The quiet that followed battle was always the loudest.
A muted sun filtered through the windows of the infirmary wing, bathing the white-tiled walls in a soft golden hue. Footsteps echoed quietly against the sterile floor as Kouji entered, still wrapped in a dull ache from the days prior. Bandages lined his ribs beneath his uniform, and the sting of fatigue still clung to his muscles.
Inside, Ryo lay on one of the beds, slightly elevated by thin pillows. Monitors blinked slowly beside him. At his side sat Kagami, arms crossed, watching the steady rhythm of the machine. Between them rested an open box of chocolates — one half-empty, a quiet sign of something gentle.
Kagami noticed him, stood wordlessly, and stepped away. "Don't make him talk too much," she said over her shoulder, before slipping out.
Kouji approached the bed, unsure whether to speak first. Ryo answered for him, offering a thin but genuine smile.
"You made it," Ryo said. "Good Job."
"You don't look that great," Kouji answered with an awkward huff.
Ryo chuckled dryly. "That's what final moves are for" He gestured toward the chocolate box. "She brought those. Didn't even take one while sitting here."
Kouji smiled faintly, his expression softening. "That's rare."
The silence stretched briefly before Ryo looked at him more seriously. "You did well, Kouji. You held your ground. That fight… most wouldn't have lasted a minute. You've grown strong."
"Not only in power"
Kouji lowered his eyes, voice quieter. "Not enough."
"You will," Ryo replied, then paused. "You're the right match for this world, even if it hasn't realized it yet."
"I have a weird question"
Kouji hesitated, then asked, "Ryo... do you know someone named Rintaro?"
For a moment, Ryo's entire body tensed — just slightly. His eyes sharpened, brows furrowed. Then the sharpness faded, replaced by something softer.
"Where did you hear that name?" he asked.
"I ran into him. On the street. He introduced himself, nothing more."
Ryo looked toward the ceiling, lost in some distant space. "So he's still around…"
"Who is he?" Kouji asked.
Ryo sighed through his nose. "An old friend. One of the best Hunters the Association ever had. Maybe the best. Do you want to know about him?"
Kouji nodded.
"He was a prodigy," Ryo began. "Too good for his own. He wore casual clothes, although he came from a well known clan, acted like he didn't care, but he was terrifying.
He always had a 'card' up his sleeve.
Three Paths. A Blessing that is Plus and Minus at the same time.
Something people thought would be impossible and it never happened again.
He is an anomaly among the hunters.
Just like You and Yuusuke,
We used to be buddies, since we where isolated, because of our exeptional strength.
The others called him the Strongest Hunter. Later, they started calling him the First Hunter. Not because he was the first — but because he felt... chosen."
Kouji leaned against the wall, listening closely.
"People admired him. But the Association didn't know what to do with someone like that. They sent him on missions no one else could handle. Devil-user purges. Rogue human execution orders. Things that leave scars. And not just the kind you see."
Ryo paused, the lines in his face deeper than before.
"He couldn't take it anymore. The weight of being the 'First.' So he left. No warning. Just disappeared. I haven't seen him since."
Kouji stared at the floor, unsure what to say. Somehow, he could feel the fragments of a person in Ryo's words. The echo of someone who had carried too much — and maybe still did.
"Sounds like someone who couldn't run far enough," Kouji muttered.
Ryo gave a tired nod. "Or maybe someone who didn't want to keep fighting a world that only wanted him to be a weapon."
Kouji turned to leave, but Ryo spoke once more.
"If you see him again… don't treat him like a ghost."
Kouji nodded silently and stepped into the hallway.
Yumi was already there.
She didn't say anything. She just moved toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, careful of the wounds. He froze, then returned the gesture gently, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. They stood like that for a while, with nothing but the hush of the hallway between them.
When they finally began walking toward her dorm, Kouji began recounting the fight. His voice was soft, unsure at times, but she listened. She didn't interrupt, didn't question. Just stayed beside him.
At some point, her fingers slipped into his — her hand cool, but steady. Kouji looked down at them, interlocked. He didn't say anything.
When they reached her door, she stopped and turned to face him.
"Next time," she said, "don't carry it all alone."
Before he could answer, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. It was small, but it landed heavy in his chest.
She slipped into her room, leaving him there, stunned — heart quietly thundering.
Kouji stood in the empty corridor for a moment, then lifted his hand to touch the place she'd kissed.
His fingers trembled slightly, but the warmth stayed.