The sky had been stained an ominous dark red. Deep crimson lightning crawled across the heavens like veins, and Japan's capital looked as if it had been drowned in a sea of blood. Black mana particles howled and spiraled between the high-rises like an endless sandstorm.
The culprit behind this apocalyptic scenery was the gigantic Gate towering in the city center.
Its scale had already surpassed humanity's understanding of what a Gate could be—so vast that even from space, you could make out the black scar embedded in the earth. Like a gigantic eye from the abyss, it stared through the barrier of time and space, greedily peering at a world soon to be swallowed whole.
"Scáthach-oneesan! Thank goodness—you really came!"
The moment Scáthach, Sung Jinwoo, and Yoo Jinho stepped off the plane, they spotted the Japanese Hunters waiting at the airport. Akari Shimizu hurried over the instant she saw Scáthach, warmly looping her arm through Scáthach's.
Goto Ryuji didn't comment. He'd wanted Japan's Hunters to build a good relationship with Scáthach in the first place—what Akari was doing was exactly what he wanted to see.
"Welcome to Japan, Hunter Scáthach. Hunter Sung Jinwoo." The man beside Goto stepped forward, clearly someone of rank. "I am Matsumoto, Chairman of the Japanese Hunters Association."
"If circumstances allowed, I would truly like to show you around this land I'm proud of—let you experience our customs and culture… but this is obviously not the time."
Scáthach nodded, expressionless. "Of course. That's why we're here."
An airport wasn't a place for conversation. Japan was treating Scáthach and Sung Jinwoo as honored guests; naturally, they weren't going to leave them standing in the cold wind. Before long, Scáthach and the others were escorted to the Japanese Hunters Association headquarters.
"I watched your performance during the Jeju Island operation. And after Goto and the others returned, they spoke of you often. I'm pleased to finally speak with you face-to-face."
Once everyone had taken their seats, Matsumoto offered a few polite formalities from the head chair—then asked the question that had been eating at him, his tone heavy with meaning.
"I've long heard that Hunter Scáthach possesses eyes that can see the future. So… for you to appear here now, does that mean this situation is not as dangerous as it seems? That in the future, we succeed in protecting Japan?"
With less than two days left before the seven-day limit, it was plainly his greatest fear: when that time ran out, the monsters on the other side of the Gate would be able to invade Earth.
Even though this was Japan's capital, Scáthach could tell there weren't many people left. The population density didn't just fail to resemble a capital city—it was lower than many second- or third-tier cities elsewhere.
It seemed Japan had already begun evacuating in case they couldn't clear the Dungeon before the deadline. Of course, they could never convince everyone to leave—especially the elderly who clung fiercely to their homes.
Scáthach didn't answer Matsumoto directly. Instead, she turned the question back on him.
"You've already tried to clear that Dungeon, haven't you?" She looked at Goto Ryuji, her deep crimson eyes seeming to see through people. "How strong were they? Those… giants."
The instant the word left her mouth, Matsumoto's gaze—and several others'—wavered. Someone unconsciously clenched a fist.
Because Scáthach was right. They had encountered giants inside.
They hadn't told the outside world a thing—yet she'd named it precisely.
So she really can see the future? Even those who still doubted couldn't help thinking it.
Giants were usually something you only saw as the Final Boss in high-difficulty A-Rank Dungeons. In there, they were just foot soldiers.
Goto Ryuji replayed what he remembered, his expression tightening. "Every giant in there required several S-Rank Hunters working together just to barely kill it. Even I can only handle one at a time. If two or more appear at once… I have no choice but to run."
The meeting room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The oppressive atmosphere settled over everyone like a physical weight.
If mere foot soldiers were enough to leave Japan's S-Ranks helpless, it was hard to imagine what kind of monster the Dungeon's Final Boss would be.
Including Matsumoto, Japan's upper ranks had coveted an S-Rank Gate for years. If Japan could clear an S-Rank Dungeon, then Goto Ryuji could become a National Level Hunter—standing alongside Thomas Andre and Liu Zhigang. Japan would gain immense international leverage.
That was why they'd helped South Korea reclaim Jeju Island.
But Jeju taught Goto Ryuji and the others that an S-Rank Dungeon was already far beyond them. And then—at the exact moment they'd reached that conclusion—the S-Rank Gate they'd obsessed over for years appeared in their own capital, like heaven playing a cruel joke.
They'd stubbornly attempted it once, refusing to accept reality—trying to solve the problem with Japan's Hunters alone, hoping Jeju had been an exception. But after one attempt, they discovered in despair that the Gate in Japan was even more dangerous than the one on Jeju.
With the final deadline approaching, Japan's leadership finally understood they had no choice. They had to ask other countries for help.
A Gate that even Goto Ryuji couldn't handle meant ordinary S-Ranks could offer almost nothing. Ideally, they needed a National Level Hunter.
But before they could even decide whom to ask, news came that the United States, China, and other countries had also discovered S-Rank Gates.
At that point, even if Japan was willing to pay a commission, there was no way they could hire a National Level Hunter.
And then Scáthach arrived—bringing Sung Jinwoo with her.
Sung Jinwoo didn't carry the "National Level" title, but according to Goto Ryuji, anyone who could kill that black ant alone undoubtedly possessed National Level caliber.
And Scáthach—rumored to have eyes that could observe the future—was reassuring in a way no S-Rank could match.
Scáthach took in the room's dejected faces. These Hunters—once hailed as pillars of the nation—were now drowning in guilt over their inability to defend their homeland. She spoke softly, trying to dispel the heaviness.
"Don't be so hard on yourselves. The enemy in there was never something humans could defeat in the first place. You've done your duty. You pushed yourselves to the limit within your abilities. You can stand tall—be more confident."
She meant it as comfort.
Instead, several faces turned even grimmer.
"You said… it isn't something humans can defeat?" Matsumoto's voice shook. "Then even National Level Hunters…?"
"Yes. Even National Level Hunters couldn't defeat the 'big one' inside—no matter how many of them joined forces." Scáthach's eyes shifted, and she continued lightly, "Speaking of National Level Hunters… you're familiar with the name 'Kamish,' aren't you?"
The instant that taboo name was spoken, the room plunged into a deathly silence. It was as if an invisible frost had sealed the air. Even breathing seemed to stop.
That name alone carried a weight that could make any Hunter's heart seize.
Eight years ago, an S-Rank Gate had appeared in the United States.
From it emerged the dragon Kamish—the greatest disaster humanity had ever faced, and the piece of history humanity most wanted to forget.
To kill Kamish, the strongest Hunters from every country gathered. In that battle, even top-tier S-Ranks died like grass.
The five who survived to the end were granted the title of National Level Hunter—given the greatest freedom on Earth, beyond even a nation's ability to restrain them.
"And now, I can tell you with absolute certainty." Scáthach sat lazily in an armchair and leaned forward, her right fist resting against her chin. She spoke as if she didn't even notice the terror surging in everyone's eyes. "That 'big one' in your Dungeon, at its peak… was stronger than Kamish."
It hit like a boulder dropped into a still lake. In the silent room, shockwaves rippled outward. Someone reflexively pressed a hand to their violently pounding heart. A document slipped from nerveless fingers. Goto Ryuji's knuckles turned pale from the force of his grip.
Back then, it had taken five National Level Hunters and countless top S-Ranks to kill Kamish.
And now someone was telling them they were about to face a monster even more terrifying than Kamish?
Several people felt their heads throb. More than one looked ready to faint.
"But things aren't beyond saving." Scáthach leaned back again, calm and composed. "The big one in the Dungeon is at its weakest right now. As long as whoever goes in doesn't do something suicidal like helping it recover its strength… a National Level Hunter should have a chance to kill it."
Matsumoto and the others looked at her differently after that.
Say that part first!
We thought the world was actually ending!!
Of course, no one dared say it out loud. They screamed and complained in their heads instead. If they offended the two people in front of them, Japan would have no help at all—and Scáthach had just said plainly that even in its weakened state, it still required National Level caliber to have any chance.
Matsumoto silently thanked every god he could think of that he didn't have a heart condition. Otherwise, he'd probably be on a stretcher in the emergency room right now.
After that, the meeting moved into compensation negotiations. Scáthach and Sung Jinwoo had come from another country to aid them; Japan needed to show sincerity.
But Scáthach looked almost bored.
"My and little Jinwoo's main objective is the strong enemy inside the Dungeon. That 'big one'—at full strength, it's a true monster, far beyond National Level. For little Jinwoo as he is now, it's an excellent opponent. A battle with it should benefit him greatly."
She toyed with the ends of her hair, voice languid. "So as for payment, give whatever you think is appropriate. You could even give nothing."
That can't be allowed!
Japan's officials and Hunters panicked on the spot. It wasn't just that they desperately wanted to be on good terms with Scáthach and Sung Jinwoo—letting cross-border assistance return empty-handed would be seized upon by other nations as ammunition to smear Japan. And if that happened, it would be even harder to hire help in the future.
They exchanged anxious glances, terrified that her "generosity" would turn into a diplomatic disaster. They were still scrambling for a way to change her mind when Sung Jinwoo finally spoke.
"Shishō, did you forget?" Sung Jinwoo said with weary helplessness. "We're here as members of the Ahjin Guild."
"I know you're not interested in money or worldly things, but running a guild still takes money."
"Yes, yes—guild operations burn through cash," the Japanese representatives hurried to echo. "Hunter Sung Jinwoo, please rest assured. We will absolutely give you a satisfactory answer regarding compensation!"
If they wanted to hire Thomas Andre, a National Level Hunter, the fee for a single contract was at least ten trillion dollars. That astronomical price was precisely why Japan had hesitated so long. And now that the United States and other nations had discovered S-Rank Gates too, even if Japan was willing to pay, they still couldn't get him—other countries were offering more.
Sung Jinwoo might have National Level strength, but he didn't have the title. He was still "only" S-Rank, so his fee wouldn't be as frightening as Thomas's. Japan's treasury could probably bear it.
"Hm… fine." Scáthach patted Sung Jinwoo's shoulder and smiled at him like she was saying I'm counting on you. "Then I'll leave this dreary negotiation to you."
"After all, I'm just a lowly employee in the guild." Her smile sharpened with amusement. "All I need to pay attention to is whether there's anyone on the battlefield worth drawing my spear for."
"Only now you remember you're 'just an employee'?" Sung Jinwoo sighed under his breath, utterly defeated by his teacher. "You've been doing almost all the talking this whole meeting. Jinho and I barely got a word in. It feels like you're the Guild Master and we're the employees."
In the end, the compensation negotiations were handed to Yoo Jinho. Scáthach didn't care about it, Sung Jinwoo didn't understand it, and Yoo Jinho—born to a major conglomerate—had absorbed enough from his father to handle this kind of thing.