The monstrous stomping grew louder and closer, echoing ominously through the labyrinthine sewer system. Tetsu, having frantically sifted through a dozen overflowing trash bags and found absolutely nothing useful, felt a cold, clammy dread settle deep in his stomach.
Despair, thick and suffocating, washed over him as he realized just how utterly hopeless his situation was.
With each approaching step, the very ground vibrated beneath him, a low, guttural thrum that resonated in his bones.
He squeezed his eyes shut, a silent plea on his lips, convinced this was the end.
The creature reached a turning point, its gargantuan shadow stretching, twisting, and then casting itself across the two diverging paths. It paused there for a moment, an immense, terrifying presence that filled the narrow passage, the air growing heavy with its unseen bulk.
Huddled in the dead-end path to the left, tucked precariously behind a precariously stacked pile of discarded crates, Tetsu trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattering despite himself.
It's going to find me. I'm going to get killed.
This is it. All that talk… all for nothing.
But then, a subtle shift occurred. The creature turned, its heavy footsteps receding, the ground vibrating with diminishing force.
It had chosen the right path. Tetsu gasped, a ragged, desperate breath of pure, unadulterated relief escaping him, his lungs burning.
I'm safe, he thought, his body still shaking violently but his mind reeling from the agonizing near miss.
He pressed himself further into the grimy wall, hardly daring to breathe.
As the stomping faded into the distance, replaced by the persistent drip of water, his phone vibrated, a sudden, jarring buzz against his thigh.
It was a call from Mizuki through the AAO app. He fumbled for it, his trembling fingers struggling to accept the call.
"Tetsu, are you safe?!" Mizuki's voice, usually so composed, was sharp with an undeniable urgency, laced with a tremor of fear that caught him off guard.
"Yes, I'm fine," Tetsu replied, the words a thin, reedy whisper, a wave of guilt washing over him. He felt like a complete coward, utterly worthless.
His throat tightened.
"I... I ran. It was cowardly. I was scared. I just... froze."
There was a beat of silence on the other end, then Mizuki's voice, softening but remaining professional, cut through his self-recrimination. "Tetsu, listen! You're not a coward."
"It's okay to be scared! Anomalies periodically release energy into the surrounding environment. Strong ones release more than weaker ones."
"The one you're fighting is a mutated Anomaly, which ended up being above Level 3."
"For a high-end Level 3 like this, the amount of energy it releases must be immense. It's normal for you to be intimidated; your instinct prevented you from confronting it. Like I said, your safety comes before objectives. What you did was correct."
High-end Level 3?
Tetsu thought, his head thumping softly against the cold, damp concrete wall. A fresh wave of self-loathing washed over him.
Damn it! I ran like a coward. I just froze. All that talk about not being useless, about fighting for Haruto and Mio... and then I just ran. I swore I'd be stronger.
He lightly smashed his forehead against the wall again, a dull pain blooming.
I could have at least tried to hit it again, done something! Anything! But I was just... terrified. Paralyzed.
Mizuki continued, her voice regaining some of its usual crispness.
"A Level 4 Destroyer will come to support you soon. Don't worry, just—"
"Wait, that right path."
Tetsu interrupted while Mizuki's still talking, his mind catching on something Mizuki had said earlier, a flicker of cold dread replacing his shame.
The Anomaly just walked that way.
He pressed his ear to the slimy wall, listening intently, and heard the distinct, unmistakable sound of flowing water, a low roar, coming from the right path—the one the monster had taken.
He pulled out his phone again, his thumb flying across the screen to check the local sewer map on the AAO app.
To the west through the right path, at its very end, was a major water treatment plant.
No!
Tetsu thought, a cold dread far worse than his fear of the monster washing over him, chilling him to the bone.
If that monster follows that path and reaches the water treatment plant, it could destroy it, releasing massive amounts of biohazardous wastewater into the city. Thousands, maybe millions, could get sick—or worse.
His hands clenched into tight fists, digging nails into his palms.
This isn't just about fighting a monster anymore. This is about protecting the city. I have to do something.
The thought ignited a fierce, defiant spark within him, pushing aside the fear, burning away the shame.
But can I? Can I really defeat it? I nearly got crushed. It's too fast, too strong. I'll probably be killed. Am I really strong enough? Am I just being stupid, sacrificing myself for nothing?
He looked at his trembling hands, seeing the faint tremor that still lingered.
Mizuki's voice, now laced with genuine concern, cut through his internal turmoil.
"Tetsu, are you alright? Tetsu? Tetsu!"
She called his name repeatedly, her voice growing more urgent. Tetsu gripped his phone, his knuckles turning white, the plastic creaking under the pressure.
What should I do? Wait and hope? Or act and risk everything?
Back at the base, the air in the command center was thick with tension. Reiji sat on the sleek, black sofa in the observation room, the doubt still gnawing at him, a persistent, uncomfortable itch beneath his skin.
Maybe Tetsu is an enemy after all. Tanaka Kenji's death... the mysterious inviter...
What if Tetsu is a plant? What if he's here to gather intelligence, to betray us? He's so mysterious sometimes, so closed off.
But then, an image, sharp and vivid, flashed in his mind:
Tetsu, awkward but determined, high-fiving him on the beach, a rare, genuine smile gracing his lips.
Tetsu, pushing through the brutal fight with the Rootstrider, never gave up in the sake of protecting civilians, even when it seemed hopeless.
No. There were no signs of deception. Nothing. He's just a kid, a scared kid who's trying to do good. A good kid with a lot of baggage.
Reiji took a deep, shuddering breath, the internal struggle finally resolving.
He had his answer.
He looked at Arata, who had turned towards him, a silent question in his eyes, a ripple of concern on his usually stoic face.
Reiji took an even deeper breath, then, with all the conviction he could muster, he declared in a super loud voice that echoed through the room, cutting through the hushed murmurs of the analysts:
"Tetsu, I trust you!"
The declaration was so loud, so raw with conviction, that Mizuki, in her own observation room, clearly heard it through the comms. Reiji's words, amplified by the comms system, reached Tetsu through their ongoing call, a sudden, powerful reassurance in the suffocating silence of the sewer.
Tetsu froze, his hand still clamped over his mouth, the phone buzzing faintly against his ear.
Reiji.
The thought echoed in his mind, clear and unwavering, cutting through the cacophony of his fear and self-loathing. Reiji, who had trusted him. Reiji, who had just shouted his belief across the entire base, for him, perhaps, to hear.
Tetsu's hand slowly descended from his mouth, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with a sudden, fierce resolve.
Then, with a sudden, sharp movement, he balled his hand into a fist and punched himself hard in the jaw.
A gasp of pain escaped him, sharp and involuntary, and a small trickle of blood welled from the corner of his mouth, a metallic tang on his tongue.
"Coward," he whispered, the word a bitter taste, a scathing self-condemnation.
You just hid. You ran. If Reiji knew... if he knew how I just froze, how scared I was... he must be so disappointed. He closed his eyes, picturing Reiji's unwavering confidence, his resolute belief.
He trusts me. He actually trusts me. And what do I do? I panic. I almost let that thing get away.
But even if I'm a coward, he thought, even if I failed that test of courage... I still have something to protect. I still want. Haruto and Mio.
They were my most precious friends, the ones that I had wanted to protect above all else, and I had failed them. I couldn't protect them from the thing that took their lives.
But now... I want to protect something else.
This country, this city, my school, the innocent people around me, everyone.
I want to protect them. I don't want to lose any one of those. I couldn't afford to fail, to surrender right now. If I fail, then I would be betraying them.
This beating heart that screams inside me, yearning for prowess, for bravery, for motivation. Follow this, follow my heart's dedication. Follow this genuine belief of what's right. This isn't just about me anymore, it's about everything, about the fate of this city, of this country. It's bigger than my fear, bigger than my failures.
A surge of defiant energy, cold and exhilarating, flowed through him, washing away the last vestiges of doubt.
It doesn't matter if it's beyond my reach right now. This time, not any other time, I have to believe it. Believe in me. Believe in this power, this decision. Believe in myself, in Ishizawa Tetsu.
Because... because I. Because I am!
Tetsu took a deep breath, ready to let out a loud scream with his entire strength.
"I am Level 3 Destroyer, Ishizawa Tetsu, the one who will protect this city."
A small, genuine smile touched his blood-streaked lips, a grim testament to his resolve.
He stood up straighter, his decision solidified, his eyes burning with renewed determination, shining fiercely in the dim light of the sewer.
Mizuki, on the other end of the line, sounded utterly confused, her voice a hesitant question. "Tetsu, you... what did you just say? What was that for?"
"Mizuki," Tetsu said, his voice firm, no longer wavering, imbued with a newfound clarity.
"I'm sorry. I can't follow your order."
"What are you talking about, Tetsu?!" she demanded, her voice rising in alarm, a frantic edge creeping in. "A Level 4 Destroyer is on their way! You need to hold your position, not—"
"I have to stop the Anomaly," Tetsu declared, his gaze hardening as he stared down the path the monster had taken, the faint glow of his phone illuminating his determined face.
"I know I can't turn back after this. I know my life will be in danger. I know I might not survive."
His voice wavered slightly, a raw honesty creeping in, but then gained strength, steeling itself.
"But... if I don't do anything, if I just sit here until someone arrives, it won't change anything. It won't change the fact that I'm still relying on someone, still useless. So... so that's why."
"That's why."
Tetsu took a deep, bolstering breath, then shouted, his voice echoing through the sewer, raw with conviction, vibrating with an unshakeable will:
"I'd rather risk my life than choose a regrettable path!"
The sound, amplified by the confined space, was enough.
The distant stomping, which had faded to a whisper, now seemed to hesitate. The monster seems to have heard his voice.
Tetsu abruptly ended the call, cutting off Mizuki's immediate protests.
"Idiot!"
Mizuki shrieked into the dead line, slamming her fist on the console, the sound echoing through the command center.
"Analysts! When will the assigned Destroyer arrive?!"
"With maximum speed, it will take ten minutes!" an analyst replied, his voice strained, fingers flying across his keyboard.
Mizuki's knuckles were white as she gripped the console.
"Ten minutes? That's too long."
She tried calling Tetsu again, but he wouldn't answer, the phone ringing futilely.
She yelled through the command center.
"Tell the assigned Destroyer to go quicker! Right now!"
And her voice gets smaller, with uneasiness replacing the haste.
"He has to survive for ten minutes."
In the dimly lit sewer, Tetsu stood, no longer trembling.
The paralyzing fear was gone, replaced by a cold, unwavering resolve.
His eyes scanned the debris-strewn wall, and there, lying amidst some discarded pipes and broken concrete, was a crowbar.
He grabbed it, its familiar weight surprisingly comforting in his hand, a small anchor in the storm of his determination, and sprinted towards the exit, towards the monster.
As the Anomaly lumbered down the right path, its immense form filling the tunnel, casting long, distorted shadows, something approached it from behind.
It was Tetsu, a solitary figure, holding the crowbar like a medieval weapon, his body sparkling with a faint, almost imperceptible aura of crackling electricity.
He swung the crowbar, a desperate, defiant arc, smashing it onto the monster's head with all his might.
But it was utterly ineffective.
The creature's scales were incredibly hard, deflecting the blow with a dull, grating clang that made his teeth ache.
He smashed it one more time, with the same result, the futile impact echoing in the confined space. This time, the crowbar snapped in his hands, breaking with a metallic screech, the useless pieces clattering to the ground.
He tossed the broken weapon away, abandoning the futile tool, and took his stance, his Kinesis flaring brighter.
The creature stopped its relentless march, its massive body turning slowly. Its red eyes, glowing like malevolent embers in the gloom, blazed with enraged recognition.
It gathered momentum, its immense muscles coiling, then charged forward, a power tackle of incredible speed that churned the murky water. Tetsu dodged it sideways, a blur of motion, his body moving faster than the eye could follow.
He charged his hands, launching crackling bolts of lightning towards the monster, a torrent of raw energy, but they simply dissipated against its impervious scales, harmlessly washing over its form. It didn't flinch, didn't even seem to register the attack.
The creature gathered momentum again, turning with surprising agility for its size, charging forward, and again, Tetsu vanished, reappearing moments later, forcing the monster to slam into the sewer walls, destroying them with each impact, sending massive chunks of concrete flying.
I just need to hold it until support arrives, Tetsu thought, gritting his teeth against the exertion, the burning in his lungs.
"I'm so pathetic, I just said to not rely on someone else, yet now."
He ran away from the right path, deliberately luring the monster away from the water treatment plant, changing direction, forcing it to follow his lead.
The creature, enraged by the evasive tactics, roared its frustration and followed him relentlessly.
Every time it charged, a thunderous assault, Tetsu vanished, reappearing moments later, forcing the monster to continually crash into and destroy the sturdy, millennia-old walls, carving a new, destructive path through the sewer.
He appeared at one of the newly collapsed walls, a cloud of dust and debris still settling around him, and kicked a large piece of concrete from the rubble.
The heavy piece flew towards the monster, hitting it squarely in its glowing red eyes, though they were protected by its thick, translucent scales.
But Tetsu was already gone, the flying concrete merely a misdirection, a fleeting distraction.
He appeared directly above the monster, a sudden, surprising apparition. With a swift, powerful motion, he ripped off his school uniform, tearing it from his body, revealing his sleek Darkside Destroyer uniform beneath, which he also took off but not ripping it, its dark fabric a stark contrast to the grime of the sewer.
As he fell, a human missile, he wrapped the now-removed Darkside Destroyer's uniform tightly around the monster's face, pulling it taut.
"Stay still, you overgrown lizard!"
Was shirtless, he yelled, his voice strained with effort, tightening his grip with every ounce of his strength.
"Let's see you try to see through this!"
The monster roared, a guttural, furious sound, thrashing wildly, trying to tear the uniform from its face, its massive limbs flailing.
But the material, the carbon fiber, subtle property, was surprisingly durable, its powerful jaws unable to rip it, merely stretching and straining against the fabric.
The creature crashed its body everywhere, slamming into the walls, sending debris flying in a chaotic, destructive dance.
Tetsu, riding on the monster's head, clinging on for dear life, was thrown around with each violent movement, crashing into the walls himself, feeling bones groan and muscles scream in protest, every muscle fiber of his being screaming for release.
But he refused to give up, refused to let go. He tightened his grip, wrapping the uniform even harder, trying to suffocate the monster, to cut off its air supply, even if it was a futile effort. He felt a sharp crack in his arm, a searing, white-hot pain, but he ignored it, pushing it to the back of his mind.
He channeled electricity into his hands, pressing them against the uniform, hoping some of the charge, however small, would get through to the creature's head.
"You won't get past me!"
Tetsu screamed, his voice hoarse from exertion and pain, as the monster slammed him against another wall, the impact rattling his teeth.
"Not while I'm still breathing!"
He shocked it repeatedly, a relentless barrage of internal electric currents, focused on the idea that the internal organs might be vulnerable, that the electricity could bypass the impervious scales.
The creature shrieked, a high-pitched, agonizing sound, its thrashing growing weaker, its movements becoming more erratic and desperate, a slow, agonizing dance of defeat.
After what felt like an eternity, a lifetime crammed into mere minutes, the monster stopped moving. It collapsed, a tremendous thud echoing through the sewer, shaking the very foundations of the tunnel, its immense body striking the water with a deafening splash.
Tetsu, panting, every muscle screaming, loosened his grip, falling to the ground beside its immense, still form, the dirty water splashing around him.
Did I just... defeat it?
He thought, his body screaming in protest, a wave of dizzying exhaustion washing over him.
But suddenly, the monster's red eyes snapped open, blazing with a final, desperate fury.
Its long, powerful tail whipped out, a silent, deadly blur in the murky water, moving too fast to react. Tetsu, letting his guard down for a split second, believing in a false victory, was struck squarely in the rear, the force of the blow launching him through the air.
He flew backward, slamming into the opposite wall with a sickening thud, and the world began to spin, stars exploding behind his eyes. Darkness encroached, consciousness fading rapidly, the ringing in his ears growing louder and louder.
Is this the end?
He thought, his vision blurring, the monster's massive form looming closer.
Am I going to die here?
He saw the monster's massive maw getting closer, its silvery teeth glinting in the dim light, preparing to consume him, to swallow him whole.
But I don't regret anything, he thought, a strange, peaceful calm settling over him despite the encroaching darkness, a quiet satisfaction.
Not at all.
Tetsu fainted, his body hitting the grimy water with a faint splash.
In a moment like a flashback before death, he saw Haruto on the football field. Mio sat in the spectator seats, watching alongside many other students. They were teammates in an important match.
Haruto dribbled past numerous defenders and was close to the goal. Tetsu, standing near the post but marked by a defender, watched as another teammate ran toward the goal, wide open.
"Pass me, Haruto!" The teammate called.
But instead of passing to the free man, Haruto chose Tetsu.
Taken by surprise, Tetsu received the ball. He faced the defender head-on.
Though he might have had a chance to shoot, fear took hold, and he passed to the open teammate.
Unfortunately, another defender blocked the pass, resulting in a turnover. Later, Tetsu ran back to the home field.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't score."
Tetsu apologized to his team and Haruto.
"Tetsu, I'll forgive you if you promise this."
Tetsu, curious, asked: "Promise what?"
Haruto replied, "Next time, don't be afraid. Do what you can; it doesn't matter if you fail. You just need to have more faith in yourself." Then, with a grin, Haruto offered a fist bump.
After a while, Tetsu smiled back, and they bumped their fists.
But just as the flashback faded into nothingness, Tetsu thought.
Haruto, I did it. I have overcome my fear.
I will tell you when we meet again, soon.
Soon.
The monster's jaw, a cavernous, terrifying void, was mere inches from his face, ready to devour him whole.
"Thanks for such a beautiful performance, Ishizawa Tetsu."
A mysterious yet familiar voice appeared within the underground's darkness.
Suddenly, the creature was sliced into many chunks, cleanly cut, as if by an invisible, impossibly sharp blade. Its lifeless head fell to the ground with a wet thud, its red eyes, now dull and vacant, reflecting a final, enigmatic image:
The mysterious man with the top hat and black suit who had invited him to the Darkside Destroyer, his back to Tetsu, walking away, disappearing into the sewer's gloom, leaving only silence and stillness in his wake.