[An entire squad was slaughtered by unknown assailants!]
[Could the wounds on the bodies from yesterday's massacre have been inflicted by a demon?]
[It's now dangerous to go out at night in the Orange Zone — Nightwatch hunters will shoot on sight.]
Hundreds of such headlines flooded the net that morning alone. Public opinion erupted across social media, and doubt began to spread about the validity of the Nightwatch operation.
Junho sent me the location, and an hour later we met at a café in the heart of the city. The moment I saw his cheerful face, a sense of peace washed over me. My friend hadn't changed. That same warm smile still lit up his expression.
"How's it going, superstar?"
"Don't call me that. It's flattering, but no."
"But you really are one now! Do a few interviews, and people won't stop talking about you."
"I'm rejecting every offer."
We sat at a free table and ordered lunch. The tidy little café had a homely vibe to it, and for a moment, I stopped overthinking everything.It was as if the weight on my shoulders had slipped away.
"Seriously though, I'm happy for you, Kihyun. The son of a legendary demon hunter has surpassed his father. That headline was everywhere."
"I haven't surpassed anyone."
Junho, with his light hair and simple clothes, smiled gently.
"So, how do you feel about this job now? I know you never dreamed of it. Has your opinion changed?"
When I remembered the sight of my comrades dying in front of me, my eyes fell bitterly to the table. The old me would've probably thrown up from memories like that.
"You just have to get used to the fact that the people around you… aren't permanent."
"Yeah, I get that. You've probably seen a lot of death already. Me too. I see piles of bodies almost daily—homeless people, mostly. Our main job is researching disease in their corpses."
"You're still working in the Orange Zone, right? Is your lab there too?"
"No, it's right on the edge of the Green Zone. But they make us scientists assist during body collections."
I always admired Junho's motivation. How could he still smile after seeing so much?
"You said you had news?"
"Ah, right… There was a report. Last night, a Nightwatch squad and the homeless they were protecting were all brutally murdered. The killers are presumed to be demons. They left a message on the wall: 'Umbra was here.' Whatever that means… people are scared. They think it might be a demon organization."
Umbra… dead soldiers… It looked like a declaration of war. These demons had to be intelligent.
"But let's not dwell on the dark stuff. By the way, Kihyun—"
"Hm? What is it?"
"You didn't happen to pick up a girlfriend, did you? Come on, spill it!"
"What?! No!"
"Don't lie. There are so many beautiful, single women in the Association. They're always too busy with work to date."
As he teased me, my mind involuntarily recalled the faces of the clingy Hizumi, the graceful Sora, and the mysterious Reina.
"...Yeah, maybe."
"For real?! Damn, lucky guy. Hope you win her over—unless you're planning to get all three."
"What are you even talking about?"
Our spontaneous get-together, where we could talk about anything and everything, felt like therapy.Time slipped by unnoticed, and over a cup of tea, we talked about everything we'd been bottling up.
That evening, Seongwan-gu District, Orange Zone.
The two neighborhoods in this district were under the supervision of Reina and Yushin. Once a second urban center, Seongwan-gu had been designated a "potential danger zone" since the demon outbreak. Still, people lived in every sector, long accustomed to the lurking threat of demons.
In the first neighborhood, guarded by Reina's unit, it was eerily quiet. Some soldiers even looked bored. No threats hid in the residential buildings, and the streets were disturbingly empty.
The Red Fox unit — consisting of two A-rank hunters, three B-rankers, and four regular soldiers — watched every alley with precision, moving methodically from block to block.
A red-haired female hunter was patrolling with her partner when her sharp green eyes caught a glimpse of a small girl darting away into an alley.
Gasping, she followed her quietly.
"Red Fox, what is it?" her partner in the black suit asked.
"Did you see that? Follow me."
Two more comrades nearby also spotted the girl's shadow. She ran beneath a streetlight and vanished again into the dark.
"Wait!" one of them exclaimed.
"You saw it too? Should we report it?"
"Let's check first."
"Am I just imagining things…?"
Elsewhere in the neighborhood, the little girl emerged from an alley, teary-eyed. Two soldiers froze in place.
"Girl, state your name!" one soldier called out, pointing his rifle at her.
"Stop!" the second said, raising his hand. "Don't point your weapon at a civilian."
The girl cried harder.
"Mommy… where's my mommy…?"
"When did you last see her?"
Four hunters, including Red Fox, came running from behind.
"Report! What's going on?"
"She's lost, can't find her home!"
One soldier gently approached her, offering his hand.
"Don't touch her! She might be a demon!"
"Don't point a gun at a defenseless child!" the other yelled. "Are you insane?! What will her parents say if they find out?"
The girl clumsily wiped her tears and shakily reached for the soldier's hand.
"Bear-2, I'm telling you as squad commander—don't touch her!"
"Where are your parents, sweetheart?"
"M-my mom… She disappeared… A man grabbed her and—"
"It's okay, don't cry. We'll take you home. Can you tell us where that is?"
"I don't know…"
"That's fine. Come with me. We'll find it together."
"Bear-2…"
Reina felt sorry for the soldier, but she understood him. There was no evidence the child was a demon.
The soldier took a step with the girl, another soldier following behind.Then, a wall beside them exploded. A humanoid figure with clawed, fang-like arms launched out. His claws tore the soldier into shreds.
"No! Bear-2!"
The squad leader stood frozen. Half of Bear-2's torso landed at his feet, the other half buried under rubble.
Reina instantly summoned her Kenketsu — two elegant rapiers gleaming like before.
She locked eyes with the attacker: twisted claw-arms, black mask, armored vest. Was that a Kenketsu too?
No… those were real limbs, the kind only demons could transform.
"That's a demon!" the commander shouted. "Open fire!"
Bullets flew, but they did nothing.
"Damn! Only Bear-2 had armor-piercing rounds…"
Spotting the fallen rifle, the commander sprinted for it. The demon locked eyes with him alone, ignoring Reina and the others.
As the demon lunged, the commander rolled and grabbed the rifle, firing a volley. The demon leapt away, landing on a wall.
One bullet hit — Reina dashed forward and severed one of his arms with a wide sweep.
The demon retaliated, slashing off the commander's arms. The weapon dropped. The man screamed, his agony echoing through the district.
The remaining four soldiers heard his scream and raced toward them.
Furious, Reina shifted to a precise grip and lunged again — this time, a vertical stab. The blade struck true, leaving a bloody gash beneath the demon's vest.
The demon snarled, eyes turning to the commander. He lunged.
Three hunters readied themselves, reinforcing their suits with demonic blood.
In midair, the demon's shoulder shifted, signaling a wide slash.
"NO! Howl-1!"
He landed — a blinding, sweeping slash.
One hunter froze. Then, his Kenketsu shattered.
His head rolled away.
The remaining two attacked in sync — one severed the demon's legs, the other his neck.
The demon fell. His lifeless body was vengeance made flesh.
Reina rushed in.
"Are you alright?"
"The demon's dead. But he took three of ours…"
"Three? What do you mean?!"
She looked at the armless soldier — his eyes were empty. He had died from shock.
"No… No way… That thing killed two soldiers and a B-rank hunter that fast?! Zeus-1, what now?!"
Then, a child's voice came from the rubble.
"Help me… It hurts! Mommy!"
The commander stepped forward to search.
"Zeus-1! She could be dangerous!"
"I don't care. I'm not leaving another kid behind."
Suddenly, massive tendrils of meat lashed out from the debris, slamming him into pulp. Only his legs remained.
A red, fleshy mass rose from the rubble — Reina cut it apart with a single blow.
"Red Fox! Stick close! It's just us now!"
"Goddamn it!"
Her eyes met a dark figure on a rooftop. Those piercing eyes gave them both chills.
They saw his white suit, short crimson hair, and a black mask.
"Well," he said in a cold, clear voice, "Only two left? Is Seongwan-gu really worth all this?"
"Who are you?! Identify yourself!"
"Not worth the time. I'll finish you in five minutes."
A long katana appeared in his hands.
"A Kenketsu? No… wait, is he a hunter?!"
He pointed the katana at Reina. His calm eyes knocked the breath from her lungs.
"Behold true power, mere hunters."