#025. Hatred and Anger (2)
Whoosh──
Heavy rain slid down the slanted roof in thick streams.
Thud! Thump!
It flowed along pipes haphazardly welded to the wall, then followed the drainage ditch carved into the earthen ground.
In a world blurred by the downpour.
The sound of running footsteps echoed.
Thudthudthudthud─!
The frantic steps halted before an abandoned factory, soon replaced by violent pounding on the door.
Bang─! Bang─!
Creeeak──!
As if awaiting this moment, the door swung open to reveal the factory's shadowy interior.
Beyond the threshold.
A dozen boys crowded together.
Before them stood Ray, Philip slumped across his back.
“Philip? Is that Philip?”
“Back from patrol?”
“Uh… looks like someone else.”
“He’s carrying someone.”
The boys buzzed as they took in Ray’s drenched form, water cascading from his clothes.
“…….”
Their voices didn’t reach him.
His mind held only one purpose.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
He advanced without pause.
Boys scrambled backward, forming a shrinking semicircle around him.
Thud.
Ray stopped. Drew breath. Released.
“Philip’s injured. We need a medic.”
A quiet yet penetrating voice.
It cut through the rain’s roar to strike every ear.
“Philip? He said Philip?”
“But right now…”
More children gathered like iron filings to a magnet.
One boy peered closer at the figure on Ray’s back and shouted,
“Y-yes! It’s him!”
The atmosphere crackled to life.
“Stretcher! Get him to the infirmary!”
“Move! Clear the path!”
Larger boys came stumbling with a makeshift stretcher.
“Here! Ready!”
Philip was whisked deeper into the factory, a tide of boys surging after.
“…….”
Silence reclaimed the space.
Whoooosh───
Only the rain’s drumming beyond the doorway remained.
Ray studied his rain-slicked arms.
His mana cloak had kept the black rain from his skin, but Philip’s blood still crusted his clothes.
No matter.
He’d wash it clean when pure rain fell next.
The cloak could be stored once fully dried.
Creeeak── Thud!
He shut the factory door.
Though vigilance was still needed, he could breathe slightly easier now.
Their organized response suggested competent medical systems.
As he turned─
Several boys stood watching him.
“…….”
“…….”
Gulping nervously, they pressed forward.
“Who’re you? What happened to Philip?”
“Explain properly, or… or else─”
Ray lowered his gaze.
Their emotional mana swirled like muddied water─
Murky greens and reds of wariness.
Deep blues and blacks of fear.
Yet overriding these danced white strands: concern.
‘Fear is for me. The worry…’
Was all for Philip.
The clarity and volume of white mana showed genuine care─enough to embolden them against an unknown threat.
“Answer us! Who are you?”
“S-speak! Keep ignoring us and─”
Ray stayed silent, analyzing their mana patterns.
Curious.
Worry rarely overpowered self-preservation.
Most would flee or hide, even while concerned.
Yet exceptions piled up recently─
Veronica facing stone-throwers through tears.
These boys trembling but holding ground.
What let concern trump fear?
‘The common thread…’
Both Veronica and these children acted without overcalculating─simply stepped forward.
“Hey! If you keep─”
“W-wait! I remember him!”
Ray’s contemplation broke as a boy gasped:
“The hunter!”
The air flash-froze.
Gulps echoed through the space.
“H-hunter?”
“The gang-breaker from the streets?”
Fear ballooned in their mana.
Ray chose his moment.
“I won’t harm you.”
Shoulders loosened slightly.
“R-right! Philip brought him here before! They talked business!”
“Y-yeah! Wouldn’t bring Philip back if he’d hurt him!”
The boys huddled, then cautiously asked:
“C-can you tell us what happened?”
“Cedric’s territory. Cedric himself was beating him.”
“Ah…”
A chorus of grim understanding.
“Told him to be careful…”
“But Philip’s stubborn as bedrock.”
They exchanged glances before explaining:
“Philip scouts during black rains.
Maps restricted areas.
Buildings. Street layouts.
‘Information is business capital,’ he always says.”
Ray connected the dots.
Cedric had rejected Philip’s proposal with:
「─Disgusting! Weaklings make me sick! I’ll kill them all!」
Natural that Cedric’s turf would be forbidden.
‘He infiltrated during rain, got caught by Cedric outside.’
One mystery remained─
Cedric’s rant about Philip 「clinging to strong ones! Unchanged for years!」
Their history ran deeper than surface conflicts.
Vital intel for both duel and partnership.
“Cedric knew Philip before?”
“Uh… that’s…”
The boys fidgeted.
“Nevermind. I’ll ask Philip later.”
“O-okay…”
“But first, his condition─”
The group exhaled collectively, worry resurfacing.
“I’ll wait. Nothing else to do in this rain.”
“Y-yeah.”
Ray moved past them into the hotel’s heart.
Zzzzt─ Buzzzz─
Clotheslines crisscrossed between beds.
Bare bulbs fought the gloom, revealing over a hundred boys lounging or moving quietly.
Whoooooosh───
Rain’s drone underscored whispers and shuffling feet.
Heavier air than last visit─thick with unspoken tension.
Thud.
He claimed an empty sofa.
Ignoring stares, he resumed earlier thoughts:
‘If I could truly care for others─’
Might white mana healing have saved Philip?
Perhaps.
Would he have charged Cedric immediately to protect Philip?
Likely.
‘Outcome unchanged, but faster.’
Philip might’ve gotten treatment sooner.
As Ray pondered, the gatekeeper boy from Philip’s office approached.
“He’ll live.”
“Philip?”
“Yeah. Multiple fractures─needs rest─but stable.”
“Good.”
“Thanks to you. Even with meds, timing was crucial.”
“Medics?”
“A kid trained by a wandering doctor. Handles basic surgery too.”
Beyond expectations.
Their medical capacity justified bringing Philip here.
“My duty, really. Though Philip insists on solo rain patrols…”
“His death would complicate my plans.”
“Oh! He mentioned your business deal!”
“Partially why.”
“Amazing. Philip usually observes people forever before partnering.”
The boy’s eyes shone with admiration.
“And fighting Cedric! The hunter rumors! You’re… different.”
Murmurs spread through gathering onlookers:
“That’s the hunter?”
“Gray hair. White eyes.”
“Looks our size but… unbelievable.”
Ray’s reputation preceded him─
Both hero crushing bully gangs and apex predator.
Boys edged closer, maintaining a 5.3-meter radius.
“Can we thank you?”
“Do autographs?”
“Your breathing’s cool.”
“Want food?”
Like being circled by harmless critters.
A rare moment of uncertainty for Ray.
‘Silence preferable. Need to think─’
Would shouting scatter them like sparrows?
Playing dead?
His musing shattered by─
Thudthudthud!
A boy burst through the crowd, panting:
“Philip’s awake!”
