Chapter 2: The First Beast

The stones shimmered with a pulse like a heartbeat. As Kael followed the cloaked stranger through the misty field, he kept glancing at the monolithic formations ahead—tall spires of obsidian etched with glowing glyphs that flickered in rhythm with the air around them. The place felt ancient. Not just old, but timeless. And dangerous.

“This place… what is it?” Kael asked, his voice low.

“Leystone Circle,” the stranger answered without turning. “A nexus of magic. One of the few places not yet tainted by the war.”

Kael's boots crunched against the crystalline grass as he stepped closer to the stones. He could feel it now—energy vibrating beneath his feet, crawling up his spine, stirring something within his Rider Core.

“Magic here is wild,” the man continued. “It reacts to foreign forces. You’re a walking anomaly, Rider. This world doesn’t know what to do with you yet.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed. “But something tells me it will figure it out soon.”

Just as the words left his mouth, the ground trembled.

A shrill screech echoed through the plains—inhuman, guttural, and hungry. The sky above seemed to flicker, clouds twisting unnaturally.

Kael turned sharply. From the treeline in the distance, a figure burst into view—no, a thing. Seven feet tall, skin like molten bark, glowing eyes buried deep in a face of writhing tendrils. It charged with terrifying speed, claws dragging sparks against the ground.

The stranger didn’t flinch. “A mana-beast,” he muttered. “Drawn by your energy.”

Kael didn’t wait. In a single, practiced motion, he slammed his fist into the center of his belt. A loud mechanical click echoed into the air.

“KAMEN RIDE: DRAVEN!”

Energy surged around him as black-and-silver armor spiraled over his body. His helmet locked into place, glowing crimson eyes igniting in the mist. The transformation finished with a metallic pulse, sending a shockwave through the grass.

Kael stepped forward, fists clenched.

The mana-beast howled and leapt.

Kael dodged to the side, skidding across the dirt. His Rider reflexes kicked in instantly—calculating distance, speed, weak points. But this wasn’t a mechanical foe or a demon from his own world. This thing was primal. Magical. Unpredictable.

It swung a jagged limb, nearly catching Kael’s side. He responded with a punch, his gauntlet glowing faintly as it connected with the creature’s shoulder. Sparks flew—but the beast barely staggered.

Too strong. Too fast.

Kael jumped back, analyzing its movement. Then he noticed something: the glowing core in its chest, pulsing like a reactor.

“Got you,” he muttered.

The beast roared and charged again.

This time, Kael met it head-on. At the last moment, he ducked under the claw swipe, spun behind the creature, and drove his knee into its back. It stumbled forward—off balance.

Kael activated his finisher. The air around him crackled with energy. He jumped, flipped, and launched himself into a mid-air spinning kick aimed directly at the beast’s core.

“VOID STRIKE!”

His boot collided with the creature’s chest—an explosion of purple light erupted as the mana-beast let out a final, deafening shriek. Its body disintegrated into motes of energy, vanishing into the wind.

Kael landed with a heavy thud, steam hissing from his armor.

Silence returned.

The stranger approached slowly, eyes glinting behind the hood. “You absorbed its mana,” he said.

Kael blinked. He hadn’t noticed—but yes, his armor felt… different. Stronger. His Rider Core glowed faintly, and a strange interface had appeared in his visor.

NEW DATA ACQUIRED: ARCANIC MANA STATUS: ADAPTATION IN PROGRESS

“What just happened?” Kael asked, breath still heavy.

“You’re evolving,” the man said, almost in awe. “Your tech isn’t just resisting this world—it’s adapting to it. Merging with the magic.”

Kael slowly removed his helmet. “You mean I can use what’s in this world… against it.”

The man nodded. “In time, perhaps even control it.”

Kael looked down at his hand. Power hummed beneath his skin—new, volatile, and unfamiliar.

“I’m going to need a lot more of that,” he said quietly.

The stranger gave a faint smile. “Then you’re going to need to survive much worse.”

From the shadows behind the standing stones, more glowing eyes began to appear—watching, waiting.

Kael slipped his helmet back on.

Let them come.