Proposal

Back at Mei’s shop, Mei was wiping down the tables with a cloth when she heard the bell over the door ring.

“Welco—… ara… Again cute customer, huh? What happens twice in a day?” Mei asked as she saw Kuro step into the shop.

“Nothing much…” Kuro sighed and sat on the bench near the counter.

She served him a glass of orange juice. He took a sip, then let out a long sigh.

“So? Were you able to find the red portal?” she asked, curious about what had happened.

“I did, but after so much hard work, this is all I got…” Kuro said, pulling out the golden crystal he had picked up after defeating Asura.

“A gold one, huh… But I don’t understand why you’re so upset about getting this. This is the second golden crystal you’ve brought me today,” she said, taking the crystal and inspecting it.

“You know, only A-class and S-class Shadow Hunters are normally able to get this kind of crystal, and it’s the fourth rarest and one of the most valuable types.”

“I know that, but the price I get from you is only one-fourth of its actual value,” Kuro complained.

“Sorry, but I’m taking a risk too, you know,” she replied.

“I know, I know… Sorry,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

After finishing her inspection, Mei placed the golden crystal on the table and made a suggestion.

“Why don’t you join a guild? Like… Luminous, Red Blood, or Moon Light.”

“I could join one, but I’d rather work alone. Plus, for some reason, I just don’t feel like joining any of them,” he said, averting his gaze.

He finished his juice, stood up, and walked toward the exit, waving his hand casually behind him.

“Well, I’m going to collect the pay. Please transfer it to the same account as always,” he said.

“Good day to you…” Mei bowed as he left.

On his way home, Kuro stopped at a bookshop. While browsing the shelves, he found a book titled “Guild” and bought it.

Back on the road, he noticed Akari walking with a friend. When she saw him, she waved energetically.

“Kuro-nii-san!” she called out.

She waited with her friend for him to cross and walk over to them.

“So, heading home? How was school?” Kuro asked.

“Good as ever!” Akari replied cheerfully before turning to the girl beside her.

“Here, meet my new friend from school. She just transferred in. Her name is Fujiwara Sakura.”

Kuro gave a polite bow. “Nice to meet you. I’m Shinra Kuro. Thanks for looking after Akari.”

“Don’t bow to me! I’m the one she’s looking after,” Sakura said, waving both hands in flustered denial.

“Shinra-san— I mean, Akari-san has been so kind to me since I joined. Thanks to her, I was able to adjust here.”

“Good to hear.” Kuro smiled and placed his hand on Akari’s head to pat her.

“Hey! Like I keep saying, don’t treat me like a child!” Akari complained, swatting his hand away as Kuro laughed.

“I’m jealous…” Sakura whispered to herself as she watched the adorable sibling moment.

“Did you say something, Fujiwara-san?” Kuro asked.

“No, nothing.” She shook her head, then bowed slightly.

“My house is that way, so I’ll get going. Thanks, Akari-san. See you tomorrow!” she said before running off toward her street, leaving the siblings alone.

Akari waved goodbye to her and then turned back to walk with Kuro.

They chatted about their day as they headed home.

When they reached their house, they saw a blonde woman waiting outside beside a black car.

She wore a black suit with a pink shirt underneath and had her arms crossed.

As soon as she noticed them, she turned toward Kuro.

“You must be Shinra Kuro, right? And you… you must be his sister, Akari-san,” she said.

Kuro stepped slightly in front of Akari, his expression turning serious.

“Yes, we are. And you are…?” he asked in a firm tone, eyes sharp.

The woman walked to the car and opened the back door.

“Well, we can talk alone, if you don’t mind… Kuro-san,” she said in a calm voice.

“Akari, go inside and eat something until I get back,” Kuro said.

Akari hesitated, wanting to say something, but seeing how serious he was, she just nodded and went inside, locking the door behind her.

“At least tell me what this is about,” Kuro said.

“We’ll discuss everything once we arrive. For now, all I can say is that we have a proposal you won’t be able to refuse,” she replied.

“Huh… A proposal? Sounds like a scam,” Kuro said, his expression shifting from serious to casually amused.

With a sharp grin, he added, “But sure, why not,” and climbed into the car.

The woman followed and sat beside him as the car started moving.

On the way, Kuro stayed calm, quietly reading the book he had bought earlier, while the woman in the suit sipped her tea with the same composed air.

“Aren’t you a little too calm for someone who just got suddenly ambushed by a stranger?” she asked.

“Why would I be afraid of you? As far as I can see, you’re just a normal human. You’re not a hunter, right?” he replied, eyes still on the book.

“It seems the intel about you was right. And you’re correct—I’m not a hunter. I’m just a mere human who knows how to find diamonds in the scrap,” she said.

“Huhhh…” Kuro exaggerated his surprise as they arrived at an abandoned warehouse.

The woman led the way inside, and Kuro followed casually.

As soon as they entered, the gate behind them closed, plunging the place into darkness—until the woman snapped her fingers and lights flickered on, illuminating the entire area.

She walked ahead, then turned to face him.

“Shinra Kuro. As I said, I have a proposal for you,” she began, pulling an envelope from her pocket and tossing it toward him.

Kuro caught the envelope and noticed a seal stamped on it.

“It’s an official invitation to join a guild called Red Blood—one of the best guilds in Japan. We’re prepared to give you a top position, and as for salary, we can pay you as much as you want. So… what do you say?” she offered.

“An offer to join a guild, huh? That’s funny, considering you’re doing this in a place like this,” Kuro said, grinning.

“It feels like you’re not planning to take ‘no’ for an answer, right?”

“Of course. Rejection isn’t an option for you,” she replied.

As she spoke, five figures stepped out from the shadows, each armed with a different weapon—an axe, a spear, a gun, a sword, and a bow and arrow.

“So, should we assume you’ve agreed to accept our terms?” the woman asked with an evil grin.