The city streets were alive with the hum of evening traffic, but to Teriyaki, every sound seemed amplified. Every car horn, every distant footstep, every whisper of wind against the walls—it all felt like it carried a warning.
He followed Kuro through narrow alleys, shadows stretching long and dark under flickering streetlights. His hands itched with the residual energy of his first awakening, the faint violet glow a constant reminder of the power that now lived inside him.
"You have to control it, Teriyaki," Kuro said calmly, keeping pace beside him. "Energy without discipline will burn you—and everyone around you."
"I—I know," Teriyaki stammered. "But how? I've never done anything like this before!"
Kuro stopped abruptly in a small, abandoned plaza. He gestured toward the empty space. "Then we start with fundamentals. Channel your aura through your core. Focus on your breathing. Feel it flow—don't fight it. Let it respond to your will."
Teriyaki inhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. Purple light sparked along his hands and feet, the glow intensifying with each attempt to control it. The air hummed, charged with energy, and for a moment, Teriyaki felt like he could lift the entire plaza with just a thought.
"Good," Kuro said, nodding. "Now… let's see if you can defend yourself."
Before Teriyaki could respond, movement flitted across the rooftops—fast, silent, and deliberate. Two figures landed in the plaza with predatory grace, cloaked in shadows.
"You're the boy with the purple aura?" one of them sneered, eyes glinting beneath their hood. "We've been sent to bring you in… alive or not."
Teriyaki's pulse quickened. This was it—his first real test. He raised his hands, and the violet energy coiled around him like a living thing, protective and fierce.
The first attacker lunged. Teriyaki's instincts, raw and untamed, surged. A burst of purple energy shot from his hands, knocking the figure back into the concrete wall with a deafening crash. The second attacker hesitated, shock flashing in their eyes.
"You… you're stronger than I thought," they muttered, regrouping for another strike.
Kuro stepped beside Teriyaki, drawing a blade that shimmered faintly in the dim light. "Remember, Teriyaki. Focus. Control. Strike with purpose, not fear."
Teriyaki nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt the energy thrumming inside him like a heartbeat. He could feel the attackers' movements before they fully arrived—every twitch, every shift in weight. He ducked a swipe, countered with a blast of energy, and sent them staggering.
It wasn't perfect. He stumbled. He nearly fell. But with every moment, he began to understand the rhythm of his power, the connection between will and reality, between fear and control.
Then, a sharp whistle cut through the night. Two more figures emerged—this time, not enemies, but allies. Flare, a girl with fiery red hair and eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness, and Akonto, a dark-clad figure whose calm demeanor masked lethal skill.
"Need a hand?" Flare called, smirking as she twirled a pair of small, glowing daggers in her hands.
Akonto's gaze was unreadable, but his presence brought a sense of stability to the chaotic plaza. "We've been sent to guide him," he said softly, voice carrying an almost imperceptible warning. "But he must learn fast. The world won't wait for him to catch up."
Teriyaki swallowed hard, adrenaline coursing through him. This was no longer a game. He was no longer the ordinary boy he once thought he was.
He was the heir to a legacy of warriors.
And his first battle had only just begun.
Chapter 3 introduces Teriyaki's first combat, shows the initial control over his powers, and brings in Flare and Akonto to expand the cast and dynamics.
Next is Chapter 4: The Recruiting Arc, where Teriyaki begins gathering allies and the White Fang organization is hinted at.
The city streets were alive with the hum of evening traffic, but to Teriyaki, every sound seemed amplified. Every car horn, every distant footstep, every whisper of wind against the walls—it all felt like it carried a warning.
He followed Kuro through narrow alleys, shadows stretching long and dark under flickering streetlights. His hands itched with the residual energy of his first awakening, the faint violet glow a constant reminder of the power that now lived inside him.
"You have to control it, Teriyaki," Kuro said calmly, keeping pace beside him. "Energy without discipline will burn you—and everyone around you."
"I—I know," Teriyaki stammered. "But how? I've never done anything like this before!"
Kuro stopped abruptly in a small, abandoned plaza. He gestured toward the empty space. "Then we start with fundamentals. Channel your aura through your core. Focus on your breathing. Feel it flow—don't fight it. Let it respond to your will."
Teriyaki inhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. Purple light sparked along his hands and feet, the glow intensifying with each attempt to control it. The air hummed, charged with energy, and for a moment, Teriyaki felt like he could lift the entire plaza with just a thought.
"Good," Kuro said, nodding. "Now… let's see if you can defend yourself."
Before Teriyaki could respond, movement flitted across the rooftops—fast, silent, and deliberate. Two figures landed in the plaza with predatory grace, cloaked in shadows.
"You're the boy with the purple aura?" one of them sneered, eyes glinting beneath their hood. "We've been sent to bring you in… alive or not."
Teriyaki's pulse quickened. This was it—his first real test. He raised his hands, and the violet energy coiled around him like a living thing, protective and fierce.
The first attacker lunged. Teriyaki's instincts, raw and untamed, surged. A burst of purple energy shot from his hands, knocking the figure back into the concrete wall with a deafening crash. The second attacker hesitated, shock flashing in their eyes.
"You… you're stronger than I thought," they muttered, regrouping for another strike.
Kuro stepped beside Teriyaki, drawing a blade that shimmered faintly in the dim light. "Remember, Teriyaki. Focus. Control. Strike with purpose, not fear."
Teriyaki nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt the energy thrumming inside him like a heartbeat. He could feel the attackers' movements before they fully arrived—every twitch, every shift in weight. He ducked a swipe, countered with a blast of energy, and sent them staggering.
It wasn't perfect. He stumbled. He nearly fell. But with every moment, he began to understand the rhythm of his power, the connection between will and reality, between fear and control.
Then, a sharp whistle cut through the night. Two more figures emerged—this time, not enemies, but allies. Flare, a girl with fiery red hair and eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness, and Akonto, a dark-clad figure whose calm demeanor masked lethal skill.
"Need a hand?" Flare called, smirking as she twirled a pair of small, glowing daggers in her hands.
Akonto's gaze was unreadable, but his presence brought a sense of stability to the chaotic plaza. "We've been sent to guide him," he said softly, voice carrying an almost imperceptible warning. "But he must learn fast. The world won't wait for him to catch up."
Teriyaki swallowed hard, adrenaline coursing through him. This was no longer a game. He was no longer the ordinary boy he once thought he was.
He was the heir to a legacy of warriors.
And his first battle had only just begun.
Chapter 3 introduces Teriyaki's first combat, shows the initial control over his powers, and brings in Flare and Akonto to expand the cast and dynamics.
Next is Chapter 4: The Recruiting Arc, where Teriyaki begins gathering allies and the White Fang organization is hinted at.