The Changed Earth

The hospital was a place of sterile finality, its white walls and antiseptic scent a stark contrast to the chaos that had become Akira's life. The air was cold, carrying the faint hum of machines and the occasional beep of monitors. The smell of disinfectant clung to his clothes, a reminder of the fragility of the human body. After a series of final checkups, he was discharged, his body healed but his soul still carrying the weight of his losses. He made his way with Eri to her base , a place that had become both a sanctuary and a crucible. There, two new faces awaited him, their presence marking another step forward in his journey.

 Eri introduced them with her usual no-nonsense demeanor, and the air seemed to thicken with a mix of anticipation and tension.

"This is Mia," Eri said, gesturing to a woman leaning casually against the wall. Her posture was relaxed, almost languid, but her eyes were sharp, like a predator assessing its prey. Mia's short, dark hair framed a face that bore a slight smirk, as if she could read minds and found them amusing.

"She's our intelligence expert," Eri continued. "If there's information to be found, Mia is the one who digs it up."

Mia nodded at Akira, her smirk widening into a grin. "So you're the kid with the inheritance and the vendetta," she said, her tone teasing but not unkind.

"Nice to meet you, Akira. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can bring to the table."

Akira met her gaze, appreciating her forthrightness. "Hope I'm not running behind schedule," he replied, matching her tone.

Mia's grin sharpened, her eyes glinting with a challenge. "Oh, you're on time. But let's see if you can keep up."

Eri then motioned to the figure beside her—a tall, muscular man with an imposing presence. "And this is Entoa," she said. "He's our combat specialist. He handles anything that needs… a heavier approach."

Entoa inclined his head slightly, his expression impassive. His eyes were calm but piercing, like the stillness at the center of a storm. His body bore the scars of countless battles, but his voice was low and even when he spoke.

"Akira," he said simply. "Heard much about you. I'm sorry for your loss. It takes guts to get into this line of work without powers."

Akira shrugged, keeping his tone light but firm. "Guess I'll just have to get creative, then."

A flicker of approval crossed Entoa's face. "Good answer," he said.

"It takes more than just power to make someone strong. Power isn't just about what you can destroy—it's about what you're willing to sacrifice to protect what matters."

"Thank you," Akira replied, feeling a small spark of confidence.

One Year Later

In the span of a year, Akira had transformed. He had gone from the darkest place of his life to something else—not quite light, but a razor-sharp focus. Eri and her crew had been relentless in their training, and Akira had absorbed every lesson like a sponge. He had learned about the structure of Earthly power—how STARS were ranked, how strength was measured, and the brutal truth that, in this world, only power mattered.

He had thought he understood the ranks before—how E-ranks were stronger than ordinary humans but still the lowest, how D-ranks could handle what E-ranks couldn't, and so on, up to the A-ranks like Eri. But the details had eluded him. His father had tried to teach him, urging him to focus on this new world and its superhumans, but Akira had been too preoccupied with school and friends to care.

Now, he knew better.

"A-ranks are formidable—strong not just in power but in leadership. They can wipe out small units or command teams with ease.

Above them are the S-ranks, legends capable of destroying cities without breaking a sweat.

And then there are the SS-ranks, Earth's true monsters, who could level entire countries if they wished.

But even they aren't the pinnacle. That title belongs to the National Level STARS—less than a handful of individuals who are the law itself. If they say a mountain moves, people start pushing. They are unparalleled. Unbreakable.

And here they are, the species I hate more than anything in the world: Demonic Humans. Just thinking about them sends me into a rage that words can't describe. They're nothing like STARS, with their limits and rules. They're consumed by a warped hunger for power, growing stronger with every act of chaos. Unlike STARS, their ranks don't follow any order. They don't play by the same rules. They pull power from something darker, something no one understands.

What we do know is that they're unpredictable. After every fight, they return stronger, as if chaos itself fuels them. It doesn't matter if they were powerless to begin with. Anyone can become one of them—tainted, corrupted.

Nightfall… it's their nest, a place of congregation for these monsters, a warped command center controlling them like puppets."

"And here I am—unawakened, unranked—chasing down the people who reduced my life to ashes. A commoner now in a world ruled by gods."

"And that's my revenge."

"They took everything from me, and every ounce of my anger, every bit of grief, is aimed right at them"

Then, one day, Eri laid a strange, shimmering material on the desk between them. It wasn't ordinary metal. It glowed faintly, as if alive, pulsing with an otherworldly energy that seemed to hum in sync with the room's tension. The surface was cool to the touch, yet it sent a faint, electric tingle through Akira's fingertips when he brushed against it.

"What is it?" Akira asked, his curiosity piqued.

Eri's voice was neutral, but the weight of her words hung in the air. "This material comes from some of the most dangerous dungeons on Earth," she said. "Places even veteran STARS avoid. No one has ever successfully raided the sites it's harvested from."

"So… what can it do?" Akira asked, his heart beginning to race.

Eri moved closer, her eyes fixed on the metal as if it held all the answers. "Your father was working on technology that could interface with memory," she said. "This material is the missing piece. With it, we could reconstruct the events of that night."

Her tone was thick with emotion. "Akira, that could show us the faces of the Nightfall agents who were there."

Akira's heartbeat echoed in his ears as he tried to process what she'd just said. "You're telling me… this thing could bring those faces to life? Give us the faces of who was there that night?"

Eri nodded, her eyes relentless. "Exactly. Your father's designs were revolutionary. With this, we can make your memories tangible. If we see them, we can identify them. We finally get to know exactly who took everything from you."

The thought of seeing them—of finally having a target for his rage—felt like holding a weapon against the ghosts that haunted him.

"Let's do this," Akira said, his voice steady but filled with determination.

Eri's expression darkened. "But there's a big problem," she said, her tone grave.

"What?" Akira asked, his heart sinking.

"Let's say we get the material successfully but the material is unstable," she explained. "It's not just rare—it's volatile. If we use it, there's a chance it could backfire. It could damage your mind, Akira. It could erase the very memories we're trying to recover."

Akira stared at the shimmering metal, its glow now seeming more ominous than hopeful. The room fell silent, the weight of her words pressing down on him.

Then, he smiled. A bitter, determined smile.

"Eri," he said, his voice steady, "I've already lost everything. If there's even a chance this could bring me closer to the them, I'll take it. I'd rather risk losing my mind than live with the ghosts of what I don't know."

Eri's eyes softened, just for a moment, before hardening again. "Then we proceed. But know this, Akira—once we start, there's no turning back. Some truths are better left buried."

"I've been ready for a long time," Akira replied.

As the material flickered ominously on the desk, Mia leaned against the wall, her smirk returning. "The truth is a double-edged sword," she said. "It can set you free, or it can cut you deeper than any lie."

Akira's gaze didn't waver. "Then I'll bleed if I have to."

"But now the problem is..." Eri started to state.