The night wasn't over.
But the city was.
Smoke still rose from the ruins, thick and suffocating, clinging to the air like it refused to leave. The heat of the flames lingered, wrapping everything in a silent, burning grave.
Yakumaro walked.
Slowly.
Each step echoed against the broken ground, the only sound left in a place that once lived.
His eyes moved… from one body to another.
Faces he had seen before.
People who had existed just hours ago.
Gone.
He stopped.
Looked at his hand.
It was still shaking.
"…."
He clenched it.
Hard.
But it didn't stop.
—
"System activated."
The voice returned.
Cold. Clear. Empty.
Yakumaro didn't look up.
"…What is this?"
"Survival System."
Silence.
Then—
"First mission initiated."
—
Something appeared in front of him.
A screen.
Transparent.
Unreal.
—
[ Mission: Eliminate Target ]
[ Target: Monster ]
[ Time Remaining: 00:10:00 ]
[ Failure = Death ]
—
His eyes widened.
"What…?"
—
"Begin."
—
A sound.
Faint.
Scratching.
—
Yakumaro slowly raised his head.
There—
Between the shadows…
Something moved.
—
A monster.
Its body twisted, limbs uneven, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
Weak.
Pathetic.
—
But close.
Too close.
—
It took a step forward.
Then another.
—
Yakumaro stepped back.
His breathing quickened.
"Not now…"
—
[ 00:09:14 ]
—
"Stop…"
—
The monster lunged.
—
Yakumaro froze.
His body refused to move.
—
At the last second—
He shifted.
Barely.
The attack missed.
—
He fell to the ground.
Hard.
—
[ 00:08:52 ]
—
"Get up."
—
The voice again.
Inside him.
—
Yakumaro gritted his teeth.
Forced himself up.
—
The monster turned.
Its eyes locked onto him.
—
Silence.
—
Their gazes met.
—
"If I don't kill it…"
—
[ Failure = Death ]
—
He inhaled.
Slow.
Shaky.
—
"…I die."
—
The monster rushed him again.
—
But this time—
Yakumaro moved.
—
A step to the side.
He avoided it.
—
His hand reached out instinctively—
Grabbing a broken piece of metal from the ground.
—
He turned.
—
Swung.
—
A dull sound.
Heavy.
Final.
—
The monster stopped.
For a moment.
—
Then—
Collapsed.
—
Silence.
—
[ Mission Complete ]
—
Everything froze.
—
Yakumaro stood there.
His hand still raised.
—
Then…
The weapon slipped from his fingers.
—
He stared at the body.
Not moving.
—
Slowly…
He stepped closer.
—
Kneeled.
—
Touched it.
—
"…It's dead."
—
A long silence.
—
"I…"
—
He looked at his hand again.
—
"I killed it."
—
[ Reward Granted ]
—
A faint warmth spread through his body.
Not overwhelming.
But real.
—
His muscles relaxed slightly.
His breathing steadied.
—
A strange feeling.
—
"The next mission will begin soon."
—
Yakumaro lifted his head.
—
The world…
Was no longer the same.
—
It wasn't just a place to run anymore.
—
It was a place to kill.
—
He stood up slowly.
—
Looked at the burning city.
—
Then…
Into the darkness.
—
"…."
—
One step.
—
Then another.
—
He didn't stop.