A chill ran down Kyle's spine the moment he turned around.
He couldn't make out a clear figure, only something peeling away from the darkness along the wall. It was tall, painfully thin, easily over seven feet, its body wavering like smoke.
No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't tell where its head ended or where its limbs began.
"Move!"
Someone shoved him from the side.
Kyle stumbled and hit the ground, rolling across the road before coming to a stop. His heart pounded as he looked back at where he had been standing.
The creature was only a few steps away.
'S-System?' His breathing became uneven. 'What the hell was I doing?'
[That is a Ghoul, Host. A creature that feeds on dominant human emotions and manipulates its prey accordingly. You felt curiosity. It simply guided you closer.]
Kyle swallowed.
"...Shit."
Layena had already intercepted it.
From the ground, he watched dark tendrils shoot out from the Ghoul's body, whipping toward her from every direction. She met each one with her dagger, knocking them away before they could reach her.
[Host, this entity originates from the dimension known as Knull. It exceeds a Nightmare in strength and commands weaker creatures. At your current level, direct combat is not recommended.]
Kyle didn't need to be told twice.
'I wasn't planning to fight it.'
He slipped into a nearby alley without another glance, putting as much distance between himself and the battle as possible.
...
Layena slid backward, her boots scraping across the road before she pushed herself away from another incoming strike.
Bang.
A tentacle slammed into the asphalt where she had been standing moments earlier.
The road cracked, and black mist spread through the fractures, eating away at the concrete.
'A strong Ghoul.'
She steadied her breathing.
'I'll have to end this cleanly.'
A lone Stage Two Ghoul was a worthy opponent for a Grade One.
After making sure no civilians were nearby, Genesis flowed out from her body. The pressure around her rose noticeably.
The nearby surveillance cameras had already detected the battle. The Commander and the rest of the squad would arrive soon.
Until then...
She was on her own.
The Ghoul's featureless face slowly split apart.
A long black slit stretched into something resembling a grin.
Layena rushed forward.
The Ghoul answered immediately.
More than twenty shadowy tentacles burst toward her at once.
She didn't slow down.
Her eyes followed every attack, reading their paths as she weaved between them.
Left.
Right.
A quick duck.
One clean sidestep.
A tentacle skimmed past her shoulder.
Another came for her ribs.
She knocked it aside with her dagger and continued advancing.
Step after step, she forced her way through the barrage.
Only a few meters remained.
Suddenly, one tentacle shot straight toward her forehead.
She tilted her head at the last instant.
Instead of her skull, it pierced her shoulder.
A sharp pain shot through her arm.
"Kukukukuku~~~"
The Ghoul laughed.
Layena ignored it.
Genesis surged through her body and into the tentacle embedded in her shoulder.
Frost spread across it instantly.
The Ghoul stiffened.
Its laughter stopped.
The wound had been intentional.
She only needed one opening.
Her dagger glowed as golden light gathered along its edge.
"Lance of Judgement: Execution."
A pillar of golden light flashed across the battlefield.
It sliced through the Ghoul from top to bottom.
The creature froze.
Then its body burst apart into thick black smoke.
Boom.
The street disappeared behind a wall of darkness.
Layena frowned and waved the smoke away.
"Gross—ghk!"
A sharp pain exploded through her side.
She looked down.
A blade made of shadow had pierced clean through her waist.
"...A Majin."
Barely four feet tall, the creature stood before her with a grotesque grin stretched across its face.
Layena struck back immediately.
Her dagger swept toward its neck.
The Majin disappeared.
It reappeared beside her and thrust again.
This time she twisted away before the blade could sink in.
She landed several meters away and coughed.
Blood filled her mouth.
Her shoulder was injured.
Her side bled steadily.
'That's... unusual.'
Majins that appeared with Ghouls normally served them.
This one had hidden itself.
Even the Ghoul hadn't noticed.
That shouldn't have been possible.
Layena pressed a hand against her wound.
"This is going to be troublesome."
The creature didn't rush her.
It stood still, watching.
Waiting.
Its stance was balanced
It wasn't acting like a wild monster.
It was fighting with a clear plan.
Layena tightened her grip on her dagger.
Just as she prepared to move—
A familiar figure rushed past her.
"The kid...?"
Kyle charged straight toward the Majin.
"No, wait!"
She tried to stop him.
Too late.
Genesis erupted from his body.
The sudden pressure forced Layena back a step before she dropped to one knee.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The Majin attacked first.
Even with her experience, Layena struggled to follow the exchange.
Every strike missed.
Kyle moved effortlessly, slipping past each attack with almost casual ease.
Then he pulled out an ordinary steel rod.
He swung.
Crack.
The rod slammed into the Majin's crossed arms.
"KHRIEEEK!"
The creature screamed.
Genesis surged from Kyle in violent waves, scorching everything it touched. Smoke rose from the Majin's arms as it staggered backward.
It immediately tried to retreat into the shadows.
Kyle didn't give it the chance.
He drew the steel rod back and hurled it.
Swish.
Crack.
The sharpened end punched through the Majin's chest before burying itself deep into the concrete wall behind it.
The impact left spiderweb cracks across the entire surface.
Layena stared at the scene in silence.
Her gaze settled on the young man's back.
"...Just who are you?"