The morning sun cast golden streaks across the horizon, illuminating the massive expanse of the Allure of the Seas Island. From the sky, the view was breathtaking: sprawling malls lined with glass facades that reflected the sunlight in prismatic splashes, luxury resorts with cascading pools and palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, wide docks where yachts bobbed softly against the water, and vast open plazas bustling with people of all ages. Two floating lands hovered like dreamlike platforms above the main island, connected by glowing bridges of light that shimmered against the blue sky. From a distance, it looked almost like a digital paradise — a place lifted straight out of a dream or a high-budget anime setting.
And yet… the island felt empty.
Atlarus walked down a wide promenade lined with colorful vendor stalls, her cosplay friends in tow. She laughed at a group of cosplayers dressed as interdimensional adventurers, taking pictures with tourists, and marveling at the cleverness of the costume designs. Bea spun a staff around playfully, smiling at a vendor selling collectible figurines, while Kai and Nate scouted the floating lands with childlike excitement. Kristine adjusted her cosplay wig for the fifth time that morning, and Mina skipped ahead to pet a mechanical cat mascot with glowing eyes.
But behind every laugh, every playful interaction, there was a hollow ache. Hydro wasn't here. And it showed.
"He's… not coming, is he?" Atlarus said quietly, almost to herself, her eyes scanning the sea of people. The sunlight glinted off the floating docks, yet there was no sign of the one person who could truly make this day feel whole.
Bea's smile faltered slightly, and she hugged her arms. "I… I don't know. Maybe he's out there somewhere… taking care of something. He always disappears for… like, ten years at a time, right?" Her voice had that slight tremor, betraying the worry she tried to hide behind casual words.
Kai frowned, crossing his arms. "But this time… he didn't even leave a note. No message. Nothing. It's like he just… vanished. I mean, what if something happened to him?"
Nate scratched the back of his head nervously, the usual cheerful spark in his eyes dimmed. "Don't even joke like that. You know Hydro… he's the one who can take care of himself, right? Right?"
Mina tugged on Bea's sleeve, her small hand clutching a glowstick. "He… he'll come back, right? He said he'd be careful…"
Bea crouched down, trying to smile through the fear. "Yeah… he'll come back. He always does. I guess..."
But inside, she knew it wasn't that simple. Hydro had never run away from a fight, never shirked responsibility, never abandoned anyone he cared about. If he wasn't here, that meant… he was doing something dangerous. Something beyond even the scope of what anyone could understand.
The Otakufest event continued regardless. Cosplayers flooded the streets, vendors shouted cheerfully about rare collectibles, stage lights flickered and danced across the plazas, and tourists marveled at the surreal floating lands overhead. There were cosplay contests, photo booths that projected interactive holograms of anime worlds, and performance stages where groups acted out scenes that felt impossibly real. Children ran across open spaces, their laughter echoing off the mall facades, and drones zipped through the air capturing cinematic footage.
Atlarus and her friends participated where they could — snapping photos, laughing at costumes, and even entering small competitions. But the joy was tempered. Every time someone mentioned "Hydro" in passing — a cosplayer asking where he was, a staff member noting his absence — the conversation hit a sharp edge of reality. Without him, even the brightest moments felt incomplete.
Bea wandered toward one of the floating bridges, looking down at the crowds below. The sunlight shimmered across the water, making the docks glitter like scattered gems. She caught sight of Atlarus laughing with a group of cosplayers near a floating café, Kristine chatting with a vendor about rare anime posters, and Kai and Nate scanning the aerial view, trying to spot any unusual activity — as if subconsciously searching for a clue that Hydro might be there somewhere.
Even Mina, usually bubbling with energy, stayed close to Bea's side, hugging a small plushie she had won at a lottery booth. "Hydro," she said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the bustling crowd.
Bea knelt down, looking Mina in the eyes. "He's not here right now, Mina..."
For a moment, it was quiet — just the distant hum of drones, the chatter of the festival, and the gentle lapping of waves against the docks. Yet in that silence, there was a shared understanding among the group: Hydro's absence wasn't just a missing friend. It was a void that made every bright, vivid moment seem slightly duller, every laugh a little hollower, and every memory they tried to make today tinged with the ache of someone they couldn't reach.
Atlarus sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Do you ever get that feeling… like nothing's really the same without him? Like even if we pretend to be happy, something essential is just… gone?"
Bea nodded slowly, looking out at the floating lands with a soft frown. "Yeah… I know. But we can't stop living. He wouldn't want us to."
Kai tilted his head, looking at the glowing bridges above. "I know he's out there. Probably doing something ridiculous, probably saving the world again. But it feels… hopeless. Like… what if he doesn't come back for a while?"
Nate forced a laugh, though it came out hollow. "He's Hydro. He always comes back. Ten years, a hundred years… he'll show up. You'll see."
Mina tugged on Bea's sleeve again. "He'll… he'll be back for the festival, right? He promised?"
Bea swallowed hard, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Yeah… he promised."
But the promise was thin. Fragile. Like a whisper in a storm.
The festival went on — parades snaked through the streets with performers in elaborate costumes, floating holographic dragons weaved between the buildings, and aerial stunt crews flew above the crowd, spinning and performing impossible tricks. It was magnificent. It was chaotic. It was alive.
And yet, for Atlarus, Bea, Kai, Kristine, Nate, and Mina, it felt like something essential was missing. Every laugh echoed a little emptier. Every applause sounded slightly off-key. Every glow of light from the floating islands seemed just a shade too dim.
They wandered through the markets, stopping at colorful food stalls selling takoyaki, bubble tea, and strange anime-themed desserts. Bea bit into a crepe decorated like a miniature Gundam, trying to force herself to enjoy it. Kristine bought a small plush keychain, spinning it absentmindedly. Nate inspected a holographic poster of a popular VR game, pretending to marvel at the detail, though his mind kept drifting.
Atlarus finally sat on a bench overlooking the central plaza, her eyes tracking people laughing and enjoying themselves, but not seeing any of it. "I feel like everything isn't enjoyable here," she whispered.
Bea sat next to her, her own gaze drifting upward to the floating land above. "Yeah… and I don't know if it ever will be, not fully."
Kai, leaning against a railing, muttered under his breath, "I keep expecting him to show up, you know? Like he always does. But he's not. And it's terrifying."
Kristine leaned on the railing beside him, her voice quiet. "He's Hydro. He's probably out there, fixing some huge problem we don't even understand. That's who he is. That's… always been him."
The group sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the bittersweet feeling of the day. The festival raged around them — loud, bright, and full of life — but it might as well have been happening on another planet. Hydro's absence hung over them like a shadow, subtle but unshakable.
Even Mina, sitting cross-legged on the bench and hugging her plushie, whispered softly, "I hope he comes back soon."
Bea reached over and patted her head. "He will. He always does."
But in the depths of their hearts, they all felt it: a shadow of hopelessness, a quiet dread. The festival could be perfect, beautiful, magnificent, and full of wonder — but without Hydro, nothing was complete. And until he returned, that void would linger, shaping every laugh, every smile, and every moment with an invisible weight.
Somewhere across the ocean, beyond the docks, beyond the floating lands, beyond the crowds and bright lights, Hydro moved through a world no one else could reach. And in that distance, the festival — for all its brilliance — felt like a reminder of what was missing, what was gone, and what might never truly return until he came back.
The sun dipped slowly toward the horizon, painting the water and the floating lands in deep shades of orange and crimson. The Otakufest crowd cheered, cosplayers laughed, children ran in delight, vendors shouted their deals, but at the center of it all, Bea, Atlarus, Kai, Kristine, Nate, and Mina felt an ache they couldn't shake. The island was alive — but the one who made it feel alive for them wasn't there.
And as the wind picked up, brushing through the palm trees and rippling the floating bridges, the thought lingered in their minds:
Hydro is out there. Somewhere. And no one knows when — or if — he'll be back.
The festival raged on. But for those who knew him best, it felt like a world half-built, a painting missing its final stroke, a story without its hero.
The early morning haze over the Pacific glinted against the battleship's steel hull. Commander Jaeger stood at the control room's panoramic window, eyes scanning multiple holographic displays. The faint hum of machinery and the occasional crackle from the radio filled the air. Flight units hovered outside, Orc battalions prepared their ground assaults, and soldiers of every species — elves, goblins, and humans alike — moved in a well-orchestrated chaos of readiness.
"Commander, we have a situation," a voice crackled through the radio. It was Lieutenant Mariko, coordinating from the aerial drones. "The threat appears to be concentrated on the island of Aogashima. Sensors indicate high energy readings… unlike anything we've ever encountered."
Jaeger didn't flinch. His hand rested on the control panel as he adjusted the scanner's parameters. "All units, prepare for immediate insertion. Flight units, coordinate with the ground battalions. Orcs, make sure your armor is ready. We're going in hot. This isn't a drill."
The hum of engines rose as the battleship accelerated. Drones darted ahead, scanning the horizon, while transport choppers hovered, ready to deploy the first wave of troops.
Hours later, the battleship arrived at Aogashima, the volcanic island in the Izu archipelago. The jagged cliffs rose sharply against the ocean, shrouded in mist. As the landing ramps dropped, Lieutenant Mayari led the Orcs and soldiers down with precision. Their boots crunched against the rocky terrain, the sound reverberating like drumbeats across the empty cliffs.
"Stay alert," Jaeger's voice echoed through comms. "The energy signatures indicate something volatile. Approach with extreme caution."
The battalions spread across the island, their eyes scanning the horizon. A giant hole, black and yawning, sat at the center of the island — a crater that seemed impossibly deep, almost swallowing the sunlit horizon. The source of the readings was somewhere within.
Jaeger's holographic display flickered as he zoomed in. There, at the center of the crater, floating above jagged stone, was the object: the Paradoxial Shard. It shimmered with impossible colors — fiery reds, deep purples, electric blues, and bursts of white light dancing across its crystalline surface.
"Who the hell put this here?" Jaeger muttered, his eyes narrowing. "And why in the middle of an island like this?"
Lieutenant Mayari leaned over his shoulder. "The readings… they're off the charts. Energy fluctuations suggest it's not just a crystal. It's… alive, or at least responsive to external stimuli."
"Get our containment drones ready," Jaeger ordered. "No one touches it until we know what it's capable of. And keep the outer perimeter secure. No one gets through without my orders."
Meanwhile, hundreds of meters away, on the chaotic streets of Tokyo, the Arbiter moved like a shadow through the unsuspecting city. Ordinary citizens walked past him, oblivious to the figure calmly making his way toward the Tokyo Tower. His movements were precise, calculated, almost ritualistic, as if the city itself had become a chessboard and every step he took was a play in a game only he understood.
Inside Tokyo Tower, Arbiter ascended in the elevator with quiet, methodical patience. At the top, he approached a strange, humming energy reactor already integrated into the tower's apex. The reactor pulsed with light that reflected off the steel beams, bathing the room in an eerie glow. He retrieved a piece of the Paradoxial Shard from a secure case and placed it carefully within a designated slot on the reactor interface.
"Sir, you're on the rooftop! Surrender immediately!" a voice crackled from a hovering E.A.R.T.H. helicopter.
"Oh, look at this," a reporter's voice rang out over a megaphone. "I've got eyes on the rooftop… wait, what is that?!"
Arbiter didn't flinch. Slowly, deliberately, he extended his hand, and a strange creature coalesced from the air — its body composed of shadowy tendrils and crimson light. It crouched low, charging at the helicopter.
"Open and bring unto this world the mighty power of the System!" Arbiter intoned.
The creature leapt. The helicopter pilot fired, spraying bullets into the mass of moving darkness, but it was futile. Arbiter moved with inhuman speed, landing aboard the helicopter. Chaos erupted. The aircraft spun violently, metallic groans and screams filling the air. The reporter's camera feed went static as the helicopter plummeted into the streets below, crashing in a violent explosion that sent shards of metal and concrete scattering in all directions.
Arbiter's calm, commanding voice cut through the panic. "With so many monsters having my System, everything will unfold according to my plan. The weaknesses of those fools… have no place in my new empire. Now, open the gateway!"
He inserted the key into the reactor. Instantly, Tokyo City's lights flickered and died, plunging skyscrapers into darkness. Energy surged upward from the reactor, pulsing into the sky, forming a massive portal. The technodrome-like structure began emerging, its surface glinting with impossible circuitry, spiraling towers, and floating appendages that throbbed with power.
Radio chatter turned frantic. "Alert—Warning! Something falling from the sk—" static interrupted the message.
Civilians screamed as objects across the city began to levitate. Cars, street signs, debris, even sections of asphalt ripped free from the streets. The portal's glowing tendrils wrapped themselves around the Tokyo Tower, pulsing in rhythm with the shard embedded in the reactor.
From the streets, Kento Moroboshi observed, his knees pressing into the pavement as he watched the unfolding chaos. The Arbiter and the monstrous minions swarmed the city like an invading storm.
"Begin!" Arbiter commanded, raising his hand.
At once, Tokyo Tower shot upward like a projectile, the Glitching Gate tethered to it through the glowing portal. Projectiles erupted from the portal itself — vehicles warped into grotesque Claymore-like zombies, each one moving with lethal coordination. Soldiers fired missiles and bullets, but the projectiles were annihilated mid-flight by the portal's energy beams.
Buildings crumbled under the force of the portal's gravity, bridges twisted and broke, and the streets filled with chaos as civilians ran screaming. Fire erupted in dozens of locations simultaneously, and the faint metallic screech of corrupted vehicles crawling toward soldiers filled the air.
At Aogashima Island... "Commander, the portal's energy shields are absorbing all attacks!" a lieutenant yelled over comms. "Our weapons are useless!"
"Keep civilians away from the blast zones!" Jaeger bellowed into the radio, his knuckles white against the control console. "Orc battalions, push forward! Evacuate as many as you can! Don't engage the monsters yet!"
Afar, from the edge of the city, a reporter tried to film, but the camera feed was static as massive shadowed appendages from the portal ripped through the skyline, pushing Tokyo Tower into the sky and scattering debris like leaves in a hurricane.
The chaos was total. Soldiers fired their most advanced weaponry, missiles streaked through the air, and yet the portal's energy obliterated everything before it could even make contact.
In the middle of it all, the Arbiter stood atop the Tokyo Tower, surveying the city below. His System pulsed and rippled through the city like a living organism, the Paradoxial Shard's energy feeding the portal. "Everything is proceeding perfectly," he murmured. "And when the others arrive… they will be too late to stop it. My empire begins now."
The city was a battlefield unlike anything the world had ever seen. Fire, metal, and corrupted life forms moved in violent symphony. The portal towered above the skyline, and Tokyo Tower floated like a crown in the sky, tethered by glowing energy tendrils that ripped the streets and buildings below apart.
Even the advanced weaponry of the military — Orc war cannons, elf-imbued magic rifles, goblin siege launchers — could not penetrate the barrier generated by the glitching Portal. Each attack was absorbed, deflected, or destroyed before it could land.
From a distance, A Soldier's voice rang through the comms again: "This is not a drill. All units, fall back and establish defensive perimeter! Evacuate civilians at all costs! The threat… is unlike anything we've ever seen!"
And in that moment, atop the chaos and fire, a terrible realization settled over everyone witnessing the destruction: this wasn't just an attack. It was a declaration.
The Arbiter, wielding the Paradoxial Shard and the full extent of his corrupted System, had begun his empire. And the final battle was only beginning.
The streets of Tokyo were no longer streets. They were chaos incarnate. Asphalt cracked, telephone poles bent like reeds, and the air vibrated with unnatural energy. System zombies of every form—hulking humanoid forms with glitches streaming across their bodies, Glitch-like helicopter monstrosities, subway bus automata—poured into the city, targeting civilians and infrastructure with surgical precision.
Inside a small coffee shop, the scent of burnt espresso and panic filled the air. Patrons ducked under tables and behind counters, eyes wide as a hovering helicopter zombie locked its missile targeting system on the building. The hum of its rotors echoed like a predator circling prey.
Before the missile could fire, a streak of blue shattered the tension. A helicopter Glitch zombie, slightly smaller but no less dangerous, had been grappling through the air alongside a Swift Hunter unit. With a fluid motion, the unit redirected an incoming missile, smashing it straight into the first helicopter. A blast rocked the surrounding blocks, sending glass and paper fluttering like dead leaves. People screamed and dove for cover, some barely escaping as twisted debris tumbled past.
A young mother clutched her child tightly as a subway zombie skidded down the cracked pavement, its wheels screeching. The child's small hand slipped into the mother's grasp just as the monster swung an arm, knocking a vending machine across the street. It shattered harmlessly against a streetlight pole, sending sparks flying but missing the fleeing civilians. A teenage boy on a bicycle swerved to avoid the chaos, his friends barely keeping up as the street seemed to fold around them, shadows of the zombies flickering unnaturally.
From above, the Portal's energy pulsed, sending shimmering red and black glitches cascading through the city like digital storms. Vehicles levitated, twisting into grotesque versions of themselves, yet some seemed to retain a twisted autonomy, pursuing the fleeing civilians. The skyline itself felt alien, bent and broken by the energy waves, yet still alive with sparks of human resistance.
Meanwhile, far across the East China Sea, South Korea's capital was undergoing its own apocalypse. Glitching-type zombies tore through Seoul's streets. Magic beasts summoned from corrupted data streams wreaked havoc, exploding through plazas and subway stations. The hum of magic-infused explosions mingled with the metallic screeches of collapsing infrastructure.
Hydro's influence wasn't visible here, but the residue of the Glitch Element and Arbiter's System had spread globally. Towering skyscrapers cracked and bent, and digital streaks of interference rippled across neon signage like a corrupted citywide network. A group of park-goers leapt over debris as a dragon-like glitch beast descended from a building, only to evaporate into digital pixels moments before impact.
In the Philippines, Cebu was no different. Monster hordes twisted down the streets, buildings crumbling like sandcastles under the assault. Electric energy sparked from torn power lines, mixing with explosions as cars and debris became weapons, flung with unnatural precision. Civilians ran, some dragging others to safety, others stopping to assist those trapped under fallen debris. Smoke and fire filled the streets in clouds, the sky a pale gray under the evening sun.
Back in Tokyo, the evacuation continued in a carefully choreographed montage of frantic heroics and lucky escapes. A group of students carrying backpacks wove through alleys as helicopters chased above. A young man in a red jacket rolled under a bus as it levitated into the air, landing with a thud that knocked him into a doorway. Across the street, a pair of Swift Hunters helped an elderly couple to safety, using grappling hooks and quick movements to bypass falling beams.
Even as some civilians barely escaped, others weren't so lucky—but their "deaths" were abstracted, stylized in the narrative. A street performer, caught mid-leap, vanished in a flash of glitching pixels, leaving behind only the echo of a violin string. A delivery truck transformed into a monstrous Claymore vehicle zombie, lunged toward a crowd, but a passing bus created a narrow opening, allowing everyone to dive through. Panic and tension heightened, yet the storytelling kept it thrilling rather than gruesome.
Children screamed, but some clung to older siblings, adrenaline carrying them through chaotic streets. Streetlights bent and sparked as vehicles twisted and fell, while the distant technodrome pulsed ominously, the city itself seemingly bending around the power of the portal.
Far across the water, the battle on Aogashima Island raged with equal ferocity. The Orc battalions charged across rocky terrain, their massive armored forms clashing against shadow beasts summoned by Arbiter's system. Goblin engineers deployed explosive traps along cliffside paths while elves rained arrow fire from hidden perches, aiming for the glowing core of a Paradoxial Shard that floated ominously above the crater.
At sea, battleships engaged with aquatic monsters born from the corrupted system. Explosions rocked the waves, sending water surging into the air like tsunamis. Orc units on small attack craft dodged tentacle strikes and geysers of energy, responding with missile volleys and arcane fire. Every clash sent ripples across the waters, shaking the docks and surrounding islands.
In the air, Swift Hunters and other airborne units wove between floating rocks and debris, avoiding fireballs and energy blasts. Helicopters, both corrupted and uncorrupted, collided in midair, engines flaring. A group of aerial soldiers, wings spread wide, carried civilians caught in the chaos, dodging the falling debris and the clawed minions of the Arbiter's System.
Everywhere, the environment became a weapon. Land, sea, and sky converged into a maelstrom of chaos. Shards of digital energy floated freely, sometimes forming unstable constructs that attacked anyone who got too close. Even the cliffs themselves seemed alive, quivering under the combined energies of the system and Arbiter's influence.
Back in Tokyo, the human military, Orc battalions, and Swift Hunters coordinated evacuation routes with tense efficiency. An airship hovered above a central plaza, lowering civilians onto waiting transport units. A pair of young soldiers used grappling lines to save a mother and child from the roof of a burning building, just as a krang zombie emerged from below, its missiles detonated midair by a redirected blast from a Swift Hunter.
The city was a ballet of destruction and heroism. Vehicles twisted into the air, citizens leapt and dove, explosions lit the skyline like fireworks, and yet, the Arbiter's portal remained untouched, a silent, glowing reminder of the imbalance between human effort and System power.
In South Korea, similar scenes unfolded. Civilians, military units, and magical beings alike formed ad hoc evacuation squads, narrowly dodging glitch beasts that could disassemble buildings with a swipe of an energy-laden limb. Despite the chaos, small acts of bravery—civilians helping each other, soldiers risking themselves for strangers—added a faint pulse of hope to the narrative.
In the Philippines, the streets of Cebu were fractured by energy bursts and explosions. Civilians ran through alleys, jumping over debris, some caught in the chaotic interplay of collapsing walls and magical explosions. The city smelled of smoke and ozone, with flashes of energy painting the skyline red and blue. Children clutched pets, office workers grabbed laptops and bags, and street vendors pushed carts aside to clear escape routes.
The battle on Aogashima Island escalated as Orcs and magical soldiers faced a growing wave of system-corrupted monsters. Each unit had its own choreography of combat, some turning cliffs into strategic barriers, others using explosive magic to scatter minions. Battleships fired into the craggy coastline, sending water and fire arcing into the air. Overhead, aerial units executed precision strikes, narrowly avoiding collision with both debris and creatures alike.
Every layer of the battlefield—land, sea, air—was alive with movement, strategy, and danger. Orcs bellowed commands, elves shouted distances and angles, and goblins adjusted traps in real time. The Paradoxial Shard hovered at the center like a prize to be fought over, its radiant glow distorting the surrounding terrain, adding another layer of unpredictability.
Across the globe, the simultaneous disasters painted a terrifyingly coherent image. Chaos in Tokyo, Seoul, and Cebu mirrored one another, connected by the invisible influence of Arbiter's system. Civilizations were challenged in multiple theaters of war, and yet, amidst the destruction, the human element persisted: courage, quick thinking, and unplanned heroism.
Yet, for all the bravery, the threat remained colossal. System zombies and magic beasts continued to spawn, Krang helicopters swarmed, and the Paradoxial Shards' influence spread, signaling a coming wave that no one could yet fully comprehend.
And so, the day stretched on, a montage of coordinated evacuations, skirmishes across land, sea, and air, and civilians barely escaping the devastation. Tokyo's skyline was a shattered reflection of its former self, while Aogashima burned and boiled with conflict, Seoul cracked under the weight of magic beasts, and Cebu teetered on the edge of ruin.
The world was alive with chaos, with every individual, human or otherwise, caught in a sprawling web of destruction. The Arbiter's plan had begun, and the full scale of his power was just beginning to be realized.
AFAR
The island was alive. Music blasted from every direction, a pulse of bass shaking the floating docks as the crowd cheered and waved their arms in rhythm with the stage lights. The Otakufest banner shimmered above the main resort plaza, bright enough to compete with the sun. Hundreds of cosplayers and fans packed the open space, laughing, dancing, trading selfies, and shouting over the music.
Bea, Quinn, Atlarus, and the others from Ohara Community were right in the middle of it all — surrounded by color, life, and the kind of energy only shared passion could create.
The special event stage glowed with spotlights that turned night into day. A pair of emcees, dressed like anime protagonists, shouted into microphones, hyping up the crowd as a digital screen displayed the words Otakufest Ultimate Battle Royale — Live Game Show.
"Who's ready for the FINAL ROUND?!" yelled the male host, spinning his mic with flair.
"LET'S GOOO!!!" the crowd screamed back.
Quinn grinned and jumped with the rest, her excitement radiating. For a brief moment, it felt like life had returned to normal. The beats, the cheers, the flashing lights — it drowned out all the weird silence of the past few months.
Bea laughed and nudged Quinn. "Hey! Didn't think you'd actually join the crowd this time. You're usually the one hiding in the back with snacks."
Quinn smiled faintly, eyes flicking to the glowing sky above the island. "Yeah... figured it's time to try something new."
"Girl, that's what I like to hear!" Bea said, fist-bumping her. "Today's the day we forget all that heavy junk, yeah?"
"Yeah…" Quinn whispered, trying to believe it.
The crowd erupted as cosplayers ran onstage for the live competition. Some were dressed as heroes, others as villains, and the announcer hyped them up like a boxing match.
"Next up — from the Ohara Community!!"
The audience roared as the two girls stepped onto the stage, waving and laughing, masks in hand. Their performance wasn't even competitive — it was just pure fun. Bea spun her fake weapon in one hand, playing to the crowd, while Quinn moved with a dancer's rhythm, syncing perfectly to the beat. For a second, they felt like stars.
Atlarus cheered from below with Kai and Yurei. "Go Bea! Go Quinn! Bring that Ohara spirit!"
"Bruh, I didn't know Bea could actually move like that," Yurei said, whistling.
Kai laughed. "Yeah, she's been holding out on us!"
Bea laughed onstage, twirling her staff. "See? Told you I could rock it!"
Quinn smiled but inside, she still felt that ache — that missing piece. She could almost see Hydro among the crowd, with that stupid half-smirk of his, yelling something sarcastic like "You call that dancing?" But he wasn't there. Just noise and light where he used to be.
The show went on. Fireworks exploded above the ocean. Food stalls filled the air with the smell of ramen, takoyaki, and grilled fish. Cosplayers ran through the streets, snapping photos and swapping props. Streamers broadcasted the event live across the internet.
And yet, under all that color and celebration, something felt off — a pressure in the air. Like the calm before a massive storm.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo.
Darkness swallowed the skyline.
Every neon sign flickered, every skyscraper vibrated with the pulse of the Arbiter's System. The streets were crawling with System-born creatures — twisted remnants of machines and men.
At the heart of the chaos, the Konohagure Clan made their move.
Ryo Konohagure, Hiroshi, Daisuke, Hajime, Kenta, and Takeshi stood side by side on the rooftop of an abandoned ministry building. The Arbiter's influence had sharpened them — their eyes glowing faint red, their bodies infused with artificial strength from weapons not of this world.
"Remember what the boss said," Ryo growled, adjusting his armored gloves. "No mercy. The world's gonna remember our name tonight."
"Damn right," Kenta spat, cocking his gunblade. "Let's take what's ours."
The clan descended into the chaos like shadows falling from the sky. Soldiers below barely had time to react.
Explosions erupted along the city blocks as Hiroshi's chain-blades tore through tanks. Daisuke leaped from car to car, slicing through armored vehicles with Arbiter-forged energy weapons. Hajime fired from rooftops with modified sniper cannons, each shot leaving a trail of digital corruption through the air.
"Target the power nodes!" Takeshi shouted. "Arbiter's tech feeds on chaos. The more systems we destroy, the stronger he gets!"
The Konohagure Clan moved like a unit born for this moment — ruthless, silent, unstoppable. Their movements were almost poetic in the violence, slicing through platoons of soldiers who didn't even understand what they were fighting.
A Commander's voice echoed through the coms. "All units, hold your ground! Reinforcements inbound—wait—dammit, the energy readings are spiking!"
From above, Arbiter's laughter rippled through the corrupted skies.
"No one finally stood in their way. No one."
His voice echoed like thunder — layered, mechanical, godlike.
He stood at the edge of Tokyo Tower's rooftop, watching the carnage below. The glow of the Technodrome portal lit his figure in ghostly hues, his face hidden beneath the glitching distortion of his form.
"Humans," he whispered. "They build, they destroy, and they call it progress. But they never evolve."
He extended his hand toward the sky, and the portal answered.
More monsters crawled out — titans made of corrupted code and metal, shaped like nightmares given life. They howled as they emerged, spreading across Tokyo like a virus unleashed.
"Let the old world crumble," Arbiter declared. "Let my empire rise from its ashes."
Below, the Konohagure Clan gazed up in awe. Ryo smirked. "Heh. Guess we really picked the winning side this time."
Ryo frowned slightly, though he didn't show it long. "Keep moving. Arbiter's orders — cleanse everything north of Shibuya."
The city trembled again, this time under the sheer force of energy bursting from the portal.
Elsewhere — around the world.
Screens flickered in every country.
In the U.S., people in diners stared wide-eyed at the news broadcast.
"Breaking news — reports confirm that Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines have fallen under siege by an unknown digital energy phenomenon. We repeat — this is not a drill."
A waitress dropped her tray as the TV showed the live feed: Tokyo Tower covered in black growths, a swirling glitch storm above it, and monstrous figures tearing through the streets.
In Germany, office workers gathered around a monitor, silent as they watched the chaos unfold. One man whispered, "That… that can't be real. That's CGI, right?"
"Nein," another replied quietly. "It's real. It's spreading."
In Brazil, a family huddled in their living room, the father gripping his daughter's shoulders as she cried. "Is Japan gone, Papa?" she asked in a trembling voice.
He hesitated. "...Not yet."
In Dubai, a wealthy businessman watched from his skyscraper balcony, phone in hand. "Prepare the jets," he said grimly to his assistant. "If this thing spreads, we won't have much time."
Across the globe, humanity collectively held its breath — powerless, watching three nations consumed by chaos.
On social media, hashtags erupted.
#PrayForJapan #SaveSeoul #CebuUnderFire #SystemWar
But prayers couldn't stop the tide.
Newscasters stammered over their words, governments scrambled emergency meetings, and even world militaries hesitated — uncertain how to fight something that wasn't fully real, that moved like a virus through the digital and physical world at once.
Hopelessness spread faster than the infection itself.
Back on the island.
The Otakufest crowd still danced. Fireworks still cracked the sky. People laughed, sang, screamed with joy. The illusion of peace still held — for now.
Quinn stood by the dock after the event ended, her glowstick fading in her hand. The ocean shimmered blue under the moonlight. Bea came up beside her, tossing a can of soda.
"You okay?" Bea asked softly.
"Yeah," Quinn said automatically. But her eyes stayed locked on the horizon, where the distant city lights flickered strangely — like static in the sky.
Bea sighed. "I know that look. You're thinking about him again, huh?"
Quinn didn't answer. The music in the distance faded into the wind. The cheers turned hollow.
Bea gave her a weak smile. "I miss him too. But... maybe he's out there somewhere, doing something important. You know Hydro — dude's too stubborn to just disappear."
Quinn chuckled quietly. "Yeah. Too stubborn for his own good."
They sat in silence, the waves crashing softly against the dock. Around them, the party continued, but the energy was changing. The island's lights flickered once — just once — then stabilized.
For now.
In Tokyo, the sky split open as the Arbiter's portal expanded further, swallowing clouds and light alike.
"No one," Arbiter said, voice echoing across the planet, "can stop what has already begun."
And somewhere across the ocean, a faint ripple in the air answered — faint blue glitch particles dancing unseen.
But for now, the world didn't notice.
For now, hope was silent.
Even when the light's gone, someone always brings the storm back.
The island sky began to shimmer with an eerie glow. It started as faint, almost like heat haze bending the light above the festival grounds. Then, a pulse — deep and resonant — rippled through the air. The clouds shifted, the sun's rays refracting into hues of sapphire and indigo. Before anyone could question what was happening, the air above the Otakufest event warped, twisting into a dome of pure blue energy.
The sphere spread wide — a full-blown barrier forming over the entire island. The sound it made was like wind trapped in glass, humming, vibrating, alive.
Bea stopped mid-laugh, the glow reflecting off her eyes. "Uh… tell me that's part of the event?"
Atlarus turned to her, frowning. "Bea, I don't think anyone planned this."
People around them started murmuring, confusion spreading fast across the crowd. Some cosplayers still thought it was an elaborate light show. Others just recorded it, laughing nervously, until the ground trembled — violently.
A security guard sprinted onto the main stage, yelling into a megaphone, his voice cracking with panic.
"EVERYONE, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE! JAPAN IS UNDER ATTACK! EVERYONE HAS TO STAY HERE UNTIL THERE'S RESCUE!"
Silence. The crowd froze.
Then came the BOOM.
The ground shook so hard people stumbled, screaming. From beyond the barrier, an enormous shadow loomed. A giant, humanoid creature — twenty stories tall — raised its fist and slammed it down onto the glowing blue sphere. The impact made the whole island quake like an earthquake hit it.
The sphere held… but spiderweb cracks rippled across its surface, glowing faintly.
Atlarus steadied herself, staring up at the monstrosity. "What the hell is that thing—"
The giant growled, a sound so guttural it made the air shake. And on its shoulder, someone rode it — a man in a torn Yakuza coat, a massive sword resting across his back, crimson aura radiating around him like wildfire. The Konohagure crest glowed on his chest.
Bea's expression hardened. "Those damn Yakuza freaks again…"
The guard's voice broke through the chaos. "EVERYONE, RUN INTO THE BACK, NOW!!"
People screamed and scattered. Tables flipped, banners flew, and the once vibrant Otakufest devolved into panic.
Atlarus grabbed Bea's wrist. "MOVE!"
They dashed through the crowd, ducking falling debris as the sphere started to crack more — the giant's repeated punches weakening it. Smaller creatures began emerging from the edges of the sphere — Magic Beasts with grotesque elegance. They were fast, slick, and terrifyingly beautiful — dark, winged silhouettes with luminous veins of gold and violet.
"THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH!" someone shouted.
The barrier shimmered once more before several sections shattered like glass. Pieces of the blue energy fell like shards of crystal rain, disintegrating before they touched the ground. The air filled with screeches, and shadows darted across the sky.
Atlarus spun, planting her feet. "EVERYONE, BATTLE READY!"
A blinding silver glow erupted from her hands as her Halberd materialized — sleek, metallic, glowing faintly blue.
Bea slammed her fists together, and her Twin Tonfas snapped into existence with a spark.
Terry clenched her knuckles — Iron Gauntlets formed, heavy and radiating orange energy.
Nate's Twin-Bladed Staff unfolded, humming with kinetic light.
Kristine pulled back her arm, manifesting a *Light Crossbow* that shimmered with pink arcs.
Kai unsheathed her Twin Blades, energy coursing through their edges.
And Yurei, silent but calm, summoned his Ashen Bow, shadows wrapping around the string like smoke.
Kristine turned, shouting, "Mina! Piggyback!"
Mina nodded, leapt onto a chair, then onto the table, jumping right onto Kristine's back with her small backpack clutched tight. "I'm ready!"
Atlarus smirked. "Alright. Let's show 'em what happens when they crash our party."
The first wave of beasts broke through.
Atlarus charged — her halberd slicing through a flying beast, its body bursting into particles of blue flame. Bea spun, knocking a Magic Beast's claw away and striking back, her tonfas vibrating with raw energy.
Terry slammed her gauntlets into the ground, sending a shockwave that sent several smaller monsters flying back.
Kristine fired glowing bolts that streaked through the air like fireworks, hitting targets with pinpoint precision.
Kai darted through the chaos, her twin blades tracing streaks of crimson light through the battlefield.
Nate used his staff to deflect projectiles, spinning with unmatched fluidity, while Yurei sniped from afar — his arrows exploding midair into bursts of purple mist.
The sky above them turned darker — more beasts descending like a swarm.
But they weren't alone.
The fiction-born warriors — Anthropomorphs, Witches, Magic Girls, Talking Animals, Wizards, and even AI Avatars — joined the fray. It was like every dream and fandom character had come alive.
A magical girl with pink hair fired beams from her wand, shouting, "Star Impact!"
A talking wolf with armor rammed into a creature twice its size.
A wizard lifted his staff, casting a massive barrier to protect a group of civilians running past.
It was chaos — but it was organized chaos.
For a fleeting moment, it felt like hope.
Meanwhile — at the edge of the island.
Commander Jaeger stood on the deck of the battleship Horizon. The sky above Aogashima had turned a deep red, flickering with black lightning. His hand gripped the rail tight, staring at the Paradoxial Shard glowing faintly in his other hand.
"Get us airborne. We're leaving the ground."
A soldier ran up. "Sir, the sea's unstable! Massive energy spikes detected!"
Jaeger's jaw tightened. "All the more reason to move. We can't let this artifact fall into the wrong hands."
He turned, slamming the shard into a containment case. The battleship's engines roared, and the anchor retracted. Dozens of aircraft lifted off the deck, flight units zooming into the storm clouds above.
Down below, the ocean churned violently. Something massive was stirring beneath the surface — like a titan awakening.
"Sea contacts incoming!" one of the crew shouted.
"Then let's give 'em hell," Jaeger muttered.
The battleship's turrets rotated, cannons locking onto targets — monstrous silhouettes rising from the deep. Missiles launched, lighting up the storm. Explosions erupted across the dark sea, sending waves crashing against the hull.
Magic Beasts rose from below — aquatic leviathans with glowing fins and gaping maws. They fired energy blasts and tore through the smaller ships with sheer ferocity.
Jaeger pointed forward. "Focus fire! Aim for their cores!"
The cannons fired in sync — BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Each shot ripped through the air, bursting against the beasts in plumes of light. The airships above joined the attack, dropping payloads that detonated midair, shaking the clouds themselves.
Amidst the chaos, the sea started glowing — faintly maroon, then crimson.
Jaeger froze. "What the hell is that…?"
Then, in the distance — a streak.
A maroon and light red trail cut across the sky, splitting clouds as it went. It moved too fast for human eyes to track, slicing through the chaos like a comet returning to Earth.
Every sensor on the ship spiked. Jaeger's eyes widened.
He knew that color. That energy. That impossible speed.
He exhaled, voice trembling.
"…Don't tell me."
The soldiers stared in awe as the trail passed overhead, the shockwave shaking the sea. For the first time since the war began, Jaeger's lips twitched.
"MAGIC BEAST INCOMING!"
The maroon trail curved upward, vanishing into the clouds — the entire ocean glowing briefly in its wake.
BACK AT THE ISLAND
The once bright festival island had turned into a battlefield. Smoke rose between the wrecked booths, neon signs flickered, and the once-happy sound of music and laughter had twisted into screams and collapsing structures. The air carried the scent of saltwater, ozone, and burnt magic.
Atlarus swung her halberd through another Magic Beast, slicing its glowing core in half, but she was slowing down. Sweat dripped down her cheek; her arms trembled. Bea's breathing was ragged, one of her tonfas cracked down the middle. Terry's gauntlets were scorched from blocking energy blasts, and Kristine's crossbow string was frayed. Everyone was pushing themselves past their limit.
And still… the monsters kept coming.
They fell from the sky like rain, crawled up from the ground, poured through every break in the barrier. For every one they killed, two more took its place.
Atlarus gritted her teeth. "They're endless! There's no end to this—!"
"KEEP FIGHTING!" Bea yelled, swinging her tonfa with a desperate scream that echoed through the chaos. "IF WE STOP NOW, WE'RE DEAD ANYWAY!"
A sudden clang of metal struck through the noise.
Atlarus barely raised her halberd in time — sparks exploded as something hard slammed into her weapon. The shock rattled her bones, nearly knocking her off her feet.
She stumbled back. "What—?"
The dust cleared.
Standing before them was a tall figure in dark crimson armor, mechanical plating running through half his body, one glowing red cybernetic eye scanning the battlefield with a rhythmic beep-beep-beep. His hair was half-slicked back, half-burnt from old scars. The wind carried faint static as circuits across his arm flickered like veins of lightning.
Kento Moroboshi had arrived.
Bea's face fell. "No way… that's him."
Kento's robotic voice distorted through his respirator. "Scanning environment… multiple irregulars detected." His red eye focused, the lens dilating. "Potential threats: confirmed."
He raised his cybernetic arm — it rotated, metal plates shifting until it formed a massive launcher.
"Target: Atlarus Quinn."
With a thunk, his rocket hand detached and shot forward like a missile.
"QUINN!" Bea yelled.
Atlarus dove sideways just as the metallic fist slammed into the sand, detonating in a burst of red smoke. The impact threw her back, rolling her through dirt and glass. Bea ran to help, but Kento reeled his arm back, the mechanical cable snapping it into place.
"You just don't quit, do you?" Terry growled, stepping forward.
Kento smirked under his mask. "Not until I've erased every last remnant of that brat's influence."
Bea spun her tonfas. "Hydro…?"
Kento's red eye flashed. "Exactly."
Before anyone could speak again, Kento charged — impossibly fast for his size. The sand erupted under his feet as he slammed into Terry, the force sending her flying into a booth. Bea and Kristine attacked in sync, tonfas and crossbow bolts colliding with his armor, but he barely flinched. He swung a backhand so strong it shattered Bea's tonfa clean in half.
Kai rushed in from behind, slashing — sparks flew. Kento's cybernetic arm caught both her blades in one hand. He twisted, disarming her with brute strength, then threw her across the ground like a ragdoll.
Nate tried to strike his exposed back with his twin staff, but Kento ducked low, countering with a knee strike that sent Nate gasping for air.
"Futile," Kento said coldly. His pulse cannon began to charge, light gathering at the core of his chest.
"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" Yurei shouted.
The beam exploded outward, a violent shockwave that tore through everything — sand, trees, the remnants of the Otakufest stage. The impact launched everyone backward, crashing into walls and debris.
The light faded, and dust filled the air.
Atlarus lay half-buried, her halberd a few meters away. Her right leg was bleeding, having bruises. She gasped, crawling toward her weapon.
From the smoke, Kento's boots crunched closer. "Still crawling, huh?"
She reached — but his metal boot stepped on the halberd, kicking it away.
Kento kneeled down, his cold red eye reflecting her face. "You must be the precious girl in the group."
Atlarus glared weakly. "Go to hell."
He grinned behind the mask. "Been there. Didn't like the view."
Behind him, Terry roared, limping forward despite her wounds. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" She threw a punch — Kento sidestepped easily, grabbed her leg mid-motion, and slammed his fist into her thigh. The crunch echoed. Terry screamed as she fell.
Bea tried to stand, coughing. Kristine's crossbow was snapped in two. Kai and Nate were motionless. Yurei tried to crawl closer but collapsed, his bow broken beside him.
Kento turned back to Atlarus, pressing his hand against her face, squeezing. "Tell me, where is that little rat?"
Atlarus groaned, teeth clenched. "How would I know…?"
Her voice cracked under the pressure.
Kento pushed harder, the ground beneath her cracking. "You sure? Because your team's about to be erased."
From the sidelines, a small voice cried out, trembling. "S-Stop it!"
Mina — the "Five Million Dollar Girl" — had come out of hiding. She ran forward, tears streaming, placing herself in front of Atlarus. "Stop hurting them!"
Atlarus' eyes widened. "M—Mina! Get back!"
Kento tilted his head, analyzing the girl. "Would you look at that…" He chuckled darkly. "The infamous Five Million Dollar Girl herself."
Mina shook, her small hands balled into fists.
Kento stood up slowly. "I'm sorry, little one, but your friends are done for." He reached his hand forward, palm glowing with charge. "So how about this — do me a favor. Leave them. Hand over the key. No one gets hurt."
Mina took a shaky breath. Then, softly: "No."
His red eye narrowed. "Wrong answer."
He pulled back his arm — the cannon charging with red light. Atlarus screamed, trying to reach her.
"Mina! RUN!"
But before Kento could strike, the ground beneath them rippled.
A pulse spread from Mina's shadow — dark, liquid-like. The sand distorted, waves of black mist swirling like ink underwater. Kento hesitated, his sensors flickering. "What the hell—"
The shadow suddenly rose.
A massive, humanoid shape burst out from the ground — dark as midnight, glowing faintly with crimson patterns across its body. Its eyes burned with faint maroon light.
It wasn't human. It wasn't a beast. It was something in between.
The Shadow Soldier emerged — towering, silent, with cold, deliberate movement.
Everyone froze — even Kento.
"What the actual—"
Before he could finish, the Shadow Soldier grabbed Kento's arm mid-swing and twisted. The sound of metal bending filled the air. Kento roared, his servos sparking.
The shadow being's other fist clenched — then slammed straight into Kento's face.
CRACK.
Sand exploded outward as Kento was launched backward, tumbling through debris.
The creature stepped forward. With a heavy thud, it planted a massive sword — black like obsidian — into the ground beside it. The wind rippled around its body.
Kento stood, spitting blood. "You think you can—"
The Shadow didn't answer.
It moved.
In an instant, it blurred from sight, reappearing right in front of Kento. The two clashed — fist against metal, shockwaves rippling out with every hit. Terra's movements were unnaturally fast, precise, and brutal — every strike aimed to dismantle.
Kento launched rockets. Terra weaved through them like smoke.
Kento swung his blade — Terra ducked low, countered with a gut punch that cracked the armor plating.
Kento fired a pulse blast — Terra's arm turned to mist, the beam passing through harmlessly.
Atlarus, half-conscious, could only watch as this unknown warrior dismantled Kento like he was nothing. Bea's eyes widened. "Who the hell is that guy?"
Terra caught Kento's punch, twisted his arm again, and sent an elbow into his jaw. Sparks flew. He didn't speak, didn't hesitate — he was just a blur of shadow and fury.
Kento staggered, raising his cannon again. "You— You're not even human—!"
Terra grabbed his arm, yanked him forward, and whispered something no one heard. Then he drove his knee into Kento's chest so hard it shattered the front plate.
One final blow — a straight, heavy punch that launched Kento skyward, spinning, trailing sparks and debris until he vanished into the storm clouds above.
Silence followed. Only the sound of crashing waves and crackling fire filled the air.
Terra stood still, his form flickering slightly. The sword beside him vibrated, humming faintly with dark energy. He turned his head, slow and deliberate, toward the group.
Atlarus stared up, still trembling. "Who… are you?"
Terra said nothing. The only thing they could see was the faint shimmer in his chest — the same maroon glow as the trail Commander Jaeger saw earlier.
Mina blinked. Her tiny voice broke the silence. "…He saved us."
The others didn't know it yet —
but they were staring at the shadow of Hydro Undergrove himself.
The sun was still bleeding across the sky when the tension finally broke. Kento's cybernetic shell lay shattered against the sand, sparks leaking out from the side of his neck as the wind whispered through the palm trees. Terra stood firm, his breathing steady and cold, knuckles cracked and shadow smoke trailing from his fists. Atlarus and the others could barely move, their eyes wide, stunned by this strange warrior that came outta nowhere.
"Y—You're... You're Ms. Quinn…" Terra finally spoke, his voice deep and calm, slightly distorted like static in a dream.
Atlarus blinked. "H—how did you know us?"
Terra didn't hesitate. "My Liege talked about all of you. Ms. Bea, Ms. Kai, Ms. Kristine, Mr. Grey, Mr. Yurei…" he paused, glancing toward the tiny girl trembling near Atlarus, "And little Mina."
Mina's eyes widened. The sandstorm slowly eased, and for a second, everything went silent.
"Your liege?" Bea asked, her voice still shaky from exhaustion. "Who?"
Terra didn't reply. He simply raised one hand, and the shadow beneath his feet rippled like black water. His tattered cape expanded outward, twisting, morphing—turning into a dark rift that tore the air open. The portal shimmered, radiating blue and violet veins of energy.
From within that darkness… footsteps echoed.
Slow. Heavy. Familiar.
When the figure stepped through, the whole squad froze. His hair flickered under the eerie blue eclipse, his eyes glowing faintly like twin stars swallowed by night.
It was him.
Hydro Undergrove.
"H—Hydro?" Atlarus gasped.
Hydro didn't say a word at first. He lifted his hand, and a dark grimoire materialized beside him—its pages whispering with the sound of millions of shadows murmuring at once. The pages glowed, symbols twisting, and waves of gentle blue light spread out across the sand.
Everyone's wounds began closing up—their bruises fading, bones realigning, energy returning. It was surreal, almost divine.
Hydro walked closer, his aura pulsing with quiet control. Behind him emerged more figures from the portal—his Shadow Generals.
Noirach, the humanoid spider, crawling down the side of the portal's rim with blades for arms.
Dreadmaw, the shadow dinosaur, each step leaving deep claw marks on the ground.
Umbrion, towering at fourteen feet tall, wrapped in black armor and runic sigils.
Tensilang, the dual-bladed samurai with flowing shadow ribbons instead of a face.
And finally, Doctor Totem, the Orc Sorcerer, his staff pulsing with unstable shadow fire.
Atlarus forced herself to stand, limping slightly, but Hydro stepped in and caught her before she fell. For the first time since the chaos began… he smiled.
"Hydro, I—" she started, but he pulled her in for a tight hug.
The tension broke.
"You guys still cared about me…" Hydro muttered, voice cracking. A tear slipped down his cheek.
The others slowly gathered around, forming a circle of warmth in that desolate beach. Bea smiled softly, hugging both Hydro and Atlarus.
"Oh my god, Hydro… I thought we lost you," Bea said, her voice trembling.
They all embraced—laughing, crying, a mess of relief and exhaustion. Even Terra and the Generals stepped back, quietly observing their Liege's reunion with his friends.
"Our Liege won't give up on either of you," Umbrion rumbled, his voice echoing like a cathedral bell.
Bea giggled through her tears. "Hydro… A—about the… uh…" she hesitated, guilt washing over her face.
Hydro smirked a little. "Hey, don't worry. You got my voicemail, right? And I, uh… saw the video you sent me too. I was at a computer café early morning."
Bea froze. "Y—YOU—"
Everyone burst out laughing. Even the Generals cracked smiles.
For a few precious seconds, it felt like peace again.
Hydro looked at all of them. "Guys, look, I—I'm sorry for disappearing like that. I should be the one apologizing. I never meant to drag y'all into this mess. But sometimes… friends fight. They try to prove their point, or mess up, or hurt each other without realizing. What matters is we still find our way back."
Kai wiped her eyes. "You sound like a damn anime protagonist right now," she said, half laughing.
Hydro chuckled. "Guess life decided to make me one anyway."
Suddenly, the ground shook. The sky darkened again—the smell of ozone thickened. A new wave of **Magic Beasts** began pouring in from the treeline, their roars echoing across the island.
Hydro's smile vanished. His eyes flared a deep crimson-blue.
"Alright…" he said, closing the grimoire. "We'll talk later."
He turned to his Generals.
"Doctor Totem," Hydro commanded. "Cover the southern coastline and heal any survivors. Umbrion—defend the city perimeter and hold the line. Noctis, go underground. Take out whatever's nesting below the docks. Tensilang, form a perimeter with your sentries. Dreadmaw… you know what to do."
Dreadmaw grinned, his serrated teeth flashing. "Tear and burn."
"Exactly," Hydro said. Disperse!"
The Generals nodded and vanished one by one, leaving behind trails of shifting black sand.
Hydro turned back to his friends. "Guys, listen. You need to evacuate the civilians. Move them toward the north shore. Don't try to take on those things directly. I'll hold them off."
Terry frowned. "But what about you?"
Hydro's grin returned—dark, confident, tired but unbroken. "I'll manage. I've fought worse on a bad day."
He lifted his hand and summoned shadow replicas of the weapons they'd lost—Atlarus's Halberd, Bea's tonfas, Terry's gauntlet, and Yurei's bow—all reformed out of obsidian energy.
"Take these," he said. "They'll hold until you're out. And don't worry… they're linked to me."
Atlarus grabbed her shadow Halberd, the weapon humming with power. "Hydro, what are you planning?"
He turned his back, looking at the horizon where a sea of monsters was crawling out of the mist. His coat fluttered, and both God Eater and Ghost materialized into his hands—the twin blades gleaming with divine and ethereal light.
"I'm planning…" he said, cracking his neck, "to finish what they started."
"Evacuate everyone. Go!"
Atlarus hesitated, then nodded. "Got it."
The others sprinted off toward the beach, leading civilians and injured members through the ruins. Hydro stood still, the wind swirling around him, shadows forming a circular field.
Kento's damaged cyborg body twitched in the distance, half-buried in sand. "You… bastard…" he muttered, trying to stand.
Hydro didn't even glance his way. His eyes narrowed, the blue eclipse reflecting in them.
"So you're ready for me?" Hydro said, his voice dropping an octave, radiating that calm menace that made even monsters hesitate.
He raised both swords.
"Then step the f███ up, it's time to die!"
The air exploded.
A shockwave rippled through the island as Hydro vanished in a blur of blue and black light, cutting straight through the charging horde like a storm of blades and shadows.
And in that moment, even the beasts realized—
The real fight had just begun.