Chapter 8: Clash Between The Awakened

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, ma'am." A man dressed in a clean black suit and tie said into a phone. He was standing on the roof of the Sobu High School building and was watching an intense battle going on over at the track field.

He had short gray hair and gray-colored eyes. Over his head was a gray pin-striped hat with yellow ear defenders. The man had a faint, noticeable stubble and sideburns on his jaw. On the left side of his neck was a tattoo of a gray-colored gecko. The man's name was Munehisa Iwai. "It seems a battle between two awakened brats is happening at your kid sister's school."

"Oh? Is that right?" The once merry-sounding female voice said with a cold tone. Munehisa felt a shiver run down his back and popped a lollipop in his mouth.

"That's correct. Hunters Hirastuka and Kamoshida have left to take care of an A-Class Gate in Shibuya. What do you want me to do?" Munehisa said and watched as both students punched one another across the face.

"Make sure they stay far away from my dear sister. I'll be there soon." The woman said quickly and hung up on the phone. Munehisa sighed and put his phone in his breast pocket. He watched the fight continue and shook his head in pity.

"Damn, kids. I almost feel sorry for you."

x x x

I jumped back as Touji sent a vast wave of fire to where I once stood. The track field was littered with craters and burns; the wide amount of damage our brief fight had caused was grand. It's no wonder people are scared when awakened individuals fight. It hasn't been more than two minutes, and the damage is already this bad.

"You fucker." Touji gasped as a purple bruise grew on his face. He brushed some blood that was at the corner of his mouth. "You're not a fucking E-Rank! You damn liar!"

I watched as he raised his hand, and a torpedo of raging flames flew towards me. I moved to the side and avoided the blast. I dashed forward using my Dash skill and punched Touji in the stomach, causing him to dry heave. I learned early on in our fight that if Touji were a Hunter, he would be within the Mage class.

Mage-type Hunters are the most versatile of them all and can cast elemental spells, enact curses, and call forth spirits to fight for them. As a result, a large portion of their abilities are projectile attacks. However, since they attack from a distance, mage-type hunters are at a huge disadvantage in close combat, which means I had the advantage due to my strength and speed.

Touji glared at me and brought his hand in front of him. Before I could move, I was pushed back with a blast of high-pressure water. Luckily, I had brought my arms in front of me and blocked most of the damage. However, my school jacket sleeves had become a tattered mess. I'm actually holding my own against a C-Ranked Awakened. No, if anything, I've been holding back slightly. I have yet to use my full strength or weapons. But at the same time, I didn't want to kill Touji. Just teach him that he can't go around doing as he pleases.

"There's been rumors that there are Hunters who lie about their rank. You know what they're being called? False rankers!" Touji said with a grin and pointed a finger at me. His school uniform was ripped and lined with dirt. "So tell me, Hikitani! Are you a False Ranker? A fruad!"

"I'm someone who stands for what's right." I said and glared at Touji, who looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm not going to let you do as you please. I'll make you pay for kidnapping Isshiki!"

"Hah? That boring chick?" Touji said, annoyed, but then grinned evilly. "She your girlfriend? Is that it? Well, guess what? When I'm done tearing you to pieces, I'm going to find that annoying bitch and show her just what an awakened human can do. I'll shove my dick so far into her that I'll rip her in-"

[ ACTIVE SKILL ]

[ DASH - Lv. 1]

[ Skill: Dash has been activated. ]

[ Your speed has increased by 30% ]

I dashed towards Touji in a blind rage. How dare he talk about such a horrible thing so easily? But as I grew closer, Touji's grin became a satisfied smile.

"Got ya." Touji said and swiped his hands in my direction. A wall of fire sprung up from underneath me, and that was when I noticed several tiny Crystals lined in the grass. Are those beacons?! I had fallen for Touji's trap.

I was blasted high into the air by the wall of fire and felt its intense heat burn away at my skin and clothes. I felt weightless for several seconds but then crashed into the hard ground. Before I could stand, the ground beneath me split in half and tried to crush me by closing into each other, similar to a closing book. I rolled back and pushed myself into the air with my arms. As I flew in the air, I saw the two slabs of earth ram into each other, and a loud crash reverberated through the school campus.

I turned my head just in time to see a blast of fire crash into my back, launching me back a dozen feet into the base of a tree. Splitting it in half in a shower of splinters. I tried to stand but felt a wave of pain shoot through me. Damn it! I have to close our distance! Otherwise, he's just going to pelt me with attacks.

"What happened to Mr. I'm going to do what's right?" Touji laughed and walked towards me. I looked at him angrily as I managed to get to my feet. "If this is all you can do, I'll end the fight now. I'd rather not be here when someone from the Hunters Association shows up."

I looked around and saw a few remaining students watching our fight from the safety of the school building. They had scared but curious looks as they witnessed our battle. I couldn't help but gawk at them. This isn't a sporting event, damnit!

"Now." Touji said and raised a hand towards me. "Stay still."

"HIKKI!" My eyes widened when I saw Yui and some girl with long black hair run into the track field, wearing different colored aprons and headscarves. Running behind them were Ryuji and Iroha. They all had looks of anxiety and apprehension. What the hell are you all doing here?!

"Looks like I won't have to go out looking for your girlfriend after all." Touji grinned and looked over at the new arrivals. Iroha grew scared and backed up. "Get the hell out of here! This ain't got nothing to do with ya!"

"You're wrong!" Yui yelled defiantly and took a shack step forward. "Leave Hikki alone!"

Ryuji walked forward and glared at Touji. "What's the matter with you!"

"I've already called the Hunters Association and told them what's happening! If you know what's good for you, you better stop." The girl with long blue hair and blue eyes said hotly. Iroha seemed to have been gathering her courage and glared at Touji.

"Y-yeah! So leave Ha-Hachiman alone!" Iroha yelled bravely, but her fists could be seen shaking slightly.

"The fuck you say?! You called the Association!" Touji turned away from me and glared at the black-haired girl. "You might have just ruined my chances of becoming a Hunter, you fucking skank!" He raised his hand, and a giant ball of fire began to form in front of his palm. Ryuji, Yui, Iroha, and the new girl backed away in fear as Touji aimed the ball of hot death towards them.

As if I'd let you! I used my dash skill to its maximum and blitzed right into Touji. We both slid through the grass patch in the center of the track field. As we slid, I rained down several vicious punches into Touji's face. He tried to stop me but my strength was too high for him. We finally came to a stop; a long dig-out trench was left behind in our wake.

Touji tried to raise his hand in front of my face, but I grabbed his wrist and snapped it to the side before he could shoot a magical attack. He released a pained yell but was immediately silenced when I covered his mouth with my hand. I grabbed his other arm and broke his forearm in a sicking crack. He looked up at me in shock and fear as he lay under me helplessly. Suddenly, the images of burnt and charred bodies of my friends flooded my mind, and I felt a surge of rage flow through me.

"Ack! Gah! Ugh!" Touji grunted in pain as I repeatedly threw punch after punch at his face. Large, purple bruises began to form over his face as one of his eyes swelled largely. Blood began to cover my knuckles as I continued hitting him. I was utterly ignorant of the panicked yells from those behind me. Urging me to stop. You think I'm gonna let you hurt those that matter to me?! After I finally made the friends I've always wanted?! I won't let you take what's mine!

[ SKILL: BLOODLUST has been activated ]

Red filled my vision as Touji began to cry and beg me to stop, but all that came out was a garbled mess from his swollen mount and broken teeth. I raised my fist again but felt it stop mid-swing. I glared at whoever dared to intervene and saw a woman looking at me with a small, sadistic smile.

She was a beautiful young woman with shoulder-length black hair; the tips of her hair were dyed purple, and she had angular red eyes. She was wearing an elegant purple blouse and tight black dress pants.

"I think that's enough." The woman said calmly and looked down at Touji with barely hidden amusement. Almost as if she was pleased with his current state. "Usually, if anyone threatened my sister the way you did, then I would have personally ended their life. But seeing as Hikigaya here did me the favor of handling my trash. I'll let this slide."

I was then pulled effortlessly from on top of Touji and placed off to the side. Now that my anger had begun to subside, I was able to realize who it was that stood in front of me. It was Haruno Yukinoshita, one of Japan's S-Ranked Hunters. The sheer power emanating from her. It's unfathomable.

"Now then." Haruno said and looked over to several men in black suits running into the track field. Two men ran next to Touji and lifted him onto a stretcher. They carried him off into a waiting ambulance. Three men were about to grab me but were stopped by Haruno's raised hand. They nodded respectfully and left. She then turned to me and looked me up and down. Haruno smiled and then looked over at the girl with black hair. "Yukino. Mind explaining what happened here?"

x x x

I looked around the storage room they called a club room and couldn't help but be unimpressed. What did she call it? The service club? Sounds sexual.

I sat at the end of the long brown table and looked over the rest of the room's occupants. To my right sat Ryuji, Yui, and Iroha. On my left sat one of the Hunter Association surveillance members; his name was Munehisa Iwai. Next to him sat the S-Ranked Hunter, Haruno Yukinoshita. And finally, sitting across from me on the other end of the table sat Yukino Yukinoshita—Haruno's younger sister.

"Hmm. I see, so that's what happened." Haruno said, unbothered by the recollection of events we just finished explaining. She hummed to herself as she spun a metallic black pen between her fingers. Her eyes moved to look at me. Haruno had a mischievous smile. "It's a good thing Hikigaya was there to handle the situation. Oh well, it is what it is."

"What do you mean, 'Oh well'? Hikki got hurt, and Isshiki was kidnapped!" Yui said and stood up from her chair, peering at Haruno. "Look at Hikki! He's covered in bandages and burns!"

It was true. I had to change into my gym uniform, considering my school clothes were ruined beyond use. My body was covered in bandages. I was tempted to use the status recovery reward, but my inner gamer was curious about what I could get from the gift box.

"Yeah, man! What happened back there can't be swept under the rug!" Ryuji lightly slammed the table with a fist and glared at Haruno.

"That's right! Hikigaya's injuries aren't something we can look over! And what about me? That psycho kidnapped me!" Iroha said quickly, but she, Ryuji, and Yui settled down when Haruno looked over them with apathetic eyes.

"They're right, sister." Yukino said seriously. "What happened today can't be overlooked."

Haruno sighed and leaned back on her chair. "I hear you, but I'm telling you to drop it." She said seriously and looked at Yukino. "What happened here was a fight between two awakened who aren't even official Hunters yet. As Awakened individuals, they fall outside the law and will be handled by the Hunters Association."

"That's right." Munehisa said and tilted his hat. He turned to me and sighed. "Considering the circumstances, the Association is willing to pass this off as self-defense. But due to the critical state of Touji Hatanaka, if we decide to pursue severe repercussions, then Hikigaya here will also suffer the consequences. We're willing to look past this, but that's only if you both decide not to press charges on each other. And if you do, it's a high possibility that you'll both be barred from becoming hunters when you're of age."

Haruno nodded and turned to me, a playful smile on her face. "What will it be, Hikigaya?"

I clenched my fists tighter and looked at Iroha. She looked at me worriedly, and I couldn't help but be frustrated with myself. As much as I wanted Touji to suffer the consequences of his actions, my desire to be a Hunter was even greater. The sheer opportunities to grow stronger in the Gates were something I couldn't ignore. But what happened to Iroha wasn't something that could be brushed away.

I can become stronger through instance dungeons, right? Thanks to the E-Rank instance dungeon, I did level up as far as I did. So, as long as I keep getting keys through gift boxes, then I should be able to continue growing stronger, even if it'll be at a much slower pace. With that, my mind was made up.

"I want to-"

"I'm fine!" Iroha said quickly and smiled widely at me. I sat confused and looked at her. "I'm fine, Hachiman. Really. I don't want to be the reason you never become a Hunter. Besides, you already punished that asshole enough for me. So it's okay."

I sat stunned at Iroha's words. A heavy sense of relief filled me, and I exhaled deeply. I looked at her with appreciation and nodded with a small smile. Iroha's cheeks reddened slightly and nodded back. I turned to Munehisa and Haruno.

"We're going to look past this." I said seriously. "But I won't just roll over if Hatanaka decides to continue antagonizing me and my friends."

"That's perfectly acceptable." Munehisa said and stood up. He walked towards the door and looked back at us. "I'll inform the Association of your decision." He bid us farewell and left.

"I'll be leaving as well." Haruno stood and stretched her arms above her head. My eyes trailed to her bouncing chest, but I quickly looked away. "I'll see you at home, Yukino."

A soft whizzing sound rounded out in the classroom, and my hand blurred to my left shoulder. What I caught in my hand was a steaming metallic black pen. I looked up at Haruno's extended hand and saw her smiling inquisitively. Everyone in the room was gawking at what just happened.

"Sister!" Yukino cried out, surprised by Haruno's action.

"It's fine, it's fine." Haruno waved her and everyone else off as she walked around the table and leaned over me. She touched my chest and moved her lips to my right ear. "Now, why can someone who's supposedly an E-Rank capable of catching an item thrown with the force of a B-Ranked Hunter?" She whispered slowly and sultry into my ear. Her soft voice and warm breath would have usually caused me to blush and melt into a puddle, but I felt my body freeze in terror. Did she figure it out?!

Haruno chuckled and walked towards the door. "You're quite an interesting person. Aren't you, Hikigaya? I'll be keeping an eye on you." Before she could leave the classroom, she turned to me with a playful look. "Oh! Be a dear and watch Yukino for me, won't you? I'll owe you one!" Haruno waved goodbye and left the room.

We all sat in silence. No one truly knew what to say after what just happened. I looked down at the pen in my hand and saw it was engraved with Haruno's initials and the emblem of the Draw Sword Guild. I then looked up to Yukino and saw her quickly look away from me, a troubled look on her face.

"So… what now?" Ryuji said owlishly, and everyone turned to him. We looked at one another, unsure of the answer.

"Um." Iroha said abruptly. "Wanna… grab something to eat?"

x x x

The five of us sat in one of my favorite restaurants, Saizeriya, an Italian-styled restaurant chain. It's a place often overlooked for its low prices and poor-tasting food. I, however, enjoyed it.

We all enjoyed our meals and ate in comfortable silence. Perhaps it was due to the restaurant's warm atmosphere. A change of environment could be very beneficial in helping to elevate a sour mood.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Ryuji asked from his spot beside me. His question got the attention of the rest of the table. I put my chopsticks down and patted my chest, particularly where I had received a nasty burn. I wasn't too worried. I'd be completely fine in the morning.

"I'm doing better. Mr. Iwai was very good in treating my wounds." I said in a confident tone. Ryuji smiled and nodded at my answer. He went back to eating his Italian meatballs with gusto. I smiled at his concern and went back to my meal. As I lifted some noodles to my mouth, I saw that all the girls present were looking at me but went back to eating when our eyes met.

I chewed my food and noticed a small pink bag on Yui's lap. "What's that, Yuigahama?" I said while looking at the bag. Her cheeks reddened, and she looked shyly at me and the bag.

"Oh! It's uh- it's something I was working on earlier today." Yui said as she raised the small bag. "They're homemade cookies. Yukinon helped me make them." I looked at Yukino and saw her nod, but she avoided my gaze. It must be my eyes. Damn, our genes, old man.

"Wow, really? You even wrapped them very nicely!" Iroha said and leaned on her hands. Don't lean on the table with your elbows. It's rude. "Did you make them for someone?"

Yui's cheeks became a darker hue of red as her eyes moved around skittishly. But they always made their way to me. "Um, that's right. But it's not what you think! They're a thank-you gift! Yeah! A thank you gift!"

"Oh yeah? Who are they for?" Ryuji asked as he placed his chopsticks down and smiled teasingly at Yui. "They for a crush of yours? Hm? Am I right?"

"What are you saying? Stupid RyuRyu!" Yui said and waved a fist at a chuckling Ryuji. "I-It's not like that!"

Ryuji and Iroha chuckled as Yui's face became entirely red in embarrassment. I even found myself chuckling as well. I looked over to Yukino and found that she was frowning. "Hey, Yukinoshita? You doing alright?" I asked, and she jumped slightly in surprise.

"Yes, I'm quite alright." Yukino said and took a bite of her salad. I was unconvinced but nodded nonetheless. It must be because she was suddenly dragged to a group event with people she doesn't know too well. Not that I blame her.

I focused on my food and ate on autopilot. Haruno's words still filled me with dread and concern. While I sincerely doubted she knew I had the ability to level up my strength and skills, she at least knew I was much stronger than what I was supposedly ranked at. And having an S-Ranked Hunter keeping an eye on me would surely spell trouble and headaches down the line. At least until I reached the level of an S-Rank myself. Who knows when that'll be?

For now, I'd have to be careful with that woman. I'd keep an eye on Yukino, like she said. Regardless of what Haruno was thinking, she did say she'd owe me a favor if I kept Yukino safe. That was the hidden message she left me in that conversation. A favor from an S-Ranked could prove to be very beneficial. So, at least for now, I'll do as she asked.

We all ate and finished our meals for the rest of the evening until it was time to head home. Before Ryuji could have left, I asked him to cover for me with my sister. He agreed immediately.

"Say no more, bro!" Ryuji said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we stood outside the restaurant. "Just let me know what day, and I'll clear things up with your sister. Anyways, I have to head home. See you tomorrow!"

I waved at Ryuji as he left for the station. I'm glad he agreed. Otherwise, I needed to figure out how I'd smooth things over with Komachi. I felt a soft pull on my jacket and turned to Iroha.

"Um… thank you. For helping me." Iroha said and bowed to me. "That's the second time already. Thank you."

"Nah, don't worry about it." I waved her off and smiled softly at her. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

Iroha's eyes twinkled, and her cheeks took on a darker tint. I dismissed it because the sun was setting and was bathing the city with its warm, orange light. She smiled and nodded at me. "Alright then! Well, I have to head home. See you tomorrow!"

I nodded and watched her walk down the sidewalk toward the station. I turned and saw that it was just Yui, Yukino, and myself. Yui was shifting around on her feet, and she took a deep breath. She stepped forward and shoved the small bag of cookies into my chest.

"Here! These are for you!" Yui said quickly and backed away slightly. "I hope… I hope you like them!"

"Oh, these were for me?" I said and opened the bag. Inside it were several small, extremely brown, almost black cookies. Are they burnt? I smiled shakily at her and saw her nod with a smile. "Thank you."

"I hope you enjoy them. I went through three other batches before these. So be prepared to be amazed!" Yui said confidently and puffed her chest. I looked at the cookies questionably and discreetly made eye contact with Yukino. She sighed and nodded at me.

"She's not wrong. These were her best batch." Yukino sighed and looked over at Yui, who nodded excitedly. "Go on. Give them a try."

I gulped and stared at the cookies with caution. With a deep breath, I lifted the entire bag over my mouth and began eating them all in one bite. Ack! These were her best?! That poor trash bin! Both girls looked at me in shock as I swallowed the so-called cookies.

[ A harmful substance has been detected. ]

[ 3, 2, 1… Detoxing is complete. ]

Seriously? I looked at the bag in horror and forced a smile. "Thanks, Yuigahama. They-they were good."

"Really!" Yui's face exploded into a beautiful smile, almost making the horrifying experience I just went through bearable. "I'm so happy to hear that!"

I nodded and thanked the System again. When I first started exploring the System's functions and features. I noticed a small list of passive buffs and skills. Two of which made my life much easier.

[ Temporary Buff: Spirit of Rehabilitation: All injuries will be healed. ]

[ Long-lasting Buff: Health and Longevity: You are immunized against all diseases, poisons, and any other debuffs, and your healing ability increases exponentially when you are asleep. ]

"Hey." Yukino whispered to me. "Are you okay? While those cookies were passable, I'm not sure I would have called them edible."

"You're saying that now?!" I whispered back and saw her wince. "Regardless…She put a lot of effort into them, so the least I could do was eat them."

"Hey! What are Yukinon and Hikki whispering about?!" Yui said and stepped closer to us. She then turned to me and stepped back in surprise. "Eh?! Hikki! Have you gotten taller?"

You notice that now? Then again, she hasn't seen me all day, and we've been occupied with the Touji incident. It made sense that she was more focused on all that than the small changes to my body.

"Just a little." I nodded and turned to the setting sun. "We should all head home before it gets any later. I'll walk you both to the station."

"That's quite alright." Yukino said and looked back at a limousine that pulled up beside me. The perks of being related to an S-Ranked Hunter. I stared at it for a few seconds and couldn't help but be reminded of the one that almost killed me. As I looked at the limo, Yukino looked at me worriedly. "Well then, I wish you both a good evening." Yukino said and stepped into the vehicle.

"Bye-bye, Yukinon!" Yui said and waved at the vehicle as it drove off. She then looked at me and noticed my faraway look. Yui looked back at the limo, and her eyes shimmered in realization. She stepped up to me and grabbed my hand gently.

I was brought back from my head and looked at her in surprise. "Hikki. It's okay." Yui said and smiled at me; after a few seconds, she let my hand go with a blushing face. I swallowed and nodded.

"You're right. I guess I was reminded of what happened." I said and looked at the limo turn the corner. "But that's a different model. I wonder if every limousine I see will remind me of that day."

Yui looked down with a sad and guilty expression. I noticed it and sighed. She must still blame herself for what happened. I looked up at the sky and saw it was almost entirely dark. The sunset was all but a bright line of light on the horizon. "...I'll walk you home." I said and placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Eh? You don't have to." Yui said in a small voice but didn't move to remove my hand. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's alright. I don't mind." I said and took my hand off her back. We began walking in a comfortable silence towards the station. Yui looked at me with a small smile and grabbed my jacket elbow. I didn't mind what she did and continued walking. Our proximity gave me an odd sense of comfort from the memories of the accident.

"Yuigahama visited you. She visited you every month to see if you would get better and wake up. Every time she came, she would leave behind a little card for you. Right there on your bedside table."

I was reminded of my conversation with Komachi all those days ago. A small smile stretched my cheeks as we walked through the quiet Chiba streets.