In this world lies a great power known as the Zenith Crystal. No one knows where it came from or where it truly belongs. Some say it fell to Earth inside a meteor millions of years ago, while others believe it was a gift from the gods, meant to test humanity’s worth. All that is known is this—the crystal chooses its own bearer.

Those chosen by the Zenith Crystals gain immense power. Their strength, speed, intelligence, and instincts are heightened beyond human limits, shaped by their own abilities and potential. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Not long after the crystals revealed themselves, enormous enemies began attacking Earth, bringing disasters across the world.

The first attack occurred thirty years ago in America. A giant monster fell from the sky, destroying everything in its path. Buildings collapsed, highways were torn apart, fires spread across the land, and the ground shook violently. At the time, the military managed to defeat the monster after three days of nonstop combat. By then, two cities had been completely destroyed and dozens of lives were lost. Soon after came the second attack in Japan, followed by a third in Cuba. As the attacks continued, more lives were lost, the monsters grew stronger and more dangerous, and humanity began to live in constant fear.

Then one day, when another monster appeared, a man stepped forward and confronted it alone. Without military support, without special equipment, relying only on raw strength and power, he defeated the monster by himself. He was the first person ever chosen by the Zenith Crystal. His victory turned him into a legend, known throughout the world. After him came another chosen one, then another, and another. Those selected by the crystals became known as Zenith Warriors.

A Zenith Warrior can be identified by the crystal that appears on a part of their body, a visible mark of their selection.

Not all humans were chosen by the Zenith Crystals. Those who were not remained ordinary people, protected by those who carried the power. With the help of the Zenith Warriors, humanity began to fight back, winning again, and again, and again.

However, humans soon realized this was far from over. More disasters were coming—many more. To prepare for the future, an academy was built for those chosen by the Zenith Crystals. Warriors from around the world were gathered and trained to properly control and master their abilities.

The warriors were organized into a ranking system.

E to B ranks are considered the weakest warriors.

A and S ranks represent the strongest.

Above them all exists Quarra, a title given to the strongest warrior in the world. Not every powerful warrior can earn this title. Only those who prove themselves truly worthy of their strength are granted the name Quarra.

There are also the Gateways, phenomena that occur when two different dimensions collide, opening a gate that any creature can enter. Sometimes, a gateway releases countless monsters, spreading disaster across the world. The first gateway ever recorded appeared fourteen years ago. It unleashed hordes of demon-like creatures that completely destroyed a city. The military and the Zenith Warriors were forced to unite to fight back and seal the gateway.

Humans can also enter the gateways themselves, traveling into other dimensions to explore, study unfamiliar worlds, and gather rare materials. These materials are later forged into powerful weapons used to fight future threats.

To become a hero means being ready for what lies ahead. Not everyone can handle the consequences of that choice. Still, becoming a hero is the most desired dream in the world.

Including me.

But I was never chosen by the crystals.

Seraphine March, a third-year high school student, had always dreamed of becoming a hero—someone known and remembered by all mankind. Yet no matter how strong her determination was, the Zenith Crystals had never chosen her. She never understood why.

Her alarm blared loudly.

March’s eyes snapped open.

“It’s late—?!”

With a scream echoing through her small apartment, she jumped out of bed and scrambled to pack her things.

“AURA!! Why didn’t you wake me up?! School starts in fifteen minutes!” March shouted as she hurriedly put on her shoes.

“I already did,” Aura replied flatly.

Manaka Aura was her sister-in-law. They had lived together since March was fourteen, after their parents passed away during a devastating outbreak years ago. Though they weren’t related by blood, Aura had always taken care of her like a real sister.

March dashed out of the apartment and sprinted toward school at full speed.

“This is bad… I only have twelve minutes left,” she muttered, staring at her watch while running—without watching where she was going.

Thump!

She collided with someone, and both of them fell to the ground.

“Ouch—! Are you alright?” March quickly stood up and helped the man to his feet.

“A—ah! There’s no time!” She bowed quickly. “I’m so sorry!”

Without waiting for a response, she ran off toward school.

When March finally arrived, she rushed straight into her classroom. This school was special—it accepted students who possessed Zenith Crystals, training them until they were transferred to the prestigious Z Academy. Some students had already awakened their powers, and normal students like March knew better than to provoke them.

March collapsed into her seat, breathing heavily. Her legs trembled, sweat poured down her face, and she slammed her forehead onto the desk.

Not long after, the classroom filled up. Soon, the principal entered.

“Today, you will be meeting your new homeroom teacher,” the principal announced.

Moments later, the door creaked open.

A man in a formal suit walked inside.

The classroom fell silent.

“Ah—!” March froze.

It was the same man she had bumped into earlier that morning.

“Good morning, everyone,” the man said calmly. “My name is Lloyd Fortera. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next year.”

As soon as the principal left, the room erupted into chatter.

“Alright, class,” Lloyd continued. “When I call your name, please stand up, introduce yourself, and tell us your dream after graduating.”

One by one, students stood and spoke—until it was March’s turn.

She slowly stood up.

“My name is Seraphine March,” she said softly, smiling nervously.

“My dream is to become a Zenith Warrior and protect the peo—”

“HAAHH?!”

A loud voice cut her off.

The entire class turned toward the source.

Glenn.

He was known as the luckiest student in the school—his Zenith Crystal had awakened when he was only nine years old.

“Oy, March,” Glenn sneered. “You really think you can become a Zenith Warrior without any power?”

Before March could respond, Glenn raised his hand.

The wind surged violently through the room. The temperature rose rapidly as a glowing red flame formed in his palm. The classroom was bathed in blazing orange light as the fireball grew larger.

“This,” Glenn said proudly, “is real power.”

He lowered his hand, and the flames faded.

Silence filled the room.

March stared at her desk, eyes wide, hands trembling. She slowly looked up at Glenn, who smirked down at her with arrogance.

“That’s enough.”

Lloyd’s voice was calm—but firm.

“Glenn, you’re right. You can’t call yourself a hero without power,” he said. “But using your power to intimidate others is unacceptable.”

Then he turned to March.

“And March… I admire your spirit. But forcing yourself to become a hero—risking your life against evil without power—means you may only be throwing your life away.”

The class slowly returned to order.

That evening, March returned home. Aura greeted her and told her to prepare for dinner. Later, as the sun set and the moon rose, March sat silently watching TV.

“This weekend, my friends and I are going hiking,” Aura said. “There’s a mountain not far from the city. It has a giant sinkhole with a waterfall view. Want to come?”

March stared at the screen for a moment… then nodded.

“Sure.”

That weekend, everyone gathered at the apartment.

The group consisted of March, Aura, Sylpha Lyara—a tomboyish woman, Frank Adrian—a hiking fanatic who acted as their guide, and Andrew Foster—a calm, older-brother type who had planned the trip.

After hours of travel, they arrived at the mountain.

Without noticing the warning sign—“Mountain Closed Due to Unstable Ground”—they entered the forest.

An hour later, they reached the sinkhole.

Aura exhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh air as she gazed at the massive crater. A waterfall cascaded in the distance. The sinkhole was so deep they couldn’t even see the bottom.

After resting, Frank suggested taking pictures.

Once individual photos were done, Aura suggested a group photo.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sylpha hesitated.

Before she could protest further, Frank grabbed her hand and dragged her over.

All five stood near the edge of the cliff.

CRACK!!

The sound echoed sharply.

Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them collapsed.

They fell.

Screams echoed as they plunged into the darkness—until they slammed into water.

A lake.

They swam to shore and looked around.

A massive cave loomed before them.

“What’s that?” Andrew pointed.

Deep inside stood a colossal tree—growing impossibly underground. A door was embedded within its trunk.

Inside was pitch dark.

Andrew turned on his phone flashlight, revealing ancient inscriptions on the walls. At the center stood a circular stone table with five holes.

“It says to place your hand and begin the ritual,” Aura said.

“You can read that?” March asked, surprised.

“A little,” Aura replied.

One by one, they placed their hands on the table.

Aura began reading aloud:

“With this power, I shall protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

“With this power, granted by the gods…”

“None shall bring ruin to this planet.”

“The lights have chosen you.”

“Your fate is decided.”

“Protect life.”

“Destroy evil.”

“Awaken—Zenith.”

The table shook violently.

Light erupted from the holes—blue, white, red, brown, and purple—flowing from their palms into their bodies.

Power surged through them.

Then… silence.

“That was SO COOL!!” Frank laughed. “I feel like something entered my body!”

“Zenith… chosen… does that mean we were selected by the Zenith Crystals?!” March shouted excitedly.

“Calm down,” Aura said. “There’s still more writing.”

“It’s getting late,” Andrew said. “We should go home.”

“But how do we get out?” Frank asked.

As if answering him, a hidden door slid open behind them—revealing a long tunnel leading outside the mountain.

After some discussion, they agreed to leave.

Tomorrow, they would return.

Because their fate had already begun.

As they arrived home, the bright orange glow of sunset had already faded into a deep blue night sky. Exhausted, March went straight to her room and dropped onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, then slowly raised her hand toward the air.

“Bamm.”

She tried to cast a spell.

Nothing happened.

Only silence answered her.

“Huft… well, there’s still tomorrow to find out,” March muttered. Without overthinking it, she rolled to her side and quickly fell asleep.

The next evening, the sky burned orange as the sun set once more. A cold breeze drifted through the air, and the sound of a television broke the silence inside a quiet house. A woman lay lazily on the couch, repeatedly switching channels with the remote.

“I’m home,” a man’s voice came from the front door.

“Welcome home, Lloyd. How was work?” the woman asked.

“Quit asking, Lily. Nothing special,” Lloyd replied tiredly, gently nudging her aside as he passed.

Lily Fortera—Lloyd’s older sister—had bright pink hair that always drew attention. Her clingy personality often annoyed her brother, but she was deeply caring and fiercely protective of her family, even if she loved teasing them.

“Is Father home yet?” Lloyd asked.

“He’ll be back any minute. Go take a shower—I’ll make dinner,” Lily called as she headed to the kitchen.

“Whatever.”

Lloyd placed his things down and went to the bathroom. As warm water filled the tub, silence settled in—broken only by dripping water and the faint sound of the TV from the living room.

Lloyd stared blankly at the ceiling.

A sudden white flash crossed his mind.

“My dream is to become a Zenith Warrior and protect everyone.”

March’s voice echoed in his thoughts.

“Z Academy, huh…” Lloyd muttered.

As if struck by a realization, he suddenly stood up, threw on his clothes, and hurried out of the bathroom.

Entering the living room, he saw a tall, middle-aged man sitting on the couch.

“Father,” Lloyd greeted him, sitting beside him.

Torres Fortera—their father and captain of the police department—radiated authority. Tall, broad, and bearded, he often spent his evenings watching TV, sometimes falling asleep on the couch after long days at work.

Soon after, night fully settled in. Heavy rain pounded the ground outside as the three of them sat at the dining table, eating dinner in silence.

“So, Lloyd,” Torres finally spoke, “how’s your new job?”

The sound of utensils stopped. Lloyd stared at his plate for a moment.

“It’s normal. Nothing special,” he replied before continuing to eat.

“Heh,” Torres chuckled. “You’ve grown a lot, Lloyd. Ever since your mother passed away… you’ve changed.”

“Quit it, Father,” Lloyd said, embarrassed.

Bzzztt!

Bzzztt!!

Bzzztt!!!

The walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.

Torres immediately stood and answered it.

“What’s the situation?”

“A bank downtown has been robbed,” a woman’s voice reported. “Thirteen hostages taken. Nearby officers are overwhelmed—requesting immediate backup.”

Without hesitation, Torres grabbed his gear and rushed out.

As the door closed behind him, Lloyd stared at the floor, deep in thought. Without a word, he turned and walked to his bedroom, leaving Lily confused.

Downtown, chaos erupted.

Crowds gathered. Reporters swarmed the area. As Torres arrived, he quickly assessed the situation and attempted to negotiate, but the robbers refused and grew more aggressive.

Before violence could erupt—

A figure dropped from above.

The impact stunned everyone.

A man stood at the center of the scene, wearing a white shirt, a long black mantle, and a crow mask covering half his face. Officers raised their weapons, mistaking him for an accomplice—

Until—

“BAM!”

“UGHH!”

The man moved.

Too fast.

In seconds, the robbers were knocked out one by one. Human eyes couldn’t even follow his movements. Just as suddenly, the hostages were freed.

After checking the building, the mysterious man stepped back outside.

“Don’t move!” Torres shouted, aiming his gun. “Who the hell are you?!”

Before an answer came—

SBUUMM!

The man threw something to the ground. Smoke engulfed the area.

When it cleared, he was gone.

Torres could only stare at the empty space, questions filling his eyes.

By morning, footage of the incident had gone viral.

The world gave the mysterious hero a name:

...Raven....

The next day, under a bright blue sky, everyone gathered once again inside the cave.

“Raven, huh?” Frank said. “Everyone’s talking about him.”

“Maybe once we unlock our powers, we can do that too,” March said excitedly. “That’s why we’re here—to understand the ritual.”

Hours passed.

Nothing happened.

“I’m done. I’m going home,” Sylpha said, exhausted.

“What? Giving up already?” Aura tried to stop her.

“I’m not giving up. I’m just tired of this superhero nonsense.”

“But the crystal chose yo—”

“I KNOW!” Sylpha snapped. “And nothing has changed!”

“So you’re just hiding?” Aura taunted. “Like a scared little pig afraid of lightning?”

Sylpha froze.

“What did you say?”

She stormed toward Aura and grabbed her collar, fury burning in her eyes.

“I didn’t say you were giving up,” Aura said calmly. “I said you’re a coward.”

That was enough.

Sylpha slammed Aura to the ground and began striking her wildly. Blood stained the stone floor.

“No one tells me what to do!” Sylpha growled.

Suddenly—

Flames ignited around her fist.

Bright, blazing fire wrapped around her hand.

Sylpha staggered back, staring at her reflection in the water. Her neck glowed red as the Zenith Crystal awakened—then slowly faded, sinking back into her body.

She looked at Aura.

Aura lay injured, blood dripping from her nose and mouth.

Sylpha collapsed to her knees, shaking.

“I—I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she sobbed.

Aura slowly stood up and hugged her.

Silence filled the cave.

“…That flame,” March whispered, eyes wide. “That was real… right?”

“How did you do that?” Frank asked.

“I don’t know,” Sylpha said weakly. “My body felt lighter… faster… my senses sharper.”

Excited chatter erupted.

“That’s enough,” Andrew said firmly. “We’re done for today. Aura needs treatment.”

Under the daylight, March, Aura, and Sylpha walked through the streets, searching for a hospital.

“We’re here,” Sylpha said, pointing ahead.

A small white building stood before them—old-fashioned and quiet.

March blinked.

“Are you sure… this is a hospital?”

“Oh? You don’t believe me?” Sylpha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No—no, it’s not like that,” March hurriedly replied. “It’s just… uh—”

Her words got stuck.

Once inside, Sylpha brought Aura into one of the rooms for a checkup, leaving March waiting outside.

Several minutes passed.

Sylpha eventually stepped out alone.

“It’s going to take a while,” she explained. “So… what are you planning to do now?”

Before March could answer—

Grrruuwwlll—

Her stomach betrayed her.

March froze, quickly covering her stomach, her face burning with embarrassment.

Sylpha sighed and shook her head. “Come on. Follow me.”

Outside, March lowered her head. “Sorry you have to deal with all of this… our problems, I mean.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sylpha replied. “I get it.”

She paused, then continued, “I had an older sister too. Four years older than me.”

March looked at her.

“She went missing three years ago… during the outbreak.”

Before March could respond—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the air.

People screamed.

Crowds scattered in every direction.

March and Sylpha ran toward the source—and froze.

A humanoid robot stood in the street, its massive frame tearing through buildings and vehicles alike.

A child stood frozen in its path.

March moved without thinking.

She grabbed the child and leapt aside just as debris crashed down where they had been standing.

Before the robot could advance, Sylpha charged forward, slamming her fist into its body.

The impact echoed.

But it wasn’t enough.

The robot retaliated, hurling Sylpha away. She crashed into a wall with a sickening thud.

March rushed to her side.

“It’s no use,” Sylpha muttered, forcing herself up. “My strength alone can’t beat it.”

“Then we do it together,” March said, stepping beside her.

They charged.

Strikes came from both sides—left, right, again and again—but the robot barely reacted. Instead, it grew more violent.

In one swift motion, it grabbed Sylpha by the arm and March by the neck.

Sylpha was thrown across the street, slamming into a wall.

March was smashed into the ground.

Pain exploded through her body. Blood trickled from her mouth as she struggled to move.

She forced herself up and looked toward Sylpha—

Too late.

One of the robot’s arms transformed, reshaping into a cannon.

A blazing fireball formed.

It fired.

The attack was impossibly fast.

March couldn’t run.

She couldn’t move.

She stood frozen, bracing herself.

So this is it…

Then—

Slaaash!

A black figure appeared in front of her.

The fireball was split cleanly in half.

March’s breath caught.

“Ra… ven…?”

Her voice trembled.

Before the robot could react, Raven vanished—and reappeared in an instant.

One strike.

Then another.

The robot was torn apart, metal fragments raining onto the pavement.

Silence followed.

March exhaled shakily and collapsed to the ground.

Raven approached the wreckage, prying open its remains. From within, he retrieved a glowing core marked with a strange M symbol.

He pocketed it.

Then he turned toward March.

He stood there for a moment, silently watching her.

Her vision blurred.

Darkness crept in from the edges.

Raven reached up and removed his mask.

March forced her eyes open just enough to see his face.

“…Mr. Lloyd?”

Her strength gave out.

The world went black.

March passed out on the location....