Kill Stealing

In the center of the forest, Reisou was scanning the area in search of the Gate boss, unaware that someone dangerous was tracking him down.

While exploring, he came across only a few monsters, suggesting that a larger predator was lurking nearby. Reisou sensed he was getting closer to the boss, and moments later, a thunderous roar in the distance confirmed his suspicion.

*Hrrnnk!

The sound was like a regular wild boar's growl, but much louder and more aggressive. Reisou cautiously made his way toward the source, already planning how to take it down before any other Hunters showed up.

He knew that the moment the Corrupted Boar took its first heavy hit, the entire scenery would shift, and the sky would darken, signaling the start of a deadly battle between them.

Every Hunter inside the Gate would be instantly alerted and rush over without hesitation, especially if it was a private Gate. With that in mind, Reisou decided to find the perfect spot for a clear view of his target.

Not far from his new position, hidden behind a tree, he watched the four-meter-tall black boar. Its massive, pointed tusks exuded a threatening aura, while its glowing red eyes radiated pure anger.

This monster was nothing like the ones he had killed before, and now he realized why a team was needed.

'How the hell am I supposed to take this thing down alone? I'm sure my current strength isn't enough!' he thought, wiping an imaginary sweat from his forehead.

Taking a direct approach would be reckless, and Reisou definitely didn't want to take heavy damage and end up back in his room all beaten up. Pushing that idea aside, he chose to observe the beast for a while, hoping for the right moment to strike.

Unfortunately, even after almost an hour of silent pursuit, Reisou still had no idea how to kill it quickly.

At least he had observed its behavior and could use that to his advantage.

Every now and then, the boss would pause to devour smaller monsters, giving Reisou a brief window to act. During one of those moments, he decided there was no point in hesitating any longer.

'Okay, I can't stay here all day. I'll try cut off its vision first and try to finish it as fast as I can,' Reisou thought, pulling his lance from the inventory.

However, just as he was about to launch a surprise attack, he heard voices approaching and quickly hid in the bushes nearby.

"Let's go back home already, I'm tired, and besides, Miss Makima told us to rest," a feminine voice complained wearily.

"I don't usually agree with her, but this time I do. I'm still tired after our encounter with that army of boars," another voice said, this time a masculine one.

"You two, stop complaining. We need to locate the Gate boss and report it to the encampment before heading back," other masculine voice retorted, making both of them grunt in response.

Reisou held his breath and remained perfectly still, trying not to make a sound to avoid drawing attention. The trio drew closer and closer, passing right next to the bush he was hiding behind.

*Hrrnnk!

The Corrupted Boar growled angrily, forcing the trio to halt in their tracks.

"We found him! Denji, use the communication crystal to report to the encampment. Let them know we've located the target and ask for further instructions," said the man with black hair tied in a topknot, dressed in a black suit and tie. His expression was serious as he unsheathed his katana.

He then jumped onto a tree branch and spotted the giant black boar ahead, viciously devouring several smaller boars.

Denji retrieved a yellow crystal from his pocket, about five centimeters long, covered in strange red patterns, and began communicating with someone. Meanwhile, Power stood by his side, using her sharp teeth to bite her own wrist, drawing blood to form a giant mallet.

"Aki, the encampment said we should engage. They need us to clean the Gate until midnight," Denji said with a frown, clearly not wanting to fight.

"Are you serious!? We haven't even recovered most of our Nano yet, and only Aki is in good shape!" Power complained, clearly unhappy with the news.

She even regretted approaching Aki earlier when they found him fighting against some minor monsters.

Aki remained silent for a moment, letting out a sigh as his blade crackled with blue electricity, already preparing to strike.

"Power, you'll provide support to me, and Denji, be ready to transform the moment I give the signal," Aki said seriously, turning to face the two siblings.

They reluctantly nodded their heads and moved to find a good position.

From his hiding place, Reisou peeked through the bushes, utterly shocked. The three people about to steal his objective were the same ones from Chainsaw Man, an anime he had watched before.

Then, he saw Aki leap from the tree branch, delivering a powerful mid-air slash that unleashed a raging blue thunderstrike upon the boss.

*RAAAARGH!

As the boss took the hit, it roared, not in pain but in rage. Its red eyes blazed even fiercer than before, and flames started to pour from its mouth.

In seconds, the once bright blue sky darkened, and the surroundings turned a dull gray. Aki landed a few meters away from the enraged beast, recharging his katana with electricity.

When the beast located Aki, it charged toward him, but he remained unfazed and showed no signs of fear.

"Hey, pig, take that!" Power suddenly appeared, wielding her massive blood-made mallet, and with a powerful swing, she slammed it into the beast's body.

The hit made the giant boar lose its balance. Seizing the opportunity, Aki instantly closed the distance and unleashed his elemental technique.

✫| Thor's Judgment |✫

Suddenly, his katana flared with a bright blue glow. With a powerful vertical swing, Aki unleashed a fierce bolt of lightning, sending it crashing down onto the giant boar.

*BOOOOM!

The explosion shook the area, sending the Corrupted Boar crashing to the ground, while Aki stepped back a few meters, maintaining his attack stance, knowing this wasn't the end.

Just as he expected, the beast got back on its feet, letting out a furious roar followed by a blast of blazing fire. It then lowered its head, ready to charge at them with its giant, deadly tusks.

"Power, I'll distract him again, so get ready to use your Innate Skill," Aki said, his katana crackling with blue electricity as he rushed forward.

Power nodded her head, and as she saw Aki engaging in fierce combat with the furious beast, she seized the opportunity. Using the barely recovered Nano in her body, she focused on unleashing her second strongest move.

✣| Innate Skill - Blood Bending ⥤ Red Leeches |✣

Her giant mallet made of blood began to change shape, transforming into numerous tiny red worms. With a wave of her hand, the worms shot forward like bullets, heading straight for the Corrupted Boar.

As the worms latched onto the beast, they started drawing out its dark blood. Then, with a clench of Power's right hand, the worms swelled before detonating like grenades.

*BOOOOM!

"Denji, now!" Aki shouted, and the blond boy stepped out from behind a tree, prepared to use his ability.

✣| Innate Skill - Transformation ⥤ Half-Chainsaw |✣

Denji's body started changing as his head morphed into a demonic, mechanical shape with long, jagged fangs and a chainsaw handle on the back. A large chainsaw blade emerged from his forehead and arms, while a pull cord appeared on his chest.

The boy's chainsaw arms started to rotate, emitting a loud, grinding sound. He jumped toward the boss, aiming to cut it open.

But before Denji could strike, something shot past his face at high speed, hitting the head of the weakened boss and tearing through its brain, killing it instantly.

Confused by what had just happened, Denji landed on the ground and turned to see where the strange object had come from. To his surprise, he saw a figure ahead, wearing a black mask and a dark blue hoodie, standing on a tree branch.

Aki and Power also noticed the strange person's presence, and from the clothes, it was obvious this wasn't someone from their Guild.

"Who—" Before Power could say anything, the figure was engulfed in a blinding white light and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

Confused, Denji reverted to his normal human form while Power and Aki hurried over. As the trio examined the Gate boss, they spotted a lance embedded in its head and quickly figured out that it was the "object" the strange person had thrown.

"That bastard stole my kill!" Power fumed, pointing angrily at the dead giant boar.

"No... That bastard stole my kill!" Denji snapped, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the spot where the figure had disappeared.

Aki, on the other hand, was confused about the mysterious person's motive. Even if someone killed the boss, leaving without at least taking the monster core would make the effort pointless.

Besides that, the person's sudden disappearance made Aki guess that they might possess a powerful innate skill or even a Blessing that allowed teleportation.

Unable to find a plausible answer, Aki decided it was best to focus on the fact that no one was hurt. He calmed his two irritated teammates and instructed them to notify the encampment that the Gate boss was dead and to retrieve the monster core, while he would verify the surroundings.

Although the Gate boss was dead, the sky remained dark, and the atmosphere was bleak. The monsters didn't stop appearing—in fact, their numbers would continue to increase slightly until the entire dimension collapsed, which would happen in two hours.

When both siblings finally calmed down, they set off to complete their tasks. Aki briefly stared at the spot where the figure had been, wondering how to report it to Makima.

Meanwhile, at a certain distance from their position, a red-haired woman watched everything with an impassive expression, her mind processing what she had witnessed.

'This person... is strange,' Makima thought, feeling a genuine sense of intrigue for the first time in years.

She had seen the exact moment the intruder used his Nano, but something was unusual. Instead of the usual chaotic energy, it radiated a pure and calm aura, which was something she had never encountered before.

A deep desire to control that individual stirred within her, causing a smile to form on her lips.

"We'll meet again, I'm certain of it."

Her figure disappeared as she went straight to the encampment to deliver new instructions.