Chapter 19

It started raining again as soon as the sun rose into the cloud-covered sky, which meant that my ragged clothes got soaked once again. But that mattered very little as Osaki and I ran through the forest in search of the boss. Nakano and the rest have stayed behind to protect those in a coma-induced state due to the poison.

We have to hurry. Those guys won't last another day.

I quickly looked over to Osaki as she struggled to keep up with my speed. I hated to say it, but she was drastically slowing me down. When I told her to stay back with the others, Osaki refused. She didn't care if I agreed with her or not; she was adamant about the fact that she would join me in looking for and defeating the boss.

"Even if it costs me my life, I will take down the boss and get everyone home," Osaki told me with a deadly expression.

"Do you want to take a break?" I asked, not the least bit winded. I jumped over a thick root and looked over to Osaki, who was panting as she sped behind me.

"I'm fine! Keep going!"

"…okay."

We continued running through the forest at fast speeds. The rain was making it hard for Osaki to traverse the environment; she had come close to slipping on several different occasions. Despite that, she persisted forward and stayed close to me.

We had been searching for the past four hours and had yet to find a single clue as to where the boss could be. A fact that began to grate on my nerves to no end. No matter how far I expanded my senses, I still didn't find a hint of where the boss's mana signature could be.

In our search, we had run into several magical beasts native to the forest. They had tried to stop and attack us on sight, but Osaki and I were able to outrun them quickly. We didn't have the time to stop and fight them. But for the more persistent beasts that refused to give up their pursuit, I fired off several shining slashes their way that quickly ended their lives. That had earned me another level. Bringing me up to level thirty-six.

Is that high enough? Can I take on the boss with how I am now? Damn it, if only I had time to grind some more.

"H-Hikigaya! Slow down!"

I was jolted out of my thoughts and looked back at Osaki; she was almost thirty feet behind me. I immediately slowed my speed and came to a stop in a small clearing. Osaki slid beside me as she gasped tiredly.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. It's not your fault I'm slow."

Damn it, Osaki. You're just holding me back.

My mouth pressed into a thin line. I didn't want to admit it openly, but she was right. I could have covered twice as much ground if she hadn't stubbornly accompanied me. I turned away from Osaki and rubbed my wet face to hide my irritation.

"?!"

I jumped in shock as a wave of powerful mana washed over me. The magical energy was so potent that someone who wasn't mana-sensitive like Osaki could sense it as well. We spun towards the source of the power and saw that it was moving at incredible speeds.

"Is that?!"

"Yeah," I muttered as I began pumping mana into my legs. "That's the boss!"

"The direction it's going… at this rate, it'll reach the others! We have to–Ah!"

I burst forward and picked Osaki into a bridal carry; with her in my arms, I began speeding through the forest. Osaki held onto me tightly as I jumped, leaped, dashed, and spun through the thick forest.

Sorry, Osaki, but we're pressed for time!

The magical beasts I sped by turned to me and tilted their heads in confusion. I paid them no heed, the urgency overtaking my mind.

I need to get there now!

x x x

I looked down and inspected my outfit for today for what is possibly the hundredth time today. I was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a thin Merino wool sweater under my salmon-colored knit cardigan. On my feet were a pair of tall brown boots while a cream-colored scarf was wrapped around my neck.

I took a deep breath to try to calm my nerves and decided to distract myself by looking around the bustling streets of Fujimi. Being so close to the heart of Chiba made it so that everywhere you looked, you could see people of all ages walking to and from place to place. The various shops provided dozens of options to explore through or to go on a shopping spree.

But I wasn't particularly focused on the possibilities the stores around me had, even though that top they had on display across the street was rather cute, no! I had to focus! I looked behind me at the building where a small cat cafe was located. I've heard from some of my underclassmen that it was a very cute cafe with even cuter and playful cats to watch or play with while you enjoyed a delicious drink.

In other words, it was the perfect place for my date with Yukinon!

"Ah. Yuigahama-san. I'm sorry for being late."

I spun on my boots and saw Yukinon walking towards me. She was dressed in a long, white dress with a light blue cardigan on top. On her feet were a pair of white Taupe ankle boots while a small white bag hung over her shoulder. Yukinon's hair was even styled differently than usual; it was done in two twin tails, which gave her a much more playful look.

As Yukinon walked along the sidewalk, she attracted curious and impressed looks from those she passed. I even saw several of the men blush and look at her with stunned looks; even the men with their girlfriends in their arms couldn't help but sneak a peek. An action that caused them to become annoyed and angry at Yukinon.

"Wah! Yukinon, you look super pretty!" I said as I walked over to her with a bright smile on my face.

Yukinon blushed slightly and gave me a thankful smile. "Thank you. Your outfit looks very well put together."

"Eheheh. This old thing?" I said while posing slightly for her. I winked cutely to exaggerate.

Yukinon's smile turned more amused. "Yes, I dare say you'll draw more looks our way than I anticipated."

I giggled, scratching my head in embarrassment. "Oh, stop it. We both know it'll be you they'll look at."

"Perhaps some will." Yukinon nodded her head in agreement, ever confident in her own beauty. As she should! "Regardless, I've been promised a trip to a place I'm very interested in seeing." Her eyes glinted with determination. "I'd like to get there now."

"Alrighty then."

I giggled at her enthusiasm. Once I had her hand in my own, we walked into the building and headed towards where the cafe was located. Once we walked through the cafe doors, we saw a wide and comfortable cafe. It was lit by low-hanging lights, giving the room a warm and relaxing atmosphere. There were several different types of sitting areas throughout the room.

"Welcome!" We were greeted by two enthusiastic waitresses who stood by the podium by the entrance. They wore little cat ear headbands and cat paw print aprons alongside their uniform. How cute!

"Yahallo!" I greeted them back with a wide smile, then turned to Yukinon, her face flush with anticipation. Her focus was already locked on the various cats spread throughout the cafe. I grinned at her reaction and waved a waitress over.

"Table for two, please!"

"Of course, right this way!"

We were then led to a booth near the back of the cafe, and almost immediately, the cats sauntered over to us, looking curious with their tails flicking and meowing cutely. One of them even put a bold little paw at Yukinon's leg!

"Haah," Yukinon's face was adorable! She looked like she could barely stop herself from touching them already!

"Ehehe." I discreetly pulled out my phone to snap a picture of her blushing face as she looked at the cat at her feet, meowing cutely at her.

"We're allowed to touch them, correct?" Yukinon asked the waitress seriously. Almost too seriously.

"O-of course!" The waitress quickly nodded with a nervous smile. Such was the power of Yukinon's intense stare!

Not needing anymore to be said, Yukinon quickly adjusted her skirt and kneeled on the floor. The cat that had pawed at Yukinon for attention slowly walked up to her and sniffed her tentatively. After a few sniffs, the cat seemingly nodded in approval and crawled onto her lap with a soft mew.

"Nyan." Yukinon made cute cat sounds at the kitty on her lap while scratching its little fluffy head, causing the cat to purr in content. I made sure to take even more photos, as this moment was too adorable not to be immortalized!

"Her name is Michiko." The waitress informed us. "She's usually more reserved, but I guess she must really like you!" The waitress smiled at Yukinon, nodding enthusiastically.

"Reserved?" I repeated the word, humming while putting my phone away. The cat had soft white fur with a long black stripe along its back, while two blue eyes looked up at Yukinon with a meow. "Hehe, purrfect match."

"Nyaaaan." Yukinon either didn't hear or mind the pun I made due to being too focused on the cat on her lap. Slowly, the cat's eyes began to close, and it continued to purr softly as Yukinon brushed its fur with her hands in slow strokes.

I smiled as Yukinon continued to look like she was in heaven. I couldn't even recall if I'd ever seen her look like this before. I decided to give my friend some time alone with her new furry friend and began to look through the menu. After finding something that looked yummy to drink, I placed my order with the waitress. I tried to ask Yukinon if she wanted anything, but she was far too busy with Michiko, the cat.

I really picked a great place ehehe.

As I waited for my order, I felt one of the cafe's cats brush its head against my legs. I jumped slightly at the sudden touch and looked down at the furry feline with a shaky smile. Seeing my discomfort, the small black cat with oddly sharp eyes sat down and stared up at me.

Give me treats. Now. Its eyes seemed to say. Wow, how demanding!

I giggled nervously at the cat's constant staring and grabbed one of the treats we were given by the waitresses as a welcoming gift. I reached down and held the small treat towards the cat. Slowly and lazily, the black cat stood up and sniffed the treat in my fingers. It then huffed and walked away to join its fellow furry friends off towards a large fluffy tatami mat. The black cat lay down next to a sitting silver-blue furred cat with purple irises, eliciting a pleased meow from the purple-eyed feline.

Was I just rejected?

"Thank you, Yuigahama-san."

I blinked in surprise, turning to Yukinon, who was watching me with a warm smile.

"I think… I think I needed this." Yukinon said.

"Oh," I said absentmindedly as I sat back up and placed the treat away. "It's nothing. I just wanted to find a place where you could relax and enjoy yourself, and I thought this place would make you happy."

"It has." Yukinon looked down on her lap and continued brushing Michiko's fur. The little kitty continued to purr without a single care in the world. "So I really do appreciate this."

"Mm, I'm glad." I smiled, feeling warm at the thought. I was happy that I was able to help her feel better through whatever she was going through.

At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder what it was that was weighing her down. It might be just the whole Hikki thing, but I don't think she'd delay meeting him like this if it was. Yukinon always faced her problems head-on and without hesitation. So, to see her so stumped and unsure of herself was worrying.

I figured I could help her relax a bit, even if it was for a single day. That was why I had invited her here today, to help her relieve her worries, even if it was a little bit. Seeing her smiling and looking so carefree, I was happy to see that my efforts weren't in vain.

I turned to my right and saw the empty spot next to me, causing me to frown. If only Hikki were here with us as well.

Mou, I want all three of us to hang out! Not separated, one at a time. But all three of us. Together!

But I knew I had to wait. Hikki said he was willing to wait until Yukinon was ready for the two of them to talk it out.

How long will that take, though? Hikki said he'll wait, and I wanna say the same thing! But…

I don't know how long I can wait.

x x x

I came to a stop on a tree branch when a loud explosion rocketed through the forest. Osaki and l turned to the sky and watched as a massive ball of fire died down. A stream of smoke flew away from the explosion and landed in a wide field of grass. A burst of wind expanded around the figure and blew away the smoke surrounding it.

Standing on two legs with sharp claws on its toes was a hybrid between a silverback gorilla and a jaguar. It was easily three meters tall and packed with muscles and claws. I felt a shiver run down my body as I eyed the magical beast's red and purple title.

[Striakel, Beast of Recovery]

True to its name, all the injuries that covered Striakel's body quickly healed and left no sign of injury. Striakel looked over to Nanako, who was standing at the opening of the cave with her good hand in front of her and growled lowly.

"Hikigaya, what's wrong?! We have to help them!"

I blinked and let Osaki down; I turned to her and summoned my halberd to my side. "Stay here, Osaki."

"What?! I told you that-"

"No!" I roared, causing Osaki to take a step back. I had no time or patience to calmly ask her to stay back. "That thing is too strong. Even I… even I don't think I can defeat it."

"No way…"

"Run to Nakano and help her move everyone away from here. I'll keep it distracted to give you all enough time to get away."

Osaki's scared expression melted into one of anger. She reached forward and grabbed my shoulder; her eyes burned fiercely as she stared deep into my own.

"Don't say that!" Osaki shouted. Her eyes softened, and she lifted her hand to caress my cheek. "Please don't say that… I can't have anyone else die on me today. So promise me that you won't die."

"Osaki, I-"

"Promise me."

I stood still, like a statue, and remained silent. I sighed and removed her hand from my cheek while ignoring her steadfast expression. I began moving towards Striakel while flaring my mana. Striakel's head spun to me and growled. I turned my head slightly and nodded at Osaki.

"I'll… do my best."

Before she could reply, I jumped across the forest and landed in front of Striakel with my halberd beside me at the ready. The beast flexed its muscles and released a primal roar that traveled throughout the forest, scaring away the nearby birds and other wildlife. I bent my knees and lifted my weapon in front of me with both hands.

"Let's dance."

[Active Skill: Swiftness | Lv. 2 | Overall speed will increase by 45% when active. Consumes 100 MP per second when active.]

I burst forward and swung my halberd through the air, sending splashes of rain and bursts of wind through the area around me and my enemy. Striakel tilted its body to the side and easily avoided my attack.

It's fast!

My legs reacted instinctively, and I was pushed back a few feet just in time to miss a wide slash of Striakel's razor-sharp claws. The boss growled at me and swung again. I knew I would be fast enough to dodge this attack, so I raised my halberd and used its staff to block the strike.

"Geh!" I fell to a knee and felt my arms shake as I pushed back on Striakel's arm. Its strength was superior to my own. I groaned and tried to stand to my feet. Striakel frowned at my attempt and grinned. The boss then pushed me down even further into the ground, causing my feet to burst through the dirt.

I need to get out of here!

I let go of my weapon and rolled backward. I looked up just in time to see Striakel's large hand punch through the ground, sending large chunks of rock and mud everywhere. I growled at the sight of my now broken halberd. The staff portion of the weapon was bent, while the blade had shattered in half under Striakel's power.

I wasn't given much time to lament my broken weapon due to Striakel dashing towards me with its two large, clawed hands trying to grab me. I jumped back and held my hand in front of me to cast my wall of radiance spell. The barrier of light formed a wall between Striakel and myself.

Striakel looked at the wall in confusion but didn't slow his speed. In a split second, the boss burst through the light barrier as if it were made of glass.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Striakel used my moment of shock to close the distance. I raised my arms defensively in a panic when I saw Striakel hold his arms over his head. But instead of two large arms slamming into my own, I felt a piercing hot wave of pain shoot through me as Striakel sent me rolling through the ground with a powerful kick.

I rolled to a stop and grabbed my stomach in an attempt to stop the agony I was feeling. I began to upheave repeatedly and then threw up all the contents in my stomach in front of me. Despite the pain, I began to stand to my feet while coughing.

[HP: 3690/4240]

I glared over at Striakel and saw that the large beast was grinning at me. Seeing it grin at me caused my pain to be quickly forgotten. I stood up straight and glared back at Striakel.

"You think you've won? Think again!" I roared and dashed towards Striakel with my fists held beside me.

My sudden action caught Striakel by surprise. It seemed the beast wasn't expecting me to recover so quickly or to continue to have the will to fight it. Regardless of what it was thinking, I used its short moment of surprise to swipe my arm in front of me. A speeding arc of light sped through the air and slammed into Striakel's chest. The beast roared as blood exploded from his open chest wound. I clicked my teeth when I saw that my attack only left a shallow wound, a wound that was quickly stitching itself back up.

I activated my swiftness skill and began moving in and out all around Striakel's body, sending shining slashes and light beams at its body. I was nothing but a blur as I moved in and out of the boss's sight by using the trees as cover. The beast tried to keep up with me, but its reaction speed wasn't anywhere near my own. I grinned as its body began to be covered with bloody wounds, but my grin quickly vanished as all the damage I'd dealt to Striakel began to heal itself as its wounds glowed green.

"What the hell?" I muttered and remembered all the wounds from Nakano's attack had also quickly healed. "This bastard."

Striakel roared in anger and jumped next to a tree. The large beast wrapped its arms around it and pulled the tree from its roots in one clean heave. It turned to me and tossed the tree as if it were a softball in my direction.

Seeing the incoming tree, I raised my arms in front of me and raised a barrier of light in the shape of an arrow. The tree crashed into the barrier and was ripped in half from the top down. I looked up just in time to see Striakel fall towards me. I did a series of backflips and retreated away as the beast crashed down where I once stood. An ear-piercing crash echoed through the forest as a tremor rocked the area.

I eyed the large plum of smoke around Striakel carefully; seeing my chance, I rushed towards it and slid around to its flank. I ran close to it and threw a punch that struck true to its side. Striakel groaned in pain and turned its head towards me, its eyes burning with fury. Its right hand swung towards me to take my head off my shoulder with its claws. I quickly ducked underneath the attack and placed a hand over Striakel's knee. I unleashed a light beam that quickly tore through flesh and bone, causing my opponent to fall to the ground.

I moved in to slam a knee into its jaguar-like face, but I was suddenly punched across the face. My nose burned as hot tears pricked at my eyes from the strike. Before I could blink the tears away, two large hands wrapped themselves around my arms and yanked me up. I was helpless to do anything as my body was sent crashing down onto the ground in the blink of an eye.

"Agh!" I yelled in pain.

I was then raised back into the air, where my legs dangled uselessly as Striakel laughed at my pained expression. I was unable to even glare at him due to the coursing pain. From there, my body was repeatedly slammed into the ground again and again. Blood began to seep out of my head and back, coating the ruined ground beneath me in my blood as I was slammed repeatedly.

[HP: 3010/4240]

[HP: 2590/4240]

[HP: 2102/4240]

Striakel laughed maniacally as it held me high in the air. It suddenly tilted its head as if an idea struck its mind and grabbed me by my chest. It then used its other hand to grab my left arm. Slowly, Striakel began to pull my arm from my body, jolting me from my numb state. Skin, muscles, tendons, and bones all began to slowly rip and break. Blood splattered around the ground beneath us from the tears in my flesh, painting the grass and mud in a dark red. My screams of pain easily outshone the pitter-pattering of the rain around us.

"Let him go!"

Before Striakel could finally tear my arm off my body, a spear sliced through the air and stabbed itself deeply into Striakel's weak right eye, the beast roared in agony and released me to grab its bleeding but slowly healing eye.

"I gotcha kid!" Sumida said as he grabbed my falling body and began running away from the bellowing beast. I looked at my left arm as it dangled uselessly beside me; if I wasn't in agony, the gruesome sight of my mangled arm would have made me throw up again.

I looked at him blearily and turned my head behind us to see Osaki, Nakano, Kobayashi, Takamura, and Tashiro all attacking Striakel from different directions. Their attacks were useless, but it seemed that their main goal was to distract the beast.

"No… Put me down." I said through gritted teeth but suddenly yelped in pain as an electric shock of agony coarser through my back and arm. Sumida frowned and came to a stop behind a thick tree.

"Stay here, kid. You've done more than enough. We'll handle things from here."

Before Sumida could run back into the fray, I stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned to me in surprise, apparently thinking I had no more strength.

"Stop it. Get them all away! That thing is too strong! You'll all die!" I said, my voice desperate and pleading. Memories of everyone dying one after another in the double dungeon played through my head. I quickly stopped them by closing my eyes tightly.

"…Sorry about how I've treated you, kid. Don't even need two eyes to see that you saved us from the ogre boss last time, not Osaki. I'm alive now thrice over thanks to you," Sumida said with a regretful but thankful smile. "From here on, we'll be the ones to fight and defeat the boss, even if it costs us our lives. 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.

Osaki was using her spear and speed to keep Striakel distracted as Nakano and Takamura pelted the beast's back with spell after spell. Tashiro shot dozens of magical arrows at the large monster's head, but every arrow shattered upon impact. Kobayashi sliced away at Striakel's legs, but his sword swings left nothing behind. Not even a scratch.

"Damn it!"

I reached into my inventory and pulled out my last health potion. I quickly drank it and felt my body quickly heal; however, the potion was only strong enough to fix my arm enough for it to be remotely useful and to fix my broken ribs. I quickly stumbled to my feet but felt my legs collapse under me from the pain. Helpless, I could only continue watching everyone fight with everything they had.

Striakel continued to grow increasingly annoyed by the near-constant attacks, which caused him to be confused and unfocused. Its injured eye was almost done healing despite Osaki's attack being done a minute or so ago, a fact that I quickly took notice of, making it even harder for Striakel to focus its attention on any one hunter.

Do complicated organs take longer to heal?

Using Striakel's blind spot, Osaki continued to attempt to cut into its tough hide. But the most she could do was cut off some of its fur.

Nakano swiped her good arm and sent a sharp pillar of ice that crashed uselessly against Striakel's back, causing the creature to slam his arms behind him and shatter the ground with his fists.

"Get back, Naoko-chan, Kobayashi-kun!" Takamura yelled as she brought down her staff in Striakel's direction.

Immediately, a large ball of fire erupted out of the clouds above us and exploded when it impacted Striakel. Everyone protected their faces as the bright light threatened to blind them. They didn't have to wait long to see that Takamura's fireball had little effect on Striakel due to the beast running out of the ball of fire.

"I-I put everything I had into that!" Takamura cried as she collapsed onto the ground, her face covered in sweat.

Striakel roared and rushed Takamura with its clawed hand held high, ready to skewer her where she sat. But before Osaki could move to try and save her second in command, Sumida slid to a stop in front of the mage and held his shield in front of her. A loud metallic crack echoed as Sumida's shield broke in half. He looked shocked to see his trusted shield had broken and turned up to see Striakel's elbow crash into him. Sumida violently rolled across the field and came to a stop several yards away.

"Sumida-san!" Kobayashi cried out. He turned to Striakel with an enraged expression. "You bastard!"

"Kobayashi, stop!" Osaki yelled as she tried to reach the angry hunter.

Kobayashi ignored her command and ran towards Striakel with a battle cry. He swung his sword down, trying to slice it deeply into Striakel's stomach. A wet squelch pierced all our ears as the beast stabbed his sharp claws into Kobayashi's torso, stopping the hunter mid-swing. With a sharp grin, the beast grabbed Kobayashi's head and pulled.

Kobayashi couldn't even scream as he was torn in half from his shoulder to his hip. Striakel bellowed a roar of victory and, with satisfaction, tossed both bloodied halves away from it.

Screams of horror rang out from his comrades, and I could only watch numbly as Kobayashi's mutilated upper half landed near me, the final expression on his face one of utter fear.

x x x

After spending two hours in the cat cafe, Yukinon and I decided to go grab a quick bite to eat at a nearby sandwich shop. Once we had our fill, the two of us took a stroll through Chiba. We had no real destination in mind; we were just enjoying the sights and enjoying each other's company.

Yukinon suggested we walk through one of the nearby parks, but before we could cross the street to reach it, the sounds of yelling and clangs of metal caused us to stop. We turned around and saw a group of people dressed in fantasy-like gear and armor with several different types of sharp weapons and shields in their hands.

"Excuse us! Hunters coming through!" A man dressed in a full suit of blue and silver armor yelled. His face was etched into an expression of worry and urgency.

Yukinon and I stepped back to the wall behind us to give the group of hunters space to pass. Several other people quickly followed suit and created a clear path for the hunters to make their way unimpeded. As they ran, Yukinon and I were able to hear what they were saying to one another.

"I can't believe it, an actual Red Gate!" A woman dressed in a mix of casual clothing and armor said, her large sword clanging loudly as she ran.

The man beside her nodded his head, his face scrunched up in worry. "Right? I can't believe one actually appeared in Adachi, of all places."

"Why were we called anyway? I thought they had a bunch of S-Ranks on hand?!"

"They do, but they need every B-Rank and above they can get for crowd control. Didn't you read the message that the Association sent you dolt?!"

"Hey, no need to be so prickly! I just wanted to know, what's so bad about that you di–!"

I couldn't hear the rest of their conversation because they were turning the corner, their voices were muffled, and they were too far away. Once they were gone, everyone on the street returned to the sidewalk and continued on their way. They were all completely unbothered by the sight of the anxious hunters and whatever dangers they could face.

"Hunters…" I said softly, unintentionally getting Yukinon's attention.

I continued looking over the direction they disappeared from with a heavy heart.

Seeing them made me think of Hikki. He was a hunter now, too, just like them. When Komachi told me about his new job, I didn't give it too much thought. At least, not at first. I was more concerned with Hikki's immediate safety after hearing what Yumiko had to say than to worry about the implications that his job held.

After Hikki and I had our talk, we began texting one another. Well, mostly, I texted him, and then our date, er, hangout, happened just yesterday. With all that was happening between us, I never stopped to think, like really think, of the dangers Hikki faced. Few people can become hunters in this world. They needed to awaken their hidden magic powers, just like in those fantasy stories. The world has totally changed because of these Hunters and Dungeons.

From my limited knowledge of them, hunters were the only ones capable of going into those portal things to fight off the monsters inside to close the portal. I know what they do pays them a lot of money; it was the main reason a lot of people became hunters in the first place after they awakened to their magical abilities.

Hunters have also become super famous in the public eye, to the point that their fame rivals that of super well-known celebrities and actors. Well, at least the Hunters with the higher ranks, like that guy Ryuji Goto and Yukinon's big sister, Yukinoshita Haruno.

Despite the allure of people with magical powers and superhuman strength, I never really found myself inclined to find out more about them. It just wasn't my thing. I mostly just saw hunters like I did the police or the military. They were just another group of people who fought on behalf of the people to keep us all safe.

That didn't mean I was ignorant of the dangers they faced. I was well aware of the high death rates for hunters worldwide. It was an extraordinarily lucrative but dangerous job to have. A hunter could die at any time within those portals.

How scary.

Despite how much I thought that being a hunter was the worst job you could have, I knew that it was necessary. If it weren't for them, then all those portals would start leaking those horrible monsters into our world. If they weren't stopped, those creatures would destroy everything and everyone I cared about.

I would never want to be anywhere near those monsters, but I watched the videos and read the reports of the destruction and chaos the monsters caused. The most tragic event in Japan was the incident in Kyoto eight years ago. That event made sure no one in Japan would ever forget the very real threat of destruction those monsters had the potential to create. It was only just recently that Kyoto had finally finished rebuilding its devastated city.

Hunters were the only reason that the destruction in Kyoto was contained in one place. Now that Hikki was one of them… wouldn't that technically make him a superhero?

Huh…

"I wonder if Hikki wears armor like that too," I said absentmindedly while my gaze remained where the Hunters disappeared. I couldn't imagine it. Hikki would look so weird with all of that. Like some sort of knight, but he'd look so strange because his face made him look really villainy!

"…what did you say?"

I turned to Yukinon and saw her eyes wide in surprise. Her face was slowly becoming even paler as her now trembling blue eyes looked at me with a growing anxiety.

"Yukinon? What's wrong?" I said in worry, putting a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. What happened? What made her become this tense?

"You said something about Hikigaya-kun wearing armor," Yukinon told me seriously, not paying any attention to my question or my gesture. She instead stared at me deeply into my eyes and said her following words in a grim tone.

"Yuigahama-san, please answer me. Is… is Hikigaya-kun a H-Hunter?"

x x x

"No way…"

"We need to regroup…!"

"Kobayashi-kun…"

"Kobayashi…!"

I could hear the words said around me, but the sounds were muted…like they were farther away.

My focus was solely on the mangled corpse of the man I had just watched get savaged by this unbearably powerful monster.

A new testament to my failure.

I'm not strong enough.

I let down someone again.

Why am I not strong enough?!

Why can't I save anyone?!

"Will you let them die too?"

What?

Impossibly, the corpse's head had turned to face me, his eyes wide and accusing. Kobayashi's horrified face had contorted into someone else, someone more familiar, and with heart-stopping dread, I immediately recognized who this was.

Furutani spoke once more, mocking and hateful.

"Will you let the rest of them die too?!"

…no.

I don't want that…

But I'm too weak…

I have to do something!

They're all going to die…

….I can't let that happen!

With a jolt, I returned to my senses, wracking my mind for any kind of solution to this deadly problem.

How much longer am I going to sit around here and do nothing?! Weapon! I need a weapon!

With shaky hands, I opened my crafting menu and looked around erratically for items to use. It was then that I finally found the crafting material I gained on my last trip to the Realm of Chaos.

The Valyrian steel!

I quickly gathered the Valyrian steel and chunks of Gloomloo's exoskeleton alongside some of its bones. In my hurry to craft the weapon, I accidentally pressed the confirm button twice. Usually, a mistake like that would have annoyed me, but the current situation gave me no time to lament my loss of resources.

I exited the crafting menu and held both hands out in front of me. Sparks and trails of red lightning surrounded my dual scimitars as I pulled them out of my inventory. I winced slightly as the added weight aggravated my arm. I looked down at the extremely sharp and expertly crafted weapons.

[Bloody Scimitars | Class: A | ATK: 125 | A weapon crafted from Valyrian steel. Its blade is the sharpest in all the realms, with the ability to bleed your opponents dry. | Chance of inflicting Bleed per strike: 50% | Bonus Effect, Two as One: Grants bonus attack power to each sword based on the user's strength stat.]

"Incredible," I muttered, seeing the abilities and effects the twin scimitars had.

With these, could I…?

I was broken out of my reverie due to Osaki's scream of outrage as she sliced across Striakel's back. Striakel huffed and turned away from a frozen Takamura. It then growled at Osaki once its sights locked onto her. The spear-wielding hunter didn't give in to fear and raised her spear in defiance. Striakel took offense to her action and dashed towards her in a burst of speed with its claws primed to rip her apart. Osaki raised her spear to block Striakel's strike and was knocked back into a tree. She winced in pain and saw that her spear had been snapped in half due to the force of the blow.

Osaki tried to push herself to stand but gasped in pain and saw that her left arm was broken. She glared down at her injury and glared at Striakel with a look of deep loathing. The beast bared its teeth at her and began dashing towards her, fully intent on finishing her once and for all.

"Damn you…" Osaki said weakly, hot, frustrated tears at the corner of her eyes.

I stood up quickly, forcing myself to ignore the pain jolting my every movement, and gripped my new weapons. I bolted forward, mana coursing throughout my entire body.

I'm sorry for looking down on you, Osaki.

This woman was facing down a monster she knew was beyond her powers, yet she would keep fighting back if it meant she would save her comrades.

I cut through the field at record speeds. My twin scimitars were primed and ready beside me. Nakano, Takamura, and Tashiro all stood back in surprise at seeing me back up and running.

… and these people would have fought to their very last breath to defeat this monster. They knew their difference in strength, yet still valiantly fought on.

And I looked down on them.

Why? Because I was a little stronger now? Because I saw them as weaker than me?

I ended up becoming exactly like the hunters who looked down on me when I was weak.

Shame filled me as I sped toward my enemy.

I made so many mistakes despite my newfound power. Had I been more focused, more thorough, perhaps then none of these people would have died.

But that didn't mean I would let the rest of these people down.

I let the shame I felt for my foolishness wipe away into a steely resolve.

I refuse to let any more of them die!

Pumping my legs full of mana with my charge skill, I jumped high into the air and landed on Striakel's back. Knocking the beast off course and away from Osaki. I placed my blades on the sides of the boss's neck and pulled them back, causing two large gashes to splurt blood everywhere.

[Effect: Bleed has been applied.]

Striakel swiped up toward me with its sharp claws. I jumped back and landed behind the boss with my knees bent. The beast spun around and roared at me in rage; the cuts along its neck had already begun healing, but it was noticeably slower. I narrowed my eyes at Striakel and grinned.

Its healing is starting to slow down.

Is it connected to its mana or stamina? Whatever it is, I have to exhaust its healing.

I spun around one of its swinging arms and slashed my blades across its stomach. Not stopping there, I dashed back to avoid a kick to my stomach and sliced a deep gash across Striakel's thigh. The boss stomped down and fell to a knee, allowing me to stab both of my scimitars into its eyes.

[Effect: Bleed has been applied.]

"Raaagh!" Striakel roared and grabbed its face as blood exploded between its fingers.

I quickly placed my blades into my inventory and swiped through the air several times, sending arc after arc of shining slashes toward the giant beast.

[Skill: Shining Slash has leveled up!]

[Active Skill: Shining Slash Lv. 2]

[Skill: Shining Slash Lv. 2 | Type: Light Magic | Cost: 100-300 MP | Description: This spell allows the user to use light magic to slash or cleave through an object using light magic.]

I grinned and stopped swiping through the air like a deranged swimmer. I stopped and held a palm toward Striakel, and waves of shining slashes barreled quickly into its body, leaving behind deep gauges in his flesh that began to bleed profusely due to the Bleed status effect.

[MP: 370/802]

I quickly stopped casting my spell due to how quickly it was eating away at my mana. I ran forward and held my hands open, causing my dual weapons to reappear in a flash of red. Sensing me coming towards it, Striakel wildly swung its arms in my direction to crush me.

I danced around its arms with expert precision and speed, something that wouldn't have been possible had it not been for Striakel's temporary blindness. I moved around and sliced my blades through where the tendons on the beast's arms were located, splashing its blood over my face and body. Striakel groaned as its arms fell limply to its sides.

I walked around it and watched as the boss's wounds began to heal at a snail's pace. All of its accumulated injuries seemed to have pushed its healing ability to its brink due to working overtime.

Striakel growled and focused its healing toward its eyes, forgoing the rest of its injuries. Blinking slowly, the beast focused its sights on me and roared. Striakel made a deadly dash towards me with its arms flopping around it as it did.

I stepped nimbly to my left and avoided a wide kick coming for my head. Then, I jumped back after Striakel threw another kick. I reached forward, and a barrier of light came to life behind Striakel's legs; I pulled my arm back, pulling the barrier towards me. The barrier crashed through the boss's legs and sent it crashing onto its back. I then focused the barrier's shape into a single tendril and wrapped it around Striakel's legs tightly. Left with no arms or legs, Striakel growled in anger and glared at me with as much hate as it could muster from its incapacitated form. I jumped onto its stomach and glared down at the struggling beast.

"This ends. Now."

I began charging my arms with red mana and activated my swiftness skill in tandem. With a growl, I rained down an unending stream of slashes onto Striakel's body. I was moving so fast my arms and blades appeared like blurs of red and silver. Striakel roared in agony as it tried to escape its hold and pumped its healing abilities to try and keep up with my attacks.

[Effect: Bleed has been applied.]

[Effect: Bleed has been applied.]

[Effect: Bleed has been applied.]

Despite its attempts to heal its injuries, it could not keep up with my nonstop attacks. The bleed effects continued to stack on one another as blood continued to explode and gush out of every orifice and injury on Striakel's body.

"Geh… grah…" Striakel choked as it finally died a slow and painful death.

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

My arms burned in exhaustion as I gasped deeply and stopped my attacks. Striakel's body was nothing but a bloody pile of flesh and bone. Its face and torso were unrecognizable; they resembled a pile of crushed tomatoes more than a living being.

I dismissed my blades and saw that I was now covered from head to toe in blood. Before I could step off Striakel's corpse, I saw a small green stone resting on top of its bloodied chest. I reached down and picked it up.

[Rune Stone: Twilight Healing | Type: Rune Stone | A skill can be obtained by breaking the rune.]

I let out a shaky, gasping breath. "No way… a rune stone."

------

[STATUS]

[NAME: HIKIGAYA HACHIMAN]

[JOB: None][TITLE: Golem Crusher]

[Lv: 41][HP: 8927]

[MP: 1690][FATIGUE: 0]

[STR: 118(7)][AGI: 108(29)]

[PER: 93][VIT: 93]

[INT: 101]

[AVAILABLE ABILITY POINTS: 0]

[Physical DMG reduced by: 30%]

------

[Bonus Content | Character Sheet]

Name: Shimizu Akari

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Eye Color: Light Brown

Hair Color: Orange-Brown

(ooo)

Likes: Romance Books, Acting, Money, Traveling, Lollipops, her Friends.

Dislikes: Rude People, Corny Movies, Sweets.

Dreams: To become a world-class actress and Oscar winner.

Hobbies: Watching movies, shopping, hanging out with her friends.

Personality: Akari is an energetic, kind, and outgoing individual who loves to talk about things she enjoys. She also has a very strong business sense and excellent money management skills. Is very passionate about her work and strives to film the best films and shows she can. When it comes to her Guild work, Akari is a very hard-working individual who tackles her duties with a sense of humor and passion. She also enjoys spending whatever limited free time she has volunteering at hospitals and clinics.

(ooo)

Status: Hunter

Rank: S-Rank

Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi Guild

Class: Healer

(ooo)

Weapons: Battleaxe crafted from the scales of a four-headed Hydra.

Skills: Healing, Krav Maga

Talents: Acting, Reading people, Great Fashion sense.

(ooo)

Image Link: imgur.com/mq7cn6R

A/N:

Thank you for reading today's chapter,

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!