I can't even begin to imagine how many people died because of me. The more I think about it, the worse I feel. I wanted to try to save people yet all I have done up to now has yielded no results at all.
I can't just keep relying on this power…
Worst of all, I see only one potent solution. I don't want to risk upgrading for only twenty four or forty eight hours… I'm just too scared.
So I must up my training. I can't keep tricking my way out of fights or taking a gamble and making my enemies stronger!
I swear, from this moment and onwards, I'm going to do Five hundred Push ups! Five hundred sit ups and fly from the edge of the forest to the other, one hundred times before allowing myself any time to rest!
And if I fail even a single day due to my own laziness, then I will… Oh shit… I guess it's hard to punish oneself… My point still stands though.
Obviously, the first week was hell. Absolute torture. But certainly nowhere near as bad as being on fire for hours without end. At least here, I can rest. The thing I struggled the most with were the sit ups, for obvious reasons…
By the second week, I started to adapt. The third week? It kept on getting better and better. My guess is that monsters have great growth potential when they push themselves to their limits. But I'm no Saitama. Sooner or later, I'll reach the peak of my power.
I don't know how I did it, but I kept up at this training for an entire year. My muscle mass had grown under my chitin armor plates. I may be ugly, but now I'm also buff.
I also made a huge realisation. I've been in this world for a little over a year. I'm still a juvenile of whatever species I am.
Already, I've lost a lot of weight, my body has begun to change. I'm looking a lot cooler by the day. Like puberty with non of the drawbacks. Even my voice is getting deeper. But that brings an obvious question. Will I die young?
In the air, I am faster than any train, I can jump higher than a skyscraper… Before, I could punch small craters into solid rock. Now? I can punch the ground and destroy things ten meters around!
What I am really trying to say is: I am probably gonna get soloed by any A class hero and only a few B class would be needed to beat me...
Some might say that's great power to have after only a year. I would say "Have you forgotten this is a mixed verse?"
I don't even know if the classes are the same, if any devil hunter has powers or if any heroes have made contracts with any devils, I don't have any future knowledge of this new world… I'm so fucking screwed if I allow myself to remain at this power level!
On a more pleasant note, I did go take a look at the forest of giant trees at some point. Most of the trees I affected reverted to their original forms but three remained a beautiful golden color.
Except for the huge machines plugged into them. I guess it was bound to happen. Someone would get curious and find out, then scientists would send people to study the trees but… it only took them one year?
Oh… I forgot about the fact those things were probably on fire for weeks, maybe months, with how big they are.
And I'm pretty sure they grew even more.
You know, every time I take my chances going somewhere close to humans, I find myself in trouble. Trouble I never see coming.
Have I talked about how noisy my wings are? Because if they weren't, I would have heard the MOTHER FUCKER who jumped from the ground to PUNCH ME in the face.
"Who the hell?!"
And before me stood tall the same half red half green monster from a year ago. Except that now, the red had turned gold.
What the fuck, man.
"You roach fucker! You dare come back in this forest after what you did?!"
"What? You survived, didn't you? I made you stronger!"
You ungrateful–
"I was half on fire for a whole day! It was agonizing! I couldn't even turn off the flames by jumping in the water so I was drowning and burning!"
Alright… Fair point.
"And now you pay for the pain I had to endure… You will die by your own power, Fat Golden Roach Man!"
Seriously? That name again? I'm not even fat anymore!
And he dashed at me, morphing his gold fist and increasing its size like he was Luffy!
I was too afraid to take it head on so I dodged before throwing a kick at the green side, only for him to catch it with his golden hand and throw through several walls.
Before he could launch another attack, I dashed towards him.
I'm confident in the new power I've obtained. Even upgraded, I should still be able to beat the–
And with another attack, he sends flying through even more buildings, I feel like my insides have been turned into mashed potatoes!
He leaped over to me.
"Die, you filthy roaaaach!"
And with a kick, he strikes me back into the ground, the impact destroys the surrounding area, yet I still live. A year ago, that would have killed me. But I am losing blood fast.
The bastard lands right on my skull and I feel it break. Yet I can still think, still talk… still find a way.
"You didn't like the pain… what if I gave it to you again?"
The mother fucker backs away faster than I could even see. I fucking got him.
"I could have killed you… Yet you had the strength to live and you want to squander it because you can't handle a bit of pain?"
Hypocrisy only I can know about.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"But I would! I will rise to my feet, boy. And when I do, you will fucking bow, lest you suffer my flames again."
Back into business, let's go!
"..."
I rose to my feet, mostly mangled up. And I walked towards the terrified monster. Fool hadn't even considered that I could just do this to his other half. He doesn't know the limits of my power.
The best way to use fear is by letting your victim imagine what you could do instead of telling them what you can do.
I could smell the fear in the air, it was invigorating.
He bowed face to the floor, he really was going all out.
"Good. Now that you know your place, don't you ever dare oppose me again. Recognize this new power of yours as a gift and understand the reality that you could have died from the flames. From now on, you work for ME."
At least, my wings aren't damaged. I flew off back towards my home, leaving the city and this embarrassing beat down behind.
After all of that, I can only come to two conclusions. Either I'm weak as fuck or he was strong as hell. Had I fought against the version I met last year, I would have dominated as I am now, that I am certain.
So if my power can grant such immense strength…
I felt something pierce my side. I looked at my arm to find a dart emptying itself of a green liquid. I'm never going back to a city if I live…
I woke up inside a cell. Walls were all white, instead of bars, there was a large glass plane. This is giving me some major laboratory vibes.
There's also a fucking color around my neck, clunky and mechanical. I bet it explodes if I try to take it off.
I heard steps. Someone was walking towards my cell.
She came into the light. When I saw her face, I could only step back in fear. It's official. This is a set up. God hates me and he wanted to torture me.
"Ah, you're finally awake."
Red hair, yellow eyes… she was dressed a bit differently but I don't need to take a picture for you to… get the picture.
"You have been captured by the public safety hunters for the purposes of being used as an asset in our fight against monsters and devils. My name is Makima, and you, for as long as you remain useful, are my new weapon."
No smile. No fake warmth. Nothing. There is only one explanation. She sees me as so much lesser than her that she won't even bother. That's cold.
"Your muscle density has been evaluated and we have estimated your disaster level to tiger. You were fighting against another monster, one much stronger than you. I had to take care of him myself…"
"... Yet you made him bow in fear. That is the reason I took an interest in you. Could you tell me how you did that?"
Wait… she doesn't know… they didn't hear our discussion! She isn't using her powers on me… I think. I'm better off just lying and making something up.
"I told him my father is the guy he works for…"
You can't smell my fear. All you can smell is my natural 'Eau de cafard!' Hopefully she doesn't care enough to ask for details.
"... Interesting. A bit disappointing."
Surely not enough to kill me, right? Right??
"What is your name?"
And this again. I've been thinking about it for a while now. I realised after a while that in a goofy world, you gotta accept a goofy name. Laugh along or suffer alone, they say.
"Roach… Man."
I got no choice. It's simple and efficient. You got one punch man, chainsaw man and roach man.
I think I saw her face contort in disgust for an instant.
"You have a collar attached to your neck. Try to remove it and your head will be blown off. Try to disobey an order and…"
I felt the shock course through my body for three seconds. They felt much longer than that.
"If I say jump, you ask how high. Are we clear?"
Is this my life now? As a slave to a devil woman?
…You know what? At least, I'm still alive. I'm still healthy. I can survive for as long as my life span allows.
"Crystal clear."
Must make the most of this situation. It's the only way.
"Good. Now let me warn you, Roachman. If you turn out to cost more in maintenance than you're worth, I will end you."
And just like that, the bitch walked away from the cell…
"I have a few questions."
She literally just ignored me and kept walking. I sweat to god, this woman is going to make me suffer.
Even the guys taking care of me and experimenting on my body ended up being more helpful than her. Thanks to them not being complete assholes, I managed to learn a lot of important stuff.
Firstly, Public Safety has a sort of rivalry with the hero association. It's been going for years and all because they disagree on one simple thing. Unlike the hero association, Public Safety will gladly make use of monsters and devils as weapons. The hero association foolishly despises devil contracts and will actively sanction anyone in their ranks associated with devils.
Secondly, the devil hunters use the same classing system as the heroes.
Third, Makima is in the S class. Obviously.
Fourth, they don't know anything about the 'devil' that turned the trees of the giant forest gold. They didn't gather anything from the twins. Currently, the most widespread theory is that some kind of devil has the ability to improve materials.
They already know about the armor, which use to belong to a hero named Steel Decimator. Man, I wish I had a name this threatening. Who's going to fear Roachman?!
In the end. Things aren't so bad. I just have to get beaten up by Makima once in a while, they call it training. It could be worse. Chainsaw man is nowhere in sight so I should have a few years before she deems me useless… Or until she finds a stronger monster or fiend to replace me…