Chapter One – The Boy Who Wasn't Ordinary
(Part 1)
The alarm screeched before dawn, slicing through the thin veil of dreams. Teriyaki groaned, pressing his face into the pillow. He had been dreaming again—flames, violet and wild, curling like serpents across the sky, and a voice that seemed to echo from everywhere and nowhere at once.
He pushed himself upright. The small apartment felt the same as yesterday, cluttered with comic books, notebooks, and half-finished homework. Yet, even in the familiarity, a shiver ran down his spine. Something was off. Something was waiting.
His grandmother hummed softly in the kitchen, stirring miso soup. The aroma was comforting, yet Teriyaki barely noticed.
"You're up late again," she said without looking. Her voice carried that familiar mix of warmth and quiet authority. "One day you'll learn the value of waking early."
"I… got caught up in dreams," he muttered, grabbing a rice ball.
She studied him for a moment. "You are your father's son. Always chasing something you cannot see."
Her words, casual as they seemed, struck a nerve. Teriyaki swallowed and shuffled toward the door.
Outside, Tokyo was waking. The morning sun reflected off glass skyscrapers, casting long shadows over the streets. But Teriyaki felt eyes on him. A prickling sensation crawled up his neck, an unease that refused to go away.
At the corner, a black van waited. Its windows were darkened, engine idling quietly. He shook his head. Probably nothing, he told himself, though his pulse quickened.
(Part 2)
At school, Koru's teasing broke the monotony. "Late again, genius?"
Teriyaki grinned weakly. "Your daily reminder of my brilliance?"
Koru laughed. "More like your daily warning of trouble."
The classroom felt ordinary—too ordinary. Numbers, letters, lessons—but Teriyaki's mind kept returning to the van, to the dreams, to something stirring in him he could not yet name.
By lunchtime, he and Koru had settled beneath the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. The blossoms fluttered, pink and delicate, oblivious to the tension in Teriyaki's chest. For a moment, life was normal. Koru laughed about video games; Teriyaki smiled, feeling a rare peace.
Then he sensed it again—the prickling at his neck. He looked up. The van. Same one. Still there.
(Part 3)
Evening brought shadows that seemed too long, too deliberate. Teriyaki walked home cautiously. Then they stepped out: two men, suits black as night, faces unreadable, calm, precise.
"Teriyaki," one said, voice smooth but unnerving. "We need you to come with us. It's for your safety."
"Uh… I don't understand," Teriyaki stammered. Fear rose like a tide.
The second man moved closer, and instinct overtook thought. Violet light surged from Teriyaki's palm, uncontrollable, striking the first agent and sending him crashing into a brick wall. Dust and debris rained down.
His heart raced, vision swimming. The second man froze, shock evident. A whisper echoed in Teriyaki's mind, distant and familiar: At last… you awaken.
The world shifted. Shadows, sounds, every heartbeat pulsed with something ancient. He realized then: he was no longer ordinary.
(Part 4 – Rooftop Arrival of Kuro)
A figure appeared above him on a nearby rooftop. Cloaked in black, masked, impossibly calm.
"You've awakened the power within you," the man said. "I am Kuro. I once fought beside your father."
Teriyaki staggered backward. "My… father?"
"The legacy of the Purple Samurai is yours," Kuro explained. "Your father, your ancestors—now, it flows through you. Soon, you will face challenges you cannot yet imagine. Your brother… he rises."
A chill ran through Teriyaki. The world he knew had vanished.
Kuro leapt down silently, landing beside him. "Come with me. You must learn control, or you will be consumed by your own power."
Teriyaki's pulse raced, but determination sparked. He nodded slowly. "I'll come."
Chapter Two – The Rooftop Stranger
(Part 1)
Teriyaki followed Kuro through the winding alleys, every shadow seeming to twitch and breathe. The city felt alive in a way he had never noticed—streetlights flickered, distant sirens echoed, and the faint metallic hum of unseen engines lingered in the air.
"Your power," Kuro said, voice low and calm, "is more than energy. It is legacy, history, and responsibility. Do not mistake it for a toy. One careless action could destroy everything you care about."
Teriyaki swallowed hard. The violet light from the previous night still burned faintly under his skin. "I… I almost killed someone," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "I don't even know how it works."
Kuro's mask tilted slightly, unreadable but stern. "Then you will learn. And you will learn quickly. The underworld is awakening. Agents watch. Your brother is rising. Every moment you hesitate is a step closer to chaos."
Teriyaki's stomach churned at the thought. His brother… rising in the underworld? He hadn't seen him in years. And yet Kuro spoke as though it were inevitable.
They reached a rooftop overlooking the city. The wind whipped through his hair and tugged at his clothes. Kuro stopped at the edge, the lights of Tokyo stretching endlessly beneath them.
"Focus," Kuro instructed. "Do not fight what you feel. Channel it. Let it flow. Your first task is control."
Teriyaki's hands trembled. He raised them slowly, feeling the violet pulse coil like a living thing beneath his skin. He exhaled and extended a palm toward a wooden post Kuro had set up.
A faint glow streaked outward, splintering the post but dissipating harmlessly. Teriyaki's chest heaved. It was nothing compared to last night, yet it felt like mastery.
Kuro nodded. "Good. But control requires courage. Restraint and intent. Remember this, Teriyaki. Fear will make your power chaotic. Confidence will make it precise."
(Part 2 – Shadows in the Distance)
Teriyaki's eyes flicked to the streets below. Shadows moved unnaturally. Figures dressed in black—agents. Observers. His heart leapt.
"Control, Teriyaki," Kuro said, voice cutting through his fear. "But be aware. They are testing you already."
The purple energy surged faintly in his hands. He clenched his fists, feeling exhilaration and terror intertwining. Kuro's words guided him: Do not force it. Let it flow.
The first wave of agents moved with precision, advancing silently. Teriyaki focused, channeling his energy. Thin streaks of violet light shot forward, deflecting an incoming strike, knocking one agent against a railing. The others hesitated, recognizing the boy's raw potential.
Teriyaki's chest burned. Every breath came ragged, yet he was exhilarated. For the first time, he felt like the legacy of the Purple Samurai was real, alive in him.
Kuro watched silently, approving but unreadable. "This is only the beginning. You must master yourself, or the underworld will consume everything."
(Part 3 – Decision to Follow)
After the brief clash, Teriyaki's pulse slowly returned to normal. The agents retreated into the shadows, leaving only the distant hum of the city.
"I… I think I can do this," Teriyaki whispered.
Kuro stepped closer, silent. "It will not be easy. You will be tested. Every day. But you are no longer ordinary. The world you knew is gone."
Teriyaki swallowed, heart racing. He felt fear, yes, but beneath it, determination ignited. "I… I want to learn. I want to be ready."
Kuro's masked face gave the faintest nod of approval. "Then follow me. Your training begins now. And Teriyaki…" He paused, voice dropping. "Never forget—your brother is watching. He is not your friend. Not ever."
Teriyaki clenched his fists, violet energy pulsing faintly around him. For the first time, he understood the weight of his legacy. The path of the Purple Samurai had begun, and there was no turning back.
Chapter Three – Gathering Shadows
(Part 1 – Recruiting the Crew)
The city had shifted in Teriyaki's eyes. Where once there were ordinary streets and familiar alleys, now every shadow seemed alive, every corner a possible threat. Yet, with Kuro's guidance, a spark of determination burned in him.
His first task was to gather allies. The crew—the misfits who would fight alongside him—were scattered across Tokyo, each with their own burdens and skills. Teriyaki had seen glimpses of them before: Koru, steadfast and loyal; a pair of streetwise twins who moved like shadows; and others, each hiding their own potential beneath layers of caution.
The first to join was Koru, waiting beneath the cherry blossom tree where they often met. Relief and excitement flashed in his eyes. "Teriyaki! You… you're actually alive!"
"I'm here," Teriyaki said, violet energy still humming faintly under his skin. "And we have work to do."
One by one, they emerged from hiding. Each misfit carried scars—emotional, physical, or both—but each had a glint of determination in their eyes. They had been living in the underworld's shadow, forced to hide or fight for scraps. Now, finally, someone offered them a chance to stand together.
"This is your fight too," Teriyaki said. "We fight as a team. And we fight to survive."
They nodded, tentative but resolute. The crew was forming.
(Part 2 – Early Team Dynamics & Missions)
Kuro watched from the shadows, arms crossed. "Do not underestimate them," he warned Teriyaki. "Every misfit carries a strength. But strength without control invites disaster."
Their first mission came swiftly. A small gang of underworld agents had cornered a local informant who had vital intelligence. Teriyaki led his crew, adrenaline spiking.
He raised his hands, violet energy spiraling outward, as Koru and the others flanked him. The air hummed with anticipation.
"Stay sharp," Kuro's voice echoed in his mind.
The gang attacked with precision, but Teriyaki and the crew moved as one. Violet streaks of energy clashed against dark blades. The twins darted through the fray, disabling enemies with agility and cunning. Koru shielded the informant while Teriyaki's violet aura pushed back opponents.
The battle was chaotic, messy, but effective. Teriyaki realized his control was improving—he could direct the energy instead of letting it explode uncontrollably.
When the fight ended, the informant whispered, trembling, "I've never seen anything like that… the boy… he's… incredible."
Teriyaki exhaled, exhaustion and exhilaration mingling. This was only the beginning.
(Part 3 – White Fang Arc Begins)
News of their success spread quickly. Soon, Teriyaki's crew became known as the "White Fang," a team feared in the underworld and respected by allies.
Their next missions escalated in danger. Agents grew bolder, attacks more coordinated. Teriyaki trained harder, Kuro pushing him to refine his control over the violet energy. Each crew member honed their abilities too, learning to fight together as a unit.
During a nighttime confrontation in a narrow alley, Teriyaki's power flared dramatically. Two agents lunged simultaneously—he countered with a precise wave of violet energy, knocking both back with surgical accuracy. His crew moved in perfect coordination, disabling the remaining threats.
For the first time, Teriyaki understood the weight of leadership. It was not just power—it was strategy, timing, and trust. Every decision could mean life or death for his crew.
Yet even in victory, a sense of unease lingered. Shadows moved beyond the streetlights, agents observing, noting, reporting. Somewhere, unseen, his brother watched. And the White Fang had only begun to taste the storm that was coming.
(Part 4 – Team Bonding & Foreshadowing)
Later, atop a quiet rooftop, the crew gathered. Faces smeared with dirt and bruises, but eyes alight with camaraderie. Kuro observed silently, approving.
"Strength is nothing without unity," he reminded Teriyaki. "Your brother is rising. The underworld watches. Every battle, every choice, will shape the path ahead."
Teriyaki looked at his crew—misfits, outcasts, but now family. "We fight together. No one is left behind. We're the White Fang."
A cheer rose from the group, small but fierce. In that moment, Teriyaki realized: he was no longer alone. Together, they could face whatever the underworld sent.
And somewhere in the darkness, unseen eyes glimmered. Monarch's rise had begun, and the battles would only grow deadlier.
End of Vol 1