The rain came down black and heavy, turning neon reflections in the streets into streaks of ink. The city smelled metallic, like iron and ozone, a scent that always made Ren Soji uneasy.
He moved quietly through the crowd, hood pulled low, trying not to stand out. Around him, umbrellas bobbed like colorful mushrooms, people hurrying to escape the storm.
On the corner, an old man struggled to cover his market stall. Ren didn't hesitate. He tugged the tarp over a box of bruised fruit.
"Thank you, young man," the vendor said, panting.
"No problem," Ren replied. "Though judging by how slippery that tarp is, I should probably get paid in fruit instead of thanks."
The man chuckled despite himself. "I'll take that as fair."
Small acts of kindness. That was how Ren lived—careful, polite, never causing ripples in the water. It was the Soji way: strength measured by what you spare, not what you destroy.
Up ahead, Aya Mihara waved under her bright umbrella, hair plastered by the rain. "You'll catch a cold again, Soji-boy," she teased. "Always walking without one."
Ren smiled faintly. "I don't mind the rain."
"You act like you've already seen monsters, Ren," she said, tilting her head, eyes glinting for just a moment.
He didn't answer. Kids gossip too much, he thought.
Inside the school, students whispered about hybrid sightings. Some joked, others trembled quietly. Aya leaned against the lockers, smirking.
"You think it's true?" she asked. "That some people look just like us… but aren't human anymore?"
Ren shrugged. "Humans always need something to blame when they're scared."
Her smile curved faintly. "Or maybe they're just honest about what they are."
A classmate nearby muttered, "Great, now she's talking about monsters again. This is why I didn't sit next to her."
Ren chuckled under his breath. "You'd survive longer if you worried less."
Aya snorted. "Don't get cocky. You might be hiding something too, Soji-boy."
The bell rang. Aya tossed him a small paper bag. "Hey, want to help me after school? Some boxes to carry for the literature club."
Ren nodded. "Sure." Nothing about this felt suspicious… yet.
Beneath the city, Aya met her accomplice: a pale, insect-like D-Rank hybrid. The abandoned subway platform smelled of rust and oil. Neon lights buzzed overhead.
"You asked for a mission," a distorted voice crackled. "Boredom makes you careless, Aya."
"I just want to test a theory," she replied calmly. Her eyes flicked to a mental image of Ren.
The hybrid clicked its mandibles. "He's one of them. The Great Mother will want his heart still beating."
Aya smirked. "No. I want to see what makes him tick first."
The hybrid sighed, obviously annoyed. "Waste of time."
Aya rolled her eyes. "Some things aren't about time. They're about curiosity. Try to keep up."
After school, the rain returned heavier than ever. Ren and Aya walked under a single umbrella.
"Do you ever get bored of always being so… calm?" she asked, nudging his shoulder.
"Only on days ending with 'y,'" Ren replied dryly.
She laughed, a high, bright sound. "I should've guessed you'd have a sarcastic answer."
Her expression changed quickly. "If you learned someone you cared for wasn't human… would you kill them?"
Ren shrugged. "Depends. Maybe I'd ask why they hid it first."
Lightning cracked, reflecting unnaturally in her eyes. "What if they said… because the world kills anything different?"
Movement behind them caught his eye. A D-Rank hybrid leapt from the shadows, claws extended. The metallic stench of blood and iron hit him.
Ren froze. Aya stepped back, expression unreadable.
"Show me, Soji. Show me what you really are," she whispered.
The hybrid slammed him against a wall. Pain exploded across his chest. Blood soaked the collar of his shirt.
The shadows beneath his feet twisted, rising like ink spilled on water. Time slowed. Heartbeat deafened him.
Aya's voice cut softly through the storm. "There it is."
Chains of black shot out, wrapping around the hybrid. Frost bloomed across the street, forming jagged spikes. The creature shrieked as black chains pinned it in place, its limbs frozen.
Ren screamed, half in pain, half disbelief. The world smelled of wet iron and ash. The rain hissed as it hit the frozen ground.
Aya stepped closer, kneeling beside him. "Beautiful," she whispered, almost softly.
The shadow melted back into his body. Ren collapsed, exhausted, body trembling.
Sirens screamed in the distance. Armored HPA vehicles slid through the mist.
Aya pressed her communicator. "Target confirmed. The Showdown Nightmare has awakened."
A distorted voice replied: "Retrieve him."
She smiled faintly. "Not tonight. He deserves to sleep, at least."
Without another word, she vanished into the rain.
Ren's consciousness faded. The city blurred into streaks of neon and shadow. The rain drummed against his face like a heartbeat.
Something inside him stirred, alive, watching. His eyes fluttered closed.
And he realized, faintly, terrifyingly: the world would never be the same again