Act 1, Chapter 1 - Just Another Day at the Office (Part 1)
Ginza District
Tokyo, Japan
August 8, 2026
"Mind telling me what we're even doing here, Ruiko?" Articho questions his wife as he pushes the stroller carrying their twins - a boy and a girl - down the sidewalk, while his wife walks beside him as she holds hands with their eldest daughter who has just recently turned seven last week.
Articho, formerly known as Son Goku, Jr. A Saiyan descended from the Son Goku of his timeline, Articho is considered the strongest member of the Time Patrol in Universe 7. But in a reality outside of Zeno's multiverse called Earth-86, he is and has proven to be the strongest mortal in existence. Of course, that doesn't mean he's the number one strongest in the entire infinite multiverse. The last three years he's been in this current universe? Let's just say he's been through a lot of complicated shenanigans. Hell, 'complicated' barely even cuts it anymore, given the fact that he's married and having kids in his teens. Under Academy City law, that is.
So the reason he's in one of Tokyo's oldest and historical districts alongside his wife and kids? Spent some family quality time together outside of Academy City whenever the former Time Patroller isn't always busy with training or fighting bad guys, which he hasn't been running into over the past month. Of course, the 16 year old girl's husband wasn't buying it but decided to keep this to himself for now.
"Mama, I want to go to that big convention here." His eldest daughter Febrie excitedly says, pointing at a poster on a nearby window.
Ah, yes. Febrie. Long story short, Articho developed a romantic relationship with the teenage girl in question Ruiko Saten, and accidentally knocked her up. Two weeks later - courtesy of the mother's special Saiyan genes inherited by her 'birth father' (more on that later), Febrie was born, got kidnapped by a faction of crazed scientists that resulted in a four year growth acceleration, and well... you know the rest.
"Whatever you like, dear." Ruiko smiles warmly at her.
"And you're ignoring me. Again." Her husband sighs. 'She's probably still mad about me, Kinuho, and Kazari keeping the existence of sentient alien robots a secret.'
Oh, yeah. Did I forget to mention that Articho somehow got roped into a small harem, marrying nine other girls and having more kids with them? But that's another story.
The twins in the stroller cooed at their father innocently, sensing his anxiety.The Time Patroller notices this and smiles at them, assuring that he's alright.
"Well, I'll be." A familiar voice says. "And how's my favorite niece doing?"
"Uncle Touma!" The 7 year old blonde girl exclaims happily as she lets go of her mother's hand and runs up to her favorite spiky haired uncle, embracing in his arms for a big hug.
Touma Kamijou, no further introduction needed other than the fact that his ability to negate magic and supernatural powers resides within his right hand. And the fact that he's basically immortal to the point that he literally can't die the regular way. Of course, the two things that his Imagine Breaker - as it's called - can't negate are matter and the life force all organic possess called 'ki.' If his hand could negate life energy, everyone he knows wouldn't be alive, now would they?
"Seven years old." He comments, laughing proudly as he looks at her. "You certainly have grown a few inches."
"But Uncle, weren't you at my birthday last week?" She questions.
"She's not wrong." Shutaura cheekily grins at her husband.
"I-It was a joke, I swear!" He nervously explains."Just joking!"
"Sure you were." His wife giggles.
Shutaura Sequenzia, the younger half-sister that Articho never knew of till three years ago during the Endymion incident. A naturally born leader, mostly by the books, and can be quite sensitive at times. Although, she's a hybrid Saiyan like her older half-brother, Shutaura lacks the amount of S-cells to even access the golden transformation of the Super Saiyan. However, as a Level 4 Esper, her ability to launch and detonate explosives - made from a special metal ore - makes up for those lacking traits.
"Glad you two could make it." Ruiko welcomes before noticing the married couple's own twins. "And you've brought the kids, too, I see."
"I could say the same to you and my brother." Shutaura smirked before the two sister-in-laws shared a laugh.
"Women." Articho rolls his eyes as the two girls started chatting.
"You can say that again." Touma sighs, slouching forward. "Though, I'm already used to this by now. Just my luck."
"Yeah, no shit." The Time Patroller deadpans, agreeing with his brother-in-law.
"Articho." Shutaura greets her older half sibling with a hug.
"Shutaura." He returns the hug. "How have you been?"
"Alright, I guess." She answers, letting him go. "When Ruiko first brought up the idea of a family get together here in Ginza, I thought it was the perfect chance to steal Touma away from the other wives he's been groomed to."
"For his sake or yours?" He crosses his arms, unconvinced with his sister's explanation.
"Hey Ruiko, mind if I borrow him for a bit?" She asks her sister-in-law.
"Not at all." Ruiko shrugs. "You guys are half siblings after all. Touma and I will take the kids and meet you two at the convention."
"Appreciate it." The Black Crow nodded. "Articho and I need to discuss some important things."
Ruiko didn't say another word and acknowledged with a simple nod before looking at Febrie.
"Come along, Febrie." She informs her daughter. "Let's give your father and aunt some time alone. Your uncle has volunteered to take us to the convention."
"Okay~" Febrie cheered as she took Ruiko's hand as the three headed to the convention leaving the two alone.
"Articho, are you alright?" Shutaura asks as their families were out of earshot.
"I'm fine, sis." He sighs. "It's just..."
"Still thinking about Unicron, huh?" She awkwardly guessed.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this." He admits. "I know the Reapers in Shepard's universe were a force to be reckoned with, given that they wipe out advanced organic civilizations every 50,000 years, but... but to learn that the technology that the Catalyst was built from parts of Unicron? What the hell were the Leviathans even thinking?"
"The Leviathans and the Reapers were just pawns to him." Shutaura reminded him. "He manipulated their beliefs in maintaining the balance of cooperation between organic and synthetic life. And the Reaper War and Prothean-Reaper War were nothing but an experiment to him, so that he will have a second coming in our universe."
"And not just this universe. You should know this by now." He shakes his head. "You've seen what he's capable of. Remember the Maximals and the Predacons? They came to our timeline to escape the one where the AllSpark no longer exists. Unfortunately, we both know that there's no escaping Unicron's wrath. Even Galvatron and Nemesis Prime couldn't be free from his hold over them."
"There's something you're not telling me. Unless..." She points out before her onyx eyes widened in horror. "You spoke to him, didn't you?"
"More like he spoke to me." He corrects her. "Not long after the Beast Wars, his voice was in my sleep. I thought it was just a dream, but it was no dream. He even offered me to be his new herald, promising power and the wisdom of his counsel."
"Did you believe him?" She further questions.
Articho said nothing, giving Shutaura a blank expression.
"Right." She facepalms at herself."Stupid question."
"Look, my point is that I don't know if I have what it takes to stop the Chaos Bringer himself." He says. "I barely defeated Demigra all those years ago and we lost a lot of good Time Patrollers that day. Even if we work together, unity might not be enough."
"At least the Decepticons are holding off their feud with the Autobots for now." His half sister points out. "But only because they share a common enemy. After that, it's back to the fighting."
"If there's anything left for Megatron and his Cons to conquer and rule, that is." He snorts.
"Don't say that!" She chastises. "Doubting yourself won't make it better for everyone. You, Touma, and Arisa taught me that on Endymion. If you believe in us, at least try to believe in yourself."
"I..." He opens his mouth to argue but sighs in defeat. "You're right. At least you take after mom."
"And Seiri." She adds.
"Especially Seiri." He nods, agreeing with her.
Meanwhile...
Febrie hummed happily while Ruiko smiled at how she looked. While the other kids happily talked to one another - at the surprisingly young age of three, wondering what they will expect in the convention.
Unfortunately, Ruiko's expression changed to doubt and Touma immediately took notice of this as they entered a building with people waiting in groups as the convention was only less than an hour away.
"There's that look on your face, Ruiko." Touma says. "Something bothering you?"
"Just… a lot in my mind" She answered. "Articho doesn't seem to trust me, does he?"
"What are you talking about?" He questions in confusion. "Of course he trusts you."
"Like how he didn't trust us enough to know about the existence of giant alien robots that can transform into any form of human technology?" She coldly remarks. "Kazari and Kinuho weren't any better either. How can I raise a family if the husband, that me and the other girls we share, keeps lying to my face again and again?"
"I'm gonna stop you right there." The Imagine Breaker interrupts as they stop walking while Febrie continues to playfully walk without getting too far from her mother and uncle. "Has Articho ever misdirected us? Did he give up when the odds weren't in his favor or when there were times his enemies were stronger than him? No. Because he trusts us with his own life. He can't always tell us everything. It's for the safety of our friends and loved ones. Believe me, I know. I've been there before. And Ruiko? In his place, you would've done the same damn thing."
"Touma, I..."She hesitates, but is interrupted when she and her friend hear someone screaming in pain.
The two turned around and noticed a man in his early 30s lying flat on his back with a bruise on his forehead as he had just ran into a concrete pillar.
"Wha?" Ruiko looked startled seeing a stranger injured all the sudden. Touma was about to go and check the man but before that something happened.
A small commotion was happening, people where starting to notice and suddenly people from the distance started to scream and shout in panic.
"Hey, are you okay there?" Another man wearing a ball cap asks, crouching beside him as the one with a minor bruised forehead nodded with a reassuring smile.
"Let's keep moving." Ruiko sweatdrops, pushing the twins' stroller and rejoining Febrie. "I think... whoever the hell's that weirdo, probably doesn't need our help."
"Noted." Touma agrees, also sharing the same awkward expression she has and follows her behind while pushing the stroller of his own kids.
11:30 A.M.
A small crowd of people are standing in the middle of the street as they are awed and curious at what's before their eyes. It was an Earth-like columned structure, made of either marble or limestone with its entrance pitch black. Suddenly, something flew out of it, revealing to be a winged dragon being piloted by a man wearing armor that's a mix between the early Middle Ages and the Roman Empire.
The dragon then started to circle around the area, as if it was only a scout. Turns out that it became true as more of them flew out of the structure and shortly after, an army of medieval soldiers - alongside mystical creatures resembling animals - made their presence known as they stand before the citizens. And then, all hell broke loose.
In that moment, everyone who was close to the area snapped there attention to the havoc.
"The hell?!" Touma shouted looking at the directions of the panic crowd.
Ruiko also looked on in concern while she held the frightened children protectively.
"Why's everyone running?" She asks a fleeing civilian.
No answer came, and before she knew it, she finally noticed one of the unknown army's dragons flying in the air as it was headed towards herself, Touma, and their kids.
Just their luck, it would seem.