Chapter 67
Renji sat across from Takeda in the quiet of the second residence, the tatami mats warm beneath him, yet he felt the chill of unease press into his chest. Lily was asleep in a small futon nearby, her breaths shallow and even, the only soft anchor in the storm of his thoughts. He clenched his fists and finally spoke, voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and urgency.
"Takeda… I need to tell you what Januza said."
Takeda leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, eyes unreadable as always, but his gaze sharpened the moment Renji spoke. Hiroto, lounging against a beam with his injuries bandaged, lifted an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the tension.
"Wait," Hiroto interjected, his voice sharp. "You're telling me… you have a god inside you? In your body? What the hell are you even saying?"
Renji met Hiroto's eyes, the weight of what he had learned pressing on him. "It's true… Januza isn't just in me, he's the God of all destruction he was born to devour the other gods of creation so what the history says it's entirely not true.. but that doesn't mean I'm safe, or ready. I'm not even close to being strong enough yet. I still… I need more training. I need to grow stronger. Because what we faced… what Seraphine represented… that was nothing compared to what's out there."
Takeda's expression remained stoic, but Renji could see a flicker of thought behind the cold eyes. "Stronger," Takeda repeated, almost to himself. "Do you understand what you're saying, Renji?"
"I do," Renji said firmly. "I need to be stronger than you. And you, Takeda… there are countless beings out there countless , far stronger than even you.
The one who sent seraphine was ...
"The king of Galgadon"
And seraphine, while she was the strongest in his army there are countless beings far exceeding seraphine in strength and even the king himself that's what Januza said. That wasn't even a god army. That was just a fragment of what they command." and they did this much damage..!
Hiroto's grin disappeared entirely, replaced with sharp worry. "Hold on. Hold on! Back up. You're telling me this king… this Galgadon .... what are you talking about? The Seraphine that we fought, that was nothing? That's insane. Renji, you're saying there's more?"
Renji nodded, his hands tightening. "Januza said he could eclipse them all. Even wining against the remaining gods of creation. That level… I have to reach that level if I want to protect everyone."
Hiroto threw his hands up, frustration bubbling into desperation. "You can't do that! That's not training you can endure .... that's death! You can't just… just train to beat a god!"
Renji's jaw tightened. "I know. I know it's impossible to reach that level by normal means. That's why… that's why I have to go through the Gate of Gealgilmesh."
Hiroto's entire body stiffened, his voice sharp and shaking with disbelief. "No!! No way! I won't allow it! You can't be serious!"
Takeda's dark eyes cut through Hiroto like a blade. "Do you know what you're saying?" Takeda asked, voice low, deadly calm. "Do you know what kind of gate that is? The Gealgilmesh isn't a challenge. No one who goes there comes out alive. You're talking about walking into a battlefield that erases the unprepared. You're not thinking —"
Renji shouted with fury in his eyes . "I am thinking. I've never been more aware of what I'm doing in my life.
if seraphine could do this damage and that's not even a fraction of what they can really do Then I need to become ready I was totally helpless I thought I became stronger Renji said with tears rolling down his eyes.. This isn't some training exercise. This isn't sparring. This… is what it takes to even have a chance at surviving the war that's coming."
Takeda's gaze didn't waver. He studied Renji for a long moment, the room silent except for the quiet hum of the mountains outside. "And Januza… he said you have to earn it. Power isn't given, it's earned. That's what you're doing here."
"Yes," Renji whispered, voice barely audible. "I have to earn it. If I wait, if I don't… humanity won't survive the coming war. I've seen what's coming, Takeda. And I… I can't fail."
Renji that's to much to bare, a war of a thousand years on your shoulders takeda replied with concerns on his face
Hiroto buried his face in his hands. "This is insane. You're talking about suicide, Renji. No one — no one comes back from Gealgilmesh alive. You have no idea what you're signing up for!"
Renji's eyes flicked to Hiroto, softening just a little. "I know it's dangerous. I know the cost. But I don't have a choice. I can't stand by and do nothing while gods and generals fall upon our world."
Takeda's lips twitched, almost imperceptibly, a hint of acknowledgment rather than approval. "Very well," he said quietly. "Then you will not walk blind into that gate. We prepare. You will not be a fool about this. But know this — even preparation may not be enough. Gealgilmesh is beyond comprehension, it's not just a gate it's a dimension that eats you from the inside and out testing both your physical and mental abilities even for those of us who have faced monsters like Seraphine."?
It's a big gate full of calamity it makes you see your past selves and makes you see illusion that drives you insane hunters who goes there never return
It's an endless tourture with no hope of escape
That's why it's in the island of Armageddon
Renji nodded solemnly, the determination burning in his chest. "I understand. I'll prepare… I'll do whatever it takes."
Meanwhile, far from the mountains, in the Hunter Bureau, the atmosphere was tense with urgency. The President of Japan stood before a large holo-display, the red and yellow cities flashing across the screen, each mark indicating where gates had appeared, where civilians had fallen, and where hunters were still risking their lives. Around him, ministers and military advisors whispered urgently, their concern barely veiled behind clipped postures and furrowed brows.
"The country is in chaos," the President said, voice cold and calculating. "We cannot wait. Every guild must know immediately that there will be an emergency meeting.
And where is Takeda..?
He's no where to be found since the incident sir. If I had to guess he's probably in the mountains A minister replied
"Fetch him at once"!! .The president responded
We are contacting the UN to coordinate this on a global scale. Every nation's top hunters must respond. Every guild must be informed."
Arisa, standing to one side, listened quietly. The weight of responsibility pressed against her shoulders, her hands clenched in front of her. Her eyes flicked to the screens, showing streets filled with debris, bloodied civilians, and scattered hunters trying to hold the gates at bay. Her stomach knotted with worry, and her mind raced back to Renji.
she spoke softly, though the room seemed to hush at her voice, "what about… Renji? Is he… is he really okay? He faced one of the generals… and there's still so much happening. I know he's strong, but…"
A bearu officr responded but his expression did not change. "He is a hunter. He knows the stakes. Our job is to ensure the world coordinates, to give him the space and resources to act. The rest… is up to him. But we will make sure every guild and hunter hears our call. Every nation must respond."
Arisa nodded, though her unease did not lessen. She clenched her fists at her side. "I just… hope he understands the weight of what's coming."
Back at the residence, Renji and Takeda continued their conversation, the night pressing against the sliding doors like a silent observer. Renji's eyes reflected the firelight, the raw hunger to protect, to grow stronger. Takeda stood, calm and unyielding, like a mountain unshaken by storms.
"You know what must be done," Takeda said. "The Gate of Gealgilmesh isn't a training hall. It's a crucible. If you wish to reach the level necessary to survive the war ahead… you will be tested in ways you cannot yet comprehend. You will face beings you cannot imagine."
Renji's fists clenched again, this time with resolve rather than desperation. "I will survive it," he said firmly. "I don't care what's waiting inside. I have to become strong enough ..... strong enough to fight the gods themselves if necessary. To fight whatever comes after Seraphine. I'll earn it, just like Januza said. I'll become worthy."
Even if conquering the gate of gealgilmesh isn't enough but I still have to try .
Takeda's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded. "Good. You will need more than raw strength. You will need strategy, endurance, and the ability to think under pressure. You are not ready yet. But you will be. And I will be there to see that you do not walk blindly into your death."
Renji's gaze softened as he looked toward Lily, sleeping quietly. "I have to protect her… everyone… that's why I have to be ready."
Hiroto leaned back against the pillar, shaking his head with an exasperated laugh. "You always sound like some tragic hero, Renji. But… damn, kid. You really mean it."
"I do," Renji said, voice steady. "I will survive. I have to. And when the time comes, I'll make sure humanity stands against whatever the gods throw at us."
Takeda finally allowed a small, approving nod. "Then let us prepare. There is much to do, and every hour counts. You will need to train, to push yourself beyond all limits, and even then… the world will not wait for you to be ready. Remember, the war is already here, whether you choose to see it or not."
Renji swallowed hard, his gaze hardening with determination. "I understand. I'm ready."
The night outside pressed on, the mountains unmoving witnesses to the conversation inside. And inside, Renji's resolve burned, a quiet but blazing