Chapter 64
The Bureau stank of blood and disinfectant. Outside, sirens still howled, and the cries of the injured filtered faintly through shattered windows. Tokyo had fallen into a silence far more terrifying than chaos the silence of mourning.
Inside the great conference chamber, Japan's highest officials gathered. The President himself sat at the head of the table, flanked by his ministers. His face was stone, but his eyes carried sleepless fury.
On the far wall, a massive screen displayed the faces of world leaders patched in from Geneva, New York, and Beijing. The secured UN line crackled, but the voices came through sharp, tense.
"Mr. President," the Secretary-General of the UN began, his voice grave, "the entire world saw what happened in Tokyo. Five simultaneous gates. Tens of thousands dead. And worst of all… the Bureau detected no mana spike in advance. Explain this."
The room tightened. The President's gaze shifted to the Bureau Director. The man swallowed, sweat glistening at his temple.
"Our systems have always worked before," he said carefully. "We have invested billions in early detection. But this… these gates broke every law we understand. It was as if they were forced open."
On the screen, murmurs rose among ministers and generals of other nations.
"Are you saying this was artificial?" pressed the U.S. representative.
"Are you suggesting it was an attack?" asked China's delegate sharply.
The Japanese President slammed his palm on the table. "Enough. My people are dead in the streets. Do not twist this into politics. We need answers, not accusations."
The air froze.
Arisa Speaks
Arisa stood to the side, her black uniform stained faintly with blood. She had remained silent until now, but the President gave her a nod.
She stepped forward, her voice steady despite the exhaustion in her bones.
"I was there. I fought in the Bureau itself to protect the staff. I saw what came through the gates. These were not beasts of chance. They were organized. Led which was unusual for magic beasts
The had generals of equal strength to an SS ranked or greater
The generals that emerged commanded armies of A-rank and above. They had coordination. Intelligence."
Her words drew murmurs even through the video feed.
"And there is more," Arisa continued. "Their arrival defied our timelines. A gate takes seven days to break. These shattered within hours. This was not a natural event."
The UN Secretary-General leaned forward. "Then what do you propose?"
Arisa hesitated. She looked at her President, who remained silent, his cold eyes fixed on her. She understood: the weight of her words would shape the next move of nations.
"We cannot face this alone. Tokyo was nearly lost even with our strongest hunters. If more gates appear worldwide…" She took a breath. "Then humanity must answer as one. I propose an international summit. Two guilds from each nations in the world the presidents and ministers of each nations. And…" her voice dropped, "…the Eight Pillars."
The room reacted at once.
On the screen, leaders stirred, some scoffing, others wide-eyed.
"The Pillars? You expect them to sit in one room?" scoffed the French delegate.
"Impossible. They answer to no nation," said another.
"But she is right," the Secretary-General said slowly. "If these generals are as she describes… only the Pillars stand above them."
And we don't know if they're are more
The Japanese President finally rose, his voice cutting through the noise.
"My country bleeds. My cities burn. Do not think we will carry this burden alone. You asked for an explanation? Here it is: the world is under siege. This was not Japan's failure. This was a warning. If five gates could fall upon Tokyo, they could fall upon New York, Beijing, London, anywhere.
He leaned forward, cold and calculating.
"So I ask you not as a leader of Japan, but as a man of Earth: what is the solution?"
The screen fell silent.
After a moment, one of his own ministers spoke, his voice trembling.
"Mr. President… we must call an emergency session with the United Nations Assembly. With the Hunters Bureau of every major nation. Declare a global crisis. Make it official."
The Secretary-General on the screen nodded grimly.
"Then it shall be done. An emergency summit will be declared. Location: Geneva. Attendance: mandatory. Hunters, guilds, and… if possible… the Pillars."
The Weight of Silence
The feed cut. The screen went black.
The Japanese President exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a single moment before turning to Arisa.
"You suggested this. Now pray to whatever gods you believe in that it works. Because if it doesn't… Tokyo will be remembered only as the first city to fall."
Arisa lowered her gaze, her fists tightening. She could still smell the ash of her city. Still hear the screams of the Bureau staff she cut her way through to save.
And in that silence, she made a vow.
When the summit convened, when the guilds of the world gathered she would not let them waste time with politics. Not when the shadow of the gates loomed above every nation.
This was no longer Japan's fight.
This was war.