Scarlett crossed her arms and looked straight into Akino's eyes. Even though she was wearing a blindfold, her gaze felt sharp and piercing.
"So, do you want me to be the hero and save the world?" she asked. Her voice was calm but firm.
Akino hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Umm... yeah, but only if you can!" She paused briefly, then continued, "First, we need to check your battle points. If they're low, then you won't have to do anything. But if they're slightly lower than ten million, we'll do everything we can to help you get stronger before the catastrophe arrives. And if yours are higher..."
She took a deep breath and looked at Scarlett with pleading eyes.
"Then I'll beg you to save us."
Scarlett didn't react immediately. She simply nodded, deep in thought.
"Hmmm..." she hummed, thinking over the situation.
"Alright, let's not waste time. We should get the formalities done as quickly as possible," Akino said as she turned and started walking forward.
Scarlett and Irish followed behind her with a confident posture, their steps steady and strong.
As they walked, Scarlett suddenly spoke up.
"By the way, which nation are we in?" she asked casually.
She had a strong feeling that they were in Japan, given Akino's name, but she couldn't just assume and say it outright. If she said something like, *Are we in Japan?* it might make them suspicious. She wanted to hide the fact that she was originally from Earth.
Akino glanced back at her.
"We're in a country called Japan," she replied. "The summoning was supposed to take place in either Switzerland or here, and in the end, it ended up happening here."
Scarlett's expression remained neutral, but her thoughts were racing.
"So it really is Japan," she thought to herself.
But she didn't feel happy about it.
Scarlett had no good memories of Japan or even Earth—except for two people.
Her mother.
And her best friend, Aoto.
She clenched her fists slightly but quickly loosened them. There was no point in thinking about the past now.
---------------
At the top floor of the building, a bridge connected it to another structure. The group crossed over and took a left turn, heading down into the basement.
As they descended, the surroundings became more futuristic. The walls were bright white, and the lights above cast a soft glow, giving the entire area a sleek and advanced look.
Guards stood watch, gripping both firearms and other weapons that looked more sophisticated than normal swords. Their sharp eyes immediately noticed Scarlett and Irish as they passed by. The two women were undeniably beautiful, their presence almost overwhelming. But the guards were disciplined. They quickly averted their gazes and lowered their heads, keeping their desires in check.
Akino led the way through a long corridor until they arrived at a large complex.
Inside, the room was massive. There were training dummies lined up, different types of workout machines, and even enormous boulders with glowing ruins imprinted on them. The entire place screamed "training ground for the strong."
But they didn't stop there.
Instead, they entered a separate square-shaped room with smooth, white walls.
Akino turned to them with a serious expression.
"We'll summon an artificial monster here," she explained. "Your reaction speed will determine the first part of the test. The second part will test your raw strength. Based on these two factors, we'll get a rough estimate of your battle points."
Scarlett nodded, listening carefully.
"But that's not all," Akino continued. "Real combat experience is just as important. If your estimated battle points are satisfactory, you'll have to fight against other top-ranked hunters to confirm your abilities."
Scarlett glanced at Irish and smirked.
"You go first," she said casually.
Irish's blue eyes gleamed with excitement. "Okay!" she replied, stepping forward into the white room.
She stood in the center and pulled out her saber.
The weapon was stunning. It was a deep blue, so dark it almost looked black, and its craftsmanship was flawless. The blade was sharp and deadly, and beautiful emeralds were embedded into its hilt, giving it an elegant yet dangerous appearance.
Akino moved toward a nearby computer and began typing.
"Get ready. I'm starting now!" she announced.
Without warning, the first wave of monsters appeared.
A group of goblins materialized out of thin air, with one slightly larger goblin leading them.
Irish sighed, her shoulders dropping in clear disappointment.
"Rust."
The moment the word left her lips, the goblins' bodies began to decay at an unnatural speed. Their green skin turned black and started peeling away, their flesh rotting as if centuries had passed in mere seconds. Before they could even let out a scream, all that remained was a pile of disgusting, rotten meat.
Akino's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, wow! That was too easy! I should just skip to level ten, then!" she said excitedly.
She quickly typed on the computer again.
A skeletal lich appeared next, surrounded by several flying monsters with blazing fire and crackling lightning swirling around them.
Before anyone could react—
Swish!
Clank!
Wooshhh!
In a single instant, Irish was gone from her original spot.
And in the next instant—
Thud!
The monsters fell to the ground, their heads cleanly severed.
Irish stood behind them, her saber dripping with dark blood.
"Too easy," she said, a wild grin spreading across her face. "Bring something harder!"
Akino gulped.
Without hesitation, she raised the difficulty.
Level 15. Then level 20. Then level 40.
More and more powerful monsters appeared. Some had thick, stone-like skin. Others were twice the size of humans, their muscles bulging with raw power. Some could fly, while others wielded deadly magic.
But it didn't matter.
Irish cut through them like a storm.
Her speed was terrifying. Her movements were precise. Her stamina seemed limitless.
She wasn't even sweating.
Akino's hands trembled slightly as she wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead.
"Don't tell me... is she actually the summoned hero?" she muttered under her breath.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she pressed the final button.
"Okay... this is the hardest one we have. Level 200."
She swallowed hard.
But as she looked at Irish's eager expression, a shiver ran down her spine.
Roarrrr!
A deafening roar shook the entire training room as a giant demon appeared. Its body was covered in thick red scales, a long pointy tail swayed behind it, and its face looked like a monstrous fox with sharp fangs. Two massive goat-like horns curved from its forehead, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Irish with pure bloodlust.
The demon wasted no time and charged straight at her, its powerful legs stomping against the ground like a rampaging beast.
Irish's eyes widened for a second, but she quickly adjusted her stance. Without hesitation, she dashed toward the demon, meeting its attack head-on.
BOOM!
Their clash sent shockwaves through the air.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Fists and blades collided as they exchanged rapid blows. The demon was fast, far faster than anything Irish had faced before. But she was faster.
Suddenly, the demon let out a sinister chuckle. A ring of fireballs formed around its body, floating in mid-air like a halo of destruction.
Swish…
All the fireballs shot toward Irish at terrifying speed.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Irish dashed to the side, running so swiftly it was as if she was gliding on water.
BOOM!
Explosions erupted behind her as the fireballs hit the ground, leaving behind scorched craters.
Irish skidded to a stop, gripping her saber tightly. Her playful smirk faded, replaced by a sharp glint in her blue eyes.
"Okay, enough playing around," she muttered.
Dark blue energy flared around her like a storm, crackling with overwhelming power. Her saber, already sharp and deadly, began to grow—first doubling in size, then tripling. The entire room trembled under the sheer force of her energy.
She raised her massive saber high, its tip almost touching the ceiling.
"ULTIMATE SABER—"
With a single swing, she unleashed a devastating slash.
"SLASH!..."
BOOM!
A monstrous wave of dark blue energy tore through the air, sending debris flying in all directions. The powerful slash wave shot straight at the demon, cutting through it effortlessly.
SHRRK!
The demon didn't even have time to scream before it was sliced in half like butter.
But the attack didn't stop there. The energy wave slammed into the reinforced walls of the training room. The protective barriers activated, glowing brightly—but it was useless. The slash cut straight through, leaving a massive hole in the wall.
The entire room fell silent.
Akino's eyes widened, her mouth slightly open as she gulped.
"T-thank god, They are on our side," she thought, feeling a cold sweat run down her back. If they ever turned against her, she wouldn't stand a chance. Not even the elite soldiers outside could stop them.
"I should be more polite to them from now on!",
Determined to stay on their good side, she quickly cleared her throat and put on a cheerful smile.
"Haha… what a show! I'm officially your fan now, Ms… ummm…?" Akino said, still catching her breath.
Irish smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "Irish. Or you can call me Mrs. Nova," she said playfully.
She turned to Scarlett with a teasing grin.
Scarlett sighed. "I'm Scarlett Nova."
Akino's eyes widened in realization.
"Wait… so you two are…?" she trailed off, her cheeks turning red.
"Something like that," Scarlett replied casually.
Irish puffed up her cheeks in mock anger. "What do you mean, 'something like that,' honey?! We're a couple! No doubt about it!"
Scarlett sighed again, shaking her head with a small smile. "Yeah, yeah, you win."
Akino, still blushing, glanced between them. "Honey?" she whispered to herself, her face getting redder.
She decided not to ask any more questions.