The first thing the camera caught was fire.
A column of smoke towered into the sky like a funeral pyre, blotting out the midday sun. Buildings lay shattered like sandcastles stomped. The sound of sirens screamed through the chaos, a desperate wail swallowed by the roar of something monstrous.
The broadcast cut through the static, with a trembling voice filling the screens across the city.
"T-this is Kana Mitsuki with Channel 7! We are live at District 12 where another Kaiju has appeared!"
Her words shook, each syllable quivering like glass under pressure. Behind her, the towering silhouette of the creature lumbered forward. Its extradimensional armor glinted in the firelight. Its dark blue eyes scanned the streets with hunger.
"Please, if you're in the area, evacuate immediately! Local authorities are mobilizing but—"
A deafening roar cut her off. The Kaiju reared back, its horned head splitting the sky as a beam of incandescent energy lanced out, ripping through a line of high-rises. Glass and steel rained down like shards of a broken world.
She ducked, covering her head, the camera jerking wildly as dust and debris swept over them. Her breathing was ragged, her words raw with panic as she crawled back into frame.
"I-It just fired a beam! Entire blocks are gone! Please—"
She froze.
The camera tilted, following her gaze. A figure walked calmly down the ruined street, his steps unhurried, his head bowed slightly as if strolling through a park rather than a warzone. His jacket, intricately patterned in black and silver, fluttered in the breeze kicked up by the monster's wrath.
Kana blinked, disbelief widening her eyes.
"Sir! You need to get out of here! It's not safe! You'll die!"
He didn't answer.
The man—tall, lean, with hair like midnight silk—kept walking. The fractured pavement groaned under his boots. The Kaiju noticed him now, its massive head lowering, a guttural growl vibrating through the ground. Cars rattled. Glass trembled in shattered frames.
Kana whispered, almost to herself-
"Who... who is that?"
The man lifted his head.
His eyes were calm. And in an instant, he launched forward.
The camera barely tracked the blur before he was gone, a shockwave ripping across the street where he stood. The Kaiju roared as the figure appeared before it.
The creature opened its maw, light boiling inside. A beam of searing plasma erupted forward, scorching a path of annihilation. The man didn't flinch. He vanished again. The beam carved through empty air, ripping into the horizon with a sun-bright detonation.
The woman gasped, jerking the camera upward as the man appeared above the Kaiju, spinning midair, his left arm glowing with swirling energy. Aura gathered like a storm in his fist, bending the light, cracking the space around it as he drove his fist down.
The impact detonated like a thunderclap. The Kaiju's skull snapped sideways as its colossal body crashed into the ground, sending a tidal wave of rubble cascading through the streets. The earth groaned beneath the force, and the shockwave shattered what little glass remained in the ruins.
The reporter's voice trembled with awe, her hands white-knuckled around the mic.
"H-he... he just... with one blow...!"
She swung the camera toward the man as he landed lightly on the fractured street, dust spiraling around him. He strode toward the fallen Kaiju, his jacket fluttering like the wings of some dark angel.
The creature stirred. A deep, guttural growl rose from its throat as its tail whipped upward—a streak of death arcing through the smoke. It struck the man with the force of a battering ram, slamming him through a line of concrete walls.
The reporter screamed as the camera swung wildly, catching only rubble and fire.
A beat of silence was all that could be heard until, footsteps.
Slow. Steady. Unbroken.
Dust drifted as a silhouette emerged from the ruin, shoulders squared, stride unshaken. The camera zoomed in—and the world saw it.
His right arm was gone.
No—not gone. Replaced.
An intricate prosthetic gleamed in the ashen light; black metal traced with veins of gold that pulsed like living circuits. The fingers flexed with mechanical grace, steam hissing softly from hidden vents. Etched across the forearm were sigils that glowed faintly as if whispering secrets to the void.
Kana's breath hitched.
"What... what is that...?"
The man—Asol Ansaldo—did not answer.
He clenched the prosthetic fist, and Aura bled from his core like molten light, flooding the arm. The metal drank it greedily, humming with power. Heat shimmered in the air. Cracks of black lightning spiderwebbed across the ground as the very fabric of reality seemed to resist what was coming.
Asol vanished.
The Kaiju had barely risen when he appeared before its head, his fist cocked back, fracturing space around it. The hum became a scream as the world bent.
He struck, causing light to explode.
The impact collapsed the street, shattered windows for blocks, and turned the Kaiju's head into a mist of fading particles. The body convulsed once before dissolving into nothing, its roar cut short like a dying storm.
Silence fell.
The reporter lowered the camera with her trembling hands, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He... he killed it..."
...
...
...
The hum of fluorescent lights filled the room as Asol Ansaldo stepped into the quiet sanctuary of the KAC Headquarters. His boots clicked softly against the sterile floor, echoing between the pristine white walls. The scent of antiseptic clung to the air, sharp and clean, almost mocking the chaos he'd just waded through.
Fujiwara lay motionless on the bed, her chest rising and falling in the slow, steady rhythm of forced slumber. Sunlight streamed through the window, painting her pale features in fragile gold. Flowers sat in a vase by her bedside—fresh lilies he'd replaced that morning. He set down a new bouquet, fingers brushing the petals with absent care.
"Hey, I took another one down today..."
He chuckled dryly, the sound hollow.
"I don't know if you can hear me. Maybe you can. I like to think you can."
His gaze lingered on her face, serene and distant.
"It's been three months. Three months since the raid. Since him. Since…"
He trailed off with his jaw tightening.
His prosthetic clicked faintly as he flexed it, the glow fading slowly along the etched lines. He couldn't get used to how natural it felt now. Like part of him. Like something that would never leave.
He heard the door slide open.
"Asol."
The CEO's voice was calm as ever, smooth as polished steel. He stepped inside, immaculate as always—dark suit, crisp tie, hands folded behind his back. His eyes, sharp and knowing even though he was blind, flicked to the flowers, then to Asol.
"How are you holding up?"
Asol didn't look up.
"Busy."
"That's an understatement. You've handled six Kaiju threats this month alone. And that's including the one you killed this morning."
"Someone had to."
The CEO studied him for a moment and sighed.
"Walk with me."
Asol followed in silence through the hushed corridors, memories pressing like ghosts against the walls. They entered a dim room—the same one where they'd planned the assault on the Saviors months ago. Shadows clung to the corners.
Two figures emerged from them.
"Aoi? Kazuma?"
The woman grinned wide, her teal hair catching the faint light.
"Asol! Long time no see!"
Beside her, Kazuma crossed his arms as his red flames covered parts of his arms.
Asol frowned.
"Why are they here?"
The CEO smiled faintly.
"Because you're taking a break."
"What?"
"Thats right! You've been running yourself into the ground since the raid. That ends today. Aoi and Kazuma will take you to their world for a short… vacation."
"I'm not leaving! Who's gonna take care of Fujiwara? What if another Kaiju or the Saviours-"
"Toma and Hikari will handle it. Fujiwara will be fine. I'm taking care of her. As for the Saviours, don't worry about them. This isn't a request, Asol. It's an order."
His tone sharpened.
"Or shall I start docking your pay?"
Asol stared, then sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
"…When?"
"Tomorrow."
Aoi clapped her hands, beaming.
"Yes! You're gonna love it, Asol! There's so much to see! And I think you're going to love the event that's going to take place as well!"
Kazuma muttered-
"If it were up to me, you'd never leave."
Asol shot him a look.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
The next day, he stood at Fujiwara's bedside once more, adjusting the flowers with slow care.
"I'll be back in a week... Don't make me come back to bad news, okay?"
His voice cracked on the last word as he squeezed her hand gently before letting go.
The Multi-Versal Gate loomed before him like a fractured mirror to infinity. Aoi stood beside it, practically vibrating with excitement, while Kazuma—now in his ice form—watched with arms crossed.
Asol's gaze lingered on the swirling void within the gate. Memories clawed at him. Bell's smile. Her scream. The way her hand slipped from his.
"You okay?"
Aoi's voice pulled him back.
"I'm fine..."
Before they stepped through, Asol took one last look at the place he called home before leaving for Aoi's world.
Hopefully, everything will be alright while I'm gone...
They then stepped in and light swallowed him. Time fractured. His mind spiraled into a maelstrom of images. Crimson eyes vast as suns, gazed upon him. Omega symbols blazed in their pupils. A voice—not sound but thought—slithered through the cracks in his mind.
Was this happening right now? Was this a memory?
"Asol!"
Aoi's voice yanked him back. He blinked as solid ground returned beneath his boots. A skyline towered before him; a metropolis bathed in sunlight. Skyscrapers towered over them. Airships drifted lazily among them as billboards, holograms, cheering crowds celebrated masked figures in vibrant costumes.
Asol stared as he proccessed everything that was taking place. He turned to Aoi who shot her arms up as she spread her arms wide, grinning like a child.
"Welcome to Aegis Prime—the world of Superheroes!"