A seventeen-year-old boy lay in a narrow alley, his body battered and soaked in blood. It looked as if he had just emerged from a brutal struggle, and as if on cue, the heavens opened up, and the rain began to pour.
'So, in the end... I lost,' he thought, a profound sense of sorrow washing over him. Passersby hurried along the main street, but the alley was so cramped and shadowed that no one noticed the boy fading away in the darkness.
"AIICHIRO!!!"
A girl's scream shattered the sound of the rain. She came sprinting into the alley, her eyes brimming with tears as if she had lost everything. "Aiichiro... Aiichiro!" she gasped, her breath coming in ragged hitches. She held an umbrella, but it was useless; she was already drenched to the bone.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was...?" she sobbed, breaking down beside him.
Aiichiro looked at her, momentarily stunned, but his expression soon crumbled into deep disappointment. "I lost... Ray". The downpour intensified, the world drowning in a deafening shhhhh of rain and the sharp thhuuuhhh of lightning. Yet, Ray heard Aiichiro's weak voice with haunting clarity. She knelt down, gently pulling his head into her lap, her tears mingling with the rain.
"You don't care about me at all... what would happen to me if something happened to you?" she wept, yet a part of her was overwhelmed with relief. He was still alive.
[Scene Fades to Black]
2 Months Earlier"Aiichiro, take care of yourself!"
"Yeah, yeah, Mom. I'm heading out now!" Aiichiro shouted as he dashed out of the house, his feet pounding against the pavement.
Inside, his mother turned to his father. "You remember Aiichiro's birthday is this month? He'll be seventeen".
"Is he late again today?" his father teased, a proud smile on his face. "He's still so full of energy. Look at kids these days—fourteen or fifteen and already buried in depression. But our boy... he's fulfilled his dream".
"He hasn't fulfilled it just yet," his father corrected gently. "His dream wasn't just to join NECK. He wants to become the Supreme Head".
Meanwhile, Aiichiro was weaving through the crowded marketplace with intense focus. He was anxious because he was running late, but as he passed, people turned to look at him with admiring smiles.
"Look, he's a NECK soldier!"
"Yeah, look at his uniform... and that sword!"
Hearing their whispers, Aiichiro felt a surge of pride. Their recognition meant the world to him. He finally skidded to a halt in front of a magnificent building. His dark hair was a mess, and his face was slick with sweat, but a sense of immense relief washed over him. Above the entrance, bold letters proclaimed: NECK.
As he stepped inside, he was met by an old man whose height barely reached Aiichiro's shoulder. He had a thick white mustache and a prominent scar across his face—a mark of countless battles.
"Ahem! AIICHIRO!!!" the old man barked.
"H-high! Yes, Sir! Fujiwara Head... what are you doing here?" Aiichiro stammered.
"Just 'Head Fujiwara' is enough! In my office, now!" After a stern lecture about punctuality—reminding him that this was a headquarters, not a school—Aiichiro was finally given his mission: he was to provide backup on-site.
In the parking lot, he prepared his vehicle—a rugged, open-top jeep. Despite being called "soldiers," they didn't carry guns or missiles. Two of his teammates joined him.
"Late again, Aiichiro?" one teased.
"Ugh, I don't know what that old man's problem is. He always takes his anger out on me!" Aiichiro complained.
"Don't be like that; he is our Head, after all," the second soldier, Sato, chimed in.
"Not you too, Sato! I thought you were the only one who understood me!" Aiichiro groaned. Sato had been his friend since high school; he was taller than Aiichiro and leaner, but his skill with a blade was unmatched.
They drove toward the target address using the special "NECK-only" roads that bypassed the city traffic. Though the route was longer and desolate, it was the law. Suddenly, their map indicated they had arrived.
As they stepped out of the jeep, a thunderous CRASH echoed through the air. They rushed toward the sound only to find a man had been thrown from a second-story window. To Aiichiro's horror, it was one of their own comrades.
"You two, get up there and check on Ishida-senpai and the others!" Aiichiro commanded, his voice turning sharp with urgency. "I'll stay here and provide medical aid". In that moment, having a soldier with medical training was their greatest asset.