The heavy rain soaked the empty city sidewalk. Every step Touka took echoed through the street, splashing against the puddles that had gathered along the road. His face was expressionless, showing no emotion at all. In his right hand, his phone buzzed, its light flickering in the dark night.
"No one can fight them," he muttered under his breath, his eyes glued to the news on the screen.
On the phone's display, an image of a massive monster—known as the Omnivorax—filled the screen. The creature threatened the existence of humanity, while Aether Corps—the organization that was supposed to stop these monsters—looked weak and powerless. Touka let out a long sigh, his gaze burning with anger.
Fifteen years ago, the world changed forever. Touka was just a kid when the Omnivorax first arrived and destroyed the small town where his family had lived. Everything he knew—his parents, his friends—was gone in the blink of an eye. All that was left was loss and revenge.
Since then, there's been only one thing on his mind: revenge.
Joining Aether Corps had been Touka's dream. But reality wasn't that simple. After being rejected time and time again, Touka had to settle for a job as a monster corpse cleaner—a job far from what he wanted, but the only one he could get. Cleaning up the remains of monsters that had already been defeated, sweeping away the destruction they left behind.
In this changed world, Touka knew that to survive—and to get his revenge—he had to get stronger. Maybe, just maybe, he'd find the power he needed in the most unexpected place: from his enemies themselves.
As he cleaned up the aftermath of another battle in a ruined city, a low rumble echoed in the distance. The sky darkened even further, and a massive shadow loomed overhead—Omnivorax, the leader of the giant monsters, was back to bring more destruction.
Touka looked up at the sky, his heart filled with determination. "This isn't about who's right or wrong. It's about surviving," he whispered to himself, though there was a deeper anger beneath his words. Days like this, full of menial work as a cleaner, would end soon.
Maybe, just maybe, this time he'd find a power greater than that of any human. A power that would bring him closer to his ultimate goal.
Because he wouldn't back down. Not to be a hero. But to get back everything that had been taken from him.