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The streets of the Rust District buzzed with the usual chaos — drones whirring overhead, pipes rattling, and distant alarms echoing from higher levels. Jiro Tensai's heartbeat matched the faint blue threads pulsing beneath his skin.
He had spent hours hiding the Ryūshin-ken chip, the small device that promised power beyond his understanding. Today, he decided to insert it into his neural interface, letting its corrupted data merge with his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Jiro activated the chip. A cold pulse ran through his skull as fragments of martial forms, stances, and breathing patterns streamed into his consciousness. Pain flashed in his temples as the Ryūshin-ken program synced with his dormant Essentia core, awakening the latent elemental threads that had been dormant in his body for years.
Colors exploded behind his eyelids — flashes of fire, water, air, and earth weaving together in impossible harmony. His body reacted instinctively, moving as though guided by invisible hands. A nearby metal pipe quivered, sparks dancing along its surface in response to his energy.
Jiro stumbled, breath heavy, but the sensation was intoxicating. His body felt alive in a way it never had before. Essentia surged through his veins, elemental power awakening in tandem with the Ryūshin-ken forms, as if the two were designed to merge.
"Focus," he muttered to himself. "Control it… control it!"
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Intent on testing the chip's practicality — and hoping to trade the data-core for supplies — Jiro slipped into a crowded market. Merchants hawked black-market electronics, scavengers bartered for parts, and gangs patrolled their corners.
He kept the glowing chip hidden beneath his jacket, feeling it pulse faintly against his chest. It was a heartbeat in its own right.
But before he could finalize a trade, red lights sliced through the smog.
"Target acquired — Jiro Tensai," a cold, mechanical voice rang out. Central Authority drones descended, scanning the market.
The middleman's eyes widened. "They… they're after that chip! Run!"
Jiro's heart pounded. The Ryūshin-ken forms flashed through his mind instinctively, guiding his steps. He dashed through the alleyways, Essentia and elemental threads flaring in response to his desperation. Pipes bent, dust swirled, and even the air seemed to hum with his newfound energy.
But the Authority was prepared. Drones converged, and from the sky shot a magnetic restraint net, capturing him mid-leap. Sparks flew as the elemental energy in his body resisted, but the containment was too strong. Within moments, he was lifted into the air, struggling but unable to escape.
From the cockpit, a cold man voice announced:"You are now in the custody of the Central Authority, Jiro Tensai. That chip is property of the state. Compliance is mandatory."
Jiro's fists clenched. His Essentia core flared, elemental energy surging, but the Ryūshin-ken chip pulsed in his mind, melding with his instincts. He realized, even bound, that this power was his — a spark the world couldn't take from him entirely.
Above the Rust District, the faint crack in the sky shimmered once more, as though acknowledging his awakening. Blue light danced along its edges, calling to him silently.
And Jiro Tensai understood: survival now meant facing the Central Authority, mastering the Ryūshin-ken chip, and harnessing the elemental threads flowing through his veins.
The world after Earth was dangerous. But for the first time, Jiro felt ready.
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