ZERO SHIFT

The Ranger HQ loomed ahead, a massive skyscraper standing tall against the horizon. The building buzzed with activity, its advanced technology and high-tech equipment working tirelessly to maintain order. It was the tallest structure in the city, a symbol of power and control. Inside, the atmosphere was a mix of cold professionalism and barely contained tension, especially after the recent events.

As Kyle Arturcles stepped through the doors, he immediately instructed his men to take Josuke to a restraining room. The unconscious boy was carefully carried by the Rangers, his hands and legs tightly bound to a bed, securing him in a dark, isolated room separate from the medical ward. There was no room for mercy here—not when it came to someone with so much raw, unpredictable power. Josuke's violent transformation had shown them just how dangerous he could be.

Kyle and Maya's Quiet Moment

Meanwhile, Kyle had other priorities. His appetite for sweets was never far from his mind, so he made his way to the lunch room. Despite the chaotic nature of the situation, he was remarkably calm, his demeanor unchanged as he grabbed a slice of cake and poured himself a glass of apple juice. Maya couldn't help but roll her eyes, her lips curling into a faint smile as she entered the room.

As she sat across from him, she sighed, trying to ignore the sweetness that Kyle seemed to enjoy in such times. She was more concerned about the situation they now found themselves in. "So, what do we do about him?" she asked, her voice steady but edged with frustration.

Kyle paused, savoring another bite of cake before replying nonchalantly. "Just check the Ranger database. I'm sure there's something about him. After all, he's gotta come from somewhere, right?" His playful tone contrasted with the seriousness of their task, but that was Kyle for you—always trying to lighten the mood even when the situation was anything but light.

Maya took a sip of her tea, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "You really think we'll find something? He's not royalty. His last name, 'Akari,' doesn't trace back to any noble line, and his mother's records… They don't say much either."

"True, true," Kyle agreed, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "But I've always believed people's pasts can't hide forever. There's always something if you dig deep enough. We'll find it." He took another sip of juice. "Besides, something tells me this kid's not just an ordinary orphan. He's got more to him than meets the eye."

Maya let out a long sigh, folding her arms across her chest. "It's going to be a long night, then."

Shiro's Healing and the Search for Answers

As Shiro rested in the medical ward, Maya did her best to heal him. She was one of the best when it came to combat medicine, and her healing powers worked swiftly, her hands glowing as she patched up his wounds. The old man had risked everything to save Josuke, and despite his injuries, he was lucky to be alive.

Maya's mind, however, kept drifting back to Josuke. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more to the boy than just an out-of-control power. The Ranger database had yielded nothing substantial on his mother, Aiko Akari, and even less on his father. The only information they could find pointed to Aiko being a highly respected healer who had once worked alongside the Rangers but nothing about Josuke's origins.

She glanced at Kyle, who was still devouring his cake, completely unfazed by the situation. "You really think he has something to do with former devil king Ragnar?" she asked suddenly, her voice low, as if the thought had only just crossed her mind.

Kyle paused for a moment, setting his cake down. He looked at Maya, his eyes narrowing. "Possibly. But devil king Ragnar is dead, and his bloodline… well, it's not something we've seen in for over 15 years now. The power Josuke has it's not ordinary. And we both know Ragnar's legacy wasn't just about brute strength. There was something far darker at play."

Maya thought for a moment. Ragnar had been a legendary figure, his bloodline feared and revered by many. If Josuke was truly tied to him, then it could explain the boy's out-of-control power and his mysterious origins. But even so, Josuke didn't seem to match the description of a son of Ragnar the boy was young, vulnerable, and still barely understood his abilities.

"I'll keep digging," Maya said, standing up. "But something doesn't sit right. If he's truly Ragnar's son, why didn't anyone come looking for him? Why wasn't he raised as an heir?"

Kyle just shrugged, picking up his cake again. "Doesn't matter right now. Our job is to make sure he doesn't tear this place apart. Let's deal with him first, and then we'll answer the questions later."

The Ranger Database

Later that night, while Kyle enjoyed more cake and Maya sipped her tea, the Ranger database was being accessed. Rows of information scrolled across the screen, detailing everything from Josuke's biological origins to his mother's career.

The most curious finding was a discrepancy in Aiko's history. While the records showed she had been a respected healer, there were multiple instances where her name was associated with unusual occurrences—strange energies, unexplained phenomena, and most notably, reports from the time of her death. The people who had killed her had been part of an underground cult, but no one had ever fully understood why they'd targeted her.

But Josuke? There was nothing about him. The Akari family, despite Aiko's prominence, had no noble bloodline, and Josuke's father was completely missing from the records. It was as if someone had gone to great lengths to erase his existence. The Ranger database yielded no answers about Ragnar, nor did it indicate that Josuke was part of the notorious demon king's bloodline.