I kept my distance as I followed the two girls toward the abandoned building behind the mall, my footsteps silent on the cracked pavement. The structure loomed ahead like a monument to decay, its broken windows staring down at us like hollow eyes. As the girls disappeared through what used to be the main entrance, I paused at the building's edge, every instinct suddenly screaming at me to be careful.
That's when I felt it—or rather, smelled it. My enhanced senses, courtesy of the Leopard Devil Fruit, picked up something that made my skin crawl. The scent was wrong, corrupted, like rotting fruit mixed with sulfur. It was an aura so thick with malevolence that it seemed to press against my very soul.
"Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath, a grin spreading across my face despite the danger. "A stray devil. My first real hunt." The anticipation was almost overwhelming. This was it—my chance to prove that I belonged in this world.
I circled the building until I found a back entrance—a door hanging off its hinges, probably kicked in by vandals years ago. The girls would be busy searching the upper floors, giving me time to deal with whatever was lurking in the shadows below.
"Perfect," I whispered to myself, testing the door's stability. "Time to see what this fruit can really do."
The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. The air felt heavy, oppressive, like walking through invisible cobwebs. My enhanced hearing picked up every creak of the building, every whisper of wind through broken glass. But underneath it all was something else—a wet, breathing sound that definitely wasn't human.
"Come on then," I said quietly, flexing my fingers as I prepared for the transformation. "Let's dance."
I let the transformation take hold, feeling my muscles expand and my senses sharpen even further as I shifted into my human-leopard hybrid form. My fingers elongated into deadly claws, and my entire body became a weapon designed for stealth and speed. The hunt was on.
Moving through the shadows felt natural now, almost instinctive. Part of me—the leopard part—was practically purring with anticipation. This was what I was made for: stalking, hunting, killing. But my human mind stayed in control, analyzing every sound, every scent, every potential advantage. I wasn't just a predator; I was a strategist with predator instincts.
I found it on the second floor, in what used to be an office space. The stray devil was hunched over something—or someone—in the corner. It looked like a grotesque parody of a human, with elongated limbs that ended in razor-sharp claws, skin that seemed to shift between gray and black, and eyes that glowed with a sickly yellow light. Its mouth was too wide, filled with too many teeth, and it was making that wet breathing sound I'd heard earlier.
The missing girl was there, unconscious but breathing, her face pale with terror even in sleep. The creature was feeding off her despair, growing stronger with every moment of her fear.
"You disgusting piece of shit," I snarled, my voice already changing as my transformation began. "Feeding off an innocent girl's fear? You're about to learn what real terror feels like."
That decided it for me.
I launched myself from the shadows with a snarl, my claws aimed at the thing's throat. The stray devil spun around just in time to catch my attack with its own claws, the impact sending both of us skidding across the debris-strewn floor. It let out a shriek that probably would have shattered normal human eardrums, but I barely flinched.
"What... what are you?" it hissed, its voice like grinding glass.
"Your worst fucking nightmare," I growled back, my voice distorted by my hybrid form. "I'm the thing that hunts monsters like you."
I didn't give it time to respond. I was too busy adapting to my new body, learning how to use these incredible reflexes and this overwhelming strength. My first few swipes were clumsy, more enthusiastic than precise, but each exchange taught me something new about my capabilities.
"Too slow!" I taunted as I twisted away from its strike, my enhanced agility making me feel like I was dancing rather than fighting. "Come on, is that all you've got?"
The stray devil was fast, but I was faster. It was strong, but I was stronger. When it lunged at me with those wicked claws, I twisted away with fluid grace, my enhanced agility making me feel like I was dancing rather than fighting. When it tried to overwhelm me with rapid strikes, I met them with my own claws, the sound of our collision echoing through the empty building like gunshots.
I could feel myself getting better with each passing second, my movements becoming more fluid, more controlled. The leopard instincts were teaching me how to fight, while my human intelligence was learning to direct that power with deadly precision.
The stray devil made its fatal mistake when it tried to use the girl as a hostage, grabbing her unconscious form and pressing a claw to her throat. "Stay back, or the human dies!"
I stopped mid-stride, my eyes narrowing dangerously. "You really shouldn't have done that."
"I mean it! One more step and—"
"You know what your problem is?" I interrupted, my voice deadly calm. "You think I'm like you. You think I'll hesitate, that I'll let fear control me." I started walking forward again, slow and deliberate. "But I'm not afraid of you. I'm the thing you should be afraid of."
The creature's eyes widened in confusion and growing terror. "You're insane! She'll die!"
"Wrong move," I said simply, then moved faster than I ever had before, crossing the distance between us in a heartbeat. My claws found their mark, sliding between the creature's ribs with a wet sound that would haunt my dreams for days. The stray devil's eyes widened in shock as I lifted it off the ground, its grip on the girl loosening.
"You... you're not human," it gurgled, black blood frothing from its mouth.
"Neither are you," I replied coldly. "And that's why you're going to die."
The stray devil crumbled to dust, leaving only the metallic scent of its blood and the echo of its final scream. I stood there for a moment, breathing hard, my hybrid form still crackling with unused energy. The rush of adrenaline was incredible—better than any high I'd ever experienced. This was what I was meant to do.
[STRAY DEVIL DEFEATED! REWARD: 1x Rank 2 Gacha Ticket]
The notification flashed in my vision, and I couldn't help but grin. A Rank 2 ticket already! This was exactly the validation I needed. I was on the right path, and the system was rewarding me for taking decisive action.
I quickly shifted back to human form, checking on the girl. She was unconscious but unharmed, just exhausted from whatever the stray devil had been doing to her. I positioned her where her friends would easily find her, then did a quick sweep of the area to make sure there was no obvious evidence of supernatural activity. The building was already so damaged that a little extra destruction wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
As I made my way back to the broken door, my mind was already racing ahead to the possibilities. A Rank 2 Gacha Ticket could contain anything—new abilities, powerful items, maybe even something that would help me track down more stray devils. The potential was intoxicating.
"This is just the beginning," I muttered to myself, stepping out into the cool night air. "If one stray devil got me this much, imagine what a whole nest of them could do for my power level."
I stepped out into the cool night air, feeling more alive than I had in years. This wasn't just some fantasy anymore. I wasn't just dreaming about being an anime protagonist—I was one. And I was going to embrace every dangerous, thrilling moment of it.
But as I walked away from the abandoned building, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I paused at the edge of the parking lot, letting my enhanced senses sweep the area.
"I know you're out there," I called out softly, not bothering to look up. "Whoever you are, you might as well come out. I can smell you."
But only silence answered me. After a few more seconds, I shrugged and continued walking.
"Your loss," I said to the empty air. "Could have been interesting."
Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop...
Two figures observed the abandoned building from the shadows. The first was a slender young man with blonde hair and an intense gaze that seemed to pierce through the darkness—Kiba Yuuto. Beside him, a petite girl with white hair and a stoic expression calmly munched on a chocolate bar, her golden eyes never leaving the building below.
Koneko Toujou spoke in her usual monotone voice "He's strong."
Kiba nodded slowly, his hand unconsciously moving to rest on the hilt of his sword. "Too strong for a normal human or..." He frowned. "It's not devil, not angel, not fallen angel. Something else entirely."
"Should we report this to Buchou?" Koneko asked, taking another bite of her chocolate.
"Yes" Kiba replied, his eyes following the figure disappearing into the night. "We definitely should."