Saya moved, a blur of motion against the backdrop of the massive, red-eyed rat.
The flail whistled through the air, aimed squarely at the Anomaly's head.
But the creature was fast, its claw shooting up, blocking the heavy strike with a jarring clang that echoed through the desolate clearing.
Before Saya could recover, its other claw swiped, a deadly arc of razor-sharp nails.
Saya instinctively dashed backward, a fleeting shadow, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth.
The monster charged, a low growl rumbling in its chest, its immense bulk threatening to crush her. Saya didn't back down.
Instead, she dropped low, bending almost to the ground, allowing the charge to thunder harmlessly over her head.
As she did, she slammed the spiked ball of her flail onto the hard earth. It dug in, sticking firmly.
With lightning speed, Saya used the flail's handle as a pivot, planting her hands on it, launching herself into a handstand.
Her legs shot out, snapping at the Anomaly's face in a powerful counterattack that made the beast stagger back.
Enraged, the monster lashed out with a thick, powerful leg.
Saya, used her hands, launched herself airborne, dodged the attack, spiraling up into the air.
A rope materialized from her hand, coiling around the flail's handle, still stuck in the ground.
She pulled, dragging herself downward with incredible force, and slammed her foot into the Anomaly's head.
The creature bellowed, sent sprawling to the ground with a bone-jarring thud.
Saya landed softly, agile as a cat. With a quick, precise kick, she sent the still-stuck flail flying up from the ground.
As it arced, she manifested another rope, coiling it around the airborne weapon.
With a sharp tug, she dragged the flail down, smashing it onto the monster's head again.
A sickening crunch echoed, but to Saya's visible frustration, the creature's skull, though dented, seemed to hold.
Ugh, tough nut, she thought, a faint flicker of annoyance in her eyes.
Without missing a beat, she manifested a new rope, simultaneously dissolving the one around her flail.
The fresh rope snapped out, coiling expertly around the Anomaly's thick neck.
With a powerful heave, Saya threw the rope's free end towards a nearby, standalone tree.
It wrapped around the trunk, and with a swift movement, she grabbed the midpoint of that rope, launching herself up the tree with incredible speed.
Reaching the top, she tossed the rope's midpoint over a sturdy branch, and then, with a mighty pull, the rope dragged the struggling monster upwards.
The Anomaly thrashed, gagging, its legs kicking uselessly in the air as the rope tightened around its throat.
It desperately bit at the rope, and the thick rope severed with a snap.
But as the severed rope began to dematerialize, Saya didn't hesitate. She hurled her flail towards the falling monster.
The Anomaly, still disoriented, managed to block the flail away to its back with a claw.
Not so fast, ugly, Saya thought.
Immediately, she manifested a new rope, coiling it around the deflected flail. With a powerful tug, she pulled the weapon back towards her, sending it smashing into the monster's head from behind.
The creature roared in pain.
Saya kept the rope taut, pulling the flail sideways to utilize the momentum.
As the rope slowly dematerialized, the flail spun elegantly back into her hand just as the rope vanished completely.
She backed away, giving the recovering monster some space.
The Anomaly, roaring, charged forward again.
Saya didn't run. She dashed backward towards two parallel trees that stood like silent sentinels in the otherwise barren land.
As the monster thundered past the trees, Saya's hands moved in a flash. A rope shimmered into existence, coiling tightly around both tree trunks, stretching taut between them just above the ground.
The Anomaly's leg snagged on the hidden rope, tripping it, sending its massive body crashing to the earth.
Saya moved with practiced precision. As the beast fell, she darted to its back, leaped onto its sprawling form, and launched a long rope that snaked around its thick neck. She pulled hard, making the rope bite deep.
Then, with another swift move, she anchored the rope to the two trees again.
The rope tightened, pulling the monster back, its legs getting tangled in the very rope that had tripped it. The Plaguebringer was completely ensnared, struggling to breathe as the rope cinched tighter.
But the monster was persistent. It thrashed, then slammed a thick leg into one of the trees, splintering the trunk.
The tree groaned, then slowly toppled.
The Anomaly, now partially free, bit into the fallen tree, chewing savagely, then spat out sharp, jagged shards of wood directly at Saya.
"Ugh. That's gross."
Saya muttered, wrinkling her nose as the saliva-covered projectiles hurtled towards her.
She quickly manifested a large, circular plate of twisted rope, holding it up like a shield.
The sharp wood shards pinged harmlessly off the rope shield. Then, with a grunt, she kicked the shield forward.
As it flew towards the monster, it unwrapped, transforming mid-air into a wide rope net, which spread out and slammed onto the monster, pinning it to the still-standing tree.
Trapped, the Anomaly used its fangs to bite savagely at the net, severing the thick ropes with surprising ease.
But as the monster finally pulled free, Saya was already in motion, a blurred orange streak flying towards it.
She had manifested a rope, anchored it to a distant tree, and was pulling herself in, moving at incredible speed, her body low to the ground. She raised her flail, her eyes glinting.
"Uh oh," she purred, her voice deceptively sweet.
"You have decaying teeth. Let this sister..."
She slammed the flail sideways into the monster's teeth, the force of the blow, combined with the tree behind it, sending the creature crashing back against the remaining trunk.
"...give you a quick dental check."
The monster's fangs shattered with a sickening crack, blood oozing from its mouth.
Its eyes rolled back, and the massive Plaguebringer went limp, unconscious.
As the rat fell, its immense weight pressed against the tree, causing it to finally collapse with a groan of splintering wood.
Saya landed gracefully, twirling her flail once, then walked slowly away from the fallen beast, heading back towards Tetsu.
"How's that?" she asked, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Is it impressive?"
Tetsu was genuinely awestruck.
"Y-Yeah," he stammered, feeling a profound respect.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. A low rumble grew louder, and from the treeline, another gigantic rat, identical to the first, emerged, its red eyes fixed on them, stomping purposefully.
Saya's shoulders slumped.
"There's one more?" she groaned, a weary sigh escaping her lips.
"Ugh, I'm so done."
"Saya," Tetsu said, a new resolve hardening his voice.
"Can I borrow your weapon?"
Saya blinked, momentarily taken aback by his unexpected request.
"Uh, okay," she said, slowly extending the flail to him.
"Thanks."
Tetsu took the heavy weapon, testing its weight. He turned to the new monster, then glanced at the still-standing tree, a section of Saya's rope still coiled around its trunk from her last maneuver.
Without a word, he sprinted towards the tree, grabbed the thick rope, and with a powerful heave, dragged himself upward, scrambling to the top.
From there, he launched himself high into the air, leaping towards the colossal Anomaly.
He calculated his descent perfectly, positioning himself directly above the monster's head.
As he plunged downward, he closed his eyes. A vivid memory flashed into his mind.
It was after the deep-sea mission, back at the seafood restaurant.
Tetsu was staring at a plump shrimp on his fork, raising it slowly to his mouth. He closed his eyes, gathering all of his mental fortitude before swallowing.
"Hey, Tetsu."
Reiji's voice. Tetsu opened his eyes.
Still inside the restaurant, Reiji was holding up his phone, an image of a superhero in a sleek, armored suit plastered across the screen.
The hero's name, "Zainbolt," was emblazoned in huge, blocky letters.
"Are you a fan of this hero?" Reiji asked.
"Nah," Tetsu mumbled, quickly looking away.
It was just from my childhood. Nothing serious.
"Oh, okay," Reiji said, but then a sly grin spread across his face.
"This series is having a fourth season, you know."
Tetsu's eyes widened, a spark of pure, unadulterated excitement momentarily betraying him.
"F-Fourth season?"
Reiji chuckled, seeing right through him. "You were actually a fan, weren't you?"
Tetsu regretted his lapse in composure.
"Oh, no," he quickly stammered, shaking his head furiously.
"I was just curious because I used to watch it with my friends."
He nodded continuously. "Yeah. Totally."
Reiji sighed good-naturedly. "Oh, fine. But anyway, this fictional hero is a fellow electric user like you."
"Is that so?" Tetsu asked, genuinely interested now.
"Yeah. Wait, let me see." Reiji took his phone back, tapping rapidly. He then showed Tetsu a video.
In it, Zainbolt leaped high into the air, wielding a glowing blade. "Thunder Crush!" the hero shouted, slamming the blade down in a blinding flash of electricity.
Tetsu's eyes snapped open. He was back in reality, still plummeting towards the giant rat.
He gripped the flail tightly, then, just like his childhood hero, he shouted, "Thunder Crush!"
Electricity crackled and surged around the flail, forming a brilliant, arcing trail as he fell.
He slammed the weapon onto the monster's head. A deafening crack resonated through the clearing, followed by a powerful shockwave.
The Anomaly's head exploded inwards, collapsing the creature to the ground in an instant.
Saya's eyes widened. A slow smile spread across her face.
I guess, after all, talent is still the biggest factor.
The second Anomaly was defeated, lying motionless.
They made their way back to the village.
As they approached, Tetsu noticed the difference immediately.
The heavy, rotting smell was gone, replaced by the faint scent of fresh air and damp earth. People were moving more freely, some even smiling faintly. The constant coughing that had plagued the village was gone.
The young boy from before spotted them and ran towards his mother, who was now sitting up, looking much better.
She saw Saya and Tetsu. With a weak but sincere smile, she tried to bow.
"Thank you," she said in her native tongue.
The boy then sprinted to his mother, hugged her quickly, then ran to Saya, wrapping his small arms around her legs.
"Thank you, sister!" he said, his voice bright.
For a brief moment, in the boy's earnest face, Saya saw a younger version of herself – perhaps a reflection of a time before the hardened reality of Destroyer life.
She knelt down, her usual guarded expression softening.
"Oh," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle.
"Try saying 'thank you' in Japanese."
"Like this: A-ri-ga-to."
The boy, giggling, copied with slight imperfection.
"An-ri-ga-to."
Saya laughed silently, a genuine, warm sound.
"You're welcome."
She stood up, then turned and began walking away from the village, Tetsu following a step behind her.
Just as they were about to leave the clearing, a loud, clear voice cut through the air.
"Arigato!"
Tetsu turned. The boy was standing with his mother, waving both hands energetically.
"Arigato! You two!"
Tetsu smiled, a genuine, unburdened smile, and waved back.
As they exited the village boundaries, Saya gave a curt nod to a group of Darkside Destroyer operatives standing next to a familiar-looking memory-altering device.
"Do it," she instructed.
Tetsu watched as the machine hummed to life, a faint wave rippling through the air.
He sighed, a wave of depression washing over him.
I hope in the future, we won't have to erase people's memories like this. A future where Anti-Anomaly Organizations are no longer needed.
Above them, the sunny sky shone brightly, oblivious to the hidden operations below.
Back at Seiryu High, the fluorescent lights of the boys' restroom hummed, providing a harsh glare for Tetsu's current, traumatic predicament.
He was inside one of the toilet stalls, enduring what could only be described as a catastrophic internal event.
His mind drifted back to Saya. As they'd left the car and headed back into the school, she had casually dropped a bombshell.
"Oh, I forgot to say, but those pills have a side-effect if you use them for the first time."
"Side-effect?"
Tetsu had asked, a bad feeling forming in his gut.
Saya had leaned in, her voice dropping to a low whisper, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"It is…"
RRRRIIIIIPPP! SPLASH!
Tetsu groaned, clutching his stomach, picturing Saya's cheeky, triumphant face in his mind.
Damn that girl! He cried out in pain, "Agh!"
This is so disgraceful!
His mind flashed back to just moments earlier, in the classroom. He had raised his hand, his face pale with rising panic.
"Teacher… can I… go to the restroom… please," he'd pleaded, his voice thin.
The teacher had sighed, a long-suffering sound.
"Ishizawa. Are you okay? This is the third time."
First time: When he received the mission and left for the car.
Second time: The Darkside Destroyer's person who disguised himself as him. To switch back.
Third time: Now.
Other students had snickered.
"For serious? Don't clog the toilet, by the way!" a voice had called out teasingly, and the entire class had erupted in laughter.
The dead silence and suspicion from earlier had dissolved into a mix of amusement and a strange, almost neutral doubt.
"Hey, Class President," a student had called out to Hideo.
"Are you sure he's the murderer? I think he can only murder his stomach right now!"
Another chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! You must've been wrong, right?"
The class had roared with laughter as Tetsu, face burning with shame, had practically sprinted out of the room.
Hideo, watching Tetsu go, had replied to the students with a noncommittal,
"Y-Yeah. Who knows?"
But as the students turned back to the board, his lips had thinned, and he'd secretly clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tsk."