Bab 69: Jeju Island Raid Team

Appearing on the street, I'm surprised to find that the sun was already peaking over the horizon.

"How long did I spend in the dungeon?" I ask myself.

Squinting, I walk home, only to find both Jinwoo and Jinah leaving.

"Some sort of family outing?" I tilt my head.

"You could call it that." Jinwoo states, almost emotionlessly.

"We're going to go and check on Mom today…" Jinah sighs depressingly, "And Jinwoo says that there'll be a surprise there waiting for me. You should come with."

"I-I really don't think that's neces-" Jinwoo tries to get out.

But I cut him off, "Oh, of course, I'd never refuse an invitation from my precious Jinah."

Jinwoo makes a complicated face before then lowering it and relenting.

Driving off to the hospital, we enter and find Jinwoo's mother sitting in the bed. Instantaneously, Jinah drops her purse and rushes to the end of the bed.

I on the other hand, had raised my hand statically, a turned to Jinwoo, "You didn't tell me about this."

Rubbing the back of his head while looking away, he murmurs, "I kinda forgot to tell you this was one of the rewards…"

"Wait, this kind of situation is a joyous one, so why wouldn't you want me to come?"

Jinwoo gives me a specific look that I can't quite read, "…It's because of how you'll introduce yourself."

Raising my eyebrow, my mouth and eyes thin as I walk to the bedside, finding Jinah already having dove into her mother's embrace.

Looking at Jinwoo and I with kind eyes, the focus on me and she asks, "And who may you be?"

Giving her a deep bow, I answer, "I am Shiro Urokodaki, your future son-in…"

This time, I don't get to finish my sentence as Jinwoo smacks me on the back of my head.

"Jinwoo!" His mother shouts at him.

"It's alright ma'am, if I were in his shoes, I probably would've done the same thing. But to be blunt, I am someone who has become more than well enough acquainted with your children and have helped them gain a bit of money in return for offering me a place to live."

Taken aback, Jinwoo's mother asks, "You've been living in my house?"

Nodding my head, the smile on Hyung-Hye's (Jinwoo's mother) beamed.

"Then I guess you can be considered as family…" A tear dropped from her eye. "Thank you… for helping my family while I was unable…"

With a comfortable silence dawning over the room, it's soon broken by Jinah's slightly hoarse voice, who began to explain her life that Hyung-Hye had missed. During this time, I watched as Jinwoo left the room, having not even bid farewell to his mother.

Looking at Hyung-Hye, I could see that she was watching Jinwoo leave with a worried expression. Locking eyes with mine, I give her a slight nod of the head before following behind Jinwoo.

Heading outside on the path that we'd run on when we came here just a few months ago, I see Jinwoo sitting on a bench, scrolling through his phone.

Sitting on the bench right beside him and peering over his shoulder at his screen, I hear him very quietly ask, "Have I grown too distant?"

"Nope… Just because you may seem to feel less than you have before, they still feel every moment. And your way of showing that you care is more than enough for them to love you all the same. Jinwoo, even if you've chosen the path of a hunter, you would lay down your life for your family, and that is enough to show that you're not distant…"

I see Jinwoo laugh at himself and then lean back on the bench, much more relaxed than before.

Just then, the phone in his hand rings.

Focusing on the conversation he was having with Go Gunhee, I hear that we had missed out on a breaking piece of news and that we should head over to the Association Building.

"The Raid will begin in four days." Mr. Go starts off. "We'll go to Jeju Island and eliminate those ants once and for all. And for us to do that, we need your help, Hunter Sung Jinwoo, and Hunter Shiro Urokodaki. All the citizens wish for the recapture of Jeju Island. Could you join us in this operation?"

When I go to ask what the team for this operation currently looks like, I feel a slight wave of energy flow over me, showing that there was someone either fighting or training nearby.

"Huhuhu, you two have a good sense as expected. For you to detect them from this distance." Mr. Go laughs. "S-Rank Hunters are currently warming up in the gym. Are the two of you perhaps wondering about that?"

"S-Ranks?"

"Yes, since there are only four days left until the Jeju Island Raid. Ryuji Goto and his Japanese S-Rank Hunters are currently there as well."

"Japan?" I inquire, my face lighting up significantly.

Seeing this, Mr. Go smirk, we're guided to the place where the S-Ranks

When we enter the training area, we find Baek Yoonho being pushed back by Ma Dongwook, the guild master of the Fame Guild. Choi Jong-In then calls out to us and tells us about Baek Yoonhoo's ability to transform into a real monster when he fights at full power.

Choi Jong-In then points over at the actual entrance to the training area.

"Those people over there are… the Hunters from Japan. Ippei Izawa, Mari Ishida, Ken Tanaka, Minoru Hoshino, Atsushi Kumamoto, Kanae Tawata, Tatsumi Fujishima, Kei, Akari Shimizu, and Ryuji Goto."

Judging their strengths solely based on looks and muscle composition, it could be clearly seen that Ryuji Goto was the strongest of the bunch.

The Guild Master of the Knights Guild then walked over to Japan's Hunters and challenged the translator since she had called the Hunters of South Korea lousy.

Within seconds of the duel beginning, it was clear who would win and was soon proven when the Knights Guild Master won. Ryuji Goto then communicated to the translator girl that he wished to share a message with all of us.

"To build trust with each other, there's a proposal I want to make to the Koreans. How about we spar using the same rule just now? Between the S-Rank Hunters."

Heading down the elevator with Mr. Go, he answers for the rest of us.

"Okay. But let's exclude Mage-Class and Non-Combatant Hunters since they would be harder to judge."

I give Mr. Go a strange look, but before I can ask if I can still participate, Baek speaks up, "Let's add a few more rules as well. Whoever can touch the other's back or knock them over will be considered the winner as well. And, instead of a 1 vs 1, let's change it to a group competition. In other words, it doesn't matter who you face. How about it?"

Having that completely translated for him, Ryuji answers, "Okay, let's do it that way."

After that, the teams are determined, and no matter how much I plead to be added, I was rejected by Mr. Go.

Just as the fight begins, I notice a sudden spike of killing intent come from one of the Japanese contestants, whose name was Atsushi Kumamoto. Leaning forward slightly, I continued to watch the Atsushi's fights, and if his killing intent ever spiked to an unreasonable level, I'd step in.

And sure enough, that time came rather quickly when Cha Hae-In landed a multitude of blows in his face in a mere moment. Before Atsushi can move towards Cha Hae-In, I had already flashed forward, grabbing his hand which was about to slam into the ground.

"After watching you this entire time, your blood lust finally spikes uncontrollably. Continue any further, and I'll be forced to put you down." I glare.

Atsushi seems to recoil under my glare, but then he screams and tries to grab at me.

Twisting Atsushi's arm, I slam him into the ground, creating a reasonably sized crater from the impact.

Stepping off him, I look over at Cha Hae-In. "Sorry that I stepped in there, but this fight would've turned dangerous before you even realized it Hunter Cha… So, I think it's best that we consider that the Korean Team lost this competition."

"Okay…" Cha Hae-In nods her head.

My attention is then diverted by the translator telling me that there was a message that Goto wished to pass onto me.

"Then please tell me." I look at Ryuji, speaking in perfect Japanese.

"You speak Japanese?" Ryuji raises his eyebrow, "Well, not like it matters…. You said your name was Shiro Urokodaki, correct? Would it be alright if we had a one-on-one fight?"

Giving a light chuckle, I answer, "Sure, but only if you fight at your full strength… After all, I'm more prone to fighting humanoid figures than I am monsters. Plus, to give myself a handicap, I won't use a sword or a breathing art."

Ryuji's expression darkens and then he looks back at his S-Rank Healer.

"Shimizu, make sure to take care of the injured." He then points at me, "And this one as well."

Standing opposite of each other, I let out a slight laugh, "You honestly think I'll be getting injur-"

Ryuji rushed forward, stabbing his hand towards my eye, yet his movements felt slow, and I easily dodged to the side.

"-ed. If anything, I'll have to hope I don't cripple you." I finish.

Taunted by the smile that hung on my face, Ryuji dashed forward once more, his hand emitting a smoky aura which sharpened it and turned it into a lethal weapon. As his hand grazed past my head once more, the blade seemed to expand outwards, light a shockwave.

"What is it with people always creating shockwaves with their fists, it's honestly getting boring. First Akaza, and then Nana, and now you…" I complain, "Even I can do it."

As I punch towards Ryuji, I look behind him and remember that we have spectators, and my punch loses all strength behind it.

Ryuji used my momentary lapse in judgement to enter my defense and try and plunge his hand into my eye. Grabbing his hand just as it was about to reach, I look at his face and find him sweating bullets.

"You think you can play around with me?" Ryuji grits.

Pulling him closer, I whisper in his ear, "Yes, yes I can… and you can do absolutely nothing about it."

Throwing him away, the air around Ryuji changed, his aura growing sharper than before and his intent to kill leaked out.

"Y'know, I said I wouldn't use breathing arts, but what the hell…"

Raising my arm above my head, when Ryuji rushes towards me, I take a sharp breath in.

Yet, before I could even decide on which technique I would use, I felt my arm being held back by Cha Hae-In and a barrier of ice being formed between us.

"We won't be able to take responsibility if he gets injured here… So, let's stop the match now." Cha Hae-In stares.

Letting out my breath, I give her a bright smile, "Fine by me."

Turning around, I return to where I stood with Jinwoo, Cha Hae-In hanging by my side, asking what I meant by breathing arts. Entertaining her just a bit on the technique, we give Mr. Goto his much-awaited answer on whether we would be joining the raid.

Heading back to the hospital and then back home with Hyung-Hye accompanying us, she sits us down at the dining table and starts to ask about what Jinwoo had been doing and then how I managed to join the family.

Painting the entire picture for her, while making sure to rarely ever mention being a Hunter because Jinwoo would give me a death glare every time, Hyung-Hye asks me a question that no one had ever asked me before yet.

"Shiro, what's the purpose of that ring on your finger?"

She was of course asking about the ring that had been forged for me when I married Kanao, Shinobu, Nezuko, and Mitsuri. I rarely ever wore it when I went out, but when I was in the Sung household, I always wore it.

"It's a wedding ring?"

I thought it was obvious, but the moment I said this, the silence was deafening.

"I don't think I heard correctly…" Jinwoo's brows furrow.

"It's a ring to symbolize that I'm married…" I give the Sung family a weird look.

Everything seems to click for them, and Jinwoo stands from his seat, yelling at me.

"And who are you married to?!?" He then sticks his hand in front of his face, "Wait, no…. that doesn't matter. What matter is why you've been trying to hit on my sister when you're married!!!"

The expression on my face didn't change in the slightest as I still looked at Jinwoo confused. Then, it clicked for me.

"You guys don't practice polygamy." I slam my fist into my palm.

"Why does polygamy matter?!?" Jinwoo was holding himself back from choking me out.

"Because I have multiple wives… as in four wives…" I scratch my head, "And through the influence of my wonderous wives and the ever-infamous Tengen Uzui, I may believe that it's natural that those who are strong, caring, and willing to do anything for the ones they love should have multiple wives."

"And you think you're all of those?" Jinwoo snarls.

"I trust my wives with my life… so yes, I do think I'm all of those since they're the ones who told me such."

"Then tell me," Jinwoo gets in my face, "Why you've been aiming for my sister."

Looking Jinah straight in her watery eyes, I explain, "At first, I looked at her to cope being away from my wives. After all, I had never gone more than a few weeks without being in close proximity with one of them. But, over time, I have come to love Jinah and everything about her. It's gotten to a point where I would lay down my life to save Jinah… and leave behind my wives before they even got here."

"Where are your wives then?" Hyung-Hye asks.

This time, I think about the question.

"…." I shrug my shoulders. "In the void?"

"They're dead?" Jinah's eyes widen.

"Nononono…" I wave my hand in denial. "They're not dead. They're just in… the void… …. There is no better way to describe where they are."

Another wave of silence dawned on us until Jinah, who's head was down, squeaked out, "You said you lo-loved me?"

"Jinah!" Jinwoo yells but is silenced by a glare from his mother.

"Yes, I love you Jinah."

"Wou-Would your wives even ac-accept someone like me?"

My face brightened and happiness claimed my heart. I had to hold myself back from diving across the table to hug Jinah.

With renewed vigor, I happily exclaim, "Of course. They'll all love you. Especially Mitsuri and Nezuko, I get the feeling you'll get along with them the best. Though, Shinobu and Kanao will both like you unconditionally. After all, you're soo pretty and smart. Plus, they do want a larger family."

From the little that I can see of Jinah's face, it's bright red.

Seeing the state that her daughter is in, Hyung-Hye sighed, stood up, and dragged her daughter off to bed, giving me a complicated look as she disappeared around the corner.

Jinwoo then changed his position and sat across from me.

"You're going to answer some questions for me." Jinwoo glares, "And if I find any of you answers unsatisfactory, I'll instantly kick you out."

Nodding my head, a restless night ensues.