The Shopping District, or Shoutengai (商店街). It has its own official name, but it’s too long and very mouthful to say. Situated a mere ten minutes from their meeting spot, this street bursts with the charm of mom and pop shops, restaurants, and various other establishments—an ordinary scene in an otherwise unremarkable town.

Four delinquents finally reached this place after 15 minutes of walking from their spot. The narrow streets of Shoutengai were alive, pulsating with the rhythm of daily life, or at least with the energy of a sloth. Although it was a small town, it’s connected to the much bigger and bustling Osaka in the west.

For Ichiro, Kenji, Haruka, and Raiden, it was a familiar territory, a place where they had spent countless afternoons wandering, laughing, and probably making memories. Ichiro certainly did.

Neon signs flickered above, much older than these four, casting a soft glow over the shops. Street food aromas mixed with the distant calls of shopkeepers filled the air.

Without hesitation, they made their first stop at the local takoyaki stand.

It was your typical stand, with your typical kind uncle mounting it. Four of them surrounded the stand like seagulls with a dropped takoyaki.

“How are you, Sato-san? Business as always? Four sets for us, please.”

Kenji started the conversation, being de facto “leader” of the group.

Sato-san, the seasoned owner of the takoyaki stand, greeted them with a warm smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

“Ah, the usual troublemakers! Right up!”

Sato-san said, flipping the grilling takoyaki balls with practiced ease. Raiden was looking at them like a hungry wolf, despite already filling out his stomach with snacks. Ichiro lightly tapped him to break off his foodie trance.

“Business is good, as always. Slacking off, as always, too?”

“You don’t say, Sato-san. It was getting boring in the school.”

Haruka chimed in, sitting on a Sato-san’s stool next to a stand. Ichiro, after a failed attempt of breaking the foodie trance, and Kenji moved to the nearby bench, sitting down.

“Ah, youth! Back in my days, we couldn’t even have a break because we needed to be workers for the bustling economy. Kids nowadays...”

While taking the ready takoyaki from the tray, Sato-san began to reminisce and ramble about his younger days. They listened the rant for a half of a minute, resting from walking, until he broke off from his ramblings to say something no one expected.

“Listen, kids. I’ve seen some strange folks around lately. Be careful, alright?”

Everyone except Ichiro became serious. Kenji opened his mouth first.

“What do you mean, Sato-san?”

“I mean, I don’t get why some weird strangers come here looking ‘round here and never seem to buy anything from my stand! Ha-ha!”

This either was a joke, or serious. Both options are equally bad. As Kenji and the others exchanged wary glances, except, well, Ichiro, Sato-san handed over the steaming takoyaki. Raiden grabbed takoyaki first in the group.

“Yeah, Sato-san, we’ll keep an eye out. Nothing will pass me, great Raiden! Ouch, hot!”

Raiden, trying to maintain the casual atmosphere, chimed in. He took a bite of the piping hot takoyaki and burnt his tongue. Haruka sneered and stood up to grab her portion.

Kenji stopped her.

He grabbed both “rotten takoyaki’s” heads with his hands, and lightly squeezed, looking up at them with a stern look.

“Oi, rotten takoyaki’s. Pay up and say thanks to Sato-san.”

Both of them whimpered for a second, and opened up their wallets, paid Sato-san 1000 yen each for 4 sets of 6 takoyakis. After that, Kenji finally released his grip.

““Thank you, Sato-san...””

Sato-san laughed. It was a hearty, deep laugh that made Ichiro smile. He grabbed his portion and sank his teeth into the takoyaki. It was delicious, as always. As they devoured the takoyaki, the group chatted idly with Sato-san, discussing the latest happenings in their small part of the world. The conversation was light, peppered with laughter and the occasional joke.

After a while, with their stomachs now satisfied, they thanked Sato-san and said their goodbyes, leaving the warm ambiance of the takoyaki stand behind. They delved deeper into the Shoutengai.

“So, we filled our stomach, now what we do?”

Ichiro asked, hitting a black hoodie wearing passerby in front of him. The slight pain and the passerby’s swift disappearance irritated him, but he refocused on his friends.

Everyone was silent for a while, thinking, walking the main road, until Raiden with “a-ha” moment opened his mouth.

Thus began their pre-graduation celebration, earlier than planned.

***

On the rooftops, two men watched the teenagers below. Dressed to blend in and using spiritual concealment techniques, they remained unnoticed, even in proximity. First was significantly taller than second man, or rather a teenager who had a fox mask on his face.

Third jumped on the rooftop. The two men looked at the newcomer, one of them giving a small nod. He was the one who bumped into Ichiro a few moments ago.

“I’m done with scouting, sir. They’re the ones we were looking for. I saw the girl with a strange aura around her, and the guy with the lightning-themed bracelet.”

That man with a gravelly voice reluctantly reported having an unpleasant feeling. His boss raised his chin and tapped his medical mask a few times as if in thinking.

“Well done. Let’s follow them from the shadows. Remember, we can’t reveal ourselves until they reach that ‘place’. Now let’s go.”

The leader gave his order, and without hesitation, followed the group. They moved down to the shadows and slipped through the back alleys and the busy main roads alike, their figures becoming increasingly difficult to discern among the people mingling the streets of Shoutengai.

The ambush is ready, and the target is in the sight.

They only needed to wait for the right moment.

***

They wandered through the Shoutengai, simply enjoying each other’s company as they explored the various shops. It was a relaxing afternoon, one that felt almost surreal after the intensity of final exams. Ichiro couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so at peace.

However, the peace was not to last.

A shop here, an activity there, walking at that place, eating that snack - all of it culminated into... a full stomach and sore feet for Ichiro. After an hour of walking around and going through all shops they wanted to go, it was time for him to go home.

But first, rest at the cafe. He always liked this cafe. Because of his friends, as well as him, occasionally sneaking out during school days to take a quick break at it, it was his favorite place. The friend of his mother, who always looked gloomy, operated it. She was an elderly woman named Ayako who had opened the cafe a decade ago. Despite her grim appearance, she served delicious food and beverages that made Ichiro feel warm inside.

As the sun just started to sink below the horizon, the world bathed in a warm, golden glow. Although the buildings were blocking it partially, the sunset itself was beautiful, with no clouds in sight. It was truly breathtaking. Ichiro smiled to himself, his gaze lingering on the sunset before turning towards his friends.

... And he wanted to go bathroom.

“Guys, I need to use the restroom. You guys carry on without me.”

Kenji gave him a concerned look and nodded. Raiden and Haruka shrugged and returned to their conversation about... a manga series Ichiro didn’t read. With a quick “see you in a minute”, Ichiro stood up from his seat and left the group, making his way to the restroom at the back of the cafe.

***

It was eerily quiet in the cafe. No people were in sight, except the three of them and the old granny (whose name was Ayako) behind the counter. There was no one outside, despite it being close to rush hour. Kenji sensed was something wrong when they entered this cafe.

After Ichiro left, he turned his attention back to Raiden and Haruka, who were still discussing manga about the yet another character trapped in another world and a companion that saves them from their boredom. He didn’t care for manga at all, and he should have listened to his instincts.

He felt that someone was watching them since they entered the Shoutengai and this feeling didn’t disappear even inside the cafe. It was unnerving him. Kenji knew he needed to focus on keeping his friends safe. It was their home turf. They knew everyone who had a speck of spiritual energy. Anyone else is a suspect.

Kenji looked around cautiously. Nothing seemed out of place at first glance, but the deeper he looked, the more he noticed something was off. The sun angle hadn’t moved for a while. He glanced at his watch. 5:55 pm. He frowned, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Are we currently trapped within a formation array? How?!’

If it was a formation array, it meant someone had an advanced level of spiritual control to trap them while they were entering here without them noticing. They were in real trouble, if that was the case. Kenji studied the cafe again for clues, but couldn’t find anything that stood out. Old granny disappeared somewhere, and there were no sounds from the kitchen either. He debated telling Raiden and Haruka but decided against it. No need to scare them more than they already were. He kept looking around, scanning for any signs of movement or disturbance.

Like, for example, that creepy kid with a fox mask at the corner of his eye that wasn’t there before? Huh?

“Shit!”

Kenji removed the sword from the bag and deflected the knife thrown at them.

Haruka and Raiden, sensing danger too late, jumped out of their seats and looked around for any signs of a threat.

“We’re being targeted.”

Kenji said, placing his backpack on the floor. Haruka was on edge immediately, her canines now on full display. Raiden was too shocked to process what just happened, but he fiddled with the bracelet out of instinct.

“What?!”

Haruka yelled, her hands trembling slightly from anger and anticipation. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for their attackers.

Just then, out of nowhere, a group of masked people poured from every place imaginable. Doors? Check. Windows? Check. The floor? Check.

There were at least 10 of them, and they were carrying weapons that ordinary thugs wouldn’t typically have. Too high quality and expensive to be wielded by thugs and too strange to be owned by them, either.

They all wore black clothes and masks that concealed their faces, making it impossible to identify them.

“There!”

Kenji shouted. That fox mask kid attacked again, throwing more knives at them. This time Kenji was ready. He deflected every knife with swift ease, as if he were dancing. Energy flowed akin to water to create a barrier around the group, blocking further attacks.

“Who are you, and what do you want?”

Kenji’s voice was calm, his eyes focused on his opponent. Fox mask kid ignored him and drew a sword from his back, running at him weirdly. He slashed with killing intent, but Haruka easily blocked it. Her aura expanded, hot air flowed from her skin, and her eyes glinted with fury. She kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying out of the cafe through the window and crashing into the alleyway outside. Small, pointy horns protruded from her head, glowing dimly under the light of the fading sunset. Her demonic appearance combined with the anger in her eyes was enough to send most sane men running away. Not them, though.

“A half-oni! Be careful!”

One of the masked men screamed in fear. Another one jumped from behind the counter and attacked Raiden, who was too busy staring at Haruka’s transformation to react, but the attack never came because a lightning bolt hit him and knocked him out instantly. Raiden looked at the smoking man on the ground, shocked by his own power. His bracelet shone brightly in the dim light of the cafe.

Kenji deflected several attacks that came at him from different directions with ease, but he was getting overwhelmed, while Haruka engaged with the fox mask kid who rushed at her seemingly unharmed by the kick Haruka had given him earlier.

The peaceful sunset shattered as if it was a dream.

***

Ichiro walked into a bathroom with his smartphone in hand, checking through the social media posts as he usually does at this hour. A peaceful break away from his friends was exactly what he needed at this moment.

As he entered the cramped bathroom and locked the door, doing his deed that his body urgently needed... he heard muffled screaming outside. Ichiro strained his ears to listen more closely, but it was nothing other than his thoughts swirling in his head alongside with the slight tinnitus he has and the water splashing in the toilet bowl. He decided it was probably nothing and flushed the toilet that was stuck in the corner of the already small room.

Steps. Single steps coming his way.

Someone was walking towards the bathroom. Ichiro grew suspicious, suddenly uncomfortable in the small, dank room. They stopped next to the door. Ichiro unlocked the door and opened it swiftly, while securing his belt. What greeted him was an unknown figure, face hidden behind a black medical mask.

“Kid, I never wanted it, but orders are orders.”

It was a man’s voice, low and gravelly, as if he had smoked a pack of cigarettes every day. The man raised his hand with too much exaggeration and aimed at Ichiro’s neck, likely to incapacitate him. Ichiro reacted on pure instinct, dodging it by lowering his head, grabbing the sleeve of the man’s incoming hand, and using it to throw him over his shoulder in a fluid motion that felt natural to him.

Ippon Seoi Nage. Judo throw worth a single point, but in here, at least a couple of cracked bones.

“Hey, kid, what are- AAAAH!”

He landed with a heavy thud on the toilet, breaking it. The man then crashed into the tiled floor with a sickening crunch. Water leaked out like a geyser from the broken pipes, drenching the man completely. The pants the Ichiro was securing had fallen at that moment, showing his boxer shorts with a famous orange cat plastered on it.

“Oops.”

Ichiro muttered, reaching for his pants, while gazing at the man groaning out of pain. Ichiro had experience with getting ambushed before in his life (such the life of the disciple of Grandmaster, he loves to do it), but not in such a small space and not while he’s doing his business. It was quite uncomfortable, really. In a space barely fit for one, Ichiro never thought his judo skills (albeit amateur) would put to the test, especially not with his pants that weren’t secured enough. Just don’t look at Ichiro’s twitchy smile plastered on his face.

‘Fuck it. I’m out of here. Just when you think you’ll finally have a peaceful break...‘

Ichiro walked away half jumping (to secure the small button) while thinking on how to explain to old granny Ayako that toilet has broke up, quite literally.

***

Kenji was on the verge of getting overwhelmed. Their opponents possessed strong and unusual abilities; their coordination was efficient, and their approach showed skill and experience. None of them was a pushover. Raiden and Haruka aided Kenji as best they could, but even with them, it was difficult to keep up with the pressure, let alone counter-attack.

They fought within the limited space of the small cafe and after several minutes, an assault from one of the masked men completely destroyed the cafe, or the illusory version of it, as Kenji and the others were in a barrier.

The fight had become increasingly intense, with both sides trading blows back and forth. The air crackled with energy, as both groups were using their spiritual abilities to the fullest. There was dust and debris everywhere. Furniture and broken items scattered in a haphazard manner.

Kenji was fighting multiple opponents at once, dodging their attacks with ease and deflecting their blows with his sword. His movements were graceful, almost dance-like, as he flowed through the battlefield, weaving in and out of range like a leaf in the wind. The attackers kept coming at him, but he fended them off with no issue.

Haruka, meanwhile, was engaged in a fierce battle with the fox mask kid. She used her demonic strength and agility to full effect, launching a flurry of powerful strikes at her opponent. The fox mask kid dodged her attacks with surprising agility, but he didn’t have the power behind his blows. It was a struggle for him to even land a single strike on Haruka.

Raiden was struggling. He had a very limited supply of electricity, which was rapidly dwindling. As a result, he was mostly defending himself, but it was all he could do against the numerous opponents. He couldn’t even find an opening to launch a counter-attack.

They got surrounded by a circle of enemies, and they were being pushed back into the corner.

***

Ichiro went to the back door of the cafe, completely oblivious to the destruction happening inside.

“Old granny! Are you there?!”

Ichiro yelled, hoping to find the owner of the cafe, Ayako. It was weird, really, that she wasn’t even answering the yell.

“Where is she? I know she’s here.”

As he approached the backdoor of the kitchen, he heard muffled sounds of a scuffle inside. He nonchalantly opened it to see what was going on... and he saw an old granny, tied up and gagged on the floor, looking at him with desperation in her eyes.

‘... I didn’t know this cafe is a base for a cult.’

Ichiro thought, looking at the weird people in black robes and the altar-looking thing nearby. There were strange drawings on the floor and walls, depicting various symbols and images that Ichiro didn’t understand. It was a surreal sight, something that one would only see in horror movies.

So Ichiro did the first thing anyone brave enough would do.

He closed the door and ran away... inside, delivering a kick at the first dude who was blocking his way.

“Ugh!”

With a satisfying crunch, Ichiro kicked him in the stomach and sent him down the floor, crashing into the counter. The rest of the black robes turned to face him, their faces hidden behind their masks.

Ichiro looked at them with determination. He didn’t know who they were or what their motives were, but he wasn’t about to let them hurt an old lady.

“Alright, which one of you bastards wants to go first?”

Ichiro said, cracking his knuckles. The black robes exchanged glances, as if they didn’t expect him to be there. He took advantage of their hesitation and grabbed the knocked out man and used him as a ballast to throw him at the other black robes. They went flying like bowling pins, crashing into the wall and the tables in the process.

“Wow, that was easier than I thought.”

Ichiro muttered, looking at the destruction he caused. He shifted his focus to the elderly woman, who remained bound. He went to her and helped her stand up.

“Are you alright, grandma?”

The old granny nodded, her eyes filled with anger. She struggled to say something, but Ichiro quickly removed the gag.

“I’m fine, Ichiro-kun. Thank you. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Ayako said, her voice trembling slightly. Ichiro untied the strange-looking ropes binding her hands and feet. She then easily dismantled the formation array. Suddenly, the gush of fresh air blasted the room.

“What is going on here?”

Ichiro asked, bewildered. Ayako sighed and shook her head, clearly exhausted.

“These fools wanted to sacrifice me to their god to call it into this world. But enough about that, we need to help your friends.”

Ichiro nodded and followed Ayako out of the kitchen. Although he was confused, he was aware that his friends were in danger and required his assistance.

***

The cafe was in ruins, and the battle had taken a turn for the worse. Kenji, Raiden, and Haruka were struggling, their movements slowing down because of exhaustion and their spiritual energies depleting rapidly.

Haruka, even in her half-oni form, was getting tired. Her strikes were becoming less powerful, and her defense was becoming sloppy. At least she knocked out that fox-like kid.

Raiden was panting, his lightning powers all but spent. His attacks were doing little to no damage, and his defense was crumbling as well.

Kenji was the worst of. His movements were becoming more and more sluggish, and his sword strikes were less effective. His spiritual energy got almost drained, and he could barely keep up.

And then, there was a loud cracking noise. The barrier got shattered, and the carnage disappeared as if it never was, leaving the bodies of the black robes in its wake. As if the battle never happened.

The real world returned. As if being awoken from a nightmare, Kenji, Raiden, and Haruka looked around them, disoriented and confused.

Shocked expressions crossed the faces of the men wearing black robes, who had previously held the upper hand.

“Impossible, the barrier got broken!”

“No, look! It’s that old hag!”

“We’re doomed!”

They quickly retreated, fleeing the scene as fast as they could. The fox mask kid jumped from the alleyway and grabbed a guy who was running with a limp and escaped too, carrying him on his back. Old granny Ayako appeared, Ichiro by her side. She was covered in dust, but her eyes shone with determination.

“Ayako-sama... how?”

Kenji muttered. His voice was hoarse from exhaustion. Ayako smirked.

“I’ll tell you later, kid. Now get out of here while I take care of these fools.”

Kenji nodded. He didn’t have the strength to argue or ask questions. He gathered his remaining strength and helped his friends get out of the cafe, while Ichiro followed them with the bags he grabbed from the floor.

They stumbled out of the cafe, barely able to stand. Their bodies ached, their minds were hazy and utterly drained. The adrenaline that had been keeping them going was now gone, and they felt like they could collapse at any moment.

The sun had set.

***

After ensuring that there was no one was pursuing them, the group called the adults (or in Kenji’s case, the Grandmaster) to inform them what happened. The disciples of the Grandmaster took them to his dojo, where they received medical attention.

Aside from the relatively unharmed Ichiro, the others had cuts bruises and their spirits were low. The adults who had arrived at the dojo questioned them about what had transpired at the cafe.

The adults were left in a state of speechlessness after hearing about the events of the day. The incident seemed too far-fetched to be believed, but they knew their words to be true.

The adults discussed the situation in private, leaving the teens to recover and rest. The discussion was heated and tense, as they tried to figure out who was behind the attack and why they targeted the teens. They also had to consider the possibility that the attack was not the last one.

Finally, the Grandmaster spoke.

“It is clear that we must act swiftly and decisively. We can not leave this incident left unanswered. We will find those responsible and destroy them.”

His voice was calm and resolute. He was a man of action, and he would not allow those who had harmed his students to go unpunished.

And so, Ichiro got dropped off at his home late at night after seeing that everyone was safe.

He strolled to his room, his mind still reeling from the day’s events. He was exhausted and sore, but he was thankful that he had helped his friends.

The house was silent, as it always was. His mother, as always, was not there.

As quietly straddled into his room, the events of the day replayed in his mind. He couldn’t believe what had happened, and he was worried about the safety of his friends. A push, slow creak of the door, and a soft click of the lock. Ichiro stopped.

A figure was in his room, hidden in the dark. Ichiro’s heart rate quickened as he wondered if it was another attacker. But before he could do anything, the figure raised its hand, and he lost the consciousness.

“For the Heavenly Descent.”

Ichiro got kidnapped without anyone noticing.