---
Meanwhile...
At the Generation Guild Headquarters… an argument had already begun behind the closed doors of the council chamber. Mr. Luca Masharake asked Yanamu if he understood what he was talking about and his concern in that moment, as he pressed on, his voice rising with frustration. Yanamu responded calmly, stating that he clearly understood Luca's concern. But he reminded him not to forget it was Luca's idea to let the boy return to the dungeons.
Mr. Luca stepped forward, his face tightening. He reminded Yanamu of what had happened in that dungeon years ago, of what the boy had done. That boy had been marked unfit to be a hunter. There was a reason the Guild didn't encourage killing them in that manner.
He continued, insisting that when hunters became too brutal, they stopped being victims. They became the threat. And if pushed too far, the enemy wouldn't just defend themselves, they would respond with force. They would bring their armies, and they would wipe out the town… and if they chose to, the rest of Japan.
Luca held Yanamu's gaze firmly as he explained their purpose, they hunted to protect, not to dominate. Their intent was to make it clear that this was their province, their land. But Yanamu's son didn't fight with that in mind, he fought like a monarch. He didn't just fight… he seemed to enjoy it. He was brutal. He was like a mon...
But before the word could fully form, Yanamu cut him off, his voice low but sharp as steel. He warned Luca not to dare call his son a monster.
Luca froze in place.
Yanamu stood firm. His son was nothing like what Luca imagined. The boy was obedient, controlled. And if he ever truly wanted to become a monster… he wouldn't hesitate, he had the power to wipe every one of them out. Leaning in slightly, Yanamu let the weight of his next words hang in the air. If they kept pushing his son, if they called him a monster long enough... then one day, he might decide to show them just how monstrous he could be.
And when that happened… they wouldn't like the result. Luca's eyes narrowed, the weight of his suspicion evident. He pressed further, accusing Yanamu of indirectly admitting that his son was a threat to everyone. Yanamu took a breath, steady, but strained. His response was firm.
His son, he said, wanted to become a hunter not for recognition, not for praise, but simply to protect the people he cared about. That was his only goal.
Yanamu stepped forward, a tension flaring in his voice, something dangerously close to fury. He reminded Luca of what had been done. The Guild had marked his son as unfit, stripped him of the one path he believed in. What kind of life was a boy supposed to live after that? Deprived of the joys and normalcy of childhood, forced to suppress his emotions until even feeling them became exhausting, it was no wonder he fought the way he did.
But Luca remained unmoved. Arms folded, he challenged back, asking if any of that had changed how the boy fought the Vyraks or if he was simply growing into an even greater problem than before.
Yanamu's eyes darkened, but his tone remained steady. He acknowledged the fear, said he understood it. But he asked a question in return, did they really believe he could stop his son now, even if he wanted to? The room hung in silence before he added something softer, something heavier, a possibility they hadn't considered. What if one day… they actually needed him?
He stepped closer to Luca, his voice now low but cutting. If they continued pushing his son away, if they treated him like a threat for long enough, then the boy might eventually become exactly what they feared. Luca's jaw tightened at the warning, but he didn't speak.
Yanamu didn't stop there. He painted the darker possibility, what if, one day, his son decided to stop fighting the Vyraks... and started helping them instead? If he was dangerous, then the logical choice was to let that danger be turned toward the real threat. Let him fight the Vyraks. Let his fury burn them instead. Let him see them as the enemy not his own people.
His voice cracked slightly as he said it. His son didn't have much, his life had been built on silence, control, and denial. But this dream of becoming a hunter was the one thing he still held onto. The one thing he still believed in.
Yanamu looked Luca dead in the eyes, and there was no mistaking the plea beneath the steel. So they should let him have it.
Then Yanamu shifted his tone with a warning, one that veered far from the battlefield. He mentioned Luca's daughter, saying he had seen her with his son the previous day. They had thought he hadn't noticed.
Luca's eyes widened at first, a flicker of shock passing through him. But then he relaxed, as if he had no say in the matter. Or perhaps, deep down, he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.
He acknowledged it with tired familiarity, asking if Yanamu meant his little princess, Hiyori. He recalled how stubborn she had always been, how strong her obsession with the Ramans ran. He remembered the first time she saw Yanamu, when she had only been four years old. She had declared to him, without hesitation, that she wanted to marry Mr. Yanamu.
When he told her no, she threatened to leave home. It had been the only thing that brought her to tears. So he told her, in an effort to keep her close, that she could wait if Yanamu's son, Nageya, grew up, then she could marry him instead.
That answer had satisfied her for a while but even then… he still lost her. She no longer lived with him. She stayed with her aunt and uncle now. And the sadness in his voice made it clear, some distances couldn't be closed, not even by a father.
---
Back at the academy...
Everyone was out for breakfast. We were just a few steps into the hallway when I remembered something I needed to grab from the classroom. So I turned back, but just as I reached the door, I bumped into Natsuki. We stood there, frozen. Like we were watching our favorite show but someone had muted it. No expressions. No reaction. Just... stillness.
Then she broke the silence. "Can you move? I'm kind of in a hurry." For a moment, her voice didn't register. I just kept staring, lost. It confused her. Then I snapped out of it quietly and stepped aside like she wasn't even there.
She walked off.
I entered the classroom... only to realize I'd forgotten what I came for. What was it again? ...Huh. I guess I didn't need anything after all. Might as well join the others for breakfast. As I walked back into the hallway, I noticed a girl standing nearby. She was holding something in her hands... staring at me.
Another one I didn't know. And that stare? Yeah, it was getting old. They should try something new.
I kept walking.
She murmured to herself, "Oh wow... he's so tall. Just like they say. I think only 2% of the boys in this academy can even try to match that height. Not even match, just try. Must really be in the Raman blood, they're known for being tall. Oh my God, he's so tall I wonder... if we stood next to each other, where would I even reach?"
I passed her when she suddenly spoke up. "Excuse me?" Why do they always wait until I've already passed? Maybe they spend all that time lost in their own little illusions. I turned to face her. "Yes?"
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Great. I was just about to go grab something , and now this. What does she want? Should I decline?
She doesn't seem dangerous... maybe a little freaked out. Or nervous. Or whatever she's feeling I can't tell.
Maybe I should just go.
...Or maybe, just this once, I could listen. "No," I said.
But she insisted. And eventually... I gave in. She led me to the rooftop, there were a few long benches there, spaced apart each one could fit eight people. We sat with space between us, just enough. I glanced at her. She was fidgeting, clearly trying to find her words.
I wondered what she wanted. "Um, you're Nageya, right? I, uh... I wanted to..." She was still fumbling when another girl showed up. Someone I didn't know.
"Hi, Yaya," the new girl waved cheerfully at the one I was sitting with.
Yaya. So that was her name. Sounded Japanese... or just sounded like it. She had Lulua walking behind her, as they passed, Yaya gave a soft "hi" back. So they knew each other, maybe classmates.
But Lulua… the way she looked at me was intense, like I'd killed someone she loved. Like she was just waiting for the right moment to eat me alive. She didn't say a word, just stared. And walked on.
They sat far off, barely in sight.
Huh... so students eat breakfast here too. The breeze was cool. The atmosphere felt like it was made for a picnic or maybe even a sleepover.
"So, Nageya," Yaya said again while handing me a lunchbox. I glanced at her wrist. Her CoreLink was still visible, like a watch so she must still be at a low level
A lunchbox? I blinked. "Is this for me?"
"Yeah. Open it."
As I flipped it open, I was surprised and honestly, a little happy. "Chicken rice porridge?" I muttered. For a second, I lost myself. I wasn't on the rooftop anymore I had spiralled. Then I snapped back. Wait... rice porridge? For breakfast? Is she a fan too?
"You see," she said, "rice porridge is my favorite. I wanted to share it with you. So have it."
Is she serious? Who told her I liked this stuff? Only Nasuke and maybe a few others knew. And I doubted they'd tell someone I didn't even know. Either way… I was definitely eating it. I glanced at her hands she had another lunchbox.
Two? She really came prepared. I tasted it. Just a little different maybe 1% off from Mom's but still… the flavor, the smell, the warmth… almost identical. It was tasty.
I usually only have this after school. Having it now, in the morning, felt overwhelming.
We ate in silence. She looked up at the sky, letting the wind brush over her face. No words, like we were childhood friends just sharing a peaceful moment. She was so relaxed, like this was totally normal, but then I noticed her lunchbox.
She'd only eaten half. "Can I ask you something?" I finally said.
"Yeah, sure."
"Who are you? Do I know you?"
Seriously? This whole time, and now is when he asks who I am? she thought. "Oh, I… I am… my name…" she was stammering.
Then the bell rang, break was over. She quickly grabbed the lunchbox she gave me and ran off. Within seconds, she was gone like she'd vanished into thin air. I sat there for a moment, letting the breeze settle everything. Then I stood and walked back to class, I didn't fully understand what had just happened… but I liked it, it was peaceful and quiet. And having my favorite food like that it felt good.
By the time I returned, everyone was already in class. And Lulua was still giving me that death stare.
Lulua's more like a childhood friend. Our dads work together, they've known each other forever. When I lost Natsuki to Renji, she stayed by my side even when I started distancing myself, she never seemed to mind. But this glare—this one—was new. I'd never seen her look at me like that before.
Maybe I'll ask her later, it's not like I don't care, I do. I want to know why she's upset... maybe. Then Ike approached me. "Hey dude, you were gone the whole break. Where were you?"
"I went to talk to someone… about something… they didn't really say. That's all. Nothing much."
"Wow. This is how this guy explains himself. So cool."
"We're going back to the dungeons today, right?"
"You shouldn't say that in public," I whispered. "We're not hunters."
He slapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry," he muttered.
No… that's it. I should stay away from the dungeons for now. Just focus on this exercise. I asked Ike if he could show me his CoreLink details and he was happy to.
Ike stretched his arm toward me, flicking his CoreLink screen to life. The band around his wrist shimmered faintly, then projected a soft-blue display into the air.
IDENTITY FILE
User Name: Ike Hayashi
Rank: D
Role: Student
Affiliation: Zaikoku High
Generation: 2nd
Stamina & Health %: 82
Level: 21
STATS REPORT
XP Progress: None yet
Essencia Core Balance %: 94
Recent Activity Log: None yet
Target Scan / Beast Log: No target detected nearby
Essencia Affinity %: None yet
"There's more, I can show you?"
"No, that's enough." Until today I didn't know Ike's last name. Rumour has it that on the field the information might change, let's wait and see untill then. I guess I should ask Dad to show me his.