"Big bro Riku!"
Riku turned as the voice cut through the city noise. Sprinting down the sidewalk was Renji Kagawa, the sharp-eyed 16-year-old Essence Warrior who had fought beside him during the C-Rank Rift mission.
"Renji?" Riku said, surprised, as the teen skidded to a stop in front of him, panting but grinning from ear to ear.
"You really became an A-Rank Essence Warrior?" Renji asked, eyes wide with admiration.
Riku nodded. "Looks like it. I didn't ask for it, but… they insisted."
Renji punched his shoulder lightly. "That's crazy, man! I saw what you did back there—taking down an A-Rank beast like it was a sparring dummy. You're not like the rest of us."
Riku laughed. "Neither are you. You and Takumi held your own when it mattered. That counts."
They started walking, catching up. Renji filled him in on some recent Rift patrols, his training schedule, and his goal of becoming a B-Rank by the end of the year. Riku, genuinely proud, listened without interrupting.
But before they could go much further, a new voice echoed from the street behind them—calm, deep, and commanding.
"Riku Hayashi."
Riku turned slowly. A tall man in a charcoal-black military coat walked toward him, flanked by two A-Rank bodyguards. His presence made pedestrians pause, even step aside. His spiked silver-blonde hair gleamed in the sun, and a shimmering gold medallion hung around his neck, shaped like a rising phoenix.
Renji whispered, "That's… that's Kensei Gojuro—Guildmaster of The Flame Pact. He's the leader of the S-Rank Clan!"
Riku narrowed his eyes slightly. "Didn't expect to see him."
Kensei stopped a few feet away and spoke without introduction. "We need to talk. Come."
Riku glanced at Renji. "We'll finish our talk later."
"Yeah—go. That's the Guildmaster, man. Don't keep him waiting."
Inside an executive lounge atop The Flame Pact's private tower, Riku sat across from Kensei, who leaned against a polished obsidian desk, arms crossed.
"You've made quite a mess of the ranking system," Kensei said, half-amused, half-serious. "A D-Rank Essence Warrior wiping out two EX-Beasts? It's got every Guild in Japan scrambling to update their threat algorithms."
Riku said nothing, letting the silence speak.
Kensei continued. "We're upgrading you to A-Rank officially. You'll receive the clearance, rewards, and responsibilities that come with it. But don't get comfortable."
He leaned forward. "That's just a placeholder. The truth is—we still don't know what you are. Your Essence... it's unlike anything we've ever classified. That technique you used? Beam output from your palm? That's not natural. It's tech fused with organic Essence—hybridized power."
Riku's eyes flickered. "I didn't ask to be this way."
"Maybe not. But now the world's watching you. And so are the ones who fear what you might become."
Kensei paused, then handed Riku a sealed letter.
"Take this to the Ministry of Global Rift Affairs. They'll grant you international clearance. You're not just some local anomaly anymore."
Riku nodded, sliding the letter into his coat.
Kensei gave one final smirk. "Welcome to the big leagues, A-Rank Essence Warrior."