First mission

Step by step, Izuki moved cautiously, staring down the narrow path that stretched ahead. The aura of the hollows within grew stronger, and his expression turned serious.

"You can feel it too," Rylan said, reading Izuki's facial expression.

"Guys, I think... I think we should, you know, maybe head back because..." Katsumi stammered, fear evident in his voice as his heart raced.

"Tsk... You're so pathetic," Noelle said in disgust as Katsumi clutched Rylan's arm.

Taking the lead, Noelle walked forward confidently. "Status," she commanded, and a holographic board appeared. She scrolled to the barrier section and tapped. A shimmering barrier slowly enveloped the building.

"Alright, you uncircumcised brats, let's split up," Noelle said with arrogance and pride.

"Huh? You pompous creature, and who are you calling uncircumcised?" Izuki fired back.

"Hmph, barbaric men like you wouldn't understand," Noelle retorted, facing Izuki as tensions flared between them.

"Guys, this is not the time to get heated up. Despite the fact I don't like either of you, I gotta tell you the truth," Rylan interjected.

Izuki gave him a glare before moving forward. "Dumbass," he muttered.

### Outside

"Should I join them?" Aaron asked, concern evident in his tone.

"No, let them gain more experience. I believe they each have the potential within them," Saske replied.

"Yeah, but I'm more worried about the green-eyed boy," Aaron said. "He poses a greater threat. A slight mistake in not being able to control Shoji could cause a disaster."

Saske chuckled. "You're quite the character, Aaron. Well, the purpose of this mission is to test his abilities and how he can contain the situation." Saske paused, his expression turning serious. "Normal humans can't see a hollow except they receive the blessings of the gods, which are given only to a few. When a person receives blessings, their stats rise to even greater potential, making them super strong, even capable of fighting head-to-head with hollow wraiths. That Rylan guy," Saske said, rubbing his chin, "isn't familiar with hollows like us, but he can see them without having any blessing from either of the gods. While Mimi was examining him, she confirmed he's undergoing an evolution."

"Evolution?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, when one undergoes or is in the process of evolution, their traits begin to change, giving them the ability to copy or replicate anything they are evolving into."

The statement struck Aaron with sudden realization. "You mean he's gonna become a hollow?"

"Hmm, there's a possibility he might," Saske replied, a grin spreading across his face. "So my main purpose is to see what he'll become."

"That's reckless. What if he becomes Shoji?" Aaron said, a worried look crossing his face.

"I'll defeat him," Saske said with full confidence.

Aaron looked at him and heaved a sigh.

### Inside

Walking slowly, Noelle arrived at an old and rusty door. She could feel a faint aura of hollows emanating from behind it. She opened it cautiously and stepped inside, only to stop abruptly.

"There you are," she muttered. Moving her leg slightly backward, she swiped two fingers in the air, and her status board appeared. She drew out a pink, sophisticated sword adorned with eyes along the blade.

Taking a sprint along the walls, Noelle aimed perfectly at the hollow hanging on the ceiling above her. The hollow had four eyes, hard and scaly skin, and long, sharp claws. It had a thick, long tail and feathers for eyebrows. It growled loudly, drooling as it received a slash from Noelle.

The creature lunged at her, but Noelle was swift. She dodged its attack and countered with a series of precise strikes, her blade dancing through the air. The hollow shrieked in pain, its movements becoming more erratic as it struggled to land a hit on Noelle. With a final, powerful swing, she severed its head, and the hollow disintegrated into a cloud of ash.

Breathing heavily, Noelle stood over the remains of the hollow, her eyes scanning the room for any more threats. "One down," she muttered to herself, "many more to go."

****

Izuki arrived at the basement with his palm blazing, casting a warm, flickering light that pierced through the darkness within. His footsteps echoed throughout the vast, damp space.

"This is quite big for a basement," Izuki thought suspiciously as he scanned the environment. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind a container standing at the far end of the basement. He stood on high alert, muscles tensed.

"Who's there?" he called out.

"Would there really be someone crazy enough to come into a den of hollows like this?" he muttered to himself.

To his surprise, a lady with a child slowly stepped out, their faces filled with fear.

"Humans... They must have been kept hostage, or perhaps reserved as a snack," Izuki thought, his mind racing.

"Help us," the lady cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," Izuki reassured, walking closer.

"No, look out!" the lady yelled, cautioning Izuki as two hollows emerged from beneath him.

"Tsk... It's a trap!" Izuki exclaimed as he swiftly flipped back, placing his palm on the ground. The flames from his hand surged, illuminating the hollows.

The two hollows growled, drooling while they wriggled their tails. There was no doubt these were minions—easy prey but quite annoying.

"Alright, hollows and gentlemen, let's do this," Izuki said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

The first hollow leaped forward, followed closely by the second. 

"Tsk... Attacking in pairs? Let's talk about fairness," Izuki said, dodging the attack by jumping back.

The hollows moved with ferocity, but Izuki was faster. He somersaulted over their heads, landing gracefully behind them. He extended his arm, flames erupting from his palm in a scorching inferno. The first hollow screeched in agony as the fire engulfed it, turning it to ash.

The second hollow lunged at him with its sharp claws. Izuki ducked and spun, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to its midsection. The impact sent the hollow crashing into the wall. It recovered quickly, hissing and charging at him again.

Izuki flipped backward, his movements fluid and precise. He conjured a fiery whip from his palm, cracking it at the hollow. The whip wrapped around the creature's neck, and with a swift tug, Izuki decapitated it. The hollow's body disintegrated, leaving behind only a smoldering pile of ash.

Breathing heavily, Izuki surveyed the area for any more threats. Satisfied that it was clear, he turned to the lady and the child.

"It's safe now," he said, extending a hand to help them.

"Thank you," the lady whispered, her voice trembling with relief.

"No problem. Let's get you out of here," Izuki replied, guiding them towards the exit.

________________________________________________

As they continued down the dark path, Rylan grew increasingly annoyed with Katsumi clinging to his arm.

"Hey, will you quit clinging to me already?" Rylan barked, pulling his arm free.

"Aw, you're such a meanie, man," Katsumi said, pouting.

"Why did you become a hero candidate in the first place?" Rylan asked as they walked on ahead.

"Well, you see, in my hometown, anyone who's been blessed by the gods is believed to be chosen by them and must participate in the hero candidate selection to fulfill the gods' desire... But I don't want to die. Things are going to get more dangerous ahead," Katsumi admitted, his voice tinged with fear.

"Ah, I don't get this gods' thing. What are they after? Besides, you should have told your people your mind. It's not a bad thing to be scared of death, but in your case, it is," Rylan said, scratching his head.

"Well, you see, I tried talking to my dad about it, but he said..." Katsumi imitated his father's voice, "'Alright, my dear baby boy, but you will be castrated.'"

"Eesh, it must have been tough for you then," Rylan said, a look of sympathy on his face.

Suddenly, the whole place flashed with light, and an ominous sound was heard. Katsumi and Rylan stood on high alert—or rather, Katsumi's legs began to shake.

"What's that?" Beads of sweat formed on their faces.

The light flashed again, and this time they found themselves on the upper roof of the building.

"The hell is that?" Rylan said, scouting the surroundings to see what had teleported them there.

"Hey, R-R-Rylan, look," Katsumi said, his voice quivering as he pointed at a hollow wrapped in a tissue-like substance, revealing only its head. Its height was thrice that of a human, and a negative energy surged through its body, sending an intimidating aura around the vicinity.

This was nothing like a minion. It had six eyes, three horizontally arranged on each side of its face. A horizontal red tattoo, resembling teardrops, ran down its cheeks. The hollow gave a dominating roar, shredding the tissues to pieces and revealing its muscular legs and four arms.

"This is a disaster," Rylan said, shivering and unable to move.

"This is a higher hollow. We're all gonna die," Katsumi cried.

Like a flash, the hollow appeared between them, delivering a powerful punch to Katsumi, who collided with the wall, shattering it to pieces. The hollow then gripped Rylan's head and smashed it to the ground, creating a shockwave that cracked the hardened ground into crumbs. Blood spilled all over the place.

"Shit, I'm... I'm gonna die," Rylan said weakly, unable to move.