School Dungeon Break

Getting a rather enthusiastic cheer of support for the name Ahjin Guild, Jinho asked me about the results of the fight that my summon had with Hae-In. Explaining the situation in full, Jinho nodded his head, probably having fully expected that outcome.

"Well, as you said before, we do need someone to do Guild work, and I do have a few people in mind who have a Hunter's License…"

Just then, the door to our Guild receives a polite knock.

Looking at the strained faces of the Knights' Order Guild who had shown up at our doorstep, I choke back my laughter.

Being shown in by Jinwoo, the Guild Master, Park Jongsoo, immediately got to business, opening his laptop, and showing a livestream of a giant A-Rank portal that had opened within the area 'owned' by the Knights' Order. Explaining the situation with his Guild and how the Association had refused to give him the permit to enter the Dungeon (since they don't have an S-Rank), they had chosen to recruit an individual rather than an entire Guild, since that would diminish the power that the Knights' Order held.

"Normally when a large Guild goes on a raid, an S-Rank Hunter gets around 10% of the loot. For this dungeon, we would like to offer either one of you 20%."

Jinwoo and I scoff at the same time.

"Let's make it 50%." I give him a bright, yet seemingly sinister smile. "One of us will join you if you treat us like a Guild, not an individual. In fact, we're already working towards founding a Guild which we plan on naming "Ahjin.""

"B-But even so…" Park sweats.

"We're not trying to strike a deal with the Knights' Order… After all, it is you guys who've come to us."

Park's expression turns depressed and he leans back into his chair, "Very well. In return, whichever one of you goes, could you take care of the Boss Monster?"

Jinwoo and I stare at each other playing the 'who gets to go' game. Squinting my eyes hard at Jinwoo, he doesn't back of in the slightest.

"You're still angry?" My head falls and I sigh.

"Of course, I am… It's my sister after all."

"Fine then…" I wave him off, "Go."

Realizing that Jinwoo would be the one to join them, they immediately pull him off to the side and start talking to him about the smaller details. Getting a call as their talk just finishes, all of us were left standing there, staring at each other awkwardly.

"If you're finished with your business, please leave."

Being saved by Jinho, the Knights' Order once again puts on their strained smiles and stalk out the room.

Having the time fly by, the next day arrives, and I'm stuck inside the Jinwoo household, bored out of my mind, with nothing to do. The moment the clock hit 11:00, Jinwoo had gone out the door to rush to the raid he had signed up for. So now, the only two people in the house was Hyung-Hye and I.

Sitting down on the couch beside me, an awkward silence falls over us, and I'm left sitting there waiting for something to happen.

"So, about my daughter…"

What an absolutely beautiful way to start a conversation. I'm clapping my hand really hard in my mind right now.

Wait, hold on, that clapping is the emergency sound that one of my summons sends to me.

Locating the summon who was sending me their distress signal, I bolt up from the couch and immediately use 'transferable light'. Being engulfed by the light, my surroundings change to that of a dimly lit classroom where students were moving tables and chairs to cover the classroom doors. Yet everything had fallen silent when I burst from the air with a golden light shimmering around me.

"Shiro!" Rushing to my side quickly, Jinah grabs at the folds of my clothes.

"Please…" Her voice wavers, "Monsters have invaded the school… the screams of the students… please…"

Without even needing to hear another word from Jinah, I give her a short, comforting hug.

"You're safe now."

Breaking it, I walk over to the pile of tables and chairs and shove it off to the side with a flick of my hand.

"Ascend."

Moments after saying that, the empty hallway was filled with my soldiers.

"Kill any hostile creature that's broken free of its gate."

Giving a salute, my soldiers float off the ground and rush through the air to kill the monsters.

Summoning Asmund, Bingha, and Aeri separate of the other soldiers, I give them the order to protect Jinah at all costs.

Proceeding down the school stairs myself, I calmly walk towards the place where I felt the greatest amount of killing intent. All around me, the corpses of orcs lay on the ground, having already been dealt with by my Soldiers. Stepping into the seemingly abandoned classroom while giving my own personal prayers to the corpses of the students who had to experience this fate, my Soldiers surrounded the exit of the portal, waiting for further command.

Yet, I joined the line with them and watch as three orcs make their way out of the portal.

The leading two orcs are weak, but the orc behind them, was ever so slightly stronger than them.

"I'm Gurok Taru, Chieftain of the Red Blade. Are you the human who's stood in the way of my slaughter?" The supposed chief snarls.

"Are you the dipsh*t who broke from the gate just to slaughter humans?" I ask in return, my expression bored.

The chief's smile almost breaks his face, "Why of course… after all, we're to kill… kill… kill the humans!"

Letting out a mad laughter, the chief flicks his hands forward and his two fellow orcs dash forward, their blades outstretched.

Taking a step forward, with my hands held behind my back, the heads of the two orcs fly from their bodies, my expression remaining unenthused.

"What… what are you?"

Seeing the chieftain sweat, his eyes are staring at the air above me, at the overwhelming aura that was created when I behead the two orcs. Strolling up to the chieftain, he remains frozen where he stands, his legs quivering in fear.

"Forgive me… forgive…"

Growing a baleful smile, I ask him, "Do you ever forgive those you slaughter?"

"It's constantly in our heads," He tears up, "Kill the humans…"

"Good for you then."

Materializing my blade, I 'execute', removing the chieftain's head and clearing the dungeon break.

Giving a glance at one of my soldiers, I ask, "Are all the orcs dead?"

Seeing it give a curt nod of its head, I make my way back up to Jinah, this time finally taking in the blood and bodies that littered the halls.

Reentering the classroom, Jinah sticks herself to my side and quivers, "Is it over."

Stroking her head, I tell her, "Yes."

The other students in the classroom all give a huge sigh of relief and try to leave through their classroom door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you… Unless you're comfortable with being scarred for life."

Remembering that their school had been invaded by monsters and fellow students had most likely been killed, they all look to me to see what to do. With the flick of my wrist, Asmund unsheathes his sword and opens a path to the outside. Gripping them one by one, their carried down by Asmund, Bingha, and Aeri. Hearing sirens, I stand there in the pouring rain.

With the arrival of the paramedics, came too the parents.

Having a car pull up right next to Jinah and I, the window lowers and reveals a saddened Mr. Go. Beckoning me over, he sees that Jinah is unwilling to leave my side and looks at me with a complicated expression.

"…This accident could have been predicted and prevented." Mr. Go tosses me his phone, "The one on the top shows the increase in the Gate activity around Seoul for the last 6 months. And the one on the bottom shows the worldwide stats of the increased number of Gates. As you can see, the number of Gates has spiked noticeably."

Handing Mr. Go back his phone, he continues, "However, right alongside the increase in Gates, the number of people wanting to confirm that they're awakened has also increased. It's almost like the world itself is maintaining a balance…"

Mr. Go then hands me a stack of papers.

"These are official documents from other nations wanting to make contact with you and Hunter Sung Jinwoo. We have no right to block these people, but we will protect your personal information. So, Shiro… as a personal request to you, to allow our country to adapt to the incoming changes, could you…"

I give him a light laugh, "There is no need to ask Mr. Go… I will stay in South Korea until the day comes that this war."

"War?"

"Well… isn't that what this is… monsters vs. humans."

"I suppose that you're right..."

Handing him back the papers, I tell him, "You can tell them all that I reject their proposals."

"Hoho, not even going to read them over and see the benefits they're willing to offer you." Mr. Go finally smiles.

"What's the point of benefits if all you're doing is leaving behind the people you truly love."

Laughing once more, Mr. Go wishes me the best and then drives away, planning to meet with Jinwoo separately.

Carrying Jinah all the way home, we enter soaking wet and with a worried Hyung-Hye pacing in front of the entrance. Seeing the two of us, Hyung-Hye jumps on us and gives us what should've been a bone-crushing hug.

"I heard what happened on the news…" Hyung-Hye said between sobs, "I was so worried that either one of you had gotten hurt or…"

Tiring herself out after sobbing for minutes on end, we make our way to the couch and all sit down, a silence hanging down on us. After checking Jinah and myself from head to toe to make sure we weren't injured, Hyung-Hye heads off to bed.

And so there I sat with Jinah.

"Did you see them?" Jinah suddenly asks, shaking violently.

Giving a difficult face, I nod my head, "Yeah."

"…Was it as bad as it sounded?" Jinah asked with false hope.

"Yes…"

"Are you perturbed? …Seeing them I mean."

Continuing to rub Jinah's back, I can't help but think back to all that I'd seen while working as a Demon Slayer.

"I've lived a rather eventful life thus far, and in this short amount of time that I've lived, I've experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. This is not the first time that I've seen something like that… It's still horrifying to see something like that, but… I've long since learned from my first incident that it doesn't matter how strong you are… you cannot save everyone. I've saved the ones that I could, and that's good enough for me…"

Swathed in silence, I feel Jinah moving around before she placed herself in my lap, staring straight into my eyes.

"Thank you for saving me today, Shiro… I really mean it."

Giving me a quick peck on the lips, Jinah's face switches to its red hue and her face dives into my chest. Just as we both go to relax, the door to the apartment suddenly shoots open and a wet Jinwoo dashes straight into the living room, staring straight at our rather suggestive position.

All worry that Jinwoo once had evaporates and anger permeates through his eyes. I can see him reeling up to yell at me but stops when my finger is planted on my lips.

"Jinah went through something traumatic today, so wait until tomorrow to fight me."

Jinwoo was obviously upset but stayed silent while he initiated his own personal check on Jinah.

And now, today is tomorrow and I stood in the yet to be repaired Association Gymnasium.

"Man, you really did take my request seriously yesterday…"

"Of course," Jinwoo glares, "I know you did something with my sister, so it's obvious that I'd fight you."

"But is it really?" I deadpan.

"You're married Shiro… I won't allow you to be with my sister."

"Well sucks to be you," I state, "You're not allowed to control Jinah's life."

"I'm not controlling it; I'm simply preventing her from being with a dangerous, cheating b*st*rd."

"I'm not cheating…" My remark falls on deaf ears and Jinwoo crosses in front of me, his hands held up.

"Let's have a little bet then." Jinwoo begins, "Let's have a one vs. one match where neither one of us use a weapon, skills, or summons. If I win, you must break your relationship with Jinah and move out. If you win, I'll let things continue to progress and you can continue to live with us."

"Deal."

Hearing my word of acceptance, Jinwoo didn't even signal the start of the match as he had already made his way towards me. Sending a jab at my head, I slip off to the side forming my stance and changing my breathing.

Once again engaged on by Jinwoo, he sends out a hook, immediately followed by several jabs layered on top of one another.

Slipping between each of his swings, I notice a rather consistent pattern with Jinwoo's fighting style and a realization dawn on me.

Slamming my fist into Jinwoo's gut, I grab him by his shirt and fling him over my shoulder into the ground. Stopping his descent with his hands, Jinwoo tries to twist himself out of my hold, but is rocketed against the gymnasium floor when I kick him in the back.

Landing on his feet as he hurtles backwards, Jinwoo once again dashes forward just to use the same useless techniques as before.

Punching his wrist, I jab at his chest, then grab him by his neck and slam his face into my knee. Landing punches all over Jinwoo's body while he's disoriented, I then chop down on Jinwoo's shoulder when I see him getting a stance again. Jinwoo's body folds and is slammed into the ground, leaving half his face buried.

"Jinwoo, I realized that you don't know how to actually fight hand-to-hand."

"And you do?" Jinwoo grits his teeth as he painfully removes himself from the ground.

"Shinazugawa made it a key point that I learn how to fight without a katana in hand…"

"Who?"

"One of my teachers." I answer then ask, "Do you wish to continue, or will you call it your loss?"

"Do I have any chance of winning?"

Looking him dead in his glittering, hopeful eyes, and I tell him truthfully, "No."

Jinwoo lowers his head in defeat and then tries to attack me once again, thinking I had lowered my guard.

Using my impressive agility, I appear behind Jinwoo and slam him in the neck, causing his eyes to roll up into the back of his head.

---

⸢Congratulations! You beat the Shadow Monarch!

ALERT

–The requirements have been met.

-The Key's item information has been partly revealed. ⸥

---

Raising my eyebrow with interest, I make sure to pay respects to Jinwoo for his sacrifice.