Hunter Academy’s Battle God

HaYoon was sitting in her chair, a bright grin on her face. She wore the authority granted to a student council president like a well-fitted glove.

It was a reunion that was a long time coming.

“Fufu, you’re ignoring me? Really… I’m hurt.”

HaYoon had her fingers steepled together, wearing a carefree expression. She had a strong will that crushed others underneath her. YuSung, however, was no longer the young child who was easily influenced by his older sister.

“I came here to get my reward for the expedition raid.”

YuSung stated his request out loud, ignoring HaYoon’s words. The girl, in response, narrowed her eyes.

“I received the report from the Japanese side. The Castle of Phantasms, right? The commission fee has been deposited. You and that other student… Suire? Will receive it soon.”

Taptaptap.

HaYoon tapped her desk with her fingers, proof that she was lost in thought.

She grabbed a sheet of paper and stretched it out towards YuSung.

“Sign this document.”

Left without any other option, he sat down in the chair at the desk facing his sister. HaYoon used this opportunity to her fullest.

“Oh, our family head has been looking for you, by the way. He really wants to meet you… We’re family, after all.”

She smiled while watching YuSung write. Even after bringing up the topic, her face didn’t change one bit. YuSung, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable.

“My only family is my master.”

To him, the Shin-oh household that had abandoned him for his F-rank Trait was no longer family to him. His family was the Fist King who had raised him and his fellow party members who he had gained various experiences with.

“Is that so? …Noona doesn’t think so, though.”

It didn’t seem like HaYoon was willing to back down, however. YuSung had the blood of the Shin-oh family in his veins, and he had the skills to participate in the Representative Selections. To her, YuSung was a fruit too sweet to not bite into.

“You know what sort of personality I have, right?”

Her gaze bore into YuSung. Eyes that had never seen defiance before aimed towards him, ever since they had been little.

But he stayed adamant. “...My thoughts on this matter won’t change no matter what you say to me.”

YuSung’s refusal was curt and harsh as he dropped the formalities.

“Is that so?”

HaYoon’s voice turned frigid and hard like ice for a moment. She quickly regained her easygoing attitude right afterwards.

“...YuSung-ah, you’ll regret this. I always get what I want.”

Her eyes crinkled around the corners in a facsimile of a smile.

“...I already told you,” he cut in, words as sharp as a blade, “I made up my mind. Threats won’t work on me.”

He handed the document back to her.

The tension in the room was palpable as HaYoon checked the paper, head tilted in one direction.

And right then, someone hurriedly opened the door.

Swing!

“President-nim! There’s trouble! Inno Academy suddenly…!”

A male student suddenly appeared.

HaYoon creased her brow; then made a squeezing motion with her fist.

Ssst!

Mana flowed out the other hand. As she did so, the male student began clutching his neck as breathless groans began to come out of his mouth.

“Urk, m-my throat…”

“HaYoon-ah!” Lee Hyuk, the vice-president, quickly tried to stop her. “That’s too much!”

“Don’t use my name.”

Her tone was calm as she addressed Lee Hyuk, even as she choked the other student out.

“Lee Hyuk, didn’t I tell the club members to always knock whenever I’m having a one-to-one with someone?”

* * *

* * *

She stared at the male student contemptuously as if he was a bug. Nervous, Lee Hyuk kept his reply short, stuttering all the while.

“Y-you did.”

“Then what do the actions of this first-year club member mean? Ah… a challenge aimed against me?”

HaYoon lifted her clenched fist in the air. As she did so, the male student rose as well. It was the power of her Trait, Telekinesis, that had made her the strongest.

Her fist unclenched, and the student fell on the floor.

Boom!

“Gasp, c-cough, cough! I-I’m sorry!”

“...Shut up and leave. I’m having a conversation with my little brother over here.”

The student did so hurriedly, Lee Hyuk following right behind.

The situation had become a complete mess. Even so, HaYoon smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

“YuSung-ah, I’m not speaking threats to you. This isn’t a warning, either.”

The smile was still on her face, but YuSung could tell that she was in a bad mood. He had spent his childhood with her, after all.

“This is a notice.”

Tap.

HaYoon’s finger tapped the surface of her desk.

“I know you. You’re aloof, with strong willpower. You’ll endure anything no matter what happens.

Tap.

Her finger tapped at a steady rhythm as she finished her speech.

“...But will your comrades be the same?”

She closed her mouth around a brief grin. Her face betrayed the enjoyment she got out of watching YuSung.

Tap.

“I can tell. They’re important to you, aren’t they?”

YuSung’s expression stiffened into something cold. Seeing that, HaYoon snickered, covering her mouth with her hand.

Tap.

“Kuku. Don’t look at me with such a scary expression on your face. Isn’t it obvious?”

Tap.

“Your first comrades… of course they would be special to you.”

Tap.

“You and me. We’re not anywhere close to affectionate. I can tell that, too.”

HaYoon stopped tapping the table. Even as her words were quiet, an incredible presence was exuding from her form.

“I’m not a nice person. I don’t let things go, and I never yield what’s mine. Anything I want, I get.”

She stood up from her chair and walked around the table, right next to YuSung.

Leaning into his ear, she began to whisper.

“...And that’s why I’m going to make you suffer. Slowly. Your precious people, those who become friendly towards you, everyone.”

HaYoon stretched her arms out from behind YuSung, twin snakes encircling his neck.

“And wouldn’t someone as soft-hearted as you… come to me on your own and beg, eventually?”

Laughter ripped out of HaYoon’s throat.

YuSung knew, as he was once part of her family, that her words were not a bluff.

“Don’t touch my party members.”

Even so, he calmly warned the other girl.

No matter what sort of circumstances may happen, he had no plan of yielding. He didn’t even want to run away—he wanted to confront her head-on.

Slide.

HaYoon removed herself from YuSung at his show of defiance and walked back to her seat.

“Fufu, just kidding. I would never do that to my cute little brother.”

She grabbed the document with her hand and smiled once more, this time benign.

“Go on, then. Your commission will be deposited to you shortly.”

* * * *

YuSung left the student council room and walked along the hallway. He pondered the words that HaYoon had said to him earlier.

‘The family head… So Father wants to meet me?’

He had long forgotten about his entire family, only for them to try and contact him when news of his exploits were beginning to spread. The reason behind their sudden movements was clear as day.

‘Well… it doesn’t matter. I have no desire to go back to them.’

And just as he had gathered his thoughts into order, his Pocket rang.

Ring!

Someone had sent him a message.

YuSung checked his Pocket, only to realize that it wasn’t a private message to him, but to the F Class group chat.

[Renia ain(‘t h)eR: Guyssssssszzzzzz huge problemmmmmMMMM!!!]

[Renia ain(‘t h)eR: D Class are also gonna do a haunted house for the festival!!]contemporary romance

[Lee SeeTwo: What––? So we just happened to overlap?]

[Renia ain(‘t h)eR: ;w; ;w; ;w; ;w; Who knew this would happen?]

Only then did YuSung realize that F Class was preparing for the festival as well.

‘...So we’re doing a haunted house. I see.’

YuSung remembered enjoying his experience with one at the Shinsung group’s theme park.

The most important thing about the haunted house experience was, bar none, the design for the ghosts’ costumes. There was some sort of idea there that was flickering on and off in his head.

‘I feel like something’s right in the back of my mind…’

While he was ruminating over it, his Pocket rang once more with a message notification.

[すみれ: YuSung-ssi! Have you finished your errand? (๑ ՛◡`๑?)]

[すみれ: Ah, are you busy at the moment?]

[すみれ: …՛ㅠ︿ㅠ՝ As I thought, you are.]

At some point, Sumire had found the time to deposit a pile of messages in YuSung’s inbox.

The lightbulb in his brain went off.

[Shin YuSung: Sumire]

All he sent was one name. The recipient, however, replied at lightning-fast speeds.

[すみれ: (✿● u ●,,) Ah, YuSung-ssi, you were here?!]

[Shin YuSung: Sumire I have a request.]

He had a good idea in mind.

* * * *

Gulp.

[Shin YuSung: Sumire I have a request.]

Sumire was boring a hole into the hologram her Pocket was displayed. Her arms were shaking violently.

‘N-no way, is this…!’

She bit her lip, impatience clear on her face. She was currently sitting on a sofa.

‘...A-a partner request?’

Her anticipation was threatening to burst out of her no matter how much she tried to calm herself down. The festival was right around the corner—what else could this request from YuSung be other than one asking to be her partner?

‘Of course, YuSung-ssi would be fine… even if he went with someone that wasn’t me. But still, I’m… his party member, so.’

Ring!

YuSung’s reply had been sent to her Pocket.

No matter how hard the girl tried, however, she couldn’t muster up the courage to read the text he had sent.

‘M-maybe just a little bit…’

Sumire closed her eyes into slits as she carefully checked the first bit of the message.

[Shin YuSung: For this festival…]

‘Th-this festival… j-just as I thought! It’s gonna say ‘this festival’s partner’, right?!’

She had cooked up a scenario in her head with the limited amount of information she had gotten. Unable to bear her anticipation anymore, Sumire opened the rest of the text up.

[Shin YuSung: For this festival, I think your undead will do a great job playing the role of the ghosts, Sumire.]

“Ah. Uu, uuu…”

She sent him a reply, tears gathering in her eyes.

[すみれ: Okay…! Leave it to me!]

done.co