Yuro's nostrils flared slightly, the only sign of his rising temper. "Who are you?" he demanded, "And how do you know my name?"
The stranger tilted his head slightly, his sunglasses hiding any glint of emotion. "I know much more than just your name," he began slowly, every word dripping with meaning. "You were born to Kaito and Aika Kubomi. They made sure you were fed and cared for."
Yuro's jaw tightened. Yes, they had made sure he was fed, but love was a luxury they never afforded him. Memories of his parents flashed before his eyes - their cold stares, their endless demands for perfection.
The man continued, seemingly oblivious to Yuro's rising tension. "By the age of ten, you, a prodigious talent, were already in high school, impressing teachers and classmates alike. A year later, the world believed it had lost you. A 'vacation,' they said, turned tragic when a drunken driver sent your family car careening off the road. Two dead, one missing."
The weight of that day bore down on Yuro. The sound of their voices, the eerie silence in the car, then the blinding headlights and the world turning upside down.
Seeing Yuro's reaction, the man pressed on, "You vanished from the wreckage, no trace left. A mystery even today. Yet here you stand."
Eyes aflame with confusion and anger, Yuro challenged, "How do you know all this?!"
Without answering, the man gestured for Yuro to follow him outside. There was a momentary standoff, but the young fighter's burning need for answers prevailed. With a reluctant, hesitant step, he trailed the stranger.
As they walked, the man, seemingly lost in his thoughts, began speaking, "You know, I was really surpris--" But Yuro, overcome by emotion, launched into a powerful kick aimed straight for the back of the stranger's head, hoping to end this mystery then and there.
In an uncanny display of reflex, the stranger, without even turning to look at Yuro, reached back and grasped Yuro's ankle firmly. The counter to the kick made the young fighter feel like a child, lashing out in a tantrum, trying to land a hit on an unmovable, unperturbed adult. It threw Yuro off balance, mentally and physically, reminding him of the humbling encounters he'd had with Master Itai. With astonishing power and precision, the man slammed Yuro onto the ground. The world blurred for Yuro, pain radiating through his body.
"Now why," the man asked calmly, barely out of breath, "would you attack me while I'm talking and my back's turned?"
Yuro, dazed and infuriated, could only glare in response.
The stranger finally turned to face him. "Let me introduce myself properly," he began, an air of authority about him. "I'm Ryuya, Combat Squad Leader of the Polaris Ragnarok Combat Squad. What you experienced was my Genous in action. I can sense fluctuations of atoms nearby, allowing me to predict any impending physical contact. Plus, my physical prowess is, let's say, a bit beyond ordinary. Think ten gorillas."
His words hung heavy in the air. Yuro's mind raced, trying to process the onslaught of information.
Ryuya leaned in slightly, locking his eyes onto Yuro's, "Whether you like it or not, your destiny is now intertwined with the world's. You've surpassed what any human fighter can achieve. You, Yuro Kubomi, will be the catalyst of a new era."
Yuro's mind whirled, vision narrowing. The pain, combined with the weight of revelation, was too much. Darkness edged his vision, and before he could muster another word or thought, he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The world waited in bated breath for what lay ahead.