The neon-pink static doesn't just flicker; it roars. The screen tears open to reveal the Pink Dimension, currently looking like a chaotic classroom. Little Johnny is wearing an oversized graduation cap, and Pixie-Bell is pacing in front of a massive, glowing holographic leaderboard that stretches into the infinite pink sky.
"SHE'S A MESS!" Johnny's voice echoed like a megaphone. He slammed his giant white-gloved hands onto a floating desk. "The people watching are lost, Pixie! That woman—that Rank 2 Hero—just walks in here and acts like she owns the place. She's giving out 'hints' that don't make sense and playing games with the facts!"
Pixie-Bell flew over, shoving a shimmering pink lollipop into Johnny's mouth to quiet him. "Calm down! We're here to fix the records. It's about professional integrity."
She turned toward the "camera," crossing her tiny arms. "Listen up. The woman Asm calls his 'Big Sister' thinks she can just breeze through this world and ignore the rules. She's hopped through so many different realities that she's confused. She thinks she's the main character of every life she touches, but she's just a chaotic element ruining the timeline."
"Exactly!" Johnny sputtered, spitting out the candy. "She winks at the world like her mistakes are cute, but you can't just charm your way out of being a disaster! She's powerful, sure, but she's a loose cannon. While she's out there messing with Asm's head, we're the ones actually keeping track of the Elite Twenty."
The Hierarchy of the Elite Twenty
Pixie-Bell snapped her fingers, and the board surged with golden light. "The government tries to tell you that 'Heroes' are just helpful public servants. That's a lie. There are twenty individuals at the top who actually run the show. They're called Titans because their presence alone changes the world around them."
Johnny pointed at the top of the list. "Look at the gap between the ranks!"
Rank 1: Ultraman (The Lord of Heroes / The Immortal Brit)
Rank 2: The Hero (Asm's Sister / The World-Hopper)
Rank 3 - 7: [REDACTED/CLASSIFIED]
Rank 8: The Demon Lord (The Introverted Human)
Rank 9 - 19: [VARIOUS MAYORS & VILLAINS]
Rank 20: The Gatekeeper
"Wait!" Johnny shouted. "Where is Asm? Is he on the board?"
Pixie-Bell let out a tired laugh and scrolled way down.
Rank 30: Asm (The Second Son / The Amateur)
"Rank 30?!" Johnny shouted. "But he can create anything out of thin air!"
"Potential isn't the same as skill, Johnny," Pixie-Bell said. "The Agency knows he could destroy the world, but right now, he's just an unstable kid. He's Rank 30 because he's a massive threat who hasn't learned how to fight yet. He's a powder keg, not a soldier."
The Ultraman Paradox: Absolute Strength vs. The Glitch
"If Ultraman is Rank 1," Johnny asked, "why does he let his Rank 2 sister act like such a menace?"
Pixie-Bell pulled up a simulation on the screen. "This is the Ultraman Paradox. In a straight fight, Ultraman is the absolute ceiling. He's lived so long that his body is physically perfect. He moves faster than sound and hits harder than a falling star. He's a natural disaster in a tailored suit."
"But Rank 2 is a glitch," she continued. "She has a special trait that makes her the 'Protagonist.' The world itself refuses to let her lose. If Ultraman hits her with a strike that should end her, reality literally resets her to keep her standing. Ultraman is the strongest player, but she's the one using a cheat code. He can pin her down and humiliate her, but he can't actually stop her. And she knows it."
The Corrupt Middle & The Quiet Rank 8
"What about the guy at Rank 8?" Johnny asked. "He looks like he just wants to be left alone."
"He does. He's the strongest human who doesn't have a special 'blessing.' He stays at Rank 8 because it's quiet. If he moved up, he'd have to deal with politics. But if he and Ultraman ever truly clashed, the shockwaves would level cities."
"The real problem," Pixie-Bell added, "is the people between Rank 10 and 20. Those are the Mayor Titans. They rule their cities like small kingdoms and tax the poor to build statues of themselves. That's why Asm's family were called 'Villains'—they weren't trying to hurt people; they were trying to rescue them from these corrupt leaders. But the government controls the news, so they painted them as the bad guys."
Closing the Loop
The pink clouds began to spark with electricity.
"We have to go!" Johnny shouted. "Asm is waking up and he's in a bad mood! And Nyra is about to realize that working for the Rank 1 Titan means her life is never going to be normal again!"
"Remember!" Pixie-Bell yelled. "Don't trust the Hero's charm! She's Rank 2 because she's a professional liar!"
POP.The pink void collapsed. The screen returned to the dim light of Asm's room, where his phone was vibrating on the floor with a new notification.