Three Months Ago.
Planet Earth — Country of Breedom
4th District Militia Base, Sector 9
The base was alive that morning.
Fighters and militia soldiers patrolled through the compound with hopeful expressions. The sun shone brightly over the yard, illuminating the steel grounds and casting light across the surrounding buildings.
Inside the gym, the sound of bodies slamming against the wrestling mat served as an early morning wake-up call.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Every impact seemed to excite the soldiers even more.
They weren't watching an ordinary sparring match.
A giant laugh echoed throughout the gymnasium.
Victory after victory, a massive man threw his opponents onto the mat before raising his arms in triumph. The soldiers erupted into cheers.
He wasn't just another Fighter.
He was a man who wrestled through life in search of justice. A man who never ran from a fight and always charged forward no matter the odds.
A man known throughout Breedom as—
Rumbler.
"That was a great workout, sir."
The voice came from the crowd gathered around the ring.
Rumbler wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned toward the familiar speaker.
"Jason!"
A grin spread across his face as he spotted the massive man standing among the soldiers.
Jason Dutch.
A.K.A. Triumphant.
The two sat down on a nearby bench while the rest of the soldiers continued sparring in the background.
Jason leaned forward.
"Tell me, sir. Are you going for it?"
Rumbler raised an eyebrow.
"Going for what?"
"The Archangel rank."
Jason's eyes lit up.
"With your ability and Stardust level, there's no doubt you'll reach it."
A pause.
"If you do, Earth will become the only planet in the galaxy with two Archangels."
He smiled.
"We'll become the safest world in existence. And we'll be one step closer to wiping out this Demon plague once and for all."
Rumbler laughed.
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely."
Jason didn't hesitate.
For a moment, Rumbler stared out across the gym.
Then he spoke.
"You want to know something?"
Jason nodded.
"It's true. If I work hard enough and become an Archangel, we might have a chance to stop some of this madness."
He paused.
"But more power isn't going to end it."
Jason frowned slightly.
Rumbler continued.
"If power alone could solve everything, the Galactic War would've ended that problem a hundred years ago."
He looked around at the soldiers training.
"The only thing that can truly change anything is people's hearts."
"Their willingness to become better."
"Their willingness to do what's right even when it's difficult."
A small smile crossed his face.
"To keep their souls lit even when the world gets dark."
Suddenly alarms erupted throughout the base.
Red lights flashed.
Soldiers immediately sprang into action.
Rumbler laughed and stood up.
"Duty calls."
He patted Jason on the shoulder.
"It was good seeing you."
As he started walking away, Jason jumped to his feet.
"Then how do you plan to change people's hearts, sir?!"
Rumbler stopped.
He looked back over his shoulder.
Then laughed.
"With hope!"
And just like that, he walked toward an unknown danger without an ounce of fear.
—-
NEWS BROADCAST — LIVE
"Hello, New Breedom."
The camera focused on a smiling reporter.
"This is your favorite reporter, Adam Spencer."
Behind him stood New Breedom Children's Care Hospital.
Militia soldiers surrounded the area. Helicopters circled overhead. Concerned civilians watched from behind barricades.
"We're reporting live from District 4, where a hostage situation is currently unfolding."
The camera zoomed toward the hospital.
"The attack was carried out by a Demon gang operating within District 4 known as the Yellow Cross."
Adam glanced down at his notes.
"According to military officials, the group is demanding three billion Breeds in exchange for the hostages."
"And every ten minutes that payment is delayed, the ransom increases by another million."
Fear spread through the crowd.
Parents cried.
Families prayed.
Everyone stared at the hospital wondering what horrors were happening inside.
Then laughter echoed from the sky.
Joyful.
Confident.
Hopeful.
A golden cape flashed overhead, shining brightly beneath the afternoon sun.
Adam's eyes widened.
"It's him..."
His voice carried genuine awe.
"RUMBLER!"
The giant hero crashed through the hospital entrance.
Gunshots echoed from inside.
Then silence.
Moments later a faint purple pressure spread throughout the building.
The structure trembled slightly.
Everyone waited.
Hoping and praying.
Then the front doors opened.
Children began walking out then doctors followed, nurses, the staff, everyone that was being held hostage was safe. And behind them came Rumbler.
Laughing.
The crowd erupted.
Children immediately surrounded him.
Some climbed onto his shoulders.
Others tugged on his suit.
His golden-and-white Fighter uniform made him look less like a warrior and more like a storybook hero brought to life.
One small boy approached him nervously.
"Thank you so much for saving us, Mr. Rumbler."
The boy held something out with both hands.
"Would you... take this?"
Rumbler blinked.
A stuffed animal.
He looked down at it, confused.
"Why would you want me to take that, kid?"
The boy hesitated.
Then gathered his courage.
"Because... I don't need it.
"I don't want to be afraid anymore."
Rumbler's smile softened.
The boy continued.
"I'm tired of hiding."
"I'm tired of being scared of Demons."
His eyes began to shine.
"I want to be like you."
Rumbler's eyes widened slightly.
The boy tightened his fists.
"I want to become a strong Fighter."
"That laugh at evil and never run away."
"I want to save people and make them smile."
A huge grin spread across his face.
"I want to give them hope."
For a moment, Rumbler simply stared at him.
Then he looked down at the stuffed animal in his hands.
And suddenly he knew this is why he became a Fighter.
Why he chose to become Rumbler.
—-
Present
Planet Nitchtron — Darant City
Rumbler stared at Levi and Kayo.
The giant's body trembled violently as he forced himself to turn toward them. His massive muscles strained beneath metal and flesh alike, as if every movement demanded a battle against his own body. The city burned around him. Sirens echoed through the streets. Yet all he could see were the countless bodies scattered across the ruins.
The destruction.
The screams.
The innocent lives crushed beneath his hands.
His white eyes widened as horror gripped him.
"This isn't me..."
His mind raced through the nightmare unfolding before him. Everything they had done to him. Everything they had turned him into.
Then his gaze locked onto Levi.
Rage surged through his body.
"I am Rumbler."
The thought echoed louder.
Stronger.
"I AM RUMBLER!"
A thunderous roar erupted from his throat, shaking the surrounding city blocks. Windows shattered. Fires danced wildly in the pressure wave. Even Levi's grin faded slightly as the giant's fury poured into the air.
Inside his mind, there was only one thought left.
"I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!"
The ground exploded beneath Rumbler's feet as he launched himself skyward. Entire streets collapsed under the force of his jump, debris rising behind him like a volcanic eruption. Purple energy radiated from his body, spreading across the battlefield as his Stardust ability activated at full force.
Levi's eyes widened.
"Kayo!"
The warning came too late.
An overwhelming gravitational force crashed down upon them.
Both Demons were slammed into the ground. Concrete fractured beneath their bodies as the pressure continued increasing. Every attempt to move felt like trying to lift a mountain. Bones groaned. Muscles screamed. The harder they fought against it, the heavier it became.
Above them, Rumbler continued rising into the evening sky.
For a brief moment, his colossal silhouette eclipsed the fading sun.
Then he moved.
His massive body twisted through the air with terrifying grace, performing a wrestler's moonsault large enough to level a district.
Levi's eyes widened.
"Move!"
But neither of them could.
Rumbler descended like a meteor.
The city seemed to hold its breath.
Then impact came.
The explosion swallowed everything.
Buildings folded inward. Streets collapsed. A devastating shockwave erupted across Darant City, tearing through entire blocks as dust and fire burst toward the heavens.
At the center of the destruction, Rumbler had only one goal.
Not revenge.
Not escape.
To kill the monsters who had made him betray everything he stood for.