Chapter 1 – Episode 1: The Hero Sparks
"Give it back!"
A boy's voice cracked as tears ran down his cheeks. His bag had been thrown to the ground again and again by a group of bullies.
One of them laughed. "What are you going to do about it, crybaby?"
"Please… someone… help me…" the boy whimpered, clutching his chest.
Suddenly, a rock flew through the air, striking the lead bully square in the back. He stumbled, turning to see who had thrown it.
Three figures stood there, dressed in colorful costumes, like heroes straight out of a comic book.
The boy in front had fiery red hair and a matching red suit with a mask covering half his face. He pointed to himself confidently.
"I'm glad you asked," he said. "We are Justice. Call us… 🌟Hero Sparks🌟."
The other three members stepped forward. One wore black from head to toe, a matching mask hiding his face. Another had pink hair and a pink mask. The last lingered in the shadows, exuding quiet menace.
The bullies laughed. "Are you guys some kind of Power Rangers?" one sneered.
Red-haired boy's eyes narrowed. "Stop laughing. Give the boy his bag."
"And what if we don't?" the bully taunted.
Red clenched his fists, slipping into a boxing stance. "Then you leave me no choice."
The first bully grinned. "Fine. Fight me, then!"
The red-haired boy ducked under a wild punch and delivered a swift uppercut. The bully flew backward, eyes wide with shock.
The other three charged together. Red dodged a knife, kicked another bully away, and narrowly avoided a swinging bat. The bat connected with his face, drawing blood, and anger flared in his eyes.
He struck back, hitting the first bully in the stomach with full force. The man crumpled to the ground.
The last bully hesitated, gripping the stolen bag. Red approached slowly. "Changed your mind?"
The bully dropped the bag without another word and fled.
Pink-haired girl stepped forward, picking up the bag and handing it back to the crying boy.
"You're safe now," she said gently.
The boy sobbed harder. Red scowled, folding his arms. "Stop acting like a baby."
Pink tilted her head and patted the boy's head. "He's still a child. Let him cry a little."
Time passed, and the group decided to escort the boy home. The black-haired member finally removed his mask.
"Damn… I can't even breathe in this thing," he muttered.
Red smiled confidently. "See? Perfect."
Black only sighed.
Red bumped into him playfully. "Hey, that was necessary, wasn't it?"
"I didn't ask to be a hero," Black said, crossing his arms.
Red grinned wider. "Don't be like that. You liked it."
"Do my expressions show that I liked it?" Black snapped.
"Uh… nope," Red teased.
"You actually call us the Hero Sparks?" Black asked incredulously.
"Yes. And?" Red bared his teeth in a teasing grin.
"Ridiculous."
Red laughed. "Take that back. It's not ridiculous. You mean… awesome, right?"
Before another fight could break out, the pink-haired girl threw her hands up. "Calm down, both of you!"
Red and Black reluctantly quieted down, though their expressions still showed simmering frustration.
Pink sighed. "Can't you two just get along? This may be the last time we're together."
Black and Red glanced at her, tension softening for a moment.
Morning came, sunlight spilling across the city. Birds chirped, dogs barked, and cats scurried across the pavement.
In a nearby apartment, Black—whose real name was Keno—was still asleep, surrounded by DVDs and anime figurines.
In the kitchen, his sister Jisaki cooked breakfast while scolding his little brother, Rokuya, who ran around with a toy car and a Naruto figure.
"Rokuya! Stop running and eat your breakfast!" Jisaki shouted, handing him his plate.
Meanwhile, Keno remained in his room. Jisaki knocked on his door. "Keno, wake up!"
No response.
She opened the door, exasperated. "Seriously? The holidays are over! Back to school!"
Keno slowly opened one eye. "Uh… where are we going?"
Jisaki growled. "School! Brush your teeth! Get dressed!" She yanked off his blanket and threw open the window, letting sunlight flood the room.
Keno groaned. "Oh… that day already?"
Jisaki's patience snapped. "Why are you so calm?! Move!"
Keno rushed to the bathroom, brushing his teeth while thinking about the three high schools in the city. Crimson Sakura, Blazewind, Silver Lotus… I got into Crimson Sakura. Cheapest one, too.
Rokuya peeked into the bathroom, holding a Naruto toy. "Brother… why are you staring at yourself?"
Keno's eyes fell on the toy. "Where did you find that?"
"Uh… your room?" Rokuya replied.
"I told you not to touch my anime toys!" Keno shouted, chasing his little brother around the apartment.
Jisaki appeared, furious. She threw a shoe at him. "Why aren't you dressed yet? First day of school!"
Keno sighed, finally getting ready. Shoes on, bag in hand, he stepped outside. The streets were alive with students rushing to school.
Suddenly, a pink-haired girl dashed past him, panting heavily. Recognition hit Keno like lightning.
"Miyuna?" he whispered. Memories flashed—helping a boy reclaim his bag, her pink mask, that heroic day.
She looked up, flustered, and nodded. "I… got into Crimson Sakura too."
Keno's eyes widened. "Really?"
Before they could speak further, chaos erupted. A man snatched an old lady's bag and ran.
Raito, the red-haired Hero Spark, stomped his feet, threw a punch, and sent the thief flying.
"Get out of the way!" Raito shouted at Keno and Miyuna, who froze in shock.
"Why didn't you do anything?" the old lady cried.
Keno shook his head. I'm not a hero…
Miyuna hugged Raito in relief. "Thank you."
Moments later, all three—Keno, Raito, and Miyuna—stood together when an even greater threat appeared: a massive red-haired man, radiating darkness. Kamizora, the black-haired girl, stepped forward, arm bleeding.
The old man guiding them handed out strange symbols—a red lion, a pink bird, a purple rose, and a black smiling face.
"You must accept these powers," he said. "Say your full name to bond with them."
Raito shouted, "Raito Takamine!" Fire erupted from his hand.
Miyuna followed: "Miyuna Dokenari!" Healing light spread around her.
Kamizora raised her sword. "Shiori Kamizora!" Her weapon transformed into a massive blade.
Keno whispered, fury in his voice, "Keno Akarin!" His symbol glowed black, his injuries knitting before their eyes.
Together, the Hero Sparks fought the darkness, cutting the corrupted man down and restoring him to normal.
The old man exhaled, exhausted. "This was only the beginning. Many more sins await. You must fight not just them, but the darkness in this world."
Keno sighed, looking at his friends. "Great… we're heroes now. What a drag."
Raito grinned. "Finally, we're really the Hero Sparks!"
Miyuna smiled, determination shining in her eyes.
And thus, their adventure began.Next on Hero sparks