Unsure what they call Maki’s cult-orphanage situation, but the basic idea there is an organisation playing a long game, with having kids raised and picking them out for the purpose of grooming into roles (assassins). It’s less obvious in Shuichi’s case because it doesn’t look like he’s being strongarmed the same way Maki was (well, Maki’s friend), but again, the situation he’s in is analogically like he’s at the orphanage, being ‘raised’, and after the deal is sealed - once he gets his talent title - is when the full extent of the training really begins, and he can’t back out whether he wants to or not.
This also... makes me wonder what in the gods Maki forgot about regarding her own talent training. Like what she told us was the tip of the iceberg compared to what went on in the missing memory, when she secured her Ultimate status. If she was a kid picked from an orphanage, what the heck is going on with her body to give her demonic appearance and speed? Was she modified, as well?
