The early morning bell rang throughout Collège Françoise Dupont, its sharp chime echoing across the courtyard. The school buzzed with hushed whispers and lingering tension from the previous day.
Another hero had appeared.
But no one knew who it was.
Even Marinette sat at her desk, doodling in her sketchbook with a furrowed brow, trying to piece together details from her memories of the flaming figure. Adrien, meanwhile, offered polite smiles and feigned casualness, though his sharp green eyes gave away a hint of worry. Ladybug and Cat Noir had always been a duo. Now, they weren't alone.
Kai sat behind them, leaning back slightly, his hoodie pulled up. His body still felt warm — the kind of warmth not from fever or sun but from something internal. Something living.
"Fiero," he whispered from the corner of his lips, "you still there?"
The tiny flaming kwami phased into view within Kai's schoolbag, invisible to others. "I'm here. But I sense something... off."
"Another villain?"
"No. Not yet. But something's stirring."
Before Kai could respond, Ms. Bustier entered the classroom.
"Alright, everyone! Time to settle down. We have a special guest speaker today — someone very dear to the school. Let's make him feel welcome."
At her gesture, a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside, dragging a toolbox in one hand and a rolled projector screen under the other. His jumpsuit bore oil stains, and a pair of welding goggles hung around his neck.
"This is Monsieur Marcel Rousseau," Ms. Bustier announced. "He used to work as the school's repair technician and now owns a chain of robotics workshops in Paris. He's here to give a brief talk about engineering, innovation, and perseverance."
Kai perked up.
He recognized that name.
Marcel Rousseau had gone viral two years ago after building robotic prosthetics for injured athletes. But the fame faded, and in the news recently, he'd been quoted calling the city "a graveyard for real inventors."
Still, his voice was calm as he spoke.
"It's easy to dream," Marcel began, looking over the students. "But dreams without tools, without time, without support, burn out. You'll see that soon enough."
Something in his tone sent a chill through Kai.
Even Marinette shifted uncomfortably. Juleka, sitting beside Rose, barely made eye contact. It was rare for someone to come into their classroom and leave such a heavy silence behind.
As Marcel continued, something strange flickered across the room's projector — static, a stuttering image.
Then, without warning, the lights cut out.
Downtown Paris – That Afternoon
Classes were cancelled due to a building-wide short. The students scattered, taking advantage of the break.
Kai walked alone toward the Seine.
He barely made it two blocks before he felt it — a pulse of dark energy, like static against his skin.
Fiero appeared over his shoulder. "Now it's real. There's a new Akuma."
Kai clenched his jaw. "Let's go."
He darted into an alley and raised his fist.
"Blaze up!"
"Phoenix Blaze!"
The transformation exploded in golden light. Fire wrapped around his arms, his chest, his legs, until he stood cloaked in flame and fury. His wings burst open, flaming feathers trailing like comets.
He launched into the sky.
At the Source of the Disturbance…
Crowds screamed and scattered near a construction site as robotic arms, ten feet tall and moving on tank-like treads, tore through steel beams. At the center stood Marcel — now transformed into Gearcrash, a hulking figure with rotating blades for shoulders and a furnace glowing from within his chest.
The Akuma had taken hold.
"You wanted progress?" Gearcrash bellowed. "Then witness evolution!"
Crane arms surged forward, slamming into abandoned cars and hurling debris like toys.
Phoenix Blaze dove in like a meteor.
Gearcrash blocked him with a mechanical arm, sparks flying as metal met flame.
"I knew you'd come," Gearcrash said through a warbled voice. "You're the one they talk about now. You, with your fire. Well, fire burns out — but machines endure!"
They clashed in midair. Phoenix Blaze darted and weaved between attacks, fire lashing from his palms. Gearcrash countered with jet-powered swings and grappling cables.
"Where's the Akuma?" Kai shouted to Fiero.
"In the furnace on his chest!"
Figures — it was going to be a close-range fight.
Back at the Bakery…
Sabine and Tom watched the news.
Akari, Kai's mother, stared at the screen, fingers twitching. She recognized that silhouette. The fighting style. The posture.
That was her son.
Phoenix Blaze launched a spiral of fire, blinding Gearcrash long enough to close the distance. He struck the furnace door on his chest, but it didn't budge.
"Try ignition mode!" Fiero shouted.
Kai focused his flame into a concentrated beam. With a cry, he slammed it into the lock.
The door burst open.
Inside, the glowing purple Akuma fluttered weakly.
"Now!"
"Phoenix Seal!"
The purifying light engulfed it, and the butterfly turned white as it floated away.
Gearcrash collapsed to his knees, the machinery falling away, leaving Marcel panting and hollow-eyed.
"I just… wanted to teach something real…"
Kai knelt beside him. "You did. But there's a better way."
Later That Night
Kai stood on the rooftop near the Eiffel Tower, watching Paris glisten below.
Juleka appeared behind him, not in costume, just… quiet, and calm.
She didn't say anything. She didn't need to.
Kai gave her a sideways glance. "You ever feel like this city has more shadows than lights?"
Juleka nodded slowly. "But fire makes shadows, too."
Kai smiled faintly.
"Maybe we can both be lights, then."