The Next day
[1:32 pm]
Takami stepped into the café, the scent of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastries filling the air. His gaze swept across the dimly lit space until he spotted Kanen sitting by a window, stirring a cup of what looked like black coffee. The man glanced up and smirked.
"You actually came," Kanen said, setting his spoon down. "I was about to leave, thinking you'd ghost me."
Takami didn't reply. He walked over, pulled out the chair opposite Kanen, and sat down. His eyes flickered to a file resting on the table. "So? What's this about?"
Kanen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He exhaled deeply before pushing the file slightly forward. "Before we get into that… mind telling me a little more about yourself?"
Takami glanced at the file again before shifting his attention back to Kanen. "Depends. What do you want to know?"
Kanen tapped his finger on the file. "Your Grant level?"
"Low," Takami answered without hesitation.
"Your class?"
"Slayer."
"Any special talent or skill?"
"I can sense spirits of any class without needing to see them."
Kanen's brows furrowed slightly. His expression shifted into something unreadable. He muttered under his breath, barely audible, "What exactly does the guild master want with him…?"
Clearing his throat, Kanen leaned back. "Are you working with any guild right now?"
"No."
Kanen let out a short breath. His fingers drummed against his knee as he processed the information. "Of course, no one else will approach a Rank-3…" He thought, a mix of curiosity and disbelief swirling in his mind.
After a moment of silence, Kanen straightened up and slid the file forward, closer to Takami. "Phantom Order is willing to offer you a contract to—"
Takami barely let him finish. "No thanks."
Kanen blinked. "Huh?"
Takami pushed his chair back, standing up. "That's all you wanted to talk about?"
Kanen's grip tightened slightly on his trousers. This guy didn't even glance at the contract. Did he not realize how hard it was for Low Grant level users with no outstanding talent to get an offer from a top guild? Or did he simply not care?
"At least meet our guild master," Kanen said quickly before Takami could leave. "He wants to see you… at your own convenience."
Takami paused, then turned slightly. "Whenever you're ready to take me there."
Kanen blinked again. That was way easier than he expected. "Will tomorrow work for you?"
A nod. No hesitation. Then Takami walked out without another word.
Kanen sat there, stunned. His hand tightened into a fist on his lap. "What kind of person doesn't even consider it?" He thought. "Does he think he's better than other Low grant users or what? No… he didn't even seem arrogant about it. Just uninterested." The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. "The fact that our guild master wants him is making it more complicated"
Takami walked down the street, hands in his pockets. His body was still a little sore from his daily training routine, but it was nothing serious. As he walked, he pulled up the system interface, going straight to Mission Search.
The layout had changed completely, he expected that.
Before, he had to manually search for missions, but now they appeared automatically. The mission descriptions were no longer just "kill this exact number of spirits" but were vastly different. However, what shocked him the most was that the locations listed… weren't even on Earth.
He stopped mid-step, his brows furrowing. Only two missions were available:
⟨Conquer the Cave...
°Location: Caves of the Root
°| Reward: Pillage skill
| Grant Enhancement
| 3,000,000 yen
°Possible threats: Shadow-type spirits
°Mission class: C - B
°Survival level: 47%⟩
⟨• Survive 24 hours
°Location: Dark Valley
°| Reward: 1,200,000 yen
| (Mid-Journey Ability Acquisition)
| Grant Enhancement
°Possible threats: Beast-type spirits
°Mission class: C
°Survival level: 89%⟩
Takami stared at the numbers. The survival rate difference was insane. A single rank increase changed the odds that much? Then what about higher-ranked missions?
He exhaled through his nose, feeling the weight of his journey ahead. He still had a long way to go.
His gaze lingered on the first mission. Pillage skill? That sounded interesting. But what did it even do?
One thought remained in his head, how was he supposed to reach these places? Would the system handle it? Or was there some unknown method he had yet to unlock?
He dismissed the interface and resumed walking.
JSS Board Headquarters
Inside a spacious, high-tech office, Hado Nanase, Chairman and Head of the JSS Board, sat behind his sleek, minimalist desk. Papers were neatly stacked on one side, a holographic display flickering above them. The large transparent glass wall behind him overlooked the city skyline, casting long shadows over the room as the sun began to set.
A knock at the door.
"Come in," Hado said.
The door opened, and a tall, well-composed man entered. Hado's Personal Assistant and Right-hand man. Jin Yōken.
A Rank-1 High Grant user, the pinnacle of High Grant users in Japan and Asia as a whole. His reputation was legendary, named the Anti-Spirit Keeper. Few dared to challenge him.
He bowed slightly before sitting across from Hado and handed over a set of reports.
"Sir, these are the latest updates from our shared international data." Jin's deep voice carried confidence.
Hado flipped through the reports. His eyes widened. "This is…"
"Yes," Jin nodded. "Egypt, Australia, Taiwan, and Mexico have all experienced great spirit attacks similar to ours. And all of them… were fire-based."
Hado's fingers tightened on the paper.
"Australia and Taiwan handled their incidents efficiently thanks to their elite Spirit Keepers intervening early," Jin continued. "However, just like us, Egypt and Mexico suffered massive casualties. More importantly, just like our case, their spirits exploded due to an unknown force."
Hado exhaled sharply. It was coming earlier than expected.
Jin leaned forward slightly. "Should I alert the guild masters? Or are we calling for another meeting?"
Hado shook his head. "No meetings yet. Inform them of the situation. We need them prepared."
"Understood."
Jin stood up, bowed slightly, and exited the room.
As the door shut, Hado leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. This was only the beginning.
"If only the government would listen to our warnings."
He let out a slow breath before standing up. Walking past his desk, he made his way to the fridge, pulling out a cold can of beer.
Stepping toward the glass wall, he cracked the can open and took a slow sip.
His gaze drifted over the city, its lights flickering under the evening sky.
"This might be the last peaceful night we'll have."
Evening had settled over the city, and the air was cool with the fading warmth of the sun. Takami walked through the park, hands tucked into the pockets of his black shorts, his white vest clinging slightly from the heat of the day. He wasn't out for anything special, just some fresh.
As he strolled past the basketball courts, he caught sight of Yosuke and his friends playing in one. Their game was fast, energetic, and loud. But another court held a different kind of intensity. Older, more experienced players, their movements sharp, their teamwork polished.
Takami didn't pay it much mind until a basketball came flying at his face.
Without looking, he instinctively caught it with one hand, his grip firm. The players from the second court turned toward him.
"Hey, man!" One of them called out, jogging up. "You mind playing with us? We got a man down."
Takami hesitated. Basketball? Again? He had buried that part of his life long ago, back in middle school, when he humiliated himself in the class tournament. It was the last time he ever touched a basketball.
"I-I'm not... good at basketball much," he replied, voice unsure.
"Come on I just saw the way you grabbed the ball... just defense. Clear the ball when they try to score. That's all we need, please?"
Before Takami could decline again, a cocky voice from the court laughed.
"Look, man, you already lost. Adding some noob won't change that."
Takami sighed, scratching the back of his head. His pride didn't let him walk away after hearing that. "...Fine."
As he stepped onto the court, a player with a fractured wrist patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks for taking my place."
The game was 3v3, first to 50 wins. His team was already behind, 25 - 20.
Just as he was about to take his position, a familiar voice stopped him.
"Ryusei? Is that really you?"
Takami turned, and his stomach tightened.
There, standing on the opposing team, was Nao, his old middle school senior and ace player of Yoge Academy.
"Nao-senpai..."
Nao smirked, crossing his arms. "Haven't seen you since you left Yoge. Long time."
"Yeah "
"Just don't disgrace yourself today, yeah? You're up against my team."
Takami forced a smile, but inside, his past humiliation resurfaced like a phantom.
"You two know each other?" One of his teammates asked.
"Yeah..." Takami muttered.
The game restarted.
At first, Takami only focused on defense. His natural athleticism and stats gave him a really big edge, speed, balance, precision. He could catch up even though he had not played in a really long time. The opposing team struggled to shake him off, resorting to three-pointers to avoid his defense.
From the sidelines, Yosuke's jaw dropped.
"Since when did he go back to playing basketball?" He muttered.
"Hey, Yosuke, isn't that your brother?" One of his friends grinned. "I never knew he played. Let's go watch!"
"Our team is out anyways, so yeah, let's go!" Another one said.
Yosuke sighed in frustration as they went to the second court.
Takami's confidence slowly rebuilt itself. He wasn't just playing, he was locking down the court. With him shutting down the opponent's offense, his team closed the gap.
42 - 42. Tie game.
Nao, up until now, had been on defense. But now, he smirked and switched to offense.
"You've gotten pretty good, Ryusei. You didn't let go of the spirit did you?"
Takami braced himself.
Nao blitzed past the first two players like they were nothing. Fast, fluid, unstoppable. He approached Takami, faked left, then exploded right into a dunk.
44 - 42.
Takami exhaled, shaking his head with a small smile. Nao was still the same beast he was back when he was in middle school.
The game restarted. This time, Nao was watching him.
As soon as Takami's team got the ball, a steal. A quick pass to Nao.
Dash. Takami was already in his path.
Nao grinned. A test.
He started dribbling, eyes locked on Takami. Fakes. Quick steps. Feints.
Takami didn't bite. He followed every step.
The other players started noticing.
"Wait… is he really keeping up with Nao? Seems he lied about not knowing how to play"
Nao stepped back, once, twice, three times.
Takami's teammates and everyone else watching the game tensed. They knew this move.
Lure the opponent deep into dribble, then fall back into a three-pointer.
Nao jumped, releasing the ball.
Swish.
47 - 42.
Nao smirked. "Ryusei, you're giving me a headache. I like it."
Takami wiped sweat off his brow.
The game continued.
Again, Nao stole the ball, countered, and went for the same move.
Again, he jumped back three times, preparing for another perfect shot.
This time, Takami was ready to give up on the ball, but seems the system had other plans for him.
⟨ Predator's Insight activated. ⟩
So this is what the system wants, huh?
The moment Nao jumped, the air in the entire court changed.
Before the ball could leave his hands, Takami was already there.
A light touch on the ball. Just enough to change its trajectory.
It hit the hoop but didn't go in.
Takami's teammates scrambled for the counter, a fast break!
The shooter hesitated. Missed.
"REBOUND!" Someone from the watching crowd yelled.
The opposing team thought they got there first to clear the ball.
Too late, Takami was already in the air.
A clean putback.
47 - 44.
The entire court fell silent.
Then an explosion of cheers.
Even Yosuke and his friends sat in disbelief.
"Dude you never told us your brother was this insane at basketball, defense, offense, everything." One of his friends said.
Yosuke muttered under his breath, barely audible. "I wish I knew too"
Nao stared at him.
Takami walked past him, silent.
"...Can I be on offense for these last plays?"
His teammates, still in shock, nodded instantly.
The Final Play
Takami took over.
A crossover. A drive. A fadeaway.
Score.
A steal. A fast break.
Score.
Within four minutes, the game was over.
47 - 50. Takami's team won.
The entire park was buzzing.
After the Game
As Takami finished receiving praise from his teammates, Nao approached him.
"Oi, Ryusei."
Takami turned.
Nao chuckled. "Did you fly overseas to train or something? You actually beat me at my own game."
He offered a fist bump. Takami took it.
"It was too obvious that you were still holding back," Takami said
Nao chuckled "Listen," He continued, his face becoming serious. "I talked to Yuri a few months ago. I know about your whole Spirit Slayer situation. And honestly… I'm sorry things haven't been easy."
Takami stayed quiet.
"But hey, I just got added to our national team, and there's one spot left. What do you say? Wanna take basketball seriously? I can help you talk to the coach so you get scouted"
Takami blinked.
Then, he smiled. "Thanks, senpai. But I can't. I'm a Spirit Slayer now. And hey, I'm getting better at it."
Nao's eyes widened at the rejection.
Then, he grinned. "You better sit tight and watch me win, then."
Takami chuckled. "I will."
As he turned to leave, someone bumped into him deliberately.
Yosuke.
"Hey, how'd your game go?" Takami asked.
Yosuke glared. "Don't 'hey' me! Where the hell did you learn to play like that?!"
Takami casually cleared his ear, ignoring Yosuke's endless nagging as they walked home. "Man, you're such a pain in the ass."