By the time Hilary woke up in the waiting room, all the applicants—except for Jiro—had already completed their examinations. Samuel was waiting for her alongside the others.
"Where… am I?" Hilary asked slowly as she regained consciousness.
At that moment, Junichiro Takaba opened the door.
"Applicant number 8, it's your turn. And since Miss Fujiwara is awake, the rest of you may go sit beside the hunters," he announced.
Hilary tried to stand but was still too weak and nearly collapsed. Samuel caught her just in time and helped her walk.
"Good work, Hilary. I knew you had it in you. Your performance was incredible," he said warmly.
Hearing that, Hilary's mind flashed back to her total defeat at Hayato's hands. Her face twisted into a mix of anger and sorrow. Noticing this, Samuel tried to comfort her.
"I know how frustrated you are about the loss—but remember, you were up against the strongest hunter alive, and you held your own. That was nothing short of magnificent."
Hilary blushed and looked away, too embarrassed to speak.
As they reached their seats, Jiro stood in the arena, ready to face Hayato.
"Applicant number 8, choose your examiner," Rose called out.
"My examiner will be Hayato Seishi," Jiro replied.
Hayato leapt into the arena with the same calm, detached look he'd worn all day.
"I'll prove I'm worthy of joining your team," Jiro declared.
"So, you think you can give me a good fight? Show me what you've got," Hayato replied.
Despite knowing how outmatched he was, Jiro couldn't hide his excitement.
"Let the match begin," Rose announced.
The moment the fight started, Hayato sensed something disturbing coming from Jiro—as if something demonic was watching him.
Noticing that Hayato wasn't focused on him, Jiro seized the opportunity. He rushed forward, aiming a strike at Hayato's exposed head. To his surprise, his blow connected with something invisible—like a wall—though nothing appeared between them.
"Hey, dumb kid," Hayato said calmly, "it's disrespectful to attack an opponent who isn't ready."
Hilary and Samuel looked confused, but the spectators were thrilled. Many believed Jiro had managed to force Hayato into using a technique.
Jiro immediately backed off, terrified by what he had just experienced. It was the first time he had ever come into contact with a technique.
Hayato, meanwhile, remained deep in thought. Could it be this kid? No… he doesn't seem to know what's going on.
"Hey, dumb kid," Hayato asked, "did you feel anything strange? Hear any unusual voices in your head?"
Jiro stared at him like he'd just asked something insane.
"No… I haven't," he replied.
Hayato responded with the creepiest, most unsettling smile.
"I hope you'll entertain me a little."
He closed the gap between them in a flash and, while still holding back his strength, landed a punch on Jiro. To everyone's surprise, Jiro took the blow head-on—and smiled back.
What followed was an intense exchange of punches. The crowd watched in awe as the two clashed with incredible speed and ferocity, even though neither of them had activated their quartz energy.
Hayato continued to restrain himself, but Jiro's performance was still impressive. Though Hayato was never truly in danger, he could tell that, without his exceptional reflexes, several of Jiro's blows might have landed cleanly. Jiro kept pressing the attack at close range, forcing Hayato to block more than a few strikes.
"Who is that boy?" Samuel asked in disbelief. "He's incredible! He's holding his own against Hayato without even using quartz energy?"
And Samuel wasn't the only one amazed. Jiro's performance stunned every hunter watching.
"Why?" Hilary asked, eyes fixed on the arena. "What's his deal? What makes Hayato Seishi so much stronger than every other hunter?"
"You guys need to understand," Samuel began, "that unlike any other professional hunter here, Hayato deliberately avoids using quartz energy against allies. One technique from him could kill his opponent—and level the entire battlefield. He also holds back his full strength. He's a genius in a league of his own. That's why you shouldn't feel ashamed of your performance, Hilary."
The fight continued, captivating everyone watching. But there was one person who wasn't impressed: Akihiko. He knew just how brutal Jiro's training had been—fighting wild beasts bare-handed in the forest had toughened him beyond belief.
Hayato stepped back and widened the distance between himself and Jiro.
"Kid," he said, "no matter what happens after this, you're joining my team. Now show me what you can do with those twin axes of yours."
He raised his hand in a signal. Daphne immediately stood and tossed him her katana. Hayato caught it with one hand, spun it skillfully at high speed, and gripped it firmly.
Jiro drew both of his axes and charged forward. The two clashed in a rapid flurry of strikes. Jiro's axes were light, allowing him to keep up with Hayato's movements. Hayato continued to hold back his speed to avoid accidentally injuring him, but the exchange was intense.
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the arena from the south.
Hayato extended his energy to pinpoint the source. Every hunter in the room felt a chill down their spine—an overwhelming, terrifying aura had appeared.
"Hunters, get ready," Hayato commanded. "I've located three enemy hunters and several soldiers. The soldiers will be easy to deal with, but one of the hunters is between class S and class Z. The other two are in the north and east. The strongest is in the south—right where the explosion occurred."
"The south?" Jiro gasped. "That's where my house is… my parents are still there! Wait—are class Z hunters weak?"
Hayato didn't respond to that. Instead, he turned to the others.
"Marigold, take two of your men and head east."
"Leave that to me," Marigold replied.
"Daphne will go north. Samuel, Jiro, and I will go south."
No one could challenge Hayato's orders. As the commander in charge of defending the country, his word was final. Still, Marigold looked concerned.
"Why is Daphne going alone?" she asked.
Daphne shot her a hostile look, but before things could escalate, Hayato cut in sharply.
"Because she can. Any other questions?"
She didn't argue any further—perhaps because she knew better than to start a dispute in such a critical situation.
"I'm counting on every one of you," Hayato said firmly. "The rest of the hunters, stay here in case someone attacks the arena."
One hour earlier, near the eastern border of the country…
"Queen Reina, what's our mission?" a voice asked.
"Naoki, stop addressing Queen Reina like she's your friend," another snapped.
Naoki grinned. "Forbear acting so tough. Doth thou desire to fight?"
Three outsiders stood atop a high vantage point, surveying the land below. They had already slaughtered every border guard in sight.
Reina turned to them with a sultry smile. "Haruka. Naoki. We worship only one queen and goddess in this cursed world—Athena. As for the rest of us in Eutopos, we are comrades. So feel free to call me however you wish."
Her tone was alluring, almost hypnotic. Haruka and Naoki, both caught in her spell, responded in unison:
"Yes, Ma'am."
"So tell us," Haruka asked, "what's the plan?"
With her back to them, Reina stared out over the countryside. From their elevated position, the destruction they had already caused was evident—guards brutally dispatched, their bodies strewn along the border.
"There's no need for a plan," Reina replied, her voice smooth but chilling. "Just go down there and wreak havoc. Spread chaos across the country. Kill and massacre everyone you can. And if you encounter Hayato Seishi… kill him without hesitation."
As she said this, a twisted expression darkened her face—one her subordinates couldn't see. Perhaps her hatred for Hayato was more than just strategic.
By the time Hayato sensed their presence, the three had already entered the country, having annihilated the communication soldiers and border defenses. Yet he also knew that just three hunters wouldn't be enough to destroy a nation—so he acted decisively to minimize casualties and maximize their chances of victory.
Daphne, Marigold, and the two hunters accompanying her—Yuzu and Tetsu—had already departed for their assigned locations.
"Jiro," Hayato said, "since you and Akihiko made it here from the south in about an hour, you should have no problem keeping pace with me. But I want you to stay close, so I can protect you if we're attacked."
Jiro nodded in agreement, and the three of them took off. Jiro and Hayato moved at an incredible speed, while Samuel was forced to use a small portion of his quartz energy just to keep up.
Within fifteen minutes, they reached the southern region. Suddenly, Hayato sensed a looming danger. Without hesitation, he grabbed Jiro by the waist and lifted him with one arm.
"Samuel," Hayato said sharply, "protect yourself."
Trusting him without question, Samuel enveloped his body in pure energy. Just as he finished, a massive portion of the forest was instantly frozen solid.
Note: Pure energy is a variation of quartz energy and will be explained later on.
The pressure intensified. A chilling aura filled the air as a feminine figure approached, exuding an overwhelming amount of quartz energy.
"Well, well…" Reina purred. "Three handsome gentlemen coming to greet me. I'm honored."
Jiro, unable to sense her presence, remained unaware of the true danger. Still, he trembled with worry—for his parents, not for himself. Sensing this, Hayato glanced down at him.
"Samuel, can I trust you with this one?"
"Yes. Leave it to me, Hayato," Samuel replied.
Hayato narrowed his eyes. "Just so you know—there's no chance you can beat her. Don't be reckless."
Then he bolted forward, still carrying Jiro, putting distance between them and Reina. They were already too far to hear her voice when she spoke mockingly.
"I could tell that boy was genuinely worried," she said with a smirk. "But I should have told him... there's no point in going back."
Samuel's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Reina replied coldly. "Everyone in that region should be dead by now."
In the northern region…
As Daphne ran through the forest, she encountered a horrifying sight—countless corpses, brutally slain. The path ahead was soaked in blood, like a crimson carpet rolled out by a sadistic host.
She immediately sensed where the enemy's presence was strongest—and raced toward it without hesitation.
Elsewhere, with Marigold's team…
Yuzu and Tetsu had gone on ahead. They moved quickly—too quickly—and unexpectedly came face-to-face with Haruka.