A soft melody of classical music plays in the distance.
The world is bathed in a gentle pink hue, roses blooming across a white marble chapel. Rias stands at the altar in a stunning, long-flowing white wedding dress, her crimson hair cascading like silk down her shoulders. A faint blush colors her cheeks as her hands tremble slightly—nervous, but hopeful.
Before her stands Ryusei, dressed in a perfectly tailored white suit with a light pink tie that matches the cherry blossom petals drifting in the air. Her expression is calm and warm, and her eyes locked onto Rias's with a deep familiarity.
"You look beautiful," Ryusei says gently with a smile.
Walking up the aisle came Charcadet—his small figure dressed in a custom-tailored black version of Ryusei's suit. He was holding a velvet pillow balanced perfectly in his tiny hands. Atop the pillow: two shining rings.
Rias feels her heart skip. "Do you... really want this?" she asks in a whisper.
Ryusei smiles, taking her hand. "There's no one else I'd rather be with."
The music swells, and as they lean in for the kiss.
Rias' heart fluttered.
"This must be what happiness feels like..."
———————————————————
Issei, meanwhile, is in his own fantasy world.
He stands tall in a tuxedo, surrounded by grandiose architecture and cheering crowds. Rias is there too—his bride—smiling brightly in her wedding dress as rose petals fall. He beams, soaking in the moment.
"We did it! I married the woman of my dreams!" he shouts, flexing dramatically as if he'd just won a final boss fight.
"So... you've finally begun to awaken your true desires, partner."
Huh?
———————————————————
{Ryusei's Bedroom, 4:00 AM}
In the real world, Ryusei is dead asleep, sprawled across her bed in loose pajamas. Charcadet rests peacefully on her chest, flickering softly with embers.
Suddenly—
"Achoo!"
Ryusei jerks awake, blinking blearily into the darkness, rubbing her nose.
She looks over at her alarm clock. 4:02 AM.
"Who the fuck is dreaming about me at 4 AM?" she mutters, groggy and annoyed.
Charcadet, still half-asleep, lifts his head and chirps in agreement.
"You felt it too, huh? Some thirsty-ass dream energy was pulling on me hard…" She flopped back onto her pillow.
Charcadet nestling back down as Ryusei shifts onto her side with a sigh. She reaches down to gently pat Charcadet, who lets out a warm little puff and goes back to sleep.
{Ryusei's Bedroom – Morning}
Ryusei stands in front of her mirror slipping on her blue high collar jacket, she kneels down to tie her shoes.
Charcadet toddles over to her, tiny footsteps padding softly against the floor. In his little arms, he clutches a crumpled piece of paper.
Ryusei glances up. "Sup, buddy?"
Charcadet holds up the paper proudly, tail flickering with a blue flame.
Ryusei finishes tying her laces, takes the paper, and unfolds it.
It's a crude but endearing crayon drawing.
In the picture, Charcadet stands in the middle, holding hands with Ryusei on the left and Rias on the right, smiling warmly with her long red hair flowing down like a cape. Above their heads, there's a bright sun, a heart, and a few awkwardly drawn trees.
Ryusei raises a brow. "Huh… that's a good drawing, buddy." She smiles faintly, eyes lingering on the happy little version of herself and Rias. "When did you have time to do this?"
Charcadet taps a tiny finger on the stick-figure Rias and looks up at Ryusei with a big hopeful expression.
"…And is that Rias?" Ryusei asks, amused.
Charcadet gives a determined nod, then does a tiny "family" gesture—arms out and then pulling them to his chest like a hug.
Ryusei chuckles and ruffles his helmet-like head. "You're way too emotionally intelligent for a Pokémon."
She folds the paper carefully and tucks it into her inner jacket pocket.
"Alright, I'll keep it with me. For luck."
She kneels again and lightly boops his helmeted forehead. "Guard the room while I'm gone, yeah? I'll be back before lunch. Maybe we'll show Rias your masterpiece later."
"I'm heading into a D-rank dungeon, so you're staying here. No arguments." She stands, looking down. "Can't risk you getting hurt."
Charcadet puffs up with a tiny squeak of protest—but ultimately just hugs her leg.
Charcadet waves as she heads out the door.
{Outside the D-Rank Gate – Early Morning}
Ryusei arrives, stretching her arms with a slight pop of her knuckles.
She takes in the group already gathered near the gate.
A young woman, with long brown hair tied in a low ponytail and sharp, ocean-blue eyes, smiles politely as Ryusei approaches.
"Nice to meet you," she greets warmly. "I'm Eri Mizuki, B-rank Support Hunter. I specialize in buffs and healing."
Standing next to her is an older man, he's missing his left arm. "Isamu Mabuchi, C-rank. Fire mage," he states simply. "It's nice to meet ya kid."
Ryusei gives them both a nod of respect. "Name's Ryusei Okkotsu. E-rank Hunter."
Eri tilts her head. "You're a bit young for this raid, aren't you?"
"I won't get in the way if that's what you're worried about."
The lanky man in a tailored black business suit steps forward, his spiky purple hair flutters in the breeze, and his equally purple eyes scan Ryusei.
He offers a gloved hand. "Taisei Michikado. B-rank, Assassin-type. I work for the Hunter's Association—think of me as your official observer and babysitter for today."
Behind him stood three rough-looking men, all older, scarred, and clearly not thrilled to be there. Convicted Hunters.
"Well, I'm actually more of a babysitter for those three." Taisei glances back at them. "These three are participating under the 'Reform Through Combat' program. Do your job, and you shave time off your sentence. Do something stupid…" he smiles thinly, "I have the Ok to kill you."
One of the convicts spits on the ground. "Yeah, yeah. We get it."
Taisei turns back to Ryusei. "So. An E-rank among us, huh? Guess today's gonna be interesting."
Ryusei shrugs. "I'm not here to impress. Just to get the job done."
Isamu lets out a short laugh. "That's the right attitude, girl."
Eri smiles at Ryusei. "Just stay close. If you get in trouble, I'll back you up."
Just minutes after entering, the trio of convicted Hunters turn their attention to Eri, their eyes leering.
"Damn, never thought I'd get a Support type lookin' like that…" one mutters.
"Bet she moans sweet too," another says with a wicked grin.
Before Eri can react, two deathly glares pierce through the dank air like blades:
Taisei's purple eyes gleam, cold and razor-sharp, hand subtly on one of his daggers
Ryusei, standing just behind Eri, narrows her icy-blue gaze. Her fingers tighten on the hilt of Kasaka's Venom Fang, a pulse of killing intent washing over the convicts.
All three instantly go silent. One of them gulps and looks away, pretending to examine a crack in the wall.
Taisei mutters under his breath, just loud enough:
"Try that again and I'll bury you in here myself."
Goblins charge from the shadows with screeches and rusted blades.
The convicts, grateful for an outlet for their aggression, go to work with disturbing glee. Blood flies and bodies fall.
Taisei watches them closely, his expression unreadable, though his blade is slick with green blood.
Meanwhile, Ryusei dances through goblins, each strike is clean, efficient — a slash across the neck, a thrust into the gut, a spinning sweep through two at once.
Isamu, throwing fireballs from behind, chuckles.
"You're doing really nicely, kid."
Ryusei slashes through another goblin and shrugs sheepishly.
"Uh, yeah I'm sure. It's the daggers that's carrying me though…"
Isamu gives her a side-eye. "Sure. And I'm secretly a teenager. Don't sell yourself short."
Eri giggles softly from behind a light barrier, healing a scratch on Isamu's side. "You're more agile than some A-ranks I've seen."
The deeper the group goes, the more confident they grow — and the more impatient Taisei becomes.
Standing at a fork in the tunnels, the group comes to a halt.
Three distinct paths stretch into darkness — left, center, and right. Taisei crosses his arms.
"Alright, playtime's over. This is dragging. We'll cover more ground if we split up."
Ryusei steps forward, her [Six Eyes] flickering to life.
"Boss room is left path. Slight mana fluctuation and goblin scent trails point that way."
Taisei raises a brow, impressed. "You're wasted as an E-rank."
Ryusei scratches her cheek nervously. "Just good instincts."
They agree to split.
Ryusei, Eri, and Isamu head left toward the boss chamber.
Taisei and the convicts take the right path to eliminate stragglers and loot caches.
The center path is ignored, appearing empty.
{D-Rank Dungeon – Right Path}
As the three convicted Hunters gleefully carve through the last wave of goblins, their bloodlust remains unsated. One of them laughs maniacally as he kicks a severed goblin head across the tunnel, landing at Taisei Michikado's polished black shoes.
Hands in his pockets, expression unreadable, Taisei stares at the head, then at the men.
"You know," he says, voice calm, "you guys are a little too good at this."
The tallest of the trio chuckles. "It's all the same to us, man. Goblin, human—what's the difference?"
Another nods. "Heh, a scream's a scream."
The last adds with a grin, "Long as we get to hurt something."
Taisei's eyes are narrow.
{Flashback – Dimly Lit Apartment, Weeks Ago}
A disheveled, broken man sits across from Taisei. The lighting is low, and a heavy silence weighs between them.
"They did unspeakable things to my daughter," the man says, voice shaking. "She… she took her own life a week later. My wife collapsed when she found her. She's still in the hospital."
His hands tremble as he slides a suitcase across the table.
"Three billion yen. That's everything. I know they're being 'rehabilitated' in raids, but I know—I know—the system's gonna let them walk one day. Just like they did before."
He looks Taisei in the eye. "You're a hunter, right? Killers of monsters? Then kill some real ones."
{Back to the Present}
The laughter dies. Taisei sighs and finally takes his hands out of his pockets.
"Funny thing… you're right. A scream's a scream."
In one smooth motion, he vanishes.
A heartbeat later—three flashes of light.
The first man is cut diagonally, from shoulder to hip.
The second's throat is slit in an instant.
The third raises his blade, only for his arm to be severed, followed by his head.
Their bodies drop almost silently, blood pooling at Taisei's feet. The assassin wipes the blood off his blade on the prisoner's clothes and mutters:
"I'll just say you three snapped and went berserk. Overwhelmed by a horde. Happens all the time, right?"
"What happens in a dungeon...stays in a dungeon."