"Sir, another gate just appeared near Akasaka Street. Apart from Shibuya, new ones are forming and none of them can be ranked," said a man with spiked yellow hair and square glasses, standing nervously before the guild master of Iron Fang.
"Idiot! Can't you tell that gates never appear in just one area? They multiply, countless of them!" the guild master barked. "And now they're showing up across both Tokyo and Kyoto!"
He slammed his palm on the desk, glaring sharply at his subordinate. "Daisuke, are you blind or just useless?"
Daisuke froze, lowering his head. The guild master, Hiroshi Tanaka, began pacing across the room, his expression hardening.
"If the gate can't be analyzed by rank…" he muttered, "then it's no ordinary dungeon. It might be something far higher."
Daisuke's mouth trembled, fear tightening his chest. He knew what it meant, more gates meant more beasts, and eventually, chaos. Hiroshi noticed the man's shivering form and sighed.
"Pathetic. Can't you stop acting like prey?" He narrowed his eyes. "Oh, right. You're just a secretary, not a hunter."
He shook his head in disappointment and waved him off. "Forget it. Go back to work."
---
Shibuya Street — C-Rank Dungeon Gate
"Damn it! What kind of monster is this? We're running out of energy!"
"Stop whining and fight!"
The dungeon echoed with roars and screams. The hunters of white Claw had been inside for hours, cutting through beasts that kept getting stronger the deeper they went. None, however, compared to the creature that now stood before them, a Crimson-Scaled Devourer, a towering reptilian beast with molten veins glowing beneath its scales, eyes blazing red like burning coals.
"Todashi, behind you!"
A hunter's warning came too late. The Devourer lunged forward, biting down with brutal force. Todashi's scream was swallowed by the monster's jaws.
Panic erupted. The hunters' formation broke.
"We're down to four! There were twelve of us!"
One by one, they fell, their blood pooling across the dungeon floor. The beast, though wounded, roared again, a guttural cry that made the very walls quake.
---
Back at the guild, Kerry, now known as Renji Kurozawa, stepped into Iron Fang's headquarters. His steps were steady, his expression calm. He approached the front desk where a bespectacled man sat sorting through files.
"Hello, sir. How can I help you?" the man asked, glancing up.
Renji didn't waste words. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his newly formed ID card, and placed it on the desk.
"I want to join this guild," he said simply. "As a hunter."
The secretary blinked, studying him with surprise. The boy's calm face and sharp eyes didn't match his youthful appearance.
"You?" he asked, hesitating. "You actually want to be a hunter?"
Renji nodded without flinching, his tone unwavering.
"Yes."
The man cleared his throat, still uncertain. "Alright then. I'll have to inform the guild master first." He paused. "What's your name?"
"Renji Kurozawa."
The secretary's gaze lingered for a second longer before he picked up the card again. "Alright, Renji. Wait here."
As the secretary hurried down the hall to inform the guild master, he accidentally collided with Daisuke, who was carrying a tall stack of files. The papers scattered everywhere, spilling across the floor like a storm of documents. But the secretary didn't stop, he just kept running.
Daisuke froze, his face twisting in frustration as if he might burst into tears. "Aargh! That idiot! These were all sorted!" He dropped to his knees, muttering curses under his breath while frantically gathering the papers he had spent the whole day organizing.
Moments later, the secretary knocked on Hiroshi's office door.
"Come in," Hiroshi said calmly without looking up from his desk.
The secretary stepped in and bowed slightly before speaking.
"What brings you here?" Hiroshi asked, still focused on his research about dimensional and dungeon gates.
The man clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Sir, there's someone outside requesting to join our guild as a hunter."
Hiroshi finally looked up. He'd been waiting to bring in new hunters, so without a word, he stood and went to meet the applicant himself.
Renji sat quietly in the lobby, his eyes scanning every corner of the guild.
"There he is, sir," the secretary pointed.
"Hello, young man," Hiroshi greeted as he approached.
Renji rose to his feet and shook his hand respectfully.
"So, you're the one who wants to join my guild?" Hiroshi asked, his tone calm.
"Yes," Renji answered, then paused. "But…"
"But what?"
"All I want is to be paid well."
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, taken aback for a moment. Still, there was something in Renji's presence, an aura pulsing quietly beneath the surface. He could sense strength. "That's fine," Hiroshi said, smiling slightly. "If that's your only request, then welcome to the Iron Fang Guild."
Renji returned the smile, though it faded almost instantly. "My name's Renji Kurozawa."
"Kurozawa…" Hiroshi repeated softly. That name struck something faint in his memory.
After the secretary finished recording Renji's details, Hiroshi called for Daisuke. The poor man came rushing in, clutching the same files he had just spent the last few minutes repacking. But luck wasn't on his side, he tripped at the doorway, sending everything flying again.
"Useless," Hiroshi muttered under his breath.
"Ah, not again… today's just not my day," Daisuke groaned, sitting on the floor with a look of defeat.
The secretary tried to hold back a laugh. Hiroshi sighed, clearly running out of patience. He just needed someone to show Renji around. "Forget it, Daisuke. Leave the documents. Kaito will handle them. You take Mr. Kurozawa around the guild."
Daisuke jumped up, relieved. "Yes, sir! Welcome, Mr. Kurozawa. Let me show you around!" he said, forcing a grin as he hurriedly led Renji deeper into the building.
---
Hunter Administration Council (H.A.C.)
At the Hunter Alliance, a man dressed sharply in a black coat and polished shoes entered the directorate's office. His neatly combed black hair and dark sunglasses gave off an unreadable aura.
"Sir, the president has ordered that hunters be dispatched to Akasaka Street. A new gate has appeared there," the man said, his tone even and composed.
The directorate leaned back in his chair, exhaling heavily. "Another gate… that's not good. If it's a new one, I can't risk sending my hunters in first. Let's have the private guilds handle it, especially the Iron Fang Guild."
The man frowned, clearly unsettled by the directorate's response. "But sir, these are the president's orders," he said firmly.
Director Hayato Kurogane looked up sharply, his expression darkening. He rose from his chair, each step deliberate as he closed the distance between them, his gaze cutting through the air like a blade. He tried to intimidate the man, but Ryo Hoshino, a B-rank hunter, didn't even flinch.
"Sir," Ryo said coolly, "this idea of yours is reckless. I'm not getting involved in this decision. I only came to deliver the president's order, nothing more." He turned without waiting for permission and walked out of the office.
Director Hayato exhaled through his nose, frustration tightening his jaw. He slammed his palm against the table, the echo filling the quiet room. He had no choice now but to comply his hunters would have to clear the gate.
---
That same afternoon, as workers were laying the foundation for a new construction site near the recently manifested gate, the air began to warp. From the swirling distortion crawled out a monstrous creature, a Kironis Stinger, an insect-type beast with a glistening black carapace and six luminous red eyes.
Its eyes darted rapidly, scanning the surroundings before locking onto the unsuspecting workers nearby.