12:31 PM
Saturday, May 9, 2025
Shinjuku, Tokyo
It was like any regular day. The streets were crowded with people as usual—tourists, regular teenagers, and businessmen all either looking for a place to eat or hanging out with their friends. Street vendors were levitating their products to set up their stalls. An old lady ignited a gas stove with a wave of her hand. A normal day.
Well, it was all normal until an emergency alarm went off.
The alarm voice said, "All citizens evacuate. A level-three portal has begun to form within the area of Shinjuku SUBNADE. This is not a drill. All citizens evacuate."
People started to panic, as level-three portals were known for causing city-wide destruction from the Accursed. People ran, some pushing others aside just to save themselves. Helicopters from the military began flying overhead, and in Shinjuku SUBNADE a crack in the sky appeared. As it widened, it revealed a black void within. Then silence followed as the cracking stopped.
The helicopters deployed soldiers and magicians, and among those magicians was Min Shinimura. Everyone braced themselves. One… two… three… four… five seconds of silence before the first wave of Accursed dropped out—tall humanoid forms with black skin that startled the remaining citizens who hadn't yet evacuated. As the Accursed roared, the soldiers opened fire.
One of the mages on the battlefield raised both arms. The air glowed as a magic circle formed. Words filled the ring around its center: fire, compress, blast forth. With a battle-cry, he fired a fireball at one of the Accursed. The creature screeched in pain as the flames burned it alive before it collapsed, its head engulfed in fire.
But the battle wasn't easy. The Accursed began breaching the formation. Magicians desperately tried to hold them back with spells—mana blasts, fireballs, mana bolts—but it wasn't enough. More magicians were deployed. Some healed, some restored mana, others defended with barriers.
And one of those using barriers was Min Shinimura. His left forearm glowed as a magic circle formed, the words engraved around its center reading: defense, form, shield. A shield materialized. Min braced himself as an Accursed charged toward him, but he ducked down, too scared to hold his ground.
Soon the formation of soldiers and magicians fell apart as the Accursed broke through the defenses. A massacre followed. The Accursed slaughtered and devoured soldiers and magicians. Screams filled the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Min was running away from everything. As he ran, he saw a soldier desperately reaching out to him for help—his legs torn off. Min stopped, but when he saw an Accursed staring directly at him, he froze. He wanted to help the man, but fear took over. Min ran for his life, closing his eyes as tears slid down his face.
---
Three hours later.
The battle was over. A Class-S magician had managed to arrive in time to stop the Accursed and close the portal. Min, back in his apartment, watched the news. News reporter Aiko Ayane stared at the camera:
"Reports show that the total deaths are over 581 soldiers and magicians. It was a miracle the number wasn't even higher, but we must honor those who died. Class-S magician Kosuke 'The Brawler' Masahashi arrived in time to prevent the Accursed from entering the entire city, as well as closing the portal."
Min watched, fists clenched, tears dripping down his face as he thought:
"Why am I such a coward?"
He couldn't stop thinking about how he left that soldier to die.
Thinking only of himself.
And he regretted it—deeply.