Kapitel 30: The End Of Wolf
The fight had finally ended. The warehouse, once echoing with the clash of swords and the sounds of battle, now stood in eerie silence. The final image burned into the minds of all who watched was Arata, collapsing to the ground, battered and broken. But then, in an unexpected twist, Thronjaw—a feared Undergrounder—declared Arata the winner. The announcement sent shockwaves through the spectators, both in the room and those watching the livestream.
Hours later, the aftermath of the battle played out. A group of Hex's employees, clad in their distinct uniforms, surrounded Arata's unconscious body. The air was thick with urgency and concern. Among them were Arata's squadmates, their faces etched with worry and relief. Squad A members were present too, their usual stoic expressions now tinged with disbelief at what had transpired.
Commander Williams stood at the center, his presence commanding attention. He gazed down at Arata, his expression unreadable, but his eyes held a mixture of respect and contemplation. The young man lying before him had done the impossible—he had faced a calamity-class Undergrounder and emerged victorious, though at a great cost to his own body. The weight of this victory, and what it meant for the future, hung heavy in the air.
Jennifer knelt beside Arata, her hands trembling as she checked his pulse. Her face was pale, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "He's alive... but barely," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. The relief was palpable, but so was the fear. Arata had pushed himself beyond his limits, and the toll on his body was severe.
Elio stood close by, his gaze fixed on his friend. His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles white. The earlier confidence he had shown in Arata's abilities was now overshadowed by a deep sense of guilt and worry. "Why did you have to go so far, Arata?" he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with anguish.
Dan, usually the one to break the tension with a quip or a joke, was uncharacteristically silent. His face was drawn, eyes narrowed as he looked at Arata's battered form. "Damn it, man... you didn't have to prove anything to us," he said quietly, though the words were more for himself than anyone else. He had always known Arata had the heart of a hero, but seeing him like this—pushed to the brink—made him question the cost of that heroism.
A few members of Squad A exchanged uneasy glances. This was not how battles were supposed to end—this wasn't a victory anyone had anticipated. The lines between triumph and tragedy had blurred in ways they were unprepared for.
Arata slowly opened his eyes, the light stinging as his vision adjusted. His body felt heavy, every muscle screaming in protest as he tried to sit up. Before he could move, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. "You did great, Arata," Elio said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. His smile was warm, a rare softness in his usually confident demeanor.
Arata managed a weak smile in return, though his thoughts were still clouded with the remnants of the battle. "I didn't expect you to win," Elio continued, his tone a mix of surprise and pride. "Neither did Dad. But I put my faith in you, and I told him you would win. He gave us a challenge—if you won, he'd speak to Commander Williams to make sure you weren't suspended or banned from Hex."
As Elio spoke, Arata's gaze drifted to the side of the room where Taylor stood, deep in conversation with Commander Williams. The sight stirred something in him, a mix of gratitude and frustration. "It's alright, Elio… Thanks for everything, but… it feels like a waste," Arata murmured, his voice heavy with resignation. Despite the victory, a sense of unease gnawed at him.
With a groan, Arata pushed himself up from the bed, his legs shaky but determined. He walked toward Commander Williams and Taylor, his footsteps echoing in the now-quiet room. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with unspoken questions.
Commander Williams turned to face him, his expression stern but not unkind. "What is it, boy?" he asked, his tone carrying the weight of authority. Taylor glanced at Arata, a flicker of concern crossing his features.
"You'll be suspended for only a month," Taylor said, trying to sound reassuring. "So it's alright, you can come back to duty. I've already spoken with Commander Williams here."
Arata smiled faintly, but there was no joy in it. His mind was elsewhere, turning over thoughts that had been festering since his encounter with Thronjaw. "Tell me, what are Undergrounders, Commander Williams?" he asked, his voice low but insistent.
Commander Williams raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by the question. "What do you mean?" he asked, his hand absently tapping his stick against the ground.
"Nothing much," Arata said, though his tone suggested otherwise. "I just want to know, what are Undergrounders? Creatures of evil? People who are dead?"
Commander Williams sighed, a weariness settling into his features. "You could say both," he replied, his voice measured.
Arata's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "So why do they have feelings like us humans?" he pressed, his voice rising with each word. "Commander Williams, I want to know, why? Why do they feel things that a human should? If they're just shells of their former selves, then why do they feel things? If they're evil, then why do they keep talking about reviving someone as if they mean the world to them? Are they really evil, Commander Williams, or are you hiding something from us?"
The room grew still, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Alex, sensing the escalating confrontation, stepped forward as if to intervene, but Commander Williams held up a hand to stop him. His gaze never left Arata's, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Boy, your questions… once, someone else also asked the same questions," Commander Williams said slowly, his voice dripping with warning. "They're not with us today."
Arata's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he met Williams' gaze head-on, his smile turning sad and disappointed. "Are you implying that you'd silence me if I dig deeper into this rabbit hole?" he asked, his voice steady despite the undercurrent of fear and frustration.
Commander Williams stared at him, the silence between them electric. Arata could feel the weight of the man's scrutiny, but he didn't back down. His mind was racing, piecing together the fragments of his thoughts, his suspicions.
"I'm just a normal human who wanted to help people," Arata continued, his voice tinged with a quiet desperation. "But now… I don't know if that's the right thing when I have this gut feeling that Undergrounders are misunderstood."
Taylor, who had been watching the exchange with growing concern, finally spoke up. "What will you do then, join the Undergrounders?" he asked, half-joking, half-serious.
Arata's smile returned, but this time it was cold, resolute. "Maybe I will," he said, his voice filled with a quiet determination.
The words hung in the air like a bombshell. Elio, Jennifer, and Dan, who had been listening from nearby, froze. The realization that Arata was serious hit them like a punch to the gut. Elio's eyes widened, a mix of shock and confusion flashing across his face. Jennifer's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. Dan looked at Arata as if seeing him for the first time, his usual bravado stripped away by the gravity of the situation.
Arata stared at the ring on his finger for a moment, his eyes reflecting a storm of emotions—anger, betrayal, sadness. With a slow, deliberate motion, he removed the ring and handed it to Commander Williams. "I'm sorry, but…this is the end of The Wolf Ringmaster," Arata said with a calm, almost resigned smile. The words hung in the air, heavy with finality. "Maybe someday, when things are right, I might return, but right now…" He took a deep breath, gathering the strength for what he was about to do. "I quit your corrupt organization."
The room fell silent, the weight of Arata's words sinking in like a stone dropped into still water. Alex, who had been standing nearby, suddenly grabbed Arata by the arm, pulling him close. "Corrupt?! What the hell, Arata?! What are you smoking?" Alex's voice was a mix of confusion and anger, his grip on Arata's arm tightening as if to shake sense into him.
Arata's eyes hardened as he yanked his arm free, standing tall despite the exhaustion etched into his body. "You heard me…" His voice was steady, cold, and filled with conviction. "It's clear as day—you guys are fucking hiding something."
He turned to the others, his gaze sweeping the room, daring anyone to challenge him. "You didn't send anyone to save the people that were held here. No one arrived to save them. Three days is more than enough to send a strong Squad A group to fight Thronjaw… But instead, you guys had your dicks in your hands and did nothing."
Arata's words were sharp, each one a blade slicing through the fragile facade of the organization he once believed in. "I don't care if I'm banned or kicked out of your fucking organization. I'll find my own way." He raised his middle finger at Commander Williams and Taylor, a final act of defiance as he turned to walk away.
But before he could take more than a few steps, two figures, one male and one female, blocked his path. Arata stopped, smirking as he looked them up and down. "Really? You're not going to let me go?" His tone was mocking, but beneath it, there was a simmering anger.
"You announced yourself as a member who is going to participate with the Undergrounders against us. A traitor, quote-unquote," Taylor said, his voice dripping with condescension.
Arata shook his head, disbelief mingling with his anger. "ARU NEVER SAID THAT!" Jennifer's voice cut through the tension like a knife, her face flushed with emotion. But before she could say more, two other members of Squad A grabbed her, restraining her. Elio and Dan were also caught by Squad A members, their struggles futile as they were held in place.
Arata sighed, a weary smile playing on his lips. "He only said he doesn't trust you guys," Elio pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation. "How can you do this?"
Taylor's gaze turned icy, his eyes locking onto Elio with a look that sent a chill down his spine. The room seemed to grow colder, the tension thickening as the confrontation escalated. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the warehouse, unnaturally cold and biting.
"Sorry, but you can't have that boy. Ryuki Arata…He is a precious hero to us Undergrounders," a familiar voice echoed through the room, cold and commanding.
Elio's eyes widened in recognition. "Queen?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. The wind picked up, swirling around them as if alive. Arata and everyone else in the room looked around in confusion, trying to locate the source of the voice.
When they looked back, Arata was gone.
Panic spread through the room like wildfire. "What happened?! Where did he go?!" Taylor demanded, his voice rising in frustration. But no one had an answer. Even the normally unflappable Commander Williams seemed momentarily thrown, though he quickly regained his composure, his face a mask of unreadable calm.
"Where the hell…did I end up…?" Arata's voice trembled slightly as he found himself in a dark, secluded lair. The air was thick with an unsettling energy, the shadows dancing as if alive.
"I teleported you here, Arata… I hope you can help us… Ryuki Arata," the Queen's voice echoed through the chamber, authoritative and almost otherworldly. "Welcome to the Queen's lair."
Arata looked around, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The lair was vast, the walls lined with ancient symbols and artifacts that seemed to pulse with a dark energy. The atmosphere was oppressive, yet there was a strange sense of calm that settled over Arata, as if the lair itself was welcoming him.
Arata found himself surrounded by a group of Undergrounders, their presence both intimidating and oddly familiar. The Queen's lair was nothing like he had imagined—dark, with an air of ancient mystery, yet a strange warmth lingered in the shadows.
Butter, who had been a fierce opponent not long ago, now cradled the unconscious Queen with surprising tenderness. Her expression softened as she looked at Arata, her voice carrying a weight of sincerity. "Welcome to the Queen's lair," she said, her tone both welcoming and commanding.
Uriel, polishing his sword with a methodical precision, glanced up briefly. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, seemed to carry a hint of respect. "That ring is no longer of any use to us," he stated, referring to the symbol of Arata's past allegiance. "Your teammate has it now."
"Dan…" Arata murmured, realizing the significance of what Uriel had just said. The connection to his old life was slowly severing, but not without leaving a mark.
Suddenly, a burst of energy disrupted the solemn atmosphere. "MISTER RINGMASTER! YOU ARE HERE!" Cheese's voice was a joyful explosion as he leaped onto Arata's back. The exuberant Undergrounder clung to him with childlike enthusiasm, contrasting sharply with the serious tone of the others.
Arata couldn't help but smile at the sight of Cheese's excitement. "Oh hey, it's you, Cheese," he responded, his tone lightening for the first time since he arrived. The exchange, though brief, brought a sense of familiarity to the otherwise alien surroundings.
From the shadows, Lance emerged, his presence almost spectral. "So, you're the new kid on the block," he remarked, his voice dripping with a mix of curiosity and challenge.
Arata recognized him instantly. "You're the guy who fought Alex," he said, his voice tinged with the memory of that intense battle.
"Ah yes, I am," Lance replied, his acknowledgment simple yet loaded with unspoken meaning.
Finally, the Queen's voice echoed softly, despite her weakened state. "Welcome… to the Lair of the Queen. Where we will train you to be the best there is and the best there ever will be… The Undergrounders' Hero, Ryuki Arata."
As those words settled in, Arata felt a shift within him. The path he had chosen was irreversible, and the weight of his decision pressed on him. Yet, within that pressure, a spark of excitement ignited—a new purpose, a new identity.
This was the beginning of a new chapter, one that would transform Ryuki Arata forever.
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