Episode 6: The Hunter's Bait
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Tokyo – A Normal Morning… or Not
Shiro sat at the table, staring at his slightly less burnt toast.
Ren was still babbling about school, his bright eyes full of excitement.
"—and then Sensei said that if you become a Hunter, you can buy whatever you want! Like a car! Or a mansion! Oh! Oh! What would you buy, Nii-san?"
Shiro smirked. "A lifetime supply of edible toast."
Ren scowled. "Oiiiii, I worked hard on that!"
Shiro ruffled his little brother's hair, causing Ren to flail.
It was nice—this normalcy.
But deep inside, Shiro knew it wouldn't last.
Because something was wrong.
Even as he ate, his Void Shadow pulsed faintly in his core.
A warning.
Something was coming.
And then—
BZZT.
His phone vibrated.
Shiro picked it up. A text message from an unknown number.
> [Unknown]: Hunter Shiro. A Gate just appeared. Unusual activity detected. Rewards are high. Accept the request?
Shiro frowned. A random Gate request? That wasn't normal.
Then, another message.
> [Unknown]: Coordinates sent. Limited entry—only one spot remaining.
Shiro's eyes narrowed.
Everything about this screamed trap.
But…
His grip tightened on the phone.
If this was a test, then he'd pass it. On his terms.
He stood up, grabbing his jacket.
"Ren, I'll be back later."
Ren blinked. "Already? You just got home!"
Shiro smiled. "Don't burn the house down while I'm gone."
Ren pouted. "No promises."
With a smirk, Shiro stepped out the door—into the unknown.
---
Mysterious Gate – A One-Way Ticket
The location sent to him wasn't in the city.
It was abandoned.
Old shipping containers and rusted machinery littered the area.
And in the middle of it—
A Gate.
Shiro exhaled. "Yeah… this is definitely a trap."
The Gate wasn't ranked. No information. Nothing.
But the energy leaking from it…
It felt off.
Something inside was waiting for him.
Shiro cracked his knuckles.
"…Then let's not keep it waiting."
Without hesitation, he stepped through.
And the moment he did—
The entrance disappeared.
---
Inside the Gate – The Game Begins
Shiro landed in a dark cavern.
Massive stone pillars stretched toward the ceiling.
Blue flames flickered along the walls, casting eerie shadows.
Step.
Shiro turned.
And saw them.
Dozens of figures.
Hunters? No.
Something else.
Their eyes glowed red in the darkness.
Their Void Shadows flickered—but they weren't normal.
They were… corrupted.
A single voice echoed from the shadows.
"Welcome, Demon's Heir."
Shiro tensed.
Then—
They attacked.
Inside the Gate – The Attack Begins
Shiro barely had time to react before they lunged.
The corrupted Hunters moved unnaturally—faster than any normal Hunter should.
Their Void Shadows flickered violently, twisting like broken puppets.
Shiro sidestepped, his instincts screaming.
CLANG!
A shadowy blade slammed into the ground where he stood. The force cracked the stone beneath it.
Shiro's eyes sharpened.
These things were strong.
And then—
Thud.
One of them vanished.
Shiro's breath hitched.
Then—from behind—
WHOOSH!
He barely twisted in time to block a clawed hand aimed at his throat.
The impact sent him skidding backward.
"Tch… This is bad."
There were at least twenty of them. And they weren't mindless monsters.
They were hunting him.
Shiro exhaled sharply.
Then—he heard it.
A voice.
A deep, resonant voice echoing inside his mind.
"Weak."
Shiro stiffened.
The world around him slowed.
That voice…
It was coming from inside him.
---
The Demon King's Awakening
A cold presence curled around his spine, like something ancient stirring.
The voice spoke again, smoother this time.
"Is this all you are capable of, Heir?"
Shiro clenched his fists. "Who… are you?"
A low chuckle. Dark. Amused. Dangerous.
"You already know."
Shiro's heartbeat pounded.
The Demon King.
The presence inside him shifted.
"You took my power. My throne. My existence."**
"Yet, you hesitate to use it."**
Shiro grit his teeth. "Shut up."
"You're surrounded."
Shiro could feel the corrupted Hunters closing in.
"You will die."
The presence coiled tighter, pressing against his very soul.
"Let me show you how a king fights."
Shiro's Void Shadow flared.
Something shifted.
For a moment—his vision turned black.
Then—
---
The Darkness Unleashed
Shiro moved.
Faster.
The first corrupted Hunter barely had time to react before—
SHINK!
A shadowed blade cleaved through its chest.
It collapsed, writhing—but didn't regenerate.
Shiro's breath misted in the cold air.
He could feel it now.
The raw power coursing through his veins.
His Void Shadow… had changed.
His vision flickered, a strange dark aura wrapping around him.
And deep inside—
The Demon King's voice laughed.
"Now… this is interesting."
---dark aura around Shiro pulsed violently.
His body felt weightless, like he was moving on instinct rather than thought.
The corrupted Hunters hesitated. Their glowing red eyes flickered—recognition? Fear?
Shiro's grip tightened around the void-forged blade that had manifested in his hand.
Then—
He moved.
In a single step, he was behind one of them.
SLASH!
A clean cut. The creature didn't even scream. It simply disintegrated into black mist.
The others flinched.
Shiro exhaled, watching as the last traces of his kill faded into the darkness.
This power… it was different.
Darker.
And inside him—
The Demon King was amused.
---
"You Feel It, Don't You?"
The voice echoed inside his skull.
"The power of a King."
Shiro gritted his teeth. His hands trembled slightly.
The aura around him wasn't just power. It was corruption.
If he gave in too much…
Would he even stay himself?
"You fight like a starving dog. No precision. No control."
The Demon King's voice was smooth, but filled with mockery.
"You want to survive?"
"Then accept what you are."
Shiro clenched his jaw.
But before he could answer—
---
The Hunters Kneel
THUD.
One of the remaining corrupted Hunters suddenly dropped to one knee.
Then another.
And another.
Shiro's breath caught as they lowered their heads before him.
He took a step back.
"What… the hell?"
The last one—the largest of them all—spoke in a raspy voice.
"Forgive us… Your Majesty."
Shiro's blood turned ice cold.
The Demon King inside him laughed.
"Oh? Now this is getting interesting."
Shiro's breath was steady, but his mind was racing.
The corrupted Hunters—the same ones who had tried to kill him just moments ago—were kneeling before him.
And then, the largest one—his body covered in cracked, jagged void patterns—spoke again.
"Forgive us… Your Majesty."
Shiro's fingers twitched.
"…Who the hell do you think I am?"
The kneeling figure raised its head slightly, its glowing red eyes flickering.
"The Heir. The one who carries the King's soul."
Shiro's stomach twisted.
The Demon King's voice inside him chuckled.
"They recognize you, Heir. Even if you refuse to see it yourself."
Shiro exhaled sharply, pushing the presence back.
His Void Shadow still pulsed, the dark energy curling around his fingers.
This wasn't normal.
These creatures—they weren't just mindless monsters.
They had thoughts. Memories. Loyalty.
But before Shiro could press for answers—
---
A New Enemy Arrives
BOOM!
A violent shockwave ripped through the cavern.
The kneeling figures lurched back, their forms flickering in distress.
Shiro snapped his head around.
The shadows shifted.
A presence—**powerful, suffocating, monstrous—**began to emerge.
From the darkness, something massive stirred.
Then—
A pair of enormous golden eyes opened.
Shiro's heart pounded.
The Demon King inside him stilled.
Then, with a rare hint of amusement, he whispered:
"…Well now. That one is dangerous."