Thanks to the Guild's deliberate promotion, tickets for the Arena Challenge had sold exceptionally well.
The ten-thousand-seat Arena was already packed.
In the preparation room, Altaïr adjusted his basic Hunter's Armor Set.
To be honest, with so little Defense, he felt he would be more agile wearing nothing at all. Had the Arena Challenge not required every combatant to wear a full Armor Set, he might have walked in carrying nothing but his Iron Katana.
Once his Armor was adjusted, Altaïr considered sharpening the Iron Katana again. Its crude workmanship still felt awkward in his hands, but before he could decide, a sudden cheer erupted outside.
Clearly, the competitor ahead of him had already completed their Hunt, and it seemed to have gone quite smoothly.
Just then, the preparation-room door opened and a staff member poked their head inside. "Mr. Altaïr, it's your turn."
Altaïr nodded, slung the Iron Katana across his back, and followed the staff member out of the preparation room.
As he walked down the corridor leading to the Arena, he felt some nervousness, but far more anticipation.
Of course, neither feeling had anything to do with the Bulldrome. They came from the thought of using "Devouring Demon" in real combat for the first time.
The night before, he had once again asked Master Amos for guidance on the finer points of Devouring Demon. Amos had held nothing back, though he repeatedly warned Altaïr to stay in control and not lose himself.
When he entered the Arena, the sudden blaze of light stung his eyes, making him turn his head slightly aside.
The crowd's cheers washed over him like a tidal wave, mingling with the announcer's shrill opening spiel as it blared from the loudspeakers.
Altaïr steadied his breathing. As he focused his mind, he gradually shut out every distraction around him.
He walked to the center of the Arena and stood still, signaling that he was ready.
The horn sounded to begin the Challenge, and the iron-barred gate to the Monster pen slowly opened.
If he had been aiming for a record, the best choice would have been to charge forward the moment the horn sounded and attack as the Monster emerged from its pen.
Altaïr did no such thing. He was not here to break records, and the record for hunting a Bulldrome was hardly worth the effort...
Still, he drew the Iron Katana and settled into a charging stance so he could practice Devouring Demon.
The Bulldrome emerged from behind the iron bars and shook its head.
The irritable beast glanced from side to side and immediately locked onto the Hunter standing in the center of the Arena.
Without a moment's hesitation, the Bulldrome lowered its center of gravity, pawed the ground twice with its thick, pillar-like forelegs, then charged at full speed like an out-of-control steam locomotive.
Facing the "rumbling" giant boar as it closed in, Altaïr timed his response and unleashed a Charged Spirit Roundslash.
The highly compressed sword aura compensated for the Iron Katana's lack of Sharpness and power. As the two passed each other, a single slash severed one of the Bulldrome's forelegs.
The Bulldrome let out a bloodcurdling shriek and tumbled to the ground.
The audience fell silent for a moment, but anyone who understood what the title "High Rank Hunter" signified looked entirely unsurprised.
If a Bulldrome had forced him into a prolonged back-and-forth fight, they would have begun to doubt whether the young High Rank Hunter truly deserved the title.
A glint of excitement flashed in Altaïr's eyes when he saw the Bulldrome fall.
After days of cautious experimentation, he could finally cut loose and try the technique in earnest!
Altaïr closed the distance in a single bound as a blood-red aura erupted from his entire body. The crowd gasped while he swung the Iron Katana, wreathed in crimson blood energy, so quickly that its blade became a blur.
The first strike split the Bulldrome's round belly down the middle. What followed was a horrific spray of flesh and blood.
Within mere moments, the Bulldrome's agonized screams fell silent, leaving behind nothing but a mangled corpse.
The blood-drenched Hunter finally stopped moving. After briefly taking stock of his condition, Altaïr flicked the blood from his blade and sheathed it.
Amid the thunderous cheers of countless spectators, he turned and left the Arena without looking back, returning to the preparation room.
Before long, Amos and Isis joined him there.
Seeing Altaïr sitting in a chair and staring silently at his palm, Isis hesitated, as though she wanted to say something.
The night before, Amos had sought her out, spoken with her for a while, and told her what Altaïr had been doing over the past few days.
Her first reaction had not been anger. It had been fear.
If watching him so closely only made Altaïr pull further away, invent all kinds of excuses to hide what he truly thought, or even slip off alone to do something dangerous...
Wouldn't that... defeat the whole purpose?
Amos had told her to rein herself in and be more mindful of her approach, but she still had no idea how.
Amos had said little else, merely telling the two of them to work things out together...
Oblivious to Isis's turmoil, Altaïr stared at his palm. It had been drenched in blood, yet only a few dried traces remained now. As he felt the abundant vitality coursing through his body, his expression turned complicated.
"Isis."
"Huh? What?" Isis came back to herself with a start.
"I think there really is something wrong with my body..."
—--
At the Frenzy Virus Research Institute.
The director gave Altaïr a peculiar look. "What have you been doing these past few days?"
"Hmm..." Altaïr glanced at Isis and Amos beside him. "I've spent the past few days practicing a rather unusual Hunter Art, and I just took part in an Arena Challenge. Is something wrong?"
"Yes." The director nodded bluntly. "Three days ago, the microorganisms inside you were only showing signs of forming a symbiotic relationship with your body...
"Now they have completely become part of you. This can hardly even be called symbiosis anymore. It is closer to... the relationship between a moss sporophyte and its gametophyte?"
"What does that mean?" Master Amos asked with a frown.
"I cannot determine that from a brief observation alone. But judging by Mr. Altaïr's expression, he seems to have noticed something."
Everyone's eyes fell on Altaïr.
Altaïr hesitated, then let out a resigned sigh. "I've been practicing a Hunter Art called Devouring Demon."
As he spoke, he discreetly glanced sideways at Isis.
To his surprise, Isis did not react. She only looked at him with concern, as though she already knew.
Master Amos must have told her. He had probably said a lot more, too, or her eyebrows would be standing on end by now...
Putting those thoughts aside, Altaïr continued, "The Hunter Art causes my blood and vital energy to boil, granting me immense strength for a short time.
"I was not sure before, but I confirmed it during the Arena match just now. When I activate Devouring Demon, it activates the microorganisms inside me as well.
"They seem to absorb Monster blood that splashes onto me, and even blood from my own wounds, through my skin and use it to heal my body.
"I know that sounds far-fetched, but..."
"It is not as far-fetched as you think," the director interrupted. "As far as I know, some advanced Hunter equipment can produce a similar effect. Certain parasitic organisms, such as the Qurio, display similar behavior as well."
Excitement crept into the director's expression. "If possible, I would like you to cooperate with an experiment.
"If your theory is correct, congratulations. You will be the first human to gain a blood-absorbing ability like this without relying on equipment or parasites."