Omnix: Celestial system

Weird.

Sharp gazes

Tense breaths

Expectant hearts.

The rest of the Hunters, who had also arrived, looked and held their breaths, in tense expectation of a fight that was supposed to be between an E-rank Hunter and a B-rank Hunter.

But could Hal, the E-rank Hunter, actually be called one?

Considering the level of skill he showed against the boss monster, which made him seem unfazed, fighting against Sir

Jack was a B-rank Hunter with years of experience.

But that wasn't true.

Hal was thinking of how he was going to combat a B-rank Hunter with years of experience under the belt and proficient use of the Katana blades, with nothing but a pair of daggers.

Hal's grip on his daggers tightened. The air between them was charged with something unspoken yet unmistakably dangerous.

Sir Jack stood firm, katana still humming from the force of his swing, his eyes locked onto Hal like a predator sizing its prey.

The breeze settled, but the weight of the moment did not.

Hal’s heart pounded, not from fear, but from the sudden shift in stakes. A second later, he would’ve been on the ground, bleeding out. That wasn’t a warning strike—it was meant to kill.

Of course, he was angry that someone tried to take his life, but he mustn't act rashly, as his opponent was a strong one.

He took a slow, measured breath.

'Think. Don’t react.' he cautioned himself.

Sir Jack’s gaze didn’t waver. "I asked you a question." His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, like a blade hovering just above Hal’s throat, waiting to drop.

Hal remained silent, still weighing his situation, which prompted Sir Jack to move.

He took a step forward, and Hal instinctively shifted his weight, daggers at the ready, but he didn’t move—yet. He wasn’t sure if attacking first would be in his best interest.

"What is that supposed to mean, sir?" Hal finally spoke, keeping his tone level, though his muscles were coiled like a spring.

"Of course, I'm the E-rank Hunter, you brought along for the mission," Hal said with an 'isn't that obvious' look on his face.

"Remember? Hal Rodgraim, E-rank Hunter? Contract?" Hal said, like a teacher trying to probe the mind of a student who had forgotten what he was taught.

"Of course, I remember, nothing is wrong with my brain." Sir Jack replied, slightly embarrassed.

But that didn't make him forget his purpose, he tilted his head slightly. The inquisition in his eyes deepened. Questioning, analyzing.

"The way you moved… the way you sensed that attack… E-rank Hunters don’t do that." His katana lowered slightly, but the tension didn’t ease. "So, I’ll ask again. Who. Are. You?"

Behind his helmet, Hal blinked his eyes to get rid of a stray sweat lazing its way into his eyes.

He remained silent. The silence stretched.

Hal’s mind raced. Lie? Or tell the truth—part of it, at least? Or fight?

One thing was clear: he wasn't getting out of this situation easily.

***

Sir Jack finally dropped his blade, his shoulder relaxing.

He rolled his sword, looking at Hal with a slight smirk.

"Are you an E-rank?" He asked.

"Yes," Hal replied.

"You sure?" He asked again.

"Yes, sir. I'm an E-rank Hunter, whom..."

Hal didn't get to finish his words, as Sir Jack suddenly moved. Fast.

He was so fast, he was a blur. His katana reached for Hal's neck in no time.

Hal tilted his head backward, evading the sharp tip of the Katana by just a margin, and successfully dodged the attack, but that was just the first attack; it was too early to shout the victory.

Countless attacks followed immediately after that, drawing sharp arcs In the air.

Hal jumped and did a backflip in midair, using his dagger to block an attack from behind.

He turned to block another one as soon as he landed, his daggers clashed against Sir Jack's katana, the cold steel holding them in place.

But the real weight pressing down wasn't the blades-it was the intense pressure emanating from both of them.

"You're not E-rank," Sir Jack said with conviction in his voice.

He was no longer asking; he had confirmed that and was now stating a fact.

"Your reactions are just too good for one, and your strength? Well, I need not talk about that as it's quite obvious because you seem to be holding pretty well against me, a B-rank Hunter."

Hal just kept silent, not uttering a word; he was too busy, sustaining his grip on the dagger that was gradually being pushed down by the Katana.

Sir Jack continued.

"Now that can only mean one of two things."

"Either you've been hiding your real strength..' His gaze bore into Hal searching for a sign, a flinch. Anything.

"Or you are a fake registrant."

The words dropped like a bombshell.

"Huh!"

Shocked gasps could be heard from the mouth of the Hunters, as they were all familiar with the reputation of fake registrants.

Hal's jaw clenched.

'Shit.'

These guys had it all wrong. He wasn't a fake registrant by the system, as he was still registered as an E-rank Hunter with the 'MHO', but he was stronger than that now, now he was at the C-rank, so he could be said to be a fake registrant, as he participated in this raid on the pretext that he was still an E-rank.

But therein lay the problem: he couldn't outrightly tell people that he, a former E-rank Hunter, was now at the C-rank; how was he possibly going to explain that?

'Hey guys, I'm Hal Rodgraim, the E-rank Hunter, popularly known as the 'Hunted Hunter' for my extremely weak Life force...well do not fret, as all that is now in the past, as I've been blessed by the all-powerful, ever upgrading, Omnix System, which grants you the ability to upgrade your rank!'

'Just how plausible does that sound to you?'

'Bulls! Anyone who had that story would consider it a child's play, a fantasy, a tale from moonlight, a lie meant to deceive.'

'But that was my reality.'

'Well if I can't tell that story, then I'd simply tell another.'

"Wait. You've got it all wrong Sir Jack. I'm an E-rank Hunter and a famous one at that; I'm the E-rank Hunter famously known as the 'Hunted Hunter.' Does that ring a bell?"

All this conversation was going on, while we still held our weapons against each other in a strong grip, which made it an awkward scene.

"What! That's a lie, are you telling me you are that Hal Rodgraim?" A Hunter standing by the side said.

"Yes, I am," I said with a funny expression.

"Like the 'Hal Rodgraim '? The one who got injured in an E-rank dungeon?" Another one asked.

"Yes." I said again "Does that surprise you?"

"Stop it!" Sir Jack suddenly shouted, his face red with rage.

He must have been angry that the people who he had worked with for a long time, were intensely arguing over such a trivial when he was busy trying to bring someone to justice, and to make it worse, he was already beginning to sweat from being in a deadlock with a supposed E-rank Hunter for just a few minutes. He was both pissed and embarrassed at the same time.

Poor bloke!