The Unknown Necromancer

“Aito?” I muttered, blinking through the haze.

The young man in front of me froze. Same height, same messy black hair, same sharp eyes that always looked like he’d seen too much. “Rei?” he said, voice half disbelief, half relief.

Before I could say anything, the air split with another shriek. The portal behind us flared violently. Mana lightning tearing through the smoke as dozens of Wingcrabs crawled through, claws scraping the tunnel walls.

Aito didn’t finish his sentence. He just drew his blade and sprinted forward with the others. “Stay back!” he shouted.

Stay back? I didn’t need to be told twice. My legs were jelly. Each step burned like fire. I barely made it to the outer line before the world started tilting sideways.

Outside the portal, chaos had already broken loose. Hunters were forming ranks, shouting orders, spells lighting the air like fireworks. Someone yelled my way, but I couldn’t even turn my head.

I saw the edge of my apartment. Home.

My legs moved on autopilot, stumbling through the mess while everyone’s attention was fixed on the monsters. I slipped past the line unnoticed, each breath a battle. By the time I reached my street, everything was ringing.

...

..

.

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight cut across the room. My body didn’t ache anymore. My head didn’t feel like it was on fire. For a second, I thought I’d dreamed it all.

Then I sat up, and my mana stirred. Stronger, clearer than before.

Had I gained experience?

It wasn’t much, but I could tell. The flow was smoother, the pool deeper. The near-death nonsense I’d gone through had somehow boosted me. I could probably summon three Skeleton Soldiers now without my brain melting. Progress, progress.

I glanced at the clock. 11:03 AM.

My alarm had gone off hours ago. I’d missed school. I stared at the uniform draped over the chair, shrugged, and collapsed back onto the bed. “It’s the last term anyway,” I mumbled. “They’ll survive without me besides who needs an unawakened person like me?”

I closed my eyes once again.

...

..

.

Ever since that first week passed, the atmosphere in the Awakened Ministry HQ Research and Investigation division had been tense. Now, everyone sat in one of the research and investigation rooms, the kind reserved for top-level briefings. This wasn’t some ordinary meeting; this was the core of Japan’s strongest investigation division, the top brass of the Ministry gathered in one place.

At the front stood Kusube Yohara, the division leader, sharp-eyed, calculating, and radiating authority. On the small podium, his voice cut through the room like a blade.

“Team, as you know, just last week there were two incidents involving what appeared to be a new species of monsters. Skeleton-type creatures. Han Kuzuno and I conducted the follow-up investigation.”

Han Kuzuno, seated to Kusube’s right, was no ordinary analyst. He was an Archivist, he possessed the ability to store and replay information perfectly — not as frozen snapshots but as living, moving recordings in his mind. Every gesture, every flicker of movement all preserved like data in an infinite library. He could remember anything and everything.

Kusube, on the other hand, was a Truthscriber a job which made deception impossible in his presence. Lies withered in his vicinity; no lie could escape him, he saw right through you. Together, they were a formidable pair. both ranked A-Tier Awakened.

After a brief pause, Kusube continued, his tone grave.

“After a deep investigation and analysis, Han and I have concluded, ladies and gentlemen… that this is not a new monster type.” He let the words hang in the air. “No. We are dealing with.... a Necromancer.”

A wave of shock rippled through the room — gasps, murmurs, disbelief.

“Excuse me, sir,” one of the female operatives spoke up, her voice uncertain but firm. “Are you saying there’s a Necromancer on the loose right now? I’m sorry, but that’s… hard to believe. There hasn't been one in five years almost six now.”

Questions and objections began to rise all at once, a hum of doubt spreading through the team. But Han and Kusube stood silent, their faces unreadable.

Finally, Kusube slammed his hand against the table, silencing the room.

“At both of these scenes,” he said, his tone sharp, “witnesses and first-response hunters claimed they saw a boy. He entered the dungeons first, both times. And while no one actually saw him use necromancy, the evidence lines up. It’s obvious he’s the culprit.”

He took a breath, frustration flashing in his eyes.

“Unfortunately, we have no records, no identity, nothing. And somehow, no one thought to ask him for identification!!!” His voice cracked with restrained fury as his fist met the table again.

He straightened up, scanning the faces of his team, men and women suddenly pale with the weight of realization.

“Yes. We have a Necromancer on the loose. You all know what that means. You remember Kurayami, and how he turned against humanity.”

Kusube’s voice hardened into command.

“So all of you..get up. Spread out. Use every contact, every resource. Find me something about this boy!!!"