The vortex spat them out with no grace. Nyara, Eternal, and Ahim hit the pavement of a colorful, neon-lit street, surrounded by anime billboards and oversized action figure stores.
Nyara groaned, rubbing her head. "Another world… but this one feels strange."
Ahim blinked at a passing giant advertisement of a magical girl twirling in sparkles. "It feels… like someone's dream?"
Eternal muttered under his breath, flames flickering faintly. "Or a nightmare."
Just then, a loud, theatrical voice boomed across the street.
"Behold! Villains of delusion beware!"
Three eccentric figures landed in front of them with over-exaggerated poses.
A man in red armor, radiating more passion than power.
A blue warrior, mumbling otaku commentary under his breath.
A pink heroine, spinning twice as much as needed before finishing her stance.
Together, they declared, pointing skyward:
"Hikonin Sentai… AKIBARANGER!"
Nyara tilted her head, golden eyes narrowing. "Unofficial… Sentai?"
Eternal groaned, covering his face with one hand. "We've truly fallen into madness."
---
Clash of Styles
The Akibarangers surrounded them, studying the newcomers like rare toys.
Blue adjusted his glasses. "Oh! Alternate-dimensional Riders! One themed after cats, another an anti-hero Rider with a tragic aura, and… is that a space pirate princess? This is premium crossover content!"
Pink squealed, nearly shaking Ahim's hand off. "You're so pretty! Are you from a Sentai? Your design screams 'support heroine but secretly overpowered'!"
Ahim coughed politely. "I… suppose that's flattering?"
Red, however, leaned toward Eternal, his eyes sparkling. "You! Dark Rider! You must be the brooding rival type! Do you betray us in episode 17 or join us for the final arc?!"
Eternal's flames flared in annoyance. "I'll burn you if you keep talking."
Nyara stepped between them, tail lashing. "Listen—we don't have time for delusions. We're being chased by interdimensional enemies."
"Exactly!" Red declared, pointing dramatically. "The delusion is always the source of evil! Don't worry, we Akibarangers will protect the narrative!"
Eternal muttered under his breath. "Kill me now…"
---
The Rift Cracks Again
As the comedy reached its peak, the sky above Akihabara warped. The air cracked like glass, glowing with unstable light. A massive tremor rattled the streets, scattering cosplayers and bystanders.
Blue gasped. "Wait… that's not delusion power!"
Pink's cheerful face paled. "This feels… real."
Nyara's claws extended. "It's happening again."
The vortex expanded violently. A deafening roar echoed from within, shaking the entire cityscape.
Ahim's eyes widened. "No… don't tell me…"
The rift's pull was too strong. Nyara, Eternal, Ahim, and even the three Akibarangers were dragged screaming into the light, flung into yet another world.
---
Clash of Giants
When the vortex released them, they were no longer in neon streets but in a barren desert under a blazing sun. The ground shook as a towering kaiju emerged, a Feraloid hybrid monstrosity laced with both steel and glowing runes.
It bellowed, shaking mountains.
The Akibarangers collapsed in a pile, staring up in terror.
Red gaped. "This isn't delusion… this is an actual budget-breaking kaiju! We don't even have giant robot suits!!"
Blue panicked. "We're not licensed for this scale of combat!!"
Pink clutched Nyara's arm. "W-we're gonna die, aren't we?!"
Nyara steadied herself, golden eyes burning. "Stay behind us. We'll fight."
Eternal's blue flames ignited like a raging inferno. "This is no parody anymore."
And then, light descended from the heavens.
A colossal figure of silver and purple landed before them, raising a protective arm.
Ultraman Tiga.
The ground trembled beneath his stance, and hope returned in an instant.
The Akibarangers froze, slack-jawed.
Red burst into tears. "We're in a real crossover episode!! Dreams do come true!!"
Tiga charged at the kaiju, the battle of giants beginning as Nyara, Eternal, Ahim, and even the unofficial heroes prepared to lend their strength.
To be continued…