The late afternoon sun spilled golden light across the quiet streets of Minato Town, painting long shadows that stretched lazily over cracked sidewalks. Teriyaki walked home, backpack slung over one shoulder, earbuds faintly buzzing with music that did little to drown out the uneasy feeling prickling at the back of his neck.
He considered himself an ordinary boy. Average grades, average friends, average life. Yet lately, strange things had been happening—visions in his dreams, flashes of purple light in the corner of his eye, whispers he couldn't quite hear but felt deep in his chest.
Shaking his head, Teriyaki muttered, "I'm just imagining things… it's nothing."
The sudden screech of tires on asphalt shattered his thoughts. A black van skidded to a halt ahead of him, doors sliding open with mechanical precision. Three figures in dark suits stepped out, faces hidden beneath mirrored visors.
"Teriyaki…" one of them called, voice flat and professional. "We need you to come with us. For your safety."
Teriyaki froze. His heart thumped violently, a frantic drumbeat that made his ears ring. "Safety? From what? Who are you?"
The agents didn't answer. They moved in unison, blocking every possible escape route. Teriyaki's palms began to sweat as a strange warmth spread across his hands. A faint, violet glow shimmered along his skin—almost like liquid fire under his flesh.
"No… no, stay back!" he shouted, raising his hands instinctively.
The nearest agent lunged forward, and without thinking, Teriyaki let the energy surge. A concussive wave erupted from him, slamming the agent into the concrete wall behind with a resounding crash. The other two agents stumbled back, shocked.
"What… what was that?!" Teriyaki gasped, staring at the glow fading from his hands.
A shadow detached itself from the alley across the street. The figure moved with quiet confidence, a long coat flowing like liquid darkness. A mask covered the upper half of his face, but his presence radiated power.
"My name is Kuro," the stranger said, voice calm but firm. "I once fought beside your father."
Teriyaki froze. "My… father?!"
Kuro took a step closer, the shadows bending around him almost as if alive. "The power inside you… it is the legacy of the Purple Samurai. Your father carried it. So did his ancestors. And now… it is yours."
Teriyaki shook his head, disbelieving. "No… that can't be… I'm just… me!"
Kuro's eyes, dark and piercing beneath the mask, softened just a fraction. "The blood doesn't lie. You are the last in the line of warriors who have protected this world from threats most cannot even imagine. But with power comes responsibility… and danger. They know you've awakened."
Teriyaki's world tilted. The ordinary life he had clung to for so long had shattered in an instant. He was no longer just a boy walking home from school. He was something far more dangerous, far more important…
And for the first time, fear and exhilaration mingled together, setting his heart ablaze.