***Extended Pilot. This episode sets the tone, the universe, and the main characters. Starting with Chapter 1, episodes will be shorter and more dynamic.***
"We've got the building surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"
Three police cars blocked the entrance to the jewelry store. At least ten officers had their guns drawn, aiming without hesitation. They had everything under control.
Or so they thought.
A man stepped through the shattered glass like he didn't care about getting cut. He walked calmly, hands raised.
"Whoa, no need to be so dramatic, fellas."
He had bones everywhere. Claws, bony plates covering his body, an exposed ribcage. And that skull mask. He looked like he'd crawled straight out of hell.
"Freeze. On your knees. No funny business."
"Sure, but please, don't shoot. I'm terrified of small guns."
He knelt with theatrical flair, like it was all part of a show.
Two officers approached cautiously. One grabbed his wrist to cuff him.
Then, a lion skull burst out of his arm and sank its teeth into the officer's head.
For a second, all you could hear was bones crunching.
The second cop froze in place. Skull man didn't give him a chance: a bone spear shot from his arm and pierced the man's stomach in a blink.
"He's a bearer!"
The rest reacted too late. They opened fire. Bullets bounced off his skin like pebbles.
Though, he had to admit, they were a bit annoying.
"Do you really think that's gonna hurt me? Come on, give me some credit."
He raised one arm to shield his face, like swatting away a light drizzle. With the other hand, he snapped his fingers.
Dozens of bone spears burst from the ground and launched toward the officers.
Seconds passed. Silence.
No more gunfire. He was the only one left standing, still smiling.
Behind a car, a wounded cop gripped his radio with trembling hands. A spear was lodged in his leg, blood dripping from his fingers.
"We need backup… It's the bearer of the Bone Ring. He… he killed them all."
Skull man pushed the car aside like it was a sheet of paper. He leaned toward the officer, still wearing that crooked smile.
"Well, look at that. One survivor. Guess I need to work on my aim."
The officer couldn't move. Fear had paralyzed him.
Skull Man crouched until their faces were only inches apart.
"Ever heard your own skull break?"
He summoned a bone staff from thin air. Lifted it like a baseball bat.
And smashed his head.
***
"The disturbing footage you just witnessed was recovered from the bodycam of one of the officers killed yesterday in Roppongi. The suspect has been identified by the public alias 'Hone', a rogue bearer wielding the long-lost Bone Ring. It's unknown whether he's affiliated with the rogue bearer syndicate or acting alone. Still, with another supervillain roaming the streets, many are starting to lose hope that remaining heroes will ever return…"
The news anchor spoke from a small TV. In front of it, Yuto and his brother Daiki sat on the floor, eating instant ramen. The room was dark, lit only by the television and Daiki's laptop.
"Don't worry. The landlord said this area's relatively safe. As long as we're careful, we'll probably be fine."
Daiki spoke while flipping through bills on his laptop.
The comment snapped Yuto back to reality. He'd been staring at the TV, knuckles white from clenching his fists. He couldn't see his own face, but he was pretty sure he'd been frowning.
He grabbed the cup of ramen he'd set on the floor, leaned back against a cardboard box, and sighed.
No use getting worked up over something he couldn't change. Better to think of something else.
"I've been thinking… maybe I could get a part-time job after school."
Daiki paused like Yuto had just confessed to a crime.
"Again with that?"
"It wouldn't be a big deal. Just a couple days a week—"
"No way. Not happening. You need to focus on your studies."
Yuto flinched. Everyone said Daiki was too kind. But when he put his foot down, he could be scary.
"And I will. I'm sure the classes won't be that hard."
"How can you say that? You haven't even started yet."
"But—"
"No buts. You know how hard it was to get your transfer approved after the semester already started. It's a great prep school. If you stay focused, you'll get into a nice university."
Yuto lowered his gaze and stirred his now-cold ramen.
"Hey, Yuto. I really appreciate that you want to help. But what kind of big brother would I be if I let you work? Don't worry about the money. I've got this. I've got an interview tomorrow at a convenience store. I'm pretty sure I'll get it."
Daiki could be so kind it made Yuto feel guilty. Even though he was only eight years older, he always felt like a real adult.
"Maybe I should start practising. Welcome! How can I help you today?"
Daiki spoke in a formal, polite tone. Yuto couldn't help but chuckle.
"What was that?"
Seeing he made him laugh, Daiki kept going.
"Do you have a points card?"
Yuto burst out laughing.
***
Yuto could still hear his brother's voice from just ten minutes ago.
"Good luck on your first day. And please, try not to get into trouble."
Those same words echoed in his head now.
Up ahead in an alley, four guys their age were beating up another kid. All of them wore the same school uniform.
The prep school was just a few blocks away. He could've walked right past them, like the dozens of others on the street. But that wasn't something Yuto ever considered.
He didn't even think. His legs were already moving.
"Why are you hitting him?"
He approached the group with a firm look. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe the kid getting beat up had done something terrible.
The four students turned at his voice. They looked at each other and started laughing. The fifth one stayed on the ground, covering his face.
"What did you just say?"
One of the bullies turned to face him. He was the tallest of the group, with bleached blonde hair, a lit cigarette in his mouth, and a tattoo on his neck.
"I said I want to know why you're hitting him."
The blonde guy, clearly the leader, looked back at the others and laughed.
"Check this guy out!"
When he turned back to Yuto, he wasn't smiling anymore. Now he looked like a killer.
"You're new around here, aren't you?"
He got close, hands in his pockets. Calm, but his tone and aura were intimidating.
Yuto didn't back down.
The leader kept going,
"Looks like you don't know how things work here. You'd better—"
He didn't finish. Yuto's fist smashed into his face before he could react.
The guy hit the ground, semi-conscious, nose starting to bleed.
The other three froze. Thoughts racing: "What just happened?" and "Did he just drop the boss?"
Yuto didn't stop.
He charged with his fists up.
He'd fought guys like them before. Hit first, and you've got the upper hand.
One tried to defend himself, but a kick to the gut sent him flying.
The other two lunged together, trying to overwhelm him. They grabbed his backpack, throwing him off balance. He took a few punches but powered through.
Yuto knew they were just loud cowards.
And he was right.
A minute ago, they were laughing. Now, they backed away in fear.
Their leader had gotten up at some point, but he didn't want to fight either. He clutched his bleeding nose.
As they backed off, he muttered,
"You're dead."
Yuto took a few seconds to calm his breath. He had a few bruises, but thankfully his uniform wasn't torn. He didn't want Daiki to worry.
"Here."
Yuto turned toward the voice. The kid who'd been getting beaten up now stood in front of him, offering a handkerchief.
He took it and wiped the blood from his lip.
"Thanks."
The boy was short and skinny, with bruises on his face and hands—and probably more under his clothes.
"I should be the one thanking you. But… why'd you help me?"
Yuto shrugged. He wasn't sure himself.
"I don't like bullies."
The boy frowned.
"I don't either, but now they'll just be after you too."
"Doesn't matter."
Yuto handed back the handkerchief.
"See you."
He turned to leave.
The boy blinked, stunned. Did he really just save him and walk off like nothing?
"Wait! We go to the same school, right? I'll walk you to class."
***
Yuto knew he wasn't great at making friends.
So when the teacher asked him to introduce himself in front of the class, the only thing he could think to say was, "My name's Yuto. I hope we can be friends."
When the teacher told him that was too short and asked him to share something about himself, he added, "I like cats. I hope we can be friends."
After that, no one spoke to him for the rest of the day. Maybe it was because of the split lip from the earlier fight. Maybe people didn't want trouble.
He was used to that.
It wasn't until classes ended that Enzo—the boy he'd met that morning—came over to talk.
"I thought you'd be more outgoing."
Though when Yuto had first seen him, Enzo had been crying on the ground, his face now looked bright and cheerful.
"Why'd you think that?"
"Because the way you saved me earlier? That was seriously cool. You looked like a hero."
Yuto wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a joke.
"Oh. Uh, thanks, I guess."
He started packing up his things to head out. Enzo followed him again.
"Wait up! Let's walk together. I'll show you around the school."
Enzo gave him a short tour through the hallways, pointing out the nurse's office, bathrooms, and other important rooms.
Yuto noticed two small plush charms hanging from Enzo's backpack.
One was a woman in a gleaming white costume with fantastical details. She wore a mask, and sparks of light burst from her hands.
The other was a man in a black suit with a mask covering his eyes.
The Light and Shadow Heroes.
"You like the Ring Heroes?"
Enzo had been talking nonstop about the quickest route to the infirmary, but the moment he heard Yuto's question, his face lit up. Like a kid being asked about their favorite game.
"I love them! Is it because of these? I always carry them in case someone asks, but hardly anyone does. I've seen every interview, every movie, read all the manga, played all the games… I even have a photo with Kodama from when I was a kid, though I don't remember it."
He showed Yuto his phone wallpaper—a blurry picture of the Wood Ring Hero, Kodama, posing next to a toddler.
Yuto was a bit surprised by his obsession, though he had to admire the dedication.
"That's cool."
"Do you like the heroes too?"
Yuto frowned, thinking for a second.
"I used to when I was a kid. Then I realized they're just normal people. You can't rely on them. The ones who survived the war against the villains haven't even come back."
"Well, that's because they're at a disadvantage now. They lost a lot of rings during the war. They have to protect what's left. I'm sure they'll come back to help."
Yuto replied quietly, almost to himself,
"Even if they do, they can't undo the past."
They finally reached the school's front doors. With the quick tour, the building was almost completely empty now.
But as soon as they stepped outside, both of them froze.
The sun was setting, and rain had started to fall.
And yet, someone was waiting for them.
Blocking the main gate were at least fifteen students. Some held baseball bats or metal rods.
Yuto immediately recognized the bleached-blond student from earlier that morning—now with a bundle of gauze taped over his nose.
Unfortunately, the boy recognized him too. Pointing straight at him, he shouted,
"That's him!"
The bullies stopped chatting and all turned their eyes on Yuto and Enzo. They were getting ready for a fight.
Yuto removed his backpack and handed it to Enzo.
"Hold this, please. Go back inside. Don't come out until they're gone."
Enzo was trembling now. All the cheer he'd shown moments ago had vanished.
"But what about—?"
Yuto didn't wait for him to finish. He ran straight at the gang.
Some of them readied themselves for a head-on fight—but at the last second, Yuto changed direction and sprinted toward the school's outer wall.
Without warning, he launched himself up and over the two-meter wall like it was nothing.
"After him!"
"Don't let him get away!"
Yuto had made it to the street, but it was far too early to relax. He didn't know this area well yet—he could get lost or cornered if he wasn't careful.
For now, he used the little lead he had to run faster. He had to shake them off.
The gang reached an intersection, but Yuto was nowhere in sight.
With a quick hand signal, the blond boy ordered the others to split up and cover more ground.
It worked.
One of the groups spotted Yuto a block away, trying to catch his breath in the rain.
"There he is!"
They charged—but by the time they reached the next corner, Yuto was gone again. No way he could've crossed the street that fast.
"Where the hell—?"
Before the sentence finished, Yuto dropped from the sky. A flying kick slammed into one of them from behind.
He'd hidden in the branches of a nearby tree. His surprise attack worked perfectly.
He didn't let them recover. One punch to the face dropped another.
A third tried to blindside him with a bat. Yuto twisted and drove his elbow into the attacker's ribs. A sharp yell of pain followed.
No time to celebrate.
Another squad rounded the corner—Yuto had to run again.
His breath was starting to catch up with him.
At the next turn, he had to stop dead. A group was blocking the path.
Among them stood the blond kid, glaring with rage.
Yuto didn't have time to think. He bolted for the only way left: a narrow bridge to his right.
He sprinted across—but five more students were waiting at the other end, blocking the way out.
They had boxed him in.
The blond boy's group closed in from behind.
"You're not going anywhere now, you little shit."
Yuto squared up, fists clenched. They were surrounding him. All he could do now was hope for a miracle.
At the very least, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.
He lunged at the nearest one, shattering his nose with a punch.
He grabbed another by the collar. Before he could land a hit, a baseball bat slammed into his ribs.
Crack.
Somehow, Yuto stayed on his feet. The air had been knocked out of him.
No time to recover.
A punch to the face. Another. A kick to the gut.
He raised his arms to block, but a metal rod crashed down on them.
Crack.
The blond kid shoved him back, forcing Yuto to stumble into the bridge's railing.
"Not so tough now, are you?"
Yuto clung to the rail to stay upright.
His vision blurred. Every breath hurt. His mouth tasted like blood, thinned by the pouring rain.
Were they really going to kill him?
All he could think about now was what his brother had said that morning: "Try not to get into any fights."
And here he was, getting stomped on his first day. Ironic. If he survived this, Daiki might kill him himself.
But even if he could relive the day, he wouldn't change a thing. He would still defend Enzo.
Even if it meant his end, he'd help anyone in danger.
He wouldn't let the world corrupt him, no matter how rotten it got.
One of the boys stepped toward him with a bat. The others jeered.
With what little strength he had left, Yuto took a breath and dove off the bridge.
"What the hell—he's crazy!"
"There's no way he survives that."
Yuto hit the water. It wasn't more than a five-meter drop, and the river wasn't deep—but the rain had made the current violent.
With broken bones, even staying afloat was a struggle.
The current dragged him for minutes.
He was about to pass out—somehow, he managed to grab hold of a ledge at the river's edge and haul himself onto it. He found shelter beneath another bridge, out of the rain.
He collapsed, unable to move. He just hoped that if he died, someone would find his body soon, so Daiki wouldn't worry too much.
But before he blacked out completely, he saw something glowing in front of him.
In the water, tangled in riverweed.
It started to shine. Then it began moving toward him, slowly—then all at once.
It was a ring.