Previously, Hajime had just been called out in front of all the drivers as the key to solving the mysterious sabotage plaguing the ITA. After his incredulous response, the room stood still, shocked by his boldness. Now, the story continues...
The tension in the room could have cracked concrete.
Hajime's words still echoed:
"…Me? What do you need me for, you punk?"
A few drivers blinked, stunned. Some stared like he had insulted a deity. Others gave a low whistle, impressed.
No one—not even the top-ranked drivers—spoke to the manager that way.
But the manager only smirked.
He placed his hands in the pockets of his sleek black trousers and said, "Aside from the two default skills granted to every driver, Driver 86 here… has awakened a third."
"Analyze."
A few drivers straightened. Whispers rippled.
Dr. Kenshiro Aratani nearly choked on his thermos coffee. "Y-You mean… one of the Three Legendary Isekai Skills?"
The air shifted instantly.
Eyes sharpened. Backs stiffened. The name alone carried weight.
The manager's smirk deepened. He called for one of the researchers with a projection skill to display what Hajime sees in his mind when Analyze is activated. "Show them."
Hajime glanced around awkwardly, then zeroed in on the head researcher. He activated Analyze.
[Name: Dr. Kenshiro Aratani | Age: 37 | Skills: Rapid Computation, Quantum Anchoring | DE Signature: Stabilized]
Recent Emotion: Embarrassment.
Last Thought: "Crap. That soy sauce is still in my system. Please let no one smell it."
Hajime blinked. "…Soy sauce?"
Laughter burst out from the drivers. Dr. Aratani scratched his head, red-faced, muttering something about mislabeled bottles in the breakroom.
As Hajime's eyes scanned the room to Analyze others, new information began flickering across his vision — personality tags, last thoughts, DE spikes — but the manager raised a finger.
"Enough."
Hajime deactivated the skill.
"We'll be capturing one of the guys interfering with us soon," the manager said calmly. "Analyze will be the key to uncovering who they are and what their plans are."
As murmurs rose again, Hajime frowned deeply.
"You're all talking about me like I'm some tool…" he said, voice low and raw. "Everyone's impressed by the skill. Everyone sees its potential. But I'm the one person here who doesn't even know what it means."
He turned toward the manager.
"Don't I deserve to understand what's inside me before you all start handing me assignments like I'm a damn asset?"
A heavy pause.
Then, without skipping a beat, the manager said, "Come. You and I need to talk." He turned aside. "Dr. Aratani, you too."
The meeting dispersed soon after.
As Hajime followed the manager out of the room, his eyes flicked over the others, using Analyze once more.
Some drivers looked genuinely intrigued — eyes shining with renewed hope or excitement.
Others… looked exhausted — shadows under their eyes, hunched shoulders — the weight of more responsibility already pressing down.
One thought read: "This guy really isn't wearing any underwear… had to use it during the trip because there was no tissue."
Looking disgusted, Hajime hurried toward the exit, about to turn off his skill. That's when he realized it.
Some carried dark expressions, watching him like prey. A few had blank stares — unreadable.
But beneath those masks, Analyze whispered truths:
[Emotion: Error | Thought: "???"]
[Emotion: Unreadable | Thought: "???"]
[Emotion: Hidden | Encryption Level: High]
[Emotion: Unknown | Thought: "##$#?."]
Hajime's eyes narrowed.
"…Three to five of them? …I can't get anything off them."
Inside the manager's office, the lights dimmed.
He turned to Dr. Aratani. "Tell him."
Dr. Aratani adjusted his glasses, visibly excited. "Analyze… isn't just another skill. As mentioned earlier, it's one of the Three Legendary Skills in isekai worlds. In some realms, it's revered as the Eye of God. It sees truth — past deception, emotion, even dimensions themselves."
He leaned closer. "With mastery, you could even analyze realms, distortions… The possibilities are endless. The only limit is the user. Maybe, just maybe, you could even Analyze the Void."
Hajime's eyes widened. "That's…"
"Enough," the manager said sharply.
Dr. Aratani froze.
"Out. Now."
"R-Right! Sorry!" The researcher scurried out like a kicked puppy.
The manager turned back, his face suddenly blank.
"You were right earlier," he said.
Hajime frowned. "About what?"
"I knew you had Analyze… but it wasn't listed in your initialization logs. In fact, none of our systems picked it up."
Hajime's eyes narrowed. "…So how did you know?"
The manager stared at him for a long moment… then whispered something under his breath.
A blue dome of energy enveloped the room. Digital signals and devices flickered off.
Hajime shot up from his seat. "What—?"
"Relax," the manager said. "Just a precaution. No one can hear or spy."
"…I was isekai'ed once," the manager finally said.
Hajime blinked. "…What?"
"I left this world, entered another, and managed to come back — which doesn't happen normally. The skills I had in that world managed to follow me here. Including Analyze."
Silence.
"…That's how I knew you had it," he said.
The manager continued slowly, "If you want to know what Analyze really is… you need to raise its proficiency."
He stood up and gave Hajime a small smile.
"You have one week. Show me you're ready. I'll assign someone to train you."
Hajime stumbled out of the office, head spinning.
A week?
Train?
What did any of this mean?
His thoughts swirled as he walked aimlessly — until a voice barked at him:
"HEY! Rookie!"
Hajime looked up.
Driver 5.
But she was no longer the composed, quiet professional from the meeting.
She now wore gym trunks and a black tank top, hair tied back, biceps flexed like steel cables. She looked more like a war goddess than a woman.
Her stare could shatter glass.
"Enough moping around like a soggy marshmallow. You're coming with me."
Before he could reply, she grabbed his collar and dragged him off.
Around them, ITA staff either scattered or froze in terror.
One analyst ducked under a desk. Another dropped his coffee.
"Someone get this lunatic off our floor—!" a voice cried in the background.
Hajime stared blankly. "…I'm screwed, aren't I?"
Back in the office, Rin stepped through the now-reactivated doorway.
The manager glanced over. "I let you hear everything through one of my abilities. So… what's your take?"
Rin crossed his arms. "Why not just tell him everything?"
The manager turned to face the fading horizon through his window.
"His results in a week will decide."
"Decide what?"
"…Whether he becomes a scythe that cleaves through our enemies," the manager said darkly, "or an urumi — a beautiful weapon that coils back and cuts its wielder."