My name is Mugen Nagi, fifteen years old. My current occupation is Japanese middle school student. I am meticulous, have excellent academic performance, maintain good relationships with my classmates, am seen as a model student by teachers, and deeply trusted by them. I wake up at 5:30 AM every day, go to the gym at six to maintain a healthy physique, and begin the usual school routine by eight. I'm home before six PM. I should have finished my normal school day by now, but something indescribable is blocking my way home.
A pitch-black, indescribable thing blocked the path of the black-haired, dark-eyed youth. It emanated a gas-like black mist, only allowing a vague glimpse of its several eyes glaring menacingly at him, as if it could pounce on Mugen Nagi at any moment.
"What should I do? Run?"
Mugen Nagi's eyes scanned his surroundings, then he dismissed the thought.
"No, that black mist-like substance has already spread around me to my rear. I don't know what will happen if I touch it."
This was a narrow alley, usually with few people. Mugen Nagi took this route to save time getting home. Now he had reached the depths of it, and the black mist had extended from its sides, slowly encircling him. Trying to run back now was probably too late.
Thinking this, Mugen Nagi tentatively inched his right foot backward. The black mist immediately reacted, pressing closer.
"Damn it, you're sharp."
Mugen Nagi cursed inwardly. Looking back at the black mist, its gaze had turned mocking. It even stretched open a mouth full of sharp fangs. Its form became active, sprouting several more tentacles. It picked up a wooden stick nearby, slowly twirling it, then gradually crushed it into splinters.
"Want to toy with me?"
Mugen Nagi's face turned cold. He pondered countermeasures, but the situation was urgent. In that brief moment, the surrounding black mist closed in again and suddenly launched a surprise attack!
"Tch!"
Twisting his waist to the extreme, his body narrowly avoided the frontal stab by a hair's breadth. But a sharp gash was opened on his left side by the cutting wind pressure. Warm blood instantly gushed out, soaking his uniform. Before the pain could fully register in his brain, the second and third waves of attacks followed in rapid succession! His pupils contracted sharply. Relying on the instincts honed through years of training, his body rolled awkwardly on the ground. *Ssss! Ssss!* Several sounds later, his arm and thigh were cut in quick succession, blood droplets splattering on the mottled wall.
The black mist retracted its tentacles and emitted a mocking laugh. It licked its lips, savoring the taste of the prey's blood on its tentacles.
But what it wanted to taste more was the helpless, fear-filled emotion of prey falling into despair. Each appreciation brought it great pleasure. Yet when it turned to Mugen Nagi, it didn't see the scene it desired.
Mugen Nagi was crouched low, clutching his bleeding wound, staring at it. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes.
The black mist's expression instantly froze. It had never encountered a human like this. It couldn't understand why the human before it not only showed no emotional fluctuation but dared to look directly at it. Looking into those eyes, it felt a sliver of fear itself.
The black mist was instantly infuriated and humiliated. It felt a shame it had never known before—how could it fear a mere human? A plaything it usually toyed with at will, unable to resist? Thus, it spawned even more tentacles, wanting to utterly erase this stain!
"So fast... can't dodge..."
Mugen Nagi half-knelt before the black mist, watching the tentacles hurtling toward him. Clutching the wound on his side, his battered body couldn't react. He murmured inwardly.
"Just like this... it ends? My life..."
Mugen Nagi began to recall his life. He had no attachments now. Perhaps dying wasn't such a big deal...
"............"
"Right?"
The boy closed his eyes, as if resigning himself to fate. But deep within his mind, from the depths of his heart, came a series of familiar, intimate voices.
"Little Nagi, are you doing well?"
"Little Nagi, remember to eat properly."
"Little Nagi, how has your life been?"
"Little Nagi, have you lived a satisfying life?"
...Satisfying?
How could that be?!
His tightly shut eyes snapped open! His long-exhausted body forced out the last shred of potential. In a nearly contorted posture, he narrowly, dangerously avoided the fatal strike aimed at his heart!
"Can't... die so pathetically like this!"
The boy didn't run anymore. Instead, he grabbed a nearby tentacle. His eyes flickered, shifting between red and black.
"I want to live. I can't meet her in such a wretched state."
He felt an unprecedented, scorching, violent power surge violently from the depths of his core, instantly flowing through his limbs and every part of his body! A ferocious expression replaced his usual calm. The boy's hands clenched the tentacle tightly. His waist and abdomen exerted force, all his muscles tensed. With the most primitive, most savage stance, he swung the entire indescribable monster up and smashed it fiercely against the nearby concrete wall!
*Boom!*
The wall shook violently. Broken stone fragments fell like rain.
'Otherwise, she would definitely be sad.'
"First, I'll finish you off!"
The black mist hadn't even reacted before Mugen Nagi slammed it heavily against the wall! It was inwardly stunned. Before it could fall, the boy had already leaped up, punching it down toward the ground!
The black mist didn't understand. It didn't understand why the kid before it could hurt it. Even less could it comprehend why the prey it had been slaughtering moments ago had become the hunter about to end it.
Lying on the ground, the black mist looked up at the boy. It watched him slowly approach, step by step with murderous intent filling his face. It then looked at the boy's hands. They felt familiar, wrapped in energy identical to its own.
"Hey, seemed like you were having fun just now, huh?"
It had just broken free from the wall's grip and fallen to the ground when the shadow already loomed over it.
The boy looked down at it from above, his gaze as if looking at a dead thing.
"Now it's my turn. Any objections?"
The monster let out a sharp, piercing screech mixed with fear and fury. All its tentacles surged forward recklessly once more!
Looking at the black mist's struggle, the corner of the boy's mouth couldn't help but curve upward...
Round two begins!