[Tokyo – Classified Sector 11, Dawn]
The sun had barely risen when two black SUVs parked outside the orphanage gates. Men in sleek tactical gear stepped out, scanning the surroundings. A soft click echoed as one activated a wrist terminal.
"We're here. No signs of breach, but something's off. You sure this is the place?"
A voice crackled through the earpiece:
"Positive. The Protocol signature was confirmed. One of them has awakened."
The man nodded.
"Notify HQ. We've found a Realmbreaker."
[Inside the Orphanage – Yuki's Room]
Yuki sat by the window, staring at the rising sun, heart still racing from last night's attack.
He didn't sleep.
Kuro sat on the edge of the desk, arms folded.
"That thing last night… was a scout," she said grimly. "An echo agent of the Nightmare Syndicate."
Yuki frowned. "You said that Reiji guy sent it, right?"
She nodded. "Reiji Tsukuma is one of the most dangerous Awakened in Japan. He's an A-rank anomaly, operating outside the Hunter Hierarchy. Which means... he's hunted by both factions."
Yuki stood up. "What's the Hunter Hierarchy?"
Worldbuilding – The Hunter Hierarchy
Kuro raised her hand, and with a flick of her fingers, summoned a projection in the air—a map of Japan with glowing sectors.
"After the Realmbreak phenomenon began twenty years ago, humanity awoke to two truths. One: dungeons and alternate zones were real. Two: so were people born to walk between worlds."
She pointed at the tiers:
E-Rank to C-Rank: Local Hunters – usually assigned to small gate closures.
B-Rank and A-Rank: National Agents – elite, capable of solo clearing high-threat zones.
S-Rank: World-Class Threats – anomalies with abilities beyond comprehension.
Unranked (Unknown): Rogue Protocols – Realmbreakers and unstable Awakened.
"The Hunter Association governs all legal Awakened activity. They track rogue awakenings like yours. Reiji used to be one of them... until he killed a Guild Captain."
Yuki swallowed hard.
"Why did he do it?"
Kuro's voice dropped.
"He believes the world belongs to the 'real' Awakened—the Realmbreakers. People like you. People like him."
Hunter Agents Arrive
Downstairs, Matron Kimiko opened the front door. Two clean-cut figures stood waiting—one tall and silent, the other with a coffee in hand and a charming grin.
"Good morning! Sorry to intrude. We're from the Association. Name's Ken Amagi, C-Rank Analyst. This guy beside me is Hiroshi—he doesn't talk much."
Kimiko blinked. "Uh… is something wrong?"
Ken smiled. "Just a routine scan. There was a spike in spiritual emissions near this orphanage. Probably nothing." His voice stayed light, but his eyes were sharp—calculating.
Confrontation Upstairs
Kuro tensed.
"They're here. Association agents."
Yuki flinched. "Am I in trouble?"
"No," she said. "But they're going to ask questions. And if they suspect you're a Realmbreaker, they might detain you."
"…What do I do?"
"You have two choices."
She turned, facing him directly now.
"One: stay hidden. Pretend this never happened. Try to live a normal life while they monitor you and eventually mark you as a Class-1 Threat."
He frowned. "What's option two?"
Her eyes gleamed.
"Two: Stand up. Declare yourself. Join the Hierarchy… and change the game from the inside."
Yuki hesitated.
He was used to hiding. Pretending. Surviving.
But after last night?
He was tired of hiding.
"…I choose option two."
The Awakening Report
Ken stepped into the room moments later, smiling politely.
"Morning. Sorry to bother. We're investigating a spiritual pulse that happened last night. Just a formality."
Yuki looked him dead in the eye.
"I awakened."
Ken paused, coffee halfway to his lips.
"…Come again?"
"I awakened. I don't know how. But it happened. And I'm not hiding it."
Hiroshi moved instantly, stepping between them with a silver sensor array. The air buzzed with static.
[Spiritual Signature Detected: Class F+ Protocol Confirmed]
Ken slowly lowered his cup.
"…Well, damn."
Marked
Outside, Reiji watched through a fragment of broken mirror floating in his hand.
He smiled.
"So the kid came out of hiding…"
The eyeless spirit beside him hissed.
"Shall we kill him now?"
Reiji chuckled. "No. Let him grow. Let him fight."
He crushed the mirror into dust.
"The Hunter's Mark is now on him. Let's see how long he survives before he begs me to end it."
End of Chapter 4