kscans

Chapter 150 - Interlude: The Awakened War

Roughly one in thirty people.

That is the ratio of Awakened Persons in Japan. And this figure of approximately four million can also be considered the total number of Awakened Persons in the world.

While a significant number relative to Japan's population, it is infinitesimal when compared to the global population.

The vast majority of them are sensible civilians.

Born in a peaceful nation, they are people who have lived lives far removed from bullets and cannonballs. They possess a certain respect for the law and hold a strong aversion to killing.

Only a small fraction of the Awakened were involved in the 'Turohorse Incident.' For more than two years and three months since the 'Day of Awakening,' Japanese society has been able to maintain itself simply because the majority of its Awakened were 'decent' people.

However, even in Japan, terms like 'hedonistic killer' and 'thrill junkie' exist.

Though few from a global perspective, the number of Awakened in Japan is large enough.

And among them, there are indeed those to whom such labels apply.

＊　　　　　＊　　　　　＊

"I like panic movies. I especially love monster-panic films."

In a certain city in the Middle East.

At a temporary command post erected on its outskirts. It was nothing more than a space under a tent with desks, chairs, and several computers lined up.

"Neighbors suddenly turning into zombies, aliens rampaging on a spaceship, giant monsters destroying a city. I love movies where such senseless violence suddenly and overwhelmingly runs rampant, trampling everything in its path as it pleases."

He who spoke was an utterly unremarkable man.

He appeared to be in his mid-thirties. Medium build, medium height. Black hair, black eyes, black-rimmed glasses. A white shirt, black trousers, and a slightly worn lab coat.

In his hand, he held a mug of coffee, from which he took small sips.

If he were in Japan, he would likely be a presence no one would ever notice.

"Most of the people around me preferred to be on the side that fought back against the monsters in those situations. They loved stories about gunning down zombies, outsmarting aliens with clever tactics, and facing down giant beasts with courage and camaraderie."

He stared intently at the monitor before him.

Behind his glasses, his eyes sparkled like a child's.

"But me, I always longed to be on the side that unleashed the monsters."

The sounds of gunfire and screams drifted from the distance.

Bizarre creatures roamed the city streets as if they owned the place. They were not monsters, but abominations.

If one were to describe their appearance, 'hairless werewolves' would be most fitting. Their patchwork bodies had skeletal structures that seemed to be a mix of beast and man, and from their open mouths, sharp fangs peeked out, dripping with saliva.

A massive horde, seemingly large enough to cover the earth. These creatures attacked any person they found, devouring their flesh and blood without regard for age or gender.

They found an old couple hiding in the shadows. They chased down fleeing youths. They leaped upon a mother clutching her infant.

They were simply enjoying the hunt.

There was no mercy to be found. Only lifeless eyes and, in contrast, a ferocious and brutal method of killing. They were hideous beasts, willed by their creator to be 'incomprehensible.' And yet, contrary to that intent, they were combat weapons that had developed some ability to distinguish friend from foe.

The man in the lab coat had created these creatures using his skills as an Awakened Person: 'Alchemy' and 'Magical Pharmacology.'

While they resembled werewolves, the creatures' abilities were inferior to those found in dungeons. In terms of rank, they were 'D-Rank' at best.

However, their powerful arms could easily tear a human body apart, and their strong legs could keep pace with a car. A simple handgun couldn't stop them, and the 'enhanced individuals'—those on which a bit more money had been spent—could not be brought down even by rifle rounds.

They possessed more than enough power to trample over any non-Awakened human.

"Excellent... This is what I wanted to see. What I wanted to create."

The men nearby didn't understand Japanese. Even so, he let his emotions flow into words, taking care only not to drown out the screams from afar.

"As I thought, 'numbers' are crucial for this sort of thing. The other members can handle the 'quality,' but this is where I have to put in the work. Still, I honestly want to improve their performance. Well, I'll have to keep working on improving their fuel efficiency."

An army of monsters poised to swallow a city. Such a force could not possibly be maintained by ordinary means. Commanding them would require immense mana and expensive materials.

But the man had created and deployed this massive horde at a low cost.

By a despicable, heretical method.

"Fortunately, there are over eight billion units of material-slash-fuel around the world. And it's easy to procure around here. A wonderful workplace. The more depraved it is, the more my spirits rise. This is how monsters ought to be."

The sound of the man sipping his coffee was drowned out by the clamor of the command post and the distant screams and gunfire.

On the monitor, figures—unclear if they were government forces or another organization caught in the crossfire—were fighting back against the monsters.

'Fire! Fire, fire, fire!'

'Damn it! What the hell are these things?!'

On a street wide enough for cars to pass, where market stalls would normally be lined up, a barricade made of sandbags and desks gathered from nearby houses now stood.

From behind it, soldiers unleashed a spray of bullets from assault rifles and submachine guns. Under their assault, the wave of monsters slowed ever so slightly.

'Hey, the guys up top are laying down thin fire!'

'Can't be helped! We don't have that much ammo!'

To prevent the monsters from approaching along the rooftops, men with guns were positioned on the surrounding buildings.

They were a militant group for whom daily life and war had become one. They were somehow managing to fight back against the attack by an unknown entity. A similar scene was unfolding in various parts of the city.

Even so, just as their ammunition began to run low, an exceptionally large shadow pushed forward from among the monsters falling to rifle fire.

'This is bad! The rifle isn't working on it!'

An enhanced individual—a being that would be called a 'boss monster' in a dungeon. Shielding its face with its arm, it led the other monsters forward.

Spent casings rained down onto the ground, but the monster didn't flinch. Its thick armor of flesh prevented the bullets from reaching its vital organs or bones. Deformed lead slugs, lightly stained with blood and flesh, fell to the ground.

'Hey, what about grenades?!'

'We're all out!'

The distance was closing, inch by inch. The impact of the bullets was slowing its advance slightly, but it was only a matter of time before its claws reached them.

The soldiers' throats tightened. Their morale began to crumble in the face of impending death. Their feet began to shuffle backward.

But hope came from behind.

'Everyone get down! You'll die!'

Almost simultaneously with the familiar voice, a grinding roar reached their ears. For now, it was a gospel more welcome than anything.

The men dove to the ground without a second thought. The moment the barrage of gunfire ceased, the monsters started to charge, but then—

—BOOM...!!

A cannon blast that shook the earth obliterated the monsters along with the barricade.

An iron elephant, trampling the ground with its treads, appeared. A wisp of gunpowder smoke lingered at the end of its long, protruding barrel, leaving a trail in the air.

An infantry unit that arrived with the tank rushed over to the men who had been fighting.

'Hey! You alive?! Can you still fight?!'

'Huh?! What'd you say?!'

'Dammit, my ears...'

'My back... what happened to my back...'

The men who had been fighting first were grimacing in pain from the cannon shell passing so close by.

As if oblivious, a soldier who popped his head out of the tank roared.

'All of you, secure the perimeter! We'll crush the ground monsters with machine guns and cannon fire! Don't let them get near the tank!'

With that, the man ducked back inside the hatch. After a soft click of the tongue, the able-bodied infantrymen took up their guns and scanned the area.

'Hey. How many are stationed—'

—RAT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT!!

'Shut up!'

The soldier who had just arrived roared over the sound of the machine gun. A simple 'Like I care' came back over the radio.

Monsters were still pouring in from down the road. They couldn't stop firing.

At this fact, the man clicked his tongue once more and forcibly pulled a soldier to his feet, dragging him a short distance from the tank.

'How many men are deployed here?! Do you have comrades on the buildings?!'

'Y-yeah. I'll get on the radio now.'

He called into the radio on his shoulder, but there was no reply.

'What? Did the cannon blast break—'

In that instant, a tremendous roar echoed from a nearby building.

A shadow burst through the second-floor wall, falling with a shower of brown and gray rubble. It landed on top of the tank.

'Shit—'

The surrounding infantrymen immediately turned their muzzles toward it, but it was too late.

"Here we go!"

A flippant voice was heard through a helmet.

It was a large man wearing a helmet shaped like a beast's head and a cuirass. He raised the spear in his hand and slammed it into the tank.

Normally, a spear shouldn't be able to pierce even the top armor.

But a being that bursts through walls couldn't possibly be normal.

—CLANG!

With a high-pitched sound, the spearhead pierced the tank's armor. The man immediately pulled it out and began to strike down with the sharp point again and again.

Bullets swarmed him in an attempt to stop him, but they were all blocked by his armor. Even so, they might have been able to defeat him if he had continued to take the hits undefended.

If only the horde of monsters hadn't been surging from down the road.

'GAAAAAAAAAAH!!'

'A-aaaaaaah?!'

The tank fell silent, and the soldiers' attention had been drawn to the man who had descended from above. In that brief opening, the monsters had closed the distance.

Of course, the soldiers fought back, but their resistance was almost meaningless.

After a single glance at the men being swarmed by monsters, the armored man shouldered his spear and leaped away. Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, he headed toward his comrades.

Where he was heading, another Awakened was on a rampage.

A steel giant, nearly two meters tall. Among the footprints left on the ground were crushed metal casings.

A squat, ungainly suit of full plate armor. The anachronistic armor, however, advanced relentlessly, shrugging off rifle rounds.

'Concentrate your fire on him!'

'The legs! Aim for the legs!'

Though there was no barricade, soldiers used the buildings as cover, laying down a curtain of fire. The sound of their guns, however, was drowned out by another.

Awakened Persons are still human. It was only natural, then, that they too would use 'guns.'

A heavy machine gun, modified with a custom grip and stock. Two of them. One held in each hand.

They were connected to metal boxes on its back by ammunition belts, spewing bullets like water. Spent casings flowed down like a waterfall.

"~♪~~♪"

The humming from under the helmet was inaudible to those nearby due to the fierce explosions. A river of blood and gold formed in the wake of the advancing knight.

'Throw a grenade!'

'Take this!'

A man leaning out from a wall that was being chipped away at a terrifying speed threw a pineapple-shaped grenade.

He was turned into a human beehive an instant later, but the pulled-pin explosive rolled to a stop right in front of the armor.

A deafening boom. Smoke billowed out for a moment, and scattered shrapnel assailed the Awakened one.

But their attack wasn't over. The moment the grenade stopped the enemy's gunfire, a man leaped into the street shouldering a rocket launcher.

'Die, you demon!'

The warhead was launched. It streaked toward the unharmed armor, which had taken a direct hit from the grenade, leaving a tail of fire.

No evasion, no interception. All who watched were certain of it.

But.

'...Huh?'

A translucent, bluish barrier deployed in front of it. The warhead collided with it, causing a massive explosion.

Flames erupted. As the shockwave hit them, a rain of lead slugs shot out from the dust cloud before it could even clear.

'Gah?!'

'Uwaaah?!'

The unharmed Awakened emerged from the smoke. As the soldiers reeled back in shock and from the gunfire, the monsters that had been waiting moved in.

The creatures overtook the lumbering armor. Watching them devour the soldiers, the armored figure clicked its tongue softly and took its fingers off the triggers.

At that moment, the man in the beast helmet dropped down from the roof.

"Good work out there, Sis. How's it going?"

"Great! On top of my game today!"

The voice that came from under the helmet was surprisingly delicate.

As his companion replied while lightly lifting a roughly 40-kilogram machine gun with one hand, the beast-helmed man partially dispelled his `Arcane Gear` to reveal his face.

Cheap-looking blond hair, a handsome but even more flippant face. A young man with a piercing in his left eyebrow, who looked like he belonged in Kabukicho at night.

"That's good to hear, but if you kill too many with the gun, you won't get any experience points, you know?"

"Aww? But it feels so good to fire a machine gun. You should try it! It's super fun!"

"Nah. I'm the type who enjoys feeling the flesh directly. Even if you use a gun, you should probably keep it within a range that won't get the boss mad."

"Fine. I wonder if I can get some more mana-infused bullets."

"Sis, you used them up like crazy and got yelled at last time... Let's try to learn our lesson, huh?"

"Okay, okay. I'm reflecting on my actions."

Right next to their lighthearted conversation, the screams and roars of men echoed.

Paying it no mind, the young man picked up a nearby radio. After lightly wiping off the blood with his sash, he brought it to his ear.

"...Uh. Looks like a plane? Or a missile? Anyway, something's coming from the sky soon."

"Really? That's amazing. I don't understand a word of the local language."

"They were speaking English. Well, I only got the gist of it myself."

As they spoke, their ears caught the sound of something slicing through the air. That meant the enemy's attack was just moments from reaching them.

But the two showed no signs of panic. Because.

'■■■■■■■.........'

They knew their comrade, who was advancing while crushing the city, would handle it.

—It had the form of a giant sea slug.

Its body was a deep, ocean-like blue. Yellow patterns ran down its length in several stripes, and horn-like tentacles stretched upward.

What was bizarre was its size. The colossal body, like a skyscraper laid on its side, coupled with its coloring, gave it an overwhelming presence in the city.

The scene was so jarring it was as if someone had simply pasted an image of a sea slug onto a landscape photograph, creating a sense of profound wrongness in anyone who saw it.

But this was undeniably real. Its scale of destruction surpassed that of all the other Awakened combined.

In the wake of the giant sea slug, only flattened ground remained. People and objects were crushed equally.

Its back writhed and squirmed. Dozens of golden, electrode-like protrusions sprouted, then began to charge with electricity.

The sound of crackling electricity echoed through the city, and flashes of lightning illuminated the area. The aurora was so brilliant that it outshone the sunlight peeking through the clouds.

The moment the giant sea slug's tentacles aligned toward 'a certain direction,'

—ZZZZZZZZ...!

With a strange sound, a wave of electricity was unleashed.

As a side effect of the electric shock, surrounding buildings were shattered. A shockwave followed, and clouds of dust billowed through every street and alley in the city.

"Whoa."

"Yikes!"

The two Awakened covered their faces with their arms, and then the young man swung his spear to dispel the dust cloud.

"That guy's as incredible as ever. I mean, I dunno if you can even call him a guy anymore."

"Right? And that form isn't even the result of an 'experiment.' The human body is a mysterious thing."

The woman with the heavy machine gun shrugged lightly.

"I know I'm one to talk, but you probably shouldn't use the word 'experiment' in front of him. We were living normal lives in Japan, but he was apparently kidnapped and treated like a lab animal."

"Right. I'll be careful."

From under her helmet, the female Awakened nodded.

The giant sea slug. The man who temporarily took that form through `Arcane Gear` and skills was once held captive in a certain country's research facility.

Even an Awakened Person is not an invincible superman. Before their level rises, they can be killed by a gunshot, and if multiple soldiers gang up on them, they can usually be captured.

But even after their level has risen, there are countless ways to make them obey.

For example, 'bombs.'

With today's technology, a matchbox-sized explosive attached to a collar can kill even a high-level Awakened Person. If one is worried, they can be attached to the limbs as well.

For example, 'hostages.'

Awakened Persons were not born from trees. Parents, siblings. Or perhaps lovers, friends, and other close associates could be kidnapped and used for blackmail.

Besides these, if one ignores ethics and laws, there are innumerable ways to bind them. The negative legacy of human society can easily ensnare a fledgling superhuman.

That giant sea slug man had once had bombs attached to his body and been subjected to various experiments.

Combat. Murder. Dissection. Medication. Mating. Physical and mental endurance tests.

There are not a few Awakened who have suffered such fates.

"Was it something like that? The people the boss rescued, they all have that kind of background, right?"

"Pretty much. So there's a difference in temperature, I guess. It's tough since they don't share our 'just here for fun' vibe."

"I think I heard he was targeted because he has a unique skill called the 'Holy Grail' or something..."

"Ah. So that's why he hates topics related to religion."

Their conversation took place in a city transformed into a living hell. Suddenly, the woman raised her machine gun and fired at the building behind the young man.

As the youth turned around, his eyes wide from the deafening roar at close range, he saw the body of a man who had been aiming a rocket launcher.

"Don't let your guard down, okay? You should keep your `Arcane Gear` on properly."

"Right. Thanks, Sis!"

"Hmph. You are welcome. ...Oh?"

The woman fiddled with the machine gun in her right hand and then her shoulders slumped dramatically.

"You've got to be kidding me, it's broken... It must've been that grenade...!"

"Tough luck! Let's ask the boss for another one!"

"Yeah. This time I'll ask for a gatling gun, I think."

"Yeah!"

"By the way," the woman said, tilting her head as she detached the ammo belt from the damaged heavy machine gun.

"Who is the boss, anyway? He can get us these machine guns, mana-infused bullets, and all sorts of things. But more importantly, how did he know where the captured people were?"

"That's a no-go, Sis."

The youth shouldered his spear and put a finger to his lips.

"We're just here to have fun. I'm not looking to get into trouble by digging too deep!"

"True! I still have a lot of guns I want to shoot! Alright, let's drop this topic! Let's fight seriously, like mercenaries!"

"Right! This country wasn't supposed to have tanks, but they keep showing up. This is fun! It must be backup from a major power that lent them fighter jets, right?"

"Well, we're doing information warfare too, so aren't we even? The Doctor's massacre should be huge news normally."

"Right! In the spirit of sportsmanship, let's fight with fair play!"

"Yeah!"

The atmosphere was endlessly light, like a university club activity.

And so, these two also stepped back into the fray, thoroughly enjoying the battlefield of flying bullets and angry roars from the bottom of their hearts.

＊　　　　　＊　　　　　＊

Underground, in a certain city in the Middle East.

A space brought to life with numerous generators and magical tools, capable of sustaining a unit for several years.

Among the many living quarters, a simple room was filled with incongruously elaborate machinery.

A smartphone was connected to it, and a video call was in progress.

'Well, how are things, Connor?'

'Excellent, thanks to you, Mr. President. I feel like I could hit a home run right now.'

So said a large man with an eyepatch. He spoke fluently with a Middle Eastern cast to his features, his gaze fixed on the image of a man with perfectly coiffed blond hair.

Fudge Valentine, the 48th President of the United States of America.

'You have been a great help. Recently, those tea-crazed lunatics have been causing trouble within Japan. They do nothing but interfere with our plans. It seems there are some scoundrels in that country who connect with them, ignoring the government's wishes.'

President Valentine shrugged, looking genuinely disappointed.

'As the son of a police officer, it fills me with indignation.'

'I understand your feelings completely. However, if we cause a ruckus here, even Britain's tea fiends won't be able to stand by and watch.'

'Indeed. Geographically and politically, they have been forced to divert their attention to your region. That will mean more hardship for you.'

'It's no trouble. It's easier than getting a full-body plastic surgery.'

The President and the leader of the 'self-proclaimed new nation' laughed together.

'However, we must change our plans. I can no longer send Doctor Tesla to you.'

'What about the experiment? After Japan, we were supposed to conduct it here, despite the relatively poor facilities.'

'It's cancelled. You are to continue drawing Britain's attention. As soon as the final experiment in Japan is complete, we will open the gate and aim for the frontier.'

At President Valentine's words, the man with the eyepatch nodded deeply.

'May fortune be with you, Mr. President.'

'If we delay the plan any further, those tea-crazed fools might snatch the new territory from us. I'll be damned if I let them turn our hard-won land into a tea plantation!'

'If that happens, we'll dump their tea leaves into the sea!'

'Oh, come now. If you did something like that these days, the media backlash would be a nuisance.'

After laughing together, the President turned his gaze behind the man with the eyepatch, as if he had just remembered something.

'Oh, right. Tell Hiratsuka this for me. His daughter went to school happy and healthy again today. She's still not very good at English, but she seems to have made some friends. I'll let him have a video call with his wife and child next week, so tell him to look forward to it.'

'Understood. I'll also prepare a background that won't arouse his family's suspicion.'

'Yes, please do. A man's got to feed his dog.'

—There are countless ways to bind an Awakened Person.

Hiratsuka Kikuzaburo. Formerly of the Ground Self-Defense Force, and an Awakened Person.

He possessed `Spirit Eye` and 'Barrier Arts,' as well as other combat and unique skills, and served as the eyepatch-wearing man's bodyguard.

Not long after the 'Day of Awakening,' before the Dungeon Agency was even established, his wife and child were taken to the United States.

His wife and daughter are not even aware that they are hostages. He alone knows the truth.

Hiratsuka's duty was to protect the man with the eyepatch and to act as a lookout to prevent any of the Awakened—who had been made to worship the man through manipulation—from eavesdropping.

He could not rely on Japan. Because it was a Japanese politician who had sent his wife and child to the United States.

No one knew what was going on inside the mind of this man, who stood at attention, silent and expressionless.