The main atrium of the Hunter Association headquarters roiled with noise—callouts and clarion voices, magitek displays running urgent banners, the accumulated stench of hundreds of anxious teenagers layered atop ozone and burned coffee. The ceiling was high enough to accommodate a medium-sized dragon, though at the moment the only thing soaring was paperwork and the spiraling rumor that an SS-rank had blown out a reinforced testing orb upstairs.
Aiden paused at the top of the staircase, the black demon mask secure against his face, hood up, hands in pockets. If any of the Association staff objected to his refusal to unmask, the fact that he'd just forced an A-rank Enforcer and a roomful of guild reps to their knees kept their comments non-verbal. Below, the crowd looked even denser than when he'd entered, a shifting sea of hopefuls and family members, some already in tears over failure or success.
