The final school bell rang, echoing through the halls like a release of tension. Students streamed out of classrooms, chatting and laughing, while Haruto and Kenta quietly packed their bags. Airi walked past with her usual soft smile, while Elyra leaned against the doorframe, already waiting.
"Let's go," she said simply, her eyes serious for once. "The teacher's waiting."
At the Lab
The four gathered in the main chamber where the teacher stood, arms crossed, the glowing monitors reflecting against his glasses.
"Good. You're here," he said, tone clipped. "The anomaly last night wasn't just random chaos. That imposter isn't acting alone. To find out what's happening, we need information—and Detective Lilith is the only one sharp enough to give it."
Kenta raised an eyebrow. "That detective who popped up last night? The one with… the hair and the eyes?"
Elyra smirked. "Ooooh, Kenta noticed. Is someone interested already?"
Kenta flushed and shot her a glare. "Shut it. I'm just asking."
"Both of you, focus," the teacher cut in. "We're visiting her today. No jokes, no games. Understood?"
The four nodded.
At the Police Station
The heavy glass doors slid open as they entered the bustling station. Phones rang, officers moved quickly, and the smell of coffee mixed with paper filled the air. Behind the front desk, an officer glanced up.
Haruto cleared his throat nervously. "Uh… excuse me. We're here to see Detective Lilith."
The officer eyed them curiously but, after a moment, nodded. "She's in her office. Try not to annoy her—she's been buried in paperwork since last night."
They walked down the hallway until they reached a small office with blinds half-closed. Inside, they saw Lilith—long, flowing black hair cascading over her shoulders, her crimson eyes dim with exhaustion. She sat at a desk stacked with files, pen in hand, furiously scribbling notes. Empty coffee cups lined the edge.
She didn't even look up when they stepped in. "If this is about another report, leave it on the pile. I'll get to it eventually."
The teacher coughed lightly. "Detective Lilith. It's us."
Lilith froze mid-scribble, then slowly lifted her gaze. Her sharp eyes softened just a fraction as recognition clicked. "…So you're the ones who saved me last night."
Haruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "More like… tried to."
Lilith leaned back in her chair, studying them. "Still, you interfered with a fight you had no business surviving. That makes you either stupid… or strong."
Elyra crossed her arms with a grin. "Why not both?"
Airi, ever polite, bowed slightly. "Detective… we need your help."
Lilith tapped her pen against the desk, gaze narrowing. "Help with what?"
The teacher stepped forward. "With finding the imposter. The one who took the DVD."
At that, Lilith's tired eyes flickered with sharp intensity. She set her pen down, finally giving them her full attention. "So… the Herald returns."
Haruto blinked. "The… Herald?"
Lilith exhaled, standing and moving toward the window. She looked out over the city, her hair falling like a shadow. "That's what we call him. A ghost who slips between identities, stirring chaos wherever he goes. Last night wasn't his first appearance—it was just his loudest. And if he has the DVD…" Her tone dropped low. "…then we're all in danger."
Lilith pushed away the stack of papers, the sound of them sliding across her desk echoing in the cramped office. She rose, her long coat brushing against her chair, and crossed the room with steady steps. On the far wall was a corkboard plastered with photos, news clippings, and red string connecting locations like a spider's web.
She picked up a marker and circled one section. "The Herald," she began, her voice low but clear, "has always followed a pattern. Wherever he—or it—appears, chaos follows. Fires. Mass hysteria. Vanishing citizens. And always… always, an object of power disappears soon after."
She drew a line to the most recent clipping: 'Explosion in Research District' with a blurry shot of their lab neighborhood.
"This time it was the DVD. That disc isn't just nostalgia—it's a key. With it, he can replicate the form of what people once feared most. The legend calls it the Space Herald."
Haruto frowned. "Space Herald… what's that supposed to mean?"
Lilith glanced at him, her red eyes almost glowing. "Imagine a being fueled not by its own strength, but by collective fear. The more people believe in its terror, the stronger it becomes. With that DVD, the Herald can manifest that fear into reality. He'll be untouchable."
Kenta raised a hand like he was in class. "So… big cosmic doomsday boss battle. Got it. But wait—if that's the case, why did he fight you last night instead of just… I don't know, using the DVD already?"
Lilith's jaw tightened. She drew another circle on the board, this one around an older clipping of a shadowy figure caught on CCTV. "Because the one we fought… might not be the original Herald at all."
Elyra leaned forward, intrigued. "Then who was he?"
Lilith capped her marker with a sharp click. "…A pretender. Someone who's taken up the Herald's identity. Someone willing to die as the ultimate sacrifice for destruction."
The room went quiet, the weight of her words pressing on them all. Even Elyra didn't throw a joke.
Finally, Airi broke the silence. "If he isn't the real Herald… then the real one is still out there."
Lilith nodded grimly. "Exactly. And when he appears… none of us may be ready."
The group left the police station under the dim glow of street lamps. Lilith led the way, her coat swaying with each step, boots tapping a rhythm on the pavement. The night was quiet, almost unnaturally so, and the only sound that followed them was the crunch of gravel beneath their shoes.
Kenta shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "You know… this feels like one of those horror movies where the group goes for a midnight stroll and bam, half of us die."
Elyra smirked from behind, walking a little too close to him. "Don't worry, lover boy. I'll protect you~."
Kenta didn't even glance back, already used to her teasing. "Yeah, yeah. Keep dreaming."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help sneaking another look at him when he wasn't paying attention. Her gaze lingered just a little too long, her cheeks warming, though she quickly coughed and straightened her face whenever Haruto turned his head.
Meanwhile, Haruto kept fiddling with the strap of his bag, his eyes darting to Airi walking nearby. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words stuck. Airi, noticing, gave him a small smile. "Relax, Haruto. We're all together, right?"
That earned him an even deeper blush. Kenta snickered under his breath.
Lilith finally broke the silence. "You four need to learn something about this city. Not all the shadows come from the lack of light—some are carved into its bones." She tapped her temple. "What we're chasing tonight… it's been here longer than any of us."
They turned corner after corner, the city growing quieter and darker, until the streets turned into narrow alleys. Old brick walls leaned in like the jaws of a beast. After what felt like an eternity, Lilith stopped before a rusted iron gate. Beyond it stood a half-ruined cathedral, its windows smashed, its spire crooked against the starless sky.
"Here," she said.
The group filed inside cautiously, their footsteps echoing against cracked stone floors. The smell hit them first—iron, rot, and old wax. Haruto gagged, covering his nose. Elyra's smile vanished, her face hardening.
At the far end of the cathedral stood the Imposter. Cloaked in shadows, its silhouette glowed faintly from the circle of candles surrounding it. The ground was painted with blood, trails forming twisted constellations that sprawled across the walls and floor. The smell of copper was suffocating.
The Imposter's voice slithered through the air, distorted and hollow. "Too late…"
Everyone froze as it raised the DVD high above its head and placed it onto the altar, right in the center of the blood-starred constellation. The disc pulsed once with eerie light—then hairline cracks began crawling across its surface.
"No… stop it!" Haruto yelled, stepping forward, but Lilith's arm shot out to block him.
The DVD splintered with a sickening crack, shards falling into the pool of blood. The sound was like glass breaking underwater. Then—
SCHLKT!
A long, black tentacle erupted from the altar, slick with slime, and impaled the Imposter straight through the chest. The body convulsed violently, blood spraying across the altar in thick arcs. The others gasped in shock.
The Imposter screamed, a shrill, warped noise as the tentacle writhed deeper, puncturing bone with loud snaps and cracks. Blood poured from its mouth, its eyes rolling back white. Veins bulged across its skin, black and writhing as if alive.
"Holy—" Kenta staggered back, eyes wide.
The tentacle didn't stop. It slithered inside, tearing open muscle and rib, burrowing into the Imposter's chest cavity with a wet, meaty sound. Flesh split apart, ribs cracked like kindling, and the body bent unnaturally backward as if the tentacle were puppeteering it.
Airi covered her mouth, horrified. "It's—consuming him…"
Lilith's eyes narrowed. "No. It's becoming him."
The candles flared higher, their flames burning black, shadows stretching across the ruined cathedral as the Imposter's form twitched and shook, its silhouette bulging and warping under the tentacle's control.
Elyra whispered, "…This just turned into a nightmare."
The group stood frozen as the Imposter writhed on the altar, the tentacle finishing its vile work.
Then—
"CHARGE UP!!"
The Teacher's voice thundered through their earpieces. Instinct snapped them into action. One by one, their belts lit up, gears spinning, armor plating snapping into place. Haruto's Seven Samurai armor enveloped him, his katanas gleaming with ancient light. Elyra's form shimmered into Artoria Pendragon Saber form, her silver-blue armor radiant with knightly grace. Kenta's body surged with roaring chainsaws bursting from his arms and helm — Chainsaw Man Charger. Airi spun into her bright, glittering stage outfit — the radiant Idol Charger.
The Teacher slammed his Printer Belt into activation, cartridges glowing as weapons copied into his hands in rapid succession. Even Lilith, guided by the Teacher's command, activated her own device — transforming into the sleek, animated grace of the Cartoon Charger, her armor bending and twisting with exaggerated, surreal style.
Their visors locked forward as one.
The altar erupted in a blast of fire and black energy, the cathedral walls cracking and toppling outward. They braced against the shockwave, rubble flying past them.
When the dust settled, silence reigned.
Then a shadow moved in the smoke.
A figure stepped out. Smooth, jet-black armor plated with sharp edges that shimmered faintly like stars in the void. His visor glowed deep crimson, jagged like an endless maw. Trails of cosmic light pulsed across his body, bending like constellations carved into his armor. A torn cloak, blacker than night, billowed behind him as if alive.
The Space Herald.
His presence alone distorted the air around him. Every step echoed like a drumbeat from some otherworldly abyss.
He raised his head, his voice a deep, reverberating growl that rolled through their chests, echoing like it came from the farthest reaches of space.
"Finally… I am free."
The air trembled.
He looked down at his clawed hand, flexing it with amusement. "But… this is not my true form. No… I must collect six more DVDs." His visor flared crimson. "And with them, I shall become what the stars themselves fear."
He raised one arm toward the sky. Energy coiled around his palm, opening a swirling cosmic portal above the altar.
"But first… witness a dying star, sacrificed to forge a black hole!"
The portal screamed open, warping the ground as it pulled. Before anyone could react, Airi was caught by the pull—
"AIRI!" Haruto reached out, but she was ripped off her feet, sucked into the void. Her scream echoed before the portal snapped shut, silence replacing her.
The Space Herald chuckled darkly, his visor gleaming. "Now I taste strength once more. How delicious… how fleeting your hope has become."
He spread his arms wide, the aura around him bursting like an explosion of galaxies—flaring stars, burning trails, collapsing orbits. Even the ground cracked beneath the weight of his presence.
Then he lowered his stance, one claw pointing at them like a blade.
"Fight me! Show me you are worthy to live… until every life in this universe is consumed!"
The group stared, stunned, their armor rattling under the oppressive aura. He wasn't just powerful—he was magnificent, terrifying and awe-inspiring in the same breath.
Elyra whispered through gritted teeth, "…He's… sickeningly cool."
Kenta's jaw clenched, but even he muttered, "…Damn it, I hate to admit it, but he looks badass."
Haruto's grip on his blades tightened. "…We're not losing her. Not to him."
The Space Herald raised his claw, and the air itself bent. A shockwave of cosmic energy pulsed outward, shattering the altar completely and blowing the heroes off their feet.
Haruto planted his katanas into the stone to stop his slide. "Tch—he's not wasting time!"
Kenta roared and revved his chainsaws, sparks flying. "Then neither will I! CHARGE!" He bolted forward, swinging his buzzing saw-arm in a savage arc.
The Herald barely moved—he simply caught the blade in one hand. Sparks screamed, Kenta's saw teeth biting against armor harder than steel. With a flick, the Herald slammed Kenta through a wall.
"Pathetic," the Herald's deep voice echoed, distorted like static across galaxies.
Elyra leapt in, armor glowing blue as Saber. She swung Excalibur in a radiant slash that cut a glowing arc across the night. "Take this! For Airi!"
The Herald raised his arm, the blade clashing against cosmic plating. The impact burst in a wave of gold light versus void-black energy. He only chuckled, tilting his head. "So bright. So fragile." With his other claw, he shoved her back, boots carving trenches in the earth.
Haruto spun in, blades flashing in his Seven Samurai style. Seven phantoms of himself appeared, each striking from a different angle—an ancient dance of blades surrounding the Herald.
The Herald's visor flared red. He turned slowly, each phantom strike shattered by a pulse of gravity. One by one, Haruto's images cracked like glass until the real him crashed hard against the pavement.
Lilith snapped her fingers in her Cartoon Charger form, her hammer expanding like something out of a Saturday morning show. "Bonk time, creep!" She slammed it down, stretching comically wide—
The Herald caught the massive hammer with one claw, crushing it until it snapped back into nothingness. His other hand lashed forward, tentacles sprouting from his arm to whip her away like a ragdoll.
The Teacher appeared above him, his Printer Belt spitting out a storm of copied weapons—blades, rifles, spears, even rockets. They rained down in a deadly flurry. "Take this, you cosmic bastard!"
The Herald's wings spread wide, feathers like shards of collapsed stars. With a single flap, a shockwave knocked every weapon off course. Explosions lit the skyline, painting the night in fire.
The Herald raised his claw, opening a cosmic rift above them. Gravity bent the buildings, pulling cars into the air. The city itself cried out under his power.
Kenta revved his chainsaws again, activating his Berserk Chainsaw Mode, buzzing blades sprouting across his body. He leapt from car to car, swinging wildly. "I'LL RIP YOU OPEN!"
The Herald tilted his head, amused, and simply slammed his fist into Kenta mid-air. The impact cratered the street. Kenta groaned, blood on his lips.
Elyra switched in mid-air, her Saber armor dissolving into the flowing red cloak of Archer. She drew her bow, energy spiraling into a massive arrow. "CALADBOLG!" The sky split as the golden blast thundered down toward the Herald.
For the first time, the Herald raised his arm with effort, crossing his claws to block it. The explosion tore half the street apart, windows shattering for blocks. Smoke covered everything.
But when it cleared—he was still standing. Damaged, yes. But smirking.
"Finally. A challenge."
He spread his arms, unleashing a burst of black-hole energy that sent all of them flying across the ruined cityscape.
The battle spilled into skyscrapers, the Herald leaping and dragging them with him. Haruto swung through with grappling lines like a samurai ninja, slashing through falling debris. Elyra fired volleys of glowing arrows while sprinting up glass windows. Kenta tore through a collapsing building with chainsaws blazing, rescuing civilians before leaping back into the fight. Lilith's cartoon antics bent reality, pulling a mallet from a drawn "door" in thin air to whack him, only for the Herald to shatter her cartoon physics with raw cosmic force.
The Teacher duplicated a colossal spear with his printer belt and hurled it like Zeus casting lightning—pinning the Herald to a building for a second.
But the Herald roared, cosmic tentacles bursting outward, shredding the skyscraper. The entire tower toppled, collapsing across the battlefield.
The Chargers saved who they could—Haruto pulling survivors with his ropes, Elyra shielding a family with her armor, Kenta chainsawing rubble apart, Lilith stretching her cartoon arms to grab people. But by the end, they were battered, scorched, and bloodied.
They regrouped in the ruined street, all panting heavily. Their belts flickered—low energy, cooldowns warning them.
The Herald landed before them, wings folding like a predator at rest. His visor glowed with mockery.
"You fought well. Better than most. But… the stars are mine to consume."
He turned, the ground cracking beneath his boots, and lifted into the night sky. His silhouette vanished into the stars, a black shadow among the constellations.
His laughter echoed like a dying sun collapsing into a black hole.
The six of them lay there, beaten and staring at the sky.
Haruto spat blood. "…Damn it… he's too strong."
Elyra clenched her fists, hair a mess under her helm. "…But we hurt him. We can hurt him again."
Kenta groaned, lying on his back. "Yeah, but next time… he's not leaving."
Lilith collapsed against the wall, exhaling hard. "I've seen monsters. But that… that's destruction incarnate."
The Teacher said nothing, just staring at the night sky with clenched fists, his printer belt sparking from overuse.
The streets were ruined. Airi was gone. And the Space Herald had declared war on the universe.
But this fight… was only the beginning.
Do you want me to make the next chapter start with the aftermath, where they plan how to track the Herald's path to find the next DVD — or should we focus on their recovery (banter, rest, emotion, Airi's absence hitting harder)?
Haruto clenched his fists, trembling as the glow of his Charger flickered, sparks crawling across his belt. His face twisted in rage.
"No… NO! I won't let him take her! I can still fight—"
He staggered forward, katana dragging against the ruined pavement, sparks flashing from the overworked system. His eyes burned with fury, his body screaming for him to stop.
But Lilith stepped in front of him, planting her hand firmly against his chestplate.
"Haruto. Enough."
"I can't stop here! I won't—"
Her crimson eyes softened. She shook her head, her voice quiet but strong.
"If you burn out now… you'll never get the chance to save her. She's still alive. But if you keep pushing, you won't be."
Haruto's breath hitched. His hands shook, blade clattering to the ground. His knees buckled, and Lilith caught him before he fell completely.
"…It's alright. I've got you."
The others limped over, battered beyond recognition.
Kenta, bloodied and bruised, had slung Elyra over his shoulder. She had passed out mid-battle, her Saber armor shattered, and now rested against him like dead weight.
"…Sheesh, you're heavier than you look," Kenta muttered with a strained grin, though his voice cracked with exhaustion.
The Teacher dragged himself forward, his Printer Belt sparking, eyes dark with fury.
"…We can't… fight him alone. Not like this."
The group stumbled through the wrecked streets, the silence of defeat heavy in the air. By the time they reached the lab, every step felt like agony.
The Teacher collapsed into his chair, groaning as drones began patching his armor. His tired eyes met theirs.
"From this moment on… we assemble every Masked Charger. This madness… this Herald… ends before he consumes us all."
No one argued. No one even spoke. They all knew it was the only choice left.
After that, they dispersed.
Kenta, still carrying Elyra, leaned against the wall outside. "Think I'll… sit here a bit. My legs don't wanna move anymore." His voice softened as he glanced at the unconscious girl in his arms. "…Guess I'll carry you home later, huh?"
The Teacher retreated deeper into the lab, muttering calculations under his breath, already planning.
That left Haruto and Lilith. She carried him gently, his arm over her shoulder. His head hung low, the fire in him burned out to a dangerous ember.
The night air was cold as they walked in silence through the ruined streets. Streetlights flickered above, the city eerily quiet after the chaos.
Finally, they reached Haruto's doorstep. Lilith let him down carefully, making sure he was steady. She hesitated, looking at him with rare softness.
"Stay safe, Haruto. Please. Don't do anything reckless until we find a way."
Haruto looked at her, still trembling from anger and grief, but nodded faintly.
"…Thanks, Lilith."
She gave him one last look—eyes filled with empathy—before turning and walking into the night.
Haruto opened his door and stumbled inside. He dropped onto the couch, too drained to even remove his shoes. The TV flickered in the background, but he couldn't even see it. His eyes just stared blankly ahead, his mind echoing with the image of Airi being dragged into the void.
The silence pressed in around him. His fists clenched.
And Chapter 6 ended with Haruto, broken but alive, alone on the couch.