Prologue — A Master's Sacrafice

—I'm gonna die here, am I?

He felt cold wet concrete press against his cheek, and realised he had been knocked down.

His strength was already gone, and he'd lost sensation on his legs—although they weren't there in the first place.

The cold breeze wasn't much comforting and it only made it worse for his current situation.

"It's... cold."

A thin red line softly flew down from his corners of his mouth after softly muttering those words. And within a few moments the floor was already dyed in dark red.

The blood on the floor was enough to contain in a drum, and it was visibly noticeable that the man's condition was "life-threatening" if it weren't obvious yet.

Who in the world would survive with a rusty knife shanked on their back, and with two severed legs. If so, that thing would be a monster.

"Hey Sasaki, no hard feelings 'kay?"

The man stood atop his bloodied condition with a malicious smile on his face.

It was clear that this man did this to Sasaki, and it was also clear to him that he should pay for what he's done. Although, he'd already accepted it.

He was always knocking on death's door his entire life, and he was "half-ready" to accept that—he still had a sister he'd have to care for in his home, although she was important to him, it didn't matter much in this brutal situation.

"Go die in a ditch asshole!"

"How ironic for someone that's dying to tell me those words."

The man laughed at his harmless threats.

At this point Sasaki should know that it was useless by now. His condition was worsening each time.

He held onto his abdomen for a moment, finally feeling some heat amidst the cold night. It was strange for him, to feel heat that is.

With his pale eyes, he turned down to his bloodied hand. A large claw mark had been engraved onto his stomach, there he understood.

The heat wasn't coming from the air at all—well it should be obvious by now. It came from his organs.

"Now, let's finalize our covenant. Anomaly."

—An anomaly… I'm really gonna die here.

Suddenly, a blood red monster appeared behind the man. Its claws were sharp, concluding that it may be that monster who had made a deep scratch on Sasaki's stomach.

The monster had a thin stature, towering over the man. It gazed at him with its round pitch-black eyes, which had a tint of brown on its color.

The man turned to the anomaly, with no sense of fright on his face. Hearing the words "covenant" it should be clear by now that he'd allied up with that thing, in order to get some sort of benefit.

And for the price to pay-

"A fresh young boy. This would do the terms of our covenant."

The thing crawled up to Sasaki, appraising him. Even with a distorted face, it was clear he was amused by the youth's lively presence.

Although this liveliness was stained by the acceptance of death. Tainting his soul, in a manner the anomalies wouldn't like.

In a flash, the anomaly pierced his claw onto the man's back, lifting him up to have a better view of him.

Sticking out his tongue, a pool of blood splattered at the beast's already red hand, darkening it.

"—!"

He felt he'd heard a voice as he and the monster exchanged glares.

He was already in a state where his senses are juggling into pieces, so he assumed it was in his head.

Despite it being nothing but a fictional event, he was curious of what his head was about to tell him during his last moments.

"...saki."

He turned up at the moonlight, shining on his pathetic face. Although in his mind, he'd probably imagine how life would've gone if he didn't resort to his ways.

Although it was too late to repent, he'd already killed a lot of people for a chump change. So naturally, he would also be killed for cheap reasons.

—What a drag… don't you think? Miyuki.

"...Mi…yu... "

"I don't—"

—Want to die.

At that moment. Sasaki Jiketsu, lost his life.