[ A / N: As before, the grammar in this chapter is getting worse, please correct if there are errors, and I will correct them immediately. Thx. ]
1
Tokyo, Japan, 2020.
3
Autumn in Japan is one of the most anticipated seasons for many people. Falling crimson maple leaves and perfect weather are what make Autumn in Japan one of the most beautiful seasons. Likewise with the love life of school teenagers there.
"Senpai, I've liked you for a long time, please be my girlfriend!"
One of the normal student was seen confessing his feelings behind the school building, he bent down while handing his love letter with determination to the girl in front of him. The seeds of love that only blossom in the spring are just gibberish. Love does not know the time and place.
"Sorry, I already have someone I like."
And so the young man's love fell like a maple leaf in autumn. Hearing rejection from his senior, the man looked in shock. The atmosphere became quiet, only the sound of the wind rubbing against the leaves in the tree. Before suddenly a man's voice can be heard from above.
"Wow, you're rejected."
The boy and girl then looked up towards the source of the sound. And there they saw a handsome man with pale skin and snow-white hair. He is about 180 cm tall with an athletic body hidden under his school uniform.
1
His golden eyes stared down with enthusiasm and curiosity. He was seen crouching at the window carrying a sling bag on his shoulder. That person is none other than Shirogami Reo, 18 years old, and currently in his final year of high school.
3
"E-eh, Shirogami-senpai, what are you doing there? that is dangerous," said the young man, who looked panicked because Reo was currently crouching in the 3rd floor window.
"Why are you worried about me ... look, your girl is gone," said Reo, pointing to the side. The girl just left without saying anything else, which of course made the young man only sigh tired.
"* sigh *"
Reo was silent for a moment before he then jumped down which of course made the young man panic. But, like a cat, Reo landed on the ground smoothly and didn't even make the slightest noise, making the young man stunned.
"So how does it feel to be rejected? What do you feel." Reo immediately bombarded the young man with a question which of course would be considered very rude. But that's how Reo, all students and teachers in his school already know his strange behavior. So people will usually ignore it and will only consider him as a strange person.
Even though he is popular, smart and handsome, there are still no girls who like him mainly because of his attitude.
"U-um, well ... how should I explain it, of course I'm disappointed," said the young man, looking down.
"Hmm, that's how it is ... Well, an ordinary person like you expressess love for beautiful and popular girls like her, of course you will be rejected," said Reo, who immediately made the young man feel his heart pierced by an arrow.
The young man wanted to reply to Reo's words, but that could not be because Reo only stated a fact. He smiled bitterly and thought.
'What Shirogami-senpai said is true ... how dare a disgusting introvert like me like a beautiful girl like senpai. '
2
When the atmosphere became quiet, Reo then opened his mouth again.
"But I like your courage."
"Hm?" The young man looked a little surprised when he heard Reo's words.
"Well, I don't really understand this, but don't be sad, okay? This type of girl usually has sex with lots of people, so you just need to look for other girls who haven't had much sex, you know what I mean, right?" Said Reo with sweet smile which of course made the young man tilt his head on confusion.
2
" Yes? "
Reo suddenly felt the smartphone in his pocket ringing and answer the call.
"Yes, I'll be there soon," Reo said, he then hung up and glanced back at the young man.
"Well then I'll go first, bye ~." Reo then immediately ran towards the school gate very quickly, leaving the young man who was still standing there alone.
"Oi junior, did you see a strange man with white hair through here?"
The young man heard a girl from the top of the window where Reo had jumped before, and then said.
"Ah, yes ... he just left."
"Gah! That son of a bitch ... he's skipping class again, I really have to teach him a lesson tomorrow. Btw, thank you."
The young man nodded before looking back in the direction where Reo went before
'I don't think he's as bad as the rumors are. '
***
Meanwhile, Reo who had come out of the school gate was immediately greeted by a woman in her 20s with light brown hair with a double-bun hairstyle, she was seen wearing a hoodie, mask and sunglasses to hide her identity. S-Rank Hunter, Akari Shimizu.
"Hmm ... What's with your appearance?" Asked Reo casually approached her.
"I'm a famous person, of course I have to cover my identity if I don't want to make a fuss," Akari said in a low tone, trying not to be heard by the school students who were passing by the gate.
Although Japan has a number of S-Rank Hunter which is quite large compared to other Asian countries, which is 26 people, but still their existence is very valuable to the country itself. So, S-Rank Hunter is already like a celebrity in their respective countries, they are very famous and respected by many people, especially for their services.
Not a few S-Rank Hunter who starred in advertising a product and get paid expensive, and maybe even more expensive than their income in the Dungeon. Because of the great prospects it offers, many young people today aspire to be a Hunter. Becoming a Hunter has become one of the most popular jobs today, leaving aside the great danger that must be faced.
Meanwhile, the students who saw Reo with suspicious woman whispered.
"Is that Shirogami? What is he doing with that woman?"
"Uh, isn't that what people call sugar mommy?"
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Hearing that Akari just ignored them, she then immediately whispered to Reo.
"Let's hurry up, I'm a busy person," Akari said, immediately pulling Reo's hand to get into her car. After that, the two of them immediately went to the place they were going to, the Hunter Association.
After getting into the car, Akari immediately took off her glasses and mask that covered her face.
"Fiuhh ... getting famous is troublesome," Akari murmured.
"Did you bring my katana?" Reo asked, looking for the whole car. Akari who heard that pointed back while driving.
1
"It's in the back seat, but it's not a real katana. Sensei told me to bring you a wooden katana, he said you can't use your real katana unless it's used to fight with the intention of killing," Akari said, then he seemed to take lollipop candy.
"Wood or iron katana is not really a problem, even a wooden stick can become a deadly sword if used properly." Reo murmured, seemingly closing his eyes.
Over the past 3 years, Reo has spent a lot of time practicing using his white Ki. He learned several techniques for using Ki such as Observation Ki which made his Vision increase many times over, and Reinforcement Ki which strengthened his body by coating Ki on certain body parts or even the whole body, and several other Ki use techniques.
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And as Heisatsu said, the number of Ki possessed by Reo continued to grow and increase even though he didn't kill monsters or other humans at all. During the 3 years of interacting with many people both in his school and home environment, it made Reo develop a little as a human being, and that also had a positive impact on his Ki. Although its development is not very significant, but he has surpassed Heisatsu, who was stagnant in that field.
But during those 3 years, both Reo and Heisatsu were still unable to learn anything about the unique Ki that Reo had. The white Ki that Reo has still has the same properties as Ki in general, but it does not belong to these two types, it isn't a positive or negative Ki. Because of that Heisatsu called it a neutral Ki.
Of course Reo did not forget his daily routine and continued to perfect his swordsmanship, especially his ultimate technique, Tsubame Gaeshi. Total Reo currently has fully mastered 12 forms of Shirogami sword style, 6 styles of his version, and 1 secret technique, Tsubame Gaeshi. He has been much stronger compared to 3 years ago putting aside his use of Ki.
"By the way, has your residence indentification card arrived in japan?" Akari asked.
"Yes, it just arrived at the Indonesian Embassy in Japan yesterday. I already took it and renewed my stay permit in Japan," Reo said.
Even though Reo currently lives in Japan, he decided not to change his citizenship. A year ago, a few days after he turned 17, Reo returned to Indonesia to take care of his citizenship issues in Jakarta as well as visiting his mother's grave in Mataram.
Therefore, at the moment Reo is still an Indonesian citizen residing in Japan.
"Well, I still wondering why you are so adamant about not changing your citizenship, wouldn't it be too troublesome to take care of your residence permit routinely?" Akari said.
"It will be more troublesome if I change my citizenship, my mother's grave is in Indonesia and she is also still registered as an Indonesian citizen, while my brother may have become a british citizen at this time."
Akari who heard that was silent, she had heard about Reo's brother from Heisatsu, so she did not want to make Reo which she already regarded as her own younger brother felt sad because he thought about Martius, even though in fact Reo did not care at all.
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"Well the Hunter Association is an independent organization separate from the government, so it is not a problem for you to register as a Japanese Hunter even though you are not a Japanese citizen, as long as you can show a letter from the Indonesian embassy. You brought it, right?" Asked Akari and Reo only nodded. .
Because of the leniency of the system that many events such as Hunter who changed citizenship occurred, it is mainly done by Powerhouse countries such as Britain and the United States.
After driving for 45 minutes from Reo's school, the two of them finally arrived at the Headquarters of the Japanese Hunter Association. It is located in Asakusa, Tokyo. One of the downtown in Tokyo. Akari then parked their cars in a parking lot filled with official cars. Reo got out of his car and saw a tall building in front of him.
"So this is the headquarters of the Japanese Hunter Association, this is not very impressive for one of the strongest countries in Asia." Murmured Reo, seen carrying his wooden katana wrapped in black cloth.
The Japanese Hunter Association Building is a 13-storey building that looks sturdy and is dominated by glass windows that reflect sunlight from outside. It was a sturdy and luxurious building, but for the size of a Hunter Association headquarters, that was normal.
"What do you expect, a building as tall as the Burj Khalifa? Compared to other countries, I think it's quite luxurious. Let's get in soon, it's 4 pm, I have an appointment with someone tonight." Akari said while walking and look at the watch on her wrist.
1
"You really are a busy person huh ..." Reo murmured before following Akari from behind and entering the Association building with her.
After entering the building, Reo was surprised by the large number of people who wandered in a hurry, it could be seen the atmosphere of a busy office while inside the Association.
"Hmm ... Akari-chan? You don't usually come to this place."
Suddenly a man's voice was heard when Reo and Akari were walking towards the chairman's office. Hearing that voice, Akari's face looked tired and she sighed.
"* sigh * Kenzo, don't I have to say that. I don't usually see you anywhere other than in the gym, you yourself ... what are you doing here?"
Akari said to the man who approached the two of them, it was a tall man with a muscular body and brown hair who was seen wearing only a tanktop that emphasized his muscles. He was seen as having crossed scars on his face and shoulder. Seeing the aura emitted by that person, Reo thought.
'This person is strong ...' his golden eyes looked at the man with an analysis gaze.
"Hahaha, I have an appointment with old man Matsumoto," said the man called Kenzo, he then glanced at Reo who was behind Akari and pointed at him.
"By the way, who is this schoolboy? Is he your boyfriend? I didn't think that you would like a guy younger than you Akari-chan," Kenzo said with an innocent smile. Hearing that Akari just ignored him.
"Reo, introduce, this idiot in front of you is Kenzo Tanaka, he is also one of the S-Rank Hunter owned by Japan, and my guild's colleague," Akari said. Hearing that, Kenzo smiled broadly and put his thumbs up.
"Kenzo Tanaka, 28 years old, S-Rank Hunter from Draw Sword Guild, nice to meet you little boy~," said Kenzo.
Draw Sword Guild is the largest guild in Japan and one of the strongest guilds in Asia. Having more than half the S-Rank Hunter from all over Japan, it is not surprising if they achieve such an achievement.
The Draw Sword Guild is also one of the Multi-National Guilds that is allowed to take on assignments from other countries in the event of an emergency that cannot be resolved by that country by themself. Just like the case of the Komodo Island Raid six years ago.
"Shirogami Reo, nice to meet you," Reo said with a sweet smile to Kenzo, while Kenzo who heard the name Shirogami was seen raising his eyebrows.
"Shirogami? Are you the son of Heisatsu-san? No ... but I heard that he is not married. Besides, you are very different from him," Kenzo said, holding his chin and trying to think.
"Well, forget about that, we must immediately meet Matsumoto-san to talk about something right now. Let's go Reo-chan." Akari said and immediately walked followed by Reo, he seemed not in the mood to chat.
Left alone, Kenzo was initially confused.
"Ah! Wait for me, I also have to meet Matsumoto-san."
After that, Kenzo followed the two of them from behind and went to the office of the head of the Japanese Hunter Association, Matsumoto Shigeo.
***
In an office, there was a middle-aged man with thick black hair with a dark mustache and beard. He was seen sitting in his plush chair with his legs crossed and holding a brown cigar in his hand while looking at the view from his office window.
The man is one of the most influential people in Japan, the chairman of the Japanese Hunter Association, Matsumoto Shigeo.
Suddenly a knock on the door came.
* tok * * tok *
"Come in," Matsumoto said.
Then, the door opened and displayed the figure of a woman who was Matsumoto's personal secretary.
"Excuse me, sir, Mr. Tanaka and Ms. Shimizu come to see you," the woman said with a formal attitude.
'Akari? Ah, she contacted me before. 'thought Matsumoto, he then turned his chair and said with a stoic expression.
"Tell them to come in."
" Ok. " The woman nodded. Then three people entered the room, Kenzo, Akari, and Reo who were still wearing his school uniform. Seeing a schoolboy with a fairly eccentric appearance made Matsumoto raise his eyebrows, but he remained silent.
"Good evening, sir," Akari said politely.
"Yeah, sit down," Matsumoto said, allowing the three of them to sit on the sofa in the middle of the room, he also stood before sitting in front of the three of them.
"I did let you see me but I didn't say you could meet me at the same time," Matsumoto said, smoking a cigar in his mouth. Hearing that Akari glanced at Kenzo.
"If I didn't make a mistake, I should have said that I would meet you at 4, sir," Akari said. Feeling the gaze of Akari, Kenzo could only smile bitterly.
"Well ... hahaha, there were a few things that happened on the way. I will be quiet so please enjoy your time." Kenzo said, scratching his head, he acted like a child.
"* sigh * You really have never changed. Okay, I don't have much time so what do you want to talk to me about?" Matsumoto said, then glanced a bit at Reo.
"Once again I thank you for your valuable time, sir. Actually this problem is related to this boy" Akari said.
"Shirogami Reo." Reo briefly introduced himself. Hearing that Matsumoto seemed to remember something.
"Shirogami? I see ... so you are one of the children adopted by the old man, your white hair, you are the child that old man adopted on his last mission 6 years ago."
"That old man told you about me?"
Matsumoto looks slightly smiling.
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"Well, he told me a little about you when we talked back then, so that's it ... now you're in high school." Matsumoto seemed to nod before he spoke to the secretary standing behind him.
"Please get us some tea."
"Yes, sir." The woman nodded, then went to get tea. After the woman left, Matsumoto then opened his mouth again.
"So what's up?" He said casually.
"Okay sir, to get to the point, the reason why I came here is to register this boy as a Hunter," Akari said, pointing to Reo who was sitting next to her.
"Huh?" Kenzo looked surprised at Akari's words just now. While Matsumoto only raised his eyebrows, he was confused about what Akari had just said.
"Register as a Hunter?" Asked Matsumoto and Akari nodded. He then continued with a confused face.
"Then why did you come to see me instead? If you want to register this boy as a Hunter you should come to the ranking test division, let those who measure the magic energy emitted from his body and determine what the rank is. Or I guess ..."
Matsumoto then glanced a bit at Reo.
'I don't feel any magic energy from this boy's body, can he hide his magic energy? Or he really doesn't have any magic energy. '
Akari then nodded as she immediately answered the question in Matsumoto's mind.
"That's right sir, you also can definitely feel it right ... Reo is not an Awakened and he has absolutely no magic energy in his body," Akari said.
Hearing that, Matsumoto fell silent and the atmosphere became silent. He then put on a serious expression and looked into Akari's eyes.
"So that is the reason you came to see me. Basically, you want me to give permission for this boy to get his hunter license even though he is not an Awakened, right?" Matsumoto asked.
"That's right, sir."
Matsumoto was silent for a moment before he said firmly.
"Sorry, but I can't allow it."
Hearing that Akari and Reo did not look disappointed, because they had anticipated the answer beforehand that would be given by Matsumoto. Of course he would not approve Akari's request just like that, even though she was an S-Rank Hunter, but asking someone who was not an Awakened to be a Hunter was completely forbidden.
"Can you consider it, sir? This is also a personal request from Sensei."
Matsumoto looked a little surprised when he heard that.
"That old man? It is not usual for someone who is very protective to do something stupid like this. But even though he is a good friend of mine, allowing an ordinary person to become a Hunter is still something I can't do." Matsumoto then continued.
"If it's a problem about school or something like that I can help. But for this problem, I can't give any help at all. Because as written in the Hunter Guidebook, one of the requirements to become a licensed Hunter is to have at least 1 number of magic energy in his body, which means that only an Awakened can register as a Hunter, "Matsumoto said.
The Hunter Guidebook is one of the two Guidebooks distributed by the Central Hunter Association to serve as a guidebook for the Hunter.
"You should understand that too, Akari," Matsumoto said with a serious expression. Even though he has a very good relationship with Heisatsu, but this matter concerns the life of a human, he cannot involve his personal feelings in things like this.
But Akari who heard that smiled faintly.
"Sorry sir, but what you quoted just now is incomplete. According to Hunter Guidebook, someone who is not Awakened is not allowed to register as a Hunter, but that can be changed with special permission that can be given by the Chairman of the Hunter Association of each country. "
Hearing that, Matsumoto looked a little displeased.
" Then...? "
"Well, you know, can you give that special permission to Reo, and if it's a matter of his strength you don't need to worry, Reo has fully mastered Shirogami Itto-Ryu kenjutsu so you know how much power he has even though he's just an ordinary human." Akari is still trying to convince Matsumoto.
Hearing that, Matsumoto glanced at Reo with an interested look.
"Ho ~, it looks like you are very talented in the swordsmanship, if only you were an Awakened then you would be a valuable asset for Japan like that old man. But unfortunately you are just an ordinary human, we don't know if you would be an Awakened in the future. ahead or not, but for now ... I absolutely cannot allow you to be a Hunter. "
Matsumoto remained adamant to reject the proposal given by Akari. Well they cannot blame him, as a chairman, he has a great responsibility towards his members. Of course he wants to minimize as many fatalities as possible.
"But you should already know, cases like this are not the first time this has happened," said Akari who had tried other ways to convince Matsumoto.
Hearing that, Kenzo who from the beginning was just quietly opened his mouth.
"Eh, does that mean someone else who isn't an Awakened become a Hunter?"
Kenzo asked Akari, but the one who answered was Matsumoto.
"Lewis Shermann, you want to say that, right?" Matsumoto said in a relaxed manner and Akari nodded with a smile.
"That's right." She then continued.
"Lewis Shermann, vice-master of the Holy Sword Guild and the most trusted person by the Strongest Man, Asher Carrington. An Irish man who is one of the most influential figures in the world, a genius scientist who has many patents. The brain of the Holy Sword Guild itself , an ordinary man who became a Hunter pure because of his intelligence in managing strategy on the battlefield, Lewis Shermann. And that guy has a special Hunter rank called ... "
"... Unranked Hunter," Matsumoto said, continuing Akari's words. Akari who heard that smiled and nodded.
"I know, but as you said, Lewis Shermann is a really special case. He is a strategy genius who resolves a B-Rank Gate with only a team of 6 B-Rank Hunter including himself. And, he also has a special connection with that man, what that person cannot do on this earth, the Central Hunter Association will only obey his words. "
What Matsumoto means by his words is Asher Carrington.
"Meanwhile, this boy here might be a little stronger than an ordinary human, and I could have grouped him into an E-Rank Hunter, but rules are still rules. Even if this boy is stronger than someone Awakened who only has 1 magic energy in his body, he still can't be a Hunter, at least for no reason that really proves his strength. "
In the end, Matsumoto had no intention of changing his decision. He still refused to give Reo permission to become a Hunter.
The atmosphere then became quiet, the afternoon sun visible from the glass window, the woman secretary who had previously gone to get tea also returned and distributed a cup of tea to everyone.
While Akari, who had all plans failed, seemed to think hard in her mind.
'In the end we have to do that, huh ...'
But suddenly the silence was broken by Reo, who had only been silent before.
"Then What if we fight each other."
Hearing Reo's words, everyone couldn't respond to what he just said. Even Akari who was thinking earlier was surprised by what Reo had just said.
"What did you say just now?" Said Matsumoto who still looked calm. Meanwhile, Reo smiled innocently and said again.
"Even though I might not be able to defeat someone like you, but if we fight directly won't that make you easily know whether I can become a Hunter or not?"
That was a very humble greeting from Reo, even though he didn't know how strong Matsumoto really was, but to become the head of one of the strongest Hunter Associations in Asia, you could imagine how strong Matsumoto really was.
"Oi, what you just said, it doesn't match what we talked about last night," Akari whispered to Reo who looked indifferent and just smiled while waiting for a response from Matsumoto.
And in an instant, the air in the room suddenly became heavy and a terrifying pressure emanated from Matsumoto's body.
* buzz * * crack *
The tea cup in his hand was cracked, Akari, Kenzo and the female secretary looked tense as they felt the pressure emitted by Matsumoto.
"So that's how it is, in other words you're challenging me to fight right?" Matsumoto then continued, the expression on his face was serious and he glared at Reo.
"It's true that my body has aged, and my strength has also declined. But an ordinary human like you challenges me to fight? You seem to have great guts, young man," Matsumoto said in a tone full of intimidation, and a cruel grin.
However, even though everyone seemed to be bothered by the pressure exerted by Matsumoto, Reo still sat relaxed and only smiled while looking at Matsumoto.
"I'm honored if you think of me as an ordinary human sir, and yes ... I challenge you to fight," said Reo, and when his golden eyes met Matsumoto's black eyes, suddenly the pressure in the room disappeared in an instant which of course made everyone, including Matsumoto himself surprised.
* fwuosh *
Matsumoto widened his eyes when the pressure he directed at Reo did not affect him at all, and instead just disappeared.
'This feeling, is it possible that old man taught this child that thing !? 'thought Matsumoto in surprise as he felt a familiar feeling.
The reason why Reo was not affected at all by Matsumoto's pressure and could even eliminate it was none other than because he used Domination Ki. One of techniques for using Ki is done by sending the intention to kill in the form of invisible mental pressure that can suppress the will of others. The effect depends on how strong the will of the target is compared to the user itself.
The atmosphere immediately became quiet, no one spoke and the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Before suddenly Matsumoto opened his mouth.
"So that's how it is, it seems like I know the reason why the old man allowed you to become a Hunter." Matsumoto then glanced at Reo's golden eyes and said.
"Looks like he has taught you that huh ... I can't believe he has the courage to do that again." Matsumoto said with a mocking grin, as a good friend of Heisatsu since they were young, he already knew about the incident that his best friend had experienced at past.
While the sudden change in Matsumoto's attitude surprised everyone. Even Akari doesn't understand, from the beginning Akari didn't know about Ki or Reo who can use Ki.
She believes Reo can become a Hunter by relying only on Shirogami swordsmanship, because she herself has felt how difficult it is to learn swordsmanship. But Akari had no idea if there was anything other than magic energy that could be used to fight monsters in this world, namely Ki. Heisatsu also never told her about that.
While Matsumoto who saw that thought.
'A child who is talented in swordsmanship, and can even open up his own Ki stream. Even though he is not an Awakened, but he might at least be as strong as an A-Rank Hunter on the future, it's a valuable asset that should not be left unchecked ... '
Matsumoto smirked before he smiled at Reo.
"Alright, I'll allow you to become a Hunter."
"Huh, why did you suddenly change your mind?" Said Akari who was still confused by what had just happened.
"What's the matter? Isn't that what you want?" Matsumoto said, raising his eyebrows.
"Ah, well ... that's right, thank you for your generosity sir."
"But! Because you have absolutely no magic energy in your body and you cannot take the required ranking test to get a Hunter license. I will give you a special test."
Said Matsumoto which immediately made everyone speechless. Matsumoto then glanced at the female secretary behind him. Understanding what Matsumoto meant, the woman then looked at the document in her hand.
"You have to attend a meeting with the management division at 7 tonight, so you still have 2.5 hours of free time," said the woman and Matsumoto nodded.
"That's enough time."
Meanwhile, Akari asked Matsumoto.
"Wait a minute sir, what do you mean by a special test? What kind of special test?"
"Ah about that ..." Matsumoto then glanced at Kenzo who looked put on a stupid face and said.
"... Kenzo, you have a lot of free time, right?" Matsumoto asked.
Kenzo nodded.
"That's right, I came here because you said there was something you wanted to discuss with me, other than that I have nothing else to do tonight," Kenzo said.
"We'll talk about that later."
Matsumoto then glanced at Reo. Before saying with a grin.
"Then, I will give you the special test that i mentioned before. The test is simple, all you have to do is fight Kenzo here and hold on for 5 minutes. If you can do that then I will give you the Japanese Hunter license personally. How? "
The atmosphere became quiet when they heard Matsumoto's words, before Akari opened her mouth.
"Eh? Huh? What !!! ???"
[ A / N: As before, the grammar in this chapter is getting worse, please correct if there are errors, and I will correct them immediately. Thx. ]
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Tokyo, Japan, 2020.
3
Autumn in Japan is one of the most anticipated seasons for many people. Falling crimson maple leaves and perfect weather are what make Autumn in Japan one of the most beautiful seasons. Likewise with the love life of school teenagers there.
"Senpai, I've liked you for a long time, please be my girlfriend!"
One of the normal student was seen confessing his feelings behind the school building, he bent down while handing his love letter with determination to the girl in front of him. The seeds of love that only blossom in the spring are just gibberish. Love does not know the time and place.
"Sorry, I already have someone I like."
And so the young man's love fell like a maple leaf in autumn. Hearing rejection from his senior, the man looked in shock. The atmosphere became quiet, only the sound of the wind rubbing against the leaves in the tree. Before suddenly a man's voice can be heard from above.
"Wow, you're rejected."
The boy and girl then looked up towards the source of the sound. And there they saw a handsome man with pale skin and snow-white hair. He is about 180 cm tall with an athletic body hidden under his school uniform.
1
His golden eyes stared down with enthusiasm and curiosity. He was seen crouching at the window carrying a sling bag on his shoulder. That person is none other than Shirogami Reo, 18 years old, and currently in his final year of high school.
3
"E-eh, Shirogami-senpai, what are you doing there? that is dangerous," said the young man, who looked panicked because Reo was currently crouching in the 3rd floor window.
"Why are you worried about me ... look, your girl is gone," said Reo, pointing to the side. The girl just left without saying anything else, which of course made the young man only sigh tired.
"* sigh *"
Reo was silent for a moment before he then jumped down which of course made the young man panic. But, like a cat, Reo landed on the ground smoothly and didn't even make the slightest noise, making the young man stunned.
"So how does it feel to be rejected? What do you feel." Reo immediately bombarded the young man with a question which of course would be considered very rude. But that's how Reo, all students and teachers in his school already know his strange behavior. So people will usually ignore it and will only consider him as a strange person.
Even though he is popular, smart and handsome, there are still no girls who like him mainly because of his attitude.
"U-um, well ... how should I explain it, of course I'm disappointed," said the young man, looking down.
"Hmm, that's how it is ... Well, an ordinary person like you expressess love for beautiful and popular girls like her, of course you will be rejected," said Reo, who immediately made the young man feel his heart pierced by an arrow.
The young man wanted to reply to Reo's words, but that could not be because Reo only stated a fact. He smiled bitterly and thought.
'What Shirogami-senpai said is true ... how dare a disgusting introvert like me like a beautiful girl like senpai. '
2
When the atmosphere became quiet, Reo then opened his mouth again.
"But I like your courage."
"Hm?" The young man looked a little surprised when he heard Reo's words.
"Well, I don't really understand this, but don't be sad, okay? This type of girl usually has sex with lots of people, so you just need to look for other girls who haven't had much sex, you know what I mean, right?" Said Reo with sweet smile which of course made the young man tilt his head on confusion.
2
" Yes? "
Reo suddenly felt the smartphone in his pocket ringing and answer the call.
"Yes, I'll be there soon," Reo said, he then hung up and glanced back at the young man.
"Well then I'll go first, bye ~." Reo then immediately ran towards the school gate very quickly, leaving the young man who was still standing there alone.
"Oi junior, did you see a strange man with white hair through here?"
The young man heard a girl from the top of the window where Reo had jumped before, and then said.
"Ah, yes ... he just left."
"Gah! That son of a bitch ... he's skipping class again, I really have to teach him a lesson tomorrow. Btw, thank you."
The young man nodded before looking back in the direction where Reo went before
'I don't think he's as bad as the rumors are. '
***
Meanwhile, Reo who had come out of the school gate was immediately greeted by a woman in her 20s with light brown hair with a double-bun hairstyle, she was seen wearing a hoodie, mask and sunglasses to hide her identity. S-Rank Hunter, Akari Shimizu.
"Hmm ... What's with your appearance?" Asked Reo casually approached her.
"I'm a famous person, of course I have to cover my identity if I don't want to make a fuss," Akari said in a low tone, trying not to be heard by the school students who were passing by the gate.
Although Japan has a number of S-Rank Hunter which is quite large compared to other Asian countries, which is 26 people, but still their existence is very valuable to the country itself. So, S-Rank Hunter is already like a celebrity in their respective countries, they are very famous and respected by many people, especially for their services.
Not a few S-Rank Hunter who starred in advertising a product and get paid expensive, and maybe even more expensive than their income in the Dungeon. Because of the great prospects it offers, many young people today aspire to be a Hunter. Becoming a Hunter has become one of the most popular jobs today, leaving aside the great danger that must be faced.
Meanwhile, the students who saw Reo with suspicious woman whispered.
"Is that Shirogami? What is he doing with that woman?"
"Uh, isn't that what people call sugar mommy?"
2
Hearing that Akari just ignored them, she then immediately whispered to Reo.
"Let's hurry up, I'm a busy person," Akari said, immediately pulling Reo's hand to get into her car. After that, the two of them immediately went to the place they were going to, the Hunter Association.
After getting into the car, Akari immediately took off her glasses and mask that covered her face.
"Fiuhh ... getting famous is troublesome," Akari murmured.
"Did you bring my katana?" Reo asked, looking for the whole car. Akari who heard that pointed back while driving.
1
"It's in the back seat, but it's not a real katana. Sensei told me to bring you a wooden katana, he said you can't use your real katana unless it's used to fight with the intention of killing," Akari said, then he seemed to take lollipop candy.
"Wood or iron katana is not really a problem, even a wooden stick can become a deadly sword if used properly." Reo murmured, seemingly closing his eyes.
Over the past 3 years, Reo has spent a lot of time practicing using his white Ki. He learned several techniques for using Ki such as Observation Ki which made his Vision increase many times over, and Reinforcement Ki which strengthened his body by coating Ki on certain body parts or even the whole body, and several other Ki use techniques.
1
And as Heisatsu said, the number of Ki possessed by Reo continued to grow and increase even though he didn't kill monsters or other humans at all. During the 3 years of interacting with many people both in his school and home environment, it made Reo develop a little as a human being, and that also had a positive impact on his Ki. Although its development is not very significant, but he has surpassed Heisatsu, who was stagnant in that field.
But during those 3 years, both Reo and Heisatsu were still unable to learn anything about the unique Ki that Reo had. The white Ki that Reo has still has the same properties as Ki in general, but it does not belong to these two types, it isn't a positive or negative Ki. Because of that Heisatsu called it a neutral Ki.
Of course Reo did not forget his daily routine and continued to perfect his swordsmanship, especially his ultimate technique, Tsubame Gaeshi. Total Reo currently has fully mastered 12 forms of Shirogami sword style, 6 styles of his version, and 1 secret technique, Tsubame Gaeshi. He has been much stronger compared to 3 years ago putting aside his use of Ki.
"By the way, has your residence indentification card arrived in japan?" Akari asked.
"Yes, it just arrived at the Indonesian Embassy in Japan yesterday. I already took it and renewed my stay permit in Japan," Reo said.
Even though Reo currently lives in Japan, he decided not to change his citizenship. A year ago, a few days after he turned 17, Reo returned to Indonesia to take care of his citizenship issues in Jakarta as well as visiting his mother's grave in Mataram.
Therefore, at the moment Reo is still an Indonesian citizen residing in Japan.
"Well, I still wondering why you are so adamant about not changing your citizenship, wouldn't it be too troublesome to take care of your residence permit routinely?" Akari said.
"It will be more troublesome if I change my citizenship, my mother's grave is in Indonesia and she is also still registered as an Indonesian citizen, while my brother may have become a british citizen at this time."
Akari who heard that was silent, she had heard about Reo's brother from Heisatsu, so she did not want to make Reo which she already regarded as her own younger brother felt sad because he thought about Martius, even though in fact Reo did not care at all.
1
"Well the Hunter Association is an independent organization separate from the government, so it is not a problem for you to register as a Japanese Hunter even though you are not a Japanese citizen, as long as you can show a letter from the Indonesian embassy. You brought it, right?" Asked Akari and Reo only nodded. .
Because of the leniency of the system that many events such as Hunter who changed citizenship occurred, it is mainly done by Powerhouse countries such as Britain and the United States.
After driving for 45 minutes from Reo's school, the two of them finally arrived at the Headquarters of the Japanese Hunter Association. It is located in Asakusa, Tokyo. One of the downtown in Tokyo. Akari then parked their cars in a parking lot filled with official cars. Reo got out of his car and saw a tall building in front of him.
"So this is the headquarters of the Japanese Hunter Association, this is not very impressive for one of the strongest countries in Asia." Murmured Reo, seen carrying his wooden katana wrapped in black cloth.
The Japanese Hunter Association Building is a 13-storey building that looks sturdy and is dominated by glass windows that reflect sunlight from outside. It was a sturdy and luxurious building, but for the size of a Hunter Association headquarters, that was normal.
"What do you expect, a building as tall as the Burj Khalifa? Compared to other countries, I think it's quite luxurious. Let's get in soon, it's 4 pm, I have an appointment with someone tonight." Akari said while walking and look at the watch on her wrist.
1
"You really are a busy person huh ..." Reo murmured before following Akari from behind and entering the Association building with her.
After entering the building, Reo was surprised by the large number of people who wandered in a hurry, it could be seen the atmosphere of a busy office while inside the Association.
"Hmm ... Akari-chan? You don't usually come to this place."
Suddenly a man's voice was heard when Reo and Akari were walking towards the chairman's office. Hearing that voice, Akari's face looked tired and she sighed.
"* sigh * Kenzo, don't I have to say that. I don't usually see you anywhere other than in the gym, you yourself ... what are you doing here?"
Akari said to the man who approached the two of them, it was a tall man with a muscular body and brown hair who was seen wearing only a tanktop that emphasized his muscles. He was seen as having crossed scars on his face and shoulder. Seeing the aura emitted by that person, Reo thought.
'This person is strong ...' his golden eyes looked at the man with an analysis gaze.
"Hahaha, I have an appointment with old man Matsumoto," said the man called Kenzo, he then glanced at Reo who was behind Akari and pointed at him.
"By the way, who is this schoolboy? Is he your boyfriend? I didn't think that you would like a guy younger than you Akari-chan," Kenzo said with an innocent smile. Hearing that Akari just ignored him.
"Reo, introduce, this idiot in front of you is Kenzo Tanaka, he is also one of the S-Rank Hunter owned by Japan, and my guild's colleague," Akari said. Hearing that, Kenzo smiled broadly and put his thumbs up.
"Kenzo Tanaka, 28 years old, S-Rank Hunter from Draw Sword Guild, nice to meet you little boy~," said Kenzo.
Draw Sword Guild is the largest guild in Japan and one of the strongest guilds in Asia. Having more than half the S-Rank Hunter from all over Japan, it is not surprising if they achieve such an achievement.
The Draw Sword Guild is also one of the Multi-National Guilds that is allowed to take on assignments from other countries in the event of an emergency that cannot be resolved by that country by themself. Just like the case of the Komodo Island Raid six years ago.
"Shirogami Reo, nice to meet you," Reo said with a sweet smile to Kenzo, while Kenzo who heard the name Shirogami was seen raising his eyebrows.
"Shirogami? Are you the son of Heisatsu-san? No ... but I heard that he is not married. Besides, you are very different from him," Kenzo said, holding his chin and trying to think.
"Well, forget about that, we must immediately meet Matsumoto-san to talk about something right now. Let's go Reo-chan." Akari said and immediately walked followed by Reo, he seemed not in the mood to chat.
Left alone, Kenzo was initially confused.
"Ah! Wait for me, I also have to meet Matsumoto-san."
After that, Kenzo followed the two of them from behind and went to the office of the head of the Japanese Hunter Association, Matsumoto Shigeo.
***
In an office, there was a middle-aged man with thick black hair with a dark mustache and beard. He was seen sitting in his plush chair with his legs crossed and holding a brown cigar in his hand while looking at the view from his office window.
The man is one of the most influential people in Japan, the chairman of the Japanese Hunter Association, Matsumoto Shigeo.
Suddenly a knock on the door came.
* tok * * tok *
"Come in," Matsumoto said.
Then, the door opened and displayed the figure of a woman who was Matsumoto's personal secretary.
"Excuse me, sir, Mr. Tanaka and Ms. Shimizu come to see you," the woman said with a formal attitude.
'Akari? Ah, she contacted me before. 'thought Matsumoto, he then turned his chair and said with a stoic expression.
"Tell them to come in."
" Ok. " The woman nodded. Then three people entered the room, Kenzo, Akari, and Reo who were still wearing his school uniform. Seeing a schoolboy with a fairly eccentric appearance made Matsumoto raise his eyebrows, but he remained silent.
"Good evening, sir," Akari said politely.
"Yeah, sit down," Matsumoto said, allowing the three of them to sit on the sofa in the middle of the room, he also stood before sitting in front of the three of them.
"I did let you see me but I didn't say you could meet me at the same time," Matsumoto said, smoking a cigar in his mouth. Hearing that Akari glanced at Kenzo.
"If I didn't make a mistake, I should have said that I would meet you at 4, sir," Akari said. Feeling the gaze of Akari, Kenzo could only smile bitterly.
"Well ... hahaha, there were a few things that happened on the way. I will be quiet so please enjoy your time." Kenzo said, scratching his head, he acted like a child.
"* sigh * You really have never changed. Okay, I don't have much time so what do you want to talk to me about?" Matsumoto said, then glanced a bit at Reo.
"Once again I thank you for your valuable time, sir. Actually this problem is related to this boy" Akari said.
"Shirogami Reo." Reo briefly introduced himself. Hearing that Matsumoto seemed to remember something.
"Shirogami? I see ... so you are one of the children adopted by the old man, your white hair, you are the child that old man adopted on his last mission 6 years ago."
"That old man told you about me?"
Matsumoto looks slightly smiling.
2
"Well, he told me a little about you when we talked back then, so that's it ... now you're in high school." Matsumoto seemed to nod before he spoke to the secretary standing behind him.
"Please get us some tea."
"Yes, sir." The woman nodded, then went to get tea. After the woman left, Matsumoto then opened his mouth again.
"So what's up?" He said casually.
"Okay sir, to get to the point, the reason why I came here is to register this boy as a Hunter," Akari said, pointing to Reo who was sitting next to her.
"Huh?" Kenzo looked surprised at Akari's words just now. While Matsumoto only raised his eyebrows, he was confused about what Akari had just said.
"Register as a Hunter?" Asked Matsumoto and Akari nodded. He then continued with a confused face.
"Then why did you come to see me instead? If you want to register this boy as a Hunter you should come to the ranking test division, let those who measure the magic energy emitted from his body and determine what the rank is. Or I guess ..."
Matsumoto then glanced a bit at Reo.
'I don't feel any magic energy from this boy's body, can he hide his magic energy? Or he really doesn't have any magic energy. '
Akari then nodded as she immediately answered the question in Matsumoto's mind.
"That's right sir, you also can definitely feel it right ... Reo is not an Awakened and he has absolutely no magic energy in his body," Akari said.
Hearing that, Matsumoto fell silent and the atmosphere became silent. He then put on a serious expression and looked into Akari's eyes.
"So that is the reason you came to see me. Basically, you want me to give permission for this boy to get his hunter license even though he is not an Awakened, right?" Matsumoto asked.
"That's right, sir."
Matsumoto was silent for a moment before he said firmly.
"Sorry, but I can't allow it."
Hearing that Akari and Reo did not look disappointed, because they had anticipated the answer beforehand that would be given by Matsumoto. Of course he would not approve Akari's request just like that, even though she was an S-Rank Hunter, but asking someone who was not an Awakened to be a Hunter was completely forbidden.
"Can you consider it, sir? This is also a personal request from Sensei."
Matsumoto looked a little surprised when he heard that.
"That old man? It is not usual for someone who is very protective to do something stupid like this. But even though he is a good friend of mine, allowing an ordinary person to become a Hunter is still something I can't do." Matsumoto then continued.
"If it's a problem about school or something like that I can help. But for this problem, I can't give any help at all. Because as written in the Hunter Guidebook, one of the requirements to become a licensed Hunter is to have at least 1 number of magic energy in his body, which means that only an Awakened can register as a Hunter, "Matsumoto said.
The Hunter Guidebook is one of the two Guidebooks distributed by the Central Hunter Association to serve as a guidebook for the Hunter.
"You should understand that too, Akari," Matsumoto said with a serious expression. Even though he has a very good relationship with Heisatsu, but this matter concerns the life of a human, he cannot involve his personal feelings in things like this.
But Akari who heard that smiled faintly.
"Sorry sir, but what you quoted just now is incomplete. According to Hunter Guidebook, someone who is not Awakened is not allowed to register as a Hunter, but that can be changed with special permission that can be given by the Chairman of the Hunter Association of each country. "
Hearing that, Matsumoto looked a little displeased.
" Then...? "
"Well, you know, can you give that special permission to Reo, and if it's a matter of his strength you don't need to worry, Reo has fully mastered Shirogami Itto-Ryu kenjutsu so you know how much power he has even though he's just an ordinary human." Akari is still trying to convince Matsumoto.
Hearing that, Matsumoto glanced at Reo with an interested look.
"Ho ~, it looks like you are very talented in the swordsmanship, if only you were an Awakened then you would be a valuable asset for Japan like that old man. But unfortunately you are just an ordinary human, we don't know if you would be an Awakened in the future. ahead or not, but for now ... I absolutely cannot allow you to be a Hunter. "
Matsumoto remained adamant to reject the proposal given by Akari. Well they cannot blame him, as a chairman, he has a great responsibility towards his members. Of course he wants to minimize as many fatalities as possible.
"But you should already know, cases like this are not the first time this has happened," said Akari who had tried other ways to convince Matsumoto.
Hearing that, Kenzo who from the beginning was just quietly opened his mouth.
"Eh, does that mean someone else who isn't an Awakened become a Hunter?"
Kenzo asked Akari, but the one who answered was Matsumoto.
"Lewis Shermann, you want to say that, right?" Matsumoto said in a relaxed manner and Akari nodded with a smile.
"That's right." She then continued.
"Lewis Shermann, vice-master of the Holy Sword Guild and the most trusted person by the Strongest Man, Asher Carrington. An Irish man who is one of the most influential figures in the world, a genius scientist who has many patents. The brain of the Holy Sword Guild itself , an ordinary man who became a Hunter pure because of his intelligence in managing strategy on the battlefield, Lewis Shermann. And that guy has a special Hunter rank called ... "
"... Unranked Hunter," Matsumoto said, continuing Akari's words. Akari who heard that smiled and nodded.
"I know, but as you said, Lewis Shermann is a really special case. He is a strategy genius who resolves a B-Rank Gate with only a team of 6 B-Rank Hunter including himself. And, he also has a special connection with that man, what that person cannot do on this earth, the Central Hunter Association will only obey his words. "
What Matsumoto means by his words is Asher Carrington.
"Meanwhile, this boy here might be a little stronger than an ordinary human, and I could have grouped him into an E-Rank Hunter, but rules are still rules. Even if this boy is stronger than someone Awakened who only has 1 magic energy in his body, he still can't be a Hunter, at least for no reason that really proves his strength. "
In the end, Matsumoto had no intention of changing his decision. He still refused to give Reo permission to become a Hunter.
The atmosphere then became quiet, the afternoon sun visible from the glass window, the woman secretary who had previously gone to get tea also returned and distributed a cup of tea to everyone.
While Akari, who had all plans failed, seemed to think hard in her mind.
'In the end we have to do that, huh ...'
But suddenly the silence was broken by Reo, who had only been silent before.
"Then What if we fight each other."
Hearing Reo's words, everyone couldn't respond to what he just said. Even Akari who was thinking earlier was surprised by what Reo had just said.
"What did you say just now?" Said Matsumoto who still looked calm. Meanwhile, Reo smiled innocently and said again.
"Even though I might not be able to defeat someone like you, but if we fight directly won't that make you easily know whether I can become a Hunter or not?"
That was a very humble greeting from Reo, even though he didn't know how strong Matsumoto really was, but to become the head of one of the strongest Hunter Associations in Asia, you could imagine how strong Matsumoto really was.
"Oi, what you just said, it doesn't match what we talked about last night," Akari whispered to Reo who looked indifferent and just smiled while waiting for a response from Matsumoto.
And in an instant, the air in the room suddenly became heavy and a terrifying pressure emanated from Matsumoto's body.
* buzz * * crack *
The tea cup in his hand was cracked, Akari, Kenzo and the female secretary looked tense as they felt the pressure emitted by Matsumoto.
"So that's how it is, in other words you're challenging me to fight right?" Matsumoto then continued, the expression on his face was serious and he glared at Reo.
"It's true that my body has aged, and my strength has also declined. But an ordinary human like you challenges me to fight? You seem to have great guts, young man," Matsumoto said in a tone full of intimidation, and a cruel grin.
However, even though everyone seemed to be bothered by the pressure exerted by Matsumoto, Reo still sat relaxed and only smiled while looking at Matsumoto.
"I'm honored if you think of me as an ordinary human sir, and yes ... I challenge you to fight," said Reo, and when his golden eyes met Matsumoto's black eyes, suddenly the pressure in the room disappeared in an instant which of course made everyone, including Matsumoto himself surprised.
* fwuosh *
Matsumoto widened his eyes when the pressure he directed at Reo did not affect him at all, and instead just disappeared.
'This feeling, is it possible that old man taught this child that thing !? 'thought Matsumoto in surprise as he felt a familiar feeling.
The reason why Reo was not affected at all by Matsumoto's pressure and could even eliminate it was none other than because he used Domination Ki. One of techniques for using Ki is done by sending the intention to kill in the form of invisible mental pressure that can suppress the will of others. The effect depends on how strong the will of the target is compared to the user itself.
The atmosphere immediately became quiet, no one spoke and the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Before suddenly Matsumoto opened his mouth.
"So that's how it is, it seems like I know the reason why the old man allowed you to become a Hunter." Matsumoto then glanced at Reo's golden eyes and said.
"Looks like he has taught you that huh ... I can't believe he has the courage to do that again." Matsumoto said with a mocking grin, as a good friend of Heisatsu since they were young, he already knew about the incident that his best friend had experienced at past.
While the sudden change in Matsumoto's attitude surprised everyone. Even Akari doesn't understand, from the beginning Akari didn't know about Ki or Reo who can use Ki.
She believes Reo can become a Hunter by relying only on Shirogami swordsmanship, because she herself has felt how difficult it is to learn swordsmanship. But Akari had no idea if there was anything other than magic energy that could be used to fight monsters in this world, namely Ki. Heisatsu also never told her about that.
While Matsumoto who saw that thought.
'A child who is talented in swordsmanship, and can even open up his own Ki stream. Even though he is not an Awakened, but he might at least be as strong as an A-Rank Hunter on the future, it's a valuable asset that should not be left unchecked ... '
Matsumoto smirked before he smiled at Reo.
"Alright, I'll allow you to become a Hunter."
"Huh, why did you suddenly change your mind?" Said Akari who was still confused by what had just happened.
"What's the matter? Isn't that what you want?" Matsumoto said, raising his eyebrows.
"Ah, well ... that's right, thank you for your generosity sir."
"But! Because you have absolutely no magic energy in your body and you cannot take the required ranking test to get a Hunter license. I will give you a special test."
Said Matsumoto which immediately made everyone speechless. Matsumoto then glanced at the female secretary behind him. Understanding what Matsumoto meant, the woman then looked at the document in her hand.
"You have to attend a meeting with the management division at 7 tonight, so you still have 2.5 hours of free time," said the woman and Matsumoto nodded.
"That's enough time."
Meanwhile, Akari asked Matsumoto.
"Wait a minute sir, what do you mean by a special test? What kind of special test?"
"Ah about that ..." Matsumoto then glanced at Kenzo who looked put on a stupid face and said.
"... Kenzo, you have a lot of free time, right?" Matsumoto asked.
Kenzo nodded.
"That's right, I came here because you said there was something you wanted to discuss with me, other than that I have nothing else to do tonight," Kenzo said.
"We'll talk about that later."
Matsumoto then glanced at Reo. Before saying with a grin.
"Then, I will give you the special test that i mentioned before. The test is simple, all you have to do is fight Kenzo here and hold on for 5 minutes. If you can do that then I will give you the Japanese Hunter license personally. How? "
The atmosphere became quiet when they heard Matsumoto's words, before Akari opened her mouth.
"Eh? Huh? What !!! ???"
