Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Proposals
"RUN! Get away!"
"A monster!"
A gargantuan stone golem punched through the side of a tall business building with incredible ease. Large chunks of concrete and glass exploded into the air and landed haphazardly onto the once-busy Chiba streets. Several screaming civilians ran away from the Golem's location as they tried to escape its destruction range. It was chaos and pandemonium.
The Golem slowly turned its massive body and stepped on an abandoned blue Sedan, causing it to explode underneath its wide foot. It released a loud groan when a blast of magical energy impacted the side of his head. Once the smoke dissipated, there were only a few minor scratches that indicated it was damaged at all.
Down below the streets were several Hunters dressed in gear and armor suited to their class. One of the Hunters had spiky orange hair and brown eyes. In his armored hands was an obnoxiously thick broad sword. He wore a long black and white kimono with silver armored shoulder pads. This was Ichigo Kurosaki, a B-ranked fighter class Hunter and member of the recently made Soul Reapers Guild.
"Chad! Get these people away from here!" Ichigo yelled as he slashed across the middle of the section of the Golem, leaving behind a shallow cut.
Another man with dark skin and long shaggy hair, which covered his eyes, nodded. He was dressed in a full suit of silver and red armor with a shield as long as his body rested in his hands. The man was Sado Yasutora, also known as Chad, a B-Rank Hunter and Tank. "Already on it! Ishida! Give me some cover fire!"
"Roger that." A man dressed in a white military-like outfit said and raised a large white and blue bow towards the Golem. His parted blue hair shifted around his thin glasses as he fired several magical arrows into the Golem's eyes, causing it to groan. This was Uryu Ishida, a C-Ranked Ranger Hunter.
"I'll take this thing down!" A man with spiky red hair tied into a high ponytail yelled as he jumped high. In his hands was a thick, long sword with several spikes protruding from the bladed side. He wore a black and white kimono with two sharp black gauntlets. This was Renji Abarai, a C-Ranked Fighter Hunter.
"Renji! Watch out!" Ichigo yelled as he landed on the battered street. Renji turned his head just in time to see the Golem's large arm crash into him, sending him across the road. Renji's body bounced off the pavement and into a black SUV.
"It's okay! I'm here!" A beautiful woman with long orange hair said as she slid next to Renji's battered body. She wore a long, white battle dress with a black slash across her waist. The woman's name was Inoue Orihime, An A-Ranked Healer Hunter.
Inoue pointed her hands towards Renji, and her earrings began to glow yellow with magical energy. Renji's body was soon covered with yellow energy, and his wounds began to heal quickly. After a few seconds, he was able to stand on his feet.
"Thanks, Orihime!" Renji said and dashed back into the fight.
All around the Golem were several other Hunters as they tried to take down the Monster that had managed to slip through an open Gate. It had appeared twenty minutes ago, and no one had managed to take it down thus far. So, instead, they focused on slowing its movements long enough to give the people enough time to evacuate.
"Shit! We need a higher ranked Hunter!" A woman with short black hair yelled as she jumped over several thrown cars kicked by the Golem. In her hand was a black katana, while she was dressed in a short black kimono with a white cloak around her shoulders. Her name was Rukia Kuchiki, a B-Ranked Assassin Hunter.
Not far from the battle stood a small daycare building. Inside, there was a large number of terrified caretakers, parents, and children. They had remained in the building due to a large section of the building next door having collapsed in front of the main entrance. The back door was also not an option due to the back half of the daycare caving in on itself. Trapping the helpless people inside.
"Please help us! We're trapped! HURRY!" A panicked man in a white dress shirt and tie yelled into a tightly held phone. He hugged a whimpering little boy while they were tucked away under a desk.
"Mommy? Are we going to die?" A young girl with short brown hair said in her mother's arms. "Shh... We're going to be okay, Sakura. The Hunters will take out that big mean m-monster. You'll see." The girl's mother said with an unconvincing small.
The building suddenly shook violently as a loud crash could be heard near the daycare. Causing everyone inside to jump in fright.
"Sachan… I'm scared." A small girl with pigeon blue hair styled into low twin tails said in a small, scared voice as tears fell freely from the corners of her eyes. The young girl wore a long white-sleeved shirt with a blue overall dress.
"It's going to be okay, Keika." A tall girl with long hair in a shade similar to Keika's said with a forced smile. A pink scrunchie pulled her hair into a ponytail, and short, choppy bangs hung over her forehead. She was wearing a grey hoodie over a black v-neck shirt. On her waist was a black skirt, and a pair of black stockings ran down her legs. The girl's name was Saki Kawasaki, Keika's older sister. "We're going to be okay."
A powerful blast of wind knocked back the fallen rubble by the entrance, letting in light from the outside into the daycare. Everyone turned to each other and then to the doors with unsure expressions. "This is our chance!" One of the daycare workers said as she ran towards the exit and escaped. This caused everyone to follow suit.
"C'mon, Kieka. We're getting out of here." Saki said and picked up her little sister into her arms. She waited until everyone had left the building to make her move. Once it was clear, she ran out of the building into the open street. Against her better judgment, Saki stopped and turned to watch the epic battle a block away.
"Sachan!" Keika yelled and squeezed Saki's neck tighter out of fear. This prompted Saki to start running again, but she was thrown to the ground when a massive quake rocked the streets around her. Saki hobbled over to lean on top of her sister and looked back to see the Golem had begun marching towards her direction.
"What are these useless Hunters doing?!" Saki yelled and tried to stand, but the Golem's heavy footsteps kept knocking her back to the ground. Keika cried as she tried to maintain her balance and held onto her older sister's hoodie. Saki looked back in terror at the Golem and saw that it had noticed her presence.
The Monster rose one of its thick, stone arms and brought it down onto Saki and Keika. The panicked yells of the Hunters that tried to stop its attack made Saki's heart drop. She knew then that they wouldn't stop the Golem in time. Even the short woman with black hair and a white coat wouldn't reach her in time from her position three blocks away.
Just as they were about to get crushed, Saki felt an explosion of energy shoot out from her body. Covering her with a golden-orange aura. As if something clicked together in her head, Saki raised her arms defiantly, and three separate large flowers made up of purple and pink energy manifested above her.
A loud crash of shattering glass could be heard as the Golem broke through one of the flower shields, and then another crash echoed as it tried again. Saki felt her body shake in sudden exhaustion, and Kieka's panicked cries filled her ears. "Sachan! Sachan!"
The Golem finally destroyed her last flower barrier and roared angrily. Reiji and Ichigo slashed away at its arm but were knocked back by a quick elbow from the stone monster. Explosions of energy rocked the Golems back uselessly, causing Uryu to grow angry and nervous.
Just as Rukia was about to reach the blue-haired sisters, the Golem stomped onto the street, and a wave of destruction ripped through the asphalt. Knocking the Assassin into a brick wall head first. Chad, who had finally returned from evacuating as many people as possible, lumbered slowly towards the Golem.
Saki looked up tiredly as the Golem held both of its arms in the air, fully intent on crushing her and everything in the block. She closed her eyes and hugged Keika tightly into her ample chest. With nothing more she could do, she waited for the inevitable. "I'm sorry, Kieka."
Ichigo sat up painfully and watched as the Golem's powerful stone arms descended on the two sisters with wide eyes. With as much effort as he could muster, he rose to his feet and held his giant sword to his side. It exploded in red and black energy that danced violently in the air. "GETSUGA TEN-huh?"
A black blur sped past Ichigo with incredible speed and dashed up the Golem's back. The now identifiable outline of a man floated in the air for a split second and held out two blades in his hands. The sun glinted off their sharp, metallic surface as he dashed around the Golem's arms. The man appeared to be nothing more than a spinning top that sliced all along the Golem's limbs.
The mysterious man then dashed to the ground and sprinted towards the sisters. He quickly picked them up and placed Saki over his shoulder while Keika rested gently on his left arm. The Golem's arms exploded into hundreds of chunks that rained down onto the streets below—peppering them with cleanly cut stone.
Saki saw them slide to a stop a hundred yards away from the Golem's position. Gently, the man placed her and Keikia down on the sidewalk. Saki turned her head to look at her savior, but his raised hood hid his facial features. However, it seemed that Keika had a clear line of sight as the man spoke softly to her.
"There we go. Far away from the bad Monster." The man said and patted Keika's head gently. "You weren't hurt, were you?"
Keika's eyes glimmered in awe, and she shook her head quickly. "No! I'm okay!"
"Good, good!" The man said merrily and gave the young girl a thumbs up. "I'm gonna go put the meany to sleep, okay? You and your sister stay here where it's safe." Keika nodded with a smile.
Saki looked at the man in confusion and saw him stand from his crouched position in front of her sister. The sun was high in the sky, so his hood cast a deep shadow over his face. The man turned to her and nodded in respect.
"Not bad. Recently Awakened with the power to conjure three barriers strong enough to hold back an A-Class Golem." The man said and began walking away. "You'll make a hell of a Hunter."
Before Saki could respond, the man blurred away in a burst of speed. From her spot, Saki saw the Golem explode in a shower of bright slashes and crumble to differently-sized pieces of stone. The mysterious man then jumped from building to building. Leaving the scene to a bunch of confused but impressed Hunters.
"Who the hell was that?" Saki whispered and felt her sister pull on her skirt.
"No cursing, Sachan!"
x x x
Haruno Yukinoshita walked through the National Diet Building in Tokyo with a severe expression. She was dressed in an expensive dark purple suit with a white dress shirt underneath. Her black high heels clacked on the clean white floors as she walked.
Those walking through the building bowed their heads respectfully as she passed them. Usually, she would have smiled as she sauntered through the halls she occupied, but she was here on business.
"Jeez, relax." A man who had been walking beside her said. He has combed back black hair that reached the back of his neck. On his jaw was a well-trimmed beard that connected to his sideburns. He was dressed in an expensive black and red three-piece suit. "You're scaring people."
"I'm not here to relax, Goto." Haruno said. They turned the corner and saw two double doors that led to a conference room. "You should be taking this seriously as well. We've been pussy footing this issue for long enough. It has to change. Otherwise, I won't be able to face my sister."
"Yeah, I hear you." Ryuji Goto said and rubbed his neck. This was Japan's strongest S-Rank Hunter and the Guild Master of the Draw Sword Guild. Japan's most powerful and famous guild comprised only of S-Ranks. "Don't worry, I'm sure the Prime Minister and the Chairman will come to understand your concerns."
"Our concerns." Haruno looked back at him sharply. Ryuji sighed and nodded.
"Our concerns." He repeated.
They stopped in front of the agreed conference room and saw one Japanese Government employee and one Surveillance Team member standing on each side of the doors. They bowed respectfully and opened the doors for both Hunters. Haruno and Ryuji stepped inside and saw two of Japan's most powerful men sitting in front of a mahogany desk that spanned twenty feet in length.
On the left was the Prime Minister, the commander-in-chief of Japan's Self Defence Forces. Shoto Ishiba. Shoto was a man in his late fifties; his greying hair had begun to recede, and he wore a pair of black framed glasses. He was dressed in a pristine three-piece black and white suit with a blue tie.
On the right was the Chairman of the Japanese Hunters Association, Shigeo Matsumoto. A middle-aged man with black hair brushed to the side. On his face was a well-trimmed mustache and beard. He wore an expensive three-piece brown suit and tie.
Behind each of the men were five of their loyal assistants, composed of government employees and Hunters. They all stood silently to the side while dressed in black and white suits.
Haruno and Ryuji stepped up to the table and bowed to both men slightly. Once they were done paying their respects, they took their seats across the opposite end of the table. Shoto leaned forward and looked over at both of the Hunters.
"Now that we are all here, we can commence the meeting Hunters Goto and Yukinoshita have requested." Shoto said and peered at the Hunters. "Please, begin."
"Very well." Haruno nodded and looked at both men. "I've come to you both with several new proposals for the Hunters Association and the Japanese Government to implement into their rules and laws."
Shoto and Shigeo's eyes widened at her statement. Nonetheless, they nodded and motioned her to continue. "Very well."
"I'd like to start by bringing to attention the severe lack of consequences towards this nation's Hunters for any wrongful actions and crimes they inflict on the general public." Haruno said while keeping direct eye contact with both men. "I propose to implement new avenues for the citizens of Japan to properly file lawsuits on any Hunter that would wrong them."
"That in itself is problematic." Shigeo said and sat back in his chair. "If we allowed that, the number of people wanting to make a quick buck from filing a false lawsuit would rise exponentially. It is well known that Hunters earn excellent salaries for what they do. Not to mention that a lawsuit could impede their responsibilities in closing Gates and answering the calls from the Association. That is something we can't afford."
"That's why I'm also proposing that any lawsuit issued needs to be backed up by as many witnesses as possible from the scene. Any and all video evidence from that location will be collected as well. Following that, a thorough and precise investigation will also be conducted by a member of the Surveillance Team and the Police in a joint operation." Ryuji said while tapping on the table in slow, deliberate beats. "This way, we can avoid any pesky false lawsuits while also showing the public that Hunters can work alongside the Police force in harmony. Greatly increasing the public's trust."
"This proposal wouldn't have anything to do with the incident involving the two Awakened students at your younger sister's school, would it?" Shoto said as he rested his forearms on the desk. "I believed we handled that situation in a way that benefited everyone. Plus, I believe young Hatanaka has learned his lesson after the state he was left in."
"A student was kidnapped and threatened with rape." Haruno said evenly and stared coldly into the Prime Minister's eyes. Causing him to lean back slightly. "How did that benefit her?"
"While we're aware of Japan's low number of Hunters in comparison to the rest of the world. We can't keep giving them slaps on the wrists for their wrong behavior." Ryuji said while leaning on his fist. "There needs to be consequences."
"Like what? Stripping their Hunters license and putting them in jail?" Shigeo said in irritation. "If you haven't noticed, Awakened humans can't be placed in the prisons we built for normal humans. They would escape immediately and run off to another country to become Hunters there! Further weakening this nation. Now, unless you have a way to block their magic power, there's not much we can do to stop them. Unless you're suggesting we start executing all those who break the law."
"While we're still researching ways to stop any out-of-control hunters humanely, we've found a promising option in using the raw ores from the Dungeons and creating powerful body restraints and cuffs." Haruno said. "I'm confident we'll reach the point when we can block the magical output in an awakened person's body."
"Our aim is to ensure that everyone who awakens is aware that they're not above reproach." Ryuji said and peered at Shigeo. "I don't think I need to remind everyone of the incident involving the Hunter who went on a killing spree six months ago in China. If there were laws and regulations at that time, there could have been a chance it all could have been avoided, and those people would still be alive."
Haruno nodded and rested her chin on the top of her intertwined hands. "Exactly our point. Because of the lack of consequences, many Awakened humans move around like they own the streets they walk on. They fearmonger and take advantage of those around them because we haven't implemented more laws into effect since the creation of the Hunters Association. We can't stay stagnant; otherwise, at some point, the Awakened humans will use their powers to do as they please and ignore the Gates entirely. Then we would have two problems. This proposal is a great first step into creating a safe and just system for the new world we now live in."
The room remained silent for several moments. The unawakened employees looked at one another in silent agreement towards Haruno's and Ryuji's proposals. Shoto then sighed tiredly and looked out at the wide-open window. The city of Tokyo sat in the background.
"The world has changed too much too fast. We're still crawling to catch up." Shoto muttered and turned to Haruno. "You are right. We can't keep looking the other way. Or else we will lose public faith in Japan's citizens for our blatant favoritism. Very well, I accept this proposal of yours. I'm sure you have the written paperwork with everything required." Haruno nodded. "Good, I'll affix my seal once I go over it. When I do, these new set of laws will be placed into effect. Unfortunately, any past discretions will have to be excused due to the statute of limitations of the sudden creation of the law. But any new transgressions will be enforced to the highest degree of the law. Now then, what's next?"
Shigeo looked at Shoto in shock and disbelief. A look that Shoto quickly noticed and ignored. He didn't require Shigeo's approval for this decision. It was up to him to decide what laws would be added to how the nation handled the Hunter's Association. This was the same with every nation's leader. But that was as far as his authority could reach. When it came to matters directly involving the Hunters Association, that was where his power stopped.
Haruno nodded in satisfaction. "My next proposal is to allow those under eighteen to participate in raids as long as they are accompanied by an entire team of Hunters and one supervising adult B or A-ranked Hunter. We can't let their power be wasted when it could be used in closing the Gates." This proposal landed much easier with both men and was passed after several minutes of discussion.
"That concludes all our current proposals for today. Let's discuss how we will handle the news of the recent so-called re-awakening in Russia and the Dungeon break in the United States." Ryuji said and leaned forward on his chair.
"Ah, yes." Shigeo rubbed his beard with a thoughtful look. "The sudden increase in power from a C-ranked hunter into an A-ranked hunter. It certainly is unprecedented. There was also a similar case in the United States as well. That Hunter jumped straight into an S-Rank."
"Could these be rare isolated events, or perhaps it is a possibility for every Awakened human to Re Awaken?" Ryuji said, primarily to himself. "It's still too early to tell which is the case."
"Indeed." Shoto nodded. "It's still far too early to decide how we will tackle this. Let's wait until one of our own countries, Hunters Re-Awaken, for us to study this matter further."
Haruno smiled slightly and hummed. Gaining the attention of all three men, especially Ryujis. "There's a chance I may have encountered one such individual recently."
"Are you certain?" Shigeo said, his eyes twinkling in excitement. "Who is this individual?"
"Uh-uh. I'm not certain yet if this is the case. However, I am watching them to confirm my suspicions." Haruno wagged a finger back and forth playfully, annoying the Chairmen. Ryuji frowned and stared at Haruno.
"What evidence do you have to suspect this person could be one of the Re-Awakened?" Ryuji said sharply, causing Haruno to eye him carefully. Suddenly, she smiled mischievously.
"Sorry. I'm not giving away my shiny Pokemon just yet." Haruno said playfully but then changed back into a severe expression. "Moving past the Re-Awakened Individuals. Chairman, have you decided if we would accept the contract from the United States to assist in taking out their Dungeon break?"
"I have. It's decided that I will accept their contract and send twenty A-Rank and four S-Rank Hunters to aid them. That Gate has been raging on for far too long, resulting in half of the western part of their country to have been destroyed beyond recognition. It's grown to the point the US had to resort to hiring other Hunters from around the world in hopes of stopping the monsters and closing the Gate." Shigeo said and wiped a small bead of sweat from his forehead. Haruno and Ryuji nodded; they'd seen the level of destruction that Dungeon Break had incurred. It was by far the most devastating incident since the first appearance of the Gates.
"Very good; hopefully, with the number of Hunters the US has hired, they'll finally be able to close that Gate." Haruno said gravely. "Is there any new information regarding the eternal sleep disease?"
"So far, no." Shigeo shook his head and looked at the desk in frustration. "We're having our best doctors working together with other countries. And still, there haven't been any clues on how to create a cure. The disease is as much a mystery as the Gates are."
"I see." Haruno whispered and tightened her hands into fists. She had hoped to hear anything that would have helped wake her mother from the retched disease. "Very well, moving on…"
The four sat and continued discussing several other essential matters for the rest of the evening. One such matter involved the dangerous situation in Korea—the appearance of a powerful S-Rank Gate on Jeju Island.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone