Chapter 29 – The Fear Between Battles

  Tensei lay sprawled across the hotel bed, one arm behind his head, the other lazily scrolling through his phone. The dim yellow light of the room felt oddly comforting—too comforting.

  “Tomorrow,” he muttered to himself, eyes unfocused, “I’ll leave this place.”

  London had been strange. Loud. Alive. Yet peaceful in a way raids never were. He exhaled slowly.

  “But still… it was a good experience.”

  The thought had barely settled when a familiar, echoing presence pierced his mind.

  A god’s voice.

  Tensei’s eyes widened. He sat up abruptly.

  “…A raid?” he whispered, a mix of surprise and disbelief in his tone. “After this long?”

  It had been nearly a week since his last raid. Too long.

  Before doubt could creep in, his body vanished in a flash of distorted space.

  Chaos greeted him.

  Buildings lay shattered. The ground was torn open, smoke curling into the sky like dying breath. Screams echoed in the distance, drowned beneath demonic roars.

  Tensei landed lightly, instinctively summoning his power.

  “I didn’t miss this,” he said quietly.

  Demons rushed him—claws, horns, distorted bodies driven by hunger. Tensei moved with practiced ease at first, cutting them down with precise spells and calculated strikes. He advanced, eyes scanning the battlefield, searching for the raid boss.

  But then—

  Something felt wrong.

  His movements slowed. A spell misfired. Another barely scratched its target.

  He frowned. “Why… am I struggling?”

  More demons came. Stronger. Faster.

  Tensei stepped back, barely blocking an attack. His breathing grew uneven. A sharp pain ran through his arm.

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  “I’m losing?”

  The thought sent a chill through him.

  Fear—raw and unfamiliar—crept into his chest.

  He tried again. Different spells. Higher output.

  Nothing worked.

  “What is happening to me?” he gasped. “My powers—why aren’t they responding?!”

  An oversized demon lunged, its shadow swallowing him whole.

  Tensei turned and ran.

  “I don’t know what’s happening,” he muttered desperately, “but I don’t want to die.”

  A sudden heat surged through the battlefield.

  Five black flames ignited in the air.

  A cloaked man stepped forward, his face hidden beneath a deep hood. His voice rang out, calm and commanding, spoken in Turkish.

  “Ondan uzak durun… ben hallederim.

  Five Flames Sealing.”

  Each finger of his hand burned with dark fire.

  He moved.

  Wherever his flaming hand touched—ground or flesh—demons were dragged screaming into the earth, sealed beneath layers of blackened flame. One by one, then several at once.

  The battlefield fell silent.

  The remaining demons hesitated… then fled.

  Tensei stared, stunned.

  “Hey!” he called out. “Who are you? And why were they afraid of you?”

  The cloaked man turned slightly.

  “My name is Zindan Kutam??,” he said. “Chosen of the God of Containment.”

  Tensei blinked. “So… you’re a raid conqueror too?”

  Zindan’s gaze lingered on him. “Maybe. But I doubt you are.”

  Tensei clenched his fists. “I am. But—why didn’t my powers work?”

  Zindan stepped closer, his aura heavy, crushing.

  “I sensed fear,” he said calmly. “You were afraid of losing.”

  Tensei stiffened. “…No. It’s not my first raid. I just—haven’t fought in a while.”

  Zindan nodded once. “Fear disrupts knowledge. Power obeys clarity.”

  Tensei hesitated, then asked, “Your aura… it’s different. What’s your tier?”

  “Seventh.”

  Tensei exhaled sharply. “I’m fourth. And—are you Turkish? You spoke in Turkish.”

  Zindan’s voice was flat. “Yes. A terrorist.”

  “What?!” Tensei recoiled. “Then how are you on the good side?”

  Zindan turned away slightly.

  “When I was chosen, my family was threatened by real terrorists. I accepted this duty to fight true evil. Otherwise…”

  He paused.

  “…I could have used this power very differently.”

  Tensei studied him, then nodded slowly. “So you’re not a bad person.”

  Zindan gave a faint hum. “Maybe.”

  “One more thing,” Tensei said. “Your Japanese name?”

  Zindan hesitated. “You really want to know?”

  “Yes.”

  “…Seishuku Shindan.”

  He turned. “I’m leaving. We’ll meet again.”

  Tensei nodded. “Yeah. Bye.”

  The battlefield faded.

  Tensei reappeared in his hotel room, collapsing onto the bed.

  “That was close,” he sighed. “But I learned something too.”

  Fear had weakened him—not demons.

  He stood up. “Time to go home.”

  He packed quickly. His flight was at 4:30 a.m., leaving him barely three hours of sleep.

  When he woke, he checked out, almost called a taxi—then laughed and teleported straight to the airport.

  After the formalities, he boarded his flight to Japan.

  “Sayaka… Hirauka,” he murmured, gazing out the window, “I’m coming back. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

  Back in Japan, Hirauka lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mother’s earlier words echoing in his mind.

  “…I still couldn’t tell her,” he whispered. “That I refused Yumeha.”

  His phone rang.

  Sayaka.

  “Hey, Sayaka-san.”

  “Hirauka,” she said excitedly, “I’ve got good news.”

  “Oh?” he sat up.

  “Tensei is coming back tomorrow. He was in the UK.”

  A smile tugged at his lips. “That is good news. Let’s go meet him at the airport.”

  “Okay,” she replied warmly. “Bye, Hirauka.”

  The call ended.

  Hirauka exhaled slowly, eyes closing.

  Everything was moving again.