The bright lights of the casino pulsed like a living organism, its heartbeat syncing with the rhythm of jazz echoing through the halls. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, sweat, and desperation.
Kaien stepped through the entrance first, his coat brushing past the heavy red curtains. Luna followed, her eyes scanning the extravagant room, while Ash and Rei trailed behind, blending into the crowd with practiced ease.
"But how did we even find this place?" Ash asked, voice low as he leaned toward Drax.
Drax, holding his ribs, gave a tired smirk. "I followed one of their scouts. He was sloppy. Lost him near the docks, but later I spotted him here, walking out with a briefcase and that same red dice tattoo."
"They're not just here for missions," Luna added quietly. "They gamble. Earn money. Then use it to fund their next kill."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "It's bold. Risky. But smart…"
Kaien looked around, sharp gaze cutting through the illusion of luxury. "We split up. Find that tattoo. Listen. Don't engage."
Then Luna stopped walking.
Her eyes locked on a tall man seated near the bar, sipping from a glass.
He looked relaxed. Unbothered. But his hand? Resting casually on the table—bearing a red dice tattoo.
Luna leaned toward Kaien. "Found one."
Kaien didn't respond. His eyes were already on the same man.
The hunt had officially begun.
Kaien adjusted his collar and stepped toward the velvet-robed section of the casino. The sound of clinking chips and polite laughter filled the air. A smooth jazz band played in the background, but beneath it all was the tension of money on the line—and secrets in the shadows.
A private poker table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by the rich, the powerful, and the dangerous. A golden plaque read: "Entry – 1 Million Yen Minimum."
Kaien walked forward, cool and confident.
A dealer in a black suit looked up. "Sir, buy-in?"
Kaien tossed a leather pouch onto the table. It landed with a heavy thud.
"1.2 million," he said calmly.
The other players glanced up. One was a smug businessman with a Rolex. Another, a silent woman in a red dress with a calculating stare. The third, a large man with rings on every finger, sipping whiskey like it was water.
Kaien sat down, nodding politely.
The cards were dealt.
Texas Hold'em.
First hand: Kaien's hole cards—Ace of Hearts and Jack of Spades.
He studied the table. The flop came down: King of Hearts, Ten of Clubs, Queen of Diamonds.
A straight draw. Almost perfect.
The rich businessman smirked and raised. "Let's make this fun. Two hundred thousand."
The woman in red silently matched the bet.
Kaien tapped his fingers. Calm, unreadable. "Call."
The turn: Ace of Diamonds.
Now he had a pair of Aces and a straight draw—nearly unbeatable.
The man with rings folded.
Businessman raised again, this time more aggressive. "Half a million."
The woman in red watched Kaien, then folded without a word.
Kaien smiled slightly. "All in."
Gasps echoed around the room.
The businessman hesitated, then scoffed. "You're bluffing."
He called.
The river card flipped—Queen of Spades.
Kaien calmly flipped his cards.
Straight. Ten to Ace.
The crowd murmured.
The businessman cursed under his breath.
Kaien collected the chips, eyes cool. But more than chips, he now had their attention.
As he stood up, a shadow from the bar watched him carefully.
One of the Hero Hunters.
The golden lights of the casino flickered above as chips clinked and laughter echoed across the hall. Kaien sat calmly at the poker table, eyes locked on his cards. A pile of chips sat before him, neatly stacked—he was winning.
Across the table sat a mix of wealthy nobles, gang leaders, and secretive players. Kaien wasn't there for money. He was hunting.
But someone was ruining the rhythm.
"Kaien! Kaien! You done yet? I'm bored!" Rei shouted from behind him, pacing like a restless child.
"Rei..." Kaien said without looking back, voice dangerously low. "Shut up."
One of the players raised a brow. Another smirked. Rei leaned closer, whispering loudly, "What if the Hero Hunter is right here? Huh? Should I just shout and ask?"
"Rei, don't—"
"Hey! Who's the Hero Hunter here?!" Rei suddenly yelled, raising both arms.
The table went quiet.
Chairs scraped. Eyes darted.
A moment passed—and then, chaos.
One of the players at the far end suddenly flipped the table, cards and chips flying. In the same instant, a flash of steel shimmered.
"Idiot!" Ash shouted, lunging forward to shield Rei just in time.
From the shadows, a cloaked figure emerged. Cold eyes. Masked face. Fast.
The Hero Hunter had made the first move.
Kaien kicked back his chair, hand reaching for his blade.
"It's them!" someone screamed.
The casino erupted in panic.
But Kaien's eyes stayed locked on the masked figure.
"Show me," he said quietly. "What a real hunter looks like."
Smoke erupted from the far end of the room as Kaien rolled across the carpet, narrowly dodging a thrown dagger that embedded itself deep into the pillar behind him.
"Rei, get down!" he barked.
Ash lunged forward, grabbing Rei by the collar and dragging him behind a flipped poker table.
The Hero Hunter stood tall amidst the confusion. A lean figure in black—mask carved with a crooked smile, dual blades drawn and dripping with poison. The atmosphere twisted. Fear crept in.
Kaien stood slowly, cracking his neck.
"You picked the wrong table," he said, eyes sharpening like a blade.
The hunter darted forward—blinding speed. Too fast for an ordinary hero.
Kaien blocked the strike with his forearm guard, sparks flying as metal kissed metal. His other hand drew his short blade. The hunter flipped mid-air, landing behind him, slashing in a curve.
Kaien ducked and spun, kicking out the hunter's legs—but they flipped again, almost dancing. Fluid. Precise.
They clashed again.
Steel struck steel in a blur. The casino lights flickered from the force of the swings.
"Stop watching and shoot!" Kaien shouted.
Ash raised his arm. "On it!" A burst of glowing bullets rained toward the hunter—who deflected every one with their spinning blades, sliding across a poker table before launching into the air again.
Luna joined the fight, casting a light shield over Kaien just as the hunter sent a dagger his way. The dagger shattered against the barrier.
"I've got the left!" Luna yelled.
"No, you don't!" Rei charged from the side with a staff, trying to sweep the hunter's legs. But the hunter bent backward, avoiding the strike by an inch, then slammed a fist into Rei's chest, sending him flying.
"Rei!" Luna cried.
Kaien caught the hunter's arm mid-motion and twisted it violently, forcing one blade to drop. But the hunter only smirked behind the mask, slipping free and slashing Kaien across the cheek.
Blood flew.
Kaien didn't flinch.
"Who are you?" he muttered, his voice cold. "A killer? A ghost?"
The hunter said nothing. Only pointed a blade at him again.
Suddenly—BOOM.
Drax came crashing through the ceiling like a meteor, landing between them with a roar.
"I found you, bastard!" he yelled.
The ground cracked.
The hunter leapt back, now cornered by Kaien, Luna, Ash, and a furious Drax.
"You're surrounded," Ash warned.
The hunter looked at each of them. For the first time, they hesitated.
Then—laughing.
Muffled, behind the mask.
"You think this is over?" the hunter whispered.
The ground beneath them pulsed.
Boom.
Explosives.
The hunter had set traps—one by one, the slot machines and lights exploded in a chain reaction.
"Get down!" Luna screamed, casting barriers over the group.
Smoke engulfed the room.
When it cleared—the hunter was gone.
Kaien stood among the ruins of the casino floor, blade dripping, cheek bleeding.
"We weren't ready," he said, breath steady.
"But next time," Ash muttered, "we don't let them walk away."
Kaien turned to the others.
"The hunter isn't just some rogue…"
He looked at the dagger left behind—marked with the symbol of a secret guild.
"This is bigger. We just stepped into a war."
The second casino was larger—more lavish. Chandeliers sparkled overhead as hundreds of gamblers crowded the halls, oblivious to the danger creeping in.
Misaki scanned the crowd nervously. "Hey, Naoto… are you sure this is where they are?"
Naoto Yatsuki stood still at the entrance, eyes sharp. "Too many people. Too much noise." His fingers glowed.
Koharu crossed her arms. "How the hell are we gonna find them in this mess?"
Without a word, Naoto raised his hand—fwoom—a fireball erupted from his palm and soared across the room.
It crashed into the back wall, exploding in a controlled burst. Panic. People screamed. Cards and chips scattered like confetti.
"Naoto!" Misaki yelled, rushing forward. "We said discreet!"
Naoto's other hand glowed with electric-blue energy. He snapped his fingers—BOOM—a bolt of lightning struck the center table, destroying it instantly.
The screams turned to chaos.
"RUN!" Naoto shouted. "Everyone out, now!"
But just as the civilians began to flee, a man in a dark coat stepped into the open, standing in Naoto's path.
He smiled.
"Hero… you really don't have a brain, do you?" the Hunter said coldly.
Naoto stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "No... I have something better."
He unsheathed a blade glowing with ancient runes. "I have you."
Misaki and Koharu backed away, watching the air tighten around them.
The Hunter drew his curved sword slowly. "So it begins."
CLANG!
The blades met in a flash of sparks. The force of the impact shattered the nearby blackjack table.
Naoto spun, sending a trail of fire behind him. The Hunter rolled, using the smoke as cover, and countered with a dark slash that split the ground.
Naoto jumped over it and slammed his sword down, a wave of blue flames surging out.
The Hunter blocked with his own blade—barely—and cast a shadow shield that cracked under pressure.
Koharu muttered, "That's no normal hunter…"
Misaki clenched her fists. "We're not supposed to interfere—but if he dies—"
"No," Koharu interrupted. "Watch him."
Naoto vanished in a blink—teleportation flash—and appeared behind the Hunter mid-air, striking downward.
The Hunter blocked again, but Naoto unleashed a point-blank lightning burst, blasting him through three poker machines.
"Got you," Naoto whispered.
The Hunter stood, blood on his lip, breathing heavily—but smiling.
"You're strong," he said. "But you're not ready for the truth."
With a twist of his fingers, the Hunter disappeared into the shadows, vanishing completely.
Naoto lowered his blade, flames still burning on the floor around him.
Misaki ran to his side. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Naoto said, staring at where the Hunter had vanished. "But he knows something."
Koharu asked quietly, "Did he say the truth?"
Naoto nodded. "He's not just a killer."
He looked back at the charred casino.
"He's part of something… ancient."