The evening air was warm, carrying the quiet hum of the city as the sun dipped lower behind the skyline.
Not too hot.
Not too cold.
Just... boring.
Ren leaned against the railing of a quiet pedestrian bridge, golden eyes drifting lazily over the street below. Cars rolled past. Neon signs flickered to life. Somewhere in the distance a train rattled across steel tracks.
It was the last day of summer break.
And he had absolutely nothing to do.
He sighed and rested his chin in his palm.
"Tomorrow I start at the academy..."
The words sounded heavy.
Most students would be nervous about their first day at Kurogane Academy, the most prestigious combat training school in the country. A place where ability users were molded into soldiers, professionals, and legends.
But Ren wasn't nervous.
He was bored.
Painfully bored.
His fingers tapped against the sheath of the katana at his side.
Carrying a sword in public wasn't unusual in this world. Not for those with abilities.
Still… most people didn't carry one everywhere like he did.
Ren glanced up at the darkening sky.
"I almost wish something bad would happen," he muttered.
His icy blue eyes narrowed slightly as the remnants of the sun's light reflected in them.
"Just for a bit of excitement."
As if the world had heard him…
A shout echoed down the alley beside the bridge.
Ren blinked.
"...Huh."
He leaned forward slightly and looked over the railing.
Five men had cornered someone near the mouth of the alley.
Thieves.
You could always tell.
Cheap weapons. Cheap confidence.
One of them swung a metal pipe lazily against his palm while another laughed.
Ren sighed.
Seriously?
He pushed himself off the railing.
So predictable.
In the alley below, the victim stood still.
A boy about Ren's age.
Black hair.
Sharp eyes.
And absolutely no fear.
Interesting.
Ren landed silently on the pavement behind the group.
None of them noticed.
He rested a hand lightly on the hilt of his katana.
One of the thieves finally spotted him.
"Hey! Kid! This doesn't concern you!"
Ren tilted his head, his crimson hair flowing effortlessly.
"It kind of does now."
The man frowned.
"Why's that?"
Ren shrugged.
"Because you guys look suspicious."
For a moment the alley went quiet.
Then the thieves burst out laughing.
"Oh look! We got a hero!"
One of them stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"You sure you want to play samurai?"
Ren's hand slid slowly onto the sword's grip.
His blue eyes began to glow a vibrant gold as they sharpened.
"Not really."
The blade left the sheath.
A faint golden aura spilled from the steel like liquid sunlight.
The laughter stopped.
The energy pulsed, like a heartbeat.
Ren spoke calmly.
"But you insisted the moment you decided not to be discreet."
The thief rushed him.
Ren dashed like a flash of lightning.
The slash from his blade was so fast it barely made a sound.
A streak of golden light cut through the air.
The pipe split clean in half.
The man froze in shock.
The two pieces of metal clattered to the ground.
"...What the—"
Ren lowered the sword slightly.
The golden aura around him shimmered softly, extending from the blade like a living thing.
It wasn't just power.
It was an extension of himself.
His will.
His breath.
His blade.
"Next?" Ren asked lazily.
But something else moved first.
A shadow peeled away from the wall behind the thieves.
The black-haired boy stepped forward.
In his hands were two curved daggers.
The ground beneath him darkened.
The shadows around his feet twisted like smoke.
One thief barely had time to scream before darkness swallowed his legs and slammed him into the wall.
Ren blinked.
"...Oh?"
The boy glanced sideways at him.
Cold brown eyes.
Brooding.
Silent.
Ren scratched his cheek.
"Huh."
He watched the last two thieves run away screaming.
Then the alley went quiet again.
The shadow user sheathed his daggers.
For a moment the two boys simply stared at each other.
Finally, Ren smiled slightly.
"Not bad."
The other boy said nothing.
Just turned and walked away into the evening.
Ren watched him go.
His faint smile turned into a genuine one.
"This might place actually be interesting."
He slid his katana back into its sheath.
The golden aura faded.
Above the city, the evening's first stars began to appear.
And somewhere in the distance…
A new story had just begun.