while. We’ll go there! And besides that, there are other libraries outside of SeRAPH in Tokyo plus bookstores that we can purchase whatever we want with our ANGeLS money should it come down to it.”

  They started to grab their coffee and head to the SeRAPH cafe for a study session while taking out their books from their heavy satchels and starting to read the text together, munching on snacks and philosohpziing about certain theories of the sophistication and nuances of scientific topics that SeRAPH Academy was working on about psionics and o ther technological nad scientific advances. The students were responsible for most of their learning when it came to study sessions, with some guided instruction from Level 5 Calamity teachers who could teach them about their abilities. Junshin knew that the current Calamity Rank 5 Psions were in ‘special classes’ of their own.

  Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing Junshin had yet to determine, though apparently according to Rankings, certain Psions of certain Ranks needed to be coached by specialized teachers that would understand their needs and aptitudes best and would normally be a Rank 5 Calamity Teacher for every 5 Rank 5 Calamity Student. Junshin didn’t think he was special as in special needs or special education, nor did he believe himself to be ‘special’ in the extraordinary sense. He was simply someone who wanted to learn and sigest information, and the institution of SeRAPH suited his needs for following in Kazuki’s footsteps as a superhero.

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  While Hina and Rika and Junshin opened up their textbooks, they pored over the answers and began discussing their homework together.

  “What do you think the technological innovation of science is, and how does it apply to today’s world?” Hina read the question aloud, before she smiled. “I think making advances and progresses in science is amazing and looking back at the evolutionary DNA of history, the great minds before us have led to the milestones of great thinking and breakthroughs today that allowed all these quantum leap thinking to be possible.”

  “Speaking of quantum leap thinking,” Rika said as she sipped on her caramel frappuccinno, savoring the taste of whipped cream and caramel and milk froth. “Science has been the most reliable rigor of thinking in this day and age to determine and come to conclusions that are sound and nearly foolproof, until another theory or iteration upon that theory has come to take its place and knock it off its thrown. That’s why I believe in the mindset of surpass your limits—nothing is monolith, everything is always constantly evolving and changing.”

  “I think those are good ideas for the essay,” Junshin noted as he wrote in his notebook the ideas that Rika and Hina have said, while coming up with his own conclusions, “But I believe science has become a sort of ‘fix it all’ solution for everything rather than letting everything run its own course. Of course, I’m not all for letting some diseases go unchecked that could take lives, though there is the matter of somee divergences in brain chemistry that make people act differently but they’re not necessarily broken people. What if genetic engineering or designer babies leads to wiping out a population of people who have every right to full and healthy lives because of eugenics?”

  “That is a very valid question,” Rika said solemn. “And one I fear is becoming common in our society. Remember when I said that there were replicas being made of me in SeRAPH, to one day kill me should I go berserk and cause the destruction of the world?”

  Hina and Junshin nodded.

  Rika let out a sigh, before she tapped her finger on the table as she furrowed her brow. “I just don’t know what would happen if there were several or an army of Walking Calamities on this Earth,” Rika said self-deprecatingly.

  “You mean like making Psions like nuclear deterrants?” Junshin said.

  Rika nodded again.

  “Something like that,” Rika said as she shrugged. “It would inevitably lead to this as researchers would try to find and nurture the ideal Psion soldier for their program. The doomsday device predicts the world will end when one of the countries in the world initiates war against one another—and Psions will be left in a cave man like civilization where the Earth is scorched beyond relief or will have to find another planet to inhabit.”

  Hina balanced her pencil on her lips, pursing them and musing as she said, “I have thought about this world ending doomsday scenario a lot. A lot of us Psions are like long-lived or near immortal, we have to think long term when it comes to the future and the next generations that come from us, whether Psion or Natural alike. A Natural or Psion can come from a Natural, and likewise, a Natural or Psion can come from a Psion when they reproduce. The genetic likelihood of the world being taken over by Psions isn’t feasible in the Natural’s fears, though understandably from their perspective we can prove to be a threat. Some of us will outlive our parents or our own children, and having this in mind will lead to a lot of heartache and tough decisions.”

  Junshin remained silent, remembering that he outlived both his parents, to which his parents both died for his sake, or so Kazuki said. Both were Naturals, and his father would tell him stories about his mother who instilled noble principles inside of Junshin’s heart that he would do well by the world.

  Junshin sensed something stir in the recesses of his mind. He felt it before in the training simulator, though after having been in the training Simulator and outside in the real world, Junshin heard him. The one that he wished to remain repressed, to stay hidden in the shadows.

  You want control, but we’ll see how long you’ll last with the pressure of psychological rehabilitation by yours truly, the Id said in his mind. I will take control over your body bit by bit, implant thoughts and suggestions that would make you malleable to my will, and you will end up ruling the world and planets like you rightfully deserve.

  Not now, Id, Junshin thought, remaining still as he went into the interdimensional psychic rift that embodied the space where his Id and he interacted everytime he froze time outside of himself from interacting intruders or prying ears. I won’t let you win.

  I’ve seen beyond the scope of this world’s limitations, the Id said as he drank a cup of tea in a saucer. I am meant to rule over the universe and planets, conquer this world for the good of my brethren, and then reform it into my colors. Even if it means dying it in a bloodbath.

  No, Junshin thought, his hands shaking. No.

  For worrying about nuclear deterrants, the Id mused. They should be more scared of intergalactic empires and advanced civilizations that are looking to expand and conquer beyond their world and into the deep reaches of the universe! We can rule together, you and I—you are a most compatible host.

  I don’t want to, Junshin thought sourly.

  Oh? That’s too bad, the Id said, a slasher smile forming on his face. You may be thinking that you’re rehabilitating me with your softhearted notions of human society and human heart or whatever, but it’s actually I that is rehabilitating you to become more, so much more, with potential power unlimited and untapped beyond the scope of the conceivable universe!

  While Junshin had this out of body temporal experience, she saw that Rika frowned at him slightly.

  “You okay?” she said softly.

  Junshin, the Id whispered. I am the greatest friend that you will ever have. One day…you will understand.

  Junshin forcibly shoved the Id’s consciousness back down again. Junshin’s hands shook underneath the table, though he gave a slight smile to Rika before saying, “I’m okay.”

  “Hm,” Rika mused, as though she weren’t entirely convinced but would not pursue the matter further.

  “Junshin-kun,” Hina said as she looked toward him in concern, before she put one hand against his forehead and held her hand against her own. “You’re burning up.”

  “Happens,” Junshin muttered. “It’s cause of my Aura.”

  “It that really all there is to it, Junshin-kun?” Hina said, a surprising stern gaze in her expression as she looked over him, causing him to sweat and his palms to slicken.

  “I’m fine,” Junshin said. “R-Really.”

  Hina looked at him some more with that same stern glance, before she let out a sigh before saying, “I can’t help you if you don’t speak up about It, Junshin-kun, but remember, don’t hide any wounds that you may be harboring. We’re here to help nurture one another…to help one another…I do have a family that I care for very much and want to help, but I’ve come to think of SeRAPH and the ANGeLS team as my family too. So if you could put your trust into me and tell me that you want help, I will come running.”

  Rika nodded.

  “As will I.”

  Junshin flushed.

  “You guys…it’s no big deal.”

  “If there is a cause for concern,” Rika said softly. “We will help you through it, Fujimoto-san. Though if you don’t wish to disclose it right now, we will give you some time to open up about it, if you don’t wish to disclose it so soon. Though you may find that you can find more comfort and support than you initially thought about your group of friends.”

  “Thank you,” Junshin said, about to tell them from the tip of his tongue that the Id was nestled deep inside his brain like a parasitic tumor that wouldn’t release him, before he snapped his mouth shut. He could keep the Id under control, he promised himself. All he needed to do is trust in his brother Kazuki, who was the one who promised that he would keep him under control if that thing inside of him would ever erupt and try to create a bloodbath of the world around it.

  Pillars of flesh! Rivers of blood! The Id cried joyously in his head. Oh, Junshin, you’re soon going to see why putting your trust in them is a very huge mistake.

  Junshin kept calm as he heard the echoed whispers of the Id inside his mind, while Hina leaned against Junshin and said, “How do you think that you will adjust to SeRAPH life, Junshin-kun?”

  Junshin blinked.

  “I think it will be fine,” he said tentatively. “I get to see my brother more though, right?”

  "Yes,” Rika said, before she looked at him with a cool blue gaze. “Speaking of which…Junshin…you’ve been keeping up with the news, haven’t you? About the psychotic breakdowns and everything, right?”

  Junshin nodded.

  “What are your thoughts on the matter?” Rika gently urged.

  Junshin mused while chewing on the inside of his cheek, before he saying, “After much deliberation and weighing of texts and research on my deep dives or books and the internet, I’ve ascertained that there is a case of a Factor ‘X’ or a criminal that is manipulating things behind the scenes. I originally ruled out things like unmedicated mental illness or other temporary states of insanity, and believe that teh victims have been in a sound state of mind before performing the particular crimes that they’ve done. I think there may be a manipulator behind the scenes—and I will get to the bottom of it.”

  “Those are my thoughts, exactly,” Rika said. “Doing my own independent research and invesetigation as well. I think that if we and the others were to investigate the case we could come up with something potentially momentous. Though of course the higher ups in SeRAPH want us to stay in reserve because they’re more concerned about the political incident and tension between Psions and Naturals. If we come out with the news that a possible Psion is behind these incidents, it would only sow the seeds of distrurst between Psion and Natural alike. It doesn’t feel good to keep the truth hidden, but the work that Kazuki-san sown so hard to maintain peace in the cities for all of us means that we’ve got to investigate further…and find the truth.”

  “Your brother is a hero,” Hina said, wiping at her eyes as she wept for the victims of the crime. “We don’t want to have a dark mark on his name or yours for being associate him or with SeRAPH or for being a Psion. No matter what the world says, I’ll honestly believe t that Kazuki is the Symbol of Hope and Peace that we all need—and no matter what, he will always love you.”

  “He doesn’t seem to contact me much,” Junshin said with a shrug, though his expression softened. “Though I understand that saving lives is more important.”

  “He always has you on the foremost of his mind,” Rika said. “Never forget that.”

  Junshin became flustered for a moment, holding a hand to his mouth, before he smiled asd he lifted his head.

  “Of course,” he said softly, before he murmured. “I think that reuniting with my brother is going to be a fine event indeed.”

  “He wanted so much to introduce you to us all,” Hina said as she clasped her hands together. “Though we have to determine how to handle this situation delicately. I mean, as we’re Rank 5 Calamities, we can’t move too much on our own—we need to wait for the higher ups orders to dispel our powers and abilities to help solve crime. Though currently, the things in the school have another problem on their hands, and that is…”

  “Mm?” Junshin said, cocking his head to the side.

  “It’s okay to talk about it,” Rika said, before she looked toward Junshin in the eyes and said to him gently. “Having another possible Rank 5 Calamity or perhaps even higher are the rumors circulating around, and that would cause a lot of tension among students and teachers alike.”

  “Weren’t there experiments for Rank 6?” Junshin said. “Something about becoming ‘God-like’?”

  “It hasn’t been achievable yet,” Rika noted. “Though there are rumors that there are ways to optimize the human brain to its greatest potential, we just haven’t uncovered its secrets yet.”

  “Ah,” Junshin said, chewing on the inside of his cheek before he murmured. “They must be talking about the entity inside of me, then.”

  “Only top secret personnel know of it’s existence,” Rika said. “The Rank 5 Calamities know, and the Teachers of Course. Though in all truth, Kazuki also made you come to SeRaPH as a countermeasure against whatever lives inside of you Junshin, in case if you go out of control.”

  Junshin shook and trembled. He knew the devastation andd awful destruction of war and explosions, though what the Id caused that day created a trauma that Junshin wanted to push to the back of his mind. Yet, no matter how Junshin tried to color it, people’s blood were on his hands and he couldn’t take back the lives that took, the sins that weighed upon him, for letting the Id go on a rampage.

  That day…was a dark mark on his history. His family’s history. And Kazuki worked so hard to overcome the hatred and rage of the Naturals by becoming the Symbol of Peace. He couldn’t imagine the strenuous amount of life and hard work and lives saved to compensate for Junshin’s sin, something that Junshin should’ve done himself, when he was a little kid that lost control through stress.

  Kazuki, Junshin thought. You’re the best big brother that one could ask for. But you don’t have to protect me anymore…it’s my turn to take responsibility. Which is why I’m going to save every life that I can, from the ones that have been taken that day.

  Junshin held hands with Hina, who supported him with a soft smile and a gentle gaze in her eyes that warmed him. He averted his gaze and coughed a bit, trying to think of what to say while Rika stared on with an amused expression at their antics.

  “It will take some time adjust to SeRAPH,” Rika said. “But I think that you’ll like It here.”

  “You and Hina have made the transition to SeRAPH very comfortable,” Junshin remarked, before he flustered a bit. “I don’t have anything against the other two, though, but I would like to get to know them better eventually. Do you think all five of us could come together for a whole group study session?”

  “I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” Rika noted.

  “I wouldn’t either,” Hina said, before she grinned widely. “In fact, we should have a huge celebratory party! I can make all the food from their atomic compositions, or if you really want, we can order some place, but why spend money when food is constructed for free?”

  “You have a point,” Rika said. “I can help with that too. Though some people would complain that the food is artificially constructed and not trustworthy for their palette.”

  “I would be down for trying some ‘artificially constructed’ food,” Junshin said with a grin. “As long as it tastes as good as the real thing, why does it matter?”

  “I can’t complain about slashing costs,” Rika said. “And saving money.”

  Hina clapped her hands together, looking absolutely gleeful. “This is going to be so exciting! I’ve always wanted to try to construct various food models and see how they would taste and what their atomic structures would be. I make a lot of food related items for my sisters back at home, and my Dad, since he really didn’t learn how to cook so I took it up on me to learn how to make healthy, nutritious, tasty food without the calorie-binging from scratch! Quite literally!”

  “How did you learn to make food items and other stuff with your powers, Rika?” Junshin asked.

  “I simply did experiments here and there and tried to test the limits of my power and know the possibility of every psionic technique that is available to me. I’m sure that people will want to study this secret as well, and replicate it. I guess that’s why I decided to use the food creation part of my Infinite Telekinesis,” Rika noted.

  “If you need help with the cooking or grilling or sauteeing or what have you,” Junshin said as he snapped a finger and a small pinprick of flame emerged from his finger tip. “Then I’m your man.”