Anthony, Cosmic, and Kenji stood before the Hero Headquarters.
The massive building towered above them like a symbol of absolute authority.
But standing in front of it was someone they never expected to face like this.
Chronos.
He stood still, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm—but his eyes told a different story.
"Chronos?" Cosmic asked, his voice filled with confusion and worry. "Is something wrong?"
Chronos slowly lifted his gaze.
"I was ordered to kill you and Anthony," he said quietly.
His voice was steady, but there was a faint tremor beneath it.
"I'm sorry," he continued. "Cosmic… you know I have no choice. If I don't obey, my sister will be killed."
Cosmic clenched his fists.
"Then help us," he said urgently. "If we kill Edward, your sister won't be in danger anymore. Everything ends there."
Chronos shook his head slightly.
"Can you really kill Edward?" he asked. "Even if you can, it's too risky. He controls everything. If you fail… my sister dies."
Kenji stepped forward.
His presence alone changed the atmosphere.
"You two," he said calmly. "Go ahead. I'll handle him."
Cosmic and Anthony stared at him.
"Are you sure?" Anthony asked, his tone unusually serious.
Kenji smiled lightly.
"Don't worry," he said. "I can defeat him. It won't be easy, but I'll manage."
Cosmic clenched his teeth.
"…Anthony, let's go," he said. "We can't waste his resolve."
They moved toward the headquarters.
But Chronos stepped forward to block them.
Before he could move further—
Steel flashed.
Kenji's sword cut through the air, slicing Chronos's back in a single, clean motion. Blood sprayed across the ground as Chronos staggered forward, his body jolting from the impact. In that instant, Cosmic and Anthony rushed past him and disappeared into the headquarters.
Chronos slowly turned around, his expression cold.
"…I guess I'll have to kill you first," he said quietly.
The world stopped.
Everything froze.
Chronos walked calmly toward Kenji and struck him with a precise blow. When time resumed, Kenji collapsed to the ground without resistance.
Chronos turned away, ready to chase the others.
But then—
Footsteps.
Kenji stood up.
"…What?" Chronos whispered.
Kenji's eyes were closed.
He wasn't awake.
Yet his body moved naturally.
In the next instant, Kenji vanished. The distance between them disappeared as his sword swept toward Chronos, forcing him to narrowly dodge. The blade passed so close that it sliced the air beside his face.
Chronos stepped back and raised his hand.
"Spear of Time."
The sky twisted violently as a gigantic spear formed above them, its body made of pure time. The pressure crushed the ground beneath it.
"If that spear hits you," Chronos said confidently, "your body will be frozen in time forever. And it moves at the speed of light. No one can dodge it."
The spear launched.
Light tore through the sky.
But Kenji simply stepped aside.
The spear missed him completely and pierced the earth behind him, freezing everything it touched into lifeless stillness.
Kenji looked at the spear calmly.
"…I see," he said. "So it travels at the speed of light. No wonder people think it's impossible to dodge."
Chronos's eyes widened.
"H-How…?" he whispered. "Are you even human? Who are you?"
Kenji stroked his beard.
"Hm? You don't know me?" he asked with a gentle smile. "Does the title 'Swordsman of Skill' ring a bell?"
Chronos froze.
"…No way," he whispered. "Don't tell me… you're that swordsman. The one who defeated the former emperor of the universe?"
Kenji smiled proudly.
"Oh? So you do know me."
Chronos's hands began to shake.
He knew he couldn't win.
But he couldn't retreat.
Not for his sister.
Time stopped again.
The darkness behind Chronos twisted.
"Reaper of Time."
A death reaper appeared behind him, its presence unnatural. Its scythe pierced Chronos's chest and ripped out his heart. The reaper devoured it.
Kenji stared in shock.
"…What are you doing?" he asked.
Chronos stepped forward.
"In exchange for my heart," he said calmly, "I gain thirty seconds of absolute power."
His voice was steady.
"Using this ability will kill me."
Kenji's expression hardened.
"If you somehow survive," Chronos said softly, "please… take care of my sister. She's only six."
Then he disappeared.
The air exploded as Chronos rushed toward Kenji with speed beyond logic, beyond time, beyond humanity.
And the real battle began.