K Side: Blue

Prologue

PROLOGUE: SWORD OF DAMOCLES

　　"The Chosen Man" stands in the rain.

　　A cold rain which, at any moment, may turn into ice. However, the chill seeping into his skin and the uncomfortable sticking of his wet clothes are irrelevant to him. Each raindrop falls to the ground without a single one touching him, coincidentally avoiding his body entirely. Almost as if there is an invisible umbrella open above him.

　　"The Chosen Man" stands on a battlefield.

　　The exploding grenades, falling to the ground like a torrential downpour, however, stray from their vertical trajectory before impact, so he is unharmed by the scattering fragments. The stronger the power of the grenade, the further diagonally it strays from above his head.

　　So, what if an atomic bomb was to be dropped above "The Chosen Man?" Even if it glides diagonally away and misses ground zero by a few kilometers, he can no longer escape injury to his body.

　　However, destiny will preserve his safety to the last. As a result, what would happen?

　　Nothing.

　　The bomb will neither fall, nor will it explode. It will continue to exist, paused in mid air still full of its fatal energy, above the invisible umbrella--

　　The above is a thought experiment called casually, "Umbrella and Bombs." It's an allegory for the Weismann Theory's concept of a probability point. The nature and abilities of the leaders chosen by and who could control destiny were first defined, measured, and theorized in Germany in 1944. Then, the following year the first scientifically defined "King" was born in the middle of conflict. In the midst of death and destruction, a shining sword hung over his head. This is neither an allegory, nor a fairy tale. This is historical truth.

　　But, perhaps--

　　If thought of as the point in time where the rules of the real world were rewritten, maybe it should be called a certain kind of fairy tale, a myth of creation. They twist, stop, and dominate with their will the laws of nature once controlled by microscopic coincidences and macroscopic certainties--the era of demigods.

　　201X - In a corner of the world, set on an island in the Far East, the prologue to this myth is still continuing.

†

　　Casually, they're "superpowered."

　　Said a little more politely, they're "uniquely powered individuals."

　　Scientifically, they're "probability-inclined psychokinetics."

　　Legally, they're "persons retaining abilities caused by a unique phenomenon."

　　In the jargon within the police organization, they call them "supes."

　　When police officer Kusuhara Takeru first saw that, it was his second month as a part of the Metropolitan Police Department Riot Squad. It was his nineteenth summer. The strong rays of the sun reflected off of the asphalt. His protector and helmet were burning him up on both sides, and the sweat forming inside his uniform dripped to his feet and pooled in his boots.

　　"…It's hot," he murmured quietly.

　　Next to him, head patrol officer Tamura Atsushi, still facing forward, said shortly, "Don't lose focus."

　　"Ah… I'm sorry." As he answered, he moved his head slightly to catch a glimpse to see how Tamura was doing. He was six years older than Kusuhara. The younger members of the squad adored him like an older brother because of his more mature calm demeanor and good humored personality. That Tamura was unusually nervous. He couldn't see his expression behind the face shield, but he could feel a strong wariness from his small movements.