Where It All Began
Where should I start?
I guess my name is a good place.
My name is Satoru Suzuki Mikami. Yeah, I know—it's an unusual name. My parents were huge anime fans, so they named me after their favorite characters. That should pretty much explain that.
But you can just call me Satoru.
In many ways, I'm just an average 19-year-old. But in other ways… not so much.
For starters, I graduated from college at seventeen—for fun. Yeah, I know. Weird. But I enjoyed the challenge.
My parents? They're pretty average. They have normal jobs, we live in an average-sized house, and honestly, I prefer it that way. I've never been into extravagant things.
I also have a younger sister. She's seventeen—just two years younger than me. Unlike me, she's a completely normal girl. She probably looks up to me, though I don't make a big deal out of it.
But there's one thing that sets me apart.
I own my own company.
We make a lot of money—enough to rank in the top five companies in the world. But I don't live a lavish lifestyle. Most of our earnings go to charity. That was my mom's idea, not mine, but I went along with it. I mean, I don't really need all that money. Our family never saw the point in hoarding wealth, so we live modestly.
Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's get down to business.
A Robbery in Progress
Right now, I'm at a bank. And you're not going to believe this, but…
It's getting robbed.
And I'm caught right in the middle of it.
One Hour Earlier
It all started when my dad asked me to go to the bank. He needed to withdraw some cash for a business transaction, and since I had nothing better to do, I volunteered to go in his place.
When I arrived, it was the usual routine—people recognizing me and asking for money. It happens all the time. Just because I donate to charity, people assume I'll hand out cash to anyone who asks.
Of course, I don't.
I hate people.
I only give to charity because my mom insists on it.
Anyway, as I was trying to shake off the beggars, everything changed in an instant.
Four men burst into the bank, guns in the air, firing shots to get everyone's attention.
One of them—wearing a pink hockey mask—shouted, "Everyone down! Give us all your money and valuables!"
Panic spread like wildfire. People scrambled to comply, emptying their pockets and tossing their belongings into the robbers' bags.
Then, one of them—the one in a pig mask—froze. He stared at me, then turned to the others.
"Hey… isn't that the child prodigy?"
The atmosphere shifted. All eyes were suddenly on me. A cold, uneasy tension filled the air.
I sighed and shook my head. "I think you've got the wrong guy."
That's when their leader, the one in the Ghostface mask, stepped forward.
He slowly raised his gun and pointed it between my eyes.
"I don't like liars," he said.
I swallowed, forcing my voice to shake. "I'm… not lying."
I needed him to think I was scared. If I could lure him in, maybe I'd have a chance to grab his gun and turn the tables.
But he stopped before getting close enough.
The entire bank was silent. The hostages had backed into the corners, heads down, too afraid to move.
Now, it was just me and them.
The masked leader let out a slow, amused chuckle.
Then—BANG!
Pain exploded in my right leg as the bullet tore through flesh and bone. I collapsed onto the floor, gripping my wound.
"Let's try this again," the leader said, voice filled with amusement. "Are you the child prodigy?"
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stand, leaning against the nearest wall. My vision blurred from the pain, but I managed to croak out, "Yes… I am."
His masked face tilted slightly, as if he were grinning beneath it.
"Good. Now we're getting somewhere."
I stumbled back into a chair, trying to focus through the searing pain.
"If you think I'm giving you my money, you're out of luck," I said, my voice firm.
The leader stepped closer, pressing his boot against my gunshot wound. I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming.
"I don't care about the money," he said. "They do." He gestured at his men. "I'm just here for the fun."
A sickening feeling settled in my gut. He was enjoying this.
"I'll only ask three times," he continued. "If you don't comply, things are going to get ugly."
He motioned toward the bank's computer system.
"I want you to transfer every dollar in your accounts into cash," he ordered. "You're the reason this bank is still running. You've got plenty of money in there."
I hesitated.
If I transferred the money, my sister's future would be ruined. My parents weren't smart with finances—without me, she'd have no one to support her.
But if I refused, I wasn't making it out of here alive.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and made my decision.
"…No."
Silence.
Then, the leader laughed. "Well, well… the prodigy's got guts."
His men chuckled as they finished looting.
"Alright," the leader said, taking another step toward me. He pressed his gun against my temple. "That was one."
I exhaled sharply, my mind racing.
I needed a plan. Fast.
My only option? Fight back.
When he leaned in again, I struck.
My fist slammed into his face, sending him crashing to the ground. His gun clattered away.
I lunged for it.
Before he could react, I grabbed the weapon and aimed it at him.
The room tensed.
"You shouldn't have done that," the leader growled, slowly rising to his feet.
His men raised their guns.
I was outnumbered. Injured. Bleeding. But I wasn't going down without a fight.
They stepped closer.
I pulled the trigger.
A shot rang out—straight into his leg.
He collapsed, screaming in agony.
The others froze, hesitation flickering in their eyes.
"You really think all of you are making it out alive?" I asked, voice cold. "I'll take at least two of you with me. Maybe three. And the last one? Well, he'll be alone, surrounded by thirty hostages. You think he can hold them off?"
Doubt crept into their expressions.
Then, one of them—the one in the black mask—narrowed his eyes.
"You talk too much."
And just like that—they all opened fire.
Pain.
I managed to take one of them down—a bullet to the head—but another shot tore through my arm. Another slammed into my back.
I hit the ground.
My vision blurred. My strength faded.
I was dying.
My sister…
I won't get to see her smile again…
Just then, a voice echoed in my mind.
A woman's voice.
"Do you want power?"
"Do you want to protect the ones you love?"
"Do you want to be happy?"
Was I imagining it?
Still, I forced out a whisper.
"…Yes."
"Then accept my gift, my child."
Darkness consumed me.
And when I opened my eyes…
I was somewhere else.
A cave.
Torches flickered along the walls. A river flowed through the center.
I sat up, dazed.
"Where am I…?"