The Depths of Human Cruelty
(The screen fades into a dimly lit interrogation room—walls lined with rusted chains. A single military officer hangs limp from the ceiling, blood dripping onto concrete as three shadowy figures circle him like vultures.)
Rinze (licking blood off his blade): "Pathetic. You humans break so easily… yet you dare wage war on Hunters?"
(Rinze drags a bloody knife down the man's back, drawing a ragged scream from his throat.)
Rinze (voice cold): "Tell me. What is your name? Who are you working with?"
(The man hangs his head, unable to answer through his whimpers. Rinze grabs a fistful of his hair, yanking his face up to meet his gaze.)
Rinze: "Answer me! If you keep silent, things won't get any easier
(The man's breath comes in short gasps, and his eyes dart frantically, searching for a way out. But there is none in this hellhole of a room.)
Rinze (voice dangerous): "I won't ask again." (His tone promises pain.) "Talk. Who sent you to kill us? I want to know every damn detail."
Ayane (abruptly): "Ginjiro and Rinze leave the room please."
(Ayane's firm voice cuts through the tension, and Rinze and Ginjiro pause mid-step.)
Rinze (irritated): "What the hell? I'm not done here!"
(Rinze glares at her for a moment, then grumbles and backs off.)
Rinze (hissing through gritted teeth): "You better know what you're doing."
Ayane (with a cold smile): "I always do."
(The man looks up from his daze, meeting Ayane's gaze.)
Military Man (voice weak but defiant): "What do you care?!"
Ayane (quietly): "Humor me. What's your name?"
(The man hesitates, his defiance warring with exhaustion. Blood trickles from his split lip as he finally rasps out:)
Military Man: "Captain... Hiraga. 12th Tactical Division."
(Ayane tilts her head slightly, committing the name to memory before turning away in one fluid motion.)
Ayane (over shoulder): "That wasn't so hard, was it?" (Her footsteps echo as she leaves him alone in the dark—his ragged breathing the only sound left behind.)
(Ayane pauses at the door, half-turning back. Her face is shadowed—only the gleam of her eyes visible in the dim light.)
Ayane (softly): "Tell me, Hiraga… do you have a wife? Children?"
(Hiraga's breath hitches—his body tensing as if struck. A flicker of fear crosses his battered face for the first time since his capture.)
Hiraga (hoarse whisper): "Why… does that matter?"
(He swallows, his throat bobbing visibly. Ayane waits patiently. Finally, the captain speaks—his voice barely above a whisper…)
Hiraga (voice cracking): "I… I have a wife. A son. They… they don't know anything about this. They're innocent."
(His eyes lock on hers, the fear in them clear.)
(Ayane leans forward, her fingers brushing against his sweatsoaked hair with unsettling gentleness.)
Ayane (softly, almost teasing): "Oh? Then you're a lucky man… for now."
(Her tone lingers like a threat in the air—one that doesn't need to be spoken aloud. Hiraga shudders as she pulls back, leaving him shaking in silence.)
(Hiraga's weary eyes flick upwards, a flicker of interest in his tired face at her words. Ayane smirks—she knows she's got him.)
Ayane (whispered, teasingly): "If you tell me what I want to know… I might give you a reward…"
(A beat. Hiraga looks away, biting his already mangled lip in conflicted indecision).
(Rinze scowls, grinding his teeth as he paces outside the interrogation room. Ginjiro leans against the wall, arms crossed—utterly unfazed.)
Rinze (snarling under his breath): "This is taking too damn long."
Ginjiro (calmly): "Patience. This is Ayane's domain—that man will break like wet paper." (He adjusts one of his gloves idly.) "She always gets what she wants… eventually."
(Hiraga's eyes flicker to Ayane again, his resolve wavering once more as he takes in the sight of her exposed flesh beneath layers of silky fabric. A hint of color returns to his ashen cheeks. Ayane smiles—sensing his resolve crumbling.)
Ayane (voice dropping to a soft growl): "What do you say…? Willing to talk now?"
(Hiraga hesitates, the offer clearly affecting him—his eyes tracing the curve of her exposed skin with a desperate hunger.)
Hiraga (voice hoarse, barely concealing his wanting): "…Yes. Yes, I'll speak—anything you want, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
(Hiraga swallows hard—his resolve shattered.)
Hiraga (voice unsteady): "The military… We're not just killing Hunters. We're experimenting on them—harvesting their Seishu to create artificial Hunters under our control."
(Ayane's smirk widens—this is far worse than she anticipated.)
(Ayane leans back, studying Hiraga with a cold amusement. This wasn't quite what she wanted—she had envisioned slaughter, revenge… not this clinical dissection of her kind.)
Ayane (murmuring to herself): "Hmph. Of course humans would find the most pathetic way to wage war." (Her fingers trace the hilt of her blade absently.) "Turning Hunters into tools… How boring."
(Hiraga hesitates for a moment—the reality of his confession hanging in the air. But the temptation is too great to pass up. He reaches out, his trembling hand hovering over her exposed skin for a tantalizing moment before he dares touch.)
Hiraga (voice trembling, torn between shame and desire): "Y-you promise?"
(A shudder runs through him as his trembling hand finally touches her skin. He sucks in a breath, eyes fluttering shut for a moment before snapping back open. He seems to be savoring the feel of her flesh under his.)
Hiraga (voice thick with conflicting emotions): "Your skin… it's so soft." (His touch lingers on the curve of her waist, almost reverent.)"It feels so… wrong… but so, so good…"
(Ayane in a split moment stabs him through the chest.)
(Hiraga gasps, the blood draining from his face as he looks down at the blade protruding from his chest.) "You… you promised…!"
Ayane (voice cold, eyes glittering cruelly): "I promised you could touch. I didn't say anything about surviving."
(Slowly, like a snake savoring its prey, she twists the blade and pushes it ever deeper.)
(Rinze grins, licking his lips as the muffled scream echoes from inside the room.)
Rinze (chuckling darkly): "Ah… there it is. That's the sound of a man who just learned not to trust pretty promises."
(Ginjiro shakes his head, but even he can't suppress a smirk at Hiraga's naivety.)
(Ayane steps out, her lips curved in a bloodied smile. Rinze and Ginjiro take in the scene—her kimono askew, the body of Hiraga behind her with her blade still buried in his chest.)
Rinze (grunting approvingly): "Not bad. You made him talk in record time."
Ginjiro (nodding): "As usual, I see your methods worked."
(Ayane wipes the blood from her lips with the back of her hand, crimson staining her sleeve.)
Ayane (voice low and decisive): "Now that we know their little game… it's time to hit them where it hurts." (Her eyes flick between Rinze and Ginjiro.) "We burn their labs. Every last one."
(Rinze cracks his knuckles eagerly—Ginjiro simply nods, already calculating their next steps.)
(Shin and Kota listen intently as Tenjo explains the concept of Seishu Potential. His voice is serious.)
Tenjo (leaning back in his chair): "Seishu Potential is the unique latency of potential that resides within every person. It's the capacity for extreme growth and power that everyone possesses, more specifically Hunters."
Shin (raising an eyebrow): "And how do you unleash that potential?"
(Tenjo holds up three fingers as he breaks down the grim reality of Hunter hierarchy.)
Tenjo (grimly): "Bloodlines—like Ryo. His clan's Seishu runs deeper than most. Prodigies—those rare freaks born with unnatural talent, like me." (His smirk fades slightly at the last one.) "And then… there's those who bond with the Engetsuju Beasts. A double-edged sword."
(Kota swallows hard, absorbing this information silently.)
(Tenjo's eyes turn serious, his voice dropping as he delves into the darker truth behind Seishu Potential.)
Tenjo (voice low): "There are four levels of Seishu potential… the higher the level, the more dangerous the person."
Shin (eying Tenjo warily): "Four levels? Which one do you have?"
Tenjo (eyeing the two closely): "Level one. That being the normal latency of potential." (A loaded statement.)
(Shin frowns, trying to wrap his head around Tenjo's words. Level One is the lowest… and yet Tenjo is unarguably the smartest Hunter alive.)
Shin (confusion in his voice): "So... you're smart. But you're still just Level 1?"
Tenjo (small smirk): "I don't need strength when I have precision and skill. I don't waste energy."
(Kota speaks up for the first time, his voice small and uncertain.)
Kota (hesitant): "Uum… how much potential do I have?"
(Everyone turns to look at Kota, realizing this question could hold more significance than they realize.)
(The room falls into an expectant silence as all eyes on Kota, waiting for Tenjo's response. Tenjo studies Kota carefully before answering, his gaze as sharp and calculating as ever.)
Tenjo (calmly): "Your potential, child… is surprisingly high."
Shin (eyes widening): "High?"
Tenjo (nodding): "Higher than most I've seen." (He turns back to Kota.) "But it remains untrained…."
(Shin turns to Ryo, who has been silent up until now. Shin's curiosity gets the better of him.)
Shin (raising an eyebrow): "And you? What level are you?"
Ryo (stoic and calm): "I'm an anomaly."
Shin (confused): "An… anomaly?"
Ryo (unfazed): "My potential is limitless, the fourth level."
(Shin's eyes widened in surprise.)
(Tenjo leans back in his chair, explaining the true scope of Hunters' potential.)
Tenjo (calmly): "There is also another way to measure threat levels. It's difficult to measure, but it's estimated through observation of a Hunter's capabilities."
Shin (nodding in understanding): "I see. So it's like a separate thing entirely?"
Tenjo (matter-of-factly): "Not so different from a War Potential list. That you humans use."
(Shin turns back to Ryo, his curiosity piqued.)
Shin (raising an eyebrow): "And you…?"
Ryo (calmly): "I fall into a tier called 'Limitless.' It's as the name implies… my potential is limitless."
Shin (blinking in surprise): "Limitless? You mean… you're beyond even the highest levels?" (Ryo simply nods.)
(Shin looks up at Ryo, a newfound respect in his eyes as he asks a thought provoking question.)
Shin (seriously): "What kind of threat would you be classified as, then? Is there a special classification for your strength?"
Ryo (quietly thoughtful): "Potential Strength." (There's an under-current of danger in his tone.) "My potential is too great to quantify with traditional labels. So… it's easier for others to just call me unpredictable."
(A sudden gust of wind kicks up—before a figure drops from the sky, landing gracefully beside them. Sachi stands there, her familiar smirk in place as she dusts off her kimono.)
Sachi (grinning): "Well well, if it isn't my favorite little rookie." (Her eyes gleam with amusement as she looks Ryo up and down.)
(Ryo barely spares her a glance—already used to her antics. Shin and Kota blink in surprise at the new arrival.)
(Sachi grins, draping a casual arm over Ryo's shoulder. Ryo barely reacts, looking unfazed by her boldness.)
Sachi (laughing): "Still as expressionless as ever, hm? You never change, do you?"
Ryo (disinterested): "No. I see you haven't changed either." (There's a slight hint of sarcasm in his tone.)
(Sachi quickly shifts from playful to serious, looking at Tenjo with urgency.)
Sachi (grave expression): "We've got a serious problem." (The room immediately falls silent, the others sensing the shift in atmosphere.)
(Everyone falls silent, the air growing heavy with anticipation. Sachi's serious tone is not to be taken lightly.)
Shin (leaning forward, tense): "What's going on?"
Ryo (calmly, but alert): "Something's changed."
Tenjo (eyes sharp): "Speak plainly." (The room seems to hold its breath.)
(Sachi leaves them hanging with her cryptic words, implying a major shift in the hunters' world.)
Sachi (mysterious, yet ominous): "A new development has arisen… something that will further complicate everything."
Ryo (stony expression, but wary): "And what form does this new threat take?"
Sachi (grim): "A group has emerged… one that's far more dangerous than anything before."
(With a cryptic smile, Sachi drops a bombshell.)
Sachi (smiling slyly): "It's an organized group. One that's been gathering in the shadows… planning… waiting…."
Ryo (eyes narrowing): "And what exactly are they planning?"
(Sachi's smile turns sinister as she drops the bombshell.)
Sachi (voice darkening): "A coup… Their goal is to take down the entire Hunting realm…"
⛓️💥🌌🪖End Of Chapter Fifty Six