The temple trembled violently as more mutants poured in through the shattered ceiling. Their screeches merged with the panicked cries of the newly chosen, creating a deafening cacophony of fear and chaos.
Kyoji tightened his grip on his sword.
He had expected this—remembered it—but he hadn't experienced it firsthand in his past life. Now, standing in the midst of it, he realized it was far worse than he had imagined.
The thick scent of blood and dust choked the air. The overwhelming presence of death pressed down on his shoulders like an iron weight.
And yet, he remained calm.
Because unlike the others, he knew what was coming.
Mr. Sawyer's voice cut through the chaos.
"Those of you who have already started feeling the effects of your talent—step forward! Hold the line and fight! The rest of you, stay behind the barrier and be ready to assist!"
A few brave youths obeyed, their hands trembling as they clutched their weapons. Their movements were stiff, uncertain—but they moved forward nonetheless.
Kyoji stepped forward as well, but his hesitation wasn't due to fear.
It was calculation.
He knew what would happen next.
A mutant lunged at him—a grotesque, wolf-like creature with twisted limbs and jagged fangs dripping with blackened saliva.
It was too fast. He wouldn't be able to dodge in time.
But he didn't panic.
"Time Dome," he whispered.
A transparent dome materialized around him, covering a short distance.
And in that moment, he felt it—an unparalleled force stirring deep within him. The power of time itself. He could feel it, grasp it, command it.
Expending energy, he willed time inside the dome to slow down.
The mutant's charge faltered, its movements suddenly sluggish.
Not by much—it was too strong for him to slow completely—but even a slight delay was enough.
Kyoji reacted instantly.
He sidestepped, his movements rough and unpolished but effective. With a sharp pivot, he drove his sword into the mutant's side.
ROAR!
The beast howled in pain as black blood splattered everywhere, speckling Kyoji's face. But he knew this wasn't enough.
Mutants had incredible vitality. A single strike wouldn't kill it.
But Kyoji wasn't done.
A crimson mist seeped from his wrist, slithering toward his sword like a living entity. It flowed into the wound, burrowing deep into the mutant's body.
His Blood Manipulation Talent was active.
"Crimson Arsenal," he murmured.
Inside the mutant, the mist solidified into spikes, ravaging its insides.
ROAR!
The beast let out a final, agonized cry before collapsing to the ground. Kyoji withdrew his sword, deactivating Time Dome to conserve energy.
[Your FE has increased]
He dismissed the system screen.
No time to get distracted.
One down. More to go.
Another mutant lunged at him, swinging a massive claw. Kyoji barely dodged, stepping aside just as the attack smashed into the corpse of the fallen mutant, sending blood and chunks of flesh flying.
As he watched the blood splatter across the ground, a thought surfaced.
Can I control that?
He willed it—and almost immediately, he felt a response.
The blood obeyed.
Of course he could.
It was blood. And his ability allowed him to manipulate blood.
This changed everything.
Mutant blood was feared, even by the Chosen. The weaker ones carried purification potions to cleanse themselves after battle. The stronger ones used their Faith Energy to coat their bodies, preventing corruption.
But Kyoji could control it.
That meant mutant blood wasn't just dangerous.
It was a weapon.
If he could inject it into a Chosen's bloodstream… the results would be devastating.
The possibilities were endless.
But that was a thought for another time.
The mutant in front of him had recovered, its furious gaze locked onto him.
Kyoji didn't hesitate.
He willed the spilled blood into sharp projectiles and sent them flying.
The beast barely had time to react before the blood projectiles pierced its flesh, burrowing deep, rupturing vital organs.
It dropped dead in an instant.
Two down.
But Kyoji wasn't unscathed.
His breaths came faster, heavier.
The last attack had drained a considerable amount of his energy. Yet, strangely, he could feel his body working to recover it.
It felt... strange.
But there was no time to think about it.
More mutants were coming.
Since there were no mutants close to him, Kyoji had the luxury of checking his surroundings.
The others weren't faring as well.
A boy swung his spear wildly, his attacks lacking form and precision. A mutant easily dodged before lunging at his exposed side—only for another youth to intercept, thrusting a dagger into the creature's eye.
Screams filled the air. Some were victorious. Others were filled with agony.
For these teens, including Kyoji, this was their first time in real combat against a mutant. They had trained, but training meant little without actual battle experience.
In fact, Kyoji was only doing better because of his two talents, which seemed overpowered. His movements were just as amateurish as the others', but unlike them, he had the advantage of powerful abilities.
Kyoji sighed and turned away.
There was no time to stop.
More mutants were pushing past Major Gareth and Miss Anna's line of defense, rushing forward.
Kyoji adjusted his grip and stepped deeper into the fray. He weaved through the battlefield, his blade moving clumsily but effectively. No wasted energy on flashy movements—every strike was deliberate.
A mutant swiped at him from the left—he ducked. Another lunged from behind—he twisted, kicking it off balance before driving his sword through its skull.
He made it look easy.
But to the others, it was hell.
They didn't have [Time Dome] like Kyoji, allowing them to slow down the mutants just enough to dodge and counterattack.
Of course, none of them noticed the constant shift of time within the dome—only Kyoji could.
To those outside the dome, time moved normally. All they saw was Kyoji dodging with sudden bursts of speed and striking with equal swiftness.
That was the effect of slowing the mutants while remaining unaffected himself.
Kyoji didn't bother pitying them—or rather, he couldn't. Even if he could, there was no point.
He already knew some would survive, and others would fall.
Some had the potential to grow.
Others?
They wouldn't make it past today.
His gaze flickered toward a young man with short, dark raven hair and sharp silver eyes. His blade cut through mutants with terrifying ease, each swing efficient and deadly.
This was Frederick Gilles.
A member of the Gilles family, the second strongest in the shelter, their wealth and influence stretched far beyond this place.
Frederick was the most famous of his generation, his talent unmatched not just among the younger ranks but even among some of the older generation.
Kyoji remembered—Frederick had awakened an SSS-ranked talent, [Cleave], which allowed him to turn any sharp object into a weapon of slaughter, cutting through almost anything.
He was Kyoji's best hope of stopping the mutant that was about to break through today.
As if sensing his gaze, Frederick suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met.
Frederick's sharp silver gaze locked onto Kyoji's dead blue eyes.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then, Frederick gave him a small nod.
It wasn't the smug look of a spoiled rich kid, nor was it filled with arrogance.
It was the gaze of a warrior acknowledging another warrior.
Kyoji responded with a forced smile. He couldn't manage a real one.
And just then—
Everything changed.
A sharp, unnatural presence cut through the chaos.
A suffocating pressure filled the air.
The Calamity Mutant was making its entrance—and Kyoji knew it.
Major Gareth—mid-swing—suddenly froze. His expression darkened, his eyes widening in recognition.
Then, urgency filled his voice.
"Hide! Now!"
A second of hesitation.
Then panic.
The remaining teenagers scrambled backward, their fear overriding everything else. Some tripped over debris, others shoved past one another in desperation.
Kyoji didn't hesitate.
He already knew what was coming, and he had no intention of standing around to witness it up close.
As he retreated toward Mr. Sawyer's position like the others, he didn't stop there.
He knew what was coming.
And he knew Mr. Sawyer wouldn't be able to stop it.
Rushing past the others, Kyoji headed straight for the stone altar up ahead.
A better hiding spot. A safer position.
Because in the next few seconds—
Everything would change.
A deep, guttural roar split the air.
And then—
The Calamity Mutant arrived.
A massive ball of fire rained down from the sky.
The pressure.
The heat.
It was overwhelming—so intense that it sent shivers down the spines of everyone except Major Gareth.
But even he looked worried. A deep frown etched onto his face.
In an instant, he knew.
Mr. Sawyer wouldn't be able to handle what was coming.
If he wanted to protect these kids—
He had to step in.