Chapter 2: 2. Time For Some Me Time!

It was summer in Nagazora, which meant heat, sun, and a rare day off from deliveries. Kenji hadn't made any big plans.

It wasn't like he had a ton of friends to hang out with, and he was never the type to throw himself into activities for the sake of having something to do.

He liked people, sure, but for some reason, keeping close friendships felt like one of those things other people could do naturally while he was always... just off somehow.

So, with a resigned shrug, he figured he'd go to the mall alone, hoping to break up the monotony a bit.

The mall was cool and buzzing with life, the hum of conversations blending with the occasional shout from kids running around.

Kenji strolled through the aisles, hands in his pockets, blending in with the crowd. He'd pass groups of friends laughing at some inside joke, families wrangling excited children, couples in quiet conversation.

'makes me wonder about my own family. back home..'

Every now and then, he'd feel a pang—something hard to describe, a kind of heaviness that wasn't exactly sadness but wasn't far from it either.

"Guess it'd be nice if I had someone to hang with," he muttered under his breath, then immediately shrugged it off, forcing a smirk.

"Ah, who am I kidding? I'd probably just complain the whole time anyway." He chuckled, getting a few weird looks for suddenly laughing by himself.

The truth was, he felt lonely and not-lonely all at once, and that weird contradiction gnawed at him in a way he didn't like to think about.

Kenji continued wandering through the stores, picking up snacks here and there, window-shopping in the tech section, then eventually getting drawn into a bookstore.

He flipped through a couple of novels, then grabbed one that looked halfway interesting—a thriller he could lose himself in for a while.

After wandering some more, he found himself at the food court, sipping on a drink as the day slowly edged toward evening.

The warm light outside started to shift, painting the mall's interior in shades of orange and gold as the sun lowered on the horizon.

Kenji checked his phone—sunset was on its way, and he decided he'd probably had enough of his solo adventure for one day.

Stretching, he picked up his bag, tossed his cup in the trash, and made his way toward the exit, bracing himself for the evening heat outside.

Just as he was nearing the exit, he suddenly got goosebumps and his hands started tremblin. It was as if his body is trying to tell him something.

Ḑ̶̡̢͚̻̭̝̞͉͔̗̦̪͇̭̓͒̾̎͊́̐̋̌̃͊̽̿̒͒̽͛̿̕͜͠͠ȃ̵̢̝͕̱̣̤̻͚͑̈́̌͗͐̎̕͝ň̴̨̫͕̿̂̓͊̿̄̋̊̈́g̶̩̮̹̝̙̰̝̭͙̜͙͇͈͇̈́͆́͐͊ͅế̷̡̧̡͓̤̙̣͔̠̙͓̲͚̞͙̪̤̻̗̫͂̒͒̒̀̀͑̐̍͗̐̔̔͆̽͆̊̌͛͜͝ͅr̸̛̞̖̂́̄̽̄̀̾̌̌̀͂̚ ̴̧̮̩̥̰̭̰͓͔̮̖̺͎̰̩͉̞̭̠̯̖̈́̈́͂̔̂͒̑͗̈́͒̉̈́̓̀̎̊̂̑̚͘̕͠ǫ̵̠̫̫͈͉̗̮͙̱̝̟̹͍̦̭̙̥̜͗̎̈́́̄̀͛͊̄͌͑̐͘͜u̸̯͎̮̱̎͒̏̆͒͜͠ţ̴̢̧͚͙̙̹̗̳̙̮̻̜̰̪̰͙͚̝̊̓̌͆̓͋̈̅̅̃̂̽̌̾͋͒͝ͅs̵̙͍͇̻̱͈̣̟̯̊̉̋̎͊̐̕͘į̶̺̗͚̺̙͙̝̝̭͍̘̰͕̼̪̫̲̖̲̃́̓̈́̋̓̌̀͑̂̍͋̆̋̓͋̔̕̕͝ͅd̵̢̡͕̣͉̫̮̼̯͇̤̟̝̦̰̝̬̤̭̗͔͍͕̍̆͌̌̇̄̂͒̒̌̈́̄͂͆̊͛̋͗͂̅͂͆̚͘͜ë̵̡̧̛̞͖̥̱͖͓̥̪͍̳͕̗̪́̉͂͂͐̾̌͒͘̚͝!̴̛̹͔͍͚̫̼̲̽̆̀̎̈̓́͐̈́́̈͂͑̌̌́̈́͂͘̚͠͝

A prickling sense of dread settled in his stomach, but he couldn't explain why.

"...That's weird." He took a hesitant step forward, squinting, trying to figure out what he was seeing.

Then came the scream.

The scream cut through the air, sharp and raw, jolting Kenji out of his daze. His heart stammered in his chest, and just as he was processing the terror in that voice, an alarm blared to life above him, shrill and relentless.

The sudden sound echoed through the mall, sending the crowd around him into a frenzy. Red emergency lights began flashing along the walls, casting the entire place in an ominous, pulsing glow.

He took a step back, pressing himself against a nearby pillar as he tried to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him.

People were running, some shouting, some frozen in place, and the alarm's wail filled his head with a growing sense of dread.

"What the hell is going on?!" He hated the feeling of dread that was building.

His stomach twisted as he scanned the area, desperately trying to figure out what was happening.

And then he saw them—strange, monstrous creatures, lumbering into view through the glass doors at the far end of the mall

Honkai Beasts.

His mind reeled as he recognized them from vague memories, fragments of conversations he'd overheard about Honkai.

Even after being in this world for so long, he has never actually seen a Honkai Beast in real life, so he thought that they were just as scary as normal animals like lions and such. But seeing them in real life, here, in front of him, was a whole other reality.

They moved forward, each step shaking the ground slightly, their hulking bodies leaving deep gouges in the polished tile floor.

Glass doors shattered under their claws, the shards scattering across the floor like glittering fragments. The creatures' eyes scanned the panicked crowd with an unnatural hunger, and Kenji felt a chill creep down his spine.

"What… the hell…" he whispered, almost too stunned to move.

Kenji's breath caught in his throat as the beasts advanced, their massive, twisted forms filling the mall entrance like creatures from a nightmare.

The alarm's relentless blare seemed to fuel their frenzy, their movements growing sharper, more violent. In a heartbeat, the mall transformed into pure chaos.

A primal scream pierced the air, and then the crowd surged forward, scattering in every direction. People threw themselves into stores, dove behind counters, desperately searching for any cover they could find.

Kenji barely had time to process it all before he felt himself moving, instincts kicking in, driving him toward the nearest shelter—a small electronics store on his left.

His back slammed against the glass door, and he ducked behind a shelf, heart racing, trying to quiet his breathing.

'Stay calm, stay small, don't do anything stupid'

he told himself, eyes darting around the store to take in the others who had huddled there.

A woman clutched her phone in white-knuckled hands, and a man beside her was muttering under his breath, his eyes wide with fear.

Kenji glanced back toward the entrance, hoping the creatures might be distracted by the crowds. But that hope shattered almost instantly.

One family, clinging to each other, made a desperate dash for the exit—a father, mother, and two young kids.

He watched, helpless, as the father waved them forward, urging them to run faster. But the beast closest to them had already noticed, its head snapping in their direction, its eyes blazing with a terrifying, predatory intelligence.

Before he could even register what was happening, the creature lunged, intercepting them. Kenji's stomach twisted as he heard a scream cut short, the sound echoing, then fading into the alarm's piercing wail.

He clamped a hand over his mouth, feeling the urge to be sick as reality crashed down on him. This wasn't just a scary encounter; this was a massacre.

He forced himself to take shallow breaths, trying to keep it together, trying to steady his nerves. But his hands shook, and a sick, helpless feeling gnawed at him.

'What am I supposed to do here? Hide and hope they don't find me?!'

The creatures tore through the mall with reckless abandon, each of their steps heavy enough to rattle the floor. Shelves toppled, glass shattered, and the screech of metal on tile filled the air as they tore through anything in their way.

They didn't seem to care who or what they destroyed. They were like forces of nature, unstoppable and unfeeling, and Kenji felt every ounce of his smallness in their shadow.

I'm just… I'm just one person, he thought, feeling his heart hammer as he tried to press himself even flatter against the wall. What can I even do?

He ducked lower, peering out from his hiding spot as a beast lumbered past the electronics store, its enormous form casting a dark shadow that seemed to swallow everything it touched.

Its claws scraped against the floor, its breath coming out in low, guttural hisses, and Kenji couldn't shake the feeling that it was… hunting. That it knew people were here, hiding, waiting, and that it wouldn't stop until it found every last one.

A few people broke from their hiding places, desperate to make it to a side exit. He watched them, their faces wild with fear, their eyes fixed on the door like it was their only hope.

But as they neared it, the beast caught sight of them, head jerking around with a horrifying speed. It lunged, claws slicing through the air, and Kenji felt his breath hitch as their terrified cries echoed out, only to be cut off almost instantly.

His mind raced, panicked thoughts crashing into each other as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. I'm… I'm in a horror movie. This isn't real. It can't be real.

But the smell of burning metal, the sensation of the ground shaking beneath him—everything screamed at him that this was real, that these creatures were tearing through his world, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

He sank down, clenching his fists so tightly his nails bit into his palms. Come on, Kenji. Think. There has to be a way out of this. Think. But all he could see was the chaos unfolding around him, the shattered glass, the destroyed stores, the people huddled in terror.

And in the middle of it all, he felt so… small.

Another beast crashed into a store across the hall, ripping apart mannequins and shelves like they were nothing, each movement tearing the place apart piece by piece.

The power in its blows was overwhelming, the sheer force of its presence filling the air with an oppressive weight.

The beast's footsteps grew louder as it stalked down the hall, its gaze sweeping over the stores, searching. Kenji could feel its presence even from behind the shelf, each footfall pounding in sync with his own heartbeat. It sniffed the air, its glowing eyes narrowing, scanning the shadows where they all hid.

His pulse hammered in his ears, drowning out everything but the sound of his own rapid breaths. He wanted to scream, to run, to do anything but sit there waiting for it to find them.

But he stayed still, back pressed against the cold glass, hands trembling as he tried to stay calm.

'Don't look this way. Please, don't look this way.'

The creature's gaze lingered for a terrifying second, sweeping over their hiding spots. Kenji held his breath, his entire body frozen, every muscle tense with fear.

The creature seemed to pause, almost as if it could sense them, like it was on the verge of turning, reaching in, tearing them out of their hiding places.

But then, for some reason, it moved on, each footstep growing fainter as it lumbered deeper into the mall.

He let out a shaky breath, relief mixing with dread, the reprieve only temporary. The mall around them was torn to shreds—signs dangling from the ceiling, flickering lights casting eerie, jagged shadows, merchandise strewn across the floor like debris from a storm.

Somewhere in the distance, he could hear another beast growling, the low, menacing sound crawling up his spine.

Kenji glanced around at the others in the store, their faces pale and terrified. The young woman clutched her phone so tightly it was a wonder she hadn't crushed it, and the man beside her had gone silent, his lips moving in a silent prayer.

Nearby, a small girl buried her face in her mother's shoulder, her tiny frame trembling.

Kenji swallowed, the weight of it all sinking in. They were just people—people who had come to the mall to shop, to hang out, to escape from their everyday lives for a bit.

They weren't heroes, weren't soldiers, weren't anyone prepared to face a threat like this. And he… he was just like them. A nobody. Just a delivery guy caught in the middle of something way above his pay grade.

But as he looked at the girl, at the way her mother held her close, he felt something shift. An urge, deep and insistent, gnawing at the edges of his fear.

He wanted to do something. To protect them, somehow, even if he didn't have the strength, even if he didn't have a plan.

But wanting to do something and actually doing it is much harder then ever thought.

But what can I do? The question rang out in his mind, raw and desperate. I'm just… me.

Another crash echoed out, snapping him back to the present. He pressed his back harder against the wall, heart pounding as he stared out into the wreckage.

He clenched his fists, his jaw set. This can't be it. There has to be a way out. There has to be something I can do.

For now, though, he had no choice but to hide, to wait, and to hope that the nightmare would pass, that he'd live to see another day in this unforgiving world.

---

The thunderous crash of yet another display case shattering nearby made Kenji flinch, pulling him deeper into the tense, suffocating silence of the electronics store.

Every sound seemed amplified, each second dragging out, waiting for something—anything—to end this nightmare.

And then, something did.

A fierce, blinding flash erupted in the center of the mall, casting the beasts' shadows across the walls in harsh, jagged shapes.

Kenji squinted, eyes adjusting to the sudden light, and in that moment, everything seemed to change. The oppressive weight in the air lifted slightly, and even the beasts appeared momentarily disoriented, turning away from their hunt to face the new presence that had entered the fray.

Through the haze of dust and broken glass, he saw her—a figure descending like a blazing comet from above, cloaked in an aura of fierce, unrelenting power.

Her long red hair streamed behind her, catching the glow of the mall's emergency lights, making her look like a flame against the night. She landed with an impact that sent a shockwave through the ground, standing tall and unwavering in a sea of chaos.

Kenji's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know her name, didn't know what she was exactly, but he could tell one thing immediately: she was a Valkyrie!

The beasts charged, rushing toward her in a frenzy, their claws and jaws snapping, the very air vibrating with their fury.

But she didn't flinch. Instead, she met their charge head-on, moving with a grace and power that left him stunned. Her sword—a massive, deadly blade—gleamed as she swung it with impossible speed, slicing through the beasts like they were made of nothing more than air.

Each strike was precise, deliberate, leaving no room for retaliation. In one smooth motion, she brought her blade down on the nearest beast, the force of the blow cleaving it in two with a sickening crunch.

Sparks flew, and the creature dissolved into nothingness, its dark form evaporating in the wake of her attack. She spun around, raising her blade again, and with a single swing, cut down two more beasts in a blinding arc of light.

Kenji watched, his fear melting away, replaced by a growing sense of awe. This woman—this Valkyrie—moved with a confidence he could hardly comprehend. She wasn't just fighting; she was dominating, each motion an effortless blend of power and precision.

It was like watching a force of nature—a hurricane or wildfire made flesh. Every time her blade connected, a beast fell, vanquished with such ease it seemed almost unreal.

The sounds of the battle filled the air—metal clashing against claws, the beasts' snarls, and her own fierce, determined battle cries. Kenji felt his heart hammering, but this time, it wasn't from fear. He was transfixed, unable to tear his gaze away from the sight of her as she fought, her every movement a testament to a strength he couldn't have imagined.

With a swift kick, she sent one of the beasts crashing into a storefront, the creature's form crumpling before it dissolved into shadows. Another lunged at her from the side, claws outstretched, but she twisted, sidestepping with ease and bringing her sword down in one fluid motion, the blade cleaving through its torso and turning it to dust.

It was like she was on a stage, performing some brutal, beautiful dance, and the monsters were little more than obstacles in her way.

Each swing, each movement, was executed with a lethal elegance, a confidence that radiated outward, filling the air with a sense of hope and purpose that Kenji could feel in his bones.

This is what a real warrior looks like, he thought, unable to look away. His admiration grew with each passing second, as he watched her mow down the beasts with the kind of ease he could only dream of.

She was like a hero out of a comic book, her presence turning the nightmare around them into something almost surreal.

He could feel the mood shift among the other civilians, too. People were no longer cowering or huddling in corners, their eyes drawn to her as she moved through the beasts, her every strike delivering a blow to their fear.

Murmurs of hope and relief passed between them, whispers of awe and disbelief as they watched her in action.

The fear that had weighed them down only moments before seemed to evaporate, replaced by something warmer, something that dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, they would survive this after all.

Kenji's gaze never wavered, his pulse quickening as he watched her deliver blow after devastating blow. For a brief, foolish moment, he imagined himself standing there in her place, wielding that same strength, that same calm confidence.

He could feel the faintest spark of determination flickering within him, a whisper of courage that he hadn't felt before.

Seeing her made him feel… different, like he could be more than he was, like he could be something beyond just an ordinary guy caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The last beast lunged at her in a final, desperate attempt to overwhelm her, its claws flashing as it closed in. But she merely stepped back, raising her sword high before driving it down with a final, earth-shaking blow. The creature disintegrated on impact, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

Kenji's heart pounded, his mind racing, his breath coming out in short, awed gasps.

She straightened, her sword lowered, her gaze sweeping over the ruins of the mall. There was a calm assurance in her stance, a quiet strength that seemed to fill every inch of her. She wasn't even winded.

He felt a strange, overpowering admiration blooming inside him, mixed with a faint sense of longing.

She wasn't just a Valkyrie—she was a symbol of everything he wanted to be, everything he'd felt too small, too ordinary to imagine.

And as she turned, glancing over the crowd of civilians she had just saved, he realized that he was seeing, for the first time, what it truly meant to be a hero.