MUGEN Voltage

Ch. 0: The Irregular Stigma

In September 5th, 2020, tragedy struck.

A powerful chemical explosion took place in R.E.D. Corporation's research lab, located in Majima City, capital of the Higashi Prefecture, which destroyed the entire lab resulting in a death toll of over 95,000 people, over half of which were researchers and lab workers.

An added side effect the explosion also caused the spread of a strange chemical compound in the air, which ended up engulfing the entire world. This compound came to be known as "seether".

While the seether was later proven to be non-fatal, it did cause another side effect: it proceeded to awaken a then-largely ignored dormant gene that's found within certain individuals.

A gene that, when awakened, would activate a person's hidden superpower. This became known as the "PSI", after its catalyst: the airborne element known as "psiogen", in which the seether had merged itself with.

Each person had a unique PSI of their own. Some were capable of creating and manipulating fire, others were able to control electricity, some could turn one's body into stone, while others can make solid ice out of thin air, and then some.

Most people who had awakened their PSI had no idea where their powers came from, or how to live with them. Around the time, there were many cases of newly-awakened PSI users losing control of their powers, causing harm towards themselves and the people around them.

One particularly chilling story was that of a 37-year-old male PSI bearer who accidentally blew up a train, killing himself, as well as everyone inside the train, all because he didn't know how to control his PSI-Power.

These incidents eventually led to the negative stigma against PSI users, and the dangers they might cause amongst others. As a result, many normal people feared, if not outright loathed those who possessed a PSI with some even going as far as to organizing "witch hunts" against PSI users, innocent or not.

From this point on, human society was split in two: the "normal" humans, those who didn't possess a PSI, and the ones who possess PSI, dubbed as "Irregulars".

Many years have passed since then, yet the bad blood between normal people and the Irregulars ceases to end. Lots of Irregulars have fought for the right to be treated equally, but so far, none of them were successful.

As a result of the ongoing scrutiny between the two factions, most Irregulars of the present either hide their ability towards others, while others preferred to separate themselves from the rest.

But for every Irregular who prefers to leave a peaceful life in the city, there are many others who prefer to wreak havoc, using their PSI for their own selfish needs, or worse, for harm. These Irregulars often lurk within the outskirts of town, awaiting for their chance to strike.

However, one young Irregular seeks to change the world. His desire is to create a world where Irregulars can coexist together with "normal" humans.

With his friends by his side, most of them being social outcasts like him, he will stop at nothing in order to achieve this perfect world, even if it kills him.

This is the story of that young Irregular.