January 25, 2005. Time had flown by, and Sakurada Niji's fourteenth birthday had arrived.
Ever since he had removed the monster from Aunt Michiko when he was eight, Sakurada Niji had worked hard to train his body and learned a few fighting techniques.
By now, his physical strength was probably far greater than that of athletic students his age.
His family was reasonably well-off (enough that food and drink were never a concern), he trained regularly (by "bonding" with the delinquents around school whenever he had nothing to do), and his mother's cooking was nutritious (and tasted awful). As a result, at just fifteen, he had shot up to nearly 180 centimeters tall (175 centimeters), towering over most of his peers.
As for his experiments with the monsters, he had continued using massages as an excuse to experiment on people around him who had monsters attached to them. Eventually, he had compiled a set of rules.
1. The monster on Aunt Michiko's head had been destroyed by energy extracted from negative emotions. Back then, he had unknowingly completed the process of extracting energy from emotions.
2. Every monster he had encountered so far could be destroyed by that energy extracted from negative emotions.
3. He had to control his emotions properly, because his energy output was not directly proportional to how angry he was at the time. Only by remaining rationally aware of his anger could he fully convert his negative emotions into energy.
4. The negative energy he extracted could enhance all his bodily functions and greatly increase his physical strength. However, once his body reached a certain level of fatigue, he temporarily lost the ability to extract energy.
5. Monsters varied in strength. Only the weakest monsters remained attached to humans, continuously feeding on their negative emotions. The strongest one he had encountered so far was a monster that barely approached a humanoid shape and seemed to possess rudimentary intelligence. His initial hypothesis was that the more humanlike a monster was, the more intelligent and powerful it would be.
By now, Sakurada Niji could summon his negative emotions and convert them into energy whenever he wanted.
However, as his research into the monsters progressed, the world had begun to feel increasingly familiar to him, especially the way the monsters worked.
Yet he had never encountered any recognizable people or monsters, nor did he have any way to contact the authorities, so he could only keep the idea to himself for now.
Sakurada Niji currently attended Shinjuku Municipal Nishi-Shinjuku Junior High School and was in his third year.
In his previous life, Sakurada Niji's mental age had probably only been around eighteen.
As a result, he got along very well with his junior high classmates. He was handsome (second only to you readers), did well in school (he did have an adult's mind, after all), could fight (having taught himself a few fighting techniques), and often protected his schoolmates (he liked practicing on delinquents when he had nothing else to do).
Over time, practically every delinquent and gangster around the school had taken a beating from him. After two years, there were no criminal elements left to be seen in the area.
Today was Sakurada Niji's fifteenth birthday. Although he had repeatedly told everyone not to make a fuss, his classmates had still arranged a party to celebrate with him.
By the time they finished dinner, it was eight in the evening. Most of his classmates headed home, but three of them still wanted to keep having fun and go sing karaoke. Sakurada Niji figured those three would go even if he did not.
In the end, he went along, worried about their safety. He planned to take each of them home afterward.
At nearly ten, the three classmates had more or less had their fill. One of the bolder girls invited Sakurada Niji to sing.
"Sakurada, you're the star tonight~ Want to sing something?"
"Sure, but once I'm done, we're calling it a night. I'm a terrible singer~ Don't get your hopes up."
Sakurada Niji decided to take his classmates home after that song.
He finally found a song that had just come out the previous December. His mother had been watching the drama it was from lately, so he could sing along to a few lines.
At around half past ten, after taking the two girls home one after another, Sakurada Niji started escorting the last classmate, a boy named Yoshioka Ryozo who looked thin and small. He was in poor health and had organized the party.
Yoshioka Ryozo looked very embarrassed about being escorted home, but Sakurada Niji could tell he was afraid of the dark. Besides, being out at night really was dangerous.
Sakurada Niji decided to ease his nerves with some conversation.
"Yoshioka, you're a really good singer." Having barely managed to recite his way through his own song, Sakurada Niji envied people who could sing in tune.
"Not really. I'm the one who envies people like you, Sakurada, who can protect the weak. But my health has always been bad..." Yoshioka looked at the idol beside him, his eyes full of admiration and envy.
"Yoshioka, everyone's circumstances are different. Your health might keep you from reaching my level, but as long as you keep exercising, you'll definitely build a healthy body."
Sakurada Niji could not bear to meet that admiring gaze, so he could only offer a few words of encouragement to his small, skinny classmate.
In the darkness, the construction site beside them was eerily quiet, as though something were spreading through the air.
A blurry humanoid figure crouched on a steel pipe not far from Sakurada Niji.
Sakurada Niji spotted it and stopped, extending an arm to block Yoshioka Ryozo, who was still walking forward without thinking.
With a relaxed expression, he said, "Sorry, Yoshioka. Take another route home. Someone up ahead wants to see me. Keep yourself safe and get going."
Although Yoshioka Ryozo could not see anyone, he still believed Sakurada Niji and slowly backed away.
"Should I call the police, Sakurada?" he asked nervously as he retreated.
"No need. Who do you think I am? Hurry up and go. I'm worried he might get desperate and come after you." Sakurada Niji waved casually at his classmate. Only after seeing the boy follow his instructions and retreat did he walk ahead alone.
This thing is the most humanlike one I've encountered in all these years.
His heart heavy, Sakurada Niji studied the humanoid monster as he walked toward it. When the distance between them fell to less than twenty meters, the figure suddenly vanished-
The instant he saw the monster disappear, Sakurada Niji instinctively shifted into combat mode and began pouring energy into his body. He leaned slightly forward and took a defensive stance, positioning his arms and elbows to protect his forehead and the vital area in front of his chest. Then came a dull thud, and Sakurada Niji successfully blocked the humanoid monster's surprise attack with his right forearm.
When its ambush failed, the monster retreated, stopping a short distance away to study the human before it.
Only then did Sakurada Niji get a clear look at the whole monster.
Under the moonlight, the roughly two-meter-tall monster was covered in irregular green markings. Although it had a rudimentary human shape, its features were twisted and its muscles bulged. Its eyes sat close to where its ears should have been, its nose was nothing but two small holes, and its split maw was packed with sharp teeth that gleamed coldly.
"Tch... Ugly thing~ But that speed and strength... I'm in serious trouble." Rubbing his aching right arm, he stared fixedly at the monster and poured the extracted energy throughout his body. He planted both feet firmly on the ground and waited for its attack.
I can't outrun it or keep up with it. It has the initiative. All I can do is wait for the right moment to defend and counterattack.
The green-skinned monster let out a roar, then charged at Sakurada Niji with astonishing speed. Its sharp fangs caught the moonlight, leaving a streak of light through the darkness.
In an instant, the monster was upon him-its teeth snapped straight down toward Sakurada Niji's head. Already poised to strike, he kicked his right foot upward into its chin. A teeth-grating crack came from the monster.
Yet the monster kept attacking Sakurada Niji as though it felt no pain.
Sakurada Niji had only just noticed its arm move when its elbow came hurtling toward his neck, fast enough to whistle through the air.
His right foot had not yet landed after the kick, so he could only drive it hard into the monster's chest and use the recoil to throw his body backward.
A whoosh sounded beside his ear. Feeling the rushing air sweep across his face, he narrowly avoided the elbow.
Then he seized his chance, braced his hands against the ground, and flipped backward. The tip of his left foot struck the point where the monster's neck met its chin, forcing its upper body to pitch backward.
He took advantage of its brief stiffness to drive his right foot straight into its abdomen. The monster did not react at all. The force of the kick rebounded into his foot, and he could only use that recoil to create some distance and resume his defensive stance.
This thing's flesh is like rubber.
My ankle's hurt. The bones are fine, so it should just be a bruise.
Rising onto his toes, Sakurada Niji rotated his ankle and watched the monster straighten up. When he saw that its tooth-filled mouth could no longer close, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, and his confidence surged.
An acceptable damage trade.
But then the monster let out an indistinct roar, and visible negative energy rose from its entire body. When he looked again, the jaw that had been unable to close was already back to normal.
Sakurada Niji's brows knitted tightly, his heart sinking.
With that kind of regeneration... With my current abilities...
Just then, the monster seemed to spot something amusing. It let out a strange laugh, then darted off in another direction. As Sakurada Niji saw where it was heading, his heart clenched.
That's the road Yoshioka took!
Abandoning his defensive stance, Sakurada Niji gave chase with all his strength, gradually closing in on the monster.
At this speed, I can do it.
Suddenly, as Sakurada Niji accelerated in a straight line, the monster ahead stopped dead and turned its head to "smile" at him.
Then it twisted its body and kicked straight across his path. Unable to stop in time, Sakurada Niji could only shield his vital areas with his elbows and change his footwork, catching his right foot with his left to deliberately trip himself. He fell beneath the monster's kick, but had no time to adjust his position and could only slide between its legs with his elbows and knees scraping along the ground.
Seeing the monster's foot already coming down toward him, Sakurada Niji ignored his bloodied elbows and knees and rolled aside to dodge the stomp. He then kicked the monster's descending leg to create a brief gap and scrambled clumsily to his feet.