(A storm brews on the horizon—not of clouds, but of fate. As Ryo and Yua step into the unknown, they will meet allies, mysteries, and revelations that will shake their world to its core.)
---
SCENE 1: THE STRANGER IN THE SHADOWS
A dimly lit café on the outskirts of town hums with quiet activity. The air smells of roasted coffee beans and something sharper—something electric.
Yua pushes open the door with purpose. Inside sits a man in his late twenties, hunched over a table covered in scribbled notes and half-empty espresso cups. His wild black hair sticks up at odd angles like he's been running his hands through it all night. His sharp amber eyes flick up as they enter—assessing them instantly before returning to his work.
(This is Taro Tanaka. A mind sharper than any blade.)
---
SCENE 2: MEETING OF MINDS (AND SARCASM)
Ryo (whispering): "This is your 'someone'? He looks like he hasn't slept in weeks."
Yua (smirking): "That's because he hasn't."
(Taro finally speaks without looking up, his voice dry as desert wind.)
"If you two are done gossiping like fishwives, I have theories to dismantle and reconstruct. Sit. Or don't. Either way, stop blocking the light."
(Ryo blinks—this guy is either a genius or clinically insane. Maybe both.)
---
SCENE 3: THE OLD MAN WHO KNOWS TOO MUCH
(The café door creaks again as an elderly man shuffles in—wispy white hair, round spectacles perched on his nose… and a cane that taps ominously with each step. Old Man Genji.)
He chuckles as he approaches the table like he already knows everything about them before they speak. "Ahhh… so you found our wayward scholar, eh? Good luck getting him to shut up now." (He winks at Taro who scowls back.)
---
(Scene 4: The Watchers in the Wings
(Meanwhile…) Two teenagers lurk near the counter:
1️⃣ Kazuya – A wiry, sharp-eyed teen leaning against the counter with a smirk that says "I already know what you're about to say." His fingers drum an impatient rhythm on his thigh—energy barely contained. (Later revealed: He's Taro's former apprentice. And he (hates) being called "former.")
2️⃣ Mirai – A girl with her nose buried in a book thicker than her arm, silver hair streaked with violet. She doesn't look up until Yua takes a step closer—then their eyes lock. Something unspoken passes between them before Mirai casually flips another page and murmurs:
"Your Eclipseborn is loud." (Ryo chokes on his own spit.)
---
SCENE 5: EXPOSITION WITH A SIDE OF CHAOS
(Taro slams down a notebook filled with diagrams of celestial bodies and blood-red scribbles.)
Taro (monotone): "Congratulations, Ryo Kenzaki—you might be housing one of three things inside you:
(A dramatic pause as Taro adjusts himself, the light reflecting him ominously.)
1. A rogue Eclipseborn that defies classification—possibly an ancient one that predates recorded history.
2. A fragmented soul of a fallen star (which, yes, can technically be sentient).
(...or 3) Something entirely new.
(Silence. Then— Old Man Genji wheezes out a laugh like he's been waiting for this moment.)
Genji: "Ahhhh… so it begins." *(He smacks his cane on the floor for emphasis.) "I knew you'd be fun!"
---
(Meanwhile, Yua and Mirai exchange glances again—this time with far heavier implications. The unspoken question lingers: What else does Mirai know?)
(Scene 6: Cornered Confessions)
Ryo (yanks) Yua behind a bookshelf, nearly toppling a tower of Taro's precariously stacked notebooks in the process. She hisses as his grip tightens on her wrist—her hunter reflexes itching to flip him over her shoulder, but she holds back. Barely.
Ryo (hushed fury): "What the hell is going on?! You bring me to some caffeine-cursed conspiracy theorist who says my Eclipseborn might be an eldritch space fossil, then there's two randos eyeballing us like we're lab specimens—one of which just called my soul 'LOUD'—and now some old man is acting like this is all part of a damn stage play?!"
Yua opens her mouth—but Ryo isn't done.
(He leans closer, voice dropping to a razor whisper.)
"And since when do you know them?" (His eyes narrow.) "Who even ARE they?"
---
SCENE 7: THE TRUTH (OR A FRACTION OF IT)
(Yua flicks Ryo's forehead hard—he yelps and releases her wrist on reflex.)
Yua (deadpan): "First of all: grab me like that again, and I break your fingers." (She massages her wrist before continuing, voice low.)
"Second—Taro isn't just 'some guy.' He's the only human alive who's decoded Eclipseborn hieroglyphs from the Lost Era. That old man? Genji fought in the Blood Pact Wars. And those two kids?" (Her gaze flicks to Kazuya cracking his knuckles and Mirai still pretending to read while clearly eavesdropping.) "They're here because they're tied to this mess too. Like it or not… we're all pieces on the same board now."
---
SCENE 8: THE UNSPOKEN QUESTION
Ryo stares at her, searching for lies—but finds only weary honesty. His anger cools into something quieter. More dangerous.
(When he speaks next, it's barely audible.)
"...Did you plan this?"
Yua meets his gaze squarely—no flinching
(Yua, whisper-sharp like broken glass): "You think (I) orchestrated this?" Her laugh is a bitter blade—sharp enough to draw blood. "The only reason I reached out to them in the first place was that Eclipseborns are not my specialty..."
(She trails off, gaze distant as she stares past Ryo into the unknown.) "...and I've lost people to their power before. I wasn't about to sit back and watch it happen again.
Ryo (teasing): "Wait—are you saying you (care) about me, Yua?"
(He leans in, eyes shining with mischief—an offer of peace after their argument. Even his voice dips, playful and warm.)
"It's okay to admit it... I won't let it go to my head!"
Yua (blushes and knockes down the statement immediately): "Never you big idiot! I'm saying (you) should care more about (our world). The Eclipseborn is a threat, you idiot—not a pet rock!"
(She crosses her arms, eyes narrowing. But there's a twitch at the corner of her lips—the tiniest hint of a smile. Ryo counts that as a victory.)
"You can do whatever you want."
(Mirai looks up from her book as she slides past them with a tray full of coffee cups. Her voice is barely audible—but the message is crystal clear.)
"I'll keep you alive," Mirai adds, then saunters back to the others like she's a waitress and not a mysterious, psychic, teenage hunter. (The audacity of this girl. Ryo kind of respects it.)
(As Ryo watches Mirai leave, Yua takes his hand—drawing him back to their conversation. Her voice is soft, with no trace a moment ago. Even she seems surprised by the tender tone.)
"Ryo... please. Understand..."
Ryo contemplates and then blurts out what's been eating at him all day
Ryo: "When can I learn about the other 6 Singularities?"
(Taro doesn't even look up as he points to two empty chairs. A silent order—sit.)
"All in good time. First, we'll need to break down the history of the singularities and their unique properties—before our dear friend here goes off trying to awaken them all at once."
(His tone is dry and laced with sarcasm, but there's a hint of amusement in his amber eyes. Ryo feels like he's being mocked—and it takes all his willpower not to tackle Taro over the table.)
(Taro ignores their glares, pulling out a thick book that looks like it was written by a toddler but is somehow legible.)
"The singularities all hold great power." (Taro traces a finger down the page... and suddenly, a diagram comes to life! The page ripples like water, the ink swirling into a glowing orb that floats above the book—a spinning, pulsing ball of energy just like the one that fell from the sky.)
"They're the key to understanding the universe's mysteries," he mumbles.
(Taro's fingers freeze mid-page flip. His gaze flicks to Yua, sharp as a honed blade.)
Taro: "What have you told him already? Names? Locations? Or just vague warnings about 'fate' and 'destruction'?" (His tone is clinical—but there's an undercurrent of urgency.)
---
YUA'S LIST (SO FAR):
1️⃣ "Pyreton Tsukigumo" – The Fallen Guardian, Bound by Mourning.
2️⃣ "Kensei Tsukigumo" – The Scholar Who Drank Too Deep of Truth. (Currently imprisoned.)
3️⃣ "Shirogane Kazane" - The Storm that Walks. (Member of the Sword Saints of the Forest.)
(Her eyes lock onto Taro's. A silent challenge passes between them before he exhales through his nose.)
---
SCENE 9: REVELATIONS & RESISTANCE
(Old Man Genji chuckles into his tea while Kazuya stiffens—like he just realized something terrifying. Mirai, however, doesn't react at all... which is somehow more concerning.)
(Taro's gaze lingers on Yua for a long moment, the usual sharpness in his eyes softening—just slightly. He exhales through his nose, almost reluctantly impressed.)
Taro: "Hmph. You actually did your homework." (A pause.) "Good."
(It's not a grand compliment, but from Taro? It might as well be applause. Yua feels an unexpected warmth curl in her chest—validation from someone who doesn't give it lightly.)
---
SCENE 10: MUTUAL RESPECT (AND A LITTLE SMUGNESS)
Yua crosses her arms but can't help the slight upward tilt of her lips. "And here I thought you'd assume I was just swinging swords blindly all this time."
(Taro scoffs but doesn't deny it this time. Meanwhile, Ryo watches their exchange with raised eyebrows—clearly amused by the rare display of respect between two people who usually act like they're allergic to praise.)
Ryo (smirking): "Bring it on. I can handle more than just wild theories from a guy who doesn't own a comb."
Taro (deadpan): "Ha. Ha. You'll need a sense of humor to get through this."
(Taro's fingers flutter with anticipation as he turns the page, eyes glowing with a light that makes everyone lean in—even Kazuya, who'll deny being interested in the next part until his dying breath.)
Yua (rolling her eyes): "You know, he once ate an entire pack of pens in one sitting because he thought they were 'snacks.'" (She's not even joking—it's written "pen-eaters (singular)" in Taro's journal, so...
(Ryo chokes on his drink, barely resisting the urge to burst into laughter.)
---
SCENE 11: THE STORM CHASER
"Okay, okay—enough with the personal attacks." (Taro coughs.)
Taro (grumbling under his breath): "They were labeled 'edible ink'...!" *(His cheeks flush slightly as he flips the page aggressively, trying to steer the conversation back.)
---
SCENE 12: THE REMAINING SINGULARITIES REVEALED
(The orb shifts again—this time splitting into four distinct images, each pulsing with eerie light.)
4️⃣ "Hakumei Ryusei" – The Silent Comet. (A man who moves faster than light but speaks less than a shadow.)
5️⃣ "Setsuna Yukihime" – The Frozen Monarch. (Her heart is said to be colder than absolute zero. Allegedly imprisoned in her own ice palace.)
6️⃣ ????? (Taro hesitates here—the image flickers like static interference before snapping into focus:)
A silhouette of a woman engulfed in flames, her face obscured by smoke and ash.
Ryo: "Who is that?!"
Taro (frowning at the flickering image): "This is... strange. The image is unstable, almost like someone —or something—doesn't want us to know her true identity."
(Ryo leans in, eyes narrowed at the flickering figure. There's a sense of unease creeping up his spine. A mystery buried beneath layers of deception. A singular figure shrouded in flame. Taro might not know her yet, but Ryo feels it with every fiber of his being: whatever she is... she's important.)
Taro (voice low, eyes locked on the shifting orb): "Three more to go... but for now, we focus on these two."
(The energy pulses violently—the next silhouette forms:)
7️⃣ "Raijinaka Murakumo" – The Thunder Tyrant. (A towering figure wreathed in storm clouds, his face obscured by lightning scars. The air around his image crackles with static.)
- Ryo's Reaction: (Instinctively grabs his chest—his Eclipseborn reacts to the image like a live wire touching water.)
- Yua's Warning: "He's… volatile. Last sighting had him leveling an entire mountain because it 'annoyed him.'"
8️⃣ "Kagura Hoshizuki" – The Celestial Dancer. (A woman cloaked in starlight, her movements weaving constellations into existence. Her expression is serene… but her eyes glow with something darker.)
- Old Man Genji's Grumble: "Ahhh… her. Beautiful as a supernova. Dangerous as one too." (Kazuya noticeably pales at this.)
(Silence. Taro's finger hovers over the page, trembling ever so slightly.)
Taro (barely a whisper): "The last one... the final singularity. He's..."
(Taro takes a deep breath and turns the page. The orb quivers—and then...)
A silhouette forms.
A man with hair the color of midnight and eyes as red as the blood moon; a cloak whispers around him like black silk, edges frayed with shadows; and in one hand... the outline of a weapon, sleek and deadly and gleaming—he holds it like an extension of himself.
(Silence. The air seems to press down on them—the energy crackling and shifting in the room.)
Old Man Genji (slowly, like he's afraid to say the name aloud): "Oh, boy... the Devil himself is here."
(In the dim light, Kazuya's eyes are wide with horror. Mirai's face is pale as cream. Yua's fists clench—and Ryo? Ryo stares at the flickering image, and a strange sense of recognition stirs inside him… but that's impossible. He's never seen this man before.
Ryo (whispered, almost in a trance): "Who... is he?"
(Taro's lips curl into a bitter smile. He looks like a man about to tell a child that monsters are real—and they're much closer than he thinks.)
Taro (voice tight with tension): "Meet Malleus... the man known by many names. The Shadow of Destiny, the Demon King, the Fallen Angel, The Angel in the Shadow of God—call him what you will. One thing's for sure: he's the only one I couldn't uncover a damn thing about at least in terms of his story. He is the most dangerous singularity..."
(Old Man Genji mutters under his breath, eyes locked on the silhouette.) "And the one who could very well end us all..."
(Ryo is no longer sure if he wants to keep digging—but he's come too far now. He's in deep water—and there's no going back.)
Ryo (voice sharp, determination flickering in his eyes): "Taro... what else does it say about him?"
(Taro hesitates, glancing in Yua's direction to gauge her reaction. She nods, almost imperceptibly. Permission granted.)
Taro (takes a deep breath, the words tumbling out in a rush): *"He's... different. Mysterious. Dangerous on a scale we've never seen before. The prophecy speaks of a path he might take—one that could lead to unimaginable consequences. But for now, he seems unaware of his own power."
---
MALLEUS "THE SHADOW OF GOD" KUROTENSHI
(Name Meaning: "Black Celestial Death"—a fusion of fallen divinity and cunning deception.)
▶ APPEARANCE:
- Aura: His very presence warps the air around him—a mirage of liquid shadow that (breathes), shifting between tendrils of ink-black mist and fleeting glimpses of shattered wings. (Think: A fallen angel mid-transformation—half divine, half damned.)
- Attire: A high-collared obsidian jacket lined with silver filigree (resembling broken chains), over a fitted combat suit laced with crimson circuitry. Fingerless gloves hide scars that glow faintly when he exerts power.
- Eyes: Gold irises slit like a serpent's—pupils flickering between round and jagged depending on his emotions. ("Like watching a star collapse in real time," one observer noted.)
---
▶ PERSONALITY (COMPLEXITY Of A GALAXY):
🔹 On the Surface: Charismatic, disciplined, even kind to his squad—a leader who bleeds compassion alongside ambition.
🔹 Beneath the Surface: A web of buried secrets, hidden vulnerabilities. He holds regrets, doubts—fears he'll never speak aloud (except in the dead of night, when he thinks no one's listening.)
🔹 Deeper Still: A darkness coiled in his heart, an insatiable thirst for power, a lingering resentment at being 'abandoned' by the world that should have been his.
---
▶ HIS FALL & FUTURE:
(Currently: Training with an elite order of warriors who protect their world—loyal, respected, seemingly incorruptible... for now.)
(Yet—)
- The Prophecy Warns: He will one day seize the "Amrita Vessel"—an artifact capable of granting true immortality. Not just eternal life… but *the rewriting of existence itself. (And he won't use it for salvation.)
- His Descent: Unlike common evil, his tragedy isn't born of simple malice. It's a slow unraveling—betrayal by those he trusted, revelations that break him, and ultimately… a choice to burn the world rather than let it hurt him again.
(Ryo feels something cold slither down his spine. This isn't just a villain. This is destiny screaming in warning.)
*(Taro's sudden, sharp laughter cuts through the tension like a blade. Ryo whips his head around—completely baffled.)
Ryo (eyes wide): "What the hell is so funny?! You just dropped a cosmic horror story on us and now you're laughing?!"
(Taro snaps the book shut with one hand, wiping tears from his eyes with the other. His grin is razor-edged—half amusement, half something darker.)
---
SCENE 13: THE TRUTH IN THE ABSURDITY:
Taro (still chuckling): "Sorry, sorry—it's just... your face." (He gestures vaguely at Ryo's horrified expression before shrugging.) "Look, kid. The universe is ridiculous. You think Malleus is scary? Please. I once met a sentient black hole that quoted poetry while it ate planets. This? This is Tuesday."
(Yua pinches the bridge of her nose like she's fighting off a headache. Kazuya groans into his hands. Old Man Genji just nods sagely as if this makes perfect sense.)
(Ryo is completely speechless for a moment. The world has been a bizarre place since his Eclipseborn surfaced—but sentient black holes and poetry-quoting celestial bodies take the cake.)
Ryo (stumbling over his words): "I—uh, what... Okay. Fine. Black holes are philosophers who devour worlds. Sure." (he throws his hands up in despair) "You're all insane—and I (really) need a drink."
Yua (eyes wide, horrified): "Boy, you're SEVENTEEN—what do you mean 'need a drink'?!" (She jabs a finger at his chest like she's scolding a misbehaving puppy.)
Ryo (grinning shamelessly): "A metaphorical one! Unless...?" (He glances at Old Man Genji, who suddenly develops selective hearing and whistles innocently while sipping his suspiciously strong-smelling tea.)
---
SCENE 14: DISTRACTIONS & DEFLECTIONS
(Mirai snaps her book shut loudly—an obvious signal that they've strayed too far from the point. Taro clears his throat and flips open another journal entry with an exasperated sigh.)
Taro (dry as ever): "If we're done discussing underage delinquency… Let's focus on the real problem." (He taps the page where Malleus' image lingers—the ink still shifting like restless shadows.)
(Silence falls again. The weight of what they're up against settles over them like a storm cloud. No one laughs this time.)
Taro: "That prophecy stuff won't come to pass though… because I'm here. After all, I am the smartest person on the entire universe."
Yua (glaring at Taro like he just confessed to knocking down her favorite tower of books): "Taro—why didn't you (lead) with that little detail when I barged in on your research binge earlier?!"
(Taro rolls his eyes, unrepentant. Kazuya mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'drama queen' and gets a punch on the arm from Mirai. Old Man Genji chuckles into his tea.)
Taro (grinning): "Hey, you didn't ask."
Ryo (raising an eyebrow, half-impressed, half-suspicious): "Okay… so just (how) smart are we talking here? 'Invented a new language to spite his teachers' smart? Or 'accidentally built a time machine while trying to make better coffee' smart?"
(Taro pauses—considering the question with all the gravitas of a man who absolutely (has) done both.)
Taro (deadpan): "...Yes."
(Yua groans. Kazuya mutters, "Oh hell.")
Yua (rubbing her temples): "Taro, you have the emotional intelligence of a broken toaster and the people skills of a feral cat."
(Taro shrugs, unfazed—like he's been told worse. Mirai, meanwhile, is writing in her notebook with such intensity you'd think someone had just unlocked the secrets of the universe.)
Yua: "We still gotta find a way to deal with that fallen star."
Ryo (blinking, looking genuinely bewildered): "Wait… Fallen Star? As in the literal giant flaming rock that crashed into my city last week?"
(Yua gives an exasperated sigh—like she's dealing with a particularly slow student.)
Yua (trying to keep her temper in check): "Yes, you dunderhead. The Fallen Star that you (let) land in your neighborhood because you thought it was just a 'shooting star'."
Ryo looks at her with disdain as he turns it into a joke
Ryo (jokingly): "Oh yeah? Let me just jump into something that could possibly evicerate me to nothingness."
Mirai covers her face with her book genuinely trying not to laugh
Yua (ready to move on): "Anyway… let me begin."
Flashback Scene: Impact Event
(The scene plays like a hazy dream—blurring at the edges. There's chaos—screams, distant sirens, smoke and panic. Ryo remembers fragments; the sound of shattering glass, the smell of smoke and the flash of a girl's face in amidst the flames. Then… silence. Yua's voice is a lifeline in the void.)
(Ryo stumbles upon the broken and battered Yua.)
Yua (gritted teeth, gripping Ryo's collar as she drags him through smoke): "Move—or we both die here!"
(Behind them, something (roars)—a sound that cracks the air like thunder. A massive silhouette of jagged shadow and flickering starlight tears through the buildings behind them. The Kaimon. Its maw splits open—lightning-blue venom dripping from fangs as long as streetlamps.)
Ryo (flashback POV): "What the hell is that?!"
(Before Yua can answer—)
BOOM.
A streak of white-hot light SCREAMS down from the sky—impacting directly into the Kaimon. The shockwave sends Ryo flying back, vision swimming. (The last thing he sees before blacking out: Yua's outstretched hand… and a glowing fissure in reality itself.)
---
Scene 15: The Truth Revealed
(Ryo's blood runs cold. It wasn't a star... it was something else entirely.)
Yua (grim): "...That Fallen Star was a crack between worlds."
(Silence as that sinks in. Ryo's gaze flicks to the other hunters, hoping for reassurance—but they're all watching him with wary, expectant eyes. As if waiting for him to understand.
Ryo ("Fallen star? Yua, what..." (his voice cracks) "...What does that mean?"
Yua (explaining with annoyance): "It means… that this was the catalyst for everything that has happened since our meeting."
(The room goes dead silent. Even Taro stops flipping pages mid-motion. Yua's breath hitches—her grip on her sheathed blade tightening until her knuckles turn white.)
Ryo (voice barely above a whisper, eyes locked on the floor): "...I thought I was just imagining it. But every night since that day... I feel it. Like someone breathing in the dark." (He lifts his head—and for the first time, they all see it: his Eclipseborn flickering in his irises, responding to an echo none of them can hear.) "That 'star' wasn't just energy... It was alive."
---
[FINAL SCENE: ALIVE IN THE SKY]
(Silence lingers like a held breath. The hunters exchange glances—some fearful, some calculating. Taro's journal lies forgotten on the table. Somewhere far away… something shifts in the void.)
🌀 End of Chapter Twelve
Yua's Journal Entries – Week 2 in the Human Realm
(Scrawled in messy, impatient handwriting—blotted ink and scratch-outs galore. Pages smudged with dirt, tea stains, and what looks suspiciously like dried blood.)
---
ENTRY #5: "Human Sustenance is a Lie"
"They eat things called 'fast food.' It's not even real food. It's just... crunchy air injected with salt and regret. Ryo insists it's 'delicious'—whatever that means. I tried something called 'takis.' My tongue is still burning. Why would anyone do this to themselves? "
(Marginal doodle of a frowning Yua with fire erupting from her mouth.)
---
ENTRY #7: "The Mystery of Laundry Machines"
"Humans don't beat their clothes against rocks to clean them?? They shove everything into a spinning metal beast that growls like an angry Kaimon. Mirai laughed at me for loading it wrong ('You don't wash swords in here!'). Whatever. I still think my method was more thorough.