#207 My Belief

Total Concentration. It means pouring every ounce of your strength into a single force—sucking up the power you used to suckle at your mother's breast, or even the energy your sperm swam with toward the egg. That's the state I'm in right now.

"RAAAAAAGH!"

That's me at this very moment. I'm going all out with total concentration.

Using Gravity Dominator, I zip back and forth around Siren, slamming my steel-hard fists into her ugly mug.

Monsters are definitely beyond human comprehension—mysterious entities that defy explanation. But I'm a level 10 body enhancer. My power has long surpassed human limits, reaching the realm of true superhumans.

"Shut the fuck up!!!"

I can't kill Siren with my raw power. I'm a cool-headed, objective guy—I admit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what I have to admit. But does that mean I can't hurt her at all? Hell no.

Every time my fist connects with her face, Siren's head snaps back and forth.

Even a monster can't shrug off a level 10 body enhancer's punch unscathed.

"Shut your trap! Your breath fucking reeks!"

Siren thrashes her head wildly, screeching to shake me off. But I cling on like a stubborn leech, refusing to give her any space.

With this overwhelming size difference, letting her create distance would spell real doom. I'd have no choice but to grit my teeth, accept civilian casualties, and go with the "let's all die together— one lap around the afterlife!" plan.

'Fuck, these people need to evac faster! Ngh!'

If the civilians clear out quick, I can bolt or whatever. But the screams just won't stop.

And if—just if—some asshole's still filming me and the monster with their phone instead of running? I swear to the heavens, I'll hunt that bastard down and beat the shit out of his whole extended family.

Who's risking their life to save these idiots while they stand there filming? If I catch 'em, they're dead meat.

"Nice pipes! You got that diaphragmatic breathing down?"

'This is insane! Where the fuck are the heroes?! I've been holding this bitch for like three hours solo!'

For the record, it's been less than three minutes since the fight started.

Time feels like it's dragging—one minute stretching into an hour, trapped in some mental cage. That's how brutal this is.

I'm dying here, but if I show even a hint of weakness, my strength'll crumble, and she'll kill me in a blink. So I play it cool, brainwashing myself that Siren's just a pathetic loser bitch.

If I don't hypnotize myself like this, the fire I'm stoking will fizzle out like a wet fart.

"Ever been kicked at gravity speed?"

I haven't. What the hell does that even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mean, you otaku fuck?

I fire Attraction at Siren. But instead of her getting pulled in, I'm yanked toward her.

Even with level 10 Gravity Dominator, reeling her in is a struggle. Maybe it's because she's a living creature, or she resists superpowers—who knows? Point is, I get dragged.

But that's exactly what I wanted.

"Steel Dropkick!"

Like a missile, I rocket in and slam a dropkick right into her eye.

No matter how tough her skin, eyes are a weak spot! Just land one vital hit!

BOOM!

"Fuck!"

Siren's faster on the draw. Before my dropkick hits, the sneaky bitch clamps her eyes shut.

My perfect steel dropkick goes to waste.

'Repulsion! Repulsion! Repulsiiiion!'

I hastily trigger Repulsion to blast away from her.

Those claws on her wings—no, talons—could shred ordinary steel like paper. Nasty shit.

Giving Siren distance is bad, but getting too close is suicide. Gotta keep a socially appropriate gap.

I pull back to prep my next attack—

"Pfft?!"

Suddenly, seawater erupts from below, swallowing me whole. It swirls like a living thing, spinning me in midair.

Glub glub?!

For a split second, I think it's Yuna—but no, she's curled up like a baby in my—Mark Two's—arms right now.

'No fucking way?!'

If not her, then only one bitch can manipulate seawater to attack me.

Shit. High. Lord. Siren.

'This is bullshit!'

She's huge, flies, mesmerizes crowds en masse, and controls water? Total scammer!

Jina! Why didn't you tell me Siren had this power?!

Compared to her, that so-called top hero White Knight is just worthless cum.

'Sanctuary Armor ON!'

I activate Sanctuary Armor first to secure my airway. The nanoparticles clear my clogged lungs instantly.

Figured the battlefield was the ocean, so I packed it—just in case. Glad it came in handy.

'Focus—!'

I clap my palms together, staring ahead.

Then I mix Attraction and Repulsion like when I bisected Shadow Killer (Ver. Tentacles).

I call it... Half Cutting!... Too corny?

Whatever, Half Cutting it is.

SLASH!

The seawater engulfing me splits in two.

I plummet free—but the crisis ain't over.

SHREEEEEK!

Siren swings her wing claws at me. The massive wings whip up a gale, churning the sea into chaos.

"Fuck."

Wings too big—no escape. I use Attraction to close in and dodge the talons.

CRASH!

"Guh?!"

Then her wing slams me, hurling me into the hotel.

"Grrrrr...!"

I try to tough it out, but the scream rips free.

"GRAAAAAH! Fuck! Kaaaaah...!"

Shit, this hurts! Worst pain of my life!

"Pain Resistance trait... and it still hurts this bad?!"

Shocking. Even with resistance, it feels like every bone's pulverized—unbearable agony.

Just one hit from her inner wing, and I'm like this. No, I'm gonna die.

"E-Emergency Heal!"

I spam Healer superpower to mend my body. Ruptured skin knits fast.

CRUNCH!GRIND!

"Gahhhh!"

Not just feeling—my bones really shattered. Chiropractic trait auto-aligns them.

"How the fuck am I supposed to fight a monster like that...?"

I look up. Siren's eyes lock on mine.

"Ah... aaaah..."

Her massive eyes gleam with killing intent. Meeting them, my soul crushes under the weight.

'I'm dead...!'

Terror floods my brain. Hands shake uncontrollably.

The system ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spam keeps coming, like it's hijacking my vision.

Even with Mental Resistance, the fear of death lingers.

"R-Run... gotta run... fuck!"

I scramble up to flee, but my foot slips. I crash down.

Please! Move! Do what I say! I'm dying here! Real death! So move already! It's my body!

"Move! Move! MOVE!"

I slap my thighs over and over.

Wounds healed, bones reset. But my legs stay frozen.

"Fuck! You think I'm dying like this?! If I can't run... I'll crawl!"

I claw across the floor. To escape. From Siren.

Yeah, time for the "all die together" plan. Then I survive.

What? Innocents die? Fuck that! None of my business!

Everyone sins anyway! Why should I care about those assholes now?!

"I'm not dying. Never! Ah! Hey, Siren! Let's deal! I didn't kill your mom! Heroes did! Evil fucks! Here—take her heart back! Just let me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠go! Yeah? No harm to you!"

[.....]

Siren ignores my deal. Ah! Can't talk human? Fine, hand over the heart first...

"Waaah~! Daddy! Wake up! Daddyyy!"

"..."

Suddenly, a child's wail rings in my ear.

It's like cold water douses me—mind snaps clear.

What the hell am I doing?

"Fuck. Me, scared? Of a chicken-faced bitch?"

Crawling for my life, begging pathetically. Hope no one saw. Would be fucking embarrassing!

Then, a whisper in my ear.

"Batman... bro."

The voice is Batman himself. His bat-mask eyes burn with steel resolve!

"Hope."

Batman points to his heart.

"Conviction."

"My conviction is..."

I look up at Siren approaching.

"Waaah—!"

The kid's terrified—or stuck—wailing in place.

"My conviction is...!"

One step closer, and the kid's dead. Children are that fragile.

"My conviction is!"

I stand. My frozen legs move like nothing happened.

My barrier-like HP dropped to 0 from one wing flap. Healing guzzled 912 points.

"My conviction is!!!!!"

From here on, it's bare-handed against Siren.

Why? I'm not scared anymore.

"Don't touch kids."

"Don't touch kids, you immoral monster bitch."

With Batman bro's cheer, I launch at Siren again.

But... Batman bro? I'm not a hero...

I'm a villain...