Meanwhile, in Z City, in a much quieter area with almost no sign of human life, Kuro stood at the edge of an empty street.
Tall buildings surrounded the area like the skeletal remains of an abandoned city.
The road was cracked.
The traffic lights still functioned, but no vehicles passed through.
Only silence remained.
In front of him, a pillar had been firmly planted beside the road.
It was tall and slender, jet black in color, with faintly glowing blue circuit-like patterns etched across its surface.
The light pulsed gently, indicating that its internal system was now active and stable.
Soon after, Kuro let out a relieved breath.
He observed his work for a moment, seemingly satisfied.
"With this," he murmured casually, "only one pillar left."
He rolled his shoulders slightly.
"Then I can finally relax in peace."
Suddenly—something shot toward him from behind.
A park bench flew at high speed, aimed directly at his head.
CRASH!
However, the moment it entered a ten-meter radius around Kuro, it seemed to hit an invisible wall.
The object was violently deflected to the side and shattered into pieces.
Kuro didn't move even slightly.
He only gave a faint smile.
Then turned around.
At the same moment, something around him peeled away like an illusion being erased.
Six orichalcum shields were revealed, floating around his body in a simple yet precise formation.
An active defensive layer had been deployed from the very beginning.
"It wasn't a waste setting up these shields," he said calmly. "This world—especially quiet places like this—can be quite dangerous."
His iris turned blood-red.
A single tomoe slowly rotated within his pupil.
His gaze shifted straight into the distance.
There, a humanoid monster stood—a green, lizard-like creature about three meters tall.
Its body was large and muscular.
Its skin was covered in rough scales.
Its eyes were sharp and yellow, while a wide grin revealed rows of unhealthy-looking sharp teeth.
The monster's grin widened further.
"Heh… just as I thought."
Its voice was deep and raspy.
"I am Algana, a prehistoric being who has just been resurrected."
It puffed out its chest, clearly proud of introducing itself.
"And you…" it continued, pointing at Kuro with its massive claw, "are clearly not an ordinary human."
Its eyes narrowed.
"From the very beginning, you've been emitting a strange aura."
Its tone dropped slightly.
More cautious.
"An unpleasant pressure. Inhuman."
It let out a rough chuckle.
"Good."
Its grin widened even more.
"I hate ordinary humans. But hunting something more interesting…" it said while cracking its neck. "Is far more enjoyable."
A brief silence fell.
Kuro's gaze remained fixed forward.
For some reason, a familiar line from Gilgamesh echoed in his mind.
He took a single step forward.
His movement was casual.
Yet the pressure in the air subtly shifted.
"Zashu…" he said coldly, in a naturally arrogant tone. "How bold of you to bark in front of a king."
A brief pause.
The corner of his lips curled slightly.
"Seems your life has been too peaceful."
Behind him and around him, five golden portals opened simultaneously.
Ripples of golden light filled the air.
From within them emerged several C+ rank Prototype Noble Phantasms, shaped like spears and other long-range weapons.
Each one hovered steadily in place.
Their tips were aimed directly at the target.
The magical energy they emitted caused the surrounding air to tremble faintly, creating a heavy pressure that felt almost physical.
Ready to fire at Kuro's will.
The humanoid lizard monster, Algana, fell silent.
Its grin faded slightly.
For the first time, its expression showed something close to genuine caution.
"…What is that?"
Its eyes moved rapidly, analyzing each portal and floating weapon.
Its instincts screamed.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
But the monster's ego was still greater than its survival instinct.
It forced a rough grin.
"Heh…"
Though there was a slight tension in its voice.
"A king, huh?"
Algana lowered its body slightly, its posture turning aggressive.
"In that case…" it said while baring its sharp claws. "Let me become the monster that kills a king."
It roared loudly.
The muscles across its body tightened, ready to lunge at any moment.
"Presumptuous."
Kuro's voice came out cold, almost devoid of emotion.
The next moment, one of the Prototype Noble Phantasms shot forward. Its speed was so extreme it tore through the air with a piercing scream.
SHWOOOOSH—!!!
Algana's eyes barely managed to track it.
In a single flash, the monster's right arm was cleanly severed—like flesh and bone were nothing more than butter.
The severed limb was thrown into the air, spinning several times before crashing onto the asphalt.
CRAAT!
Thick purple blood gushed out violently, splattering across the cracked road, the sidewalk, and nearby building walls.
Algana froze.
Its expression changed completely. Not anger. Not frustration. Pure shock.
Several meters behind its body, the spear had already embedded itself deep into the ground.
The impact created a crater roughly five meters in diameter and depth, with cracks spreading in every direction. Thin smoke and dust were still rising from the point of collision.
That sight was enough to explain one thing.
That attack was not merely a thrown weapon.
It was an execution that had been restrained.
Algana's gaze dropped to his severed arm, then shifted toward the crater behind him.
His massive body stiffened, and cold sweat began to form along his scaled temples.
"…W-Wait."
For the first time, his voice lost all confidence.
His eyes widened.
"I can sense aura from monsters like us."
He took an unconscious step back—and even that single step felt like an admission of defeat.
"I knew you were strange from the beginning…" he muttered tensely. "But this isn't just strange."
His gaze slowly lifted toward Kuro.
Now he was no longer looking at prey, but at something far worse.
"…What are you?"
Kuro smirked faintly.
His expression remained calm, yet his eyes were still cold.
"Zashu," he said in an arrogant tone. "Atone for your stupidity with your life."
Almost simultaneously, one of the Prototype Noble Phantasms shot forward again.
SHRRAAK!
A razor-sharp flash streaked through the air.
In an instant, Algana's right leg was cleanly severed.
"GRAAAAHHH!!"
The monster's roar of agony echoed across the empty streets.
At the same time, the ground where it stood exploded.
Magical energy erupted from beneath its feet, followed by a surge of blue flames that instantly devoured the surrounding area.
BOOOOM!!
Algana's massive body was thrown into the air like a broken doll, before crashing heavily back onto the ground.
CRASH!
Dust and fragments of asphalt scattered in all directions. The monster landed in a disastrous state—its body covered in wounds, with two of its limbs already gone.
With heavy breathing and a terrified expression, Algana tried to drag its body away using its remaining arm. Its survival instinct had completely taken over.
Run.
That was the only thought left in its mind.
But it was already too late.
The remaining three Prototype Noble Phantasms had already moved.
The golden portals behind Kuro trembled slightly.
Then—those three weapons fired in unison.
SHWOOOSH!
There was no room to evade.
No chance to react.
In a split second, Algana's body was pierced before being obliterated by a burst of magical energy.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Blue flames erupted violently. The ground cracked, asphalt shattered, buildings collapsed, and shockwaves swept through the surrounding area.
Kuro stood calmly at the edge of the devastation and let out a quiet breath.
"…It's over," he muttered casually.
Then his gaze drifted toward the massive crater in front of him.
"By the way… what threat level was that lizard again?"
He paused for a moment, recalling the monster classification system.
"Hmm… if I remember correctly, there are four? Or five levels? I'm a bit fuzzy on that part."
He raised his right hand and curled his fingers, leaving only his index finger extended.
"Wolf… low-level threat. Usually something even ordinary people can handle, or at least not dangerous on a large scale."
His middle finger followed, extending next.
"Tiger… more serious. Dangerous enough to threaten many people. Usually requires a coordinated response or a group effort to handle."
He continued calmly, as if discussing something trivial, while the battlefield behind him still smoldered in silence.
He then raised his ring finger.
"Demon… this is already a true disaster-level threat. A single entity at this level can destroy an entire city, so it requires top-class forces to deal with it."
He paused for a moment.
His brow furrowed slightly as the next finger was raised slowly.
"Dragon…"
His tone shifted slightly—deeper, more serious.
"This is an existential threat. Not just a city anymore—this level can escalate to a national threat, or even beyond that. The appearance of even one is enough to be considered a global crisis."
Kuro then crossed both arms over his chest, staring back at the location where the monster had stood moments ago.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"If I look at its size, durability, and regeneration…" he murmured softly. "Did it even regenerate earlier?"
His gaze shifted toward the massive crater left by the explosion.
"It should be at least Demon."
He tilted his head slightly, as if thinking.
"But its aura sensing ability, abnormal physical stats, and the fact it was still pretty confident even after getting chopped up…"
A brief pause.
"Maybe low Dragon."
Kuro looked at the still-burning debris lit by blue flames, then gave a small shrug.
"Still… it felt more like an arrogant lizard with attitude problems."
________
Author's note:
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