Kaiser Jigurd's mornings began with stretching and meditation.
He took his time loosening his body, bringing his condition to its absolute peak. A mind and body honed to perfection would never betray Kaiser—not now, not ever.
This certification exam was a trial so demanding that even the full power of the Heavenly Dance of Ruin might not suffice to clear it. The impression he'd formed after the chairman had laid out the specifics hadn't changed even after gathering intelligence at the station.
The worst part was that the objective wasn't destruction or acquisition—it was protection.
Protecting someone through to the end was incomparably harder than defending yourself, and he didn't even know how many of the royal family there were. If the authority to move the city resided in the blood of the royals, he couldn't afford to let a single one slip away. All he could do was pray that the number was small enough for three people to manage.
In the worst case—he would have to eliminate the royals. If the bloodline that moved the city was severed, the crisis facing the world would at least be averted for the time being. That, surely, was the true intent behind the Explorer's Guild preparing Red Hunters as a backup for Kaiser and the others.
Killing was far easier than protecting—if you set aside the emotional toll.
The time to decide whether to accept the commission had already passed.
Having resolved to see it through, all that remained was to play the hand he'd been dealt to its fullest.
The inn where they'd taken rooms was every bit as luxurious as the finest establishments Kaiser knew. From the large window, one could survey the entirety of the compact station.
Only the elite carried pass cards into Code. At least, before the recent flood of card issuance, only the elite had been permitted entry. The lavish facilities of this inn were, no doubt, a mark of respect toward those select few granted passage to Code.
As Kaiser finished his preparations and gazed down at the station through the broad window, Saya arrived.
"You're awake, I see, Saya. Are you fully prepared to enter the most dangerous nation in the world?"
"………I am already resolved."
There wasn't a trace of fear or tension in those words. She had evidently finished her own conditioning, just as Kaiser had.
She was slight of frame, and in terms of raw physical ability she was far from Kaiser's level—but a Hunter's strength didn't necessarily correspond to appearance. As a companion, she was more than adequate.
Saya glanced around the room and asked, "Where's Klein?"
"Still sleeping, it seems. Ha ha ha ha ha—for someone on the eve of entering Code, he truly has nerve."
"………I think he's oversleeping. It might be meaningful, or it might not."
"Indeed. Well, so be it. Let us perform to his standards, shall we?"
"Mm."
Saya answered curtly. Whether it was because a Level 8 Party member had caught her attention or simply because she was fully motivated, her enthusiasm was palpable.
Thousand Transformations. A man whose every nuance escaped even Kaiser's eyes.
Perhaps this was to be expected of Zebuldia's foremost strategist—from the aura he carried to the way he moved, Kaiser still couldn't read a thing.
Saya could tell. His abilities were unknown, but his movements were sound, and he carried himself with the bearing of a Level 8. But Klein's behavior was something else entirely—it deviated sharply from every fundamental of hunting that Kaiser had cultivated over the years.
Nodding off behind enemy lines. During the intelligence-sharing session, his replies showed zero caution against eavesdropping from those around them (Kaiser's heart had nearly stopped when the word "commission" came up). And his behavior since arriving at the station.
Was it intentional? Was he testing Saya and Kaiser? The only thing Kaiser could say for certain was that the pattern of "he's just an idiot" was completely impossible.
After all, the man had noticed Saya's use of an ability that Kaiser himself hadn't detected at all.
Kaiser and Saya were practically extras on this mission. Their own branch chief had spoken with Thousand Transformations—that much Kaiser had overheard.
Three Level 8 Hunters fighting in tandem was an exceedingly rare occurrence. There were promised rewards from Thousand Transformations, and they had to demonstrate their presence, however small.
"Saya—what do you make of him?"
"………He is more than worthy of entrusting my abilities to."
After a brief silence, Saya answered. But Kaiser had noticed.
Most likely, Thousand Transformations—had almost no expectations of them at this point.
Up to now, Thousand Transformations had offered them virtually no instructions, let alone constructive discussion.
If he'd truly expected something of them—if he'd intended to cooperate with Kaiser and the group on the mission—this was more than a little unnatural.
Did he have the confidence to complete the commission on his own? Did he consider Kaiser and the others dead weight? Or was there yet another reason? Kaiser couldn't say.
But the real contest would begin once they entered Code.
He would showcase the power of Garista's Hunters, earn recognition, and then—sear into his memory those monstrous methods by which this man had accumulated achievements worthy of a Level 9 Hunter in barely twenty-some years.
This was both the conquest of a formidable objective—the infiltration of Code—and a clash of strength, intellect, and pride among Level 8 Hunters who stood atop their respective domains.
At that moment, Thousand Transformations entered the room. His hair was wild and sticking up in every direction—bedhead, presumably—and his eyes were hazy. Spotting Kaiser and Saya, he yawned enormously and raised his arms in a stretch.
Wide open. Kaiser could have knocked him unconscious in under a second.
"Morning, Saya, Kaiser—up early, huh?"
It wasn't that Kaiser and Saya were early risers. Klein was simply too late. He didn't appear to have done anything to tune his condition, either.
But Kaiser said nothing. All a Hunter needed was ability.
He straightened up, flashed a perfect smile, and spoke.
"Ha ha ha—I'm simply looking forward to entering Code. My condition is flawless, my friend. Combat, intelligence gathering—leave it all to yours truly."
"………Good morning, Klein. This is actually my first time receiving a morning greeting from a Party member."
Saya looked visibly caught off guard. Her eyes widened. Now that she mentioned it, it had been ages since Kaiser had been greeted by a Party member, too.
Klein blinked, then reached into the small bag at his waist and produced a bar wrapped in silver foil.
"………Have you had a snack?"
"No."
"Then here—have a chocolate bar. Don't be shy, I've got plenty. This is actually a Space-Time Bag that only holds chocolate."
………A Level 8 Hunter who hands out chocolate bars.
Kaiser looked down at the bar Klein had offered. It really was just chocolate. He could tell from the smell. No poison or anything hidden inside.
Saya, abruptly presented with the offering, froze for a moment. Then she peeled back the silver foil, took a small bite, and said, "………It's sweet."
He didn't get it. The man's behavior had no logical thread. Those supposedly brilliant, scheming minds that earned him the reputation of a master strategist were completely opaque.
Surely he wasn't trying to bribe a Level 8 Hunter with chocolate.
"I'll gratefully accept. But one question—does this chocolate bar come with some kind of scheme?"
"A scheme? No, actually—chocolate is great for recovering from fatigue. I figured since you and Saya have a tough day ahead, even a little something might help. This mission sounds pretty dangerous, so—"
Kaiser had been about to say that a chocolate bar could hardly make a difference, but he swallowed the words.
There was no need to say what didn't need saying. The mission wasn't just "pretty dangerous"—it was far beyond that—but there was no point in belaboring the point now.
Kaiser stopped worrying about the details. Getting distracted by trivialities would prevent him from performing at his full capacity.
What mattered was Thousand Transformations' movements and methods from here on out—nothing else.
What he needed to focus on was simple: assault Code with three people, save the world. That was all.
"Besides, maybe if I keep bribing you, you'll protect me again……"
"………I'm sorry, but it's morning. That won't work right now."
"Ah… right. Maybe if you closed your eyes it would activate—"
"?? What are you even talking about?"
Such an unbecoming remark for a Level 8—about possibly being protected.
It was different from Kaiser's own aims, but perhaps that very willingness to speak so freely, without pretense, was one of the reasons Thousand Transformations had reached Level 8 alongside his companions.
"I really don't have anything special going for me, you know… The fact that my Level got this high is mostly thanks to my teammates. Seriously. That's why, like I said before, this time I'm planning to have you all operate largely on your own judgment. For Level 8 Hunters, that's probably for the best."
There was no trace of false modesty in those words. But that was impossible.
Level 8 was not a realm one reached through the strength of companions. Rather, it was a realm where companions became dead weight.
To reach Level 8 while in a Party required command and leadership skills that could draw out abilities exceeding what Party members themselves possessed. And directing free-spirited Hunters was a completely different beast from commanding regular soldiers.
Move as you wish. If you want to be of use, show me your strength.
Kaiser and the others hadn't yet demonstrated enough ability to warrant taking orders from Thousand Transformations.
That, perhaps, was the intent behind those words.
"………Roger, Leader. If that's how it is, then I'll do as I please. Let me know if anything comes up."
"………I'll leave backup to you."
"How reassuring."
Thousand Transformations showed a somewhat daring smile. Looking at that expression, Kaiser felt a surge of determination—he had to display the full power of the Heavenly Dance of Ruin and crack that look of composure, even slightly.
Saya, too, seemed fully fired up. The audience for their display of strength wasn't limited to Thousand Transformations.
Competing to see who could perform best—that, too, had its own appeal.
The first hurdle was getting inside Code without incident. The fact that large numbers of people were entering meant the city would be on guard against outside infiltration.
All that was supposedly required for entry was a card, but there had to be some form of screening. If their identities as Level 8 Hunters were exposed, it would not end well.
The one most likely to blow their cover was Thousand Transformations. His renown from his accomplishments in a major nation was incomparably greater than Kaiser's or Saya's, and in fact, someone who recognized him had already appeared the night before.
What they absolutely had to avoid was all three being captured simultaneously. Given the nature of this mission, if they failed, rescue was virtually impossible.
Kaiser raised his head and made a proposal to Thousand Transformations.
"Entering Code as a tight group is too risky. What if we split up and regroup inside—what do you think?"
"I have no objections. We should minimize the possibility of being taken down all at once."
"………That makes sense. If you and Saya both agree, let's do that."
Thousand Transformations answered in his usual unhurried manner. Not a shred of tension in his expression. He was clearly confident in his ability to slip into Code smoothly.
Kaiser didn't share that confidence. But even if he had—the best had to be done.
They had forged identity documents ready, but they should also minimize the risk of traps being set in the cards they'd received. Swapping cards with those carried by others during transit would work. Losing a card might cause a commotion, but swapping one unnoticed was easy enough.
Once inside Code, the first priority was assessing the situation. Kaiser was curious about how accurate those "dreams" Thousand Transformations had spoken of yesterday really were.
He couldn't dismiss the dreams that had been offered in that situation as meaningless. Among those with prophetic gifts, there were those who received divine revelations through dreams.
The idea that visions of the future received through dreams were the source of the extraordinary strategic mind that had carried Thousand Transformations to Level 8—it was entirely plausible.
So he'd sided with the nobles, huh… This was going to be a long haul.
Kaiser murmured to himself, then steeled his resolve and allowed a smile to surface.
This adventure would be the most turbulent of Kaiser's entire Hunter career.
But it was by overcoming it that the glory of Level 9 awaited.
§ § § The High-Mobility Fortress City of Code. It was, without question, one of the most powerful cities on the face of the earth.
Floating at an altitude of nearly a hundred meters above the ground, this fortress city was armed with the weaponry of a highly advanced physical civilization—a bulwark with no weaknesses in offense or defense alike, undefeated since its activation.
Ultra-long-range cannons that acquired targets and fired almost autonomously, and an enigmatic barrier that shielded the entire city from all manner of assault.
The mechanized soldiers the city produced were few in number, but each was worth a thousand—each one said to possess capabilities on par with a first-rate Hunter.
The urban system of this highly advanced physical civilization that governed the city had still not been fully decoded more than two hundred years after its activation. Yet even so, by the standards of modern civilization, it was remarkably sophisticated and utterly alien.
In terms of the city's functions alone, Code stood in a class of its own.
Its small population, its complete lack of trade with other nations, and its uninterrupted existence above the sky for over two hundred years—all spoke to its power.
Code had virtually no enemies worth mentioning.
The last large-scale battle had been a hundred years ago, when the Explorer's Guild had invaded—and since then, even beasts would not approach within its firing range.
Which was why the notice of "potential Hunter infiltration" delivered to the department managing the city's comings and goings—the Immigration and Emigration Bureau—had spread to every person in the department within a single day.
Work at the Immigration and Emigration Bureau was dull.
The movement of people in and out of Code was managed not by humans, but by the city system of the highly advanced physical civilization.
Every job in Code was handled by the city system, and in principle, everything continued running without a person lifting a finger.
In truth, until recently, almost no one had entered or left the city.
The upper echelons of Code had begun accepting immigrants from the outside world, which had at last created a trickle of work—but even that amounted to little more than explaining aspects of the city the system couldn't handle on its own. Not exactly demanding.
The sole gateway into Code. In a room of a building near its entrance, the staff members exchanged idle conversation.
Dressed in the uniforms prescribed by the city charter, with star-emblazoned cards pinned to their chests, the staff bore expressions of profound boredom that clashed spectacularly with their crisp attire.
"Hunters, huh… Are they really coming?"
"Who knows. We don't even know where that intelligence came from in the first place."
In response to his colleague's remark, a male staff member—a Class 4 citizen in the city system's hierarchy—let out a cavernous yawn.
"If they put up half the fight those outsiders did last time, at least the boredom would ease up…"
"That was something, all right. Breaking through the barrier and scoring the outer wall—first time in two hundred years, apparently. Well, our soldiers handled them, but still…"
Lined up along the wall were imposing figures of unknown metal, standing in neat rows. The mechanized soldiers—the very units that had supported the highly advanced physical civilization in every capacity—stood motionless and rigid. But when someone broke the city's rules, they would become unstoppable warriors willing to destroy themselves if necessary to subdue the target.
In truth, the attackers who had appeared the other day had been formidable enemies that any one of these soldiers would have kicked aside with ease, yet they had been captured alive by the mechanized army.
"But even if we're told to capture them because Hunters are coming… How are we supposed to tell whether someone's a Hunter or not?"
Entry and exit from Code was governed by cards issued by the city system. The cards apparently possessed various functions, but at this point they served no greater purpose than admission tickets.
Because until now, travel in and out of Code had been kept to the bare minimum, the original capabilities of the system remained largely unexplored.
As things stood, all the city system could do was verify whether a card was genuine, admit those who presented authentic cards, and repel or capture everyone else.
On top of that, deciding who received cards was determined by Code's upper echelons—the staff had no involvement in that process.
The only thing the staff themselves handled was interviewing cardholders and registering them in the system as citizens.
With the number of entrants to Code on the rise, it would be difficult to single out any Hunters trying to sneak in among the growing crowd.
In fact, the staff currently employed at the Immigration and Emigration Bureau had never once left the city since birth. They'd heard of Hunters only in stories, and the recent attack had been their first time seeing one.
The city system possessed no function for identifying Hunters.
To his colleague's question, the male staff member sighed and said, "Well, obviously… we judge by strength. The Hunters they send into this city are supposed to be the real deal, right? They won't be on the same level as the rabble that flooded in during that recent mass recruitment. The system can't spot a Hunter, but strength can be quantified. Once we've narrowed down the suspects, we escort them in, and leave the capture to the city system. Apparently it's a maximum of three—but the nobles are looking for people with serious combat ability. They said it's fine even if we grab the wrong ones."