"…Kill that pest."
As the hooded girl gave the order, the Demon immediately roared wildly, leaping directly from the edge of the rooftop.
Boom!
Below the rooftop, there happened to be a mobile vendor cart, where an old man was selling takoyaki, and many women and children were queuing in front of the stall.
The Demon landed precisely on the vendor cart, instantly crushing the entire vehicle, sending countless ingredients flying everywhere.
A woman in line stared blankly, looking up at the three-meter-tall, monstrous creature in front of her, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression. A piercing scream instantly echoed throughout the entire Commercial Street.
This scream immediately triggered a chain reaction, and the other people nearby also began to scream.
When facing fear, screaming is actually a human's instinctive reaction, because in nature, if an animal's cry is loud and piercing enough, it will increase the probability of scaring away predators, thereby ensuring its own survival.
But at this moment, the screaming not only failed to scare away the predator, but instead had a negative effect.
Facing the ear-piercing cacophony, the Demon simply waved a hand, as if swatting flies, instantly sending the screaming passersby flying. In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. Only the trembling old stall owner was spared, because the Demon had already started running like a heavily armored tank, charging towards Kitahara. Swatting flies was just a sideline; killing Kitahara was the real mission.
The entire Commercial Street instantly descended into chaos.
"Ahhhhh! There's a monster!"
"My god, what is that thing?"
"It must be a Kaidan!"
"Everyone, hide quickly!"
"Call the police!"
"The white bone armor on that monster looks super hard. The police definitely won't be able to handle it, right? We should call the management bureau hotline and have the management bureau send professional exorcists to deal with it."
"…"
Screams and cries erupted in a cacophony. Although the authorities had long announced the existence of anomalies, most people on the Commercial Street were facing an anomaly for the first time. Under the pressure of the three-meter-tall monstrous creature, those 'survival skills' were instantly forgotten, their minds blank, leaving only the instinctive reaction of scurrying away with their heads in their hands. Some were even so frightened that their legs turned to jelly, unable to run, and simply collapsed on the ground.
Fortunately, the Demon's target was Kitahara, not indiscriminate slaughter. For the unlucky ones blocking its path, it merely slapped them away. Otherwise, it would already be a scene of carnage.
"Eh, what's that noise?"
Sakiko turned curiously to look behind her, then her eyes suddenly widened.
Soyo's voice was tense: "Kitahara-kun, there's a monster!"
Kitahara frowned: "I see it."
"That monster looks so scary." Anon jumped in fright, "Could it be a monster that ran out of Otherworld?"
"Probably not." Kitahara narrowed his eyes slightly, looking closely, "That monster still has fragments of clothes on its body. If it were a monster that ran out of Otherworld, it would either have no clothes or its clothes would be completely intact. The tattered clothes look somewhat like those humans who have been eroded by negative energy."
"So, that's an anomaly that a human turned into?" Soyo had already hidden behind Kitahara, nervously peeking out, "How come I've never heard of such a thing?"
A three-meter-tall monster with a body covered in a layer of white bone armor, looking particularly ferocious—this was the first time they had seen such a monster. Even in the official intelligence database, there had never been any record of the monster before their eyes.
"Kitahara-kun, what should we do now?"
Sakiko bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, asking in a low voice.
This was the busiest time on the Commercial Street, with hundreds, even thousands, of people out shopping. If they stood by and did nothing, there would undoubtedly be heavy casualties. Human lives are never just cold numbers, but countless shattered, desperate families.
From a perspective of empathy, Sakiko naturally hoped that Kitahara could save everyone, but ultimately, the decision rested with Kitahara.
Soyo opened her lips and whispered:
"Kitahara-kun, that monster looks very dangerous. How about we…"
In Soyo's mind, her mother, Kitahara, and Sakiko beside her were the most important people in the world. If she had to make a choice, Kitahara's safety would naturally be more important.
Anon took over the conversation:
"How about we call the police?"
Kitahara said speechlessly:
"By the time the police get here, everyone on this street will be dead."
Anon's eyes were filled with worry: "But that monster looks so dangerous…"
"Very dangerous?"
Kitahara's tone was calm, not taking the rampaging monster to heart in the slightest:
"The truly dangerous person is actually me."
Although the monster looked ferocious, Kitahara was more confident in his own strength.
More importantly, an inexplicable sensation arose in Kitahara's heart; this monster, which had been dashing and crashing through the Commercial Street, seemed to have him as its target…
"You all go into the Onsen Village first," Kitahara said decisively. "Safety first. I'll take care of that monster."
If this monster's target really was him, then it was essential to first settle Soyo, Sakiko, and Anon, to avoid any other monsters lurking in the shadows.
The three girls naturally had no objections, all nodding to show they understood and wouldn't cause trouble at a crucial moment.
The four quickly walked to a dimly lit, unnoticed corner. Kitahara led the three girls into the Onsen Village, eliminating any worries.
"Kitahara-kun, you must be careful."
"Kitahara-kun, don't be reckless. If you can't win, run."
"You must come back safely."
The three girls all worriedly urged him.
"Keep the wine warm for my return."
Kitahara simply waved confidently, then stepped out of the Onsen Village.
At the same time.
"Matsuzaka-senpai, th-there's a monster!"
Reiko watched the Demon rushing towards them, her voice trembling with fear.
"Run!"
Matsuzaka's face changed. She nervously grabbed her companion's wrist and pulled her to run.
According to official reports, if ordinary people encounter an anomaly, they must not act recklessly. Fleeing immediately is the option with the highest survival rate.
But after only a few steps, the two saw a primary school student knocked to the ground, sitting there crying in fear.
Matsuzaka suddenly stopped, a look of struggle on her face.
"Matsuzaka-senpai?"
Reiko looked over worriedly, her expression also struggling:
"Should we…"
"Reiko, you go first."
Matsuzaka took a deep breath, pushed theReiko away, then ran to the primary school student and picked up the crying little girl.
"Matsuzaka-senpai, I'll help."
Reiko ran over, and the two helped each other, preparing to save the person.
But after only two steps, theReiko trembled, her voice choked with tears:
"Th-that monster seems to be coming for us…"
In fact, the Demon's target was only Kitahara; the two girls were just unlucky bystanders who happened to be in the middle.
The two girls naturally didn't know the inside story. They wanted to hide in the surrounding shops, but the shop doors and windows had already been firmly locked by other passersby, making it impossible to enter. They could only run backward along the street.
The speed of the two panicked little girls was naturally far inferior to the monster's. In just a few breaths, the Demon had already arrived in front of them.
"It's, it's over…"
Looking at the three-meter-tall ferocious monster, the two girls trembled all over, their legs weak, no longer even having the strength to run. The primary school student was also scared stiff, not even daring to cry out.
Facing the 'bugs' blocking its path, the Demon showed no mercy or hesitation. It simply raised its massive hand, covered in sharp nails and bone, and slammed it down towards the three.
Many passersby hiding in the surrounding shops had already closed their eyes, not daring to watch the upcoming bloody scene. A three-meter-tall giant monster, even a normal palm strike, would be fatal or crippling if it landed on an ordinary person.
Boom!
A figure swept in like lightning, delivering a flying kick in mid-air, and the Demon's massive body was sent flying backward.
Crash!
Accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of breaking glass, the Demon crashed directly into the adjacent cold drink shop, causing the passersby hiding inside to scream in terror.
Passersby hiding in other shops who were not affected, however, widened their eyes in astonishment.
"So powerful, he actually kicked such a terrifying monster flying with one kick."
"Who is that person?"
"Why is he wearing a fox mask on his face?"
"He's definitely not an ordinary person. Could he be an official exorcist?"
"Isn't the official response speed too fast?"
"…"
"Eh, is that Kitahara-kun?"
Reiko's eyes widened, and she unconsciously gasped.
Kitahara slightly tilted his head and gently wiggled his finger:
"Remember to keep it a secret."
"Mhm, mhm."
Reiko quickly covered her mouth, her small face filled with excitement.
Matsuzaka looked up at Kitahara's back, her face showing a complex expression of relief and disbelief intertwined.
Although Kitahara was wearing a mask, his height, clothes, and voice were all identical; it was indeed Kitahara, no mistake… Ever since that day during the club inspection, when she accidentally stumbled upon Kitahara's transformation and was then forced to have photos taken as blackmail, she had always thought Kitahara was a standard evil-doer. She never expected to be saved by Kitahara now, so her feelings were naturally incredibly complex.
"Reiko, let's go quickly, don't cause trouble for Kitahara-kun…"
Matsuzaka took a deep breath, quite calm and rational.
But just as the two girls began to move, the Demon had already quickly burst out of the cold drink shop, bringing with it a shower of shattered glass, and punched towards Kitahara's head.
Kitahara's expression was calm. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, delivering a punch.
His physical abilities had long surpassed human limits, and with the passive bonus of Song of the Night, even if a giant bear lunged at him, Kitahara would not show the slightest fear.
Boom!
The two fists collided, and a dull sonic boom spread, making the passersby hiding in the surrounding shops feel their breath catch, as if their hearts had been suddenly squeezed.
Kitahara and the Demon were vastly different in size, yet they were evenly matched in strength, immediately beginning a rapid exchange of punches.
"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora——"
A sound of accompaniment suddenly rang out nearby.
"Reiko, you…"
Matsuzaka looked speechlessly at her companion.
"S-sorry." Reiko quickly covered her mouth, stammering, "I accidentally blurted it out just now."
Crack.
Crack, crack.
Under Kitahara's full power output, the Demon quickly couldn't parry. Cracks appeared on its bone armor, and black liquid dripped out, then it fell backward, facing the sky.
"It's useless. The god's gift has just been activated and hasn't reached its strongest form yet…"
On the rooftop, the hooded girl watched the battle emotionlessly, looking down from above.
"Did Kitahara-kun win?"
Reiko asked cautiously.
Kitahara shook his head: "Not yet."
As he spoke, the Demon stood up again. The cracks on its bone armor quickly healed, and gruesome white bone barbs began to grow from its joints, clearly evolving.
"It actually got stronger?"
Kitahara keenly sensed a hint of danger approaching, and his expression quietly became serious.
"Looks like I have to use the Serious Punch."
His original plan was to have a 'evenly matched' battle to probe whether there were other monsters lurking around, as this monster came straight for him, and there must be a reason behind it.
But now the situation was wrong, so there was no need to hold back.
"Hoo…"
Kitahara lightly exhaled and decisively activated the Health Bar Warrior ability. A red health bar immediately appeared above the Demon's head.
"It actually has over three hundred health points…"
Kitahara's expression was serious as he silently activated the 'True Damage' skill.
Then…
"Serious Punch!"
Seeing Kitahara swing his fist, the evolved Demon naturally met it with its own fist without hesitation.
Boom!
The dull sound of the punch echoed, making everyone hold their breath, their hearts pounding.
Then they saw Kitahara calmly retract his fist and begin to look around, surveying his surroundings, while the evolved Demon seemed to have been hit by a petrification curse, no longer moving at all.
"Strange, why isn't that monster moving?"
"It feels like the computer suddenly crashed…"
"Why stop suddenly at a time like this? He should be pressing his advantage, right?"
"…"
Amidst the discussions, the Demon's bone armor suddenly developed countless cracks in an instant. Black blood spurted from each crack, and then it fell down with a thud.
"How is that possible…"
On the rooftop, the hooded girl's expression fluctuated for the first time, looking at Kitahara in shock.
"After consuming the god's gift, the servant only grows stronger and stronger until its life is completely burned out. How could it be defeated by one punch?"
"Hmm?"
Kitahara keenly sensed a fluctuation in gaze and quickly looked up, seeing that the hooded girl's health bar was clearly over a hundred points.
"As expected, there are still monsters lurking…"
Kitahara was about to act when he suddenly heard a gasp from theReiko:
"Kitahara-kun, be careful!"
Kitahara quickly looked down at the sound and saw that the Demon's body had rapidly weathered away, and a wisp of black aura had silently escaped, rushing towards him.
"What is that thing?"
An alarm blared in Kitahara's heart, and he dodged.
Unfortunately, this wisp of black aura was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, it entered his body.
A surge of tyrannical intent rushed over, and Kitahara's eyes began to quickly turn red…