The sky above Tokyo split open like torn fabric, bleeding red light into the night. From the gash in the heavens poured something vile shadows with claws, wings of smoke, and eyes that burned like fiery.
"Seems like the portal opened somewhere around the northern part of the city," Maczed said, his tone low but sharp as he watched the swarm gather in the distance.
He and James stood atop the tallest structure in central Tokyo Qthe Guild Tower, the headquarters of Japan's Hunter Division. The wind howled past them, sweeping through the flags and antennas, tugging at their coats. Below, the city was chaos. Fires burned on the horizon, and the air smelled of ash, iron, and demon blood.
Maczed rested his sword on his shoulder, his dark hair brushing his jawline. "They're pouring out faster than before. Looks like another Rift surge."
James stood beside him, calm but focused. His silver-bladed sword rested against the ground, reflecting the glow of burning buildings. "How many are we talking about this time?"
Maczed narrowed his eyes. "Too many." Then he smirked. "Wanna make this fun?"
James looked at him, already half smiling. "Fun?"
"Whoever racks up the highest kill count gets a reward," Maczed said. "Loser buys drinks at the Raven's Nest."
James chuckled. "You still owe me for the last one."
"Then this is my payback." Maczed's grin widened.
The two of them leapt from the rooftop in unison, slicing through the air as if gravity had no say over them. When they landed, the impact cracked the pavement beneath their boots.
A dozen demons turned at once twisted humanoid figures with horned skulls and jagged claws dripping with venom.
James drew his sword, the blade humming faintly with an ominous energy. "Let's get to work."
Maczed was already moving. In a blur of motion, his sword flashed, cutting a demon clean in half. Its scream echoed before its body dissolved into ash.
James spun his sword once in his hand, then lunged at another demon that was crawling down the wall of a collapsed building. He raised his blade only for a streak of light to slice past him. The demon's head dropped before his sword even touched it.
James blinked, startled.
The creature's body toppled, spraying black blood that steamed on the asphalt.
From behind him, Maczed laughed. "One demon down. One kill ahead of you."
James turned his head slowly, narrowing his eyes but smiling. "Show-off."
Maczed winked and charged another demon, cutting it down with effortless precision. The twin blades he carried one black, one silver moved like extensions of his arms. With a swift spin, he severed the limbs of one demon and finished it with a clean strike to the neck.
James crouched, his grin turning feral. "You want to taunt me? Then catch up."
Dust whirled around his feet as he kicked off the ground. He vanished from sight, reappearing in front of a demon with blinding speed. The creature barely had time to snarl before his sword cleaved through its chest.
The slash was so fast that the demon froze mid-step. Then its upper half slid from its body, falling in two clean pieces.
James didn't stop. He twisted his body and dashed toward the next cluster of demons. His sword rotated in tight arcs, each swing drawing circles of silver light. One by one, the monsters fell split, crushed, gutted.
In seconds, five were dead.
"Not bad," Maczed called from behind him as he impaled another demon through the skull. "But you're still slow."
James laughed. "You talk too much for someone who's losing."
Before Maczed could respond, the ground trembled. A deep roar thundered through the city, and the streetlights flickered.
Both Hunters turned toward the north.
An entire swarm was spilling out of the Rift, hundreds of them, crawling over each other like insects, a tide of fangs and claws. Their combined growls sounded like the city itself was being torn apart.
James exhaled. "What the hell…"
Maczed stared for a moment, then smirked faintly. "Guess we'll have to do this the normal way."
He touched the hilts of his swords. Spikes of energy crawled up the blades like living metal. "Ready?"
James glanced at him and froze.
Maczed was smiling, not the usual cocky grin but something warmer, deeper.
"Let's do this, brother," Maczed said.
James blinked. Brother? He rarely ever called him that. Usually it was "junior" or "rookie." The word landed heavily between them.
Before James could respond, a demon leapt from behind.
"James!" Maczed shouted.
But James had already felt it. Without turning, he swung his sword backward. The blade sang through the air, cutting clean through the demon's neck. Its head hit the ground beside him, rolling twice before stopping at Maczed's feet.
The body fell backward, spraying dark blood.
Maczed stared, impressed despite himself. "You've gotten sharper."
James smirked, wiping the blood from his sword. "You sound surprised."
"Not surprised," Maczed said, spinning both swords. "Just proud."
Then he dashed forward straight into the swarm.
He moved like a hurricane, his blades forming a deadly circle of wind. As he spun, the air howled, cutting through demons in waves. The motion gathered into a spiraling gust that dragged everything toward him. It was his signature technique the Tornado Slay.
Demons screamed as they were torn apart, shredded before they could touch him.
James watched the cyclone of blades for a second, grinning. "Show-off."
Then he joined the chaos.
He sprinted through the battlefield, cutting through four demons with one horizontal slash. Each impact sent shockwaves across the ground. He ducked under a claw strike, rolled forward, and drove his sword through another's chest.
Blood misted the air, painting the street red.
A pair of demons lunged at him from both sides. James caught one's arm mid-swing, twisted, and used its body as a shield against the other. Then he kicked both away and teleported behind them, decapitating them in a single motion.
The next instant, ten more demons surrounded him.
James stood still, lowering his sword. A half-smile crept across his face.
"Wanna play a game?" he said softly. "If you hit me I give up. But if I hit you…" His grin widened. "You die."
The demons shrieked and attacked all at once.
The street exploded into chaos.