That time I got reincarnated with a glitch: strings of fate

The man who cast the water surge sent a healing talisman to his unconscious companions. He then unleashed a shockwave, pushing back Emily's fireballs, followed by another ringing sound.

Emily, flying higher to escape the sonic assault, unleashed an extreme beam of fire that lit up the sky, raining down on the three men. Facing imminent death, the men swiftly teleported away from the blast radius using their talismans.

Adam, his black armor core depleted, reverted to human form and immediately checked on Emily's parents. He knew he could only use his chi-to-mana conversion once more before collapsing. Seeing the three men teleport nearby, he quickly used his last surge of strength to teleport himself and Emily's parents back to their house.

Adam collapsed inside, breathing deeply as he absorbed the mana-rich atmosphere of his home.

He then teleported back to Emily's location, finding a deep crater where her beam had struck. Emily rushed to him, asking about his safety. Adam confirmed his parents were safe at home but that the three men were still alive.

He told Emily to return home, and with another teleport, brought them both back. There, he absorbed more mana, preparing to confront the three men. Emily was instructed to guard her parents.

Confrontation and Revelation

Adam teleported to the last known location of the three men. They were surprised by his sudden return. Adam immediately transformed into his black armor, swiftly knocking all three of them unconscious before they could retaliate.

Before he could make his next move, another man appeared, casting multiple demons from his palm. The demons rushed Adam, who unleashed a barrage of punches, destroying them one after another.

The demons weren't strong, but their numbers seemed endless. Adam, realizing his time was running out, concentrated his mana and expelled a powerful wave of mana burst from his fist, exploding the approaching demons like a train plowing through flesh.

Adam then appeared behind the man in the shadows, whispering, "Your next move is death." The man raised his hands in surrender.

The man introduced himself as Genji, one of the Sanctum Elite Eight, specializing in demon control. He explained that he wasn't there to kill Adam but to rescue the other three. As Adam's armor shimmered and reverted to its core due to mana depletion, he demanded to know the reason for their attack on his family.

Genji calmly stated that they were simply doing their job: protecting humanity from creatures. He argued that as a human, Adam should understand that siding with these creatures would cost human lives.

Adam questioned why humans hated creatures so much, emphasizing that many were there to protect the human realms.

Genji countered, offering to show Adam why the Sanctum was necessary to protect humanity. Adam agreed, on the condition that the Sanctum stop hunting his family. Genji assented and, using a demon as transport, had his demons carry the three unconscious men and brought everyone to one of the Sanctum's many hidden locations.

There, Adam watched surveillance footage of the entire city and even observed the weaknesses of various creatures on display. Adam asked why they felt the need to kill all creatures. Genji then showed gruesome clips of many creatures eating humans, including children. Adam was shocked.

"Can you let this happen to human society?" Genji pressed.

Adam pondered why these creatures ate humans. He then broke his silence, asserting that creatures, like humans, possessed intelligence and were, in fact, protecting the human world. Genji didn't understand Adam's persistence in believing creatures were good, even after the disturbing videos.

Adam argued that just as there were good and bad humans, so too were there good and bad creatures. Some might be evil, as shown, but many others were good. Genji listened, then told Adam it would be best for him to meet with the Director.

As Adam tried to convince them of the innocence of some creatures, portals began appearing in many places. Due to the dwindling number of creatures, they were struggling to close all the portals as they once did.

Adam's encounter with Genji has opened his eyes to the Sanctum's motivations and the darker side of creature behavior, presenting a complex moral dilemma.