“Hina…” I whispered. “Whatever you do, don’t open your eyes. Run away from here as fast as you can. I’ll catch up.”
“I… No. I won’t leave you behind, b-brother!”
Those were the words I mumbled to the shivering Hina. She clutched her hands behind my back, refusing to obey my words. Hina told me she wouldn’t run away without me. That girl didn’t like the sound of leaving me to die, even though we barely talked for the past few years. It made me smile. But it also made me terrified of what was about to come.
I steeled my fist and wished to take it all. This was my job. I lost my family at a young age and lived with strangers I didn’t know. If there was someone who should live, it was Hina. Her parents saved me from despair when I should’ve already died from hunger or depression. Hina had a life even before me, while I forfeited it long ago.
It was over. There was nothing I could do to stop the monster, even with the rifle beside me. However, something miraculous happened. It was as if an angel heard my prayers and saved Hina. But it came with a price.
The pain that I had expected to come never made it towards me, despite this monster lunging in our direction. Was this a dream? No, it wasn’t. Hina and I were about to die from this untamed beast that emerged inside this unknown portal. And I accepted that fate. I wanted to push Hina away and turn her back on me to save herself. I wanted to save her. But someone had already taken that job away from me.
We were saved, instead. It wasn’t the adventurers or heroes seen in movies and other films. It was my best friend, Midori.
As soon as I opened my eyes, Midori was in front of me. The creature’s claws impaled his chest and tore his ribs into pieces. A pool of crimson blood formed beneath Midori’s feet and eventually reached ours. Groaning sounds escaped from my friend’s mouth as he coughed out every blood inside his lungs. But In spite of everything, Midori remained tall and stopped the fiend’s movement.
Every day, Midori would run straight to school and improve his stamina. He didn’t care about anything except reaching his goal of being the best athlete in Tokyo. We became friends because of that. That was Midori’s dream. And that was the thing that saved Hina and me from death’s door.
“M-Midori…. I thought I told you to stay behind and call for help! You don’t have to do this-.”
“SHUT UP!” With the remaining strength Midori had, he shouted at me and gritted his teeth. My eyes widened in surprise as I listened to his growl.
It should’ve been me standing there, taking the hit from the monster. Instead, Midori, a guy who had a dream, faced death with a smile. Midori knew that doing this would save Hina and me from danger, but leave him to die. He traded lives…
The beast pressed its claws against Midori’s hands and chest with every move Midori made. However, the creature couldn’t finish Midori off. My friend stood his ground and never wavered, regardless of the claw that skewered his body.
“Let’s go together, Midori. Maybe we can outrun this monster….” I suggested, even if the monster was right in front of us.
However, Midori shook his head and mumbled. “Tell Hina…. to run away… as fast as possible… Save her… for me, okay?”
I knew this was going to be our last meeting. Midori wouldn’t survive his wounds, even if we tried running together from this monster and finding a hospital or a doctor. Someone had to play the decoy or else Hina and I would die. And that decoy was Midori. He chose to be one.
But I refused to accept it. I refused to see…. My best friend dying because of me. I had this rifle in my hands, and yet…. I couldn’t pull the trigger. The world had granted me a system powerful enough to end any monster in my eye. It was a fantasy come true. However, I failed to use it. If only my parents didn’t die from a gun, maybe I could…
“YOU IDIOT!” Another cry came out from Midori, catching my attention. “I told you… to run away…. Please, Aoi. Do it for your sister. Hina… still needs you.”
After hearing that sentence, I made up my mind. As soon as I turned around, the quivering Hina greeted my eyes. She still had her eyes drenched, but closed after everything that had happened. It was a good thing. Hina didn’t know that Midori, the person who likes her, was about to… die. And it was because of me.
“I’m sorry, Midori… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be……… You idiot.”
Once we had that exchange, I grabbed Hina’s arms and dashed back down the staircase without ever looking back. I also told Hina to look straight ahead and avert her eyes from whatever creature chasing our tails.
As we descended the building, my weapon disappeared, and it went back to my inventory. The gears that came with the rifle also returned to where it came from until I could summon them back to me. My clothes also changed into my ordinary uniform, which could help me blend in with the crowd of students.
Midori’s roar from the third floor was the last thing we heard from him as we reached the ground floor. Much to our surprise, there were more monsters on the first level, even bigger and deadlier than the one we saw earlier. I thought the reptile we met a while ago was the boss - just like the system had described. It was the leader of its pack, but the group of reptilian beasts was far more dangerous than anything we had seen.
Thankfully, when we arrived outside, the adventurers Midori called earlier helped us in the nick of time. Hina and I didn’t turn back and see their fight, but we knew we were safe. The monster’s growls echoed from the portal when the adventurers struck them with everything they had. Within a few moments, the medical team went towards us and helped Hina get back on her feet. That team also led us towards a camp with students who went out from the portal. The doctors and the police told us to wait for further instructions before anything else could happen. They also said that this place was safe and the monsters inside the portal wouldn’t attack us.
Their words soothed our minds. However, the memory of Midori continued to haunt me like a ghost. I knew it was just inside my head, but I couldn’t help but blame myself because of it. Midori died because of me.
A few people handling microphones and cameras went towards our figures and interviewed some students in the area. There were also quite a number of government representatives and members that showed up on the scenes and rallied every survivor in a specific place. Word came out that these officials wanted to keep these portals confidential until an official statement was released.
However, more news spread across Tokyo, Japan as the interview came by. According to reporters present on the scene, there were multiple sightings of portals across the city, just like what we had at the school. It was one problem after the other.
“We got a call from our news station that twelve portals appeared on the streets, plus the ones we haven’t counted yet!”
“How many are we talking about?! I want to interview the students first!”
“I think there’s one portal not far from here! And there are already several people that died because of it!”
“Shit! We don’t have much time! We just have to wait for these students and catch every footage of these portals in different places!”
Those were the instructions shouted by the leader of those reporters. But there was one thing that caught my interest. As stated by those journalists, there was one portal not far from our academy that terrorised the city. But, the thing was, we lived in this neighbourhood. It took me a while before I finally noticed that Hina’s family was in danger.
Hina, who had already realised what was happening, stood from her seat in a panic and tried running back to our home. However, her body surrendered even before she could reach the school gates. The running we did a while ago must have taken a toll on her. Hina had already used every ounce of her energy sprinting away from the beast. And the same also happened to me.
However, I refused to quit. I was Hina’s big brother, after all. Even though I didn’t do anything to save Midori, maybe I could save Hina’s parents. Perhaps this time, I could fix my mistake and use my system to save whoever I could save.
“I-I need to go, big brother! I… I don’t know what would happen if my parents…” “I know, Hina. That’s why I need to go and check them for you. Besides, you can’t do it in your condition. If you could walk, maybe I could accompany you. But once we’re out there, you might get sucked into a portal just like this one. Trust your brother, okay?” “But…. If you die because of this, I…” “I won’t, Hina. Trust me.” “Okay…” Hina had eyes itching to go out and look for her parents. If I were in Hina’s position, I would’ve said and acted the same thing. If my parents were on the line, I would’ve run straight to them and stayed by their side. However, Hina couldn’t, not without getting enough rest from her shaking feet.
“Mom, dad…. I’m sorry…. I’m sorry I’m not good enough…. I’m sorry I don’t have any powers. I… I should’ve been…” I wanted to stop her. My hands almost reached out to tap her back, but I stopped myself from touching Hina. From my observations, this girl needed to let out her emotions… However, not like this. Hina blamed herself for her parent’s conditions, even though she didn’t do anything wrong. It was the portal’s fault, not hers. But I… What else could I do but watch Hina suffer alone? I wanted to be the brother that Hina needed, especially in this dire time. Even so, things weren’t supposed to be like that. “It should’ve been me who’s lying on that bed…. I should’ve been the one wounded, not them…. I don’t want you to die… Please…. I don’t want you to die.” Hina then turned her face towards me and asked, “Bro
“This is just in; millions of portals have appeared throughout the city of Tokyo, Japan, and other countries in the entire world! According to the United Nations, every country is fighting back against the portals and the creatures summoned inside them. And the government has finally disclosed the existence of monsters residing in these entryways and adventurers! Adventurers are people with awakened powers, be it super strength, speed, intelligence, or taming beasts. The adventurer’s guild, specifically Crimson, and the prime minister, would like to recruit talented individuals to fight back against these portals wreaking havoc in our city! Anyone with these powers is automatically qualified to conquer dungeons and retrieve the treasure living in these portals. Please be advised that every treasure the guild receives shall be handsomely rewarded! Changing this instruction will be given on further notice.”
[Two adventurers have entered the class B portal.] [Quest: Defeat the monster residing in this place.] [Reward: Ruined Sword (Rare)] ‘Two adventurers? Why are there two people inside the portal? It must’ve been a bystander that got lost on their way back or someone who has died recently,’ I thought, while looking at the panel. And it was the most reasonable explanation behind the panel’s description. Like any other game-like feature, the system might have experienced a bug in the portal. But the reward that the commenters mentioned was real. Defeating the monster would grant me the [Ruined Sword], which the portal had labelled as something rare for its quality. All I had to do was to defeat the monster guarding this port
I couldn’t leave a dent against the monster, no matter what I did. There was no way for me to use my sniper, thanks to traumatising memory haunting my head. So I threw rocks at the ghoul. It was my only chance to deal with minor damage and prolong the inevitable death waiting for my soul. I wasn’t expecting anything, so the pebbles I hurled dealt no damage to the ghoul. When the Grim Reaper finally fought back, the ghoul swung his weapon and hit my right arm. I could still use my hand, but blood flowed from my shoulders and created a pool of blood beside my feet. I didn’t suffer any broken bones, but I wasn’t unscathed either.“Fuck… if this continues, I will die.”I gave up on everything before. However, I promised Hina to return home and pay the hospital bills. She was waiting for me. After ten years, Hina finally ca
Did I really want this to end? If it was, what was Midori’s sacrifice, then? It was all for nothing…If I gave up right now, Hina and her parents would die. They were the ones who took care of me as if I was their child. Why would I even let this happen?Of course, I wouldn’t. Of course, I wanted to live for another day and hear my step-sister call me her brother. I wished to save them. Every cell inside my body hollered the same thing again, and again, and again, and again, and again. It was never-ending. And all I had to do was…“Pull this trigger.”The second I mustered my courage, I carried my sniper and aimed my scope at the Grim Reaper. I placed my trauma aside and vowed to save Hina. She was everything I had. This family gave
[Congratulations for killing the Level 100 Grim Reaper!] [Congratulations! You have levelled up!] [You are now level 35] [New Skill has been unlocked!] [Extended Magazine {Passive Ability}- You can now hold 15 shells at once for magical bullets and physical bullets] [Smoke Bomb (s) {Active Ability}- You can now cast Smoke Bomb (s) to an area. Once Smoke Bomb is cast, it would eventually fill the site with a smog cloud that lessens everyone’s visibility and accuracy, excluding yours. Duration of Smoke Bomb (s): 10 seconds. Enemies can not destroy or steal Smoke Bomb (s). You cannot also pass the Smoke Bomb (s) to any of your allies. Smoke Bombs can stack indefinitely. Cooldown of Smoke Bomb (s): 1 hour. The Smoke Bomb’s c
“I’m here to exchange an item for money.”I didn’t run around the bush and tell them what I wanted. The receptionist, who had an uninterested look despite her optimistic behaviour, tilted her head and opened her mouth. While conversing with me, the girl entertained the few strong-looking adventures beside her. Those were the ones who leered at the receptionist, maybe thinking about filthy things to do with her. I didn’t know. I was quick to judge and trusted my instincts. And that one guy who had been looking at the woman’s chest said it all.“Fine. Just hand out the treasure, and a staff working here would appraise it for the guild. The treasure exchange currency is here,” the girl said, and handed me a clipboard. “Whatever’s written there on that piece of paper is the absolute price of each treasure.
Aoi Two’s Perspective (not the original Aoi, but the other one who lived in a different yet similar life.) __________________________________ I forgot the last time I tasted good food. How many days had it been since the time I had been luring and fighting these beasts? Two months? No. Two months were short in my calendar. If I had to guess it right, I was up here for eight months fighting and evading these monsters. I fed myself with arcane from my surroundings and made it my nutrition. Although magic particles were different from real nourishments, it was enough to keep me functional. And my body was still in top shape. I also forced myself to sleep only for an hour and wake up dodging those projectiles for the umpteenth time. There was nothing inside my mind but evading these ambushes, hoping I could, at least, strike back with my rifle. But the time never arrived. The lizards weren’t the only creatures present in my vicinity. There were more of them. If I had to name a few, t
Aoi Two’s Perspective (not the original Aoi, but the other one who lived in a different yet similar life.)__________________________________I temporarily lent my power to the Crimson Guild in exchange for my monthly salary enough to pay for the hospital fees and our daily living. There was nothing wrong about it. So I told Hina about our current situation and encouraged her to attend the school we were once going to. But I refused the scholarship and dropped out of university. College life should be something that everyone desires to have, especially us students. But for me, I wanted to see Hina’s parents live for another day. Hence, the approval of being an adventurer in a guild.But I didn’t apply for being a regular adventurer. Regular adventurers were tasked to defeat a certain number of portals in return they will be given cheques and salaries from it. The more portals defeated, the larger amount of cash will be rewarded. As long as the adventurer was talented enough to survive
Volume 3 - Epilogue Aoi Two’s Perspective (not the original Aoi, but the other one who lived in a different yet similar life.) __________________________________ As far as I remembered, my parents died when I was little. When I was six years old. I didn’t need money, a lavish life, or things that I could call mine. There was only one thing I wanted, and that was my parents. I wanted them to live. But with one sudden moment, my wish turned around and burned me alive. My parents were killed by monsters, not humans. The fiend was around a hundred feet tall, and the village we were living in took the invasion. They were reptiles. These monsters had the shape of a dragon, which was technically a lizard with wings. According to the internet, unidentified beasts kept appearing from nowhere, and there were others who fought against them. Those individuals were not the police officers. I believed they were called guilds. And as I glanced around me, the news and other people claimed that t
Aoi’s PerspectiveAoi one or the ORIGINAL MAIN CHARACTER OF THE STORY (not the different one)Author’s note: This Aoi is also calling himself as Aoi one, and the other Aoi will be Aoi two (It is to avoid confusion. Thank you.)_____________________“That’s why I need to become stronger. And you’re not strong enough! Even though we’re the only ones who have this system, you didn’t try to break your own wall and learn more about it! There could’ve been portals that you could eliminate to gain more levels, and yet you chose to idle around and did nothing about it!” What did he mean when this motherfucker told me I wasn’t strong enough?! I trained with Vulcan, which Akai killed. Did he not think of that?!”“Your face is telling me that you met with Vulcan… That you trained with him. But did you learn anything from those sessions besides aiming your gun properly? Because it’s the only thing you have if you plan on comparing yourself to me!” Aoi two, or should I say, this doppelganger adde
Hina’s Perspective_____________________“It’s okay… Don’t cry. There, there…. It’s going to be okay… It’s going to be alright….”And then, I said the words. “I forgive you… I forgive you, Aoi… You don’t have to cry anymore… It’s going to be okay…”I said the words Aoi wanted to hear. Even though he was Obsidian, the face of my brother carved itself on the man beside me. It was as if Aoi two was a dog barking and biting people left and right only to realise he needed someone’s help… He needed my help. And now he had faced his fear and listened to the words Aoi two wanted to hear, his ears calmed down. His ears discerned what was important.‘But what now? What are we going to do now?’ I thought, and looked at the downcasted face of Aoi two. As if knowing the question inside my head, Aoi two returned my gaze and uttered, “I know… you are confused. But we don’t have much time now. As soon as I fought Aoi in this world, the entities behind these portals were already high on alert. And I
Hina’s Perspective _____________________ “Come with me.” With one phrase, the masked man offered his hand to me. He used his other hand to lift Aoi’s body and cast a spell that changed our surroundings. “I’ll show you something.” Obsidian showed no signs of hostility. And the voice behind the masked man soothed my ears as if it was some sort of music with perfect beat and lyrics. I gazed at the man’s hand, wondering if I should take it. I had seen something like this before. But something was off. And at the same time, there was a peculiar feeling of calm and genuineness. He almost reminded me of my brother. In spite of these feelings twirling inside my mind, I shook my head and answered, “I don’t… want to... I won’t leave…. My brother! You… Want… to kill him… I’ll…. Stay by…. His side…. Until you… can kill me…” There was a chance that the masked man wanted to pull me apart from Aoi. And I never wanted that to happen. The moment the masked man heard my words for the umpteenth ti
Hina’s Perspective_____________________All my life, Aoi did nothing but help me with my problems, regardless if it involved him or me. As long as he noticed, which he always did, my brother would rush towards me and help. Aoi really forced himself so hard until he could see me smile. And even though I pushed him countless times, he continued crawling his way back in my arms. I could still remember those days when we were together, especially when these portals hadn’t shown up. Life was simple back then. If only Aoi’s parents didn’t die, maybe he could’ve lived the life he deserved. But his life was taken away by a murderer and the portal. And now, we were given the chance to confront the man who stole his life away. But even so, we couldn’t defeat him. I… couldn’t do a thing. Aoi did everything he could to stop the madman from hurting everyone, despite knowing none of the strangers, but he failed. And the only thing I could do was to watch him suffer.Maybe if I trained hard enoug
As I glanced on my side, Hina still wanted to fight. She stood up and used the rock beside him, but her legs kept shaking as if an earthquake struck us. But the ground remained still. There was no earthquake. And when I appraised her status, my system described her with a fatigue ailment in addition to her drained mana right beside his health bar.[Iron Maiden has been deactivated. Obsidian is too powerful to be compressed!]Those were the words that marked our doom. The moment Obsidian broke free from the [Iron Maiden] all hope was lost. I had no idea how to win now, especially when my sister was on the ground. She couldn’t me right now. But Hina had already assisted me until her body fell on the ground. Although she desperately forced herself to move and stand with the help of a rock, Hina couldn’t cast any more magic and would remain sluggish until she could recover her mana. Obsidian stood on the other side of the map, unscathed and unbothered from the spell. The [Iron Maiden] wa
Time wasn’t on our side. Obsidian tried hitting us with his sniper, but Hina continued lifting me up and creating walls in front of me. It was as if she was reading my movements. When the masked man pulled the trigger and launched a set of bullets in my direction, I went to the side despite having no platform for me to step on. But I trusted my sister. By the time I jumped above ground, I trusted my instincts and rolled on the side. Like I had said, there was no ground to catch me when I fell. But as soon as I gyrated my body, a floor made of soil immediately materialised and cushioned my feet. The next thing I knew, I tumbled to the side and evaded almost every bullet coming in my way. The shells that I couldn’t dodge still didn’t hit me. The moment those leads from the masked man could take me out, Hina summoned a wall in front of me and protected my face.I didn’t have the time to thank my sister and carried onwards with the fight. Time was also our enemy. So when I found an open