A lock of black hair drifted down onto the white bathroom tiles. Then another.
The soft snip of scissors echoed through the room.
Standing before the mirror above the sink, Haru carefully continued trimming his hair.
Strands slid across his shoulders and fell one after another. The mirror reflected his focused expression as the scissors moved steadily through the dark locks.
Outside the bathroom, the sound of running water filled the apartment.
A few minutes later— Click.
The bathroom door opened.
Haru stepped out, a gray towel draped over his head as he dried his damp hair.
Water droplets slid down his neck and disappeared beneath his shirt.
After finishing, he hung the towel neatly on a hook beside his bedroom wall.
For a moment, his reflection remained in the mirror. Then it disappeared as he walked away.
His hair swayed lightly behind him.
The long black strands still reached the small of his back, nearly brushing his waist.
But the front had changed. The bangs had been cut shorter, falling just past eye level and grazing the tip of his nose..The sides around his face had been trimmed to the same length, framing his features more clearly without making his hair truly short while the back remained untouched. Long. Flowing.
The contrast gave him a different appearance now. Less unkempt.
Sharper. More mature. More Handsome than before.
As he passed the living room window, sunlight briefly caught the dark strands, revealing a faint sheen before they settled against his back once more.
Haru paused for a moment.
His gaze landed on Yue's portrait.
The newly trimmed bangs shifted slightly as a breeze drifted through the apartment.
"...What do you think?"
The question escaped quietly.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Then the silence answered him. As it always did. The smile lingered for a second longer before fading.
"Let's see."
Haru dropped onto the sofa. "…System."
He muttered.
The dark crimson window immediately appeared before him.
The same question remained displayed.
«Switch to Voice Mode?»
Haru stared at it for a moment.
"So it'll talk from now on?" In his thought.
His head tilted slightly.
"Or is it going to be a voice inside my head?"
A brief silence followed.
"…Whatever." He leaned back and added.
"Switch to Voice Mode."
His voice echoed faintly through the quiet apartment.
Then—
The crimson window shattered into countless particles and dissolved into the air.
"…Wha—"
The word slipped out instinctively.
Silence. Nothing happened.
The apartment remained completely still.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Haru's eyes widened.
"Greetings, Master Haru."
A woman's voice. Calm. Controlled.
Emotionless.
Haru shot to his feet. His gaze snapped toward the kitchen. Then the living room.
Then the bedroom. No one.
A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.
His pulse hammered for a moment before realization caught up.
"The system...?" He whispered.
Relief washed over him.
He let out a long breath.
"I thought someone was actually here."
Straightening himself, he cleared his throat.
"…System."
"Yes, Master?"
The voice answered immediately inside his mind.
Haru blinked. "Seriously?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "The system is a woman?"
"Would you like me to switch to a male voice?" —System
Haru nearly jumped. "Wha— no! No, no."
He waved his hands instinctively.
"That'd be weird. Talking to a guy inside my head sounds strange."
"Very well."
The system responded without hesitation.
Haru sighed. "…Anyway."
He grabbed his bag from the table.
"What was my first mission again?"
"Kill one hundred monsters." —System.
The answer came instantly.
"Recommended Rift difficulty: E-rank."
"Right." Haru nodded. "Let's go."
Before leaving, his gaze drifted toward Yue's portrait. For a moment, his expression softened. A small smile appeared.
Then he picked up his bag and stepped outside.
---
Some time later—
Haru arrived at a Void Rift near the edge of a forest.
The dark purple gateway hummed quietly between rows of temporary barriers and monitoring equipment.
As soon as he approached, an officer stepped in front of him. "Sir, civilians aren't allowed beyond this point."
Haru scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Uh... I'm actually an Aberrant."
The officer looked him up and down.
"What rank?"
A brief pause. "…F-rank."
The officer's expression immediately stiffened. "I'm sorry, sir." His tone remained professional. "First, this is an E-rank Rift. Second, regulations require a party of at least four members to enter."
"But Miss Yumi said I could enter any Rift as long as I showed my Aberrant ID." Haru reached into his bag and pulled out the card.
The moment the officer saw it— His face froze. His eyes widened. Black.
The card was black.
Name: Haru
Rank: F-rank
Class: N/A
Guild: None
"A... black ID...?"
Sweat immediately formed on the officer's forehead. His eyes bounced repeatedly between Haru and the card.
Then he remembered something.
"W-Wait." He swallowed. "You mentioned the name Ms.Yumi earlier." His voice had become noticeably weaker. "Do you mean Ms.Yumi Harakura?"
"Yes...?" Haru frowned. "Why do—"
"I-I'm terribly sorry for delaying you, sir!"
The officer nearly bowed. "Please proceed immediately." His trembling hand gestured toward the Rift.
Haru blinked. Confused. Very confused.
Still, he continued forward.
As his figure disappeared into the Rift, another officer hurried over from a nearby monitoring station.
"What are you doing?" He pointed toward the portal. "You just let someone enter alone?" The first officer was still pale.
"T-That man..." His voice shook.
"H-He has a Black Aberrant ID."
Silence.
Then the second officer's eyes widened.
"…Black?" He grabbed his colleague's shoulders. "Tell me you're joking!!."
His own voice had begun shaking.
"You know there's only one official Black ID holder in the world." The first officer slowly shook his head. "I checked three times."
the second officer's hands loosened up.
The second officer stared at the Rift.
The first officer did the same.
Neither spoke.
Because among Aberrants, ID colors represented power.
Colorless White — F and E-rank.
Gray — D-rank.
Green — C-rank.
Yellow — B-rank.
Blue — A-rank.
Red — S-rank.
Dark Red — SS-rank.
And Black...
Black existed beyond ranking.
A symbol reserved for beings considered absolute. Living disasters. Catastrophes capable of changing the world itself.
And one of them had just casually walked into an E-rank Rift carrying a backpack.
—
Back at the TWA HQ
"I see... continue your work."
Yumi's voice remained professional as she ended the call and set the phone down.
Her chair slowly spun toward the floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the city. Beyond it, clouds drifted lazily across the afternoon sky.
For a moment, the sharpness in her eyes eased. "...Haru. Be careful."
Her fingers curled lightly against the armrest as concern flickered across her face.
Meanwhile, in Aezeth's Office—
Aezeth leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. The corner of her lips lifted. Then lifted further. The news clearly pleased her. "Grow stronger~" Her chin rested against her palm.
"Soon you'll be mine~"
Amusement danced in her narrowed eyes.
In Another Office—
Venill sat with both feet resting shamelessly on his desk. A man stood across from him, delivering a report, but Venill barely seemed interested in anything except one name.
His grin widened. Then widened further.
"Let's see how far you can reach."
And in Another Office...
"The second person to ever hold a Black Card..." The woman's voice drifted through the quiet room. Calm. Mature.
Carrying the weight of authority.
And in Another Office...
A chair shifted.
Dark hair, fading into crimson at the tips, swayed behind her as she rose from her seat. A dark crimson cloak settled against her frame. The room fell silent once more.
—
Back Inside the Dungeon
Step. Step.
Haru continued deeper into the Rift.
"Incoming."
The system's warning echoed in his mind.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
A wave of monsters rushed toward him.
Long ears. Green skin. Crude weapons gripped in their hands. Some needed none.
Goblins.
Haru lunged forward.
A single punch connected with the first goblin.
Boom—
The human-sized creature flew backward, crashing through several others before collapsing motionless. Dead.
Haru's eyes flickered toward his fist.
For a brief moment, surprise crossed his face and muttered. "That much power...?"
A goblin's blade flashed toward his head.
He tilted aside effortlessly. The weapon missed. His hand shot out.
Crack—
The goblin's head tore off from its body.
Blood splattered across the stone wall.
Then the battle became a blur. He attacked.
Defended. Dodged. Countered.
Goblins were sent flying in every direction.
Some embedded themselves into jagged rocks. Others were ripped apart before they could react. Blood painted the walls. The floor. The ceiling.
Within a minute, the entire first wave was gone.
Silence returned.
Haru stood among the corpses.
His breathing remained steady.
Not even slightly winded.
"You have killed 34 monsters."
The system notified him.
"That's good... let's go."
Without slowing down, he ran deeper into the dungeon.
Soon, the second wave appeared.
And just like before— He didn't hesitate.
He dashed straight into the horde.
As monster after monster fell, a faint purple glow emerged within his eyes. Not rage.
Not excitement. Something quieter.
Something disturbingly satisfied.
Several minutes later, the second wave was reduced to corpses. Blood covered nearly every surface in sight.
"You have killed 144 monsters."
"Your first mission is completed."
"You have gained 25 points as a reward."
"You have obtained a new skill: Severer."
Haru slowed. "...Severer?"
"Yes." The system responded immediately.
"Severer is a skill that allows you to inflict hundreds of slashes through a single action."
"I see..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"Anyway, can I ask something?"
"Yes." —System
"Can you just increase my stats automatically for me?" A brief pause followed. "As you wish, Master. I will also prioritize the attributes you need most."
Relief visibly settled over him. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." —System
Haru continued forward.
The dungeon gradually grew quieter.
Eventually, he arrived before the massive door leading to the boss chamber
He pushed it open.
A gigantic goblin stood waiting inside.
Despite the overwhelming size difference, Haru stepped in without hesitation.
The boss noticed him immediately. It charged. Haru's eyes narrowed.
The massive weapon resembling a giant baseball bat swung toward him.
He dodged.
A heartbeat later—
Boom!
The weapon slammed into the ground.
Stone exploded outward.
A crater formed beneath the impact.
Haru launched forward. Another attack.
Another dodge. He slipped to the monster's side and drove his fist into its body.
The force launched the creature several meters backward. Yet— The goblin barely reacted. No visible damage.
Haru froze. His eyes widened.
"...No way."
"Identified: Mutated Chief Goblin."
The system's voice echoed.
"Hand-to-hand combat deals reduced damage. Recommended weapon: sword."
"A sword?" His jaw tightened.
"I don't have a sword. Damn it."
The goblin charged again. For now, all he could do was evade. Think. Find a way.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
"Here... use it. That'll be your weapon."
Yumi's voice.
His eyes widened. Immediately, he reached into his bag while dodging another attack.
His fingers found the object.
A strange black-and-red square.
A circular button rested at its center.
Haru leaped backward.
Landing atop a rock formation, he stared at it. "Okay... now what?"
He pressed the button. The device glowed.
Then transformed. Dark crimson metal unfolded outward. A blade emerged.
Simple. Elegant. Dangerous.
Haru gripped the weapon.
The boss swung upward toward him.
Haru swung down.
"...Severer."
The slash descended.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then—
The goblin's weapon shattered into countless pieces. Its arm followed.
Cut apart.
Haru landed smoothly. And charged.
The goblin swung its remaining arm.
He stepped around it. One clean strike.
The arm fell. Blood erupted from the stump.
"You need to train your swordsmanship."
The system commented.
The goblin roared and rushed forward.
"I know." Haru adjusted his grip.
"I'm just doing what's logical here."
His stance shifted. More stable. More deliberate. Then he dashed.
One final slash.
Both figures stopped moving.
Silence.
Haru lowered his blade. Turned.
And began walking toward the exit.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
Thud. The goblin's head slid from its neck.
Its body followed shortly after.
Crashing to the ground.
"I'll take sword training after this."
Haru continued walking.
Then—
The door glitched.
A distortion rippled across its surface.
He stopped. "What...?" His eyes narrowed.
The distortion spread. Across the walls.
Across the floor. Across the ceiling.
Reality itself seemed to flicker.
"The space is distorted."
The system's voice became noticeably more serious. "Possibility: Dungeon Change or Rift Overlap."
The glitching intensified. Stone twisted.
Space folded. The chamber warped.
Haru immediately sprinted toward the exit.
But—
Crash!
He slammed into a wall of distorted space.
The impact threw him backward.
He hit the ground and rolled before forcing himself upright. His sword rose instinctively.
His muscles tightened. Waiting. Watching.
Preparing. For whatever was about to emerge.
—
Outside the Rift...
Outside the world.
Far beyond stars, galaxies, and dimensions.
A cosmic being in a humanoid form stood in silence. Watching. Not the Rift. Not the planet. But the universe itself.