The morning sun shined through the trees as Takuma and Emi walked together. The air felt cool and fresh after their long night of training. Takuma's sword was on his back.
Emi smiled as she walked beside him. "You got really strong fast, Takuma. I could barely see your swings yesterday!"
Takuma laughed a little. "It's not just me. This sword… it feels like it wants to fight too. But I still don't know how far my power goes."
Emi nodded. "That's why we need to keep training. If there are others out there using their star powers, we have to be ready."
They came to a wide, open field near the forest's edge. Birds flew above, and the grass moved with the wind. Takuma stretched his arms, ready to train again—but before he could, they heard a sharp sound.
Clang!
It was the sound of metal hitting metal. Both of them froze.
Takuma turned his head. "That wasn't you, right?"
Emi shook her head, her eyes wide. "No. Someone's fighting."
They ran toward the sound. As they reached a small hill, they saw a boy standing in the middle of the field. He looked around their age, with blonde hair and a serious look on his face. In his hands, he held two small metal rods that sparked with blue light.
Across from him stood a man covered in black armor, holding a blade that seemed to hum with energy.
The boy swung his rods fast, blocking the man's strikes. "You're not taking me!" he shouted.
Takuma didn't wait. He ran down the hill, sword ready. "Hey! Stop!"
The armored man turned toward him, eyes glowing red behind the helmet. "Another Starborne…" he said in a deep, cold voice.
Before Takuma could say anything, the man charged.
Takuma blocked the swing with his wide sword, sparks flying. The strength behind the hit made Takuma slide back in the dirt, but he held firm.
Emi jumped beside him, landing lightly. "Takuma! I'll help!"
The boy with the rods dashed forward too. "I don't know who you guys are," he said quickly, "but thanks!"
Together, the three of them surrounded the armored man. Takuma swung hard, the air around his sword cutting through the wind itself. The man barely dodged, his armor cracking slightly where the blade hit.
The boy slammed his metal rods together, sending a burst of blue light that pushed the man back. "Take that!"
The man growled, his armor breaking apart into black dust. "You'll regret this… Starborne." And with that, he vanished into the air like smoke.
For a moment, everything was quiet.
Takuma lowered his sword and looked at the boy. "You okay?"
The boy nodded, breathing hard. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm Sota."
Emi smiled. "I'm Emi. And this is Takuma."
Takuma rested his sword against his shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Sota. Looks like you've got powers too."
Sota looked at the rods in his hands. "Yeah. They came from the star I found. I don't know how to control them yet… but I'll learn."
Takuma smiled. "Then let's learn together. We'll need each other if more people like that guy show up."
Sota's eyes brightened. "You mean… we're a team?"
Emi nodded. "That's right."
The three of them stood there in the sunlight. None of them knew what was coming next, but one thing was clear: the world was changing fast.
And together, they would face it.