Chapter 4: Chapter 4. Death and rebirth[Part 2]

The mutant was definitely reacting to the serum. It went berserk the moment Kyoji opened the beaker. Kyoji was shocked by the creature's surge of energy. The tranquillizer was supposed to knock it out for ten hours, and it hadn't even been eight yet.

Kyoji sighed, eyes fixed on the spilt serum. He paid no mind to the mutant violently throwing itself against the cage bars, desperate for freedom. The enclosure was built to contain an Aberrant-level mutant, so he trusted its integrity.

After a moment staring at the mess, Kyoji turned away with a sigh. He needed something to clean the thick, black liquid and shards of glass from his lab floor. Who would have thought his first batch of power serum would end up like this, wasted on the ground instead of coursing through his veins?

He felt strangely numb. Not anger at the mutant for startling him, not sadness over his lost work, just a deep disappointment that he wouldn't get to experience the serum's effects himself.

He returned with a dustpan, brush, and some towels. By now, the mutant had stopped its frantic assault on the cage. It stood perfectly still, its crazed eye locked on Kyoji.

Kyoji chuckled, muttering under his breath, "Should've done that sooner. You're not getting out of there."

As if understanding his words, the mutant erupted in a furious roar.

"You've been a very bad boy," Kyoji said, his voice suddenly cold. "I'll make sure your dissection is especially painful."

Another roar echoed through the lab. Kyoji ignored it, bending down to clean the mess.

Suddenly, a clattering sound from the cage made him look up.

The mutant was behaving strangely. It was pressing its body against the metal bars, seemingly trying to squeeze through the gaps. Kyoji felt a jolt of unease.

Mutants were known for their primal instincts, driven by chaos and destruction. But they weren't this stupid. They knew what holes they could and couldn't fit through.

This creature wasn't trying to squeeze through the bars. It was doing something... something bad. Kyoji scrambled to his feet, lunging for the tranquillizer gun on a nearby table.

BOOM!

An explosion rocked the lab, throwing Kyoji to the ground. He stared at the cage in disbelief. That was supposed to be a level one mutant! How could it cause an explosion like that?

But what he saw next shocked him even more.

The mutant was still pressed against the cage bars, but now the metal was bent outward. Some parts of the mutant's body seemed... missing.

Kyoji understood instantly. The mutant had detonated a part of its own body to blast its way out. Shock coursed through him. Level one mutants were supposed to be brutes. This one, however, could weaponize its own flesh—an ability exclusive to level two mutations.

"Fuck!" He scrambled to his feet.

The mutant's intent was clear: another explosion was imminent. And judging by the state of the cage, this next blast would obliterate it.

Kyoji's mind raced. Ten seconds to reach the tranquilizer gun, five to load, two to fire... There simply wasn't enough time.

Escape was his only option. The spilled serum was his only hope. Maybe, just maybe, it would distract the creature long enough.

Without hesitation, Kyoji turned to flee.

BOOM!!

A deafening explosion erupted behind him before he could even take a step. This blast was louder, more powerful than the last.

WHUMP!

A stray metal bar, ripped from the cage, shot through the air like a missile. It slammed into Kyoji's chest, piercing him through.

"Fuck!" He gasped, the metallic tang of blood filling his mouth.

His legs buckled, sending him crashing to the ground, landing amidst the shattered glass and spilled serum.

Life ebbed away as the world around him blurred.

'This is how I die? Not in a blaze of glory, but weak and pathetic...' the thought drifted through his fading consciousness.

Through his dimming vision, he saw the mangled silhouette of the mutant. It had freed itself from the wreckage and was now crawling towards him, its movements labored and weak.

Exploding parts of itself came at a price. Half its body was gone. And while mutants possessed remarkable vitality and accelerated healing, such grievous injuries were still life-threatening.

But the creature didn't seem to care. It dragged itself ever closer, fixated not on Kyoji, but on the serum pooling beneath him.

Kyoji let out a ragged sigh, surrendering to the encroaching darkness.

Then, in his final moments, he felt it—a surge of energy flowing into his body. But before he could comprehend its nature, the world went black.

Beneath his lifeless body, the spilled serum seemed to writhe with a life of its own. It crawled up Kyoji's body, reaching the gaping wound in his chest. In an instant, it flowed inward, disappearing from sight.

Kyoji's body convulsed. Cracks, spiderweb-thin at first, spread across his skin. An eerie light emanated from the fissures, as if something trapped within was struggling to break free.

The cracks widened, multiplied, and then...

BOOM!

Kyoji's body exploded in a blinding flash of white-hot energy. The shockwave ripped through the laboratory, incinerating everything in its wake. Every piece of equipment, every inch of the room, even the mangled form of the mutant, was consumed by the searing light.

_____

<Earth: Year 2346 [Coliseum City(Elysium)] The Temple of Gods...>

Within a grand temple, a group of teenagers stood before imposing statues of nine deities. Each one buzzed with a palpable excitement that filled the otherwise silent hall.

Today was the day of their Blessing Ritual. The day their futures would be decided.

Among them stood Kyoji Ren, a handsome young man of sixteen. His white hair, thin lips, and proud nose were striking features, complemented by piercing blue eyes. He was dressed impeccably in a tailored white suit, giving off the aura of a wealthy playboy.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in alarm, darting around the room in confusion.

'What's going on? Am I alive? Where the hell am I?'