Chapter 161: Hunter and Prey

A large flock of birds of various colors, seemingly startled, flapped their wings furiously and ascended into the sky from the vast expanse of Aokigahara's forest. Each bird scattered in a different direction, their cries fading into the distance.

This was the western and southern edge of Aokigahara's Sea of Trees. Yet to most people, there was no noticeable difference between the two regions, the scenery looked the same no matter where one stood.

"Run!!"

"Run!!!"

A desperate shout suddenly echoed through the forest. It was a man's voice—loud, but trembling with anxiety.

"No! I... I can't leave you behind!"

Another male voice followed, younger and higher-pitched, though it quivered with fear.

"Enough with the nonsense!" the first voice snapped back. "In a situation like this, there's only one thing to do—run!"

The undergrowth not far ahead began to shake violently, and a young man stumbled out, clutching a black shotgun. He was disheveled, his movements frantic, and he kept glancing back over his shoulder.

Behind him, the sounds of the forest grew louder and more chaotic, as though something massive was tearing its way through the trees. The dense canopy above blocked out most of the sunlight, casting the area in deep shadow.

Suddenly, with a loud crash, something huge burst from the jungle.

"Boom!"

A dark shadow hurtled out from the trees, tumbling across the ground several times before coming to a stop.

"Grandpa!"

The young man's face paled as he ran toward the fallen figure.

If Kaminari had been present at this moment, he would've immediately recognized them as the grandfather and grandson pair he had met on the Shinkansen—Hideo Sato and Ryoichi Sato, the so-called "Matagi Hunters."

"Cough… cough..."

"I'm fine," the older man gasped, his voice strained. "I managed to block it with my spear..."

Hideo Sato, a man in his sixties, tried to reassure his grandson. Yet his face was pale, and his breathing labored. He glanced at his steel spear with lingering fear. A deep dent marred its shaft, the weapon had saved his life just moments ago.

If the spear hadn't absorbed the brunt of the blow, he would have been killed instantly. Even so, both his hands were bleeding, the skin split from the force of the attack.

"It's too strong... far beyond what a normal bear should be capable of," Hideo muttered, his expression grim.

The sound of cracking wood cut him off. Ahead of them, the three largest trees in their line of sight snapped like twigs under immense force, falling to the ground with deafening crashes. Emerging from the wreckage was a terrifying creature.

"ROAR!!!"

A massive black bear, as tall as a small building, stepped into view. Its bloodshot eyes glared at the pair with unbridled rage. Its roar was deafening, carrying pure, primal fury.

"What a terrible mistake..." Hideo muttered, his face contorted with regret.

"I didn't realize... the one I lured out was its cub."

Days earlier, when they first arrived at Aokigahara, the two had spent their time searching for the so-called "legendary three-meter bear." Although they had encountered several ordinary black bears, none matched the description of the mythical beast.

But early that morning, luck seemed to be on their side, they stumbled upon the cave of what they believed to be the giant bear. Wasting no time, Hideo set up a large bear trap and used "gentori bamboo," a type of bait irresistible to black bears.

However, the first creature to emerge wasn't the legendary bear, but a cub barely a meter tall.

When the cub triggered the trap, its arms were broken instantly, and its agonized cries echoed through the forest. The smell of blood soon attracted its mother, who turned out to be far larger than expected, closer to five meters in height than three.

From that point onward, things had spiraled out of control. Hideo, despite being an experienced "Matagi hunter" with decades of expertise and strength that rivaled professional heroes, was completely outmatched by the enraged beast.

Faced with its near-impenetrable hide and overwhelming power, Hideo had no choice but to retreat, relying on his knowledge of black bear behavior and his agility to evade death.

But this was no longer about hunting—it was about survival.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

Ryoichi's hands shook as he fired his shotgun at the bear, his legs trembling with fear. But the bear didn't flinch. The weapon might as well have been a toy against its thick hide.

"Stop wasting ammunition and run!" Hideo shouted, his voice hoarse with urgency. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his spear and charged the beast once more.

"Ryoichi, listen to me!"

"I've spent my life hunting black bears, hundreds of them! If I die here, under the claws of this 'Bear King,' so be it. That's an honorable death for a Matagi hunter!"

"But you... you're the next in line. You're the future of this profession. If you die here, the legacy of the Matagi hunters ends with you. Do you want that?"

Despite his age, Hideo's movements were sharp and precise. He dodged the bear's massive claws, striking at its weak points whenever he could. Yet every attack was blocked by its thick, impenetrable fur.

His eyes glinted with an unnatural yellow hue—his Quirk, "Hawkeye." It enhanced all aspects of his vision, granting him an ultra-wide field of view and exceptional dynamic sight.

Technically, using his Quirk during "work hours" without a Hero License was illegal, even though he held a hunting permit. But none of that mattered now. His only concern was buying enough time for Ryoichi to escape.

"I can't leave you!" Ryoichi cried, his face streaked with tears. "I can't do it!"

"You have to!" Hideo roared back. "Do you want me to die filled with regret?"

In that moment of distraction, Hideo's reaction faltered for just a second.

"Boom!"

The bear's massive paw struck him with full force, sending him flying like a ragdoll.

"Grandpa!!!"

Ryoichi's scream tore through the forest as he watched Hideo's body hurtle toward a tree. Blood sprayed into the air, and the impact was certain to be fatal.

But just as Hideo was about to collide with the trunk, a crackling burst of electricity split the tense atmosphere.

"Zzzzt!"

A flash of golden light streaked through the air, catching Hideo mid-flight and gently lowering him to safety.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into some trouble..." a familiar voice said.

***

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