{Training Grounds – Day 3 of the Ten-Day Countdown}
Issei is on the ground, grumbling through his assigned sit-ups.
"Forty-six... Forty-seven..." he pants, sweat pouring down his face.
"Why did I agree to this again...?"
Nearby, Ryusei sits cross-legged in the grass, one hand glowing with the unstable swirl of crimson energy — the Power of Destruction magic she copied from Rias.
"So far, I've only managed to make Spiraling Bullet work," she mutters.
"But I know there's more to this power. It's too... raw."
Her eyes drift to Akeno and Kiba training across the field. Akeno crackles with elegance and grace, hurling chains of holy lightning toward Kiba, who flips and rolls effortlessly to dodge them, sword in hand.
Lightning... Destruction... what if—?
Across the field, Rias lounges under a shaded umbrella with Charcadet in her arms, lovingly cradling the fire familiar like a plush doll. She watches Ryusei with curiosity.
"Hm," Rias says, smiling gently at the little fire-type.
"I wonder what's going through your papa's head right now…"
Charcadet chirps softly, eyes wide as he sees the magic in Ryusei's hands intensify — changing.
Suddenly, Ryusei's crimson aura arcs with a violent jolt of electricity.
"[Power of Destruction: Crimson Lightning]," she calls instinctively, releasing the spell.
The ground erupts with a thunderous blast.
A massive plume of smoke explodes from the crater now etched deep in the training field. Everyone halts, looking over in shock.
From the bottom of the smoking pit, Ryusei lies sprawled on the cracked ground — clothes singed, limbs twitching, and eyes swirling in a dazed spiral.
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[New Skill Unlocked: Crimson Lightning]
A volatile mid-range burst-type spell combining destruction magic with electrical acceleration.
———————————————————
Rias' voice cuts through the lingering smoke.
"Ryusei!"
She dashes forward, heels clicking against the stone as she reaches the crater's edge. Without hesitation, she slides down the slope, Charcadet still cradled in one arm, his little eyes wide in concern.
At the bottom, Ryusei is sitting up, patting dust off her clothes and wincing as sparks still crackle faintly around her. Her face is streaked with dirt, hair a little singed at the tips, and her shirt has a sizable scorch mark across the shoulder.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," she says, holding up one hand in defense, coughing slightly.
"Just… might've overdone it."
Rias kneels beside her, worry etched on her face as she immediately checks Ryusei for injuries — running a soft hand along her cheek and arm, inspecting the scorched fabric, then gently placing her fingers over Ryusei's hand where the destructive magic had concentrated.
"You could've blown yourself up," Rias says softly, her voice trembling just enough to show how much she cares.
"What were you thinking?"
Charcadet wiggles out of her arms and climbs into Ryusei's lap, sniffing her worriedly before nuzzling her chest. Ryusei laughs a little and winces from the soreness.
"I was thinking…" Ryusei starts, breathing deep, "...if I can refine this right I could teach you a new spell that can help you in the rating game."
Rias looks at her — really looks at her — and for a moment, the frustration fades, replaced by a look of admiration and something deeper.
"You really meant it when you said you'd help me…" she says quietly.
Ryusei nods, giving her a tired, soot-smeared smile.
"Told you. You've got my utmost attention."
Rias' cheeks turn a soft shade of pink, her hand still over Ryusei's.
Later that afternoon, Ryusei and Kenta arrive at the site of the C-Rank dungeon gate humming with energy just outside an industrial warehouse.
Kenta stands proudly before a mismatched team of six lower-ranked hunters — some fidgeting nervously, others leaning with too much confidence. Despite their disheveled appearances and uneven gear, they all have one thing in common: they've been picked for a reason.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kenta says, clapping his hands together. "You've all been selected to join me in something new. A team of second chances! A place where strength isn't everything — loyalty, grit, and showing up matter just as much!"
He gestures grandly as Ryusei steps beside him, arms crossed, face unreadable.
Among the team is a young woman leaning against a pole, black bob-cut hair, coal-black eyes, and a beauty mark just under her left eye. Her sharp gaze shifts as Ryusei steps forward — and widens slightly in recognition.
"Wait…" the woman murmurs, then grins. "Haruka's precious little sister? No way."
Ryusei freezes, then slowly turns toward her. "...You know Haruka?"
"Know her? She and I go way back. I'm Rin Asahina. We were in the same school for years." She flashes a sly smirk. "I've seen baby pictures of you. You were chubby and cute."
"Can we not?" Ryusei mutters, face flushing a bit.
Kenta watches the exchange with amusement before clearing his throat and stepping forward again.
"Before anyone asks — no, we're not all going in. Ryusei and I will enter the dungeon alone," he says flatly.
The team of six exchange glances. One of them, a tall man with a bandaged arm and a perpetually annoyed look, scoffs.
"We're getting three mil to stand around? Sounds sketchy."
"You're being paid to fulfill headcount and stay alive. That's all," Ryusei adds. "The Association only checks if eight hunters enter a C-Rank gate. Nobody says they all need to finish the raid."
As more side-glances go around, Kenta continues, holding up a clipboard. "Standard NDA. No talking about anything you see or hear. You do, you get sued — or worse."
The team quiets. Even the skeptical ones start signing.
Ryusei, meanwhile, turns away slightly, activating her interface mentally. Her gaze flickers as she pulls up the [Stealth] skill she earned after defeating Taisei Michikado.
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[Skill: Stealth – Passive/Active.]
The Stealth skill lets users blend into their surroundings, making them invisible physically and magically. It's useful in battle but uses a lot of mana/CE, costing 200 mana/CE to activate and then 10 mana/CE per second.
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She clenches her fist. Thanks, Taisei. I'll be taking good care of this.
She then glares at Kenta, who is still adjusting the ridiculously ornate shoulder pads of his armor.
"Take it off."
"What?"
"The armor. You look like a cosplayer at a wedding."
"It's high-quality defensive gear—"
"You're slower than a drunk snail in that thing. Helmet only. And don't make me repeat myself."
Grumbling, Kenta reluctantly sheds the armor, tossing it into a magical item storage seal. He slides the helmet on with a little more flourish than necessary.
The glowing gate flickers as the two step toward it. Ryusei tightens the straps on her gloves. Kenta cracks his knuckles.
"Alright, Moroboshi," she mutters, "let's see if your rich-boy ambitions are worth backing."
{One hour later}
The quiet hum of a fading dungeon gate shimmers behind Ryusei and Kenta as they reemerge — exactly one hour after entering.
The strike team outside, lounging against rocks or scrolling their phones, snap to attention.
"No way..." one mutters.
"They cleared it that fast?"
"Did they run away and just pretend they went in?" another says, until a large pouch of glowing mana crystals lands at his feet — tossed by Kenta.
The disbelief is palpable, and so is the shame. A few of the hunters exchange glances, no longer as dismissive. Rin Asahina stands with her arms crossed, a subtle smile playing at her lips as she watches Ryusei silently wipe blood off her dagger.
"One down," Ryusei says, already stretching her arms. "Two more before sundown."
"Wha—today?!" one hunter blurts.
"That's the pace," Kenta replies. "We're clearing three a day. You don't have to do anything. Just show up, get paid, and keep quiet."
The next gate, a C-Rank, inside, goblins swarm in the overgrown corridors, only to be torn through like paper.
Ryusei's movement is ghostlike, flickering in and out of sight. Goblins fall in a blur of slashes and precise strikes. From above, Kenta watches, collecting mana crystals from slain beasts and keeping a respectful distance.
The dungeon boss is a snarling Hobgoblin Warlord, it lunges with brute force.
One slash. Headless.
"You're not even sweating..." Kenta says, blinking through his helmet.
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[Level Up!]
[Level 39] →[Level 40!]
[Stealth] [Level 1 → [Level 2]
[Murderous Intent] [Level 1] → [Level 2]
[Cursed Energy Manipulation] [Level 6]→ [Level 7]
[Quick Silver] [Level 4] → [Level 5]
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Kenta watches Ryusei disappear from view completely for several seconds before she reappears beside him with not so much as a sound.
"...Your Stealth is nuts."
"It's getting better. I can phase through detection now," Ryusei replies flatly. "Even magic beasts are starting to miss me entirely."
"That explains why those hounds at the last gate panicked so hard."
"And why you nearly peed your pants when I popped up behind you."
"I did not!"
{White Tiger Guild Headquarters}
At the headquarters of the White Tiger Guild, one of Japan's most formidable hunter organizations, an emergency report flashes across Manager Koshiro Shishido's tablet.
"150 million yen... on C-Rank gates?" Koshiro raises an eyebrow.
He sets the tablet down and gestures for his assistant, Ito Botan, a sharp-eyed woman with a no-nonsense aura.
"Who's buying C-Rank gates in bulk at that price?"
Botan replies. "Morobushi Construction's youngest Son, Morobushi Kenta. But there's another name attached to the clearances... one Okkotsu Ryusei."
That name makes Koshiro pause.
"Okkotsu? Like... that Okkotsu?" he murmurs.
Botan nods hesitantly. "We couldn't confirm the relation to the Chairman of the Hunters Association, but this girl—she's been in two near-death raids. Survived Taisei Michikado. Survived the insect dungeon where Hayato Ukyo died."
Koshiro leans back, gears turning. "A second awakening, maybe... or something else." He grabs his coat. "I'm going to see her myself!"
{That Evening – Outside the Third Cleared Gate}
Ryusei is bidding farewell to her contract strike team, Kenta checking the day's mana crystal haul with an almost greedy glint.
"Let's meet again tomorrow," Kenta says. "Three more. We'll be rich."
Before Ryusei can respond, a familiar guild uniform steps into view. Koshiro Shishido and Ito Botan approach, the former with a confident smirk.
"Ryusei Okkotsu," Koshiro begins. "Koshiro Shishido. Manager of the White Tiger Guild. I'd like a word with you."
{At a Nearby Café}
Steam rises from two cups of black coffee. Koshiro sits across from Ryusei.
"We're not some back-alley guild, Okkotsu-san. We have the funding, the safety, the reputation. You've got potential, and we want in."
"How much?" Ryusei asks flatly.
"Double what Morobushi Construction is offering."
Ryusei reaches into her coat and pulls out her signed contract with Kenta — clean, official, binding — worth a stunning 30 billion yen.
Koshiro's smile falters. "Thirty... billion?" he echoes, visibly rattled. "That's—uh, that's a little above what I'm authorized for..."
"Then I guess we're done," Ryusei says, pushing her chair back.
She pauses, places her hand softly on Koshiro's shoulder.
"Don't dig into me again, Manager. You won't like what you find."
Koshiro turns instinctively to face her—but Ryusei is gone.
Vanished.
His cheek stings, and he reaches up to find a thin cut, shallow but bleeding. Botan gasps, stepping forward, but Koshiro raises a hand to stop him.
"No... It's her Stealth skill. That's what makes her valuable. That wasn't an attack. That was a message."
Behind them, Ryusei fades back into view like a shadow stepping out of another.
"Sorry about that. I know I've been hogging the C-Rank gates. I'm willing to sell you three... for 300 million each."
"...That's 900 million," Botan whispers, stunned.
"I'll give you a discount," Ryusei smirks. "Three for 600."
Koshiro swallows his pride. The guild needs those gates — badly.
"Deal," he says at last.
"Open your mouth," Ryusei instructs.
"What—"
"Mouth. Eyes shut."
Reluctantly, Koshiro obeys. A vial is tilted down his throat — a health potion. The cut on his cheek seals instantly.
"We're square," Ryusei says, already turning to leave.
{The Next Morning – White Tiger Guild HQ}
A report arrives: other C-Rank gates in their jurisdiction were up for sale. 70 million yen cheaper... each.
Botan slaps a document on Koshiro's desk.
"The kid played you."
Just then, a text pings Koshiro's private phone.
[Unknown Number]
Consider it retribution for snooping. We're square now.
– Ryusei
Koshiro exhales, lips twitching in amused defeat.
"She scammed us. But at least now... we have her number."