Modern Monster

Kaiyo waited patiently by the door for her friends and shared exactly how she found it and where it was located with them. The blue-haired girl, whose name she still didn't know, said she would look for her brother and bring him here. She mentioned something about not needing the rest of her team, but I don’t know what that’s about. I guess with that attitude of hers, it must be tough to be a part of a team to begin with.

“Techno watch, how much time remains?”

“Current time remaining is... 44 minutes and 42 seconds.”

We still have time, but we still don’t even know what’s on the other side of the door.

“No way you foun—” Baru’s voice abruptly shouted, then immediately was cut off by Hana, who jabbed him in his gut.

“DON’T SHOUT, YOU IDIOT!” Hana muttered.

“I’m sorry! But geez, that hurt! You’re lucky I don’t hit girls,” Baru puffed.

“Hmph, you wouldn’t even stand a chance anyway,” Hana retorted sourly.

“Tsk…sexist.”

Hana’s jaw hung. “What did you just say!”

“Besides the point,” Sen interjected, shaking his head, “did you really find the… thing?”

“Yes, I already checked if the thing works,” Kaiyo nodded. Sen gave a satisfied murmur, nodding in return. Kaiyo was expecting a bit more excitement from him, but it didn't matter; she was just thankful she was helpful for once. This rare occasion didn’t happen too often.

“So?” Baru gawked impatiently. “What are we waiting for? Let's go—”

Before Baru could finish his sentence, a cold voice interrupted him.

“Hopefully, you’re not forgetting me?”

Kaiyo cringed as she heard whose voice it was.

She didn’t need to turn her head to know who those cold words belonged to. Well, I did promise her we would go in together, and I need to stick to my end of the agreement.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t know you,” Sen glared at the beautiful blue-haired girl with contempt.

“That’s true, but I believe she does…”

Good grief, I’m just going to call her Ice Queen from now on, Kaiyo shuddered as the girl stared at her with an icy, burning gaze.

“UH Yeahhh, I forgot to mention, Sen. So, she and I found it at the same time, so I decided to let her tag along with us.”

“Don’t get this mixed up with me wanting to. I’m only doing this to have a better chance of winning,” the girl concedingly replied.

Sen gave the girl a scornful look with his eyes before scratching his head with a sigh. From the way Sen seemed lost in thought, Kaiyo could only guess he was hesitant to let anyone else get close to their team.

He already seemed on edge, having to watch over Hono and Baru. So, having another stranger in their midst would only make it harder to keep an eye out.

“Fine, I guess that can’t be helped. If Kaiyo promised to let you go with us, then it would be rude if we didn’t stick to our word,” Sen gave in, then added in a more confused tone, “And who is with you? If I may ask.” His gaze shifted to someone behind the girl. Kaiyo narrowed her eyes as a boy around her age approached. Oh, the girl said she would bring her brother, right? A guy with blue hair, too? Huh? Wait, are they twins or something? Kaiyo eyed the identical twin with interest.

“My name is Ayame, and this is my brother Genkai…”

“Ahem, and internet influencer! No pictures, please!” Genkai covered his face, assuming a conceding posture. Weirdo… Kaiyo curled her lip sourly.

“Wait, I know you?” Baru scrutinized Genkai, studying his appearance from top to bottom. “Aren’t you like really famous online or something?”

“Oh! I’m begging you, but no pictures, please. But I’m more than happy to fulfill a signature request.” He chuckled boastfully. “So who else would like one?”

They all blinked.

“What’s wrong with that guy?” Baru whispered. “Does he have some sort of mental illness or something?”

“Yeah, I think it’s called being famous; it makes people real retarded,” Hana sneered.

“Weirdo…” Kaiyo added.

“Woah, woah! I won't be taking such a level of disrespect! I’m going to make a video about this encounter. I’ll make every single one of you swine famous, mark my words!”

“Yeah, definitely a weirdo…” They all nodded in agreement.

“Moving on…” Sen sighed, then lowered his voice. “I was thinking about this when the first challenge was announced. In the event that we did find it, someone would eventually see us, so I think it’s wise if we create some sort of diversion and quickly go through,” he proposed.

“Wow, you guys totally ignored me like that…” Genkai feigned sobbing.

“I’m sorry, but we have no intentions of making friends with other teams. We’re supposed to be competing against each other. The more people we involve, the worse it is. I only agreed for you guys to tag along because it was only fair,” Sen clarified.

“Hmph, I agree with you. I don’t intend on making any friends either. Let's get this over with so we can pass this challenge. I don’t want to spend any more time with lowlifes like yourselves,” Ayame sniffed disdainfully.

“Woah, woah, now, I won’t be taking that level of disrespect!” Baru growled.

“I don’t really care if I hurt your feelings. Let's get a move on,” Ayame countered.

She’s so cold, Kaiyo thought. She never understood why people were rude and unfriendly, especially when they aspired to be Knights. They should speak firmly, but above all else, they should be kind.

Kaiyo herself always tried to be sympathetic and compassionate. Even though it came naturally to her, kindness was a rare occurrence nowadays. If I ever become a Knight, I want to change that. Isn’t that right, grandma?

#

In her youth, her father, Asashi, would be hyper-focused on his work as a Knight. As a result, he wouldn’t spend much time with her. It would be a lie if Kaiyo said it didn’t bother her, but she mostly got used to it. After all, it could have been worse, like in Sen’s case, so she was just grateful to have a strong and reliable father. But in Asashi’s absence, her grandmother played a huge part in raising her from a young age. A sweet and caring woman, her grandmother was strong as a bull and carried the Touch Sense from Asashi’s family tree, which ran far back. That was one reason his sense was far stronger and superior to others. Although Senses were often random, genetics still played a significant factor.

Kaiyo’s grandmother felt responsible for helping raise Kaiyo when she saw her son’s neglect. She never questioned his love for Kaiyo, but she couldn’t bear to see her granddaughter raised by her mother alone. So, throughout her childhood, her grandmother took on her father's mantle, teaching her everything she needed to know and more.

“Now, Kaiyo, remember, if a creep is walking up to you, you have to run to the nearest person and ask for help or scream as loud as you can!”

“If you have trouble concentrating on your sense, have some chamomile tea; that will help you calm down.”

“Always remember, if you’re having a bad day, come to me, and I'll hug you!”

Those were memories Kaiyo would never forget, but they were also memories that hurt her when she reminisced.

One day, her grandmother fainted in the kitchen while preparing food as Kaiyo headed home from school. Kaiyo called an ambulance, and they took her grandmother to the nearest hospital.

Kaiyo remembered crying her eyes out in the waiting room with her mother, trying to be strong by holding it in. She waited for what seemed like hours, certain that her grandmother wouldn’t make it. But eventually, the doctor invited her to visit her grandmother in the emergency room.

All she could feel then was relief. It didn’t matter how long it took; she just wanted to speak to her again. Thankfully, Kaiyo had the chance to do so for longer than she expected but shorter than she wished.

Her grandmother was getting old, and her health began to decline, showing symptoms of common elderly illnesses. But Kaiyo did her best to help, whether around the house or on short walks to stretch her legs. At night, she would lie next to her grandmother, listening to stories.

“There was one time when Asashi stopped a large silver-ranked monster from snatching you in our backyard. He slayed the vile thing in a few seconds!”

In awe, Kaiyo would hang on to her grandmother's words, hearing about the strength of their bloodline. Her interest in becoming a Knight was evident, and her grandmother knew it well.

“Ya know what, Kaiyo? I bet you can be an even better and stronger Knight than your father.”

“Really? I don’t know about that; it would take me a million years to catch up.”

“Well, you have a different sense, but that’s not what matters.”

“Senses don’t matter?” Kaiyo tilted her head, puzzled.

“HAHAHA! Of course, they don’t!” her grandmother laughed heartily.

“Then what does? How can I be strong and make my dad proud?”

“Oh dear,” the old woman sighed, “you’re already stronger than your father could ever be!”

“How? If I were… if I were strong like he is, I would be able to slay a gold-ranked monster in seconds—”

“Slay this, slay that, kill this, kill that… that all doesn’t matter, dear.” Her expression softened as she looked at Kaiyo, lifting a finger to gently touch her chest. “That’s what matters…”

“My chest? You mean I need to have big boobs?”

“No, no, no! Dear, what has the internet taught you… Heart… Having a good heart is what matters most…”

“But I can’t just protect someone with just my heart.” Kaiyo was still confused.

“A sword means nothing if the person wielding it doesn’t have a heart. Your father knows that too well. He would never want you to follow in his footsteps if it meant losing yourself in the process,” her voice rasped with a darker tone.

“So, all I have to do to be strong is have a good heart? That sounds pretty easy.”

Her grandmother let out another amused laugh.

“Trust me, dear. Many fail that challenge…”