Chapter 81
Now a new pathway slowly opened before his eyes, spiraling into darkness that seemed to stretch forever.
Renji's gaze hardened. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, his armor scorched by the flames of the beasts he had fought. Yet, despite that, a faint grin curved across his lips.
"I knew it…"
His tone was low, almost reverent.
"This place is alive."
He stepped forward, the floor pulsing faintly beneath his boots almost like a heartbeat.
"So you're calling for me, huh?" He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Then I'll gladly accept your invitation."
He moved forward without hesitation.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the air changed.
The thick, suffocating darkness of the first layer dissolved like smoke, and before him unfolded a corridor of light — endless marbles and mirrored walls that reflected his image from every direction.
For a moment, he stood still, bewildered.
The silence was no longer ominous; it was serene.
Almost... holy.
"What is this place…" he whispered.
He touched the surface of one marble wall. It was smooth and cold — almost unnaturally so.
But when his hand brushed against it, faint veins of light ran across his skin.
Renji froze. His palm stung briefly — and then, the ache in his shoulder faded.
He blinked in confusion, watching as the cuts on his arm slowly sealed themselves, flesh knitting together in mere seconds.
He hadn't even used any healing skill.
"What the hell…"
His breathing steadied.
He looked at his hand again, flexing his fingers. The pain was gone. Every muscle felt light, sharper, more attuned.
Lately, his body had begun healing itself — even without command.
My body... It's healing renji said within himself
He could no longer feel the pain on his body anymore even the wounds on his scarred chest healed up instantly!
Then renji remembered the same thing happened with sparring with hiroto
"Regeneration"! Januza you quirky bastard renji said within himself with a smile
London, England.
The skies above the city were clear, painted in hues of blue and gold as sunlight bathed the towering structure at the heart of the capital the World Governing Hunters Body, or WGHB.
It stood like a monument to human defiance, a glass fortress reaching hundreds of meters into the air, its mirrored surface reflecting the clouds. Golden insignias of each major guild were carved into its pillars, while enormous banners fluttered along the courtyard, displaying the crests of nations.
Crowds filled the streets below — civilians, journalists, and spectators from all over the world.
For the first time in history, the Eight Pillars of Humanity were gathering under one roof.
Cameras flashed incessantly.
ENGLAND .... WGHB HEADQUARTERS
A sea of people filled the broad avenues of Westminster.
The headquarters of the World Governing Hunters Body (WGHB) rose like a colossal monument in the heart of London..its sleek silver towers stretching high into the cloudy sky. A massive glass dome crowned the central building, beneath which international flags rippled in the autumn breeze.
Helicopters hovered in the distance, camera flashes painted the air in white bursts. Reporters crowded every entrance, shouting in dozens of different languages.
The most powerful hunters from around the globe were gathering here… and for the first time in history, all eight Pillars of Humanity would stand under one roof.
"Takeda-san… look at the crowd," Hiroto murmured from the black escort car window. His sharp jawline reflected the blue-white lights flashing outside.
Takeda Ryojin leaned back, expression unreadable. His long dark hair brushed against the car seat, his sharp, unblinking eyes glowing faintly like black holes devouring light.
"They're not here for us," Takeda replied softly. "They're here for what's about to begin."
The car came to a halt in front of the marble steps. President Nakamura adjusted his tie, stepping out first with composed authority. Cameras immediately focused on him.
Then came Hiroto Kenzaki, Japan's strongest SS-rank hunter.
But the moment Takeda Ryojin stepped out, the air outside changed.
The crowd gasped. Click-click-click-click—camera flashes went off like machine gun fire. His presence was overwhelming, even without him releasing a single drop of mana. Reporters shouted in English, Japanese, French, Mandarin his name echoed across the plaza like a wave.
"That's him! The Black Hole Pillar!"
"Takeda Ryojin has arrived!"
"The strongest of the Eight Pillars!"
A female reporter, standing on a steel barricade with a mic in hand, trembled with excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen—what we're witnessing is historic! The Pillar of Black Holes, Takeda Ryojin, has just arrived at the WGHB headquarters—flanked by Hiroto Kenzaki and the President of Japan himself! This is the first time in history all eight pillars will be gathered in one place!"
Inside the grand glass atrium, other Pillars were already entering one by one.
A wall of red-armored soldiers heralded Longwei Tian, the Pillar of China—the Pillar of Resurrection. He walked with chilling precision, his every step measured, his golden eyes gleaming.
"Longwei Tian!" someone screamed. The crowd roared louder.
Longwei Tain dressed in a pitched black coat.. crowed by dozens of ss ranked hunters behind him
Next came Marcus Steel, the Pillar of Thunder from the United States. A massive man with lightning tattoos crawling across his forearms, his steps left faint sparks on the polished floor.
Then the others followed like legends walking out of myth:
Elena Warwick – Pillar of Light (England)
Ravi Surya – Pillar of Flames (India)
Erik Falken – Pillar of Frost (Germany)
Lúcio Vasquez – Pillar of Shadows (Portugal)
Felipe Costa – Pillar of Gaia (Brazil)
Eight Pillars. Eight nations. One building.
Never in all of humanity's history had this happened before.
The crowd outside exploded into a frenzy, waving flags, chanting names, while hunters in black and gold uniforms lined the stairs to salute them.
Takeda strode into the building, Hiroto just behind him. President Nakamura walked at their side. Inside, beneath the dome, world leaders and SS-ranked hunters from each country all around the world were already taking their seats at the grand table of the summit.
Far away, in a place untouched by sunlight…
Renji took a step forward.
The marble beneath his feet shifted faintly, humming. His wounds — completely healed now — left no trace of blood.
He remembered Hiroto. That strange day during training, when Hiroto's body had also begun to heal on its own.
He smiled faintly. "Guess I'm not the only one changing, huh."
Then, his eyes narrowed.
The deeper he walked, the more… organized this dungeon became.
The walls were lined with torches that burned with cold blue fire.
No stench of blood.
No chaos.
He could feel monsters nearby .. their mana signatures scattered throughout the layer — but none of them attacked.
They were afraid.
Renji's instincts screamed.
His sensory awareness, sharpened by endless battle, spread across his body like a second skin. He could feel every vibration, every flicker of movement.
But none approached.
"They're… not attacking?" he muttered. "Are they… afraid of me?"
He kept walking. His boots echoed softly against the stone, his reflection shimmering faintly across the marble walls.
The dungeon's air felt… aware. Like it was watching him.
Then he saw it.
A door — enormous, carved from obsidian stone, at least seven feet tall. Strange runes pulsed faintly across its surface, beating like a heart.
Renji stepped closer, his hand brushing against it. The stone was cold — but alive.
"A door?" he whispered.
He placed both hands on it. "Fine then. Let's see what you're hiding."
With all his strength, he pushed. The door groaned open — heavy, ancient, resistant.
And then…
Thud!
From beyond, a cold gust of wind rushed out, carrying the scent of fear.
He froze.
The mana signatures behind him — the monsters began scattering, fleeing in every direction.
"They're running away… not from me…"
His breath hitched.
"They're afraid of what's inside."
He swallowed hard. His heart pounded, but his eyes stayed sharp.
"I'm not afraid," he whispered.
He stepped through.
WHOOSSHH!!!! BREEZE BLOWING...
The door closed behind him — boom — sealing shut with a pulse of mana.
Inside, the air was different. Heavy. Ancient.
It was like stepping into a throne room of a god long forgotten.
What the ??
Two beasts — massive hounds with silver fur — stood at the sides of the chamber, unmoving. Their eyes glowed faintly, yet their bodies trembled.
Renji gazed at the beats..
"A-ranked… and they're scared?" Renji muttered. "What could make them—"!?
Clang.
Footsteps.
A slow, deliberate rhythm that echoed across the hall.
Renji froze. His instincts screamed danger.
The steps grew louder. Closer.
Clang… clang… clang.
Something passed behind him .. cold air brushing his neck.
He didn't even sense it move.
Renji spun around, daggers drawn, mana flaring.
"Who's there!?"
A figure walked out from the shadows — tall, clad in silver armor that gleamed like moonlight.
Long white hair flowed down his shoulders, and his eyes — slit like a dragon's — shimmered gold.
He walked past Renji without a word, the ground trembling slightly beneath each step.
Then, he sat.
Upon the throne at the end of the chamber.
The hounds lowered their heads immediately, tails pressed to the floor.
Renji stared, daggers steady, though his hands trembled slightly.
He couldn't sense a single drop of mana — nothing. The air around the knight was utterly still.
Yet… every instinct in Renji's body screamed.
That thing in front of him wasn't ordinary.
It wasn't human.
The knight leaned back on the throne, eyes meeting his.
For a brief second, Renji felt as though the world itself stopped.
He exhaled, tightening his grip on his blades.
(He's strong…)
The silence stretched between them .. thick, crushing.
And then the knight smiled.
The silence inside the throne hall was suffocating.
It pressed against Renji's chest like invisible chains heavy, cold, alive.
There was no wind. No flicker of life.
Only the soundless beat of his own heart and the ancient stillness that seeped from the shadows.
The hall stretched endlessly, a cathedral carved from obsidian stone.
Pillars lined both sides, each engraved with faded runes that glowed faintly like dying stars. Blue torches burned along the walls, their flames whispering rather than crackling.
And at the far end .. upon a throne sculpted from the same black stone sat a figure.
Still. Silent. Watching.
Renji stood several meters away, daggers in both hands, sweat tracing the side of his face.
That presence… it was suffocating. Not just power , but will. Something ancient enough to make the air itself tremble.
The knight's golden eyes gleamed in the dim light. They did not blink. They didn't waver. They were dragon like .. They simply watched .. piercing through Renji's body, through his mind, as if seeing everything he was and everything he wasn't.
Renji clenched his jaw.
His instincts screamed run.
His muscles screamed don't move.
But his pride refused to yield.
Then, finally, the silence broke.
"Who are you?"
The voice echoed like steel dragged across stone deep, calm, and absolute.
It wasn't a question. It was a judgment.
Renji's throat went dry.
Even speaking felt dangerous, as if words themselves might provoke the being before him.
"...Renji," he said, his voice low but steady. "Renji Kurogane."
The knight tilted his head slightly, the motion slow, deliberate — almost curious.
"Renji... Kurogane."
He repeated the name as though weighing its worth. The blue torches flickered — shadows rippled across the hall and for a moment, Renji thought he saw the faintest curl of a smile beneath the knight's helm.
"Why have you come here?"
Renji straightened his posture, refusing to look away. His heart pounded so violently it drowned the silence around him.
"To conquer this dungeon," he answered. His tone was steady, but his fingers trembled around the dagger hilts.
The knight was still for a moment.
Then a sound came — low, like a laugh hidden beneath armor.
"Conquer this dungeon...?"
A whisper of amusement.
And then — he vanished.
No sound. No motion. Just — gone.
Renji's pupils dilated.
His instincts screamed danger.
He spun around, daggers flashing.
Too slow.
A whisper brushed past his ear, calm and close.
"Show me, then... how you plan to do that, Renji Kurogane."
Renji's breath caught.
Behind me—?!
He pivoted, blades arcing in a cross slash, but the knight's movement was effortless — one hand raised, catching both daggers with a metallic clang.
The force sent a shock through Renji's arms.
And before he could even blink..
Pierce.
Pain bloomed through his chest.
Renji's eyes widened.
He looked down.
A sword — silver, smooth, flawless — had already run him through the heart.
Blood spilled from his lips. The air turned thick.
His vision wavered, the world around him dimming to red and black.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't think.
Everything .. stopped.
"Where are you looking, Renji Kurogane?"
The voice was calm, right beside his ear.
But when Renji looked up again..
The sword was gone.
The knight sat unmoved upon the throne, one hand resting on his chin as if nothing had happened.
Renji's chest ... unscarred. No wound. No blood.
His knees buckled. His breath trembled.
His mind screamed at him that he had died .. he had felt it.
He staggered back, his heartbeat echoing through the empty hall.
"I... I died," he muttered, his voice shaking. "But... how...? What was... that...?"
The knight tilted his head again, golden dragon eyes burning faintly.
What's the matter!?
"We haven't even started yet."
That tone — indifferent, almost bored — made Renji's stomach twist.
He gritted his teeth, forcing his mind to clear. He had fought monsters. He had faced S-ranked beasts. But nothing like this.
This... thing… was beyond even that.
"Who... who are you?" Renji demanded.
The knight leaned back slightly in the throne, one armored finger tapping the armrest rhythmically.
"You're still standing after seeing that? Impressive."!
Then, with a tone as casual as a sigh:
"Kill him."
Renji barely had time to move.
One of the massive hounds lunged from the shadows — claws glinting, fangs flashing.
The floor cracked beneath its weight as it charged.
Renji stepped sideways, twisting on instinct — the dagger flashed once.
Slash!
The beast's throat opened in a single, clean cut. It collapsed before it could roar, body dissolving into black mist.
The other hound froze, trembling, eyes flicking toward its master in silent fear.
Renji exhaled slowly, lowering his stance, daggers still ready.
"I'll ask again," he said through gritted teeth. "Who the hell are you?"
A soft, low chuckle.
The knight's laugh echoed faintly against the cold stone.
"The fact that you took down my hound in an instant means you're either S-ranked... or SS-ranked."
Renji blinked.
Those words ( S-ranked? SS-ranked?)
The system used by hunters.
How did this being know about that?
(That's... impossible. Monsters shouldn't know the classification system...)
His grip on his weapons tightened.
The knight stood slowly.
The sound of shifting armor filled the room ..heavy, deliberate.
Every step the knight took made the ground itself vibrate faintly.
"You wish to know who I am?" he said, voice low, resonant.
He took a single step forward .. and the air pressure changed instantly.
Dust rose off the ground, floating like drifting stars in the blue light.
Renji's breath hitched.
"It's pointless," the knight said softly. "You're not leaving this place alive."
A gauntleted hand reached behind him.
Metal whispered against metal shhhk .....as he drew his sword.
The blade gleamed faintly, pure and silver, yet darker at its edge ..a weapon that seemed to hum with restrained violence.
"Draw your weapons, Renji Kurogane."
Renji's heartbeat thundered in his ears. His arms tensed. He lowered his stance, daggers raised, eyes fixed on the enemy before him.
The knight's golden eyes glowed brighter .. a cold, ancient light.
"Come at me."
The torches flickered violently, their blue flames twisting like shadows caught in wind.
The very air felt like it would shatter.
Two figures one man, one ancient nightmare — faced each other beneath the hollow throne of the abyss.
Renji exhaled once, calm but trembling.
(He's... on a different level... but I can't back down now.)
His body shifted slightly, feet sliding into his stance.
And for a heartbeat ... everything was still.
A drop of sweat hit the ground.
Then ....
They moved.
Light. Sound. Impact.
The clash of steel roared through the hall, shaking its walls. Sparks exploded in bursts of blue and white. Renji's daggers struck against the knight's blade again and again each blow heavier than the last.
Renji's body screamed with pain from the vibrations alone. His arms numbed instantly.
(He's— strong—! Every strike is like being hit by a truck!)
The knight's movements were effortless elegant, terrifyingly precise.
Every swing, every parry, felt practiced for centuries.
Renji ducked under a slash, countered, then leaped backward, his breath ragged. His mana surged through his veins as he channeled reinforcement through his limbs.
He blurred forward again — his daggers shining with violet light.
"—Haaa!"
He struck, twin blades slicing in a cross-arc.
The knight raised his sword.
CLANG!
The force threw Renji backward, skidding across the floor.
He caught himself mid-slide, panting, his daggers trembling in his grip.
The knight didn't even move from his spot.
"Too slow."
His voice was calm not mocking, just true.
Renji gritted his teeth. His hands bled from the force of impact, but he didn't care.
He took another stance.
This time, he wouldn't rely on speed alone.
He could feel it the rhythm of the fight, the way the knight's steps resonated through the stone floor.
He had to read it ..to feel it.
The knight shifted slightly, sword at his side, almost casual.
"You fight with spirit. But spirit alone cannot pierce the abyss."
The words came like a warning .. yet a challenge.
Renji smirked faintly.
"That's fine," he said. "I'll pierce it anyway."
The knight's eyes narrowed. The faintest glimmer of respect flashed in his gaze.
"Then show me."