Nina ran, dodging rubble and startled civilians as monsters burst from the gaping hole in reality.
Chaos roared behind her—screams, car horns, and the gnashing of teeth. Not ideal. Definitely not ideal.
Her Patron's voice hummed calmly in her mind.
[Patron: If you keep showing off like this, someone's going to figure out you're not exactly 'normal.']
"Yeah, yeah."
Nina muttered under her breath, skidding to a stop behind a flipped delivery van.
She peeked around the corner, eyes narrowing. Three more horned beasts tearing up the street, and one heading straight for a news drone.
Great. Just what she needed—publicity.
She exhaled and activated her skill.
[Shadow Face.]
A ripple spread across her skin, darkening her features into something blank and unknowable.
Her voice, once casual and teasing, now echoed with an eerie distortion.
No face, no trace. It was an advanced skill exclusive to her title—King of Humanity. Not even top-tier hunters could see through it.
As more people gathered, and hunters began rushing to the scene—albeit slowly, with suspicious attention only to the wealthier districts—Nina sighed.
"Guess I'm doing this myself."
[Patron: You're going to burn out if you use that much mana. Again.]
Her Patron warned.
"I'll survive."
[Patron: You say that every time and then pass out for three days.]
Nina rolled her shoulders.
"A little strain's better than watching people die."
She walked calmly to the center of the street, standing amid shattered glass and chaos.
Her presence shifted. Shadows bent unnaturally around her as if eager to obey. Her hands rose. The air turned cold.
A deep hum rolled through the street as shadows beneath cars, street lamps, and debris stretched, then sharpened into dagger-like spikes.
[Patron: You're really going for it, huh?]
Her Patron sighed.
"The faster I end this, the faster I get back to my snacks."
Nina replied.
[Patron: You're supposed to be humanity's final wall of defense. You don't always have to be the wall yourself. Consider getting some retainers, maybe?]
"Too bothersome."
She felt the pressure building. The spell was massive.
Her vision blurred slightly. Her heart thumped louder with each passing second. But she was ready.
Until someone tackled her.
The impact knocked her slightly off-center, but not enough to disrupt the magic. She looked down to find the same guy from earlier—scruffy, wild-eyed, annoyingly persistent.
"You can't do this! It's too much! You'll—""
He yelled, trying to hold her arm down.
She smacked him in the forehead with the hilt of her dagger.
"Too late."
She said flatly.
Then the ground erupted.
Shadow spikes burst from every alley, every crack, every patch of darkness across the district.
They lunged at the monsters like spears from the underworld. Each creature was impaled, frozen mid-roar, then disintegrated into dust.
Silence fell.
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Civilians stared. Some had dropped their phones. Others simply fell to their knees, stunned.
Nina took a shaky breath.
She staggered back, blinking rapidly to keep her vision steady. Her whole body ached. Her knees buckled slightly.
The smoke hadn't even cleared when the stranger finally staggered to his feet, staring at the aftermath of Nina's spell with a look that could only be described as dread.
His face had gone pale. He wasn't in awe—he looked sick.
"You… you actually did it."
He muttered.
Nina brushed a speck of dust off her sleeve.
"Yeah. You're welcome."
He didn't answer. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, mouth twitching as if he were trying to keep himself from throwing up.
"You don't get it. You've ruined everything."
Nina tilted her head.
"Pretty sure I just saved everyone."
"You don't understand. Because you used that power, the city is doomed. This—this was only the first stage."
His voice cracked.
Her gaze sharpened.
"What do you mean 'first stage'?"
"There's a second wave. Stronger monsters. A bigger gate. But you already spent your energy. No one else can stop what's coming."
She blinked at him.
"That's not my problem."
The man stared at her like she'd slapped him.
"Not your—? You're the King of Humanity! If you don't help, no one else can!"
He dragged a hand down his face.
Nina folded her arms.
"Why me? There were other hunters here, weren't there? Let them deal with it."
That stopped him. His mouth opened, then closed again. No answer.
"Exactly. I'm going home."
She turned away."
His voice followed her.
"Why are you like this? Why is the King of Humanity so… detached from humanity?"
Nina stopped walking, just for a second. Then she turned her head slightly, just enough for her voice to carry.
"I didn't ask for this. The title, the power—it was forced on me. I didn't choose to be anything. So don't expect me to care like I did."
The stranger looked stunned. For once, he had no comeback.
"You'll regret this. This apathy… it'll be the reason the world ends."
He said quietly.
She didn't reply. She kept walking, pretending she didn't hear him.
But his words clung to her mind like a parasite.
'The world will end.'
And the only reason she could think of for truly not wanting to save it… was if her family was no longer part of it.
Her steps slowed. She frowned.
[Patron: Don't tell me you're actually thinking about what he said.]
her Patron muttered in her head, more curious than annoyed.
Nina clicked her tongue.
"Of course not. He's insane."
[Patron: Sure.]
Her Patron said, unconvinced.
[Patron: Still… if you're really curious, why not check if he's telling the truth? You do have the ability.]
"Too bothersome."
Nina replied instantly.
The Patron snorted.
[Patron: One day, you might find that being honest with yourself isn't the worst thing in the world.]
"I'll take my chances."
She kept walking. The streets slowly grew quieter the farther she moved from the center of the chaos.
Civilians huddled in alleys or ducked behind overturned cars.
No one approached her. No one dared to. Her Shadow Face was still active, masking everything about her. She was a ghost.
Then, a low rumble echoed through the ground.
She stopped in her tracks.
The world around her shook slightly—just enough for a parked bike to tip over and a few street lamps to sway.
"Don't tell me…"
She whispered.
Her Patron's voice dropped, serious now.
"A second gate is about to open."
Nina stayed still.
A long silence passed.
Then her Patron asked gently.
[Patron: So....What do you want to do?]