Chapter 73
The morning sunlight spilled across the cityscape, filtering through the massive windows of the Bearu headquarters. Its light glinted off the steel-and-glass towers of Tokyo, illuminating the streets, the cars, and the crowds below—a city alive yet oblivious to the storm that had quietly gathered above it. Takeda, Renji, and Hiroto arrived at the building's main entrance, the weight of their presence immediately drawing the attention of a Bearu officer stationed there.
The officer, crisp in uniform, saluted sharply. "You are to report directly to the regional commander's office." His voice was firm, controlled, but even as he spoke, his eyes betrayed a subtle tension. There was something in the air, something he couldn't explain but felt in the pit of his stomach.
Renji's brow furrowed, unease lacing his voice. "Wait… why just the three of us?" His tone was sharp, a mixture of curiosity and frustration. "Why am we singled out?"
The officer hesitated, glancing at Hiroto and Takeda, both of whom remained unreadable in their expression. "I… I have no knowledge of the reasoning, sir. I was instructed to allow only you two to enter. I cannot question the orders."
Hiroto's jaw tensed slightly, his usual casual air replaced with quiet vigilance. He inclined his head, silently signaling Renji to proceed with caution. Takeda's gaze hardened, scanning the officer with a calm, piercing intensity. "Then we proceed," he said softly, each word precise, deliberate. "Focus on the orders, nothing else."
The corridor leading to the regional commander's office was imposing, lined with polished dark wood and steel panels that reflected the morning light. Every step they took echoed off the marble floors, the sound sharp and almost accusatory, as though the building itself was aware of the gravity of their arrival....
Renji's pulse thrummed in his ears. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, measured, weighed against some invisible standard.
Hiroto's eyes flicked to every corner, noting the angles, the shadows, the subtle movements of security cameras embedded in the walls..
"It's quiet, it's never quiet " he mustered to himself
Takeda's stride was calm, measured, each movement radiating authority, a quiet force of nature that demanded respect without saying a word.
When they reached the doors of the regional commander's office, the room beyond revealed itself with a quiet majesty. Sunlight streamed through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden reflections across the polished hardwood. President Nakamura and Regional Commander Wang Chi stood rigidly at the windows, their silhouettes sharply defined against the sprawling cityscape. Their gaze fixed on Tokyo, on the intricate lattice of streets and buildings that seemed so peaceful now, unaware of the truths held behind these walls.
Around them, personal bodyguards were stationed, their presence imposing yet restrained, every muscle taut, every movement precise. The room was alive with quiet tension. The light from the windows glinted off Takeda's dark eyes, his expression unreadable but intense. Renji felt his chest tighten, sensing the silent force of judgment and authority pressing down upon him. Hiroto, usually relaxed, stood slightly apart, his stance alert, hands curled slightly at his sides, ready for anything.
Renji's voice cut the silence, cautious but edged with curiosity. "Why just us? Why aren't the others here?"
Good question hiroto answerd, but moreover why are this many body guards here .
President Nakamura's head turned slowly, the weight of authority pressing through his tone.
"Leave us."
The bodyguards departed silently, their steps precise and measured, each one leaving the room with exacting grace. Takeda's eyes followed them, analyzing every movement, every angle. Renji's mind raced with questions. Why had they been singled out? What truth could possibly demand this level of secrecy? Hiroto's golden eyes swept the room, alert to every shadow, every glint of movement.
Then the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears,soft, deliberate, almost ceremonious.
Arisa entered, her movements measured and precise, each step echoing softly against the hardwood. She stopped just inside the room, her presence commanding attention without a word.
Renji's eyes widened. "Arisa!" The word escaped him before he could stop it, a mix of surprise, relief, and underlying tension. He expected her familiar warmth, her usual smile but what met his gaze was something different.
Her eyes, usually bright with encouragement, were now sharp, filled with disappointment. The weight of unspoken words hung between them like a storm cloud, pressing down with silent force. Renji's chest tightened.
"Arisa-san… are you okay?" he asked, cautious, almost afraid of her answer.
She didn't respond. The silence that followed thickened the air, making it feel dense, almost physical. Hiroto's stance shifted slightly, the alertness in his posture intensifying as he sensed the subtle tension that crackled like static electricity.
Takeda's calm, commanding voice finally cut through the oppressive quiet. "What is going on?"
Before he could finish, President Nakamura spoke, his tone firm, sharp, cutting.
"You lied."
Takeda's eyes narrowed, the faint glow of his aura illuminating his expression. "Lied? About what?" His voice, controlled but dangerous, demanded clarity.
Hiroto eyes grimmed..
The president's gaze held them both, unwavering. "It's okay. The cameras are off. No one is watching. Only those present here know the truth. Only here does it matter."
Takeda's eyes flared, intensity radiating from him like the edge of a blade. "What truth?" he demanded, his voice low but commanding.
Wang Chi turned from the window, his gaze piercing.
You know I'm not stupid!!
"Something didn't add up. Why did the gates appear? Their arrival was coordinated, precise, tactical. Magic beasts rarely act with such order—they are chaos incarnate. These were different. Each general led an army with purpose. Did they come to wage war because we killed their own kind? If so, why only Japan? Why not the world?"
He paused, the weight of realization grounding his words. "Or perhaps… they were searching. Searching for something… something only you know about."
It can't be ,! Hiroto said deeply
Renji felt a chill crawl up his spine, the tension constricting his chest. Takeda's eyes flicked toward Wang Chi, subtle but keen, assessing the meaning behind the commander's words. Hiroto's golden eyes narrowed, every instinct alert to the subtext of each syllable.
Wang Chi's voice softened, but the weight remained. "It didn't add up. After the chaos, I carried out my own investigations."
Takeda's gaze hardened, voice colder now. "What investigations?"
"Exactly why Arisa is here," President Nakamura interjected. Renji's gaze met Arisa's, her eyes sharp, fierce, and filled with an almost imperceptible anger.
"I know who you are, Renji Kurogane," the president said.
Shock surged through Renji's chest, a sudden, electric jolt of recognition and disbelief. Takeda immediately released a condensed fraction of his aura—a calm, steady wave of power that anchored them both.
"Takeda-sama…" Renji whispered, awe mingled with apprehension.
"No need," Wang chi for that takeda said softly. "We are not here to cause trouble."
Wang Chi stepped forward, deliberate and slow, his presence commanding. "So… you are Januza reborn
It all makes sense now." He turned his gaze to Takeda. "Is that why you killed Tang Shi? To cover the truth?"
Takeda's silence answered.
He scoffs...
Wang Chi's eyes shifted back to Renji. "After the destruction, something was off. You were sloppy, Takeda. You forget—cameras are everywhere. After the emergency summit with the SS-ranked hunters, I saw a tape. Renji, you said, 'Shouldn't we tell them the truth?'"
Takeda's eyes flared slightly, controlled intensity radiating from him like a coiled spring. Hiroto's posture tensed, sensing the power in the room, the shifting currents of authority and threat.
President Nakamura's voice intervened again, smooth but cutting. "That's why I assigned Arisa to monitor you. Your apartment negates all mana readings, Takeda. Tracking you otherwise would have been impossible. You were sloppy."
And she found out what you truly are
Renji gazed matched with Arisa's..
Then he sighed!
The silence that followed was dense, almost suffocating. Renji's gaze met Takeda's, both understanding in an instant the unspoken weight of what had to be revealed.
"Takeda-sama," Renji said, his voice steady, resolute, carrying the weight of inevitability, "I think it's time they know the actual truth."
Takeda's eyes softened, a quiet pride and determination mingling in their depths. Outside, Tokyo glittered under the morning sun, oblivious to the secrets contained in this room.
Renji stepped forward, bowing slightly, his voice calm but filled with resolve. "Allow us to explain."
Takeda straightened, his aura radiating the quiet, unyielding authority of a pillar, ready to confront whatever truths awaited disclosure.
The room remained in silence, the tension pressing in from every side, yet there was a strange sense of resolution, a shared understanding. The storm of revelation was only beginning, and within the walls of the Bearu headquarters, three huntersTakeda, Renji, and Hiroto stood ready to face it together.
Outside, Tokyo sparkled in sunlight, indifferent. Inside, history awaited disclosure.