#033. The Unquenched Spark (3)
The 48 boys belonging to Cedric's gang watched the Hunter rampaging like a beast between the Jephar and Lotson gangs, their hearts pounding fiercely.
─Stop him! S-stop him!
─Why... Why won't he go down?!
The Hunter single-handedly overwhelmed nearly a hundred enemies. Shivers ran through their entire bodies. Just watching made their blood boil. The urge to jump into the fray and fight alongside him hammered against their ribcages - an admiration and longing that street kids living harsh lives couldn't help but feel toward strength incarnate.
But their feet remained rooted to the ground. Parched mouths. Nervous glances exchanged between uneasy eyes.
With Cedric fallen, the Hunter should rightfully become their new leader.
"......"
They understood this logically. Yet their hearts refused to accept it. Was this truly the proper conclusion to the duel? Could they accept an outsider from beyond the sector as their leader?
Alone, they might have acted immediately. But the group mentality bred hesitation.
「If someone just takes the first step, the rest will follow.」
They all shared this thought. Humans grow cowardly in groups.
Stooooop──!!
The thunderous roar snapped them back to reality. A powerful gust seemed to sweep through their bodies from head to toe, washing away all hesitation and tangled thoughts in an instant.
Driven by surging adrenaline, they charged forward as one.
"Waaaaaah───!"
Their ragged war cries tore through the air as they rushed toward the Lotson and Jephar gangs.
"The fuck's wrong with these brats?!"
"Your enemy's the Hunter! He took down your leader Cedric!"
"You're seriously accepting some sector-outskirt bastard as leader?!"
The panicked shouts from Jephar and Lotson members fell on deaf ears.
"Get lost, you shits!"
"Our leader's the Hunter NOW!"
The clash erupted instantaneously.
"Block the door! The Hunter said block the door!"
"Philip and the money bag are inside! Break it down if you have to!"
Chaotic shouts mingled with the clatter of broken wooden sticks. The battle around the hotel door resembled a crude siege.
Whoooosh──! BANG!
The Jephar gang battered the hotel door with a scavenged iron pipe used as a battering ram.
"Yes! It's dented! Again!"
The boys stepped back in unison, preparing another charge.
"Stop them! Stop those bastards!"
Cedric's gang desperately tried to intervene but couldn't break through the defensive perimeter.
"Chargeee──!!"
"Uwaaaaah──!!"
Propelled by their war cries, the iron pipe surged forward with terrifying momentum. Though the defenders created an opening, none dared stand against the charging behemoth.
──────!
The pipe collided with the hotel door. But there was no ear-splitting crash, no crumpled door collapsing inward.
"Huh...?"
"What the..."
The battlefield froze. All eyes turned to the door in disbelief.
Between pipe and door stood a single figure.
"It's the Hunter!"
"He's blocking the door!"
Ray gripped the pipe's end with both hands, halting its advance completely. Cold sweat drenched the boys holding the pipe.
He stopped it bare-handed? That's impossible! He should be flattened and vomiting blood!
Yet the Hunter stood unharmed. His blank white eyes stared through them, making their bodies tremble upon meeting that gaze. Behind those emotionless orbs burned flames of rage spanning centuries - a conflagration too terrifying to behold directly.
"P-push! Crush him!"
"Y-yeah! We've got numbers!"
The boys threw their full weight into the pipe. But Ray didn't budge - instead, he began pushing back against ten opponents.
"Wha...?"
"B-brace yourselves!"
The pipe lurched backward. The boys scrambled to keep footing before collapsing in a heap.
Waaaaaah───!!
The tide turned instantly. Jephar and Lotson members paled while Cedric's gang roared triumphantly. Defeat became an erased concept - with the Hunter fighting alongside them, victory felt inevitable.
"Die──!!"
"You fucking bastards──!!"
Though chaotic, the battle clearly favored Cedric's gang now. Fear of Ray's superhuman strength eroded their enemies' will to fight. No one could stop the Hunter's rampage across the battlefield.
"R-retreat! We can't win this!"
The first trembling voice sparked full retreat. Weapons clattered to the ground as Jephar and Lotson fled.
CLANG! CLATTER!
Soon only Ray and Cedric's group remained victorious.
Waaaaaah───!!
"We won! We WON──!!"
Thunderous cheers shook the battlefield. Boys screamed hoarsely, embraced each other, wept openly.
Creeeak─
Amidst the frenzy, the hotel door cracked open.
"......"
Philip quickly assessed the situation through the gap. Against all odds, they'd defeated two notorious gangs. Though dizzy with emotion, he moved decisively.
Throwing the door open, he shouted:
"Ray──! RAY──!"
His voice tore through the chaos. The chant spread like wildfire until one unified cry dominated the battlefield:
"RAY──! RAY──!"
"RAY──! RAY──! RAY──!"
The namesake of their cheers gazed dryly at the dozens of boys. As his battle focus faded, the crimson mana pooled in his vessel dissipated into the atmosphere.
His head felt heavy, ears muffled. Exhaustion from continuous combat since morning weighed doubly heavy - controlling his rage to protect allies had required extreme concentration.
One realization cut through the fatigue: 'Without the ring's mana, we would've lost.'
The ring's high-quality mana required less mental strain and amplified magic exponentially. Using ambient mana alone would've collapsed him within minutes.
Whooosh─
Though his vessel should've emptied completely (his default emotionless state preventing mana absorption), faint scarlet energy now shimmered within - the color of burning twilight.
"RAY──! RAY──! RAY──!"
The same hue flickered in every boy's chest. Though Ray couldn't name this emotion, it felt... not unpleasant. His body moved unconsciously - the arm that had cut through countless enemies slowly rose, fist thrust skyward.
──────────!!
The cheers intensified into a savage roar that lingered over the battlefield.
The hotel buzzed with celebration.
"So the Hunter becomes our new leader? He beat Cedric after all."
"Must be. Cedric's boys were chanting 'Ray' earlier."
Most hotel children didn't know the full story, but understood the essentials: Jephar and Lotson had tried attacking Philip, while the Hunter and Cedric's gang risked their lives to stop them. This dramatically reduced hostility toward Cedric's group.
"Bandage here..."
"No, splints don't go like that... Show me your arm?"
"Disinfect first..."
Though fear remained, the hotel kids' superior first-aid skills left Cedric's gang astonished.
"Y-you're really good at this."
"Lots of practice. We get beaten often."
"Oh..."
The blunt response hit like a physical blow.
"We're weaker. Smaller. So we get hit... a lot."
The bullies found themselves speechless. Their victims continued calmly:
"Still... thanks for driving off Jephar and Lotson. Even with our contract, they still find ways to harass us."
"Maybe this'll reduce the bullying. Would be nice if it stopped completely, but that's too much to hope for."
Each word stabbed like red-hot needles. An unfamiliar emotion blossomed in the boys' chests - something people called "guilt."
Philip raced through the hotel's halls.
"Keep everyone away from the office! Ray needs proper rest. No noise to wake him."
"Understood."
"Got it."
The gatekeepers nodded gravely. Guarding the sleeping Hunter felt like a sacred duty.
「Ray! The Hunter collapsed!」
After the battle, Ray had dropped like a marionette with cut strings. Philip's panic turned to relief finding him peacefully asleep. Now he lay in the hotel's quietest room with the best bed.
Surveying the lobby, Philip noted hotel kids rearranging furniture.
'48 in Cedric's group... Should fit if we reorganize properly.'
Temporary housing had been agreed upon with Ray, though not yet announced. The post-battle truce made this feasible.
His eyes landed on two figures bound in a corner - Jephar and Lotson squirming like freshly caught fish, gagged and trussed with ropes.
