A few days later, Akira woke to the weight of bandages cinched tight around one eye.
Pain greeted him immediately—not sharp, not fresh, but familiar. The dull, throbbing language of bruises, torn muscle, and a body that had been pushed far past its limits.
I can use Tao now, he thought. At least… a little.
Ito had driven him mercilessly. Every day felt like being reforged with a hammer instead of a teacher.
Akira groaned and forced himself upright. Morning light spilled across the room, bleeding white through the gauze and stealing half his vision. He caught his reflection in the mirror across the room and paused.
He looked different.
Leaner. Sharper. Like something had been carved away and replaced with something harder.
I've grown, he realized. In just a few days.
His body felt like it might fall apart at any moment—but still.
I'm not the same kid who got crushed by a Yokai.
Steam wrapped around him in the shower, heat biting into sore skin. He stood there longer than necessary, letting the water drown his thoughts.
But one name surfaced anyway.
Sora.
Always watching. Always measuring.
She was strong—there was no denying that—but strange. Guarded. Like she was weighing him against something he couldn't see.
The bathroom door slammed open.
Ito strode in without hesitation, red ponytail swinging, eyepatch catching the light. "Finally," he said. "You're up. Get dressed. We're going somewhere."
Akira blinked. "Where?"
Ito didn't answer. He tossed Akira his jacket and walked back out as if the question had never been asked.
The morning air was sharp against their skin as they left the Yoru training compound. Pines towered on either side of the road as Ito's black car hummed forward, tires eating up distance.
For once, Ito was silent.
The quiet pressed down harder than words.
Akira broke it. "You train me nonstop, and now I'm running errands too?"
Ito kept his eyes on the road. "Aye. A man nearly a million credits in debt shouldn't complain."
Then, after a beat—
"The Hunter Exam is today."
Akira frowned. "So that's where we're going."
Ito nodded. "You're becoming a Hunter."
The city thinned behind them. Concrete gave way to stone. Then—
The car stopped.
Akira stepped out and froze.
"…A graveyard?"
Fog curled low between weathered headstones as Ito walked ahead, boots crunching softly on gravel. He stopped before two graves, old but cared for. The names were worn, softened by time—but still readable.
Ayame YamatoRen Yamato
Ito crossed his arms. "When I asked what you wanted to do before you die, you didn't answer. But everyone wants to meet their parents. One way or another."
Akira knelt slowly. His fingers brushed the faded letters.
The silence felt heavy. Accusatory.
"They're not my parents," he said.
Ito raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Died to a Yokai the same year you were born."
Akira stood, shadow falling over the stones. "My parents wouldn't die in some random attack. They wouldn't go out like that."
Ito's grin twitched—just a little. "Alright," he said. "Just checking."
Hours later, towering gates rose before them.
The Hunter Association Headquarters.
Marble spires clawed at the sky. Banners from every kingdom rippled, saturated with Tao. The courtyard was packed—faces tight with nerves, hunger, terror, or emptiness already carved in.
Ito placed a hand on Akira's shoulder. Firm. Grounding."This is it," he said. "The first step."
Akira inhaled deeply. His eye burned—not from pain, but resolve."Then let's start."
They stepped inside.
Lanternlight bathed the grand hall in gold. At its center stood a man in white robes trimmed with gold, a crimson spiral pinned to his chest. His hair—white, streaked with red and blue—caught the chandeliers like flame.
Kenji Sato.Grand General of the Sao Kingdom.
"Welcome, future Hunters!" His voice rolled through the hall. "I'm honored to host this year's Hunter Exam. I hope you survive—preferably in great fashion."
His grin widened. "Beyond that? You're on your own."
Then his eyes found them.
"…Ito Yoru," Kenji said lightly. "Didn't think you'd go that far for a stray."
Ito shrugged. "He's stronger than he looks."
Kenji's gaze slid to Akira. "Good. I brought one of my own this year."A pause."Let's see whose student lasts longer."
Akira met his stare without blinking. "I'm not here to survive," he said. "I'm here to win."
Kenji's smile sharpened."Then let the games begin."
A boy stepped forward—light brown skin, calm posture, the Sao spiral pin gleaming on his chest. His clothes carried a knightly air: clean, restrained, too polished to be accidental. A patch of dark purple hair crowned his head, ringed by white like a halo.
"Nice to meet you," he said, bowing once. "Hinata Nobunosuke."
Akira shook his hand, cautious. "Yeah. Nice to meet you too."
Hinata studied him quietly. "Did Mr. Ito force you into this?"
Akira smirked as the massive gate behind them began to grind open."Something like that. Long story."A shrug."Short version? I owe him."
The gate yawned wide.
Kenji's voice followed them, smooth and merciless."Good luck, examinees."
They surged forward.
Akira ran.
He left most of the crowd behind, boots slamming against stone as darkness swallowed the corridor. The passage spat them into a single room—bare bulb overhead, a lone wooden chair at its center.
The gate slammed shut.
A woman lounged in the chair, cigarette dangling from her lips. Early thirties. Sharp eyes. Tired eyes. The kind that had seen too many bodies and stopped pretending otherwise.
"Kaori Tsukikage," she said. "Your first examiner."
Ash fell to the floor.
"I'm here to test the most basic requirement of being a Hunter."
She closed her eyes—for exactly one second.
"…You can all use Tao."
Murmurs rippled.
Akira blinked. That's it?
Kaori raised a hand. "Don't get excited. If you fail what comes next, you shouldn't be here anyway."
She leaned forward.
"How are Yokai ranked?"
Silence.
"Grades one through seven."
"Strongest?"
"Grade seven."
She exhaled smoke. "What is Tao?"
The room felt heavier.
"Life energy," someone thought. "The source of all living things."
Kaori nodded. "Good."
Then her voice hardened.
"As Hunters, your job is simple. Kill Yokai."
A few people flinched.
"Yokai are made of Tao. Their Tao leaks over time—so they eat humans to survive."A drag."Humans and Yokai impose on each other. They cannot coexist without a contract."
Her gaze cut across the room."Understand?"
They nodded.
"Good. Second test."
The bulb flickered.
"I'll ask a question. Answer it silently. I'll know if you're lying."
A pause.
"If you could save your parents… or an entire city—who would you choose?"
Time stretched.
Kaori watched. Measured.
Then she stood.
"You pass," she said as the next gate opened. "Hunters don't need to be good people. Just people who do good things."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Try to live long enough to prove it."
Thirty minutes later.
Hinata stood before Akira, longsword drawn, hands shaking with fury.
"So—did you kill him or not?!"
The shout echoed through the trees.
Akira stood over a lifeless body, his face lost in shadow.
Silent.
Unreadable.