The Night of Awakening
One night, our hero—whose name was Rayzi—set out alone, wandering through the empty streets under the cover of darkness. The city was unusually silent when suddenly his eyes caught a disturbing sight. A group of men had surrounded a young woman and were harassing her.
Without a second thought, Rayzi rushed forward to protect her.
He confronted them and fought back with everything he had. But the men were many—and he was weak. They beat him brutally, striking him again and again until his body could no longer endure the pain.
Still, Rayzi refused to surrender.
He forced himself to stand once more and attacked them again. But this time, the outcome was even worse. One of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed Rayzi straight in the chest. His body collapsed onto the cold street, blood spreading beneath him.
At that moment, Rayzi accepted defeat.
His breathing grew slow and uneven. Tears filled his eyes as he cried silently, blaming himself. If only I weren't so weak… he thought. If I had strength, I could have saved her.
But now, it felt as though this was the end.
Lying there, waiting for death, his vision slowly faded into darkness. His eyes closed. His body grew cold.
And then—
A sudden voice echoed from deep within him.
"You are weak. You are not fit to survive in this world. You should die."
Everything before Rayzi turned pitch black. He could see nothing. He felt as though he had descended into hell itself, as if a demon were speaking directly to him.
"Who are you?" Rayzi asked, his voice trembling. "What do you want from me?"
"Yes, I am weak," he continued bitterly. "But that doesn't mean you can say whatever you want. If I had power… maybe I could have done something."
The voice responded calmly, yet cruelly.
"Rayzi… stand up. Fight back."
"My name is Torox," the voice said.
"People like you—good people—have no place in this world. You are always the first to die. This world is not made for you."
Torox continued, his voice heavy with certainty.
"I will give you everything you have only dared to dream of. I will give you the power that was meant for you."
Torox believed in Rayzi's willpower. He believed in his destiny.
"I am a part of you," Torox revealed. "I am the demon within you. Rayzi, I will now give you what you were born for. I will give you the power you deserve. Your purpose is to erase the existence of sinful humans from this Earth."
Slowly, Rayzi reached out.
He accepted Torox's hand.
And suddenly—everything went black.
The scene shifted back to the street.
The same men stood there, about to approach the girl again. Just as they took a step forward, a voice echoed from behind them.
They turned around in shock.
Standing there was the same boy they had stabbed moments ago.
Rayzi.
Alive.
He reached into his chest and pulled the knife out with his bare hand. A chilling smile spread across his face—no longer human, but demonic. His voice had changed completely.
His hair slowly turned shades of black and white. His eyes burned crimson red. The wound in his chest healed instantly, leaving no trace behind.
The men staggered back in fear.
"Who… who are you?" they asked in terror.
Rayzi replied in a deep, demonic voice:
"Are you afraid of death? Have you ever truly felt fear… or the presence of death?"
"You people are not worthy of living in this world," Rayzi continued coldly.
"I will kill you all."
The gang attacked him with guns and knives—but Rayzi did not move. Bullets pierced his body. Blades cut into his flesh. Yet every wound healed instantly. None of their attacks had any effect.
Rayzi slowly spoke a single word.
"Kateratsu."
The ground beneath them cracked open.
From the depths of the Earth emerged a massive demonic katana. Rayzi grasped it tightly and smiled.
In a single, effortless slash—
Every head fell to the ground.
Silence returned to the street.
Rayzi collapsed unconscious, his body falling onto the road. The girl stared at him in shock and fear—yet also gratitude.
Without hesitation, she took him with her and carried him to her home.