Chapter 73
Takeda, Renji, and Hiroto arrived at the building's main entrance, the weight of their presence immediately drawing the attention of a Bearu officer stationed there.
The officer, crisp in uniform, saluted sharply. "You three are to go into the building but just you and hunter Renji are to report directly to the commander's office."
His voice was firm, controlled, but even as he spoke, his eyes betrayed a subtle tension.
And renji's brow furrowed, unease lacing his voice.
"Wait… why just the two of us?" His tone was sharp, a mixture of curiosity and frustration.
"Why am we singled out?"
The officer hesitated, glancing at Hiroto and Takeda, both of whom remained unreadable in their expression.
"I… I have no knowledge of the reasoning, sir. I was instructed to allow only you two to enter. I cannot question the orders."
Hiroto's jaw tensed slightly, his usual casual air replaced with quiet vigilance. He inclined his head, silently signaling Renji to proceed with caution.
Takeda's gaze hardened, scanning the officer with a calm intensity. "Then we proceed," he said softly, but hiroto stays with us and nothing else."
Slowly the went
The corridor leading to the commander's office was imposing, every step they took echoed off the marble floors,
Renji's pulse thrummed in his ears. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched,
Hiroto's eyes flicked to every corner, noting the angles, the shadows, the subtle movements of security cameras embedded in the walls..
"It's quiet, it's never quiet " he mustered to himself
Takeda's stride was calm, measured, as each movement was radiating authority, a force p that demanded respect without saying a word.
When they reached the doors of the regional commander's office, the room beyond revealed itself with a quiet majesty. Sunlight streamed through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden reflections across the polished hardwood.
President Nakamura and Regional Commander Wang Chi stood rigidly at the windows,
Their gaze fixed on Tokyo,
Around them, personal bodyguards were stationed, their presence imposing yet restrained, every muscle taut, every movement precise.
Renji's voice cut the silence, cautious but edged with curiosity. "Why just us? Why aren't the others here?"
Good question hiroto answerd, but moreover why are this many body guards here .
President Nakamura's head turned slowly, the weight of authority pressing through his tone.
"Leave us."
The bodyguards departed silently, their steps precise and measured, each one leaving the room with exacting grace. Takeda's eyes followed them, analyzing every movement, every angle. Renji's mind raced with questions. Why had they been singled out? What truth could possibly demand this level of secrecy?
Then the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears,soft and deliberate
Arisa
Arisa entered as her movements was measured and precise, each step echoing softly against the floor .
Renji's eyes widened. "Arisa!" The word escaped him before he could stop it, a mix of surprise, relief, and underlying tension. He expected her familiar warmth, her usual smile but what met his gaze was something different.
Her eyes, usually bright with encouragement, were now sharp and filled with disappointment. The weight of unspoken words hung between them like a storm cloud, pressing down with silent force. Renji's chest tightened.
"Arisa-… are you okay?" he asked, cautious, almost afraid of her answer.
She didn't respond. The silence that followed thickened the air, making it feel dense, almost physical. Hiroto's stance shifted slightly, the alertness in his posture intensifying as he sensed the subtle tension
Takeda's voice finally cut through the tension. "What is going on?"
Before he could finish, President Nakamura spoke, his tone firm, sharp, cutting.
"You lied."
Takeda's eyes narrowed, "Lied? About what?" His voice, controlled but dangerous, demanded clarity.
Hiroto eyes grimmed..
The president's gaze held them both, unwavering. "It's okay hunter takeda you can take a breather the cameras here are off, no one is watching only those present here know the truth.
Takeda's eyes flared, intensity radiating from him like the edge of a blade. "What truth?" he demanded, his voice low but commanding.
Wang Chi turned from the window, his gaze piercing.
You know I'm not stupid
"Something didn't add up. Why did the gates appear? Their arrival was coordinated, precise, tactical. Magic beasts rarely act with such order they are chaos incarnate.
But these ... no these were different. Each general led an army with purpose. Did they come to wage war because we killed their own kind? If so, why only Japan? Why not the world?"
He paused, the weight of realization grounding his words. "Or perhaps… they were searching.
Searching for something… something only you know about."
It can't be ,! Hiroto said deeply
Renji felt a chill crawl up his spine, the tension constricting his chest. Takeda's eyes flicked toward Wang Chi, subtle but keen, assessing the meaning behind the commander's words.
Wang Chi's voice softened, but the weight remained. "It didn't add up. After the chaos, I carried out my own investigations."
Takeda's gaze hardened, voice colder now. "What investigations?"
"Exactly why miss arisa is here, President Nakamura interjected. Renji's gaze met Arisa's, her eyes sharp, fierce, and filled with an almost imperceptible anger.
"I know who you are, Renji Kurogane," the president said.
Shock surged through Renji's chest, a sudden, electric jolt of recognition and disbelief. Takeda immediately released a condensed fraction of his aura a calm, steady wave of power that anchored them both.
"Takeda-sensei…" Renji whispered, awe mingled with apprehension.
"No need for that takeda," Wang chi for that takeda said softly. "We are not here to cause trouble."
Wang Chi stepped forward, deliberate and slow, his presence commanding. "So… you are Januza reborn
It all makes sense now." He turned his gaze to Takeda. "Is that why you killed Tang Shi? To cover the truth?"
Takeda's silence answered.
He scoffs...
Wang Chi's eyes shifted back to Renji. "After the destruction, something was off. You were sloppy, Takeda.
You forget cameras are everywhere. After the emergency summit with the SS-ranked hunters, I saw a tape. Renji, you said, 'Shouldn't we tell them the truth?'"
Takeda's eyes flared slightly, controlled intensity radiating from him like a coiled spring. Hiroto's posture tensed, sensing the power in the room, the shifting currents of authority and threat.
President Nakamura's voice intervened again, smooth but cutting. "That's why I assigned Arisa to monitor you. Your apartment negates all mana readings, Takeda. Tracking you otherwise would have been impossible. You were sloppy."
And she found out what you truly are
Renji gazed matched with Arisa's..
Then he sighed!
The silence that followed was dense, almost suffocating. Renji's gaze met Takeda's, both understanding in an instant the unspoken weight of what had to be revealed.
"Takeda-sensei," Renji said, his voice steady, resolute, carrying the weight of inevitability, "I think it's time they know the actual truth."
Takeda's eyes softened, a quiet pride and determination mingling in their depths. Outside, Tokyo glittered under the morning sun, oblivious to the secrets contained in this room.
Renji stepped forward, bowing slightly, his voice calm but filled with resolve. "Allow us to explain."