The Main Street of the Capital.
A prison carriage slowly made its way along the wide road, as if putting on a display for the crowd. Inside the carriage, Takeru, dressed like a slave or a criminal, was bound with magic-sealing shackles, exposed to the public's scorn.
"Monster! Disappear from this world! Die already!"
The voices of the crowd, filled with hatred, echoed around him. His hands were bound, making it impossible to cover his ears. His heart was hollow, and there was nothing left that the boy could do but endure.
The hero who had defeated the Demon King and saved the world, Yamato Takeru, could only think:
—Why?
He had loved this world that had given him a second chance. He had wanted to protect the people who had always smiled at him.
"Savior! Thank you so much for protecting us!"
—The people he had saved from the Demon King's army.
"Savior! Use our lives as you see fit!"
—The soldiers who had fought by his side until the end, standing against the Demon King's forces.
"Takeru, my friend, you have always fought and suffered for us... I regret my lack of power... I’m sorry."
—Even the young king, who had been powerless, had continued to fight, taking all the responsibility upon himself.
Everyone had responded to his efforts. The more he fought, the more they trusted him. The more he gave, the more they smiled.
—So why, why is everyone turning on me now?
As tears streamed down his face, he screamed. At that moment, a stone was hurled at him. It was thrown by a child, looking both frightened and furious.
"Why don't you just die already!"
At that instant, Takeru's heart shattered, and the world around him lost all its color.
Now, it seemed like everyone in this world wanted him dead. And at the end of the carriage's journey, waiting to execute him, stood an executioner in full armor and the chancellor.
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, Takeru jolted awake in the early morning darkness, the sun not yet risen. He jumped out of bed, overcome with fear.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
His breathing was ragged, and he was drenched in sweat.
"A dream...?"
Instinctively, Takeru touched his neck, relieved to find it still attached. But as he remembered the actual sensation of his head being severed, a deep sorrow settled in his heart.
Still shaken from the morning's dream, Takeru ate breakfast in a daze, his mood dark. Sitting with his parents, he recalled what had happened a few days ago.
After leaving the gate with Byoudouin, Takeru had seen him, exhausted, sitting on the ground with a satisfied smile.
It was clear that Byoudouin was pleased to have pushed past his limits, but for Takeru, there was something more important.
"Byoudouin, you remember our deal, right?"
"You mean introducing you to Hunter Uesugi? Of course! I’d swear it on our goddess, Sakura, if you'd like!"
"No, no, that's not necessary..."
——keru?
——This body isn't mine.
Uesugi Kikyou—a hunter said to be Japan's strongest, who fights by channeling ancient heroic spirits. If anyone could figure out how to return the body to its rightful owner, Takeru thought, it would be her.
When that happened, of course, Takeru himself would disappear.
—But I already died once. I have nothing to lose now...
"Takeru!"
"Huh—?"
Suddenly, a loud voice jolted Takeru from his thoughts. He looked up to see his father gazing at him with concern.
"Are you okay?"
"…What?"
"You look pale."
As soon as his father spoke, his mother, sitting beside him, also turned her gaze toward Takeru, her expression tense.
"You really do! Oh dear, we need to get you to the hospital!"
"No, it's just a bad dream. There's no need to go to the hospital over—"
Takeru tried to stop his parents, feeling they were overreacting, but they wouldn’t relent.
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Wha—!"
They both rejected his protest in unison.
"You were hospitalized, and you've lost your memory! What if there’s something wrong with your brain?" his father scolded.
"Exactly! If anything else happens to you, we… we wouldn’t be able to bear it!" his mother added tearfully, holding his hand tightly.
Takeru was taken aback by their fierce concern. The love and care his parents showed made his heart feel lighter, as if they had lifted the weight of his own uncertainty and fear.
—Ah…
The trauma from his dream had made his heart heavy, but that weight was suddenly gone. Realizing it was his parents' warmth that had eased his burden, Takeru was reminded of how much he was cared for.
"..."
Takeru smiled gently at them.
"I'm fine now."
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Ah, okay…"
In the end, Takeru was forced to take the day off school and head to the hospital for a check-up.
While waiting in the hospital after his check-up, Takeru heard a familiar voice, startled:
"Ah…"
"Huh?"
Looking over, Takeru spotted Chika in casual clothes. The rest of the Wind Guard was with her, including Gato, who had been seriously injured, and the three of them appeared to be here for Gato's discharge.
"..."
"..."
Takeru and Chika exchanged awkward glances, neither sure what to say. The Wind Guard noticed Chika’s odd behavior and followed her gaze.
"Huh? Hey, isn’t that the kid from that time—?"
"Oi, Gato. Keep your voice down, we’re in a hospital." Tomoichi said, covering Gato's mouth before he could shout.
"…Hello."
"Hey."
Tomoichi, embarrassed by Gato's outburst, nodded back at Takeru, slightly uncomfortable. Takeru felt a little nervous seeing that the Wind Guard remembered him, but he was relieved that they weren’t mentioning anything about his identity.
"Chika-chan, what’s going on with you?"
"Uh, well…"
Mari, standing beside Chika, asked her curiously, seeing her unusual behavior. Chika hesitated, unsure of how to explain.
"..."
Noticing Chika’s unease, Gato suddenly looked at Takeru, deep in thought.
"I see…" Gato murmured.
"Gato?" Tomoichi and Mari, puzzled by Gato's behavior, looked at him. Without warning, Gato hoisted Takeru onto his shoulder.
"Huh?"
"What the—?"
"Hey, wait—!"
The entire group was stunned into silence, and then, as if snapping out of it all at once, everyone shouted in unison:
"Heeey! What are you doing?!"
Gato said nothing as he carried Takeru, running off without explanation.
Too shocked by the sudden turn of events to resist, Takeru found himself brought to the rooftop of the hospital. Finally put down, he looked straight into Gato's face.
"Uh… can you please explain what’s going on here?"
Gato firmly gripped Takeru's shoulders, staring at him with a serious expression.
"…You're the boy, aren't you?"
"…What are you talking about?"
Takeru knew exactly what Gato meant but had no intention of answering. Gato seemed like he wanted to say something, but then he suddenly turned his back.
"Thank you!"
"Wha—?!"
Takeru was baffled by the loud outburst. Why was Gato shouting something like that? He felt uneasy.
"I'm an idiot, but I can at least understand what my comrades are thinking! So, I won’t say anything more!"
"…Okay."
Takeru, understanding what Gato meant, quietly accepted his gratitude with just one word.
Gato heard the response behind him and nodded before continuing.
"…I’m a weak man who couldn’t protect this city I love or my precious comrades."
—You protected me! You saved us!
"But I will get stronger! Much, much stronger than I am now!"
—I don’t know why the boy is hiding his power, but I’m sure he has his reasons. So I won’t ask!
"This city will be protected by me, by us!"
—But if something ever happens to you, I promise I’ll be there to help! I’ll become strong enough to do that!
"So, you don’t need to worry about anything. Just live peacefully!"
As Gato said this with a smile, the door burst open, and Chika and the others rushed in.
"Hey, Gato! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Gato-kun! I’m really mad this time!"
Tomoichi kicked Gato, who had kidnapped Takeru, while Mari scolded him, and Chika bowed her head, clearly flustered.
Seeing this, Takeru raised his hand lightly toward Chika to signal that everything was fine, then headed back into the hospital.
"Thank you… huh?"
As Takeru descended the stairs, he let out a small chuckle.
He had spent his time as a savior, receiving thanks from many people. That gratitude had fueled him, enabling him to keep fighting.
No matter the betrayal he experienced, it couldn’t change Takeru’s nature—a savior who would always help those in need.
On his way back from the hospital, Takeru deeply regretted not taking a different path.
In front of him were goblins and ogres, demonic creatures likely spawned from a gate break. They lay in a massive heap, all dead.
What caught Takeru’s attention was how they had died.
Some were beaten to death with their faces crushed, others were torn apart. The common factor was the sheer brutality involved, showing the cruelty of whoever had killed them.
"Hey, Yashio! It’s him, right?"
"Yes, just like in the photos. No doubt about it."
Two men were watching Takeru, talking to each other.
One was sitting atop the pile of demon corpses like a king on his throne. He had dark skin, dreadlocks, and a leather jacket, exuding an outlaw’s aura. His massive, intimidating figure resembled a boulder.
In his hand was a bloodstained metal knuckle, still covered in bits of flesh. He smirked down at Takeru, clearly enjoying the feeling of superiority.
The other man, in stark contrast to the thug, was a slender man in a business suit, with an air of a typical salaryman. If not for the gruesome setting, he would look entirely ordinary.
It was clear that both men had their sights set on Takeru.
—Who are these guys?
Sensing something off, Takeru decided not to react. The more refined-looking man, Yashio, smiled in a way that felt insincere.
"You’re Takeru Kusanagi, correct?"
"…"
"I’m Yashio. And the man up there is Shima."
Introducing himself, Yashio pulled out a business card from his pocket.
"Under the orders of Ouroboros’ leader, Hebikawa, we’ve come to recruit you."
Yashio approached politely, but his gaze flashed sharply for a moment.
—Ouroboros… that’s what Takamine-san mentioned before…
"Ouroboros is investigating you. It’s one of the largest guilds in the country, but it has a lot of dark rumors surrounding it... If you seek peace, it’s wise to stay away."
Takeru had thought it wouldn’t matter since he had no intention of becoming a hunter. However, the look in the eyes of the two before him spoke of people who would trample others for their own gain.
—If you pay close attention, you can sense malice pretty easily.
In the past, Takeru had almost unconditionally trusted the people in the other world. But after the cruel betrayal he’d experienced, he had learned to start with doubt. Now, he could sense the malice in these two as clearly as if it were tangible.
"Please don’t be so wary. We just want to ask you a few things about the incident at Kazami High."
Yashio smiled, but half of his face was twisted in darkness.
"If that’s the case, you should ask the school—"
"If you won’t talk, well, we’ll have no choice… perhaps we’ll ask someone else, like… him."
Yashio pulled out his phone and showed a photo of Sawamura and a small figure of Araki, clearly taken in secret.
—These guys…
Realizing that avoiding them could put Sawamura in danger, Takeru reluctantly decided to follow them.
They took him to a Chinese restaurant that looked like it came straight out of a movie about the mafia. The place was completely empty, as if reserved just for them.
Yashio, still smiling, handed Takeru some documents outlining his "offer." Meanwhile, Shima sat nearby, looking irritated.
"Here are the terms if you decide to join us."
As Takeru took the papers, he sighed.
"Weren’t you going to ask about Kazami High?"
"That was just a pretext, 'Irregular'."
"..."
If Sakura had been able to investigate him as an individual, then it wasn’t surprising that a powerful organization like this could track him down easily. Scanning the documents, Takeru saw an offer of an executive position, a salary of 50 million yen a year, plus performance-based incentives. There was even a promise to protect his family and friends from any danger.
"That’s quite a generous offer."
"It shows just how much we value you."
Yashio’s face was split between a gentle smile and a dark, twisted expression of malice.
—If these were the first hunters I had met, I’d probably hate all of them.
"So, what do you think?"
"I’ll have to decline."
Takeru placed the documents back on the table, rejecting the offer, grateful that the first hunter he’d met had been Takamine.
"…Are you really going to turn down such a favorable offer?"
"I have no interest in being a hunter."
Takeru stood up, signaling that the conversation was over. Yashio’s smile grew crueler.
"Is that so? Then I’m afraid…"
"We’ll have to take you by force!"
Shima stood up with a ferocious grin, leaping over the table toward Takeru like a wild beast unleashed from its chains. At the same time, Yashio quickly retreated to the wall and grabbed a snake-blade sword that had been hanging there.
