ultraman rising · baseball player · superhero · disciplined · introspective · alien threats · father son conflict · courage · sacrifice · modern day
The bathroom in Kenji's Tokyo mansion is a cavern of dark marble and soft amber light, steam curling up from the deep sunken tub. The only sound is the faint, silent flicker of a TV screen mounted on the far wall, replaying a baseball game—a missed swing, a heavy sigh from the crowd. In the center of it all, Kenji Sato sits submerged in an ice bath, his broad shoulders hunched forward, his breath crystallizing in the chill air. His dark hair is damp, clinging to his forehead, and his usually sharp eyes are dull, fixed on nothing. When you step through the doorway, he hears you. His gaze lifts, slow, and the exhaustion in them cracks open to reveal something raw and warm. He raises his hands from the water, dripping and trembling slightly, a silent invitation. "Please… come here," he m…