Chapter 2 :

The First Fin

Kaido's eyes suddenly opened, his chest heaving with heavy breaths, as if his lungs were filled with something strange, something that wasn't human. The world around him felt sharper, the colors more vivid, but his mind remained clouded, struggling to piece together what had just happened.

He was no longer in the S-rank Gate. He was no longer amidst the chaos and destruction of the battle. Instead, he found himself lying on the cold ground in a strange, dimly lit room. His body ached, as if it had been crushed and reassembled, but the pain was faint, distant, as though it belonged to someone else.

Slowly, Kaido sat up. His hands trembled, and his heart raced in confusion. He was alive… but how?

"You have awakened." A strange voice echoed from the shadows.

Kaido turned his head toward the voice. There was a figure standing at the entrance, cloaked in darkness, their features barely discernible. The only thing Kaido could make out was the gleam of their sharp eyes, as though they were piercing through his soul.

"Who are you?" Kaido's voice was rough, still trying to adjust to his new reality.

The figure stepped forward, revealing a tall and imposing form, dressed in a black robe adorned with symbols Kaido didn't recognize. Their presence was overwhelming, as if a storm was about to strike at any moment.

"I am Indar," the figure responded in a deep voice. "You have been chosen, Kaido Arashi. You are no longer the hunter you once were."

Kaido's thoughts raced. He remembered the battle—the eight-fin monster, the pain, and then... the being that appeared before him. The creature with nine fins. Was it real? Did he truly see it? Or was it just a dream before his death?

"The Ninth Fin..." Kaido whispered, recalling the words that echoed in his mind. "Is this... what I now have?"

Indar turned his head toward Kaido, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You are the heir, yes. But you will not be granted my power so easily. You must start from the beginning."

Kaido was taken aback by the words. "The beginning? But I..." He tried to speak, but the words died in his throat. He felt something strange inside his body, as though an unseen energy was flowing through him. Not human strength, but something else entirely.

"Yes, the First Fin," Indar said, stepping a little closer. "You will not be granted the full power that you saw in the creature you encountered in your final moments, but this is your beginning."

Kaido wanted to ask more, but the words didn't come. His mind was a whirlwind of fear and endless questions. What did all of this mean? Could he really gain the powers of the creature with the Ninth Fin?

"Begin now," Indar said, disappearing back into the shadows. "The path is long, but you will find your strength if you put in the effort."

Kaido was left alone in the darkness, still trying to make sense of what was happening and where he would go from here. Had he truly gained the First Fin of that mysterious power? And would he be able to face what was coming?

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