Nato7

The Awakening: Around 150 years ago, a mysterious event known as "The Rift" caused a dramatic shift in the world. This event opened portals from another dimension, bringing Essences—mysterious and powerful entities—into the world. These Essences granted some individuals extraordinary abilities and set in motion a global conflict.

Essence Warriors: These are people who possess the power of an Essence, which can take various forms depending on the individual’s soul and affinity. Some are born with their Essence powers from birth, while others awaken them later in life. These warriors are ranked according to their power level, and the rankings play a significant role in their status, training, and missions.

Essence Reborn

Smoke curled into the sky from every direction. People screamed. Sirens wailed. The streets of Tokyo were shrouded in chaos, the earlier rain mixing with the acrid stench of destruction. Riku stood still only for a moment, then vanished in a blur of blue light.

Another boom. Northeast quadrant.

He appeared just in time—an office building on the verge of collapse, flames devouring its lower floors. Hovering in the air was a second attacker, this one clad in a crimson cloak with glowing runes etched across his arms. A sphere of Essence energy hovered above his palm, ready to be unleashed.

"Another Essence pawn shows up," the man sneered. "You're all starting to look the same to me."

Instead, he shot forward, his movements sharp, fluid, precise—Essence-controlled speed. He slammed a kick into the man's ribs midair, sending him crashing through a billboard.

The attacker roared, firing bolts of chaotic Essence in all directions.

Riku dodged them with ease, calculating, stepping on collapsing debris midair. He didn't need Divine Avatar for this. Not for someone like him.

Just his base power. That was enough.

As the man lunged with a massive energy blade, Riku ducked, spun, and drove his fist upward into the man's gut, shattering the blade into particles. He followed with a combo—elbow, knee, palm strike—before grabbing the man mid-fall and smashing him into the street below, leaving a crater.

The battle had lasted under a minute.

The attacker gasped, blood spilling from his lips. "W-what… are you?"

Riku looked down, his blue aura faint but steady. "An Essence Warrior."

He left the man restrained, forming an Essence seal similar to the one from earlier.

Crowds had begun to gather, even as emergency teams rushed in.

A voice from behind him called, "That's two down, right?!"

Riku turned to see Takumi and Renji approaching, both in uniform, panting and scratched up from the earlier attack.

"Yeah," Riku replied, eyes distant, scanning the skyline. "But there are still two more."

Suddenly, an explosion cracked the sky in the west.

Renji's eyes widened. "That one's near the academy…"

Riku's hands clenched. Without another word, he disappeared again in a flash of blue.

Chapter 32: Echoes of Rebellion