Dera tried to pull himself up, his arms trembling and blood trickling down his face, but he was too weak to stand. His chest rose and fell in ragged gasps, the pain an unrelenting weight pressing him down. Chika, his younger brother, stood a few paces away, his crimson eyes still blazing from the battle. Despite the carnage surrounding him, Chika's face was an unsettling mask of calm, unbothered.
Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Chika's eyes dimmed. His vision blurred, his knees buckling as he collapsed onto the ground, the toll of his power too much for his young age.
A cruel grin stretched across the horned creature's face. Sensing Chika's vulnerability, it reached out a clawed hand, and thick, dark vines erupted from the ground, snaking around the unconscious boy, tightening their grip and pulling him closer to the beast. It leaned forward, dragging its rough, grotesquely long tongue across Chika's face.
"Don't worry, boy. I'll savor every last bit of you," it sneered, its voice a low, slithering threat.
Turning to the hornless creature nearby, it snarled, "Finish him," nodding toward Dera. Then, with Chika in tow, the ground split beneath it, swallowing them both, leaving nothing but churned dirt behind.
"No!" Dera's voice was a strangled gasp as he struggled to rise, forcing his broken body to obey. The hornless creature loomed over him, lifting him by the throat, its jaws widening as it prepared to devour him whole.
Just then, a resonant voice cut through the tension, powerful and calm. "Cherry Blossom Aura, Second Technique—Severing Spring"
The air around the creature shimmered as a swirl of purple cherry blossom petals spiraled toward it, cutting through the creature's arm like a blade. Dera fell to the ground, gasping for air. The hornless beast staggered back, clutching its stump of an arm, black blood oozing from the wound.
Dera forced his head up, 'who is that.... did someone come to save us..... 'squinting at the figure standing between him and the creature.
A young man, barely out of his teens, squatted beside him, his voice soothing yet commanding. "You're safe now."
'So calm, his voice... its so calm' Dera thought.
Dera tried to speak, his voice a whisper. "B-but the creature... it heals…"
The young man looked over his shoulder, his expression one of utter confidence.
"Oh, you mean this one? it's already dead." As he spoke, the hornless creature's head suddenly separated from its body, falling to the ground before the entire creature began to crumble into ash.
Dera's eyes widened in awe. 'S-so strong... if it's him then he can' Dera thought. Whoever this man was, he was no ordinary fighter.
"P-please..... save... my bro..." before he could finish his sentence, his world blurred and went dark.
---
Dera awoke to a soft bed, far softer than anything he'd ever felt in the slums. The air was clean, tinged with the faint scent of herbs and antiseptic. He sat up slowly, his body aching, memories of the previous night flooding back. He buried his face in his hands, the pain of loss clawing at his chest. Chika was gone, taken by that monstrous creature.
A voice broke through his haze of grief. "Oh, you're awake!" It was a girl's voice, light and cheerful. Dera looked up to see a girl with long braids framing a face of startling beauty, her skin pale and flawless.
She grinned. "For a while there, we thought you weren't going to wake up."
Dera tried to steady himself. "It's… it's only been a day. Right?"
Her eyes softened. "A day? You've been here for thirty days, healing."
Dera's heart plummeted. "Thirty days? No, I can't—I have to find my brother!" He threw the sheets aside, attempting to stand, but the girl placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down. The VHA is doing everything they can to locate your brother."
"The VHA?" Dera echoed, unfamiliar with the term.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "The Venom Hunter's Association. We're an organization that hunts Venoms—monsters like the ones that attacked you."
"Who are you?" he asked, still dazed.
"Name's Arya. Grade 2 Hunter of the VHA." She extended her hand with a friendly smile.
Dera shook it, noting the strength in her grip. "I'm Chidera, but everyone calls me Dera."
With a nod, Arya leaned back, her tone turning serious. "Venoms are dimensional monsters that invaded our world when a spatial portal opened above Earth a hundred years ago. Their purpose is to conquer, devour, and multiply. Venoms like the ones you faced are classified by their 'fins,' which indicate their strength. They range from one-finned to seven-finned. The one that took your brother was likely a high-level Venom."
Dera's fists clenched, his mind racing with anger and fear. "So… Venoms are nearly invincible?"
Arya shook her head. "Not anymore. Over time, some humans awakened a powerful force called Aura, which can counter Venoms. Those who wield it, like me, are known as the Awakened. With Aura, we developed techniques to fight these creatures." She gestured around.
"The VHA is a gathering of such Awakened warriors, our sole purpose to protect humanity from Venoms."
Dera looked down, his heart pounding. If he joined the VHA, he could gain the power to find and save Chika. The thought of leaving his brother to that monster's mercy was unbearable.
Arya noticed his expression. "So, Dera," she said softly, "do you want to join the VHA?"
His resolve hardened, and he nodded. "How do I join?"
Arya's smile returned, bright and reassuring. "Leave that to me. Welcome to the start of your new life, Dera."