Kyra stood a few feet away, her arms crossed as she watched him carefully. Despite his insistence that he was fine, she wasn't taking any chances. Her sharp eyes darted between Rowan and the open street beyond the hospital gates, ever vigilant.
Rowan caught her gaze and smirked. "You're hovering, Kyra. I'm not gonna fall over."
Kyra frowned. "You were unconscious for two days. Forgive me if I don't trust you to be up and running at full speed just yet."
Rowan shrugged, still grinning. "Maybe I like the attention."
"Idiot," she muttered, though the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips.
A few steps away, Alulu Bostie and Hinami Barlowe stood by a parked car, the former leaning casually against the door while the latter scrolled through his phone, his face locked in a perpetual scowl.
Alulu raised an eyebrow at Rowan's antics. "You're in a surprisingly good mood for someone who just fought a nightmare and nearly died."
Rowan turned to him, his grin widening. "What can I say? I had fun. It's not every day you find something that can actually hit back."
Hinami snorted. "Yeah, well, try not to go too crazy next time. I'd rather not drag your unconscious ass out of another fight."
Before Rowan could reply, the air changed.
It started as a faint vibration beneath their feet, subtle enough that only Alulu noticed it at first. Then it grew stronger—deeper—until the ground itself seemed to pulse with an unnatural rhythm.
The group froze, their gazes snapping toward the horizon.
And then they saw it.
A massive shadow loomed over the city, its form growing clearer with every passing second. It was a monster—easily towering over the tallest buildings in the area. Its body was humanoid, but grotesquely so, with jagged, uneven limbs and skin that shimmered like molten tar. Four glowing red eyes adorned its massive face, each one scanning the city with a predatory intensity.
Kyra's breath caught in her throat. "That… shouldn't be possible."
Rowan's grin faded, replaced by a look of quiet curiosity. Monsters leaving their spheres was rare. Almost unheard of. Whatever this thing was, it had defied the natural order to stand here in the real world.
The giant's four eyes swept across the city, its massive head turning slowly. When its gaze landed on Rowan and his group, it stopped.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the giant roared, a deafening sound that shook the ground and shattered nearby windows. Its massive, clawed hand raised into the air, its body shifting as it prepared to charge.
Kyra immediately stepped in front of Rowan, her stance protective as she reached for her blade. "Rowan, stay back. You're not fully recovered—"
But Rowan's laughter interrupted her.
It started as a low chuckle, then grew louder, sharper, until it filled the air with its wild, unhinged tone. He pushed himself off the wall and stepped forward, his grin returning in full force.
"First, a sphere. Now this?" he said, his voice tinged with glee. He tilted his head, his eyes gleaming. "I just had fun, and now another fun came?"
Kyra turned to him, her expression torn between frustration and worry. "Rowan—"
"I'm fine," he said, his grin widening. "This one's mine."
Alulu and Hinami stayed back, their faces unreadable. But Alulu's mind was elsewhere, caught in a memory from a year ago
....
The city was in chaos.
A massive monster rampaged through the streets, its grotesque, octopus-like form towering over buildings as its tentacles smashed everything in sight. Cars were crushed like tin cans, streetlights snapped like twigs, and the screams of terrified civilians filled the air.
Alulu Bostie stood at the forefront of the chaos, his blue hair matted with sweat and dust as he gripped his weapon tightly. His scarred face twisted in frustration as he struck at the creature again and again, each blow barely scratching its thick, rubbery hide.
At 6'2" and one of the strongest Awakened in the city, Alulu was no stranger to battles like this. But this thing… This thing was on a different level.
He dodged another tentacle strike, his muscles straining as he moved. He'd been fighting for nearly half an hour, and his stamina was running low.
"This isn't working," he muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his weapon. "If I don't finish this soon, it'll destroy the entire district."
Before he could launch another attack, a blur of movement caught his eye.
A figure appeared—white hair, a wide grin, and an energy that seemed almost feral.
Rowan Barlowe.
Alulu had heard of him before, though they'd never fought side by side. Rowan's reputation as a maniac preceded him, but Alulu hadn't realized just how unhinged he was until he saw the look on his face.
Rowan didn't hesitate.
He leapt into the air, his body glowing faintly with blue energy, and slammed his foot into the octopus-like monster's face with enough force to send it reeling.
Alulu's jaw dropped.
The fight that followed wasn't even close.
Rowan tore through the creature with ease, his fists and feet a blur of raw power. Each strike landed with devastating precision, breaking through the monster's defenses as though they didn't exist. The massive tentacles that Alulu had struggled to dodge? Rowan ripped through them like they were made of paper.
Within minutes, the monster lay motionless on the ground, its body a broken, crumpled mess.
Rowan stood over it, his grin wide and triumphant. He turned to Alulu, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Not bad, huh?" he said, his tone casual, as if he hadn't just singlehandedly taken down a city-level threat.
In that moment, Alulu knew he was looking at someone beyond human. Someone whose strength defied reason.
.....
Alulu's gaze returned to Rowan, now standing in front of the towering giant. He shook his head slowly, his expression grim.
"That thing doesn't stand a chance," he muttered.
Kyra glanced at him, her worry deepening. "You're just going to let him fight that thing alone?"
Alulu didn't respond. He didn't need to.
Rowan stepped forward, his grin widening as the giant roared again. Its massive hand slammed into the ground, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the pavement as it prepared to charge.
Rowan's crimson aura flared to life, flickering around his body like flames. His eyes gleamed with unrestrained excitement as he crouched slightly, his muscles tensing in anticipation.
The giant lunged, its massive claws sweeping toward Rowan with enough force to flatten a building. Rowan moved faster.
He dodged to the side, his body a blur of red energy as he closed the distance between them. His first strike landed squarely on the giant's knee, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through its massive frame.
The giant stumbled, but Rowan didn't give it time to recover. He leapt into the air, his fist glowing brightly as he slammed it into the creature's chest. The blow sent the giant staggering backward, its four eyes glowing with fury as it roared again.
It swung wildly, its massive arms tearing through the air in a desperate attempt to hit Rowan. But Rowan was too fast, weaving through its attacks with an almost inhuman grace.
His movements were precise, calculated, each strike aimed at the giant's weak points. Cracks began to form along its body, glowing faintly as Rowan's relentless assault continued.
The giant roared one final time, its movements growing slower as it collapsed to its knees. Rowan landed in front of it, his crimson aura flaring one last time as he drove his fist into its head.
The giant's body crumpled, its four glowing eyes dimming as it fell motionless.
Rowan straightened, his grin fading slightly as he turned to face the others.
Kyra ran to his side, her worry etched into her features. "Are you okay?"
Rowan smirked. "Better than okay. That was fun."
Alulu and Hinami exchanged a glance, the former letting out a low whistle.
"That's Rowan for you," Alulu muttered.
The city was safe again. But for Rowan, it was just another day of chaos and carnage.