Rain trickled from the gray sky, its soft patter washing over the streets of Tokyo like a calming melody. The tournament was over, and Riku Hayashi—the 19-year-old Essence prodigy—was now 5 million dollars richer.
But true to his nature, he didn't care much for the money.
He gave 4 million to his mother and sister, insisting they use it to finally live comfortably. His sister had cried. His mother had hugged him tighter than ever before.
Now, with little to do and his mind restless, Riku found himself jogging through the city in the rain, headphones in, hood pulled up.
Behind him, a voice called out.
"Riku!"
He stopped mid-step and turned. Yumi was running toward him, strands of her dark hair clinging to her cheeks from the rain. She slowed as she reached him, slightly out of breath.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked, brushing some wet hair from her face.
"Jogging," Riku replied, shrugging. "Didn't think the rain would hit this early."
Yumi chuckled. "Same. I was jogging too… guess we got caught in it."
"No problem," Riku said with a slight smile.
Without warning, a clone appeared beside him, materializing with a small shimmer. The clone carried a backpack and quickly unzipped it, pulling out a folded umbrella. Riku took it and opened it, holding it above both of them.
The two began walking side by side through the rainy streets, talking and laughing lightly—memories of the tournament and the energy of the crowd still lingering in the air between them.
"You didn't even break a sweat in the finals," Yumi teased. "It's kind of scary how calm you were."
"You were amazing too," Riku said. "You gave Toru a real fight."
Yumi smiled, blushing slightly. "Still didn't win, though."
"You will someday."
They shared a quiet moment under the umbrella. The streets were nearly empty, just the soft tapping of raindrops and their voices.
Then Riku's phone buzzed.
He pulled it from his jacket pocket. The screen read:
Incoming Call: Essence President Kensei Gojuro
Riku answered. "Yes, sir?"
Kensei's voice came through, calm but urgent."Riku. We've got a situation. Five S-Rank Essence Warriors—rogue. They've been attacking civilians and other Essence warriors without warning. Multiple casualties. We need you."
Riku's expression turned serious in an instant. "Understood. I'm on it."
He hung up and turned to Yumi, handing her the umbrella.
She looked up, concerned. "What is it?"
"Five S-Ranks. Rogue. Targeting civilians and warriors at random." He stepped away, rain starting to drench his hoodie again. "I've got to handle it."
Yumi held the umbrella tightly. "Be careful."
Riku gave her a nod, eyes calm and focused. "I will. I'll be back."
With that, he disappeared down the street, vanishing into the rain like a shadow.