And in the blink of an eye, Sai dashed toward the unknown figure, his fists clenched in two orbs of violence.
Sai's expression quickly shifted into one of pure murderous intent as he charged forward.
"Man, I'm gonna enjoy pummeling you," Sai said, his tone strong and defiant, laced with absolute certainty.
The mysterious figure turned its attention toward Sai, raising its right arm as horrific yet powerful green spectrums flowed from the surface of the gauntlet.
And amidst what seemed like certain defeat, Sai's chaotic smirk emerged once more—dangerous and bloodthirsty as always.
"Jackpot!" Sai exclaimed with a grin.
As Sai's mass launched through the air, a crimson-blue, human-sized holographic screen suddenly appeared directly in front of him upon impact with the deadly-looking spectrum.
It was a portal.
The moment Sai passed through the system's portal, a second one appeared right behind the unknown figure.
Out came Sai's cold, deadly voice.
"YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" Sai roared, his tone dripping with contempt.
Just then…
A dark voice crept out from beneath the skull mask.
"As expected."
And in a cold, deep bass tone filled with authority, the figure uttered a single word—
"Fall."
Suddenly, Sai's heart skipped a beat, as though it had stopped entirely. His eyes widened in shock. The once deadly Sai Takka was now utterly perplexed as he found himself crashing toward the brick ground.
Different thoughts spiraled through his mind as gravity took hold of him.
"H… How?"
"Could this be…"
"Magic?!"
"No!!!"
"Magic doesn't work on me!"
"My body feels heavy… I feel immobilized… it's as if my body is falling in obedience to his command…"
"DAMN IT!"
Sai gritted his teeth, and with a loud thud, his body slammed heavily against the floor.
"You are still as weak as ever, Sai."
The dark voice echoed from the masked figure once more.
"However, I have no use for such trivial brawls with you."
Just then…
A foggy black spiral manifested beside the masked man.
"But your time… is soon to come," the figure said as he stepped toward the portal.
Sai's vision blurred. His eyelids grew heavier with every blink.
Before he knew it—
Everything went black.
. . .
"You're all probably wondering who I am… and how I first got here."
"Well then…"
"It all started a long time ago…"
. . .
Three Years Earlier
Japan — Tokyo, Shibuya
A cold, dark room sat submerged in silence, illuminated only by a single candle resting at its center while darkness consumed the four corners of the room.
A six-year-old boy lay bare-bodied on the floor, sweat dripping from his limbs and torso down to his pants as he struggled to maintain a plank position.
His limbs twitched violently. His body trembled from exhaustion while a painful expression twisted across his face.
The boy looked up desperately at the digital timer mounted on a black tripod stand.
He stared at it with dread.
9:56… 9:57… 9:58… 9:59… 10:00.
A loud beeping sound commemorated the end of the exercise.
The boy immediately sprang to his feet, panting heavily while drenched in sweat as though he had just completed a ten-kilometer run through the Sahara Desert.
A white towel suddenly wrapped itself around his neck.
"Thanks, Mum," the boy muttered in a low, subtle tone.
Still panting from exhaustion, the boy stole a glance at his mother—Mrs. Takka.
Mrs. Takka, whose angular face carried a stern expression of pride, gazed at Sai with piercing brown eyes that had witnessed countless battles. Her voice, as crisp as her starched military uniform, sliced through the air.
"Sai, you've done well," she said, her praise restrained beneath layers of iron discipline.
She nodded toward the dojo, where Master Takka stood waiting.
His rugged face was a map of scars and experience, while his eyes burned with the intensity of a man who had mastered over four hundred martial arts and combat techniques.
"Move."
Sai's eyes showed a hint of reluctance as he turned toward his overbearing mother, whose piercing gaze stabbed into him like knives.
"Y-Yes, Mother," Sai answered sharply.
As he approached his father, his heart pounded heavily within his chest. His footsteps echoed across the hallway while a deafening silence consumed the atmosphere.
It was cold.
Dense.
Intense.
Then suddenly—
The atmosphere changed completely.
A thrilling grin spread across Mr. Takka's face.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Mr. Takka burst into loud laughter before repeatedly smacking Sai across the back with his large hands.
This cheerful outburst was something Sai had long grown accustomed to. Despite how painful the slaps were, Sai never once flinched.
Sai looked up at his father as Mr. Takka's grin widened even further.
"Well done, kid! You did good today!" Mr. Takka shouted loudly.
"But would it kill ya to smile at least once in a while?"
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well, I guess you got that side from your mum, hehe!"
However, the moment he noticed his wife's piercing glare from across the room, a cold chill crawled down his spine.
Danger!.
Mr. Takka immediately realized the only available escape route—
Grab Sai and retreat into the dojo.
...Before it was too late.
"Alright! Let's get outta here, Sai. Time for your martial arts training!"
"Y-Yes, Dad," Sai replied reluctantly as he followed him into the dojo.
Sai's parents had always been extremely strict with his training regimen.
His mother, a war general in the Japanese military, handled Sai's physical conditioning through a brutal routine consisting of:
100 push-ups
100 sit-ups
100 squats
A 10-kilometer run
And a ten-minute plank hold
Only after completing all of that could he advance to the next stage of his training—
Martial arts mastery under Mr. Takka.
No breaks.
No rest.
Only pain, brutality, and discipline.
. . .
Ten Years Later
CRASH!!!
The dark streets of Shibuya erupted into chaos.
Wails of sorrow and despair swept through the crowd like a freezing storm.
Sai stood motionless amidst the sea of fear and grief, staring in horror at the lifeless bodies of Ann and Joseph Takka lying among countless others.
Their bodies were bruised, battered, and soaked in blood.
Medical sirens screamed throughout the streets while police officers desperately struggled to control the mourning crowd.
The endless clicking of journalists' cameras echoed nonstop across the scene, only worsening the anger of the grieving families.
A fight suddenly broke out between a journalist and a mourning man.
"HEY! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE PICTURES HERE! MY WIFE JUST DIED, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"
With tears streaming down his face, the grieving man threw a furious punch straight into the journalist's jaw.
Bystanders rushed to separate them while the police continued struggling to contain the chaos.
But Sai couldn't care less about any of it.
None of it mattered.
All he could do was stare blankly at his parents' corpses.
His father's mouth had been smashed beyond recognition, while his mother's body, though intact, lay completely lifeless beside him.
Pools of blood continued to spread beneath them.
"Mum…?"
"Dad…?"
"No…"
Sai's eyes widened as his chest suddenly tightened.
For the first time in his life—
Sai Takka felt emotional pain.
Tears unknowingly streamed down his cheeks as the flashing red and blue siren lights reflected across his face.
This feeling was unfamiliar to him.
Ever since birth, Sai had always felt hollow and emotionless.
But now…
It felt as though something irreplaceable had been ripped away from him.
"Mum…?"
"Dad…?"
"Please… get up…"
Sai's voice trembled softly beneath his lowered gaze, his black hair shadowing his eyes.
"W-What am I feeling inside…?!"
"What is this painful feeling…?!"
"I DON'T LIKE IT…!"
"IT'S NOT FUN AT ALL!"
Sai screamed at the top of his lungs.
At that moment, Sai faced an experience far more painful than any training regimen he had ever endured.
Because this time—
He wasn't just feeling pain.
For the very first time in his life…
Sai Takka felt despair.