ch1-ch20 · 001-ch1

Chapter 1: Awakening

This is a work of fiction. It has no relation whatsoever to real people, place names, organizations, or events.

『――The World Clock is now down to 26 hours, approximately one day. Akayama Town is already seeing a large presence of Hunters.』

In a dimly lit room, a morning news program was playing. The broadcast showed people dressed in flashy outfits that looked like they were at an anime cosplay convention.

『The brave figures of the Hunters protecting Japan. Inagaki-san, they're truly reassuring, aren't they?』

『They are. Oh, I can see Hunter Kunimori Ren too. I'm actually a fan of his. He's still a rookie, but the way he fights really stirs a man's sense of romance, you know?』

『He's got real star quality. With Hunter Kunimori joining, Japan now has 12 S-Rank Hunters. That ties with Germany for 4th in the world――』

The screen went black with a snap.

Someone rolling over had apparently smacked the remote.

"Mmgh... mm... huh, morning already...?"

I hate the morning sun. I still wanna sleep.

Five hours of sleep. That's on the better side for me, but the fatigue hasn't worn off at all.

Turn on the TV and it's the morning news. Lately it's been nothing but coverage of the "World Clock." Famous Hunters this and that, Awakeners gather for your country! — it's all the same stuff.

I sluggishly drag myself up, grab a bag from the table, and read the text on the back.

"...Alright, still edible."

I bite into the expired bread. No need for butter or jam. As long as it fills my stomach, that's fine. Honestly, I'd rather spend the time spreading stuff on sleeping.

Ah, what a hollow bachelor life, this corporate slave existence.

Most of my friends have gotten married and started families. A few of them Awakened and became high-earning "Hunters."

No prospects and no "Awakening" to speak of — am I like this expired bread?

Wait, hold on... if I chew it properly, there's a faint hint of flavor... Yeah, it's still fine. As long as the consumption date hasn't passed, there's still hope for me too...

"Tomorrow, huh..."

I murmur as I absentmindedly watch the news.

One day until the World Clock hits zero... yet it doesn't feel real, like it's something happening in another country. In reality, I'll probably go to work tomorrow as usual.

The "World Clock," "Awakening," and "Hunters."

Five years ago, giant whole clocks suddenly appeared in the skies over countries around the world. Some important person named them the World Clock.

Origin unknown, indestructible. Research institutions launched investigations but couldn't even determine the material. People could only watch the eerie countdown.

And then — the moment the second hand struck zero, 57 towns and cities around the world vanished.

No, to be precise, they were destroyed.

The clock doors opened, and what emerged were nightmare-like monstrous creatures. Their claws tore through steel, weapons had no effect, and they devoured people. The ravaged towns were dyed in blood, and the world was on the brink of collapse — or so everyone thought, until a change occurred in humanity.

Awakening.

Suddenly, chosen people gained supernatural powers. In the blink of an eye, they struck down the monsters and became saviors.

Someone said, "They are hunters."

And so, the Awakeners called Hunters continued to be born day and night, and they continue fighting to protect the world even now.

『――If the defense fails, it would be a catastrophe.』

『But Japan has succeeded in every defense since the World Clocks started opening. Isn't that track record of success precisely what leads to the optimism?』

『And that's exactly the dangerous mindset. Didn't it happen the year before last? A certain country failed their defense, and even our country, which responded to their call for reinforcement, suffered tremendous damage. The point is, nothing is absolute. That's why I've always been urging caution――』

The announcer and the expert were engaged in a heated debate. Pretty heavy stuff for the morning.

Peace continues because strong Hunters exist. But it's a life-risking job, and if people quit or get poached by other countries, the nation falls. So the idea is: pay big money, gather them, and nurture them. That's the gist of it.

"Well, working at a black company is pretty much risking your life too."

It's wrong to even compare the two, but come on, let me have this one. I'm burning my life away for this modest lifestyle.

I stand in front of the bathroom sink to brush my teeth.

Hmm, this unremarkable face is unmistakably Maeda Hagane, 25, single. Once again today, I remain one of the "Have-Nots."

If I could just Awaken, I'm sure I could change my life — holding onto that belief, let's get through another day while keeping my sanity intact.

By the way, Awakening apparently starts completely at random, with no warning. I recently saw on the news that a 98-year-old grandmother Awakened, which means talent lies dormant within every human being regardless of age.

But... even if this almost-thirty-year-old Awakened, could I actually save the world? Do I even have that kind of courage?

"No way no way no way, total snail――"

I'll say it again: Awakening begins spontaneously.

Accompanied by a strange electronic buzz and a game-like window.

『Congratulations』

『You have Awakened』

『Skill acquired: Descent Arts』

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"How many times do I have to tell you before it gets through your thick skull!? Hah!?"

Drenched in my department head's precious words of wisdom, I typed away at my keyboard as usual.

Why did I come to work even after Awakening? Because if you draw the "dud," you can't become a Hunter. The same old daily life was waiting for me.

"(At least until I get a detailed examination, I shouldn't quit impulsively... right?)"

The first thing an Awakener needs to do is get a detailed examination.

This has to be done at a specialized facility, so I sneak a look at the website during a break to find the nearest one.

"(Looks like there's one near the station.)"

Close enough to stop by on the way home. Fortunately, I've got a half-day off today, so I can leave after lunch.

By the way, the department head is apparently furious that I took a half-day, even though I submitted the request in advance. What am I supposed to do about that?

What's more on my mind than the department head is the skill itself.

That's because a skill called "Descent Arts" returns absolutely zero results no matter how much I search.

"MA-E-DA-KUN!?"

Either way, let's focus on work for now.

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The detailed examination venue was surprisingly empty. Were there any customers? Or even staff?

At the reception desk inside the white-themed building, a blond youth who looked about as motivated as a wet napkin was scrolling through his phone and chewing gum.

Looking around, he was the only one there. Reluctantly, I approached him.

"Uh, hello. I'd like to get a detailed examination. Can I do that now?"

"...Appointment?"

"Oh, sorry. I don't have one."

"Tch... whatever, go ahead."

Thanking the blond kid for accommodating me without an appointment despite his sloppy attitude, I walked forward as instructed. He told me to stand in the center of a circle with geometric patterns drawn inside it, deep inside a spacious white box-like room.

Once I stood there, the blond kid operated some machinery on the other side of the glass.

Whirr... beep beep, beep beep.

After a sound like an alarm clock on its last legs, he waved his hand lazily. "Alright, you're done―"

Huh? That's it?

"Here you go. G-Rank examination results and certification."

"G-Rank..."

G-Rank. The lowest rank among Awakeners.

The blond kid stared at me intently.

"I haven't even Awakened and I was F-Rank, you know."

Don't twist the knife!!

I didn't need to know that!!

Rank is basically a "visualization of a person's overall stats," and even among Awakeners, it's not uncommon to be weaker than an ordinary person... Actually, correction. I haven't really heard that much. Weaker than someone who hasn't even Awakened? Seriously?

"H-hold on a sec. What about my skill? The skill?"

I called out to stop him as he tried to leave. The blond kid scratched his head roughly and asked, "Skill name?" so I told him "Descent Arts."

After tapping at something, the blond kid soon said――

"No data on that. Well, going by the name, it's probably a summoning type, something like Summoning Arts."

"Hoh, Summoning Arts."

What the blond kid explained about Summoning Arts was as follows:

① You can call forth messengers from another world and form contracts to borrow their power.

② Since they materialize using the contractor's energy as nourishment, they don't die and don't need food. Even if they disappear, they can be re-summoned.

③ The rules governing who gets summoned are unknown, but the more combative the caster, the more powerful the entity that tends to be called (all the high-ranking summoners among Hunters show this tendency).

"So in any case, I've gotta try summoning first! Having something fight in my place sounds great."

"Yeah, but don't expect your rank to go up after summoning. If your aptitude is G-Rank, then a G-Rank summon will show up. A Tosa dog would probably be stronger."

"Was that really necessary to say?"

Why is this kid so savage?

Well, whatever the case, I'm glad I came in for the detailed examination. At least now I can live without harboring weird expectations like "I've got hidden power! Once I Awaken, it's instant reversal!" Sob.

The blond kid handed me a metal card about the size of a credit card. It was painted black with a big G engraved on it.

"So here's your certification. If you're gonna be a Hunter, you'd go to the Association and get a license, but that doesn't seem relevant so I'll skip the explanation."

"Ah, right..."

The certification I received had my name, date of birth, and address listed alongside the rank. It's just a form of ID. The "license" he mentioned is where the real benefits are packed, but that's probably not relevant to me.

"Awakeners who don't become Hunters are required to have a power limiter, but I don't think a G-Rank needs one, so you're good without."

"Ah, right..."

"So, are we done? My part-time shift's almost over."

Hey! This kid's a part-timer!!

That explains the overwhelming lack of motivation... but is it really okay to have a part-timer handling all these official procedures!?

Without waiting for my response, the blond kid disappeared into the back of the facility. Seeing him off with a sliver of unease, I left the facility.

◇◆◇◆◇

Certification in hand, I wandered aimlessly through the early afternoon streets.

"G-Rank, huh..."

Coming in fired up thinking I might be able to quit my job, only to get this... honestly, it's a big letdown.

I've heard that Hunters aren't considered combat-capable until E-Rank. Just like that blond guy who said he was F-Rank despite not being Awakened, F and G-Ranks aren't much different from ordinary people.

In other words, guilds won't hire me.

Quitting the company and living the high life as a high-earning Hunter... just a dream within a dream.

"...If a pet's gonna descend anyway, might as well use it now and put an end to my rosy Hunter life plan."

At this point, I'm past caring. Let's just go for it.

Fortunately, my apartment is pet-friendly, so I just need to submit paperwork to the property management (as long as it's not too big). If it's a pet that doesn't die, even a corporate slave can keep one.

I thought to myself, "I want to use Descent Arts."

Then, text floated up before my eyes.

『Find the shining pure-white cat』

Huh? What does that mean?

Wasn't a messenger from another world supposed to appear? Are there steps to this? This isn't what I heard... was that advice just made up?

"But 'shining' on top of 'pure-white'... what's that about?"

A glossy coat might appear to shine, but can you really call that "shining"? Or if there's actually a cat that glows like a fluorescent light... oh, there it is.

On a bench bathed in dappled sunlight, beside a woman reading a book, a single cat sat neatly — and our eyes met.

The cat was faintly wrapped in light, clearly different from an ordinary cat.

"Are you the shining pure-white cat?"

"Meow!"

At my question, the white cat cried out happily and came running toward me with nimble steps. Then, with a leap, it bounded into my chest, purring delightedly and rubbing its face against mine.

"Hafuu... too cute..."

Awakening, Hunters, whatever.

If this little one greets me when I get home, all the exhaustion from work would just melt away.

Long live Skills! Long live Descent Arts!!

The white cat was shedding tears almost theatrically. It must really like me... having animals take a liking to you is wonderful.

That said, this cat is clearly special, but it could belong to the woman sitting on the same bench. I should ask just in case.

"Excuse me. This little one... it's not your cat or anything, right?"

I asked while petting the white cat in my arms.

The woman looked up at me suspiciously, then asked, "Cat? What cat?"

Could it be... she can't see it?

The woman left the spot looking uncomfortable. Sorry for interrupting your reading, but she didn't have to look at me like I was some kind of freak...

"Wanna come to my place?"

I asked just to confirm.

The pure-white cat gave a happy "Meow."

I started walking home, thinking I'd need to give it a name. Once I get back, I'll ask the apartment management company for a pet registration form, and then I'll just laze around.

Tomorrow at noon, the World Clock hits zero, but my company is business as usual. A corporate slave's routine never changes. Tough world.

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