BANG!
A bullet shot straight toward me.
Reina reacted on instinct.
My hand moved—
TANG!
"…!?"
Not the baton.
The pistol.
KRAK!
Something shattered.
The pistol in my hand broke apart. Its metal cracked, fragments scattering.
"Gh—!"
One of the shards grazed my temple.
Blood started to flow.
The hunter was already aiming again—
I jumped to the side.
BANG!
The bullet passed right where I had been.
I rolled, then grabbed the baton that had fallen.
Got back up.
The hunter… stopped.
He stared at me.
Then glanced behind me—
At his fallen comrade.
"…this is dangerous," he muttered.
He dropped his gun.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What is he doing?" I murmured.
"Makes sense," Reina replied. "We're within ten meters. This is close combat now."
I steadied my breathing.
The hunter drew a knife.
His stance shifted.
Heavy. Stable.
"…he's different," Reina said quietly.
I felt it too.
Pressure.
Different from the previous two.
He looked at me.
"Kid," he said in a deep voice. "I have an offer."
I stayed silent.
"Join us. Your ability… would be wasted as a mere scavenger."
Reina spoke immediately in my head.
"Don't fall for it. He's stalling."
The hunter smirked slightly.
"Well, kid?"
I looked at him.
"…I refuse."
He chuckled.
"What a shame."
TUS!
He kicked sand toward me.
"!"
My hand instantly rose to cover my face.
The knife came out from the dust—
TING!
The baton deflected it.
Sparks flew.
He didn't stop.
Another attack came. Fast. Relentless.
KLANG! TING! TAK!
Reina blocked everything.
Precision.
Almost no wasted movement.
She countered.
Strikes. Baton thrusts.
But—
TING!
Blocked.
The hunter laughed softly.
"Good," he said. "Very good."
His attacks grew faster.
All I could do… was watch.
My body moved on its own.
Blocking.
Dodging.
Striking.
Like it wasn't mine.
Reina threw the baton—
My other hand caught it.
The prosthetic hand.
"Agh—!"
Pain surged instantly.
My grip weakened.
Movement stopped.
A split second.
An opening.
DUAG!
A kick slammed into me.
The mechanical arm blocked—
But still—
I was thrown backward.
My body hit the ground.
My breath stopped for a moment.
The hunter walked closer.
The knife in his hand gleamed.
"…there it is," he said softly. "Your limit."
I dragged myself along the ground.
My hand tried to reach for the baton—
Wouldn't move.
"…Reina."
"The prosthetic arm isn't responding," she replied quickly. "System jammed. We continue with one arm."
I clicked my tongue softly. "Damn it, Ryvolin…"
"Arche," Reina's voice turned tense. "I recommend retreat. In this condition… your chance of winning is very low."
I stayed silent.
My gaze shifted from the mechanical arm to the hunter.
He kept walking closer.
Relaxed.
Confident.
He smiled.
"Your prosthetic arm's dead, huh?" he said. "This is where it ends, kid."
He stopped a few meters in front of me.
"What a waste. Talent like yours… dying in a place like this."
He tilted his head.
"Still want to refuse?"
I looked at him.
"…if I join," I said quietly, "can I get a better prosthetic arm?"
His smile widened.
"Of course. I can even recommend you directly to the leader."
I nodded slowly.
"…alright."
"Arche!?" Reina's voice shot up. "What are you—"
I moved.
Fast.
The baton swung.
"—!"
The hunter was caught off guard.
He tried to block—
But Reina had already read my movement.
The angle changed.
CRACK!
His wrist was hit.
"Gh—!!"
The knife fell.
He screamed in pain.
But—
DUAG!
His left fist smashed into my face.
My vision shook.
But I didn't stop.
My broken hand—
I drove it into his stomach.
THUK!
"AAARGH!!"
Sharp metal from the prosthetic pierced his body.
He grimaced.
"You bastard—!"
He grabbed me.
His arm wrapped around my neck.
Locked tight.
Strong.
I was choking.
"Ngh—…!"
My breath… stopped.
My vision began to darken.
My body weakened.
"…Reina…"
"Arche—!"
I was about to lose consciousness—
Then—
I saw it.
Behind the rubble.
The client.
Raising a weapon.
Aiming—
At me.
"—!"
Reina reacted instantly.
My body twisted.
Our positions… reversed.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed.
The hunter's body jerked.
His grip loosened.
I fell—
On top of him.
He didn't move anymore.
I gasped.
Trying to breathe.
"Haah… haah…"
Dust slowly settled.
And for a moment—
Everything… was silent.
I was still lying there.
Heavy breathing.
My body limp over the hunter's corpse.
"Haah… haah…"
I slowly got up.
"…Reina."
"Arche!" her voice burst out. "That was reckless! What if you had actually died!? Your prosthetic arm is damaged, your pistol is destroyed—we only won by luck! This won't—"
"Status?" I cut in.
Silence for a moment.
Reina let out a long breath.
"…three targets. All dead. Clients safe. Mission successful."
I nodded slowly.
"Good."
I stood, even though my body still felt heavy.
My eyes looked ahead.
A woman stood there.
She was supporting her injured companion.
She looked at me.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You almost died back there. If I hadn't shot—"
"Wait there," I cut her off.
I walked toward the hunters' bodies.
"I'm taking all their gear. This is outside the contract."
I began stripping them one by one.
"So everything is mine."
The woman sighed.
Her companion spoke quietly, her tone flat.
"You're still thinking about profit in a condition like this? Truly a scavenger."
I didn't answer.
My hands kept working.
Weapons. Armor. Pouches. Ammo.
I took everything.
"My name is Vela," the woman said suddenly.
"I'm Anna," the other added.
I stayed focused.
"…Arche."
Vela looked at me.
"Are you a veteran scavenger?"
"No."
"But you killed three Rookie Hunters."
"I'm a beginner," I replied shortly.
Anna reacted immediately.
"You're lying," she said. "Impossible. Your movements… that wasn't beginner level."
I lifted the first bag.
"I'm not lying."
Anna let out a long breath.
"Vela," she said quietly, "don't ask things like that to strangers."
"Ah—" Vela flinched. "Sorry…"
I didn't care.
I tied up the second bag.
Heavy.
But I could still carry it.
I stood, holding two large bags at my sides.
I walked past them.
"We're heading back to Firmament now."
I didn't look back.
"After that… you pay the rest."
Vela snorted.
"I know!"
I kept walking forward.
And together—
We headed back to Firmament.