Chapter 2 — The Embodiment of Greed

The alley exploded into motion as Taichi quickly pulled out his red Braver phone device, gripping it tightly in one hand.

"Transform!"

Taichi shouted as he activated the device. Scarlet light erupted around his body, and his red jacket vanished in a flash, replaced by the crimson armor of the Red Braver. Sleek red plating covered his body while a glowing red visor formed across his eyes.

The empty uniform, waving as if alive, shot black tendrils forward like harpoons, tearing chunks of asphalt from the street as Taichi leaped backward just before one pierced the ground where he had been standing.

BOOM!

The pavement burst apart as Taichi stared at the creature in shock.

"So fast...!"

The two officers instinctively drew their pistols.

"Freeze!"

They opened fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets passed straight through the floating uniform as if it were made of smoke. The empty sleeves barely fluttered as the distorted voice echoed once more.

"...Meaningless..."

The tendrils suddenly changed direction and lunged toward the officers.

"Look out!"

Taichi threw himself between them as scarlet flames erupted around both arms.

"Blazing Impact!"

He slammed both fists together, unleashing a wave of roaring fire through the alley. The black tendrils ignited instantly, and the darkness released an inhuman screech as the burning tentacles writhed violently before dissolving into black ash. The officers stared in amazement at the destruction left behind.

"The Red Braver..."

"...Amazing."

Taichi never looked away from the creature. Something wasn't right. Before his eyes, the burned tendrils slowly flowed back into existence from the shadows beneath the floating uniform, completely regenerating the damage he had inflicted.

"...Interesting..."

"...Fire hurts..."

"...Good..."

"...Very good..."

Taichi narrowed his eyes as he realized what had happened.

“It can regenerate... Then I’ll just have to overwhelm it!”

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He planted one foot forward, placing himself firmly between the creature and the officers.

"Stay behind me."

The officers immediately obeyed. Years of watching the Bravers had taught everyone the same lesson: when a Braver spoke during battle, you listened.

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The Living Uniform drifted silently across the alley. There were no footsteps, no breathing, only the faint rustling of cloth. Suddenly, every nearby shadow rippled, causing Taichi's eyes to widen.

"It can manipulate every shadow here!"

Dozens—hundreds—of black tendrils erupted from every direction, bursting from walls, windows, drainpipes, and even beneath parked cars before attacking simultaneously. Taichi inhaled deeply as scarlet flames covered his body and his Stellar Suit glowed brighter.

"Flare Drive!"

His body became a crimson blur. He dashed through the alley so quickly that the officers could barely follow his movements. Every punch exploded into fire, every kick shattered tendrils apart, and each movement left burning trails through the darkness until the alley became a storm of crimson flames.

One tendril wrapped around a streetlight, but Taichi spun and severed it instantly with a flaming kick. Another emerged from behind, yet he ducked beneath it before driving a fiery uppercut upward and consuming it completely. Through all of this, the Living Uniform remained eerily calm.

"...Excellent..."

"...Your body..."

"...Very resilient..."

Taichi charged directly toward it.

"This ends now!"

The creature released another wall of darkness, but Taichi punched straight through it. Flames devoured the shadows, forcing the floating uniform to stagger backward for the first time. The officers could barely believe what they were seeing.

"He's winning...he actually has it cornered!"

The Living Uniform drifted backward until it reached the brick wall at the end of the alley, leaving nowhere else to retreat. Taichi slowly approached with flames burning around both fists.

"You've got nowhere left to run."

The distorted voice answered calmly.

"...Correct."

"...This vessel..."

"...Will perish."

Its sleeves slowly lowered, almost as if it were surrendering. Taichi hesitated as an uneasy feeling crawled through him. Something was wrong. This was too easy. The creature hadn't shown fear once, so why would it surrender now?

He took another cautious step as his fist ignited brighter than ever before.

"I'm ending this."

The Living Uniform remained perfectly still until a sudden metallic crash echoed nearby.

CLANG!

A metal trash can crashed onto the pavement, causing Taichi to instinctively turn. A small boy, no older than eight, stumbled backward from behind a dumpster with his frightened eyes wide in terror.

"I-I..."

The child had been hiding there the entire time. The instant Taichi's attention shifted, the Living Uniform moved. A single black tendril shot across the alley faster than he could react and wrapped around the child's waist.

"W-WAAAH!!"

The boy screamed as he was pulled into the air.

"Help!"

Taichi's heart skipped as he lunged forward.

"No!"

He was too late. The child was already suspended several meters above the ground, the black tendril tightening around his body as the officers immediately aimed their weapons.

"Put him down!"

The Living Uniform spoke in its cold, distorted voice.

"...One more step..."

"...He dies."

Everything stopped, and for a moment, even the wind seemed to disappear from the alley. The frightened child looked directly at Taichi. Tears streamed down his face, yet he forced himself to speak.

"R-Red Braver... d-don't worry about me..."

His little fists trembled as he struggled against the tendril.

"D-Destroy the monster... p-please..."

The older officer gritted his teeth.

"Do it, Red Braver! Destroy that thing!"

The younger officer also shouted.

"That monster is too dangerous! You can't let it leave this place!"

Taichi stood frozen, his flames flickering uncertainly. The child was crying and terrified, yet he was still asking the world's greatest hero to save everyone else instead of him. Taichi's fists trembled as his thoughts raced.

I can still attack...

No...

If I'm even a second too slow...

The Living Uniform slowly tightened the tendril around the boy, causing him to cry out in pain.

"AHH!"

Taichi's eyes widened in horror.

"...Stop."

The creature remained silent, but its demand needed no repetition. The older officer desperately shouted toward Taichi.

"Red Braver!... You can't surrender! If that thing survives, who knows how many people it'll kill!"

The younger officer clenched his pistol.

"You've always told us that heroes save everyone!"

Taichi's breathing became uneven as that single word repeated inside his mind. Everyone. Everyone... That was the promise he had made to his parents—to protect people, not sacrifice them.

He looked at the terrified child one last time. The flames around his fists slowly disappeared as his shoulders slumped. Tears of frustration filled his eyes, and Taichi slowly fell to his knees.

"...I surrender."

The officers stared at him in disbelief.

"Red Braver..."

"No..."

The Living Uniform's empty sleeves slowly spread open, almost as though it were welcoming an old friend. Its distorted voice echoed through the silent alley.

"...Excellent..."

"...A hero..."

"...will always choose..."

"...others before himself."

The darkness beneath the uniform began to expand, slowly and silently creeping toward the kneeling Taichi like an endless black tide. The creature floated directly before him and, with terrifying gentleness, the empty uniform settled over his shoulders.

Taichi gasped.

"W-What...?!"

The black fabric wrapped around his body like living skin. His red Braver suit began to crack beneath it as the darkness seeped through every seam.

"No...GET OFF!"

He struggled violently as flames erupted from his body, but the fire lasted only a moment before the darkness swallowed it whole. The officers immediately rushed forward.

"Red Braver!"

Black tendrils lashed outward and forced them back. The child watched helplessly as the hero who had saved the world screamed in agony, his red armor continuing to disappear beneath the living uniform until, at last, everything went black.