The night in Kuoh was colder than usual for this time of year. The streetlights flickered weakly, casting long shadows on the asphalt, still damp from a recent rain. A sixteen-year-old boy strolled leisurely along a quiet side street, absentmindedly biting into a piece of cream-filled pastry he had just bought at the last bakery open.
He held his cell phone in his hand, checking posts and news about his favorite video game. The screen illuminated his face, with its sharp features and slightly messy black hair, lost in his phone as he made his way home.
From the shadows of a narrow alley, something watched him. A dark, hungry presence, slithering between reality and emptiness like black smoke. A humanoid monster had chosen its prey well: a solitary, young human, with a potential terror that would spice up its flavor.
The boy stopped abruptly as he entered a narrow passage between two abandoned buildings. He turned off his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
"You're too obvious," he said calmly, almost annoyed.
"You've been following me for three blocks. If you're going to stalk someone, at least do it properly." Bored, he stared at a dark, empty spot as he yawned.
A guttural growl echoed in the darkness. The shadow swelled and took shape: a humanoid monster nearly two meters tall, with grayish skin covered in pustules, glowing yellow eyes, and a mouth full of jagged, sharp teeth. Corrosive saliva dripped from its jaws as it fully materialized.
"Insolent little human..." the creature hissed, its voice like fingernails scraping metal.
"I'm going to tear the flesh from your bones and slowly devour your soul. You'll be an exquisite feast!" Unleashing claws nearly half a meter long, it began to approach, its long tongue darting across its grotesque lips, awaiting its much-desired seasoning.
"Just in time," he murmured; his ordinary brown eyes sparkled with amusement. "I wanted to try a new technique tonight."
The creature frowned, puzzled by the response and disappointed at not getting its much-desired spice.
Then it happened.
The young man's eyes changed in an instant. The ordinary brown turned a bright, intense red, like burning rubies streaked with gold.
In the next blink, the young man vanished.
He reappeared right in front of the monster, less than four inches from its deformed face. The monster barely had time to open its eyes in surprise.
"Dragon Fist"
His right fist was enveloped in a brilliant golden aura. The energy condensed violently, taking the roaring form of an oriental dragon made of golden light. With a simple, fluid motion, the young man delivered the blow directly into the creature's chest.
BOOM!
An explosion of power erupted. The golden energy dragon roared with ancient fury upon impact, completely engulfing the monster in its luminous jaws. The monster didn't even have time to scream. Its body was torn apart, disintegrated, and absorbed by the technique in less than a second.
The eastern dragon, still roaring, ascended into the night sky like a golden comet, leaving a trail of light that briefly illuminated the clouds before dissipating into the distance.
The young man stood in the middle of the empty passage, lightly dusting his hand as if he had punched something dirty. A calm, almost childlike smile played on his lips.
"Wow… looks like I went a little overboard with the power," he muttered to himself, gazing at the sky where no trace of the dragon remained. "Well, at least it worked. If I could recreate the Dragon Fist, I suppose I can recreate its other techniques."
He bent down to pick up the last piece of sweet bread he had dropped during the attack, brushed off some of the dust, and took another bite.
"Hm. Still rich."
With his hands in his pockets and an expression of complete normalcy, the young man continued on his way as if nothing had happened, while a faint golden glow, which no one else had seen, still lingered in the sky above Kuoh.
But that night, something had changed.
Because somewhere, hidden behind the veil of the human world, the forces that governed the impossible had just sensed a new presence.
And that presence possessed eyes capable of defying the gods.
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