As the three of them, plus Sapenta who was still unconscious in Yoru's arms kept on walking, Raijin kept thinking about his family. He didn't want to lose them. He couldn't lose them. He wouldn't lose them.
He briefly turned to glance at Ayuna and saw that she was wearing a frown on her face. But, Raijin could see that her eyes were betraying another emotion; Excitement.
What was she excited about? Raijin could only guess.
But, no matter how hard he would try, he would never be able to guess the real reason as to why she was excited.
It was not for a good reason. After all, Ayuna was not a good person. Or was she?
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After walking for around 10 minutes with no conversation, Yoru stopped walking, causing both Ayuna and Raijin, who were walking behind her side by side, to bump into her.
Raijin was about to ask why she had stopped but he very quickly saw the reason.
In front of them, there were a couple of people. 6 people to be exact.
There were 4 Bulky teens which looked younger than Raijin. There were two girls and two boys. All four of them had Black hair, the girls had it longer while the boy's had it shorter. The only thing distinguishing the two boys apart was their heights. One of them, the one with more muscles was shorter while the one with less muscles was taller. The girls were also very similar; the only thing different about them was that one of them had green eyes while the other had black eyes.
There was also another girl with long brown hair and emerald green eyes. She was slim and was wearing the same school uniform as the other 4 teens. Raijin also quickly noticed that they all had a few cuts on their skin.
Raijin then turned to look at the man that was standing behind them. He had snow-white hair and very light blue eyes. He looked lean and he was also wearing a... janitor's outfit?
Raijin also noticed that there was another figure slumped over the man's shoulders. It was another male with long black hair that reached well below his shoulders. Raijin couldn't see his face but he could see that this kid was in the best condition out of all of the new faces.
Raijin was about to ask Yoru if she knew any of them but his question was quickly cut short by Ayuna shouting a name
"KAEN!"
'Kaen? Isn't that Ayuna's adopted brother?', Raijin wondered. Now that he looked back at the six new faces, he quickly realized that the young teen slumped over the man's shoulders was Kaen. Hanakawa Kaen. Raijin had seen him a couple of times before but he had never conversed with him.
Ayuna quickly ran up to her unconscious younger brother.
"Kaen! What happened? Is he alright?" Ayuna's voice trembled with a mixture of worry and urgency as she reached out to touch his shoulder gently, while asking the man holding him.
"Kid's fine. Knocked out, though", The man answered.
He took Kaen off his shoulder and slowly gave him to Ayuna who carefully picked him up.
Raijin was about to open his mouth to ask something before the Yoru interrupted him,
"Good to see you all alive and not dead," Yoru was back to her warm smile and expression as she spoke to the new-comers.
Raijin guessed that they were all probably Monster Killers as well, except Kaen. Or maybe he was also one, who knew?
Raijin went to open his mouth and-
"We'll introduce ourselves to each other later. For now, we have to get to the Base"
Yoru interrupted him.
At this point, Raijin knew that he should just keep his mouth closed.
The group moved forward, lead by Yoru and the Snow white guy. Raijin stole occasional glances at the newcomers, trying to piece together their stories from the brief encounter. The snow-white haired man who had carried Kaen seemed to exude a quiet strength, while the other teenagers bore the marks of recent battle, their expressions a mix of weariness and determination.
Raijin stole occasional glances at the newcomers, trying to piece together their stories from the brief encounter. The snow-white haired man who had carried Kaen seemed to exude a quiet strength, while the other teenagers bore the marks of recent battle, their expressions a mix of weariness and determination.
Lost in thought, Raijin almost missed the subtle exchange of glances between Ayuna and the 4 buff teens. It was as if they were talking telepathically. Raijin once again, could only guess about what they were silently communicating about. He was starting to get annoyed with all of the things that he didn't know.
After what felt like an eternity of tense anticipation, Yoru and Snow White Man stopped in front of an... alley?
Why were they in front of an alley? Raijin was about to ask when-
"Why are we at an alley? I thought we were headed to the Monster Killers Base thing"
Ayuna beat him to it. Raijin glared at her.
Ayuna looked taken aback by the glare. What had she done?
"This path leads to the Base," Yoru answered Ayuna's question.
Raijin's skepticism was evident as he glanced around, trying to discern any signs of the supposed entrance to a hidden base.
Finally, coming to a stop in the middle of the alley, Raijin and Ayuna saw Yoru put her hand on a specific part of the wall.
Raijin's eyes widened as the wall began to glow a bright white colour. The Snow White Man slowly pushed the wall in while it was glowing and it swung open like a door.
They then started to enter the white light. The white light looked like something straight out of Dark Souls.
First, the Snow White Man entered. Then, the 4 buff teens. Then, the teen girl with long brown hair and emerald green eyes.
Finally, only Yoru, Ayuna, Kaen, who was slumped over Ayuna's shoulder and Raijin.
Yoru turned back to look at them with a small smile.
"This is it. Please walk in"
Ayuna and Raijin exchanged a nervous glance as they slowly walked into the white light.
Once they disappeared out of sight, Yoru sighed and let her fake smile drop.
She felt sorry about what would happen to all the surviving kids now.
She sighed again and entered the light, closing the door behind her.
Raijin instantly closed his eyes the second he entered the light. It was incredibly bright, so bright that it made him think he had gone blind. But, after a few minutes, colour returned and the moment it did, Raijin's jaw fell open. To say that he was shocked at what was in front of him would be an understatement.
In front of him was a... facility. That was it. Nothing more. Raijin was disappointed. He had expected the base to be like something out of an anime. But instead, it looked like somewhere bald middle aged, depressed dads would work.
The chamber before him was functional and utilitarian, lacking the grandeur and high-tech aesthetic he had imagined. The walls were plain concrete, illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights that cast stark shadows in the corners. Instead of holographic displays and sleek interfaces, there were rows of practical workstations with outdated computer monitors and stacks of paperwork.
The atmosphere was bustling with activity, but instead of uniformed personnel moving with purpose, Raijin saw a mix of individuals—some in casual attire, others in worn-out uniforms—that gave the impression of a diverse workforce rather than a specialized team of Monster Killers. There was a sense of industry, with people engaged in tasks ranging from maintenance work to administrative duties.
In the center of the facility, there was a large, functional command desk surrounded by cluttered desks and scattered equipment. A few aged terminals displayed static-filled screens, and a corkboard covered with handwritten notes and hastily pinned-up maps dominated one wall.
Raijin's jaw dropped in disbelief and disappointment. This was nothing like the awe-inspiring, high-tech base he had imagined. It looked more like a rundown government office or a makeshift command post hastily assembled in response to a crisis.
Yoru, who had been observing Raijin's reaction with a hint of amusement, approached him with a teasing smile, "What is it, Raijin? Disappointed?"
"Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling," Raijin answered in a tone that held no enthusiasm.
"Not much to look at, but it's where we plan, coordinate, and prepare for missions," The Snow White Man was the one who spoke this time, having overheard Yoru's and Raijin's small talk.
Raijin sighed inwardly, his disappointment palpable as he took in the sight of the underwhelming facility. The Snow White Man's words echoed in his mind, grounding him in the reality of their situation. This might not be the grandiose, high-tech base of his dreams, but it was where their crucial work against the monsters happened.
Yoru's teasing smile softened into a more sympathetic expression. "It's not about how it looks, Raijin," she said gently. "It's about what we do here. This base may not be flashy, but it's where we come together to protect people from the threats beyond these walls."
Raijin nodded reluctantly, realizing that appearances weren't everything. He glanced around the chamber again, noticing the determined faces of the people around him—people who were focused on their tasks despite the modest surroundings.
After a little while of silent walking again, Ayuna, who was still carrying Kaen asked, "So Uh... What do we do now that we're here? Do we just stay here for all of our lives?"
"Of course not. You will stay here for a short while before we decide on how to proceed with this situation," Answered Yoru.
"Shirogane-San, excuse me if I'm crossing a line here, but I want to ask something. It's something I've been curious about for a while... for like the past 30 minutes," Spoke Raijin.
Yoru turned to look at him. She knew that he had a lot of questions and decided that for now, she would at least answer one.
"Are you like an elite member of the Monster Killers? Because when you saved me, you introduced yourself as a member of the 'Top 10', and judging by how that sounds, I have a feeling it's something like a group of the 10 most strong members since well... you know, the name is 'Top 10'"
Yoru let out a small smile and nodded, "Yes, that is correct. Both me and Hyojin", points to Snow White Man, " are members of The Top 10"
Raijin nodded. He had more questions he wanted to ask, but he decided that they could wait for later.
As they walked through the functional corridors of the base, Raijin found himself stealing glances at Yoru and Hyojin. They moved with a purposeful stride, their demeanor exuding a quiet confidence that spoke of their experience and skill. Raijin couldn't help but wonder what it took to become one of the Top 10—what trials, battles, and sacrifices had shaped them into the formidable warriors they were, if Yoru's words were to be believed and that they really were elite members.
Raijin also noted that the 4 bulky teens were also walking with confidence and also looked stronger than average teens. The brown haired girl was also walking with a quite aura of confidence, much more than the 4 bulky teens. Raijin guessed that all of them were Monster Killer's. Raijin started to become self-conscious about his and Ayuna's walking style, who were walking like normal humans and weren't walking around confidently and meaningfully.
They continued to silently walk until they reached an outside area. Now, it looked like they were standing in a field that only had a huge facility behind it and there was also what looked like a hotel in front of them with multiple other buildings dotted all around the area. Now, Raijin was blown away with how big the base suddenly looked. How had they hid this thing for so long without anyone even noticing it?
Raijin and Ayuna followed the other people as they walked into the hotel.
Slowly, all of them other than Yoru, Raijin and Ayuna left to go somewhere else.
Yoru, who was still holding Sapenta handed him to Raijin who carefully picked him up.
"All the rooms here are for your uses. Go rest," Stated Yoru.
But, before Ayuna and Raijin could take a step forward, Yoru stopped them with a "Wait".
They both turned to look at Yoru. They were surprised to see that she had a sad expression on her face. She then said,
"I am truly sorry for what you will go through, Especially you, Kurogane Raijin"
Before they could ask her what she was talking about, she was long gone. Raijin and Ayuna nervously glanced at each other.
They decided to go to the same room and put Sapenta and Kaen on beds while the two of them would talk. None of them were in the mood to go to sleep after what had just happened in the span of half an hour.
Little did they know, that conversation would be the last time they would truly be at rest, even for a little bit.
Because From Tomorrow,
THE REAL ADVENTURE WOULD BEGIN.