The US Hunter Management Bureau had mobilized agents from its Asia branch to accurately assess Japan's current situation. The helicopter that had departed from the safe zone soon crossed over Tokyo. A senior agent who had risked his life to reach the site looked down and clicked his tongue.
"What a devastating sight."
Tokyo's condition was even more horrific than expected. The city had been completely devastated by a Dungeon Break. Buildings reduced to shapeless husks, cars crumpled like sheets of paper, snapped streetlights, fires, smoke, scorch marks, and structures turned to rubble. Could there be a more fitting word than "devastating"? The agent's brow furrowed of its own accord. If anyone asked whether he'd ever seen hell, he could answer yes now. But he hadn't come here to mourn a destroyed city. His mission was to assess the situation. As he filmed the scene below with meticulous care, he asked the Japanese official beside him.
"For the level of destruction in the city, the bodies seem to be remarkably absent?"
The agent had once seen footage of Jeju Island after a similarly S-rank Gate had opened, back when he was being trained at the Hunter Management Bureau. In the videos and photos of Jeju, bodies had littered every street. The residents who hadn't managed to escape the island had been annihilated by the ants. It was one of the worst disasters in history, and the Bureau had detailed records of it. But here. Compared to how thoroughly the city had been erased, Tokyo had remarkably few bodies. No, it was hard to find traces of the dead at all. The Japanese official spoke.
"That's because there's nothing else to be done. The giants are eating the people."
He was a young man from the Japan Hunter's Association. His bloodshot eyes and unshaven beard spoke volumes about what kind of time he'd been having. He continued with a worried expression.
"They're moving as though they're trying to erase every trace of Japanese people from the land of Japan. Destroying buildings, eating humans, even pulling up trees planted along the streets."
Nod, nod. The agent agreed with his words. The giant-type monsters that had poured from the S-rank Gate showed behavior unlike other monsters. While other monsters had only tried to kill humans, these monsters were destroying everything in their wake. Behind them, nothing remained but the remnants of civilization. Looking around anywhere in Tokyo, not a single intact building—no, not even a single house—could be seen.
"At least that bought us a little time."
At least that bought them. The Association worker gave a bitter smile. Whether to be grateful that the monsters' habit of smashing everything in sight had bought people time to flee, or to mourn it—the worker's face held that complicated mixture of emotions. The agent looked at him and thought.
*It'd be a miracle if you weren't losing your mind.*
In the blink of an eye, his nation's capital had become this. The sense of loss from having one's country ravaged by monsters wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. The US had suffered the same thing just eight years ago when the monster "Kamish" emerged alone from an S-rank Gate and obliterated the western region. And it wasn't just that. Their neighboring country, Korea, had lost its largest island to monsters for nearly four years and had only recently managed to reclaim it. The agent had watched footage of that fierce battle. Despite having no personal connection to Korea whatsoever, when a certain Korean Hunter appeared and swept through the ants, delivering a devastating blow to the giant ant, he'd jumped to his feet and cheered without even realizing it. It wasn't just because he was part of the Asia branch. He'd seen that fight not as a clash between a small country called Korea and monsters, but as a proxy war between humanity and monsters. And now. Here on this land—Japan—the same battle between humanity and monsters was playing out.
*And the result is this...*
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! The helicopter's blades roared, but the noise hardly registered given the severity of the situation below. He was angry and frustrated. But there was nothing he could do. All he could do was fulfill his duty. The agent asked questions that came to mind, moving the camera lens this way and that. Then he spotted something and was so startled he nearly fell backward.
"Wha—! Th-that!"
The agent gasped, muttering "Jesus" over and over while breaking into a cold sweat, and the worker quickly helped him back up.
"You saw it, then." "Th-that! Over there—a giant is still—" "Yes. There's still one remaining here. No, rather than 'remaining,' I suppose you could say it hasn't moved an inch?"
The worker's gaze turned that way. The agent wiped the sweat from his forehead and carefully stared at the same spot. In the heart of Tokyo, now nothing but a wasteland, a monster larger than any creature he'd seen so far stood rigidly upright.
*That's a giant-type monster...*
The helicopter approached on the worker's instructions. The agent asked, his face pale.
"I-Is it safe to get this close?"
He'd been clearly told that all the giants had left Tokyo and that the city was currently safe. But no matter how he thought about it, this looked nothing like a safe area. The worker spoke calmly, in a reassuring tone.
"It's fine. If you stay at a height their hands can't reach, they won't attack first, and it's one hundred percent safe. That's a fact confirmed through multiple observations, so you can trust it."
Gulp. The agent swallowed.
*A fact confirmed through multiple observations?*
Observations. The worker made it sound simple, but how many people had been sacrificed to that giant to reach that conclusion? Thinking of the unfortunate few who must have ventured within the giant's reach sent a chill through him. Regardless, for him tasked with gathering intelligence on S-rank monsters and reporting Japan's situation back home, this was valuable information. He stared wide-eyed down at the giant. Looking carefully, the creature's face seemed familiar.
*Right...*
The colossal giant that had shattered Yuri Orloff's magical barrier with its body. That was the one. Unlike the other monsters that had scattered in every direction, this one—the giant monster many had designated as boss-class—was the only one that had remained. The Japanese worker spoke with a bitter expression.
"Does it look to you as though that monster is guarding the Gate as well?" "Ah... well." "This is the third time I'm seeing that thing now, but the more I look at it, the more different thoughts come to mind." "What kind of thoughts?" "In my eyes, it almost—"
The worker paused briefly, then continued half a beat late.
"—looks like it's waiting for someone." "Is... that so?"
The agent's gaze shifted back to the giant. Indeed. Looking at it that way, it did seem possible. He felt that it wasn't unreasonable for the worker to sense that, either. While the two conversed about the boss-class giant monster, the helicopter had moved as close as it safely could. The giant didn't stir despite the helicopter flying right above its head. It was docile, as though it hadn't even registered the helicopter's presence from the beginning. But according to the worker, it wasn't entirely non-aggressive.
"That thing will definitely attack anything that enters a certain range. And once a target—whether human or machine—is locked on, it can never escape."
Had that also been learned through "multiple observations"? Over the worker's calmly explaining face, the final image of Yuri Orloff was superimposed. The boss's swift movements as it broke through the barrier and snatched Yuri had left everyone in shock. Yuri's death had been broadcast live to the entire world. The Hunter Management Bureau's S-rank Hunter report on Yuri Orloff read as follows:
— A man who feasted on wealth and fame.
Though he had failed to extort money from Japan, this incident had made him one of the most famous Hunters in the world.
*Whether that was the result he'd wanted... I'm not so sure.*
While the agent frowned, recalling Yuri's end, the worker spoke.
"This is also just my personal opinion, but—"
His personal opinion. The agent was interested in the worker's thoughts, given his earlier observation about something "waiting for someone."
"Yes?"
The agent nodded, and the worker continued.
"When I look at that thing, I don't get the sense that it's alive. It's clearly breathing, and it moves, but it's more like a machine operating according to a program." "A machine..."
But he couldn't agree with that assessment. The sheer majesty of the giant, observed from up close, was utterly overwhelming. The oppressive presence, enough to make one's chest tighten, made it impossible to think of it as a machine. Then. Swoosh. The giant's eyes turned toward them.
"Wha—!"
The agent toppled onto his backside again. As if he'd been prepared for it, the worker quickly calmed him down. He repeated that there was nothing to worry about.
"It only watches. As long as you keep your distance, it won't attack."
The agent nodded. He thought his heart had dropped out of his chest. He raised the camera again and recorded the monster in detail. The slight trembling on the screen wasn't solely because the helicopter was moving quickly. Satisfied he had enough data, the agent asked.
"How many giants came out of that Gate?" "Thirty-one in total. Excluding the one boss-class, they scattered evenly in every direction." "...And how many have been eliminated?" "Exactly two." "So twenty-eight giants are currently destroying Japan." "There are no Hunters left to fight the giants. Everyone is busy trying to flee."
The worker's face was dark. On the day of the Dungeon Break, the Hunters who had fought to buy time for Tokyo's citizens to evacuate had all perished. The result was two giants killed, but there was no way to stop the remaining twenty-eight who had fanned out across the entire country. That was why the Japan Hunter's Association workers—who were frantically busy fighting fires at their feet, no, fires that were engulfing their entire bodies—were readily responding to the US Hunter Management Bureau's request for assistance. Right at that moment.
"W-What are you doing?"
The agent jumped up and tried to stop him, but the worker kept bowing his head. He knelt down and pressed his forehead to the floor. He had no pride or face left to lose. When all you have left to lose is pride and face, is there anything you wouldn't do? With his forehead still to the ground, the worker strained his voice.
"Please help us, Japan."
The agent froze. He'd been about to lift the worker up but stopped mid-motion. He couldn't say anything in the face of the worker's solemn resolve. The worker repeated in fluent English.
"If America doesn't step in, Japan is finished. Hasn't Japan always been America's steadfast ally? Won't you make this one sacrifice for an allied nation?"
Whether this was the worker's personal will or an order from the Japan Hunter's Association, he couldn't tell. But regardless of whose intention it was, the desperation was unmistakable. The agent bit his lower lip and struggled before finally speaking.
"I'll send a support request to headquarters." "Thank you. Thank you so much."
The agent couldn't bring himself to tell the worker, who bowed his head over and over again, not to get his hopes up. Would the US, which had lost many senior Hunters to "Kamish" and had begun micromanaging the safety of its own Hunters, really move on Japan's behalf?
*Probably not.*
But how could he tell a young man willing to bang his head against the floor for his nation's survival that your country is already finished?
*I can only leave it to the will of heaven...*
The agent instinctively looked up at the sky. But the sky, as it had always been, as it was now, and as it always would be, simply gazed down in silence. Staring blankly up at that sky, the agent whispered to himself.
*God... please do not abandon humanity.*
* * *
Jin-Woo jogged lightly toward the guild office.
*Just as I expected.*
His gaze, tinged with a hint of welcome, looked slightly upward ahead of him. There, as always, the progress of his Daily Quest was displayed. Ding.
[Distance run so far: 10km] [You have completed running 10km.]
He'd defeated the one who called itself the Architect, yet nothing had changed. The System was still functioning, and his Daily Quest had arrived the moment he woke up, just like always. His condition was also at its peak. Ever since obtaining the "Black Heart," vitality overflowed through his body. He was deliberately holding back his pace, but his steps were light. However. With that creature gone the way it had, there were more than a few unresolved questions.
*What was that vision all about?*
He understood that it was a condition for obtaining the "Black Heart," but beyond that, everything was a mystery. And what about those other Monarchs the creature had ranted about before dying? As his thoughts deepened—
"Hey, wait a moment!" "Mr. Yoo Jin-Ho! We have some questions!"
The clamor from a distance caught Jin-Woo's attention and he looked up. A crowd of reporters had gathered in front of the guild building. Yoo Jin-Ho was surrounded by them, unable to move either forward or back. He'd been caught on his way to work. The reporters' questions poured out.
"Were you aware of the disaster at the Hunters Guild yesterday, Mr. Yoo Jin-Ho?" "As vice president of Ahjin Guild, please say something." "How did Hunter Sung Jin-Woo end up there?" "Japan is in chaos right now. Has Hunter Sung Jin-Woo said anything about helping Japan?"
Ah. Jin-Woo nodded. Since the reporters couldn't interview him directly, they'd cornered the easy target in Yoo Jin-Ho. *Should I help him out?* As he was about to step forward, he noticed something and stopped in his tracks. What was this? Yoo Jin-Ho's expression wasn't bad at all. Though he was putting on a show of being troubled, every now and then he was visibly suppressing a grin—and Jin-Woo's keen eyes caught it clearly. Exasperated, Jin-Woo let out a small smirk.
*So Jin-Ho likes that kind of thing.*
Now what should he do? Slip quietly into the guild office using Stealth, or head back home to let the guy have his moment? As Jin-Woo was deliberating, a car pulled up behind him. Sssss. The car window rolled down.
"Excuse me, are you Hunter Sung Jin-Woo?"
A strange man's voice. Jin-Woo turned around without much thought. But—
*Huh?*
His eyes widened slightly as he confirmed the voice's owner.
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