Even a rural town like Tatsumi-a place with barely a thousand residents-was not free from trouble. There was one problem that never seemed to disappear.
Delinquents.
At Maharaguchi High, the only high school in the entire town-groups of troublemakers and violent students still roamed freely, clashing with one another like storms waiting to happen. And on one rain-soaked afternoon, that storm finally broke.
16:25 P.M.
Rain fell in a thin, relentless drizzle as one group of students sprinted through the streets, chasing another. Nearly every boy clutched something in his hand-sticks, pipes, anything that could serve as a weapon.
The hunted group suddenly stopped.
They turned.
And chose to fight.
The clash was immediate-brutal and chaotic. Bodies slammed into one another, fists flew, and weapons struck with dull, sickening thuds. Yet despite their numbers, the chasing group quickly fell into disarray.
One by one, they collapsed.
Defeated.
The opposing group began to grins, their confidence swelling as their enemies lay scattered across the wet ground.
"Woo! Is that all Maharaguchi second years kids got?" their leader sneered, his eyes dripping with contempt.
"Damn you...!" one of the fallen students growled through clenched teeth.
Then-
A voice.
Calm. Cold. Unfamiliar.
"The outcome isn't decided yet."
"!!?"
The Maharaguchi students froze.
From the shadows of a dim alley, a figure stepped forward.
A boy-his silhouette framed by the faint glow of streetlights-walked out slowly, a metal bat resting casually in his right hand.
"Tanda... Kawara!!"
"What!?"
Shock rippled through the opposing group.
"Tanda Kawara... isn't he the guy who took down ten delinquents at once?"
One of the thugs whispered, his voice trembling.
Kawara smiled faintly.
"Well... I'm honored you've heard of me."
His eyes hardened.
"Now then... I suppose I should return the favor-for what you did to my friends."
And without hesitation-
He walked straight toward them.
Later - Ice Cream Garden
The Ice Cream Garden was a small roadside shop decorated like a miniature forest. It was quiet, cozy-and Kawara's favorite place in the world.
Despite his reputation, Kawara loved sweets.
And when he ate ice cream, the fearsome delinquent disappeared-replaced by something almost childlike.
He sat laughing with four or five friends, their voices filled with excitement.
"You were amazing again today, Fay!"
"Yeah, seriously! You haven't lost your edge at all."
Kawara chuckled.
"I think they were just weaker this time."
Laughter filled the shop.
Victory was sweet.
But it didn't last.
A middle-aged man suddenly stormed into the shop. His presence was heavy-oppressive.
Before anyone could react-
CRASH!!
He grabbed Kawara by the head and slammed it into the table.
Glass shattered. Ice cream spilled. Blood followed.
The shop fell silent.
Kawara's friends froze in shock as blood streamed down his face.
"What the hell are you doing here, Fay!?" the man roared, gripping his head tightly.
"...Nothing," Kawara muttered, blood dripping from his chin.
"Nothing!?" the man snapped. "Don't give me that nonsense, you worthless trash! You're nothing but a weakling-just filth!"
He turned sharply.
"Get up. You're coming with me." The man stormed out.
Kawara slowly rose to follow.
"Hey... who was that guy?" one friend whispered.
"Yeah, I wouldn't let that slide if it were me!"
"And your face... it's-" Kawara lowered his gaze.
"...There's nothing I can do."
"Why not?"
A pause.
"...That's my father."
21:33 P.M.
Kawara's Room
Kawara sat alone at his desk, staring into a mirror as he carefully stitched the wound on his face.
Each movement was slow, deliberate.
Painful.
When he finished, he collapsed forward, exhaustion washing over him.
His eyes drifted to a photograph resting at the edge of the desk.
A woman.
Gentle.
Smiling.
His mother.
"...I'm so tired... Mom..." His eyelids grew heavy.
And soon-
He fell asleep.
02:30 P.M.
Thunder cracked.
Rain poured harder.
Kawara jolted awake.
Something was wrong.
A sound echoed through the house.
He stood, moving cautiously through the darkness. The lights refused to turn on, as though the house itself had rejected him.
Step by step, he searched.
Until-
He reached the front door.
And froze.
Standing there...was a woman.
A woman who looked exactly like-
"...M-Mom?"
The moment he spoke-
She ran.
"W-Wait!!"
Kawara dashed after her into the rain, chasing her through winding streets, turning corner after corner, his breath ragged, his heart pounding.
Finally-
He caught up.
"Mom!!"
She slowed.
Stopped.
And turned.
Relief surged through him.
He ran toward her-
CRASH!!!
A deafening impact.
Her body was struck by a truck-sent flying, crashing violently against the asphalt again and again.
The sound of breaking bones echoed in the rain.
Her body came to rest-
In front of Maharaguchi High School.
And in that moment-
Kawara remembered.
Two Years Ago
September 30th.
His birthday.
His family had planned a surprise at the Ice Cream Garden.
His mother came to pick him up.
It was raining.
He saw her walking toward him.
And then-
A white truck slammed into her.
She died instantly.
His father broke.
And blamed him.
"You're weak!!" his father said. "If you weren't so useless, you could have saved her!!"
Since that day-
Kawara had chased only one thing.
Strength.
The power to protect.
But even now-
He had failed again.
03:00 A.M.
BOOM!!
An explosion tore through Maharaguchi High School. Before Kawara stood something impossible.
A creature.
A Fiend.
It resembled a lion-but its body burned crimson. Two tails lashed behind it. Massive claws gleamed in the dark. Chains coiled around its neck.
And its head-
Had three mouths.
Kawara froze in terror.
Then ran.
The creature chased him relentlessly.
He locked himself inside the gym, then fled into a storage room, grabbing a metal baseball bat with trembling hands.
The door shook violently.
It was coming.
Closer.
Closer-
CRASH!!
The creature burst through.
Kawara barely dodged, scrambling away as it smashed through walls with terrifying force.
He ran.
But then-
It stopped.
And a voice echoed.
"Just as I thought... you really are weak."
Kawara froze.
"...What did you say?"
"I said... you're weak."
One of the creature's eyes twisted-
Transforming into his father's face.
Pale. Smiling. Monstrous.
"Useless... powerless... all you ever do is run... just like when your mother died."
Something inside Kawara snapped
"SHUT UP!!"
His body trembled with rage.
"I'm not running anymore...! If I can't defeat something like you... then I'll never be able to protect anyone!!"
He charged.
Swing after swing-
But it did nothing.
He was driven back, cornered against a wall. No escape.
He closed his eyes. Raised his arms. Prepared to die.
The creature lunged-
Three jaws wide open-
And then-
BOOM!!
A figure appeared. And with a single kick-
Sent the monster flying.
"Trying to die or something?"
Kawara slowly opened his eyes.
"...You...?"
Standing up him-
Was Ake.
"Target is about to recover!" a voice echoed.
"Roger that," Ake replied calmly.
Then-
He moved.
Faster than Kawara could follow.
He leapt over the creature, grabbed its tail, and spun it violently, the air roaring around them.
Then he hurled it skyward-
With the golden light ignited around his leg, he jumped upward, appearing ahead of the monster, And with a devastating kick-
CRUSHED IT
The creature's body shattered upon impact.
Silence fell.
Kawara stood frozen.
"...Hey, Kawara-kun," Ake said casually, as if nothing had happened.
"A-about earlier... that-"
"Forget it," Ake interrupted. "More importantly... I've got something to ask you."
Kawara hesitated.
"...What is it?"
Ake smiled slightly.
"Want to join my group?"