cosmic outbreak

Daiki slowly opened his eyes, finding himself restrained inside a cold, dimly lit laboratory. His body ached, and his mind raced as he recalled what had happened. In front of him stood the reptilian that had kidnapped him, along with two other unfamiliar aliens.

"Oh, my precious servant, you're finally awake," one of the aliens sneered, his voice filled with mocking amusement.

Daiki gritted his teeth and tried to summon his thunder, but nothing happened. He was trapped within a suppression field—an anti-power barrage that prevented him from using his abilities. He clenched his fists in frustration.

"Be our servant," the alien continued. "You are rare."

Daiki ignored the statement and asked, "Where am I?"

The alien smirked. "In the cold land of Antarctica."

Daiki's eyes widened. "Who are you?"

"I am Zorlak the Fire," the alien declared proudly.

"The Fire?" Daiki asked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Zorlak chuckled darkly. "You humans think you're the only ones with powers? We Zeniths are gifted beyond your comprehension. Even this reptilian here is stronger than you."

Daiki's shock deepened. "Really?"

The reptilian beside Zorlak stepped forward. "I am Xander the Trickery," he said, his voice smooth like silk.

Daiki narrowed his eyes. "Trickery? What do you mean by that?"

Xander grinned. "The spell you fell into while talking to me, you fool. I am an illusion maker."

Daiki cursed under his breath. He had underestimated them.

Zorlak tilted his head. "Are you alone?"

Daiki, realizing the danger of revealing his allies, forced a confident smirk. "Yes. I am the only one."

Zorlak's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then it's time to—"

Daiki's eyes sharpened. "Time to what?"

---

Meanwhile, in Russia, Hikaru and the others scoured the frozen wasteland, searching desperately for their missing comrade.

"Did an alien kidnap him?" Hikaru asked, his voice filled with urgency.

"Maybe," Emi replied, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.

As they continued their search, a deafening roar echoed across the sky. A massive shadow loomed over them.

A monstrous creature, a four-headed dragon with obsidian scales and glowing crimson eyes, descended from the clouds.

Kaito gasped. "What is that?!"

Before they could react, the Hydra unleashed a wave of destruction. Kaito quickly summoned his wind, allowing everyone to jump from the plane safely.

Renji lunged forward, his fists crackling with power, but the Hydra swung its tail, sending him crashing into the ruins below.

Asahi, gripping his colossal hammer, let out a battle cry and brought the weapon down with full force, severing one of the Hydra's heads in a single blow. But before he could celebrate, the head regenerated instantly, as if nothing had happened.

Aoi's eyes widened in realization. "We have to cut off all its heads at the same time! If we're even a millisecond late, it will regenerate!"

Hikaru tightened his grip on Nova. "Then we need perfect coordination. We take it down together—no mistakes!"

The battle for survival had begun.