"What are they?" Kanae asked, her eyes narrowing as she studied the lead demon. The creature growled in response, its deep, guttural sound vibrating through the chamber.
"They're Predator Demons," Kaede answered, stepping closer to one of them. Slowly, she extended a hand.
The demon in question paused for a moment before leaning into her touch, a low, rumbling purr escaping its throat. Its massive frame, covered in shimmering black and gold scales, looked like something out of a nightmare, yet it acted as if it were a tamed beast seeking affection.
"The more they eat, the stronger they become," Kaede added, her fingers running across the demon's sleek, muscular form.
Kanae's expression darkened. "How do you know so much about them?"
Kaede shrugged, pulling her hand away as the demon let out a soft chuff. "Beats me. I just know. It's my power, I guess." Internally she sweatdropped. 'I can't tell her that they're the lesser versions of a particular demon that tried to eat me in a game in my previous life.'
Kanae frowned but let it go. She took a step toward another demon, her aura flaring outward. The sheer force of it sent a ripple through the chamber, the stone beneath her feet cracking slightly. "Hey, how long do they last after you summon them?"
The demon immediately reacted, a red aura surging from its body, clashing against her own like two storms colliding. Its claws flexed, its muscles tensed, ready for a fight.
Kaede frowned. "Let's see... Around six hours it seems. Although I can keep some of them as members of my clan. Those don't cause any mana to summon since they'll always be on my person but hidden."
---
_CLAN_
Standard Soldier: 0/45 (Increase their strength by 30%)
Elite Soldier: 0/15 (Increase their strength by 50%)
Knight: 0/9 (Increase their strength by 100%)
Elite Knight: 0/1 (Increase their strength by 250%)
---
'These percentage bonuses... This isn't even including my passive bonus for monster summons, like Apex of Authority and the others. Maple was so broken. How did I even create such a character?' Kaede chuckled.
Kanae smirked. "Hey, Kaede. Can I fight one of them?"
Kaede glanced at the demon, then at Kanae, before nodding. "Sure."
A mental command passed between her and the demons. Immediately, twelve of them stepped back, melting into the shadows, leaving only one behind.
The remaining demon let out a low growl, stepping forward to face Kanae, its stance shifting, preparing for battle.
Kanae cracked her knuckles, her smirk widening. "Good. Let's see what they're made of."
---
A tall, dark-haired man strode into the main building of the Blade Guild.
The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. Employees straightened in their seats, fingers flying across keyboards with newfound urgency, while others busied themselves with paperwork that hadn't seemed urgent moments ago. Still, their eyes couldn't help but flicker toward him, sneaking glances when they thought he wouldn't notice.
This was Goto Ryuji, the Guild Master of the Blade Guild and, for a very long time, the strongest Hunter in all of Japan.
He moved with the quiet confidence of a man who owned every room he entered.
A few moments after stepping inside, he paused. His sharp gaze shifted toward a specific section of the building, his instincts instantly flaring.
"Who's in the training room?" His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable weight.
One of the nearby staff members, seemingly having overheard the question, rushed forward to respond. "Ah, Goto-sama! Earlier today, Lady Kanae arrived with a guest. They both went straight to the training room."
Goto's eyebrow arched slightly. "Guest? Who?"
The man scratched his head, looking unsure. "I'm not certain, sir. I didn't recognize them at all."
Goto hummed in acknowledgment. "I see. Carry on."
Without another word, he headed toward the training room, his expression unreadable.
'A guest they don't recognize?' he mused. 'That means it's not an S-Rank Hunter, as they are all publicly known in Japan. Or rather… not a recognized S-Rank Hunter, if the aura I'm sensing is correct.'
When he reached the doors of the training chamber, he pushed them open and stepped inside.
His eyes immediately took in the scene.
The entire chamber was covered in blood and gore.
It painted the walls, pooled on the floor, and dripped from the shattered remains of training equipment.
And standing at the center of it all was Kanae Tawata.
She was slightly panting, her chest rising and falling, yet her expression was calm.
Goto's gaze swept over her and then shifted, scanning the room for the so-called guest.
She stood to the side of the chamber, the only part not stained by blood, her eyes met his, and for a moment Goto shivered, but only for a moment.
"Kanae."
Goto's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere, drawing her attention.
She turned, flicking some blood off her wrist with a casual motion. "Ah, Goto. What are you doing here?"
He exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. "As if any competent Hunter wouldn't sense that spike in power from a mile away." His gaze swept over the ruined training chamber before settling back on her. "I decided to check out the occasion, especially since I heard there was a guest."
He shifted his attention to the other figure in the room.
Kaede.
"Care to introduce us?"
Kanae tilted her head slightly, then gave a shrug. "Sure. Goto, meet my sister, Kaede. Kaede, Goto."
Kaede raised a hand in a nervous. "Hi."
Goto's sharp eyes studied her. She was young, too young to be standing in a room dripping with blood as if it were just another Tuesday. Her armor was strange, unlike anything he'd seen before, and while he couldn't sense much mana from her, that in itself was a red flag. Some of the most dangerous Hunters he'd met were the ones who could suppress their presence.
His gaze flicked to the corpses of the demons strewn across the chamber. "Your work?"
Kaede shook her head. "Huh, no, no. Kanae did most of it. I just stood back and watched."
Goto raised an eyebrow at Kanae, who sighed. "Ignore her ramblings. Although you should know that she summoned them."
"Oh? And just how strong are her summons?" Goto asked, his tone neutral, but his sharp gaze never left Kanae.
Kanae paused, considering. "I'd say one of them could give an A-Ranker some real trouble. The stronger ones, or S Ranks, They could probably win outright."
Goto didn't react outwardly, but his mind was already calculating. Summoning magic wasn't unheard of, but this level of power, this quantity, was something else entirely. His eyes flicked over the training chamber once more, taking in the shredded remains of at least ten creatures.
'At least ten A-Rank monsters, summoned instantly...' He exhaled through his nose. In the right hands, that kind of ability could shift the tide of battle in an instant.
His gaze returned to Kaede. She looked young. Kanae had introduced her as her sister, which meant...
"You're recently awakened, then?" he asked, his tone shifting slightly, almost casual.
Kaede hesitated. Her fingers fidgeted slightly, a nervous tick. "Well… yes and no."
Goto raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Before she could answer, Kanae stepped forward, standing next to her. "My sister awakened around six months ago," she said smoothly. "And yesterday, she reawakened."
Goto's eyes widened, just for a fraction of a second.
Reawakening.
That was rare. Very rare.
For a Hunter to awaken, their power had to be unlocked through extreme stress or unique circumstances. But reawakening, gaining a second, far stronger power, happened only to the truly exceptional. That was 0.1 percent of humanity's hunter population.
And in Kaede's case, judging by the carnage in the room, her second awakening hadn't just made her stronger. It had transformed her.
Goto's lips pressed into a thin line.
"…I see."
He glanced at Kaede again, this time with a newfound intensity.
She would become strong. Very strong.
Stronger than...
Goto's thoughts came to a halt, his eyes flashing white for a brief moment as his instincts surged. A quiet, dangerous thought whispered in the back of his mind.
'Should I kill her?'
He quickly dismissed it. No. She was too valuable an asset to eliminate so recklessly.
Instead, he exhaled, masking his momentary hesitation. "First, you'll have to take the reassessment test. An S-Rank Summoner... That's definitely a power.. "
"Uh, actually," Kaede cut in, raising a hand awkwardly. "I'm a Tank, not a Summoner."
Goto froze.
For a long moment, silence stretched between them.
Then, slowly, he turned to fully face her.
"…Come again?"