Being Sentimental 1/2

Hayato wandered the streets aimlessly, incidentally dealing with two groups taking advantage of the chaos to rob people of money and women. He spread his five fingers, and a mass of black mist hovered in his palm.

This black mist was the power Hayato had absorbed from the Primordial Demon.

Since he had nothing better to do, he studied the laws contained within the black mist as he walked. Suddenly, he sensed a spatial fluctuation ahead.

A spark-filled portal opened before him.

Hayato strolled through it.

The other end of the portal opened atop a seaside cliff.

It was still before dawn in New York, but the sun was rising here. A sliver of it emerged beyond the horizon, its golden rays spreading a gradient yellow glow across the sea.

Ancient One stood with her hands behind her back, facing the shimmering ocean.

Ancient One suddenly said, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hayato nodded. "It is."

Ancient One said, "That is probably one of the reasons I have protected Earth for centuries."

Hayato laughed. "Heh, then you ought to wipe out humanity. The things those bastards do to Earth are hardly decent—polluting the environment, driving animals extinct..."

Even with Ancient One's composure, she choked for a moment.

"Who taught you to ruin the mood like that?"

Hayato smiled. "I guess I taught myself. The popular term these days is straight man. I'm probably at the level of an iron straight man, or terminal straight-man syndrome. I also have another trait: I'm a contrarian. The kind that blossoms through arguing. You should watch out."

Ancient One was amused by that.

"Haha, it seems I worried for nothing."

"Worried about what?"

"That you would be corrupted by the demon's power."

Hayato fell silent for a moment before saying, "You don't know what I once