Setting the Stage for a Massacre!

It was a peaceful morning at the Haku Research Facility, a spacious building with hundreds of scientists employed in various areas of study — including magic. But that peace was soon interrupted by windows shattering as a dark figure flew in.

"ALERT! ALERT! There is somebody breaking into the facility! Advising all personnel to evacuate immediat—" the deep, male voice blared through the intercom, but was suddenly cut off by his own screams of pain. Loud and sickening sounds of stabbing could be heard in the background, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground.

Coughing and gurgling sounds filled the air as the man struggled to breathe, his lungs filling with blood. His attempts to cry out for help were drowned out by the sound of footsteps approaching. Panic set in amongst the residents of the facility as they heard the stabbings through the intercom.

They didn’t know who was attacking yet were quick to act, one scientist rushing to the phone to call in the JSDF to deal with the problem.

Ring…ring…

The antique phone rang for a few moments before someone picked up the phone. He was greeted by a blare through the speakers before he could properly respond.

“Hello? HELLO?!” The woman said in agony with fear written all over her face. “Help! Help! We need help! There is someone breaking into the facility—" a slightly high-pitched female voice mixed with fear, swiftly said through the phone before the lines were cut off by a loud explosion nearby.

The officer opened his mouth to speak but no words came out as he briefly heard what sounded like an explosion before he was cut off. The officer was left in a state of confusion by what just happened, before dismissing it and putting down the phone.

"What the hell was that about…" he said in a gruff voice while shaking his head. He tried putting his mind on something else but he kept coming back to the lady. He knew it was urgent but the woman did not say a location, so he must do nothing. But then he got another phone call moments later, causing him to jump out of surprise, prompting him to rush to the phone.

"Sir, we have received reports that the Haku Research Facility is being attacked by an unknown individual and request a rapid deployment immediately," one of the officer's subordinates said in a straightforward tone.

"...Right away," dumbfounded by what the man on the phone said, the officer hesitated to respond right away. The officer felt queasy in his stomach as he slammed the phone.

He picked the phone up again and dialed his superiors in Tokyo calling for a rapid deployment to the Haku facility. After a brief conversation, he hung up the phone once more. As he did, he could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance.

The officer's heart raced as he waited anxiously for the reinforcements to arrive. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible was happening at the facility, and he hoped that they would get there in time to stop it.

The JSDF troops descended upon the beleaguered research facility in a matter of minutes, their choppers thundering overhead as they stormed inside. Thick plumes of smoke billowed out, obscuring visibility and heightening the sense of urgency. The pungent odors of charred flesh and metallic blood filled the air making it difficult to breathe.

As they moved through the facility, the soldiers were met with a scene that defied comprehension. Bodies lay strewn about, their limbs torn asunder, heads severed, and innards spilling out like ghastly decorations. The once pristine lab was now a scene straight from hell, death's putrid stench permeating every corner.

The soldiers' faces twisted in horror and disgust at the sight before them. Their eyes widened in shock, their mouths hanging open in a silent scream. Some of them retched, unable to hold back the bile rising in their throats. Others froze, their minds struggling to process the sheer brutality of what they were witnessing.

Footsteps echoed through the darkness, accompanied by the sickening scrape of dragging feet. One of the soldiers caught sight of a figure in the distance, its dark-haired head bent low as it lugged a lifeless form behind it.

"Halt!" the young commander barked, training his weapon on the suspect. The man didn't flinch; instead, he slowly turned his head, a sadistic grin spreading across his features.

"Shoot," he goaded, his voice dripping with malice. "What are you waiting for?"

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their trigger fingers faltering. Something wasn't quite right about this man, an unspoken warning that made them hesitate.

Their commander, barely out of his teenage years, stood firm against the waves of fear threatening to engulf him. To yield would bring disgrace not only upon himself but also upon his comrades who placed their trust in him.

A mix of anger, revulsion, and fear swirled within the soldiers' chests, their hearts racing with anticipation. They knew they had to act, but the prospect of facing such a ruthless killer sent shivers down their spines.

Time appeared to stand still, the only sounds being the soft moans of the dying, the persistent thrum of machinery, and the heavy breathing of the soldiers as they weighed their options.

The commander barked orders at his troops, his voice firm despite the fear creeping into his heart. "Fire!" he shouted, gesturing towards the enemy. "Don't let them get the better of us!"

The soldiers lifted their rifles, aiming at the figure before them. They pulled their triggers, but instead of the satisfying thud of bullets hitting flesh, there was only the sound of ricochets and deflections. The man revealed a shimmering barrier around himself, one that seemed impervious to their attacks.

The soldiers stumbled back; confusion etched on their faces. The commander's facade wavered, his eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't understand how none of the bullets had managed to penetrate the barrier. Were they really up against someone with such powerful magic?

The man took advantage of the momentary lapse in the soldiers' composure.

"You see this?" he called out, gesturing to the protective shield surrounding him. "Your bullets won't work on me. You'll need something stronger if you want to get past this,"

The commander finally gathered his thoughts, his anger boiling over as he pointed at his enemy. "What's an assassin like you doing, disobeying your country? You're a traitor, you know that?!" the young commander shouted.

However, the man didn't seem to care. He lowered his arm and walked right up to the commander, until they were face to face. The young commander's face quickly shifted from anger to terror as the man approached him.

Suddenly, the commander felt lightheaded. "Ngh... w-what the hell..." he muttered, looking down to find a purple-colored blade of mana sticking out of his abdomen. The man twisted the blade, causing the commander's eyes to go white. He fell to the ground as the man pulled the blade out of his body.

"You'll know the name 'Daisuke' in hell, commander," the man said with a sneer.

With their commander fallen, the soldiers lost whatever vigor they had left. They turned tail and ran, pushing and shoving each other in their panic. Some even fell to the ground.

But Daisuke wasn't finished yet. He raised his arm again and fired a volley of razor-sharp wind blades hurtling towards the soldiers at maximum velocity. The blades went wild, turning the walls into a butcher's block coated with the minced remains of human flesh.

After the massacre, Daisuke stood amidst the carnage, his clothes splattered with blood. He crouched down to examine one of the soldiers' bodies, picking up a sample of their blood and licking it thoughtfully.

"Hmm... I could make use of these people," Daisuke mused, standing up and began dragging the soldiers' bodies away by their feet. He took them to a separate room filled with magic reactors and gadgets.

Arranging the bodies in a circular pattern resembling the Wrath symbol, Daisuke stood before them, a smile spreading across his face. "Perfect. Now all I need to do is recite the incantation correctly, and according to the spell book I read, it should empower me."

Clapping his hands together, Daisuke began to prepare the ritual. Carefully reciting the incantation, five crimson magic circles appeared around him. As he felt a surge of energy flowing through his body, he exclaimed in glee: "Yes...! IT'S WORKING!!"

Everything was going perfectly, just as Daisuke had planned.

As Daisuke began the ritual, his smile grew ominously wide, until it grew to a sinister sneer. Dark ambition shot through his eyes onto the ritual circle, burning with furious desire and righteousness.

But as the ritual progressed, something strange began to happen. The room around him started to vibrate violently, and sparks of lightning began to dance around him. Daisuke's eyes widened in shock as he realized that something was very wrong.

"No...it can't be!" he cried out in denial, his voice echoing off the walls of the small room. He tried to regain control of his magic, but it was too late. The mana in the room had already reached critical levels, and the entire facility was beginning to destabilize.

“WARNING. WARNING. DUE TO THE MAGICAL OVERLOAD IN THE FACILITY, IT IS GOING TO BLOW UP IN T-MINUS 10 SECONDS,” a loud, feminine robotic voice sounded throughout the room, calmly counting down from ten: “10…9…8…”

Daisuke's heart raced as he realized that he was running out of time. He turned and ran towards the nearest exit, but it was too late. The door slammed shut behind him, trapping him inside.

"7...6...5...4..." the robotic voice continued to count down, its tone never wavering.

Daisuke's breath came in short gasps as he frantically searched for another way out. But every door he opened led only to more rooms, more corridors, and more dead ends.

"3...2..."

Daisuke's legs trembled beneath him as he realized that he was out of options. With a heavy heart, he stopped running and leaned against the wall, his eyes closed in defeat.

"1..."

The explosion hit, and everything went black.