The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

Where Shadows Clash With Space

Looking around at the burning houses and buildings within the city, Heinrich laughed. It wasn't a maniacal laugh, but one of eerie amusement, almost comfort.

"From the looks of it," he said, eyes lazily shifting to Adam, "I'm guessing the plasma cannon didn't kill everyone, huh?"

A pause.

"You probably saved some of them... transported them away. With those weird darkness powers of yours."

"Do I lie?"

Adam stayed quiet. The fact that Heinrich had figured it out so easily sent a chill through him.

"You sure do know a lot about me," Adam said at last.

"Of course I do," Heinrich replied, his smile widening. "His Majesty told me all about your abilities. Every trick. Every little shadowy stunt you've ever pulled. Couldn't have you catching me off guard."

He crossed his arms.

"Who comes to a mission without studying their target first? That's suicide. We soldiers of His Majesty are always prepared."

Adam clenched his fists, jaw tight.

Damn it, he thought. We knew Percival had eyes on us. We knew he hated us for having information capable of exposing his hidden atrocities, the lies behind that smiling public mask.

But to strike openly like this... to send his secret forces into the city without fear of consequences...

Has he really stopped caring about his image?

The thought sent sweat trickling down Adam's cheek.

That image, those secrets... that was the only leverage anyone had over him.

Heinrich cut through Adam's spiraling thoughts.

"All your hard work will be in vain, Adam," he said flatly.

Then, to Adam's unease, Heinrich began speaking to himself—or so it seemed.

"Mobilize a few troops from the ship, Yuto. And find every single member of the Lantern Society who escaped. Kill them all. Old, pregnant, children... no survivors. Got it?"

A voice crackled from the glowing Omega crest on his collar: "Roger that, Commander!"

It was a communication device. Not magic, not telepathy. Technology.

Adam's stomach twisted.

"What the hell is this empire hiding...?"

Then the sky cracked open again with thunder, as the colossal black-and-gold ship stirred into the rift, its sleek body splitting through the storm clouds. The vessel shimmered with energy before vanishing entirely from sight, swallowed by the night sky.

Heinrich turned back toward the group.

"I'll personally handle the rest of you once I'm done with your comrade, Adam. So sit tight and wait."

Adam gritted his teeth and extended his arms, reinforcing the dark barrier that protected Victoria, Jack, and the others. With a wave of command, the shadows pulled them further away from the coming battle, to safety.

Heinrich didn't flinch. In fact, he smirked, a dark amusement dancing in his eyes.

Then, without warning, his power surged.

The air trembled. The night itself seemed to recoil as Heinrich's presence grew heavier, more unnatural. Standing atop thin air like it obeyed him, his aura ignited into flames that raged upward and engulfed the sky in a spectral white fire. The dread that followed was primal, ancient—like a divine force had awakened.