In the suburbs of Townsville, a family of four returned home from a long day of work, ready to unwind while watching their early evening shows.
The screen flickered as static gave way to the polished set of an evening news broadcast. A red banner crawled across the bottom of the screen, urgent and impossible to ignore.
BREAKING NEWS
The anchor sat stiffly behind her desk, one hand pressed to an earpiece while the other rested on a stack of hastily printed notes.
"Good evening. We're interrupting regular programming to bring you developing coverage from Midway High School, where students were suddenly caught in what witnesses are describing as an attack by a being made partly of energy."
Footage rolled beside her.
Shaky phone recordings filled the screen—screams, wind roaring through microphones, and the distant crack of concrete tearing apart.
"This is some of the earliest footage sent in by students inside the school building," she continued. "According to multiple sources, the entity was first sighted near the field behind the school."
The video zoomed in on a blur of glitching purple light hovering above torn earth. The ground below rippled like water before ripping upward into jagged slabs.
"With what appears to be telekinetic abilities, the figure was seen lifting chunks of terrain and flinging debris toward the school while releasing waves of destructive energy."
The clip shifted again.
A girl streaked into frame, colliding with the energy figure midair. The impact distorted the camera feed, the sound warping into static.
"Witnesses say this unidentified student attempted to stop the entity," the reporter narrated. "However, the confrontation quickly escalated."
The footage slowed as the purple blur lashed out, energy bursting outward in a blinding pulse that sent the girl crashing into the earth.
The anchor leaned forward slightly, her tone tightening.
"But pay close attention to this energy-based lifeform," she said, gesturing toward the glitching silhouette frozen on screen. "Because after disabling the first responder, the entity engaged a second girl—one displaying significantly higher durability and advanced abilities."
New clips appeared.
A second figure hovered defiantly in the air, frost swirling around her breath as beams of light shot from her eyes, clashing violently with the purple distortion.
"This individual was seen countering attacks with what analysts describe as energy manipulation, freeze breath, and ocular lasers."
The anchor paused, blinking once as if grounding herself.
"I know this is beginning to sound more like fiction than reality," she admitted. "But for better or worse, we can confirm… these events are real."
She steadied her papers.
"Multiple statements from teachers and students confirm what happened at the school and its aftermath."
The footage expanded to show a wider battlefield.
Streaks of red, blue, gold, and green joined the fray—figures darting across the sky, colliding with the glitching mass in flashes of color and shockwaves that rattled nearby buildings.
"In fact, to combat this anomaly, it didn't take just one or two superhuman individuals… but four."
The video froze on a chaotic still frame—four silhouettes surrounding the unstable energy figure midair.
"Together, they fought until the entity hijacked the network of armored, marble-sized drones these new heroes had deployed to evacuate and protect terrified students."
The image cut to blurred close-ups of three girls, their faces obscured by black bars, surrounded by explosive drone marbles.
Then it shifted again—this time to clearer footage: a girl in gold armor battling the entity, taken from her own onboard camera systems.
The broadcast continued, painting an incomplete narrative—one that slowly built toward a final conclusion.
"Eventually, the day was saved… and the identity of this mysterious villain was revealed—"
The screen changed one final time.
A still image appeared: a fifteen-year-old boy with dark circles under his eyes, pinning another student against a wall.
The footage was shaky, clearly recorded from a distance by a frightened student. The boy forced his victim to hand over pocket money.
The victim began to cry.
Then—his eyes flared purple.
The recording cut out in a violent burst of light.
"As you can see, the entity you were just watching didn't start out that way," the anchor said. "It is believed to be thirteen-year-old Tommy Bell—a quiet student who reportedly kept to himself, often sitting alone during lunch."
Around the screen, multiple images appeared—Tommy in the background of track and field, gym class, and various social media posts.
Some images were heavily edited, attempting to match his features to the energy form.
Audio clips followed.
Bully Video Audio File:
"Get off me—!"
Scream Audio File:
"GET BACK!"
"And one of the entity itself."
"It is believed the first video we showed occurred shortly after the bullying incident, as that was where the two victims were later found away from the school."
Images of two boys appeared.
"The eighteen-year-old Cash Murray… and his stepbrother, JT Murray."
"They were saved by fast-acting medics, but both sustained notable mental trauma. Cash, though appearing physically stable, was reportedly torn apart and somehow reconstructed before being discarded and left unconscious."
"JT, meanwhile, suffered severe burns and memory fragmentation—leading investigators to suspect another of Tommy's abilities: mind alteration."
"Yes, you heard that correctly."
"When authorities reached JT, he appeared to be under some form of hypnosis, repeatedly naming different individuals before settling on one of their other victims—falsely claiming that student was responsible for the attack."
"Those accusations were quickly debunked, as the student in question—Benjamin Kirby Tennyson—had been injured while attempting to save classmates from debris launched into their classroom."
The anchor prepared to continue—likely moving into questions about Tommy's identity and lack of official records—when her producer's voice crackled through her earpiece.
Her expression shifted.
She looked directly into the camera.
"We're receiving additional reports as we speak—"
Her hand pressed tighter against the earpiece.
"…Yes. Yes, I see it."
A new banner slammed across the screen.
BREAKING NEWS — TOWNSVILLE
Her voice dropped, urgency breaking through her composure.
"We now have confirmation that Townsville is under attack by a rampaging monster."
Behind her, live footage replaced the school coverage—sirens wailing, civilians fleeing, and the distant roar of something massive echoing through the streets.
"This situation is rapidly evolving. Authorities are urging residents to seek immediate shelter as emergency services respond."
The screen split—chaos in Townsville on one side, the earlier energy footage on the other.
"For now, investigators are working to determine whether these two incidents are connected."
She steadied herself, eyes locked on the camera.
"We'll continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. Stay with us."
—
[Mission: All Roads Lead to Villainy — Complete]
—
My body hurt all over, every fiber of my being screaming. Heat flowed through my re-knit muscles, burning as if I had been the one who chose to rip myself apart to escape Fuzzy Lumpkins.
It was a strange sensation—being half-conscious in a body that didn't belong to me, drifting in a cloud of silver mist.
Rewards Granted.
Healing Spell (Beginner)
Building Tier (Title) (Ultra Rare)
Mana Amplification (Beginner)
My Hero Academia (World Key)
Status Board (Rare)
Clone Link (Quirk)
(Users: Hikaru Aoyama, background: Random Extra)
Main Menu (Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero)
I blinked in the mist-filled void.
Did I die…?
The reward Main Menu has been automatically enabled.
My eyelids flicked at the sound of the system notification—my rewards, thank God. I sighed in relief. At least this day wasn't all for nothing. I would've ended it all if it had been in vain.
Well… not really, I added. Now that I have Morbucks in my pocket, I don't have to worry and can live a peaceful life as a magical gigolo.
Crack.
The sound of iron beams bending awkwardly cut through my thoughts.
My eyes snapped open.
"…What the…"
The endless mist around me parted for the first time. Tall spires rose from it like concrete and metal towers.
One hundred… two hundred… three hundred meters tall.
They loomed overhead, forming the ghostly shell of a white city. The mist below hardened into asphalt marked with road lines—lines I somehow still floated above.
Beam! Beam! Beam!
Streetlights flickered on, illuminating the path ahead—and the floating cars drifting along the roads.
I flinched, covering my eyes, not expecting the sudden shift.
"Swish…"
"I—I… this can't really be that place."
I stared in disbelief.
Then again… when wasn't I?
I straightened, glancing back at the reward notification, realizing I had glossed over it and barely processed what I'd even received.
"West City."
I mouthed the words as more streetlights formed around me.
Dread crept in, wrapping around the towering structures.
Status Board… installing.
Ding!
Name: Benjamin Tennyson
Age: 18 (+18 alternate life experience)
Classification: Human Hybrid (Anodite/Mutant)
Narrative Role: Antagonist
Titles:
Building Tier (Title) (Ultra Rare)
Attributes:
Power Level: 7 (Suppressed)
Strength: H-
Agility: F+
Defense: H+
Endurance: G+
Vitality: F-
Intelligence: H+
Perception: F
Willpower: F++
Charisma: F++
Energy Control: G-
CRUSH & LOVERS:
Name: Princess Morbucks
Affection Level: 1 — Small Crush
Affection Points:
▰▰▰▱▱▱▱
3 / 7 Points
—
Name: Buttercup
Affection Level: 2 — First Love
Affection Points:
▰▰▰▱▱▱▱
14 / 17 Points
—