NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9
Chapter 9. VS Calamity
Late at night, when everyone else was likely sound asleep.
I quietly opened my eyes. It wasn’t the pain in my body that woke me, but an unpleasant smell.
It wasn’t as if I had sniffed it directly, but I’d experienced it countless times—the stench of death.
I got up and began my warm-up, stretching and rotating my wrists.
If possible, I’d prefer not to fight, but lately, my luck has been terrible.
In such a short time, I’d faced and fought monsters twice. There was no guarantee a third wouldn’t happen.
Well, at least nothing worse than a B-rank…
As that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly bent backward, Matrix-style.
In an instant, an invisible blade passed by, slicing through a building right in front of Hayato.
“Whoa, close one!”
It was truly a hair’s breadth. Had I reacted even a moment later, I’d be dead.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, I steadied myself, watching as the bisected building slid apart, revealing the scene outside.
From a single point of origin, the town had been sliced open in a fan shape.
The smell of blood wafted past my nose. How many people had died from that slash?
The cries and screams made me want to cover my ears.
…For a moment, I doubted if what I saw was real. But I quickly dismissed the thought.
Facing this thing without a clear head would be nothing short of suicide.
Beyond the fan-shaped mountain of rubble, it stood.
Its body was cloaked in jet black, and its arms were sharp as swords.
It stared directly at me, motionless.
“An A-rank… seriously?”
I muttered in exasperation. Maybe my earlier thought had jinxed me.
“Still, a big one showed up, huh?”
There wasn’t a soul alive who wouldn’t recognize what that thing was, just by its appearance.
It first appeared roughly 70 years ago.
In London, England.
It was a time when monsters had only just begun to emerge.
No one yet wielded absolute power, and people weren’t highly alert against monsters.
Even if they appeared, someone would handle it—or so the foolish optimism of the masses went.
In such times, it appeared.
Its human-like form didn’t immediately mark it as a threat.
A cocky young man even used his ability to attack it.
That was when the atmosphere shifted.
The monster effortlessly brushed away the electric attack like one swat a fly.
In an instant, it closed the distance and decapitated the young man.
What followed was said to be a literal hell.
With each swing, the monster scattered entrails and extinguished lives.
Those who tried to flee were struck down by invisible blades.
At that time, there weren’t enough trained ability users to fight back,
and it took eight hours before the situation was resolved.
Ten ability users banded together to take it down finally.
But there were no cheers for their victory.
The cost was too great.
The death toll? 498,547.
The city became a sea of blood, with no one left unscathed.
This incident prompted humanity to invest heavily in training abilities.
Today, some warriors can even defeat A-ranks solo.
But the threat remains unchanged.
And now, there’s no one here capable of fighting an A-rank.
Only a boy with an abnormal ability rating of 0.
＊＊＊
“[Mars].”
I activated my ability and leaped forward.
I landed right in front of the monster.
With a dull thud, I faced it directly.
Strong. That was my honest impression.
As expected, A-ranks were in a league of their own. One mistake, and I could die.
“Hey, any thoughts on killing people?”
“…”
I knew I wouldn’t get an answer, but its utter stillness was unnerving.
Was it wary of me?
“Honestly, I’m exhausted.
I’d rather not fight someone like you.
How about calling it a day?”
“…”
The monster didn’t move.
Clearly, it wasn’t planning to back down.
I scanned the area. Not a soul in sight.
Everyone had already fled.
“Shame. In that case—”
I infused my fist with fighting spirit.
“—Die.”
Both of us moved at the exact same moment.
At the midpoint, my fist and its blade collided.
◇
The impact sent rubble flying.
Power and speed were evenly matched, locking us in a stalemate.
Hayato frowned slightly, shifting his weight downward by relaxing his hip muscles.
Then, pushing off with one leg, he slipped into the monster’s guard.
Clenching his fist tightly, he drove a straight punch into its exposed abdomen.
The blow sent the monster flying, crashing through buildings.
Hayato dashed forward at blinding speed, cutting off its trajectory.
But the monster adjusted its stance mid-air, brandishing dual swords, and slashed downward.
Sensing danger, Hayato dodged sideways with all his might.
The descending swords gouged the ground, leaving a massive fissure.
“You’ve got to be kidding me… If only I had time to charge up.”
To unleash [Star Piercer], he needed a moment to prepare.
But this monster wasn’t giving him an inch.
It closed the distance instantly, launching a flurry of slashes.
Hayato parried them all, placing his hands on the flat of the blades.
Seconds passed, and the slashes grew faster.
“Damn!”
Finally, one strike grazed his cheek, drawing crimson blood.
Narrowing his eyes, Hayato analyzed the cause of its speed.
“I see.”
The reason was clear. The blades he parried reversed direction mid-air,
maintaining their speed—or rather, increasing it—as they came back at him.
(Clashing head-on would be suicide.)
No point fighting on its terms.
Hayato leaped backward, exploiting an opening.
At that moment, the monster vanished from his sight.
“What?!”
Only briefly shaken, he scanned his surroundings immediately.
“Behind me!”
Turning, he saw the blade inches away.
He narrowly dodged with a backflip, feeling his hair sliced off. A moment slower, and it would’ve been him.
The monster stood calmly before him.
Hayato smirked involuntarily.
“Yeah, you’re strong. And you’ve got abilities, too? That wasn’t in the intel from 50 years ago…”
(Its ability is probably [Change].
It must’ve swapped positions with me earlier.)
Hayato contemplated the easiest way to bring it down.
Grabbing a nearby rubble piece, likely hundreds of kilograms, he hoisted it with one hand.
“Take this!”
He hurled it at the monster at incredible speed.
But the monster effortlessly sliced it in half, sending the pieces flying backward.
That wasn’t Hayato’s aim.
As the debris obscured its vision, he appeared behind it.
Noticing it too late, the monster turned, only to be met with a powerful kick.
The blow sent it soaring into the sky.
“Phew.”
Hayato exhaled deeply, charging his fist with fighting spirit.
The air trembled, and the rubble around him vibrated.
The monster, descending from the sky, sensed the danger.
It readied its blades, choosing not to use its ability—likely due to limited range.
With his energy concentrated, Hayato locked onto the target.
The monster poured its strength into its swords, but it didn’t matter.
Hayato unleashed his ultimate move.
“[Star Piercer]”
The attack struck true, piercing the monster without resistance.
Its upper body vanished, landing with a sickening splat.
“Man… what a hassle.”
Confirming its death, Hayato turned toward the station.
But he stopped. Behind him, was an ominous sound.
Turning hesitantly, he saw the monster regenerating, its body bubbling grotesquely.
Now, it had sprouted two additional arms, for a total of four.
“You’ve got to be kidding… Round two, huh?”
Hayato chuckled wryly, muttering as sweat dripped down his cheek.