Shojiro's pulse quickened. He sprinted toward the sound, dodging debris and overturned vehicles. As he drew closer, he saw neighbors, young and old, scrambling toward a reinforced underground entrance, guided by the steady presence of his father. Tetsuro Momo barked instructions, lifting children, helping the elderly, ensuring no one was left behind.
Shojiro's fear and adrenaline coiled together as he finally reached him.
"Dad!" he shouted, relief and urgency mingling.
Tetsuro glanced back, sweat and soot streaked across his face, but his eyes were sharp, unyielding.
"Shojiro! Help them — everyone needs to get down before the cracks spread further!"
Without hesitation, Shojiro dove into the crowd, lifting a small child from the rubble and guiding him to safety. Around them, neighbors followed his father's lead, descending into the shelter one by one.
The chaos of the streets contrasted sharply with the calm, disciplined authority his father exuded. In that moment, Shojiro realized — it wasn't just raw strength that made Tetsuro remarkable. It was his will, his ability to fight even through disaster, and to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
Just as the last group of neighbors disappeared into the underground shelter, A sound — not a roar, but something deeper. A vibration that rattled windows, stirred the dust, and made the air taste like metal.
Then came the impact.
A two-story building down the road imploded from the inside out, stone and steel bending like wet clay. From the wreckage crawled something monstrous. Dust and debris swirled as something massive crashed through a nearby building, sending bricks tumbling onto the street.
Shojiro froze for a fraction of a second. And then he saw it.
A demon — towering, muscle-bound, and grotesque, with claws longer than a man, skin like cracked stone, and eyes glowing crimson — emerged from the wreckage. It ripped through a concrete wall as if it were paper, letting out a guttural scream that made the ground tremble.
Narration (from the future):
"I didn't know it back then… but that thing was called a Berserker.
One of the lowest-ranked demons — and even then, it could tear a man in half with a flick of its wrist.
Back then, I thought it was the strongest thing alive.
I didn't realize it was just the beginning."
People who hadn't yet reached the shelter scattered, screaming, their small footsteps drowned out by the creature's heavy, relentless advance.
Tetsuro's voice cut through the panic.
"Shojiro! Keep them safe! Don't let it touch anyone!"
Shojiro's gut clenched, but his body moved before his mind could process. He darted toward the nearest fleeing civilian, scooping them up with ease, then pivoted just in time to see the demon swipe through a streetlight, sending sparks flying in every direction.
Even at a glance, Shojiro could feel the danger radiating off it — power beyond anything human, speed and strength that could crush bone in an instant. Yet he didn't falter.
Then the creature looked at him.
Its head tilted, as if curious. Then it moved — faster than its size should've allowed. The asphalt cracked beneath every step. It sniffed, snarling, as if aware of the challenge ahead. Shojiro tightened his grip, planting his feet firmly on the cracked asphalt, every muscle coiled and ready.
For the first time, the boy who dominated mats and tournaments faced a true predator — something that could tear the world apart in moments.
And he smiled.
Shojiro braced himself, feeling the weight of fear for the first time in years.
He didn't know what this thing was.
Only that it wasn't human.
The Berserker barrels forward, each step a miniature earthquake.
Shojiro and Tetsuro split without a word — years of training in motion.
The demon's claw scythes through the air, missing Shojiro's head by inches.
The shockwave alone cracks the pavement.
Tetsuro ducks low, sliding between its legs with a controlled roll, coming up behind it.
Shojiro dashes in and drives a side kick to its knee — the blow barely dents, but the creature stumbles for half a heartbeat.
Tetsuro seizes the chance, leaping and smashing both fists into its spine. The hit makes it stagger, but not fall.
The demon spins with a roar, its arm carving a deadly arc.
Shojiro dives, shoulder-rolling as debris explodes where he stood.
Tetsuro vaults over a broken pillar, lands beside Shojiro.
Their eyes meet — silent communication.
They sprint in opposite directions, circling it.
Shojiro slides under a swing while Tetsuro leaps from a pile of rubble, landing a drop-kick to its face.
Shojiro follows with a jump knee to the ribs, the two hits landing almost simultaneously — a perfect rhythm.
The Berserker screeches, slamming both claws into the ground.
A shockwave rips through the street, sending them tumbling back.
Shojiro skids across the asphalt, chest heaving.
Tetsuro lands on one knee, spitting blood but smiling.
The Berserker lunged again, snarling, molten veins throbbing like living magma. But this time—it was the one on the back foot.
Shojiro darted in from the right, feinting high and smashing a low kick into the creature's Achilles.
It roared, lowering its guard for just a blink.
Tetsuro shot forward like a bullet, landing a brutal hook to its jaw, forcing its head sideways.
The monster staggered—barely a step, but enough.
Shojiro didn't waste the moment.
He sprinted along the creature's flank, using its knee as a platform, vaulting upward and delivering a flying elbow to its temple.
The sound was like thunder. The demon reeled back, stumbling.
Tetsuro followed up, sweeping in low, hammering his elbow into its ribs with machine-like rhythm.
One, two, three strikes. Each perfectly placed.
Shojiro landed, immediately re-engaging—father and son rotating around the demon like predators circling wounded prey.
The Berserker swung wild, desperate now. But their timing was flawless.
Every strike it threw hit nothing but air and shadow.
Shojiro ducked under another swing and drove a knee up into its abdomen.
At the same moment, Tetsuro pivoted, striking the base of its neck with a brutal hammerfist.
A spray of black liquid burst from its mouth.
For the first time—the Berserker fell to one knee.
The ground trembled. Shojiro's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
They'd done the impossible.
Shojiro surged forward for the finisher, screaming as he leapt.
Tetsuro mirrored him, both fists drawn back—
—and together, they slammed a double strike into the creature's skull.
The shockwave rippled through the street, scattering dust and flame.
The Berserker crashed backward, demolishing a car behind it.
Silence.
Only their ragged breaths filled the night.