As the team continued deeper into the heart of Kanagawa, a strange sound echoed across the wind—metal clinking, faint footsteps, a low guttural growl. The source? An abandoned mall on the edge of a ruined city district.
The building loomed, a decaying shell of its former self. Cracked glass glistened like teeth in the windows, and the air inside was thick with stale energy.
Riku held up a hand. "Stay sharp. Something's in there."
They entered cautiously, their boots crunching across broken tiles and shattered merchandise. Then, from the shadows of the food court, three figures emerged—humanoid in shape, but their movements inhuman.
The first was cloaked in a dark purple aura, its skin a slick midnight shade with glowing eyes and claws that oozed Essence energy.The second was a sleek gray, with shifting limbs and jagged blade-like arms.The third radiated blue, its veins glowing like circuits, and its presence giving off a cold, electrical hum.
They looked like distorted humans—but their Essence told another story.
"They're beasts," Riku muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Wearing human shapes."
With a blur of motion, the three charged.
The blue one lunged first—swift, wild. Riku met it head-on and with a single Essence-infused strike, knocked it through a wall.
The gray followed, moving like liquid metal. It landed several hits before Riku spun low, countering with a burst of pressure that flattened it into the floor.
But the purple one… was different.
It moved with intelligence—almost like it was learning with every step. Its strikes were heavier. Its speed sharper. It clashed with Riku in a flurry of strikes that forced him to boost his output just to match its power.
"This one's different," Riku growled, his eyes glowing slightly. "Purple's the strongest. It's adapting."
Finally, with a burst of sheer Essence, Riku overwhelmed it—sending the creature crashing into the far wall, unconscious and reverting into a partially beast-like form. The other two lay broken beside it.
Riku turned to the group, wiping his hands clean. "Purple's top tier. Stronger, smarter. Then comes gray, then blue… then the yellow one from earlier."
The team took it in, their expressions hardening.
"If these are just scouts," Toru said quietly, "we're in for something big."
Riku nodded. "We need answers. Fast."