For a decade, an A-rank devil has relentlessly terrorized the nation of Brandoz, creeping ever closer to the capital with no one capable of halting its advance. Typically, such threats would prompt the dispatch of elite S- and A-rank adventurers to neutralize the menace. However, they remain on standby, prepared to counter a larger-scale invasion from the Empire of Vox—a neighboring power with ambitions of expansion.
In a desperate attempt to address the looming threat, the scientific division of Brandoz embarked on a series of trials to create a golem capable of annihilating the devil. After nine failed attempts, their perseverance bore fruit—a lifeform unlike any other. This creation, designated 09, was tasked with eliminating the devil within a month—the estimated time before it reaches the capital.
As a preliminary assessment of its combat capabilities, 09 was assigned a trial mission: to exterminate a C-rank demon. This test would serve to evaluate the golem's potential in the field.
(Note: The story will primarily be told from 09's point of view.)
By the time I arrived, the scene was already reduced to carnage. Blood and torn organs painted the floors and walls—a grotesque testament to the demon's rampage. The blood was fresh, a clear indication that the C-rank demon was still nearby. Following the crimson trail, I eventually found it—a grotesque, worm-like creature with countless rows of razor-sharp teeth, so numerous that the end of its maw was impossible to discern. It feasted upon the lifeless body of a mother while her children stood paralyzed in terror, forced to watch as the demon devoured her.
I am a mechanism crafted for one purpose—to destroy such creatures. Without hesitation, I engaged the demon. It reacted swiftly, unleashing a stream of corrosive acid potent enough to dissolve my left arm and eye. Severely impaired, I shifted to long-range attacks in a calculated effort to minimize further damage. Yet, the demon was both swift and relentless. It burrowed underground, emerging beneath me with devastating force.
In one brutal motion, it tore my body in half. My circuits spilled from the gaping wounds, a sight that seemed to further traumatize the already-horrified children. Crippled and immobile, I could do nothing but watch as the demon mercilessly consumed them one by one. I knew my failure here would guarantee my termination—an unacceptable outcome.
With no other options, I resorted to one of my most complex abilities: body transference. I tore the heart from the mother's corpse and implanted my core within it. As long as my core remains intact, I cannot die. This act allowed me to temporarily inhabit her body—a fragile vessel, unfit for combat but sufficient for survival.
Weakened and outmatched, I chose to retreat into the shadows, leaving the demon to raze the town unchecked.