Gurren Lagann - mecha lord

Kamina was placed in the group of orphans, but he offered no useful information about the surface. Instead, he rambled incessantly about how real it was. When pressed about why he returned alone, Kamina would fall silent, his expression clouded with frustration.

"Can you show me the tunnel you dug to reach the surface?" Goro asked one day, hoping to learn more.

"No... The tunnel collapsed after I came back," Kamina replied, avoiding eye contact.

Goro sighed, realizing he wouldn't get much from him for now. He extended his hand. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Goro."

"Kamina!" he responded with a grin, taking Goro's hand. "Nice to meet you!"

For some reason, Goro felt a strange familiarity with Kamina, though he was certain this was their first meeting.

Age 10

"Everyone calm down! Move to the earthquake bunker!" Goro shouted, his voice commanding despite his young age. This was the largest earthquake Giha Village had experienced in years, and many sections of the underground settlement were collapsing. Acting quickly, Goro took charge, organizing the frightened villagers and directing them to safety.

"Kamina!" Goro called out as he scanned the chaos, spotting his friend nearby.

Kamina ran up to him, panting. "Goro! What are you doing out here? You need to get to safety!"

"I should be asking you that! Why aren't you heading to the bunker?"

"What, you think I'd just run away and leave my brother behind?" Kamina yelled, his eyes blazing with determination. "Who the hell do you think I am!"

Over the years, Goro and Kamina had grown closer. Goro was the only one who truly believed Kamina's stories about the surface, which fostered a deep bond between them. Kamina grew to trust Goro completely, often confiding in him things he wouldn't tell anyone else.

One day, Kamina revealed the truth about why he hadn't gone with his father to the surface.

"I wanted to see it... I really did," Kamina said, his voice heavy with regret. "But I was scared, Goro. Scared of what might be out there. My dad told me he'd see me up there someday, but I couldn't do it. I stayed behind."

Goro listened silently, seeing the pain in Kamina's eyes. From that day on, Kamina began calling Goro his "soul brother," a title that symbolized the trust and camaraderie they shared.

"Fine, stay close to me then," Goro said, relenting to his stubborn friend.

Goro and Kamina moved swiftly through the chaos, doing everything they could to help.

"Goro, over there—a kid!" Kamina shouted, pointing to a child crying near a pile of rubble. They rushed over, and Goro knelt down, speaking gently but urgently.

"Hey, we need to move. What are you doing here?"

The child looked up, tears streaming down his face. "I... I can't," he stammered between sobs. "My parents… they're in there. They pushed me out to safety… it's my fault!"

Goro scanned the rubble. Massive boulders were piled high, their weight crushing everything beneath. He clenched his teeth. There was no way anyone could have survived under that.

"Tch," Goro clicked his tongue in frustration before turning to Kamina. "Take him. It's too late for his parents."

Kamina nodded grimly, stepping forward to pick up the boy. The child resisted, thrashing against him.

"No! I can't leave them!" the boy cried, but Kamina held him firmly.

"Let's go back, Kamina," Goro said, his tone firm. The two rushed toward the safety bunker as fast as they could.

The bunker was Goro's design, a vital addition to the village. Its reinforced iron walls and shock-absorbing pillars were a step up from the village's previous reliance on luck to survive earthquakes. This structure was the only reason many had made it through the disaster alive.

The Next Day

When the earthquake subsided, the villagers began the grim task of cleaning up the devastation left behind. The mood was somber as people sifted through the wreckage, mourning their losses.

Kamina found the boy from the day before standing in the same spot where they'd found him, staring blankly into the distance.

"Hey, what's your name?" Kamina asked, his voice softer than usual.

The boy hesitated before mumbling, "...Simon."

"Simon, huh?" Kamina knelt to meet the boy's eye level. "Look, don't give up. Your parents didn't save you just so you could stand here all gloomy."

Simon didn't respond, his empty gaze fixed on the ground.

"I don't have anyone anymore," Simon finally muttered, his voice trembling. "I don't know what to do..."

Kamina's expression hardened. He placed a hand firmly on Simon's shoulder.

"Then follow me," Kamina declared, his voice brimming with determination. "I, Kamina, will be your big brother!"

For the first time, Simon looked up, a flicker of hope in his tear-streaked eyes.

Goro, who had been watching from the back, felt that strange sense of familiarity once again. It was the same feeling he had when he first met Kamina.

'Why does Simon feel so familiar too?' Goro wondered.

Then it hit him like a tidal wave. Simon. Kamina.

'Wait a second… Simon and Kamina? Aren't they the main characters of Gurren Lagann?'

His mind raced as the pieces fell into place. The underground village, the people forbidden to go to the surface, the constant earthquakes… It all made sense now.

'The earthquakes, they're caused by mechas battling on the surface!' Goro could barely contain his excitement as realization dawned on him. This wasn't just any world; it was the world from his favorite show. And that meant one thing:

'Lagann must be here too. Somewhere close by.'

Lagann the small but legendary personal Gunman of Simon. Goro's heart pounded as he thought about it. With its unique ability to fuse with other Gunmen, Lagann was destined to become the strongest mecha in existence.

'I want to pilot it,' Goro thought, his eyes burning with determination.

But then another thought struck him, stopping his excitement for a moment.

'Wait… If this really is Gurren Lagann, that means I'll have to fight the Anti-Spiral, a universal-level threat.'

Instead of fear, Goro's excitement only grew. He imagined piloting a Gunman larger than the universe itself, standing alongside Simon and Kamina to face impossible odds.

'This is it. This is my dream.'

For the first time since his reincarnation, Goro felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.