Chapter 16

My trip to Funabashi was uneventful, as expected. Saturday had finally rolled around, meaning that the day Yuigahama and I agreed to meet had arrived. I had taken the train to meet her at Rarapo, a large shopping mall located in the city of Funabashi. We agreed to spend the day there for our hangout session today.

Hangout session.

Heh, I sound like a damn Riajuu, don't I? How far I've fallen.

I looked around the hoards of people coming in and out of the shopping mall from a bench. They ranged from children, teenagers, adults, and the occasional senior citizen. But teenagers and young adults were the most common among them all. Figures, shopping malls are one of the most frequented locations Raijus, like them, would congregate around.

Being the experienced loner that I am, made it so I didn't really visit places like these. And why would I? If I needed anything, I'd buy it on Amazon and have it delivered to my home. Hah, such convenience at the tap of a finger. What a truly marvelous time we live in. I could barely remember the last time I had visited a shopping mall. Let's see, when was that?

Ah, now I remember. It was during that time I was manipulated into joining Hayama, Orimoto, and, uh, whoever that short-haired girl was. It was the most awkward and annoying day in my young life. Even remembering it caused me to cringe.

"Hikigaya isn't the type of guy you think he is. He's friends with girls who are much more wonderful than either of you. Could you stop making selfish comments after making only surface-level judgments?"

Even to this day, I don't really understand why Hayama did what he did. What could he have gained by that? To pay me back for everything I've done to help him and his little clique?

"Whatever. At least I don't have to deal with him anymore." I said to myself. I pulled out my phone and saw that half past two. Yuigahama should be here soon. I slid my phone back and noticed my hands shake slightly. Am I… nervous?

"Hikki!"

I turned my head and saw my old clubmate jogging towards me with her arm waving in the air. She was dressed in a casual winter outfit composed of a plaid scarf, a cream-colored coat, a beige dress, black tights, and a pair of black boots.

I stood to my feet in time to meet her. Yuigahamas's cheeks were red as she smiled at me, and her breath was quick due to her short jog. "Sorry, Hikki. Did you wait long?"

This would be the time the protagonist in a story would say the cliched "Ah, no. I just got here" line so as not to make her feel bad for having me wait in the cold. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a trope-filled romantic comedy story with cliches and tropes.

"Actually, yeah."

"Hah?! But the meeting time isn't until another five minutes! If anything, I'm the early one! Do you know how long it takes for a girl to get ready for a da– I mean! To hang out! Yeah! It takes us quite a while, you know!"

I closed my eyes as Yuigahama punched away at my right arm indignantly. Her soft fists felt like I was being pelted with a volley of large marshmallows. Yuigahama quickly stopped and pouted at me before quickly smiling. Despite myself, I found a small nostalgic smile grow on my face as well.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your hard work."

"You're welcome!"

We stood close to one another in comfortable silence. Now that the air between us was cleared in our last meeting, it didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable to be in each other's presence. It now felt more familiar. More comfortable. It was… nice.

"So." Yuigahama started. "Where to?"

"I don't know. I'm not exactly used to shopping malls."

"Eh?! Seriously!"

"Don't look at me like that. I have better use for my time than being in these congested places."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Hanging out with Komachi, of course."

"…siscon."

I felt a sliver of my HP go down at her insult. While I was stewing in my thoughts about being called a siscon, Yuigahama smiled and began walking towards the entrance of the mall. I was pulled along by the cuff of my winter jacket by her.

"I'll take point then! We can get a quick snack before we go exploring!"

"That works with me."

The two of us traveled through the busy mall towards the food court. As we did, we passed several shops and kiosks. I looked down and noticed that Yuigahama had yet to release my jacket. Eventually, we arrived at the food court and decided to grab something light to fuel our bodies. That being a few meat buns and some tea. With our food and beverages in hand, we moved to an area to sit.

"Mm! This is so delicious!" Yuigahama said with a wide smile as she bit into a pork bun. Her cheeks were flushed as she chewed. I nodded and took a bite of my bun.

Indeed. The flavors are rich. The bun is light and fluffy. Very nice.

As we ate, I couldn't help but be slightly annoyed at all the chaotic sounds and noises made by those around me. I now remembered why I don't visit places like these. Not because I don't have any friends to go with me. Of course not. Definitely. But because of the incessant noise that is commonly found within popular locations like these.

So, to avoid being driven mad by everyone and everything around me. I focused on Yuigahama. Slowly, the noises around me became more muted and dull. But being so hyper-focused on her caused me to notice things I never did before. The way she ate her food happily and how she would drink her tea slowly. The way her eyes would twinkle as she looked around the food court. Her smiling visage as she noticed my staring and tilted her head questioningly.

"Hikki? You okay? Something wrong with your bun?"

"Ah… it's nothing. Just lost in my thoughts."

"Heh-heh. You haven't changed at all. You still get that far-off look on your face like you did in class."

"Oh? How would you know?"

"Because I always paid attention to you."

Yuigahama's words caused me to freeze. The bun in my hand became slightly squashed as my hold on it tightened. Yuigahama herself seemed to have finally realized what she said because her face burned bright red as she waved her hands in front of her.

"Ah! I didn't mean that in a creepy way! I meant it, like, well, you know! That you would stare out in a creepy-Hikki sorta way! Hah-hah!"

"Oi! Don't use my name like an insult. You airhead."

"Airhead?! I'm not an airhead! I'll let you know; my head is full of thoughts and ideas!"

"More like full of air like a bag of chips."

Suddenly, we both stopped our back-and-forth exchange of insults in favor of chuckling. As we did, I saw Yuigahama wipe away a stray tear from her eyes. She looked at me in a way that made my body temperature rise, causing me to shift around in my chair.

"I missed this," Yuigahama said softly, her food forgotten.

"…me too," I muttered. My eyes are now squarely on my cup of tea. Yuigahama's smile somehow widened even more at my response.

"Ano, Hikki…" Yuigahama's suddenly somber tone brought back my attention to her, noticing immediately that her smile was just a touch more solemn. She looked like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.

"Yes…?" I replied, feeling mildly concerned.

"I… I didn't just wanna hang out today." She tucks a hair behind her ear and looks away. "I wanted…to talk to you about Yukinon."

"Ah," I said, realizing where this might be heading.

"You know, when I found her, she was kind of a mess." Yuigahama looked at her tea sadly; her face scrunched up like she remembered something awful. "I didn't know what to do to help because I felt like a lot of what she was going through was my fault, but I did my best to help her out of her funk. I don't know how well I did, but I tried, ya know?" She shrugged, giving me a helpless smile.

There was a lot to unpack with what she just said, primarily about how she seemed to be shouldering the blame for the current situation. I didn't know how to respond to that. I was also trying to imagine Yukinoshita in the context that she's telling me, but my mind can't overlap the image of the high and haughty Yukinoshita Yukino with the person Yuigahama is talking about.

"She's as sassy as ever, but I dunno. I feel like she is still going through something, ya know? And she asked me for some time before she can meet you because, honestly, I think that's just how Yukinon is." Her smile quirks up a bit, taking a small sip of her tea before continuing. "She's probably preparing herself and thinking about everything she's gonna say before finally meeting you." She said fondly, face resting on the palm of her hand.

…yeah, that sounds more like the Yukinoshita I know. I guess whatever worry she felt, Yuigahama must have done something to get her back on track. I could feel the beginnings of a smile form on my lips, and Yuigahama noticed, a smile tugging at her cheeks.

I know what happened last year affected all three of us, and I did say I'm willing to talk things out with her and Yuigahama. Knowing Yukinoshita, this probably wasn't the only issue she was facing, hence why she won't meet just yet. I think she feels like whatever we need to talk about needs to be the only thing on her mind before she meets me again.

"I didn't want you to think that I was just making you wait for nothing, you know?" Yuigahama continues, making a sheepish face at me. "I felt like you might think I'm just leading you on, making you wait for something that isn't happening, but it's true! Yukinon does want to meet, and she wants all of us to talk. But I realize something else, you know?" Yuigahama looked conflicted. Her mouth drew into a sad line, and she looked me directly in the eye.

"Can you really wait that long, Hikki?"

"I…" I started to speak, but words suddenly caught up in my throat. I… don't know. Tomorrow, I'll be part of another raid, and I'll be putting myself in danger. I'm more confident in my strength now, and I know that a C-rank raid shouldn't be something I should be worried about. But what about the dangers I'll face in the future? There was no guarantee that I would always survive. It was naive thinking to think otherwise.

I wanted to grow stronger, and that goal meant I'd eventually go up against things stronger than me. Do I even know if I'll survive those encounters? I had to. I couldn't go into fighting without that confidence in me, but…

…would it be selfish of me to tell her that I can wait that long when I don't know if I'm able to, given what my life is now?

"...Yuigahama." I gulped, thinking about what I was about to say. "I honestly don't know if I can answer that right now."

Yuigahama looked at me searchingly for a long moment before she nodded understandingly. "I get it…"

I wanted to say something else, but I couldn't think of the right words. My hesitation caused a silence to envelop us, one that wasn't all too comfortable.

"I'll wait."

Huh?

I looked at Yuigahama, who was now smiling more determinedly at me.

"You said you don't know the answer right now? Then I'll wait, Hikki."

…this girl.

A bemused smile found its way to my face, and Yuigahama grinned at the sight of it.

The uncomfortable silence evaporated like cold, misty air from the morning, and we chuckled at each other again before going back to our meals.

From there, the two of us finished our food and drinks. When we were done, we threw our trash away and placed our trays in their designated spots.

"Let's look around! There's a lot of cute shops we passed that I want to go see!"

Yuigahama smiled at me as she took the lead.

"Sure."

We backtracked towards the various shops we passed on our journey to the food court. Stopping at our first stop, I saw that it was a clothing store. Due to having little experience in such a place, I let Yuigahama lead me around as she traveled back and forth from clothing rack to clothing rack. She grabbed a black turtle neck long-sleeved shirt and held it up to my chest.

"This looks good on you, Hikki! Oh! No, wait! What about this one? No, no, that one better matches your skin."

I was rendered helpless as Yuigahama dragged me along as she held several different types of clothing towards me. I didn't have a clue about fashion and nodded along to her words and suggestions. After a while, we moved towards the female section of the store, where Yuigahama quickly turned her attention from me to the articles of clothing for women.

She then repeated the process of looking for clothes and accessories that would better suit herself. Were I a lesser man who had grown up without a little sister, I would have surely grown tired of all this nonsense. Thankfully, I had grown accustomed to being lugged around, thanks to Komachi. So, I had no problem keeping up with Yuigahama.

"Ah! I want to try these on! Here, wait for me, Hikki! I want your opinion."

Before I could say anything, Yuigahama stepped into a changing room. I sighed and waited patiently for her to change. What I didn't account for was for my enhanced senses to pick up on her subtle movements and barely audible shifts in fabric. I quickly focused my senses towards the outer halls of the mall.

That was close. I almost lost myself and accepted the ways of Master Roshi.

"What do you think?"

I turned back to Yuigahama and found her in a completely different outfit. It was a red sundress that perfectly accentuated her curves. On her feet were a pair of heels as well that gave her a much more mature look.

It looks fine. Is what I wanted to say, but I knew better. Having grown up with Komachi has taught me that girls want to hear that what they're wearing makes them look more beautiful or pretty. So, if I answered in such a lame and unenthusiastic way, I would most likely incur a womanly wrath.

"Oh? Is that all you have to say, my dear useless Onii-chan? You think with all that reading you do, you'd have more to say! Stupid, useless, Hachiman!"

"Oh… you look great?" I said slowly. Unsure if that was the correct response or not.

Yuigahama's small smile slowly disappeared and was replaced by a surprised expression. Her face blushed brightly, and she looked down timidly with a small smile.

"I-is that so?" Yuigahama muttered and lifted the changing room curtain in front of her. "Then I'll get this one."

"Ah, okay."

Once Yuigahama bought her new outfit, we left the store and continued walking around the mall. Our next stop was a small Nick Knacks store with several random items.

Yuigahama looked around and b-lined towards a rack filled with dog and cat ears on a headband. I followed behind her and watched as she placed a headband with cat ears over her head. She smiled and held a pie for me. I grabbed it and looked at the accessory with an unsure expression. Yuigahama grinned and urged me on. I sighed while sliding the car ears on my head and turned to see her smile cutely at me.

Yuigahama then walked over to me and wrapped her left arm around my one. She then lifted her phone and took a quick picture of us. She let me go and grinned at the picture on her phone. I leaned down and looked at our picture. I ignored my frowning face and focused on Yuigahama's happy expression.

"We look ridiculous."

"Heh-heh. Do you want me to send it to you?"

"…yes."

x x x

Fujishima Tatsumi placed a hand on his alarm clock before it could go off, stopping it from disturbing the peaceful silence of the breaking dawn. It's been years since it last blared, making it nigh useless, but it's part of the habit he's ingrained into his soul and thus essential to his routine.

He sat up off the bed and stretched, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his glasses, placed where they always lay every morning, on the small side table to the right of his bed. Carefully, he wore them on his face, and the blurry world magnified into clarity. He cracked his neck, then turned to the alarm clock.

04:00 AM, it said.

Right on the dot, as expected.

He then began his morning routine.

For the next hour and a half, he would exercise, clean the house, shower, dress, and then prepare his breakfast and lunch. Afterward, he would eat slowly to savor the nutritious meal, which would give him vigor for the early hours of the day, while looking forward to eating his lunch, which would get him through the afternoon.

All that done, he would then water his dear plants—no wilt in sight and not a dead leaf in any branch.

Perfect.

With every task done and everything in place, he left his home and waited for the SUV, his transport to his work. His chauffeur would know that this would be the time that he'd be done with his morning routine and thus be on time, as per usual.

Many would find his rigid morning routine dull and mind-numbing.

But Tatsumi, an S-Rank Hunter, was a creature of habit and order, believing that a neat and orderly routine leads to a neat and orderly life.

Being this way allowed him to be the Vice-Guild Master of the Yuki-Ryoshi Guild, as his way of life reflected in how he managed the affairs of the guild with his Guild Master. None complained about his methods since order was essential in handling business at a Guild as big as his.

Tatsumi read the time on his wristwatch, 06:00 AM. Looking up, he sees the SUV arriving.

Right on the dot. As expected.

Unexpectedly, the SUV opened, and out came his Guild Master, Yukinoshita Haruno. Even in the early morning, she did not have one hair out of place and looked refreshed and ready. Still, her face was most unsettling, as it was set in a severe frown he didn't see often.

"Fujishima-kun," Haruno says his name with utmost seriousness, "Pack your bags, we're going to Fukuoka." The suddenness of the command left Tatsumi momentarily stunned, his mind racing to comprehend the urgency of the situation.

"Oh." Was his eloquent response. He nods without hesitation and trudges back to his penthouse.

"Pack light! Maybe for a day stay!" His guild master called after him.

"Understood." He answered back, nodding once more.

He entered his penthouse and did exactly as instructed, quickly and efficiently, a suitcase with his clothes and essentials ready in his hand as he exited once again.

Haruno nodded as he returned and went inside the SUV first, followed by him. Once the chauffeur loaded his suitcase and they were appropriately seated, Haruno signaled at the driver with a wave of her hand, who saw it from the rearview mirror and began driving immediately.

"I apologize, Fujishima-kun," Haruno said while staring straight ahead, her face a mask of seriousness. The gravity of her expression was enough to convey the urgency of the situation, and Tatsumi knew this was no ordinary mission.

"There's no need to explain." Tatsumi shook his head. Haruno is not one to break a pattern without a preamble of the extreme kind or if it involves family matters. He was tasked with calling her out if she ever stepped out of line, but that has not happened so far. "You are not one to do this without good reason, and this seems to be quite important. As your vice-guild master, I shall follow your lead." He said dutifully.

"Excellent." Haruno gave him a small smile before returning her eyes to the road and continuing. "I've already informed Kitaoka-kun. He'll know where we're heading and tell the others. He'll be in charge while we're gone."

"I see." Tatsumi leaned back against the leather seat of the SUV, contemplating the situation at the guild.

Out of their ten S-rank guild members, Kitaoka Kei, with his impressive work ethic and excellent administrative qualities, was the most qualified to look over their affairs with little trouble if he or Haruno were unavailable for more than the expected amount of time. Their other S-ranks would be there to assist should issues occur, but they were geared towards more specific fields of expertise.

For example, Shimizu Akari and Ishida Mari. Both were strong and dependable, but unfortunately, they were not as orderly as Kitaoka. Their personalities were beneficial for boosting morale, but they did not have the managerial ethic needed to handle vital matters related to organizing the guild.

There was also Kawasaki Saki, with her excellent record despite being so young. She was a model Hunter on and off the field, but she was too inexperienced in matters of leadership. Though he'd been informed that Haruno was already putting her through a case that would train her for such affairs.

Overall, Yuki-Ryoshi would be fine without its Guild Master and Vice-Guild Master for a day or two. Tatsumi was confident that it was in good hands.

He relaxed, uttering no other word for the rest of the drive to the airport. He knew better than to ask anything of Haruno while she was this serious. For something like this, he simply needed to follow, confident that she was bringing him along because of the urgency being extreme. Otherwise, it would be his job to point out how wasteful and unprofessional this would be. Haruno made him vice-guild master for that very reason.

A private jet was ready by the time they reached the guild's private runway, and after quickly settling themselves in, they were off to Fukuoka. The flight was the same as the drive, spent silently as Haruno kept a severe look on her face.

Tatsumi did not mind; silence was better than the words spoken just to avoid it. Nonsense was not needed in matters such as these.

Once they landed in Fukuoka, he and his Guild Master were picked up by a member of the Hunters Association Surveillance Team in an SUV. The drive to wherever they were going was long—almost an hour. Choosing to sit in the passenger seat, Tatsumi could feel the tension coming off the Surveillance Team member as she tried to keep her composure. But something had shaken her. Whatever that was, it must be the reason why they traveled here on such short notice.

The vehicle came to a stop in a packed parking lot for Keya Beach. Tatsumi quickly stepped out of the vehicle and opened the door for his Guild Master.

"Thank you, Fujishima-kun."

"Of course, Haruno-san." Tatsumi said with a curt bow.

Haruno stepped outside of the SUV and turned towards the beach. Instead of the usual sight of people enjoying themselves in the sun while frolicking on the sand or sea, she found that the beach had been sealed off with a blockade lined with two squads of JSDF soldiers and two large teams from the Surveillance Team. Tatsumi narrowed his eyes at the sight.

"A dungeon break?"

"No," Haruno said with a frown. "Something worse."

"Yukinoshita-san, Fujishima-san. I'm glad to see you have arrived."

Tatsumi and Haruno turned towards a man who was walking in their direction. The man was Kitamura Kenji, Chief of the Hunters Association Surveillance Team. He stopped in front of the two and bowed his head respectfully.

"Kitamura-kun. It's good to see you." Haruno said pleasantly. Her expression then became serious as her eyes turned to the warded-off area. "Is it here?"

"Yes, follow me," Kenji said and motioned for them to follow him.

As they walked, Tatsumi observed the gathered people working within the blockade. JSDF soldiers were keeping a solid and tight perimeter while a slowly growing hoard of reporters and newscasters were lining around outside. Several Surveillance Team members were either on the phone or walking around the inner area of the perimeter. Their eyes were sharp and focused, but Fujishima could see the underlying emotion deep behind everyone's eyes.

Fear.

Something is very wrong. Tatsumi thought with alarm.

"I'm not seeing Nakano-chan." Haruno said with a professional smile, her eyes briefly scanning the area. Kenji nodded and turned to her.

"Nakano-kun is currently preparing for a guild examination test that will take place tomorrow." Kenji said as the three turned the corner around a large military transport truck that was parked on the beach.

"Hm, a new up-and-coming guild? What rank?"

"C-rank."

"Ah. Well, Nakano-chan shouldn't have any issues then."

Behind the truck stood a large military tent that took up a wide area of the beach. Two Surveillance Team members stood diligently in front of the tent entrance. The two were high-tier A-ranks keeping guard on whatever was inside the tent. Fujishima could sense strong waves of mana pouring off them as if to scare off those who would enter the tent.

The two guards tensed up when the three of them approached, but before they could open their mouths to ask for identification. Their eyes widened at the sight of Haruno. Quickly, the two men bowed respectfully and parted the flaps of the tent.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Yukinoshita-sama!"

"Thank you for all your hard work, Yukinoshita-sama! Please, right this way!"

Tatsumi held back a sigh at their evident star-struck attitudes. Haruno smiled politely at them as the three entered the tent. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the guards gossiping with each other about how the great Yukinoshita Haruno smiled at them.

It took much of his control to stop his eyes from rolling at their unprofessional chattering, yet one of the guards mentioned something that caught his attention.

"To think we'd meet both Ryuji-sama and Yukinoshita-sama on the same day!"

Well, Tatsumi thought drily, not looking forward to what will happen next. This could be an issue.

Ryuji Goto, heralded by most of Japan as its strongest Hunter, was formerly his Guild Master. Tatsumi was a founding member of his guild, the Draw Sword Guild.

He can very well remember the interaction they had when he quit the Draw Sword guild.

"I'm done, Ryuji... I've had enough of this guild. I've had enough of you."

"...get out of my sight."

It was not a very nice memory.

"It's okay."

Tatsumi looked at his Guild Master. Apparently, his thoughts reflected in his face. Haruno smiled softly and playfully winked at him. Tatsumi took a deep breath and gave her a grateful expression.

Kenji, who was waiting patiently for them, nodded and motioned at the curtain in front of them. Passing through the curtain, Tatsumi came upon the sight of Ryuji Goto and Sujimoto Reiji standing in a wide open space. Behind them stood a table with a blanket covering a large object.

Sujimoto Reiji is a founding member and the Vice Guild Master for the Draw Sword Guild. His role in the guild was more of a directorial position. Despite the powers that came with his S-rank title, Reiji almost never entered the gates to fight. He used his intelligence and communication skills to propel the guild to new heights of status.

Noticing their presence, Sugimoto promptly glared while Ryuji smiled. Ryuji then walked over and stood in front of Haruno. He used his greater height to look down at Haruno with a shit-eating grin.

"If it isn't my dear sister-in-law."

Suddenly, the temperature in the tent plummeted—a large sheet of ice spread from under Haruno's feet, freezing the sand below. Slow puffs of chilled air could now be seen as everyone exhaled. Haruno didn't look up at Ryuji's eyes; her eyes were squarely set on his chest. More specifically, where Ryuji's heart was.

"Call me that again, and I'll freeze you where you stand," Haruno muttered with a cold, dispassionate voice.

"Ooh. Scary." Ryuji chuckled, yet his eyes were sharp, ready.

Tatsumi knew this confrontation was inevitable. As vice-commander, he was well aware of Ryuji and Haruno's current situation, being informed that it would be a possible power play to gather more political power for the Draw Sword Guild, thereby affecting their guild in the very delicate power dynamics they were embroiled within Japan.

As Tatsumi was quite familiar with Ryuji, Haruno asked his opinion of what other possible reason his old Guild Master would go with this seemingly straightforward plan, and Tatsumi replied that this situation was not something Ryuji would engineer by his lonesome. Ryuji was a sword honed for battle, so this was much more delicate of a plan than he was used to, as it would involve politics that Tatsumi knew Ryuji saw as something beneath him.

Still, Tatsumi told Haruno that there was something else that Ryuji definitely wanted out of it, for in the end, this was much too forward a plan without a benefit that he didn't see as worthy. Inwardly, Tatsumi didn't rule out the possibility that Ryuji would utilize this to inflict some sort of petty emotional pain on Haruno. Simply put, whatever Ryuji was planning, Tatsumi knew nothing good would come from it.

"What are you doing here, traitor?" Sujimoto said as he glared at Fujishima. A weak wave of mana began to release around the Vice Guild Master's body.

Rather than show how annoyed he was at such a petty display of power, Tatsumi pushed his glasses up before speaking flatly.

"I could say the same to you. Shouldn't you be off somewhere praying to a picture of Ryuji?"

"Why you–!"

"Enough!" Kenji declared loudly. Slowly, everyone turned to him. "If you four want to have your little spat, do it later. I didn't call you four here to have your grudge match."

Kenji walked over to the table with the large blanket. The object underneath becomes the center of attention for all the S-ranks. Kenji placed a hand on the blanket and, with a swift pull, uncovered the hidden object for all to see.

"I called you all because we have discovered something very important. Something that could spell disaster."

Sugimoto took a step forward. His eyes widened in surprise as he pointed at the large, red object on the table. "Is that… one of them."

"It can't be," Haruno said as she walked closer to the table, her spat with Ryuji forgotten. "It's an ant from Jeju."

Tatsumi looked on in disbelief, horrified at the implications of having such a creature so close.

The beast was a massive mutated version of a fire ant. Large, deadly pincers sat still on its head as three long legs remained still on each side of the beast's body. A pair of large, purple eyes looked out unblinkingly at Ryuji as he bent over to get a better look at the dead creature, more specifically, at the massive pair of wings on the ant's back.

"These cunts are evolving," Ryuji said with a relaxed tone, a hand on his chin. He turned to Kenji after standing straight. "Who killed it?"

"No one did. It was found dead by a fishing boat a few miles off Ojika." Kenji said as he lifted one of the ant's broken wings. "Its wings seem underdeveloped. It must have tried to fly off the island but ended up in the ocean and drowned. It was only a coincidence that those fishermen found it floating on the ocean surface."

"Korea's greatest failure, Jeju Island," Ryuji said as he inspected the ant's body with a careful, calculating eye. "Not even after three dungeon raids could those weak Korean hunters close that S-rank gate. Now, here we are, picking up the trash."

"That gate has been open for four years now. Meaning that these ants are growing and evolving without any hindrances." Haruno said as she eyed the beast's wings, a slight indiscernible twitch in her cheek at how Ryuji described the Koreans. "At this rate, they'll be capable of full flight within a few months. I don't have to say what will happen if S-rank beasts like these get out into the surrounding areas."

"Mass casualties in China, Korea, and… Japan," Tatsumi said slowly. "Fukue, Hisaka, Naru, Wakamatsu, and Nikadori Islands are all too close to Jeju. If those ants gain the ability to fly long distances, these islands will be the first to fall to the ants should they head to Japan."

This was a disaster.

So many lives would be taken if they did nothing about this. Tatsumi did not hide his look of alarm and directed it to his Guild Master, hoping that she understood the horrors these things could wreak upon Japan. Haruno merely met his look and nodded firmly.

"This is why I gathered you all here today. As Japan's strongest, we need your help to put a stop to that before it's too late." Kenji said as he laid the blanket back over the ant. He then walked in front of the table and bowed his head towards the S-rank hunters.

"We need to put our differences aside and work towards ensuring the safety of the citizens of Japan. Please, protect our country."

Tatsumi watched as Haruno looked over to Ryuji and then to the blanket where the ant lay underneath. Ryuji merely rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets; he spun on his heel and began walking out of the tent.

"Leave it to the Draw Sword Guild. No one will die as long as we're around." Ryuji said as he paused at the curtain. He then grinned confidently towards Haruno before finally leaving. Sugimoto gave the members of the Yuki-Ryoshi guild one final glare before following Ryuji.

Tatsumi closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose, noting that this impending disaster would need cooperation from both their guilds and that that, too, would be a possible disaster.

"Fujishima-kun," His guild master's voice brought his attention to her. She picked up the blanket and stared at the dead ant's head, eyes more serious than he'd ever seen.

"Call the others and inform them of the current situation. Also, schedule a meeting with the Chairman."

She then grinned and turned to Tatsumi and Kenji.

"I think it's about time we close that gate on Jeju once and for all."

x x x

"Oh! What about this one?"

It was now around six in the evening. Yuigahama and I had spent the last few hours going from store to store to entertain ourselves. She had bought a few more random things while I bought Komachi a sleeping mask with a cat design. Yuigahama helped me choose it because I wanted to give Komachi a gift for all her hard work over the past year.

It wasn't much, but I wanted to let her know I appreciated her newfound work ethic in studying. It's hard to believe she was the same dumb little sister of mine. I couldn't help but swell in pride at her. Once I had her gift, we stopped by the food court again to grab a small but satisfying meal.

"Looks like a cheesy romance flick," I said, looking up at the movie poster of a woman and a man holding onto one another in the rain. I then turned to a poster with two men punching one another in the face. "What about this one?"

"That one? I don't know. I'm not a big fan of the leading actor. I heard he cheated on his wife or something."

"That so?"

In the end, we decided to watch that cheesy romance movie. So after buying some tickets, the two of us found our seats in the back of the theater and watched the movie.

Halfway through the movie, I looked down at our shared armrest and saw that I was taking up the majority of the room. Our arms were pressed against one another as if to fight for who had the most space. Being the considerate person I was, I slid my arm onto my lap to allow her to use the armrest. I looked down at her and saw her pouting slightly.

She must be upset that it took me so long to notice.

Once the movie was over, we left the theater and saw that it was fully dark outside. I pulled my phone out and saw that it was almost nine o'clock.

"I'll walk you home."

Yuigahama smiled and nodded at my offer. With that, the two of us made our way to the nearest train station and began our journey toward her home. After we were off the train, we walked towards her home in comfortable silence.

"Thank you, Hikki."

"Thank you? For what?"

"For agreeing to spend the day with me."

"Oh," I said as we turned the corner. "It's nothing. I… had fun today too. I can't remember the last time I did something like that. It was… nice."

"I see. I'm happy to hear that."

Yuigahama smiled at me, causing my heart to quicken slightly. I coughed and looked back in front of me. It didn't take much longer for us to arrive in front of her apartment complex. We stopped in front of the building and stood together. Neither of us knew what to say.

"Thank you for walking me home, Hikki."

"Yeah, don't mention it. I guess I'll see you around."

I was already turning to walk away, but I hesitated. The conversation we had at the food court reared itself back into the forefront of my mind. She said she'd wait for my answer when I didn't know what answer I could give. But…

I remember a verse I used to tell myself very clearly back when life was relatively simple.

Youth is a lie, and it's deceitful. Evil.

Every action we take during this advent of our young life can be seen in a positive light, and all mistakes are nothing more than proof of our youth. Youthful indiscretion makes us act foolish, believing that we have more in life in store for us and that mistakes merely color the painting of our lives.

But I never submitted to that idiotic ideology. I believe every action I take has a consequence that affects me well into my future. And right now, I am unsure of what my future truly holds. If I had waited to think about my answer, would I regret not saying it right now while I had the chance?

My life as a Hunter is fraught with peril. And my last adventure nearly brought me to incapacity with how strong the things I face. Will I be sure that this life, this youth I'm living through, will last for very long?

I'm not sure. I can't know that future, and I don't have the answer.

But I do know what I want to say right now.

"Yuigahama."

I called out. She turned back to me, looking curious.

"I'll wait."

Her eyes widened, growing moist when she realized what I meant. Her lips trembled, but it looked like a wave of relief came over her as her face relaxed.

I smiled at her reassuringly.

"I'll be there whenever it's time."

She wiped the tears away and grinned at me.

"Mm!"

x x x

I took a sip of my precious Max coffee on this fine Sunday morning. The temperature in Adachi city was cool and crisp. I leaned back on the stone wall with a satisfied sigh. I was standing several feet away from the spinning gate in front of TOHO Cinemas Nishiarai.

"Hey, why is he here?"

"Ah, I heard that Osaki-san personally asked him to be here."

"Really? Isn't he an E-rank, though? What does Osaki-san need a weakling like him for?"

Usually, Riko would have taken offense to their words and would have tried to defend my honor by throwing insults back at them. Something I actually found pretty funny. However, my dear slime companion wasn't with me today. She had been poached unceremoniously by my little sister.

"Ah, Onii-chan! I'm borrowing Riko-chan today! I'm taking her to the mall so she doesn't have to wear that ridiculous maid outfit anymore. She's going to look so cute!"

Rikos's cries for help were ignored by me as I simply nodded at Komachi and handed her some spending money to use. She looked at it uncomfortably but ultimately accepted it. I even got a tight hug from her as well, making the loss of my precious yen worth it.

I looked over at the three whispering hunters with a slight glare. To make sure my point was clear, I sent out a sliver of my magical power. Causing the gossiping hunters to jump in surprise and leave. I grinned at their retreating backs and crushed the can in my grasp.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't scare my hunters, Hikigaya."

I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Osaki smiling at me with a hand on her hip. She was decked out in a new set of light armor while a shiny new spear was strapped to her back. She sauntered over towards me and leaned on the wall beside me.

"If they get scared by little old me, then you should find some new guild members."

"They're good hunters. Sure, they're still a bit green behind the ears, but I've seen what they're capable of." Osaki grinned and looked out at the cordoned-off area around the gate.

As usual, a small team of JSDF soldiers had set up a perimeter around the gate to prevent any civilians from wandering in. A few curious onlookers stood outside and were taking pictures or selfies of the gate. Some were whining and complaining about when the hunters would close the gate already so they could have access to the theater.

"Come on! Hurry it up. I bought a ticket for tonight!"

"Like, can these hunters do their jobs already? That thing is such an eyesore."

Tch. Damn, brats.

"Don't scowl like that. You'll make those kids cry."

"If only."

Osaki chuckled and stepped off the wall. She pulled out her phone and turned towards the gate. She then took a deep breath and exhaled.

Despite her strong front, I could see the nervousness radiating off her like a neon sign. I walked up beside her with my hands in my pockets.

"Don't let your future guild members see you like that. They'll lose morale." I muttered.

Osaki nodded and steeled her expression. She turned to me with newfound determination while placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're right. But I have nothing to worry about since my lucky charm is here with me today."

I side-eyed her and shrugged her hand off. "Don't call me that. I'm just taking responsibility for what happened. Don't expect this to be a reoccurring thing."

Osaki nodded at my comment. We both then saw a woman wearing a typical mage outfit waving at us from behind the perimeter. The woman pointed over at the two black SUVs pulling into the theatre parking lot.

"Looks like they're finally here," Osaki said. Her voice lacked any of the playfulness from earlier. I followed behind her as she began walking towards the gate. "Let's go see who's going to be my proctor."

After crossing the empty street, the JSDF soldiers allowed us through the perimeter. We came to a stop next to the mage; her name was Takamaru Chizu, Osaki's newest right hand. The three of us watched as several Surveillance Team members stepped out of the black vehicles. They all then scattered around and began to set up their workstations for the upcoming examination.

"Oh no," I uttered softly. Due to her being right beside me, Osaki turned to me with a questioning look.

"Oh no? What's the matter?"

I sighed and motioned towards the woman dressed in a black and white tux with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Her blue eyes looked around and stopped once she spotted me. They then widened in surprise before shrinking into a small glare.

"Do you know her?" Takamura asked softly as she held her sodden staff in her hands. I sighed and nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes. That's Nakano Fumiko." I said as the woman in question began walking towards us. "I'm not exactly her favorite person."

"Oh no," Osaki uttered. Suddenly, her lost nervousness returned with a vengeance.

"She's your proctor, isn't she?"

"… that's right."

"…wonderful."

Nakano came to a stop in front of us. She then crossed her arms under her chest as she eyed me with suspicion before moving on to Osaki.

"Osaki Naoko. My name is Nakano Fumiko. I will be conducting your guild license examination. I hope you have made all the necessary preparations to ensure that today's raid goes smoothly."

Osaki bowed quickly and then nodded. Despite the current situation, she had placed a confident and cool expression on her face. I was unsure if it was real or just a mask, but I couldn't deny the air of confidence she radiated.

"I have, Nakano-san. I assure you today's raid will go off without issue."

"I hope you're capable of backing up that claim," Nakano said. "As you already know, I'm only here to observe you and your guild's performance. You are to perform your responsibilities as the raid leader, as always. Should a situation present itself where I have to intervene. You will automatically fail. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Very good," Nakano said as she nodded and began to walk towards one of the tents now set up by the rest of her team. "The exam will begin in ten minutes. Prepare yourself and your team."

As she walked away, I saw her glaring at me from the corner of her eye. I wasn't entirely sure as to who leaked the fact that I was the only survivor of that double dungeon, thus making my life as a hunter slightly more annoying due to the mindless chattering of my fellow hunters. But I had a strong feeling that it could have been the blonde-haired bitch that was boring a hole in my head. So in retaliation, I glared at her in return.

This caused her to huff and turn away from me.

That's right, run away.

With my small victory over the beautiful- I mean bitch of a blonde, I watched as Osaki prepared her future guild members for the upcoming raid. There were a total of fifteen hunters gathered around. There were even some familiar faces from last time as well.

From those whose names I vaguely remember, I could see Sumida Hisao, Tabata Rokuro, Kobayashi, Tashiro, and Sawada. The rest were unfamiliar and unimportant to me; they ranged from D to C-ranked hunters.

Towards the back was a single healer; he stood with a nervous expression while clutching the strap to his backpack tightly. According to Osaki, the other healer from the last raid had retired after the close call with the boss. While it was disappointing that we lost another healer to help our cause, at least it was due to them retiring and not having met an early end at the hands of a magical beast.

I tuned in as Osaki finished giving everyone a rousing speech. All the gathered hunters roared loudly, their weapons and items held high. Osaki grinned and began walking towards the gate.

"Alright, everyone! Follow me!"

A chorus of cheers bellowed behind her as everyone poured in one by one into the gate. I waited until everyone in Osaki's future guild stepped inside before I followed suit. Just as my foot crossed into the other dimension, I felt a hand be placed on my shoulder. I turned and saw Nakano hold onto me.

"I think you should wait here. Despite Osaki vouching for you, an E-rank will only drag her down." Nakano said slowly.

I huffed and removed her hand from my shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself. Just make sure you do your job."

Nakano seemed to want to disagree with me but ultimately nodded and stepped through the gate first. I sighed in annoyance and stepped through the gate. But as my body was halfway through, I noticed a white feather on the floor beside the spinning blue portal. It was then that I felt an intense, negative sensation come over me. I tried to step out the gate but found my body being pulled inwards.

"The gate!"

"It can't be– a red gate?!"

My eyes widened in shock at what the Surveillance Team members were shouting. I watched as the once-blue portal exploded into hues of reds and whites. Red lighting sparked out of the gate as it doubled in size while causing the wind around me to swirl violently.

Shit! I'm being pulled in!

I could do nothing as my body was heaved into the gate by a powerful force. I turned my head and saw the outstretched hand of one of the Surveillance Team members trying to grab me. Her panicked expression was the last thing I saw before I was swallowed by the swirling red portal.

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[Bonus Content | Character Sheet]

Name: Kawasaki Saki

Race: Human

Gender: F

Age: 18

Eye Color: Purple

Hair Color: Silver-Pale Blue

(ooo)

Likes: Family, Action Movies,

Dislikes: Scary things, Cats, Idiots

Dreams: To give her family a carefree and luxurious life.

Hobbies: Karate, Creating outfits for her younger siblings, Knitting Stuffed Toys.

Personality: Saki appears cold and distant to others. She can be curt, stubborn, and frank. She avoids small talk and doesn't like to talk with others she's not familiar with. Saki can appear aggressive to some, both in defense of herself and when being "polite." Saki's aggressiveness stems from the fact that she can't express herself properly and just plain social clumsiness. Saki is also loving and protective over her younger siblings.

(ooo)

Status: Hunter

Rank: S-Rank

Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi Guild

Class: Ranger

(ooo)

Weapons: Bow crafted from the remains of an A-Rank Water Serpent.

Skills: Archery, Sewing, Cooking, Karate

Talents: Can shoot a bullseye a mile away 95% of the time, Hand-to-Hand Combat

(ooo)

Image Link: https://imgur.com/ZVrtvKH

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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!