In Aegis.....
3:00 PM
Aegis was like a police station, or a normal investigation office, not particularly special, just as usual, but it was a bit white, and there were many individuals there, among them former hunters working here.
Kuro was currently inside an interrogation room, both his hands shackled with distinctive handcuffs, twice as large as ordinary ones. Kuro was looking ahead at a table while seated. There was a strange circular device with a yellow jewel fixed on it. Both individuals were present here.
The woman had long black hair and was in her twenties, while the man appeared to be in his thirties. He had short, dark brown hair and scars on his face. His appearance looked fierce.
"So, can we begin?" the woman asked.
"How about you start with your name?"
"Kuro," he replied.
"Full name, please," she responded.
"Kuro Lancern," he said.
"And you? Can you tell me your name, or is it confidential since you're an agent here?" Kuro asked.
The other agent looked at Kuro, his expression visibly angry, and he raised his hand, which began to glow.
"It's fine," she spoke, raising her hand to stop him from proceeding with what he was about to do.
"I am Annie Thomson, a senior agent at Aegis," she replied.
"Can you tell me what happened here at the Olson Apartments?"
"Alright, I'll tell you__"
And Kuro, in a millisecond, saw the yellow device glow for a split second, and he saw Annie still smiling as if nothing happened.
"They tried to kill me, and I killed them in self-defense."
"Wait, wait, why did they try__"
"How about you start with how your day began?"
"Fine, if that's what you want."
"First, I woke up."
"And then?" she continued.
"And then I went to a gate."
"A gate? Can you tell me which gate it was?" she asked.
"The Goblin Gate, in the subway, at the intersection near Anton's Clothing Store."
"Okay, at the intersection, near Anton's." Annie wrote down everything he said in a notebook.
"Wait, but according to our information, there were protest waves specifically at that gate. Did you go to that gate?"
"Yes, I was there in the morning. I went hunting," he replied.
"When exactly?" she asked.
"Hmm," Kuro put his hand on his chin, looked up, and thought. "I believe it was after 10... maybe between 10 and 11."
"I see. But how did you manage to disperse the crowd and enter the gate?" Annie asked.
"Oh, there was a soldier who moved them aside for me," Kuro spoke, remembering. "You could say he had unique methods."
"Really?" she replied, skeptical of what he said, looking at him.
"So, you're saying you went to the Goblin Gate, rank F, and came out."
"But what happened to the other crowd__"
"Oh, I made them back off."
They both looked at him, narrowing their eyes.
"Oh, no, I'm not talking about what you're thinking. I used psychological pressure against them, and they backed off willingly," Kuro spoke.
"Really?" she asked, glancing at the device for a second before looking back at him.
"Yes," Kuro replied.
"Oh, that would have been awkward," she spoke, embarrassed.
"Exactly," he answered indifferently.
"So, you're saying these individuals tried to kill you."
"And I defended myself. Yes, that's what I said," he replied.
"But, how should I put this, these individuals were above Goblins__"
"Yes, definitely. These guys were tough in a... special way. Maybe stronger than any Goblin in the gate."
"Mr. Kuro Lancern, these individuals were capable of killing a D-rank hunter. We confirmed a killing case by them."
"The Red Hand?"
"Yes, the Red__"
"Wait, how did you get that information?"
"They told me before I killed them. You know, typical third-rate villain monologue."
"Yes," she replied.
"Did they tell you anything about those... suits? Any information?"
"No, they didn't tell me anything about where they came from. Did those suits belong to you or to H.E.R.O.E.S?" he asked.
"Ah, no, no. It's actually new technology. We don't even know where they got them from. It's not only in New Hades, but in other cities too. Gang members acquired them."
"Have you found out who the creator behind those things is, then?"
"No, we haven't obtained any evidence or lead to reach__"
"Hmm, well, that's strange. Those suits were definitely something special. You need someone with almost unlimited resources and high technology to build something like that," he spoke frankly.
"I mean, looking at how they managed to fight me, despite me being a hunter, they almost succeeded in killing me."
"Yes, we are working on solving this case," she replied.
"How did you manage to kill them?" the man asked.
"And I thought you were playing the role of the bad cop with your constant scowling," Kuro answered, pretending to be surprised.
"Excuse Agent Aaron, he's a man of few words. You could say he faced some... issues and retired as a hunter, and decided to become an agent at Aegis."
"Yeah, every hunter has their own experiences," Kuro replied.
"Speaking of which, we searched for you, but you're not registered with H.E.R.O.E.S. I couldn't find you. May I ask why?" she asked calmly while observing Kuro closely.
"Yeah, that's because I'm not an official hunter with the organization," he replied simply.
"How is that? You are a hunter, but not an official hunter."
"I'm one of those hunters who don't work directly for the organization. Individuals who only care about themselves. I believe they're called 'Lone Wolves' on communication sites."
"Yes, I've heard of them," Annie replied.
"So let me get this straight, Kuro Lancern. You are a hunter."
"Yes," he replied.
"And you killed criminals capable of killing a D-rank hunter. May I know what rank you are?" she asked.
"I don't know."
This time, she looked at him in disbelief, and before she could continue, Aaron interrupted her.
"Answer the question," Aaron spoke angrily.
"No, really, I genuinely don't know my rank. I haven't had my rank assessed."
"You're lying," Aaron refuted Kuro's words.
"You have a lie detector, but you refuse to believe me. Tsk, man, you definitely have some unresolved issues."
"What, how dare you, hey!" Annie spoke, cutting off his exchange with Aaron.
"How do you know we have a lie detector?" she asked, speaking to Kuro seriously.
"Duh, it's obvious. I mean, who would put a device in an interrogation room with a hunter? You expected I might lie, but none of that happened, right?"
They both looked at each other and let out a sigh, then stood up from their chairs.
"That's correct."
"According to the law, Article 21, Paragraph 14 of the Hunter Code, and the evidence at the crime scene, you currently did nothing but defend yourself."
"You are free to go."
"Finally!" Kuro spoke, standing up.
"But not before you fill these out," she spoke, placing a stack of papers in front of Kuro.
Kuro let out a sigh when he saw all of it.
.
.
.
.
"What a day. I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten anything for a while. Let me see... Oh right, there's a barbecue restaurant nearby."
Kuro put a hood over his head to hide his ears and tucked his tail into his pants. He went to the restaurant, came out with a white bag, and sat in a spot near the river.
"Man, I really hate this, but it's the only way to avoid a lot of trouble," Kuro spoke and took out a large sandwich.
"Finally, after all that hassle, it's time to eat__"
"Were you the one behind this?" a man asked, interrupting Kuro's meal.
The man was in his fifties, had some wrinkles, white hair, and was wearing informal black clothes with a hat.
"What now?" Kuro asked annoyed.
"Were you the one behind this?" the man repeated his words.
"Jesus (sigh), I can't know what you're talking about without you being more specific."
"Marco, Andrew," the man spoke with pain.
"Who? Are they receptionists or supermarket employees?" Kuro asked.
"The two you killed. The ones wearing the suits," he replied.
"Killed them? Wait, wait, wait. Are you one of the Red Hand?" Kuro asked, processing it.
"One of them? I am their leader, you mutant," the leader spoke sarcastically and with hatred towards him.
"Ooooh, so it was you?..... I expected something different, like a huge, scary boss, not an old man," Kuro replied.
"That's what many think too," he answered.
"That's a bit disappointing," Kuro spoke.
"Why did you kill them?"
"Why do you think? They tried to kill me, so I killed them. But the person who caused their deaths was you."
"You shouldn't have sent them if you valued their lives so much," Kuro spoke sarcastically.
"Pfft, hahaha, you're right. You're absolutely right," the leader mocked.
"My name is Elbero Sharoni."
"Why are you telling me your name? Are we doing introductions right now?"
"No, because__"
He snapped his fingers, and something resembling a large cylinder emerged from underground, moved towards Elbero, and merged with him. Kuro was surprised.
"It will be....."
The suit merged completely, and he stood before Kuro. The suit was red and shaped like a bloody armored Roman knight holding a large spear.
"The last name you will remember! You animal!" Elbero shouted angrily.
A while ago...
At the Red Hand base
Elbero was standing in front of a screen, shocked, he and his men, when they saw something horrific.
"No! Andrew! Marco!" The leader was shocked when he saw one of his men had photographed their bodies, dead in a gruesome manner.
"How.... how did this happen?!" Elbero asked.
"They fought him, that mutant hunter, and then he...." Barry tried to speak.
"That mutant killed them..." replied one of the gang members.
"That damn mutant, just because he became a hunter, he thinks he's above the law, these people!" one of the gang members shouted angrily.
"How will I explain this to their families!" Elbero spoke with pain while holding his head.
Rrrring!
Rrrring!
A phone ringing sound came from Barry's phone.
"Answer your call, Barry," Elbero spoke, his hand on his head.
"Ah, okay," Barry spoke and picked up his phone, answering.
"Hello?... Excuse me?.... Are you sure?.... Um, boss, he says he wants to talk to you?"
"Who is it?.... You!... What?... Ahem, what do you want?" he asked in a tone.
"I know, they died.....? But if this happens, then.... I know, I will execute it." Elbero hung up.
"Boss, who was that?" Barry asked.
"It was one of those anti-mutant guys.... He wants to expedite things. You all, execute Plan B."
"What, so quickly? But what about you, Boss?" asked one of the gang members.
"I have a little business with this mutant," Elbero spoke threateningly.
...
Back to the present
"Damn, can't you guys give me time to eat?"
"This is rude," Kuro spoke and quickly retreated.
"You are the last one who has the right to talk, you beast," Elbero swung his spear towards him.
"Big words from someone who sends assassins after a boy while hiding like a rat," Kuro spoke and attacked him, but was parried.
"Shut up! This time, I will finish you with my own hands!" Elbero shouted while firing a cannon shot at him.
Kuro dodged the fire, surprised by his actions.
"Watch out! What about the people? Aren't you worried about the lives of the people here?"
"There's no one here to help you, you mutant! I had all my men evacuate everyone living here just so I could kill you!"
"Okey, since you said that," Kuro spoke and his hand transformed into a werewolf's.
When he punched towards his body, Elbero was pushed back twenty steps and felt the punch's power.
"Ridiculous!" Elbero shouted.
"I see now how both Andrew and Marco died at his hands. This bastard uses cunning, despicable methods with sudden attacks," Elbero thought.
"In that case, I'll fight with everything I've got!"
"Activate Omni-suit, maximum hunter output!" Elbero shouted.
Suddenly, the suit glowed yellow and surged towards Kuro like a rocket. Kuro raised his arms and blocked the attack, but Kuro was sent flying high by the punch's force and crashed into a metal billboard wall.
Elbero reached him and threw the spear at him. Kuro retreated at the last second and saw the spear destroy the wall. But his hand glowed, and the spear returned to him quickly. He engaged Kuro, who had no time to counter.
He attacked swiftly, and for the first time, Kuro was wounded, a cut appearing on his body and starting to bleed. Kuro decided to take this seriously, and both fought.
Kuro jumped, transforming his foot into a werewolf leg and kicked. Elbero received the attack with force but punched Kuro in the chest. Kuro was hit, tumbled a few times, and stood up quickly. Elbero had reached him and thrust the spear vertically towards Kuro. Kuro rolled and avoided the attack.
Kuro swung his claws at the suit, but these claws didn't leave any scratches on the suit. Then Elbero charged his arm, used half the suit's energy, and punched him with all his might, sending Kuro flying to crash into the wall of a tall building.
He didn't stop; Kuro crashed into the middle of the building, planted his feet against the wall, and as he tried to get up, Elbero reached him and fought him while Kuro was embedded in the building's wall.
They both moved very fast, clashing several times while ascending to the building's roof. Elbero had the upper hand in the fight, and Kuro was bleeding in various places on his body.
"Damn it, huff, you really don't give me a break."
Before Kuro could finish his words, Elbero rushed at him mercilessly, and with his spear, he grabbed Kuro's spear with both his transformed arms and tried to block it, but that was exactly what Elbero wanted.
"This is for Andrew!"
He opened something like a cannon from his other arm, fired a cannon shot, and Kuro's upper body was completely set on fire. Kuro couldn't be seen because his entire body was engulfed in flames.
"Do you have any last words, mutant?" Elbero asked as he prepared for the final attack.
"Why? Why just me?" Kuro spoke quietly while his body was burning.
"Isn't it obvious? Because you're a monster! A monster like you shouldn't have been born!"
"This is for Marco!"
Elbero shot like an arrow towards Kuro, used the spear, and pierced him. He pierced Kuro's chest with the spear, sending him flying through the air, and let Kuro fall to the ground. Kuro was burning and bleeding as he fell towards a dilapidated building, and the entire building completely collapsed when Kuro fell into it.
"Consider it an end fitting for you, you animal."