Inside the meeting room, the various teachers had gathered around a large oval table, carefully examining the student rankings and discussing the details animatedly.
"Three students from the same year with such an exceptional rank... nothing like this has ever happened before," sighed one of the teachers, expressing clear concern.
"That's not all," added another. "This year we have an extraordinary number of talented students. But it's worth noting that almost all of them come from the clans."
The teachers' words were met with nods of agreement. Everyone recognized the phenomenon. The hologram of Headmaster Marcus projected into the room and intervened in a firm and decisive tone.
"Whether they belong to the clans or not doesn't matter. The academy was created to overcome social barriers and focus on the fact that, in the end, we are all human. That's what truly counts."
"Headmaster Marcus, may I ask you a question?" Yuna began, visibly troubled. "The composition of my class wasn't random, was it?"
Although Yuna accepted the presence of some of the main clan heirs, she found it hard to believe that they would all end up in the same class by pure coincidence.
"It wasn't random. I felt it was necessary to bring them together because their potential was so high that if they were placed in different classrooms, the gap with the other students would have been too great. By putting them together, their results will balance each other out," Marcus explained resolutely.
"But why was I chosen to handle them?" Yuna asked, exasperated.
"Because, as a former member of Clan Aether and an S-rank Sinner, I believe you're the only one capable of handling this challenge."
"Haaah... I see," Yuna sighed, accepting the explanation.
"I have another piece of information to share. Some clan representatives will be giving extra lessons here."
Immediately, the mood in the room turned tense. The academy, a government-run institution, now seemed to be giving in to a form of clan-based management that many disapproved of.
"There's not much we can do. Things are different this year, especially with the student Lucas Seraphim. The clans want to maximize the survival chances of their heirs and increase the odds that those three reach grade Z, something I believe we all hope for," Marcus explained.
After a moment of silence, the teachers nodded in resignation.
"Will they be teaching the main classes?" someone asked.
"No. They will take care of extra activities, and they've agreed to teach government students as well," Marcus replied.
"We all know they're scouting for recruits to expand their ranks. They can't exactly rely on inbreeding, though honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they did."
Samantha Greenfield, the head of physical training, commented sarcastically. She was a tall, muscular woman, her feet propped on the table as she flipped through the student list.
The others exchanged disapproving glances, and even Yuna couldn't help but rub her face, used to her old friend's blunt and often irreverent behavior.
"Then make sure it doesn't happen. The Government needs new talents," Marcus concluded pragmatically.
"Yeah, yeah... Anyway, who's this kid?" Samantha asked, bringing up a student profile on the monitor, surprising everyone.
[Name: Axel / Age: 15]
[Origin: Confinement Zone N-1]
[Ranking: 1001/1001]
[Theory Test: 0 PT]
[Physical Test: 100 PT (maximum visual cognition score)]
[Weapon Potential: Lower-negative (possesses a unique name)]
"This is the first time I've seen such contrasting and surprising results," Samantha exclaimed with an amused laugh.
"He's in my class, but don't you know who he is? He's that boy who, despite having a weapon with a unique name, is ranked as lower-negative," Yuna explained, visibly surprised.
"Oh, now I remember. I heard some rumors about him. Surviving until age 15 in Confinement Zone N-1 is already an achievement, and I see he has exceptional visual cognition skills. Very interesting," Samantha said, smiling enigmatically.
"You're starting to like him?" Yuna asked, surprised by her reaction.
"I don't know, but he seems interesting," Samantha replied, still studying Axel's image on the screen.
****
The next morning, regular lessons began. The day was divided into two parts: theory classes in the morning and practical classes in the afternoon.
Currently, the lesson focused on spiritual weapons and the Inverted World. Axel was gaining new knowledge, learning about the meaning of spiritual weapon potential and the ranking system of Sinners.
The progression of spiritual weapon ranks was a key topic. The higher the rank of a spiritual weapon, the more powerful both the weapon and its wielder became. The ranks ranged from I to Z, and to reach rank B, one simply had to accumulate essences of the same or higher rank, though the required amount increased sharply.
For example, moving from rank I to H only required a thousand essences, but advancing from rank C to B required as many as 25,000.
After reaching rank B, the situation changed significantly. To achieve Grade A, one had to awaken their weapon a second time, making it evolve. The requirements for this process varied from person to person. From Grade S to SSS, advancement involved completing missions assigned by one's weapon. Finally, Grade Z remained shrouded in mystery, with its conditions still unknown.
"Wouldn't it be enough if someone else gathered the essences for you?" someone asked, directing the question, especially at the clan members.
"It's not that simple," the teacher replied in an instructive tone. "Spiritual weapons are demanding and require the wielder to fight to absorb essences. However, essences collected by others can indeed be used to speed up the healing process."
"Excuse me, teacher, I have a slightly different question," said a shy-looking girl with orange hair. "Why are we called Sinners and not something a little less creepy?"
The question caught everyone off guard. They had never really thought about it and had come to see the term Sinner as a normal part of life.
"That's an interesting question," the teacher began, "so let me explain. At first, we had different names: heroes, explorers, adventurers, hunters, and so on. But over time, we realized we weren't anything special. The truth is, our role is much darker than we imagined."
Every boy and girl between the ages of 15 and 17 had the chance to awaken their spiritual weapon on the first day of the new year, a day marked by the appearance of a red half-moon tattoo on one of their wrists. After a year, the tattoo would fill in, becoming a full red moon, and they would be forcibly pulled into the other dimension. If they managed to return, the curse would begin.
Sinners were required to enter the Inverted World each time their tattoo completed its cycle. If they resisted, a disconnection would occur between them and their spiritual weapons. The result varied: in the best case, they would fall into a coma; in the worst, they would transform into monsters as powerful as their rank.
"We're doomed to go into that hell over and over again," the teacher explained in a serious tone.
"And we can't just hide inside the fortresses we've built. We need to take real action, like exploring or hunting monsters. If we don't, we might not be able to return. And if our efforts are too minimal, the amount of time we get to stay on Earth will shrink significantly. So, over time, we began calling ourselves Sinners, because deep down, we believe we committed deadly sins in our past lives and are now paying the price."
The teacher's words plunged the classroom into an uneasy silence as everyone reflected on the grim reality awaiting them.
The teacher then changed the subject and began talking about the Inverted World. This parallel dimension was radically different from Earth. Not only were the physical laws strange and opposite to what they were used to, but the environment itself was alien and hostile.
The Inverted World consisted of a series of micro-continents, separated by a vast, pitch-black ocean known as the Ocean of the Lost. This deadly stretch of dark water made travel between continents difficult.
Each continent was a microcosm with its physical laws and unique natural phenomena. Some had suns and moons that followed entirely different cycles, while others had atmospheric and weather conditions that defied logic. This variability made every expedition a difficult and dangerous task.
Currently, only five continents have been mostly mapped—those conquered by the clans and the Government. However, the Government's territory was the smallest.
After the morning lessons ended, the day shifted into the afternoon, marking the start of practical training, something many students were excited about. However, that excitement would soon disappear.
As they entered the gym, they were met by a woman with an imposing build. Her hair was fiery red, and her unreserved smile grew even wider when she saw them.
"Welcome, scum. I'm Samantha Greenfield, but call me Sam, if you've got the guts," she said provocatively, her gaze playful and daring.
The students exchanged puzzled looks; some appeared confused, others uncertain.
"Okay. I'll be your physical training instructor, here to turn you from worms into something tasty for the monsters," she added with a booming laugh.
"...She's joking, right?" someone asked, their voice unsure.
"Of course, I'm joking! Monsters aren't that picky, HAHAHA!" Samantha burst out laughing even louder.
'She's totally nuts,' thought Axel, noticing that everyone else seemed to have come to the same conclusion.
"Does any of this even make sense? With our spirit weapons, our body is already enhanced, S-a-m," challenged Cain, making his skepticism clear.
"It's true that spirit weapons improve our body in different ways. Those with a shield become more resistant, sword users become more agile, dagger users faster, and so on. But to become higher-ranked Sinners, we need to keep training constantly. Apparently, your father didn't know that, seeing as he lost his position as clan leader," Samantha replied with a sarcastic tone.
Cain's expression changed, his face darkened like a storm, while Hiro, on the other hand, looked amused.
"I already like her," Hiro said with a satisfied smile.
Orion, who was usually less noticeable, gave Hiro a strange look but then turned his attention back to the teacher.
Click
Samantha tapped something on her bracelet, and immediately everyone felt an extra weight pressing down on them.
"I've just increased the gravity in the gym. Every two weeks it'll go up a bit more, and if you can't keep up... well, I won't mind if you give up. Now run, you sacks of potatoes! As a warm-up, twenty laps around the gym, now!"
At her command, everyone started running. Cain, with a barely concealed look of resentment, joined the group, pushing aside anyone who got in his way.
Twenty laps weren't easy, considering the size of the gym, and especially with the increased gravity. After a few laps, many students began to show signs of fatigue. Still, Samantha's fierce smile, which grew every time someone looked like they were about to stop, kept everyone going.
Among the groups who managed to finish the laps without too much trouble were Lucas, Aria, Hiro, Orion, and the rest of the clan members. The others, one by one, eventually made it too.
The last one left was Axel. After just three laps, his face was pale and sweaty, his breathing heavy, and nausea was hitting him hard.
'I shouldn't have eaten so much at lunch.'
After several hours of intense physical training, many students collapsed from exhaustion. They now had the rest of the afternoon and the evening to themselves. They could keep training or do something else, but if they didn't improve their rank, they risked not getting enough resources for the Inverted World.
Gradually, every student left the gym, except Axel, who lay flat on the running track. His chest rose and fell quickly, and the world around him seemed to spin.
"Do you have any idea how pathetic you look right now?"
Axel turned his eyes toward the teacher, who was standing over him. Even though her words were offensive, he didn't take them personally, because she was right, and it would take more than that to hurt him.
"Look, I bet you stuffed yourself before coming here. That's a habit people who've gone hungry tend to have, not realizing that eating too much at once can seriously mess with your body," she said, poking his belly.
"I... didn't... know," Axel replied weakly.
"Figured. Now get up."
"I... can't."
"I'll give you exactly three seconds before you permanently lose the ability to walk. One—"
Realizing she wasn't joking, Axel used every ounce of strength he had to get up. His legs were shaking, but he managed to stand.
"Good. Now watch this!"
Without warning, Samantha's fist stopped just a few millimeters from Axel's face. The punch was so fast that his hair blew backward.
During the whole thing, Axel didn't show fear, just deep confusion. Meanwhile, Samantha had a huge grin on her face, like she'd just found a new toy.
"You followed it, didn't you?"
Axel nodded honestly, which only made Samantha more cheerful.
"I've decided. From today on, I'll train you myself. I'm going to turn you from this pathetic thing into someone who can survive the Inverted World. Aren't you excited?"
"...Can I say no?"
"Of course not! If you try to run, I'll find you and drag you back here. It's been too long since I found something fun. You don't really think I'd let it slip away, do you?" Samantha asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Axel looked at her blankly, feeling like his odds of survival had just gotten worse in her presence.
"Since you've accepted, let's talk about something I noticed. What's wrong with your right shoulder?"
During the run, Samantha had noticed Axel's strange posture. His shoulder would hang loosely, affecting his movement.
Without wasting time explaining, Axel raised both arms. But unlike the left one, his right barely moved.
"It doesn't move much," he said simply.
"More like it doesn't move at all. How long have you been like this?"
"...Nine years, I think," Axel answered after a moment of thought.
After thinking for a bit, Samantha, without asking, removed Axel's shirt. His body was covered in scars, but she didn't seem fazed and focused on the two most noticeable ones.
"The person who healed your shoulder must've been both a saint and a butcher. A saint because from the look of it, that wound should've killed you. A butcher because during healing, they let the bone press against the joint. Doesn't it hurt?"
"Not really."
"Seems like you have some kind of pain perception disorder, though we'd need to figure out if it's psychological or nerve-related," Samantha said, thinking out loud.
Then she looked at the scar on his chest. She could see the strangeness of it, like it was made by something sharp, but couldn't tell what.
"Whatever. I'm taking you to someone who'll fix you up."
Again, without asking, she threw Axel over her shoulder and started walking.
As for Axel? He dangled miserably like a sack, resigned to whatever fate awaited him.