Jiro smiled, like he'd heard a joke. "Heh heh. Not happening." He didn't flinch. "And even if you think you can make me—" He stepped forward, close enough that Raito could see the light in his eyes. "—defeat me, I'll stand my ground. The last time we fought, I was holding back. This time I won't. I'll go full throttle. No more defense."

Raito and Jiro stood there, staring at each other in silence. The air between them was heavy.

Raito finally broke it. "If I keep talking to you, I'll burn out. So tell me—what do you want?"

Jiro smiled faintly. "Oh, finally. You're willing to listen, huh? That's good. What I'm about to say might interest you."

Raito's eyes narrowed. "If it's something I can do, I'll do it. But if it's something I can't—trust me—I'll get that phone from you, no matter the cost."

Jiro chuckled. "Relax. You said you can't join a Hunter Guild, right? I'm not asking you to. I'm offering you something better. Work for me—personally."

Raito's brow furrowed. "Work for you?"

"I'll give you a fake ID, a new name, everything you need. You'll move out of that rundown house you live in and start fresh," Jiro said smoothly. "I'll send you missions directly. Dangerous ones, yes—but profitable."

"What kind of missions?" Raito asked.

"Well, you already know there are different kinds of hunters," Jiro explained. "Some hunt monsters, protect civilians, sell cores… the noble kind. But others use their power to oppress weaker hunters, rob, or work with underground organizations. I deal with both sides."

Raito stayed silent.

"I'll give you a contract," Jiro continued. "You can come to my house tomorrow if you agree. I'll make sure you receive five million yen every month. No matter what, you'll be paid. But—" He smirked. "—whatever you do, the glory and public credit will go to me. You'll get the money, I'll get the fame. Deal?"

Raito's mind went blank for a moment.

Five million yen a month? That's enough to change my life… But still—can I trust him? He'll give me a fake ID, a new life… If my face is already on TV, this might be the only way to hide.

Should I accept? he wondered.

"You can take as long as you want to decide," Jiro said calmly. "Even tomorrow. And about that dungeon you cleared—I know you took down that A-rank monster. Sell me its core. I'll give you a good price."

Raito glanced at him. "I'll think about it," he said flatly.

Jiro smiled, stepping forward and handing him a small card. "Here. My address is there. Call me—or come yourself. Then we can sign the contract."

He turned and walked away, hands in his pockets.

Raito stood there for a moment, staring at the Chimera's massive body beside him. He extended his hand toward it.

"Inventory," he muttered. A faint light surrounded the corpse, and it vanished into his storage space.

Raito exhaled softly.

He had just finished storing the Chimera's corpse when he heard someone call out.

"Raito!"

He turned, startled. "Aiko? Wait—what are you doing here?"

Aiko crossed her arms, frowning. "What do you mean what am I doing here? You're the one who suddenly disappeared after the raid. Everyone said you went off alone again."

Raito rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah… well, it's nothing. Nothing important."

Good. She didn't hear what Jiro and I were talking about, he thought with relief.

But Aiko's gaze didn't soften. "Is it true, Raito? When I woke up, my classmates told me—you defeated the King Ogre, right? And you took down over eighty goblins in less than four minutes!"

Raito froze. Damn it… so they told her. He sighed inwardly. I shouldn't have shown off like that. Now she knows.

He met her eyes and said quietly, "Yeah. It's true."

For a moment, they just stared at each other in silence. Then Aiko smiled faintly. "I finally did it too, Raito. I manifested my power."

Raito blinked in surprise. "You… manifested?"

Aiko nodded proudly. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Finally. I was so worried you wouldn't awaken yours yet—but I was wrong. I'm so proud of you."

Before he could react, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Raito stood there, stunned, before slowly returning the embrace.

After a moment, Aiko stepped back, wiping her eyes with a shy laugh. "Sorry, I just… I'm really happy."

Raito smiled softly. "Come on, Aiko. Let's head back."

Aiko glanced around. "That might not be easy. Taxis probably aren't running—monsters appeared everywhere earlier. But I heard other hunters already took care of them."

"We'll still need a ride," Raito said.

Aiko tilted her head. "Unless you've got a better idea?"

Raito chuckled faintly. "Maybe I do." He looked at her seriously. "Sis… I know it's weird, but can I get one more hug?"

Aiko smiled gently. "You're such a strange little brother. Sure."

She wrapped her arms around him again.

Raito whispered, "Hold on tight."

"Why?" Aiko asked, confused.

Raito grinned. "Just hold on tight, sis. Activating—Flight."

A soft blue light surrounded them as their feet lifted off the ground.

Aiko gasped. "W-what's going on!?"

Raito held her close. "Relax. We don't need a taxi anymore," he said with a smirk as they rose into the sky.

As they rose higher, the wind rushed past them.

Raito kept his arms tight around Aiko as they glided above the rooftops.

Aiko's eyes were wide in disbelief. "W-wow… I can't even see the ground anymore."

She looked around, awestruck. "Raito, I never expected this… You're actually amazing."

Raito didn't slow down. "Hold on tight, Aiko. I'm going to fly a little higher," he said, his voice steady against the wind.

"Higher?!" she yelped, clutching his shoulders.

"Yeah," Raito replied, focusing ahead. "If we stay low, people might see us and think a human is flying. I'd rather not attract attention."

Aiko blinked at him, half‑terrified, half‑impressed. "You really don't do anything halfway, do you?"

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