Slowly, the city began to breathe again.
People stepped back onto the streets, their movements cautious at first. Engines roared to life as cars returned to the roads. The chaos faded, replaced by a fragile sense of normalcy.
Still, unease lingered.
"Oh god… this was way worse than last time," a woman said, her voice trembling.
"What can we even do about it?" a man replied with a sigh. "At least no one got seriously hurt."
"Seriously?" another voice cut in sharply.
A short, bald man with hair only along the sides of his head and a thick mustache stepped forward, his face tight with anger.
"You really think that?" he snapped. "I heard people got hurt near Street- 35."
The man's expression shifted. "Wait… it reached that far?"
"What, you didn't see those explosions?" the short man shot back.
"I did, but—"
"But what? Huh? Just shut up!"
"Excuse me, sir… please calm down. You shouldn't speak like that," another man said, stepping in carefully.
"Oh really? I shouldn't?" the short man snapped, turning on him. "And who the hell are you to tell me that, huh?"
"Sir, please—just stop," a third man added, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
"No! I will not!" he shouted, shrugging the hand off without even looking.
His voice rose, sharper now, fueled by something deeper than anger.
"You're telling me to calm down because you didn't lose anything from all this chaos!"
A brief pause—tense, suffocating.
"But I did… I lost my shop."
"Many people have lost something from this, it's not only you," the guy shot back, trying to keep his voice calm despite the frustration slowly building inside him.
But the short man immediately exploded again.
"No, you don't understand!" he yelled angrily. "I made this shop from nothing! From absolutely nothing! Do you even understand how hard that was?!"
His voice cracked under the weight of his emotions, but he continued anyway.
"I gave years of my life to build this place. Years! Every morning, every night, every little saving I had—I put everything into it!"
His fists trembled violently by his sides.
The people around him fell quiet for a moment.
Even the man arguing with him hesitated.
The short man's face was red with anger, but behind that anger was something much heavier.
Pain.
Real pain.
The kind that couldn't be fixed overnight.
The argument quickly grew louder. More people started gathering nearby, drawn toward the rising voices. Some stood close enough to hear every word while others watched cautiously from a distance.
Nobody really wanted to interfere.
Because everyone there had lost something.
Some lost money.
Some lost homes.
Some lost safety.
And some had nearly lost their lives.
The city around them still carried fresh scars from the battle.
Smoke drifted slowly through the air.
Pieces of broken glass glittered across the roads under the sunlight. Cracks stretched across buildings and sidewalks. Emergency sirens echoed faintly in the distance while rescue workers continued moving through the area.
The battle was over.
But the aftermath had only just begun.
A few streets away—
Raiden stood completely still.
He hadn't moved since the fight ended.
Not even slightly.
The shouting nearby barely reached him anymore.
His mind was somewhere else entirely.
He kept replaying Flame-Ingo's words over and over again inside his head.
That mocking tone.
That arrogant attitude.
The way he looked down on him during the battle.
Especially that one word.
"Rookie."
Raiden lowered his eyes slightly.
The word irritated him more than he wanted to admit.
Not because it was insulting—
But because part of him wondered if Flame-Ingo was right.
He had tried his hardest during the fight.
He pushed himself beyond his limits.
And yet…
When the real danger appeared—
Flame-Ingo completely overshadowed him.
Raiden slowly clenched his fists.
He hated the feeling.
The feeling of being inexperienced.
Weak.
Useless.
His eyes slowly drifted downward toward the armored man lying motionless on the broken road.
The moment he looked carefully—
His expression froze.
Blood continued to flow slowly from the side of the man's head. One arm was twisted horribly. His jaw looked completely shattered, and several broken teeth were scattered nearby.
Raiden's eyes widened slightly.
The damage looked horrifying.
Too horrifying.
He wasn't used to seeing someone in that condition.
This wasn't like fighting robbers or small-time criminals anymore.
This was brutal.
Almost inhuman.
Raiden swallowed quietly.
Then his mind suddenly replayed that exact moment again.
He remembered shouting toward Flame-Ingo during the battle.
Telling him to remove the power core.
That would've ended the fight immediately.
Cleaner.
Safer.
Less destruction.
Less suffering.
But Flame-Ingo ignored him completely.
As if Raiden's words meant nothing.
"Why didn't he just take out the power core…?" Raiden muttered softly to himself.
The wind passed quietly through the ruined streets.
For a few moments—
There was only silence.
Then suddenly—
The sound of engines roared through the area.
Raiden lifted his head.
Several heavily armored bulletproof vans rushed into the street one after another at high speed. Their tires screeched loudly against the damaged road before stopping abruptly near the battlefield.
Dust and debris scattered everywhere.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The civilians nearby quickly stepped back.
The doors of the vans opened.
Soldiers emerged rapidly, fully armed with futuristic rifles lined with glowing blue energy strips. Their black combat armor looked advanced and heavily reinforced.
Every movement they made was disciplined and precise.
Without hesitation—
All weapons pointed directly at the armored man lying on the ground.
Even unconscious—
He was still considered extremely dangerous.
The soldiers approached slowly and carefully.
Their fingers remained close to the triggers.
Their eyes never left the target.
Then a sharp voice cut through the tense atmosphere.
"How is he?"
The Commander had arrived.
A soldier immediately crouched beside the armored man and checked his pulse carefully.
A few tense seconds passed.
Then—
"Still breathing, Sir."
"Good," the Commander replied calmly. "Take him in the van."
"Yes sir!"
Another group of soldiers quickly brought forward a large metallic stretcher.
Unlike normal stretchers, this one floated slightly above the ground while emitting a low mechanical hum. Blue lights glowed softly beneath it.
The soldiers carefully lifted the armored man onto it.
Even in his destroyed condition—
They handled him cautiously.
As if they knew he could still become a threat at any moment.
The stretcher slowly levitated toward one of the larger vans.
The Commander stepped closer to observe the armored man himself.
And for a brief moment—
His calm expression cracked.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Holy shit…" he muttered under his breath. "That was brutal."
Despite the shock in his voice, he still maintained his composure remarkably well.
Then his gaze shifted toward Raiden.
"You did that?"
Raiden immediately shook his head.
"N-no sir… It-it wasn't me," he replied nervously. "It was this guy who was known as Flaming-Guy… or Flamingo… or whatever he was."
The moment the name left Raiden's mouth—
The Commander's expression changed instantly.
His eyes narrowed.
A strange look flashed across his face.
Recognition.
Memory.
Maybe even anger.
He suddenly became completely silent.
"So it was him… huh?" he muttered quietly.
His hand slowly clenched into a fist beside him.
Raiden noticed immediately.
"Ah… Sir? Is something wrong?" he asked carefully.
The Commander quickly snapped out of his thoughts. He coughed lightly into his clenched hand before adjusting his glasses.
"No. It's nothing," he replied calmly. "I'm alright."
Though his expression suggested otherwise.
Then he looked directly at Raiden again.
"Anyway. My name is Hong Yun. I am the Commander of the National Meta Defence Agency."
His voice carried authority naturally.
"And thank you for your help in bringing him down."
Raiden blinked for a moment before awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
A slight blush appeared on his face.
"Ahh… thanks for the compliment," he replied shyly. "You know, as a superhero, it's my job to keep this city safe. No matter how high the threats are."
He tried to sound cool.
Confident.
Experienced.
But honestly—
This was far beyond anything he had ever dealt with before.
Most of his work involved stopping thieves, helping civilians, and dealing with small-time crimes.
Nothing even remotely close to this level of destruction.
Commander Hong slowly looked around the ruined city.
Then he spoke dryly.
"Yeah. The city looks real safe."
Raiden instantly understood the sarcasm.
His smile disappeared.
Slowly, he turned around and looked at the destruction properly.
And this time—
It hit him harder.
Buildings were partially collapsed.
Roads were shattered.
Shops were destroyed.
Smoke rose into the sky from multiple locations.
People searched desperately through debris, hoping to recover something valuable.
Some injured civilians cried out in pain while emergency responders rushed them toward medical vehicles.
Raiden's expression slowly changed.
Sadness replaced his earlier confidence.
"The good thing is no one is dead," Commander Hong said while watching injured civilians being carried away.
"But some did get severely injured."
Raiden's eyes widened slightly.
Guilt immediately settled inside him.
"I gave my all to save everyone…" he said quietly. "But still… some of them got hurt."
Commander Hong looked at him for a moment before replying calmly.
"Don't worry. They'll be okay. Our department provides some of the best medical treatment available."
Raiden nodded slowly.
Though the guilt still remained on his face.
"Okay then… I have to go now."
Commander Hong turned around and began walking back toward his vehicle while giving orders to nearby soldiers.
Raiden remained standing there alone for several seconds.
The wind blew softly through the destroyed street.
His eyes wandered across the damaged city one last time.
Then—
He sighed quietly.
And suddenly—
FLASH.
A burst of lightning exploded around him before he vanished instantly, leaving glowing electric trails behind in the air.
High above the city—
On top of a tall building—
The scythe wielder remained lying motionless.
The severe burns that once covered half his body had healed completely. His skin looked normal again, almost as if the injuries had never existed.
Only his clothes still carried signs of the battle.
Burn marks.
Tears.
Scorched fabric.
His eyes remained closed peacefully while sunlight fell gently across his face.
The rooftop was quiet.
Calm.
Far away from the chaos below.
The soft morning wind moved through his hair slowly.
For a moment—
Everything felt peaceful.
Then suddenly—
FLASH.
Lightning cracked across the rooftop.
The man slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a hand holding a cold can of orange soda directly in front of his face.
Tiny droplets of water rolled down the can.
He slowly looked upward.
Raiden stood there casually beside him, already drinking from another can while holding the second one out toward him.
"Good morning, amigo," Raiden said cheerfully in a surprisingly sweet tone.
The man stared at him silently for a moment before slowly sitting up.
"It's you," he said calmly. "What about that guy?"
"He is under the N.M.D.A now," Raiden replied while taking another sip. "There was this guy burning in flames… he took care of him."
Then Raiden shook the soda can lightly with a grin.
"Anyway… you want this?"
"Nah. I'm fine," the man replied while standing up slowly.
"You sure?" Raiden asked again.
"Yeah. I'm good. I don't drink those things."
The man walked toward the edge of the building and placed one leg onto the parapet while resting his arm on his raised thigh.
From there—
He quietly observed the destroyed city below.
Damaged buildings.
Broken roads.
Smoke drifting into the sky.
"This place has become a big mess," he said calmly.
Raiden walked over beside him.
"Yeah… you're right," he replied. "But the N.M.D.A will take care of the damages."
The man remained silent for a second.
Then—
"Guess then our work is done."
The moment he finished speaking—
He jumped off the building instantly.
Raiden's eyes widened in complete shock.
"What the hell?!"
He immediately rushed toward the edge and grabbed the parapet with both hands before looking down.
The man was falling calmly through the air.
No panic.
No fear.
Only silence.
The wind pushed against his face, forcing his hair backward.
Then suddenly—
He turned midair.
A crimson chain burst out from his hand with incredible speed, attached to a sharp pointed needle.
The needle pierced deeply into the wall of that building.
The chain tightened instantly.
His falling speed slowed smoothly before he landed perfectly onto the street below without any difficulty.
Raiden stared downward with glowing eyes full of amazement.
"That was so cool…" he muttered quietly.
Then suddenly—
FLASH.
Raiden appeared beside him in a burst of lightning and immediately started walking next to him.
"You're still going to follow me now?" the man asked calmly while walking straight without looking at him.
"Hey come on bro! Don't say that," Raiden replied immediately. "Besides, we didn't even properly introduce ourselves."
"Why do I have to do that? Just go now," the man replied coldly.
Raiden casually wrapped an arm around his shoulder anyway.
"Oh please don't be shy. By the way, my name is Raiden."
The man stayed silent for a moment.
Then with a quiet sigh—
"My name is Kenji Yoshida."
Raiden suddenly paused.
Thinking.
Then his eyes widened.
"Oh wait… that actually sounds like a real name."
"It is," Kenji replied calmly. "I don't use fake names."
Raiden looked genuinely surprised.
"Ohhhh… is that so?"
Then he smiled brightly.
"In that case—my name is Rio. Rio Amada."
Kenji glanced toward him slightly.
"You're telling me your real name?"
"Yes," Rio replied proudly.
"Why?"
Rio blinked.
"Why not?"
"You're a superhero," Kenji replied calmly. "Isn't your identity supposed to stay secret?"
"Nah, it's fine," Rio said casually. "Besides… we're friends now."
He tightened his arm around Kenji's shoulder slightly.
Kenji looked at him silently.
"And when exactly did that happen?"
Rio grinned immediately.
"In the bar. The first time I spoke to you."
Then he pointed dramatically toward Kenji.
"I called you amigo. You know what amigo means?"
Kenji slightly turned his eyes toward him.
"Friends?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Rio shouted happily while spreading both arms wide.
For the first time—
Kenji let out a short laugh.
Small.
Brief.
But genuine.
"You're a weird guy," he said calmly.
Rio smirked proudly.
"You can say that."
Then he dramatically pointed both thumbs toward himself.
"I AM SPECIAL!"