Tokusatsu Academy: From Apprentice to God - Heroic Tales

Salvador, Diseases Snack Bar | 1 Hour After Chronus' Gaze | 2500

Sirius sat on a stool with a can of Hawk Soda in hand while Merkana washed glasses, and Naobito appeared exhausted.

The young man with a jewel on his forehead pretended he didn't have five bumps on his head and bruises on his sore body.

The Japanese and the hybrid were having a friendly conversation after the battle to calm the mood.

"So… you don't know what you are?" - Hirofumi asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah… that's basically it," - Sirius sighed in frustration.

"Hmm…" - Hirofumi closed his eyes tightly while staring at Renovas.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Trying to think of a stupid nickname for you."

"Oh, come on! Didn't you already call me 'Noodles' because of my dreads, you lunatic?" Sirius asked, mixing laziness with anger.

"Yes, but now that I know your dad went to buy Narvite in the neighboring system, I need a better one…"

"My dad's not a druggie, damn it! He can't even use that stuff; he's blind!" - Naobito's thoughtful look shifted into one of judgment. - "And besides, I don't know what I am because he doesn't say anything. Literally, nothing! And no, he's not mute. I mean, ever since a certain event, he hasn't spoken about it at all."

"Okay, but that doesn't change the fact you don't even know which hole to sniff drugs from. Do you have some mental issue?" - Naobito promptly ignored everything Sirius said after "he's blind."

"Narvite isn't that drill… sofa… thing you put in your eyes to trip out with cross-shaped hallucinations?" - Sirius said with a dazed look, yawning.

"Great, now I have a druggie right in front of me! Next, you'll tell me tobacco is a herbal tea."

Merkana interrupted, somewhat intrigued.

"Never heard of that one. Can you send it to me?" - she asked.

"Merkana, you too? Nooo… But you get a pass for not being an Earthling; now him?" - Naobito pointed at Sirius, who was searching for "what is tobacco" on his Derma Data, a technology integrated into his arm that projected a screen into the air.

---

Tech Explanation #1

Derma Datas are the replacement for smartphones, but they are not exclusive to the future.

They originated as a concept after the emergence of the Unified Government (World Government) in 1976, though the first prototype was only truly built in 1998—and barely worked.

Thanks to this, smartphones emerged, and from them came the idea for Derma Datas, which had their first functional version in 2040, becoming a massive hit in popularity.

They not only have all the features of a top-end smartphone but are also much easier to use.

They integrate with the skin like a tattoo and recharge using certain processes in our body: glucose, brain energy, and neuron energy.

Obviously, not enough to cause harm, but through pre-programmed "contracts," enough to keep them powered for a very long time.

---

Returning to the trio's conversation.

"It's not my fault you're the guy who doesn't know one of humanity's greatest geniuses but instead knows all about drugs!"- Sirius said sarcastically, noting Hirofumi didn't know who Nikola Tesla was.

Naobito didn't take the insult lightly and grabbed Sirius' chin with his right hand, turning his head toward a customer at a nearby table who was smoking while waiting for someone.

"See that thing releasing smoke from his mouth? That's a tobacco cigarette, you idiot!"

"Why is he eating paper…?" - Sirius asked, disgusted.

The Asian let go of Sirius' chin and used the same hand to facepalm.

"Is he always this slow?"

Merkana smiled, her cheeks taking on a purplish hue, indicating she was blushing.

"Yes, isn't it beautiful?" - she asked, resting her cheek on one hand.

At this point, Naobito felt surrounded by oddities. He admitted he was dumb but had never seen someone so clueless about common knowledge or slow to notice the gray-skinned girl was into him.

As for Sirius? He was searching his Derma Data for any condition in elderly people that made them eat paper. After all, how could there be a scientific subject he didn't know?

"Haah… If Noodles had a heart attack from Chinese monsters, I'll have one from frustration…" - Naobito muttered, turning as red as a tomato. - "And Spaghetti, he's not eating paper. If you're going to research… Look up 'cigarettes.'"

"Isn't that the bug that explodes?" - Sirius asked, blinking lazily.

Naobito put his face in his hands and let out a loud muffled scream.

"For real! I'll give you 1000 bucks if there's an insect that explodes!" - He began searching his Derma Data and found something surprising - "Martian… cicada?"

At that moment, Merkana jumped in.

"3 to 1 for Sirius, you're losing badly, Flyboy," - the Mercurian said with a mocking smile.

Before Naobito could even respond, Sirius placed a hand on the table, making a request.

"Hand over the cash; you promised… but honestly, whatever."

"No way! I think it's obvious I was talking about Earth!"

"You never specified," Sirius replied.

"4 to 1!" - Merkana declared.

"Do I need to!?" - Naobito asked.

"Of course, it's always good to be specific," - Sirius replied, lying back on the table - "But seriously… who cares?"

"Ignoring that last sentence, 5 to 1," - Merkana said, to which Hirofumi ignored her.

(Ah, really? Huuuuuum… what excuse can I make to scare him? Ah!)

She quickly places a hand on the Japanese guy's shoulder and squeezes, making him let out a high-pitched scream of pain.

"Hey, fly, can you stop screaming? You're scaring the customers, at this rate, I'll have part of my salary cut." - Merkana says in a serious, almost threatening tone to Naobito.

"Ah… o-okay mama." - He says, trembling slightly.

"Holy shit… you have a domination fetish?" - Sirius, still with the same tired expression, asks.

"What are you talking about?" - He asks with a smile, pretending the last 6 seconds never happened.

"… Ah, never mind, screw it." - With that, he lies down completely on the counter.

Then, a sound comes from Hirofumi's arm, representing a notification on his DD. Looking at it, he sees something that would interest someone in front of him.

"Hey, you wanna be a hero, right?"

At that exact moment, Sirius lifts his head with a completely different look, it was pure excitement, his eyes shining like a child's.

"Hehehe, I knew I'd catch your attention. Well, to sum up the whole situation, I saw that you have talent, morals, and the will to be a hero, so I recommended you to the Academy." - He shows the notification he received, which was an email about the recommendation being accepted.

Sirius immediately goes into a deep state of shock, and a solitary tear falls from his left eye.

He smiles and hugs Naobito as if to show the deepest gratitude of his life.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down! It's just a recommendation, there's still the entrance test!" - People often showed gestures of gratitude, but he was never used to it, especially strong ones like this.

"Screw it, man, you gave me the biggest chance of my life!" - He says with a genuine, shining smile.

Merkana, seeing this, is a little surprised; she had never seen such a beautiful smile from Sirius, and it made her feel a little betrayed for not having received something so beautiful from her beloved.

(I've always protected him… why didn't I get something like that?) - She asks herself, confused.

"Alright, alright, enough with these soft things... Ahn... Ah! The Academy also accepted, with a 'smile on the face,' your return. The problem is, you're going to have to start the whole year again..." - She says, this time to the Mercurian.

"Wait, doesn't that mean that if I pass the test, she and I will study together?" - The mixed-race guy asks, excited.

"Yeah, I guess so. Just be lucky you don't end up in Room 1 and the other in Room 3." - She shrugs.

"Why'd you skip 2? Can't you count?"

"You should say that to the Academy, the mistake is theirs."

Sirius blinks a few times in disbelief but then lies down again on the counter.

"Doesn't matter."

(This is really getting on my nerves!) - Hirofumi thinks with anger. - "One question... Do you have, like, I don't know, a chronic laziness disease?" - He asks with a crooked smile.

Sirius looks at him with a look that shows he didn't find it funny at all, and then says:

"It started after some unfortunate events."

"Wait, so it's really a disease?!" - He asks incredulously.

"It's more of a condition and... I honestly don't want to talk about it." - He thinks and buries his head in his arms.

"Ah… I see, sorry." - Hirofumi says, a little embarrassed.

"No… it's fine, it's just fatigue. I'm usually more fun, I only get really lazy when the fatigue hits." - He says with a forced smile.

"And let me guess... the fatigue hits after... Hmm, 3 hours awake?"

"Actually, after 5."

"5 hours? Wow, I almost got it right."

"No, 5 seconds."

"... Screw you, man."

At that moment, Joãozinho, one of the background characters with a juvenile voice, yells something.

"Yeah! Screw you, man!" - Everyone just ignores him, and the trio looks at him confused.

Sirius simply laughs at what happened and at Hirofumi's comment, snuggling more into the counter.

Stopping to think for a bit, he assumes a serious face.

"Do you have any clue who took that Zariani out of cryogenics?" - He asks seriously.

Naobito just sighs heavily, with a look of disappointment.

"No, none. But! I got a little something..."

At that moment, the same robot that often accompanied the bodybuilder clown enters the establishment.

"Hello gentlemen, my name is Enéas!" - It says with its usual excitement.

"What does the identity-thief robot have to do with this?" - The gem-headed guy asks.

Enéas' posture changes, and a word resonates in its virtual mind, with a silver figure with white eyes and a circular respirator appearing as an image.

"Process~" - The figure says with a voice that matches Sirius'.

"No... No!" - The robot screams in panic.

Everyone in the diner stares at him. Why is the little robot like this?

"Is everything alright with...?" - Sirius is interrupted by the robot charging at him but is stopped by Hirofumi, who grabs it by the spine.

"KILL! KILL! DESTROY! EXTERMINATE!" - The robotic creature screams towards Sirius, trying to reach him at all costs.

"..." - The entire diner audience falls silent.

"Yeah! Kill him!" - A random person, Lil Jimmy, screams with his juvenile voice.

But the people in the diner just ignore him, again.

The three look at him confused and are now starting to get irritated, again.

But soon after, the trio ignores him.

"How cute~" - Sirius says with a smirk. - "Let me just..."

The Hybrid activates his Derma Data, enters one of the many apps he's created, and with a few commands, hacks the robot.

"Done! Now be a good boy and forget your hatred for me!" - Sirius says smiling, and everyone stares at him as if he were crazy.

"...." - Hirofumi and Merkana don't know how to respond to this. The scene made them feel a madness as primal as Ivo Holanda and Serginho Malandro combined.

"Yeah! Forget the anger! Yoga! Legging pants-" - Before Lil Jimmy could continue, a short, chubby Western man who looked like a Chinese guy punches him in the head.

"SHUT UP, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!" - The chubby guy, Unc Olávio, yells.

And guess what?

Everyone else just ignores it!!

The trio is once again confused and angrier!!

AGAIN!!

Anyway, back to our little group.

"So, can you please explain to me why Cereal took the little robot?" - Renovas asks, raising an eyebrow.

"A-ah! Yes! Of course!" - Hirofumi sees a chance to get out of the abyss, while mentally thinking 'Sokayo'. - "He was the clown's buddy, must know something, you know?"

Then, little by little, the robotic being comes back to itself, with the smile of the former world leader Enéas, now in a friendly state for the group in front of him.

"Gentlemen, I must introduce myself and apologize for the barbaric actions of my former colleague. I am here for as long as you need and open to providing the necessary information to you." - Enéas says.

(Scary!!) - Merkana thinks, with a drop of sweat running down her face due to the robot's harsh change.

"First... why the attack?" - Naobito asks.

"We were ordered by DELETED DATA to retrieve the special relic hidden under this enormous mall. You must have noticed that the atmosphere became darker after that and time itself slowed down. This is due to the lack of DELETED DATA." - He says with his iconic voice, before interrupting himself and switching to a standard robotic voice, announcing data deletion.

This makes the three alert, and Merkana, who had been quiet, butts into the conversation.

"So the attack was a distraction so your boss could get the relic?" - Merkana asks.

"Exactly, my dear clown friend!" - Enéas.

"Huh!? Are you insulting me?" - Merkana asks.

"Of course not! I'm complimenting you, your skin is gray, and that reminds me of the white skin of the beautiful clown girls. So, a clear compliment." - Enéas says.

"..." - The three react together with an awkward silence, with Merkana strongly judging the robot.

Then, Lil Jimmy makes his last mistake.

"Yeah! Beautiful like! Clown girl is so go-" - Merkana knocks him out by throwing a glass at his head.

"SHUT UP, PERVERTED PIECE OF SHIT!!!" - The Mercurian screams comically.

(Hallelujah!!) - Sirius, Hirofumi, and Seu Olávio think in unison.

Sirius then finds himself thinking of something and asks the robot something.

"What was the last internet ID accessed by your database?" - He asks curiously.

The robot shows the ID, and Sirius asks for something.

"Send this to my DermaData, I want to see something." - Sirius says.

"I've sent it to you, my king." - Enéas says.

(Seriously, that's scary!) - Naobito thinks to himself.

Sirius checks the accessed ID and enters an app he created one bored night.

"What are you doing?" - Naobito asks, curious, ignoring his previous fear.

"Getting information. If I figure out what this ID is, we might find the last site accessed, and that could give us a clue." - Sirius says.

He then watches a loading screen, before receiving a link.

"Why'd you create something like that?" - Naobito asks, curious.

"Boredom." - The Hybrid answers simply.

By clicking the link, he's sent to a company website named "Betelgeuse."

"Hmm... They must've used the company's server as a mediator, using it to have almost direct IP connection, but without being traceable by others. But to do this, there are only two options, either be really good at hacking and avoiding detection by the best AIs, or... be the owner." - The Idiot Nerd with the gem on his forehead shares his hypothesis, raising a finger.

(His deduction is... simply terrifying. How did he think of that?) - Hirofumi thinks to himself, amazed by the young man's investigative skills.

"Hey, Enéas, do you have the IP?" - Naobito asks.

"I believe not, I suffered an invasion with administrator permission and had some vital data deleted, including that." - The Clown Admirer replies.

"So that means we're blind, great..." - Renovas says, with a puckered lip.

"Well, I guess you won't get any further, right? Pass me the website and I'll send it to the Academy, they can check if anything weird has been going on lately involving that link." - Naobito asks and then exclaims.

Without saying a word, Sirius grabs the link with his fingers and throws it toward Naobito, who opens a tab in his browser with the website the young man was trying to investigate.

"Thanks." - Naobito says with a smile, he then stands up - "Well, I'm off. See you later, guys."

Sirius then offers a handshake to Hirofumi, who accepts. They slap each other's hands, palm to wrist, then fist bump, and finally point their fingers at each other as if firing a finger gun.

"See you, Noodles." - He says, leaving, while Merkana watches everything with jealousy.

"Seriously? You guys have a secret handshake now?!" - She asks with a nervous twitch in her left eye.

"Yeah, why?" - Sirius asks, confused.

"Urgh... Dense!" - She says and heads straight to the kitchen, almost dropping a glass.

Sirius is left puzzled.

"Huh... could it be—" - Before he could even think of something, Joãozinho regains consciousness and yells something.

"Yeah! SO DENSE!" - The creature, which is already getting on everyone's nerves, yells one last time.

"..." - Sirius cracks his knuckles and approaches Joãozinho.

"Yeah! THREE POINTS!" - Joãozinho yells again, before receiving a punch that knocks him out.

"Idiot." - Sirius exclaims, letting go of the fool and leaving the place, not even remembering why he was irritated by him anymore.

Meanwhile... the author and co-author, who had already shown some degree of "participation" in the plot, were arguing about something.

[N/A: This invasion didn't go at all as planned.]

[N/CA: Yeah. How did that bastard even… manage to escape?]

[N/A: And more importantly, WHY did YOU make Hirofumi give that Transmutator to that filthy anomaly?!]

[N/CA: Are you kidding me?! I DID NOTHING!]

[N/A: Don't mess with me! We both know there's no way and—... Wait.]

[N/CA: …Oh no.]

[N/A: You think Hirofumi Naobito… got loose?]

[N/CA: If yes, then we have another Destiny Breaker in this solar system.]

[N/A: Haaaaaaaah… the boss is going to kill us.]

And while these two idiots argued, the narrator was happy not to have to narrate any more nonsense. However, something was happening elsewhere.

Between Japan and Far Eastern Russia | Kuril-Kamchatka Trench | 2500

The abyss was infinite, or at least that's how it seemed. The dense darkness devoured everything around, while the pressure collapsed even the air in their ears. It was there, at the heart of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, that the "Phoenix Without Flames" existed. It wasn't just a submerged base; it was a hidden colossus, a deadly metaphor for corrupted rebirth.

The external structure seemed alive, a massive metallic phoenix lying dormant on the seabed. Its head, carved with intricate details, pointed upwards, with glowing eyes pulsating in an almost hypnotic rhythm, emitting a soft bluish-green hue.

The "beak" was an immense observation hatch, through which a greenish light escaped, as if the creature was about to breathe again.

Its wings stretched out sideways, with sharp tips that gave the impression of cutting through the surrounding water. Metal pieces, reinforced by unknown alloys, formed a perfect mosaic that reflected the bioluminescence of the depths.

Despite all its beauty, the structure exuded an aura of death, as if waiting for an order to awaken and devour the world.

Inside, the atmosphere changed, but it was no less intimidating. The corridors seemed like arteries, illuminated by pulsing tubes that mimicked the flow of blood.

The bluish and reddish tones of the internal lights fluctuated, giving the impression that the base was breathing. Its walls were smooth, but organically curved, as if they were the ribs of a giant creature. Main rooms were hidden in compartments that only opened with encrypted commands, reinforcing the sense that every space inside the "Phoenix" was a gear in a living, mortal machine.

At the heart of the base was the throne room, a space so vast and oppressive that it seemed like a cathedral erected to worship a monster.

The throne itself, made of black metal and pulsating red, was forged in the shape of a phoenix reborn, its wings partially spread and its head tilted downward as if inspecting anyone daring to enter.

A bright white light emanated from the ceiling, but instead of illuminating, it cast grotesque shadows that danced across the walls, giving the illusion of giant figures watching everything. Behind the throne, a massive digital panel displayed images of devastated planets and beings engulfed in flames, reminding anyone who looked of the cruel purpose of that "phoenix."

And at the center, sitting on the throne was a man, a figure dressed in black attire with a hood covering his entire head, a mad smile on his face, as he eagerly and almost obsessively gazed at something, an orb in his hands.

At that moment, a robot, similar to Enéas but in navy blue, with the face of an old bald man with white hair, enters the throne room, as unlike Enéas, this one had a humanoid body.

He lowers his head in deep and fearful respect when he sees the figure sitting dominantly on the throne, almost as if he knew that only submission was owed to such a being, for he was merely a servant, not an assistant robot like that annoying one named Enéas.

Not daring to look into his master's eyes, he begins to speak.

"Master, now that the Orb is in our hands, what should we do with Augusto Zariani?" - The robotic creature asks in an aged voice, reminiscent of President Michel Temer.

The figure watches him for a moment and then smiles.

"Let him be. He was a loyal servant and served his purpose; he is no longer our concern." - The hooded figure continues - "Besides, losing to Hirofumi Naobito and Merkana Czar is a waste of power, I would have easily accepted such a thing in the past" - His smile fades - "But with them being so weak, it's blasphemy."

Temer listened, amazed at how his master exuded such dominance that it made Zariani, that terrifying man, seem like a mere nothing before him.

"And besides, he may have obtained the Orb for us, but… it's not time to use it yet due to certain circumstances." - The figure says, observing the majestic object in his hands.

At that moment, the servant was filled with something he had never felt about his master: doubt, pure doubt, which would lead him to make a decision, a question.

The worst decision of his life up to that point.

"Master, forgive my insolence, but… now that the Time Orb is in our hands, why don't we just rewrite the timeline right away and—" - He is abruptly interrupted, not by speech, but by something much worse.

His two arms are ripped off out of nowhere, blue blood pouring like a waterfall of screams and desperation that echoed through the throne room thanks to the agonized and bloody screams of the servant.

The air was dense, almost solid, suffocating any trace of courage an inferior being could bring with them.

The shadows cast by the flickering light seemed to take grotesque shapes, threatening to swallow the servant who dared to stay there.

Michel Temer, with his clothes still neat but now damp with cold sweat, adjusted his tie in a nervous gesture, trying to maintain composure in front of the colossal figure seated on the throne.

The imposing King, whose presence filled every corner of the hall, leaned slightly forward, his eyes glowing in dark green tones that seemed to pierce the soul of anyone who looked directly.

He didn't speak immediately, letting the silence weigh on the servant like a rock about to fall. When he finally broke the silence, his voice was low but resonated like muffled thunder.

"Do you really believe… that this is the best idea your fragile and limited mind can offer?"

Temer tried to mumble something, but his throat felt as dry as a desert, as the flames had basically destroyed it. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The Monarch raised a hand, not in threat, but to silence him further.

"It's not just your incompetence that disappoints me. It's the fact that, even after witnessing the true power that resides in this throne, you still have the audacity to underestimate my vision."

The King slowly stood up, and the sound of his movement reverberated through the room as if the abyss itself had awakened.

The white light above the throne turned golden with sickly and cosmic orange tones, reflecting on his nearly divine figure, creating a massive shadow that completely engulfed the servant while orange eyes stared at him.

Temer fell to his knees, his nonexistent eyes wide as he tried to gather strength to beg.

"Forgive me, my lord! I… I was just trying…" - Temer couldn't even speak anything.

The One Who Rules raised a hand again, this time with a glow, black fire surrounding his fingers, and Temer was immediately paralyzed at a literally fundamental level, his own atoms stopped moving, and the residual energy created a small explosion inside him that was magnificently overshadowed by the infernal heat and weight of the flames.

It felt as if his entrails and cybernetic organs were being charred and squeezed as if the pressure from the flames themselves was crushing them and burning them even more, one by one, every vital part of his body was nearly destroyed by the man—no, the creature in front of him.

"Trying... to insult me?" - The villain smiled, a cold and cruel gesture that seemed more like a death warning. - "Remember, Michel, every word you dare utter here will not be judged by its intent but by the impact it has on me. And so far... the impact is laughable, considering the situation of the artifact in my hands."

He stepped back, releasing Temer from his invisible prison, letting him fall to the floor, gasping for air.

He raised above Temer a whitish flame that ultimately formed an animal, a lion, as if manipulating life—even in its energetic and inorganic form—was nothing to him.

Then, the feline king opened its mouth and bit Temer's legs, devouring them.

He couldn't even scream.

"Now crawl away, mere servant" - He ordered, turning to the throne. - "And only return when you have something worthy of my attention. Otherwise... the 'Phoenix' will not leave even your ashes to be remembered." - He smiled grimly - "After all, unlike my minions, allies, and generals, you are made only to serve."

Temer crawled out, his pride shattered and his heart beating as if it wanted to escape that place before it was too late. The room returned to silence, but the weight of the contempt of such a dominant villain remained, etched like a scar.

And then, when the mere insect known as Temer finally left his presence, The One Who Rules remained silent, the brief and insignificant display of anger set aside.

He touched the Orb in his hands, feeling an almost cosmic connection trying to form between the object and himself, but he knew full well that in its current state, the artifact was useless until they could decrypt it.

"Soon..." - The human-like creature looked at the object, now with a knowing smile and full of longing as his eyes glowed with orange light and nostalgia - "Very soon, we'll be together."

He rose, his body slowly lifting from his throne while an aura of heat and melancholy seemed to emanate from the scene, and a depressed laugh echoed from the man's throat.

"It will be the beginning of a King!" - He shouted with false excitement as he looked upwards, and then, slowly, he returned to look at the object - "And the rebirth of our family."

He left the throne room at a speed that, to the untrained eye, might be considered mere teleportation, but it was the purest and most terrifying movement.

And then... the lights went out.

---

Prologue Arc - "The Dawn of the King": Completed.

Pre-Academy Saga - Arc 1: Completed.

---

... . -- .--. .-. . / .... --- ..- ...- . .-. .- -- / -.. --- .. ... / - .. .--. --- ... / -.. .. ..-. . .-. . -. - . ... / -.. . / .-. . .. …

To be continued…