Shion struggled to push himself upright. His vision swam as warm blood trickled down his face, dripping from his nose and staining the dirt beneath him. One sharp breath told him everything he needed to know—his nose was broken.
Grade-E anomalies, also known as the Corrupted Glitches, were not created by mankind. They were born out of phenomenon called the Ominous Glitch Twist—manifestations of reality breaking under excessive glitch energy, swirling and condensing.
Though they followed the same anomaly classifications, their threat level was unpredictable, capable of escalating from city-level devastation to world-ending disasters. Grade-E anomalies appeared seemingly out of nothing, born from dense concentrations of free-floating glitches that drifted and collided throughout the universe. When those energies condensed past a critical threshold, reality warped, twisted—and something wrong emerged. On rare occasions, a Corrupted Glitch originated from a human source—events that always ended in catastrophe.
Every recorded Grade-E anomaly—without exception—exhibited absolute hostility. One hundred percent of them sought annihilation. They did not negotiate. They did not retreat. They did not tire. Whether driven by instinct, corruption, or the rage of nature itself, their intent was always the same.
"So… this is a Grade-E anomaly in the flesh," he muttered, his body twitching as pain surged through him. He clutched his arm, teeth gritting as memories of being flung around like a ragdoll resurfaced. "Terrifying… but still worth defeating."
He dragged the palm of his hand across his face, smearing the blood away, then glanced down at the dark drops scattered across the ground. Too much. His jaw tightened, and his fingers curled slowly into a fist.
"If something like this keeps roaming free," he said under his breath, exhaling heavily, "there's no telling what sort of damage it would've done."
His eyes sharpened.
"That said, I can't afford a single careless move."
Shion bent down, grabbed a massive chunk of rock, and hurled it with everything he had—not to injure the anomaly, but to draw its attention.
The creature reacted instantly.
The rock shattered mid-impact, pulverized by brute force alone.
But Shion had already vanished.
He burst through the bushes, reappearing on the anomaly's left side, purple energy crackling violently as he charged Power Charge into his fist. The air around him warped under the pressure, electricity snarling like a caged beast.
Yet despite its mindless appearance, the anomaly's survival instincts were razor-sharp.
The moment Shion struck, it glitched through his punch and passed straight through it.
"What—?"
The anomaly phased cleanly through the attack, leaving Shion wide-open, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Before he could react, the creature ducked low and drove a brutal uppercut straight into his gut. The impact was monstrous—Shion was launched skyward, his body rocketing upward like a broken projectile.
"Agh—!" He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth as the ground vanished beneath him.
"I didn't expect it to phase like a Hollow-type anomaly…" his thoughts staggered, fading in and out. "Damn it… I'm losing myself—"
The hit was far beyond what his body could endure. For a normal human, it would have been instant death. For Shion, it was enough to drag him to the edge of unconsciousness.
But the anomaly didn't stop.
It chased him.
Mid-air.
Its movements were merciless, unnatural—closing the distance with terrifying speed, denying him even a fraction of time to recover or defend himself.
Then—
BOOM.
The anomaly came crashing down on him like a living jackhammer, slamming Shion straight toward the ground. The descent was violent, breakneck, fast enough to tear a human body apart before impact.
"So this is how the pros handle Grade-E anomalies…" Shion thought weakly as darkness crept into his vision. "…they're insane…"
He crashed into the earth with a bone-shattering impact.
Barely conscious, his body screamed in protest as he tried to stand. Pain flooded every nerve at once. Before he could even register what was happening, blood surged up his throat.
He vomited violently.
His ribs had snapped—shards puncturing his lungs from the inside. Each breath felt like inhaling knives. The beast was far stronger than he had calculated.
Too strong.
He had overestimated himself… and underestimated just how unprepared he truly was.
Fear finally crept into his thoughts as Shion forced himself to stand, his legs shaking violently beneath him. His mind raced, scrambling to calculate—how do I escape? How do I fight this? What's the next move? Thoughts collided, overlapping and unraveling all at once.
Death was no longer a distant possibility.
It was approaching.
His breathing turned ragged, each inhale catching painfully in his chest. His lungs screamed for air, yet refused to work properly. His mind wouldn't allow a single calm thought to settle before fear and adrenaline flooded his body, sending desperate signals to run—escape now or die.
There was no room for composure.
Only survival.
But Shion clenched his jaw and swallowed those thoughts down. Fear didn't crush him—it sharpened him. It became fuel, igniting something stubborn and unyielding inside his chest. He couldn't allow himself to rest, couldn't allow himself to retreat, not while that monster still existed.
As reckless as it was, Shion forced himself forward.
His knees buckled, screaming in protest, begging him to collapse and stay down. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, his body pushed far beyond its limits.
"I… can't move my body…" Shion muttered hoarsely.
Pain surged through every nerve. His arms felt numb. His legs barely responded. His body was failing him piece by piece.
But staying down was no option.
Then—
His eyes widened.
The anomaly had already landed.
It had closed the distance far faster than he anticipated, its presence overwhelming, its killing intent pressing down on him like a crushing weight. The creature was already charging straight toward him, every movement violent and merciless, aimed solely at ending his life.
This was it.
A true life-or-death situation.
Shion reached for his final move.
"Power Charge: Maximum Output."
Energy surged violently inside him, responding instantly to his desperation. It gathered in his core, crackling, screaming to be released. He knew what would happen if he let it go—he would annihilate everything around him. The land. The forest. The lives hiding within it.
He had no other option.
No holding back.
"Maximum—"
And yet—
Don't.
His mind screamed at him to stop.
The anomaly entered his field of vision completely now, its distorted form glitching as it lunged forward, its beastly movements precise and unstoppable. One hit would be enough. One blow would end him.
Then a glimpse, a girl who was behind a tree to the anomaly's right from behind it.
"No…" Shion whispered.
His hands trembled.
"I can't."
The energy faltered.
Then it began to dissipate.
Even at the brink of death, Shion's heart reached outward instead of inward. He felt the forest around him—the animals fleeing in terror, the fragile balance of life that surrounded them, the girl who was standing near the blast proximity.
He lowered his power.
He couldn't use it.
Not like this.
Not if it meant destroying everything he was trying to protect.
"I'm about to die…" Shion murmured weakly.
The anomaly blitzed forward.
Its fist rose high, massive and cruel, aimed directly at Shion's face. The strike was brutal, decisive—meant to erase him completely.
Regret flooded his vision.
Is this it?
Is this all I can do?
Is this the end of everything?
Memories surged through him in rapid succession—his uncle's voice, the pressure of the exam, the faces of his friends, Miss Jule, Blaze—moments of laughter, struggle, and resolve flashing past in an instant.
Am I really going to die because of my recklessness?
I'm sorry…
I failed…
I—
His body shut down.
He couldn't move an inch.
His muscles refused to respond. His vision blurred. His systems failed one by one, surrendering as consciousness slipped through his grasp.
All that remained—
Was the monster's fist.
His heart thumped weakly.
Every effort he'd made felt meaningless.
Should I have listened to her?
Should I have run away with the girl instead?
Would this have ended differently?
I don't wanna die…
Then—
Something changed.
A sudden flash of brilliant purple light ignited deep within Shion's heart. It wasn't violent at first—it was warm, radiant, almost gentle. His chest burned, not with pain, but with something unfamiliar.
The light expanded.
His body began to glow, blinding the forest around him as violet radiance poured outward uncontrollably.
And then—
BOOM.
A massive burst of energy erupted from Shion's body, ripping through the battlefield in all directions. The shockwave tore the ground apart, blasted trees aside, and sent the anomaly flying with overwhelming force.
The girl who had followed him barely managed to cling to a tree as the devastating blast swept past her, the wind screaming in her ears.
When the light faded—
The monster was gone.
"Huh… I survived…?" Shion whispered faintly.
His strength finally gave out.
As darkness claimed his vision and his consciousness slipped away, the last thing he felt was silence—
where death had stood only moments before.
Moments after the brutal fight, Shion found himself half-conscious inside a cave, the sound of heavy rain echoing outside. Water dripped steadily from the stone ceiling, the cold air mixing with the scent of wet earth and blood. His body ached everywhere—but he was alive.
Beside him was the same girl from earlier.
She knelt close, her expression tight with concentration as her palms glowed with a soft, radiant green light. The glow washed over Shion's battered body, knitting torn flesh and sealing wounds bit by bit. The pain eased—but only partially. Whatever damage lay beneath his skin, the cracked ribs and internal ruptures, refused to heal.
Shion let out a weak breath. "Why are you here…?" His voice barely carried.
"You shouldn't be here…"
"Stop saying reckless things," the girl snapped immediately. "I know exactly what I'm doing." Her hands didn't stop glowing as she worked. "I can't just walk away after watching some idiot throw his life away because he thought he might have a chance."
Her tone was sharp, scolding—like she'd just watched someone attempt suicide and call it bravery.
"That thing destroyed my church," she continued, her voice shaking despite herself. "My family. My friends." Tears slid down her cheeks, falling onto the stone floor. "Do you really think I'd let it kill another innocent person right in front of me?"
Shion swallowed hard. "…That monster. Where is it?"
"I don't know." She exhaled slowly. "You blew it away. Last thing I remember, you released a massive burst of energy that sent me flying." She shot him a glare. "Honestly, if I hadn't clung to a tree, you would've killed me too."
"Ughk…" Shion winced, his body twitching as pain flared again. "You're right. I was reckless." He stared at the cave wall, jaw clenched. "I wanted to see it for myself. How the TCA… the pros… the elites deal with Grade-E situations." He coughed weakly. "Guess I proved my point too soon."
His fingers twitched—his body slowly responding again.
"That shockwave wasn't intentional," he added. "And it's not nearly as deadly as my punch would've been." His eyes hardened. "That thing's still alive. And if it's alive, it's looking for more to destroy. We need to move."
She stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
"You expect to move like that?" she snapped. "You can barely breathe! Rest first—then we move!" Her gaze shifted toward the cave entrance. "You can hear it, can't you? The birds. They're screaming. That thing's still out there."
"Ngh… damn it…" Shion gritted his teeth. "I rushed in thinking I could handle it alone." He forced a breath. "Oh—right. I'm Shion. Shion Sorahiko."
She blinked, then sighed. "Shirleva Macladome. Call me Leva."
"Alright, Leva." He gave a weak smile. "Your second glitch... Is it sustain?"
She shook her head. "I only have the first-glitch sustain I'm afraid. That's why I can only heal minor damage."
"…Still," Shion said quietly, "I'm grateful." His eyes narrowed with resolve. "Now I need to come up with a plan to beat that thing."
Her hand snapped forward.
Smack.
"Again?!" Leva shouted. "You're going to get yourself killed a second time!"
She stared down at him, furious—
and terrified he might actually try.
"There's no time," Shion said as he forced himself upright.
"Eh—Eh!? W-Wait—!" Leva rushed toward him, panic flashing across her face. "Y-You're not supposed to stand up with those wounds! Are you insane?!"
Shion staggered for a moment, his body screaming in protest, but he steadied himself anyway. Blood still stained his clothes, his breathing was shallow, and yet he stood there—unwavering.
Leva froze, staring at him in disbelief.
"…This guy," she muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing slightly, "must have crazy resolve."
Shion turned to her, his expression serious, grounded despite the pain. "Do me a favor," he said quietly. "I can't do this alone. But if it's the two of us… I think we might actually have a chance."
Her brows knit together. "What are you talking about? I can't fight. I'm just a healer."
"The world doesn't offer convenience," Shion replied, his voice firm. "No matter how unfair or inconvenient things get, we don't get to choose the battlefield." He paused, then clenched his fist. "We don't just have to fight against the odds—"
His eyes met hers.
"We need to."
Leva's eyes widened.
She hated how reckless he sounded. Hated how close he was to collapsing. And yet… she understood. That monster had taken everything from her—her church, her family, her friends. If it wasn't stopped here, it would take more. More lives. More futures.
She inhaled sharply.
"…Fine," she said at last. "I'll come with you." Her voice hardened. "But if things go south, we leave. Immediately. No hesitation."
Shion nodded once. "Got it."
And with that fragile agreement, the two of them stepped back toward the storm—
not as heroes, not as elites, but as two people refusing to let destruction have the final word.