Tokyo at midnight is a blend of beauty and chaos. The main streets are still brightly lit by neon lights, creating a stark contrast with the dark sky above.
Nightclubs blast music, drawing in those who aren't ready to go home yet. Small bars in narrow alleys are filled with office workers relieving their stress after a long day of work.
Amidst the crowd, Ren walks at a leisurely pace.
His handsomeness, of course, doesn't go unnoticed. Under the dim streetlights, a group of young girls approaches him with meaningful smiles. They are dressed provocatively, wearing clothes too thin for the cold night.
Many of them are runaways. Without a permanent place to stay, they move from one house to another, selling their bodies for shelter and a little money to survive.
Clearly, Ren, who suffers from mild mysophobia, declines their invitations.
Then, he checks the time on his phone—00:02 AM.
"Today yielded nothing. Maybe it's just not my lucky day. There's always tomorrow. Besides, I still have school tomorrow."
Ren slips his hands into his jacket pockets and starts walking towards the train station. The night grows colder, and drowsiness slowly creeps in.
However, before he can take another step—
A loud explosion echoes through the air. The ground beneath him trembles slightly, and in the distance, a bright flash of light flickers momentarily, fading faster than fireworks.
"That must be a supernatural phenomenon! I need to see it with my own eyes."
Instead of fleeing like the panicked people around him, Ren turns and runs towards the source of the explosion. Adrenaline surges through his veins.
"Could there be a fool like me trying to kill a Heretic God? If so, I need to act quickly."
There's an unspoken truth that Campiones are essentially fools.
Not only because they are the only humans who have slain Heretic Gods, but also because they are the only humans foolish enough to attempt it.
The world is not short of fools, and Ren is one of them.
Letting his obsession with thrills and challenges cloud his judgment, he runs forward without hesitation.
"Campiones are incredibly lucky fools. And I will become one of them."
Ignoring the warning sign that prohibits entry due to construction, Ren barges into the site.
Upon seeing the scene before him, his eyes widen. The surrounding ground is shattered, forming a large crater that smolders like the remnants of a battlefield. The air is filled with the smell of burning.
In the center of the crater lies a charred corpse, its body burned beyond recognition.
Ren's heart pounds. Something extraordinary has clearly happened here.
Without hesitation, his hand reaches into his jacket pocket and grasps the piece of chalk he always carries. As soon as he touches it, the world around him changes.
A figure that was previously invisible now stands tall before his eyes.
Just the sight of it makes Ren's knees almost give way. A strong urge to kneel and submit overwhelms him. It's not ordinary fear—it's the instinct of a human facing an existence far beyond their own.
Gritting his teeth, Ren struggles to keep himself standing. Cold sweat drips from his temples.
The figure looks at him with a satisfied expression.
"Oh? For an ordinary human without supernatural powers, you can still stand in my presence. I, Hou Yi, acknowledge you, young man."
The voice is friendly, like that of a neighbor, with no trace of hostility in its tone.
"Haah... Haah... Haah..."
Ren gasps for breath. As the terrifying pressure slowly dissipates, he finally manages to take a deeper breath. His back is drenched in sweat.
"So this is the presence of a god..."
Although he had anticipated how terrifying a Heretic God would be, experiencing it firsthand is entirely different.
Yet, instead of running away or trembling in fear like an ordinary person, Ren feels even more excited.
His eyes gleam as he observes the figure before him.
Hou Yi has long, silver-white hair, partially tied up with a golden accessory. His robe is white with elegant golden patterns, adorned with red accents that signify his majesty. On his back hangs a simple wooden bow, which looks ordinary, but Ren knows it must be a divine weapon with power far beyond the word 'ordinary.'
"Hou Yi...? The greatest archer from Chinese mythology?"
"So, my name is well-known even in this remote island nation... Hmm...? I can sense the aura of that rebellious monkey from you."
Hou Yi examines Ren carefully. Finally, his attention focuses on the piece of chalk tightly gripped by the young man.
"I see. That's just a fragment of Authority. So the aura I sensed comes from that chalk. No wonder it's so weak."
His gaze shifts from Ren to the cityscape in the distance. "It seems that monkey isn't sealed in this city. I'll move to another city."
Only one figure comes to Ren's mind upon hearing that word.
Great Sage Equaling Heaven—Sun Wukong!
'Hou Yi is looking for Sun Wukong? As far as I know, the two have never been involved in mythology...'
Ren's brain works quickly, trying to recall if there's any hidden story between these two great figures from Chinese mythology. However, now is not the time for contemplation.
Hou Yi shifts his gaze back to Ren. "Although you have an interesting artifact, I'll let you go. Unlike the humans over there who attacked me as soon as they saw me."
His glance briefly shifts to the crater, where the charred corpse still lies.
Ren feels a chill run down his spine. That corpse... someone who attacked Hou Yi and failed.
'I need to be careful... one mistake, and I could end up like him.'
Yet, beneath his fear, there's something else.
A strong urge burns in Ren's chest. All his life, he has been searching for something more than an ordinary life. And now, that opportunity is right before him.
Hou Yi turns away, not paying the slightest attention to Ren.
'Even if he's a god, isn't it too careless to turn your back on someone, right?'
But Ren quickly realizes the answer.
'No. In Hou Yi's eyes, I'm just an ant not worth mentioning. Even if I shot him with a gun or stabbed him with a knife, it wouldn't hurt him.'
Instead of being angered by the belittlement, Ren feels pleased.
'Good. That means he doesn't see me as a threat.'
Without hesitation, he reaches into his jacket and pulls out his most valuable talisman. A golden-yellow paper talisman, with kanji characters carefully inscribed using special ink.
Then, he opens a small vial containing his own blood, prepared in advance. The blood has been mixed with EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid) to prevent clotting—allowing Ren to use it anytime without needing to injure himself again.
A drop of blood falls onto the surface of the talisman.
Instantly, mystical energy surges from the talisman, causing the air around it to vibrate. Ren raises the talisman, aiming it directly at Hou Yi's back.
In an instant, the talisman burns with a golden light, transforming into a golden rope that shoots forward at incredible speed.
Hou Yi, who had been calm all this time, finally shows a surprised reaction. He didn't anticipate a sneak attack from a human without supernatural powers like Ren.
The golden rope wraps around Hou Yi's body in an instant, binding him tightly. Ancient symbols glow along the rope, strengthening the seal.