Chapter 33 – The Unextinguished Ember (Three)

The 48 boys belonging to Cedric’s gang.

As they watched the Hunter rampaging like a beast between Jepper and Lotsson’s gangs, they felt their hearts pounding fiercely.

─Block him! B-block him!

─Why, why won’t he go down?!

The Hunter was single-handedly overwhelming nearly a hundred enemies.

A shudder ran through their entire bodies.

Just watching made their blood boil.

An impulse to rush in and fight alongside him right now was butting its head against the inside of their chests.

It was admiration and longing.

An irresistible emotion that street kids living harsh lives couldn’t help but harbor towards the strong.

But their feet, as if glued to the floor, wouldn’t come loose easily.

Parched mouths.

Anxious eyes looking at each other.

Since Cedric has fallen, it’s only right that the Hunter becomes the Captain of our group now.

“…….”

They knew that fact in their heads.

But their hearts couldn’t accept it.

Is it really okay for the outcome of the Duel to end like this?

Is it okay to accept an outsider from outside the Sector as our Captain?

If they were alone, they would have acted long ago.

But the herd mentality imposed by the ‘group’ made them hesitate.

「If someone steps forward first, it would be easier for others to follow.」

Everyone felt the same.

Because humans can become cowardly when they are together.

Stooooop────!!

It was at that moment that a thunderous shout jolted their minds.

A feeling as if a gust of strong wind had swept over their entire bodies from head to toe.

The complicated thoughts filling their heads and the hesitation clinging to their bodies were washed away and flew off in an instant.

Driven by the exhilaration blooming in their chests, they began to kick off from their spots, with no one being first.

Wooaaahhh───!

Letting out rough war cries.

Towards Lotsson and Jepper’s gangs.

“W-what’s with these bastards all of a sudden!”

“Our enemy is the Hunter! He took down your Captain, Cedric!”

“Y-you’re going to accept a bastard from outside the Sector as your Captain?!”

Lotsson and Jepper’s gangs spat out words in panic, but they didn’t reach the ears of Cedric’s group.

“Get out of here! You fucking bastards!”

“Our Captain is the Hunter!”

Gangs tangled with gangs, and a brawl broke out in an instant.

“Block the door! The Hunter said to block the door!”

“That bastard Philip and the money bag are inside! Break it open if you have to!”

Chaotic shouts echoed and broken wooden clubs flew about.

The battle centered around the hotel door, while not professional, took on a form reminiscent of a siege.

Whooosh──! Bang!

Jepper’s gang used a cylindrical iron pipe they had scavenged from somewhere, pounding the hotel door like a battering ram.

“Good! It’s dented! One more time!”

The boys stepped back, coordinating their breathing, and prepared to charge at the door again.

“B-block them! Block them over there!”

Cedric’s gang gritted their teeth and rushed forward, but approaching was difficult due to the Escorts attached around them.

“Gooo──!!”

“Uwaaaahhh──!!”

With a resounding roar at their backs.

The iron pipe advanced with a fierce momentum.

A gap opened as the kids blocking around the iron pipe fell back, but no one dared to stand in the way of the charging pipe.

──────!

The end of the iron pipe collided with the hotel door.

But there was no ear-splitting crash, and the door didn’t crumple and fall.

“Huh…?”

“What in the world is that….”

Everyone on the battlefield stopped moving.

They looked towards the door with dazed faces.

Someone had appeared between the hotel door and the iron pipe.

“It’s the Hunter!”

“The Hunter blocked the door!”

The end of the iron pipe was tightly gripped in Ray’s hands, unable to advance any further.

The boys holding the pipe felt cold sweat running down their backs.

He stopped the iron pipe with his bare body?

Is that a situation that’s possible by common sense?

Shouldn’t he be vomiting blood and getting flattened?

The Hunter seemed to have taken no damage whatsoever.

He was looking this way with his characteristic expressionless face and gaze, and the moment their eyes met, they couldn’t help but flinch.

White pupils that showed no emotion.

Deep within them, there was a flame.

A century’s worth of anger and rage that they dared not look directly at.

Goosebumps ran all over their bodies.

The iron pipe squad, feeling fear, shouted as if in desperation.

“P-push! Crush him by pushing!”

“Y-yeah! We outnumber them by far!”

The boys put all their strength into their bodies and began to push the iron pipe.

But Ray didn’t budge an inch from his spot; instead, he pushed the pipe back.

In a contest of strength that was literally 10 against 1.

“Huh? Huh?”

“H-hold the center!”

The iron pipe being pushed back in an instant.

The boys hastily took steps backward.

Finally losing their balance, they let go of the pipe and collapsed in a heap.

Waaahhh───!!

It was a moment of mixed joy and sorrow.

Jepper and Lotsson’s gangs had faces pale with fear, while Cedric’s gang erupted in cheers.

Uncontrollable excitement enveloped their entire bodies.

The word ‘defeat’ was erased from their minds without a trace.

We can win.

Because the Hunter, of all people, is with us.

The magical moment that everyone had held their breath for ended.

The battle resumed immediately.

“Die──!!”

“You damn bastards──!!”

The battle seemed fierce at a glance.

But upon closer look, one could see the tide rapidly turning in favor of Cedric’s gang.

The superhuman strength shown by the Hunter.

The shock and fear from it were gnawing away at the fighting spirit of Jepper and Lotsson’s gangs.

Moreover, there was absolutely no way to stop Ray, who was rampaging all over the battlefield.

“R-run away! W-we can’t win this!”

Finally, starting with someone’s trembling voice, Jepper and Lotsson’s gangs began to drop their weapons and flee.

Clang─! Clang-clang──!

Iron pipes and wooden clubs and such rolled on the floor.

Before long, only Ray and Cedric’s group remained on the battlefield.

Waaahhh───!!

We won! We won──!

Thunderous cheers echoed incessantly across the battlefield.

The boys shouted until their throats were raw, hugged each other, and shed tears.

Creeeak─.

Amidst the crucible of frenzy.

The hotel door opened slightly.

“…….”

Philip stuck his head out slightly and quickly assessed the situation outside.

They had won.

They had truly achieved victory against the two notorious gangs.

His heart swelled with emotion, feeling like he might faint on the spot, but Philip quickly grasped what he needed to do now.

He opened the hotel door, stepped out, and shouted.

Ray──! Ray──!

With all the strength he could muster.

Repeating it until his throat was raw.

There was no one who wouldn’t realize whose name that was.

‘Ray’ spread rapidly, and soon, only one unified voice remained on the battlefield.

Ray──! Ray──!

Ray──! Ray──! Ray──!

The owner of the repeatedly chanted name gazed back at the dozens of boys looking at him with dry eyes.

As he released the immersed emotion, the red Mana that had pooled in his Vessel was returning to the atmosphere.

A heavy head and muffled ears.

Extremely exhausted, fatigued, and dazed.

It was because he had been moving non-stop since the moment he opened his eyes this morning.

Furthermore, fatigue was added.

Controlling the summoned rage so it wouldn’t splash onto his allies required a high level of concentration.

Amidst all this, one fact became clear.

‘If it weren’t for the Ring, I wouldn’t have won.’

The high-quality Mana contained in the Ring.

It consumed much less mental energy to handle, and when used as material, the power of the Magic was on a different level.

If he had used Magic with only Atmospheric Mana, he would have collapsed without being able to sustain the fight for even a few minutes.

Huum─.

The red Mana that had been contained in the Vessel scattered without a trace.

Originally, the Vessel should now be completely empty.

Since the default state is one of feeling no emotion, there should be no Mana flowing in response.

But now, a faint scarlet Mana was shimmering within Ray’s Vessel.

A color like a burning sunset.

Ray──! Ray──! Ray──!

Ray──! Ray──! Ray──!

And it was shimmering without fail in the chests of the boys as well.

What kind of emotion is this?

He couldn’t know exactly.

But it was clearly not a bad feeling, and under its influence, he moved his hand without even realizing it.

The arm that had parted the most wind on the battlefield slowly rose.

The fist that had knocked down the most enemies stretched high into the sky at that moment.

──────────!

The cheers amplified.

The fierce and intense cheers didn’t leave the battlefield for a long time.

The hotel was in a festive mood.

“So the Hunter becomes the new Captain, right? Since he defeated Cedric.”

“Probably. Earlier, Cedric’s kids were shouting the Hunter’s name. Ray.”

The hotel kids didn’t know the exact details of the incident.

But the following facts were clear.

Jepper and Lotsson had invaded the hotel trying to harm Philip, and the Hunter and Cedric’s gang had risked their lives to repel them.

As a result, the resentment towards Cedric’s gang had decreased significantly.

That was why the hotel kids were helping with the cleanup without much complaint.

“Over there, the bandage….”

“Ah, the splint isn’t applied like that…. Can you hold out your arm?”

“First, disinfect the wound….”

Of course, they hadn’t completely shed their fear and hostility.

Although their movements were timid, their skill in providing first aid for injuries was far superior on the hotel kids’ side.

To the point that Cedric’s gang kids’ eyes widened in surprise.

“Y-you’re really good at this.”

“We’ve done it a lot. We get beaten up often, you see.”

“Oh….”

They were momentarily flustered.

They fully understood the meaning of the words and felt as if they had been hit hard on the head.

“We’re weak, unlike you. Small in stature too. So we get beaten up here and there.”

What should they say in response?

If asked to name the gang that harassed the hotel kids the most on the streets, it would undoubtedly be themselves.

“Anyway, we’re grateful you chased away Jepper and Lotsson’s kids. Even though we have a Contract with the hotel, they don’t exactly leave us alone either. Just not openly.”

It was a rather strange sight.

Those who had perpetrated violence were being meticulously treated by those who had been subjected to violence.

“Maybe the harassment will decrease because of today. I wish it would disappear completely. But that’s too big a dream, I guess.”

“……”

It sounded like words being spat at them.

A feeling like a needle heated in fire pricking their hearts.

An emotion they had never experienced before was blooming in the boys’ chests.

It was the emotion people call guilt.

The busiest person in the hotel right now was Philip.

“Make sure no one comes near the office. Ray needs to rest properly. We must ensure he isn’t woken up by noise around him.”

Philip’s face was as serious as could be.

“I understand.”

“Got it.”

The doorkeepers also nodded with equally resolute faces.

At a glance, it might seem trivial, but from the doorkeepers’ perspective, it was an immensely important task.

Because the Hunter-nim was sleeping inside the office right now.

「R-Ray!」

「T-the Hunter collapsed!」

After the war ended, Ray collapsed.

Right where he was standing.

Like a doll with its strings cut.

Philip ran over in a panic and found Ray fast asleep, snoring.

The current situation was that Ray had been laid down in the office, the quietest place in the hotel with the best bed, and Philip had come out.

After exchanging looks with the doorkeepers, Philip moved his steps towards the center of the hotel.

He saw hotel kids rearranging the furniture.

‘Cedric’s kids were 48 in total. If we arrange the seats well, space shouldn’t be lacking.’

Cedric’s group was planning to stay at the hotel while they looked for a new nest.

It was already a discussed matter with Ray.

Although it hadn’t been officially announced in front of the hotel kids yet, it seemed there would be no problem proceeding with the work.

Because the hostility seemed to have eased a bit due to the outcome of the war.

Philip looked around.

He spotted the people he was looking for and walked towards them.

A corner of the hotel.

Jepper and Lotsson, bound head to toe with gags and ropes, were flapping about like freshly caught fish.