Standing in a titanic crater, Illya gently brushed off some dust that had settled on his shoulder.
His appearance was disturbingly orderly considering what had just happened, a fact that he attributed to Sunbringer's ingenuity.
Illya genuinely had no idea how she had figured out how to make clothes that could withstand that kind of force, but Sunbringer had definitely saved Illya a lot of trouble-
Especially since he no longer had to deal with the public nudity charges every time he triggered an ether explosion....
Illya shivered, remembering a few not so safe for work incidents.
'Yeah... I probably shouldn't skimp out on Sunbringer's birthday gift...'
Shaking his head, the hunter felt the ambient ether around him, searching for any trace of the viscous energy that characterized Geppetto.
Double-checking to make sure the job was complete was a habit that Illya had grown accustomed to, one that was only reinforced by the Exaltists and the teleporting shenanigans they got up to back in the old days.
After all, having someone use you to fake their death multiple times dealt a rather heavy blow to one's pride.
Regardless, Illya expanded the range of his senses as far as he could to quell the hint of latent doubt gnawing at his psyche, and in this pursuit of peace of mind, he ended up discovering a few troubling things.
For one, deep inside the Lost Void, near where he was feeling the Dark Walls Ether distortions, Illya felt an energy signature almost identical to that of the Ethereal he had just evicerated.
On top of that, the volume of Etheric energy outclassed Geppetto's by an order of magnitude, meaning that this massive Ethereal swarm was probably just a byproduct of an even more troubling existence.
However, what troubled Illya the most about this matter wasn't the promise of a greater threat, but the rather unfortunate parallel he could draw to past encounters with those freaks with an Ethereal fetish.
Other than that, the only other thing that weighed on the Hunter's mind was the squad rapidly approaching his location.
A thoughtful look crossed Illya's face.
'Since I'm already done with the job, there shouldn't be any real harm in meeting her... right?'
Despite telling Lycaon that he'd escape if he encountered Section 6, truthfully, Illya was quite curious about the descendant of one of his colleagues.
The chief of Section 6 had attracted the attention of the media quite a few times, making her probably the most well-known Void Hunter in New Eridu, and she was also the current holder of Tailless, the sword that Swordmaster had used nearly a decade ago.
But-
Illya had also heard from the pink-haired bimbo and Hoshimi Souichirou that this budding Void Hunter had some rather violent tendencies.
The hunter wasn't sure if he was going to have a pleasant chat with his friend's descendant or be forced to engage in an involuntary cage match.
While he didn't mind throwing hands, if Illya ended up accidentally injuring Miyabi, Swordmaster, and Souichirou would probably mail him a pipe bomb again.
Illya shuddered, remembering the reason he had to move from 16th street.
Those Hoshimi's were truly a petty bunch...
Letting out a sigh, Illya continued his deliberation for a few more seconds before making a decision.
---------------
Unfortunately for Harumasa, who was hoping to clock out before sunset, Section 6 was obligated by duty to investigate the source of the cataclysmic explosion they had just escaped.
Led by Miyabi, H.A.N.D.'s elite of the elite began to blitz towards the source of the disturbance, all of them on high alert.
"The Ether particles..."
Miyabi frowned as she ran.
"What about the Ether particles, Chief?"
Yanagi ran alongside the Void Hunter, a long naginata-like polearm in hand.
"... The ambient Ether feels more corrosive than usual. Possibly the work of a special Ether attribute."
Hearing her superior's assessment, Yanagi couldn't help but shoot Harumasa a concerned look.
"Harumasa, can you continue? If it's too dangerous for you here-"
"I'm fine, Tsukishiro. It's manageable."
Harumasa flashed Yanagi a reassuring look.
"If it becomes too much, you have my permission to retreat immediately."
The archer nodded appreciatively.
Section 6 continued towards the source of the disturbance, and as the group crossed from Zone A16 to A17, they found that nearly the entire zone had been leveled by the blast.
"Sheesh~ Someone wasn't pulling any punches..."
Harumasa scanned his surroundings for anything that had survived the explosion, his shoulders taught with unease.
Before the squad was a seemingly barren land, devoid of the ruined structures you'd ordinarily find around Hollow Zero.
On the bright side, however, the glaring lack of obstacles made the journey rather straightforward.
Section 6 continued to delve deeper into Zone A17, and it wasn't long before they came across a colossal crater.
The group could barely even make out the other side of the monumental indent, a testament to the sheer scale of the devastation.
This sight would've been enough to put anyone on edge, but the visage of a person sitting on the edge of said crater downright unsettled them.
Section 6 stared at the back of this mysterious individual, all of their weapons trained on his form in preparation for any malicious intent.
Resting her hand on the hilt of Tailless, Miyabi called out to the Brown-haired person.
"Identify yourself. Now."
The individual's ears twitched at the sound of her voice.
"Oops. Sorry, I was just a little lost in thought."
Still sitting, the man craned his neck over slightly and briefly scanned the assembled section 6.
Miyabi, catching a vague glimpse of his profile, couldn't help but widen her eyes as a deeply buried memory resurfaced.
12 years ago, at the Hoshimi estate, the original Void Hunters had once held a meeting.
Being 13 at the time and possessing a curiosity matching a young fox, Miyabi attempted to spy on the gathering, hoping to catch a glimpse of the most influential figures in Eridu.
Unfortunately for the young Miyabi, she had been caught by her father almost immediately- but only after she had managed to clearly capture the visage of one of the assembled Hunters.
Miyabi had never forgotten the brown-haired child that she saw that day, never forgotten the tiny figure standing shoulder to shoulder with giants.
And now-
12 years later, despite the Hunter losing their childish softness, his face was all too familiar to her.
Miyabi's pupils trembled as her grip on Tailless loosened.
"I-it's you!"
Their Chief's exclamation shocked the other members of Section 6.
"Chief, you know this person?"
Yanagi, Harumasa, and Sokaku weren't the only ones who were bewildered- Illya was also quite surprised.
Standing up, Illya tilted his head in confusion.
"You shouldn't know who I am... Did Souichirou tell you about me or something? No wait- Was it Swordmaster?"
Miyabi only grew more certain as she saw the clothes Illya was wearing, the fox recognizing the cloak her grandmother used to don oh so many years ago.
"Greetings, Senior."
Miyabi bowed her head slightly, her ears remaining as straight as an arrow.
Hearing the title, Illya's expression stiffened.
"I'm uh... 23. There's no need to call someone younger than you 'Senior'."
Miyabi's expression stiffened at this sudden revelation.
'So he truly was younger than me...'
Suddenly, her title as the Youngest Void Hunter in history felt rather insulting.
The deputy chief of Section 6 shot a look at her superior.
"Chief... Who exactly is this?"
Harumasa and Sokaku stared at the Brown-haired man warily.
Miyabi hesitated.
"He was a part of the first generation of Void Hunters alongside my grandmother... And he's my Senior."
Illya smiled bitterly.
"No need for the formalities. Just call me Illya."
Miyabi nodded, committing the name to memory.
Seeing her Chief like this, Yanagi felt the need to step in.
Clearing her throat, the elegant woman shot a quizzical look in Illya's direction.
"Mr. Illya, we came here to investigate the source of the explosion from earlier. Would you happen to know anything about it?"
Despite the answer being rather obvious, Yanagi still asked as a formality.
Illya scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I was falling a bit behind on rent, so I ended up taking a request from the Mayor to kill a troublesome Ethereal. The explosion was simply a result of the battle."
Section 6 gave Illya a collective, incredulous look.
'A Void Hunter was struggling to pay the bills...?'
Miyabi frowned.
"Aren't you receiving hundreds of millions of Dennies from the government every year?"
Illya sighed.
"I don't get any of the normal Void Hunter benefits because my name was scrubbed from the records. I've been surviving off the retirement fund I put together a few years back, but it started running out a few months ago..."
The frown on Miyabi's face deepened.
"Why?"
Illya smiled bitterly,
"I stood at odds with the higher-ups for a few of the other Hunters, and because those corrupt bastards wouldn't listen, I threatened them with terrorism."
Section 6 couldn't believe their ears.
"As a result, they refused to give me the same benefits as the others and formally stripped me of my title as a Void Hunter."
Illya coughed into his fist.
"On paper at least- The mayor and my colleagues still treat me as one of their own, which is all that really matters to me."
Miyabi nodded her head sympathetically.
After all, she had fought her fair share of battles against corrupt assholes.
Letting out a sigh, Illya's gaze lingered on his workplace junior.
'If she inherited a tiny bit more of her Kitsune heritage, she'd truly be a carbon copy of Swordmaster.'
Still, though, a tailless wielder of tailless felt rather fitting.
Yanagi, after recovering some of her composure, asked the former Void Hunter another question.
"While I appreciate the honesty, Mr. Illya, don't you think an explosion of that scale was a bit... overkill?"
Illya shrugged.
"Better safe than sorry. I can't guarantee a kill against an ethereal of that size unless I use an attack of that scale. Plus, the Mayor forced the White Star Institute to clear out of A17, A16, A18, A19, and A20 anyway."
Yanagi frowned.
"And the effects on the Ambient Ether?"
Illya answered patiently.
"The Ether particles were just destabilized by the explosion. It should return to normal in an hour or two. Any more questions?"
The Deputy Chief of Section 6 hesitated, a question getting stuck in her throat.
'How do you ask a Void Hunter to cooperate for a formal interrogation?!'
While Yanagi was figuring out how to pose her request, her superior was thinking about something entirely different.
The grip on Tailless that had previously loosened tightened as Miyabi unconsciously swallowed.
'How do I compare to someone acknowledged by Grandmother...'
Miyabi drew a deep breath, her ruby colored eyes glittering with faint but tangible fighting spirit.
Feeling the Foxes' gaze, a knowing smile spread across Illya's face.
"Ahem, Ms. Yanagi, correct? If you have no further questions, it looks like your Chief has something to say."
An ominous feeling welled up from the pit of Yanagi's stomach.
"... Chief?"
Illya couldn't suppress a laugh.
"Hah- You truly are Swordmaster's granddaughter~"
Miyabi offered him a respectful nod.
"May I request a spar from you, Senior Illya?"
"Why not? I was rather curious about your strength anyway... But, I have one condition."
Illya shuddered.
"Don't tell your father about this, regardless of the outcome."
Miyabi blinked.
"My... Father?"
Illya nodded.
"Yeah, Souichirou would have my head if he knew I threw hands with his precious daughter."
Bewildered but compliant, Miyabi agreed without much thought.
"Those terms are acceptable."
"Well then, shall we?"
Illya pointed at the massive crater behind him with his thumb.
"I just so happened to have created a rather suitable arena for us."
And thus-
The Youngest Void Hunter of Today faced off against the Youngest Void Hunter in History.
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(A/N: I think I might've gotten a tiny bit of carpal tunnel, so I had to slow down my writing speed a little bit.
I'll try to write another chapter tomorrow, but I'll have to see how bad my wrist hurts before I commit to anything.
Hope the characterization was fitting and all, also, I genuinely had no clue what to do with Sokaku, cuz her normal tone and dialogue did NOT fit the situation, so she's been radio silent these past few chapters.
If you're a Sokaku fan, my bad I guess.
Anyway, add the story to your collection and leave some comments if you're enjoying the story~
See you in the next chapter!)