A black car was parked in front of Squad Zeta's house.
Not only there, but in front of every house in Sector Four—the Squads were receiving their Captains at exactly three o'clock.
Seated on the main sofa, the trio of Squad Zeta waited anxiously. Right in front of them rested a large box draped in black cloth atop a glass table.
Each supervisor—Sir Kinney and Kimisu—stood beside their respective apprentices, hands clasped behind their backs.
However, unlike the other four, who wore formal suits, Kimisu was dressed in a white hanfu with pink details; a white kimono covered him, with a Kitsune mask tied at his waist.
"Gentlemen, I am the Director of the Sectors, Monspir Garob. I present myself today because, as you may have been notified, the captain's introduction is scheduled for today, the twenty-fifth of the twelfth… According to our timetable, five days after the captain's presentation, the trials will begin."
Standing before the glass table, a sturdy, elderly man with white hair and beard and a wrinkled face spoke with a firm tone.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Izumi Kairen… Erika and Erik Von Berta. My sudden appearance is due to the haste this Wave has shown—my apologies. We should have been more acquainted for this meeting."
"No problem," Erik said, already bored by the formalities.
Before her brother could make things worse, Erika cleared her throat to draw attention.
"What my brother means, Sir Garob, is that we are at the end of our preparation. And although the presentation is late, we are eager to work with you and our captain…" she said politely and formally.
"I heard that Éder will no longer be this group's representative… Is there a reason?" Kinney asked, narrowing his eyes.
Nodding, Garob looked directly at Izumi. In turn, Izumi felt the Director's penetrating gaze—distorted, whitish-orange prana struck his energy discs.
"Izumi Kairen. After receiving notice that a member of the Michizane clan, of the Kairen lineage, experienced a Revelation, another member of the Michizane clan decided to take control of this Squad," Garob replied convincingly.
"And Éder allowed it?" Kinney asked, curious—after all, that man's ego was astronomical.
"Well… the arrogance and selfishness of this new captain managed to prevail…"
'Great… an arrogant captain…' Erik thought, slouching lazily into the sofa.
After a few seconds, the front door handle exploded. Two guards watching the exterior exchanged blank looks toward the opposite side of the street, trying not to alarm the others.
Suddenly, a man entered. His white hair fell past his shoulders, nearly mirroring Izumi's—though tied back in a ponytail.
He wore a red-and-black hanfu and walked with extreme confidence behind the sofa.
Erika's eyes twitched slightly, as if to say: Why?
Striding to Garob's side, he radiated confidence alongside a majestic smile.
"Hello, members of Squad Zeta…" he said, his voice sounding familiar to Izumi.
Izumi's lifeless eyes widened, a mix of surprise and joy.
"My name is Takashi Katayo, honorary member of the Michizane Clan, Disaster-Rank Sefira," he introduced himself proudly.
Izumi's mouth fell open in shock.
"Takashi-san!" Kimisu exclaimed with a gentle smile.
"Kimisu-sama!" Takashi replied cheerfully. "Did Izumi-kun give you any trouble?"
"Nah. Never…" Kimisu glanced sideways at Izumi, reconsidered. "Well, maybe a little…"
"You're the one who gave me headaches…" Izumi complained, leaning against the sofa.
With a sharp laugh, Takashi straightened and observed the others.
After a brief stare, the captain of Squad Zeta had his attention drawn by the Director.
"Takashi, I will introduce myself to the other Squads in this sector… Could you deliver the Christmas gift to them?" Garob asked, adjusting his black suit.
"Ah! Of course, boss," Takashi replied enthusiastically. "Hey, buddy—take this box outside."
Without showing resentment, the guard beside him picked up the box from beneath the black cloth and carried it out.
After greeting all members of Squad Zeta and the supervisors, Garob withdrew respectfully.
However…
As they walked outside, Takashi jumped onto Izumi's back—who lost his balance before leaning on his cane.
"So, brother! How have things been?" Takashi asked with a grin.
Looking over his shoulder, Izumi saw a blazing red blot of prana clinging to him. Using Izumi's back for support, Takashi hopped down, still wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
"I thought you weren't going to talk to me directly…" Izumi muttered distantly.
"Never! I was just waiting for the formalities to end," Takashi replied, cracking his neck confidently.
"What's inside that box?" Izumi asked curiously as they followed the guard outside.
Takashi cleared his throat, nearly showing off.
"Christmas presents!" he exclaimed loudly.
Erika's eyes shone like the midday sun. She grew excited, imagining countless gifts. She almost jumped with joy—until she saw the box opened…
Her excitement turned into bitter disappointment.
On the lawn outside, Takashi opened an elegant wooden box, detailed with a lock shaped like the Greek letter Zeta.
Not only Squad Zeta, but all other Squads gathered in their yards; the captains personally handed out gifts to each team.
For some—more demanding and particular—the gifts made little sense… For others, they fulfilled a primal need.
"For Erik and Erika Von Berta…" Takashi read a letter from inside the box, written lovingly by the twins' father. "I am glad your efforts have borne such fruit; your ascension to Sefira is our greatest pride. That is why you fought and trained so hard… Accept this gift as extra training wheels on a bicycle. Sincerely, Elias Von Berta."
Hearing their father's words, Erika felt a surge of disgust. A sickening sensation rose in her throat, nearly making her curse him on the spot. That impulse, however, was calmed by her twin brother.
Erik's expression clearly said: We don't need to do this.
Nevertheless, the twins received the gift professionally: a black suit of armor, a specialty of the Berta family. It was arranged like neatly pressed clothing, yet the presence of a steel breastplate—with a glass plate at its center—was unmistakable.
"For Izumi Kairen, our standout member," Takashi said, reading another letter. The captain's eyes shone with pride. "This gift is a step forward for all of us in the Michizane Clan. We are happy to hear of your awakening and hope to gather soon at the Baptism Ceremony. Take this gift bearing the name of the Michizane Clan and all five lineages—what Taiga forged with such pride."
'My grandfather forged this?' Izumi thought, wide-eyed—but discreet.
Carefully, Takashi removed a blue hanfu from the box, adorned with armor pieces such as pauldrons and bracers, along with a light haori embroidered in white like salty sea waves.
However, the item Takashi considered most important lay above them all…
Erik eyed it with genuine doubt.
'A blindfold? What use is a blindfold to someone who's already blind?'
Between his fingers, Takashi held a white blindfold as if presenting a medal of honor.
"This artifact was created a few years ago by our clan. An aid in case someone suffered from the Burden you carry, my brother," Takashi said carefully, circling Izumi. "Consider this something that will let you see the truth behind your lie…"
Takashi placed the blindfold over Izumi's eyes, tying it behind his head. Adjusting it for comfort, Izumi returned to his previous posture—kneeling with his hands resting calmly on his thighs.
"Now, you must wear this blindfold for seventy-two hours… It's a test," Takashi said cheerfully, looking at Izumi with pride.
"Thank you!" Izumi replied with a smile.
"And now, what do we do?" Erika asked, setting her gift on the ground.
"Holiday, guys! Let's rest for today. Besides, it's Christmas. We'll celebrate with the other Squads… So be ready by seven in the evening," Takashi announced calmly.
All the men handled the situation with ease—it was just past three fifteen in the afternoon. They would be ready within twenty minutes at most.
However, there was one detail-oriented person among them… and her twin brother braced himself for the shouting.
"What?!" Erika screamed, spitting saliva into the air. "You're only telling us now, you bastard?!"
Takashi stared at her blankly, unsure how to react.
"Damn it! My hair… my hair!" she cried, ruffling it before sprinting back into the house. "You're a piece of trash, idiot captain!"
"Huh?" Takashi sighed. "What a dramatic nutcase… We still have almost four hours…"
"For her, that's ten minutes…" Erik joked with a sigh.
"Relax, brother… you'll get used to it!" Izumi said, laughing loudly.
Kinney hid his face, while Kimisu closed his eyes, laughing sincerely.
"Yeah… I can already see who's going to curse me every day…" Takashi muttered, scratching his cheek.
And so it was… While everyone prepared for the celebration, Erika cursed Takashi for nearly three hours straight.