Chapter 1 — The Attack on Kuzari
Location: Kuzari, the suspended city of the land of Kirina
In the land of Kirina, power is not born — it awakens.
Ni, a spiritual energy tied to the soul, shapes the laws of the world.
Kaen carried an unknown power. Ishikawa, a forgotten Goldo known as Hohl.
Their bond? A silent fracture, not friendship.
And tonight, Kirina was about to collapse.
The City That Breathes Poorly
Kuzari, suspended on rocky arches, was bathed in unstable energetic mist.
The resonance antennas blinked weakly, some already deactivated.
The Senshi on the ramparts stood frozen. Not by fear — by saturation.
Something was approaching.
Not an enemy. A memory.
The Group on the Heights
On an old rooftop, Kaen and his companions watched the city.
The dark red sky seemed to crush them.
Kaen (whispering):
"The sky is black…
This isn't night.
It's a signal. Something's coming."
Floch (agitated):
"You feel it too?!
I swear I'm about to throw up!
This sky… it's staring at me like I'm guilty!"
Akiriho (calm):
"The sensors are unstable.
This isn't an illusion. It's resonance."
Ishikawa (clenched fists):
"Get ready.
If there's a fight, I want to strike first."
Takumi (adjusting his glasses):
"This kind of energy…
It shouldn't exist here.
It belongs to another cycle."
Astou's Arrival
In a sloped alley, Astou ran, her cape lifted by an inverted wind.
Security beacons shut down as she passed.
Astou (panting):
"Hey, guys!
Don't you see the sky?
It looks like it wants to swallow us!
I've got a really bad feeling… seriously!"
The Manifestation
At the center of Kuzari, the ground cracked.
A black vortex opened, swallowing light and sound.
A blurry, almost liquid silhouette emerged.
Inverted codes floated around it.
Space bent under its presence.
Takumi (stepping back):
"Kaen was right…
Look at that.
It's a Goldo."
It wasn't supposed to exist.
The Group's Response
Akiriho and Takumi moved to the front.
Kaen and Ishikawa stood back-to-back.
Floch formed a pulsing green energy barrier.
Akiriho:
"Ishikawa, Kaen…
Get to safety.
Or you'll be slaughtered."
Takumi:
"Floch, protect them.
We'll hold it off."
Floch:
"Come with me.
Takumi and Akiriho will handle the rest."
Ni Activation
Takumi attacked with his gauntlet.
A stormy blue aura surrounded him.
Akiriho crouched, blade ready.
The ground trembled.
The resonators reacted.
Ni is a weapon tied to the soul of its bearer.
It shapes techniques according to the spiritual resonance it embodies.
Ineffectiveness
Akiriho struck.
Her Ni awakened, forming an uncontrolled arc of energy.
Nothing reached the enemy.
The black shadow absorbed everything.
Akiriho (panting):
"We're in trouble…
We're no match."
Kaen's Collapse
The Goldo pierced Akiriho.
Kaen froze.
Floch and Takumi tried to shield him.
Kaen was overwhelmed by doubt.
Kaen (thought):
"If even they couldn't do anything…
What am I supposed to do?
I'm the most pathetic…"
Takumi (shouting):
"Kaen!
You have no power!
Run!
Akiriho sacrificed herself for you!"
Kaen (softly):
"No…
I can't abandon you.
But you keep protecting me.
And I… I do nothing."
The Awakening of Riten
Kaen and Ishikawa shared a silence.
A bond formed. Not a fusion. A shared fracture.
Flashback: Ishikawa as a barefoot teenager, body marked.
Kaen watches. He understands.
It's not friendship. It's silent recognition:
"I'm no longer alone in my curse."
Fall and Awakening
Kaen:
"Hey! Goldo… what do you want from us?"
Unknown Goldo:
"What do I want… You think I'm one of you?"
Kaen:
"No… but that's no reason to attack us."
Unknown Goldo:
"I came for that kid behind you… the so-called vessel of Hohl."
Kaen:
"He's not going with you!"
Unknown Goldo:
"Enough talk."
The Goldo struck Kaen.
He fell.
Ishikawa (shouting):
"Kaen! No!
You can't die now!"
Floating in a spiritual space, fragments of memory appeared.
His body lit up. The mark of Riten spread across his arms and face.
A strange eye emerged.
But in the silence…
Something awakened.
To be continued in the next chapter