As Ryuji stepped out of the doorway, he looked ahead and saw Akari standing right in front of him.
As soon as Akari saw him emerge, she hugged him and said, "Well done, you finally made it."
Ryuji, smiling happily, replied, "To be honest, I can hardly believe it myself. Just last night, I learned to control my spiritual energy, and…"
Suddenly, Ryuji paused, thinking about something.
Akari noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ryuji said, "Akari, how did you know that I had learned to control my spiritual energy?"
Akari responded softly, "Oops, caught me."
Ryuji asked again, "Come on, tell me, how did you find out?"
Akari admitted, "I was there when you defeated that Sleek."
Surprised, Ryuji exclaimed, "You mean, you were there when Masaki left me in front of that Sleek?"
Akari replied, "Yes, I saw the entire fight and was the one who healed you afterward."
Ryuji asked, "But why did Masaki do that?"
Akari explained, "So you could learn to control your spiritual energy."
Ryuji protested, "But what if something had happened to me?"
Akari reassured him, "Believe me, Ryuji, neither Masaki nor I would have let anything happen to you."
Ryuji replied, "But you both just watched me get beaten up."
Akari laughed, "Honestly, I felt the same way, but then you stood up and defeated that Sleek in a single blow. That's when I realized Masaki was right. True potential comes out only in times of hardship."
Hearing this, Ryuji grew silent, realizing it was true—had he not faced that Sleek, he might never have learned to control his spiritual energy.
Akari added, "Don't be mad at him. He can be a bit tough, and his methods are even tougher, but he means well."
Ryuji recalled how Masaki had risked his life to save him, even helping him protect Yumi and Ayato without regard for his own injuries. Ryuji also remembered seeing Masaki protect civilians from the Sleek as they escaped.
Thinking of this, Ryuji said, "Yes, maybe you're right."
At that moment, Akari put her hand on her forehead and said, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you."
Ryuji asked, "What?"
Akari revealed, "You still can't become a Sleek Hunter."
Shocked, Ryuji asked, "What? But why?"
Akari replied, "It's not a big deal; your application just got held up."
Ryuji was stunned. "Application?"
Akari explained, "To become a Sleek Hunter, you need to submit an application and get a recommendation from another Sleek Hunter. This sends your application to the Headmaster of the base, and only after their approval can you be officially recognized as a Sleek Hunter."
This news took Ryuji by surprise, but Akari comforted him, saying, "Don't worry; you have both mine and Masaki's recommendations, so this problem will be solved soon."
Ryuji asked, "But what's causing the delay in my application approval?"
Akari replied, "It's just a small issue."
After that, Akari handed Ryuji a book and said, "This contains information about this place and the Sleek Hunters. Make sure to read it."
As she started to leave, Akari suddenly stopped and added, "Oh, by the way, don't be surprised, but you've been inside for three days. Time works a bit differently in that world."
With that, Akari vanished. Surprised, Ryuji pulled out his phone and saw it had indeed been three days, even though he felt like he had only been inside for an hour and a half.
Speaking to himself, he murmured, "I don't know why, but Akari seems a bit strange today. She's acting just like Masaki, as if she's hiding something."
Though Ryuji was suspicious, he calmed himself by thinking it must be Akari's personal issue that she didn't want to share with him.
With that thought, Ryuji returned to his room.
---
Elsewhere, Akari met with a man in his early 30s. The two embraced as they met.
Akari said, "How are you, brother?"
The man replied, "Hey, I've told you a hundred times to call me Master Ned inside the base."
Akari laughed, "Come on, no one's here right now."
The man insisted, "Yes, but I don't want anyone to know about our relationship."
Akari replied, "Fine, Master Ned."
The man said, "Good, Senior Akari."
Then Akari spoke up, "Master Ned, I need to ask you something important."
Ned nodded. "Yes, go ahead."
Akari asked, "I heard that the application of a boy I recommended has been put on hold. Do you know why?"
Master Ned answered, "Oh, right, you remember how two months ago, five ritualists from five Ritual Centers came here for your boy's ritual? And on their way back, someone attacked them, erasing their memories."
Akari replied, "Yes, of course."
This brought back a memory from two months ago.
One night, as those five ritualists were driving back, something fell in front of their vehicles. They sent their guards outside to check, but someone knocked them all unconscious with a single blow.
Seeing this, the ritualists tried to call their center, but two figures attacked them, pulling them out of their vehicles and gathering them in one place.
When the ritualists saw who was attacking them, they exclaimed in shock, "You two! Why are you doing this?"
The two figures were none other than Akari and Masaki.
Akari said to them, "Apologies, but if what you know about that boy is true, we cannot risk this information spreading."
She reached her hand toward the ritualists and uttered, "Memorial Infusement."
A bright light flashed, and in an instant, Akari and Masaki had vanished, leaving the ritualists with no memory of what had happened.
Back in the present, Akari asked, "But what does that have to do with this?"
Master Ned explained, "Now, the Ritual Center suspects that a Sleek Hunter was responsible."
Akari chuckled, "What a joke! Why would a Sleek Hunter do something like that?"
Ned replied, "Yes, I thought the same, but they say that the technique used to erase the ritualists' memories resembles the Memorial Infusement used by Sleek Hunters."
Hearing this, Akari grew worried but, hiding her unease, said, "I think they're just blowing things out of proportion. It's been over two months, and no harm was done to them during the attack."
Ned said, "Yes, but they believe that crucial information was stolen from their minds, so they are pursuing this matter relentlessly."
Akari asked, "But why has the boy's application been delayed for that?"
Ned explained, "Because the day of the attack was the same day they came to perform his ritual, and only specific memories about that ritual are missing. So, they've asked the Headmaster for permission to redo the ritual to reassure themselves."
Akari's eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, "Redo the ritual? But the boy's ritual is already complete."
Ned replied, "They claim it won't affect him, but they just want to be sure."
Akari asked, "Has the Headmaster given them permission?"
Ned answered, "Not yet, but with the pressure they're exerting, I believe he may grant it soon."
Akari thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Master; I need to head to the lab now."
Ned nodded, and Akari left, immediately calling Masaki and saying, "Masaki, you need to come back quickly. There's a major problem here."
---
Meanwhile, Ryuji sat comfortably in his room, reading the book Akari had given him.
"In every region, there is a Sleek Hunters Academy. Each academy is named after its region; for example, our academy is in Tokyo, so it's called TK Academy."
Ryuji muttered to himself, "Oh! So this place is an academy. And I've been here for so long without even knowing."
"The Sleek Hunters live and train in these academies. Each academy has Sleek Hunters ranked from Level 1 to Level 5. Level 1 hunters are called Trainees, Level 2 are Juniors, Level 3 are Seniors, Level 4 are Masters, who act as teachers in the academy, overseeing missions and training for the lower-ranked Sleek Hunters."
Ryuji exclaimed, "Oh! So that means Akari, Masaki, and Mr. Ray, who trained me, are all Seniors, and I'll start as a Trainee. They even have a teacher system here."
"In a Sleek Hunter Academy, there can be as many Sleek Hunters from Level 1 to Level 4 as are available based on the capabilities in that region. However, a Level 5 Sleek Hunter is restricted to only one per academy and is known as the Head Master. This Head Master makes all decisions for their academy. Those Sleek Hunters who rise above Level 5 are sent to the Sleek Hunter Parliament, which serves as the government of the Sleek Hunters."
Reading this, Ryuji is astonished and thinks, "The Sleek Hunters have their own government? This world is far bigger than I had ever imagined, and I have no idea about most of it."
Ryuji's curiosity about this world grows, and he continues to read.
"Apart from the Sleek Hunter Academy, there are also four main centers in each region where individuals with Golden Eyes reside. First is the Damage Control Center, a department dedicated to repairing the destruction caused by Sleek Hunters and concealing their existence from the general public. Next is the Weapon Center, where weapons are crafted for the Sleek Hunters and other centers. Then there's the Breeding Center, which raises special animals to assist Sleek Hunters on their long journeys. Lastly, there is the Ritual Center, the most significant of all, as its members practice a unique ritual. This ritual awakens the full potential of any Golden-Eyed individual's vision. Mastering this ritual takes years, and only a few are able to learn it, making them invaluable to the Sleek Hunters. If they choose, the members of the Ritual Center can even compel a Head Master to make certain decisions."
After reading this, Ryuji thinks, "I had no idea that the five people who came for my ritual were so important and special. I hope they didn't have any issues with me."