In a room filled with an air of authority, powerful officials sat around a round table, their faces illuminated by the glow of a video playing on repeat. The footage depicted the extraordinary events that had recently unfolded, leaving everyone in a state of stunned silence.

As the video came to an end, the room remained quiet, the weight of what they had witnessed hanging heavy in the air. Finally, one of the officials broke the silence.

"To use their abilities at that scale... could they be those who have achieved the rank of Transcendent?"

In this world, an individual's core could come in different ranks. From Undeveloped to Awakened, Ascended to Mastered, and finally, the coveted rank of Transcendent—a level of power that was common only among the pinnacle of A-Rank Hunters and above.

"It may very well be possible," another voice responded from the other end of the table. "The individual who manipulated gravity is one thing, but the one who let off that explosion... they might very well be in the realm beyond Transcendent."

Once again, the room fell into a heavy silence, the implications of such a possibility weighing on everyone's minds. Suddenly, a hand slammed down on the table, the sound echoing through the room like a gunshot.

"This is absurd!" An official bellowed. "You're telling me there are individuals that powerful roaming around, unaffiliated, and you still haven't been able to find them?! What good is our association if we can't accomplish that one simple task?!"

The man responsible for the outburst was short and fat, with strands of gray hair peeking out from his slicked-back brown hair. He glared at the screen, a deep frown etched onto his face above his black, beady eyes.

Dressed in an expensive suit and adorned with several rings and a diamond watch, he exuded an air of wealth and power. This was Jeffrey Klaus, one of the Hunter Association's executives.

"Easier said than done. They're—" another official began, but Jeffrey cut them off with a sharp wave of his hand.

"That doesn't matter! They're dangerous and could pose a threat to our city!" he retorted, his face turning an angry shade of red.

"Dangerous? What makes you say that?" a calm voice inquired.

"For one, they have yet to reveal themselves! They could have the chance to receive fame, glory, and wealth, and yet they chose to hide. They could be a spy from another country even!" Jeffrey said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Just because we don't know their origins doesn't make them dangerous. If it wasn't for them, several more lives would have been lost, and the blame would have been on us," the very same voice interjected, drawing everyone's attention.

The speaker was a tall woman with long, stylish orange hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a slightly revealing black suit that seemed to accentuate her curves and add to her already considerable charms.

Despite her appearance, there was a sharp intelligence in her gaze, a hint of the keen mind that lay beneath the surface. Abigail Isley, she was another well-known executive of the Hunter’s Association.

"She's right. Not everyone is swayed by money and power like you, old man," A voice called out from the doorway.

Two individuals stood by the entrance, the light shining down on them revealing a tall man with long, messy blond hair and piercing gray eyes. It was none other than Axel Klaus, the renowned S-Rank Hunter.

Beside him stood a girl with moderately long braided brown hair and hazel eyes. In her hands, she clutched a stack of papers. Upon seeing Axel, the fat man clicked his tongue, his face twisting into a scowl.

"Nobody asked for your opinion! Need I remind you who took you out of that shithole?"

Axel shot a glare at the old man, causing him to flinch under the intensity of his gaze.

"Y-You..." the fat, burly man stammered, but before he could continue, a voice from the far end of the table interrupted him.

"Axel, you've arrived. Good job clearing the Labyrinth Gate. The damage was kept to a minimum thanks to you."

The speaker was a man shrouded in darkness, his facial features obscured by the shadows. However, the Hunter's Association badge and a few other insignias glimmered faintly on his black suit.

The man's words seemed to carry weight, as everyone in the room fell silent, and the two who had been standing quickly took their seats. Jeffrey cast a venomous glare at both Abigail and Axel, but he remained quiet, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

Axel rolled his eyes at Jeffrey's display before turning his attention to the man at the far end of the table.

"Yeah, don't mention it. I was just doing my job,"

"That's good to hear. The reason I've summoned you here is to hear your report,"

"Don't worry, I've brought it. Clara," Axel called out to the girl by his side, never moving from his spot against the wall.

Clara stepped forward and pulled a remote from the pile of papers she was holding, her fingers deftly pressing a button.

The video displayed on the table rewound, the images flickering and blurring until it stopped on a single frame. Bright orange magic circles filled the screen, frozen in the moment just before the spell had been activated.

"We still haven't been able to find the ones responsible; however, we were able to discover something else..." Clara said, her voice steady and clear. "At the time these abilities were unleashed, not a single trace of Evolution Energy was picked up by our sensors."

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Her revelation sent a shockwave through the room, eliciting gasps and murmurs of disbelief from the assembled officials.

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

"Are you sure it wasn't some sort of mistake?"

"Maybe the energy readings from the Gate were interfering with it?"

Every ability contained traces of Evolution Energy when used, and energy detectors were capable of picking up even the slightest trace. Clara's statement challenged the very foundation of their understanding.

"We also thought it was a mistake at first, but I confirmed it with the other teams and hunters in the area. Not a single energy detector picked up the trace of any energy..." Clara explained.

"...Then that means..." one of the officials began, their voice trailing off as the implication sank in.

"Yeah, what we saw wasn't something caused by an Ability, but something else entirely,"

Tension permeated the room as whispers began to circulate among the gathered officials, each one grappling with the enormity of what they had just learned.

"Do you have any idea what it could be?" The association leader asked.

Clara pressed a button on the remote, and the image on the screen zoomed in on the orange magic circle. With another click, a second screen appeared, displaying a video of several miniature magic circles forming above the monsters' heads before they began to levitate and rocket upwards.

"As you can see, these strange circles appeared on the scene right before each phenomenon took place. I believe they can be linked to the display of power that we saw.”

Everyone at the table leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the strange circles and the intricate patterns etched upon them. At the core of each circle was a star, surrounded by runic patterns and incomprehensible symbols.

While they examined the circles, Clara continued her report. "What we should be trying to figure out is what this source of power is and why the Gate had a plague outbreak right after forming. That concludes my report."

With a respectful bow, Clara stepped back, leaving the room to digest her findings. She stood silently, waiting to be excused, but to her surprise, the man at the end of the table seemed to have one final question for her.

"Clara, your report has been amazing, just as always. I have to ask, though. What do you think these strange circles are?"

Clara glanced at the images of the circles on the screen, her expression void of emotion, as always. After a moment of contemplation, she responded with a single word. "Magic."

"...Magic?"

Once again, a wave of confusion swept through the room as all eyes turned to Clara.

"You mean to tell me that this is something done by magic? May I ask on what basis you are making this claim?" the leader pressed.

"Anime," Clara responded. "The magic circles and patterns remind me of an anime I used to watch. Although they look vastly different—"

Before she could finish her explanation, Jeffrey slammed his hand onto the table, his face contorted with indignation.

"Anime?! Do you think this is some kind of joke—"

The association's leader raised his hand, silencing Jeffrey's outburst. Even he, with all his bluster and bravado, couldn't go against the leader's authority.

"Clara, I will take that into consideration. I'm not sure if this is the magic that you speak of, but it's clear that this is far different from what we're acquainted with," the leader said, his voice thoughtful. "I ask that you continue to investigate. Thank you for your time. You are dismissed."

Clara gave them all another respectful bow before heading to the doorway where Axel stood silently. With a nonchalant expression, Axel stepped out of the room, and with a final bow, Clara followed after him.

"Magic..." the leader muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as his gaze drifted back to the screen.

---

The incessant buzzing of flies filled the air, their droning sound permeating throughout a run down wooden house on the outskirts of London.

The floors and walls were slick with blood, the once clear surfaces now stained a deep, sickening crimson. Pieces of flesh and organs lay scattered about. Amidst the carnage, the corpses of what had once been a family could be seen.

At the center of this massacre sat a single figure, its form both humanoid and yet distinctly alien. It had two arms and two legs, but its dark green skin was covered in spikes, and a tail protruded from its lower back.

The being sat with its arms wrapped around its legs, its multiple eyes fixed on the small, old television that flickered with static images as it broadcast the news.

"Tonight at nine in the evening, a Labyrinth Plague Outbreak occurred at Cardinal Palace, the shopping center in the heart of London. Fortunately, S-Rank Hunter Axel Klaus and several other hunters were at the scene and able to keep the damage to a minimum while containing the threat. There's no telling how the situation could have gone if otherwise,"

A wide, unsettling grin spread across the being's face as it stared at the TV, its eyes gleaming with a malevolent light.

"Silly humans, always so quick to celebrate..." the being chuckled, its voice bone-chilling. "That was just a test run... everything has been going according to plan."

Suddenly, the being's eyes widened as the image on the screen changed, displaying a shot taken at the scene of the outbreak. The image showed a cluster of monsters floating in the air, surrounded by countless orange magic circles layered in the sky above them.

"What is that...?" the being murmured as it leaned forward, grasping the sides of the television in its clawed hands.

In its excitement, however, the being applied too much pressure to the fragile device, its strength far beyond that of any human. With a sickening crunch, the television crumpled under its grip, the screen going dark as the image disappeared.

"...Ah."

The being stared at the broken device, a flicker of annoyance crossing its features as it realized that there was nothing it could do to bring the image back.

"These human creations are so flimsy... what a pain,"

The being rose to its feet, its eyes scanning the room until they fell upon the corpse of a man with short, brown hair. The body was laying in a pool of its own blood, the eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling above.

After placing its hand on the corpse, the beings form began to shift and morph, its body twisting and contorting as it took on the exact shape of the corpse it had touched. The only discernible differences were the dark green hair and the inky black eyes that stared out from a face that was eerily familiar.

"Ah... eh... ih..." the being grunted, its hand tapping at its throat as it tried to adjust the tone of its voice.

With each attempt, the pitch lowered, growing more human-like, until finally, it settled into a voice that was indistinguishable from that of a human male in his twenties. The voice suited the stolen body perfectly.

The being stood there for a moment, admiring its handiwork, a twisted smile playing at the corners of its lips.

“I don't know what that was, but it shouldn’t interfere with the next phase of the plan."

It approached one of the aged wooden wardrobes, its hinges creaking as it opened the doors. After carefully selecting its attire, it stepped out of the house, its gaze fixed upon the horizon.

"It will take some time to set everything in motion." he mused, his voice laced with a malevolent undertone. "For now I shall integrate myself into human society and I will achieve my objective. I swear upon my title as Demon."