"Good morning, Goto-san," Kaede greeted as she stepped into the office.
Goto looked up from his laptop. His guild uniform was neatly hung on a rack by the wall, evidence that he planned to attend raids later in the day.
"Right, Kaede, was it? How are..." He paused mid-sentence as Kanae followed Kaede into the room. His brow creased ever so slightly.
Kanae offered a pleasant smile. "Morning, Goto. We're here to give the report from two days ago."
"Tawata." Goto's smile was polite, but there was a faint edge to his voice. "Didn't you already file your report?"
"I did," Kanae replied, leading Kaede toward the couch beside the office window. "But I'd also like to hear what happened directly, and I'd rather not make my sister explain it twice."
Goto's gaze followed them as they sat, then gave a short nod. "Understandable." His tone softened slightly. "When we last spoke, you mentioned that you'd reawakened."
Kaede nodded. "Yeah, I have…"
"You've probably heard about the unstable dungeon from a few days ago. Officially, there were only three survivors, however..." Kanae began.
"One of those survivors was a false ranker. Responsible for the deaths of every hunter inside. I'm aware," Goto interrupted, leaning forward, voice sharpening. "The investigators are still looking into the matter."
"Still!?" Kaede shot upright, her eyes wide. "They haven't caught him yet? How is that even possible?"
"I understand that this is distressing," Goto said, firmer this time, "but, as I mentioned, investigators are currently searching for the B-Rank hunter Gin Choyo."
"Distressing?" Kaede's voice dropped, her expression darkening. "He killed everyone. How could he just vanish?"
A hand on her shoulder pulled her back from her growing anger.
Kanae gave her a gentle smile. "Don't worry. If it comes to it, we'll hunt the bastard down ourselves. But for now, let's just give the report."
Kaede let out a shaky breath, then gave a firm nod. "Alright." She turned back to Goto, her tone more composed. "After I was dragged into the sky by one of the Voltoids…"
---
"Ah, welcome, Mr. Goto," Matsumoto greeted with a warm smile as three figures entered the main building of the Hunter Association.
Behind Goto, Kaede and her sister Kanae followed closely.
"You must be Miss Kaede," Matsumoto said, extending his hand toward her. "Welcome."
"Thank you, Mr. Matsumoto," Kaede replied politely, shaking his hand. "I'm here for my rank assessment test."
"Yes, we've been expecting you." Matsumoto gestured down the corridor. "Please, follow me."
He led them into a large chamber at the heart of the facility. At the entrance stood a pedestal, atop which rested a large black orb, smooth, polished, and faintly reflective.
"We've already received reports of your S-Rank status," Matsumoto explained, gesturing to the orb, "but this is standard procedure. We need a formal confirmation. Please place your hand on the crystal."
Kanae raised a brow, casting a glance at the mana meter positioned a few feet away. Two technicians hovered beside it, watching attentively. 'Did they seriously move the entire mana meter just for her?' she thought.
Kaede, meanwhile, stepped forward eagerly. "This is so exciting." Without hesitation, she placed her hand on the orb.
Immediately, brilliant swirls of red and purple energy spiraled through the crystal, flickering wildly as her mana surged into it.
One of the technicians glanced at the monitor and gave a confirming nod. "As expected, the mana meter can't even measure her mana level. It's completely off the charts."
Matsumoto's smile widened. "Well then, that confirms it." He turned to Kaede. "Congratulations. You're officially S-Rank. Now, we'd like a demonstration of your abilities."
Kaede nodded confidently. "Alright. Let's go."
As the group turned to enter the next room, a sudden shout stopped them.
"Mr. Matsumoto! The orb!"
Matsumoto spun on his heel and hurried back. "What is it?" He paused, his eyes widening in disbelief.
The crystal orb was crumbling to dust before their eyes, fragments drifting away on the light breeze that stirred through the hall.
"How much power does she have?" he whispered.
The technicians stared at him, just as baffled. Their eyes seemed to ask: How should we know? She broke the machine.
---
Inside the next chamber, the group found themselves surrounded by stark white walls. The sterile environment shimmered faintly with protective enchantments, an advanced simulation room.
"This is just like the Blade Guild's training facility," Kaede observed, looking around.
Matsumoto rejoined them, slightly out of breath. "Apologies. There was a slight issue with the orb, I was consulting with the operators."
He nodded to his assistant. "Go ahead."
The assistant stepped forward, clipboard in hand. "Miss Kaede, could you please demonstrate your abilities for the record?"
Kaede gave a nod and stepped into the center of the room. A golden ring flared out from beneath her feet, radiant and wide, casting a shimmering aura that spread out several meters.
"Martyr's Devotion," she announced calmly.
The assistant checked her notes and nodded. "Yes, this ability was mentioned in the report. According to the witnesses, anyone within the range of this aura is effectively protected by a powerful 'cover' effect."
"Cover?" Goto asked, his brow furrowing.
"It's not a common skill," Matsumoto explained, "but not unheard of. It's specific to tanks. It lets them redirect damage from nearby allies to themselves, and for a brief moment, grants those allies the tank's own defensive stats."
He turned back to Kaede, his tone curious. "Your version appears to be significantly more potent. I assume that depends on how confident you are in your defenses?"
Kaede met his gaze with unshakable certainty. "Absolutely. As a tank, my defense is my pride. Nothing can hurt me."
Goto let out a short breath. "Isn't that a bit prideful?"
Kaede's smile was calm, but firm. "It's not pride, Mr. Goto. It's a fact. NOTHING can hurt me."
'And if something ever could…' her thoughts continued darkly, 'then humanity's doomed. A being more broken than Maple would be nothing short of a god.'
Kanae stepped forward with a chuckle. "I'd also like to point out that Kaede took the full force of multiple S-Rank attacks during that dungeon incident, and shrugged them off like nothing."
"We'll take your word for it, then," Matsumoto said with a light smile, though there was a hint of curiosity still lingering in his eyes.
"There were mentions of a three-headed dragon among your abilities," the assistant continued, checking his notes. "Could you demonstrate that for us?"
Kaede stiffened slightly. "Uhm… I don't think that's a good idea right now."
"Oh? And why is that?" the assistant asked, tilting his head.
"Well… the Hydra is extremely dangerous because… it's... uh... big! Yes, that's it. Way too big to summon safely indoors," Kaede said quickly, forcing a cheerful grin.
Kanae narrowed her eyes, watching her sister carefully. 'Big? Didn't we already test it in the guild training room? Hmm. That's something I'll need to ask her about later.'
"…Is that so?" Matsumoto murmured, the corners of his smile twitching downward into a subtle frown.
The assistant didn't press the issue, simply jotting down a few notes before continuing. "Are there any other abilities you can show us?"
Kaede nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I also have psychokinesis." She lifted her arm, a faint purple shimmer gathering around it.
Without warning, Kanae's feet left the ground. She floated a few feet into the air, suspended effortlessly by her sister's power.
"Although," Kaede added, "the stronger the target, the harder it is to lift them."
Kanae deadpanned mid-air, arms folded. 'I'm not sure how I feel about that. What does that say about how strong she is? Or how weak...?' She frowned. "Put me down, sis."
Kaede gently lowered her sister, her focus precise. 'It's definitely easier with allies… just like it is with Syrup.'
Goto stepped forward with his arms crossed. "You also mentioned that you used to be a summoner."
Kanae's eyes narrowed instantly, her brows creasing. 'No… I was hoping we could avoid that. If they see her summon creatures through dimensional gates, the Association might not take it well.'
"A summoner?" Matsumoto echoed, his interest clearly piqued. "That's quite unusual. Summoning magic has fallen out of favor in recent years… and a tank that can summon?" He looked to the assistant, who was already scribbling in his notebook.
"Could you show us one of your summons?" the assistant asked.
Kaede beamed. "Sure!"
Kanae's fists clenched tightly at her sides. 'Kaede, remember what we talked about… Don't show too much. Don't give away everything.'
Kaede's shadow began to twist and deepen unnaturally, forming a tar like shade. The air in the room grew tense, warmer, heavier, as something stirred beneath her feet.
With a low, rasping sound, a figure began to claw its way up from the darkened shadow. The room fell utterly silent.
The creature rose, tall, gaunt, and looming. His long white hair flowing to an unseen wind, and twin pink orbs glowed within his eyes. His skin was a sleek, muted black tone, ethereal white mist rolling off him like dry ice. A long, green spear rested in one clawed hand. Towering over everyone present, the summon stood over eleven feet tall.
Hosha, once known as Becquerel, straightened to his full height and stared down at the group like a sentinel from another world.
Matsumoto took a measured step back, nodding slowly. "This… is definitely not a standard summon." He glanced sideways. "Mr. Goto, what do you..?"
He trailed off.
Goto's entire posture had changed. His eyes were wide, staring not just in awe, but in alarm. His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword.
Kanae mirrored his tension. Her eyes had narrowed into slits, and her hand drifted to her waist, where her twin katanas 'should' have been. Her expression was unreadable, but her body screamed readiness.
Then, with a flash of steel, Goto drew his weapon.
Kaede raised her hands nervously, her voice shaking. "H-Hey, wait! It's just my summon. Why are you drawing your sword? You asked me to summon him!"
Goto's eyes were sharp, fixated on the towering figure. "Why am I…?" he murmured, then blinked, realization dawning. 'The raw pressure rolling off this creature... It's so intense I nearly lost control of my self.'
Kanae stood frozen beside him. She forced her hands to relax, hiding the slight tremble that ran through her arms. 'I can't stop shaking. That thing… . That's the boss of the dungeon. How in God's name did Kaede defeat something like this?'
As an A-Rank who lacked real combat experience, Matsumoto remained oblivious to the oppressive aura radiating from the demonic Voltoid looming a few feet away.
The assistant, however, remained composed, jotting down another note in his pad. "Is there a way to test how strong the summon is? I'm afraid the testing dummies don't mean much when we're dealing with S-Ranks."
"I'll test it," Goto said flatly, stepping forward. His tone held no doubt, only challenge. "Let's see what this thing can do."
A low hum filled the room as the air around Goto distorted. His hair began to rise, standing on end as if electrified, and his eyes flared with an incandescent white light.
An instant later, a blazing aura exploded around him, white-hot and blinding. The ground vibrated. The walls groaned. Light fixtures overhead flickered under the weight of his spiritual pressure.
'As powerful as Goto's aura is…' Kanae clenched her jaw, her eyes narrowed. 'That creature's presence… it's not just strong. It's terrifying. Why is he provoking it?'
Kaede's lips twitched into a nervous smile. "Uhm… okay. Hosha, can you fight him? But, uh, please don't kill him."
The towering Voltoid slowly tilted its head sideways, a full one hundred and eighty degrees, its eerie pink eyes flashing once in understanding.
Goto rolled his neck, trying to shake off the pressure. 'I'm the strongest hunter in Japan. Some rookie S-Rank doesn't get to show me up. I'll crush her summon and remind them who's number one.'
The assistant, still calm despite the surging tension, checked his stopwatch and spoke. "Begin."
BANG!
A deafening shockwave shattered the silence.
"Goto-san!!!"