Ed's POV
One week later…
I was in my company office, sitting across from Ashley. We were in the middle of discussing something that had been on my mind for days now.
"You want to be mayor?" Ashley blinked at me like I just told her I invented edible shoes.
"Yes," I replied, dead serious.
"You're joking, right?"
"Nope. Completely serious. If I were mayor, it'd be a lot easier to make real change in the city."
"Okay, here's a tiny issue with that—you're a superhero," she said, raising a brow.
"And?"
"And that means whenever a disaster hits across the world, you vanish. People don't know you're Arsenal—they just see a mayor who constantly disappears. Not to mention, you're ridiculously young with zero political experience."
"Fair points," I nodded. "But hear me out. I'm already tracking a mutant with a cloning ability. If I can get that power, boom—two of me. One to handle hero work, the other to play politics."
Ashley gave me that "I can't believe I have to deal with this" look.
"Also," I continued, ticking off my fingers, "I'm a genius, I run a wildly successful company, and I can absorb political theory overnight if I want. And more importantly… I want you to be my campaign manager."
"Wait—me? You want me to run your campaign?"
"Yep. I don't trust anyone else in a situation like this."
She sighed, rubbing her temple. "Alright. But—and this is a big but—we don't go public until you get that cloning power. I'm not about to come up with excuses for why Mayor Ed vanished during a press conference."
"Deal," I said, standing and getting ready to teleport. "Oh—almost forgot. I'm summoning Stormfront and Firecracker."
"WHAT?!" Ashley nearly flipped the table.
"Relax. They're not joining the main team. They're going into a Black Ops unit. I already told the others. Plus, I'm slapping bombs in their heads—fail-safes if they try anything shady."
"You better promise me they don't come anywhere near me or Stratos."
"You have my word. No way I'm letting those two near you or my son. Especially Firecracker. I know her type—she likes 'em young."
Ashley narrowed her eyes. "Why do I feel like you just quoted someone?"
"Because I did. Bye!" I gave her a grin and teleported out before she could throw something at me.
I appeared in the training room of the base.
Well... time to summon these assholes.
"System Summon Stormfront and Firecracker"
A flash of bright light filled the room, and just as quickly as it vanished, Stormfront and Firecracker stood before me. They looked a little disoriented at first, but once their eyes landed on me, their expressions steadied—calm, unreadable.
I flashed a fake smile and stepped forward.
"Hello. I'm the one who summoned you here. Name's Edward," I said, raising my hand for a handshake.
They each took it without a word. That was fine—I didn't shake hands for politeness. I just needed contact. Just needed All For One to do its thing.
One by one, I felt their abilities transfer into me. Like raw energy pouring into my veins.
I stepped back.
In my left hand, I conjured crackling lightning—Stormfront's signature. With my right, I snapped my fingers, triggering a miniature spark burst—Firecracker's.
Yeah. It worked.
Stormfront narrowed her eyes. "What the hell—my power... how did you get my power?"
There was the panic, barely hidden behind her smug shell.
"Oh, I just stole it," I said, casual as hell.
Firecracker crossed her arms. "Well, do you mind giving it back? Kind of rude to take something that doesn't belong to you."
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Yeah... no. You've still got your bargain-bin super strength and durability, so you'll live. But let's be honest—neither of you deserves to have powers in the first place."
Stormfront stepped forward, voice tense. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
I tilted my head, letting the room go silent for a moment before dropping the bomb.
"I mean one of you is a washed-up Nazi and the other one's a racist pedophile."
Both of their eyes widened. That hit a nerve.
"Yeah, I know everything about you two. Stormfront—former Nazi, lover of fascism. And you, Firecracker—you've got a thing for kids. So here's what's going to happen…"
I folded my arms.
"You're going to work for me. A Black Ops team. No questions. No attitude. I'm going to put bombs in the back of your skulls. Your targets? Other Nazis. Fitting, huh?"
Stormfront's lip curled in disgust. "You want me to hunt my own kind for you, monkey?"
I stopped fiddling with my powers. The air went still. One second passed. Then—
BOOM.
An energy blast launched her across the room, crashing her into the wall with a painful thud.
I stepped forward, eyes locked on her crumpled form. "My name… is Edward," I said coldly. "Call me that slur again—and it's not just your power I take. I'll take your damn life."
Stormfront snarled and charged at me. I didn't move.
She got close—too close—and swung her fist at my face.
But the second it almost made contact—
She vanished.
"Host has acquired one Gacha Point." System
I stared at the empty space where she stood, then turned my gaze to Firecracker.
"Do you have any issues with what I just said?" I asked calmly.
She stiffened, fear in her eyes. "No, sir."
I opened a small portal beside me, reaching in and pulling out a sleek, gun-shaped syringe filled with a glowing fluid.
"Turn around. This is the bomb implant."
She obeyed without hesitation. I moved her hair aside and pressed the syringe against her skin. The needle slid in effortlessly, piercing with a quiet hiss. It was made from adamantium—unbreakable, undetectable, and irreversible.
"All set," I said, stepping back. "The Black Ops team isn't operational yet, but when it is, you'll be part of it. Until then, you're confined to a safehouse apartment. It's not luxury, but it's livable. Food will be delivered every few weeks."
Her eyes were wide. "And if I leave…?"
"My AI will detect it," I said bluntly. "And the bomb in your neck will explode. Instant death."
She nodded silently.
I opened a portal behind her and, without ceremony, shoved her through it. It snapped shut the moment she vanished.
"Well… that actually went better than I expected," I muttered, cracking my neck. "And since I've got a Gacha point, might as well use it now. No point in saving it all month."
"System, use point," I said.
Hyperbolic Time Chamber (Dragon Ball)."
I froze for a second, then a wide grin spread across my face.
"Oh, hell yeah."
"This is perfect for training. One day out here equals a whole year in there," I said, excitement bubbling in my chest. "With this, I can master all my new powers way faster—especially the ones I'm planning to steal."
I stepped out of my base and took off into the sky, flying high above the island to find the perfect location.
As I scanned the landscape from above, I couldn't help but admire how far everything had come. The small town I'd started building? Fully finished now. Streets, homes, shops—it was alive. Goliath Nest—yeah, that's what I named the Bewilderbeast—was massive, taking up a huge stretch of the northern cliffside.
Korin's Garden was thriving, too. The cat himself had already handed over some senzu beans, which was going to be a major help for recovery training.
After a few more passes, I spotted the right place—a flat plateau with strong bedrock and open sky, away from the town and Goliath resting area.
I landed gently, closed my eyes, and focused.
A shift in the air.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of me—tall, white, and perfectly alien compared to the jungle and rock around it. My own personal realm of endless time.
"Let's get to work."
I stepped into the chamber.
Just like in the anime, it was all here—the small living quarters at the entrance and then the endless, stretching white void beyond. It felt like I had just walked into infinity.
I took a few steps out into the void.
"Man, this place is crazy..." I muttered to myself, the sound echoing strangely in the silence.
"Yes, it is," a calm voice said behind me.
I spun around fast.
Leaning against one of the marble pillars was a man I'd never seen before. Long, flowing white hair. A sharp white robe tied with a black sash, and not wearing a shirt underneath—his muscular chest was on full display, smooth dark skin glowing slightly under the chamber's soft white light. Gold earrings, a matching necklace, golden wristbands. A thin scar ran across one of his icy blue eyes, which were now calmly staring at me.
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And I couldn't sense a single drop of energy coming off him. Nothing. Not even a flicker.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked, my instincts kicking in hard.
But the guy just smiled.
"Now, now, Ed… is that any way to speak to your older brother?" the man said with a smirk.
I blinked."Brother?" I asked, lowering my guard just slightly.
"My name is Zabriel," he said, casually walking forward, "god of fun and harems. And yes… I'm your big brother."
Of course he is. Why wouldn't I have a god-brother who sounds like he came from an anime dating sim?
"Okay… why are you here?" I asked, still wary but no longer in fight mode.
Zabriel chuckled."Nothing serious. We just wanted to see you. And this seemed like the perfect opportunity—no distractions, no people, just you, us, and an infinite white void."
"We?" I echoed.
That's when I heard another voice. Smooth, confident, and feminine.
"You can sense energy… and yet you didn't even notice us? Tsk. You really haven't trained that skill well at all, little brother."
I turned around fast—and there they were.
Two women stood behind me.
One had long, pale blue hair that shimmered with a silver tint. Her eyes were piercing blue, and her nails glinted like gold. She wore an elegant battle-uniform in deep blue and gold, looking like a warrior goddess out of a fantasy novel.
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The other woman had black curly hair cascading over her shoulders, her skin the color of polished obsidian. She wore golden armor reminiscent of Wonder Woman's but even more regal—like a queen who went to war and won.
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"Okay… and you two are?" I asked, voice level.
The woman in armor stepped forward."I'm Thaldris," she said proudly.
The silver-haired one gave a graceful bow."My name is Crystal. And we, like Zabriel, are your older siblings."
"Okay, not that I'm not happy to see more of my family," I said, eyeing them with suspicion, "but if you're here to make some kind of deal like Vaelthrya did, I'm going to have to pass. I already have my hands full with Amora. Apparently, she's friends with Ruby now. Still no clue how that happened. Half of me thinks she's trying to turn over a new leaf, the other half thinks she's just manipulating my friend."
"We're not here to make a deal," Crystal said, her voice calm and sincere.
"Buuuut," Zabriel chimed in with a mischievous grin, "if you're not completely closed off to deal-making, I've got someone in your world I want you to save. In exchange, I'll give you my blessing to form a harem. And not a small one—I'm talking big."
"No thanks," I said flatly.
"Glad you said that," Crystal muttered. "Don't turn into a horny fool like this idiot."
"Says the woman with three husbands," Zabriel shot back.
"Says the man with over 300 wives," Crystal countered.
"Correction— 351 wives, and I know every one of them personally." Zabriel pointed at himself proudly.
"Will you two shut up?" Thaldris cut in sharply, crossing her arms. "I'm the one who's supposed to be leading this conversation."
"She started it," Zabriel said quickly, pointing at Crystal.
"And I'm ending it." Thaldris gave them both a glare that could melt stars. "Now go sit down somewhere before I break both your egos in half."
They did as she said, quietly moving to the living area and taking seats around the nearby table like scolded children.
"Good. Now, no more distractions," Thaldris said firmly, turning back to me. "I'm here to train you."
I blinked. "Say what now?"
"You heard me. I'm here to train you."
"Okay… why?" I asked, brow raised.
She crossed her arms. "Because, frankly, I'm disappointed in you."
"What did I even do?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"It's more about what you haven't done," Thaldris replied. "For starters, you train—but barely. And even when you do, you fail to master your abilities. You've been collecting powers like Pokémon cards and not actually learning how to use them properly. Oh, and waiting months to use your Gacha points just so you can 'stock up'? Not the brightest move, if you ask me."
She paused, then added with a shrug, "Mother always said everyone has their own path to power… but I'm officially sick of watching your path."
I let out a slow breath. "So you've been watching me?"
"Not just me," she said with a smirk. "Mother watches you. Some of our brothers and sisters too. Even a few nieces and nephews—and trust me, you've got a lot of those."
I rubbed my forehead. "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"
"Okay, not gonna lie—kinda throwing me off that most of my family has been watching me like a reality show," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "But now I've got another question... do I have a dad?"
Thaldris didn't hesitate. "No, you don't. Mother was married a long time ago, but they got divorced."
"Oh. Can I ask why?"
"They were just... too different," she said with a shrug. "Mother's kind, gentle, warm—you know how she is. But my father? Not so much. He's not evil, but he's not good either. He's... neutral. He doesn't fight for justice or chaos. He fights for his reasons."
She paused, tapping a finger against her arm thoughtfully. "I heard he's changed a little, though. Something about a mortal soul he met. I don't know the full story, but maybe I'll ask about it later." Her tone shifted as she refocused. "Still, that's not what's important right now. What matters is your training."
I squinted. "Wait—your father? So he's biologically your dad? You're not adopted like me?"
She smirked. "Trying to stall, huh? But yes—he's my biological father. Same with Zabriel, Vaelthrya, and Hope."
"Hope?" I echoed.
"You haven't met her yet, but she's watching too," Thaldris said with a hint of amusement. "She's curious about you... we all are."
"Okay then, so I guess Crystal's like me—adopted, right?" I asked.
"Yes, exactly. Now stop stalling. It's time for your training—with me," Thaldris said firmly.
"No thanks."
"What!?" Her voice cracked like thunder.
"Look, no disrespect, big sis, but I actually like the way I've been gaining strength. You're right, though—I do need to train more. And I will. It's just… I've got a lot on my plate. Training isn't exactly at the top of the list right now."
Her expression twisted with frustration. She looked like she was two seconds away from erupting. That's when Zabriel stepped in, casual as ever.
"Okay, okay! Let me sweeten the deal. For every punch you land on Thaldris, you get a point."
That made me raise an eyebrow. I wasn't surprised—they could hand out points, Vaelthrya did.
"Every punch equals one point, huh?"
"Yup," Zabriel said, grinning. "And if you somehow manage to win, you get one item—any item you want from any universe."
"Okay, I know I'm strong, but she's a literal goddess. And judging by the vibe, I'd say goddess of war or battle. Either way, I'm not winning this."
"I won't use my full strength," Thaldris said calmly. "If I did, I'd kill you instantly. I'll hold back."
"See?" Zabriel chimed in. "Totally fair. So what do you say, Ed?"
I smirked. "I say I'm in. What are the rules?"
"No real rules. No killing, obviously—though that one's more for our monster sister than you," Zabriel said, gesturing to Thaldris.
Before I could ask what he meant, Thaldris casually threw a punch and sent him flying back into the living area. He crashed into a pillar like a paper doll in a hurricane.
"He's fine. I do that to him all the time," Thaldris said.
"I'm okay!" Zabriel groaned from the rubble.
"See?" she added, shrugging.
"You can use any weapon or power you have," Thaldris said, cracking her knuckles. "I'll only use my fists."
"Okay then. Let's get started," I replied, bracing myself.
"Oh—one thing I forgot to mention," Crystal chimed in casually from the sidelines. "I tweaked the time limit. One day out there equals... 100 years in here."
"What?!" I snapped, spinning toward her.
"Relax," Thaldris said with a shrug. "With that healing ability of yours, plus your demigod blood, you'll live through it just fine. Demigods have much longer lifespans than humans."
"Yeah, sure, just what I needed. A whole century stuck in a white void. Guess I better hope I find someone with shapeshifting powers after this—don't want to walk out of here looking like a time-warped caveman."
Crystal grinned. "Hey, think of it this way: after a hundred years in here, you might actually be able to land a punch on her."
"Gee. Thanks for the vote of confidence." I rolled my neck, muscles tensing as I walked into the center of the chamber. "Alright, Thaldris. Let's dance."
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AN: Sorry for the late chapter. I was sick, but I'm better now.