CHAPTER 13: CONTRACT

Rin woke up in a white room that wasn’t a hospital.

No windows or even any decorations. Just white walls, white ceiling, a metal table bolted to the floor, and two chairs. One of which he was currently sitting in, wrists zip-tied to the armrests.

"What the fuck."

His head pounded so hard, it felt like he could throw up any second. The last thing he remembered was the purple light fading from his skin, the portal collapsing, and after that... nothing.

[You have been unconscious for 14 hours, 23 minutes]

’Great. Love waking up restrained. Really sets a positive tone.’

[Your current location: Hunter Association Detention Facility.]

’They put me in a cell?’

[Technically, this is an interrogation room]

"Even better."

The door opened with a heavy sound. Two people walked in, both wearing suits that looked very expensive. The man was older, maybe fifties, with gray hair and eyes that have seen a lot in his years. The woman was younger, thirties, with her hair pulled back so tight it had to hurt.

"Mr. Matsuda." The man sat across from him. The woman remained standing by the door, arms crossed. "I’m Director Ashford. This is Deputy Director Reva. We need to talk about what happened yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Rin’s voice came out rough. "I’ve been out a whole day?"

"Fourteen hours, but close enough." Ashford pulled out a tablet, tapping through something. "I’m sure you’re aware that yesterday’s raid was broadcast live. Standard procedure for A-rank operations."

"Yeah, I was there. Watched the whole thing."

"So did forty-seven million other people worldwide." Ashford turned the tablet to show him. Social media feeds, news articles, forum posts. All with the same topic: Unknown Civilian Closes Dungeon Portal with Bare Hands.

There were screenshots of Rin’s face from the security cameras. Grainy, but clear enough. Someone had already identified him. His name was trending. #WhoIsRinMatsuda had over two million posts.

"Oh." Rin’s stomach dropped. "That’s bad."

"That’s an understatement." Reva spoke for the first time, her voice sharp. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Every Hunter organization in the world wants to know who you are. We’ve had contact requests from sixteen different countries. China’s offering asylum. Russia’s threatening sanctions if we don’t share information. The UN called an emergency session."

"I just closed a portal."

"You collapsed an A-rank dungeon with no registered abilities, no training, no equipment." Ashford leaned forward. "And you did it on live television in front of the entire world. People are calling you everything from the next S-rank to a walking disaster. Half the internet thinks you’re humanity’s savior. The other half thinks you’re a threat that needs to be eliminated."

Rin looked at the tablet again. One video had 120 million views: UNKNOWN MAN SAVES CITY - CLOSES PORTAL BARE HANDED. Another showed him collapsing afterward, purple light fading from his body. The comments ranged from awe to terror.

"This guy just did what Jin Hanazawa couldn’t. He’s gotta be SS-rank minimum."

"Nobody should have that kind of power. What if he’s working with the monsters?"

"Did you see his eyes glow? That’s not normal awakening. Something’s wrong with him."

"Leo died for this guy to play hero. Fuck him."

That last one hit harder than the others.

"Leo’s fans blame me."

"Some do." Ashford pulled the tablet back. "Others are calling you his avenger. It depends on which narrative people want to believe." He swiped through more screens. "We’ve been doing damage control for fourteen hours. Press releases, clarifications, threatening legal action against doxxers. But the cat’s out of the bag, Mr. Matsuda. Your face is everywhere."

"So what now? You make me disappear?"

"We can’t." Reva crossed her arms tighter. "Too many people saw what happened. If you disappear, it becomes an international incident. Conspiracy theories, accusations of government coverups. We’d have riots."

"Then what do you want from me?"

Ashford set the tablet down. "We need to get ahead of this. Control the narrative before someone else does. That means registering you officially, testing your abilities publicly, and putting you through the Hunter licensing program."

"You want me to become a Hunter."

"We want you to become our Hunter." He pulled out a folder. "Official, legitimate, by the book. You take the exam, you get licensed, you join the Association. Everyone sees that you’re following proper channels."

"And if I say no?"

"Then you’re an unregistered awakened operating without authorization. That’s a federal crime." Reva’s voice went cold. "We’d have to arrest you. Publicly. In front of all those cameras that are currently camped outside this facility waiting for you to emerge."

Rin looked between them. "So I don’t actually have a choice."

"You have a choice." Ashford opened the folder. "Sign a contract with us willingly, or get dragged through the legal system while the entire world watches. I know which one I’d pick."

"This is bullshit."

"This is reality." He slid papers across the table. "Five years, minimum. You work for the Association, take assignments we give you, follow operational protocols. In exchange, you get training, equipment, a salary, and legal protection from the seventeen countries that currently want to extradite you."

"Seventeen?"

"Eighteen now. Brazil just filed paperwork." Reva glanced at her phone. "You’re very popular, Mr. Matsuda."

Rin stared at the contract. Pages of legal text, clauses about confidentiality, operational authority, termination conditions. One section caught his eye:

"Contractor agrees to submit to weekly medical examinations and ability assessments. All data collected remains property of the Hunter Association unless otherwise specified by international treaty obligations."

"You want to study me and then potentially share the data with other countries?"

"Only if legally required." Ashford tapped the clause. "But that’s standard. Every registered Hunter undergoes assessment. Yours will just be more... scrutinized."

"Because the whole world is watching."

"Exactly."

[Analysis: Accept the contract]

’I know.’

[Refusal will result in arrest. Public arrest will paint you as a threat. Public cooperation will establish credibility and that provides operational freedom]

’You sound like a politician.’

[...]

Rin looked at Ashford. "If I sign this, I want something."

"You’re in no position to negotiate."

"I want access to Leo’s apartment. His personal things. Whatever he left behind before the raid."

And Ashford’s response:

"Leo’s apartment was already transferred to your name. He updated his will after you woke from the coma. Everything he owned is legally yours now."

Rin blinked. "He what?"

"Updated his will. Made you the primary beneficiary." Ashford’s expression softened slightly. "He never said anything to you?"

"No." The word came out quiet.

"Hmm."

"One more thing." Rin met his eyes. "I want the full footage from inside that dungeon. Everything that happened after the cameras were supposed to cut. I know you have it."

"That footage is—"

"Evidence of what killed Jin and the others. Evidence of what I’m supposed to be training to fight." He leaned forward as much as the zip ties allowed. "If I’m signing my life away for five years, I deserve to know exactly what I’m up against."

Ashford considered this. "Edited footage. Anything classified gets redacted."

"Full footage, or I walk out of here and take my chances with the media. I’m sure they’d love to hear how the Association is forcing me into a contract under threat of arrest."

"That’s not—" Reva started.

"That’s exactly what this is." Rin cut her off. "So either we’re partners in this, and you treat me like one, or we’re enemies, and I make your lives as difficult as possible. Your choice."

The room went silent. Ashford’s jaw tightened, but something in his expression shifted. Maybe respect or just irritation.

"Full footage. But it doesn’t leave your possession, and you don’t share it. Break that rule and the contract is void."

"Deal." Rin grabbed the pen from the folder. "Cut these zip ties and I’ll sign."

Ashford pulled out a knife, slicing through the restraints. Rin rubbed his wrists, then signed each marked spot. His handwriting was shaky, but the signatures were legible.

When he finished, Ashford collected the papers.

"Welcome to the Hunter Association, Mr. Matsuda. Your licensing exam is scheduled for next week. Until then, you’re confined to your residence with ankle monitoring."

"Ankle monitoring?"

"Standard for unregistered awakened pending examination." Reva pulled out a black band from her pocket. "You’ll wear this until you’re officially licensed. Try to remove it or leave your designated zone, and we come get you. Forcibly."

She knelt down and locked it around his ankle. The band tightened automatically, uncomfortable but not painful.

"You’ve got one week," Ashford said. "Use it to rest, prepare, get your affairs in order. The exam isn’t easy, and given your... publicity, you’ll have extra scrutiny. Don’t embarrass us."

"Wouldn’t dream of it."

"Good." He stood, buttoning his suit jacket. "Stevens will escort you home. Your full briefing packet will be delivered tonight, including exam details and the footage you requested. Don’t lose any of it."

Reva opened the door. The same guard from before stood outside, rifle slung across his chest.

"One more thing," Ashford said as Rin reached the door. "I watched what you did yesterday. What you did was brave. Stupid, but brave. Leo would’ve been proud."

The words hit harder than they should have. Rin just nodded, not trusting his voice.

He followed Stevens out into a hallway lined with other doors, other interrogation rooms. How many unregistered awakened were down here? How many people had powers they couldn’t control, couldn’t understand?

The elevator ride up was silent. When the doors opened to the lobby, Rin understood why they’d kept him in sub-level 3.

The entire front of the building was glass, and outside, behind barricades, were hundreds of people. Reporters, cameras, civilians holding signs. Some said "THANK YOU RIN." Others said "UNREGISTERED = UNCONTROLLED."

"Shit," Rin muttered.

"Back entrance," Stevens said, steering him toward a side corridor. "Car’s already waiting."

They went through a service exit into an underground garage. A black SUV with tinted windows sat running. Stevens opened the back door.

"Get in. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t post on social media. Don’t even look at your phone if you can help it."

"That bad?"

"Worse. Your phone’s been getting calls and texts nonstop since your identity leaked. We had to clone it onto a secured device just to stop it from crashing." He handed Rin a new phone. "This one’s clean. Only approved contacts. Use it."

Rin took the phone and climbed into the SUV. The interior was nice, leather seats, tinted partition between him and the driver.

The car pulled out through a different exit, avoiding the crowds. Rin watched the city pass by through the tinted windows. Everything looked the same, but somehow different. Like he was seeing it from behind glass now, separated from normal life.

His new phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:

Briefing packet attached. Footage included as promised. Study both. Exam is in 6 days. Don’t fuck this up. - Reva

He opened the attachments. The briefing packet was over a hundred pages. Exam requirements, rules, evaluation criteria. The footage file was marked "CLASSIFIED - AUTHORIZED VIEWING ONLY."

47 minutes long.

Rin’s thumb hovered over it. Did he really want to watch Leo die again?

He pressed play.

The footage started with Jin’s team entering the forest. Clean, professional, efficient. Then Kazriketh appeared, and everything went to hell.

Rin watched Nelia split in half. Watched Kelvin break his own neck. Watched Jin lose her head.

Then Leo.

The darkness spreading through him was worse up close. You could see it moving under his skin, black veins crawling like roots. His eyes going from brown to black to empty.

But right before the end, right before that final moment, Leo smiled.

And he said something. The footage had claer audio this time.

"It’s you, right? I always knew you were special... I always knew... my best friend..."

Then he mouthed one more thing, so quiet the audio barely picked it up:

"Get him for me."

The video ended.

Rin sat in the back of the SUV, phone still in his hand, tears running down his face.

"Yeah," he whispered to the empty car. "Yeah, I’ll get him."

The SUV pulled up to Leo’s mansion. The gate opened automatically. Outside, across the street, Rin could see news vans setting up. They’d found his address already.

’This is my life now huh.’

[Correct]

’I hate it.’

[Irrelevant]

[New Quest Available: Revenge]

[Objective: Eliminate Kazriketh, Voice of the Fractured God]

[Reward: ???]

[Failure Penalty: Death]

"One week until the exam," Rin said, getting out of the car. "Then I start training and get strong enough to keep my promise."

He walked into the empty mansion, ankle monitor blinking softly with each step.

Six days until everything changed again.