The Boy and the Beast

Nine-year-old Ren is left completely alone after the death of the last person who showed him kindness, and the remnants of his family turn him away. With nowhere else to go, he slips into the maze of Shibuya’s backstreets—only to cross paths with the imposing beast warrior Kumatetsu, who draws him into the Beast Realm of Shibuten.

Kumatetsu sees the lost boy as an opportunity: despite his formidable strength, his harsh, distant nature has kept him from taking on a disciple—something he needs to be considered as a successor when the realm’s lord retires. Ren, soon called Kyuuta, agrees to train under him, each hoping the other can help fill what they lack. As time passes, their uneasy partnership grows into something deeper, blurring the line between boy and beast in ways neither expected.