After dropping Hikari off at school, Renji immediately headed toward the Hunter's guild office.
He stopped before a large, imposing building where a massive sign board displayed a broad green logo: [Raging Dragon Guild].
Renji hesitated, looking around the street before entering. His instincts were screaming, a low, unsettling whisper that something truly bad was about to happen, though he couldn't pinpoint the danger.
He entered and walked toward the security desk, but Takayama, the Hunter from the coffee shop suddenly materialized, approaching him with a wide, welcoming smile.
"You made it just in time, Mr. Kurozawa," Takayama said, extending his hand for a warm shake. "They're about to head out."
Renji subtly glanced over Takayama's shoulder, a secret smile touching his lips.
"Okay. Well, where are they?"
As if on cue, six Hunters appeared, walking toward them. The group was led by their Captain, Kenzo, a massive man who was smoking, his oversized sword resting casually on his shoulder. He was said to be the strongest among them.
The rest of the Hunters were also holding their swords, walking with slow, confident steps.
"Who are they?" Renji asked.
"Oh, they're the Hunters you'll be joining."
"Wait, what? Only six?" Renji exclaimed,
surprised by the small number of the team.
"Calm down, Mr. Kurozawa," Takayama said, placing a reassuring hand on Renji's shoulder to settle him. "They are all strong and experienced in clearing Gates."
"Hey, new guy!" the Captain, Kenzo, roared, calling Renji over.
Renji turned to see the Captain's finger pointing directly at him. "Come here," Kenzo ordered. His huge, muscular arms were tense as he placed the cigarette in his mouth.
Renji slowly shook his head, then walked calmly toward the group.
"Hey, I heard we're getting a new E-Rank Hunter. Is that you?" the Captain asked, exhaling a plume of smoke.
"Yeah, that's me," Renji replied, giving a strange, knowing smile.
"Then you have to carry the tools," Kenzo commanded, gesturing toward a stack of heavy, unused gear. "That dungeon has a type of crystal that costs almost a million, so we're only going in to get the haul."
Renji looked on in disbelief. 'So they aren't going to clear the Gate, but rather just grab a crystal? That's why Takayama was so eager to get an extra Hunter,' Renji thought, looking back at Takayama with a strained, pretend smile.
'I have to extract other powerful souls and skills. I know one day, chaos will fall upon the world, and I will only be able to save it if I am strong enough,' Renji resolved silently, hoisting the tools onto his back.
"Bye-bye!" Takayama waved them off with a wide smile and closed eyes, completely oblivious to Renji's true thoughts.
Hunter Administration Council (H.A.C.) Headquarters
"Sir, the Special Forces team is on its way to investigate Tsushima Island, close to Japan's western coast."
A vast blue light pierced down from the sky onto the island, serving as a massive portal for various powerful entities. A large number of high-level beasts were concealed on the island, and now almost twenty of Japan's elite Special Hunters had been dispatched to deal with the threat.
Besides that terrifying portal, the regular Gates were not slowing down. They kept appearing frequently in Tokyo, other countries, and remote Japanese villages. Many had been cleared, but a dangerous few remained.
"Oh, okay. Was Mr. Fireborn able to take part? We desperately need his assistance, or we might fail," a commanding voice asked.
"I'm not sure, sir, but I will figure it out and tell you immediately," the aide replied.
"Okay."
Fushimi-ku Street, Kyoto: C-Rank Gate
The small team reached the massive blue opening of the C-Rank Gate on Fushimi-ku Street.
"Hey, listen up," Captain Kenzo warned before they entered. "We aren't clearing the entire dungeon, but if we encounter any beast, kill it quickly. These valuable crystals are only found in the Boss Territory, so try to stay extremely vigilant and conserve your energy."
As they stepped through the Gate, Renji's mind churned. 'The crystals are in the Boss Territory, huh? That sounds great. I'll awaken the Boss so I can kill it and drain its soul,' he thought, his eyes glinting with grim calculation.
They walked cautiously, each Hunter drawing their sword, except for Renji, who simply stayed focused, the heavy tools resting on his back.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura burst through the entire dungeon, followed by a surge of raw, powerful energy.
"What energy is that?" Captain Kenzo gasped, clutching his chest.
The energy pulse came again, making every Hunter's heart pound loudly like a frantic drum. They all dropped to their knees, trying to withstand the pressure, and Renji did the same, pretending to be affected.
"What's happening?" Renji asked the System internally.
[The Energy Pulse is an aggressive form of intimidation unique to Dungeon Bosses. You are within the radius of a High-Rank Beast. The violent rhythm of its heart is being projected throughout the dungeon as a threat. The strength of this energy confirms the Boss is a formidable, high C-Rank or a potential Low B-Rank entity. Its presence is overwhelming the weaker entities, including the Hunters.]
Renji tried to stand, instinctively releasing a subtle surge of his own aura to counteract the oppressive heart-beat energy.
[Behind you, Renji!] the System alerted him instantly.
Renji spun around to see a man in a crisp black suit and sunglasses, his hands in his pockets, smiling cruelly straight at Renji. It was Hoshino.
"Hey, Renji Kurozawa."
Renji, didn't know the man standing before him, yet the A-Rank aura pouring off the pursuer demanded his full attention. He simply stood there, staring intently at the man's grinning face.
"Don't you remember me, Renji?" Hoshino asked, his casual smile unwavering, his hands still tucked into his pockets as if waiting for a bus.
Renji genuinely didn't recall the face, but he forced his battered mind to scroll through memories. When he finally focused on a time long forgotten, the recognition hit him like a physical blow.
"Darius," he whispered.
Hoshino or Darius, as Renji now remembered him, smiled wider, starting to walk a slow, leisurely circle around Renji.
The other six Hunters were still immobilized, frozen by the combined psychic pressure of the energy pulse and Hoshino's immense rank. Their wide, terrified eyes were locked onto the stranger in the black suit.
"Why are you guys staring at me like that?" Hoshino asked them, pausing his walk, his voice laced with mocking annoyance.
Captain Kenzo, driven by an ingrained, arrogant bravado, managed to force himself to his feet, swaying precariously.
"Why shouldn't we look at a stranger who just walked in on a cleared dungeon?"
Hoshino's smile turned razor sharp. He secretly pressed his right hand toward the ground, channeling a devastating torrent of cold energy. Suddenly, huge, jagged spikes of ice erupted violently from the stone floor, piercing upward. They tore through all the remaining Hunters, Kenzo first, freezing and impaling their bodies instantly.
Renji clenched his fists, but he stood silent, forcing himself not to move. He knew the devastating challenge of fighting a Multi-Elementalist, especially one who was A-Rank and fully rested.
Hoshino stood straight, glancing cruelly at the dead Hunters, their bodies frozen and skewered by the ice.
"Do you know something, Renji?" he asked, finally turning back to face his true target.
"What?"
"You've changed a lot."
Renji quietly let the heavy supply bag he was carrying drop to the floor.
"How did you end up in Japan, Darius?" he asked, masking his curiosity with a deep, weary sigh.
"Oh, that!" Hoshino laughed wickedly, resuming his unsettling walk around Renji.
"I killed them all. Ha-ha! I killed all the students and the elders in my academy. They were totally useless to me once I became strong and could utilize one hundred percent of all four of my elements."
Renji's eyes widened, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach. He couldn't imagine the Darius he once knew had transformed into something this monstrous, this truly devilish.
"I came to Japan as a B-Rank Hunter, serving the country so everyone would place their trust in me. Then, later, I'll kill the President, and all of Japan will be mine. Heh, ha-ha!"
Renji sighed again, the act a desperate mask for his rising fury, staring at Hoshino from the corner of his eye.
"Kerry Fireborn, now known as Renji Kurozawa. How pathetic," Hoshino sneered.
He paused his walk, retrieving a pair of dark gloves from his pocket before continuing.
"Everyone thought you were dead because Elder Kael brought the news to your mom, that you had died during the beast hunt."
Renji stumbled back slightly, the name of his mother, combined with this horrible news, making his fractured ribs feel like needles in his chest.
"Mom…" he whispered, the pain externalizing.
Hoshino smiled, reveling in the effect of his words.
"Yes, your mom… She died three years ago. And your father is in Japan now."
Renji's eyeballs began to shake. Tears welled up in his eyes, but they refused to fall. He clenched his hands so tightly his fingernails dug into his bloody palms.
"Aww, such a pity. Your dad will also soon join your mother."
Renji's limited patience shattered, but he fought to contain the rage. He simply shook his head slightly, his fists trembling.
"Your dad is a well-known Special Hunter in Japan," Hoshino went on, enjoying every word. "Today, they are embarking on a terrible mission at Tsushima Island, and I assure you that none will survive, including your father."
Renji's last sliver of patience disintegrated. His aura burst high around his body, a chaotic, dark plume of power. "Enough," he choked out.
Hoshino smiled, a flicker of cruel satisfaction in his eyes. This was exactly what he wanted. 'Yes, yes, bring it on,' he thought.
Renji lowered himself, ready to launch the fastest attack he could muster. Hoshino lowered his head and quickly pulled the gloves onto his hands.
"Let me make it simple," Hoshino said, pulling out two neatly designed pistols.
"I'm wearing gloves so I won't use my elements on you. Just the gun and the fist."
He raised the pistols. They weren't ordinary firearms; the bullets were poisonous, designed to kill within seconds.
"The rounds are also faster than the wind itself."
He pulled the gun toward Renji, ready to pull the trigger.
Renji dodged the first bullet, then the second, and the third. He was running on pure speed, dodging every round until he closed the distance, coming to a stop directly at Hoshino's back.
He delivered a powerful kick aimed at Hoshino's neck. Hoshino blocked the leg with his gloved fist without turning, still standing perfectly straight.
"Heh-heh-heh. I wanted to kill you because I knew you would spoil my plans someday,"
Hoshino stated calmly. He caught Renji's leg, pulled him backward, and violently threw him skyward. Hoshino then leaped after him, launching a brutal blow directly onto Renji's stomach. Renji slammed hard onto the ground, the impact fracturing the stone beneath him.
He coughed out a torrent of blood, his body spasming and unable to move.
[Vitality draining: 65% (Severe internal trauma.)]
Hoshino walked close, kneeling to look Renji directly in the face, pressing the poisonous gun barrel against his forehead.
"Do you know something? Your mom was a very strong and brave lady. She tried to stop me from killing the ones who bullied me when I was an orphan."
Renji gritted his teeth, his eyes swimming with helpless fury. Hoshino laughed, pressing the barrel harder against his skin.
"I had no choice. I stabbed her when she stood in my view. She didn't die instantly, so I cut off her arms. She was screaming, Renji. I wish you were there."
Renji's eyes narrowed, shaking with a devastating grief. Hoshino slapped him once, then smiled cruelly.
"After severing her hands, I drove the knife through her throat, and she… died."
He pulled the trigger to shoot. "So, you have to also join your mom so she won't be lonely."
PAW!