"Oh wow you're ugly," Hiro said, finally sliding to a halt in front of the grotesque looking creature. He adjusted his stance and pointed the barrels of his twin pistols in aim to the creature. The blade at the end of each of the orbal pistols glinted in the low light. The creature's body was an abomination of sinew and spikes, gnarled and jagged as if sculpted from the bones of the earth itself. Its limbs, thick as tree trunks, moved with a dreadful, unnatural grace, claws sinking into the dirt with each thunderous step.
And then—its eyes.
Molten embers burned where they should have been, casting an infernal glow that pierced through the suffocating fog. The jagged maw below them twisted into a gruesome parody of a grin, fire flickering between its rows of razor-edged teeth, as though something unholy burned within. The very air warped in its presence, a foul heat pulsing from its core, making the mist writhe like it was alive—like it wanted to flee but couldn't.
"Oh this is gonna be fun," Hiro smirked.
The creature exhaled, a deep, guttural rumble that sent embers scattering from its maw like the dying breath of a forge. It moved, slow at first, as if testing Hiro's reaction, then—faster than something that size should be able to move.
Hiro barely had time to push off the ground before the creature's massive claws slammed into the spot where he had stood, sending shattered debris flying in every direction. The force of the impact sent cracks racing across the cobbled ground.
Hiro twisted midair, twin pistols snapping up, fingers pulling the triggers in rapid succession.
Bang. Bang.
Two quick orbal rounds shot forward, one grazing along the beast's massive shoulder, the other slamming into its molten eye. The first shot barely made it flinch, but the second—it felt that one. A distorted, unholy snarl tore from its throat, its massive claws twitching in rage.
"Oh? You can feel pain?" Hiro tilted his head, spinning one pistol idly in his fingers before flipping it back into position. "That's good. Makes this more fun."
The creature roared, the sound vibrating through the air, rattling the bones in Hiro's chest. It lunged, a mass of spikes and sinew, claws cleaving the air in an arc meant to carve him in two.
Hiro's smirk widened.
"Alright then, ugly. Let's dance."
The beast rushed in, moving deceptively quick for its hulking size. Hiro fell back a step as the beast advanced, then tilted his body to the side, rolling around the bulk of the creature's body and fired a few more shots off as he retreated from the creature.
The beast barely seemed to register the shots, its thick hide absorbing the bullets like raindrops against stone. It turned with a guttural snarl, molten eyes burning brighter, locking onto Hiro with something eerily close to recognition—or maybe just hunger.
It lunged again.
Hiro ducked under the sweeping claws, twisting his body at an angle that left only inches between him and certain death. His foot barely touched the ground before he was already on the move, flipping over the creature's spiked arm and landing smoothly, his pistols spinning in his grip.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The orbal rounds struck home this time, slamming into the joint of its knee, one right into the side of its open maw. The creature shuddered, its body rippling with the force of the impact, but it still didn't go down. Instead, it reeled back, sucking in a deep, heated breath—
Oh Gehenna.
Hiro's instincts kicked in. He pushed off with everything he had, rolling to the side just as the beast exhaled—an infernal blast of scorching flames erupting from its mouth, bathing the ground in a sea of embers and ruin.
That would've sucked.
Hiro skidded to a stop, exhaling sharply, his smirk still intact but a flicker of something more dangerous in his eyes now. "Tch, not much damage, huh? You're tougher than you look."
The beast's mouth twisted into something resembling a cruel grin.
Hiro clicked his tongue. "Alright. Looks like I'll have to try a little harder."
He flicked his pistols, their orbal chambers humming to life, the energy inside them shifting from standard rounds to something far more potent. A pulse of blue light crackled along the length of the blades attached to his guns, an unmistakable charge of condensed energy building with every second.
The creature hunched forward, claws flexing, preparing for another lunge.
Hiro just smirked, stance lowering.
"Let's see how you like this."
He kicked off the ground, lunging in as he cried, "Fell Stinger!" the craft activated, and he swung the bladed ends of his weapons at the beast's stomach, hoping to cut it open but the slash barely grazed it. A little chip of damage for sure but it wasn't going down as easily as he was hoping.
Once again, Hiro dipped back out of reach of the beast's range and sighed, "New plan."
He pressed a button on the sides of both pistols, and with a mechanical hiss, the blade on one retracted into the barrel. With practiced ease, Hiro flipped the remaining blade in his grip and slammed the two weapons together.
A sharp click echoed through the night.
For a heartbeat, there was silence—then energy roared to life.
Twin orbal currents surged along the length of the fused weapons, crackling and sparking as two luminous energy blades burst forth from either side. The force of the activation sent a gust of heat rippling through the air, the sheer intensity of the orbal field distorting the space around him.
The saber staff pulsed in his grip, the edges of the glowing blades humming with raw, untamed power. Hiro twirled it once, the energy singing through the mist, burning away the encroaching fog as the creature before him stiffened, molten eyes narrowing in wary recognition.
Hiro's smirk widened.
"Now this is more like it."
The beast moved first.
It lunged, a mass of spikes and raw muscle, claws cleaving through the air like the blades of a guillotine. But Hiro was already in motion. He slid under its swipe, the energy blades leaving a faint blue arc as he twisted, slicing clean through one of the creature's lower limbs.
For the first time, the beast howled. A real, visceral reaction—proof that it could bleed.
Hiro grinned. Gotcha.
But the monster was far from done. Even with a missing limb, its massive form lurched with unholy determination, swinging wildly as molten ichor gushed from the wound. Every strike left the air sizzling, the sheer heat warping the mist into spiraling embers. One clawed swipe nearly caught Hiro's side, but he twisted away at the last second, boots skidding against the scorched stone.
Persistent bastard.
The beast roared again, a sound that split the night like a jagged crack of thunder. Then it charged, barreling forward with reckless abandon, the ground trembling beneath its weight.
Hiro reacted instantly.
With a burst of movement, he vaulted over the creature, his saber staff spinning in his hands as he flipped through the air. The twin energy blades hummed violently, cutting through the thick smoke curling off the monster's back.
Time to end this.
As he descended, he thrust his saber staff downward.
The twin energy blades pierced through the beast's spine, slicing straight down its back in a single, fluid motion. The searing glow of the attack illuminated its molten wounds, the power surging through its body like a chain reaction.
The beast's roar turned into a ragged, sputtering gurgle as its body convulsed, its fiery glow flickering like a dying star. It staggered forward, massive shoulders trembling, its weight struggling to hold itself upright.
Then—collapse.
The hulking form crashed into the ground with a final, shuddering exhale. The very air around it pulsed with heat before the light in its eyes vanished entirely. The battle was over.
Hiro landed smoothly, rolling his shoulders as he flicked his saber staff to the side. The energy blades retracted with a sharp hiss, and in one smooth motion, he split the weapon back into its twin pistols.
Dust and embers swirled around him, the scent of scorched stone and seared flesh thick in the air.
He exhaled, lips curling into a smirk. "Well, that was fun." He glanced over his shoulder at the smoldering corpse, holstering one of his pistols. "Guess that handles the Extermination Request."
Hiro stood over the still-smoking corpse of the beast, flicking the last bits of molten ichor from his saber staff before retracting the blades with a sharp hiss. His breathing was steady, his movements precise—this had been routine. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Guess that handles the Extermination Request," he muttered, holstering his weapons.
The sound of boots pounding against metal signaled the arrival of the Special Support Section—late.
Lloyd was the first through the corridor, his tonfas drawn and eyes scanning the battlefield before locking onto Hiro. Behind him, Tio, Elie, and Randy followed suit, their weapons at the ready.
They all came to a dead stop at the sight before them.
The massive, molten corpse. The scorched floor. The battle was already over.
Randy let out a low whistle. "Hoo boy… you work fast."
Elie pressed a hand to her forehead. "Aidios above…"
Lloyd, however, wasn't amused. "Hiro," he started, his voice clipped but controlled, "you took off ahead of us and engaged a high-threat target alone. Do you realize how reckless that is?"
Hiro turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "If anything, you guys trying to make me wait for you is the liability."
Lloyd's expression darkened. "Excuse me?"
Hiro gestured toward the dead beast with a lazy motion. "Look at this thing. Big, fast, dangerous. If I had waited, that would've given it time to move, maybe even leave the area. Then we'd be stuck playing defense instead of getting the job done." He crossed his arms. "So yeah, I made a call. And I won."
Elie's grip tightened on her gun. "That doesn't mean it was the right call."
Tio adjusted her glasses, her voice neutral but pointed. "Charging in without backup isn't just reckless—it actively endangers the mission. If something had gone wrong—"
"But it didn't." Hiro cut her off smoothly. "And if it had, I would've handled it."
Lloyd exhaled sharply, trying to keep his temper in check. "This isn't about whether or not you won, Hiro. This is about teamwork."
Hiro shrugged. "Never needed it before."
Lloyd took a step forward. "Well, you're in the SSS now. You do need it."
For a second, Hiro said nothing. Then, with a slow smirk, he tilted his head. "Guess that depends on your definition of 'need.'"
Randy laughed, clapping a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun."
Lloyd sighed, rubbing his temple. It was only day one, and he could already tell this was going to be a long assignment.
"Let's just report back," he muttered, walking toward the exit. "We'll debrief at the branch."
As they made their way out, Hiro fell in step beside them, arms behind his head. He wasn't used to teams. He wasn't used to rules. But one thing was clear—he wasn't planning on changing anytime soon.
His hands rose to the back of his head, his gaze taking note of as much detail as it could whilst the group was leaving the Geofront once again. He also took notice of the fact that Lloyd and Elie seemed to keep an annoyingly close eye on him from that point on.
"What do we do about that?" Elie whispered to Lloyd
Lloyd exhaled quietly, keeping his voice low as they walked. "We keep an eye on him. As long as he's working with us, we can't let him act without thinking."
Elie crossed her arms, her gaze briefly flicking to Hiro, who was still walking beside them, hands behind his head. He wasn't saying much, but his eyes were constantly moving—tracking details that most people wouldn't even notice. Structural weaknesses, exit points, even the way the dim Geofront lighting cast shadows in unnatural places. It wasn't a conscious effort, just something ingrained in him.
"Do you think he knows we're watching him?" she murmured.
As if on cue, Hiro blinked and glanced at them, tilting his head. "Why are you two being so weird?"
Lloyd kept his expression neutral. "We should talk to the chief about this later," he said under his breath.
Elie sighed, not disagreeing. "Yeah. That's probably for the best."