NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14
Chapter 14. Going Home and the Awakening of a Great Evil
“Finally, I’m here.”
After walking for about three hours, I finally reached home.
“I’m back.”
Too much has happened today for me to make sense of it all. For now, I just want to sleep.
I open the door and step inside—
“Ugh!”
The moment I open the door, something leaps out from the entryway and slams into my stomach.
Confused, I look to see what hit me.
“What the—?”
“You’re such an idiot, onii-chan! You’re so late!”
The “something” turns out to be my little sister, Ao.
With her face scrunched up in anger, she pounds on my chest with her fists.
Mindful of the neighbors, I lift the still-crying and furious Ao and carry her inside to the living room.
After gently setting her down on the couch, I sit down across from her.
“I’m sorry for making you worry.”
I hadn’t expected her to be this worried. I was prepared to get scolded, but crying?
Gone was her usual sassy demeanor.
Seeing her like this makes me realize I need to reflect, though I can’t help but feel a bit happy, too.
Ao calms down a little, wipes her tears, and takes a deep breath.
Then, she begins recounting what happened.
“When I came back from school, the phone suddenly rang. I picked up in a panic, only to be told that you’d been taken to the police. Then there was news about a strong monster appearing in a nearby town. I was really, really worried about you!”
“My bad. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
“You idiot, you dummy!”
I gently stroke Ao’s hair.
She doesn’t brush my hand away, so I assume she doesn’t mind.
Tears continue to well up in her eyes, dripping onto the floor.
Until now, I hadn’t given much thought to how my actions affect others, but maybe it’s time to start.
Though I won’t rely on my abilities—too many troublesome people are watching me now.
I’ll do what I can without using them.
“Alright! Tonight, I’ll put my heart into making dinner. What do you want to eat?”
“Meat and potatoes.”
A surprisingly ordinary choice.
I was expecting her to demand steak or something, but it seems she doesn’t have much of an appetite today.
“Got it. Just wait a bit.”
To show her I’m sorry, I prepare the meal with extra care.
Should I make it a little sweet? Ao still has a child’s palate—she can’t even drink coffee.
About ten minutes later, dinner is ready.
I set the dishes on the living room table, and we each took our seats.
“Let’s eat.”
Ao takes a bite of the meat and potatoes and lets out a small smile.
It seems she likes it—making it sweet was the right call.
After finishing our meal, we each take a bath and retreat to our rooms.
As I’m about to fall asleep, the door suddenly opens.
“Onii-chan, can I sleep with you tonight?”
Standing there is Ao, in her pajamas, clutching a pillow tightly with both hands.
“Uh, sure.”
Caught off guard, I give her permission.
She slips into the futon, clings to my back, and soon falls asleep, breathing softly.
Watching her like this, I always think the same thing:
(If only she were always this cute.)
If I told her that, she’d probably retort, “I’m always cute!”.
But personally, I find this quiet side of her much more endearing.
I’ve always been averse to extroverts, after all.
The past few days have been hectic, but things should stay peaceful for a while.
Surely, no strange monsters will show up for at least a year.
◇
In a forest shrouded in darkness, a monstrous being awakens.
Its colossal body dwarfs the Lavana that Hayato had encountered at the shopping mall,
its sheer size seemingly capable of reaching the stars.
Normally, the appearance of such a monster would mobilize every ability user in the nation.
But this creature has existed in this world for thirty years, having defeated all who came to challenge it.
“The time has come. I shall move now.”
The monster speaks.
The fact that it possesses language sets it apart, indicating an intelligence beyond that of other monsters.
The moon emerges from behind the clouds, illuminating the full form of the creature.
A dragon.
Coiling like a snake, with countless serpent heads sprouting from its shoulders.
Its eyes glow red like flames, exuding an aura of fear that overwhelms all life.
This creature is named Typhon.
In Greek mythology, Typhon is described as the strongest of all monsters, a being that rivaled even Zeus himself.
The myth says:
“His body was so massive that his head brushed the stars, his arms could stretch to the edges of the earth, and from his thighs downward, he had the coils of a giant serpent. Endlessly powerful, his legs never tired. From his shoulders grew a hundred serpent heads with fiery eyes, and he could spew flames and make the mountains tremble with his voice.”
Just as in the myth, ability users who tried to defeat him were incinerated by his flames, or crushed under his immense body.
A living calamity.
This monster is one of only four SS-rank, world-scale disasters in existence.
And now, it begins to move.