While Owari and the others enjoyed their takoyaki party, another scene was unfolding elsewhere.
This was the General Command Room of the Special Response Association for Ability Crimes—commonly known as the SSC—to which Sora and Kokoro belonged.
"..."
In a futuristic room, a man in his forties wearing glasses sat alone, silently striking his keyboard while glaring at his monitor.
The man’s name was Masato Kondo. As the General Commander of the SSC, he dealt with ability crimes day and night.
"You look busy, Commander."
"Alice-kun, is that you?"
The door slid open to reveal a tall woman wearing a lab coat over a suit. She had a radiant blonde wolf-cut and carried a somewhat weary, downcast aura.
"I’m sorry for calling you in right after a battle."
"I don't mind. The situation warrants it."
The woman called Alice placed a can of coffee she had purchased from a vending machine on Kondo's desk, then scanned the room.
"Are you alone? Where is Sora-chan?"
"Sora-kun said she was celebrating Kokoro-kun's discharge from the hospital with a friend today. I let her head home early."
"Was that wise?"
"Of course it was," Kondo replied immediately, a broad smile crossing his face. "We are pushing teenage girls onto the battlefield. It is only right that we adults handle the aftermath, wouldn't you agree?"
Supporting the heroes who risked their lives on the front lines was Kondo’s job. Sora had done more than enough. He would not allow a mere report to ruin an important promise she had made with her friends.
"Besides, I still haven't truly accepted it. Sending children to war just because they possess power..."
"Your ideals are noble, but the reality is that the times require them."
"I am well aware. That is why I try to reduce their non-combat burdens like this."
It was an era of chaos. As the number of people with abilities increased, so did the number of incidents. Because these crimes involved supernatural powers, they were becoming increasingly complex and destructive. Now, every single hero was vital—especially with a new evil organization on the rise.
"Forgive me. I got a bit heated."
"It’s fine. So, why did you call me here?"
"I want you to look at this."
The largest display in the room flickered to life, showing a black, humanoid aberration. It was the form of the monster that had overwhelmed Magical Girl Rain: End Kaijin End.
"The End Kaijin...!"
"This is footage from the communicator Sora-kun was wearing. I want your opinion on this creature. Not as a hero, but as one of the geniuses who once invented the Kaijin Factor—as Doctor Alice."
Alice Labilotte was a scientist who had formerly belonged to Syndicate Dark Matter. She was one of the brilliant minds responsible for developing the Kaijin Factor itself.
"...As you know, I am not actually an expert on the individual Kaijin."
"I understand that."
While Alice had been part of Dark Matter and invented the factor, she had eventually rebelled against its use. She had been imprisoned by the syndicate as a result. She was the only person associated with the group who had refused to participate in their atrocities, and her eventual escape had provided humanity with the light they needed to fight back.
"Even so, Alice-kun, you are the most knowledgeable person we have. Right now, I need any information possible."
"The concept had existed since the early development stages of the Kaijin Factor. However, it was strictly a pipe dream—something that should never have existed."
The strongest Kaijin, possessing the powers of every other Kaijin: End Kaijin End.
The idea had been floated during the creation of the factors, but every scientist at the time had dismissed it as a theoretical impossibility. The chances of finding a subject with an aptitude for every single Kaijin Factor were effectively zero.
Yet, there it was. On the screen before Alice, the theoretical monster was a physical reality.
"And yet, here he is."
"Yes, and that is the primary concern. In truth, this Kaijin should not be allowed to exist."
"Should not be allowed? You don't mean 'should not be able to'?"
"Unlike the rank-and-file combatants, Kaijin are fitted with a safety measure to ensure they never betray the syndicate."
Most Kaijin were ordinary citizens who had been kidnapped and subjected to human modification. To ensure their absolute loyalty, the syndicate performed extensive brain modification on them.
"While this ensures they obey orders, there are side effects."
The Kaijin whose thoughts were twisted followed orders perfectly, but they lost the ability to think for themselves. They lacked imagination and creativity, becoming nothing more than loyal puppets.
This wasn't a major issue when using a single ability. Even with a crude application of power, a Kaijin’s sheer specifications were usually enough to overwhelm an opponent. While high-tier Kaijin with complex powers were given more specialized brain modifications, that approach wouldn't work for End Kaijin End.
"To possess every Kaijin ability and switch between them or combine them on the fly requires a flexible mind and high creativity. If you were to create End Kaijin End, you couldn't perform the brain modification. At most, you could wipe his memories, but even that is a far cry from a true safety device."
Without memories of being kidnapped, he might not resent the syndicate. Verbal brainwashing was also possible. However, a being with free will would eventually stumble upon the truth. And if End ever realized the reality of his existence, his power would undoubtedly be turned against the syndicate.
Considering he couldn't be truly brainwashed, she had never imagined they would actually deploy him.
"You see the danger, don't you? This is a power that should never be held by an individual."
Giving world-ending power to a person without a single safety measure was the height of recklessness.
"Then why did the syndicate create him?"
"Perhaps... simply because they could."
As a fellow scientist, Alice understood that drive to some extent. To create your ultimate masterpiece—the urge to pursue a possibility regardless of the consequences was in the nature of the breed.
"I suppose there is no use questioning the 'why' or 'how' now. The fact remains that he exists."
"Indeed. And the biggest question is what kind of person this Kaijin is."
It would be one thing if he were righteous. But if he were a villain—or if he truly were loyal to the syndicate—the situation was catastrophic.
"Based on what Sora-kun and Guren-kun reported, he doesn't seem to harbor ill will toward us."
"He could simply be the enemy of an enemy. It is a bit optimistic to think he is entirely free of the syndicate’s influence."
They lacked the information to assume he would remain an ally just because he helped them once. At the end of the day, he was a Kaijin. Every inch of his body had been touched by the syndicate's hands. It was entirely possible they had lowered his specifications to allow for brain modification.
"We have no choice but to remain vigilant without needlessly provoking him."
"We will also need to bolster our combat strength in case he turns out to be an enemy."
"I will have to start making arrangements with the various departments."
"Be careful. The fear and hatred toward Kaijin haven't faded. If the public learns he is a product of Dark Matter, all that resentment will be directed at him."
The scars left by Dark Matter were deep. Many people had become heroes solely for the sake of revenge. If word got out that he was a Dark Matter Kaijin, those heroes would attack him without hesitation. Even Alice, who had fought alongside them, still wasn't trusted by certain factions. They had to move carefully, considering the possibility that End Kaijin End was not an enemy.
"Truly, it’s one problem after another."
Kondo massaged his temples, overwhelmed by the combination of rising ability crimes, the remaining Dark Matter Kaijin, and the emergence of a new evil organization.
"What do you make of this new syndicate, Alice-kun?"
"A few remnants of Dark Matter have likely joined them, but I believe the core organization is different. Their objectives are too divergent."
Syndicate Shadow and Syndicate Dark Matter were clearly built on different philosophies. Dark Matter, despite its dictatorial nature, had ideals and a sense of order. Their actions carried a certain pride and consistency. Shadow had none of that.
Dark Matter plotted world conquest to achieve an ideal; for Shadow, world conquest seemed to be the objective itself. They likely didn't care if the world was broken beyond repair once they ruled it. They simply wanted the trophy of succeeding where Dark Matter had failed.
"Do you think they are behind the massive flow of Kaijin Genome on the black market?"
"Almost certainly. It’s frustrating, but their strategy is effectively whittling down our forces."
The Kaijin Genome granted great power even to ordinary people. When it fell into the hands of criminals, the resulting crime wave was inevitable. The addition of supernatural abilities made the scale of destruction incomparable to the past. The exhaustion among the heroes responding to these threats was immeasurable.
"We have to find the source of the distribution somehow."
Kondo put his head in his hands at the ever-growing list of tasks. The SSC had originally been a private organization launched to support the heroes fighting Dark Matter. It had started small, but as the war continued, it expanded with the help of more supporters. Now, it operated in tandem with the government to handle ability crimes. Companies, groups, and even individual heroes had stepped up, but they were still desperately short-handed.
"And as if that weren't enough, they've even managed to produce a copy of that Kaijin..."
Shadow’s copy Kaijin had mimicked the abilities of the strongest monster. This was an undeniable threat that added to Kondo's headaches.
"Personally, I think we were lucky they chose to copy the End Kaijin."
"Lucky? Are you serious?"
"Listen, Commander. While the End Kaijin’s myriad abilities are terrifying, Sora-chan’s power remains the peak of single-ability output."
Sora’s weather manipulation. With effectively infinite mana and theoretically infinite firepower, it was the strongest magic in Japan.
"I can say this with certainty: Sora-chan possesses the strongest ability."
Even comparing every Kaijin, esper, and magician, no ability currently surpassed hers.
"So you're saying the copy isn't a threat?"
"It’s a threat, yes. But if they had successfully copied Sora-chan, I believe we would be facing something far worse than a mere threat."
The thought of an evil organization wielding an ability that could easily swallow an entire city was unthinkable. It wasn't about whether they could master it; the collateral damage alone would be catastrophic.
"Furthermore, End Kaijin End only functions because of his natural aptitude for the factors. It isn't something someone can master just by copying it."
"Is there no chance they could overcome that with modification?"
"None. Absolutely not. If modification could grant that kind of aptitude, the syndicate wouldn't have bothered kidnapping specific subjects, and we would have lost to Dark Matter years ago."
Kaijin were terrifying, but their weakness was their limited numbers, as each was effectively a custom-built weapon. If they could be mass-produced through simple modification, the world would already be under Dark Matter’s thumb. Even the Kaijin Genome, which bypassed aptitude, resulted in significantly lower performance and a harsh time limit. Using more than one would tear a human body apart. While its widespread availability was a problem, the individual users were easy to handle.
"I see. A blessing in disguise, then."
"However, the threat remains. There could be a second copy, so we must stay alert."
According to Sora’s report, the copy’s physical specs were enough to trade blows with End.
"Hah... I really thought things would become peaceful once Dark Matter fell."
It seemed the script where the big bad is defeated and the world finds peace only existed in fairy tales. In reality, the problems only continued to pile up.
"Between that hotel incident and other factors, public opinion of heroes is souring. This is the moment we have to dig in our heels, Commander."
"I know. Since I cannot stand on the battlefield, I will fulfill my role here."
The world had changed drastically since the arrival of Syndicate Dark Matter. The emergence of Kaijin and the threat of extinction had triggered the sudden awakening of abilities in humanity. Whether it was an evolution triggered by crisis, the awakening of dormant potential, or a new law of the universe, no one knew.
The true nature of these abilities remained a mystery. But they would likely continue to appear. For now, it was magic and superpowers, but new forms might emerge in the future.
These were chaotic times. The need for heroes would only grow.
Supporting those heroes and ensuring they had a home to return to—that was the battle for the adults like Kondo.