The deafening cry of sirens filled the streets of Tousen. Like a pack of wildebeests people trampled over one another in an attempt to find shelter from the incoming Tsunami.

  Buildings lay toppled over one another in ruins due to the earthquake which preceded this moment. Cars crushed under pillars of stone and people like wise flattened into bloody pools and bits of flesh.

  It was a horrific site, one which made Kanashi nearly fall to his knees in despair. The point of Shibucho prefecture he and Kenji were standing at was built on an upward slope making it so if you looked east you could always see the beach.

  The water had receded some ways and off into the very far distance the writhing tide and growing waves visible. The emergency broadcast had said a Tsunami was inbound in only ten minutes. From that point at least a few had passed. Being liberal Kanashi and Kenji had seven minutes to decide their course of action.

  What can I even do… Kanashi wondered, gripping his hand tightly. I want to help, to do something to save people but I don’t think I can. If I tried to build a blockade it'd either be too big and crumble or too small to defend anything. Only someone like Jin could stop this and I think even he would need to pull something out of his ass.

  Natural disasters were something Kanashi had little experience with. Being in the middle of a desert continent, Azhar had little to worry about with things like Tsunami, typhoons, hurricanes or tornadoes. Earthquakes might have happened once or twice a year but they were nothing more than a house shaker, so light the casualties more often than not consisted of televisions which had poorly mounted to the wall.

  The greatest issue were droughts, flooding and haboobs but in modern times those could be easily supplemented with technology.

  As such this destruction which Kanashi bore witness to was something he had no prior concept of. That nature itself could truly be so horrific and powerful was awe inspiring. The planet could destroy itself both far quicker and easier then any man or weapon could, that much had become clear.

  Perhaps in Edoland the only one who could stop this disaster was the one who boasted himself as the strongest of the Toumeikan. A man blessed with the ability to [Negate] phenomena. Sumiyoshi Domushi.

  No even he must have a limit to what he can [negate]. Thought Kanashi, licking his dry lips. And even if he could stop this would he? I know Hojo Mitou told me that the Toumeikan had aided in the relief charity for the victims of a prior tsunami so there is a possibility of him acting on this even right? No, I can’t just rely on the off chance of him not only being able to [Negate] the Tsunami but also have the willingness to act on it. That’s far too dangerous to bet Kenji and my life on.

  Kanashi looked to the swordsman beside him. Staring off into the distance, his eyes narrowed, Kenji watched the incoming wave, its figure coming more clearly into view. A mass of writhing salt water which stood at least fifty feet tall, most likely far more.

  [5 minutes remaining!]

  Called out the city's emergency broadcast in both Edogo and Shinkai.

  I don’t have time to sit here and wonder about what to do, I just need to do something!

  Standing up straight Kanashi grabbed onto Kenji's sleeve to grab his attention.

  “Come on Kenji! Let’s get to a shelter and see what we can do to help!”

  But of course the question is if we should go to an above ground or below ground shelter. There’s a chance of the anti flooding system failing and trapping everyone into a watery death, but if the waves prove strong enough then any buildings could topple over and have us fall to our deaths. Either way we both die…

  “Kenji come on!” Kanashi repeated pulling on the swordsman sleeve harder.

  “Yeah, let’s get somewhere higher…” Kenji nodded, his face colored with determination.

  “You think so? Alright looks like we’ve found our answer then!” Kanashi smiled, his eyes creased.

  ? ? ? ? ? ?

  “Ha-ha-ha!”

  Kanashi gasped for air as he ran up the stairs, his legs pumped with enhancement; he tried to focus only on reaching the top of the building before the Tsunami struck the city.

  In his arms he held an elderly man who’s wheelchair didn’t allow him to reach a shelter in time. Riding on his shoulder was a young boy, maybe seven years of age who cried out in both pain and grief. His hands dyed with the blood of a loved one.

  Kanashi grit his teeth, both anger and frustration filling his soul.

  Kenji too carried with him some stragglers, a woman with a broken leg was curled up under his left arm. In his right was a teenage boy who they found unconscious, most likely a victim of the earthquake in some way. Finally on his neck was a young girl too small to reach shelter in time.

  Though Kenji carried the heavier load he far surpassed Kanashi in speed, skipping up the stairs like they were nothing; he quickly bounced from floor to floor as Kanashi chased his shadow.

  Kanashi had been counting the seconds since they’d heard the final warning, in total they should have around thirty seconds left before the Tsunami struck the city's outskirts. From there it would take maybe another twenty to reach where they were standing. Of course that’s also taking the broadcast's timing at face value. There was a high chance it was off, hopefully in a way that they had longer than expected. Though the chance of destruction reaching them quicker was also just as likely so he couldn’t rely on having more time then he currently did.

  So far they’d run up a solid sixteen stories, the building they found reaching eighteen. High enough to be out the Tsunamis reach and thick enough to withstand the impact.

  Now the only problem was if they could make it up the stairs in time.

  “Damnit!” Kanashi choked out, spitting phlegm from his throat. He had surely gained an increase of stamina, his speed reaching that of a professional athlete when pumped with enhancement. Though running up the stairs alone and carrying an extra hundred thirty pounds were entirely different matters. Due to focusing most of his enhancement into his legs he was forced to bare everything above the waist with his natural strength. If he’d tried this only a few months ago he’d have had an asthma attack on the 2nd story. Pride did fill his chest but at the same time so did overwhelming shame. Shame at still not being enough, still being too weak to do what he wanted and needed to do.

  “Damnit!” He cried pushing himself harder, trying to force his body to go beyond its current limits. Surely he was only kicking the can further down the road, the end getting closer the more he forced himself. But that time wasn’t now, for now he would continue to do his best and more. Because if he failed, it wasn’t just him he would be letting down. But everyone else, you could even argue that the entire world was depending on his current actions if you so chose.

  15 seconds! He screamed internally, his breath now sounding more like the raspy scraping of unoiled hinges. He should have reached it, he should be close enough. The 17th story would soon end and the 18th and final was waiting for him.

  “We’re here!” He called out seeing the final staircase's end, a laugh escaping his dry throat. The door to the roof seemed to glow and sparkle as he came closer to reaching it, his body pushing out a final burst of energy he skipped nearly four steps at a time ascending the final staircase.

  Then he did it, he leapt out the door and into the blinding light which quickly dissolved into the stormy gray sky. The putrid smell of rotting eggs burning his nose. Looking around he saw a group of maybe one hundred people had also found shelter on the roof. Many dressed in the same uniform, likely the working for the business which the building housed.

  With a sigh he helped the old man to a bench and the child to the floor. Kenji like wise had also ditched his hitchhikers and now stood atop the roofs railing.

  People muttered with nervous glances at his blatant disregard of safety. Some offered warning but Kenji paid them no mind, continuing to stare at the approaching wave which was just about to breach the shore line.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Now comes the scary part…” Kanashi complained, playing with his fingers. His fear from before had also been great but the goal was something he could clearly envision. The idea of reaching the roof being his single purpose he didn’t need to think about what laid beyond that. It was a chance of survival which laid within his grasp, something he himself could make possible with his own hard work.

  Now their survival was based entirely on the building's integrity. Something neither he or anybody else had control over and that ate him alive.

  “...”

  His stomach churned he could only watch with trembling pupils as the wave breached the shore. In an instant the wooden peer vanished from sight, chunks of wood the size of houses flew into the air like leaves in a soft breeze.

  Pure strength, that's all anyone who watched that display could think. That the Tsunami could so easily destroy something so large and sturdy was horrifying.

  Biting his lips, Kanashi closed his eyes in a silent prayer to God that Kenji and those on the roof and even everyone else in the city would be safe.

  CRACK!

  “Aieee!”

  The sudden noise which occurred right in the ear of Kanashi made him yelp like a dog, falling to his behind with hands covering his ears and face.

  However feeling that he’d not been swept away by water or fallen to his death he forced his eyes open rebelling against his fears to see what happened.

  What he saw before him and where Kenji had been standing was a puff of smoke, The railing caved in as if a small bomb had been detonated and destroyed that section of the roof.

  “Kenji!?” Kanashi yelled out, jumping to his feet and running to the edge of the roof. He looked into the distance straining his eyes until spotting the swordsman who was flying through the air towards the Tsunami, katana in hand.

  What the hell is he doing!? Is he trying to stop the Tsunami? Is he trying to fight it!? Is he retarded!? What the hell am I supposed to do now to make sure he doesn't die?

  Biting his lip to the point he nearly bled, Kanashi realized his only option.

  I just have to believe in him. Belief in his confidence and that strength which I’ve believed in being able to keep me safe so far.

  “You can do it Kenji! Kill that damn thing!” He called out over the roaring sounds which plagued the city.

  Please… don’t die.

  ? ? ? ? ? ?

  His action was based entirely of instinct. He had no reason or thought in his head to justify his ridiculous charge. His body just moved on its own.

  Flying through the air with speed equaling a jet Kenji grinned widely, his mouth nearly tearing at the corners from how hard he smiled.

  His legs were currently in a beyond sorry state, the amount of power he’d put into them was far too intense and his bones had shattered like broken glass. The skin burst open like a grape. The pain was intense as they swelled with blood turning purple and brown with blue veins writhing like worms across the skin's surface.

  But that didn’t matter right now, he didn’t need his legs anymore. No, the only thing he needed currently were his arms, with his two remaining limbs he’d slay the beast before him.

  His Katana unleashed it writhed with power as he clutched it, without knowing he poured Reinforcement into the blade and enhancement into his arms which bulged with muscle. Swelling up with blood his veins spread across the surface of his skin and the muscle fibers expanded. His arms nearly tripled in size so much that they looked like wooden barrels.

  “Phew…”

  Taking a deep breath he filled his lungs with the salary sea air. His chest and lungs filled to the brim. He was going to challenge the Tsunami, a natural disaster in its most literal and dangerous form.

  Such a thought had never before crossed his mind until a few minutes ago. Of course he’d wondered if he could stop a Tsunami in the past but never did he actually think of being able to test such a challenge nor intend to act on it.

  Every time he asked himself the question and up until just a minute ago he’d always reached the same conclusion. A firm answer of no, he couldn’t possibly stop a tsunami.

  But who and what the hell was logic to tell him what he could and couldn’t do? What gave a thing like logic the right to invade his mind and fill it with doubt. The only thing which could tell Kenji what he could and couldn’t do was himself, and his answer wouldn’t be known until he tried.

  With butterflies fluttering his stomach he felt his hands rub along his Katanas handle. His trusty Katana which he’d only named the day before.

  What a fool he was to not do so sooner. His Katana which had been with him for so long up until only the day before didn’t have a name of its own. He was a disgrace of a swordsman, his Katana would of course never show it’s true power to him if he didn’t show it proper respect, express to it his utmost trust and reverence.

  But it was different now, his Katana would show him what it was capable of and prove to him how foolish he had been for ever doubting it. For not giving it proper recognition.

  His Katana [亥偽雑: Ikazou] would slay the beast before him, that which dared to threaten his life.

  Swinging the blade which overflowed power he unleashed everything he had onto the tsunami before him. A blinding orange light obscuring his vision as he did so.

  [全壊: Zenkai!]

  ? ? ? ? ? ?

  Calling him speechless would be understatement for Kanashi couldn’t believe his eyes. He didn’t want them to be deceiving him but that would be far more realistic of an outcome then what he had just witnessed.

  Kenji swung his katana through the air just before reaching the Tsunami. Bolts of mana colored orange and the size of streetlights shooting into the air.

  The Tsunami which had roared its wrath a Kenji , intending to run him down and rip him to shreds with wooden debris. Had been bisected.

  From head to toe the wave was cleaved cleanly in half. Not only that but the now separate waves had their inertia reversed from the powerful slash. As if fleeing back from whence it came the waves quickly reverted to the opposite direction, flying off into the distance with the same wrath now aimed at the ocean itself.

  “...”

  There were no cheers at this display. No cries of joy or gasps of air. It was silent, absolutely silent. So quiet that if you dropped a coin it would seemingly echo for miles around.

  No one, absolutely no one could believe what they’d just witnessed. What Kenji had just done simply defied logic, he seemingly bent reality and nature itself to his will. Only Kanashi could comprehend the feat and just how truly ridiculous it was. Kenji had just grabbed reason by its neck and wiped his ass with it before Kanashis eyes. He’d assumed he was beyond logic before but now he’d truly bore witness to just how ridiculously strong he was.

  He’s strong.

  That single thought was the only thing which ran through his mind and everyone else's.

  The silence was only broken when the realization of Kenji's current state came to reality. Limply the mad swordsman had begun to plummet down towards the ground. Like limp noodles his limbs fluttered in the wind.

  “Kenji!” Kanashi screamed out, slapping his face as he leapt from the building's top. He did so without thought, acting off instinct alone his body moved before he could think. Only after realizing how he’d also just doomed himself to a brutal quick death he felt fear take his heart.

  “Aggggh!” He screamed out, the roaring wind filing his ears to the point that he couldn’t even hear his own voice.

  Think, think, think, I need to figure this out, I need to save Kenji. I need to find out to stop us both from dying. Shit why did I do this to myself! Come on brain, think!

  Kanashi closed his eyes tightly, conjuring a mixture of earth and water above him; he mixed the elements together until they formed a mass of mud.

  From there and as if activating [Mudd] he began to mold the mud into a golem, Something with wings, something with large firm wings which could glide through the air and a long reliable tongue to grab things from the air and hold them safely.

  “!”

  This concept burst into reality as a Frog with plane-like wings which replaced its arms appeared before Kanashi. The latter clutching the frog's back legs and it glided through the air towards Kenji.

  [Mudd Chimera: Torikou!]

  Conjuring another winged frog golem, Kanashi commanded the creature to “Catch Kenji” which it did obediently. Wrapping its tongue around the falling swordsman and helping glide him to the ground without a lethal crash.

  Both Kanashi and Kenji landed to the ground with a pop of mud, the golem's purpose being completed causing it to break apart.

  While Kanashi landed to the ground with a firm roll, Kenji's was more like the flopping of a fish plucked from the water. A deep sigh came from his mouth.

  “Kenji!” Kanashi cried crawling towards the Swordsman and looking him over. He was truly in a sorry state. His swollen legs were colored purple and brown with bulging dark blue veins writing across the surface. His arm like wise weren’t in the best of shape either the damage similar to his legs and arguably even worse. It looked as though they’d been tied into various knots and the bones shattered to dust.

  Strength beyond his body… Kanashi thought. He’d heard of such a concept from Jin before. That abusing magic could destroy your body if you didn’t train to keep their power in sync. But for Kenji this shouldn't have been an issue. His body was well shaped, not massive but lean with dense muscle. His body shouldn’t break from his own power.

  No… he’s just too strong to be bound by flesh and bone!

  It was truly a miracle that this man was on Kanashi and by extension the Venator Societies side. If he wasn’t then the entire liberation could look completely different.

  “Blegh, I don’t feel too great.” Kenji muttered, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. He tried to move his limbs but to no success, like the cords which connected his brain to his body had been cut he could only lay there full of intent but no results.

  “No shit! You’re lucky you’re alive!” Kenji yelled, putting his hand on Kenjis chest softly to feel his breathing and heart beat.

  “...”

  Eventhough he breathed like a human, and his heart beat like one too he felt like an otherworldly creature. While not quite on par with the likes of Julius, Titan and Jin he was clearly of the same breed.

  Beyond human, something which Kanashi could never hope to achieve even if he poured his entire life into trying to reach it.

  “Ha… I can’t help but be jealous.” Kanashi muttered with a weak smile.

  “Why did I look cool?” Kenji asked with a grin.

  “The coolest.”

  I had to ask myself if Jin could repel a Tsunami, and the answer was “Hell yeah he could.” with a flick of his fingers no less. Randolph could do the same as well though he’d need to do more than simply flick his fingers.

  But that’s more because of their respective styles and attitude.