The setting is modern-day Japan. In an era where AI technology has advanced to the point of taking over human jobs one by one, there existed beings that even AI could not explain. They are—

The Talentists.

Talentist Management Organization [TMO]

Government-affiliated counter-measure organization. Talentists belonging to the TMO are, in principle, required to form a buddy system and act in pairs. Main duties are as follows:

・Accepting and registering reports from newly awakened Talentists
・Protection and maintenance of registered Talentists
・Measurement, grading, and periodic status checks of abilities
・Search, apprehension, and suppression of unregistered or illegal activities
・Handling incidents and anomalies caused by abilities
・Combat deployment of Talentists during emergencies
・Investigation and research into abilities and "Resonance"

  The following are documents retrieved from the TMO vault at 7:00 PM on August 23, 2026.

Management No: T-023-01

Authorized Personnel: 𝄄▒▚▒▞▛▒▚

Last Updated: August 7, 2026

Mandatory Reading

Disclosure of the information in this document to the general public is prohibited. In particular, information regarding "Awakening Conditions" and "Resonance Compatibility" must be strictly managed, as it may induce copycat behavior in subjects.

01: Regarding Talentists

In modern Japan, humans can be classified into the following two types:

• 〈N/Non-Talentist〉

Those who do not possess abilities.
At this stage, manifestation has only been confirmed in those with Japanese lineage. Foreigners without Japanese blood or mixed-race individuals of non-Japanese lineages are currently classified as this without exception.

• 〈T/Talentist〉

Those who possess abilities.
Manifestation is invariably post-birth. Under Article 1 of the Talentist Related Laws, those who manifest must report to the TMO within 72 hours of the first occurrence.
Unregistered Talentists are subject to apprehension and appropriate processing by the TMO upon discovery.
While the mechanism is unknown, the following commonalities are found in the histories of Talentists:

・Extreme mental anguish
・Prolonged states of despair
・Near-death experiences
Based on the above, it is hypothesized that a subject must exceed the "limits of human endurance" to trigger manifestation.

Note: A Talentist's ability is highly correlated with the mental state experienced at the time of manifestation.
—In other words, an ability is the shape of the "hell one survived."

02: Talentist Grades

Talentists are evaluated based on risk, output, rarity, and versatility, and classified into the following four grades:

Plum

Risk: Low
Abilities with complex activation conditions or limited utility. A Non-Talentist may be able to handle them one-on-one.

Bamboo

Risk: Medium
Viable for actual combat. Can be handled by multiple Non-Talentists working together.

Pine

Risk: High
Mostly abilities capable of changing the tide of battle alone. It takes a squad of Non-Talentists using weapons to barely suppress one.

Cherry

Risk: Unmeasurable
National-scale threat. Only one Cherry-grade Talentist has existed in the past. They were later killed during suppression by the Self-Defense Forces, which resulted in multiple casualties among the SDF.

03: Resonance Phenomenon

Occurs when Talentists maintain eye contact for over 3 seconds, hold hands, and apply their abilities to each other. This is a phenomenon where both abilities interfere with each other, termed "Resonance." Resonance can theoretically occur between any Talentists. However, it does not always have a positive effect and can, in some cases, lead to the destruction of both parties. Resonance is maintained only as long as hands are held; releasing the grip terminates the effect. Even with a previous partner, a new Resonance session requires starting over from eye contact, hand-holding, and ability application.

Normal Resonance

Amplification of output, expansion of range, change in characteristics, manifestation of composite or new abilities.

Abnormal Resonance

Cancellation or repulsion of abilities, rampages, mental or physical damage.

Resonance involves a "Resonance Rate" between Talentists, which can be checked in the TMO database by entering both names. The higher the rate, the greater the output during Resonance. However— A 100% Resonance Rate must not be judged as "safe."

04: Notable Resonance Case

Subject A: Plum Grade Subject B: Pine Grade

Resonance Rate: 98.7%

When used individually, neither subject's ability posed a significant threat. However, upon Resonance, their output vastly exceeded the simple sum of their parts. Currently, this phenomenon is provisionally designated as "Cherry-equivalent." Furthermore, even after Resonance was terminated, a partial sharing of senses persists between the subjects. Both are managed in isolation within a TMO infirmary.

Management No: M-749-84

Authorized Personnel: Guest

Last Updated: August 23, 2026

Mandatory Reading

Disclosure of the information in this document to the general public or viewing by anyone other than Guest is prohibited.

This document pertains to Tsubaki Hikari, who has been assigned as Guest's partner starting today. Guest must read this thoroughly before meeting Hikari. Note: Sections blacked out by Tsubaki Hikari himself may be skipped.