Translator: Ren
Prologue
"The response to the 'Fallen Feather' is near. Hurry up and retrieve it, 'Feather Hunter.'"
"Understood."
Through the pale evening twilight illuminated by a moon halo, a black beast dashes.
Called by the communicator as 'Feather Hunter,' the beast, draped in black clothing, lets the night wind flutter the fabric as it leaps from building to building in a single bound.
The bustling noise of the city, brightened by headlights and neon lights, makes people forget to look up at the night sky. Therefore, the sight of a person moving between skyscrapers in an abnormal manner would be beyond their imagination. Even if someone were to witness it, they'd probably just think it was a bat that had blended into the sweet city.
"This is 'Feather Hunter.' I’ve located the 'Fallen Feather.'"
"Retrieve it immediately and return. No enemy presence detected.
It was unnaturally present on the helipad of a large building.
A black feather, fallen from a large bird. At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for such. However, the feather emitted a faint glow on its own and, more strangely, hovered in place.
The rooftop was completely dark, with no light sources other than the moonlight, and though the strong wind from the buildings would normally blow a feather away, it remained floating.
Anyone with a bit of intellect would immediately sense that this feather was something unnatural. It was like something that existed in this world, yet was somehow detached from everything else—a mere form of a feather, but not truly one.
The role of 'Feather Hunter' was, quite literally, to retrieve this feather—the 'Fallen Feather' of the 'Holy Maiden of the Wet Feathers.'
Quietly, 'Feather Hunter' approaches it. The loud wind that had been disturbing to the ears strangely fades as he gets closer to the feather. It was as if the sound was being absorbed by the feather itself.
As his hand reached out, the halo around the moon suddenly grew more intense.
"!"
In that instant, he pushed his heels into the ground and leaped far back. The impact of his feet against the ground caused the concrete to crack.
At the same time, several blades pierced the spot where 'Feather Hunter' had been just moments before. The blades, glowing brightly in the moonlight, emitted a faint mist. These blades were not made of metal, but of ice.
If killing intent could be called needles, 'Feather Hunter' was now being pierced with them all over his body. He knew exactly who had launched these ice blades.
"No enemy presence, huh? Were you joking?"
"...Let me correct myself. I just detected it. It's the 'White Sorcerer' of the 'Organization,' isn't it?"
"Ah. Same old story—cut the communication."
'Feather Hunter' switched off the earpiece, but his gaze remained fixed on one point.
Long silver hair fluttered wildly in the wind, as if it had a will of its own.
Standing on the edge of the building, with the moon behind her, a pair of red eyes glared back—'White Sorcerer.'
A member of the 'Organization,' the enemy of the 'Shishima Mechanism,' and the most powerful abnormal ability user within the 'Organization.'
"'Feather Hunter'... If you retreat here, I’ll let you go."
Her voice was cool, as expected. She wore a white battle suit, the standard attire of the 'Organization,' but her appearance was that of a girl younger than 'Feather Hunter.'
And this wasn't their first encounter. They had clashed numerous times in the struggle over the 'Fallen Feather.'
"If you think I’ll retreat, your intelligence must be nearly nonexistent."
"Don’t you realize I’m showing mercy to a lesser opponent?"
The verbal sparring wasn’t because either of them particularly wanted to argue. They were simply testing each other's intentions.
However, 'Feather Hunter' felt a slight irritation inside at being considered inferior.
It was a fact. 'White Sorcerer' was one of those endowed with an abnormal ability—'Blessing'—granted by the 'Holy Maiden of Wet Feathers,' and referred to as an 'Ability User' or 'Marked One' by those like him. In contrast, 'Feather Hunter' had none of that.
In other words, a mere human without a 'Blessing.' Opposing her was an ability user who could freely manipulate ice and snow.
It wasn’t someone he could defeat in a direct confrontation, yet 'Feather Hunter' curled his lips into a smirk.
"The mercy is almost moving. Seems like the 'Marked Ones' are quite arrogant."
"...I don’t like the way your 'Organization' refers to us. We are 'Blessed Ones.'"
"The meaning is the same—Tch!"
As soon as 'White Sorcerer' corrected herself with a sour expression, 'Feather Hunter' drew his gun from the holster at his right hip and fired.
The bullet, which should have accurately pierced 'White Sorcerer’s' vital point, was already rolling on the ground faster than the empty shell could hit the floor when the gunshot echoed.
(Auto-counterattack with debris...?)
'White Sorcerer' hadn’t shot the bullet down with her eyes. Instead, her ability automatically recognized the threat approaching her and shot out ice projectiles of similar shape and hardness to the bullet to intercept it.
"You're still impossible to talk to. Well, it doesn't matter."
With a sigh, 'White Sorcerer' reached to her waist. Despite the slow movement, there was no opening for attack. Then, she drew a slender, white blade.
Her weapon was a Japanese katana, in sharp contrast to 'Feather Hunter’s' firearm.
"In the end, the one left standing will be the one who takes the 'Fallen Feather.'"
Kicking off the ground, 'White Sorcerer' soared into the air. She wasn’t gliding in a metaphorical sense. Guided by an ice lane she created in midair, she approached 'Feather Hunter' with a trajectory that no ordinary human could replicate.
Her strike, as though a raindrop falling from the sky, was silent.
—The ability known as 'Blessing.' One of its common traits was that those who possessed it developed marks resembling wings somewhere on their bodies.
Those in the 'Shishima Mechanism' called these individuals 'Marked Ones.'
On the other hand, those in the 'Organization' referred to them as 'Blessed Ones.'
"...! I thought I’d at least take one of your arms."
'White Sorcerer' gasped in astonishment. 'Feather Hunter' had evaded her strike with minimal movement.
"At least land one hit, damn it."
'Feather Hunter' gritted his teeth. Even the bullets he fired at point-blank range were shot down.
It wasn’t just a shared trait; it was understood that those with 'Blessing' had three times the combat ability of those without. To take on a 'Blessed One,' at least three unpowered individuals were needed—provided they had adequate preparation and equipment.
For that very reason, 'Feather Hunter' wasn’t named after the task of collecting 'Fallen Feathers.'
"Every time you show up, I have to come out too. It's really troublesome."
"I feel the same. Every time you move, I have to step in too. It's a cycle I’m getting tired of."
A powerless individual capable of defeating a 'Marked One' alone.
If 'White Sorcerer' was the strongest ability user in the 'Organization,' then he was the strongest powerless individual in the 'Shishima Mechanism'—in other words, a hunter of ability users.
Only 'Feather Hunter' could stop 'White Sorcerer.'
And only 'White Sorcerer' could stop 'Feather Hunter.'
"Then, would you kindly let yourself be cut? That way, we won't have to meet again."
"Don’t make me repeat myself. Do you really think I’ll let you cut me, you fool?"
Both moved to distance themselves at the same time. In terms of pure strength, 'White Sorcerer,' with her 'Blessing,' had the upper hand, but in skill, experience, and equipment, 'Feather Hunter' held the advantage. From here on, neither of them knew how the battle would turn or who would ultimately take the 'Fallen Feather' back.
The one thing that was clear was—
"...I hate you!"
"Funny, I feel the same way."
—Their clash was no accident.
And as long as the struggle over this 'Fallen Feather' continued, it would likely go on forever.
Post a Comment