Raito watched as the hunters descended into the dungeon hidden within the abandoned train station. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, as if the sight of them disappearing into the darkness was fading from his mind.
Maybe she's right, he thought. Maybe it's time to stop. But I can't back down now after all these years.
Nearby, two security guards, Sera and Kaizuki, stood vigil, tasked with overseeing everyone who entered and exited the forsaken station turned deadly dungeon. Their eyes never left Raito.
"That guy's back again," Kaizuki said. "His pain is barely there, and yet he's still cleaning his gear like it matters."
Sera nodded. "You're right. Let's go have a chat with him."
"Alright, Sera," Kaizuki said.
Together, they moved toward Raito.
"You're here again," Kaizuki said calmly.
Raito turned his back, then caught sight of the approaching figures. It was the security guards, Kaizuki and Sera. Well, these two who don't know how to mind their own business have come again, he thought with a smirk. Turning back, he greeted them with a smile.
"Hey, yes, I'm back again," Raito said casually.
Kaizuki stepped closer. "Good. It's nice to see you. Have you gone to assess your rank yet? Since you don't have any skills, you're probably still stuck at rank E. And honestly, that's not a bad job. You could make more money carrying gear, weapons, or even picking gems from monsters down in the dungeon," Sera added.
Raito glanced at her, feeling the weight of her words. I can't tell them about my rank assessment… it wasn't even close to rank E. They said I was the same as an ordinary five-year-old, he thought bitterly.
Then, meeting her eyes, he said quietly, "I haven't done it yet. But you're right, I still don't have any skill."
Kaizuki stepped closer and placed a firm hand on Raito's shoulder. "I'm telling you this because I like you," he said earnestly. "You've been doing this for about three years now, cleaning gear. The pay isn't much. And look at your clothes, they're worn out."
Raito glanced down at his tattered clothes, the truth sinking in.
"I'm advising you because I care," Kaizuki continued. "You should stop this. You could get a security job like us. When I took my rank assessment, I was ranked D, and so was Sera. But we don't want to put ourselves in danger fighting monsters, that's why we chose this job and the pay is good."
Sera moved closer, nodding. "Yeah, if you want to join us as security, you can. We have your uniform ready, and I can talk to the boss about it. You'd be a good fit."
Kaizuki stepped back a little and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well… there's no need for that," Raito said firmly. "I think I'm going to have to decline. I'm good the way I am."
They both stepped back a little.
"Well, anytime you change your mind, let us know. We'll get you a job," Kaizuki said as they started walking away.
"Thanks for the offer," Raito shouted after them, watching their backs as they disappeared.
Then he paused, his smile fading.
They're good people, he thought. I know they care about me. And maybe everyone who's told me this is right. But if I wanted to stop, I would have done it already.
They're just naive, thinking they're helping me.
He sat down, eyes fixed on the dark entrance of the dungeon, waiting for the hunters to come back out.
So they're ranked. They're rank D. They even get to choose what they want to do in life.
But me? I don't have any rank. My power hasn't manifested yet.
Maybe only a few people could understand how I feel. My sister, when she took her rank assessment, was ranked C. And she didn't even need to train; her power had already manifested. I trained by doing little exercises like pushups but it didn't make a difference.
Or maybe I'm going to grow old without ever knowing the feeling, what it's like to be a hunter.
Raito sat, lost in thought.
Then, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
About three hours later, a noise stirred him awake. It was loud and sharp, like an alarm. His eyes opened sluggishly.
What's that noise?
He sat up, rubbing his eyes, when he saw Sera sprinting toward him.
"Hey! Wake up!" Sera's voice cut through the chaos.
Raito blinked at her. "What's going on? Why are you panicking?"
"It's the hunters who went in… something's wrong," Sera said, her voice trembling. "Monsters only come out when the dungeon gets overcrowded, but it's different this time. The mana crystals are sensing them, already past the threshold and moving out. We've confirmed it."
Raito froze, shocked. "What do you mean? Then… what happened to Ayane?"