Time: May 7, 2032. Afternoon.
Location: Tokyo National Arena.
The stadium had transformed into a veritable field of apocalypse.
This wasn't an ordinary war. This was a collision of thousands of different dimensions, genres, and eras.
The 500 prisoners standing behind Kenji weren't just soldiers. They were the most elite players gathered from "Eternity's" 2,000 servers.
On the right flank, snipers from the "Cyberpunk" server rained down lasers with their Atlantean plasma rifles, wielding the weapons as if they were extensions of their own bodies.
On the left flank, masters from the "Murim" (Martial Arts) server tore through the air with their internal "Qi," shattering the armor of NPCs with their bare hands.
In the center, necromancers from the "Dark Fantasy" server resurrected the shadows of fallen NPCs, turning them against their former masters.
"Attack!" Odin roared. "Break their lines!"
Grom lunged forward. His body was shrouded in crimson steam. He spun his water axe and slammed it into the shield of a silver-armored NPC guard.
CRASH!
The force of the blow was so terrifying that the guard was sent flying, embedding himself into the concrete wall of the stands.
"I've been waiting two years for this day!" Grom bellowed.
But the NPC guards were no pushovers. They were the System's "Immortal Guardians." Their movements were perfect, emotionless, and mechanically precise.
One guard rose from the ground, his broken armor repairing itself in seconds. He swung his halberd, and stone pillars erupted from the ground, impaling several "Neutron" warriors.
Zero and the other pros moved across the battlefield as if dancing. Zero held two short daggers. With his "Pro-Gamer" eyes, he read the NPCs' movement patterns.
"Right 3 degrees, delay 0.4 seconds," Zero whispered, sidestepping effortlessly.
The guard's blade passed centimeters from his nose. Zero countered instantly, piercing the visor of the guard's helmet.
In the middle of the field... silence and terror reigned.
The arena was vast, and battle raged everywhere, but the space around them was empty.
Kenji and Aira.
Aira floated two meters above the ground. Her white dress and black hair fluttered in the powerful mana current radiating from her. Her eyes were white, empty voids.
"Threat Level: Extreme," Aira said in a metallic voice. "Purge initiated."
She raised the Holy Staff to the sky.
Thousands of swords made of white light materialized above the stadium.
[Skill: Divine Judgment]
"Damn," Kenji said. "She's serious."
Aira swung the staff down.
Thousands of light swords rained down on Kenji. This was an AOE (Area of Effect) attack powerful enough to turn the entire field to ash.
Kenji didn't run. He raised his left hand.
The black liquid on his wrist—"Abyssal Shadow"—expanded in an instant, forming a massive black dome over his head.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The swords of light crashed into the black dome and shattered. Every impact vibrated through Kenji's bones, but the liquid metal was indestructible. It absorbed the blows, rippling like water.
As the smoke cleared, Kenji went on the offensive.
He shifted the liquid metal to his legs, forming Springs, and shot into the air like a bullet—straight to Aira.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!"
Kenji reached out.
But Aira was agile. An automatic "Holy Barrier" (Golden Sphere) appeared around her. Kenji's hand struck the barrier and was burned.
Aira placed her other hand on Kenji's chest.
[Skill: Repulse]
A terrifying force blasted Kenji away. He flew through the air and smashed into the ruins at the edge of the field.
In the Government box, the Prime Minister laughed maniacally.
"See that, Shadow?! She doesn't know you! She'll kill you!"
Kenji crawled out from the rubble. His Atlantean armor was cracked, and blood trickled from his mouth.
But he was laughing.
"There's pain," he said, spitting blood. "That means she's not holding back. Good."
Kenji walked forward again.
This time, he didn't attack directly.
He opened his Inventory and used an old trick from the game.
He detonated dozens of "Smoke Bombs" around Aira.
Thick, magical fog covered the field. Aira's "Auto-Target" system failed.
Aira looked around, scanning.
Kenji emerged from the fog behind Aira, moving with "Shadow Step."
He didn't use his sword. He transformed the liquid metal into a Rope, binding Aira's arms and her staff.
They fell to the ground together.
Kenji pinned Aira down. She struggled, the light radiating from her body burning Kenji.
"Look at me!" Kenji shouted. "It's me! Kenji! Shadow!"
"Remember? The 'Forgotten Temple'! We were together!"
Aira stared at him. A flicker of hesitation appeared in her systemized eyes.
"Sha... dow...?" Aira spoke brokenly. The System was glitching.
"Rynna! Now!" Kenji yelled into his comms.
On the ship's deck, Rynna typed codes furiously on her tablet.
"I'm hacking the system! Breaking her memory block! 3... 2... 1..."
Kenji slowly raised his right hand and touched the Butterfly Hairpin in Aira's hair.
"Come back, Light."
Time seemed to stop for a moment.
Aira's eyes went wide. She let out a piercing scream.
It wasn't a scream of pain; it was a scream of Freedom.
The government's black programming in her brain shattered. Memories flooded back like a torrent.
The white light faded. Aira's eyes returned to their natural, warm brown color.
She panted, looking up at Kenji hovering over her.
"Kenji...?" she said in a weak voice. "You... you really came?"
Kenji let out a breath of relief and smiled.
"I promised, didn't I? I always keep my promises."
Suddenly, the "Collar" on Aira's neck began to glow crimson red.
[WARNING: AUTONOMOUS SELF-DESTRUCT ACTIVATED]
[TIME: 5 SECONDS]
The Prime Minister had pressed the button. If Aira couldn't be his, she would be no one's.
"Kenji! Run!" Aira tried to push him away. "It's going to explode!"
Kenji didn't run. Instead, he hugged Aira tightly.
"Rynna, forgive me, but I'm breaking the laws of physics this time."
Kenji completely melted the "Abyssal Shadow" on his left arm and poured the liquid metal inside the collar, between the microchips.
"Solidify!"
Inside the collar, the liquid metal wrapped around the explosive mechanism and hardened into stone in an instant.
The explosion happened.
But it didn't come out. The metal absorbed the force of the blast. Kenji's wrist was severely burned and smoking, but the collar crumbled and fell to the ground.
Aira was alive.
Kenji was alive.
Kenji shook his smoking hand, stood up, and helped Aira to her feet.
They stood side by side.
The entire stadium was watching them. The battle had stopped. Even the NPC guards were frozen, lacking orders.
Kenji looked up at the VIP box. The Prime Minister was trembling in terror, trying to flee.
Kenji turned on his microphone (which was still working).
"Well," Kenji said in a cold tone. "Game over."
He looked up at the ship in the sky.
"Laylo! Do you see it?"
Laylo (on the Captain's Bridge) replied:
"I see it, brother. Target locked."
"Fire."
The Atlantean ship's main cannon—a massive blue plasma railgun—swiveled and aimed directly at the Government Box.
A moment of silence.
Then a pillar of light tore through the sky.
BOOM!
The VIP box, along with the Prime Minister and his generals, was vaporized. That part of the stadium simply ceased to exist.
Kenji took Aira's hand.
"Now," he said. "A new era begins."