The Grandmaster Waits Under
In the heart of terma, where neon players mingled with the scent of old wood, Enzo Ikiemoto stood like a sentinel beneath a weeping cherry tree. His silver hair rustled in the breeze, and twin ebony walking sticks anchored him to the earth. As the grandmaster of Jyotu High—an academy of shadow-walkers and spark-wingers he surveyed a cohort of fresh trainees. These youths, handpicked from clans and streets, were being forged to protect a world teetering between light and chaos.
A soft rustle broke the air. Chun-yin, his protégée, emerged from the grand hall, her Chinese hanfu embroidered with tiny phoenixes fluttering in silk. She offered him a steaming cup, the aroma of rare Onyx beans wafting up.
"Ahh, thank you, Chun-yin. You're a morning sun," Enzo said, his gravelly voice warm. He settled onto a weathered bench, the blossoms above casting dandelion-petal shadows.
Chun-yin sat beside him, her dark eyes narrowing. "Sensei, is it true? Rumors of another dragon lord?"
Enzo's lips curved, a quiet thrill in his chest. He sipped the coffee, letting the bitterness linger. "Yes, Chun-yin. And I've sent Sergeant yaze and Kira a flame wrapped in silk to bring him here. The next chapter begins."
"Sensei, who is this person chun-yin asked?" Her voice was a mix of curiosity and the faintest unease. The air pulsed once, like a hidden drumbeat.
Enzo lowered his cup, steam veiling his smile. "shinjuku. A city where fates collide."
Sadori's Peace Shatters in Shinjuku Glow night. Meanwhile, in Shinjuku a metropolis where the Pacific's gold kissed skyscrapers—Sadori wandered like a leaf in autumn, lost in whispers of tomorrow. Tomorrow was Amanda's birthday. He had scouted every corner of a quaint gift shop, palms sweating as he halted before a gleaming display.
A silver necklace, its pendant a miniature vortex, seemed to hum. Sadori's grin split, all white teeth shining. "I'll be goddamn. She'll love this." He paid, the cashier a freckled woman with a pixie cut—beamed.
"Thank you, sir! Hope to see you again soon."
Clutching the small box, Sadori stepped into Shinjuku crisp air. Imagining the chain wrapped around Amanda's neck, he walked, oblivious to the narrowing skies. His harmony shattered.
A scream sliced the crowd. A pillar of blinding light sliced downward, missing his scalp by a hair's breadth. The pavement exploded. Shrapnel danced. Pedestrians stampeded, screams ricocheting off glass. Sadori dropped, shielding his head. Dust blinded him.
Coughing, he scrambled up. A cold dread pooled: the necklace. It lay fifty yards away, clenched in a stranger's manicured hand.
Part 3: The Hunters Close In
A woman stood poised like a dark lotus, her tailored coat a midnight flame. Auburn hair framed a face both sharp and pitiless. She rubbed the pendant's facets, a pink-tipped nail scratching the metal.
"Oh, it's so beautiful." Her gaze flicked up, pupils gleaming.
"Miss, please," Sadori said, taking a step, palms raised. "Give it back."
She laughed—a sound like shattered crystal—and plunged the chain into the hollow of her cleavage. Sadori's vision swam; his nose bled in hot trickles. Dizziness clamped his skull.
"Who's this _girl_ you've been mumbling about?" Her voice wrapped around him, mocking.
From the rooftops, a chorus of shadows answered: "See, you scared the shit out of him, Lucina."
A giant landed, a broadsword sliding off his shoulder—a cross between a demon and Thanos. Tattooed arms flexed as a second man dropped, feline silent. A third, Claudio, emerged from the haze, cold ink swirls mapping his arms. All bore the Black Pool's crescent mark in there arm's.
Sadori's instincts screamed. "Give it back. I don't want trouble."
Lucina raised her hand. A soft hum grew—a pink laser coalescing between her fingers. "Light's Judgment."
Part 4: The Unleashed Beast Within
The beam struck. Sadori's abdomen burned as if his soul was doused in kerosene and ignited. He collapsed, vision tunneling, hands clutching the scorching light as if he could rip it from his flesh.
"What…is this?" Each word was a knife thrust.
Lucina crouched, intrigued. "Do you like it? Ordinary humans turn to screaming ash. But you…last." I'll give you the credit. Sadori's vision blurred. Sweat-drenched, he growled:
"Who are you? and Why are you doing this to me—" he said gasping for air, the pain was unbearable.
Claudio kicked the pavement. "We heard there's another _dragon lord_ breathing down on our necks and we decided to get rid of it's Claudio said. Alright Playtime's over."
The trio closed like a vise. Sadori's fury flickered—a spark neither he nor they expected. The earth answered.
_Bones._ Heaps of ivory shards erupted from the asphalt, locking into a curved wall, shielding him. The skeletal barrier pulsed, an eerie blue halo flickering.
Lucina's smile witched. "So Sanji's champion heart beats in you. Even greater."
Rivert lunged, blade whirling. The cut seared Sadori's shoulder; blood painted the cobblestones. He knelt, a wave of weakness submerging him. How long could he fight?
"Is this the best you can do?" Lucina mocked, stalking closer, her beam glowing brighter. to give the finishing blow's.
A silver flash interrupted her. A kunai thunked into the ground, vibrations singing. Smoke cannons erupted, swallowing the plaza. Through the chemical fog, a hooded figure sprinted, unseeable except for boots that left no footprint.
As Sadori's consciousness narrowed:
"Sadori! Hang in there, man!" The words hung, then darkness folded him like a shroud. And he's Body gave outs.