B-Class Threat

"Humans, so frail, and so weak—disgusting creatures who destroy the world they were born on—yet they criticize us from being birthed, claiming that we will bring the planet to its end. The irony in their words is irrefutable."

The Uncanny creature walked through the city, invisible to the sleepers of the world, yet its footsteps would quake the surrounding areas, frightening the innocent.

"I have lived for many centuries, and I have seen thousands of my brethren fall to the hands of the Wizards. I had to even take the life of my kind." The Phantasm stopped in the middle of the streets, glancing at its hands. "I spilled the blood of my race to save my own skin… but it wasn't in vain."

Clenching its hands into a fist, an eerie smile would spread across its face.

"Their sacrifice made me stronger. I have grown into a powerful Phantasm. The Wizards label my strength as B-Class! What a wondrous improvement!" Its demonic voice whispered to itself as the Phantasm turned around, glancing behind him. "Now all that is left is using these fodder to climb up the hierarchy of strength." A dozen individual Wizards stood behind the B-Class Phantasm, frowning at its appearance.

"It took me thousands of years to reach B-Class, I will not fall to the hands of weaklings such as yourself. Ke Ha Ha Ha! Do what you must, in the end… you'll meet your inevitable demise!"

"So you're the creepy fuck who killed the Stealth Squadron." A wizard with short and spiky black hair stood next to three others, holding glowing weapons made purely out of Ether. His name was Daniel.

"So you've come to take my head, like the others, have you?"

"Huh?" A white-haired wizard widened their eyes, glancing at her comrade. "D-Daniel, this one can talk! That's not good news for us! That means it's intelligent."

"Bridget's right! We can't take on an intelligent Phantasm, there's no way in hell!" Said the blonde-haired wizard, standing next to Bridget. His name badge had James inscribed into it.

"…We're gonna die! We're gonna die!!" Another one with black hair and a ponytail trembled in their legs, unable to hold her Katana correctly. Her name badge had Cody inscribed into it.

"Tsk… if I knew this one could talk, I would've brought more people."

"Ke Ha Ha Ha! Witless creatures. You underestimate my kind too casually. Perhaps I'll be the Phantasm who will snap your people back to reality!"

"I-It's coming!" Said James.

"Shit, we got no choice!" Proclaimed Daniel, visibly nervous.

"Let's see how you humans deal with a Phantasm on my level!!! Keee Ha Ha!!" The Phantasm charged at them leaning forward with its arms stretched outwards.

"Let's split up! Attack this bastard from all directions!"

Upon Daniels's command, the Wizards would spread out, leaving their position.

Using Ein, they kept themselves concealed from its perception, hiding in the shadows.

"…Hmm, using Ein, are you!? Big mistake!" The Phantasm jumped into the air, suddenly vanishing before their eyes. He too used Ein.

"W-What? There's no way… how could a Phantasm use Ein?" Bridget stood there, invisible to all senses… however-

"Foundddd you."

The Phantasm stood above her, grinning with drool leaking down its chin.

Its blank pale face would grow large red eyes, with feline pupils inside of them. It was a horrifying sight.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!" Bridget screamed in terror, witnessing its gaping maw chomping on her body, and lifting her up from the ground. "Guuaaaaaghhhh!!" Her flesh ripped as her bones were chomped through, deactivating her Ein.

"Bridget!!" Daniel called out to her name, but he couldn't perceive her.

When Ein is used, it is impossible to perceive the user. They're essentially invisible to all five senses, including the sixth, seventh, and eighth.

And yet…

"That's impossible, how was she found?! Can this creature detect us above the eighth sense?!"

"O-Only the Supervisors can s-see above the Eighth sense!" Muttered Cody.

"I'm gonna dieeee- aaauhhhhh! Help me, James!" Her last words echoed throughout the city as her other teammates watched in horror.

"Damn, youuuuu!!!" James was the first to dash at the creature, focusing Kah into his legs to increase his speed well above the third cosmic velocity.

"Hmmm?" The Phantasm had already killed Bridget, proceeding to swallow her whole. "Ohhh!" But to its surprise, James managed to stab it in the chest, shouting his Augment Technique.

"Augment Technique: Pulverize!"

Upon activation, the Phantasm would have a massive hole blown into its torso, knocking it through the building, and bypassing its durable skin.

"Ghhh!" It grunted in pain, feeling the rubble fall upon its body, covering it whole. Luckily for James, the building was closed off, sparing innocent civilian lives.

"I-Incredible…" Murmured Cody.

"That was James girlfriend."

"H-Huh?"

"Bridget and him were together for five years. They've always talked about marrying each other once they graduated from Wizard Academy in the Magus Association. Now they'll never be able to reach that goal together." Said Daniel.

"T-Thats horrible…! That's just cruel!"

"That's how it is, being a Wizard, and hunting the Phantasms."

"Then… why didn't they just leave together? Why do such a dangerous job knowing the risks?"

"They had nowhere else to go."

Cody's expression mutated into confusion, saying, "Huh?"

"A large majority of Wizards in the Magus Association was born there. Their parents had them grow up in the environment—with no relation to the outside world. This is all they know; hunting, and killing. That's why they promised each other to leave the association once they graduated."

"O-Oh..."

"As of right now, James is undergoing immense negative emotions. If we don't stop him, he'll be more of a threat than that Phantasm!"

"H-How do we stop him?"

"By helping him kill the Phantasm. His thoughts of revenge should cease once it's dead!"

Hatred.

That was the main cause of Nihilism.

If one experiences hatred beyond human comprehension, they'll undergo nihilism.

The only way to experience this hatred is through the Phantasms. These creatures existed beyond human comprehension, operating under different understandings and fundamentals of logic.

Many-valued logic if you will.

They existed as errors in reality, created by the collective consciousness of humans themselves. They come from the concept of fears, rumors, urban legends, and myths. However, the intelligent Phantasms were different. They existed paradoxically and in a state beyond the norm of their kind.

The intelligent, also known as the Sentient, embodies two major concepts at once, paradoxically.

"I'll kill you… I'll kill you… I'll fucking kill you!!!" James stood there holding his Ether Katana, and gazing upon the rubble the Phantasm was under.

"James, let us help you!" Shouted Daniel, running towards the commotion.

"Stay out of this!" James gathered Sehk around his body, pushing away his comrades with his aura alone. "I'll deal with this… I don't need your help!" He turned around, glaring at them with immense emotion. His eyes were bloodshot red.

His strength and overall aura were tenfold.

"J-James… we want to help!" Said the Shy Cody.

"There's no helping me… I'll kill this son of a bitch with my own bare hands. He killed the love of my life… and you expect me to let others help!?"

Rage swirled inside him, increasing his strength even more.

"No… I'll handle this bastard myself!"

Normally, feeling rage would boost the awakened power by 2x, however, his reached over the limit, going up to 10x.

He was on the level of B-Class Wizards.

"Augment Technique…"

James lifted his Katana into the air with both hands, gathering tremendous Ether into the blade.

"Wait, no! James, if you use that in the city, everyone else will be caught inside of it!!" Daniel's expression changed quickly into that of fear, and so did Cody's.

"J-James!" Cried Cody.

"To hell with them all!!" He swung his blade forward.

"…James."

But would stop from hearing a familiar voice.

"…"

His hands trembled as his Ether Katana fell to the floor, dissipating.

Slowly looking up from the ground, his eyes would meet his beloved once more. She stood in front of him, smiling wide as ever, and holding out her hand.

"It's me, Bridget. Your beloved."

"B-Bridget… I-Is it really you?"

Crying, he stumbled forward, and fell to his knees in front of her, hugging her waist.

"James, get the hell away from her!!" Shouted Daniel.

"Something isn't right… that's not Bridget! Whimpered Cody.

"I can't lose you, Bridget… I can't! We've been childhood lovers—and we promised to live outside of MA together! Don't you remember?"

"Yes my dear, I remember." She gently rubbed his scalp, brushing his hair to the side. "That's why I won't leave you. We'll be together, forever."

"…Bridget!" His voice cracked as he dug his face into her belly, crying his eyes out.

"James!!!" Daniel screamed again, witnessing the illusion break.

James was now hugging the Phantasm's leg.

"So weak, and so gullible."

"Damnit…!"

"J-James, no!" Cody ran after her comrade, but Daniel stopped her.

"Don't!"

"W-What are you doing?"

"It's too late, Cody!"

"What do you mean? That's our comrade, Daniel!"

"This Phantasm… it already unlocked its Ether Class Technique."

She widened her eyes, taking a step back. "H-How is that possible!? A Phantasm out of all things?"

"Yeah. It sounds impossible, but it's true! Focus Kah into your eyes and see for yourself. As of now, James is stuck inside its Summoner-type technique. If we infiltrate, the laws of that barrier will have us unable to escape, and we'll abide by its rules."

"B-But…"

"James is done for."