ch1-ch20 · 014-ch14

Chapter 14: Re-examination

"Koh! Are you okay!?"

"Sis, wh—!"

The moment we arrived at the examination site, my sister hugged me. Today seems to be a day for lots of hugs.

"Sorry, some interference got in the way, so I couldn't get there right away."

"I-it's okay. Momose-san came for me."

My sister then gently pulled Lumiel close and hugged her tightly too.

"Akira, do you like hugs?"

"Ah, well, my emotions just kind of exploded..."

My sister pulled away, looking a little embarrassed, and bowed deeply to Momose-san. Momose-san just raised a hand lightly with a warm smile.

Then, raising her head, my sister glared sharply at Narashima the Hunter.

"You really went out of your way to pull some annoying strings. Thanks to that, I couldn't make it in time."

"I was just covering my bases. Never thought you'd actually come back... hey, what happened to our Akisame-kun?"

"Who knows? He's probably entering the atmosphere by now."

"Oi oi, you didn't kill him, did you..."

So that's how it was — he gathered evidence, directly recruited me, and sent an assassin to keep my sister busy at the same time. Thorough planning.

Looking closely, I could see small injuries and dirt on my sister's body. There might have been a fight.

Noticing my gaze, my sister turned around and gave a shy smile. That smile almost made me tear up again.

"F-fights between Hunters are prohibited. If Kunimori the Hunter initiated it, she could face appropriate charges..."

When one of the suited men nervously asked, my sister shot him a cold glare.

"What about state power? I care more about my little brother and Lumiel than the fate of the country. I don't give a damn if I get arrested or whatever."

"If you think there's a cage that can hold me, I'd like to see you try," she added coolly, flicking her hair aside. The suited man was overwhelmed into silence.

Sis is way too cool.

My sister's gaze shifted back to Narashima the Hunter.

"Claiming Draft Rights while pressuring him with 'your only path is the Hunting Dogs Guild' — isn't that pretty shabby? That's a blatant abuse of authority."

"We weren't forcing him. And in the end, you guys outmaneuvered us anyway."

"'In the end,' my ass—!"

"Alright, alright. This matter has settled peacefully for now, so let's call it good, shall we?"

Momose-san stepped in as mediator, and things calmed down, but until we entered the detailed examination room, my sister and Narashima the Hunter remained completely silent.

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When we entered the examination area, the place had a tense atmosphere.

Back in Aoba Town, it was just the blond part-timer alone, but this time, over a dozen staff members were waiting with nervous expressions.

The difference in treatment was so stark I almost wondered if it was really the same organization.

"I assume you've been notified, but can you run the tests on this person now?"

"Y-yes, sir!"

Whether it was because Narashima the Hunter was intimidating them, the staff's voice cracked.

The venue bustled with preparation activity.

I called out to my sister, who was waiting nearby.

"Hey, I want to ask something first."

"What?"

"I've already taken the exam once before. Should Lumiel be the one taking it this time?"

Lumiel looked up at me with interest.

Last time, I was examined before activating Descent Arts, and I was judged G-Rank. In other words, Lumiel is the main event, and I'm basically just the sidekick.

"You'll both be examined."

The answer came from Narashima the Hunter instead.

"If you take Summoning Arts as an example, the summoner's aptitude and the summoned beast's strength are proportional, so normally testing just one side is fine. But it's obvious just by looking that this kid's magic power is insane. This time's a special case."

I see.

"Thank you for waiting! Preparations are complete. Please enter through here."

Rows of staff on both sides of the door bowed simultaneously. It was like being treated like a company president. Compare that to last time — the blond part-timer chewing gum (I'm still not over it).

Lumiel and I stepped forward.

Behind us, my sister, Momose-san, and Narashima the Hunter followed.

"Hey, why are you coming too?"

"Hey hey, I gotta make sure."

"Says the guy who's definitely still gunning for them."

Narashima the Hunter muttered, "Of course I haven't given up," then said seriously:

"If something happens, the more people who can fight, the better."

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The interior structure was exactly the same as the facility in Aoba Town.

A geometric-patterned circle sat behind a glass wall.

"First, Maeda Hagane-sama, please step forward."

"Got it. Sis, look after this one."

"Ah, yeah."

I left Lumiel with my sister and strode confidently to the center of the circle.

I'm mentally prepared.

After all, I was only a weakling until before I activated my skill. As the master of Lumiel, who can close a World Clock solo, I should be far from ordinary now.

SNS will probably blow up with "Japan's 13th S-Rank born." I'll be swamped with interview requests for a while. If my face gets out, I can't go to the company anymore. Walking around town, I'll get recognized like a celebrity, and people will pressure me to become a Hunter—

Whirrr... beep-beep, beep-beep.

After a sound like a dying alarm clock, the staff member said, looking puzzled, "The results are out."

Huh? It's already over?

"G-Rank."

Same as before!!

"Ah, got it. Step aside, please."

The sudden change in treatment is harsh!!

As I trudged back, Momose-san gave me a look of pity (I imagine).

So I really am still trash-tier myself. I'm just a parasite on Lumiel...

My sister took Lumiel's hand and approached.

Lumiel looked a little anxious.

"Go ahead and take Lumiel in."

"Oh, uh, is it okay if I go with her?"

"It should be fine. I don't think your presence or absence will affect the test results."

Everyone's so mean!!

That's right, I'm below even the unawakened blond kid in magic power.

I walked into the circle with Lumiel.

She was looking up at the lights with great interest.

When I gave a thumbs up, the staff member nodded slightly.

Whirrr... zzzzt... bzzt... BOOM!!

"Whoa!"

"What!?"

The testing machine sparked and exploded.

Panicked staff members rushed to the machine, while others came running at the sound.

"Th-the measuring device is throwing an error! I-I've never seen anything like this!"

"But this device can measure even S-Rank magic power!?"

"Check if the backup unit works, now!"

The venue erupted into chaos.

Momose-san approached, looking taken aback.

"Amazing. Or should I say, as expected? At the least, S-Rank is confirmed."

"Is that so? Couldn't it just be a malfunction..."

"It's possible, but unlikely. The backup machine will probably break too. Trying would be a waste of time. Unless we go to Akayama Town, I suppose."

After that, a re-test with the backup device → another destruction led to the announcement that this facility would be out of commission for a while. Momose-san watched the whole thing with an expression that said "I told you so."

"This is beyond imagination. You're reporting this, right?"

At my sister's words, Narashima the Hunter nodded quietly.

"...We're truly lucky this one was born in Japan. The world's power balance is about to shift."

It sounded like an exaggeration, but my sister and Momose-san just stared at Lumiel with serious expressions. The girl in question, meanwhile, was obliviously sucking on snacks her coworkers had given her.

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