Silence.
A cold room.
A TV, turned on, dimly illuminated the floor full of broken glass.
A sixteen-year-old boy was sitting on the bed.
Black hair and eyes, deep bags under his eyes, cracked lips, bruised arms.
His name was Ren.
A short name. A forgotten name.
A program was playing on the TV:
> "How to Load and Use a Gun in Seconds."
Ren stared at him, motionless, unblinking.
He didn't want to learn to shoot...
He just wanted to understand what it meant to have power.
—"Why wasn't I born into a world... where I can be free?"
He whispered to himself, clenching his fists.
—"Here... if you fail once... no one wants you.
If only I had another chance..."
The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
The door slammed open.
His father.
Holding a half-empty bottle.
— "Why the fuck are you crying?! You're sixteen, you're not a child!"
She threw the bottle at him.
CRASH!
The glass exploded against the wall.
A cut on Ren's forehead began to bleed.
Behind his father's back, his mother laughed.
— "You're ridiculous, Ren! Look at you playing the victim. Not even the school wants you!"
Ren looked down.
He didn't say anything.
He couldn't say anything.
Blood dripped onto the floor, drop by drop.
— "Why don't you kill me, then?"
Ren's voice trembled.
— "Stop it… I want to end this life…"
His father stared at him.
Then he smiled.
— "You want to die? Then I'll help you."
CRASH!
Another bottle.
This time, right in the face.
Pain shot through his skull.
The taste of iron filled his mouth.
Ren fell to the floor.
Something inside him broke.
Not in his body. In his soul.
Slowly, he got up.
His gaze was different.
Empty.
With a sudden leap, he climbed onto the bed, then sprinted after his parents.
His hand grabbed a knife on the nightstand.
— "Hey, Ren! Calm down! Don't play any tricks!"
Their voices trembled.
Ren was breathing hard.
His eyes filled with tears.
The knife trembled in his hand.
—"I can't take it anymore… I don't want… I don't want to live here anymore…"
The blade pointed at his throat.
He closed his eyes.
And screamed.
A desperate scream.
Broken.
Just a moment.
SHLACK!
The knife slipped from his hand, bounced off the table, and came back… as if forced by fate.
A blow.
A gush of blood.
Ren fell to his knees.
The knife lodged in his throat.
His parents stared at him as if he were a dead animal, their eyes filled with hatred.
His breathing slowed…
The last words he said were:
—"I hope I end up in hell."
Then, silence.
His eyes closed.
Forever.
Or so he thought.
...
Silence.
No pain.
A distant, intermittent noise.
BZZZT… BZZZT…
The sound of a streetlight crackling.
Ren slowly opened his eyes.
The air smelled of iron and garbage.
He was sitting next to a garbage can.
— "Where… am I?
Am I still alive?"
He looked around.
Tall buildings. Wind-torn billboards.
A world similar to his own… yet different.
Ren looked at his hands.
Clean.
No cuts.
No bruises.
He touched his face.
Smooth.
No scars.
— "My body…? Don't tell me I've been reincarnated…"
He had red hair and yellow eyes.
They were the same age: sixteen.
He walked among the garbage and stray cats.
Then he saw a giant screen atop a skyscraper.
> "WANTED CRIMINAL — GRADE S."
Below, the faces of several people.
—"S-Grade… what does that mean…?"
A sound behind him.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Ren turned.
A hooded man was staring at him from a dark alley.
Yellow eyes, like those of a hungry beast.
—"Hey, you…" he said in a hoarse voice.
—"Are you a Hunter… or are you a criminal?"
Ren took a step back.
—"I… I don't know."
The man smiled.
—"Ah… so you're just a homeless person like me."
Suddenly, he pulled out a dagger and lunged at him.
SWISH!
The blade whistled through the air.
Ren barely moved aside.
The man continued to attack relentlessly.
Each strike faster than the last.
Ren backed away, his breath short.
Then… something strange happened.
Time… slowed down.
No.
It was Ren who could see the attacks.
—"W-what… is happening…?"
Ren's eyes widened.
Each blow became slow, predictable.
—"How the hell do you do that, kid?!"
The man grunted, striking even faster.
But it was no use.
Ren began to smile.
A dangerous smile.
—"I don't know… but I can see your attacks."
The man landed the final blow.
Ren dodged it.
He blocked his arm, pulled it toward him, and landed a devastating kick to the chin.
BAM!
The man collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Ren was breathing heavily.
—"What was that feeling…?"
She tore off his sweatshirt and put it on.
She took the knife and put it in her pocket.
— "If this is how this world is lived… then I'll live here too."
---
Ren continued walking through the streets lit by artificial lights.
Suspicious men stared at him.
Cats rummaged through the garbage.
Suddenly, a shrill voice reached him:
— "Rikuyaaa!" a girl shouted.
Ren whirled around, ready to draw his knife.
A beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes ran toward him.
— "I finally found you, Rikuya!"
Ren stared at her, confused.
— "Rikuya? Who the hell is…?"
Her eyes widened.
— "What? Aren't you my cousin, Rikuya?"
Ren hesitated.
— "…I'm not—"
Then he stopped.
Better not to explain anything.
The girl grabbed his arm.
—"Come on, quickly! It's dangerous to be here!"
Before he could respond, a shadow blocked the way.
A gigantic man, a perverted smile, eyes full of mischief.
— "Hey, woman… come home with me. We'll have fun…"
The voice was disgusting.
The girl took a step back.
Ren stood in front of her.
The man placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
— "The boy is coming with me."
Ren clenched his jaw.
— "Get your dirty hands off me."
BAM!
A fist hit him full in the face.
Ren spat blood, but said nothing.
The girl shouted:
— "Rikuya!!"
The man laughed.
— "You were lucky, brat… next time you won't get away with it like that."
Ren looked down…
Then he smiled.
— "Hey, bastard… you forgot this!"
He pulled out his knife and threw it.
THUD!
He hit the man's head with the hilt.
— "Damn…!"
The man spun around angrily, but Ren was already in front of him.
BAM!
A kick to the chin sent him flying.
Ren turned toward the girl.
— "Let's go."
— "Y-yeah… let's go."
— "Hey, hey… who told you to leave?"
Ren froze.
He turned slowly.
The man was still conscious…
And this time, he had a gun pointed at him.
— "Boy… you made a mistake underestimating me.
I am Oru Nahik.
I'm a wanted man.
My reward is five thousand dollars.
And now… this is your end."
Ren didn't tremble.
In fact, he smiled.
— "You want to live? Lick my shoes."
Oru laughed.
— "Move, or I'll kill you!"
Ren slowly lowered his head…
…and lunged.
Kaiten-Geri!
A roundhouse kick struck Oru square in the face.
The gun flew away.
Ren picked it up and pointed it at him.
Oru swallowed.
— "Wait! It's just a fake gun!"
Ren checked the weapon.
Heavy. Real.
He smiled coldly.
— "Oh, really? Then you won't mind if I pull the trigger."
Oru fell to his knees, begging.
— "Please! Don't shoot! I haven't had a wife yet!"
Ren looked him in the eye.
— "Then tell your friends to put down their weapons… if you want to live."
Seven men emerged from the shadows, pointing their guns.
But before they could take a step, a voice rang out from above:
— "Lower your weapons. Everyone.
They looked up.
A man with white hair and gray eyes stood on the roof of a building.
He leaped and landed in front of Ren.
His presence was overwhelming.
—"Boy…" he said with a grin.
—"I've been watching you ever since you got that knife.
I wanted to see how far you could go.
And from what I saw…"
He smiled.
—"…you really are talented."