Tech Hero in Another World

Velna was completely drained. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her body trembling, pain coursing through every joint. She sat slumped on the stone bridge, eyes locked on the massive claw raised above her head, ready to split her skull in two. In the final seconds before death, she squeezed her eyes shut.

(Is it… over? Is this really the end?)

But at that very moment, a deafening sound split the air. WHAM! A powerful kick slammed into the monster's head, forcing its enormous body sideways. The bridge cracked under the impact of its skull.

Velna's eyes flew open in shock. A man now stood before her—broad-shouldered, solidly built, with messy strands of coarse black hair hanging loose. He wore simple clothes, the kind common folk wore, not the academy uniform. Yet the aura radiating from him was anything but ordinary.

Kiriya turned slightly, his calm yet sharp eyes glinting in the darkness. His lips curved faintly as he muttered in a sarcastic tone:

"Is there some mad scientist out there trying to create a t-virus in this world?"

Velna blinked, bewildered. The words meant nothing to her, alien and nonsensical. But she had no time to ask—her heart pounded too hard in her chest.

From behind, another figure came running. A young man with blond hair, his face pale with panic—yet unmistakably familiar. Erick Greyson. Like Kiriya, he wasn't wearing the academy uniform but plain clothes, as if both of them had planned to blend in.

Erick crouched down immediately, reaching for Velna's trembling hand. "Come on… stand up!"

His hand was warm, pulling her back from her daze. Slowly, she clasped his hand and tried to rise, though her knees still shook from fear.

But Kiriya never turned to them. His eyes stayed fixed on the monstrous figure that was already staggering back to its feet, even after taking such a brutal blow to the skull. Black blood dripped from its jaw, yet its gaze remained locked—not on Kiriya, but on Velna.

"Erick…" Kiriya finally spoke, his voice cold. "This is going to be tough. You need to head back to the academy right now. Report this to someone before it's too late."

Erick's eyes widened. "What!? You're planning to fight it alone!?"

Kiriya's steps carried him forward, unflinching. "And what—do you want something like this wandering free until it reaches the academy? If it slips past us, the casualties could reach hundreds… maybe even thousands."

The words struck Erick like a hammer. His jaw tightened, his heart screaming in protest even as his mind knew Kiriya was right.

"That's insane… you don't even know what this thing is!"

"Of course I know." Kiriya clenched his fist, then barked in a commanding tone, "NOW GO!!"

The night fell silent. Only the monster's heavy footsteps echoed as it rose once more. Velna stood pale and shaken, still struggling to grasp the situation, while Erick bit down hard on his lip. Finally, with great reluctance, he pulled Velna back.

Kiriya advanced, a chilling aura unfurling from his body. The shadows along the bridge seemed to stir, crawling upward in answer to his presence. He slowly raised his hand, and from the darkness, a thin blade took shape—a sword forged entirely from condensed shadow.

The monster let out a guttural roar, a hideous mix of human and beast. Its warped body surged forward, the massive claw swinging high, ready to cleave all in its path.

Kiriya met the roar head-on, his expression unwavering. His body shot forward, feet slamming against the bridge with a resounding crack, the sound mingling with the rushing river below. The shadow blade gleamed with a cold, lethal light, as though it was an extension of the night itself.

Velna watched from afar, breath caught in her throat, as Kiriya slipped past several of the monster's rapid strikes. Every movement was sharp, survival-honed, his instincts razor-sharp—though it was clear he wasn't a warrior accustomed to fighting something like this.

"Tch… in that case, we're leaving too!" Erick gripped Velna's arm, his face pale but his eyes firm.

"B-But… what about your friend?" Velna faltered, her gaze still fixed on Kiriya.

"Friend?" Erick stammered. His tongue felt stiff, as if rejecting the word itself. "We're not even friends… but…" he clenched his teeth, angry at himself. His relationship with Kiriya had never been good from the start, riddled with misunderstandings. Yet in this moment, hesitation was swallowed by a single realization. "We can't just ignore this. If that thing escapes into the city, hundreds of people could die! We have to report it before it's too late!"

Velna fell silent, her eyes still fixed on Kiriya as he struggled to fend off the monster's relentless strikes. In his movements, she caught a glimpse of something—he wasn't just an ordinary young man. The blade formed from shadows, the way his body seemed linked with the darkness… Was it dark magic? Or the ability of some mysterious job?

But Erick gave her no time to dwell on the thought. He forcefully tugged her arm, dragging her through a narrow alley that opened into the main road leading back to the academy.

Meanwhile, Kiriya held his ground. The towering abomination was still fixated on Velna, but Kiriya's strikes were enough to keep its focus shifting. Again and again, the shadow blade slashed across its body, leaving shallow wounds that instantly sealed up, as though its flesh was bound by unnatural regeneration.

This bastard doesn't feel pain at all… Kiriya thought, cold sweat trickling down his temple.

Then, a sudden strike came. The massive claw swept through the air with terrifying speed. Kiriya tried to dodge—but this time, he was too late.

BAM!

His body was flung hard against the side of the bridge, stone shattering on impact. Agonizing pain exploded in his chest, like he'd been struck by a giant iron hammer. Blood filled his mouth, spilling across the broken stone beneath him.

"Urgh… damn it…" Kiriya groaned, forcing himself upright, his battered body screaming in protest. His sharp eyes scanned for Velna and Erick—but they were already gone.

"…Fine," he muttered, swallowing the pain as he pushed himself to stand. "Judging by the situation… I don't have a chance of winning at all."

The monster stomped forward, each step shaking the bridge, its glowing red eyes still locked on the spot where Velna had been standing.

Kiriya let out a bitter grin, laced with grim resolve. "But… that doesn't mean I'll just roll over and die."

From the inside pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a round object, roughly the size of a baseball. Matte black with pulsating neon-blue lines, it radiated the presence of a high-powered core. This wasn't a magic artifact. It was something he'd held onto all this time—a remnant of technology from another world.

The orb pulsed faintly as his fingers brushed it. Kiriya stared at it, then gave a dry laugh. "I really hope… he didn't make this some ridiculous transformation gimmick straight out of Kamen R***. But… sadly, this is the only hope I've got."

With firm resolve, Kiriya pressed the button on the orb's surface. Instantly, a cold, mechanical voice cut through the night.

[Welcome, Agent.]

The orb burst apart in a flash of light, scattering into fragments of metallic particles that swirled around him like liquid steel. The shards spiraled down, wrapping tightly around his waist, locking into place as a sleek mechanical belt. At its center, a crystal core pulsed, beating in sync with his heart—thump… thump… thump…—as though fusing his life with the machine.

But that wasn't all. From his jacket, Kiriya pulled out another device—a slim, transparent cylinder, shaped like a futuristic battery. Inside, streams of orange energy churned violently, glowing like molten fire trapped in glass.

His face hardened as he slotted it into the belt's chamber.

Click!

Another mechanical voice resonated, deeper this time, carrying weight.

[Charge complete. Energy Core stabilized.]

The synchronization was seamless. The device was no longer foreign—it was part of him.

Kiriya drew in a sharp breath. Though his body still ached from the earlier blow, a surge of alien power now coursed through his veins, wrapping around every fiber of muscle. The blood dripping from his lips slowed, the crushing pain dulled, suppressed by the mechanical energy weaving itself into his body.

He smirked faintly. "Hah… I really hope the guy who built this isn't laughing at me from somewhere…"

Then, with not a shred of shame, he struck a pose that to anyone else might look utterly ridiculous. His foot stomped against the stone bridge, his arms crossed in front of him, before he shouted with unwavering voice:

"Henshin!"

[Suit Up!]

The mechanical voice echoed, followed by an eruption of blinding light. The nano-tech fragments that had been circling him latched onto his body, swarming like billions of metallic insects. From the belt, black plating burst outward, crawling over his torso, his shoulders, down his arms.

Zzzrrrkkk! The sharp crackle of static electricity followed.

In seconds, a full combat suit had formed—sleek yet dense, black armor with glowing orange lines tracing intricate energy patterns across its frame. Finally, a helmet snapped into place, completing the transformation. Its design was menacing, with dual compound lenses like the unblinking eyes of a giant insect, radiating an intimidating glare.

The air vibrated with his presence. A heavy pressure spread outward, shaking the atmosphere itself.

"Grrr…"

The abomination across from him growled low, its grotesque stitched face twitching, claw raised. It could sense the danger—its prey had changed. This was no longer just a human with meager shadow tricks. This was something else entirely—another predator, born not of nature, but of technology and human will.

Kiriya clenched his fist, feeling the raw power surging with each movement. Energy flowed freely through his body, igniting instincts he'd never known.

He stepped forward, his armored boots slamming against the bridge with a heavy thud. The orange energy lines along his suit pulsed brighter, burning like veins of fire.

And then, his voice echoed, deeper through the modulated filter of the helmet:

"Time to dance."

The nightmare beast let out a thunderous roar, massive claw raised high as it charged forward. The ground shook beneath its monstrous stride.

But this time, Kiriya didn't flinch. He dropped into his stance, arm rising, as if to challenge the monster with newfound certainty.

The night sky bore witness. The bridge, the moonlight, the rushing river below—all became their stage.

The battle between a bioengineered nightmare and a man clad in nano-tech armor was about to begin.