JAPAN. SHINJUKU. TOKYO
A man staggered backward as he looked up in despair. "W, What is that?"
"Oh my god." A woman whispered.
The bustling city of cars, bicycles, and people came to a halt, as everyone looked up to see...
---
Whoosh!
The sky itself seemed to swirl like a whirlpool as it appeared.
A gate.
An odd black coloured, but perfectly normal gate. If the gate wasn't six times taller than Shinjuku itself.
---
...A gargantuan presence looming up in the sky.
---
Nagatachō, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo – Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei)
"Sheesh… The Blades. The Phantoms. Invincible Kings. Snowy Mountains. And Maple Tree..." murmured a brown-haired man in a sleek black suit, standing near the edge of the grand reception hall. His gaze drifted over the crowd as he spoke to his two equally well-dressed companions.
"I still can't believe it," he added, folding his arms. "Every Guild Master of the top guilds in Japan, summoned to the Kantei. Something massive must be going down."
One of his companions elbowed him lightly and pointed toward the entrance with wide eyes. "Guys… look over there."
"Wait, isn't that Sugimoto Reiji? The Vice Guild Master of the Blades?" he whispered, watching a tall man stride confidently through the hall.
Right behind Reiji were three figures who moved like wolves in a lion's den: Kei, Kumamoto Atsushi, and Tawata Kanae.
"You idiot," the third man muttered, giving his friend a light smack on the back of the head. "He's not the vice master anymore. He took over after Goto Ryuji died."
"The Blades lost Goto and two other S-Ranks, didn't they?" the man grinned, lowering his voice into a conspiratorial whisper.
His companion leaned in, equally hushed. "Yeah... And now they have the same amount of S-Ranks as Maple Tree. The Blade Guild's days are numbered now."
Reiji slowed to a stop, and the hunters behind him followed suit. The air around them seemed to thicken, growing heavier with the mana that now saturated it.
A few steps ahead, the arrogant S-Rank hunters, oblivious to the silent fury forming behind them, continued their conversation.
"In fact," one of them said with a smug grin, "if we play our cards right, we might have a shot at becoming the greatest guild in Japan."
Reiji's eyes narrowed, glowing with a crimson hue. Beside him, Kei, Kumamoto, and Kanae radiated similar energy, their eyes tinted red as they suppressed the rising pressure of their mana.
"But what about Maple Tree?" one of the fools asked. "Their Guild Master is stronger than Goto ever was."
"I said 'greatest' guild, not 'strongest'," another scoffed. "And besides, with our plan, we'll have that slut begging for our attention in no time."
Kanae's eyes flashed gold, her pupils slitting like a predator's. For a heartbeat, the temperature in the hallway seemed to drop.
That was when the three S-Ranks finally noticed the deathly silence behind them. They turned, only to find Reiji and his companions glaring at them with such intensity, it was as if their souls were being burned alive. Without another word, the trio turned and bolted down the corridor.
"Those bastards," Kumamoto muttered under his breath.
Reiji exhaled slowly, almost as amused as he was annoyed. "Apparently, Phantom Guild just acquired Snowy Mountain Guild."
Kanae let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Those two combined only have four S-Ranks. Unless they're planning to collect guilds like trading cards, that won't change anything."
Reiji nodded. "It won't matter. Even if every guild in the country joined forces… they still wouldn't be a match for us." His gaze flicked to Kanae.
Kanae grinned. "Exactly."
With that, Reiji turned and continued walking toward the conference room. The others peeled off in different directions, the quiet hallway now calm again.
---
When Reiji entered the conference room, he immediately noticed that only two seats remained unoccupied. The rest were taken by Japan's most influential figures, guild masters of the country's top guilds, the head of national security, and the prime minister himself.
He smirked inwardly as he strolled toward one of the remaining chairs. But as he sat down, he raised an eyebrow in faint amusement.
'Well, I'll be.'
The final empty seat was positioned at the head of the table, directly beside the prime minister's.
And yet, the meeting didn't begin.
A strange silence blanketed the room, thick with expectation.
Then, the door opened.
Kaede stepped inside.
The first thing she saw was the only empty seat, and where it was placed. Every pair of eyes turned to her. Reiji watched her closely, observing not just her movements, but her state of mind.
She took a step forward... then hesitated.
For just a moment, a flicker of nervousness crossed her face.
But it vanished just as quickly as it came. She moved again, this time with renewed confidence, her posture straightening, her gaze firm.
Reiji smirked, leaning back slightly in his chair.
'Looks like you'll be fine. Maybe this really was the right call.'
Kaede walked to the head of the table and sat down, flanked by the prime minister on her right and the head of national security on her left. The unspoken message couldn't be any clearer.
---
"An S-Ranked Gate has spawned in the heart of Tokyo," the Prime Minister began, his voice steady despite the tension in the room.
Kaede sat silently at the head of the long table, listening intently.
"I've summoned all of you here with the understanding that you have countermeasures already in place," he continued, scanning the faces of the gathered guild masters.
'They do?' Kaede blinked, her mind racing. 'We do? This is the first I'm hearing of this. Then again… I'm still a new Guild Master. Maybe that's why I haven't been briefed yet.'
She turned her gaze to the other guild masters, waiting for someone to speak.
Silence.
Not a single word.
A few avoided eye contact. Others looked away altogether. The truth became painfully clear.
'Ah. So they don't.'
The Prime Minister's expression darkened, his knuckles tightening on the polished surface of the table. "Are you telling me there are no countermeasures in place!? What if a dungeon break happens? What then!?"
One of the guild masters finally spoke, his voice careful. "Even S-Rank Hunters aren't strong enough to clear an S-Rank Gate…" His eyes flicked briefly toward Kaede. "But a National Level Hunter might be."
Kaede tilted her head slightly, meeting his gaze with a raised brow, curious, but unimpressed.
The head of national security leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "Prime Minister, you've summoned the guild masters of every major guild in Japan here today. So please… refrain from asking such an obvious question."
His single working eye settled on Kaede.
"You've seen what happened on Jeju Island, Tawata. You know the price of sending in S-Rank Hunters against a threat of this scale."
He leaned in further, his tone lowering.
"You're a National Level Hunter in all but name. So tell us, what do you think should be done?"
The silence dragged on like a dying breath.
Kaede's gaze drifted across the room of Guild Masters, each avoiding her eyes as the Prime Minister's words echoed unanswered.
She smirked, just a little.
So this was it.
If she was being honest, Kaede already planned to clear the gate the next day. What she had seen proved that even S-Ranked gates were of no threat to her.
But this...
A chair creaked. Someone cleared their throat, but no one spoke. The weight of expectation settled squarely on her shoulders.
Kaede blinked once, then twice. They weren't going to say it. "You've got to be kidding me."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make heads turn.
"What is this? You're all looking at me like I'm the one in charge."
Kaede stood slowly.
She took a step forward, her presence swallowing the room.
She tilted her head slightly, smiling coldly. "You want to know what I think?"
"I think we all know what happens if a dungeon break occurs," she said finally. "Tokyo would become a battlefield. And depending on the type of monsters that spill out, no amount of evacuation will save the civilians."
Several of the Guild Masters nodded in agreement, clearly relieved she wasn't pushing back. Reiji's expression barely changed, but his fingers tapped rhythmically against the table. He was watching her closely.
She met his gaze for a second, and then turned to the Prime Minister.
"If you're asking me whether I can clear the gate alone," she continued, her tone now carrying a slight edge, "I won't say yes. Not yet. I haven't even seen what kind of monsters we're dealing with. But I can go in. And if the situation turns bad, I'm confident I can get out."
Her words sparked murmurs around the room.
Reiji's smirk deepened. "So, you're volunteering?"
"I'm taking responsibility," Kaede said, looking around the room now, her voice growing a little colder. "Which seems to be something no one else here is willing to do."
Several Guild Masters flinched at that. One of them opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it.
It was obvious what they were doing.
The survival rate for an S-Rank dungeon raid was abysmally low, less than five percent, even for elite S-Rank hunters. These individuals were the crown jewels of the major guilds, assets too valuable to risk lightly. Losing even one could cripple a guild's standing and influence in the national power hierarchy.
The scars from the Jeju Island Raid were still fresh. Goto Ryuji, once hailed as Japan's strongest hunter, had been killed with terrifying ease by a single monster from that dungeon. And now, according to the preliminary readings, this new gate was estimated to be at least seventeen times more powerful than the Jeju Island dungeon.
No one in Japan could be expected to walk into that gate and return, except for Kaede.
She was the only one even remotely capable of surviving what waited inside, so why risk their own?
The Prime Minister cleared his throat. "You will of course have the full support of..."
Kaede raised a hand gently. Not enough to be rude. Just enough to interrupt.
"I appreciate that, Prime Minister. I'm sure everyone here is… willing to offer support." She looked pointedly at the other Guild Masters. "But let's be clear. If I'm going into that gate, I make the decisions. No committee. No second-guessing from people who aren't even going to step inside."
Silence again. This time heavier.
Reiji gave a soft laugh, clearly entertained. The head of National Security, however, simply watched her, unreadable.
"I'm not asking to lead this operation," Kaede added. Her cold smile widened, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm telling you I already am."
She stood from her seat, slowly enough that everyone's eyes were on her.
"Prepare your support teams," she said. "We move in twelve hours."
And then, without waiting for dismissal, she turned and walked out the room.
Reiji watched her leave with a wide grin tugging at his lips. "Well then, gentlemen. Prime Minister." He gave a polite nod. "I suppose I should mention that, effective immediately, the Draw Sword Guild has been officially acquired by the Maple Tree Guild."
He straightened his suit as he stood. "Good day to you all."
The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind him.
For a long moment, silence ruled the room.
But this wasn't the tense, anticipatory silence from earlier. This was stunned silence, one born from disbelief.
The Prime Minister slowly leaned back in his chair, releasing a breath through his nose. "Maple Tree just absorbed Draw Sword…" he muttered. "That means… fourteen S-Ranks."
"Fifteen," the Head of National Security corrected, eyes still fixed on the door Kaede had exited through.
Matsumoto gave a slow nod. "Another member showed up for reassessment. Gine Toriyama. She Reawakened just last week."
A low ripple of murmurs passed around the room like static.
"Reawakened?" One of the senior guild masters leaned forward, incredulous. "That's the third Maple Tree member who's done that. What the hell is going on in that guild?"
The Prime Minister didn't respond immediately, lost in thought.
"A monopoly on Japan's strongest S-Ranks…" he said at last, rubbing his temple. "We may have another Goto situation on our hands."
"I doubt that." The Head of National Security's voice cut in, firm and unyielding. "She's nothing like Goto Ryuji. And I hope, for all our sakes, that she stays on our side."
The Prime Minister nodded, slowly. "Same here. Japan needs her now more than ever."
Then he paused, noticing the Head of Security still watching him, expression unreadable.
The man rose and began walking toward the door.
"I wasn't talking about just Japan," he said quietly, before slipping out of the room.