Chapter 7

Komachi hummed to herself as she walked towards her shoe locker. She had bid her friends goodbye and once again rejected their invitations to hang out after school. Komachi couldn't help but feel guilty for always brushing off her friends to study. This went in complete opposition to what her brother intended for her.

Komachi had vowed to study hard to earn a scholarship so she could get into a good university without burdening her brother with the expenses. That way, she could one day earn a high-paying job so her brother wouldn't have to work so hard to pay for everything as a hunter. It would be her turn soon enough to take care of him. Her brother was her only remaining family member. Komachi would be damned if she continued letting him carry all the burden.

"The homework Takagi-sensei left us seems tough. Don't you think, Komachi-chan?" Kawasaki Taishi said beside her as they walked. Komachi nodded and opened her shoe locker to retrieve her outdoor footwear.

"Sensei is a slave driver when it comes to math. But I think I got a rough idea of how that formula she taught us works." Komachi said while finishing the knot on her left shoe. "If you have trouble later, call me, and I'll help you through it."

"Ah, well! I was thinking that maybe... maybe we can work on our homework together?" Taishi said timidly, the tips of his ears burning slightly.

"Oh." Komachi said while looking away from her long-time friend's face. She began to feel her cheeks begin to warm up slightly as well. Komachi couldn't deny that after spending so much time with Taishi, she might have grown a slight crush on him. Despite her feelings, she couldn't afford to distract herself from indulging in things such as romance. Not while her brother was working so hard for them both.

"Taishi-kun... I-"

"Komachi-chan!"

A loud, feminine voice shouted at the end of the hall. Komachi turned to see Yuigahama Yui resting on her knees while she panted slightly. Taishi watched the older girl walk over to them with a confused expression.

"Yui-san?" Komachi said in surprise.

"Komachi-chan." Yuigahama said with a worried tone. "Is it true? Is Hikki in the hospital?!"

x x x

[You have entered: Earth: Chiba, Japan]

Stepping out of the portal, I looked around the remote area of the park where I opened the portal, which was now bathed in darkness. Looking up, I saw the starry sky hanging overhead. I jumped high into the air and landed on a thick branch. From there, I continued climbing until I was above the tree top.

The city of Chiba stood in the far distance. The lights from the buildings and streets glimmered brightly. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool sea breeze from the Tokyo Bay, relishing that I was no longer in the warm, humid environment of the Swamp Lands. "It's good to be back."

I looked down at my complete swamp armor set. It would bring too much attention to me if I traveled home like this. Being a hunter in Japan was like being a celebrity. How much attention and respect you would receive all depends on your rank. Fortunately for me, I was an E-rank. The most I would get would be thanks for all my hard work. And that's how I like it.

"If I had to guess, I'm now a mid to high D-rank. If I continue using the other world to grow stronger, I'll be able to eventually reach the level of a S-rank hunter. Or maybe go beyond that."

As I was about to remove the armor, a new option was available on the top-left corner of the armor screen. It resembled an eye icon.

[Armor incognito | Activating this feature will cause your currently equipped armor to be imperceptible. All buffs and effects will remain. | Activate?]

[Yes][No]

Yes. I watched as my armor glowed slightly before fading away. I patted my chest and found that the armor was gone, like the rest of the set. I quickly double-checked the armor page and saw that the armor buffs were still there. I grinned at the convenience of the feature. I held out my hand and summoned my phone out of my inventory.

"Ah, shit." I said while scrolling through several missed texts and calls from Komachi.

[Komachi: Onii-chan, where are you?]

[Komachi: did you go out?]

[Komachi: why aren't you picking up the phone!?]

I quickly sent her a reply saying that I had gone out for a walk and that I lost track of time. I wasn't surprised to see her reply immediately.

[Komachi: Stupid Gomi-chan! Come home now!]

I sighed tiredly and slipped my phone into my pocket. Hold on, if I go home looking like this. She'll freak out. My clothes were in tatters from my time in the Swamp Lands. Long cuts and tears were everywhere on my clothes. Not to mention all the dirt, swamp residue, and dried blood. To anyone, it would appear that I had been thrown down a hill or fought through several rounds with a bear. I definitely can't go home like this.

In a flash, I pulled out a set of backup clothing and quickly changed. Throwing my old, ruined clothes into the inventory, I jumped down to the ground and began making my way home.

x x x

In a flash of red, my house keys appeared in my grasp. In a swift motion, I unlocked my front door and dismissed them. How did I go my whole life without an inventory? Opening the door, I stopped in shock at the sight of someone I hadn't seen in a year.

"Yuigahama?"

"H-Hikki."

Yuigahama stood urgently from the couch to meet me. Dressed in her Sobu uniform, she looked just like I remembered, save for her longer hair that now reached down her shoulders. Even then, that familiar bun on her head remained untouched. She scanned my whole body worriedly, hands clenched tightly on the hem of her skirt. I blinked a few times, then shut the door behind me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Komachi sitting by the dinner table, looking at us both while carefully trying not to look awkward and guilty at the same time.

Komachi didn't have the full rundown of what happened last year between all of us at the Service Club, but my little sister used to persist in prying details from me whenever she brought Yukinoshita and Yuigama up. I shut those down immediately, refusing to tell her anything else about it. It took some time but she eventually gave up, but not without telling me about how dumb I was being.

Seeing Yuigahama looking at me with such worry, I couldn't help but feel like my sister had a point. But...

There are just some subjects I couldn't help but be dumb about. –There were a range of emotions swirling inside of me, all from looking at the face I thought I wouldn't see again.

"Hikki..." Yuigahama said my name with a skittish tone, looking unsure about how she wanted to approach me. "Are you okay? I heard..." She gulped, her eyes scanning my body like she was looking for things that weren't there.

"...I heard you were in the hospital, so I just...just." There were tears that seemed to pool at her eyes, but she held them back as she continued to look at my face trying to find the injuries that were already gone. Her eyes met mine, looking helpless.

"I'm fine," I shoved aside whatever emotion I felt, waving my hand dismissively. I didn't really need to explain more, but still I said: "I'm all better, really. Better than ever, you could say."

And from now on, I'm just gonna keep getting better. The thought made a small chuckle escape from my mouth, noticed by the other people in my vicinity. They looked at each other for a second and assessed me once again, still worried.

"Are you sure?" Yuigahama didn't look convinced. "Yumiko told me you were unconscious and floating in a lake. That you basically d-drowned!" Her voice broke off with a small tremor, swiveling her head over to Komachi then back to me.

I was going to reassure her again, but a strange name popped up that I couldn't place my finger on.

"Yumiko?" I said with a raised eyebrow. "Who's that?"

x x x

"Mou, you already forgot about our classmates?" Yuigahama complained after she explained what happened, pouting at me. I had taken a quick shower and came back to help with cooking, as Yuigahama sat at the dinner table waiting for us. Komachi and I insisted on her staying for dinner, and Yuigahama relented quickly enough.

"In my defense, I had other things to think about." I replied with a casual shrug, setting the plate at her side of the table. My response caused the pouting to cease, her face becoming more somber. Ah, I shouldn't have said that. I hid my wince, feeling the atmosphere become awkward once again. I ignored Komachi's disappointed stare.

It was true though, I couldn't really keep track of people I wasn't all that familiar with since my decision to leave Sobu for good. Miura Yumiko, hailed as the Fire Queen of Sobu, was just someone in my class, whom I never really interacted with much beyond very rare occasions anyway. Finding out from Yuigahama that she was the daughter of my doctor from the hospital, Miura Kotaro, was quite surprising. Even more so when Yuigahama revealed that the very tempermental girl was the one that saved me from drowning.

I'll have to think of a way to show my thanks later. It was the least I could do.

First though, this awkwardness between Yuigahama and I was unbearable. I just couldn't think of a way to clear it off.

Thankfully, Komachi bounded over to the dinner table with a cheer in her step, holding a large pot of rice and stir fry.

"Dinner's ready!" Komachi announced as she set the meal down the table, removing her apron and sitting down.

"Itadakimasu!" My sister and I said in unison, clapping our hands.

"Ah!" Yuigahama exclaimed with a small flush on her cheeks, muttering a quick "Itadakimasu!" herself. She hesitated just as Komachi and I dug in, "I-is it really ok for me to stay for dinner?" Yuigahama made surreptitious glances at our apartment, no doubt noticing just how…lacking we were in some items. She probably thought she was burdening us with her presence.

"You're our guest, it's only right that we feed you after you go out of your way to come over." I answered her with a stern frown, distinctly glossing over the reason for why she came here in the first place: Me.

My response of course didn't quite assuage her worries, so of course my little sister came to the rescue. "Ya don't hafta worry, Yui-san!" Komachi gave her a thumbs up, "I enjoy cooking for friends!" She winked at me "And I bet my brother doesn't wanna see you go so soon! Teehee~!" She giggled, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

My brow twitched, and I dug back into my food pretending not to hear what she said, or the fact that Yuigahama had turned a brighter shade of red. Yuigahama opted to duck her head to hide her blushing face, reluctantly eating the food my sister prepared. Komachi just grinned and went back to eating her own meal, humming a cheerful tune.

"Ooh!" Yuigahama made a delighted noise, her cheeks full of food. "This is really good!" She complimented my sister once she had swallowed her food.

"Heehee~" Komachi put a hand on her cheek, blushing. "I really try my best when I cook cuz I gotta feed the best brother of all time! Ooh, that definitely scored me a lot of Komachi points!"

"Yes, yes." I continued to eat without glancing at either of them, preferring to relish my meal. "I have the best little sister of all time."

Yuigahama gave me a flat stare, muttering under her breath something that sounds suspiciously like "Siscon." This, too, was promptly ignored.

Our dinner passed by in relative peace, with some idle chatter between Komachi and Yuigahama, while I ate and simply listened, responding only when they included me.

Eventually, we cleaned up the table after finishing our meal. I looked at the time, and called out to Yuigahama. "Say, did you tell your mom you'd be out late?" I said idly, washing the plates.

My comment caused Yui to freeze, then she jumped up from the couch to retrieve her phone from her bag. "I totally forgot!" She looked at her phone and wailed. "So many texts and missed calls…" Deflated, she began to call back, accepting her fate.

"Thought so." I put the washed plate on the dish rack, listening as Yuigahama profusely apologized for not picking up the phone and not telling her mom that was gonna stay out so late.

"Mou…" She slumped down the couch after the call was done. "I can't believe I forgot."

"Ehe." Komachi scratched her cheek, looking at her a bit sheepishly. "I did tell ya my brother was fine, but you insisted on coming over to see if it was true. I didn't really resist, so it's kinda on me too. Sorry." Komachi bowed her head a little bit, genuinely remorseful.

"Ah! No no no!" Yuigahama waved her hands frantically, not wanting Komachi to share the blame. "It wasn't your fault, I kinda just lost my head when I heard what Yumiko said…" I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, just in time to see her look away from me.

This girl…

"It's late, and you have to get home, right?" I started off casually, trying not to sound awkward. She peeked over to me timidly, unsure about what I was about to say. "Then I'll just take you back home."

I shouldn't have been offended by the surprised looks that they gave me, but I was.

"What?" I tried not to scowl, but I couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"My brother is being a gentleman!" Komachi gasped theatrically, hands together like in a prayer. "I didn't even have to tell you to do it! This is a miracle!" She wiped away an imaginary tear from her eye. "I want to live in this moment forever!"

"Oh, come off it." I loved my sister, but she was pushing it just a little bit. What I was gonna do was just common sense.

"H-Hikki…" Yuigahama started reluctantly. "You really don't have to, I can take care of–"

"Just get your stuff and get ready." I stood up and picked up my black hoodie from the armrest of my couch. I refused to let her walk home by herself at this hour.

As Yuigahama scrambled to get her bag, I saw Komachi smile at me. I looked away, putting on my shoes.

"Okay, Hikki, I'm ready." She stood with me by the door with a hesitant smile, and I reminded myself again that this was simply common sense. I was the reason she was out so late, so I'm simply making sure she got home safe.

After all..

Yuigahama came here on the wrong notion that I was still hurt. If I'm being honest, she probably came over to help in any way she could.

Why? What possible answer could there be for someone to do something like that for someone like me?

"Let's go." I opened the door, walking out into the cold night air with Yuigahama right behind me.

The answer was simple, of course. It was a fact that I knew of the moment I met her, and it hasn't changed even now:

Yuigahama Yui was a nice girl.

x x x

Was it always this hard to talk to him?

'I don't know what I'm supposed to do..'

I scrambled for words to say, walking next to the one person who's been on my mind for so long. The familiar road back to my home suddenly felt so large and too expansive, putting him at a distance I couldn't reach. I'm trapped within this feeling of helplessness, searching desperately for a way to reach out to him. He was right next to me, yet this silence that stretched out between us made him feel so much farther away.

'Hikki…' I look at him, actually just look at him.

Hikki grew up.

Gone was the awkward, skinny guy that I grew fond of, replaced by someone taller, more muscular. It wasn't just physical either; something about the way he moved changed as well. He no longer slouched as he walked, and there was a confident gait in his stride, his back straight and head held high.

Was this the result of all the responsibility he had to take up?

There was a period of time where I hoped that Hikki would still stay in touch with us even after he dropped out of Sobu. He never contacted anyone there from the moment he had left and I knew that he didn't have many friends, any friends at all for that matter, but Yukinon and I were different, weren't we? The incident within the club room shouldn't be all it took to break them apart, surely?

But…

"But still, I... I really want something genuine!"

"I-I don't understand… I'm sorry."

"Hikki! We have to go!"

Every time I remember, I couldn't possibly keep lying to myself. It cycled in my mind, hurting me every time it replayed.

Hikigaya Hachiman poured out his heart to us with tears in his eyes. Yet Yukinon ran away, and I…just ran after her without thinking about him or his feelings.

I glanced over to Hikki again, finding him lost in thought. His eyes seemed far away, like I wasn't walking right next to him. Without Komachi here to be the bridge between us, it felt like Hikki has lost interest in even talking to me. I felt my lips set in a frown as I wondered if he was just forcing himself to walk me back home.

This heavy silence continued on as we walked further into Chiba. We came to a stop at a crosswalk, the red glowing sign stopping our trek. I fidgeted as we waited for the do not cross sign to change. We were so close to my house that I felt the chance to talk to him properly dwindling with every step we took. Helplessly, I watched as several vehicles, ranging from personal cars to work vans and trucks, drove by.

'Am I really going to let things end like this?' I kept remembering that day when everything just changed.

If I said something different, would things be better? Could we have been together when Hikki's parents died and decided to leave? Could we have helped him through such a difficult time?

I just don't know…

But I couldn't let this go. I wanted us to be together again, all three of us. I can't help this selfish feeling of wanting everything to be okay again. I want to be there for Hikki, who lived such a dangerous life now that every moment could be the last. I…

'...I can't let this end without ever knowing–'

I took a deep breath, holding back my tears.

–what would happen if I never took the chance.'

"I'm sorry." The words came out from me, breathlessly.

The crosswalk sign shifted from red to white.

Despite that, Hikki and I remained where we were.

"I'm sorry, Hikki. For not listening to you that day. I'm sorry I brushed off your true feelings in favor of Yukinon, I..."

I faced him fully, taking in the surprise that colored his eyes. I leaned forward slightly and bowed. "I'm really sorry."

"Yuigahama…" Hikki muttered softly. I raised my head, standing upright to look him directly in the eye. I felt the tears I've held back run down my cheeks, but I don't care anymore. I was taking this chance to be honest, so I let feelings guide my next words.

"You know, Hikki." I began, hoping my voice didn't shake. "I've thought a lot about what you said… even after all this time. I'm still not sure what that genuine thing is, either. But I'm sure if we talk about it, the three of us, then maybe someday we'll understand. At least… that's what I think." I admitted somberly.

Silence hung over us as we stared at one another. I was prepared to hear him dismiss me and my words. I couldn't really blame him if he did. Hikki didn't owe me anything. Not after Yukinon and I couldn't properly respond to his words that day in the club room. Maybe the relationship the three of us had was actually more fragile and fake than I thought. Perhaps this was how our odd relationship would have eventually ended. My lips trembled, my head drooping down to look into the cold pavement.

"We can't let it end without ever knowing." Hikki said suddenly. His words caused me to look at him in shock and with a sliver of hope. Those were the words I told him all that time ago. I felt my eyes sting again as a large smile stretched my cheeks. Maybe it's not too late to save what we had.

Hikki looked at me for a moment and reached into his pocket, sighing. A hand was then stretched out before me, holding a handkerchief.

Oh, I must look like a mess. Flushing, I took what he offered and wiped my face, feeling embarrassment fill every inch of my being. Despite that, I couldn't keep my smile off my lips.

His eyes held a measure of amusement for a moment before they became more solemn.

"Is it… too late to save what we had?"

"Hikki…" My smile faded, just a little. I thought about that a lot as well, but I now had this chance, and I wasn't about to let it go.

"We won't know until we try, won't we?" I told him with a more determined smile, feeling more hopeful than ever.

Hikki held my eyes for just a moment longer and answered me wordlessly with a resolute nod, offering me a smile.

It was a weak and small smile.

But for me, it was enough.

I had a feeling in my heart that everything between us wasn't over just yet. As long as the three of us were together, I was sure we could reach that genuine thing someday.

x x x

Aragawa is one of Japan's most expensive restaurants. The restaurant was established in nineteen sixty-seven and is considered one of Tokyo's stand-out restaurants. The focus at Aragwa was its premium Wagyu beef that's carefully selected and charcoal grilled, but this isn't the only cuisine they serve; dishes such as freshly house-smoked salmon, shrimp, and crab also appear on the seasonally changing menu.

The restaurant's stellar reputation meant it was always full of hungry, high-profile customers. Despite the restaurant's grand reputation, it was empty except for its late-night staff and one lone table where one of Japan's most powerful families was currently sitting.

"Yukino." A stern and feminine voice spoke harshly. "Sit up."

"Yes, Kaasan." I said softly and righted my posture while fixing my blue dress. My mother, Yukinoshita Tsukiko, nodded satisfactorily and returned to her dignified sitting position. I closed my eyes and tightened my hands into fists. Trying my best to ignore the thick and oppressive tension that hung in the room.

Tonight, my mother was wearing an expensive kimono and a thin layer of makeup on her face. She was the perfect example of the Japanese Yamato Nadeshiko, alongside her position as the Matriarch of the Yukinoshita conglomerate. It made her allure all the more powerful.

"Now, now, dear. I'm sure Yukino is simply tired from school." My father, Yukinoshita Ichiro, said with a small smile. "I'm sure she's just nervous. After all, her life will take quite a turn after tonight."

I turned away from the man who raised me in favor of staring off to the side. My heart felt tight in my chest, and my hands began to shake in frustration. From beside me, a soft hand slid on top of my own from under the table. I saw my elder sister, Haruno, looking at me with a small and somber smile. Quite the stark difference from the usual fake happy smile she had walked through life with for as long as I could remember. The smile that she used to appease our parents.

"Yes, I'm sure Yukino-chan is simply tired from all her studies. Once our guest arrives, I'm sure she'll perk up. Isn't that right, Yukino-chan?" Haruno said. Her tone was sarcastic and dripping with irritation.

"... that's correct." I said with a shaky smile. Haruno nodded and lifted a glass of wine to her lips. Her hand squeezed my own again. It was her way to offer me comfort, but it did little to uplift me from the current pit of despair I found myself in.

"Is that so?" Tsukiko said as she looked at me briefly and then at Haruno, her eyes frosty with warning. A warning quickly brushed away by Haruno.

"Ah, it seems the man of the hour is finally here!" Ichiro said while standing. Following my father's example, I begrudgingly stood alongside my mother. Haruno, however, remained sitting with an uncaring look. The restaurant's main doors opened to reveal two men dressed in tuxedos.

They held the door open for a typically handsome, muscular man with shaggy black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard. The man walked in with his eyes scanning the room. They quickly found my family. Foremost, scanning my father as if to size him up.

After that, they moved across my mother and sister before finally resting on me. Those sharp eyes of his ran up and down my body as if I were a meager slab of meat, making me shiver in disgust. He was dressed in an expensive dark blue three-piece suit. The dark-haired man walked towards us when close enough. He greeted my father respectfully.

"Yukinoshita-san, it's been too long." The man said.

"Now, now. Goto-san. Please call me Otou-san. After all, we are here to discuss your and my daughter's engagement." Ichiro said with a significant smile.

I felt the need to run away once the word engagement was uttered. I didn't want to hear such a word coming from the man who was supposed to love and protect me. To use me as a bargaining chip in his pursuit of more power and wealth. My father was in the position to attain the position of Japan's next Prime Minister in the coming months. But that was only possible by doing something that would undoubtedly throw any semblance of a future for me away.

I heard my mother clear her throat loudly to gain my attention. With a heavy heart, I looked into the eyes of Ryuji Goto, the strongest S-rank hunter in Japan and the Guild Master of the Draw Sword Guild. Goto smirked as his sharp eyes looked toward me with a predatory glint. A shiver ran down my back at the sight of those eyes.

A loud creak resounded next to me as my sister slowly rose from her chair. She gave me one good look and undoubtedly noticed the discomfort showing in my face.

Eyes frosting over like cold winter snow, she then placed herself in front of me deliberately. She crossed her arms, putting herself between Goto and I protectively.

Her defiant action caused Goto's eyes to narrow, before he smirked. His eyes shined like orbs of light as he let go of a fraction of his power, enveloping the room with an overwhelming pressure that made it hard to breathe. I grabbed my chest and tried to keep standing, noticing that everyone around me was in a similar state of duress.

Everyone, except my sister.

Yukinoshita Haruno simply stood in place, not even slightly bothered. Her cold gaze remained, looking at the man lauded as the strongest hunter in Japan without fear. Her beautiful lips thinned before her icy purple eyes shined in response to Goto's show of power.

A well of pressure exploded outward, pushing back against Goto's. The resulting clash proved too much to bear as a few people fell to their knees, including my mother and father, who looked at this whole situation in alarm.

I struggled to stand, but the air was getting heavier with each second.

Ah. So this is what it's like when S-Class Hunters clash?

My sister was not backing down, and Goto was not letting up.

I raised a weak arm and put a hand on my sister's arm. She then faced me, and I looked at her pleadingly.

I could not speak, but she knew what I was trying to say. Haruno's eyes scan me worriedly for a moment before spinning back to Goto. His lips twitched, and with an imperceptible huff, he kept his power back in check.

Suppressing her own power soon after, Haruno immediately held me as I nearly collapsed, putting me back in my seat gently.

Seeing this, Goto chuckled slightly and nodded toward my kneeling, ashen-faced father. "Very well, Otou-san." He said, as if nothing had happened. "Let's talk about the future."

x x x

[Yuigahama: Sorry, Hikki. Yukinon still hasn't shown up to school :(]

I sighed and slid my phone into my pocket.

Yuigahama's apology was not something I ever expected. I was content on letting whatever issue we had be ignored, but she took a bold step that completely flat footed me. I was sure she would never rock the boat and cut through the heavy air herself, but instead, she sincerely apologized for her own actions. In all honesty, what happened had already started to fade into a distant memory, yet Yuigahama's visit simply made me remember the sting that event caused me. Yet her earnest actions also caused me to evaluate my life. Or rather, my second life.

I was only here because of the actions of the brave people who gave their lives for mine, and I couldn't waste it by not taking my chances at mending my relationship with the precious few people that I had.

Of course, that also meant getting back in contact with one other person: Yukinoshita. Yuigahama promised me that she was going to get us all together so we could talk, but her efforts have been less than fruitful because, for some reason, the ever-diligent Yukinoshita has been absent from school for the past five days.

Naturally, this also caused me to feel concerned. Yukinoshita was never one to skip school.

"Could she… have been caught up in a dungeon break?" I said, my hands clenching. But I quickly disregarded that idea. If something like that happened, it would probably make the headlines. The Yukinoshita family has too much influence for something like that to go radio silent.

Still, I doubt that pesky woman would allow anything to touch Yukinoshita. Just remembering Yukinoshita Haruno caused a tired sigh to escape my lips.

"Hikigaya-san?"

I looked up from my clenched fists towards the smiling young woman dressed in business attire. She was smiling at me politely while holding a white card in her hands. "I'm sorry about the wait. Here's your new hunter's license, Hikigaya-san."

I was currently at the main headquarters of the Hunters Association in Tokyo. When I was found in the lake several days ago, everything on my person was either lost or burned. That included my hunter's license. Without said license, I wasn't able to enter any dungeons. So, after applying for a replacement three days ago, I traveled all the way to Tokyo to pick it up.

The building itself was massive. There were several different floors that provided all the Japanese hunters with state-of-the-art resources. This was also the building where my mana was first evaluated and where I was appointed as an E-rank hunter. The floor I was currently on was the Hunter administration section of the building. On this floor, a hunter could acquire the help and services of the dedicated staff for anything that they needed, such as a lost or destroyed license.

"Ah, thank you." I said while standing up from the very comfortable chairs in the waiting area of the large room. I accepted the card and made my way out of the building.

Once outside, I looked around the bustling environment of the front courtyard of the building. There were guards and Surveillance team members walking or at their posts. Hunters from all classes walked in and out of the building. Some in casual wear, others in their sets of armor. Before I could walk toward the exit, I saw something on the community billboard that stopped me in my tracks.

The community billboard was a long hundred-foot board built from oak wood and metal. It is mainly used by the association to announce or share important information with the hunters regarding any new updates or news. Another use of the billboard was to share the news of all the recent hunters who had passed away within the gates. But what held my attention in a cold, icy grip was the familiar list of names of my last raid party.

My mouth went dry as I read the details of the funeral ceremonies for each member of my raid party during the trial dungeon. Seeing Furutani's and Sakura's names listed alongside their pictures suddenly made their deaths all the more real. They were gone. And now their families knew it as well. Everyone knew.

"Hikigaya."

I turned my head and saw Nanako Fumiko standing a few feet behind me. She had a cold expression on her face as she stared at me with those blue eyes of hers.

"Nanako." I said as the blonde woman walked up beside me. She looked at the funeral announcement and then to me.

"Even after days of searching. We weren't able to find any of their remains to show their families." Nakano said. "Tell me, Hikigaya. What do you know about double dungeons?"

"A double dungeon? Isn't that when there's a secret dungeon within a pre-established dungeon?" I said while thinking back to my research of everything humans have discovered regarding the gates and dungeons. "Aren't those super rare? Wait… are you telling me that place was a double dungeon?!"

"It's a possibility. What you described would match what we currently know about those anomalies pretty well. Even then, you and your party ran into a life-and-death situation where you were able to survive by some miracle." Nakano said while turning to look at the Association building. "You're alive for some reason, Hikigaya. I suggest you don't waste that."

I watched as Nakano walked away and entered the headquarters building. I stood in my spot, a frown marring my face. I turned back at the pictures of Furutani and Sakura and stared at them a while longer.