"He… has mastery over dream art?" Erika commented, stunned as she stared at the portal Kimisu had opened.
Kinney, surprised by the obvious—but sincere—question, scratched his ear while looking at the young Berta with a hint of disdain.
"Kimisu Hinode…" Erik said thoughtfully, curiosity in his voice. "I don't remember that name. Who is he?"
The supervisor was displeased with his students' questions.
"That makes sense, that makes sense…" he muttered aloud, letting out a heavy sigh. "He's known in Asia, mainly along the China–South Korea–Japan axis…" Kinney said, crossing his arms.
Watching Izumi and Kimisu walk toward the portal, the twins' supervisor added:
"Kimisu is a Beyonder… a Rank B Sefira, born on the frontier… He was Izumi's father's partner nearly forty years ago… They were appointed captains of the Rising Sun Pantheon."
"On the frontier?!" Erika asked, astonished.
"Yes… He was born in the Domain of Gluttony, at the epicenter of the war between humanity and the Demon King Beelzebub. Do you understand? While the new generation complains about circumstances, some people are simply born already within divine approval."
After a moment of thought, Erika followed up with another question.
"I've never heard of Izumi's father… Who is he?"
"Izami Kairen… Great-grandson of one of the first Rank S Sefiras, Satoru no Michizane. He eventually became a great Rank A Sefira, but retired before dying—and before his son could witness it…"
"Rank A… what a pleasant family," Erik said, almost mockingly.
Kinney shot him a piercing glare.
"Izami trained for thirty-eight years to become a Rank A Sefira. It was an extraordinary achievement—one of the greatest performances by an Asian Sefira… I wonder if Izumi will follow that path…" Once again, Kinney spoke his thoughts aloud, watching the portal.
"Does he have that potential?" Erik asked, sitting on the steps.
After a long silence, lost in memories, Kinney finally replied:
"Everyone does… What changes is how each one runs toward the finish line…"
With his very first step into Yetzirah, Izumi felt an intense cold.
It was metallic; sound echoed off glass walls, running through an almost infinite structure.
To human eyes, it was infinite.
Izumi could see the mana in the air: it formed a wall that gradually shaped itself into a circular corridor. It was outer space; beyond the steel walls and glass windows lay the stars.
A massive ring stood motionless, as if space itself could not alter its course.
And there, at the center of the ring, was where Izumi could see mana most clearly: a steel platform suspended in space, drifting among hundreds of gates with golden pillars.
Among the hundreds, however, only seven exceeded thirty meters. They were divine, ethereal… yet they also carried the most dreadful sensations.
Within a dome no one could enter—not even the most influential Rank A Sefiras or Rank S Sephirot—stood the gates of the princes of hell…
The gate leading to Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Wrath, Greed, Lust, and Pride…
The portals to the Domains of the Demon Kings.
Izumi stood close, recalling Izami's words from long ago: if he ever stood before them, he would understand why the portals were sealed…
He took a deep breath, releasing it in protest against his own fear.
"You can see the mana, can't you? Forming the portals, the dome… the cosmos…" Kimisu said, approaching the glass window. "This is the world where all of humanity's dreams reside—so close to destroying sin, and yet still losing to it…"
"Izumi… what do you think of this world?" he asked, gazing into the void of space.
In silence, watching the mana spin in perfect harmony, Izumi replied, "It's a beautiful world…"
Kimisu laughed, a troubling sigh escaping him.
"That's because you don't see it the way I do…"
"Oh?!" Izumi felt offended, yet eager to know his master's view. "Then how do you see it?"
"As the world of the dead," Kimisu answered without hesitation.
Kimisu saw nearly the same as Izumi; however, while the boy could only perceive mana at face value, the master saw memories…
"Each of these portals is a reminder of other Sefiras' failures… And as we know, failure is the same as death in this world. Hundreds of thousands of men and women—entire families—were lost for this perfection to exist… But unfortunately, that's our fault," he declared clearly.
Izumi looked at his master in doubt, trying to interpret those words… but there was nothing to interpret.
Reality was singular.
Humans created demons: from myths to the collective way people imagined them.
Demons are demons—monstrous creations meant to interpret evil; while humans do good.
They were born at the dawn of humanity, when the first man killed another. Today, the seeds that fall from the Tree of Death are nothing more than remnants of humanity's own sins.
The greater the accumulation of negative energy and human sin, the more demons will attack that weakness.
Sefiras are not humans free of sin; in essence, they are those who transform sin into virtue.
"Izumi, you understand this, don't you? Why I ordered you to train your energy discs—your mind…" Kimisu said, clasping his hands behind his back.
"So I don't turn it into negative energy and, in turn, feed the demons?" Izumi asked rhetorically.
Kimisu didn't need to answer—the expression beneath the mask said it all. He was right.
"Do you know what differentiates a Rank S from a Rank B?" Kimisu asked, curiosity in his voice.
"No… what is it?" Izumi replied, filled with hope—
Hope that was promptly shattered.
"No idea. If I knew, I'd be Rank S," he said ironically. "But that's what I want for you. You'll become a Sefira in seven days—I'll do everything I can. Your father said that once you graduate, you can retire and return to your routine…"
The master was clearly disagreeing with Izami's words.
"But remember this feeling—seeing these portals. Remember everything you're going through… When you reach Atziluth, I want you to understand what separates an immature boy from a man. Live the experience and understand why we love this path of death and suffering… Have your own view of life…"
He paused, took a deep breath, and looked down.
"If it's your will, abandon the path once you're safe. Or else…"
Touching his apprentice's heart with his index finger, Kimisu raised his voice.
Izumi's body felt light. Warmth ran through his muscles, relaxing them briefly…
The blue in his pupils deepened slightly.
"Follow your heart. The heart of that child who once dreamed of the Sea of Japan… of seeing the sky, the culture your grandfather boasted about so much."
Pressing more firmly against the boy's chest, he concluded:
"Izumi… do not surrender to the world. Follow your mind… Only your mind can free you from what is profane."
Eyes wide, Izumi's posture collapsed.
He never imagined he would hear such words from Kimisu.
'This… is the same man who gave me toy cars every Christmas?' he thought, stunned.
Gently pushing his apprentice back, Kimisu walked toward an altar further ahead, following the flow of the structure.
As Izumi followed him, a persistent voice returned—something he had been trying to ignore, but which now screamed louder.
The sea is your north.
"Many believe they are archangels—but they are not…" Kimisu said, stopping before the altar.
The sea is your north.
"The archangels sacrificed themselves for this world. What remains of them today is the Great Will—fragmented into seven parts. The archangels do not give us burdens; they merely reveal what we are… The mission to guide us in overcoming those burdens lies with other angels… other guardians."
The sea is your north.
"A guardian angel is responsible for giving form to our virtues."
'What…?' Izumi thought, stepping back slightly.
A red screen appeared before his eyes as he stood before the altar. The screen manifested as pure energy; lines of mana created a perfect vision for Izumi.
Writing itself across an empty frame…
[Revealed, the Lord's Will has finally found you!]
[May the peace of the Lord be with you at this moment…]
The words floated and warped, forming new phrases over time.
[The Archangel of Justice has given you an opportunity…]
[Your Guardian Angel has held you since the cradle…]
[Veridiel, the Truth of God, has guided you since birth. Your destinies have been intertwined…]
"Judging by your pale skin and expression, the system is introducing you to your guardian angel, isn't it?" Kimisu said.
[Congratulations! You have been assimilated to an Angel Card!]
Angel Card: [The Truth]
Owner: [Izumi Kairen]
Virtue: [He who protects shall never kill.]
Description: [You hate Sefiras who surrender themselves to fame and capital, forgetting the mission against demons. Veridiel judged your truth and thus imposed upon you an unbreakable rule: you shall never kill a human.]
Penalty: [Instant Profanation]
[Your true story begins here.]