(VALENTINE SPECIAL) Hana’s Special Date IV

The sun hung low on the horizon, streaking the sky with deep oranges and purples. By my estimate, it was around 5 PM...

Following Riot's death, Legion rushed to my side, his entire form pulsing with golden light, already preparing for fusion.

I hesitated. Just for a second.

Legion wasn't wrong—Moonyrs, when found, were to be eliminated. That was the Monitors' law.

My duty. If anything, my hesitation could lead to regrettable consequences. But still…

Riot.

She had seemed tired—not of the fight, but of life itself. Had she suffered more than anyone else?

Had she been wandering alone in this cold, ruthless world, looking for a reason to keep going?

…Or maybe… none of this had ever been her choice. Maybe fate had simply decided for her.

Enough.

Gihon was still here. Still standing. And I still had a job to do.

Legion's form dissolved into golden particles—like scattered photons in the twilight air—before surging toward me in a shimmering current.

As always, the transformation was instantaneous, wrapping around me like threads of cosmic silk.

Every time this happened, I couldn't help but feel like some kind of… magical girl.

After the merging, I wasn't the same person I was a second ago.

My hair, once fiery orange, shifted—lengthening into a flowing cascade of starry blue, the strands swirling like nebulae caught in motion.

My virgin-killer dress disassembled into fragmented light before reconstructing into a divine veil of white and gold.

A thin tiara settled onto my forehead, cool against my skin. My eyes mirrored Legion's now—black sclera dotted with drifting constellations, the slitted gold pupils narrowing as I adjusted to my enhanced vision.

I ran my tongue across my teeth. Short, sharp fangs.

My fingers flexed. Claws.

And my skin was now lined with a faint divine sheen, heat radiating from within like a living star.

For a moment, Gihon simply stood there, watching. Then immediately—movement.

He charged, no hesitation, no flicker of fear.

Tsk. Persistent.

I'd assumed exposing him to my god presence would be enough to make him reconsider. Maybe even retreat. But no—his stance, his aura, everything about him almost screamed that he had been waiting for this fight.

Fine!

If he wanted a battle, I'd give him one.

No more holding back—!!

[Actually, hold back. The Earth could really be in jeopardy if you don't.]

Legion's reprimanding voice echoed in my mind.

Ugh, fine. I guess I should hold back for now.

Not until he proved himself to be a real problem.

[Indeed. Leave the analysis to me. Focus on regulating your energy output.]

Got it. Thanks, Legion.

I faced the battle… But something was off.

All this time—while I'd been caught up in my thoughts, speaking leisurely with Legion—Gihon had been attacking. I barely even registered it at first, but now…

Why was he moving so slowly?

No, no, no. This wasn't just the battle shifting in our favor.

This was something else entirely.

Gihon's once-overwhelming blows—each one heavy enough to make my skull ring with the threat of cracking—were gone. The weight, the pressure, the sheer destructive force behind his fists… nowhere to be found.

This didn't make sense.

Okay. Time to stop dodging and take at least one hit.

[Huh? Why would you do that?]

C'mon, let's let him land one. You can regenerate the damage, right?

[Infinitely, yes. But I still think we should be careful.]

Such a worrywart.

I suddenly stopped parrying and dodging, but stilled.

Gihon's eyes flickered with something almost imperceptible—confusion and shock, though only barely.

His fist cut through the air and—bam—smashed into my side.

…Eh?

He struck again. And again. And again.

The sheer force behind each blow sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, the distant ground fracturing under the pressure. Craters formed where the kinetic energy dispersed, the very air warping from the impact.

And yet—

Oh. Oh.

I wasn't lying when I said this, in all honesty, felt like a pillow fight.

Gihon… what happened to you?!

[No, it's you that changed.]

The realization hit me.

Was this the difference between my demi-god self and my divine self?

It was like night and day.

Across from me, Gihon abruptly leapt back, his gaze locked onto me with something new—calculation.

"You have exceeded my expectations…" he admitted.

I blinked.

Had I seriously been standing there, lost in thought, while he threw his full strength at me? Oh, Hana, you meanie!

He exhaled, straightening slightly. "What is your name, strong one?"

Oh. I hadn't introduced myself.

"I am Hanako Takeko," I replied. Then, calmly, "As you can see, I've released all my power. You have no way of winning. Cease your struggling, and I'll take you to prison—it's far better than dying."

For the first time, Gihon scoffed.

"All your power? Don't be ridiculous." His eyes gleamed with sharp insight. "There's more inside of you, isn't there?"

…Damn it. This man was far too perceptive.

"Do you refuse my offer?" My voice carried a finality that left little room for negotiation.

Gihon smiled. A slow, knowing smile. Then, without a word, he stripped off his coat and top, shutting his eyes briefly.

Was he considering it? For a moment, I thought so—

WHOOOSH!

Power erupted from him, unfurling like a violent tide, searing through the air in a flood of black flames.

His entire form darkened to a deep, pitch-black void—only his eyes remained stark white, like twin moons gleaming in the abyss.

[See? I told you to finish him immediately! Haaaah, he's going to be more trouble now.]

Legion was scolding me? …Cute!

[HOW?!]

Okay, fair. He was right.

For some absurd reason, Gihon had shattered the divine barrier—crossing the threshold, bringing himself to my level, somewhat.

Yeah. I definitely messed up.

A Monitor should never hesitate! Noted. Again.

Gihon didn't wait. He shot toward me with terrifying speed, moving faster than before—far faster.

This time, his attacks stung.

The blunt impacts carried an unnatural sharpness, forcing me to engage properly, lest I actually get hurt.

He ducked beneath my horizontal swipe, narrowly avoiding my claws, then drove his foot into my abdomen—

The force catapulted me through the air. The next thing I knew, I crashed onto the rooftop of a high-rise building somewhere in the city.

It didn't hurt much. Honestly, it felt like getting hit by a full-speed race car.

[Normally, that'd hurt.]

But—yabai.

If we kept fighting here, people were going to die.

As I weighed my options, I sensed Gihon approaching at high velocity.

Before I could fully react, he was there; covering a distance of two miles in mere seconds.

A fist came down—

BOOM!

The impact wasn't just a tremor—it was a shockwave. The four-story building beneath me collapsed instantly, crumbling under the sheer force.

I barely had time to check for casualties before Gihon clapped his hands together—

A sonic blast detonated outward.

Nearby buildings trembled, glass shattering, structures destabilizing.

I immediately switched priorities.

Abandoning offense, I stretched my senses, tracking every human in free fall.

With all my focus, I triggered [Matter Control], manipulating the forces around them.

Quickly—but deliberately—I lifted them to safety, shifting them several miles away.

From the outside, it must have looked insane—hundreds of people suddenly flying out of the city, suspended in midair like gravity had gone on a vacation.

I wouldn't have been able to do this last year. I guess I really got stronger, huh…

Meanwhile, Legion held the defense. [Infini Presence], a leathery, near-indestructible film, cocooned me against further attacks.

…Wait. Why haven't I been using this till now?!

[…]

I steadied myself, eyes locking onto Gihon once more.

Before he could unleash another attack that would level the city—let's end this.

I let the energy within me surge outward, raw and untamed, manifesting as crystalline tendrils—shimmering, semi-solid constructs that rippled like liquid light.

Gihon lunged, a predator closing in on its prey. But before he could land a hit—

CRACK!

I drove my knee straight into his midsection. The impact sent him rocketing skyward, his body twisting violently as he was hurled several meters into the air.

Before he could ascend too far, I snapped my energy tendrils forward, coiling them around him like whips. Then, pivoting sharply, I spun—faster and faster—channeling enough force to birth a hurricane.

The abandoned city of Asahikawa groaned beneath the sheer power, gusts tearing through the streets, structures trembling under the strain.

Good thing I evacuated everyone beforehand.

Good job, me!

Then, like a slingshot primed to fire, I flung Gihon upward—straight toward the upper atmosphere.

If I could eject him from Earth, the battle would shift to a safer battleground.

No cities. No civilians. Just the vast, empty silence of space.

Not that it mattered to me. I no longer needed oxygen. In fact, I didn't even need to breathe anymore.

With a single powerful beat of my wings, I launched after him, the sheer force cracking the earth below, splitting roads like fractured glass.

Last I checked, Gihon couldn't fly. That put me at an advantage—

—or so I thought.

Because instead of being hurled beyond the ozone layer, Gihon did the impossible.

He'd somehow reversed his trajectory.

A surge of force propelled him back toward the surface—faster than before.

A black meteor, searing through the heavens, warping the very fabric of the sky itself.

This one is going to hurt…

I barely had a moment to react before—

BOOOOM!!!

He collided into me at full speed, and the world reeled from the force.

The city shattered. Entire districts were wiped out as though they had been nothing but sandcastles swept away by the tide.

And the terrifying part?

I hadn't even hit the ground yet.

And when I did—

GBOOOAAAAMMMM!!

The impact carved a crater deep into the earth, sending shockwaves across the ruined metropolis. Dust and debris spiraled like a great storm, blanketing the sky.

Yeah. Evacuating the residents before fighting this man was probably my smartest move today.

Thousands would've died.

But also—

WHAT THE HELL?!

Gihon was too strong! What kind of monster was I even fighting?!

…Then again, I glanced down. Not a single scratch on me. [Infini Presence] had absorbed everything. I wasn't even out of breath… Then again, I didn't need to breath.

Maybe I'm a monster too.

Still, this needed to end.

Hey, Legion.

[Yes?]

If I use my strongest move on him, will he die?

[Your strongest attack is (Rapid Void), which would not only destroy Gihon but also the planets surrounding the sun, the moon, distant stars, and will continue consuming everything in its wake. If left unchecked, it would devour void itself—erasing existence, and Moon Bound Fantasy, as we know it. Should I initiate it?]

…What a weighty question, Legion. The heaviest I've heard in my life.

Okay, which of my strong moves can defeat Gihon WITHOUT annihilating the planet and bringing the story to an abrupt end?

[…There's one…]

Really?!

[Yes. But if not executed properly, it could engulf the world in eternal darkness and anguish.]

…Seriously? At this point, am I not just an evil god?

Before I could dwell on that unsettling thought, Gihon was already closing in—charging straight toward me as I stood at the bottom of a 200-meter-deep crater of my own making.

[I can expand my dimension space until it becomes a full pocket dimension. You'll be able to unleash your deadliest—but not planet-threatening—attack there. If anything goes wrong, only the dimension collapses.]

…And you tell me this now?!

[You never asked.]

Fine. I'll leave the dimension-making to you.

Re-strategized, I dashed forward first, meeting Gihon with a flurry of devastating blows—each one reshaping the terrain, splitting the already ruined ground further.

I couldn't give him a chance to realize he was being isolated.

The guy was too perceptive. If he noticed something was off, he might find a way to escape—

[All done.]

Already?!

I abruptly stopped mid-punch, glancing at my surroundings—

—and nearly recoiled.

What the hell kind of environment was this?!

A sky, deep and bloody red, loomed overhead. The air was thick, oppressive, reeking of decay.

Swamps of blackened sludge bubbled, exuding eerie mists. Withered, sagging trees twisted unnaturally, their bark looking like writhing flesh.

…It was like I had stepped into a poorly budgeted version of Hell.

[You're welcome.]

No—wait, that was rude.

Th-Thank you, Legion.

Still, this was impressive. Even I hadn't realized we'd shifted into a pocket dimension.

And from the looks of it—neither had Gihon.

He stood still, his pure white eyes scanning the area with unwavering caution.

And this guy—he was still calm?!

Didn't he realize I had just trapped him inside an unknown realm where anything could be lethal?

Where the very air, the very ground, could turn against him at any moment?

…I almost felt bad.

But it was time.

With the unknown black box hovering beside him, I made my decision.

Gihon… I'll remember you.

But, seriously, why were all these Moonyrs so insanely devoted?

The ghoul, Riot, and now Gihon—they all fought even when they were clearly outmatched.

It was almost as if they were the protagonists of this world—fighting against us, the antagonists, who stood in the way of their goals.

It's disturbing to imagine.

…Gihon would have made a great Monitor too.

I sighed.

Legion, is it ready?

[Mhmm. (Darkness is Limitless) will be initiated once you channel your energy into it.]

—What kind of name from Hades is that?!

Legion, am I an evil god?!

[Our power originates from the Visitor's energy, which appeared 500 years ago. Perhaps, that visitor was evil?]

…I'm asking you, and you're asking me?

…Whatever.

I gathered the maximum amount of my mysterious energy that I could feasibly control. At 90% capacity, I hesitated—if I went any higher, even this pocket dimension might collapse.

As if responding to my sacrifice, black spheres—each the size of a human head—began to manifest around Gihon.

One by one, they clustered around him, forming a 30-meter-wide hemisphere, resembling a honeycomb of darkness.

Gihon remained still, shoulders slowly lowering. "I've lost."

He stated it with calm finality, as if his fate had already been carved in stone.

He stated it with calm finality, as if his fate had already been carved in stone.

"I'm sorry," I responded.

…Though, if I was being honest, I barely meant it.

The spheres began to glow, or rather, they weren't glowing at all—they were devouring light itself.

This pocket dimension was based on Earth's principles, so they were, in essence, consuming light.

Gihon returned to his base form, folded his arms and sat on the ground—as if he wasn't about to be obliterated. "This plan has become a failure," he mused, voice steady, "but my determination to unseal my god will never falter, O strong one."

Falter?

Did Gihon actually think he would survive this?

His gaze lifted, locking onto mine—dark eyes, golden-slit pupils. A quiet defiance still burned within him.

"You can keep fighting against us," he continued, voice unwavering. "But let me inform you—in the end, we, the Moonyrs, will emerge victorious. Well then, till we meet again."

This pompous Giant-Oni variant.

He really thought he was making it out of this somehow.

I almost felt sorry for him.

Something in my chest tightened—a pressure, like a bursting pipe.

The ability was about to be unleashed, so I let it be, and with that, the erasure of light and life within the hemisphere accelerated.

No sound.

No spectacle.

Just quiet, noiseless destruction.

But whatever Gihon was experiencing inside that absolute void—no one could tell.

His very existence was likely being unmade.

When Legion returned us to Earth, the first thing I noticed was the gaping, 5-meter-wide black hole lingering in the city.

It was still devouring light, albeit slowly.

"Captain Takade!"

I didn't need to turn—I was still battle-high, after all.