As the cold wind rolled in from the sea, the three friends stood together, marveling at their powers like kids who had stepped into their favorite anime.
"Honestly," Rohit said, watching his wind ripple through the sand, "Naruto should be required training material now."
Dhaya chuckled. "Next thing you know, I'll be building chakra walls."
I nodded. "Not a joke. Think about it—those anime battles taught us elemental logic. Water beats fire. Earth stops lightning. Wind enhances speed and sharp attacks. If this awakening follows similar rules, we can adapt faster than anyone else."
Their eyes narrowed as I continued.
"But there's more. In every novel I've read—every single one—power doesn't awaken just for fun. There's always a reason. Usually… apocalypse."
Both went quiet.
"Wait, what?" Dhaya asked, frowning.
"Yeah," I said, voice calm but serious. "Mass awakenings always come before catastrophe. Maybe monsters. Maybe world-ending events. We're not just gifted—we've been drafted."
Rohit nodded slowly, his mind racing.
"I say we start training. Hard. Assume there are 10 ranks… maybe more. We're barely on the second floor of a skyscraper, and there are beasts already evolving."
"You saw the message," I added. "Even animals are awakening. Some might even become intelligent. If beings of Rank 9 or 10 appear—planetary-level threats—we humans won't be the top of the food chain anymore."
"Bro, stop," Dhaya said, half-joking, half-nervous. "You're gonna give me a panic attack. I hope we're strong enough… or never meet those things at all."
Suddenly, a ripple of noise passed through the crowd.
"Look!" Rohit pointed upward.
We turned and stared.
A figure soared through the sky with blazing crimson wings—a trail of flame dancing in his wake. His body shimmered like a phoenix, feathers made of fire, and claws like a bird of prey. He descended dramatically, landing beside his awestruck group, grinning like a god among mortals.
"Flame bird transformation," I muttered, impressed but not intimidated.
Even Dhaya couldn't help but admire. "Damn… he can fly. You know humans have always dreamed of flying on their own."
I smirked thinking "I don't even need wings. Viltrumite's speed will let me fly faster than him. Maybe even explore space one day."
Rohit grinned. "If I master wind, I'll fly too. Like the mages in anime. Right now, I can only boost my speed a bit. But imagine… wind blades. Maybe even a Rasengan!"
Dhaya laughed. "Then Akash will be the one to make Chidori."
"What about you?" I asked.
"Pfft, all I've got is earth. Defensive walls. Not cool like lightning or wind."
"Don't be dumb," I said, serious again. "You could become a walking fortress. A stone giant. Trigger earthquakes. Every element has its power—you just need to unlock it."
Just then, my phone buzzed.
[Incoming call: Praveen]
"Akash! Where are you?" he said, voice excited. "I awakened a Shadow Wolf Transformation. I've got claws, a tail… and I can move through shadows. It's unstable, but insane!"
My eyes lit up. "Shadow wolf? That's sick! Perfect for ambush and escape."
"Everyone's heading to the beach, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, come now. You need to see this chaos."
After I hung up, I turned to the others. "Praveen awakened too—Shadow wolf transformation."
Rohit whistled. "Werewolf… with shadow element? That's rare."
"Right?" I grinned.
We didn't even have time to take a breath before a brawl broke out across the beach.
A bulky student with a bear-like form roared and slammed the ground. Opposite him, another student flung flaming orbs from his hands like fireballs. Their raw Rank 1 powers clashed in a blast of heat and fury, sending sand flying and people backing away in fear.
The line between excitement and danger was thinning fast.
The age of gods had begun.