"What a great view," William thought to himself as he flew above the clouds of Vale. From this height, Vale City sprawled beneath him, its streets and lights weaving together like a living tapestry pulsing with life as the evening sun slowly dipped behind the horizon. Towers of glass and steel reflected the fading sunlight, while the distant hum of traffic and movement blended into a rhythm that somehow felt comforting. Just looking at the city made the past six years of exhausting nights and relentless training feel worthwhile.
A cool gust of wind swept past him, tugging at the long crimson coat flowing behind him like a banner. Moments like this were one of the few times he truly felt free. No crowded streets. No endless reports waiting for him back at headquarters. No politicians demanding reassurance while expecting miracles.
Just the open sky and the world he wanted to see a better tomorrow.
William's sharp eyes scanned the streets below as he continued his patrol. Tiny flashes of light moved through the city—cars gliding through traffic, airships drifting between towers, storefronts flickering alive as evening settled over Vale. Somewhere down there, families were gathering for dinner, workers were finally making their way home, and children were probably staring up at the same sky in wonder.
A small smile touched his face.
Most people would never know his name, and honestly, he preferred it that way. Just being to able to help people was enough for him.
Safety.
Hope.
Peace.
Still, experience had taught him peace never lasted forever. While tonight appeared calm, with no burning buildings or black waves of Grimm spreading across the land like a plague eager to devour everything in their path, William knew how quickly things could change.
Five more minutes, he thought. Then I'll call it a night.
His aura reserves were still barely in the green after patrolling the other kingdoms first. Exhaustion lingered deep in his muscles, though he ignored it like he always did.
The scoll strapped to his waist suddenly crackled to life.
William sighed.
"Ah, looks like I spoke too soon. There goes my early night."
"Emergency alert! Grimm sighted near the outer settlement of Grayridge! Multiple large signatures detected!"
William's expression hardened instantly , reaching behind him to pull his hood up.
The calm atmosphere vanished.
Without hesitation, he leaned forward midair, a thunderous boom exploding behind him as he accelerated toward the horizon. Clouds split apart in his wake while the wind screamed against his body. The peaceful lights of Vale disappeared behind him, replaced by stretches of dark forest and scattered mountain terrain rushing beneath his feet.
Another distorted voice burst through the communicator.
"Hunters already dispatched—but they're overwhelmed!"
William clenched his jaw.
"Hold the line," he said firmly. "I'm on my way."
Far ahead, smoke rose into the sky.
By the time Grayridge came into view, the settlement was already under siege.
Grayridge was one of Vale's newest frontier settlements, built along the outer edges of the kingdom where civilization slowly gave way to untamed wilderness. Unlike the towering skyscrapers and polished streets of Vale City, Grayridge was rougher—smaller homes, reinforced buildings, dirt roads mixed with unfinished pavement, and massive defensive walls constantly under construction.
Originally a mining and supply outpost, the settlement had rapidly expanded after the Vale Council approved the Grayridge Development Initiative, a project designed to push civilization farther beyond the safety of the capital. Workers, Huntsmen, engineers, and families had all come together to build new lives there despite the constant Grimm threat lurking beyond the forests.
The settlement itself sat within a natural basin surrounded by dense woodland and steep cliff faces, making it defensible in theory.
But if the walls ever failed—
There would be nowhere left to run.
Now the once peaceful town had become a death trap for those living inside.
Smoke rose from shattered buildings while emergency sirens echoed desperately through the streets below. Grimm poured through the broken section of wall in a relentless black tide, trapping civilians within the settlement with nowhere left to escape.
"Hm. Looks like the Grimm broke through a damaged section of the wall," William muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Better clear the town first, then repair the breach."
Sirens wailed through the streets as terrified civilians ran between buildings. Grimm poured through the shattered outer barricades in a relentless wave—Beowolves leaping across rooftops, Creeps swarming through alleyways, and towering Ursai smashing through defensive lines.
The broken section of wall near the forest had completely collapsed.
And beyond it—
More Grimm were still coming.
William's eyes narrowed.
"That's not good."
Hundreds of glowing red eyes moved within the dark tree line beyond the settlement, their snarls echoing through the storm winds like starving animals scenting blood.
Above it all, storm clouds churned unnaturally across the sky while violent winds howled across Grayridge.
William raised one hand.
Blue aura surged around his arm instantly.
The air behind him distorted as glowing weapons began materializing one after another—long swords, massive spears, heavy axes, and enormous tower-like blades forged entirely from aura.
The nearby Huntsmen stared upward in shock.
"Wait…" one muttered. "He's building a barricade?"
William swung his arm downward.
"Move away from the breach!"
The weapons launched forward like missiles.
Massive swords slammed into the ground one after another across the destroyed opening in the wall. Spears crashed down beside them while gigantic axes locked themselves between the blades, forming an enormous glowing barrier of steel and aura.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The earth trembled with every impact.
Several Grimm attempting to rush through were instantly impaled, their bodies dissolving into black ash against the glowing weapons.
But William didn't stop there.
More swords appeared behind him in expanding waves of blue light.
With another motion of his hand, dozens of blades rocketed beyond the settlement walls and embedded themselves into the ground outside Grayridge in massive rows.
A defensive perimeter.
The Grimm horde crashed against it seconds later.
The battlefield erupted into chaos as creatures were skewered trying to force their way through the forest of glowing steel. Beowolves were pinned mid-leap while Ursai smashed into the barricade only to be pierced from every direction.
The advance stopped instantly.
The Huntsmen below stared in stunned disbelief.
"He sealed the entire breach…"
"No," another whispered while watching the glowing wall stretch across the battlefield. "He turned the breach into a fortress."
William landed gently atop the church tower overlooking the battlefield, his crimson coat snapping violently in the storm winds. Blue aura still flickered behind him as more weapons hovered in the air awaiting his command.
Now the Grimm inside the town were trapped.
And William finally smiled.
"Alright," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Now let's clean this up."
William launched himself from the church tower with a thunderous boom, the stone beneath his feet cracking apart from the force. Blue aura streaked behind him as he shot toward the breached wall, soaring over the battlefield like a crimson comet.
Below him, Huntsmen and soldiers stared upward in relief.
"The breach is sealed!"
"We can actually hold the line now!"
"Push the Grimm back!"
William barely heard them.
His attention was already fixed on the massive Grimm horde gathering beyond the barricade.
Hundreds of Grimm slammed themselves against the glowing wall of summoned weapons, snarling and clawing desperately to force their way through. Beyond them, more shapes emerged from the forest darkness—an endless sea of black forms illuminated by flashes of lightning overhead.
William exhaled slowly.
The storm clouds above rumbled violently.
Then William moved.
He shot over the barricade and directly into the approaching horde.
Blue light exploded across the battlefield.
Dozens of summoned swords materialized around him before firing outward in every direction like a storm of missiles. Grimm were shredded apart instantly. Beowolves dissolved into ash mid-charge while Creeps were pinned to the ground by glowing spears before vanishing seconds later.
William tore through the battlefield with terrifying speed.
Every motion carried overwhelming force.
He drove an aura-coated kick into an Ursa's skull hard enough to collapse the creature instantly before summoning a massive axe overhead and hurling it through a cluster of charging Grimm.
The forest shook from the impacts.
More swords appeared behind him in expanding rings of blue light.
Then—
William suddenly stopped.
The aura around his body flickered weakly.
His breathing had grown heavier.
Too much aura consumption.
The long patrol across the kingdoms… the barricade… the constant weapon summoning…
It was catching up to him faster than he expected.
William glanced briefly at his trembling hand.
"Tch. Lower than I thought."
William exhaled slowly.
He needed to wrap this up.
His aura reserves were draining faster than expected. What had barely remained in the green was now steadily slipping toward the red zone. Every weapon he summoned pulled more from an already exhausted body.
But he couldn't leave.
Not yet.
Not while Grimm still threatened the town behind him.
"Looks like it's going to be one of those nights," he muttered with a tired grin.
For a brief moment, memories surfaced—long nights training, impossible battles, and the voice of the hero who had inspired him years ago.
There's always a way. When the odds are impossible… do the impossible.
William's eyes hardened with renewed determination.
"Yeah," he said quietly, blue aura flickering around his fists once more. "Guess I'll keep doing that."
Then the next wave of Grimm charged him
William narrowed his eyes as dozens of Beowolves burst from the forest line alongside larger Ursai crashing through the trees behind them.
Normally, he would have ended this instantly.
A single barrage of summoned weapons could wipe out the entire wave in seconds.
But not anymore.
His aura reserves flickered dangerously.
William glanced at the glowing swords floating behind him before making a decision.
"No more wasting aura."
The formation of weapons behind him shifted instantly.
Instead of launching forward like projectiles, the blades rotated around his body in controlled motion. Swords spun beside him while massive axes hovered near his shoulders like loyal guardians awaiting command.
Then William stepped forward.
The first Beowolf lunged.
A sword flashed.
The Grimm split apart instantly.
William moved through the horde like a storm.
Rather than firing his weapons from a distance , he wielded them directly now- grabbing glowing blades mid- motion , cutting through Grimm in sweeping arcs before releasing them back into orbit around him. Spears shot forward only short distance before returning to his side while spinning axes carved through charging Grimm with brutal precision.
Every moment flowed seamlessly into the next.
A massive scythe materialized beside
William in a burst of blue light.
He caught it instantly.
The curved blade hummed with aura as he spun forward into the charging Grimm. One sweeping motion carved through an entire line of Beowolves, the force of the strike sending black ash scattering across the battlefield like smoke.
William twisted the scythe around his body with practiced precision, its massive blade moving like an extension of himself. A Creeper lunged from the side only for the weapon's handle to crack against its skull before the blade hooked backward, severing the Grimm in one fluid motion.
Another wave rushed him.
William planted one foot firmly into the ground before spinning the scythe in a devastating arc around himself.
The earth shattered.
A circular shockwave erupted outward as Grimm were torn apart from every direction.
The Huntsmen watching from the wall could barely follow his movements anymore.
"He's using different weapons every second…"
"How is he switching that fast?!"
William released the scythe into the air.
The weapon dissolved into blue fragments instantly.
Then a long spear formed in his hand.
He launched forward.
The spear pierced through a charging Beowolf before William used the momentum to vault over another Grimm entirely. Midair, he ripped the weapon free and drove it downward like lightning, impaling an Ursa through the skull hard enough to crater the ground beneath it.
Three Creepers rushed him from behind.
William spun the spear around his body in blinding motion before thrusting backward repeatedly.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Each strike pierced clean through a Grimm's chest.
He moved without hesitation, seamlessly transitioning between reach, speed, and raw force as the spear danced through the battlefield.
But even then—
The weapon's blue glow flickered violently.
Cracks spread along the shaft.
William noticed immediately.
His aura was fading faster now.
Another Grimm lunged toward him.
William drove the spear through its chest—
And the weapon shattered apart into glowing fragments.
For a brief moment, he stood still among the dissolving ash and fading aura particles.
Then more swords slowly formed behind him once again.
Fewer this time.
Weaker.
William exhaled through his nose.
"Alright," he muttered quietly, tightening his gloves. "Guess subtlety's over."
A Boewolf leapt toward his Blind spot-
William caught a hovering sword without even looking and drove it backward through the Grimm's skull before spinning forward and cleaving another in half.
An Ursa roared as it charged him head-on.
William met it directly.
Blue aura surged around a massive greatsword as he swung upward with enough force to split the creature clean through the center. Black ash exploded outward across the battlefield.
The Huntsmen watching from the walls stared in disbelief.
"He's fighting differently…"
"He's conserving aura."
"No…" another Huntsman whispered while watching William carve through the horde alone. "He's adapting."
But even then, the summoned weapons were beginning to weaken.
The glowing edges of the swords flickered inconsistently.
Some cracked apart after only a few strikes.
Others dissolved completely moments after being summoned.
William's breathing grew heavier.
His aura was running dry.
Still—
He refused to stop moving.
Another Grimm charged him from the forest.
William stepped forward and drove a spear through its chest before spinning and slamming an axe into another creature hard enough to shatter the ground beneath it.
But the aura coating the weapon flickered violently.
Then the axe shattered into blue fragments.
William clicked his tongue.
"Tch… not much left."
The remaining swords behind him dimmed noticeably.
One by one, they began disappearing entirely.
The battlefield slowly grew quieter as the last Grimm near the wall dissolved into black ash.
Then—
The forest trembled.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the mountains.
THOOM.
THOOM.
THOOM.
William slowly lifted his head as the remaining summoned weapons behind him shattered into fading blue particles.
And then the Ape Grimm emerged from the darkness.
Towering over the battlefield.
Watching him.
Waiting.
William stared at the creature for a moment before looking down at his empty hands.
Then he tightened the gloves around his fists.
The faintest grin crossed his face.
"Well," he muttered, rolling his shoulders, "guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."
The forest trembled with every step the Ape Grimm took.
THOOM.
THOOM.
THOOM.
Its massive body towered over the battlefield like a living mountain of black bone and muscle. Jagged white markings pulsed faintly across its armor-like skin while crimson eyes remained locked onto William with disturbing intelligence.
Around them, the battlefield had gone silent.
Even the remaining Huntsmen atop the walls stopped moving.
Nobody dared interfere.
William rolled his shoulders slowly as the last fragments of blue aura faded behind him. The summoned weapons that had once filled the battlefield were gone now.
No swords.
No spears.
No scythes.
No axes
Just his fists.
The Ape Grimm grinned.
Then it vanished.
The ground exploded beneath its feet as it lunged forward with terrifying speed.
William barely raised his arms in time.
BOOM!
The impact detonated like artillery fire.
A shockwave tore through the battlefield as William was launched backward through multiple trees before crashing into the forest edge hard enough to crater the earth beneath him.
Pain shot through both arms instantly.
"…Damn," he muttered, forcing himself back upright.
The Ape gave him no time to recover.
Another massive fist came crashing downward.
William twisted aside at the last second as the attack obliterated the ground beside him. Dirt and shattered stone erupted skyward while hurricane-force winds ripped through the forest.
William countered instantly.
His fist slammed into the Ape Grimm's ribs with enough force to distort the air itself.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact created a massive pressure wave that flattened hundreds of trees behind the creature in a straight line, the forest collapsing like grass before a storm.
But the Ape barely moved.
William's eyes widened slightly.
The Grimm smiled.
Then its fist crashed directly into William's stomach.
The world blurred.
William rocketed across the battlefield, skipping violently across the ground before smashing through the remains of a watchtower near the settlement walls.
The nearby Huntsmen stared in horror.
"He hit him…"
"No way…"
William coughed hard as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
His aura flickered weakly.
Too weakly.
The Ape Grimm slowly approached through the smoke, each step shaking the ground beneath it.
William pushed himself back to his feet.
"You hit harder than you look," he muttered with a grin.
The Grimm roared.
Then charged again.
The two collided head-on.
Shockwaves exploded outward with every punch thrown between them. Buildings cracked apart from the pressure while lightning split across the storm clouds overhead.
William ducked beneath a sweeping strike before driving three rapid punches into the Grimm's chest.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Each hit blasted apart the forest behind the monster even further, turning entire sections of woodland into a flattened wasteland.
The Ape retaliated instantly.
Its massive arm slammed into William's side hard enough to launch him skyward.
CRACK.
William's gauntlet shattered apart midair.
Blue fragments scattered into the storm winds.
He barely regained control before the Ape appeared above him.
Its fist crashed downward like a meteor.
William crossed his remaining gauntlet defensively.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact sent him hurtling back toward the ground.
He crashed into the earth hard enough to split the battlefield apart in all directions.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Rain poured heavily into the crater around him.
Then—
William slowly stood back up.
His breathing had grown heavier now.
Blood stained parts of his shirt.
And one of his gauntlets was completely gone.
The Ape Grimm roared triumphantly from above.
William spat blood to the side before tightening his remaining fist.
"Yeah…" he muttered, smiling despite the pain. "Now this feels like a real fight."
The Ape charged again.
William met it head-on.
Their fists collided with enough force to split the storm clouds above the battlefield for several seconds before darkness swallowed the sky once more.
The Ape swung wildly.
William blocked.
Another hit landed.
CRACK.
The second gauntlet shattered apart.
William's eyes narrowed.
Now both fists were bare.
The Ape slammed its fists together and unleashed another devastating shockwave that tore through the battlefield.
William crossed his arms defensively—
But the attack still hurled him backward.
His crimson coat ripped apart violently from the force.
Fragments of red cloth scattered across the battlefield like burning embers.
The symbol of the Red Huntsman disappeared into the storm.
Now only the man beneath remained.
William stood slowly.
The sleeves of his black shirt were torn apart completely, exposing bruised and bloodied arms. Rain rolled down his body while blue aura flickered weakly around his clenched fists.
Across from him, the Ape Grimm towered beneath the storm clouds like the embodiment of destruction itself.
William exhaled slowly.
His body screamed in pain.
Every movement hurt.
His aura was nearly gone.
But behind him—
Grayridge still stood.
The people were still alive.
And that meant he could still fight.
The Ape Grimm roared and charged one final time.
William stepped forward.
Then vanished.
The ground beneath him exploded apart as he launched upward with everything he had left.
His fist collided with the Ape's jaw.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The shockwave that followed tore across the entire battlefield.
The forest behind the Ape vanished instantly.
Not destroyed.
Flattened.
Miles of trees were erased beneath the overwhelming pressure, leaving behind an enormous empty plain stretching toward the horizon.
The storm clouds above shattered apart next.
Moonlight poured across the battlefield.
The rain stopped.
For the first time that night, the stars became visible overhead.
The Ape Grimm staggered backward in disbelief.
William landed heavily in front of it, breathing hard as steam rose from his body.
One final punch.
That was all he had left.
The Ape roared desperately before charging forward one last time.
William smiled.
Then pulled his fist back.
The air trembled around him.
The stars above reflected in his eyes.
"DETROIT…"
The moonlit sky cracked with thunder.
"SMASH!"
His fist connected with the Ape Grimm's chest.
Time itself seemed to stop.
Then the entire battlefield erupted.
A catastrophic shockwave exploded outward as the Ape Grimm disintegrated instantly beneath the impact. The remaining storm clouds vanished completely, revealing the endless night sky above Grayridge in full.
Silence followed.
William stood alone beneath the moonlight, breathing heavily as pieces of his destroyed coat drifted through the air around him.
For the first time all night—
The battlefield was peaceful.
For several long moments, nobody moved.
The only sounds remaining were the soft crackling of ruined buildings and the distant wind rolling across the newly flattened plain beyond the forest.
William stood beneath the moonlight, breathing heavily as the last traces of blue aura flickered weakly around his battered body. His arms trembled slightly from exhaustion while cuts and bruises covered nearly every visible inch of skin.
But the Grimm were gone.
Grayridge was safe.
And that was enough.
William let out a slow breath before glancing around the battlefield.
Then his eyes landed on something red caught beneath a broken piece of stone.
"…Aw, come on."
He walked over and pulled his crimson coat free from the rubble.
Or at least what remained of it.
The once-iconic red coat was completely ruined. Entire sections had been torn away during the fight while the remaining fabric was burned, shredded, and covered in dirt and Grimm ash.
William stared at it in silence for a moment.
Then sighed heavily.
"My grandpa's gonna kill me…"
Nearby Huntsmen blinked in confusion.
William held up the destroyed coat with a tired expression.
"This is the fourth one this year."
He shook his head before throwing the ruined coat over one shoulder.
"He's seriously gonna yell at me for ruining another custom-made coat."
A few civilians nearby awkwardly laughed in disbelief.
The legendary Huntsman who had just shattered a storm and flattened part of a forest was complaining about getting scolded over clothing.
Somehow, that made him feel… human.
William rolled his sore shoulder before glancing up toward the now-clear night sky. The moon hung brightly overhead while countless stars stretched endlessly across the darkness.
Peaceful again.
A small smile crossed his face.
"Worth it."
William rolled one sore shoulder before immediately regretting it.
Pain shot through nearly every muscle in his body.
"…Yep," he groaned quietly. "I'm definitely going to feel this in the morning."
His ribs ached.
Both arms felt like they had been run over by a cargo transport.
And judging by the sharp pain in his side, something was probably fractured.
Still—
Grayridge was standing.
So he considered that a fair trade.
What William didn't notice were the dozens—no, hundreds—of scroll cameras pointed directly at him.
Every moment had been captured.
Every punch.
Every shockwave.
Every word.
The live streams had spread far beyond Grayridge now.
Across Vale, millions watched in stunned silence.
In apartments, restaurants, airships, and city streets, people stared at their screens watching the exhausted hero standing beneath the moonlight.
For the very first time—
The world could finally see the face of the mysterious Red Huntsman.
Social media exploded instantly.
"WHO IS THAT?!"
"The Red Huntsman has a face?!"
"Did you SEE that final punch?!"
"He cleared the storm!"
"He flattened the forest!"
News stations interrupted broadcasts within minutes.
Clips of the battle spread across every kingdom like wildfire.
But William remained completely oblivious to all of it.
He simply crouched slightly before blue aura flickered weakly around his legs one final time.
"Alright…" he muttered tiredly. "Home time."
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he launched himself skyward.
A thunderous boom echoed across Grayridge while William disappeared into the night sky above, leaving only drifting dust and moonlight behind.
The civilians watched him vanish in awe.
None of them knew his name.
But after tonight—
Nobody would ever forget his face again.