Neo-Tokyo's skyline shimmered under the heavy weight of the night sky. The city stretched endlessly, a maze of towering skyscrapers and neon lights, the perfect cover for corruption that festered beneath. Sirens screamed through the air, their sounds bouncing off the walls of steel and glass, as rain pounded the streets below.

A figure darted down a narrow alleyway, breathing hard. His clothes were soaked through, and his sneakers slapped against the pavement. This was *Ren Takahashi*, an ordinary student burdened with extraordinary power, struggling to control something far bigger than himself.

Behind him, police drones whirred through the rain, scanning for his presence. Ren glanced over his shoulder, his heart racing. His legs burned, and his muscles trembled—not from fatigue, but from the power surging uncontrollably within him.

"Not now," Ren thought desperately."Not again..."

His legs buckled, and he staggered forward. He could feel the energy building in his limbs, like a dam about to burst. Every time he pushed his body beyond its limits, the pain became more intense—the side effect of having a power he had no idea how to control.

Ren forced himself to move, diving behind a stack of crates in a desperate attempt to hide. His chest heaved with ragged breaths as he pressed his back against the wall, trying to calm his racing heart. But it was no use. He could feel it—his power—thrumming beneath the surface, waiting to explode.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles white. His body felt like it was tearing itself apart from the inside out. It always happened when he pushed too hard—his strength would swell, muscles screaming as they expanded beyond their limits. A single punch from him could break through steel, but every blow came with a cost. The pain afterward was unbearable, his body nearly collapsing under its own power.

"Just a little longer... I can handle this," Ren told himself, though the searing ache in his bones said otherwise.

Suddenly, the sound of the drones grew louder. They were closing in, their sensors glowing red through the rain-soaked night. Ren gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, every muscle trembling under the strain. He couldn't hold back anymore.

The crates he hid behind exploded into splinters as Ren surged forward. His legs pumped with raw power, the ground cracking beneath his feet as he launched himself into the air. He came down hard on the nearest drone, his fist connecting with its metal frame in a thunderous crash. The drone shattered into pieces, sparking and falling lifeless to the ground.

Before Ren could catch his breath, another drone swooped down, its mechanical claws reaching for him. With a grunt of pain, Ren threw himself to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. His body screamed in protest—every movement was agony—but he couldn't stop. He couldn't let them capture him.

With a powerful kick, Ren sent the drone crashing into a wall, but the force of his own attack caused his leg to seize up. He crumpled to the ground, panting heavily. His vision blurred as pain shot through his limbs.

"Not now…" he thought, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

And then, just as he was about to lose consciousness, a pair of boots appeared in his field of vision.

Ren blinked through the rain, his heart skipping a beat as he looked up. Standing over him was a tall man, clad in a long black coat. His face was shadowed by the hood he wore, but Ren recognized him instantly.

It was *Yukio Sato*, the hero who had disappeared over a decade ago. Once a symbol of justice, Yukio had vanished without a trace, leaving the world's heroes to fade into myth.

Now, here he was, standing over Ren as if he had never left.

Yukio crouched down, his eyes cold and calculating as they scanned Ren's trembling form. "You're pushing your body too hard," he said in a low, gravelly voice. "You'll destroy yourself before you even learn how to use that power."

Ren's jaw tightened, but he couldn't find the strength to respond. His body was on fire, muscles screaming in pain.

Yukio sighed and shook his head. "Stubborn, just like your father."

The mention of his father sent a jolt through Ren. His father had been a hero too—one of the greatest. But like Yukio, he had disappeared years ago, leaving Ren with nothing but a legacy he could never live up to.

"I'm nothing like him," Ren managed to rasp, his voice strained with pain.

Yukio stared at him for a long moment, then stood up. "You're right," he said. "But that's why you might actually survive this."

Ren gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet despite the agony. "I'm not just trying to survive," he said, his voice filled with determination. "I'm trying to fight back. The government's hunting anyone with abilities—someone has to stop them."

Yukio's eyes softened, just for a moment. "And you think you're that someone?"

"If I don't do it," Ren said, meeting Yukio's gaze, "who will?"

Yukio studied him in silence, then nodded slightly. "Maybe you're right," he said. "But if you want to fight, you need to learn control. You can't keep burning yourself out like this."

Ren nodded, though he was unsure if he could ever fully control the power that coursed through him. But he knew one thing for sure—he wasn't going to sit on the sidelines anymore.

Yukio turned and started walking away, his coat billowing behind him in the rain. "Meet me tomorrow night," he called over his shoulder. "Same place. I'll show you what you need to do if you want to stand a chance."

Ren watched him disappear into the shadows, a new resolve burning inside him. Whatever secrets Yukio held, Ren would uncover them.

For Neo-Tokyo. For his father's legacy. And for every forgotten hero that had come before him.