Daniel stepped out of the restaurant and paused at the roadside, rubbing his chin as a quiet hum escaped him, his thoughts drifting—until the stillness shattered violently.
A harsh screech ripped through the air, sharp enough to turn heads instantly.
Tires scraped against asphalt—SKREEEECH—!—followed by the grinding rattle of metal as a truck lost control down the street. It smashed through a divider, its front jerking sideways before correcting too late, the entire vehicle barreling straight toward him.
People nearby reacted immediately, their calm shattered.
"Move!"
"Get out of the way!"
Daniel's focus snapped forward, his body already shifting, ready to vanish before impact.
Then his shadow moved.
Darkness surged from beneath his feet, not spreading but rising, twisting into thick tendrils that wrapped tightly around his legs and torso. The grip was sudden and firm, anchoring him in place before he could react.
Daniel's expression sharpened.
"What the hell—"
He tried to step back.
The hold tightened.
The truck closed the distance in seconds.
BOOM—!
The impact hit with crushing force. Metal folded inward as the front of the truck collided with him, the sound of bending steel echoing through the street. The force carried forward, dragging everything with it as the vehicle lost balance.
CRASH—!
The truck flipped, slamming onto its side and grinding across the pavement, sparks bursting out in bright streaks as it scraped through the road. The fuel tank ruptured under pressure—
WHOOOM—!
An explosion followed, loud and violent, flames erupting outward in a wave that swallowed the impact zone. Heat blasted through the street, glass shattered from nearby buildings, and debris scattered in all directions as smoke rose thick and black into the sky.
For a moment, the world held its breath.
Fire crackled.
Metal hissed as it cooled.
The air burned with heat and dust.
At the center of it all,
At the center of the burning wreckage, something stood unmoving.
Flames curled around him, heat distorting the air, yet Daniel remained where he was as if the explosion had been nothing more than a passing inconvenience. The black tendrils that had bound him were already gone, leaving no trace behind, as though they had never existed.
"That's strange…" he said, his voice carrying through the crackling fire. "This world isn't supposed to have anything supernatural."
He stepped forward, the ground beneath him still hot, fragments of metal shifting under his boots. His eyes moved across the street, sharp now, fully alert.
"Then who the hell just tried to kill me?" he muttered.
No presence he could clearly sense.
Daniel tilted his head slightly, scanning the surroundings.
"So there is something else here," he said, his tone quieter but far more interested. The mark on his hand flickered faintly, and for the first time since arriving in this world, its behavior made sense.
Maybe this is what you've been pointing at…
A slow smile formed.
"Heh… I don't know who you are," he said under his breath, "but you picked the wrong target."
Across the street, partially hidden behind a vehicle, Sylvia Weis stood frozen.
She had seen everything.
The crash.
The explosion.
And him—standing in the middle of it like it meant nothing.
Her eyes widened, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. No human could survive such a blast.
Daniel's head turned.
Directly toward her.
Sylvia flinched, instinctively stepping back, her breath catching as his gaze locked onto her position. For a brief moment, she thought he would approach.
Instead—
He smiled.
And then he was gone.
Inside one of the upper floors of a glass tower, the man slammed his fist onto the table, the impact splintering the polished surface and sending cracks spreading outward.
"Fuck that cursed name… Haken," he muttered, his voice tight with irritation.
He paced a few steps, his fingers dragging through his hair before shifting to his nails, biting down on them as his thoughts raced.
"Why is there another one with that same family name…" he said under his breath. "Is he related to that annoying bastard, Luke?"
The possibility alone was enough to unsettle him.
If there was a connection, then this wasn't random. It meant interference, and interference meant risk. The failed attempt outside had already confirmed one thing—this wasn't a normal human. A truck crash and explosion should have been enough.
It wasn't.
"I should finish this quickly," he said, forcing his tone steady. "Use this world's technology, break him down, take whatever power he's carrying…"
He didn't get to finish the thought.
The glass wall behind him exploded inward.
A sharp, violent CRASH—! tore through the room as shards scattered across the floor, followed immediately by a figure dropping through the opening.
Daniel straightened, brushing a few fragments of glass from his coat.
His eyes moved across the room once before settling on the man.
"So you're the one who tried to kill me," he said, tilting his head slightly as if confirming something he already knew.
The air in the room shifted.
"You've got some nerve," he continued, his tone calm but carrying weight. "Trying that and expecting it to work."
*****
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