THE GREAT SHATTERING (大崩壊 - Dai Hōkai)
Timeline:
50 Years Ago - Day Zero:
• Dimensional rifts opened simultaneously across Earth
• 1,847 Gates appeared in first 24 hours
• Akuma (demons) poured through
• Modern military weapons proved 60% ineffective
• First day casualties: 15 million dead
The First Week:
• Governments collapsed in developing nations
• Nuclear weapons used in desperation (contaminated zones still exist)
• First humans spontaneously awakened to Reiki
• The "Original Seven" - first S-rank hunters emerged
• Established first defensive perimeters
The First Year:
• 60% of humanity perished
• Survivors awakened en masse
• Hunter Guilds formed
• Walled cities constructed
• Gate classification system established
Years 2-10:
• Humanity stabilized at 3 billion population
• International Hunter Association formed
• First SSS-rank hunters appeared
• Continents reorganized into Seven Zones
• Akuma territory permanently established in wilderness
Years 11-30:
• Golden Age of Hunters
• Hikari and Sayuri Tenma became legends
• Technology + Reiki fusion developed
• Hunter economy boomed
• Gates decreased to "manageable" levels
Years 31-40:
• The Tenma Massacre (Yami kills Hikari and Sayuri)
• Yami vanishes into Abyss Continent
• Power vacuum causes guild wars
• Stabilization under new leadership
• Ren born and orphaned
Years 41-50 (Present):
• Fragile peace maintained
• Gates still appear regularly
• Yami's domain expands in Antarctica
• New generation of hunters rises
• Story begins
THE SEVEN CONTINENTAL ZONES
1. TŌHOKU FEDERATION (東北連邦)
Japan, Korea, Eastern Russia
Capital: Neo-Tokyo (population: 45 million)
Specialty: Hunter training, technology fusion
Power Level: 3 SSS-rank, 12 SS-rank, 87 S-rank hunters
Culture: Meritocratic, education-focused
Notable Locations:
• Celestial Hunter Academy - Where Ren studies
• Gate District - Commercial area built around stable Gates
• Memorial Gardens - Monument to fallen hunters including Hikari and Sayuri
Threat Level: Moderate (well-defended)
2. WESTERN DOMINION
Europe, North Africa
Capital: New London (population: 38 million)
Specialty: Guild system, aristocratic hunters
Power Level: 2 SSS-rank, 15 SS-rank, 94 S-rank hunters
Culture: Hierarchical, bloodline-focused
Notable Locations:
• The Platinum Tower - World's largest guild headquarters
• Dungeon Colosseum - Entertainment arena using captured Akuma
Threat Level: Moderate-High (political instability)
3. AZURE EMPIRE (蒼龍帝国 - Sōryū Teikoku)
China, Southeast Asia, India
Capital: Azure Dragon City (population: 67 million)
Specialty: Ancient cultivation, medicine
Power Level: 3 SSS-rank, 18 SS-rank, 156 S-rank hunters
Culture: Traditionalist, honor-based
Notable Locations:
• Jade Mountain Sect - Where traditional cultivation is preserved
• The Eternal Library - Contains pre-Shattering knowledge
Threat Level: Moderate (strong military)
4. CRIMSON WASTES
Middle East, Central Africa
Capital: None (nomadic city-states)
Specialty: Survival, treasure hunting
Power Level: 1 SSS-rank, 6 SS-rank, 43 S-rank hunters
Culture: Lawless, strength-based
Notable Locations:
• The Red Market - Black market for illegal items
• Void Scar - Crater where Yami erased a city
Threat Level: Extreme (constant warfare)
5. NORTHERN REACHES
Scandinavia, Northern Russia, Siberia
Capital: Frost Haven (population: 22 million)
Specialty: Ice magic, isolation
Power Level: 2 SSS-rank, 8 SS-rank, 51 S-rank hunters
Culture: Reclusive, survivalist
Notable Locations:
• The Frozen Labyrinth - Permanent SSS-rank dungeon
• Aurora Academy - Elite training for cold-climate combat
Threat Level: High (extreme environment + Akuma)
6. ATLANTIC COALITION
North & South America
Capital: New Washington (population: 51 million)
Specialty: Technology, weapon development
Power Level: 3 SSS-rank, 14 SS-rank, 112 S-rank hunters
Culture: Capitalist, innovation-driven
Notable Locations:
• Silicon Fortress - Tech development center
• The Pentagon Vault - Stores world's most dangerous artifacts
Threat Level: Moderate-High (resource conflicts)
7. ABYSS CONTINENT (深淵大陸 - Shin'en Tairiku)
Antarctica
Capital: Void Citadel (Yami's domain)
Specialty: Death zone, no human habitation
Power Level: 1 EX-rank (Yami), unknown number of corrupted hunters
Culture: None (controlled by Yami)
Notable Locations:
• Kyomu no Meikyū (虚無の迷宮 - Void Labyrinth) - Yami's World Dungeon
• The Frozen Graves - Where SSS-rank hunters who challenged Yami are preserved
Threat Level: ABSOLUTE (entering means death)
GATE CLASSIFICATION
HOW GATES WORK:
• Appear randomly worldwide
• Create pocket dimensions
• Must be cleared within 7 days or "Gate Break" occurs (monsters spill out)
• Clear condition: Defeat Gate Boss
• Rewards: Akuma cores, materials, artifacts
F-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 1,000+ per month globally
• Clear Time: 30 minutes - 2 hours
• Rewards: Basic Akuma cores ($1,000-5,000 each)
• Monsters: Goblins, slimes, giant rats
• Boss Example: Goblin Chief (3 meters tall)
• Danger Level: Minimal (civilian evacuation usually sufficient)
E-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 500+ per month globally
• Clear Time: 2-6 hours
• Rewards: Lesser cores ($10,000-25,000 each)
• Monsters: Orcs, wolves, zombies
• Boss Example: Orc Warlord (5 meters tall)
• Danger Level: Low (D-rank team required)
D-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 200+ per month globally
• Clear Time: 6-12 hours
• Rewards: Intermediate cores ($50,000-100,000 each)
• Monsters: Trolls, wyverns, cursed knights
• Boss Example: Lesser Demon (8 meters tall)
• Danger Level: Moderate (C-rank team required)
C-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 80+ per month globally
• Clear Time: 12-24 hours
• Rewards: Advanced cores ($250,000-500,000 each)
• Monsters: Lesser dragons, spectral knights, chimeras
• Boss Example: Flame Drake (15 meters tall)
• Danger Level: High (B-rank team or solo A-rank required)
B-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 30+ per month globally
• Clear Time: 1-3 days
• Rewards: Superior cores ($1-3 million each)
• Monsters: Greater demons, elemental lords, ancient beasts
• Boss Example: Demon Baron (25 meters tall)
• Danger Level: Very High (A-rank team or solo S-rank required)
• Note: Gate Break causes city-level destruction
A-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 8-10 per month globally
• Clear Time: 3-5 days
• Rewards: Elite cores ($10-20 million each)
• Monsters: Ancient dragons, fallen angels, demon generals
• Boss Example: Dragon Lord (50 meters tall)
• Danger Level: Extreme (S-rank team required)
• Note: Gate Break causes regional catastrophe
S-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 2-3 per month globally
• Clear Time: 5-7 days
• Rewards: Legendary cores ($50-100 million each)
• Monsters: Elder dragons, arch demons, calamity beasts
• Boss Example: Demon King (100+ meters tall)
• Danger Level: Catastrophic (SS-rank or multiple S-ranks required)
• Note: Gate Break causes continental damage
SS-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: 1-2 per year globally
• Clear Time: Full 7 days
• Rewards: Mythical cores ($500 million+ each), legendary artifacts
• Monsters: Divine beasts, dimensional entities, god-fragments
• Boss Example: Ancient Celestial Dragon (300+ meters tall)
• Danger Level: World-Threatening (SSS-rank or multiple SS-ranks required)
• Note: Gate Break causes multi-continental devastation
SSS-RANK GATES
• Appearance Rate: Once every 5-10 years
• Clear Time: Unknown (longest took 14 days)
• Rewards: Priceless (nation-buying wealth)
• Monsters: Primordial entities, reality-warpers
• Boss Example: Void Leviathan (size immeasurable)
• Danger Level: Extinction-Level (all SSS-ranks mobilize)
• Note: Gate Break could end human civilization
• Historical: Only 3 have ever appeared; Hikari Tenma solo-cleared one
WORLD DUNGEONS (世界迷宮)
Permanent gate structures that don't disappear after clearing.
Known World Dungeons:
1. The Frozen Labyrinth (Northern Reaches)
• Rank: SSS
• Floors: 100
• Boss: Eternal Ice Empress
• Status: Partially cleared (Floor 87 reached)
2. Tenjō no Iseki - Heavenly Ruins (Azure Empire)
• Rank: SSS
• Floors: 50
• Boss: Unknown (never reached)
• Status: Where Ren finds Tenshō no Sho
• Special: Contains ancient pre-Shattering knowledge
3. Kyomu no Meikyū - Void Labyrinth (Abyss Continent)
• Rank: EX
• Floors: Unknown (space is non-euclidean)
• Boss: Yami Tenma
• Status: Forbidden, no survivors
• Special: Yami's personal domain
4. The Abyssal Chasm (Atlantic Coalition)
• Rank: SS
• Floors: 200
• Boss: Leviathan King
• Status: Active farming location for guilds
5. Tower of Babel (Western Dominion)
• Rank: S
• Floors: 1,000
• Boss: Heaven's Gatekeeper (Floor 1000)
• Status: Floor 762 reached
• Special: Each floor has unique ecosystem