Shinjuku City, Japan – 1990.
A light drizzle began to soak the streets, crowded with vintage Toyotas and Nissans. The neon lights of coffee shops and game arcades flickered, their glow reflecting off the puddles. Everyone walked briskly under their umbrellas. Strapped to every wrist was a Universal Watch in various colors—some cheap versions, others luxury brands—but all serving the same purpose.
A teenage boy stood in a dark alley between two buildings. He wore a black hoodie pulled tight over his face, concealing two suspicious bulges on the left and right of his forehead.
He was Ryosuke Rusui.
"One... two... three," Ryosuke whispered.
A man in a thick coat walked by, preoccupied with his Universal Watch, likely checking his bank balance or a map. Ryosuke lunged out of the shadows in an instant.
ZASS!
The man's wallet changed hands in less than a second. Ryosuke didn't wait; he sprinted immediately into the heart of the crowd.
"HEY! THIEF!" the man screamed, but Ryosuke was already far ahead.
[The Chase: Alleyways of Shinjuku]
Ryosuke climbed an iron fire escape with agile precision. He tossed the wallet into his backpack, which was already stuffed with a few loaves of bread and bottles of mineral water.
"Gotta find a safe spot before the DCH kids come on patrol," Ryosuke muttered. His voice was raspy, carrying the exhaustion of a teenager who hadn't slept well in a long time.
Suddenly, his footsteps halted on the rooftop of a bookstore. Standing before him was a teenage boy in a pristine school uniform. He wore glasses, and on his wrist was a silver Universal Watch that looked meticulously maintained.
He was Shinji Takeda.
Shinji didn't look at Ryosuke with anger. He simply stared at Ryosuke's backpack with an expression that was... blank. The ultimate introvert.
"That wallet... it doesn't belong to you," Shinji said softly. He gave the bezel of his watch a slight turn.
[DATA CARD SLOT-IN: GOTCHA!]
A pale blue light emitted from Shinji's watch. His body began to vibrate at a high frequency.
"I don't want any trouble with you, prep boy," Ryosuke growled. His hoodie shifted slightly, revealing the sharp tips of black horns.
Shinji flinched. "Horns? So... the rumors are true. The demon boy, Rusui."
"Call me a demon one more time, and I'll make sure you never get the chance to use that watch again," Ryosuke crouched low, ready to launch a wild attack.
[The Shadow Script: Something Odd]
In the middle of that tense standoff, an old television across the street—which was airing a soap advertisement—suddenly glitched.
Instead of the ad, an image of a yellow rubber duck wearing a golden crown flashed briefly on the screen before vanishing. A loud, echoing "SQUEAK!" rang across the rooftop, leaving both Ryosuke and Shinji utterly bewildered.
"What was that sound?" Shinji looked around, scanning the area.
"Doesn't matter!" Ryosuke lunged toward Shinji with a heavy fist.