Shimazu Mansion was as large as it was impressive. The home, which sat on a small hill overlooking the bustling city of Tokyo, had been constructed centuries ago by the Shimazu ancestors, initially as a castle of sorts. The architecture to this day was reminiscent of those ancient times, with some distinct traces of Japanese style castle left over from the few renovations the home had received.
At one point, the entire noble Shimazu clan had lived under this one roof. Now, it belonged to the head of the clan and his direct family.
Morning came quickly, and when it did, Hachiyo Shimazu was always the first wake up. He liked his coffee cold, and when he didn't feel like coffee, he opted for tea, also cold. Every morning he'd watch his sons come down the large set of grandiose stairs across from the mansion dining room as they left through the front door for school. Today, only one of his kids would be doing so--his youngest and only daughter, Fujiko.
"Fujiko, hurry dear! You'll be late for your entrance exams!" Hachiyo called, sitting at the very end of the table like he always did. At exactly 7:30 sharp, a butler came in delivering breakfast on a silver platter, just how he liked it.
"Thank you, Kawashita. Please give Fujiko something to take with her so she doesn't starve out there. Maybe a banana or something. And wish her good luck for me." The man instructed. Instead of turning to his breakfast, he peered over the morning paper like he usually did, getting to his food around ten minutes later.
As ordered, the butler approached the girl coming down the stairs with a few snacks in a small bag.
"Ms. Fujiko, this is for you. Your father wanted to make sure you did not leave on an empty stomach. He'd also like to wish you good luck."
The girl, who had her wired white earphones plugged in, didn't hear a thing. Her volume was turned to the max.
Fujiko was a thin girl of average height, slim build and generally unintimidating presence. Her blood red hair was combed in an odd style, as it wasn't long enough to grow out, but not short enough to style properly. Instead, it remained in a rather boyish fashion she didn't bother to fix. Her eyes, which were big and round like her mother's, also carried the same blood red hue the family had been known for.
Her outfit today was rather simple--a schoolgirl skirt with plaid red and black design, some white long socks, quaint schoolgirl shoes and a big red baggy hoodie on top. In the very center, the name of some obscure underground metal band was inscribed.
Fujiko's attention snapped to the man, still holding the bag up to her face. With a slight smirk, she grabbed the bag and waved to Kawashita, who then smiled in return as he watched her leave through the front door.
After the chauffer escorted her into the family car, the vehicle quickly made it's way down the hill and into town, of which Fujiko spent the trip jamming out to her music.
As they drew closer to their destination, Fujiko began to notice how great the weather was today, and how much she wanted to feel normal.
"Sho, could you stop the car? I'm going to walk the rest of the way." The girl asked politely.
"Are you sure, Ms. Shimazu? We're still a good distance away from the school."
"Yeah. I'll take the train the rest of the way, don't worry." Fujiko ensured, stepping out of the car. The girl took a long deep breath of the morning air, enjoying the scenery of a bustling city just waking up. And like that, she was on her way, strutting down the street to her music without a care in the world. There wasn't many people out anyways, so she danced a bit to her own tune. With slow stride, the girl made her way underground to the subway station, enjoying the urban environment she hardly got to visit.
As she waited at the platform for her train to arrive, she couldn't help but feel an odd sense in the back of her head--a tingling feeling that only grew stronger by the second. She watched as people began to stand on the platform next to her, coming in for their morning trip to work. Among the crowd she noticed someone who seemed to be giving off this odd sense, someone she had never seen before. With low visibility between the gathering crowd of people, Fujiko made her way through the horde until she eventually was within touching distance of the person emitting this feeling.
He was a baseball player of sorts, big spiky blue hair and a sword holstered behind him on his waist. He was definitely a warrior, and due to the lack of other weapons, she could infer he was a samurai. The girl tried not to attract attention to herself, instead choosing to observe the boy as she tried to make sense of this odd feeling.
And like that, the boy quickly whipped around, feeling a pulse of the same energy she was locked on. The two made very clear eye contact for a few seconds, which slowly grew into an awkward blush between both of them. Fujiko popped an earbud out, hoping for the possibility he'd speak to ask what it was all about.
"Yo, excuse me. You look like a student. Are you going to Tokyo Heights at all?" The boy asked.
Fujiko, who looked back up at him, nervously replied.
"Uh, yeah, I am actually. How did you know?"
"Gut feeling I guess. I don't see you with any swords or big weaponry. You must be a shinobi, then." The boy inferred.
"Yeah, got it right on the head."
"Heh, nice."
Fujiko found it very odd that the boy glossed over the feeling the two obviously seemed to share. She wanted to push the conversation further, but she felt there was no need to when this feeling could have just been some sort of odd fluke.
"Say, you don't recognize me, do you?" Fujiko asked.
"Not at all. You new around here?"
Fujiko found that response to be incredibly odd. Most people around her in public places would stare and recognize her as the next possible heir to the Shimazu clan, the wealthiest family in Tokyo. To this boy, she was just another student passing by.
It wasn't much longer until the train pulled in and everyone boarded. Deciding to test her theory, Fujiko kept a close distance to the boy, sitting only a few rows down from him. Unlike the other passengers, he opted to twiddle with his thumbs instead of play on his phone.
She couldn't help but be attracted and repulsed by him at the same time. His informal speech, boyish and immature nature, overly athletic style, it all was all revolting to her. But at the same time, the feeling she had before felt as if it was drawing them closer together.
She compared the feeling to static electricity. Whenever you had static, bringing your fingers closer to a metal object would invoke a sensory warning. She almost felt as if she'd trigger a shock if she touched him in the same way.
Fujiko ignored this boiling pot of emotions for a bit while she zoned out to her music, taking the morning environment all in. The subway itself had a few portions that actually went through the city, and this specific route allowed for beautiful views over the bustling streets.
The girl found herself lost in her phone, browsing social media when the feeling hit an all time peak. She wanted to look up to see what was causing it, but knew all of this was a distraction that could bother her all day if she gave more mind to it. Instead, she ignored it until the building tension finally snapped in one small touch to the shoulder.
The boy from earlier had tapped her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention, which sent jolts of energy through both of their bodies. Bothered by this, Fujiko angrily looked up to him.
"What do you want? I'm trying to mind my own business here..." Fujiko said, annoyed.
"My bad...you seemed really into whatever you were listening to. What was it? Sounded pretty intense, hehe." The boy smiled, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Look, I don't have time for small talk. I need to keep relaxed for the entrance exam."
"Right, about that. You see, I'm actually kinda nervous! I've never been through the campus before, and none of my friends from middle school are attending with me...since you're the first fellow student I've met that's enrolling there, I thought it would be cool if I kinda tagged along with you for a bit, ya know?" The boy explained.
"Hmm...look. I'm not into the "making friends" thing. I don't mind showing you to the exam site, but after that, you're on your own. That alright?" She said sharply.
"Uh, sure! That's fine! As long as I get some sort of direction around...heh."
The boy was obviously a bit flustered and nervous talking to her. His body language and speech patterns told Fujiko clearly he was experiencing the same odd fluctuation in energy as she was.
With his offer accepted, he promptly sat right next to the girl, nervously starring off into the blue.
"So, tell me. Who are you?" He initiated conversation again, Fujiko slightly annoyed as she tried to focus back onto her music. Catching a bit of his question through the pounding metal music, she popped one of her earbuds out to speak.
"Fujiko. And you are?"
"Ikkei. Nice to properly meet ya! Say, where did you go to school before this?"
"I was homeschooled. My father never took a liking to public education."
"Woah, fancy! So, this is your first time at an actual school?"
"Yeah. And you're from...."
"Mitsuragi Middle School, a little more than 10 miles from Tokyo Heights."
Fujiko, bothered by the boring conversation, finally got across the thoughts that had been searing into her mind since she had seen him.
"Look, be honest with me. Do you feel some sort of...odd feeling around me? Like static or something?"
Ikkei, who was surprised by the sudden shift in topic, answered bluntly.
"Actually, yeah. I was glad you asked...I didn't want to bring it up...I just took it as a sign I should ask you for help."
"Well, it's weird. I've never felt that way around anyone before. Are you special or something?"
"Eh, I wouldn't say that! I'm just a baseball player looking to become a samurai. My family really wants to see me become an honorable warrior, especially my father. Our clan's legacy has always encouraged the first born sons to pursue that kind of thing. So, I'm not gonna let em down!"
"Well aren't you enthusiastic. Wait, what's your clan?"
"Kagemori...what's yours?"
"Shimazu....wait a second...."
The two had a brief moment of silence, then it clicked.
"MY DAD TOLD ME ABOUT YOU GUYS!" The two shouted in unison. Everyone on the train looked at them for a moment, shocked by the sudden outburst.
"It all makes sense now...our spirits are conflicting. They're causing this weird feeling!" Fujiko explained.
"Yeah, that makes sense. My pops always told me they could never get along..."
"Tell me about it. I couldn't even tell you how many times my father tried to encourage me to talk to Kagemori members...all of their spirit fragments are burned out. It all makes sense now. The dragon's shard still burns within you..."
"And the tiger within you. Man, what are the odds! So, are we supposed to kill each other? Or become friends? I have no idea how this whole rivalry thing works." Ikkei laughed.
"We're supposed to keep our distance since the dragon and tiger do not get along...but at the same time, our true potential is awakened when they both come in contact. When you touched me just then, I felt our energy spike. Ikkei, that may be why our spirits have become passive. There hasn't been any contact between the two!"
"Woah...you're right. So, what are you suggesting?"
"We're going to have to fight hard to get into Tokyo Heights right now. Our abilities will be tested, and if we aren't strong enough now to prove our place, then we could be rejected and forced to apply again next year. I have to get in no matter what, because I have certain things I want to achieve. This school NEEDS to teach me everything it can as fast as possible...if I don't get in this year, my dreams will be crushed. I don't know how determined you are to get in, but this is serious business to me. So here's what I propose..."
"I'm listening..."
"When you touched me right now, our spirits caused some sort of reaction. If we maintain a longer contact, we could possibly draw our more energy and become even stronger...making us in much better shape to win the entrance exams. Makes sense, right?"
"I mean, yeah! I don't know a whole lot about this spirit stuff, so I'll have to take your word on this. But if we can both get stronger and guarantee our entry, then I can't say no to that! I'm expecting some tough competition when we get there. Who knows who we may have to fight to get in. All I know is that I have a dream I want to accomplish too, and if I can make yours possible in the process, then it's a no brainer. We gotta work together!"
"Good. Now, hold my hand." The girl said, extending her hand outward.
"Wait, what!?" The boy jumped back nervously.
"Yeah, this is contact. You only triggered that spike of energy when you touched me, so we have to maintain contact to keep that energy high. It's just common sense. Now come on, don't be such a wimp. I'm not going to bite you."
"Uh...alright then..." Ikkei blushed, extending his hand out. Fujiko held it lightly in a way that seemed barley connected, conveying a clear message to the other passengers that the two were not romantically involved. This clear notion however did nothing to ease Ikkei, who was still sweating buckets over the fact he was now holding the hand of a girl he just met--someone his family had a long history with.
"It's working! I feel our energies clashing and rising...it's weird...but it makes me fired up. I feel like I could punch through a building right now!" Fujiko said cheerily.
"Now that you mention it, I feel it too. I don't exactly feel as energetic or strong...but my body is definitely reacting to it. Maybe we actually can get stronger this way."
"We'd better hope. I already had faith in my skills to get in. But if this actually works, we won't just stomp the competition, we'll make a name for ourselves. And that's exactly what I want to establish. I want to be known as more than just the lone Shimazu daughter...I'm going to become a Kunoichi worth her own salt."
"Right. Let's both make sure we get past this, alright?" Ikkei said confidently.
"Right." Fujiko said with a nod, matching his determination.
On the streets under the train tracks, a horde of black chopper style motorcycles drove in a cluster through the busy Tokyo traffic, their mufflers shooting out large black clouds that filled the pavement with a thick lingering fog.
The leader of the pack was none other than Yozama Hazzard himself, wearing his trademark leather jacket with pride. Numerous patches decorated the sleeves and chest, but the most notable was the largest on the back, the insignia of a demon's skull with the title "THOUSAND DEVILS" inscribed above and below it. A rarer sight was the large metal chain link around his left arm--leading to inside his jacket.
One of the lackeys pulled just aside Yozama as they barreled down the street.
"So boss, why are we going to Tokyo Heights again!?" The lackey shouted.
"I sensed a strength that day from that kid...a strength that perfectly matches mine! You know how bad I've been wanting a proper rival? Someone so close to me in power that we're practically neck and neck? It's all I've ever wanted! So if I have to enroll in this academy to fight him, then so be it! Me and this guy are gonna form the perfect rivalry...whether he likes it or not!" Yozama shouted, pushing the gas on his bike even more, rocketing him towards the school.
Entrance Exams were just about to begin.