The sea breeze carried the scent of salt across Tokyo Bay as waves gently rocked a massive steel vessel approaching the harbor.
Flying proudly above the ship was a deep purple banner.
Upon it rested the image of a crowned bear's head, a single claw scar carved across one eye.
It was not a symbol of royalty.
It was a symbol of survival.
Every scar upon that banner had been earned.
Painted across the side of the ship in bold white letters were two words.
URSA DATU.
The vessel let out a deep horn as it slowly came to a halt against the harbor.
Steel chains rattled.
The boarding bridge descended.
One after another, adventurers and hunters stepped onto Japanese soil.
Some stretched their arms after the long voyage.
Others silently inspected the unfamiliar city before them.
Several trucks carrying supplies followed shortly behind.
Not long after, four black SUVs rolled toward the dock and stopped in front of the delegation.
The doors opened.
Several men dressed in black suits stepped out before making way for another man.
Calm.
Well-groomed.
With the posture of someone accustomed to carrying responsibility.
The Guild Master of Ursa Datu stepped forward first.
A tall man with silver-threaded black hair adjusted the collar of his coat before extending a hand.
"Pleased to meet you."
"My name is Gideon Von, Guild Master of Caelora's Government Guild, Ursa Datu."
The Japanese commander accepted the handshake with a respectful smile.
"The pleasure is ours."
"My name is Ayumu Hyöe, Commander of the Akebono Guild."
"One of Japan's greatest guilds."
The two leaders exchanged a firm handshake.
Neither squeezed harder than necessary.
Power didn't need to be proven between veterans.
Ayumu gestured toward the convoy.
"I wish we could welcome you under better circumstances."
Gideon gave a small nod.
"So do we."
Ayumu's expression turned serious.
"Over the last several days, aggressive creatures have continued appearing across multiple regions."
"There have been no confirmed Black Portals..."
"...yet."
"But Gremlins."
"Goblins."
"Rogue Orcs."
"And even..."
He paused.
"...mutated animals."
A murmur immediately spread throughout the Ursa Datu members.
"Mutated?"
"Our own wildlife?"
"How does that happen?"
One adventurer frowned.
"Could monsters be crossing with Earth's animals?"
Before the discussion could grow louder...
Zacky calmly stepped forward.
"Everyone."
The murmuring stopped.
"We don't even know if they're Earth's animals."
"They may have originated from the other side."
Silence followed.
Nobody argued.
Ayumu turned toward him.
"So you're Mr. Zacky."
Zacky bowed politely.
"Greetings, sir."
Ayumu chuckled.
"No need to be so formal."
"We're the ones asking for your assistance."
"If anything..."
"We should be showing you that respect."
Zacky smiled faintly.
"Nonsense."
"We're simply happy to help."
Rhody suddenly stepped beside him.
A grin already stretched across his face.
"The sooner we finish this..."
"...the sooner we can explore Japan."
Michie adjusted his glasses.
"Ignore him."
"He gets excited whenever he leaves the country."
"I heard that."
"You were supposed to."
Even Ayumu couldn't help smiling.
Some tension disappeared.
Just enough.
The convoy departed shortly afterward.
Tokyo drifted past their windows.
Towering buildings.
Busy streets.
Neatly ordered intersections.
For Rhody, everything looked fascinating.
For Michie...
Everything looked like another opportunity to scroll through his phone.
Zacky simply watched the city pass in silence.
After nearly an hour...
The vehicles finally stopped before a towering modern building.
Large characters stood proudly across its entrance.
AKEBONO GUILD HEADQUARTERS
Inside...
Representatives from numerous nations had already arrived.
Some guilds had only a handful of members.
Others had brought entire companies of hunters.
Maps covered the conference hall.
Large screens displayed portal activity across Japan.
One by one...
Guilds received their assignments.
"Osaka."
"Hokkaido."
"Nagoya."
"Kyoto."
Finally...
"Ursa Datu."
"Saitama."
The screen shifted.
A large red circle highlighted the region.
An Akebono officer stepped forward.
"Intelligence predicts repeated waves of Rogue Orcs."
"Estimated numbers..."
He inhaled.
"...hundreds."
The room fell silent.
Gideon folded his arms.
"We'll hold the line."
The officer nodded gratefully.
As preparations concluded, Zacky raised a hand.
"If our operation finishes ahead of schedule..."
"May we reinforce another region?"
Several guild representatives glanced toward him.
Ayumu answered after a brief pause.
"I wish I could say yes."
"But doing so could easily be interpreted as interference."
"Some guilds would consider it stealing their battle."
"And potentially..."
"...an insult."
He sighed.
"Air support will reinforce anyone who requires immediate assistance."
Zacky nodded.
"I understand."
There was nothing more to say.
The meeting ended.
Guilds dispersed toward their assigned regions.
Outside...
Rhody stretched dramatically.
"Well..."
"That wasn't very fun."
He looked back toward the headquarters.
"And I'm telling you..."
"The Akebono Guild doesn't seem very close with each other."
Michie slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Just live with it."
"You don't always have to be the shining star."
He looked toward the sky.
"Besides..."
"I sensed the aura of that Russian S-Rank."
"They're in capable hands."
Rhody whistled.
"So you felt that too."
Both turned toward Zacky.
He remained unusually quiet.
Then...
He spoke.
"Even if they won't allow us..."
The two looked at him.
"...we're still doing it."
Rhody's grin returned immediately.
"I knew you'd say that."
Michie smiled beneath his glasses.
"Now that's the Zacky I know."
Far above them...
Dark clouds slowly drifted across the afternoon sky.
Somewhere beyond Japan's horizon...
Something had already begun moving.
Neither humans...
Nor monsters...
Realized it yet.
The next morning...
The sun rose over Saitama beneath a sky painted in pale shades of orange and blue.
The city had changed overnight.
Military vehicles patrolled the streets.
Temporary barriers stood at major intersections.
Observation drones hovered high above the skyline, silently watching every active portal within the region.
Ursa Datu had established a temporary headquarters inside an abandoned logistics warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
The building buzzed with activity.
Maps covered the walls.
Hunters moved in and out, delivering reports.
Adventurers sharpened weapons while support mages prepared supplies.
Everything felt... calm.
Too calm.
Several kilometers away...
A lone Ursa adventurer crouched behind a fallen concrete wall, his phone carefully aimed toward a shimmering blue portal.
"...Still nothing."
He whispered into his radio.
The portal rippled quietly.
The surrounding forest remained completely silent.
No birds.
No insects.
Not even the wind dared disturb the strange gateway.
Then...
Something moved.
A long, pale creature slowly crawled out of the portal.
It resembled a leech.
Nearly one meter in length.
Its skin glistened beneath the morning light, leaving behind a trail of dark slime.
The adventurer instinctively held his breath.
"What the..."
The parasite ignored him completely.
Instead...
It crawled past a rabbit.
Ignored it.
A flock of birds landed nearby.
It ignored them as well.
The hunter frowned.
"It's... searching?"
Then...
A deer wandered into the clearing.
The parasite suddenly stopped moving.
Its body slowly coiled.
Waiting.
The deer lowered its head to graze.
Silence.
One second.
Two...
Three.
WHOOSH!
The parasite launched itself like a spear.
The deer barely had time to react before the creature buried itself into its neck.
The animal cried out in panic.
It stumbled several steps before collapsing.
The hunter's hands trembled as he continued recording.
"...No..."
The deer convulsed violently.
Its legs kicked against the ground.
Bones cracked beneath its skin.
The sound echoed through the empty forest.
Its spine stretched unnaturally.
Antlers twisted into jagged hooks.
Its muscles expanded until the skin nearly tore apart.
Dark veins spread beneath its fur like roots crawling across the earth.
Its pupils disappeared.
The herbivore's gentle eyes became endless pools of black.
Then...
It stood.
The creature slowly turned toward the hunter's hiding place.
Its jaw opened.
Far wider than any deer's should.
A roar erupted from its throat.
It no longer sounded like an animal.
The hunter's blood ran cold.
"...Run..."
His own voice answered him.
He didn't argue.
He ran.
Twenty minutes later...
The recording played inside Ursa Datu Headquarters.
No one spoke.
The room remained silent until the video ended.
Rhody scratched the back of his head.
"...Well."
"I officially hate nature now."
Nobody laughed.
One of the researchers stepped closer to the screen.
"The mutation happened in less than thirty seconds..."
Another swallowed nervously.
"If that thing spreads..."
Gideon folded his arms.
"Find it."
"Kill it."
"No exceptions."
Within minutes...
Several hunting teams departed.
The mutated beast didn't survive long.
Against coordinated hunters, it never stood a chance.
Its corpse returned to headquarters before noon.
The warehouse's storage room had been transformed into a temporary laboratory.
Researchers carefully dissected the grotesque remains.
Rhody leaned against the doorway.
"I've seen ugly monsters before..."
"...but this wins."
Michie adjusted his glasses.
"Try saying something useful."
A researcher suddenly froze.
"...Guild Master."
Everyone turned.
The scientist carefully lifted something from inside the creature's chest.
The parasite.
Still alive.
It writhed weakly inside the metal tray.
Another researcher stared through a microscope.
"...It's feeding."
"What?"
"It never intended to create a stronger host."
"It transformed the deer..."
"...to protect itself."
The room fell silent.
The researcher continued.
"A larger body discourages predators."
"It only needs the host alive for several days."
Another scientist looked up from his notes.
"...After that..."
"The host dies."
"And dozens of eggs hatch."
Silence.
One member slowly muttered...
"So..."
"The mutation..."
"...is just a nest."
Nobody answered.
Nobody needed to.
Reports flooded in throughout the afternoon.
Osaka.
Nagoya.
Kyoto.
Hokkaido.
Every guild reported identical sightings.
One-meter parasites.
Mutated wildlife.
Rapid biological transformation.
Within hours...
The emergency report reached every major nation on Earth.
Television stations interrupted broadcasts.
Governments declared heightened alert.
The world finally realized...
The portals weren't simply releasing monsters anymore.
They were releasing ecosystems.
Late that evening...
Zacky stood before one of Saitama's largest portals.
Rhody.
Michie.
And dozens of Ursa members gathered behind him.
Without speaking...
The three Bishops slowly raised their hands.
Mana surged through the air.
Three enormous magic circles unfolded across the ground.
Layer upon layer.
Symbols rotated.
Ancient runes glowed with pale white light.
Additional circles appeared overhead.
Then another.
And another.
Until a massive magical formation surrounded the portal from every direction.
The surrounding air vibrated.
One young adventurer stared upward in amazement.
"...What does it do?"
Michie glanced at the formation.
Then smiled.
"Plan B."
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
High above Saitama...
A reconnaissance drone silently hovered among the clouds.
Its camera focused directly on the massive spell.
Thousands of kilometers of encrypted signals streamed toward Akebono Headquarters.
Inside a quiet office...
Ayumu Hyöe calmly sipped his tea while watching the live footage.
Steam drifted from the cup.
His eyes never left the screen.
"...I don't like what you're doing, Zacky."
He set the cup down.
The sound echoed softly through the room.
"You're preparing for something much bigger than an orc invasion."
His expression slowly hardened.
"And if you're preparing..."
He looked toward the glowing magic circles.
"...someone stronger than you may already be preparing as well."
Outside...
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The camera feed flickered for only a second.
No one noticed.
Far beyond the portal...
Something...
Opened its eyes.
Meanwhile...
Back in Caelora National University.
The clash of wooden swords echoed across the training grounds.
Arrows sliced through the air.
Bursts of fire, wind, and water magic exploded across the practice arena as students shouted over one another.
Coach Tyrone stood with his arms crossed, whistle hanging loosely around his neck.
"Begin!"
The whistle shrieked.
James immediately raised his shield.
"Formation!"
The four moved almost instinctively.
Months of friendship had become muscle memory.
James led from the front.
Kyle stayed close behind, staff at the ready.
Luke watched every movement from the center.
Brian remained several meters behind them, bow already drawn.
Their opponents rushed forward.
"NOW!" James shouted.
Kyle thrust his palm outward.
Two compressed spheres of wind burst from his hand.
BOOM! BOOM!
The blasts struck two students before they could react, throwing them off balance.
At the same moment, Brian released three arrows.
The opposing mage barely raised a barrier in time.
Luke smiled.
"They're panicking."
James grinned.
"That's our cue."
Within seconds, the opposing team collapsed under the coordinated assault.
Coach Tyrone blew his whistle.
"Match over!"
Another victory.
The Four Musketeers had yet to lose.
Their next opponent proved far more troublesome.
The opposing magic caster cleverly positioned Luke between himself and Brian.
Every time Brian shifted to create a better angle...
The mage rotated with him.
Luke tried circling around.
A volley of water bullets immediately forced him back.
James attempted to break through with his shield.
A powerful wave slammed into him.
"Woah!"
James slid backward several meters.
Kyle clicked his tongue.
"I'm running low on mana."
Luke narrowed his eyes.
His mind raced.
Then...
"I've got it."
He looked toward Brian.
"Brian!"
Brian nocked another arrow.
"What?"
"Shoot me."
The entire team froze.
"...What?"
James blinked.
Kyle stared.
Brian lowered his bow.
"You've finally lost it."
Luke shook his head.
"Trust me."
Brian sighed.
"...Every bad idea you've ever had somehow worked."
He raised the bow again.
"I really hope this one's the same."
The arrow flew.
Straight toward Luke.
The opposing team couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Did they just betray their own teammate?"
The arrow closed in.
At the last possible moment...
Luke stepped forward.
His wooden sword flashed.
CRACK!
The blade struck the arrow perfectly.
Instead of shattering...
The arrow's direction changed.
Like a baseball struck by a bat.
It shot toward the opposing mage at nearly twice its original speed.
"...What?!"
The mage's eyes widened.
There wasn't enough time.
THUD!
The suction tip struck squarely against his chest.
"Magic caster eliminated!"
The arena erupted.
"They redirected the arrow!"
"I've never seen that before!"
"They're insane!"
Luke barely had time to celebrate.
A wooden sword slammed into his side.
The opposing close-range fighter had circled around unnoticed.
Luke stumbled backward.
"Luke eliminated!"
He laughed despite the hit.
"That was worth it."
James slammed his shield forward.
Brian immediately eliminated another opponent.
Kyle finished the last.
Coach Tyrone raised both arms.
"Winner!"
"The Four Musketeers!"
"Fifteen!"
James shouted.
"Fifteen straight wins!"
Kyle collapsed onto the grass.
"My legs..."
"...are officially requesting retirement."
Brian lay beside him.
"My arms filed that request an hour ago."
Luke chuckled.
"You two complain after every match."
James laughed.
"And somehow we're still winning."
The four bumped fists.
Students walking past couldn't help glancing toward them.
Their teamwork had become the talk of the school.
Not because they were individually the strongest...
But because they fought as though sharing a single mind.
Several floors above the arena...
Alicia quietly watched through the classroom window.
Her long hair swayed gently as the afternoon breeze entered through the open frame.
Her expression remained as calm as ever.
One of her classmates stepped beside her.
"The Four Musketeers again?"
Another smiled.
"They're getting famous."
"They're good."
"But..."
She folded her arms confidently.
"They still can't beat us."
A third student laughed.
"Right, Alicia?"
Alicia kept watching the four celebrate below.
"...I don't know."
The room fell silent.
She smiled ever so slightly.
"...But I sure do hope I have a team like that someday."
Her friends stared.
"...Hey."
"What gives?"
Alicia looked at them.
"I'm just kidding."
They sighed in relief.
"Yeah..."
"You better be."
She looked back toward the training field.
A tiny smile remained.
"...I still do, though."
One friend buried her face in her hands.
"You BITC-"
"You're supposed to make us feel special."
The others burst into laughter.
Even Alicia quietly chuckled.
Far below...
Luke never once looked up.
He had no idea someone was watching.
Nor did he realize that the girl he believed had forgotten him...
Still remembered what it felt like to have friends who fought side by side.
The afternoon sun slowly drifted lower.
The cheers around the arena gradually faded.
Coach Tyrone clapped his hands loudly.
"Alright!"
"Break's over!"
"I've got an announcement!"
The students slowly gathered around him.
Tyrone grinned.
"I think it's finally time..."
"...to find out where each of you truly belongs."
The arena instantly filled with excited murmurs.
Luke exchanged a curious glance with his teammates.
None of them knew it yet...
But the next hour would shake the foundation of everything they believed about their perfect team.
The excitement around the training grounds quickly grew.
Students whispered among themselves, trying to guess what kind of magic they possessed.
Some hoped for fire.
Others wished for lightning.
A few simply prayed they wouldn't end up with something completely useless.
Coach Tyrone stood at the center of the arena, clipboard tucked beneath one arm.
Beside him were several academy staff members, each carrying a crystal-white orb that shimmered softly beneath the afternoon sun.
The orb looked like polished glass...
Yet countless streams of mana drifted within it like flowing mist.
Tyrone cleared his throat.
"Listen up!"
The conversations immediately stopped.
"Today's assessment isn't about who's strongest."
"It's about discovering your natural affinity."
He pointed toward the glowing orbs.
"Mana isn't just power."
"It's talent."
"Some of you were born to stand at the front."
"Others are meant to support."
"Some protect."
"Some heal."
"And some..."
He smiled.
"...change the entire battlefield."
Several students straightened excitedly.
"The role that fits your magic is often the role you'll perform best in."
"But remember."
He looked around the arena.
"Magic doesn't decide your worth."
"You do."
The first student stepped forward.
One after another...
Students placed their hands upon the crystal orb.
Some glowed crimson.
Others blue.
Green.
Brown.
Cheers erupted whenever someone discovered a rare affinity.
Laughter spread across the arena.
Even those who received ordinary elements smiled proudly.
Eventually...
Coach Tyrone glanced toward one familiar group.
"The Four Musketeers."
"You're up."
James immediately nudged Brian.
"Don't embarrass us."
Brian rolled his eyes.
"No promises."
The four stepped forward together.
Brian
Brian placed both hands upon the orb.
A gentle emerald light spread throughout the crystal.
"Wind Magic."
The staff member nodded approvingly.
Symbols slowly appeared inside the orb.
Special Aptitude: Echo Location.
The examiner smiled.
"Interesting."
Brian tilted his head.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll eventually be able to sense your surroundings entirely through mana."
"Close your eyes..."
"...and you'll still know where your enemies are."
Brian blinked.
"So..."
"I basically get another pair of eyes?"
Coach Tyrone laughed.
"Something like that."
James whistled.
"That's actually awesome."
James
James confidently stepped forward.
The crystal immediately turned earthy brown.
Small vibrations spread beneath everyone's feet.
Earth Magic.
A second line appeared.
Special Aptitude: Earth Armor.
Secondary Skill: Earthquake.
James grinned from ear to ear.
"So I really am the tank."
"You couldn't be anything else," Brian laughed.
The examiner nodded.
"Your mana naturally reinforces your body."
"The stronger you become..."
"...the harder you'll be to move."
James proudly slapped his shield.
"I knew this thing liked me."
Kyle
Kyle rubbed his hands together nervously.
"My turn."
The instant his palm touched the orb...
A powerful gust circled the crystal.
"Wind Magic."
Kyle smiled.
"Told you."
Then...
The orb flashed again.
Blue light slowly intertwined with the green.
The surrounding staff members looked at each other.
"...Dual Attribute."
Coach Tyrone raised an eyebrow.
"Wind..."
"...and Water."
Kyle's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
The orb revealed one final line.
Special Aptitude: Wind Manipulation.
The examiner explained,
"You've already awakened full mastery over wind."
"But your water affinity hasn't matured yet."
"With enough training..."
"...you may eventually wield both."
Kyle nearly jumped in excitement.
"I'm a dual user!"
James groaned dramatically.
"There goes his ego."
"It was already huge."
Brian nodded.
"Now it'll need its own classroom."
Kyle laughed.
"I earned this one."
Only one remained.
Luke.
The smiles on his teammates' faces hadn't faded.
James folded his arms confidently.
"I bet you've got something ridiculous."
Brian nodded.
"Probably fire."
Kyle smirked.
"Or lightning."
"You swing that sword like a maniac."
Luke scratched the back of his head.
"I don't know..."
"I've never really thought about it."
He stepped forward.
The arena grew strangely quiet.
Luke rested his hand upon the crystal.
For a brief moment...
Nothing happened.
Then...
A brilliant white light burst from within the orb.
Several students gasped.
"Light Magic?"
Before anyone could react...
Darkness bloomed beside it.
Pitch-black mana intertwined with the white glow.
Light.
Dark.
Perfectly balanced.
The crystal trembled.
Coach Tyrone slowly stood.
"...Dual Attribute."
The entire arena stared.
"A dual user?"
"Again?"
"But..."
"Light and Dark?"
"I've never seen that before."
The orb continued glowing.
Words slowly appeared inside its surface.
Special Aptitudes:
Healing.
Weapon Enhancement.
Dark Shield.
Silence.
Complete silence.
James blinked.
"...Support?"
Kyle stared at the crystal.
"...All of those are support abilities."
Brian looked toward Luke.
"But..."
"...you're our close-range fighter."
Luke didn't answer.
He simply continued staring at the orb.
The examiner broke the silence.
"Your mana naturally excels at assisting others."
"Protecting."
"Healing."
"Strengthening weapons."
Coach Tyrone frowned thoughtfully.
He looked toward the Four Musketeers.
Then toward the assessment results.
Then back again.
Finally...
He laughed.
"You know what?"
The students looked at him.
"Forget the assessment."
Everyone blinked.
"The four of you already have the perfect team."
He pointed toward Luke.
"You're one of the best swordsmen in this class."
He pointed toward Kyle.
"You're an outstanding offensive caster."
"If I force the two of you to switch roles..."
"I'd only weaken your team."
He smiled.
"Sometimes..."
"The perfect role isn't the one mana chooses."
"It's the one you've earned together."
James immediately nodded.
"Exactly."
Brian smiled.
"We're not changing anything."
Kyle punched Luke lightly on the shoulder.
"You're still our frontliner."
Luke forced a smile.
"...Yeah."
But inside...
Everything felt...
Heavy.
The cheers around him slowly faded.
His teammates kept talking.
Coach Tyrone continued explaining the next activity.
Students laughed.
Someone celebrated awakening fire magic.
Another complained about getting earth instead of lightning.
The sounds became distant.
As though submerged underwater.
Luke looked down at his own hand.
A support...
All this time...
I've been fighting in the wrong position.
His chest tightened.
If only Kyle had Light Mana...
He'd fit perfectly.
Wind...
Support...
Close range...
Everything would've made sense.
Instead...
It was him.
The swordsman.
The close-range fighter.
The one who had spent years training with Maya.
The one who loved charging into battle.
His mana insisted otherwise.
The whistle sounded.
Coach Tyrone raised his arm.
"Next match!"
"The Four Musketeers..."
"...versus the Super Four!"
Cheers erupted across the arena.
The strongest teams in Grade Ten.
Finally.
Facing each other.
The four stepped onto the battlefield.
James adjusted his shield.
Brian spun an arrow between his fingers.
Kyle twirled his staff.
Luke...
Didn't move.
His teammates looked back.
"Luke?"
The whistle blew.
The match began.
Everyone rushed forward.
Except him.
The world around him slowed.
The cheering disappeared.
The arena dissolved into darkness.
Not because something had pulled him away...
But because the weight in his heart drowned everything else.
A pressure unlike anything he'd ever felt bore down on him, as though the air itself had become impossibly heavy.
He struggled to breathe.
Somewhere...
Far beyond the darkness...
A slow, mocking laugh echoed.
"Hah..."
"Hahaha..."
The laughter rolled through the void like distant thunder.
A voice followed.
Cold.
Ancient.
Filled with contempt.
"So..."
"I see..."
"...you're still pathetic."
Luke remained silent.
"You've had time to think."
The unseen presence chuckled again.
"I offered you a deal."
The crushing weight intensified.
The darkness itself seemed to press against him.
"What..."
A pause.
"...shall..."
Another.
"...it..."
The voice lingered, almost amused.
"...be?"
Luke slowly clenched his fists.
Despite the unbearable pressure...
He raised his head.
His answer came as little more than a whisper.
"...No."
The laughter stopped.
Silence answered him.