For a moment, none of them spoke. The only sound was the wind brushing through the trees and the faint hum of the dungeon portal behind Raito—until it flickered, then vanished completely.
The silence shattered.
"Wait a second..." Jiro said, disbelief in his voice. "That portal just closed. That means... he cleared it."
Ken frowned. "That can’t be right. That dungeon was Rank S. Even we couldn’t finish it. We barely made it out alive this morning."
Jiro stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Raito. "He went in alone. I tried to stop him—I thought he’d die in there. But he came out... alive."
The other hunters murmured in shock.
Raito pushed himself to his feet, his movements slow but steady. The faint traces of purple lightning still glimmered under his torn skin, fading like embers from a dying flame. His gaze swept over them—cold, unshaken.
Ken took a step closer. "Hey—you. What happened in there? You owe us an explanation."
Raito’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...Explanation?"
Then, quietly but firmly, he said, "I don’t owe anyone anything."
Ken reached out, trying to grab his shoulder—but Raito’s hand snapped up, slapping his arm aside with a sharp metallic clang.
Ken’s armored hand trembled slightly from the impact. Raito didn’t even glance back; he just walked past them, barefoot, each step leaving faint traces of blood on the dirt.
"Wait—!" Jiro called out, but Raito didn’t stop.
Ken’s jaw tightened. "That bastard..." he muttered. "He just humiliated me. In front of my team."
Raito’s thoughts ran wild as he walked down the empty streets, his mind replaying everything that had happened.
Why did I do that? he thought. Why did I slap his hand away like that?
Ken’s shocked face flashed in his mind. He’s a top-ranked hunter... I’ve seen him on TV. What the hell was I thinking?
He didn’t even realize he was barefoot until the cold pavement stung his feet. His clothes were torn, streaked with blood, and yet—he just kept walking. He ignored the stares, the murmurs, the phones pointed his way. His mind was somewhere else entirely.
I left without saying anything... he muttered under his breath. She must’ve been worried.
He remembered her mentioning it earlier that morning — the reunion with her former classmates. She had been excited, nervous even, about seeing them after so long.
I hope she went, Raito thought. She deserves to have fun...
By the time he reached his apartment, the sky had darkened. He climbed the stairs slowly, his legs trembling with every step. When he reached his door, he hesitated, then knocked softly. No answer.
He turned the handle — unlocked.
"I’m home," he said, stepping inside. His voice was hoarse.
The apartment was quiet. The faint smell of coffee lingered in the air. He took a few steps in before hearing movement behind him.
"Where have you been?"
Raito turned around. She stood in the doorway, still in the dress she’d worn to the reunion, makeup slightly smudged, eyes wide in shock.
"Raito... your clothes—why is there blood on you? And your feet—what happened? Were you attacked?"
He shook his head quickly. "No, it’s not that."
"Then what?" she demanded, her voice trembling between worry and anger.
He glanced down at himself — dried blood, torn sleeves, faint scorch marks where mana had surged through him. For a second, he thought about telling her the truth — the dungeon, the Hydra, the system notifications still echoing in his mind.
But instead, he forced a weak smile. "It’s fine. Just... a rough day."
Aiko stood by the doorway, arms crossed, her expression caught between worry and frustration.
"What do you mean, a rough day? What rough day, Raito? You just stood up and ran out this morning without saying a single word. I was worried—really worried!"
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I called you several times, but your phone was off. I didn’t know what to think. You’re not a kid anymore, so I told myself you must have had your reasons... but still, I couldn’t relax."
Her voice softened. "I even left my class reunion early because of you. We were supposed to stay until evening, but I came home as fast as I could. I just—couldn’t enjoy it knowing you were out there somewhere."
Raito rubbed his neck awkwardly, avoiding her eyes. "I’m sorry, Aiko. You shouldn’t have worried so much. I can handle myself now."
Aiko’s expression eased a little, but her tone stayed gentle. "I know, you’re grown up now... but you’re still my little brother. And you’re the only family I have left. Everyone else is gone, Raito. You’re all I’ve got."
Raito’s eyes softened, the guilt settling deeper. "So... how was the reunion?" he asked quietly. "Did you see your classmates?"
Aiko managed a faint smile. "Yeah, I saw most of them. But not my best friend. That really surprised me."
"Your best friend?" Raito asked.
She nodded. "Mm. I texted her afterward—she said she’ll come tomorrow. There’s another reunion for those who missed today."
Her tone turned wistful. "It was strange though... one of the girls already has a child. A few of them even married each other. Time really moves fast, doesn’t it?"
Raito gave a tired chuckle. "Yeah... faster than we realize."
Aiko wrinkled her nose as Raito stepped further inside.
"Go take a shower. You reek of blood."
Raito blinked. "Huh? I do?"
She frowned and stepped closer. "Did you injure yourself? Or... wait—this isn’t even human blood I smell." Her voice sharpened, filled with concern. "It’s monster blood. It has that same strong, metallic odor. Raito... what happened? Were you attacked by a monster?"
Raito hesitated, then sighed. "I didn’t want to tell you, but... yeah. I was attacked. Some hunters showed up and saved me later. That’s all." The source of this content ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩
Aiko’s eyes widened, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she pointed toward the bathroom. "Okay, now—no more talking. Shower. Now."
Raito gave a tired smile. "Alright, alright, I’m going."
He grabbed his towel from the small rack near his bed, took a clean pair of clothes from the corner drawer, and walked into the bathroom.