Time: May 7, 2032. Evening.
Location: Tokyo National Arena.
Dust and smoke slowly settled over the stadium.
Where the Government VIP box once stood, there was now only a smoking crater and the twisted remains of melted metal. The Atlantean Ship's "Divine Punishment" had been surgically precise.
Dead silence filled the arena. 100,000 spectators, thousands of NPC guards on the field, and the "Neutron" army—everyone held their breath.
The NPC guards, bereft of central command (the Government), had entered "Standby Mode" and frozen in place.
In the center of the field stood Kenji and Aira.
Aira reached out with trembling hands and touched Kenji's face, tracing the burns and scars. Her memory was restored, but her head was still spinning.
"Kenji..." she whispered. "I'm awake. But this world... it isn't the world I knew."
Kenji kissed her hand and replied with his signature sarcasm:
"True. The graphics have improved, but the scriptwriters—the Government—became absolute idiots. We fired them."
Kenji gently let go of Aira and stepped forward. Rynna had already rebooted the stadium's audio system and connected Kenji to a microphone.
Kenji picked up the mic from the ground. His voice sounded tired, but firm:
"Attention, Japan!"
"Your 'Protector' government has officially resigned. In a very... 'heated' manner."
"I didn't come here to conquer. I don't want to be President. I hate paperwork."
"But..." Kenji gestured to the Atlantean ship in the sky and the army of 500 "Terminators" surrounding him. "From today on, this city is under the protection of 'NEUTRON'."
"We will protect you from monsters and greedy officials alike. In return—we ask for freedom and that you stay out of our way."
The stadium was silent. Then... one person clapped. Odin.
Then Grom. Then Kaito.
And then the entire stadium erupted, chanting "SHADOW!" The people were free from dictatorship. They acknowledged the new power.
Kenji dropped the microphone and walked toward his team.
"Job's done. Now I need a hot bath and 24 hours of sleep."
Nighttime Tokyo. Tower 4 (Neutron Base).
The victory party was in full swing.
Grom and Odin were busy emptying the wine cellar left behind by the "Red Dragon." Laylo and Aira sat in a corner, talking about the lost years.
Kenji was alone in the main Control Room, watching over the city.
The door opened, and Rynna (The Admin) walked in.
Her face wore its usual calm expression, but in her eyes... something was hidden.
"Kenji," she said, placing a tablet on the table. "I scrubbed the government servers. We have all the data."
"But... I found something. This might interest you."
Kenji spun his chair around to face her.
"What is it? Offshore accounts?"
"No. History."
Rynna projected data onto the main screen.
"The government lied to the people. They didn't win on 'Black Day' two years ago."
"That day... the world wasn't invaded by the 'Game' as we know it, but by an entity named Kairos. He brought Japan to its knees in a single day."
Kenji frowned.
"Kairos? I never heard that name in the game. A new Boss?"
Rynna scrutinized Kenji closely. She was testing his reaction.
"He was an NPC. But not an ordinary one. He was 'Awakened'."
"According to government records, Kairos and his main army disappeared for unknown reasons."
"The thousands of monsters and NPCs we see now, roaming the cities, the ones we are killing... they are just 'Fugitives'."
"They are remnants of Kairos's army that got lost, stragglers left without command."
"Why just us?" Kenji asked, piecing the puzzle together. "Other countries seem relatively stable, but Tokyo is a warzone."
"Because the Game shifted to Japan first," Rynna explained, tapping the screen. "When Kairos arrived, the bulk of his forces landed specifically here. While the rest of the world deals with minor glitches, we are drowning in his leftovers."
Kenji looked out the window at the illuminated city of Tokyo.
"So," he said slowly, a chill running down his spine. "If the leftovers—the 'stray dogs'—are this strong... then what the hell is the main army like? And where are they?"
"Yes," Rynna said. "And if they return... our current strength won't be enough."
Rynna's Room (The Hidden Stage).
Rynna entered her room and locked the door.
The mask of the "Loyal Ally" vanished instantly from her face. It was replaced by a cold, calculating expression filled with longing.
She opened her personal, encrypted laptop.
On the screen was an old, very old photograph.
There were three people in the photo: Kairos, Elira, and Rynna. They looked happy.
Rynna traced the photo with her finger.
"I found you, Kairos," she whispered. "Or rather... I found the Key."
Atlantis hadn't been part of her plan. But Kenji surviving "Void" and obtaining the "Master Key" was a result far better than Rynna could have expected.
Rynna hadn't helped Kenji out of friendship.
Kenji was a "Glitch" in the System. His "Essence" was remarkably similar to Kairos's.
Rynna was strengthening Kenji because only Kenji... could open the door to the "Nullstar Expanse" (or whichever dimension) where Kairos was trapped.
Rynna typed on the keyboard:
[LOG 404: PLAYER SHADOW GROWING STRONGER.]
[ATLANTEAN TECHNOLOGY ACQUIRED.]
[NEXT PHASE: USE HIM TO OPEN THE GATE TO THE TRUE WORLD.]
She didn't intend to betray Kenji maliciously. She simply intended to use him as a Tool.
"Sorry, Kenji," Rynna said with a cold smile. "You're a good guy. But I have only one King. And to bring him back, I will sacrifice the whole world, and you with it if I have to."
Rynna closed the laptop and prepared for bed.
Tomorrow, she would wake up as Kenji's "Loyal Admin" again. Until the time came.
Rooftop of Tower 4.
Kenji stood in the wind. He had a strange feeling inside.
His eighty-year-old instinct whispered to him: "Everything went too smoothly."
Rynna's information was correct, but Kenji had sensed something hidden in her eyes.
"Kairos..." Kenji repeated the name. "A lost army. Hidden history."
He clenched his fist.
"Fine. Whoever he is."
"If he touches my world, I'll 'Delete' him too."