Time: April 30, 2032. 12:00 PM (Noon).
Location: Tokyo National Arena (Capacity: 100,000).
The Arena buzzed like an angry hive.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators filled the stands, while millions more tuned in via global live stream. The Government had dubbed this event the "Triumph of Justice." The goal was clear: to show the public exactly how "Illegal" guilds (specifically Kenji's) met their end.
A massive holographic screen shimmered in the center of the arena.
The Announcer—a showman in a flashy red jacket, screaming with manufactured excitement—grabbed the microphone:
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Today is a historic day!"
"On one side—the pride of Japan, the Government-sanctioned 'Great Seven' Alliance! A total of 70 Elite S and A-Rank warriors!"
"And on the other side..." The Announcer lowered his voice to a mocking drawl. "A criminal gang led by an upstart F-Rank nobody calling themselves 'NEUTRON'!"
The stands shook with laughter and jeers.
In the betting houses, the odds for a "Neutron" victory were 1:1000. In other words, absolutely no one believed in them.
The gates opened.
From the West Gate, the "Great Seven" marched in.
It was a veritable parade. Colorful armor, waving flags, dazzling magical effects.
Leading the pack, flying through the air in a suit of ultra-modern, crimson-and-gold Magitech Armor, was a young man who clearly stood out. Jets of fire blasted from his hands and feet.
Kenji, still standing in the entrance tunnel, looked at the monitor and sighed.
"Would you look at that," he said to Laylo, twirling the strawberry lollipop in his mouth. "I feel like I've seen that somewhere before."
Laylo was trembling with nerves.
"Who is he, brother? He looks incredibly strong."
"Strong?" Kenji chuckled. "That's just Tony Stark. Except, the cheap version ordered from AliExpress. I just hope his battery doesn't die on the third step."
The "Tony Stark" knockoff was Raiden, leader of the "Thunder Tech" Guild. He landed in the center of the field, raising a hand to acknowledge the crowd.
The Announcer bellowed:
"And now... the 'NEUTRON' Guild!"
The East Gate creaked open.
No music. No fireworks.
From the dark tunnel, only five people emerged.
Sato (The Tank): He wore no armor. Just a white tank top and jeans. (After the "Hell Simulation," he considered armor unnecessary weight). In his hand, he held the legendary "Titan Shield."
Grom (The Berserker): His eyes were bloodshot, a strange grin plastered on his face. He didn't carry his axe on his shoulder; he dragged it along the ground. Sparks flew from the asphalt.
Kaito (The Assassin): He was barely visible. His presence could only be detected by his shadow.
Laylo (The Medium): An invisible but palpable chill swirled around her. Her white dress fluttered even in the windless air.
Kenji (The Leader): Hands in pockets, candy in his mouth. He walked casually, as if strolling to the store for bread.
The crowd fell silent.
"Five people?" whispers rippled through the stands. "Are they suicidal? Where is the rest of their army?"
Raiden (The Fake Iron Man) hovered into the air and flew over to Kenji. His faceplate retracted to reveal an arrogant young man.
"Hey, F-Rank!" Raiden boomed over his external speakers. "Where are the rest of you? Or did they run away in fear? If you surrender now, we'll only break your arms and legs."
Kenji took the lollipop out of his mouth and looked at Raiden's shiny armor with mild curiosity.
"Nice suit," Kenji said. "Did Marvel Studios sue you for copyright infringement yet?"
Raiden turned red.
"What?! Are you mocking me? I paid 100 million to have this custom-made!"
"Cheap," Kenji noted. "Tony Stark built his in a cave, with a box of scraps. You just bought a ready-made toy. Zero talent."
Raiden choked with rage.
"I'll rip your tongue out!" He gestured to the 70-man army behind him. "Destroy them all! Show no mercy!"
The Announcer struck the gong.
FIGHT START!
Twenty mages from the "Great Seven" raised their staffs simultaneously.
"Fire Hail!"
"Ice Lances!"
"Lightning Storm!"
A rain of colorful, deadly magic poured down from the sky onto Neutron's five-person team.
Spectators covered their eyes. After an attack like that, not even ash should remain.
But Kenji didn't move. He didn't even look up at the sky.
He simply spoke quietly to Sato standing behind him:
"Barrel. Work."
Sato (The Iron Barrel) took one step forward.
He didn't even raise his shield. He just puffed out his chest and took a deep breath.
[Skill: "Stubborn Mountain" (Passive)]
BOOM-BOOM-CRASH!
Hundreds of fireballs, ice spears, and lightning bolts slammed into Sato's body.
Smoke from the explosions covered the entire field.
Raiden laughed from the air.
"It's over! They've been vaporized!"
The smoke slowly cleared.
And everyone... went into shock.
Sato was standing in the exact same spot. His white tank top was slightly singed, and there was soot on his face.
But there wasn't a single scratch on his body.
He brushed some ash off his shoulder with his hand.
"Was that a cool breeze?" Sato rumbled in his deep voice. "Or did someone light a match?"
Kenji stepped out from behind him and checked his watch.
"10 seconds passed. Boring."
Kenji looked at Grom (The Berserker).
"Grom. Bring that 'Iron Man' down to the ground. His flying is getting on my nerves."
Grom (eyes glowing crimson) growled.
He didn't use his "Blood Moon Axe." Instead, he ripped a chunk of concrete straight out of the ground.
Grom's muscles bulged, and he hurled the concrete like a baseball straight into the air at Raiden.
WHIZZZ!
The concrete slab flew at the speed of sound.
Raiden's radar screamed: [DANGER! EVADE!]
But he was too late.
The concrete smashed directly into his jet thruster (his leg).
CRUNCH!
The engine exploded.
Raiden lost his balance in the air and plummeted toward the earth like a fly with a broken wing.
He slammed—THUD—into the mud in the center of the field. His shiny armor was caked in dirt.
Kenji walked slowly over to Raiden.
Raiden tried to get up, but Kenji placed his foot on his chest (right over the arc reactor).
"You know," Kenji said, crunching the lollipop between his teeth. "The difference between movies and life is... In the movies, the hero always wins at the end."
"But here... I write the script."
Kenji pressed down slightly.
The chest piece of the armor crumpled like a tin can.
"Alright, kids!" Kenji looked back at his four partners and the trembling 70 enemies. "The hunt is on."
Kaito dissolved into the shadows. Laylo summoned the spirits. Grom began his dance with the axe.
The Arena woke from its silence and filled with screams of terror.
This wasn't a battle.
This was adults beating up children.