Morning light cut through the blinds of a small Shibuya apartment Haruto had claimed—Haruto's old place, untouched since the soul swap. Dust on the shelves. A single bed. A desk with forgotten textbooks.
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the encrypted pager.
The message from Miya still glowed on the screen.
*Guild meeting. 10 AM. Shibuya Branch HQ. Your name came up.*
He hadn't replied.
But he was going.
Not for them.
For answers.
The Guild knew things. About Gates. About anomalies. About people like him—unregistered, too strong, too fast.
He stood, grabbed his black coat, and left.
The Branch HQ was a sleek building disguised as a corporate office—glass facade, no sign. Only hunters knew the entrance: a side door that scanned Aether signatures.
Haruto approached.
No card. No ID.
The door clicked open anyway.
**[Divine Evolution System: Aether signature spoofed. Entry granted.]**
He stepped inside.
Lobby: marble floors, security desk, two B-rank guards who tensed when they saw him.
One raised a hand.
"ID?"
Haruto met his eyes.
The guard blinked.
Then stepped aside.
"Conference room 3. They're waiting."
Haruto walked past without a word.
The hallway was lined with screens showing Gate activity maps. Red dots pulsed across Tokyo.
He pushed open the door to room 3.
Inside: a long table.
Miya sat near the end, katana resting against her chair.
Yuki leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
At the head: a man in his thirties. Short black hair. Sharp suit. Purple eyes that glowed faintly.
Ren Ao.
S-rank.
The dragon hunter.
Ren's gaze locked on Haruto the second he entered.
The air thickened.
Miya stood.
"You came."
Haruto nodded once.
Ren spoke first. Voice low. Calm. Dangerous.
"Haruto Sasaki. Unregistered. Cleared an A-rank Gate shadow boss solo. No signature trace. No party confirmation."
He leaned forward.
"Explain."
Haruto pulled out a chair. Sat.
"No."
Yuki snorted.
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"You think you can walk in here and refuse?"
Haruto leaned back.
"I'm here for information. Not interrogation."
Miya glanced between them.
"Ren… he helped us. He's not an enemy."
Ren ignored her.
"Information has a price."
He tapped the table.
A hologram appeared—footage from the A-rank Gate. Grainy, but clear.
Haruto's silhouette. Tenebrae exploding. The boss erased.
Ren paused the video.
"That power isn't Aether. Not native."
He looked straight at Haruto.
"What are you?"
Haruto's red eyes met purple.
"Someone who came back."
Ren studied him for a long moment.
Then smiled—thin, dangerous.
"Interesting."
He waved a hand.
The hologram vanished.
"We have a problem bigger than you. Multiple unstable Gates opening simultaneously. Patterns suggest… external interference."
Miya frowned.
"External?"
Ren nodded.
"Someone—or something—is forcing Gates. Testing us. Or preparing something worse."
He looked at Haruto again.
"You're an anomaly. But anomalies can be useful."
Yuki stepped forward.
"He's not joining the Guild."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Not asking him to."
He turned back to Haruto.
"Work with us unofficially. Share what you know. In return… we share intel. Resources. And we keep the Guild off your back."
Haruto stayed silent.
Then:
"Show me the patterns."
Ren tapped again.
A map appeared—red dots across Japan. Clusters in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto. Timestamps synced.
Haruto's eyes narrowed.
One dot pulsed differently.
Near the forest where he first woke up.
He recognized the signature.
Not Aether.
Something older.
Something from his world.
The Purge.
He stood.
"I'll think about it."
Ren watched him go.
"Don't think too long."
Haruto left the room.
Miya caught up in the hallway.
"You felt something, didn't you?"
Haruto didn't stop.
"Yeah."
She grabbed his arm—gently.
"Let us help."
He looked down at her hand.
Then at her eyes.
"Maybe."
He pulled away.
"But not today."
He walked out.
The door closed behind him.
Outside, rain threatened again.
Haruto looked at the sky.
The patterns weren't random.
Someone was calling.
From the other side.
And he knew the voice.
Nox.
Or whatever wore his face in this world.
Haruto clenched his fist.
Tenebrae stirred.
"I'm coming."
The city kept breathing.
But the shadows grew longer.