I assumed, at the very least, I'd have multiple broken bones—if I didn't outright die.
And yet, here I was.
"Well, well, well…" Kowai's voice slithered through the broken silence as she stepped gracefully over the shattered remains of trees, each splinter crunching under her feet like brittle glass.
Her eyes gleamed in the dim moonlight, cold and unreadable. "I figured it would work, but seeing it for myself... I'm impressed."
There was something off about her now. Something different.
That thing—the one I had seen just before her fist slugged the life out of me—it wasn't just a figment of my imagination. It was real.
And now, it surrounded her entire body, pulsating and alive, like a literal aura that bent the air around her.
My body twitched involuntarily as I struggled to rise, using the tree for support. Every breath burned, but I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of staying down.
But what the hell is happening tonight?
.....
About the thing that distracted me earlier;
It was Kowai's fist.
That same fist that had turned me into a projectile was glowing with an ominous purplish light, dense and fluid, like liquid shadows. It pulsed rhythmically, as if feeding off her heartbeat, and I could see it tracing a path from her chest, through her arms, all the way to her clenched hand.
It wasn't just light. It was something else.
It radiated an oppressive force, a coiling, invisible weight that seemed to crush the air. It made my heart tremble, and before I even realized it, I was scared.
But it wasn't completely unfamiliar:
It was the same overwhelming energy I'd felt before—not just from Kowai, but from Mrs. Garcia, my trainers, my father, and even my grandfather on occasion. Times when I'd sensed the atmosphere shift inexplicably, thick and heavy, as if the world itself held its breath.
Back then, I chalked it up to gut feelings or instinct. Now I could see it clearly. This wasn't just intimidation or presence. This was it.
This energy...
This energy pumping out of Kowai in bountiful reserves.
"Good morning, Makoto," Kowai purred, her voice low and husky.
It was still night, barely past 11:15 p.m., but I wasn't about to correct her.
"How does it feel to become a resident? How does the power feel?"
Her lips twisted into a slow, sinister smile, her tone mocking yet curious, as if I were an experiment she couldn't wait to dissect.
"Power…?" I whispered, my voice trembling as my legs threatened to give out.
And then I realized something shocking: I was giving off that same energy, too.
Not nearly as much as Kowai, of course—hers was like a tidal wave crashing against my meager ripple. But it was there, unmistakable. I could feel it coursing through my battered body, faint but present.
It wasn't just me, either. Everything around us was alive with this energy—the trees, the soil, even the old, creaking metal structures of the playground.
The air itself buzzed faintly with power, like an invisible storm waiting to break. Though the energy surrounding us was subtle—almost imperceptible—it was undeniably there.
Maybe the energy pulsed more on living things, or something.
"What… is this?" I muttered, my voice barely audible as I stared at my trembling hands.
Kowai tilted her head slightly, her brown eyes gleaming with a murderous light. "Oh, Makoto… you're just beginning to see."
"You're special." her voice broke through my daze. "You were able to do things like a 'Resident,' but you weren't. So I beat it into you. You're welcome."
For the beating?!
I winced, still holding my swollen face.
I was about to protest, but the question on my mind escaped before I could stop it. "What's a Resident?"
"A Resident is a resident."
"You can stop mocking me now..."
She let out a small sigh, her energy still crackling around her like a firestorm. "From now on, you'll experience life in a different way. Your 'ordinary' life is gone. You're now a resident of the 'real' world. Maybe I should say congratulations on Awakening."
Awakening?
I froze.
That was what I had been running from.
The thing I was trying to avoid at all costs?
I see...
"H... How did this happen?" My voice was hoarse, tinged with curiosity.
Kowai, still blazing with that unholy energy, slowly walked toward me. Every step felt like a thunderclap.
"In order for someone to awaken," she explained, her eyes never leaving mine, "they'll need to train just the right amount… or need to experience an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy all at once. Though, you'll risk dying from it."
I'll pretend I didn't hear that last part.
But Spiritual...energy...?
"Is that what this force is? Spiritual energy?" I asked, trying to make sense of it.
Her eyes softened ever so slightly, but the coldness remained. "Yes. It's the foundation of everything in the surface world, and the very essence of existence in the 'real' world."
"Do people randomly awaken?"
"It's unlikely, but yes," she said. "People usually awaken when they feel like they're about to die—or in situations where they think they won't survive."
She tilted her head slightly, her smile eerie. "Like maybe if someone were falling, and a super force was about to crush their skull, they'd awaken. Though… not that it'd help much."
I couldn't help but stare. "Hey, isn't that what happened to me?"
She shook her head. "Not exactly. You were stubborn, holding back your own growth. I forced your body to recognize the 'real' world. That's all."
That's all?
She nearly killed me with "that's all"?!
No wonder she was beating the hell out of me.
I was still recovering from the sheer violence she'd unleashed, and now she was downplaying it like it was nothing.
Wait, what were they planning for me when they proposed the Awakening thing to me at Thailand?!
But the strangest part was...
This Awakening thing... it feels good.
The pain was fading. My body felt lighter, like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.
I believe I'm more flexible, more... powerful, somehow.
As I attempted to focus, I tried the perception technique, hoping it would reveal something interesting this time.
But then something entirely unexpected happened.
{The individual, Makoto Murasame, has acquired a special skill: [God Perspective].}
Eh?
I looked around trying to wrap my head around the strange mechanical voice that rang in my head, but something equally amazing occured.
I could now see everything.
Not just the trees or the playground itself, or Kowai's unnerving energy.
I could see it all—down to the smallest detail, like the flow of air around me and the faintest tremor in the earth beneath. Everything felt alive, connected.
The world had changed for my perspective.
And I swear I'm not being metaphorical.
A couple kissing far from the piggy-kid's park—may they both burn in hell, by the way. The entirety of the playground, laid out like a map. Even myself, as though I were a character in a game, being watched from multiple camera angles.
Blood dripped from my nose, for some reason.
"So, what do you choose?" Kowai interrupted my awe-stricken thoughts. Her voice was sharp and teasing. "More pain? Or should we go to Akira-sama? She's waiting in the cold."
As she should, I thought, but I didn't dare voice it.
Then a spark lit up in my chest.
…He-heh... ha-ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Foolish girl! By some cosmic miracle, I'd been granted a "skill" so brilliant it completely eliminated my blind spots.
"Kowai-san," I proudly muttered under my breath, my lips curling into a grin. "There's always a sky above the sky."
And with that, I vanished, leaving her momentarily confused.
Kukuku!
(P.S. This is Makoto's evil laugh.)
Using my newfound skill, [God Perspective], I employed the "Steps" technique—it birthed a speed-enhancing ability that almost literally hurled me to my intended destination.
I could clearly see the entire park from above, my vision as sharp as HD, sharper even than my regular eyesight.
With this skill, I could make a break for it. I could finally hide from the monster that was Kowai.
Though… I couldn't help but wonder.
How does this skill system work? Can I obtain more skills? Could I lose them? Is there a limit to how many I can gain?
And, of course, what skills does Kowai have? I was sure she had plenty.
These thoughts kept me grounded as I perched on an 18-foot-tall tree, using my new "camera angles" to scan the park. But something was wrong. Kowai wasn't where I had left her.
Oh, God…
It's fine. She's probably looking for me.
That's what I wanted to believe, but a deeper sense of unease began creeping up my spine. I could see the entire park in vivid detail, yet I couldn't locate her energy—her overwhelming, impossible-to-miss energy.
Why?
Concern settled in my chest.
"My cute Makoto…"
Her sweet, husky voice shattered me. It was soft, yet so sharp it carved despair into my soul.
I was still not seeing anything with the skill, though.
"[God Perspective] is a fairly high-level skill and you easily got it, as expected of a prodigy…"
I froze, slowly turning my head toward the voice.
She was behind me, perched casually on the same tree, not even an ounce of those of her energy was there.
She seemed and felt like a normal high school girl. Only that I knew it was a lie.
"But," she continued, her eyes locking onto mine, "you have to tone down the amount of energy you use for it. Otherwise, you'll damage your brain... and, more importantly, you'll give your hiding spot away."
Her words hit me like a freight train.
So that's why my nose was bleeding. That's how she knew I was foolishly concocting something.
That's why my brilliant plan was doomed from the start.
Damn it. This skill is useless!!
As I screamed in the sanctuary of my mind, Kowai raised her hand, her fingers straightened into a "chop" gesture.
And then she swung.
Darkness enveloped me.