The evening sun bled across the walls of the Hunter Headquarters, dyeing them a deep red.
Kazuki and Riku walked side by side through the quiet corridors, both wearing the same hollow look that came after the useless errand they had been given.
"Man, that assignment Captain Daigo gave us…" Riku muttered, stretching his arms behind his head. "Do they really have to make us do the boring stuff?"
Kazuki's tone was dull. "I stopped questioning that a long time ago."
"Then let's sneak out," Riku said suddenly, grinning. "Find something actually worth our time."
Kazuki blinked, then shrugged. "Sure. I could use a break from all this."
They turned toward the front gates, just as loud voices echoed through the air. Figures cloaked in black stood along the courtyard walls, masks hiding their faces. Their unified shout cut through the murmuring crowd.
"All new recruits will be assigned their squads tomorrow! Prepare yourselves!"
The announcement rippled across the compound.
Kazuki stopped walking.
"Squads…" he whispered.
Riku's eyes lit up. "Finally! Real missions, Kazuki! Investigations, combat—no more cleaning duty!"
"Yeah…" Kazuki's voice trailed off, quieter now. "Maybe I'll get to be on Sayaka's team."
He smiled faintly at the thought—but the warmth faded the moment he saw her.
At the gate stood Sayaka—arguing with Ryse. Her tone was sharp, his expression colder than ice. Kazuki's chest tightened. Without thinking, he moved.
He pushed through, stepping between them. His eyes burned.
"Get away from her," he snapped.
Ryse didn't flinch. His lips curled into a smirk.
"Well, well. Look who it is—the boy born without mana."
"Ryse, stop!" Sayaka said, stepping forward.
Kazuki ignored her. "Why were you shouting at her?"
Sayaka's brows furrowed. "It's fine, Kazuki. I can handle it."
Ryse tilted his head lazily. "You really shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs, little boy. Go play soldier somewhere else."
Kazuki's hand clenched into a fist. "You think being born into a noble family makes you stronger? You're not better than anyone. I'll prove that one day."
Ryse chuckled, amused. "I'll be waiting."
Kazuki turned toward Sayaka. His voice cracked slightly.
"What do you even see in someone like him?"
Sayaka's eyes widened—then hardened.
"Kazuki, stop!" she shouted, voice trembling with anger. "This has nothing to do with you. Just leave!"
Her tone hit harder than Ryse's mockery ever could. For a moment, everything went silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
"…If that's what you want," he whispered.
He turned and walked away.
Back in his room, the ceiling stared down at him like an empty sky. His thoughts wouldn't stop circling.
Was she pretending all along?
Was that kindness… just pity?
The memory of her voice still echoed—sharp, cold, final.
He didn't notice when sleep finally dragged him under.
When his eyes opened again, the world was dim. Someone was shaking him.
"Kazuki! Wake up!"
Riku stood over him, holding a lamp. The glow lit the worry on his face.
"It's time," he said. "Our little assignment."
Kazuki groaned, sitting up. "Already?"
"Yeah. And uh… small detail—you're going alone."
Kazuki blinked. "What? You're ditching me now?"
"Some people in a nearby town need my help. I promised I'd go."
"Since when?"
"Since earlier. That time you ditched me after that girl upset you."
He grinned, but there was no mockery in it. Only concern.
Kazuki's shoulders sagged. "Right…"
"Oh—and one more thing." Riku's tone turned quiet. "After you left earlier, I overheard Ryse and Sayaka talking. He told her not to go on some mission… but she insisted. Said she'd go alone."
Kazuki froze.
"A mission?" he repeated, eyes narrowing. "When?"
Riku hesitated. "…Didn't say. But she left not long after."
Kazuki didn't wait another second. He stood, grabbed his sword, and stormed for the door.
"Thanks, Riku," he said, voice firm. "I'll take care of our 'assignment.'"
Riku sighed as he watched him leave, his usual grin fading into a solemn stare.
"Good luck, Kazuki. You're gonna need it."
The night air outside HQ was heavy and cold.
Kazuki ran through the moonlit roads, boots pounding against the earth.
Sayaka… if this is a dangerous mission, you shouldn't be out there alone.
He reached the nearby village in record time, finished Daigo's errand in minutes, and immediately turned toward the dark forest.
"That's done. Now for what really matters."
The deeper he went, the quieter it became.
No insects. No wind. Just a strange pulse in the air—like something alive was breathing beneath the soil.
Kazuki stopped.
A chill crawled up his spine.
What is this… pressure?
A voice from memory surfaced—the commander's voice, from years ago.
Kazen Dural: "Hunters with mana can sense Terras or magic from afar. You, however… you don't have mana, so don't worry about that!"
He had laughed as if it were a joke.
But now… Kazuki could feel it.
A heavy, suffocating presence calling from ahead.
No. I'm not imagining this.
He ran.
Branches snapped beneath his feet as the forest opened into a wide clearing. The ground was torn apart—trees shredded, soil bleeding sap.
Kazuki saw it.
A creature stood in the center—humanoid in shape, but wrapped in twisting vines. Its limbs were thorny, its body pulsating with green veins. Hollow white eyes glowed faintly under the moonlight. One arm was half-regenerated, oozing a strange fluid.
At its feet lay a girl—covered in blood.
Kazuki's heart stopped.
"...Sayaka."
Her eyes were half-open, unfocused. Her body didn't move.
The Terra tilted its head toward her, grinning like a child admiring a broken toy.
"Ooh… still breathing," it crooned, voice dripping with mockery. "Good. I'll split your skull slowly and watch the light fade."
It raised its arm—thorns glistening in the moonlight.
Something inside Kazuki broke.
"SAYAKAAAAA!!!"
He roared, drawing his blade, and the forest exploded with motion.
To be continued.