Chapter 1 - Ambush

Arata Zankoku leaned his head against the window in the plush leather seat of his private jet, the soothing hum of the engines pulling him into a peaceful slumber. Outside the window, the world was reduced to a tapestry of twinkling city lights and distant stars. Unbeknownst to him, a loyal servant, cloaked in darkness, moved stealthily through the cabin's dimly lit aisle.

With practiced precision, the servant approached Arata's seat, ensuring each step was noiseless. In one swift, fluid motion, a gleaming blade emerged from a hidden sheath, glinting ominously under the muted cabin lights. The servant lunged at him with eagerness, attempting to descend the blade upon his victims body. Just as the blade was put into motion, Arata's eyes snapped open. In a lightning-fast reaction, he seized the servant's arm in an iron grip, powerful enough to easily shatter his arm without much effort or strain.

Arata peered at the servant with a smirk, the corners of his lips curling upward. His once peaceful gaze now transformed into an unsettling crimson blaze, casting an eerie glow across his face. His red eyes flared up, a glint appearing.

"How cute. Another assassination attempt?"

His smirk widened, revealing a chilling amusement as he increased the pressure on the would be killers arm. The agonizing sounds of bones beginning to crack and splinter echoed in the tense cabin. The assailants face contorted in a mix of pain and desperation, realizing they weren't going to make it out in one piece.

In an calm and articulated fashion, Arata appeared behind him, grabbing him by the back of his head before slamming it on to the table.

[Weapon Creation]

"Bye-bye!"

A double sided axe appeared in front of arata, outlined in a golden aura which shone like the sun. He grabbed it, raising it high above his head with ease in preparation to cut the fools head clean off. But then, he sensed something no someone, looking down at him from the roof.

"Hm?"

Before Arata could deliver the fatal blow could be delivered, a sudden and deafening buzzing sound pierced the cabin for a couple of seconds. Then, what followed soon after was a blinding eruption of flames and sparks, the entire plane was engulfed in a cataclysmic explosion. Arata found himself at the epicenter of the fiery inferno, consumed by the merciless wrath of the detonation.

A few meters away from the explosion unkown to Arata, two figures floated in the air, seemingly unharmed by the chaos below.

"Do you think that was enough to get him?" One of them asked.

"That was nowhere near enough. He is most definitely still alive."

Moments later, Arata, seemingly unaffected by the explosion, emerged from the cacophony of chaos, freefalling through the smoky remnants. His hands remained casually tucked in his pockets, and he surveyed his surroundings with an air of indifference and boredom.

To his right, a streak of movement approached at insane speeds. Arata leaned back with nonchalance, with an almost lazy grace, he narrowly dodged a razor-thin beam of light that whizzed past him, the searing energy grazing his clothing by a mere hairsbreadth.

He sighed in apparent boredom as he continued his descent from the sky.

"How many times is this going to happen?"

Arata's gaze shifted upwards, quickly his attention is locked onto a hooded figure hurtling toward him with immense speed. Their collision was brutal, sending Arata careening into a couple of buildings, the structures quaking as the impact reverberated through them. Finally, the two combatants plummeted into the ground.

The ground seemed to shatter and explode, launching massive chunks of rock and debris skyward, leaving a chaotic scene of destruction in its wake. When the smoke cleared, Arata stood there unfazed and brushed off some rubble of his attire, the hooded figure nowhere to be found. He wiped some dirt off his shoes before looking up, seeing 9 different figures float down.

"Oh? What's this?" He chuckled.

[Identification]

Surrounding him were 9 heroes, Diana Watkins, a user of Light, Ya Kyung-Sam, a user of Nullification, Jin Bohai, a user of Water, Sancha Noyola, a user of Holy, Husam Sadiq, a user of Cleave, Ambros Lorenz, a user of Rot, Alyosha Egorov, a user of Telekinesis, Hermes, a user of Superspeed, and finally, Kitagawa Mai, a user of Copycat.

"Well, isn't this a diverse group of heroes? Thats new!"

"Your reign ends here, Arata." Mai said.

"I don't know about that, I've been on a streak lately." Arata smirked.

[Cleave]

In the blink of an eye, a blindingly fast slash streaked toward Arata. He reacted swiftly, summoning a protective [Barrier] in a fraction of a second. However, to his shock, the slash effortlessly cleaved through the barrier, leaving him defenseless. With a sickening sound, it cleanly severed his arm, a crimson arc of blood spraying into the air as he jumped back in slight confusion.

'It can go through barriers?'

"Since when did the new generation get so powerful? Yeesh, you're making me feel old!"

[Hyper Regeneration]

With remarkable speed, his bone extended from his shoulder, sinews and tendons rapidly reattaching it to the skeletal structure. Muscles followed suit, coiling around the bone, while skin began to form in a surreal display of regeneration. In a matter of moments, his arm had completely regrown, as though it had never been severed in the first place.

[Telekinesis]

He was suddenly yanked forward by an invisible force. From above, Diana descended with breathtaking speed, surrounded by hundreds of thin beams of radiant light that rushed down alongside her.

[Barrier]

Arata set up another barrier but it had disappeared in an instant. Of course, this was thanks to the user of...

[Nullification]

"Not so fast." Kyung-sam said.

With a sinister smirk, Arata leaped backward, narrowly but effortlessly evading each one of the beams of light. As another of these radiant projectiles hurtled toward him, he exhibited remarkable prowess and inhuman strength by snatching it out of the air with his bare hands, using it as an improvised bat of sorts to deflect yet another beam. Diana enveloped her legs in a dazzling golden aura, initiating a thunderous clash with Arata. The sheer force of their collision caused the ground to tremble and crack beneath them, pipes bursting and rubble flying everywhere.

Arata manages to push Diana back momentarily, but as soon as he does, Hermes surged forward with incredible force. He tackled Arata with relentless power, sending both of them hurtling through the air and smashing into multiple buildings with a deafening cacophony of destruction. Arata quickly recovered, sliding across the ground.

'Hm..this is troublesome. I can't use any of my abilities due to [Nullification], which means I'm extremely limited in what I can do right now. Taking him out swiftly with [Hypersonic Speed] would be impossible as they were to activate their ability faster than I could put up a barrier, especially not with Hermes on my ass.'

With a surprising and relentless grip, something from beneath the ground reached out to grab his leg. It took the form of a hand crafted from manipulated water, sinuously snaking through the cracks in the ground. Then, without any warning, he was violently propelled into the air, his body flailing and twisting uncontrollably in the watery grip. Ambros Lorenz came down from above, reaching out her hand to grab Arata. Arata quickly dodged to the side however, grabbing her by the arm before pulling her closer and headbutting her.

'Her [Rot] ability needs her to touch me with her hands in order to use, so I should be fine touching anywhere else.'

Arata used her body as a shield, shielding himself from a powerful stream of water, and they crashed into the ground together. As the dust and debris settled, Arata swiftly emerged from the chaos. With a burst of speed, he grabbed Kyung-Sam by the neck and ruthlessly slammed him into the ground. He crouched on top of him, holding him by the head with a smirk.

"I wonder, can you use your ability on an opponent you can't see?"

[Magma]

Arata's mouth opened wide, and a seething torrent of molten magma gushed forth. It cascaded over Kyung-Sam's face, engulfing him in a scorching, agonizing deluge of superheated rock. His anguished screams pierced the air, the torment of the scorching magma leaving him in excruciating agony. At the sight of this, some of the heroes screamed in horror due to their comrades gruesome fate. Arata quickly stood up after his fun, he then turned around to block a kick by Hermes.

"You're fast sure, but all that speed is wasted on a idiot like you!"

With a swift and ruthless reaction, Arata snapped Hermes' legs, rendering him incapacitated. He then proceeded to drive the broken bones into Hermes' chest, impaling him onto the ground with a brutal and unrelenting display of power.

"OK who's next! Oh I know... YOU!"

[Teleportation]

In a blink of an eye, Arata teleported behind Alyosha, slamming him forcefully into a nearby building. Without pause, he seized Alyosha by the leg and hurled him into the air. Raising his hand high above, a vibrant purple energy enveloped his arm, crackling with potent energy.

[Gravity]

With remarkable speed, Alyosha was sent hurtling back to the ground, his descent culminating in a resounding thud upon impact. As he attempted to rise, he found himself struggling against an overwhelming and crushing pressure that bore down upon his body, making each movement an arduous and grueling endeavor.

"And you were off at such a great start too!"

With a sudden and agile movement, Arata materialized right in front of Alyosha, delivering a swift and powerful kick to the gut, further intensifying the pain and disarray of their confrontation.

"People like you are never good at close range! You rely too much on your ability!"

Out of nowhere, a searing bolt of light pierced Arata's arm, detonating in a burst of brilliance in his face, forcing him to stagger back, momentarily disoriented. Seizing this opportunity, Alyosha made a hasty escape while Arata was distracted. Arata frowned as he turned to discover Alyosha's retreat.

His gaze then shifted to Diana, who stood there with tears streaming down her face, her eyes brimming with pure hatred as she looked upon Arata.

"Well well, it seems like the little lady has built up the courage to fight again." He chuckled.

"I WILL END YOU!!" She shouted.

[Light]

She rushed toward him, a spear of light appearing in her hands.

[Weapon Creation]

A katana materialized before Arata, outlined by a golden aura like before. He swiftly grabbed it with ease, engaging in a fierce clash with Diana.

Suddenly, he sensed something from behind him and acted swiftly, pushing Diana back before turning around to confront a [Cleave]. The slashing force was relentless, it was ruthlessly pushing him backward despite his best efforts to resist and the fact that he was stronger than him by a wide margin.

[Teleportation]

Arata utilized his teleportation to escape out of the clash, but in the blink of an eye, he was met with an immediate attack from Husam. Husam's blade sliced downward, but Arata's superhuman reflexes were on point as he expertly blocked the assault. In a fluid motion, Husam swung again, but Arata blocked it again.

With remarkable speed, Arata countered, delivering a lightning-fast cut to Husam's cheek. From behind, Diana's spear formed into gauntlets as she attacked Arata from behind. However, he sensed it and dodged, turning around to slash at Diana.

But then suddenly, something ringed out. A clap.

[Copycat: Teleportation]

Diana and Husam switched places, confusing Arata, as it was a idiotic move. Husam ducked under it by a inch, cutting the currently occupied Arata diagonally across his chest. Diana swiftly followed it up, punching him in the jaw as Arata swayed back towards her. Husam seamlessly continued the assault, delivering a forceful kick to Arata's chest, propelling him back towards Diana. She drew her arm back, then unleashed a devastating punch directly into Arata's gut, sapping the air from his lungs and leaving him reeling.

[Copycat: Teleportation]

Another clap ringed out as Husam and Diana disappeared, replacing them with Jin Bohai. Jin acted swiftly, delivering a powerful punch to Arata's chin. The impact sent Arata soaring into the air, carried by an overwhelming surge of water, leaving him suspended high above the ground.

[Flight]

Arata recovered mid-air, frowning. His frown quickly turned into a smirk as he wiped some blood dripping down his lips.

"I think you've earned this, my full power."

[Resonating Hatred]

Arata clasped his hands together, conjuring a black, thin square that materialized between them. He slowly pulled his hands apart, causing the dark square to soar into the sky, stretching to cover the expanse of Japan.

As he gazed upon the unfolding spectacle, he spoke with an air of commanding authority.

"BEHOLD THE MIGHT OF THE EASTERN LEVIATHAN, HARBINGER OF DESTRUCTION. RISE, RYUUKARYU!!!!"

A beast outlined with a vibrant purple aura dropped out of the square, landing in front of the heroes.

The beast had an imposing and colossal stature, towering over the landscape with its enormous form. It was a dragon of epic proportions, its body covered in sleek, obsidian-black scales that shimmered with an otherworldly, ethereal luster. Its eyes were orbs of intense, piercing crimson, reflecting a timeless wisdom and power that seemed to transcend mere existence. The creature's wings, expansive and membrane-thin, radiated with a subtle iridescence, like the shimmering of precious gemstones. As it unfurled its wings, their sheer span could shadow entire cityscapes, and the sound of their powerful flaps reverberated like thunder. Its tail was adorned with jagged, crystal-like spikes that appeared as if they were forged from the very core of the earth.

"So wanna give up yet?"