The [Hunting Guild Network] flickered into life across the safe zone's terminals. Holo-screens lit up in the air, lines of crimson text flashing.
[Bounty Update]
Target: Unknown Human Male — alias "47"
Threat Level: Unclassified (Danger Level — SSS)
Status: Actively hostile outside safe zones.
Bounty Reward: 120,000 Coins + 1 Random S-Rank Item + 3 Favor Points from Guild Masters.
Constellations flooded the air with messages.
📜 'The Dragon That Waits Under Moonlight': A feast worth watching.
📜 'The Judge of Endless Arenas': I'll sponsor the bounty in full.
📜 'The Laughing Crown': Someone's going to die horribly… probably not the target.
Crowds gathered near the bounty board, murmuring nervously.
"An SSS target? That's insane… that's like… apocalypse-tier."
"Do they even know if he's human?"
"No… but they're about to find out."
The Bounty Hunter
The meeting room in the back of the Hunting Guild was dark, lit only by a single hovering orb of blue light.
At the center sat a man in a long, dust-worn coat. The coat was fastened with bone clasps, and a large rifle, twice the length of his arm, leaned against his chair. The stock was engraved with hundreds of small tally marks — none crossed out.
His face was hidden beneath a high-collared scarf and a battered hat. The brim cast his eyes in shadow, but a faint golden glow bled through when he looked up.
The guildmaster's voice broke the silence.
"You've heard the name by now."
"Yeah," the bounty hunter's voice was rough, like gravel being ground underfoot. "The one they call 47."
"He's not like anything you've faced before."
"Neither were the last hundred," the hunter said flatly. "What's the pay?"
The guildmaster slid a holo-contract forward.
"One-twenty K coins. S-rank item. Three Favor Points."
The bounty hunter didn't even glance at it. He simply stood, took his rifle, and headed for the door.
"When do I leave?"
"You already have. The safe zone gates are open. Your prey's out there."
Outside the Safe Zone
The air beyond the borders was thick with fog, where mutated shapes moved in the mist. The screams of beasts carried over the cracked highway.
Agent 47 was moving silently through a broken overpass, Sukuna's shadow flickering over his shoulder. Sukuna, half-materialized, floated alongside him with an amused smirk.
Sukuna: "They've put a price on your head. Again. These people really don't learn, do they?"
47: "It's just another obstacle."
Sukuna: "An obstacle? This one's got a reputation. I've heard whispers already. They call him 'The Longshot'."
47: "Distance won't save him."
Constellations erupted again.
📜 'The Viper of Bleak Skies': He's already in position.
📜 'The Laughing Crown': Place your bets! Place your bets!
First Contact
A faint click echoed from somewhere in the fog.
47's head tilted slightly. Sukuna's grin widened.
Sukuna: "There. The smell of intent. Strong… focused… I like him already."
Half a kilometer away, The Longshot lay prone on a ridge, his rifle braced against an iron beam. His breathing was steady, almost nonexistent.
Through his scope, he watched 47's silhouette move.
"No wind. One shot."
His finger tightened on the trigger.
The shot broke the sound barrier.
47's head moved half an inch. The bullet passed harmlessly by, sparking off the concrete wall behind him.
From his position, The Longshot's eyes narrowed.
"That was the wind-up."
Sukuna's laughter rolled through the fog like a taunt.
"Oh, this might actually be fun."