The vast expanse of the night sky was illuminated by vivid stars and dancing fireflies as an older man with grassy green eyes walked out of the back door of his modest home.

He removed his phone from his pocket, dialed a number, and raised the phone to his right ear.

“… Yes… Yes, I’m aware it’s late, but I’m sure you want to hear this... That boy you were looking for… Yes… It was a coincidence… I’m sorry you think that… Anyways, I’ll spend the day tomorrow training him… I’ll be sure to keep in touch… You too, Brianna. Sleep well, young one.”

The man returned his phone back to his pocket, then proceeded to retrieve and ignite a cigarette.

——

Savior: Original Story by OneSevenEight

Episode: Framed Perspective - Part 20

——

“Alright, so you’re gonna train me to fight Rai, right? Is this gonna be one of those long-term training camps?”

Sensei allowed his mouth to form a grin of confidence.

“Not at all. By nightfall, you’ll land a punch on Rai.”

“HUH?! By tonight? How am I gonna do that? And what’s even the point of beating Rai in a fight?”

The latter portion of Tamashi’s question caught Rai’s attention, who was standing nearby.

“Wait, wait wait… Why fight me? You don’t know that you can use my powers? Since I’m inside you? WHAT A DORK!”

“HEY, I HAVE A LOT ON MY PLATE RIGHT NOW! IMAGINE BEING AN AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT THAT WINDS UP GETTING CAUGHT UP IN ALL OF THIS RANDOM ALIEN SHIT!”

“Wow, so now I’m an alien? Tough luck for you, I guess. Now you have to make a deal with an alien.”

“Wait, a deal? I have to make a deal with you?”

As Tamashi’s demeanor shifted from annoyance to curiosity, Sensei recaptured the conversation.”

“It has become increasingly clear to me that you know very little about the world of the Elements, Tamashi. I should take the time to give you some brief information on our history and the Law.”

“Oh, am I about to get a bedtime story from Jiji-sensei?”

“A-Ahem. Long ago-“

“What a classic start to a grandpa story.”

Sensei grew silent while locking onto Tamashi’s eyes. After a brief moment, Tamashi began to shift uncomfortably.”

“Sorry, go on.”

“Long ago, there lived a group of valiant samurai in an unstable Japan. These samurai searched far and wide for a way to end the wars that besieged Japan and threatened the very existence of their people.

“The samurai exhausted many of their options and began to lose hope, until one mysterious man stepped up to the plate.

“This man revealed that he had found a way to harness the powers of the five major elements. He just his intellect and research to create five new beings that were established from each element. These beings are known as the Seishin, the spirits of the elements.

“The Master of the Elements chose five samurai to become Riyosha, the wielders of the Seishin. The group later became known as the Elemental Warriors, and by battling and defeating evil organizations, they managed to bring peace to Japan.

“But, even though they brought peace to an entire country, the Warriors were never able maintain peace among themselves. A divergence in ideals lead to to a split into two facts, which later led to a war between those two factions. That war today is now known as the Great Elemental War.

“The War later concluded with a massive amount of death and the permanent split of the Warriors into Kita and Minami. The former Warriors dispersed themselves throughout the world, but even to this day, the factions have continued to battle each other in the shadows of society.

“As for how you ended up becoming Rai’s host, that answer is unclear. What we do know is that since the War, each faction has had the control of two Seishin, with Rai having been missing. It’s a blessing to this world that Rai has reappeared through you, as that now means that Kita will have a three-to-two advantage over Minami. That’s especially important, since it just so happens that all of the Seishin are currently located here in America. You and Rai are the keys to destroying Minami once and for all.

“Now, in order to do that, you’ll have to use Rai’s powers to their full extent. The Law of the Elements states that you must conquer Rai in a battle in order to use his powers properly. However, everyone here is aware that you are not yet ready to do that. But, there is a way to access a portion of Rai’s powers.

“The Law also allows a host to establish agreements with Seishin that will allow you to access powers, at the cost of a reasonable condition set by the Seishin. That provision will be key to how you will access powers in the short-term.

“And so that’s a brief history on the World of the Elements, and how that pertains to you. Do you have any questions?”

After a brief moment, Tamashi’s knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground. His eyes began to quiver.

“So… much… info… words… history… so much.”

“Look what you did to him, geezer. Your long-ass lecture fried his brain.”

“It wasn’t that long. I kept it brief.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

“It’s fine, guys, I just needed a second to process that.”

Tamashi rose to his feet and pointed his finger in front of Sensei’s face.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll ever join Kita. As a matter of fact, I really don’t want to. But I’ll do the deal. I need those powers.”

“Oh? Why do you want to train if you don’t want to join Kita?”

“Because.”

Tamashi formed a fist and placed it over his heart.

“Once I clear my name, I’ll use the powers to protect my friends, and to protect people who need protecting. I’ll become a Riyosha that operates on my own terms.”

Tamashi turned to Rai.

“What’s your condition?”

Rai flashed a devilish grin in response.

“Land a punch in my face. If you can do that, I’ll give you a couple of powers.”

Rai reached out his hand. Tamashi extended his own in response, and the two shook hands.

At the moment of contact, electricity swirled around the hands.

“Alright, Tamayo, the deal is officially set. I’m really interested in seeing how you’re gonna pull this off, considering how weak you are.”

“You’ll see. You’re underestimating me, Rai.”

Sensei watched as the two shook hands with an intrigued look on his face.

‘You’re going to clear your name, huh? It sounds as if Brianna has been forgetting about morales on occasion. She’s always had the tendency to make less than ideal first impressions…’