The Grave-Fanged Strider didn't growl; it hissed, a wet, clicking sound that came from the back of its throat. It lunged again. Renji didn't move until he could smell the rot on its breath. One heartbeat. Two.
He dropped, the rough stone of the floor scraping his palms as he slid beneath the beast's pale underbelly.
"[Bone Grasp]—chain bind."
The ground didn't just crack; it erupted. Bone chains, jagged and grey, shot upward like striking snakes. They coiled around the Strider's torso, the links grinding together as they locked the creature in place. It thrashed, its claws gouging the ceiling, but it was anchored.
Renji leapt. Shadow bled from his palm, coating the new dagger in a film of oily darkness.
"Die."
He drove the blade upward, buried it to the hilt in the soft tissue of the throat.
A roar tore through the chamber, a sound so violent it made Renji's ears bleed. Dark light pulsed from the wound, blinding and cold. Then, the tension snapped. The Strider's weight hit the floor with a bone-jarring thud.
Silence followed.
[Quest Complete.]
[Vitality: 5%.]
[New Skill Unlocked – Shadow Pulse.]
Renji collapsed. He sat on his heels, head hanging low as he fought to get air into his lungs. The silver in his eyes flickered and died.
"Five percent," he wheezed. His voice was a rasp. "Too close."
The cavern began to peel away at the edges, the stone dissolving into white light.
[System Record: Renji Kurozawa]
* Strength: 12 (+2)
* Vitality: 78 (Recovery Active)
* Speed: 17 (+7)
* Agility: 10 (+1)
[D-Rank Weapons Acquired]
* Shadow-Forged Dagger
* Aether-Weave Buckler
Renji stood up in his room, the blue vortex behind him sealing with a soft pop. He flexed his right arm. The soreness was gone, replaced by a strange, humming heat. He pulled the buckler from his inventory—it felt like nothing, lighter than a dinner plate.
"Might make a difference," he murmured. He tucked the gear away. He needed to be stronger. Not for the System, but for the faces he could barely remember. His parents. Every point of strength was a step closer to a house that wasn't a squat.
News Bulletin
The reporter's hair was a mess, whipped around by the unnatural wind bleeding out of the Shibuya Gate. Behind her, the black-clad Special Ops team vanished into the dark.
"Tokyo is cursed!" she shouted over the roar of traffic and the humming rift. "Eight Gates uncleared in the capital, five in Kyoto! Where are the Hunters?"
She pressed her earpiece, her face pale.
"Reports are coming in that China is requesting aid. A Kironis spotted near their border. We're bleeding out, and the world is watching."
Iron Fang Guild
Daisuke burst into the office, the door slamming against the stopper. "Sir! Gion Street. Kyoto. A new Gate."
Hiroshi was standing by the window, watching the city lights flicker. He didn't turn around. The silence stretched until Daisuke began to fidget with his tie.
"The Association is failing," Hiroshi said quietly. "If we clear Kyoto, we clear our debts. Call Kurozawa. Tell him to move."
Daisuke instinctively touched his cheek. The bruise was a dull, throbbing yellow now. "Sir, I... I don't think he's hiding anything. I went there today. He panicked. Tried to hit me, but I handled him. Smashed him pretty good. He was crying, apologizing... he's just a weak kid, sir. No secrets."
Hiroshi turned then. His stare wasn't angry; it was heavy. It was the look of a man watching a bug crawl toward a fire.
"Call him," Hiroshi said.
"Right. Sorry. Calling now."
Hiroshi walked down to the training floor. The air was thick with the smell of cheap beer and sweat. The "spare" hunters were loud, clinking bottles, shouting about the
"big haul" coming.
"Hunting time!" one roared, sloshing ale onto the concrete.
"Hiroshi's here," someone whispered. The noise died, leaving only the hum of the air conditioner.
Hiroshi walked to the center of the mats, one hand behind his back. He looked at them—his survivors. He raised a finger to speak, then stopped. He looked tired.
"Listen," he said, his voice carrying without effort. "We don't know the rank. We don't know the type. You work as one, or you don't come back. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Takeshi. A word. Privately."
Renji arrived ten minutes later. He walked in with his hands in his hoodie pockets, eyes down. He looked like a student who had lost his bus pass.
"Hey! Renji! You made it!" Kenta Hayashi grinned, slapping him on the shoulder.
Most of the team nodded or waved. Sora was the exception. She leaned against a pillar, the tip of her cigarette glowing orange in the dim light. She exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked away. "Tch. This guy again."
Hiroshi gave a curt nod. The roster was full.
Yuto stepped forward, a nasty, playful glint in his eyes. "Since you're the baby of the group, and the weakest... you get Kenta's old job."
Renji tilted his head. "Old job?"
"Pack mule." Yuto reached out, ruffling Renji's hair like he was a stray dog. "Carry the bags. Carry the extra steel. Kenta's moving up. You're moving in."
Renji didn't argue. He didn't even look annoyed. He just smiled—a small, empty thing and started picking up the heavy tactical crates. One by one, he piled the massive gear onto his shoulders. It was a load that should have buckled an E-rank's knees.
Renji stood up. He didn't even wobble.
"Wow," Daichi muttered, his eyes narrowing. "How'd you... never mind."
Hiroshi watched the way Renji's feet stayed flat on the floor under the weight.
Daisuke stood by the door, clutching his jaw, his eyes burning with a petty, silent heat. Little brat.
Gion Street — Kyoto
"Ugh. Finally." Akari stretched, her joints popping after the cramped ride from Tokyo.
The team began to gear up. Polished chestplates, enchanted leather, reinforced helmets. Renji just pulled his blue hood up over his head and adjusted the straps of the heavy bags.
They stood before the Gate. It was a swirling blue vortex, humming with a frequency that made the nearby streetlights flicker.
Rin Kobayashi paused, closing his eyes. He raised a hand, whispering a quick prayer for the heavens to watch over them. He was halfway through a word of gratitude when the rest of the team simply stepped through.
Renji was the last one in. He looked back at the Kyoto street for a second, then stepped into the blue.