What is this Dimensional Chat???

Kuoh Academy, Kuoh, Japan

"Amazing… He's holding his own against the leaders of the Biblical Faction, alone." The sheer force of the battle left onlookers in awe. "To think he'd become this powerful after merging with Big Sis…"

"He's not even serious yet," another voice cut in, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "What you're seeing now? It's just him playing with them."

"Playing? Seriously?" The realization hit hard. The more she watched, the more she felt it—staying by his side was the best decision she had ever made.

"Good," the Mad Dragon mused, her gaze sharp and determined. She had long accepted that she alone wasn't strong enough to support him. Not with his reckless tendencies and the chaos that followed him like a shadow. If she truly wanted him to have the best life in this new world, then—he needed powerful allies.

She exhaled, eyes gleaming with resolve.

"It's time for us to move."

•

"Hellfire!"

Ravel Phoenix conjured searing flames, their golden glow clashing against the writhing darkness. Yet, no matter how fiercely they burned, the black tentacles regenerated almost instantly.

"What is this disgusting creature?!" Ravel gritted her teeth. "This won't end well if we keep fighting like this…"

A familiar voice cut through the battlefield.

"Puck, please help her!"

"Hm?" A tiny, lazy voice responded before a shimmering figure materialized beside Emilia. "Where are we, Emilia-tan? Ahhh… trouble again, huh? And that deranged-looking guy over there is our opponent?"

Emilia nodded, her violet eyes steely with resolve.

The tentacles lashed out from behind, aiming straight for Ravel—but before they could reach her, a sudden burst of frost erupted from the ground. Massive ice pillars shot upward, shattering the dark appendages with brutal efficiency.

"Wha—?" Ravel blinked, startled by the timely save. She turned to Emilia. "You… You're from the Shadow Garden, right? If I remember correctly, your name is Emilia?"

Emilia hesitated briefly before giving a small nod. "...Yes. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine… for now." Ravel exhaled, steadying herself. She eyed the white-haired elf warily. "I've never met a real elf before, and to my surprise, your power is similar to that of our Maou and the Strongest Queen. Are all members of the Shadow Garden this powerful?"

Emilia's expression remained unreadable. "I can't answer that question. But right now, our priority is dealing with him."

Ravel quickly refocused, scanning the battlefield. "You're right. We need to take down the summoner first—these things won't stop coming otherwise."

She was already formulating a plan when—

A presence.

A sudden shift in the air, like a predator stepping into the open.

A man stood before them.

His eyes were sharp, his stance relaxed but coiled, like a beast moments away from pouncing. The sheer weight of his aura sent a primal shiver down her spine.

Emilia's eyes widened slightly. "Garou-kun."

"Who—?" Ravel barely got the word out before—

"Step back," Garou ordered. His voice was calm, but it carried an undeniable authority. "I'll end this quickly."

Ravel bristled. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are?!"

Garou didn't even glance at her. His focus was locked onto the battlefield, his gaze cold and calculating.

A sudden scream tore through the chaos.

A man and a girl, dragged into the abyss by writhing tendrils. A grotesque mass of darkness, all gaping maws and clawing limbs.

Garou's expression remained unreadable.

Then, he muttered, "Disgusting."

The creature lunged at him—

He moved.

A flicker of motion, a blur of limbs—impact.

The first tentacle? Gone. Severed. The second? Crushed. The third? Twisted and shattered before it could reach him.

Every strike was deliberate, precise, effortless. Devastating.

The battlefield froze for a moment, as those watching realized—

Garou wasn't fighting the creature.

He was dismantling it.

From the distance, the enemy caster, Gilles de Rais, screamed in frustration.

"Why? WHY are you resisting?!" His eyes were wide, manic. "I only wish to send you all to our FATHER! Jeanne… what should I do? Why has the cruel GOD given me this terrible task?! I have no choice—I must send HIS children to HIS side!!!*"

Darkness writhed around him, new tentacles coiling like serpents. The monstrosity roared and lashed out at Garou again, its appendages whipping through the air like hunting chains.

Garou sidestepped with ease. Effortless.

He barely even looked at the attack.

"You're not even worth my time," he said flatly.

And then—

He struck.

Faster than the eye could track. Faster than the creature could react.

One hit. Two hits. A dozen. More.

Each blow shattered the monstrosity at its weak points. Not just breaking it—erasing it.

"Strong! Is he really human?"

Ravel watched in awe as Garou tore through the battlefield with an elegance that defied logic. His movements were perfect, an art of destruction honed to the absolute limit.

"He's human, Ravel-chan," Emilia said, her grip tightening on her staff. "Let's support him."

The two followed behind, ready to assist.

The air grew heavy. The ground trembled. A thick, unnatural fog swirled around them, obscuring their vision.

Garou didn't falter. He moved forward, every step calculated. He could feel it—the caster's presence—a vile, pulsating aura that made his skin crawl.

A blur in the mist.

A tentacle lashed out from the darkness.

SWOOSH

Garou dodged it with ease—then another came. And another. They thickened, grotesque and pulsating, moving with unnatural speed.

Without hesitation, he lunged straight for Gilles de Rais, ready to end it in one decisive strike.

The mad priest's eyes twitched in frustration.

"How dare you interfere with the sacred duty given to me by God?! Who do you think you are?!"

Garou's voice was cold, emotionless.

"I am an existence that spreads Absolute Terror to filth like you."

He pulled back his fist.

"Whirlwind Iron Cutting—"

"Ah-ah-ah~" Gilles let out a mocking chuckle. "Look behind you, heretic."

Garou's fist stopped just inches from Gilles' face.

A sinister smile curled across the caster's lips as he gestured behind Garou.

He turned.

His sharp gaze locked onto the scene behind him.

Emilia—paralyzed. Black tendrils wrapped around her limbs, constricting tightly. Her face twisted in pain as she struggled to breathe.

Ravel, too, was trapped, her flames flickering weakly as the tentacles sapped her strength.

Puck's tiny form trembled, his magic suppressed.

"Ugh… I can't breathe… it hurts…" Emilia gasped.

"Emilia-tan! Damn it, I can't move either! This stupid tentacle—!"

"From… where did they come—"

Garou's fist clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. His teeth gritted in pure fury.

"Bastard."

Gilles let out a delighted laugh. "Ahhh, that expression! How beautiful~! It reminds me of the day I lost her too!"

More tendrils shot out. Before Garou could react, they wrapped around him.

SQUEEZE

A crushing force clamped down on his body, coiling around his limbs, his torso—tightening.

Any other human would have been reduced to pulp in seconds.

Garou fought back, muscles flexing, veins bulging as he pushed against the monstrous grip. But it was relentless, endless.

"No need to be afraid, boy." Gilles cooed, tilting his head. "I wouldn't dream of ending you so soon! After all, everyone is obligated to attend the grand banquet I have prepared today!"

The tendrils constricted further. Darkness crept at the edge of Garou's vision.

And something inside him snapped.

He had hunted heroes. He had faced death. He had transcended limits over and over again.

But this? This was humiliating.

"I need to be more."

"More than human. More than monster. More than any goddamn thing in this world."

I need to be something that defies all logic.

A shift in the air.

Gilles paused. A shiver ran down his spine.

The world seemed to bend, like reality itself was rejecting what was about to happen.

And then—

Gilles laughed.

"Ahahahaha! Now the curtain rises on the blasphemous comedy!"

The ground rippled beneath him.

From the abyss, they emerged.

Twisted forms, writhing with too many eyes, too many limbs, crawling from the void. Their mere presence warped reality.

The battlefield changed.

And Garou—

Garou changed with it.

•

The distant rumble of tank engines echoed through the misty forest as the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) advanced cautiously toward Kuoh Academy. Reports of supernatural phenomena had reached the highest echelons of the military, and fearing a threat beyond comprehension, the government had authorized a full deployment to the area.

Colonel Takeda, a seasoned officer with decades of battlefield experience, peered through his binoculars. The ruins ahead were unlike anything he had seen—a place where the natural world seemed to wither away, replaced by a dark, oppressive aura.

A chill ran down his spine.

"What the hell happened here?"

Taking a steady breath, he issued his command.

"Prepare the men. We're moving in."

The ground shuddered violently, halting the convoy in its tracks. The air grew thick and heavy, charged with a presence that was unmistakably otherworldly.

Takeda's hand instinctively reached for his sidearm—a futile gesture, and deep down, he knew it.

Then, through the mist, two figures appeared.

One was Kiyohime, her long turquoise hair flowing in the unnatural wind. Her naginata rested loosely in her hand, yet the sheer presence she radiated made it clear: it was deadly.

Beside her stood Crom Cruach, a towering figure of draconic might, arms crossed over her chest as her golden eyes glowed faintly.

"This is no place for mortals," Kiyohime's voice rang out, effortlessly cutting through the distance. Her gaze was cold, resolute. "Turn back now if you still cherish your lives. STR Company will deal with this problem."

Colonel Takeda's grip tightened. Retreat? No. That wasn't an option.

"We have our orders."

He raised his hand in signal.

"We can't let this situation spiral out of control. If you are involved in these disturbances, we must insist that you stand down."

Crom's eyes narrowed.

"Foolishness. You do not understand the forces at play here, human. If you proceed… you will only meet your end."

But Takeda had made his choice.

"Fire!"

The thunderous roar of artillery shattered the stillness as tank shells raced toward their targets.

Yet—

With a single, fluid motion, Kiyohime thrust her naginata into the ground.

BOOM!

A shockwave of blue fire erupted outward, forming an impenetrable barrier. The incoming shells exploded harmlessly against it, their force dissipating like pebbles against a storm.

The dust settled.

Kiyohime hadn't moved an inch.

"We warned you," she whispered, an ominous finality in her voice.

Then—

They vanished.

And reappeared right in front of the lead tank.

The crew barely had time to react before steel flashed.

SHIIING!

The tank's barrel was sliced clean off, the severed metal glowing red-hot. Panic set in as the crew scrambled to escape, their faces pale with fear.

Crom smashed through the front line like a storm of destruction, metal twisting and crumpling as if the tanks were made of paper. Soldiers shouted in terror, diving out of the way as vehicle after vehicle was reduced to scrap.

Amidst the chaos, Colonel Takeda's voice cut through the radio static.

"This is Colonel Takeda! All units, fall back to the secondary perimeter! We need to regroup and—"

Another voice interrupted him.

"Colonel Takeda, this is General Matsuda."

Takeda froze.

Matsuda—the supreme commander of the operation.

"Cease all operations immediately. I repeat, all units are to withdraw from the area at once! This is a direct order from the Emperor himself. STR Company is our ally. Leave this problem to them."

The command stunned Takeda.

"The Emperor himself…?!"

"But, sir! We're engaged with an unidentified hostile force! We can't just—"

"Colonel."

Matsuda's voice was cold.

"Listen carefully. We have analyzed the situation, and the enemy you are facing is beyond our ability to handle. This… creature is not something we can defeat with conventional means. The lives of your men are at stake. Do not waste them. Pull. Back. Now."

Takeda's jaw clenched, but he knew when he was out of options.

With a heavy heart, he raised his hand.

"All units, retreat!"

A wave of relief washed over the soldiers as they turned to flee, abandoning their shattered vehicles. They did not look back.

But Kiyohime and Crom Cruach did not pursue.

They simply watched.

Crom Cruach exhaled, displeased.

"I do not understand why our alphas tolerate their disrespectful behavior."

Her golden eyes gleamed with barely restrained power. She could have conquered this country with ease under his name. But she didn't.

Because he forbade it.

Kiyohime, still gripping her naginata, smiled slightly.

"It's part of his personality, Crom-san."

She had come to understand him—their Alpha, the one they followed without question.

He was not like other humans.

Not in strength. Not in will.

And yet, despite his power—

He forgave.

She recalled a conversation from not long ago, when she had asked him about his past—about the history of his people.

"It surprises me," she had said, "that you do not hold a grudge against this country."

He had simply smiled.

"Forgiveness is not forgetting," he had said. "It's remembering without anger. It's choosing to see the good, even when bad things have happened. I hope that people everywhere can find it in their hearts to forgive, so we can all move forward together. Life is too short to carry burdens that don't help us grow. That's what my old man taught me, and I agree with him."

Just a simple sentence.

But in that moment—

She had fallen in love with him even more.

He was their proudest little puppy.

And they would follow him anywhere.

To be continued...