Chapter 21
The night air trembled,not from wind but from presence.
One by one, engines rolled into the massive courtyard of the Hunter's Bureau, their low hums vibrating through the stone. Headlights sliced through the darkness like drawn blades, illuminating towering walls and the insignia of the world's strongest defense.
Luxury cars arrived first they were polished, refined.
Then armored transports...thick plating, reinforced seals.
Then vehicles that looked less like transport and more like mobile weapons.
They slowed and stopped and thier doors opened...
The world's Pillars had arrived elena Warwick stepped out first.
The moment her heel touched the ground, soft particles of light drifted outward, clinging to the air around her white coat. It glowed faintly beneath the floodlights, Her expression was calm but alert.
Ravi Surya followed, stretching her arms as she exited. Flames flickered along her shoulders for a split second before she suppressed them, a crooked grin tugging at her lips.
"Still hate formal summons," she muttered.
Now the frost-covered vehicle hissed open.
Cold mist spilled outward as Erik Falken emerged, his breath visible despite the season. The temperature around him dipped instantly, the stone beneath his boots frosting over before stabilizing.
Hiroto glarred then tapped his forehead
" You know you could just highlight from the fucking car without showing off it's just a door that you open and come down instead of you showing off
Arisa giggled...."relax hiroto let them have thier moment "
The a nearby shadow deepened.
Then stepped forward.
Lúcio Vasquez eyes scanned the courtyard without emotion.
Felipe Costa knelt briefly as he exited his transport, one hand pressed to the ground. The stone pulsed once subtle, controlled..before going still. He rose, earth mana already withdrawn.
A modest black car arrived last among them.
From it walked Longwei Tain, unhurried, his steps light yet unnervingly precise. His presence was quiet but it pressed down on the air like a held breath.
... Yeahhh you could say they are showing off now
Arisa mustered
Marcus Steel descended from the final vehicle, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck. Sparks danced briefly around his boots before fading.
And then... They saw them already standing within the courtyard the ten figures still and Silent.
The SS-Ranked Hunters for a moment everything stopped..
Marcus broke the silence with a low whistle.
"…So Sakura wasn't exaggerating."
Ravi crossed her arms, gaze sharp as she counted faces so the SS-ranked hunters of this country are present she exhaled.. but all of them. In one place?
Elena's eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening slightly.
"…Is the planet really in danger?"
At the same time....
The SS-ranked hunters turned.
Jim Choji's eyes narrowed, his posture stiffening.
"…Wait."
Hiroto's grin faltered, then vanished entirely.
"…No way."
Onizuka Daigo let out a low, humorless chuckle.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
Shiraishi Mei tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting with interest.
"…Pillars?"
All acting sarcastically....
But one person was more vigilant his recognition struck like lightning.
Eight figures plus Renji.
Nine Pillars.
Kobayashi Ren whispered, voice barely audible,
"…Since when do Pillars gather like this?"
Sasaki Taro cracked his knuckles, nerves slipping through despite himself.
"…Is this some kind of global phenomenon?
Before anyone could say more....
DING!
DING!
DING!
DING!
Every phone lit up simultaneously.
REPORT TO THE HUNTER'S SUMMIT IMMEDIATELY
Genzo frowned, eyes scanning the message.
"…Hunter Summit?"
He looked up sharply.
"That summit only gets called for a Code Red."
Kobayashi Ren shook his head slowly.
"First Commander Wang summons us. Then the Pillars show up. And now this?"
His eyes darkened I knew it something is seriously wrong."
No further discussion followed.
They moved.
SS-ranked hunters and Pillars alike entered the Hunter Bureau building, footsteps echoing through the halls in uneven rhythm. The air grew heavier with every step, as if the building itself understood what was coming.
At the back of the group.....
Marcus leaned closer to Takeda.
"Ooi, Takeda…"
He lowered his voice.
"You think this is about Choji Namikaze?"
Takeda didn't respond immediately.
His gaze remained fixed ahead, sharp and unreadable.
"…I'm not sure."
A pause.
Then quietly ...
"But if there truly is a disaster coming…"
His fist clenched.
"…We can't afford to fail this time."
The Hunter's Summit Hall
The doors opened.
A massive hall unfolded before them..tiered seating arranged in wide arcs, enough to hold the world's strongest. At the front stood a raised stage, dominated by three enormous screens, all dark.
Waiting there was commander Wang Chi.
He stood tall, hands folded behind his back, his expression severe. He waited as everyone took their seats, watching silently as murmurs rippled through the hall before gradually dying down.
The tension remained.
Thick.
Finally...
Wang Chi stepped forward.
He adjusted the microphone.
"I know you all have questions," he said calmly.
But understand this...everything you hear today is confidential.
The room stilled meaning It cannot be shared," he continued, voice unwavering,
"not outside this room… not even with your respective guilds."
A pause.
"Our goal," Wang Chi said slowly,
"is to carve out the impending doom."
Sasaki Taro leaned forward, unable to restrain himself.
"What doom are we talking about?"
His voice echoed faintly.
"…Is it as bad as what happened two years ago?"
Wang Chi inhaled.
"…Even I don't fully know."
The room stirred uneasily.
"But," he continued, turning slightly,
"someone here will explain."
His gaze locked onto one figure.
"Would you come up here, please..Hunter Renji."
Hiroto's eyes widened.
"…Renji?"
From near the back, Arisa lifted her head as Renji stood.
His steps were slow and measured
Every eye followed him as he walked toward the stage.
Felipe Costa watched intently, his heart pounding.
Even if the others can't see it… I can.
Renji's mana was suppressed and completely restrained.
And yet... Its terrifying.
Felipe swallowed this isn't power this is control.
It's truly magnificent… and according to him that's not even his true powers yet.
Renji stepped onto the stage.
Lights converged on him.
He looked out over the room...SS-ranked hunters, Pillars, the commander
Sakura from above watched quietly
Then he spoke... I'll keep this simple, he said calmly. And I'll be honest."
The room held its breath... What am about to tell you alot of you might not believe me except the pillars but we don't act fast…"
His eyes hardened we are all going to die.
Jim Choji stood up.
The sound of his chair scraping against the floor cut sharply through the hall, silencing several murmurs. The SS-ranked hunter straightened, broad shoulders squared, eyes locked on Renji with no trace of humor left in them.
"We all knew something was wrong from the get-go," Jim said, his voice firm, carrying easily across the chamber.
"The emergency call-up. The secrecy."
His gaze swept the room, briefly lingering on the Pillars.
"Not even us SS-ranks had any idea the Pillars would show up today."
He paused.
"Not just one of you… but all nine."
A quiet breath escaped him.
"So please," Jim continued, tone sharpening, "you need to do a lot better than saying 'if we don't act fast, we're all going to die.'"
He pointed subtly toward the stage.
"Give us details. Tell us why."
Before the silence could settle, another figure rose.
Kobayashi Ren.
"I agree," he said, nodding once as he faced the stage. "We may not be as strong as you Pillars" his eyes flicked briefly toward them but we are hunters too.
Several SS-ranks murmured in agreement.
"We all in the Hunter Guild admire you, Renji Kurogane," Kobayashi continued.
"From SS-ranked hunter… to one of the strongest if not the strongest hunter alive as a Pillar in such a such amount of time
His fists clenched.
"So please," he said earnestly, "you owe us more than fear."
From the Pillars' side...
Takeda's eyes curved slightly, a sharp glint passing through them.
Marcus Steel leaned closer, his voice barely a whisper.
"…Looks like your favorite student's gone soft since the last time we crossed paths."
Takeda didn't respond.
Didn't even glance at Marcus.
His focus never left Renji.
Sooo, his silence seemed to say. What are you going to do now, Renji?
On the stage, Renji felt his chest tighten.
They are right..But how am I supposed to tell them about the Echoes without dragging Elyra into this?
If her name comes up… everything breaks
Including azerin and they are not ready for that truth yet
His thoughts raced.
I need to think.... Think
A pause.
…No.
There's no way around this.
Renji lifted his head.
I agree but now listen very carefully there's a threat coming," he said.
The room quieted instantly.
"A threat," he continued, that not even you,his gaze swept the SS-ranks or the Pillars.. his eyes flicked toward them .....will be able to stop.
Hiroto's lips curled into a sharp grin, eyes gleaming.
"Noo shit," he muttered under his breath.
His gaze narrowed.
Is he about to tell them about Azerin?
No don't do it Renji Arisa mustered beneath herself
Across the hall, several Pillars stiffened.
Elena's expression hardened.
Felipe's heart skipped a beat.
Longwei's fingers twitched faintly.
Don't, their instincts screamed.
Don't say that name.
Renji didn't.
"These beings," he said, voice steady, "are called—"....
A brief pause.
"Echoes."
The reaction was immediate.
"Echoes?" Hiroto repeated, surprise slipping through his grin.
It wasn't a name they had heard before
Arisa's eyes widened slightly.
Several Pillars exchanged sharp looks.
"Echoes…?" Elena whispered.
The hall erupted.
"Who the hell are the Echoes?"
"That's the first time I'm hearing this! are you serious right now?"
"You expect us to believe this?"
Renji raised his voice.
"What are they?" someone shouted.
"What are the Echoes?" another demanded.
Renji answered.
Echoes are beings that are neither dead
nor alive,they can adapt to almost all phenomena of mana and magical energy, including even time he continued.
"They observe. They evolve. They overwrite.
Murmurs spread like poison.
This world you see, Renji said, voice lowering, goes beyond gates and monsters.
His eyes darkened,these aren't dungeon entities."
"They aren't beasts."
"They aren't gods."
A pause.
"…They are demons."
The word detonated.
"Demons?
"You're joking , another threat?!"
"This is getting ridiculous!"
Marcus Steel clenched his jaw inwardly.
You've got to be kidding me.
Another damn catastrophe…
His eyes shifted briefly toward the Pillars.
Now I see why Sakura was worried.
The room descended into chaos.
"This sounds like nonsense!"
"If they're real, why haven't we seen them?"
"You're asking us to trust a story!"
"So what—now we panic because you said so?"
"This feels like manipulation!"
"You're fear-mongering!"
"Where's the proof?!"
Kobayashi Ren clenched his fists, forcing his mind to focus.
"Ever since that day… when the generals attacked Tokyo… something felt off. From the very first moment.
They moved in perfect coordination… like an army.
I had never seen magic beasts fight like that. Never.
And then later..… their king came in such a short time and Wiped out thousands of humans in an instant. Not just with strength… but with intelligence. With strategy. With… purpose.
Renji came before anyone else that day. Told us to run.
We didn't listen.
But now… thinking back… it sounded like he already knew them. Knew their coordination. Knew what was coming.
Does that mean… there are planets… or even universes beyond our own?
If that's true… then Hunter Renji's words about the Echoes… they aren't lies. They are real.
But then…"
Ren's voice dropped to a whisper, trembling with a mix of fear and awe.
"How… how does Hunter Renji know all of this?"
Meanwhile voices overlapped, accusations flying freely.
Toxic, heated and uncontrolled.
Then..
"Enough!!"
That single word crushed the room.
A massive pressure exploded outward, invisible yet overwhelming. The air warped. Chairs groaned. Several hunters gasped as their knees buckled under the weight of it.
A mana like pressure flooded the hall and every hunter froze.
A figure stepped forward.
Her presence alone commanded silence.
She walked casually, yet each step sent ripples through the mana of the room, her aura rolling outward like a sovereign's decree.
"You think you know this planet…" she said calmly.
Arisa stared, breath caught in her throat.
"…I—"
Hiroto's grin vanished completely.
"Wait," he whispered. "Isn't that..?
Marcus Steel's eyes widened.
This aura…
It feels greater than mine.... It's not magical energy it's like pressure
How is that possible?
Isn't that—?
Takeda stared in open disbelief.
Commander Wang Chi stepped forward instinctively, his expression shaken.
"What… is going on?" he muttered.
Even he could feel the pressure..unrestrained, immeasurable.
The figure stepped onto the stage.
Renji stood frozen.
"…What?...
His voice cracked.
"How… how are you here?"
The figure smiled softly, her eyes gentle as they met his.
Then she spoke.
"It's good to see you too," she said warmly.
A pause.
"…Big brother."
The room plunged into stunned silence.