"Move out of the way! It's too dangerous!" the man shouted again.

The crowd scattered as he rode the dragon towards them. Seconds later, he struck the dragon from behind, causing its eyes to glow a bright yellow. The dragon plummeted to the ground, crashing into the Ezekiel bridge.

However, the rider managed to hold onto the dragon's head, preventing further damage.

The crowd, including Caitrin, was terrified as they faced the massive creature.

The rider, a young man, gasped for air and asked, "Is everyone okay?"

He appeared to be around six and a half feet tall, had short white hair that reached his neck, and black eyes. He wore a dark blue outfit that resembled a coat with collars and black pants and shoes. Although his body was partially obscured by the crowd, his well-built physique and charismatic presence were evident.

As he stopped the dragon, Neresu and Rai stood on either side of it, looking at the rider.

Neresu looked at him with a serious expression and said, "It's not safe for you to bring such a dangerous creature among people, Kono."

Rai crossed her arms and added, "Yeah. And you're pretty late."

She then smiled and said, "But I have to admit, I liked your dramatic entrance."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll be more careful next time," he said, scratching his head.

He then added, "But everyone is safe, right?"

Whenever he smiled, the crowd erupted in praise. "It's him! It's Kono Ichikawa!" they cheered. "He finally came!" "He looks so cool and smiles so beautifully!"

Caitrin looked around, confused, and asked Yuma, "Why are they cheering him so much? And what was that glow?"

Before Yuma could answer, Orano interrupted, "He is Kono Ichikawa, the number one Creature Hunter among all kingdoms. His power was called 'immeasurable' among the kingdoms, and he's a professional who has killed dozens of dragons since his young age. Most notably, he bravely faces every situation like a hero and always helps people with a smile. His joy and confidence have earned him infinite respect."

Caitrin said sarcastically, "Weren't you quiet all the time?"

Yuma added, "Rumor has it that the source of his power comes from his parents. His father was a master of elemental magic, and his mother was a witch conducting important research on the Luroun War at the time, where she discovered a new spell. As their hybrid child, he inherited some of his parents' power."

"His power works like lightning spells. It allows him to send electric shocks to a creature's vital organs and kill it from within. It's very dangerous as he can kill anything he punches or kicks," Yuma explained.

Caitrin said with a scared tone, "That's... scary."

She then asked, "I've heard about elemental magic before. There are fire, water, earth, wind, and those kinds of things. It's the easiest spell a person can use. But what is magic created from? And if Creature Hunters can use spells so easily, doesn't that make the Society of Sorcerers and Witches powerless?"

"Actually, that's the most exciting part," Yuma said with a smile.

He continued, "Although there's no exact information about how it was founded, magic has existed since the time of our ancestors. Unlike Creature Hunters, sorcerers and witches have the ability to create spells and have always produced new ones. While more dangerous and useful spells have been discovered in the past, the creation of spells continues. Hundreds of spells have been discovered, but they're not easy to use. That's why Creature Hunters rely on simpler spells like elemental ones."

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"So that makes Kono special, right?" Caitrin asked.

"Yes, it does," Yuma replied. "But he's not the only one."

"Really?" Caitrin asked.

"Haruhi Eliza's parents come from a bloodline that uses light spells, so she's considered special too," Yuma explained.

As they were talking, an authorized person approached the microphone. The Creature Hunters lined up, waiting for him to speak.

"Welcome to the annual and official Creature Hunter ceremony!" the man announced.

The crowd erupted in applause, shouting the names of their favorite Creature Hunters.

"Mrs. Rai! You did great!"

"Mr. Kono! We love you!"

"Mr. Neresu! You're the best!"

Orano said, "It finally started, huh?"

The man continued, "I once again thank the Creature Hunters for working hard for us this year and prioritizing our safety above all else."

He opened a box in front of him and said, "Now let's move on to the main event and award our prizes!"

The crowd began discussing who would win.

"It'll be Kono again! There's no doubt about it!"

"Mr. Neresu worked so hard too! He deserves it!"

"The real problem is everyone's forgetting about Mrs. Rai! She deserves it too!"

Caitrin leaned forward, resting her hands on her cheeks, and asked with a bored expression, "So they're going to give out medals now, right?"

"Although it might seem like a small event, it's fun to watch and really makes you think," Yuma replied.

The authorized person spoke again, "Firstly, as everyone knows, I would like to award the diamond medal to Kono Ichikawa for his extraordinary support and bravery!"

He slowly walked towards Kono, who received the medal. The crowd went wild for him. He looked at a woman in the crowd, smiled, and waved.

The woman was five and a half feet tall, had short white hair that reached her shoulders, and red-colored eyes. She wore a dark red sweater with black pants, gold earrings, and had black nail polish. She happily smiled and waved back at him, shouting, "Congratulations!"

The man continued, awarding medals to each person as their turn came. Neresu Poteus received a platinum medal, Nijimura Rai a gold medal, Haruhi Eliza and Valdis Ryuko silver medals, and the rest bronze medals.

Caitrin asked again, "Everyone's talking about those five, but who are those other four?"

Yuma began to explain, "The one with the red jacket is Hiro Segyuu. He also uses elemental magic, but unlike others, he creates crows with elemental magic and sends them to explore. This is very useful for locating enemies."

"The woman with blonde hair is Chou Yu. Unlike anyone else here, she doesn't use any spells and relies on her own physical strength. It's said that she uses martial arts to fight Creatures."

"The other person, who uses an arrow and a dagger, is Yonabi Tsukiko. Like Chou Yu, she's not a spell user. She's skilled in hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship, surpassing many others."

"And finally, the man with the long blue hair is Lumram. He's a master of elemental magic, specializing in water spells. Unlike others, he's taken elemental magic to another level."

Caitrin thought to herself, "Mastering elemental spells, huh? Interesting."

She then asked, "You know a lot about them. Were they popular before?"

Yuma replied, "Actually, I don't know much about those four personally. This is what I've heard from others. But these five have become very popular since we started this journey with Tatsumi. They were the 'young stars' of Creature Hunting."

As they watched the ceremony, the authorized person's expression changed to a nervous one.

He stuttered, "Forgive me for my mistake, but there's one other person here who needs to be awarded."

The authorized person looked around and said, "Orano Tatsumi? Is Orano Tatsumi here?"

The crowd and the Creature Hunters exchanged nervous glances. "Orano Tatsumi?" "The fast-rising rookie?" "Seriously, I don't remember seeing his face before."

As they discussed this, Orano jumped over the barrier in front of him and began to approach the stage.

Caitrin was confused and panicked. "Wait a second! He's on the list too!? And where is he going?"

Yuma smiled and said, "Looking at Tatsumi's recent ranking as a Creature Hunter, I was very surprised. He was ranked sixth due to the large creatures he had recently defeated. But we didn't realize he was ranked so high on the list since we were focusing on finding the Rift. When I told him that, he said it wasn't that important. I guess he didn't care much about it."

He then added, "But now it seems he's gained the reputation of a 'fast-rising rookie' in people's eyes."

Caitrin looked at him in shock and said to herself, "The sixth?"

Looking at Orano in bewilderment, the people were silent, waiting to see what would happen next.