Tokyo hung with neon and ambition in the air. Glass skyscrapers reflected the light of night, their facades like swords piercing the fog. In the city center there loomed the fortress headquarters of Shin'en no Kishi — Knights of the Abyss.
The #4 ranked guild of Japan, feared, respected, and spoken about even among the strongest of hunters.
Shaun fidgeted with the strap of his duffle bag as he walked toward the gate. The massive doors, adorned with the guild's crest — a sword cutting through a swirling void — slid open silently as if in recognition of his presence. Two sentries in black armor looked his way, their faces expressionless.
Inside, the main hall looked less like a workplace and more like a temple built for warriors. Rows of banners lined the walls, each inscribed with names — hunters who had died in the abyss. The air smelled faintly of ozone and incense. It was cold, disciplined, and heavy.
A woman's voice cut through the silence.
"You're the new recruit from India, aren't you?"
Shaun turned. The woman standing in front of him was tall and elegant, hair silver in the light, eyes like quiet water. Reina Kurozawa, the legendary Moon Reaver. Even standing still, she seemed to radiate danger — like a knife lying quietly on silk.
"Yes," Shaun said. "Shaun Verma."
Reina inspected him. "A foreigner defying Shin'en no Kishi. foolish or brave, I am not yet certain." She turned on her heel. "Come with me."
He trailed behind her through a corridor filled with portraits — every single previous guild master. The newest portrait was that of Hiroshi Tanabe, the current Guild Commander. His smile in the portrait was adorable; his eyes, though, had something sinister.
The Guild's Core
In the strategy room, Shaun was introduced to the rest of his team.
Daichi Sakamoto — a wide-shouldered man buffing his gauntlets, his laughter resonating in the room.
Ayame Ito — a reserved girl sorting herbs and potions beside the supply rack, her hair fastened with a pink ribbon.
"Hiya, the new guy!" Daichi smiled. "Welcome to the abyss, bro! Don't be fooled by the ritzy hall — outside of here, it's hell."
Shaun smiled politely. "Thanks for having me."
Ayame glanced up, giving a small smile. "Take good care of yourself, Shaun-san. Missions for this guild… things aren't always as they appear."
She didn't finish the sentence before she was ignored, the room going silent as Hiroshi Tanabe stepped inside.
Tall, perfectly dressed, his smile almost too warm — the kind that could melt steel and freeze blood at the same time. "Our foreign prodigy joins us," he said smoothly. "Rank A, healing-type. Rare and valuable."
"Thank you, sir," Shaun replied.
"You'll learn soon, Shaun," Hiroshi continued, "that power is not about strength… it's about control. Remember that."
There was something in the way he said it that made Shaun shiver more than any beast had.
The Mission
Three days passed and Shaun's first operation started.
The order was marked CONFIDENTIAL — CLASS B-5 CLEARANCE NEEDED.
Target: a subterranean area just outside Yokohama, where mana fluctuations indicated the presence of a ghoul nest. Estimated strength: C to low-A. Easy on paper.
They set out at dawn. Shaun, Reina, Daichi, and Ayame. A perfect mix of power and support.
The streets close to Yokohama were ominously quiet — buildings splintered, cars rusting away, sea air thick with salt and decay.
"Reina, detection?" Daichi queried.
"Five signatures," Reina breathed, her eyes shimmering blue as her Lunar Veil lit up. "No, wait… eleven. And climbing."
Shaun scowled. "That's too high for a low-level hive."
Reina's jaw clenched. "Then the intel was off — again."
They fell through a fallen tunnel, their torches and mana-lights casting wild shadows. The air was heavy, charged with mana. The deeper they descended, the thicker it grew.
Then came the sound — wet, animal, booming through the blackness. Dozens of bright red eyes blotted from the shadows.
"Contact!" Daichi bellowed, his gauntlets extending into iron claws.
Reina's blades of moonlight cut through the darkness.
Ayame's blooms unfurled green healing light, calming the injured.
Shaun got in on the act, directing healing fields and barrier waves, sustaining them on sheer will. His strength thinned to thinner than ever — but he refused to allow anyone to fall.
For an hour, they battled. And for an hour, they triumphed.
Until the walls shook.
The Truth Beneath
A low rumble vibrated across the ground. Cracks appeared. From the darkness came something enormous — a Ghoul Alpha, at least high-S rank.
Its hide glimmered black and crimson, muscles throbbing with tainted mana.
Reina stiffened. "They lied to us," she breathed. "This is no hive — it's a breeding pit."
Daichi's face set in anger. "That scoundrel Hiroshi put us in to test the beast."
Shaun's eyes bulged. "Test?! You mean—"
"He knew," Reina interrupted. "He knew this beast was here."
The Ghoul Alpha bellowed, charging forward. Daichi charged to meet it, metal and bone clashing in a cacophony of noise. Shaun channeled all his healing into him, his veins burning white.
Ayame ran for Shaun, her form flickering with green aura. "We need to fall back! Now!"
"No," Reina spat, eyes burning. "We hold out until reinforcements—"
But no reinforcements arrived.
They fought like cornered lions. Daichi's armor cracked, Ayame's petals dimmed, Reina's illusions faltered. Shaun felt his mana burn through him like acid. Still, he refused to stop.
Finally, with one last coordinated strike — Reina's blade through the heart, Daichi's iron fist crushing its skull — the Alpha fell.
Silence.
A victory soaked in blood.
The Cost
Shaun staggered to Ayame's side. She lay on the floor, chest rising shallowly. Her hands shook as she pinned a blossom to his arm.
"Don't… cry," she whispered faintly. "You're… a healer. You must smile for others."
"Don't talk," Shaun said hastily, attempting to fill her wounds with healing light — but her aura wavered, fading away.
She smiled weakly. "Tell… Daichi… he finally… became the hero he wanted to be…"
Her hand went slack. Petals of her strength scattered on the ground as dust.
Shaun stood stockstill. Something within him broke unnoticeably.
Reina got down beside him, the monster blood glistening on her blade, her eyes empty. "This is what it's like to be in the abyss," she said softly. "You sacrifice all… and they'll even declare it a victory."
The Aftermath
They arrived at headquarters with the guild already partying.
Screens flickered with "Operation Success: Hive Eliminated. Four Heroes Return."
No Ayame mentioned. No trap mentioned.
Hiroshi before them, applauding slowly. "Wonderful work," he said. "Your mission will make the nation proud. You should be proud."
Reina's hands shook. "You sent us there to die."
Hiroshi's grin did not falter. "All missions are risky. But your return makes the Guild stronger. That's what counts."
Shaun's vision went blurry. He wanted to yell, hit, reveal the deception. But Reina's hand on his shoulder held him back.
"Don't," she breathed. "They'll bury you next."
Later that evening, Shaun sat by himself on the guild roof.
Tokyo pulsed below him — alive, unaware, tranquil.
He gazed at his hands, still aglow with healing energy.
"What's the point," he breathed into the night, "of saving people… if we're the ones being offered?
The moon hung silently above, silver and cruel.
Somewhere deep inside, Shaun felt something awaken — not more power, but a quiet rage.
A vow.
One day, I'll change this world. Even if it kills me.
The city lights flickered below, and for a moment, it looked like the world itself was listening.