One month had passed since the Great Seafood Incident, and life at the Hololive EN building had returned to what could generously be called "normal." The building stood intact—thanks once again to Kaela and Moona's expert craftsmanship—and the various members had settled back into their routines with the comfortable ease of people who had collectively decided to stop questioning the universe.
It was a Wednesday afternoon, and the building hummed with the familiar sounds of productivity.
In the streaming rooms, multiple broadcasts were happening simultaneously. Fauna was doing a cozy ASMR stream, her voice soft and soothing as she tended to her virtual garden. Shiori was deep into a horror game playthrough, shrieking at jumpscares while her chat spammed laughing emojis. Nerissa was hosting a karaoke stream, her powerful voice carrying through the soundproofed walls.
Elsewhere in the building, members engaged in the mundane tasks that filled the spaces between streams and chaos.
Gura sat in one of the conference rooms, her tiny frame dwarfed by the large office chair as she held an online meeting with representatives of her shrimp fanbase. Her camera was on, and she was nodding seriously as someone explained a fan project.
"So you want to make a life-sized statue of me... out of shrimp?" Gura was saying, her expression caught between flattered and horrified. "That's... that's certainly a choice. A weird choice. But I appreciate the dedication?"
In her room, Sana was doing what she did best—sleeping. The cosmic being floated three feet above her bed, gently rotating in place, soft snores emanating from her peaceful form. She'd been asleep for approximately fourteen hours and showed no signs of waking anytime soon. A note on her door read: "Do Not Disturb Unless Reality Is Ending (And Maybe Not Even Then)."
Bae was in the gaming room, grinding levels in an RPG while munching on chips. Kronii was in the bathroom, taking what she called her "daily two-hour self-care routine," which mostly involved staring at herself in the mirror and complimenting her own perfection. Ame was in her detective corner, surrounded by cork boards and red string, investigating something that probably didn't need investigating but kept her entertained.
It was peaceful. It was calm. It was almost boring.
Mori Calliope stood in the building's break room, the coffee machine gurgling as it dispensed her third cup of the day. She'd been working on lyrics all morning, and her brain needed the caffeine to keep functioning. The reaper wore her casual clothes—a Death hoodie and sweatpants—and her pink hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail.
"Come on, come on," she muttered at the coffee machine, willing it to work faster. The machine, as if personally offended by her impatience, slowed down even more.
Finally, mercifully, her cup was filled. Calli grabbed it, added an frankly irresponsible amount of sugar and cream, and took that first glorious sip.
She walked toward the large floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city, intending to enjoy her coffee while watching the normal, peaceful, completely mundane world go by.
She was mid-sip when she heard it.
Music.
Not just any music—a grand orchestral arrangement, powerful and dramatic, swelling with the kind of epic intensity that suggested something Important was about to happen. The sound was coming from outside, from somewhere in the distance, but it was growing louder with each passing second.
Calli froze, coffee cup halfway to her mouth, as a familiar voice rang out across the cityscape.
"OSORE!"
It was IRyS's voice, but recorded, amplified, booming across the sky like a divine proclamation.
Three pillars of smoke erupted in the distance, rising into the clear afternoon sky like signal fires from an ancient war.
"Living your life, don't give up now, keep moving on!"
Three objects appeared in the sky, moving at incredible speed. At first, they looked like jets—sleek, high-tech aircraft that left contrails of colored light behind them. But as they got closer, Calli could see they were something more, something that shouldn't exist outside of anime.
"Kimi wo dakishimeru, nando mo nando mo nando mo!"
The orchestral music swelled, and Calli recognized it with dawning horror: "Kimi no Shinwa ~Aquarion Dai Ni Shou." The transformation theme. The combination theme.
"What," Calli said slowly, coffee still frozen at her lips, "the fuck."
The three aircraft—Vector Machines, her brain supplied helpfully, because apparently she'd watched enough mecha anime to identify them—began to circle each other in the sky above the city. Each one was painted in distinctive colors: brilliant red, soft pink, and deep purple.
Inside the break room, the music was now loud enough that other members were starting to notice. Fauna's head poked in from the hallway, her expression confused.
"Calli? What's that sound—oh my god." Fauna's eyes went wide as she spotted the aerial display through the window.
"Yeah," Calli said flatly. "That's happening."
More members began to gather at the windows. Gura abandoned her meeting mid-sentence, her shrimps left staring at an empty chair as she sprinted to see what was going on. Ame emerged from her detective corner, red string still stuck to her sleeve. Kiara flew down from the upper floors, her phoenix wings manifesting purely from excitement. Bijou, Shiori, Nerissa—one by one, they all converged on any window or vantage point they could find.
Bae appeared with a fresh bowl of popcorn, because of course she did. "I had a feeling," she said, settling in to watch. "The air felt too peaceful. Something had to happen."
The music continued, IRyS's recorded vocals soaring over the orchestral arrangement:
"Ashita boku wa kimi ni deau darou Wazuka na hoshi akari wo tayori ni (tayori ni)"
The three Vector Machines began their transformation sequence.
It was glorious. It was ridiculous. It was everything mecha anime had promised and more.
The red Vector Machine—Vector Z, because of course IRyS would take the leader position—split down the middle, its wings folding back as the cockpit section elongated and reformed. Mechanical parts shifted with precision that suggested alien technology or magic or both. What emerged was a torso and head, sleek and powerful, with a chest piece that glowed with IRyS's distinctive Hope energy. The head extended out, revealing a faceplate that somehow managed to look both mechanical and angelic.
"VECTOR Z, TRANSFORM!" IRyS's voice called out, and even through the recording, you could hear her excitement.
The pink Vector Machine—Vector Y, piloted by Fuwawa based on the fluffy decorations visible in the cockpit—split horizontally. The upper portion became a waist section, while the lower half separated into two powerful legs. The transformation was smooth, almost dance-like, and the resulting mechanical legs were adorned with soft pink accents and what appeared to be paw-pad designs on the feet.
"VECTOR Y, COMBINE!" Fuwawa's howl echoed across the sky.
The purple Vector Machine—Vector X, clearly Mococo's—underwent the most dramatic transformation. Its entire structure unfolded like origami, revealing massive wings that crackled with energy. Thrusters positioned along the wing edges glowed with purple light, and decorative elements that resembled demon tails emerged from the wing tips.
"VECTOR X, LOCK ON!" Mococo's voice was pure excitement.
The music swelled to its climax:
"Boku ni wa kimi ga wakaru yo, wakaru yo Sen'oku no toki wo koe Futari hiraku densetsu no tobira!"
The three Vector Machines moved as one, coming together in a combination sequence that was clearly choreographed but no less impressive for it. Vector Z formed the core, the torso and head locking into place. Vector Y attached from below, the legs connecting with mechanical precision that sent out shockwaves of energy. Vector X came in from behind, the massive wings spreading wide as they locked onto the back of the combined form.
"Zenryoku de mikansei Kimi no tonari de Kawaita kokoro hodoke chi wo nagasu kedo"
Light exploded outward as the final connections were made. When it cleared, standing in the sky above the Hololive EN building, was a fully combined mecha easily two hundred feet tall. Its design was a perfect blend of the three pilots' aesthetics—sleek angelic lines mixed with fluffy demon touches, colored in red, pink, and purple with accents of gold and white.
"AQUARION EVOL!" three voices shouted in perfect unison from the mecha's cockpit.
Inside the building, dead silence.
Then:
"THEY BUILT A COMBINING MECHA!" Kiara shrieked, her voice reaching pitches that threatened the windows.
"WHEN?!" Fauna demanded. "HOW?! WHY?!"
"Those are excellent questions that I don't think we want answers to," Ame said, her detective brain already trying to work backward through the logistics and failing completely.
Calli slowly lowered her coffee cup, which she'd been holding this entire time, and took a long, deliberate sip. "I need something stronger than coffee."
That's when they noticed the second mecha.
Rising from behind a nearby building, its horn gleaming in the afternoon sun, was a Gundam. But not just any Gundam—this was the RX-0 Full Armor Unicorn Gundam, done up in Ina's distinctive color scheme. Deep purple armor plates covered every inch of the mobile suit, accented with golden psycoframe that pulsed with eldritch energy instead of the traditional psychic energy. Tentacles—because of course Ina had added tentacles—writhed from connection points on the armor, giving the whole thing an otherworldly appearance that was equal parts magnificent and horrifying.
In the cockpit, visible through the chest viewport, was Ina. She wore a pilot suit that matched her Gundam's colors, and her expression was one of intense focus mixed with barely contained excitement.
"WAH!" Ina's voice boomed through external speakers. "ENGAGING ENEMY!"
The Full Armor Unicorn Gundam raised its massive beam gatling gun, the barrel already glowing with charging energy.
"ENEMY?!" Shiori shrieked from inside the building. "You're all on the same team!"
"Not today we're not!" IRyS's voice called back through Aquarion Evol's speakers, sounding absolutely delighted.
The two mechas clashed in mid-air, the impact creating a shockwave that rattled windows for blocks. Aquarion Evol's wing thrusters flared to life, allowing it to maneuver with impossible grace as it dodged the Unicorn's beam fire. The Unicorn responded by deploying its psycho-frame weaponry, beam sabers extending from its arms as it closed the distance for melee combat.
"This is happening," Gura said numbly. "This is actually happening."
"Do we stop them?" Fauna asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"How would we even—" Bae started, but she was cut off by a familiar sound from inside the building.
Heavy footsteps. Running footsteps. Excited footsteps.
Gigi Murin burst into the break room, her eyes wild with excitement and her hands clutching something that looked like a drill. Not a normal drill—a drill that glowed with yellow and black energy, that was clearly far too large for her small frame, and that seemed to vibrate with barely contained power.
"IS IT FINALLY HAPPENING?!" Gigi shouted. "IS THIS THE MECHA BATTLE I'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR?!"
"Gigi, what is that?" Cecilia asked carefully, eyeing the drill with concern.
"THIS," Gigi announced proudly, holding up the drill, "IS LAGANN! I've been working on it in secret for WEEKS! I was waiting for someone to start something so I could join in!"
Behind her, Calli appeared, and she was carrying something that made everyone do a double-take. It was a key. A massive, skull-shaped key that pulsed with pink and black energy.
"I thought we agreed no more giant robots after the lobby incident," Fauna said weakly.
"That agreement was never formalized," Calli replied, her usual cool demeanor replaced with barely suppressed excitement. "And I've had this baby waiting in storage. Time to pilot the Gurren!"
"You have a Gurren?!" Gigi's eyes lit up even more. "Can we—"
"WE'RE COMBINING!" both of them shouted simultaneously.
Before anyone could protest, both of them bolted for the exit. Thirty seconds later, two new mechas rose into view. Lagann, yellow and black and tiny compared to the others, drill spinning at impossible speeds. And Gurren, a massive red and black mecha with a skull motif and a design that screamed "edgy death metal album cover."
"COMBINING SEQUENCE INITIATED!" Gigi and Calli's voices rang out together.
Lagann flew directly at Gurren, its drill spinning. Instead of attacking, it latched onto Gurren's head section, locking into place with mechanical precision. Energy flowed between the two mechas as they merged, Lagann becoming the head while Gurren's body expanded and reinforced itself to accommodate the combination.
"GIGANN CALLINN!" they announced, their combined mecha now standing tall enough to match the others, its drill hands spinning menacingly.
The sensible members—and the term "sensible" was being used very loosely here—watched from the windows in varying states of horror, resignation, and in Bae's case, entertainment.
"We should stop this," Fauna said without conviction.
"Probably," Shiori agreed, also without conviction.
"Someone's going to get hurt," Nerissa added, though she was already pulling out her phone to record.
That's when Kiara's transformation device appeared in her hand. It was beautiful—a phoenix-shaped henshin belt that gleamed with orange and blue energy. She'd been carrying it everywhere for weeks, just waiting for an excuse.
"Kiara," Fauna said warningly. "Don't you dare—"
"HENSHIN!" Kiara shouted, slamming the device against her waist. A belt materialized around her, and she struck a dramatic pose. Light exploded around her as armor formed—orange and blue plates covering her body in the distinctive style of a Kamen Rider. But this wasn't just any Rider design. This was Kamen Rider Phoenix, custom-designed to match Kiara's aesthetic perfectly. Flames danced across the armor, and wings—actual, functional wings—emerged from the back plate.
"KAMEN RIDER PHOENIX, SPREADING MY WINGS!" Kiara announced, her voice distorted by the helmet's voice modifier in the coolest possible way.
But she wasn't done. From somewhere—and nobody questioned where anymore—a massive hangar door opened in the side of the building. What emerged was a Gundam, painted in the same orange and blue color scheme as Kiara's Rider form. It was sleek, built for speed and aerial combat, with wing binders that looked like phoenix feathers.
"GUNDAM PHOENIX, LAUNCHING!" Kiara shouted, using her Rider form's enhanced abilities to leap an impossible distance and land directly in the Gundam's cockpit.
"Oh come on!" Fauna wailed. "Not you too!"
Bijou appeared at Fauna's side, and she was holding her own transformation device—a crystal-themed henshin belt that sparkled with pink and white light.
"Bijou, you're supposed to be one of the reasonable ones!" Fauna pleaded.
"Fauna," Bijou said seriously, "I've been waiting my whole life for this moment. Don't take it from me."
"HENSHIN!" Bijou slammed her device into place, striking her own transformation pose. Her armor formed in a flash of crystalline light—pink and white plates that looked like they'd been carved from precious gems, with a helmet that had a visor shaped like a gemstone. Kamen Rider Gem, complete with crystal-powered weapons that materialized in her hands.
"KAMEN RIDER GEM, UNBREAKABLE!" Bijou announced, then immediately rocketed out of the building using jet boots that left trails of pink sparkles.
The city skyline was now filled with giant robots and armored heroes, all of them squaring off against each other with the kind of dramatic intensity that suggested they'd been planning this for months.
"This is fine," Fauna said, her voice taking on a manic edge. "This is totally fine. Everything is fine."
It was not fine.
More mechas were emerging. Shiori had apparently been hiding a book-themed mecha that looked like a mobile library with laser cannons. Nerissa's demon powers had manifested as a massive shadowy construct that was technically a mecha if you squinted. Even Ame had something—a detective-themed mecha that was mostly guns with a robot attached.
And then Hololive Justice decided to get involved.
Elizabeth, Cecilia, and Raora appeared together, and they were wearing matching transformation devices—Power Ranger morphers that gleamed with their respective colors.
"It's morphin' time!" Elizabeth declared dramatically, and all three of them struck synchronized poses.
"KNIGHT RANGER, CRIMSON!" Elizabeth's armor formed in red and gold, a sword materializing at her hip.
"KNIGHT RANGER, EMERALD!" Cecilia's armor was green and silver, elegant and refined even in super sentai form.
"KNIGHT RANGER, ROSE!" Raora's armor was pink and white, with claw weapons that matched her natural abilities.
"AND TOGETHER," they shouted in unison, "WE ARE THE KNIGHT RANGERS!"
Three Zords descended from the sky—a Dragon Zord, a Lion Zord, and a Rose Zord. They were majestic, powerful, and absolutely unnecessary for any practical purpose, which made them perfect for Hololive.
The combination sequence was just as dramatic as all the others. Dragon became the torso, Lion became the legs, Rose became the arms and weapon systems. When they finished, the Knight Megazord stood tall, its design a perfect blend of medieval fantasy and super sentai aesthetic.
"KNIGHT MEGAZORD, READY FOR BATTLE!" the Justice members called out together.
The sky above the Hololive EN building was now completely filled with giant robots, all of them squaring off in groups, energy weapons charging, combination attacks preparing. The music was still playing—someone had left the speakers on, and Aquarion's theme was now on loop, providing a soundtrack to the madness.
Inside the building, the remaining members stood at the windows, watching the chaos unfold.
Fauna's leaves were wilting again. Gura had given up on her meeting entirely—her computer was still open in the conference room, her shrimps watching an empty chair and the distant sound of explosions. Sana had somehow slept through all of this, though the building was shaking from the impacts.
And then there was Mumei.
She walked calmly through the break room, holding what appeared to be a massive mecha that was clearly based on Leopardon from the Japanese Spider-Man series, except this one was owl-themed. It had feathers. It had enormous eyes. It had what appeared to be civilization-destroying weapons built into every limb.
"Hey everyone," Mumei said cheerfully, hefting the owl-mecha model like it weighed nothing. "Is it mecha day? Nobody told me it was mecha day."
"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!" Multiple voices shrieked.
"I built it last month! I was going to use it for fishing, but this works too!" Mumei turned toward the exit. "I'm calling it Owl Leopardon! Creative, right?"
She left before anyone could respond, and thirty seconds later, a massive owl-themed mecha rose into the sky, joining the absolute chaos.
The only person who seemed completely unaffected by all of this was Ouro Kronii.
The Warden of Time stood at the window, watching the mecha battle with an expression of profound disinterest. She was wearing a designer bikini—blue and gold, naturally—and had a beach bag slung over her shoulder. Sunglasses were perched on her head, and she was holding a bottle of expensive sunscreen.
She turned to face the remaining members in the break room, all of whom were in various states of shock, horror, or in Bae's case, entertainment.
"Just tell me when they're done," Kronii said flatly. "I'm going to the beach. Who's with me?"
There was a long moment of silence as everyone processed this.
Then Fauna raised her hand. "You know what? Yes. Absolutely yes. I can't deal with this anymore. Beach sounds perfect."
"I'm in," Gura said, already moving toward the door. "If everyone else gets to have fun with mechas, I get to have fun with ocean."
"Beach day!" Bae announced, somehow having changed into a swimsuit in the three seconds nobody was looking at her.
One by one, the remaining members who hadn't joined the mecha battle decided that Kronii had the right idea. Within minutes, a group of them were heading out the back entrance, beach bags in hand, leaving the robot pilots to their dramatic sky battle.
As they walked away, explosions lit up the sky behind them. Beam weapons fired. Combination attacks were unleashed. Someone—probably IRyS—was still singing Aquarion songs at full volume through external speakers.
Kronii didn't look back. She simply adjusted her sunglasses, snapped her fingers to open a temporal portal directly to a tropical beach, and stepped through.
"THIS IS THE BEST IDEA ANYONE'S HAD ALL MONTH!" Fauna shouted as she followed, her leaves already perking up at the thought of sunshine and relaxation.
Behind them, the Hololive EN building stood against the backdrop of the most unnecessarily dramatic mecha battle in history, and nobody seemed particularly surprised.
This was just Wednesday at Hololive EN.
Or it could be Tuesday.
Depends.
Time is wonky sometimes.
And somewhere, Kaela and Moona were already drawing up blueprints for the repairs they knew would be necessary.
Again.