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Chapter 2 - Chapter 2 | SERO

It was at that moment…

The Calamity blocking their path came to a halt under the darkened sky. But the white flakes falling from above weren’t snow.

The creature — wide-eyed, drooling, grotesque — stood there like a bloated, malformed pig. In its hands: a giant butcher knife. A twisted giggle escaped its lips as it savored the moment.

“…Let me share a little secret before I devour you.”

It looked away for a moment, almost bashfully.

“What I’m doing… it’s for a good cause. Even if it’s... a bit personal.”

— gogogogo…

Its tone softened, as though lost in a memory.

“Us Calamities ranked Bronze and Platinum… we’re seen as the weakest among our kind…”

“But… you have no idea how hard I struggled just to reach Platinum.”

“Even now… I’m no match for Silver, Gold… or worse… Rainbow-ranked ones.”

— ku ku ku…

A dark laugh echoed through the icy air.

“But today, everything changes. I managed to defeat… effortlessly… one of those stupid Generals of the Order.”

“Even if you’re a weak prey…”

It looked down at EDEN, lying on the ground.

“…Are you really one of the six Generals of the Order?”

“Hah! You sure don’t look the part after that beating.”

“If it’s this easy… I’ll take great pleasure in killing even more generals.”

Its forked tongue licked its fangs with a disgusting slurp.

“A win is a win… even against the weakest.”

It scratched its head, eyes closed, smiling to itself.

“…Which means, after I devour the two of you, I’ll finally reach Silver… maybe even Gold… or better yet… Rainbow. Hah… I’m already drooling.”

Its eyes glowed with a bloody gleam as they locked onto EDEN.

“…I should finish this before something goes wrong.”

— ZAZAZA…!

Right then, EDEN, somehow standing despite the pain, one eye swollen shut, blood-soaked cloth pressed to his chest, raised his arm and threw a crimson vial toward Alaya.

“…Now.”

— kacha… kacha…

Let’s rewind for a moment—

To when the Calamity had just begun to speak.

EDEN lay on the ground, head resting against a rock, clutching his wound. He turned his gaze to Alaya.

Inside, his thoughts were spiraling.

I’m starting to regain my senses… before they slip again.

I saw its core… from the wounds Alaya managed to land.

But I reacted poorly. It slashed me. I fell. And I had to use that bullet… the one that erases a memory.

Under the shock and the bullet’s effect… I blacked out.

He closed his eyes.

Promise… if I make it out of this… I’ll train in close combat.

Still… I feel like a masked man whispered something to me… but I can’t piece the words back together…

He inhaled.

This isn’t the time for that.

Alaya’s suffering. I have to… help her.

First, let’s take stock of what I’ve got left…

Back pressed to the stone, he locked eyes with Alaya.

She was watching him too.

They both nodded.

EDEN gripped his dagger.

A slash. Blood spilled.

He collected it in a vial, bandaged his arm, drank a strength potion, forced himself to stand despite the pain, and hurled the crimson vial toward Alaya.

“…Now.”

— Back to the present—

The vial flew through the air.

The Calamity sliced it, but the blood sprayed over Alaya, who leapt to her feet with a furious snarl.

— Grrrr…!

The Calamity flinched.

“…So that was to get her back up? She still doesn’t stand a chance against me…”

It lunged, blade raised, like a lightning bolt crashing down.

EDEN whispered, barely audible:

“…Now.”

Alaya roared, grabbed a rock, and hurled it with all her strength.

The creature sliced it cleanly, its cruel smile unwavering.

“…You think that’ll stop me?”

But it was just a diversion.

— hyun!

Alaya leapt again, her sword gleaming, and slashed through the beast.

The core was exposed.

EDEN saw it.

The Calamity staggered, raised its weapon to strike—

But its arms were suddenly entangled in bloody steel wires.

At the same time, EDEN had fired a special round — one connected to those wires.

“…I aimed for the core. But with my injured eye, I wasn’t precise enough. So… Plan B…”

Alaya understood instantly.

She snapped the bullet, wrapped the wires around her sword — and around the Calamity’s arms.

The monster screamed, slashing at its own limbs in a desperate move.

— GAAAAH!

EDEN grinned, holding a spiked knuckle grip wrapped in the thread.

“…Just you and me now.”

The wire stretched between Alaya’s sword — wedged into a stone — and EDEN’s bleeding fists.

He clenched his jaw and pulled with all his strength.

— gigigi…!

The creature, its neck trapped in the tightening wire, let out one last roar:

“…You… you’re just a pathetic human… you can’t… beat me…!”

EDEN’s arms were torn to shreds by the tension.

But he didn’t let go.

He clenched the wire with his teeth, and both he and the monster screamed:

“HAAAAAAA!”

— CRACK…!

The core shattered. The neck snapped.

The creature collapsed.

EDEN staggered, murmured in a breath:

“…I… won…”

Then he passed out — face-first into the ample chest of a woman dressed like a dominatrix, surrounded by her subordinates.

“…Elsa…” he mumbled.

SLAP!

A sharp smack jolted him awake.

Elsa looked away, cheeks slightly red.

“…You perv… This is neither the time nor the place…”

Her subordinates all screamed:

“Eeeeeeh?!?!”

EDEN protested.

“Crazy woman! You can see it wasn’t my fault!”

Elsa shrugged.

“…That’s what they all say.”

Her subordinates muttered:

“She’s acting cold… but she definitely liked it…”

She shot them a deadly glare.

“…Those still able to walk — take care of the Calamity’s corpse. The rest, we’re heading back.”

They groaned.

“…Here comes the Dominatrix Command again… We should’ve joined another Doctor… she’s terrifying…”

“MOVE IT! And give Doctor EDEN first aid!”

“YES MA’AM!!!”

They carried EDEN and Alaya to the vehicle.

Inside, Elsa sat across from him.

Alaya, on the side, was sulking — hard.

EDEN asked:

“…Alaya, are you hurt anywhere?”

She shook her head to say no, but turned away, sticking her tongue out at Elsa as if to say, “EDEN’s mine.”

Elsa’s blood boiled.

“…I need to regenerate your arms. Come with me. My ability doesn’t work well here.”

She dragged him into another room, placed her hands on his wounds, and used her power.

She leaned in, half-lidded eyes, her breath on his skin.

Inside, Elsa thought:

…Finally… he’s falling for me… like all the others…

EDEN stared at her for a moment, then whispered:

“…Elsa. I… I need to tell you something.”

Her heart skipped.

“…Say it…”

“I need… a memory vial. Do you have one? I swear I’ll pay you back…”

— GAAAH!

Elsa sighed.

“…You know how expensive those are, even for me? And they only store one memory?”

“Yeah, yeah. Spare me the lecture. Do you have one or not?”

“…You’re poor and rude…”

She handed him a vial.

“Fine. Take it. Keep your pennies. I don’t need them.”

EDEN drank it immediately.

As he closed his eyes, Elsa leaned in again.

He opened one eye.

“…What are you doing?”

She looked away.

“…Just checking… if your eye was healing. Go ahead, start your memory.”

EDEN shut his eyes, swallowed the contents of the vial, and whispered:

“—SERO!”

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