All was quiet in Minerva, the fresh morning sunbeams glistening through the blinds of my window. Despite it being the crack of dawn, I could already hear the ambiance of the bustling city a few blocks away from my house. Work had begun nearly an hour ago, but my family had decided to take the day off, and for good reason. Today was a special day. It wasn't anything groundbreaking; rather, it was an anniversary of sorts... today was my 16th birthday.
"Hachiro, are you awake yet, boy?"
I could hear the words of my father echoing throughout the halls, infiltrating my bedroom. In Minerva, one did not simply "sleep in". In this world, you were considered lazy if you weren't working at my age. Many children began working in the steam factories when they turned 12. That was the schedule of this country, working around the clock, 6 days a week, resting on the 7th day. That's how things got done.
If you were fortunate enough to land a more desirable job, you might have been able to work better hours, make more money, and provide better for your family, among other things. The wealthy were few and far between, and those who were a part of the highest class wanted little to do with the rest of the general society. However, there is one job that very few are blessed to have. A job that isn't in the factories, one with exceptional income, fame, and fortune in store for those who do it well...
The job in question isn't something one works towards, no, it's something you're born into. My family and I were fortunate enough to be born into this profession. We, along with millions of other citizens, are privileged to be classified as "Extraordinary Individuals". However, our jobs are dangerous, and our lives are put on the line each day.
Extraordinary Individuals are people born with supernatural powers and abilities that set them apart from the rest of society. On average, 1/1,000 humans will be born with an extraordinary gift. The odds are, of course, increased if the parents of the child are also extraordinary, which is how you got someone like me to come about.
Extraordinary Individuals are born with a mark on their wrist, just beneath their palm. This mark determines what types of abilities you will have, ranging extensively from things like magical aptitude, elemental manipulation, psychic abilities, and combative excellence, to name a few. My mark resembles a crescent moon with clouds beneath it; my father always told me it stood for increased combative strength at nightfall.
Combative Excellence runs in my family. In my father's prime, he was an exceptional swordfighter, battling each day to protect humanity. He married a woman who was a skilled mage, and together, they were an unstoppable force. I was born with a mark under my palm just like my father, but unfortunately, I hadn't picked up any of my mother's magical traits. Despite this, my parents were overjoyed to learn that I, too, would grow up to be Extraordinary.
My father continued to fight alongside my mother, earning a stable income for our new family. He worked as an operator for an organization known as The Purorigu (The Professional Demon Hunters' League), a military of sorts that enlists powerful individuals to fight against the onslaught of demonic creatures who plague our homeland. For those who were able to kill large quantities, big paychecks were in store.
For the first two years of my life, all was normal. But then, one fateful day, everything took a turn for the absolute worst... and my father's life was changed forever...
You see, I currently live with my father and stepmother... My biological mother was killed when I was all but two years old. The cause of death? Murder. The culprit? Somebody so vile, my father refuses to speak of them, and with good reason. Simply put, they aren't human. 14 years ago, the demon lord, Kojitenski Ankou, infiltrated our home with an army of twenty demons whom society refers to as "The Unusuals".
These devilish entities are terrifying creatures of unsurmountable strength who have a blood lust so strong that regular humans can do absolutely nothing about it. If a citizen is caught alone by one of these creatures, their fate is sealed. Only the Extraordinary Individuals are powerful enough to put a stop to them, but even then, countless Extraordinary Individuals are slain each day by these vile abominations.
"Hachiro, you better be up and around before the clock strikes 9! Otherwise, I'll come in there and drag you out of bed myself!"
It took many years after the events of that day before I was brave enough to ask my father to tell me the details of what exactly occurred. He was initially reluctant, ordering me to silence myself and retire to my room, before realizing he could no longer contain my curiosity, resigning to my insistent nature and explaining those fateful moments to me.
We were attacked in our old home by an unusual whom my father said society had been pursuing for decades, the Demon Lord, Kojitenski Ankou, having disguised himself as a human named Senji. It wasn't until I had asked him about this day that he informed me that Senji was nothing more than a vessel for Ankou and that his true appearance was still unknown. Powerful demons could adopt the forms of those whom they killed, making identifying them a challenge.
Ankou, holding both me and my mother hostage, made an offer to my father. He could either rescue me and sacrifice his wife, my biological mother, Sara, or he could surrender me to him, rescue Sara, and everybody would be kept alive. Ultimately, my mother coerced my father into rescuing me and sacrificing her, claiming it was paramount that I survive in his care.
My father attacked Ankou, landing a powerful blow to his back, causing him to drop me. As he fell, he cast a deadly spell on my mother, killing her, before retreating and vanishing into thin air... That was the day everything changed, the day it became clear to my father what he had to do to keep me and the rest of my future family safe...we fled the city.
My father, Kaizo, was one of the most powerful fighters in the world. I wondered if I could ever be as powerful as him… Today marks a little over 14 years since that incident took place, and my father hasn't drawn a sword since. He got remarried to a wonderful woman named Yukari, whom I call mother now, and they moved to this new house off the outskirts of City X.
The very next year, they had my younger sister, Misako. She turns 13 in a few months. She, too, was born with a mark under her palm. Her mark was in the shape of a cogwheel, signifying excellence in engineering, something she had been developing an innate interest in in recent years. She studies the craft of weapon crafting and swordsmithing.
Although my father tried his best to keep me away from fighting, he could not stop my urges. He knew that I was extraordinary, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to hide it from me forever... I always had a knack for swordplay, usually defeating all of my friends in duels. I had no idea why I was so talented until my father finally broke the news to me about my mark when I was 11.
He told me the truth about what my mark meant. The Mark of The Possessor, and how I was able to acquire the abilities of those whom I defeated in combat. My innate talent started making more sense now, as I was progressing much quicker than those around me, including my friends, a few of whom were also extraordinary. However, my father also told me why it was important that I do not share the meaning of my mark with anybody around me, so as not to draw attention to myself.
He told me the reason he was sheltering me from the extraordinary individuals for so long was because he didn't want to attract any more demons to our family. He was aware that Kojitenski Ankou was searching for me, and he didn't want to lose me like we lost Mother all those years back. He was protecting me from The Demon King... he explained the concept of foresight to me, something he believes Ankou is capable of.
Foresight is an incredibly rare ability that allows one to peek into the future. Depending on the strength of the individual who possesses foresight, the duration of time they can look ahead increases. Now, this does not equal being able to predict the future, nor does it have anything to do with the concept of time travel. Foresight, according to my father, only shows possible outcomes ahead of time to the wielder, allowing them to act accordingly. This is how Ankou was able to subdue our family so effectively, the documents he had detailed events from the immediate future...he saw all of it unfold long before he attacked...
Knowing all of this information, I spent the next 5 years dedicating most of my time to swordplay, training with my friends, as well as with my father, though he never drew his sword. He still gets terrible memories from even looking at his blade. My father forged a new katana shortly after moving into our new home in case we were attacked again, though he has never used it. It has since remained locked away in a cabinet.
Instead, he simply coached me on techniques he learned in his youth...and all of that work has led up to today... Today, I turn 16. Why is that such a big deal? Well, when an Extraordinary Individual turns 16, they are officially eligible to enroll in one of Minerva's elite training academies for individuals with extraordinary abilities. However, I had no idea which academy I wanted to enroll in. There were so many choices.
*Click* *DING*
I turned my head to look at the clock, it had struck 9... suddenly, I heard faint footsteps drawing near, growing faster and louder with each step, until-
*BOOM*
"Hachiro! I told you to be up and around! Today is a big day, there's no time to laze around, especially not now!"
My door swung open, and in stepped my father, clearly annoyed, but not angered. He was always stern about his rules and wanted to make sure that I grew up to be a fine individual with a proper work ethic, extraordinary or not. I sat up, fixed my hair, stretched, and got out of bed.
"I'll be down in a few moments, Dad. I promise."
"Alright, I'll see you in a few, sport," replied my father, exiting my room.
Walking to my wardrobe, I gazed into the mirror at my appearance. I had aged so much that I was beginning to look like a young adult. I had inherited my father's violet eyes and my mother's black hair. The two colors blended well. My face was beginning to take shape, and I could tell that I was becoming more defined.
"What should I wear for this special day? Hm, how about this?"
I picked out a nice pair of black jeans and a white shirt with a fox head design on it. They went well together nicely. I dressed myself, closed the wardrobe, brushed my hair and teeth, and made my way to the main room. Today was the day that I would finally choose where I would train... the place where I would receive my first taste of professional instruction, and I was amped...
"Happy birthday, Hachirō! As I'm sure you're aware, I have some very important news to share with you..."
"Yes, father, I've been looking forward to this day for many years now..."