The low hum of the plane's engine softened as it descended toward Haneda Airport, the wheels screeching upon contact with the tarmac. Elric Ho disembarked with the practiced precision - efficient, controlled, and alert. He looked like an average individual in his casual business clothing, with short black hair and brown color eyes. Beneath his business attire, scars traced his arms and torso, marking him as a survivor of countless battles and survival. Despite his intimidating and disciplined demeanor, he was a kind individual and looked every bit like a professional.
In one hand, he dragged a suitcase; in the other, a briefcase; and on his back, a large backpack. His few possessions fit easily inside, though the real weight he carried far beyond his possessions. Somewhere deeper.
Tokyo greeted him with neon lights flickering, booming ads, and the chaotic hum of voices and ceaseless traffic. But as the taxi sped through the tangle of city streets, Elric's focus remained elsewhere. A faint tension prickled beneath his skin, an unsettling sense that clung to the air, thick and almost suffocating.
Cursed energy.
The dark force that coursed through Japan felt overwhelming, far stronger than anything he'd encountered in America. Here, it pulsed like a heartbeat beneath the city's surface, feeding the spirits lurking in shadowed alleys and abandoned places. And then there was his own curse technique, Blood Formation - powerful, yet dangerous to reveal. He knew others in Japan could wield similar powers, each unique, and in this land of curses and spirits, every step would demand caution. One misstep could draw the attention of both cursed spirits and those who sought for domination or destruction.
But Elric had been trained to handle the unknown - lessons ingrained by his father, a figure legendary for his own combat skills. His childhood had fractured from a divorce of his parents, each day a test of strength and survival, shaping him into the disciplined man he was now. Those years felt distant but ever-present, a shadow in his steps. And his curse technique, Blood Formation, hidden from everyone, was a double-edged skill he'd spent years mastering alone.
His life had taken a more conventional turn in recent years, though it felt more like a disguise than a true shift. At seventeen, he'd distanced himself from his father, estranged by years of grueling expectations and unspoken resentments. By twenty, he'd graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a master's degree in Computer Science - a degree that had little to do with curses or combat, and everything to do with building a new path. A prestigious company in America had quickly recognized his skills and excellence. His dedication led to a coveted transfer to their Japanese branch after just three years - a calculated decision, though he hadn't anticipated just how intense the cursed energy would be here.
At twenty-two, when he arrived at his new apartment - a modest space in an unassuming building nestled among Tokyo's crowded skyline - Elric felt a strange sense of isolation. He paused at the doorway, his gaze lingering over the pale walls and sparse furniture. The room felt empty, almost indifferent, a place that seemed to invite neither comfort nor permanence. He placed his suitcase by the bed but didn't unpack, instead drifting to the window. Outside, city lights flickered, painting the walls with a shifting glow, a reminder of the life thrumming below, yet distant from here. This wasn't home - It was more like a temporary refuge.
Unpacking his belongings, he arranged his few possessions methodically. Each item - clothes folded with military precision, a leather-bound notebook, a well-worn training manual - seemed to carry echoes of the life he'd left behind. The last items he unpacked from his large backpack were a game console and a laptop, the latter worth a million dollars for its advanced technology. He had won the ultra-expensive laptop as a prize for winning a lottery and a tournament activity during his time at UCLA. The apartment's walls felt thin, barely holding back the weight of Tokyo's vibrant, cursed energy. Here, in Japan, he would need to be more vigilant than ever. Cursed spirits could lurk anywhere, drawn by negative emotions, feeding off the chaos of city life. Any slip in control, any lapse in focus, could attract unwanted attention.
That night, still unpacking his belongings, trying to ignore the constant hum of the city outside. His thoughts drifted to a month away - to the start of his new position at the Japanese branch, to his first day in a place that would demand both his skills and his secrets. Yet his mind wouldn't rest. The cursed energy here wasn't just present - it was heavy, pervasive, as though something unseen watched him even now.
Instinctively, his Blood Formation simmered beneath his skin, reacting instinctively to the dark presence around him. Elric allowed a sliver of killing intent to surge, his irises flashing a menacing crimson at the the lingering dark presence. This killing intent terrified the dark presences, causing one revealed cursed spirit to lash out. He swiftly neutralized the spirit with little effort, a feat that caused weaker cursed spirits to steer clear of Elric's presence. This was no ordinary place. Even though he had cleared the room of threats for now, Elric knew he'd barely scratched the surface of Tokyo's hidden dangers. Tokyo was a city of spirits, a land of ancient grudges and hidden threats, and he was a stranger in its midst.
This was where his true test would begin. A test of strength, control, and secrecy. Whatever was waiting for him in this city - something dark, something ancient - it had already noticed his arrival. And whether he liked it or not, it would be watching his every move.