Arashi's eyes opened slowly, only to close again halfway as exhaustion dragged them down. His vision blurred, the ceiling above him shifting in and out of focus. His throat felt dry, his voice unstable as he forced out a whisper.
"What… is this…? A strange accident… where am I…?"
The faint scent of antiseptic filled his lungs. The steady rhythm of a heart monitor echoed beside him, calm and indifferent, as if nothing unusual had happened.
He pushed himself up with visible effort, his muscles protesting. His legs dropped off the edge of the bed, feet touching the cold hospital floor. A slight tremor ran through his body, but he ignored it.
"Is… anyone here?"
The door opened almost immediately. A nurse stepped in, her expression shifting from routine calm to relief.
"You're awake."
Arashi turned his head slightly toward her. "Am I… in a hospital?"
"Yes," she replied gently. "The people who brought you said you were involved in a very strange accident."
Arashi frowned faintly, trying to piece together fragments of memory that refused to settle.
"Tell me… what happened yesterday."
The nurse hesitated, then began, "They said that—"
The door suddenly opened again.
The sound felt sharp in Arashi's ears, almost ringing, cutting through his already fragile awareness. A doctor entered quickly, his expression tense at first, then easing the moment he saw Arashi conscious.
"You're awake… good. I was worried you might not regain consciousness."
He stepped closer, examining him with careful eyes.
"You're very lucky," the doctor continued. "You survived what could have easily been fatal. Truly, you should be grateful."
Arashi exhaled slowly, his gaze steady despite the fatigue weighing on him.
"What exactly happened for you to say that?"
The doctor glanced briefly at the nurse. "Didn't she tell you?"
"She was interrupted."
"…Right. My apologies."
He adjusted his posture slightly before continuing.
"The people who brought you in said something unusual. They found you beneath a car… but moments before that, someone else was there instead. They claimed it was as if the two of you… switched places."
Silence filled the room.
Arashi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Switched… places?
A faint image flickered in his mind. That presence. That feeling.
That person.
"I saw him…" Arashi murmured under his breath.
He suddenly swung his legs fully to the ground and stood up.
"I'm leaving."
The doctor blinked in disbelief. "Leaving? You're required to stay here for at least two days—"
The bed creaked loudly as Arashi stepped away from it. His balance wasn't perfect, but his determination erased any hesitation. He walked toward the door without stopping.
"Wait—!"
The doctor reached out, but Arashi didn't slow down.
Then—
The door opened.
And he froze.
Standing there… was the same man.
The one from the accident.
Except now, he stood tall, completely unharmed. Calm. Composed. Watching.
"At last… we meet," the man said.
Arashi's eyes sharpened. "Who are you?"
The man didn't answer directly.
Instead, he slowly raised his hand.
The air around it began to distort.
A deep red glow formed in his palm, expanding, pulsing, alive. The temperature in the room shifted instantly, as if the air itself had been set on edge.
Without warning—
He released it.
The blast tore forward.
Everything shattered.
Walls collapsed. Glass exploded outward. The force swallowed the room entirely, reducing it to debris in an instant. The hospital trembled violently as sections of it crumbled under the impact.
Dust filled the air.
Silence followed.
Through the smoke and broken concrete, the man stepped forward calmly, scanning the destruction.
"…That was fast. Did I finish him already?"
A faint movement.
Behind a chunk of fallen structure, Arashi emerged.
His body was covered in cuts. Blood traced thin lines across his arms and face. His breathing was heavier now, uneven—but his eyes remained focused.
He tilted his head slightly, exhaling.
"Whatever you're trying to do… it won't help you much."
The man stared at him, then smirked faintly.
"You're weak," he said bluntly. "You haven't even passed the third level. That's why you seem strong… only in your world."
Arashi frowned.
"…What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I'm level ten," the man continued calmly. "You're barely level one."
Arashi's expression hardened.
"I'll show you what nonsense looks like."
He moved instantly.
Closing the distance in a single step, his fist drove forward with speed and precision—but—
The man dodged effortlessly.
In the same motion, he grabbed Arashi's arm, twisted his body mid-air, and slammed him into the ground with overwhelming force.
The impact cracked the surface beneath them.
"I'll defeat you," the man said coldly. "And when I do… I'll rise to level fifteen."
Arashi coughed slightly, forcing himself up again.
"You talk too much… none of this makes sense. It's like a dream."
The man's eyes narrowed.
"Then face me… and wake up to reality."
And then—
The real battle began.
They moved like flashes of motion, appearing and disappearing across broken ground and collapsing structures. Strikes collided mid-air. Shockwaves spread with every impact. Their movements blurred between speed and control, precision and raw force.
But the difference in power was clear.
Arashi was being pushed back.
Blow after blow came from every direction, faster, heavier.
Then—
The man grabbed him.
By the collar. By the throat.
And launched him forward.
Arashi's body tore through walls, smashing into buildings, destroying everything in his path. Concrete shattered. Steel bent. Entire sections of the city collapsed under the force.
Tokyo itself seemed to tremble.
Government buildings. Offices. shops. Streets.
Nothing remained untouched in their path.
Arashi crashed into the ground again, the impact sending debris outward in all directions.
He stood up slowly.
Still standing.
The man hovered slightly above the ground now, looking down at him.
"…I don't have time for this."
A massive red energy gathered in his hand, far greater than before. It pulsed violently, the air around it vibrating with intensity.
"I'll show you my true power."
The energy condensed into a dense sphere, glowing brighter and brighter. The sound it emitted was sharp, unstable, almost tearing through the air itself.
Arashi looked up at it.
Silent.
Focused.
"…Go."
The sphere launched.
Like lightning.
It struck the center of the city.
And everything disappeared.
A massive crater formed instantly, swallowing buildings, streets, everything within its radius. Smoke and fire rose into the sky as the shockwave spread outward.
Moments later—
The man descended into the crater.
He reached down—
And grabbed Arashi.
Still alive.
"…Why won't you die?"
He struck him once.
Then again.
And again.
But suddenly—
Arashi's hand moved.
He caught the incoming strike.
Tight.
Firm.
And in the next instant—
He drove his fist straight into the man's face.
The impact echoed.
But before the fight could continue…
Arashi's expression changed.
Something the man said—
Something about levels.
About reality.
About him—
Didn't feel like nonsense anymore.
And for the first time since the battle began…
Arashi hesitated.