Ame no Hi no Iris

The 'arm' that was suddenly extended from the burning truck like a carnivore searching for prey tore apart the metal body of the truck, looking like oil being split apart. After the flaming arm is a flaming head, a flaming body and flaming legs— a flaming giant appeared while being surrounding in blazes.

"UUAAAAAARRRRRGGGHH!"

The giant roared to the night skies again. The surrounding air shook in response.

"Wha…… What is that!"

The men hastily raised their guns. The gun in Lilith's mouth was pulled out as well.

Being thrown aside, Lilith moved her body weakly, mumbling quietly: "Vol…… Kov……?"

Volkov— ahh, is it really him— the eerie silhouette surrounded in flames moved slowly towards us.

A sharp glow was emitted by his square eyes, walking over here while making clanking noises. His arms were highly raised as though repelling the surrounding people, a furious glow in his eyes.

A man shouted: "Stop! This is an order!"

Even though he was pointed at by a laser gun, Volkov did not stop. Every time his powerful legs took a step, a pit would be formed on the surface of the asphalt road, while the stains that he walked past appeared in the night as oval flames.

"Stop! This is an order!"

The man commanded again, but the giant that was covered in flames did not have any intent of following their instructions. He came closer to us as though he couldn't hear the orders. An overwhelming vigor glinted in his eyes— no, that is—

A murderous intent.

"Shoot!!"

At the instant when the order was give, the men pressed the trigger. Tens of light rays drew out a slightly arching line, speeding towards Volkov as though they were attracted there. The scene that I once saw in the news replayed in my mind.

However.

"What!?" The police were at a loss of words.

At the instant when the light rays reached Volkov's body, the bright light dissipated like water splashed on a wall. The laser splashed towards the surrounding road, black smoke being given off in a crackling noise.

On the body of the giant that was bathed in laser beams, the paint melted like beads of sweat, black metal showing from below as though they were rubbed off by the night. "UUAAAARRRRGGGGHH!" He roared towards the night skies again, as though he was showing off his presence.

"U- Undead Mech Corp……!?" One of the police muttered in a trembling voice.

A second round of shooting got the same results. The laser beams that were shot were blocked by the heavy armor of the giant and were reflected to the surface of the asphalt road, creating numerous small holes. The third round, forth round, and fifth round was shot, and the color gradually drained out of the men's faces.

"Monster……"

Volkov reflected the laser beams that could even cut metal, that was a fact that they didn't anticipate. The originally reliable weapons turning into scrap metal, the men could only step back to their armored cars. Seeing the scene in front of him, the giant slowly bent his knees as though he was in convulsions.

All of a sudden, he jumped into the sky as if he sprung up. The flaming figure jumped into the night sky like the blazing sun, then rapidly landed in front of the armored cars with a bang. The men hastily jumped down from the armored cars, while the giant raised the car that was five times larger than him with his powerful arms.

"UAAAARRRGGGGHHH!"

After the short roar, the armored car was thrown towards the other cars. After a loud sound of collision rang, the two cars that collided were immediately engulfed in blazing flames, and exploded.

Then, he continued to advance towards the largest armored car, pulling off the bumper as though it was origami, then removed the heavy, metal armor with his strong arms, then viciously hitting the exposed parts of the car with his right arm.

That was a rapid movement that was like an arrow. His right arm emitted a radiance in an instant, giving off energy like a light ray. After that, the body of the car expanded like a balloon, then exploded into a vibrant ball of flame.

However, the police did not stop there.

A humming noise came form the propellers of a helicopter that circled in the air, then dropped something from the air like it was laying eggs.

It's a bomb. It fell directly above Volkov, a piece of steel that emitted a dull luster.

Lilith shouted: "Volkov! Above you! Run!"

After hearing her shouts, Volkov raised his head and looked at the sky in a rough movement, and then raised his right hand slowly.

At the next instant, a block of energy similar to the one that broke down the armored car was shot from his hands. The bomb exploded in the air like fireworks, turning into powder that scattered all around. Being assaulted by the blast wave, Lilith's body was swept beside me.

After the blast calmed down, Volkov was still standing there as though nothing had happened. A bright light was given off by his right hand. The light was even stronger than the radiance before this, dying the surroundings into a solemn, white world.

"That's enough, Volkov! Stop!"

However, Lilith's words were not heeded by him.

The light that was like the laser beams was shot from his right hand— the ray of light had the combined power of tens of laser guns— directly swept through the night. The helicopter that was originally soaring in the night skies exploded, vanishing into thin air. A few black fragments fell onto the surface of the road further away from here like crows that lost energy, and burnt in a small fire.

There weren't anyone besides us in this area.

The cars that were utterly eradicated burned, spouting black smoke towards the night sky like a flaming pillar. The flames on the countless fragments scattered on the ground illuminated the whole place.

This is a battlefield. A battlefield full of death and slaughter that does not allow the presence of anyone, filled with flames and horror.

The giant indifferently looked at the condition of our surroundings, then turned around to look at us.

After that, he slowly moved towards us. f𝗿e𝙚𝘸e𝐛𝚗𝐨𝙫𝚎𝙡.c𝒐𝐦

His silhouette that was in a background of the remains of the burning armored cars looked like a demon that just rose in a mythical world. The abnormally piercing eyes surfaced in the night like a lighthouse.

I recalled the words that he once said.

— Volkov- once- entered- wars.

That's right—

—Volkov- killed- a lot.

He is a weapon. A killing weapon that hides a terrible destroying power.

Finally, the giant stopped in front of us. The large shadow covered Lilith and I.

"Vol…… Kov?"

Lilith mumbled, while he silently extended his powerful arms. He used his right arm to carry Lilith. The flames surrounding the giant had disappeared.

"Wa- Wait a minute!"

The giant did not answer the troubled Lilith, but extended his arm towards me as well. I was immediately carried by his left arm.

In the appalling heat of the flames and the din of sirens, the giant bent his knees, forcefully kicking on the ground, shooting into the night sky.

Thus, we were brought into darkness by him.