Oblivious of the fact he's being stalked, the young man takes in his surroundings. Empty stoves, long tables, ventilation on the roof. It was a kitchen
Although unfamiliar with the place, the scent guides his strides. He left the kitchen and arrived at what appeared to be a slaughter house.
He stepped in, and the sight before him widened his eyes. He became petrified. His mouth trembled.
A bald man holding an axe covered in blood. Before him was a man's corpse with its head and limbs gone.
"Hum? A customer at this rate?" the bald man shifted his eyes to the youth, he then frowned, "You're not from around here. Who are you!" He shouted, aiming the axe at the youth.
"Eek!"
The youth let out a pathetic shriek as he turned around and ran away, or so he thought when an axe penetrated the wall next to him, halting his steps.
"Answer my question, who and why are you here? Depending on the answer, I might let you go."
The youth slowly shifts his head to the man. He then said, "I– I got lost!"
"You got lost? Do you think I'd believe that?"
"It's true! I was just walking and then I found a good scent. I followed it and before I knew it, I was here!"
The man observed the youth for a few moments, "Wait, from that smell. You're a Nightcrawler, yet why do I smell human from you?"
Nightcrawler, the name these extraterrestrials give themselves.
"Well, I–"
He then chuckled before he could give an answer, "Well, no matter. Are you hungry?"
As soon as he asked that, the youth's stomach grumbled. If the grumble is slightly powerful, it might shake both heavens and earth.
"Sit tight, lad. I'll make something for you."
"Are you– are you a Nightcrawler? Are you going to feed me human?"
The man halted his steps, "I don't know what you are, but it's a fact your hunger must be satisfied.
"There is nothing more dangerous than a hungry driven Nightcrawler. Do you not want to eat, lad? If not, that hunger will make you feel like you're in hell."
"I–"
Just as he was about to say anything, the youth's body was flown across the room and crashed through the window. Glass shards littered the ground.
The youth lost consciousness as blood flowed down his nose.
"Dear customer, please wait until it's your turn to order. No need to make a ruckus inside the restaurant." The man smiled as he assumed a fighting stance.
Before the man was a man in a green suit with a green cape fluttering in the wind. He was floating. His suit accentuates his well defined muscles.
"Disgusting creature of the night, your life ends here."
"Please, tell that to those vitamin D lacking fellas. We can still enjoy the sun, you see." The man sneered.
His skin transformed gradually into something reminiscent of a scorpion shell. His shoulders and limbs, to be exact. It was covered with black shell.
His nails grew claws, and his legs shifted to something slender, akin to a cheetah's.
"Blitz type, huh?" the hero wondered. Right after he said those words, the Nightcrawler disappeared before his figure formed just behind the hero.
He moved so fast that it gave the illusion he disappeared. The hero realized that, yet despite not being able to follow its speed, the hero remained calm.
The Nightcrawler thrusted his claws, yet the hero expected such an assault as he moved his body to the right, dodging it. The hero grabbed the Nightcrawler's arm and severed it with a chop.
Red blood spilled to the floor. The Nightcrawler groaned in pain and quickly retreated. The hero threw the detached arm. His expression was cold and apathetic.
Despite missing an arm, the Nightcrawler remains calm. No, there's a reason.
After all, a new arm grew in the next moment.
"You're the Platinum rank hero, no. 10. Hywel. Why are you here? How did you find this place?"
"There are reports of a few people missing in the area."
"They're beyond saving. They rape and murder."
"So you think of yourselves as heroes?"
"Of course not, we're beyond heroes, but that is better than hypocrites like you. Killing Nightcrawler in cold blood and getting a medal like you did something worthwhile.
"Bullshit, I know for a fact that you assholes are doing this for fame. You don't care about peace or those people."
The hero didn't say anything as he rushed at him. The Nightcrawler was about to dodge when all of a sudden, he couldn't move.
He looked to his left as he felt a cold gaze. He saw a woman with bright red eyes, hiding in the dark with her eyes visible.
"Damn it!"
The hero clutched his neck. The man struggled all he could, but it was futile.
"Nightcrawler like you only specialise in speed. The faster you go, the stronger your attacks become. However, without that, you're just like an ordinary toddler throwing a tantrum.
"You see, when I was a child. My family was killed by the likes of you."
His voice grew deeper. His clutch gets tighter and stronger.
"Every night, every day. I have to relieve that moment, over and over and over."
The Nightcrawler threw punches at the hero, but he remained still.
"It's your fault, do you know that? I couldn't even sleep. Do you know how excruciating that is? Of course you don't know. You are just a creature that couldn't care or feel.
"You only kill! That is the only thing you know! I will kill every single one of you!"
Crack.
The Nightcrawler's arms went limp. The hero threw the body. It produced a loud thud as he hit the ground.
He shifted his eyes to the youth, and noticed he had disappeared. The hero frowned slightly, and he felt a presence just behind him.
He turned around and his eyes slightly lifted when he saw the Nightcrawler he killed had also disappeared!
"Find whoever did this!" The hero yelled as he floated a little higher and saw someone carrying two people on his shoulders.
His body disappeared and appeared every ten meters. It was so quick too that he might lose him!
"Stop!" The hero flew straight at the target.
On the other hand…
"Fuck! Fuck! Why did I just do that!"
———
[The passive skill >The End of The World is on Hiatus is active<]
Description: The world is an important place for many, yet some sought destruction, chaos, and annihilation. With this passive skill, you don't have to worry about the world ending in an unnatural way! Once you detect agents that can save the world, you must save them and recruit them to save the world! Or fix it!
Failure to comply will result in death!
Objective: Save Takakura Akashi and Denma Wensley.
Failure: None.
Reward: 60 Starbeads.
———