EPISODE THREE - 1

The heavy clang of metal against metal echoed through the air as cranes groaned under the weight of steel beams. Dust clouds swirled in lazy spirals beneath the clear afternoon sky, where faint traces of autumn leaves drifted with the wind. The air smelled of damp earth mixed with iron, a scent so common on construction sites it was almost invisible to the workers.

Over an hour had passed since the Black Knight Guild had disappeared into the gate. Their silhouettes had long since been swallowed by the swirling abyss, but the workers' nerves hadn't settled.

"An hour and thirty..." muttered the foreman, flicking ash from his cigarette. His wrinkled brow furrowed deeper. "They should've been out by now."

Another worker, sleeves rolled up, sat perched on a steel beam, tapping his boot against the metal. "Maybe they ran into something nasty, you know how it is. A guild member'll probably check in soon if it's bad."

"Or they're all dead," another chuckled darkly, though the thought sat heavy between them.

The workers fell into a grim silence, dust motes glittering in the golden light.

Then—vrooommm.

The soft buzz of a small engine broke the stillness. A compact motorbike crested over the dirt mound leading to the site, its tires kicking up gravel as it skidded to a stop.

Perched on the bike was a girl—petite, almost fragile-looking, clad in the standard lightweight hunter gear. Her helmet reflected the sun in a blinding flash before she slid it off, revealing disheveled black hair cascading around her shoulders, a fringe falling into wide, absent-minded eyes.

Hayami.

"Eh? Who is that and What's she doing here?" one of the workers mumbled, scratching his head.

There was something... off about her. She seemed unaware of the stares, her gaze fixated on a lone butterfly fluttering through the dusty air. Its delicate wings shimmered like stained glass, and for a moment, the world slowed as Hayami's eyes softened, her hand unconsciously reaching out.

"Is she... chasing a butterfly?"

"She looks lost," another whispered, eyeing the hunter tag dangling from her chest.

The tag glinted in the sun—clear proof she was licensed.

"No way," scoffed the foreman. "She doesn't even look like she could lift a wrench, let alone a blade."

"Must've been forced into it. I hear guilds are getting desperate with the recruitment these days, They will recruit just about anything or anyone Bet she's barely even up t the legal hunter age or rank," someone added.

Hayami's bike engine sputtered to a halt as she swung a slender leg over the side, landing softly on the gravel. Her boots crunched on the loose stones as she ambled forward, her steps light, almost weightless.

"Should we—should we ask if she needs help?"

Before anyone could approach, Hayami's ear comm crackled to life.

"There's been a shift inside the gate—possible two Class A boss-level manifestation. Immediate support required."

The workers stiffened.

Hayami blinked slowly, as though the message had taken a moment to register. She tapped the comm lightly. "Roger that," she murmured.

"Wait... You're a Guild member?" The foreman's cigarette nearly fell from his mouth.

But it wasn't the message that floored him.

As Hayami adjusted her comm, her sleeve shifted, revealing the insignia on her armplate—a sleek, curved crest of black and silver.

The Guild Master's Emblem.

A thick silence fell like a lead curtain.

"You're kidding me."

The foreman's throat went dry. Sweat beaded at his temple as his knees locked in place. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to look away, but his eyes stayed fixed on the girl.

Hayami barely noticed. She strolled past them, still half-focused on the butterfly that now drifted above her head.

But as she approached the gate, something changed.

The air grew heavy—dense—as though gravity itself twisted around her. The metallic scent thickened, tinged now with the sharp edge of ozone.

Then, the workers felt it.

A surge of immense power radiated from her, invisible yet palpable. It pressed against their chests, an overwhelming force that made their hearts race and their skin dampen with cold sweat.

"This... this is the power of an S-class hunter?"

Hayami, still absent-minded, stepped up to the edge of the swirling gate. The butterfly landed softly on her shoulder before fluttering away into the void.

With a slow, almost childlike tilt of her head, she murmured, "Time to clean up."

And then she walked into the gate—her figure swallowed whole by the shimmering abyss.

The foreman could only stare, sweat now pouring down his back.

deep inside, something primal clawed at his chest—fear and awe.

The gate shimmered like a curtain of liquid glass, its swirling core pulsing with a low hum that sent tremors through the earth, then it was silent.

from the heart of the gate, figures began to emerge.

The first to stumble out was a hunter, his armor cracked and smeared with dark, inky blood. His breathing was ragged, his sword—once gleaming—now chipped and stained. Behind him, others followed, limping and wounded, their uniforms torn, faces pale beneath streaks of sweat and grime.

"Damn..." one of the construction workers muttered, gripping the edge of a steel beam. "They're wrecked."

"Are they even alive?" another whispered, eyes wide.

But then, a shadow moved within the gate.

Out walked Hayami—untouched.

Her lightweight armor gleamed under the fading sunlight, not a single scratch marring its surface. Her dark hair fluttered gently in the breeze, the same butterfly from earlier now circling lazily above her head before vanishing into the sky.

She looked serene, almost out of place amid the carnage. Her wide, absent-minded eyes scanned the horizon, seemingly unaware of the bloodied party members trailing behind her like wounded spirits.

"She—she didn't get hit once?!"

One of the hunters, leaning on his spear, let out a breathless laugh. "She tore through them... like they were paper. Monsters didn't stand a damn chance."

Another chimed in, his voice rough but tinged with awe. "You didn't even see her move. Just—slash—and they were gone. She saved our asses. We'd be dead without her."

The construction workers froze. Their tools slipped from their hands, clanging against the metal scaffolding.

"Monster..." one whispered.

They weren't talking about the things inside the gate.

Hayami tilted her head, sensing something. Slowly, her gaze drifted toward the workers.

Her eyes—deep, glassy pools—locked onto theirs.

Time stopped.

A cold sweat broke over the foreman's brow. His legs trembled, sheer instinct screaming at him to run. Around him, others stumbled back, boots scraping against gravel.

Then—panic.

"She's looking at us!" someone yelled before the workers scattered like leaves in the wind, kicking up dust as they fled.

Hayami blinked, watching the dust cloud settle.

"...Huh?" She tilted her head, clueless, her fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face.

BZZZT.

Her intercom buzzed in her ear.

"Hayami! Sorry for pulling you into that mess," came the voice of Take, the assistant guild master. His tone carried the weight of formal apology, but the faint edge of stress bled through. "You were the closest one on-site. The others were tied up with an A-class raid on the east side."

Hayami sighed softly, her breath visible in the cooling air. "Mm. It's fine."

"Anyway," Take continued, "Jin Seiichi's called for a meeting, tomorrow at 9pm. Top priority. The whole Guild Master Association's gathering."

Her eyes flickered with interest. Jin Seiichi—the leader of the Global Association of Guild Masters. A name that resonated like thunder in the hunter world.

But Take wasn't done. "Also... the guild president wants you at a dinner with some investors tonight. Something about strengthening alliances."

Hayami's face twisted into a pout, her shoulders slumping. "Ugh. Boring."

"You know he'll throw a fit if you don't show up."

"I know..." she groaned, dragging out the words before a soft smile curled on her lips. "But the meeting with Jin—that'll be fun. First time seeing him."

Her hand brushed the edge of her hunter tag, its edges smooth from years of wear.

A year ago, after a brutal reassessment, she'd been promoted—now a certified Class S. Yet she'd never crossed paths with the legendary hunter who stood at the top of the world.

"Jin Seiichi..... the others," she mused. Her eyes sparkled with a rare flicker of excitement.

But a shadow of thought crossed her mind.

What's Jin planning?

The gate behind her crackled, its swirling core dimming, then faded out of existence, the hunt complete.

Hayami turned, the wind tugging at her coat as she took a walk, the butterfly flew ahead, it spiked her curiosity enough for her to walk and see where it went.

boots kicking up dust—her figure growing smaller against the sprawling Tokyo skyline, where the towers of steel clawed at the sky.