As his days in the hospital continued, Kasane—no, Sazanami Aoi—gradually came to understand his place in this world.
The year was 2083.
In Sekagen, the story began when the protagonist entered high school, which was set in 2085. That meant he was currently two years before the events of the first volume.
His name was Sazanami Aoi. Just an ordinary second-year middle schooler.
He was the same age as the protagonist of this world, whoever and wherever they were.
He lived in a peaceful household with his twin little sister, Akari, and their parents in some quiet corner of Tokyo.
His mother was a housewife.
His father, somewhat unexpectedly, was an employee of FND (Fondo).
FND.
If he remembered correctly, the full name was Forefront of National Defense.
It was an organization of warriors assembled to protect the nation from the Toukatsu—monstrous creatures born from the Death Essence emitted by the Yvelshaska Spear, which had fallen in Okutama.
Being even marginally connected to the world’s setting was, at the very least, some small stroke of luck.
That said, being the son of an FND member didn’t mean Aoi himself possessed any exceptional combat ability.
If anything, due to certain circumstances, it seemed to be quite the opposite.
A perfect background character’s life.
And honestly, that suited him just fine.
The idea that he could shine without effort now felt laughable.
A mere boy, reincarnating and gaining overwhelming power to do as he pleased—
That was exactly the kind of character Aoi despised.
＊＊＊
「Dad.」
It was a few days before his discharge.
His entire family had come to visit when he suddenly spoke in a solemn tone.
All of them turned to him in shock.
He glanced at each of them before cautiously rephrasing his words.
「Ah, no… um… Father…?」
They all let out a relieved sigh.
Becoming someone else was harder than expected.
He had decided to attribute his inconsistencies to memory loss from the accident, but still…
Clearing his throat, he restarted the conversation.
「Father. I… want to go to Seisetsu.」
His father’s expression darkened.
His mother’s gaze darted nervously between the two of them.
「Are you serious? We already agreed you’d go to a normal high school, didn’t we?」
Akari, sitting in a chair, frowned just like their father.
Like father, like daughter. They really did resemble each other.
His father hesitated for a long moment before carefully choosing his words.
「I hate to say this… but FND is a harsh world where you never know when your comrades might die. It’s unfair, but some people are suited for the job, and some aren’t. You understand that, don’t you?」
Even so, Aoi nodded firmly, as if refusing to back down.
It was only natural for his family to react with such grim expressions.
After all, it all came down to the mechanics of this world—the existence of Radiant Divine Arms, the specialized combat tools used here.
This world was even harsher on the talentless than his previous one.
Only those born with the right gifts were allowed to shine.
Radiant Divine Arms was a device that called forth supernatural power.
A key-shaped activator infused with Holy Essence was inserted into a wristwatch-like mechanism, triggering its abilities.
Though collectively referred to as Holy Essence, this power was categorized into five primary types:
– Raika (Lightning)
– Kekkaze (Wind)
– Kouen (Flame)
– Suusen (Water)
– Hyouji (Freeze)
However, no person could wield all five.
Each individual had specific affinities—one might be able to use Lightning but not Flame, or Flame but not Wind.
These five elements formed the basis of Holy Essence, but from them branched numerous variant types.
Variants were rare, with only a handful of people able to use each one.
The sheer number of existing variants was staggering, yet for each type, there might be only one suitable wielder in the world.
And therein lay the greatest problem.
Radiant Divine Arms created using variant Holy Essence granted vastly superior power compared to those made from standard Holy Essence.
In other words, those without variant affinities were at a severe disadvantage.
Education up until middle school included training in Radiant Divine Arms, and all students underwent aptitude assessments.
For those who were found not to possess variant Holy Essence, advancing to an FND training academy—the gateway to a heroic career—was a dream they would most likely be forced to abandon.
There was even a derogatory term for them: Gaf—The Excluded.
That was how stark the divide was.
And Aoi… was one of those Gaf.
Yet despite this, the school he had just named—Seisetsu High School—stood at the pinnacle of FND academies, a place where only the most elite warriors gathered.
It wasn’t a place where someone could simply walk through the gates.
Even so, he had to go there.
「I don’t care. I will go to Seisetsu.」
「That’s impossible!」
Akari snapped, her voice laced with frustration.
「That school is for the best of the best! They put you through top-tier combat training! Even I barely managed to get a C-rank assessment, and you—without a Variant Radiant Divine Arms—think you can make it?! You haven’t even put in any effort!」
「Akari! That’s no way to talk to your brother!」
Their mother scolded her, but Akari only huffed, looking irritated.
Judging from her words, she did have an affinity for a Variant Radiant Divine Arms. That was rare.
To Aoi—who had been a third-year university student before waking up in this body—an angsty little sister was nothing more than a mild nuisance.
He reassured his mother that he was fine before turning his gaze back to his father.
「But there are people like me—people without Variant affinity—who are fighting at FND and even working at your office. Isn’t that right, Dad?」
「Well… that’s true, but…」
「It’s impossible」 Akari scoffed, crossing her arms in disbelief.
Their father still looked unconvinced, his expression deeply troubled.
Aoi met his gaze head-on and spoke with firm resolve.
「Then, Dad. Give me one year.」
「…?」
「One year from now, if I can defeat you, you’ll let me aim for Seisetsu. If I fail, I’ll give up on it completely.」
Their mother gasped, bringing a hand to her lips.
☆
It seemed that Akari deeply admired their father’s work at FND.
Aoi rubbed his cheek, still stinging from the slap she had given him.
He leaned against the railing of the hospital rooftop, gazing up at the sky.
She had been furious when he made that remark.
For a girl in the middle of her rebellious phase, already uncomfortable with having a twin brother at the same middle school, this was just fuel to the fire.
He had probably pushed her too far.
That said, his father had only let out a small chuckle and accepted his challenge.
Aoi had placed an enormous hurdle in front of himself.
Defeating his father—a seasoned FND officer—meant not just getting into Seisetsu, but proving he had the skill to graduate from it.
But that was fine.
He needed power.
「Just you wait, Seisetsu.」
The reason he set his sights on a school far beyond his reach—
Because in two years, she would be there.
The golden-haired girl he had reached for over and over, only to be denied by the barrier of paper and ink.
Now, fate had granted him the chance to stand before her.
It didn’t matter how far apart they were right now.
They were under the same sky.
And he would never waste a miracle like this.
He refused to live with that regret again.
「…This time.」
He would live without regrets.
「Alright!! Time to get stronger!!」
With newfound determination, Aoi roared into the foreign sky.
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