The city did not sleep that night.
Police barricades surrounded the ancestral dojo.
Emergency lights changing to red and blue.
Helicopters hovered in sky.
News vans gathered at a distance, reporters whispering into cameras while soldiers forced them back.
No one officially said the word supernatural.
But everyone felt it.
Something impossible had happened.
Inside the dojo courtyard, uniformed officials stood carefully.
Not aggressive.
Not relaxed.
Uncertain.
Because standing before them were twenty warriors who looked human…
yet felt like natural disasters choosing restraint.
Manu stood near the entrance, hands in his pockets, unsure where to look.
Diego leaned closer to Manu and whispered,
"So… these metal boxes with wheels… and those flying metal mosquitoes…
are they powered by ghosts?"
Manu stared at him.
Blank.
"…They're called cars and helicopters."
Diego nodded seriously.
"Ghosts. Got it."
A senior officer stepped forward.
Government insignia shimmered on his coat.
Commissioner Hayashi.
His eyes moved across the Anchors slowly.
Evaluating threat level.
Failing completely.
"…We appreciate your cooperation," he said carefully.
Solar Anchor Alejandro Reyes inclined his head politely.
"We understand your caution."
The officer hesitated.
That calm confidence unsettled him more than hostility would have.
Behind him, several soldiers adjusted their stance nervously.
Storm Anchor Erik volkov noticed.
He grinned.
"They think we're dangerous."
Bjorn halvard Verdict Anchor replied quietly,
"They are correct."
Alejandro faceplamed.
Investigation Begins
Tables were arranged inside the dojo.
Laptops opened.
Officials began asking questions.
Names.
Origins.
Affiliations.
Every answer only made things worse.
"Country of origin?"
"…Multiple eras," Elias ward Chronos answered honestly.
Typing stopped.
The officer blinked.
"…I'm going to need clarification."
Wei lin Cipher Anchor leaned forward, studying the laptop screen.
"You record information inefficiently."
The technician froze as Wei Lin began correcting their database structure without permission.
"…He hacked the system."
"I improved it," Wei lin replied calmly.
Outside, soldiers tested equipment.
Thermal scanners.
Radiation detectors.
Biometric readers.
Every machine malfunctioned near the Anchors.
Readings fluctuated wildly.
Heartbeats inconsistent.
Auras unmeasurable.
One soldier whispered,
"…Are they even human?"
Sister Elena kovacs Mercy Anchor overheard.
She smiled gently.
"We are trying to be."
The answer somehow comforted and terrified him simultaneously.
Manu Under Observation
Meanwhile
two officials questioned Manu separately.
"You knew these people before today?"
"No."
"You understand what happened?"
"…No."
They exchanged looks.
The boy appeared normal.
Completely ordinary.
And yet
all unknown entities had formed protective positions around him instinctively.
One officer noted quietly:
Subject appears central to event.
Manu noticed Anchors watching from across the courtyard.
Not guarding.
Just… nearby.
Waiting.
He didn't understand why.
But he felt safer.
Government representatives gathered privately.
Whispers filled the room.
"They neutralized the phenomenon."
"They stabilized environmental damage."
"They show no hostile intent."
"…We cannot control them."
Silence followed.
Finally Hayashi spoke:
"We do not control them."
He looked through the window toward the Anchors.
"We cooperate."
Decision made.
An official offered bottled water respectfully.
kwame Adeyemi Bastion Anchor accepted it like ceremonial diplomacy.
Erik volkov Storm Anchor tried instant noodles for the first time.
Five seconds later
"…This is incredible."
Within minutes half the Anchors surrounded a convenience store counter like fascinated explorers.
Chronos examined a microwave.
"…Heat produced instantly."
He looked genuinely impressed.
Human civilization had advanced without Anchors.
That realization carried quiet pride.
And quiet sadness.
The Agreement
Near midnight, Commissioner Hayashi approached Alejandro again.
"We cannot explain you to the world."
Alejandro nodded.
"Nor do we wish disruption."
After a long pause, the officer spoke carefully.
"You will remain here under observation."
Verdict Anchor's hand rested near his sword.
Alejandro raised a hand slightly.
Peace.
"We accept temporary supervision."
Relief spread visibly among officials.
An impossible crisis had become cooperation.
Private Moment
As authorities prepared to leave
one young soldier approached Manu awkwardly.
"…Are they heroes?"
Manu looked toward the Anchors laughing softly inside the dojo.
He remembered light tearing the sky apart.
Someone dying so he could live.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
"I think they are."
Unnoticed by humans
Oracle Anchor watched the departing vehicles.
Her expression troubled.
Chronos joined her.
"The timeline resists correction," he said.
She nodded slowly.
"…And yet everything bends around him."
Both glanced toward Manu.
Neither spoke further.
Some truths were not ready to exist yet.
Ending Hook
High above the atmosphere
satellites recorded strange gravitational fluctuations centered on one location.
The data transmitted automatically to global monitoring networks.
Across the world…
ancient seals stirred.
Dormant distortions awakened.
Something had announced itself to reality.
And reality was responding.
Far beyond stars
the Void Emperor observed the data streams entering human networks.
He laughed softly.
"Even their governments prepare the stage."
His eyes glowed faintly.
"The world begins to notice the Axis."
Darkness shifted.
The game moved to its next phase.
END OF EPISODE 3.5