Osaka, Japan
1015 Apartment Building
April 3rd, 2022
Shino was sprinting, determined to return to his house and find Mike. June followed closely behind him. As they hurried along, they unexpectedly bumped into Alice.
"Hey, where are you going? What's the rush?" Alice asked, causing both Shino and June to come to a halt.
"Mike is alone in my house, and there's this strange creature there. I need to get there quickly," Shino responded hastily, attempting to pass by Alice. However, she blocked his path.
"Whoa, if you rush in now, you'll only end up caught in the crossfire. I'm sure Mike can handle himself," Alice asserted.
"You don't understand. It's dangerous for him to be there alone. There's this creature—" Shino pleaded, desperately trying to convince Alice to let him go.
"Okay, okay. Explain to me exactly what you saw," Alice said, while June stood behind them, panting heavily.
"Dude, you ran so fast," June remarked, but his words went unnoticed by the others.
"There's this enormous shadowy creature throwing giant knives, and Mike went there alone. He told us to run and said he would catch up with us shortly, but he hasn't shown up yet," Shino explained, his frantic tone evident.
"Damn it, another damned creature appeared. Rika and Kaiba are still fighting another one elsewhere. It seems I'm the only one who can assist Mike right now," Alice thought to herself, glancing at Shino.
"I'll find Mike for you, so just go back. Your parents need you more than Mike does," Alice said firmly.
"I can't just leave Mike on his own—"
"And can you leave your parents on their own?" Alice interrupted.
"She's right, dude. Let's go," June added, supporting Alice's suggestion.
Reluctantly, Shino realized the urgency of the situation. With a mix of worry and determination, he nodded and turned back, leaving the task of finding Mike in Alice's capable hands.
Alice swiftly made her way towards Shino's house, fueled by her determination to find Mike. Having been in the area before after a game at the arcade, and having protected the city for many years, she knew the layout and location of every house like the back of her hand.
Utilizing her telekinetic powers, Alice enhanced her speed, gliding through the streets with increased haste. She arrived at Shino's house, greeted by an unexpected silence. Without hesitation, she entered the house to investigate.
As she stepped inside, she was met with a sight of destruction, witnessing the aftermath of the battle. With her senses heightened, she focused on locating where Mike might be.
"Mike, are you here?" Alice called out, her voice echoing through the wreckage. She scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of his presence.
With no response to her initial call, Alice proceeded to investigate further by heading upstairs. Opening each room one by one, she scanned for any signs of life. Upon entering Shino's room, her attention was immediately drawn to the broken window and the marks on the floor.
Approaching the window, Alice leaned closer, attempting to piece together what had transpired. Glancing down, she noticed sword marks on the road leading towards nearby areas.
"A battle took place here, but where could Mike be?" Alice pondered, her mind still focused on investigating the wreckage.
Deciding to search for clues outside, she leaped from the window, utilizing her telekinesis to soften her landing impact. Touching down on the street, she began meticulously examining the surroundings, searching for any traces or tracks that could lead her to Mike's whereabouts.
Following the scratching tracks on the street, Alice hurried in the direction they led. The size of the marks indicated that it was something larger than an ordinary sword, aligning with Shino's description of the damned wielding a giant knife.
As she drew closer, she caught sight of a formidable shadowy figure engaged in a fierce battle with the visibly fatigued Mike. Aware of the dire situation, Alice approached cautiously, aiming not to alert the shadowy creature.
"I'm starting to feel tired, and I don't think I'm inflicting any damage," Mike said to Baldur, wincing in pain as he struggled to stand.
"Why don't you retreat for now and recuperate? We can come back with a better plan," Baldur suggested, but before he could finish, Mike interjected.
"No! If I run away, that damned creature will continue attacking the nearby houses," Mike responded firmly, bracing himself to face the creature once again.
Just as he was about to dash towards the damned, his eyes widened as he caught sight of a familiar figure standing behind the creature.
"Need some help?"
"Alice! I'm glad you're here! I was starting to feel exhausted," Mike exclaimed, his voice filled with relief, as he continued to slash at the damned creature.
"Hang in there," Alice replied, her determination unwavering. She swiftly moved towards Mike, assessing the situation. Spotting a whole broken and rusty car nearby, she tapped into her telekinetic powers and lifted it, hurling it towards the damned.
The damned effortlessly sliced through the car, but the debris momentarily obscured its vision, creating an opening for Mike. Seizing the opportunity, he leaped towards the creature and delivered a powerful slash to its chest. The damned was wounded, but its regenerative abilities began to kick in, slowly healing the inflicted damage.
"Alice, can you disarm it?" Mike requested, casting a quick glance towards her. Alice nodded in response, understanding his plan. Concentrating her telekinetic powers, she focused on pulling the giant butcher knife away from the damned creature's hands.
Seizing the opportunity created by Alice's actions, Mike swiftly maneuvered through the creature, appearing behind it. His sword ignited in flames as he aimed directly for the damned's heart.
With a forceful thrust, Mike plunged his flaming sword into the creature's heart. As the impact landed, the damned collapsed to the ground. Mike leaped away from the fallen creature, landing with a resounding thud on the ground. The massive shadowy figure lay motionless, defeated.
"Thanks, Alice. I was really struggling back there," Mike acknowledged gratefully, his exhaustion evident.
"Not bad for your first one-on-one fight," Alice commented, giving Mike a playful nudge on the shoulder.
"Yeah, but I couldn't have done it without you," Mike admitted, appreciating Alice's support.
"But you did it. Now go on and absorb its essence before it goes to waste," Alice encouraged him, knowing the importance of harnessing the defeated creature's power.
Mike nodded in agreement and focused on the familiar process of absorbing the essence, allowing the creature's energy to flow into him, strengthening his own abilities.
[Ability Upgraded]
[Ability Upgraded]
[New Ability Acquired]
[Enhanced Strength (B>B+)]
[Enhanced Durability (D>C)]
[Enhanced Regeneration (D)]
Mike's eyes opened as the body of the damned vanished into thin air, leaving only a sense of lingering energy. He felt a surge of power coursing through him, and he turned his attention to the floating holographic screen.
"You should go and meet your friends. They've been worried about you," Alice suggested, her concern evident. "I'll go ahead and meet up with Rika and the others."
With Alice departing to reunite with their friends, Mike found himself alone in the now-quiet surroundings. Curiosity piqued, he reached out and touched the holographic screens before him.
"Baldur, could you display my current stats?" Mike inquired, and Baldur obliged, presenting a larger holographic screen that revealed an array of information.
[ Name: Michael "Mike"
Age: 19
Tales: The Prince Who was Ignored by the Heavens (Exiled)/ The Prince of the Eternal Kingdom (Tale)/ Baldur, Prince of Heaven
Count Tale - Growth
Ability:
[ACTIVE]
Mystic Sword Summon (C)
Observation (C)
Pyromancy (D)
Clairvoyance (D)
[PASSIVE]
Enhanced Strength (B+)
Enhanced Stamina (C)
Enhanced Durability (C)
Enhanced Regeneration (D) ]
"What's B+ supposed to mean?" Mike asked, his attention fixed on the holographic screen.
"B+ indicates that your ability is nearly at the level of an upgrade. As abilities progress to higher ranks, it becomes more challenging to further enhance their levels," Baldur explained.
Mike furrowed his brow. "What's the highest rank an ability can reach again? I can't recall."
"Just as the tales themselves are classified into different ranks, abilities are categorized based on their tale's rank as well. If your tale is ranked as a B, then B+ is the highest rank your ability can attain," Baldur clarified. "There are also tales that possess growth traits, allowing for evolution over time. Let me display the hierarchy for you so you can review it in more detail."
[Tale Title Ranks]
God Tales (SSS)
- Baldur, Prince of Heavens [Original]
- One-Eyed Wizard
- Spear of the One-Eyed Wizard [Exiled]
- The Tricked Woman [Exiled]
Monarch Tales (SS)
Duke Tales (S)
Earl Tales (A)
Count Tales (B)
- Baldur [Current]
Baron Tales (C)
Rare Tales (D)
- The Damsel Who Burned Herself [Damned]
- Curious Cat that Died [Exiled]
- Butcher of the Stone Age [Exiled]
Common Tales (E)
- Prince Exiled by The Heavens [Exiled]
- The Wolf Who Devoured Its Children [Damned]
- The Thief Who Stole A Coin [Damned]
[Tale Title Types]
Growth
Attack
Defense
Utility
After reading through the information on the holographic screen and gaining a deeper understanding of the tale's mechanics and power variations, Mike rejoined his gang at his apartment. They took some time to rest, had dinner together, and enjoyed the evening, putting the recent incident behind them.
Mike chose not to share the details of the battle with the damned creature, offering a simple explanation that it was caused by an earthquake. He didn't want to burden his friends with the dangerous supernatural world he had encountered. With the night drawing to a close, Mike returned to his own apartment, seeking a much-needed restful sleep, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him in the days to come.