The quiet of the winter evening seemed to amplify the eerie silence in the abandoned, crumbling facility. Ibara Kizuki, her sleek black hair flowing behind her like a shadow, adjusted the visor on her helmet. Her bright amber eyes scanned the dimly lit surroundings. Beside her, Naoya Tengetsu, a tall, lean figure with sharp green eyes and messy auburn hair, stood alert, his expression as focused as always.
"This place gives me the chills," Ibara muttered, her voice echoing softly through the decrepit walls. The building, once a prominent research facility, was now nothing more than a hollow shell. The walls were covered in layers of dust, and broken windows let the cold wind howl through the gaps. The atmosphere was heavy with the scent of decay.
Naoya grunted, his arms crossed. "Let's just get in and out. I don't like the looks of this place. Feels off."
They stepped cautiously through the abandoned facility, their boots crunching on the broken glass and debris beneath them. They had been sent on a reconnaissance mission by Kensei Gojuro, the President of the Essence Warriors Association, after a series of strange reports had surfaced about unusual activity in this particular zone.
As they ventured deeper into the building, Ibara's Essence sense flared. Something was wrong.
"Wait," Ibara whispered, raising a hand to signal Naoya to stop. "Do you feel that?"
Naoya narrowed his eyes, his body instinctively tensing. "Yeah. It's not right."
They crept forward, following the dim flicker of a broken light down a hallway. Then, without warning, they came to a massive, open chamber.
What they saw was beyond anything they could have prepared for.
A dark and unnatural sea of eyes, glowing a dull red, stared back at them from the shadows. The creatures—no, beasts—were lined up in rows, packed closely together in the center of the vast space. More than 500 of them, all identical in appearance. They resembled hybrid animals, each a grotesque mixture of beasts and something else—something ancient and malicious. Their bodies rippled with raw Essence, each one emanating an aura of danger that filled the room like a suffocating fog.
They were all kneeling, submissive, awaiting orders.
Ibara's hand tightened on the hilt of her blade. "What are they doing here? And why are they all... like this?"
Naoya stepped forward, pulling out a small, compact Essence scanner. "These aren't just any regular beasts. These are... these are EX-ranked Essence Beasts. And there's so many of them… What are they slaving for?"
Before they could investigate further, the ground rumbled slightly, and they saw two figures in the distance—one tall and regal, the other imposing and fierce. The King and Queen, as Ibara's gut instinct told her. They stood, seemingly overseeing the beasts, their Essence signatures radiating an unimaginable power.
Ibara's breath caught in her throat. "We need to get out of here. Now."
Naoya nodded without a word. They turned and began to retreat, moving swiftly through the corridors. Their footsteps echoed in the empty space as they navigated their way back to the exit. They didn't dare make a sound as they left the chamber, their bodies tense and ready to react at any given moment.
Once they were outside, they wasted no time. Naoya pulled out his communication device, sending a secure message to Kensei Gojuro immediately.
Hours Later — Kensei Gojuro's Office
The small, dimly lit office was filled with the soft hum of the computer screens and a faint buzzing of a distant fan. Kensei sat at his desk, his stern face bathed in the glow of his monitors. The door slid open, and Naoya and Ibara walked in, both clearly on edge, their faces pale from what they'd witnessed.
Naoya wasted no time. "We saw it, Kensei. Over 500 EX-ranked Essence Beasts, all under the command of two beings we assume are the King and Queen. They're being controlled, kept in check by something, or someone."
Ibara quickly added, "We recorded footage, just like you asked."
She handed over a small device, and Kensei plugged it into the central system. On the screen, the footage played in real time, showing the eerie, grotesque assembly of beasts, their eyes glowing menacingly as they waited for orders. The two figures, the King and Queen, stood with regal, commanding presence, their powers radiating through the screen.
Kensei watched the footage, his face hardening. He clenched his fists. "So, it's true. They've already begun the preparation for something big."
He looked at the two warriors before him, his expression serious. "I need you to gather the footage and any other details. The world doesn't know what's coming. We need to prepare. Everyone needs to be ready."
Kensei's Email
That night, Kensei sent an encrypted message to every S-Rank and higher Essence Warrior across the globe. The subject line was simple: "Prepare for Invasion: January 10th."
The email detailed everything they had learned from Ibara and Naoya's mission: the appearance of over 500 EX-ranked Essence Beasts, controlled by mysterious King and Queen figures, and their ominous intent. Kensei instructed all S-Rank warriors and above to begin intensive training immediately. The invasion of the enemy stronghold was imminent, and they had less than two weeks to prepare for an assault like nothing they had ever encountered before.
Included in the email was a video message from Kensei himself, urging the warriors to unite and prepare for a battle that could determine the future of the world.
"We will face the greatest threat this world has ever known," Kensei said in the video. "This is not just a mission for one city or one country. It's for all of us. We move on January 10th. Get ready."
Global Reaction
The message sent ripples through the Essence Warrior community. Across the globe, S-Rank warriors and their teams began to prepare for the worst. They gathered intel, trained harder than ever before, and began strategizing. The looming threat was clear.
In the weeks that followed, there was a palpable shift in the air. It was as if the entire world was holding its breath. No one knew exactly who the King and Queen were, or what their endgame might be, but one thing was certain: the coming war would be unlike anything they had ever faced.
Riku, Yumi, and all the other warriors felt the weight of the message. With only two weeks to prepare, there was no time to waste. Each of them knew that their training would be pushed to the limit, but they also understood the gravity of what was at stake.
The countdown to January 10th had begun.