The Alliance of Hunters

The air felt thick with tension.

Ryo kept his eyes on the woman, his senses on high alert.

She had proven herself a capable Hunter—swift and calculating. But in the end, she was just another predator. And in a world like this, the only rule was:

Survive.

---

The Truce

The woman wiped her knife clean, slipping it back into its sheath.

"We can talk strategy later." She glanced at Haruto, who was still standing frozen behind Ryo. "But first, let's deal with the weak link."

Haruto stiffened. "W-what do you mean?"

Ryo stepped forward, cutting off any further response.

"Leave him alone."

The woman smirked, unfazed. "Fine. For now. But I'm not here to babysit."

Ryo ignored her.

He had no interest in becoming her pawn.

His instincts told him one thing: This alliance wouldn't last.

The woman wasn't the type to share her victory.

She was already calculating her next move.

---

Hunter's Strategy

As they moved deeper into the abandoned city, Ryo stayed in the lead, his sharp senses guiding their path.

The woman had fallen into a rhythm behind him, staying silent but observant.

She'd allowed Ryo to take charge, but it didn't escape him that she was testing him.

Every now and then, her eyes would flicker to Haruto, then back to him.

She's trying to figure out if he's a threat.

Ryo's lips curled into a brief, almost imperceptible smirk.

Good. Let's keep her guessing.

---

The First Threat

Hours passed, and the once-crowded streets had become eerily silent.

Suddenly, a low growl broke the quiet.

Ryo froze, listening intently.

He motioned for the others to stop.

Another growl.

And then—

The sound of something charging.

From the shadows of a nearby alleyway, something huge darted toward them.

It was a beast.

Not a human Hunter.

The woman cursed under her breath, pulling out her knife again.

"A beast? Here?"

Ryo didn't wait.

His Predator's Instinct was already on full alert.

The beast lunged.

It was fast.

Faster than anything Ryo had expected.

---

The Hunt Begins Again

The creature was massive, with glowing red eyes and sharp claws that could rip through steel. It didn't care about their alliance—it saw only Prey.

Ryo leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the beast's swipe.

It roared in frustration, turning to face him again.

The woman lunged at it, her knife flashing through the air, but the creature was too quick.

Its claws swiped down, catching her on the arm.

She staggered back, hissing in pain.

Ryo growled, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline.

This wasn't just a battle for survival anymore.

This was his hunt.

---

A Test of Survival

Ryo darted forward, using the creature's blind spot to his advantage.

He swung the steel pipe with all his strength, landing a hit to the beast's side.

The creature screeched but didn't back down.

It turned on him with newfound fury, slashing wildly.

Ryo dodged, the pipe coming close to dislodging his shoulder.

Haruto, eyes wide with fear, gripped his own weapon—a broken broomstick.

The woman wasn't much help either, still recovering from her wound.

She shot a glance at Ryo. "We need to get it off balance."

Ryo nodded.

He feigned a weak attack, baiting the creature to lunge at him.

As it did, Ryo sidestepped, and with a swift, calculated motion, he swung his pipe at the beast's back legs.

CRACK.

The creature stumbled, letting out a terrible roar.

It was down—but not for long.

---

The Killing Blow

The woman took the opening.

She threw her knife with pinpoint precision, aiming directly at the creature's heart.

The knife sank deep into its chest, and the beast's roar turned into a guttural moan.

It collapsed, twitching, before finally going still.

Ryo stepped forward, watching as the system window flashed before him.

> [Beast Eliminated.]

> [You have acquired: Beast's Claw (Rare).]

---

A Moment of Reflection

The woman wiped her blade clean again, her eyes cold and calculating.

"You're not as useless as I thought."

Ryo didn't answer.

His focus was still on the beast's body.

He could feel his instincts sharpening with every fight, every kill.

The system wasn't just giving him rewards—it was changing him.

---

Haruto's Question

Haruto approached hesitantly, his broomstick still in hand.

"Ryo… are we really going to keep doing this?"

Ryo turned to face him.

"What do you mean?"

Haruto's voice shook. "Killing people—beasts—just to survive? Isn't there a way out of this?"

Ryo's gaze softened, just for a moment.

"There's only one way out."

Survive.

And when the time came—

Kill.

---

To Be Continued…