Supreme Arc C1 Prologue

On a certain apartment room in Manhattan, a man with a smirk on his face looked at the five people kneeling with their foreheads before him. The air was thick with tension.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence. "Freeze!"

The smirking man turned to see an individual in an anonymous mask, gun trained on him.

"Well, well," the man drawled, his smirk widening. "What brings a gentleman like yourself to my humble abode?"

The masked figure's voice was steely. "It ends here, Klay. Your cult, your manipulation—all of it."

Klay's eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Cult? Manipulation? I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Don't play dumb," the masked man growled. "You're turning innocent people into mindless slaves. I won't stand for it!"

A flicker of recognition passed over Klay's face. "Ah, you must be that vigilante making waves in the city. What do they call you? Holy Guardian, is it?" He chuckled. "Quite the lofty title. Your chosen name speaks volumes about your character."

The masked man—Holy Guardian, or Arc Kuma in his everyday life—scoffed. "Save your psychological tricks, Klay. They won't work on me."

"Is that so?" Klay's voice took on a silky quality. "And what makes you so certain?"

Holy Guardian tightened his grip on the gun. "Because I know exactly what you are—a despicable manipulator who preys on the vulnerable. And I'm here to put a stop to it."

The tension in the room thickened as Klay took a step forward, his hands raised placatingly.

"Don't move!" Arc's voice cracked slightly, his finger tightening on the trigger. The gun trembled almost imperceptibly in his grip.

Klay froze, his face a mask of earnest concern. "Please, let me explain. This isn't what it looks like."

Arc's eyes darted between Klay and the kneeling figures. Sweat beaded on his forehead beneath the mask. "Then what is it? Because it looks like mind control to me!"

"These people," Klay gestured slowly towards the kneeling group, "they were lost. Criminals. I'm helping them find a better path."

Arc's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding audibly. "By making them worship you? That's not help, it's exploitation!"

Klay's shoulders slumped, his eyes downcast. When he spoke, his voice was soft, almost vulnerable. "I... I'm just trying to make a difference. Like you."

Arc's gaze swept over the group. A young woman with disheveled hair, her university sweatshirt wrinkled and stained. A man in a crumpled business suit, his tie askew. None of them looked like hardened criminals.

"You're lying," Arc growled, his grip tightening on the gun. "These aren't criminals. They're innocent people you've manipulated!"

Klay's lips curled into a sneer. "And what proof do you have, Holy Guardian?"

Arc's free hand reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded paper. He flicked it open, revealing a photo of Klay chatting amiably with one of the kneeling women at a coffee shop. "I've been watching you, Klay. I know your game."

Klay's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing. "So, the righteous hero stoops to stalking? How noble."

"I had to know the truth," Arc shot back. "The way you wormed your way into their lives, twisted their emotions..."

One of the kneeling men stirred, his voice weak. "But... Klay helped us. We owe him..."

Arc's heart clenched at the brainwashed tone. "No, you don't. He's been lying to you, all of you!"

Klay's composure slipped further, his voice rising. "You understand nothing! I gave these people purpose!"

"Enough!" Arc barked, his grip on the gun steadying. "The police are on their way. It's over, Klay."

A siren wailed in the distance, growing louder. Klay's face hardened, the mask of humility slipping away.

"You've made a grave mistake today, Holy Guardian," Klay hissed, his earlier charm evaporating like mist.

Klay's face twisted into a scowl, his earlier façade of benevolence crumbling away. His eyes darted between Arc and the kneeling figures, calculating.

The wail of sirens grew louder. Klay's eyes darted to the window, then back to Arc, a cornered animal ready to lash out.

The room erupted into chaos. In a blur of motion, the five kneeling figures sprang to their feet. Metal glinted in their hands as they raised their weapons.

Arc's eyes widened behind his mask. His mouth opened, but before he could utter a word, the air filled with deafening cracks.

The vigilante's body jerked violently. Red bloomed across his chest, spreading rapidly. His gun clattered to the floor, unfired.

Arc stumbled backward, his mask askew. He reached out, grasping at nothing, before crumpling to the ground.

Klay stood motionless, watching as Arc's breath came in ragged gasps. The light in the vigilante's eyes flickered, then faded.

Silence fell, broken only by the approaching wail of sirens.

Arc lay still, his mission unfulfilled, as Klay's followers lowered their smoking guns.

The door burst open, too late.

---

Arc's eyes snapped open, darting around in confusion. A vast expanse of white surrounded him, stretching endlessly in all directions.

"Where..." he mumbled, his voice echoing in the emptiness. Suddenly, memories flooded back. The apartment. Klay. The gunshots.

Arc's breath caught in his throat. "I... I died," he whispered, his words barely audible.

"That's right. You are indeed dead." A deep voice resonated through the space.

Arc whirled around. Before him stood a figure bathed in radiant light, clothed in flowing white robes. "Who... Who are you?" Arc asked, his voice trembling.

The figure's face, too bright to discern clearly, seemed to smile. "You can say that I am... The Administrator."

"Administrator?" Arc echoed, bewildered.

The robed being nodded. "I am the one that handles everything – the Earth, the lifeforms, the way of things. Basically, I am the one running the universe, ensuring it functions properly."

Arc's eyes widened in realization. "Isn't that like... a God?"

A hint of amusement colored the Administrator's voice. "Heh, you could say that."

With a wave of his hand, the white void dissolved. Arc gasped as the beauty of the cosmos unfurled around them – swirling galaxies, shimmering nebulae, and countless stars stretching into infinity.

Arc stood speechless, awe and fear mingling in his expression as he faced this cosmic being.

The robed figure gestured at the cosmic panorama surrounding them. Stars pulsed and galaxies swirled, their movements precise and harmonious. Invisible forces flowed between celestial bodies, maintaining a delicate balance.

"All of this," the Administrator said, "the dance of planets, the birth of stars, even the concepts of fortune and destiny - I orchestrate it all." He waved his hand, and Arc saw glimpses of intricate, interconnected patterns weaving through reality itself.

Arc's eyes widened. "You're... you're the one behind everything? The very fabric of existence?"

The Administrator nodded solemnly. "Without guidance, chaos would reign. Life as you know it would be impossible. The universe itself would collapse, snuffed out like a candle in the wind."

Arc's brow furrowed as he processed this cosmic revelation. "So my life... my choices... even my death. It was all predetermined?"

"Indeed," the Administrator confirmed. "Your heroic deeds, your quest for justice, and yes, even your final moments - all part of the grand design."

Strangely, Arc felt no anger or despair at this news. He stood silent, gazing at the cosmic tapestry around him, his expression unreadable.

Arc stood silent for a moment, his gaze steady as he faced the cosmic being. "I see... What then?" he asked, his voice calm and measured.

The Administrator's ethereal form seemed to shimmer with amusement. He pointed at Arc, his gesture encompassing the hero's entire being. "Son, you are chosen by me. To be sent to a young universe, merely 15 billion years old..."

Arc's brow furrowed slightly. "O...kay..." he said slowly. "What am I supposed to do?"

The Administrator approached, placing a hand on Arc's shoulder. The touch felt both weightless and infinitely heavy. "You have a great mission before you," he intoned solemnly. Then, his voice took on a slightly flustered tone. "But I can't tell you right now. Just know that this universe is... well, quite different from your previous one. It has different laws. Some creatures there even have powers. It's very dangerous, yet fu— I mean, exciting— uh, perilous. Yes, perilous."

The cosmic being coughed, embarrassment evident in his demeanor. "In short, it's a universe unlike anything you're familiar with."

Arc's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Is it like the universes from comics or superhero stories in my original world?"

The Administrator nodded, relief apparent in his posture. "Right. Just like that. And I will send you there on a mission..."

Arc's brow furrowed as he gazed at the cosmic being. "You're essentially... God. Couldn't you solve whatever problem this is?"

The Administrator shook his head vigorously, his robes rippling with the motion. "No, no, no. I'm not the only Administrator in the multiverse—I have no authority there." A hint of mischief crept into his voice. "Besides, even if I did, where's the fun in that, right?"

Realizing what he'd said, the Administrator quickly changed tack. "Just be prepared. I can't control which planet you'll be born on, but I'll ensure you don't end up as some... unfortunate lifeform. You need to be able to fulfill your mission, after all."

"What mission?" Arc pressed, his eyes narrowing.

The Administrator's form seemed to flicker. "It is a mystery for now..."

Arc's frustration was evident in his voice. "How am I supposed to fulfill a mission I don't even know about?"

A chuckle echoed through the cosmos. "Hehe, you'll know soon enough..."

Before Arc could protest further, the Administrator waved his hand. Arc felt a sudden pull, as if his very essence was being stretched across space and time. The last thing he saw was the Administrator's smile before the universe around him dissolved into a dizzying blur of light and color.

In an instant, Arc's consciousness was hurtling through the vastness of the multiverse, bound for an unknown destiny in a strange new reality.

---

AN:

Hello everyone! I'm excited to present my first original superhero parody novel. While inspired by established superhero comics, I aim to bring a unique twist to the genre. Don't worry, I won't be neglecting my other novels. I plan to keep this one relatively short, with the first arc potentially spanning 20 to 30 chapters. If readers don't enjoy it, I may not continue beyond this initial arc.

To put it simply, I'm writing this primarily for fun and to stretch my creative muscles in a new direction. Because of this approach, updates may be frequent or occasionally take longer, depending on my schedule and inspiration.