Scene 1 – Three Days Before the Festival
The city bustled with movement, though celebration had not yet begun.
Three days remained before the Festival of Light. The great boulevards were littered with scaffolding, lantern strings half-hung across rooftops, and wooden stages being hammered together by sweating workers. Vendors shouted over one another, bartering for stall space, while artificers carefully etched mana runes into fireworks that would one day paint the night sky.
Children darted between legs, chasing half-inflated balloons. The scent of roasted grains and candied fruit already teased the streets, though most stands weren't yet open for business. The city was alive, but it was a city preparing—anticipation thick in the air, like a bowstring drawn but not yet released.
In the middle of it all, two hunters made their way through the chaos.
Ryuu walked with his usual exaggerated flair, chin tilted upward, as though the workers had gathered solely to witness his greatness. His arms swung like a commander inspecting his troops.
Ryuu: "Ah, the Festival of Light! Soon the entire city will gather in awe—not just for the lanterns, not just for the fireworks, but for me! Ryuu the Great, future Chairman, slayer of demons, breaker of hearts!"
Beside him, Arzen trudged along with his hood half-draped over his messy hair, hands in his pockets, eyes barely open.
Arzen (yawning): "…Crowds. Noise. Headache. Troublesome."
Ryuu gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if wounded.
Ryuu: "Headache?! This is history in the making! You should be taking notes, learning how to properly bask in glory!"
Arzen: "…Learning sounds tiring."
Workers nearby chuckled as the two continued bickering. To the public, they looked like a comedy duo wandering aimlessly through festival preparations. But those who knew hunters understood appearances could be deceiving. Beneath the banter were two men Daigo Ren himself had entrusted with a mission.
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Scene 2 – Leaving the Fairgrounds
As the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across unfinished stalls, Ryuu jingled the car keys with a smug grin.
Ryuu: "Dibs on driving. I don't trust you not to fall asleep mid-turn."
Arzen slid into the passenger seat without hesitation, tugging his hood lower over his eyes.
Arzen: "…That's why I'm not driving."
Within moments, his breathing evened out.
Ryuu stared at him, slack-jawed.
Ryuu: "Unbelievable. The honor of being my copilot, and you're already snoring? I swear, one of these days I'll dump you on the roadside."
Despite the complaint, Ryuu climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. The car rolled away from the half-finished fairgrounds, lanterns fading into the distance as they headed east.
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Scene 3 – The Crossroad Break
Traffic thickened as they neared the eastern district. Wagons, supply carts, and civilian vehicles clogged the streets. Before long, their car slowed to a crawl, then stopped completely.
Ryuu drummed his fingers on the wheel impatiently.
Ryuu: "Traffic. My mortal enemy. If I were Chairman, I'd ban this nonsense. Public executions for anyone who blocks my path!"
From the passenger seat came only the steady rhythm of Arzen's breathing.
Ryuu glared sideways.
Ryuu: "And of course, you're asleep. Must be nice, huh? Leaving me to suffer while you dream about pillows."
But then his grin faded. Up ahead, through the sea of brake lights, the air shimmered. Not heat haze—mana spirals twisting unnaturally at the heart of the crossroads.
Ryuu (serious now): "…Arzen. Wake up."
A lazy groan. One eye cracked open.
Arzen (groggy): "…Five minutes."
Ryuu: "No. Look."
Arzen's gaze lifted. His half-asleep face hardened instantly.
Arzen (quietly): "…Dimension break."
The air split apart with a jagged crack, light spilling into the street like molten glass. Two hulking monsters stepped through, each nearly ten feet tall.
The first, a scaled lizard-beast with obsidian spines, roared loud enough to rattle windows. The second, a four-armed brute with serrated claws, its coal-like eyes burning with malice.
On the ground, hunters were already engaged—two A-rankers and four B-rankers battling desperately to hold the creatures back. Their blades clashed, barriers sparked under claw strikes, and spells lit the crossroads with fire and light.
But even so, the monsters pressed forward, raw strength overwhelming finesse.
Ryuu stepped out of the car, his playful smirk nowhere to be found.
Ryuu: "…Finally. Something interesting."
Arzen slid out more slowly, hands still in his pockets, his face unreadable.
Arzen (muttering): "…Troublesome. But if we leave it to them, this'll drag on forever."
Ryuu's aura flared, sharp and wild.
Ryuu: "Then let's end it fast."
The lanterns strung above the crossroads swayed violently as the two prepared to enter the fight.