What is your answer?

***

Rank E Hunter , Kasuga Arata.

No matter where he went, this title always followed him around.

Currently, he was heading towards an abandoned warehouse.

Hunters operating within the same area tended to know each other pretty well. In the event of a Gate opening up, all the Hunters in that district would be asked to come.

A group of people could be seen standing around as they shared cordial greetings with one another.

"By the way, did the number of Gates decrease or something?"

"Since this raid is being supervised by the Association, it should be safe, no?"

If a Guild was not involved today, that meant there wasn't enough profit to be had, and if there wasn't enough profit to be had, then that could only mean that this particular Gate's difficulty would be low.

"Uh! He's finally here."

"Ah, hello."

It was none other than Arata. After performing a simple greeting, he moved away to a corner.

Instantly, after making sure Arata was out of earshot, two people began sniggering while confidently speaking up.

"You know what that guy's nickname is?"

"Right right...what was it again?"

"Humanity's weakest weapon."

"Ah that's right. The weakest E rank Hunter."

"That guy, there was a rumour not too long ago that said, he got injured participating in a raid of a rank E Gate."

"A Hunter got injured by a rank E Gate?"

"That's right. No one expected to see a Hunter getting injured during a rank E Gate raid, so they didn't even bring along a Healer, apparently!"

"Pu-hahaha!"

Thankfully, the distance was far enough and the youth didn't seem to have heard them.

Of course, they were mistaken.

'I can hear everything.'

A bitter smile formed Arata's face as he tried hard to ignore them. At times like today, he couldn't help but blame his unusually-acute sense of hearing.

"Alright, we are heading in around 5 minutes. Everyone, prepare yourselves."

The leader of the group was a middle aged man called Akifumi, a C rank Hunter.

Most of the group comprised of D rank Hunters while there were 4 C rank Hunters. The dungeon this time was a D rank dungeon so to Arata, it was supposedly much more dangerous as well.

"Alright! Let's go in!"

***

"Sorry for the trouble."

The young, beautiful girl using healing magic in front of Arata, Honoka only smiled in return.

"If you continue fighting this way, sooner or later you'll be faced with a truly dangerous situation." Honoka looked at Arata with a worried expression.

"Well, if I want to get stronger, that's the least I can do." This girl, Honoka, had appeared with Arata several times before on previous dungeon raids. She was another C rank Hunter of their group.

Arata glanced past Honoka's shoulders and took a look at other Hunters fighting over yonder.

When one entered through the Gate, one would arrive at a place called 'dungeon'.

A dozen-plus Hunters were taking care of the monsters inside this dungeon without so much as breaking a sweat.

Unfortunately, for a rank E, such a feat was nearly impossible.

Honoka cautiously asked him.

"Perchance, is there a reason why you can't give up being a Hunter? Is it because of your fami..."

Arata resolutely shook his head.

He didn't want to reveal anything personal to other people.

"I'm only doing this as a hobby. If I don't do this, I'll probably die of boredom, actually."

"If you continue on with this hobby of yours, soon you'd be raiding a dungeon in the afterlife, you know?"

Arata was taken off-guard from her remark and ended up chuckling out lightly.

"The only reason I started talking to him was because I found him quite pitiful. But, I don't have the slightest interest in him."

That instant, Arata's face darkened.

'Shit, why did I have to remember that now of all times.'

"Arata-san?"

Arata looked back at Honoka as he forced a smile.

"I'm alright. Thanks, Honoka."

It seemed that the raid was pretty much ending soon.

Arata's expression hardened.

'I only killed a monster today.'

A rank E creature, no less. Arata began fidgeting with the rank E magic crystal in his hand.

At that time, he had swore he would get stronger. But, the results were plain to see. Even after several years as a Hunter, his strength remained the same.

The lowest grade magic crystal from a rank E monster fetched less than ten thousand yen.

'A magic crystal from a rank C monster can sell for over a million yen though.'

Too bad, a rank E Hunter such as himself couldn't even attempt to kill a monster with a rank as high as C.

Out of the blue, someone shouted out.

"Uh? Hey, there's another passage over here."

The nearby Hunters rushed over there.

"Huh, it's true."

"There really is another path?"

Just as the Hunter said, there was still another passage leading to the unknown in the Dungeon.

The interior was dark but it wasn't completely obscured.

Akifumi activated his specialty, flame magic, and tossed it further forward into the passage.

The flame flew forward, illuminated the interior and smoldered for a bit before flickering out of existence.

The passage was shrouded in darkness once more.

Akifumi spoke up while sweeping his gaze over the gathered Hunters.

"As you know very well, a Gate will not close unless the dungeon's boss is killed. Since the Gate itself is still intact even though we took care of all the monsters here, that can only mean that the boss is beyond that passageway."

Hunters exchanged meaningful glances and nodded their heads. No one could disagree with that notion.

Arata's fingers grasped tight the rank E magic crystal in his hand as he took a glance next to him. Honoka was looking worriedly at him.

Arata was worried as well. He didn't know why but the creepy atmosphere that radiated from that passage pricked his survival instincts.

'Something dangerous is definitely down that passage...'

However, as he glanced down at the rank E crystal again...

'I have to get stronger. I have to...in order to prove to them...'

Arata steeled his nerves as his gaze wandered over to the passage.

***

The passage stretched on for quite a while

In front, Akifumi and other Hunters had taken the lead.

"How long have we been walking?"

"Around….fifteen minutes?"

"A Gate shuts down completely one hour after the boss is killed, so we have a window of forty five minutes left or so."

***

The very back of the group was the spot reserved for Arata and Honoka, who didn't possess any combat skills whatsoever.

Arata scratched the back of his head.

"Are you worried?"

"About what?"

"About whatever lies beyond this passage."

"I'm fine with it, so you don't need to mind me."

Arata cautiously studied Honoka's expression. She definitely did not look fine at all.

'A teen girl, huh…..'

The truth was, Honoka was still a young girl who had barely entered into her late teens.

Didn't she say that she'd be nineteen next year?

If her long hair was replaced with something shorter, and her current attire was swapped out for a school uniform, she'd completely look like a high school senior.

It happened, right then.

Arata knew that something was wrong. Beside him, Honoka's expression also indicated something was off.

There was a loud commotion in front of them.

They increased their footsteps and what lay before their eyes was--

"Oh my god... ...there is so many of them..."

The scene in front of them was pure carnage.

"FALL BACK!"

Akifumi shouted to the other Hunters as they struggled against their enemies.

Dungeon Jackals.

Magic Beasts with red fur and a huge body that resembled the size of a mini car.

Originally, these magic beasts were only seen on C-Ranked dungeons...

'How...?'

However, that was not the only case. If it was only one or two Dungeon Jackals, their group would be able to handle it. After all, apart from Honoka, there was still three rank C Hunters. Except this time, the number of Dungeon Jackals numbered in tens.

It was impossible for their group that mostly comprised of D rank Hunters to kill every single of them.

"Shit! Didn't they say this was a D rank Dungeon? What the hell is this!?"

"RUNNN! There is too many of them!"

"No!!" Honoka screamed .

The Hunter who just spoke had the area above his neck sliced off and his headless body powerlessly collapsed to the ground.

"Get the fuck out of my way!" The leader of their group brushed past Honoka as he raced to the exit.

One by one, their group members were slowly being plucked off.

"We have to get out of here! Now!"

Arata reached out to grab Honoka's hand as he tried to pull her along. However, the girl remained rooted as tears began forming around the edges of her eyes.

"How could this happen..."

Although he could understand what she was feeling, this was no time for sentiments.

The Dungeon Jackals had already spotted them.

Tch, this is bad...

"Quick! They are approaching us! We have to go now!"

Finally, Arata forcefully dragged Honoka as she stared wordlessly at him. Her lips were in the shade of pale blue while her entire body continued to tremble ever so imperceptibly.

He forced his muscles to the fullest as he desperately sprinted towards the exit.

However...

Arata cast a glance behind him.

'We won't make it...'

Even at full speed, they couldn't hope to outrun the Magic Beasts chasing after them. They would be outrun before they could head to the exit.

There was only one alternative.

Someone had to stay behind to buy time.

Arata knew that he had to ditch Honoka and somehow force her to stay behind if he wanted to have the slightest chance of making it out alive. Even now, the girl's face still showed traces of fear and shock. He couldn't blame her, not after what had happened. Her mind was still unable to process the facts that happened.

However, he knew in his heart that he couldn't do it. He couldn't abandon Honoka to her fate. If he did, what awaited her was only a gruesome death. The few party members that retreated before them should have already reached the exit by now. He definitely did not want to suffer the guilty conscience of abandoning her behind in this godforsaken place.

He quietly let go of her hand as he steadied his gaze forward. A flicker of shock flashed across her face.

"Arata-san...?"

"There is no time left. One of us has to stay behind." His expression remained hardened.

"But..." Honoka was still hesitant but there was no time left. Any second now, and they would both be dead.

"This is my choice. You have your whole life ahead of you, people waiting for you...As for me, well, I certainly won't have any...Now GO! I will buy you some time."

After hearing his declaration for a final time, Honoka could only silently thank him in her heart as she forced herself to run towards the exit.

Arata took several deep breaths.

"Fuu-woo. Fuu-woo..."

'Now that it has come down to this, I'll at least take on down with me. They would at least spend some time trying to eat up the dead pieces of my body..."

When he looked behind him, the silhouette of the girl was slowly fading while the rampant footsteps approaching him became louder and clearer. As expected, there was no way to outrun if one of them didn't stay behind.

What a relief that was...

'Only I'll die here now...'

He wasn't doing this simply because of some noble determination to sacrifice himself or anything like that. No, there certainly was an element of him calculating the best possible outcome in his decision.

Even if he somehow survived through that minuscule possibility and got out of here today, he would still have to live as a cripple the rest of his life. Obviously, he wouldn't be able to carry on as a Hunter then.

But, as he recalled the memories of his life, a wry smile formed on his face. He knew that even if he were to perish here, the people he knew would simply forget about him soon and his death wouldn't really be a bother to them. After all, he had no accomplishments to speak off. That was why they all left and discarded him. Just like that girl as well...

But with this...he could finally say that he had at least accomplished something with his life.

ROAR!!!!!

ROAR!!!!!

Finally, the creatures arrived.

*****

Arata spat out a mouthful of blood. An unimaginable amount of pain rushed in like a tsunami wave.

SLAM!!

Sounds of bones breaking could be heard from all corners of his body.

He shrunk away from the intense pain.

"Euh... ...Euh, euh... ..."

As he began trembling, the creatures slowly surrounded him and his entire being began shuddering non-stop.

As he saw the incoming scythe of death approach him, Arata finally closed his eyes.

'Ah...this is really the end."

***

Currently ~

[Now, tell me once more, Kasuga Arata. Do you really want this to be the end?]

Arata could only look down as he recalled his past memories.

[You, who were forsaken by everyone. Your family...your friends...the girl you liked...even the common folk...because you were a failure, everyone discarded you.]

Arata listened on.

[There is perhaps a reason why you were brought here before me. I can sense that you possess a very strong heart. But, that is clearly not enough. What you lack, is power. But, I believe that you are worthy. You who came from another world...what you have experienced in life...what you have gone through...you are definitely more than capable to wield it.]

'What is he saying...?'

[Very soon, a calamity will visit. The Monarchs have been bidding their time but soon, they will visit your world...]

"Monarchs?"

[That's right. The Rulers and Monarchs, the 'Gods' that want to rule over your world. Your world is simply a plaything for them. Let me ask you this now, child from another world...do you want power?]

?!

"Power...?"

[Although they are currently in a seperate dimension, the boundaries in the Cosmos is unstable and I don't want them to come visiting this world as well. So tell me, do you want the power to change everything? You just have to answer that.]

Arata clenched his fist so hard that his hand started bleeding.

All the scenes from his life flashed before him once more like a slideshow.

"An E rank trash like you want's to be a Hunter?" "Don't bring disgrace to our family!"

"You will only bring shame upon the Kasuga name?" "Did you hear, that is the weakest E rank in existence." "Don't bother yourself with such trash." "To think the weakest 'Hunter' would go to our school...what a disgrace." "Associate with him and your level will drop to his level." "Humanity's weakest weapon."

And finally...

"Hey Kaguya, why do you keep sticking around that rank E trash?"

"The only reason I started talking to him was because I found him quite pitiful. But, I don't have the slightest interest in him."

'That's right...that was my goal from the start...what was I training all this time for? Isn't it to get stronger? But, this will only be a borrowed power...is that even...'

[It will definitely be a power that I bestowed upon you. But, that is only the catalyst. I simply turn on the start engine. Everything else...you will have to obtain it by yourself. This power is not simply granted, it is earned as well.]

'Then, in that case...'

Arata finally looked up again and the Angel revealed a smile.

His expression now was clearly one that he hadn't shown in a long time. The gaze in his eyes was more than enough to prove his determination.

***

"Show me then. This power you speak of."