Capítulo 11: Black Sparrow Guild, Adam Steele

— In the Headquarters of the C-Rank Guild 'Black Sparrow' in downtown Hoshito —

"A Sudden Gate!? At Hoshito General Hospital!??"

"Yes, sir! It has just been reported! We have approximately 20 minutes before the first wave breaks out!"

Two men in black suits, one a superior and the other a subordinate, went back and forth with one another. The superior was unable to believe that something like this had happened during the time when most of their manpower was out assisting with the efforts surrounding the rapid appearance of several B-Rank Gates in Kyoto.

Stressed, he shouted, "Get the newbies on the line, and anyone else in the area! Have them all rush over to Hoshito General Hospital and fend off the first few waves! Under no circumstances should they enter the Gate! Just have them hold out until the higher-ups return!"

"Yes, sir!"

The subordinate hurriedly set off to complete the task assigned to him, his worry evident from the frantic shouting he performed while running throughout the multi-floored building. The superior, on the other hand, slumped into his chair, already feeling the immense migraine that was sure to come from this disaster.

Meanwhile, in the Steele household—Cassius's surname.

Aya Steele nervously paced around in circles. She had just received an emergency alert on her phone informing her of the appearance of a Sudden Gate at Hoshito General Hospital, which was where her stepbrother had been staying for the last couple of days. She had stopped by on more than one occasion but left in a hurry each time upon seeing that beautiful brown-haired girl always sitting by his bedside. For some reason, this sight frustrated her to no end. But now, with an E-Rank Sudden Gate appearing at the General Hospital, Aya didn't know what to think.

'Will he be alright…?? I know that Gates are dangerous, but it should be taken care of before the danger can reach Cassius, right…?' Her thoughts spiraled as she crouched and clutched her head in distress. "I just hope he comes home safe and sound," she muttered, a hint of scarlet touching upon her pretty face.

It was thanks to him that she had gotten her friends off her back, and as he had said previously, they were 'family.'

Even if Cassius gained back all that weight and looked the way he did before, Aya had already promised herself that she would treat him like family. After all, what else did one have in this world other than family?

"Mhmm…" She burrowed her head in her legs, finding it hard to understand the emotions she herself was feeling. "...Just make it back home…"

Aya felt the urge to rush out and help Cassius, but she wasn't a combat Hunter. She hadn't even obtained her Hunter's License yet. But still…

"I want to go help!" Aya's eyes lit up as she rose from the ground and ran away from her brother's room. "Even if I haven't been trained to be a Hunter, I still have above-average stats, and if I'm quick about things, I can make it into the General Hospital, extract Cassius, and then leave with him! Mhmm, this will work!"

*Thump, Thump, Thump.*

Aya darted down the stairs, attracting the attention of her mother and father. Sasha, her mother, asked, "Where are you going at this late hour? Did you not hear the emergency alert?"

In a hurry, Aya slipped on her shoes and replied, "Yeah, Mom, I received the same message as you, but I forgot something important at school. I'll be back in a bit; promise!"

Sasha narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but seeing as her daughter had physical prowess in the D-Rank, she decided to let it pass. "Just don't stay out too late, and keep away from the General Hospital. Even if you can take on dozens of grown men with ease, monsters are a different story."

"Yes, Mother! I will be careful!" Aya finished all her preparations and hurriedly ran out the door.

Her father wanted to say something but chose not to. Noticing this, Sasha, the blonde MILF, patted him on the back. "I'm sure you two will get through this rough patch. Teenagers are difficult."

"Yes…" Adam Steele sighed. As Cassius's 'biological' father, he could understand his son very well, even if nothing was being said between the two of them. However, when it came to Aya, whom he had only known for around two years, things became tough. Sometimes, he just wished he had a powerful communication skill capable of solving all his problems, especially when his relations heavily concerned the success of his 'mission'.

"Speaking of which," Sasha said to change the subject. "You have noticed the tremendous changes in Cassius as well, haven't you? Although he hasn't stayed around long enough for me to get a closer look, he is definitely not the same person as before. And even though you keep adamantly claiming it's just a sudden growth spurt, we both know that is a bold-faced lie."

"Yeah…" Sweat beads formed on Adam's head as he knew full well that it was impossible for such drastic changes to occur with his son. "I originally assumed it to be a change in mindset, but it could very well be something more than that… A late awakening, perhaps?"

'If that really is the case, then things could be sped up in the search for 'it.' For two years, we have been left empty-handed, but if the kid has awakened, then 'it' will surely come after him.'

Unaware of the cryptic thoughts stirring in Adam Steele's head, Sasha shook her head before softly slapping him once more. "The number of cases of a latent awakening happening past the maximum age for awakening can be counted on one hand, and yet you actually believe our son to be one of those cases… Ha… You must be going senile…"

"Y-Yes… That is likely…" Adam awkwardly chuckled while scratching the side of his neck.

'Indeed, even if the kid has undergone magical changes, there is no certainty that he has awakened. Maybe I should confirm this later? But I need to report back to base before I move further in the operation…'