The steady hum of espresso machines blended with the mellow jazz drifting through Starbucks that morning. Tokyo was unusually calm after the chaos of the ghost outbreak, as if the city were forcing itself to forget. Sunlight reflected off the polished floors, and the smell of roasted beans filled the air.
Haruto sat at the corner booth, back against the window, the warmth of his drink seeping into his hands. A faint headache pulsed behind his eyes—maybe from stress, maybe from sleep deprivation—but he said nothing.
Kenta sat across from him with a mountain of whipped cream on his drink and an energy level completely opposite of Haruto's. He scrolled through his phone with rapid swipes, occasionally whispering "bro… no way" to himself.
After a long silence, Haruto finally spoke. "Ever since the broadcast… I can't stop thinking about Nebula Industries."
Kenta stopped scrolling. "Dr. Verax?"
"Yeah." Haruto stared at the small ripples in his coffee. "He humiliated us. In front of the whole world."
Kenta leaned forward. "Bro. He didn't just humiliate us. He declared WAR. Between us and a hundred billion yen corporation with killer robots, corrupt government alliances, and probably vending machines that shoot missiles."
Haruto shook his head. "Where did you get the last part?"
"Happy speculation," Kenta said confidently.
Haruto took a slow breath. "I'm serious, Kenta. Something about them doesn't feel right. Those robots—they weren't reacting like normal AI. It's like they… predicted things."
Kenta suddenly slammed his cup down. "You're right. Which is why we must do what is necessary."
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "Kenta… what are you planning?"
The boy stared intensely into Haruto's soul.
"Infiltration," Kenta whispered. "Late night mission. Black suits. Sunglasses. Maybe fake mustaches."
"No."
"Yes."
"Kenta, no."
"It's too late. I've already imagined it."
Haruto let out an exhausted laugh. "You're impossible."
"And you love me for it."
They stayed for another ten minutes, chatting about school, missions, and how Haruto apparently had the most "tragic anime protagonist bed hair." Eventually, they threw away their cups and walked out into the chilly morning breeze.
The walk to school was uneventful, but Haruto felt a heaviness sitting on his chest. As they approached the classroom, he slowed down without realizing it.
Kenta nudged him. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Haruto lied softly.
They walked inside.
Haruto sat down… and his gaze instinctively pulled toward the empty desk near the window.
Airi's desk.
Her chair slightly misaligned.
Her little star sticker still on the corner of the table.
His jaw tightened.
He remembered her smiling.
He remembered her calling his name.
He remembered her hand slipping from his grip.
"Bro…" Kenta whispered, watching him carefully. "You gotta stop beating yourself up."
Haruto didn't answer.
Before the silence could grow heavier, the classroom door slid open. Mr. Yoshida entered, carrying a stack of papers, followed by a new student.
A small murmur rippled through the room.
The boy was maybe their age—black curly hair, bright hazel eyes, oversized hoodie, and a robotic-looking backpack decorated with stickers. He had the awkward stance of someone who'd spent too much time in airport lines.
Mr. Yoshida gestured to him. "Introduce yourself."
The kid cleared his throat, voice surprisingly enthusiastic. "Hi! I'm Miles Carter! I came from the U.S.—specifically Oregon—and uh… I like toys! I collect them, build them, modify them, repair them, and sometimes accidentally take them apart too much, so I have to re-repair them, and—"
Snickers filled the room.
"Seriously? Toys?"
"What is he, five?"
"Man's carrying a backpack from Toys R Us."
Miles shrank slightly.
But he kept smiling.
Mr. Yoshida glared at the class. "Enough. He will sit in the empty seat near Haruto."
Miles quietly took Airi's old seat.
Haruto felt something twist in his stomach—a strange mix of nostalgia and guilt—but he forced himself to greet the boy with a polite nod.
By recess, the classroom energy had settled… except for the group of bullies waiting near the back exit.
Miles walked past them, humming softly to himself, clutching his toy-robot backpack.
"Hey, Toy Boy," one bully growled, stepping in front of him.
Miles stopped.
"Uh… hi," he said nervously.
Another grabbed his backpack. "Let's see what kinda baby toys you got."
"They're not toys," Miles protested weakly. "They're—"
The bully shoved him to the ground. "Shut up. Hand it over."
Miles scrambled backwards, panic flashing in his eyes.
Then—
SLAM.
"Enough."
The bullies froze like prey sensing a predator.
Mr. Yoshida stood behind them, voice calm but tone sharp. "I will be speaking to your parents. All of your parents."
The bullies immediately scattered.
Miles sat there trembling, hugging his backpack tightly.
Haruto and Kenta approached.
"You okay?" Haruto asked.
Miles nodded. "Yeah. I'm used to it…"
Kenta plopped down next to him and shoved a sandwich into his hands. "Eat. You're with us now."
Miles blinked. "…Seriously?"
"Yep," Haruto said warmly. "Come on."
Miles smiled—really smiled this time—and joined them under the courtyard tree. He eagerly showed off a miniature mech toy that transformed into a tank, then a samurai drone, complete with LED lights.
Kenta gasped. "W–WHY IS THIS COOLER THAN MY ENTIRE LIFE?"
Miles giggled. "I made it myself."
Haruto couldn't help but be impressed. "You're talented. Really talented."
Miles looked down bashfully. "Thanks… Not many people say that."
When school ended, the three of them walked together until they reached the bus stop. Miles waved excitedly before climbing aboard.
"See you tomorrow!" he called.
Kenta waved back. "Bye, Toy Guy!"
Haruto smiled. "He's a good kid."
"Yeah. He's basically pure cinnamon roll energy."
They turned down the next street—
BOOOOM!
The shockwave shook the entire district. Windows shattered. Alarms blared. Pedestrians screamed and ducked as debris rained down.
A massive column of smoke rose from the city's center.
"What the hell—?!" Kenta gasped.
Haruto's belt started vibrating violently.
Elyra's panicked voice crackled.
"Boys—something's wrong—Car- is—run—!"
The transmission died.
Haruto and Kenta sprinted faster than they'd ever run before, weaving between fleeing civilians and overturned cars.
And then—
They reached the epicenter.
A monstrous figure stood amidst the rubble, towering over crushed vehicles and collapsed street signs. Its twisted body dripped with molten crimson sludge. Chains protruded from its arms like living metal serpents.
Carnage.
The creature lashed out, grabbing a running civilian and slamming them into a bus stop pole with a sickening crack.
Haruto's eyes widened in horror.
Carnage slowly turned toward them, head twitching unnaturally, jaw splitting open in a grotesque grin.
"Heh… found… you."
Kenta stepped forward, voice shaking with rage. "Haruto."
"Yeah?"
"We are NOT letting that thing walk around."
Haruto gripped his belt. "Agreed."
They slammed the switches in perfect sync.
"CHARGER—ENGAGE!"
Flames erupted around Haruto—armor folding, locking, shining like forged steel.
Seven Samurai.
A roar of chains echoed around Kenta—blades snapping out, chainsaws revving with feral hunger.
Chainsaw Man.
The transformation light faded—
and the two stood ready.
Carnage crouched low, tendrils writhing like hungry serpents.
Haruto drew his katana.
Kenta revved his chainsaws.
The air trembled.
Carnage lunged.
And the battle…
began.
Carnage lunged first.
A searing blur of red and black tore across the street, its tendrils ripping through concrete like wet paper. Haruto instinctively raised his katana to block—
CLAAAANG!
The force sent him flying, crashing through a parked taxi and rolling across the pavement until he hit a broken lamppost.
Kenta roared and met Carnage head-on, chainsaws screaming, sparks bursting with every clash against Carnage's bladed limbs. But the monster's strength was monstrous—unnatural—whipping Kenta by the neck and slamming him into a storefront shutter hard enough to dent the steel.
Civilians screamed from every direction.
Cars overturned.
Glass shattered.
Lights flickered.
Screeching metal filled the air.
Haruto staggered back to his feet, vision blurry, ribs throbbing. Blood trickled down his forehead beneath his helmet.
"Kenta—!" he shouted.
Kenta forced himself up, spitting blood inside his helmet. "…Still alive!"
Carnage's head snapped toward them, jaw splitting open wider than any human anatomy should allow.
"Your blood—your fear—your PAIN—" it hissed. "It's so delicious."
Haruto sprinted forward, katana slashing in quick, precise arcs. He landed a clean strike across Carnage's chest—
But the wound simply bubbled, sealed, and reformed with a wet squelch.
"What…?" Haruto breathed.
Carnage grinned.
"Try harder."
Tendrils shot out—three, four, five—Haruto blocked two, dodged another—
But the last one speared through his shoulder armor, ripping it open and sending him crashing to the ground.
"HARUTO!" Kenta roared.
He charged, chainsaws blazing with crimson sparks—
Carnage caught both saws with one hand.
"You think these toys frighten me?"
Carnage squeezed—
CRUNCH.
The metal began to bend.
Kenta strained, muscles shaking, legs buckling as Carnage pushed him down.
"Kenta—REWIND!" Haruto shouted, coughing blood.
Kenta hesitated—but he saw the truth.
They were losing.
They were DONE.
"Damn it!" Kenta slammed his belt.
"Rewind!"
The chainsaws vanished.
Armor dissolved into fractured light.
Haruto hit his switch too.
"Rewind."
His Samurai armor vanished.
They stumbled back into the alley—bleeding, bruised, gasping.
Carnage stalked toward them, tendrils writhing, ready to kill.
"You're finished," it whispered, voice dripping with sadistic joy. "I want to watch your hearts stop—slowly."
Haruto reached backward blindly, desperately—
Kenta grabbed a piece of pipe from the ground—
But Carnage was already raising a massive blade-arm to impale them.
Haruto closed his eyes.
Kenta gritted his teeth.
Carnage swung—
BOOOOM!
A blazing streak kicked Carnage across the street, sending the monster skidding through three cars.
Haruto's eyes shot open.
Elyra stood in front of them, Dante's red coat flaring behind her, one hand smoking from her last impact.
Her voice oozed cocky irritation. "You two… cannot be left alone for FIVE MINUTES."
Before Carnage could recover—
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
Blocks—colorful LEGO bricks—fell around the creature, forming walls, pillars, roofs—
A tower of interlocking bricks formed around Carnage, trapping the monster like a cage.
And standing atop one wall…
A full Masked Charger in LEGO form, blocky armor, round yellow head, and square limbs, holding a LEGO spear.
Kenta blinked. "What… the hell?"
Elyra grabbed both boys by the collar and dragged them deeper into the alley.
"Move! Civilians cannot see you rewinded!"
She shoved them behind a dumpster. "Stay PUT or I swear I'll glue you both to the floor."
Haruto groaned. "We weren't planning to run…"
Kenta raised a hand. "I was planning to run."
She flicked his forehead.
"OW—"
Meanwhile, Carnage burst out of the LEGO tower with a thunderous explosion of bricks.
The LEGO Charger leaped into the air, transforming their blocks into a massive LEGO sword, swinging it down in a colorful blaze.
Carnage caught it—but Elyra was there in an instant.
"ROYAL GUARD!"
She parried Carnage's counterattack with a burst of white energy, the shockwave blasting the monster backward and giving the LEGO Charger space to reposition.
Carnage screeched, tendrils splitting into dozens of whips.
Then—
A swirling portal of cartoon paint splashed open above the street.
Out stepped Lilith—the Cartoon Masked Charger—her cloak dripping with 2D shadows, blades drawn.
"Miss me?" she quipped.
Cartoon-style lightning bolts danced around her as she dashed forward, swinging Finn's swords in rapid, exaggerated arcs.
"KAPOW!"
"WHACK!"
"BIFF!"
Every strike hit Carnage with the sound effects floating visually like in a comic book.
Carnage roared in frustration. "STOP—MOVING—LIKE—A—DRAWING—!!"
Elyra combined her attacks with Lilith's, both women dancing around Carnage in perfect brutal harmony.
The LEGO Charger extended his arm—more bricks flew out, forming a massive LEGO cannon.
He fired a giant glowing LEGO missile.
Carnage staggered, roaring—
Elyra saw the opening.
She stepped forward.
Her entire Dante form ignited in crimson flame.
"SCREAM OF THE DAMNED!"
She unleashed a banshee-like screech that rippled the air—
Carnage shuddered, shriveling, burning—
And finally, the monster collapsed, melting into black sludge before disintegrating entirely.
Silence washed over the street.
The Cartoon Masked Charger twirled her sword.
"Well, that was fun. Bye."
She vanished in a swish of cartoon ink.
Elyra exhaled sharply. "Idiots… You two are absolute—"
She turned.
Haruto and Kenta were sitting cross-legged behind the dumpster…
…eating sandwiches.
Watching YouTube clips of cat videos.
"MEOW MEOW MOTORCYCLE HAHA!" Kenta cackled.
Haruto nodded. "Yes. This is high art."
Elyra stared.
"…I leave you for two minutes—TWO MINUTES—"
The LEGO Masked Charger approached them, armor clicking.
He rewinds.
Armor dissolved into glowing cubic pixels.
Standing there—smiling nervously—
Miles Carter.
"Uh… hi," he said, waving weakly. "So… you're the guys who saved me earlier today…?"
Kenta choked on his sandwich.
Haruto dropped his phone.
Elyra froze like she blue-screened.
Miles looked overjoyed. "THIS IS SO COOL!! I THOUGHT YOU TWO WERE JUST REALLY NICE GUYS—BUT OH MY GOD YOU'RE SUPERHEROES—AND I HELPED—AND—"
Haruto placed a hand on his shoulder. "Miles… breathe."
Miles inhaled loudly. "OKAY."
They chatted briefly, Miles bouncing excitedly, talking at lightning speed about building his own belt using old toy robotics pieces. Elyra looked impressed, Haruto fascinated, and Kenta absolutely ecstatic.
Eventually, they split up.
Elyra headed back to recharge.
Miles rushed home, practically vibrating with joy.
Haruto and Kenta walked the rest of the way through the darkening streets.
When Kenta reached his house, his family burst out the front door.
"KENTA!? WHAT HAPPENED!?"
"ARE YOU HURT!?"
"THE NEWS SAID THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION—!"
Kenta raised his hands, calming them. "I'm fine! I'm fine! I was one of the civilians caught in the shockwave!"
His mother hugged him tightly.
He sighed softly. "I'm okay, really… And thank goodness the Masked Chargers showed up. Especially the Chainsaw one. He's… cool."
Haruto raised a brow.
Kenta winked.
Haruto bit back a laugh. "Right. Very cool."
They said goodnight, and Haruto continued home alone.