The chamber—dimly lit and suffused with an almost oppressive stillness—housed a monster. An abhorrence so alien that its very existence seemed to warp the air, as though reality itself recoiled from it.

Subject 0. A cataclysm. A living calamity.

Humanity had given it countless names, each born of fear, yet the creature had never once raised a hand against them. Paradoxically, it had even saved them—though entirely by accident. When a horde of high-ranking monsters wreaked havoc on the continent, Subject 0’s mere presence annihilated them in an instant, the collateral destruction comparable to a nuclear detonation. A being of unfathomable power, with no killing intent, no desire to fight—an enigma that terrified the world.

The politicians in the upper echelons of the Sorcerer Council called it an opportunity. They were rats in robes, heads bloated with politics and ignorance, grasping for power they barely understood. To them, Subject 0 was not a mystery, but a weapon waiting to be leashed.

And so, they sent Fujiwara Aki.

Aki was a formidable sorcerer, a specialist in debilitating curses. His arts could paralyze even monsters of legend—or, in theory, force Subject 0 into slumber. That talent alone earned him the unenviable assignment of acting as this creature’s handler.

The heavy door creaked open, and Aki stepped inside.

There it sat—Subject 0—unchained, unbound, surrounded only by a forest of talismans plastered across the walls and floor to suppress its boundless power. Half-sealed, the creature still radiated an aura that made Aki’s skin prickle. And yet… it was playing a handheld game console, utterly absorbed, as though oblivious to the fact it could erase a nation with a thought.

Aki swallowed hard. He had to remember why he was here: to coax the subject into cooperation—by any means necessary. They were desperate, and he was prepared to bribe the creature with the only things it seemed to enjoy: human entertainment, games, and food.

“My apologies for the interruption,” he said, his voice steady despite the pounding of his heart. “I’ve come to inform you of something important.”

Even restrained, even distracted, the being before him radiated a quiet, effortless menace. It could crush him in an instant if it wished. And yet, it seemed… uninterested. That was the key. If he could pique its curiosity—or its appetite—then perhaps Subject 0 would agree to help. Otherwise, no human force on earth could compel it.