Chapter 17

"Wow, where are we?"

"Where's the usual cave system? Or do we have to find it?"

"Gah! It's raining!"

[Notification: An ERROR has been found | Fast travel is currently unavailable.]

There goes that plan.

I looked around the vast and thick tropical rainforest around us. A nonstop stream of rain was pelting my body, quickly soaking my clothes with water. Nakano herself was looking around the forest with a calculating eye from in front of me. I turned behind me and saw that the Gate was now gone.

We're trapped.

"Everyone! Diamond formation!" Osaki commanded with her spear now tightly in her hands.

Despite everyone's confusion, they followed their orders like a well-oiled machine. Quickly and without fail, all the hunters dashed into position. They all stood in the shape of a diamond outline. They were making sure to cover one another's backs.

"Osaki-san, what's going on?" One of the hunters who was talking about me in the outside world said, his nervous eyes scanning the thick bush of trees and wildlife. He then turned to look past me where the Gate was supposed to be. "What the– Where's the gate?!"

Like a line of neatly stacked dominoes, everyone turned towards where the Gate should be and found that it indeed was missing. Mutters and words of shock, fear, and panic began to swell within the formation. Despite the current situation, Osaki remained steadfast and brave.

"Everybody, calm down!" Osaki roared as she scanned the trees. "For some unknown reason, we're now in a red gate."

"That's correct," Nakano said as she approached Osaki. "The exam is over. We must focus on ensuring everyone's safety and finding a way out of here."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Sumida Hisao, a D-rank tank, said as he held his shield high, giving Nakano a skeptical look. "A red gate can vary in difficulty between B, A, and even S-rank. Not to mention that time in these death traps works differently from our world. I hate to say it, but a group of D and C ranks aren't going to make it out of here alive. At least not all of us."

As cold as his words were, Sumida delivered them in a matter-of-factly tone, bearing no malice. I could respect that, but now was not the right time to say them.

"Sumida!" Osaki growled, seeing how Sumida's words had caused a ripple of fear in the other hunters. "That's enough of that! We are all going to make it out of here!"

"She's right," Nakano said as she removed her glasses from her face. The rain was making it impossible for her to see through them. With a sigh, she tossed them aside. "We can't lose hope yet. I'm sure my team members are aware of the situation and are doing everything they can to get us out."

"How?!" One of the new hunters I didn't recognize yelled. She had short red hair and blue eyes while a cloak was draped around her upper body. A black bow rested tightly in her grasp as her magical arrow shook in her fingers. "The only way of a red gate is to beat the boss! How do you expect us to beat an A or S-rank beast?!"

Nakano, for the first time, looked fearful. She quickly steeled herself and wiped some rainwater from her face. "I am a B-rank mage-type hunter. I'll do everything in my power for us to escape. You have my word."

"Your word? How reassuring…" Sumida muttered sarcastically, unconvinced. Osaki glared at him, silently telling him to pipe down.

I looked away from the bickering hunters and focused on my surroundings. Expanding my senses outward, I began to sense several large mana signatures approaching our position with blinding speed. Nakano also seemed to have picked up on the incoming signatures because she raised her arm towards Sumida and began to charge a ball of fire in front of her hand.

"Get down!"

Nakano ordered and released her magical attack. Sumida and those around him all quickly fell to their knees as the speeding ball of fire impacted a large six-legged panther-like beast covered in dark fur. The beast flew back and impacted a tree. The smell of the beast's burnt fur was awful, and its charred flesh cracked as the rain doused the heat.

The powerful ball of fire seemed insufficient to overtake the beast fully. It began to slowly stand on its many legs. It glared at Nakano and threw its head back to release a loud roar that permeated through the rainforest.

I crouched low and felt my muscles tense as several more monstrous bellows echoed all around us. I turned to my right and saw several more beasts using the thick branches of the trees to move over us. Behind me were several more creatures, seemingly preferring to stay on the ground.

[Perilous Panther]

The titles that hung over these beast's heads were colored orange-red. This isn't good. These guys are either a high B-rank or a low A-rank.

After I had defeated Gloomloo, my strength was around mid-B-rank. From my past experiences, the first mobs you encountered were typically the weakest there was to offer. So, it was safe to assume that the boss would most likely be on the higher A-rank, perhaps even S-rank, level of difficulty. A level of difficulty I was not ready to take on.

Damn it. This is too dangerous.

All the hunters in Osaki's party stood dumbfounded at the stalking panther beasts. One of the party's mages screamed and fired several shards of ice towards one of the beasts. This had the effect of jolting everyone out of their fear-induced frozen stasis because, one by one, everyone began to attack the beasts. Breaking their diamond formation and leaving their backs exposed as they fought with reckless abandon.

"No! Stay in formation!" Osaki yelled as she swiped across the air at one of the attacking panthers.

The Panther growled in irritation as only a shallow cut had been inflicted by Osaki's powerful spear swipe. The beast was much stronger than her, meaning her several attacks left behind minor and shallow injuries. This difference in strength was even more evident as the D-ranks could not even land a scratch on their surrounding foes, destroying any semblance of confidence they had left.

I glared at two panthers who were slowly stalking towards me. Hungry saliva dripped from their sharp maws as they growled. Just as I was about to summon my halberd, Nakano jumped in front of me and sent a wave of sharp spikes of ice toward the beasts, knocking them back into the thick bush of the forest.

"Stay close to me, Hikigaya," Nakano said as she stepped closer to me.

I felt my brow twitch in irritation for having my prey taken and for being seen as weak. No matter how I felt, I couldn't fault her for thinking that I was weak. I was still technically an E-rank with the mana reading of fifty in the eyes of the Association.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about the rest of them!" I growled while pointing over at the other struggling hunters.

"Fuck this!"

The guild's only healer yelled as he bolted away from the main group. His face contorted in panic and sheer terror as tears streamed down his face.

"No! Stay together!" Nakano yelled as she erected a magical barrier in front of a charging panther, protecting a scared group of D-ranks.

Nakanos shout went ignored as the scared healer ran towards the forest, but suddenly a speeding blur of black struck the healer, sending him flying through the air. The healer's body hit a tree, and a sickening crack could be heard from the healer's now broken bones. I watched in shock as the poor hunter's body landed on the ground in a heap. His neck was twisted at a full ninety degrees, and a sharp white bone stuck out of his legs and arms.

"No!"

"Tadano!"

So fast! I could barely track it!

The beast who had attacked the healer stalked over to the dead healer. It was three times the size of the panthers around us. Powerful, bulging muscles twitched with every movement as its two pairs of green eyes looked at us all. I looked around at the rest of the panthers and saw they were no longer attacking. The title floating over the giant beast was a solid red.

[Pack Hunter Bonax]

"This guy must be the alpha," I said as Osaki motioned for the raid team to gather together tightly. Nakano and Osaki walked carefully beside me. "We won't stand a chance against that."

"Not even you?" Osaki asked as she held her spear at the ready. Her comment gained an incredulous look from Nakano as she looked from her to me.

"Yeah. At least, not right now."

"What do you mean not right now?" Nakano asked, confused.

Before I could answer, we all watched in horror as Bonax leaned down and bit Tadano in half in one powerful bite. His body was ripped in half with incredible ease. You'd think he was made of wet paper. Bonax chewed slowly and turned to us all. The wet, squelching noises mixed in with the crunching of bones and rain were all that could be heard.

What should I do? As I am now, I probably won't be able to kill it. But… if I run, I could get away. But that would mean leaving everyone to die…

These cautious thoughts brought back scathing words spat at me.

"If only you had acted sooner, then Miyashiro would still have his foot! Why didn't you save him? You're strong! Don't you feel any guilt?!"

…could I allow myself to let these people die, knowing I had the power to save them?

"… You're nothing but a lying coward."

I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes, decision made.

No more running.

"Osaki," I said, summoning my halberd from my inventory. This action garnered surprised looks from my fellow hunters. "Take everyone south from here and find a safe place."

"What about you?" Osaki asked as she quickly looked behind us to see a small opening. "Are you planning on dying here, Hikigaya?"

"Of course not," I said with a grin. "My little sister is waiting for me at home."

"I see." Osaki forced a smile on her face and nodded. The spear in her hands creaked as she squeezed it. "I'm ready when you are."

"Osaki! You can't be serious!" Nanako hissed as she watched Bonax closely. "Hikigaya is an E-rank! Listen, I'll throw out my most powerful fire spell to give everyone time to retreat as far away from here as possible. I'll hold them all back for as long as I can while you all escape."

I crouched low and began to charge my halbert with light magic. The blade glowed brightly, illuminating the area all around us. Nakano's eyes widened in disbelief at my glowing weapon.

"Trust me, Nanako-san. Hikigaya is more than a simple E-rank." Osaki smirked at me, nodding at me once more.

I exploded forward, my swiftness skill active and pushing me to more incredible speeds.

"–He's a hunter who's had a second awakening!"

Bonax roared at me as I dashed left and right in a blur of speed. As I ran, I activated my charge skill into my arms. Red and white mana traced behind me as I jumped into the air with my halberg held high.

"A second… awakening?" I heard Nanako utter in surprise as she and everyone else watched me.

I glared down at Bonax and the several panthers behind it and swung.

A beam of light exploded from my attack, sending gusts of wind and an ear-splitting explosion that cracked throughout the forest.

x x x

"Ta-da!"

"Yes! That's super cute, Riko-chan!"

I spun in place and showed off a purple sundress that I was wearing. Komachi grinned widely and held up another outfit from a large pile of clothes she had painstakingly chosen. I accepted the long-sleeve ruffled bow blouse and pleated mini A-line skirt. I stepped back into the dressing room and slid the privacy curtains

I placed the new outfit on the small bench and undressed for the dozenth time today. Komachi insisted that I try on the clothes rather than just emulating them. While I didn't wholly understand why Terrans, or humans as my Master said they were called here, enjoyed dressing in various outfits.

Komachi had explained to me that it was because it was how some humans enjoyed expressing themselves and to help them stand out. Other reasons were as a show of class and status, not that different from my original world.

But unlike the Realm of Chaos, clothes here are made from various materials and were created with much more detail. Sadly, it made them weaker and more prone to ripping. I found that out when I had tried to remove a t-shirt and ended up ripping it in half.

I turned to look at my bare, naked form in the mirror. I had done my best to emulate the female form by doing hours of research so I could better blend in and stand at my Master's side. I lifted my arms and covered my breasts with a frown. Despite wanting to stand beside my Master, I still wondered if making my form into a Terran was the right call.

I look like one of them now—one of the creatures that pillaged and used my kind for potions.

"Riko-chan? Everything okay in there?"

"Oh! Yes, I'll be ready in a minute!"

I began to dress myself and shook my head of those hateful thoughts. This world was different. More decent. The people here aren't the same as my original world. I couldn't direct my anger at them like I did to the Terrans back home. I pulled the curtain to the side and posed cutely before my Master's sister.

"Wow! This is the best one by far!"

I smiled and nodded at her wave of compliments as she pulled out one of those magical slabs called phones and pointed it at me from different angles. The soft clicking noises pinged one after another. Komachi had done this for the outfits she deemed the most "Mega Cute".

I continued trying on more outfits for another hour. Komach had even joined in, and we presented our outfits to one another. As we did, I caught sight of a group of four male humans looking at us from the other side of the large market, er, mall, we were in.

"Wah! I'm tired! Let's go grab something sweet!" Komachi said as she grabbed my hand and began to lead us out of the clothing store once we finished placing the pile of clothes away. Two new bags hung on Komachi's arm, and a single bag hung from my own.

As we walked, I looked around in amazement at the sheer size of the shopping mall and its extravagant architecture. We passed by several other people and families simply enjoying the peace around them without the worry of a magical beast attacking them out of nowhere. I couldn't help but wonder if the Realm of Chaos's Terran civilization would ever advance far enough to match the modernization of Master's home world.

"Dude, look. Is she a model?"

"Woah. She's so cute!"

"Hey, go ask her for her number."

Komachi chuckled and looked over at me with a grin, which I learned meant she was being mischievous. "You hear that, Riko-chan? You've got so many fans, isn't that great?"

"Oh. Were they talking about me?" I said in confusion. I looked around at the young males and even some females looking at me with flushed faces. I could hear their heartbeats and noticed that they would try to walk over to me but would stop due to fear. "I thought they were talking about you."

"Heh-heh. Nope! You're the apple in their eyes. It's not surprising; you are unbelievably cute, after all."

"Is that so?"

I ignored the rest of the comments as we finally reached our destination. They didn't affect or bother me. After all, the only words and opinions I cared for were of my Master. Thinking of him reminded me of my worry. He was currently in a dungeon raid, and I couldn't help but feel that I should have gone with him. I knew he was strong and could defend himself with little issue. I knew that. But I couldn't help but feel this unease welling inside me.

"Riko-chan? Are you sure you're okay?" Komachi asked as we sat down in front of a free table. She placed a cup of Ice cream in front of me with a worried frown. "Is it about Onii-chan?"

"How did you know?" I said in surprise. Komachi smiled sadly and picked at her own frozen treat.

"Because… because I worry about him too. Every time he leaves for a dungeon raid, I can't help but worry." Komachi scooped some ice cream onto her spoon and brought it to her mouth. "You said you helped him, right? You watched his back?"

"Yes. While I'm still not strong enough to properly protect and serve him, I provide him with any support I can."

"I see. Was I… selfish to bring you with me today?" Komachi asked as she looked down at her frozen treat. I reached over and placed a hand over her own and smiled.

"Of course not. My Master is extremely strong. I'm sure he'll be fine and will come home later today without a single injury." I said confidently.

"Mhm. Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Riko-chan." Komachi gave me a toothy smile, looking assured.

I nodded and picked up my own plastic spoon, but before I could eat some of my own ice cream. The group of male humans I saw earlier walked up and stood around us. Komachi and I looked up in confusion at their seemingly pleasant smiles.

"Now, what are you two cuties doing out here? You with your boyfriends?" A blonde male said. His companion sat down to my right and leaned forward on the table with a smile.

"What's your name, beautiful?"

"…Riko," I said plainly.

"Riko? What a lovely name. Hey, what do you think about joining me on a date? I could buy you some clothes. Hm, what do you think?"

Komachi's smile began to look uncomfortable as she looked at me in worry. One of the intruders grinned at her and leaned closer into her personal space, causing her to lean back slightly. My mouth slowly fell into a frown. The words my Master said to me before he left this morning echoed within my mind.

"Riko, protect and look out for Komachi as you would me."

"Of course, Master."

"Sorry, guys. But we have to go meet some of our friends." Komachi smiled and tried to stand up, but one of the humans beside her placed a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, we just want to talk a little. Why don't we all just-"

A loud slam echoed in the food court as the confident brown-haired man who had dared to touch My Lady was slammed face-first into the table. I looked down at him as I held his arm behind his back and twisted it slightly. He gasped in pain and looked up to me with fear in his eyes. The rest of his companions jumped back in shock and fear at my sudden burst of speed.

"… don't touch her," I said in a low, threatening tone and began twisting his arm further up to emphasize.

"Riko-chan! Stop!" Komachi said quickly.

I nodded at her command and released the whimpering human. He stumbled onto the ground and backed away from me. He and everyone else around us stared at me with shock and fear, which was understandable because I was releasing a low amount of mana to send a wave of intimidation through them all.

"Please refrain from touching My Lady," I said with my hands in front of me while offering the scared humans an apologetic bow.

"A-ah, right…"

"Let's go, man!"

I watched them all quickly leave with a calm expression. Slowly, all those around us turned away and tried to ignore what had just happened. Komachi was looking at me with both surprise and something else.

"I'm sorry for my actions, My Lady," I said as I bowed. I hope I didn't frighten her. "Please forgive me."

"Riko-chan, you…"

I closed my eyes and hoped I didn't scare my Master's little sister. I couldn't face him if I had failed in the duty he gave me. What would he say once he heard I had terrified his dear sister? Would he get rid of me?! Banish me? I couldn't bear the thought of that.

"You… you were so cool!" Komachi said with stars in her eyes.

I looked up in confusion as she held my hands tightly. "You were like those super cool guys in Shoujo mangas! Kya! You're like my own personal prince!"

I stood up straight and looked at her bright, smiling face. She grinned at me and began pulling me away from the food court towards our new destination.

"Come on, Riko-chan! We have more to explore!"

"…yes, My Lady."

"Komachi! Call me Komachi!"

x x x

Ishida Mari exited the Gate's swirling mass of energy first, and the sight of the Ghibli museum came into view. She had finished her required duties and had decided that the rest of her party could handle the remaining tasks inside the dungeon without her supervision.

"It's cleared!" She called out in a calm but loud voice to the Surveillance Team, signaling for them to start helping out. They scrambled to do so, and she held up one of the officers to explain the situation. "We got a few injured. Make sure the medics take a look at 'em." She gave them a lazy smile and a thumbs up. The officer nodded gratefully, moving on to do their job.

Mari sighed in relief, walking off to the tents stationed around the tennis court with her magic staff in tow. Entering, she removed her big white wizard hat and immediately went to her locker to pull out her Switch. Mari placed her staff inside the locker before sitting down on one of the benches. She made sure her big hat was secured next to her before turning back to push the on-button of her Switch.

Mari slumped into her chair as she watched her Switch's screen light up. Thinking for a moment, she then decided as the menu faded into the screen that she should play more of Dragon Souls IV.

Selecting it on the screen, she grabbed a stick of Pocky from the box in her cloak pocket, munching on it as the game loaded in, eager at the thought of getting back in the game.

Mari loved video games. This was something carved deep into her soul back when she first touched her brother's Nintendo 3DS, playing his ancient games. Most notably, the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VII

That's why, if asked what her favorite genre of video games would be, the answer would be pretty simple:

Role-playing games. Or, even more specifically, JRPG games.

She was pretty good at every game she's ever played, but something about that genre stuck to her.

Mari could spend hours of her day glued to her controllers, grinding away levels, solving dungeon puzzles, and clearing boss battles. She immersed herself deeply in the fantastical nature of whatever she played: their story, characters, and wonderful world. Games that had great stories and amazing world-building left her breathless. It made her want to live a life where she was a character in such an astonishing world.

Man, video games are the best.

Her parents said it was a problem, and her brother always said she was too addicted.

But hah! She made them eat those words by becoming an eSports star. Her skills were so great she ended up playing for a world-class champion team. Resulting in her gaining fame and hundreds of thousands of fans. So when she started streaming her favorite games, she began making loads of money from said fans. That shut her family up real good, as big bundles of cash tend to do.

Still, when she awakened as a Hunter, she didn't hesitate to jump at the chance. Finally, she could live out her fantasy of fighting monsters, clearing dungeons, and being treated like a hero in real life!

The best part was that she awakened as a Mage! Her favorite class! Just stay at the backline and chuck spells at the stupid monsters; there's no need to work out the physical stats –not like she could even if she wanted to– when she just needed to focus on learning spells. She could even wear a snazzy wizard robe and a big wizard hat! She'd look so cool and cute at the same time!

Everything felt perfect. Like the world answered her prayers and let her live the life she always wanted.

"Good work today, Ishida." A girl's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Mari raised her head to see that Kawasaki Saki, still in her Ranger garb, had also entered the tent.

The dungeon they cleared today was an A-rank that spawned in Mitaka City, which ended up requiring more than one S-rank. Today, there were three of them, with a bunch of A-ranks to B-ranks as support. Their other S-rank guild mate was assigned as team leader, so she was probably tending to the other matters with the surveillance team.

"Thanks, you too." Mari lazily smiled at her, nodding gratefully. Saki was relatively new to the guild, making Mari her senior when it came to being a member, but she worked hard, and Mari really liked that about her.

It also came with the very neat bonus that Saki would also volunteer to write the after-action reports. That made Mari like her a LOT more.

Was Mari being lazy and shunting that responsibility to her junior? Maaaybe? But it's not like Mari wouldn't do it if Saki asked, so it doesn't count. Saki was just really responsible and liked doing things herself, so who was Mari to stop her? Still…

She pulled out the box of Pocky from her pocket, offering it to Saki. "Want some?"

"No thanks." Saki shook her head, heading to her assigned locker to store her gear away.

Oh well, more for me.

She grabbed another one from the box and began nibbling on it, looking at her Switch as the game finally ended the opening credits.

"GOOD WORK GIRLS!" Another voice shouted, this time louder and more energetically. Mari lazily looked up as Akabane Akane, their other S-rank guild mate and today's party leader, entered their tent. She had a broad smile on her face and looked at both of them proudly, hands on her hips while standing up to her formidable full height of six feet two.

"Thanks." Saki just muttered, busy with fixing her stuff in her locker.

"Yeah, good work." Mari just gave her a lazy thumbs up, not having the energy to match hers after going through a raid. Well, honestly, being the athletic freak that's as fit and muscular as Akane was, Mari definitely wouldn't have the energy anyway.

Akane was a Fighter and a former Olympic-level athlete who took training in physical fitness quite seriously, as evidenced by the almost fanatic degree that which Akane would train her own body. Mari remembered bearing witness to Akane's glorious six-pack abs for the first time, staring at them in utter awe.

Dang girl.

She said, much to Akane's appreciative delight.

That's why she was in charge of keeping the rest of the guild as physically fit as possible, including the S-ranks. As a mage, though, she thought she'd be exempt, but:

You too, Mari.

Akane said, much to Mari's utter dismay.

But Akane was especially keen on training the lower ranks since she was a believer that powers are only half of what will save you and that physical skills are what will truly save you when all else fails. Being physically fit is essential in dungeon raiding, she said.

But really, the hell she would put them all through was a little bit too much! She was a mage! How could she possibly lift something that's more than four times her weight without magic?!

GRIT YOUR TEETH AND LIFT!

Akane would cheer them all on while lifting a rock ten times her weight with a smile as if to prove that if she could do it, so could they.

You're a maniac!

Many of them would say, their bodies pained and sore beyond belief. Her training was too brutal, and their bodies were too weak, especially for the non-physical types.

Then again, Mari had to admit her methods were useful. She kept everyone in the guild very fit and physically ready for dungeon raids.

"You were both excellent today!" Akane nodded at both of them, green eyes alight with pride, unaware that Mari had already halfway to tuning her out. "No one got too seriously hurt, and we once again stopped a dungeon break from happening." She raised a fist above her head. Her eyes burned with inexhaustible energy that burned like fire. Her red hair danced around like flames as she pumped her fist in the air. "Hurrah!"

"Yeah, yeah," Mari replied distractedly, her attention returning to her game. Akane was a great teammate, and Mari liked her, but sometimes she was just too much. Sometimes, Mari wished she would turn it down just a bit, maybe just a notch or two. Or maybe five.

"How are the injured?" Saki asked with concern, sitting down on one of the benches.

"Mitsuoka-kun has a broken leg, but he'll live." Akane's voice turned more serious, likely because of the nature of what she was going to say. "Sanae-chan is already healing him, so it should be fine. Kimiko-chan though…she had a close call, Sanae-chan's healing could only do so much, so I got her headed for HQ so our S-Ranks could take a look at her, ASAP."

"I hope she'll be alright." Saki frowned, worry evident on her face. Akane smiled at her, nodding confidently.

"She will," Akane assured Saki before smiling fondly at Mari. "Mari got to her before things could get even worse."

Mari gave her a peace sign with a grin, receiving a chuckle from Akane in return. Their team leader then went over to her locker to store her things, shaking her head ruefully.

Mari went back to her game, playing in peace.

Still, she couldn't help but think about the very gruesome sight of Kimiko being stabbed in the stomach. She was used to seeing that, so it didn't affect her much, but it was still unfortunate.

Mari was only barely able to save her from a more deadly fate, striking at the demonic specter with a fire spell that terminated it in one blast.

Their healers tried their best, but they were only A rank, so their healing abilities could only do so much. Their guilds only had two S-rank healers. Shimizu Akari was on HQ duty with Kei today and Minamoto Minase was a college student who usually stayed by hospitals and clinics to help out the surrounding community. If he was called to duty, then he would answer, but not today.

Kei had decided only to send three S-ranks for today's raid; any more than that would have just been overkill. They had A-rank healers and tanks, so it was decided that it would be better to have more attack types rather than support types to clear the dungeon faster.

No one died, but these kinds of injuries still do happen, especially in high-level dungeons. After all, the Hunter life isn't as glamorous as many people think.

Mari knew that personally.

Being a Hunter meant putting your life at risk. Putting yourself in the line of fire to prevent dungeon breaks that would put the rest of the world in danger. Being a Hunter also felt like being a soldier, shipped off into dangerous battlefields with deadly beasts that wanted to invade your lands and kill your people.

Despite the job being more voluntary…sometimes, people treated them like–

"Killing monsters is the only thing you're good for now." Her old guild master said, staring at her coldly.

…like they were weapons meant only for killing.

Mari awakened as an S-Rank, the highest rank a normal Hunter could achieve. She was powerful enough that she didn't need to worry too much about dying, even if the risk was still there.

But being an S-Rank meant you were the one people turned their hopes to when things went wrong. Back when she was a freelance hunter, she'd often get with parties who expected her to become the party leader despite having other older people who were more experienced.

That… wasn't exactly what she was good at. But she tried her best, and she never had a dungeon break before during her time as a freelancer, so there's that!

Being so strong and still having people die on your watch weighed heavily on her. There was just this sense of responsibility in being powerful, where you needed to look after the people who weren't as strong as you and ensure that they could get home to their families.

That's why, despite her reluctance to do so, she joined a Guild.

She, of course, had many offers before. She had no shortage of guilds serenading her for a chance to be part of their guild. Still, she didn't want to join a guild without someone there who was at least as strong or stronger than her, thereby not being the only one solely responsible for the lives of the hunters she partied with. But S-ranks were rare, and there was one guild that had all the S-ranks at the time:

The Draw Sword Guild.

But…well, let's just say she had a problem with management and promptly marched on over to the office to resign.

"I'm leaving."

"...is that so?"

…Mari still gets shivers whenever she remembers the very unhappy reaction her former guild master had when she informed him of her resignation.

She didn't think any harm would come to her from resigning, but boy, did her old Guild Master surprise her, sending her a glare that she thought he only reserved for the magical beasts beyond the Gates. She never believed that she would one day be the subject of that deadly gaze.

Mari was sure she would have been killed that day. It was only thanks to Tatsu-nii that she made it out of that situation unhurt or worse.

After that nearly deadly encounter, she just went back to being a freelance hunter for a while. Accepting jobs and taking on the heavy responsibility of being a leader again.

That was until:

"We are more than just weapons! WE ARE PEOPLE!"

Yukinoshita Haruno's rousing speech brought the crowd to their feet, and all who heard her felt her passion and charisma. Despite not being one to give in to her emotions so easily, Mari felt the pin-pick feeling of tears in her eyes. Haruno's words struck deeply into her soul.

…She couldn't help but join.

The Yuki-Ryoshi was formed with a purpose and motto:

Hunters are people, and they are not just defined by their power. Strength was a necessity, not a way of life.

Mari knew that Akane used to be a star in the athletic field but got sidelined once she awakened her powers. Having the abilities of an S-rank hunter made it so she could no longer compete with ordinary civilians; it would simply be unfair. Despite that very logical reasoning, Mari couldn't help but feel bad when she saw Akane longingly watch the Olympics on TV with a sad look in her eyes. She must have really loved what she did…

Akane could have just kept killing monsters and earning massive amounts of money, but Haruno encouraged her to find something beyond that to keep that fire in her alive. Akane looked at all their Hunters and found them lacking. With fiery passion, she asked Haruno to start training them herself.

She repurposed what she learned as an Olympic athlete to help their guild mates because her kindness and earnest nature defined her beyond her powers. And because of her dedication to keeping everyone in top shape, the number of hunters that were either killed or fatally injured in the gates dramatically decreased.

That was what Haruno wanted: the power of their character as people, not just as Hunters.

Needless to say, Mari was quite happy to be in this guild.

The loud melody of a ringtone brought Mari out of her thoughts. She looked away from her Switch and saw Akane fishing through her sports bag for her phone. After unzipping one of the bag's inner pockets, Akane brought her phone to her ear.

"Hello, Kitaoka-kun! Why di–" Akane's polite greeting was unceremoniously cut off. Mari's brows rose when she heard Kei's agitated voice, even from this distance.

"What did you say?!" Akane's eyes widened in surprise, making Mari and Saki perk up in alarm. Kei's voice from the other end sounded urgent and concerned.

"Yes, we're still here! Yes, we also cleared the Gate as well." Akane's green eyes suddenly turned deadly serious. "We'll be over right away!" There was an audible click as Kei hung up, ending the call.

"What happened?" Saki was the first to ask, already standing up. Mari also put her Switch away, getting ready for whatever Akane was going to say.

"We have to go." Akane looked at both of them grimly before she explained:

"A Red Gate appeared in Adachi city!"

x x x

The rain and air parted as my attack tore through the rainforest, knocking down trees and scarring the earth in its wake. Dozens of trees were either sliced in half or torn from their roots. Bushes and greenery were charred and ripped to shreds. Pieces of three panther beasts were strewn across the trail of destruction created by my charged light attack.

Unfortunately, it didn't eliminate the intended target. Bonax jumped to the side at the very last second, managing to avoid what would have been a fatal blow. However, the three beasts behind Bonax were not so fortunate, parted by my attack in a messy shower of blood and bones.

Still, Bonax didn't get away from my strike unscathed.

As it landed from the air, Bonax noticeably flinched when its paws hit the ground. A deep gash now marred its front right arm, making it limp and nigh unusable. I smirked at it challengingly as I heard the telltale sounds of metallic clangs and hurried footsteps in the distance. It seems Osaki managed to successfully lead her team away.

Raising my hand, I beckoned Bonax tauntingly.

"Bring it."

Insulted, Borax roared mightily, and the rest of its pack followed. Without wasting another second, the panther beasts all charged at me.

I ready myself as one of them jumped into the air, ready to skewer me with its claws.

A blitzing fireball hit the beast in midair, changing the Panther's trajectory.

Not one to let this opportunity get away, I sliced through the air with my light-empowered halberd, slashing through the Panther in one clean swipe. Its two halves parted in the air in a shower of blood and innards, landing messily in the grassy fields of the forest floor.

This caused the rest of the pack to stop their charge, slowly approaching me more cautiously. Bonax growled at something beyond me.

"You're still here?" I called out loudly, not taking my eyes off the dangerous beasts. The intention of using that flashy attack from the start was to give everyone time to retreat by using the bright flash of my light-powered halberd as a distraction, but I didn't have to guess who was too stubborn not to do so.

"I don't care if you had a double awakening. I'm not leaving you here without backup." I heard Nakano from behind me, voice firm and determined.

"Fine, suit yourself," I replied, somewhat annoyed. Still, her help will be a boon. With a mage around to do some crowd control, I could fight these things without worrying too much about getting overwhelmed.

Here's hoping she has the mana to keep up, though.

Bonax growled again; this caused the rest of his pack to bristle and move to attack me once more. They charged; this time, they tried to flank me by separating their pack into two groups, both running to my right and to my left.

I narrowed my eyes and smirked when the group of panthers to my right ran into a barrier, halting their advance. The group to the left of me was not as unhindered, but I was ready.

"Shining Slash!"

I swiped my arm across the air and watched as an incoming panther's head flew off its shoulders in a shower of blood. I flipped backward just in time to dodge a speeding set of claws from another panther that had managed to get close to my left side. I twisted my body in midair and used the blade of my halberd to slice the Panther's body in two.

[You have leveled up!]

I landed on the wet forest floor and felt the refreshing effects of my level-up. I swung my halberd around mightily to discourage the rushing beasts from closing in on me. This caused the nearest panthers to jump away from my blade, but a fireball stopped one of them in its tracks. I took advantage of that and spun my halberd just in time to cleave its head from its body.

Emboldened, I charged at another of the panthers, catching it by surprise at my burst of speed. I swung and sliced my blade deeply into its body, and with just a pinch of glee, I heaved the half-dead Panther over to one of its nearby companions. The two beasts fell in a heap, giving me time to charge a light into my weapon and cleave them both in one swing. I watched in satisfaction as the pieces of their mutilated bodies fell on the grass.

Carried by my momentum, I swiftly moved in, cutting down the next several panthers with more ease while Nakano provided me with long-range support. As I fought, I made sure that the beasts wouldn't get past me to attack her. Meanwhile, Bonax didn't come close; the pack leader hung back and warily watched as I cut down more and more of his kind. Seemingly content in observing.

[You have leveled up]

I huffed; my wet hair was beginning to grow on my nerves.

All around me were several dead bodies from the panther beasts I'd killed.

The Panther Beasts titles were no longer an orange-red but now a solid orange. Despite my slight increase in power, Bonax's title was still red. The giant beast was as strong as an area boss from the Realm of Chaos. But unlike them, I didn't have time to grind away first to close the gap of strength between us.

One of the remaining panthers jumped at me, but a shard of ice skewered it into a tree. Disinterestedly, I swung my halberd to behead it, killing it while it was stuck to a tree. I did this while never taking my eyes off Bonax, smirking at it tauntingly. He growled, baring his fangs in anger.

"Your mana still okay?" I asked Nanako. She huffed while brushing back her wet hair as she hopped beside me.

"Don't worry, I know how to conserve it," Nanako said, and as if to emphasize, she erected a flying barrier toward another panther, sending it rolling into one of the knocked-down trees.

Despite her bravado, I could tell that the amount of spells she's used has left her winded. In order to have been able to consistently damage the beasts around us, I sensed that she was pumping her spells twice over with mana. Making them more potent and explosive. While this allowed her to deal damaging blows, it also caused her magical reserves to deplete at faster speeds. That all didn't seem to matter to her because she was adamant about helping me instead of retreating.

"You're a stubborn woman," I said as the last two remaining panthers flanked behind Bonax as they slowly approached us. Their fangs bared as a low growl escaped them all. "But… I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me now. That big one is what worries me most." Nakano said, releasing a deep breath. "Can you take it down? Or do we make a break for it?"

"… I'm not sure. Despite its injured leg, I doubt we'll be able to outrun it." I said, still watching Bonax cautiously.

Because of this, my eyes picked up the way Bonax flexed its leg muscles.

"Move!"

I pushed Nakano away as Bonax dashed toward us in a blur of speed. I cartwheeled to the side and dodged Bonax's charge. As I landed on my feet, I watched as a long, thick tail swung towards my face. I raised my forearms in front of me and felt a piercing burst of pain rocket through my forearms as I was flung back by the force of the attack.

I sunk my feet into the soft dirt and slowed to a stop. I lowered my arms and leaned to the side as one of the panthers jumped up and tried to eviscerate me with its claws. I spun and jammed my fist into the beast's throat. Fur, flesh, and bone tore, cracked, and ripped under my knuckles as a crack popped in front of me. The Panther shot back through the air and crashed into a tree, snapping it in half.

"Take this!"

I spun and watched as Nakano sent a blast of fire into the last remaining Panther. She grinned as the beast's head exploded into flames. The burning Panther shook its head to remove the flames, but before the pouring rain could snuff them out, Nakano held a glowing hand and sent a sharp spear of ice through the creature's neck, effectively killing it.

I smiled at her first kill but then panicked. I looked around the area and scanned the forest for Bonax.

Where are you? Where did you go?!

I quickly expanded my senses and found the barely noticeable speeding source of mana rocketing towards Nakano's back.

Can I make it? No! I have to make it!

I let go of my weapon and activated my swiftness and charge skill in tandem. I winced as pain shot through my muscles but powered through, blitzing forward at incredible speeds. The world became a blur of colors as my focus rested solely on Bonax's blurry form. My shoulder impacted the side of Bonox's chest. Searing agony expanded out from my shoulder as the two of us shot through the forest and down into a nearby body of water.

"Hikigaya!"

I burst out of the water with a gasp as my lungs burned. I coughed out the water I accidentally breathed in and wiped the water off my face. I yelled in pain as Bonax clamped down on my injured shoulder. Luckily, my armor and physical damage reduction stat prevented Bonox from chopping off a chunk of my torso. I threw my arm up and sank my fingers into Bonax's left eye. Bonax yelped in pain but refused to let go. The beast began to sink his teeth even more in retaliation.

"Let!" I punched Bonox in the face.

"Me!" Another punch.

"Go!"

Finally, I flooded my arm with mana and sent a charged punch into Bonox's nose. Shattering it and sending blood across my face. Bonax relaxed its jaws and released my shoulder.

Bonax shook its head and stumbled back around in the water. Blood flowed like a faucet from its nose as it whimpered and growled at the loss of one of its greatest senses. I turned to it swiftly, and an intense feeling of fire and rage bubbled within my chest.

How dare you.

I raised my hands and activated my charge skill into them. Red mana danced around my fist as I slid into the boxing stance Hiratsuka-sensei taught me.

Water burst around me as I stepped into Bonox's personal space and swung.

The large beast's head snapped to the sky as I landed a blow to its chin. My next punch found purchase onto the side of the beast's neck. Its muscles ripped under my fist, but they held firm. I glared at him and shot another punch into its throat, causing Bonox to cough a wet hack.

There, how do you like that?!

I continued my combination of quick punches onto Bonox's body like a seasoned boxer. Bonax had no time to react due to my swift punches. I would not allow the beast any time to counterattack.

Blood splattered all around me. Coating my body in crimson and turning the waist-deep water a dark red.

"Raaagh!"

I was unprepared for the sudden impact of magic slam into me. I flew back and felt a searing pain at the back of my head from the branch I struck. Gravity took hold of me and brought me, slamming face-first into the ground. I looked up groggily and saw the world around me spin. Something black and yellow slid in front of me, and a loud yell of agony filled my ears. My vision focused, and the sight of Bonax ripping Nakano's arm off her body was seared into my eyes.

…what?

Why?

No… again?

No, no, no, no, no, no!

Nakano fell onto the floor; her wet auburn hair fell with a plop, and her body jerked while she gasped in pain. Sakura turned her head to me, a small smile on her bloodied expression.

"Are you going to let me die again, Hikigaya?"

[Skill: Swiftness has leveled up!]

[Active Skill: Swiftness Lv. 2]

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

I was on my feet before I knew it. My body was numb, and a feeling of calm enveloped my mind. I flipped onto Bonox's neck and grabbed its jaws with my hands. I felt my muscles struggle to pry the creature's mouth open, but a quick activation of my charge skill changed that.

Bonox shook his head to shake me off, but I held strong. I ignored the searing pain from the beast's fangs as they sunk into my palms, too focused on my current task. With one final flex of my arms, I pulled the creature's jaws open with a yell. A bloodied arm fell onto the wet grass, and I jerked Bonox away from the prone form of the girl I failed.

"Die."

I pressed my palms against Bonox's head and fired dual light beams straight through the beast's head. With no brain to command its body, Bonox's corpse collapsed onto the grass. I landed on the ground and stared at the dead creature with apathy.

The two level-up notifications were unimportant as I raised my arm high. Swiftly, I brought down my arm and cleaved Bonox's body in half. I didn't stop there and continued casting shining slashes onto the corpse until it resembled nothing but cubes of flesh.

I stood there and watched as the rain continued to pour onto the ground, washing the blood into the dirt. My eyes shifted to my mud-covered shoes, half sunk in a puddle of water. My reflection rippled and danced from the falling rain. What I saw in the puddle caused me to tilt my head in confusion. Instead of a pair of small dark eyes, I saw two glowing red eyes looking up at me.

"H-Hikigaya." A soft and weak voice called out from behind me.

I turned around and saw Nakano leaning against a tree. She had removed her black coat to use as a sloppy tourniquet around the bicep of her arm. Her face was pale, and her breaths were shallow. I felt the odd but comfortable calm leave my mind. I blinked repeatedly and dashed next to Nakano to help support her weight.

"Nakano!"

I helped her sit on the ground. I reached into my inventory and pulled out a strand of rope and several health potions. After removing her hastily applied tourniquet, I tightened the rope around her bicep and stopped the flow of blood. I looked behind me and saw the limp-tattered arm Bonox removed a few feet away. After picking it up, I rushed back to Nakano and placed her arm roughly where I believed it went. I raised my free arm and held a health potion to her lips.

"Drink! Hurry!"

"O-okay."

The health potion I was holding to her lips was one of my higher-tier potions. It was crafted using parts from Gloomloo and the Giga-Gators bodies. The potion could quickly restore at least forty percent of my health. So it was with bated breath that I watched Nakano drink the potion in its entirety. I was happy to see her arm glow; the injured flesh began to stitch back together.

After a few seconds, the glow died, leaving behind a deep purple bruise. I tried to give her another potion to fully heal her, but it seemed that my potions could only do so much for her. I undid the rope around her bicep and watched as her fingers twitched slightly.

"Thank god," I said just as Nakano collapsed on my chest.

I looked down and saw that she was passed out, her chest rising and falling slowly. Now that the danger was over and the adrenaline gone, I had the time to notice that Nakano's white dress shirt was extremely wet and very see-through. Despite her visible bra, I could only feel a wave of relief.

I had saved her.

I saved her.

I reached into my inventory again and pulled out a spare traveler's coat. I wrapped it around her sleeping form and then gently picked her up in a bridal carry. I closed my eyes and expanded my senses. After several seconds of searching, I picked up a group of familiar mana signatures in the distance.

"Damn it…"

The number of hunters we started with was eighteen, including Nakano and me. With the healer dead, that meant we were down to seventeen, and now, from the mana signatures, I could feel we just lost a few more. Did I screw up? Was it more deadly to send them away than to make them stay with me fighting those panthers? 

I need to go!

I bent my knees and began jumping from branch to branch toward their direction. The leaves rustled under my feet, the wind whistled in my ears, and I activated my swiftness skill, feeling the surge of energy as I burst forward at greater speeds than before, causing everything to blur past me.

Hang on. I'm coming!

------

[Bonus Content | Character Sheet]

Name: Ishida Mari

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 22

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Orange

(ooo)

Likes: Video Games, Snacks, her many video game consoles, her PC with the streaming setup.

Dislikes: Work, Paperwork, Draw Sword Guild, people who treat her like a weapon.

Dreams: To live her life like a video game character in an RPG world.

Hobbies: Playing video games, streaming online, watching funny videos online

Personality: Mari appears lazy and slovenly, but she is really easy to get along with and can work hard if the situation demands it. She has a dry sense of humor and is quick to snipe with the witty comebacks, but she is friendly to people who are nice to her. She prefers to surround herself with hard-working people because they usually volunteer to do something she's supposed to do; it also motivates her to match their energy, despite how loud they can sometimes be. When motivated, she becomes deeply focused on the task at hand, a habit she picked up from gaming for hours on end.

(ooo)

Status: Hunter

Rank: S

Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi Guild

Class: Mage

(ooo)

Weapons: Magic staff made from the corpse of an A-class Treant.

Skills: Spell Casting.

Talents: Quick spell casting, Elite Gamer

(ooo)

Image Link: imgur dot com/HTedYkK

------

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!