Prologue - My Death

―It was hell.

Never in my life have I seen such a soul-destroying sight; not in all my time as a professional hunter.

Behind me were the incinerated corpses of my allies.

To my left was what little remained of the Global Hunter Association Centre. Why did they provoke this monster in front of me, I wonder?

To my right lay the scorched and blackened carcass of Hakin, the Dragon monster that attacked America. It was the strongest monster I had ever seen before today, and as my gaze fell upon the overgrown lizard's heavily injured body, I could only sigh in exasperation.

After all, even 'Hakin'―the strongest monster to arise from a gate until now―would not be enough to even scratch that thing.

The majestic, yet terrifying beast that seems to contain near-unlimited power.

That gigantic bird of pure flame, existing only in legends of old―a Phoenix. It stayed still, only floating in the skies far above, yet even that was all it took to cause nearby skyscrapers to shrink. All the ordinary cars and vehicles in the city melted due to the intense heat, and even the ground was beginning to liquefy.

The protective suits that we, the remaining survivors, wore, were reaching their limits. They were high-end armours, created with the rarest of monster materials and even equipped with temperature-balancing magic. These suits were pretty light and specialised for fire-type monsters. Even then, their functions were starting to halt in that monster's presence.

Somehow or other, the rest of us were enduring this heat. I think we all shared a small, optimistic thought, in the back of our minds.

―Could we survive this?

That was when the creature turned its head. Towards us. It looked at our group, I could tell. A monster it may be, but it was definitely intelligent. Gazing back, and unable to take a single action, I stood there, powerlessly. Then, I felt something tremble inside me, and by the time I realised it, I saw that the monster was looking directly at me.

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Normally, it'd be way too bright for me to look at it, but thanks to the protective goggles we were given, that wasn't the case. I could look it right in the eyes, with full admiration and respect. That's correct; even though it had absolutely obliterated the Association building, I didn't care.

I instinctively knew anyway, after looking it dead in the eyes, that this was where I died. I noticed a sniper on a distant building, with his scope pointing right at my head. It didn't really bother me, since I had resolved myself for this kind of fate when I first decided to become a hunter. I also knew that I pissed a lot of people off, for various reasons.

Usually, though, it was simple jealousy―people envious of me because I was the "Rank 1 Hunter" in the world; a title I never even earned.

It was all luck, really. Being in the right place at the right time. There was nothing special about me compared to other people, but most normally don't take that into consideration when making someone a target of their envy. Oh, whatever, it's all over now.

It feels like time has slowed down drastically. I can sense that the sniper has already pulled the trigger, and the bullet was mid-air. Since it's me they're after, it's likely one of the world's best. The gun and bullet were probably manufactured by some of the best gunsmiths in the world, too, in addition to being magically enhanced. All to take me down. They really wanted to guarantee my death, huh.

In this slowed time, I recalled certain instances in my life.

There were many times similar things happened. Times where a monster has looked me straight in the eyes; times were a monster left me on the brink of death after a close call; times where a monster has killed my allies and comrades―you get the point.

My life has been heavily involved with monsters. Don't get me wrong, though; this is normal for a hunter. All of what I've stated is what every hunter will go through at some point, without exception. Yes, I am... No different.

The destroyed Association building? It will be rebuilt in due time. Those old-timers at the top should be long gone, right? Probably, they've been burnt to a crisp. Man, I wish I could've seen the looks on their faces. It'd be golden―their dumbass faces as they shit themselves at the sight of a Phoenix coming to destroy what they've spent their lives creating.

Well, they only reaped what they sowed, really. They got greedy, went one--well, maybe a few steps too far, and burnt as a result.

Haha, well, it seems the bullet has almost reached its mark. My time is about up.

As I took one last glance at the Phoenix, what was flying away in the high sky, I bitterly smiled, and thought:

...Man, my life sucked.

―Thus, my time as a human finally ended.