Chapter: 34
The park lights glowed softly as the evening stretched on. Renji leaned back on the bench, his face still slightly red from Arisa's sudden words earlier.
Choji sat beside him, hands behind his head, looking far too pleased with himself. Lily rested against Renji's shoulder, her small eyes already sleepy but still listening.
Choji broke the silence with a grin. "So… Mr. Monster isn't a monster after all. He's just a boy who blushes when a girl smiles at him."
Renji groaned. "Choji, you're never going to let this go, are you?"
Choji laughed out loud, slapping his knee. "Never! That was the first time I've ever seen your face red. I swear, if I tell the guilds an S-rank made Renji blush, they'll put it in the papers."
"Shut up," Renji muttered, though a smile tugged at his lips.
But deep down, the warmth he had felt when Arisa smiled still lingered. She didn't look at him like the Bureau did, like some hidden danger to keep locked away. She looked at him as if he were just… human.
It felt strange. Good, but strange.
Lily yawned, her voice soft. "Onii-chan… she was nice."
Renji's expression softened, his hand brushing over her hair gently. "Yeah. She was."
For a while, the three of them just sat together, letting the quiet of the night wrap around them.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the dungeon, the Obsidian Fang Guild faced the true danger.
The chamber was massive, its walls glowing faintly with red crystals that pulsed like a heartbeat. And in the center, the boss revealed itself an enormous insect-like creature, its carapace black as obsidian, its claws sharp enough to carve through stone.
The aura it released pressed down on everyone like a mountain. Even the S-ranked hunter Anya was astonished by it's magic power
The boss's crimson eyes burned, its voice booming through the cavern.
"Humans… weak, pitiful humans… you dare enter my den? You dare challenge me? I will crush you all and paint these walls with your blood."
The hunters stiffened, fear crawling into their chests. The weight of its killing intent was unbearable.
But then
"Ehhhhhhhhh?"
Hiroto tilted his head, his eyes wide with mock confusion, his face completely dumb. He pointed at the monster and screamed.
"A TALKING BUG?!?!"
The guild froze. Even the monster stopped mid-growl.
Hiroto spun to Aya, waving his arms frantically. "Anyaaa! Did you hear that?! It spoke! That's a TALKING BUG!"
Aya slapped her palm against her forehead, groaning. "Hiroto-san… this isn't the time."
The boss twitched, confused. "You… are not afraid of me?"
Hiroto just stared blankly at it, muttering to himself as he walked forward. "Ahhh… what do I do, what do I do? If I take it alive, I can show Takeda-sama I caught a talking bug. Imagine his face. Priceless! But… it's the boss of a dungeon. Hmmm… very tricky. What should I doooo?"
The guild stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious? Was he actually debating whether to take the dungeon boss alive like a pet?
The monster roared in fury. "INSOLENT HUMAN! DIE!!"
It charged forward, its massive claw slamming down with enough force to shatter the stone floor. Dust and rubble exploded everywhere, covering the sight of Hiroto's body.
The hunters gasped.
But then
A voice came from behind the boss. Calm. Annoyed.
"Ehhh, I wasn't done talking."
The dust cleared, and there stood Hiroto, completely unharmed, already behind the monster. His golden eyes burned, his body glowing faintly with power.
The boss froze. "W-what—how—"
Hiroto sighed dramatically, pulling out his twin daggers. His aura exploded, filling the chamber with a blazing, suffocating pressure that made even the hunters step back.
"I really wanted to take you alive," Hiroto muttered, his tone flat, deadly. "But too bad for you…"
He raised his blades, energy roaring around him like fire.
"I don't think I can do that anymore."