The evening light bled through the tall windows of the Terra Hunters HQ, painting the room in soft amber. Kazuki sat hunched on the couch, still in the same travel-worn clothes from the night before. His eyes were hollow, his body still.
"So, Kazuki…" Kazen's voice came from somewhere behind him. "How does it feel? Losing your father?"
Kazuki's head lifted slowly. "It's… the worst pain I've ever felt," he murmured. "It happened so suddenly. Just last night… we were laughing. Smiling. And now…" His voice cracked. "…he's gone."
Kazen stepped forward, arms crossed. "I get you, kid. I really do. One moment they're here—parents, siblings… and then boom. Gone."
Kazuki's eyes flicked up, catching a flicker of understanding in the commander's expression. He lost his family too…?
Kazen's tone shifted. "So, tell me—how much do you know about Terras?"
"I know they come from another world," Kazuki said flatly. "Through gates. And they kill people—for no reason."
"That's right," Kazen said with a nod. "You know about Pure Terras and Human Terras?"
Kazuki's jaw tightened. "Yeah. A Human Terra killed my dad."
Kazen raised a brow. "Really? That's rare. Most Human Terras are chained to the Pure ones who turned them."
He began pacing, his words gathering fire. "It's like a spell. A mental chain—keeps them loyal."
Kazuki stared, surprised at how animated the commander had become. He's… actually into this.
Then Kazen's voice lowered again. "The one who killed your father… might not have come alone. It could've been sent."
The thought hit Kazuki hard. He stared at the floor. "My dad and Rensei always said I should become a hunter. But the truth is… I never wanted to. I'm scared all the time. Weak. I thought I'd die in my first battle."
Kazen smirked faintly. "You're not wrong about the weak part."
Kazuki gave a bitter laugh. "See? Even you think so."
"I know so," Kazen said with a shrug. "I can read mana levels just by looking at someone. Your father and Rensei… some of the highest I've ever seen."
Kazuki's fists tightened on his knees. And me… nothing.
"But," Kazen added, "if you really want to fight, I can help you start. Just say the word."
Kazuki's gaze softened. "Thanks, Commander. Can I ask you something? Do you know where Rensei is?"
"Nah," Kazen sighed. "Off on some mission. No one ever knows what he's doing." He stretched and motioned toward the door. "I gotta prep for the funeral. You stay here."
"Since you're commander," Kazuki asked quietly, "does that mean you're the strongest?"
Kazen froze, turned slowly—his gaze sharp enough to cut. For a second, Kazuki felt a chill in his spine. Then Kazen grinned. "Of course not! Being commander isn't about strength. It's about leadership… and heart."
The next day, the sky hung heavy over the graveyard. Hunters gathered in a hushed semicircle. Raiken's pale, worn face rested in the coffin, drained of life. Someone whispered, "Did he use his life force?"
Kazuki stepped forward, voice barely above a breath. "Goodbye… Dad."
As the coffin sank into the earth, a memory hit him—his father's laughter, the warmth of his presence—and then that other smile. That monstrous grin of the Terra who took him away.
I'll kill him.
He turned from the grave, storming into Kazen's office. "I want to be a hunter," he said, slamming the door.
Kazen looked up, startled.
"I want to kill the bastard who took my father," Kazuki said, his voice breaking with rage. "I want to burn that smile off his face."
Kazen said nothing, watching the boy's grief harden into fury.
END OF CHAPTER.