Chapter Text
On September 10th, an escaped prisoner was attacked in the streets by an unknown assailant. Although he survived the initial attack, he passed away after reaching the hospital.
Tsukiko Masayoshi sat on her dingy couch, gripping the pages of the newspaper firmly and waiting with bated breath for what could possibly come next.
Her anticipations were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Must be the landlord, she thought to herself as she got up from the comfort of her seat. Striding across the room, she made it to the door and cautiously looked through the eye hole. To her surprise, nobody was there.
She carefully opened the door, peeking through the crack. Glancing to and fro, she saw nobody in sight. However, she looked down to see a mauve-colored envelope with the words “Tsukiko Masayoshi” neatly written on it.
Picking it up from the ground, she quickly retreated back into her room, letter in hand. Without moving another step, she tore open the envelope, revealing a folded piece of paper nestled neatly inside. She unwrinkled the crisp white paper, reading the neatly typed words inside. Above the letter itself was her address.
That’s a bit weird. How do these guys know where I live? I move around so much that not even I know where I am half the time!
She quickly scanned over it, curious to see what the mystery letter entailed.
Dear Ms. Masayoshi
After careful observation of you and your endeavors, our organization has come to a firm agreement on your skillset.
Tsukiko paused reading to mull over what she just read.
These guys have been… watching me?
Although she was a bit frazzled that a bunch of strangers possibly knew a bit too much about her, she pressed on and assured herself that it wasn't as bad as she thought it was.
Your sharpshooting skills are bordering on extraordinary. According to the shooting ranges you have attended, you have the mastery to be able to hit your target from a much larger range than most.
See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?
While your natural talent is incredible, it can be improved further with the right training. That’s where our organization comes in.
Our strategy is simple: you and others of your caliber will be trained by our equally-skilled staff members to hone your skills, helping them develop even farther. Our programs will be catered specifically to your skill set and allow all aspects of your talent to be tested.
However, complete commitment to this regiment is fully required to get the desired results. To achieve this, you must be prepared to attend classes for four years at our campus. Free lodging and meals will be provided but at the expense of your current lifestyle.
She bit her lip.
Four years? That’s a long time to be away from the rest of the world.
Your dedication to our services will help us move one more step towards improving the world.
Although it’s been years since the Tragedy has ended, the effects of it are still lingering. Despite the benefits that Ultimates have had on society, they’ve become a dying breed ever since a select few abused their skills to damage the world. We wish to remove this stigma and train a new generation of world-changing students.
Her eyes lingered on the last three words before carrying on.
We await your arrival at the start of the semester. For further information, please read the attached file.
Sincerely,
Rejuvenation
Rejuvenation?
The name came back to her in a flash. A few months back, the papers announced the company’s grandiose plans to help reshape society. However, there had been protests about the program, calling the idea of bringing back Ultimate Students “a guaranteed way for history to repeat itself.” The company went about their business and sent out letters anyway, though, if last week’s article of a well-respected surgeon was anything to go by.
She looked down at the attached file, wondering to herself one single question.
Should I go?
She fiddled with the paper in her hand, mulling over everything she read.
However, one thought destroyed all the others.
You can change the world, Tsukiko. Sure, it will cost four years of your life, but the rest of it will repay what you lost.
So, she smiled, packed her bags, and walked towards the next four years of her life.