"To protect what you love, you must first understand what threatens it."— Hoshino Souta
A Dream That Isn't
Souta sat alone on the balcony, the Tokyo skyline glittering beneath him. The city was alive, but here—above it all—he felt strangely detached, as if he existed in a quiet space separate from the world. His golden eyes rested on the horizon, unfocused.
Then—he heard it.
Not a voice exactly. Something deeper, woven into the fabric of reality itself.
"You've only seen a fragment of what's coming…"
His breath hitched. He whipped his head around—nothing. Just the wind, the hum of distant cars.
A soft shuffle behind him. Happy, still groggy, waddled out from inside, blinking.
"Souta-kun, are you okay?"
Souta hesitated. His fingers curled slightly in his lap.
"...I think I just heard someone. But not with my ears. It was like…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "…the world itself was warning me."
Happy tilted his head, his small face thoughtful.
"Then the next storm's already on its way."
A Morning Unspoken
Morning at the Hoshino household was always lively. Ai hummed softly as she flipped pancakes, Ruby scrolled through messages, Aqua quietly reviewed his film script, and Happy loomed over his toast like it was a personal enemy.
Souta, however, was quieter than usual.
Ai noticed. She always did.
"Souta-kun…" she murmured, setting down a plate. "Didn't sleep well?"
He glanced up, startled. Then—he smiled, as if trying to reassure her.
"I'm okay, Mama."
She ruffled his hair gently, but her fingers lingered a second too long, betraying the concern in her eyes.
School Life—A Bit Too Normal
The day unfolded like any other.
Kana was locked in an animated argument with a teacher, Akane fielded a swarm of curious classmates, Aqua dodged attention with practiced ease, and Ruby—grumbling under her breath—was drying her soda-stained uniform under the bathroom hand dryer.
Souta sat in class, but the words on the blackboard barely registered.
Something was watching him. Or waiting.
After-School Encounter
The triplets strolled home as the afternoon sun dipped lower. Happy nestled snugly in Souta's bag, only his fuzzy ears peeking out.
"So we're doing training again?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah," Aqua answered. "But I think Souta's already miles ahead of us."
Souta barely heard them. His steps faltered.
Something had shifted—the air, the space around them.
And then he saw him.
A boy stood under the shade of a tree, unnaturally still. Too deliberate. He wasn't just watching—he was waiting.
"You've gotten stronger," the boy said, his voice echoing in a way that felt… wrong. "But do you know why you were given that power?"
Ruby sucked in a sharp breath.
"Who the hell—?"
But Souta had already taken a step forward.
"...Souma?"
The boy's lips curled into the faintest smile.
"So you do remember."
The Past Comes Knocking
Souma—once human, now something else entirely—watched him with a shadow of regret.
"You weren't supposed to break free this fast. I gave you those powers to test the world's balance."
Souta's chest tightened.
"You gave them to me?"
"You wished to protect Ai Hoshino. The universe heard you." Souma's expression didn't shift. "I… just answered."
Souta's throat felt dry.
"My reincarnation. My strength. Happy…" His voice steadied. "You orchestrated all of it?"
Souma's gaze flickered—an emotion somewhere between guilt and inevitability.
"Not orchestrated," he said slowly. "Permitted. You broke through the boundary of fiction and reality with your heart alone. But now you're threatening to unravel it all."
Souta's fists tightened. His pulse pounded in his ears.
"Then stop watching—and try to stop me."
Clash of Reality
The world tilted.
Trees curled into spirals, the air thickened, the sky dimmed despite the waning sun.
Souma raised a hand. Reality bent in response.
Souta raised his too—golden light flaring like fire.
A punch came. Reality cracked.
And Souta undid it.
"Not this time."
A second strike—dimensions twisting violently. Souta rewound the distortion like it was nothing.
Souma exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing.
"You're undoing me," he whispered. "That's… dangerous."
"I don't care if it's dangerous," Souta shot back, voice shaking. "You're threatening my family. I will undo everything that tries to take them from me."
Withdrawal and Warning
Souma stepped back, shadows curling away.
"Then consider this your final warning, Hoshino Souta."
Souta didn't flinch.
"I don't need warnings."
For the first time, Souma's expression softened—something unreadable flickering behind his eyes.
"One day…" His voice was almost gentle. "You'll wish you had stayed weak."
And then—he was gone.
The world snapped back into place.
Silence returned.
Aftermath
Ruby collapsed onto her knees, breath shaky.
"What was that guy?"
Aqua's face was unreadable.
"That wasn't just another enemy. That was someone from… beyond."
Souta trembled slightly—not in fear, but realization.
"I thought I was mastering my power. But that was just the beginning."
Happy nudged his cheek against Souta's hand, quiet but determined.
"Then we train harder."
Ai's voice suddenly filled the air through their phones.
"Are you three okay?"
Souta exhaled. Her voice steadied him.
"Yeah, Mama. Just… a little wind."
He glanced up at the sky.
"But I'll keep us safe. Even from gods."