"Crap… how do I get out of this now…"
Both Cherl and Shijun thought the exact same thing in perfect, synchronized panic.
"UHH—I SLEPT IN!"
They blurted out in unison.
The silence that followed after was suffocating.
But the tension was shattered instantly when a teacher stormed by, voice booming like a siren.
"HEY! YOU TWO! YOU'RE LATE! GET TO CLASS ALREADY OR IT'S DETENTION!"
"O-oh, sorry!"
They scrambled off in opposite directions, their mutual awkwardness momentarily forgotten.
———
"Phew… that was close," Cherl exhaled mentally, shaking her head.
"First day and I already almost fumbled—c'mon, hold it together, Shijun…" he scolded himself internally.
—Devil World—
A jagged shriek pierced the stale, suffocating air.
"EEE!"
Alien Baruzo screeched, pacing erratically atop the blackened rock floor.
"Ugh—these dumb heroes keep ruining my plans! All I wanted was to harvest some rift energy for the Devil World and the Lord… but every single day, those pests just—!"
Suddenly, a voice reverberated through the chamber. Cold. Hollow. Unrelenting.
"Baruzo…"
The very sound sent a violent shiver down his spine.
He turned—and froze.
A figure stood at the edge of the abyssal platform, its form cloaked entirely in swirling red and black aura. Not a single limb or feature was visible. Only its towering presence could be felt—monstrous, ancient, and unforgiving.
"Y-Y-Yeah, m-my l-lord…" Baruzo stuttered, voice trembling like shattered glass.
The aura pulsed menacingly.
"So… have you harvested more energy for me?"
"I-I-I was about to! Just a bit more ti—"
CRACK—SSHH!
A whip of pure energy lashed out from the Lord's aura, entangling Baruzo in a blazing spiral of red and black darkness.
"USELESS… ALL OF YOU!"
The voice now thundered like collapsing mountains.
"Seventy-five years. Seventy-five… and still, you cannot conquer this dimension...and now your saying you can't even extract energy through the rifts without getting caught and beaten. You are all worthless."
"I-I'm sorry, my Lord! T-they thought I was there to destabilize the solar system or destroy earth like the others—!"
"ENOUGH EXCUSES."
The energy whip tightened, drawing an agonized shriek from Baruzo.
"P-Please… just one more chance! I beg you…!"
After a short contemplation,
The Lord's aura dimmed momentarily—then flared with power.
"Fine…..One final chance. If you return empty-handed—"
He said nothing more. The silence was louder than any threat.Before slamming the alien down to the ground and retracting the whip.
Then—
The Lord raised a hand, and the aura surrounding him surged. With a violent roar, it enveloped Baruzo's entire body.
"AAAGHHH!"
Baruzo screamed as the aura tore through him.
Moments later, the storm dispersed.
Out of the dust and smoke,
Baruzo rose, steam pouring off his skin. His cyan eyes were now a deep, burning crimson. His body emitted a faint black-red glow, twisted and corrupted.
"I have granted you a fragment of my power…"
The Lord's voice growled.
"Do. Not. Disappoint me."
Baruzo's breathing had changed. Slower. Heavier. His voice deeper.
"Yes, my Lord…"
—Back at School—
The school was alive with energy. Students laughed and bantered as they moved between classes, unaware of the gathering darkness incoming.
Shijun walked alone in the hallways,deep in thought.
"Hey Minus," he murmured under his breath, "I've been meaning to ask…"
"Yes dumbass?" Minus replied, as smug as ever.
"Back when I didn't believe you were real… you mentioned a 'Lord.' Since I'm officially a hero now, I figured maybe I should know a bit more?"
"You want to know about him?" Minus scoffed. "I'm surprised your walnut-sized brain can even comprehend the question."
Shijun chuckled, used to the insults by now.
"Yes, Minus. I'd like to know."
"…Very well."
Minus's tone shifted—less mocking now. More serious.
"I never knew his real name. We only called him… the Lord. During our dimensional conquest back then before I was sealed,as far as I know,he was unstoppable.I witnessed his strength firsthand."
"Once,there was a war. One against a species strong enough to resist us for seventy-seven years. The Devil World couldn't claim their dimension. So eventually… he arrived. And in one day, wiped them out. Actually,our universe shoudnt even exist today…Back then,he almost destroyed the universe entirely.—Butuckily,it was due to one of the one of his five Elder Devils who controlled the destructive energy into a pocket dimension to prevent the collapse of the universe."
Shijun's eyes widened.
"He… almost destroyed the entire universe?..Wait,and who the hell are the elders?"
"Yes. And the Elders… they are his right hand. Each of them commands cosmic-tier energy. It was actually one of them who sealed me."
"And… wait—did you say the Lord only intervened after seventy-seven years?"
"Yes."
Though..after a short thought process..
"…Minus, it's been seventy-five years since the Devil World first opened here—"
"I know."
Shijun's stomach dropped.
"You don't think—"
"I don't think," Minus interrupted, his tone losing its usual sarcasm.
" If he is still acting as he was a 1000 years ago before I was sealed..If the invasion of this dimension isn't completed in the 75–77 year Window… the Lord will act."
Shijun's heart skipped.
"Then we have to warn Hero Corp right now!"
"No."
"What?! But why—?!this could be devastating to our—"
"Calm down. Based on everything so far, his appearance is still unlikely—for now. And Hero Corp?Just from our interaction with them a few hours ago?I can tell that they're impulsive. If they hear this, they'll try to invade the Devil World themselves to end the lord. But that place? It's death incarnate they will be struggling with the unlimited amount of devils monsters and aliens within the devil world itself,let alone The Elders and ….the Lord himself…"
Minus's voice grew cold.
"Just remember, dumbass—do not inform them. Not yet."
"…Understood."
Shijun nodded.
"One more thing," he asked quietly. "Just how big is the Devil World?"
"Limitless," Minus replied.
"L-Limitless?!
"Yes."
Shijun went silent, mentally repeating everything in an attempt to process the sheer scale of what Minus had just revealed.
—School Rooftop—
Cherl sat cross-legged on the school roof, her phone in hand—not to scroll, but to check her Hero Corp alerts.
CSX:
"Cupid, large concentrations of Devil energy have been detected in your vicinity. Stay vigilant."
Cupid:
"Understood, Manager. I'll remain on alert."
—Exosphere—
A rift split open in the upper layers of space.
Alien Baruzo emerged—his body cloaked in chaos, his aura surging uncontrollably. He screeched low, devouring every nearby dimensional rift he could detect.
But as he absorbed more unstable energy, his body began to tremble. His mind fractured under the strain. He clutched his head, groaning—
Until—
BOOM!
Baruzo plummeted to Earth, consumed in a storm of black and red energy. His crimson eyes darkened further.
The corrupted energy raged around him—his sanity is completely lost.
—Hero Alerts Issued—
Cherl's phone buzzed.
She didn't even check the message. She didn't have to.
She could feel the energy from miles away.She looked towards the distance…
Elsewhere, Shijun's phone buzzed violently.
CSX ALERT:
"Shijun, an Alien threat has been identified near your sector. Intercept immediately."
"Eh?!"
Shijun's eyes shot open.
He instantly raised his hand.
"Miss—I need the restroom! It's urgent!"
The teacher nodded without question, and Shijun sprinted out of class.
He darted down the hallway, frantically searching for a quiet place.
"C'mon, c'mon… where is a quiet spot..AH!rooftop!"
He bolted toward the stairs and burst through the rooftop door—
Only to find someone already there.
"C-Cherl?! What are you doing here?!"
Startled, Cherl,who was about to change,quickly turned and hid her Hero Suit behind her back.
"O-Oh! Nothing! Just… enjoying the scenery! Yeah! ANYWAY—I gotta go!"
She rushed past him, turning the corner and suiting up in a blink before taking off.
Not far behind, Shijun raised his arm.
"MINUS!"
The silver Entheon Motor formed around his wrist again.
He swiped across the glowing core—
FLASH!
A familiar brilliant blue light consumed him as his body transformed.
"I assume you would still want my help this time?" Minus asked smugly.
"Shut up. I got this."
"Don't regret it later."
Shijun launched into the sky, streaking toward the source of the chaos.
Out of the blue,
He saw.
To his left—Cupid.
"Huh? You too?"
They spoke simultaneously again.
"Y-Yeah," Shijun nodded.
"First actual mission… and I'm already teaming up with another hero?! I like this."Shijun thought to himself.
"I don't think I've seen you before," Cherl said. "Are you new?"
"Uh—yeah. Hero name's Beyond." Shijun replied
"Cupid. Nice to meet you."
"So… are you like…new-new? Like, zero field experience?"Cherl asked.
"Pretty much. Just got registered this morning.But..I did have one fight before."
"I see…" Cherl smiled faintly. "Well—let's see what you've got."
The two heroes took a sharp turn and landed in the center of the chaos.
—City Sector—
The area was in ruins. Concrete split. Buildings collapsed. Panic rippled through the air like a living thing.
"What the hell happened here…" Shijun whispered.
But before they could react, a massive beam of red and black energy fired toward them—light-speed.
The heroes dodged instantly, the blast parting the clouds above like scissors through silk.
Cherl's eyes narrowed.
"Baruzo…?"
"You know him?" Shijun asked.
"Oh yeah. Traded blows with him once before. He ran like a coward."
"What happened to him? He looks—"
"Wrong."
Minus's voice cut in.
"He's overloaded. The Devil World's energy has overwhelmed him. He's lost control."
"I see.."Shijun muttered.
"Cupid! He's gone rogue!The devil worlds energy has consumed him!" Shijun shouted.
Baruzo's eyes glowed erratically. Wild energy blasts shot from them in all directions.
"How do you even know that!And how can u be so sure!?" Cherl asked, eyes narrowing.
Shijun,not knowing how to answer,started Stuttering "E-Eh—"
"Dumbass. Learn to make up an excuse," Minus sighed.
Thankfully, the conversation was cut short as Baruzo slammed into the ground with his fist , unleashing a tectonic shockwave that cracked the city floor.
"WOAH!" Shijun shouted, barely staying airborne.
"Stay sharp!" Cherl warned.
Baruzo let out a bloodcurdling scream, unleashing a massive shockwave that sent them both flying. Cherl recovered quickly—Shijun struggled to stabilize.
"GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, DUMBASS!" Minus barked.
"Sorry!"
"Left flank!" Cherl shouted. "I'll take right!"
"G-Got it!"
They split—rushing the alien in tandem.
Shijun launched a powerful side kick, sending Baruzo stumbling back—only for Cherl to blast him from behind with a heart-shaped projectile.
Baruzo grunted, unfazed.
Shijun proceeded to summon his energy blades and launched them forward—
But Baruzo deflected most of itwith his enhanced aura.
"Bro—how much Devil energy did they give this bastard?!"
They continued to clash, the sky alight with streams of pink, blue, and red energy—clashing like wild auroras.
"Cupid Blaster!" Cherl cried, launching her signature technique.
Baruzo raised a shield, nullifying it with ease.
Shijun grimaced.
"Minus! Please tell me you've got something useful!"Shijun pleaded while rushing in to deliver a elbow strike.
"Tch,thought you said you didn't need my help?"Minus mocked.
"I was wrong, okay?! JUST HELP!"
As Shijun and Baruzo continued clashing,
Baruzo eventually found an opening and slammed his fist into Shijun's chest, sending him crashing into the ground.
Cherl caught his fall.
"You alright, newbie?!"
"Y-yeah thanks.."
"Well what's our plan now.."
Cherl asked as the two stared at the alien.