A rainy night falls over the city in the late hours. ARES walks alone through the streets without an umbrella.
He stops for a moment and glances to his upper left, toward a tall building. His eyes widen in shock.
Raven is standing at the edge of a high rooftop, tears streaming down her face. She looks terrified, deeply sad, and ready to throw herself off—yet something inside her still holds her back.
ARES dashes toward the building at incredible speed, his heart pounding, his thoughts a whirlwind. He doesn't think for even a second—his only thought is: "Save this girl."
ARES (angry, thinking): Damn it… why would you want to do something like this!?
On the rooftop, Raven closes her eyes and jumps. For her, it is the end. The final line of her life.
But ARES thinks otherwise. He catches her hand.
Raven lifts her head, shocked beyond words. She never expected this to happen. She stares at ARES, who is struggling to pull her up.
RAVEN: "Haaah…!!"
ARES: "I'll pull you up. Just hold on."
Slowly, with great effort, he pulls her upward until she reaches the roof. He wraps his arms around her and drags her onto solid ground.
She collapses into his arms. Neither of them pays attention to the closeness of the moment—the intensity of the situation leaves no room for anything else.
Raven's whole body trembles violently as she begins to cry.
RAVEN: "I'm sorry… I just… I just…"
ARES: "Shhh… no need to spill your feelings now. You only need to rest."
---
About fifteen minutes later, Raven sits on a bench near a convenience store, beside a vending machine. She looks lost in thought, her face pale and unsettled. ARES stands at the vending machine, buying her a drink.
He walks toward her and hands her a can of cola. She raises her eyes to his stern face before taking it.
RAVEN: "Mm… thank you."
ARES sits quietly beside her. Silence stretches for three minutes. He doesn't want to question her immediately after calming her down.
ARES: "So… why did you try to kill yourself!?"
She turns her face away, unwilling to answer. She fears telling anyone about her attempt. ARES watches her from the side, his gaze emotionless, unwilling to press her.
RAVEN: "There's only one thing I want… I want to live without fear, without burdens. Is that so hard?"
She clenches her fists and slams them against her thighs.
RAVEN: "Damn it…" Her tone is bitter with regret.
ARES: "What you wish for is what many desire. But the only way to achieve it is to confront the causes that stand in your way. We all have the power to do that."
RAVEN: "Easy to say, in words or in dreams. But in reality? No one has the courage to do it—especially when the obstacles are so great."
Raven's perspective differs from ARES's. To her, if the reasons blocking your desire are too powerful, then that desire remains just a fantasy.
From ARES's view, Raven is weak, unable to face great obstacles.
ARES: "I don't know what you've been through, but this isn't the way to end things. Suicide… surrendering… that's not something even the weak should do. Every problem has a solution. And your problem, Raven—the solution is you."
He tries to make her realize her weakness, his tone sharp on the word weak, yet without malice.
Raven's expression breaks. She understands exactly what he means.
RAVEN: "If you were me, you would've killed yourself long ago. But I endured everything, hoping something might change one day. Yet nothing ever did."
Her words give a faint glimpse into her painful past. She tries to make him understand that she endured things no one her age should have to bear.
ARES: "Fine. From your words, I understand this: if we traded places, neither of us could endure what the other went through."
His reply is unexpected. Raven looks at him in surprise.
RAVEN: "What do you mean?"
ARES: "My words are clear. I have a past too. A bitter one… But forget it for now."
He doesn't want to dig into the details of his past. His face shows discomfort at the memory.
ARES stands, looking quietly at Raven. His tone is gentle, but his eyes hide a trace of worry.
ARES: "Anyway… we should go home now. Do you want me to walk you?"
Raven shakes her head lightly, a small smile flickering across her lips.
RAVEN: "No, thank you. I'll go on my own."
She stands silently, gazing at him. Then she turns her face slightly, as if hiding something—her cheeks faintly flushed.
RAVEN: "Thank you, ARES… I hope I can repay you someday."
ARES: "Anytime."
She leaves quietly, her steps light. He stays behind for a moment, watching her, then begins walking on his own.
His expression is calm, but his eyes betray deep thought.
ARES (thinking): Raven Armando… that strange girl. Sometimes she seems ordinary, but sometimes she's drowning in sorrow, as if carrying the weight of the world. She has her problems, yes, but despite her weakness, she hesitated to die. That means she's still holding onto life… I believe she'll overcome this trial. And when she does, she'll have the right to live her life her way—not the way others impose on her.
His thoughts are cut short when he arrives at a modest, middle-class house.
He opens the door and enters. Silence fills the place.
He quietly removes his shoes—when suddenly, a loud sound shatters the stillness.
A leg slams against the ground with force… someone has been waiting.
ARES enters the house quietly, not expecting to find anyone awake.
In the living room, Luna, his cousin of the same age, stands there. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest, her expression clearly annoyed. She wears light sleepwear.
LUNA: "Where have you been at this late hour?"
Her voice is serious, tinged with worry…
He doesn't answer immediately. He passes by her quietly, closing his eyes as if exhaustion is heavier than any explanation he could give.
ARES: "I stopped one of your friends from committing suicide."
Luna freezes in place, the words hitting her like a slap.
LUNA: "What?!!!"
Her shock is overwhelming. Something like this is hard to believe.
ARES begins climbing the stairs without looking back. His steps are slow and heavy. Behind him, Luna moves lightly, trying to catch up.
LUNA: "W-Wait! Come back and tell me everything!"
But ARES doesn't stop, offering only a short, low reply:
ARES: "Later… I want to sleep."
Time seems to freeze for Luna as she watches him ascend. Curiosity consumes her entirely, a flicker of fear and concern shining in her eyes…
---
A hand quietly opens a door. No sound except the soft click of the doorknob turning.
ARES steps in silently, closing the door behind him without making a sound. Exhaustion shows clearly on him.
He walks with heavy steps toward the bed and sits down. Sleepiness is evident—his head nearly droops backward.
He raises his hand to cover his mouth as he yawns, trying shyly to hide his fatigue… but the exhaustion betrays him.
He sits for a moment, staring blankly. His voice escapes in a whisper, barely audible.
ARES: "It's the first time… I've felt this sleepy like this."
He slowly lies down on the bed, his head sinking into the pillow.
His eyes begin to close gradually… slowly, as if sleep itself is gently pulling him in.
Then…
Darkness.
Absolute silence, as if the world has withdrawn, leaving him finally to rest.
---
A violent running sound shatters the quiet…
Feet pound rapidly over cracked, debris-strewn ground. Dust rises with every step. The floor shows signs of a catastrophic event.
ARES sprints through a devastated city.
Buildings lie in ruins, cars overturned, flames licking through the wreckage.
The sky glows a bloody orange. Bodies lie scattered, as if the city has exhaled its last breath.
ARES suddenly slips on the ground, struggling to stop, but quickly regains his balance, standing lightly.
He lifts his head slowly. His eyes widen, trembling at the horror before him.
ARES: "What… what is this…?"
Before him, a ferocious battle rages in the heart of the city.
Four people surround a lone fighter… yet the battle itself obliterates everything around them, each strike carrying the power of a bomb.
One combatant stands confidently, a dark aura emanating from him. His gaze is cold; only his eyes are visible. The rest of his body is shrouded in black.
Power radiates from him terrifyingly… he is the master of the fight.
ARES's eyes widen in shock… sweat drips down his face, and his heart races violently.
ARES: "W-What… what is happening?!"
In a flash, without any warning…
The fighter dashes forward with unbelievable agility—
Shwoooosh.
A decisive strike. The head of his opponent flies into the air, severed, while the body collapses lifeless to the ground.
The killer stops in place, motionless…
He stares long at the body before him, as if there is more to this than just a kill. His gaze is cold… dead inside.
Not far away, ARES watches the scene, fear rising.
But the moment he thinks the killer hasn't noticed him…
The killer slowly turns toward ARES.
His eyes ignite with a glowing blue light, radiant as if piercing the darkness itself.
One look…
And it is enough to instill terror throughout ARES's entire body.
"This person… is extremely dangerous…" ARES thinks.
A wave of insecurity pierces his chest.
Without hesitation, he turns and starts running away from the battlefield, his heart pounding wildly.
Behind him, the killer moves like a shadow, running at insane speed, cracking the ground with every step.
He raises his hand and releases a strange energy toward the ground beneath ARES—
BOOOOM!!
A massive explosion tears through the street.
The ground beneath ARES's feet erupts suddenly, throwing his body backward with force.
ARES lands several meters away, in pain, gasping, but he doesn't stop.
He rises, limping, heading toward a narrow alley, trying to escape by any means.
But as he reaches its midpoint—
He freezes.
Before him… the killer stands, waiting.
The next moment is swift… too fast to comprehend.
Shwoooook!
A piercing sound.
Blood splatters on the ground.
Knees collapse, falling under a wounded body.
ARES kneels on the ground…
The camera zooms in on his face, focusing on his eyes—
Wide, chaotic, as if life is slowly draining from him…
The killer's cold eyes stare steadily at ARES, who collapses to his knees.
"ARES Leonardo… I have waited for you a long time. You are the chosen one." His calm is eerie.
Slowly, he pulls his sword from ARES's chest. Blood drips, and the metallic sound deafens.
"I've always been watching you… and when I saw you save that girl, I knew you deserved the power given to you."
ARES, despite the pain and death creeping through his body, lifts his eyes to him.
His gaze is still alive, refusing to yield to death.
ARES (gasping, weak): "After you kill me… you say this? You don't know anything… the chosen one is always… protected."
Unexpectedly, ARES stands again.
His body is frail, barely holding his weight, yet he rises.
His eyes burn with anger… blood trickling from his mouth.
ARES (hoarse, trembling): "You thought you gave me this power to save everyone…
But this power… all I see is destruction."
The killer sighs, as if he has heard this before.
KILLER: "No peace without sacrifices… that is life."
ARES sways… he has reached his limit.
Breaths heavy, body barely holding on.
KILLER: "No need to strain yourself now…"
Finally, ARES collapses to the ground.
His eyes half-closed, death approaching.
KILLER: "You will meet a clan called Chikayo…
They will guide you on how to handle this power.
But… remember: misuse it, and the consequences… will be severe."
A close-up of ARES's exhausted face, yet he still clings to his will.
ARES (whispering softly): "It doesn't matter how I use it…
What matters… is that I free people with it."
Life drains from his face…
And he falls into complete stillness.
The killer… vanishes into the air.
Then…
In the void, a black form of ARES's body appears.
Strange lines glow from his heart, spreading across his body like the pulse of living energy.
ARES suddenly wakes from sleep!
He sits up quickly, drenched in sweat, gasping as if his soul had left and returned in a moment.
ARES (panicked): "Damn… it… felt completely real."
He rushes from his bed, moving toward the window in staggered steps.
He stands there, opening it…
Looking out over the quiet city, everything seems normal… or so it seems.
He lifts his eyes slightly…
Then his expression freezes.
On a distant building, in the calm morning breeze…
A girl stands, her back to him, the wind stirring her short hair.
She wears a costume designed for superheroes, purple lines glinting in the dawn light.
Strands of her hair glow softly at the tips with a gentle purple hue.
The girl turns her face toward him.
Her expression is calm… emotionless.
RAVEN is on her way home, thinking about what she had almost done.
"Did I really almost do that?!" she thinks, a faint smile of admiration crossing her lips. "It's good that ARES saved me. Without him, I'd be under the dirt by now."
She continues her walk in silence, arriving at her ordinary home. She enters and climbs the stairs to her room.
She stands in front of her door, reaching for the handle, but before she touches it, a terrifying energy emanates from inside the room. A shiver of fear runs through her.
"What… what is this terrifying feeling? Can something like this really exist?"
Summoning her courage, she opens the door forcefully and glances inside… nothing.
As she closes the door, she mutters:
"Ah… it seems it was just the fear inside me of what happened…"
Suddenly, a human hand covers her mouth to stop her from screaming. RAVEN's eyes tremble in fear. Behind her, the person responsible reveals herself—a girl with cold, red eyes, calm yet terrifying.
"Shhh…!!! Hello, RAVEN, I've been waiting for you."
Fear intensifies as she whispers.
"Whispering won't help you… you are under my control now… You are the chosen one to bear my power."
Her words are strange—power? Chosen one? RAVEN falls to her knees and looks directly at the girl.
"What are you talking about? What power? Who are you?"
She is surprised by her tone; her fear diminishes slightly as she assumes this is just some crazy girl brought by her grandmother.
But her assumption is wrong. The girl begins to hum, and from the hum, purple lights emerge from cracks in the air. Objects around start shaking violently, some falling and breaking.
"I am an immortal spirit. I am darkness. I am AQUERO, and you, RAVEN, will be my new owner, whether you accept it or not. The choice is already made; there is no other option."
RAVEN trembles violently, staring at AQUERO, who begins to radiate light. A bright aura emerges from her, forcing RAVEN to shield her eyes with her arms.
When the light fades, AQUERO appears in her true form—a being shaped like a sphere, glowing with vibrant purple energy.
AQUERO approaches RAVEN's sweating face.
"Now… do you want to experience my power?"
RAVEN crawls back until she hits the bed. AQUERO moves closer.
"Stay away from me…!!!" she screams.
"Dear RAVEN, I have a question for you… Isn't your greatest dream to take revenge on those who caused you this suffering? Didn't you want them punished, or do you want to remain like this all your life? Or perhaps you'll try to end your life again like today, but next time, no one will save you. Place your hand in mine, and then no one will ever dare to harm you again."
RAVEN looks at her, thinking, How could she know all this? AQUERO knows everything about RAVEN—her struggles, even the reason behind her attempted suicide.
"You know everything?… How is this possible?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is: do you want to end what's happening to you, or accept your situation as it is?"
RAVEN's tears fall in torrents. She didn't even realize she was crying until she saw them hit the floor.
"I've always wanted to live a calm, ordinary life… but since that incident—" she shows glimpses of a fire, a car, a man and woman trapped in a burning vehicle—"everything in my life changed. I was only six years old. My grandmother was the only one who accepted me; the rest hated me for trivial reasons… And yet, I truly want revenge on them."
She lifts her head and grasps AQUERO with both hands.
"I want revenge…"
This is ENYO, the girl ARES had seen from the window—the same weak girl who had attempted suicide. But he didn't recognize her because the mask caused his mind to be confused.
From ENYO's perspective, she thinks about what to do first. So far, AQUERO hasn't explained everything; she has only summarized it in one sentence about ARES's power.
"The counter power has been activated now, so we must lure him out by any means."
ENYO jumps. Every step lands on the ground, then she heads toward the building where she had been standing.
"If this doesn't lure him, I'll have to destroy even more things."
She fills her hand with dark energy, striking the building with all her strength, then leaps away.
Explosions erupt on every floor of the eight-story building in rapid succession. Upon reaching the eighth floor, she pauses for a moment… then the entire building explodes.
The building is completely destroyed, and everyone inside is dead.
ARES watches in shock, unable to believe something like this happens in mere seconds.
"What…!!! Is this really happening?" He thinks for a moment, then his expression changes as if he understands something… "So even the dream is real."
Moments later, his eyes sharpen, burning with an incredible thirst for battle.
"In that case… I have to… kill her."
A light erupts from his chest, spreading across his body, transforming into new clothes that conceal his secret identity. The light fades, revealing his black outfit with subtle blue lines. His mask covers his chin and eyebrows.
He launches forward, breaking through a wall. ENYO stands atop the rubble of the building, unaware that the person she waits for is already behind her.
"Who… are you?"
She smiles slyly and turns to face him, her gaze mocking.
"Oh… so you're the child I face from now on."
"You seem confident… destroying that building isn't something to boast about."
"Ah… really? Then I'll show you what's worth boasting about."
She speaks mockingly but assumes a combat stance, as does DONAHUE.
"Before we fight, why don't we introduce ourselves? I'm ENYO, and this is…"
"DONAHUE…"
She points toward him, seemingly holding a gun. Dark beams shoot from her finger toward him. DONAHUE leaps, avoiding the attack and rushing toward her. ENYO tries to kick him, but he vanishes into a dark smoke.
Confusion flashes in her eyes as she looks around. He appears behind her and whispers into her ear:
"Slow."
A massive explosion erupts, destroying several nearby buildings. ENYO lands on the ground, her face covered in blood, staring at the source of the blast. She wipes the blood from her face, witnessing DONAHUE emerge with terrifying red eyes.
He raises his gaze toward her.
"The game begins."
DONAHUE surges toward her, punching her hard in the face. She is slammed into a glass wall, which splinters slightly with her blood. Exhausted, she collapses onto the ground.
"What… what is happening? Why is he so strong?"
She stands again, her eyes burning with fury, gathering powerful energy in both hands.
"Let's see how you dodge this, DONAHUE."
Her voice is deep, filled with anger. She unleashes a wave of purple electric lightning toward him. ENYO's lightning is far more destructive than normal lightning—striking a building reduces it to rubble in seconds.
With cold precision, DONAHUE creates a dark shield, intercepting the lightning. ENYO feels provoked by his calm.
"Are you done?" he says, as if eager to finish quickly.
"Ahhh… come then."
Their right hands charge with energy, colliding with incredible force, causing an explosion across the battlefield.
---
Meanwhile, in the royal palace, a man in a formal suit named JAN runs rapidly through the corridors, his face dripping with sweat and worry.
He arrives at the door of King WILLIAM V's office and, in his panic, flings it open. The king sits at his desk, working, with the flag of Arstom Fushigi behind him. He gives JAN a glance of mild surprise before returning to his papers.
"What is it, JAN? You seem disturbed. Did something happen?"
His tone is calm, but JAN is not.
"Sire… in the northeast province, in the Sarido area, two superpowered individuals fight violently. A quarter of the area becomes rubble, and the remaining houses are damaged."
The king is shocked, pressing his pen so hard it snaps in half.
"So… those two powers appear… but they are supposed to be mine…" he thinks, anger flashing in his eyes.
He stands, placing his hands firmly on the table, glaring at JAN.
"Send fifty armored vehicles, seven fighter jets, and twenty tanks. Surround the area—don't let anyone in or out. If necessary, bomb the entire area. And if you succeed in taking down these two, bring their bodies to the palace."
"Understood, sire."
About an hour later, the armored vehicles, tanks, and jets move. JAN is in the front line of the army heading toward the battlefield—a city in ruins, while DONAHUE and ENYO continue their battle.
They move at incredible speed, and each collision generates sparks that destroy the remaining parts of buildings.
A nearby missile halts their movements. DONAHUE looks up, seeing jets overhead, and realizes they are surrounded by armored vehicles and tanks. Soldiers aim their weapons at them. JAN exits his vehicle, anxious at DONAHUE's unwelcoming gaze. He adjusts his headband and takes a deep breath.
"As a representative of the king, I ask you to identify yourselves now."
"Seems that fool realizes our presence," DONAHUE mutters. He hadn't expected such a response from JAN.
"How dare you insult the king? Of course, he knows of your actions—he cares about his citizens' lives."
ENYO merely looks on mockingly, but after seeing DONAHUE, her expression shifts to confusion at his clear anger.
"He cares about others' lives… what a…"
…joke," JAN stammers, shocked.
DONAHUE raises his hand to face level…
"Crack!"
He snaps his fingers.
One by one, the soldiers' heads explode in a horrifying scene, even shocking ENYO.
JAN looks around in panic… on the verge of collapse. All the jets fall before his eyes; not a single soldier remains.
He turns to DONAHUE, who meets his gaze with a terrifying calm.
"AHHHHHHH!"
JAN screams in utter despair, collapsing to his knees, begging and crying.
"Please… please don't kill me! I have a family… my children await my return!"
DONAHUE gives no response. JAN presses his head to the ground in tears, while ENYO watches in astonishment.
DONAHUE steps forward steadily, standing near him.
"You have children… wow."
JAN lifts his head.
"Do you remember two years ago, in Norak City, when someone bumped into you and dirtied your suit? What did you do to him?"
JAN's panic grows, realizing his fate is near.
"Why don't you answer…? Fine, I'll answer. You took your guards to one of the alleys where you were, pointed your gun at his head… he begged you, saying exactly what you said just now—he has children waiting for him—but you shot him without mercy. Now tell me, what's the difference between you and him?"
"I… I…"
JAN hesitates, unable to form words.
"Nothing… the only difference is that his children received his corpse, and yours will not."
JAN opens his eyes wide, stands, and runs, trying to escape.
"Crack…"
His body is sliced into tiny cubes, scattering everywhere as if he never existed.
Silence fills the area for a moment, a gentle breeze brushing their hair. Both DONAHUE and ENYO wear expressions of light sorrow.
"Despite the destruction we caused and the lives lost, you also killed people whose families awaited them," ENYO remarks.
DONAHUE's stern, sorrowful expression remains. He only says:
"Yes."
"Anyway, there's no point in continuing now. We'll meet again…"
ENYO disappears into the nearby shadows.
DONAHUE walks calmly through the ruined city, heading toward his home.
He stops in front of his damaged house, which still stands while the surrounding homes lie in ruin.
He sheds his transformation, returning to ARES.
"Seems my shift protected the house a little," he mutters.
He moves toward the door…
Click.
A camera sound…