Chapter 1: Join Us

June 23, 2016 – Evening. The streetlights began to flicker on.

Tokio Yukawa, a top student at North State Academy, was returning home late.

“Today has to be my unluckiest day of the month. I should’ve finished those assignments during summer vacation. If I had, I could’ve avoided today’s punishment… damn it. After enduring hours of sensei’s ‘special lesson’… ugh… and now I have to finish all the assignments by tomorrow too. Looks like it’s time to get my mojo back.”

He stopped by a convenience stand, bought a soda, and sat on a park bench to clear his head. As he popped the can open and it hissed, his eyes drifted to a girl nearby.

She stood under a tree, pacing in small circles. Short brown hair. A backpack slung over one shoulder. Her hands were tucked into the sleeves of an oversized hoodie, like she was trying to disappear into it. She turned slowly now and then, scanning the street, as if the city might rearrange itself if she waited long enough.

She wore a middle school uniform with a skirt slightly too long and a hoodie half-zipped, as if she’d thrown it on without thinking.

Younger than him, sure. But not a child, of course.

Tokio sighed. Figures.

“Hey,” he said, standing up. “You lost?”

She looked at him, hesitating for half a second longer than necessary.

“…I’m trying to find Apollo General Hospital,” she said. Her voice was soft, steady. “My grandma was admitted today. I think I took the wrong bus.”

Tokio exhaled.

“You’re pretty far off,” he said. “The hospital district’s east. A few blocks.”

Her shoulders relaxed, just a little.

“Really? Thank you. I thought so, but everything looks different at night.”

“It does,” he agreed. “Still, you shouldn’t be wandering around alone this late.”

“I know,” she said. “I just… didn’t want to bother anyone.”

The words were polite. Reasonable.

Tokio checked his watch, then shrugged. “Well… I could use a walk anyway.”

They walked together. Tokio kept his hands in his pockets, matching her pace without thinking about it. She didn’t lag behind. Didn’t rush ahead. She held a hot coffee can Tokio had bought her, staring at it as they walked. Just walked, like she already knew how far it was.

“What’s your name, anyway?” he asked.

“Anya Yomizaki.”

“Pretty nice name. Mine’s Tokio Yukawa,” he said, glancing at his watch again.

She glanced up at him.

“I know.”

“…Huh?” Tokio blinked.

“This way, right?” she said, pointing ahead.

“…Yeah. Wait. How’d you know?” he asked.

“I passed a building with the same emergency sign earlier,” she said. “It loops around.”

Loops?

That wasn’t how this area—

A strange smell cut through the air. Sweet. Cold. Tokio stopped mid-step.

“…Wait, what’s this smell? Chloroform?!”

His vision became hazy. The ground tilted slightly, like the world was leaning away from him. Anya stepped back.

From inside her backpack, she pulled out a gas mask and slipped it on with calm, practiced movements.

“I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice was muffled now, but clear. “This version of you always helps.”

“W-Wait—what—”

The fog grew heavy, faster than it should have. His legs gave out before his thoughts did.

As he fell, his last clear image was Anya standing where she was, watching.

Just… making sure something went the way it was supposed to.

A dark room.

Tokio slowly began to regain consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, but his vision was blurry. Through the haze, he saw a girl in a black outfit, something like an assassin’s uniform, and a white mask that looked like one of those “hacker” masks.

Around her, others in matching outfits were helping her hurry along, just as Tokio’s vision cleared completely.

The girl suddenly threw her arms wide and let out a booming laugh.

“WAHAHAHAHA! So, you have dared to reclaim your consciousness, pitiful mortal!” she declared, her voice dripping with theatrical arrogance.

She twirled dramatically, her cloak fluttering in a non-existent breeze.

“Now! Prepare yourself! Bear witness to the ultimate CHAOS! Those who peddle in evil shall be CRUSHED by the mighty, swirling darkness of the BLACK HOLE!

We are the unseen storm, the fangs in the shadows, the justice that memes itself into reality!”

She snapped her fingers.

Spotlights clicked on, bathing her in a glorious, overly dramatic glow.

Her teammates shuffled into formation behind her, striking poses they had definitely practiced in front of a mirror.

“We are… THE PHANTOMS!”

Cue a giant, badly made cardboard sign falling from the ceiling that read “THE PHANTOMS” in huge glittery letters.

Tokio, still half-dazed, thought,

Am I dreaming… or did I just get kidnapped by a bunch of cosplay addicts?!

Out loud, he muttered,

“Did you borrow those lines from some TV show or something? This looks so cringe.”

The girl, the self-proclaimed leader, staggered back a little, visibly wounded.

“Cringe…?” she repeated in a hurt voice, like he’d just kicked her puppy.

“Wait a second-who gave you permission to talk?!” she snapped, suddenly shouting.

Tokio smirked a little, unfazed.

“Huh, so I am being kidnapped by some weird-ass cosplayers.”

“What did you just say?!” she barked, her voice rising in pitch.

In the middle of her tantrum, her mask slipped off-

-and underneath, a cute face with long white hair was revealed.

Tokio blinked, caught off guard.

Well… she actually looks kinda cute.

The girl froze, realizing her mask had fallen.

Her cheeks turned bright pink for a moment, but she quickly coughed into her fist and tried to recover her “cool” villain act.

“Ahem! Y-You dare gaze upon my divine garden without permission?! Mortal, prepare yourself for-uh-eternal doom or something!”

She awkwardly picked up her mask and tried to jam it back on, but it was upside down.

One of her teammates whispered, “Boss, the mask’s backwards…”

She hissed at them to shut up under her breath, spun around quickly, and adjusted her mask properly.

Tokio sighed.

“So, would you please drop the act and tell me why I’m tied up in this chair?” he asked, his tone serious now.

The girl straightened her back, dropping the dramatic flair. She turned to face him and said in a more normal voice,

“Isn’t it obvious already-?”

“-Kidnapped, right?” Tokio finished for her, deadpan.

He added, “So why don’t you just ask for my parents’ number and ransom me or something… Or maybe you already did?”

“HELL no!” she snapped instantly, looking genuinely offended.

“We’re not interested in your boring parents!”

She leaned closer, her mask hiding most of her expression, but he could feel her smirk behind it.

“Rather… we want something much more important-”

“You.”

”…What do you mean by me?” Tokio asked, narrowing his eyes.

The masked girl paused, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

“I guess… my dramatic introduction was a failure,” she admitted, voice flat.

“So let’s do this properly. Seriously, this time.”

She sighed deeply, then pulled off her mask with a dramatic swish.

“I’m Shina Yatoizawa,” she announced proudly, placing a hand on her chest.

“Leader of this-uh, cult.”

She froze for a second, realizing her mistake.

“I mean! Not a cult! Team! Team! The Phantoms!” she corrected herself frantically, waving her arms.

Tokio stared at her blankly.

Here we go again, he thought.

Shina coughed into her fist and tried to sound serious again.

“Anyway. Listen carefully. There’s a hidden evil organization called Abyss,” she said, her tone dropping low.

“They’re responsible for a series of terrorist attacks… You’ve probably seen some of it on the news-bombings, hijacking incidents, strange disappearances.”

She leaned closer, voice dropping to a near whisper.

“And we, The Phantoms, fight against them. From the shadows.”

“That’s great and all,” Tokio said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “But can you explain how me being tied to a chair is connected to any of this? Are you seriously accusing me of being one of the terrorists you mentioned?”

“No, no! That’s not it!” Shina waved her hands frantically.

“Perhaps… you were summoned here… to join us!”

“Huh? What?” Tokio blinked, completely confused.

“You see,” Shina continued, striking a cool pose, “we, The Phantoms, have been lacking one crucial member… a mad scientist… someone to create divine weapons to fight against the Abyss!”

Tokio raised an eyebrow. “A what? Seriously?”

He stared at her as if she’d just grown a second head.

“And you, Tokio Yukawa, though just an average high schooler, have a true passion for science itself,” she said, pointing at him dramatically.

“You can fill the role we’ve been missing!”

Tokio raised an eyebrow, his face twisted in disbelief.

“So,” Shina said with a smug smile, stepping closer and thrusting her hand out to him, “what’s your answer? Wanna join the Phantoms?”

So they’re definitely not kidnappers… what a relief. Tokio sighed inwardly.

I’m not sure if her story’s real, but whatever. I’ll just play along for now… As soon as I get home, I’ve gotta finish those damn assignments…

“Sure, whatever. Just untie me already,” Tokio said casually.

“Wait-really? Weren’t you about to refuse?!” Shina asked, blinking in surprise.

“Umm, actually… no one’s ever complimented my passion for science like that before, so… you kinda got me there,” Tokio answered, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

The other masked members looked at each other dramatically, totally confused.

Tokio held out his hand, and Shina quickly shook it, sealing the deal like a real dealers.

“So… he’s recruited, Boss?” one masked member asked.

“Yes,” Shina confirmed proudly.

One by one, the masked members pulled off their masks - three of them, not counting Shina.

“Man, that was a pain in the ass,” sighed a boy with messy black hair.

“Hi! I’m Blade,” he said, giving a small wave.

“Yo, I’m called Eyepatch,” said another boy with black-brown hair, pointing at the eyepatch over his left eye.

The last one, a girl who had been untying Tokio, smiled and said,

“And I’m Memeko the hacker.”

“So, our new mad scientist is on board!” Shina said.

Tokio sighed. “Can we drop the title? It’s so cringey.”

Finally free, Tokio stood up, clicked his glasses into place, and struck the most ridiculously over-the-top pose imaginable.

“And I am… the limit of ENTROPY… disarranged by INFINITY… crushed by the BLACK HOLE… and reborn from the WHITE HOLE…”

He spread his arms wide.

“The self-proclaimed prodigy… Tokkio Yukkkhawa…

A.K.A… Maddox!”

Everyone stared at him, dead silent.

”…You’re even weirder than I am,” Shina muttered.

“……Wait.” She pointed at him slowly.

“Did you just—” Her voice rose.

“—DID YOU JUST COPY MY INTRO?!”