HnK- Seren CH.1 A Starless Night

   HnK:SEREN


Two Executors are about to carry out an operation aimed at stopping the spread of the Malice and eliminating any potential Abyssal, beings that represent absolute evil. After fierce battles, just as they thought it was finally over, an unnoticed Abyssal disrupts the course of the fight.
One of the two Executors, Seren, observing the damage and the relentless power of the Abyssal, begins to wonder how she ended up here. Marking her memories and her story with a blank and a black page, as if staring death in the face, everything resurfaces.


_____ CHAPTER 1: A Starless Night _____



Due to the eruption of the Malice and the transformations of people affected by its growing activity, the city of Ikebukuro has been placed under quarantine.The Executors are tasked with eliminating any Abyssal and placing a seal that acts like a bandage on the barrier barely holding back the advance of the Malice. 
Meanwhile, the Japan National Security Corps and the Eclipse Division oversee and provide logistical support in sealing the breach torn into the barrier.The two Executors position themselves at strategic points before attempting to contain the central source of the Malice.There is suspicion that potential Abyssals may appear around the breach.

The young Executor, Seren, dressed in a white robe adorned with golden patterns as if crafted by the hand of a master from some unreachable land was ascending the outer stairs of one of the many buildings in the district, which still reflected the twilight's fading light.

The area, once known for its bustling urban life, so loud and crowded, was eerily quiet today.The towering skyscrapers and the warm glow of dusk blended perfectly.Strangely, as she climbed higher, a gentle and comforting nostalgia began to fill her heart.She eventually came to a stop, standing apart on a rooftop.

It was a stroke of luck for Seren, who stood atop one of the many buildings offering a breathtaking view of the surroundings and of the heavy silence hanging over the city.For, in that brief moment, she could simply take in the scenery and let herself drift into contemplation.

— "… Wow, it’s beautiful! (Anton, I wish I could show you this view. The world feels so vast from here!)"
Seren was lost in thought, entranced by the beauty of the horizon.Waves of the past and of a not-so-distant promise came crashing back onto the shore, when a familiar voice resurfaced from her memories.

Ethereal voice: — "Oh you, joyful bearer of hope, beyond the firmament, beyond the sky and Earth, beyond all conception and the web of existence, when the stars and celestial bodies no longer shed their light, you shall meet the One whose innocent blood was spilled."
"Uuuh~… that voice again… it’s such a pain. If only I could remember it properly."

A little farther away, the Executor Dero was on the front line.He had stopped at an intersection near a large public square, overlooked by vast structures of concrete and glass.They communicated via a skin-adhering device commonly known as the Linkpatch, a new technology developed by the government with help from the Council of Melchizedek.The Linkpatch was perfect for short-range communication.
   — “Seren, do you hear me?”
  “...”
  “...Seren?!”
 “Yes! Sorry, I was daydreaming.” “Head back. No one will hold it against you.” “Huh?!” “Go back. I can handle this on my own.” “What?! No! I don’t want to. Don’t worry, it’s just... some old memories coming back.”

Executor Dero had doubts about Seren. He, too, was a solitary person who preferred to operate alone.

— “...Stay on the rooftop. You may have higher resistance to the Malice than others, but I’d rather you stay put for now. Leno has blind faith in your abilities. I don't. Stay under cover, okay?”
Dero was somewhat dismayed by Seren’s lack of focus.She came across as a carefree, free-spirited young adult in a world plunged into darkness.To some, she was a sheep among wolves. To others, a fish swimming above water.For her part, she knew Dero’s temperament well.He was known in their home city as a living legend of a practice once considered a sport called Air, an extreme discipline that pushed and surpassed the limits of human capability.It was said that the practice itself had been created under the guidance of an Angel.Dero was listed as a champion with an iron will but Seren fully intended to make him see reason.
— “But… Why? Why do I have to stay under cover?!Even if I don’t fully understand my powers, I can use them!It feels like they don’t belong to me at all, but right now, I have them — so please, let me support you! I’m just as much a Champion of Air as you are!
 (...Maybe I overdid it saying that, but I hope it makes him realize I belong here.)”

“I said no. I don’t see how you expect to fight without Cross.That’s the same as fighting barehanded… Even as Air Champion, our armament can be useless in front of them.”
 “Cross, Cross, Cross it’s always the same song with you and Norea!”
 “Being an Executor without a Cross?  That’s unheard of. Even Leno has one, even if it’s weird. You’re the only one who doesn’t...”
 “Tch, I know !  I don’t have all the answers, but my abilities are real! You guys have those so-called angel-blessed artifacts, but I don’t need one!” “Listen. Having a Cross ensures—”
 “Yeah, yeah, I know it grants protection and the offensive power of the Shepherd’s Light, blah blah blah.”
 “Seren. Fighting Abyssals isn’t a game. The title of Champion of Air only holds meaning in our city outside of it, it’s only good for running away...”

 “I get it. But still... Let me support you. Even if you haven’t seen what I can do, Leno has. He’s witnessed that power. So…”

 “Sorry, but you’re not experienced enough... Stay where you are. If I need you, I’ll call you.” “...Wh-... (Did he hear what I just said?)”
In his heart, he had no intention of calling on Seren.In truth, he didn’t doubt her abilities but she reminded him of someone from long ago...Seren was young and full of promise.She had already proven her strength against pre-Abyssals.But for Dero, the risk was too high.More than anything... he was done with visions of hell.A battle.A man.A weapon. Nothing more.He stood alone against the world.It was, for him, a defense mechanism. The result of too much loss.
— “(Kuuuuh~! Seriously...)”
“Fine… Whatever. Don’t come complaining later just because I held back!”
  “...Doesn’t matter. Stay where you are. If an Abyssal shows up, wait for my signal.”
 “Yeah, yeah, yeah~.”
With a sigh, Seren once again turned her gaze to the horizon more precisely, to the translucent barrier pulsing with color at regular intervals.With each pulse, scale-like patterns could be seen shifting across its surface.
— “Dero, can I ask you something?” “Hm? Make it quick. If it’s important, say it now or wait until we’re out of here.” “I was just wondering… that temporary shield the JNSC put up is it really enough? This time, it feels more dangerous, doesn’t it?”“Honestly, I don’t know. Barriers aren’t really my field.They set up a containment layer to suppress the Malice leaking from the breach, but it’s just a pale imitation of the Grand Barrier. If the Malice surges, it won’t hold.That’s why we’re here.Fortunately, we’re not stuck here without options the Council of Melchizedek gave us the means to fix it.”“Hmm… Melki told me about the devices used to repair breaches. But if I understand this right, the protection’s not doing much. Wouldn’t it have been better to just rush the breach and place the seals directly?”

To his surprise, Dero wasn’t the only one who didn’t fully grasp how the barriers functioned.
“It’s not useless, far from it.But when it comes to filtering, it’s not great. Some of the Malice still leaks through, even inside the protected zone.And having two Executors deployed on a breach?That’s not exactly reassuring either.By the way, Seren, you mentioned Melki? Is that right?Who is that? You're talking like I’m supposed to know him.”
“ Oh~ I see! You don’t know him!”
“ What are you getting at?”


“ Don’t get upset, come on! I’m just messing with you.Melki is a resident of the City of Melchizedek, and he sometimes acts as a spokesperson when one of the Council reps is unavailable… at least, that’s what he told me.I met him when I got spatially displaced crossing our city’s barrier… 
Eeurgh~ just thinking about it gives me chills again!I landed straight in the middle of a battlefield, you know!I honestly thought I was gonna die that day!”

— “ Hm. Okay.”
 “ No reaction? I’m gonna start thinking you’re a robot, Dero.”
 “ Doesn’t matter.”
 “ Sigh… Anyway, what I was trying to say is that he told me about some kind of seal that acts like a bandage in case of a breach in a barrier.To be honest, I don’t really get it either…”
“ You can save the technical stuff for later. Just know this, if the Council of Melchizedek sent us here, it’s because things might turn bad.They must suspect something big is coming for us...We can’t just rush in blindly.
And I doubt this country’s local forces have any meaningful response to cases involving Abyssals. Even worse if they’re upper-level types. Tch~...”
“ Hmm… Seren took the time to think about the situation.”
Seren paused for a moment, realizing the situation was more disastrous than she had imagined.
Each city, each region and in rarer cases, each country possessed its own unique barrier.Each one served to protect against what lay in “The in-between,” whether that was between cities, nations, territories, or even dimensions.But what she now understood was that within a barrier, a smaller, secondary one had been created: the protection.

This secondary barrier acted as an outer layer but while the Grand Barrier and the protection together should have been enough to contain the Malice in the event of a breach, that was not the case.Despite everything, the Malice managed to slip past the protection and was already circulating within it.
Though it hadn’t reached lethal levels, it meant that the Malice behind the breach was abnormally strong posing a threat to a large part of Ikebukuro’s population… and possibly more.

— “ There are still people behind that breach…”
 “ Yeah... That’s why we need to move fast. Any other questions? I don’t kn—”
A sudden chill got the two Executors and a sound of chains rattling could be heard resonating in the silence of the city.

Despite the city lights still glowing within the barrier’s reach, a faint darkness had settled in. A heaviness.Like a thick veil or the onset of night, it darkened everything around them.The Malice’s physical form resembling black smoke was becoming more visible.It crawled, slithered along the ground… and it was drawing closer to Dero.

— “ Speak of the devil…Tch… The Malice just keeps intensifying.”

From out of nowhere, several figures began to emerge through a dense, supernatural fog.Around their necks chains. Some of them had their faces twisted, broken by submission.Others were being dragged, lifeless, behind the Abyssal.At the end of their chains: a speaking demon indescribably hideous.

Although its form was humanoid, the creature was three times the size of a man.Its body was covered in reddish fur and horn-like growths sprouting from its back and what resembled a torso.Each of its hands had six fingers to which its victims were chained.

If there was such a thing as the opposite of life the way antimatter is to matter then it would not be death, but the void’s darkness.The true opposition to the light that gives life to all things and despite the suffocating weight of corruption flooding the air, Dero could make out at least a dozen minions gathering around him.

From where Seren stood, the animosity, the revulsion, the sheer absolute evil radiating from the scene froze her in place for a brief moment.Anyone, faced with such a presence, would have lost control of themselves.
Dero drew his pistols.
 — “ Shit… I can’t get a clear read, there’s a second one... Seren! There’s definitely a second Abyssal! Seren, do you hear me?! …
 No response. Damn it...”

On her end, Seren was disoriented.In her confusion, she completely failed to register what Dero had said.But the truth was, she had sensed the second Abyssal.

— “ Why?…”
Seren collapsed.
“ Why are there two?!The barrier will never hold… and the Malice level is way too high!”
She began to hyperventilate.
“ Aah... Aah…”
A faint glow began to shine from Seren’s back… After a moment, her breathing began to steady again.She reminded herself of her experience and her strength.The young slayer stood back up.
“ I can’t just leave him like this. Let’s go.”

Meanwhile, Dero had made up his mind to go all out from the very start of the fight to secure victory immediately.In his eyes, there was zero room for error.


The beast had been speaking in an ancient language when it suddenly noticed Dero standing before it.The first demon now clearly visible was indeed accompanied by a second Abyssal.The two Abyssals were deep in discussion, conversing in a forgotten tongue.

— “ A human… Is he the one blocking the barrier?”
 “ No. His Cross isn’t powerful enough for that.”
The Cross is an artifact, a blessing, a protection against the Malice. It is said that such an object receives the kiss of the Angel.It shields, repels the Malice, and grants its wielder special abilities or powers.
The first Abyssal spoke again:
— “ He told us about a city full of humans. So where are they?! …Grrr.”
“ Don’t lose your temper just yet. Ghhhglarh!!”

The second Abyssal, barely perceptible, had a thin, wiry frame.It emitted a wet, sickening sound like it was retching. From its jaws poured dark shapes…Minions, or something close to them.

— “ Look — that creature standing before us…  Shall we corrupt it?  Or devour its mind and flesh, perhaps?”
“ Both!!”
“ Yesss~ Let’s do that.”
“ What the hell are these two doing here…?They’re far beyond the level of standard Abyssals…”

An endless string of questions began to crowd Dero’s mind.It should have been impossible once Abyssals reached a certain rank, even a breached barrier shouldn’t have allowed them through.


But something critical brought Dero back to the present.His target: the chained demon.He pushed the questions aside and focused.His heart couldn’t ignore the people bound to the beast, some still alive, others barely conscious.
Among them, a child no older than twelve covered in blood and scars, limping, trembling.The boy’s eyes locked onto Dero’s. With what little strength he had left, he spoke:

— “ S-save… me… plea… Aaaah— Aaaaah~…”

The Malice devoured the child’s very being.
Dero stood speechless.Torn between tactical logic, nightmare-laced memories, and the raw horror before him,he couldn’t save the young boy. 
The Malice corrupted his flesh and his mind. The child became possessed, just like the others.He lost all reason, that boy was no longer of this world.A white mist escaped from his bloodied body.
Strangely, the pale fog was drawn in and absorbed by the Abyssal. The sight of it ignited something deep within Dero.His mind burned with fury.
At the ends of those chains, he had now clearly seen the crowd of captives:men, women, the elderly… and children, including the one who had spoken to him moments ago.Some were already dead in body, or in spirit. The variety in age, in gender made something clear to Dero, this Abyssal had made its choices deliberately.
The creature knew he had struck a nerve.And it enjoyed it.It took delight in the pain, the anger, the contempt it had provoked.And then… it spoke.

— “ Human. Don’t look at me with such disdain. In my mercy, I shall reveal something to you…”
The demon crouched near the child’s body.In the darkness of its many eyes, great crimson pupils gleamed.And as it spoke, the Malice flared violently.
— “ I’ve taken great care of him… just like the other refuse of your kind. In my mercy…”
The Abyssal began to mutter... to ruminate…
— “ I took my time chewing up each of his mother’s limbs right in front of him. Then I did the same with his father.But I don’t get it… not really.He gave off less of the Shepherd’s particles when I ate his father!”
The beast let out a ghastly laugh and cried out again:

— “ ‘PLEASE, PLEASE, NOOO! STOP!’”
“ It went on, reveling in its own atrocities.Utterly pathetic. I gorged myself.So as a reward, I’m keeping his body alive so he can be with his parents forever…”
Disgust. A deep, revolting disgust.Nothing could truly capture the emotional state Dero was in. No words could name the storm within his gut.
A tempest. A fire. A deep undercurrent surging through him.
His hands trembled. He fought against himself. Against his own body.
His entire being was screaming, screaming at him to move, to bring justice, to unleash death.In his line of work with all his experience he was supposed to stay cold, unmoved.He had endured loss, and claimed victories…
But something like this? You never get used to it.
No one ever does.
To remain impassive, for Dero, was always a kind of sacrifice. A sacrifice of self.In this case, of the last pieces of his humanity.All for a greater cause.

— “ Would you like to join them as well? Wou—”
Dero cut the Abyssal off mid-monologue.
“ Shut up.The only thing you’ll be chewing on today is a rain of bullets from my guns.And I swear I will tear you apart, piece by piece, and make damn sure you never leave this place alive.”
His eyes burned with unwavering resolve.
— “Grrrr… Good. I had no intention of making you a slave anyway. I’ll have the pleasure of skinning you alive!”
The Abyssal lowered into a stance, eyes gleaming blood-red, tracking Dero for even the slightest opening.

Farther away, still posted on the rooftop, Seren having regained her composure hurried to contact Dero through the Linkpatch.
— “ Dero! I’m on my way! What’s your status?”
“ No! Don’t move. I’ll tell you when to act! We’ve reestablished contact, that's already something. Let me say it again: stay put, you’ll only get in the way! Don’t worry about me, I've got it under control.”
Worried and anxious, Seren chose to stay at her position and observe for now.
— “ Seren, I also need to tell you there’s a sec—”
The minions spawned by the second beast suddenly rushed toward Dero.
— “ Tch… Out of my way!”
With his heightened abilities, Dero launched himself headfirst into the approaching horde.One by one, he gunned them down with surgical precision.But he didn’t have a second to breathe before the thick-furred demon charged.
No pause, no mercy, the intensity of the fight only kept climbing. The buildings nearby trembled under the force of the blows, and the clash of their battle echoed far beyond the quarantine zone.

From rooftop to rooftop, their skirmish tore through once-crowded districts.
— “ This human... He’s not even going all out! (Is he trying to free those insects? So be it~! Fool!)”
The Abyssal let out a blood-chilling laugh.
To the human eye, its movement was nearly indistinguishable from teleportation.In an instant, it was behind Dero, attempting to land a swift, brutal strike with its right hand.The bodies chained to the Abyssal’s thick fingers exploded as they slammed into the ground.Dero gritted his teeth.He dodged the blow just in time, countered with a well-placed shot from his firearmbut was then hurled into a streetlight by the force of the impact.

— “Chew on that!”
Unfortunately, the demon’s hide was far tougher than that of its minions and the beast knew it.
Even though Dero’s bullets were infused with light, none of them could pierce its flesh.With a mere sweep of its arm, the entity deflected the shots, shattering the entrance of the building behind it and the surrounding area as we