Chapter 2 Almost perfect match

"Aaaaaaah!"

A loud scream filled almost the entire large room. The walls were lined with iron and high-voltage electric shocks. A man lay slumped and weak after receiving a power-suppressing vaccine.

His hands and feet were chained. A muzzle-like mask covered his mouth, like that of a dog. Yet he stared at everyone with sharp eyes and a crooked smirk.

Several scientists shuddered in fear. This was an Esper who could kill dozens of giant monsters in a single move. But with power that immense, and without a Guide to help restore his energy and sanity, finding a compatible suppressant vaccine was nearly impossible.

There was also the high-level suppression device. Anyone who got it would suffer excruciating pain. Sometimes the scientists were terrified the suppressant wouldn’t work at all. And if this god-level Esper went insane...

"Wh-why is he looking at us like that?" one of the doctors asked, terrified.

A short-haired female doctor let out a rough sigh. "Isn’t there a single compatible Guide for this Esper? If not, are we all going to die? Or should we just eliminate him?"

"Are you insane? With that kind of power, it’s impossible to kill him. We have to develop a new vaccine to suppress him!"

The other doctors and professors nodded in agreement. After all, his power was far too valuable on the frontlines.

Creak!

The sound of a door opening made everyone turn. It was a male doctor they’d just hired. Most of the doctors at this special Esper hospital were ordinary humans who researched the strange evolution of the world.

"Sorry, we have a few new Esper and Guide registrations!"

__

Outside, Nixie looked up at the ceiling of the hospital and research center. The entire hallway was glaringly white. The smell of medicine and the strange noises from inside made her uneasy.

Keira, her friend, was a normal human. So Keira planned to continue her studies and apply to the research department, just so she could visit Nixie often.

There were about 50 people with Nixie. She even recognized some classmates. Most of them were normal humans. Espers and Guides were rare, which was why their salaries in the city were so high.

Soon, a doctor stood in front of them to give instructions. "Alright, everyone listen! We’ll split into two groups. Guides, go to the left side. New Espers, go to the right!"

Nixie and the others followed. "Guides, come with me. New Espers, wait for further instructions!"

Out of the 50 people, only about 20 were like Nixie. That meant there weren’t even half as many Espers. No wonder Keira said Guides could choose multiple Espers.

"Hey! What level are you?" asked the woman beside her with a friendly smile.

"I-I’m S-Level!" Nixie replied. The woman’s eyes widened in shock.

"S-Level is really rare! You can choose high-level Espers too! The pay is huge. Ugh, me with my B-Level can only be jealous of you."

Everything the woman said was already what Keira had told her. But Nixie still felt her heart pounding, wondering what would happen next.

It didn’t take long before they arrived at the compatibility testing room. Everyone handed their classification results to the doctor. "Alright, wait here for a bit!"

The male doctor went inside, leaving everyone to guess what was happening. From far away, Nixie heard a scream. Everyone heard it.

"What was that sound?" someone asked.

"You’ve heard about the SSS+ Level Esper, right? That’s what his screams sound like!"

A few people shivered in fear. But for some reason, the scream sounded familiar to Nixie. She soon turned to the woman she’d been talking to earlier. "I’m going to the bathroom for a second!"

The woman panicked. "Bu-but!"

"Just for a bit!" Nixie reassured her. Then the girl with the heart necklace followed the sound of the screams.

She walked down the compatibility testing hallway, turning left and right until she was completely lost. "Oh my god, where am I now?"

Because she’d followed her gut, she ended up getting lost like this? But then she heard the sharp clanking of iron chains. Nixie followed the sound until she reached a heavy steel door.

The girl glanced around. She felt like a thief because of her own curiosity. But since she’d come this far, Nixie pushed into the room.

The room was bright and smelled of medicine and blood. It made Nixie’s heart race, but because it was so well-lit, the pretty girl kept walking.

A thick metal mesh covered a glass panel. Curious, Nixie walked closer. And she was shocked to see a chaotic room with the iron walls almost punctured through, and blood splattered everywhere.

But one thing kept her from being afraid. She saw someone sitting there, powerless, with an iron muzzle mask on his face. Nixie walked closer to the glass barrier.

Then the bowed head lifted to see who had come. Nixie’s eyes widened and her heart pounded. The person she thought had died saving her... was still alive?

Nixie tried to open the thick steel door, but it was locked. Her breathing grew tight and her eyes burned as she remembered the day the world fell apart because of those giant creatures.

Frantically, she searched the entire room for the key. Nothing. Meanwhile, the man in the room — which looked more like an execution chamber — stared strangely at the person who clearly wasn’t a doctor.

She kept pacing back and forth with a panicked look, like she was searching for something. Then his wounded hand slowly raised.

Krek! Krek!

In her panic, Nixie was left stunned as the strong steel door suddenly crumpled into a solid lump. She could barely blink.

The next second, she finally saw the man clearly. His face was serious. So different from when he was young. With bold steps, Nixie approached him.

Normally people would be terrified to see him like this. But the girl in front of him wasn’t.

But why was she crying? Did he look that terrifying? No one had ever looked at him with sympathy before.

Suddenly, the girl hugged him tightly, sobbing softly. "Thank god you’re not dead, Ziven!"

A fresh feeling, like he’d come back to life, washed over him. He thought death was calling for him... until this girl showed up.

The scientists rushed in because of the loud crash. They thought Ziven was trying to break free. But what they saw now..

Ziven’s eyes glared sharply at all of them. As if he was marking his Guide as his own.