Ding!
A holographic notification suddenly appeared in front of Kuro.
[System detects that the Host has not performed today's check-in.]
[Does the Host wish to check in now?]
[Yes / No]
Kuro blinked slowly.
"Oh, right…" he muttered casually. "It's already time for the daily check-in."
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and pressed Yes on the holographic screen.
Ding!
A new notification immediately appeared.
[Congratulations! Host has obtained: Chain of Heaven (Enkidu).]
[Automatic storage enabled. Reward has been transferred to Gate of Babylon.]
Kuro slightly raised an eyebrow.
"Enkidu?"
His tone carried a hint of interest. Even though he tried to stay calm, it was clear this reward had sparked his curiosity.
"…I kind of want to try it."
He raised his right hand and pointed his palm toward an abandoned house not far away.
"Enkidu."
The next moment, ten golden portals opened simultaneously around the building.
From each portal, chains of gold shot out—each tipped with blade-like arrowheads.
SHWOOOSH!
They moved with sharp, precise speed.
The chains instantly coiled around the target from all directions—walls, roof, pillars, and foundation. In less than a second, the entire structure was bound tightly.
Then the chains tightened.
KRAAAK!
The sound of cracking structure echoed loudly.
The next moment, the entire house collapsed under the brutal pressure of the Chain of Heaven.
BOOM!
Walls caved in. The roof shattered.
The building was reduced to rubble in an instant, while thick dust rose into the air, drifting slowly under the sunlight.
Kuro watched the result for a few seconds.
"Cool…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
With a simple mental command, the golden chains were immediately retracted. The golden portals swallowed every part of Enkidu without leaving a trace, closing one by one.
Silence returned to the area.
Kuro lowered his hand, his expression looking fairly satisfied.
"…Today's check-in wasn't bad."
He paused for a moment, then looked up at the sky in thought.
"Now I'm curious what would happen if I used Enkidu against a monster."
The corner of his lips curled slightly.
"This is interesting."
His gaze shifted toward the city.
"After placing the pillars, maybe I should look for some random monsters to use as test subjects."
Without any moral hesitation, Kuro shoved both hands into his coat pockets and began walking away from the area.
***
"Aaaargh! What are these chains?!"
A rough roar echoed through the forest.
Some time had passed since Kuro finished placing the final pillar.
All points were now positioned correctly, though he had not yet activated the Mystic Code's main function, allowing the four pillars to synchronize perfectly across the entire Z-City area.
For now, he chose to delay activation and instead used his free time for a few experiments.
The location was a forest not far from Z-City.
The air felt damp, while the ground was covered with tree roots and dry leaves.
Fifteen steps in front of him, a humanoid rhinoceros monster about two meters tall was tightly bound by the Chain of Heaven.
The golden chains emerged from multiple points in space, wrapping around the monster's body from legs to shoulders, even locking its neck and both arms.
There were no gaps.
No room to move.
The rhinoceros monster struggled violently.
Its muscles tensed as it tried to force the chains open.
But it was useless.
The more it resisted, the tighter the chains seemed to become.
"Damn it!"
The monster growled in anger.
Veins bulged across its neck and forehead.
"I am Rhino Crusher!"
It pulled its body again with all its strength.
The ground beneath its feet cracked.
Tree roots were torn out.
But the golden chains still did not budge even slightly.
"Why won't they break?!"
The monster's breathing grew heavier, its eyes wide with frustration.
"What kind of chains are these?!"
It glared at Kuro with anger mixed with caution.
"You damn human… are you a Hero?"
There was less aggression in its tone now than before.
A hint of caution had begun to creep in.
Understandably so.
It had been struggling for minutes and failed completely.
Meanwhile, Kuro stood casually a few meters away, both hands still in his coat pockets.
His gaze calmly observed the results of the experiment, almost devoid of emotion.
"Hm…"
He tilted his head slightly, as if evaluating something mildly interesting.
"Not bad physical durability."
Kuro's gaze shifted toward the chains still tightly binding the monster's body.
"But clearly, it's not enough to break out of Enkidu."
He fell silent for a moment, as if considering another possibility.
"Do I need to try Enkidu on a Dragon-level monster?" he muttered softly.
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Although a rhino-level monster like this should already be a decent sample."
He let out a short sigh.
"Besides… Dragon-level monsters aren't something you can just find like vegetables in a market."
The rhinoceros monster continued to struggle violently.
But every movement only made the Chain of Heaven tighten further, as if responding to resistance itself.
"Ghh—AAARGH!"
The sound of chains grinding against flesh and muscle was harsh and unpleasant.
The monster's massive body trembled. Veins bulged beneath its thick skin, while both knees slowly began to bend under the increasing pressure.
"Damn it…! Let me go!"
Its breathing grew ragged.
The expression that had once been filled with rage was now starting to mix with panic.
"Why… why are these chains getting tighter?!"
Kuro blinked slowly, as if snapping back into focus.
"Oh."
He tilted his head slightly again.
"Sorry. I got a bit caught up in my thoughts."
His tone was casual—almost polite.
"Anyway…" he continued, looking at the monster calmly, "you do seem quite suitable as a test subject."
The monster's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Kuro gave a light shrug.
"And sorry, I can't just let you go like this."
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"Your bloodlust is pretty obvious," he said flatly. "If I release you, I'm sure you'd start slaughtering civilians like you're just cleaning your yard."
The monster gritted its teeth.
"You—"
But the words stopped.
Kuro's right hand had already risen toward it. His pinky, ring finger, and middle finger were bent down, leaving only his index finger and thumb extended.
The next moment, five Gates of Babylon opened around the unfortunate monster.
Golden portals shimmered coldly in the air.
From within them, various Prototype Noble Phantasms of Rank C+ began to emerge.
Swords.
Spears.
Ancient blades carrying a heavy magical aura.
The rhino-like monster froze.
Its eyes widened.
Its survival instincts screamed.
"W-wait—!"
"So…"
Kuro smiled faintly.
That smile looked gentle.
Yet for some reason, it felt far more intimidating.
"Die, Zashu."
The next instant, all the Noble Phantasms fired at once.
SHWOOOSH!
Ten weapons shot forward from every direction.
Leaving no room to evade.
No final chance to react.
"ARGHHHHH!!"
The monster's scream echoed for a brief moment before being swallowed by a massive magical explosion.
BOOOOM!
Blue flames erupted violently.
The ground beneath the monster's body cracked and scorched, while nearby trees shook from the shockwave.
Rhino Crusher—completely lacking any resistance to magical energy—was instantly consumed.
Not even a trace remained.
Only blue flames and a blackened crater were left behind.
Kuro observed the result for a few seconds, then lowered his hand. Both hands slipped back into his coat pockets.
"A good experiment."
His tone sounded fairly satisfied.
"Thank you for your participation, Rhino-san."
With a slight mental focus, Enkidu's chains and all Noble Phantasms were pulled back. The golden portals closed one by one.
The area returned to silence.
Kuro turned away and walked casually out of the site.
His steps were light, unburdened, as if what he had just done was nothing more than a simple task like watering plants in the morning.
A moment later, Kuro pulled a cigarette from Gate of Babylon and placed it between his lips.
With a snap of his fingers, a small spark of Mystic Art ignited the tip.
He took a slow drag, inhaling the smoke for a moment before exhaling it into the night air.
Thin smoke rose gently, blending with the scent of damp earth and the lingering heat of destruction.
"Heading home…" he muttered casually.
He paused briefly, as if considering something very important.
"While waiting for Chiyome to return, it wouldn't be bad to train Jewel Magic a bit."
He took another short drag from his cigarette before continuing,
"And of course… it would be much better with a glass of red wine."
A faint smile formed at the corner of his lips.
Kuro gave a small nod to himself, as if he had just made the most reasonable decision in the world.
Without haste, he continued walking away from the forest, while the red ember at the tip of his cigarette flickered softly in the shadows of the trees he passed.
______
Author's note:
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