Night had fallen.
The air had grown colder, sharper than it was just hours ago. The city glowed with lights from homes and high-rise windows, but deep in the alley, that warmth felt a world away.
There—the creature stared at them, unblinking, its wide, monstrous eyes gleaming under the flickering streetlight.
Akira instinctively took a step back. His voice was low, tight with fear.
"...We should leave. Now. Before that thing decides to rip us apart."
Suo spoke slowly, his voice barely above a whisper—but just loud enough for Akira to hear.
"But… what if that person's still alive? We could save him…"
Akira clenched his jaw, frustrated—not at Suo, but at the helplessness of the situation.
He kept his voice low but firm.
"Shut up for now… and listen to me. We're not fighting that thing—we can't. And even if we could, that guy's probably already dead. We need to get out of here. Fast."
Suo hesitated. His eyes flicked toward the body crumpled at the mouth of the alley. The moonlight spilled down onto the figure, revealing just enough—a man, eyes vacant, lifeless. No movement. No breath.
He wanted to grieve. To feel something for the man.
But what could he do now?
He exhaled softly, guilt heavy in his chest.
"…Okay."
Step by step, they began to back away. Quiet. Controlled. Careful.
The silence between them was thick—suffocating. The air around them felt like it would crush them any second. Their legs were tight, ready to sprint. Hearts pounding.
They both knew it:
They weren't heroes.
They weren't soldiers.
They couldn't fight this.
Their only chance was to run.
And pray—pray they were fast enough.
But the moment they turned to flee, the creature suddenly grinned, baring its bloodstained, razor-sharp teeth—and let out a deafening, guttural roar.
Before they could even react, the monster lunged forward with terrifying speed.
In an instant, Akira shoved Suo to the side. "Run! I'll han—" But before he could finish, the creature changed direction mid-charge and struck Suo instead.
Akira's eyes widened in shock. What the hell?!
The creature's massive, bone-thin hand slammed Suo's head down against the concrete, pinning him in place. Its jaws opened wide, dripping with blood, ready to bite down on his skull.
Suo struggled beneath its grip, arms trembling as he held the creature's head back with everything he had. "A-Akira run!" he shouted.
Akira froze for a split second—his heart hammering in his chest, panic tightening around him like a noose. Everything had happened so fast—it was too much, too sudden, too real. For a moment, he was just a stunned teenager, staring at the nightmare unfolding in front of him.
But then he saw Suo—pinned down, fighting for his life, teeth gritted as he struggled against the creature's weight.
No. I can't just stand here. I have to do something.
I have to do something or—
Suo will die.
Akira's breath quickened. His thoughts spiraled.
His hands trembled. His chest throbbed with pain—but fear throbbed harder.
Think. Think, damn it!
His mind screamed.
There has to be something—anything—I can use!
He looked around, frantic, desperate for an idea—
because doing nothing wasn't an option.
Not anymore.
Charging in barehanded would be suicide. He needed something sharp—anything. His eyes darted around in desperation.
Come on… come on, think!
His eyes darted around, again and again—nothing but shattered bottles and scattered trash.
Then he remembered something—he frantically searched his pockets, his hands shaking as he patted down his pants, jacket, even inside his shirt—desperation rising—until finally, his fingers wrapped around it.
A pen. That's all he had.
"It'll have to do," he muttered. "Hold on, Suo—I'm coming."
Suo was straining beneath the creature's weight, hands pressed into its twisted face, barely keeping its fangs at bay. "Agh—what are you doing?! Hurry and run!"
With a roar of pure desperation, Akira lunged forward and drove the pen straight into the creature's grotesque, bulging eye.
The monster let out a piercing, guttural scream—its body spasming violently as blood erupted from the socket. It thrashed like a rabid beast, and with a savage swing, it backhanded Akira across the torso.
"AAAGHH!"
Akira was launched off his feet, slamming into the alley wall with a sickening crack. He collapsed to the ground, coughing, gasping—God, something cracked… maybe a rib, maybe more.
But he didn't stop.
Through the white-hot pain, through the pounding in his skull, he clawed his way back toward the creature. Gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached, he grabbed the pen still lodged in its eye—and twisted.
More blood gushed out, spraying across his arm. The creature thrashed, shrieking in agony, and finally let go of Suo—its focus now locked entirely on Akira.
It lunged.
Its claws tore across Akira's arm in a vicious swipe, shredding skin to the bone. Bright red blood spilled, hot and fast.
Akira screamed, the pain blinding—but still, he held on.
The creature gripped his wrist with crushing strength, trying to wrench the pen free. Akira's vision blurred. His fingers, slippery with his own blood, lost their grip.
He staggered back, barely able to stand. The pen remained—buried deep in the creature's ruined eye, twitching with each of its enraged spasms.
Akira stood there, shaking, blood dripping from his arm—breathing ragged—but alive.
For now.
Akira fell to one knee, clutching his shredded arm, breathing hard. "Suo… run!"
Akira tried to move, but the pain in his ribs flared like fire—sharp and deep, stealing his breath. Before he could recover, the creature lunged toward him.
But just as the creature reared back to strike, Suo—now free—gritted his teeth and thought, "I told him to run… but he didn't. Wait a second… maybe—maybe we can end this." Without wasting another moment, Suo sprang into motion, charging straight at the creature with a sudden burst of determination.
With a desperate scream, Suo threw himself forward, slamming his shoulder into the creature's side with everything he had. The impact knocked it off balance, its claws narrowly missing Akira.
"Use the bag strap!" Suo shouted, breath ragged. "Wrap it around its neck! I'll draw it away—when it comes for me, bind it! Don't worry… we're getting out of this!"
Akira's body screamed in agony, every movement sending sharp jolts of pain through his chest and limbs—but there was no time to hesitate. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, muscles trembling, vision hazy.
Move... move... just move!
He staggered toward the fallen bag, collapsed to his knees, and grabbed it with both hands. With a rough motion, he flipped it upside down, dumping out the books in a chaotic spill across the ground. The strap dangled loosely in his grip—his one shot.
Meanwhile, Suo pivoted sharply and sprinted into the shadows of the alley, his heart pounding like a war drum. The creature snarled—deep and feral—and tore after him, claws scraping against concrete, eyes locked onto its new target.
Suo didn't look back. Just a little more—keep it focused on me!
Akira, trembling and bloodied, clenched his jaw and forced his battered body to move.
Come on... keep going. Don't stop now.
He followed the sound of crashing footsteps and ragged breath through the alley, every step a battle against the searing pain in his chest. Then he saw it—the creature looming over Suo, who had stumbled and fallen, cornered.
Akira didn't think. He didn't plan. He just ran.
With a hoarse cry, he launched himself onto the creature's back, arms swinging the bag strap wildly. He looped it around the monster's neck and pulled—hard.
The creature thrashed violently, but Akira held on, teeth clenched, muscles screaming, as the strap dug into the beast's flesh.
"You're not hurting him again!" he roared.
But then—
Akira froze.
His eyes landed on Suo's body—motionless, crumpled on the blood-soaked concrete.
Red pooled beneath him, spilling from his stomach, dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Suo…" Akira whispered, voice cracking.
The strap slipped from his hands.
His chest tightened, breath catching in his throat. His vision swam—not from pain this time, but from the sheer shock.
No… no, no, no…
The creature snarled and lashed out. A brutal backhand crashed into Akira's side, hurling him through the air like a ragdoll.
He hit the ground hard, but he didn't feel it.
He didn't feel anything.
His eyes were still locked on Suo—on the lifeless rise and fall that never came.
"No…" he choked out, crawling forward on shaking arms. "Su… Suo…"
Each breath was a struggle. His lungs burned. His body screamed. But none of that mattered.
All he could see was his friend—his only friend—lying in a puddle of his own blood.
Tears welled in his eyes as rage and despair twisted inside him like a storm.
"You monster…" Akira growled through gritted teeth. "I'll… I'll kill you…"
He forced himself up, legs trembling beneath him—but the creature was faster.
It lunged and slammed him to the ground, pinning him with its claws. They dug into his chest, tearing through skin and shirt. Hot blood spilled.
Akira cried out, eyes wide in panic as the creature loomed above, fangs dripping, jaw opening.
But he didn't look at it.
His eyes stayed on Suo.
"Please…" he whispered, voice shaking, tears falling, "someone… save Suo…"
His vision blurred.
Through the haze of pain, blood, and broken breath, Akira's blurry gaze caught movement—just beyond Suo's still body.
A figure.
Standing quietly.
The moonlight spilled down from the night sky, casting a pale glow around him, but his face remained hidden in shadow. He wasn't panting, he wasn't sweating—he wasn't even tense. He stood there like he'd simply taken a wrong turn during a midnight stroll. Hands stuffed in the pockets of a long, tattered coat, shoulders slightly slouched.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Unreal.
Akira's vision pulsed—black at the edges, his body screaming for unconsciousness—but he kept his eyes fixed on the man.
Then, the stranger finally spoke. His voice was quiet, tired. Not urgent. Not afraid.
"Tch… How did this hybrid get out?"
Hybrid?
The word didn't register—not right away. But the creature seemed to hear it. Its head snapped around with a sharp, guttural growl. It looked at the man with wild, blood-red eyes. It shrieked and lunged—full force—claws out, fangs bared, roaring with rage.
Akira tried to scream, to warn him—but all that left his mouth was a broken breath.
The man didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
He simply raised one hand—slowly, effortlessly—his fingers curling into the air as if flicking away a bothersome thought.
The monster stopped.
In an instant, it froze, suspended mid-leap like the air had turned to glass around it.
The alley was silent. No footsteps. No wind. Even the night seemed to hold its breath.
The man looked at the hybrid, unimpressed. Then, in a tone as casual as if he were ordering coffee, he spoke a single word.
"…Vanish."
Reality itself bent.
The air shimmered. The creature's body began to break apart, not with sound or force, but with a strange, silent grace. Its form thinned, blurring at the edges, as if unraveling into the atmosphere itself. Piece by piece, it dissolved—matter turning into air—until nothing remained but a faint distortion in the breeze.
Not even blood.
Not even a shadow.
Gone.
As if it had never existed.
Akira's lips parted, but no sound came out. He lay frozen, chest heaving, eyes wide with disbelief.
What… What the hell was that? Who is this guy? How did he…?
The man finally turned his head and looked at Akira—then at Suo's motionless, blood-soaked body.
He let out a long sigh, dragging a hand through his messy black hair. "Man… I really screwed up this time," he muttered. "Guess my salary's getting docked."
Akira's vision flickered. He tried to hold on—tried to say something—but the weight of pain, shock, and exhaustion finally pulled him under.
The world faded to black.
And then—
Nothing.