Japan. Winter, 2016.

The sky was weeping.

Heavy, black clouds blanketed the Tokyo sky like a suffocating shroud. Neon lights cast blurred, trembling reflections onto the wet asphalt. As people scrambled for shelter to escape the biting cold and relentless downpour, only one person was running headlong into the chaos.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

The sound of heavy boots slamming into puddles echoed through the empty street.

Suzuki Orahata. Age 36.

Every breath felt like his lungs were on fire. The wound in his side leaked warm blood, staining his white shirt crimson, but he didn’t have the luxury of stopping. The sounds behind him—disciplined military footsteps and shouts of "Halt!"—were a constant reminder of how close death was nipping at his heels.

Suzuki squeezed the cold metal in his right hand until his knuckles turned white. This small, star-shaped device... Everything was for this.

"I can't give this to them," he whispered, his voice drowned out by the rain. "Never..."

Just as he tried to turn a dark corner, a shadow emerged from the gloom, forcing him to skid to a halt on the slick pavement. Gasping for air, he looked up and saw that familiar, hateful silhouette.

"Well... I am truly disappointed."

The voice was calm, yet sharp as a knife.

Suzuki froze. His eyes went wide with terror, pupils trembling. That voice... It wasn't possible.

"Takeda?" Suzuki’s voice shook, his throat dry despite the rain. "You... What are you doing here? They sent you to the border for an investigation!"

Takeda Riku stepped slowly into the light. An arrogant smirk played on his lips, giving him a demonic expression as the rain ran down his face.

"I finished up early there," Takeda shrugged, his eyes scanning Suzuki like a predator cornering its prey. "I can't believe those fools sent me for such an easy job. They wasted my time."

The fear inside Suzuki slowly gave way to a desperate rage. The questions in his mind turned into a scream.

"Why? Why?!"

He couldn't hold it back anymore. Putting all his pain into his vocal cords, he roared:

"WHYYYYY?!"

It wasn't just a question. It was an admission of how Takeda's dark energy, that crushing aura, had buried Suzuki for years. It felt as if Takeda's gaze alone had trapped him in the deepest layer of the earth, leaving him unable to breathe.

The smile vanished from Takeda’s face. His expression hardened like stone.

"Enough drama, Suzuki," he said. His voice was lower now, but far more dangerous. "Hand over the device."

Suzuki took a step back.

"Give me the device and leave," Takeda continued. "Look, I’m showing generosity to a lowlife like you. I’m giving you a chance to live like a dog. Hand it over!"

Takeda began to clench his right hand into a fist. As he did, the air around them shifted. Defying the laws of physics, dust particles and small pebbles began to float, swirling around Takeda.

CRACK!

Thin cracks webbed across the concrete wall of the building beside them. Takeda’s rage wasn't just a feeling; it was a physical force.

"If you continue to refuse," Takeda said, increasing the pressure with every syllable, "I will tear you into ten pieces and send each one to the seventh circle of hell."

Suzuki gripped the star tighter. The sharp edges of the metal cut into his palm, but the pain gave him clarity. The fear was gone. He had nothing left to lose.

"If refusing to give you this device means losing my life..."

Suzuki threw his right leg back. Despite his wound, he shifted into a perfect combat stance, locking his eyes directly onto Takeda’s.

"...then I accepted that long ago."

Takeda laughed mockingly, tilting his head to the side.

"I appreciate your courage. But Suzuki, you know this better than anyone." He slowly raised his hand, beckoning with a single finger. "You know the word IMPOSSIBLE. That moment when the probability is zero. Just like right now. You can't even get close to me, let alone hit me."

As if in response to Takeda’s arrogance, nature itself rebelled.

BOOM!

Thunder shook the city with a deafening roar. The sky seemed to split in two. Lightning struck repeatedly, flashing like it was the end of the world.

Suzuki lowered his head. He stood silent for a few seconds, rain dripping from his hair.

Then, it started as a whisper but erupted into a storm.

"STAR X!"

The star-shaped object in his palm suddenly came to life. First a faint glow, then a blinding white light exploded from Suzuki’s body.

As if answering the call, lightning struck the exact spot where Suzuki stood, hitting him again and again with violent intensity.

ZZZZT... BOOM!

Takeda narrowed his eyes. For the first time, that confident expression was replaced by shock and tension. What was happening? This energy... where was this power coming from?

As the white light slowly faded, the rain continued to fall, but it no longer touched the figure standing there.

A new silhouette emerged from the smoke and steam.

Suzuki was no longer the wounded, running man. He now wore a magnificent, pure white kimono that fluttered in the wind. And in his hand... a sword pierced the darkness, gleaming with power.

Orahata Suzuki was gone.

The legend had awakened.

(To be continued...)

Hi everyone! This is the first episode of my original series "Vayen". I am also composing an original soundtrack for this story. If you enjoyed the transformation scene, please like and subscribe! Let me know in the comments what you think about Takeda's power!