The silence in the cavern stretched, thick with tension.
Renji stood over the fading remnants of the shadow entity, his breath unsteady.
Something inside him had changed.
Not just his body—
His senses.
The world around him felt different, like he was suddenly aware of things he had never noticed before.
And then—
Hikaru's voice shattered the silence.
"…What the hell are you?"
Renji looked up.
Hikaru was staring at him, his usual calm expression gone.
He wasn't just wary—
He was afraid.
Not of the entity they had just fought.
Not of the dungeon itself.
Of him.
Renji clenched his fists.
He had been expecting this.
The moment he saw what he could do—what he had done to that thing—he knew he would start asking questions.
And the worst part?
He didn't have answers.
At least, none he was willing to share.
So he did the only thing he could.
He turned away.
"…Let's go," he said. "We're done here."
---
Hikaru didn't move.
He was still watching him, still gripping his gun like he was deciding whether to point it at him.
Finally, he exhaled, lowering his weapon.
"…Fine."
They started moving, making their way back through the tunnel system of the dungeon.
But the atmosphere between them had shifted.
Before, they had been uneasy allies.
Now?
Renji could feel it.
He was watching him.
Studying him.
Like he was something dangerous.
And he was right.
Outside the dungeon, the city was still in chaos.
Emergency responders were working to contain the aftermath of the dungeon break.
But hidden among them—
The Organization had already arrived.
Seijuro Hoshinomiya, commander of the secret task force, stood on the rooftop of a nearby building, his cold gaze fixed on the dungeon entrance.
Beside him, Dr. Yura Kaede tapped on a tablet, scanning the reports.
"The readings from this dungeon are abnormal," she murmured. "Something inside was disturbed."
Seijuro didn't react.
He was still watching the entrance.
Because he knew.
Something had happened in there.
And the unknown force that had prevented the dungeon break—
It had acted again.
---
Renji and Hikaru slipped through the chaos unnoticed.
By the time they reached the quieter streets of the city, night had fallen.
Neither of them had spoken for the past hour.
Then, Hikaru broke the silence.
"You're changing."
Renji didn't answer.
Because he wasn't wrong.
After absorbing the shadow entity, his mind felt sharper.
His instincts were stronger.
And there was something else.
A strange awareness of the world around him—
Like he could sense the dungeon energy lingering in the air.
Even now, walking through the city, he could feel the faint traces of something unseen.
He wasn't just evolving physically.
His perception was evolving, too.
Before Renji could respond, something shifted in the air.
His newly awakened instincts screamed.
Danger.
Without thinking, he grabbed Hikaru's wrist and yanked him back.
A split second later—
A bullet tore through the space where his head had been.
"Shit!" Hikaru cursed, rolling into cover behind a car.
Renji snapped his gaze toward the rooftops.
A sniper.
But before he could react—
A second figure moved from the shadows.
A man in dark tactical gear, moving fast.
Renji barely managed to block the incoming strike—
Their fists collided, sending out a shockwave of force.
The sheer power behind the blow—
This guy wasn't normal.
He was enhanced.
A hunter.
And not just any hunter—
An Organization operative.
---
Renji had no time to think.
The operative was relentless, attacking with a flurry of precise, brutal strikes.
Renji dodged, countered, but this guy was fast.
Not as fast as the Dragon-rank monster Renji had fought—
But close.
More than that—
His movements were too refined.
This wasn't just some mercenary.
This was someone trained.
A professional killer.
Hikaru popped up from cover, firing his pistol—
But the sniper fired back, forcing him to duck again.
"Tch." He gritted his teeth. "We're pinned!"
Renji didn't answer.
His focus was locked on the man in front of him.
Because something wasn't right.
This guy—
His movements.
His aura.
Renji recognized it.
Not personally.
But through his new instincts.
The energy radiating from this guy—
It was similar to his own.
A Hunter, But Not Human
The realization hit him.
This man wasn't just a hunter.
He was like Renji.
Infected.
But he wasn't mutating—
He was controlling it.
Refining it.
Renji's grip tightened.
That meant the Organization knew about infected people.
And they weren't just hunting them.
They were using them.
---
The operative lunged.
Renji moved—
This time, not to block.
But to counter.
His claws extended as he twisted mid-motion, raking across the operative's ribs.
The man grunted, staggering back.
It wasn't a fatal wound.
But it was the first time Renji had landed a hit.
And in the split second of hesitation—
Renji felt it.
The man's instincts wavered.
Like he wasn't used to being injured.
Like he wasn't used to losing.
Renji smirked.
"You're strong," he said. "But you've never fought someone like me before."
The operative's expression darkened.
He straightened, blood dripping from his side.
And then—
For the first time—
He spoke.
"…Interesting."
Before either of them could move again—
A voice crackled in the operative's earpiece.
"Fall back."
The man clicked his tongue in irritation.
Then, without another word—
He retreated.
At the same time, the sniper also vanished.
The fight was over.
But Renji knew—
This wasn't the last time they would meet.
---
Hikaru approached, his gaze still wary.
"…They weren't after me," he muttered. "They were after you."
Renji didn't respond.
He was still staring at the spot where the operative had disappeared.
Because one thing was clear now.
The Organization wasn't just hunting infected people.
They were experimenting on them.
And the question wasn't just what they wanted.
It was how much they already knew.
In the distance, sirens wailed.
More hunters would arrive soon.
And Renji had no intention of sticking around.
"…Let's move," he said.
Hikaru hesitated.
Then, with a frustrated sigh, he nodded.
They disappeared into the night.
But the weight of the battle lingered.
The Organization was closing in.
And Renji was running out of time.
---
The city streets blurred past as Renji and Hikaru moved through the alleys, their footsteps muffled by the steady hum of neon lights and distant sirens.
They didn't stop.
Not yet.
Renji's mind raced, replaying the fight over and over.
The operative—that man had been strong.
Too strong for a normal human.
And yet—
He had been controlled.
Unlike Renji, who was still wrestling with his infection, the operative had mastered it.
That meant the Organization wasn't just aware of people like him.
They had found a way to stabilize the mutation.
And that changed everything.
Hikaru broke the silence first.
"You should talk."
Renji didn't answer.
Because he knew what he meant.
This wasn't just about the fight.
This was about what he was.
Hikaru had seen too much.
And he wasn't stupid.
"I don't need to know everything," Hikaru continued. "But if we're working together, I need to know if you're going to lose control."
Renji exhaled slowly.
Hikaru was still suspicious.
But he hadn't drawn his gun.
That meant Hikaru wasn't ready to turn on him.
Not yet.
"…I'm fine."
"Liar."
Renji smirked despite himself.
Hikaru wasn't wrong.
But it wasn't that simple.
The truth?
He wasn't sure if he could control it forever.
And after absorbing that shadow entity, something inside him felt even less human.
His hunger was growing.
His instincts were sharpening.
And worst of all—
The voice in the back of his mind was getting louder.
Embrace it.
He clenched his fists.
Not yet.
Not until he understood what was happening to him.
A Sudden Interruption
A flicker of movement.
Renji's head snapped up.
His instincts flared—
And he pushed Hikaru aside just in time.
A knife slashed through the air where Hikaru had been standing.
A second later, six figures melted out of the darkness.
Masked. Armed. Moving like ghosts.
Assassins.
Renji cursed.
They had been followed.
---
The first assassin lunged.
Renji sidestepped—
Then drove his elbow into the attacker's ribs.
Crack.
The man crumpled, gasping.
But before Renji could finish him, two more rushed in.
One aimed for his throat with a dagger—
The other swept low, trying to cripple his legs.
Renji twisted, barely avoiding the blades.
These weren't normal thugs.
They were trained killers.
And worse—
They weren't hunters.
They didn't fight like the Organization.
That meant someone else was after them.
A gunshot rang out.
One of the assassins staggered back, clutching his shoulder.
Hikaru didn't miss.
He moved fast, weaving between attackers with brutal efficiency.
A knife flashed toward him—
Hikaru blocked it with his forearm guard, then slammed her pistol into the assassin's jaw.
He dropped instantly.
But there were still four left.
And they were adapting.
Renji felt it.
They were testing him.
They knew he wasn't normal.
---
A new figure stepped forward.
Unlike the others, he wasn't masked.
He was smiling.
"Not bad," he mused. "I can see why the Organization wants you dead."
Renji's eyes narrowed.
This man—
His presence was different.
Strong.
And familiar.
He wasn't just an assassin.
He was like Renji.
An infected.
The man attacked without warning.
Renji barely had time to react.
The force of the impact sent him skidding backward.
He had expected speed.
But this man was brutal.
Every strike was heavy, precise—
Not like a trained soldier.
Like a predator.
Renji countered, his claws extending—
The man dodged effortlessly.
Then—
He grinned.
"You're still holding back," he said.
Renji didn't answer.
Because something was wrong.
The man's aura—
It was shifting.
And then—
His eyes changed.
For a split second, Renji saw something monstrous lurking beneath his skin.
Not just infection.
Something else.
Something worse.
Renji's instincts screamed.
This man wasn't just infected.
He was mutating.
---
The assassin moved again.
This time, Renji wasn't fast enough.
A razor-sharp claw tore through his side, cutting deep.
Pain exploded through him.
His vision blurred.
And in that moment—
Something inside him snapped.
His instincts roared.
And for the first time—
He let them.
Renji moved before thinking.
His body reacted on its own.
Faster than before.
Stronger than before.
The assassin's next strike—
Renji caught it mid-air.
The man's eyes widened.
Renji's grip tightened.
Then—
With a sickening crack—
He broke the man's wrist.
The assassin barely had time to react before Renji's claws tore into him.
Not just cutting.
Tearing.
The man screamed—
Then collapsed, gasping for breath.
The other assassins hesitated.
They had just seen something impossible.
Renji wasn't just fighting.
He was hunting.
And for the first time—
They feared him.
---
The remaining assassins didn't stay.
The moment their leader fell—
They vanished into the night.
Renji stood there, breathing heavily.
His hands were still dripping with blood.
Not his own.
The assassin twitched on the ground, barely alive.
Hikaru stepped forward, aiming his gun at his head.
Renji didn't stop him.
"…Who sent you?" Hikaru demanded.
The man coughed, blood spilling from his lips.
Then—
He smiled.
"…You're already too late."
And before either of them could react—
He bit down.
Renji's eyes widened.
Poison.
A second later, the man stopped moving.
Dead.
Hikaru cursed.
Renji exhaled slowly.
The Organization wasn't the only threat anymore.
Someone else was watching.
And they had just made their first move.
The question was—
Why?
And more importantly—
How much time did they have left?