After Yamato paid, we stepped outside.
The same guys from before were waiting for us.
This time, they looked a lot more respectful.
A long black luxury car stood beside the road.
One of the men quickly opened the door for us.
"Wow," I muttered while getting in.
"They really switched sides fast."
Yamato smirked slightly.
"Fear changes people."
The drive was silent.
The city lights passed by outside the window while I rested my head against the seat.
Twelve years ago, I was a weak kid running through these streets.
Now…
people were afraid of me.
About half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a massive building.
At the top were three giant letters:
MHA
Monster Hunting Association.
We stepped inside.
The place looked nothing like before.
Bright lights.
Modern halls.
Armed guards everywhere.
"Wow," I said while looking around.
"You've really improved."
"Yeah," Yamato replied.
"The government realized monsters were becoming a serious problem."
A small pause.
"So they gave us money."
We entered an elevator.
Silence filled the ride upward.
Finally—
the doors opened.
The elders' office.
The room looked exactly the same.
Cold.
Quiet.
Heavy.
But the people sitting there—
were different.
The old elders were gone.
New ones had taken their place.
One of them looked directly at me.
"Kyoren Hisakage."
"Yes."
"Please. Sit."
I stayed standing.
"What is it?"
The woman folded her hands calmly.
"We have a proposal for you."
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"The prison maze," she continued,
"was the only reliable way to eliminate monsters."
A pause.
"And now… it's gone."
The room fell silent.
"You destroyed it," another elder said.
"Which means humanity has lost its greatest weapon."
I crossed my arms.
"So?"
The elder leaned forward.
"You are now the only human capable of killing monsters."
Silence.
"We want you to work for us."
"Kill monsters for the MHA."
I looked at them quietly.
Then gave the woman a side-eye glance.
"And in return?" I asked.
The elder answered immediately.
"Anything you want."
For a moment…
I didn't speak.
Then quietly—
"I want acceptance."
The room went silent again.
The elders exchanged looks.
Then the woman spoke.
"So…"
"…is that a deal?"
I looked down at the floor.
Thinking.
Remembering.
The prison maze.
The pain.
The loneliness.
Finally—
I turned around.
"I'll decide later."
And without another word—
I walked out of the room.
Behind me—
the elders stayed silent.
Because for the first time—
they weren't deciding my fate anymore.
I was.