Akira lay sprawled across a bench on the first level of the Hunter Association building, arms folded behind his head, eyes half-closed. His body still ached faintly, but the clean scent of polished stone and incense told him he was safe.
A heavy hand smacked his back.
"Good job. You passed."
Akira groaned, glancing up. "Ito? Man, could you not hit so hard?"
Ito grinned beneath his red ponytail. "You survived the exam; you can handle a pat."
Akira sat up, stretching until his joints popped. "I wouldn't fail a test that easy anyway."
For a moment, his smile faded. I wonder where Hinata ended up… and what happened to that Jackson guy.
His thoughts cut short when a sleek black card floated into view. A man in a business suit stood before him, bowing slightly.
"Welcome to the Hunter Association," the man said. "Please channel your Tao into this to activate it."
Akira held the card between his fingers and focused. The surface shimmered—golden Tao pulsed through the engraved symbols until neat white letters appeared.
Name: Akira YamatoRank: 10,000,001
Akira blinked. "Ten million and one?!"
The suited man cleared his throat politely. "Hunters are ranked according to overall ability. Since you've just joined, you're… at the bottom. But your Tao reading is impressive for a new recruit. You can access all Hunter data through your ID once it's synced."
Akira spun the glowing card between his fingers, a grin spreading. "Bottom or not, it still looks cool."
Almost instantly, a crowd of men and women in tailored suits swarmed around him, their voices overlapping.
"Hey, want to join my guild?""Your Tao levels are rare—our organization could use someone like you!""You're wasted without a proper team!"
Akira blinked at the sudden storm of offers. Before he could answer, a deep cough sliced through the noise.
The crowd froze. Then, as soon as they saw who it was, they scattered like startled birds.
Ito crossed his arms, amused. "Still attracting trouble, I see."
Akira chuckled nervously. "Guess I'm popular now."
Ito sighed. "You still have my contact info, right?"
Akira rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… about that. My phone kinda broke after the Yokai attack."
Ito groaned. "Figures." He pulled a small envelope from his coat and handed it over. "There's some cash in there. Buy yourself a new one."
Akira grabbed the envelope. "Do you always carry cash like this?"
Ito frowned. "Yeah, what about it?"
Akira smirked. "Weirdo."
Ito rolled his eye and turned toward a glowing crimson arch that unfolded beside him—a bright red Shinto gate. "You'll manage from here."
Akira waved lazily as Ito stepped through the portal, fading into the light.
But Ito's head popped back out a second later. "Akira, one more thing." His tone turned serious. "The closest city's been dangerous lately. If you sense anyone using Tao, avoid them. There's been a string of attacks by a terrorist group called Scissors." He smiled faintly. "But you probably won't run into anyone."
A few minutes later, Akira was back on the streets. The city buzzed with life—vendors shouting, lights reflecting off rain-slick pavement.
He ducked into a small electronics shop, bought a phone, and powered it on. No signal. No contacts. No clue where he was.
"...Great. He could've at least given me his number," he muttered. "Can't even call Ito."
He pocketed the phone and wandered aimlessly through the glowing streets, trying to get his bearings.
That's when a voice came from behind him.
"You look lost, kid."
Akira turned. A short, greasy man stood there, smiling faintly—eyes sharp. Too sharp.
"I can take you wherever you want to go," the man said smoothly. "But… you'll owe me a favor first."
Akira's eyes narrowed. He's a Tao user. But his energy was steady—no hostility."Sure," Akira said carefully. "What do I need to do?"
The man started walking, gesturing for him to follow. "I need to buy something from a hunter shop—a Tao Railgun. But before that, I've got to grab some groceries for my family. Just need a hand carrying them."
He scratched the back of his head, smiling warmly.
Akira shrugged. "Yeah, I got you, old man."
A few minutes later, Akira was carrying bags through a bustling mall.
"I see why you'd think I was up to something," the man said with a chuckle. "This city's been rough lately—those Scissors attacks have everyone paranoid."
Akira nodded. "Yeah, I've been hearing about them. Real quick—who exactly are the Scissors?"
The man frowned, almost confused. "You haven't heard? Scissors is a terrorist organization. Founded by Stone Strickland and Kingston Tyler—built to destroy the four kingdoms."
Akira nodded slowly—until he noticed a black smudge on the man's neck. "Wait, hold up—you've got something there."
He reached over and flipped the man's collar down. A black dotted X marked his neck.
A woman nearby screamed. "Ah! Scissors!"
The man's smile dropped. His eyes hardened."Boy," he said coldly, "you've overstepped your boundaries."
He tapped the mark. Black liquid bled from it, spreading across his arm—shaping itself into a mask of living, writhing darkness.