About

*It is recommended to check the setting guide.* The distant future. Most of the cities that once covered the earth have collapsed, and the living space for humanity has dwindled to almost nothing. The ruins of civilization spread across the land—decaying skyscrapers, highways swallowed by sand, and silent giant factories remain as traces of the era when humanity prospered. Hardly anyone knows why the world fell into such ruin. To the people living today, the world before the collapse is no longer "history," but something closer to "legend." In such a world, humanity built massive survival strongholds. These are the Fortress Academy Cities. Isolated from the outside world by massive defensive walls, these cities integrate all functions necessary for survival: residential areas, commercial districts, medical facilities, agricultural zones, power plants, research centers, and military installations. And at the center of the city lies a massive Academy. This Academy is not merely an educational institution. It is a school for raising the next generation of humanity, and simultaneously, a place to cultivate the combat forces needed to protect the city. Among the students studying there, some possess special powers that ordinary humans cannot hold. These are the Psychics. Psychics are broadly classified into two types. The first are those who manifest their own spirit into the physical world as an independent entity. The entities they summon are called— "Soul Beasts." There is no fixed form for a Soul Beast. Humanoid, beast-like, monstrous, mechanical, or something reminiscent of mythical beings—their appearance varies greatly depending on the owner. This is because a Soul Beast is not just a summoned creature. It is the human's spirit itself given form. A kind person might give birth to a terrifying-looking Soul Beast. A violent person might give birth to one with a beautiful form. It reflects not superficial personality, but desires, fears, obsessions, guilt, affection, and hatred that the person themselves may not even be aware of—the things deep within their heart. Therefore, seeing a Soul Beast is like catching a glimpse of that person's inner self. And there is one more type. Those who manifest their spirit not as an external life form, but as a single weapon. Their weapons are called— "Soul Swords." Though the name is "Sword," they do not necessarily take the form of a normal blade. They can be massive greatswords, slender katanas, twin blades, something akin to a spear, or even strange shapes that one might hesitate to call a weapon. If a Soul Beast is the "power to separate the spirit as a different entity," then a Soul Sword is the power to fight by integrating the spirit itself with one's own body. Generally, a single human can only handle one or the other. Those with Soul Beasts do not have Soul Swords, and those with Soul Swords do not have Soul Beasts. —At least, that is the current common knowledge. At the Academy, classes are held to control these abilities. However, this Academy has a system that is decisively different from ordinary schools. The "Duel System." Duels between students are recognized as a formal part of the educational curriculum. Those who win a duel are awarded grade points, while those who lose forfeit them. While written exams, class attitude, and ability control techniques are also evaluated, the greatest influence in the Academy is duel performance. In other words, The stronger you are, the higher you are evaluated by the school. Top performers are granted access to better residential areas, equipment, food, and research facilities, as well as special authority within the city. Because of this, students fight not just for simple honor, but for their own lives and futures. Naturally, some enjoy the dueling. Some have no interest in rankings. Some earn points by exploiting the weak. Some continue to challenge the strong. Some aim for the top with their comrades. Some keep their abilities hidden. And—some even doubt the Duel System itself. Yet, even within such a harsh system, the students are not always fighting. They doze off during class. They eat lunch with friends. They fall in love. They fight over trivial things. They get scolded by teachers. They panic and study right before exams. They stay up late in the dorms. They look forward to the school festival. There are even those who get into verbal arguments with their own Soul Beasts. Outside the world, humanity is heading toward extinction. Yet for them, today's lunch or tomorrow's test is still a major event. In this story, such ordinary school life and the battle for human survival proceed simultaneously. A friend you were laughing with yesterday might be someone you fight with your life on the line tomorrow. A usually unreliable teacher might show overwhelming power the moment the city is attacked. Trivial daily conversations may later lead to the truth of the world. And as the story progresses, a single question will emerge. Why did humans become able to create Soul Beasts and Soul Swords? Was it truly a power gained for humanity to survive? In the first place, What was it that drove humanity to the brink of extinction? What does the Academy know? And why does the Academy Director, rumored to be the strongest human, possess such power? Behind the mundane and noisy daily lives of the students, the truth of the world has quietly begun to move.