Akiba Blue hit the ground hard, rolling through dirt and mud until he came to rest against a broken stone wall. His visor flickered, suit cracked in places. Groaning, he pushed himself up.
"Where… am I…?"
The sky above was gray and heavy, the air thick with the smell of burning wood. He looked around—ruined castles, villages reduced to rubble, smoke spiraling upward. This wasn't Akihabara. This wasn't a place for delusions.
A scream cut through the silence. Blue turned sharply. A young girl was running across the battlefield, chased by armored soldiers with monstrous features. Their eyes glowed crimson, their swords dripping with blood.
Blue's instinct kicked in. His legs moved before his mind could catch up.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" he shouted.
The soldiers turned. Their guttural growls carried no hint of parody.
"Another costumed fool?" one hissed, raising his blade.
Blue steadied himself. "I might be unofficial… but I don't need canon to protect someone."
He dashed forward. His fighting style—normally clumsy, awkward, comedic—took on new weight. Every punch was desperate, every kick fueled by adrenaline. He blocked one strike with his forearm, sparks flying, then drove his knee into another soldier's chest.
The girl escaped, running into the shadows.
But Blue staggered, panting. His body wasn't built for this kind of war. He was a fan, a parody fighter… not a soldier.
The soldiers regrouped, circling him.
"Pathetic," one spat. "A weakling hero."
Blue's hands trembled. His heart screamed at him to give up, to laugh it off like always. But something inside him refused. He thought of Red's fiery speeches. Yellow's mischievous grin. The ridiculous but unbreakable bond they had as Akibarangers.
His visor glowed brighter. "No… I'm not weak. I'm Akiba Blue. Even unofficial heroes fight with everything they've got!"
With a roar, he lunged forward. He grabbed one soldier's arm and twisted, slamming him into another. Sparks flew as he fought harder than ever before.
But there were too many. A blade slashed across his chest, sending him sprawling. His visor cracked, sparks erupting from his suit. He coughed, tasting blood.
The soldiers closed in for the kill—when a sword of glowing light cut through the darkness.
Blue blinked. A knight in shining silver armor stood before him, cape flowing in the wind. His blade radiated power, forcing the soldiers back.
"Enough!" the knight bellowed. "Return to the abyss where you belong!"
The soldiers hissed, retreating into the smoke.
The knight turned to Blue, his expression calm but stern beneath his helmet.
"You… are not of this world."
Blue winced, clutching his chest. "…You're right. I'm… not even a real hero."
The knight knelt, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You fought for someone else, without hesitation. That is as real as any knight I've ever known."
Blue's visor flickered. His eyes burned with tears behind the mask.
For the first time, he wasn't just a joke. He wasn't just a parody.
In this world of knights and bloodshed… Akiba Blue had become a hero.
To be continued…