Akira, Sora, and Gaku stepped onto the wide stone path leading to the gates of the Hunter Association.
The air was heavy. Burnt Tao lingered like smoke that refused to clear.
Just as they raised their Hunter IDs to scan—
A short-haired woman dropped onto the top of the gate with a dull metallic clang. A glowing Tao cleaver rested on her shoulder, its edge pulsing with unstable light. A gas mask hissed softly as she breathed.
"Aye," she said calmly. "This is your stop."
Sora stepped forward without hesitation, placing herself in front of Akira and Gaku."And what makes you think we're stopping here?"
The woman tilted her head and pointed past the gates.
"That."
Beyond the entrance lay a pile of defeated Hunters—bodies scattered across shattered stone, some groaning, others motionless. Broken weapons littered the ground like discarded toys.
Gaku's eyes widened.
Without a word, he reached behind his back and unwrapped the cloth binding his odachi. In one smooth motion, he flipped the massive blade into his hands.
The woman laughed, amused."What are you gonna do with that? This here's a grade-A weapon, forged from—"
Crack.
Her cleaver snapped clean in half.
Gaku was suddenly right in front of her, his voice low, breath brushing her ear."Shut up… and fight."
The odachi came down.
Stone exploded upward in a cloud of dust. When it cleared, the woman lay crumpled against the gate, blood trailing from her temple, unconscious.
No ceremony. No hesitation.
They moved on.
Inside the grounds, the Hunter Association HQ loomed before them—ten massive towers piercing the sky, each humming with dormant Tao. The battlefield stretched wide beneath them, scattered with fighters, explosions, and flickering techniques.
Sora glanced toward Gaku."Based on the lack of numbers, there have to be gatekeepers like that one spread throughout."
Her eyes shifted to Akira."I'll be accompanying you."
Akira grabbed a charging man by the collar and slammed him into the ground."I got it."
Sora paused, then stepped back."Alright."
She smiled faintly.
Just like the first time I met him, she thought. Too confident because he's naturally gifted.She smirked. I like it when cocky bastards get what's coming to them.
She turned and sprinted toward another tower.
She barely made it a few steps before a man with a deep black X marked across his neck dropped in front of her, dragging a white-glowing axe along the ground.
He charged.
Sora ducked under the first swing and kicked his legs out from under him—but the man slammed his axe into the ground, releasing a violent shockwave that sent them both skidding back.
Sora staggered as the man lifted into the air, axe raised overhead.
"Ah," he taunted. "That hurt?"
Sora smiled.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished—reappearing mid-air, rocketing toward him. The man fired another shockwave, then two crescent slices of white Tao.
She dodged both effortlessly.
Sora grabbed the axe blades mid-swing and smashed them together.
The resulting shockwave blasted the man straight into the ground.
She landed beside him, staring down at his unconscious body."Alright," she said casually. "I'm done here."
She turned and sprinted again—
"Yo, where you going?"
Sora skidded to a stop.
Akira stood there casually, dragging a groaning man across the ground by one leg.
She stared.
Her expression twisted into disbelief.
…Ah.I misjudged him.
She smiled faintly.
He can back it up.