The bell rang sharply, echoing through the towering halls of Kaizen High. Students spilled from classrooms, chattering, laughing, some still yawning from the early morning lectures. Haruto strolled casually down the corridor, hands in his pockets, blue eyes scanning the halls for his two favorite people—well, one favorite and one infuriating rival.
"Oi, Haruto!" a voice rang out.
He turned just in time to catch a paper cup flying at his face. He caught it effortlessly and turned to see Toma, the laid-back third of their trio, leaning against a vending machine, slurping from a juice pouch.
"You ever think about greeting someone like a normal person?" Haruto asked with a smirk.
Toma shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"
Before Haruto could respond, a surge of pressure sliced through the air—a chill that made the hairs on his neck stand. He turned.
There stood Shin.
Back against the wall, arms crossed, the late morning sun casting a long shadow behind him. His raven-black hair blew slightly in the wind from the open window. He didn't speak, but his presence alone sent a ripple through the hallway. Students instinctively gave him a wide berth.
"Still walking around like the school's final boss?" Haruto teased.
Shin's dark eyes—ones that almost glowed violet under the light—narrowed. "Still pretending you're stronger than you actually are?"
The tension was thick. Toma, ever the peacekeeper, stepped between them, sipping loudly. "Don't blow up the school again. Last time I almost lost my scholarship."
The hallway buzzed again with the arrival of someone else—Sensei Roku.
Effortlessly cool, with a silver-gray jacket flapping behind him and one hand in his pocket, he chewed gum lazily and tilted his head. His violet eyes locked onto the trio.
"You three. Roof. Now."
Roku never asked twice.
———
The rooftop was quiet, the wind whistling over the edge. Roku leaned against the railing, gaze distant, as the three boys stood before him.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it," he began. "Something is happening downtown. A rift opened last night. Grade B specters slipped through."
Toma blinked. "Specters? This early in the semester?"
Roku nodded. "It's not just any rift. The energy was… strange. Twisted. Almost familiar."
Haruto stepped forward. "You think it's related to the incident last month?"
"The one with the collapsed subway?" Shin asked, his tone sharper than necessary.
Roku glanced at Shin. "You were there, weren't you?"
Shin looked away.
"I'm sending you three to scout. Not to engage. Just observe. If things get too spicy, call for backup. Compact Level 3 backup."
Haruto clenched his fists, excitement bubbling in his chest. "Finally, something real."
Toma raised a brow. "Real and deadly."
———
Nightfall came fast.
The city glowed beneath them as the trio stood atop a warehouse across from the rift site. The sky above it shimmered with energy—black lightning crackled inside like a beast trapped in a cage. Shadows slithered from its center, whispering promises of destruction.
Haruto's breath caught in his throat. The power was… intoxicating.
Toma pulled out a small drone and launched it toward the rift. "We get a few shots, scan for specter activity, and bounce."
But before the drone could get close, a figure stepped out of the rift.
Tall. Cloaked in dark mist. Eyes like embers. A presence that stopped Haruto's heart for a beat.
"That's no specter," Shin whispered.
The figure raised a hand.
Black lightning shot out.
The rooftop exploded.
———
Smoke. Screams. Dust.
Haruto staggered to his feet, ears ringing. He saw Shin shielding Toma with a barrier of black flame—his eyes wide in shock, his breath heavy.
"What the hell was that?" Haruto muttered.
Then, he felt it.
The presence. Behind him.
He turned—
And saw the figure, now only feet away, its hand outstretched.
But before the attack landed—
Impact 2.
The voice echoed across the building.
A purple blast slammed into the enemy, launching it into the air.
Roku stood at the edge of the wrecked rooftop, one eye glowing.
He looked at Haruto. "You weren't supposed to fight."
Haruto grinned, blood running down his cheek.
"Yeah, but you knew we would."
The figure emerged from the rubble, unscathed, laughing low and dark.
"Interesting," it said. "So the new generation has some bite after all."
Shin stepped forward, black lightning already crackling in his palm. Haruto stepped beside him, his aura flaring to life—a vibrant, golden glow dancing around his fists.
Toma sighed and drew a talisman from his sleeve.
Three against one.
But something in the figure's voice made it clear—
This was only the beginning.
To be continued…