Chapter 31
Now morning came to Tokyo quietly. Too quietly.
The sun rose as always, slipping between tall buildings, touching cracked glass and broken streets just like the clean ones. From afar, the city looked normal trains ran, traffic lights blinked, stores opened.
But up close, something was wrong.
Police tape scarred the sidewalks. Roads were blocked, guarded by exhausted officers. Deep cracks split the asphalt, dust and rubble filling the gaps. Some buildings leaned against metal frames, propped like broken bones.
And people walked carefully , as no one rushed and no one laughed.
A tall man in a suit adjusted his tie as he stepped over a crack in the road.
"Sigh !! Another day "he looked up once.just once at the sky between the buildings, then quickly looked away and kept walking.
In a small apartment not far from the damaged district, a phone buzzed on a kitchen table.
Beep Beep.
"Mom", "Mom", a loud voice called "your phone is ringing "
A woman reached for it, her hand shaking slightly as she unlocked the screen.
Tokyo Metropolitan Education Board:
All schools in affected districts will remain closed until further notice.
She stared at the message for a long time, her daughter sat at the table across from her, backpack already on, fingers gripping the straps.
" What's wrong Mom," the girl asked quietly. "Aren't we going anymore?"
The woman swallowed. "No. Not today baby outside isn't safe for now "
The girl nodded, but didn't look relieved. She hesitated, then asked the question she had clearly been holding in.
"…But mom why ? why are hunters bad people?"
The woman opened her mouth.
Closed it.
She looked out the window instead, at a distant building with half its windows shattered.
"I don't know baby," she finally said. "I really don't know."
Meanwhile downtown, two hunters walked down the street together.
"Hey, did you see the news? Apparently these assholes thinks we're the bad guys now… for saving this jackass," one hunter said.
The other shrugged. "Well, I guess we should just let their asses rot. I mean why bother?"
They wore plain clothes, jackets pulled tight, weapons sealed and hidden. Anyone trained could still feel them mana always leaked, no matter how careful you were but normal people just felt something else.
Unease.
A group of pedestrians noticed them and slowly drifted to the other side of the street without saying a word.
One man muttered under his breath although not quiet enough.
"Look at them… trouble follows them everywhere."
The hunters heard it. But they weren't about to let that slide.
"Oh, really? FUCK YOU!!"
They kept walking, eyes forward, shoulders stiff.
One hunter added, "i mean why should we care? We've saved lives before haven't we hundreds of them Maybe even thousands."
And now they are ungrateful
The second hunter shook his head. "People are idiots. Always judging before they see the truth."
The first hunter glanced at the crumbling buildings around them, the wreckage of the district still smoking in the distance. "Truth doesn't matter anymore," he muttered. "Not today.
A massive digital screen above an intersection flickered to life.
People stopped.
A reporter appeared, standing in front of damaged buildings, helmet under one arm.
"Now further development on last week's incident authorities confirm that the sudden attack in the Tokyo district has left even more dozens injured," he said. "While no civilian deaths have been reported, several remain in critical condition."
Footage played.
Shaking cameras. Screams. A blurred figure moving faster than the eye could follow. Shockwaves rippling through the street, throwing debris into the air.
The reporter continued talking, words flowing without pause.
"Officials have yet to identify the hunter involved. Witnesses describe the individual as acting alone. and while investigations are still ongoing, a full week has gone by and there's still no statement from the hunters bearu or even the pillars themselves
A woman in the crowd whispered, "So they don't even know who it was?"
A man beside her scoffed. "Figures." someone else said, "If that person wasn't there, what would've happened?" Alot of people would have died
I may hate hunters but be grateful that she saved most of your lives
No one answered.
Inside a packed train car, two strangers stood gripping the overhead straps.
The train moved slower than usual.
One man broke the silence. "This is why hunters shouldn't be allowed in cities."
The other turned his head slightly. "You think monsters ask for permission?"
"They attract them," the first snapped. "Every disaster—hunters are always there."
"And last week?" the second replied. "You think we'd be standing here if no one fought back?"
The train slowed to a stop.
Doors opened.
People stepped off, including both men. They walked in opposite directions without another word.
The argument stayed behind, unresolved, hanging in the air like dust.
In a hospital hallway, the smell of disinfectant was sharp.
A man sat on a bench, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. His wife was inside a room down the hall, wrapped in bandages, breathing through a tube.
A victim of the sudden attack. Anurse walked past, her steps quick but heavy. On a television mounted high on the wall, the same footage played again.
But the man didn't look up.
"She lived," he whispered to himself. "That's enough."
But his hands were shaking.
Rumors
By afternoon, rumors spread faster than news.
"She destroyed half the street."
"She saved everyone."
"She wasn't human."
"My cousin saw horns."
"My uncle said it was just another hunter."
Truth bent and twisted as it moved from mouth to mouth.
And lies brought out more lies
Names were guessed. Faces imagined.
Fear filled the gaps where facts should have been.
On a side street, a reporter pushed a microphone toward a man with dirt still on his clothes.
Mr ! Sir ... Excuse me ...please excuse me we just have a few question for you if you don't mind
"What do you think about the hunters?" she asked.
The man laughed bitterly. "Really what do I think? Every time they show up, people get hurt."
True But no one died the reporter asked
"Not this time," he snapped. "How long until next time? I lost my shop last week My friend is in surgery. Who's paying for that huh? The goddamn government?
He turned away.
"Hunters are disasters with legs."
Two blocks away, another reporter spoke to a woman sitting on the curb, arm in a sling.
"She saved me," the woman said firmly. "I don't care what anyone says."
"But your home was damaged.."
" I understand but so what?" the woman interrupted. "Homes can be rebuilt. Shops can be rebuilt, street can be rebuilt but I can't, human lives can't be rebuilt
Her voice cracked.
"She stood there. She didn't run. That's all I need to know."
Back in the hospital, a television continued to play in a quiet room.
A man stood beside a bed, arms crossed, watching footage of the city.
The reporter's voice faded into the background.
"…public opinion remains divided…"
The man looked at the screen, then away.
What do you except humans feared power, they always had.
Not because power was evil, but because it reminded them how fragile we are .
It was quiet but not the kind of quiet that brought peace but the kind that made every small sound feel too loud.
The steady beep of the monitor.
The soft rustle of curtains when the air moved.
Footsteps far down the hall that never came close.
Lily lay on the bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
She hadn't slept.
Not because she couldn't but because she didn't want to close her eyes.
There was a mirror on the wall near the sink.
She had turned it away.
Twice.
The nurse turned it back once, without thinking
Lily didn't say anything. She waited until the door closed, then slowly reached out and turned it again so it faced the wall.
She didn't want to see herself.
Not yet.
Her hands rested on the blanket, fingers lightly clenched. They trembled just a little not enough for anyone else to notice
On the TV mounted in the corner, the volume was low.
A reporter was talking. Talking too much. Words spilling out fast, like filling silence was more important than truth.
"… now authorities are still investigating the incident in the Tokyo district. While no lives were lost, several civilians remain hospitalized "
Lily reached for the remote and turned it off.
The screen went dark, she just wanted the noise to stop.
A soft knock came at the door.
"hi emm miss lily ?" a voice asked gently.
She didn't answer.
The door didn't open. Whoever it was understood.
She exhaled slowly.
Visitors had come earlier. Officials. Hunters. People with careful words and nervous smiles.
"She saved us, ooo my god she's incredible, she's my hero
But which each praise each word felt wrong.
Not painful but heavy and soo she stopped seeing them.
Renji stood outside the room, hands in his pockets, staring at the closed door.
He hadn't knocked.
He had noticed things instead.
The mirror turned away, the untouched flowers on the table.
The way nurses spoke quietly when they mentioned her name.
He had seen this before.
Not in Lily.
In himself.
That moment when power stopped feeling like victory and started feeling like weight.
"This isn't fear," he thought.. this was responsibility settling in.
Renji leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Sigh! Well let's me go and do what a big brother does "
Lily stared at the ceiling until it blurred.
Then, without realizing when it happened, the room faded.
And she was somewhere else.
The ground beneath her feet felt solid, but not real.
The air was still.
Rajah stood before her.
Massive. Silent. Six tails resting behind her like shadows made of fur and flame.
She didn't speak at first and neither did Lily but finally, Rajah broke the silence.
" Kid why are you are avoiding yourself?"
Lily swallowed.
"shut up you giant fox I just… need time."
Rajah's eyes did not soften.
"No, You are hiding."
Lily clenched her fists. " sigh I don't want to think about it right now."
Rajah stepped closer. The pressure in the air increased, not crushing but undeniable.
"You felt something," Rajah said.
"Something you do not want to name."
Lily's voice was quiet. "I was angry."
...."No remember we share the same consciousness so you can't lie to me ."
Silence stretched.
Lily's shoulders tightened.…I felt in control," she admitted.
Rajah did not move.
"I felt everything slow down," Lily continued, voice shaking just a little. "I knew where he would be. I knew how hard to hit and I knew… I could stop him."
Her nails dug into her palms.
"And I liked it."
The words hung between them.
That scared her more than Choji ever had, Rajah finally spoke again soo you want to protect," she said.
"But you also enjoyed the control and the power"
Lily didn't deny it.
She couldn't , tears welled in her eyes, but they didn't fall.
"That doesn't make me a monster, does it?" she asked.
Rajah's voice was calm.
"No."
Lily let out a shaky breath.
"But if you deny it," Rajah continued, "you will never master me."
Lily looked up sharply.
"You chose me," she said. "Doesn't that mean"
"I chose you," Rajah interrupted, "because you are the only one who blends with my existence you are a being of purity.
She leaned closer, eyes burning not with anger, but certainty.
" look at me If you lie to yourself, you will break."
Lily's voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm scared."
"Good," Rajah said simply.
Fear means awareness and awareness means restraint.
"And if I lose myself?" Lily asked.
Rajah's gaze did not waver.
"Then I will stop you."
Lily laughed softly—bitter, relieved, terrified.
"…Thanks."
Rajah stepped back, her form beginning to fade.
"Rest," she said. "The world will test you again soon."
The space dissolved, Lily woke with a sharp inhale.
Morning light filtered through the window her hands were still trembling but less now, she sat up slowly but the mirror was still turned away.
She didn't turn it back, not yet.
KNOCK KNOCK!!
A knock came at the door again.
This time, Renji stepped in.
"Yooo! Stupid little sister!"
"Hahaha," Lily laughed. "Stupid? You never change, big brother."
"I know. That's why I'm awesome, isn't it?"
Slowly, Renji pulled a chair close and sat down.
"Still spending all your time cooped up in here, huh?" he teased, leaning back with a grin.
"Maybe I like it," Lily shot back, rolling her eyes. "Some of us enjoy peace, you know."
"nahhh peace is overrated," Renji said, wagging a finger. "You should be out there, fighting, exploring, causing trouble… like me."
Lily laughed again, a little softer this time. "you know I think I'll survive without causing chaos every day."
Renji smirked, nudging her shoulder gently. "Yeah, yeah. But don't get too comfortable. I'll be checking up on my little sister, whether you like it or not."
Not because you are all you know.....
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Lily said, smiling
They stayed quiet together.
Then Renji said softly, "You don't have to be ready."
Lily nodded.
"I know."
He looked at her not at her power, but at his sister.
"dont beat yourseld up okay you did what you had to do," he said.
"But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."
Lily's eyes burned.
"I wasn't thinking," she admitted. "People got hurt because I lost control."
I didn't think if I didn't attack him maybe none one will be in hospital no casualties will be made I was so blinded by my anger
Renji glanced at the window, where the city waited.
"And people lived because you didn't stop."
She looked up at him.
He pointed gently toward the door, toward the world beyond it.
"i told you before power brings fear," he said. "And pain."
Then he met her eyes.
"But it also brings comfort. And peace."
Lily swallowed hard.
"It's your choice," Renji finished. "What you let it become."
She looked down at her hands again.
They were steady now.
"…I don't want to be alone," she said quietly.
Renji stood and placed a hand on her head, just for a moment.
"Then don't shut yourself away forever."
He turned to leave.
At the door, he paused.
"This distance you feel," he said without looking back, "it's part of it."
"And who says you're alone, idiot? You have me, Sakura, Dracan, Hiroto… and even the stupid old man Takeda,"
Takeda sensei Lily whispered
Renji smiled.
"You see? You aren't alone… you are my family."
Then he was gone.
Lily sat in the quiet room, sunlight warming her face.
"Stupid big brother…"