He had barely finished his sentence when Emma came rushing back, out of breath.
"Lilith just called back. It seems Division One has detected a powerful monster near the area we were just in!" Emma said, struggling to catch her breath.
Kaito asked, inquiring, "Aren't Lilith and the Division Three men closer to that area?"
"Yes," she replied, "but they've already started moving to transport the Shadow Monster. They can't turn back; the monster might go berserk, and then they'd be facing two monsters at once."
Kaito whispered, "I'm certain I can face both monsters together."
The black car sped back toward the location where they had fought the Shadow Monster. Kaito sat in the back seat next to Emma, while the driver focused intensely on the road. Lilith followed them from a distance via the camera, along with the rest of the Division Three members.
"You were amazing tonight," Emma said quietly, looking at him. "Separating the soul from the body... I've never seen anything like it."
Kaito gave a side smile. "Just a simple trick. The void cancels the connection and contact between them, but only for a duration. It consumes a lot of energy, though."
Suddenly... the car shook violently.
Something massive slammed into the front with immense force. The car flipped onto its side and skidded across the asphalt with a terrifying metallic screech. The glass shattered, and the lights went out.
"Cockroaches!" the driver shouted.
From the darkness emerged the Cockroach Monster.
It was gargantuan—over three meters tall, its body covered in a glossy black shell that resembled armor, with six long legs and sharp claws. Its head was a hideous blend of a young girl's distorted face and large cockroach wings. Its eyes were red, and black saliva dripped from its mouth. It emitted a disturbing sound—a loud, rhythmic chirping.
"She... she was a girl who had a pathological fear of cockroaches," Emma cried out as she tried to stand. "Her mother used to put cockroaches in her room as punishment... she transformed two weeks ago. No one has been able to control her yet!"
At that moment, her ability activated. Invisible transparent walls formed around the overturned car, creating a protective prison. The monster struck the walls with power, but the prison held... if only for a few moments.
Kaito was not inside the car.
Seconds before the impact, he had opened the door and leaped out. He now stood a few meters away from the monster, facing it directly. He hadn't tried to save Emma from the crash; he didn't want to show the monster that she needed help, so it wouldn't target her.
"You look hideous from here," Kaito said with cold mockery, brushing the dust off his shoulder.
"How could a mother unleash cockroaches into a girl's room as punishment?
In a world ruled by fear, such an act turns into what one truly dreads.
A punishment like this does not pass unnoticed.
Can I defeat it , this monster "
The monster let out a loud, grating screech. Then, it opened its mouth wide. From its mouth exploded a flood of cockroaches.
Thousands... tens of thousands of massive black cockroaches surged like a living wave. They filled the street with a terrifying chirping sound. Some flew, others crawled across the ground with frightening speed, heading toward Kaito and the overturned car.
"Kaito!" Emma screamed from inside her prison.
But Kaito did not retreat. He raised his hand slowly.
"Infinite Void."
The void opened around him. An invisible circular zone extended forcefully. Every cockroach that approached him suddenly vanished—as if swallowed by an absolute void. They didn't turn to ash, they didn't explode... they simply disappeared as if they had never existed.
But Kaito felt the price immediately. His head spun slightly. His legs trembled for a second. He was consuming more energy than usual. Every time he used the void seriously, he risked losing the balance between the material world and the world of the void. If he overdid it, he might detach from his body entirely.
Kaito stepped forward. He raised his fist and aimed it at the monster. At that moment, he used the "Infinite Void" with greater power than before. It wasn't just a defensive zone. This time, Kaito used a new aspect of his ability: a strike that transcends distance.
His fist did not physically touch the monster; it was as if the distance between him and the monster vanished for a moment. A powerful, invisible strike hit the monster in the chest with immense force, sending it flying back to crash into a wall, shattering the concrete.
"What is this...?" Emma whispered in amazement.
The monster rose with difficulty. It was furious. It lunged again toward Kaito. Kaito did not retreat. Another strike. His fist moved through the air, but the impact reached the monster instantly. Every strike broke a part of its hard shell. The monster shrieked with a sound like a metallic screech.
It lunged toward Kaito with all its might. It struck Kaito with its long palm, but the "Infinite Void" absorbed the blow and returned it doubled. The monster crashed into the ceiling, then fell heavily to the floor. It demolished a concrete pillar during its fall, causing part of the ceiling to collapse and dust to fill the area.
The monster screeched angrily. It released a second, larger wave of cockroaches. This time they were smarter; some flew above the void, and others crawled from beneath the ground.
Kaito gave a mocking smile despite the exhaustion. "Alright... let's play."
One strike. His fist crossed the distance instantly and hit the monster in the chest, but the effect was weaker; its armored body endured the blow. It screeched in rage and released a third wave of cockroaches—this time larger and faster, a massive cloud that blocked out the moonlight.
Kaito used the void again. The cockroaches vanished in bulk. But this time, he felt a stronger dizziness. His vision blurred for a second. The world began to tilt. He was approaching the danger limit—the point where he might lose balance and drown in the void forever.
"This... hurts," he whispered to himself.
The monster gave him no chance to rest. It lunged at him with all its strength, its long claws moving like scythes. It struck Kaito with power. Kaito raised his arm, and the void absorbed the blow, but he felt pain spreading through his shoulder.
Kaito responded with another strike that transcends distance. It hit the monster in its side, shattering part of its shell. The monster screamed and released a fourth wave of cockroaches—this time sneaking in from every direction.
Kaito was breathing with difficulty now.
"Infinite Void... open further."
He suddenly expanded the void. A large circle extended around him. Thousands of cockroaches disappeared before they even touched the ground. The monster itself trembled as it approached the edge of the void, as if its very existence began to unravel.
From a distance, Emma and the driver watched the scene from inside the prison she had made. Their eyes were filled with awe.
"This is... impossible," Emma whispered. "He's using his power seriously... and yet he's still smiling."
Kaito was indeed smiling, but it was a weary smile. The dizziness increased. The world began to sway. He felt the "Void" trying to pull him inward. If he continued, he might lose balance and disappear entirely along with the monster.
"One last time," he said to himself.
A final blow. His fist crossed the distance with all the power of "Distance Zero." It struck the monster in the head with massive force. The monster's head partially exploded, and its body flew back, smashing an abandoned car and part of the building.
The monster fell to the ground, trembling violently, then went silent.
Kaito stood in his place, breathing heavily. His head was spinning. His legs were shaking. He was on the verge of collapsing. Emma emerged from the collapsing prison and rushed toward him.
"Kaito! Are you okay?"
Kaito gave a weary smile. "Fine... mostly. I just... need to sit."
He sat directly on the ground, holding his head. The void had severely drained him this time. He felt that his material world and the "Void" had nearly separated.
From a distance, Lilith watched everything through the camera. She didn't smile. She only looked at the screen with cold, mysterious eyes.
"Now... things are starting to get truly interesting."
Kaito, the "Separated King," fell unconscious!
Questions for the Readers😎:
1) Kaito almost lost his balance and drowned in the void forever. Do you think the "Void" is just an ability, or is it a parallel world trying to pull Kaito in as his power increases? 🕳️
2) Lilith didn't move to save Kaito despite the danger; she only watched. Was she testing Kaito's "maximum limit," or was she waiting for him to fall for another purpose.😧
3) The Cockroach Monster was a young girl who suffered from psychological trauma. Do you think Kaito will start searching for a way to return these victims to their humanity after seeing their tragedies?😇
Your support with Power Stones and Collection is what gives Kaito the strength to return!💜