The Rise Of The No. 1 Hunter

"Keep moving!"

"Don’t stop!"

Higher-ranked hunters rushed past him, intercepting the monsters before they could reach the fleeing civilians.

Meanwhile

Raito remained where he was.

He watched everything unfold while catching his breath.

Damn it...

My family...

They should be safe.

He clenched his fist.

Should I create a barrier over this entire city?

He immediately shook his head.

No.

That would not be useful. The portals are scattered around this city.

He looked back toward the descending insect monster.

His mind raced.

Nearby

An A-rank hunter leaped into the air.

Slash!

The giant insect was cut cleanly in half before crashing into the street.

But that was only one.

Hundreds more monsters continued emerging from the portals.

Below

A C-rank wolf lunged at a hunter.

Its fangs sank into the hunter’s shoulder.

"Agh!"

Before it could bite again

Another C-rank hunter rushed in.

Slash!

The wolf’s head flew off.

Elsewhere

One of the flying insects dived toward a civilian.

Its stinger pierced the man’s neck.

"Aahhh!"

Within seconds, his body began to swell.

Veins bulged across his skin.

Then

BOOM!

His head exploded.

He died instantly.

A little girl witnessed everything.

Her eyes widened in horror.

"Mom...!"

She screamed uncontrollably.

Her mother quickly covered her eyes and hugged her tightly.

"Don’t look!"

A nearby D-rank hunter rushed over.

"Hey!"

"Stop standing there!"

"Run!"

The mother tried to move, but her legs trembled violently with fear.

She couldn’t.

The hunter grabbed her arm.

"I’ll help you!"

"Everyone!"

"Keep moving!"

"Don’t stop running!"

As monsters continued pouring into the streets, panic spread throughout the city.

"Oh no!"

"There aren’t enough hunters!"

"We’re being overwhelmed!"

The battlefield descended into complete chaos.

Monsters continued pouring out of the countless dungeon portals.

Hunters fought desperately, but they were slowly being pushed back.

Then

Four S-rank hunters arrived one after another, crashing into the battlefield.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The pressure they released shook the surrounding streets.

However, it still wasn’t enough.

Most of Japan’s strongest S-rank hunters were still unconscious after their battle with Raito.

The burden now rested on the few who remained.

Meanwhile

Raito stood silently, watching the city burn under the invasion.

"...There are simply too many monsters."

His gaze shifted.

A little girl was running through the street.

Behind her

A wolf-like monster lunged.

She tripped.

"No..."

She hit the ground and froze in fear.

The monster opened its jaws.

Before it could reach her

Flash!

Raito vanished.

He moved faster than anyone could perceive.

Slash!

The monster’s head flew through the air before its body collapsed beside the frightened child.

Raito looked down at her.

"Run."

"Go find your mother."

The little girl stared at him with trembling eyes before nodding repeatedly.

"T-Thank you..."

She turned and ran as fast as she could.

Raito sighed.

"...Now what?"

He looked across the city.

Monsters covered nearly every street.

"This isn’t just Tokyo anymore..."

His second dagger appeared in his left hand.

He slowly raised both hands before pausing.

"...What the hell am I doing?"

"Even if I keep killing them one by one..."

"It won’t make any difference."

He looked toward the endless swarm.

"...Let’s see."

"This might be frightening..."

"But whatever."

Across Tokyo, monsters of every kind rampaged through the city.

Some resembled gigantic beasts.

Others looked almost human.

Several humanoid monsters were powerful enough to fight S-rank hunters on equal footing.

A-rank hunters supported from behind.

B-rank and C-rank hunters evacuated civilians while fighting for their lives.

D-rank and E-rank hunters suffered heavy casualties.

Many lay bleeding on the streets while medical hunters desperately carried the wounded away.

Raito slowly closed his eyes.

"...Hunter Domain."

A dark portal appeared beside him.

It slowly expanded.

Raito didn’t open his eyes.

"I don’t plan on saving only Tokyo."

"...Let’s see what I’m truly capable of."

His senses spread outward.

Tokyo.

Chiba.

Osaka.

Kyoto.

Fukuoka.

Hokkaido.

His perception expanded across the entire country.

Every battlefield.

Every monster.

Every hunter.

Every scream.

He found them all.

Then

Dark portals opened simultaneously across every major city in Japan.

Hunters stopped fighting for a brief instant.

"What...?"

"Another portal?!"

"No...!"

"More monsters?!"

Raito slowly opened his eyes.

"Release."

At that single command

Thousands of undead soldiers burst out of the portals.

BOOM!

The ground shook beneath their march.

Wave after wave of armored undead charged straight into battle.

Nearly five hundred undead emerged from each portal, immediately reinforcing the exhausted hunters.

In Tokyo

A wounded hunter lay on his back.

A massive wolf pinned him to the ground.

His sword barely kept the creature’s jaws away from his throat.

"I... can’t hold on..."

Suddenly

Slash!

A black-armored undead appeared and severed the wolf’s head in one clean strike.

The undead extended a hand.

The stunned hunter grabbed it.

"You’re safe."

Without another word, the undead charged back into battle.

Elsewhere

An A-rank hunter had lost his weapon.

A humanoid monster raised its blade to finish him.

Before it could swing

An undead warrior appeared behind it.

Stab!

Its black sword pierced straight through the monster’s chest.

The undead kicked the corpse aside before helping the injured hunter to his feet.

The A-rank hunter stared in disbelief.

"What..."

"What is happening?"

"Undead...?"

"They’re protecting us?"

"All of them are fighting the monsters..."

His eyes widened.

"Is there a Necromancer here?"

Seizo, an A-rank hunter, looked around in complete disbelief.

Everywhere he looked

More undead continued emerging from the portals.

Each one immediately joined the battle, protecting civilians and supporting hunters without hesitation.

Seizo slowly turned toward the tallest nearby building.

Standing there

With his eyes still closed

Was Raito.

Dark portals continued opening behind him without end.

Seizo’s expression stiffened.

"...Him again."

"That hunter..."

"He truly is beyond reason."

"I fought him once."

"He dominates in close-range combat."

"He possesses overwhelming physical strength."

"He can fight from long range."

"And now..."

"...he’s a Necromancer capable of commanding an army."

Seizo let out a slow breath.

"Just what is he?"

He shook his head.

"This isn’t the time."

Gripping his sword tightly once more, he rushed back into battle alongside Raito’s undead army.