“Imamura! What’s going on with the TV station?”
The Minister of General Affairs played with the pocket watch in his hand, listening to the anxious voice of the man on the other end of the call.
“Did you bypass the Cabinet to issue the broadcast order? Are you trying to rebel?”
The office was pitch black.
The Minister of General Affairs remained silent, watching the boy on the television screen atop his desk, the light from the screen illuminating the furrows of his face.
“My daughter… is on the list too.”
After a long silence, he spoke slowly.
The man on the other end choked for a moment, suppressing his anger.
“Because of your family’s matter, the major issue is delayed. How will you take responsibility?”
The Minister of General Affairs knew what major issue he was referring to.
It seemed something very serious was about to happen in North America.
The Pentagon had already begun recalling unnecessary overseas troops, shrinking its power to deal with domestic affairs.
What kind of terrifying event could make them abandon their West Pacific strategy?
Now, with such a severe security disaster occurring during negotiations, it would probably be used as a diplomatic excuse by the other side.
But it doesn’t matter anymore…
“If the House of Representatives impeaches, I will take responsibility and won’t trouble the Cabinet.”
The Minister of General Affairs rubbed his tired eyes, speaking calmly.
“The trouble already exists!”
Suddenly, the Minister of General Affairs sprang up from his chair.
The chair screeched sharply against the floor.
He stared at the content on the television, gritting his teeth.
“The trouble is only just beginning!”
On the TV, the towering flames were captured by the TV station’s helicopter camera—an explosion had occurred at Sixth Roppongi New Town.
Please, Yuki-kun, survive.
***
Before the broadcast began.
Inside the bus, the TV station staff in the front row were nervously making preparations.
“Is this really okay? You’ll die, you know.”
Dream Serpent stroked her nails, speaking to Yuki Asahi across the aisle.
“You’ve read the materials on those Hunters too, haven’t you?”
Yuki Asahi closed his eyes to rest, not answering Dream Serpent’s question, but instead asking Takaguchi.
“Takaguchi-san, have they started moving over there?”
“Yes. Over twenty people, divided into two groups by abilities, have already set out.”
Takaguchi replied.
“What about their intentions? Will anyone refuse to cooperate?”
Takaguchi understood Yuki Asahi was referring to certain unstable factors.
“The logic of lips and teeth—they all understand. Once they grasped the seriousness, they were willing to cooperate.”
“That’s good.”
Yuki Asahi felt relieved.
Each group had more than ten people, and with SAT-EX Members escorting them, they at least had resistance against solo Hunters.
“Has evacuation started at Sixth Roppongi New Town?”
“The nearest response team has already begun evacuation. There’s enough time.”
“Hey, don’t ignore me all the time.”
Dream Serpent puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction, a mature woman pretending to be cute at her age.
“Die? I’ve never thought about such things.”
Yuki Asahi opened his eyes.
In his mind, Jiang Jian Yue’s words echoed.
“Go do what you must.”
Righteous Senior Jiang would surely hope for him to step forward.
Besides, if all other targets were killed, he and Senior Jiang couldn’t escape either.
He had to do something.
For himself, and for Senior Jiang.
“I’ll give it my all!”
With such conviction, even as his body fell, those words echoed in his mind.
Like a heart demon, or a terrifying curse, it rang over and over in his brain.
His body fell, hurtling toward the ground.
Above his head, explosions destroyed the floor, debris scraping past his cheek—he couldn’t even feel the pain.
“I’ll give it my all.”
The soft self-murmur was crushed in the wind.
He grabbed the cable decorations for the festival lights hanging in the air, sliding toward the floating tea restaurant inside the building.
Rolling on landing to absorb the impact, he stood up and steadied himself.
Yuki Asahi adjusted the GoPro on his chest.
He knew his battle was being broadcast live on major TV stations.
Boom!
The restaurant’s overhead shielding was pierced, and a massive Werewolf stomped through the wooden floor, baring sharp fangs at Yuki Asahi.
Thank you, Werewolf.
Facing such a hideous monster enemy, the positive emotions collected from the broadcast screen grew stronger, the numbers still rising.
It seemed people hoped even more for him to defeat the “evil” monster.
Unfortunately, minor negative emotional attacks didn’t seem effective against the rampaging Werewolf.
It had also been difficult against those two resolute Hunters.
He had to survive and fight on.
There was no way to do it like with Devourer G—radiating across all Tokyo, then gathering emotions to attack.
He felt he was far from reaching that level now—was that time… a newbie benefit?
He dodged the Werewolf’s lunge with ease, smiling wryly at himself for having the luxury to think of other things at a time like this.
Swoosh—
Sensing danger, Yuki Asahi dodged sideways.
An invisible bullet pierced through the shielding layer, even going straight through the concrete floor.
On a high floor, standing at the edge, a young man held an air-shaped “sniper rifle” with both hands and couldn’t help but click his tongue.
“Missed again.”
Then he pulled the “bolt” in the air and sniped down again from above.
“Damn it, Aoyama! Don’t you know to draw him out to an open area?!”
***
Before a giant screen outside a certain building in Ikebukuro, a helicopter hovered at the building’s edge, filming the death struggle between Yuki Asahi and the Werewolf through the glass, sometimes switching to a first-person view.
Kaori Onishi, however, had no time to cheer Yuki Asahi on, scrambling over the railing and using water screens to block the Hunters.
“Damn, I really am going to die.”
Kaori Onishi was in such a panic she burst into tears.
The tears on her face turned into water arrows under her control, shooting toward the Hunter, making for a slightly ridiculous sight.
The Hunter was a handsome man with flowing long hair, but the Swift Sword in his hand was anything but gentle.
The sword tip elegantly cut through the water screen, leaving faint White Air Trails where it passed.
As everyone knows, the cooler the effects, the stronger it is.
If Kaori Onishi had to rate it, she would absolutely give the Hunter’s air trail effect a perfect score—so long as it wasn’t used to kill her.
“Why don’t you just die quietly?”
The handsome man’s gaze occasionally flicked to the Great Screen, as if he intended to head to Roppongi right after dealing with Kaori Onishi.
“Wouldn’t it be weirder to just die quietly?!”
Even at a time like this, Kaori Onishi didn’t forget to retort, even with snot bubbles on her face.
The handsome man drew closer.
Exhausted from overusing her ability, Kaori Onishi collapsed on the ground and began bawling.
“Mom! Dad! I’m sorry!”
The handsome man frowned.
“You’re making me look like some kind of villain.”
“Aren’t you a villain?”
Beside him, a male voice rang out firmly.
The handsome man instantly dodged to the side, a red-glowing throwing knife brushing past his hair.
Koji Hattori gripped the Long Blade in his hand, staring intently at the other’s Swift Sword.
The other party was a veteran Hunter; using such a weapon meant he had great confidence in his Swift Sword.
Western Swordsmanship vs Eastern Swordsmanship?
He couldn’t let his Teacher lose face!
Go Hattori!