The rain fell in a thin, relentless sheet, turning the narrow back‑alley of *Shibuya's Neon Ghetto* into a mirror‑shattered labyrinth. Neon signs flickered through the downpour, casting lurid reds and sick greens onto puddles that swallowed the footsteps of anyone foolish enough to be out. Jayden *Miyazaki* pulled his tattered hood tighter, the weight of his school‑bag feeling like a sack of lead. He'd missed the last bus by a hair and now the night owned the streets.
He'd never believed in the *Beast System*—those whispered rumors of an invisible code that let people bond with monsters, shapeshift, or summon fire with a thought. To Jayden, it was just urban legend, the kind of nonsense his older brother *Rai* used to spin over late‑night gaming sessions. "One day, kid, you'll get a *Beast* and everything changes," Rai had laughed, eyes glitching with the glow of his VR headset.
A sudden, guttural scream ripped through the rain. It wasn't a scream of pain—it was a *roar* that seemed to vibrate the very air, like a bass drop in a club that never ends. Jayden froze. The sound came from *Karakuri Street*, a dead‑end known for abandoned vending machines and stray cats.
He turned the corner, boots splashing, and the scene hit him like a punch.
A hulking figure—half‑metal, half‑flesh—was tearing at something invisible, its claws rending the night. In its grasp, a *young girl*—no older than twelve—was being pulled into a vortex of swirling black smoke. Her eyes glowed a feral violet, and a thin line of blood traced down her cheek.
"*STOP!*" Jayden shouted without thinking, the word tearing his throat raw.
The creature snapped its head toward him. Its face was a nightmare: a *human skull* with jagged horns sprouting from the temples, and where a mouth should have been, a yawning abyss of teeth. It snarled, and a wave of *cold pressure* slammed Jayden against a rusted vending machine. The metal crunched, spilling cans of warm soda that rolled like tiny, futile shields.
For a heartbeat, Jayden saw *himself* reflected in the broken glass—his own face, pale, eyes wide with terror. Then something *inside* him pulsed. A sharp, electric sting shot up his spine, like a needle piercing his skull. His vision fractured into a kaleidoscope of *red* and *black*, and a low, mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
> **"Beast System activated. Host: J‑M‑001. Compatibility: 96.7 %."
A surge of heat erupted from his back. He felt *wings*—immense, leathery, ink‑dark—unfolding behind him, each membrane threaded with veins of fire. His hair, previously black as midnight, ignited into *crimson flames* that licked the air without burning. His eyes—now *scarlet*—pierced the gloom.
The creature recoiled, its own eyes widening. It let out a deafening screech, the sound shattering the windows of nearby buildings. Jayden's mind raced. Instinct? Memory? A *memory flash* slammed into him:
> _A silver‑haired man in a long coat, standing before an ancient altar, chanting. "The Crimson Covenant will awaken when darkness claims the blood of the innocent."_
The girl's blood—still warm—dripped onto his hand. A *crimson rune* blossomed on his palm, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. Power surged through his veins, raw and unfiltered.
He thrust his hand forward. From his fingertips erupted a *burst of molten lava*, striking the beast's chest. The creature howled, its flesh melting away, revealing a skeletal core of *obsidian*. It staggered, then collapsed, dissolving into a cloud of ash that was instantly swallowed by the rain.
Silence fell. The rain slowed, as if the sky itself held its breath. The girl lay crumpled on the wet concrete, her violet eyes fading. She whispered a single word:
"*Thank…*"
Then, a *soft glow* enveloped her, and she vanished—leaving behind a *silver pendant* shaped like a tiny dragon, its eyes tiny rubies that flickered like distant stars.
Jayden stared at his hands, still trembling. The *demon wings* folded back into his skin, leaving only a faint, scar‑like pattern of black scales across his shoulder blades. His mind was a storm of questions:
_Who am I?_
_What is the Beast System?_
_Why did that creature come for her?_
A sudden vibration buzzed in his pocket. He pulled out his *smartphone*, its screen lighting up with an unfamiliar UI:
*[BEAST SYSTEM]*
*Status:* _Active_
*Bonded Beast:* _None_
*Unlocked Abilities:*
- *Crimson Inferno* (Fire)
- *Shadow Veil* (Stealth)
- *Runic Shield* (Protection)
Below the text, a *soft, melodic chime* rang, followed by a notification:
> *New mission detected:* _Retrieve the Dragon Pendant before midnight. Failure will result in a city‑wide catastrophe._
Jayden's breath hitched. The rain began to fall harder, each drop sounding like a ticking clock. He clenched the pendant, feeling the *cold metal* against his skin, and a sudden flash of *red light* illuminated the alley—revealing *two silhouettes* standing at the far end.
One was tall, cloaked in midnight fabric, a *vampire* with fangs bared, eyes glowing an eerie amber. The other, a hulking figure with *wolfish features*, fur bristling, fangs exposed—a *werewolf*. Both stared at him with a mixture of curiosity and menace.
"Looks like you've just stepped into the war, kid," the vampire hissed, voice like dry leaves.
The werewolf let out a low growl, "You're the one we've been waiting for."
Jayden tightened his grip on the pendant, his demon wings trembling beneath his skin, ready to burst forth. The night was far from over.
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