Basic Knowledge
"When it comes to organized crime, profitable or politically driven, one organization is the most feared and notable. They had absolute control and power over the underworld since the 1970s. They expanded their authority and name over every criminal activity and market around the globe and ruled it with an iron fist. They are every organization's worst nightmare and most overwhelming rival. They are...The Kitsunes.
When the Kitsunes took over, organized crime started experiencing a drastic change. Activities like arms trafficking, human trafficking, corporate crime, and political corruption underwent a severe decrease that left governments in complete awe. Violent acts like assassinations, bombings, and other terrorism-related acts were practically non-existent. The underworld underwent a global purge. But, that doesn't mean that the Kitsunes were any less violent, ruthless, and despicable as the others. In fact...it was the opposite.
Blackmail, bribery, contract killing, political manipulation, culling of rivals, assassinations, and eliminating all opposition via threats, kidnapping, torture, or murder. The sheer violence and power of the Kitsunes left every single criminal organization in a state of shock and horror, realizing that their only option is to surrender to this monstrous criminal entity that seemed unstoppable.
Due to that, the Heroes Government and many other continental and national HGAs saw that the Kitsunes were an ally, and adopted the saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' and simply turned a blind eye to what the Kitsunes did to attain power. However, that was the case for the higher-ups, supervisors, and directors.
I, however, was longing to defeat the Kitsunes ever since I became an inspector. I saw them as a parasite, a fake ally, a false illusion of hope that can and will betray the heroes whenever they want. Letting a villain do the hero's job is an act that defies moral law, and will have tremendous consequences on the Heroes Government and the criminal underworld. In fact, it has already begun.
After the disastrous explosion that happened four months ago, governments all over the world experienced great political instabilities after the people demanded answers, provoking their governments with riots even. Then, the governments of the world turned to the Heroes Government and demanded answers from it at all costs. Accusing it of hiding information, and letting countries like Russia and the USA secretly test weapons.
Meanwhile, the many riots that are raging around the world, political instabilities, the severe drop of the Heroes Government's reputation, and lack of order has invoked the uprising of every criminal organization—profitable or politically driven—against the Kitsunes and each other, leading to a global battle royale for the throne that the Kitsunes once owned.
Due to the current situation of the world, the Kitsunes are struggling and using every means possible to seize every region, city, and district in Japan, in a desperate attempt to keep control over their place of origin. Many countries have slipped from the Kitsunes grip, but many are still barely under their control. That's why they are trying to do whatever they can to establish a final safe haven for them with absolute authority and power.
And this...is where I come into play.
I, and a trustworthy partner of mine, have been doing all we can to try and stop the Kitsunes from trying to achieve total control. Surprisingly, we are doing one hell of a job at that, but I still lacked manpower. And that, Kurayama, is why I want you to join this fight and defeat the Kitsunes with us."
Inside of a seemingly empty classroom, Kurayama and Hinotori were taking their seats as they heard the long expositional speech of Akira while meanwhile, Kenzo and Kiode were standing right next to him with a nervous smile.
"So, you want my help in defeating an international criminal organization in a battle for Japan?" Kurayama asked.
"You don't have much of a choice, Kurayama. It's either that or execution."
Kurayama was irritated by how calm and composed Akira was, and how much authority he had over him. Nevertheless, he himself also kept his cool while listening to Akira's endless exposition.
"But, it isn't a battle for Japan per se," Akira added.
"What?" Kurayama questioned Akira, confused by his statement.
"Well, I do need your help, but I'm not that inhuman to make you a slave of mine and fight the Kitsunes all over Japan. I only need you in defeating the Kitsunes in this region, and by doing so, you can go back to your daily life without worrying about your previous violations of the law."
"Explain?"
"The sudden fall of the Kitsunes has given me a chance to convince the local HGAs of this region to help me fight off the gang. Currently, I am making a task force composed of only the most trustworthy heroes to take part in the most important mission in the history of this region."
Kurayama was indeed surprised. He didn't know he was taking part in such an important matter all of a sudden.
"And…what's the plan?" He asked.
"The plan will be revealed in the meeting that will take place this week. But, before that. Kurayama, you and your friend need to take the hero test before you join the task force. Only professional heroes are allowed, and I won't hesitate to disqualify your friend if he fails." Akira said as he pointed at Hinotori.
"Why do I have to become a hero? Won't it be safer and more effective if I continued as a vigilante?"
"Absolutely not! If you continue as a vigilante, you will not be accepted in the task force by the heroes that have joined in. Furthermore, if you finish the mission as a vigilante, the HGA will see you as a criminal once again, and I have nothing to defend you with at that point.
Kurayama, don't be selfish. I have saved you from execution and life imprisonment. So, I just want you to cooperate with me, and finish the job. Nothing more. So, do you agree to become a hero?"
Kurayama turned to look at Hinotori and asked him in a gentle voice.
"Hinotori, you heard the inspector, what you're going to be involved in is the biggest mission in the history of this region, and quite possibly the most dangerous one. Are you sure about this?" He asked.
"I-I'm sure. It is the least that I can do to repay you for saving my life. P-P-PLus, I also dreamt of becoming a hero since I was a child, so it's okay." Hinotori replied in a nervous voice as he gave a thumbs-up to Kurayama.
Kurayama took a deep breath and exhaled before he looked back at Akira.
"Alright, we both agree, Inspector. When do we take the hero test?"
"The hero test is scheduled for tomorrow morning. But, before you go, you need to learn some basic knowledge about heroes. Kiode, take it away." Akira said before he made his way out of the classroom.
"Y-y-yes, sir!" She stuttered. Kiode then proceeded to take a deep breath, and clear her throat before she locked eyes with Hinotori and Kurayama.
"So, um, for basic knowledge. Let us start slowly and gradually work our way up. If you have any questions, please go ahead and ask. So, first of all, we have 'Evolvements.'
–Evolvements:
Evolvements are the scientific/brand-new name for 'Superpowers.' As we all know, evolvements are genetic mutations caused by radiation that evolves the human mind and body and gives them powers that were previously just imaginary. Evolvements are no longer caused by radiation as they are now one with the human DNA, which makes it a natural thing when a human, born to evolved parents, develops an evolvement through his childhood.
Now that we know the general definition of evolvements, let us move on to the evolvement level.
–Evolvement Level:
A worldwide system created by the Heroes Government to measure the power of evolvements and their users. And they are:
–Level 1/Enhanced Evolvement:
It is the level that every evolved human starts with. It's called an 'Enhanced Evolvement' because it can only enhance the body and boost its physical strength and speed, which is the most common thing. For example, if a flame manipulator is on Level 1, he will only be able to enhance his body and not control his flames. Most commonly, they'll only have flames covering their body while being enhanced."
"But, that relates to super strength and controlling elements. What about those with evolvements that deal with psychological things, and anything that doesn't relate to human strength?" Kurayama asked.
"Well, the only exception are humans with evolvements that are related to seeing the future, mind reading, telepathy, or basically every evolvement that doesn't relate to super strength. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that they can't enhance their bodies and boost their physical strength. It has been scientifically proven that every evolved human can enhance their bodies no matter what kind of evolvement they have.
Anyways, moving on to the second level...
–Level 2/Evolved Evolvement:
When an evolved human reaches Level 2, that's when his evolvement starts becoming stronger and able to be manipulated better. For example, flame manipulators can create streams of fire, ice manipulators can freeze things, and so on.
The only exception to this is every evolved human with an evolvement related to raw physical strength. The only thing they will gain with each level they upgrade to is just more and more physical power."
"Is there a limit to how much power they can attain?" Kurayama asked again.
"Well, there isn't really. However, there hasn't been a single evolved human with super strength that reached remarkable levels. Unfortunately, super strength is somewhat useless against evolvements of a higher scale.
Oh, also, when an evolved human reaches Level 2, they can switch between Level 1 and 2 at any time. Once you reach a certain level, you can switch from that Level to the previous one at any time. But, switching from a Level to the one above is not possible.
Anyways, let us move on now to the fundamental things that you'll need to know for the hero test—" Kiode spoke before she was interrupted.
"Um, M-M-Ms.Hirono, are there only two levels for evolvements?" Hinotori inquired.
"Actually, there are five levels. But, because you're only applying for the hero test, there won't be any need to learn about them." Kiode said as she turned towards the whiteboard, grabbing a marker in the process.
"Why? It would be better if we know now." Kurayama stated.
"I'm sorry, but it's better for you to not know. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that the higher levels are a world of their own. There's no need to know if you don't want to enter that world of utter chaos."
Kurayama and Hinotori were speechless from Kiode's statement and decided to not ask more.
"So, First of all, the most fundamental thing that everyone should know is 'The Hero Test'.To become a hero, one must pass 'The Hero test.' It is a monthly test that examines hero candidates to see if they are qualified to be heroes."
"Are there any requirements to apply for the test? And, what are the test's components?"
"Yes, there are indeed three requirements that every applicant must have:
–The applicant must have an ID card or any sort of legal identification documents provided by the government.
–The applicant must have no criminal records whatsoever. If criminal records do exist, the applicant can apply for "Pardoning" and see if it gets accepted. If it does, the applicant can then apply for the test.
–The applicant can only apply for the test in his home country. Except for refugees.
The Hero test contains three components, which require the applicant to achieve the best score he can on them. If the applicant has a score of zero on one of the components, he will get instantly disqualified. The minimum passing score of the whole test is 50/100. The components are:
–The written test
–The physical test
–The passing test
Once the candidate passes all tests with a score higher than 50/100, he will then receive his "Hero License" which allows him to practice heroism without fear of breaking the law or violating legal jurisdictions."
"Does the Hero License have any sort of privileges other than legally practicing heroism? Also, is there a ranking system?" Kurayama questioned.
"The Hero License does have many privileges, but the number of privileges increase or decrease depending on which tier of ranking the hero is on. On that note, let us talk about the rankings.
The thing that every hero competes for is the rankings, which are referred to as "The Hero Registry" and it contains five different ranks, which are referred to as "Tiers."
–D-Tier/Urban Hero: The hero will be ranked in his/her urban area.
–C-Tier/Provincial Hero: The hero will be ranked in his/her province.
–B-Tier/Regional Hero: The hero will be ranked in his/her region.
A hero can climb up the rankings through his power, evolvement level, and accomplishments. Once the hero reaches B-Tier rank 1, he can't upgrade to A-Tier no matter what his accomplishments are. To upgrade to A-Tier, the hero must take "The International Hero Exam." Only then he can climb up to the higher levels, which are:
–A-Tier/National Hero: The hero will be ranked in his/her nation.
–S-Tier/Continental Hero: The hero will be ranked in his/her continent.
–SS-Tier/Global Hero: The hero will be ranked worldwide."
"Wait, there is an international hero exam? Can't someone just start from that?" Kurayama asked.
"Unfortunately, no. The IHE is a yearly exam that requires the applicant to already be a professional hero. It is an unbelievably brutal test that can break anyone physically and mentally, veteran heroes included. So, it is better for you to not know more about it or apply for it until you are sure enough about entering such a hellish world.
So, that is it for now. I hope you got any of what I said." Kiode finished her exposition as she stared at the two with a nervous look and sweat racing down her forehead.
"Y-Y-Yes, that has been really helpful. Thank you for the help, M-Ms.Hirono." Hinotori stated as he slightly bowed his head to Kurayama.
"No problem, I'm glad that I could have been of little help. In fact, I want to apologize for not being of more help. Kurayama, you have saved me, and I feel like my debt is bigger than to be repaid with an exposition. So, I just want to say, thank you for saving me, and that I will help you whenever you need help." Kiode said as she bowed her head.
"Well, the fact that you knew I was Reaper and didn't sell me out is enough to repay what I did for you. Thank you for helping me, Hirono." Kurayama replied as he gave a thumbs up to the young woman.
"Also, Kurayama," Kenzo called out, "I want to sincerely apologize too. I didn't want to make the one who saved my sister go through all of this, but I didn't have much of a choice. I want you to know that Akira isn't a bad person. He may seem manipulative, but he is a kind person that only does things for the greater good. I hope that you can tolerate his actions for now. Thank you in advance, I'll also help in any way I can to repay you for saving my sister." Kenzo also bowed his head for Kurayama.
"Good luck on the hero test!"