Takumi Shirogane first noticed something was off with his childhood friend, Rika Tanabe, a few weeks after they both started high school. They had grown up in neighboring houses with windows facing each other, so he could usually see when she was in her room. She had always been bright and cheerful—a girl who liked to chat over trivial things, make silly jokes, and share her lunch with him on the rooftop.
Yet, once classes began, Rika started leaving in the middle of lessons, often returning with an exhausted expression. It was odd, but at first Takumi assumed it had something to do with extracurricular activities or maybe a private family issue she didn't want to share. However, after spring vacation, he noticed another girl—then two more—doing the same thing. By winter break, there were three girls (including Rika) who all slipped out of class as though following a secret schedule. Stranger still was how none of the teachers nor other classmates questioned these departures, as if everyone was under some unseen spell.
What hurt Takumi most was how Rika no longer spent time with him. She ate lunch with the other two girls. After school, she always found an excuse not to walk home together. Hurt and frustrated, he retreated into his favorite hobby: building plastic models. He had a knack for customizing mecha kits and crafting original pieces with a small 3D printer in his room. Whenever real life felt dull or unfair, working with tiny parts and imagining entire new worlds of his own design gave him a comforting sense of control.
One chilly afternoon, Takumi discovered a broken plastic model near the school's dumpster. He had never seen a kit quite like it—it was obviously meant to be a robot of some kind, but the body was almost completely destroyed. Only the upper torso remained recognizable. Something about its battered state tugged at his heart. He picked it up and took it home, resolving to restore it out of sheer empathy for its "wounds."
It proved a difficult project; there were pieces missing from the head, arms, and legs. With nothing but the torso to guide him, Takumi had no reference for what the original form looked like. So he made new limbs from scratch, printing out prototypes and then refining each part, slowly rebuilding the mysterious mecha to a design he felt was both functional and cool-looking. When he finally finished, he stepped back to admire his work. It was a tall, slender-yet-imposing robot with new neon details he'd designed as a personal touch.
Relief flooded him briefly, but an odd emptiness followed. Normally, he would show off such a big accomplishment to Rika immediately—tell her about how he overcame certain tricky joint problems or show off the rotating mechanisms he'd invented. But now, she barely spoke to him outside of a quick greeting in the morning.
Sighing, Takumi turned off his desk lamp. Then, through his bedroom window, he noticed Rika's light was on. He thought about waving to her or calling out, but before he could act, he saw her pull a small trinket out of her pocket. It emitted a sudden, fierce glow that blinded him. A moment later, the light was gone, and her window was closed as though nothing had happened.
He blinked, wondering if he had imagined it. He shook his head, deciding he must be tired. As he prepared for bed, trying to dismiss what he'd seen as a delusion, he glanced at his newly restored model—and froze.
The model floated above his desk.
Tiny neon strips he had installed flickered with a strange, glowing energy. The mecha twisted in midair and then looked straight at Takumi, as though it could see him.
> "You...repaired me?"
The robot spoke in a gentle, resonant voice. Takumi nearly fell backward.
> "W-what? You— You're alive!?"
The mechanical figure nodded—or rather, it tilted its upper torso in a respectful bow.
> "My name is Nex. I am an Elite Knight of the Fairy Kingdom. I was sent to Earth to assist certain fairies in capturing evil spirits threatening humanity—and my homeland. When I fought a powerful foe, my body was nearly destroyed. I owe you my gratitude for rebuilding me so skillfully."
Takumi's brain was still trying to process the sight and the voice. Magic? Fairy Kingdom? Evil spirits? None of it seemed real. But the floating robot was unmistakably right in front of him.
> "Wait," he managed, "you said fairies are on Earth? And…evil spirits?"
Nex explained that a group of fairies arrived on Earth some time ago. They bonded with certain individuals "of pure heart" to become Magical Girls, wielding powers to protect both Earth and the Fairy Kingdom. Takumi's eyes widened, remembering how Rika and two other girls often left class together.
> "Are…are you saying Rika is one of these…Magical Girls?"
Nex nodded.
> "Yes. She is one of the contracted warriors. And though she and her comrades are strong, my enemy—the one who reduced me to pieces—will eventually come for her too. If that happens, she could be in grave danger."
Takumi's mind flashed back to a far more painful memory: Rika, age ten, lying weakly in a hospital bed following a car accident that claimed her mother's life. The grief had weighed on her for weeks. Takumi recalled standing in front of her mother's grave, vowing he would protect Rika no matter what. He realized, in that moment, that vow might never have truly ended.
Gritting his teeth, he looked at Nex.
> "Tell me what I have to do."
A small light flickered around Nex's torso. Within seconds, the robot conjured what looked like a rainbow-colored marble, no bigger than a gemstone, and offered it to Takumi.
> "Crush this bead while concentrating on your wish," Nex said. "If your heart is steadfast, it will answer."
Takumi closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. He pictured Rika's pale, tear-streaked face from so many years ago and the earnest vow he had once made at the grave. Let me be strong enough to stand by her side, he thought. With that single purpose, he crushed the fragile bead between his fingers.
A radiant glow consumed the room. By the time it settled, Takumi discovered he was holding a futuristic smartphone encased in a hard, metallic shell. On its screen, a phrase glowed:
> Transcode Access
"What…?" he murmured, reading the words aloud.
He felt a click around his waist. With a gasp, Takumi looked down to see a belt-like device materializing from thin air, waiting for him to dock the smartphone.
The phone's screen went blank, but bright, multicolored chains burst out, swirling around the room. Startled, Takumi recognized that they were scanning his shelves. Several of his prized model works—particularly the ones shaped like animals with minimal weaponization—were pulled into the phone's display, vanishing in a swirl of polygons.
> "My models!" he yelped. "What is happening!?"
> "We're short on time," Nex said urgently. "Please, put the device into the belt—now!"
Uncertain but propelled by the urgency in Nex's voice, Takumi slid the strange phone into the hollow slot of the belt. It clicked into place.
> "Raven… Wolf… Spider…"
An automated voice from the belt announced the three animals. At once, three translucent magic circles formed in front of Takumi. Giant, spectral versions of the raven, wolf, and spider designs he had once modeled burst out, moving as though they were living creatures. Takumi stood in shocked awe, unable to speak.
> "Press the button on the belt!" Nex commanded.
Takumi swallowed hard and obeyed.
> Assemble!!
The three animals shattered into a cascade of polygons and swarmed toward him, forming a transparent outline of armor around his body. Another magic circle formed above his head and descended, hardening the translucent armor into solid plates. He felt a rush of energy flood his limbs and saw the reflections of polished gold, purple, and green shining across his bedroom.
When the transformation ended, he stood dressed in full combat gear. The helmet bore a sleek raven's head design. His chest armor showcased an imposing wolf motif. One shoulder was styled like a spider's abdomen, complete with elegant web-like etchings that connected to a half-cape at his waist. The final effect was equal parts majestic and wild, reflecting the triad of animal spirits—Raven, Wolf, Spider.
Takumi flexed his hands, feeling power surge through him. He had never felt anything like it—like he could jump ten feet in a single bound or stand fearlessly against any threat.
> "So this is… Beas—" He paused, looking at Nex.
> "The Beast Knight," Nex supplied gently. "Your code name is Triad, drawn from the three spirits that answered your call."
Takumi exhaled, finally understanding that his vow to protect Rika wasn't just words—it was something he intended to carry out with every fiber of his being.
> "If Rika is in danger," he said, "then I'll fight. I'll use this power to keep her safe."
Nex nodded, a satisfied gleam in his glowing eyes.
Outside, the moon loomed bright in the winter sky. Rika's window still appeared dark and silent. The memory of her exhausted face in class stirred Takumi's resolve even more. He recalled the light that had flared in her hands and the quiet sorrow she had once endured after her mother's death. Now he understood a fragment of the burden she carried and how badly he wanted to ease it.
> "Nex," he said quietly. "Teach me what I need to know. I'll do everything in my power to protect her smile. " He said as he took steps to the windowframe and openin it wide.