The sun rose over the quiet city, painting streaks of orange across a sky that looked far too calm for the chaos that brewed beneath it. The people went about their morning routine, but there was an unspoken dread in the air — a tension that had spread since the emergence of the Space Herald. The televisions in cafes, the radios in taxis, and even the school announcement systems all buzzed with the same breaking news: the world wasn't safe anymore.
A message pinged in every student's group chat, the same words repeated across screens.
"Due to the current global threat, all schools will be closed for the remainder of the week. Please stay indoors and remain safe."
Kenta's phone buzzed first, lighting up the dimness of his bedroom. He groaned, turning in his bed before finally opening one eye.
"School's off?" he muttered, scratching his head. "Sweet… but also, damn, that's serious."
He opened the group chat — Haruto had seen the message too, but hadn't replied. Not a single emoji. Not even his usual joke about sleeping in.
"…Weird," Kenta murmured, noticing the timestamp. Haruto had been online since three in the morning.
Across town, Haruto sat by his desk, his face pale and exhausted, dark bags forming under his eyes. The photo of his parents on the table reflected the dim light from his lamp. He hadn't slept. Not since the Herald's words echoed in his head — "I have not achieved my full form."
He clenched his fists, whispering to himself, "I won't let that happen. I won't lose Airi again…"
His phone buzzed.
Teacher: "All of you, lab. Now."
Haruto stood, grabbed his jacket, and walked out into the cold morning air.
Kenta finished tying his shoes and rushed outside, but Haruto wasn't at his usual spot. "Huh?" He blinked, scanning the street. "He never goes ahead without me…"
Shrugging it off, he jogged down the road toward the hidden entrance of the lab.
When he entered, the air was thick with tension. The humming of machines filled the space, and Elyra sat cross-legged on a console desk, cleaning one of her mechanical gauntlets. Her golden hair shimmered in the lab light, but her expression wasn't as bright as usual.
"Yo," Kenta greeted, trying to sound casual.
Elyra glanced over, her crimson eyes half-lidded. "Morning, lover boy. Don't mind Haruto — he's… not in the best mood."
Kenta looked to the far corner. Haruto sat silently at the workbench, staring into space. His belt — the Projector — lay on the table beside him. He didn't even look up.
"Damn…" Kenta muttered, frowning. "He looks dead inside."
Before Elyra could respond, the Teacher entered the room, his white coat fluttering slightly. His usual calm tone had a sharp edge to it.
"Listen up. Things are about to get worse."
Everyone looked at him as he placed a holographic map in front of them. It showed multiple flashing red points across the world.
"I've sent messages to every registered Masked Charger worldwide. They're going to assemble. We're going to need every last one of them if we want to stop the Herald."
Elyra crossed her arms, her voice confident as ever. "So we're going global now, huh?"
Kenta nodded, smirking slightly. "Cool. World tour. Just not the fun kind."
Haruto didn't say a word. He just kept staring at the hologram, his eyes dull but burning with quiet anger.
Then suddenly, the sirens blared.
The red lights flashed violently across the lab.
"Another attack?" Elyra jumped off the desk.
The Teacher slammed a button and the monitor flickered — showing America. The footage was chaos. Dozens of Masked Chargers were fighting across the burning streets of New York, their suits flashing in different colors, but they were being overwhelmed.
The Space Herald hovered above the skyscrapers, his dark armor gleaming with cosmic energy, his cloak flowing like a living void. He reached out and absorbed one of the DVDs mid-fight — the second one.
The screen turned static.
"No…" Haruto muttered, finally speaking. His voice was low but trembling with rage.
The Teacher turned sharply. "Everyone, on the VTOL. Now."
The engines roared as the VTOL soared across the clouds. Inside, the cabin shook lightly from the turbulence. The team sat strapped in — Haruto by the window, Elyra polishing her sword with quiet focus, and Kenta nervously bouncing his knee.
"Man… this is crazy," Kenta muttered. "There's like… other Chargers out there? In other countries?"
Elyra smirked. "Of course there are. You think we're the only cool ones?"
The Teacher stood at the front, watching the horizon. "There are hundreds. Some stronger than us. And now… they're all assembling."
As the VTOL descended, the view widened — a massive fortress stretched across the mountains below, bristling with antennas, defense cannons, and hundreds of landing platforms. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
"Whoa…" Kenta's eyes widened. "This place is insane…"
The VTOL touched down, and the hatch opened with a hiss. They stepped out, greeted by an overwhelming sight — dozens upon dozens of Masked Chargers, each unique in armor and theme. Some based on myth, others on movies, games, and legends.
One of them, clad in armor resembling an ancient pharaoh, walked up and saluted the Teacher. "Welcome, Professor. We've been waiting."
The Teacher nodded. "We'll need more. The Herald's faster than predicted. He's already in Malaysia. That's five DVDs down."
The room fell silent. Haruto's grip on his belt tightened.
Kenta stepped forward. "Then what the hell are we waiting for?"
The Teacher faced the massive screen and activated the intercom. His voice echoed across every base worldwide.
"To all Masked Chargers across the world — this is Professor Yamada. The Space Herald must be stopped. Join us at Fortress Sigma immediately!"
Moments later, rifts of light began opening all over the hangar. Dozens — no, hundreds — of Masked Chargers stepped out of them. Some glowing with digital energy, others surrounded by fire, magic, or holographic light.
It was like a sea of heroes assembling for the greatest battle in history.
Elyra gave a low whistle. "Okay… now that's a view."
Kenta grinned. "It's like Avengers: End—"
"Finish that sentence," Elyra warned, holding her sword against his neck.
"…End-of-semester exams," Kenta finished quickly.
She lowered it, smirking. "Good boy."
Then, the Teacher's voice boomed. "Everyone, to your positions. We move out to France — the last known location of the final DVD."
The fortress began mobilizing. The air was filled with the roar of jet engines, teleportation hums, and mechanical stomps. Haruto looked out at the horizon — his eyes finally igniting again.
"We'll stop him," he whispered. "No matter what it takes."
Moments later, the fleet reached Paris. But the Eiffel Tower wasn't standing tall and proud — it was cracked, pieces of it floating mid-air as gravitational distortions tore through the sky.
And there, at the center of it all, hovered The Space Herald. His armor now partially fused with cosmic energy, veins of red and black pulsating across his body. The void around him shimmered with stars that weren't supposed to exist.
He opened his hand, and five glowing DVDs spun around him like planets orbiting a sun.
"Another step… closer to perfection," he said in his deep, echoing voice.
Then, his red eyes turned toward the incoming army of Masked Chargers. "So… you've brought an army, little projector."
Haruto stepped forward, his aura blazing. "You'll pay for what you did to Airi."
The Herald tilted his head slightly. "Emotions… fragile things. I'll enjoy watching them break."
Then he raised his hand. The sky tore open, and space-born minions fell like meteors — monstrous beings twisted from constellations, claws shimmering like blades.
The Teacher shouted, "ALL CHARGERS — CHARGE UP!"
Hundreds of belts activated at once, lighting up the battlefield like a thousand stars.
"FILM — CHARGE UP!" Haruto's armor reformed into the Seven Samurai form, his black-and-white armor glowing with ghostly ink.
"BOOK — CHARGE UP!" Kenta's Chainsaw Man form roared to life, his helmet splitting as the chains revved to their limit.
"ORDER — CHARGE UP!" Elyra's Saber armor ignited, blue energy swirling around her Excalibur-like blade.
"PRINT — CHARGE UP!" The Teacher's armor shimmered with color, patterns copying and pasting across his gauntlets.
Across the fortress, dozens of other Chargers transformed — from movie-based heroes to anime icons, from mythical beasts to futuristic soldiers. The world had gathered in one place.
The Space Herald raised his hand. "Then show me… your world's last performance."
The battle began.