The next morning, Ryo woke to the unmistakable sound of crunching. He opened his eyes to find Kenji sitting cross-legged beside him, devouring a bag of chips with the enthusiasm of someone who hadn't eaten in weeks.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," Kenji said through a mouthful of chips.
Ryo sat up, groaning. "Kenji, how are you always eating? Is your shard secretly powered by junk food?"
Kenji smirked. "If it is, I'm unstoppable."
Rei walked into the room, balancing three cups of coffee. "Glad to see you two are awake. We've got a long day ahead."
"Do I smell coffee?" Ryo sniffed the air like a bloodhound, grabbing a cup. "You're a lifesaver, Rei. I take back 10% of the mean things I've said about you."
"That still leaves 90%," Rei said dryly, sipping her coffee.
Akira appeared from the corner, already dressed and looking as sharp as ever. "If you're done joking around, we need to move. The person we're meeting doesn't like to wait."
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "Who is this mystery person, anyway? Some kind of ancient master? A wise old hermit?"
Akira gave him a flat look. "No. It's my ex-teammate, Sora. And they're… eccentric."
---
Meeting Sora
The group arrived at a cluttered workshop on the outskirts of the city. The building looked like it had been cobbled together from scrap metal and duct tape. Ryo peered at the sign over the door, which read "Sora's Totally Legit Artifact Repair and Smoothie Bar."
"Smoothies?" Ryo asked, confused.
"They're multi-talented," Akira muttered, knocking on the door.
The door flew open, and a young person with wild hair and goggles perched on their forehead grinned at them. "Akira! You're still alive! That's… surprising!"
"Good to see you too, Sora," Akira said with a sigh.
Sora's eyes darted to the group. "Ooh, new friends! Wait, let me guess—serious one, snack-loving gremlin, and… ah, the golden retriever hero type."
Ryo pointed at himself. "Golden retriever? I'll take it."
Sora clapped their hands. "Come in, come in! Mind the floor; it's booby-trapped."
Kenji froze mid-step. "Booby-trapped?!"
"Just kidding," Sora said with a laugh. "Probably."
---
The Shard Analysis
Inside, the workshop was a chaotic mess of tools, wires, and half-finished contraptions. Sora took one look at the shard Rei placed on their workbench and whistled.
"Well, well, this is a beauty. Where'd you find it?"
"Kurogami dropped it after summoning a shadow dragon to try and kill us," Ryo said casually.
Sora blinked. "You guys have way more exciting lives than I do."
As they examined the shard, Sora's expression grew serious. "This is a primal shard. They're insanely powerful, but also insanely dangerous. Kurogami must be trying to gather them to amplify his abilities."
Ryo leaned closer. "Amplify, like making him stronger? Or amplify, like turning him into a kaiju?"
"Both," Sora said. "If he gets enough of these, he could reshape reality itself."
Kenji raised a hand. "Uh, quick question. If these shards are so dangerous, why aren't they locked away in, like, a magic vault or something?"
Sora shrugged. "Budget cuts?"
---
A Sudden Attack
Before they could delve deeper into the shard's mysteries, the workshop shook violently. Tools and gadgets fell from shelves as a loud explosion echoed outside.
"Not again," Sora groaned, grabbing a strange-looking device. "I told them to stop messing with my stuff!"
"What's going on?" Rei asked, already activating her shard.
Sora peeked out the window. "Oh, just some bounty hunters. They've been trying to steal my artifacts for weeks."
Ryo perked up. "Bounty hunters? Cool! Let me handle this."
He ran outside, followed by the rest of the group. A trio of heavily armored figures stood in the yard, weapons drawn.
"You're not supposed to be here!" Sora yelled. "This is private property!"
One of the bounty hunters, a hulking figure with a glowing hammer, pointed at Sora. "Hand over the shard, and we won't have to hurt you."
Ryo stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Sorry, but the shard's not for sale. But if you're looking for a fight, I'm happy to oblige."
Kenji whispered to Rei, "Why does he sound like an action movie hero every time he talks?"
"Because he thinks he is one," Rei muttered.
---
The Fight
The bounty hunters charged, and chaos erupted.
Ryo dodged the hammer-wielding brute, countering with quick punches. "Hey, big guy! Ever heard of personal space?"
Kenji darted around, tossing random objects at the second bounty hunter, who was trying to aim a plasma rifle. "Catch! And this! And—wait, is this a wrench?!"
Rei engaged the third bounty hunter, who wielded twin energy blades. Their movements were fast, but Rei's precise attacks kept them at bay.
Meanwhile, Sora stood back, tinkering with a strange device. "Keep them busy for a minute! I've got a surprise for them!"
Ryo yelled back, "A surprise? Please tell me it's not a bomb!"
"It's not a bomb!" Sora paused. "Well, not technically."
The hammer-wielding bounty hunter swung at Ryo, who ducked just in time. The hammer smashed into the ground, leaving a crater.
"Okay, that's impressive," Ryo admitted. "But can you do this?" He picked up a metal pipe and swung it like a baseball bat, landing a solid hit on the bounty hunter's side.
Kenji cheered. "Home run!"
---
Sora's Secret Weapon
Finally, Sora finished their device and aimed it at the bounty hunters. "Everyone, duck!"
The group hit the ground as Sora fired. A bright beam of energy shot out, engulfing the bounty hunters. When the light faded, they were frozen in blocks of glowing ice.
Kenji stared. "That was… awesome! Can I try it?"
"Absolutely not," Sora said, putting the device away.
---
Moving Forward
As the group returned to the workshop, Sora sighed. "This shard is trouble. If Kurogami wants it, you need to keep it out of his hands."
Rei nodded. "We will. But we'll need your help."
Sora grinned. "Oh, I'm in. This sounds way more fun than fixing old artifacts."
Ryo clapped his hands. "Great! Welcome to the team, Sora. Now, can we talk about snacks? I'm starving."