Chapter 20

In my hand was salvation.

I gaze at the palm-sized green stone with bated breath and wide eyes, exhilaration filling me at the implications.

In this world, there were few things more valuable than a rune stone. They're so rare that there have only been four of them ever found since the first appearance of the Gates.

Why exactly would such a stone be so coveted, even with its rarity? Simple.

Power.

Upon being broken, a rune stone can grant any hunter a new and powerful skill to their arsenal. Whether it be a new magical affinity or a skill that would bolster their power twice over. An A-ranked hunter in Africa once found a rune stone that granted him the ability of instantaneous cross-country teleportation—making him the fastest and most wanted Hunter on the planet.

So, it was no surprise that whenever a rune stone is found, it can be used by the Hunter that found it…

…Or it can be sold off.

Four hundred sixty-one billion seven million Japanese yen.

I remembered with excitement, my hand trembling as I clutched the rune stone carefully.

That was how much the last rune stone was auctioned off for. That was three billion in US dollars.

That was more money than I could possibly imagine.

If I sold this, then all this pain and fighting would stop, right? The whole reason I became a hunter was to make enough money for Komachi and me to continue living together.

With the money from this rune stone, I could retire right now and use the money to buy our old house back. With this money, I could send Komachi to any school she wants!

All this pain and suffering I've endured could finally come to an end!

A slight grin began to grow on my face as a large red portal sprang to life a few feet away from me. With the boss defeated, the Gate had reopened, allowing us all to go back home. I stepped off Striakel's bloody corpse and slowly walked toward the portal.

"I just have to sell this. Then… everything will go back to the way things were. I could even go back to school." I muttered as I slowly closed the distance to the portal. I could go back to how it used to be.

With each step, I thought about what awaited me on the other side.

No more fighting…

I struggled and gasped in pain as my long and embarrassing fight with the low-tier goblin in front of me continued. My body was covered in injuries and blood as the higher-level hunters ahead watched on with grins of amusement. I yelped in pain as the goblin sliced his dagger across my stomach.

No more pain…

I hissed as I wrapped the bandages around my injured, cut, and bruised arm. I tightly closed my eyes and prayed for sleep to take me, to release me from the agony. But I knew that the pain would keep me awake again. Just as it always did.

No more suffering…

I sighed at the stack of bills in front of me. I rubbed my head as I calculated what I needed to cut off to make our dues for the month. With Komachi's needs in mind, I thought about how many days I could go through by eating the bare minimum to make her upcoming tuition payment.

Everything we needed—we can have.

Komachi could have the life she always deserved. I just needed to walk through this Gate, and everything would be okay again—

"Sumida! Hang on!"

I paused mid-step, hearing Takamura's worried yells.

I looked behind me and saw her, Osaki, Nakano, and Tashiro leaning over Sumida's body. Using my enhanced hearing, I heard rough, wet, rasping noises inside Sumida's chest. One or several of his ribs must have punctured his lungs; they were almost completely full of blood. If he didn't get help in the next few minutes, Sumida would surely drown in his own blood.

"Look! The Gate is open! We have to get him out of here!" Osaki said as she tried to pick up Sumida's large body. Her action caused Sumida to gurgle out a pained yell, causing Osaki to quickly stop.

He's going to die.

My eyes looked away from the dying man toward the spinning portal.

I just need to cross over. I can tell the people on the other side that he needs help; they can handle this, right?!

Despite that, my body wouldn't move….

It's not my problem anymore, right!?

…because I knew that wasn't true.

Even from this distance, I could feel his mana fading away. He wasn't going to last for long. He didn't have a few minutes left…

I grimaced in frustration and turned to look at the rune stone in my shaking hand.

Twilight Healing. That was the rune stone's name. If I were to use the stone on myself, it was safe to assume that I'd get a healing skill like Striakel. That monster could regenerate through nearly everything, so having this power would mean I'd have a way to save Sumida right now.

I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth and trying very hard not to clench my hands from the bitterness I felt.

I don't even like this guy! I tried to urge myself by bringing up memories of how Sumida treated me. He's not my responsibility! I didn't sign up to be a hunter so I could save lives! I—

"…Because at the end of the day, we're hunters. That's what we signed up for."

I sat in stunned silence and watched as Sumida grabbed the shield he had strapped to his back. He gave me one last nod and rushed back towards the fight with a loud battle cry.

I felt my eyes open tiredly, my shoulders slumping in a mixture of resignation and acceptance.

…what the hell am I doing?

Was I really about to let someone die for money?

Didn't I already tell myself that I wouldn't let anyone else die?

I took one long look at the rune stone.

This would solve all our monetary problems, but I'd never be able to live with myself. All that money couldn't possibly be worth someone's life. I'd live with the shadow of guilt haunting my every step, my conscience eating away at me even when I try to enjoy the luxuries that this rune stone can afford me.

I could argue that it would all be worth it if Komachi could live so lavishly and without ever needing to worry about ever going hungry, but she would never want this. My little sister knows the pain of losing a loved one. If she ever found out that I inflicted that pain upon someone else's family through my greed, then I would lose her forever.

There's only one choice here.

Still…

I'm sorry, Komachi. It looks like your older brother will have to keep working hard a little longer.

Heaving out a huge breath, I crushed the rune stone in my hands and felt a wave of magical energy course through my body.

[Notification: You have acquired a new skill!]

[You have learned: Twilight Healing!]

[Skill: Twilight Healing | Lv. 1 | Cost: 200-1000 MP | The ability to heal any physical injury, ailments, and debuffs. The severity of the injury will determine the MP usage.]

Good, it turned out like I hoped.

With determination, I turned away from the Gate and jogged over to Sumida; as I ran, I stepped over a long white bird feather. It fluttered off the ground from the gust of wind from my speed and fluttered in the air until it settled over the corpse of Striakel. The feather remained a pristine white despite the thick blood and gore it laid on.

"Step aside," I said while pushing Tashiro to the side, eliciting a yelp from him.

Takamura looked at me with panicked eyes as she stood in front of Sumida. "Hikigaya! We have to get Sumida–"

"Move," I said gruffly. Takamura flinched at my tone and backed off slightly.

Sumida looked up at me with tired eyes; his mouth was covered in blood, and his breath came out in slow wheezes. I nodded at the man and placed my hand over his armor-covered chest. Osaki and Nakano looked on in confusion, but suddenly, their expressions became of shock and amazement.

"No way! That's–that's healing magic!" Nakano said in awe as my hand glowed a soft green. Slowly, the glow expanded throughout Sumida's body and permeated for a few seconds.

Soon enough, all of Sumida's injuries disappeared, causing me to stop and stand to my feet. Immediately, the large Tanker took a deep breath of air and jumped to his feet, causing everyone around to back off in surprise, and then they started letting out various expressions of joy and relief when they saw how he no longer looked dead on his feet.

Sumida looked at himself in amazement and patted his once-broken ribs.

"Amazing," Sumida said breathlessly, a relieved smile slowly forming on his face. "Everything's healed! I even feel better than I've ever felt in my life!"

I nodded and then approached Nakano; she watched in anticipation as I placed a hand on her injured arm, once again glowing with a green light. A few seconds later, her arm and body were all healed. I stepped back and watched as she pulled her arm out of the sling and gave it a few tentative swings. She then turned to me and gave me a thankful smile.

"Thank you, Hikigaya."

"…right," I said, my eyes subconsciously swiveling over to Kobayashi's corpse, far away from where we were. His face no longer liked someone else's, yet it was still stuck in that petrified expression. I turned away and let out a discreet sigh.

My eyes roamed over to Osaki, who had been watching with wide eyes. "Show me where you all moved the rest of your teammates. I need to remove that poison from them before it's too late."

"Healing magic… don't tell me!" Osaki's eyes suddenly brightened up, glinting with realization. "The drop from the boss was a rune stone?! The skill you received from it was healing magic, no less." Osaki said in amazement, gaining the attention of everyone else.

I looked away from her twinkling eyes and looked down at my blood-covered body; I held my palm out and collected some rainwater. After I collected enough in my hand, I used it to wipe my face to remove some of Striakel's blood.

"You…" I could hear from Osaki's tone that she understood what I just did. "...you really are amazing, Hikigaya." Her voice became warm, trembling as tears formed at the edges of her eyes.

Stop it.

"…just show me where they are. The sooner they're better, the sooner we can all leave this godforsaken place."

She wiped her eyes while smiling gratefully. "R-right! Follow me!"

x x x

"Yes, Yukinoshita-san." Kitaoka Kei talked clearly into his phone, his trusty mask sitting on his desk. "We have a team stationed there already." He explained. "Akabane is with Kawasaki and Ishida; they're prepared to take on the dungeon break when it happens. We've got volunteers from HQ on their way there as well, so we have this situation well in hand."

["Very good, Kitaoka-kun."] Haruno's voice from the phone rang out with approval. ["Is there anything else to report?"]

Kei pondered whether or not he should report the one detail that Kawasaki had given him when she called earlier. With reluctance, he decided that being forthcoming would serve him better.

"Actually, yes." He began, feeling a bit nervous. "Members of the Draw Sword Guild are on the scene as well."

His report made Haruno go silent for just a second. ["…I see. Which members?"]

"Tawata Kanae and…" Kei told her before saying the next name with a bit of annoyance. "...Nagishima Nagi."

There was a long pause at the other end of the line before Haruno let out a deep sigh.

["What happened?"]

"Nothing, Yukinoshita-san," Kei said quickly. "Kawasaki said Tawata-san had reigned him in before a fight could break out."

["Good, at least one of them is reasonable."] Another pause. ["Keep monitoring the situation in case it gets worse."]

"I will, don't worry." He said dutifully.

["Kitaoka-kun, I'm glad you're handling this situation well. We're already on our flight back, so we'll be there soon. Just keep doing what you're doing."]

Kei nodded even though he knew she wouldn't see. "Leave it to me. I'll make sure everything is okay by the time you get here."

["Thank you, Kitaoka-kun. Be sure to notify me if anything happens, alright?"]

"Yes, Yukinoshita-san." He replied.

["Good, talk to you later."]

She hung up, and Kei sighed in relief, leaning back against the headrest of his chair and picking up his mug of coffee to take a long sip. He savored the taste of delicious caffeine before pulling the mug away and setting it back on his desk. Kei then placed on his mask and adjusted it over his nose and mouth. He slumped into his chair, looking up at the office ceiling.

What a mess.

"Rough day, huh?"

Shimizu Akari said while giving him a worried look. She was on HQ duty with him today, and she had just finished looking over the injured hunters from Akane's party that they sent over earlier.

"Yeah…" Kei said tiredly, dragging a hand through his face. This whole Red Gate problem just ruined what was a relatively easy job of managing their Guild without Haruno and Tatsumi.

"You're doing good, Kei; keep your head up." Shimizu gave him a thumbs-up with a cheery smile before going over to the lounge area and sitting down on one of the spacious couches. "Tell me if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure thing, thanks." Kei nodded, closing his eyes. Despite how hectic things may be, Kei didn't mind putting in the extra effort to keep things afloat until their Guild Master and Vice Guild Master returned. He could at least appreciate that Haruno chose him to run things while she was gone. That must mean his skills and abilities were high enough that she could place the temporary command of her Guild onto him.

There were others in the Guild, surely. The civilians working for them were good at their jobs, and there was probably someone there who knew how to manage business better than he ever could. However, the problem with that was that they were still civilians, and Kei knew that being an S-Rank hunter, people tended to look to you for leadership over the other lower-ranked hunters. It wasn't that the other hunters looked down on their civilian counterparts; it just felt more reassuring to know that a strong and dependable Hunter was giving you your task and that someone strong was trusting you with your next duty.

Kei never really thought he'd become one of the people in charge, but here he was, sitting in the office of what was probably the most popular Guild in Japan, taking care of business while the Guild Master and Vice Master were away. Other S-Ranks like Akabane had seniority over him, and Shimizu was more popular overall, but Haruno entrusted this job to him instead of either of them. A fact that filled him with pride.

He wouldn't let her down.

The elevator door dinged.

Kei opened his eyes and saw Minamoto Minase exit the elevator, still in his school uniform.

"Hey guys." He gave them a polite wave as he walked into the office.

"Welcome back." Kei nodded at him, glad to have another hand to help him at least.

"Heeey Minmin." Shimizu waved at him from the couch, grinning at her fellow Healer.

He smiled at them, and once again, Kei couldn't help but agree with Shimizu.

He really should get into acting.

Minamoto's angelic face had a jawline that looked like it was cut from marble, framed by wavy green locks combed immaculately. He was tall and lean, so he definitely could at least be a model, if not an actor. He was the definition of a Bishonen.

But Kei knew that Minamoto would rather focus on helping people than anything else. Minamoto often took part in raids with more of the lower ranks, offering to help them with clearing the dungeons by using his buff skills and healing. Being a pacifist, Minamoto didn't enjoy taking part in any of the fighting, preferring to stay in the back and help in other ways. Minamoto's biggest contribution was his voluntary work in the Hospitals and Clinics. This made his healing prowess known throughout the community, also earning him the adoration of patients, nurses, and doctors alike. That had the added effect of painting the Yuki-Ryoshi Guild in a better light with the public as well.

That and, of course, because he looked absurdly handsome. The face certainly helps in getting along with people.

"I heard about the Red Gate situation. Is everything alright?" Minamoto asked as he went over to his assigned desk, fixing it up for a bit before sitting down on the large leather chair.

"Should be," Kei replied, nodding at him reassuringly. "Akabane and her team are already there. They're currently setting up a greater perimeter for whenever the dungeon break happens. If history repeats itself, that should be within a few days."

"I see; I'll wait for your orders then," Minamoto said dutifully. "I'll catch up on some of my paperwork meanwhile." He then gathered up some paper on his desk and started looking them over.

Studious and earnest as ever. Kei nodded with a small smile behind his black mask.

Still, it felt weird to have someone like him give orders to people like Shimuzu and Minamoto. They were both exceptional, both in looks and in their abilities. A lot more popular too. While Kei wasn't by any means weak, being an S-rank himself, he never really thought that people like them would ever follow someone like him.

Kitaoka Kei's life before becoming a hunter can be summarized in one word:

Average.

His looks weren't anything of note, nor was he born into a family with wealth. But he couldn't really complain. His life was good. Sure, his family might not be wealthy, but they didn't struggle. Kei didn't have any particular or exceptional skills; well, brewing a mean cappuccino wasn't a noteworthy skill, at least, but it wasn't like he was bad at anything. Except maybe singing, he's been told that he wasn't the best at…following tunes.

Kei was just…average.

Another face in the crowd.

That's why Kei decided that if he was going to be average, then at least he'd work hard. In school, at work, anywhere. He'll work hard enough that being average wouldn't matter. Because he would try his best at whatever he put his mind to, and he'll take pride in seeing his efforts rewarded.

Hard work never failed him.

But he did crave some…excitement. He wanted to do something more to add spice to his life. Hard work and living like the average person were fine, but he couldn't help but feel like he could do more.

So, awakening as a hunter was an opportunity.

He knew it was dangerous, but he was determined to at least be more than just average for once in his life. He wanted to be someone people could look at and say, "That guy is cool!"

And now, many of them did.

Kei was a Mage class hunter, and he might not be too prideful, but he could count on one hand on the number of Hunters in Japan who could beat him at using ice magic. He was sought after in his time as a freelancer, wanted for his skills at holding back and killing hordes of monsters to give his teammates time to regroup. He could clear B-rank dungeons easily, and his powers allowed him to freeze the dungeon boss in the blink of an eye. The boss would be left in such a state that it would be easy for his raid team to kill a normally strong boss quickly.

It felt great to be looked at as more than average by people all around him. They saw a dependable man, a powerful hunter, and someone who could lead them in times of trouble. It felt like all his hard work finally paid off.

And, of course, since he was an S-Rank, the highest rank a hunter could achieve, it meant that several guilds had given him offers to join them all the time. He did have to decline, though. There were several reasons, one of them being that joining a guild was a commitment, and the life of a freelance hunter suited him just fine. It gave him the freedom to pick and choose whatever raid he wanted to join without having to worry about the Guild politics or the egotistical Guild leaders above him.

But the biggest reason would be his nose.

Kei's nose was ultra-sensitive to mana; hence, it made it nearly unbearable to stick close to people who had strong mana. Their smell was horrendous. It made him want to wretch most of the time. Being part of a guild would mean that he'd be around those people constantly, and that would mean the stench of their mana would be ever-present, something he just knew he wouldn't be able to stand.

Without a mask to cover his mouth and nose, Kei would surely be unable to function properly because of how bad everything around him would smell. Being around S-Ranks was the worst; they had so much mana on them that it made smelling feces a preferable option.

So, why would someone like him be in a guild now?

"Hey, Kei?" Shimizu called out, making him open his eyes.

"What is it?" Kei asked, looking at her. She stared at him, biting her lips in worry.

"Do you think… Can those people inside the Red Gate survive? Has that ever happened before?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes.

Ah, so the situation was getting to her. Despite how egotistic she might seem to be, Shimizu was quite compassionate. If she ever had free time, she'd be around hospitals and clinics, helping Minamoto out in his voluntary work. It's how they grew to be such close friends, beyond just being guildmates. Shimizu was the type to be loud and boisterous, but she genuinely cared for her guildmates and for the people she knew she had a duty to protect.

Kei could lie and tell her: yes, they definitely could survive. He could also be pessimistic and tell her that they didn't have a shot. But the look in Shimizu's eyes told him that she wanted sincerity, so he decided to go with that:

"I don't know. I don't want to think that everyone inside that Gate will die, but the difference in levels is just too high. Perhaps if they had a few A and B-ranks with them, then maybe a large majority of them could survive. But with the way things are..." Kei answered, scratching his head of white hair.

"Surely there's still a chance?" Minamoto interjected, a frown on his lips. "We can't just write these people off. I'm sure the people inside are fighting with everything they have. We still need to believe that there's a chance they'll make it out."

Kei turned to him, mulling over what to answer. More than just being a pacifist, Minamoto was also a bit of an idealist. He's the type to believe in people and in their power to overcome obstacles. That's why he joined lower ranks; his skills allowed them to be stronger than they were, achieving things with their own hands with the help of his buffing skills. In all of Japan, he was probably the very best Healer, and only Shimizu came close…and probably that other Healer from Draw Sword.

He liked that about Minamoto, but Kei needed him to understand that some things just can't be overcome with just human ability.

"It's okay to be hopeful, Minamoto." Kei nodded at him, crossing his arms. "But we also gotta be realistic about this. The people inside are B-rank at most, and Ishida rated the Red Gate that trapped them as a high A-rank, at least. Maybe even a low S-rank."

His statement had the effect of making Minamoto look morose, which he winced at, feeling bad at having to tell him the cold, hard truth of the matter. Shimizu sighed, playing with her hair anxiously.

"I just wish we could do something, ya know?" Shimizu brushed a stray lock of her hair back, "It just feels so cruel to leave them there to d-die without offering any help."

"I know, this isn't anything I would wish on anybody," Kei said, shaking his head sadly. "But we can't keep griping about things we can't control."

Shimizu sighed, lying down on the couch and looking up to the ceiling with a despondent face. "This sucks."

"It does." Kei nodded in agreement.

"Fuck Red Gates." Shimizu scowled before putting a new lollipop in her mouth.

Kei chuckled when he heard her cuss, nodding again. "Indeed."

Minamoto gave her a disappointed look. "Akari, language."

"Shaddup MinMin, you're not my mom." To emphasize, Shimizu brought her hand up and gave him the middle finger while still lying down on the couch. Kei chortled, holding back his laughter for Minamoto's sake.

Minamoto rolled his eyes at her crude gesture. "Your fans won't like knowing their favorite actress has a foul mouth." He warned.

She waved her hand dismissively. "No way, they'd still love me because I'm the best and cutest girl around."

Her arrogant declaration made Minamoto sigh, giving up. "Your ego astounds me, as always."

"It ain't ego. It's the truth." Shimizu smugly replied, placing her arms behind her head. After that, Minamoto just shook his head, going back to his paperwork.

Kei just smiled, a gesture unseen beneath his mask. Even in this depressing situation, he found a bit of solace in being here with comrades he could trust.

"This path we walk on is hard enough. Don't you think it's better to have someone walk with you?" Kei looked into the man's eyes and only saw sincerity.

Removing his mask, Kei took another sip of his coffee. The sensational smell of coffee could not mask the horrible stench of having two S-Ranks in the room, but honestly?

It was worth it. Because of how hard this job was, it only made sense to have some people you could truly rely on. Getting past the stench didn't seem so hard with them around.

His phone rang just as he was about to put his mask back on, and Kei hastily sat up to see who was calling. It was Akabane.

"Akabane, are there any changes?" He said as he answered it, seeing both Minamoto and Shimizu look at him in anticipation. "Yes, alright, I guess we'll send a–" His eyes widened when he heard her next words.

"That can't be right! It is? The Red Gate's opening!?"

x x x

"Hold the line! Be ready to attack at my command!"

I nodded at Akabane's command and raised my bow in the direction of the Red Gate. The sky above was dark orange and pink, indicating that it was just an hour or so away from nightfall. I held my magical arrow between my fingers and leveled my aim. I was standing on the roof above the TOHO theater with a few more Ranger-type hunters. Each one of them held their bow at the ready.

Down below were several dozen A and B-Rank hunters holding a line of defense a dozen feet away from the Gate. In their hands were their preferred weapons, staffs, and shields. Standing much closer to the Gate were the gathered S-Ranks from both the Yuki-Ryoshi Guild and the Draw Sword Guild.

Akabane stood with her collapsible staff beside her while her arm was held up with her fist clenched, ready to give the command to attack. Beside her stood Tawata with her hands on her midnight black and red katana; her crimson eyes were set into a tight glare. Ishida held her magical staff in front of her, the embers of magic swirling around it. Nagishima was sporting a large battle-hungry grin as he held his large gold and bronze shield in front of him.

"Kawasaki-sama. Do you see anything?"

"Nothing yet. Don't drop your guard." I said to one of my fellow archers a few feet away from me. I clicked my teeth in annoyance, hearing the title he added to my name. He nodded quickly and refocused his attention on the sparkling and whirling Gate. His fingers twitched in anticipation as his mouth twisted into an eager grin.

"Come on! Come on! Give me a good fight!" Down below, Nagishima roared as he banged his shield with his armored fist. His knight's sword swung back and forth on his hip.

"Calm down, Nagishima," Tawata said, her eyes cast a quick warning look towards the eager S-Rank Tanker. He frowned at her command but ultimately obeyed.

I huffed and refocused my attention at the Gate. I calmed my raging nerves and prepared myself to attack the incoming magical beasts.

About thirty minutes ago, Ishida first noticed the tell-tale signs of an incoming dungeon break from the Red Gate. This caused us all to look at the Gate in surprise. For a dungeon break to happen so fast was unusual, but we couldn't expect a Red Gate to operate exactly like a normal Gate. They were too volatile and unpredictable. So, with an incoming break waiting to happen, we all quickly scrambled into our combat positions. Luckily for us, the request for backup posted by the Association was able to pull in a large number of A and B-Ranks to work as support and crowd control while we, the S-Ranks, focused on taking down the beasts quickly.

"Has a dungeon break ever happened after just three days of the Gate being opened?"

"No, never. Could it be due to it being a Red Gate?"

"Who knows? That must mean everyone inside must be dead."

I felt my eyebrow twitch at the muttering hunters across the roof in front of the theater. My enhanced senses sometimes acted more as a hindrance than a benefit.

"Hey! Shut up!" I shouted to them, causing them to yelp and quiet down.

Bolts of lightning shot out of the Red Gate, and a whirlwind of magical energy blew through the streets. All the hunters on the ground prepared themselves as they watched the Gate ripple and swirl violently as winds comparable to a tornado fluttered past them. I squinted my eyes as the whirlwinds reached high above where we stood as well.

The Red hues of the Gate slowly began to shift back into a familiar blue as its size began to shrink down. Slowly, several human-shaped shadows began to appear from within the Gate. I lowered my bow as anticipation began to grow within me.

Could it be?

"S-shit! Here they are!"

One of the Rangers off on the roof across from me yelled. Just as the large group of shadows finally stepped out of the Gate, I was able to see the finer details of several people stepping out of the swirling portal. This fact seemed to have been missed by the paranoid A-ranked Ranger because he fired a powerful magical arrow toward the now-visible auburn-haired woman with a spear in hand.

"No! Hold your fire!" I yelled loudly, but it was too late.

The rogue Ranger's premature shot caused a domino effect. I wasn't sure if it was due to fear or their need to prove themselves in front of two famous Guilds, but everyone on the surrounding roofs began to fire their primed magical arrows toward the surviving hunters. Flooding the air above the street with a volley of arrows that flew toward the unsuspecting survivors at incredible speeds.

"No!"

"You fucking idiots!"

Akabane and Tawata screamed as they, too, noticed that what had exited the Gate were not magical beasts but were actually, in fact, a group of survivors, so it was with wide and panicked eyes that they began sprinting towards them in a last-ditch effort to cover them from the incoming attack. But even from here, I could see that they would not make it in time, even with their incredible speed. Magical arrows were just too fast.

"Seriously?!"

I heard a familiar voice cry out in annoyance just as the arrows rained down upon the survivors.

The Gate and survivors were quickly enveloped in a series of explosions. The onslaught of magical arrows didn't last long due to my quick command for my fellow rangers to stop. However, the arrows that were fired would have been enough to decimate anything in their way. So it was with bated breath that everyone watched the dust slowly settle around the glowing Gate.

Akabane and Tawata stood still a few feet away from the waves of dust and falling rubble. Akabane had a grimace on her face as she waited for the smoke to clear in anticipation, while Tawata looked up at the roofs to glare at all the Rangers who might have just killed all those who survived the Red Gate.

When the dust finally settled, I looked on in surprise as a barrier made of white and golden light stood protectively over all the bewildered, soaking-wet survivors. A young man was standing in front of a group of wet survivors. His dark hair clung to his face due to the blood and the water that covered him from head to toe. His hands were held high as he held the barrier up while he looked around at all the surrounding hunters, seemingly waiting for another volley of attacks.

"Way to jump the gun." He said, clicking his tongue.

That voice– is that...?

I waited nervously as he lowered his arms, the magical barrier disappearing as he did. The blood-soaked Hunter looked back at his fellow survivors as if to check for any injuries. He then nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied with what he saw.

I sighed in relief, seeing that nobody was hurt or killed in the attack. I looked over at all my fellow Rangers and glared at them, delivering my unsaid message with a wave of pressurized mana. Causing several of them to flinch.

There will be consequences. Be sure of that.

I jumped off the roof and landed on the ground gracefully. I then ran over to stand beside Ishida and watched as the blood-covered Hunter eyed us all with sharp, dead eyes. Familiar, dead, looking eyes.

"H-Hikigaya?" I said tentatively. He turned to me; his eyes then quickly grew wide with recognition.

"Kawasomething?"

"Pff!" Ishida quickly covered her mouth with her hands as she turned away from me. Her shoulders shook as she tried, and failed, to hold on to her laughter. "S-sorry! It's just-it's just-Pff!"

I felt my cheeks burn as Ishida laughed while she held her sides tightly. I looked away from her indignantly and glared at Hikigaya.

"It's Kawasaki! Kawasaki Saki!"

"Ah, right. Sorry about that, Kawasaki."

"Alright, alright. That's enough." Akabane said with a humorous smile. She waved her hands and told everyone to stand down. She then looked over at the medical team that was waiting patiently a block away and waved them over. "Let's get all the survivors some medical attention! And some towels! Quickly!"

Akabane's words caused all the gathered hunters to sigh and relax. Some of them moved to help some of the survivors alongside the medical team. Nagishima had a complicated expression on his face as he lowered his shield, while Tawata just sighed, adjusting the cap on her head. Still, all the S-Ranks kept their sights on the Gate, just in case anything that wasn't human stepped out.

All the survivors gathered around Hikigaya and patted him on the shoulder with giant grins and smiles before they were escorted away by the medical team. The auburn-haired woman, Osaki Naoko, quickly wrapped her arms around Hikigaya's neck and hugged him tightly.

His arms twitched, but he didn't return the hug. Hikigaya's face was tight with what seemed like confusion. Osaki then smiled at him and allowed herself to be guided away to one of the medical tents while Hikigaya looked on with his lips set in a neutral line.

"Hey, how do you know him, Saki?" Ishida asked as we watched Hikigaya and Nakano Fumiko, the Surveillance Team Member who entered the Red Gate, talk to one another before she bowed her head slightly at him and then walked away to follow her fellow Surveillance Members. They greeted her with worried and relieved expressions as they guided her to one of their personal tents.

"He is–was my classmate," I said. Just then, the spinning blue portal behind Hikigaya closed into itself, surprising everyone. Usually, a Gate would close after an hour or two. Not immediately after, those inside walked out. "I guess…this means that this is everyone who survived."

From what I remembered from the profiles, there were definitely other people who got trapped inside. I knew what this meant, but my heart tightened all the same.

"It seems so," Ishida said softly and patted my arm with a small smile. "We should be grateful that this many survived, Saki."

"...Yeah, you're right."

Not everyone made it, but I'm still glad that there were more than just a handful of survivors.

I felt my eyes return to Hikigaya, watching as he waved off the medics. With a tired look, his eyes roamed around the perimeter we had set up before turning towards where the Gate once stood. His eyes became hard, and with a shake of his head, he turned away with a sigh.

Blinking, he suddenly turned to me and returned my gaze. I felt a flush of embarrassment from being caught, but I kept my eyes on him, determined not to look away.

He blinked again, raising an eyebrow.

We stared at one another before his attention was stolen by a member of the Surveillance Team asking him to follow him. Hikigaya stood still for a minute, as if debating whether or not to do what he was asked, but ultimately nodded at the request and let himself be guided away.

Despite my relief at seeing so many survivors and the fact that my old classmate was safe, I couldn't help but wonder how he, of all people, managed to survive. Not that I wanted him to die, of course. It's just that he seemed a lot different from how the profile described him.

He looked different, too. Taller, more muscular, even his face looked a bit more chiseled…

"Oooh." I heard Ishida make a weird sound beside me, causing me to look at her. She wore a big grin on her face. "I see how it is."

"What?" I replied, feeling confused.

"Don't be coy." Ishida waggled her eyebrows; her voice now colored a teasing tone. "I saw how intense you were looking at each other."

I felt all the blood rush back into my face as I realized how this must have looked.

"It's not like that!" I cried out in denial, cursing my voice for how it squeaked.

I didn't mean it like that!

I was just really surprised! He even used that barrier to hold off several magical arrows from both A and B-Rank Rangers, so how could I not be?!

Wasn't Hikigaya supposed to be an E-Ranked hunter? How was he capable of doing that?!

That's what's on my mind, not– not whatever Ishida was probably thinking!

"No need to be so shy, Saki." In response to my reddened face, Ishida's grin widened, with her eyes lighting up in mischief. This little–!

"Akari's gonna be really happy when she finds out though!" With that, she scurried away from me, cackling all the while.

"No!" I hurried after her, my face feeling hotter than ever. "I told you it's not like that!"

This is not what it looks like!

x x x

"Right this way, Hikigaya-san."

I nodded at a Surveillance Team Member, who had introduced herself as Kajiwara Kohaku, as she guided me through the halls of the Association building. I rubbed a towel through my damp hair and looked down at the clothes I was given to replace my previous blood-soaked outfit. It was a simple outfit they scrambled together at the last second: a black long-sleeved shirt and pants with a pair of white sneakers.

Who cares if it's simple? Free clothes are free clothes.

The two of us entered an elevator, which then proceeded to rise to the floor Kajiwara had selected. As we rode the vertically moving box, I thought back to the events from earlier today.

…crushing that rune stone turned out to be more helpful than I thought.

Osaki's teammates barely made it.

After she led me to where she and Nakano hid them all, I was struck by how much worse they looked from the night before. The poison worked its way much deeper into their bodies, eating away at them from the inside out, and from what I felt from their mana, I could tell that they wouldn't hold on much longer.

If my battle with Striakel had gone any longer, then everyone would have died before any help could arrive. Acting quickly, I began to use my new skill on Osaki's poisoned teammates.

Twilight Healing made short work of taking the poison out of their systems, and in the process, I discovered something about my newest skill:

It ate up a lot of mana. And I do mean a lot. After my newest spike of level-ups, my mana capacity had grown to one thousand and six hundred ninety, yet after I finished healing them all, I was only left with three hundred.

This meant that while extremely useful, Twilight Healing needed to be used wisely. I'll have to avoid using it excessively unless I find myself in a real bind.

With all of them back in full health, we collectively decided to stave off any celebrations until we've finally gotten out there since, quite frankly, we were all sick of that raining hellhole. I would be so happy if I never had to see another rainforest in my life!

So imagine my surprise when we were suddenly greeted with an incoming volley of magical arrows that tried to skewer us all to pieces just as we finally stepped out onto the other side of the Gate.

Seriously!?

Acting fast, I squeezed the last bit of my mana to raise a strong enough barrier to stop any of those shots from passing through. And as I protected my fellow survivors from what was possibly a gruesome death, I had only one thought:

Trigger-happy hunters suck.

After the short volley of arrows ended, I looked around at all the hunters surrounding us to make sure we weren't going to be attacked again. Seeing that they had lowered their weapons and the Rangers above had the decency to look ashamed, I lowered my barrier and was greeted by a familiar face.

Kawasaki Saki.

That's her name, which she so very pointedly reminded me of earlier. The last time I heard about her was the one where she joined Yuki-Ryoshi as their newest S-Rank Hunter. It was something I paid little attention to since I was more worried about how I was going to pay my bills or get a better-paying job. So this was the first time in over a year that I'd seen her, and what I noticed first was this:

Her mana levels are high.

I didn't get to say anything else to her before the medics finally arrived to usher us away, but Osaki's team decided that showering me with praise and thank you's was more important than getting out of their wet clothes and gear. So, I stayed quiet and let them say their piece.

When they were all finally done, Osaki surprised me by giving me a tight hug. I wasn't sure what to do as she held me, so I remained still.

No, I wasn't enjoying how her boobs were pressing into my chest. Of course not.

"Thank you. For everything, Hikigaya-kun." Osaki said with a small, defeated smile. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess."

It seemed she wanted to say more, but she held herself back and walked off with one of the medics.

From there, Nakano spoke to me about her going back to the Hunters Association building to report what had happened inside the Red Gate to her higher-ups. I was also told that my testimony would also be needed, so one of her teammates would get me in a few minutes to take me to the building as well. She then bowed and left to join her teammates.

One of the medics was persistent in checking me over, but so was I. I didn't need them, and they could be of better use to the rest of the survivors. My latest series of level-ups helped me recover back to a hundred percent. I was in top condition, yet I couldn't stop how my mind still felt like it was covered in a haze. I felt lethargic, my thoughts were hard to control, and even as the Gate suddenly disappeared, I gave it little care. Mental fatigue was something the system didn't help recover.

I did, however, sense someone staring at me. And quite intensely at that.

It was Kawasaki, who was looking at me with a complicated look on her face. Beside her was an orange-haired girl, another S-Rank based on the levels of mana I could feel from her, who's been swiveling her head back and forth between us as our eyes locked on each other in our little staring contest. I used this chance to observe Kawasaki better.

She looked just like how I remembered her; she still had that long silver-blue hair that she tied up in a ponytail, and she still had…quite the set on her. I didn't want to notice that, but my eyes couldn't stray away from how accentuated and defined her curves were in her Hunter gear. Seriously, whoever designed her gear should get a bonus. Bravo.

Which reminds me, I could have sworn our relationship was that of acquaintances and I've never done anything to get on her bad side, so why was she giving me that long look? Perhaps she heard me call her brother a Bug?

Well, if she thinks I'll back off just for that, then she's got another thing coming. For however long she's gonna stare at me, I'll stare right back. Kawasaki twitched slightly as she saw that I wouldn't look away as one normally would.

Hah, I'm quite good at this, you know.

One of my one hundred and eight skills is to stare at something for a really long time so I could pinpoint its strengths and weaknesses. If you think I'll back off just because you're an S-rank in one of the most famous guilds in the country, think again! The longer you stared at me, the better! It gives me time to pick apart the details of how strong or weak you are!

That's when a stray thought entered my mind.

Does she still wear…that?

"Are you an idiot?"

I had first met her on the rooftop of Sobu High School, where she caught one of my sheets of schoolwork that I had laid on the floor. It got blown away by the wind, and she was just fortunately on the roof of the staircase, where she grabbed it before it could get away.

That's where I caught a glimpse of something forbidden as she climbed down from the roof to return my sheet of paper. The very same wind that blew my paper away had gifted me with a sight I have yet to forget.

Black. Lace.

I stored that memory closely in the very forbidden recesses of my mind.

My next meeting with her was due to her little bug of a brother coming to us to request help from the service club to solve a pressing issue with his sister.

Kawasaki had been working late to earn money to pay for her education; this was due to her not wanting to burden her family even more so they could focus on the bug.

Yukinoshita's bright plan to confront her at her job failed, causing her and Yui to leave the Angel Ladder Cafe at the Royal Hotel Okura. After that, I implemented my genius plan to solve her dilemma.

"Hey, Kawasaki. You know what scholarships are?"

After that request was done and over with, she and I would occasionally nod to one another in passing, but our interactions were limited to just that. During the School Cultural Festival, Kawasaki helped me find Sagami when she ran off like a pathetic child. Man, she really did me a solid with–

"Thank you! I love you, Kawasaki!" I yelled as I ran down the hall towards the roof of the school. Distantly, I heard a really high-pitched scream ring out behind me.

…shit. Why did I say that? Me and my stupid mouth.

Wait. That couldn't be the reason she's staring at me, right? Was she trying to burn me alive with her eyes or something?

I kept my face still and expressionless. I continued looking at Kawasaki and searched her face to see if she looked annoyed or creeped out by me. She didn't. Oddly enough, she looked mostly relieved and confused.

Maybe she doesn't remember? Let's hope that's the case.

As much as I loved walking down memory lane during our impromptu staring contest, I was quite fortunately approached by one of the Surveillance Members that Nakano said would come to get me.

"Hikigaya-san. Please follow us, one of our drivers will take you to our headquarters. A fresh set of clothes and a room will be available for you to clean up before your meeting with the Chief." The Surveillance Team member said.

I debated on ignoring him and just going home. But if I did that, Nakano would probably come after me at home. I'd rather avoid that. I nodded and followed him towards the far-off parked black SUV.

Man, these people really love these SUVs.

All that finally brought me back to the present. After taking a nice, hot, long shower in the admittedly impressive-looking room they reserved for me. I got dressed and followed behind Kajiwara towards wherever the Surveillance Team Chief was in the building.

I looked up as a soft ding alerted me that we had finally reached the target floor. Once the elevator doors opened, we stepped out and continued onwards. After a few more minutes, we reached two wooden double doors. A plaque with a vaguely familiar name sat on the wall to the right.

Surveillance Chief, Kitamura Kenji.

"Chief. Hikigaya-san is here." Kajiwara said after knocking on one of the double doors.

"Very good, please, show him inside."

Kajiwara nodded and opened the door for me to enter the modestly sized-room. She bowed her head to me and softly closed the door as she left me and the Chief alone. I looked around the room briefly and saw that it was a stand-of-the-mill-looking office. Off at the back of the room was a man with dark blue hair. He looked up from the stack of papers in front of him to offer me a small smile. He then stood up and walked around his desk to stand a few feet away from me. It was then that I finally remembered why his name sounded so familiar.

He was the guy who visited me along with Nakano after the double dungeon incident.

"Hikigaya-san, thank you for meeting with me. I'm not sure if you remember me, but my name is Kitamura Kenji. Chief of the Japanese Surveillance Team. I'm sure you're exhausted after the extremely dangerous situation you've been through today, so I'll make this brief. Please, have a seat."

I nodded at him and sat down on one of the surprisingly comfortable wood and leather chairs in front of his desk. Kitamura nodded and walked back around to sit on his chair.

"May I offer you some tea?"

"Sure."

Kitamura nodded and pressed one of the many buttons on his desk. A voice from one of what I was assuming was his assistant answered. Kitamura then asked for two cups and some tea.

"Now then, why don't we get down to business? Nakano-kun has informed me of everything that had happened within the Red Gate. While I have her version of events, I'd like to hear your side as well." Kitamura said as he brought his hands together in front of him, a patient expression on his face.

There's no point in lying then; if Nakano told him everything that had happened, it's best that I keep things the way they happened.

I nodded and began to recount the events from the Red Gate from start to finish.

As I did, I couldn't help but be disappointed in myself. This Red Gate was unexpected, but as I recited the events of everything that happened, I just knew that things would have been different had I been a lot stronger. I've been too lax; I've become too content with the pace of my growth. If I had been more powerful, Osaki's entire team would still be alive.

…still, I was only level thirty-one when I entered that Red Gate, and the monsters I destroyed were stronger than anything I've ever faced. But in the end, even with all the magical beasts I killed, I only managed to level up to forty-one. All that pain and suffering, and I was rewarded with ten pitiful levels.

The system's level gaps were getting harder to scale. With each level up, I needed more EXP to get to the next level. I'll need to focus on grinding away much more if I want to make sure that something like this never happens again. I needed to do something to push myself to greater heights. I needed to train myself to a level where I'll never need to worry about getting caught in a Red Gate ever again.

I had to become as strong as an S-Rank. No, even higher than that. I needed to become a hunter on the national scale.

…or even possibly beyond that.

A young man walked into the room sometime during my talk and dropped off two porcelain cups and a pot of hot tea. After twenty minutes of speaking, I finished telling my story with a sigh.

I left nothing out from start to finish.

Jeez, when was the last time I spoke for that long?

Kitamura nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. He flipped through some pages of notes in front of him as he took a sip of his lukewarm tea.

"You've been through a tough ordeal, Hikigaya-san. I can see now that the survival of those hunters and my subordinate was thanks to you. For that, I am in your debt." Kitamura said as he slowly stood up and offered me a bow.

"Ah, no, don't worry about that."

I stood up myself and waved off the older man's gratitude. Kitamaura stood straight and nodded at me with a smile.

"You're no normal E-Rank hunter, are you Hikigaya-san? No, a hunter capable of great fighting capabilities, magical spells, spatial magic, and healing skills could not be the same Hunter with the mana reading of fifty I met a few months ago." Kitamura said as he eyed me carefully.

"Nakano-kun informed me of a rather particular observation she made during your battles. She said that with every magical beast you defeated, your level of mana somehow grew alongside your power. It was only a theory of hers, but once you defeated the boss, your power skyrocketed close to the realm of an S-Rank hunter."

I felt my muscles tense as Kitamura walked over to the large window on the far wall; he looked out at the glowing lights from within the darkened city. I walked up beside him and looked out at the view with a frown. The red Tokyo tower stood tall, glowing in the distance.

"A hunter who underwent a second awakening with the capability of growing stronger after every battle," Kitamura said slowly as he turned to me with a thoughtful look.

"Am I right, Hikigaya-san?"

Okay, I wouldn't say I like where this is going. Kitamura saw my expression and gave me a light smirk.

I don't like where this is going. At. All.

x x x

"I'm home," I called out dully as I entered my apartment. I slipped off my snazzy new white sneakers and turned to see Riko, my ever-trusty slime companion, pause the show she was watching. I looked around to find Komachi and saw that her bedroom door was closed, but the light inside was on.

Probably studying.

"Welcome back, Ma–" Riko started to greet me warmly but then quickly panicked once she saw my face. "What happened to you!?"

Immediately, Riko shot up from the couch and went to my side to start fussing over me. She inspected me from head to toe, and all the while, she patted my limbs.

"I'm fine, Riko," I said, feeling too mentally exhausted to stop her hands from roaming around me. "Really."

"No, Master, you look tired!" She gave me a worried stare. "But how? You said the Gate you were entering today was only a C-Rank! Did you go into the other world without me? You're pushing yourself too hard! Your eyes look deader than usual!"

Oi, be careful with your words! I may start crying.

"No, Riko. I didn't go to the Realm of Chaos… Let's just say some things didn't go as expected today." I decided that lying wouldn't get me anywhere, but I couldn't muster up the energy to explain all of today's events. Or should I say two days? Time dilation was weird.

"I knew it… I should have been there with you!" Her eyes suddenly became teary, and seeing such a raw amount of emotion from her threw me for a loop. She then began bowing her head profusely. "I'm so sorry, Master! Please forgive me! I'm a failure as your maid!"

I grabbed her pajama-clad shoulders to stop her bows. Riko looked up at me with eyes full of tears. I sighed and began rubbing her head to comfort her. "It's okay, Riko. I'm not hurt. Nothing bad happened to me. So stop it, you didn't fail me." I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, but she just sniffled harder, and her tears started to fall from her eyes.

Oh, come on.

"Onii-chan?" Komachi peeked out from her room, blinking at me owlishly. There was a white bandana tied around her forehead with the words "Win! Win! Win!" written on top. "You sure got home late. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I then tried to smile at her to reassure her as well, but my little sister just started looking worried as well. Her eyes were looking deeply into my own with a calculating gaze.

Are my smiles really that bad!?

"Master," Riko said as she wiped her tears. "I'll go prepare you a bath and a change of clothes!" She gently took me by the arm and then guided me down to sit on the couch. "Please just relax and let me take care of you!" Riko then swiftly ran off to the bathroom, and the sound of the faucet could be heard immediately.

"Ah! I'll heat up tonight's dinner!" Komachi exclamined and followed Riko's lead. She left her room and quickly stepped into the kitchen. I watched as she took out a few tupperware containers from the fridge that held today's meal. Komachi then began to uncover everything as she started the process of reheating the food. She even brought me a can of Max coffee as well with a smile. I almost cried tears of joy at that.

Huh. This is kinda nice.

I opened the can of my precious Max coffee, and a satisfying "TSS kr-POP" from the can's seal being broken flooded my ears. I took a long, refreshing swig from the sweet drink and sighed happily. It wasn't often that I got this spoiled. I could get used to this.

Just as I was about to take another sip, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. With an annoyed sigh, I slid out my phone and looked at who was calling. I raised a brow in confusion when I saw there was no caller ID, and the number was unfamiliar to me. I looked up at the top right corner of my phone and checked the time—08:36 PM.

At this time?

I debated whether or not I should answer the ringing phone. The desire to ignore the call was strong within me; I didn't have the energy or patience to talk to some stranger. Using what little mental strength my brain had, I began to wonder if it was someone from the Association or the Surveillance Team. But then I also remembered that Osaki had my contact information as well. Maybe whoever was calling could be one of the members of her team. Even if it was them, I was still mentally exhausted. Did I really have the energy to talk right now?

Then again, I don't want to seem that rude to the people I just had a life-or-death situation with. With a deep sigh, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I clicked the answer button and placed my phone next to my ear.

"Hello?"

["Ah! H-Hello?"]

Hm? Hold the phone, I know this voice. It may have been a year or so, but I haven't forgotten her voice even after all this time.

["This is…Hikigaya-kun, right?"]

Yep, that's her.

"Yes, it's me." I closed my eyes and resigned myself, leaning back against the headrest of my couch. "Is this…Yukinoshita?" Komachi twitched from behind the kitchen counter. She looked over at me with a wide, expectant smile. I waved her away.

["Yes."] She answered softly. ["Yuigahama-san gave me your phone number."]

Of course, she did. I held back a sigh and watched as Riko stepped out of the steaming bathroom. She paused when she saw I was on a phone call and stood to the side, seemingly not wanting to interrupt me.

["Hikigaya-kun, I'm sorry for calling so late."] Yukinoshita apologized, her voice low and soft. It hasn't changed at all. ["I didn't know what time you would be free due to your…job. So I calculated the most plausible time it would be appropriate to call."]

"Heh. I see that even after all this time, you're still the same as ever," I said out loud, unable to stop myself from chuckling slightly. Off to the side, I saw Komachi whispering into Riko's ear. My slime companion nodded along to whatever it was my little sister was telling her.

["...I suppose I'll have to ignore that comment."] Yukinoshita sighed, though her tone was sharp. I grinned at my mental image of her; the unamused frown on her face as she shook her head played seamlessly in my mind. I did, after all, see her do that several times in our time in the Service Club. ["Back to the reason I called you this evening. I have some… important things that I want to talk to you about. So I must ask:"]

["...will you be f-free anytime this week?"]

------

[Bonus Content | Character Sheet]

Name: Kitaoka Kei

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Eye Color: Purple

Hair Color: Silver

(ooo)

Likes: Coffee, Cats, Napping, Going out on walks.

Dislikes: Rain, the smell of hunters, crowds.

Dreams: To run his own Coffee shop in a small town, where he can serve the best coffee and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for his customers.

Hobbies: Building model planes and ships, going to every coffee shop in Japan.

Personality: Kei is serious, dutiful, and caring about his friends and Guild mates. He puts one hundred percent effort into anything he does despite not being exceptionally talented in any one thing. Due to his hardworking attitude and kind disposition, Kei is a highly respected member of the Yuki-Ryoshi Guild.

(ooo)

Status: Hunter

Rank: S-Rank

Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi Guild

Class: Mage

(ooo)

Weapons: Ice Magic enhancing Metallic Mage Staff created from the bones of a Stone Serpent.

Skills: Spell Casting, Black belt in Taekwondo.

Talents: Ice magic, Amazing Coffee Barista.

(ooo)

Image Link: imgur.com/N6zWf5f

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A/N:

Thank you for reading today's chapter.

Major update: I'm sorry to say that the updates for the story from this point onwards will be one chapter a week. Not two. I know that will disappoint several of you, but it's a needed change of pace. I hope to bring back the two chapters' a-week update schedule, but for now, I need to slow things down to avoid creative burnout. To compensate for that, I will ensure the weekly chapters are roughly 10k words long for your enjoyment.

Please leave a review or comment. It helps me gauge your interest in the story and because I enjoy reading what you all have to say.

Until next time!