Legend has it that the amount of money you put into the Saisen box doesn't necessarily correlate with your fortune. Even tossing in a mere 5-yen coin can bring good luck.
The gods do not judge a person based on the amount they offer, so anyone who donates a 10,000-yen bill in exchange for good omens or prophecies will likely find themselves disappointed, as usual.
Honestly, I'm grateful for the gods' kindness and paid my respects by tossing in a 5-yen coin and ringing the bell that chimed softly.
"..."
I closed my eyes and made a wish.
Though I'm not particularly religious, there are moments in life when entrusting my wishes to the gods becomes a quiet source of solace.
It's not because I truly believe in miracles or that prayers will always be answered, but because the act gives me a reason to stand back up, to hope, and to move forward, even when the road ahead is filled with challenges.
Sometimes, placing faith in something grand and unseen is a way for me to remind myself that overcoming isn't just about conquering the world outside, but also about defeating my own fears and weaknesses.
"Gods, please... help me one last time..."
It was January 4th, and people were bustling around the shrines, praying for peace and good fortune in the new year. The lively and joyous atmosphere stood in stark contrast to my current mood.
"It's time to go…"
I looked up, gazing at the vast, clear sky, feeling the gentle breeze brush past. The sun seemed brighter than ever, casting a serene and tranquil scene before me.
But I knew, this might be the last time I could enjoy a moment like this.
With a gentle flick of my fingers, the space around me suddenly shifted. From the tips of my fingers, a surge of dark spiritual energy erupted, spreading quickly like a thick black mist that consumed everything in sight.
In an instant, my body was pulled into the vortex of energy, disappearing from the spot where I stood. The space around me tore apart, and when I opened my eyes again, I was standing before the gates of the Japanese Prime Minister's residence. The air was cold, the wind no longer gentle but sharp as a blade, and the scenery now exuded an aura of power and authority.
"Hello, Prime Minister, long time no see." I smiled lightly, looking straight at him.
"It's hard to believe that a powerful spirit like
"You flatter me. It seems the injury I 'accidentally' left you last time has healed completely, hasn't it?"
"Cut to the chase! I know you're not here for a friendly chat on New Year's Day, but for that matter, aren't you?" The Prime Minister's voice turned serious, his sharp gaze fixed on me, not hiding his caution.
"Indeed, you are quite different!"
"As per your request, I have ordered the entire army to gather around Tenguu City. They're expected to be in position by the 9th of this month."
"The 9th... that works, not too late." I gently took a sip of tea, its bitter taste slowly spreading in my mouth, though my mind remained entirely calm.
"What exactly do you intend to do in Tenguu, gathering all the military forces there?" the Prime Minister asked, his eyes probing for answers.
"Do you really need to ask, Prime Minister? In fact, you and I have the same goal in that city."
"No... you can't be talking about... the spirits?"
"Exactly."
"A spirit fighting against other spirits? That's absurd!" He jumped to his feet, disbelief filling his voice.
"Please don't compare me to them." I gave a faint smile, "God granted me this power to help you cleanse those monsters once and for all."
The Prime Minister fell silent, but I could see the confusion in his eyes. I continued, not letting his doubt interrupt.
"I know, I can't change the flow of fate on my own... it's too strong, too rigid. But if I gain more power... if we have a large enough army, acting against the world's conventions, we can turn everything upside down. We will break that foolish flow."
"You... I don't understand what you're saying." The Prime Minister frowned, clearly being pulled into something beyond his control.
"There's no need for you to understand." I stood up, calmly adjusting my attire.
"Perhaps, I should leave now. Goodbye, Prime Minister... and thank you, the tea was excellent."
"W-Wait! May I say one thing, just one... please don't go yet."
"Alright, what do you want to say, Prime Minister?"
The man before me hesitated, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness. After a few tense moments of silence, he spoke in a trembling voice:
"Anything... just please... don't destroy this world."
His plea hung in the air, heavy as if the weight of the entire world rested upon his shoulders.
I paused for a moment, deep in thought. That question—whether this world was worth saving—made me stop, unable to answer easily.
Finally, I took a deep breath and replied in a calm but resolute voice:
"I am not the embodiment of evil... I am the one who purges it in the name of God."
After those words, I didn't wait for his reaction. A surge of dark energy swirled around me, pulling me away in an instant, leaving the Prime Minister's residence in its usual quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.
◊
"Come forth, Demon King
"It's time to test your power, isn't it?" I smiled slightly, feeling the excitement build within me. "Now, where should we start... Ah, let's try this."
I glanced over the pages, my voice calm yet filled with undeniable authority: "Show me the locations of all the gangs in Tenguu City."
Immediately, black characters began to appear on the pages, as though an invisible hand had written down all the information I needed. The details emerged clearly, so precise that I couldn't help but smirk. "As expected from the omniscient angel,
Looking at the list before me, I whispered: "Perhaps it's best to start by dealing with these seeds of chaos first, isn't it?"
With a slight turn of my hand, I teleported to each gang's location, using
"Huh? Who the hell are you? Do you know whose turf this is—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a piercing scream echoed. "AAAAAAAAA..."
"Such insolence, truly worthless trash." I whispered coldly, my gaze full of contempt. Without even using spiritual power, a casual flick of my left mechanical arm sent the integrated blade slicing through the air. In an instant, his body was split in half. Blood sprayed everywhere, but I paid it no mind, only watching his corpse fall to the ground, eyes wide open, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
His scream sent the inside into chaos. "What's going on? That scream just now... from outside!"
One of them, likely the leader, roared in anger upon seeing his fallen comrade: "Y-Yosuke! You bastard! How dare you kill one of my men!" He turned back, shouting: "Boys, get his head for me!"
"Oh!" They all responded in unison, their eyes lighting up with rage. At this moment, I was surrounded by dozens of men, each armed with crude weapons like short knives, batons, and crowbars... But what caught my attention was the leader, the only one holding a G-18 pistol, with an expression of confidence and hatred.
"There's no escape now!" He sneered maliciously. "Everyone, take him down!"
The gang swarmed in like a pack of bloodthirsty wolves, their footsteps pounding the ground mercilessly.
I raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing their excitement. Outnumbered 1 to 50, they seemed to believe I had no chance of resisting. But how foolish. They grossly underestimated the power of a Wizard—and more so, a Wizard fused with a spirit's strength.
"How utterly foolish!"
I chuckled softly, my tone light but laced with menace. "Deploy Territory." A magical space appeared, enveloping them all. "Absolute Gravity!"
With just two simple commands, the spiritual energy within me erupted outward, like a black wave spreading throughout the area. The gang, who had been rushing towards me, was immediately halted, their bodies crushed by immense pressure.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH------------------"
Screams filled the air, but they couldn't move, their entire bodies pinned to the ground, their flesh squeezed like meat patties under a press. In less than a second, blood sprayed from their bodies, the sound of bones breaking mixed with the squelching of crushed flesh. Within moments, their bodies were reduced to unrecognizable piles of blood and flesh.
I stood there, coldly observing the scene before me, devoid of emotion or remorse.
In the face of this sight, the leader couldn't keep his legs steady, collapsing onto the cold ground. His eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend what was unfolding before him.
"M-Monster! Die!"
His voice trembled, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he gripped the G-18 tightly, his fingers clawing at the trigger, trying desperately to aim at me despite his eyes being clouded with fear.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
Three shots rang out in quick succession, shattering the silence, but none hit me. Step by step, I approached, and his figure seemed to shrink beneath my looming shadow. He still didn't give up, frantically firing the last bullets in his clip.
*Bang*
"T-This time it won't miss—"
The final bullet shot out, a perfectly straight line aimed directly at me. But instead of dodging, I calmly activated Territory. The space around me seemed to slow down, and the bullet suddenly stopped in mid-air right in front of me, suspended.
His terrified eyes locked onto it, and before he could react, I gave a cold smirk, moving my hand slightly, reversing the bullet back toward its shooter.
"P-Please... Don't kill me... Please... Don't kill me…"
His pitiful pleas spilled from his mouth, filled with utter panic. But I responded with only a contemptuous smile, my eyes as cold as ice, devoid of any emotion. I released my hand, deactivating Territory.
The bullet shot forward without hesitation, piercing straight through his forehead. Blood oozed from the wound, and he slumped to the ground, his eyes wide open in one last moment of horror.
"Never beg for mercy... from
I walked out of their lair, the sunlight piercing through the gaps in my helmet's visor. I waved my hand lightly to brush off the bloodstains on my armor.
"On to the next one, I guess?" I muttered, giving a faint, indifferent smile. Those words served as a forewarning of the bloodshed that was to come, heralding the brutality I had planned.
From January 5 to January 8, Japan would no longer be as peaceful as it once was. Tenguu, a city that once seemed to sleep under its modern façade, was about to turn into one of the bloodiest battlefields.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA----------------"
"It's that manhunter from the n-news! Run— AAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"H-Help me… AAAAAAAA---------"
Every corner of the city bore witness to mass killings. Most of the victims were infamous gang members, groups that had terrorized the streets for years, with the police unable to intervene or control them.
With every street I passed, every dark alley was stained with fresh blood. More than 2,000 lives of those who had committed evil were ended by my hand in that brief span of time—a horrific number reflecting the deep-seated violence and corruption rooted in the city.
I did not hesitate nor look back, for every life I ended was just another piece of filth being cleaned away, a cancerous tumor that had festered here for years.
To me, the city of Tenguu had become a land of sin, and those days were merely the beginning of a blood-soaked cleansing.
I returned to the JGFDS base, feeling the weight of each step as my armor was drenched in the blood of the unfortunate souls. This once majestic armor was no longer a symbol of cold authority, but instead, it was tainted by the brutality of the battlefield. Slowly, I removed the armor, letting it fall to the ground with a dull thud, as if shedding the exhaustion, violence, and cruelty of my relentless 'work.'
I stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to flow over my body, washing away both the physical and mental strain. The soft patter of water felt like a soothing balm, easing the long-buried tension. Each breath became lighter, though not comfortable. Images of blood, of brutality still flickered in my mind, even though I knew I couldn't avoid or regret them.
After washing up, I treated myself to a hearty meal. A hot plate of food was neatly placed on the table, giving off an enticing aroma. I sat down, enjoying the meal while turning on the TV to catch the news.
"Recently, a string of murders has occurred in alarming numbers. Most of the victims belong to notorious criminal gangs. We advise everyone to stay off the streets at night and remain vigilant until the police can regain control of the situation," the newscaster announced in a serious tone.
Hearing this, I smirked slightly, my eyes gleaming with a cold satisfaction. "That's right, keep spreading fear to those who chose the path of crime." I murmured to myself, my voice soft but laden with the weight of conviction and indifference.
Glancing at the clock, it was already 9:00 PM. "Well, it's late, isn't it? I deserve an early rest today, after everything I've done."
I stood up, clearing away the dishes before heading to bed, leaving behind a day filled with violence and cruelty, preparing myself for the final battle ahead.