CHAPTER 4 — THE PRICE OF SURVIVAL

The rain outside the Guild Headquarters poured like a steady whisper.
Inside, the atmosphere was heavier than the storm itself.

Shion sat alone in a sterile interrogation room, her hands trembling in her lap.
The metal table before her reflected the pale light from the ceiling, and the faint hum of a ventilation fan was the only sound in the room.
Her eyes were hollow, her face pale—haunted by images she could never unsee.

The door opened with a hiss.

A man in uniform stepped inside, his tone calm yet commanding.

“Oy, enough.”
“You’re going too far with the questioning—she’s still traumatized after losing her entire Party.”

Commander Ishimura Natsu walked in, holding a can of coffee in one hand.
He set it down gently in front of her and gave the interrogators a sharp look.

They hesitated, then quickly stepped out, leaving the two alone.

Natsu exhaled and leaned back against the wall, studying his sister.

“You’ve grown quiet, Shion.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Brother…?”

He nodded.
“How many times have I told you? Being an Adventurer isn’t just about strength—it’s about having the mental will to face what comes next.”

Tears gathered in her eyes.
“I know… I know I was reckless. I just wanted to prove myself, to be acknowledged… I was so stupid.”

Natsu sighed softly, brushing his hand through her hair.
“It’s over now. You survived. That’s what matters.”

The room fell silent again—until the door opened once more.

A tall man with dark hair and sharp green eyes entered, his long coat bearing the insignia of Crimson Dawn Guild.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Commander Natsu, pardon the intrusion.”

Natsu turned, frowning. “And you are?”

The man flipped open a golden badge—its gleam enough to silence the guards outside.

“Reiji Kurosawa. I’m here on behalf of the Guildmaster of Crimson Dawn. I was sent to speak with Miss Shion Hanabira.”

Natsu crossed his arms. “Crimson Dawn, huh? What does the Guild want with her?”

Reiji smiled faintly. “To know if she still intends to remain an Adventurer… or if she plans to quit.”

Shion’s eyes widened. For a moment, she hesitated—then her trembling stopped.

She stood, her expression resolute despite the fear still clinging to her.

“I won’t quit.”

Both men turned to her.

“I’ll keep going,” she continued. “And I’ll find him… the one they call The Revenant.”

Natsu nearly dropped his cup. “Oi, oi, oi—what did you just say?”

Reiji raised an eyebrow. “You plan to find him? You realize even TAD and the JSDF couldn’t catch him. You’re chasing a ghost.”

Shion’s gaze didn’t waver.
“Maybe. But I’ll prove that he’s human too—and I’ll bring him into my Party.”
“No more Adventurers should die the way my team did. Not while he’s still out there.”

Her voice was shaking, but her conviction was clear.
The words hung in the air, heavy but unbreakable.

Natsu could only sigh, rubbing his forehead.
“You’ve inherited my stubbornness… and it’s going to kill me someday.”

Reiji, meanwhile, smiled faintly, though his eyes told a different story.
He looked at Shion for a long moment, then nodded.

“Very well. I’ll report your decision to the Guildmaster. Just remember—pursuing the Revenant means stepping into a shadow that even the strongest avoid.”

Shion said nothing more.
Reiji turned and walked out, his boots echoing against the floor.

Later that night, the streets of New Tokyo were shrouded in drizzle.
Neon lights flickered on wet pavement, reflecting the ghosts of color in the puddles.

In a narrow alley, Reiji Kurosawa stood with his back against the wall, lighting a cigarette.
A shadow approached—tall, silent, familiar.

“I knew she’d say that,” Reiji murmured, exhaling smoke into the night. “All that determination… just like before.”

From the darkness, a low voice replied.

“You should’ve stopped her.”

Reiji’s expression didn’t change.
“I tried once. It didn’t work. What’s done is done.”

The figure stepped into the faint glow of the streetlight—black coat, messy hair, eyes faintly red under the hood.

“So you’re just going to let her chase you?” Reiji asked quietly.

The man’s tone was calm but cold.
“If she wants to find me, I won’t stop her. As long as she doesn’t get in my way.”

“In your way of what?”

“Killing them. Every last Soul Beast that crawls out of that hell.”

Reiji chuckled under his breath, though there was no humor in it.
“You never change, Kohaku.”

The Revenant turned his gaze toward the end of the alley where the city lights bled into fog.

Without another word, he disappeared back into the darkness.

Reiji watched him go, the faint trail of smoke rising from his hand.
“Still the same unpredictable bastard,” he muttered, crushing the cigarette beneath his boot.

Meanwhile, high above the city, a TAD VTOL streaked across the stormy clouds.
Inside, Captain Sena Aranai adjusted her visor and checked her weapon.
Her black-and-red hair swayed under the dim red light of the cabin.

“Captain Aranai, mission briefing confirmed,” said the co-pilot through comms.
“Target Zone: Old Tokyo, code name—HIVE. Objective: Search and Destroy.”

Sena smirked, loading a fresh round into her sidearm.

“Good. This time, no delays. The Revenant won’t escape me again.”

Outside, lightning flashed—
and far below, the ruins of Old Tokyo stirred once more,
as if waiting for the storm to begin again.

The war between man and shadow had only just begun.