Sister Complex Attribute Awakens

Mid-July.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, bleaching even the azure heavens pale beneath its incandescent glare.

Hot.

It was unbearably hot.

"Justice must become strong! It must become even stronger!"

"Punch! Keep punching!!"

"You are the emissaries of justice, the apostles speaking for 'God' in the human world! Not a shred of weakness is permitted!"

"..."

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"..."

In this season when all things suffered beneath the scorching heat, at the center of the pine forest on the back mountain of Cipher Pol Agent Academy, a group of sturdy boys and girls trained under the blazing sun in a barren wilderness, enduring their instructor's harsh regimen. Everyone was drenched in sweat, their flushed faces gasping for air. People often collapsed from exhaustion, but no one paid them any mind.

The advanced class, jokingly called the "Rookie Agent Reserve."

Having shed their illiteracy, the students of the lower class left the greenhouse and began the cruel second stage of education at Cipher Pol Agent Academy.

"Clap, clap!" The instructor spotted something and clapped his hands. "Pause. Hydrate and eat. Five minutes."

Shortly afterward.

Carried in Mosquito Girl's arms, Brad descended from midair and handed over a document. He also sized up his new teacher, silently making his assessment—tall, lean yet capable, with long brown-gold hair, a full beard, a pair of strange pale-green eyes, and a long sword at his waist. He was indeed unlike the purely academic teachers of the "literacy class." He looked every bit a fully fledged agent, with a temperament rather similar to Uncle Raschi's.

"Oh? Only six years old? You got full marks in just five days and advanced from the lower class to the advanced class? Not bad." The instructor clicked his tongue in amazement, but then his tone shifted. "No matter how useful a brain is, it needs a matching body. Otherwise, it will ultimately be nothing more than a fragile porcelain bottle. One slip... and it shatters."

Brad looked around and nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

"Since you're a new student, we have to go through the usual procedure." The instructor said, "I'm Gozuki, one of this year's instructors. I specialize in training your physical fitness, combat skills, and so on. There are other instructors as well. Let them introduce themselves when they teach you."

After a brief pause.

Gozuki said, "Tell everyone who you are."

"Brad Hyman." Brad remained calm, then pointed at Mosquito Girl. "She is Joanna Hyman, my family."

"She's clearly a demi-human Super Danger Beast. How could she possibly be family with a human? Who are you trying to fool with that nonsense?"

"He can control magical beasts? What kind of ability is that?"

"Don't you think he's super~~~ cute? Hehe~"

"Hey, hey, are you some kind of lovesick freak!?"

"Show-off!"

"..."

Clearly, the Rookie Agent Reserves knew quite a bit, and they quickly analyzed Brad and Mosquito Girl.

"The file states that she was allowed into the academy because she counts toward your individual combat power as your weapon, much like a Wano Country ninja's summoned beast." Gozuki flipped through the documents with great interest, watching the utterly unruffled Brad from the corner of his eye.

Brad smiled faintly. "Joanna is my family!" He retorted evenly, "Don't be so nosy and pry into someone else's family affairs, Gozuki~ Instructor. It's rude."

"What a sharp-tongued fellow." Gozuki smiled.

Suddenly.

"Whoooosh~~~"

A gale howled, and green light flashed.

"Brad! Are you a monster or something?" Tornado was overjoyed as she spoke without regard for anyone else. "You said last night that you'd be in the advanced class today. I thought you were joking, but you actually did it! This is great! Now I don't have to go to the lower class, and you can highlight my magnificent height in the advanced class too!"

Everyone: "..."

Compared to Tornado, the delinquent underachiever whose studies in the "literacy class" had yet to meet the standard but who hung around the advanced class for special reasons, Brad was unquestionably a genius honor student. The world of genius honor students was something delinquent underachievers would never understand.

"Alright! Break time is over!" Gozuki urged the students, while also reminding Brad, "You currently have no foundation, so run around the back mountain first. Improve your physical condition."

Brad did not hesitate. He moved his short legs and promptly carried out the instructor's order.

"You are not allowed to accompany him." Gozuki stopped Mosquito Girl.

Mosquito Girl instantly bristled. Veins and blood vessels bulged across her delicate face as the savage aura of a Super Danger Beast erupted wildly. "I want to protect Brad! I want to protect Brad!!!"

"If that's the case, then you should learn some skills even more. Don't worry, the outer perimeter of the back mountain is patrolled by large numbers of Holy Land Guards. Nothing will happen." Gozuki calmly persuaded her, then turned his head and sighed. "Besides, Tornado went with him. She's much stronger than you."

Mosquito Girl hesitated for a moment, then withdrew her aura.

The students wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and calmed their racing hearts.

But there were also those who did not fear Mosquito Girl at all and instead became excited—Esdeath.

"It's been so long since I hunted a Super Danger Beast. I really miss it." Esdeath muttered.

Elsewhere.

"The academy really indulges you, Tornado." Brad casually gathered information as he ran.

Tornado floated through the air, shaking her head full of green hair. "The Science Force was too boring. Those boring scientists were afraid I'd get bored and wreck the place, so they threw me into this boring academy to live a boring life. Hmph~~~ Those boring, useless teachers couldn't teach me anything at all!"

"Mm, then you're sooo amazing~" Bred deliberately teased.

Tornado puffed out her cheeks, danger filling her eyes. "..." Looking for a beating?!

"Hehe~" Bred raised his hands in surrender.

After a moment of thought, Tornado quietly said, "The truth is, they still haven't figured out the source of my powers. The scientists wanted to use Cipher Pol to help me restrain the power that occasionally went berserk, and to brainwash me, making sure I became part of the World Government. They think they're clever, but I'm not stupid. I know all of it."

"Do you have any dreams?" Bred abruptly made awkward small talk.

Tornado froze. "Dreams?"

"Yeah! Expectations and hopes for the future. Something you can't achieve right now, but will eventually gain through effort. A process where you feel that persevering will surely bring happiness. Maybe it's even your faith," Bred explained.

Tornado scratched her head. "Does raising my little sister count?" Then her expression immediately grew firmer. "She can't be hurt. Absolutely not! If any idiot dares hurt her, I'll snap his neck and use his head as a ball to kick around..."

Bred: "..." Her siscon trait had awakened...

A long while passed.

"What's your dream, then?" Tornado asked.

"Living," Bred said.

"Eh?! What kind of answer is that?!"

"I'm serious! Hey, Tornado?"

"Huh?"

"You lost focus again and didn't control your power properly. Your panties are showing."

"..."

PS: Gozuki appeared in the Akame ga Kill! prequel, Akame ga Kill! Zero. He was the previous owner of Murasame, the sword Akame wielded.