"If you want to live, answer my question's."

Hayate chuckled internally, feeling ridiculously cliché after uttering the cliche line, "If you want to leave alive, answer my questions." He couldn't help but feel like he was playing the role of a villain from a cheesy 90s cartoon show.

If any of his friends had overheard him, they would have undoubtedly mocked him mercilessly, and he would have been the butt of their jokes for days to come. He could almost hear his friends' voices in his head, criticizing him for his cheesy lines. It was a good thing they weren't here to witness this embarrassing moment.

He then glanced at the group in front of him – he couldn't ignore the fear-riddled expressions on the human's faces, their eyes wide and hearts beating like a drum, as if they had seen a ghost. It was evident that they were unprepared and unequipped to deal with the sight of a monster like himself. However, Hayate was keenly aware that he was still outnumbered by the humans, and thus, they had some sort of leverage over him because he was unaware of their level and strength.

His gaze scanned each individual with calculative precision. They were human, that was obvious enough, but that did not entirely clarify who they were and what they represented.

But, since it appeared that they were all trembling, their eyes wide with terror, which meant that his [Fear] spell was working as intended. Since the spell had worked and based on their reactions, they were definitely a low level, below 15. Most likely even below that but he couldn't confirm it.

He had spells which detected MP, HP and even a spell which gave him a rough estimate of his opponent's level. However, when he had used the spell on them — it showed nothing. Which was something not at all possible in Hollow.

In this case, it indicated that either his spell was malfunctioning, or the enemy was using concealing magic or equipment to mask their level, which was a highly unlikely and rather foolish possibility. So, it meant that the only other possibility was that they didn't have any levels or the concept of levels.

This was the most probable explanation behind the absence of any indication of level, and honestly it was the most believable explanation. If they didn't even have any levels, then they definitely were beginners. No other explanation made sense. It seemed the mechanics of Hollow only applied to him and not the greater world. But that didn't stop Hayate from being wary of them. One couldn't be complacent and always had to keep their guard up. They were human, and judging from their equipment, they had weapons, which proved that this world did indeed have violence. And if there was violence, there were always enemies to be wary of. He couldn't let his guard down, not even for a moment. It was important to remain calm and collected, even though he currently had the upper hand with the paralysis effect of the fear spell.

He then looked at their equipment.

They were carrying firearms which made sense. Humans obviously lacked abilities or magic, so weapons were the only option. They had armour which appeared to be bulletproof armour or a suit of some sorts. They all wore a similar set of clothing which also indicated that they were a part of a group, a company or an organization.

It was obvious that they were a team. And Hayate wanted to know who they worked for.

Hayate secretly rejoiced in the fact that they were most likely low level and that he wouldn't be severely injured even if they started shooting guns at him, not that it even mattered because he had physical attacks immunity skills. Despite not wanting the situation to escalate to such a dangerous point, he couldn't help but feel a bit excited since it presented the perfect opportunity to test out some other things he had been contemplating.

Hayate observed the group in front of him, noticing their extreme fear. It seemed almost over-the-top, as if they had encountered a ghost. He couldn't help but wonder if he truly appeared that daunting. Initially, he had assumed they might mistake him for a cosplayer, but that didn't seem to be the case here.

"Now..I'll ask all of you a simple question, and you will answer me without hesitation." Hayate paused and chuckled internally, feeling like a bad guy, but he supposed being a villain was fun too. He'd have to take inspiration from the old-school 90s cartoon shows in the future.

"I'll ask again. Who are you all and what are you doing here? You have 60 seconds."

This was the perfect question. He had been worried about being spotted by the government and getting into trouble for his careless flying around after he was isekaied into the future so there was a chance they could be from them, he also thought they could have been civilians but quickly dismissed that thought after seeing these people had guns and armour, he knew they were likely not civilians so who were they? It was time to find out.

As the 60 seconds neared its end, Hayate took note of the continued lack of response from the group. Fifty seconds had ticked by without a single word spoken. Growing tired of the silence, he decided to apply a bit more pressure.

"Are you all mute? I said you have 60 seconds." He repeated, his tone a bit more stern and demanding. However, no one spoke at the start — so he let out a "tsk" sound.

He was about to speak again but before he could, he was interrupted by a shrill scream that pierced the air. His gaze snapped to the one who had cried out, It was a young man, likely in his early twenties, clad in a black suit like the others. Startled, he immediately noticed that the man clutched a assault rifle, with its barrel pointed directly at him.

Hayate was surprised by the man's sudden outburst, he hadn't expected such a dramatic reaction.

What he was truly taken aback by for a moment was young man's resistance to the spell. Having casted the de-buff spell on them, he expected them to remain paralyzed by fear, but this one seemed to be fighting against it. Interesting, he thought.

He observed the man for a moment longer, silently trying to determine how he was able to resist the spell he had cast. It was possible that his willpower was stronger than the others, or perhaps he had some sort of resistance to magic. Either way, this was an unexpected complication.

He would experiment on him later.

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Hayate approached the young man, who screamed with each step he took. The piercing noises were starting to become more than just annoying — they were actually beginning to hurt his ears. However, he maintained his composure.

Hayate reached out and gently grasped the young man right hand, noticing how small it felt in his grasp. He had no ill intentions towards him, he had planned to cast a spell on her to learn more. However, before he could do so, the situation escalated rapidly. The man fired a handgun at him, unloading the entire magazine in his direction.

Hayate's heart skipped a beat as the bullets from the handgun flew towards him, their sound like a series of sharp whistles. Despite now being in the body of his high-level character, he couldn't help but react with fear. After all, he wasn't a seasoned warrior accustomed to being shot at. This was his first time experiencing such a situation, and it was downright terrifying.

And as the 12 bullets struck him, each one ricocheting off his body without causing any harm because of his skill — [Invulnerable].

It protected him from any physical non magic attack (slashing, piercing, bludgeoning) as long as the person who attacked him had stats below level 60 which meant a total stat of 300 but anyone can use items which raise stats to get to that level so often he had to deal with level 55's attacking him.

One of his rings called [The ring of the iron general] nullified any piercing non-magical attacks as long as they were by someone who was below level 90 and any piercing magical attack as long as the attacker was below level 50.

He liked to keep both of these off, as they took the fun away but in this instant both of them automatically turned on. The bullets were rendered useless, effectively bouncing off him like harmless projectiles as they clattered to the floor.

Hayate was terrified.

Being shot was the most terrifying thing he'd ever experienced in his 20 years of existence. The fact that he'd been shot at before had never been as horrifying as the feeling of actually being shot at. He heard the deafening sounds of bullets firing and felt the vibrations of each bullet as they ricocheted off his body, leaving him untouched. It was an entirely new feeling — a combination of fear, terror, and adrenaline all at once. It was a terrifying experience that he never wanted to endure again.

After that, almost subconsciously, he reached his massive hand out and grabbed the head of the person who had shot at him.

"[Explode body!]."

Hayate had grown up without knowing the touch of violence on his life. He did not think that the world in which he currently resided was a simulation, but the real thing, Even so, he did not feel the slightest bit of fear at the consequences of his actions.

This calmness allowed him to make a cold, cruel decision.

This spell was one made a person's body explode if they were under level 50. It was a 6th tier spell.

It was an instant death spell. Even if it was resisted, the spell would still temporarily stun his opponent. However, it seemed the latter effect wouldn't take place before the former had.

The Mercenary's body began to twitch violently. His body started to contort and twist like a puppet whose strings had been cut loose. A low-pitched groan escaped his lips as he arched his back.

His skin began to ripple and bulge, like a ripe fruit about to burst open. The seams of his uniform stretched taut, threatening to tear apart at any moment. A low-pitched rumbling sound emanated from within his chest cavity, growing louder with each passing second.

Suddenly, the mercenary's torso erupted. His chest cavity exploded outward like a grenade detonating inside him. Shards of bone and flesh shot forth from his mouth and nostrils like shrapnel from an artillery shell. Organs spilled forth from the gaping wound: lungs inflating like deflated balloons; intestines snaking across the ground like twisted serpents; and blood vessels bursting forth like geysers of crimson liquid.

The rest of his body followed suit. His arms and legs began to disintegrate, his limbs snapping off like brittle twigs. His face contorted in a silent scream as his skull cracked open, releasing a torrent of brain matter that splattered against the surrounding wooden floor.

Hayate looked down upon the remains of the mercenary.

It would seem that even killing someone did not stir any emotions within him.

There was no guilt, fear, or confusion in his heart, which was like the surface of a calm lake. Why was it like this?

He had been taught that taking another person's life was the most horrid action one could commit. Yet, here he was, having taken a life and not truly feeling any remorse. What kind of person was he? Was he a monster? Was he a cold-blooded killer?

If someone had tried to kill him, then was he justified in killing them? He was unsure of how to feel. The man who had just shot at him, in his eyes, had become an enemy and thus was killed.

He was unsure how this would affect him in the future. He had taken a life, the first time he had killed a person not from a game. Would he go on to kill more people? Would he be unable to return to the life of a kind person?

He shook his head slightly. He couldn't allow himself to go down that path of thought. He had to remind himself that this was just one instance, and it didn't mean he was a cold-blooded killer. It was self-defense, nothing more.

He then took a step forward towards the other nine remaining people now.

They all squeaked and shivered in fear and confusion, most likely in fear at their comrade's demise.

He understood their fear as he realized that he must have looked quite terrifying, especially with the remains of their companion staining his hand. However, he wasn't here to terrorize them. He calmly spoke, his deep, powerful voice resonating around the room.

"Now, who here is your leader? I want only the leader of your group to reply. If anyone else answers, there will be consequences."

Everyone immediately froze in fear, their eyes darting around the room. After a few moments of silence, a figure from the middle reluctantly spoke up, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and uncertainty.

"M-me...."

He turned his gaze to the man who had spoken up, studying him briefly before asking, "You are the leader of this group?"

Before the man could answer, the only female in the team raised her assault rifle at him and started firing — these were armour piercing bullets which could go through bulletproof armour as if it was made of butter.

Caught off guard, Hayate was surprised by her unexpected reaction and the sudden assault by the female member. The bullets whizzed towards him, but he instinctively reacted quickly, his [Invulnerable] skill activating again as he watched the bullets bounce off a little distance from his chest with no effect.

The woman gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she watched the bullets bounce effortlessly off. She had expected the bullets to be effective, but to see them simply ricochet off without any damage left her dumbfounded. "Wha-what the hell? How..."

———————————————————

One of the men in the group, agitated and concerned for their safety, shouted at the young woman who had just fired the bullets without a second thought. "What the hell are you doing, SACHIKO!" he exclaimed. "Are you even sane? We're all afraid for our lives here!"

Sachiko stared at the man who was Kazu, her eyes looking mad and crazy. She was having a breakdown.

Kazu mentally grumbled as he observed Sachiko's condition, she was having another breakdown or panic attack. He had experienced her breakdowns before when she felt overwhelmed, but this was definitely the worst possible moment for it to happen.

Kazu glanced over at Hiroshi, who looked like he was on the verge of throwing up. He had to prioritize getting Hiroshi out of harm's way. If anything happened to Hiroshi, an employee of the Kusonoki conglomerate, it would be a big problem for him. Kazu knew that the corpo's would not hesitate to take drastic measures if any harm befell their representative.

"Sachiko, snap out of it! We don't have time for this." Kazu scolded her firmly, trying to snap her out of her panicked state.

But Sachiko showed no signs of calming down, her breath still ragged and panicked. She was deep in her own world, overwhelmed by fear and overwhelmed by the situation.

"SILENCE"

The demon shouted and they all instinctively went quiet.

Kazu's gaze shifted to the demon towering over him. It looked beyond furious, and blue chains were now materializing from its hands. In that moment, Kazu believed his life was about to come to an end.

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