"Pee-Poh! Pee-Poh!"
The shrill wail of an ambulance siren echoed through the streets as it sped toward the Tokyo Branch of the Hunters Association. The vehicle swerved carefully, detouring around the massive trench that now split the road, a fresh scar in the heart of the city.
"Kyūkyūsha ga tōrimasu. Michi o akete kudasai." (An ambulance is passing through. Please clear the way.)
The crowd instinctively parted, a sea of civilians clutching their phones high to capture the chaos. Flashing lights reflected off lenses and cracked glass as people documented the Hunters Association's eastern wing, now a gaping void, shattered in a violent explosion that had rocked central Tokyo only minutes before.
A tall woman with flowing, wavy pink hair pushed her way to the front, a young cameraman trailing her closely. She adjusted her blazer with a practiced motion, exhaled slowly, and nodded as the cameraman raised his hand to signal "live."
She raised her microphone, her expression steady despite the devastation behind her.
"This is Reiko Ochako reporting live for T.J.N News. We're standing in front of the Hunters Association building, where what appears to have been a high-level training session has ended in tragedy. Multiple S-Rank Hunters were involved. Casualties have been reported, including, most notably…" She paused, her voice tightening... "Goto Ryuji, Japan's top hunter."
"Speculation is already mounting that this incident may be linked to the troubling reports from the Jeju Island S-Rank field dungeon. What's clear is that our strongest are pushing themselves to their limits, placing themselves in harm's way, for the protection of humanity. For the future of our world."
As she spoke, the building's front doors burst open.
A team of medics emerged, wheeling a stretcher down the cracked pavement. Gasps rippled through the crowd as they caught sight of the figure on it: bloodied, unmoving, barely recognizable beneath the torn guild uniform. His black hair was matted with red, and a scorched insignia from the blade guild still clung stubbornly to his chest plate.
Reiko turned slightly, her voice softening.
"And here they come now… our heroes. Paying the price in blood so that the rest of us can sleep safely at night."
The camera zoomed in on the stretcher as the paramedics loaded it into the back of the ambulance. The siren wailed again, fading into the distance.
Behind them, the ruined facade of the Hunters Association loomed like a monument to power. Although, who's power remained a mystery.
---
"Do you think Goto-san is going to be okay?" Kaede asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper as Kanae started the car.
Through the rearview mirror, Kanae watched the crowd part to make way for the medics as they wheeled Goto toward the ambulance. The flashing red lights painted the street in brief pulses of urgency.
"…Yeah," she finally said, resting her hands on the steering wheel. "He should recover just fine."
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. But her fingers still trembled faintly. With a sigh, she lowered her forehead to her hands. "I… I don't even know what to say, Kaede. What was that?"
Kaede looked down at her lap, her expression filled with regret. "I…" Her voice cracked. "I didn't think… I didn't think it would go like that." She turned her palms up, staring at them. "I thought… I thought he was stronger."
Kanae blinked. "What?"
"He's Goto!" Kaede said suddenly, her voice rising with emotion. "He's Japan's strongest Hunter. He's the standard. Everyone wants to be like him."
She turned her gaze to the window, watching the city blur past. "When I Reawakened, I told myself… maybe one day, I'd be strong enough to fight alongside the real veterans. The strongest Hunters. I would've been happy just being in the same room as Goto-san…"
Kanae glanced at her sister, now composed but quiet, something fragile in her voice.
Kaede continued, "But how am I supposed to feel now? One hit. That's all it took. Hosha wasn't even trying. I had doubts, I wanted to believe I was still behind the curve, but now it's so obvious."
Kanae reached over and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, pulling her into a gentle hug. "It's okay," she whispered.
Kaede leaned into her, drawing comfort from her sister's embrace.
"I'm not that strong, right, sis?" she asked quietly. "I've still got a long way to go, right? You could still take me… right?"
Kanae didn't answer right away. She just held her tighter.
Then Kaede asked, almost childishly, "Sis… am I the strongest Hunter in Japan?"
Kanae pulled back slightly and smiled. "Well, that depends," she said. "How confident are you in your defense?"
Kaede sat up a little straighter. "Nothing can hurt me," she replied without hesitation.
Kanae chuckled. "Then, girl… you might just be the strongest Hunter in the world."
Kaede wrinkled her nose. "Nuh uh. The National Level Hunters are probably stronger."
"Do you think they could hurt you?" Kanae asked.
Kaede paused, then muttered, "…No."
Kanae laughed. "Then I stand by my words, sis."
Kaede laughed, her shoulders finally relaxing as she leaned back into her seat. The tension in her chest eased, just a little.
Kanae smiled and gently pressed her foot on the gas, steering the car out of the emergency zone and back onto the open road. The sky had darkened now, streaked with the last fading hues of sunset as the city slowly returned to its restless rhythm.
"Now what?" Kaede asked, glancing sideways.
"Now," Kanae said, her eyes on the road. "You create a Guild."
Kaede blinked. "A Guild!? What? But… I thought I'd join the Blade Guild. With you."
Kanae's smile faltered. Her hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"I don't think the Draw Sword Guild is right for you anymore," she said after a pause. "Not with the way things are going."
"But..." Kaede hesitated.
Kanae cut in, voice low but steady. "Goto's pride is what got him in the hospital. He walked into that fight thinking he couldn't lose. And he dragged others down with him. A Guild Master like that… isn't someone worth following anymore."
The silence that followed was heavy. Kaede stared at her lap, chewing on her thoughts.
Kanae glanced over briefly. "So, you and I..." she smiled again, more softly this time "...we're going to start one of our own."
Kaede was quiet for a moment longer. Then she nodded slowly. "…Yeah. Okay."
"But…" she turned to her sister. "How am I supposed to make a Guild? I've only been a Hunter for about a year. And I only reawakened a few days ago…"
Kanae chuckled. "There you go again, putting yourself down."
She shifted lanes, then continued, "Being a Guild Master isn't as complicated as people think. Normally, you need to have completed at least twenty dungeon raids and then pass a written exam."
She threw a quick glance Kaede's way. "As a D-Ranker with a year of raids under your belt, you've already nailed the first part."
Kaede perked up. "So all that's left is the written test, then?"
"Not quite," Kanae said with a sly grin.
"Huh?" Kaede tilted her head. "But you just said..."
"I know what I said," Kanae cut in with a laugh. "But here's the thing. Every rule I just mentioned? Every requirement? They don't apply to S-Rank Hunters."
Kaede's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
Kanae nodded. "Yep. The higher you climb, the fewer restrictions there are. S-Ranks operate above the standard framework. Honestly, too many of them take advantage of that."
"So, what do I need to do?" Kaede asked, still reeling a little.
"All you have to do is submit an application to the Hunter Association," Kanae explained. "After that, you'll need a base of operations, which I can take care of. And finally, a minimum of three members to register the Guild officially."
Kaede's eyes sparkled. "That's so cool!"
Kanae nodded with pride. "Do you have a name in mind?"
Kaede didn't hesitate. She straightened in her seat and grinned. "Yeah! I do!"
"Maple Tree!"