"Finally believe me now, dumbass?" Minus asked, voice dripping with irritation.
"…Y-Yeah…" Shijun muttered, defeated.
"B-But… I can't live like this… I-I'm basically one of your kind now… from the Devil World… The heroes will hunt me down the moment they find out…"
Minus scoffed.
"Who said I'd let them find out that easily? Relax—nobody's noticing anything. You're a nobody anyways."
"BRO! CAN YOU STOP ROASTING ME FOR ONE DAMN MINUTE?!" Shijun snapped.
"No." Minus chuckled.
Shijun sighed, already done with him, fully accepting his fate.
Minus continued casually.
"Don't stress, dumbass. I don't have all my energy recovered yet,so my energy signature should be undetectable for now."
"OKAY, COOL—BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RECOVER THEN? WHAT THEN?!"
"Oh my god… WILL YOU JUST RELAX? I'M NOT USELESS LIKE YOU." Minus snapped.
Shijun rubbed his temples, exhausted.
"…I can't deal with you right now… I'm going home… way too much happened today… my brain can't process any of this…"
Minus grunted back.
"Yeah… you do that. Your tiny brain's probably overheating."
"Yeah. I'm done." Shijun muttered, throwing his hands up and dragging himself back home.
—One Week Later—
"WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Minus screamed in Shijun's head, voice blaring like a siren.
"W-WOAH—WHAT THE HELL, MINUS?! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Shijun shot up in bed, hair a mess, heart racing.
Minus sounded unbothered.
"What? Someone had to wake your lazy ass up for… what do you humans call it again?
Ah… yes… school."
Shijun collapsed back onto the bed, groaning.
"Ughhh… living with you—, living with you inside me is just hell…
I thought you'd at least give me cool powers if we're stuck together instead of just…"
"Eh… you'll see." Minus replied casually.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Shijun glanced up, confused.
"Nothing."
——
A few moments later, Shijun was already grabbing his backpack, heading out the door on his way to school.
As he walked,Shijun muttered under his breath,
"Now, Minus… listen up."
"I'm gonna be in class, okay? So I will just need you to stay silent… JUST for half the day. I don't wanna look like a crazy dude talking to myself."
Minus immediately shot back.
"What's the point? It's not like your small-ass brain can even process what they're teaching."
"MINUS—I SWEAR!" Shijun snapped.
—WHOOM—
Their conversation was Interupted as a deep, ominous sound rumbled across the streets, making the ground tremble beneath his feet.
"WOAH—WHAT THE—" Shijun yelped, grabbing onto a lamppost to stabilize himself as the shaking intensified.
"Tch… better go hide." Minus warned.
"Huh—what do you me—"
—CRACK—SSSHHH—
Before Shijun could finish, a familiar rift split open in the sky, swirling red energy pouring out as a Devil World gateway burst open directly above him.
"OH GREAT—YEAH—I GET YOUR POINT NOW!" Shijun scrambled, diving for cover and quickly ducking behind a trash bin.
"…A trash bin? Out of everywhere, that's your genius hiding spot?" Minus deadpanned.
"NOT. THE. TIME. FOR. THIS." Shijun hissed, trying to go invisible against the metal.
CRASH!
From the rift, a monstrous Devil descended—a towering beast with a hammerhead skull, glowing red ridges running down its body, shoulder plates jagged like broken stone. Jet-black skin streaked with glowing red veins pulsed like magma.
It let out a shriek so piercing it shattered nearby windows,cracked the pavement and cleared the cloud over the area.
Shijun slapped a hand over his mouth. His heart raced like it was trying to flee without him.
The monster fired wild blasts of destructive energy in every direction—obliterating buildings, splitting the streets, scorching the skies.
"…Why… why again…" Shijun whimpered.
Minus couldn't help but pour salt on the wound.
"Ohhh,so NOW you're scared of dying? Funny—I don't remember this panic when you were too busy drooling over that girl last week."
"BRO—NOT. NOW.SERIOUSLY!"
—Hero Corp HQ—
Deep within the Hero Corps headquarters, the heavy titanium doors slid open, revealing the Heroes's Lounge. Sleek steel interiors and glowing white panels lined the walls, a sanctum for heroes to recharge between disasters.
Cherl strode through, exhaustion clinging to her like dust.
She collapsed onto a lounge couch, sinking into it like a lifeline.
"WHOOOOOOO… I forgot what comfort even feels like…"
Across from her, a fellow hero snorted.
"Pffft—comfort? Please. Your last big mission was literally a few days ago. You chased down Baruzo, and guess what? He still got away."
Cherl sat up, clearly annoyed.
"Hey! That wasn't my only mission, alright? I cleared out half the city earlier—minor devils, clean-up ops. That still counts!Plus,baruzo is a coward,he couldn't keep up with me so he left 10 devils for me to deal with while his sorry little ass run back to the devil world!"
"Relax,I was just kidding." the other hero rolled his eyes, sipping a lemonade. "Sensitive much?"
BEEP BEEP!
The sharp wail of the Devil Alarm echoed through the halls.
Everyone in the lounge instantly straightened, tension returning like clockwork.
—City Sector—
The Devil continued to rampage.
Its massive tail slammed into the concrete, leveling cars and splintering the street. Buildings were bickering,cracking and collapsing from the pressure.
Still tucked behind the trash can, Shijun—pale, sweating, barely breathing—muttered under his breath.
"Yo, Minus…other than possessing my body temporarily,you got anything in that alien toolbox? Because right now, I think you're the useless one."
Minus said nothing.
But Shijun's panicked whisper was loud enough.
The Devi twisted his body,it's glowing red visor flared—and locked onto his hiding spot.
"…Oh shit. I messed up, didn't I…" Shijun whispered, ice crawling down his spine.
Minus sighed.
"Tch… Useless. Fine. I'll show you what I can really do. It's been a few days… I've recovered enough. This should work."
Suddenly, Shijun's wrist began to glow.
"…Huh?"
He looked down—a silver metallic bracelet was forming on his arm, etched with intricate alien markings. At its center—a faintly glowing blue gem.
"What… what is this—EH?!"
Before he could react, Minus laughed darkly.
"Hold still."
Controlling shijuns body again,
He swiped Shijun's hand across the gem.
BOOM.
A brilliant eruption of blue alien light engulfed him. Energy whipped through the air as Shijun's body was consumed by transformation.
His body began transforming—
His shoulders grew sleek silver and sharp shoulder pats,
His head shifted, sprouting four sharp, silver blades along the sides like a battle crown, his eyes turning Shepard, fiercer, glowing yellow.
Two bright blue lines streaked down his cheeks, while his ears morphed into metallic, razor-sharp points.
His skin transformed into a shiny silver, glowing blue circuit-like lines tracing along his limbs. A brilliant blue core appeared in the center of his chest, with arched, symmetrical blue energy arched out lines appear across his chest one on the left,another on the right of the alien core and similarly,on his on his forearms and front legs similar blue arch out lines appeared.
Shijun's human form was gone.
What stood in its place was a warrior—powerful, alien, armored in ethereal energy.
"…W-What is this…?" Shijun breathed, stunned.
"…Wait,Is my voice deeper? YOOOO—OKAY THIS IS SICK! I KNEW YOU WERE HOLDING OUT ON ME, MINUS!"
Minus grunted.
"You're borrowing my body. Now that I've recovered enough energy, I can manifest it through you—keep you alive, and not look completely pathetic in a fight. Now focus."
"O-Oh, right! Sorry! IT'S JUST—THIS IS SO COOL!"
BANG!
A red blast slammed into Shijun's chest, sending him rocketing to the ground,forming a crater.
"OWWW…." Shijun groaned.
"FOCUS, YOU IDIOT!" Minus shouted. "YOU'RE IN MY BODY—DON'T EMBARRASS ME!"
"I'm sorry! Okay—wait, what do I do?! I don't even know how to fight—aren't YOU going to guide me?!"
"Guide you?" Minus scoffed. "Nah. Figure it out."
"BRO, THIS IS THE WORST TIME TO GO SILENT!"
In desperation, Shijun raised his palm and tried to fire a blast.
BLAM!
It backfired. Directly into his face.
Minus sighed.
"Yup. You're a dumbass."
"I—let's pretend that didn't happen…"
Shijun reslondes while shaking it off.
Minus grunted. "Tch… guess I gotta babysit you after all."
"THANK YOU!"
Shijun launched forward.
"WOOOOOAH—I'M FAST—HOW FAST IS THIS?!"
"Light speed."
Minus replied.
As they spoke,Shijun delivered a brutal kick to the Devil's chest, skeeing across the ground.
"HELL YEAH! I COULD GET USED TO THIS!TAKE THAT!"
The Devil roared in anger,clearly agitated ,unleashing wild destructive energy blast towards Shijun.
"FOCUS, YOU IDIOT!"
"MY BAD!"
Shijun darted between blasts, barely staying alive.
"MY GOD,MINUS!WHAT DO I DO NOW?!"
"Remember that blast you hit yourself with? Use that,and aim it properly this time!"
"GOT IT!"
Shijun pointed his palm—BLAST!
A few light purple shot fired out, crashing into the Devil's attack,intercepting the blast.
Shijun continued to charge and slammed a punch into the hammerhead skull, flooring the monster.
"WOOO! TAKE THAT, BITCH!"
But the Devil shrieked, energy building again.
"WHAT NOW?!"
"Not my job to carry you! I'll guide, YOU move!"
Shijun leapt into the air—and discovered something amazing.
"…Wait… I CAN FLY AS WELL?! YO—OH SH—"
He barely dodged another blast mid-thought.
"Now dumbass,see those four blade-crowns on your head? You can Summon clones of them. They're energy blades."
"WAIT—FOR REAL?!"
"NO, I'M LYING—YES IT IS FOR REAL, YOU DUMBASS!"
With a swift hand motion, four glowing blades materialized and launched—slicing into the Devil's limbs.
"YO MINUS THIS IS SO COOL—WAIT,DO WE GOT A FINISHER MOVE?!"
Minus cracked a grin.
"OF COURSE. Form an 'M' with your hands.then point your hand outwards again,then aim.Fire. Say the name—Minus Soura Beam."
"ON IT!"
Shijun crossed his hands in an M-shape—energy surged, purple and blue energy spiraling between his palms.
"MINUS SOURA BEAM!!!"
The beam exploded forward—a colossal wave of destruction—engulfing the Devil in blinding energy, swallowing its roar as it was atomized.
As the smoke cleared, Shijun landed back on the ground,his alien body gleaming under the broken sky.
He exhaled.
Then grinned.
"…Now that…
That's what I call fun in life."
But as he celebrated.
Footsteps and clapping noises could be heard behind him.
Shijun instinctively turned around..but he froze…
Behind him was a man..sleek green hair,with a mask covering half of his face until the eye,a red crimson cape and a black and silver suit
with a blade beside him.
Phantomblade
Elite 5–rank 5.
"P-Phantomblade.."
Shijun was dumbfounded.
"Nice work out there,not bad at all…but,I will need u to come with me."
Phantomblade spoke with a cold tone.