on the streets of tokyo japan stood a young man with a very striking appearance, six feet two inches tall, with black hair with dark blue shades. with triangular/pointed glasses with thick frames and red lenses, resembling a very distinctive star shape.
He wears grey jeans. Black neck brace. Black haramaki (cloth belt). Long dark blue coat with gold buttons and Team Dai-Gurren logo. His name is akira and now he is cosplaying as simon from gurren lagann during the timeskip.
Akira's hands trembled on the steering wheel, fingers sticky from the half-empty energy drink in the cup holder. The cosplay jacket clung to him in the summer heat—red with those bold flame patterns, the shorts a little too short for comfort, boots scuffing the pedals. I look ridiculous, he thought, glancing at himself in the rearview mirror. But damn if it doesn't feel right. Simon the Digger, heading to con like he's about to pierce the heavens. The drill-shaped keychain swung gently, catching the light. He smirked. If only real life had Spiral Power. One big drill to fix everything—bills, loneliness, the fact I'm 25 and still living for anime.
His phone buzzed. Uma Musume prety derby was open, Stay Gold's training screen glowing. Her dark brown and light ocher yellow hair, that determined smile—he'd spent way too many late nights grinding her stats. You're my best girl, he thought, tapping to adjust her regimen. We're gonna win the next big race. Just you and me. The road curved ahead, trucks thundering past. He barely noticed the one swerving until it was too late.
A loud horn honking. Screeching tires. A crash. A white delivery truck slammed into Akira, sending him to the other side of the road.
Intense pain shot through him, his bones broken, his body bleeding profusely. No—no no no—Stay Gold… Simon… I haven't even made it to the convention yet… he screamed aloud in his mind, his eyes fixed on his phone, which had been thrown by the impact.
The screen was cracked and shattered, but it still displayed the game he was playing. Stay Gold was still in its training session and almost in its final race.
Akira tried to reach for the phone, but it was too late; darkness filled his eyes.
Then—salt air. Thundering waves. Sand beneath his back.
Akira's eyes slowly fluttered open. This wasn't the hospital ceiling. Blue skies, endless ocean. And his body felt… strong. Different. Broad-shouldered, taller than before, with an aura that spoke of experience. This isn't a hospital he realized, clenching his fists—strong and unresponsive to the IV drip, but scarred from battles that weren't his own yet felt like his. Then he tried to stand on his own two feet, still unsteady at first but quickly walking normally, he walked towards the sea water at the shoreline he saw what should have been his face but it wasn't Simon. Post-timeskip. The veteran, the leader who had seen galaxies fall and rise. But… how? He sat up, feeling the weight of the cape fluttering in the wind behind him—iconic, red, waving like a flag of unwavering determination. His clothes had been updated too: a more fitting jacket, trousers instead of shorts, boots reinforced. A body honed by adventures he'd never experienced, but memories whispered to him—endless exploration, piercing worlds, drilling into the unknown.
Reincarnated as Simon. A veteran explorer from the start. All that power… the Spiral Energy that reshaped universes. He clenched his fist. Green energy surged briefly, strong but restrained. It's all here—the endgame might. But locked behind layers. I can't unleash the full galaxy-throw yet. Have to master it step by step, like rediscovering old skills. Feels right, though. Like I've been adventuring for years. while thinking that he loosened his fist and looked around
But where is this? He scanned the horizon. It wasn't the familiar spiral battlefield from the anime. Everywhere he looked, there was only sea all around, no other islands or signs of life. except for a large harbor across the sea where his island was located that harbor, This could be the world of Azur Lane or Kantai KanColle judging by its location and the vastness of the sea. With Shipgirls fighting against Sirens and abyssal creatures. I've tried both games and watched the anime, but now this is my starting point? This universe is full of jokes. But as a veteran… any world is just a point to explore.
A soft sound—the creaking of footsteps on the sand—came from behind Akira. He turned and saw it.
Her dark brown and light ocher hair glistened in the sunlight. Her horse-like ears twitched. Her tail swayed gently. Her racing attire was pristine—a tight t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers straight from the racetrack. Stay Gold sat a few feet away, blinking in confusion, rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up from a nap. It was exactly as he remembered her: the energetic Uma Musume, built for speed and passion, her dark brown and light ocher hair flowing like sunlight on the grass.
stay gold?, but why is she here, She looks exactly like in the game. My trainee. My partner. he thought while staring at Uma who had become his trainee, there was nothing different about the horse girl's appearance from her appearance in the game
"Trainer?" Her voice was soft at first, then brightening with recognition. She scrambled to her feet, brushing sand off her legs, her eyes locking onto his with that familiar mix of admiration and determination. "Trainer! It's you! But… you look different. Stronger. Like you've been on even more adventures since our last training session." She tilted her head, ears perking up. "What happened? I was pushing through that tough regimen you set, feeling the burn, and then… everything blurred. A crash? And now we're here, together?"
Akira stared, a warmth spreading in his chest. She calls me Trainer. Just like in the game. But this… it's deeper. We're not separated by a screen anymore. She's here, real, and that bond we built—hours of training, encouragement, pushing her limits—it feels intimate now. Like we've shared secrets, dreams. More than just racer and coach. Partners in every sense.
"I… yes, it's me, Stay Gold," he said, his voice steady, deeper now in his adult form. He stood, slightly taller than her, feeling the confidence of a veteran wash over him. "I don't know what happened or why you and I ended up here, but it's like we're in a new world—Azur Lane or KanColle. Full of shipgirls and naval battles. But with you here… no matter which world, it feels like our training never stops."
She stepped closer, her hand brushing his arm lightly—a touch that sent a spark through him, familiar yet electric in reality. "A new world? Sounds like the ultimate race! I'm ready, Trainer. You've always pushed me to be better, seen potential in me that I didn't even know. And now… we get to do it side by side." Her smile was radiant, eyes shining with that unbreakable spirit, but there was a softness there, an intimacy born from their game-bound history now blooming into something more profound.
Akira nodded, pulling out the Core Drill from around his neck. It glowed, responding to his will. Lagann's here too. My trusty mecha. He channeled a spark of Spiral Power, and the sand erupted as the head-shaped robot burst forth, hovering with a low hum. "This is Lagann. Part of my arsenal as a veteran explorer. We've got worlds to conquer, Stay Gold. But I need to retrain my powers—start from basics, build up to the big stuff."
Her tail swished excitedly as she inspected Lagann. "A mecha? Perfect for you, Trainer! I'll scout ahead, keep up the pace. Just like our sessions—but now with real stakes." She leaned in a bit, her voice lowering. "I've always trusted you to guide me. This feels… right. Deeper than before."
She's right, he thought, heart pounding. In the game, it was strategy and cheers. Now? It's us against the multiverse. Intimate. Like we're two halves of the same drill.
"Let's get move," he said, gesturing around the island they were on. "Explore this place. Find allies. Are you coming with me?"
"Always, Trainer," she replied, her hand slipping into his for a brief, affirming squeeze before they set off, Lagann trailing behind.
As they walked around the island, Akira's mind raced. A grown-up Simon. A veteran adventurer. With Stay Gold in control like she used to be, but now closer. This is my story. It's time to break through. As they continued walking, Akira, or better known as Simon, realized that the place they were on was nothing more than a small, uninhabited island.
I feel like I'm in Azur Lane, not the game, but the anime. It's important to note that Azur Lane is divided into two timelines: the anime and the game. In the anime, especially season one, the world is still divided into factions and at war with each other, while in the game, they're united and operating under a single command from the commander or player.
And it seems like Simon's world is the anime version. "A world divided and in chaos," he muttered, his eyes narrowing with the determination of a veteran. "But every great legend begins in chaos." with that he returned to wearing his triangular/pointed glasses with thick frames and red lenses
Stay Gold turned her head slightly to her trainer, seeing the strong, unwavering determination in his eyes. He remains completely unchanged she thought as she recalled a memorable moment in the game.
"You know, trainers, one of the things I like most about you is your determination," she said with a gentle smile.
Simon, who was walking ahead, nearly tripped over his steps at his friend's sudden words. His cheeks were almost as red as his jacket as heat filled his face. "Ahem, thanks, and I think we should start deciding on a destination, because this island might just be an empty one."
He said, changing the subject. Despite being reborn as Simon and possessing many memories and experiences as a veteran, in his previous life he was still a 25-year-old man who had never been in a relationship.
"Yes, trainers! Lead the way—I'll follow your every step!"
Side by side, beneath a sky painted with fire and destiny, the veteran Spiral warrior and his partner, the golden Uma Musume, turned toward the parting sea.
A new legend had risen.
And the world of Azur Lane would never be the same again.