In the underworld region corresponding to Tokyo in the surface world, the air at this moment was filled with an overwhelming heaviness, as if the atmosphere had been infused with powdered lead—making every breath difficult.
"Boom——!"
Thunderous explosions echoed endlessly, but even before they rang out, the entire world had already been dyed crimson by flashes of red lightning, painting the skies a blood-colored hue.
The sky was blanketed with oppressive, dark clouds that stretched to the horizon.
These clouds spiraled in a vortex formation, at the center of which a storm's eye had formed—an ominous pupil, like a terrifying monster from another world, peering coldly at this one.
Beneath the storm's eye, a group of young men and women in various uniforms stood tensely, watching the shifting sky with worry in their eyes.
Some were clad in dazzling golden armor like warriors, others dressed like mages, and some wore standardized combat uniforms.
Most of them were "Heroes."
In one particular section, apart from the crowd, stood a girl with long silver hair that danced in the wild winds. She wore silver armor trimmed with gold—chestplate, pauldrons, and all—resembling a true battlefield Valkyrie.
This girl, clearly extraordinary, was politely shaking her head, rejecting an offer made by someone from the Hero Academy.
This "heroic girl"—Yusa Emi—was her alias in the surface world. Her true name was Emilia Justina.
She wasn't originally from either the underworld or surface world. She was a native hero from another world entirely.
She had once defeated a Demon King in her own homeland. But when the Demon King mysteriously vanished, she pursued him and ended up arriving unexpectedly in this world.
It was said that this world connected to countless other dimensions. Beings from various other worlds frequently broke through their barriers to arrive here.
Normally, they would head straight for the surface world—but luckily, there existed this intermediary "underworld," acting as a buffer zone.
After arriving here, Emilia kept a low profile and didn't stay long in the underworld. Instead, she ventured into the surface world, drawn by stories of peace and prosperity.
Compared to any of the worlds she knew, this one seemed advanced and vibrant, and she hoped to bring its ideals back to her homeland.
So she took on a job in a local company's customer service department, the first job she'd ever had in this world.
Though fascinated by life in the surface world, she still kept an eye on underworld activity, occasionally stepping in to help fend off invading monsters.
By the way, the person who had approached her just now was a teacher from the Hero Academy, hoping she'd take up a position there. After all, she had recently been reclassified as an S-rank Hero.
Many considered it an honor for her to teach the next generation of heroes.
Under normal circumstances, someone like her—just, righteous, always defending the weak—would have accepted such an offer. But that was back when she first arrived.
Now, after spending a few months in this world, she had learned a few things.
The Hero Academy wasn't as pure as it once was. It had started to chase profit, acting more out of self-interest than valor.
Could such people still be called heroes?
Many of the terrifying organizations in this world had originated from within the Hero Academy. These groups, obsessed with power, now sought to drag even the peaceful surface world into chaos. They were living proof of the saying, "He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become one."
And so, Emilia refused to get involved in humanity's messy internal disputes.
As for the Savior Academy? She refused them too. In fact, she turned down all the major factions.
But now, with the world she currently lived in under threat, she would not allow evil to go unpunished.
The current anomaly they faced was a weapon left behind by the Demon King's remnant soul.
A catastrophic weapon capable of world-ending destruction.
According to the information she'd received, if not for the intervention of gods and dragons, this weapon would've already turned entire civilizations to ash, bombarding them with fragments of a shattered lunar star.
Such cruelty could not be allowed.
Suddenly, Emilia's crimson eyes sharpened.
It's here!!!
The black clouds above—previously roiling like inverted ocean waves—suddenly froze.
The thunder ceased. Then, from within the storm's eye, a crimson gleam began to glow, as if a red-tinted lens had appeared.
Crack crack crack crack——
The sound resembled glass warping and fracturing under pressure.
Then—BOOM—a loud explosion shattered the storm's eye, and the resulting shockwave instantly scattered the clouds.
At last, the sky, previously hidden, was revealed. Though dawn approached, the night sky still sparkled with the light of countless stars.
Yet few looked up to admire it. All eyes were fixed on the gaping hole that had formed where the storm's eye once was, as if a hole had been torn right through the fabric of the world.
From within that void—endless evil, hatred, malice, and murderous intent surged forth, accompanied by clouds of black miasma.
In that moment, the rift looked like a black sun, ominously suspended in the heavens.
"Everyone, DEFEND—NOW!!!"
Emilia's voice rang out suddenly—loud, urgent, like she was pouring every ounce of strength into making herself heard by everyone.
And at the same time, from the black sun-like hole in the sky, countless beams of red-black laser light began to rain down like a deadly storm.
"Damn it—Heavenlight Mirror Flash!"
Spreading her fingers wide toward the hole in the sky, Emilia summoned a silver shield above her. It instantly expanded to many times its size.
"BOOM——!"
Numerous black lasers struck the shield.
At the same time, she glanced around—most of the higher-ranked heroes had also erected defensive barriers, quickly protecting the weaker ones nearby.
Still, many were caught off guard, and couldn't escape in time. They were consumed in the resulting explosions as the beams struck the earth.
The ground itself trembled violently, as if it were wailing in pain.
The scene resembled a massive carpet bombing by tens of thousands of bombers—utterly apocalyptic.
"Fall back, you bastard!!!"
With a powerful upward thrust of her arm, Emilia redirected dozens of beams that had been striking her shield. In an instant, they were deflected back toward the sky.
The black light streaked back into the void and a series of massive explosions followed.
Other elite heroes weren't far behind—unleashing their own long-range counterattacks.
Beams, spells, and elemental blasts filled the sky, shooting toward the rift.
Under the glow of all that energy, the darkness within the massive hole began to fade, revealing what was emerging from within—man-made evil dragons, synthetic fallen angels, each unleashing merciless attacks.
Meanwhile, all heroes capable of flight took to the skies, activating their powers—shining like stars themselves as they rose up to intercept the incoming darkness.