A man appeared—his figure becoming visible as the energy cloak broke. He wore a long jacket, long hair tied loosely behind him.

Raito recognized him immediately.

Shōta… one of the popular S‑rank hunters.

Raito stepped closer.

"So. You. Why have you been following me? Do you have business with me? Because I don't know you."

Shōta lifted his hands casually.

"No need for formalities. You're strong—very strong. I saw the news, and not just that. The night you jumped off the hospital window from the highest floor… I was there. Watching."

Raito's expression tightened.

"I tried to tail you," Shōta continued. "But you vanished without a trace before I could even see your face. Later, I was with a friend of mine—someone you know already. Jiro."

Raito's eyes sharpened.

Shōta smirked.

"We were talking, then he stepped aside to make a call. I listened. He wanted to meet you. Right after we watched the CCTV footage together. His reaction… made me suspicious. Like he knew something about you. So here I am."

Raito exhaled slowly.

"So you were the one. I sensed your aura faintly yesterday, but I didn't care. Weak presences that can't harm me… I ignore them."

Shōta frowned.

"You tailed me all the way from my apartment. And I know your ability. You can control monsters—send them to cause disasters if you want. But the public doesn't know… you can also do that to humans."

The air grew colder.

"You controlled Jiro," Raito said calmly. "He almost clashed with me because of you."

Shōta's expression didn't change.

"I'm not going to do anything about that," Raito continued, voice steady. "I'll let it slide. As long as you don't tell anyone about me."

Shōta scoffed.

"Are you out of your mind? What makes you think I won't say anything? I don't know what trick you used to clear that dungeon. You definitely didn't do it alone. Something helped you."

He pointed at Raito.

"I can tell you're strong—S‑rank level. But still not my level."

Raito's aura flickered dangerously.

"Well… is that so?" Raito whispered. "So you're going to tell people about me?"

He stepped forward.

"Then you'll just have to die."

Are you for real?" Shota scoffed. "There's no way a small fry like you can kill me."

Raito ignored the taunt.

Before anything starts… those cameras.

He glanced around the street.

CCTV on the poles.

CCTV on the agent's office.

Cameras everywhere.

I have to destroy every single footage. I won't let the same thing happen again.

Raito pointed at the camera in front of the agency building.

A beam of compressed flame shot from his fingertip—

BOOM—

The camera melted instantly.

In a blur, he appeared at the next one—then the next—obliterating every camera in the area in seconds.

Shota's eyes widened.

"What… what are you doing?"

Raito turned toward him slowly, aura rising like a storm.

"I'm making sure there's no CCTV footage of us fighting… or of me killing you. Because now I've decided—your head is coming off."

Shota grinned, pulling out a short knife.

"Well then… try your best—if you think you can."

He raised his hand—and vanished in a burst of speed.

Raito reacted instantly.

Shota leapt, blade slashing down toward him—

CLANG!

Raito blocked with the broken remains of his dagger. Sparks exploded.

He shoved Shota back with raw strength, then dashed forward, purple aura roaring around him.

Raito aimed straight for Shota's neck.

Shota ducked, spinning behind him, launching a back kick into Raito's ribs—

but it did nothing.

Raito didn't even flinch.

Shota's eyes trembled.

Still, he charged again, leaping high into the air, twisting his body mid‑flight as he aimed a crushing heel straight for Raito's face.

Faster. Stronger. Deadlier.

But—

Raito casually lifted one hand.

GRAB.

He caught Shota's ankle without effort.

"What—?!"

With a single arm, Raito threw him like a rag doll, sending Shota crashing through the air.

Shota spun, rolling mid‑air like a trained assassin, landing cleanly on both feet.

He exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Wow… you're actually impressive. I didn't expect someone like you to be this fast."

Raito took one step forward—

the ground cracked beneath his foot.

"Well… you're not impressive at all," he said calmly.

"You're just as weak as I expected."

Is this the best you can do?" Raito asked calmly, brushing dust from his sleeve.

"Are you not even going to use a skill on me? Because if we keep fighting like this… it's just a waste of time."

Shota's brows twitched.

"What… what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," Raito replied, eyes glowing faintly purple, "that you're going all out… and I'm not even using half my strength."

A vein popped on Shota's forehead.

"Bastard," Shota hissed. "You're so confident… but I'll say the same to you. A few minutes from now, you'll be lying dead at my feet."

Raito tilted his head.

"Well… that's only if you can manage to kill me."

"Tch. We'll see about that."

Shota burst forward—

BOOM—

the asphalt cracked from the force of his sprint.

He appeared in front of Raito instantly and drove his fist into Raito's stomach with everything he had.

THUD—

Raito's body moved back…

…3 centimeters.

Raito looked down at the fist buried in his abdomen, then raised his eyes with a bored expression.

"…Is that the best you can do?"

Shota's eyes widened in disbelief.

"If that's your full power," Raito said, grabbing Shota's wrist with two fingers, "then this is going to be really disappointing."

"You bastard!" Shota yelled, leaping back. He moved his hand in a blur, jumping again as he looked down in disbelief.

How the hell is he keeping up with my speed? Not only that… it feels like he has the upper edge against me even if I go all out. Damn it. I'll just have to use my skill.

Shota rushed forward.

He is he's S‑rank… I just fully confirmed that. I'm also S‑rank. But he's not just S‑rank— right no one his above me.

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