The smell of smoke was the first thing he noticed.
Thick. Bitter. Suffocating.
Zeke's eyes snapped open.
Heat pressed against his face, searing his skin. The ground beneath him was rough, scattered with ash and debris. For a brief moment, his mind was blank—empty, like a sky with no stars.
Then the screaming began.
High-pitched. Desperate. Human.
He pushed himself up, coughing violently as smoke filled his lungs. His vision swam, but as it steadied, the world around him came into focus—
Flames.
Everywhere.
Homes collapsed into themselves, roofs caving in as fire devoured wood and straw alike. The village—his village—was no more than a sea of burning ruins.
"…What…?"
His voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar even to his own ears.
Zeke staggered forward, his legs weak, his body unresponsive, as if it didn't quite belong to him yet.
A shadow moved.
Then another.
Low growls echoed through the chaos.
His gaze snapped toward the source—and froze.
Demon beasts.
Massive, twisted creatures prowled between the burning homes. Their bodies were warped—too many limbs, jagged fangs protruding from elongated jaws, eyes glowing with a feral, unnatural light.
One of them lunged.
A villager didn't even have time to scream before being torn apart.
Zeke's breath hitched.
This wasn't a raid.
This was a massacre.
He moved without thinking.
Step. Step. Stumble.
His feet carried him through the chaos, past bodies he didn't recognize—but somehow felt like he should. A hand reached out from the ground, fingers trembling, grasping weakly at his leg.
"H-help…"
Zeke looked down.
A man. Barely alive. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into the dirt.
Their eyes met.
For a split second, something stirred inside Zeke—something hollow and aching.
Then the man's hand went limp.
Zeke didn't stop moving.
Something was wrong.
Not just the attack.
The beasts weren't acting randomly.
They moved with purpose—circling, searching… heading toward something.
Toward somewhere.
Zeke's chest tightened.
"…Me?"
The thought came uninvited.
And just as quickly—
A presence locked onto him.
A low, rumbling growl echoed behind him.
Zeke turned.
Too slow.
A towering demon beast stood just a few meters away.
It was larger than the others—its body thick with muscle, blackened scales running along its spine. Its eyes burned a deep crimson, fixed entirely on him.
Not roaming.
Not searching.
It had found him.
Zeke's body refused to move.
His instincts screamed, but his limbs felt heavy—useless.
The beast lowered its body slightly, muscles coiling.
Preparing to pounce.
"…So this is how I die."
The thought was calm.
Too calm.
His heart pounded violently in his chest, yet his mind… was quiet.
Watching.
Waiting.
The beast lunged.
Time… stopped.
The flames froze mid-flicker.
The smoke hung motionless in the air.
Even the beast—its claws inches from Zeke's face—was suspended, like a painting etched into reality.
Silence.
Absolute.
Then—
A voice.
Calm. Distant. Unshakable.
"Host detected."
Zeke's pupils trembled.
Light gathered in front of him.
Not bright.
Not blinding.
But… inevitable.
A figure stepped forward.
A woman.
Her presence alone felt… wrong.
No—beyond wrong.
The world bent around her, as if reality itself struggled to contain her existence.
Her eyes were indifferent. Vast. Endless.
She stood between Zeke and the beast.
Without looking at it.
"Life-threatening condition confirmed."
Zeke couldn't breathe.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't look away.
"Activating… Heavenly Backup System."
The beast moved.
No—
It didn't.
It never got the chance.
It disappeared.
Not torn apart.
Not crushed.
Not burned.
Erased.
As if it had never existed.
The silence shattered.
A shockwave exploded outward.
The ground cracked.
Flames were extinguished instantly, replaced by a violent surge of force that swept across the village.
Every demon beast within sight—
Gone.
The world stilled once more.
Only Zeke remained.
Standing.
Alive.
His legs gave out.
He fell to his knees, breath ragged, eyes wide as he stared at the empty space before him.
The woman stood there, unchanged. Untouched.
Untouchable.
Zeke swallowed, his throat dry.
"…What… are you?"
For the first time, her gaze shifted.
Not to the world.
Not to the destruction.
But to him.
"I am your backup."
The words were simple.
Absolute.
Before he could respond—
She vanished.
Just like that.
Silence returned to the ruined village.
No flames.
No beasts.
No people.
Only ash… and him.
Zeke looked around slowly, his mind struggling to grasp what had just happened.
His chest rose and fell.
Alive.
He was still alive.
"…Heavenly… Backup System…"
The words felt foreign on his tongue.
Yet… undeniable.
Something had awakened.
Something that should not exist.
And somehow—
It belonged to him.
Far beyond the burning remains of the village…
Something stirred.
Something ancient.
Something watching.
"It has begun."