The grand stadium in Tokyo Tower Arena was unlike anything ever seen before. Floating screens hovered in the sky, displaying names, ranks, and flashy highlights of battles in progress. Over 500 of the strongest warriors in Japan had gathered — 250 A-Ranks and 250 S-Ranks — for the first-ever A+ Rank Essence Tournament.
The crowd roared as the tournament commenced. With millions watching across the world and a 5 million USD prize on the line, the pressure in the arena was suffocating. But not for Riku.
He walked through the gate into the first arena, his expression calm as ever. The moment he stepped in, he could feel it — the ripple of unfathomable energy surging within him. The remnants of the S-Rank and EX-Rank beasts he had absorbed now pulsed beneath his skin like a silent storm waiting to be unleashed.
"First Match: Riku Hayashi vs. Daisuke Oroi (A-Rank, Electric Essence)!"
The moment the match began, Daisuke charged in, lightning trailing behind him — but before he could blink, Riku was behind him.
One palm strike.
Daisuke collapsed instantly, his Essence temporarily short-circuited. The crowd gasped. Riku had barely moved.
Over on another field, Yumi Aoyama stepped into her first match. Her opponent underestimated her — a mistake he wouldn't make again.
She whispered, "Essence: Lunar Chains."Silver-white chains erupted from the ground, binding her enemy mid-dash. In seconds, he was out.
Meanwhile, Toru Kurotaki faced a cocky A-Rank warrior with a blade Essence. The moment the man tried to lunge, Toru smashed through the sword with a glowing punch. His Titan Essence roared around him like thunder.
"Three moves," he muttered. "You're lucky I didn't go full strength."
The tournament continued in full force.
Match after match, Riku advanced — and so did Yumi and Toru. Warriors who had trained for years fell instantly to the sheer overwhelming pressure the three radiated.
Behind the scenes, murmurs started:
"Who is this kid?""He's too calm. Too fast.""Wait, isn't that Riku Hayashi? The one they call the Nicest Warrior Alive?"
By the end of the first day, 480 warriors had been eliminated.
Only 20 remained.
The list of survivors glowed on the floating screens above:
Riku Hayashi
Yumi Aoyama
Toru Kurotaki
Kaito Ren (A-Rank, Teleportation Essence)
Hina Mori (S-Rank, Ice Essence)
Shun Arata (A-Rank, Pressure Field Essence)
Mizuki Reina (S-Rank, Phantom Arms)
Kazuki Tao (S-Rank, Gravity Manipulation)
Ayaka Shinomiya (A-Rank, Thunder Beast Form)
…and 11 more elite fighters
Riku leaned against a wall in the preparation room, sipping water. He looked over and saw Yumi sitting beside him, smiling softly.
"You're tearing through everyone," she said. "You haven't even broken a sweat."
Riku smiled faintly. "I think… those beast souls are giving me an edge I didn't know I had."
Yumi tilted her head. "You're still you though. Power or not."
Toru walked in, bruised but grinning. "Only 20 left. Guess we're all making history, huh?"
Riku nodded. "It's far from over."
Toru pointed at him. "Just don't hold back when we fight. I want to see what that power really looks like."
Riku didn't respond right away. He glanced at his hand — faint glowing threads of essence flickered across his palm. Something was changing inside him.
This tournament wasn't just about the money anymore. It was revealing something deeper… something dangerous.
And Riku knew — the real fight hadn't even started yet.