The rain poured relentlessly, washing away the blood that had seeped into the slums' dirt roads. The stench of death still lingered, but the storm carried it away little by little, cleansing the air as if the heavens themselves mourned the tragedy that had unfolded.
The streets were a mess—corpses being covered, hunters directing survivors, and civilians working together to clean up the remains of what Charlotte had done. Pools of blood mixed with rainwater, forming crimson rivers that trailed down the gutters. Torn limbs, shredded bodies, and shattered homes—Gongseng had seen horror before, but this was different. This wasn't just another beast attack. This was one of their own.
And in the midst of it all, Yulli sat in silence, his body hunched over as a medic wrapped his injuries. He barely reacted to their touch, his gaze distant, empty. His mind was elsewhere—stuck in the moment where he drove his blade through his own mother's chest.
The rain soaked his clothes, but he couldn't feel the cold. The world moved around him, voices blurred together, yet none of it mattered. He felt weightless, hollow.
Then—
"YULLI!"
A desperate voice cut through the noise.
Hare.
She sprinted through the wreckage, nearly slipping on the rain-slicked ground. Her eyes darted frantically, taking in the bodies, the blood, the devastation. She almost passed out from the overwhelming stench of iron and death. Then she saw them—hunters carrying Charlotte's lifeless body away under a tarp.
Her breath hitched.
And then she saw him.
Yulli sat there, broken. His usual fire, his stubbornness, his drive—it was gone. When he looked up at her, his face crumpled, and fresh tears welled in his eyes. The moment their gazes met, he let out a choked sob.
Hare didn't hesitate. She ran to him, dropping to her knees as she wrapped her arms around him. Yulli buried his face into her shoulder, his body shaking violently. His cries were muffled by the rain, but she could feel every tremor of grief wracking through him.
"It's okay," she whispered, even though she knew it wasn't. "I'm here."
And for the first time in his life, Yulli let himself grieve without holding back.
Meanwhile—
Commander Roche strode through the grand hallways of Gongseng's military outpost, his boots echoing against the polished marble floor. In his hands, he held the report detailing the catastrophe in the slums. The paper felt heavier than usual.
Stopping in front of a large, ornate door, he took a deep breath before knocking.
"Come in," came a voice from within.
Roche pushed the door open, stepping into a lavish office bathed in warm candlelight. The decor screamed wealth and power—red and gold tapestries, tall bookshelves filled with military records, and shining medals of honor lining the walls. At the center of the room sat Major Gurren, his pen poised over a stack of documents.
Without looking up, Gurren spoke. "Commander Roche. A report?"
"Yes, sir." Roche placed the document on his desk.
Gurren finally lifted his gaze, his violet eyes scanning the report with an unreadable expression. His well-groomed, jet-black hair fell slightly over his face, and he brushed it back absently as he read.
"Charlotte B.T. Mutter," he murmured. "A retired hunter... wife to Zule..." He flipped through the pages, his expression cold and calculating.
His eyes stopped at one particular name.
"Yulli Yasuie B.T. Hoffnung," he read aloud. "He was the one who killed the beast... his own mother." His voice remained neutral, but there was something in his tone—fascination.
"Was he a hunter on duty?"
"No," Roche answered, his voice firm. "He failed the hunter's test weeks ago. No mark."
A pause.
"Hm..." Gurren leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk. "Well, I trust you know what needs to be done?"
Roche exhaled sharply. "Yes. I'll handle it."
As he turned to leave, he hesitated at the door. Without looking back, he muttered,
"That boy... reminds me a lot of you."
Gurren smirked faintly, intrigued. "Oh? In what way, I wonder?"
"A lot of ways."
With that, Roche exited, the door clicking shut behind him.
Gurren sat in silence for a moment before standing and walking over to the large window behind his desk. From here, he had a perfect view of Gongseng—the towering city, the slums beyond its walls, and the flickering torchlights of the hunters cleaning up the carnage.
"Yulli Yasuie..." he murmured, the name rolling off his tongue. "Sounds familiar."
As the rain continued to fall, washing away the evidence of the night's tragedy, the echoes of its consequences remained.
A few days later-
The house—if you could still call it that—was barely standing. Cracked walls, a broken ceiling, and the lingering scent of damp wood and smoke filled the air. The only thing that seemed untouched by the chaos was the old wooden dinner table, where Yulli and his friends now sat, trying to piece together a plan for what came next.
Eliches leaned forward, elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands. "So, what's the plan, Yulli?"
Yulli, arms crossed, stared at the splintered ceiling, deep in thought. "I dunno... probably find the money to fix this place."
Eliches raised a brow. "You're still planning to fix this place?"
"I've got nowhere else to go," Yulli sighed. "This is the only roof I have over my head."
Eliches hummed, rubbing his temple. "Maybe I could ask my parents to take you in."
"Yeah, because Lionheart just takes in just 'anyone,'" Hare snorted. "Especially from the slums."
"Haaa... true," Eliches sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Just then, a sharp knock echoed through the ruined house. Everyone turned toward the door.
"Muetaki, could you get that?" Yulli asked, barely glancing over.
Before Eliches could even react, Muetaki was already gone—moving so silently, it was as if he'd vanished into thin air.
Yulli blinked. "You know, sometimes I think he's part ghost."
"Part ninja," Hare corrected.
"Part menace," Eliches added.
Muetaki, of course, ignored all of them as he opened the door. On the other side stood Commander Roche, his imposing figure framed by the dim evening light. His coat was slightly damp from the lingering rain, but his sharp gaze was as piercing as ever.
"Oh, Muetaki," Roche greeted. "Is Yulli around?"
Before Muetaki could answer, Yulli and the rest had already gathered at the entrance, eyes wide in surprise.
"Commander Roche? What are you doing here?" Yulli asked, instinctively straightening up.
"I'm here to deliver a letter... and a message," Roche replied, handing Yulli a sealed envelope.
Yulli took it hesitantly. "What is it?"
Roche smirked slightly. "That's for you to find out."
Yulli exchanged glances with his friends before breaking the seal and unfolding the letter. He reads the contents, his expression shifting from confusion to sheer disbelief.
"Congratulations," he read aloud, voice uncertain, "you've been accepted into the hunter program…?"
The room went silent for a second. Then Hare snatched the letter from his hands, eyes darting over the words.
"He got accepted?" she echoed.
Roche nodded. "Due to your... actions a few days ago," he said, pausing, "the higher-ups have acknowledged your commitment and agreed to pass your grade. If you still wish to continue, you will be required to move into the organization's dormitory, starting next week."
Silence.
Then—
"YULLI, YOU DID IT!"
Before he could even process what was happening, his friends pounced on him. Eliches practically tackled him in excitement, Hare clapped him on the back hard enough to knock the wind out of him, and even Muetaki gave an approving nod.
"You finally got in, Yulli!" Eliches grinned.
"You're gonna be an official hunter now!" Hare added.
"I am still processing this—ow, okay, personal space, personal space!" Yulli yelped as they squeezed him tighter.
Then, in the middle of the celebration, something unexpected happened. A single tear escaped Yulli's eye.
His friends all froze.
Then, in perfect unison—
"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!"
Yulli quickly wiped his face, scowling. "I—shut up! It just caught me off guard, okay?!"
"Yeah, yeah, tell that to your wet face," Hare teased, nudging him.
Eliches sighed dramatically. "I never thought I'd see the day when Yulli Yasuie cries."
"You know what? I take it back—I don't want to be a hunter anymore," Yulli deadpanned, crossing his arms.
They all laughed. It was loud. It was alive.
It was something Yulli hadn't felt in a long time.
From the doorway, Roche watched the scene unfold, a small, almost unnoticeable smirk tugging at his lips. "I'll see you in the Young Blood class next week," he said, turning on his heel. "Don't be late."
And with that, he was gone.
Yulli, still dazed, looked down at the letter again, rereading the words as if they might disappear at any second.
For the first time in weeks, a small, genuine smile crossed his face.
"Mother… I will chase my dream and honor your wish."