"Ha! Man, did you see that ℎ𝑜𝑡 girl walk into that house just now?"
"Ha—yeah, I saw her. Why?"
"Did you know that Tatsuya Minobe quietly tried to hit on her?"
"Wait—what? Seriously?"
"Heh, yeah, seriously. But the sad part? She flat-out rejected him. Said he smelled terrible and wasn't her type at all."
"Ha! Hahaha!"
The workers burst into sharp laughter, chatting loudly, completely unaware of the Kironis Stinger's presence nearby.
"Guys! Can you stop talking about women while we're working near a Gate?" one of the more cautious workers shouted. "Do you even realize how dangerous this place is?"
"Oh, really? Tough guy now, huh?" one of the men sneered, walking toward him slowly. "You gonna teach us what to do next?"
"Huh? What's that?"
"What?"
"Up there—look!"
Their laughter died instantly as they tilted their heads upward. Hovering in the sky was a creature, its wings slicing the air with a deep hum.
"What kind of bird is that?" one asked, squinting.
"A bird? That doesn't look like any damn bird to me…"
The sound grew louder. The air vibrated with each beat of its wings. The Kironis Stinger descended rapidly, its six crimson eyes glowing.
"Wait… that's not a bird—it's a beast!"
"Beast! Run!!"
The monster screeched, spreading its mandibles wide. It dived toward the fleeing workers, moving so fast that the wind itself tore through the dust. Panic erupted. One man, blinded by greed, tried to grab some cash from his co-worker's dropped wallet, but before he could run, the Kironis lunged forward and swallowed his head.
"Oh god! It's heading this way!" another screamed.
The creature's speed increased as it devoured one victim after another. Heads were torn clean off; the ground was soaked with blood and dust. Out of everyone there, only three managed to escape.
But even then,one of them stumbled, crashing hard onto the ground. He tried to crawl, his hands shaking, but the Kironis Stinger pounced, tearing his body apart and consuming him piece by piece.
It didn't return to the gate. Instead, it flew past the site, crossing a nearby stream before vanishing into the distance.
Of the two survivors left, one fled in terror, while the other ran straight toward the Hunter Association Headquarters to report what had happened.
---
National Hunter Bureau (NHB)
"Is that all you've got?"
In the training grounds of NHB, a man with broad, battle-scarred muscles stood confidently, his grin sharp and taunting. Across from him, another hunter wiped the blood trickling from his mouth after taking a brutal hit to the jaw.
"No! Maybe I can't match your lightning power, but I can still take you down."
The larger man chuckled, his voice booming. "Ha! You've got guts. Then show me what you've got!"
He launched forward, the ground cracking beneath his steps with every thunderous stride. His speed was monstrous,but his opponent anticipated his movement, stomping down hard enough to quake the arena floor. The ground quaked violently, catapulting him upward before he came crashing down with an explosive impact that sent dust flying.
"That's what I'm talking about!" the man laughed as his opponent lay sprawled on the ground, chest heaving from exhaustion.
"You've got some nerve, kid."
The other hunters watching could only stare in disbelief at the sudden display of power.
"Well done, Hayato," someone praised from the sidelines.
Their practice session ended soon after, and the hunters were taking a short break when the president's assistant of the association entered the grounds, clutching a report.
"Sir, there's a man at the entrance,he claims a beast slaughtered all the workers near the gate."
The president didn't seem surprised. He simply rose to his feet, his expression calm but calculating. He wanted to confirm what kind of beast it was.
As he approached the entrance, the workers greeted him respectfully.
"Good day, President Saitō," they said.
He nodded once. A terrified worker stood before him, panting heavily, fear written across his face.
"What happened?" Saito asked in a firm tone.
The man's voice quivered. "W-We were just working and chatting when we saw something flying toward us. It moved so fast we couldn't react,then… it started swallowing people."
"Hmm… what did it look like?"
"At first, it looked like a bird. But when it came closer, it was more like a beetle,huge, with wide jaws and six eyes."
President Saitō stroked his beard thoughtfully. "From your description, that creature sounds like a Kironis Stinger. It spits acid from its mouth… a dangerous one."
The worker swallowed hard, the scene replaying in his mind like a nightmare he couldn't escape.
"Don't worry. My hunters will handle it before things spiral out of control," the president assured him.
He immediately summoned his hunters to the training grounds and briefed them on the situation. Clearing gates was their duty—it was what every hunter was trained for.
Weapons were drawn. Determination filled the air.
"Man, I'm getting tired of killing beasts," one of them muttered.
"That's what you were born for, wasn't it?" another replied with a smirk.
"Born for? Nah. I was meant to be a doctor with my handsome face."
"You idiot. What are you now?"
"A… hunter."
"Exactly. So grab your damn weapon and let's clean this gate up."
"Roger that, sir!"
The hunters dispersed, heading straight toward the gate.
[Breaking 𝑁𝑒𝑤𝑠:
Reports have surfaced near Akasaka Street, twelve construction workers were found dead following the sudden appearance of a Kironis. Only two survivors managed to escape.
For public safety, citizens are advised to remain indoors until the Kironis has been fully neutralized.
In addition, members of the White Claw Guild, who entered a C-rank gate several days ago, have yet to return. No contact or tracking signals have been received since their departure.
All guilds and associations across Tokyo and Kyoto are urged to cooperate in clearing the newly opened gates.
Just hours ago, another gate manifested near Sakurabashi Street. The National Hunter Bureau has dispatched a team to neutralize the threat…
Thank you for your cooperation.]
---
Iron Fang Guild – 4:34 PM
Hiroshi said calmly, eyes fixed on Renji, who was speaking with the Iron Fang hunters. "Daisuke, I want you to dig deeper into Kurozawa. Find out everything you can."
Daisuke blinked, uncertain. "But sir, isn't he just an E-rank hunter?"
Hiroshi didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on Renji, unreadable. "Maybe. But there's something about his aura… it's stronger than what his rank suggests."
Daisuke frowned, still not convinced. "But sir, we already analyzed his rank using the guild's system. The reading confirmed it, he's E-rank."
Hiroshi turned toward him, his tone firm. "Why are you questioning every order I give? Just do your job, Daisuke."
"…Right. Sorry, sir." Daisuke stepped away, his thoughts wandering. He couldn't tell if he'd just been scolded or brushed off.
Meanwhile, Renji glanced at the others. He barely knew his teammates and preferred to at least learn their names before heading into danger.
"I'm Renji Kurozawa," he introduced himself briefly.
Before anyone could respond, Hiroshi raised his voice. "Alright, listen up. Let's make introductions quick."
He pointed across the room one by one.
"This is Takeshi Minamoto – B-rank, squad captain. Yuto Aizawa – C-rank. Rika Fujimoto – C-rank. Kenta Hayashi – D-rank. Sora Tanaka – D-rank. Akari Hoshino – D-rank. Daichi Mori – C-rank. Rin Kobayashi – C-rank. Toru Nishida – C-rank. And lastly, Renji Kurozawa, E-rank."
Renji nodded slightly. Being the lowest didn't bother him. Rank meant little to him now, all he needed was the money to survive and return to where he came from.
After the introductions, the team dispersed to prepare. Renji headed back to his small, worn-down house on the outskirts. He tossed himself onto the wooden couch he'd brought from the guild dorm.
"Ha… I'm dead tired," he muttered under his breath.
The systems interface appeared in his palm.
[System initializing…]
[Vitality: 67]
He frowned. "Great. I've already drained too much energy."
Suddenly, the weeds outside rustled, the sound sharp against the silence.
[Unwelcome presence approaching.]
"Huh!"