Chapter 16 — The New Dawn

The battlefield was quiet now. Smoke curled from ruined buildings, but for the first time in years, the cries of the dying had given way to the silence of victory. Seoul was free. Soldiers raised signal flares that cut the sky red, announcing liberation to the world.

Yet the war wasn’t over.

Seo Hana strode through the rubble, her armor still scorched from battle. A soldier approached, dragging a young man in tattered Hunter gear.

“Commander Seo! This one surrendered. He claims… he has information.”

The man, barely twenty, collapsed to his knees. His eyes flickered between fear and desperation.

“I… I can take you there,” he stammered. “It’s something the Hunters found. Something that changes everything. Please… just don’t kill me.”

Eva narrowed her golden eyes. “Another trap? Or a desperate liar?”

Rika stepped forward, her hand hovering near her katana. “Why should we trust a deserter from The Hunter?”

Kohaku said nothing. His crimson visor fixed on the boy, scanning every twitch, every word. Finally, his deep voice cut the silence.

“If he’s lying, I’ll end it myself. If not… we see.”

The group—Kohaku, Rika, Agnes, Hana with Aalto, and Eva—followed the deserter through broken streets until they reached an abandoned prison block near a ruined park.

The boy trembled as he unlocked the rusted door. “They’re inside… we couldn’t control them.”

The heavy iron gate groaned open. What they saw froze them all.

Rows of cages. And within—people. Yet not entirely human.

A girl with silver hair and long rabbit ears clutched a filthy blanket. An orc-like child with blue skin and small tusks whimpered in hunger. Others bore tails, claws, or fur—the echoes of beasts fused with human form.

Rika’s hand flew to her sword. “Monsters—!”

But before she could draw, Kohaku caught her wrist. His voice rumbled low.

“No. They’re not monsters. They’re human… just changed.”

He stepped forward, smashing the locks with one strike of his armored fist. The captives flinched, pressing against the bars, terrified.

Kohaku crouched before the orc boy, whose stomach growled weakly. The child bared his teeth, trying to snarl, but the sound broke into a sob. Without hesitation, Kohaku unhooked a ration bar from his belt and pressed it into the boy’s trembling hands.

The child sniffed, then ate, tears streaking down his face. Others began to reach out, whispering in a language none of them fully understood. Kohaku distributed what little food he had, even handing a piece of chocolate to a rabbit-eared girl who clutched it like treasure.

Agnes scanned quietly. “Their DNA… 96% human. But the remaining sequences are animal, hybridized. Natural evolution… or forced mutation.”

Eva crossed her arms, a faint smirk on her lips. “Heh. So, Kohaku… you understand the burden of leadership after all. Protecting even those who are feared.”

Kohaku ignored her words, standing tall. His visor glowed red as he surveyed the cells.

“These people aren’t the end of humanity… they’re the beginning of its next chapter.”

The discovery exploded across the world within hours. Broadcasts lit up with debates. Some leaders demanded the hybrids destroyed as abominations. Others insisted they be recognized as equals.

Back at the Liberation base, tensions flared. A general slammed his fist on the table.

“They’re dangerous. Execute them before this spreads!”

But when his eyes met Kohaku’s burning visor, he faltered. Whispers spread through the room—Kyoto, The Hunter’s slaughter, the man who tore through armies. Even hardened commanders lowered their gaze.

Seo Hana gritted her teeth. “If they are with us, then we gain allies. If not… then we’re already doomed.”

Eva’s voice was sharp. “Either way, the world will not stay silent. We’ll have to answer for this.”

Rika, standing at Kohaku’s side, clenched her fists. “Then let’s answer it together.”

And so, for the first time, the great powers called a global summit. Leaders, soldiers, survivors—every nation demanded answers. And at the center of it all, one man was chosen to stand: Kohaku, the Revenant behind the mask.

The world wanted to know—was he a savior, or the herald of a new age?