Killer

Deep within my body, I felt intense fear and hatred, yet it didn't belong to me.

Zero? I asked him in my mind.

[Get away from him!] he said while holding in pain. Why is he in so much pain?

[Abnormality has been reported!]

[Emergency Quest: Survive for 5 seconds!]

"Are your words true, child?" He asked. His voice icy and deep with each word echoed into the air, carrying unfathomable malevolence.

My limbs start shaking. I didn't know about Ms. Shino, I barely have time to take care of myself.

Trying my best to cover my fear, I replied honestly, "Yes, it is the truth. Can I help you, mister?"

[Don't talk to him, Ryuta!] Zero warned, still holding pain.

"Your bravery and mentality must be praised, child." He replied before turning away slowly.

[??? has taken an interest in you.]

"The world has gotten interesting."

The wind blew, brushing his figure as he vanished like a ghost.

His heavy aura dissipated. I regained myself.

Worried, I turned my head to Shino. Her eyes were wide open, her complexion looked pale and her mouth was uttering something.

Without warning, my heart felt intense pain as though someone squish it from the inside. My lung was no better, it was stifling like something clogged the air veins.

My eyes became heavy, what is happening...?

"Hey, did you see that?"

"That man just disappeared!"

"Hey, are you okay?!" Someone shouted amongst the crowd.

Something unexpected happened in the next scene.

Still morning, the train station filled with considerable amount of people and after His disappearance, people start to collapse one after the other, they panicked and rushed out of the station.

In the midst of this.

"Gate, open." Shino suddenly spoke. A blue magic circle appeared above our heads and another one below our feet. The magic circles swallowed us and we vanished from the spot.

At the same time, rushed footsteps spread out. Screams echoed throughout the station. Children crying mixed in background.

In panic and intense fear within their hearts, people ran towards the exit, ignoring the dead bodies they stomp over or those who fell. They wanted to leave!

However, a mysterious force sucked their strength and vitality. Their eyes got heavy and they closed their eyes, breathing their last breathe.

People outside of the station noticed the bizarre event and called the police. It didn't take long before they arrived. Two black jeeps came along. People in business suit left the jeeps.

In the station, a man in a black vest with a white shirt and a long hat could be seen, standing alone. No one knew where he came from, as if he appeared out of the thin air.

Darkness veiled his face. His hat had an eye which was closed. It looked like an insignia embedded on the hat.

Above the man, a woman with a white hair was flying still.

"It seems we're late," said Airi as she landed. She flew here as quickly as possible when she pick up His aura.

Upon arriving, she saw the man was already here, investigating the area.

The station reek the smell of death and the malevolence lingered in the air causing her skin to chill.

She had no doubt, it belonged to that bastard. "Can't you chase him?"

"He concealed his tracks, it will take some time to pinpoint his location. Would that be alright?"

"Yeah, that would be grateful." She paused briefly, "Why did he come here?"

"Perhaps your husband is his target?"

"If so, he's dead already. I lent him a familiar. It'd activate immediately if he's about to die or in immediate danger." She replied while observing the area. She sent a bit of mana to her familiar and located him quickly.

The distance between them was far. He didn't go to college? She thought to herself, curious.

"I've tracked him." He spoke. The hat also opened its eye, its color was yellow. It glowed and formed a yellow door out of the thin air.

"Are you certain you want to meet him? This could be a trap and you jumped right into it."

"You're not coming with me?"

"I have important matters to attend."

"What's more important than killing your arch nemesis?" She looked at him, surprised. "He will become more dangerous if we don't stop him now. This is our only chance!"

"There are more pressing matters than him. Then if you excuse me." He tipped his hat, the eye color on his hat changed from yellow to white. His body vanished into snow particles.

"Unbelievable!" She stomped her feet. The whole station trembled as the ground made a web-like crack and a meter deep hole. She immediately took a deep breath. "Calm down, calm down. Maybe he's doing something that will benefit us. Yes, that must be it." She convinced herself.

Still displeased with his response, Airi couldn't do anything about it and turned the doorknob, pushing the door forward, entering it.

At the same time, two figures appeared in the air near an apartment complex. I hit the ground with my butt first and Ms. Shino fell on me, she let out a soft shriek as her butt landed hard on my stomach, I groaned in pain upon impact.

"Ms. Shino, get up."

She stood and looked around. Next, she closed her eyes and green magic circles formed below our feet. It exude a warm glow as pain in my heart vanished and I can breath normally again.

She lend me a hand, I accepted it with a smile and got up.

"Who is that?" I patted my butt to shake the dirt off.

"I don't know. Whoever he is, he's bad news." Her words were heavy.

"Why do you think he suddenly talked to us?" I asked casually.

"It's just my opinion. He seems interested about cultivation." She replied.

Thinking back, he appeared out of nowhere when our conversation hit that topic.

"Do you think those people in the station are alright? They fainted all of a sudden." I pondered.

"I can feel vitality, and those people, their vitality has gone."

"Why?"

"It must be the man. His existence itself is a dead toxin to those around him."

"How come we're still alive?"

"Players are no longer ordinary humans. Our built is different." She explained.

"So that's why. Speaking of which, where are we?" I looked around.

"We're close to Hanazaki's house. It's your turn to attack him."

"He knew we are here already."

I remembered when he waited for me near my house and when I was on the train. What other explanation other than the fact he knew my location?

"Any plan?" Ms. Shino tightened the grip around her staff as she darted her eyes here and there, feeling and picking any movement.

"Ms. Shino, hide. He can't find you." As I speak, I sensed someone coming. "You're going to launch an ambush when he lowered his guard, okay? I will tell you the signal."

"Okay." She nodded and she uttered something at an insane speed. Afterward, her body became transparent and she turned invisible.

I bit my thumb to activate my ability. Although there were no blocks or tools inside my inventory, I can still break stuff even though it is slow.

Zero, lend me your strength, I said in my heart and the black katana appeared on my hand. I abruptly remembered his fear and hatred towards that man.

Are you okay man? I asked him, not lowering my guard to my surroundings.

[I'm fine, his sudden appearance shocked me, that's all,] he replied.

Do you know him?

[He's the one I've been looking for. I thought I was ready if I met him again, but who am I kidding? I can't even help.] His words contain unfathomable sadness and regret.

I was about to say something when I felt a powerful presence coming closer. It came from the air.

I looked at him descending slowly and I assumed a fighting stance, "You can also fly?"

He responded with a snap of his finger and lightning struck me. I dodged as I moved my body to the left. It went past me, leaving a hole in the asphalt.

He continued doing so from the distance. I moved my body around, avoiding the endless lightning attacks. It looked like I was dancing.

This cannot continue, I must shorten the gap between us and kill him in one blow. However, he is agile despite his build, he could block my attack easily.

As I was thinking, I got an idea and threw the sword at him. My action was a surprise to him, but he maintained his cool and tilt his body to the right. The sword went by him and hit the wall of a building, embedded deep into it. The building was far from Hanazaki.

Hanazaki looked at me weirdly and rather confused.

"Why did you throw away you weapon?"

"I don't know, I thought that would work." I shrugged my shoulders and hurriedly ran after turning my body around.

Still flying, Hanazaki chase after me. I ran as fast as possible so that ordinary people wouldn't be able to keep up with me with their eyes. I would become a dark silhouette to them. Perhaps due to enchantment from Divinity? However, I should feel this effect when I was fighting him on the train.

I turned a few corners, climbed the emergency stairs of a building and now, arrived on the roof of the building. Hanazaki rose and entered my vision.

I closed my hands into a fist as I was planning to beat his cheeks.

"Pitiful." He snapped his fingers and I lightly jumped to the left. The lightning struck my recent position.