Blood Archive (Bloodborne/Blue Archive)

[mgman]

Hello friends, I come with a story, specifically a blue archive and bloodborne crossover story.

As is probably obvious, this is a cross post of my already existing blue archive crossover story that I have been working on for some time now, originally it was hosted on space battles however with my subsequent ban from that website, I instead moved it over permanently to fanfiction.net. But considering how well my other story which is a Monster girl encyclopedia and bloodborne crossover is going currently, I thought why not bring my other popular story to this website and see what people think about it.

I will say though if anyone is coming from my other story expecting lots of bloodshed and violence, then you will sadly be disappointed (or possibly relieved considering not everyone seems to like my portrayal of the hunter in that story) considering that despite the fact that bloodborne is a very messy and violent game, I've tried and will continue to try my absolute best to tone down some of the darker aspects of the game, specifically the blood and violence to fit more in line with the slightly more cheery atmosphere of blue archive.

However, that doesn't mean that some of the more cosmic and lovecraftian aspects of bloodborne won't make their way into blue archive because after all, it wouldn't be a bloodborne story if there weren't a lot of cosmic shenanigans and a mind melting amount of insight.

Anyway I think that's enough of me rambling for now, much like was my other story I am still working on the latest chapter as I write this but in the meantime I will upload all of the previous chapters I have posted. So without any further ado, may I present you what I personally think is my best work, Blood Archive.

The night had been long, yet much like it was always, the darkness of night was quickly banished by the sun's rising. The black veil of the night quickly retreated as the bright and radiant sun began to peak over the horizon, the numerous skyscrapers that dotted the landscape casting long retreating shadows over the sprawling metropolis of Kivotos.

It was a beautiful sight, one that could easily take the breath away. It also had a calming effect on those who saw it, the pale sky the sparkling of the distant towers, and the ethereal glow that the rising sun gave the entire City.

The breathtaking, panoramic vista was so captivating that it could soothe even the most agitated soul. The harmonious convergence of elements created a visual symphony that quelled the frenzied mind, bringing a sense of tranquillity and serenity.

However.

Today's stunning view did absolutely nothing to calm the raging and turbulent mind of a certain general student council member. In fact, unlike every other day, the now de facto leader of the general student council wouldn't even acknowledge the spectacular view.

Letting out a tired and frustrated sigh. Rin Nanagami, the current acting head of the general student council, slumped down into her chair. Massaging one of her temples with her gloved hand, as the consistent throbbing pain in her head continued to give her grief.

Pulling off her glasses and placing them on the table, Rin pinched the bridge of her nose, the stress of everything she had been dealing with up until now finally getting the better of her.

Everything was falling apart, both in the literal and metaphorical sense. The city was in turmoil, all of its services breaking down, gangs and other criminals were running rampant, practically treating the city as their own personal playground. And all the while the general student council was completely powerless to stop it.

She and everyone else in the general student council were trying to keep everything together, but it was simply just too much. Without the Sanctum Tower, they were practically powerless to do anything, which was only made worse by the fact that they couldn't even access the tower ever since...

Rin felt a horrible aching in her chest, as her train of thought came to a dead stop. She had been putting off thinking about it ever since it happened, using the amount of work as an excuse to not think about it.

But it was ultimately fruitless, considering that... her disappearance, was the catalyst for all of this.

Feeling the pain in her heart only grow the more she thought about it, Rin's gaze unconsciously came to rest, on a particular picture frame, its wooden frame was horribly out of place on her neat and overly tidy desk.

Staring back at her from the picture, was a younger version of herself looking quite unused, Yet the person next to her younger self was the exact opposite. Her face so vibrant and full of life, that even though she felt an incredible pain in her heart, Rin couldn't help but smile just a little bit looking at the picture.

However, the brief smile on her face quickly vanished as the full reality seeped in once again, her friend... her only friend. The general student council president...

Was gone.

Rin, when she found out, had mobilised all available resources to try and find her, both for the sake of Kivotos, and selfishly because the thought of losing her, was something that the dark-haired girl was not willing to accept.

Yet all the searches and investigations have been completely fruitless. The general student council president had seemingly completely vanished into thin air, with not a single trace of her left behind. Her complete and utter disappearance made it almost seem like she never existed, to begin with.

But that was not possible, considering that it defied all logical explanation, and also considering that despite the size of Kivotos. Actually fully vanishing in the mega-metropolis was exceedingly difficult, if not completely impossible.

And of course, this led to only one explanation. One that Rin didn't want to accept or even consider, despite it being the only one that made any sense or logical reason.

The pit and her stomach only grew as she continued to stare at the photo frame on her desk, the horrific thought swirling around in her brain before despite her protests cementing itself at the front of her mind.

The student council president hadn't just gone missing. It was far worse than that.

She was... kidnapped.

It was the worst possible explanation, but ultimately it was the only one that to Rin's logical mind made any sense whatsoever. Although even though it was the only explanation left that made any kind of sense to her, there was still the question of how exactly somebody could have kidnapped her. Considering that the student council president was, without doubt, the most guarded and well-protected person in all of Kivotos.

Straightening herself in her chair. Rin pinch the bridge of her nose once again, letting out a quiet but frustrated-sounding sigh, quickly retrieving her glasses from her desk and placing them back on her face.

Despite the aching in her heart persisted for her missing friend. She knew more than anyone that just sitting around and feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to get anything done, especially considering that the city was basically collapsing around the general student council.

As such, after taking a deep breath to try and compose herself, she finally began to work. The sun had now fully risen over the Horizon, basking her office in a warm glow that was refreshing, even though it didn't exactly make her feel any better.

Yet, as she began to work on the backlog of documents on her desk, a strange thought came to her mind. More precisely, it was a... Memory.

The memory of a dream, that was fuzzy and indistinct in her mind

However, as she continued to scribble away at the document in front of. The memory of the dream became more pronounced, more of it gradually coming back to her as she quickly went on to the next document.

…​

Rin's eyes jolted open, her body propelled upright from its prone position with such rapidity that her head spun. As she drew in a sharp breath, her chest seemed to be pierced by innumerable daggers. The ensuing violent coughing fit caused her to sputter and spray her surroundings.

Her head felt light and empty, the spinning of the world around her only continuing to intensify as she quickly lost her balance falling back onto her back, as she tried to force as much oxygen into her lungs as possible.

She wasn't sure how long she lay there, it could have been minutes, days or even years for all she knew. But the fogginess in her mind combined with the heaving of her chest rendered any kind of perception of time almost completely non-existent.

However, thankfully, Rin's the light headedness began to subside, along with the slowing of her rapid heart rate and the studying of her breathing. But as her mind regained clarity, that's when she became fully aware that something was deeply wrong.

As she pushed herself to a sitting position, Rin noticed that the surrounding area was completely unfamiliar, in fact, the surrounding environment was so strange and bizarre that it didn't look like anything she had ever seen in her life.

She was surrounded on all sides by the most beautiful pale white flowers that she had ever seen. The whiteness of their petals was so pure and vibrant that they almost didn't look real. Yet experimentally running her hands through the flowers next to her confirmed that they were in fact real despite their almost unnatural beauty.

Suddenly, something amidst the beautiful flowers caught her eye. Large, strange wooden cross-like structures, covered in moss and vines, protruded from the ground. Their distinct shape made her think of the religious motifs of trinity almost immediately.

To Rin's eye, they almost look like scarecrows, but without any kind of decoration that scarecrows usually employ to ward off potential birds and other pests. Yet, as she slowly got to her feet she noticed, that the wooden crosses were not the only thing scattered amongst the beautiful flowers.

Cautiously approaching it, a pit began to form in her stomach as she registered what exactly the mysterious object was. It was a...

Greystone

A cracked and weathered headstone, that looked entirely out of place amongst the pale white flowers. And casting her gaze around herself made it abundantly clear that it was not the only one of its kind scattered about.

Some of them looked ancient, their surfaces cracked and weathered, to the point where any text that would have been etched into them had long been eroded away by the unyielding march of time.

Others, by complete contrast, were practically brand-new looking, to the point where even from a distance, she could make out legible text etched into the stony faces of the headstones.

Despite the strangeness of the situation, Rin felt herself beginning to move towards the nearest headstone, her feet almost moving by themselves as she quickly came to a stop in front of one of the newer looking gravestones.

Etched into the face of stone, was nothing, except for a singular word. One that surprisingly she was able to understand considering that it was written in global, and even though she was not the most fluent in the language, she was able to read aloud what was written.

"Liliana"

The unfamiliar name roller for tongue, her voice having a strange echoey otherworldly quality to it that made it sound like not even her own.

Rin turned on her heels, looking around at all the strange crosses and gravestones that were scattered amongst the flowers, it was an incredibly bizarre site, one that almost felt like something that would be seen in a dream. Yet it also had a strange and eerie beauty to it, the likes of which she wasn't quite sure how to put into words.

However, the strangeness of the entire scene, was only made more apparent when she finally noticed something that she didn't understand how she couldn't have noticed before.

In front of her, a massive tree stood majestically atop a small hill. Its colossal size, unlike anything she had ever encountered, left her in awe. The tree's gnarled and twisted trunk soared high into the sky, culminating in a sweeping canopy that nearly enveloped the entire heavens.

At Its base was a collection of more gravestones, so close together that they almost looked to be stacked on top of each other. Many of them looked so old and ancient that they were practically crumbling apart.

Cautiously approaching the tree, Rin immediately notice something that made her stop. It was perhaps the strangest object she had seen so far, and certainly one that didn't look like it belonged where it currently was.

A singular old-fashioned wheelchair sat on the crest of the hill, poison Ivy vines and flowers growing through the spokes and gaps of the wheels.

Rin wanted to approach, her curiosity getting the better of her. Yet before she could even think about stepping forward, she felt an almost sickly feeling of shame overtake her. It was so sudden and quick that she felt herself stumble backwards several steps, as if she had been repelled by some kind of invisible force.

Quickly recovering from whatever had repelled her, she looked at the wheelchair questioningly, trying to figure out if it was somehow responsible for what it just happened. Yet it didn't give any indication as such, continuing to calmly sit there at the base of the massive tree amongst the beautiful flowers.

Giving the wheelchair one last cautious side-eyed glance, Rin turned to attention back to the massive flower field, her gaze immediately resting upon a small muddy path that curled out of sight around some of the headstones.

Something in the back of her mind compelled her to walk over to the path, which she did after a moment of hesitation. The path was barely even that, simply just a clearing in the flowers, allowing one to step through them without trampling them.

Walking down the path, she came to a large and very elaborate wrought iron gate, one that looked absolutely ancient yet very well cared for despite its age.

Approaching the gate she noticed that it was slightly a jar, and without a second thought she gently pushed it open, the hinges squeaking slightly as the gate was opened.

Beyond the gate, Rin discovered a cobblestone path, weathered and worn from the passage of time and frequent use. Pausing briefly, she stepped across the threshold, feeling the cool, damp stone beneath her bare feet—a pleasant contrast to the wet mud she had been treading through.

Looking around, she began to make her way down the cobblestone path, admiring the beauty of the flowers arranged alongside the path. However, as she cast her gaze to the other side of the path, she noticed a site that immediately caused her to stop dead in her tracks.

Beyond the wrought iron fence lay a sight that she could scarcely comprehend. Instead of more land, there was an endless expanse of white fog that reached to the distant horizon. The only visible objects were strange, impossibly large gray pillars that rose high into the night sky, seemingly reaching for the stars.

The strangeness of a worldly vista caused Rin's mind to misfire for a moment, it was so strange and alien, yet somehow held an eerie calming beauty that was almost impossible to put into words.

She couldn't draw her gaze away from the strange and otherworldly vista, it looked like something plucked straight out of a dream... or maybe even a nightmare.

Rin continue to stare, yet as she did, she felt something beginning to pull at the back of her mind, urging her to continue despite the otherworldly site in front of her. After a moment, her feet began to move by themselves, her body seemingly on autopilot as she continued down the cobblestone path.

After an unknown amount of time, she rounded a corner, the flowers which had been blocking her view before, now giving way to a site that was strange but not as otherworldly as the previous one.

Nestled on a hill was a strange-looking structure, the architecture being of a much older and ancient looking style, with a stylistic flare to it that was completely alien to her and nothing like the ultra modern and sleek architecture she was used to seeing.

In fact, the closest comparison that she could think of at this moment was some of the oldest and most sacred buildings located in Trinity. But even then, the comparison was only passing, considering that this structure was even more elegant and elaborately decorated than any of the buildings in Trinity.

She wasn't sure what came over her, but something compelled her to walk forward, to approach the structure. And despite trying to resist the urge, she couldn't help but comply with the Silent request. Each step bringing her closer to the strange abode.

Looking around, she could see that there were more graves, each one of them looking much more individual and even personalised than the ones that she had seen previously in the flower field,

The building itself was located on a small hill with two paths that lead up to it, the one directly in front of her was a set of cobblestone stairs that curled to the left, a series of five elaborate gravestones flanking the right side as they curled with the steps

In contrast, the path to her left was significantly longer. It consisted of a cobblestone pathway covered in moss, leading to an additional entrance. Between the two paths, there was a small, secluded spot where the same exquisite, light-coloured flowers she had encountered earlier grew in clusters. Curiously, she noticed a miniature birdbath nestled against one of the rocky walls that supported the building.

Feeling the pull in her mind intensifies, Rin gently approaches the stairs that lead up to the entrance of the strange building, pausing for just a singular moment to look at the intimidating structure before she began to ascend the steps. Now that she was closer she noticed that the gravestones were indeed very different from each other, each one of them having a completely different and distinct design.

The very last one was of particular strangeness considering that it looked like it was almost alive with the sticky fleshy tendrils that seemingly kept broken and lumpy stone in the rough shape of a headstone.

Pushing the thought aside, Rin finally reached the top of the stairs, standing before a large set of closed oak doors, their surfaces holding elaborate engravings and trimming that gave them an almost regal look.

Reaching out with her hand, she gently grabbed a hold of the latch, being surprised to find that the door itself was unlocked, allowing her to simply pull it open with relatively little force despite its size.

Almost immediately her ears picked up on a strange sound, wonder was unusual yet gave her a strange sense of comfort. It was the crackling of a fireplace.

Rin looked into the open doorway, the inside of the abode being just as strange yet majestic as the outside. Immediately to her left was a large strange chest, large metal padlocks keeping whatever contents were inside safe from potential prying eyes or thieves.

Directly opposite the chest was a large collection of books, many of them collected in two large bookshelves but also haphazardly strewn across the floor in unorganised piles and towers.

Stepping into the strange abode, she felt the texture beneath her feet become almost as soft as velvet, and looking down confirmed that it was a luxuriously soft fur rug that encompassed most of the floor.

Looking around, she noticed many strange and unfamiliar objects, many of which were contained within a large cabinet located further into the strange abode. Containers of all kinds filled with strange liquids and even objects that were unable to be made out due to the tinted glass of the containers they were contained in.

However, as she stepped further in, Rin came to a complete stop. Her eyes coming to rest on a site that confirmed that she wasn't in fact alone.

At the far end of the abode, and located up a small set of stairs, was a person... a woman in fact. Her skin and complexion were unnaturally pale, to the point where her skin almost looked like it was made of pure porcelain.

Her clothes were incredibly antiquated, being comprised of a brown shaw that hung around her shoulders, a dark red corset and an ankle length skirt that hid the majority of her figure, with the entire entirety of her outfit being topped off by a simple dark red bonnet.

Rin wasn't sure what to make of the woman, her unnatural appearance and strange sense of dress certainly set off quite a few alarm bells in her mind, in fact for a moment she considered not even approaching the woman whatsoever.

But she ignored her worries because this woman, even though she looked strange, was the only clue she had to figure out why she was here.

After swallowing a lump in her throat, Rin began to approach the woman, taking care not to make too much noise as to frighten her.

As Rin approached, she was struck by the woman's unnatural appearance but also her extraordinary beauty. The woman's hair was a pale white, reminiscent of the flowers in the strange place, and her skin was flawless and blemish-free. Rin was reminded of the porcelain dolls that were so popular among the youngest students on the Trinity campus.

Rin parted her lips, about to speak, but any questions she had instantly vanished, replaced by a shock that froze her in her tracks and chilled her blood.

The woman was not alone.

In her lap rested a hauntingly familiar figure, someone Rin had yearned to see for an eternity, ever since she had disappeared. Yet, even though she was now right before her, Rin found herself unable to take another step.

"P-president?"

In a whisper so soft that it was almost drowned by the sound of the wind, Rin spoke. Yet the strange woman with silver hair seemed to hear her anyway. The woman lifted her head and turned her gaze to meet Rin's, as if locking onto her.

When Rin looked into the woman's eyes, she saw they were a beautiful pale blue colour. However, she felt a shiver when she saw how empty and lifeless they really were.

Managing to tear her gaze away from the woman's, Rin looked back to the general student council president who was resting in the woman's lap, only just now noticing the condition she was in.

The pristine whiteness of her uniform had been marred by an unknown red substance. At first, it was just a splatter of colour, but as the realization dawned on her, a chill of horror shot through her veins.

Blood…

Her uniform was stained in blood.

Rin couldn't tear her eyes away from the blood that adorned the president's uniform, yet the longer she looked, the more horrific chill began to creep up her spine when it became apparent that the president was not moving whatsoever.

Her face usually so full of life and energy was completely still, the expression on her face being a completely neutral one.

Before she could stop herself, Rin took a step forward, the mysterious doll-like woman's gaze noticeably hardening as she approached. The horrific feeling in her body did not leave as it became horrifyingly apparent exactly what condition the president was in.

Yet despite that, she didn't want to acknowledge it. She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that the president was seemingly...

Dead

Rin felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, a sob uncontrollably escaping her lips as the true fate of her friend became apparent, her legs went weak causing her to fall to the ground, the soft carpet beneath her cushioning her fall as all the strength left her body.

It was a nightmare, a true waking nightmare. Her friend, the only person that was dear to her, was... Dead.

The dam that held back Rin's tears finally shattered, releasing a cry of anguish as the true extent of her friend's disappearance and fate crashed upon her.

Even in her sorrow, she could feel the mysterious woman's intense gaze burning into her, as if trying to pierce through her soul. But Rin could not find it within herself to care, consumed by the emotional turmoil caused by the revelation of her friend's destiny.

Despite her crying, Rin suddenly became aware of a strange, almost oppressive feeling washing over her, one that was accompanied by the woman's gaze moving away from her and focusing on something else.

"Ah. Welcome home, good Hunter"

Rin felt the blood in her veins turn to ice, which was accompanied by a chill running down her spine. The voice that emanated from the strange woman, had an almost otherworldly quality to it, one that was almost impossible to put into words.

Yet before she could comprehend the woman's strange voice even further, the horrific oppressive feeling that had settled on her shoulders only grew in intensity, the distinct sound of gentle but deliberate footsteps being audible in her ear.

She couldn't bring herself to turn around, something in the deepest recesses of her mind screaming at her to stay as perfectly still as possible. She felt incredibly small and tiny, as if her very existence was nothing but a mere speck compared to whoever... Or whatever was behind her.

Ỳ̴̹͙̜͕̲͖̜̾̔́͂ͅ'̸̡̝̤̲̹̫͛͒̏͆́̊́̿̍͋̑͋̐͠ͅ ̷̧̦̳̭̹͓̙͉̪͇̭̓̍̂̊̀̕m̷̮͌̑̈́̈̇̾̿͌̿̓̍́̒͘g̵̨̨͕̹̪͇̘͍̬̗͖̮͈̭̖͈̅̎̉̃̄̚e̴̢̨̺̦̮̠̭̯̩̤̹͍̦̤͒̑̿̎̾̃͑̽͆͊̕͘͝ṗ̷̛̹͈̻̯̫͍͓̙̙̾̌̈́̉̈͌̕ ̴̡̨͔̪̪̺̝̟̰͎͈̑̈́͂͂͆̔́̊m̵̡͇̝̪̫̳̫̠̼̲̆̎͗͗̈́̔̓̔͛̽͘̕g̴̗̹̀͋̊́͑͘͝e̶͍͍͓̲̺̞̭͍̟̦͓̍̉̈́̍̾̃̀̅͗͒̑̕͜p̵̢̢͕͍͇̘͎͚̻̜̮̐̃͊͐̔͒̊̎̎̎̏n̷̥̯̫͎͉̪͎̮͂̈́͊̾͜͜ͅȍ̵̤̱̄̀̕͝ḡ̴̲͓̮̥͓͉͓̖̀͆̔͑͘é̶̢͈̙̘͇͇͌̽ͅṗ̷̨̢̬̜̬̤̦͔̠̓́͑̒̈́̉́̒͌̀͆͠͝͝ͅh̸̳̲̙̞͙̜̲̹̜̽͊̊́̀͐͛̎́͝͝á̶̧̪̼̦̰̖̦̦́̾͆̀̉̓͗͛̈͌̏̎̀̚i̷̧̅̿́͒͊͑͆̽͒̈́̓̈́̈̈́̾̕͝i̵̛̮͉̙̻͉͍̎́̏̇̑̍̓̍͘͝͠,̸̱̣̿̉͝ ̷̠̲̍ḽ̴̨̨̡̛̫̙̟̭̼̥̹̻̆̀͒̀͐̅͌́̽̚̚͜ͅͅu̵̧͚̳͍͇͓͙̫͈̝͒̍̈͒͐͂͝ͅń̷͇̖̝̼̝̭̹͙̬̤̦̪́̽͋̂͜ͅä̸̛̖͉͊̋͒̔̏̈.̶̄͂̈́̍̎̎̌͗͐̿͘͠ͅ ̵̨̱̤̜͙͙͛̑͐̈̅͊̈́̐̑͊͝ͅ ̷̺͍̘̰̖̄̀̉͋͂̏̇̎̿̈́̈͘͝͝Ä̴̰̳̗̞̘͚͎̼͚̣̼̩̥́͐͆͒̈́͛̅̿̀́͝ͅh̶̢̧̹̤̞̠̦͇͕̝̳͖̖̘̣̽̈͜f̷̨̩̯̄̈́̉͊̉̆̋'̴̛̖͍̤̣͕͈̾̈́̊͌͊̓̑͐͑̇̕͘͝͝ͅ ̵̢̧̺̤̫̠̯̝̗͛͂̋̊a̷̠͙̖̖͓͂͛̀h̸̟̗͚͗̿͂́̕ ̶̡̨̼̭̙̟̳͕̜͇̟̙̙̜͋͊́̇̎́͝c̵̢̨͚̞͎̲͔̜̞͍̻̪͍̹̩̊̃͆̇̏̐̒̈́ä̵̟̠̻̍̈́h̷̠͇͇̼̽̕ḟ̷̧̲̤͙̗̺̠̜͇̘̟̣̺͊̊̋̅̐̾̄̉̓̾̀̐̚ ̶̨̹̥̼͙̙̹͓̝̻̃̀̿͒̃͊̄̑̋̋̎͆͑̈́͝l̸̨̟͓̳͚͇̻̣̼̝̿̎̈́̿͝ͅļ̸͚̱̈́ļ̶̛̼̫̺̥̩͈̺͓̦̥͆͑̾̎͋̐̂̇͜͠l̴̳̳̗̳̟̺̺̠̋̅̂̄̑̔́͗͂̅͐͘͝͝ͅ ̵͇͇̞̅̇ẏ̵̙̟̭̼̫̫̱̱͚͎̭͈̞͇͔̇̈͂̆͌̐̇̿̈́͜ͅm̶̨̜̞͎̖͕͐̍̄̐̀͛͑͂͋͜ǵ̴̬̰̰̦͉͓̣͔̱͇̟̰͚̐͊̌̈́̍͑͐͆͂͊̚̕͜'̴̛̖͆̑̈́̐̈̏́́̈̃͠͝,̸̭̣̯̟͚̺̂̐̾̄͌ ̷̛̖̣̹̩̝̞͉͎̥͉̿͌͐͛̓̔̉͗̅̽̏͂̓̋̉͠Y̸̨̱̩͕̦͕̦͈̾'̸̣̬̞̭͙͍̰̖̪̗̩̇̏̇͌̇̾͌̈́͐̂́̽̌͝ ̶̧̬̳͚̹̭̠̖̟͓̎̓ͅa̶̘̜̓̀͛̉h̵̝̓̊͐̉͋̿̄͋n̷̡̬̙̝̘̞̘̫̿ỵ̵͈̓̂̏͆̒̓̑̅̈́́̚͜t̷̨̙̝̳̯̗̠͈̹͂͊̉́h̵̢͍̙̞̲̘͓̙͎̭͈͉̬͉̤̻̃̃̐͛͛͛̀̽̒͘o̸̝̗͕̥̒̓̚ȓ̵̨͕̝̟̱̱̻̹̹̝̆̄̑̿͑͆͂̍̆ ̴̧̢͍̦͎̬̗̹͇̙̼̫͔̠̥̒̅̉̃̈́́̿̈͐͘͜ͅä̸̮͔͚̭͇̖͉̦͕̺̤́͂́͠h̷̡̪̗͍̟̼̭͎͔͇͍̏̇̌̽̈̄͒̾̓̚͠'̴̼͒̏k̶̛̞̥̼̻̫̝̎͌̐̄͋̽̾́̀̈́̓͒̀͘͠ͅͅñ̸̫̺̀͛͆̀͗̊̏͜͝'̴̢̨̥̹͙̜̩̼͈͑̿̿̏̽̒́̂̂͘͝ậ̵͎̈̾̅̓͂̎̇̅̎́̍̊̈́͗?̷̨̧̢̜̼̤̰̥̞̼͎̬̄̀̉͗̍̎͋̈́̒̎͗͛̓̕͝ͅ​

Rin's crying came to an abrupt halt, a sharp and unexpected pain quickly exploding in her brain, causing her to grab her head with both hands. It felt like something was wriggling inside her brain desperately trying to explode outwards.

She felt the strength leave her body, quickly falling onto her back as she continued to roll around in abject agony, the pain was unbearable it felt like her skull was about to be cracked open from the inside.

Amidst the torment, Rin mustered the strength to seek a moment of clarity. Her eyes lifted, coming to rest on something that—

Ring Ring! Ring Ring!

Rin jumped nearly ten feet in the air at the sudden sound, the sharp and sudden jerking motion she made sent quite a few of the documents on her desk flying across the room.

With her heart in her throat, she looked around for the source of the noise, quickly finding that it was the intercom PA system currently buzzing on her desk, indicating that somebody was trying to contact her.

Putting a hand on her chest, she tried to take a calming breath, the feeling of her heart beating hard in her chest beginning to subside as the momentary shock left her system. And after quickly brushing away some stray hairs from her eyes, she pressed the answer button on the PA system.

"Yes, what is it?" Rin didn't mean for her response to come across as harsh and snappy, silently apologising to whoever was on the other end of the line as she waited for a response.

"Umm... vice presid- I mean acting president, Rin. The Academy representatives are here... I T-T-tried telling them that you were busy, but they wouldn't have any of it" Rin let out a weary sigh, the voice on the other end of the line was none other than her secretary and the head of the Arbitration office, Ayumu Iwabitsu.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Rin already knew that she wasn't in the mood to deal with the Academy representatives, especially considering all the work she had to do to just try and keep the City from completely imploding on itself.

This certainly wasn't helped academies like Trinity and Gehenna, outright refusing to get along on the best of days and often trying to stoke the fires of all-out war on the worst.

But after letting out of exasperated sigh, Rin resigned herself to the fact that she couldn't avoid the Academy representatives forever even though she desperately wanted to, simply to save her any more aggravation.

"It's fine, Ayumu, tell them I will be down soon. Also, send Aoi to my office while I'm away, these documents aren't going to sign themselves" Rin spoke into the intercom, silently apologising for the increased workload she was about to put the general student council's chief financial through.

"O-of course, I'll S-send her up right away" Ayumu's timid and fragile voice came from the other end of the intercom.

"Thank you Ayumu" Rin pressed the disconnect button, uncharacteristically slumping back in her chair as another sigh escaped her lips.

With a hand already pressed against her throbbing temples, she could sense an intense migraine brewing within her skull. Despite the pain, she stood up, determined to power through it as she had countless times before.

Retreating from her desk, she quickly scooped up her coat, which was resting on a sofa nearby. Looking in the stand-up mirror, Rin wasn't shocked to see her dishevelled and frankly worn-out vintage looking back at her, but pushing those concerns aside, adjusting her coat as she made for the exit of her office.

On her way out of the office, a memory resurfaced in her mind. It was something the president had briefly mentioned to her before she had mysteriously vanished.

"Rinny... I'm scared... I'm scared that soon all of Kivotos will fall into darkness... a darkness that none of us can escape from and the likes of which we can't even begin to understand…"

"But there is Hope... there is one person that could lead us through this... an individual who could guide and teach... a sensei, Someone that could maybe even save Kivotos from its ghastly fate"

Originally, Rin was at a loss for understanding the president's message. However, after her disappearance and the peculiar dream she had, she began to develop a growing sense of unease, suspecting that the president's words held deeper significance than she had perceived initially.

As the elevator descended toward the ground floor, Rin trembled uncontrollably, her spine tingling with apprehension about what lay ahead in Kivotos' near future.

 

[potato murderer]

More

 

[mgman]

"It was all my fault... My decisions and everything they caused."

"I didn't want to understand at the time... Yet after everything came to ruin, only then did I finally understand you were right all along"

"I spoke of responsibility, of knowing what it truly meant... but I was wrong I never understood it then, but now I do."

"Adulthood, responsibility, obligation and the choices that come along with it... Only now do I understand the implications and the weight that those concepts carry…"

"I put on a brave face, but I was lying to those around me... And even myself

"I was scared…"

"I was deathly afraid of growing up... terrified of adulthood and the responsibility that came with it... but that wasn't all."

"Not only that, but I was also scared of the unknown... The unknowable future that came with adulthood, it left me awake at night sweating in my bed as I tried not to think of all the unknown futures that could lie ahead."

"I was afraid of making the wrong choice, of casting everything Into darkness through my own actions."

"Even now... the fear of the unknown, of making the wrong choice... still makes me tremble with fear."

"Yet, it's ironic in a way. I feared making a wrong decision, of making a wrong choice when it mattered most."

"But that was what led us to ruin, my inability to make any decisions because of my own fear...

"Was the very thing that doomed us."

"Therefore, I'm sorry that I have to ask this of you…"

"But you're the only one I can trust now."

"Only you have the power to free us from this twisted, distorted fate…"

"And find the choices that will lead us to a new reality."

"I don't even know if you will remember these words... But I know... you will make the right decisions."

"So, please... liberate us from this horrible nightmare…"

"Good Hunter."

..........................................

"What do you mean we can't see the president!"

Rin let out a sigh, only seeming to aggravate the student in front of her, as she cleared her throat before repeating herself.

"As I said previously... the general student council president is currently... unavailable at the moment" she tried to keep her voice even and level,

Yet, going by the facial expression of the Academy representative in front of her, it seems that she wasn't fully able to get rid of the condescending tone in her voice.

"Well, make her available then!" Rin felt a vein beginning to bulge on her forehead, as a student, a purple-haired girl by the name of Yuuka again demanded to see the president.

Rin was beginning to lose her patience, she didn't want to outright tell anyone that the president had gone missing, after all it would only make the situation even worse than it already was. But at the same time, it was becoming even more apparent that the student representatives were not going to leave until they got some kind of answer.

"Unfortunately, I can't just do that... T-The president is a very busy person, and I can't just disturb her work for something so meaningless" Rin said to Yuuka and all the other representatives present.

She didn't take any pride or pleasure in lying to their faces like this, but ultimately it felt like the only way to keep the situation from growing even worse. Considering that if news about the president's disappearance got out before the council was ready to make a statement, then who knows what could happen?

"Even if the president cannot see us, can you at least address the rumours that several students under the custody of the federal corrections Bureau have escaped?" Another representative step forward, this one being a student named Chinatsu, a member of the disciplinary committee, who adjusted her black-framed glasses as she waited for a response.

Rin felt her headache only grow. She had completely forgotten about the escaped convicts, yet even though they were perhaps some of the most dangerous criminals currently alive, in terms of overall priority, their catcher and incarceration was a bit low on her list of priorities.

"Unfortunately, the rumours are true, several incredibly dangerous criminals have escaped-" Rin didn't get a chance to finish her words as somebody interrupted her.

"There has been a sharp increase in the number of Thugs attacking students on their way to school. I find it completely deplorable that is a general student council is not doing enough to ensure public safety"

A Trinity student by the name of Suzumi said abruptly. Being one of the most well-known members of Trinity's Vigilante Crew, the issue of public safety was a very hot-button issue for her and her group.

"That is not all. Illegal distribution of Tanks, helicopters and other contraband weapons has increased by over 2000 percent. At this rate, ordinary school life in Kivotos will be a thing of the past."

Another student stepped forward following up Suzumi's comment. Her long black hair flowing behind her as she brushed away some stray hairs from her eyes.

Hasumi, the vice-captain of the Justice Realization Committee, was no stranger to Rin. After all, the black-haired girl was known all across Kivotos both for her beauty and her sense of Justice.

In fact, out of all the Academy representatives gathered before her, Rin went as far as to say that the tall and beautiful vice-captain of The Justice committee, was the one she respected the most, because of her professional attitude despite the situation.
Feeling her migraine from earlier that day beginning to return, Rin pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a frustrated sigh that certainly caused a few angry gazes to be directed her way. But quite frankly, she had long since passed the point where she cared about what the representatives thought of her.

"I understand... But I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do, the general student council's resources are already stretched thin as it is" Before the words even left her mouth, Rin knew that the answer wouldn't go down well for Academy representatives.

But it was simply the truth, the general student council simply had no more resources to spare, with them being locked out of Sanctum Tower, their power to actually govern the city was extremely limited.

"What!? Are you telling me there's nothing you can do, thousands of academies are in panic! Our wind generator shut down just a few days ago!" Yuuka's reaction was explosive, stomping her foot and disapproval at what the acting general student council president had just told her.

Rin for her part simply nodded her head, finding the purple-haired girl's adverse reaction to her words extremely irritating

"That is most unfortunate to hear... Chairwoman Hina isn't going to be happy about this" Chinatsu said with a sigh, her pointed ears wiggling in disappointment at the thought of the disciplinary committee's head having even more work dumped onto her.

Hasumi looking incredibly disappointed by the statement crossed her arms over her chest, which had the side effect of propping up her ample bosom as her wings flat disapprovingly behind her.

"This entire situation is utterly ridiculous. If the general student council is unable to do anything, then all of Kivotos will become just as lawless as Gehenna" Hasumi said off handily, seemingly not even considering her words as Chinatsu turned to look at her incredulously.

The rivalry between Trinity and Gehenna ran extremely deep, to the point where it wasn't uncommon for groups of students from both academies to actively seek out each other and fight.

And even though Chinatsu was not usually one to let the bad blood between her school and Trinity factor into her decisions, she simply couldn't let this unnecessary slight against her Academy go unmediated.

As such, adjusting her glasses, Chinatsu responded, "You say that like Trinity is any better with regard to supposed lawlessness... In fact, the last time that I checked, I was under the impression that Trinity had experienced a notable increase in unlawful activity under your tenure"

Her words cut deep and Chinatsu knew it, considering that Hasumi almost instantly snapped her head to look at her. An incredulous look on her face, which was filled with both anger and surprise.

"H-how dare you! I'm unsure where you got your information but it is completely wrong! Besides isn't a Gehenna student calling Trinity's supposed rise in crime, the pot calling the kettle black?"

Hasumi's calm and exposed exterior was completely shattered, her elegant and beautiful face taking on an almost animalistic snarl as she accusingly jabbed a finger in Chinatsu's direction. Which the blonde-haired girl didn't particularly appreciate, but kept her cool as she adjusted her glasses once again.

"I wouldn't consider it as such. While the students of Gehenna can be rumbustious and free-spirited, the public safety of our Academy and the district has always been excellent, and I would go as far to say a step above Trinity's"

Chinatsu didn't even try to hide the condescending tone in her voice, which had the desired effect as be black haired Justice committee vice president's face went as red as a tomato, with steam practically flying out of her ears due to how angry she now was.

"Ha! now I find that hard to believe! Gehenna's sorry excuse for a justice system is nowhere even in the same league as trinity's. Especially with that sorry excuse for a chairwoman of yours!" Hasumi quickly closed the gap, aggressively jabbing a finger into Chinatsu's just as the fiery hot words left her mouth.

"T-the nerve! Chairwoman Hina's competency and ability to keep the peace is unmatched, especially compared to that mad dog of a president that your committee has!" Chinatsu's mouth moved before her mind, the fact that this black-haired sow in front of her dared to insult the disciplinary committee's president directed to her face, made the usually calm and collected girl lose all sense of reason.

The atmosphere between the two girls was palpable, to the point where after looking at each other for a moment, Yuuka and Suzumi, both quickly stepped away from the feuding students. Not wanting to get involved in their completely unnecessary argument, which wasn't too far away from escalating into an outright battle.

And even though Suzumi, didn't exactly appreciate Chinatsu's comments about her school, she wasn't stupid enough to go and start an argument over something so trivial.

Rin felt her lips curling to a strained smile, the urge to now smash her head into the nearest wall, increasing to the point where she wasn't sure she could control herself anymore.

However just as Chinatsu and Hasumi drew their weapons, the front doors of the office quickly slammed open, catching everyone by surprise as all of their gazes onto the new individual standing between the now open doors.

"Vice presi- I mean acting president!" the mysterious interrupter, was a young girl of small statue with white hair, her uniform and equipment making it extremely apparent that she was a member of the Valkyrie Police Academy, Kivotos's de facto law enforcement agency.

'Thanks, I'm saved!' Rin screamed mentally, trying to not let her relief show on her face as the young girl quickly ran up to her, doubling over as she tried to recover her breath from seemingly running halfway across the city.

"A-acting P-P-president... I H-have... S-something important to tell you!" The young girl managed to splatter out, between her ragged breaths, her voice noticeably horse and strained.

"I understand, but first, calm down and take a deep breath" Rin gently patted the back of the young girl, urging her to get her breath back before she relied whatever message she had.

And finally managing to catch a breath, the young girl stood up, her eyes completely obscured by her dishevelled hair, with the redness in her cheeks still prominent.

"Acting president! Director Ogata has requested that she needs to speak with you, with regard to somebody that was taken into custody earlier today! She said it's of the utmost urgency!"

The young girl finished her ramble of words with a swift salute, the sudden action causing the hair in front of her eyes to momentarily lift, revealing steel grey eyes.

Rin didn't quite know how to respond at first, both of because of how sudden and strange it was. Kanna Ogata, the director of the Public Peace Bureau, reported directly to Kaya, considering that she was currently the general student council defence chief.

As such the fact that the Valkyrie police officer wanted to speak to her directly was a very strange turn of events. But if it could get her out of dealing with the Academy representatives, then she honestly couldn't have cared less about what the request actually was.

"If it's urgent as you say then I guess I can't refuse, please return to her and say that I will meet her immediately" Rin could easily hear Yuuka's scoff from somewhere behind her, but chose to pay it no mind.

However, instead of immediately answering her request, the young Valkyrie student was seemingly caught off guard by her words, rubbing the back of her head in obvious embarrassment/

"Well, you see, ma'am... Director Ogata sent me ahead to give you a heads-up she would be coming..." the young student continued to nervously laugh, as Rin processed what she had just said.

If Kanna was already on her way here with whoever she had apprehended, clearly it was incredibly serious. To the point where Rin silently hoped that the police captain had managed to somehow capture one of the seven fugitives who had escaped federal custody.

"I see... well thank you for informing me, you may return to your duties officer..." Rin let herself trail off, realising that she never actually got the name of the young Valkyrie student.

"Oh! My name is Mutsu, Cadet Mutsu Kigawa ma'am" The student now revealed to be Mutsu, said with another energetic salute.

"I see, well officer Mutsu... You may return to your duties" Rin could feel the gazes of the student representatives boring into the back of her head, yet honestly she didn't care.

"Of course! Right away, ma'am" The young student, gave a final energetic salute before turning on her heels and running out of the lobby, the large glass door sliding shut behind her as she disappeared.

Unfortunately, though, leaving Rin to once again to be the centre of attention for the irate student representatives.

"So where were we exactly" Rin didn't mean to say that out loud, but her patience had long since worn thin, to the point where she simply just didn't care any more if she came across as condescending.

Yuuka after looking at all the other representatives was the first to speak. How come that you can make time for the Valkyrie police chief, but not us?!"

The frustration was easily apparent in the purple-haired girl's voice, which combined with the frantic tapping of one of her feet, made it obvious to Rin that she wouldn't be able to keep this charade up for much longer.

"The Millennium of representative makes a very good point, How is it the Valkyrie Peace Bureau's chief is easily able to meet with you when we practically had to break in to do so ourselves?" Suzumi said with a questioning look, crossing her arms over her chest in a disapproving manner.

Chinatsu and Hasumi having put a momentary halt to their feud, both added to Suzumi and Yuuka's point.

"That is a very good question, it seems a bit hypocritical that the chief can meet with you on such short notice while we are unable to do so" Chinatsu adjusted her glasses as she spoke.

"As much as it pains me to agree with a Gehenna student, I must concur with her statement" Hasumi crossed her arms over her chest, her huge elegant wings flapping disapprovingly behind her.

Rin kept silent for a moment, not because she couldn't find the words. Oh, she knew exactly what she wanted to say to the gathered Academy representatives, but the choice of words that she wanted to use would only make the situation worse, so biting her tongue to keep the words from coming out was probably the best option.

"The reason why, it's that while the welfare of the individual academies is important, matters of national security for all of Kivotos, come before the concerns of individual academies"

it was a complete lie, and one that she knew wasn't likely to convince them, especially considering that the job of the general student council was to adhere to the concerns of the academies above anything else.

But she hoped that if she made it sound official enough, it was possible to string them along for just long enough to get them to leave or until Kanna got here with whoever she had captured.

Yet judging from the reactions and facial expressions of each of the representatives, it seems that unfortunately, both options were off the table for her, especially when Yuuka stepped forward, a livid expression on her.

"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard! The general student council's job is to look out for the academy's well-being above everything else! Yuuka said with an indignant expression on her face.

Hasumi and Suzumi both nodded in agreement with the Millennium representative, while Chinatsu gave the purple-haired girl a disapproving side-eyed glance, clearly not liking her use of profanity. But ultimately still nodding in agreement with her sentiment.

'Well it was worth a shot' Rin thought to herself as she let out a disappointed sigh, she knew that her Gambit wasn't going to work, but still, nobody could blame her for at least trying and or possibly hoping for some kind of miracle.

Yet before she could say another word, the sound that she had been wanting to hear for the last several minutes finally happened. The sound of the foyer doors opening was practically music to her ears, causing how to instantly turn on the spot as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Director Kanna, I got your message, and I've been patiently expecting-" Whatever she was about to say, instantly died in Rin's throat as her eyes came to rest on the familiar form of Kanna Ogata and more importantly the person standing next to her.

Their appearance was truly alien, in fact, it was so different from anything she had ever seen before in her life that Rin didn't have any frame of reference to actually and accurately describe them.

Atop their head was a strange pointed and crooked hat with a very large brim that curled at strange angles as it radiated out from the centre. The surface of the hat was seemingly made of some thick and stiff material that almost looked like stained leather or some other kind of animal skin.

Their shoulders were draped with a black, tattered shawl, held together with large, braided ropes of a dull yellow hue. Many of the ropes appeared to be very old and worn, due to the passage of time. The shawl gathered around their neck, concealing the lower half of their face, then cascaded down their back in the form of a large, tattered, black cloak that trailed behind them like a dark, lingering presence.

Hanging from one of the ropes around their neck, was a strange necklace or emblem of some kind, which to Rin's eye almost looked like a crudely carved skull, made of some metallic-looking material that she couldn't quite identify.

The cloak they were wearing obscured most of their upper body from view, meaning that she could only catch glimpses of what lay beneath. She could see fabric worn and coarse, that had clearly seen better days, the colour of the fabric was a mottled arrangement of dark browns and blacks, with various dark red stains that she couldn't quite identify, due to them being mostly obscured by the cloak.

The sound of their feet against the hard stone floor of the reception had a very particular sound. It was the sound of metal against stone, which Rin didn't quite understand before she caught a glimpse of the stranger's feet beneath their cloak.

She saw metal.

Glistening silver metal boots that terminated in sharp almost talent like points.

Their arms were a similar story, covered in what looked to be gauntlets made of the same kind of silvery metal, with the ends of the fingers terminating in lethally sharp points that, Rin was positive, could easily carve up steel due to how the light glistened off the razor-sharp points.

Yet as the stranger grew closer and closer, she looked up and noticed something that was missing. Something that caused her blood to momentarily run cold.

This person was lacking something that she knew should have been there.

A halo...

This person, whoever they were, had no halo to speak of.

But the shock of that revelation was not all that she felt.

A strange presence suddenly overtook her, it felt like a tremendous weight pressing down on her shoulders to the point where she felt her legs wobble beneath her. It was hard to describe in words. In fact, the only real way that she could even begin to describe it, was that it felt like she was drowning at the bottom of an immense impossibly deep ocean, all the millions of tons of water pressing down on her and threatening to crusher into sheer nothingness.

And taking a glance behind her, she could see that she wasn't the only one. Hasumi, Suzumi, Chinatsu and Yuuka all had the same reaction as she did. With Chinatsu easily being the most affected, considering that the poor girl was currently holding onto the reception desk for dear life.

Breathing in to try and calm her racing heart, Rin managed to regain her composure as the strangely dressed individual and Kanna finally arrived in front of her and the other representatives.

She immediately noticed that Kanna was seemingly just as on edge of she was, considering that her pointed ears were sticking straight up on high alert, with her hand hovering over the holster where her standard issue pistol was held, obviously preparing for any kind of hostile movement that the stranger would make

looking between Kanna and the stranger that was now standing in front of her, was it only now that Rin realised just how incredibly tall this person truly was. The hat atop their head did somewhat skew her observation, them look taller than they actually were, but by her reckoning the individual in front of her had to be at least 6 ft 5 or possibly more.

Rin suddenly realised that a deafening silence had overtaken the lobby, which was only broken by her clearing her throat and speaking.

"Director Ogata, I'm assuming that this is the individual that you took into custody?"

Kanna maintained her sharp and suspicious gaze on the individual beside her, showing no immediate response. After a brief pause, she finally broke away from the staring contest and turned her attention towards Rin, addressing her instead.

"Yeah it is... I was going to take them back to the station for questioning, until he said that he had something important to tell you directly"

As she spoke, Rin noticed that the strange individual didn't give any reaction whatsoever to them being addressed, remaining completely still as if they were a statue.

"I see… If I may ask, what did they say exactly to convince you not to take them back to the police station? Rin was curious now, despite not knowing her on a personal level. She knew enough about Kanna to know that she was not so easily convinced by whatever a suspicious individual had to say to her.

Kanna looked between the acting student council president and the mysterious stranger, much to Rin's confusion. In her eyes she could see uncertainty and perhaps even just a small amount of fear, which was certainly unusual for a tough and hardened police officer like Kanna Ogata.

"Well, acting president, you see... He knows about... That" Rin felt the world around her come to a complete stop, she didn't need to the blonde haired police woman to elaborate on what exactly she meant by 'that'

"I see... well thank you Director Ogata, I can take it from here!" the words flew out of her mouth so fast that she stumbled over them, barely managing to articulate a coherent sentence, much to the surprise of the gathered representatives Kanna. Who after a moments' hesitation simply nodded before turning around.

Yet before she walked away, she turned her head to say something.

"Just be careful acting president. This city will go to hell quicker than we can say shit if something happens to you too""

The blonde head police officer, had genuine concern and her voice, because even though she did not know the acting president on a personal level, she was still deeply concerned both for the safety of her and the general well-being of the city itself. After all, her prime directives as a law enforcement officer were to serve the public trust, protect the innocent and most importantly uphold the law.

Rin felt a chill run down her spine. Something about Kanna's words made a pit form in her stomach, to the point where for just a singular moment she almost reconsidered if she wanted to meet with this unusual individual that was now standing beside her.

But quickly pushing aside her own uncertainty, she gave a quick nod to the Valkyrie police chief. Trying to sound as confidence as possible as she spoke

"I will keep your concerns in mind, Director Ogata" Rin could still see uncertainty and suspicion in Kanna's eyes.

Especially when she turned to look at the mysterious stranger once more, before letting out a sigh and moving on her way, exiting the foyer of the general student council building and disappearing from site.

As the blonde haired police chief left, Rin quickly retrieved her phone from one of the many pockets on her overcoat, how fingers automatically dialling the number she needed before putting the smartphone to her ear.

"Ayumu, I need you to drop whatever you're doing, and come to the foyer immediately, I have some important business to discuss with a... unexpected guest" Rin didn't even wait for the blonde haired girl on the other end of the line to answer before she issued her orders. She saw out of the corner of her eye the mysterious stranger staring at her, or more precisely at the smartphone that was currently pressed against her ear.

"Um, acting president, I'm C-currently in the middle of-"

"It doesn't matter, whatever it is it can wait, I need you down here now, that's an order!" Rin did feel a twinge of guilt for ordering her usually shy co-worker around like this, but she needed to hear whatever this mysterious individual had to say in regard to the disappearance of the president.

"O-Of course A-A-acting president, I'll be down in a moment" Rin abruptly disconnected the line, not even stopping to say thank you to her blonde head co-worker as she turned to look at the mysterious stranger.

"Come with me this instant, we have much... to discuss" whirling around she quickly made for the elevator much to the protests of the representatives gathered around the front desk.

Yet, she suddenly heard something that caused her to stop dead in her tracks, for the mysterious individual uttered something for the first time since arriving.

"As you wish mlady"

A cold shiver coursed down Rin's spine as their voice sent icy shivers through her veins. It carried a distinct, otherworldly quality that defied description; words failed to capture the alien nature of the sound.

Yet pushing the thought aside, she continued towards the elevator pressing one of the many buttons as the doors opened up and allowed her and the stranger to step inside. And after pressing one more button, the door's shut and the elevator began its journey upwards, leaving Rin completely isolated in a metal box with the incredibly tall and mysteriously dressed stranger.

Thankfully, the journey was mercilessly short as the doors quickly opened up, allowing her and the stranger to step out onto the highest level of the general student council building. After a short walk, she and the mysterious stranger finally made it to her office, which after ushering them inside, she quickly locked the door behind her, not wanting any interruptions of any kind.

"What do you know?" It came across as quite accusatory, she was well aware of that, yet at this point Rin didn't really care how she came across any more. This person in front of her, this alien looking stranger, knew something about the president's disappearance, and she wanted to know exactly what they knew of it.

The mysterious individual didn't speak for a moment, instead turning to look around the office, almost marvelling at everything around them as if they had never seen such things in their life.

Yet after a moment of this and Rin gradually growing more inpatient, the mysterious individual spoke once again, their strange and alien voice again sending shivers down her spine.

"If you are referring to the disappearance of your president, then I am afraid that I do not have knowledge on such matters" hearing their voice again, Rin was able to identify the mysterious person as a man, and to make it even more strange he spoke in global.

A very antiquated version of global that she had only ever heard spoken in incredibly old movies from nearly a century before.

His accent was also incredibly hard for her to describe, it almost had a Trinity like quality to it, with his word choice and the way he articulated his sentence, but with it being in global it just made it sound even more strange to her.

"However" Rin felt herself perk up at his sudden continuation, her gaze locking onto his, and only just now realising that he did not have two eyes instead he was wearing some kind of mask that had three pairs of dimly glowing eyes.

"I am here on her behalf" His words left her slightly dumbfounded, if he didn't know anything about the disappearance of the general student council president then how exactly could he be here on her behalf.

"I don't understand... if you don't know what happened to her, then how exactly are you here on her behalf?" Rin wasn't sure exactly how this could be.

Before she could fully grasp the situation, the enigmatic individual gazed at his feet in deep contemplation. After a brief pause, he spoke again.

"I am unsure myself... Everything surrounding her is foggy in my memory, but I do remember her asking me for one thing" Though his words held no comprehensible meaning to her, Rin found herself inexplicably drawn to the confidence that radiated from him, a contagious energy that seemed to permeate her being.

"What exactly did she ask you?" She felt like a bunny rabbit chasing after a carrot on a stick, hanging on to the silence as she waited for him to respond.

Yet instead of immediately answering, only silence greeted her, it was almost the deafening to the point where she could have sworn she heard her own heartbeat in her ears.

The stranger meanwhile was deep in his own thoughts, seemingly trying to recall a long-lost memory but struggling to do so, the only thing that he could remember for certain was…

Somebody, asking. No, pleading for help.

"Please... liberate us from this horrible nightmare…"

"Good Hunter."

It was incredibly foggy and hazy, but it was the only thing that he could truly recall from the long-lost memory.

"She leaded for my help... She... asked me to assist you and all of Kivotos" With conviction and a growing determination, the stranger's voice resonated in the air, carrying the weight of his unwavering resolve.

As Rin absorbed his words, a sense of unease washed over her. His tone, tinged with a peculiar and slightly ominous undertone, sowed seeds of doubt in her mind regarding his true nature. Just when she began to feel uncertain, a sudden realization dawned on her.

It was a memory.

A memory of the last time that she had spoken with the President, before her disappearance.

"There is one person that could lead us through this... an individual who could guide and teach... a sensei, Someone that could maybe even save Kivotos from its ghastly fate"

At last, the significance of the president's words hit Rin like a bolt of lightning, rendering her speechless and causing her jaw to drop to the floor.

She felt herself stepping back, her entire system going into shock as the reality finally dawned on her of who exactly this strange and mysterious individual in front of her was.

"That means... That you are... T-The sensei!"

"Y-you are the sensei she was talking about!"

She felt her legs move before her mind did, quickly running up to the mysterious stranger in front of her and grabbing his shoulders, desperately trying to shake him in shock and seeming disbelief. Of course though due to his very large frame and substantial height her efforts to move him didn't yield match results, yet that was the furthest thing from her mind as tears began to leak from her eyes.

"I C-can't b-believe it, She wasn't wrong... You… R-really came" She couldn't stop a sob from escaping her lips, the tears leaking from her eyes continuing to fall as her knees gave out from under her. The weight and responsibility of Kivotos fate finally getting the better of her as it threatened to crush her into nothing.

Yet as she sunk to her knees and continue to cry, she heard the sound of scraping metal and flowing fabric, before she felt something cold and metallic gently push aside her glasses and wipe away some of the tears. Looking up, the tears made it hard to see, but she could see the stranger kneeling down in front of her and wiping away some of her tears with his vicious looking metal gauntlets. The juxtaposition of the viciousness of his gauntlets vs the tenderness of his action was incredibly apparent.

"Come now, there is no need to weep. A young lady such as yourself should not have to bear such a burden" His voice had a calming and gentle tone to it, filling her with an almost strange and calming euphoria that cause the tears in her eyes to dry up.

"Even though I am uncertain of how she wanted me to assist you, I will do everything within my power to help... It is my duty you could say" Rin felt his strong arms quickly grab a hold of her, as much to her surprise she was quickly pulled to her feet, the stranger quickly reaching into his cloak before retrieving a small silk handkerchief and passing it to her.

Wordlessly, she accepted the offer, wiping away the remaining tears and not really caring if her mascara was smudged in the process.

"Thank you... I'm sorry you had to see... that... I've been under a lot of stress recently" Rin finished wiping away the tears from her eyes, looking at the handkerchief for a moment before passing it back to the stranger who wordlessly took it in his gauntleted hand before placing it somewhere inside his cloak.

"You should not apologise... There is no need for it" The stranger said nonchalantly waving one of his metallic hands.

"Sometimes allowing emotions to get the better of oneself... is good for the body and mind, especially when it comes to relieving stress"

His words had an almost otherworldly sage like quality to them, as if he was some kind of Higher being imparting a small piece of cosmic wisdom onto her fragile and immortal mind.

"I suppose you're right, anyway... I... I don't even know where to begin honestly" Rin felt her pale cheeks turn red in embarrassment. She was usually so well-prepared for everything. But even though she had been silently praying for the sensei that the president talked about to come, because of the scenario's unlikelihood she had never actually put anything in place for such an event.

"How about the beginning. Start from the beginning and leave nothing out" the mysterious individual said, crossing his arms over his chest as Rin looked at him confused for a moment, before realisation crossed her face at exactly what he was getting at.

If he was here to help, then he needed to know exactly what her and the rest of Kivotos were currently going through. As such, after a moment she quickly walked over to her desk, slumping down in the comfortable chair, and beginning her tail.

Rin started with the general Cliff notes of Kivotos's history, explaining how the mega Metropolis came to be and how it operated. She told of how the city itself was made up of thousands of different academies, each with their own numbers of students. However, even if she had the time to do so, she would have not been able to have named all the academies so she simply limited it to the main three and biggest ones, that being Gehenna, Trinity and Millennium.

She then moved on to the topic of how the city itself was governed, expanding on what the exact role of the general student council and its main purpose was. Explaining that even though the now missing president was the de facto leader of the student council and by extension Kivotos as a whole, the overall political power of the student council was quite limited which was by design as to allow the individual academies to largely govern their own districts as they saw fit.

She then moved onto the topic of the general student council president's disappearance and how would it plunge the entire city into chaos. The very system that allowed the academies to govern themselves independently was the reason why the city was falling apart, which wasn't made any better by the fact that certain academies such as Gehenna and Trinity openly wanted to go to war with each other over disagreements that extended far back into the midst of time.

"And that's where you come in sensei" Rin finished her exposition, the fact that she had dressed the stranger as sensei being a bit strange at first, but she supposed that she would get used to it.

The stranger for his part looked momentarily confused as a result of being addressed in such a manner, but after a moment he quickly nodded his head seemingly accepting the new alias that was given to him without question.

"An unfamiliar title, but I'm not opposed to it..." The stranger now dubbed sensei said with a shrug of the shoulders, which had the desired effect of lifting Rin's spirits to a level that she had not felt since the president had disappeared.

"Excellent! We can discuss the exact details another time, but there's something I want to show you" Rin quickly got up from her seat, gesturing sensei over to her, which after a small hesitation he did.

Standing by one of the large glass windows that enveloped her office, she took out a small remote from her pocket and pressed a button. The blinds swiftly retracted, unveiling a breathtaking sight.

"Welcome to Kivotos, Sensei"

The site before them was truly magnificent, the metropolis stretching for as far as the eye could see in every direction, the skyscrapers made of glass and metal piercing the heavens like white monoliths.

In the sky were large halo like rings that stretched almost to the horizon, giving the entire skyline a strange and ethereal beauty that was hard to really put into words.

"Truly magnificent... This puts anything in Yharnam to shame" sensei said to himself under his own breath, Rin just managing to catch the word Yharnam which made her raise an eyebrow. The name was completely unfamiliar to her, although the word itself did have a slight Trinity like sound to it, but she shook those thoughts aside because there were more important things to worry about.

"Indeed it is... Kivotos is a place of beauty... and it needs your help, sensei. I don't know why, but the general student council chose you to safeguard our future, I'm uncertain of where you come from or who exactly you are sensei, but I trust the general student council president's choices so... therefore I trust you"

Rin locked her gaze onto the mysterious sensei's staring into the metallic mask that he partially had beneath his tattered shawl. She couldn't see his real eyes, yet the gaze that he gave her was one of understanding and acceptance, one that filled her with...

Hope

Hope for the future

Something that had been completely absent from her for a long time.

"I will do what I can... I am uncertain why I was chosen, but clearly whatever the reason, I cannot turn my back on people in need, it goes against the very thing I stand for as a hunter" He said with conviction turning his gaze outwards to the city that sprawled out to the horizon, seemingly absorbing every detail about its appearance as if familiarising himself with its visage.

Rin felt even more hopeful upon hearing his words, however one thing that he said caught her attention, causing her to feel very confused as she spoke.

"I'm very glad to hear that sensei... But I must ask what did you mean by Hunter" Rin asked tentatively, not wanting to seem like she was crying into his previous life before coming here.

Sensei however simply shook his head.

Tilting his head upward slightly and looking into the sky through the window, his gaze had an almost longing look to it, as if he was remembering a different time and a different place.

"I suppose you could say it was my previous occupation, but it doesn't matter now... That passed along with everything is entails is long deceased... and should remain that way" His voice had a strange tone to it one that she couldn't quite describe, it was as if he was nostalgic, disgusted, mortified, horrified and saddened all at the same time.

It made her truly curious about what kind of past sensei had, and what role is occupation is a hunter played into it. But she supposed that those kinds of personal details could wait for a future time because right now there is more important business to attend to.

"Fair enough, anyway, we have some important business to discuss sensei" In our office chair, Rin settled back, pivoting to face the sensei just as he turned away from the large glass window. Before she could utter a word, he began speaking.

"While I appreciate the title you have given me, I would prefer if you addressed me by my other title" His words caught her off guard somewhat, it was a bit strange to her. But considering that he spoke in global, it was possible that he simply just didn't like the sound of sensei.

"I don't see why not, although when referring to official business, I'm afraid that I must use the title sensei" She saw him nod in agreement as he stepped away from the window, his cloak flowing behind him like a dark waterfall.

As he turned on the spot, his tattered shawl was quickly thrown off his face, momentarily exposing his mask. Rin jumped back in her seat, startled by the sight of the lower half of his mask, which resembled a skeleton. The corners of the mouth were slightly curved upwards, giving the entire mask a slightly malevolent grin.

"That is fine enough, I believe that a proper introduction is in order" In a swift and sweeping motion of his arm, he executed an elaborate bow, his cloak fanning out dramatically around him, resembling a billowing dark explosion.

"The name is good Hunter, and I am at your service, Rin Nanakami"

 

[potato murderer]

More

 

[mgman]

This is ridiculous! Why is it so hard to get a straight answer in this place!?'

Yuuka accompanied this thought by smashing her fist onto the reception desk, causing her to wince in pain from the blow, while also scaring the blonde-haired woman who was currently receiving her anger.

She had come all the way from millennium to find out why the student council was seemingly doing nothing while the city literally fell apart around them. Yet when she got here, actually trying to find the president was completely fruitless and the vice president basically blew her and the rest of the other representatives off.

Meeting with some unusually dressed stranger who she proceeded to take with her to some other area of the general student council building that she despite wanting to follow wasn't allowed to access.

"I'm S-sorry T-T-there's nothing more I can do, T-he vice presid- I mean acting president is currently in a meeting with some-"

"I don't care if she's in a meeting! Get her out here now!" Yuuka felt her blood pressure spike to an almost dangerous degree, a light-headed sensation washing over her and causing her to stumble for a moment before she recovered. Yet before she could continue her rant, somebody interrupted her

"I understand your anger with the situation, but please calm yourself!" Chinatsu said abruptly. "Your blood pressure is dangerously high, if you continue like this you might pass out" Quickly grabbing a hold of Yuuka's wrist as she took her pulse, despite the protests of the purple-haired Millennium student.

"Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down!?" Yuuka pulled her arm free of the Gehenna girl's grip, momentarily catching Chinatsu off guard, a displeased expression making its way out of her features as she adjusted her black-framed glasses.

"While I understand your frustration, getting angry about that isn't going to fix anything or get the vice president out here quicker" Suzumi called over from where she was sitting, crushing her arms over her chest as adjusted her sitting position, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the completely uncomfortable bench that she was resting on.

Yuuka looked towards the white-haired girl, a flabbergasted look on her face, as if Suzumi had just said the most ridiculous thing imaginable to her.

"If getting angry is not going to help! Then what the hell do you expect me to do!? I've tried literally every other Avenue, but nothing has worked!" She shouted, her voice reverberating around the lobby and causing the already terrified blonde-haired girl behind the front desk to cower away further.

Suzumi open her mouth to respond, yet before she could do so, Hasumi spoke first.

"Getting angry in this situation is understandable, but ultimately having a temper tantrum like a preschooler, and taking it out on the poor reception woman will not solve anything"

The Trinity student got up from her seat, her wings flapping slightly behind her as they readjusted themselves after being concealed. Walking over to the reception, she quickly extended a hand to the cowering blonde haired reception woman.

"I'm deeply sorry on my acquaintances' behalf... But meeting with the vice president is of the utmost priority, I am afraid that we will not be leaving until we see her again" Despite Hasumi's voice being calm and even, the force behind her words left no illusions that she was willing to negotiate.

There was a silence for a moment as her words seemingly settled into the reception woman's mind, yet the blonde woman simply reiterated what she had already said, much to everyone's displeasure.

"I'm S-sorry there's truly N-nothing I can do... I-if the acting president wants to see you, then she will when she deems it necessary"

Hasumi felt herself somewhat deflate at the words, an exasperated sigh exiting her lips as she stepped away from the reception desk. A miffed look making its way onto her delicate features, as she crossed her arms over her chest, clearly not please.

"It was worth a shot Hasumi" Suzumi said with a sympathetic tone, watching the vice president of the justice committee practically fuming as she began to pace back and forth.

Chinatsu let out a sigh, rubbing the side of her head as she quickly sat down on one of the nearby benches, placing her heavy shoulder pack on the empty half of the bench next to her as she spoke.

"I'm unsure what all of you plan to do. But I am not leaving until I have until I have answers and something concrete to report to chairwoman Hina"She finished by taking off her glasses, her eyes squinting noticeably as she retrieved a silk handkerchief from one of her pockets began to almost reflexively clean her glasses before placing them back on her head.

Hasumi who continued to pace back and forth, let out another frustrated sigh, sitting down next to Suzumi,

Yuuka, who looked like she was about to explode, after a moment let out a sigh, her expression of anger and rage quickly being washed away as a frustrated and tired expression replaced it. Quickly walking over to the same bench that was occupied by Chinatsu, and collapsing into the remaining unoccupied seat, her shoulders noticeably slumping.

Hasumi who by now had stopped her pacing, let out another frustrated sigh as she sat down next to her fellow Trinity student.

All the Academy representatives were plunged into an uncomfortable silence that was almost deafening.

Yet the silence didn't last long as something suddenly occurred to Hasumi, causing her to break the silence that had taken over the lobby

"On the topic of the vice president, did any of you notice just how strange the person she met with was?" Her words caused all three of the other Academy representatives to look at her, confused expressions crossing their faces before realisation suddenly settled in at what exactly she was referring to.

"Indeed, I did notice. They were dressed, unlike anything I've ever seen before" Chinatsu adjusted her glasses as she responded. Her thoughts lingering on the incredibly strange manner that the mysterious individual was dressed. In particular, the thing that stuck out to her most in her memory was the almost witch like hat that sat up on their head.

Yuuka's scrunched up slightly, a frustrated look making its way onto her face as she tried to record the details of the mysterious individual. Yet despite trying to she couldn't really recall much about the mysterious individual considering at the time she was more focused on the general student council vice president.

But one aspect that she could remember immediately jumped out to her about the stranger, something that immediately caused her brain to momentarily halt as she realised just how bizarre that particular detail was.

"Hey... Guys... Did any of you notice that they didn't have a halo?"

Everyone immediately turned to look at Yuuka, confusion spreading across their faces before realisation settled in an exactly referring to. Every single one of them up until now hadn't actually even realised it. But she was right, the mysterious person didn't have a halo of any kind, even though they seemed to be human despite the strange clothes.

Chinatsu's eyes noticeably narrowed, a deep look of concentration making its way onto her gentle features as she thought about what exactly Yuuka had just said.

In Kivotos there were three distinct types of individuals, first were the students like herself who had halos and attended the academies that made up the overall city itself, second was the civilian population of Kivotos which consisted of animal human hybrids and sentient machines. And third was a much more mysterious group one that was rarely seen, those being adults who had no halos to speak of therefore making them different from everything else.

And considering what Yuuka had said, it left no option in the blonde haired girl's mind that the mysterious individual that the general student council vice president had met with was one of these halo-lacking adults.

'Chairwoman Hina needs to know about this development' Chinatsu thought to herself, her contemplation about the haloless adult being shattered by somebody speaking.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, I didn't see any kind of Halo above their head" Suzumi was the first to speak, straightening up in her seat and brushing away some hair from her eyes.

She had heard rumours of haloless individuals existing, but had always disregarded it as nothing more than that, simple rumours and gossip spread among students. But now it seemed that those rumours had a bit more truth to them.

Hasumi didn't say anything, a deep look of concentration on her face as she was absorbed in her own thoughts. She much likes her fellow Trinity student had heard rumours of adults who lacked halos, and even though she was not one to usually partake in gossip, even she listened when these particular rumours emerged.

Of course now with the revelation that the mysterious individual that the general student council vice president had met with lacked a halo of any kind, and was seemingly an adult on top of that, it certainly made the rumours feel a bit more real than she could have imagined.

The general student Council building's lobby was plunged into silence once everyone to absorbed in their own thoughts about the mysterious and haloless adult to even consider talking to each other.

Although as they all sat there, each one of the Academy representatives felt a strange feeling of foreboding overtake them, each one of them reacting differently.

Hasumi's wings straightened out, her eyes narrowing with her body going tense, seemingly ready to react to a moment's notice against any potential danger.

Chinatsu had a similar reaction, although instead of looking like she was ready for a fight, instead she placed her massive shoulder bag in her lap, unzipping one of the many compartments and retrieving a small syringe ready to administer healing to anyone in need.

Suzumi readied her rifle, pulling the slide back and chambering a fresh round, keeping her finger on the safety as her eyes darted around the lobby trying to pinpoint any potential danger.

Yuuka sat straight up in her seat, putting her hands in her jacket pocket and grabbing a hold of her portable calculator, which also doubled as a personal shield generator once the right equation was ended. She also retrieved one of her SMGs, racking the slide and releasing the safety.

Yet as the tense and dreadful seconds ticked by into minutes, absolutely nothing happened the lobby remaining is dead and lifeless as it had been, save for the scratching of pen on paper as Ayumu nervously filled out another document before placing it aside, the feeling of dread and foreboding washing over her as well, making her tremble like a leaf in a hurricane.

Ding!

The sudden sound caused everyone to jump, Hasumi, Yuuka and Suzumi all jumping to their feet as they ready their weapons, pointing at the source of the noise, Chinatsu did much the same reading her syringe as well as drawing her own handgun and releasing the safety.

Ayumu practically jumped under the desk, wrapping her black wings around herself in a feeble attempt to shield her body from any potential attack. However, instead of an attack, what the Academy representative saw was simply the elevator doors opening up, the sound that had startled them being nothing more than the elevator announcing its arrival at the ground floor.

Rin stepped out of the elevator, adjusting her glasses as she did so. However, what greeted her was an incredibly bizarre and slightly disconcerting site. Because all the Academy representatives were pointing their weapons in her general direction, however, after a moment they all lower their weapons, letting out a collective sigh of relief.

Shaking her head she pushed whatever all of that was aside, as she made a beeline for them the good Hunter stepping out of the elevator and falling into lockstep behind her, however as she approached the representatives all of them become somewhat tense, they weapons remaining lowered but clearly at the ready. Which confused her for a moment before her eyes widen as she realised what the problem was.

Turning around, she saw the skeletal mask that adorned the hunter's face, immediately realising that its quite frankly terrifying appearance clearly was the cause for the representatives' trepidation.

In fact, despite wanting to tell herself that she would get used to it, just looking at the skeletal mask was enough to send a chill down her spine. Yet, she pushed away the discomfort as she motioned for the hunter to follow her as they approached the academy representatives.

"Well, well the vice president decided to miraculously reappear after her disappearing act" Yuuka's tone was full of sarcasm and disdain, Crescent her arms over her chest in a disapproving manner, as she glared at the vice president of the general student council.

Rin despite feeling her blood beginning to boil at the comment, decided to let it go as there were more important things to deal with rather than the Millennium representative's bad attitude.

"Hello, guests that represent the neighbouring academies' student councils, disciplinary boards those who otherwise have too much free time on their hands"

Rin didn't even try to hide the disdain and sarcasm in her voice, the facial expressions of the Academy Representatives in front of her showing that her tone was clearly not appreciated. But quite frankly at this moment she didn't care considering how much trouble they had made for her.

"I am well aware why you irksome-I mean, important representatives have come here today" Pausing for a moment, Rin's face took on a strained smile, closing her eyes as she tried to keep her internal anger under control.

"You've come here to blame us for the fuss happening in the academy city. Isn't that right?" She opened her eyes, feeling just a small amount of satisfaction at seeing the insulted looks on the faces of the Academy representatives. Rin was being incredibly spiteful, and she knew it, and it usually wasn't like herself to do something like this, but at this moment she couldn't have cared less.

After a moment, Yuuka was the first to respond, her face flushing red with anger as she jabbed an accusatory finger in the direction of Rin.

"Huh?! What's with that attitude? You make it sound like it's our fault that the city is going to hell?"

Rin managed to control herself and not respond to Yuuka's yelling, yet she's certainly felt her hand beginning to slowly reach for her holster. Of course, shooting the Millennium student in the head wouldn't exactly hurt her much, but still, it would certainly shut her up.

But before she could take such a drastic course of action, she felt a cold and metallic hand come to rest on her shoulder, the feeling causing a shiver to run down and making her jump slightly as she turned her head, only to see that it was the good Hunter.

"You should calm yourself Rin, taking such a rash course of action will not achieve anything" His words had a certain weight and command, yet his tone was soft and gentle which immediately made her listen, her anger and frustration immediately subsiding as she took a calming breath.

Yet as she turned her gaze back to the student representatives, she couldn't help but wonder how exactly he knew what she was thinking of doing.

"Well, I wouldn't say that all of you in particular are responsible for the city's sorry state... the governing bodies of your academies and the resulting actions haven't exactly made the situation any better"

Rin adjusted her glasses as she finished speaking. She chose her words carefully while keeping the condescending tone in her voice to a minimum, but she knew that her words left no argument that the academies were not solely innocent in all of this.

A silent lingered in the air as the academy representatives looked, clearly trying to think of some retort to what the vice president of the general student council had said, but ultimately coming up blank on what to say. Yet after a moment Yuuka finally broke the silence.

"Well... whether the academies are to blame, what exactly has the general student council president been up to during such a sorry state of affairs? For the last time, I demand to see her this instant!" Yuuka lowered her voice, no longer shouting at the top of her lungs like she had been before, but still keeping her voice raised to a level that showed her frustration and anger as well as put her point across.

Yet instead of immediately answering, a look of uncertainty crossed Rin face, her eyes closing as she removed her glasses before pinching the bridge of her nose, she knew that it was finally time to reveal the president's absence.

As such, after putting her glasses back on and taking a deep and calming breath, she finally spoke.

"I'm afraid the president is not here at the moment. In fact to be frank she has gone missing" Rin let her words hang in the air, a deafening silence overtaking the lobby as all the representatives looked at her in confusion clearly not believing her, but as the silence lingered on the more all of them realise that she wasn't joking or being untruthful.

Yuuka was the first to react, stepping back in shock as her mouth practically fell to the floor. Despite rumours going around about the president's absence, she had been under the suspicion that the president was simply hiding from her duties, rather than outright missing .

"W-what?!" Yuuka managed to stutter out, shock and confusion plastered across her face.

Chinatsu had a similar reaction, the c96 Mauser that she had been holding fell out of her hand, cluttering to the floor loudly as her jaw also metaphorically hit the floor along with it.

Suzumi reaction wasn't as expressive as the first two girls, still she was shocked but not as much as the Gehenna and Millennium representative simply because she had been well aware of the rumours circulating that the general student council president had in fact disappeared.

Of course at the time she had simply disregarded them as alarmist rumours, but to know that those rumours were in fact real and the truth certainly was a shock to the system.

Hasumi's reaction was the most subtle out of all of them, sad acceptance Crossing her face as she closed her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"I see... So the rumours were true after all..." Her words were extremely quiet as she spoke to herself, her head drooping down slightly in sad exceptions of the rumours being true.

Rin let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, turning her head, she saw that the good Hunters gauntleted was still resting on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring but gentle squeeze that she appreciated, and after giving him a quick smile she turned her gaze back to the Academy representatives, a tremendous weight finally off her chest about the president's disappearance.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Rin began speaking, "Allow me to cut to the chase. The general student council has absolutely no authority because the top administrator of the Sanctum Tower has gone missing. We had been searching for a way to bypass the need for verification, all to no avail... until recently"

Rin pause, both to collect her thoughts and to make sure the representatives were understanding what she was saying. And thankfully it seemed that they did as they were all intently listening to her.

"Are you saying you've found a way now, chief officer?" Hasumi spoke, stepping forward slightly as she waited for Rin's response.

After thinking of the right words, a smile spread across her face as Rin finally responded, "That is correct. Sensei here is the answer to our problems"

With those words, she stepped aside, allowing the representatives to see the full unobstructed view of the mysteriously dressed stranger that was referred to as Sensei. Just as before, his clothing was completely alien and bizarre, which was only made worse by the terrifying skeleton mask that covered his face from view.

All the gathered representatives, mouths fell to the floor once again at what the vice president of the general student council had just said. The fact that she referred to the mysterious individual as a sensei through all of them through a loop. Yet after a moment of silence Hasumi once again was the first to speak

"This person... Is a sensei?" Her tone was full of confusion and uncertainty, yet there was a distinct twinge of interest in her voice, as she eyed the mysterious individual.

Rin didn't say anything, simply gesturing to the good Hunter who after a moment stepped forward, his ragged and weathered cloak billowing behind him as he quickly performed an elegant bow.

"Indeed I am, young lady. I am the good Hunter, but if you wish to refer to me as a sensei then that is acceptable" Contrary to his appearance which was bizarre and slightly terrifying, all the representatives were surprised by how soft and gentle his voice was and the way he spoke.

His way of speaking was noticeably old-fashioned, to the point where he sounded like he came from a completely different time. In fact, hearing his voice immediately made both Suzumi and particularly Hasumi think of the tea party members, particularly the current leader Seia Yurizono, who spoke in a similarly old-fashioned and formal way.

"Hold up. Who is this "Sensei" you're talking about? What are they doing here in the first place?" Yuuka said with a sceptical tone in her voice, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the good Hunter up and down, clearly not quite sure what to make of him.

"Whoever he is, He doesn't seem to be from kivotos." Hasumi much like Yuuka eyed the mysterious sensei up and down, her posture noticeably stiffening and her eyes narrowing, when her gaze came to rest on the skeletal mask that covered his face.

Seeing a chance to interrupt, Rin quickly cleared her throat catching all the representatives turning their attention back to her, and after making sure each one of their gazes was on her, she began to speak.

"This is Hunter Sensei, or the good Hunter, as he likes to be called. Not only is he going to be teaching in kivotos. But he has also been personally selected by the general student council president" She gestured towards the good Hunter, yet before she could continue speaking before she was cut off abruptly.

"The president chose him? The one who's now missing? Things are making less and less sense..." Yuuka said with a confused and frustrated expression on her face. It didn't make any sense to her how the president could go missing yet somehow choose a sensei to take her place.

Taking a breath to calm herself, Yuuka began speaking again "A-anyway. It's good to meet you sensei, I'm Millennium science school's... I-I mean, why am I even bothering to introduce myself right now?" She said abruptly, the Millennium representative only realising halfway through her introduction how pointless it was introducing herself.

Rin took on a noticeably dark aura, the sinister and strain smile from before quickly making its way back onto her face as she readjusted her glasses, causing the light to glint off them and make it look as if they were glowing.

"Don't worry about that annoying girl, let's move on, shall we..." Yuuka's mouth practically hit the floor once again, not quite believing what the vice president had just said about her, in fact before she could stop herself anger took over.

"Who are you calling, annoying?! I'm Hayase Yuuka! You should remember that name, Sensei!" Yuuka finished her little diatribe by gesturing towards the good Hunter, who after a moment of seeming surprise gave a small and curt nod.

"Indeed I will remember that name, it's a pleasure to meet you Yuuka Hayase" He said with another bow, his hand reaching out for her own before he suddenly stopped as if he realised what he was doing as he quickly retracted it much Yuuka's confusion.

Rin managing to get control of a frustration once again, let out a sigh as she turned to the good Hunter.

"Hunter sensei. You are here to serve as an advisor for a club that was created by the general student council president. The Federal Investigation Club: Schale" Rin finished speaking, she knew that she was needlessly repeating herself, considering that she had already told the hunter all of this information in her office. But she wanted to be absolutely certain that he understood what he would be doing and what his responsibilities now were.

Although, she did notice all the Academy representatives take an interest when she mentioned the name of the club. Which she supposed was an expected reaction considering that Schale's existence up until this point had been completely confidential, with no one outside the immediate general student council members knowing about its existence.

Clearing her throat, Rin continue from where she had left off. "This isn't your average club-more like a type of extrajudicial organisation. Since it's a federal club, you are allowed to register students from any of the academies in Kivotos. Each Academy region can perform battle activities without restriction"

Rin removed her glasses as she finished, a frustrated sigh exiting her lips as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "How the president was able to create such an organisation with this level of power, I have no idea"

Letting out another sigh, she put her glasses back on, directing her now steely gaze towards the good Hunter, who stared back at her through the eyeholes of his metal skeletal mask.

"As such you have been given a lot of power sensei, more power than anyone in all of Kivotos has ever possessed in its long history, so I expect you to use it wisely and not mistreat it" Rin's was harsh and commanding, making it very clear that she would not tolerate any abuse of the federal investigation club's powers.

The good Hunter for his part simply bowed his head, Rin feeling her cheeks flush just a little bit, as he unexpectedly took her hand into his own. And even though he was wearing a metal gauntlet, she was surprised by just how gentle and soft his grip was.

"I swear on my life, and my honour as a hunter, that I will not abuse this power that has been bestowed upon me" The student representatives watch this interaction with curious fascination, the tone and conviction in his voice left no doubt in any of their mind that he was telling the truth, which itself was bizarre considering that they had no idea who he truly was, but somehow they felt as if they could trust his word.

Rin after recovering from her embarrassment and surprise, gently wiggled her hand free of his grip motioning for him to get up which he did in short order.

"Anyway... The Schale clubroom is about 30 kilometres from here. The building is currently empty, but we had to put something in the basement at the president's request" Rin quickly adjusted her long coat, the representatives watching with confused wild Hunter watched with mild interest as she pulled over her shoulders and clasped the buttons on its front together.

"It's now my job to take you there, Hunter sensei" She said as she quickly retrieved her phone from her coat pocket, seeing out of the corner of her eye at that's the good Hunter was once again watching her intently, his gaze conveying interest and wonder as she speed dialled the number she needed before pressing the call button.

"Momoka. I need a helicopter to take us to the Schale Clubroom" Rin waited for a response on the other end of the line, yet for a moment there was silence, but just when she thought that she might have mistakenly dialled the wrong number, she heard a distinctive and annoyingly familiar crunch from the other end of the line.

"The Schale clubroom? That's over in the outskirts. Things are kind of crazy over there right now... " Momoka on the other end of the line spoke between crunches, causing Rin aggravation to grow because the pink haired girl clearly after all this time had still not learnt basic table manners that even a kindergartener knew.

"What do you mean by "crazy"?" Rin asked tentatively, already not liking where this line of enquiry was going.

"A suspended student escaped from the Corrections Bureau and is wreaking havoc. It's a battlefield over there right now!" Momoka's words immediately made Rin snap to attention, suspended students that it could be, with each one of them not boating well on the current situation.

"They rallied all the thugs in the area and are destroying everything in their path to get revenge on the General Student Council. I hear they even got a Crusader Tank!" Each word that came from the other end of the line made Rin's anxiety and blood pressure spike to an almost dangerous degree. Yet before she could speak, Momoka continued rambling on.

"They must be trying to occupy the Schale building because they know the General Student Council controls it. Maybe they think there's something valuable inside. Oh, well. The city's is already a dump, I don't think it'll make much of a difference anyway..." Rin's hands began to shake violently, the phone clutched in her hand creaking and threatening to shatter under the immense pressure her grip was exerting on it, she didn't appreciate Momoka comment in the slightest.

"Momoka-"

"Oh great! The food I ordered is here, I'll talk to you later!" The line went dead, the lobby being plunged into silence as the good Hunter and the Academy representatives watched Rin simply stand there, the phone still held up to her ear.

Yet the silence was quickly broken by the distinct sound of glass cracking, which was quickly revealed to be the phone in Rin hands, which now had a spider's web of cracks running across the screen.

Rin didn't care that she had broken her phone, the feeling that was boiling inside had long ago morphed from frustration into pure unadulterated rage. The look on her face was almost indescribable, conveying rage, frustration and anger all at the same.

Yet before she could act on the sudden and very irresistible impulse to throw the broken phone clear across the room. Rin felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, which immediately made her snapper gaze in the direction of its owner, only to come face to face with the skeletal mask of the good Hunter, his gaze conveying understanding about her situation, and more importantly concern.

"Deep breaths now, Rin. Take a deep breath and calm yourself, remember what I said earlier" The voice of the good Hunter wormed its way into her ears, the frustration and rage that had been boiling inside her, slowly beginning to diminish, and after taking in a deep breath and letting it go, her anger subsided to the point where she could think clearly again.

"I'm fine now... Just a minor setback. And one that is no problem at all" Rin said mostly to herself, desperately trying to convince herself that the situation wasn't completely hopeless. However, as she felt the good Hunter take his gauntleted hand off her shoulder, she looked up at the Academy representatives, an idea suddenly occurring to her as she stared intently at them.

"W-what? Why are you looking at us like that?" Yuuka found herself incredibly creeped out at how the vice president was staring so intently at her and the rest of the Academy representatives. And it was only made worse when an almost malicious smile made its way onto her lips.

"It's sooo reassuring to have you trustworthy Academy representatives here with us" Rin put as much false sweetness in her voice as physically possible, taking slow and deliberate steps towards the Academy representatives, who all now collectively looked terrified instead of confused.

Yuuka felt her legs beginning to tremble, confusion and fear racing through her as the vice president stepped closer and closer towards her in particular.

"Huh?" Was all that the purple-haired girl could get out before Rin spoke again.

"We are going to need your help to bring peace back to kivotos. Let's go." Rin quickly turned on her heels, motioning for all the representatives to follow her and the good Hunter as they made their way towards one of the many exits of the lobby. One by one, the Academy representatives began to follow.

First Hasumi, who grabbed her rifle, chambering a round as she did so. Next was Chinatsu who quickly retrieved her pistol from the floor, grabbing her large medical bag and swinging it over her shoulder. Suzumi quickly followed, slinging her rifle over her shoulder as she fell into lockstep with the group.

Yuuka however was left standing there completely confused, her white jacket falling off one of her shoulders, one of the watching the group as they began to disappear through one of the many lobby doors.

"Wait What? Where are we going!?"

….​

'What the hell did I do to deserve this!'

Yuuka mentally screamed at herself as she quickly took cover behind an overturned car. Bullets ricocheting off the pavement and the body of the car, sending fragments of rock and metal everywhere as she fumbled with the magazine while trying to reload her submachine gun.
However, just as she managed to insert the mag and press the bolt release, a stray rocket impacted the ground nearby. Exploding in a bright fireball that sent small chunks of debris flying in every direction.

"What's going on!?" Even more thunderous explosions and rapid gunfire drowned out Yuuka's voice. She had got into gun fights before, like pretty much every student her age, but this kind of intensity was something that was completely alien to her.

With a temporary lull in the gunfire coming from the enemy, she quickly popped her SMG over the side of the car, spraying a few rounds down range before pulling it back into cover.

"Why do we have to be the ones to fight them, damn it?!" Yuuka complained loudly as she reached for a fresh mag. Noticing Chinatsu out of the corner of her eye as the Gehenna student, quickly ran from the cover she was resting behind to the very same overturned car Yuuka was using.

"Rin set defending the clubroom is paramount if they're to regain control of the Sanctum Tower" Chinatsu set quickly, as she quickly ducked around the side of the car, aimed her pistol and quickly took out a thug that just happened to be running between cover.

Finally Reloaded, Yuuka did much the same, jumping on top of the car and letting loose a spray of automatic fire, her rounds impacting their intended targets and knocking the delinquents out cold.

"I get that, but I belong to my school's student council! Why is busywork like this falling to me?" Yuuka accompanied her rant by emptying the rest of her magazine in the general direction of the delinquent student. Her bullets quickly finding their target which was a delinquent trying to ready a massive rocket launcher but failing to do so as she was quickly knocked out by the stream of automatic gunfire.

Jumping back behind the cover, Yuuka began to reload once again, yet stopped herself when she realised something. More importantly, a particular somebody that she had somehow managed to lose since arriving at this battlefield.

"Where the hell is sensei anyway? Isn't he part of the reason why we're even here!? Yuuka jammed the magazine into her gun, her eyes scanning around the immediate area, trying to spot the good Hunter. Which shouldn't have been that hard considering his very distinct appearance, but it seemed that he had managed to do some kind of disappearing act, much to her frustration.

Yet as she released the bolt on her weapon she heard a voice that made her jump.

"I am right here Yuuka"

Yuuka snapped her gaze towards the sound of the voice, her heart in her throat as she was caught off guard by the good Hunter standing next to her and Chinatsu, not even taking cover behind the car as a hail of bullets continue to fly in their direction, which somehow all miraculously missed him.

"S-Sensei! What are you doing!?" Jumping to her feet, Yuuka completely forgot about the hail of gunfire coming their way as she quickly grabbed the good Hunter by his cloak, managing despite his much larger frame to pull him to his knees and behind the car that was acting as their cover spot. Although, strangely enough, she noticed that he didn't seem surprised in the slightest by her sudden action.

"What were you doing just standing in the open like that! You could get hurt, Sensei" Yuuka shouted loudly, mostly because of the loud gunfire but also because of the sheer adrenaline running through her system at the fact that the good Hunter could have got himself killed.

Yet instead of saying anything in response, she saw the good Hunter simply stare at her, his mask obscuring his face from view but his gaze conveying confusion and curiosity, as if he was completely unaware that he could have had his head splattered across the pavement by a stray bullet.

"I see, I will keep that in mind Yuuka. But I must say that you should do the same, I would hate to see any of you get hurt or worse on my watch, especially on my first day as your teacher" Yuuka immediately noticed the strange change in his tone as he spoke.

The first part of his sentence was noticeably calm and relaxed, as if the prospect of nearly having his head shot off was something not even to be considered. But the part that caught her attention the most was the noticeable change when he spoke about her and the other representatives being hurt, she could easily pick up on a tone of concern in his voice.

Yuuka try to think of a response to his words, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times before she finally found what she wanted to say. But before she could say it, Chinatsu answered for her.

"The concern is most appreciated, Sensei. But you don't need to worry about us, our halos will keep us safe from most physical damage" The blonde-haired Gehenna student said as she reloaded her pistol, inserting a fresh stripper clip before pulling the slide back and releasing it.

The good Hunter turn to the tension to the blonde haired student, his head tilting up slightly as his gaze came to rest on the crosshair shaped Halo that hovered above her head. Yuuka and Chinatsu both watched him as he stared at it for a moment, seemingly examining every detail of it as if he had never seen such a thing before in his life. In fact, the more he looked at it, the more Chinatsu felt self-conscious, with her cheeks turning noticeably red.

"Even if that is the case, I must implore both of you to stay in cover until we can formulate some kind of strategy to get to the clubroom" The good Hunter said as he turned his intense gaze away from Chinatsu's halo, much to her relief. And quickly poked his head over the side of the upturned vehicle, much to the protest of both students.

"Yuuka, Chinatsu, I will draw the enemies fire while you use the opportunity to incapacitate them" Both representatives didn't have a chance to argue or even really comprehend what he had said before the good Hunter suddenly sprung from the safety of the upturned vehicle.

Yuuka and Chinatsu watched in abject horror as every delinquent on the street turned their rifles towards the good Hunter and opened fire. Yet instead of being gunned down, something almost impossible happened.

Something that was so fast and sudden that in the moment they didn't quite understand what had happened.

One moment the good Hunter was simply standing there, letting the wall of bullets and rockets travel towards him, the next he was several feet away from where he was standing. His cloak flowing behind him, as the bullets that were intended for him harmlessly impacted the street and buildings behind the spot where he had been only a second earlier.

Both Yuuka and Chinatsu's mouths hit the floor, only just now realising exactly what had happened and even though they had seen it with their own eyes, not quite believing it.

The good Hunter had literally dodged bullets.

Something that even the strongest and the most battle hardened of students could not do easily. Yet he somehow did it effortlessly and so quickly that he almost looks like he teleported from one spot to another.

However, before both of them could marvel at this accomplishment any further, the good Hunter quickly shouted over to them, shaking them from their stupor.

"Yuuka, Chinatsu! Fire upon them now! Their guard is lowered!" Both representatives were immediately spurred into action, their shock and confusion at what the good Hunter had just done completely forgotten as both of them jump from behind the improvised cover.

Yuuka quickly took out her second SMG, duel-wielding both of them as she quickly sprayed a hail of bullets at a group of delinquents who were in the process of reloading their weapons. Her bullets landed home and took all of them out in an instant.

Chinatsu held her C96 with both hands, the accuracy of her fire being impeccable as she had no trouble managing to land all her shots on target, with every single one of them being a perfect headshot which was more than enough to complete incapacitate the delinquents as they fell to the ground.

Quickly reloading their weapons, both girls looked around the immediate area, looking for any other delinquents that could be hiding. But thankfully they found none, which made both of them let out a sigh of relief. Both of them taking a moment to rest as the good Hunter quickly approached them.

"That was impeccable work girls, I am very proud of both of you" good Hunter accompanied his praise by putting his hands on both of the girl's heads and gently ruffling their hair.

Yuuka reaction was immediate as she quickly protested, flailing her arms around as her cheeks went rosie red. She was not used to this kind of physical attention from anyone, especially a mysterious male adult that she hardly even knew.

Chinatsu by contrast had a much more subtle reaction her cheeks going rosie red just like Yuuka, but instead of getting immediately flustered and trying to push away the affection, she actually seemed to openly enjoy it, a small smile making its way under her lips as she somewhat shyly tapped the tip of her fingers together.

Finally having enough of the hunter patting her head, Yuuka finally managed to push the good Hunter's hand off her own head, her cheeks now a bright red as she quickly spurted out some words.

"C-cut it O-out Sensei! I'm not a little kid, you know!" The good Hunter was momentarily surprised, but before long he felt a new sensation rise up within him, one that he had not felt in quite some time.

Yuuka's fuming out about the good hunter's actions, was quickly interrupted as she and Chinatsu heard something that caught both of them off guard. A soft chuckle, one that almost sounded like the gentle breeze on a cold night.

Both of them look towards the source of the noise, surprised to see that it was the good Hunter, gently chuckling while shaking his head. Even though the hunter had obviously displayed emotion up until this point, actually hearing him laugh was a strange experience. It filled their very souls with an almost warm, tingly sensation, that made all of their tension and frustration disappear.

After a moment of laughing quietly, the good Hunter managed to get control over himself, speaking between his gradually lessening chuckles.

"Forgive me Yuuka, I let my body control my actions there for a moment... Although I must say that you are particularly adorable when you are flustered" If it were possible, Yuuka's cheeks somehow got even reader than they were before, her eyes dilating rapidly as she quickly grabbed both of her pigtails to try to hide her face with them. This only caused the hunter to chuckle more which was quickly joined by Chinatsu, who despite trying couldn't hold back her own laughter.

Yet before Yuuka could literally die of embarrassment, the group of students and one sensei heard a familiar voice approaching.

"Sensei, I'm sorry that I was separated from you for so long, a particular group of rowdy delinquents had me and Suzumi pinned down the next street over." Hasumi along with Suzumi jogged their way over to the group. The black haired Trinity students, wings flapping behind her, as her... ample assets bounced in rhythm with her step.

Which caused Chinatsu to look down at her own chest, a feeling of inadequacy settling upon her shoulders, despite the fact that she wasn't exactly the smallest in that department.

The good Hunter turned towards the Trinity students, both of them coming to a stop in front of him as they began to catch their breath.

"There is nothing to apologise for Hasumi, we had the situation here under control, and we managed to end it in a swift and decisive" The hunter accompanied his words by gently patting the blackhead girl on the shoulder, making her blushed slightly but other than that she had no reaction to his touch.

"Now that we are all back together, we should make our way towards the clubroom, according to Rin's directions, it should only be a short journey from here" the four students watched as the good Hunter turned his head.

His gaze settling on the distant buildings, as if he somehow already knew where he was going. Which itself was a bit bizarre considering that he obviously wasn't from Kivotos, but they all collectively chalked it up to him simply having a good sense of direction.

And so, after making sure everyone was stocked up on ammo, the group continued on their way towards the Schale club building. Every so often they encountered small groups of delinquents, engaging inlooting and general chaos making, but there was no trouble dispatching any of them. However, as the good Hunter lead the group around one final street corner, the club building finally came into view, but that wasn't all. Gathered outside the building was a large amount of delinquents of various groups, sporting every kind of weapon imaginable, from antiquated bolt action rifles to modern heavy calibre machine guns that were completely illegal to own.

"Everyone! Scatter and find cover!" The good Hunter raised his voice louder than any of them had heard so far, but they didn't need to be told twice, as they all quickly found various pieces of cover.

Which was not a moment too soon as the large gathering delinquents opened fire on their positions, bullets of all sizes and calibres, whizzing past them, impacting the cover they were hiding behind and generally tearing up the street and buildings around them.

"T-this is... Really intense!" Suzumi shouted as loud as she could, her voice being completely drowned out by the sound of bullets hitting the pile of rubble she was taking cover behind. Occasionally poking her head over the improvised cover and shooting controlled bursts at any delinquents that she could get in her line of sight.

Hasumi quickly jump from behind a nearby corner, racking the bolt of her rifle as she quickly put a shot into the head of a delinquent who was running between two pieces of cover. The delinquent instantly being incapacitated as her shot landed home.

Pulling back the bolt and expelling the spent round, she quickly jumped back behind The Wall just in time as a barrage of bullets quickly chipped away at it, but thankfully it held as she chambered the next round.

"I couldn't have said it better myself. I've been in some serious firefights before, but this is on a completely different level!" Hasumi accompanied her words by quickly ducking out of cover, shooting a delinquent in the face, and then quickly ducking back behind cover. Reaching into the slit of her skirt, she retrieved a fresh stripper clip inserted it into her rifle and racking the bolt, the first round being chambered as the now empty strip of metal was sent tumbling to the ground with a loud metallic ping.

Hasumi and Suzumi then look to each other, both of them nodding in unison as they quickly began taking turns at dispatching the delinquents that were currently raining bullets down on their position. Both of the Trinity girls worked like a well-oiled machine as they took out delinquents left and right.

The same however couldn't be said for Yuuka and Chinatsu, who were both pinned down behind the burnt out wreck of what was once a public bus. Yuuka occasionally taking pot shots at any delinquents that she could see without exposing herself to the line of fire and Chinatsu doing her best to do the same despite the fact that her weapon, a c96 pistol, was intended more for self-defence rather than an active firefight like this.

"This is impossible! How the hell are we going to get to the clubroom with all of those troublemakers in the way!" Yuuka accompanied her shouting, by quickly reloading her SMG and shooting at a delinquent who was getting a bit too aggressive and running straight towards their covered position. The delinquent who was wielding a shotgun quickly went down like a sack of bricks, her halo winking out of existence as she fell into unconscious.

Chinatsu quickly expended the last of her magazine, ducking back behind the cover as she reached for a fresh magazine that she kept in her large duffle bag that she had been lugging around this entire time.

"I don't know... all we can hope is that sensei will come up with some kind of plan" Chinatsu said with hopelessness beginning to creep into her voice. Inserting the fresh magazine into her pistol as she turned her gaze over to the good Hunter who was sitting behind an upturned vehicle, his pointy hat along with his head poking just above the improvised cover so he could see the entire battlefield.

Yuuka stop firing SMG talking back behind the cover as she looked at the Gehenna student with a concerned expression. Despite not wanting to believe it she was honestly beginning to think, that the good Hunters ability to direct them in combat earlier was nothing more than a fluke, considering that so far they had been sitting here taking bullets and knocking out a few delinquents without really accomplishing anything.

Reaching into her pocket, the purple haired girl quickly pulled out a small digital calculator, looking at it with an almost forlorn expression as she contemplated actually using it, despite the fact that she hadn't actually tested it under these kinds of conditions.

However, before she could contemplate that line of thought any further, she, along with the other Academy representatives, all suddenly heard the good Hunter speak for the first time since this fire fight had begun.

"Everyone! Come to my position now, I have formulated a plan" the good Hunter's voice carried across the battlefield, easily reaching all the Academy Representatives in the positions they were, and after a small amount of hesitation. One by one, they began to make their way to his position. Using the momentary lapses in enemy fire to quickly jump from cover to cover before finally arriving at his position behind the upturned car.

Chinatsu was the last to go, hefting the large bag strap onto her shoulder as she quickly ran from behind the burnt out bus. Which couldn't have been more perfectly timed, as the bus was quickly enveloped in a fiery explosion by a delinquent that happened to have a rocket launcher on her.

The Gehenna student paid it no mind however as she continued to run, ducking and weaving between broken rubble and burnt out cars as she finally made it to the overturned car that sensei was using as his improvised cover.

Letting the bag drop from her shoulder, Chinatsu quickly fell onto her butt, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. She was never one to skip physical education, After all, skipping classes of any kind was something that could put you on a fast track to becoming a delinquent.

But unfortunately physical education was always her weakest subject simply because she wasn't a very athletic girl, not like her fellow Prefect Team member and friend Iori who absolutely excelled at any physical sport.

"Chinatsu, are you alright, young lady?" The good Hunter turned his gaze towards the Gehenna student who was desperately trying to catch her breath, his gaze even though it was hidden behind his mask conveying concern for her physical condition.

Managing to gulp down as much are she physically could, Chinatsu felt her heart rate beginning to return to a normal pace turn and after taking a couple more deep breaths, she finally responded to sensei.

"I'm F-fine, I'm just not very G-good at physical-activities at all... It's my W-weakest subject" She managed to force a chuckle between her breaths, yet instead of immediately responding, the good Hunter continued to stare at her for a moment before ultimately shaking his head.

"I see, if physical education is your weakest subject, I suppose after all of this mess is sorted out, we can remedy that somehow. After all, a healthy mind isn't of any use if it doesn't have a healthy body to work in tandem with" Chinatsu felt her cheeks turn hot, a vicious blush making itself easily apparent on her face as the prospect of one-on-one lessons with sensei wasn't exactly something she would be against. Yet she quickly shook the embarrassment and that thought away, after all, much like the good Hunter had implied they needed to fix this situation first.

The hunter after a moment quickly clapped his gauntleted hands together, his clap somehow being heard over the gunfire and Explosions and therefore catching all the gathered students' attention.

"I need all of you to listen to me intently, the number of adversaries as many and we are few. But I've come up with a plan" The good Hunter paused for a moment, making sure that all the Academy representatives were listening to him, which thankfully they were as they all intently stared at him.

"I have not acted until now because I was watching you young ladies fight, I needed to know what your strengths were before we proceeded, and now I do, so here is the plan that I have devised"

Yuuka, Chinatsu, Hasumi and Suzumi old watched intently as the good Hunter began to explain his plan, which was aided by him carving a crude but useful visual battle strategy into the pavement with a piece of bent rebar he picked up from the ground.

"Yuuka, Suzumi I want both of you at the front here in the formation, both of you are extremely adept at using those quick firing weapons of yours" Both students nodded in agreement as they watch the good Hunter carve little circles into the pavement that represented them, before moving on to the back line of the formation.

"Hasumi I want you in the backline, that rifle of yours is extremely powerful, and accurate but ultimately slow firing, therefore your accuracy and power would be best suited supporting the front line from a rear guard position" Hasumi watch the good Hunter carved another little circle into the pavement representing her.

Despite the fact that she was an incredibly quick shot with her rifle, being able to empty an entire magazine in less than 3 seconds. She knew that going up against delinquents that had automatic weapons was not the best idea, especially considering that her rifle only held 5 rounds. As such, after a small amount of contemplation, she nodded her head also.

Satisfied with this, the good Hunter then moved on to the final student, who was awaiting her role assignment.

"Chinatsu, I want you to stay close to me, while your weapon is far from useless, unfortunately I do not feel that you could be with much used in the front line, alongside Yuuka and Suzumi" The good Hunter carved one last symbol into the pavement, a small circle alongside a bigger circle that represented himself at the very back of the formation.

He was half expecting the Gehenna student to be somewhat disappointed with her placement in the formation, yet to his surprise she simply nodded in agreement, retrieving her bag from the concrete pavement next to her as she spoke.

"I don't have any problems of that sensei, to be perfectly honest frontline combat isn't exactly my speciality, I've always been more suited for support role" She finished by adjusting her glasses wiping away some dirt and grime that had accumulated on the lenses over the course of the firefight from earlier.

Looking at her for a moment, the good Hunter gave a nod of affirmation, dropping the piece of rebar as he quickly stood up before issuing his orders.

"Yuuka, Suzumi, I want you to make your way over to that building, and stay in that position until I give the word" The good Hunter pointed at the building he was referring to, one that once upon a time was an electronics shop but had now been completely looted and stripped of anything valuable.

Suzumi, Yuuka both nodded, grabbing their weapons and making sure they were loaded and ready before they quickly ran from cover to cover. Both girls quickly arriving at the empty building and quickly taking up cover inside while they waited for Sensei's word.

With the two students and position, the good Hunter turned his attention to Hasumi, who like a well-trained soldier already had her rifle in hand and was waiting for the order to move.

"Hasumi, make your way over to the opposite side of the street where that destroyed wagon is and wait for my mark" The Trinity student was a bit thrown off by sensei's choice of word, considering that she had never heard anyone referred to a car as a wagon.

But shaking her head she told herself that strange things like that were not important right now, she quickly made her way over to the burnt out car which was lying on its side, taking up her designated position as she waited for the word.

With a nod, the good hunter confirmed that every student was in position and prepared to follow his command. He then turned to Chinatsu, who remained seated with her back against the makeshift cover. Extending his hand, he offered assistance to the surprised Gehenna student. Chinatsu accepted, finding herself unexpectedly lifted to her feet with effortless strength.

Seen that everything was in place, the good Hunter motion for Chinatsu to get behind him, which she did without complained as she prepared her pistol just in case she needed to use it.

"Everyone! Let the hunt begin!" the good Hunter's voice carried across the battlefield, his choice of words being bizarre to the academy representatives. But they all quickly understood what he meant as they spring into action.

Hasumi using the destroyed car as cover began to take out as many delinquents as she could see, the accuracy and precision of her shots being almost supernatural as she made sure any delinquent would think twice before stepping out of cover and into the open.

"Yuuka, Suzumi both of you advance now!" The Hunter ordered as he pointed to where they needed to go, both students being momentarily confused at exactly what he wanted them to do before it suddenly clicked. Hasumi's accurate and precise fire had made the delinquents afraid to expose themselves, meaning that they wouldn't see a counter-attack coming until it was too late.

Suzumi's eyes lit up as an idea suddenly occurred to her, Yuuka watching with confusion as the Trinity student quickly retrieved a cylindrical object from her belt. One that caused Yuuka's eyes to widen as she immediately recognised it as a high-powered flashbang, something that she knew most students shouldn't have access to.

Wordlessly but with an excited look on her face, Suzumi quickly pulled the pin on the flash grenade, holding it in her hand for about a second before she quickly tossed it towards the group of delinquents. The flashbang sailing through the air in a perfect ark as it quickly landed amongst the delinquents and before any of them could react they were blinded and deafened by the Exploding flashbang.

"Come on Yuuka's let's go!" Suzumi said excitedly as she quickly grabbed her rifle, rushing out of the derelict store before the Millennium student could give any kind of protest.

"H-hey! G-give me some warning next time, dammit!" Yuuka explained, running after the Trinity student as she readied her smg.

Suzumi and Yuuka quickly made it to the group of delinquents, who was still dazed and confused by the flashbang, and quickly seizing on the opportunity both Academy representatives quickly gunned the delinquents down, making sure each one of them was thoroughly incapacitated before kicking away their weapons and taking their position as their own.

Seeing the two girls move up, Hasumi quickly reloaded her rifle as she moved to another spot, so that she could continue to give fire support to Suzumi and Yuuka. The good Hunter and Chinatsu did the same as they quickly moved to a new cover spot, taking cover behind a burnt-out vehicle that once upon a time was a delivery truck.

Yuuka knelt down, pulling a fresh mag from her coat pocket as she reloaded her smg. Suzumi took the time to do something similar, inserting a fresh magazine into her assault rifle before she clicked the bolt release. But as she did this, both students were quickly knocked off their feet by an explosion that hit nearby.

"Yuuka, Suzumi!" the good Hunter shouted at the top of his lungs, seeing the explosion and fearing the worst, he made to run over to where Yuuka and Suzumi position was. Yet he found himself stopped as somebody quickly grabbed onto one of his arms, turning his head to see that it was none other than Chinatsu, her face full of fear for his safety.

"Sensei you need to stay here, I will go" The good Hunter didn't get a chance to protest her words as the blonde-haired girl quickly ran from the safety of the burnt-out delivery truck.

"Chinatsu! What are you-" The good Hunter tried to call after the student but had no luck as she continued to run between cover, the large bag slung over her shoulder making her movement extremely sluggish as she continued after shift its weight so she wouldn't fall over.

"Hasumi! Cover Chinatsu!" Hasumi immediately did it she was ordered, despite the fact that she and the Gehenna student didn't exactly get along, rivalries between academies could wait until they weren't in a dangerous situation like this.

As such, she began to take out any delinquency she could see, making sure that none of them tried targeting the Gehenna student, as she made her way over to Yuuka and Suzumi's position.

Pulling the bolt back on her rifle, Hasumi quickly retrieved another stripper clip as she inserted it into her rifle, her dark red eyes scanning for the exact origin from where the rocket launcher had been fired earlier. However, as she continued to provide supporting fire while keeping an eye out for the target, she suddenly heard the good Hunter shout loudly at her.

"Hasumi! Target at the end of the street, second building on the left, 4th floor, third window from the right!" Hasumi quickly directed her rifle to the called out location, her red pupils narrowing as she quickly spotted her target. Sat in the window of the building, in the process of reloading her massive rocket launcher as she intended to cause more havoc with it.

"Not on my watch you don't, delinquents like you deserve to be punished" Hasumi spoke quietly to herself as she acquired her target, mentally accounting for both windage and elevation as she aimed for the delinquents head. As she was doing this, a dark aura began to surround her rifle, swirling around the barrel as Hasumi quickly racked the bolt of her rifle, before pulling the trigger.

The good hunter from his position watched with fascination as this happened, his gaze following the trajectory of the bullet now encase in a dark aura as it left the barrel and sailed through the air at supersonic speed, hitting the delinquent Square in the face, a dark explosion surrounding her as she was quickly incapacitated by it before unceremoniously falling out of the window and to the street below.

Letting a small smile spread across her face, Hasumi quickly pulled the bolt back on her rifle, chambering a new round as she resumed her task of providing covering fire to Chinatsu as she made her way over to Yuuka and Suzumi's position.

Chinatsu quickly skidded to a halt, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart as she quickly put her pistol back in its holster, reading herself for the worst as she finally made it to Yuuka and Suzumi's position.

"Yuuka, Suzumi!" Are you two OK?" Chinatsu called as loudly as she could manage, quickly rounding the piece of rubble that had been their cover. Much to her relief, both students were in fact still conscious and didn't look like they had taken that much damage from the explosion, although it certainly had still done a number on them.

Yuuka hearing the sound of the Gehenna student's voice looked in her direction, her purple hair slightly frazzled and noticeably dishevelled from the explosion but other than that thankfully she had very little injuries.

"I'm fine, a few bruises, but I'll live" Yuuka managed to say, letting out a quiet groan, as she managed to get to her feet, her knees shaking considerably as she quickly grabbed onto the of rubble to support herself. Chinatsu seeing this move to help the Millennium student, yet Yuuka quickly shook her hand, trying to reassure Chinatsu that she was alright.

"I'm fine honestly, Suzumi got it worse than I did, so you should look at her first" Chinatsu wasn't convinced by the Millennium student's words about her being fine. But decided to not push the issue as she turned her attention to the Trinity student, who currently had her back up against one of the pieces of rubble that made up their covered position.

Suzumi despite being conscious, and still on high alert, her rifle clutched in her hands. Had much like Yuuka said got the brunt of the explosion, the entire side of her uniform was completely torn up, with her skin beginning to turn black and blue from the bruises that were beginning to form, which wasn't made any better by the numerous small cuts that oozed a small amount of blood.

Kneeling next to Suzumi, Chinatsu exchanged a quick glance with the Trinity student before she put her large bag down next to her, quickly opening up one of the large zippers as she rooted around for the exact items that she needed. Which upon pulling out revealed large medical bandages and a syringe filled with a blue medicine.

Chinatsu quickly unravelled the bandages, looking at Suzumi for permission to proceed, which the Trinity student quickly gave in the form of a small nod. As such, she quickly got to work wrapping the bandages Suzumi's torso. The silver head girl letting out quiet whimpers and groans of discomfort as the disinfectant bandages came into contact with her cuts and fresh bruises.

"Sorry, I forgot to say this with sting" Chinatsu quietly apologised, paying extra attention to the most heavily bruised areas of Suzumi's upper chest and breast area, being sure to wrap the bandages especially tight in that region. Both to give the girl some dignity considering her chest was practically on display, and to make sure the bandages held fast, considering that she had a distinct feeling that this battle was far from over.

"It's F-fine, it's not my first time being P-atched up in the middle of a B-battle like this" Suzumi managed to let out a small laugh between her hisses and groans of pain. Fondly remembering some of the altercations she got into and the fact that members of the Knights Hospitaller would often be there to patch her up after or even during the fight.

Chinatsu finished preparing the bandages, a small smile making it's way on to her face because of what the Trinity student had just said. Patching people up in the middle of battle like this was something that she also had experience with, especially the many occasions when her fellow prefect team member, Iori, got herself caught up in unnecessary firefights while doing her job.

"Alright, the bandages are in place... although, I don't know how well you're going to like this next part" Chinatsu accompanied her words by giving the bandages one last adjustment to make sure they were tight, and retrieving the large fluid-filled syringe which upon seeing Suzumi flinched slightly, a noticeable amount of discomfort and maybe even a small amount of fear in her eyes.

"I'm guessing there's no way I can say no... Right" Despite the slight pleading tone in Suzumi's voice. Chinatsu simply shook her head indicating that was the case, any hope in the Trinity student's eyes completely evaporating, she took a noticeable gulp. Yet, as Chinatsu remove the syringe's protective plastic cap, a barrage of bullets quickly impacted the piece of rocky debris that they were all using as cover. Yuuka quickly readying her SMG as she began to return fire.

"Whatever You're Gonna do, make it quick. We have a metric ton of delinquents coming our way, and they don't look particularly pleased" Yuuka said as she peeked over the edge of the cover, being careful not to get a stray bullet to the face as she counted about 15 delinquents all rushing towards their position.

She couldn't really understand why they would be so stupid as to leave their covered positions and rush them like this, but she suspected it was probably something along the lines of the delinquent getting bored and wanting to cause more chaos and destruction.

Chinatsu and Suzumi both looked at the purple haired Millennium girl for a moment before turning back to look at each other. The look on Suzumi's face being one of complete and utter defeat as a sigh escaped her lips.

"Just do it quickly, I'm not a little kid any more, so I don't know why I'm still scared of needles" Suzumi closed her eyes and turned her head away, grimacing noticeably as she waited for the pain that would come from the needle entering her flesh. Chinatsu for her part simply said nothing as she located a prominent vein on the girl's arm, positioning the needle so it would go in properly.

However, before she jammed the needle into Suzumi's arm, Chinatsu quickly spoke. "If it's any consolation, I still don't particularly like needles myself"

Suzumi turned to look back at Chinatsu, opening her mouth to say something, but not having the chance to do so as the needle was quickly jabbed into her arm.

"Ow! Dammit that hurt!"

In truth, the actual pain from the needle entering her flesh wasn't as much as she had expected, but the suddenness of it was what made her jump. Instinctively trying to pull her arm back, which was prevented by Chinatsu with her free hand as the liquid was quickly injected into her veins.

Yet whatever was in the syringe quickly got to work with the effect being almost immediate, the pain from both the needle going into her arm and the residual ache from her taking the explosion in the first place almost immediately vanished, with it replaced by almost newfound energy, the kinds of which that even trinity's best medicine could never hope to compare to.

As Chinatsu removed the needle, while wiping away some of the blood with a cotton bud, Suzumi found herself almost vibrating on the spot wanting to jump to her feet right away as, the energy that was coursing through her veins was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

The only thing that she could compare it to, was like drinking an entire crate of energy drinks in one go without stopping. But even then the comparison was only flimsy at best, because unlike drinking a crate of energy drinks which shamefully she had done in her younger years, whatever had been injected into her left her completely energised both physically and even mentally without any kind of negative side effect.

"Sorry, I don't have any proper plasters" Suzumi was pulled from her thoughts by Chinatsu voice, her gaze snapping to the Gehana student who was holding a small plaster in her hands, one that she immediately recognised as a Peroro-themed one that was very popular with younger kids.

Looking at the plaster for a moment, Suzumi turn to a gaze back to Chinatsu both students scaring at each other for a moment before Suzumi let out a quiet chuckle.

"If it's all you've got then I suppose it will just have to do, besides its kind of cute in a weird way" Suzumi saw a small smile make its way onto Chinatsu's face, who quickly got to work applying the small bandage over the spot where she had used the syringe, the coldness and stickiness of the plaster making the whitehead Trinity student wince slightly as it quickly stuck fast to her skin and covered up the wound.

Chinatsu quickly zipped up her bag, retrieving her pistol which was laying nearby, quickly rising to her feet as she made sure that it was fully loaded before she offered a hand to Suzumi, who after a moment quickly took it retrieving her own rifle as she was pulled to her feet by the blonde haired Gehenna student.

"Normally I would say that at least 15 minutes of rest is required after such an injection... But it looks like we don't have that luxury right now" Chinatsu words were punctuated by a series of bullets whizzing over both of their heads.

"Yeah... I feel a bit light-headed, but I'm good to fight" Suzumi accentuated her words by racking the bolt on her rifle, chambering a new round as she held her rifle at the ready.

"Guys! Hurry up-" Yuuka didn't get a chance to finish, as the group of delinquents that had been advancing on their position finally arrived, several of them immediately surrounding the free students, with their rifles pointing at them.

"Ha! We've got you now!" A delinquent, with a red painted helmet, exclaimed proudly as if she had just accomplished some kind of great victory.

"Yeah! We're going to fill you full of holes!" another one with a black painted helmet and a very out of regulation uniform accompanied her words by jabbing Chinatsu's chest with the muzzle of her rifle.

Chinatsu didn't appreciate this, as she glared vicious daggers at the delinquent, yet before she could act on the sudden impulse to viciously beat the delinquent over the head with the butt of her pistol, fate decided to intervene.

BANG! BANG!

"Huh!

"What the hell!"

Yuuka, Chinatsu and Suzumi along with several delinquents were suddenly caught off guard by the helmets of two delinquents exploding in a shower of plastic fragments, both delinquent's halos winking out of existence as they fell to the floor like puppets with their strings cut.

Using the opportunity, Chinatsu quickly grabbed the muzzle of the delinquents rifle that was pointed at her, grip and before the Troublemaker could react grabbed it with both hands raising it above her head and bringing the rifle, now improvised bat down hard.

The delinquent's helmet made a satisfying plasticy cracking noise as it's shattered like glass from the force of the impact, Chinatsu quickly dropping the rifle putting some distance between her and the troublemaker as the delinquent stumbled only just managing to stay on her feet as she tried to recover from the sudden blow.

Chinatsu however wouldn't give the delinquent a chance to recover as she quickly brought up her pistol, releasing the safety and somewhat angrily emptied an entire magazine of 9 mm cartridges into the delinquency chest. Which was more than enough to put her out of commission as she collapsed like a sack of bricks. Her halo disappearing as her body hit the floor with a hollowed thump.

Yuuka like Chinatsu used the sudden confusion to charge the nearest delinquent, pivoting on one of her feet as she quickly delivered a vicious roundhouse kick, which was more than enough to disarm the delinquent and knock her to the ground. Giving Yuuka ample time to quickly shoot her several times with her SMG, before emptying the rest of her magazine into another confused delinquent that unluckily happened to be standing close by.

Suzumi, unlike Yuuka and Chinatsu didn't use any hand-to-hand combat, simply choosing to unload the entirety of her assault rifle's magazine into the nearest delinquent, before quickly reloading and doing the same to two more.

In a state of disbelief, the remaining two delinquents gazed upon their unconscious and incapacitated gang members scattered on the ground. They couldn't comprehend how their friends had succumbed to defeat so swiftly.

Moments later, they exchanged glances before turning their attention to the Academy representatives, who now significantly outnumbered them. Despite being at a severe disadvantage, both delinquents stubbornly kept their rifles raised, demonstrating unwavering determination and a disregard for their own safety.

Yuuka Chinatsu and Suzumi all raised their respective weapons, all three of the Academy representatives reading themselves for the gunfight that was about to begin.

The five students all respectively held their ground, nobody daring to take the first shot as they were stuck in a true Mexican-style stand-off. And even though the delinquents were clearly outnumbered and outgunned, they couldn't have cared either way.

However, both of the helmeted students saw the faces of the Academy representatives suddenly change, their expressions of anger and seriousness almost disappearing as they all did something completely unexpected.

They lowered their weapons.

Seemingly just giving up, which the two delinquents couldn't have been more excited by, because it meant that they wouldn't give any resistance when they gunned them down.

"Ha! Giving up that easily, huh?" The delinquent with the purple and black helmet said mockingly. Emphasising her words by both laughing and poking the barrel of her gun in the general direction of Chinatsu, who simply didn't respond but clearly didn't appreciate what she had said.

"Hell yeah! You're making this too easy" the other delinquent, this one wearing a helmet that comprised of various pink and yellow swirls, said with an almost childlike glee that in any other situation would have been considered quite cute.

"You got any last words before we fill you full of holes!" the pink and yellow helmeted delinquent said it in an almost joking manner

After exchanging glances with Chinatsu and Suzumi, Yuuka smirked and stepped forward. The delinquents, caught off guard by her boldness, snapped their rifles at her, clearly not expecting her to take them up on their word.

"As a matter of fact I do, before you fill us full of holes... you might want to take a look behind you" The condescending and smug tone was practically dripping from Yuuka's voice as she tried her absolute hardest not to burst out into a fit of laughter.

Both delinquents were confused and somewhat offended by her tone of voice not understanding what she was getting at, however, that's when a dark shadow quickly loomed over them. One which was accompanied by a menacing, dark aura that made their very souls begin to shake with fear.

Slowly turning around, both helmeted delinquents came face to face with somebody that made their blood run cold. Standing over them was the good Hunter, the shadow cast by his large brimmed which like hat, obscuring much of the skeletal mask from view, yet his six inhuman eye sockets globe with a dull red aura that radiated malice and terror.

Both delinquent's weapons fell from their grasp, dropping to the floor with a notable thump as they felt their knees beginning to give out underneath them. Yet before they could collapse, the good Hunter moved with such speed that it was almost impossible to see what he had done.

But the effect was almost immediate as the halos above the delinquent heads suddenly winked out of existence as their bodies went limp and dropped like stones, but before they could impact the hard concrete, the good Hunter caught both delinquents in his arms, and with a gentleness from that had not been seen up until this point, placed both unconscious girls down onto the concrete softly.

Quickly rising back to his full height, the good Hunter turned his attention to Yuuka, Chinatsu and Suzumi, his gaze conveying both relief and concern as he quickly spoke.

"Yuuka, Suzumi are you both unharmed?" Both students quickly shook their heads. Despite the majority of her blazer being ripped to pieces, Suzumi was thankful that her injuries looked worse than they actually did.

"I'm a little banged up, but I'm fine. Especially after how good Chinatsu patched me up" Suzumi said with a confident tone, twisting her shoulder around in an exaggerated movement to show that she looked fine, as well as sending a thankful glance towards the Gehenna student who looked quite surprised that Suzumi had called her by her first name.

"I'm fine as well sensei, Suzumi got it worse than I did, so I'm still good to go" Yuuka emphasised her point by bringing up both of our SMGs and in one fluid motion releasing the bolt on both of them, the metallic noise that emanated from the guns somehow conveying slight malicious.

The good Hunter looked at both girls, his gaze conveying a deep sense of relief as he let a quiet chuckle escape his lips, quickly and unexpectedly padding both of the girls on the head. Suzumi was incredibly surprised by the sudden action but didn't protest, a small blush and shy smile making its way onto her face. Yuuka's reaction was much the same as before, her face going as red as a tomato as she flailed her arms around, trying to get the good Hunter to stop his head pat.

"I'm glad to hear that you are both safe and sound, as your teacher it is my responsibility to look after you. So I would hate to have you injured on my watch" The Hunter said as he finished giving both girls their head pats,

The sound of footsteps from behind causing him to turn his head, his hand twitching ever so slightly, before seeing that it was none other than Hasumi. Her Raven black hair flowing behind her like a dark waterfall as she joined up with the rest of the group.

"Sensei, the delinquents appear to be retreating" The blackhead Trinity student said as she came to a stop next to the good Hunter, quickly inserting a fresh stripper clip into her rifle before she closed the bolt.

"I see, then I suppose that means we have beaten them for now" The good Hunter turned to Hasumi, raising his hand, and before she could protest giving her a head pat of her own. An embarrassed look made its way onto her face as she tried to push his hand away, her cheeks going a noticeable shade of red.

"S-sensei! Please refrain from doing such things, I'm not a child" Hasumi managed to push the good Hunter's hand away, her cheeks a bright violet red as she tried to compose herself.

"Anyway, even though they are retreating simply regrouping, and even possibly even formulating some kind of counterattack" Hasumi's words made the good Hunter pause for a moment, his gauntleted hand coming up to gently rub the metallic chin of his skeletal mask in seemingly deep contemplation.

"I see... if that is the case, then we must formulate a counterattack of our own" Hasumi, Yuuka Chinatsu and Suzumi all snapped to attention when he spoke those words, listening intently as they waited for whatever plan he was going to come up with.

"It's clear that the club building is within reach, but our path is obstructed by a group of delinquents who have retreated strategically to either regroup or reinforce their defences." the good Hunter much like you had done before quickly got to one knee as he began carving out a crude battle diagram in the pavement, all of these Academy representatives watching intently as he did so.

"As such, here is what we will do, instead of waiting for them to approach us or letting them fortify themselves, we need to eliminate them and punch through their line as quickly as possible" The good Hunter drew a crude line representing the defensive line of the delinquents and then an arrow pointing towards it, which Hasumi, Yuuka Chinatsu and Suzumi immediately understood represented them.

"Yuuka, Suzumi I want you to perform as the vanguard, you two will act as the head of the spear that will punch through their lines. Hasumi and Chinatsu, both of you will remain in the back with me giving as much support as possible to Yuuka and Suzumi as we break through the delinquent's defences" All the students watched and listened intently as the good Hunter finish drawing his crude diagram in the pavement.

It was an incredibly risky plan for sure but considering that the delinquents would either counter-attack or dig themselves so it was the only one they had that could have any possibility of succeeding especially if they acted upon it now.

Without any words, everyone immediately assumed their intended positions, Yuuka and Suzumi taking up the head of the formation as they made sure their weapons were ready and loaded for what was about to come. Hasumi and Chinatsu both formed up around the good Hunter, the students sharing a quick glance with each other before they both nodded in agreement, whatever bad blood there was between their schools could wait until this was over, because they needed to focus on protecting the good hunter from harm and providing as much support as they could manage to Yuuka and Suzumi.

"Alright, is everyone ready for what is to come?" The Hunter said as he looked around at the Academy representatives, he wanted to make sure that all of them were prepared because once they started there was no turning back.

"Yes sensei!" Hasumi, Chinatsu, Yuuka and Suzumi all said at the same time, each one of them emphasising their words by cocking their respective weapons.

In a moment of suspense, the Hunter stood stoically silent. Abruptly, his arm shot upward, one of his metallic fingers piercing the sky as a resounding shout escaped his lips. "Alright everyone! Let's teach these troublemakers a lesson that they will be sure not to forget!"

As soon as the words left the good Hunter's mouth, the group quickly sprung into action, swiftly exiting the piece of rubble that had been using as cover and quickly advancing on the delinquent entrenched position. The troublemakers for their part were completely caught off guard by the sudden advance, not having time to react as several of them were quickly gun down by the collective fire from Yuuka and Suzumi.

Quickly making ground, the group suddenly ducked behind an overturned vehicle using it as cover as several delinquents Returned fire, the good Hunter waited for the precise moment that they would all empty their magazines, using that opportunity to give an order to Hasumi.

"Hasumi! They are reloading their weapons, seize the opportunity and take them out!" The raven haired student without a word did she was commanded, jumping out from behind cover as she took aim with her bolt action rifle, finding her target and pulling the trigger before racking the bolt in rapid succession 4 times. Each shot was almost unnaturally precise and accurate, every single one of them hitting the delinquent square between the eyes and shattering their helmet visors as a result.

Ducking back behind cover as the delinquent bodies fell to the floor, Hasumi proceeded to reload her rifle, saving the singular spare round that was ejected for later as she inserted a fresh stripper clip.

With the group of delinquents now incapacitated thanks to Hasumi's expert and accurate fire, the good Hunter turned his attention to another group of delinquents which had foolishly jumped out from behind their covered position and were firing wildly in their general direction.

"Yuuka, Suzumi, I want you to advance, incapacitate those troublemakers and procure that position, once you have done this we will follow" Both girls watched the Hunter gesture to where he was talking about, which was currently occupied by about 5 delinquents which were firing haphazardly in their general direction.

Yuuka and Suzumi both turned to look at each other for a moment before nodding, an eager smile making its way onto both girls faces as they brought up their weapons and prepared them for battle.

"You can count on us Sensei" Yuuka said enthusiastically, quickly grabbing her second SMG which she had been keeping in reserve for just such an occasion.

"Yeah we'll clear the way for you, plus I want some payback after what they did to my uniform" Suzumi emphasised her words by pointing at the tattered remains that was once her blazer and shirt.

The good Hunter looked at both girls before giving a nod, which was all the confirmation they needed as they quickly jumped out from behind the cover and quickly went on their way, firing their weapons all the while as they advance on the enemy position.

"Hunter sensei, what should we do?" Chinatsu said with a calm and even tone, although the good Hunter was able to detect a slight amount of eagerness in her voice.

Turning to look at her, he paused for a moment, before finally finding his words. "We will hold this position and provide as much support to Yuuka and Suzumi as we can manage"

If the Gehenna student was disappointed by his response, then she didn't show it as she simply nodded in return, keeping her pistol close as she made sure that her medicine bag was at the ready just in case it was ever needed.

However, as Chinatsu went to retrieve a spare magazine that she kept in one of the many large pouches on her medicine bag, she failed to notice the ever so distinctive glint of a rifle scope in a ruined building not far away. In fact, she was so unaware of the fact that she was being targeted, she didn't have a chance to react as the owner of the rifle pulled the trigger.

Yet where she failed to notice her impending doom, somebody else did, as the rapport of a singular gunshot somehow drowned out every other sound on the battlefield.

BANG!

"CHINATSU!"

Chinatsu heard both the gunshot and her name being shouted, and by Instinct alone she closed her eyes, expecting the worst. However, instead she found herself wrapped up in a pair of extremely strong yet gentle arms, and after several very tense moments, she tentatively opened one eye, only to have both of them shoot wide open when she saw the sight before her.
The good Hunter had wrapped her in a tight embrace, his black and tattered cloak draped around her like the wings of a dark angel, as his massive body practically dwarfed her own. Yet those kinds of details were the absolute furthest thing from her mind.

A wave of horrific dread washing over her as horrific realisation settled in at exactly what had happened, which was only made even worse when she felt the Hunter's body lost most of its strength. His substantial weight now pressing down onto her as he struggled to keep himself upright while also protecting her from any follow-up shops from the sniper.

"S-Sensei!" Chinatsu tried to free herself from his grip, her medical Instincts already kicking in, yet even though his strength continues to dwindle he did not let go of her. And before she could protest even further he quickly barked out an order, which was accompanied by spatters of blood spraying out from the mouthpiece of his skeletal mask, some of which much to her horror landed on her cheek and glasses.

"H-Hasumi! The white-F-faced building at the fire E-end of the Street, 6th floor left window" Hasumi turn her attention to the Hunter when he shouted her name, only for her eyes to widen in shock and her mouth fall open when she saw him protecting Chinatsu. Even though his cloak obscured most of the Gehenna student and his body from view his position, as well as the stutter in his voice, made it horrifyingly apparent what had just happened.

Yet before she could say anything, the good Hunter spoke once again, this time his voice having a noticeable strain to it. "H-Hasumi! T-take out the R-rifleman now"

Despite the horror and worry that was now etched into her mind, she quickly pushed all of it aside, as Hasumi quickly took aim in the general direction, her excellent eyesight straining slightly as she tried to find her target, which she was able to do so when the telltale glint caught her eye, exactly where the good Hunter had said it would be.

Taking a deep breath, she held it as she waited for the right moment, her finger inching onto the trigger as her entire body went rigid. Doing the mental math to correct for both windage and elevation, Hasumi finally pulled the trigger.

The sound of her rifle somehow drowning out the chaos of the battlefield as to her delight, her shot hit the exact mark she aimed for, which specifically in this case was the rifle scope which exploded in a shower of glass and metal as the delinquent that was using it was put out of commission.

Yet any kind of positive emotion was completely forgotten as she almost threw her rifle aside, scrambling to get to the good Hunter's side who was still huddled over Chinatsu, selflessly using his very own body as a shield to protect her.

"Sensei!" Hasumi shouted with concern as she threw her rifle to the ground, not caring in the slightest if it got damaged by the sudden action. Quickly kneeling down next to the good Hunter, and used her considerable strength to prop him up on her own body, which was horrifyingly easy despite his incredible weight.

"G-good work.. Hasumi... That was the most excellent shot" in any other situation, Hasumi would have been positively elated by the complement of her marksmen ability, but right now she couldn't have cared less.

Chinatsu now finally free from the good Hunters protective embrace, quickly got to work as Hasumi with much effort, managed to prop the good Hunter up against the vehicle that all three of them had been using as cover.

"S-sensei, Why... Why did you do that?... I told you that our halos can keep us safe from physical damage..." Chinatsu try not let her emotions get the better of her, especially considering that she needed to focus on treating the Hunter's injuries. But as she began to try and remove the cloak that covered his chest, that was much easier said than done as she felt tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

Even though she did not know the good Hunter all that well, considering that she had only met him a few hours earlier. Seeing anyone hurt, especially because of her, was something that always weighed heavily on her mind, it also didn't help that in the little time she had spent with him, she had seen that the good Hunter was an incredibly decent and genuinely good person.

The Hunter did not say a word, simply letting out a quiet chuckle which was quickly followed by several very wet-sounding coughs, much to the horror and worry of both students as Chinatsu tried her best to see to his wounds and Hasumi simply sat by, unable to do much but watch.

"I suppose my body acted on its own... Even though you informed me that your halos keep you safe from physical harm, I still couldn't help myself when I saw someone so young like yourself in danger... How foolish of me, I suppose... Making such a novice mistake after all this time" His words held a furlong and almost regretful sounding tone, as if he was guilty of some grievous mistake that he could never take back no matter how much he tried.

Chinatsu felt many conflicting emotions, on the one hand she was genuinely touched by the fact that he was willing to put himself in physical danger to keep her safe even though she was practically a stranger to him.

On the other, she was horrified by his seeming complete disregard for his own physical well-being, even if it was from his point of view to seemingly save somebody's life. Although as she rummaged through her medicine bag, looking for the biggest bandages she had on her, the last part of his sentence stuck out to her, particularly the way he said, as if this wasn't his first time doing such a thing.

But quickly shaking those thoughts away, she recentred her focus back to what was most important right now, which was trying to stop hunter from bleeding out in front of her from his gunshot wound.

"Sensei don't talk, try to conserve your strength... I will do what I can, but I think you might need to go to an actual Hospital..." Chinatsu continue to look for the bandages that she needed, cursing under her breath because she still couldn't find them.

Yet both she and Hasumi failed to notice that her words specifically be mention of a hospital elicited a reaction from the good Hunter. It was a slight shudder in his shoulders accompanied by his body going completely rigid. The mere mention of a hospital brought back many unpleasant memories for him, ones that he had tried to forget, but seemingly to no avail.

However after a moment he quickly reached out his hand, and grabbed Chinatsu's wrist with a noticeable amount of strength, which caught the blonde haired Gehenna student completely off guard she turned her gaze to look at the good Hunter's skeletal mask which covered his face from view.

"Chinatsu... I assure you I will be fine... this is not my first grievous injury and I doubt it will be my last... now I need you and Hasumi to stand back and observe... Because I have the perfect remedy for a situation like this"

Chinatsu and Hasumi were both caught off guard by his words, especially Chinatsu considering he said he had the perfect method to treat his current injury, considering that he had a gunshot to the chest which even for a student with their halos was a serious injury that needed specialised treatment methods.

Nevertheless, after a considerable amount of hesitation, both girls quickly moved back as instructed, watching intently as the Hunter reached into his robe before proceeding to pull out the object he was looking for. Chinatsu and Hasumi were confused by what exactly they were looking at. It was a small glass vale containing some kind of red liquid, approximately the size of a medium-sized water bottle. Protruding out of the neck of the bottle, was a strange long projection which was obscured by densely wrapped linen and fabric stained a deep brown colour.

Chinatsu couldn't help but grimace, because the fabric itself looked incredibly unsanitary, but any thought of such things completely forgotten when she saw the good Hunter quickly rip the fabric from the top of the bottle. Revealing a large and very ornate looking needle which had been obscured by the fabric coverings, it was so long and thick that it looked almost like a small dagger rather than any kind of medical needle that she was familiar with.

And before her and Hasumi could say anything, they watched with sudden horror as the good Hunter quickly and without hesitation stabbed himself with the strange glass vial, the large dagger like needle gliding in between the gaps of his armour and puncturing deep into his chest cavity.

Chinatsu by pure Instinct alone quickly jumped to the Hunter's side, not even thinking as she quickly ripped the glass vial from his gut. Completely failing to notice that the contents inside the bottle was now gone as she threw the bottle to the ground, hearing it shatter into a million pieces against the hard pavement below.

"Why did you do that, sensei! You could have only made the injury wo-" Chinatsu found herself quickly silenced by the good Hunter placing one of his armoured fingers against her lips. The cold steel of his gauntlet making a chill run down her spine as he let out a shushing noise, similar to how a parent would silence a child.

"There is no need to threat Chinatsu... What I just did was the perfect remedy... in fact, I feel as right as a hunter on the night of the hunt" Both students confused by his words, but found themselves completely caught me off guard a moment later when the good Hunter shot to his full height, without any kind of struggle whatsoever. As if he's near life-threatening injury that he had had seconds ago had never been there to begin with.

Chinatsu's mouth dropped open, not quite believing what she had just seen. One moment the good Hunter was on the verge of death from a gunshot wound to the chest, and the next. After injecting himself with whatever was in that vile, was somehow completely healthy once again, as if the gunshot had never actually happened.

"H-how... How did you do..." Chinatsu's words completely failed her, not understanding in the slightest how what she had just seen was even possible. Even the most advanced and experimental medicine and medical technology could heal somebody with that kind of injury in such a short time. It was completely impossible, and yet it had happened right in front of her.

As the Hunter remained silent, his gaze shifted towards Chinatsu, seemingly locking onto her for an eternity, though in reality, it was only a fleeting moment. Despite the obscurity of his true eyes, veiled behind the empty sockets of his skeletal mask, Chinatsu felt as if she were gazing into the vast and infinite abyss of the cosmos, a feeling that lingered long after the Hunter's eyes had returned to their original position.

"I'm afraid Chinatsu that we do not have the time to discuss it in detail... let's just say that it's a remedy from my homeland" Chinatsu's sheer bewilderment did not abate even with that answer, simply because it was not a true answer, it was a deflection, a polite one definitely but still a deflection nonetheless.

Yet just as she opened her mouth to protest his non answer, an explosion went off nearby most likely courtesy of a stray rocket fired by one of the delinquents, small bits of rubble landing all over her, Hasumi and the good Hunter like rocky rain.

She wanted to protest, she wanted to demand an answer to something that quite literally shouldn't have been possible. But despite how much it pained her to do so, the good Hunter had a decent point, right now was not the time or the place for in-depth discussions about seemingly almost a miracle like medicine.

As such, after metaphorically picking her jaw up off the floor, she quickly retrieved her duffle bag, zipping it up before grabbing her C96 pistol which was lying nearby.

"I suppose you're right sensei... but after this is over I want an explanation!" Chinatsu emphasise her point by jabbing one of her fingers towards the good Hunter, a fiery looking in her eyes that was one of burning curiosity but also deep confusion and maybe even just a little bit of Fear.

"While I would also like an explanation, I do think that we should get moving. Yuuka and Suzumi seemed to have secured their position" Hasumi got to her feet, retrieved her rifle from the ground as she gently pulled back the bolt just far enough to see if a round was chambered which thankfully it was.

"Very good of them I must say, those two are really earning their keep" The Hunter said with a quiet chuckle, quickly turning his gaze to both students who after a moment both nodded, which was all the signal he needed.

"Hasumi, you will need the way. Chinatsu and I will follow you, I'm counting on you to protect us both" Hasumi despite a small amount of hesitation quickly gave a confirming nod, a serious and confident look making its way onto her elegant and beautiful features as she held her rifle close.

With one final nod between all three of them, Hasumi quickly sprang out from behind the improvised cover they had been using, both the good Hunter and Chinatsu, following closely behind as she kept a very good eye out for any potential threats as they moved from cover to cover.

All three of them quickly ducked behind a piece of rubble, Hasumi motioned for the good Hunter and Chinatsu to stay put, as after a second she quickly jumped out from behind the piece of rubble, bringing her rifle up and quickly dispatching a group of delinquents with two very well-placed shots.

"We've clear, let's keep moving" Hasumi said as Chinatsu and the hunter quickly emerged from behind the piece of rubble, all three of them continuing to snake their way through the destroyed streets.

"That was most impressive Hasumi, your senses of the surroundings are impeccable" Hasumi couldn't stop the slightly prideful smile from etching its way onto her face, as the good Hunter came beside her.

"Thank you sensei, being second in command of the Justice Committee, means that I must always be vigilant for any kind of unlawfulness" Despite the proud tone in her voice, Hasumi tried to suppress both it and the incredibly proud smile that was currently on her face.

She wasn't one to usually gloat, after all, it was unbecoming of a young lady like herself and the second in command of The Justice committee. But still, receiving a compliment for her performance as a result of her dedication to her work certainly boosted her ego.

However, just as she opened her mouth to say something, Hasumi suddenly found herself abruptly pulled back by something grabbing onto the back of her shirt. Just as a bat wrapped in chains and studded with nails was quickly swung down hitting the ground directly where she had been standing just a moment ago, with enough force that the asphalt beneath it cracked and broke upon impact.

Hasumi's eyes widened as she looked at the bat, before she suddenly turned her gaze to the source of whatever had just pulled her out of harm's way. Only for her eyes to widen even further as she saw the good Hunter was the one responsible, his hand still tightly clenching the fabric of a shirt.

"Put down the weapon!" Chinatsu shouted as she raised her pistol to eye level. "In the name of the disciplinary committee, and by extension the student council, you are under arrest!" The commanding tone and forcefulness of Chinatsu's voice made both the good Hunter and Hasumi, both of them had not expected to hear such a tone from the soft-spoken Gehenna student.

The delinquent however didn't seem intimidated by this, simply scoffing as she raised the bat above her head and rested it on her shoulder in a very nonchalant manner.

"I don't give a shit who you work for, girly! And I ain't as hell put down my bat, especially considering that I haven't smacked all three of you over the head with it yet" The delinquent girl's mocking tone and overall attitude were certainly enough to rile up Chinatsu, as her usually bright and kind eyes dangerously narrowed, the pistol in her hands beginning to shake as she tightened her grip on its handle.

Which wasn't helped when the delinquent let out a mocking laugh, cackling loudly as she spoke. "And I think I might start with this freak over here" She accompanied her words by pointing the bat in the direction of the good Hunter.

Her laugh only grew louder as an incredibly sarcastic and mocking tone entered her voice. "What do you think, big guy! How would you like to be the first to get smacked over the head by my little bat huuuuuh?"

Chinatsu looked like she was about to explode, her face having gone as red as a tomato which was accompanied by a vicious and dangerous fire in her eyes, that would have most likely already put the delinquent girls 6 ft under if looks could kill. However, before the glasses wearing student could act on her sudden and very violent Impulse to smash the delinquent repeatedly over the head until she stopped moving.

Somebody place a hand on Chinatsu's shoulder, causing her to look at the owner of the hand, being somewhat surprised to see the Hunter with what she could assume was an expression that was meant to calm her.

Staring into the good Hunter's skeletal mask, Chinatsu felt a strange calming sensation wash over her, one that made all the anger and rage inside her quickly dissipate and vanish as if it had never been there to begin with, it was both relieving and also quite strange. But before she could comment on it, the good Hunter quickly spoke.

"Hasumi, Chinatsu, both of you stand back, I will deal with this wrongdoer myself" The Hunter turned his gaze towards the bat wielding delinquent, both Chinatsu and Hasumi looked at him for just a moment before they quickly opened their mouths to protest such an action.

"Absolutely not / You cannot do that!" Both girls spoke at the exact same time, not caring that they had talked over each other as they quickly tried to get between the good Hunter and the delinquent who was tapping her back against the ground, looking almost bored at the entire interaction.

However, before they could draw their weapons, the good Hunter quickly stepped Past both of them. Waving one of his gauntleted hands nonchalantly.

"I can assure both of you that I will be fine. Now... As for you" the hunter pointed one of his metallic fingers at the delinquent who had stopped tapping her back against the ground. Her face which was hidden by her helmet taking on a slightly excited look as she prepared to teach this strange looking adult a lesson he would never forget.

"It's time to issue your punishment and teach you a lesson" Chinatsu and Hasumi felt a chill run down their spines as the good Hunter spoke. His voice didn't discernibly sound different from before, but there was something in his tone, something dark and sinister, that was enough to send a chill down their spine.

And they were not the only ones, as the delinquent who had been excited noticeably shivered, her hands along with the bat noticeably shaking before she managed to get control of herself.

"Oh yeah? Those are some big words, coming from a guy who doesn't even have a weapon!" the delinquent half laughed and shouted, whatever momentary hesitation and fear from before completely gone as she pointed her bat at the Hunter who simply stood there, his body being so still that he almost looked like a statue.

Growing annoyed by his continue silence, the delinquent quickly rested the bat on her shoulders, putting her other hand on her hip as she began to tap her foot on the ground in a clearly annoyed but consistent rhythm. Her eyes, which were hidden by the visor of her bike helmet, looking the good Hunter up and down as she quietly sized him up.

"Well then, come on, big man. Why don't you come put me in my place like you said you would?" The mocking tone in the delinquent's voice was even more palpable, as she let out a sarcastic but slightly forced sounding laugh. Both Chinatsu and Hasumi who was standing by behind the good Hunter, felt the Intent to smack and otherwise brutalise the delinquent increase considerably with each word that left her mouth.

Yet before either girl could act on these impulses, the Hunter raised a hand, ushering them to stand down as if he somehow was able to read their emotions, before he turned his attention back to the delinquent in front of him.

Instead of speaking, he simply raised one of his gauntleted hands, ushering the delinquent to make the first move with a simple flick of his fingers, indicating that he wanted her to come at him first.

The delinquent for her part to let out an annoyed snarl, her plan to annoy him and get him to make the first move so she could counter-attack had not worked in the slightest, in fact as she grabbed the bat with her other hand, now holding on to it tightly with both. She felt an almost calming aura radiating from him, as if he was a beacon of light in pitch black nothingness.

"Fine then! Have It Your Way! I'm going to beat you senseless and turn you into a red stain on the pavement!" The good Hunter did not retaliate as the delinquent shouted those words, instead simply letting out a quiet breath as he prepared himself.

The delinquent, scraped one of her feet against the cracked and broken pavement, exactly like a bull that was ready to charge at a red object. And with a scream, she quickly charged at the Hunter, throwing the bat above her head as she intended to bring it down squarely on the Hunter's pointed witch-like hat.

"Sensei! / Hunter Sensei!" Chinatsu and Hasumi both screamed at the same time, watching with fear and horror has the delinquent charged at him, her bat swinging down aiming directly for his head as if it was an out of control freight train that couldn't be stopped.

Yet before the bat could make contact with the good Hunter and both academy representatives could move to defend him, something unexpected happened as the bat quickly and unexpectedly smashed into the concrete. The delinquent as well as Chinatsu and Hasumi, blinking in surprises, as they tried to process what it just happened.

The delinquent was the first to react, pulling her bat out of the concrete in a somewhat confused state as she began to look around, trying to locate where the Hunter had gone because from her perspective one moment he was there about to get his skull crushed by her bat and the next he was just... gone?

"Are you perhaps looking for me, young missy?"

The delinquents eyes widened behind the face shield of her helmet, her entire body quickly whirling around as she located the source of the voice. The good Hunter was standing in the same spot she had been only seconds ago, completely unscathed, as his tattered cloak gently swayed in the breeze.

"H-how, How the hell did you do that!" the Hunter did not respond to her, choosing to remain silent as he simply stood there, his overall posture despite being calm and relaxed still somehow inviting the delinquent to try again, which she quickly did. Letting out a loud yell as she quickly charged at him again.

"I've got you this time, you old bastard!" The delinquent girl shouted triumphantly as she took a sideways swing at the good Hunter, again aiming directly for his head. However, much like before, the bat hit absolutely nothing as the momentum from her swing and the overall heavy weight of the bat caused her to lose her footing, making her tumble to the ground as the bat fell from her hands and landed nearby.

"W-what the hell!" the young delinquent shouted incredulously, her eyes scanning round trying to locate where the Hunter had gone this time. Yet as she did so, a shadow quickly loomed over her, one that she immediately noticed as she turned to look at its source. Her eyes widening and her teeth clenching an anger as she saw that it was none other than the good Hunter, offering a hand to her in an almost mocking manner.

In the blink of an eye, the delinquent reached for her bat, grabbing hold of it with one hand as she swung it wildly without any real target. Only for it to actually connect on something, specifically the good Hunter's gauntleted hand, which was quickly thrown aside by the sudden action.

Seeing and utilising the opportunity this gave her, the delinquent quickly sprung to her feet, much quicker than anyone had expected her to, taking the bat in both hands as she swung the bat as hard as she could possibly manage. This time aiming for the Hunters' abdomen area, which she hoped would put him down long enough so she could finish him off with a blow to the head.

Yet much like before he was able to somehow dodge her attack, but this time she actually managed to see exactly what was happening and quite frankly it through her through a loop.

This mysterious adult was somehow dodging her attacks, that part she had already figured out, but seeing how he was actually doing it just made no sense to her. Simply because he was moving so fast that it almost looked like he was teleporting from one place to another. In fact, the only reason that she even noticed at this time was because she was focusing all of her attention on him, and even then she only just barely caught him moving.

"Stay still, god dammit!" The delinquent yelled, trying again and again to hit her target but failing every time as the good Hunter simply and effortlessly sidestep and dodged every single one of her attacks.

"I see you're beginning to learn" The hunter said with an almost amused tone to his voice as he sidestepped another one of the delinquents attacks, noticing that her attacks were becoming slower and more sluggish, meaning that she was becoming tired from overexerting herself.

"W-what... (pant) T-the hell are you... (pant) T-talking about?" The delinquent said between breaths, her legs wobbling beneath her as she used the bat as an improvised stand to try and keep herself upright.

The Hunter did not immediately respond, instead of choosing to move towards her at a slow but even pace, seemingly not caring if the delinquent tried to attack him, which she unsurprisingly did as with the little strength she could muster, quickly and somewhat sloppy picked up the bat and swung it with both hands, hoping that it would find its target.

"The lesson I am teaching you is that you should never underestimate an opponent" The Hunter said as he suddenly and unexpectedly caught the bat with his hand. Surprising both the delinquent, as well as Chinatsu and Hasumi who had been watching the entire ordeal from the sidelines with bated breath.

The delinquent eyes widened behind the faceplate of her helmet, her gaze slowly tracking to the bat, which was currently gripped tightly in the hunter's hand, disturbingly and somewhat morbidly she noted that the clawed tips of his gauntleted were digging into the bat. Which was enough to make her blood run cold.

Yet as her gaze snapped to look at the good Hunter's skeletal face mask, her blood turned even colder when she saw that the eyeholes of his mask were glowing a dim yellowy orange, one that sent a feeling of malice, hate and fear coursing through her body.

"Remember this lesson well young urchin, even if an opponent is unarmed or lacks a weapon you should never underestimate them, always treat them as if they are the most dangerous beast you will ever face, and fight like your very life depends on" His voice was enough to make her legs tremble, the way he spoke and the tone of his voice was somehow elegant and refined yet paradoxically complete the alien and inhuman.

It made her head spin to the point where she felt her legs beginning to buckle beneath. However, before she could collapse the good Hunter quickly backed away from her, releasing the bat which quickly tumbled from her grip and clattered to the ground.

"I believe it is time to end this lesson" The hunter said with an almost melancholic tone to his voice, as he backed up from the half scared to death delinquent. Yet despite being terrified she somehow found the inner strength to quickly retrieve the bat from the ground, the terrified expression never leaving her face as she raised above her head and charged at the good Hunter, screaming all the way.

The good Hunter beneath his face mask smiled sadly, even though she was a very misguided young girl, he could respect her perseverance to fight to the very last in spite of her own fear.

Chinatsu and Hasumi held their breath, as the fight had gone on the fear that the good Hunter would actually be hurt had slowly dissipated, considering how effortlessly he had dodged the delinquent attacks up until this point. Still, as they watch the delinquent charge at him for one final time. They couldn't stop themselves from shouting out in fear that the good Hunter would be hurt once again.

"Hunter Sensei! / Sensei" Both students screamed, their bodies moving on their own as they try to run to the good Hunter's aid.

Yet instead something completely unexpected happened. Something that was so quick and sudden that they almost didn't even perceive it in the moment and only understood what had happened after it had concluded.

The good Hunter allowed the bat to come closer to himself, yet just when it was about to strike he did something completely unexpected, with a speed and swiftness that was completely inhuman, he reached inside his cloak, retrieving an object which he drew out into the open.

What he had in his hand was truly a work of art, the deep red coloured wood engraved with elaborate patterns and ornamentation that suggested a nobility long-lost time. The metal of its frame and other intricate components, was composed of a shining metal, that paradoxically was as black as the infinite expanse of the Cosmos itself, and much like the wood, every piece of the inky black metal was engraved with some elaborate ornamentation that caught the light exquisitely, giving it the illusion that the engravings were almost the dancing as they sparkled.

With inhuman speed the good Hunter pulled back the Hammer, time slowing for him as he waited for the exact millisecond that he needed and once it came he did what was necessary, pulling the elegantly curved trigger which initiated a chain reaction resulting in his pride and joy the Evelyn firing for the first time in this new world.

BANG!

The delinquent's ability to process what was happening was completely non-existent as the Evelyn unleashed fury upon her. The blood infused Quicksilver bullet exiting its muzzle in a bright flash and a millisecond later impacting directly in the centre of her chest.

Even though the delinquent's halo kept her safe from the bullet actually penetrating her chest cavity, the sheer force and energy behind the Quicksilver bullet, was enough to completely cripple her body, her legs giving out from under her as she felt her knees.

The good Hunter moved as fast as a lightning bolt, crossing the small distance between him and the delinquent as he drew his right hand back. His fingers and thumb held together in a sharp almost a dagger like shape as without a moment of hesitation, he thrusted his hand forward aiming directly for the delinquent's chest.

Yet at the very last second before contact, he seemed to hesitate for just a singular microsecond. His hand instead redirecting and aimed for the delinquent's neck, delivering a swift and precise karate chop to her neck. Which was forceful enough to instantly render her unconscious, but not hard enough to cause any lasting physical trauma or damage.

By the time Hasumi and Chinatsu actually could perceive what was happening, it was already all over. The delinquent now on her knees, and quickly collapsing to the floor with a loud thump as her halo winked out of existence. The good Hunter stood over her triumphantly as smoke billowed out of the barrel of a very old-fashioned, but very elegant and ornate flintlock pistol that had not been in his hand a moment ago and had seemingly just materialised out of thin air.

Chinatsu was the first to move, quickly running to the good Hunter as she shouted for him.

"S-sensei"

Coming to his side, she quickly and somewhat methodically began to look him over, trying to locate any possible injuries he could have sustained during whatever he had just done. Yet she found nothing, causing her to let out a sigh of relief as Hasumi also quickly came to the good Hunter's side.

"Hunter sensei. What did...? How did you-" Hasumi tried to articulate her words, she couldn't understand how he was able to move that fast. The first time, when she saw him move that quick to dodge a barrage of bullets, she simply disregarded it as a fluke or even a trick of the light. But seeing him move at a similar speed repeatedly made it very apparent that this was something he could do consistently.

The good Hunter for his part did not say anything for a moment, his gaze still lingering on the delinquent who was currently passed out on the concrete below. Both students could see that despite his face being obscured from view, there was a noticeable sadness in his gaze, one that was quite strange. However, as quickly as it came it disappeared as the hunter abruptly and unexpectedly knelt down, much to the confusion of both Hasumi and Chinatsu.

He quickly, somewhat hesitantly, began to rummage around in the delinquents pocket seemingly searching for something which he abruptly found as he pulled his hand back. Both students were surprised to see that it was the delinquent's original student ID card, which by the amount of creases and cracks in the plastic card certainly showed that it was worse for where.

The Hunter flipped the card over in his fingers, staring intently at the student picture that was on the delinquents card, seemingly studying every detail of the photo, before he abruptly stood up surprising both Hasumi and Chinatsu as he put the student card somewhere inside his cloak before turning to them.

"We should hurry, I feel as if the battle is going to come to a crescendo soon" Both students, despite the strangeness of what it just happened, quickly obliged. Hasumi making sure her rifle was loaded, and Chinatsu hefting the massive duffle bag on to her shoulders as she prepared to move.

Seeing that both students were ready, the good Hunter motion for them to move, as the Hunter and two students quickly but cautiously began to make their way over to where Suzumi and Yuuka were currently occupying.

However, as the group moved, Hasumi and Chinatsu both shared a side eyed glance with each other, both mentally agreeing that they needed to ask a question that had been on their mind.

"Sensei..." Chinatsu started, trying to think of what to say next before Hasumi spoke for her instead.

"Sensei... Why exactly did you pick up that delinquent's student card?" Even though the good Hunter does not stop walking, both students could tell that he had acknowledged their question, by the ever so slight tilt of his head. The Silence dragged on for a moment, the only thing breaking it being the sounds of their feet against the broken concrete below, the good Hunter finally responded.

"I suppose you could say... it's to satisfy my own curiosity" Both girls found themselves confused by his words, mostly because his response did absolutely nothing to actually answer the question. But before Hasumi and Chinatsu could voice these thoughts, the good Hunter quickly spoke again, a barely perceptible haste in his voice as if he wanted the subject to be changed.

"Both of you prepare yourself, we are here" `Despite still wanting an answer as to why he picked up the delinquent's student card. Both girls did as they were told as they ready to their respective weapons just as the group finally made it to their destination.

Both Suzumi and Yuuka turn to their heads and raised their weapons, the sound of the sudden approaching footsteps making them think it was a potential ambush. However, both students immediately relaxed when they saw that it was none other than the good Hunter along with Hasumi and Chinatsu approaching their position.

"Sensei, you're finally here" Yuuka said with a small amount of relief in her voice.

"Yeah, you guys were taking so long I was beginning to get worried" Suzumi quickly followed up Yuuka, sending a thankful and relieved smile towards the good Hunter and the other two students beside him.

Despite his face being covered, both Yuuka and Suzumi could feel the smile in his gaze as he looked at them. A quiet chuckle escaping his lips as he quickly spoke.

"Well, I can assure you that I, as well as Hasumi and Chinatsu are very much in fine order. We had a momentary scrap with a couple of delinquents, but we taught them a much-needed lesson... didn't we girls?" The Hunter turned his head slightly towards both girls in question.

Hasumi and Chinatsu both being momentarily surprised before they quickly spoke in response.

"Of course sensei / Hunter sensei" Both students said at the same time. The good Hunter quickly gave a nod of approval, however before he could speak Yuuka decided to speak first.

"Say... I heard a loud bang earlier... one that sounded more like an explosion than a gunshot" Yuuka said tentatively, wanting to know if the strange explosion like bang that she had heard earlier was also heard by the Hunter as well as Hasumi and Chinatsu.

The good Hunter looked at Yuuka for a moment, momentarily perplexed by her question, before it's suddenly clicked on what exactly she was talking about. Letting out a quiet chuckle, the Hunter gently shook his head, as he reached into his robe and pulled out the Evelyn, as well as answering Yuuka's question.

"Well my dear, that awful loud bang you heard was probably from this" Yuuka found her eyes immediately drawn to the object, quickly realising that it was in fact a very elegant and elaborately decorated flintlock pistol.

Despite not being into historical firearms or art for that matter, even she couldn't help but marvel at the sheer artistry and beauty that was displayed on the pistol in the hunter's hands. The pistol in its entirety was a work of art, one that looked like it belonged in a museum, both because of its age and because of its sheer beauty.

However, as she continued to marvel at the work of art of a pistol in front of her, a sudden thought occurred to Yuuka one that made her face scrunch up as she spoke.

"Wait a minute... you've had a gun this entire time!" the hunter did not immediately respond to Yuuka's outburst, remaining completely still and Silent as the purple head girl began to fume.

However, before she could continue on her rant, the good Hunter held up one finger, silencing the girl as a chuckle escaped his lips.

"I must apologise, Yuuka. The reason for me not using the Evelyn before, was because I was unsure whether it would actually severely harm any of the delinquents" Yuuka despite wanting to argue the point from before couldn't help but be a bit confused by what exactly the good Hunter meant by his weapon being able to severely harm be delinquents. His wording implied that it was an extraordinarily powerful weapon, but to her, it just looked like an incredibly ornate but otherwise very ordinary flintlock musket pistol.

However, before the hunter could actually explain his point and by extension what he meant, Suzumi quickly interrupted, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"Guys, you might want to take a look at this!" Suzumi motion in the directions she was talking about, causing everyone's gaze to turn to look in that said Direction. At the end of the street was a truly massive collection of delinquents of various different gangs, standing in incredibly loose and haphazard formations, all of them wielding rifles, rocket launchers and everything else in between.

But what caught everyone's attention the most, was what was at the centre of the formation. It's incredible size and glistening black frame, shining brightly and menacingly in the sunlight.

"Is that... What I think it is?" Yuuka said, not quite believing her eyes.

"It would look very much that way, I suppose those rumours about prohibited equipment falling into the wrong hands were true" Hasumi's eyes narrow dangerously, the thought of delinquents of all people having access to such destructive hardware. Set a light of fire Inside her that burned with rage and anger.

"A Crusader Tank..." Chinatsu was the last to speak, her words not being directed at anyone in particular as her golden eyes remained glued onto the tank at the end of the street. The sound of its engine even from at the end of the street sounded like the rumbling of a great armoured dragon.

With his gaze unwavering, the Hunter stood in Stoic silence, his eyes locked onto the armoured vehicle. As time passed, the students surrounding him could almost tangibly feel the intensity of his inquisitiveness as he meticulously scrutinized every facet of the Black Crusader tank, absorbing every detail without uttering a word.

However, this was interrupted when Yuuka quickly grabbed onto the Hunter's cloak, pulling it hard and vigorously, trying to get his attention.

"Sensei! We need to run!" Yuuka said with urgency in her voice, desperately pulling on the good Hunter's cloak to try and get him to move. The hunter however did not budge, but he did turn to look at her, his gaze convenes confusion at her request.

Hasumi immediately snapped her gaze to look at the purple head Millennium student, a look of almost indignation Crossing her face, as she quickly shouted.

"Are you really suggesting that we turn and run like cowards!" Hasumi's voice had a noticeably dangerous edge to it as she squared up to Yuuka. Her massive black wings flaring out dramatically and angrily as she jabbed an accusatory finger towards the Millennium student.

Yuuka looked slightly taken aback, an angry expression crossing her face as she turned to the Trinity student, not intimidated in the slightest by her imposing height and stature.

"I'm no coward! The reason we need to get out of here is because we simply don't have the firepower to take that head on!" Yuuka accompanied her words by jabbing a finger directly into Hasumi's voluptuous chest. Which only served to further aggravate the Trinity student as the angry looking her eyes turned almost murderous.

"I shouldn't be surprised the only thing that Millennium is good at is getting their little toys to do everything for them, instead of putting in hard work and perseverance like a real Academy and its students should" Hasumi accompanied her words by folding her arms under her chest, her red eyes continuing to glare daggers at the Millennium student directly in front of her. Yuuka's blood pressure raise to an almost dangerous level, her face going completely bright red as the look in her eyes turned from frustration to complete incandescent rage.

However, before the two students could continue their argument or even progress it to a physical one, somebody quickly stepped between them, somebody that was none other than Chinatsu, who quickly pushed both girls away from each other with her hands.

"Would you both stop now, for crying out loud! Arguing like this isn't going to get us-"

"Stay out of it, Chinatsu/Four eyes!" both Hasumi and Yuuka shouted at the same time, trying to get past the blonde haired girl as they wanted to continue their argument uninterrupted.

However, just as both of them open their mouths to continue shouting at each other everyone was quickly silenced by a loud and powerful voice, one that carried such an authority and heavy tone that it immediately made everyone stop in their tracks.

"ALL OF YOU, STOP THIS INSTANCE!" Everyone immediately turned to the source of the voice, all of them feeling a shiver run down their spine when they saw that it was the good Hunter, his stance and his gaze conveying extreme disappointment and frustration.

"Please forgive me for raising my voice. But arguing like small children is not going to get us anywhere, that armoured behemoth is quite the obstacle, one that even I am quite unsure how to tackle as of this moment. Yet resorting to violence amongst ourselves will not solve or help us think of a way to overcome this great obstacle" Hasumi, Yuuka, Chinatsu and Suzumi listen to the Hunter's words. Hasumi and Yuuka in particular still giving each nasty side glasses, yet this was stopped when the good Hunter stamped his foot on the ground, the sound of his metal boot connecting with the concrete causing their attention to immediately snap back to him.

"Now I want all of you to listen carefully, and I don't want any interruptions, do I make myself clear?" The students all nodded as the good Hunter began to walk back and forth in front of them, pacing up and down similarly to a drill instructor, as his gaze remained locked onto them.

"While, I have never faced anything like an armoured wagon before. I have faced and defeated heavily armoured foes in the past, as such I know of a modified strategy that can be used" pausing for a moment the good Hunter made sure that all the students were following along and once satisfied he continued.

"Hasumi I want you to take out as many of the delinquent as you can with your rifle. Make sure to prioritise the ones with heavier weapons." Despite the slightly aggravated look on her face, remaining and sharing one last side glance at Yuuka. Hasumi nodded, bringing her rifle up and reading it in anticipation of what was to come.

"Chinatsu, I want you to stay with Hasumi and provide her as much support as you can" The hunter pointed at the blonde haired Gehenna student, who was momentarily taken aback by what he had asked as if it was the strangest request in the world.

"But who will protect-" Chinatsu didn't get a chance to finish her words as the hunter held up a hand to silence her.

"I will be fine, Chinatsu. This plan hinges on my ability to operate alone, and also I promise that I will not come to harm" Despite her nervousness at the prospect of the good Hunter having nobody to protect him, especially after his almost near-death experience earlier.

Chinatsu couldn't help but feel her worries somewhat soothed by his words, because even though a promise like that could easily be broken, somehow she was convinced that he would keep that promise no matter what.

"Yuuka, Suzumi both of your roles in this plan are incredibly important so listen carefully. I want both of you to cause as much mayhem in the delinquent ranks as possible, do everything you can to distract them for as long as possible"

Yuuka and Suzumi both nodded in unison, a somewhat excited look making its way onto Suzumi's says as she readied her assault rifle. The slightly aggravated expression on Yuuka's face remained as she quickly prepared both of her smgs. Although the prospect of being able to inflict some pain on a bunch of delinquents without any ramifications did make her feel somewhat better.

With the plan now put into place and everyone having their assigned roles, the good Hunter gave a final nod, standing up to his full height as he turned towards the large gathering of delinquents, all four of the students by his side as they waited for his word to proceed.

"Now everyone!" as soon as the words left his mouth everyone did exactly as they were instructed, splitting up into two groups comprised of Yuuka, Suzumi in one group and Hasumi, Chinatsu in the other.

Hasumi wasted no time as she, along with Chinatsu who struggled somewhat to keep up, quickly found a perfect spot and took up residence. The loud echo of her rifle immediately ringing out as she began firing into the group of delinquents, taking out each one, causing chaos amongst their ranks as they tried to figure out exactly where the fire was coming from.

Which was exactly what she wanted, as the delinquents began to run around like headless chickens, causing a sadistic smile to make its way onto her face as she continued to take them out one by one with impossibly precise shots.

Chinatsu tried her best to assist as much as she could, using her pistol to take out any delinquents that didn't go down to Hasumi's scarily accurate fire. However, as she reloaded her pistol, she spotted something that immediately made her gasp.

"Hasumi! Over there, one of them has a rocket launcher!" Chinatsu pointed to where she was referring to. Which immediately made Hasumi snap her gaze to the indicated location, her eyes coming to rest on a delinquent who was being assisted by another who acted as the loader for the rocket launcher on her shoulders.

"I don't think so" As the words left her lips, Hasumi quickly fired two shots in rapid succession, both of them landing home on their desired targets as both delinquents helmets exploded in a shower of colourful plastic fragments, with both of their bodies falling to the floor like puppets with their strings cut.

Hasumi quickly pulling her rifle's bolt back and inserted a fresh stripper clip, her gaze turning to Chinatsu as she quickly spoke.

"Chinatsu, keep calling out targets for me!" Chinatsu didn't need to be told twice or even have an explanation of what exactly the Trinity student meant, as she quickly got to work. Calling out the locations of the various delinquents who were wielding heavier weaponry than the rest, which Hasumi then proceeded to unceremoniously gunned down as she and Chinatsu worked to fulfil the good Hunters orders.

Yuuka and Suzumi unlike Hasumi and Chinatsu didn't settle for staying in one place and gunning of delinquents down. Instead, they decided to take the fight to them, using the various pieces of scattered rubble and overturned vehicles as cover while they advanced towards the large gathering of the liquids.

Skidding to a stop, Suzumi quickly aimed and let out a controlled burst from her rifle, her shots landing home and taking out a delinquent who unluckily was caught in the middle of reloading her light machine gun. Ducking behind a large pile of rubble, the silver head Trinity student proceeded to dump the empty magazine from her rifle and then swiftly insert a fresh one.

However, instead of jumping back out into the open to fire at more delinquents, she instead quickly pulled something from her belt, a familiar cylindrical object which she quickly pulled the pin on before throwing clean over the piece of cover. The familiar metallic clank of it landing on the floor some distance away reaching her ears as she quickly shouted to Yuuka, who was still in the process of gunning down several delinquents who were still in the open.

"Yuuka! Get down" Yuuka turning to the source of the voice, did immediately as instruct as she sprayed a few more rounds from SMG before jumping behind the same large pile of rubble that Suzumi was using as cover.

BANG!

Yuuka covered her ears, as the flash bang went off, not wanting to go deaf from how loud the explosion was. Suzumi however didn't bother doing so, simply letting be sound of the incredibly loud flashbang roar through her ear drums, before she jumped up and unleash the hail of bullets towards the stunned and dazed delinquents. All of them going down after her onslaught ended.

Ducking back down, she quickly reached for another magazine, only to catch Yuuka looking at her with a slightly unimpressed expression add she put a new magazine into her submachine gun.

"Perhaps give me a bit more of a warning next time" Suzumi didn't say a word, instead simply nodded her head in agreement as she resumed firing upon various delinquents who were running around like headless chickens.

However, as Yuuka and Suzumi continued firing their weapons, Yuuka suddenly turned to the silver head Trinity student next to her, a slightly concerned and questioning look making its way onto her face.

"You know...where was supposed to protect Hunter sensei, but he's just gone off and done his own thing" Yuuka said quickly, following up her words by quickly jumping up and unleashing a spray of automatic fire from her SMG which managed to catch a delinquent who was in the process of running between two different pieces of cover.

Suzumi didn't immediately respond, a slightly thoughtful look crossing her face as she reloaded her assault rifle once again. However, after a moment, she finally responded.

"I mean yeah, but at the same time..." Suzumi let her words trail off, her hands slowly raising and pointing to somewhere off behind Yuuka who quickly followed the pointed finger, her eyes coming to rest on none other than the good Hunter who was in the process of running between various pieces of cover.

"He seems to be handling himself just fine" As the words left Suzumi mouth, both she and Yuuka watched in fascination as the good Hunter proceeded to effortlessly dodge several bursts of automatic fire from a group of delinquents. His movement almost looking like a choreographed danced as he effortlessly manoeuvred his way around the bullets as if they were not even there. Before quickly closing the distance between him and the delinquents and, in a flash, incapacitating all of them with a precision and swiftness that was inhuman.

"Yeah... I guess you're right" Yuuka set after a moment, watching the delinquents fall to the floor at the feet of the good Hunter who after a moment of observing the incapacity delinquents quickly took off like a speeding bullet once again.

The Hunter continued to push himself forward, using his superior speed and agility to run literal circles around the delinquents, and only using his martial arts skills to take them out when absolutely necessary. After all even though all the delinquents had halos and therefore could survive severe bodily harm that would kill a normal person, he was still unsure exactly how much they could take before perishing, as such deciding to restrain himself was for the best.

"Hasumi! Give me some covering fire!" The good Hunter shouted, the black-haired Trinity student in question immediately answering his call as she quickly sighted and then gunned down the delinquents that the hunter needed to be dispatched.

With one more obstacle now out of his way the good Hunter quickly resumed dashing between various pieces of cover, using his pride and joy the Evelyn to take out the odd delinquent here and there, as he manoeuvred his way towards his ultimate target, the large crusader tank which was idling menacingly at the end of the Street. Although as he drew closer to it, he couldn't help but wonder why it hadn't opened fire just yet, considering its canon could most likely penetrate and destroy any piece of cover that his students were using as protection.

However before he could issue another order to the students, the Hunter saw the large armoured vehicle turn its turret to face directly at him, it's barrel perfectly in line with him as for just a singular moment everything slowed to a snail's crawl. Allowing him to observe every single detail of the armour behemoth from the smallest nut and bolt up to its massive cannon barrel, but eventually it finally happened.

KABOOM!

The sound was deafening, sounding more like a powerful thunderous clap of thunder rather than a tank cannon, everyone delinquent and student alike was almost deafened as the sound washed over them and the very city itself.

The good Hunter, despite his impressive reaction time, barely had a moment to dodge the projectile as it zoomed past him. Time slowing from his perspective, allowing him to watch with fascination as the projectile slowly lumbered past him before time resumed its normal course.

Instantly the shell impacted several hundred feet away, resulting in a large explosion that completely levelled an already partially destroyed building, resulting in its complete collapse as it kicked up a massive dust cloud.

"S-Sensei!"

Yuuka and Chinatsu both shouted at the same time, the wave of dust from the buildings collapsed washing over them and obscuring most of the battlefield from view. Most of the gunfire stopped as the dust cloud rolled in, leaving the Battlefield in an eerie silence that was only punctuated by the residual and the almost ghostly Echo from both the buildings collapsing and the tank gun firing

For a moment Yuuka, Chinatsu along with Suzumi and Hasumi feared the worst, dread pouring into their hearts as absolutely no response was heard from the good Hunter.

"Sensei!" Yuuka suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping that her voice would be able to find the good Hunter, however much like before the only response given was silence.

Yet just when she along with the other students were beginning to lose hope, an explosive noise suddenly erupted from somewhere in the dust cloud. It sent a shiver down her along with everyone else's spine, as it almost sounded like the deep rumbling roar of some great, vicious Beast. And as the sound washed over them the dust cloud suddenly evaporated, pushed away by an immense wind that almost knocked the four Academy representatives off their feet

Yuuka, Chinatsu, Suzumi and Hasumi all shielded their eyes from the sudden wind, the dust rushing past them as the entire street was cleared almost immediately, revealing a site that made all of them immediately feel more relieved.

Standing in the epicentre from where the wind had come from, was the good Hunter, completely unharmed. His tattered and torn cloak blowing in the residual breeze in an almost eerie and ghostly manner. Clutched in his left hand was a small furry looking object, one whose identity could not be ascertained entirely before the good Hunter quickly concealed the strange object inside his cloak.

For just a moment the good Hunter stood there motionless, his cloak continuing to billow in the slight breeze, yet before any of the Academy representatives could shout to him, the hunter suddenly raised his pistol into the air. The glistening silver colour of its metal components shining brightly as he quickly pulled the trigger, an impossibly loud bang emanating from the pistol as he quickly accompanied it by shouting.

"Everyone advanced now! While they are still stunned" all four students were momentarily confused by his words, not quite registering what he had said. Yet before any of them could say anything, the Hunter suddenly took off at a full sprint, which quickly compelled all four Academy representatives into action as

Yuuka, Chinatsu, Suzumi and Hasumi, all spring from their positions, quickly forming up with the good Hunter as all five of them ran straight at the few remaining delinquents and their tank.

Despite being momentarily caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, the remaining delinquents quickly raise their weapons, intent on gunning down the group of students and strangely dressed adult as they advanced towards them. However, just as the delinquents are about to pull the triggers on their weapons, Yuuka quickly jumped in front of the group much to the Confusion of the good Hunter, as well as everyone else, and she quickly retrieved a small device from her pocket.

"Yuuka! What in your right mind are you-" the good Hunter did not get a chance to finish his words, as the gathering of delinquents opened fir. The bullets flying through the air towards him and his students. However, something miraculous happened, something that he couldn't have expected.

Quickly tapping away at it, the small device in Yuuka's hand began to emanate a strange aura, the bluish glow growing stronger and stronger until eventually a large hexagonal shield seemingly made of light itself materialise the round the purple haired student. Which couldn't have come out at a better time, as the bullets fired by the delinquents quickly impacted against it, and much to the good Hunter's amazement completely and harmlessly bounced off, protecting him and the other students from harm.

"Everyone, stay behind me!" Yuuka accompanied her words by quickly retrieving her second SMG and unleashing a hail of gunfire directed at the delinquents, as she and the group continued to advance forward.

"Good thinking Yuuka!" The hunter shouted as he and the rest of the students gathered behind her, while they advanced towards the few remaining delinquents and the black crusader tank.

"Hasumi! Dispatch those delinquents on the right side! Suzumi do the same with the left!" Both students followed his command. Hasumi channelled a dark aura around her rifle, and then fired several well-placed shots, each one of them finding their desired target and subsequently taking them out of the fight.

Suzumi quickly retrieved the large flash-bang from her belt, pulling the pin and tossing it as hard as she could manage. And as it sailed through the air, it somewhat comically bounced off the turret of the tank, before clattering to the ground and exploding in a bright flash accompanied by a loud bang. Blinding and deafening several delinquents as they tried to recover. Yet the silver-head Trinity student would not allow it as she quickly let loose with her assault rifle, firing in controlled bursts and subsequently incapacitating the 5 or 6 delinquents that were in the little group, she had stunned with her flash grenade.

With almost all the delinquents now incapacitated and out of the fight, the good Hunter held up the Evelyn, pointing it forward as a sign for everyone to advance. Which all the students quickly did. Yuuka leading the way with her hexagonal light barrier protecting her and by extension the Hunter, as well as Hasumi Chinatsu and Suzumi who huddled around the good Hunter both to protect him and stay within the protective vicinity of Yuuka's shield.

However, as all of them continued to advance towards the now completely undefended tank, Yuuka suddenly spotted something that made her blood run cold. The tank's turret had turned to face them directly. She knew that her shield could stop bullets and maybe even a grenade or two, after all, that's what she had tested against, but she didn't need to test to know that it couldn't stop a tank shell.

"Everyone scatter! The tank is about to shoot!" Yuuka shouted with absolute panic in her voice, her words immediately causing everyone to begin to scramble. However, before they could actually get far doing so, the good Hunter suddenly intervened, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Everyone! Stay close to me now" Despite the absolute absurdity of his request, considering that a tank was literally staring them down with its gun ready to fire. All the students found themselves unable to move for a moment, before somewhat hesitantly gathering back around the hunter in a close hubble.

Yuuka was the last to do so, noticeable amounts of hesitation on her face as she seemingly went over her options, yet ultimately as her shield finally dissipated the charge on the little device that generated it now completely dried up. She made a split second decision and joined the group of four students all huddled around the good Hunter. All of them waiting with bated breath as to how the hunter was going to get them out of the situation.

The hunter let out a quiet breath, the sound of it passing between his lips almost sounding like a gentle night breeze as the tension in his body left. He needed to wait for the right moment otherwise this plan would not work, after all, this particular tactic that he had in mind had only been used a handful of times. As such, he could guarantee that he was a bit rusty when it came to its use. But with the safety of his new students on the line, he knew that he had no room for margin or error.

"Everyone" the hunter's voice was soft and quiet yet still managed to catch everyone's attention as they all turned to look at him. Various emotions ranging from fear to panic etched into all of their faces as they waited for what he had to say.

"Stay close to me... and make sure to cover your ears, this might get a bit loud" All the students looked at him slightly perplexed, before hesitantly doing as he instructed. Each one of them covering their ears to some degree, as they waited with a growing sense of dread for what was going to happen next.

For the hunter, time itself seems to slow as he waited for the exact millisecond he needed. Which came in not too short order as he saw the slow-motion cloud of fire and smoke explode out of the tank's gun barrel, the shell moving through the air slowly and lazily from his perspective as it travelled towards him and his students.

A smile made its way onto his face under his mask as he reached into his cloak, pulling out the object he needed, which was the same small fairy object he'd used before. It was a forbidden tool, one that Hunters were forbidden from using due to its beastly nature, but its usefulness outweighed its blasphemy as he quickly activated the Beast roar, clutching down onto the severed hand of what was once a deadly and powerful silver Beast.

Yuuka, Chinatsu, Suzumi and Hasumi, all by reflex, closed their eyes as the sound of the tank's canon washing over them. Expecting to be blown into oblivion by a tank shell moving thousands of feet per second. However, that was far from what actually happened.

A truly horrific sound washed over them, somehow managing to penetrate their eardrums, even though they all have their ears covered. Yet this wasn't all, as the four Academy representatives found themselves nearly blown off their feet, by a strong force/wind that accompanied the horrific sound. Which almost resembled a choir of screaming damn Souls and the vicious roar of an ancient, long-dead beast.

Yuuka was the first to recover, hesitantly opening her eyes only to have them practically full out of her skull once she saw what had truly happened. The good Hunter stood defiantly in front of her and the other students, his flintlock pistol in one hand and the other, clutched a large hairy object that upon closer inspection was revealed to disturbingly be a large severed hand, that look like it came from some large vicious Beast.

However, as the rest of the students opened their eyes and saw the site before them, what caught all of their attention the most was the aftermath of what looked to be a massive explosion off to their right side. The building that had been there moments before now nothing but a pile of broken steel and rubble

In front of them the tank, which was still staring them down, noticeably had its barrels still smoking from the shell in it just shot at them. However before any of them could truly comprehend the mind-bending feat That The Hunter just accomplished, his voice suddenly rang out forcing all of them into action

"Everyone! Scatter now!" Yuuka, Chinatsu, Suzumi and Hasumi all did so without any hesitation, as they all scattered in various directions, each of them taking cover or preparing themselves behind whatever they could find as they prepared for whatever was about to happen.

However, they all suddenly noticed that the good Hunter had remained motionless, his body is still as a statue as he seemingly waited for his inevitable end at the hands of the tank in front of him.

"S-sensei! What are you doi-" Hasumi began to shout but was quickly silenced by the hunter's other hand quickly shooting up, the sudden and quick motion causing his cloak to billow behind him almost majestically as he quickly spoke.

"There is no need to fear Hasumi, I will be perfectly fine" His words somehow soothed her and all the other Academy representative's worry despite the fact that the rational part of their minds, telling them that there was no way he could stand up to a fully armoured tank like this and expect to win.

"Now all of you watch closely... I will show you how a hunter deals with such matters!" The good Hunter accompanied his words by quickly plunging the Evelyn and the hand that was holding it deep into his still billowing cloak.

All the students watched closely, as after a split second his arm quickly retracted from his cloak, revealing something so preposterously large and ridiculous that it should have been impossible for it to be inside his cloak, let alone it attached to his arm.

It's gleaming silver surface sparkled in the sunlight as the good Hunter with a flick of his arm quickly aimed it directly at the tank, somehow having the inhuman strength to hold it up at arm's length. Much like the Evelyn, its surface was covered in engravings and ornate patterns that gave it an almost beautiful quality.

Yet unlike the engravings on the Evelyn which suggested a nobility lost to time, the engravings on the long and cylindrical tapered object were of a different nature, looking more like something that would be found on a religious and deeply revered holy artefact.

"Is that..." Suzumi said quietly under her breath as she only just now realised, along with the other Academy representatives, to realise what exactly was strapped to the good Hunter's arm.

Yet before any of them could truly comprehend the sudden revelation the good Hunter finally pulled his finishing move, waiting for the exact moment when the tank's cannon barrel aimed down to look at him which was when he pulled the trigger on one of his favourite weapons.

The Church Canon!

KABOOOOOOOM!

The explosion that came for from the now revealed arm mounted cannon, was truly deafening. In fact, as the sound from the weapon washed over all the students they found themselves momentarily deafened by it, as well as almost knocked off their feet by the force of the muzzle blast from the church Canon.

The tank which was designed to face against other vehicles of a similar type stood no chance as the Quicksilver-infused cannonball flew towards it at supersonic speed, and completely bypassed its armour as if it wasn't even there.

The cannonball tearing right through the armoured vehicle as if it was made of nothing but paper and cardboard. Ultimately resulting in the tank exploding in a bright fireball and ultimately bursting into flames afterwards.

The good Hunter found himself pushed back considerably by the muzzle blast from the canon. Even though he was one of the very few Hunters to ever master such an unwieldy weapon, he was not immune to the tremendous recoil from such a weapon. But with a change of stands and a quick flick of his arm, he managed to regain his footing. The Canon letting out a hollow clunk as the second and last cannonball was loaded into place.

Although looking at the tank which was now in the process of uncontrollably burning, the good Hunter knew that a second shot from the church Canon was not necessary, it would be a waste of silver bullets which he was now in short supply of thanks to the weapon. After all, despite its immense weight and unwieldy nature, the only real problem he ever found using the church Canon was its absurd appetite for Quicksilver bullets.

"It looks like this Hunt has come to an end..." The hunter said quietly to himself, his eyes scanning over the Battlefield and observing every detail of it, as he heard four sets of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind.

Turning around he was greeted by the sight of his new students, Yuuka, Chinatsu, Suzumi and Hasumi staring at him with various expressions on their faces, ranging from confusion to utterly dumbfounded about what they had just witnessed.

"S-Sensei H-how... How did you do that?" Chinatsu was the first to speak, she had seen the Hunter do many strange and impossible things, from taking a bullet to the chest and surviving to moving at speeds that no Ordinary human could move at. Yet seeing him quite literally destroy a tank with a handheld cannon for all intents and purposes took the cake for both impossibility and strangeness.

It also didn't help that her eyes didn't know where to look exactly between the now burnt-out and destroyed tank and the Canon which was responsible for said destruction, strapped to the good Hunter's arm.

The hunter looked at the strawberry blonde haired Gehenna student for a moment, seemingly choosing his words carefully before speaking. Yet before he could actually do so, Yuuka quickly interrupted him.

"S-Sensei! Why must you act so recklessly! You could have got yourself killed!" Yuuka shouted with an incredibly agitated edge to her voice, accompanying her words by jabbing her finger into the good Hunter's chest. On her youthful and elegant face was a noticeable look of worry and concern for the good Hunter's safety. It completely overrode everything else, including the very, very big fact that the hunter had taken out a literal tank with a handheld cannon.

The hunter was momentarily surprised by the purple haired girl's sudden outburst, momentarily not quite knowing what to say. Yet after a moment, a quiet chuckle escaped his lips as he used his free hand to gently pat Yuuka on the shoulder. Which, despite catching her off guard, only made her more aggravated, causing her to stamp her foot against the ground in an almost childlike manner.

"Seeenseiii! Take this seriously, dammit! You could have got yourself badly hurt or even killed doing a stupid-" Yuuka quickly found her rant silenced by the Hunter placing one of his metallic vintage fingers against her lips and letting out a quiet shushing sound. The sudden and almost intimate nature of the gesture caught her completely by surprise and made a bright red blush make its way onto her pale cheeks.

"Please Yuuka contain yourself. While your worry over my safety is much appreciated, I must assure you that I was never in any danger. This is not my first run-in with seemingly impossible odds, and I highly doubt it will be my last" The good Hunter spoke softly and quietly, momentarily casting his gaze towards the now mostly quiet and deserted battlefield that had once been a street, as well as the now completely burnt out husk of the tank that had stood in his and the student's way.

Yuuka wanted to protest, after all she and the other representatives had been directly tasked with the hunter's safety, specifically because he didn't have a halo, meaning that theoretically could be taken out by a simple stray bullet in the middle of a firefight. Of course, though that seemed very unlikely after seeing what he could actually do in combat, but still, it didn't change the fact that she still felt responsible for his safety and well-being.

Yet somehow she simply couldn't bring herself to argue against his point, it was as if his words how they much deeper weight and meaning than she could have possibly imagined. In fact, the way he said it wasn't his first time against impossible odds, left an odd feeling in her gut because his tone conveyed that he had plenty of experience with encounters that are seemingly could not be overcome.

Which ultimately reinforced one of the biggest questions that had about her new sensei since first meeting him. Where did he come from, and who exactly was he?

"Hunter Sensei... if I may be so bombed to ask... How exactly is that weapon on your arm able to take out a tank in one shot?" Hasumi quickly broke the silence that was hanging in the air, her eyes practically glued to the church Canon, which was partially hidden behind the hunter's billowing cloak. The hunter for his part down at the weapon attached to his arm, momentarily surprised by her sudden question before a loud and jovial chuckle escaped his lips, which immediately made all the gathered students fuel incredibly calm and relaxed as if he was a beacon of pure and positive energy.

"Well you see Hasumi, why I can't give away all of my tricks, I will say that the lethality of this weapon is entirely reliant on its special manufacturing, and it's even more special ammunition" The hunter accompanied his words by hefting the church Canon up so it was held out at arm's length in front of him, allowing the students to one by one gather around it and inspect it closely.

Suzumi and Hasumi in particular found themselves almost mesmerised by the elaborate engravings and inlays that made up the entirety of the cannon's body. In fact, the longer they looked at the iconography that made up the engravings, the more it made them think of Trinity and the Sisterhood, specifically it was the use of crosses and other elaborate almost religious-like symbols that made them think of such connections.

Chinatsu while not being as enthusiastic about inspecting the canon as the Trinity students, she still marvelled at how the surface of the Canon and all of its elaborate engravings glistened in the sunlight. In fact, its surface was seemingly polished to an almost mirror shine, allowing her to see a slightly distorted reflection of herself as she pushed her glasses up and adjusted them.

Yuuka despite still being somewhat flustered from senses complete disregard of her feelings about his safety and his recklessness in battle, eventually and begrudgingly begin to inspect the Canon, any residual anger directed at The Hunter quickly disappearing as her face quickly turned into one of Wonder.

Just like his pistol, the Evelyn, as he called it. This arm Canon, which itself was still a strange concept to her, was practically a work of art in itself, it's surface completely covered in engravings and reliefs that depicted various different things that she couldn't quite understand.

There was also engraved writing in various places, which even though she looked at closely she couldn't understand for the life of her because it was in a language she simply didn't know. However, as she continued to look at the weapon, a sudden thought occurred to her, as her gaze slowly lingard up and down the entire length of the church canon.

"Sensei... How exactly do you reload this thing, I don't see any breech or magazine catch?" As the words left her mouth, the other students looked at her surprised for a moment, before their eyes quickly traced up and down the church Canon, only to widen when they didn't see any obvious method of reloading the Canon.

"Well, you see it is..." The hunter paused, seemingly for dramatic effect, the students practically leaning in as they waited for what he was about to say.

"A secret!" The words were quickly accompanied by a hearty chuckle, which caught all the students completely off guard as they almost fell over from the sheer surprise of his answer.

"Sensei! What kind of answer is that" Suzumi said abruptly, mock anger making its way into her voice, as she tried and ultimately failed to resist the urge to laugh.

The rest of the students despite trying to resist themselves ultimately followed suit as they all broke out into various fits of laughter, with the battle for the Federal Investigation Club building now thoroughly concluded, all of them could finally relax and let the tension leave their bodies and Souls

Yet their laughter was quickly silenced by the quiet yet quickly growing sound of helicopter blades, the familiar chopping sound growing louder and more unbearable as a familiar pure white helicopter quickly came into view over the tops of the buildings.

The hunter gestured for everyone to stand back, which they all did, but they quickly noticed the hunter place his arm along with the church Canon deep inside his cloak, before retracting it and to their surprise revealing his arm was now completely free of the giant weapon, it had seemingly just vanished into thin air beneath his cloak as if it had never been there to begin with.

Yet before any of them could question this, the pure white helicopter which had quickly circled around a few times in the air above the tops of the buildings came in for a landing, the familiar symbol and text on the side revealed that it was a helicopter that belonged to the general student council.

The dust kicked up by the helicopter began to assault everyone's face and eyes, forcing these students to protect themselves with their arms and hands as the helicopter finally touched down with a noticeable thumb. Despite the dust and wind kicked up by the helicopter's prop wash, the hunter did not need to shield his face as he approached the helicopter, the side door quickly opening up and revealing a very familiar young lady.

Rin Nanagami, adjusted her glasses as she stepped out of the helicopter, the wind and dust kicked up by the helicopters prop wash, causing her long hair to whip around like crazy making her curse under her breath as she tried to keep her hair under control while it was assaulted by the dust and wind.

"Sensei! Excellent work reclaiming the Schale clubroom building!" Rin had to shout over the sound of a helicopter blades so she could be heard, as the chopper quickly took back off into the air, blowing around more wind and dust, much to her annoyance.

As the helicopter disappeared over the tops of the buildings the noise from its rotor blades gradually diminishing, the good Hunter responded to her words by Simply doing another one of his elegant bowels holding one arm out to the side and another on his chest, in much the same manner as he had done when he first met her.

"While I appreciate the praise Rin, I couldn't have done it without the help of my four lovely students here" rising from his bow, The good Hunter gestured to the four Academy representatives standing close by, all of them to some degree looking dishevelled and slightly grimy, both from the battle to reclaim the clubroom Building and as a result of the dust and grime kicked up by the helicopter.

Yuuka step forward, not caring in the slightest that her usually white jacket was noticeably grimy and dirty, as she puffed out her chest with a proud look making its way under her face.

"That's right, WE helped sensei take back the clubroom building" Yuuka closed her eyes and puffed up her chest even further, an incredibly smug and proud smile making its way onto her face as she put her hands on her hips.

Rin didn't immediately say anything, a slightly unused expression appearing on her face as she looked the slightly scruffy Millennium girl up and down.

"I see... Well done then, I suppose you're not as useless as I initially thought you were" Rin let her filter slip for just a moment, allowing what she true thoughts to come out instead of more corporate and less insulting response she had meant to give.

Yuuka's proud expression and posture completely evaporated when she heard those words from the general students by the council vice president. For a brief moment her face was blank, yet the blank look was quickly replaced by one of almost incandescent anger and frustration.

"M-Me useless!? H-how dare you, all you did was sit in your pretty little helicopter, while I busted my ass trying to retake this stupid clubroom of yours!" Yuuka abruptly snapped back, her face going slightly red as she clenched her gloved hands hard.

Rin didn't immediately respond, but the twitching in her right eye only grew worse, as a very frustrated and exhausted sounding sigh escaped her lips, the vice president of the general student council, truly looked like she wanted to fall into the world of dreams and never awaken again.

However, before either Rin or Yuuka could continue their argument, the good Hunter quickly stepped between them. Using both of his hands to gently push them away from each other, just in case in the very rare unlikelihood that the argument would progress to a verbal one to a physical one.

"Both of you stop, now is not the time for arguing, we should be celebrating our victory instead of pointless squabble" The hunter said with a stern authoritative tone, looking at both of the girls with slight disappointment.

Both Rin and Yuuka looked at him for a moment before looking at each other, Rin's completely tired and forlorn expression quickly disappearing as she let out a quiet sigh, composing herself into the much more professional composure that she usually kept as a member of the general student council. Yuuka eventually let out a sigh of her own, the angry and Furious expression on her face quickly vanishing as she took a couple of deep and calming breaths and composed herself.

"That's better, now Rin, while your frustration with the situation before my arrival was understandable, you mustn't take it out on other people, especially those like Yuuka who are directly responsible for helping remedy the situation" Rin didn't say anything in response to The Hunter, his toe reminded her of a father gently disciplining a child who had misbehaved.

And despite wanting to argue his point, she had to be gradually admit that he was correct, in fact his words reminded her of the general student council president, because she had once set something to Rin that was eerily identical to this.

With his point made, the Hunter exchanged one more glance with the black haired student council vice, before turning his pension to a certain purple haired Millennium student.

"Yuuka, while taking pride in your accomplishments is understandable, you must understand that boasting needlessly about your accomplishments is a very sure-fire way to aggravate those around you. Take pride in your accomplishments, but be sure to remember that being too prideful can lead to one's own undoing" The good Hunter said with a calm and gentle tone, he didn't want it to sound like he was trying to punish her for having pride in her accomplishments.

But he knew, from both personal experience and several events in his past, that being overly proud of oneself and their accomplishments to the point where it bordered on arrogance always ended in tragedy.

Yuuka didn't say anything, listening intently to the hunter's words as he spoke, while she was still a bit annoyed at the way that the general student council vice president had spoken to her and had basically disregarded her accomplishments in taking back the clubroom. She had to admit that sensei had a point, taking pride in one's work was something that was to be expected and even encouraged, but bragging about your own accomplishments could easily make you look like a self-centred person. Which she knew she certainly wasn't.

"Now both of you, I want you to apologise to each other, after all, this is a time when we should be celebrating our Victory instead of squabbling amongst ourselves" Both girls and question looked at him oddly for a moment before turning to look at each other, the tension leaving their bodies as they both like out of sight.

Rin was the first to speak. "I'm sorry Hayase Yuuka, the amount of stress I've been under has made me forget how to be polite and considerate..." She paused for a singular moment, seemingly collecting her thoughts, before she quickly opened her mouth and continued.

"As such I must thank you how wholeheartedly for helping to reclaim the schale clubroom building, the general student council as a whole is in your debt" Rin finished by quickly grabbing one of Yuuka's gloved hands and giving it a thumb but vigorous shake, much to the surprise of said Millennium student who looked almost flabbergasted at the exchange.

However, after a moment Yuuka opened her mouth to speak as well. "Thank you vice president, your praise...is appreciated" Yuuka paused opening her mouth several times as she tried to find the right words before eventually managing to do so. "I'm sorry about how I spoke earlier, I should have known better than to disregard the general student council so lightly" she finished by tightening her grip on Rin's hand, using her own strength to give it a firm shake as both girls made up with each other. Much to the pleasure of the good Hunter who crossed his arms and nodded his head slightly.

"Now with things settled, I think-" The hunter started but then quickly and abruptly stopped as his head suddenly snapped in the direction of the clubroom building, much to the surprise of the gathered students who all looked at him strangely. They immediately noticed that his stance and posture was completely rigid, he was now so still that he almost looked like a statue.

"Sensei, what's the matter?" Rin was the first to speak, reaching out for him and grabbing onto his cloak and giving it a firm but gentle tug, yet it didn't seem to elicit any response, his gaze still lingering on the entrance of the clubroom building.

"Sensei... Are you alright?" Suzumi much like the vice president, gently pulled on the good Hunter's cloak, only for it to elicit a reaction but not the one that she or any of the other students expected.

The hunter quickly turned his entire body on the spot and without missing a beat began to march towards the clubroom building entrance, his cloak billowing behind him as he advanced towards the building.

Despite the momentary surprise, Rin the first to react, quickly running to keep up with the Hunter as she tried speaking to him.

"Sensei! Where are you-" Rin found herself quickly silenced by The Hunter as he stopped, turned and put a finger to her lips all in one motion, it momentarily surprised her because of how quick and smooth the entire thing was, but before she could recover and continue speaking the good Hunter spoke instead.

"Rin, I want you to wait here, there is something that... I need to attend to inside the clubroom" she wanted to ask what exactly he meant by that, but before she could, he quickly turned and began walking towards the entrance of the building again. Not giving her any time to react or even attempt to try and follow him, as he entered the building and disappeared from sight.

Leaving her standing there completely dumbfounded as well as the other Academy representatives who all couldn't understand what it just happened.

….​

"I don't see what the big deal is about this place"

Somebody said to themselves as they continue to walk around the basement of the Schale building, somewhat aimlessly. The individual was revealed to be none other than a young girl wearing an elaborate oriental style uniform, complete with a white and red painted fox mask that covered her face from view. Over her shoulder was slung a rifle painted in a similar manner to her black, white and red uniform.

Wakamo let out a quiet sigh, her gaze continuing to slowly and somewhat aimlessly wander around the somewhat dark and almost dreary looking basement. She had been given the task of completely levelling this place to the ground, but that was about all she had been told.

"What am I even supposed to destroy here? It just looks like a bunch of junk to me" True to her word she really didn't see anything much of value in this place, of all the general student Council Buildings and facilities that she could have been tasked with destroying, she couldn't for the life of her understand why this one in particular needed to be destroyed, considering that to her eyes least there was nothing value actually here.

Wandering further into the dark and dreary basement, Wakamo continued inspecting the various objects scattered around time, most of which either had fabric coverings haphazardly thrown over them or were covered in a thick layer of dust. Yet, as she continued to do this, the fox girl failed to notice that she was being followed by someone or something.

In fact, as Wakamo stopped to examine one particular object that almost looked like an old antiquated street lamp, haphazardly hanging from a rusty metal stem. She completely and utterly failed to notice a dark shadow quickly fall over her, the owner of said shadow towering over her as he silently observed her.

"What is this?" Wakamo said quietly, as she bent down slightly to get a better look at the strange lamp-like object. The only reason it caught her attention was because of how out of place it looked, compared to all the other mundane and boring objects that surrounded it.

"Annnnd what exactly are you doing, young missy?" Wakamo felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end as a shiver run down her spine. Instantly jumping to her feet as she turned on the spot in a flash, reaching for her rifle as she prepared to confront the person who would somehow manage to sneak up on her.

However, even in the dim light of the basement, her eyes widened considerably when she saw who was standing just feet away from her. He was tall, incredibly so to the point where she had to crane her neck just to see his face, yet what she saw was not a human face, in fact it was a skull, a silvery metallic skull that had six pairs of dimly glowing orange eyes that seemingly stared into her very soul.

Any thought of reaching for her rifle was completely forgotten, staring into those dimly glowing orange eyes. Every single Instinct in her body was telling her one thing, something that she never ever would do in a normal situation.

Run...

Run as fast and as far as you can...

"If I may enquire young missy, you wouldn't happen to be the leader of those delinquents that my students and I took care of outside would you" His voice had a paradoxical nature to it, on the one hand it sounded almost angelic, with a calm and refined air to it that suggested civility. But on the other, something almost imperceptible in his voice sounded wrong... as if it was an unknowable entity imitating a human voice almost perfectly, yet failing to capture the essential essence of what made a human being.

Wakamo didn't respond, not because she couldn't, but because she simply couldn't bring herself to. Every instinct in her body was still telling her to run and hide, yet paradoxically her body refused to move, as if even the slightest movement would trigger some unforeseen event that would result in her demise.

"You seem to be looking rather pale, young lady... Are you perhaps unwell?" Wakamo cringed, her body beginning to shake violently as the sound of his voice washed over her. His words held nothing but concern, yet that somehow made his voice even more eerie and off-putting.

She felt the sweat beginning to pour down her face, her legs felt like they were going to tumble out from under her. But as the mysterious individual in front of her reached out a metallic gloved hand, Wakamo's body finally reacted.

In a flash, she turned on her heels and sprinted, making a desperate beeline towards one of the many exits that she had memorised before entering the building.

She needed to get out of here. She needed to get away from whatever... HE was.

The good Hunter, watched with visible confusion as the young fox girl quickly dashed away from him and disappeared out of sight. Even though she was most likely up to no good, considering that she was most definitely the leader of the delinquents that him and his students are taken care of.

He hadn't actually intended to do anything or even fight her, in fact he intended for quite the opposite, hoping for a peaceful negotiation and possible surrender. After all, if he was going to become a teacher in this strange land, then he simply couldn't abandon a student who had fallen off the wrong path.

"How unusual and troublesome" The hunter muttered quietly to himself, as he began to look around at the various objects scattered about the dark basement, at the centre of the room on top of a large podium was a strange and slightly eerie-looking stone obelisk, floating quietly in the air by some unknown arcane means.

However, looking down where the Fox girl had been a moment ago, he saw something that he would rather have forgotten. An unpleasant and unsightly that had many unpleasant memories and moments attached to it that he would have been happy to completely forget.

Getting down to one knee, the hunter gently wiped away some of the dust that had gathered on the lamp, it was the very same style of lamp that he would have awakened at and utilise throughout his travels when he was a hunter connected to the workshop.

"Such an unsightly thing... How did this get come to be here I wonder" The good Hunter spoke quietly, his metal-gloved hand almost caressing the lamp in a gentle manner. He wanted to destroy it, to permanently sever any connection between him and that cursed nightmare.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it, even though the lamp was a symbol of the nightmare, it still had some fond memories attached to it, particularly of the little ones, who like the loyal companions they were had always been there to help him throughout his journey.

Giving the lamp one last look, the hunter quickly rises to his feet, his eyes lingering on the lamp for a brief moment before he suddenly became aware of footsteps approaching from behind.

"Sensei! What made you run off like that?" Rin said with a slightly aggravated tone to her voice. Her face conveying disapproval as she crossed her arms over her chest in a disapproving manner. However, as she stared at the Hunter waiting for a response, she became aware of the almost strange atmosphere in the air, as if she had interrupted something important.

"Sensei... Did I miss something important?" Rin ask cautiously, looking around somewhat awkwardly as she waited for the hunter to respond.

The good Hunter did not immediately say anything, continuing to look off in one particular direction of the basement, before ultimately a sigh escaped his lips as he turned to the general student council vice president.

"No Rin... nothing in particular that you should worry about" The hunter said with a completely nonchalant tone, yet there was something in his voice that made Rin not entirely sure if she could believe his words, but ultimately she decided to disregard that self-doubt because there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"If you insist. Well this building and everything in it was left specifically to you by the general student council president, but if I can find it, that was one object that was the most important for you to have" Rin accompanied her words by quickly beginning to rummage through several boxes that laid nearby. Her eyes momentarily coming to rest on the strange lamp, before she disregarded it and continued rummaging through the boxes.

"Ah found it, thankfully, there isn't a scratch on it" Rin quickly pulled the object from the box it resided in, gently blowing on it to remove a thin layer of dust that has accumulated on its surface. She looked at it with a slightly sad smile, almost gently caressing the rectangular object, as it was probably one of the very last things that the general student council president interacted with before she disappeared.

"Please sensei. Take it" Rin held the rectangular object to arm's length, revealing that it was a generic looking white smart tablet. The hunter, despite being quite perplexed by the strange object, gently took it into his hand, being careful that his metallic gauntlets wouldn't scratch the delicate surface of the rectangular device.

"So this is what was left for me?" The hunter said as he looked at the object in his hand, it was completely and utterly alien to him, much like the rest of the strange and otherworldly devices that he had seen during his short time in this new world.

"Yes, sensei. This is what the general student council president, left for you. The Shittim Chest" Rin quickly adjusted her glasses, watching the Hunter with growing curiosity as he inspected the tablet. Despite his face being hidden, his body language was more than enough to tell her that he was completely confused yet intrigued by the tablet, as if it was his first time singing such a thing.

"It may seem like a normal tablet, but its origins are a mystery, it's manufacturer, OS, system architecture and components are completely unknown" Rin let out a sigh as she spoke, even though she had had the tablet examined by some of the best and brightest minds in Kivotos multiple times already. The tablet was still a complete unknown and a massive thorn in her side.

"I see... Quite the little mystery box I suppose, although forgive me, but I failed to see how I equate into all of this" The hunter turned his attention to Rin, momentarily disregarding the strange little rectangular device in his hand.

Rin didn't immediately respond to his words, in all honesty she didn't quite know herself where exactly the hunter fit into all of this, but she did remember something that the president had told her in regard to the tablet before her disappearance.

"Before she disappeared, the general student council president said that you, and only you would be able to access the Shittim Chest. And that with it, you would be able to control the sanctum Tower" Rin paused for a moment, trying and failing a few times to find what she wanted to say before ultimately she managed to do so.

"No one else in all of Kivotos has been able to activate or access that tablet... but if the tablet was left for you sensei, then maybe you're the one that is able to access it" Rin didn't care in the slightest if she sounded like she was pleading. If sensei was indeed the one that could restore order to the city with whatever the tablet was, then she would happily get down on her knees and kiss his shoes if it meant that he would do so.

The hunter didn't say anything, turning his gaze back down to the tablet in his hands, even though he was completely unfamiliar with whatever the strange little device was, clearly it was a great if not the diet important to the very future of this world itself.

Rin felt herself beginning to fidget on the spot, sweat forming on her brow as she watched the good Hunter, silently observed the tablet in his hands. The deafening silence was beginning to weigh on her like a 10 ton weight pressing down on her shoulders, she didn't think that the good Hunter would refuse her request, but watching him examine the tablet made it very clear to her that he had absolutely no clue how to activate the strange little device. And that's when it finally dawned on Rin, her eyes widening as her mouth almost fell open in shock, the hunter truly had no idea how a smart tablet worked, judging from how he was turning it over in his hands repeatedly clearly completely confused on how the device was meant to be operated.

"Sensei... do you know how to use a smart tablet" Rin ask cautiously, not wanting to make it sound like she was insulting his intelligence or demeaning him. However, if she actually meant it or not, the hunter didn't seem to register it, his gaze quickly turning to look at her as his body language and gaze conveying confusion and slight frustration.

"I suppose you could say I am, I have never encountered such a strange device... But as a hunter I am a quick learner" The good Hunter said as his finger traced over the screen of the device before coming to rest on a singular large round button, and after a singular moment gently pressed it.

*Beep*

With a gentle sound, the tablet quickly sprung to life, the screen which had been black and dead moments ago quickly lighting up in a bright and vibrant white hue. And after staying like that for a moment, the white screen quickly transitioned into something else.

The good Hunter behind his mask squinted his eyes slightly, his keen and sensitive Vision not used to such a bright and a natural light shining into his eyes. But after a moment he quickly adjusted, a strange almost S like symbol in blazoned on the screen which was quickly followed by a string of text that surprisingly he could actually read.

Connecting to the Shittim Chest...

The hunter waited for a moment, watching as the text quickly was replaced by different text, along with a small rectangular box on the screen.

Please enter the system password.

In any other situation, he would have been absolutely amazed by the sheer vibrancy being displayed on the display. But right now that was the furthest thing from his mind as he felt almost a familiarity with this device, which was bizarre considering he had never seen such a thing in his life before.

Rin felt a massive surge of relief race through her, a sigh escaping her lips as her shoulders noticeably dropped, it seemed that the tablet was indeed meant for sensei all along, considering that he was able to effortlessly activate.

"I will leave you to this sensei, I'll step away as to not interfere" Rin quickly stepped away from the good Hunter, moving to the opposite side of the room as to not interfere with whatever was going to happen next.

The hunter gave the vice president one last glance, before turning his attention back to the tablet in his hands, gently tapping on the display brought up a keypad which despite momentarily surprising him, he was able to quickly figure out how it worked. Yet, staring at the empty text box and the keyboard, the good Hunter was completely at a loss as to what the password for this strange little tablet could be.

Passwords had always been something he was especially bad with, especially when it came to important ones that needed to be remembered.

However, as he continued to stare at the empty text box, something suddenly popped into his mind, a distant memory that was foggy and indecisive yet somehow paradoxically as clear as day. His fingers moved by themselves as the text box was quickly filled.

We thirst for the seven wailing

We bare the koan of jericho​

The Hunter pressed the enter button, the strange memory of whatever those words were and what they could possibly mean disappearing from his mind as quickly as it came. Leaving him momentarily perplexed at what he had just done, which was very much unlike him.

A small confirmation message popped up, alerting the hunter that the password had been accepted and that the tablet had been fully unlocked and was now ready for him.

Password accepted. User identified as k̷̡͍͍͖̼͎̠͔̝̱͎̺̘̳̺̳͓̰̠̉̃̍̔̆̄̀̔̈́͑͆̊͝e̵̩̫̘̤͙̤̹͉̭̭̳̗̻̠̱͓̙͗̿̓͗̌̕͜ͅn̶̨̨̛̻͍̮͚̹͊̾̇͊͆͗̇͋̅́̉̏̌̚͘͝j̸̛͈͉̳̮̹͓͓̰̇̍̍̈́̾͛̈́̑͌͊̒͛́̊̀̚i̴̝̻͓͋ Confirmed

Welcome to the Shittim Chest, k̷̡͍͍͖̼͎̠͔̝̱͎̺̘̳̺̳͓̰̠̉̃̍̔̆̄̀̔̈́͑͆̊͝e̵̩̫̘̤͙̤̹͉̭̭̳̗̻̠̱͓̙͗̿̓͗̌̕͜ͅn̶̨̨̛̻͍̮͚̹͊̾̇͊͆͗̇͋̅́̉̏̌̚͘͝j̸̛͈͉̳̮̹͓͓̰̇̍̍̈́̾͛̈́̑͌͊̒͛́̊̀̚i̴̝̻͓͋ Sensei.

Converting to operating system ARONA for biological authentication and generation of verification certification.

The Hunter didn't actually have a chance to read those words, as he suddenly felt a strange sensation come over him. The world around him beginning to distort and ripple like water that have been disturbed on a pristine pond, and for just a moment it felt like his mind was being tugged along by some invisible force. This feeling was eerily familiar to him, to the point where for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, he felt a sense of apprehension well up from deep within his soul.

'This is… just like before... just like that night'

Was the last thing that the hunter thought as his entire world and existence went momentarily black.

….​

The Hunter slowly felt his senses return to him, his eyes opening slowly as he gradually took in the strange environment he had found himself in. Despite its otherworldly architecture compared to what he was used to, the hunter could easily identify to some kind of classroom, which was helped by the abundance of desks, lockers and other classroom related accoutrements scattering the surrounding floor.

Taking a step, the hunter heard a small splash beneath his foot, looking down revealed that there was a small amount of water on the floor, just enough to be noticeable when he walked but not enough to be an inconvenience.

One side of the classroom was entirely absent, unveiling a stunning vista of a crystal-clear blue ocean and a soft, pale blue sky. The beauty of the scene was mesmerizing, but it wasn't the primary focus of his attention.

At the centre of the room was a small young girl, her head was resting gently on one of the many desks that littered the classroom. Was topped by a mop of pale blue hair, tied up in a white hairband that almost resembled a pair of rabbit ears.

The hunter gradually approached the young girl, the sound of water under his feet almost imperceptible as he quietly observed the young girl, not quite sure what to make of her. If her height was anything to go by, then she was incredibly Young, possibly even barely a teenager. Her uniform, for a lack of a better term, consisted of a blue sailor style dress shirt, and a short white poofy skirt.

Leaning in but being careful not to disturb her, the hunter observed what he could see of her face, which was partially obscured because she was resting her head on her arms, using them as a makeshift pillow. However, as he watched her, he suddenly heard her mumbled something in her sleep.

*nom* "Castella cake... banana milk... goes better then strawberry milk...

That made the Hunter do a double take, staring at the young girl for a couple of seconds before a quiet chuckle escaped his lips, clearly this girl had a vivid imagination, her dreams being one of endless culinary delights based on what she mumbled about in her sleep.

Although the smile that was on the hunter's face under his mask quickly faltered when he remembered his own experience when it came to the world of dreams. The realm of dreams and nightmares had been an unpleasant experience, to say the least, one that he tried his hardest to forget about every moment he had.

"Heehee... There's so much left..."

The hunter was pulled from his musings by the young girl mumbling again in her sleep, a wide smile making its way onto her face as a small amount of drool began to slowly drip from the side of her mouth.

He felt his smile quickly return, watching the young girl sleep peacefully while experiencing a truly relaxing and pleasant dream, genuinely calmed his nerves like nothing else ever had.

Yet as she continued to mumble her sleep about all kinds of various desserts, the hunter stood up to his full height, and surprisingly removed the silver metallic gauntlet from his hand, revealing pale flesh where the gauntlet had been a moment previously.

With care, the hunter slowly reached for the girl with his now bare hand, using one of his fingers to gently poke the girl on her cheek. He wasn't exactly sure why he did this, but something compelled him to do so as he continued to gently poke her soft and squishy cheek.

"N-not now... I still have so much to eat..."

The girl mumbled as her expression turned from a pleasant one to a slightly perturbed and aggravated one, clearly what the hunter was doing was disturbing her pleasant dream. But he decided that that was for the best, considering that something compelled him to wake the girl from her slumber.

"Mmm... But... heehee" With a few more careful cheap pokes, the young girl finally began to stir, her eyes fluttering open slightly before she quickly closed them, and before the hunter could say or do anything. She shuffled from her seat, groggy, getting to her feet as a small bright blue Halo quickly materialised above her head, she began to rub sleep from her eyes.

*Yawning* "What's going... on" The girl said in between a yawn, as she stretched her arms over her head.

The hunter only just now realising that clutched in one of her hands, was what looked to be a small wrapped white umbrella, with strangely enough a rifle stock poking out of where the handle for the umbrella should have been.

The small girl continued to rub the sleep from her eyes, opening them after a moment to look at who had awoken her from her slumber. However, when her eyes came to rest on the hunter, he saw her blink several times, clearly somewhat bewildered, before she quickly rubbed her eyes again.

"Huh...?" Was all that the girl managed to say as she rubbed her eyes once again, clearly still not fully believing what she was seeing.

"Uh... Huh? Wha…?!" The hunter watched with slight amusement, as the girl stumbled over her words, above her head the Halo which had been a bright blue ring before began to change, taking on a noticeably jagged appearance seemingly in reflection of her current emotion.

"Are you OK, young missy?" The hunter inquired after a moment, his words seemingly catching the girl off guard as her halo continued to alter shape, becoming increasingly jagged, and a completely perplexed expression enveloping her face.

"S-Sensei!? If you're here, does that mean that you're Kenji Sensei?!" The girl asked abruptly, completely ignoring his question. Yet the hunter did not immediately respond, mostly because he for the first time in a long time was caught completely off guard, specifically because she knew something that not many people ever knew.

"Yes, I am... but first of all, how exactly do you know my name?" the hunter asks with a cautious air to his voice, his body going noticeably rigid, seemingly in preparation for something. Despite the fact that she was just a young girl and could pose no threat to him, he didn't want to take any chances, considering that she somehow knew a piece of information about him that almost nobody in existence did.

The girl however didn't seem to care about his question or his body language as her Halo continued to spike wildly, the bewildered expression on her face only growing stronger as she quickly spoke.

"What? So I'm right? What time is it" the small girl began to look around frantically, seemingly trying to figure out exactly what the time was.

Hunter, despite still being somewhat wary of the fact that she knew his name, noticeably calmed himself, taking a deep relaxing breath as he managed to regain control over himself. However, the girl knew his name, he highly doubted that the girl knew his name for any malevolent reason.

Opening his mouth to speak, the Hunter, found himself quickly silenced as the girl spoke first, gently slapping her cheeks seemingly in an attempt to get a hold of herself.

"Wait. Calm down..." As the words left her mouth, her halo changed once again, this time noticeably beginning to droop in certain places along its circumference as if it was made of some kind of liquid.

"Un, so... Oh, that's right! I forgot to introduce myself!" The girl paused for a moment, clearing her throat as her halo return to what the hunter could presume was its default normal state. "My name is Arona!" She said with an energetic tone, a bright smile making it's way on to her face as the words left her mouth.

"I am the system manager that lives inside the Shittim chest. I serve as its main OS. Think of me as your trustee secretary, Sensei!" The hunter wasn't exactly sure what she meant by main OS, considering that the term was completely foreign to him. But her mentioning that she lived inside the tablet resonated with him because it reminded him of a certain somebody that he cared for deeply who was in a similar predicament.

"So I have somehow travelled inside the strange little device that I was given?" The hunter said after a moment, the prospect of being inside the smart tablet not being entirely unusual to him, considering some of the strange things he had experienced during his time as a hunter.

"Yep! I'm so glad to finally meet you! I've been waiting a long time!" A bright and cheerful made its way onto Arona's face, her halo changing to a bright pink hue, as well as taking on the shape of a stereotypical love heart.

The hunter found her cheerfulness almost infectious as a smile made its way onto his face, something about her bright and bubbly nature genuinely soothed him in a way that almost nothing else could.

"I see... You've been waiting here so long that you fell asleep?" The hunter asked out of curiosity more than anything else. But Arona's reaction was not what he expected, her halo changed once again resembling the spike pattern that it had been earlier as a slightly embarrassed blush made its way onto her face.

"Well, uh... I guess I might have dozed off there" Arona's embarrassed face as well as her general nervousness as if she had been caught sleeping on the job. Made the hunter chuckled loudly, much to the surprise of the young girl who looked at him with a small pout, clearly not appreciating him laughing at her expense.

*Haha,* "Please excuse me Arona, it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance" The hunter gave a slight bow as he spoke, the slightly aggravated and embarrassed expression on Arona's face disappearing as the hunter introduced himself, her halo also returning to its normal state before again taking on the shape of a purple love heart with a smile quickly accompanying it.

"I'm happy to meet you as well, Kenji Sensei" Arona replied with a bright smile. The hunter couldn't help but flinch slightly when she used his name but decided that if she wanted to call him that then he wouldn't stop her.

"If I may enquire Arona... How exactly do you know my name" The hunter enquired cautiously, not wanting to make it sound like he was going to punish her for knowing or using his name. If anything he was just curious of how she could know such a thing about him, especially when to his knowledge he had never met her before, and the fact that almost nobody both in the dream and waking world knew his name.

Arona didn't immediately respond, her face taking on a noticeably confused look as her halo changed colour from blue to green, clearly mirroring her slightly confused state. Yet, after a couple of moments of silence, she finally responded.

"I'm not sure... I kind of just know, I guess?" Her Halo quickly changed once again, this time taking on a noticeably spiky appearance, with the colour changing from Green to Blue. This was accompanied by her facial expression, which took on one of noticeable frustration. Clearly, she was trying to remember how she knew the Hunter's name, but it seemingly completely escaped her, which was causing her frustration.

The Hunter watch her fume for a moment before a quiet chuckle escaped his lips, he reached out with his unarmoured hand and gently patted her on the head, his fingers passing through her halo as he gently patted her on the head. This also served to confirm his suspicions that the student's halos were indeed intangible objects, despite the fact that some of them looked like they were made of solid matter.

Arona's face took on a noticeable blush, as her halo changed once again to mirror her emotion. This time it changed to an even lighter blue than its base form, taking on a noticeably jagged and slightly unclear appearance as the young girl began to flail her arms around.

"S-Sensei! My physical form is small, and my voice could use a serious upgrade but don't treat me like a kid!" Arona stated with a noticeable pout on her face. Which only served to make the good Hunter chuckle and ultimately pat her head more, making her even more embarrassed and frustrated.

"Your size matters not to me, Arona. Your value and usefulness to me is not based on your size" the hunter said with an almost fatherly like tone as he removed his hand from the young girl's head. Her embarrassed and slightly frustrated expression immediately vanished as a smile quickly replaced it her halo as well returning to its default state.

However, this did not last very long as it suddenly changed once again, taking on a noticeably green and spiky appearance as her face turned into one of realisation and shock. "Oh, right! We haven't completed your biological authentication yet?"

The hunter was a bit confused by her words, he wasn't exactly sure what biological authentication meant, but he could make an educated guess that it most likely revolved around some function of the tablet that he was unaware of.

"How exactly do we go about this... biological authentication that you speak of Arona?" The Hunter asked Arona, and she was surprised for a moment.

"Um... This is a little embarrassing, but it's all part of the protocol. Would you mind standing a little closer" Arona said somewhat shyly, idly tapping her fingers together as she averted her gaze from the good Hunter. Her halo also took on a noticeably pink hue, signifying her embarrassment.

The hunter didn't say a word but complied with her request, as he quickly got down to one knee, the height difference between them reduced somewhat, but even then she still barely came up to his chest. As such, the Hunter hunched his back, lowering himself even further until he was nearly eye level with her.

Arona now looking for hunter dead in the eyes, let a smile cross her face clearly. The hunter was thoroughly surprised by this, considering that he was still wearing his bone ash mask, which itself had quite a frightening visage. Even so, the young girl didn't seem phased or even care in the slightest about the quite frankly horrific appearance of the bone Ash mask.

"Sensei. Now place your fingertip against mine" the hunter went to do as he was instructed yet noticeably hesitated as his finger came within millimetres of hers. The prospect of sharing any kind of close physical contact with anyone being somewhat alien and uncomfortable to him, yet after the momentary pause he followed through. Gently placing his much larger finger against Arona's small and delicate one.

Arona couldn't stop herself from letting out a quiet giggle, the strange coldness of the hunter's skin, making a slight jolt run down her spine. But it wasn't unpleasant for her, if anything it was like being tickled all over at once.

"Heehee. It's kind of like we're making a promise or something, isn't it" Arona said letting out another giggle. Yet the hunter didn't say a single word, being oddly quiet as her words roused something deep within him. It wasn't her fault she couldn't have known, but her words stirred up unpleasant memories, one of a promise that he had made to a certain young girl that he had failed to keep, ultimately leading to her demise.

"Sensei... Sensei? Are you OK?" The hunter was jolted from his thoughts by the sound of her voice. Arona was looking at him, obviously worried by his abrupt silence, her halo reflecting this as it had taken on a noticeably sad colour and shape.

"I am... Fine, Arona. I was just... recalling some unpleasant memories as all" The hunter said after a moment of quiet, he didn't see a need to lie to her, but he did keep the true nature of his thoughts to himself simply because he didn't want to upset the young girl or worst traumatize her.

"Oh..." Was all that Arona uttered as she did something completely unexpected and abrupt. Without warning and yet still keeping her finger pressed against the hunters, she came in closer to the hunter's face, and before he could respond, she placed her forehead against the metallic surface of the bone ash mask, closing her eyes as a soft and content smile made its way onto her facial features.

The hunter was completely taken off guard by this, he wasn't used to close physical contact like this, particularly of such an intimate and thoughtful nature from somebody so young and innocent. Nevertheless, as her forehead remained in contact with the bone ash mask, the hunter felt a calming sensation come over him, one that truly made him feel calmer and more relaxed.

He wasn't sure exactly how Arona was able to do this and make him feel this way, it could have been because she had ultimate command over the domain of the tablet where they were currently. Or it could have just been a positive side effect of her genuinely calm and peaceful nature.

Still either way, despite these things racing through his mind, the hunter did not interfere with the gesture, allowing the young girl to do whatever it was to him that was having this calming effect on him.

Yet as quickly and suddenly as she performed the gesture, she quickly pulled away, the pleasant smile on her face never wavering as she looked him dead in the eyes and then spoke.

"There Sensei. Do you feel better now?" Arona ask, the beaming smile never leaving her face as she waited patiently for the hunter to answer her inquiry.

While still being confused on how exactly she was able to make him feel this way, the hunter couldn't help but smile under his mask as he opened his mouth to respond to her question.

"Yes Arona... my nerves feel soothed" The hunter spoke, the smile never leaving his face as Arona let out a small laugh, her smile somehow growing even wider and brighter.

"Heehee. I'm happy I could help Sensei!" Arona beamed cheerfully, continuing to hold her finger against the Hunters for a couple of months longer. Before a satisfied smile made its way onto her face, are she pulled her finger away from the Hunters.

"All done!" She said excitedly, an almost sing-song like tone creeping into Arona's voice as her halo changed a noticeable pink as well as changing into the shape of a love heart.

I see... if I may enquire Arona, what exactly does this biological authentication actually do?" The hunter asked, very curious about what this biological authentication actually was and what it did. Evidently, from the way that Arona talked about it. It clearly had an important function, even if he currently wasn't sure what it was.

Arona didn't instantly answer, her face morphing from bright and cheery to a very confused expression. From her point of view, it was an incredibly strange question to be asked considering that biological authentication was a commonplace thing, especially with all the up-to-date technology nowadays.

"Well Sensei... Biological authentication is a security measure, which makes it the only you can access the Shittim chest..." Arona explained it in the simplest way possible, fearing that the hunter would be somewhat offended by the almost infantile way that she had described it to him. However, despite not being able to see his face, his body language suggested that he wasn't insulted in the slightest, in fact he seemed almost eager and curious.

"I see... most fascinating indeed" the hunter said mostly to himself as he did something completely unexpected. Reaching into his cloak with his unarmoured hand, Arona saw him quickly pull out a dark brown object, one that was tied together with a piece of gnarled and frayed cord.

Yet before she could inquire about what it was, the hunter quickly unraveled the object, revealing that it was a leather-bound book, the pages which had most likely been bleached white once now stained with various dark brown and yellow splotches.

Arona continued to watch as the hunter reached into his cloak once again with his other hand, producing what appeared to be a small, ornate looking fountain pen, the likes of which she had never seen before in her life. He then began to quickly scrawl something in one of the open pages in a form of writing that despite her considerable and almost infinite knowledge was completely unreadable to her.

"Sensei... what are you doing?" Arona asked with curiosity, following as the hunter continued to scribble down intelligible script on the paper in front of him, before quickly flicking to a new page once he had run out of space on the previous one.

The hunter did not immediately answer her question, still scribbling down something he could only read on the paper in front of him. Yet after a few more quiet moments of this, he at last stopped, returning the pen to the inside of his cloak as he slowly started to curl up the twine and wrap it around the leather book.

"Well my dear Arona, I was simply writing down all the things that I need to learn more about, when I have the time to do so" The hunter replied as he finished tying up the twine around the book before placing it back inside his cloak.

Arona didn't speak, but she made a definitive *Oh* sound as she now understood exactly what the hunter was doing. Though, before she could open her mouth to say something that was on her mind, the hunter interrupted her.

"Arona, now that all the formalities are out of the way. I must ask, is there any way for you to return control of the tower to the general student council" The hunter asked quickly, any form of jovial and calm nature completely gone as his voice took on a hard and disciplined tinge.

It took Arona a couple of seconds to process what the hunter had just said, before her eyes noticeably widened as her Halo took on a green and spiky appearance.

"Sensei... I'm a bit lost" Arona said quietly, the look in her eyes conveying confusion and not understanding.

With a deep sigh, the Hunter began to recount the events that had led him to this strange land. He started with a condensed version of his journey, describing his encounter with the general student council and learning about the president's disappearance and the fact that he was to become a teacher. He then moved on to a brief account of the battle for the clubroom and how he arrived in this mysterious place with her.

Arona absorbed all the information that he told her, the stupefied and slightly bewildered expression on her face, fading away as a look of understanding replaced it.

"Got it. A lot's been going on, hasn't it?" Arona said softly, the hunter shaking his head in agreement with her, as she continued to speak after a short pause. "The general student council president went missing, and there's no way to control the Kivotos tower now..." She merely said that last part to herself, seemingly in attempt to retain the information in her mind.

"Arona, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the general student council president, would you?" Arona immediately picked up on the Hunter's query, her halo transforming once again into a spiky pattern as its colour remained mostly the same as it's default appearance.

"I have lots of dater on Kivotos, but I know very little about the president, I don't know who she is or why she disappeared, unfortunately" A very dejected expression made its way onto Arona's face as she became noticeably dismayed at the fact that she couldn't fulfil the hunters request for information.

"I wish I could be more helpful, Sensei..." Arona said with sadness, as her halo took on its sad appearance once again, beginning to noticeably droop down in places again as if it was made of some kind of liquid.

The hunter scene that she was clearly upset, about not being able to help him quickly reached his hand out, and once again began to gently pat her on the head. This time she didn't complain or push his hand away, the sad expression on her face slowly faded as the hunter finally spoke.

"There is no need to feel downtrodden Arona, you are more useful to me than you could imagine" The Hunter didn't stop to gently stroke her hair, beginning to make it look somewhat dishevelled and messy. Yet Arona didn't seem to mind as a smile made its way onto her face, her halo transforming into the pink love heart once again.

"Heehee. Sensei. I might not know anything about the president, but I can help with the sanctum Tower, at least" Arona said with a cheerful expression on her face stars practically filling her eyes as she patiently waited for the hunter to respond. Her behavior reminded him of an overexcited pup just waiting to execute its master's commands.

"That would be very much appreciated Arona" With an audible chuckle escaping his lips, the Hunter spoke, he found her enthusiasm can help with the situation quite refreshing and endearing, again likening it to an overexcited puppy.

"Alright! Just let me restore permissions to the sanctum Tower!" Arona closed her eyes as she spoke, a look of intense focus making its way onto her soft and delicate features as she did her magic. "This will be just a minute, Sensei!" She giggled excitedly, never opening her eyes as the look of concentration on her face grew deeper.

In the real world, unbeknownst to the Hunter, the lights in the basement where he and Rin had met up, and he had interacted with the tablet, suddenly came to life along with the entire building. But this wasn't all, as everything across the city that was even slightly plugged in to the sanctum Tower all simultaneously shut off and then a second later relaunched.

Back within the world inside the tablet, the hunter could do nothing but patiently watch as Arona whatever she was doing. However, he didn't have to wait very long as Arona abruptly opened her eyes. A somewhat dopey and innocent smile made its way onto her face as she quickly spoke to him.

"Sanctum Tower admin privileges acquired, we've successfully regained the sanctum Tower, Sensei! The tower is now under my control" Arona's smile suddenly grew even wider as she looked at the good Hunter with an almost expecting look, as if she was waiting for him to do something with the new powers that she had just given him.

"That means that all of Kivotos is in the palm of your hand, Sensei!" The hunter found his eyes growing wider behind his mask. When Arona said that she had restored the tower to its former operation. He had not expected her to outright give him, an outsider for all intents and purposes, such authority over something that fundamentally he did not understand.

The hunter didn't say anything for a few seconds, causing Arona's excited and expecting look to subside somewhat as she tilted her head to the side in an inquisitive manner, similar to that of a puppy or kitten. However, after letting an uneasy silence hang in the air for a moment, the good Hunter finally responded.

"Arona, I want you to transfer authority over the sanctum Tower back to the general student council... I am here as a teacher and not as a conqueror or a tyrant, and even if I was a worthy recipient of such powers, I am a stranger in these lands and I would not know how to govern them" The hunter said his peace, he did not need to have power and authority over the city itself when he was not from here. It would be unbecoming of him and Incredibly arrogant to suggest that he could run these lands better than its inhabitants could.

Arona didn't immediately answer him, the look of excitement that had been there moments ago had now completely gone, leaving a genuinely confused expression on her delicate features. The fact that the hunter refused to have such powers was is confusing to her, but it also warmed her heart slightly, knowing that he wasn't some kind of power hungry psychopath.

"I can do that, Sensei, if you want... But are you absolutely sure that's what you want to do? You would be giving total control to the general student council" Arona wanted to make completely sure this is what the hunter wanted. Even though she could most likely brute force her way back into the sanctum Tower system if she really wanted to. She would have nowhere near the level of control she did now if she were to do something like that in the future.

The Hunter instead of speaking simply nodded his head, the large pointed hat on top of his head wobbling slightly as he did so. Arona was about to ask one more time if this is what he really wanted, but before she could do so he interrupted her seemingly having read her mind somehow about her unspoken question.

"Yes Arona, I would like you to transfer control... However," Arona immediately perked up, looking at the hunter in intently as he paused for a few moments, making sure that she was listening before he continued speaking.

"If you can do so... I would like you to make some kind of emergency access for me. I pray that it will never have to be used, but having a safeguard in place can prevent this kind of scenario from happening in the future" The hunter said with a slightly weary toned, he truly hoped never to use such a thing, but it was in his nature as a hunter to have a contingency plan and backup plan for every conceivable scenario imaginable. It was one of the biggest things that separated a novice and unskilled hunter from a master of the craft.

Arona didn't immediately respond to his words. But a smile quickly made its way onto her face regardless, even though the hunter was for all intents and purposes a stranger in a strange land, he genuinely seems to care about the well-being of all or Kivotos.

"All right, then, sensei! Control of the sanctum towel will now be transferred back to the general student council, as you requested!" Arona beamed with pride as she closed her eyes once again, however, something unexpected happened to the Hunter. He felt his head beginning to spin, much like it had done before he had woken up in this strange place, yet closing his eyes for a moment and then opening them again. He was completely taken aback to find himself back in the now lit up basement of the clubroom building, the tablet still clutched in both of his armoured hands.

"Good. Understood" the hunter heard a voice off someone he couldn't see, one that for just a brief moment he didn't recognise. Before he realised it was none other than Rin, her expression one of immense relief and satisfaction as she quickly presses the button on her smartphone before placing the device back in her pocket.

"Control of the Sanctum Tower was just confirmed. This will allow us to manage the city as well as we could before the president's disappearance" Rin relieved expression turned somewhat sour as the prospect of her friend still being completely and utterly absent washed over her. But before the hunter could try and console her, she quickly picked herself up, taking a deep calming breath as she turned to The Hunter.

"Well done, Sensei. I want to thank you on behalf of the entire general student council for preventing Kivotos from falling into utter chaos" Rin quickly extended one of her hands, gesturing for the good Hunter to take it, which he did without hesitation as they both firmly shook each other's hands.

"I'm glad I could be of help Rin" Was all about the hunter remarked, his mind was currently preoccupied with the experience he had inside the tablet and the question whether or not it was actually real. He was no stranger to dreams and nightmares that felt like reality and everything in between, but he was 100% sure that whatever he had experienced with Arona was real.

"You don't need to worry about the suspended students and thugs that attack you before. They will be tracked down and punished before long" her words instantly caught the hunter's focus, causing him to break from his internal musings, looking her dead in the eyes as they both broke the handshake that they had been doing moments ago.

"I see... I don't know if this is over stepping my boundaries, but if you do find any of them, perhaps you could refer some of them to me. If I'm going to be a teacher here, I must do everything in my power to teach and guide all students, regardless of their pasts" The hunter spoke with a confident tone.

His request made Rin's eyebrow raise, in her personal opinion students who acted like Thugs and received suspensions didn't deserve second chances, as such she did briefly consider denying his request, but ultimately decided against it considering that the good Hunter had been instrumental in returning law and order to Kivotos.

"I suppose we could try and make some arrangements, but I can't make any promises, Sensei" Rin said with a slightly bated breath, a quiet sigh managing to escape her lips, the good Hunter's body language conveying acceptance and just a little bit of happiness.

"I see, thank you, Rin" The hunter replied with a noticeably chipper tone to his voice, as he quickly and unexpectedly reached up and planted his hand on top of the vice president's head. Rin being completely thrown off guard as the hunter proceeded to give her a head pat as if she was a child or worse some kind of pet.

Yet despite the embarrassment making itself visible on her face and the slightly angry expression that followed, deep down Rin couldn't help but find some amount of enjoyment in the gesture, a small part of herself actually enjoying it despite not wanting to admit it

Rin quickly cleared her throat, making the good Hunter stop his action as she quickly spoke. "My duty was to only see that you received and activated the Shittim chest, so my job here is done... But there is one thing that we should do before I leave" She concluded by gently but firmly removing the hunter's hand from her head, the blush still evident on her cheeks as she turned and gestured for the hunter to follow.

"Follow me, Sensei. I'd like to properly introduce you to the federal investigation club: Schale" Rin began to walk, the hunter swiftly following after her as he fell into lockstep beside her. The tablet which had by now gone into sleep mode still in his hands because he feared that putting it in his personal storage would somehow damage these strange and fragile device.

Rin took the Hunter on an abbreviated tour of the entire building, showing him all the important rooms and facilities that he had access to now that he was the official head of the club. She didn't show him every room, simply because the vast majority of them were empty or being used as storage for student council things, which she would get cleared out eventually once she had the manpower.

Finally, the tour came to the very last room of importance, she had saved this one until last considering it was perhaps the most important one in the entire building and the very same room where the hunter would probably spend the majority of his time.

"This is Schale's main office and lobby. It's been empty for a long time, but now it finally has an owner" Rin quickly brushed away some dust that had accumulated on the plaque next to the door before she opened it. Revealing a richly stocked office with everything a teacher could need, and surprisingly much to her satisfaction it looked as if somebody had come for and cleaned it recently.

"You could consider this to be the Schale clubroom. This is where you'll be working starting now, Sensei" Rin swept her arm around in a wide arc, motioning to the entire room as the Hunter took in everything around him.

'It certainly isn't a Hunter's workshop, but still impressive I must say' The hunter thought to himself as he examined the entire room closely.

It was very large to the point of being almost comically huge, it was so big in fact that it even had a second level filled with cabinets and closets containing various equipment and stationery that was alien to him, yet he had a distinct feeling he would become intimately familiar with very soon. One thing that did catch his eyes the most though was in the far corner of the room, it was a workbench, one that was currently empty. Yet the racks above it held several weapons of unfamiliar design, but looked similar to the ones that he had seen the students using.

"This is most impressive, I must say though that I'm a bit at a loss of what I can do with all of this" the hunter continues to observe the room, his eyes somehow managing to catch and find new objects and details that intrigued his curiosity to know end.

"Schale may have authority, but it has no particular goals at the moment. But even though you don't have a specific job to do, you can freely enter any academy districts in Kivotos. From there you can register any student you wish as a club member, amongst other things" Rin couldn't help but smile a little, watching the Hunter somewhat aimlessly observing the surrounding room, clearly somewhat overwhelmed. In fact, a small part of her might even said it was slightly adorable, considering his usually somewhat Stoic and overly formal nature.

"Though... isn't it fascinating? It may be called an investigation Club, but the president to never actually specified what it would be investigating or what it's purposes" Rin pause for a moment as she felt a slight ache entering her chest as she thought about her friend, but she quickly pushed to the side as she regained her sense of calm.

"In a sense Sensei... You have a lot of freedom don't you" Rin looked at the hunter as she spoke, noticing that he was now looking dead at her. Clearly, her words captivated his attention and had momentarily ceased his observation of the surrounding room.

"Indeed, it seems like I do... But with that freedom comes power, and with power one must always be mindful of when and when not to use it" The hunter said after a moment of silence, his words striking a chord with Rin and further demonstrating to her that despite him being an outsider to these lands, he could be trusted with the power he had been given.

"Indeed sensei... However, if the president was still here I'm sure she could clear up your purpose much more than I could, I'm afraid... though of course she remains missing, despite our best efforts" Despite trying to not let it do so, Rin could hear the bitterness and resentment creeping into her voice.

The fact that even with all the power at the disposal of the general student council, her friend could not be found anywhere made her angry and Incredibly upset.

"We have and are still using everything I got disposal to look for. Yet that's just left us short-handed for dealing with all the other problems around Kivotos" Rin let out an exasperated huff, she never meant for things to get as bad as they did, but the situation simply moved too rapidly for her to keep track of it all. And once she had realised what was happening to the city around her, it was pretty much too late.

"Even now, the general student council is being inundated with civil complaints of every type. Requests for support materials, environmental aid, makeup work for failing students, requests to save clubs, and so on..." She couldn't stop ranting, the words continuing to simply fall out of Rin, as all the stress from the last couple of weeks finally got the better of her. Even with the fact that the sanctum Tower had been restored to full operation and as such the city could hopefully be put back together again, it didn't distract from the fact that the general student council was up a creek without a paddle.

Yet before she could continue speaking, Rin suddenly felt a firm hand be placed on her shoulder, and looking up, she wasn't surprised in the slightest to see it was the Hunter, gazing at her with a look that radiated understanding for her situation.

"Rin, while I can't promise that I will be the most effective, I would like to pledge my assistant to you and the student council in dealing with your workload. Considering I have an excess of free time, I think it would be best to put my newfound role as a teacher to use" The hunter said with a calming tone, his words sounding like music to Rin's pointed ears. The thought of him lessening her workload by even a microscopic amount was something that she would not pass up, even if it made her look and sound a little bit selfish and lazy.

"I would like that very much, Sensei!" Rin didn't care if she sounded overly excited, the prospect of having her and by extension the rest of the student council's workload decrease by any noticeable degree being something that genuinely lifted her spirits and improved her overall state of mind.

The hunter let out a chuckle, blackhead girl genuinely put a smile on his face, especially considering that for the little he had known her, she had presented herself as professional, well-disciplined and proper.

"Well Sensei, I will send over the documents as soon as I get back" Rin managed to finally get control of herself, letting out a couple of coughs to clear her throat as she kept on speaking." I will leave you to get acquainted with the clubroom" She said as she turned to leave, pausing mid-step as she looked over her shoulder, apparently trying to make sure that the hunter was indeed real and not some figment of her imagination that would disappear as soon as she turned her back.

"Sensei" Rin call suddenly, getting the full focus of the hunter as he turned to look at her one more time. She opened her mouth, yet no words came out for a moment, but quickly she managed to find her voice.

"The best of luck with your new position, Sensei... If you ever need anything, feel free to let me know, ok?" Rin waited for the good Hunter to give an answer, which he quickly did in short order.

"Thank you Rin, and if I ever do need anything I will be sure to let you know" the hunter replied, giving her one final bow, much like how he had done when he first met her and introduced himself. Rin couldn't help but smile brightly as she turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her and leaving the hunter completely alone.

The hunter stood in the centre of the room for a moment, before an audible sigh escaped his lips, despite not tiring easily, he was mentally and physically worn out from the days activities, navigating to the nearest chair, and looking at it somewhat suspiciously before he planted himself in it, being sure to place the tablet which was still in his hands gently on the desk next to him.

He sat there silently for several long moments, so still that he almost looked like a life-size statue, as he silently contemplated each and every thing that had happened to him in such a short amount of time. This waking world was different and far more alien than the one he remembered, but in contrast to the nightmare of yharnam, this world was positively pleasant. In fact, he might have even stated that it was a paradise simply by comparison, but that would be far from the truth considering that this world had its own problems.

The hunter immediately stood up and began to take off the bone Ash mask and its attached hat, and once he had done so he gently laid the entire assembly down on the table next to him before turning to the large double windows that displayed the bright city outside. The sun beat down on his exposed face as a small smile made its way on to his lips.

"Well, I suppose even a hunter deserves a break from time to time"

 

[Daurtanes]

How much words??!!!!

 

[mgman]

How much words??!!!!

Click to shrink...

a lot lol

 

[mgman]

"I see... what a remarkable device indeed"

A man's voice filled the air, its tone was soft and quiet as its owner marveled at the piece of modern technology in front of him that was a personal computer.

The good Hunter recline in the office chair, idly tapping away at the computer in front of him, it had taken him less than a day and a half to actually figure out how to use the computer. In fact, figuring out the basic mechanics of how to actually operate the user interface as well as the keyboard and mouse was actually very easy, which is expected was most likely an intentional on the part of whoever created the miraculous device.

However, even though he had now mastered the fundamentals of how to use a computer and some of its basic programs, one aspect that completely stumped him even now, much to his frustration, was this thing that Arona had referred to as the internet.

Using the mouse and opening up the icon that was the internet browser, the hunter was met with his opponent, the overly cluttered and nonsensical homepage of the application which was referred to as Internet Express.

The way that Arona had explained to him made it sound almost too good to be correct, which he was still of the mindset of even after experimenting with it. The internet was said to be a vast repository of knowledge that was nearly limitless, somehow managing to contain civilisations worth of knowledge in this strange ethereal place that his new AI assistant had referred to as Cyberspace.

The hunter let out a quiet snort, giving the internet browser homepage one last glance before he abruptly pushed on the table in front of him, the force pushing the chair backwards and allowing him to stand up. Making his way over to the opposite side of the office, the hunter stood in front of the large double storey skylights, basking in the freshly risen sun and allowing its rays to wash over him.

Despite always preferring the cover of night and the pale light of the moon due to his nature as a hunter. This did not suggest that he didn't appreciate the majestic beauty of a fresh sunrise, after all the sunrise signified the start of something fresh and a new beginning.

Yet it wasn't just the sunrise that he appreciated, in fact that was only a small part of it. The part that he appreciated the most about this current scene was its tranquillity and peace. When he was a hunter of the workshop, these moments were few and far between on the night of the hunt.

However, even though that nightmare had long since passed and become nothing more than an unpleasant memory, the hunter still cherished these quiet and peaceful moments even if they were more common than they used to be.

It allowed his mind to be at ease and for him to think clearly, and at this particular moment he was thinking about everything that had happened to him, and how he was going to fit in as a teacher. While he wasn't worried about his lack of experience in such an occupation, he was concerned about his ability to lead and set a good example for others. Especially when the majority of his knowledge revolved around bloodshed and carnage.

'How can one teach those who are impressionable and without direction, when all they know is nightmares and bloodshed'

The hunter thought to himself, the smile which had been on his face moments ago quickly faltering as it faded away, being replaced by a slightly sour expression. As, for the first time since becoming a teacher. He truly began to doubt whether he could be a teacher when all he knew was violence and death

And yet, as he continued to stare at the fiery orange sky and the Illuminated cityscape below, engrossed in his own negative thoughts. The hunters suddenly heard an electronic beeping noise, which was quickly accompanied by a yawn that despite sounding slightly electronically distorted. It was unmistakable who it belonged to as the hunter immediately turned on the spot, managing to force a smile onto his face he banished the negative thoughts from his mind.

"Good morning Arona" the hunter expressed, the young girl still rubbing the sleep from her eyes as her entire body noticeably flickered.

The fact that she could manifest herself like this had shocked him at first, that was until it was explained to him how she was able to do it and his own curiosity. Which led him to find that there were small light projecting devices embedded in the ceiling all around the office and the majority of the building for that matter, allowing the AI girl to project a holographic image of herself almost anywhere in the building.

Although, since it was a holographic prediction, it was incredibly limited considering that it couldn't interact with any physical objects.

'I wonder if I could remedy that somehow'

The Hunter thought to himself, as Arona finally finished rubbing the sleep from her eyes. However, he quickly pushed that thought to the side, deciding to explore that possibility later when he had free time.

"Mm Sensei? What are you doing so up early?" Arona let out another yawn, stretching both arms about her head in an attempt to relieve the stress from her body.

The hunter couldn't help but chuckle quietly watching her do this, the more he interacted with the little AI, the more endearing he found her. In fact, he could say for certain that she had already carved a little place for herself in his heart.

Clearing his throat, the hunter swiftly began to speak. "Well, I suppose you could say that I was eager for my first official day as a teacher" Pausing for a moment the Hunter, gestured to himself. "I even changed out of my usual attire for something a bit more formal and less outwardly threatening"

Arona finished stretching, giving her eyes one last rub as she finally looked at the hunter properly. Her eyes practically fell out of her skull when she saw what he looked like. The biggest thing that caught her off guard was the fact she could see his face, which when she had first met him had been hidden behind a skeletal like mask, which she did find slightly unnerving at first but quickly got used to.

His face in general was normal looking, his cheekbones were noticeable but not overly so and his skin despite being very pale wasn't to the point where it looked like he was a living corpse or a vampire. Atop his head where the hat had been before was a full head of hair of luxurious dark black hair, roughly shoulder-length with a noticeably messy style.

What he was also wearing was also a massive departure from what she had seen him in previously. Before, he had been wearing what was essentially tattered and worn rags, with pieces of armour that lay obscured beneath the wrappings protecting his vital areas from attack. But now the rags and armour were gone, replaced by fine and ornate clothing that looked like it belongs more on a noble from an old fairytale book rather than somebody walking around in today's society.

"Wow! Sensei! You look... So cool!" Arona began to excitedly pace around the hunter, who despite the smile on his face simply stood motionless and allowed her to do so.

The boots on his feet were a dark brown in colour, they looked old and aged yet extremely well taken care of. His pants were another shade of brown but this time much lighter in colour, with a pattern stitched into them that almost resembled little interlocked rings.

Arona moved her gaze upwards, immediately spotting the dark overcoat outlined with gold a trim, as well as the shirt which also shared the same motif, both of them looked extremely fancy and expensive. To the point where the little AI briefly considered the possibility that the hunter might have been rich.

Finally topping off his outfit were a pair of dark red gloves, that were wrapped tightly over the ends of the sleeves of his overcoat, sharing the same gold trim motif around the edges as the shirt and overcoat they belonged to.

Continuing to stare for a moment, Arona quickly spoke, still somewhat flabbergasted at the sight before her. "Sensei... are you rich?" She didn't immediately get a response, the hunter looking slightly taken aback by the question before, a smile made its way onto his face as a jovial laugh escaped his lips.

The hunter gave a knowing smile, while he didn't own many articles of clothing that could be considered for non-combat use, the Cainhurst knight set was the only one that came to mind that at least looked somewhat normal.

In fact, other than his beloved bone ash attire, the knight set was perhaps his favourite. Because even though he despised the principles that Cainhurst followed. The hunter could fully admit that the Cainhurst's sense of style, elegance and grace, when it came to architecture and especially weapons and clothing, was second to none.

"I can assure you, Arona, that I am not that wealthy" the hunter said, still chuckling slightly to himself as the girl in question turned her upwards to look at him.

The look on her face implied that she wasn't entirely convinced by his words, after all the clothes that he was wearing looked like they belonged to somebody of Incredible wealth not to mention that it made him look like he belonged in some kind of dark steampunk fantasy novel.

"If you're not rich, then... Did you steal them!? If you did, I won't tell" Arona suddenly blurted out, quickly mining the gesture of pulling a zip over her lips to indicate she wouldn't tell anyone. The hunter was taken aback by her words but quickly began to laugh loudly, his voice echoing around the office, as his laugh graduated from chuckling to full belly laughter.

Arona quickly joined him, both of them laughing together, as the bond between AI and Hunter grew stronger by the second. However, eventually the hunter's laughter came to an end, managing to get control of himself as he tried to clear his throat.

"Well, now that we are both here, we need to get started with our first official day don't we Arona?" the hunter inquired, Arona laughter quickly fading as her eyes lit up and were filled with stars. She was incredibly excited to start, as well as be useful to The Hunter.

"Yes Sensei!" Arona responded enthusiastically, the halo above her head quickly transforming into an excited state. The hunter let out a quiet laugh, finding it somewhat comical that her halo was perhaps the best indicator of her emotions, considering that it changed according to how she felt.

But, pushing that thought out of his mind, he quickly sat back down in the chair he had been in before. Wheeling himself closer to the desk as he pressed one of the many keys on the keyboard in front of him, to bring the computer out of its sleep state and back into full operation.

Arona briefly dematerialised from existence, before quickly appearing next to the desk that the hunter was sitting at, while be coverage of the projector system in the building was amazing. It did have pretty annoying blind spots, which meant that she couldn't move her holographic form as freely as she would have liked.

looking at the computer screen, Arona's expression changed to a noticeably sly one, an almost Cheshire Cat-like smile making its way onto her lips as she spoke with a slightly sarcastically sympathetic voice.

"Are you still having trouble with the internet, Sensei!" Arona tried so hard to contain her giggling and by some miracle actually managed to do so, as the hunter didn't immediately respond to her. The overall happy expression that had been on his face at that point quickly evaporating as it was replaced by a slightly frustrated one.

Arona finally couldn't hold it back anymore as she quickly burst into a fit of laughter, giggling so loudly that the speakers that projected her voice into the room began to fizzle slightly.

*Heehee* "Sensei you're so funny!" The young AI girl managed to say between her laughs as she continued to give out like a mad woman, her halo changing in rhythm with her laughter.

The hunter didn't say anything, choosing not to respond to Arona even as she continued to laugh her metaphorical guts out. Instead, he took the mouse in his hand and began navigating his way to something else other than the still slightly perplexing internet browser page, ultimately deciding to simply close the program down and leave the computer on a blank desktop for the time being.

Finally managing to recover from her laughing fit, Arona took some deep breaths to calm her aching chest, laughing so hard like that made her chest actually hurt from the sheer exertion, but as far as she was concerned it was worth it.

"OK I'm done... Sensei" Arona took one last deep calming breath, managing to let out a few more giggles before she fully got control of herself again. Looking at the hunter, she wasn't surprised to see him staring back at her with a slightly unamused expression, however she could see a slight twitch at the corners of his lips, clearly him trying hard not to smile along with her.

"I think it's time we get to work, wouldn't you say, Arona?" the hunter tried hard to prevent the amused tone from creeping into his voice. Yet, judging from the sly expression plastered across the little AI's face, he clearly wasn't doing a good job of hiding is amusement from her actions.

Managing to finally wipe the sly grin off her face, Arona quickly bobbed her head in response to the hunter's suggestion. "Yes, Sensei! A Lot of people are starting to talk about Schale, we've received letters from students asking for help, in fact I would say that you're becoming quite popular amongst the students Sensei" Arona giggled to herself, quickly activating one of the numerous large screens scattered around the office. On it appeared an absolute barrage of letters taken from the official Schale inbox, as well as comments taken from all kinds of social media platforms.

Despite having accepted the idea that communication across long distances was entirely possible. The hunter was still at a complete loss for words from the sheer barrage of requests directed at him and Schale.

While the comments from what Arona told him was social media were completely irrelevant to him, he did also find it interesting some of the things that were being said about him, but he quickly decided that those kinds of things were not important right now.

"I'm truly surprised. To receive such a large amount of requests in only a few days is staggering" The hunter said mostly to himself as he watched the wall of text in front of his eyes continue to rush past. It was only now, seeing all of these requests, that he finally realised exactly what he had signed up for when he had immediately offered to help Rin and the rest of the general student council with their workload.

'A hunter always keeps his word regardless' The hunter thought to himself as he continued to stare at the hundreds of thousands of requests that were scrolling past on the screen.

"That's a great sign, isn't it? It means there's lots of work for us to do!" Arona exclaimed excitedly, clearly very enthusiastic about the amount of work that lay before her. For a moment the hunter didn't quite share her optimism, however eventually a smile made its way on to his face, he wasn't about to quit in the face of so much work, especially on his first day.

However, before he could open his mouth to ask Arona where they should start with these requests. She quickly beat him to the punch as her face took on a noticeably confused and slightly concerned look

"Um, there's this one letter we got..." Arona's expression and tone immediately made the hunter turn to look at her, one of his eyebrows arching as she continued speaking. "I think you should take a look at it sensei... it looks really important" She followed her words by quickly retrieving the letter from the inbox and placing it directly on the desktop in front of the Hunter.

Turning to the computer screen once again, the hunter hunched his back slightly bring his face closer to the computer screen, Arona doing much the same as both him and her began to silently read the letter.

To the adviser of the Federal Investigation Club.

Hello. My name is Okusora Ayane, and I'm student at Abydos High School.

I am writing this letter because I want to ask for your help.

Our Academy is being harassed.

One of the local gangs is tormenting us.​

Arona and the hunter shared a side eyes look with each other, as the hunter scroll down slightly to continue reading.

It's a long story, but we think...

...this gang is after the school building itself.

The students are doing their best to stop them.

It's only a matter of time before we ran out of ammunition and supplies though.

At this rate, the school will fall to them for sure.​

The hunter scroll down once again, allowing him to read the final part of the letter, his face noticeably hardening as he did so.

That's why I'm writing to ask for your help.

Can you please help us, Sensei?​

With the final part of the letter read, Arona leaned backwards, allowing the information to be absorbed into her system. Clearly the school was on the brink of disaster, judging from the contents of the letter.

However, turning to the hunter something she stopped herself when she noticed the expression on his face, he was still staring at the screen in front of him, yet his soft and gentle features from before had completely vanished and were now replaced by a hard set expression one that exuded determination and a sense of duty.

"Arona... What can you tell me about Abydos High School" The Hunter quickly got up from his seat, and before the little AI could say anything walk to the opposite side of the room, coming to stand in front of the large double windows that looked out over the city below.

Quickly dematerialising and then reappearing next to the Hunter. A deep expression made its way onto Arona's face as she closed her eyes while concentrating, digging up every piece on the subject of Abydos she could find in her memory banks and other available sources of information.

"Hmm... Abydos High School, huh? It used to have a large, thriving district, but it fell on to hard times because of severe climate change" Arona open her eyes and looked at the good Hunter, staring up at him as he continued to stay out of the window for a moment, before he turned to look at her his face noticeably softening yet the determination in his gaze never left.

"Climate change, you say?... How unusual" The hunter raised an eyebrow at this.

While the idea of a rapidly changing climate was not new to him, considering his experiences with the ailing land of Loran. The fact that Abydos could supposedly suffer from rapid climate change while still remaining within the borders of kivotos struck him as slightly odd.

'Something more is clearly at play' The hunter accompanied this thought by turning his gaze back to the window in front of him. While he couldn't be exactly certain if it was what he thought it was, his gut feeling told him that the great expansive desert mostly obscured by buildings and hidden by the horizon was his next destination in the near future.

Although not physically being in the room with hunter sensei. Arona could still feel be almost oppressive atmosphere take over the room as the hunter continued to stare off into the horizon. However, deciding to light on the mood, Arona quickly spoke up.

"Hey sensei, apparently the district was so big that people would even get lost in the centre of town!" The Hunter turn away from the window to look at his little AI assistant, raising an eyebrow at her comment as she continued giggling while she did so.

Heehee. "That must sound really silly. How does somebody get lost in the middle of modern civilisation?" Arona couldn't stop herself from laughing more. The idea of somehow getting completely lost in a Modern City being completely ridiculous to her.

"I'm sure that's just an urban legend anyway" She said between her giggles, the hunter however while looking at her with a much softer expression than before didn't share her sentiment considering his own personal experiences, especially with that accursed Forbidden Woods.

"Anyway I can't believe the Academy is being harassed by some low life gang, it sounds pretty serious" Arona said, a very thoughtful expression appearing on her face, as she thought about the possible reasons why a gang would target an academy like this.

Even though the hunter suspected, there may have been some deeper reason as to why the gang was targeting this particular Academy. He decided to answer his little AI companion's query anyway, "Some people do not need a reason, Arona. Sometimes all that is required for them to do such a thing is simply a want for destruction and chaos" The hunter said with a slightly serious tone. Despite the fact that he was willing to help all students regardless, even if they were troublemakers or suspended students. It didn't change the fact that targeting an academy like this was an incredibly brazen act.

Arona looked up at the Hunter for a moment before quickly nodding in agreement. "I guess you're right sensei, some people just like to watch the world burn... still I wonder what brought this on all of a sudden, gangs caused trouble all the time but to target an Academy like this is incredibly unusual" Arona accompanied her words by rubbing her chin thoughtfully, something that she had picked up from the good Hunter considering he did it quite frequently.

The hunter looked down at the little AI, a smile making its way onto his face as he saw her copy his thinking pose.

"Regardless of how this started, I think it's time that I make my first official Schale visit" The Hunter accompanied his words by quickly turning away from the giant glass windows.

Arona was caught completely off guard by his words and his sudden action, but quickly her eyes were filled with stars as the hunter quickly walked over to the desk he had been sitting out earlier and retrieving the Shittim chest and tucking it into a conveniently large pocket inside his overcoat for safe keeping.

"You want to head there right now? You really don't back down, do you, Sensei!?" Arona said excitedly as she quickly materialised her holographic body next to the good Hunter, who upon seeing her do so smiled at her with a warm, kind smile, the determination in his eyes only growing in fury and intensity with each growing second.

He was determined beyond anything to aid the students who had cried out for help. It wasn't just his new duty as a teacher that compelled him, no, it wasn't that simple. As a hunter it was his mission to protect the innocent, he made a promise once, a promised to help one young girl finds refuge in a waking nightmare, but he had failed, leading to her death. It's scarred him to his very core, leaving a permanent wound in his very soul. But he wouldn't fail again, ever.

"Indeed I do, there is an old saying where I come from, Arona. Would you like to hear it?" The hunter asked as he began to slowly walk towards the office exit. Arona excitedly nodded her head, her body dematerialising as the screen on the tablet quickly lit up. The familiar classroom and her face in particular being easily visible as the good Hunter exited the office.

"There is no rest for the wicked, especially us Hunters"

…...​

The journey towards abydos turn out to be a rather long but unremarkable affair. While the hunter did not have any currency to use on the public transportation system, with a little bit of careful magic from Arona he was able to easily access both trains and buses to his heart's content.

However, despite most of the journey being uneventful, there was one moment where it turned into a slightly more eventful one. specifically, when he came into contact with the other residents of kivotos. While he had seen students with animalistic like traits of all descriptions ranging from wings, ears and tail.

One thing he is not counted on was running into animal human hybrids, in fact for just a singular moment his composure and restraint almost failed him when he went to draw for his weapon, but thankfully he was without one.

Arona then how to explain to him exactly what these beings were, which he found interesting, because as far as he was aware, the only people that actually occupied kivotos were students.

Still, while he could probably assume that the animalistic residents of the city were most likely kind and welcoming. Just looking at them was enough to bring up unpleasant memories of certain townsfolk who would scream "Away! Away!" while waving around lit torches and trying to rip him limb from limb with various pieces of repurposed farm equipment.

Stepping off the final train, and onto the platform. The hunter was presented with a rather dismal site, the train station looked almost abandoned, not a single person other than himself was present. In fact, as he walked to the entrance of the train station, the train which had brought him here rumbling away as it continued on its journey. He didn't see a single soul, the rolling sand only occasionally populated by forsaken buildings and vehicles that had long since been abandoned by their owners.

The hunter did not say a word as he continues to walk away from the train station and down a particular street. He had absolutely no idea where exactly abydos high school was located, however that was not a concern for him as he decided to follow his instincts. Even during his most desperate times as a hunter, they had never failed him, so choosing to rely on them to find his destination was a safe bet.

"Sensei... Do you want me to bring up a map..." The hunter heard a slightly muffled voice emanating from his overcoat pocket. Any normal person would have jumped at the sudden voice while being surrounded by sheer desolation, but he didn't as he continued to walk and spoke at the same time.

"There is no need, Arona" Was all that the hunter had to say in response as he continued to walk amongst the sand covered ruined buildings. Arona let out a quiet grumbling sound, somewhat dejected at the fact that the hunter had refused to help, however instead of nagging him like she wanted to, she decided to simply sit back and wait for him to ask. Trying to find some way to occupy herself in the virtual classroom that was her home.

The hunter looked around the buildings that towered over him, while their design was alien and unusual to him, the state they found themselves in was eerily familiar to him. In fact, the longer he spent amongst the sand filled carcasses of these buildings, the sun beating down on him as his face was assaulted by sand kicked up by the wind. The more it reminded him of that hellish land that had worshipped the great ones, yet had been led to ruin and had been swallowed by the very sandy lands that they called home.

"This is too much like Loran, for my liking" The hunter whispered quietly to himself, shielding his face from a sudden gust of wind that kicked up an immeasurable amount of sand.

However, his words were not quite enough, as a familiar voice suddenly interrupted his quiet contemplation.

"Sensei... what's Loran?" Arona's voice emanated from the tablet, which was concealed within his overcoat pocket. The hunter didn't immediately respond, instead choosing to quickly retrieve the tablet from his pocket and holding it at Arm's Length, the confused face of his little AI companion looking back at him, as he continued to walk in silence for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips.

"Well you see Arona, Loran is... or was an ancient civilisation from where I hailed from" The hunter paused for a moment, he did briefly consider lying to her about the true Nature of Loran and ultimately what led to its downfall, but he ultimately decided against it.

"Loran, or as it became known the ailing land of Loran, was an ancient civilisation that once resided within a hot and dry land much like this one" The hunter gestured to the sandy ruins around him. "It was once the pinnacle of civilisation, featuring art and culture that was unrivalled by almost everything that came before or since"

The Hunter continue to walk as he spoke, the face of Arona on the tablet growing more and more amazed by the second as he continued speaking. While not much of Loran was left other than it's decaying sand filled tombs and catacombs, even in those dark and decrepit places. Some of Loran former beauty and Majesty remained, mostly in the form of its elaborate burial chambers and great underground tombs.

"It was said that they worship the great ones, beings of immense power who once walked the earth in physical bodies but then ascended to the dreamlands... of course whether such things were actually true is currently unknown to me and I suspect anyone" The hunter chooses his words carefully, while he was not afraid of the great ones considering his own ascension.

Invoking their names irresponsibly was still somewhat of a taboo for him. After all, he would prefer if that part of his past stayed buried permanently.

Arona's face lit up with each word that left his mouth, she knew very little about the Hunter, especially of his past and his homeland. So the fact that he felt comfortable enough to share stuff about his homeland felt like a great honour to her, plus it also ignited her ravenous curiosity, after all as a computer based AI, one of her most important jobs was to categorise and absorb new information.

However, as the hunter continue to walk, the density of the buildings around him and his AI assistant growing slightly more dense. A thought suddenly occurred to Arona, one that made her ask a question that has been on her mind since the hunter had started speaking about Loran.

"Sensei... this Loran place, you speak like it doesn't exist anymore?" Arona asked tentatively, she didn't want to pray if the hunter was unwilling to share, but her curiosity got the better of her regardless.

The hunter looked at her his eyebrow arching slightly, but he didn't immediately respond, for a moment the little AI thought that she was going to get brushed off, considering the look in his eyes was one of unease.

However, much to her surprise, the hunter quickly responded to her question. "Yes, indeed Arona... I use the past tense because Loran no longer exists, all that remains of its existence is ruins" The hunter considered his next words carefully, while he knew full well exactly the reason why that cursed land fell and became nothing more than a desecrated grave. He decided that changing a few details would ultimately be for the better, because after all some things, especially those pertaining to the beastly scourge, deserved to be forgotten.

"Nobody can be sure, but eventually much like the surrounding land, Loran was swallowed up by the very sans that it called home, leaving nothing more than decayed ruins and the remnants of a great civilisation" It wasn't technically a lie, while the beastly scourge had been majority responsible for its fall, Loran still suffered from being swallowed up by the very sans that it called home.

Arona made an *Oh* sound, the somewhat confused look on her face turning into one of genuine amazement as both her and the hunter were left in silence again.

However, the silence did not last very long, as Arona decided to speak up once again.

"So... Loran suffered a similar fate befell Abydos... slowly swallowed up by the very sans around them" Arona said thoughtfully, the hunter didn't verbally respond but nodded his head in grim acknowledgment.

Staring at the ruined buildings and vehicles around him, the hunter realised that the city itself was beyond saving, clearly those who could flee had already done so, leaving the city to its inevitable fate.

But even if the city itself is beyond saving, students who had cried for aid in saving their dilapidated School would not go unanswered, he would do everything in his power to try and save what little they had.

With that silent promise to himself the hunter continued walking, however as he did Arona quickly spoke up. "Sensei... I'm feeling a bit tired... if it's alright with you, do you think I could go for a nap?" the little AI asked tentatively, tapping her fingers together in a slightly nervous manner as she waited for the Hunter's response.

Momentarily taken aback by this, the hunter let out a quiet chuckle under his breath as he quickly responded to his little AI companion.

"Of course Arona... I will not stop you if you wish to rest" The hunter saw Arona's face brighten up considerably, the tiredness in her eyes momentarily dissipating as she let out an excited giggle. "In addition I also remember that you mentioned something about how this device only has a limited amount of charge, as such I think it would also be pertinent to conserve the little we do have"

While he had quickly come to understand how exactly the tablet worked, one thing here forgotten about, much to his embarrassment, was that it still needed to be charged from time to time. Much like a certain weapon in his inventory which he was fond of using but often forgot to charge up before battle.

Arona nodded her head and agreement, the tiredness in her eyes seemingly related to the fact that the tablet she resided in was beginning to run low on battery.

"OK sensei, but remember! If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up... OK?" Arona replied with a slightly authoritative tone, while she would take any opportunity to sleep, she also didn't want to inconvenience the Hunter at any point.

The hunter simply nodded, a smile making its way onto his lips as he quickly put the tablet back in his overcoat pocket, which was all the signal that Arona needed as she quickly found a nice quiet spot to lie her head, her Halo slowly beginning to fizzle out of existence, as the tablet screen itself went dark.

As the hunter continued on his seemingly aimless journey, he found himself alone with his thoughts. While he cherished the endless interactions with others, he also valued the serenity of these solitary moments, allowing him to quietly contemplate and reflect.

Casting his gaze around at the buildings that surrounded him, the hunter could feel a familiar sensation deep within his bones. He was getting close to his target, and while he was not on the hunt, thinking of his destination as a potential target to be hunted always helps to concentrate and help steer his sense of direction. Most people would have found it bizarre and strange, which he could fully accept, but it was just how his mind operated.

Yet as the hunter continues to slowly meander his way down the street, he suddenly became aware of a new sound, one that was barely perceptible over the quiet howl of the wind yet continued to grow in intensity as whatever its source was approached him from behind.

Turning on the spot the hunter squinted his eyes, at first it was a blurry shape, one that was completely imperceptible even to his keen vision. But slowly, be indecipherable shape began to become more recognisable.

It was a person on a bike, specifically it was a young girl riding a blue bike, her grey hair being blown behind her as she approached the Hunter at a rapid turn of speed. However, as she approached, the hunter could finally notice that the atop her head was a set of grey wolf-like ears that twitch and moved similarly to the canine predator.

'I wonder if she is an Abydos student'

Shiroko continue to pedal, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she worked up a very light sweat, the street in front of her was completely empty and barren as usual and perfect for bicycling.

And while seeing the surrounding city in such a state always made her feel sad, one good thing she did take away from it was that she was able to ride her bike almost anywhere without any kind of obstruction.

Going for a long bike ride always cleared her mind of any negative feelings and thoughts, in fact despite being urged to start bike riding mostly to keep in shape, now she did it almost exclusively as a form of relaxation. The wind In her hair, the sight and smell of the sand, the sound of her bike tyres against the pavement, it was just soothing to her mind and body.

However, as Shiroko continue to peddle her way down the street, occasionally stealing glasses at the deserted and decaying building around her. She suddenly noticed something in the middle of her path, it wasn't a piece of trash or garbage, or even a deserted vehicle.

No, it was... a person?

Pulling on her bike's brake handles, Shiroko let herself slow down, the person which was standing in the middle of the sand covered Street turning to look at her as she approached him.

The first thing that caught her eye was that he was a man, even so the second thing that pulled her attention was the fact that the spot above his head where a halo should have been was completely absent.

His clothes were also strange, having a very refined and elegant like quality to them that gave him the look, as if he had stepped out of some kind of fantasy novel or from an old work of art, and made him look completely out of place in stark contrast to the ruined buildings and sand around him.

Yet as she finally came to a stop, no more than a stone's throw away from the stranger, Shiroko felt a strange tingling sensation wash over her, one that made all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and her ears shoot straight up on high alert.

It was hard to describe for her, but it almost felt like she was standing in the presence of some great apex predator, one that if it wanted to could easily overpower her without any effort on its part. It made her extremely cautious and a little bit on edge, despite the fact that nothing about the stranger looked outwardly forbidding, in fact quite the opposite, while he had no discernible expression on his face or didn't seem like he was a dangerous person.

Quickly dismounting her bike, Shiroko began to walk closer to the stranger, managing to get control of her emotions as she pushed away the uncertainty that she felt just looking at him.

"Are you OK?" Shiroko asked somewhat hesitantly, while she didn't see any reason to be afraid of this mysterious stranger, considering she could take care of herself and there was nothing outwardly alarming about him, some deep instinctive part of herself still kept its guard up just in case.

The stranger didn't immediately respond, instead choosing to somewhat discreetly look Shiroko up and down as if he was examining every inch of her. However, this did not last long, as he finally looked at in the eyes and spoke.

"Yes, I am more than well, young lady" His voice sent a shiver down Shiroko's spine. His voice had an almost ethereal quality to it, but paradoxically sounded completely normal, it was a strange juxtaposition that her brain simply couldn't figure out.

"Oh OK... are you lost then? You don't look like you're from around here?" Shiroko immediately mentally kicked herself for her word choice, to her ears it sounded like she was being condescending. Yet if the stranger was offended by her words, he didn't express any, as he quickly rubbed his chin for a moment.

"I wouldn't say that I'm lost per se... more just letting my Instincts guide me you could say" The stranger replied. Shiroko tilted her head to the side, a slightly perplexed expression making its way onto her face. If the stranger wasn't lost but wasn't looking for anything in particular either, then what exactly was he doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere.

*Nm* Shiroko let out a quiet sound as she continued to stare at the stranger somewhat puzzled, he was a strange person for sure both in the way he dressed and the way he talked, but then it suddenly occurred to her that maybe he was here for a reason. As such, she quickly blurted out a question without really thinking.

"Are you an adult from the general student council? Are you here on some kind of academy-related business?" Managing to get a hold of herself immediately before she could blurt out anymore.

Shiroko felt a slightly embarrassed blush forming on her face, yet the majority of her embarrassment was out weighed by the hopeful feeling creeping into her heart. If he was who she thought he was, then it was possible that her and her friend's luck was about to change.

The stranger did not immediately respond to her questions, one of his eyebrows arching upwards as after a moment a quiet chuckle escaped his lips. Shiroko was a bit confused by this, but before she could say anything, the stranger decided to introduce himself.

"I suppose you could say that. You may call me the good hunter or sensei if you wish" The hunter paused for a moment, watching the grey haired wolf girls eyes go wider as he continued speaking "I am here as part of the federal investigation Club, I came in response to a letter I received the other day" With a wide sweep of one of his arms, the hunter gave a short bow.

Shiroko was completely at a loss for words, it sounded like it was too good to be true, which was what prompted her to do what she did next.

Gently putting her bike on the ground, she quickly walked over to the good Hunter, who was caught momentarily off guard as she began to pace around him. The look of bewilderment never leaving her face as after a moment she gently poked him in the side, clearly trying to figure out whether he was actually real or some kind of heat stroke induced illusion.

Continuing to watch the young wolf girl circle around him and poking him in various places occasionally, the hunter let out a laugh, finding her behaviour quite strange but understandable.

Clearly the situation involving Abydos was so dire, that even when help was presented to one of its students, they genuinely didn't believe it.

However, that thought made his smile waver for a moment, just how bad of a situation was this school in where the mere idea that help would actually come when requested was almost an unthinkable concept to the students.

'The situation may be much worse than I thought'

The hunter thought to himself, continuing watching the young girl doing a few more revolutions around him. However, after a moment he held out his hand managing to stop her from doing another circle around him and making her look up at him, her eyes were filled with bewilderment and disbelief but also a growing sense of relief as well.

"I can assure you, young lady, that I am real and here to help" The hunter smiled softly, gently placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he looked into her eyes.

It was only done that he noticed that one of her eyes was a different colour, specifically her pupils, with one of them being an unusual dark grey and the other being a more normal black.

Shiroko felt a massive sense of relief wash over her, the disbelief that had been on her face a moment ago slowly disappearing as it was replaced by a genuine relief-filled smile.

the hunter smiled back at her, withdrawing his hand from her shoulder, as the two stared each other in silence for a brief moment before a surprised look crossed the wolf girl's face.

"Oh... I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Sunaookami Shiroko. I'm a second year student" Shiroko spoke softly, a smile instantly returning to her face as she introduced herself to The Hunter.

"It's very nice to meet you, Shiroko" the hunter replied, giving another slight bow which did confuse Shiroko somewhat but not to the point where the smile left her lips. Even so, after a moment, the hunter quickly began to speak again. "Would it be fair to assume that you are a student of Abydos High School?"

Shiroko's face remained unchanged as she quickly nodded her head, her ears bouncing in rhythm with her head movement, much to the amusement of the good Hunter.

"Yes I am" Was all that the young girl answered as she turned and quickly retrieved her bicycle which was still laying nearby.

"I see, in that case, I wouldn't suppose you mind escorting me to the campus?" The hunter asked politely, while he didn't exactly need her assistance in locating the school, he thought it would be for the best to ask her, both in an attempt to get her to trust him and ingratiate himself with her.

Shiroko let a small smile spread across her lips, as she began to push her bike down the road, motioning for sensei to follow her.

"I'd love to Sensei" She said softly as the hunter quickly fell into lockstep next to her, both of them continuing to walk down the deserted road surrounded by dusty sand covered buildings.

As the Hunter walked beside Shiroko, he quickly determined that she was not exactly the most vocal of people, considering the silence that existed between them as they both continued to walk. However, he did not mind this simply because it was just the way she was, and if she didn't feel like making small talk then he wouldn't hold it against her.

…​

The clubrooms double doors opened, allowing Shiroko to quickly step inside as she motioned behind her. However, before she could open her mouth to speak, she was quickly interrupted by a black-haired girl with cat ears and a cross-hair type halo.

" Welcome back, Shiroko. What took you so long?" The blackhead girl asked, raising an eyebrow as she quickly stood up from the desk she was sitting at.

Shiroko didn't immediately respond, instead of simply choosing to stand aside and motion to someone out of sight, much of the confusion of the blackhead girl and the others in the room.

*Nn*"You can come in, Sensei" Shiroko said softly As the hunter quickly entered the room, having to duck slightly as to avoid bumping his head on the low door frame. He was met with a very well-kept room filled with various kinds of school equipment, all neatly arranged. However, what caught is attention the most was the three students occupying the table in the centre of the room.

"Shiroko... Who is this" A girl with pointed ears and glasses quickly spoke, a slightly confused the look on her face as she looked at the mysterious adult that had just entered the room alongside her classmate.

"Wow, Shiroko brought a visitor to our school!" A girl with light sandy brown hair and a green halo exclaimed excitedly, letting out a loud giggle as she clapped her hands together in an almost motherly like fashion.

"Who are you exactly?" The cat-eared girl asked with a considerable amount of hostility in her voice, crossing her arms over her chest as she cocked an eyebrow while looking at the mysterious individual.

Shiroko open her mouth to answer these inquire, however she was quickly stopped by The Hunter who put a kindly hand on her shoulder. A smile working its way onto his face that conveyed that he was grateful for her offer, but he could introduce himself.

As such, removing his hand from the wolf girl's shoulder, the hunter quickly stepped forward, giving a slight bow much to the assorted reactions of the girls in front of him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the good hunter or Hunter sensei if you will. I am here as a representative of the federal investigation club, Schale" Quickly rising from his bow, the hunter put on a genuine and approachable smile. "It is very nice to meet all of you"

The hunter saw various reactions from the girls in front of him, the girl with the pointed ears, glasses and the red halo had a look of pure astonishment race across her face, her mouth hanging open in share disbelief. The girl with cat ears and black hair kept mostly the same slightly cautious and unimpressed expression, yet the hunter could swear he saw a small amount of anger beginning to manifest in her eyes. The sandy haired girl with the green Halo made a surprised face, as if him introducing himself was the most baffling and surprising thing in the world.

"W-wait, You're with Schale? The Federal Investigation Club?" the girl with the glasses said after a moment of silence, stumbling over her words a few times as the look of bewilderment on her face grew ever more present by the second.

The hunter simply noted his head, which made the bewildered expression on the glasses wearing girl's face even more pronounced, as she looked like she was about to faint.

"Wow! That means you got the letter Ayane wrote!" The girl with the green Halo said with a loud laugh, the hunter could easily ascertain that she was perhaps the most easygoing out of the bunch, judging from her overly relaxed and chipper attitude.

The glass is wearing girl now identified as Ayane quickly shook her head. The expression of the bewilderment quickly being replaced by a look of genuine relief and happiness.

In fact, she was so full of joy and joy, that in a moment of pure emotion she quickly ran over to the good Hunter, much to the surprise of her friends, grasped his hand and began vigorously shaking it.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I didn't think anyone would actually come. You don't know how much of a relief this is!" Ayane spoke so fast that the words were almost unintelligible, her friends were giving her strange looks.

But quite frankly she didn't care, the fact that her letter actually made it to its destination and somebody actually came was just overwhelming.

The good Hunter, despite being momentarily surprised by her sudden actions, quickly let out a joyful laugh as he gently stopped her from shaking his hand and released himself from her hold.

He then quickly placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a very slight but reassuring squeeze, while kneeling slightly so he could look her in the eye.

"When I received your letter, I came as soon as I could. After all a teacher's duty is to look after his students" Ayane looks like she could cry, fact a few tears actually formed at the corner of her eyes, before she got a hold of herself taking off her glasses and rubbing the tears away before putting them back on and taking a calming breath to get a hold of herself.

The hunter let a satisfied smile appear on his face, quickly removing his hand from the girl shoulder, and standing back up to his full height as he looked towards the other two girls in the room.

The brown haired girl was looking on at the scene with genuine happiness and excitement, while the black haired girl with cat ears just looked even more angry, as if the hunter had done something to personally offend her.

Ayane quickly turned to her friends, motioning for both of them to introduce themselves. The black haired girl let out an audible frustrated groan, while the girl with brown hair excitedly trotted over to the Hunter, her ample chest bouncing in rhythm with her step as she introduced herself.

"My name is Izayoi Nonomi it's nice to meet you, Sensei!" Nonomi said with a warm and kind smile, giving a little bow of her own, playfully mirroring the good Hunter's actions, which made him chuckle as he responded to her introduction.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Nonomi" The Hunter gave a mock bow back to her, causing the brown haired girl to giggle loudly as the two of them finished their introduction.

Turning to the black haired girl with cat ears, the hunter could see from the look on her face that she didn't want to introduce herself, let alone be in the same room with him. He wasn't exactly sure what about his introduction had seemingly offended her, but he hoped to remedy the situation before it got any worse.

"And who might you be, young missy?" the hunter said after a moment of uneasy silence, it was obvious that she wasn't going to initiate the introduction, so he decided to do it for her.

The girl let out an audible annoyed growl, noticeably rolling her eyes as she introduced herself. "I'm Serika" Was all that she said, her arms remaining crossed over her chest as she began to tap her foot, clearly irritated.

Despite not showing it on his face, the hunter he was a bit dejected by her behavior, he wasn't sure why she was acting this way, but he decided not to push her any further as he backed away from her. Choosing to stand next to Shiroko as Ayane motions to the other students to gather around the meeting table.

"Since Sensei is here, this means that we can finally get more supplies and ammunition." Ayane smiled excitedly as the look on her face was one of pure excitement. The prospective of actually being able to put up a fight against the frogs that have been harassing her and her school genuinely improved her morale.

Nonomi shared in Ayane's excitement, a bright smile making its way onto her lips as she quickly spoke as well. "It's like sensei as a guardian angel! Coming down from heaven to help us Heehee" Nonomi laughed loudly,

Ayane quickly joining in as for the first time in a while both girls genuinely felt happy about the immediate future.

"I have to tell Hoshino. Wait... Where is she anyway" Ayane began looking around for the person in question, pointed ears wiggling slightly as she tried to locate wherever Hoshino had gone off to this time.

The other girls quickly joined in with her, looking around the clubroom in all the obvious spots for the elusive girl but having no luck as she clearly wasn't in the room with them.

The hunter himself also idly looked around, trying to locate wherever this Hoshino could possibly be. However, it became quickly apparent to him that she was not here.

Serika quickly spoke up after a moment. "She's probably taking a nap in the next room. I'll go wake her up" The cat eared girl quickly turned up our heels and exit the room, not even giving anyone a second glance as she did so. The door behind her slam shut a bit more forcefully than she probably intended to, but simply didn't care.

Everyone in the room was left a bit stunned, before a slightly embarrassed and disappointed look crossed Ayane's face as she began to apologise. "I'm sorry about her, Sensei. I'm not sure what's gotten into Serika?" Ayane quickly stood up and gave an apologetic bow to the Hunter. Who simply disregarded it by waving one of his hands in a nonchalant manner.

"You should not need to apologise on her behalf Ayane, I will not hold her actions against her" The Hunter replied, trying to get the elf girl to understand that he wasn't offended by Serika's actions.

After all, if he was going to be a teacher then he needed to have patience with his students, not every single one of them were taken an instant liking to him. He needed to build a relationship with them, instead of simply just expecting one to form instantly.

Ayane still looked slightly embarrassed and frustrated but accepted the hunter's words as she quickly sat back down at the meeting table in front of her.

"Serika can just be a bit funny sometimes. I'm sure she'll come around eventually, Sensei" Nonomi said with a smile, trying to keep the overall mood of the room up. She knew that Serika could certainly be a prickly one sometimes, especially around new people, but this level of hostility to somebody that she had only just met was genuinely bizarre even for someone like her.

*Nn* "Serika is just like that sometimes" Shiroko said quietly, choosing to sit down in one of the many empty seats as she put her white assault rifle on the table in front of her, along with the small duffle bag that she had been carrying this entire time.

The hunter let the silence in the room linger for a moment, but just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, he was quickly silenced as the all too familiar sound of gunfire quickly opened up.

*pop* *pop* *tat* *pop* *tat* *tat* *pop*

The sound of the bullet impacting the wall and shattering the window caused all the girls to immediately go on high alert, each one of them instinctively grabbing their respective weapons.

Nonomi was the first to speak, "Was that gunfire!?" she accompanied her words by quickly hoisting up her massive minigun, the white and black rotary cannon being of such immense size, that the hunter was genuinely shocked and simultaneously impressed that a girl of her stature could actually lift the thing.

From outside the now shattered window, voices could now be heard speaking and laughing, and peering outside, Ayane was able to confirm that it was none other than the Kata-Kata helmet gang that was attacking the school.

"Hahah!"

"They're all out of ammo. Let's finish them off, Girls, and take over that school!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Let's go!"

The group of delinquents continues to shout loudly, as they went on to fire at the school with their automatic weapons, not caring in the slightest about the amount of property damage they were causing in the process.

The hunter let out a frustrated sigh, while he still wanted to help every student he can, even the ones that were troublemakers like this lot. He was beginning to feel his patience tested by just how troublesome some students seems to be.

Nonomi was the only one to notice the hunters' frustration, her gaze taking on a noticeably concerned look as she turned to The Hunter.

"Sensei... Are you OK" Her words were quickly and abruptly ended by another shower of gunfire peppering the outside of the school. The hunter didn't immediately respond to her, waiting for a pause in the gunfire before he did respond.

"I am fine, Nonomi. It is nothing that you should be concerned about" The Hunter let out another groan as he spoke. The minigun welding girl seemed like she wanted to say more in response to his words, but she couldn't before Ayane quickly spoke up.

"There's a large group approaching the school! It must be the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang!" Ayane quickly retrieved a smart tablet from the table in front of her, typing away at it with such ferocity and speed that it was a genuine miracle the little device didn't shutter from the force of the blows it was receiving.

Shiroko, quickly retrieved a result rifle from the table, ejecting the magazine and checking that it was fully loaded before inserting it back into the weapon. "Those punks... they have some nerve coming back for more" She said with a noticeably angry tone, quickly releasing the safety catch on her rifle and racking the bolt and chambering a fresh round.

The hunter shared a glance with Shiroko, a smile of admiration spreading across his face as he marveled at her unwavering determination. Although he had not yet seen her in combat, his instincts told him that she possessed exceptional fighting ability.

More gunshots rang out as bullets impacted against the outside wall of the school. The door to the clubroom quickly slammed open, revealing Serika dragging another girl behind her by the scruff of her shirt.

"I've got Hoshino! Now If she'd just wake up dammit" Serika let go of the half asleep girls' shirt as she quickly ran to the corner of the room, retrieving her rifle from a ready rack and making sure it was loaded. If the gang wanted another fight, then she was sure as hell gonna give it to them, especially considering the kind of mood she was in right now.

The hunter turned his attention to the newest edition in the room. The new girl which he could presume was Hoshino let out a loud audible yawn as she hoisted her arm over her head. She was short, shorter than the rest of her classmates by a noticeable degree, she had long pink flowing hair that cascaded down her back.

Her uniform consisted of a patterned skirt similar to the ones of her classmates and a simple white button-up shirt, with a blue tie very similar to the ones of her classmates, tucked into the shoulder harness which she wore. Her Halo was perhaps the strangest one he had seen so, it was made up of multiple concentric circles that immediately made him think that it looked like an eye.

*yawn* "Just five more minutes..." Hoshino let out another yawn as she hunched her back, practically falling asleep on her feet as the rest of her classmates got ready for battle. The hunter raised an eyebrow at her behaviour not because it was inappropriate but rather because there was just something that felt off to him, it was strange, almost as if her sleepy persona was...

Forced.

"Hoshino! Take this seriously! The helmet gang is attacking again!" Ayane was clearly frustrated by her upper classmen's behaviour.

Yet, she decided to put it to the side for a moment as she motioned to the good Hunter. "By the way, this is sensei from Schale" Ayane finished her quick introduction of the Hunter by quickly grabbing her pistol from the table, making sure it was loaded before placing it in the holster attached to her side.

"Ohhh. That's a problem..." Hoshino let out another yawn as she quickly rubbed her eyes, turning to look at the hunter with a look that he couldn't quite place for a moment. "Nice to meet you, Sensei"

Starting into the girl's eyes, the hunter noticed that she had very distinct heterochromia. With one of her eyes being a deep baby blue while the other was a deep orange.

However, the colour of her eyes wasn't what the hunter paid attention to. No he paid attention to her gaze, despite the fact that she hid it well, the hunter could easily see past her defences, seeing the look of suspicion and distrust in her gaze that was hidden by her deliberate and slightly forced laid-back attitude.

While her distrust and suspicion was a bit strange, the hunter decided not to pay it any mind for the moment as he quickly introduced himself as well.

"Nice to meet you, Hoshino. Although I wish our first meeting was under... Better circumstances" The hunter quietly observed the look in her eyes, noticing that the level of distrust and suspicion in her gaze did not change as she quickly let out another exaggerated yawn.

Serika quickly stomped back over to Hoshino, holding her rifle in one hand and a sleek white shotgun in the other, which she quickly pushed into the chest of the pink-haired girl, forcing her to grab it so as to not let it drop to the ground.

"For crying out loud! Wake up and get your butt in gear, Hoshino! Literally! We have to defend the school!" Serika set angrily, frustration creeping into her voice as she hurriedly walked to one of the nearby windows, being sure to stay out of sight while still peaking around the corner to observe the gang members who were still shooting at the school building from outside.

Hoshino let out another yawn as she took the shotgun in her hands, and with a swiftness and dexterity that the hunter found both impressive and surprising, quickly loaded the shotgun. Her face remaining the same as the look in her eyes turned into one of determination as she quickly racked the bolt of her shotgun, making it ready for use.

"Don't they know it's rude to interrupt somebody's nap? I hate the helmet gang" Hoshino put on a noticeably dopey expression as she put the shotgun over her shoulder, holding it by the butt stock as she walked over to a nearby weapon rack and retrieved a very unusual object.

Watching with slight fascination as she hoisted the object up by a strap, revealing it to be a large and old but well maintained shield of some kind. On the shield's front was a triangular-shaped logo, with a string of text beneath it that was partially obscured by both damage, wear and tear, but the hunter was able to make out the text regardless.

Iron Horus

The name sounded familiar to the Hunter, in fact, it immediately reminded him of some of the ancient great ones of Loran. But that was most likely just a coincidence.

"Let's get going, everyone. Sensei brought us some ammunition and supplies so we're good to go" Shiroko turn her attention to The Hunter, which was enough to remind him that he did in fact bring ammunition for them, he had momentarily forgotten much to his chagrin.

"Indeed I did bring ammunition, I didn't know exactly what kind of ammunition your weapons used, so I brought a wide assortment with me" the hunter saw all the girls visibly become excited when he mentioned the prospect of having ammunition for them. It was still a bit strange to him to see girls would get excited over such a thing, but he decided to not question it.

Reaching into his overcoat, retrieving what he was looking for and placing it on the table in front of him, all the students gathering around him as they looked down at the small little box.

9 mm Parabellum, 35 rounds.

All five Aybidos students looked at the single box of pistol ammunition, each one of their faces completely blank and featureless as they stared at the singular ammunition box.

Nonomi was the first to look to the good Hunter, her facial expression conveying confusion and perhaps a small amount of frustration, even though she tried her best to hide it with a smile

"Uhm... sensei... is this all you brought with you?" The blonde haired girl tried to not make the frustration that she was experiencing evident in her voice, after all, it could have been just a simple mistake on sensei's part.

The good Hunter opened his mouth to speak but was quickly silenced by Serika, an angry look in her eyes as she pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"Is there some kind of sick joke! Do you really expect us to fight a whole gang off with this!?" The angry cat girl gestured to the single box of pistol ammunition, her feelings of rage and frustration growing by the second as she briefly considered actually turning her rifle against the Hunter.

Once again opening his mouth to speak, the hunter was quickly silenced again as he felt frustration beginning to build within him.

This time it was Ayane, who quickly got between Serika and the good Hunter, trying to calm down the nearly incandescent cat girl. "I'm sure it's just a mistake, Serika! Just calm down" Ayane words fell on deaf ears as Serika continued to fume openly, the look of hatred in her eyes growing stronger and stronger by the second.

With his frustration now reaching a critical point, the hunter quickly tapped his foot against the floor, the force from his strike leaving a noticeable dent in the floor below as all the students turned to look at him now silenced by his action.

"If you had let me finish. Then I would have said that this is not all that I brought with me" the hunter cleared his throat as he stopped talking, managing to compose himself and flush the frustration from his system as he took a calming breath.

The students looked at him strangely, if the hunter had actually brought from ammunition with him like he said, then how exactly was he carrying it. Considering that, they couldn't see any obvious indications of where the ammunition would be stored on his person.

Reaching into his overcoat again, the hunter swiftly produced another box of pistol ammunition, yet before the students could say anything. He quickly reached into his pocket and bizarre produced another box this time of rifle ammunition specifically 5.56 calibre, the exact kind of ammunition that was needed for Serika and Shiroko rifles.

Again he reached into his overcoat, producing several more boxes of the same ammunition, which was more than enough for the students to feel a growing sense of shock as the ammunition on the table quickly began to increase. They didn't understand how it was possible, every time his hand reached into his pocket another box of ammunition would come out, and it wasn't just pistol and rifle rounds.

The hunter rapidly produced several boxes of 12 gauge ammunition ranging from double odd buckshot, to solid slug rounds.
Hoshino, raise an eyebrow at this, a slightly giddy look Crossing her face for just a split second at the prospect of being able to use some 12 gauge slugs
And just when they fought it couldn't get any more ridiculous, he then produced an impossible amount of 7.62 mm ammunition, the very same kind that Nonomi's beloved mini gun chewed through like no tomorrow.

With one final box placed in the pile of ammunition on the table, the hunter stepped back, allowing the girls to see the full extent of the ridiculous amount of ammunition in front of them. It was excessive, and it was ridiculous, but it was just what they needed.

"I apologise if this is still not a sufficient amount of ammunition. There was only so much that I could carry with me before becoming encumbered" The hunter said with a slightly apologetic tone, completely missing the shocked and stupefied faces on all the students.

Hoshino was the first to pick her mouth up off the floor and respond quickly, resuming her overly tired and laid back persona.

"Wow sensei. Is this really all for us?" she said with an exaggerated yawn, eyeing almost hungry the 12 gauge shotgun slugs resting on the table. While she couldn't begin to understand how he could carry so much on him, quite frankly she wasn't really going to complain or really question considering that he was giving this all to them for free and the fact that they were shotgun slugs involved.

"Sensei. Did you do that with some kind of magic trick?"

Shiroko quickly began to pace around the Hunter, much to his amusement, she was looking for any potential places he could have been hiding all the ammunition. Yet despite her keen eye, she couldn't see any obvious spots where it could have been concealed. Which only caused the slightly annoyed expression on her face to grow deeper as she continued looking, despite the fact it was becoming obvious that there wasn't anywhere it could have been concealed.

Nonomi after scooping her mouth up off the floor, quickly let out a couple of cheerful giggles. Despite the fact that it's seemingly wasn't possible for a single human to carry so much ammunition, the green-eyed girl wasn't really going to question it, considering that the hunter had been thoughtful enough to bring her a lot of extra 7.62 mm ammunition for her minigun.

"Wow, sensei. You're really full of surprises" She accompanied her words by hefting her minigun up onto the table. Which groaned noticeably under the sheer weight of the weapon as Nonomi began emptying the ammunition out of the cardboard boxes they came in, and placing the bullets into the magazine of her minigun, while also tucking extra rounds in the pockets of her sweater just in case.

The Hunter, still with Shiroko cycling around him trying to find any potential hiding spot for the ammunition, let out a chuckle, it seemed that even though he wasn't sure exactly how much ammunition to bring, the amount he did bring was more than enough for them. In fact, he was beginning to think that he may have brought a bit too much, but he's supposed that even if he did, the girls would put it to good use.

"OK everyone now that everything is in order" The hunter got everyone's attention with his tone of voice, all of them stopping what they were doing which was mostly loading ammunition into their weapons as they all turn to look at him.

"I think it's time we show these delinquents that this school is not as defenseless as it seems" Shiroko, Nonomi, Serika, Ayane and Hoshino all looked at the Hunter with resolute looks in their eyes as they all collectively cocked their weapons. Much to the satisfaction of the good Hunter, who quickly reached into his overcoat and produced a pistol of his own.

It wasn't a weapon that he particularly favoured, especially compared to his beloved Evelyn. But the repeating pistol, a creation of the healing church workshop, would certainly do for a situation like this. Especially with its ability to perform rapid follow-up shots

"Alright everyone let's go"

"Yes Sensei!"

…​

The Hunter was the first to exit the school building, much to the protest of the Abydos students, as he surveyed the courtyard area of the school. He counted roughly 20 or 25 delinquents, all of them wielding various kinds of weapons, from machine Pistols all the way up to heavy machine guns.

"This shouldn't be a challenge at all" the hunter said murmured to himself as he was quickly flanked by his students, each one of them holding their weapons at the ready, eager to defend their school from these Invaders.

"Everyone scatter!" the hunter abruptly said, the students being briefly caught off guard before they quickly complied with his request, each one of them running to a different area of the courtyard and taking cover behind whatever they could find.

And it wasn't a moment too soon, as the group of delinquents quickly opened up with their weapons, spraying a hail of bullets with no rhyme or reason.

Serika was the first to engage the delinquents, quickly jumping up from behind the old filing cabinet she had been using his cover and with well-placed shots taking out two delinquents.

"Take this!" The black haired cat girl shouted angrily as she continued to target any delinquent she could see. She wasn't going to let them take the school from her, in fact they would have to pry it out of her cold dead hands before she would give up.

Shiroko quickly flew from cover to cover, managing to dodge a hail of bullets much to the good Hunter's amazement, as she quickly landed in the same position as Serika. Both girls sharing a confident glance with each other as they began to work together, using their assault rifles to take out any delinquents that they could target.

Hunter after hiding behind an old pile of sandbags for a moment quickly jumped up on top of them, he wasn't concerned about being hit by any stray bullets, considering that he still had more than enough blood vials on hand, so any damage he could sustain would be negligible.

Surveying the battlefield, the hunter immediately noticed that much like before, the delinquents had no rhyme or structure to their ranks. Most of them simply choosing to stand out in the open whilst spraying their weapons wildly, the few that did have common sense to take cover didn't actually utilise it very well considering that they either disregarded it choosing to jump out into the open, or simply didn't engage in the fight whatsoever instead of choosing to tap away at their mobile phones.

"It seems that some require more correction than other" The Hunter grumbled quietly, his voice being drowned out by the sound of gunfire as he let out an exasperated sigh. Quickly shaking his head, he returned his thoughts to the here, and now quickly issuing out an order, seeing a potential opening that could be exploited.

"Nonomi! Use your chain gun and kick up a dust cloud!" the brown haired girl in question turn to look at the hunter, a somewhat perplexed look on her face, as she didn't quite understand why exactly that would be helpful right now. However, then it suddenly clicked for her, a look of realisation crossing her face as she saw where her friends were and what they were doing.

"Leave it to me! Sensei!" Nonomi said with an excited and cheerful tone, as she jumped up onto the piece of cover she had been using and began to spray and pray with her beloved mini gun. The weapon spitting out hundreds of rounds a second as a gigantic dust cloud with kicked up by her bullets impacting the dusty courtyard.

"H-hey! What gives!?"

"I can't see shit!"

Multiple delinquents cried from within the dust cloud as their vision was obscured by it. The hunter from his vantage point smiled as his plan had worked, they were now even more disorientated and blinded, leaving them open to a counter-attack. Looking over to his right, he saw Hoshino standing by and looking at him with an expecting look. Even though it was obvious to him that she didn't entirely trust him, it was still a pleasant surprise to see her waiting for his word.

"Hoshino! Seize the opportunity!" The hunter shouted loudly as he threw his arm forward, which was all that the pink haired girl needed as she quickly ran into the dust cloud. The Iron Horus unfolding to its full size as she quickly held it up in front of her, using it as a shield.

"As a senior, I want to lose the juniors" Hoshino said playfully as she began to advanced forward, using the Iron Horse as a brace so she could shoot her shotgun one-handed, taking out any delinquents that she could see within her sight.

"There she is! Shoot her, damn it!"

Hoshino immediately turned to the source of the voice, using the Shield to block a hail of bullets that rained down upon her.

"I don't think so!" the pink haired girl said with a slightly displeased tone, as she returned fire silently thanking sensei for providing her with 12 gauge shotgun slugs, which had the power to easily put down a delinquent in one or two well-placed shots.

"Ha! I've got you now"

Hoshino felt somebody place the barrel of a gun against her head, however before the delinquent could react, the abydos student quickly spun around. Momentarily letting her shotgun fall to the ground as she proceeded to smash the Iron Horse over the delinquents head. Which immediately resulted in the helmet they were wearing exploding into a thousand plastic fragments as they dropped to the ground.

Giving the now unconscious delinquent one last look, Hoshino quickly retrieved her shotgun from the ground, loading in a fresh series of 12 gauge shells as she quickly folded the Iron Horus back into its travel configuration. Its job was done for now, so she didn't think it would be needed any more in this particular fight.

The hunter from his position watched Hoshino finish her fight, while the dust cloud obscured her and the delinquents from view for a normal person. He had absolutely no trouble scaring past the particles in the air and seeing just how skilled Hoshino actually was in battle. He was impressed, definitely so, but it also served to further indicate to him that her sleepy and laid back persona was either a complete act or at the very least a slightly modified put on.

"Shiroko, Serika both of you advance while their guard is open!" the hunter yelled to the two girls. Deciding to put the issue of Hoshino and her strange behaviour on the back burner for the moment as he focused on more important matters at hand.

Both Shiroko, Serika looked at the hunter in surprise for a moment before looking back at each other and then nodded in agreement. Jumping out from behind the piece of old sport equipment that they had been using as cover, and running into the mostly evaporated dust cloud.

Serika was the first to open fire, using the burst setting on her assault rifle, to quickly take out five delinquents before ejecting the empty magazine and inserting a fresh one.

Shiroko did much the same, but instead of using a burst function, she simply preferred to use fully automatic fire, quickly gunning down four delinquents before her magazine suddenly went dry. However, reaching into her pocket, she only just now realised that she was completely out of spare magazines.

*Nn* "Serika, I'm all out" Shiroko said matter-of-factly, making Serika turn to look at her, a clearly annoyed expression on her face as she finished inserting the last magazine she had on her into her rifle.

"Shiroko! For God sakes! Why didn't you pick up some spare mags before leaving?" Serika said loudly, chastising her wolf eared friend, to looked back with a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. Pouting noticeably as if she was a small puppy who was being disciplined for misbehaviour.

However, before Shiroko could respond to the black haired cat girl, both of them were suddenly confronted by two overly confident and aggressive delinquents, who pointed their heavy machine guns at both abydos students.

"We've got you now!" One of the delinquents said as she cocked the heavy machine gun in her hands, the other delinquent doing the same, as both Serika and Shiroko shared a glance between each other. While they weren't afraid of taking a few bullets, the fact that both delinquents were wielding heavy machine guns with high rates of fire made the situation a bit more precarious.

However, something unexpected happened just as both delinquents were about to pull the triggers on their respective weapons.

BANG! BANG!

Both Serika and Shiroko instinctively covered the ears, the sound of the bangs sounding much louder than any weapon that they were familiar with, in fact it almost sounded like a heavy cannon going off rather than any kind of man portable weapon. However, when they looked up they saw both delinquents now laying on the ground, their helmets reduced to nothing more than plastic fragments with their weapons laying nearby.

"Ayane! Shiroko needs another magazine" Both students heard the hunter shout from atop his perch, turning to look at him as they saw in his hands was the very same weapon he had produced back in the classroom, the twin barrels smoking noticeably from the shots that they had just fired.

"On it, Sensei" Ayane quickly adjusted her glasses, before proceeding to quickly take away at the smart tablet in front of her. One of the many drones that she kept on campus quickly activated and flew high into the air, in its metallic pincers containing a singular black rifle magazine.

Shiroko looked up into the air watching as the drone flew over her before quickly dropping the magazine from its grasp, as if by Instinct she reached out her hand allowing the magazine to fall into it before in one fluid motion inserting it into her rifle and pulling back the bolt chambering a new round.

"Thanks, Ayane" Shiroko quickly jumped from behind the piece of improvised cover she and Serika had been using. Completely ignoring the complaints of her black haired friend as she speedily charged the nearest group of delinquents.

In a quick burst of automatic fire she managed to take down four out of five of them, however instead of wasting her rounds on the last delinquent, she quickly dodged around the helmet wearing delinquents automatic fire, before delivering a swift roundhouse kick to her stomach. Causing the delinquent to fall to the floor clutching her gut, completely incapacitated and out of the fight.

"Everyone, I think it's time we end this" The Hunter accompanied his words by jumping down from the spot, landing on both his feet as he pointed his strange double barrel pistol at the remaining delinquents.

The abydos students immediately realised exactly what he meant, all of them collectively reading their weapons for one final push.

Shiroko was the first to act, quickly rushing what was left of the delinquent group as she fired the remaining rounds in her assault rifle, the magazine quickly being depleted and ejected. A fresh one abruptly falling out of the sky and into her outstretched hand, courtesy of Ayane's quadcopter drone.

Serika quickly joined her classmate, both of them sharing a glance before they quickly set to work gunning down the few remaining delinquents, as Nonomi and the good Hunter both provided fire support with their respective weapons.

"What the hell!" The leader of the delinquents shouted, looking around completely dumbfounded at all of her fellow gang members which were now incapacitated. She was dressed similarly to her gang members, with the biggest difference being that her uniform was red instead of black, signifying her higher position in the gang.

Shiroko abruptly separated from Serika, ignoring the shouts of the overly aggravated cat girl as she charged at the gang leader. Rapidly reloading her rifle one final time as she hurriedly dodged a barrage of bullets.

"Stay still, damn it!" the gang leader cried as she sprayed another inaccurate hail of bullets.

Shiroko not even needing to put any effort into dodging them this time, as she quickly left onto a piece of gym equipment, using it as a springboard to throw herself into the air.

Firing a burst from her rifle in mid-air, mostly in an attempt to distract the gang leader, Shiroko landed right in front of her, the gang leader's eyes widening behind her helmet as she quickly brought up her machine gun, trying to gun down the student in front of her.

Shiroko was ultimately quicker however as she closed the gap, using the stock of her rifle to smack away the gang leader's machine gun, ultimately throwing it from her grasp. And in one lightning-quick motion. She quickly kicked the gang leader's feet out from under her before delivering a strong and powerful roundhouse kick, throwing the gang leader onto her back as Shiroko stood over her gum pointed directly at her face.

*Nn* A quiet sound escape her lips as Shiroko's trigger finger inched ever closer to the trigger of her rifle, she really wanted to shoot the gang leader repeatedly in the face until she stopped moving. After all, it was only a fraction of what her and her gang members deserved after harassing her and her friends as well as trying to take their school.

However before she could do so she felt somebody place a hand on her shoulder causing her to look behind her, finding that it was none other than the good Hunter, a look of sympathetic understanding on his face as he quickly opened his mouth to speak.

"Shiroko, that's enough. I will take it from here" The Hunter gently squeezed her shoulder with his hand, both to reassure her and to get his point across that this was the end of the fight.

Shiroko looked at the hunter for several moments, her gaze and face remaining flat and even, yet the hunter could see in her eyes the burning conviction and the fervent desire for revenge. Yet finally what after what seemed like an eternity she let out a sigh, lowering her rifle as she stepped away from the delinquent who quickly use the opportunity to get to her feet.

"If you think this is over! Then-" The delinquent didn't get a chance to finish her words, as the hunter quickly closed the gap between her and him, moving so fast that it almost looked like he teleported straight in front of her.

Staring into his eyes, the delinquent found herself beginning to tremble uncontrollably, his gaze held both a mixture of anger and frustration. Yet there was something more to it, something that was hidden yet as clear as day, that made an uncontrollable shiver rundown her spine.

"Young lady... I believe it is time for you to turn back, especially if you do not want to be punished like the naughty little urchin you are" The abydos students felt a shiver run down the spines as the hunter spoke his words.

All the warmth in his tone was completely absent, replaced by a cold and sinister edge to it that was truly strange and slightly unnerving to listen to. In fact, despite nothing about him being outwardly threatening other than his overall structure, all of them felt themselves be put on edge slightly, looking at him as if he was some great predator ready to strike.

By some miracle, the delinquent managed to stay on her feet, despite the fact that her legs and her entire body for that matter were shaking noticeably.

"A-nd W-w-why should I be S-s-scared of Y-you" The delinquent managed to cough out, the shaking in her legs growing to such an incredible degree that she was very close to collapsing outright. The hunter, despite feeling his aggravation increase slightly by her response, he begrudgingly had to respect her determination in the face of danger.

"Well my dear... I could tell you exactly how I punish you and your friends... But unfortunately for you, I am not at liberty to give secrets, especially when those secrets will make your punishment more severe" The hunter was deliberately trying to scare her at this point, silently apologising to her in his mind because even though she was a severe troublemaker, she was still a student in need of guidance.

"Now... leave! And never come back" Leaning in close so he could whisper the last part in her ear, the delinquent's reaction was almost immediate as she quickly turned on her heels and began to sprint in the opposite direction. Completely ignoring her rifle, which still lay on the ground. As the rest of the delinquents that could stand and walk, quickly did the same, following their leader while helping them more incapacitated members as the entire gang retreated from the school grounds.

"Well done, Shiroko" The hunter quickly turned on the spot, bringing his hand up and resting it on the young wolf girl's head as he began to gently rub the spot between her ears. Which, judging from the happy and slightly comfortable expression on her face, she seemed to enjoy to no end.

"I don't believe that those delinquents will be giving you any trouble in the near future, girls" Turning away from Shiroko while continuing to gently rub her head, much to her continuing enjoyment. The hunter addressed the other four abydos students, who had all quickly gathered around, all of them looking extremely contented and overjoyed that they had been able to defend their school against the group of delinquents who had attacked them.

"Wow! We won" Nonomi cheered excitedly, jumping up and down on the spot despite the fact that she was still holding her mini gun in both hands.

The hunter idly thought to himself that the girl must have had incredibly ridiculous levels of strength to do something like that, considering that even with his preposterous strength he struggled to wield a chain gun of similar size and stature.

"Hahaha! How do you like that, your stupid helmet wearing freaks!" Serika cupped her hands over her mouth, hoping that her voice would carry far enough that the retreating helmet gang members would hear her taunt.

"Uheee~ I can't believe we won, the helmet gang seemed really tenacious this time" Hoshino promptly found a nearby piece of gym equipment and seated herself on it, placing down both her shotgun and shield next to her as she yawned while stretching both her arms over her head.

Ayane didn't appreciate Hoshino's as she began to noticeably pout while stamping one of her feet against the floor. "You shouldn't say that, Hoshino. "Those thugs could have taken over the school if we had lost"

Hoshino responded to Ayane's retort by nonchalantly waving one of her hands and giving a big dopey looking smile. Ayane didn't appreciate this one bit, the frustrated expression on her face growing more and more evident. Yet before the poor elf girl's anger could explode, she felt somebody place a hand on her shoulder, causing her to immediately her turn to see who it was.

"Ayane, you should be calm, this is not the time for anger. If anything we should be celebrating our victory" the hunter remarked as the anger and frustration in Ayane's quickly subsided, a slightly dismayed yet calming sigh escaping her lips.

"I guess you're right sensei" Ayane closed her eyes for a second before a small smile made its way onto her face. While the main troubles of the school when nowhere near to being dealt with, she could at least take some comfort in the fact that this day had been a success, and the first one that she and her friends had in quite a long while.

The hunter was happy with the fact that he managed to cheer up the glasses wearing girl, quickly releasing his hand from her shoulder as he turns to look at all the students. All of them looked back at him with a happy expression, even the seeming sourpuss of the bunch, Serika let a little smile appear on her face, despite the fact that she most certainly was trying not to let it.

Despite the lingering problems at the school that were far from being resolved, a sense of warmth filled the hunter's heart as he observed the happiness of the students. It was essential for him to safeguard this happiness, ensuring that every student under his guidance would have the opportunity to lead fulfilling and prosperous lives, free from despair and worry.

"Nn Sensei"

The hunter's attention was immediately taken by the sound of Shiroko addressing him, causing him to look at her as she looked at him. Her gaze filled with admiration and pride.

"Sensei... you gave us the edge that we needed today. We couldn't have done it without you" Shiroko said happily, a small and delicate smile making its way onto her lips.

The hunter didn't immediately respond, yet all the students watch as a genuine smile appeared on his face. He was genuinely touched by her words to the point where he quickly reached out and began to rub her head, much to her satisfaction.

The other students, especially Hoshino and Nonomi giggled loudly as they watched their classmate and friend received her head pats. Shiroko fluffy ears twitching noticeably as she closed her eyes, a broad smile quickly developing on my face.

"Haha, It looks like Shiroko has a new friend" Hoshino laughed with delight, seeing the grey haired girl so happy and content truly warmed her heart. It was also an incredibly touching site considering how Shiroko used to be when she was first enrolled.

Hoshino's smile quickly faulted for a second, reminiscing about the past was something she always hated, especially considering it made her remember...

Quickly shaking her head, Hoshino forcefully pushed out those thoughts from her mind, managing to force a smile to return to her face.

"Well everyone, now that the delinquent issue has been dealt with for the moment, why don't we return inside so we can discuss more about what ails your school" The hunter commented after a moment, removing his hand from Shiroko's head much to her disappointment as her ears noticeably flattened against the back of her head.

Nobody immediately replied to the hunter's words, all the students looking around somewhat hesitantly between each other before Ayane eventually stepped forward, holding her smart tablet close to her chest as she spoke.

"Well sensei, we'd love to, but it's actually nearly the end of the day, and it would take far too long to explain in detail..." Ayane sounded clearly afraid, much to the good Hunter's displeasure. Yet, after looking at the glasses wearing girl for a moment, it's suddenly clicked for him why she was so nervous.

"I see... well in that case then, I suppose I will have to come back tomorrow, preferably in the morning, so I can get a full assessment of the situation" His words had to be desired effect, Ayane's eyes immediately welling up with relief and happiness at the reality that the hunter would in fact come back for them, and simply not forsake them like the general student council had.

The students smiled with relief upon learning that the hunter would return for them, unlike the general student council, which had neglected them.

"T-that would be great, Sensei!" Ayane jumped forward and hugged the hunter tightly. This surprised him and the other students.

Looking down at the girl who had her face buried in his torso, the hunter could see tears of happiness beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. The sight of her beginning to cry was both upsetting and touching. Just how much these girls have suffered in abject silence, their cries for help being completely ignored by the general student council.

"Come now, Ayane. There is no need to cry" The hunter used one of his hands to gently nudge the girl away from him, before quickly lowering himself down onto one knee and retrieving a silk handkerchief from one of his overcoat pockets.

Ayane looked incredibly confused as the hunter gently pushed her glasses up onto her forehead and wiping away the tears arise using the handkerchief. Shiroko, Nonomi, Serika, and Hoshino all watched the scene somewhat bewildered before Hoshino out a loud squeal of laughter.

"What a sight to behold, it's almost enough to make a young maiden's heart swoon" Hoshino accompanied her words by overemphasizing them, striking a pose that wouldn't have been out of place in an old romance novel or movie as the rest of her classmates turned to look at her.

Ayane's bewildered face suddenly turned a bright red, steam practically flying out of her pointy ears as the Hunter quickly finished wiping away the tears from her eyelids, making sure to place her red framed glasses back on the bridge of her nose once he was done.

"Oh Wow! Ayane's face has gone all red!" Nonomi laughed uncontrollably, cupping both of her hands together beside her face, as she watched the clearly embarrassed elf girl quickly bring her hands up to try and hide the self-conscious look on her face.

"I think somebody's in looovvvve" Hoshino said loudly, exaggerating the word love as she quickly walked over to Ayane placing on the girl's shoulder which made her remove her hands from her face, the embarrassed the look still clearly evident but also now mixed with a dismayed and slightly irritated look.

"W-would you please S-stop it" Ayane managed to splatter out, the redness in her cheeks only growing as Nonomi and Hoshino continue to take extreme delight in teasing their younger classmate.

With a glint of genuine happiness in his eyes, the hunter observed the scene before him. It warmed his heart to witness them behave in a manner befitting girls of their age.

"Well I suppose since the day is now over, I should take my leave" The hunter said as he swiftly turned to go, yet he suddenly felt somebody grab his hand causing him to stop in his tracks as he turned to look at whoever was responsible.

"Nn You will come back, right Sensei?" Shiroko asked with a slight pleading tone in her voice. While her face remained mostly emotionless, the look in her gaze made his heart ache. She clearly feared that he would not hold to his promise, choosing to abandon her and her friends like had been done before.

The hunter looked at her, choosing to remain silent for just a moment as he looked at the other students, who by now had stopped their teasing and antics and were all looking at him anxiously and hopefully.

"Of course I will return, Shiroko. I will never abandon any of my students… I promise" The hunter's spoken words broke the silence that hung in the air, all the students immediately feeling an immeasurable amount of relief passed over them as they all visibly felt at ease.

With his promise now made, The Hunter gently patted Shiroko on the head once more, before turning once again and making his way out of the school grounds, all the students watching him as he left. However, as he continued to walk, he suddenly turned around and quickly shouted.

"I will be sure to arrive early tomorrow morning. So until then all of you behave yourselves" The hunter hollered playfully as all the students, minus Hoshino strangely enough, shouted back waving at him as they did so.

"Yes sensei"

With a satisfied smile on his face, the hunter turned and continued on, already having memorised his initial trip from the train station, so getting back wouldn't have been an issue. He also made a silent promise to himself, that he would bring even more supplies with him tomorrow. Because even though it was most likely spoiling them, he supposed that it was acceptable considering how they had been treated up until now.

"I suppose my first official day couldn't have gone better" The hunter silently chuckled to his own satisfaction as he continued to walk. Not noticing that a particular abydos was staring intently at his back, a critical and very distrusting look in her gaze as her blue and orange eyes narrowed considerably.

'Just who are you really, Sensei. And... what exactly do you want from us'

 

[potato murderer]

more, more, more, MORE BULLETS

 

[mgman]

"Jeez Sensei. Why didn't you wake me up when things were getting good!? A certain little AI exclaimed disapprovingly.

The Hunter, holding the tablet at arm's length so he could see her, chuckled quietly to himself much to the disapproval of Arona, Who pouted noticeably at the hunter clearly finding her behaviour comedic and funny.

"Well, you seemed to be sleeping peacefully so I didn't want to disturb you" Putting the tablet back into his overcoat pocket for a moment, the hunter quickly readjusted the massive duffle bag that was on his back.

While the ammunition he had brought with him yesterday had been more than enough to keep the girls supplied for quite a while. He ultimately decided that spoiling them would be acceptable just this once, considering that they had been without support for so long. Also from a practical standpoint he had learnt through trial and error in his past that you could never have enough supplies.

Arona quickly interrupted the hunter's thoughts, causing him to momentarily shake his head as he focused his mind back on the here and how. "Sensei, I know you wanted to help the students by bringing them useful things... but are you absolutely sure it was necessary to completely clear out pretty much the entirety of the club's lunchroom ?"

Quickly retrieving the tablet from his pocket once again, the hunter stared at Arona, who looked at him for a second before directing her gaze to the massive bag that was slung over his shoulders.

Turning his head slightly so he could look at it, the hunter quickly shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why not, it's better than the food going to waste" Adjusting the bag once again, the hunter continued to walk in silence, the Abydos front gate becoming visible over the sand dunes in front of him.

"Well, sensei... What exactly are you going to eat then?" Arona quickly asked, a slightly concerned look making itself apparent on her face.

Stopping mid-step, the hunter looked at his little AI companion, unsure what to say for a moment. Other than being charitable and not wanting to see food go to waste, the main reason why he was getting rid of it was because he simply would never need it. Even before his ascension, and during his time as a hunter, he needed very little in the form of nourishment to keep himself going. And becoming something more than human basically eliminated the need for food entirely. In fact, he only ate and drank these days mostly out of habit, and because the sensation and taste of eating food was still pleasurable to him.

"There is no need to worry about your little head, Arona. I made sure to leave a few essential items for myself" It was a complete and utter blatant lie, one that made him mentally apologise to his little AI assistant. But ultimately it was for the best, considering that she would most likely start to ask too many questions about the fact that he never seemed to eat or drink. After all, his true nature as something more than human was something he wanted to keep himself.

Arona didn't look entirely convinced by his words, a very sceptical expression making itself known on her face, but ultimately she shrugged her shoulders. As long as there was enough food to keep sensei going then that's all she really cared about, but still, casting her gaze to the duffle bag that was still slung over his shoulders, she couldn't help but find his sudden donation of all the food was a bit strange.

"OK Sensei... But remember! Eating plenty is essential for a teacher to go about his duties!" Arona put a hand on her hip as she waved a pointed finger back and forth, in a manner almost similar to a mother disciplining her child for not eating their vegetables.

Letting out a quiet chuckle, the hunter quickly nodded his head in agreement, while he couldn't keep the promise of having a regular diet considering he didn't need the food, he would at least placate Arona to keep her happy. Besides, a bit of extra food here or there wouldn't upset his stomach, especially considering a lot of the food in this world was strange and new to him, and he was more than willing to try these new and exotic food items.

"Alright Arona, in that case I need to eat plenty to fulfil my duties as a teacher" The hunter replied with a slightly playful tone to his voice, as he quickly placed the tablet back into his overcoat considering that he was almost at the school front gate.

While Arona would be awake this time, she had expressed to the Hunter that she wanted to keep her existence mostly secret, because while advanced artificial intelligence was not entirely unheard of in kivotos. An AI of her sophistication would certainly be a shock to most, as well as cause problems considering that many would like to study her as if she was some kind of lab rat.

The hunter had of course agreed on the spot that he would not reveal her existence, after all it mirrored his own predicament with his true Nature, which he'd prefer to keep hidden mostly, because if the students knew exactly what he truly was then it would be very hard for them to trust him.

Although, as the hunter approached the front gate, he couldn't help but chuckled to himself at the incredibly comedic mental image of him in his true form, standing in front of a full classroom of shocked and disturbed students while teaching as if nothing was wrong.

"While comedic, I don't think my students would appreciate that" The hunter spoke quietly to himself, letting out a few more chuckles as he finally made it to his destination. However, as he approached the open abydos school gate, he quickly noticed that he was not alone, as somebody was standing in front of the school gate, shotgun slung over her shoulder, as she let out a very tired-sounding yawn.

'I never took Hoshino as an early riser' As that thought went through the hunters mind, he observed Hoshino become aware of his presence, turning to look at him with a clearly distrustful and Incredibly critical gaze before she let out another yawn, not needing to fake the tired and sleepy act this time. Because as the hunter drew closer, he could see the tell-tale dark bags under her eyes, which combined with the rigidness in her body was more than enough to tell him that she had been awake for hours, most likely standing in the exact same spot.

"Uheee~ Fancy seeing you around so early, Sensei" Hoshino followed up her words by letting out another yawn, the hunter for his part didn't immediately respond coming to stop no more than an arm's length away from the young girl as she finished yawning and looked at him again this time straight in the eyes.

She did very well to hide it, in fact even he if he wasn't actively looking for it, he probably would have missed it, but it was as clear as day to him. Distrust, suspicion and hostility, all of it was visible in her gaze, and it made the Hunter contemplate what exactly it happened in Hoshino past to make her such a distrustful person of adults.

Quickly shaking his head, the hunter cleared his mind as he quickly responded to Hoshino. "Well good morning to you Hoshino, I could also see the same thing about you, I was not expecting any students to have arrived yet" Observing her reaction, the hunter saw the slight tension in her body and the glint in her eyes, clearly she thought that he was up to no good arriving so early before the other students.

However, after a moment of scrutinising him closely, eventually, the pink-haired girl let out a sigh, the absolutely drained and tired looking in her eyes now becoming even more apparent and almost completely overpowering her distrust for him.

"As the vice club president of the foreclosure task force, it's my duty to always arrive on time before everyone else, and after all an ojisan such as myself needs to make sure that everything is in order for the juniors under my care" Hoshino said with a slightly forced smile, loosening the grip on her shotgun which was still slung over her shoulder as she let out another very tired sounding yawn.

"I see, that's quite commendable of you, Hoshino. I can also certainly understand, because after all as a teacher I must look after all students under my care" the hunter readjusted the duffle bag slung over his shoulder as he spoke. Even though Hoshino's face remained the same, he could see the substantial distrust and suspicion in her gaze return.

However, as she opened her mouth to respond, the hunter interrupted her, holding up his free hand as he spoke instead." Hoshino... I am not sure of your motives, but there is no need to be distrustful of me... My intentions are pure and just" The hunter began to walk as he spoke, crossing the gate threshold and entering the school grounds, leaving Hoshino still standing in her position at the gate as if she was a solitary guard protecting the long deserted school grounds from unknown threats.

Yet as the Hunter gently pushed open the main school doors allowing him to step inside, he failed to notice Hoshino turned to look at him, the tiredness on her face being replaced by complete and utter distrust and maybe even just a little bit of anger.

"I wish I could take you out your word Sensei... But I learnt a long time ago to never to fully trust an adult" Hoshino continue to stare at the door that the hunter had gone through, her two-toned eyes narrowing sharply as she tightened her grip on her shotgun

…...............................​

Ayane was the first to enter the school grounds, letting out a substantial yawn as she readjusted the school bag which was slung over her shoulder. While she had long since grown accustomed to the searing heat of the surrounding desert, she was thankful that today seemed like it was going to be a slightly more mild one in terms of overall heat.

Yet as she entered the school proper, quickly navigating towards the foreclosure task force clubroom, she couldn't help but feel just a small amount of worry beginning to build in her chest. While Sensei had promised that he would return, and she desperately wanted to believe him, some small part of herself still didn't fully accept it, not because of any fault of sensei himself but simply because it felt almost too good to be true.

Giving out a sigh, Ayane already begun to subconsciously prepare herself to be let down and as she finally made it to the clubroom, she paused for a moment as she reached for the door handle.

Almost every part of her being was praying that sensei they would be on the other side of that door, but the longer she stood there in the halfway, the more the feeling of dread and doubt began to creep into her heart, a slightly bitter and sad expression making its way onto her face. In fact, quickly bringing a hand up to her face and pushing her glasses to the side, she rubbed away a few tears that were beginning to begin to appear.

"Get a hold of yourself! Ayane, you're not a kid any more" Ayane said aloud to herself, quickly shaking her head as her voice echoed off the walls of the eerily quiet hallway around her.

Taking a quiet but calming breath, Ayane finally grab the door handle and without any hesitation pulled open the clubroom door gently, not even bothering to look inside as she stepped into the room before quickly timing around and shutting the door behind her, she.

Yet as she mentally prepared herself to be let down, by sensei not showing up, she suddenly heard a familiar voice that made her entire body go as stiff as a statue.

"Ah, Ayane. A good morning to you" Ayane hesitated turning around for a moment, fearing, that it was nothing more than her hopeful imagination playing tricks on her.

Yet finally after mentally psyching herself up, she finally turned around only to see a scene that shouldn't have been surprising to her considering that sensei said he would keep his word, but it's still nonetheless completely stupefying her, making her almost dropped her school bag.

The hunter looked at the young girl before him with a bit of puzzlement on his face, her expression was one of complete and utter disbelief. However, after a moment, it finally occurred to the Hunter what exactly had made her seem so shocked.

Letting out a quiet sigh, the hunter quickly walked over to Ayane, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, causing her to momentarily break from her stupor and look directly into his eyes.

"See, Ayane I told you I would return. After all a teacher like myself always keeps his word" The hunter accompanied his comments by putting a bright smile on his face, which had the desired effect almost immediately, as Ayane went from looking completely stupefied and flabbergasted to noticeably calming down and immediately accepting that the hunter was in fact real and here.

Happy with his actions, the hunter quickly turned away from the glasses wearing student, instead returning his attention to what he was doing before she entered, which was none other than unloading the preposterously large duffle bag of all of its supplies.

Ayane, curious about what the hunter was doing, quickly walked over to the main clubroom desk, only to have her eyes practically fall out of their sockets when she saw the gigantic pile of ammunition and supplies piled up on the desk.

While on the one hand she felt somewhat aggravated by the sheer messiness of the pile, that was quickly overwhelmed by her sheer shock because while the pile was not as big as the one from yesterday, it was still a truly ridiculous amount of ammunition as well as what she could see was food and other various items piled up with it.

"S-Sensei! Is this R-really all for us!" Ayane suddenly blurted out, completely forgetting about her school bag, which slipped from her shoulder and landed on the floor with a soft thump and rattle.

Turning his head slightly to look at her, the hunter smiled with a slightly wolfish grin, while the amount of ammunition he had brought with him today was nowhere near as substantial as yesterday. He had a strong suspicion that this would be the reaction that he received, considering that the amount of ammunition he had brought with him today was still substantial and more than enough for what the abydos students would be needing.

"Why yes it is, Ayane. While I brought a lot of ammunition with me yesterday, I decided that a few more boxers couldn't hurt" The hunter said as he turned to the glasses wearing student, using one of his hands to gesture to the pile of ammunition, as well as the other supplies which Ayane only just now noticed.

Looking between the pile of assorted items and the Hunter, Ayane wasn't quite sure what to say at first before she eventually found her voice. "Sensei... Why did you bring food with you?" she asked tentatively, not wanting to sound like she was questioning his generosity.

The hunter didn't immediately respond, looking at Ayane a slightly questioning gaze before he eventually responded to her question.

"Well, I brought these food items with me, because while ammunition for your weapons is definitely important, I can't have my students going hungry while trying to defend their school against bandits, can I?" The hunter watched with anticipation for Ayane's reaction, her face taking on a slightly uncertain expression before she let out a sigh.

"T-that's really kind of you, Sensei... But we don't usually eat here at school, we tend to bring our own food with us" Ayane quickly retrieved her bag from the floor, placing it on the table and then reaching inside.

"See?" Quickly pulling her lunch box out, Ayane held it up to the Hunter so he can inspect it, which he did as he bent over slightly while silently observing the lunch box.

"I see... How foolish of me" The hunter said. Ayane immediately assumed the worst, fearing that she had offended The Hunter.

"I-it's not a problem, Sensei! I'm sure we can put this food to good use... P-please don't be mad" quickly giving an apologetic bow as she spoke, Ayane quickly closed her eyes, fearing that she had just offended sensei and making it so that he would refuse to help them going forward.

Despite being momentarily caught off guard by her actions, the hunter quickly reached out a hand, placing it on the young girl shoulder as he encouraged her to stand back up, making her open her eyes in the process.

"Why would I be mad at you Ayane, me bring all of this food with me was based on my own incorrect assumptions" The hunter couldn't help but feel a slight aching in his heart seeing the incredibly worried expression on the girl's face.

It stirred something deep within him, something that went beyond his human nature, Ayane may have not been his child in the biological sense, in fact it may have been quite inappropriate to even consider her to be such a thing while having only known her for a short while.

But when he saw the sad and frightened expression on her face, it awakened his deep parental Instincts, ones that he knew came about because of his true nature as something beyond human.

Ayane looked into Sensei's eyes, she expected to see disappointment and even anger as a result of her brushing off his generosity. But she didn't, instead she saw what looked to be genuine compassion and kindness, it confused her but at the same time it immediately soothed her worry and dread, the Hunter taking his hand off her shoulder after a moment.

"Now, there is no need for you to be upset or sad Ayane, I'm sure even if you and your friends do not need all of this food we can put it to good use somewhere... Perhaps we could even give it out to the less fortunate" The hunter said with a slightly thoughtful expression on his face, trying to think of a possible way that all of this food could be put to use if the students themselves did not need it.

Ayane was momentarily taken aback by the suggestion before a pleasant smile made its way onto her face. If she wasn't convinced before now, she truly was that the hunter was a genuinely generous person, considering that he was willing to give this food away to people less fortunate than themselves.

"That sounds wonderful sensei, I think I might know some places where-" Ayane didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as the classroom doors quickly opened up behind her, causing both her and the hunter to turn to look who had opened it.

Standing in the doorway was none other than Nonomi, a school bag slung over her shoulder and her minigun under her other arm. Her eyes immediately brightened up when she saw who was in the classroom. While, she had expected Ayane to already be there ahead of her, considering that her glasses wearing friend often arrived to school the earliest out of everyone.

She hadn't been expecting to see sensei there as well, in fact despite being the most optimistic out of everyone, she had been expecting the hunter not to show up at least until sometime later in the day considering that he was most likely very busy.

"Oh~ Good morning, Sensei!" Nonomi set with a noticeably cheerful tone as she walked into the room, using her foot to shut the door behind her, as she quickly made her way over to the large table in the centre of the room. Putting both her bag and her minigun down on the table, before turning to her classmate and the Hunter.

"A good morning to you as well, Nonomi" the hunter accompanied his words by giving a short bow, which was quickly reciprocated by the sandy haired girl who giggled loudly as she bowed back to the Hunter.

Ayane watch the interaction with a smile, letting out a giggle. Nonomi had always been the happiest and go lucky member of the task force, and while sometimes her overly positive attitude could be a bit overbearing, seeing her well-endowed upper classmate so happy certainly made her feel happy as well.

"Oh Wow! You brought us more goodies today, Sensei?" Nonomi quickly straightened herself from her bow, turning her gaze over to the large pile of ammunition and other items piled in the centre of the main clubroom table.

The hunter quickly straightened himself as well, pulling at the decorative ruffle on the front of his shirt to make sure it was presentable before he spoke. "Why yes I did Nonomi, I brought with me more ammunition as well as food items, I thought that you girls could use them more than I, but I learnt from Ayane that you girls tend to bring your own food from home instead of eating on campus"

Nonomi looked between the good Hunter and Ayane, a slightly mischievous expression making its way onto her face as she quickly spoke with mock anger. "Ayane! How could you! Being so mean to sensei, especially after he spent all morning bringing all of this stuff here out of the goodness of his own heart" Nonomi quickly began to make fake sniffling noises rubbing her eyes to get rid of non-existent tears as the hunter let out an audible chuckle at her teasing attitude.

Ayane however didn't look pleased whatsoever, the smile disappearing from her face as it was replaced with a look of mild irritation.

Seeing her younger classmate's reaction, Nonomi let out a loud laugh which was quickly accompanied by the Hunter who let out his own laugh. The pout and slightly annoyed look on Ayane's increase noticeably as a result, yet she herself couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto her face.

Even though the problems with the school were nowhere near to being dealt with, she still felt a tremendous weight lifted from her shoulders for just a singular moment, because right now it felt like she was just a normal school girl being teased by her classmates and teacher, instead of somebody who had the entirety of Abydos's future rusting on her shoulders.

"Now then, we have had our fun, but why don't you two girls help me put all of this away" The Hunter gestured to the massive pile of ammunition and other supplies in the centre of the table. "After all, a presentable classroom is always important, especially when it comes to boosting morale" Both girls looked at him for a moment.

Nonomi's smile growing wider as she quickly skipped over to the good Hunter, more than happy to help him. Ayane on the other hand still looked somewhat miffed, but eventually she let out a sigh. A small smile making its way onto her face, quickly joining the hunter and Nonomi as the three got to work organising and storing all the ammunition and other supplies that the hunter had brought with him.

This task, however, didn't take as long as the Hunter had initially expected it to. Nonomi while incredibly laid back and easy going, was by no means a lazy person, in fact as the hunter observed her work, he couldn't stop himself from commending her for her work ethic.

Ayane was also just as dedicated, in fact, the hunter easily noticed that she pushed herself beyond her own limits on occasion to try and keep up with her classmate. Yet, where the glasses wearing girl's strength truly lied was her ability to direct and coordinate those around her.

While he had only seen a brief glimpse of it in the battle for the school grounds yesterday, seeing it on full display in a less serious situation made the hunter commend her as well. Causing the pointy-eared girl to become embarrassed at his flattery, which only served to make Nonomi chuckle quietly to herself as she and the hunter finished by putting away the last few boxes of ammunition.

"All done, and not a moment too soon I suppose" The Hunter said as he somewhat exaggeratedly clapped his hands together in a satisfied manner. Which was quickly accompanied by the doors to the clubroom opening up and revealing both Serika and Shiroko, who immediately stopped the idle chit-chat between each other when they saw who was present in the classroom.

*Nn* "It's good to see you, Sensei" Shiroko quickly made her way over to the Hunter, completely disregarding her school bag which she tossed onto the table as she came to a stop directly in front of the Hunter, looking up into his eyes with a mostly blank expression, yet the hunter could easily see happiness in her gaze.

Chuckling quietly, the hunter quickly padded the wolf girl on the head, much to her pleasure as he turned his attention to Serika, who was still standing in the doorway to the clubroom, a noticeably aggrieved expression on her face.

Yet after a moment she abruptly crossed the clubroom threshold, shutting the door behind her with her foot before, making her way over to the opposite end of the clubroom and planting herself down in one of the many vacant seats, crossing her arms over her chest and irritated manner, turning her head so she didn't have to look at the Hunter.

Continuing to somewhat absent-mindedly pat Shiroko's head, the hunter felt slightly dejected by the blackhead cat girl's continued hostility to him, he still wasn't sure exactly why she seemingly had such a distaste for him. In fact, turning to look at Serika, who had quickly got out her phone and was tapping away at it, the hunter began to think that maybe there was something more to why she was so hostile towards him.

However, the hunter decided to put that to the back of his mind for the moment as he quickly removed his hand from Shiroko's head, speedily turning his attention to Ayane who herself after looking at Serika for a moment, clearly not pleased with her behaviour, let out a quiet displeased sigh before turning to look at the Hunter.

Yet before she could open her mouth to apologise for the behaviour of Serika, the hunter held up one hand, gently swaying his head as he spoke. "There is no need to make an apology, Ayane" The hunter accompanied his words by turning to briefly look at Serika one more time before he quickly shifted his attention away from her and sat himself down in one of the many empty chairs that surrounded the main clubroom table.

Quickly smiling at sensei, Ayane straightened her glasses as she turned her gaze to the clock that hung above the clubroom's double doors. 'It looks like Hoshino is going to be late again' Ayane accompanied this thought by letting out a noticeable groan.

While Hoshino never missed the day of class, in fact, her attendance records since her junior year had been almost flawless. It didn't change the fact that her upper classmen almost without question arrived late to early morning class.

"I would have liked Hoshino to be here, I suppose we're going to have to do this without her" letting out an audible sigh, Ayane quickly straightened her back as she walked to the front of the clubrooms table, motioning for both Nonomi and Shiroko who quickly took their seats at the table.

"We've already introduced ourselves to you, Sensei. So I won't bother with any personal introductions... We're the Abydos foreclosure task force" Ayane pause for a moment, accumulating her thoughts as she then continued speaking. Our mission, as the Foreclosure Task Force. Is to bring Abydos back to its former glory no matter the costs"

After letting the silence hang in the air for a moment, Nonomi quickly followed up what Ayane had to just said. "We're the only club in the school where every student is a member!... I mean, we're the only five students at this school, but still..."

The hunter raised an eyebrow, it was only now after hearing what Nonomi had just said that he realised, that during his relatively limited exposure to the school of Abydos. He had only seen five students, all of which he was already acquainted with.

"Why is that exactly" The hunter suddenly said, catching Nonomi completely off guard with his response.

Ayane and Nonomi both quickly looked at each other, the two of them slightly perplexed on how to answer his seemingly random question, however that's when it clicked for them, with what exactly what he was referring to. Yet before either one of them could speak, Shiroko quickly beat them to it.

"All of the other students either transferred or dropped out and left town..." Shiroko pointed grey ears noticeably drooped as she spoke, a slightly forlorn expression making itself at home on her usually blank face.

"I see, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for you to keep the school completely with just five students" The hunter said as he offered his sympathy, while he couldn't begin to fully understand the predicament they had found themselves in. he could at least sympathise with them.

Shiroko's slightly sad expression didn't leave her face as she let out a noticeably frustrated sigh.

"I don't blame all of the other students for leaving entirely, with the state that Abydos is in. if I was in their situation, I probably would have done the same..." Shiroko pause for a moment, the sad expression on her face quickly being replaced by a slightly angry one.

"But still, seeing just how far our school has fallen is embarrassing if I'm being entirely honest, and... It makes me angry" Shiroko finished her words by clenching her gloved hand tightly, the agitated looking of her eyes increasing momentarily before she suddenly closed them, letting out a sigh as she tried to calm herself.

Ayane looked at Shiroko, a noticeably concerned expression on her face as she watched just how angry her wolf eared friend had become. However, before she could say anything, the hunter quickly spoke instead.

"Your anger is understandable, Shiroko. Seeing something that you care deeply about suffer despite your best efforts is distressing to most" The hunter quickly stood up from his chair and moved over to Shiroko, placing a hand on her shoulder as he continued speaking. "Instead of letting those negative emotions affect your mind, you should harness those feelings in order to use them to fuel your determination and motivation" Giving her shoulder a quick squeeze, which made Shiroko look up at him with a slightly confused expression that quickly turned into a determined and happy one.

Yet before anyone could say anything, the sound of the clubrooms doors opening quickly caught all of their attention, making them all turn to look.

*Yawn* "Morning everyone" Standing in the doorway was none other than Hoshino, covering her mouth with one of her hands as she let out a big yawn, while the other was holding the Iron Horus by its carry strap, her shotgun was slang over her shoulder by the sling.

Ayane didn't say anything in response, crossing her arms as she turned to her upper classmate. Tapping her foot incessantly while gesturing to the clock above the door with a nod of her head.

Hoshino after finishing her yawn and stretching slightly, quickly crossed the threshold turning her head upwards to look at the clock as a look of mock shock quickly crossed her face.

"Uhe! Am I really that late?" Hoshino quickly accompanied her words by placing a hand over her mouth, pretending to be shocked at how late she was. Yet the tell-tale twitch at the corners of her lips indicated that she was trying hard not to laugh.

Not appreciating this, Ayane's frustrated expression quickly turned into a full on angry one as she tapped her foot against the floor even harder, to the point where it almost sounded like low calibre gunfire going off in the classroom.

Yet instead of chastising her classmate, eventually Ayane let out a noticeably exasperated sigh. She already knew that Hoshino would be late like she was every morning, but still it didn't change the fact that whenever she was, it made her incredibly frustrated especially considering that as a third year student Hoshino was supposed to set a good example for her as well as her classmates.

"Hoshino, please just sit down" Was all that Ayane said, quickly moving her glasses up as she pinched the bridge of her nose and frustration.

Hoshino for her part simply smirked as she quickly made her way over to the table, quickly placing the Iron Horus along with her shotgun in one of the many weapons racks dotted around the classroom, before setting herself down in one of the many empty chairs. Her eyes almost immediately closing as she rested her head on the desk, yet considering that her Halo didn't disappear meant that she wasn't actually asleep

"Now where was I... Oh! Yes! I wanted to say again, thank you sensei. If you hadn't come to help us, we would have been in real trouble this time around" Ayane quickly bowed, while it did feel a bit needless to thank him like this again, it didn't change the fact that she was extremely grateful, her and her friends would have been in serious trouble without him.

Hoshino quickly lifted her head up from the table, letting out a noticeably exaggerated yawn as she quickly spoke. "Ayane is right, if it wasn't for Sensei showing up when he did, then we would have really been up a creek without a paddle"

The hunter could feel Hoshino's slightly critical gaze land on him for just a moment, her dual coloured eyes holding both suspicion and concern. Yet, The Hunter decided that he wouldn't focus on Hoshino's distrust of him for the moment.

"Like I have already said, your thanks are welcome but unnecessary Ayane, if I did not look after all the students under my care then what kind of teacher would that make me?" the hunter accompanied his words by gesturing with his hand for Ayane to rise which after looking at him for just a moment she quickly did, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.

"Now then, why don't you all tell me what exactly is the issue that plagues your school" The hunter didn't expect an immediate reaction, which is exactly what happened as all of the students looked around at each other, clearly unsure how to proceed and answer his question.

Yet eventually Ayane step forward, a noticeable amount of hesitancy in her face as she opened her mouth to speak. "Well... You see Sensei... Our school is..."

Ayane didn't get a chance to finish, as Hoshino quickly spoke up, a look of realisation replacing her usual sleepy expression as she stood up from her chair.

"Before we get to that, Ayane, I have something I'd like to say!" Hoshino quickly walked over to where Ayane was standing, so that all the students and sensei could see her.

Clearing her throat, Hoshino began to speak. "While we beat the absolute snot out of the helmet gang yesterday, I don't think that that's going to be the last we see of them. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it's only a matter of time before they come back" Hoshino quickly finished her words by letting out a loud yawn, completely destroying any kind of serious mood she was going for.

The hunter didn't say anything immediately, simply choosing to rub his chin in deep thought. Hoshino was most definitely correct with her assertion, while they had dealt a serious blow to the gang, physically and mentally, the Hunter knew even before the battle had ended, that it wouldn't be the last time that he or the other students would see them.

"Hoshino is right, it's only a matter of time before they come back and cause more trouble" Shiroko said with a slightly displeased expression on her face, while she was more than happy to teach the Gang another lesson if they came back again. It didn't change the fact that there were more important things that she and her friends could be focusing on rather than dealing with a bunch of low life delinquents looking to cause trouble.

"Ha, let them come back, I'll be more than happy to I'll be more than happy to knock them into the dirt like last time!" Serika opened her mouth for the first time since entering the clubroom, the other students and the hunter turning to look at her as they saw the clearly angry expression on her face, her rifle already resting in her lap just waiting to be used.

"I'm with Serika on this one" Shiroko quickly retrieved her own rifle, holding it up and releasing the cocking mechanism which let out a satisfying click. "If they want to come and cause more trouble, then I will gladly teach them a lesson"

The hunter nodded in agreement with both girls, admiring both of their determination to protect their clearly daily beloved School. Although despite the fact that he was more than willing to help in the likely prospect of the gang coming back to attack again, it didn't change the fact that some kind of permanent solution needed to be thought of in regard to the gang.

"Instead of waiting for them to attack, we need to think of some way to drive the gang off so they don't attack again" The hunter said abruptly, catching all the students off guard as they all turned to look at him. While the idea of actually going on the offensive when it came to the helmet gang had been briefly considered many times in the past, it was something that none of them had put any real serious thought into, simply because they never had enough supplies at their disposal to justify such an operation outside of school grounds.

"Everyone!" Hoshino raised her voice slightly, just enough to get everyone's attention without resorting to outright shouting. And satisfied, that now everyone was looking at her, she continued.

"I have a plan" The hunter was slightly intrigued by her words, curious to hear what kind of plan she had come up with.

The rest of the students though had one singular reaction, complete and utter shock at the fact that Hoshino of all people had a plan, considering that she usually spent most of her time lounging around doing relatively little.

"What the...?! Hoshino came up with a plan?!" Serika was the first to react, genuine shock on her face because as long as she had known Hoshino, she had done basically nothing, choosing to simply lounge around all day.

Hoshino for her part simply let out a little laugh, a slightly embarrassed look on her face because even though she didn't like to openly admit it, she did spend a lot of her time during the day snoozing when there were lots of things that could have been done. Still, she made up for it when it came to being active at night however, but her classmates didn't need to know about that now.

"I'm surprised too!" Ayane felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, an almost relieved expression making its way onto her face at the fact that Hoshino after all the time that she had known her finally suggested something in the morning club meeting.

"Hey, I know I'm not the best, but those kinds of responses hurt my feelings, I do my part too, you know" Hoshino said with mock offence, putting on a deliberately exaggerated hurt expression on her face as well as pretending to cry. Her actions were enough to get a laugh out of Nonomi, and even a quiet chuckle out of the Hunter.

"Well? Come on, spill it before I turn old and grey" Serika accompanied her clearly irritated words by incessantly tapping her foot on under the table, crossing her arms over her chest as one of her cat ears twitched noticeably.

Hoshino waited for a moment, making certain that everyone was looking at her before speaking. "If history repeats itself, the helmet gang will attack again in a few days" Hoshino pause for a moment making sure everyone was following along with her before continuing. "So before then, why don't we go on the offensive for a change. They're probably sulking and vulnerable after that last fight"

Hoshino finished her words by quickly walking over to a weapons rack, and retrieving her Shield and shotgun. Racking the bolt on her beloved weapon to indicate that they should do it now as well as to chamber a fresh round

"Y-You mean right now?" Ayane said with a clearly shocked expression, while she wasn't necessarily against the idea, after all the delinquents wouldn't be expecting a counter-attack. She wasn't entirely sure about the feasibility of the proposal, especially considering that they only had a vague idea of where delinquents were actually based.

"Yeah, we should do it now. With all of the supplies that Sensei brought us, we will have more than enough to finish the job once and for all" Hoshino rested her shotgun over her shoulder, holding it by the butt stock as she looked around at her classmates.

Serika, Shiroko and Nonomi looked between each other for a few moments before all nodding in agreement, while revenge was certainly not a good thing to do, it didn't change the fact that they were all more than willing to hit back at the helmet gang and finally drive them off for good.

*Nn* "The helmet gang's base is only 30 kilometres away from here, we have plenty of time if we leave now" Shiroko said as she retrieved her own rifle, somewhat expressionless face taking on a very slight excited look. She was looking forward to teaching the delinquents another lesson and potentially driving them out of abydos for good.

Nonomi quickly retrieved her beloved mini gun from the table, the table noticeably flexing and creaking back into its original shape, as a result of its frame being liberated of the minigun's weight.

"I'm all for it as well. The last thing that those troublemakers are going to be expecting is for us to attack now" Nonomi accompanied her words with a small giggle, cradling her minigun and even gently stroking it as if it was her child.

Ayane looked at the rest of her classmates, a slightly dismayed expression on her face as she let out a noticeably exasperated sigh. Sometimes she felt like she was the only sane person in the entirety of the foreclosure task force.

On the one hand she wanted to say yes to the plan, simply because it would hopefully get the helmet gang out of their collective hair permanently, but the reason why she was so hesitant was because the plan could easily go sideways, especially if the helmet gang were expecting some kind of counter-attack.

Letting out another sigh, Ayane turn to The Hunter, wanting his opinion on the matter, after all his opinion mattered the most considering that he was the only adult present.

"What do you think, Sensei?" Ayane asked, her as well as the other students all waiting patiently for his answer.

the hunter didn't immediately respond, looking at Ayane for a moment before turning his gaze to look at the other students, all of them except for Serika, who simply turned her head while letting a quiet but noticeable annoyed huff.

But it didn't take him too long to come to his decision as he finally responded to Ayane, standing up from his seat, much of the confusion of the students as he spoke. "I think we should follow through with it Ayane, after all, the sooner we get these delinquents out of your girl's hair the quicker we can get down to the real problems that plague your school" The hunter couldn't help but smile when he saw the expressions the girls faces, the look of excitement that was shared between Nonomi, Shiroko and Hoshino certainly warmed his heart slightly.

"Great! If Sensei is giving us the green light, then let's hurry up and go" Hoshino said with noticeable excitement, the hunter finding it somewhat surprising by just how excited and seemingly energetic she was now.

The hunter smiled at Hoshino, while he's still wasn't exactly sure if he could be considered to be on friendly terms with her, it was actually a pleasant change to see her happy and excited for once, especially considering how she had been with him up until this point.

Shiroko quickly walked over to the Hunter, looking up at him with expecting excitement as she held her rifle close. "Sensei, let's strike while the iron is hot" She said, her eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.

The Hunter smiled at her, chuckling quietly is he quickly rubbed her head before turning to the other girls in the classroom, all of them with the exception of Ayane already having retrieved their weapon and reading them for the battle to come.

Ayane let out a quiet sigh, quickly retrieving her tablet from her school bag before turning to the rest of her classmates to speak.

"I'll go get the truck ready" Ayane said, as she put her tablet under one arm before turning on her heels and exiting the classroom.

The rest of the foreclosure task force quickly did the same, the hunter following along behind them as the girls excitedly made their way towards the clubroom's door.

"This is going to be a fun Field Trip!" Nonomi giggled excitedly as she exited the classroom.

Hoshino giving a thumbs up as she responded "Uhe, it's time for a field trip" the hunter chuckled as Hoshino lifted one of her arms up into the air, exiting the classroom as he followed behind, making sure to close the classroom door behind him and the girls made their way towards the Abydos School carpool.

…...............................​

"Ok everyone, we're here" Ayane said, giving one last look at her tablet to confirm that these were the right coordinates. As she switched off the car's engine.

"Uhe, I was just beginning to get comfy" Hoshino accompanied her words by letting out a yawn, as her and everyone quickly exited the truck. The scorching sun quickly beginning to beat down on all of them, yet none of her classmates complained because they were mostly used to it, and the hunter wasn't really affected by the heat at all

"How the hell can you get comfy in that thing, Hoshino? I feel like I have back problems after sitting in those chairs for so long" Serika complained, stretching her arms over her head trying to relieve the stress that was now present in her spine.

"I don't think the chairs in the truck are that bad" Nonomi responded to Serika, as she adjusted the minigun which was strapped over her shoulder. The hunter, despite having grown accustomed to the strange things that students could do, still couldn't quite understand how she was able to so freely heft around such a colossal weapon as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Serika quickly turned to Nonomi, a blank expression on her face as she finished stretching her arms. "That's easy for you to say Nonomi, you got to sit in the front seat, which if I remember correctly you replaced entirely by buying a brand new one with extra padding"

Nonomi didn't immediately respond, a slightly thoughtful look crossing her face before she suddenly let out a slightly guilty-looking smile.

"Well... I did offer to buy everyone else a custom seat as well" Nonomi said trying to defend herself, letting out a slightly nervous sounding chuckle, which didn't seem to have the desired effect as Serika continued to look at her with a clearly unimpressed gaze.

"Yeah, and remember what we told you at the time?" Serika adjusted the rifle slung over her shoulder as she crossed her arms over her chest, a very agitated and disapproving look crossing her face.

Nonomi intermediately respond, tilting her head up a little bit and placing a finger on the side of her jaw, trying to remember exactly what she was told before it occurred to her. "That I shouldn't flash my money around willy-nilly" The Sandy head girl said.

Ayane hearing the entire conversation unfold behind her let out a noticeably frustrated sounding sigh, it was only now that she remembered why that she and her friends really ever went out together.

Hoshino for her part simply laughed loudly, finding the entire interaction between Nonomi and Serika quite funny, it also warmed her heart slightly to see her classmates actually acting like they should. Because while the problems with their school were many and severe, it was the little moments like this where she could forget about all of that for just a moment, that she cherished.

The Hunter trailed behind the group of students, chuckling quietly to himself as he watched their antics. It was both refreshing and pleasing to see them acting like actual girls of their age instead of having to worry about existential threats to their school.

Yet, as the Hunter and the group of girls continued towards their destination on foot, something suddenly occurred to him that he had not considered up until now. Something that was so blindingly obvious that it made him stop in his tracks for a moment, a completely stupefied look making itself apparent on his face.

"If I am the only teacher... Then where exactly are then where exactly are the rest of the adults" The hunter said quietly to himself, a look of deep thoughtfulness quickly replacing the dumbfounded expression on his face. While he had seen adults in the form of animal human hybrids, one important thing he had not seen during his time in the strange lands was human looking adults like himself.

However, before he could contemplate this fourth any further, he suddenly heard somebody approaching him.

*Nn* "Sensei, are you ok?" The hunter quickly looked at the source of the voice, seeing that it was none other than Shiroko, her usually blank face filled with palpable concern and confusion because of why he had stopped suddenly.

The hunter looked at her for a moment before turning his gaze upwards. The other girls a short distance away from him all looked at him, some with looks of concern and others confused at why he had stopped abruptly.

"Yes Shiroko, I'm... fine" The hunter could easily see be slightly unconvinced glint in her eyes, but eventually she nodded her head accepting his response as she gestured to him to continue walking with her which he did as both him and Shiroko rejoined the group.

And after a short amount of time, the group of five students and one teacher finally made it to their destination, which was a nondescript looking large Warehouse building, which judging from it's battered exterior clearly had seen much better days.

In fact as the hunter looked up at the quite imposing structure he couldn't help but wonder how such a decrepit old building was even still standing, and more importantly why the delinquents would have chosen this place amongst all the other abandoned buildings in the district to make their temporary home.

"Man, this place looks like a dump" Serika said with a noticeable displeased tone in her voice, in its time the building probably wasn't much to look at considering it was a warehouse located in a formerly Industrial District. But still, the years had definitely not been kind to it, resulting in the absolute ramshackle and unkempt appearance it had now.

*Nn* Shiroko let out a quiet sound as she nodded in agreement with Serika. While she didn't want to admit it openly, looking at the absolute squalid building that the helmet gang was using as their hideout, made her feel just a little bit sorry for them. Because she honestly wouldn't have wished for anyone, even her enemies, to live in such conditions.

"It certainly isn't much to look at, but I suppose when you're bullying an academy that's on its last legs you can't really be picky now can you" Hoshino said as she quickly retrieved her shotgun from her shoulder, making sure that the Iron horse was ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.

"Well said Hoshino" The Hunter said as he took the lead, the students falling into lockstep behind him as he cautiously approached the side of the building.

Now much closer to the decaying building, the hunter could immediately see multiple places of entry that could be exploited, although despite initially considered entering through the back of the building and catching the delinquents off guard.

The hunter ultimately decided on a different strategy, one that would take advantage of the element of surprise in a different way. As such with his mind made up the hunter motion for all the girls together around him which they did in short order. Even Serika did so, although the hunter suspected it was most likely her just going along with her classmates rather than her actually trusting his word.

"Now everyone listen closely, as far as we are aware the helmet gang does not know we are coming, that means we have the element of surprise on our side" The hunter paused for a moment allowing the girls to follow on with him as he quickly began to draw a crude diagram in the sand. "As such I propose that we assault them head on, we will smash through the main doors of this storehouse and incapacitate them" Finishing drawing his diagram, the hunter looked up, seeing all of the students looking at him with variations of confusion and concern on their faces.

"Going through the front could work, it would certainly catch them by surprise, but it would also be very dangerous" Hoshino replied with a thoughtful look on her face as she actually considered the hunter's idea. While she was incredibly distrustful of him because of him being an adult. She had to admit that despite how risky it was, it was certainly an idea that she can get on board with.

"Sensei, are you sure that's a good idea?" Ayane was the first to speak up, looking at the hunter with a clearly questioning look in her eyes. While she didn't like the idea of doubting him considering how much he had helped so far, his plan to simply go through the front door in lack of better term just didn't feel right to her.

"Yeah what gives!? Just walking in through the front door is a one-way ticket to getting our asses kicked!" Serika exclaimed with an angry expression on her face, pointing an accusatory finger up the hunter as if he was some kind of villain.

The hunter for his part try to respond but quickly found his words silenced by Ayane who spoke before he did.

"Sensei, don't you think it would be a better idea to go through some kind of back entrance and catch them by surprise?" Ayane pause for a moment, nervously looking at the ground because she didn't want to offend him by questioning his idea. "Plus it would probably be safer as well" She said quiet, looking between her feet and the good Hunter who finally seeing his chance responded to her and the other students enquiries.

"While I can understand all of your hesitancy, this plan will be the quickest path to succeeding and driving the delinquents off permanently" The hunter stopped for a moment, collecting his words for a moment before continuing. "The helmet gang is currently licking their wounds, I chose this course of action specifically because I do not believe they will put out much of a fight... plus I also believe all of you will win, you show me through your actions that your determination to save your school will not be swayed by any obstacle in front of you"

His words seemingly had the desired effect, as all of the students with the exception of Serika and Hoshino looked between each other for a moment before suddenly nodding an agreement, looks of determination making its way onto their faces as they collectively ready their weapons.

Hoshino and Serika's reactions were a bit different. Hoshino simply nodded her head, a somewhat excited smile making its way onto her features as she quickly readied her shotgun.

Serika on the other hand didn't look convinced by his words in the slightest, looking around at her classmate with a look of bewilderment on her face, clearly not understanding why they were so willing to go along with his plan, which to her sounded incredibly dangerous.

But eventually, after letting out a slight growling noise, Serika somewhat hesitantly readied her own rifle, because while she didn't trust the hunter's plan, it didn't mean that she was going to abandon her friends, especially when she had something to prove.

Satisfied that all of the students were on board with his plan, the hunter quickly stood up to his full height, motioning for the students to follow behind him, which they all began to do so as the group discreetly made their way towards the main entrance of the warehouse. Being careful to make as little noises possible as they approach the corner of the building, just in case any guards were present outside the main entrance.

However, after urging everyone to stop and looking around the corner, the hunter confirmed that there were no guards to speak of, which he expected. After all, as far as the helmet gang was aware, their base camp location was not known to the abydos students, so it wouldn't have made any sense to have guards.

The hunter quickly emerged from the corner of the building, motioning for the students to follow with him as they all quickly came to the large and imposing shutter doors of the warehouse.

"Alright girls, I want all of you to take your positions" The hunter quickly pointed to the positions he wanted as he continued speaking. "Nonomi, Hoshino, I want you two to take the left flank. Serika and Shiroko both of you will take the right flank" The four students silently nodded, quickly but discreetly making their way to the opposite sides of the large doors as they waited for the Hunter's word.

Ayane was the only one left standing next to the Hunter as she opened her mouth to speak. "Sensei, what about me?" Concerned expression on her face. While she was not afraid to get her hands dirty, it didn't change the fact that she didn't think she'd be as much use in a firefight with just her pistol.

Turning to look at the glasses wearing student, the hunter mulled it over for a moment, before opening his mouth to respond to her. "I want you to find a nice secluded spot, Ayane, and provide as much support as possible with your little flying machines. There are several holes in the roof of the building that I think you could utilise"

Ayane looked at the hunter in surprise for a moment before quickly nodding her head, while she did feel a bit bad for not being on the front lines of her friends. She knew that her skill set was not suited for frontline combat but supporting her allies from the backline.

Giving the hunter one last look, Ayane quickly took off in a full run, deciding that heading back to the truck that she had driven here, would be the best place for her to provide support.

Watching the girl disappear from sight, the hunter turned his attention back to the large doors in front of him. He had several ideas on how to break them open, but he wasn't exactly sure on which one will be the most effective.

Cautiously approaching the doors, the hunter did briefly consider using a Molotov cocktail in conjunction with an oil pot. He had learnt the hard way just how explosive a combination like that could be, but putting his hand on the door and giving it a light but experimental push. It suddenly occurred to him what exactly he could use to break these doors down.

"It's been some time, since I've used that particular weapon" The hunter said quietly to himself as he let out a chuckle, quickly reaching into his overcoat as something materialised on his arm, that immediately made all of the students take notice.

the device was cumbersome and huge, yet it strangely had an Elegance and beauty to it that suggested whoever made it put a lot of love and care into crafting it. The majority of the device's construction was taken up by a large cylinder with what appeared to be vents running down the side, on top was a strange handle that was connected to what looked like a piston.

However, what caught everyone's attention the most was the large silver javelin like blade that protruded out of the front of the device, its shaft was connected to the handle which by extension connected to the large piston, out of the back of the strange device protruded a large rod, one that was obviously connected to the javelin like blade.

The blade itself was paradoxically wicked and deadly looking, but also covered in a matrix of intricate and complex engravings that gave the strange device now presumably a weapon a almost saintly like air to it.

"What the hell... is that" Serika was the first to speak up, the device that was attached to the hunter's arm was completely alien to her. In fact, the only thing that she could really equate it to was some kind of very ornate-looking piece of construction equipment.

The rest of the abydos students all shared in Serika's confusion, the longer they all looked at the strange device that the sensei had just produced out of thin air, the more they couldn't make heads or tails of what exactly it was.

At first, they thought it might have been some kind of weapon, considering the large javelin like blade that protruded out of its front. But that conclusion was quickly called into question by the overall construction of the thing and how cumbersome it looked attached to the hunter's arm.

"Sensei, what is that?" Nonomi asked curiously, she much like her fellow classmates couldn't really make heads or tails of what exactly the object was that the hunter had just produced. It was strange and unknown for her, but it also made her incredibly curious about its true Nature.

The hunter didn't immediately answer, continue to look at the weapon attached to his arm with an almost fond expression, while the weapon was not one that he personally utilised that much considering he preferred much more dexterous weapons. Looking at it reminded him of its original user, a certain old Ashton Grey Hunter, one that he had grown to see as a comrade and a friend during his time on the hunt.

"You didn't deserve your fate Djura, I can only hope that your eternal rest is forever peaceful" The hunter said quietly to himself, the expression on his face turning into a noticeably sad one. If there was ever a hunter that didn't deserve the fate that all Hunters were destined for, then it was Djura. Someone so kind and selfless that he should have lived a long and fulfilled life, but the hunter knew that the world was rarely ever so kind.

"Hey old geezer, are you just going to keep ignoring us!?" The hunter was pulled from his thoughts by the voice, tearing his gaze away from the weapon strapped to his arm and looking at whoever had spoken to him.

Serika was looking at him with a clearly unimpressed expression, her eyes holding nothing but contentment and frustration that was entirely directed towards the Hunter.

Quickly clearing his throat, the hunter quickly banished the thoughts of his fallen companion from his mind as he quickly opened his mouth to speak."Well, my dears, this device is just what we need for breaking down this door. Now all of you stand back and cover your ears, this is going to be quite loud and explosive"

The hunter could feel all of the abydos students looking at him with clear confusion. Noting understanding in the slightest how exactly the strange device that the hunter had procured, was going to get them inside the warehouse. But nonetheless they did as instructed, covering their ears the best they could while still holding their weapons in their hands.

Looking at the students to make sure they had followed his word, the hunter quickly with one swift motion pulled his arm back, which was accompanied by a loud mechanical noise as the large javelin like blade attached to the device quickly retracted further into it, the large spring which was coiled around the end of the spear, jutting out the back of the device was compressed, streaming under the tension as what seemed to be steam quickly shot out of the strange device's vents.

Holding this pose, the hunter remembered his first time actually using this weapon, it was when he had first met and befriended Djura, who had been so kind as to show him exactly how the steak driver worked.

'Prepare yourself young lad, this girl has some kicked to her' The words filled his ears as the hunter prepared himself, however just when he was about to release the safety catch. Something quickly wormed its way into his ears, voices that only he could hear with his superhuman hearing.

"Hey, Ume, have you heard from Tomo yet?"

The hunter held his position, his body was so still and rigid that he almost resembled a statue, he could feel the gazes of his students on him, clearly confused at why he had suddenly stopped, but he momentarily paid that no attention as he continued to listen, his curiosity piqued.

"No I haven't, I'm starting to get worried about her, you know"

His eyes narrowing slightly, the hunter continued to listen, straining his inhuman hearing so he could understand more of the conversation.

"I'm sure she's fine, you know what she's like, always running off and doing her own thing"

"Sumi, it's been over a week! Even when she disappears for a couple of days, she usually keeps in touch"

"For Christ sakes! Ume for the last time she'll be fine, she's probably off robbing some shopfronts or something. And besides I highly doubt she's in any trouble, considering that everything around us for miles is a deserted dump"

The hunter continued to listen, a stern look making its way onto his face as the voices continued to speak. Even though he could not see them physically, he could feel the worry and panic radiating from the individual he presumed was Ume. Clearly, whoever this Tomo was, they were of great importance to Ume, to the extent where she was incredibly worried about their safety.

"Hey sensei, what gives!? I thought we were going-" The hunter quickly held up his other hand, silencing Serika and preventing her from continuing as he continued to listen intently. While her speaking wouldn't have drowned out the voices considering his unnatural hearing, his concentration would have been broken if she continued to speak.

"Tomo wouldn't have gone so long without calling, something must have happened to her for crying out loud!"

"Oh my god, Ume! All you talk about is Tomo this and Tomo that! For the last time, she's probably fine! You need to stop worrying so much dammit"

That was a pause between the voices, frustration clearly evident in the air between them as the hunter continued to listen intently.

"Well, excuse me for giving a shit about my sister!"

"Ha, sound more like to me that you have some kind of obsession with her, maybe you might even be a siscon~"

The voices quickly devolved into an argument that the Hunter by this point stopped listening to the look on his face, an almost unreadable expression. The mentioning of a lost sister stir something deep within him, bringing back very unpleasant memories that he would have liked to have forgotten about, but never seemed truly leave him.

"Never again... I will never repeat that mistake again" The hunter spoke quietly under his breath, the voices of his students calling to him, before flipping the safety catch on the stake driver and throwing his arm forwards. The Javelin like spear of the stake driver smashing into the door before exploding forwards in a quick, almost imperceptible motion, the force and sheer power completely shattering the large warehouse doors as if they were made of nothing but paper.

KABOOOMMM

All of the abydos students instinctively covered the ears, most of them also closing their eyes as they almost by Instinct shielded themselves from the almighty explosion. However, after the boom noise washed over them, they all collectively open their eyes, only to have a nearly fall out of their sockets when they saw the devastation that had just been unleashed.

The hunter stood in the now gaping doorway, the stake driver letting out a consistent stream of smoke as the weapon cooled down from its sudden use. Quickly shaking his arm, the hunter readjusted his footing, a slight and momentary ache emanating from his shoulder, as a result of the tremendous recoil from the stake driver.

"S-sensei... W-What the hell was that!?" Hoshino was the first to speak, shocked and confused as she looked at the large device attached to his arm that emitted smoke and steam like a man portable steam power jackhammer.

Yet the hunter didn't answer her question, instead pointing his free arm forward quickly shouted at the top of his lungs. The delinquents on the other side of the now vacant door frame, completely and utterly surprised by what had happened, with most of them completely unprepared for what was about to come.

"Alright my dears! Advance and obliterate them before those delinquents can recover!"

The Abydos students looked at him for a moment, still confused. But ultimately complying with his word as they quickly jumped into action, all four of them quickly running into the building and proceeding to gun down any delinquents they could find.

"W-what the hell!?"

"It's those abydos brats!"

"How the hell did they find us!?"

Multiple delinquent voices could be heard shouting these words, as the abydos to students descended upon them. Catching them completely unaware as they began to gun them down without mercy.

The hunter decided that he would not get involved returning the Stake driver to the inside of his overcoat, as he silently observed from the open doorway. While making sure that no delinquents would try to escape before their punishment had been served.

However as he continued to watch his students battle the very unprepared delinquents, his eyes quickly fell onto two delinquents in particular who had taken up a position behind several big crates, using it as cover as they began to try and fight back against the students that had invaded their hideout.

Even though he had not seen their faces and only heard their voices, the hunter through his inhuman perception was able to immediately know that they were the ones he had heard speaking behind the door before he had blasted it open.

As such, without a single worry for his own personal safety, the hunter quickly moved from the open doorway of the warehouse. Advancing his way towards the hunkered down delinquents, as bullets of all sizes and descriptions flew in all directions.

Yet by either luck or some kind of supernatural force, none of the dangerous projectiles in the air hit him, all of them completely missing him as he finally stopped in front of the crates that the two delinquents were using to improvise cover.

"Dammit! How did they find us!?" Said the delinquent that the hunter could presume was Sumi, she was in the middle of reloading her weapon while a particularly frightened looking delinquent next to her coward in fear next to her, a simple rudimentary pistol in her hands.

"How should I know, I thought that they didn't know where we were" the delinquent with the pistol said with a nervous sound to her voice. The hunter could safely assume that this was Ume, the person responsible for gaining his interest.

Taking a moment to clear his throat, the hunter finally made himself known, making both delinquents jump in the process. "I'm afraid, my young ones, that your hideout was not as unknown as you would have assumed" The hunter said as both girls quickly jumped up from their hiding spot.

They either by instinct or surprise pointed both of their weapons at him, yet the hunter wasn't intimidated by this in the slightest. Idling noting that Sumi's weapon was a very unusual one, specifically because it was a large bore double barrel shotgun with exposed hammers. A weapon that was very out of place and would have looked more at home in the streets of yharnam rather than being used by any student, delinquent or otherwise in Kivotos.

Both delinquents didn't say anything for a moment, fear clearly written across their faces as they still continue to point their weapons at the hunter. While they had not been present at the Battle yesterday, considering they had been tasked with guarding the hideout, they had certainly heard from the returning and beaten gang members about how they had had their butts kicked by the abydos students and a mysterious halo lacking adult.

With a slightly strange atmosphere hanging in the air, the hunter quickly made a step forward, only to have both delinquents motion for him to stop with their weapons. Narrowing his eyes the hunter could see their fingers beginning to itch towards their respective weapons triggers, as such he decided that before anything rash could happen he would do something to disarm the situation both physically and metaphorically.

In a burst of Speed that was inhuman, the hunter quickly closed the distance, catching both delinquents off guard as he scooped up their weapons, clutching both the pistol and shotgun in one hand, before quickly returned to the spot he had been standing on a second ago.

Both delinquents immediately fell onto their behinds, shock and fear making itself known on their faces as from their perspective, it looked as if the hunter had not even moved, the weapons appearing in his hand as if by some magic.

However, before the hunter could say what he wanted to ask, he felt a presence appear behind him, which was quickly accompanied by a familiar voice.

*Nn* "Sensei, we're all done" The hunter turned his attention away from the delinquents for a moment, seeing none other than Shiroko. Her facial expression a blank one like usual yet in her eyes whilst a look of satisfaction that the hunter found somewhat adorable but also disconcerting considering how that satisfaction was brought about.

"Very good Shiroko, why don't you go and look around for any useful supplies we can bring back with us while I have a talk with these two" The hunter turned his attention back to the delinquents in front of him who were now looking around at each of the incapacitated gang members completely and utterly surprised.

In truth, despite not showing it, he was also a bit surprised by how quickly the battle had ended, but he supposed that since they had caught the gang off guard they couldn't really put up much of a fight before they were all rendered unconscious.

Shiroko quickly nodded her head, but before she moved away she looked at the two delinquents, a somewhat vicious glint manifesting in her eyes as she brought up her rifle.

"Would you like me to... help you with them, sensei?" Shiroko said with a slightly aggressive sounding tone, which was not directed at the hunter himself but instead the two delinquents who after seeing they were the last ones standing now had very frightened expressions on their faces.

Sharing a glance between the delinquent and the clear vengeance seeking Shiroko, the hunter quickly shook his head, a disappointed expression making its way onto the wolf girl's face as she lowered her rifle.

Not needing her help was the main reason why he had turned her down, but it was also to save the two remaining delinquents a world of pain that the hunter was very sure Shiroko would inflict without mercy.

"Now then Shiroko, would you please leave us alone for a moment, I have much I would like to discuss with these two" The hunter spoke as he turned back to the two delinquents, he could sense Shiroko turn away from him yet quickly turn back and open her mouth to speak.

Yet instead of turning around to address her, the hunter simply held up his other hand, indicating he would not reconsider what he said as such, after a moment the wolf girl quickly moved away, returning to her friends as they scavenger any useful in the warehouse.

After waiting for a moment to make sure that Shiroko was out of earshot, The Hunter took several steps forward, pushing aside the large crates that blocked his path, which only helped to make the two delinquents which were now holding each other, look even more fearful as he came to stop less than an arm's length in front of them.

"Now you two, there is something that came to my attention that I would like to discuss with you" The Hunter said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. Yet despite his best efforts, it seemed to do very little as both delinquents continue to squirm in fear in front of him.

Deciding on a different approach the hunter quickly knelt down in front of them, hoping that decreasing his quite menacing height would help to alleviate their fear somewhat, which thankfully it managed to do somewhat as despite both delinquents still holding on to each other for dear life, they did noticeably calm at least a tiny amount.

"Before I and my compatriots made our... explosive entrance, something came to my attention, something involving a missing acquaintance of yours" The Hunter gestured at the individual he presumed was Ume, looks of confusion easily visible behind the visors of their bike helmets.

However, after quickly sharing a glance between each other the confusion was replaced by new and renewed fear, both of them now looking positively petrified. Because from their perspective, it was almost as if he had read their minds.

Yet, after a moment of hesitancy, Ume suddenly separated from her companion and fellow delinquent, a slightly desperate look in her eyes are she quickly spoke.

"D-do you know anything about T-Tomo!?" Ume asked with a slight nervous tremble in her voice, while she was still frightened of the Hunter, the prospect of him knowing anything about her sister and where she had gone completely outweighed her sense of danger.

Yet before the hunter could respond, the other delinquent, Sumi, quickly came to the side of her friend, the fear not leaving her eyes as she pointed in an accusing finger at the hunter.

"H-How the hell did you know what we were talking about!? Are you some kind of S-S-stalker or something?" The hunter could tell that Sumi immediately second-guessed her choice of words, as she mistakenly interpreted the confused the look on his face as one of annoyance or anger.

The hunter didn't dignify her words with a response, simply letting out a rather frustrated sigh which only served to make the delinquents even more afraid as he straightened himself quickly rising to his full height once again, as he decided to speak plainly.

"Unfortunately I do not know anything about your sister Ume" The hunter said, the slightly hopeful look in her eyes which was mostly hidden by her own fear of him, quickly dying away, but before the hopelessness could fully take root within her the hunter continued speaking.

"However, even though I know nothing about your sister and her potential whereabouts, I would like to locate her for you" The hunter's words elicited different reactions from both Ume and Sumi.

Ume eyes immediately lit up with confusion which quickly change into an almost joyous look, however there was a small hint of suspicion, which the hunter could fully understand.

Sumi's reaction was varsity different, a look of deep suspicion and distrust making itself known in her eyes as she scrutinised the hunter, still afraid of him but also now suspicious of why exactly he was willing to help them after he and his students had beaten them not once but twice.

"Why the hell should we trust you?" Sumi said abruptly, still pointing a finger at the hunter, the fearful and distrusting look never leaving her face as she stared at him. While he was a bit disappointed by the reaction, he could certainly understand it, considering that from her point of view it made little sense that he wanted to help them after beating her gang twice.

Letting out a breath, the hunter responded to Sumi. "The reason for me wanting to help, is because despite the fact that you too are delinquents and very troublesome ones at that" pausing for a moment to collect his words the hunter idling notice that both students bodies went rigid as if they were expecting some kind of punishment.

"My duty as both an adult and a teacher is to help all students under my care regardless of who they are or their past" the hunter didn't need to fake the genuineness in his voice, offering a hand of both metaphorical and literal peace to both delinquents.

He truly did want to help them both because it was his duty to, and because he didn't want to repeat of his past, where he failed because of his own inaction.

Ume looked somewhat drawn in by his words, the hopeful sparkle in her eyes growing by the second. However, Sumi didn't look convinced at all, a cynical and distrusting flicker making itself known in her eyes as she quickly got in front of Ume much to her and the hunter's surprise.

"Do you think we're stupid or something!? Even elementary schooners know not to trust an adult! Because adults only care about themselves!" Sumi screamed aggressively, fear still present in her eyes. Yet there was also now a deep-seated desire to keep her friend safe no matter the cost.

The hunter was taken completely aback by this, his face taking on a noticeably surprised look as Sumi words bounced around inside his mind. He had initially assumed that Serika and more importantly Hoshino's distrust of him was limited to them, however with what Sumi just said, it was now apparent that distrust of adults like him was something far more common than he originally suspected.

"That's something I need to look into later" The hunter said quietly to himself, while the distrust of adults was seemingly more common amongst the students than he thought did concern him, it could wait until later considering that it wasn't his primary focus right now.

As such, he quickly put that to the back of his mind as he quickly knelt down once again, putting a calm and gentle smile on his face as he extended his free hand towards both delinquents but primarily Ume who was still being shielded by Sumi.

"Ume... do you love your sister?" The hunter asked, his question having an immediate reaction as Ume quickly pushed her way past Sumi, the helmeted Gang member quickly removing her helmet, revealing a head of scarlet red hair, cut in a short bowl cut.

Looking into her deep aquamarine blue eyes, the hunter could already see the answer to his question, as the now helmetless girl quickly spoke. "Y-yes I do! She's my everything, I don't know what I would do without her!" her voice trembled, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes.

Despite managing to keep his calm and gentle smile internally, the hunter felt his heart break for the young girl, her words and action reminded him too much of Father Gascoigne daughters, to the point where it was almost eerie, but that wouldn't stop him from help.

Quickly reaching into his overcoat, the hunter could feel the eyes of the abydos students now resting upon him as he quickly reached out and began to wipe away the tears from Ume's eyes with a silk handkerchief. Both her and Sumi being incredibly surprised by the gesture, yet the red-headed girl did not try to stop the hunter as he finished wiping away her tears.

"A young girl such as yourself should not cry Ume, I will do everything in my power to find your sister and bring her back safe. I promise not just as a teacher but as a hunter" The hunter said as he motioned for the girl to hold out her hand which after a moment of confusion she nervously did, the Hunter depositing into our hands, the handkerchief he had just used to dry her tears.

Ume looked at it confused for a moment before looking back of the hunter, even though she did not speak her gaze conveyed confusion about if she was allowed to keep this.

The hunter for his part simply nodded, the smile never leaving his lips as he quickly got back to his feet, however as she did so Sumi quickly got in front of Ume once again, the cynical and distrustful looking of her eyes still present as she again pointed a finger at the hunter.

"What exactly is your game, huh? What do you want from us!?" She said with a noticeably spiteful tone, the fear still presents in her eyes, yet now it was overpowered by both a will to protect her friend and deep suspicion directed at The Hunter.

"I don't want anything in return, Young Sumi" Was all about the hunter said in response, the delinquents body language conveying surprised at the fact that he somehow knew her name, when she was positive that she never actually said it out loud to him.

"I... Don't believe you" Sumi said with a noticeable amount of disbelief in her voice, nervously gulping down some air before continuing." Adults never do anything without wanting something in return, so what is your game!" She said with a bit more intensity to her voice.

The hunter didn't immediately respond, not quite knowing how to, it both saddened and concerned him just how distrusting of adults Sumi truly was. Even when one like himself was offering to help with no expectations of any reward, she simply couldn't believe it, are that only served to make the hunter think just how many negative experiences she had had in the past with adults who had taken advantage of her.

However, before the hunter could open his mouth to respond, Ume quickly came to his defence, managing to push past her friend and then turning around to address her.

"Sumi, I think he's being honest" Ume managed to say, there was a small amount of doubt in her eyes, yet ultimately it was overpowered by the prospect of the hunter possibly being able to find her sister.

Sumi didn't look convinced in the slightest, quickly tearing her helmet off from her head revealing a long flowing waterfall of platinum-colored hair and dark red eyes, yet what caught the hunter's attention the most was a large and horrific looking scar that run down be right side of her face.

'That looks like some kind of burn mark' the hunter idling noted to himself, his gaze turning somewhat sorrowful, the prospect of a young girl such as herself already having a scar like that truly made his heart ache.

"Look up my bloody face Ume! This is what happened the last time I trusted an adult! I don't want the same thing to happen to you as well!" Sumi cried loudly, tears born of frustration and sadness beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. Despite the fact that she teased Ume to no end, it didn't change the fact that she was her closest friend, and she would do anything to protect her.

Ume looked at her friend, somewhat shocked by the sudden action of her removing her helmet and referencing her scar. Sumi had always been very self-conscious about her scar, to the point where she never actually revealed how she got it. but to find out that it was the result of an adult of all things truly broke Ume's heart, and also really put into perspective why her friend distrusted adults so much.

Yet turning back to the hunter who simply looked on with a somewhat sad and expression, Ume felt like she had no other choice but to trust him. Despite the fact that she knew not to trust adults so quickly, something about him stirred something deep within her, making it feel like she could trust him even though her brain was telling her that it probably wasn't a good idea to do so.

"Please... Whatever it takes... just find my sister" Ume said after a moment of silence. Even if this mysterious adult wasn't trustworthy like her heart deep down was telling her he was, she was more than willing to take the risk if it meant finding her sister.

The hunter for his part simply smiled, nodding his head as he gently placed both delinquents weapons on the ground, before reaching into his pocket and retrieving something unexpected.

"I believe you will be in need of this, my dears" The hunter said as he quickly retrieved a small ward of paper notes. Both Ume and Sumi immediately recognised what it was as the hunter quickly deposited the money on the ground next to both of their weapons, both delinquents looked at him confused, not understanding what could have willingly possessed him to give them some of his own money.

Seeing their confused faces, the hunter let out a quiet chuckle as he quickly spoke. "That money is for you to find some kind of transport, while it would be unwise to take both of you with us" The hunter paused for a moment looking over his shoulder at the gathered abydos students who all were watching the scene with various expressions.

"It would be unbecoming of me to simply abandon you two in the middle of this wasteland" The hunter finished his words by quickly turning on his heels, waving a hand over his shoulder as he began to walk towards the abydos students who were still watching the scene.

Ume after a moment of looking at the money with confusion and surprised, quickly looked at the hunter before opening her mouth to speak, having to raise her voice slightly so it would carry across the warehouse.

"T-thank you... S-sensei"

The hunter stopped mid-step, a slightly surprised look making itself known on his face before it was replaced by a smile as he quickly resumed his even pace. Despite the fact that the title was still a relatively new one to him, and one that he wasn't entirely sure he would get used to, it genuinely warmed his heart to hear her call him that.

"Now then everyone" The hunter turned his attention to the abydos students, motioning for all of them to follow him as he exited the gaping warehouse door. "I believe it's time we head back to the school, and celebrate our victory"

The hunter immediately noticed all of the students look between each other, clearly somewhat confused, and a bit weirded out by his interaction with the two delinquents. However, after a moment none other than Serika a quickly spoke, a slightly aggravated and suspicious expression on their face.

"Hey old geezer, whose side are you supposed to be on exactly? The cat girl asked with a clearly accusatory tone. The suspicion and distrust in her gaze clearly evident as the hunter stop and turn to look at her and by extensions of students.

Yet before he could open his mouth to speak, someone else answered in his place." Serika brings up a good point... why exactly did you help them, sensei?" Shiroko asked with a clearly confused tone, unlike her black headed classmate her eyes did not hold distrust or suspicion, instead it was more just puzzlement and maybe even a slight amount of hurt.

"Well Shiroko, the reason I helped them was because it was the right thing to do, plus despite the fact that they are delinquents, I am still responsible for them as their teacher just like I am responsible for you 5" The hunter said straightforwardly, while there was a little bit more to the reason why he helped them that he wasn't going to reveal.

His words however were true and honest because even though the delinquents were troublemakers of the highest degree. It didn't change the fact that as a teacher, he was the one that was responsible for them, and needed to better them.

Shiroko didn't immediately respond to his words, her usually expressionless face taking on a slightly unreadable expression. Yet looking into her eyes, the hunter could see the gears of her mind turning furiously, before ultimately she nodded her head.

"I guess that makes sense sensei, still even if it was the right thing to do, delinquents like them still don't deserve any mercy in my opinion" Shiroko said with a completely flat tone, yet to The Hunter could see the slight bitterness that was hidden behind her eyes.

Letting out a breath, the hunter quickly noticed that there were several boxes of various descriptions scattered around. He wasn't sure what resided within, most of them, But safely assumed that they had liberated from the gang's hideout.

"I suppose it's not stealing if it was already stolen to begin with" the hunters said softly under his breath. Before then quickly let out a loud chuckle, the students being confused by why he was laughing before he quickly got a hold of himself.

"Now then, why don't we make our move, the sun is beginning to hang low so we should return to the school as quickly as possible" The hunter said as he quickly picked up two boxes, stacking them on top of each other so he could carry a more efficiently.

The rest of the students, after a moment of inaction, quickly followed suit, all of them speaking together as one, as they began to make their way back towards the truck.

"OK Sensei"

…...............................​

"Man *yawn,* What a day" A voice accompanied by a yawn echoed off the sand covered deserted buildings. It's owner, a certain pink headed girl wielding both a shield and shotgun, bringing a hand up to her mouth to try and suppress another yawn.

Hoshino despite being used to pulling all-nighters like this, couldn't help but feel incredibly drained already, the day before had been an incredibly eventful one, considering that she and her friends, along with a little bit of help from sensei, had finally managed to deal with the thorn in their sides that was the helmet gang.

Still, as Hoshino continue to walk amongst the deserted, her eyes scanning around for any potential threats like she did most nights, her mind quickly centred on the Hunter, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she tried to figure out exactly what his game was.

Even though he said that he was there to help, she had learnt the hard way a long time ago that trusting an adult's word was like a murderer promising not to stab you in the back, only to do it the moment you want looking.

"I won't make that same mistake again..." Hoshino said quietly to herself as she came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the sand covered Street. A gentle cooling breeze blowing around her as her gaze slowly traced its way up into the cloudless sky, her eyes landing on the brilliant majesty of the full moon which bathed her in its light.

Contrary to what her classmates believed, going as far back as she could remember, she had always been a day person. Nighttime was supposed to be a time of rest. Yet even she had to admit that the night sky, full of stars and the moon itself, held an almost supernatural beauty. Something that was hard to quantify in words but left a lasting impression upon you the moment you saw it.

Yet the nighttime also held unpleasant memories for her, mostly because it reminded her of a certain somebody that she had lost, somebody that at the time she didn't know how much she cared for until that person was taken away from her.

Hoshino could feel tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes, yet, she did not stop them, her eyes narrowing as her face turned on a noticeably perturbed look.

*Yume...* Hoshino's voice was barely above a whisper, yet even with the breeze blowing past her and through the decaying husks of buildings that surrounded her. The singular name that she uttered sounded like a gun going off, one that somehow managed to echo around her despite it being physically impossible.

She missed her. Hoshino missed her so much that it almost physically hurt, living in this world without her Sendai was like a waking nightmare, one that she wished she could wake up from, yet never seemed to.

It was almost like her own personal hell, everything reminded her of Yume, from the little things like the way her classmates would sometimes act, up to the fact that she carried a physical reminder everywhere she went of her friend's death.

Unstrapping the Iron Horus from its carry strap, and quickly slinging her shotgun over her shoulder. Hoshino held the ballistic shield out of arm's Length so she could see it's battered and weathered frame.

She had long become accustomed to its physical weight, barely even noticing it was there most of the time, yet the mental weight of carrying something that Yume cared for so deeply always weighed on her mind, to the point where it felt like she would be crushed under it.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

Hoshino suddenly found herself nearly jumping out of her own skin, the Iron Horus quickly falling out of her hands and clattering loudly to the pavement below. Although quickly, she recovered from the momentary shock, her body going into autopilot as she quickly grabbed her shotgun from her shoulder, racking the bolt and releasing the safety as she quickly began to scan around for the source of the scream.

While crime in abydos district was incredibly low entirely because of the lack of people, it didn't change the fact that every now and again crime still happened, which was the main reason why she portrayed at night.

"Where did that come from?" Hoshino said quietly to herself, quickly scooping up the Iron Horus, making sure it was firmly strapped to her arm as she tried to identify where the souls of the scream had come from. However, she couldn't seem to identify its exact source or direction, mostly because of the howling noise coming from the breeze blowing through the desiccated buildings around her.

However, as she continued to scan her surroundings, keeping her shotgun raised up and ready just in case, she suddenly heard another scream followed by what sounded like garbled words.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhh! P-P-please... Oh G-god! P-please someone H-help me" The scream and voice were loud as a result of bouncing off the buildings, yet also faint and distant. But thankfully, Hoshino had managed to get an idea of where it was as she quickly began to run.

'It must be stragglers from the helmet gang' Hoshino thought to herself as she continued to run, sand being kicked up beneath Her Feet as she drew closer and closer to the source of the screams.

Yet, as she did something about, the screams and cries felt off to her. She knew what somebody being mugged or assaulted sounded like, but these screams on cries sounded different, more urgent and primal. They sounded more like somebody being viciously mauled by an animal.

In fact, as she finally reached the alleyway which she could hear the screams coming from, Hoshino felt a shiver run down her spine as the screams quickly fell silent. Because at that moment it finally hit her, that the screams sounded like somebody who was dying.

Holding her shotgun in front of her, Hoshino looked at the dark alleyway in front of her, even though it was a full moon tonight the alleyway was situated between two large buildings, making it almost pitch black and unable to be seen into by anyone. In fact, even though she had superb night vision, Hoshino had to squint her eyes, to begin to even make out anything in the alleyway.

Letting out a shaky breath to try and calm herself, Hoshino began to advance into the dark alleyway, her eyes having a hard time focusing and by extension making anything out in the inky blackness.

"Whoever you are, I would stop what you're doing if I was you" Hoshino said with a slight nervous twinge to her voice. The darkness was beginning to play tricks with her, she could see things moving around in the corner of her vision as she ventured further into the pitch black alleyway.

But quickly shaking her head, Hoshino managed to get control of herself, momentarily quelling the nervousness that was building inside her, she focused on what she was here to do. Somebody was in trouble, and she needed to help them, so she didn't have time to be slowed down by being scared of the dark.

Yet as she continued to walk forward, she became aware of a strange sound, one that was incredibly hard to place at first because it was so alien to her. In fact, as she drew closer to the source of the noise, the only thing that she could reason be compared it to was the sound of somebody stepping in wet mud or maybe even wet canvas being torn apart vigorously.

"Hello... Is anyone there?" The strange noise did not stop as the words exited Hoshino lips, the feeling of nervousness and dread coming back in full force as she continued to walk deeper into the pitch-black alleyway.

But then, Hoshino suddenly came to a dead stop, the sound of something liquid beneath Her feet as she looked in front of her. Her eyes had a hard time making it out, but she could just about perceive a black silhouette laying on the ground with another one crouched over the top of it moving furiously in a manner that almost looks like it was... Eating?

keeping her shotgun raised, Hoshino opened her mouth once again, the feeling of dread and nervousness, now graduating into full-blown fear and almost panic. "H-hello?"

The strange wet tearing noise immediately stopped, the black silhouette crouched over the one on the ground immediately going still, it's body which had been moving violently and vigorously before going completely still. It was almost dead silent now, the only sound that managed to reach Hoshino's ears being the sound of something wet consistently dripping onto the concrete below. The silhouette which had remained still up until this point quickly began to move, rising from its crouched position

Hoshino's eyes grew wider and wider as the black silhouette continued to grow in height until it was a full head under half taller than herself. Her eyes having now grown accustomed to the dark were finally beginning to pick out details about the mysterious figure. Their body was strange, seemingly disproportion with one arm much longer than the other, they seemed to be wearing a tattered and ragged jacket and what was left of a skirt that was barely hanging on to their lanky and skinny frame.

However, the aspects that caught Hoshino's attention the most, and what made her begin to tremble in fear, were the splotches of black fur covering their body covering their torn, wrinkly and ragged skin.

And finally, most importantly... it's pale milky coloured eyes. That were filled with malice, hate and an insatiable hunger for flesh.

By pure instinct, Hoshino began to slowly back away, keeping her shotgun pointed at the thing in front of her, her hands were beginning to shake violent with sweat beginning to form on her brow. Every instinct in her body was telling her to turn and run, however before she could act on those instincts, the thing in front of us suddenly moved.

As a complete reflex, Hoshino pulled the trigger on her shotgun, the muzzle blast from the weapon quickly lighting up the alleyway for just a brief moment, but it was more than enough for her to see the true horrific scene in front of her.

On the ground was a dog man, or more precisely, what was left of the corpse of one. His entire chest cavity was carved open from pelvis to sternum, his internal organs or the very little that was left of them lie around him in a haphazard manner that suggested, the entire process of their removal had been incredibly fast and extremely violent.

There was quite literally blood everywhere, covering almost every inch of the alleyway, with even her shoes, which were normally a black colour, covered in the viscous red liquid.

Hoshino didn't get a chance to shoot a follow-up shot, as she saw the dark silhouette of the creature quickly charge at her with supernatural speed. All she had time to do was quickly unfold the shield on her arm as the creature slammed into it, almost knocking her off her feet, yet she managed to keep herself in place as the creature began to snap and claw at her, trying to rip her limb from limb like it had done with its previous victim.

However, Hoshino wasn't going to let that happen, as she quickly pushed on the shield of all of her strength, managing to push the creature off of her shield and stagger it for a moment as she quickly brought her shotgun at one-handed and fired.

The muzzle blast again illuminated the alleyway, allowing her to briefly see the damage she had inflicted to the creature, yet much to her horror in spite of the wound on its chest from her bookshop rounds, being quite severe and seemingly life-threatening. The creature was barely slowed down as it quickly charged at her again, smacking into her shield again, this time however, the creature managed to bypass her shield, throwing a wild swing at her arm as it's claws, quickly cut through Hoshino's shirt and deep into the flesh of her arm.

"Aaahhh!" Hoshino screamed loudly, the pain from the new wound being almost overbearing as she felt her leg momentarily buckle underneath her. Allowing the creature to push forward onto the Shield as it continued to snap and bite at her with its vicious razor sharp teeth filled mouth.

Although greeting her teeth, Hoshino managed to quickly get her strength back, pushing the creature off herself once again as she quickly began to unload every shell in her shotgun into the creature.

She wasn't sure exactly how many of her shot actually hit the creature, but quite honestly she didn't really care, as she quickly turned on her heels and immediately started to sprint, the creature letting out what she was sure were howls of pain or agony, as she kept continuing to run.

Quickly finding the exit to the alleyway and sprinting back out into the relative safety of the moonlight illuminated deserted city street, but even though, Hoshino's chest was heaving and her lungs beginning to burn. She did not stop, still running as fast as she could to get away from whatever the hell had just happened.

Hoshino could feel blood seeping from the wound on her arm, staining her arm and shirt a deep crimson, yet even that was completely overpowered by her almost animalistic Instinct to continue to run.

Hoshino wouldn't stop running, in fact she would not stop until she made it back to her own home, quickly locking the entire place uptight as she prepared for the beast to follow her. Staying up all night to make sure that she was ready for it when it came to try and finish her off.

However, nothing of the sort of happened as eventually the sun began to peak over the horizon, the terrified and exhausted young girl finally falling victim to exhaustion as she collapsed on her own floor, her nightmares been filled with visions of the vicious beast that she had only just managed to escape.

 

[mgman]

"Sensei, it's another dead end I'm afraid"

A voice reach the hunter's ears as he continued to stare out of the large windows of his office, his gaze which was trained on the horizon holding nothing but frustration and also a bit of concern.

"I see, how troublesome" The hunter quietly said to himself, his eyes narrowing considerably as he felt his frustration continue to build. So far his search for Ume's missing sister had been completely fruitless, in fact, despite going into this knowing that finding the girl wouldn't be easy, he hadn't expected it to be this hard.

"I'm sorry for letting you down sensei" Arona's holographic and semi-transparent body quickly materialised next to the Hunter, a look of shame on her face as she looked up the Hunter. His look of frustration and anger made her feel like she had failed him, which only serve to make her feel even more useless.

After a moment however the hunter quickly turned his gaze away from the window, looking down at his little AI companion as his stern and hard features noticeably softened, the frustration which wasn't directed at her to begin with dissipated somewhat.

"There is nothing you should be apologising for Arona, you have tried everything in your Arsenal to locate Tomo, so the fault is not with you" The hunter reached his hand out, only managing to stop himself at the last moment, reminding himself that the AI girls current form was a non-physical one meaning that his hand would pass right through her.

Still, Arona's noticeably downtrodden and sad look quickly dissipated, both his words and gesture lifting her spirits somewhat, although it didn't change the fact that she still did feel bad for not being able to help the hunter with what she thought would have been a simple request.

Turning his gaze back to the large windows in front of him, the hunter's expression noticeably hardened once again, his eyes narrowing considerably as a disturbing thought entered his mind, one that he verbalised without even thinking.

"I'm beginning to think that something more unsavory has happened to Tomo" Arona looked up at The Hunter surprised by his words, the look on his face was hard to read, but in His eyes, she could see a noticeable amount of concern and maybe even just a small amount of dread.

"I'm S-sure she's fine, delinquents aren't exactly known for staying on an academies radar or being easy to find after their expulsion" Arona said quickly, while she didn't want to think that something bad had happened to the delinquent. The look in sensei's eyes combined with the fact that Tomo had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth were definitely beginning to sway her over to that line of thinking.

The hunter didn't respond to his AI companion, continuing to look towards the horizon, his eyes narrowing further. While trying to locate Tomo was something that he was putting a lot of his effort and time into, there was also another much larger problem that he had to tackle.

Remembering back to the previous day, the hunter felt his frustration beginning to spike, as he focused on what exactly was related to him involving abydos and its problems, more precisely that revolved around the absolutely colossal amount of debt that was hanging over the school, like a guillotine threatening to plunge down at any second.

At first, he hadn't been all too concerned by the fact that the school was in debt, seeing it as a minor problem that could easily be dealt with. Yet when he was told exactly how much the school currently owed to the debt collectors, he for the first time in quite a long time found himself genuinely astonished, because the number was just truly astronomical.

In fact, even though he considered himself a well-educated person even before his ascension to something more than a human being, numbers of that size truly overwhelmed his mind to the point where he didn't even think that numbers like that could even be a thing.

"962,350,000... How does a school accumulate such a tremendous amount of debt" The hunter said aloud to himself, a frustrated huff escaping his lips, as he crossed his arms over his chest. The number was truly ridiculous, to the point where at the time he had thought that the students were playing a trick on him, but remembering the serious looks on their faces convinced him otherwise.

"It sure is a big number sensei... it makes me think what was the previous school administration doing to rack up such a debt like that" Arona said with a thoughtful expression on her face, while she had looked into the financial reports of the school going back for the last couple of years. They ultimately didn't reveal much as to why the school had accumulated such a debt so quickly.

"That is indeed a good question, Arona… But considering the amount of money owed, I suppose a question like that will have to wait until some kind of solution is found" The hunter quickly brought a hand up to his chin, rubbing it intently as he thought about how exactly to remedy a situation like this.

While he had his own salary given to him by the general student council, which in theory would be more than enough to pay off the debt. He already had a feeling that the students, especially Hoshino and Serika would reject such a proposal.

However, as the hunter continued to stare out of the window, he suddenly heard Arona let out a small giggle next to him, causing him to look down at her, raising a questioning eyebrow as she quickly spoke between her giggles.
"Ha Ha, maybe we could rob a bank or something sensei, that would surely get us enough money to pay off the abydos's debt" the small AI girl continued to laugh while the hunter simply looked at her with a blank gaze.

He knew that she was joking, but personally he didn't find the suggestion very funny, but still eventually after a moment of watching her continue to laugh at her own suggestion, the hunter couldn't help but smile just a little bit.

"While it would most certainly get us enough money, Arona... I very much do not want to become a criminal in these lands" The hunter said after a moment, his words seemingly making the young girl laugh even harder, which in turn made his own smile grow considerably.

But ultimately, his smile quickly faltered when he was reminded that this was a serious matter. Which certainly wasn't helped by the fact that his other mission, which was finding the missing delinquent Tomo hadn't exactly progressed.

However, as the Hunter continues to ponder the mystery laid out before him, with Arona occasionally giving her two cents. His mind quickly wandered back to his meeting with the abydos foreclosure task force the other day, specifically remembering how Hoshino didn't seem quite like herself during the meeting.

Narrowing his eyes the hunter recalled her overall behaviour, at the time he hadn't paid it too much attention, simply because his focus was taken up by the reveal of the school's tremendous amount of debt. Yet, thinking back on it now, the hunter felt a chill shoot down his spine.

Hoshino hid it well, managing to completely fool her friends, and making them none the wiser. Yet even though at the time he had brushed off her behaviour as nothing out of the ordinary, remembering the slight subtle changes in her body language and more importantly the look in her eyes made the hunter feel incredibly off put.

Her eyes held a deep sense of Fear and dread, he could recall them darting around every now and again looking between the windows and the doors of the clubroom, as if she was expecting something to jump out and snatch her up.

That was also the fact that even though it was hidden Beneath Her shirt, the hunter could just about make out what looked to be some kind of very thick bandage wrapped around her arm with what he thought was a very slight red stain on it.

Quickly bringing himself back to the present, the hunter shook his head, while Hoshino and her strange attitude certainly concerned him, it wasn't the time to think about such things. Especially considering that the issue of that the issue of Tomo still remaining elusive, and the severe debt of the abydos High School were more important.

"Sensei... Are you alright?" The hunter quickly looked for the source of the voice, finding Arona looking up at him with a clearly concerned expression on her holographic face.

Looking into her eyes the hunter eventually let out a quiet sigh, the tension which had been present in his shoulders disappearing as his chest deflated, while he couldn't relax entirely, he did at least let himself loosen up just a small amount. After all, he had learnt very quickly in his youth that being stressed while trying to solve problems would often set yourself up for failure.

"I'm fine Arona... it's just that there are quite a few things that needs to be taken care of" The hunter said as he turned his gaze back towards the cityscape below, his eyes narrowing slightly as he centred his thoughts back on the subject of Tomo and her disappearance.

While the abydos school was a pressing concern, the currently missing delinquent was something that was immediately more concerning, considering that the debt wasn't immediately threatening to the continue to operations of the abydos High School and it's students.

Arona didn't immediately respond to the hunter, continuing to look up at him with clear concern and her face. Despite having not known him for that long, she had already figured out how to read the subtle emotions he displayed on his face, which meant that she could see the discrete hints on his face that conveyed frustration but also concern in equal measure

However, before she could open her mouth to say anything, the hunter quickly spoke, taking her by surprise as he also turned his gaze to look at her.

"Arona, I would like you to search the public databases again, but this time try searching for past instances Tomo instead of current ones" His wording was a bit odd but Arona immediately understood what he was asking. Instead of trying to search for the girl in the present, he was asking her to look through all the public database history for instances of the missing delinquent.

With her eyes practically lighting up, Arona let out a smile as she quickly complied with the hunter's request. "Of course, Sensei, I'm on it!" The AI girl said, her eyes closing as a concentrating look made its way onto her features.

She had a lot of data to sift through, to the point where if she was a normal computer, it could have possibly taken her weeks if not months to fully scan for all of it. But fortunately for her and her extremely advanced architecture it took only moments, and after searching she found exactly what she was looking for.

Her eyes opened up with surprise as she looked up at The Hunter, who was looking at her with an expecting gaze, clearly waiting for her to relay whatever information she had just discovered.

"Sensei, I found something!" Arona said excitedly as she quickly transmitted the data to the tablet which was resting inside sensei's overcoat pocket, the device vibrating which was more than enough for the hunter to immediately retrieve it from his pocket, looking at the screen intently as the information on the screen flash passed his eyes.

Despite being missing for some time, Arona had managed to find several instances of Tomo being caught on several security cameras in the abydos district, mostly around some of the very few populated areas that was still present within the mostly abandoned district. And despite not being overly familiar with the district entirely just yet, thankfully the recordings from the security cameras gave the hunter enough information to get a rough idea of where the footage was taken and by extension Tomo had last been seen.

However, as he continued to watch the recordings, he noticed one in particular that caught his eye. It was of Tomo clad in her delinquent gear except for her helmet, which she was holding in one hand. However, the part that caught his eye in particular was the individual that she was seemingly conversing with, due to the security camera location, most of the mysterious individual was obscured from the frame.

They seem to be an individual of roughly similar statue to himself, although maybe a little bit shorter, they were wearing what looked to be some kind of suit, judging from the little that the hunter could see.

Unfortunately, even though it was obvious that this mysterious individual and Tomo we're having some kind of conversation, the security camera unfortunately seemingly didn't have the capacity to capture audio, meaning that the recording was silent and therefore the nature of their conversation was unknown to The Hunter.

Yet, judging by the delinquent girl's body language and overall expression, whatever was being discussed between them was clearly something that had wild her up. But just before the recording ended, the hunter observed the mysterious person stretching out an arm, offering something to the delinquent that looked to be some kind of small red object. However, regrettably, the hunter could not make out the object's exact nature due to the quality of the recording being not exactly being stellar.

With the recordings now finished, the hunter quickly shut the tablet off, placing it back into his overcoat for safe keeping as he began to ponder what exactly here just seen. While he wasn't one to jump to conclusions, considering that often lead one to make incorrect assumptions. He couldn't help but think that maybe the mysterious person he had seen in the recording with Tomo had something to do with her disappearance.

"Sensei... do you think that person in the video had something to do with Tomo's disappearance" the hunter was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Arona's voice, causing him to look down at his little AI companion who had an equally thoughtful expression on her face. In fact, somewhat comically, she was even mimicking his exact posture with one hand rubbing her chin gently.

The hunter didn't immediately respond to her words, instead choosing to look back out to the cityscape outside as he continued to think, while it was a big assumption to definitively conclude that the mysterious individual in the recording was responsible for the delinquent girl's disappearance. He was at least somewhat certain on the fact that the unknown individual was involved in some shape or form, even if they weren't directly culpable.

"I'm honestly not sure Arona, but it is somewhat suspicious that the mysterious person in the recording, was seemingly the last person that Tomo interacted with before she disappeared" The hunter did not turn his gaze away from the windows, his eyes narrowing deeply as a somewhat disconcerting feeling overtook him.

However, before Arona could say anything in reply, a gentle chime suddenly filled the air, causing both her and the hunter to immediately look over their shoulders and towards the officer's double doors.

Without a word, Arona's holographic body quickly fizzled out of existence, leaving nothing behind to show that she was even there. The hunter also quickly turned on the spot, somewhat hastily pulling at the white collar of his shirt to straighten it out as the office doors abruptly opened. Revealing none other than Rin Nanagami, the general student vice Council president, who was carrying a small cardboard box under one of her arms with her other hand occupied by a phone which was held up to one of her ears.

"Aoi! For the last time I told you I won't be long" The hunter observed silently, watching Rin's one-sided conversation with whoever she was talking to on the other end of the line.

And even though he couldn't hear what was being said to the vice president, he could tell by the way that her face contorted into an expression of barely contained frustration, that it clearly didn't improve her mood in the slightest.

Rin quickly let out a notice be frustrated grunt, her gaze quickly falling onto the Hunter who she sent him an apologetic look, before returning to the conversation she was having on the phone.

The hunter for his part simply nodded his head, allowing the vice president's to continue her conversation, as he sighed while watching from where he was standing.

"Aoi, I told you I won't be long and that is final! Now don't call me back unless it's something serious!" Rin accompanied her sharp tone of voice by quickly ending the call, cutting off whatever the individual on the other end of the line was about to say, as she quickly returned the phone to her jacket pocket, a noticeably tired and frustrated sounding sigh escape her lips.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, sensei, it's been a... Stressful morning" Rin said with a noticeably tired tone, as she quickly made her way over to one of the many desks that littered the office, placing a small box that she had under her arm onto it as the Hunter wandered over to her and the mysterious box.

"There is no need to apologise Rin, I can certainly understand your frustration considering the amount of work you and the other student council members have on your hands" the hunter followed up his words by giving Rin an understanding and sympathetic smile, which she seemed to appreciate as she somewhat tiredly smiled back.

"Although perhaps maybe you owe an apology to whoever was on the other end of the telephone" the hunter's words caught Rin completely off guard, making hair look at him as if he had somehow grown a second head.

The hunter didn't reply to her clearly questioning look, simply gesturing with a slight nod of the head that she should think about what he had said, after all, despite understanding just how stressful her job could be. It wasn't becoming of her to treat her subordinates in such a disrespectful way, even if it was born out of nothing but stress instead of malice.

Rin continue to look at the hunter with both the clearly unimpressed and questioning look, before eventually she let out another frustrated and tired sounding groan. Her face taking on a look of defeat as she acquiesced to the hunter's request.

"I suppose I do owe Aoi an apology, despite how insistent and annoying she can be sometimes, she only wants the best for the general student council and the rest of kivotos" Rin said with a slightly embarrassed expression.

While she didn't mind the idea of apologizing, what was actually embarrassing for her was the fact that the hunter was almost treating her as if she was just another student, even though she technically outranked him in terms of authority and hierarchy.

The Hunter let a smile form on his lips, his overall expression turning quite jovial as he let out a quiet chuckle, which only served to make Rin look of embarrassment grow with each passing second, a noticeably red hue making its way onto her cheeks, however after a moment of enjoying her embarrassment the hunter cleared his throat.

"Well now that is sorted, what exactly has brought you here today Rin" the hunter asked politely, casting his gaze momentarily to the box which was now resting on his desk before looking back at Rin, who looked momentarily surprised by his question.

However, after a second of surprise, realisation crossed her face as she quickly cleared her throat and began to speak. "Well I wanted to give you some documents that I thought you would find useful, specifically it's information regarding the biggest academies in kivotos..." Rin quickly trailed off, the hunter immediately noticing that she clearly had more to say, as he raised the questioning eyebrow while motioning for her to continue.

"However... That's not the main reason why I'm here" Rin paused once again, reaching into her jacket as she rummaged around trying to find something. The hunter however for a brief moment felt a small twinge of nervousness shoot through him, because for just a split second he thought that maybe Arona's forceful excess of the public databases may have been noticed by the general student council.

Yet when Rin finally retrieve what she was looking for, quickly pulling it out of her pocket and presenting it to The Hunter, he felt himself noticeably calm only for confusion to replace his momentary nervousness, as he looked at the strange small object clutched in Rin's hands.

It was a strange thing, one that the hunter had no frame of reference to compare anything to. it was rectangular in form with its corners rounded off a little to not be sharp, it was also incredibly thin, to the point where it made a piece of paper or parchment to look thick by comparison. The object's colour was a strange golden hue with a single black stripe running down one side of it, which was accompanied by a small black square that was seemingly made of a different material than the rest of the item itself.

Continuing to stare at the object in Rin's hand, the hunter felt a strange feeling come over him, one that was hard to place at first yet felt eerily familiar. in fact, the longer he looked at the strange object, the more the strange foreboding feeling became more apparent. This object whatever it was held some kind of power, a power that everyone was completely unaware to accept him.

Yet, somebody calling his name quickly made him shake his head, bringing himself back to the present.

"Sensei!... Were you listening to what I just said?" Rin said with a frustrated tone, her eyebrows wrinkled up in both anger and frustration at the fact that it seemed that sensei had been off in his own little world and not listening to what she was trying to tell him.

Still, as the Hunter quickly let out a cough to clear his throat, the general student council vice president couldn't help but feel just a little bit put off by what she had just witnessed.

While she had only known the hunter for a short amount of time, in that time she was able to get a basic sense of who he was and how he acted. So the fact that he was seemingly caught in his own little world just now instead of listening to her was extremely out of character for him.

"Please excuse me Rin, but I'm afraid you'll have to run that by me once more, I was... off in my own little world there for a moment" The hunter answered with an apologetic tone, waving one of his hands dismissively as if to brush aside the subject quickly.

Rin found this very odd but decided to oblige to his request as she let out a sigh, motioning to the card clutched in her fingers as she began to speak once again.

"As I said, the main reason I'm here today is to give you this" Rin pause for a moment gesturing to the card clutched in her fingers, as she then continued speaking.

"This is a special card, that, like the Shittim Chest, was left for you specifically by the general student council president. She specified in the instructions that it cannot be used carelessly and should only be used when necessary. However, it also apparently can be used as a bank card should the need arise" Rin finished her explanation by holding out the card at arm's length.

Even though the credit card much like the Shittim Chest was a complete mystery considering it's unknown origin and manufacturer, Rin at least trusted in the president, that the card was destined for the hunter then it was only right that he had it.

With a hint of apprehension flickering in his eyes, the hunter glanced at the vice president. As he reached out to take the small card, his fingers paused just before touching it. A strange sensation washed over him, accompanied by a memory. The circumstances surrounding this object being presented to him bore an uncanny resemblance to...

"The cord of the eyes..."

The words that came out of the hunter's mouth were so quiet that they almost couldn't be heard, yet Rin did manage to hear him, although the exact nature of what he had uttered was unknown to her.

"Did you say something, Sensei?" Rin felt a shiver rundown her spine as she asked that question, for some reason the air temperature in the room seemed to drop by a noticeable degree, making a goosebumps-like feeling appear on her arms. Though as quickly as it came, it disappeared as the hunter abruptly shaking his head, the look of apprehension in his eyes quickly fading away as he put on a slightly forced smile.

"No… I didn't Rin" The hunter paused for a second as he hastily but cautiously took the card into his own gloved hands, sparing a single glance at it before placing it into a breast pocket that was on his overcoat.

"Thank you for this, I will be sure to look after it and put it to use when appropriate" The hunter added with a smile this time looking much less forced as he extended a thankful hand out to Rin.

The raven-haired vice president of the student council observed the hunter with a sceptical gaze. Although his smile no longer appeared forced, something about his demeanour and the way he smiled made her uneasy. Despite her concerns, she decided to let it go, attributing it to his eccentric personality.

"You're welcome sensei, anyway I'll leave you to work, I have to get back to the general student council before Aoi blows up my phone again" Rin said with a slight chuckle which the hunter reciprocated, while he didn't quite understand the euphemism he could at least catch it's general meaning.

"Well in that case, have a safe journey Rin, hopefully, we will meet again soon" The hunter said as he swept one of his arms to the side while giving a large bow. Rin was a bit caught off guard by this but ultimately reciprocated, giving a small wave as she quickly turned on her heels and made her way towards the office exit, yet before she stepped through the threshold she turned back to the Hunter.

"Sensei... Are you sure you're OK?" Rin asks with genuine concern in her voice, catching the Hunter by surprise as he turned on his heels to look at her. She couldn't read his emotions exactly, she simply hadn't known him long enough to be able to do that, but for just a brief moment he saw in his eyes what looked to be concerned, yet as quickly as it came it was gone as he put on another smile.

"I can assure you I'm... fine" The brief pause in his words didn't convince her otherwise, but ultimately Rin decided not to push the subject any further, simply sending him an understanding look before she quickly exited the office.

The sound of the glass doors shutting behind Rin was the only sound that filled the room as the hunter was left completely alone once again, he stood there for a moment before turning on his heels and making his way over to the large windows that looked down on the cityscape below, his eyes narrowing considerably as he pulled the mysterious car from his breast pocket.

Flipping it over in his fingers, he inspected it meticulously, even though he didn't have much of an idea of what exactly a credit card was, it didn't change the fact that in this world it was an incredibly ordinary item even if it's texture and material were completely alien to him.

Yet there was something more to this strange little card, something that desperately tugged at the back of his mind and yet was just out of reach, the feeling it gave him was familiar, painfully familiar to the point where it almost made him consider throwing the card into the deepest blackest pit so that it could never be found.

"This thing… Has a stench of the arcane" The hunter murmured quietly to himself as he continued to stare at the card, a familiar noise filling the air as his little AI companion's holographic body suddenly materialised next to him.

"Sensei... what did you mean by arcane?" Arona spoke inquisitively, looking at the bank card cautiously as the hunter didn't immediately answer her question, instead of choosing to turn his gaze away from her and look out to the city below.

While he couldn't be certain considering that it was only circumstantial evidence that led him to think this way, it was becoming obvious to him that something more... esoteric was a foot in kivotos, which was something that filled him with a deep sense of foreboding.

However, turning his gaze to his AI companion, the hunter let out a sigh as he quickly put the card back into his breast pocket, giving it a reassuring path to make sure it was in place and that it wouldn't go flying out at the moment's notice.

Turning to Arona, who looked a little bit disappointed at the fact that he had put the card away before she had finished inspecting it, the hunter opened his mouth to speak.

"Arona, I think it's time to make a move" was all that the hunter said as he quickly began to make his way towards the office exit, Arona was momentarily surprised by his words as her holographic body began to move so she could keep up with him.

"W-what do you mean sensei?" The little AI said as the hunter came to a stop just in front of the office door, turning to look at her, his gaze conveying determination but also perhaps even just a little bit of frustration, which wasn't directed at her thankfully as the hunter opened his mouth in response.

"What I mean Arona, is that I think it's time we both looking for Tomo ourselves" the hunter said as a runner's face lit up with understanding her mouth bring into the shape of an o, as she now understood exactly what the hunter meant, and without moments hesitation her holographic body quickly dematerialised.

The tablet which was resting inside the hunters' overcoat quickly lighting up as The Familiar classroom and Arona's face became visible on it.

Taking out the tablet and giving Arona a small smile, before placing the tablet back in his overcoat, the hunter quickly exited his office being sure to close the door behind him as he began making his way towards the buildings exit, yet as he did so, he couldn't help but feel that strange sense of uneasiness return as he considered the card that was resting in his breast pocket, but shaking his head, he decided to worry about that later as for right now he had a delinquent girl to find.

…..

"Arona, Are you positive this is the right area?"

A voice filled the air, as a familiar silhouette came into view.

The Hunter came to a stop, he wasn't all too surprised to see sand everywhere and covering a majority of the sidewalk in the street, even though this particular district was far more populated than the others he had visited in abydos up until this point. It certainly still looked deserted and run down, really putting into perspective just how much of a sorry state the entire Abydos district was in.

"Yes, sensei, according to the camera's data it should be just around... There!" Even though the tablet housing Arona was tucked safely inside his overcoat, the hunter was somehow able to follow where she was gesturing to with her voice. His eyes scanning the environment before immediately coming to rest on a grey box up on the corner of one of the buildings.

Walking over to it, the hunter glanced at the object critically for a moment, even though much like the rest of the technology in this strange world, he wasn't too familiar with the object called a security camera, it didn't mean that he wasn't able to identify it was the one that had taken the recording of Tomo and her mysterious companion.

"I see, if this is where the camera is... then the alleyway should be... this way" The hunter said idly to himself as he began to trace the line of sight of the camera, his feet carrying him down the pavement as he quickly came to an abrupt stop, his eyes narrowing considerably as the alleyway from the recording was presented before him.

Without a moments' hesitation, the hunter walked into the alleyway, his eyes scanning all over for any clues as to where Tomo could have possibly gone. Yet the more he looked, the more he felt his frustration beginning to build, there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in this alleyway, not a single piece of litter or stray speck of sand looked suspicious.

"A student doesn't just vanish into thin air..." The hunter mumbled under his breath, a noticeable amount of aggravation creeping into his voice as he quickly got down to one knee and placed his hand against the warm concrete below.

"Sensei... I don't think anything's here, maybe we should try looking somewhere else for clues" Arona's voice echoed out from the tablet which was snugly secured in his overcoat. Yet her voice didn't seem to reach the hunter as he continued to hold his pose, his hand flat against the concrete as his eyes suddenly closed, a look of deep concentration making itself apparent on his face.

Focusing, the hunter began to channel some of his arcane power, not enough to be noticeable but just enough to maybe shed some light or possibly reveal some clues as to where Tomo could have disappeared to.

As the hunter continued to focus, he began to hear the echoes of the past, they were faint and almost inaudible at first yet the longer he listened and focused the more he was able to understand them.

"Why the hell should I trust you?"

The hunter's face scrunched up, while the recording itself he had seen earlier that day was completely dead silent, he was already able to identify the distorted and distant voice as Tomo's.

"I'm not saying that you should trust me, all I'm saying that you should consider what I have offered"

The hunter wasn't sure who this voice belongs to, but he suspected it was most likely the voice of the mysterious individual that was partially obscured from the recording, Yet, there was an enigmatic quality to the stranger's voice that unsettled him deeply. This person's cadence and way of speaking almost had a... playful tone to it, as if they took immense enjoyment in what they were offering.

"Yeah right, do you really expect me to believe that it can actually do that"

Furrowing his brow further, The Hunter wasn't entirely sure what Tomo could have been referring to, but he suspected it was most likely related to the strange object that the mysterious individual had handed Tomo just before the recording had ended.

Yet unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was unable to make out anything else from the echoes of the past. With his eyes open, the echoes gradually faded, leaving the alleyway deserted and silent, occasionally punctuated only by the mournful wail of the wind as it blew through. However, it was only then he became aware of somebody calling his name, somebody who sounded very concerned, in a swift motion, he retrieved the tablet from the concealed pocket of his overcoat.

"Sensei, are you alright?" With apprehension evident in her voice, Arona's gaze fixed upon the hunter through the screen. Her facial expression and, most notably, her halo, which had assumed a distinctly droopy appearance, conveyed a palpable sense of concern.

With a swift movement, the hunter redirected his gaze from his diminutive AI companion to the alleyway. His eyes narrowed as he carefully scrutinized the area for a moment. Then, standing to his full height, he turned to Arona, his gaze steady as he parted his lips to speak.

"Yes Arona I am more than well" the hunter said with a reassuring smile, holding the tablet out at arm's length, as he began to walk further into the alleyway, his eyes occasionally breaking contact from Arona's as he looked around trying to spot any more clues.

"That's a relief. But seriously! Why did you go completely silent like that? You were starting to scare me" Arona's words of concern made the hunter look directly at her. He could see the trepidation but also fear for his safety in her big blue orbs, in fact he couldn't help but feel just a little bit bad for making her worry so, as such, after a moment of hesitation he decided to explain himself.

"I'm sorry that I made you fear for me Arona, I can assure you that I am more than fine" The hunter paused for a second trying to think of the right way to say what he wanted to say next before eventually continuing.

"What I was doing was gathering clues in regard to Tomo's disappearance" The hunter was already aware before he said them that his words failed to explain actions, but ultimately he couldn't reveal the true nature of what he was doing both because Arona wouldn't be able to understand and because he didn't feel like it was the right time to reveal to her, his inhuman nature in full just yet.

Arona didn't immediately respond to his answer, a look of confusion making itself known on her face as she tilted her head to the side in an inquisitive manner, that reminded the hunter of a small puppy looking up at its master, clearly not understanding the command that has been given. However, after a moment of this, Arona finally managed to find her voice.

"How exactly were you able to find clues by just... putting your hand against the ground, sensei?" The hunter looked at his little AI companion, the confusion on her face quickly giving way to excitement and also curiosity at how exactly he was able to find clues in the way he had just done.

Deliberating for a moment, the hunter wasn't entirely sure what to tell her that wouldn't reveal his Arcane nature in full, but ultimately after a few seconds he decided what to say as a grin made its way onto his face.

"Well, my dear Arona, let's just say that I have a special... An ability, you could say, That allows me to hear things that most people can't" The hunter watched the little AI's face practically light up as he spoke, the confusion and inquisitiveness on her face giving way to a look of Wonder and excitement as she quickly opened her mouth to respond.

"A special ability! Do you mean like a superpower!" Arona shouted energetically, her halo taking on a noticeable pink hue as it became or spiky with her excitement. Despite his reservations, the hunter couldn't help but feel relieved, a small smile making its way onto his face because while he would tell Arona his true Nature in time, he had to do it carefully considering that she seemingly had the mindset and mentality of a child.

And even though he was not a parent, he knew from experience that tackling serious or even foreign subjects for children could be hard for them to understand, especially when they were too young to fully grasp it was a challenge and was something that needed to be done with care.

"I can't believe it! I really can't believe it, Sensei has a superpower" Arona's excitement could barely be contained as she began jumping around absolutely overjoyed, her feet making loud splashing sounds as water went everywhere in the half-submerged and destroyed virtual classroom that was her home.

The hunter observing this through the tablet screen couldn't help but chuckle profusely, finding her excitement almost infectious, he also felt a small weight lifted from his shoulders, because if this is how she reacted to him revealing that he had abilities that normal humans did not share, then it was possible that she would take to the idea of him being something of the arcane rather than human.

However, suddenly Arona stopped jumping around, the exuberant look never leaving her face as she quickly turned to The Hunter, her eyes full of wonder and glee as she asked her question.

"How does your superpower work? Sensei... A-and do you have any more!?" Her words momentarily caught the hunter off guard, his smile faltering for just a moment as he considered her words carefully.

He did briefly consider for a moment telling her more about his inhuman nature, but ultimately decided against it, feeling that even though she had accepted the idea of him having powers that normal humans didn't, she simply wasn't ready to know the full truth.

After all, he had learnt the hard way during his early time as a hunter, just how dangerous acquiring a vast amount of knowledge of the arcane and the cosmic could truly be, before one was ready to do so.

"Unfortunately Arona, other than the power to hear things that normal people can't, I'm afraid that I am quite ordinary" The hunter couldn't stop himself from laughing loudly as he saw his AI companion body practically evaporate at his words, the energy leaving her eyes as her entire body seemed to noticeably slump down as if she was made of some kind of overexpress liquid.

"Regarding my capability to perceive sounds that are usually inaudible to the majority of people, let's just say that my hearing is incredibly precise, in fact, you could think of it as... super hearing if you will" The hunter observed that the look of the excitement in an Arona's eyes returned, while it was noticeably subdued from before, it didn't change the fact that his little AI assistant seemed to warm to the notion of him having what she believed was a superpower.

Of course, the true reality of how he was able to hear things that other people couldn't, was a bit more… Arcane in nature, in fact, even though the ability came naturally to him along with other abilities that even the most physics defying students could only dream of.

He truthfully wasn't even sure himself of how exactly these powers of his work, because even though he had ascended to become something more than human granting him abilities, it didn't change the fact that it didn't mean that he was all knowing and in truth he was still exploring the exact nature of his cosmic powers himself, considering that from his point of view his ascension had not been that long ago.

Arona who wasn't privy to the hunter's internal thoughts, simply looked on with absolute awe on her face, the fact that her sensei had a genuine real life superpower was absolutely amazing, and even though it sounded way too good to be true, she knew that the hunter wouldn't lie to her. After all, from her perspective the hunter seemed like a very genuine and trustworthy person, unlike most other adults that she had records of.

"Man, this is so cool! I wonder what the rest of the students will think when we tell them" Arona said excitedly and extremely loudly which made the hunter who was now beginning to make his way back to the entrance of the alleyway, quickly stumble, with him only just managing to catch his footing as he looked at his little AI companion and surprise.

Arona despite her excitement noticed the hunter stumble as well as the strange look he was sending her, which made her tilt her head to the side, a little bit confused that why the hunter was looking at her with a strange look.

"What's the matter, Sensei... D-did I say something wrong!?" the little AI asked with a growing sense of worry in her voice, she had already come to the conclusion that she had said something that offend sensei.

The hunter, however, simply looked at her, his face conveying confusion and surprised, but also what seemed to be a growing amount of contemplation. While he had already decided that he would eventually tell Arona about his inhuman nature when he believed she was ready, sharing that information with anyone other than herself and especially the students, was something that he would most likely never do willingly.

Simply because he didn't want the students to be scared of him or fear him, after all he was more than aware of just how... madness inducing his true Nature could be to those who were not prepared or equipped to handle it.

"Arona... While I appreciate your enthusiasm, about wishing to share my power with everyone, I would prefer it to be kept a secret, just between the two of us" The hunter picked his words carefully, he didn't want it to come off like he was scolding her. Because after all, she couldn't have known his true reasons for wanting to keep his powers and by extension his true nature a secret.

Arona looked at the hunter confused, her halo taking on a green and spiky appearance conveying how confusion visually as she opened her mouth to speak after a moment of awkward silence.

"OK sensei, But... why does it need to be a secret? Don't you want everyone to know about your superpower, so they know how cool and awesome you are?" Arona furrowed her brow, her halo changing from green to a light pink as it visually conveyed her not understanding why the hunter would want to keep power a secret from everyone. Using her logic, if she had a superpower she would want everyone in the world to know about it, so that they could know how awesome and cool she was.

The hunter didn't immediately respond to her question, the look of frustrated confusion on her face making it hard for him to find the right words. Ultimately, he knew what he wanted to say, but he simply just couldn't find the right way to articulate so that Arona would understand and that more of his true inner nature wouldn't be revealed by mistake.

Yet after much deliberation he finally found the right words to say as he took a deep breath before continuing. "Arona... the reason I want to keep it a secret is… Because while you have accepted that I have powers that most don't. I fear that the students will look negatively upon me or quite possibly even be scared of me if they knew that I could do things that they couldn't" The hunter pause for a moment, allowing his words to sink in as he observed Arona's reaction.

At first, she seems to be completely dumbfound by what he was saying, however after several moments the little AI girl's eyes widen considerably as a look of understanding crossed her features.

"Oh... OK, I think I understand Sensei" Was that Arona said in response, the hunter giving her an appreciated look as he quickly nodded his head. However, Arona suddenly continued cutting him off and preventing him from speaking.

"It's just like in a superhero movie, if everyone knew your true identity and your powers then it could put those you care about at risk, I'm sorry that I didn't think of that before, Sensei" Arona accompanied her apology by bowing, the hunter being momentarily caught off guard by her words.

In fact, he wasn't quite sure exactly what she was referring to by a superhero movie or the trope that was related to it. But in the end, he decided that he wouldn't correct her on her misunderstandings of his reasoning for keeping his power and true form hidden.

"Your apology is accepted Arona, and please don't fret, I'm not angry with you in the slightest" the hunter said as he resumed walking, quickly exiting the alleyway and coming back under assault from the scorching rays of the sun high above.

Arona who was still looking at the hunter from the tablet simply smiled as she let out a giggle, happy to hear that the hunter wasn't angry with her after all.

However, as the Hunter was about to put the tablet containing his AI assistant back inside his overcoat for safe keeping, something suddenly caught his attention, something that was incredibly unremarkable and utterly ordinary looking. Yet something about it drew him to it as the hunter quickly crouched down, retrieving the item from the hot pavement below as he held it gingerly in his free hand.

It was a small piece of... Paper, ordinary looking paper with writing on it.

The hunter scrutinise the piece of paper, his eyes narrowing considerably as he turned it over in his hand, it was incredibly damaged both by the elements, and also by what looked to be a dark brown stain that obscured a majority of the black printed text from view.

However, as he examined the unfamiliar script and it's characters, one part stood out to him, one that made a shiver run down his spine as he finally found what he was looking for.

"Sensei... Seeeensei? The hunter abruptly shook his head, becoming aware of somebody familiar calling his name, as he quickly held the tablet up so he could see Arona's face.

She had a look of visible concern, but also a face of intense curiosity that was mainly directed at the piece of paper that seemingly had the hunter captivated, and after a moment of silence between them, the hunter quickly brought himself up to his full height as he spoke.

"Arona, I believe we have just found our first clue in regard to Tomo's disappearance" the hunter stated with what perhaps could have been a small amount of excitement, as he held up the piece of damaged paper in front of the tablet so Arona could see it, her face quickly went from one of curiosity and concern to pure shock.

"Really Sensei! W-what is it! What does it say!? Arona asked excitedly, practically pushing her face against the tablet screen, which the hunter wasn't quite sure how it was possible but disregarded it nonetheless as he held the paper closer to his face.

While he is quite easy to speak the spoken language of kivotos because of its similarity to a particular oriental language that he had some past experience with. The same couldn't be said for his ability to read the written version of the language, embarrassingly he still had been unable to quite figure out the complexity of how the language was arranged and structured. Yet the part that had caught his eye and that he was able to make out was a single name printed at the very top of the piece of paper.

"Unfortunately, the only part of it I can read is at the very top, which says... Tomo" The hunter paused for a moment allowing what he had said to sink in, as Arona looked at him through the tablet screen, the look of excitement and shock quickly giving way to confusion as she opened her mouth to respond.

"Can't you read the rest of it… Sensei?" Arona replied carefully, not wanting to make it sound like she was insulting his intelligence, it was only now that she realised that since sensei was not from kivotos, then it only made sense that he most likely still didn't know how to read the language, considering how short of a time he had been here.

The hunter turned his eyes away from the paper, looking at his AI companion with a look that didn't convey insult or aggravation at her words, but one that was perhaps a look of embarrassment. Fortunately, after a moment of this somewhat awkward silence, he finally spoke.

"I'm afraid my dear Arona, you are correct in your assessment, while part of the paper is damaged beyond recognition, the part that isn't damaged I am unable to read because of my lack of familiarity with the written language of kivotos" Arona couldn't stop her jaw from falling open when she saw the look of subdued embarrassment on the hunters face.

While admitting his faults was something that he had learnt to do, especially during his time as a hunter, it certainly didn't make it any easier when admitting them to somebody he was close to.

Nonetheless, after a moment of being slack jawed, Arona quickly closed her mouth as she imitated something that the hunter did quite regularly, placing a fist over her closed mouth she let out a series of forced and fake coughs.

"Sensei, Why don't you let me read it" Arona put on a serious expression, the hunter looking at her momentarily surprised before suddenly nodding much to the little AI girl's satisfaction.

However, the hunter then did something that perplexed her, he held the tablet up in front of him while also holding the piece of paper in front of the tablet.

"Sensei... What are you doing?" Arona spoke after a moment of awkward silence, her face taking on a slightly confused visage, as the Hunter blink several times, a slightly puzzled expression on his face as he didn't understand what she was referring to.

"I am holding up the paper so you can read it, Arona" The hunter stated matter-of-factly, the perplexed expression on his face giving way to a completely blank look as both him and Arona stared at each other for a long and awkwardly silent several moments.

Yet eventually the little AI girl couldn't contain herself any more as she suddenly and abruptly burst out laughing, her knees quickly giving out from under her as she began to roll around on the floor uncontrollably laughing like somebody gone mad, much to the hunter's puzzlement and somewhat dismay.

"Ha Ha Ha, S-Sensei! Ha Ha, You're so funny" Arona managed to blurt out between her bursts of laughter, all the while continuing to roll around on the partially flooded floor as the Hunter watched on through the tablet screen, completely and utterly confused about why she was laughing at him.

"Arona... Why are you laughing? What did I do, exactly, that was so humorous?" the hunter asked with a completely dumbfounded expression, watching his little AI companion continue to laugh her guts out. Even so, eventually Arona managed to get control of herself just enough, so she could get back to her feet.

"Sensei, you're funny because you take things too literally sometimes, you silly head" Arona quickly broke out into more giggles, the hunter continuing to look at her, even more confused by what she had said, before the AI girl got control of herself again and continued speaking.

"When I said you should let m read it ... I didn't mean literally show me the paper, Sensei. You could have just used the tablet to take a picture therefore the data would have been transferred directly into my memory" Arona watched the hunter simply stare at her with a completely and utterly dumbfounded expression, which only caused her to start to giggle once more as it was the first time she had seen the hunter look truly confused by something.

Yet eventually the little AI girl managed to get control of her laughter as she took a calming breath to try and relieve her now aching chest. "Sensei, I'll show you how the camera works. First press the large button on the front of the tablet" Arona waited patiently for the Hunter to do when she said, which after a moment of puzzlement he eventually did.

As soon as he pressed the large button on the front of the tablet, Arona and the classroom disappeared, being replaced by the default home screen of the tablet, which only seemed to confuse the hunter further.

However, before the hunter could verbalise his confusion, something unexpected happened that almost made him drop the tablet. A smaller and less realistically proportioned version of Arona quickly appeared on the tablet home screen, with the now chibi AI quickly shaking her head and limbs while trying to get used to her now compressed and smaller body, before she turned to the hunter and spoke.

"Sensei, you want to tap the camera icon which is over here" Arona accompanied her words by quickly climbing and jumping between the various app icons as if they were physical platforms before quickly landing and climbing on top of the one she was referring to.

The hunter, who was still completely stupefied by the entire situation, simply did as Arona instructed, his finger hovering over the app icon, seemingly afraid that touching it would hurt her in the process yet after a moment he pressed it regardless. The home screen much like the virtual classroom quickly disappeared, being momentarily replaced by a blank screen with several icons at the bottom, before something miraculous happened that made the hunter's eyes widen considerably.

The screen quickly was replaced by what looked, to him, to be a perfect replica of the tablet it was facing, which in this case was a decrepit and cracked concrete wall.

Staring at the screen in wonder and amazement, the hunter began to slowly pan the tablet around the environment, watching with absolute fascination as no matter what he pointed it at, a perfect replication of it was displayed on the tablet screen.

"If I didn't know any better, I would consider this to be of the arcane or some other kind of sorcery" The hunter murmured quietly to himself, astonishment dripping from his voice, as he continued to view various objects and scenes through the tablet.

Arona who was watching from inside the tablet couldn't help but find the sheer look of amazement on the hunter's face absolutely captivating. While she had seen him interested in the various pieces of technology that surrounded him, this was the first time she had seen him utterly and completely fascinated by anything.

However, eventually Arona quickly let out a force sounding coughs, which managed to get the hunters' attention as he turned to look at her despite her not having her digital body on display.

"Sensei, point the tablet at the piece of paper" The hunter looked momentarily perplexed before a look of understanding appeared on his face as he did exactly that, holding both the piece of paper and the tablet at just the right distance so that the piece of paper was in view of the camera.

"Yeah! You've got it sensei, now make sure that the piece of paper is in frame completely and then press the big red button at the bottom of the screen" Arona stated making sure to not overcomplicate it, so the hunter could follow along, she did feel like she was insulting his intelligence somewhat, by teaching him this way.

But if a hunter cared, he didn't seem to verbalize it as he did exactly what she told him to do, adjusting the angle of the tablet and the paper so they were almost exactly lined up with each other. And once he was satisfied with the alignment, he quickly pressed the big red button at the bottom of the tablet's screen, which took a picture of the piece of paper.

The hunter watched with fascination as an identical version of what he had just seen on the screen was quickly generated, before shrinking in size and flying into the corner of the tablet screen, quickly occupying a small blank box which was now inhabited by a smaller version of the picture.

"There you go, sensei! Now just let me have a look at it and see what it says" Arona said with a happy tone, as she quickly changes the tablet screen from the camera app back to the classroom that she inhabited. The hunter watching with fascination as she quickly popped up from the bottom of the screen with a piece of very familiar looking paper in her hands.

"Now let's have a little look shall we" Arona held the paper clothes in front of her face, squinting her eyes considerably as she began to read the little text that was legible. However, as she did, her face took on a visage of mild confusion, which made the hunter look slightly concerned as he opened his mouth to say something.

"What is it, Arona?" The hunter questioned with visible trepidation on his face, Arona didn't immediately respond, simply looking at the piece of paper for several long moments before eventually she turned her eyes up to look at the hunter.

"Sensei... it's a restaurant receipt..." The Hunter didn't immediately reply, his face taking on an as confused expression as his AI assistant, both of them staring at each other dumbfounded by this revelation. Of all places the hunter had expected Tomo to have visited before her disappearance, the last place that he would even consider was a restaurant with any kind.

In fact, even though he didn't know Tomo personally, from the little scraps of information he had, it didn't seem like it was in her character to visit a restaurant, especially when combined with her delinquent status, which the hunter had learnt through research. This basically made a student a pariah in civilised society.

"I see... If it's a receipt, then does it say which restaurant it's from?" the hunter asked cautiously, he didn't want to get his hopes up just in case this potential clue panned out to be another dead end.

Arona looked at the hunter for a moment before an expression of recognition crossed her face. "Y-yes sensei, It does say which restaurant it's from" She accompanied her words by quickly looking at the piece of paper again.

Yet before the little AI girl could open her mouth to speak, the hunter suddenly became aware of somebody approaching him from behind, his deeply honed hunter Instincts kicking in as he abruptly put the tablet into his overcoat for protection, while at the same time reaching into his overcoat to retrieve a weapon. But when he finally turned around and saw who was approaching him, he quickly reconsidered that line of approach, while also calming himself.

Serika continued to idly tap away at her phone, typing out a message to Shiroko about something at the school that needed repairing, while not paying attention to the pavement in front of her.

She knew the route off by heart by this point, so she wasn't worried about walking into anything, and considering how deserted this particular district was. Serika was certain that she wouldn't run into anyone either, which was just the way she liked it.

Yet as she finally finished typing out her message and sent it, her black ears twitched as she became aware of something in her path, looking up only for her to come to a stop at the very last second before colliding into a certain adult who she would have rather not seen today.

Both teacher and student looked at each other for a long series of moments, Neva one of them willing to break the awkward silence that hung in the air between them. However eventually the hunter was the first to speak, pulling his hand out of his overcoat as he gave a slight bow to the black haired student.

"Ah. Serika how good to see you. Who would have guessed that we would run into each other like this" The hunter said with a polite tone but slightly awkward tone, while he was confident in his ability to speak to people. The same couldn't be said when it came to Serika and her overly prickly and confrontational attitude.

Said cat girl simply looked at the hunter with an unimpressed expression, before she eventually let out a frustrated sigh, slipping her phone into her jacket pocket before crossing her arms over her chest in a clearly unimpressed and frustrated display.

"What the heck, I thought today was going to be a good day" Serika said loudly, not even trying to hide the disdain from her voice as she looked at the hunter with what could only be described as a gaze of someone who was looking at a piece of disgusting trash or excrement lying on the ground.

Despite how much it hurt him emotionally, the hunter didn't respond to her clear distinct for him, choosing to simply let out a series of forced coughs as he decided to change the subject.

"Well then, Serika how has your morning been so far" The Hunter couldn't help but feel just a bit awkward, small talk was never something he never particularly excelled at, even though he considered himself a well-spoken individual.

Serika simply let out a slightly dejected sigh, she was partially hoping that sensei being here was simply just an illusion brought on by heatstroke, however it seemed that he was here to stay.

"My morning was fine until I saw you" Serika said somewhat idly, yet quickly caught herself as a momentary flush of anger quickly spread across her face.

"Wait! Seriously! Why are you asking me stupid questions like we're friends or something!" The black haired accompanied her raised voice and aggressive words by pointing a finger at The Hunter.

The Hunter didn't immediately respond to her fiery words, yet despite him not saying anything to her, Serika after taking a breath to calm herself, notice the expression on his face change considerably. His face taking on a noticeably saddened but also slightly disapproving look.

Serika felt herself beginning to feel even more uncomfortable the longer he stared at her, yet it wasn't the usual kind of discomfort that one would get with somebody staring at them unprovoked. No, this discomfort was deeper and far more primal, to the point where for just a split second she considered turning on the spot and sprinting in the opposite direction. However before she could act on that animalistic impulse, the hunter let out a noticeably frustrated sigh as he finally spoke.

"Serika... I know that you dislike me, and even if I don't know the exact reason why... it doesn't change the fact that I want to help... You, as well as the rest of the abydos foreclosure task force, in any way I can... It's my duty as a teacher after all" The hunter finished his impromptu speech by extending a hand out to the black haired cat girl in a proverbial peace offering.

Serika didn't immediately respond, the strange almost animalistic feeling to turn and run was now gone, yet it didn't change the fact that she's still felt uneasy, specifically because of what the hunter had just said. She didn't trust him, she couldn't trust him, after all he was an adult, and the one thing she had learned growing up, it was that most adults couldn't be trusted, especially when it seemed like they wanted nothing in return.

Yet, despite her rational mind telling her that she should simply smack his hand away, thereby disregarding his offer of peace and friendship. Serika quickly found one of her hands inching towards the hunter's own, but as soon as she saw this, she quickly stopped herself, her face taking on a look of anger once again as she quickly swatted the hunter's hand away from her.

"Yeah right, do you really think I'm so gullible I believe crap like that! Seriously! Leave me and my friends alone and just never come back!" Serika shouted loudly, spinning on the spot, which made her twin tails whip around wildly as she began to fast walk in the other direction. All the while letting out frustrated groans as well as curses words that the hunter found quite surprising that somebody of her age knew.

However, that was the least of his concerns as a noticeably downtrodden expression made its way onto his face as he watched the cat girl beginning to move into the distance, despite his hope that she would eventually come around, it was now clear as day that she seemingly would never accept him and his help willingly.

It also made him question even more exactly why students were seemingly so distrusting of adults, clearly that was some kind of history of adults taking advantage of students, that much was obvious. But of course the exact nature of what could have happened to tarnish the image of adults in the students minds was still a mystery to him.

Yet after watching Serika eventually disappear around a distance street corner, the hunter just let out a dejected sigh, yet despite feeling disheartened about another failed attempt at connecting with the prickly cat girl. He wouldn't let it dampen his spirits to help the abydos girls, after all he had made a promise and if there was one thing that he always kept, it was his promises.

"I suppose we should be on our way Arona" The hunter said with a somewhat monotone voice, as he looked up to the sky for a brief moment, his eyes squinting as he looked at the burning fireball in the sky that was the sun, before he began to walk, his feet taking him in an unknown direction as Arona finally replied.

"Yes, sensei... I'm sorry that Serika didn't come around this time" Arona's voice emanated from inside his overcoat, slightly muffled but still clear to the hunter as he proceeded to move forward.

"There is no need for you to apologise Arona, It is not your fault and neither is it hers either" The hunter expressed as he continued to move, idling noting to himself that he was walking in the same direction that Serika had stormed off in.

Arona didn't immediately respond, inside the virtual classroom she couldn't help but feel incredibly sad for Sensei. Yet, as she sat in one of the many vacant desks, she felt a small amount of frustration beginning to build up within her. It wasn't fair! Sensei was only trying to help, and yet he had it tossed back in his face by a student who from Arona's perspective appeared to just be an ungrateful brat.

Unfortunately, before she could verbalize her frustration, the hunters somehow managed to pick up on it, speaking to her as he quickly turned a street corner.

"I understand your anger, Arona... But... Please do not direct it at Serika, she simply can't bring herself to trust an adult like me, because of her biases" The hunter could feel Arona's disbelief at his words as he continued to move forward.

Arona wanted to argue, the somewhat agitated expression on her face growing deeper and deeper by the second as she opened her mouth to do so.

"B-but! Sen-" Arona didn't get a chance to finish her words as the hunter came to an abrupt stop, she couldn't see his face due to the tablet being inside his overcoat. But the feeling she got from his presence sent a tingling sensation down her spine, because of how unlike sensei it felt to her.

"No buts, Arona, I will not hold Serika's behaviour against her, and neither should you... Do I make myself clear" The hunter did not raise his voice or make himself sound overly aggressive, yet the sheer intensity and power his voice conveyed was enough to make Arona immediately shake her head in acknowledgment.

This was perhaps the closest she'd ever seen the hunter to being angry, and quite truthfully, if this is what he was like when he was only giving her a stern talking to, then she definitely didn't want to see him or be the target when he fully lost his temper.

Satisfied with Arona's compliance, the hunter took a deep calming breath, holding it in for a couple seconds before letting it go. He would have to apologise to Arona later for his harsh treatment, but that could wait for the moment, as he resumed walking.

"Arona, you said that the paper had the name of the restaurant on it, correct?" The hunter asked as he quickly rounded another street corner, and was greeted with the sight of something that he had seen very little of in the abydos district up until this point.

Actual genuine citizens going about their day, although as he passed a dog man who gave a polite nod, which the hunter reciprocated in kind. He couldn't help but feel uneasy being around these animal human hybrids, simply because they brought back many unpleasant memories about similar although far more beastly creatures he had encountered during his time as a hunter.

Arona momentarily surprised by what he had asked, quickly fumbled around in one of her skirt pockets, slightly worried that she had misplaced the digitised piece of paper before she suddenly found it, a relieved expression making its way onto her face as she quickly pulled it from her pocket.

"Y-yes sensei!" Arona stammered, quickly looking through the lines of text from the crumpled piece of paper before finally finding the string of characters she was looking for.

"The receipt says it's from... Shiba Seki Ramen" Arona fell silent, her eyes taking on a slightly unfazed look as her mind began subconsciously referencing the name of the restaurant through every available entry on the restaurant registry of kivotos, after a second of this she found the exact address.

The hunter didn't immediately react to his companion's words, coming to a stop for a moment as he began to ponder the name of the restaurant. It was a strange name, especially considering that the first part of it was the name of a dog native to the orient, if he remembered correctly. However, any more pondering on the name could wait as Hunter asked one more question to Arona.

"Arona, do you know the location of this... Shiba Seki Ramen restaurant" The hunter commented as he waited for his AI companion to reply, which she did after a short pause.

"Yes sensei I do, I can give you directions as you walk!" Arona said somewhat excitedly, wanting to make up for what she saw as her transgressions earlier by being incredibly useful to the hunter once again.

"Very good, thank you Arona" the hunter concluded his words by beginning to walk again, casting his gaze up to the sky once more as he noticed that the sun was a lot lower in the sky than he remembered.

"Your welcome Sensei. Now, take a right turn at the next intersection coming up" Arona said with a giggle, she couldn't help it considering the way she said the directions reminded her very much of a GPS travel device that would be found in a common car.

The hunter, despite not knowing what she was laughing about, couldn't help but chuckle himself as he followed her directions, both Hunter and AI continuing along their journey towards their destination, unknowing that they would once again meet a few familiar faces.

…

"Are you positive this is the correct place, Arona?" the hunter asked as he came to a stop outside the destination that Arona had directed him towards, the Sun by now was very low to the horizon, casting the entire district division in an eerie darkness, that he instinctively felt more at home in then the bright daylight.

"Yes sensei, this is the correct address for Shiba Seki Ramen, it even said it above the door, look" The hunter followed Arona's voice, his gaze coming to rest on a sign hanging above a set of oriental style sliding doors, with big black characters carved Into the wooden signs surface that the hunter could most likely presume said the name of the restaurant even though he couldn't exactly read it.

"Well then, I suppose we should head inside and ask about-" The hunter didn't get a chance to finish his words or even move, making him stop and turn to its source.

"Uheee, Fancy seeing you here Sensei"

The Hunter found himself quite surprised to see Hoshino, Shiroko, Ayane and Nonomi approaching him as a group, he also silently noted that all of them were wearing stuff other than their school uniforms, with Hoshino wearing a simple white shirt and knee-length blue skirt, however the hunter couldn't help but note, the presence of a large bandage wrapped around her upper right arm.

Shiroko was dressed in a simple hoodie jacket which was unzipped revealing a blue T-shirt underneath, along with a set of blue jeans to match. However, the hunter did notice that wrapped around her neck was the same scarf he had seen her wearing before. Which suggests that it must have had some kind of sentimental significance to her, considering that no normal person would wear a scarf in the middle of a desert.

Ayane much like Hoshino wore a simple white shirt, although instead of a button up design like Hoshino's. Ayane's was a simple white T-shirt, which combined with a pair of black coloured shorts and sneakers made her look quite ordinary. Although the hunter did take note that she was still wearing her red frame glasses, indicating to him that her need for them was indeed real, instead of it being a fashion statement like he had initially assumed.

And finally, Nonomi wore a simple white sun dress with an almost comically large brimmed sun hat perched topper head, which the hunter initially assumed was to protect her head from the sun. However, then he reconsidered that notion, considering that from the little time he had known Nonomi, she seemed like she was the most fashion conscious member of the foreclosure task force.

The hunter opened his mouth to greet the students however before he could do so, Shiroko suddenly separated from her classmates, covering the small distance between her and him and suddenly came to a stop in front of him, her face remaining blank and emotionless, yet in her eyes the hunter could see almost overwhelming happiness.

"Nn. It's good to see you again Sensei" Shiroko said in a mostly monotone voice, although the hunter could easily detect a small amount of eagerness creeping into her words. Which was also followed by her looking at him expectantly, her ears twitching rapidly.

And it didn't take him long to figure out what she wanted as with a chuckle, the hunter quickly reached out his hand, and began to pat her head gently. Which the wolf girl clearly seemed to enjoy immensely as the emotionless expression on her face, was replaced with a subdued happy and pleasurable expression.

"It's an unexpected but pleasant surprised to see you too Shiroko" The hunter laughed some more as he continued to gently pat Shiroko's head. Yet as he did so, he turned his gaze to the other students who were watching the interaction with various reactions, ranging from indifference to amusement.

"I could say the same for the rest of you, it's an unexpected surprise to see all of you here, especially at this time of day no less" The hunter said, a genuine amount of surprise and his voice.

While the idea of running into the other abydos students didn't shock him all that much, considering that this was the district that their school was located in. It was still very surprising to run into them at the exact place he needed to be, in fact if he was a religious man, he may have considered it some kind of prophecy or divine providence.

The three students looks between each other for a moment, they found it just a surprising to see Sensei here of all places and more so at this hour, even so after an awkward moment of silence that hung in the air like a bad smell. Hoshino was the one to finally put an end to the silence.

"Uhe, we could say the same thing about you sensei, it's a bit strange that we would run into you at this time, and especially on a weekend" Hoshino said with a mostly relaxed tone, yet the hunter couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, because even though the rest of the students couldn't. He was able to pick up on the subtle accusatory tone in her voice, which was also accompanied by a slight amount of suspicion in her gaze.

Fortunately, instead of drawing attention to Hoshino's suspicion of him, the hunter simply disregarded it, as after a few seconds he finally finished patting Shiroko's head before answering.

"Indeed... it is a coincidence, Hoshino, but still not an unpleasant one" The hunter put on a Jovial smile, giving a short and curt bow which elicited a slightly embarrassed smile and a series of giggles from both Ayane and Nonomi.

Hoshino despite her clear misgivings of why the hunter was here at this time of day also managed to force a smile. Although the hunter could tell that it was much more Force than usual.

Which made him feel that the pink haired girl didn't quite act like herself recently, and even though there was no justification for it, he couldn't help but think that maybe the bandage wrapped tightly around her exposed upper arm had something to do with it.

"It's good to see you sensei, but... if I may ask... why are you here exactly, didn't have any classes today..." Ayane expressed with a polite smile, although the smile quickly vanished as a somewhat panic look unexpectedly crossed her face. "Y-you didn't go to the school, did you!?" The glasses wearing girls said with a significant amount of panic in her voice.

Ayane immediately feared the worst. That sensei had gone to the school only to find it completely locked up with no one there, therefore wasting his very precious time. In fact, in her mind's eye, she couldn't help but conjure up a very uncharacteristically frustrated sensei vowing to never help the ungrateful students again.

The hunter, despite not knowing Ayane's internal panic, quickly waved one of his hands in a disarming manner. He knew that it was the weekend and therefore the school would not be open, so even though he was in the district, he wouldn't have gone to the school unless there was a distinct reason to.

"There is no need to threat Ayane. I was more than aware that the school would not be open today" The hunter answered, his words having the desired effect as the glasses-wearing pointy-eared girl noticeably relaxed, the absolutely petrified expression on her face quickly vanishing as she let out a relieved sigh.

"If you didn't come to the district to see us, why are you here on a weekend, Sensei?" Nonomi asked casually, momentarily adjusting her massive brimmed sun hat as she looked at Sensei with a questioning gaze.

The hunter didn't immediately react to her words, although looking into her eyes he could see that her question was born out of genuine inquisitiveness and a bit of confusion at his presence, instead of distrust and suspicion like Hoshino. As such, after thinking for a moment, he finally responded.
"Well, the reason I am here in the District... Is because I am on official Schale matters, unrelated to your school's predicament" The hunter decided that he wouldn't reveal the exact nature of what he was doing. Although this wasn't for any nefarious reasons, instead it was simply so that the students could focus on their own problems instead of having to worry about the ones that he had to solve himself.

Because even though every single abydos student had made the disdain for delinquents extremely clear. The hunter had a sneaking feeling that if they found out the exact nature of why he was here, then they would most likely try to help him. Which while admirable wouldn't be the best for them considering that they had to focus on their own financial situation first instead of helping other people.

"Ohhhhhh" Nonomi expressed with a kind of understanding expression making itself apparent on her face, as the rest of the other students followed her lead.

Yet, Hoshino didn't, a very critical and distrusting look making itself evident on her face, in fact, the hunter could see that she wasn't even trying to hide her clear mistrust for him as she quickly began to speak.

"Annnd what exactly are your official matters, then?" Hoshino asked, her eyes sharpened as she didn't even try to hide the disdain in her voice, which caught all of her friends off guard as they turned to look at her in disbelief.

The hunter didn't immediately respond to her words, both adult and smaller girl's gazes locking onto each other as they both stared deep into one another souls. While he couldn't be entirely sure, the hunter was inclined to believe that Hoshino's trepidation for him most likely revolved around the fact that he was an adult, much like a certain cat girl with a prickly attitude.

And even though he tried his best to get through to her and show her that he was trustworthy, it was clear that she still didn't accept him or his word, which did sadden him somewhat. But unlike Serika, who completely and categorically rejected the hunter's help in any form, Hoshino seemed like she was a more of a pragmatist, willing to take help even from people she distrusted if it could further her own goals.

Letting out a sigh, the hunter quickly straightened his back, pulling at the ruffled collar of his shirt and adjusting it before speaking.

"Unfortunately the nature of my business is not something I can share, due to the nature Schale and it's activities" The hunter was already fully aware of what kind of affect his words would have on Hoshino.

And it seemed he was justified in his assertion as Hoshino's face took on a noticeably hardened edge, the suspicion and mistrust in her eyes growing considerably as he noticed one of her hands twitch, as if she was reaching for a weapon that she only just now remembered wasn't currently in her possession.

The rest of the students, however, despite somewhat being disheartened by his words, kind of understood why he couldn't tell them about his activities. After all, from their perspective Schale, was still something that was only talked about through gossip on the internet, to the point where almost no one apart from the general student council presumably, knew anything about the exact dealings of the club and by in turn Sensei.

Ayane quickly stepped forward, missing completely Hoshino's hardened and serious facial expression as she quickly extended a hand to the hunter, a small smile plastered across her face which replaced any form of disappointment she had a moment to go.

"Sensei. Would you... like to join us?" Ayane pause for a moment, a look of contemplation adorning her face as she tried to think of the right words to say, before she eventually found them and continued speaking. "We all came here, because we wanted to visit Shiba Seki Ramen, for a... very special reason" She said, her words catching the attention of the hunter as he raised an eyebrow.

Yet, before the hunter could respond to the request, somebody quickly interrupted him. With that somebody being none of them Nonomi, who had a mock surprised look on her face.

"Wow, Ayane is so bold~" Nonomi exclaimed with a clearly fake stunned tone, holding a hand over her mouth as if she was shocked by what had just happened. The hunter was straight away able to pick up on what she was implying, causing him to chuckle somewhat, however Ayane reaction was different.

She abruptly turned to look at her friend, a completely blank expression on her face, yet that expression didn't last very long as it was quickly replaced by a look of absolute shock and deep embarrassment. As the pointy eared girl's face went as red as a ripe tomato, steam practically flying out of her ears, as she began to stumble over her words repeatedly before eventually managing to find her voice.

"N-N-Nonomi! I D-didn't mean it like T-that!" Ayane's red face somehow grew even brighter in shade and colour, as her embarrassment only continue to grow with each passing second.

The hunter watching the scene couldn't help but chuckle loudly, finding the entire scene quite humorous. Yet despite that, Ayane didn't seem to pay attention to his amusement as she continued to stutter with her words, only to hear Nonomi speak up again.

"Oooooohhhh wow! Our little Ayane looks so embarrassed, maybe we should leave her and Sensei alone" Nonomi could barely contain her giggles as she said those words, which only continued to make Ayane even more embarrassed, failed answers continuing to exit her mouth as if her brain had momentarily short-circuited from the sheer embarrassment.

However, before the glasses wearing girl could finally articulate some kind of explanation, so that her friends wouldn't get the wrong idea about wanting Sensei to spend time with them. The hunter felt that it was time to step in, considering that the poor girl appeared like she was about to self combust, judging from how red-hot her cheeks looked.

"Now, now Nonomi that's enough teasing" The hunter commented with a jovial tone, yet there was something else in his voice, a reserved power that compelled the Nonomi to oblige with his request, in fact it was almost like a father gently but firmly telling a child to behave themselves.

Reaching out a hand, the hunter quickly places it on Ayane's shoulder, the unexpected contact causing the girl to jump suddenly as she turned to glare at him, a fearsome blush still lingering on her cheeks, with an expression of embarrassment also still visible on her face.

"I would be more than happy to spend time with you AND everyone else Ayane, I think it would be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better" The hunter put on a genuine and calming smile which had the desired effect as Ayane noticeably calmed.

The blush receding but not completely vanishing from her cheeks as she quickly took a relaxed breath, a small and sweet smile returning to her lips as the hunter smiled at her before tilting his head and turning to the other girls.

"Now then, why don't we all head inside, it is starting to get awfully dark out here, and I would hate for all of you to be stuck out of the cold" The hunter said politely as he gestured for the girls to follow him, as he quickly released his hand from Ayane's shoulder and headed towards the door of the restaurant.

One by one be students quickly followed him, the very last one being Hoshino who, throughout the entire Nonomi and Ayane teasing event, had simply continued to look at the Hunter, clear distrust and suspicion in her gaze.

Even so, as the rest of her friends quickly followed the hunter, eventually she let out a frustrated and dejected sounding sigh, one that she was positive he was able to hear yet pretended not to.

Although as she quickly followed after her friends and rejoined into the group, and they waited for the hunters to open the door like a gentleman, she couldn't help but still a glance at him as he did so, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she still couldn't quite figure out exactly what his motivation was.

"You might have everyone else duped sensei. But you can't fool me... No matter how hard you try"

 

[mgman]

"Welcome to Shiba Seki Ramen!"

The hunter heard an unfamiliar voice call out as he entered the establishment. However, his attention was momentarily taken up by the interior design of the restaurant.

While he was somewhat familiar with oriental architecture, he still found himself momentarily taken aback by the sheer simplistic of the interior design. It was elegant and refined yet also had a homely-like ambiance to it, one that evoked a calming and pleasant feeling that was extremely refreshing.

"Wow, this place is so pretty," Nonomi said with a bright, beaming smile as she examined the restaurant.

The rest of her classmates also followed along, as they were also somewhat taken aback by how nice the interior of the restaurant looked, when compared to its rather unremarkable exterior.

"Indeed Nonomi, This place does indeed look like a very pleasant dining establishment" The hunter replied, his eyes continuing to trace around the restaurant before they suddenly came to rest on somebody who had their back to him.

An individual who had two long black twin tails, poking out of the white apron wrapped around her head, with also a pair of just as black cat ears perch to top her head.

"Is that-" The hunter didn't get a chance to finish his words, as the owner of the twin tales and cat ears quickly turned around, a slightly forced happy expression on her face as she held a blue clipboard in one hand as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Welcome to Shiba Seki... Wait! W-what the...?!" The mysterious waiter now revealed to be Serika quickly stumbled over her words, her slightly forced happy and welcoming act completely evaporating when she saw who exactly had just walked into her workplace.

However, before she could metaphorically pick her jaw up off the floor, Nonomi quickly stepped forward, an unnaturally happy expression on her face as she spoke.

"Hello! Table for five!" Nonomi said with delight, flashing a bright and almost overpowering smile at the completely and utterly stupefied Serika who simply looked on, her jaw almost on the floor.

"Haha... hello, Serika" Ayane step forward to say hello, a somewhat apologetic and awkward smile on her face as she couldn't help her feel incredibly awkward at this point.

Serika continue to look at her friends, still unable to speak as she honestly couldn't believe that they had come here, because as far as she was aware, though they knew that she had a part-time job they didn't know exactly where she had worked. So the fact that they had all turned up out-of-the-blue like this through her for a loop somewhat.

Shiroko quickly stepped forward, holding a hand up in the air and giving a simple wave as she said one word.

"Hey"

With a violent blush beginning to spread across her face, Serika managed to pick her jaw up off the floor, a clearly embarrassed but also frustrated look crossing her face as she quickly began to speak.

"W-what are you D-doing here?" Serika stumbled over her words, the blue clipboard which was in her hand, slipping from her grip only for her to capture the last second before it could hit the floor. Needless to say, this only served to make the black haired cat girl feel even more embarrassed.

Hoshino quickly stepped forward, making herself look much happier than she actually was, as she decided to completely forget about the hunter for a moment.

"Heh! We knew you'd be here!" Hoshino spoke as if it was a definitive fact, which only made Serika feel somewhat uncomfortable, subconsciously putting the blue clipboard in front of her as if it could function as some kind of full body shield.

However, before Serika could think of something to say to her friends, the hunter quickly step forward to introduce himself. He already had a sneaking suspicion of what her reaction was going to be upon seeing him, but he still decided to be polite anyway.

"Hello my dear, Serika I must say that it is an extraordinary coincidence that we would run into each other again" The hunter said with a polite tone giving a slight bow. Which didn't seem to have the desired effect, as Serika quickly took on a displeased look, as if she was gazing at a piece of walking and talking trash that had the gall to introduce itself to her.

"Ugh you again!? Seriously, are you stalking me or something?" Serika said with a thoroughly annoyed growl, accompanying her words by tapping her foot vigorously against the hardwood floor while putting her balled fists on her hips.

Which was also accompanied by her sending a vicious glare towards the hunter who, despite internally disappointed by the reaction, didn't outwardly portray any reaction to her negative words.

Still, as he straightened his back, Hoshino decided to step in, surprising the hunter as she seemingly came to his defence, although the hunter suspected it was most likely to keep up the somewhat flimsy facade of her barely tolerating his existence.

"Now now Serika. Don't blame Sensei. We figured out together this might be the only place you work, so we just came by to visit" Hoshino didn't even spare a second glance at the hunter as she spoke. Yet the hunter was able to easily pick up on the obvious disgust she put into the overemphasized "sensei" in her words, but ultimately he made the decision to pay no mind to it.

Serika continue to look past Hoshino for a moment, her disgusted gaze remaining locked onto the hunter, after which she turned to look at her pink head friend, her eyes becoming more affectionate, yet the frustrated look remained as she let out an irritated sounding sigh.

"Of course it would be you, Hoshino" Serika said with an almost tired sounding tone, she was positive that this day couldn't get any worse. However, that's when lady luck decided to remind her that it could. As a familiar voice quickly called out to her from behind the food bar centre of the restaurant.

"Are those your Abydos classmates, Serika? Stop with the chit-chat and take their order" Serika along with her friends and the hunter all turned to the source of the voice, seeing that it belonged to a rather diminutive Shiba dog man.

A small old looking wooden tobacco pipe perched between the lips of his muzzle, however the part that the hunter in particular found the most intriguing was the scars that adorned his face, which were easily visible beneath his light sandy coloured fur.

Serika didn't immediately respond to the small Shiba, a surprised expression making its way onto her face, thus she turned back to look at her friends who simply waived or stood idly by.

However, her surprised eyes quickly hardened into a look of disgust as she gave the hunter a harsh glare before turning back to the restaurant owner and giving an apologetic bow.

"Y-Yes, sir. Follow me. I'll take you to your table" Serika turned to her friends and the Hunter, offering the most forced looking smile she could manage as she gestured to a table not far away.

Hoshino, Shiroko, Ayane and Nonomi all looked at each other for a moment before following Serika's lead, all of them laughing and talking amongst each other as they quickly made it to their table and all sat down.

The hunter wasn't far behind as he came to stand at the side of the table. Looking at the scene of all of them enjoying each other's company and acting like teenagers should genuinely warm his heart, yet both Nonomi and Shiroko suddenly turned to him, both students having expecting looks on their face as they gestured to him while raising their hands.

"Over here, sensei! Sit next to me!" Nonomi set with her usual bubbliness, gently patting the empty seat next to her, as she waited patiently for the hunter to sit down.

However before the hunter could open his mouth in regard to her request, Shiroko suddenly chose that moment to speak, her face remaining emotionless and unchanging, yet in her eyes the hunter could see an eagerness as she gently patted the seat next to her as well.

"Um… Or you can sit next to me if you want" Despite her face remaining mostly unchanged, the hunter could see a subtle amount of embarrassment beginning to creep into her features, as she squirmed in her seat a bit uncomfortably.

Yet, after a small amount of deliberation, the hunter gently held up his hand, both girls looking at him with the confused expression as he spoke.

"While I appreciate the offer girls, I'm afraid that I have to decline your request for the moment... there is something that I need to... attend to" The hunter flashed an apologetic smile as he quickly turned and retreated from the table much to the confusion and slight sadness of both Shiroko and Nonomi, and the collective Confusion of Hoshino and Ayane.

"However... After I have finished what I need to do, I promise I will come sit with you" the hunter quickly added, turning his head slightly so that the students could see the genuineness in his eyes, which Shiroko, Nonomi and Ayane seem to appreciate as their saddened and confused expressions quickly gave way to happy ones, as they began to converse amongst each other.

Satisfied, the hunter continued to move, quickly navigate the restaurant until he came to the central food bar area, where the small Sheba, who the hunter could resume was either the owner or somebody of importance, was busy preparing various noodle bowls at a speed that the hunter found quite surprising for somebody of his size and stature.

Coming to a stop in front of the counter, the hunter took in a breath and quickly spoke. "Excuse me sir" His words immediately caught the attention of the diminutive dog man, who momentarily stopped what he was doing to look up at the hunter, a look of surprise flashing through his singular open eye.

"You wouldn't happen to be the owner of the establishment, would you?" The hunter asked cautiously, while it was obvious that the dog man was some kind of high ranking employee of the establishment, he did not want unnecessarily jump to conclusions that the Sheba was the owner.

However, has the dog man and Hunter gazed at each other for a moment, the little Sheba suddenly nodded his head, his hands beginning to move on their own as he continued to prepare noodle bowls. Which the hunter found most remarkable considering that only somebody with the most well-developed hand eye coordination could do something like that while looking at somebody else.

"Yeah I am, what can I do for you, stranger?" The small Sheba said with a quite casual sounding tone, yet before the Hunter could open his mouth to offer anything in response, a look of surprise and realisation suddenly flashed across the small dog man's face as he quickly spoke once again.

"Say. You wouldn't happen to be that sensei, I've heard some students gossiping about, would you?" The Sheba asked with inquisitiveness in his voice, as he quickly finished preparing two noodle bowls. Before sliding them on a conveyor towards the end of the food bar, which were quickly picked up by Serika, who hurriedly delivered them to an awaiting table consisting of a bird person and what the hunter could presume was their child.

"Yes I am indeed, although I'm surprised you would know of me" the hunter said with a noticeable amount of puzzlement in his voice.

While students from every school's learning of his existence was to be expected, he hadn't expected anyone from non-student populations of kivotos to identify him, let alone know of his existence.

The diminutive dog man didn't immediately respond, looking at the hunter with what looked to be a slightly confused gaze, before he unexpectedly shifted his eyes downwards, momentarily looking at an order slip as he began to prepare more bowls of ramen. Yet, after that was done and his hands were working by themselves, he returned his gaze upward to answer the hunter's question.

"I've heard some students gossip as all, heard a lot of them say stuff about a brand-new sensei, who doesn't have a halo and dresses in a particular manner" The Sheba shop owner pause for a moment, quickly sending two more fully made bowls of ramen on their way, before speaking again.

"And considering that you match both of those descriptions, I'd say it's pretty obvious that you must be this new Sensei" The shop owner said in a matter of fact tone, making the hunter pause for a moment before simply nodding his head.

He could already tell that this shop owner seemed like a decent enough fellow, considering the spoke in a very straightforward and easy to understand manner, while also coming across as a relatively decent person.

"Well in that case, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr..." the hunter paused for a moment realising that he didn't actually know the diminutive dog man's name, but that didn't seem to matter as the diminutive Shiba reciprocated to the greeting in kind.

"It's nice to meet you too sensei, and just call me boss if you like" The Sheba now identified as Boss, quickly extended a paw in between making noodle bowls, which after a moment of hesitation the hunter quickly accepted, both adults shaking hands firmly before buses hand quickly return to making noodle bowls at a Pace that the hunter found genuinely impressive.

"So what can I do for you then, Sensei? You sure don't look like you're here for noodles, I can tell that much" Boss said as he turned his gaze upwards, despite not knowing exactly what the hunter wanted, he could tell by the look in the halo lacking adult's eyes he was here for something clearly other than noodles.

"Well, I was wondering if you knew anything about a certain delinquent who goes by the name Tomo" The hunter said with a slow and even tone, while this was perhaps the only direct clue he had in regard to Tomo, he didn't want to get his hopes up just in case it turned out to be a dead end.

However, as soon as Tomo's name left his mouth, the hunter observed a sudden change in Boss's eyes. At first, it was a look of confusion before it changed into a look of contemplation and then finally one of recognition.

"Tomo, huh... Hmmmmmmm. The name certainly rings a bell, all right. Let me guess, a delinquent with a biker helmet, with blonde hair and blue eyes?" Boss said abruptly, catching the hunter off guard, as he had almost perfectly described Tomo's appearance. Butt before the hunter could speak, the small Sheba clearly noticed his shock as he continued speaking.

"I remember all my customers, even the ones who only come once, besides, despite her appearance and attitude, she wasn't all that bad" Boss said with a shrug of the shoulders.

While he could certainly understand why delinquents of all stripes had the reputation they did amongst the students. He also knew that it wasn't right to judge someone based purely on the perceived reputation they had.

Despite being surprised by this, the hunter couldn't help but smile, while he certainly understood why delinquents had the reputation they did, considering what he had seen first hand. It was quite refreshing to find another individual like himself who did not judge a book by its cover.

"I see... that's very good to hear, I suppose confirmation about this being a receipt from your restaurant is not needed it then" the hunter quickly retrieved the item in question from his Overcoat. Which made Boss's single eye opened up wider in surprise for a moment before he squinted, staring at the piece of paper that was in the Hunter's hand incredibly intensely to the point where he momentarily stopped making noodle bowls.

"You mind handing that to me?" Boss said with a slightly curious tone.

The hunter looked at Boss before looking at the piece of paper for a moment clearly surprised and then complying and passing the piece of paper to the Sheba, who immediately scooped it up and began examining it with his good eye, his facial expression turning from inquisitiveness to intense confusion as he quickly looked up at the Hunter.

"I'm going to guess that something's happened to her, hasn't it... considering that you have this and... Well your demeanour, Sensei" The small Sheba said with what could almost be described as grim understanding in his voice.

The Hunter didn't say anything in response, simply shaking his head to indicate that the dog man was indeed correct in his assertion. This immediately made Boss's expression turn slightly gloomy as he let out of breath before handing the piece of paper back to the hunter as he returned to making noodle bowls.

"In that case I don't know how much help I can be, the poor thing only came in here once, and it was very obvious that she wasn't from around here" Boss accompanied his words by quickly preparing two more noodle bowls and sliding them down the conveyor.

However, the hunter could see that there was a noticeable amount of sloppiness in his work, most likely in regard to what he had just learned about Tomo's disappearance.

"Indeed, I've not had much luck finding anything about her whereabouts, however any information you have would be valuable to me... I made a promise that I would find her and I intend to keep that promise" The hunter said with conviction in his voice.

Even though, he began to feel more and more concerned about Tomo as the days passed. He still had a promise to uphold, and he would not stop searching until he found her and upheld that promise.

Boss didn't immediately say anything in response, pulsing his noodle making for just a moment as he put a paw to his chin, an expression of deep contemplation quickly replacing his look of concern.

"Hmmmmm... Well, she came in about two weeks ago... She did look a little bit scruffy and dirty, although I suppose that was probably just a result of her delinquent ways" Boss said, rubbing his porch chin as he continued to think. The hunter meanwhile simply listened, storing all the information in his brain, and even though it wasn't much, it was still much more information than he and Arona had managed to accumulate on their own.

"She tried to seem like she was big and tough, but I could tell the little thing was just hungry and needed some food, so I gave her a large bowl of ramen... Poor thing nearly ate the bowl along with the noodles she was so hungry" Boss accompanied the last part of his sentence by chuckling to himself.

Remembering the mental image of a relatively scrawny and dishevelled looking delinquent girl almost inhaling her food as if it was the last meal she would ever have in her life.

the hunter, despite not knowing what exactly boss was thinking about, he still couldn't help but smile himself seeing the Shiba's momentarily lifted spirits. However, as quickly as it came, Boss's face suddenly fell as he began to speak again.

"Although... just before she left, she did seem... I don't really know how to describe it... but maybe scared or worried about something" Any positive atmosphere that was hanging in the air between the two adults quickly evaporated and was sucked from the room as the words left Boss's muzzle. In fact, despite not really being affected by temperature all that much any more after his ascension, the hunter couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.

Because the dog man's words reminded him of what he had seen on security camera recording, particularly Tomo's seemingly one-sided argument with whoever the mysterious individual was that she was talking to.

"I see... did you ask her why she was perturbed at all" The hunter asked cautiously, he didn't want to seem like he was overstepping his boundaries considering he had only known the diminutive Sheba for a handful of minutes.

However, Boss didn't seem to care if the Hunter came across as prying as he put his paw back to his chin. A thoughtful look popped out of his face once again.

"Well just before she left I did ask if everything was all right... she didn't say anything... but... I don't know how to describe it, something about her eyes didn't seem right, as if she was fighting with herself..." Boss pause for a moment, the forceful look on his face growing deeper momentarily before he suddenly let out a sigh. "Sorry if it sounds a bit weird Sensei, but that's the only way I can really explain it" The Sheba said after sighing.

The hunter didn't immediately respond, a thoughtful look appearing on his face as he mirrored the Sheba's posture, bringing his own hand up to his chin and gently rubbing it as he began to think.

While it was a hypothetical conclusion, and one that was based on very little evidence, the hunter had a feeling, that whatever had happened to unnerve Tomo, and make her act in such a manner was most likely as a result or directly caused by the mysterious individual she had been seen speaking with, before she came to this restaurant.

"Is there anything else you can tell me" The hunter said after a moment of silence between the two adults. Boss's face momentarily took on a confused look before it morphed into an expression of deep thought.

"I can't say there is, like I said she didn't speak much, and she left pretty much as soon as she ate her ramen" Boss said matter-of-factly as he went back to his noodle making, quickly preparing four bowls of noodles in rapid succession before sliding them down the conveyor to a waiting Serika, who was watching their conversation with curiosity before she quickly scooped up the bowls and walked off to deliver them.

"I see... Well thank you I suppose, Boss, even though it's not much, this information will be helpful to me in locating her" The hunter said with an appreciative expression on his face, extending a hand out to the dog man who after preparing a bowl of ramen quickly reciprocated the action both adults once again shaking hands.

However, before the hunter could turn and walk away from the food bar, Boss suddenly spoke. "So now all that's been dealt with why don't you make an order, Sensei" the diminutive Sheba said with an expecting look in his eye and a small smile on his muzzle.

The hunter was momentarily taken aback by this, because in all truth he hadn't actually planned on ordering any food from the establishment, he had simply come here to find information.

Yet, after turning his head to look at the Abydos students who were still at the table, conversing amongst themselves happily as they waited for their meals to be delivered. The hunter decided to reconsider not eating at the establishment, especially considering that Nonomi and Shiroko had both requested for him to sit with them.

"I wasn't planning on eating... but I suppose a small meal from this fine establishment of yours, Boss, wouldn't hurt" the hunter said, a light smile making its way onto his face as he continued to look at his students enjoying themselves.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Boss looked up from his noodle preparation and at the Hunter, his gaze remaining locked onto the enigmatic teacher's face, before he traced the hunter's line of sight. A smile managed to find its way onto Boss's muzzle when he saw what exactly the hunter was looking at.

"They certainly are something, aren't they, Sensei" Boss said with a warm tone, his words causing the hunter to turn his head to look at the small dog man in surprise before his expression softened once again, the smile quickly returning to his face.

"Indeed they are, Boss... despite the hardships they're going through, they can still find the energy within them to smile and laugh... I suppose only such a thing can come with youth..." The hunter said with a chuckle, which was reciprocated by the diminutive Sheba Behind the Counter in front of him. "Although I must say that even despite that, they can still be quite the handful sometimes"

Boss didn't immediately respond, however the smile never left his muzzle as he turned his single-eyed gaze towards a certain blackhead cat girl who in between delivering bowls of ramen to tables was conversing with her friends. Normally he would have scolded her idle chit-chat during work hours, but considering that they were her friends and the slightly repressed smile on Serika face, the Sheba decided that he would let it slide this one time.

"I understand you completely Sensei, but like you said I suppose it just comes with youth" Boss replied with a quiet smile as both adults continued to watch the group of young girls talk amongst each other for several minutes.

However, eventually, the hunter decided it was finally time for him to go sit with his students. Boss, meanwhile, decided that Serika had enough time chit-chatting with her friends, as he called over to her in a calm but authoritative tone.

"Serika. That's enough chit-chatting on the job, customers need serving" Serika immediately turned to the diminutive Shiba, a look of utter surprise abruptly showing up on her face before it was replaced by a slightly embarrassed facial expression as she quickly bowed and return to her duties, offering her friends a goodbye as she began to deliver food once again.

Happy that Serika was doing her work once again, Boss chuckled quietly some more as he casually addressed the hunter, who had also turned to look at the small dog man.

"Now then, Sensei, what can I get for you" Boss sad with an almost jovial sounding tone, eagerly awaiting whatever the hunter would order.

However, instead of instantly responding, the hunter's face quickly took on a slightly confused look, as his gaze traced upwards to the large menu that hung above the food bar. Much like the other characters he had encountered so far, he couldn't read any of it, save for a few individual words.

Yet eventually the hunter found his voice, as he didn't want to keep the Sheba waiting too long, both to save his time and because he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

"I am at a bit of a loss to choose... I am unfamiliar with the cuisine of kivotos..." the hunter found himself trailing off, turning, his gaze drifting back down to the diminutive dog man who had paused his noodle making and was looking at the hunter with a perplexed look, his head tilted to the side slightly in a very canine like manner.

"I see... well, if you don't know what to order, then how about... Ah! I know just the thing!" Boss said with enthusiasm, accompanying his words with a jolly laugh as he quickly began preparing what looked to the hunter, to be an extraordinary large noodle bowl. However, that's when the hunter suddenly remembered something very important.

"Excuse me, Boss. But I'm afraid that I do not have any acceptable currency in my position, so I must decli-" The hunter didn't get a chance to finish as the Sheba quickly held up a paw, silencing the hunter from being able to speak any further as he spoke instead.

"It's alright Sensei, this one's on the house" Boss answered with a big smile on his muzzle. The hunter was completely caught off guard by this, his face taking on a completely bewildered look as he struggled to find the words to say, while he knew that not everyone was as stingy and greedy as the inhabitants of yharnam, the idea of such generosity still utterly boggled him.

"A-are you sure about that, Boss? I don't want to disadvantage you or your restaurant, or make it seem like I'm taking advantage of your generosity" The hunter quickly said, uncharacteristically stuttering for a moment.

Because the idea of somebody being so unselfish as to offer food completely free of charge was something that he found almost unthinkable, especially considering, that for all intents and purposes he was a complete stranger to the diminutive Sheba.

Boss, however, simply chuckled as he continued to prepare the extraordinary large bowl of ramen. "It's fine, sensei. Think of it as me paying you back for looking after Serika and keeping her scrawny little butt out of trouble" The Shiba stated with a smile.

The hunter despite wanting to argue with Boss, about being overly generous, he came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the trouble. Simply because it seemed like the diminutive Shiba was the kind of person who could not have his mind changed when he was set on doing a good deed, regardless of how it inconvenienced him.

As such, after giving the dogman a grateful nod and bow, the hunter quickly turned on his heels, intent on making his way back to the abydos students. Who were still patiently waiting for their food and were also now looking at him intently, clearly being curious about what he was talking about with the restaurant owner.

Yet, before the hunter could make it no more than 10 steps, he suddenly heard Boss call out from behind him. Causing him to stop and turn, and just in time for him to catch something that was thrown at him.

"Oh sensei, I forgot. She also threw that in the trash before she left. The only reason I kept it was because it just looked kind of odd" The hunter shot a confused look towards Boss, before turning his attention to the small object he had caught in his gloved hand.

It was a simple glass vial approximately the length of a pen, the inside of it was coated in a dark brown residue that had long since dried, Nevertheless a glance at the residue was enough for the hunter to confirm that this vile once held a liquid of some description

Still, the longer he looked at the tube, the more he felt a strange feeling beginning to creep down his spine. It triggered something within him, something that made the inside of his brain tremble with recognition and an almost animalistic type reaction.

"This vial ... requires further scrutinisation, later" the hunter whispered quietly under his breath as he quickly placed the small vial in his pocket for safe keeping. All the while, he continued to feel the strange feeling in his mind. It was like something was tugging and clawing at the very core of his being, desperately trying to get out...

In fact, the longer he stood there absorbed in his own thoughts, the more it began to remind him of something that made a chill run down his spine.

'Surely not...'

The words bounced around inside the hunter's mind as he quickly became aware of somebody calling his name. Suddenly blinking and giving a shake of the head, to clear the momentary fog from his mind, he saw that it was Boss looking at him with slight puzzlement and maybe even just a tiny bit of nervousness.

"You ok over there... Sensei?"

The hunter didn't immediately respond to boss's words, looking at the small Sheba with a look that was almost unable to be read. However eventually the hunter quickly let out a breath managing to quell the racing thoughts in his head as he put on a facade of calm.

"Yes, I'm... fine, Boss" the hunter said as he abruptly turned on his heels and began to make his way back to his students.

"Thank you for holding onto this Vile and giving it to me, I'm sure it will prove very useful in helping me locate Tomo" The hunter turned his head slightly, so his words would clearly reach Boss, as he continued towards his students.

"Sensei, what were you and the manager talking about?" Shiroko asked inquisitively, her voice remaining monotone and her expression blank. Yet as the hunter came to a stop in front of the girl's table, he could see unyielding curiosity in the wolf girl's eyes.

"Yeah, what were you two talking about, Sensei? Do you know the manager of this place or something?" Nonomi ask with a just as curious expression as Shiroko. Both girls staring intently at the hunter as they awaited his response, which after a moment of silent contemplation he gave.

"Never you mind, my dears, it was... Simply just some business-related matters I had to attend to" the hunter said with a perfect veneer of calmness on his face, which managed to fool all the girls except for one. That being Shiroko, who tilted her head to the side slightly as a glint of mild concern made itself visible in her eyes.

"Are you alright, Sensei?" Shiroko asked with concern dripping from her voice, replacing her usual monotone way of speaking, as her question caught the hunter off guard for a second. His facade slipping momentarily before he recovered. He to admit that the wolf girl was incredibly perceptive, because she was able to see the momentary crack in his mask when the others couldn't.

"I am fine Shiroko, don't you worry your little head about anything" The hunter accompanied his words by quickly reaching out and patting the wolf girl on the head, which she seemed to enjoy. However, the hunter could see in her eyes that she wasn't entirely convinced by his words, but ultimately decided not to pry into his business.

"Now then. I believe it's time we all sit down and enjoy a nice meal together" The hunter said as he retracted his hand from Shiroko much to her disappointment. Fortunately, when he mentioned sitting down with them, her face, along with everyone else's except from Hoshino, noticeably brightened. In fact, Nonomi and Shiroko looked positively excited at the prospect of a hunter sitting next to them.

Yet before they could say anything, the hunter suddenly did something not expected, as he quickly retrieved a chair from a vacant table close by and deposited it at the end of the girl's table. Making it so that he could see every single one of them from his vantage point, as he quickly sat down in a manner that all of them found quite intriguing.

Because of how elegant and refined he looked sitting in the rather ordinary looking chair. In fact Ayane and Nonomi in particular, couldn't help but be reminded of some of the mangas that they liked to read in their spare time. In particular, the ones that often featured refined, and elegant young Princes belong to royal families of far off fantasy Kingdoms.

"Now then, girls, have you all ordered?" the hunter said after a few moments of silence as he sat calmly in his chair. His gaze lingering on all the students, who looked back at him curiously for a moment before they suddenly looked amongst themselves. With eventually Hoshino being the one that spoke first.

"Actually sensei we were waiting for you to come back before we ordered" The pink headed girl said. A subtle amount of contempt creeping into her voice as she regarded the hunter with a clearly critical gaze. Which the hunter did find somewhat strange, but chose to ignore as a perplexed look made its way onto his features.

"I see... Then excuse me for keeping you waiting" The hunter accompanied his apologetic words by bowing his head slightly, making the students feel somewhat uncomfortable considering how overly formal his tone was.

"It's ok sensei, you don't need to apologise" Ayane said with a slightly uneasy chuckle, whenever sensei apologised for something. She couldn't help but feeling incredibly awkward. Considering that, the idea of adults apologising to a student like herself was still a relatively foreign concept.

"So you'll finally back then, huh…? Took you long enough you good for nothing adult" The hunter heard a harsh voice from behind, that made him turn his head. His eyes grow wide slightly when he saw that it was none other than Serika, who was shooting daggers at him with her eyes, with the look on her face being one of complete and utter contempt.

Even so, the hunter wasn't going to rise to her insults, because even though he had now realised, it was very unlikely she would ever accept him as a teacher, let alone a friend.

He would still reply to her harsh and mean words with kindness and support, because after all, it would be unbecoming of an adult like him to lose his patience with a student.

"Ah Serika, I must say you are perfect timing, Ayane, Hoshino, Nonomi and Shiroko are all ready to place their orders" the hunter responded in a very jovial and almost bubbly sounding tone.

Which had the desired effect as it caught the cat girl completely off guard. The irritated look on her face giving way to complete and utter confusion, because in her mind she had expected the hunter to react to her insults in any other way, except the way he had just done.

However, after a moment, eventually the cat girl just let out a frustrated sigh. Because even though she wanted to respond with more insults, she had a strong impression that she would most likely get chewed up by Boss if she did. Considering that, unfortunately for her, it seemed like Sensei and Boss had already somehow managed to become close acquaintances even though they had only just met each other.

"Alright whatever, so what do you guys wa-" Serika didn't get the opportunity to finish her words as Nonomi suddenly interrupted her, a bright smile appearing on the Sandy haired girl's face as she began to speak.

"Wow, I never noticed until now but, your uniform is absolutely adorable, Serika!" Nonomi said with her usual bubbly voice. Catching the dark-haired cat girl entirely by surprise as a violent blush suddenly burst out on her face, the clipboard and food tray in her hands, almost falling to the floor from the sheer humiliation she felt.

And unfortunately, before Serika could recover, Hoshino suddenly chimed in, a beaming grin appearing on her face, as she saw the perfect opportunity to go on the attack and tease her junior classmate.

"I didn't know you were into this kind of stuff. Chose to work here solely based on the uniform, did ya?" Hoshino said with her usual sleepy demeanor, a snicker escaping her lips, as she saw Serika's face turn even more red than should have been humanly possible.

"Wh-What are you talking about? It had nothing to do with that! I just used to be a regular here, that's all..." Serika managed to blurt out, steam practically flying out of her ears as she quickly brought the silver dish that she was holding, up in front of her face to try and hide her embarrassment.

However, it couldn't protect her from Hoshino as the sleepy pink-haired girl went on the attack once again, laughing gleefully the entire time as she spoke.

"I bet I could fetch a pretty yen if I sold pictures of you in that uniform, Serika" Hoshino said in a manner that almost reminded everyone at the table, of a dirty old man who was creeping on a much younger girl.

In fact, if Hoshino was doing it intentionally, then they had to admit that it was a rather good impression of what a creeper would act like. However, seeing that the teasing had gone too far, Ayane quickly stepped in,

"Hoshino, knock it off already..." Ayane said with a slightly forceful voice, which was sort of unlike her.

Hoshino quickly turned to look at the glasses wearing elf girl, a somewhat disappointed expression making its way on her face, as she opened her mouth to respond. But any words that she wanted to say suddenly died in her throat when she saw the ominous glint behind Ayane's red framed glasses. Which immediately made her reconsider.

After all, Hoshino had learnt very early on, that despite Ayane's calm and somewhat shy demeanor. The elf girl had a surprisingly fiery and explosive temper when pushed too far. As such, Hoshino decided that she had teased Serika enough for one day, simply choosing to giggle to herself as the table fell into a slightly awkward silence.

Fortunately, however, thankfully the awkward silence didn't last very long as Shiroko decided to try and steer the conversation to a somewhat normal topic.

"So, how long have you been working here?" Shiroko asked with a nonchalant tone.

Serika being surprised by the sudden question, took a few moments to realise that this was the perfect opportunity to try and forget about the teasing that she had just endure. As such, quickly clearing her throat, she turned to her wolf eared friend and spoke.

"Maybe about a week... Give or take a couple days" Serika said abruptly, managing to finally get rid of the raucous blush that have been on her cheeks.

However, before she could say anything else, Nonomi suddenly cut her off, a look of realisation and surprised quickly popping up on her face.

"Oooohhhhhh! Now I get why you were running off from time to time. I guess it was because you were working" Nonomi said with an overly excited and happy sounding tone of voice. She found it actually quite cute that her junior classmate and friend was such a devoted and hard worker.

Serika however, had finally lost her patience, her face going a bright red from anger as she quickly and unexpectedly raised her voice. "Would you all shut up already and just place an order?!"

The entire restaurant fell eerily quiet after the words left her mouth, everyone including the customers and even Boss all turning to look at the cat girl who was now panting heavily as if she had just run a full marathon.

Yet before boss or the Hunter could open their mouths to either resolve the situation or scold Serika for her outburst. Hoshino managed to beat all of them to it as she spoke with a joking tone.

"I think what you meant was, "May I please take your order?" Right Serika? We're your guests here after all" Hoshino couldn't contain her quiet laughter, as she saw the furious look on Serika's face increases exponentially to the point where she looked like she was about to burst into flames.

Fortunately, however, before she could do that and further embarrass herself in front of everyone in the restaurant, the hunter suddenly stepped in, catching Serika's attention by waving a hand in the air, and when she was looking at him, the hunter began to speak.

"Serika calm down and take a deep breath" The hunter's words were simple and to the point. Yet as a tense silence fell over the abydos students, they couldn't help but wonder what exactly Serika reaction would actually be, considering her very evident dislike of sensei.

However, much to their collective surprise, Serika didn't react with insults or a dismissal of the hunter's words, instead she simply let out a frustrated sounding sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose with a free hand. Before turning back to her friends.

"Ugh... Whatever. May I take your order?" Serika set with an angry and fed up tone, yet it was obvious that she had actually taken the advice of the hunter, as she didn't sound like she was about to rip someone's head off.

And as such, after several moments of Silence, Nonomi was the first to order.

"I'll have the chashu ramen, Please!" Nonomi said with her usual bubbliness. Serika quickly wrote down the order with a slight frustrated huff, before turning to the next of her friends, which in this case was Shiroko who quickly ordered.

"One shio ramen, please" Shiroko spoke in her usual monotone voice, Serika quickly added her order to the list before moving onto the next of her friends.

"Hmm... I'd like the miso ramen, please" Ayane said politely as she sent an apologetic smile towards Serika, who despite not changing her slightly frustrated facial expression, did internally appreciate the gesture as she moved on to the last of her friends. The irritated look growing on her face, considering that Hoshino was the one who had initiated the teasing and put her in his foul mood.

"I want the special miso! With extra grilled chashu!" Hoshino said with her usual sleepy voice.

Serika didn't say anything back, however, simply adding the order to the left before letting out a frustrated sounding puff of air from between her lips. Of course, Hoshino had to order the biggest thing on the menu, with extras on the side.

'Seriously! How does she eat so much and yet never get fat?' Serika thought to herself, as she turned to the last occupant of the table and the one that she hated the most.

However, before she could open her mouth to ask what he wanted, sensei did something unexpected as he quickly held up a hand, and followed it with a gentle bow of the head which caught her and the rest of her friends who were watching off guard as after a moment he spoke.

"I have already ordered something Serika, so you don't need to worry about me" The hunter stated with a quiet laugh, however instead of receiving a rebuttal or some other kind of insult like he expected. Serika didn't say anything to him, simply continuing to look at him with an unreadable expression, before she eventually sighed and turned away from the table.

"Thank you for ordering, your meals will be a few minutes" Serika said with a noticeably forced polite tone as she walked away from the table. However, just before she was out of earshot, everyone could hear her mother something under her breath.

"What an absolute headache all of you are" At those words, the table was left in an awkward silence for several moments, yet even so, eventually Hoshino was the one to break the silence, as she turned her sleepy but critical eyes towards the Hunter, suspicion bubbling up within her orange and blue eyes.

"So sensei, why exactly did you come to the abydos district today, after all it IS the weekend" The way that Hoshino emphasised her words, left no illusion in the hunter's mind that she thought he was up to no good.

Yet, despite not wanting to tell the students about his true purpose, he wasn't going to give the pink haired girl the satisfaction of having her suspicions even falsely vindicated.

"Well, even though I said I can't reveal the exact reason why, I suppose I do owe some kind of explanation" the hunter could see the suspicion in Hoshino eyes growing considerably at his words.

He also observed that the other students were all looking at him intently, clearly curious about the exact reason why he was here in the district on the weekend.

as such, after letting the silence hang in the air for a couple moments to long, the hunter finally revealed his reasoning, although unbeknownst to the students it wasn't the entire truth.

"You see… The reason why I was here in the District today... was because I was making sure that the delinquents were truly gone. And thankfully it seems that they are, considering that their hideout was completely empty, and I did not find any stragglers left behind" The hunter paused for a moment. Observing the reactions from the girls gathered at the table, in particular Shiroko, Ayane and Nonomi had looks of realisation and understanding across their faces.

However, Hoshino despite her look of sudden surprise, didn't seem convinced in the slightest by his words. In fact, as the second ticked by, the hunter could see the lack of trust in the pink haired girl's eyes increase considerably as she opened her mouth to respond.

"Hmmmmm are you sure that's the only reason you're here, Sensei... It seems a bit pointless to come all the way to abydos just to check that a bunch of delinquents had left" Hoshino didn't even try to hide the suspicion and lack of confidence in her voice, which caught all of her friend's attention, as they turned to look at her with confusion on their faces.

But, she couldn't have cared less, as she and the hunter continued to observe each other. She was positive…

No!

She was certain, that there was something he was not telling her, and even though there was no evidence for it, some small piece of her mind, keep telling her that whatever the hell that thing was that attacked her the other night had something to do with sensei.

The Hunter didn't immediately respond, yet as he looked into Hoshino eyes, he saw a flicker of something that was utterly different from the suspicion and distrust. In fact, he couldn't place it at first, but then it suddenly clicked for him as he realised what it was.

It was fear...

Deep and unyielding terror, the likes of which could only be born from an encounter with something that shook her world to its core.

'What happened to you, Hoshino?'

The non-verbal question did not leave the hunter's mouth as he continued to look at the girl, noticing that she quickly brought a hand up to the bandage on her upper arm and began to gently caress it. Whatever had happened to her, it was clearly related to the wound she had sustained, but he couldn't figure out exactly what.

However, before he had a chance to respond, Ayane suddenly stepped in, a very agitated look on her face as she spoke in defence of the Hunter.

"Hoshino! For crying out loud, what's gotten into you? Sensei's business is his own, so stop trying to pray into it!" Ayane accompanied her words by quickly getting up from her seat and placing her hands hard on the table. Causing the cutlery and condiment bottles to rattle noticeably, as everyone including the hunter and Hoshino to look at her in bewilderment.

It wasn't very often that the glasses wearing girl lost her temper, but when she did everyone, everyone knew, including Hoshino that it was to try and calm her down as quickly as possible, considering that her anger could be quite explosive and fiery as well as very hard to extinguish.

Hoshino didn't respond immediately, the surprise in her eyes giving way to an uncharacteristically angry expression, as she wanted to rebuke Ayane assertion that sensei didn't need to tell them his business.

After all, from her perspective, she couldn't understand why her friends with the exclusion of Serika were so trusting of the Hunter, considering that he was an adult whose motives were unknown.

Although she didn't get a chance to verbalise any of this, because just as she opened her mouth, a voice suddenly interrupted her. It prompted everyone to turn away from the argument and look to its source, only to see a certain black-haired cat girl who was carrying a large dish in both hands with five ramen bowls occupying it.

"Seriously you guys are too noisy, just take your food and be quiet, you're disturbing the other customers" Serika wasn't sure exactly what all the racket was about and quite frankly she didn't care, as she deposited the tray with the ramen bowls onto the table, before turning on her heels and walking away.

Nobody said anything for several long moments, the awkward atmosphere hanging in the air seemingly being too powerful to be overcome by mere words alone. However, eventually Nonomi was the one to finally break the silence, although the awkward atmosphere remained, not being able to be fully banished.

"W-why don't we dig in everyone? Before our food gets cold" Nonomi said with a noticeably awkward and nervous sounding chuckle. Which was very much unlike her. But thankfully, everyone seemingly did as she said as they all took their individual bowls of food and began to dig in.

Yet, as the hunter looked at his own bowl of food he was a bit at a loss, considering that he was completely unfamiliar with Oriental cuisine and in particular the utensils, that were needed to properly eat it with, which in this case was a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks.

Picking them up off the table gently, the hunter examined the pieces of nondescript looking wood carefully. However, somebody quickly came to his aid as a certain wolf eared girl, pause eating her own meal.

"Are you ok sensei? Do you need help with your chopsticks?" Shiroko asked with a raised eyebrow.

She didn't want her question to come across as if she was insulting sensei's intelligence, but she could see that he was completely lost on how to use the chopsticks.

Turning to look at his student, the hunter didn't immediately respond, he had to admit that it was a bit of a comical situation for him to be in, considering he was the adult here, and yet she was asking if he needed help with his utensils as if he was a child himself.

But eventually, the hunter let out a chuckle as he answered Shiroko's question.

"You would be correct Shiroko, as unbelievable as it seems, I am completely unfamiliar with how to use these... utensils" the hunter held the chopsticks up at arm's length as he emphasised the word utensil.

By now everyone, including even Hoshino were all looking at him, their expressions ranging from amusement to complete bewilderment.

"Ok... look at mine, sensei, see how I'm holding them? Copy what I do, and you should figure it out relatively quickly" Shiroko said as she took her chopsticks in hand once again and began to slowly and somewhat exaggeratedly use them, while the hunter watched intently.

And after manoeuvring some noodles into her mouth, which she slurped down, the hunter made a stunned face as he quickly and almost effortlessly mimicked the way she was holding her chopsticks and the exact movements that she had just done. Quickly bringing a small amount of noodles to his lips before blowing on them lightly and then eating them.

Everyone waited for his reaction as he chewed on the noodles before swallowing them, at first his expression was unreadable, before it suddenly changed into a surprise and almost pleasurable looking one. A smile quickly worming its way onto his lips, as he reached for a napkin to rub way some of the excess noodle juices, that had escaped from between his lips.

"I must say, this food is... rather remarkable, actually. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is incredibly delicious" The hunter finished wiping away some of the juices from around his mouth as he put on a big bright smile.

Even though food of any kind was now no longer necessary for him, considering his ascension to something more than human, that didn't change the fact that he still liked to eat food on occasion, simply because it made him feel more human, and because he enjoyed the taste. And this food in particular, or ramen as he had learnt it was called, was quite possibly one of his new favourite food.

Considering that it had tastes that he had never experienced before which left him only wanting there. In fact, for the first time in a long time, the hunter could have sworn he felt his stomach grumble slightly, because it desired more of the succulent noodles.

Shiroko, Ayane and Nonomi all watched with surprise but quickly growing smiles as the hunter began to dig into his noodles. He still ate in a dignified and elegant manner that was somewhat perplexing, but at the speed he was eating it was very clear that he was enjoying himself, which made all of them feel wonderful.

As such they all began to eat their own noodles, you should be pausing so they could chat amongst each other and with the hunter as students and teacher enjoy their meal together.

However, there was one who didn't share in this, that being Hoshino who simply ate in silence, uncharacteristically keeping to herself and only occasionally speaking when somebody referred to her. All the while, she couldn't help but continue to look at the hunter, the distrust and suspicion in her eyes now graduating to what was most definitely full-blown anger.

…...​

"Goodbye, have a good night!" Serika stated with as much enthusiasm as she could manage, which admittedly wasn't much, as the final customer finally left the restaurant. It was almost 11:00 at night and if she was completely honest, she was completely exhausted to the point where she almost considered not going to school tomorrow.

However, letting out a tired sounding sigh, Serika hurriedly got to work with the preparations for closing the restaurant, which for her mainly involved cleaning tables as well as any odd pieces of dishware that hadn't already been cleaned by Boss.

Yet as she was wiping down one of the tables, she heard the familiar sound of cutlery clanking behind her as Boss came up beside her, holding a tray of assorted restaurant items including condiments and utensils.

"Serika, it's getting late, why don't you run home, I'll finish up the rest" Boss said with a smile as he quickly retrieved the condiments from the table that Serika was in the process of cleaning.

"Are you sure that's ok, Boss. I don't mind staying late and helping!" Serika immediately believed that the reason why Boss was sending her home, was because he was displeased with her behaviour and service today. In fact, the most negative part of her mind couldn't help but imagine Boss firing her the next day.

But thankfully those delusions were shattered when Boss simply wave a hand, as well as a smile making its way onto his muzzle, putting the tray of condiments and utensils down for a moment so he could speak to the black haired cat girl more directly.

"It's fine Serika, you've worked extra hard today, so I want you to go home and get some good rest. After all you do have school tomorrow" Boss said as he crossed his arms, keeping the gentle smile on his face, while also making it clear that he wouldn't have any arguments on this matter.

Serika didn't immediately respond, a surprised look making it's way on to her face before eventually she let out a sigh. Even though she had only worked with the Sheba for a short amount of time, she had already known Boss for a couple years now, so she was aware that arguing against him when he had already decided on something was pointless.

"Ok Boss" Serika quickly removed the apron from around her waist along with the head apron knotted around her head, as she began to make her way towards the back of the restaurant.

However, before she could make it to the back area of the restaurant completely, she heard Boss call out to her, his words immediately making her stop in her tracks.

"Serika... Sensei is a really nice guy who cares about his students... I think you should give him a chance" Boss said with a completely earnest tone of voice, his face showing that he believed in his words wholeheartedly.

Serika however didn't immediately respond, an uncertain expression making itself at home on her face as she and the diminutive Sheba locked eyes for several long moments. She didn't want to consider his words, in fact she wholeheartedly desired to reject them, but some small part of her perhaps, the part that desperately wanted the older elder figure in her life, that had been lacking up until now, tried to persuade her.

But as quickly as that thought came to her mind. Serika quickly shook her head, the uncertainty in her eyes and face quickly replaced by an irritated expression as she opened her mouth to respond.

"I'm leaving... I'll see you tomorrow Boss" Serika quickly turned on the spot to continue to making her way to the back of the restaurant. All the while, she could feel Bosses slightly disappointed and disapproving gaze resting upon her back, yet despite how it made her feel, she didn't waiver under his gaze as she finally left his line of sight.

The small Shiba continued to look at where she disappeared, before he eventually let out a slightly disappointed sounding sigh, as he returned to his duties, to prepare the restaurant for closure.

Even though he knew that she could be incredibly stubborn at times, he honestly didn't expect her to be this stubborn in regard to trusting sensei, after all from what he had seen of the teacher, he seemed like he was a very trustworthy and honest individual.

"She'll come around..." Boss murmured to himself as he went about his cleaning duties, however as he did, Boss couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine and to the very tip of his tail as if he had initiated some kind of jinx.

In the back of the restaurant, Serika had finished changing out of her uniform, still as she made sure that it was stored neatly in her locker.

The blackhead cat girl couldn't help but feel incredibly conflicted, because while she didn't want to consider Boss's words in the slightest, the part of herself that wanted to accept sensei continued to gain strength to the point where she wasn't entirely sure any more if being so mean and confrontational to him was the best way to go.

"Maybe boss is right... N-no! I hate sensei, I don't want to be his friend... he should just leave and never come back" Serika muttered to herself as she picked up her bag and rifle and began to make her way towards the employee only exit.

However, as she was about to exit into the cold night air she stopped mid-stride, the uncertainty of whether she could trust sensei weighing on her mind to the point where she felt like she was about to tear her hair out.

"I hate this... I-I HATE THIS!" Serika abruptly shouted and punched the wall next to her, thankfully however no damage was present, though her fist definitely hurt from the sudden blow.

Yet she couldn't have cared less, as she quickly exited the restaurant and found herself in the small service alley that connected the back of the restaurant to the main street

In spite of her frustration and anger, she couldn't help but tremble slightly as she quickly made her way through the alleyway, even though it was a relatively short walk, the alleyway always gave her the creeps, because it always reminded her of the kinds of places that you would encounter monsters in horror movies and video games.

However, thankfully she quickly emerged onto the main street which, despite abydos being in a sorry state, was still mostly lit with street lights considering that this area of the district was still fairly populated.

As such, after making sure that she had everything in her bag and that her rifle was fully loaded, because it was never a good idea to walk around without some kind of weaponry on you, especially at night. Serika began to make her way home, taking the usual route that she did, which did take her through some of the dark and decrepit areas of the city, but thankfully she wasn't all too worried...

At least that's what she wanted to tell herself.

However, as she turned a corner she saw somebody standing at a pair of vending machines not too far down the street, and as she drew closer she recognised a pair of familiar looking grey wolf ears quickly swivelling in her direction, alerting their owner to her presence.

Shiroko turn to look at the sudden noise, seeing that it was none other than Serika approaching her, as such the wolf girl quickly pushed herself off the guard bars that she was leaning against, and unexpectedly threw something at Serika.

Who despite her bewilderment managed to catch the object before it could tumble to the floor, and after recovering from the sudden action, she saw that it was none other than a bottle of freshly chilled water from the vending machine directly in front of Shiroko.

The two girls looked at each other for a moment before quickly Serika came alongside, both girls standing next to each other as they consumed their respective chilled beverages. However, the silence that linked between them didn't last long, as Shiroko suddenly spoke.

"You've had a long day. Are you heading home now? Serika didn't instantly respond to Shiroko's question, not being able to find her words.

Yet Shiroko didn't need her friend to speak to know the answer to the obvious question, as she quickly took a long swig of her own chilled water bottle before wiping away the excess from her lips with the sleeve of her jacket.

"The ramen was very delicious Serika" Shiroko paused for a moment as she leaned against the guardrail next to Serika before she continued to speak. "Boss seems like a very nice person... he also seems very reliable as well"

Serika didn't say anything at all, simply looking at her gray-haired friend before somewhat awkwardly taking another sip from her bottle. However, before she could think of anything to say, Shiroko, suddenly spoke once again as she pushed herself off the guardrail, drinking the last of her bottle before crumpling it up and throwing it into the nearby recycling bin.

"Well Serika... I think, sensei is also a reliable and trustworthy adult" Shiroko accompanied her words by quickly turning and retrieving her bicycle which was on a wall nearby and mounting it. Yet before she peddled off, Shiroko turned to look at her friend's once more, an almost pleading look plastered across her usually emotionless face as she said one final thing before departing.

"Serika... Not all adults are bad, so please... just give sensei a chance"

Shiroko and Serika looked at each other for several long moments, before Shiroko finally put her bike in gear and began to pedal away. The sound of the rubber tyres against the tarmac as well as the image of Shiroko, quickly receiving into the distance as Serika was left alone once again, a bottle of half drunk water in her hands as she quietly continued to look into the distance where her friend had disappeared moments ago.

Serika eventually stared down at her feet, the uncertainty in her face returning as she continued to mentally argue with herself. Both Boss and Shiroko had now told her pretty much the exact same things which was that sensei could be trusted, and even though she wanted to believe that words she still couldn't fully bring herself to.

"Both Shiroko and Boss said the same thing..." Serika didn't stop looking at her feet, the bottle in her hands beginning to creak, under the increasing pressure of her grip answer she continued to inwardly argue with herself, one half of her now wanting to trust sensei and the other choosing to reject him.

"Sensei... Should I really try and trust him...?"

As the words left her mouth, the plastic bottle that was in Serika's hand was suddenly crushed, spraying water all over her hands, causing them to shiver from the sudden coldness.

However, Serika didn't care as she continued to argue with herself, her face taking on a completely and utterly frustrated look as she didn't notice somebody beginning to walk up from behind her,

"No I can't trust him... we were just fine before he came here! We don't need his help! After all, Abydos High School is..." Serika didn't get a chance to finish her words, as something metallic suddenly bounced on the ground in front of her. At first, she wasn't sure exactly what it was, looking at the object with a mixture of curiosity and confusion before it suddenly dawned on her.

"What the-"

It was about all that Serika managed to get out, before the object began to suddenly and unexpectedly spray out copious amounts of absolutely terrible smelling smoke. Which immediately made Serika begin to cough profusely as she felt her head beginning to spin.

Looking around she tried to reach for her rifle, which was resting up against the guard railings nearby yet, her hand-eye coordination was completely destroyed by the lightheadedness she was feeling, as she missed it entirely. Only managing to knock it on the ground and further out of her reach as she felt her legs give way from beneath her.

Serika quickly found herself on the floor, hitting the ground with a thud that sent a shock through her body as she felt her eyes beginning to close, she tried to fight it, trying to keep them open for as long as possible.

Yet she simply couldn't, as she felt the cold dark embrace of unconsciousness reaching out for her, and finally just as she managed to catch a glimpse of her attackers, it finally overtook her as she was plunged Into darkness as a state of unconsciousness finally claimed her.

Her attackers quickly stepped out of the Shadows, revealing themselves to be a gathering of about 5 or 6 delinquents, all of them being some of the same delinquents that Serika, her friends and the Sensei had completely decimated only a few days prior.

Quickly, the delinquents pulled the unconscious girl from the pavement, not even bothering to search for the contents of her bag or even take her rifle as a war prize. Considering that, they were here for only one thing, and that was cold-blooded revenge. As such, they quickly picked up the unconscious cat girl and begun to whisk her away to somewhere unknown.

Yet unbeknownst to them, a certain somebody who had only just left the district suddenly stopped the dead in his tracks as he turned to look up to the sky, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he felt the familiar call of the moon.

It told him one very important thing.

Something that completely surpasses everything in his mind

"One of my students... is in danger!"

 

[mgman]

*Ding Dong*

The gentle sound of the doorbell rattled through Ayane's ears as she let out a quiet but noticeable yawn. It was incredibly early in the morning, to the point where most students would consider her mad for getting up and going to school at this time.

But her and her friends were a bit different from students, considering that they also had to run the school as well as keep up its maintenance. So waking up this early in the morning was something that, even though she didn't like, Ayane and her friends had gotten used to.

However, as she suppressed another yawn she couldn't help but feel somewhat confused as Serika's flat front door remained closed, and as the glasses wearing girl removed a bit of stress sleep from her eyes, she couldn't help but feel slightly concerned as no answer was received from inside.

Ayane quickly reached out a hand, pressing the doorbell button, creating the gentle tone omitted once again as she followed it up by speaking.

"Serika? Are you there, Serika?" Ayane could feel the worry in her chest begin to grow as she received no response once again. The apartments front door continued into remain locked up tight, with no sign of anyone coming to open it.

After several moments of uneasy silence, Ayane finally decided it was time to take action, as she quickly knelt down in front of the door, pushing aside the welcome mat which revealed a small key hidden underneath it. Despite the concern in her chest, the glasses wearing girl couldn't help but smile slightly, because only Serika would hide her spear front door key in such an obvious spot.

But as quickly as it came, the smile disappeared as she quickly rose back up to her feet, the key in hand as she stepped forward and placed it into the key lock and turned, the door's locking mechanism letting out a satisfying click as after a moment of hesitation, Ayane gently pushed to the front door open.

Stepping into the threshold of Serika's apartment, Ayane couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty for doing this, because even though it wasn't uncommon for her and her friends to enter each other's homes unannounced, considering how close they all were.

That didn't mean that she didn't feel somewhat awkward about it, however, that sense of awkwardness could wait as she quickly close the door behind her.

Yet, as Ayane went to remove her shoes, she noticed something that made her pause as well as feel a sinking feeling beginning to form in the pit of her stomach.

Serika's casual shoes were missing entirely from the shoe rack, along with her school bag, which she used for both school and casual related business.

However, instead of immediately jumping to the worst conclusion, Ayane suddenly reminded herself that despite the fact that her black-haired friend was known for being incredibly neat and tidy with her belongings.

She as well as everyone always have those particular moments where they simply disregard neat and tidiness for the sake of just throwing things around and dealing with it later.

As such, quickly removing her shoes and placing her bag down next to them, Ayane made her way deeper into the abode, a feeling of uneasiness growing within her when she noticed that the entire place was and silent, with unmistakable signs that nobody had been several hours.

"Serika, are you here?" Ayane again received no response as she passed in the kitchen, ideally noting that there were still lots of unwashed dishes from the night before arranged neatly on the kitchen side.

'Serika, always, washes her dishes before going to bed'

Ayane subconsciously noted to herself as she paused to look at the stacks of dishes, the feeling of concern now graduating into full-blown fear and almost panic as she resumed her pace, although far faster than last time, quickly making a rush for the only place that she hoped her friend would be.

"Serika?..."

Ayane came to a stop in front of her friend's bedroom door, her voice echoing off the dark and dreary hallway as she stood in front of the door for a moment, hoping that her friend would respond from the other side.

Unfortunately, no response came as she continued to look at the sign plastered across the door and that read in kanji *Serika's room, keep out!*

With the dread almost ready to explode out of her, Ayane took a deep yet shaky breath as she quickly grabbed a hold of the door handle and gently pushed it open. The hinges squeaking slightly as she poked her head around the half open door.

"Serika, are you... here..."

The words died in her throat when she saw what she feared, a completely empty and deserted room, the bed still neatly made and ready for its occupant. However, the person that was meant to be in it was completely absent, as if she had never existed to begin with.

Opening the door fully, Ayane quickly stepped into her friend's room, the feeling of her trespassing into a space that she didn't belong in, completely becoming overpowered by her fear as she looked around the deserted room.

One thing that she immediately noticed was Serika's phone was absent as well as another important items such as her wallet.

"What's going on… D-did Serika never come home last night?" Ayane spoke to herself, the stutter in her voice noticeable as she continued to look at the deserted from around her.

Before she abruptly turned on her heels, fear and panic welling up within her eyes, as she quickly made her way back to the entrance of the apartment. Hurriedly putting her shoes on and then grabbing her phone from her bag as she hastily dialled Hoshino phone number.

Ayane was not entirely sure if Hoshino would actually pick up, considering that she was probably still asleep about now, but eventually after a few seconds of ringing she had a familiar sounding yawn on the other end of the line as Hoshino finally picked up.

*Yaaaaawn* "Ayane, why are you calling me this e-"

"H-Hoshina! Serika... didn't come home last night!... S-She's missing!" Ayane sad frantically into the phone, silencing Hoshino words in the process, as she stood in the doorway of her friend's empty and deserted apartment.

However, instead of receiving any kind of reply from her pink head friend, the other end of the line remained completely silent for several long almost agonizing moments, before eventually Hoshino finally responded, her voice having a sharp and almost furious sounding edge as she spoke.

"Ayane, go to the school, I'll tell the others, and we'll meet you there"

Was all that Hoshino said before she abruptly hung up, leaving Ayane completely alone with the phone still pressed to her ear as after several months of Standing There.

She quickly did as instructed, making sure that her friend's front door was shut and locked. Before returning the key to it's hiding place underneath the Welcome mat, before the glasses wearing, elf girl took off in a sprint, intent on getting to the school as quickly as possible.

…...​

Ayane finally made it to the school grounds, it felt like it was burning with her heart beating so fast that for a second she thought that she was going to have a heart attack.

Yet despite the pain she felt in her chest and the lightheadedness that came as a result of it, she kept pushing on, running through the school grounds into the school building and then up the sets of stairs that lead to the clubroom.

Throwing the door aside, she came to a skidding stop in the clubroom, only now letting herself catch her breath as she felt her legs starting to give out. Fortunately, before she could fall to the floor from oxygen deprivation, she felt somebody quickly catch her.

And after taking deep breaths, she looked up and saw that it was none other than Nonomi, the expression on her face being one of concern.

"Ayane... take some deep breaths and catch your breath" Nonomi said with a tone of voice that almost reminded everyone in the room of a concerned mother.

Ayane despite wanting to argue, ultimately did as instructed taking deep and long breaths which thankfully managed to dissipate the light headedness she was feeling, although her chest still felt like it was on fire.

Once she was satisfied that her friend was no longer going to collapse on the floor, Nonomi gave the elf girl a reassuring pat on the back before moving away from her and towards the centre of the room where Hoshino and Shiroko were gathered.

"If her house was locked up tight... then that means the only possibility is that Serika didn't come home last night" Hoshino said after a moment of silence. The familiar sleepy and dopey expression on her face now entirely gone and replaced with a very serious and slightly angry expression which have friends noted was very unlike her.

Nobody immediately responded to her words, all of them trying to think of an exact reason why Serika wasn't at her home. After all, it was incredibly unlike her to do something like this, especially considering that she was usually a very straight laced girl.

"I don't understand... why she didn't make it home last night, I saw her before I went home myself..." Shiroko finally broke the silence with her words. The expression on her face being one of confusion and possibly even guilt. Because she was the last person to actually see Serika last night, which in her mind made her guilty of her friend's disappearance.

Nonomi quickly stepped forward, and placed a comforting hand on her junior classmate shoulder. Even though Shiroko usually was not the most expressive girl, Nonomi had known her for long enough to see the small changes in her face that conveyed that she was feeling somewhat guilty about Serika's sudden disappearance.

"It's alright, Shiroko. It's not your fault, so don't blame yourself" Nonomi said with a reassuring smile, keeping her hand on her junior's shoulder as the wolf girl suddenly turned her head to look up at her. Shiroko eyes which were usually emotionless now being filled with fear and guilt.

"Nonomi is right, Shiroko it's not your fault... But where exactly did you see her before you went home" Hoshino quickly stepped forward, offering a look of reassurance herself. However, she was more interested in exactly what the grey haired wolf girl had to say in regard to seeing Serika.

Shiroko didn't immediately respond, the look of fear and guilt on her face dissipating somewhat, yet it didn't fully fade away as she began to think exactly about the events of last night. Nothing about Serika's behaviour seemed out of the ordinary, with perhaps the only exception being that she seemed overly quiet and somewhat withdrawn.

"I saw her... About a block or two away from Shiba Seki ramen. I met her there to... talk about something with her" Shiroko said after a moment of silence.

She could have said more, specifically revolving around the conversation she had with Serika. But she decided against it considering ultimately it wasn't relevant and because it was somewhat personal.

Hoshino, Ayane and Nonomi all looked at the grey haired wolf girl. All of them having various looks on their faces ranging from confusion to curiosity, however Hoshino was the one to finally speak as she asked another question.

"What exactly did you two talk about, Shiroko?... Did Serika seem any different from usual?" Hoshino asked with an almost pleading tone in her voice.

She was desperately hoping that her grey-haired junior classmate would be able to shine some light as to why Serika had seemingly vanished off the face of the Earth.

Yet instead of immediately answering with words, Shiroko noticeably hesitated for a moment, a look of indecisiveness making itself at home on her usually expressionless face.

"We... She didn't seem like there was anything wrong..." Shiroko said after a moment of hushed silence, her words immediately making Hoshino's frown noticeably grow in size.

"Shiroko... What did you and Serika talk about, exactly?" Hoshino asked, her tone remaining somewhat soft. Yet everyone in the room could recognize the subtle edge that her voice now had as she stared intently at Shiroko, waiting for her response.

Shiroko however didn't immediately respond, squirming somewhat uncomfortably under Hoshino somewhat intense gaze. In all the time that she had known her, Shiroko had never seen Hoshino look at anyone like this, especially her and her friends, as such she couldn't help but feel incredibly uneasy.

"Shiroko, answer me" Hoshino suddenly said, catching everyone off guard due to the fact that her voice had a noticeably much harder edge now. In fact, all of them were surprised and somewhat off put to see her eyes narrowing dangerously, as if she was getting angry with Shiroko for her lack of a response.

"I'd rather not say... it was S-something personal T-T-that I don't think Serika would not want me to discuss" Shiroko found herself uncharacteristically stuttering her words out. The more Hoshino looked at her with that intense gaze, the more the grey haired wolf girl felt like she was about to be crushed under an immense weight.

Hoshino continue to stare at her junior classmate, not realising that her gaze was now turning somewhat aggressive, as she quickly let out a frustrated sounding sigh, which made Shiroko flinch slightly in response.

"Shiroko-"

*Slam!*

Hoshino's words were silenced by the clubroom doors abruptly and harshly thrown open, to the point where they almost came flying off the rails they were attached to as they bounced and rattled in their frame.

The sudden noise made everyone jump as they all turned to look at the doorway, all of them noting that one of the windows in the door frame was now noticeably cracked, yep that wasn't what pulled their attention the most.

Because standing in the doorway was none other than sensei, his usual pristine and elegant looking clothes were noticeably dishevelled, however be somewhat deteriorated state of his clothes wasn't what court all of their attention immediately. It was the look in his eyes, a look that made all of them instinctually shiver in fear, because in sensei's eyes they saw something that they had never seen him express before.

Rage...

Pure unrestrained rage.

The hunter stood in the doorway for a moment, before he eventually took a breath, yet everyone noticed that it was incredibly jittery and uneven. As he suddenly stepped into the room his expression noticeably softening yet the rage and anger in His gaze never left as he said four simple words.

"Serika is in danger"

His words made everyone stop for a moment, not because it wasn't a true statement. But simply because they weren't aware that since they knew about Serika disappearance, considering that he had left together with them after they had all finished their meal.

As such, the fact that he somehow knew about Serika's disappearance and the fact that she could potentially be in danger threw them through a loop.

However, before Shiroko, Ayane or Nonomi open their mouths to respond to sensei's words, Hoshino suddenly stepped forward, the aggressive and angry look in her eyes only growing with intensity as she got closer to the Hunter.

"How do YOU know that!?" Hoshino said with an aggressive tone of voice, coming to a stop in front of the hunter as she aggressively poked him in the chest with her finger. The anger and frustration that was in the hunter's eyes, which wasn't specifically directed at her, was momentarily replaced by confusion and surprised at her assertion…

However, before he could respond, Ayane suddenly came to his defence, stepping between Hoshino and the hunter and managing to put some space between them.

Because while she wasn't afraid of sensei trying to hurt Hoshino even by accident, the same couldn't be said for Hoshino considering her erratic behaviour over the last couple of days.

"Hoshino! Don't be so rude! Seriously, what's got an into you lately?!" Ayane shouted loudly.

She wasn't sure why Hoshino was acting like this, especially towards sensei, but the exact reasoning didn't really matter at the moment, considering that from her perspective Hoshino had been nothing but horrible to sensei over the last couple of days for seemingly no reason.

Hoshino didn't instantaneously respond, a look of bewilderment making its way onto her face as she simply stood there for several moments, as if she couldn't believe that Ayane had really come to sensei's defence.

Yet as quick as the look of shock came, it was suddenly replaced by something that nobody expected. A look of genuine frustrated anger as Hoshino suddenly stepped forward again.

"What's gotten into me? Ayane! Why are you defending him!? The fact that he knows that something happened to Serika means that he's most likely responsible for it!" Hoshino didn't even try to hide the anger and suspicion in her voice as she pointed a finger at the hunter.

Ayane, Shiroko or Nonomi all felt their mouths practically fall open at the accusation, each one of them having a look of utter disbelief on their faces, at the fact that Hoshino would accuse sensei they have such a thing.

However, before Ayane could think of something to say in Defence of the Hunter. Shiroko suddenly stepped forward, getting between Hoshino and Ayane and by extension The Hunter, how strong being part of a defensive one as an angry look made its way onto her usually blank features.

"How dare you, Hoshino. Saying... O-or even implying that sensei would do something like that... is just out of line!" Shiroko did not raise her voice, yet the sharpness and aggressiveness was easily present as she stared proverbial daggers at her friend.

Hoshino didn't instantly respond, the angered scowl on her face once again being overtaken by something that resembled utter shock and confusion. Yet it didn't last very long, as the anger suddenly came back, and even more harsh and fiery than it was before.

"Of course I would say something like that, Shiroko! Because isn't it just a little bit suspicious, that he left with all of us last night, Annnnd! yet he somehow miraculously knows that Serika is missing!?" Hoshino once more pointed a finger at The Hunter, who despite his growing frustration chose not to respond, as Hoshino after a moment of catching her breath quickly continued speaking.

"Don't you guys think it's just a little bit strange how he just randomly shows up out of nowhere one day, and then weird things start to happen! I never have or will believe in coincidences! The pink haired girl finally finished yelling, her chest now cramping from how out of breath she was after her rant.

Ayane after a moment quickly step forward, a confident and angered expression on her face as she quickly spoke in response to what Hoshino had just shouted.

"He came because I sent that letter Hoshino! He's here to help us for crying out loud and all you're doing is being incredibly rude and mean to him... B-besides if I remember correctly! You said that writing the letter to Schale was a decent idea that was worth a shot!" Ayane who was usually quite mild-mannered and reserved didn't even try to lower her voice as by the end of her rant she was nearly shouting at full volume.

Hoshino didn't respond to the words, being somewhat caught out by what the glasses wearing girl had just said because ultimately she was right. In some small part she was reason that Sensei was even here, was because she had foolishly given Ayane the go ahead to make and send that letter.

But after that small amount of self critique Hoshino suddenly shook her head, the irate look on her face returning full force as she step forward in a somewhat aggressive manner. Which made Ayane step backwards slightly by reflex even though her angered facial expression did not change.

"That doesn't matter Ayane! He's an adult! You, I and everyone else know that adults should never be trusted no matter what!" Hoshino shouted loudly, her anger finally getting the better offer as her feet began to move with the intent of doing something incredibly stupid.

Yet thankfully before she could act on this sudden impulse. Somebody stepped in front of her, their hands quickly placed on her shoulders as she looked up in surprised fury to see who it was.

"N-Nonomi!?" Hoshino spluttered as the taller girl looked down at her with an expression that was very uncharacteristic of her.

Nonomi was known for being an incredibly easy-going and bubbly individual, to the point where none of her friends couldn't remember a time when they had ever seen her furious. However, looking into her eyes now, Hoshino couldn't help but instinctively take a step backwards, because the gaze that Nonomi was giving her, was both incredibly cold and threatening.

"Hoshino! That's enough! You seriously need to calm down! You're not acting like yourself" Nonomi said with a firmness in her voice that was almost completely unlike her.

Unfortunately, However that didn't matter at the moment as she kept her hands placed on the smaller girls shoulders keeping her in place and preventing her from doing anything rash.

Hoshino didn't respond straight away, her surprised and angry expression remaining as she looked at the girl with obvious confusion. Yet as quickly as that came, it was replaced by more anger as she quickly and abruptly removed Nonomi's hands from her shoulder, catching the larger girl off guard completely as she violently jabbed a finger into Nonomi ample chest.

"Nonomi... Get out of my way" Was all that Hoshino said, yet the few words that she did utter were more than enough to convey the message she was trying to get across.

Yet Nonomi despite her momentary surprise did not back down, her face taking on a very uncharacteristically hard and determined visage as her entire posture went completely stiff, seemingly preparing herself both physically and mentally for whatever Hoshino was about to dish out.

Because while it didn't occur very often and hadn't happened for several years, this wasn't the first time that both seniors had squared up to each other over a disagreement.

And yet, just when it seemed like either one of them was about to make the first move, somebody unexpected quickly appeared between them. Almost materialising with a gush of wind as he quickly put a hand on both of their chests and abruptly pushed them apart.

Hoshino and Nonomi both looked up and surprise not expecting to see the hunter looking at both of them with an expression that conveyed his frustration and anger with not just the situation at hand. But also the fact that one of his dear students was currently unaccounted for, with the possibility of her being immortal danger being a significant one.

"Both of you stop this instance... you are friends and friends should not fight" The hunter said with a forceful and aggressive tone. His voice leaving no room for argument as after a moment of looking between both girls, he turned his attention to Hoshino and spoke to her bluntly

"Hoshino... I cannot begin to know why you have such a disdain for me, or you don't trust me... But at this moment in time, frankly I do not care. I am more than equipped to handle the attitude and disrespect you have been giving me... Yet the fact that you would even consider turning that horrific attitude of yours against your friends... And heaven forbid consider hurting them, is beyond redeemable and out of line!" The hunter quickly took his hand off Nonomi's chest and did something completely unexpected.

Without warning, he suddenly jabbed a finger into Hoshino chest while at the same time removing his hand and placing it on her shoulder and squeezing, just enough to make her feel discomfort but not so much where he would cause her any physical harm.

Hoshino along with everyone else in the room was completely stunned by the hunters sudden outburst. While they had seen him somewhat irritated before. They have never seen him furious like he was now, and the fact that his anger was directed at no one else, but a student was even more surprising, even if Hoshino did deserve it for how she was behaving.

"If you do not trust me... Then that is your choice Hoshino, and I cannot force you to change your mind... But if you don't trust in me, then you should trust in your friends, and more importantly treat them better instead of taking out your anger on them" The hunter wasn't sure if his words resonated with Hoshino at all, considering that all he saw in her eyes was anger and confusion.

Yet after a moment of looking into her eyes she abruptly tried to swap his hand away from her shoulder only to fail utterly because of his grip simply being too strong for her to overcome.

Still as she tried a couple more times to move backwards and free herself, the hunter did not let go, instead choosing to speak after a moment of silence with his words managing to stop her attempts at escape.

"Hoshino... do you want to find Serika?" The Hunter saw the anger and confusion in her eyes momentarily vanish being replaced by complete surprise at his words. But after a moment, the surprise quickly vanished as it was replaced by anger.

"What do you think!? A senior student's job is to keep the juniors safe!... A-And yet she vanished right from under my fucking nose!" Hoshino said with anger in her voice, using profanity both because of how frustrated she was and to get her point across.

However, thankfully it appeared that her anger was no longer solely aimed at the hunter as after a moment he responded.

"Well then we have common ground Hoshino... Because a teacher's job is to protect the students under his care" The hunter said with an unwavering voice as he finally removed his hand from her shoulder, allowing Hoshino to quickly bring a hand of her own up to it and rub it gently.

Hoshino didn't immediately respond, the rage in her eyes not being solely directed at The Hunter, yet she still felt incredibly furious with him. Even though there was no evidence for it, she believed that everything bad and negative that happened to her over the couple of days was the hunters fault. However before she could verbalize this the hunter suddenly spoke again.

"I am not seeking to be your friend Hoshino... you made it very clear to me as soon as we met that you did not trust me and that you despised me... but what I am seeking is that we both work together for the sake of those we are supposed to protect" said with a matter of fact tone his face noticeably softening as the frustration and anger that was directed at her almost entirely evaporated.

Hoshino's feeling of rage on the other hand did diminish somewhat. Yet did not fully vanish, as after a moment of silent silence between the two adversaries, the hunter spoke once again accompanying his words by holding out a hand.

Both as a momentary peace offering and as a sign he wanted to work with her to find Serika before anything bad happened to her.

"Will you work with me Hoshino? Will you help me and more importantly your friends find Serika before anything bad happens to her" The hunter continued to hold out his hand in front of him.

He was entirely expecting Hoshino to completely reject his offer considering how stubborn she appeared to be. And also because of the hatred and distrust she evidently had for him.

Yet nevertheless after several tense moments of quiet, Hoshino eventually offered a hand, a noticeable amount of hesitation and her face and her body language. Before she ultimately clasped the hunters hand tightly, her face remaining serious and slightly angered looking, yet in her eyes The Hunter could see a small amount of acceptance in her eyes.

"I suppose I don't have a choice, Sensei... And you're right, I don't trust you... B-but, I guess I'll have to put that to the side for a moment, because Serika's safety is far more important than my opinions of you" Hoshino said with her eyes narrowing, as she seemingly scrutinised the hunter one last time.

Trying to find any kind of deceit in his gaze yet failing to do so as she quickly shook his hand firmly, with a strength that the hunter found quite surprising for a girl of her stature.

"I couldn't agree more, Hoshino... That is also very adult and responsible of you to say" The hunter said with a smile immediately forming on his face as he reciprocated the action, shaking his hand. However, he noticed his words elicited a surprised look from her before it ultimately quickly receded as they both separated from their handshake.

Hoshino quickly turned away from the Hunter, her gaze coming to rest on her friends, who were still looking at her with angered and saddened expressions on their face. And after a moment of them staring at each other, Hoshino suddenly bowed her head, a look of deep shame making itself at home on her features as she spoke.

"E-everyone... I'm sorry-"

Hoshino didn't get a chance to finish as Nonomi unexpectedly moved forward, making Hoshino closed her eyes expecting to be struck. Yet instead of being physically attacked, she found herself quickly enveloped in a tight embrace, her face been pressed into an ample bosom that reminded her of a certain somebody she had lost long ago.

"Hoshino... We are your friends, we only want what's best for you and to help you... if there's anything wrong then all of us will always be willing to listen and help in whatever way we can" Hoshino managed to wiggle herself away from Nonomi's embrace just enough so she could look up.

And instead of a face of anger like had been there before. Nonomi's visage now held an expression of sadness but also understanding. In fact, looking into her eyes made Hoshino realise just how horrible she had been not only to Nonomi, but also Shiroko and Ayane.

Yet, as Hoshino opened her mouth to speak and tell her friends about what had happened to make her so erratic recently. She abruptly stopped closing her mouth after a second, much to the Confusion of her friends.

"Hoshino... Is there something you need to tell us?" Ayane quickly stepped forward, a worried look on her face when she noticed the look of uncertainty and what could have been fear in her friend's eyes.

Hoshino however didn't respond right away, the look of uncertainty on her face remaining before she suddenly shook her head. Her pink hair flying around wildly as she abruptly slapped her cheeks hard enough to seemingly get a hold of herself but not to hurt.

"I'm... fine, Ayane. Whatever hang-ups I have are not important. Finding Serika and making sure she's safe is what should be our top priority"Hoshino said with a smile, trying to show that she was fine.

However, everyone including the hunter could see that she was clearly lying. Yet ultimately they had no choice but to simply take her at her word, considering that unless she shared it willingly, there was probably no way they would ever know what was troubling her.

Shiroko after a moment suddenly stepped forward, a look of conviction on her face as she quickly retrieved her rifle which was laying on the table nearby.

"We need to try searching for her. We could start where I saw her last night, and then we work our way out from there" Shiroko backed up her words by quickly chambering a fresh round into her rifle, as well as retrieving her personal drone which was not too far away.

While it was meant for combat considering it hard small rocket launchers mounted to either side of it, it could also be used for searching because it's surprisingly had quite a long range even though it was only a battery powered drone.

Ayane, Hoshino and Nonomi all thought about Shiroko's idea, while it wasn't a bad idea, it simply wouldn't be feasible considering the size of the district and the fact that they didn't know exactly where Serika had disappeared from on her route home.

"It's not a bad idea, Shiroko... but I don't think that would get us anywhere" Ayane pause for a moment, seeing the dejected look appear on Shiroko's and feeling somewhat guilty for it.

Yet, she quickly continued on after a moment. "For all we know she could have disappeared right outside her own house, and if she did, then she could be anywhere by now" The glasses wearing girls said, leaving everyone again at a loss on what exactly to do and where to start.

However, Hoshino suddenly stepped forward, speedily retrieving her shotgun which was resting on the table next to her, and quickly released the bolt lock, chambering a fresh round as a determined look appeared on her face.

"We shouldn't spend any more time standing around here, the quicker we get out there looking for her, the quicker we can get her back safe and sound" Hoshino did not give her friends anytime to respond, as she quickly took a step towards the clubroom door.

Although, before she could make it any further than a couple steps, she suddenly felt someone put a hand onto her shoulder. Instantly bringing her advanced to a dead stop as their grip was tight, yet not so to be uncomfortable.

Turning around, Hoshino found her irritation momentarily flare when she saw that it was none other than the Hunter, an understanding yet stern look on his face as he opened his mouth to speak

"Hoshino, I understand that you are eager to get out there and find Serika. But you must not be rash, we must think of the appropriate pan of action before we proceed in trying to locate Serika" The hunter finished his words, noticing the expression on Hoshino face momentarily turn furious, before she suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

The hunter satisfied quickly removed his hand from her shoulder, taking this as an incredibly good sign that even though she admitted she would never be able to trust him, she was at least willing to listen to his advice.

Ayane quickly step forward, a grim look forming on her face as an idea suddenly occurred to her, one that she had initially considered but outright dismissed yet now made more sense than ever considering recent events.

"If Serika just disappeared out of nowhere... then you don't think..." Ayane let herself trail off, fear quickly making itself at home on her face, as the rest of her friends and the hunter suddenly realised what she was suggesting.

"It would seem that the helmet gang was not driven off after all" the hunter suddenly said out loud, everyone abruptly feeling a chill run down their spines as his words washed over them.

The hunter's voice was usually quite warm and friendly with a tone of voice that resembled that of a father, yet now his voice had none of that, simply being cold and sharp like the bitter cold wind of night.

It was unnerving to hear, yet thankfully the four students managed to quickly recover as Hoshino suddenly spoke, a slightly annoyed expression on her face as she held her shotgun close.

"I thought you said that they were all gone from the district?" Hoshino didn't even try to hide the irritation in her voice, staring at the hunter with a slightly critical and irritated gaze.

However, the hunter if he noticed didn't seem to acknowledge her as he simply stood there for a moment, his eyes continuing to slowly narrow, as after an uneasy silence he finally spoke, although just seemingly no one by himself.

"It would appear that I was mistaken" The hunter's voice was barely above a whisper. Yet it might as well have been an explosion going off in everyone's ears as they felt another chill race down their spine.

They had never seen him like this, and it was beginning to scare all of them. Even Hoshino despite not having a fondness for the hunter couldn't help but feel momentarily and irrationally scared of him, as if he was some kind of malevolent entity who would only just now decided to reveal himself.

"If it was the helmet gang, then she's in serious trouble!" Nonomi said with a worried expression on her face. Hastily reaching for her minigun which was resting under the table and hefting it up, showing her intent to want to rescue her junior classmate as quickly as possible.

"We already took care of their hideout, so where do we even start looking!?... the Abydos District isn't exactly small" Ayane felt herself beginning to panic.

If the helmet gang was indeed behind her friend's disappearance, then it would be almost impossible to locate them, considering that they didn't know where their new hideout was. And this wasn't helped when she considered an even worse scenario, that being that the gang had decided to simply leave the district after kidnapping Serika.

"What are we going to do!?" Ayane quickly put her head in her hands, pushing her glasses aside as she tried to rub some tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

However, as she did so she unexpectedly felt a hand be placed on her shoulder, causing her to look up and through teary eyes, see the hunter looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite read due to how blurry her vision because of the tears and the fact that her glasses were not in place.

"Calm yourself Ayane, there is no need to be alarmed, I have the perfect solution to find Serika" The hunter said with a resolute to tone in his voice, which went a long way to make Ayane feel somewhat better. As she quickly rubbed away the tears from her eyes and put and put her glasses back into place so she could see properly again.

Satisfied that she was no longer about to burst into tears, the hunter quickly removed his hand from her shoulder and reached into his overcoat, yet before he could pull out what he needed, he suddenly heard a critical voice speak to him.

"How exactly are you going to find Serika from here, Sensei? The last time I checked you aren't exactly some kind of all-powerful and omnipresent being" Hoshino said as she quickly slung her shotgun over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest, a somewhat critical and dismissive look in her eyes.

'If only you knew truth, Hoshino'

The hunter didn't verbally respond to her words, simply looking at her for a moment before he finally retrieved the object he needed from his overcoat.

Nonomi, Ayane and Shiroko all quickly gathered around the Hunter, their expressions falling flat with confusion when they saw that the object he had just pulled from his overcoat, was in fact nothing more than a completely ordinary looking smart tablet. Similar to the kinds of one that Ayane used for controlling hydrophones.

"Sensei... how exactly is this tablet going to help us find Serika?" Ayane ask with a confused expression on her face. She didn't want to doubt sensei, but she simply couldn't help it, seeing that to her the tablet didn't look like anything out of the ordinary, except for the fact that it didn't have any kind of brand logos on it.

The hunter didn't straight away respond, turning his gaze from the tablet to look down at Ayane's confused expression. He couldn't reveal to them exactly how the tablet worked, considering that it housed his AI companion, whose existence was to remain a secret for now.

But he decided that he would at least tell them how he was going to find the information that he sought using the tablet.

"Well my dear Ayane... this tablet will help us because it's unlike any others, it has the ability to access all the information that resides within the general student council" the hunter finished his words by quickly powering on the tablet the familiar home screen quickly appearing in front of him.

As Nonomi, Ayane and Shiroko, and even Hoshino who had come over to look at the tablet in confusion curiosity. Found themselves completely shocked by his words. Because what he had said simply shouldn't have been possible, considering that the general student council's databases were some of the most heavily encrypted in the entirety of kivotos, with the only way that data from them could be viewed was by making a request to the general student council themselves.

"Sensei... Are you pulling our leg or something... because I don't think now is the best time for it" Nonomi said with a slightly nervous, while don't she didn't want to think that sensei was lying.

She simply couldn't bring herself to accept what he had just said, was true considering that while she was no tech expert, even she knew that the general student council's data and records, were heavily encrypted, to the point where even the best hackers couldn't get in.

"Nn" Shiroko simply responded by making a quiet noise and shaking her head in agreement, Nonomi.

She trusted the hunter more than anyone here, yet even she couldn't bring herself to believe his words, simply because it sounded too good to be true.

The hunter didn't respond to their words, yet he wasn't offended by their dismissal of what he had said, in fact he couldn't help but smile somewhat cheekily as he quickly typed in his password into the tablet before pressing enter.

However, as he did so he suddenly felt the urge to close his eyes which he didn't fight as he did exactly that and after remaining in darkness for a moment, he suddenly opened them again finding himself inside the familiar classroom with a certain little AI waiting patiently for him, a slightly worried look on her face as she turned to him.

"Sens-" Arona didn't finish her greeting, as a surprise look suddenly sprung up on her face, making the hunter look at her perplexed as he opened his mouth to respond while moving forward to close the gap between them.

"Whatever is the matter, Arona?" the hunter asked, not realising that his voice was slightly muffled as he came to a stop in front of his AI companion. Swiftly kneeling down so he was more at her level as she continued to look at him with a confused and slightly surprised look.

"It's nothing serious sensei... it's just that... your clothes" Arona quickly picked up a piece of straight glass from the Rubble the scattered on the floor. Wiping away some of the water from its surface as she handed it to the hunter, who reached out and quickly took it, holding it close to his face so he could see his reflection in the semi-transparent material.

However, he was surprised to see not his own face looking back at him, but instead of the visit of the bone Ash mask. It caught him completely by surprise as the piece of glass fell from his hands, splashing into the water that surrounded his feet and shattering into a thousand pieces at the same time.

He wasn't sure exactly why he was back in his bone Ash attire, yet it suddenly occurred to him that maybe this digital plane of existence was far more similar to the dream world than he could have possibly imagined.

Because in the dream world, he was able to freely change his attire and even his appearance at will. To the point where his attire and appearance often directly mirrored his emotional state, and considering how he was feeling currently, it seems that his emotions in this space, had changed his attire to reflect how he was currently feeling.

"I must say I'm also quite surprised" The hunter said is he quickly flexed his gauntleted hand in front of his face. Curling and extending his fingers several times, the familiar sound of the metal pieces clinking together reaching his ears before he returned to the task at hand.

"Arona, I'm in need of your ser-" The hunter didn't get a chance to finish, as the smaller AI girl quickly held out a hand in front of her, silencing his words as a smile made its way onto her face.

"I already know exactly what I need to do, sensei!" Arona said excitedly, a determined look making its way onto her face, as she quickly brought her arm back down to her side.

The hunter, despite his face being hidden by the mask once again, was incredibly surprised by her declaration, eventually managing to find his voice as he asked how exactly she knew what he needed her to do.

"How precisely do you know what I need, Arona?" The hunter asked with curiosity in his voice.

He was extremely perplexed how the little AI companion was seemingly able to read his mind, considering that, even though she was an incredibly advanced piece of technology herself. He wasn't aware that she possessed any kind of supernatural powers like he did.

Arona quickly giggled, her halo turning pink and taking on the shape of a love heart as she spoke between her laughter.

"I know what you want me to do, sensei, because I was listening to you and the Abydos students the entire time!" Arona said with an excited giggle.

The hunter was completely at a loss for words as he simply stared at his small companion before eventually a chuckle of his own quickly escaped his lips, which only made Arona giggle even louder.

"I see... I must say that it's quite devious and mischievous of you Arona" The hunter said with a chuckle, however as quickly as the laughter started, it came to an end as the hunter remembered that the situation at hand was indeed a serious one.

Arona abruptly stopped laughing as well, her face taking on a slightly more serious and concerned one, as she waited patiently for the hunter to execute the command that he needed that he needed to say, for her to get to work on what he wanted.

"Arona I need you to access the student council's archives, I am unaware exactly how mobile phones work, but from the little I know is there any way for you to track Serika's current location using her own?" the hunter asked. He wasn't exactly sure if it was possible for Arona to do something like that, but considering all the other things she had proven herself capable of doing, he hoped that this wouldn't be too much for her.

Arona didn't immediately respond, a thoughtful look forming on her face, she imitated the Hunter's thinking pose with her hand on her chin before her eyes lit up. Her halo taking on a green and spiky appearance, reflecting her surprise and joy as she answered the hunter's request.

"Yes, I can do that, sensei! All communications and cellular data goes through the general student council servers, so if Serika's phone is still on, we should be able to track it using that data!" Arona said excitedly as she quickly closed her eyes.

Her face taking on a look of deep concentration as she quickly bypassed the security measures that the student council have put in place. And began to sift through all the communications and telephone data she could see.

The hunter meanwhile simply smiled underneath his mask back up to his full height, he quickly reached a handout and gently patted Arona on the head, thanking her for her efforts.

"You are a great asset to me Arona, I am forever in your debt" the hunter stated with a gentle tone of voice. The smile hidden behind his mask growing wider as Arona's face suddenly took on a slightly dopey and happy expression, her eyes momentarily opening so she could look at the Hunter.

"You're welcome sensei! I'm just happy that I could help" The hunter smile as he saw the AI girl's bright and cheery expression.

Still, he did internally note to himself that in her eyes he could see small green lines flying past. Seemingly a representation of the data she was sifting through. However, this did not last long has her eyes quickly returned to normal as a satisfied expression made itself at home on her face.

"There we go, sensei! I have her location!" Arona said proudly, as she puffed out her chest with pride. The hunter chuckled as he quickly patterned her on the head once again, even so as he finished he suddenly felt the overwhelming feeling to close his eyes which he did

And opening them again after a split second, the hunter found himself back in the abydos classroom. Hoshino, Ayane, Shiroko and Nonomi all still gathered around him and staring at the tablet with confusion in their eyes. Indicating to The Hunter the only a second or two had passed, even though for him, it felt much longer.

Nevertheless, looking down at the tablet, he was surprised to see what looks to be some kind of map with a small red blinking icon moving at speed across it. He didn't need to know exactly how the technology of this world worked to freak out that this was a map that was telling them exactly where Serika currently was.

"S-Sensei!... How did you..." Ayane found her words failing her.

Being the most tech-savvy of the abydos task force, she simply couldn't understand how exactly this was possible, because the tablet from her perspective have done exactly what sensei said it would do. And had seemingly giving them Serika's exact location in real time.

"Well, it seems that Sensei is full of surprises" Hoshino jokingly said, turning away from the tablet and unslinging her shotgun from her shoulder, a steely expression making itself at home on her face.

Shiroko and Nonomi quickly followed Hoshino's example, determined looks appearing on their faces as they ready their weapons as well. They didn't know exactly how Sensei had done it, but quite simply, it didn't matter, considering that they now knew where their missing friend was, and they were determined to get her back no matter what.

"I believe it's time for us to make our move... The longer we wait, the more danger Serika could possibly be in" The hunter added to his words by quickly placing the tablet back into his overcoat for safe keeping before turning to Ayane and speaking again.

"Ayane, I believe we'll be in need of some transport" the hunter said with an expecting look in his eyes.

Ayane immediately replied, the bewilderment still apparent on her face. Yet after a moment it suddenly vanished does she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She didn't know exactly how it was possible, but she supposed that the exact how and why didn't matter at the moment considering that they had Serika's location and that's all that mattered.

"Yes sensei! Everyone follow me, will use one of the trucks in the carpool" Ayane quickly opened her eyes, a look of determination flashing across her face as she quickly retrieved her own tablet and pistol from the table. Making sure that both of them were secure on her person before motioning for everyone to follow her.

Which they all did, everyone filing out of the Classroom one by one as they all quickly made their way to the motor pool, before racing off into the desert. Intent on tracking down and retrieving Serika from her predicament, as well as dealing out a punishment, to those who had kidnapped an abydos student and thought they could get away with it.

…...​

"Everyone prepare yourselves, we are approaching Serika's position"

The hunter's voice called out as the Jeep suddenly went over a particularly rough spot in the desert, causing everyone to momentarily be jostled in their seats.

Yet, as Hoshino, Shiroko and Nonomi nodded their heads, none of them complained as they made sure that their individual weapons were prepared for what was to come.

Ayane also nodded her head in agreement, but making sure to keep her eyes on the sand head are she continued to drive the car at a speed that would be incredibly reckless and most likely get her arrested.

However, consideration for the rules of the road didn't matter, reckoning that they were currently driving across the open sand dunes that bordered the outskirts of abydos, and the fact that Ayane simply didn't care at the moment.

"Nn, look over there" Shiroko quickly pointed forward out the front windscreen of the car, her fellow students and the hunter all following where she was pointing, as they all saw a massive plume of dust being kicked up in the distance. And as they crested over a small sand dune, they finally saw what was causing it.

"It appears this fight will be far more intense, than we could have foreseen" the hunter said as his eyes narrowed dangerously while looking at the incredibly large convoy.

He wasn't worried about himself, but the same couldn't be said for his students, considering that even though they were incredibly durable to the point where bullets were non-lethal to them. The fact that the convoy was so large and seemingly had dozens of large armoured vehicles scattered within it, made him momentarily reconsider the plan to attack them head-on.

"Looks like this isn't going to be easy... But who says that a couple of tanks is going to stop us from getting Serika back!" Hoshino spoke. A determined look in her golden blue eyes, as she quickly racked the bolt on her shotgun as she prepared for the battle ahead.

The hunter quickly turned to look at her, both of them staring at each other for a moment before they suddenly nodded at the same time. At this moment in time, Serika's safety more important than anything else, including even their own well-being.

"Shiroko" the hunter said abruptly, causing the wolf girl to be momentarily surprised before she turned to look at him, an expecting look in her eyes.

"I want you to use that flying machine of yours as a destruction, they are greater and have more artillery than us... But if we can catch them off guard and sew confusion amongst their ranks we will prevail" The hunter explained with a determined his voice.

Which was reciprocated by Shiroko, who nodded her head as she quickly turned around and crawled out of the back door of the truck and onto its flatbed, where her drone was currently resting.

"You can count on me Sensei" Shiroko had to raise her voice slightly so that she could be heard over the whirl of the wind rushing past her and the sound of the car's noisy engine.

"Operation, save Serika! Is officially a go!" Nonomi shouted loudly, her usual bubbliness returning somewhat as she quickly flicked off the safety catch on her minigun ready to deliver a world of hurt to any delinquents that got in their way.

Using Nonomi's words as a jumping off point, the hunter suddenly reached into his coat and retrieved his own weapon, his beloved Evelyn pistol. Which he quickly pointed upwards out the window next to him before pulling the trigger, the rapport of the Evelyn somehow echoing across the desert and initiating the rescue operation in full.

"Shiroko, now!" the hunter boomed at the top of his lungs.

Shiroko quickly complied, pulling the ripcord on her drone which immediately started its engines and making its propellers roar to life, and subsequently propelling the drone into the air as it very quickly overtook the jeep. Racing towards its intended target, which in this case was an unsuspecting delinquent-operated armoured car.

"This is what you get for kidnapping one of my friends" Shiroko shouted with unmistakable anger in her voice as her drone quickly closed in on its target.

Bearing down on the armoured car with speed and ferocity as it quickly open fired once it was in range.

The armoured car didn't know what hit it, as it was suddenly lifted off the ground by several explosions, it's forward momentum causing it to tumble and roll, giving the delinquents inside quite a wild ride as after rolling for several hundred feet it came to a stop laying upside down.

The rest of the convoy, which had been frenzied by the sudden explosion and taking out of one of its vehicles, rapidly scattered. All coming to a stop in different locations as they tried to identify where exactly they had come under fire from.

"Ayane! Punch it! Before they figure out what's happening" Hoshino yelled loudly as the glasses wearing girl did exactly that,

Quickly, putting the Jeep into 5th gear and putting the accelerator all the way down to the floor. Everyone was thrown back in their seats, even the hunter couldn't overcome this sudden momentum as the Jeep continued to race at dazzling speeds towards the stopped convoy.

However, as they approach the convoy, the hunter finally realised it was time for him to execute his part of the plan. A part that he hadn't actually told anyone else about, because that they would very likely not want him to go through with it.

The hunter didn't say a word as he abruptly kicked open the car door, the students immediately turning to look at him in surprise as before they could say anything or shout out to him the hunter quickly jumped out of the moving car.

"Sensei!"

All four abydos students shouted at the exact moment as they watched the hunter tumble from the car. However, Ayane suddenly pulled hard on the steering wheel, only just managing to avoid an explosive shell from destroying them and the car.

However, as Hoshino, Shiroko and Nonomi recovered from the unexpected swerve, they all looked back to see what had transpired to a hunter. Only for astonishment to wash across their faces when they saw that he was completely unscathed, simply wiping away some of the sand from his overcoat as he quite literally stared down the entire armada all by himself.

"Sensei! What the hell are you doing!" Hoshino cried as the Jeep came to a screeching halt, allowing her to quickly hoist herself so that she was sitting on the door's windowsill and making it so she could see over the roof of the car to where sensei was standing.

The hunter didn't respond, glancing in the direction of the Jeep that contained his students before turning his attention back to the large gathering of delinquents, and their heavily armed convoy of vehicles, which was staring him down.

In his hand was the Evelyn, one of his most beloved and treasured weapons, while his other was completely empty, although unconsciously clenched into a tight fist. However, as he continued to stare down the convoy, he suddenly heard a familiar voice call out to him.

An arrogant and pompous voice that immediately made him feel irritated.

"Well, well, look who it is! It's that stupid teacher who thought he could get the best of us!" the hunter couldn't help but narrow his eyes dangerously, as he watched a very familiar looking delinquent abruptly poke her head out of one of the turrets of the armoured cars.

Even though her face was hidden from view, the hunter knew just by her voice and the unique colouring of her outfit, that it was the leader of the delinquents that he and the Abydos students had beaten during his very first day in Abydos.

"And look! He even brought those stupid abydos brats with him as well!" The leader of delinquents shouted as she gestured to the Jeep which was not too far away from him, the abydos students still inside watching the exchange with confusion and fear.

The hunter didn't respond, simply narrowing his eyes even further to the point where they were almost slits. Which had to decide effect, as the leader of the delinquents noticeably shivered and flinched when she saw just how angry and even threatening the mysterious adult's gaze truly was.

However, she quickly recovered as she managed to put on a false sensor bravado, pointing her gun at the hunter which signalled for the rest of the convoy as well as the numerous delinquents that had gotten out of their vehicles to all point their weapons at him as well.

"So then what are you going to do, old m-" The leader of the delinquents didn't get a chance to finish her taunt as the hunter suddenly spoke. His voice somehow carrying across the desert and almost being impossibly audible even though he did not raise his voice considerably.

"Young lady, I am not in the mood for games! Surrender and give me back my student, and I will make your punishment less harsh!" The hunter wrapped up his words a company quickly by raising his pistol and pointing it squarely at the leader of the delinquents.

He knew from prior experience, that even though the Evelyn was extremely Powerful, it wouldn't kill the delinquents in just one shot, which was why he was more than willing to use it now.

None of the delinquents including their leader responded to his command and threat. Whether it was out of shock or momentary fear. The Hunter could not say and quite simply at this moment in time he did not care, as he continued to square up against the delinquent horde and their arsenal of powerful armoured vehicles.

"What the hell is he doing! That idiot teacher is going to get himself killed!" Hoshino shouted angrily as she and her friends took cover behind the Jeep, all of them now having exited it.

Considering that they wouldn't be able to get any closer, due to, the elemental of surprise had been taken away from them by sensei's completely ridiculous and unexpected actions.

Ayane, Shiroko and Nonomi nervously looked between each other, fear and confusion written across their faces as they all, except for Hoshino. Quickly poached their heads out from around the Jeep. Seeing that sensei had not moved from his position and neither had the delinquents, both of them seemingly daring each other to make the first move.

Yet after several moments of Silence with the only sound being the howl of the wind across the desert, the leader of the delinquent suddenly started laughing like a mad woman, pointing her pistol in the direction of the hunter as she mockingly addressed him.

"Man! You really have a screw loose, don't you old man! Do you think you can take on all of us with an old pistol and win!?" The delinquent shouted with hysterical laughter, causing the rest of the delinquents gathered around her vehicle and the rest of the convoy to start laughing and giggling amongst themselves as well.

The hunter however didn't respond or even rise to her insults, his cold and sharp gays simply remaining locked onto her as unexpectedly he pulled the trigger on the Evelyn.

The pistol let out a colossal bang that sounded like a thunderclap that echoed across the entire desert. The blood infused Silver Bullet tearing through the air, and practically splitting the very air itself as it impacted only an inch away from the delinquent head.

Silencing hers and everyone else's laughter as she slowly turned her head, to see the scorch mark and considerable dent in the tank's armoured Hatch left by the bullet.

"Young lady! I am in no mood for games!" The hunter finally did raise his voice, shouting loudly as his voice was accompanied by a sudden dust of wind, knocking a few of the delinquents off their feet as it also kicked up a significant amount of sand, and momentarily blinding the delinquents as they struggled to recover.

"That's it! Have fun been turned into a red stain on the sand!" the leader of the delinquent shouted. As she quickly smacked the top of the armoured car's turret, indicating to the driver to put her foot down, which the driver did in short order as the armoured car jerk forward.

Hastily accelerating the top speed and almost throwing the delinquent leader from her chair. As the armoured car smashed through the dust cloud, and came out into the open with the hunter in front of it.

However, despite the delinquent leader's glee that the Hunter have not moved from his position, she couldn't help but find it a bit strange that he didn't even attempt to move or even dodge as the distance between him and the front of the armoured car continued to dwindle.

"Sensei!" Shiroko suddenly shouted, quickly moving to come to the hunters, yet as her friends jumped out to stop her, and before she could make it no more than two steps.

Something completely unexpected happened. A moment that shocked not only the abydos students, but also the delinquents who had been watching with glee as the hunter was about to be turned into a red stain on the desert sand.

The hunter didn't try to move, he simply let the armoured car come at him. However, just when it was about to finally hit him and kill him, the hunter finally played his trump card.

Reaching into his overcoat faster than any student could perceive, he found the exact tool he needed for the situation. Bringing it out, the hunter pulled his fist back, Which was now adorned with a massive piece of raw iron, finger holes roughly carved Into it's rough and uneven surface as the hunter finally let his fish thrash forward.

He didn't get many opportunities to use it. But the Fist of Gratia, much like any Hunter tool, had its uses and the right time to use them.

All of it happened so fast that nobody was quite sure in the moment exactly what happened. Yet if any of the students and delinquents that had the reaction time to perceive what had happened, they would have seen the armoured car come to a dead stop in front of the hunter, before its momentum caused it to literally somersault over him.

It's entire heavily armoured front plate now completely crushed inwards, as it seemed to hang in the air over the hunter for a moment, before plunging back down to the ground now completely inverted and resting on its top.

And subsequently skidded to a halt, a massive plume of sand being kicked up by the several tonne vehicles hitting the ground. However, that wasn't all as after the armoured car came to a crashing stop, now resting comfortably on its top. It's engine suddenly burst into flames, letting off a subsequent very loud explosion, as the hunter suddenly whirled around, the motion of him flicking his arm down causing his overcoat to act more like a cape as it billowed almost majestically in the wind.

Nobody could believe their eyes. One moment, the hunter was about to be taken out by the speeding armoured car. And the next, said armoured car was now nothing more than a crumpled heap of iron, steel and rubber.

It's entire heavily armoured front completely smashed in like it had hit a brick wall, with its engine engulfed in a raging Inferno. And most importantly the fact that the several ton armoured vehicle was now flipped onto its top, as if it was nothing more than a small toy car

"H-how... How the hell is that possible!?" Hoshino was the first amongst her friends to speak, having to pick her jaw up off the floor as she honestly couldn't believe what she just witnessed.

She had heard rumours that on his first day in kivotos, sensei had somehow managed to destroy a tank by himself, but she had simply disregarded those as gossip. However, now seeing what he had just done to the armoured car made her reconsider that assessment.

But before anyone else could speak, the hunter suddenly raised his voice, pointing his strange brick like weapon into the air as he unexpectedly shouted at the top of his lungs, his words propelling all the abydos students into action.

"Nonomi, Hoshino, Shiroko! All of you! Strike now while they are confused!"

…...​

"Ugh... My head" a groggy voice spoke into the darkness, as the owner of said voice sluggishly opened her eyes.

Yet, instead of her comfy and warm bed like she was expecting, she was met with cold hard steel that was seemingly vibrating due to an unknown source.

"Huh?"

Serika's groggy eyes suddenly shot fully open, her surroundings were shrouded In darkness, to the point where she can only just make out vague nondescript looking shapes in the darkness.

Panic began to flow through her veins, as the cat girl tried to push herself to a sitting position, only to completely fail because of the lack of strength in her body. But also more importantly for the fact that her arms were seemingly bound behind her back.

Trying to loosen the knot in whatever was keeping her restrained, Serika felt her heart begin to sink when she realised that she was tired at the wrist, with something that was incredibly durable and didn't have any given it whatsoever.

Yet even if the bindings did have enough flexibility for her to work with. The lack of strength in her muscles would have made it impossible for her to do anything, considering that even just craning her neck slightly, so her head wasn't resting against the cold steel surface below, nearly drained her of energy entirely.

"W-w-where... A-am I" Serika managed to mutter, any strength in her voice completely absent as she simply looked around at the cold dark place she found herself in.

Yet, as she did this, she suddenly felt herself get violently jostled around, making her go from a position on her side to laying on her back and looking up at the ceiling of the confined space she was in.

"Is this... A car" Serika's quiet and weak voice echoed around the dark confined space, with the darkness itself not offering up an answer.

However, after several moments of muffled rumbling, her words were answered by the unmistakable revving of what sounded like a truck engine, followed by another jolt. Which made her grown in pain, considering that the cold, hard steel didn't exactly do a good job of cushioning the sudden jolt.

Realisation and panic suddenly exploded within Serika's chest, she again tried to pull herself upright. Yet wholeheartedly failed to do so, both because of the restraints tied around her wrists and angles and due to the fact she simply didn't have any strength to do so.

"Have I been kidnapped!?" Serika said to herself, panic starting to creep into her voice as her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness.

Allowing her to slowly make out the objects that she was surrounded by. Which happened to be crates of various different sizes, shapes and colours holding materials that she couldn't identify.

"The helmet gang... It must be them! But where the hell are they taking me" Serika somehow managed to find some strength to struggle against her restraints. Unfortunately, this did not last very long as after frantically trying to pull her knees and wrist apart, she found that the bindings would not budge whatsoever.

"Dammit!" Her voice bounced off the confined interior of the truck, as Serika tried a few more times to Break Free of her bindings.

Yet, still much like the first time, every attempt resulted in failure as she quickly felt the small amount of strength she had managed to gather quickly dissipate, as she was left a tired and panting mess.

"I have to..." (pant) "keep..." (cough) "trying..." Serika managed to say between her ragged breaths and coughs, somehow finding just enough strength to wiggle herself into the right position so she could push herself into a somewhat sitting position. However, what ever strength that allowed her to do this was quickly spent, as she felt her head begin to spin violently.

But thankfully, instead of falling onto her back, a sudden Jolt from the truck going over a rough spot, caused her to fall sideways and be propped up by a stack of nearby boxes.

Yet even despite this momentary luck, Serika felt nothing but crushing defeat as she closed her eyes. Her chest continuing to heave heavily as she struggled to get air into her body.

It was completely hopeless! There was simply no way for her to escape. And even if she did manage to find some way to get out, she didn't have a weapon or anything on her, meaning that if there were Gang members out there waiting for her, which the most likely was. She wouldn't get very far before being recaptured.

"It's no use..." The defeat was easily perceptible in Serika's voice as she rested her head against the boxes that had acted as her impromptu support.

Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but begin to think of the worst. Because judging from the sound she could hear outside, it seems that she along with her captors were somewhere on the outskirts of the District. Which meant that the prospect of anyone coming to look for her was practically non-existent at this point.

"W-what are they... G-g-going to do to me..." Serika said with a shaky and trembling voice. She already began to assume the worst of what the Gang would do to her once they arrived at wherever they were heading to.

"A-are they going to… B-bury me somewhere in the desert, so no one can find me?" Serika found herself tremble with fear at the possibility.

She had seen that in a movie once, where the main villain would kill his victims and bury them in the middle of the desert so they could never be found.

And she feared that the helmet gang would do the exact same thing to her, making it look as if she had simply just disappeared.

However, as Serika continued to simply sit there, her head resting against the boxes. An even worse scenario entered her mind, one that made her begin to cry profusely as the prospect of it washed over her.

"Maybe everyone will think that I bailed on them... A-and left like all the other students" Serika knew that she was now crying like a baby. Yet, she simply couldn't help it, as the idea of all of her friends being incredibly disappointed with her smashed into her like a freight train.

"W-will they think I betrayed them?" Serika's voice was now barely above a whisper, as another Jolt from the truck going over a rough patch.

Sending her tumbling onto her back, yet she didn't even try to pick herself up, as she simply looked up at the dark ceiling of the trucks' interior. Tears continuing to fall down her cheeks as she finally realised that this was how it was going to end.

However, as she continued to lay there, Serika's mind began to be flooded with negative thoughts, ones that she battled with every single day, yet always managed to overcome by maintaining a positive attitude as well as the encouragement of her friends.

But now completely alone and with the prospect that her friends would think that she was a deserting traitor. The negative thoughts came back in abundance, reminding her of just how bad she felt about herself.

"I'm so... useless..." Serika whispered quietly. The bitterness in her voice grew considerably as her face contorted into an almost physically pained look. "Maybe... it's better this way... maybe they'll do just fine without me" the cat girl said bitterly.

Yet the Malice and her voice was not directed at her friends...

But at herself.

She had always been the weakest link of the foreclosure task force, the one, always needing to be rescued or needing help to accomplish her missions. Serika smiled bitterly, even though her friends never complained about her always getting herself into trouble or making a mess for them to clean up. She always had a sneaking suspicion that they secretly resented her for it.

'Serika! For crying out loud, you know that's not true!'

A small piece of herself said in her mind, trying to reassure her that what she had just considered wasn't the truth. After all, her friends were incredibly accepting and kind people, so they wouldn't think about her like that or even abandoned her to her fate...

Would they?

'Your friends love you, they wouldn't think so little of you'

Her subconscious kept telling her, however, the bitterness that had taken hold in her heart quickly fought back with a venomous retort.

'No they don't! I'm just a liability to them! They were probably just looking for an excuse to get rid of me!'

Serika's face scrunched up in bitter anger as she suddenly felt the truck come to a stop. Her ears not even registering that there was some kind of explosion outside the truck as she continued to argue internally with herself.

'That's a load of crap, you know it! These are the same people that welcome to with open arms when you first enrolled!'

Her subconscious pushed back hard with something that in reality couldn't be argued against. However, the resentments that continued to eat away at her like a vicious cancer managed to find something to say in response.

'That was just a lie! They were just being nice to meet because I was the newbie! As soon as they saw how useless I was, they already wanted to get rid of me...'

Serika could feel the tears just starting to run down her face once again as her subconscious didn't respond back. She had completely resigned herself to this fate, knowing that have friends wouldn't come looking for her. Because why would they want such a useless student like her back in their ranks.

However, as a quiet sob escaped Serika's lips, she suddenly became aware of a commotion outside the truck, which momentarily halted her tears as she tilted her head to one side, streaming both her human and cat ears to try and hear what was going on.

She couldn't make out exactly what was being said due to the thick steel walls of a truck muffling it, but one of the voices that sounded awfully familiar to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it due to how distorted and muffled it sounded.

Yet as she continued to listen the voices suddenly went silent, and just when it seemed like that the silence would last forever. Serika suddenly heard the sound of a revving car engine accompanied by the sound of screeching tyres, as the sound of the engine quickly grew distant.

This confused her to no end, yet that confusion did not last long, as she suddenly heard something that almost sounded like a car crash, which was quickly followed by an explosion and then a voice that made her eyes widen and surprise.

"Nonomi, Hoshino, Shiroko! All of you! Strike now while they are confused!"

Serika quite simply couldn't believe her ears, as she heard gunfire quickly open up all around the truck, the concussive booms from the guns making the inside of the truck rattle considerably as she found hope slowly returning to her.

"Did they... did they really come for me?" Serika said quietly as the intense gun fight outside continued.

The negative part of herself tried to argue that it was simply just the Gang getting into a scrap amongst themselves, however she was no longer listening to the negative emotions in her heart. As the hope that she would be rescued continue to grow as the gunfight outside sounded like it got more and more ferocious.

"S-stay away from-" *BANG!*

Serika found herself closing her eyes by reflex as the voice outside the truck was abruptly silenced by the almost unnaturally loud gunshot. She could feel the sound waves literally ripple through her body, making her feel slightly nauseous as she opened her eyes.

However, that's when she heard it

Slow and methodical footsteps accompanied by the sound of crunching sand beneath them.

It made her instantly feel afraid, mainly because it reminded her again of something she saw in a movie. Where the monster would slowly stalk towards its prey, deliberately taking its time and exaggerating its movements as to scare its victims as much as possible before it killed them.

But even if she did have the energy to run, she couldn't because of her restraints, meaning that all she could do was simply lay there and wait for whatever was coming to finally end her.

Yet instead of something tearing its way into the truck to kill her, the footsteps came to a stop outside the truck's doors. The sound of the gunfight outside, still going on but being noticeably less intensive than before, indicating to the cat girl that one side of whoever was fighting was now winning.

"W-what's going on, out-" Serika didn't get a chance to finish her words as she suddenly heard what sounded like something hitting the doors of the van hard.

In fact, the force from whatever it was. It was so violent that the entire truck lurched forward violently throwing her around in the process as after a moment of surprised it suddenly happened again.

This time, as she recovered, she noticed that in the doors of the truck, was a new very large looking dent, the likes of which had not been there only seconds ago.

However, before she could panic at the thought of something breaking into get her, there was another colossal bang on the truck doors. Accompanied by something metallic snapping, which was the truck's central locking mechanism, most likely breaking from the sheer impact.

And then it happened.

The truck doors were suddenly thrown open with enough force that the truck jerked once again, yet Serika couldn't see what had done it due to the light flooding in. And momentarily blinding her and forcing her to shut her eyes, due to the fact that they had grown accustomed to the dim light of the dark truck interior.

However, after groaning from the pain of having her eyes being assaulted by the impossibly bright light, she suddenly heard a voice, that made her eyes shoot open, even though they have not fully acclimatised to the bright outside light.

"Serika!"

The black haired cat girl's eyes struggled to adjust, only just managing to make out of vague silhouette, partially backlit by the bright sunlight. However, as her eyes came into focus, Serika finally realised who exactly it was standing before her.

"S-sensei?" Serika managed to utter, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes finally fully adjusted, allowing her to see the absolutely petrified look that was on sensei's face.

This confused her for a moment, because she had never seen sensei look this upset or concerned about anything. Yet as she watched his facial expression turn from one of fear to a genuinely relieved smile, Serika finally realised why exactly he looked at her like that.

"Y-you really... came for me?" Serika could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes again. Although instead of sadness and anger, this time they were tears of relief and joy as the hunter smiled warmly at her.

"Of course I did, Serika, I would never abandon one of my students" The hunter said affectionately as he quickly maneuvered his way into the back of the truck. Making his way over to Serika and kneeling down next to her.

"Hold still and just wait one moment, Serika. I will cut you free of these bindings" the hunter gently pushed the cat girl onto her side. Normally she would have tried to stop him from touching her, but at this moment in time, she didn't have the energy to do so as she simply followed his lead.

Serika couldn't see exactly what the hunter was doing, but she got the general idea of what was going on, when she heard the sound of something sharp and silvery cutting through her bindings, freeing her arms and legs.

"Can you stand, Serika?" the hunter asked cautiously as he helped the blackhead cat girl to sit upright, holding the hand behind her back to act as support when he noticed how weak she was.

However, instead of replying verbally, Serika simply shook her head from side to side. She barely had enough energy to keep her head upright, so standing and walking was completely out of the question.

"I see… in that case" The hunter said with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Serika found this somewhat confusing as she opened her mouth to ask what he was thinking about. Yet she didn't get a chance to actually say anything, as she suddenly found herself being lifted into the air. The hunter's strong yet gentle arms tenderly wrapping around her torso and legs as he carried her bridal Style.

The revelation that the hunter had just picked her up and was carrying her, made Serika blush profusely. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to actually argue about it, as the hunter looked at her with an expression that conveyed whether she was ready to leave.

And after a moment of looking embarrassed, the cat girl simply nodded her head, just wanting to get out of this dark and dreary truck and never see it again.

"Hold on to me, Serika" Was all that the hunter said, as he began to move, holding onto the girl tightly as she somewhat hesitantly and weakly began to hold on to the front of his shirt.

And it was only now that she noticed just how dishevelled his entire outfit looked, which was a stark contrast to how she remembered it looking the previous night when he had showed up at the Ramen restaurant with the rest of her friends.

However, as both her and the hunter emerged into the light, Serika couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty as her face contorted into a slightly guilty expression. Even though she had not said them out loud, she had thought all of those terrible things about her friends, and it only made her feel incredibly ashamed of herself.

Of course, they would come looking for her, after all they were her friends, no... they were her family! And family always sticks by each other no matter what.

Serika closed her eyes, as the sun assaulted her, once again the feeling of the hot desert, which was usually something that she hated. That was now a familiar Sensation that she didn't know she had missed until it was taken away.

Though, as she opened her eyes, she felt them nearly fall out of their sockets when she noticed the sheer chaos around her and sensei.

Unconscious delinquent were everywhere, their weapons scattered all over the ground, yet that's not what caught her attention. It was in fact the numerous and destroyed armoured cars that surrounded the truck that had been her prison.

All of them, looked like they had been taken out with various kinds of explosives, however one of them in particular was the one that stuck out to her the most. Because it was literally flipped upside down, the entire thing a burnt out husk of what it used to be as it continued to billow black dirty smoke into the sky.

"Sensei... What happened here" Serika ask cautiously, looking at the sheer destruction around her in absolute awe.

Because while she had been in some pretty intense firefights before, the sheer level of destruction around her was on a completely never level that she wasn't used to. In fact, again to use another movie analogy, it felt like something out of a destruction movie where the world was coming to an end.

The hunter followed the tired cat girl's gaze, looking around himself at all the destruction that he and his students had wrought in their attempt to rescue Serika. And now looking at the destruction he was personally responsible for, made him only realise now, that he had truly lost his temper, something that he almost never did.

"Nothing that you should worry about Serika... let's just say that there were some... obstacles in our way" the hunter said with a genuine relieved smile. He was a bit perturbed at the fact that he had somewhat lost his temper and subsequently taken his anger out on the delinquents.

But more importantly, he was just happy that Serika was safe and sound, with seemingly no permanent physical injuries to speak of.

Serika looked at the hunter, staring into his big and compassionate eyes as they made her feel calm and safe. However, as she subconsciously tightened her grip on his overcoat, she suddenly realised something about what he had said.

"Our?" Serika said slightly puzzled as she looked up at The Hunter, one of her black cat ears drooping slightly, physically conveying her confusion.

Which the hunter had to admit was quite adorable. Yet before he could open his mouth to answer her, another voice suddenly interrupted, relief and happiness practically dripping from the single word that was uttered.

"Serika!"

Serika's eyes widened as she somewhat sluggishly turned her head to the source of the voice. Only to see that it was none other than Hoshino. The pink haired girl running towards her and sensei with a speed that was uncharacteristic for her, considering her usual sleepy and dopey mannerisms.

However, she wasn't the only one as Serika quickly spotted Nonomi, Ayane, Shiroko all making a beeline for her position. Happiness and relief written across their faces as Serika notice that much like sensei, they all looked noticeably dishevelled, with some of them even having holes and tears in them, as well as them being covered in sand and general grime.

"Sensei! Is she ok!?" Hoshino asked as she came to a screeching stop next to the hunter and Serika, quickly leaning in and inspecting every inch of the cat girl, much to her surprise and slight discomfort. As the rest of her friends came to a stop next to her and since they as well.

"She is fine how Hoshino, she is a little bit weak, but I think that will pass with a good night's rest and possibly even a day off school" The hunter said with a happy tone in his voice that immediately made Hoshino exhale out a relieved sigh

Serika silently watched the interaction between them, noticing that Hoshino and the Hunter, seems to be actually cooperating with each other. This was a surprise to her considering how the pink headed girl had been acting in the Ramen restaurant last night.

"Ohhhhh Serika! You poor little thing~" Nonomi spoke in a tone that reminded everyone of a concerned mother as she quickly put her minigun down on the sand in front of her and close the gap between herself and Serika.

The cat girl being caught completely off guard as she and the hunter, by extension, were enveloped in a tight but the gentle embrace, the likes of which were Nonomi's speciality.

However, unlike most times when Serika would try to escape from such affectionate embraces, this time she simply let herself be consumed by the warm hug.

Appreciating the immense amount of comfort and momentarily as she closed her eyes, the content and safe feeling that she got from being carried by sensei only being multiplied by Nonomi's embrace.

Yet the embraced did not last very long as unlike most times, Nonomi unexpectedly ended the embrace, the look on her face being one of relief at the fact that her junior classmate was safe and sound.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Serika... We were also worried about you, as soon as we knew you were missing we came looking for you" Nonomi said softly. Her words being accompanied by knobs from the rest of her friends, who all chimed in with their own words.

"It's good to see you still in one piece, Serika" Shiroko said casually, her voice remaining mostly monotone, yet her usual blank face had a noticeable look of gladness and relief, as she gently rubbed some dirt and sand away from my cheeks.

Serika felt the relief and joy in her chest continued to build. Hearing all of these words that her friends were saying, filled her chest with such happiness and relief that she felt her eyes beginning to water.

But unlike usual didn't try to stop the tears, as Ayane quickly stepped forward, wrapping the blackhead cat girl and Hunter, who was holding her, in a tight but short-lived embrace as she spoke herself.

"I'm just glad you're safe Serika... when we realised you were missing we dropped everything to find you" Ayane quickly separated from the embrace, tears of relief beginning to fill her own eyes as she quickly removed her glasses and tried rubbing them away.

Serika by this point felt the tears running down her cheeks freely, however even then she still didn't stop them as the Hunter spoke himself.

"They are all correct, Serika. We were all willing to go to the ends of the Earth to find you and bring you home safe and sound... I would have defied cosmos itself to see that no harm came to you" The hunter said with a determination in his voice made the cat girl feel that his words were true.

Even if they sounded somewhat ridiculous with him saying that he would defy the cosmos. But ultimately that didn't really matter to her as a smile made its way onto her face, the tears still continuing to roll down her cheeks.

"T-t-thank you,E-everyone" Serika struggled to say between her tears as her smile quickly morphed from a small one into a full-fledged, very toothy grin.

This made the rest of the students and Hunter smile to themselves, with Hoshino taking it upon herself to lighten the mood with a bit of humour at the expense of Serika.

"Aw, look, Serika is crying! She must have really missed us. I have no idea she cared so much" Hoshino said with a giggle, which was quickly reciprocated by Nonomi, Ayane, Shiroko as they all began to chuckle together.

Serika tried to make herself look angry because of the comment, yet she simply couldn't bring herself to be genuinely angry. As after a moment, the smile on her face somehow grew even larger and wider than it had before as she quickly burst out into laughter of her own.

"God, you guys so annoying... I'm… S-so happy to be back!" Serika said as more tears of happiness continue to roll down her cheeks.

All sharing more laughter between each other for several moments, before eventually the Hunter finally brought the entire thing to an end by quickly clearing his throat with a cough.

"Well I believe it's time for us to head back, the sun is starting to hang low, and we do not want our precious little Serika catching a cold out here, do we?" The hunter said with a jovial tone in his voice. As he motioned for Nonomi, Ayane, Shiroko and Hoshino to follow him back to the Jeep, which they all did in short order as they all said in unison.

"Yes Sensei!"

…...​

A gentle wind blew through the ruined buildings, occasionally kicking up a few straight particles of sand, and caused them to glisten almost beautifully in the pale moonlight. The site was beautiful in its desolation; however, sadly was nobody around to comment or enjoy its beauty...

Except for one and his digital companion.

"Man, what a day! I like action as much as the next AI. But sensei you really need to stop doing crazy stuff like that" The computerised voice had a noticeably tired sounding quality to it as it spoke. Whoever it's owner was, they were practically exhausted yet the concern in their voice was easily recognizable.

"I suppose you do have a point, Arona. I must admit that I did lose my composure there for a few moments, leading to my very impulsive and reckless actions" a calm and gentle voice responded to the owner of the other voice.

Which was turned out to be a man, as a figure quickly stepped out from the shade of a half collapsed apartment building.

Revealing himself to be none other than the hunter, his clothes still looking just as dishevelled as when he had declared farewell to his students for the day.

However, the reason why the hunter found himself here, surrounded by the gutted husks of sand-covered buildings basking in the Moonlight if they would gigantic animals. It was as much of a mystery to him as anyone else.

He had initially planned on returning to Schale, so he could review the day's of events as well as freshen up somewhat considering his rather dilapidated looking appearance. Yet instead of heading towards the train station like he had planned, he found himself instead walking with seemingly no direction.

His feet simply carrying him forward with no rhyme or reason. However, despite not knowing exactly where he was going or what he was looking for, the hunter couldn't ignore the slight feeling in the back of his mind.

It was almost like something was gently tugging him along in a certain direction, even though he had no idea exactly what it was.

Arona didn't respond with words, yet, even though the tablet was inside his overcoat for safe keeping. The hunter could feel the AI looking at him with a seriously set expression. Which made him chuckle somewhat because it almost reminded him of a mother scolding her child who had misbehaved.

But as he continued to walk somewhat aimlessly, occasionally looking up at the buildings that surrounded him, he heard a familiar sounding yawn come from within his overcoat.

"Sensei... I'm tired, if it's alright with you, I think I'm going to go to sleep now" Arona said with a noticeably sleepy look in her eye, as she let out another yawn to prove her point.

The hunter stopped in his tracks for a moment, chuckling quietly to himself as he quickly retrieved the tablet from his overcoat, so he could see Arona face to face before she retired for the night.

"That is more than fine, Arona. You have done me a great service today, so a restful sleep is more than deserved" the hunter put on a warm and happy smile.

His words were truthful and sincere because after all, if it wasn't for his little AI companion. Then he and his students most likely would have not been able to find Serika before it was too late.

Even though the expression on Aurora's face was a very sleepy looking one, she couldn't help but let out a cute and goofy looking smile as she uncontrollably yawned once again.

"Ok, sensei" Yawn* "Please don't stay out all night. You need your rest too after all" Arona said with an assertive tone and her voice making the hunter chuckle as he quickly nodded his head.

Although he did subconsciously apologise to his companion. Considering that he didn't think he would be giving much sleep tonight, because even if he did have the need and the desire to do so, He simply couldn't right now considering there was too much on his mind from the previous day's events.

"I promise I will not stay out too long Arona, now get some rest. You've more than deserved it" The hunter said with a kind smile as his companion let out another yawn.

Looking absolutely drained as she tiredly waved at him before finding one of the desks in the far corner of the flooded classroom that was her home, rapidly sitting in the chair and then resting her head on the desk.

"Goodnight... Sensei" Arona was already half asleep when those words exited her mouth. Her Halo quickly blinking out of existence as unconsciousness took her, quiet snores slowly started to emanate from her lips as she slept.

Seeing this, the hunter couldn't help but smile, finding it quite cute as he quickly pressed the 'off' button on the tablet before placing it back into his overcoat for safe keeping.

Yet, as he did this, something tug hard at the back of his mind, making him stop dead in his tracks as he narrowed his eyes. Looking around at the surrounding area, trying to determine what was making him feel this way.

"This feeling... it's... familiar" The hunter whispered, his quiet voice cutting through the cold night air like a hot knife as he continued to scrutinise the surroundings. All he saw was deserted and desiccated buildings with sand piled up high around them.

Yet that's when he saw it, a dark patch on the sand.

One, that most people would have missed or simply disregarded as a shadow in the Moonlight. Yet, with his enhanced senses, he was easily able to perceive it. Quickly walking over to it, the hunter knelt down as just at that moment, the moon which had been partially obscured by a wispy cloud suddenly came out from behind it.

Illuminating the area much more than had been previously and finally allowing the hunt to see what it was that caught his attention.

"Blood..."

The word slipped from his mouth unconsciously as the hunter quickly reached down and plucked up a few grains of the blood soaked sand.

Quickly removing one of his gloves with his mouth, the hunter gently rubbed the bloody sand between his now exposed fingers. Being able to judge from how it felt that this blood was relatively fresh, maybe less than 24 hours old.

Dropping the sand back down to the ground, the hunter quickly pulled himself back to his full height, his eyes now focused as his entire body was on high alert for any potential danger. However, even despite that, he still did something that he would normally not do as a hunter in a situation like this.

"Is there anyone here?" the hunter asked, his voice giving away his position to anyone that could have been watching,

For a split second, he thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye through the dark shadows cast by the decade husks of the surrounding buildings.

However, despite his Instincts now telling him that something was definitely out of the ordinary, the hunter still decided to call out one more time. Hoping that if the blood did belong to somebody who was in peril, then he could hopefully help them

"Hello... Are you in need of assistance" The hunter's voice echoed off the decayed buildings around him, making it sound like his voice was coming from everywhere.

Yet, as the residual echoes of his voice continue to bounce around off the buildings, the hunter suddenly snapped his head in a particular direction. A subtle sound, being the cause of his sudden action as he saw a dark figure obscured by the shadows of the buildings.

Just as the hunter opened his mouth to ask if the individual was alright. A pungent odor suddenly struck his nose, making his eyes widen in surprise and shock as he quickly assumed a combative posture almost by pure instinct.

The figure, was lanky and completely inhuman looking. As it began to slowly hobble out from the shadows, revealing something that made the hunters' heart fill with dread, but also something that excited something deep within him, a part of himself that he usually kept under control.

"By mother Kos..." the hunter said slowly to himself, as the horrific beast continue to lumber into the Open.

It looked exactly how he remembered the Beast's of yharnam looking, with the majority of its body covered in thick matted black fur, that seemed to absorb the very light around it. The limbs of the beast were very noticeably out of proportion, with the legs being incredibly long and one of its Arms being noticeably more slender and disfigured than the other.

Nonetheless, as he continued to stare at the walking abomination, he couldn't help but notice there were also differences from the beasts that he remembered. The biggest difference was the fact that it was nowhere near as large as the scourge beasts, that he had encountered in Old yharnam.

In fact, it was practically tiny by comparison, to the point where it almost resembled the Beast infected townsfolk of yharnam that old Djura had so lovingly watched over.

The creature snarled viciously as it suddenly turned its head up to the sky, and let loose a deafening howl, the likes of which caused the hairs on the back of the hunter's neck to stand up on end. However, as the creature brought its head back down to stare angrily at him, the hunter noticed that there was something else wrong with this creature.

It was already wounded?

The hunter found this incredibly strange as the creature began to stumble towards him at a speed that would have worried most, but to him was of no concern. As he continued to simply stand there and inspect, it's injuries from a distance.

It's left arm was completely non-functional, with it only hanging onto the shoulder by a few strands of muscle and flesh. But that wasn't the worst of its injuries, as the hunter could easily see the majority of its chest cavity blown open by something.

With the creature's ribs and organs on display for the entire world to see. It's left leg was also damaged as well, although it seems to be localised to the hip area, being the reason why the creature had an awkward and stumbling gait.

However, any more inspecting of the creature came to an abrupt end, as it suddenly launched at him, the hunter effortlessly moving out of the way, as the creature quickly crashed to the ground where he had been standing.

Noticeable amounts of blood leaking from its wounds and onto the sand as it struggled with its one somewhat functional and distended arm to get back to its feet.

"How peculiar" The hunter quietly mused as the creature finally got back to his feet, quickly spinning on the spot and lunging at him once again.

Yet, thankfully, the hunter faster once again as he dodged the creature's frenzied attempt at attacking him, only making it fall to the ground once again as it struggled to get back up.

However, as the creature was in the process of doing this, the hunter suddenly noticed something that made him pause. Something that compelled him to do the unthinkable as he quickly rushed forward.

Grabbing the beast from the ground and holding it at arm's length with both hands. The Beast began to thrash around wildly, desperately trying to bite and claw at any part of the hunter it could reach. Yet in spite of this, it simply couldn't do much as the hunter continued to scrutinise it closer, now able to see details that he had missed before.

Despite how far along its transformation was, he was able to see the remnants of clothes hanging to the creature's body, as well as what appear to be actual human hair mixed into the creature's black fur atop its head.

The creature continue to flail wildly as the hunter's eyes narrowed. The stray strands of hair that were mixed into the black fur looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place exactly where he had seen that colour of hair before.

However, as his eyes trace the downwards inspecting these scraps of clothes that continue to cling to the beast's frame, a horrifying feeling suddenly overcame him as his eyes widened in aghast.

"N-no! It can't B-be!" The Hunter uncharacteristically stammered as he suddenly dropped the creature to the ground.

The sudden Impact of it hitting the ground causing the creature's already useless and limp arm to detach entirely from its body. Making it momentarily yell in pain as it desperately clawed at the stump where it's arm used to be.

The hunter's face took on a look of absolute dread, as he quickly stepped back, he knew why the strands of hair and clothing fragments looked familiar to him. Yet despite what was laid out before him and the evidence for it, he didn't want to believe it.

It simply couldn't be the case!

He refused to believe it.

Yet... The evidence for it was right in front of him.

The Beast... no. the creature that was once Tomo suddenly looked up and into the hunter eyes. Its face continued to be twisted into a vicious snarl, yet the hunter saw something else in those pale, milky eyes.

A small part that, maybe... just maybe, was a small sliver of whom this vicious creature used to be.
Something that pleaded... No! Begged him. Not with words, but a cry from the very depths of a tortured soul.

Please, make it stop... please kill me.

The Hunter and the transformed Tomo, continue to stay at each other, the beast that was once a young girl continuing to grow as it tried to get up. Yet, ultimately, was unable to do so now that it was missing one of its limbs.

The hunter felt the pain in his chest continued to build as he watched the creature continue to try and get up to attack him.

He knew what needed to be done, and he knew that he had the strength to do it…

Yet…

His promise.

He had made a promise, a promise that he wanted to keep no matter what.

"I failed again... just like last time" the hunter spoke softly, his voice full of bitter regret as the beast finally managed to push itself onto its knees in front of him.

However, instead of rising back to its feet, the creature simply knelt there, seemingly no longer having the energy to get up.

The hunter took in a breath, one that was noticeably shaky and uneven, as he finally accepted that there was no alternative.

"I'm sorry child... I'm sorry that I couldn't save you... But I can at least end your pained existence so you will suffer no more" The hunter didn't even try to hide the sorrow in his voice, as his words cut through the cold night air like a blade.

The creature despite growling at him still didn't have the energy to get up or even try and swipe at him as the hunter quickly reached into his overcoat.

"I'm sorry Ume. But I could not bring your sister home like I promised..." the hunter's voice trembled as tears began to leak from his eyes. His hand finally grasped exactly what he needed as he quickly retrieved it from his overcoat.

At first what was revealed was a strange looking handle with a very ornate almost bone looking curve in it, yet that was quickly forgotten as the rest of the object was revealed.

It was a blade.

A long and wickedly curved blade

One seemingly made of coarse and rough metal, seemingly glistening in the moonlight. And giving the weapon an almost ethereal quality to it as the Hunter finally retrieved his the blade.

However, that was not all, as he quickly reached to his back. Grasping an object that had not been there moments ago, as in one lightning-fast motion it quickly unfolded, the handle of the blade suddenly slotting into one of the ends. While the hunter quickly spam the entire apparatus around in his hand several times before catching it with both hands, revealing exactly what it was.

"I'm sorry, old friend... But it seems you have to take another life this night" The hunter spoke with overwhelming pain in his voice, the streams of tears continued to run down his cheeks, as he looked down at his weapon.

The Burial Blade

The weapon of the first Hunter.

A weapon that had taken the lives of countless beasts in both anger and pleasure. Yet on this night, it would not take a life for the sake of the hunt or bloodlust, but instead as an act of mercy.

The hunter pulled the burial blade back, raising it high into the sky as the wicked curved blade sparkled dangerously in the moonlight. Making it look as if it was glowing with an unknown cosmic energy, as the hunter made sure that it was in the right position, so his swing would result in a swift and painless end for the beastly transformed Tomo.

Nevertheless, before he brought it down, the hunter closed his eyes, tears continuing to leak from them as he gave a short prayer. One that would not reach anyone's ears but his and Tomo, but one that he still gave as a sign of respect.

"O flora, of the moon, of the dream. O please take this young one into your embrace, and cherisher her for evermore. Make it so that she never experiences suffering again"

The hunter's words carried across the desert like the cold wind. As he brought the burial blade up even higher over his head.

But for just a singular moment the hunter held the blade there, a small amount of hesitation forced its way into him, before he abruptly exhaled.

The beast's last breath finally came...

And Tomo's suffering was brought to an end that night.

 

[mgman]

'Why did it have to come to this...?'

A quiet voice spoke to no one, as its owner continued to sit quietly. Surrounded by Darkness on all sides both physically and metaphorically as they tried to fathom why the previous night's tragedy had to come to pass.

"I made a promise... but it's another promise that I broke" The voice had a noticeable amount of anger in it. As, it's owner suddenly put their head in their hands.

The anger wasn't directed at anyone but himself, after all, despite there being no alternative happened last night. It didn't change the fact that the hunter knew that he had failed once again.

He had made a promise to Ume, that he would find her sister and bring her back safe and sound, yet it had all come to absolutely nothing. Because Tomo had long since succumbed to a beastly transformation, meaning that the hunter was left with no choice but to end her suffering.

"What use is a hunter, if he can't even protect one girl and her sister" The hunter's anger fled noticeably, as he clenched his hair between his fingers. The pain of his hair being pulled from his scalp was completely unknown to him as he continued to fume.

However, his words held a deeper meaning, because he was not just referring to Ume and Tomo, but also two of the young girls that he had failed to protect after making a promise to do so.

"Father Gascoigne daughters…" The hunter's voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke.

To this very day, the death of Gascoigne's daughter's was something that weighed heavily on his mind, because as far as he was concerned. They are blood was on his hands as he had promised to protect them, which ultimately only lead them to their deaths.

"I made a vow that I would never fail like that again... and yet it happened again! Exactly the same as before" The hunter quickly slumped back in his chair, taking his head out of his hands as his arms dropped to his sides loosely. Now looking up at the dark ceiling of his personal bedroom inside the main Schale building.

He never thought that he would actually use this space, considering that sleep was a commodity that he no longer needed after his ascension. However, after last night's events, he had retreated to this space, wanting to simply be alone with his thoughts, as he tried to process them.

Yet, it wasn't just the fact, that he had broken his promise that had him so troubled. It was also the simple fact that he couldn't fathom how or why exactly Tomo could have transformed into a beast.

As far as he was able to tell, the beastly scourge was something that could only be brought about through tampering with the old blood and by extension the great ones.

"I don't understand! It just doesn't make any sense how Tomo got infected with the old blood!" the hunter didn't even try to hide the rage in his voice, as he suddenly stood up from his seat, beginning to pace like an animal in a cage as he started to think of how exactly this was even possible in the first place.

The hunter's first line of enquiry, was to presume that maybe he was the cause of it somehow, considering his non-human nature and the fact that the great ones and their emissaries, were responsible for the beastly scourge that had taken hold in both Loran and Yharnam.

Yet, that possibility was quickly discounted as the hunter frustratedly smashed his fist into the wall, hard enough to leave a dent in the plasterboard but not so as you put his fist for it entirely.

"If I am not the cause of the scourge spreading here... then what is!?" The hunter groaned angrily as he resumed his pacing.

Even if his cosmic nature was the reason that the scourge was unmistakably present in kivotos. It didn't make any sense, that Tomo would be the one too affected by it, considering that he had never met her up until last night.

If he was the cause of it. It should have been one of the students he interacted with personally that was the first to succumb to the scourge. Yet thankfully none of them seemingly had any sign of the scourge infecting them, meaning that the hunter could at least breathe easy in that regard.

But nevertheless, as the hunter came to a stop once again, the look of frustration never leaving his face, he couldn't help but consider some other scenario. One that disturbed him greatly because of the potential implications that it had.

"If I'm not the one, responsible for bringing the scourge to this world... Then the most likely means that that somebody or something else is responsible" As left his mouth. The hunter immediately remembered back to the security recording of Tomo before her seeming transformation into a beast and the Mysterious individual she interacted with.

This compelled him to quickly reach into his breast pocket, bringing out the small vial that boss had given him the other day, which he held close to his face.

"I don't believe it... H-how could I have been so blind!" The hunter stammered as he almost dropped the vial to the ground. It was only now with what had happened last night and seeing the enigmatic individual in the recording that it all finally clicked in his mind.

This little glass vial that he was holding, was the cause for Tomo ghastly transformation, and more importantly whoever the individual was in the recording. They had been the to give it to her. Meaning, they were the ones responsible for damming Tomo to her terrible fate.

The hunter felt his anger beginning to boil over as the glass vial that was between his fingers suddenly shattered!

The small glass container being turned into powder from the sheer force that his fingers exerted, as he clenched his hand so hard that blood began to see from between his clenched fingers.

In his anger, the hunter was completely unaware of the world around him beginning to distort, his cosmic power unknowingly leaking out into the real world and threatening to destabilize it.

Yet before that could happen, the hunter suddenly took in a deep but unsteady breath, his anger coming under control as the world began to settle around him, his cosmic power fading and dissipating.

Letting the breath out, the Hunter quickly retrieved a small handkerchief from his pocket, and got to work and wiping away the blood on his palm and fingertips, as he made himself look more presentable before turning on the spot and walking towards the door.

He wasn't sure exactly who the person in the recording was, and what their motivations were. But that to him right now did not matter as an angry and steely look made its way onto of his features.

"Whoever you are... I will find you, and make you pay!" the Hunter's voice held a dangerous edge to it, the likes of which could put just about any blade to shame as he finally exited his room.

The hunter would find whoever was responsible for Tomo's death...

And he would make them wish that…

They had never angered him!

…...​

*Ring Ring*

...

*Ring Ring*

...

"Hello, this is Problem Solver 68. I am Rikuhachima" ...

...

"Right, of course. Whether investigating personal backgrounds, or fighting off armed groups, we can take on any kind of commission you desire"

...

...

"I see, please rest assured, that everything will be done to your exact specifications. And most importantly, leave everything to us, Problem Solver 68"

…...​

"Sensei... Are you right?"

The hunter came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the pavement, the few pedestrians out at this time, quickly manoeuvring around him as they continued on their journey to whatever they were going.

He didn't immediate offer a response to the question, as after a moment he looked up to the sky, his eyes narrowing considerably as anger flooded into him. Of course the hunter wasn't angry at Arona for asking, far from it in reality. His anger was directed at no one but the mysterious individual who dared and ultimately succeeded in hurting one of his students.

At this point he didn't know who they were, but that wouldn't stop him from finding them, and making them wish that they had never crossed him or even been born for that matter.

"Sensei?" The hunter snapped out of his anger filled internal monologue, rapidly sucking in a breath of air to try and calm himself because while he felt this anger, he didn't want it to affect his actions, and more importantly let it show in front of the students.

"I am... alright Arona, just feeling somewhat... tired as all" The hunter quickly resumed his pace, intent on making it to the abydos school grounds in a timely manner.

However, as he continued to walk he couldn't help but feel Arona scrutinise him, clearly not convinced by his words.

Which ultimately he should have expected, considering that the little AI was a lot sharper and more perceptive than her behaviour and mannerisms would suggest.

"Sensei... if you need to talk about anything I'm always here you know?" Arona said from inside the tablet, her face a look of genuine concern, considering that she could tell that something was bothering the Hunter. Because while he wasn't the most talkative person usually, he had been uncharacteristically silent since leaving this morning.

The hunter didn't stop, yet he did slow his pace somewhat, as he looked into a nearby shopfront that he was passing. Yet, he wasn't looking inside particularly, but more at his reflection in the glass. He could see his own face, more importantly the expression it held.

Anger.

Rage

And... Sadness.

Coming to a stop for the second time, the hunter continued to gaze at his own face and more importantly the expressions that were written across it. And after a moment of standing there, he gently reached out a hand, placing it against the reflection of his face, and making it look as if he was coping his own cheek.

"Despite how I feel... I MUST control myself... I need to be there for my students" The hunter said softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he continued to look at his own reflection.

However, this did not last long as he abruptly shook his head, taking in a deep sharp breath before vanquishing the negative emotions he felt. And locking them away deep within his psyche so that they would not come to the surface again.

Swiftly glancing one last time at his reflection, the hunter quickly began to walk again, however, as he did. He decided that it was time for Arona to know the truth about what had happened last night.

"Arona... I have not been entirely truthful with you" The hunter said as he quickly turned a street corner. The abydos school building, finally coming into view as he continued to advance towards it.

"What do you mean, sensei?" Arona asked with an inquisitive but confused tone in her voice.

While she understood that everyone had their secrets, she couldn't understand exactly what the hunter was referring to when he said he had been truthful with her.

"It's about last night... I have not been truthful with you, when it comes to what transpired the previous night" The Hunter couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty.

After all, Arona was his closest companion, and therefore he should have felt comfortable enough to tell her everything. Yet he hadn't and instead had chosen to lie directly to her face.

Arona didn't answer right away, in confusion, she quickly stood up from the desk she was sitting at inside the virtual classroom. She couldn't see his face, yet she could feel the Deep sense of regret that was exuding from him.

"What happened last night... sensei?" Arona asked somewhat hesitantly. She had no idea that anything out of the ordinary transpired last night, because she had fallen asleep before they had returned to Schale.

The hunter continued to walk in silence, not immediately responded to her question because he quite frankly couldn't think of how to word what he wanted to say. Yet eventually, as the school gates can closer and closer, he decided that he would just tell his little AI companion the truth, with no embellishment or alterations.

"Arona... Last night I... found Tomo" the hunter said with a subdued tone. He couldn't see Arona's face, yet he could feel her surprised, which was quickly followed by an almost overjoyed expression as she quickly spoke.

"S-sensei! That's great! Why didn't you tell-"

"Arona... The Tomo I found last night… Was not the same one we set out to find..." the hunter quickly stopped his movement. Coming to a dead stop in front of the abydos school gates as he waited for his little AI companion to respond.

Arona inside the tablet looked incredibly confused by the statement, her Halo changing in shape and colour to reflect this oh she tilted her head to one side.

While the hunter had a bit of a pension to be somewhat cryptic and none straight-forward with his wording, she honestly couldn't for the life of her figure out exactly what he meant by Tomo that he found last night wasn't the one that they were looking for.

"Sensei... What do you mean exactly?" Arona asked with trepidation, ever since meeting him she had always trusted the hunter unconditionally.

There was just something about him that made her do that. Yet now, for perhaps the first time in her existence, she couldn't help but feel momentarily suspicious of him.

The hunter didn't immediately say anything, simply continuing to stand in front of the abydos school gates, staring ahead somewhat aimlessly.

He still wasn't entirely sure what to tell his companion, despite the fact that he was set on telling her the truth. After all the exact mechanisms of how the scourge worked, and more importantly it's exact origins other than it being related to the great ones was something that not even he knew.

"Arona... You know that my original title is the good Hunter, correct?" the hunter said after a moment, his voice deadly quiet and somewhat serious as he waited for his companion to respond.

Arona however didn't immediately say anything, a look of confusion making its way onto her face because while she had never called him by that title, she did know of it. Considering that was what he was called before becoming sensei.

"Y-yes sensei..." It was all that Arona said as her reply, she couldn't help but feel somewhat uncomfortable, as if she was about to learn something that would shatter her world-view.

Yet she also felt incredibly curious considering that she would learn something new about Sensei that she didn't know before.

"That title... the good Hunter as I was called, was a far more literal title" the hunter slowly traced his gaze upwards, his eyes squinting slightly as he looked at the burning ball in the sky that was the sun. Most people would have not been able to stand doing this, yet to him, it was a minor inconvenience, as after a moment he continued speaking.

"You see, Arona... before I became a teacher in these lands, I, much like my old title suggests, was a... hunter" he stopped for a moment, the hunter continuing to look at the sun and the sky in general as he waited for his companion to respond to his words.

Arona after a moment of contemplation finally responded a slightly concerned and confused look on her face "Sensei... if you were a hunter... Then what exactly did you hunt?" The little AI girl asked.

The hunter finally closed his eyes as he heard the words leave her mouth, it was the question he was waiting for her to ask, but also the one that he was dreading the most.

However, he had come this far, and he would no longer deceive his companion as he finally opened his eyes a stern and determined look on his face, as it was finally time for her to learn the full truth about him and his deeds.

"Arona... Before I continue, what I'm about to say must stay between us and us alone... can you do that for me?" The hunter asked with an almost pleading tone in his voice.

While he was determined to reveal his secrets to his Arona, he didn't want the same thing to be said for the rest of the wider world. After all, some truths, especially the unsavoury ones, deserved to stay buried.

A look of surprise quickly appeared on Arona's face, despite her momentary hesitation earlier about trusting sensei's word, she quickly shook that from her mind as she responded.

"Of course sensei, whatever secrets you tell me, I will never tell anyone for as long as I live!" Arona said with a determined look on her face, despite how guilty she felt earlier from momentarily doubting how truthful the hunter was with her.

She would never betray him like that, not even if he turned out to be the biggest and baddest person on the planet.

The hunter couldn't help but laugh, although his tone was quite noticeably despondent considering that despite the momentarily uplifting feeling from Arona, he knew that wouldn't last as he revealed what was about to come.

"In that case, Arona... I said I was a hunter before I became a teacher, I was not a hunter of... traditional prey, if you will" the hunter momentarily pause his words. Waiting for his companion to ask any questions, which eventually she did as a confused to look made its way onto her face.

"Sensei... if you didn't Hunt things like animals, then what did you hunt?" Arona asked with a slightly nervous twinge in her voice.

While, she had actually assumed that the term Hunter was simply referring to animals that he hunted as an occupation. The way that he said "traditional prey" made her feel incredibly worried, in fact for just the briefest of moments.

Her overactive imagination couldn't help but consider that sensei was some kind of slasher villain, the kinds of which you only saw in movies and books.

"S-sensei! The things that you hunted... T-they want people were they!?" Arona suddenly asked out loud, a look of almost paralyzing horror on her face at the prospect that her sensei was some kind of slasher movie murderer.

The Hunter was surprised by this as didn't respond immediately, a blank look making its way onto his face as after a moment he suddenly began to laugh quite loudly. Catching Arona completely off guard as the horrified look on her face faded away, and was replaced by a confused facial expression.

After managing to get a hold of himself and suppress his laughter, the hunter finally responded to her words.

"Heaven forbid no Arona! The things that I hunted we're not people, I am not some kind of knife welding vigilante" the hunter couldn't help but chuckle some more, feeling Arona's expression change from confusion to an utterly relieved one as he heard an audible sigh of relief exit from the tablet in his overcoat pocket.

However, the hunter's laughter slowly began to peter off, as a serious look came over his face, he once again turned his head upwards slightly, looking into the sky as he spoke once again.

"Although..." the hunter spoke, his voice having an almost chill to it, that somehow made Arona feel cold despite the fact that she was a digital construct without a body. "They were no longer human by the time I got to them"

Arona couldn't help but shiver some more, instinctually bringing her arms around herself as the horrified look returned to her face. This didn't fill her with any positive emotions, in fact, despite being momentarily relieved that her sensei was not some blood creased monster. What he just said quickly brought that notion back into her mind as she asked a question that she would later come to regret.

"S-s-sensei... What do you mean by... T-t-they want human?" Arona immediately kicked herself for asking, yet she couldn't help it whatsoever as her lips seemingly moved by themselves.

The hunter didn't say anything for a moment, the entire world around him seemingly going dead silent as he continued to look into the sky. Arona inside the tablet couldn't help but shiver, the silence practically feeling oppressive before eventually the hunter finally responded.

"Arona... the things I hunted... they were... Beasts... deadly and grisly man-eating monstrosities that were once human like you and me" The hunter couldn't help but find the little bit of irony in that considering that he was now the furthest thing from human.

Yet it's still got his point across as Arona simply remained silent, not quite believing what the hunter had just said.

After all it sounded too ridiculous, in fact it seemed like something straight out of a victorian era horror novel. However, despite wanting to find any kind of lie in his words or his feelings, Arona found none, leading her to the horrifying realisation that what the hunter just hold her was the truth.

That really were Monsters... supernatural entities that walked the very Earth...

And if the hunter was telling the truth, which she didn't want him to be, but he definitely was...

Then that meant they were very real.

Arona didn't say anything for several long minutes, the fact that what the hunter had just told her was true despite wanting to find any lie in it was completely and utterly shocking. However an even more disturbing fact entered her mind, one that nearly made her drop to her knees in horror as the words exited her lips.

"Sensei... when you said... Tomo wasn't the time we were looking for... D-d-do you mean-"

Arona couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, her keens nearly giving up from under her, yet thankfully she managed to catch herself by leaning up against the desk next to her.

"I'm afraid so Arona... the thing that I met last night... was not Tomo... not any more" The hunter said with a mournful sounding sigh escaping from between his lips. One that Arona managed to catch as she quickly tried to put on a brave face as she asked something else.

"If she transformed into... an M-monster, then what did you do to her- I mean it" Arona said, managing to keep her voice somewhat level as she quickly corrected herself at the end of her sentence.

The hunter didn't say anything for a moment, tilting his gaze down to the floor as his eyes narrowed considerably. An angry expression making itself evident on his face which Arona could feel through her connection to him, which made her initially think that he was angry at her for asking the question.

However, sensing this, the hunter decided to quickly assure her that he wasn't angry at her. Making the little AI breathe relief as he eventually spoke.

"I did what my old title suggests, Arona... I hunted the Beast... and I freed Tomo from her suffering" The hunter decided that, giving her exactly details on how he had dispatched the beastly Transformed Tomo. Wouldn't be for the best, considering that despite being a artificial creation, Arona still have the mentality of a child.

Despite managing to keep a brave face, Arona couldn't help but feel incredibly horrified by what the hunter had just told her. After all, he had essentially just said that he committed... murder.

"Sensei, are you sure there wasn't some-" Arona quickly found herself silenced by The Hunter.

"Arona... once somebody undergoes a transformation into a beast... I'm afraid there is no turning back, the only thing that can be done for them at that point is to end their existence quickly and swiftly, so that there's and anyone else's suffering brought about by their hands can be ended" The hunter said in a matter of fact tone, quickly realising that he had just spoken to Arona in quite a sharp and aggressive tone.

"I'm sorry Arona... forgive me for talking to you like that... it's just that... I took no pleasure in what I had to do last night... if there was another way, then I would have..." The hunter found himself trailing off, the angry expression returning to his face, instead of it being momentarily directed at his companion by accident, it was instead aimed at no one but himself.

The events of last night represented something more to him than simply a beast that had been slain, it represented another broken promise. Another promise to a young girl that he couldn't keep.

"Dammit!"

The hunter suddenly shouted, his anger finally boiling over in a momentary outburst as he quickly smashed his fist into the nearby school gate pillar. Leaving a considerable cracked and broken dent in the brickwork of the Pillar, as well as completely destroying his white glove.

Arona inside the tablet couldn't help but feel taken aback by what had just happened. She could feel the Hunter's rage and anger as if he was standing right next to her.

Although it wasn't all she felt, she was able to also feel his self-hatred and self disgust. Arona didn't even need to hear his words, to know what he did last night was something that he regretted, she could sense it through his anger and frustration and more importantly see it in his momentary outburst of rage.

"Sensei... what are you- I mean, we going to tell Ume?" Arona asked, despite the information that had just been revealed to her. She was determined to stand by sensei's side no matter what.

The hunter couldn't help but feel slightly uplifted by her words, the fact that she was still willing to stand by him even after he revealed such a terrible thing was commendable.

"I'm not quite sure Arona" The hunter said as he once again looked up to the sky, his eyes narrowing considerably. He honestly wasn't quite sure what he could tell Ume, considering that she probably wouldn't understand.

"Ah! Sensei!"

The hunter was quickly jolted from his thoughts by a sudden voice, rapidly turned his head to the source to see that it was none other than Ayane, who was carrying a large bag under her arm.

"Arona... We will speak more about this later, alright?" The hunter quickly whispered as he turned his entire body to greet the abydos student.

"Of course sensei" Arona whispered back to the hunter. Despite what had been explained to her, she was willing to stand by the hunters side no matter what. After all, he was her sensei and nothing would change that.

"Ayane, I would say it's quite the coincidence meeting you here, but considering where we are..." The hunter tried to make himself sound Jovial and cheerful, which he managed to succeed, although he wasn't entirely sure if Ayane would be able to detect his false tone.

Thankfully, it seemed that Ayane didn't manage to detect his slightly forced tone as she quickly came to a stop in front of the Hunter. The bag under her arm being noticeably quite heavy and bulky looking as she adjusted it to stop it from falling to the ground.

"It's good to see you sensei... But there's something I need to tell you... And everyone else" Ayane replied with a slightly nervous tone to her voice, adjusting the bag on the arm once again as she almost dropped it.

However, before this could happen, the hunter quickly offered to hold it for her.

"Allow me Ayane" The hunter offered a hand to the struggling Girl Who after looking at him confused for a moment quickly smiled as she handed the bag over to The Hunter.

Taking it into his hands, he was able to feel that it was indeed quite heavy, with whatever was inside weighing a considerable amount as well as being very awkward and bulbous shaped.

"Thank you sensei" Ayane let out a sigh of relief, the objects were incredibly heavy to the point where she struggled every step of the way. But now with sensei holding it for her, she could finally flex her arm, which had long ago started to ache from holding the object.

"You're more than welcome Ayane, although I must ask what exactly is this?" The hunter asked as he held the object in the bag out of arm's length. Looking at it somewhat inquisitively, even though it was currently hidden inside a bag, it was incredibly heavy, suggesting to him that it was made of some kind of metallic material.

Ayane didn't immediately reply, a jittery look making its way onto her features as she tried to think of what to say before eventually finding her words.

"It' a piece of one of the armoured cars from yesterday sensei, I found... something rather disconcerting when I examine the part closely" Ayane didn't fully elaborate on what she had found.

Simply because she wanted everyone to be present before she revealed the absolute bombshell that she had discovered.

The hunter didn't respond to her words, looking at her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the bag which contains the object. He wasn't sure exactly what Ayane could have possibly found that unnerved her so much.

"I see, in that case, we should head inside, hopefully everyone is already present inside the school so we can discuss this revelation that you have found Ayane" The hunter quickly turned on the spot, motioning for the glasses wearing girl to follow him which she quickly did as she fell into lockstep beside him.

Both of them passing through the school gate and making their way inside the school grounds.

…...​

"Ayane, what is this?"

Shiroko asked with a flat tone, her along with everyone else were all gathered around the main meeting table, looking at the strange object that the hunter had deposited in the centre of the table.

Ayane say anything right away, looking around at all of her friends to make sure they were listening intently, before she let out a slightly exasperated sigh as she spoke.

"This is a piece from one of the armoured cars that the helmet gang used against us yesterday" Ayane quickly stepped forward, placing both hands on the object and with some amount of effort managing to move it so it was now laying on the table instead of sitting straight up.

This action revealed a serial number on the piece of metal, despite how burnt and charred it was, the Numbers were engraved into it making them still easily visible as everyone looked at them intently.

"I did a bit of investigating last night, and cross-reference the serial number... It turns out that this part along with the armoured cars themselves are illegal items, that are prohibited within Kivotos" Ayane quickly traced her finger across the serial number, before hurriedly retrieving her tablet and showing her friends and the hunter what she had managed to find through her searching.

Sure enough, the serial number and the part it was assigned to, corresponded to a vehicle that had been seized some months ago as contraband from a now-defunct Academy that had broken several laws.

"How did a bunch of no-good delinquents get their hands on something like this?" Serika asked with a frustrated expression on her face. She more than anyone wanted to know how, exactly, a bunch of lowlife delinquents, managed to get their hands on such serious pieces of military grade equipment.

"That would be the question of the day, Serika. The fact that delinquents were able to procure weaponry like this, suggests that they are either well-funded or simply got fortunate" The hunter quickly brought a hand up to his chin, rubbing it as he fought of how exactly a bunch of delinquents who could barely feed themselves, were able to get their hands on such powerful pieces of weaponry.

"Maybe they got them from the black market?" Nonomi interjected, while don't she wasn't an expert on such things. She did know that the black market was a place where students of all stripes could get their hands on items that we're not usually available to the wider public.

Everyone considered her words for a moment, it would make sense for the delinquents to be able to get this kind of stuff on the black market. But even then the fact that they had several armoured cars, all of which were in tip-top condition, made that idea somewhat unlikely.

"It's a possibility, but even so. It would be incredibly difficult to get that many armoured cars" Ayane said with a slightly frustrated look in her eyes.

How the helmet gang was able to get their hands on something like this was deeply frustrating but also concerning, considering that if they could get their hands on armoured cars like this, then what exactly else did they have up their sleeves just waiting to be used.

"The Kata-Kata helmet gang is indeed a troublesome little bunch" Hoshino said with her usual tired tone, letting out a yawn to accompany her words as everyone continued to stare at the piece of charred and burnt metal on the table.

However, before anyone else could say anything, the hunter quickly interjected giving his own suggestion.

"Ayane, you said that you were able to cross-reference this part and find out information about it, correct?" the hunter asked, turning his gaze to the glasses wearing student who looked back at him clearly surprised by what he had just said.

"Yes sensei" Ayane finally said, she wasn't sure exactly where the hunter was going with his question, but she waited patiently for him to respond, which he did after a moment.

"Do you think it would be possible to find information about who could have potentially supplied these vehicles to the helmet gang?" The hunter asked with a slightly expecting tone in his voice.

He initially considered asking Arona to do it considering that she could track down almost anything and break into any database, however ultimately decided against it.

Ayane didn't say anything straight away, a confused the look on her face before realisation suddenly replaced it.

"I think it would be possible, sensei, but it won't be easy. These armoured cars after being taken as contraband simply disappeared from every public database, and they only reappeared when we fought them yesterday" Ayane shade with a slightly uncertain look on her face.

While her computer abilities were incredibly adept. She still couldn't help but feel like it wouldn't be enough to locate where exactly the armoured cars had originated from.

"If anyone can find out where those hoodlums got their hands on those things, it would be our precious little Ayane~" Nonomi quickly said with a cherry tone, which have the desired effect as the uncertainty on Ayane's quickly vanished. Being replaced by a look of reserved confidence as she nodded her head.

"I can't make any promises, but I will try, everyone!" Ayane quickly said with a determined look on her face. Even if it came to nothing, she would still try her best.

"All we can ask of you, Ayane is that you try your best" the hunter quickly placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, the action being a reassuring one as she looked up at The Hunter with a slightly reserved but happy look.

"So, everyone. Now that that's been discussed" Ayane quickly got everyone's attention making all of them turn to look at her, and once happy that they were all doing so she quickly continued.

"Let's start the regular meeting for today"

Everyone's reactions varied. Nonomi simply began to sway from side to side in her seat, a happy look on her face, as she waited for the meeting to begin.

Shiroko simply sat in her seat, entirely still and completely emotionless, like was her usual mode of operation.

Serika let out a quiet huff, she always hated these meetings because they always took up precious time and almost always results in nothing ever actually happening.

And finally Hoshino simply put her head onto the table, her pink eye shaped Halo quickly disappearing from above her head as she fell asleep, occasionally buttering intelligible words in her sleep.

Ayane found herself momentarily aggravated by this. But quickly calmed herself by letting out a deep breath, because after all Hoshino never took these meetings seriously, so expecting her to do so now was a fool's game.

"Sensei will also participate in today's meeting... if that's OK with all of you?" Ayane didn't think that it would be an issue, but she's still wanted to ask just to be sure. Because after all, before Sensei had arrived nobody else from the outside had ever been part of one of these meetings.

Shiroko, Serika and Nonomi all glance back and forth between each other for a moment, before simply nodding in agreement. None of them had a problem with sensei being a part of this meeting, after all he had given them so much help up until this point that it would be rude of them to not let him be a part of it.

"I'm ok with sensei joining"

"Me too!"

"Sensei is now part of the club~!"

All three students said in unison. Making Ayane quickly shake her head as, after looking down at her tablet for a moment, she finally commenced the meeting.

"Then let's begin. Do you have any suggestions on the future of the foreclosure task force? Raise your hand" Ayane waited patiently for any responses, looking around at Everyone gathered on the table before eventually, Serika was the first to raise her hand.

"Me, me!" Serika said energetically as she thrust her open hand into the air, desperately wanting for her suggestion to be heard.

"Kuromi Serika of the first grade, please tell us your suggestion" Ayane couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She's already having a significant feeling that whatever the cat girl was about to suggest, it would most likely be something not exactly helpful to the current situation.

But still, Ayane simply prayed that Serika had finally learnt her lesson and would suggest something sensible.

"As the accountant of the foreclosure task force, I want to say that our school's current financial situation is absolutely horrible!" Serika quickly jumped up from her seat, everyone watching her closely as she placed her hands on the table somewhat aggressively while continuing to speak.

"So far we've arrested, and done all kinds of part-time work. But this is not enough! We need to make a lot of money all at once if we ever hope to pay off this debt!" Serika finished her words somewhat excitedly, as she waited patiently for them to ask what she wanted them to ask.

Which the hunter eventually did, much to her happiness, as her ears twitched excitedly hearing his words.

"I must ask Serika, how exactly do you expect us to make so much money in one go?" the hunter watched with amusement as the cat girl's face practically lit up. An excited look making itself at home as she quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out something.

"Ha ha, like this!" The cat girl said excitedly as she revealed the piece of paper from her jacket, it was a poster given to her by somebody on the pavement on her way home from work one day.

"Rejected"

"Huh?"

Serika couldn't quite believe her ears as everyone looked at her with unimpressed looks in their eyes. She couldn't fathom why they had rejected this perfect opportunity to make a load of money for free.

"Serika... I'm afraid that what you have in your hand there is a fraudulent scheme" the hunter said with a slight chuckle, gently shaking his head and disapproval.

Because while Serika was indeed an intelligent girl for her age, she was seemingly still quite gullible considering that she had fallen for such an obvious scam.

"It's not possible to make money with that" Shiroko stated matter-of-factly, her face remaining mostly unchanged, yet in her eyes was a look of disappointment, because she didn't think that her friend could be so gullible like that.

Serika quickly fell back into her seat, the piece of paper in her hands falling to the floor as a completely defeated look made itself at home on her face.

She had already bought into the obvious pyramid scheme, so she couldn't believe that it was all the scam just intended to milk money from hopeless people like herself.

"H-how is this possible? I even bought two for myself" The cat girl quickly placed her head on the table, looking absolutely defeated as everyone looked at her with concern but also amusement at her dysfunction.

"Serika, it looks like you've been duped. So cute~" Nonomi couldn't help but tease her junior classmate somewhat. Finding it both incredibly adorable and somewhat tragic that the cat girl had been so easily taken in by an obvious scam.

"Well then, would anyone else like to suggest something?" Ayane could feel her frustration beginning to build.

Yet, she quickly got control of herself as she waited for the next response, which quickly came from none other than Hoshino as her Halo abruptly re-materialized as her head rose from the table.

"Me, Ayane!" Hoshino said somewhat excitedly as Ayane turn to look at her. On the one hand she was actually surprised that Hoshino had something to suggest, but on the other she couldn't help but already feel like it was going to be something crazy or ridiculous, but still she decided to hear what Hoshino had to say.

"Takanashi Hoshino of the third grade, please share your suggestion" Ayane already had a bad feeling that whatever Hoshino was about to say wouldn't be helpful.

"I have a bad feeling about this"

"The biggest problem that our school faces is the fact that there are only a few of us here" Hoshino paused, allowing everyone to follow on with her words as they all knowledge and agreement with her assertion.

The school's population over the last couple of years had only gone down and down to the point where all five students that were still enrolled were all currently accounted for.

"The number of students equals the strength of the school. So first, we need to increase the number of students" Everyone except for the hunter and Ayane nodded in agreement with what Hoshino was saying.

Because it was ultimately true, a school's overall standing was often dictated by the sheer number of students it had and the lower amount of students or school had the less relevant it was.

"You do have a good point, Hoshino... but how exactly do we do this?" Ayane felt a shiver run down her spine and a pit forming in her stomach when she saw the mischievous look form in Hoshino bi coloured eyes.

"Simple. We abduct another academy's school bus" Hoshino said with a proud and energetic tone that was very unlike her.

However, the room was plunged into an awkward silence as everyone simply looked at her like she was completely insane. However, the silence didn't last long as Ayane suddenly shouted loudly, making everyone jump because of the shrillness of her voice.

"H-Hoshino! You can't be serious!?" Ayane's anger became unmistakable as an enraged glint flashed across her glasses. Hoshino however wasn't intimidated, simply continuing to smile like she had just suggested the best thing ever as she explained what exactly her plan entailed.

"All we have to do is hijack a bus for students on their way to school, and then hold them hostage until they agree to transfer their enrolment over to our school! As far as I see it. It's an absolute win for us" Hoshino finished by quickly retrieving her shotgun, a goofy smile on her face.

Yet, the action of retrieving her weapon showed that she was entirely serious with her plan. However, before the hunter or Ayane could try and talk sense into the girl about how ridiculous let alone reckless the plan was.

Shiroko chose that moment to get up from her seat, an eagle look in her usually emotionless eyes as she responded favourably to Hoshino's idea.

"This sounds like a great idea! So who's our target? Trinity, Gehenna? Or is it millennium?" Shiroko couldn't hide the excitement in her voice, quickly grabbing her rifle and racking the charging handle in anticipation for the event. Much to the delight of Hoshino who looked eager to go as well.

"Whoever they are. We'll have to evolve our strategy to fit the target" Shiroko was already thinking up an action plan in her mind. Trying to remember which Academy's bus routes ran near the outskirts of Abydos.

"Oh yeah? Well, what about Trinity? I don't think they'll miss a couple of hundred students, considering how big they are. Wait! No, let's hit gehenna, they are closer!" Hoshino and Shiroko both looked at each other intently.

Before nodding in agreement as they eagerly prepared for what they were about to do. But Unfortunately, before they could act on their plan, Ayane suddenly interjected, her anger finally boiling over.

"Idea rejected! Completely and utterly so!" Ayane quickly slammed her hand onto the table, making both Hoshino and Shiroko shudder in fear as they turned to look at the angry elf.

If there was one thing that you never ever did, it was make Ayane, which they had only just done as she continued to stare at them angrily before quickly taking a shaky breath to try and calm her rage.

"Not only is that idea reckless, because it would get us some trouble with the other academies! But it's also ridiculous because even if we did Force students to join our school. Who's to say they wouldn't just run at the first opportunity they got? Seriously, you two need to stop and think before hatching any more hair brain schemes!" Ayane finished her rent.

Breathing hard as she felt somebody lay a hand on her shoulder, who was revealed to be the hunter looking at her with worried eyes, which she appreciated as she tried to get her anger and breathing under control.

However, despite Shiroko looking somewhat regretful and quickly sitting back in her seat, not wanting to make the glasses wearing girl any more angry than she already was. Hoshino didn't back down, a somewhat cocky look making itself apparent on her face, as she rested her shotgun over one shoulder.

"Heh, heh, so what if the other Academy representatives got angry with us. I could take them" Hoshino said somewhat jokingly, although the hunter couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Because in her voice he could detect just a small amount of confidence.

Suggesting that she really did think she could take on the other Academy representatives and win.

Ayane attempts to calm herself were completely in vain, as she felt her rage come back, not appreciating what Hoshino had just said, as she quickly slammed her hand onto the table once again. Making everyone except Hoshino and the hunter jump in the process again.

"Hoshino! For crying out loud! Can you take this meeting seriously?" Ayane felt herself dangerously close to grabbing the table in front of her and flipping it out of sheer rage.

However, before Hoshino could say anything to make the situation worse, Shiroko decided it was time to share her idea, as she quickly raised her hand.

"I have a better idea than Hoshino's suggestion, Ayane" Shiroko said with a slightly tentative tone, not wanting to make the glasses wearing girl even more angry than she already was.

Ayane simply stared at the grey-haired wolf girl for several long moments, before she eventually pulled in a deep, hard breath before somewhat shakely letting it out.

"... Find. Go ahead second-year student, Sunaookami Shiroko" Ayane quickly stepped back from the table, allowing Shiroko to have the metaphorical floor as she waited for whatever she was about to suggest.

She wasn't sure exactly what the second year student would suggest, but at this point she couldn't be surprised or made even more infuriated by whatever the suggestion was...

At least, she hoped.

Shiroko quickly nodded her head she stood up from her chair once again, however this time she retrieved her school bag instead of her rifle, placing it on the table in front of her, so everyone can see it.

Once she was sure everyone was looking at her, Shiroko finally said what has suggestion was.

"We rob a bank"

The entire classroom was plunged into dead silence with everyone looking at her in complete and utter surprise.

Shiroko however wasn't phased by this as an almost excited look made itself at home on her usually blank features.

"Shiroko... Please tell me you're joking?" Ayane said with a completely worn out tone, the the anger she felt before was now completely gone, and had been replaced by absolute disbelief at the fact that her friend would suggest something like that.

Shiroko, however, simply shook her head indicating that she wasn't joking in the slightest as she quickly retrieved her rifle, holding it eagerly in her hands as she continued speaking, much to Ayane's growing dismay.

"It's a surefire plan. And I already have the perfect target. Let's hit the first Central Bank downtown" Shiroko said eagerly as she went on to detail exactly what her plan for robbing the bank entails.

"I've already mapped out everything, from the location of the Vault to the positions of the security guards. Blind spots for the security cameras and even the armoured cars transport routes which we could hit either before or after the bank itself" Shiroko finished explaining her plan, an eager and expecting looking in her eyes as she waited for a response.

Despite the severity and criminality of what his student was suggesting. The hunter couldn't help but rub his chin in thought. He had to admit that Shiroko had certainly done her research when it came to robbing the bank.

However, he also had to somewhat grudgingly admit that she did seemingly have quite the natural talent for planning everything out in advance so that it would go smoothly.

Even so, despite this, the hunter decided he had to shutter the wolf girl's dreams of a bank heist as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Shiroko, while it's certainly would get us a lot of money. Unfortunately I think it's for the best that we don't go through with your suggestion, considering it's questionable legality... amongst other things" the hunter said somewhat awkwardly.

Watching the excited and eager look on Shiroko's face quickly vanish, being replaced by a completely destroyed look, which was also accompanied by her wolf ears drooping down as she looked at the floor completely down trodden

"I even brought masks... for it" Shiroko said somewhat sadly as she produced a set of 5 masks from a bag. All of them being made of a different coloured material with a number from 1 to 5 stitched into the front.

Ayane's whose patience was beginning to wear very thin couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose and frustration. "Where did you find the time to prepare all this?" the girl said, completely frustrated.

Shiroko didn't respond, still looking completely depressed after sensei's rejection of her suggestion. Hoshino however, quickly came over to look at the masks, her multicoloured eyes lighting up in delight when she saw one of the masks was a similar colour to her hair, with a big number one stitched onto the front.

"Whoa! Did you sew these yourself, Shiroko?" Hoshino giggled excitedly as she quickly picked up the pink mask.

Looking at it curiously for a moment, before she immediately put it on her head, wrestling around with it for a moment before she finally got it into place.

Her entire face and head was covered, with the only parts of visible being her eyes and mouth, along with a stray tuft of pink hair that popped up the top from between a gap that had been sewn into the mask.

However, she wasn't the only one, as Nonomi quickly came over and found a mask for herself. This one being green with a number 3 stitched onto it.

And without hesitation, she quickly put it on, and much Hoshino, the only thing that was still visible were her big green eyes and mouth along with the small hair bun on the side of her head, which have a convenient hole stitched in place just for it.

"Wowie! Check it out" don't I look like a luchador?" Nonomi said excitedly as she spun around on the spot, so that everyone could see the entirety of her mask from all angles.

Seeing all of this, Shiroko couldn't help but feel her spirits lift somewhat, appreciating the fact that her friends clearly did like the masks that she had spent hours painstakingly making for them.

"Dang... it's so obvious! You gotta risk big to win big! isn't that what life's all about, Serika?" Hoshino said, turning to the blackhead cat girl, who was watching the entire scene with complete and utter frustration on her face.

Serika however didn't appreciate this at all as she quickly shot up from her seat.

"Heck no, it isn't! Absolutely not! DENIED!" Serika said aggressively, finding the fact that Hoshino would even suggest something like that completely ridiculous.

Ayane seeing this as her chance, decided it was time to step in. Wordlessly thanking the blackhead cat girl for finally talking some sense as she addressed Hoshino and Nonomi.

"She's right! We can't possibly stoop to being criminals!" Ayane said with a displeased sigh. Watching the already depressed look on Shiroko's face grow even more intense. Which was also followed by Hoshino and Nonomi quickly removing their respective masks, although not returning them to Shiroko.

"I must concur with Ayane and Serika. While your ability to plan out something like this is commendable, Shiroko. I'm afraid that doing something so brash and brazen would not be in the best interests of you and your school" The hunter said in a matter of fact tone.

Leaving no room for argument as any hope that remained inside Shiroko was quickly shattered and eviscerated by his words as she began to pout noticeably.

"Pout all you want, Shiroko, But there are some lines that should not be crossed!" Ayane could feel her will to live draining, as she let out another dismayed and frustrated huff. "Seriously, if no one comes up with a real idea soon..."

"Hey, excuse me! Me next!" Nonomi said excitedly, she held her hand in the air, wanting for her suggestion to be heard next.

Ayane looked at Nonomi for a long tense moment before letting out another groan as she responded.

"Very well second year Izayoi Nonomi... As long as it doesn't involve scams or breaking the law, you have the floor" Ayane wasn't sure what to expect.

At this point she had heard all kinds of hair brains suggestions, so at this point, she simply just decided to sit back and hear exactly what Nonomi was going to say.

Nonomi with an almost unfathomable amount of excitement, quickly came to the head of the table. The look of joy on her face being so sweet and sugary that it was almost painful to look at as she finally gave her suggestion.

"Two words: Pop idols! Schoolgirl Pop Idols, to be exact!" Nonomi said excitedly as she threw her arms into the air, as if she had just made some grand revelation about the nature of the universe and time itself.

Everyone simply looked at her, completely and utterly dumbfounded by the suggestion, because while it wasn't as terrible of a suggestion as the previous two. It's certainly was perhaps the most strange and bizarre one to be put forward that morning.

"Pop idols...?!" Ayane asked after several long moments of eerie silence, her voice was flat and even as if she was asking for clarification that what she just heard, was actually Nonomi's suggestion for helping their school.

"You heard me! It happens all the time in anime. Nothing helps revitalise a school like becoming a pop Superstar! If we all break into the industry together as pop idols..." Nonomi accompanied her words by excitedly jumping on the spot, causing her ample bosom to bounce up and down wildly as the excitement she was feeling was practically overloading her system.

She had always wanted to be an idol, and now it was quite possibly her time to become one!

"Denied"

The word caused Nonomi to stop jumping on the spot, her attention quickly turning to Hoshino who had her arms crossed over her chest with a slightly disapproving look on her face.

"What...? You don't like the idea either?" Nonomi asked with a confused facial expression, while she had expected someone like Ayane or Serika to say no to her proposal. Hoshino was the last person she had expected to reject it.

"Why not? You'd definitely have some fans, Hoshino" Serika said in a forced sounding cheerful tone, clearly using the opportunity to get back at Hoshino for what she had said earlier.

"Yeah, more like I'd have a bunch of creeps taking pictures of me everywhere, so no, thanks" Hoshino said with a matter of fact tone, leaving no room for interpretation in her voice that she wholeheartedly rejected the idea outright.

She may have been willing to rob a bank or steal a bus full of students, but becoming an idol was simply too far for her.

"But I even came up with a pose and everything..." Nonomi accompanied her words by quickly striking a very generic looking idle pose, one that made Hoshino and Serika stare at each other in disbelief. Because it was very clear to them that Nonomi wasn't exactly the most creative when it came to coming up with new things.

"Excuse me, but I'm confused. What exactly is a… pop idol?" The hunter suddenly interjected his words, making everyone look at him as if he had just grown a second head.

Not a single one of the girls present could believe what he had just said because how could he have not heard or seen an idol before?.

"Sensei... a pop idol is usually a group of girls who perform and make music" Shiroko said after a moment of silence.

Answering the hunter's question with a matter of fact tone, because she could clearly see from the look in his eyes that he was genuinely confused that what an idol was before she explained it.

The hunter had a look of realisation cross his face, because while the idea of a pop idol was foreign to him, Shiroko's explanation made him think of travelling performers or actors in a play which he was most definitely familiar with.

"I see, thank you for the explanation, Shiroko" The hunter said after a moment, the wolf girl letting out a gentle smile at his words.

As Nonomi who was still making poses, quickly took on a particular one while saying at the same time. "Christina of the Mizugi girl gang!"

"Are you... KIDDING ME?! The Mizugi WHAT?! For fuck sakes, Nonomi! Get real!" Serika suddenly erupted, her anger being reflected in her shouting and the fact that she used profanity, which caught all of them off guard, considering that profanity was something she never normally used.

"Aww. But I worked on it all night..." Nonomi wasn't all that affected by Serika shouting and swearing at her, in fact she looked more disappointed at the fact that her suggestion had been thoroughly and entirely disregarded more than the fact that one of her friends had shouted at her.

However, before the hunter could step in and try and relieve the situation like a responsible adult would, something unexpected happened.

"Y-you guys!"

Everyone, including even the hunter himself, felt a chill run down their spine just they all slowly turn to look at Ayane. She was hunched over the table her hands gripping its edge so tightly that it looked as if the table was about to splinter, her face was hidden by her hair which hung low over it.

However, that did not last long as she suddenly threw her head up, anger and rage flashing through her eyes as with a tremendous show of force. The table which she had been holding on to was suddenly flipped! spinning in the air several times as everything that was on it was sent crashing to the floor in a colossal crash.

Despite how sudden it was, Hoshino was the first to speak, a genuinely shocked look on her face.

"She did it Ayane flipped the table!" The pink haired girl said, as she managed to dodge a pen which nearly hit her on the head, as the rest of the objects which had been hanging in the air for a moment came crashing to the floor.

Serika and Shiroko did not say anything, choosing to remain silent in fear of being the next target of Ayane's out of control anger.

However, Nonomi wasn't as afraid, choosing to make light of the situation as she moved a bit further away from the absolutely livid glasses wearing girl.

"Ahhh! Ayane is in berserk mode! Everyone take cover" Nonomi sad with a slightly joking tone as she moved further away from Ayane, who was continuing to fume as well as breathe a very hard after the physical exertion she had just put herself through.

In fact the hunter quickly came up next to her, yet before he could actually ask or do anything to help the girl, she quickly resumed her anger fuelled tirade, not directing it at anyone in particular but simply just everyone except for sensei considering he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Can't any of you take this seriously for one damn second? I swear, it's like I'm your mother or something!" Ayane allowed herself a chance to breathe.

Feeling a hand gently rub her back which she knew was sensei, which she appreciated, yet she was still in the midst of her anger fuelled rant as after a momentary pause she continued.

"All you four ever do is fool around! Robbing banks, pyramid schemes... becoming Idols for crying out loud! Is this supposed to be some kind of joke! Ayane did not stop looking at all of her friends with a venomous glare that made every single one of them flinch.

Yet she did not stop, continuing to chew all of her friends out viciously until she finally ran out of steam nearly an entire hour later.

…...​

The sounds of seabirds filled the air, as they flew high in the sky over the ocean. However, the Peaceful sound of the seabirds and the gentle waves was suddenly interrupted by a colossal explosion. Which sent all the sacred animals flying in all directions as they tried to get away from the source of the sudden noise.

However, as the sound of the explosion continue to reverberate through the air, a new sound suddenly replaced it, that being the sound of a boat engine. As a small speed boat carrying 4 individuals quickly accelerated away from the now burning and listing container ship.

"You got the target, right?"

A girl wearing a dark purple military style uniform asked. Her hair was noticeably short and dishevelled, with its colour being a very dark purple bordering on almost black.

The Halo that floated above her head was a strange one, looking almost like the thorns of a rose, with its colour being purple much like her hair and uniform.

The individual, sitting across from the purple head girl, simply nodded her head, her usually well-kept black and white hair blowing wildly in the wind, much to her annoyance. Her uniform consisted of a symbol red checkered skirt and a large dark-coloured hoodie with a symbol that resembled a skull on the front and the text beneath it saying "Born to kill"

Her Halo was a dark grey, almost ash colour, with the shape being that of a pentagon with three points arranged around it with another smaller pentagon offset inside the large one.

"Hey Aru~ Now that we have the target, all we have to do is go back to the client right" another individual asked.

She was the girl who was currently driving the speed boat, a pleasant and somewhat cheeky smile on her face as she kept the boat steady.

Her outfit consisted of a large ruffled red skirt with black ruffles at the bottom, and a small almost crop top jacket that was black and red with short sleeves. Her Hair was long and flowing with it being tied into a side ponytail with a large flower like bow, with the colour being an off-white or almost cream colour.

Furthermore, her halo was a target-shaped one, consisting of two concentric circles with the outer one having four points arranged evenly around the axis and a small flower shaped symbol in the middle of her halo.

The leader of the group sat calmly in her seat, her arms crossed under her chest and her legs crossed, as she exuded an air of calm and refined coolness.

Her hair was a bubblegum pink colour, with it being just longer than her shoulders, coming out the side of her head were two strange horned like shapes, the colour being a dark brown with gold accents.

Her outfit consisted of a simple white button up shirt with a ribbon keeping her collar together, and a ravishingly short but defined and elegant looking black pencil skirt.

And the final piece of her outfit, and the part that made her stand out the most, was a large dark red and gold fur lined jacket. Which gave the mysterious Girl the look of a mafia boss.

Her halo was perhaps the most interesting out of the four, with it resembling the petals of a rose, with a long protrusion sticking out of the sides, with its colour much like her hair was a bright vibrant pink.

"Please call me president during work, Captain Mutsuki" the girl now identified as Aru, said with a calm and professional tone letting out a victorious chuckle, because as far as she was concerned, this job had been an absolute piece of cake and was going to pay very well.

"In order to fulfil the commission, all we have to do is bring back the target in one piece and undamaged, the rest of the details don't need to be worried about" Aru said with a calm and confident demeanour.

Like she had said, all they needed to do was to get their target back to land and to the client unscathed, and they would be in for a massive payday.

The driver of the boat now identified as Mutsuki, mischievously chuckled to herself, finding it extremely amusing that Aru was acting like some kind of gangster again.

However, before she could open her mouth to tease Aru some more, somebody else suddenly interjected, that being the white and black haired girl in the hoodie who turned to Aru with a slightly perturbed gaze.

"President" The white and black haired girl said with a low and quiet voice.

"W-what's the matter, Chief Kayoko? Aru asked, managing to keep up her calm and suave demeanour, yet something about the way that Kayoko looked at her set her on edge.

"Making sure the target was unharmed and in one piece was the least that the client asked for, right?" Kayoko replied with a slightly concerned tone, as she directed her eyes momentarily back to the blue and white animal carrier, that was resting in the middle of the motorboat.

Aru managing to maintain her calm demeanour, simply smiled as she answered Kayoko. "Of course. It's the least that the client asked for" She said with a chuckle.

Kayoko didn't say anything, simply continuing to look at the animal carrier before abruptly picking it up and turning it so that Aru could see inside.

However, as Aru did exactly that, looking into the animal carrier with curiosity, she suddenly found her calm and composed demeanour completely evaporate when she saw what awaited her inside.

"W-what!" Aru quickly jumped back from the animal carrier. Instead of a perfectly healthy and happy cat like she was expecting, inside was in fact a rather scorched but still alive cat that look like it had seen much.

The girl sitting across from Kayoko, who was none other than Haruka, quickly jumped up as well in surprise and fear, ready and waiting to come to the aid of Aru if she wanted it.

"Heehee! Looks like we did this job for nothing then" Mutsuki said from the driver's seat of the speedboat, letting out her signature chuckle as she found the entire situation completely hilarious.

Aru however didn't find the situation funnier at all, the fact that they had completely botched this job, just like the last one, crashing down onto her like a loaded container ship.

"W-W-what? What did you say!?" Aru shouted into the sky, her voice carrying far and wide, as the entirety of the ocean now knew just how much of a colossal failure this mission was.

…...​

"Everything's going to be alright, Ayane. We're sorry okay. I'll treat you to some ramen to make it up to you"

"I'm... not angry..." Ayane said in response to Hoshino as she continued to sit quietly at the table and eat her noodles. A look of slight frustration on her face, which was enough to tell everyone that she was indeed still angry.

Yet, as she gulped up a particularly large amount of noodles, some of the juices spilled from between her lips and ran down her chin. And before she could reach for a napkin to clean it off, somebody did it for her, gently patting away the stray noodle juices.

"Hush Now, that's a good girl" Nonomi said in an almost motherly tone as she finished wiping away the Noodle juices from around Ayane lips and chin.

However, this only made Ayane, feel even more frustrated as she quickly but respectfully pushed the napkin and Nonomi's hand away from her face. Not appreciating the fact that she was being belittled.

"Will you stop patronising me like I'm a child?!" Ayane said somewhat aggressively, not appreciating the fact that Nonomi was treating her like a literal baby who couldn't eat for herself.

Nonomi looked momentarily saddened by this reaction, she only wanted to help and hopefully get back into Ayane's good graces. However, before she could open her mouth to say anything, somebody quickly interjected with a stern but gentle voice.

"Nonomi, I think you should refrain from antagonising Ayane any further. Especially after your behaviour this morning" the hunter commented in a matter-of-factly as he quickly and somewhat elegantly scooped up some of his own noodles and devoured them.

While he understood that Nonomi was simply trying to be helpful in her own way, he also understood that it would only serve to make Ayane even more frustrated.

Nonomi was taken aback by what sensei had just said, in fact she wanted to argue against his point considering that she was just trying to help. But she quickly thought against it, when she saw the stern look in his eyes, that told her there would be no room for arguing with him.

"Ok sensei~" Nonomi pouted as she said her words, returning to her own bowl of noodles and beginning to eat them in silence, much to the amusement of those gathered around the table.

"Seriously, why did you guys have to come back here again?" Serika said with a displeased voice, as she used the momentary lapse between customers and orders to come and check up on her friends. Mostly to make sure that they were not getting up to any trouble like they did last time.

The hunter quickly paused eating his noodles, looking up at Serika as he gave a reassuring look before quickly saying "There is no need to worry Serika, I will be sure to keep them all in line as to not cause any disturbances... like last time"

Serika didn't look entirely convinced by sensei's words, because even though she no longer hated him and was beginning to trust him.

That didn't change the fact that her friends were experts of getting themselves into mischief, especially at her expense, so she wasn't entirely sure if even the hunter could control them.

"Ayane, want some more chashu?" Shiroko said in her usual monotone voice, offering some of the sliced pork from her own bowl as a peace offering to Ayane, who after chewing on her noodles for a moment quickly accepted. Even despite how angry she was with her grey-haired friend, she would never pass down some free chashu pork.

*nom* "Yesh" *nom* Ayane said between mouthfuls of noodles, she normally wouldn't have done considering how rude it was, but currently she didn't care as she took the delectable pork slices from Shiroko's chopsticks and quickly deposited them into her own bowl.

"Shiroko... You are forgiven" Ayane said after several moments of Silence, quickly digging into her extra helping of pork slices as Shiroko's usually blank and emotionless face took on a relieved expression.

Hoshino merely looked at the entire exchange with an almost offended expression as she quickly opened her mouth to protest. "Hey, what about me! Aren't I forgiven for buying you ramen?" The pink haired girl said with a baffled expression on her face.

Ayane stopped eating for a moment as she turned to look at Hoshino, an unimpressed look on her face as she quickly swallowed her mouth full of food before speaking.

"It's a start, but you still haven't made it up to me yet Hoshino" Ayane said with a slightly mischievous tone as a smile made its way onto her lips. Which made Hoshino feel uncomfortable, considering that Ayane looked at someone like that, when she was going to metaphorically milk them for all they were worth.

Hoshino quickly turned away from Ayane, tears beginning to well in her eyes because her wallet was going to suffer this night.

Serika watch the scene with a displeased look in her eye, yet it quickly vanished as a small smile made its way across her face after she let out a sigh. Despite how much they annoyed her sometimes, her friends were something that she cherished.

Ring. Ring

Quickly turning to the source of the sudden noise, Serika immediately put on her best customer service voice and facial expression, as she addressed the prospective customer that had just entered.

"Welcome! How many in your party?" Serika wasn't expecting to see a rather nervous looking girl with purple hair poking their head around from the half-open door, looking around somewhat sacredly as if she was afraid to enter.

However, when the purple haired girl noticed that Serika was staring at her, she opened the door fully allowing herself to step into the restaurant, and she shyly clasped her hands in front of her.

"Oh... U-Um... Um... E-excuse me. How much is the cheapest thing on your menu" The clearly shy and awkward girl said, stuttering with her words to the point where Serika almost barely understand her.

"Our lowest priced dish?" Serika said somewhat confused, the girl stuttered so much and spoke so quietly that she wasn't entirely sure she heard her words right, which is why she wanted clarification just in case.

The mysterious purple hat girl quickly nodded, a slightly paranoid look making its way onto her face, as if what Serika had just said was some kind of threat against her life.

"Oh, in that case, that would be the regular Shiba Seki ramen bowl for 580 yen! It's our signature dish and super tasty too" Serika tried to make herself sound as friendly as possible, only just now realising that the girl in front of her was incredibly shy and socially awkward.

However, it seemed to not work as the purple haired girl quickly nodded her head, fear flashing across her face as she stuttered out some words in return.

"Oh, uh, T-thank you!" The purple haired girl managed to stutter, as she quickly shut the door, Serika utterly confused at what had just happened as she heard voices coming from the other side of the door.

"Aru. The signature ramen only costs 580 yen"

"Wow! We've finally found food for under 600 yen!"

"A yen saved is a yen earned, I knew we'd find something eventually"

"You were right... I guess you really do know everything, Boss...

*Sigh,* "Let's just get inside and eat, I'm starving"

Serika continue to listen, a slightly confused to look on her face as the voices suddenly stopped talking. However, she wasn't the only one as Hoshino, Ayane, Shiroko and Nonomi were also now paying attention, as the restaurant door suddenly opened.

"Ah! Four in your party? Please allow me to show you to your tables" Serika said in her friendliest voice, as the four girls walked in. She could tell from how they looked that they clearly weren't from around here.

Which was a bit unusual considering that the district didn't get many visitors, but she's supposed they were simply just passing through.

A short girl with off-white coloured hair and a red and black dress quickly stepped forward, she had a mischievous and sly look on her face as she snickered to herself about something that was unknown to anyone but her.

"No, no, You don't need to do that, we're only planning on ordering one bowl, and we're not staying, so there's no need for that" Mutsuki snickered some more as she politely turned down the cat girl waiter in front of her.

She already knew exactly who the black headed cat girl was, but she decided that she would play dumb for the moment, considering that her and her friends we're only here for some food.

Serika was somewhat taken aback by this, not understanding in the slightest why they as a group would only order one measly bowl of noodles and not even sit down to eat it.

"Just one bowl...? Even if you're just ordering one, please the least make yourself comfortable, we're really not busy at the moment" Serika gestured around with her free hand, showing that the restaurant was indeed practically empty with only a few regular customers as well as her friends and sensei being the restaurant occupants.

Mutsuki didn't immediately respond, yet the sly and almost mischievous smile on her face grew even wider as after a moment she quickly spoke.

"Well, isn't that nice of you? Don't mind if we do then?" Mutsuki quickly motion for the rest of her friends to follow her as she already had chosen out a table, however just before she wandered off, she quickly turned back to Serika.

"Oh, and can you get us four pairs of chopsticks while you're at it? Thanks in advance little missy" Mutsuki finished her words by letting out another mischievous sounding giggle as her and friends quickly began to make the way towards their seats.

Serika was momentarily dumbfounded by this, looking completely and utterly confused why they would need four pairs of Chopsticks if they were only ordering one bowl of noodles. However, that's when it finally clicked for her as a shocked look appeared on her face.

"F-four pairs!? Y-you're not thinking of splitting a small bowl of noodles between four of you, are you?" Serika words made the group stop in their tracks.

All four girls turned to look at her with confusion on their faces, as if what she had just said was completely in utterly bizarre.

"S-sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry that we're broke and completely poor!" The purple haired girl suddenly blurted out, a look of pure and her face as she began to repeatedly bow in front of Serika who looked absolutely and utterly confused by the action, not understanding why the purple head girl was apologising.

Shiroko, Ayane, Hoshino, Nonomi had all momentarily paused eating their noodles, all of them watching the scene unfold with reactions that range from amusement to slight confusion.

"Sensei~"

The hunter didn't react physically to the sound of his name being whispered, but his eyes widened ever so slightly as he continued to look at the form of mysterious students, and after a moment responded.

"What is it, Arona?" the hunter whispered, being thankful that nobody around him heard his whispering as they all continue to watch the interaction between Serika and the mysterious students.

"Keep an eye on those four students sensei... something about them looks... shifty"

The hunter heard Arona whisper to him, her words making his eyes narrow considerably as he focused his entire attention on the mysterious students. He wasn't exactly sure how Arona was able to tell that the students looked somewhat duplicitous.

But the exact how and why didn't matter because he agreed wholeheartedly with her assertion, considering that the longer he looked at them the more he felt an uneasy forming in the pit of his stomach.

Whoever these four students were, they were clearly up to something nefarious, as such, the hunter kept his attention squarely trained on them as he went back to eating his noodles.

After being in a prolonged silence for several moments from the purple headed girl's frantic apologies, Serika finally recovered enough to speak as the confused expression on her face remained.

"What the...?! You don't need to apologise to ME over something like that..." Despite her confusion, Serika tried to sound someone friendly. After all, it was now blindingly obvious that the purple haired girl was extremely socially awkward.

Yet Serika was not prepared for what happened next as the purple haired girl's face took on an almost manic expression as she began to speak so fast that Serika barely managed to catch most of it.

"N-no, really! What's the point of living like this? We're just waste of air! Lower than dirt! We should have never come here. Sorry, sorry, sorry..." The purple haired girl eventually devolved into mumbling incoherently to herself, her face now taking on a look of absolute fear and terror.

However, before Serika could do anything in response to whatever the hell that was. One of the other girls from the group quickly stepped forward, this being a girl with black and white hair and wearing a large hoodie.

*sigh* For crying out loud... knock it off, Haruka, you're making a scene" Kayoko said with an absolutely exhausted expression on her face. While she loved her friends deeply, that didn't change the fact that dealing with their... eccentricities. Wasn't something she would have wished on anyone, even her worst enemy.

Serika after recovering from the shock of what it just happened, quickly step forward, angry expression on her face because she believed that the reason that the purple head girl had had a near panic attack.

It was because she was afraid that she would be judged for being poor, which was something that Serika could certainly empathise with, considering her and her friends as well as the school's financial situation.

"Being poor isn't a crime or anything you should be ashamed of! You shouldn't be so hard on yourself" Serika pause for a moment, mostly to collect her thoughts and catch her breath, before continuing much to the confusion of Haruka and Kayoko.

"Your students nobody expects you to be loaded with cash... still, you and your friends scrape enough to share a bowl of ramen together. That's saying something, isn't it?" Serika finished her impromptu pep talk by quickly turning on the spot and making her way towards the central food bar.

Yet, before she disappeared out of a site, she did turn her head to say one more thing.

"Hang tight. I'll be glad to bring it out to you" Serika quickly disappeared, leaving all four mysterious students completely dumbfounded at what had just happened.

However, eventually Kayoko was the one to break The silence. "I think she got the wrong idea" the girl said with a tired sounding sigh. At this point, she would have rather been anywhere else but here.

"Yeah! It's not like we're beggars. It's just because Aru blew throughout our cash~" Mutsuki said with a mischievous chuckle. She didn't feel embarrassed by the situation in the slightest, in fact, she found the entire thing just completely comical.

"That's "Boss" to you. You should know better than to not refer to me by my title, Staff Chief Mutsuki" Aru said with a displeased tone, not appreciating the fact that Mutsuki was deliberately calling her by her actual name instead of her title.

"Kufufu~ Really? You still want us to call you Boss when we're off the clock? And what kind of boss can't afford to treat her employees to more than one measly bowl of ramen" Mutsuki said with her trademark giggle, taking immense pleasure in the slightly frustrated and embarrassed look that appeared on Aru's face as her words washed over her.

Aru didn't say anything in response, a slightly perturbed and frustrated look on her face because despite the fact that Mutsuki was teasing her. The white haired girl was ultimately right, she could admit that she could have been a bit more responsible, when it came to their finances.

"Maybe you should have thought about that, before blowing all of our money on hired goons" Kayoko suddenly interjected, a completely bummed and annoyed expression on her face.

Managing to recover some of her now crumbling mature girl facade, Aru quickly put on a smile and flicked her hair to one side in a manner that she thought was stylish. "Heh. Would you have expected me to do anything else? Be grateful that there's enough left over for a bowl of ramen" She said, trying to make it sound as if she had everything under control.

Kayoko however, simply sighed as she responded, a completely over it expression on her face. "You could have negotiated to make sure there was enough left over for four bowls, you know..."

Aru's cool girl facade momentarily crumbled when she heard those words. And yet, before she could get a chance to defend herself and her actions, Mutsuki suddenly butted in.

"Just admit that you forgot to account for dinner in today's expenses, Aru" Mutsuki said with her trademark mischievous smile.

However, Aru instead of replying, chose to say nothing, managing to reinforce her graceful girl persona by putting on a confident smile.

"I get why you want to reduce the risk factor of this operation. You're right, not underestimating the target. They aren't jobbers like the helmet gang..." Kayoko spoke somewhat quietly, not wanting to draw any attention from the few customers within the restaurant. Yet she paused for a moment, lowering her voice even more before speaking.

"But really, Boss? Are these Abydos students really worth blowing our entire budget on extra muscle?" Kayoko said all of this in a near whisper, her eyes scanning around at the few people in the restaurant, specifically, a group of four students sitting on a table enjoying their food with a mysterious adult present amongst them.

However, as her eyes fell onto sensei, she momentarily felt a chill run down her spine, the likes of which she had never felt before in her life. For just a solitary instant, she could have sworn that he looked right at her, his gaze holding nothing but cold malevolence.

Nonetheless, as quickly as it came, it disappeared as the mysterious adult quickly continued to eat his noodles, making Kayoko think that it was just her imagination.

Yet as she turned her attention back to her friends, that couldn't have been further from the truth, as the Hunter cautiously stole another glance at the girl and her friends. His eyes narrowed considerably, because while no one had heard what Kayoko said...

He certainly did.

"Aru probably doesn't even know. That's why she hired those goons-because she's chicken" Mutsuki said with a giggle and a laugh.

Aru didn't appreciate the comment and the slightest, a slightly offended look making its way onto her features as she quickly responded. "W-who are you calling a chicken!? I'm just being careful and covering our bases" The leader of the ragtag group of girls said.

"Failure is not an option. You all know Problem Solver 68's motto: Expect the unexpected" Aru said with a confident sounding laugh, to her, she sounded like a true leader inspiring her followers.

"This is the first time hearing about a motto, Aru" Kayoko said with a very tired-sounding sigh, quickly motioning for all of her friends to finally come and sit at the table which they did as they continued their conversation.

"Pretty sure she just made it up on the spot. Kufufu~ " Mutsuki sang as she energetically swung her feet beneath the table, taking immense delight in how flustered Aru was getting.

"S-shut up! I'll take you all out for sukiyaki once we finish this job and get paid. So you better go all out!" Aru managed to splatter out, any remnants of her cool and suave demeanour completely crumbling away. At the hands of Mutsuki's relentless teasing.

However, before Mutsuki or Kayoko say anything in response. Haruka butted in, a reserved and shy smile on her face as she spoke to Aru.

"S-Sukiyaki...? W-what's that Aru?" Haruka said somewhat with a somewhat shy tone. She had heard of sukiyaki, but she wasn't familiar with exactly what kind of dish it actually was.

Aru quickly seeing the chance to reclaim her calm face, quickly coughed, managing to put back on a calm and refined expression. Yet before she could respond, Kayoko quickly beat her to it.

"It's a dish that adults like... And is really expensive" Kayoko said frankly, Aru had a bit of a habit of trying to go after the most expensive things, no matter what they were. Which was one of the reasons why they were currently in the situation they were.

Although... Kayoko would be lying to herself if she said, that she didn't at least want to try sukiyaki, considering that it was a dish that was completely out of reach of her and most other students due to its absorption price.

"W-Wow. I don't know if dirt like me could appreciate something like that. Would I have to sacrifice my life afterwards for over indulging?" Haruka smiled warmly, even though have words were completely deranged sounding.

Her friends had long become used to her harsh words of self-deprecation, so to them, it was pretty normal.

Aru quickly chuckled, using the opportunity to reassert her calm and suave persona completely.

"Heh, heh. Problem Solver 68 as an industrial titan at this point. We only deserve the best, wouldn't you agree?" She gestured to her companions, all of them looking at home with varying reactions from indifference to mischief and absolute awe.

"Kufufu~ You're so ambitious, Aru" Mutsuki said in her usual mischievous tone. Her words making Aru's newly constructed facade crack some more as she responded.

"I told you to call me Boss!" Aru said with a frustrated tone, which simply made Mutsuki giggle some more.

However, before anyone else at the table could say any more, Serika suddenly reappeared, carrying a large bowl that was filled to the absolute brim with noodles as well as all the accessories.

"Order up! The bowl's very hot, so please be careful!" Serika quickly deposited the ball down on the table with a resounding thump.

Mutsuki, Kayoko, Aru and Haruka all looked at the bowl in absolute shock, not quite believing their eyes because of the sheer amount of food that was practically overflowing from the bowl.

It was completely an utterly ridiculous to the point where all four of them momentarily thought that somebody was playing a practical joke on them.

Yet eventually Mutsuki was the one to break the silence. "What the...? This bowl is huge" She said, her voice lacking any of her usual mischievousness, because for the first time in a while she was genuinely shocked by something.

"It looks like it could feed ten people..." Kayoko spoke to no one in particular, quickly managing to catch herself because her hands were unconsciously moving towards the bowl.

Which did somewhat embarrass her, because it was only now she realised how hungry she actually was.

"Uh, are you sure this is the right order? We don't have the money to pay for something like this..." Haruka said nervously, she was beginning to fidget in her seat. Her worst tendencies beginning to flare up as she momentarily considered blowing up the entire restaurant to get out of this situation.

Serika didn't immediately respond, a somewhat proud smile appearing on her lips as she quickly pulled out the order slip and read it back to them. "Yep, this is exactly what you ordered. A plain old 580 yen Shiba Seki ramen bowl... isn't that right, boss?" Serika quickly turned her head, seeing Boss quickly waddling up behind her, a proud smile adorning his muzzle as he took his smoking pipe out from between his lips.

"Well, I may have overfilled it a smidgen, but don't worry about that, considerate it, first time customer extras" The diminutive Sheba said with a proud smile on his muzzle.

If there was one thing he always took joy in, it was being able to help and feed those in need.

"Master says it's all good, so don't worry! Enjoy your meal!" Serika said proudly as she and Boss quickly moved away from the table, although staying nearby so they could watch.

The clearly excited girls look between themselves for a moment before turning their attention back to the colossal noodle bowl in front of them.

"W-Wow..." Haruka quickly reached for a pair of chopsticks, the prospect of being able to eat something, so delicious looking, completely overpowering any nervousness she felt about the situation.

"I say we eat first and ask questions later. Chopsticks ready!" Mutsuki said excitedly, as she grabbed her chopsticks ready to dig in.

Aru and Kayoko quickly joined her, grabbing the remaining chopsticks as they both smiled. Aru was a giant dopey expression the likes of which warmed Boss's heart as he watched from nearby, while Kayoko's was a more reserved yet still happy smile.

"I didn't see this coming, but it would be rude of us to send it back, so..." Aru looked at the bowl excitedly, nearly jumping over herself to dig into the mountains of noodles in front of her.

"Let's dig in!" Mutsuki shouted excitedly as all four girls descended on the helpless bowl of noodles like vultures descending on a fresh corpse.

Yet despite how ravenous their hunger was, they still ate with manners as well as being sure to share between them.

However, as they eat the noodles, each one of them had a similar reaction. Their Eyes opening wide in shock as each one of the nearly dropped their chopsticks.

"I-It's so yummy!" Haruka was the first to say anything, her words almost intelligible due to the fact that her mouth was currently full of noodles, which she immediately proceeded to swallow and go back for more.

"Not bad at all! Who knew that such a good noodle joint was out here in the boonies?" Mutsuki said with a smile on her face as she quickly went in for more noodles. Yet, unlike most of her smiles, which were often mischievous. This smile on her face was a genuine, happy and content one, that was quite rare to see on the usually mischievous girl.

"I know right! isn't it the best?"

All four members of problem solver 68, were pulled from their content feast by the sound of an unfamiliar voice. All Turning, their eyes to see a girl with an ample bosom and sandy-coloured hair, gazing happily at them from the next table over.

"The Ramen here is the best around! People come from all over to get a taste of it" Nonomi giggled excitedly as she continued to praise the ramen, much to the agreement of her friends and the pleasure of boss and Serika who were watching on.

Aru quickly turned in her seat so she could look at the Mysterious Girl, a big happy smile on her face as she quickly responded.

"I can see why. "I've been to my fair share of ramen shops, and ramen this good is hard to find" Aru said happily, not having realized who she was talking to.

"We're regulars here. Sorry to interrupt your meal, but we just wanted to say that it's good to see students from other schools come here and see the light" Ayane quickly chimed in, Hoshino and Shiroko both nodding and agreement with her words.

"I must agree with Ayane, the dishes at the shop are truly remarkable, especially to someone like me who is not familiar with the cuisine of these lands" The hunter quickly interjected, his face holding a content and approachable expression.

However, his eyes, unbeknownst to the members of problem solver 68, were critically scrutinising them trying to figure out what exactly their objectives were, considering that from their words they were clearly here for some nefarious purpose involving his cherished students.

"That uniform you're wearing is Gehenna's, right? That's a long trip" Shiroko idly noted, easily noticing that the girls uniforms were of Gehenna origin judging from the overall colour scheme and designs.

"Girls sharing a bowl of ramen like this. it's a little bit nostalgic, isn't it? Nonomi turn to her friends as she spoke, making them all look between each other for a moment, before eventually Hoshino responded.

"Wasn't that a bowl of udon?" Hoshino said somewhat jokingly as the rest of her friends quickly joined in with her laughter.

All of them remembering the good times when they had to share a single bowl between them. Because they often had very little money to spare.

Yet as the Abydos girls continue to laugh together, Kayoko suddenly noticed something. A detail that made her do a double take as she quickly stopped eating, her red eyes narrowing noticeably.

"That uniform they're wearing..." She whispered quietly, gently poking her elbow into Mutsuki's pension and make a look over at the students, which she quickly did. Her lavender coloured eyes become wider in surprise.

"Hey, you're right" Mutsuki whispered quietly between mouthfuls of noodles continuing to eat as she and Kayoko looked at the Abydos students.

"Haha! I never expected to run into fellow connoisseurs here, of all places! isn't life wonderfully unpredictable sometimes?" Aru said excitedly, as she and the Abydos students continued to peacefully converse amongst each other.

"Something tells me that Aru hasn't put two and two together yet" Mutsuki said quietly with a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.

While she knew that Aru wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, she didn't think that her friend and boss could be so blindingly oblivious.

"Should I tell her?" Kayoko made a move to pat Aru on the shoulder to get her attention and tell her, the people she was talking to were the students they were supposed to target.

Yet before she could do so, Mutsuki quickly stopped her, a sly and smug look appearing on her face as she rapidly devoured some more noodles before speaking.

"Nah, this is more interesting. Let's see what happens next!" Mutsuki said, the mischievous look on her face growing even larger by the second as Kayoko turn to look at Aru and by extension the Abydos students.

'Great, this is going to complicate things'

Kayoko let out an audible sigh as she quickly went back to eating the noodles. Whatever would happen next, she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pretty regardless.

…...​

The sun had finally dipped below the horizon, signalling the oncoming embrace of night, as the hunter looked out of the large double-glazed windows of the Schale office. His attention wasn't focused on anything in particular, simply staring off into the expansive, of the almost endless cityscape that was laid out before him.

He had to admit that even though he was more used to and preferred the architectural style of yharnam. Kivotos was truly a sight to behold, especially at night, when the buildings began to light up like twinkling lighthouses in the darkness.

However admiring the cityscape was quickly forgotten as he felt a presence come up beside him, however he did not turn his gaze to look, knowing who it already was as he spoke.

"Arona... I promised I would tell you more once we were alone... and I think now it is the time" The hunter said in a quiet tone as he narrowed his eyes.

Arona looked up at The Hunter, not responding with words, but simply just nodding her head in agreement.

"Arona... do you remember when I said that I have an ability that no one else does?" The hunter turned his gaze to look at his companion, he didn't know if he was entirely ready to reveal his true nature to her. But he ultimately decided that whether he was ready or not, now was the right time to do so.

"Yes sensei I do, you said it was like a superpower... but why do you ask?" Arona tilted her holographic head to the side slightly, not quite understanding what the hunter is getting at.

However, her eyes suddenly widened when it finally clicked in her mind.

"S-sensei! Do you have more than one superpower!?" Arona asked with confusion but also excitement in her voice.

Just when she thought that sensei couldn't get any cool in her mind, the prospect of him having multiple superpowers was almost too good to be a reality.

The hunter didn't say anything, choosing to look out to the Horizon once more as a sigh escaped his lips. His breath somehow, despite all logic, could be seen in the air as if it was incredibly cold, yet that simply wasn't possible considering that the building was kept at an even temperature by the central heating.

"Arona... I possess more than one ability... in fact I possess multiple that some would consider to be... unnatural" The hunter said in a stern but gentle voice.

He didn't want to scare Arona, but he also wanted to make it clear that he was not joking around in any way with his words.

The little AI looked at the hunter confused for a moment, the excitement in her eyes dissipating when she noticed the way the hunter was speaking.

"What kind of abilities, sensei?" Arona asked with curiosity but also a small amount of apprehension and her voice.

She would be lying if she said, that she wasn't feeling a little bit off by the entire situation, but she tried to suppress it, considering that she trusted sensei.

The hunter reflected for a moment, he wasn't exactly sure how to tackle the subject of his true nature. Considering that it was so incomprehensible, that most would not be able to handle him telling them about it, without them being driven mad by the information.

'Such as the nature of the arcane, I suppose'

The hunter thought to himself as a sigh escaped his lips. However, that's when an idea suddenly occurred to him, one that would give him the ability to show Arona his true nature, while also giving him a definitive reason to return to somewhere he had not been to for quite a while.

However...

As the Hunter considered that possibility, he quickly noted that he had no way of accessing the place he needed to go, considering that he did not have a lamp currently on hand, and using his powers to fashion one from scratch would be counterproductive.

"Oh, wait!" The hunter suddenly said to himself out loud as he remembered something.

"Sensei, what's the matter?" Arona asked with confusion, the hunter had been silent for several minutes now, a look of deep thought on his face, that she had not wanted to disturb.

However, his sudden words caught her off guard as she noticed a look of realisation appear on his face. But instead of answering her words directly, the hunter quickly turned on the spot and began to make his way towards the exit of The Office.

Yet, before Arona could make a move to walk after him, the hunter suddenly held up a hand as he opened the office door, beckoning her to stop.

"Wait here, Arona, I will be back momentarily. There is something I need to... retrieve from the basement" The hunter said abruptly as he didn't give Arona a chance to respond, before he quickly disappeared through the open doorway.

Leaving the little AI completely alone in the dimly lit office, somewhat confused about what had just happened.

However, she wasn't left alone to her devices for very long, as after a minute the hunter quickly re-emerged. This surprises her considering that he had to go down several flights of stairs to get to the basement, yet he managed to do so in just over a minute.

But Arona quickly realised that considering how fast sensei could move in combat, she figured that wasn't that surprising for him to be able to move that fast all the time.

Yet, her attention was quickly taken up by something that was being held in sensei's arms. Something that made her extremely curious as the hunter came over to her and quickly knelt down in front of her.

The object was extremely strange, looking like some kind of antique ornamental light fixture. It consisted of a simple stem that looked to be repurposed from an old leaf spring. Attached to the top of it was an old cast iron looking lamp, with a set of small rusted bells hanging from around the collar of the lamp.

The hunter looked at the lamp somewhat affectionately, being next to it, let alone holding it in his hands, brought him a sense of nostalgia that was almost overpowering. It reminded him of his early time as a hunter, back when everything was far simpler.

"Sensei, what is this?" Arona asked curiously as she began to inspect the lamp all over, despite how old and decrepit it looked, she couldn't help but find it oddly captivating in a way as if it was some kind of strange work of art.

"This Arona... is a Hunter's lamp" the hunter said matter-of-factly, his works making Arona look up at him in confusion in her eyes as he continued speaking.

"Hunters lamps were tools used by me and fellow Hunters long ago. they acted much like lighthouses in a dark endless ocean, telling us where safety was and where are prey could be found" The hunter accompanied his words by quickly and abruptly jamming the lamp into the ground.

The rusty stem effortlessly breaking through the tiled floor and embedding itself into the concrete below.

Arona was completely caught off guard by this action, watching as sensei took his hands off the lamp once he was sure it would not tumble to the ground.

"They helped the hunter find... Beasts, sensei?" Arona asked curiously, her eyes continuing to go back and forth between sensei and the mysterious Hunter lamp.

The hunter simply nodded his head, getting back to his feet and taking several steps back from the lamp has he responded.

"Indeed Arona, you are correct and your assertion... However," the hunter accompanied his sudden pause, buy quickly assuming a familiar pose the likes of which was unknown to Arona yet deeply familiar to him.

His fingers were classed tight ready to click, he knew that such an action was not necessary to light the hunter's lamp. Especially considering his now ascended status, but it simply wouldn't have felt right to not do it this way after so long of not having lit a lamp.

"These lamps were guiding lights for all hunters... But to certain hunters, these lamps fulfilled in entirely different purpose" The hunter quickly clicked his fingers.

Arona was confused by the sudden action, not understanding why he had clicked his fingers, however after several moments she noticed something. The lamp which had been dead and silent all this time suddenly and slowly began to come to life.

The hunters smiled as the familiar sound of the lamp being lit reached his ears, he could tell by the brightness of the light emanating from within the wrought iron cage. That this lamp was in dire need of repair, but it would ultimately serve his purposes for now.

"Sensei... what did the lamps do for those specific Hunters?" Arona asked this as she came to stand next to the hunter, both of them looking at the lamp with different reactions.

The hunter looked down at his AI companion, with her looking up at him. Both of them staring into each other's eyes before eventually the hunter responded.

"For some Hunters, Arona. These lamps served as much more than just waypoints. They could be used to travel vast distances, allowing certain Hunters to be complete the unshackled from time itself" The hunter's words were ended by a familiar groaning sound which brought a smile to his face as he looked at the base of the lamp.

Arona did the same, her eyes nearly falling out of her head when she saw what was making the strange, almost pained noises.

"S-sensei! What is that!?" Arona said impulsively, taking a single step backwards in surprise as she saw the tiny white emerge from the floor at the base of the lamp.

Its face was quite frankly hideous looking, with its body and face looking like a desiccated corpse.

However, the hunter wasn't scared or put off by the creature as he quickly got down on one knee, a friendly smile making its way across his face as he held out a hand to the little creature.

"Arona, this is a Messenger, or the little ones as I call them. They were invaluable aids to me and other hunters in the past" the hunter said with an affectionate voice, as the tiny messenger wrapped it's small bony fingers around one of his much larger gloved fingers.

Despite their unsettling appearance, the hunter knew that messengers were kind and sweet creatures.

Arona looked at what was happening with confusion but also a bit of apprehension, yet the hunter quickly ushered her over.

"Come closer Arona, there is nothing you need to fear from the messenger. They are kind and soulful little things" The hunter said with a warm happy tone in his voice.

Which after a moment of hesitation made Arona approach cautiously, quickly getting onto her knees as she scooted up next to the hunter, but still keeping her distance from the messenger.

"Arona, hold out your hand" The hunter said quietly, his words making Arona look at him strangely because why would she need to hold her hand out.

After all, her body was simply a holographic projection, and even if she was physical. She didn't exactly want to put her hand anywhere near the little creature, just in case it tried to bite at her, with it's disturbingly misshapen teeth.

Nevertheless, looking into the hunter's eyes, eventually made Arona reconsider her hesitancy as she quickly nervously gulped down some air, before tentatively reaching her hand out. She wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting, considering that her body wasn't a physical one that could be interacted with.

However, as the creature turned its attention to her instead of the Hunter, she noticed it tilt its head to the side, clearly confused by her presence, which she had to admit was kind of cute.

But that thought was completely forgotten when the creature reached out, grabbed a hold of her holographic hand, shock racing through her system because she actually felt the creature touch her with its cold but soft feeling skin.

The hunter watched the messenger take a liking to Arona immediately, and couldn't help but chuckle. "See Arona, there is nothing to be afraid of" The hunter said, however his chuckling was quickly ended when he noticed the confused look on Arona's face.

"Sensei... how is this possible?" Arona asked after a moment of silence between the two, not pushing the messenger away as it continued to rub it distorted face into her palm as if it was some kind of small puppy.

The hunter didn't immediately respond, not knowing she was referring to, but then he suddenly realised exactly what it was. The messenger was interacting with her as if she was a physical entity, even though her current form was a completely holographic one with no physical presence.

"The messengers are much like me Arona... they are able to do things that are considered of the supernatural" The hunter accompanied his words by quickly placing a hand onto Arona's holographic shoulder.

Making the little AI girl jump in surprise because she actually felt this, and making she suddenly turned to look at him, confusion and perhaps a small amount of discomfort flashing across her face.

"S-sensei?" Arona managed to stutter out, not understanding how it was possible that the sensei, let alone the messenger, were actually interacting with a holographic body as if it was something completely physical.

"I believe it's now time Arona... now shut your eyes, concentrate with me" The hunter said in a calm and gentle tone which did soothe Arona's worries.

But Nonetheless, she still couldn't understand how this was possible. Yet ultimately she did as the hunter told her, hesitantly closing her eyes, and beginning to concentrate. S

She heard the hunter speak once again, although his voice sounded noticeably unnatural and... wrong.

"Arona, where I'm taking you is a special place for me... it is my domain, my own personal Kingdom. My... dream if you will" Arona did as instructed, continuing to concentrate on the hunter's voice as he spoke. However, she felt her body beginning to feel strange, as if it was being pulled along by something with great power.

Yet despite the momentary fear that welled up within her, she did not stop doing as the hunter told her, continuing to concentrate as the feeling of her body being pulled along continue to intensify. To the point where she felt like her concentration would break.

But just when she feared she would break concentration, it all abruptly stopped, the strange feeling of having her body tugged along quickly fading. As she heard the hunter speak once again, his voice sounding more normal yet still having a strange otherworldly quality to it.

"You have done well Arona, I am very proud of you. Now... open your eyes" The hunter said in a happy tone as Arona did exactly that.

Tentatively opening her eyes only to have them assaulted by a blinding white light, which thankfully quickly dissipated as she closed her eyes for a second before opening them again.

Arona wasn't sure exactly where she was, but as soon as her eyes adjusted, they widened to the point where they were almost as big as dinner plates. The surrounding environment was completely... alien to her.

It was a large field completely filled with beautiful white flowers, with strange Cross like structures somewhat reminder of a scarecrow without any of the coverings. There were also strange grave looking stones scattered amongst the white flowers, giving the entire seem an eerie yet still elegant feel.

Not too far away and on top of a small hill, stood a massive and mighty tree, it's branches reaching out into the heavens above her as if they were trying to touch the very stars themselves.

There was also a building of some kind, partially obscured behind the tree and a large unkempt hedge, meaning that she couldn't make much of it out due to how much of the building was obscured from view.

The entire scene was incredibly bizarre yet somehow tranquil and beautiful at the same time

However, she suddenly heard the hunter utter words, making her turn her attention to him, he looked the same as he did before. Yet something about him seemed... different.

"̶W̷e̶l̸c̵o̸m̵e̸ ̴A̵r̸o̸n̷a̸.̶ ̷W̶e̸l̵c̴o̶m̶e̸ ̶t̸o̷ ̷m̸y̴ ̶H̸u̸n̶t̷e̵r̷'̴s̵ ̶d̶r̴e̵a̴m̵"̶ ̴ ̷

 

[mgman]

The day started much like any other for the abydos students, With the five members of the task force exchanged greetings of each other, before quickly proceeding with their usual morning meeting, which ultimately resulted in nothing productive actually being done much to certain glasses wearing elf's dismay.

'Seriously! Why can't any of these meetings actually be productive?'

Ayane sighed loudly as she idly tapped away at her tablet, going about her usual morning routine of checking the surveillance network she had in place courtesy of her drones. Most of the time up checking the surveillance network resulted in nothing out of the ordinary, of course that had changed recently with the introduction of the helmet gang.

As such, the glasses wearing elf girl immediately spotted the unusual amount of foot traffic heading towards the school, which she wouldn't have usually found strange. But considering their recent trouble with the helmet gang, Ayane decided to look into it more, specifically by redirecting one of her drones which was hovering near the location of the unusual foot traffic to have a closer look.

Squinting her eyes slightly. Ayane couldn't help but feel incredibly uneasy as the data from her drone was finally displayed on her tablet.

Currently, a large amount of foot traffic was heading towards the school building at a relatively high speed, in fact as the glasses wearing girl sharpened her eyes even further, she was reminded of her and her friends first encounter with a helmet gang, when they unexpectedly attacked their school out of nowhere.

Yet despite the potential for this to be nothing more than a false alarm, Ayane wasn't going to be caught off guard twice as she quickly stood up from the desk, making all of her friends look at her and surprised as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Everyone... I have a large group of individuals moving towards the campus" Ayane pause for a moment. Making sure all of her friends were paying attention, which as indicated by the serious look that crossed all of their faces, they must definitely were.

"It might just be nothing... But considering what's happened in the past-" Ayane found herself abruptly silenced by Hoshino who quickly jumped up from the desk, a serious look in her bi-coloured eyes.

"You're right Ayane, it might be nothing... But it's better to be safe and sorry" Hoshino accompanied her words by quickly retrieving her shotgun, which was lying on the table in front of her and giving the bolt a quick pull, which chamber of fresh round and showed her willingness to fight.

Shiroko, Serika and Nonomi all quickly followed Hoshino's example, retrieving their weapons and rising from their seats with determined looks on their faces, if it was another assault by the helmet gang who had decided to come back for more, then they would fight because after all they had beaten the once, and they could do it again.

Ayane was momentarily surprised by her friend's reactions, before a determined smile quickly made its way onto her face as well. However, as she quickly picked up her own pistol from the table and placed it in its holster at her side, she suddenly thought of something the made her face take on a look of surprise.

"Wait! Sensei hasn't arrived yet. He was supposed to be here for the morning meeting?" Ayane's words took everyone off guard as looks of realisation cross their faces as well.

They had forgotten, but the glasses wearing girl was right. Sensei was supposed to be here for the morning like he had promised, yet he had seemingly not shown up yet.

"Ayane is right, that is a bit strange how he hasn't shown up yet" Nonomi put a finger to her chin as she spoke, her eyes turning towards the door which up until this point had remained shut. It was almost like she was expecting sensei to walk through any second now, but it never happened, which only made her feel a bit sad.

However, she wasn't the only one who looked a bit dejected by this, as Shiroko also turned her gaze towards the clubroom door, her eyes filled with hope but also sadness when sensei did not materialise before her eyes. In fact, it hurt her, especially because he had promised her that he would come.

Hoshino didn't say a word, choosing to keep her expression neutral when in a reality she was honestly quite glad he had showing up, because while she now didn't outright hate him any more and somewhat tolerated his presence.

That didn't mean that she trusted him at all, she had simply had too many bad experiences with adults to ever trust one ever again.

"You guys, for crying out loud, he's probably busy or something! I mean he is the sensei of SCHALE so he's probably just got a lot of work which made it so he couldn't come today" Serika said with a slightly annoyed huff, while she was a little bit sad that sensei had not come today, she was under no illusion that he was most likely just busy off doing something else.

Ayane, Shiroko and Nonomi all turned to look at Serika, the expressions on their faces being once of surprised understanding, because while it didn't erase the fact that they were a bit sad that sensei hadn't shown up today for whatever reason.

Serika words made perfect sense to them, after all, sensei was most likely off helping another school or student with some problem considering that was his entire job as the sensei of SCHALE.

Ayane suddenly looked her down at her tablet, her eyes widening considerably when she noticed the data that was being fed to it via her drone, which was monitoring the suspicious group of individuals.

Yet, before she could open her mouth to say anything, Hoshino suddenly interrupted her, a determined expression replacing her usual dopey and sleepy one.

"We should get moving, we can talk about this later when we have the time" Hoshino followed her words by quickly retrieving the Iron Horus which was resting nearby, and placing it over her shoulder, making sure it's tightly secure.

This served as the rallying call which made everyone else do the same quickly making sure all of their weapons were loaded and ready, as they all stood up from their respective seats. Flicking the safety catch on her shotgun to the fire position, Hoshino turned to Ayane, an expecting look on her face as she spoke.

"Ayane, where exactly are they right now" Hoshino waited for the response as Ayane, quickly, looked down at the tablet in her hands and vigorously tapped away at it for a moment before a satisfied expression appeared on her face.

"They are currently 15 km east of here, and they're currently passing through one of the old industrial districts. If we leave now we should be able to catch them as they exit" Ayane said with a confident expression on her face, as the rest of her friends all nodded in agreement.

"Well looks like it's time for another impromptu day out" Hoshino said with a slightly mischievous sounding tone to her voice, all of her friends quickly agreeing with her with their own expressions of anticipation and determination as the group quickly exited the clubroom.

…...​

"Everyone stay low, they should be coming any second now" A quiet and subdued voice spoke from within the Rubble of a half collapsed building that had once been a small warehouse of some prescription.

"Got it / right" Four more voices quickly responded to the first, each of the voices owners making sure their respective weapons were ready and loaded as they kept themselves out of sight.

Ayane from her hiding spot kept a vigilant eye on the road, occasionally only breaking site from it to look down at her tablet so that she could monitor the group of mysterious individuals that were approaching their position.

Yet as she quickly glanced down at her tablet, Ayane suddenly felt somebody place a hand on her shoulder making her jump slightly as she turned to see who it was, only to feel immediately relieved when she saw that it was none other than Hoshino, a determined look in her multicoloured eyes.

"So, what are we up against, Ayane?" Hoshino quickly knelt down next to Ayane, her gaze quickly turning to the outside environment as she kept her shotgun and Ballistic shield at the ready.

Ayane looked at Hoshino for a second, before quickly turning her eyes down to the tablet in her hands as she tapped away at it, retrieving the necessary data that she needed, before turning her gaze back up to Hoshino and relaying it to her.

"There are 24 unknown individuals, and they seem to be armed" Ayane said matter-of-factly, Hoshino turned her eyes to look at the glasses wearing elf.

"Any kind of heavy weapons or artillery?" Hoshino asked with a slightly concerned look in her eyes, while she wasn't really concerned about their odds, especially considering her junior student's recent performance.

That didn't change the fact that she did feel somewhat worried about everyone else's safety, if this mysterious group was bringing with them some kind of heavy weaponry or heaven forbid an armoured vehicle of some kind.

Ayane quickly looked back at the tablet in her hands and tapped away at, while Hoshino waited with a slightly apprehensive expression on her face. Fortunately, after a moment of tapping away at the device, Ayane gave an answer that made Hoshino let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't see any kinds of heavy weaponry or armoured vehicles with them" As the words left her

mouth, both Ayane and Hoshino suddenly heard something, more precisely, it was the sound of multiple footsteps approaching their position.

Quickly turning their gazes outwards, both abydos students saw a group of students approaching. The largest portion of them were all dressed identically, with them wearing strange looking almost construction style overalls complete with gloves and a hard hat on their heads.

However, what caught Ayane, Hoshino, Shiroko, Serika and Nonomi's collective attention was the group of four students at the head of the larger group of identically dressed thugs.

"Hey! Didn't we meet those guys at Shiba Seki ramen?" Nonomi suddenly jumped up in surprise, yet thankfully the group of delinquents and familiar Gehenna students didn't seem to hear them as they continued to march through the desert sands.

"It sure looks like it to me. I guess a bunch of Gehenna students showing up out of the blue wasn't a coincidence after all" Hoshino didn't even try to hide her growing angry as her expression noticeably hardened.

However, she wasn't the only one, as Serika and Shiroko's expressions also turned into angry and furious ones respectively.

"T-Those dirty snakes!" Serika practically snarled the words as she quickly stood up from her spot, rifle in hand and ready to take her anger out on the two timing gehenna students. But before she could aim and open fire, somebody quickly put a hand on top of her rifle, forcefully pointing it downwards.

"Hang on a sec Serika, why don't we go out there and ask them to explain themselves before we dish out any punishment" Serika turned her frustrated gaze to the person who had just stopped her, only to see that it was none other than Hoshino, a look of well restrained anger visible on her usual dopey and sleepy face.

Serika was about to argue, instead wanting to simply just shoot the delinquent and the gehenna students until they simply stopped moving. But she suddenly realised exactly what Hoshino was implying, as after a moment she nodded.

Turning to the rest of her fellow students, Hoshino, saw all of them quickly nob in agreement with her idea, while a surprise attack would have been a better option considering it would allow them to get the jump on the delinquents and gehenna students.

They all wanted to know exactly why the gehenna students had taken advantage of their generosity in such a brazen manner.

With everyone in agreement, all five abydos students quickly stepped out from the broken down warehouse they were using as cover, the conversation between the gehenna students and the delinquent now becoming audible to them as they closer to the group who was unaware of their approach.

"So, are you guys ready?" Aru asked with a confident smile, her ego boosted by the fact that she was leading a large group of delinquents and her fellow problem solver 68 members into a potentially upcoming battle.

The leader of the delinquents, who was only distinguished from the rest by the fact that she wore a Yellow armband on her upper arm, a tired sounding sigh as she responded.

Internally, she couldn't help but remarked to herself.

"If this dork wasn't paying so well, my girls and I wouldn't be here"

"Of course we're ready, like I said when you gave us the cash, will do anything you want no questions asked except over time" The leader of the identically dressed delinquents said with a bored tone, her words getting a round of agreed nobs from her compatriots.

Despite managing to catch the clear board sounding tone in the delinquent leader's voice, Aru pretended not to notice as she let out a quiet chuckle to herself.

However, as her and her fellow problem solver 68 members and the delinquent group continued to walk, Aru suddenly came to a complete stop, which made everyone else stop as a familiar voice washed over her.

"Hey you!"

Aru, Kayoko, Mutsuki and Haruka, all turned to the source of the familiar voice, only to have their eyes widen in shock when they saw none other than the five abydos students, standing there with their weapons in hand and very angered and infuriated expressions on their faces.

"I can't believe you guys! After I gave you all of that extra ramen completely for free and this is how you repay me! You absolutely ungrateful shitheads!" Serika didn't even try to hide the rage in her voice as her dilated pupils filled with an absolutely murderous gaze, that made all members of problem solver 68 and the gang that they had hired momentarily step back.

"Now now Serika, a junior like yourself should not be using language like that" Hoshino quickly put a hand on the irritated cat girl's shoulder, trying to calm her down.

However, despite this and trying and somewhat failing to keep her facial expression relatively neutral. Internally, she was absolutely livid to the point where she didn't know how much longer she could actually keep her anger in check.

Aru didn't respond to the harsh words, her face remaining somewhat neutral, yet internally she was panicking slightly, because while learning that the friendly students she had had lunch with were the very same ones that she had to attack and take their school from them had certainly been a blow, actually facing them down now with that knowledge made her feel somewhat guilty.

Yet as Aru opened her mouth to respond, Mutsuki suddenly spoke her words being accompanied by a mysterious giggle and facial expression.

"Kufufu~ I really did appreciate that, but it doesn't matter now. It's just business, so nothing personal, cutie" Mutsuki ended her words by blowing a mocking kiss towards Serika.

Which almost made the cat girl in question lose any sense of reason and do something incredibly violent with her bare hands, if it wasn't for Hoshino stopping her.

"Mutsuki is right. It's regrettable but businesses business. We have to uphold our end of the contract" Kayoko said with her usual bored expression, while she did feel a little bit bad about attacking the very students that had shown her and her friends' generosity.

She knew better than anyone that, with the kind of lifestyle that her and her friends lived by, didn't exactly give them the luxuries of having positive relations with pretty much anyone.

Shiroko suddenly stepped forward, making everyone incredibly tense as after a moment of silence she spoke with a hard-set expression.

"So, you guys are fixers, then" Shiroko said with a knowing looking in her eyes, while she was not herself a criminal, one of her main hobbies was researching various different kinds of criminals and what exactly they did.

All the members of problem solver 68 didn't respond to the question, simply choosing to look between each other unsure what to say, nevertheless eventually none other than Nonomi responded, a disapproving look on her face.

"What kind of job is that for girls your age?! Shouldn't you be working normal part-time jobs, instead of causing trouble like this" Nonomi true to her nature as the mother of the group, couldn't help but lecture these mysterious students on their choice of employment.

Aru's face suddenly took on a slightly offended expression, not appreciating the fact that this girl who knew nothing about her and her business was referring to it as nothing more than a regular part-time job. As such, after quickly collecting herself, the leader of Problem Solver 68 responded.

"It's not a part-time job! This is a real, respectable business! With titles and everything! Aru despite trying to, couldn't stop the excitement from creeping into her voice, as she dramatically paused for a moment before continuing.

"And I am the boss!"

Aru quickly threw her arm into the air, emphasising her words via the action and trying to make herself look more impressive than she actually was, very much to the annoyance of her hired Goons and the Confusion of the Abydos students.

However, before any of the confused abydos students could respond, Aru suddenly brought her arm down and began pointing towards her fellow problem solver 68 members, listing off their titles is she went.

"Mutsuki is our chief of staff" Mutsuki simply giggled mischievously finding the entire situation completely ridiculous, which only made it more funny for her especially considering that Aru was making herself look like a giant dork again instead of the cool, suave and sophisticated criminal that she was trying to portray herself as.

"And Kayoko, here is the department head" Aru excitedly patted Kayoko on the back, making the black and white haired girl jump in surprise, and making a slightly embarrassed looking expression appear on her usually blank and indifferent face.

"Aru, that title isn't nearly as impressive as you make it out to be" Katoko expressed with an exasperated expression on her face, at this point she simply wanted the entire ordeal to be over.

But before anyone could say anything else, Shiroko suddenly stepped forward, her rifle in hand as she spoke her demands.

"So, who hired you? Or are you not willing to tell us that?" Shiroko abruptly paused, a thoughtful expression replacing the angry one on her face for a moment, before a mischievous and almost murderous glint filled her eyes.

"Actually... I think getting that information out of you by force could be preferable" The wolf girl's words were accompanied by her quickly releasing the safety catch on her rifle, which let out a satisfying and malicious sounding click as it chamber a fresh new round.

This action was quickly repeated by the rest of the Abydos students, each one of them reading their respective weapons as they stared down the group of delinquents and problem solver 68.

Aru who was feeling somewhat intimidated by the gesture, didn't let it show as she quickly let out a boisterous and almost boastful sounding laugh, speedily bringing up her own rifle and releasing the safety.

Which has fellow problem solver 68 members also did with their respective weapons and her hired Goons as well.

"You can try little wolf, but we don't spill our trade secrets" Aru stood her ground, feeling that the odds were in their favour because they outnumbered the abydos students almost 10 to 1.

There was a tense moment of silence as Shiroko stayed down the barrel of Aru's PSG-1 sniper rifle, and before she could react Aru suddenly pulled the trigger, the muzzle blast from the gun momentarily blinding Shiroko and making her flinch as the bullet race towards her at supersonic speed.

However, thankfully somebody was quicker to react than she was. With that being none other than Hoshino, who quickly threw herself in front of the bullet with the iron Horus, using the now fully deployed ballistic shield to protect her junior classmate from the bullet.

"Everyone, go!"

Shiroko, Serika, Nonomi and Ayane quickly did as commanded, all of them instantly breaking up and scattering before the group of delinquents and problem solver 68 could react, Hoshino nevertheless didn't move from her spot, standing defiantly as all the identically dressed to delinquents quickly raised their weapons and fired.

Hoshino however wasn't bothered by this as she quickly planted the Iron Horus into the ground, the large spikes that kept the shield together quickly shooting into the ground and giving it enough support to weather the hail of bullets that was now being thrown at it.

Waiting for the right moment, Hoshino kept her shotgun ready as the hail of bullets suddenly ceased, which was just the thing she was waiting for, as she very rapidly jumped out from behind it and fired.

Her shots were precise, with both of them being headshots, which completely destroyed the helmets of two delinquents and making them collapsed to the ground.

Which only served to rile up the group of delinquents even more, as they finished reloading their weapons, intent on gunning Hoshino down in revenge for the fallen comrades.

Yet, the pink haired abydos student wasn't going to let that happen as she quickly grabbed the Iron Horse and began to run.

"Nonomi!" lay down some covering fire" Hoshino shouted loudly as she took cover behind a piece of conveniently placed rubble, as the delinquents opened up on her with all of their firepower.

Nonomi from her position which happened to be an old husks that was once a delivery truck, quickly sprung into action her minigun coming to life as she responded to her friend's cry for help.

"I'm on it!" Nonomi yelled excitedly as her minigun quickly sprang to life, the sound of its incredibly high fire rate almost drowning out everything else on the battlefield as she began to lay waste to any delinquent she could see.

Yet before she could continue to lay down suppressing fire for both Hoshino and her other classmates, Nonomi suddenly felt a couple bullet whizz past her head, immediately making her pause her onslaught of automatic gunfire, as she frantically looked around trying to locate where the shots had come from.

However, before she could do so, she suddenly felt two bullets hit her in the side of the chest, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to stumble.

"Nonomi!" Hoshino shouted shouted with concerning her voice, when she saw her friend stumble from the bullet hits. Frantically looking for the source of the gunshots, Hoshino finally identified where they had come from. As the owner of the weapon quickly ducked behind cover while putting a fresh magazine into her light machine gun.

"Why don't you make this easy for us, and just hand over the school" Mutsuki followed up her patronising words by quickly firing a few shots in the general direction of the abydos students.

Hoshino who was still hiding behind the piece of rebel that she had taken up as her cover felt enraged by this, she had made many concessions in the past, some of which still haunted her to this day, but she would never ever give up the school that was not just only hers but her senpai's pride and joy.

But before Hoshino could do or say anything, she suddenly heard Nonomi shout violently, her voice barely audible over the sound of a minigun that was once again laying down fire.

"As if we would ever do that!" Nonomi accompanied her words, by quickly turning her minigun to the location that Mutsuki was using as cover. Which was an old rusty dumpster turned on its side, and proceeding to rain a hail of bullets down upon it.

Mutsuki quickly ducked behind the dumpster, letting out a slightly mischievous giggle as the hail of bullets continued to rain down upon her position.

Yet thankfully, after a few moments of this the bullets quickly ceased, giving her the opportunity she was waiting for as she quickly ran out from behind the dumpster, firing a few shots as she went while she relocated to a new position.

"Kayoko! You're up!" Mutsuki suddenly cried into the air, the words quickly catching Nonomi's attention as she became aware of somebody closing in quickly from behind.

Quickly spinning on the spot, Nonomi brought her minigun up as a shield to protect herself as Kayoko aggressively advanced on her. But, instead of shooting immediately, the black and white haired gehenna student suddenly did something completely different as she rapidly delivered a swift and powerful kick, managing to knock the hefty minigun completely out of the way.

But Nonomi recovered quicker than Kayoko expected, a subtly surprised the Look appearing on the girl's usually blank and in different face.

"Take this troublemaker!" Nonomi accompanied her loud words by quickly swinging her minigun through the air, trying to use it as a large and very heavy improvised bat. However, unfortunately Kayoko was ultimately quicker, as she quickly dodged the wild swing and just before Nonomi could try again, quickly delivered several powerful shots from her suppressed pistol.

Nonomi felt the wind be knocked out of her from the pistol rounds hitting her chest, yet she would not go down that easily as with freshly acquired frustration and anger fuelling her, she quickly swung her mini gun around once again.

This time managing to catch the gehenna student completely off guard and deliver a fast and effective hit to Kayoko's chest, the force of which completely stunned the girl, and almost made her topple over and to drop her pistol.

Kayoko let out a series of grunts, trying to force as much air into her lungs as she rapidly put some distance between her and the minigun welding Abydos student, which couldn't have come at a better time, as before Nonomi could gun Kayoko down.

She suddenly came under attack from several other delinquents, all of them firing at her and forcing her to turn her attention away from the black and white haired gehenna student.

Yet as Kayoko quickly took the magazine out of a pistol to check how many bullets she had left before relocating to a new position, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her which were followed by an angry voice.

"Drop the gun, you dirty two-timing snake!" Serika aimed her rifle at Kayoko's back, her finger resting on the trigger, just itching to pull it and unleash a hail of bullets upon the dirty gehenna student who dared to take advantage of her generosity.

Not moving a muscle, Kayoko quickly weighed her options, but that's when an idea occurred to her as she discreetly reached into her pocket before putting her hands up seemingly surrendering much to Serika's satisfaction.

But as Kayoko's hands raised into the air, Serika suddenly became aware of something that wasn't right, specifically the small metal pin that was looped around one of the gehenna student's fingers.

Serika's eyes suddenly widened in realisation and horror when she identified exactly what that little pin was, and abruptly looking down at her feet, she saw exactly what that little pin went to.

A grenade... a live and very active grenade.

KABOOM!

"Serika!" Hoshino and Shiroko both turned to the source of the explosion, palpable concern evident on their faces as the smoke began to clear.

"I'm F-fine, don't worry about me!" Serika managed to say between coughing as she picked herself up off the floor, while her uniform was now in tatters much to her embarrassment and now had a few cuts and bruises.

Overall, she was fine enough to quickly find cover behind a broken down wall, which also happened to be the same piece of cover that Ayane was using.

"Serika!" Ayane exclaimed when she saw the condition of her friend, immediately putting her pistol and tablet down on the floor as she began to look over her friend's injuries. However, before she could get far doing that, Serika abruptly pushed her away.

"I'm fine Ayane! Keep your eyes on the battlefield!" Serika accompanied her hasty words by quickly jumping out from behind the piece of cover, and shooting at 2 delinquents that were currently repositioning, and took them out with precise headshots.

Despite being concerned for her friend, Ayane quickly picked up her pistol and tablet, keeping the precious device close at hand as she abruptly took a pot shot at a delinquent who happened to have their head above the piece of cover they were using.

And even though she would not consider herself to be a marksman of any kind, especially when compared to some of her friends.

Ayane took an immense amount of satisfaction when she saw the delinquent's white builder type helmet, explode into a shower of white plastic fragments as they went down from the bullet, impacting them square on the forehead.

"Good shot Ayane!" Nonomi exclaimed loudly from her position as she quickly began to lay down another stream of automatic gunfire. Mostly in an attempt to force the delinquents in the cover and allow her friends to reposition freely without needing to worry about getting shot as they were doing so.

Hoshino and Shiroko took advantage of this opportunity as they both look at each other, and then nodded, before jumping out from behind the piece of rubble they had been using as cover and running towards the rest of their friends. All the while shooting any delinquents they could see, that have not been fortunate to take cover in time.

Both Hoshino and Shiroko quickly made it to the broken down wall that Ayane and the somewhat injured Serika had been using as cover, both of them quickly ducking behind it and reuniting with their friends,

And after a moment they were quickly joined by the last of their group, Nonomi, who despite looking a little bit worse for wear with her uniform being noticeably tattered and torn was still definitely in fighting condition.

Hoshino quickly put down the ballistic Shield and her shotgun, and began to check over Nonomi, making sure that none of her injuries were severe, which thankfully they weren't.

Before she turned her attention to the much worse looking Serika, who despite her protest about being fine, was definitely more injured than she was willing to admit.

"Hoshino... I think we need to retreat" Ayane suddenly said out of the blue, her words despite being drowned out by gunfire causing everyone to look at her as if she had just grown a second head.

However before Hoshino could respond, Shiroko quickly beat her to it, a slightly angered look on her face as she addressed exactly what Ayane had to just said.

"We can't just give up like that, Ayane!" Shiroko didn't raise her voice, but the words she said showed that she wasn't happy with the idea of retreating.

"No Shiroko. Ayane is right, we're too exposed here, and we didn't bring enough ammo for this kind of fight" Hoshino accompanied her words by looking around at all of her friends, she could tell that they clearly wanted to keep fighting.

But it was now clear that they were in over the heads with this fight, especially considering that they were running low on ammo and one of their group was already injured, despite the battle only having just started.

As such, after a moment of all the abydos students looking at each other, they all nodded in agreement. They were going to withdraw, but before they could do that they needed some kind of distraction, so that they wouldn't come under continuous fire while retreating.

After each of them had a moment to consider a possible solution, Hoshino spoke first, an idea coming to her mind as she quickly glanced at Ayane.

"Ayane, do you have any combat drones nearby?" Hoshino asked with an expecting look in her eyes.

Ayane for her part was caught off guard by the question, not quite grasping exactly why one of her relatively fragile combat drones would be necessary in a situation like this.

But after a moment the glasses wearing elf girl, quickly picked up her tablet and began to type away at it, checking to see if any of her drones when nearby like Hoshino asked.

"There's one drone nearby, about 500 m south of here... But what exactly are we going to need it for Hoshino, one combat drone isn't going to last very long against all of those delinquents" Ayane turn her eyes to Hoshino, her gaze full of nervousness and confusion that exactly what Hoshino was planning on doing.

However, Hoshino didn't immediately reply, a thoughtful look crossing her face as she adopted a thinking pose with her hand on her chin. Yet this did not last long as she quickly turned her eyes upwards, and clapped her hands together, making everyone turn to look at her.

"All right, here's what we're going to do. We are going to use Ayane's drone as a distraction so we can get out of here" Hoshino said in a matter of fact and straightforward manner, making it very obvious on what she was planning.

Shiroko, Serika and Nonomi all nodded in agreement with Hoshino's idea, realizing that it was their only real way of getting out of the situation.

Meanwhile, Ayane didn't reciprocate the same willingness to go along with the plan, a concerned and panic look on her face when she realized that Hoshino wanted her to sacrifice one of her handmade drones just so they can get out of here.

But before Ayane could verbally proclaim her desire to not lose one of her precious drones, Hoshino held up her hand, stopping the glasses wearing girl from speaking as she spoke instead.

"Ayane I know what you're going to say, but it's the only option we have. If we try to retreat without some kind of distraction they'll pick us off one by one" Hoshino paused for a moment, seeing the look in Ayane's that told that she was arguing with herself.

Because while Ayane clearly didn't want to lose one of her drones, she also understood that Hoshino was right, if they try to retreat now without some kind of distraction to take the delinquent's attention off them, then they would be sitting ducks and guaranteed to be picked off.

As such, after a moment of Ayane battling with herself, she eventually let out a dejected sigh. Even though she didn't like it, at the end of the day her friend's health, safety and their continued battle for the school was more important than some piece of technology that could be replaced.

"All right... I'll redirect the Drone to our position and set it into Attack Mode" Ayane accompanied her words by quickly typing away at her tablet although, her fingers did hesitate for just a single second before she clicked the final button. Putting the drone into attack mode and causing it to begin to race towards their position.

Hoshino smiled at this, putting a hand on her friend shoulder to reassure her that it would be alright.

"It's all right Ayane, I'll help you replace it later" Hoshino and Ayane locked eyes for just a moment, before the elf girl let out another sigh.

"I'm going to hold you to that, you know" Ayane set with a blunt tone which only made Hoshino laugh, however, as bullets continue to impact and ricochet off the wall they were using as cover.

All five abydos students and the delinquents that were shooting at them, suddenly became aware of a new sound filled the air, that being the repetitive wiring of drone rotor blades.

"Alright, wait for my signal" Hoshino abruptly said, her body tensing up as she took her hand off her friend shoulder and quickly picked up both the Iron Horus and her shotgun.

All of her friends repeated this action, readying themselves and their weapons to make a break for it.

The delinquents on the other hand stopped firing and they slow advance towards the bunkered down abydos students, instead choosing to look up into the sky at the small object that was making the wiring noise and was racing towards them at high speed.

Aru after being a bit puzzled at why everyone had stopped firing looked up into the sky as well, a confused and dumbfounded look appearing on her face as she tilted her head to the side, not quite understanding what the rapidly approaching object was.

"What is that?" Aru asked curiously, watching as the small objects began to grow larger and larger and the noise that accompanied continued to grow louder.

"I don't know, it kind of looks like a..." Kayoko paused her words, squinting her eyes so she could try and identify exactly what the object was that was approaching them.

But it was only then that her eyes widened in shock, when she realised exactly what do the rapidly approaching object actually was. Even so, she wasn't the one to say out loud what it was.

"It's a drone!?" Haruka said with surprise and concern as the drone continue to race closer towards them, it's weapons which were mounted on either side of the small flying device now easily visible to everyone as they realised exactly what was about to happen.

"Huh?" Aru quickly looked between Haruka and the flying drone, a completely baffled and franticlook replacing her confidence expression as she absorb the information, only realising too late on what exactly was about to happen.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Aru, Kayoko, Mutsuki and Haruka, as well as the delinquents they had hired for this operation all suddenly came under attack from the drone, which opened up with its automatic machine guns making everyone quickly scatter in surprise and shock.

However, this wasn't the only thing that happened as at the same time that the drone opened up with its machine guns, something else unexpected happened. That being a voice that rang out across the battlefield, which was accompanied by footsteps and more automatic fire.

"Everyone! Make a break for it!"

Aru from her position which was a piece of rubble she was using as cover, watched as the abydos students quickly sprinted from behind the piece of cover they had been using. All of them running as a group and firing together as they began to retreat into the distance.

And it was only now that Aru realise exactly what they have been planning, which made her curse under her breath, as the drone which was high in the sky continued to lay down suppressing fire while the abydos students retreated into the distance.

"Dammit, just when it looked like this job is going to be easy!" Aru said with a frustrated tone and her voice as more bullets impacted against the piece of rubble she was using as cover.

"Alright! Enough of this!" Aru quickly jumped out from behind cover and without even properly aiming her sniper rifle and only using one hand, shot at the drone. Her bullets finding their target without much issue, and causing the drone to explode into a shower of electrical scrap and sparks.

With the Threat of the drone now taken care of, the remaining delinquents and the rest of problem solver 68 came out from their hiding places, looking at the pieces of the destroyed drone that scattered the desert Sands.

Kayoko came up alongside Aru, noticing the clearly aggravated expression on the usually happy and go lucky girl's face. And it was now that Kayoko was reminded, that despite Aru's goofy and somewhat childish nature, she could be a force to be reckoned with when she put her mind to it.

"T-That was amazing, Aru!" Haruka said with awe and astonishment in her voice, clutching her shotgun close to her chest, as she came to stand next to Aru, who to her looked absolutely amazing and heroic to Haruka.

Aru turned her attention to her sycophantic friend, the angry expression on her face quickly melting away, and was replaced with her somewhat goofy false calm and suave look.

"I suppose this job won't be as easy as I thought... But no matter, we have them on the run now and there's only one place they'll go" Aru puffed out her chest as she spoke, trying to make herself look as calm collected and boss like as possible.

Which surprisingly worked, as the leader of the delinquent came up to her with an expression of concern and frustration on her face.

"What is it?" Aru asked, not even bothering to turn her gaze to look at the delinquent leader as she continued to look in the direction that the Abydos students had run off in.

"Five of my girls are out cold and another two are injured... You said this would be an easy job!" The delinquent leader answered with clear frustration in her voice.

Aru didn't respond to it, simply continuing to look in the same direction before she eventually let out a groan and finally turned to look at the delinquent leader.

"Indeed, I did underestimate those brats... But it should be of no concern now, they are injured and on the run, so they'll be easy pickings" Aru finished her words by motioning for her fellow problem solver 68 members to follow her, which after a moment of indecision they all started doing, yet before she got far she quickly stopped and turned on the spot.

"Leave some of your girls to take care of the injured and bring the rest of them with us" Aru said with a confident tone as she motioned for the delinquent leader and the rest of the gathered delinquents to follow her.

The delinquent leader look like she wanted to argue, but she stopped herself as she let out a frustrated sounding sigh, as she motioned for some of her fellow delinquents to follow her while the rest of them stayed to take care of their injured and incapacitated comrades.

"If you hadn't paid so well, I would have told you to get screwed" the delinquent leader didn't even try to hide the frustration in her voice as she and her fellow delinquents picked up their weapons and began to follow.

Despite feeling somewhat offended, Aru didn't let it show as she quickly turned on the spot and began to walk forward, weapon in hand, as everyone followed behind her.

"The thrill of the hunt is not about the kill, but it's about the challenge and the reward at the end." Aru said as a mischievous and somewhat wicked smile on her face, to her ears she sounded just like a true movie villain. But to Mutsuki and Kayoko she sounded more like a nerd pretending to be a cool and stylish villain.

"She really quoted the movie we watched last night... And got it wrong?" Kayoko followed her words by letting out an embarrassed sounding groan, bringing a hand up to her head as she couldn't help but feel second-hand embarrassment for Aru.

Mutsuki simply laughed as she walked alongside everyone, a noticeable and somewhat playful bounce in her step as she talked.

"Kufufu~ that's Aru girl for you!" Mutsuki's giggling words were quickly silenced by none other than Aru, who was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed at her friends gossiping about her like this.

"C-Cut the chatter, all of you! I told you that when we're on the job, we need to stay professional!" Aru didn't even try to hide the frustration and embarrassment in her voice, as everyone continue to walk through the desert sand, their target being none other than the abydos students and their precious school.

 

[mgman]

"Luna, do you believe that my appearance is unsightly and hideous"

Luna quickly looked up from her duties, her face remaining neutral and calm, much like it always did. Yet the look in her eyes conveyed confusion and concern at the question, as she quickly put aside the broomstick that she had been using, and made her way over to the individual who asked the question.

Coming up and standing behind her companion and friend, Luna could now see that he was standing in front of the mirror that was kept within the main study, although due to his much larger and inhuman stature he dwarfed both her and the mirror.

Nevertheless, where most people would be intimidated or even outright terrified of his inhuman nature and appearance, Luna had no such feelings of fear when she stood in his presence.

After all, even though his appearance had changed, he was still the good Hunter, somebody who she cherish with all of her non-existent heart.

"Your appearance is not unsightly good Hunter, and even if it was, your appearance is not what defines you" Luna paused for a moment as the towering inhuman figure turned to her.

Craning her head upwards, Lunar looked to wear his face would be, and even though there were no humanoid facial features of any kind to be seen, she could feel the expression he gave her, which was one of mild sadness and almost longing.

Bringing up her arm, Luna quickly put her hand against the cheek of the towering unnatural figure, even though most would be repulsed by the wetness and coldness of his flesh, Luna did not care in the slightest.

Because, despite the fact that she lived, she was also cold to the touch like a porcelain doll.

"My good Hunter, what matters is not how you look... But it's about how you act, you are a kind and tender soul, one who was able to break the endless cycle of torture for all Hunters and give them the rest they deserved" Luna paused her words, her gaze along with the towering figure's in front of her turning to a small cabinet that resided in the corner of the study.

The cabinet's contents were seemingly random and assorted, but to The Hunter they held a deeper meaning than anyone could have ever imagined.

Some of the most poignant items were a tattered and worn hat that had once adorned the head of the first Hunter, who had also served as the good Hunter's mentor.

Another item was a small ornamental dagger that had once resided in the hilt of the rakuyo, a weapon wielded by Maria, the apprentice of Gehrman the first Hunter, somebody who had tried up until her very last breath to bury the deepest, darkest sin that the hunters had ever committed.

Another object with a much more personal history for the good Hunter, was a cracked and broken plague doctor like mask, its beak was broken with remnants of what had once been dried blood clinging to its ivory surface.

And finally, an item at the centre of the Menagerie was one that was incredibly unassuming, to the point where it looks completely out of place compared to all the other items that it was surrounded by.

Yet this item despite its seemingly insignificant appearance and ordinary nature held a meaning for the hunter that transcended its ordinary nature.

It was a small light red bow, it's a fabric forever stained a rusty red bown by the lifeblood of its owner who had lost her Innocent Life, because of the hunter's own blunder.

Luna could feel his gaze lingering on the bow, as she turned her eyes to look back at him, even despite his transformation to something beyond human.

He's loving and caring nature had remained intact, which was the reason why he still even to this day blame himself for the death of that young girl who nobody else remembered but him.

"Ohhh my good Hunter, you may have made mistakes in the past, but you should not let them define you" Luna accompanied her words by quickly bringing up her other hand and clasping it around the non-existent face of the good Hunter.

Redirecting his inhuman gaze to look directly at her as she put herself on her tippy toes so she could bring her face closer to his.

"I believe... no, I know that you are a kind soul and gentle sort. Your appearance and nature may have changed, but your soul has remained the same and that is what makes you who you are" Luna finished her words by quickly bringing her forehead to rest it against the Hunters, the feel of his cold and slightly wet skin making her skin tingle for a moment before the sensation vanished.

"Now then my good Hunter, I believe it is time for you to depart on your next journey" Luna quickly broke the physical contact between her and the Hunter, and even though he had no face to convey his emotions, she could feel from his gaze that he felt much better and appreciated her efforts.

"I see... Thank you, Luna, I can always count on you to be by my side" The hunter accompanied his words by quickly turning away from her, as he began to prepare for his next journey into the new waking world that waited for him.

However, as he did so he heard Luna say one last thing to him, that would have made him smile if his true physical form have the ability to do so.

"There is no need to thank me good Hunter... after all, I am a doll, here in the dream to look after you and embolden your sickly spirit"

…...​

"̶W̷e̶l̸c̵o̸m̵e̸ ̴A̵r̸o̸n̷a̸.̶ ̷W̶e̸l̵c̴o̶m̶e̸ ̶t̸o̷ ̷m̸y̴ ̶H̸u̸n̶t̷e̵r̷'̴s̵ ̶d̶r̴e̵a̴m̵"̶ ̴ ̷

Arona felt the hunter's words roll over her, as she got to her feet, yet as she did so, she couldn't stop herself from wobbling slightly, her centre of balance having been off for some inexplicable reason.

And before she could ultimately catch herself, Arona found her sense of balance failing her as she began to fall, much to her shock and surprise.

Yet, before she could impact the flower adorned field beneath her, she felt a set of strong arms quickly capture and stop her fall.

"You should be more careful Arona, this is the first time you've ever stood on physical legs so it will take a moment for you to adjust" Arona looked up at the hunter in amazement, finding his gentle smiling face looking right back at her.

However, as she thankfully smiled back at him, the hunter suddenly took her into his arms, completely picking her up effortlessly and making her squeal in surprise as she found herself lifted off the ground.

"We should head to the workshop, I don't want you to catch a cold staying out here" The hunter said in an almost humorous manner, as he began to walk through the field of beautiful white flowers, all the while holding Arona bridal style in his arms.

And despite the embarrassment on her face, Arona couldn't help but feel grateful that the hunter was so concerned for her to the point where he would actually carry her like a child.

However, as the hunter and her quickly made their way through a wrought iron gate that seemed like it had seen better days. Arona abruptly found her attention taken up by the alien and bizarre yet incredibly beautiful view that was off to the side of the cobblestone path that the hunter was currently walking down.

"Sensei... where are we?" Arona asked with awe and confusion in her voice as the Hunter looked down at her with surprised as he came to a stop.

But, after a short period of looking at his small female companion, the hunter turned his face outwards, looking into the endless white expanse that surrounded the little island that was his domain.

He honestly wasn't sure exactly what to tell his companion, because even though he had transcended his own humanity and become something that existed beyond the physical plane, even he to this very day still wasn't entirely sure exactly what the area outside the hunter's dream actually was.

Yet despite his lack of knowledge, the hunter knew that it would be unwise to answer Arona's curiosity with a statement of him not knowing, as such after a few moments of silence the hunter finally offered his response.

"This is the hunter's dream Arona… it's a place that exists beyond the physical world, a place that I have complete control over and can mould to my wish" The hunter paused his words for a few seconds, watching as Arona turned her face up to look at him confusion, but also amazement in her big child like eyes.

"And out there beyond my realm that we stand up on now... Is the wild unkempt world of the dreams, a place that even I with all of my power cannot truly master" The hunter couldn't help but grin when he saw the absolutely amazed expression on Arona's, which also made him chuckle slightly as he resumed their journey.

While his words were exaggerated to a degree, what he had told Arona about what lay beyond the Hunter's dream wasn't entirely a lie, considering that it was his current best guess as to what truly lay beyond his domain.

However, as the hunter continue to walk, the familiar site of the hunter's workshop finally coming into view, yet as the Hunter continued to walk in silence, the only sound being that of his shoes against the cobblestone path below. Arona suddenly spoke up, asking a question that had been on her mind.

"Sensei when you say the Dream World... what do you mean by that exactly" Arona looked up at the hunter who, despite not stopping his forward advanced, did look back down at her for a moment before he eventually replied.

"It may be hard for you to understand at first, Arona, but the dream world, as I call it, is exactly what it sounds like. It is a world that exists beyond the mortal realm, one that is made from the collective subconscious of all living creatures, and is where things beyond humanity's comprehension... like myself truly reside" The hunter despite keeping his eyes forward, as he began to make his way up the curling staircase, that led to the main entrance of the hunter's workshop.

He could feel Arona staring at him with confusion, particularly at the last part of his sentence.

After all, despite him already telling her that he possessed abilities that will be on any human beings' imagination, he had still not told her the full truth about him being an entity that existed beyond the Mortal realm.

Because, while he could have easily shown her back his true form back in the waking world, it simply wouldn't have felt right to him, and he wasn't entirely sure if revealing his true form would have unforeseen consequences.

As such, he decided that bringing her to the hunter's dream and revealing it to her here was the best option. Because after all, here was his safe space, a place that he had complete and total control over and was his own domain.

Finally reaching the top of the curling staircase, the hunter paused for a moment in front of the large double doors, the familiar upside down dangling rune of the hunter's carved into it.

And even though he wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed in the dream, compared to the waking world, to him, it felt like a lifetime since he had last been here, to the point where the sense of nostalgia was almost overpowering to him.

"Arona, do you think you can stand?" The hunter asked cautiously as he glared down at his small companion.

He wasn't sure why, exactly, but seeing her here in the dream with him compared to her digital domain, made him realise just how small and fragile his new companion truly was.

Arona gazed up at the hunter before quickly nodded her head, which caused the hunter to smile slightly as he gently put her down, making sure to hold on to her as her feet came in contact with the cold cobblestone.

And after letting her regain her balance on her feet, the hunter finally released his hold on her shoulders, allowing Arona to stand next to him as she looked up at him with a grateful smile.

Satisfied that Arona could now stand on her own, the hunter lay his hands on the large wooden doors and after a moment, gently but forcefully push the doors open, revealing the comfortable interior of the hunters' workshop.

As well as a familiar face who paused her diligent cleaning duties to look at the hunter and Arona entering the abode.

"Ahhh welcome home good Hunter, I hope you found your worth in the waking world" The plain doll dressed in her usual gothic dress quickly bowed her head, pausing her cleaning as she welcomed back the entity that was her companion and her master.

However, lifting her head up, she noticed that the good Hunter was not alone as she made a surprise face while, putting down the elaborate feather duster she had been using moments ago.

"Oh, it looks like you've brought a guest to the hunter's dream" The doll followed up her words by quickly but elegantly making her way over to the hunter and Arona.

"Indeed Luna, she's my newest companion, and is from the waiting world" Hunter put his hand on Arona's shoulder, causing her to look up at him in utter surprise and joy when he referred to her as his companion.

Yet as the doll finally came to stand in front of her and the Hunter, Arona couldn't help but feel surprised and blown away when she saw just how tall Luna actually was. In fact, she made the hunter, who was already a very tall individual, look incredibly short by comparison.

Luna took her eyes off the Hunter, instead focusing her gaze onto Arona who couldn't help but feel slightly creeped out, gazing into the much larger woman's eyes.

Arona couldn't quite place exactly what it was but to her, something about Lunar felt... unnatural, especially her eyes which despite holding and life somehow felt incredibly uncanny, to the point where it was almost like staring Into the dead soulless eyes of a porcelain doll.

However, after a moment of staring into each other's eyes, Luna slowly bent down, bringing herself down to Arona's level. Yet nevertheless the height difference between the two was still almost comical as Luna finally spoke, her voice calm and elegant yet holding an unnatural and uncanny quality to it, that made an ice-cold shiver rundown Arona's spine.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Arona, I am a doll that exists in this dream to look after the good Hunter. And it is most excellent that somebody exists in the waking world to fulfil my place, as I cannot leave the hunter's dream" Luna accompanied her words by quickly bowing her head.

Appreciating the fact that this newcomer was somebody who could care for the hunter in her stead because she could not leave the hunter's dream herself.

Despite feeling somewhat off put by Luna and her overall appearance, Arona tried to push those thoughts aside as she bowed her head and responded.

"It's no worry at all really, after all, I exist only to look after sensei and help him achieve his goals" Arona followed up her words by putting on a bright smile and extending a hand out to Luna, who after looking somewhat surprised by the gesture smiled kindly and reciprocated taking the smaller girls hand to her much larger one and gently shaking.

However, as she did this something suddenly occurred to Luna, that made her stop her handshake with her Arona and look at the hunter in a confused state, her head tilting to the side slightly as she spoke.

"Good Hunter... what does Arona mean by... sensei?"

The hunter was initially taken aback by the question, his mouth opening and closing several times trying to think of a response. Finally, he let out a quiet chuckle and found his words.

"My dear Luna, sensei is what I am called in the waking world, it is a title, very much like that of the good Hunter" The hunter paused for a moment watching as realisation crossed Luna's face and as Arona also looked at him.

"In the oriental tongue it means teacher, because I am now a teacher in the waking world" The hunter said with a small amount of pride, which didn't go unnoticed by Arona who giggled at him expressing himself like this and Luna who after a moment smiled, closing her eyes as she let out a quiet and delicate laugh off her own.

"I am happy for you good Hunter, now if you will excuse me I will prepare some refreshments for our dear little Arona" Luna finished her words by giving Arona a gentle smile before rising back up to her full height and turning away, heading to some other parts of the hunter's workshop that was out of sight from both the hunter and Arona.

Watching her depart, the hunter turned his gaze down to Arona who was now looking around at the Hunter's workshop with both fascination and concern, which the hunter wasn't surprised about too much.

Considering that, hanging from a ceiling in one corner of the workshop, were various large and wicked blades, many of which had spilt the blood of vicious beasts in the past.

"Arona, I want you to follow me" The hunter spoke quietly as he began to walk, motioning to Arona to follow him, which she eventually did after a small amount of hesitation.

Content that his companion was following him, the hunter lead Arona through the hunter's workshop, although as he did, he couldn't help but notice Arona looking around in more surprised and what looked to be a small amount of awe.

Which he suspected must because of the architecture, which to her looked completely alien and old-fashioned yet to him was incredibly familiar and homely.

However, eventually the hunter and Arona reach their destination, which was none other than a small altar at the very back of the workshop, with a statue of a woman standing behind the large stone table that had old rags stained red scattered across it.

Coming to a stop in front of the altar, the hunter gently ran his hand along the stone that made up its surface, a smile appearing on his face for just a moment as he remembered the almost nostalgic feeling of when he first engraved a Hunter's rune into his mind.

But quickly the smile disappeared as he turned to Arona, because he wasn't here to reminisce about those times. He was here instead to finally show Arona the truth and reveal his true Nature.

Yet as Arona looked up at him with confusion, the hunter couldn't help but feel slightly nervous and perhaps even slightly hesitant. Because, after all, his true nature was so incomprehensible that many would be driven mad simply by looking upon him.

And even though he didn't think Arona could fall victim to this because of her consciousness being originally a digital construct, that still didn't change the fact that he was worried that his full appearance would scare her or possibly even make her afraid of him.

"Arona..."

The hunter calling her name, made Arona look up at him, a strange sensation washing over her as his voice had an almost unnatural and otherworldly quality to it, despite the fact that it sounded the exact same as it always did.

"I have something I want to show you... something that... I fear… may change are you see me going forward" The hunter expressed with a noticeable amount of hesitation in his voice which was very much unlike him.

Arona for her part simply looked at the hunter with confusion, not quite understanding how, exactly, him showing her anything would change how she saw him. In fact, it didn't really make any sense to her because after all, sensei was sensei, somebody who she would always trust no matter what.

However before she could voice what she wanted to say, the hunter suddenly spoke again, his words followed by a deep breath as he seemingly soothed his shaky nerves.

"Arona, could you please close your eyes for a moment?" the hunter asked.

Arona was completely caught off guard by this, her eyes filling with confusion, but ultimately she complied with his order, hesitantly closing her eyes as she shook her head in confirmation that she acknowledged his request.

With her entire world now surrounded in pitch black darkness, Arona couldn't stop herself from shaking slightly and yet before her slightly fearful shaking could get any worse. She felt a reassuring hand suddenly be placed on her shoulder, instantly making her feel better, as the hunter spoke to her, his voice somehow sounding even more alien and strange yet paradoxically the same.

"There is nothing to fear, Arona... No matter what happens you do not need to be fearful of me, for I would never dream of laying a hand on my faithful companion" Despite his voice sounding incredibly uncanny, Arona couldn't help but feel relieved by his words, her fear quickly being purged from existence as she let out a calming breath.

"Now Arona please keep your eyes closed for just a moment, while I... change" The hunter spoke to her, his voice sounding calm and even yet maintaining its otherworldly quality.

Yet as she continued to stand there in darkness, Arona couldn't help but blushed furiously, mistaking his words to mean that he was changing his clothes right in front of her.

However, that notion and her embarrassment were quickly banished, when she suddenly felt an almost oppressive feeling overcome her, the likes of which she couldn't even begin to imagine.

Yet that was not all that happened as the strange oppressive feeling, was quickly accompanied by a sound that was both eerie but also somehow beautiful. In fact, as the oppressing feeling and the sound continued to wash over, Arona couldn't help but compare the sound to that of small glittering bells.

Nonetheless, the sound and the feeling did not last very long, as quickly as it came it vanished, leaving her again in complete darkness and silence.

And just when she found her nervousness beginning to creep in once again, Arona heard the hunter speak one more time, his voice now sounding completely... different yet somehow the same.

"Arona... open your eyes and gaze upon me"

Arona did as she was asked, hesitantly opening her eyes only to close them quickly as the light assaulted them, yet after blinking a few times and rubbing the corners of her eyes, eventually her sight adjusted.

However, the thought of how much her eyes hurt after having them closed for so long was completely forgotten when she finally laid her eyes upon... him.

By pure visceral Instinct Arona took a step back, her eyes widening in shock and confusion as the figure before her was completely and utterly incomprehensible, yet despite that she somehow knew in her heart that this figure this... Otherworldly entity that towered over her was none other than her very own sensei.

Nevertheless, before Arona could say anything, sensei suddenly turned his head away from her, and even though she could no longer see a face of any kind for him to express emotions, she could feel in the very air itself that he felt disappointed and even fearful.

"I apologise, Arona... I suppose my true appearance is too unsightly..." The hunter's words were filled with sadness and perhaps fear.

And even though he no longer had a mouth to speak with, Arona couldn't help but shiver slightly, as the words washed over her both because of the eeriness of his voice and because the words struck a chord with her.

"S-sensei no! You don't look strange or disgusting, it's just that I'm a bit surprised by it" Arona followed up her words, by quickly closing the gap between her and sensei, and tilting her head backwards as far as it would go, so she could try and look up to where his face would have been.

She also accompanied these Words by quickly reaching out and grabbing a hold of his much larger and now unnatural hand. The coldness and slight wetness of his skin making her shiver slightly before she pushed the sensation away.

The Hunter being somewhat stunned by her words and actions looked down at his little companion, if he could, he would have smiled at her, and even though she could not see any facial features to tell his emotions, Arona still smiled back at him somehow feeling his emotions in the very air itself.

Quickly getting down on one knee, to try and bring himself closer to Arona's height but still dwarfing her in stature, the hunter hesitantly opened his arms gently attempting to wrap the small girl in an embrace.

Yet before he could do so, Arona quickly realised that he was doing and instead quickly wrapped her arms around his torso.

The wetness and coldness of his skin making her giggle, as the hunter eventually, after a few seconds of hesitation, wrapped his massive and inhumanly long arms around his companion.

Hugging her tightly and feeling a genuine sense of humanity and happiness, at the fact that she had welcomed him in his true form instead of shunning him like he had suspected.

As the two continued to embrace each other, Arona eventually chose that moment to speak, not separating from the embrace but lifting her head up so she could look at where the hunter's face would have been if he was human.

"It doesn't matter how you look to me sensei, after all it's not what's on the outside that matters, but who you are deep down inside" Arona finished her words by giving the hunter a broad and cheeky smile, the likes of which filled his inhuman and cosmic heart with absolute joy of which he had not felt for some time.

Having somebody else other than Luna that accepted him fully and did not judge him for his quite frankly cosmic and inhuman appearance was refreshing.

And as The Hunter continued to hug his smaller companion, he felt a strange sensation that he had not felt for a long time beginning to well up inside him.

Hope

Hope that maybe... just maybe he could make a home for himself in the waking world.

However, that's when the hunter realized that, even though he had been quite hesitant to fully commit to staying in the waking world, he had already made a home for himself there and had made bonds.

His mind filling with images of the abydos students, their smiling and young faces triggering a deep-rooted maternal Instinct inside him, to protect them and their happiness no matter the costs.

After all, a great one always loses its child and forever yearns for a surrogate, and it would seem that he was no different, even if he had not lost a child of his own.

No…

The hunter mentally kicked himself, as he unconsciously tightened his grip around Arona, making her squirm because of how uncomfortable the pressure was becoming.

Both Gascoigne's daughter and Tomo, may have not been his children in the traditional sense, but they were still children that he threw his own actions had failed to protect and ultimately lost.

And even though the pain from both of those incidents would forever remain within him, it could also serve as the driving force to do better and protect those who he considered his children.

"S-Sensei. Y-You're squeezing me too T-tight!"

The hunter was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as he abruptly looked down, only just now realising that he was squeezing Arona so tight that she looked like she was about to pop.

Quickly releasing her from his grasp, the hunter watched with concern and fear as Arona began to cough and splatter, clearly trying to get some air into her oxygen deprived lungs.

"I'm sorry Arona I didn't realise-"

The hunter began to speak, but quickly found himself silenced by Arona holding up a hand as she continued to splatter for a moment before finding her voice yet again.

"I'm fine honestly sensei, you don't need to apologise… You just need to be a bit careful with how strong you are" Arona managed to say between a few more coughs.

She wasn't mad or scared of sensei in the slightest because of what just happened, after all, he had apparently been so deep in thought, that he didn't realise he was holding her a bit too tight.

"I see… still I apologise, I have been in my human form for so long, that I forgot how strong my true form could be" The hunter brought his hand up to his non-existent face. Staring intently at his inhumanly large and beastly hand, opening and closing his finger several times as he recalled just how strong he could truly be in this form.

In fact, remembering back to when he had first regained his consciousness after transcending, the hunter could distinctly recall Lunar teaching him about his strength and how to control himself.

He couldn't help but chuckle when he remembered one particular memory, where he had accidentally destroyed the messenger fountain, with one of his large inhuman appendages that sprouted for from the back of his head.

The messengers were not pleased that day, and neither was Luna, despite his profuse apologies.

"Good Hunter, I have prepared refreshments, would you prefer to have them here or in the garden?"

Both Arona and the hunter turned to the source of the voice, seeing none other than Luna walking up to them with a tray of delicious looking confectionaries that made Arona's mouth water at the sheer sight of them, and was complete with two cups of tea.

The hunter thought for a moment, bringing his large hand up to his chin and stroking it deep thought, yet before he could answer he noticed Arona and Luna looking at him. Both of them smiling and eventually chuckling when they noticed his posture and position.

After all, despite him now being inhuman in appearance, something's about the good old Hunter never changed, particularly his mannerisms.

However, pushing aside their laughter at his expense, the hunter finally found his voice.

"Could you take them to the garden Luna, I wish to be outside for the moment" Luna responded to the hunter's words by quickly bowing her head and ushering for Arona to follow her, who after a small amount of hesitation eventually did, both the living doll and digital AI given physical form quickly exiting the hunter's abode, through one of the many side exits.

The hunter after a moment wanted to follow them, but stopped for just the singular moment, his inhuman gaze turning up to look at one of the many windows that lined the roof of the hunter's workshop.

Streaming through this window was the pale and pristine Moonlight, and even though his body no longer needed nourishment of any kind. He would be lying if he said that he didn't miss the feel of the cold moonlight on his damp and cold skin.

However, the hunter quickly shook away the nostalgic feeling of the Moonlight washing over him. He could do plenty of that once he reunited with his companions, as he quickly put his arms behind his back and exited the Hunter's workshop, swiftly reuniting with both Arona and Luna.

Both of them standing calmly by one of the many headstones that littered the hunter's dream, and as he approached he heard Luna's voice, as she spoke quietly to her Arona, the tray of confectionaries and tea still in her hands as she looked down a particular headstone.

"Over time, countless hunters have visited this dream. These graves here stand in their memory... And even though the world has long since forgotten all of them, the hunter and I still tend to their final resting places, making sure that they are never truly forgotten" Luna spoke delicately, her voice barely above a whisper as Arona turned her gaze from the much larger woman to the grave they were currently standing in front of.

Its rough stone surface was weathered and cracked to the point where Arona could barely make out what was written on the front, however as she leaned in slightly not noticing the hunter approach from behind she could finally read a singular name.

'Eileen'

Feeling the harsh yet cold cobblestone path beneath Her as she got down onto her knees, Arona couldn't help but stare intently at the gravestone.

Even though she had never met the individual that this headstone was now standing in memorial, she couldn't help but feel sad for them, after all passing away with no one to remember their passing was a fate she wouldn't have wished on anyone.

She also couldn't help but find the idea that there were once more Hunters like sensei an interesting idea, yet before Arona could think of that any further, she suddenly heard a voice that made her jump like a surprised cat.

"Luna is most correct, Arona. These gravestones that surround us are the only remnants of the hunters that came before me... And even though I did not meet them personally, it is my duty as the caretaker of the dream to make sure that the few remnants of their memories are never forgotten" The hunter spoke with an almost fondness in his voice as he quickly grabbed Arona.

And, much to her surprise, lifted her effortlessly into his arms, his faceless head gazing at her with a look that she somehow understood as a happy and jovial one.

After recovering from her sudden shock and embarrassment Arona couldn't help but smile at sensei, she had to admit that despite being initially quite surprised by his true physical appearance, she was gradually getting used to it.

Although Arona had to silently admit to herself, but she would be lying if she didn't prefer how he looked in his human form, considering that well...

He was incredibly handsome.

Arona couldn't help but blushed furiously at that thought as it entered our mind, the hunter however didn't seem to notice her embarrassment as he turned his attention to Luna who was simply standing next to him and Arona, a blank and expressionless look on her face.

"Luna could you possibly join me and Arona, I will not be needing any refreshments myself, but I don't want Arona to eat all of it by herself or have it go to waste" The hunter asked with an expecting tone in his inhuman voice.

Luna, despite her face remaining unchanged, couldn't help but be surprised by the request, turning her lifeless and cold eyes up to the hunter before a small smile made its way onto her face.

"If that is what you wish could Hunter, then I will oblige your request" Luna tilted her head slightly, much to the annoyance of the hunter who couldn't help but find her continued use of the overly formal attitude as a bit unnecessary.

After all, during his time getting used to his new great one nature, he had instructed and told Lunar that she could speak more freely and didn't need to be formal around him.

However, as he let out the sound of a sigh from his non-existent mouth, he supposed that her acting overly formal even after all this time, wasn't entirely her fault.

Because she was, at the end of the day, a doll granted life through the very cosmic power that he now possessed, so her acting formal around what was essentially her creator was something that she felt deeply compelled to do.

"Well in that case why don't we head to the base of the Great Tree, I think it would be a perfect place for this impromptu picnic" The hunter began to walk, motioning for Lunar to follow him, which she did without a word.

The three of them quickly made their way through the garden of the hunter's dream and back through the wrought iron gate, that the hunter and Arona had entered through when they first awoke in the dream.

All the while the hunter continued to hold Arona close to him, much to the embarrassment and slight protest of the little AI, yet the hunter did not loosen his hold of her, continuing to keep her close as they finally arrive at their destination which was the base of the great tree.

Nonetheless, as the hunter finally put Arona down with her own two feet once again, she immediately noticed something that looked out of place compared to the flowers and gravestones that lifted the base of the tree.

"Sensei... what is that doing here" Arona spoke quietly as she pointed at the out-of-place object, drawing the attention of both Luna and the hunter, as they looked to where she was pointing, both of them make surprise expressions when they realised exactly what Arona was referring to.

The hunter didn't say a word as he quietly stared at the object with an almost fondness before quickly getting down to one knee, and wiping away some of the vines, revealing that it was none other than a very antique looking and rusty old wheelchair, most of its frame completely covered in vines and white flowers.

Arona looked at the hunter, somehow managing to sense of the fondness he held for the wheelchair. Which only served to confuse her, considering that the hunter never looked like he needed a wheelchair both in this form and his human form.

Nevertheless, after a moment of him gently wiping away some of the vines from the wheelchair with his inhumanly long fingers. The hunter finally responded, rising back up to his full height as his otherworldly voice washed over Arona.

"Arona, this old wheelchair is a reminder... in fact it would be more appropriate to say that it's a gravestone for somebody who was important to me" The hunter's words were soft and calm as he looked down at Arona.

Who, after a moment of looking at the wheelchair, looked back at him with confusion. And after staring into her eyes for a moment, the hunter continued speaking.

"This wheelchair belongs to Somebody by the name of Gehrman... He was a hunter, much like myself. But unlike me, he was the very first, somebody who is teachings and methods all hunters would descend from, including myself" The hunter turned his gaze back to the wheelchair.

Remembering when he first awoke in the hunter's dream. Alone, scared and Afraid, and how the seemingly kindly old man in the wheelchair had been there for him, and help him along his journey into becoming a true Hunter.

Nonetheless, as the thoughts of memories of Gehrman entered the hunter's mind. He couldn't help but feel somewhat dejected and slightly sad remembering how him and Gehrman eventually came to fight each other, in the very same place that this wheelchair now stood as a reminder.

They had both clashed with everything they had. The unmatched skill and power of the first Hunter vs the unholy cosmic power of a moon scented Hunter empowered with arcane and cosmic knowledge that was never meant to be wielded by human hands.

And yet, there was no malice in the fight, and even though their blows shook the very dream to it's core, that fight was not for the sake of killing. Nor it was it for the sake of bloodshed.

The fight between the moon scented Hunter and the first Hunter was one of Mercy.

Both of them trying to free each other from their ghastly fates. Yet despite the ferocity and the skill of Gehrman, the old tired Hunter was the one to finally be freed from his fate, allowing his tortured soul to finally rest in eternal peace.

"He was trying to save me, save me from a fate that was worse than death… But he also needed to be saved from his own fate, after all he was the one most deserving of rest" The hunter spoke softly as his words were followed by a slightly sad sounding sigh.

However, his words were just loud enough for Arona to hear as she suddenly looked up at the hunter, a confused expression on her face as she spoke.

"What do you mean by that sensei, what was he trying to save you from, and he needed to be saved from" Arona's caught the Hunter by surprise as he turned his focus away from the wheelchair and looked downwards at her.

Yet after looking at her for a moment with what she could assume was a confused expression on his featureless face, he finally responded.

"He was trying to save me from the very fate that I now occupy Arona, he was trying to save me from becoming the caretaker of the hunter's dream" As he spoke, the hunter turned his gaze upwards. Looking at the sprawling branches of the tree above him, and the bright full moon that was partially obscured behind them.

It was ironic in a way, Gehrman had fought so hard to save every Hunter who entered the dream from sharing his and the other old Hunters fate. Yet he had never expected somebody to show tender mercy on him, and save him from enduring his horrific fate as master of the hunter's dream.

"Wait sensei, if he was the caretaker of the Hunter's dream like you said... Does that mean he was just like you?" The hunter abruptly looked down at Arona, feeling incredibly puzzled by what she had just said.

However after a moment, the hunter began to chuckle much to the surprise of Arona and the continued passiveness of Luna who had simply watched the interaction quietly.

"No of course not Arona, he may have been the caretaker of the dream, but he was not like me... and I wasn't always like this either" The hunter gestured to himself with his inhumanly long arm.

Which made a surprise expression form on Arona's as she looked the hunter up and down for a moment before speaking.

"Wait! So you won't always like... this?" Arona emphasised her words by gesturing to the hunter's body, which made the hunter laugh quietly as he responded to her question.

"Indeed Arona, I was not always like this, in fact, a long time ago I was once an ordinary human" the hunter held an arm out in front of him, observing his clawed and inhuman hand for a moment before bringing it back down to his side.

"It seems so long ago now, but when I was a hunter. I was nothing more than an ordinary man, although I suspect that calling myself such wouldn't have been entirely correct" Arona continued to look at the hunter as he spoke, curiosity clearly visible in her eyes as after a moment of collecting his thoughts, the hunter continued expressing himself.

"Arona, I told you that I was a hunter and that was the truth, but I was not an ordinary Hunter like those who came before me, I was... different" The Hunter pause for a moment.

His gaze momentarily coming to rest on the full moon partially obscured by the tree canopy, yet before he could speak again, Arona chose that moment to speak instead.

"What you said before about the lamps, and that certain Hunters could use it differently from others..." Arona did not finish her words as the hunter turned his focus back to her, feeling surprised by her words, but ultimately chuckling quietly as he responded to her wordless question.

"You are correct Arona, I along with a very select few that came before me were the hunters that could utilise the lamps, but amongst all of them I was still different. For I was selected by something powerful than I could even imagine, becoming a Hunter unlike the rest... a moon scented Hunter" The Hunter fell silent as he once again looked up at the moon.

The coldness of its light washing over him and making him feel almost rejuvenated. While his days as the moon scented Hunter were long behind him, that did not change the fact that he was still connected to the moon, arguably even more so after he absorbed her power and became a full-fledged great one.

"Moon scented... Hunter? What does that mean exactly?" Arona asked with curiosity and confusion written across her face.

Yet instead of responding to her, the hunter simply kept his gaze on the moon, and after a moment of eerie silence.

Luna was the one that responded, making Arona jump slightly because she had quite frankly forgotten that the large woman was even there due to how quiet and still she had been this entire time.

"A moon scented Hunter, was a special kind of hunter chosen by Flora of the moon, the original creator of the Hunter's dream" Luna spoke with a quiet and reserved voice.

Arona managed to recover from her shock, turning her eyes to look up at the much larger woman, who continued speaking after the momentary pause.

"Hunters chosen by flora to inhabit this dream were more powerful than most Hunters, with abilities that could be considered supernatural... However, a moon scented Hunter, was a hunter that was chosen to be something more than just a powerful Hunter. They were made into instruments of change that could affect the waking world in its entirety" Luna finished her words by turning her dead cold gaze to the hunter, who was still continuing to stare up at the moon, his arms behind his back.

Arona from her position beside the hunter turn her eyes upwards to look up at his large and inhuman form.

And continuing to look at him, Arona couldn't help but feel amazed by what she had just learnt, when she had initially been told by the hunter that he possessed abilities that most people didn't, in other words he had superpowers. She was genuinely flawed and amazed.

But now, learning that he was something beyond human, with power that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. And before that, he was a powerful hunter the likes of which had never been seen before, was almost too much for her little mind to comprehend.

After all, what was the likelihood that the sensei she waited for all this time would be someone like this, somebody so... incomprehensible and with power that was most likely terrifying, but was also so loving and caring.

However, as Arona looked up at the hunter with awe, a thought suddenly occurred to her. One that made her do a mental double take as she quickly asked a question that caught both Luna and the hunter off guard, making both of them look at her in surprise.

"Wait a minute, who exactly is flora" Arona said loudly casting her eyes up to the hunter who had turned his featureless face to look at her, the surprise clearly evident even though he had no face to express with.

Yet eventually, after several moments of awkward silence, the hunter finally answered his companion's question, letting out the sound of a sigh as he did so.

"Flora was the original creator of the dream Arona, she was the one responsible for creating this place alongside Garnham... She was also the one responsible for making me a moon scented Hunter" The hunter finished his words, watching as a look of realisation and understanding cross Arona's face.

Nevertheless, the confused expression returned as she asked another question, one that the hunter wasn't quite sure how to respond to it first.

"If she created the hunter dream, and gave you your power, then where is she now?" Arona asked innocently, intently curious about this flora and why she was seemingly no longer present, if she was the one who created this place along with bestowed the hunter his power.

The hunter didn't respond for a moment, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't find the right words to say. After all, how could he articulate exactly what happened to that night to Arona who possibly wouldn't even understand his reasoning for his actions.

Yet eventually the hunter let out a sigh, he decided to tell his companion the truth, after all it would only be right to tell her the full truth and not leave anything ambiguous any more.

"Flora is no longer with us, Arona, because... I killed her" the hunter said matter-of-factly, his words making Arona's face turn into one of pure horror and shock.

However before she could say anything, the hunter continued speaking, dredging up the memories of what happened that moonlight as he recounted them to his companion.

"It was the night of the hunt, I have been selected to be a moon scented Hunter, and at the very end of it all when my duty was complete, my mentor... The first Hunter became my final adversary" the hunter stopped for a moment.

Looking down at Arona to make sure she was following along, which thankfully she was, and despite the horrified expression on her face after what he had told her before, she couldn't help but be insanely curious as the Hunter continued.

"Garnham offered me an escape... He offered me a chance to forget this dream and leave it all behind and awake in the waking world... But I couldn't do that!" The hunter turned his gaze to the wheelchair that had started all of this, remembering when he had rejected Garnham's offer for release from the nightmare.

"During my short time as a hunter, I have come to learn just what exactly had become of the hunters, the sins they committed as well as the atrocities they endured... I also uncovered the mysteries of the waking world, revealing things and secrets that no mere mortal was ever meant to know" The hunter pause for a brief moment clenching his fists tight before continuing.

"When he offered me mercy… To forget all of this and awaken a new and leave him to suffer for all eternity in this nightmare... I couldn't accept it! He had long since served his punishment for the sins he and the old Hunters committed on that stormy night so long ago... And I was determined to free him from his continued imprisonment and finally let him rest like the rest of the Hunters" Arona looked up at the Hunter's featureless face with concern in her eyes.

However, she suddenly heard a dripping noise, causing her to look down at the Hunter's hands, only to have her eyes widen when she saw something that was concerning but also bizarre.

A strange viscous white fluid was shipping from between his clenched fingers, and despite it not looking like anything she was familiar with. Arona somehow instantly understood exactly what it was, when she remembered that the hunter's hands had long, sharp claws tipping his fingers.

Her sensei had been clenching his fists so hard that, that his nails had torn his damp and cold skin, causing him to...

Bleed.

"S-sensei!"

The hunter was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Arona's voice, making him turn his attention from the wheelchair and down to her. Yet as he did so, it was only then he noticed the slight pain in his palm, making him open his hand to reveal the white viscous fluid flowing from his new wounds.

"How careless of me" The hunter noted quietly as he observed the wound on his hand, watching as the viscous white fluid that was his lifeblood continued to flow from his wound.

Nonetheless, before he could focus on healing his wound, two small hands suddenly grabbed his much larger one, forcefully bringing it down to their owner's level as he turned his surprise gaze to see Arona. A deeply concerned look etched into her features as she began to look over his wounded hand.

"Sensei... you need to be more careful" Arona followed up her words by quickly doing something completely unexpected, which was removing the hairband from her head which resembled a set of bunny eyes.

And in one smooth and careful motion, wrapping it around his much larger hand, covering up his wound as well as stopping the minimum amount of bleeding.

The hunter's surprised expression quickly melted away into a grateful and pleasant one, as he watched Arona tighten the improvised bandage a bit more. Before finally releasing his hand from her grip, allowing him to bring it up to his face and look over her white hairband, which was now beginning to soak white cosmic blood.

However, despite having the ability to heal his injuries within a moment of them occurring, as was one of the many abilities given to him by his great one nature. Seeing how much Arona truly cared for him, made him to reconsider, to protect her feelings and to make it look like her efforts were not in vain.

Yet as he brought his hand back down to his side, the hunter suddenly became aware of quiet laughter from behind him and turning his head slightly. He saw that it was none other than Luna, chuckling quietly to herself as she watched the scene unfold in front of her

The hunter can already imagine why she found the scene so humorous, considering that a similar one had unfolded long ago between him and her when he was still learning to grapple with his great one nature.

But turning his attention back to Arona, the hunter thought for a moment, his non-visual expression conveying confusion at where exactly he had left off with his recount of how he became the way he was before it suddenly occurred to him where he was as he quickly resumed his tale.

"Oh yes, I think I should continue... me and Garnham came to blows, both of us trying to release each other from the terrible fate that was the dream, yet despite his superior skill as a hunter, ultimately I was victorious finally releasing the old Hunter from his gruesome fate" The hunter looked down at the wheelchair one final time before turning his attention to Arona who was looking back up at him intently waiting for him to continue.

"When I finally freed him from this nightmare, that was when she descended from her perch on the moon..." The hunter traced his gaze upwards once again, which made Arona do the same as they both looked up at the moon that hung high above in the sky.

"Flora... She came before me that night... Even to this very day Arona I am still not entirely sure what she wanted from me, but I believe that maybe just maybe she wanted me to become the next caretaker of the dream to replace the one that I had freed" The hunter paused for a moment.

If he had eyes they would have been narrowed at this very moment, yet before he could continue Arona suddenly asked something, turning her eyes to look at him as she spoke.

"Sensei, was Flora like you... something that wasn't human?" Arona asked tentatively, not wanting to seem like she was praying too deep into something that she didn't know about.

However instead of the hunter scalding her like she expected, he instead let out a quiet chuckle as he brought one of his massive hands up and gently rubbed the girl's head, much to her slight annoyance because it messed up her blue hair but also pleasure because sensei was giving her a head rub.

"You are quite sharp, aren't you, Arona. But yes she was not human, she was a great one, a cosmic entity that existed beyond the physical plane. Her Motives and reasoning for her actions were beyond mortal comprehension." The hunter took his hand away from Arona much to her slight annoyance, as he continued.

"Even with me now being elevated to the status of a great one just like her, I can't even begin to imagine what she wanted to accomplish and what her true motives were"

Turning his gaze upwards, the hunter would have narrowed his eyes considerably if his great one body had the capacity to do so.

So much of that night, especially the events surrounding his ascension to become a great one, were still a mystery to him, much to his continued aggravation.

"I still remember the way she took me into her arms, it was almost as if she was embracing a new loved one... But when she tried to make me into the caretaker of the hunter's dream, something happened, something that I'm still not entirely sure to this day" The hunter looked down at Arona who looked back at him with puzzlement on her face as she waited for him to respond, which he did after a moment.

"She tried to take me, yet I somehow resisted whether it be because of the arcane and eldridge knowledge I had accumulated or simply because of my own force of will, I rejected her, which I suspect made her view me as a potential threat" Arona continue to look up at the hunter, a concerned look appearing in her eyes which simply made the hunter nob his head answering her unspoken question.

"We fought... both me and Flora... even with all the skills I was taught as a Hunter and the arcane and cosmic knowledge I had accumulated on my journey, it was the most ferocious battle I had ever fought..." The hunter paused for a second remembering the vicious battle that took place that night, even to this day he could still feel the blows that the great one had inflicted upon him.

"Flora fought with ferocity and power that I couldn't have even imagined... which I suppose was to be expected, considering that she was a great one and the master of the dream... Yet even despite all that power, she ultimately fell to my hands" Holding his inhuman hands up in front of him, one of which still had Arona's white bow tied around it, the hunter clenched his fists remembering the blood of the great one that once soaked them.

"I'm still not sure exactly how it happened, Arona, but me ending her existence and slaying her with my own hands was seemingly a trigger that caused me to evolve... To shed my human form and become the very thing you see before you now" The hunter emphasised his words by stepping in front of Arona and opening his arms wide.

Showing off his entire inhuman and unnatural form to her. Yet instead of looking afraid or scared of him like he had suspected, the small girl looked more like she was in a state of awe as she stared up at him.

"Arona..."

The hunter quickly knelt down in front of the small girl, his structure and height still dwarfing her despite now being on his knees in front of her.

"Now that you know the truth of who and what I am... do you still wish to stand by my side?" tThe hunter extended a hand to Arona, which was the very same one that her hairband was wrapped around, acting as an improvised bandage.

Arona didn't immediately respond, looking at the hunter's hand and the bandage wrapped around it, before turning her gaze up to look at where his face would have been if he was human.

And after several moments of uneasy silence she did something completely, which took both the hunter and Luna off guard unexpected.

"Of course I will! Just because you're not human doesn't change the fact that you are my sensei, the one that I am supposed to help no matter what!" Arona threw herself at The Hunter, trying and somewhat failing to wrap her arms around his unnaturally broad chest. And peaking up at him with a bright, goofy grin, which was enough to make the hunter's cosmic and supernatural heart almost melt.

After being surprised by her sudden embrace, the hunter gently wrapped his large arms around her, being sure this time not to squeeze her too hard as both of them shared the embrace.

"Good Hunter... the tea and refreshments are getting cold, I believe it's time for us to eat" Despite keeping Arona tight in his embrace, the hunter turned his inhuman gaze to look at Luna who simply stood there passively while staring back at him with a blank expressionless gaze.

"I suppose you're right, Luna... Give me one moment and I will prepare everything" The hunter turned his focus back to Arona, who looked up at him as both of them separated from the embrace that they had been in moments ago.

Quickly rising back to his full height, the hunter did something unexpected that caught Arona off guard, as he suddenly held an arm out at full length. His fingers classed in a familiar pattern as after a second of holding them there, he clicked his inhuman and unnaturally long fingers.

The sound that was produced by the click made Arona shudder immensely, it sounded like an ordinary click of the fingers… Yet something about it held a power that, even though she couldn't understand, still made her feel strange.

However, that thought was completely forgotten, when she turned around, only to see something that had not been there previously which causes a look of complete and utter shock appear on her face.

"Sensei... W-where did all of this come from?" Despite her shock, Arona carefully walked towards the objects that had caught her by surprise.

Finding that it was a large picnic style table with three sets of chairs, two which were identical and were very elaborate and ornate looking, and the final one looking more like a large armchair crossed with a throne rather than a regular chair.

The hunter turned to his small companion, his expressionless and featureless face remaining the same, Yet Arona could feel the slight amusement emanating from him as he spoke.

"I made them with a simple click of my fingers, Arona... When I said I was the master of this dream, I wasn't lying or exaggerating... I can manipulate and change this domain anyway I see fit" The hunter ended his words by quickly and casually sitting down in his own custom chair that was built for his stature. His pose making Arona giggle incessantly because she had to admit that he appeared incredibly comfy in it.

Yet after staring at him for a moment, the hunter quickly signaled for her to come sit as well, using a snap of his fingers to quickly reposition her chair so it was next to his, much to Arona's utter amazement.

Luna carefully placed the tray of confectionaries and tea on the picnic table and promptly seated herself in her own share, remaining so still and quietly that Arona could have mistaken her for an actual doll instead of something that had life.

Arona sat down next to the hunter, gazing up at him with a bright smile as he motioned for her to take the confectionaries that were on the tray in front of her, after all, despite not needing any kind of nourishment himself, that did not mean his companion was in the same position.

Eventually, after looking at him for a moment with clear hesitation in her eyes. Arona smiled warmly at him, as she quickly grabbed one of the confectioneries from the tray and began to eat with a fierce passion, that the hunter found incredibly amusing as he watched her enjoy herself.

"The dream is usually cold and empty, the echoes of the hunters that came before still audible to me... yet on this night... I cannot hear them and the dream feels very warm, I... prefer it this way"

…...​

"God dammit! When you actually need that useless adult, he's never around!?"

A voice cursed as its owner quickly reloaded her shotgun, inserting a series of slug rounds before pulling the charging handle and chambering the first round.

Hoshino angled her head around the corner of the old outhouse building, that she was using as cover. Watching as the delinquents and problem solver 68 continued to reign fire down on not only her, but her friends positions as they tried their hardest to defend their school from these new enemies.

Sweeping her gaze across the Courtyard, Hoshino immediately spotted where everyone currently was.

Shiroko had taken cover behind a pile of old sandbags, that had been used in their previous Defence of the school and had luckily not been cleared away just yet.

Serika and Ayane had both decided that a pile of old rubble, from one of the many old and decrepit buildings that surrounded the school yard, would be their cover of choice.

As Serika fired back at any delinquent, she could see, ferocity and anger written across her face while Ayane typed away at her tablet while occasionally taking shots with her pistol, utilising her smart tablet to try and give them the edge that they were currently lacking.

And finally Nonomi true to her nature as the proverbial tank of the group, was standing atop a pile of rubble, bullets whizzing past and occasionally hitting her as she laid down a continuous hail of automatic Mini gunfire, catching out any delinquents that failed to get out of the line of fire before it was trained on them.

"Why don't you guys try this on for size!" All the abydos students suddenly heard Mutsuki exclaim loud.

As she excitedly threw a very strange looking grenade towards their position. And as it sailed through the air Hoshino realised exactly what it was, a high explosive armour piercing grenade which was usually reserved for use against armoured vehicles rather than anti-personnel use.

"Everyone get down!" Hoshino shouted at the top of her lungs as everyone did as instructed without a moment of hesitation.

And they couldn't have done so a moment too soon, as the grenade landed just shy of the school's front gate, in a brilliant and massive fireball. Sending metal fragments flying in all directions, most of which further damage the abydos school building's already disfigured and weathered exterior.

Shiroko recovered from the explosion, first using the temporary lull in the delinquent fire to quickly reposition and regroup with Serika and Ayane. Who much to her relief didn't seem to be physically hurt by the grenade explosion, but did look a little bit dazed from the explosion simply because of their proximity to it.

"Nn the longer this drags on the more of disadvantage we are at" Shiroko followed up her words by quickly jumping out from behind the piece of cover, and with one well-placed shot taking out a delinquent who happens to be passing through her field of view, and ducking back down again before the other delinquents could retaliate.

"Wow! Thanks for stating the obvious Shiroko" Serika said with an almost lethal amount of sarcasm in her voice.

She also quickly followed the grey haired wolf girl's example, although instead of using precise shots to take out the delinquents that were foolishly out in the open. The angry cat girl decided to simply empty the entirety of her rifle's magazine in the general direction of the delinquents.

And even though her bullets lacked accuracy, that was made up for by the sheer volume of them, as the delinquents quickly fell to the automatic fire.

"Take that! You dirty, good for nothing troublemakers!" Serika barked at the top of her lungs at the delinquents, as she quickly ducked behind cover once again reloading her assault rifle, intent on doing the exact same thing to any more delinquent she could see.

However before she could do that, Serika along with Shiroko and Ayane all heard footsteps approaching from behind, making them by pure Instinct draw their weapons and aim at the approaching individuals, only to see that it was none other than Hoshino and Nonomi.

Both girls running as a group and and providing covering fire for each other as they quickly ducked behind the piece of rubble that their friends were using as cover.

"At the rate things are going... were going to be out of ammo soon and be sitting ducks" Hoshino spoke loudly, making sure her voice was audible over the gunfire, as she illustrated her words by checking the amount of shotgun shell she had on her, which after finishing the count revealed that she had very little left in terms of ammo.

"Tell us something we don't know Hoshino" Serika stated aggressively as she quickly jumped up and took a shot at a delinquent that was crossing between cover.

Although subconsciously she made sure to count her shots more carefully considering what Hoshino had just said about the ammo supply shortage.

"She's right though Serika... if we don't think of something then we will..." Ayane found herself trailing off, not wanting to finish her sentence because just the idea of that was enough to put a chill down her spine.

After taking out another delinquent with a well-placed headshot, Serika turned her vicious and angry gaze towards the glasses wearing elf girl, not appreciating in the slightest what she was implying.

After all, Serika was many things, but one of those things was not a quitter. She would fight for this school to the very last bullet... And even to her very last waking breath, if it came to it.

"Maybe we could try some kind of pincer attack. It would force them to split their focus and allow us more breathing room" Nonomi suggested. All of her friends turning look at her in surprised as she used the momentary pause in the combat, to reload a minigun which would normally be a time-consuming procedure, but thankfully she had learnt how to do it quick.

"That's not a bad idea Nonomi... but getting into position for an attack like that would be too risky, they have us cornered right now" Shiroko responded to her minigun welding friend.

While the idea itself was a sound one, that could have a decent chance of succeeding, actually getting into a position to orchestrate some kind of pincer attack would be too risky given their low ammo supply and the fact that they were still outnumbered to a large degree.

"I'm going to have to agree with Shiroko on this one... trying to get into position for an attack like that would be too much risk for not enough reward... But still we need to think of something before we run out of time and ammo" Hoshino said with a slightly worried expression on her face, she began to rack her brain trying to think of any potential ideas to get her and her friends out of this situation.

Serika, Shiroko, Nonomi and Ayane all looked between each other, concerned expressions written across their faces as they tried formulating some kind of plan. Because they couldn't just sit here all day, especially considering that problem solver 68 and their hired goons were beginning to get more bold and slowly advanced towards the entrance to the school grounds.

"If it comes to it, we could always just rush them head on" Serika spoke abruptly, tightening the grip on her rifle. As everyone including Hoshino turned to look at her as if she had just spoken the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

However despite the ridiculousness of the suggestion, everyone couldn't help but actually ponder the idea. After all, problem solver 68 and their hired delinquents wouldn't be expecting a full-on near suicidal frontal attack.

Yet even though there was a potential that such a braze and attack could work, it didn't change the fact that it would be incredibly risky, and almost near suicidal given their current position and circumstances.

As the abydos students continue to try and formulate some kind of idea, Aru from her position at the head of her delinquent hoard couldn't help but smile victoriously, and let out a boasting laugh as she did so.

Because to her, the battle seemed like it was nearing its end, especially considering that the abydos students for the last couple of minutes had simply been held up behind a piece of cover instead of actively shooting back.

"If I knew it was going to be this easy, I wouldn't have hired extra muscle" Aru followed up her words by letting out another boasting laugh as she took a pot shot at the piece of cover that the abydos students were hiding behind.

Kayoko turned her gaze to Aru, a slightly displeased expression appearing on her face because while she did respect Aru a great deal, that didn't change the fact that the pink headed girl wasn't exactly the best when it came to making sound financial decisions.

However, using the momentary lapse in the combat to check her equipment and ammunition, Kayoko then quickly pulled out her phone, turning it on to check the time only to have her usual sharp eyes widen in shock when she realised exactly what the time was.

Putting her phone away, the black and white girl quickly made her way over to Aru, who was laughing while taking pot shots at the bunkered down abydos students.

"Aru, you need to see what the-" Kayoko didn't get a chance to finish as Aru quickly interrupted her, a slightly frustrated expression on her face.

"Kayoko now it's not the time, we have those brats on the knees. Just a little bit more pushing and they'll give in!" Aru ended her words by quickly chuckling and firing several more shots in the general direction of the abydos students.

Kayoko despite her frustrated expression tried to but in once again, opening her mouth to speak yet quickly finding herself silence to by Aru holding up a hand.

"Kayoko not now, it can wait until later" Aru's frustration was clearly evident in her voice as she turned to address her subordinate and friend, failing to notice a figure approaching from behind.

"Seriously Kayoko! Why do you always have to ruin the mood when it's just getting good? Honestly! Sometimes I think-"

"Excuse me, young lady... But I do not believe that is not the way you address a close friend"

Aru, Kayoko along with Mutsuki and Haruka all immediately stopped what they were doing and turn to the source of the mysterious voice, their eyes widening in shock and horror when they saw exactly who it was.

Standing before them was none other than the mysterious adults that they had met back at the Ramen restaurant the other night, and after a moment of staring at him in his full attire, it dawned on them exactly who it was as they all instinctively took a step back.

The Hunter stood there in all of his glory, his usual gothic style attire looking as neat as ever and his overcoat blowing in the wind in an almost majestic manner as he smiled politely at the delinquents.

However, despite his polite looking smile, the look in his eyes was anything but friendly and happy, in fact it was a look of almost pure anger and disappointment.

Despite her initial shock Kayoko was the first to recover, instinctively bringing up pistol up and aiming it at the mysterious adult. Yet much to her increasing discomfort, he didn't look intimidated by it in the slightest, simply regarding her with his fake polite smile and vicious eyes before turning his gaze and squaring it directly at Aru, much to her growing fear.

"Now... Aru was it? Would you mind explaining to me why you are harassing my students? Especially after they and I showed you an extraordinary amount of hospitality and kindness" The hunter took several steps forward, his voice as cold as ice as the gap between him and Aru was noticeably shortened.

Aru couldn't bring herself to say anything for a moment, she did remember seeing him briefly at the Ramen restaurant the other day, but considering his friendly attitude, she had simply written him off as a kind passer-by.

But now seeing him here standing in front of her, his eyes holding nothing but anger and frustration made her very briefly consider turning on her heels and running in the opposite direction.

However before she could consider doing that or better yet trying to get a grip and stand her ground. Somebody, much to her surprise quickly stepped in front of Aru as they noticeably raised their voice.

"Stay away from Aru! I'm warning you" Haruka said with a noticeably scared rattle in her voice, her shotgun which was now aimed at the mysterious adult's chest shaking noticeably as she held her ground despite her fear.

The hunter looked at the purple haired girl, and internally he couldn't help but silently apologise and feel sorry for her.

Because after all he was deliberately putting on a much more fierce than persona, than he usually did when it came to interacting with students, but despite not being a teacher for very long. One of the skills he had quickly learnt, was that sometimes a hard and firm approach was necessary for dealing with troublesome students like these.

Looking into Haruka's purple fear filled eyes, the hunter took a step forward, this action making the already terrified girl even more scared as she quickly pulled the trigger on her shotgun.

However instead of the adult to drop into the floor after having his chest cavity blown open by buckshot, something completely unexpected happened. Something that Haruka and everyone else that was watching couldn't quite peace together.

One moment, the mysterious adult was there, the barrel of the shotgun that was aimed at him almost touching his chest. The next he was in the exact same spot yet instead of his hands being empty like they were before, now they were filled with none other than Haruka's custom shotgun, the barrel smoking and noticeably from the shot that it had just let out.

The hunter looked down at the purple shotgun in his hands, he had to admit that despite the weapon not exactly being to his tastes when it came to the decoration and decor. It was still a well-made piece of workmanship, that seemingly matched its owner perfectly. Much like the weapons that he had seen other students using, which appeared to be personally tailor-made to them.

Yet, nevertheless, admiring the weapon in his hand could wait for later as he turned his eyes back to Haruka, who despite looking down at her now empty hands in abject terror still did not move from in front of Aru. Somehow finding the strength to continue to protect her friend. Which the hunter had to admit was incredibly admirable of her.

However before the hunter could open his mouth to speak, he suddenly heard gunfire erupt all around him, and promptly turning his gaze. He saw that it was none other than the abydos students he had come to save, utilising the opportunity that was presented before them to take back the advantage.

And despite being out of earshot and unable to verbally communicate with them the hunter could see none other than Shiroko, smiling brightly at him happy that he finally came, as she quickly turned her attention back to gunning down several delinquents who were caught off guard by the sudden counter-attack.

The hunter couldn't help but chuckled himself, as he turned his critical gaze back to the problem solver 68 students in front of him. Yet, when he did so he noticed that Haruka's hands were no longer empty, for in her left hand was a strange little device that even though the hunter didn't know its exact purpose was, he could assume that it most likely wasn't a good one.

As such the hunter decided he would relieve the girl of the device much like he had done of her weapon, but before he could do that he suddenly felt something be poked into his side only to look down and see that it was none other than the barrel of a machine gun.

And the owner of said machine gun being none other than Mutsuki, a mischievous and smug smile on her face that for some inexplicable reason made the hunter feel incredibly agitated and that she needed some kind of correction.

"I wouldn't move if I was you, Mister... I don't want to fill you full of holes Kufufu~ " Mutsuki finished her words finished her work by giggling, poking the barrel of the Machine Gun further into the Hunter's side to try and caused him discomfort.

But he did not react to the silent intimidation, his eyes noticeably narrowing as the smile left his face, which in turn made Mutsuki's smile disappear as he turned his entire body to face her. The action causing the white haired girl who was usually so mischievous and smug to instinctively step backwards and fear despite her weapon still being pointed at him.

"D-didn't you hear? If you make another M-Move I'll fill you full of holes you old geezer!" Mutsuki's trademark smug expression was now completely gone, as it was replaced by a look of absolute intimidation as the hunter continued to stare at her, his eyes holding nothing but disapproval and frustration.

Yet just as Mutsuki began to pull the trigger of her machine gun, intent on filling the scary adult full of lead, something odd happened that completely surprised her.

The hunter quickly grabbed the barrel of the machine gun, his superior strength allowing him to force the weapon to be pointed upwards, yet he did not take the weapon from Mutsuki, instead choosing to do something that would strike fear into the smug girl's heart.

Mutsuki struggled against the adult trying to wrestle her weapon back under control as he forced it upwards with one hand, yet her struggles were completely forgotten when she heard a strange noise.

Forcing her to look up, only to have her eyes widen in absolute petrified horror, when she saw the barrel of her beloved light machine gun beginning to bend. And she can only watch in pure abject horror as the mysterious adult effortlessly bent the barrel of a machine gun, making the muzzle at the end of the barrel almost point directly at her.

Releasing his hold of the machine gun's barrel, the hunter gave the now petrified white-haired girl one last intimidating look, before turning his attention back to the rest of problem solver 68 who, after watching what just happened, were now just as horrified and scared of the adult as Mutsuki was.

"I believe I will be taking this" The hunter didn't even have to use his superior reflexes as he calmly took the device from Haruka's trembling hands, looking the device over for a moment before he heard a voice in his ear speak to him.

"Sensei be careful, that's an explosive detonator"

The hunter heard Arona's voice, and even though he did not verbally respond, he quietly nodded his head, being extremely careful with the now revealed to be an explosive detonator as he opened his overcoat and gently put it inside.

And once he had done so, he momentarily turned his attention to the now winding down battle around him, seeing that the delinquents were now on the run, as the abydos students showed No Mercy to the delinquents as they retreated. Cheering amongst themselves as the delinquents continue to run scared and defeated.

Turning his attention back to problem solver 68 The Hunter looked at the shotgun in his hands one more time before gently placing it down on the ground in front of him.

The motion of this making all the girls in front of him momentarily step back thinking he was about to attack them, yet once the weapon was on the ground the hunter rose back up to his full height and spoke.

"Now usually I would punish disobedient and misbehaving students like yourselves severely... however I'm feeling somewhat generous today so I will allow you to leave" The hunter's voice was calm and even.

But the commanding tone it held made all the members of problem solver 68 not even consider disobeying him, yet as the hunter turned away from them, he spoke one last time, his voice being so cold and icy that it could almost have frozen them solid.

"However if you ever think of returning here and harming my students... Your punishment will be more than… severe" the hunter turned his head, so only one of his eyes was visible.

Even so, the pure disapproval and frustration that was held in his gaze was enough to compel the members of problem solver 68 into action as they quickly began to run. Not even bothering to help the delinquents that they had hired as they retreated into the distance, their encounter with sensei forever etched into their minds.

Yet just before problem solver 68 disappeared into the distance, Aru turned around, terror still written across her face, yet somehow managing to work up enough courage to shout.

"T-this isn't the last you've seen of Us!"

The hunter paid the words no mind, letting out a sigh as he watched the group leave, he didn't like treating students like this. After all, despite their actions, problem solver 68 and and the delinquents they had hired were at the end of the day just students like his beloved abydos students.

And he had made a personal valve to himself that he would help all students, regardless of their background or actions.

Nevertheless, as the hunter began to think of a way to try and help problem solver 68 and better their miss guided ways, he heard footsteps approaching him making him break out of his thoughts, and turn to the source only to see that it was none other than Shiroko. A pleasant and happy smile on her usually blank face, as she wiped away some dirt and grime that had accumulated on her cheeks from today's battle.

"It's good to see you sensei" Shiroko exclaimed happily as she trotted over to The Hunter, and after a moment of staring at each other. She quickly threw herself at him, the hunter was momentarily surprised but returned the favour as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

The hunter quietly chuckled as he gently stroked Shiroko's head, being sure to scratch behind her wolf-like ears, much to her approval as she looked up at him. Her eyes filled with absolute joy at the fact that he actually came to help them in their time of need.

"It is good to see you too Shiroko... although I must apologise for being late... I needed to attend to some personal matters of mine, which was why I couldn't come sooner" The hunter spoke with an apologetic tone, as he continued to gently rub Shiroko's head.

However instead of being unhappy in him like the hunter had expected, Shiroko simply smiled at him as she quickly separated from the tight embrace. The smile never leaving her face, as she quickly grabbed the hunter's hand and began to pull him along, intent on reuniting him with the rest of her friends.

"It's OK sensei, you can't be everywhere at once... But I'm glad that you still came to help anyway" Shiroko added to her words by making her smile even brighter and more vibrant than it had been a moment ago.

The hunter couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart as he saw the expression on Shiroko's face. He was not one for wanting rewards for his deeds, yet seeing be youthful and happy expression on the grey haired wolf girl's face was something that he would gladly take the reward for his efforts.

After all, he was a teacher… He was their sensei, and their happiness was his responsibility.

 

[mgman]

"It seems that those girls, have been getting themselves into more trouble than I initially thought"

The hunter mused softly to himself as he continue to type away at the computer in front of him. Going through various reports and news articles of a particular group of students causing trouble and getting themselves involved with individuals that they really shouldn't be, considering their age.

Letting out a huff, the hunter pushed himself away from the computer for a moment, remaining seated in the swivel chair as he turned to face the large windows. A deep and thoughtful expression manifesting on his face as he held his hand up to his chin and crossed his legs over each other, leaning back in the chair ever so slightly as he began to reflect.

When he had first laid his eyes upon Aru Rikuhachima and her band of trouble making miscreants, the hunter had initially assumed that they were nothing more your run-of-the-mill troublemaking delinquents and nothing more than that.

However, upon looking into problem solver 68 as they called themselves, he had found out that they were no traditional group of delinquents, and were far more prolific than the nameless and faceless delinquents that he had encountered up until this point.

In fact, quickly pushing himself back to the computer and typing away at it at a speed that was impressive for somebody who would only recently learn what a computer was and how to operate one.

The hunter brought up several reports, all of which detailing the sheer nuisance and trouble that problem solver 68 had managed to get themselves into over the last couple of months, in particular, it seemed that Gehenna which turned out to be the school that all members of the group originally came from, before being expelled or kicked out. And was particularly eager for the arrest and deportation back to the Gehenna campus for appropriate punishments to be dished out.

"Indeed, it seems that problem solver 68 has been quite the headache for the prefect team" The hunter spoke quietly as he brought up a photo of the team in question, immediately recognising a face amongst them which was none other than Chinatsu. Yet instead of the usual calm and quiet smile, that he had seen her with during their meeting, it was completely absent in the photo, replaced with a hard set expression that befitted somebody who was part of a disciplinary committee.

The other individuals in the photo were completely unknown to him, although one of them stood out to him, which was none other than the leader of the disciplinary committee, Hina Sorasaki.

Examining the photo further, the hunter noticed that Hina had a rather petite and short stature, which was somewhat unusual for someone of her age. And despite her overall appearance looking elegant and refined, nothing about her actually stood out to him as somebody who was qualified to lead a disciplinary committee.

Even so, as the hunter push themselves away from the computer desk one more time, he knew from personal experience, that judging somebody based purely on their physical appearance was often a grave mistake. And despite her seemingly harmless appearance, he knew deep down in his very bones that, Hina Sorasaki, was not somebody to be trifled with.

In fact, as the hunter stood up from his chair and walked over to the large double story windows that looked out over the city, he couldn't help but mentally tell to himself.

'Hina Sorasaki... She is somebody I will keep an eye on... After all, much like Hoshino, she may look harmless... But hidden behind the facade, there is something fearsome that should not be taken lightly'

The hunter hardened his face as he looked at his own reflection in the glass, after all, he was similar. Because despite his relatively normal-looking appearance, he was at the end of the day not human... Not any more.

Bringing his hand up to his reflection, the hunter let out a slightly frustrated sigh as he turned away from the window, intent on returning to the computer and getting some more work done. Especially because a particularly large stack of documents, that had accumulated over the last couple of days and that he had not been able to attend to just yet.

However, as he sat down in the relatively uncomfortable computer chair, the hunter suddenly felt something behind him, causing him to turn his head slightly only to see that it was none other than Arona. Her holographic body slightly transparent as she smiled warmly at him, which the hunter reciprocated as she began to speak.

"Good morning sensei, there's somebody here to see you" Arona said excitedly, her words making the hunter turn away from the computer to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

As far as he was aware, he wasn't expecting any guests, especially at this time in the morning.

"I see... I must say to see me so early in the morning is a bit unexpected" The hunter accompanied his words by momentarily turning his gaze to the digital clock that was displayed on the computer's home screen.

And despite feeling strange to him, he had to admit it was far more convenient than carrying around a pocket watch or having a grandfather clock in the corner of the room, like he was more familiar with.

"Considering how people are talking about you on momo talk... I'm surprised it took somebody this long to come see you in person" Arona smiled brightly as she spoke, her words completely catching the hunter off guard because he quite frankly was not familiar with this momo talk that she spoke of.

And judging from the facial expression that appeared on her holographic face, Arona also realised that the hunter had no idea exactly what momo talk actually was. And where before she would have questioned him for not knowing what the concept of social media was, now with the added context that he came from a world that had no kinds of digital technology to speak of, it made perfect sense that he wouldn't know what she was talking about.

"Momo Talk is a Social Media platform sensei, it's basically an electric form of letter writing, allowing you to instantly communicate through text with anyone you wish" Arona explained not wanting to make it sound like she was patronising him for not knowing.

The hunter didn't say anything for a moment, his eyes widening slightly as he thought about what his companion just said. While the concept of an email was something that he had worked out relatively quickly. The thought that it was possible to instantly communicate through text was both foreign but also intriguing to him, nevertheless those kinds of thoughts could wait for another day as the Hunter spoke.

"Well, either way, I suppose we shouldn't keep this guest of ours waiting. Would you be so kind as to let them in, Arona?" the hunter said lightly. His words making Arona smile brightly as she responded.

"Of course, sensei, I will let them in right now!" With those energetic and happy words, Arona's holographic body quickly vanished into thin air, as if she had never been there to begin with.

Letting out a chuckle, the hunter couldn't help but find his companion's enthusiasm genuinely refreshing and almost infectious, as he turned himself to face the double doors that separated his office from the hallway outside, waiting patiently for his guests to arrive.

Yet, as the hunter waited, the sound of the individual's footstep slowly becoming audible to his superhuman hearing. He suddenly remembered something that made the pleasant and happy expression quickly vanish from his face, as it was replaced by a foreland and concerned one.

"How am I going to tell Ume about... Tomo"

The hunter spoke with a quiet and sad tone as he reclined deeper into the somewhat uncomfortable swivel chair, he could already imagine her reaction to the news that has sister was no longer in the land of the living. Yet he couldn't even begin to imagine what her reaction would be when he told her the reason for her sister no longer being alive was because of his own actions.

After all, how exactly could he get her to understand let alone explain to her that her sister had turned into a vicious bloodthirsty beast, that was no longer even remotely human, let alone a creature that can be reasoned with.

'And the more pressing issue... is how exactly did the old blood manifested here'

The hunter accompanied this thought by quickly reaching into his overcoat pocket, and retrieving the small glass vial, its interior stained a deep red. His eyes narrowed considerably as he scrutinised the object.

He was still missing much of the puzzle that much was certain, but it was readily apparent that the old blood that had been in this vile, was the reason why Tomo had undergone her horrific transformation into a vicious frenzied Beast.

Yet the biggest piece of the puzzle that was missing and the part that frustrated him to no end was how exactly, and more importantly WHO exactly had managed to get their hands on the old blood, and give it to Tomo.

Knock knock

Any further thought on the subject, was pushed aside when the hunter heard the familiar sound of gentle knocks on the office door, forcing him to swallow his own emotions and put on a calm face as he collected himself and put away the glass vial back into his overcoat for safekeeping.

"You may come in" The hunter waited for a moment as the door gently opened, however he found his eyes widening slightly in surprised when he saw that his unexpected guest was none other than Yuuka.

The purple haired girl looking like a true sight for sore eyes considering he had not spoken to her since his first day in Kivotos.

"Good morning, sensei, I came to..."

The hunter observed with quiet confusion as Yuuka quickly trailed off with her greeting, her eyes widening in apparent surprised when she laid her gaze upon him. And despite confused by this, it didn't take the hunter long to realise, that she was caught off guard by his appearance.

Considering that the last time they had met, he had been wearing his bone Ash Hunter attire, instead of his current less intimidating but still unusual Cainhurst knight attire.

Chuckling quietly to himself, the hunter quickly got up from his chair, the action surprising Yuuka as he gave a polite bow in return to her greeting.

"Good morning to you as well Yuuka, I must say it's quite a pleasant surprise to see you again, especially after our hectic introduction to each other" the hunter quickly straightened himself, flashing a polite smile at Yuuka, which made the purple haired Millennium student blush considerably which in turn made the Hunter chuckle some more as Yuuka managed to finally find her voice.

"Y-yes, sensei, it's been awhile..." Yuuka found herself once again trailing off, her words ultimately failing her as she stared at the Hunter's face, being very surprised by how he actually looked under the mask.

This did not go on noticed by the Hunter, who smiled as he walked over to the clearly flustered and surprised young girl, which only made her blush intensify as he approached.

"You seem to be quite surprised by my appearance, Yuuka" The hunter couldn't keep the amusement from his voice, as he stopped less than an arm's length away from the Millennium student. Who, despite her embarrassment and surprised, quickly managed to find her voice.

"It's not like that, sensei! It's just that... I'm surprised that you looked like that under your mask" As the words left her mouth, Yuuka, couldn't help but groan, her eyes widening in shock when she realised exactly what she had just said.

After all it came across as extremely rude and inappropriate because to Yuuka at least it sounded as if she was implying that under his mask she had assumed that he was an ugly beast.

However, the hunter was not offended by her words as he simply laugh softly, deciding to brush the matter aside for the moment and address why Yuuka had decided to see him today.

"Pushing aside the matter of how you thought I looked... What exactly can I do for you today, Yuuka. Because while it is pleasant to see you again after so long, I suspect that you are not here to simply catch up?" The hunter waited patiently.

Seeing the embarrassment recede from Yuuka's as it was replaced by a look of realisation, and after taking in a deep breath and then letting it out, the Millennium student finally spoke.

"You're correct sensei... As much as I wanted to see you today and catch up, I'm afraid that I'm here on official Millennium Business" Yuuka followed up her words by quickly reaching into her jacket pocket and retrieving something that made the hunter look at her in slight surprise as he turned his eyes downwards to stay at what she had retrieved from her pocket.

"As the treasurer of the Millennium Academy student council, I was selected to give you this invitation to meet the student council president of Millennium Academy" Yuuka finished her words by handing the letter to the hunter who after looking at it in puzzlement for a moment gently took it into his hand, looking over the envelope with slight scrutiny before turning his eyes back up to Yuuka, who was now looking somewhat uncomfortable, the blush returning to her face and she continued to unknowingly stare at the Hunter's face.

"I must say I'm both flattered and surprised to receive such an invitation" The hunter's spoke politely as he gently put the envelope into his overcoat pocket. Much to the surprise of Yuuka who, despite her embarrassment, watched with confusion as the Hunter did this.

"However, despite that… I'm afraid that I cannot except such an invitation just yet, as my schedule is rather full at the moment" The hunter made sure to make his tone apologetic, noticing the slight sadness and concern that appeared on Yuuka's she responded to him.

"Does that mean that you're refusing… And that you don't want to come and see our school?" Yuuka said with a sad and almost defended tone in her voice, which made the hunter look at her in surprise before he quickly explain himself.

"Of course not Yuuka, I do plan on accepting the invitation, after all I have already made preparations for visiting each of the major academies to introduce myself. However, I simply cannot accept the invitation at this exact moment as I am already quite busy with my duties as a teacher" The hunter exhaled a silent sigh of relief when he noticed Yuuka's sad and concerned expression quickly vanish, being replaced by a look of happiness and understanding as she spoke in response.

"Oh ok that's understandable sensei" Yuuka voiced with an understanding look in her eyes.

As the one and only treasurer of Millennium Academy, she could certainly sympathize with sensei, considering that her own workload was often immense. And wasn't helped by a certain games club that was determined to simply burn money with their ridiculous antics.

Satisfied that Yuuka was no longer sad about his seeming refusal at the invitation, the hunter quickly turned away from her for a moment, retrieving the letter from his pocket and placing it on the table next to the mountain of paperwork, which was something that immediately caught the purple-haired girls eyes.

"Sensei... What is that!?" Yuuka asked with a stupefied and puzzled expression on her face, quickly pointing at The Towering pillar of papers.

Her words made the hunter turn to look at her, his eyebrow raised in confusion at why the stack of papers would be surprising to her.

"It is accumulated paperwork, that unfortunately I've not been able to get around to filling out in the appropriate manner... Why exactly do you ask Yuuka?" the hunter responded, his words were not exactly a lie, considering that the vast majority of the paperwork was accumulated simply because he hadn't the time to actually start filling all of it out.

Yet the main reason why he had not tackled the growing mountains of paper just so far, was because the more he looked at it the more he felt his head hurt, considering that there was nothing more tedious in this world than filling out paperwork.

Yuuka didn't look impressed by the hunter's response in the slightest, as she turned to look at him with an expression that can only be described as complete and utter disappointment. As if the hunter was a complete failure of a human being who couldn't even do the simplest of tasks.

However instead of saying anything verbally, Yuuka let out disappointed sounding sigh as she quickly moved past the Hunter, and much to his surprise retrieved one of the spare swivel chairs and abruptly sat down in it, moving herself closest to the table are she retrieved a spare pen and began to work.

"Honestly sensei, I would have expected someone like you to know how to manage their time better... like seriously, I know that you only became a teacher recently, but that's not an excuse to let your paperwork get this bad!" Yuuka emphasised her words by pointing at the stack of papers in front of her as she quickly began to fill out one, finishing it in record time and then moving on to the next.

The hunter despite his surprise couldn't help but chuckle, his laughter making Yuuka glance at him with a slightly critical look before he swiftly joined her, retrieving his own slightly larger swivel chair and sitting down next to her.

And despite trying to remain mad and disappointed at The Hunter for his seeming lack of time management skills.

Yuuka couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face, as the Hunter quickly retrieved his own slightly more ornate looking pen and began to follow her lead. Both student and teacher filling out paperwork together in mostly happy silence.

…...​

"Sensei... is everything alright?"

The hunter was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as he came to a stop in the middle of the sand-covered Street. His companion, which was none other than Ayane dressed in her usual abydos school uniform, also coming to a stop as well, her face holding a look of concern as she waited for the Hunter's response.

Gazing back at the glasses wearing elf girl, the hunter wasn't quite sure how to respond, simply because there wasn't just one thing on his mind. In fact, it would be fair to say that there was a myriad of things that he was contemplating at this exact moment. The two biggest ones being the the subject of how exactly the old blood had somehow manifested in kivotos, and how exactly he was going to break it to Ume about her sister.

Nevertheless, eventually the Hunter let out a slightly dejected sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by Ayane, yet before she could ask again what seemingly had sensei so down, the hunter finally responded managing to force a smile, that thankfully was enough to fool Ayane.

"Everything is quite alright Ayane... I was just a bit lost in my own thoughts for a moment, but it is nothing do you need to worry about" The hunter breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the concerned look in Ayane's eyes disappear.

And her smile, that had been there when he had first met up with her this morning, quickly returned, which in turn made him feel somewhat better, as he tried to push his negative and troublesome thoughts aside and recentre his mind on the task at hand.

"Ayane, please forgive my forgetfulness... But can you please remind me why today is so important?" the hunter said politely. He had not forgotten in the slightest exactly why today was so important for Ayane and the rest of her abydos school classmates, but he wanted to reconsider their collective focus on that subject.

Ayane for her part, looked slightly confused by his words, before a look of understanding appeared on her face as she quickly spoke.

"O-Oh. We have an interest payment on the school's debt today, there's always lots of prep work that goes into it, so we all often end up running around like headless chickens trying to get it done" Ayane finished her words by letting out a quiet giggle, the mental image of her and her friends wearing comically oversized and ridiculous looking chicken suits while running around making noises, being incredibly humorous to her.

And regardless of the hunter not knowing exactly what was on the girl's mind to make her giggle as such, he reciprocated. Chuckling quietly to himself as he began to walk once more, motioning for her to follow, which she did, both of them once again walking down the deserted street side by side.

"I usually get to the school early to take care of all the preparations... And do some planning for how we'll move forward" Ayane quickly trail off, a barely noticeable blush appearing on her face. Because to her ears it sounded like she was boasting and taking all the credit, when in reality it was a combined effort between her and her friends.

The hunter noticing her slight embarrassment couldn't help but smile as he quickly reached out and placed his hand on her head, making the girl jump in surprise as he gently rubbed her head for a moment before removing his hand again.

And Even though Ayane felt really embarrassed after what sensei they had just done, she quickly recovered, wiping the aggressive blush off her face as she continued speaking, her eyes taking on a slightly serious look as she did so.

"Also, sensei, I managed to compile some intel on those girls that attacked us the other day. I'd appreciated if you would take a look" Ayane quickly brought out her smart tablet, typing away at it for a second before holding it out to the hunter who, looking at it with a slightly raised eyebrow, took it into his hands, being careful with the devices as he brought it close to his face.

"I see... I must say your ability to gather information is unparalleled Ayane" The hunter turned his eyes away from the tablet for just a moment, only to see the bright and almost overpowering look of happiness that appeared on Ayane's as she heard his words of praise.

"However, while I appreciate the fact that you are willing to share this information with me... I'm afraid that it is ultimately unnecessary as I also did my own research into those girls" The hunter followed his words by gently handing the smart tablet back to Ayane.

Who, after a moment of looking surprised at his words, silently took it back, holding it close to her chest as the Hunter turn to his gaze back to the path in front of them, the abydos main school gate now visible at the end of the Street.

Yet, as both teacher and student continued to walk in silence, the hunter suddenly became aware of a strange feeling, one that made him become hypervigilant auntie began to observe his surroundings with a scrutiny that no human could do.

"Ayane! Take cover right now!"

The hunter suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, his words catching the glasses wearing student completely by surprise, and unfortunately that meant that she could not react in time as a hail of bullets followed by the deafening sound of automatic gunfire suddenly erupted from nowhere.

Moving at a speed that was impossible for anyone but him to perceive, the hunter quickly wrapped Ayane in a tight protective embrace as the bullets travelled towards.

"S-sensei!"

Ayane wasn't entirely sure what happened, one moment her and sensei walking down the street, with her feeling somewhat dejected at the fact that sensei had already done his own research therefore not needing her own.

And the very next instant, sensei was quite literally on top of her, his arms protectively wrapped tightly around her as the sound of automatic gunfire reached her ears. And to her growing horror, she saw sensei's face scrunch up in pain as she felt shock waves radiating through the hunter's body and by extension her own as the bullets that were seemingly meant for her impacted him. .

The hunter groaned as the bullets continued to fly, most of them missing, yet a few of them striking him in the back and puncturing deep into his body, the pain was excruciating to the point where he felt like he was going to collapse, yet through the sheer force of will that only a hunter could possess, he kept himself upright. Using his own body as a shield to protect his beloved student.

Internally, some small part of him did admit that it wasn't entirely necessary to do this considering that students of all types were immune to automatic gunfire... But still his actions were not compelled by logic.

They were compelled by a deeper instinct, something that was so deeply ingrained into his being that he could not fight against it.

'My child is in danger... and I must protect her at all costs!'

The thought that entered the hunter's mind was a completely subconscious one, nevertheless he was quickly brought back to the present, when he noticed the gunfire quickly subside. Which was accompanied by a startled yell from Ayane, as he found himself quickly falling to his knees, the strength leaving his legs as he found himself struggling to breathe, most likely because of the bullets now lodged in his chest cavity.

In fact, as he heard Ayane's concerned and muffled voice in his ears, asking if he was ok. The hunter couldn't help but Marvel at the fact that he was even still alive.

A normal man would have most certainly perished from taking so many bullets to the back, yet his physical body could count on the nature of being a hunter, which granted him a durability that surpassed the most normal humans.

However, as the hunter felt blood beginning to rise up in his throat, most likely as a result of a punctured of lung, he knew that even though his Hunter body was vastly more durable than a normal, it could still die. And looking down at Ayane, who was looking up at him with horror, confusion and alarm in her big teary eyes.

He vowed that he would not put his students through the prospect of watching him die, even though he could easily return like he always did.

So As such summoning strength that his injured body didn't have, the hunter quickly got to his feet shocking Ayane, yet before she could process this. He quickly dragged her towards a nearby alleyway, taking cover behind the corner just in the nick of time as another hail of bullets quickly rained down on the position where he and Ayane had been only seconds previously.

Finally letting go of Ayane, the hunter found the strength that he had called upon instantly vanishing as his body collapsed, his breathing now becoming almost impossible both due to the collapsed lung and blood that was clogging his throat. Yet despite the bodily urge to try and cough out the obstruction, he chose not to, mostly because he didn't want to traumatise Ayane by letting her see him bleed.

"S-sensei! Your hurt!" Ayane managed to say between her cries, instinctively retrieving her pistol from its holster and holding it close, yet paying more attention to the hunter as he continued to sit there, clearly struggling to breathe.

However, just when she reached out a hand to try and help sensei, he suddenly used the little strength he had, to gently but forcefully push her hand away. Managing to somehow flash her a smile, that despite the situation at hand, made Ayane feel for just a split second that everything would be alright.

"It's ok... A-Ayane... I W-will be fine" the hunter tried to say.

Managing to swallow the blood in his throat, which did somewhat alleviate his breathing problems but only by a marginal amount. As he quickly, with the little strength he had left, reached into his overcoat pocket, the action making Ayane look at him in confusion and fear as after a moment he pulled his hand out, retrieving the item he was looking for.

Holding the small Vial in his hands, the hunter brought it up to his face for a moment his vision beginning to blur, yet he could still identify that it was in fact a blood Vial, which is exactly what he needed. However, the strength in his hand suddenly failed, causing him to drop the blood Vial.

Yet, before it could smash on the ground and spill its lifesaving contents. Ayane managed to catch it in her hands, her pistol resting nearby as she looked at the strange Vial containing the mysterious liquid, before turning her gaze back up to the hunter, who she could tell was not doing well.

"Ayane... I know this is much to ask of you... but I need you to inject that Vial into my arm" The hunter managed to say, reaching out his arm which was shaking because of the amount of physical exertion it took just to do this simple action.

And just when his strength finally left him and his arm began to fall, Ayane quickly caught his arm, holding his hand in her much smaller one as she looked at him with a slightly scared look before doing as she was instructed.

Normally in any other situation, she would have been hesitant to do something like this, especially considering that she didn't know what the Vial and it's contents actually did. But the situation at hand was such a dire one.

So that any kind of questioning attitude she would have had was completely thrown out the window, as she studied sensei's arm for a moment before taking the Vial and slamming it into his arm.

"Sorry If that hurts, sensei" Ayane said with an apologetic tone, watching with a morbid Fascination as the red liquid that was the contents of the vial, quickly began to disappear from the bottle and into sensei's arm.

However, as she watched the contents of the vial continue to disappear, she failed to notice the immediate effect that the blood vial had on the hunter.

"There is no need to worry Ayane... for the physical pain I feel… is nothing compared to the fury I feel in my blood for who try and hurt my student!"

Ayane quickly turned her eyes upwards, only to have them widen in shock when she saw that sensei who were moment to go looked like he was on death's door. Now looking almost completely healthy again, the colour which had drained from his face returning almost instantly as he flashed her a kind and thankful smile.

Yet, as she hesitantly reciprocated the smile, and moved back slightly, so sensei could get to his feet. Ayane couldn't help but notice in His Eyes was a look of absolute anger and rage.

She had never seen sensei look this angry and if she was being completely honest it made her feel slightly afraid of him, and more importantly feel incredibly sorry for the person that his anger was now going to be directed towards.

Now standing at his full height, the hunter quickly reached a hand down to Ayane, who despite looking confused and surprised by his sudden recovery. Accepted it, allowing him to pull her to her feet as he flashed her another thankful smile before turning away from her.

Yet nonetheless, as he did so, Ayane couldn't stop herself from gasping in shock, bringing a hand up to her mouth as she saw just how extensive sensei's injuries had truly been. The clothes on his back were tattered and torn to the point where there was very little of it intact, and the little that was was completely soaked with blood.

Which also extended to his skin that, despite now having no bullet wounds to speak of was still covered in a thick layer of now drying blood, which just the sight of, made Ayane feel incredibly queasy.

"Now then, where are you!" the hunter spoke into the air, not even trying to hide the fury in his voice as his keen eyes scanned the entirety of the seemingly empty street.

And even though he could not see whoever had shot at him and Ayane, he could still feel their fear in the air.

"Ayane! Can you pinpoint the location of where the gunfire came from?" The hunter suddenly asked.

Ayane who was still recovering from her shock, looked at the hunter with a confused look for a moment, before she realised exactly what he was asking and even though she wanted to ask so many questions, particularly how he was able to recover so quickly after having the Vial of mysterious liquid injected into him.

She ultimately comply with his request, quickly retrieving her tablet which was laying nearby and tapping away at it incessantly, and after a couple of moments of this, occasionally interrupted by the sound of automatic gunfire from the mysterious shooter, she finally had an answer for sensei.

"The target is 50 metres in front of us and 5 metres to the left... So it would be the destroyed house on the left at the end of the street!" Ayane spoke urgently, turning her eyes up to the hunter who looked back at her with a thankful expression.

Before turning his now hardened gaze back out to the street, and having his eyes come to rest on the particular building, that Ayane had surmised was the location of the mysterious shooter.

With his target's location now identified, the hunter quickly reached into his overcoat, the action causing Ayane to look at him with an almost expecting look because every time sensei did this, he usually pulled out something that shouldn't have realistically been there.

This time was no exception, as out came something that she honestly wasn't quite sure what to make of. It appeared like an old style shield, the likes of which might have been used by a knight in shining armour, but it also looks much more ornate and artistically designed than any kind of Shield that she was familiar with.

In fact, as the shield came to rest at the hunter's side, she couldn't help but think it almost resembled a stained-glass window of a church, complete with the overly elaborate ironwork that would be responsible for holding such an old style window together.

The hunter looked down at the loch shield for just a moment, using a shield was something that Hunters were not known for, considering that they often relied more on their speed and agility to avoid attack.

But in a situation like this, utilising it would be for the better, considering that even though he could dodge automatic gunfire, for what he was planning to do, it certainly wouldn't have been a bad idea to have a bit of extra protection on his side

However, as he brought the shield up, reading himself ready to make his move as soon as the automatic gunfire ceased once more. The hunter couldn't help but think it was kind of ironic that he was using the shield now.

Because after all when he had first acquired it from the research Hall in the hunter's nightmare, he had ultimately disregarded it to the bottom of the hunter's dream lockbox, because he had never been particularly strong with the arcane. Instead, favouring weapons that required blood tinge and skill to use.

But now with him being ascended to the status of a great one, he could male utilise the Shield to its fullest, bringing out its true power at last.

The hunter's ears suddenly perked up when the sound of almost deafening automatic gunfire finally ended, which meant that his moment had finally come. Yet just before he made his move, the hunter felt somebody quickly come up behind him, causing him to look back abruptly, only to have his eyes wide slightly when he saw that it was none other than Ayane.

A slightly determined yet scared looking in her eyes as she held her pistol at the ready while her smart tablet even put away into its protective vest.

"Sensei, I've got your back, we can do this together!" Ayane said with a confidence that the hunter did find admirable, considering that she was usually quite timid.

And even though he wanted to argue with her choice because he didn't want her to be injured, the look in her gaze was enough to convince the hunter that she probably wouldn't have listened to him even if he tried.

So as such, after looking at each other for a moment, the hunter quickly nodded as both student and teacher quickly jumped out from behind the piece of cover they have been using.

The hunter taking the lead and using the Shield to cover himself and Ayane as both of them ran together. And as both of them ran as a group, Ayane took it upon herself to fire several shots in the general direction of where she suspected the shooter was, although she knew that there was not much she could actually do, considering that she was not very good at shooting on the move, and she was only using a pistol.

However, the hunter was grateful for her effort regardless as the both of them continue to run, although the hunter did have to pace himself.

Fntentionally slowing himself down, considering that the glasses wearing student behind him would not be able to have a chance of Keeping up with him if he were to use his Hunter reflexes and speed.

"Ayane! Stay behind me!" the hunter shouted at the top of his lungs.

Unexpectedly coming to a dead stop, which in turn made Ayane collide into his back. And despite being confused by his sudden words, she suddenly understood exactly why he had said them as a hail of bullets suddenly rained down upon them, the sound of the automatic gunfire now being almost deafening due to their closer proximity to the mysterious shooter.

Yet regardless of momentarily closing her eyes by pure reflux, Ayane quickly open them again when she realised that the hunter, who was in front of her, was holding strong. The shield covering the majority of his body and by extension protecting her from the onslaught of bullets.

However, as she watched the bullets impact the shield, instead of them simply bouncing off or being completely absorbed like she had expected and was familiar with when it came to ballistic Shields. Instead, the bullets did something that made absolutely no sense to her yet mesmerised her to no end.

They were somehow absorbed by the Shield, the bullets almost looking like they were disintegrating into nothing, as they came within proximity of the almost glass-like surface of the Shield.

And this strange almost dissolving effect that the bullets were undergoing, was accompanied by a mysterious almost shimmering white aura, that was now completely encompassing the Shield.

Ayane didn't have much time to watch this any further, as the hunter suddenly turned his head to her, the look in his eye compelling her to follow along, as he quickly began to walk forward. Completely disregarding the effect of the automatic gunfire as his mysterious and alien shield absorbed it completely.

The stream of automatic gunfire felt like it went on forever, however eventually it finally ended, making Ayane breathe a momentary sigh of relief. However, as soon as the gunfire came to an end, the hunter suddenly took off.

Leaving her behind in the dust as he quickly closed the gap between their position and the mysterious shooter's position. Yet even though have no hope of Keeping up with him, Ayane still began to run anyway, keeping her pistol level as she was determined to assist the Hunter.

The Hunter couldn't help but silently apologise to Ayane as he continues to run, after all, he was practically leaving her behind. Considering that the lapse in fire from the mysterious shooter wouldn't last long, he was determined to end the situation now, so that the potential of his students get hurt would be decreased.

As such, quickly making it to the position of the mysterious shooter, the hunter didn't even try to contain himself as he quickly smashed through the partially broken down wall that the shooter had been using his cover and an improvised bipod for her machine gun.

And to his satisfaction he had caught her in the middle of reloading, allowing him to quickly swot her weapon away with a flick of the Shield, and grappa by her wrists, effortlessly lifting the girl into the air and staring at her with an angered gaze.

Yet, as he stared at The mysterious girl, the hunter's eyes suddenly went wide as he realised exactly who the mysterious shooter actually was.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The hunter said with an unimpressed tone as he quickly turned on his heels, holding the lock shield in one and keeping his prisoner aloft despite her Furious protests to escape.

Passing through the partially destroyed wall and being sure to step over the rubble, all the while the girl in his group continuing to protest, the hunter saw Ayane finally managed to catch up.

The poor girl, who was not used to physical exertion like this, nearly collapsing onto her knees because of how hard and Ragged her breaths were. Because if there was one thing that she was not good at, it was extraneous physical activity.

However, despite her now dishevelled and exhausted state, Ayane's eyes still went wide behind her glasses when she saw that the mysterious shooter, was none other than one of the very girls that had attacked with their school the previous day.

"H-hey! It's you from yesterday!?" Ayane managed to say between her ragged coughs and breaths, desperately trying to force as much are into her lungs to stop her head from hurting.

All the while as the mysterious shooter, which was now revealed to be none other than Mutsuki Asagi continue to struggle, and unsuccessfully try and break free from the hunter's almost iron tight grip. Her usual smug and mischievous demeanour completely absent, as her facial expression held nothing but contempt and anger for the Hunter.

The hunter looked at Ayane for a moment, a slightly concerned glint in his eye considering how much the girl was coughing, however she quickly flashed him a smile that said she was alright, which was accompanied by another cough.

And even though the hunter was still concerned for the Ayane, he ultimately turned his attention back to Mutsuki, who, despite still displaying a clear angry expression, flinched considerably when she saw the hunter's completely frustrated and angry face.

Although despite Mutsuki clearly being afraid of the hunter, this did not stop her from furiously trying to kick him in the chest but ultimately these attempts at some kind of physical attack failed, considering that her short and skinny legs couldn't reach him because of the hunter holding her out at arm's length.

"If you are here... then I can only assume that this attempted attack was orchestrated by your dear and powerful boss Aru Rikuhachima?" the hunter injected just a little bit of sarcasm into his voice.

Which had the desired reaction, as Mutsuki attempts at attacking him increased considerably, with the angry look on her face now transforming into a look of pure rage.

"Keep her name the hell out of your mouth! And no, she didn't order me to do this. This is personal!" Mutsuki accompanied her words by trying to kick the hunter once again.

This time actually managing to swing herself just close enough where her foot connected with his chest, however despite the blow and the shocked reaction from Ayane, the hunter didn't react to the kick, not even registering it in his mind as he continued to question Mutsuki.

"If I choose to believe you that is the case, then what exactly have I done to you, that would warrant such an attack against me and my student?" The hunter inquired with a slightly aggravated twinge in his voice, narrowing his eyes considerably as he stared intently into Mutsuki's own eyes.

Mutsuki didn't respond to the hunter's question, the angry and rage filled look in her eyes never leaving as she continued to try and kick him in the chest. However, after several attempts of unsuccessfully of doing this and an uneasy silence that feel the air, she finally responded, her voice full of bitter hatred.

"Isn't it obvious! I'm here to kick your ass after what you did to my gun!" Mutsuki shouted at the top of her lungs. Kicking her feet in an incredibly childish manner to emphasise her point.

The hunter did not respond, his face taking on a completely blank and unreadable expression for several moments, before he eventually let out a sigh, his expression turning into a frustrated and almost confused one.

He wasn't the only one, as Ayane who had her pistol pointed directly at Mutsuki quickly lowered it, her face taking on a completely surprised and almost dumbfounded look. At the reason why the problem solver 68 student had decided to attack her and almost kill sensei.

And even though Ayane could somewhat understand Mutsuki's position considering that most if not all students her self included amongst them, took extraordinary care of their firearms, to the point where they were often treated more like companions rather than simple tools to be used.

However, going to such lengths to seek revenge over something, that at the end of the day was an ordinary piece of metal that could be repaired or outright replaced if necessary, was completely and utterly insane to Ayane.

"You almost killed sensei... because he broke your gun! Are you actually insane!?" Ayane suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her face taking on a look of almost incandescent rage as she quickly ran towards the currently immobile Mutsuki, forgetting her pistol and intent on beating the girl with her bare hands for almost killing sensei over something so outrageously trivial.

Yet luckily before she could actually lay a finger on Mutsuki, Ayane suddenly found herself stopped in her tracks by a hand pressing against her shoulder and turning her rage filled eyes upwards, they widened in surprise when she saw that it was none other than sensei, an understanding yet almost disappointed look in his eyes as he spoke.

"Ayane you should calm yourself" The hunter urged with a firm yet gentle tone as Ayane looked up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"While your frustration is understandable, taking out your anger on somebody who is now defenseless is not the right thing to do. After all, you wouldn't want to be like Mutsuki and her friends who do deplorable things, would you?" Finishing his words.

The hunter emphasise them by motioning to Mutsuki, who, despite feeling incredibly insulted by his words, had by this point mostly giving up on her efforts to try and escape. Seeing as, the hunter's grip was too tight for her to wiggle free from.

Ayane didn't say anything for a few seconds, her surprised and questioning gaze turning to look up at The Hunter for a moment. Yet it did not remain there for very long, as she quickly turned her eyes back to the object of her, the aggravated look appearing on her face once again.

However, as quickly as it came, it disappeared as Ayane let out an angry sigh, closing her eyes for a moment as she pinched the bridge of her nose before ultimately complying with the hunter's request, managing to swallow her anger and let it settle deep within her belly.

Satisfied that Ayane was no longer about to tear Mutsuki limb from limb any more, the hunter turned his attention back to the girl who was simply hanging there, the anger and frustration never leaving her face, even though she had long since stopped struggling.

"Now then where were we...? Oh, yes!" The Hunter thought for a moment, before it occurred to him as he remembered that the girl's attack against him, was none other than the fact that he had damaged her weapon in the battle yesterday.

And while he knew that students took great care of their weapons, to the point where he made him and his meticulous care for his own weapons look modest. The fact that Mutsuki would go to such lengths to attack him and by extension Ayane was mildly intriguing, but mostly concerning.

Mutsuki didn't say anything in response to the hunter's words, the rage never leaving her face as she let out an angered huff, accompanying the sound by flicking her head to the side, choosing not to look at the hunter any more which in turn made her long side ponytail whip around wildly.

Still, despite her dismissal of him, the hunter did not rise to her childish display of disobedience, instead choosing to keep his emotions level and even so that the situation could be resolved.

After all while he would be more than willing to issue out an appropriate punishment to the girl and by extension have friends for their stunt yesterday. Ultimately there were more pressing issues that needed attending to, as such after a moment of the hunter realised what he needed to do.

"Hmmmmmm... While a more severe punishment would be an order after what you did Mutsuki Asagi, I suppose that this will have to settle for now as I have never the time nor the patience, to deal with a troublemaker like you" The hunter followed up his words by quickly letting go of Mutsuki's wrists.

The sudden action catching the girl off guard as she looked up at him for a split second before falling to the ground, her skirt billowing out beneath her as she landed on her butt, the sudden Impact causing her to yell out in slight pain but mostly surprised.

However, the hunter wasn't done as in one swift motion he quickly reached down with his long arm and picked up Mutsuki's light machine gun from the ground, holding the weapon by the carry handle as he looked at it for a moment.

Before turning his eyes back to Mutsuki's who despite rubbing her rear end had managed to get to her knees and was looking at the hunter with a shocked and angry look in her eyes.

"W-what are you doing with my gun?!" Mutsuki managed to say with a stutter as she quickly got to her feet, ignoring the pain in her rear end as the hunter continued to look at the light machine gun in his hand for a moment before turning his gaze back to her.

"I am confiscating it" The hunter said matter-of-factly.

Lifting the weapon high into the air, just in time so it was out of reach of Mutsuki, who quickly dashed up to the hunter, standing on her tippy-toes desperately trying to reach for her gun, and all of a sudden, jumping into the air her fingers just grazing the grip but otherwise being still too out of reach for her to get.

The hunter couldn't help but watch with mild amusement as the girl continued to jump, trying to retrieve her light machine gun, and he couldn't help but be reminded of some kind of angry puppy or kitten that was desperately trying to get a treat that was being held Just out of reach.

Ayane from her position beside the hunter didn't say or do anything, yet she kept her pistol at the ready just in case that the problem solver 68 members decided to do anything funny to sensei.

However, she had to silently admit to herself that it was kind of funny and also satisfying to watch Mutsuki get a taste of her own medicine, considering how her mischievous behaviour had annoyed Ayane to absolutely no end, both in the previous day's battle and their encounter at the Ramen restaurant.

"Confiscating it? You can't do that!" Mutsuki cried loudly, still desperately trying to jump as high as she physically could to retrieve her light machine gun from the much larger adult.

Yet, ultimately this was to no avail, as the hunter simply looked down at her with an expression that was blank and calm, but in his eyes, Mutsuki could see just a small hint of amusement as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm afraid my young Mutsuki Asagi that I can" The hunter accompanied his words with a slight chuckle, which made Mutsuki look up at him in confusion as he continued.

"As an extrajudicial and autonomous organisation, Schale operates outside the usual rules of Kivotos and all of its academies. And as the sensei of Schale I am able to do as I wish... And as I wish just so happens to include the confiscation of student firearms if they have misbehaved and misuse them" The hunter finished his words with another chuckle, only this time it sounded much more menacing and almost boastful.

Which made Mutsuki feel deeply aggravated but also incredibly intimidated, because she had assumed that the hunter was nothing more than an ordinary adult.

But now with the reveal of him being none other than the head of Schale, an organisation that from the little reading she and her fellow problem solver 68 members are done, was essentially above the law, which meant that sensei could essentially do anything he wished, regardless of the law and without any kind of recourse.

However, before Mutsuki could actually process the revelation, the hunter suddenly turned on the spot, giving her one last look over his shoulder, rifle still in hand as he motioned for Ayane to follow him.

Which after a moment of staring daggers at Mutsuki she quickly did both student and teacher, quickly leaving a frustrated and thoroughly humiliated Mutsuki behind.

"If you ever wish to retrieve your firearm, then stop by Schale headquarters... and I will determine whether you deserve to have it returned to you" The hunter spoke over his shoulder just loud enough so Mutsuki could hear him over the distance he had put between her and him.

And despite not being able to see her reaction with his own eyes, he could feel the angry look that she sent his way as she angrily skulked away, most likely intent on returning to her friends at problem solver 68. Now would be an embarrassing story about how her rifle had been confiscated by the sensei of Schale after trying to gun him down in cold blood.

"Sensei, are you sure that's a good idea... What happens if she tries to kill you again?" Ayane said with a concerned tone of voice, momentarily looking back over her shoulder.

Her pistol at the ready, just in case Mutsuki decided to follow them, which thankfully she didn't.

"There is no need to fear Ayane, even if she did decide to foolishly try and attack me at Schale, I will be perfectly alright because I will have the home field advantage" the hunter followed his words with a slight chuckle.

Quickly slinging Mutsuki's light machine gun over his shoulder to make it easier to carry as Ayane turned her eyes to look up at him, her gaze full of concern.

"If You say so sensei... but please just be careful from now on... seeing you so badly injured was almost too much to bear" Ayane said with a somewhat timid and quiet voice, as she quickly turned her gaze downwards. The look in her eyes turning into one of fear, but also embarrassment at the words she had just spoken.

Not saying anything in response, the hunter looked at his companion for a moment as they both walked, the school gate in front of them just a few steps away, and eventually he chuckled discreetly, raising his free hand up and placing it on Ayane's shoulder.

The sudden action making the girl panic slightly as she quickly turned her eyes to look at him in surprise.

"I will be sure to take that to heart... now why don't we pick up the pace a tad? After all, we have much to do and so little time" the hunter accompanied his words by smiling gently at Ayane who, despite her surprised at the hunter touching her out of the blue, couldn't help but smile back.

The concern in her eyes finally vanishing as both of them stared at each other for a moment before picking up their pace, which eventually turned into a light jog as they ended the school grounds and began to prepare for today's loan payment.

…...​

"A 7,883,250 yen payment on your loan, including variable interest and additional interest, has been confirmed"

A robotic and slightly cheery voice filled the air, as its owner, which was a football shaped head robot in a smart blue suit, quickly accepted the large amount of physical cash that has just been handed to it.

And after looking over the physical mountains of cash in his arms, the two blue dots on the robot's faceplate that represented its eyes, quickly changed into what could be presumed to be a happy expression.

"All money paid in cash, and no issues to report. Thank you once again for doing business with kaiser loans. See you again next month"

The blue suited robot quickly turned on his heels, not even bothering to say goodbye as he abruptly got into a van, money in hand as the van began to drive away at a considerable speed kicking up a large dust cloud that made the gathered students and one teacher cough slightly.

However, as everyone recovered from the kicked up dust cloud, not a single word was uttered. Every single member of the abydos foreclosure task force completely and utterly silent as the only sound that could be heard was the quickly softening sound of the kaiser van that had taken the money away.

Out of everyone, Ayane looked the most dejected, her face contorted into a deep unsatisfied frown which was reciprocated by all of her friends which silently looked between each other.

After all, despite having paid back some of the money from their loan for this month, so that the school could remain open. That did not change the fact that today of all days was always the one where they felt at their lowest, simply because it felt like paying the money each month was a losing battle, which it really was.

But as everyone continued to stew in their silence, the hunter was the one that finally broke it. His words accompanied by a frustrated sounding sigh as he quickly brought his hand up to the side of his head, gently tapping his temple with a finger which conveyed how frustrated he was.

"This is ridiculous, how can those snakes get away with this?"

All members of the foreclosure task force turned their eyes to sensei, each of them feeling somewhat sorry for him because he now understood just how much stress they were under when it came to paying back their debts.

"Uhe! I understand your frustration sensei, but what kaiser loans is doing is completely legal... even if it's morally reprehensible" Hoshino accompanied her words by letting out a tired sounding yawn, stretching her arms over her head to relieve the tension in her shoulders.

Turning his gaze to Hoshino, the hunter couldn't stop himself from frowning noticeably. While he had done quite a bit of reading to familiarise himself with the laws of kivotos, it didn't make any sense to him out something like this which was essentially extortion of children could be legal in the slightest.

"Even if it's legal, it definitely shouldn't be" the hunter said matter-of-factly as he crossed his arms over his chest. The frustrated scowl on his face remaining present as he looked off into the distance, where the Kaiser loans van had departed to.

"Why don't we look on the bright side for a change? We managed to keep the school open for another month, so that's all that counts, right?" Hoshino quickly stepped out in front of the group, using her words to try and pick everyone's spirits up.

Yet nobody responded to her attempt, simply continuing to stare off at nothing or amongst each other in silence.

But ultimately, Shiroko finally broke the silence, asking a question that had been on her mind for some time now, and even though her face remained blank and emotionless, the frustration and helplessness in her eyes was more than enough to make Hoshino's heart ache.

"How much longer to go, until it's all paid off?" Shiroko said quietly, her voice even and calm. Yet there was just a small hint of frustration in it as she waited for a response, which came from none other than Ayane.

"At the rate we're going, the entire loan will be paid off in... 309 years" Ayane followed up her words by letting out a tired sounding sigh.

Even after coming to terms with the ridiculous amount of time it would take her and friends to repay their debt, it still didn't seem real that kaiser loans actually expected them to pay such a ridiculous amount of money back over a ridiculous amount of time.

'Although I suppose when we're dead... we won't have to worry about it any more'

Ayane didn't say that last part out loud, but the though brought a somewhat cynical smile to her face, because it really felt like that death would be the only way to be free from this ridiculous debt.

"Geez, Ayane, thanks for bringing up just how screwed we are! Like seriously, if I hear any more talk about how long it's going to take, I think I'm going to snap!" Serika quickly grabbed her twin tails and pulled them slightly.

When she had first heard how long it would actually take to pay off all the debt, she couldn't believe it, but now having it said again reminded her just how hopeless the situation was, which only frustrated her to no end.

However, before anyone could say anything, Hoshino, Shiroko, Serika, Nonomi and Ayane all suddenly jumped in surprise when an unexpected sound broke the silence.

SMASH!

Everyone turned to the source of the startling noise, only to have their eyes widen in surprise and shock when they saw it had come from none other than sensei. His fist, which had been at his side a moment to go, now firmly embedded in the partially destroyed brick pillar, that made up the abydos main school gate.

"Sensei!"

Ayane was the first to move, quickly rushing over to sensei, trying to remove his hand from the broken and destroyed pillar. Her paranoia about sensei's health and safety being on overdrive ever since this morning after watching him nearly die.

The hunter didn't say anything as he quickly pulled his first from the pillar, his frustrated and angry face, looking at his now bloodied and shredded knuckles for a moment, before he let his hand drop to his side, a sigh departing from between his lips as he apologised.

"Forgive me everyone... I let my temper get the better of me there for a moment" The hunter accompanied his words by offering up an apologetic smile, but in spite of this everyone could see the frustration and anger still present in his gaze.

Yet that did not stop Shiroko, Serika and Nonomi from crowding around him, each of them having a concerned expression on their faces, although Serika did look slightly angry mostly because of the now damaged gate pillar.

"Sensei, your hand... it's bleeding!" Nonomi quickly scooped up sensei's hand into her own and much to the surprise of the hunter and slight jealousy of Shiroko and Ayane, she retrieved a handkerchief from her cardigan pocket, and began to gently and astutely dab away the blood on the hunter's knuckles.

However, before Nonomi could get much further with wiping the blood away from the hunter's damage knuckles. He quickly but gently pulled his hand away and grab the handkerchief that she had been holding, flashing her a thankful smile as he quickly got to work using it to clean his own knuckles.

"I appreciate your concern Nonomi, but I will take care of my own injuries... After all, what kind of teacher would I be if I were to rely on my students to take care of me?" the hunter finished his words by letting out a quiet but Jovial sounding chuckle.

Which, despite not completely relieving everyone's moods, did go somewhere to making them feel better as a smile appeared on each of their faces except for Hoshino who simply watched the entire scene with a blank expression.

Yet, after several moments of everyone standing around in silence, Hoshino opened her mouth to speak.

"Come on everyone why don't we head inside, the longer we stand out here twiddling our thumbs the last time we'll have to figure out some kind of solution to our debt problem" Hoshino ended her words by quickly turning on her heels motioning for everyone to follow which they quickly did.

But as everyone began to make their way inside the schools main gate and towards the main building, the hunter found himself slowly coming to a stop, his head turning so he could look over his shoulder and back out to the Main Street, and specifically in the direction that the Kaiser van had disappeared into.

His eyes narrowing considerably because something about all of this didn't feel right to him, after all, why would a loan company only accept cash payments and not even bother having any kind of security present at the transaction.

He wasn't exactly sure yet, but something told him that the money and the debt wasn't the reason why kaiser kept harassing abydos.

"Sensei come on! The longer you stand out there, the more likely you are to get heat stroke"

The hunter found himself abruptly turning his head to the source of the voice, seeing that it was none other than Serika.

Waving to him from the school's main entrance, with the rest of her friends looking on with slight confusion at why the hunter had seemingly stopped mid-pace.

However, without saying a word, Hunter quickly began to walk again making his way over to the main school entrance and reuniting with his students as the group continue to make their way towards the main clubroom.

…...​

"Alright, let's begin, shall we? We need to go over two main issues" Ayane quickly rise up from her seat and stepped in front of the main table. Tablet in hand as she looked at it for a moment before continuing.

"First off is yesterday's assault. The culprits belong to a club called Problem Solver 68. They are a notorious group of student delinquents from gehenna Academy" Pausing for a few seconds to make sure that everyone was following along with her words, Ayane quickly typed away at her tablet for a moment, bringing up the necessary information she needed before resuming her speech.

"They present themselves as a fixer agency, but they are more like a freelance errand centre. The club president is a girl named Aru, she was the one who was calling herself the boss" Ayane typed away at her tablet some more, hang up more information before continuing.

"According to the information I've gathered, she apparently has three supposed employees beneath Her. A chief of staff, department head, and entry level employee... at least that's what they call themselves anyway, but it seems that there is no official structure in their group" Finishing her report, Ayane quickly sat down in her chair once more, allowing the silence in the air to persistence as everyone absorb the information that she had relayed.

However, after a moment of contemplative silence, Hoshino was the one to break it, stretching her arms above her head and letting out her trademark yawn as she chose that moment to speak.

"Man, they really mean business, huh?" Hoshino immediately followed her words by letting out another yawn.

Although despite her sleepiness and her seemingly overall relaxed demeanour, it was clear to everyone that she was taking this very seriously, considering that problem solver 68 could be a very big nuisance if not dealt with soon.

"She's an executive at her age? That's impressive even if she is a troublemaking delinquent" Nonomi suddenly interjected, offering a backhanded compliment because even if Aru and the others were delinquents who were not worthy of respect.

It was at least somewhat commendable that she was able to hold such a position and yet not even be out of high school yet.

"I highly doubt that she's actually some kind of executive Nonomi, her title is most likely self-proclaimed. Also, I suspect that they are currently operating out of a location close to abydos- especially considering that me and sensei ran into one of their group early this morning" Ayane quickly commented, casting her eyes over to the hunter for a moment before turning her gaze back to everyone else who was gathered around the table.

However, before anyone else could speak, the hunter chose that exact moment to instead talk himself.

"Indeed we did have a bit of a scuffle with one of their group this morning, also I suspect that Ayane correct in her assertion, that they are most likely operating somewhere nearby" The hunter paused for a moment allowing his words to wash over the gathered students before continuing.

"After all, it would only make perfect sense for them to set up a home base nearby and use it as the temporary hub of operations" Ending his words, the hunter crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back slightly in the rather small but still comfortable chair as he waited for a response.

Yet, after a moment, Serika turn to look at him, a slightly confused look in her eyes as she motioned to the unfamiliar dark pink machine gun that was resting nearby.

"If you run into them this morning... Then where exactly did you get that gun, sensei?" Serika asked curiously, not wanting to make it seem like she was praying into his business.

But after seeing sensei this morning with the unfamiliar machine gun that didn't suit him or look like something he would use, her curiosity had been piqued and now finally got the better of her.

The hunter turned himself to look at the curious blackhead cat girl, a small smile forming on his lips as he spoke.

"Well my young Serika, this weapon belongs to none other than Mutsuki Asagi, who is the very same member of problem solver 68 who tried to attack me and Ayane this morning" The hunter finished his words by chuckling loudly, still remembering the somewhat comical image of Mutsuki hanging by her wrists, desperately trying to free herself and attack him at the same time as if she was some kind of overly angry puppy.

Serika didn't say anything for a moment, a confused look appearing in her eyes as she tilted her head to the side slightly, which was a physical indication that conveyed her confusion. And as the hunter watched her do this, he couldn't help but be reminded of a curious little cat.

"So... you're telling me that you took her gun?" Serika finally spoke, while the prospect of having a weapon taken away from a student wasn't entirely alien, considering it could be done by law enforcement. The fact that sensei had done so, was genuinely confusing to her.

"Yes, I confiscated it from her... As a punishment for her reckless behaviour" The hunter shed matter of factually, motioning to the machine gun that was resting in one of the weapons racks nearby which made Serika look at it for a moment before her eyes went wide.

"Wait! You can do that?" Serika try to hide be surprised tone in her voice, while she knew that sensei was able to do things that were outside the law, considering his position at the head of Schale.

But the fact that he was able to confiscate a student's firearm without going through the proper channels was genuinely surprising to her.

However, before Serika could proverbially pick her jaw up off the floor at the reveal of what sensei had done, Shiroko chose that moment to speak.

"Ayane, is what problem solver 68 is doing, officially recognised by gehenna Academy?" Shiroko accompanied her monotone voice by quickly retrieving her rifle, racking the charging handle and holding it at the ready, because if the answer to her question was yes. Then she was more than prepared to go to war with the entirety of gehenna if needed.

Being completely caught off guard by Shiroko's question, Ayane's eyes widen behind her glasses as she realised exactly what Shiroko was prepared to do, if the prospect of gehenna attacking their Academy was confirmed.

"I doubt it, Shiroko. I suspect they simply took whatever contract they could get their hands on" Ayane breathe they sigh of relief when she saw the fiery and almost excited look in Shiroko's eyes quickly vanish.

With it being replaced by a downtrodden expression as she put her rifle down, which was accompanied by her ears drooping down in sadness.

"So they're in violation of school regulations... that seems a bit strange if you ask me... while they are backstabbing troublemakers, they didn't seem all that bad or malicious" Nonomi said with a pondering look on her face. While the prospect of being friends with them wasn't exactly on the table any more, she could honestly say that if things had gone differently then it was possible that they could have been good friends.

Ayane as well as everyone else turned to look at Nonomi, blank looks on all of their faces before they let out a collective sigh.

"On the contrary. They are known for being troublemakers and causing headaches at gehenna as well" Ayane accompanied her words by letting out another sigh, this one sounding much more tired than frustrated. However, she quickly picked herself up, reminding herself that Nonomi despite her overly accepting attitude did mean well.

"And now they're targeting our school! So we need to make sure we take this seriously, all right, everyone?" Ayane didn't raise her voice, yet the seriousness in her tone was enough to make her friends all not in agreement.

After all, despite having a myriad of problems on their plate, especially when it came to paying off their debt, if they let problem solver 68 continue doing as they did, then it would only cause bigger problems for them down the road.

"Maybe we could capture and interrogate them... After all, since sensei confiscated one of their weapons, they would be down some firepower and be easier to incapacitate" Hoshino spoke clearly, the sleepy and dopey expression now completely absent as she spoke with a serious tone.

Because, even though she often seemed like she didn't take anything seriously, when the chips actually came down to it, she would always take things seriously.

Ayane, Shiroko, Serika and Nonomi all looked between each other for a moment, while the plan was an incredibly risky, it certainly had some merit. Considering that, much like Hoshino had said. Sensei had relieved one of problem solver 68 members of their firepower, meaning that they would be easier to take on.

"For once, I agree with Hoshino. However, we go about it, we need to take some initiatives and nip this problem in the bud before it can get worse" Ayane finished her words by slamming her hand into the table, just loud enough to catch everyone's attention.

However, before she could continue speaking, she suddenly heard somebody get out from their chair followed by a hand being placed on her shoulder.

"Ayane please take a moment to calm yourself... getting overly frustrated will cloud your mind and make you unable to think clearly" The hunter spoke with a calming tone as Ayane turned her eyes up to look at him.

The anger and frustration in her gays remaining for a moment before dissipating as she let out a calming breath.

"Sensei has a point Ayane... you really need to calm down about all of this before you have an aneurysm or something" Serika didn't even try to hide the slightly concerned tone in her voice as she offered a compassionate hand out to her friend. After all, if Ayane hurt herself from overstressing, then where would they all be without her.

Ayane turned her gaze to Serika, staring at the black headed cat girl for several long moments before a slight smile appeared on her face. It genuinely warmed her heart to know that her friends were worried about her.

Seeing this display of camaraderie, the hunter couldn't stop himself from smiling as he removed his hand from the glasses wearing girl's shoulder. Putting both of his hands behind his back as, he chose that moment to push the conversation along, specifically to the next subject that needed discussing.

"I believe the next thing that needs discussing is who exactly is behind the helmet gang and their abduction of Serika" The Hunter watched everyone turn their eyes to him, slight confusion on their faces before they realised exactly what he had said.

And recovering quickly, Ayane took over the conversation, retrieving her tablet once again and typing away at it for a few seconds.

"Sensei is right. After analysing the weapons we recovered from the last battle... I ended up cross-referencing their serial numbers with all publicly known databases, and guess what?" Ayane waited for anyone to take her up on her question, however after several moments of silence it was none other than Hoshino who decided to speak.

"The serial numbers were not found, were they?" Hoshino said with a serious tone of voice, the look in her multicoloured eyes one of complete graveness as she waited for Ayane's response.

"Yes, but it's worse than that... the serial numbers won't just miss they were actively scrubbed from any public database... almost as if somebody was trying to hide them from the police and the general student council" Ayane finished her words by typing away at her tablet some more, bringing up several pictures of the weapons and their serial numbers and showing them to her friends which all looked curiously at them.

They hadn't noticed at the time when examining the dropped weapons of the delinquents, but now they could easily see that several of the weapons actively have their serial numbers scraped away to the point where they were almost legible.

"If these weapons technically don't exist in any database... then how the hell did the helmet gang get the hands on them?" Serika tore her eyes away from the photos on Ayane's tablet, her face taking on a frustrated, contemplative expression.

As she tried to rack her brain, how a bunch of delinquents who were known for being very unorganised were able to get their hands on weaponry that for all intents and purposes didn't exist.

"The only place you could realistically get unlicensed weapons like this... is the black market" Shiroko said with a matter of fact tone, her words making everyone look at her in surprise.

"A black market, you say... I have to admit I'm surprised, I didn't think Kivotos would have such a thing" The hunter spoke with a genuinely surprised tone.

While he knew that black markets were a thing that most Society suffered from, he genuinely didn't think that Kivotos would have such a problem, considering it was primarily run and occupied by students.

"Unfortunate as it is, sensei. Something like that is reality. All sorts of people are drawn to such a thing, dropouts, burnouts on leave flunkies... The black market is a gathering place for delinquent of all stripes. Not to mention a place where unauthorised clubs go to do business" Ayane couldn't stop herself from grimacing.

While she had never been to the black market herself, mostly out of moral principle, that did not mean that she hadn't read up about it several times out of curiosity. Because even though it was something that was supposed to be secret and away from the prying eyes of the law, that certainly didn't mean that people didn't talk about it, which was where most of the information about the black market came from.

The hunter didn't say anything for a moment, quickly bringing a hand up to his face and rubbing his chin in deep thought, much like he always did when pondering. However, before he could speak again, Shiroko chose that moment to speak instead.

"If the black market is a meeting ground for unlicensed clubs... then do you think problem solver 68 might have done business there?" Shiroko asked with an expecting glint in her eyes.

If problem solver 68 had indeed been to the black market, then it might be possible to backtrack the people who had hired them to attack their school.

"Yes Shiroko, problem solver 68 have already caused quite a bit of trouble at the black market already" Ayane spoke confidently. She already had an idea of what the next suggestion would be, but she wanted to hear it from her friend's just in case her gut was telling her wrong.

"If that's the case, then there's our link! If we do a bit of snooping around, maybe we'll figure out who hired them!" Nonomi spoke with her usual energetic voice, as she quickly jumped up from the table. Her ample bosom bouncing from the sudden motion as she excitedly grabbed her minigun which was resting nearby.

"Nonomi is more than correct. If problem solver 68 has done business in the black market then there is a high likelihood we might be able to track down whoever hired them to harass you lot" the hunter spoke calmly as he watched all the students and not in agreement.

While he didn't like the idea of taking his beloved students to such a place as a black market, it was ultimately something that needed to be done.

Considering that, problem solver 68 and the black market was their only lead to have any chance of figuring out who was behind all this mess.

"I agree with sensei and Nonomi. If there's any connection we should find it there" Ayane finished by quickly getting up from her seat, her tablet safely in her hand, and pistol resting comfortably in its holster, as the rest of her friends quickly followed suit of them grabbing their respective weapons.

"Well, it looks like it's time for another impromptu field trip... Sensei would you be kind enough to join us" Hoshino turned to the hunter her shotgun resting over her shoulder as she picked up the iron Horus.

The hunter promptly smiled at the pink haired girl as he gave a polite bow, reaching into his overcoat at the same time and retrieving his beloved Evelyn. The redwood of its pistol grip and the silvery engravings glistening in the artificial light of the classroom as he straightened his back.

"There is no need to ask Hoshino. What kind of teacher would I be if I was to let my students go to such a dangerous place without any kind of supervision" The hunter voiced with a humorous expression, as he quickly turned on his heels. His overcoat flowing majestically behind him as he motioned for everyone to follow him, which they quickly did.

All of them shuffling out of the Classroom and into the hallway before making their way to the motor pool where a vehicle will be waiting for them.