Hunter Of The Six Realms

Chapter 17

Kaizen's jaw clenched tighter.

"Who?," he asked slowly, as if tasting the words. "Why would someone do something so cruel? Kill innocent people because they fear the birth of one child?" His voice held pain, pain he never expected he could feel over people he never even met.

"The rulers of the other four realms made that decision hoping it would end the circle."

Kaizen exhaled, hard.

His breath hitched as a wave of emotion rushed through him, but he pushed it down. It was all in the past, no need to get upset over what had already happened. Besides, it's not like he had the power to take revenge for his dead parents.

"…Then what happens now?"

The man's eyes lit faintly.

"I'll help you awaken your powers. One element at a time."

Kaizen hesitated. "And you said… ice first?"

"Yes."

Kaizen didn't move.

Then finally, after a long moment, he looked up.

"…Fine."

He stepped forward,

"I'm really curious, if I actually have that power you talked about."

—

In a dim chamber, six figures sat in silence around a stone-carved table.

The walls were lined with runes that pulsed faintly, casting the space in an eerie blue hue. Each figure wore a mask, ornate, custom to their realm. Flames etched into crimson metal. Frost sculpted in white crystal. One bore the deep swirl of the water realm, another, cracked stone etched like shifting earth. The others remained untouched by symbols, but their presence was no less commanding.

Only their eyes glowed through the narrow slits of their masks, and none of them spoke for several seconds.

Finally, the one with the frost mask leaned forward.

"…Two left," he muttered. "We need two more cores."

The flame-masked figure shifted. "Then we're close."

"Closer than ever," said the water-masked one. "But you lost one, didn't you?"

A cold breath followed. "Crimson Dusk interfered. One of my subordinates got sloppy."

"The last raid," another voice muttered. "There were no survivors...you this it's her doing?"

"The issue hasn't been officially reported yet, but I'm sure its her doing, that was definitely her," the frost-mask replied. "Just what exactly was her motive this time?"

A pause.

"She," the earth-masked one started. "As long as she keeps helping us, we won't interfere with whatever fun she decides to have."

Tension briefly filled the room.

They all knew who they were talking about and what exactly she was capable of.

She wasn't one of them. She didn't belong to their cause. She had no loyalty to their goals, only a hunger. For battle. For blood. For a worthy fight.

"She agreed to help us, but we all know she doesn't care about what happens or who dies," said another, the voice tinged with disgust. "All she wants is that we find someone… strong enough to give her the thrill of battle."

"And if we fail to give her that," murmured the fire-masked one, "she'll burn us down with everything else."

No one argued.

Instead, another figure, one without a realm symbol—lifted a long, crystal shard and turned it between his gloved fingers. Inside it, six soft pulse of red glowed like they had lives of thier own.

Six beast cores.

Not just any. Six hunter's.

"I still don't understand why this works," said the one in water mask. "Turning high-rank hunters into beasts just to kill them again? Risky."

"Beastified hunters leave behind stronger cores," the stone-masked one replied quietly. "Stronger cores… feed the convergence."

"Besides," said frost, "we Just need eight, it'll be over soon."

"And now we have six."

There was a pause.

"The Crimson Dusk guild caught wind of our activity. Only suspicions though. Nothing solid."

"You better be sure," growled the earth-masked figure. "The more attention we draw, the more we'll delay in our plan."

There was a pause. Then Flame raised his hand.

"Bring in the boy, he hasn't met with the council yet."

After a moment, the door creaked open. Two silent guards stepped in, leading a pale-skinned teen into the hall. His steps were quiet and respectful, and he seemed to tense up in their presence, but his eyes remained low.

The boy stood in the center of the room, under the flickering lantern above.

Flame eyed him with disgust. "You know why you're here?"

The boy nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. I was chosen for the ritual."

Flynn Kruger...he was once a street begger until the council choose him as their host, a nobody who'd never have the guts to betray them.

"And how do you feel about that?" Frost asked.

The boy looked up, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm… excited. I want to serve. I'll make you all proud."

The room froze.

Then, Flame moved with so much speed that no normal eye could follow, he gripped the boy's throat and lifted him off the ground.

"You dare feel excited?" Flame's voice was full of scorn. "You think this power will be yours?"

The boy gasped, legs kicking helplessly.

"Let me make this clear, puppet," Flame hissed. "That power is ours. You are nothing but a vessel. A container. You hold no rights to it, understand?"

The boy nodded frantically, his face red from how tightly his neck was being squeezed.

Flame finally dropped the boy like a rag doll. The teen coughed and knelt, shaking.

"If you so much as think of claiming that power for yourself again," Earth said coldly, "you'll be replaced. Quickly."

The boy looked up and nodded, eyes wide. "I understand. I'm sorry."

Water sighed. "He's obedient. That's all we need. As long as the last two cores are secured, we'll begin the ritual by the next moon."

Frost stood. "She already has the next prey with her, From the Earth Realm. The core from the ice realm user which my subordinate lost will be retrieved soon."

"And the next raid?" Flame asked.

"My subordinate confirmed the portal already appeared" Water replied. "We just need to make sure one of ours is included in the raid to retrieve the core."

"Make sure to assign a captain for this mission, we can't have someone else interfering this time around."