Patching the Distance

by Nasha Rei-Kun

The whole point of the [System] had been to give Sung Jin-Woo gifts of power to prepare him for a role that would lead to a great loneliness at the peak of his world. Yet an addition, a man, a 'simple' addition that could have meant NOTHING... Had meant EVERYTHING. The man who kept up with him, who kept him grounded, who kept his HUMANITY, his uncle. Xover with 'Solo Leveling'.

7. S-Rank Power II

~NRK~

"You're so connected!" Soo-Hyun told Obito as the man brought out the food with Gina and them. "Y-You realize the social media world is gonna love this, right?!"

"Eh, I don't even use the internet that often," the C-Rank Mage said as he put down baked pastries and a beefy stew, Gina putting down some fries, of all things, and mashed potatoes.

The younger 'staff' handed out utensils and plates before they all got their food and got seated.

Obito put his phone on 'silent', ignoring every second of buzzing for the sake of his sanity. "Honestly," he said, sitting on one of the chairs from the dinner table with Gina. "Please, eat, I know I'm in for a horrid social situation after this day, let me enjoy normalcy."

"There are…" Jin-Ah counted the S-Ranks. "Three S-Ranks in this room, is there normalcy here?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

She grinned as they ate with surprisingly companionable chatter between them, mostly towards the fight in two days.

"So, all that's left is to make the pants, right?" Hae-In asked, bandage on her nose keeping her senses to a normal level. "Then… T-Then that's about it."

"Other than trying to get more used to all my clothing, yes, that's it," Obito told her as he ate some soup. "Hmm… Well, there is one more thing that most people don't know about," he chuckled as the group perked up.

"Hmm… Oh! That other one, right?" Jin-Ah asked, pointing to the bangle on his right bicep.

"Wait, what?" Hee-Jin blinked, looking at said accessory in interest. "When did you…?"

"I made this a couple days ago," Obito explained as Gina ate fries aplenty. "It's got another Skill within it."

"Speaking of," Yoon-Ho spoke, squinting at the object. "You said you made those two bangles, those ones that contain crazy Skills from monsters," he repeated the man's own words. "You can ascertain such things?"

"Honestly, yes," Obito said. "Mind you, I've never tried it on anything outside of a boss but if it has a discernible ability? Yes."

"So… A Blacksmith, a Skill Copier, and a C-Rank with S-Rank capabilities… What are you?"

Obito shrugged as Jong-In smirked.

"He's simply a man," the redhead told the beast-like man, Yoon-Ho's eyes nearly glazing in response. "... That's pretty rude, Mr. Baek."

"Hmm? I totally zoned out on you, you have that effect on people."

The heat rose.

As the two bickered, there was a knock on the door, Jin-Woo raising a brow away from his fun to look at it before he called out a Shadow to answer it.

"Who is it-" He began to wonder, Joo-Hee shooting him a look before her gaze went to the door-

"Ah, truly, you keep curious company, Hunter Obito," Go Gun-Hee said with a grandfatherly smile from outside the door with Jin-Chul.

The room jumped at his presence before they were all looking at the welcomed-in man, Obito raising a brow before nodding to the two, Jin-Woo's Shadow closing the door with a small bow before vanishing.

"Curious creature," the oldest in the room said with a chuckle as a pair of empty chairs sat beside Obito in what felt like the blink of an eye. "Ah, thank you."

Coming in and taking their seats, Jin-Chul observed this macabre of individuals who, surprisingly, returned back to their own chatter and the like save for Obito, Gina, Jin-Ho, and Hee-Jin.

"I-I didn't think you'd visit him," Hee-Jin said in shock as the chairman smiled while accepting some food, Jin-Chul finding some for him in front of his chair not much later.

"?" Taking the offering regardless of the attentive nature of it, he nodded to Obito. "We came to see your opinion on your current chances."

"Hmm," Obito tapped his plate with his fork. "I like my chances. While I'm aware that Dong-Su is now more aware of my prowess from the videos, I don't think he's dumb enough to NOT read up on my skills, he's too arrogant to try and prepare beyond that," he explained as Gina shook her head.

"Arrogance is such a silent killer, so many will never understand how detrimental it is," the A-Rank Mage said.

"It's the fault of people," the B-Rank Mage said with a thoughtful pout. "If he'd been such a thoughtful person, this situation wouldn't be happening, after all," Hee-Jin explained.

"Yeah, I get that. Still, anything to use against him will be."

"Yes, that's the best way to look at it," Jin-Chul said with a bit of food soon in his mouth. "... Mmm," he looked down at his plate in confusion. "... What?"

Obito smirked without pointing him out. "Yes, so, I believe that even with him knowing most of that, he can't plan for everything I can do. He's no idea of my electricity-based skills nor my threads' true capabilities and…" He looked at his newest accessory. "I might have just gotten a curious idea… I'll need to test it out later in the specialized gym. There was actually a bit more I gained in the past five days, those will likely be the deciding factor."

Go Gun-Hee smiled even as he noted that odd energy coming off the man's left bicep. 'What is that?' He wondered, eyes looking at Obito's limb for a moment. 'It's… Is it resonating with-'

"Are you going to be entering anymore Gates, Hunter Uchiha?" Jin-Chul asked, food already finished much to Song-Yi's disbelief. "You have everything, you said, but is that truly enough?"

"For your second question, yes," Obito answered. "For your first, no. For one, going into Gates requires raiding parties and, while I'm sure I could borrow the help of my Guildmates or others, it'd be too much hassle for everyone involved. Two, even if I did, what I'd need isn't a normal Gate," he explained. "I'd need a Gate to push my boundaries to the utmost for a day but still return from."

Jin-Woo considered that, his eyes closing even as he smirked at Ki-Hoon's crazy 'fish-horse-weasel monster' story. 'Can we use the [Demon Tower] enough to broaden his skill set?' Would that work enough?

Never mind that they still didn't know what was within that Gate. Would it be an actual dungeon? A pure boss fight? A series of S-Rank monsters? A field type?

They sadly didn't know but would taking this chance not be the perfect opportunity?

'I'll ask him after everyone's gone.'

~NRK~

"What in the world?" Kanae tilted her head, confused. "H-He is a C-Rank, right? How does he know all those S-Rank-Chairman Go Gun-Hee?!" Her jaw dropped at the sight of said man's car pulling up to the apartment Obito lived in. "Ryuji, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know," Ryuji frowned. "This doesn't make sense for someone of his supposed rank. His connections are too broad and powerful, he has to be hiding his rank."

"But then why? S-Rank is, like, the best thing in the world when it comes to just living. Finances, fame," she frowned. "Reputation, political power, and opportunity. It'd be like not wanting to join our Draw Sword Guild, the Scavengers Guild in America, or even Liu Zhigang's company."

The man beside her closed his eyes.

"... Little matter."

"But what happens if, luck of God, he wins against Hwang Dong-Su?"

Ryuji Goto's eyes snapped open as Kanae crossed her arms.

"If he's capable of doing it, Ryuji-kaichou," Kanae began slowly. "We might want to keep an eye on him."

"Are you suggesting we invite him into Draw Sword?" Ryuji asked, cupping his chin.

"I'm not sure, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea."

~NRK~

"The hell?" Dong-Su's eyes narrowed as he watched that garbage Mage get visited by the Chairman? "Something about this smells of shit," he kissed his teeth, resting in a high-rise apartment in the best part of Seoul. "Tsk, Thomas," he said to the man in a giant recliner beside his couch. "You can't be serious."

"Hey, if he was a normal C-Rank, I wouldn't be," the hulking man in the chair grinned with a gleam in his eyes. "But my eyes don't fail me, man, I'm sure this guy's gonna be interestin'."

"Tsk, I'm killing him," Dong-Su declared with a glare at the TV before getting up and heading out. "Fuck this, I'm gonna go and get a lay."

"If you can in this country, I'll be surprised."

"It'd be a blessing for one of these wimpy women to lay with me."

Thomas shook his head as the door to their suite closed. "That's gonna suck, Dong-Su," the large man said. "You can't just approach what feels like one of Them and think things will end well."

~NRK~

Obito covered his mouth as he, Jin-Woo, Joo-Hee, Gina, and Jin-Ah stood outside Song Pa Gu Tower.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Jin-Woo asked them, the whole group wearing cloaks. "It might be a bit intense."

"I-I want to make sure everyone's alright," Joo-Hee told him with a determined expression he sighed softly at. "Besides, I don't truly know the danger you're going into," she scuffed her boots a bit as her boyfriend's eyes widened. "I don't want to be unaware, Woo."

His eyes went to the side, the man sighing softly. "I understand, just… You guys please be careful. Like I said, not even I know what's on the other side of that gate," Jin-Woo said as he brought out his key and opened that Instant Gate.

"Gotcha!"

"One moment."

Gina crossed her arms as Obito nodded to her.

"Give me a moment," he said as he pat Jin-Ah's head, the girl holding onto her sword and shield beneath her cloak.

He focused before performing that dimensional 'slip' he'd done so many times before.

The ease at which he'd done it didn't surprise him. 'It's recognized my entryways already,' good, this would make things interesting.

The women choked at the break in dimensions to reveal a world of fire?

"This is so crazy," Gina whispered with anxious energy as Obito let them go in first. "Alright… Hope this works…" She muttered as she walked in.

And let out a shuddering breath at the world around her, eyes widening as she looked at that big ass gate and the on-fire everything.

"This is crazy!"

Joo-Hee & Jin-Ah gawked at their surroundings as well as Jin-Woo smiled as he came over and Obito entered.

"Alright, we don't have much time, remember that," the [Player] said as he pulled out the key to the gate Cerberus had guarded. "I don't know what'll happen so…" Jin-Woo's eyes glowed.

And soon each person, Obito and Jin-Woo included, were 'escorted' by a Cavalry Shadow, the Reawakened man leading the way ahead.

He pushed the key towards the gate and turned it, the air releasing an unlocking sound before the entrance began to open.

As soon as they did, though?

"... Are there supposed to be monsters inside?" Jin-Ah asked, her brother rubbing the back of his head in confusion. "Because I don't sense anything, oppa."

"Yeah, I… Maybe it's like one of those long passageways between levels," he offered her as she shrugged and they walked in. 'Still, she's right-'

A screen popped up, startling him, as Joo-Hee tilted her head.

"Something happened?" She asked as he sweatdropped.

"This stupid [System's] out to get me, I swear."

{QUEST!}

{NORMAL QUEST: COLLECT DEMON SOULS! (PART I)}

{THE DEMON CASTLE IS FILLED WITH DEMONS.

HUNT DOWN DEMONS AND COLLECT THEIR SOULS

FOR SPECIAL REWARDS.

QUEST COMPLETION REQUIREMENT:

-10,000 DEMON SOULS

REWARD(S):

-1. ITEM OF YOUR CHOOSING

-2. BONUS STATS + 20

-3. HIDDEN REWARD

}

Explaining it all to the others, he shared his thoughts.

"There are crazy items within the [Store], ya know? I could choose anything from it," Jin-Woo said before his eyes narrowed. "... Wait, no, ANY item of my choosing?"

"Smart," Obito said with a nod as he read the screen. "The wording has to be more important than we thought if it's what you think."

"We'll have to see in the future, shuushuu."

Walking to the end of the hallway, Jin-Woo pushed open these doors with a hum, the light from outside blinding the group before they were fully-open-

"A field-type?" All five said in shock as they were shown more wickedly burning buildings but there was more.

The ground around them was broken apart like it'd faced a horrid meteorite.

The buildings were all either half-broken, the signs, street lamps, and more were…

"Did… Did the dungeon copy the entirety of Seoul?" Jin-Woo asked out loud in shock, the group looking around in disbelief at familiar Korean buildings and structures. "T-This is actually insane, isn't it?"

"The [System]... Isn't it a bit too powerful?" Gina asked, alarmed before she formed a sphere of influence around them and their Shadow guards, the group lifting high into the air through the usage of every bit of her power. "It's crazy…"

Looking over the utterly devastated and vast landscape, the five couldn't help their eyes going to something in the distance.

A large shining beam of golden light that punctured the clouds.

"Crazy guess," Jin-Woo said flatly as Obito rubbed the back of his head. "That's the way, me thinks."

"Well, when in doubt, fly? Gina, I have a feeling doing this isn't going to feel great," Obito asked.

"I mean, it won't be fast, love," Gina responded. "While I can keep this up, we don't know-"

"U-Um, Demons down below!" Jin-Ah yelped, holding onto Jin-Woo's arm as her brother frowned at the gaggle of monsters beneath them. "Y-Yo, um, what if you need to get these Demons to get to the next level?"

[YOU CAN OBTAIN ONE SOUL PER DEMON BUT THERE ARE DEMONS WITH MULTIPLE SOULS ON THE UPPER FLOORS]

"You're right, by the way," he told her as he looked at them all while explaining the text. "... With that, I have a feeling we'll have to go down there and fight some Demons. Why mention there are some on the upper-floors if we'd only be stuck here? Hell, floors?" Jin-Woo blinked as he realized that, yes, it'd said floors.

As in multiple-How big was this dungeon?!

"Yeah, we're never getting through this in a day, are we?"

"Most likely not," Obito said before cupping his chin. "... Actually, Jin-Woo," he pat his nephew on the back, confusing him. "There's something I've been wondering. Do you have a Party System?"

Jin-Woo blinked once, twice, three times- "Oh shit," he realized in shock and awe as a new pop-up joined them. "Yes, I DO," the [Player] grinned.

[DIMENSIONAL PRINCE HAS REQUESTED FOR A PARTY]

He blinked, confused.

'Dimensional Prince?'

~NRK~

[Hmm…] The winged being frowned in thought. [... This is too much, no? They shouldn't be getting more powerful.] It wasn't part of the plan.

Sure, in the end, the one known as 'Sung Jin-Woo' would still be the true vessel for the strength they'd gain from 'EXP', but the other humans weren't meant for such powerful growth. They weren't supposed to due to Those Beings' failure in making a stronger force to fend the Lords off.

Humans' new limited strength was their, sadly, unfortunate 'consequence' of trying to keep things under their control.

[... But if they die…] He cupped his chin. [They'll be filled with powerful mana…] The winged being slowly began to grin. [If they're filled to bursting with this energy, they'll be prime targets for Them.]

He chuckled.

[Try your hardest, humans, this 'fattening' will all serve a better purpose than you could possibly imagine.]

~NRK~

"Okay, so, it says you're requesting a party, uncle," Jin-Woo said with a curious tilt of the head. "Is it possible that this only came to be because of my levels? What if it's part of the [Demon Castle]?"

"Wait, so, that wasn't a part of the first Instant Dungeon you went to?" Joo-Hee asked as he raised a brow.

"Nope, not even once. I think… Maybe all S-Rank Instant Dungeons follow different rules? There are games where certain powerful dungeons require certain things."

"Hmm… Well, might as well see if this works," Obito told him as Jin-Woo sweatdropped.

"Um… Form Party?"

There was a shimmer in the air ahead of him before he grinned at a [Party List] that showed Obito's name, 'Class' which still confused him, and a '?' for his 'Level'.

"That's so cool," he chuckled before nodding to the women. "Alright, well… Add Party Members."

He nodded to the three being added a second later.

[PARTY]

[PARTY MEMBERS: 4]

Obito Uchiha - Dimensional Prince - Lv. ? + 0

Lee Joo-Hee - Healer Adept - Lv. ? + 0

Gina Acollete - Telekinetic Mage - Lv. ? + 0

Sung Jin- Ah - Sensory Priestess - Lv. ? + 0

[LIST ENDS]

"There, you're all in but do you guys see or feel anything different?"

"It's kinda weird," Gina said, confused. "How to put this… I got the oddest feeling of 'lightness'."

"Same!" Jin-Ah said. "... Wait, right, oppa, what about EXP?"

Jin-Woo cupped his chin as he read the text that popped up once she said it. "Yep, you guys get EXP."

"So, is that 'lightness' the 'bar'?" Joo-Hee offered.

"Well… We'll find out in a moment," he said. "Noona, let's go down."

They descended far away from the now-approaching monsters, the group spreading out with Jin-Woo and Obito at the front.

"So, we don't know if it works by personal kill or not," Jin-Woo said, his Ursine King Daggers in his hands as Obito brandished his Cerberus. "Time to test that out!"

The two vanished in bursts of window, Jin-Ah moving ahead with Gina and Joo-Hee at her sides.

The B-Rank Healer swallowed nervously as she held a steely-gray bow with a powerfully thin string, a quiver of arrows 'swishing' on her back as she looked around with a nervous sweat.

"T-This is so terrifying," she said to them even as Demons died left and right due to the men. "It's like we're in hell," Joo-Hee frowned softly, biting her lip before looking up at Jin-Woo. "I just want to know he's okay…"

"I get that," Gina smiled for her, even as the Shadow Cavalry around them blocked a series of Demons. "HAAAA!"

A single swipe of her hand, the diagonal chop, tore through a trio of Demons as Jin-Ah cast Hi-Sense.

All individuals in the Party blinked in surprise as it reached them?

"This Party System has its own kinks and facets!" Jin-Woo said as he and Obito fell down the sides of buildings before their weapons glowed. "What… OH!?"

They spun as one, blue-glowing daggers and blue-glowing sickles pinging in unison.

They carved through a series of demons climbing the buildings to reach them, minds synced on a level beyond mere thought.

Obito's thread spread out from his back and latched onto every nearby wall they could before Jin-Woo landed on one with a grin.

He vanished like a phantom as the Dimensional Prince reared back, right sickle emanating a powerful glow.

His swing released a blade of wicked red energy that cut through a building and the demons surrounding its midsection.

'Cerberus using both my energy and this world's own,' did it work outside of the [Demon Tower]? 'I have to keep checking!' Obito thought even as that 'lightness' within him began to grow 'taut'.

It was not uncomfortable, honestly, it was almost a bit 'exciting'.

His very body & soul knew that he'd reach a new level of strength in time.

'It feels like I've got a high level?' He didn't know how this felt compared to the others, he just knew that, even with all these demons, he was sure they'd killed at least one hundred, he was only… Give or take, a fourth of the way there. "Alright."

The Demons that had gathered around him died at their bisected centers, Jin-Woo appearing from behind the older man's back with a slow breath.

"Make that two hundred," he said.

"Ah, that's how many?"

"Yep."

~NRK~

They'd taken a break, maybe, thirty minutes in, the Party finding an empty rooftop to rest on while the Shadows spread out.

Good thing, too, because they were 'obsessing' over their bodies.

[PARTY]

[PARTY MEMBERS: 4]

Obito Uchiha - Dimensional Prince - Lv. ? + 1

Lee Joo-Hee - Healer Adept - Lv. ? + 2

Gina Acollete - Telekinetic Mage - Lv. ? + 1

Sung Jin-Ah - Sensory Princess - Lv. ? + 3

[LIST ENDS]

"So, we're 'high level', basically?" Gina asked with a hum as she flexed her hand. "I don't think I'm so much as gaining more physical strength or anything but my magic pool is growing," she declared as her hand glowed a powerful red. "I feel like my reserves grew by 20%."

"Joo-Hee?" Jin-Woo asked as he drank some water, his girlfriend looking at her fingers and bow in confusion. "Something up?"

"I-It's weird," she said with a confused look at him. "My buffs, my spells, I feel like something got 'added' on top of them."

"Like a new Skill?"

"N-No, it's…" The carrot top pouted and he choked on his liquids, the [Player's] cheeks reddening as he cleared his throat. "Think of it like someone added a definition," she found the words.

"K-Kaugh! T-That so?" Jin-Woo wheezed a bit as Gina smirked, Obito chuckled, and Jin-Ah snickered. "I-In what way?"

"..." Joo-Hee held up her bow and pulled back on the string-

His eyes widened as a magical bolt formed? "What?"

She aimed at the ground between them before releasing it.

The group blinked in surprise at the buff. "Wait, so, you can apply your buffs through objects?" Gina cupped her chin in surprise as Joo-Hee nodded.

'Wait, did the Party System do this?' Or would Joo-Hee have learned this in time if she kept at it? 'I don't know,' Jin-Woo was sure his powers had some part to play here.

If Gina the A-Rank Mage felt like only her pool of energy was growing, didn't that mean their levels were focused around their 'Classes'?

"Jin-Ah?"

"I feel like I got a bigger pool of energy and physically stronger," his sister said as she crossed her legs, training clothes stressing a bit?

'Wait, did she buff up a bit?' Jin-Woo blinked before locking eyes with Obito, the older man nodding.

"Your ways of using your powers have probably helped your Level-Up give you more bodily strength," Obito suggested as Jin-Ah perked up. "Your muscles, niece."

"Eh?!" The young woman looked at her legs in surprise before tapping them and noting the solidness. "W-Whoa, okay!" Jin-Ah chuckled. "I think I know how my style will keep going. I'll be like that Healer from the Draw Sword Guild!"

"... Ah, you mean Akari Shimizu."

"Yeah, her. She's honestly where I got the confidence from," she said. "I was looking up Hunters just cause it was cool, ya know? Then, I learned that she pioneered a whole movement with Healers in Japan where they use more offensive tools mixed in with their Class."

"I see," Jin-Woo was surprised.

She'd been right, he'd never really seen another Healer like Jin-Ah who both fought and wielded a weapon in any capacity alongside the healing responsibility.

'She can do the same for Korea,' he chuckled. "Well, keep at it. I don't think your muscles will freak out on you," Jin-Woo began. "They'll reach peak personal fitness and then just keep getting stronger."

"That's basically what happened to you, right?"

"Yep but I also have a Skill that helps it along."

Obito smiled for them even as he looked down at his hands. 'Nothing changed,' he thought. 'I don't feel any added abilities like Joo-Hee, no increased reserves like Gina, nor even a physical buff like Jin-Ah,' okay, maybe a little on that front but it was oddly unnoticeable. 'It'd make no sense for me to have reached my peak, Gina's fought just as much, if not just a little less, as me.'

So, what was being 'Upgraded'? Obito wasn't sure.

Never noticing his weapons, currently crossed on the ground behind him, gaining a tinting red glow that fell away.

~NRK~

The plan was to keep going for, at best, eight hours.

At just one hour in, with the aid of Jin-Woo's Shadows as rides, searchers, and fighters, they'd found themselves at the golden light with a [Entry Permit] that'd dropped from one of the Low-Grade Demons, a distinction Jin-Woo had informed them of.

They'd all gained another level for it and those changes in their bodies and magic became more prominent as they did.

Ascending to the second floor hadn't really offered much.

"It's another part of the country, ain't it?" Gina asked Jin-Woo as they rode the Ice Bear King, now-named 'Tank', across the landscape, the group resting save for Obito who kept tearing into Low-Grade Demons alongside Igris and Ruka in the city.

"That's what it looks like," he said before perking up as Tank came to a slow trot.

Stopping, they noted Obito, Ruka, and Igris landing in front of them with the knight Shadow holding up a permit.

"So, it's random, most likely," the male Mage said with a huff.

Jin-Woo's eyes went to the Party List.

[PARTY]

[PARTY MEMBERS: 4]

Obito Uchiha - Dimensional Prince - Lv. ? + 3

Lee Joo-Hee - Healer Adept - Lv. ? + 3

Gina Acollete - Telekinetic Mage - Lv. ? + 2

Sung Jin- Ah - Sensor - Lv. ? + 4

[LIST ENDS]

"How was the extermination, uncle?" Jin-Woo asked as Obito got onto Tank and hit his rear.

"It's taking a long time for me to reach the next level," he told them as the 'bear vehicle' began moving at high speeds, Gina's telekinetic barrier shielding them from any harsh winds. "Together, we had to have killed over 600 Demons but I only reached a fourth of the way past the third Level-Up."

It was true. Obito had revealed his 'situation' to the group.

He was barely gaining any kind of advantage with a Level-Up for some odd reason. Jin-Woo being completely unsure on what was happening to the man as they fought more and more.

They'd already come to the conclusion that he and Gina were 'high-leveled' but Obito's 'level' was higher.

'... It had to be his time in China,' the Reawakened man could believe nothing else.

How had Obito sustained such a 'lead' otherwise? The man had even taken time off so it's not like he'd been raiding with the Hunters every year in the past.

'Was it the people he killed? Or is there something else?' Actually. "Uncle?"

"Yes?" Obito called back.

"In China, did you go into Gates often?"

"Yes. In fact, on more than one occasion, everyone, I've been in Gates on my own and cleared them out."

"What?" Gina blinked in shock as Obito nodded.

"Well, okay, not all of them on my own," he corrected. "But I've probably entered more Gates on my own than any person in history before the Hunter system was established. There'd been nothing above, I could guess, C-Rank but I went in those to understand my body and powers more. Me and a childhood friend of mine."

"Wait, childhood friend?" Jin-Ah asked. "Uncle, you don't really bring this guy up."

"It's mostly because-"

Tank came to a halt as the sound of energy filled their ears.

They'd reached the Floor Movement Circle.

~NRK~

By the seventh hour, on their luck? They'd gotten to the tenth floor.

And the Demons had leveled-up if you would.

"Intermediate-Grade Demons," Jin-Woo said as he and Jin-Ah carved through another five, the Shadow Lord landing behind her as she wiped her chin. "They give three times as much EXP, sis."

"R-Really?" Jin-Ah asked as another Demon hit the ground before she jumped. "T-That's my tenth."

"Feeling anything new?" He asked her as an Ice Bear Shadow formed and they rode it towards the others.

"I think there's another Spell in one more level, oppa."

"Ah, you can tell now?"

"It's almost like a small 'nudge' once I get good enough."

"Exactly," he said as they kept going before reaching the others within a large intersection, the group guarded by Shadows. "How'd everyone do?"

"Sadly, we didn't find the [Entry Permit]," Gina said as she wiped her brow, the woman's cloak shifting to reveal her typical combat uniform sans her red-hooded cloak. "That said, we got a level between us."

"Still not feeling anything, uncle?" Jin-Woo asked.

"Nothing besides an alright increase in strength from my collective five levels," Obito said with a shrug. "It's whatever," he stated. "I'm getting experience on how to traverse a large area full of enemies of different sizes and the like mostly on my lonesome, I am getting something out of this."

"You're definitely a positive sort, love," Gina said. "I'm six levels 'up', my reserves basically doubled and my spells feel stronger, too… Actually, there was something else," she offered. "I can reach deeper with my telekinesis," the blonde stated.

"Y-You can?" Joo-Hee said with a groan, sitting back against one of the monster-class Shadows, basically the Ice Bears. "I guess I feel faster, my stamina increased I think," she strained. "A-And I can turn my spells into 'arrows' more easily."

"Hehe~ And I've got a good bit of everything!" Jin-Ah cheered as they came down and came over. "Not counting uncle's weird situation, we're getting a lot of good stuff out of this."

"I wonder if you guys went up a Rank," Jin-Woo considered as Gina seesawed her hand while Joo-Hee blushed, his sister folding her hands behind her back. "Well, maybe not noona… Maybe? But Joo-Hee might have, she was always considered having stronger-than-usual healing powers due to your skill set being so focused."

"You were going to say 'basic', weren't you?" His girlfriend pouted as he flinched and coughed into his fist.

"N-No such thing," he grinned nervously. "Annnyway, you have to be so much stronger with a big six levels. Honestly, the jump in levels can be rather significant for me due to it always buffing all my stats by 1. I wonder if you guys get a more concentrated 'mold' and it doesn't jump into everything. So, Joo-Hee would get AGILITY, INTELLIGENCE, and VITALITY."

"So, what about me?" Jin-Ah asked.

"I think you're getting a similar spread to me. Well, save for AGILITY, maybe?"

"Hmm," Gina considered this idea. "So, we'd get the non-applied stat points into our favored ones? I mean, despite my physical abilities, I'm pretty sure my entire stat points just ran into INTELLIGENCE due to the jump in magical power," she offered as Obito nodded. "Yet, where the hell does that leave sweetheart, here? What are his stats mostly going into?"

"If uncle's actually get 1 point in STRENGTH each level," Jin-Ah began. "Those other four points have to be going somewhere."

"The question is that we don't know where it's going," she agreed.

"... Actually, Woo," Obito began as he took off his Wrath Bangle and showed it to the younger man. "I had an idea about this, even if I haven't used it that often," he said as he offered it to him.

Taking the accessory with a raised brow, Jin-Woo Observed it… Oh…

{Item: Wrath Orb Band}

{Item Class: A}

{Type: Skill Accessory}

{INTELLIGENCE + 7}

{A POWERFUL ORB MADE FROM THE REMNANTS OF A SPIRIT BY A POWERFUL MAGICIAN, IT GRANTS THE SKILL OF [WRATH].

-'WRATH' Lv.3: INCREASES STATS BY 60% FOR 45 SECONDS}

"... I-It leveled-up," Jin-Woo said in shock as the others perked up while Obito nodded. "I didn't think about it, I mean, no one else adds a 'Lv.X' to their Skills but I've realized that this follows my powers' logic. That means, you can develop this!"

"Exactly," Obito said. "This and the Terrain Orb Band I wanted to increase their usage to reach their next points."

"Actually, uncle, you've never really used that other one," Jin-Ah said as Joo-Hee nodded. "I mean, does it do what Reika did."

"In a different manner, well, maybe I'm not good enough yet?" Obito blinked. "Honestly? I don't know. Reika could form ice spires off her body but I can already create my thread anywhere on me. It does give me a range boost of thread, mind you, and the increase in magical power is very useful…" He looked down at his right bicep. "It could sink into its element…"

"Huh, it'd kind of be like me sinking into my Shadows-I just got an idea," Jin-Woo said with a grin. "When this is all over, uncle, I want to get one of these. I think it'll help someone like me a LONG way."

"Sure."

~NRK~

They spent the last thirty minutes watching Obito use his [Terrain] Skill.

The man sat at the center of another large intersection, Low-Grade Demons beginning to parade into the area.

Obito held both Cerberus in his hands as he allowed his body to thrum.

"Terrain."

The air shuddered as a three-story tower of light blue magical energy shot up before it expanded into a large half-sphere of influence that covered the intersection before even slipping past some of the buildings around.

"So, for C-Rank reserves, he can make such a big orb of influence," Gina observed with calculative eyes. "And he can use his magic from anywhere within his Terrain."

The Demons began to shoot into the man's power as he slowly held out his weapons, the sickles glowing a powerful blue even amongst his Terrain's tint.

The moment they were mere meters away, Obito was already up in the air before he spun.

The intersection was eclipsed by arcing slashes, blades of energy, and sparks that ravaged the landscape around the Terrain as the Low-Grade Demons died in droves.

Obito held his hands together as he landed on the air in his sphere of influence, weapons attached to his back.

The sphere vanished before being replaced by a 'realm of thread', the 'influence' still represented by black 'ground'.

"He's using his magic skill instead of just power," Jin-Woo realized.

And then the area snapped.

A tower of wind pressure, spatial force, and magic tore into the area around them-

"CRAP!" Obito shouted as he shot past them before the four were brought along with him as the destruction eclipsed their previous spot.

By the time they hit a quarter of a mile, the destruction finally stayed away.

Landing on the side of a building, Obito cast another Terrain that oddly kept them standing without issue.

"H-Honey, what the hell was that?!" Gina asked him as the destruction in the distance finally died down.

And they saw an utterly decimated landscape sporting a visible crater from this height.

"That's crazy!" Jin-Ah said with a grin as her brother observed the damage.

His confusion lasted for only a moment as his grin hit full force.

"You snapped the Terrain, didn't you?" Jin-Woo asked as Obito chuckled.

"Yes, though, snapping all of that thread seems to have had a crazier effect," the older man said. "That move, surprisingly, took at a tenth of my reserves. Terrain uses up half that much with my vambraces on, too, so it's a good trump card."

"If you caught him lacking in the very beginning, wouldn't that be it?"

"If he uses his helmet's abilities before the fight starts? Most likely not."

"Metal Realm, that thing is pretty crazy, ya know?" Gina said. "It's said that he gets A-Rank Tank-like defenses with it on."

"But doesn't it also feed off his stamina?" Jin-Ah asked as Joo-Hee looked out at the horizon. "Isn't that a double-whammy of stamina drain?"

"But he's still fast enough to make that a problem, the drain won't matter if he can just bulldoze his way through before it becomes an issue."

"It sounds like getting rid of it is the most important," Joo-Hee said to Obito who nodded.

"I'm not trying to have him keep it on him, trust me."

~NRK~

Returning to the streets of the normal world with Obito's keeping them in the clear, the group sighed in relief as the air around them felt almost crisp and light.

"It beats down on you," Joo-Hee whispered, pulling her cloak around her as they all hurried off. "... Wait, Woo, didn't your uncle once do some training for you like that?"

Jin-Woo perked up with a nod. "He did, perhaps… Maybe that's a big part of how that made me stronger?" He said unsurely. "I rose my magical power thirteen times over with his help. It has to be related," he observed as they looked at Obito's back as they hopped over roofs and tree tops. "... There was something else, actually," the man whispered.

Joo-Hee looked at him, confused. "?"

"His Class, Joo-Hee. In the Party List, I could see all your Classes. You're a Healer Adept, Gina-noona is a Telekinetic Mage, my sister, oddly enough, is a Sensory Priestess… But Obito's Class was the weirdest of them all. He was a Dimensional Prince and I've no idea what that means."

"Doesn't that explain his Gate Invading?"

"Maybe? I'm honestly not sure. Uncle's said that he's syncing with the Gates' energy when he breaks them open and even admitted that it changed something within his powers at one point."

"So…" The woman's face screwed-up in thought. "Did syncing with a Demon-based Gate do it?"

They came to a stop behind the others in wide-eyed thought, looking at one another and then back to Obito.

"... I don't know."

~NRK~

The sixth day… Saturday, one of the last two days before the fight.

They just rested in a field, crazily enough.

The warm sun but cool breeze made the small act so perfect that it felt unreal.

Obito hummed softly, Jin-Woo's head against his left shoulder and Gina's on his right as Jin-Ah rested atop her brother's chest while Joo-Hee curled into his side.

It was a moment that emphasized that Saturday in an odd way.

It was perfect.

~NRK~

Sunday morning, Obito nodded to his finished pants.

"This is it," he said as he felt the metal plate belt he'd made to adjoin to the sides. "That's everything…" The Mage said to himself in his room, his entire outfit sitting on his bed.

First, his shoes, the Song-Sung Boots that he'd left as they were. They were black leather-like boots that conformed to his legs up to his knees with swirling marks along the side up to the top in white.

Next, the Cloud Dragon Pants, were dark blue and slightly baggy which held a harness made from the Cloud Dragon boss's horns around his crotch, hip, and thighs to secure both his Cloud Dragon thigh plates and belt alongside latching his sickles to the back if he needed them to.

'High-resistance to wind pressure, wind magic, and great defense,' he chuckled at this steal. "I really lucked out."

Next? The Banshee Mail.

"Resistance to debuffs is a great one," he ran a hand over it.

Being a skin-tight, all-black, top with elbow-length sleeves, it sported his Mangekyo Sharingan's design on the front and back in light blue on large font.

His Ursine King Vambraces came next, the feeling of them on his hands comforting him, the new black materials within removing any skin friction. Being a powerful dark blue, he added a similar 'Kamui emblem' to the back of the fists in white.

"And then the final bit," Obito said to the last piece of clothing.

A haori of knee-length bearing blue coloration with white Kamui emblems on the border and black fur that lined the collar.

"More VITALITY and even resistance to more magics even if Dong-Su's repertoire contains none of them."

He was almost ready.

"Alright, Cerberus," Obito said to his sickles sitting on the bed, a pair of Mid-Level Spirit Cores sitting beside them. "Let's get these in, I need everything."

~NRK~

That afternoon, Go Gun-Hee's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"This is my current mastery of my abilities," the thread-cloaked Obito told him as they stood within the large Hunter-specialized gym. "One-Horned Oni."

"Your powers have broken past Elite A-Rank?" The older man said in surprise, looking intrigued as Jin-Chul's eyebrows shot into his hairline.

'This power,' so he'd been right from a couple days ago. "This alongside Wrath, you call it, was what gave you such power against the boss, correct?" Jin-Chul asked.

"Yes," Obito said before his power's neon blue glow fell away. "It's a power I can't use for more than a minute before things get dangerous."

"It's compressing you, isn't it?" Gun-Hee asked as Obito nodded. "Truly, a dangerous skill but one that allows you to reach past your own limits, it's incredible," and he meant that in every way.

A C-Rank going so far above their own ability through their experience, skill, and creativity was downright inspiring at a minimum.

'I wonder what kind of changes will happen should he win?' There was no doubt in his mind.

People will want Obito Uchiha's 'secrets' to push their own powers, hell, possibly even some S-Ranks if the man's methods were things they hadn't explored.

"There's so much I have to do," Obito said as the thread slipped away from his body. "My story will not be ending tomorrow," the Mage declared as he raised his hand. "That's why I need as many advantages as I can manage."

There was a creak in a far-off wall, electricity crawling away from a molten dent in it that couple envelope a car.

Gun-Hee perked up while Jin-Chul's glasses came down, the A-Rank's eyes observing the damage and then the 'demonstrating' Obito.

"This one, I just arrived at."

~NRK~

8 am in the morning, Obito awoke with his fiance in his arms, her head pressed against his neck, and the love she showered him in.

"I love you so much," the brunette said as she held him tighter.

"I love you so damn much," the blonde told him as he held her close. "Dammit, Obito, I swear to God, if he even considers trying to kill you, I'm going to go in there and snap his neck."

"I know, I know," Obito chuckled as he rubbed her back with a smile. "I know, if our situations were reversed-"

"I'm pretty you would have already attacked him, we'd probably not have gotten to this point."

"... That's fair."

~NRK~

Obito finished breakfast with a nod in his pajamas before he, Gina, Jin-Ho, and Jin-Ah helped spread it out.

"Hmph, so today's the day," Yoon-Ho said with a nod, the man in his usual work attire sans his blazer. "Thanks," he said gratefully, receiving eggs and pancakes for his troubles.

"Yes, it is," Obito shrugged as he dealt Jong-In and Hae-In some breakfast, his former pupil frowning softly before taking a deep breath.

"I know it might be worse off but you're not dying on this earth while we're alive," the redhead said with gleaming eyes as Obito smiled for him.

"I know."

"Shuushuu," Song-Yi whispered as Jin-Ho put her plate down with a focused look.

'Father, I'm sorry but right now,' he thought as he walked over and sat down by his cousin and Jin-Ah. "There are important things to focus on," Jin-Ho said as Soo-Hyun sighed.

'This is going to be a big mess no matter how it ends, won't it?' It was a hunch she believed in with all her heart.

This fight would change things, of that, she felt nothing but full faith in.

She just hoped Obito came out alive by the end. The man was a pretty cool person, made a really good impression, so she really didn't want him dead.

"We've done everything," Jin-Woo said as Joo-Hee let out a shuddering breath. "Believe in him," he told them as he ate without issue.

Even if, on the inside, his emotions were frayed and his body felt like it was on fire.

'Damn it all, if we'd known. Maybe I could have gone in with him earlier. I probably should have kept pushing for it, dammit. I should have-'

A hand pat his shoulder, startling him out of his self-hatred to see Obito smiling at him.

"I've got this, I've got too many things to believe in, to see through, and do to lose," the Uchiha said with a look outside. "Some things, Woo, sometimes they come to us too late," he said with one more pat. "So, we gotta use what we have."

The [Player] looked alarmed before he looked down in thought. "... You're right, like usual," he smiled as his uncle chuckled. "So, we finish eating and then go, right?"

"Yep. We have to leave early because getting there is going to be a pain one way or another but it won't be much of one this early."

That aided their eating. By the time they were done half an hour later…

It was time.

~NRK~

Ki-Hoon nodded to Obito as they moved in the Hunters Guild's personal vans, the group mostly in their normal combat attire. With the others in their own cars, vehicles, vans, etc., they moved as one down surprisingly blocked off roads guided by police officers.

"Gun-Hee," Obito chuckled a bit as they took the 'direct' path that had been made. "Alright," he said as he adjusted the weapon box on his right thigh, Cerberus sitting within his personal dimension. "I need to do something to him in my first move," he said to the other Hunters in his car.

"Hmm… A declaration of war?" Hae-In offered. "I'd ask what the point of doing that would be besides getting the first move."

"... Ah, of course, humiliation," Cheol said, Obito's eyes going to the man's new pair of scars on the sides of his face before he nodded with sharp intent. "That bastard literally came into our Guild and started shit, honestly, it'd be nice to see him taken down a peg or a thousand," he grunted.

Ki-Hoon rubbed at his own cheek scar, Cheung pouted heavily.

"He's so horrid," the B-Rank Mage declared. "I don't understand what him going to America says about us but it certainly seems like they get our riff-raff."

Galdae-In nodded with a frown.

As they considered it, Obito's eyes closed as he let the toiling anger within him hiss within his heart & soul.

'He won't get away with this,' the C-Rank Mage uttered mentally, his spirit thrumming in his chest, Gina patting his thigh before he quickly held her hand. "I'm going to do something that'll seem insanely brash."

"I'm by you," she chuckled as his eyes opened, the older Mage holding her hand in his.

"I swear, this is going to make life so different after this."

"Who are you telling? I'm going to be the wife of an S-Rank," she smirked as he chuckled before both stopped and blinked. "... Wait," Gina said, looking confused. "Now that I think about it, why haven't I ever heard of an S-Rank's wife?"

"Yes, that'd honestly be new, actually," Obito said, looking intrigued and amused. "Leading the path?"

"Essentially."

~NRK~

Reaching the faux-port that led towards the man-made island, Obito was the first to leave his car.

And the first to be bombarded on all sides by flashing cameras from the paparazzi, random folk with time on their hands, he guessed, and even some Guilds.

'Did this really get that big?' Sure, he knew he was basically bringing an S-Rank into the limelight with a rather 'boastful' declaration but how had this become such a large number of people and boats? "These people either really hate me or REALLY HATE Dong-Su."

"In all honesty?" Hae-In began. "It's likely the latter."

"No one should be surprised," Jong-In said as he flared out his cape, the other cars of their entourage releasing their contents.

"This is what it's like for those at the top, I'd guess," Jin-Woo said.

Wearing a black coat bearing his uncle's emblem that came down to his knees, a dark blue top, black pants, and a pair of sneakers, he nodded to Joo-Hee, Jin-Ah, and Jin-Ho, all in similar attire.

"Let's go, Sir!" Jin-Ho declared with a pair of batons that none of them knew the origins of.

"Wow, he's really a fan," Soo-Hyun said as Yoon-Ho and Hee-Jin made it over with another man.

"Ah, Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, long time no see," the third member of the White Tigers said with a smile as Jin-Woo raised a brow.

"You're… Right, Mr. Agn," the Reawakened man said as Yoon-Ho raised a brow before nodding.

"Right, you two did know each other," the Guildmaster said with crossed arms. "So, where is that meathead?" He asked as he looked around before noting a large pristine white vehicle that pulled up, another one right beside it.

When the door on the side of the first car opened, a booted foot stomped out.

"Where's the dead meat?" Came the call of Dong-Su as the crowd booed him in unison. "FUCK ALL OF YOU!" He scoffed as he closed the door.

Obito's eyes flickered red as noted the man's equipment. 'It's within knowledge,' he thought.

Wearing steel-toed black boots, heavy-leather dark orange pants with a pair of coiling eagle motifs on the thighs. Wearing a gunmetal gray skin-tight muscle shirt with a large black chestplate over his torso, his true equipment gleamed in the sunlight.

His helmet, Metal Realm, was a bull-like headwear that was colored bronze, had a mask-like design with a thick backside, and a pair of glowing yellow gemstone eyes.

Next, but oh so much more important, were his gauntlets.

The Ashvin Gauntlets.

Being a pair of sleek but thick-looking golden gloves with horse-like designs, their sides were covered by curling cloth that were taut around his bare elbows.

Crackling dirt signified the two fighters meeting in the middle between the two sides, eyes locked even with their one-foot difference.

The world was focused.

~NRK~

"Dammit, why's he causing trouble right now?" The man outside his cell hissed as he peeked through the bars to see-

"Obito?!" The wild-haired man gawked at the screen as his jailer jumped.

"Dammit, man!" He shouted while holding his heart, the wild-haired man pointing at the screen in disbelief. "?" The jailer looked confused as he looked between that man and the screen.

The TV shouted some kind of Korean and then he watched as the prisoner reacted?

"Wait… Do you know that man on the screen?" He asked the sheepish-looking man. "... Dammit, this language barrier is pissing me off," the jailer sighed-

"Obito," the prisoner said, alarming him as his eyes snapped to see the prisoner's grin. "Obito!" He pointed at the screen showing the Mage-in-question.

"Sung Il-Hwan?" The man perked up and shot him a confused look. "... That's. You?" The jailer pointed at him. "Sung Il-Hwan?"

The man they'd caught from inside the dungeon, this human-looking 'monster'... Was he really…

"I need to tell the Bureau, shit," he cursed as he hurried out before, with the slightest bit of kindness, adjusted the TV so Il-Hwan could see it. "Damn my bleeding heart."

As the man left, the now-revealed Il-Hwan watched the screen in confusion as more information was passed.

"He's fighting that Hwang Dong-Su guy?" Il-Hwan frowned. "Why? Dammit, what happened while I was gone?" He sighed before noting the cards of information shown on screen. "... S-Rank? C-Rank? Fighter & Mage? Did things change that much?" There was a system of 'Hunters' was it? "Dammit… Obito, please, beat that guy so you can come here and get my ass out of here."

~NRK~

"And so it begins," Ryuji Goto said as he sat within the Japanese Hunter Federation's conference room with his Guild's strongest members, the Chairman, and their translator. "This fight between Koreans."

The amount of footage being shown was honestly a bit annoying. Why so much effort?

'I'm sure of it, he's not a C-Rank, definitely an S-Rank.'

"Hmm? Haori?" Kanae looked intrigued at the 'Mage's' attire. "He's not dressed like a normal Mage," she said with a nod to the Japanese attire. "He's got good fashion sense, too. Pretty sure he made all that stuff."

"He makes clothes?" Another man asked, his face mask giving his voice a sort of reverb. "Kanae-senpai."

"Kei-kun, he's the Hunters' blacksmith as well," Kanae said, surprising the others as she nodded. "That man made an accessory that, apparently, grants a thirty-second ability-boost for all stats over 50%."

"Whoa?!" A woman within their midst currently sucking on a lollipop jumped. "That's unreal!"

"I know, Akari, it's kinda crazy."

"As you can see, we'll be shown the true abilities of this one," their Chairman said with a frown. "If this one turns out to be of S-Rank capabilities as Ryuji hypothesizes, we need to be fully-aware of all his abilities."

~NRK~

"..." Obito's eyes closed as he scoffed. "You're a pain in the ass," he told Dong-Su.

"And you're a dead man," the taller male said with a grin full of teeth. "I'm gonna have fun ripping your arm off your body, man," he said in English-

"Don't test me, you neanderthal, I'm more fluent in English than you'll ever be," Obito said, alarming him and the others, in perfect English. "Kiss my ass."

The way Dong-Su's teeth clenched said it all as Gina flanked Obito's left.

"When the hell did you know English?" She asked, confused, as he shrugged.

"Around when I was twenty."

Dong-Su's eyes went to the left and a grin followed, his lecherous gaze going down.

And Obito sighed.

There was a wet 'THUMP' that hit the ground as he released one of his Cerberus back into the ether.

The crowd went silent as Dong-Su's eyes slowly widened at a sudden breeziness hitting his right side.

"I told you, Dong-Su," came another voice of a hulking man coming out of the second car. "You shouldn't be underestimating folks," he said with a facepalm.

Obito kicked Dong-Su's severed arm back at the Korean's feet as Jin-Ho, Soo-Hyun, Jin-Ah, Song-Yi, and Hee-Jin jumped.

"When you actually have the chance, put that on, you disgrace," the Korean-Chinese mix said as looked at him with a look of disdain. "It'd honestly be the most impressive thing you've done since you got here."

"Y-You bastard!"

"Stop wasting my time."

~NRK~

Il-Hwan let out a long whistle at what his brother-in-law had done, on live TV, in a matter of a second!

"He's beyond strong," he figured. 'Those Ranks have to mean something… So, they think he's only a C-Rank but he just cut off an S-Rank's arm!' Il-Hwan grinned.

He would be a great comrade in stopping the coming calamity.

~NRK~

"... Oh," Kanae said after a moment of intense silence, the others looking alarmed.

But none more so than Ryuji, the man's eyes narrowing a moment later as he replayed the 'Mage's' actions from just a second ago. 'He's a powerful physical combatant,' as a 'Mage', right? "Tsk, Korea's a snake."

"H-He just cut that guy's arm off with no issues!" Akari choked. "H-How?! There's no way that's a C-Rank!"

"I-I guess Ryuji was onto something," Kanae swallowed nervously. "I… What kind of training has he done before all of this? How is he so powerful even outside of his magical spells?"

~NRK~

"Hmm, apologies for him," came the next American from behind the growling Korean, his arm healing back onto his arm at record speed before the gauntlet on his cut-off arm teleported from it to his new limb. "Thank God we got that in, Lord knows where it'd be if we didn't."

Obito's, hell everyone's, eyes widened at the sight of this man as Gun-Hee & Jin-Chul made it over.

"What the hell is going on?" The Monitoring Division member asked with a look of surprise. 'I barely caught that,' so the man really was a physical force to be reckoned with? "And… Thomas Andre," the rustic-carrot top greeted as the large man shrugged.

Obito & Jin-Woo's eyes snapped to this giant of a man with differing expressions.

Tense curiosity & downright horror.

'W-What the hell?!' The [Player] thought with a nervous sweat falling down his cheek. 'His energy is monstrous!'

Joo-Hee swallowed as Jin-Ah hid behind her uncle. 'T-This guy's beyond strong,' they thought in unison as Gina wore a shaky grin.

'Fuck,' she thought as she gripped Obito's side tensely.

Thomas Andre was, as noted so many times, a giant of a man even compared to Hwang Dong-Su's tall frame by at least half a foot.

Bearing fair skin covered in black complex tattoos on ankles, wrists, and chest, a slightly square jaw covered by an overgrown blonde goatee, red eyes, slightly 'fiery' eyebrows, and a long mane of wild shoulder blade-length blonde hair, he wore a, crazy enough, blue hawaiian shirt, grayish-blue shorts, and straw sandals.

And also bearing an aura of power that trumped nearly every person there at the moment by a magnitude no person with good sensory skills could even name, this was him.

The National-Ranked Hunter of America.

Thomas Andre, Guild Master of the Scavengers Guild, the strongest Guild in the world.

"Hmm, you're actually pretty strong, I can tell," the large man said as he rubbed his chin, looking between Gina's hand and Obito's chest where golden rings, the man's on a cord, sat. "Wait, so, you'll marry into America?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

Gina sweatdropped while Obito's eyebrows rose.

Jong-In and Hae-In pat the C-Rank's shoulders. "No, he's quite comfortable in our home," the redhead said.

"Oppa's got everything he needs here," the blonde woman declared with a confident expression as the hulking blonde chuckled.

"Just some observations, I mean, marriage isn't something I've thought about but it's what it is. Especially depending on how today goes for you," the National-Ranked Hunter said with a curious hum. "I'm not for either side if you believe it, our Dong-Su is an S-Rank of his own desires, whatever comes of 'em? None of my business."

'Our Dong-Su, hmm?' It would seem the man truly considered Dong-Su one of America's Hunters, a very bold claim Gun-Hee feared was likely as true as blood. "Welcome, Thomas Andre, I guess things like this are to your interest?"

"Probably is," the titan of a human grinned full of teeth. "It's all about desires, old man, nothing more, nothin' less."

"So it would seem," the Chairman's eyes went to the glaring Dong-Su's and the cool-staring Obito's. "But we're taking up enough time, come, the boats are ready for all available parties."

Following the oldest amongst them towards what was basically a small yacht, 'small' as in it could probably still fit 100 people on it, Soo-Hyun sweatdropped at a hurrying Min-Sung who gawked at them.

"Bet that's hurting his ego," she said to Jin-Ho. "... Was your dad against this, Jin-Ho?"

"Actually, he was for it," he told her, surprising his cousin. "... He wants me to try and convince Sir or hyung to join our guild," Jin-Ho revealed, startling her. "He doesn't care how today goes, by the way, he's just trying to gather more powerful Hunters."

"That's crazy," she held his shoulder. "I've got no idea what that feels like for you."

"It's… I've always wanted to be a big member of a guild. I'm not unaware that recruiting would likely be a big part of it, you know?"

"I get you."

Meanwhile, Song-Yi looked out over the front of the ship, Hee-Jin, and Mr. Ahn looking on with her.

"T-This is so big," she said, looking to their sides to see the numerous boats following the group to the island. "Everyone seems to care."

"It's honestly mostly for, in those people's eyes, the brashness of Mr. Uchiha's actions," Hee-Jin declared with a focused look. "And then things kept snowballing for him, Song-Yi. From his first declaration video, then his first video in the public eye, his place in the Hunters, his raid with Lee Min-Sung, and then his connections, Hunter Uchiha paints an image of a man with the world at his feet."

"Isn't that a bit dramatic?"

"Hmm, not as much as you think," Mr. Ahn said. "You have to understand, Ms. Han, there aren't people below S-Rank that could boast what Mr. Uchiha has done," he explained. "It makes one curious on principle and people, as a species, are curious."

"Hmm," the teenage girl found her courage. "I-I believe in him, sir, ma'am."

"I do as well," Hee-Jin declared. "And when he wins, that's going to be big!"

"It will," Mr. Ahn chuckled. "He'll be an S-Rank by recommendation, most likely. He has enough S-Rank support to have that be true, anyway."

With Jin-Woo, the man kept looking at the laidback Thomas with a discerning eye.

'There's no way to beat him,' Thomas Andre was such a monster it made his boots quake before he steeled his nerves. "Focus on uncle," Jin-Woo told himself as Joo-Hee looked at him.

Her eyes softened. "I'm worried, too," she admitted as he smiled weakly. "This is such a big change in the usual, Woo, a-and if your uncle wins as he wants, you'll have an S-Rank in your family."

He blinked, confused, as she grinned at his curious eyes. "I… Didn't think about that," he realized. "I mean, make no mistake, I will join him," Jin-Woo declared. "But he'll be the first, wow," he chuckled.

"I'm sure he's got this, shuushuu has so many odd skills, advantages, and smarts. We've seen his potential finishing move."

"I know, I know, you get me."

Jong-In observed the nonchalant Thomas chatting it up with a seemingly barely-listening Dong-Su, the S-Rank Fighter growling as he looked at Obito. "He's such a menace," he said to Hae-In, Gun-Hee, Yoon-Ho, Jin-Chul, and his guild members. "I'm truly hoping hyung makes this a demonstration of his might."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in him," Jin-Chul observed. "Not that we know just how close you both were in the past, it's merely observation."

"Make no mistake, I have a lot of respect and trust for Hunter Obito, it's just life."

"He's studied Dong-Su in his entirety," Yoon-Ho noted. "There's not much else he could do at this point to prepare."

"Oppa's aware but that doesn't mean he can just counter everything," Hae-In said as Gun-Hee cupped his chin. "Sad to say, he can't beat Dong-Su in physical might, stamina, nor durability. Speed, magical power and Skills, intelligence, and agility I believe are his advantages, though."

"Those are important things to excel in to break through Dong-Su's seemingly relentless stamina and durability," the Chairman declared. "With Metal Realm, his durability moves beyond a normal Fighter's as well but there are ways around that."

"... Ah, of course," Jong-In smiled. "You're aware of how well he uses his thread's physics, aren't you?"

"I am, Obito showed me the night before, it's quite amazing how far he's taken such a simple power and its conceptual traits."

Finally, with Obito, Gina, and Jin-Ah sitting atop the yacht's living quarters' roof, the three observed the false city that had been built on the growing-closer island.

"It's crazy!" Jin-Ah said, looking anxious as she observed the buildings, all to-scale. "T-This is seriously gonna be a big fight, shuushuu, noona," she added as Obito pat her shoulder while Gina smiled.

"It's fine, I promise," Obito said before considering something and nodding. "In fact," he took off his corded ring and placed it around her neck, the young woman gasping at him. "When it's all done, this stupid fight, I'll want that back," he chuckled as Jin-Ah held the jewelry tightly with a nod.

"I-I got you," she said as she fiddled with it. "... You two are so lucky to have each other, it's kind of weird," Jin-Ah blushed a bit as she pouted, the two looking at her with raised brows.

"Whoa now, are you saying… W-Who is it?" The A-Rank Mage asked in surprise as the younger female cleared her throat before looking even redder.

"... N-No one said it'd be anyone we know but… M-Maybe a rich guy, who's a bit of a dork," she began as Obito blinked in shock. "Y-You know, someone who's super-excitable, might be uncle and oppa's biggest f-fans?" Jin-Ah looked away from them.

"My goodness, Jin-Ho, huh?" Gina giggled as Obito began to chuckle. "Well, you guys seem to get along well," she smirked as the younger woman scrambled for answers. "Hehe, then all that's left is to ask, are you serious about this?"

"I… I-I think so?"

"Then nothing to it but to do it, yeah?"

"A-After I'm out of school," Jin-Ah said, fiddling with her hands. "This is my last year and it's ending in two months."

"Crap, it is?!"

The youngest Sung nodded as Obito cupped his chin.

"I see, you somehow feel unworthy," he observed.

"I-I'm not an adult, ya know? Despite how he is, how he can be as excited as a kid sometimes," she chuckled embarrassedly. "There's no doubt in my mind that Jin-Ho's an actual man and I'm just a girl in school. I want that to change before I even consider doing anything."

"Your birthday's in October," Obito chuckled. "You'll be eighteen soon enough."

"I-I mean, yeah…" She pouted.

"Then, I'll be there cheering for you, you know that."

~NRK~

Il-Hwan's eyes trembled as he saw them.

"T-That's… Those are my kids, right?" He whispered in shock, eyes tearing up as he saw the two well-growing brother and sister speaking with his brother-in-law or wearing his emblem, it seemed. "My God, t-they're so big now," he said softly as he observed the duo.

The two seemed nice and close, too! Dammit, he loved knowing they'd grown so well!

~NRK~

Reaching the island, Obito turned to Gun-Hee while Dong-Su grumbled in the background.

"Sir, when exactly does this battle start?" The shorter combatant asked as the Chairman rubbed his chin.

"Let's go to the center of the island and then start there, yes?" He offered the two, Obito nodding while Dong-Su kissed his teeth with crossed arms. "Would everyone else stay on the boat? We'll have our cameras up and running before this begins," Gun-Hee said as he walked off with the two men in tow.

"We'll be here when you come back, hyung," Jong-In said as the others nodded to him or smiled.

"Win out there!" Ki-Hoon declared.

"Don't lose!" Cheung prayed.

"Y-You've got this," Galdae-In said.

"Oppa, you have all you need," Hae-In said as Cheol smirked.

"You use that experience advantage," the other older member said.

"Love, you will win," Gina stated, no hint of lacking faith. "You can win."

"Yeah, shuushuu!" Jin-Ah & Song-Yi agreed in unison.

"Sir, don't forget the basics!" Jin-Ho declared while holding up his batons. "I'll cheer with all my heart!"

"Yeah, don't let those cheers go to waste," Soo-Hyun said with a nod.

"Mr. Uchiha, use your maturity!" Hee-Jin declared with fire in her eyes as Yoon-Ho sweatdropped.

"What the hell is going on with her? I'm actually concerned," he said as Mr. Ahn shrugged. "Yeesh, come back alive so I don't have to deal with this alone," the S-Rank complained.

Joo-Hee nodded reassuringly for the amused Obito as Jin-Woo smiled.

He smiled a trusting, forever-more, smile.

"Win, shuushuu," he said.

"Can't lose with all of those," Obito smiled knowingly. "I won't lose," he told them as their ship flew into the air. "... Chairman-"

"Sometimes, it does pay to have such creations," Gun-Hee smiled knowingly as Dong-Su's eyes twitched.

'He's dead the first chance I get!' And then he'd get his consolation prizes.

~NRK~

Flying cameras shot out around the false isle as they flew in the air, a giant monitor on the front of the yacht showing the three men coming to a stop in the center of the island.

"Are both combatants ready?" Gun-Hee asked both men with a look.

"Tsk, get out of here, old man," Dong-Su's eyes narrowed as the air thrummed with violent intent and malicious magical energy.

"I'm ready," Obito said as he tapped the tip of his boots against the ground, the lack of sound not registering to Dong-Su but Gun-Hee looked intrigued.

"He hasn't noticed," Jong-In said with a gleam in his eye. "Good, surprise attacks are now more useful than ever."

~NRK~

"Then the fight will begin on my mark," Chairman Gun-Hee said on the screen. "To the count of three."

Ryuji's eyes narrowed.

'It's time to see if you can truly step into my world,' the Japanese S-Rank thought. 'And if you'll be given a chance to be spared.'

"One," the Chairmain blurred back with surprising speed. "Two."

~NRK~

Il-Hwan focused on the screen.

"Come on, Obito."

"Three."

~NRK~

The last number echoed for a mere moment.

"Shen Xian." (Divine Thread)

Dong-Su's body encased itself within a gleaming bronze armor, bull-like motifs sprouting around his head, shoulders, and feet.

Just in time to have several high-speed threads glance off his form, the attacks ricocheting out into the building behind him.

Its midsection was crushed a moment later, the towering apartment complex falling down on Dong-Su.

"Tsk-!"

"Not so fast."

His eyes widened within the shadows of the falling structure, red eyes glaring in the darkness.

"Ni-Senko."

~NRK~

An eruption of electricity tore down the length of the broken building before erupting out the back to slam a roaring Dong-Su into the next.

"Y-You bastard!" He swung out, a crater forming beneath him as Obito landed above him on the building side.

"Ni-Senko!"

There was another explosion of static that rang out and filled the air of the boat.

"Huh, didn't know he had electricity skills," Thomas said as Jin-Chul folded his arms behind his back.

"It's in his magic's concepts. After all, thread, Hunter Thomas?" He offered the now-curious man.

"Huh, ya got a point, this Obito guy's pretty smart."

~NRK~

Obito slipped out of the dust cloud.

'I guess it'd be too much for it to be an automatic win,' Obito thought. 'Still, now he's likely to be cautious-'

He jumped out of the way of an explosive wind wave, the attack tearing into the bakery behind him and crushing it along with the shop behind it.

Landing a bit away, the dust cloud dispersed to reveal a shuddering Dong-Su, the man's armor releasing steam as he growled at him.

"You piece of trash!" His energy raged about and cratered the ground as he stomped out of his crater.

He lunged at the frowning Obito, the older Hunter slipping out of the way of his charge and watching as the armored Hunter brought down the building behind him.

'Brash and strong, a horrid combination,' he jumped back from the crash zone, eyes searching the cloud before his Sharingan picked up on a lunging-again figure.

He dodged Dong-Su's charge once more, the man bringing down more and more buildings as they played this odd game of bull-and-mouse.

By the third evade, Obito landed in the street before facing Dong-Su's previous location.

Thread shot out from his hands towards the debris before he crossed them all and snapped them.

An explosion tossed up a billowing cloud of smoke and dust, the Mage observing the cloud of destruction.

'There's no way that did much damage,' Obito wasn't an idiot and was proven right a second later as Dong-Su skidded out of the destruction with only a few scratches. "If I'm to bring down Metal Realm, I'll need to remove the source," he declared as he walked up to the standing S-Rank, hands up to his biceps covered in thread.

The moment he was a meter away, he ducked in, twisted, and then uppercutted the lunging Dong-Su.

The blow rocked the air as the S-Rank hissed before bringing his head down and slashing at the air with his right hand.

The blow was dodged before another uppercut slammed into his chin, taking him off his feet before he recovered with a single flip, lunging at the skipping back Mage.

The older Hunter flipped away from the charge before skipping in and out of a S-Rank's punches. Dong-Su's shoulder slammed forward mid-swing but only found the Mage's feet in his face.

The armored man was sent flying into a building and out the other end, recovering in time to stop his tumble with all four limbs on the ground.

Just in time to duck a series of cutting threads.

But not smart enough to realize they were only meant to cut the buildings around him.

~NRK~

The four buildings' collapse was curious to the Japanese guild.

"He's incredibly smart," Kei said, the young man rubbing the back of his head. "He's clearly used to hand-to-hand combat and knows how to lead his opponent into traps."

"I'm more surprised by his physical attack power," Kanae said as Akari cupped her chin.

"The amount of muscle he's gotta have, possibly magical power is being used in its base form, and then there's that thread," the Healer noted. "Maybe it's just me but isn't it kinda strong?"

"Do you remember that video from two years ago?" Ryuji frowned as she blinked. "Those threads carry a sort of spatial field around them, Akari, and if he snaps them…"

"They cause a breaking in its form," Kei realized, utterly amazed. "So, all that condensed space explodes once it loses its formerly solid shape like a bursting balloon."

~NRK~

"That idiot, why's he not using his head?" Thomas groaned as Gun-Hee arrived via the help of Gina's telekinesis.

"He didn't seem like one for planning," Gun-Hee said after thanking the Mage woman. "Or has Dong-Su developed a knack for such planning?"

"Hmph… Probably not."

More buildings began to fall as the two combatants got more serious.

~NRK~

Obito's kick slammed into one of Dong-Su's punches, the pair of thread circling the limb snapping like an involuntarily controlled muscle.

The two blows equaled out, the forces crushing the area around them before they were rebuffed.

'His punches are ridiculous, I know that already!' Obito thought as he was sent flying before he recovered into a trio of backflips, boots screeching against the pavement as he looked up to see an already-charging Dong-Su. 'His recovery is better, acclimate!' He lunged at the armored man.

When they got close, the Uchiha's feet 'exploded'.

Dong-Su's charge was halted before a trio of slashing kicks, each one propelled by a ring of high-speed snapping thread.

The blows crushed the ground beneath them as Obito's other leg swung around and slammed straight & center into his neck.

The S-Rank shot back into a gym, the sounds of crunching glass, crumbling mortar, and shattered brick filling the C-Rank's ears.

"It's acclimating but I'm literally going to lose like this," he said, standing up within the shadow of the sky-piercing clocktower behind him. "Alright, time to put this concept into action," Obito uttered as his Sharingan burned.

His legs became covered by his powerful technique… And that was it.

He widened his stance, right side facing Dong-Su's direction.

"Terrain."

Thread soon covered the ground for half a mile.

~NRK~

'... Wait, is that Terrain?' Gina wondered in surprise. "That's crazy, he shouldn't be able to make such a big 'field' like that," she said before blinking at Gun-Hee's chuckles.

"You know how his One-Horned Oni works, correct?" The Chairman smiled as she nodded. "So, you understand that it essentially magnifies his output," he stressed.

"Wait, that's right," Jin-Woo said, surprised as Yoon-Ho and Jong-In raised a brow. "That Spell, called 'Terrain' for anyone who doesn't know, is based on the quality of the magical power it comes from."

"... Oh," the White Tiger Guild Master saw where this was heading. "When he uses that technique, his magical power reaches beyond A-Rank," he nodded. "But what about it staying?"

"It does," Jin-Chul answered as he adjusted his visors. "It seems that the field 'completes' itself based on the energy used when it is enacted. With that, he can create a field of influence beyond his own power at any moment."

Several buildings fell.

~NRK~

Dong-Su's eyes widened the moment he'd returned to that intersection where that fucker was-

An attack from his side slammed into his cheek, sending him careening into a building before he roared as he shot out of it.

"YOU BASTARD!" He shouted at that spot.

To find nothing there-

A foot slammed into the back of his head, sending him bouncing.

And then a force from below sent him shooting high into the sky. 'W-What the hell is happening?!' He thought incredulously, spinning body turning just in time for him to see the area below. "That fucke-"

A pair of feet slammed into his material-covered abdomen, the S-Rank finally choking on his breath as the force landed.

Obito Uchiha's eyes spun.

"Shinra…" His feet emanated a powerful dark blue light as thread coiled from below. "SENKO!"

~NRK~

The sky flashed dark blue as the attack crackled like actual lightning and thunder.

"NICE!" Ki-Hoon cheered as Jin-Ho grinned at the falling duo, Dong-Su's body covered in hissing smoke.

~NRK~

Obito followed the S-Rank as he fell, eyes narrowed as his range of influence shrunk a bit.

'Using this much thread is amazing but each blow absorbs more magic from the area it's using,' he'd learned this the day before.

He could sprout an area of highly-condensed magic that went on for a max of 800 meters, but Terrain had a limit of not being permanent if used like this.

Like a 'Thread Terrain' and a normal 'Magic Power Enhancement Terrain'. By doing this, he was basically using up the space he'd created.

'It's still beyond useful as a technique,' he thought, dropping down onto Dong-Su's abdomen. "I've still got a lot to give."

Threads from all over coiled around the two of them before all of them snapped once they hit the ground.

A wave of destruction rampaged three city blocks. Each bit of stone, dust, and brick were torn at by powerful concussive forces that rocked the ground and cracked nearby buildings before it even ended.

Obito got as far away from it as he could. "That's still dangerous to me," he frowned as his legs flared in pain. "Dammit," he grimaced as he landed on a far-off building and looked at the carnage.

The tilted, broken, or shattered buildings, the crushed ground, or even some dust particles made the scenery magnificently devastating to his mind.

'Yet, an S-Rank fighting another could tear a city apart,' Obito frowned, standing at the ready. "This isn't enough, especially since his specialty is healing and stamina-"

There was an explosion that was followed by a tower of dust that revealed an irate figure.

"Tsk, not so easy."

~NRK~

"... Well… Damn," Kanae said, blinking once, twice, three times at the destruction on screen. "U-Um, we're just going to accept he's S-Rank and move on, right?"

Many of the others nodded but Ryuji's eyes remained transfixed to the screen, eyes searching Obito's expression and body language.

'He's not done so neither are you,' he'd get every bit of info he could on the Mage now while he could.

~NRK~

"DAMN!" Most of those on the flying boat jumped in shock.

"T-That's new but I know how it works!" Jin-Ah said with a grin before they were gawking at the now-revealed Dong-Su. "Oh come on!"

The cameras pulled up a visual of the armored man and Jin-Woo's eyes narrowed at the many cracks that had formed in the man's protection beginning to reknit themselves.

"Wait, what? That doesn't make sense!" Joo-Hee said in horror. "Metal Realm doesn't do that."

"On its own, yeah, duh," Thomas said with a gleam in his eye, confusing the others. "Of course, Dong-Su's an idiot so he'd never be able to figure that kind of stuff out on his own unless we beat it into him. After, his gauntlets are part of that armor now," he chuckled.

Jong-In's eyes widened. 'He can apply the healing effects to both flesh and inorganics?!' They hadn't known! "Metal Realm, on its own, is troublesome enough. He could have easily done him in if it was healing is what you're implying?"

"I ain't implying nothing, rich kid," Jong-In looked offended. "Hah! No, that guy… He's gonna have to bring out something like that fight with that boss from a couple days ago. Dong-Su's stronger, durable, and relentless. Ya gotta break all three of those facts before he goes down."

~NRK~

"YOU SON OF A WHORE!" Dong-Su roared at him, fully out of the destroyed city and allowing Obito to observe his armor.

'... It can connect to the Ashvin Gauntlets, can't it?' Great, just great.

At least his legs were feeling better because Dong-Su was already rushing towards him at high speeds.

"Now comes the hard part," Obito frowned. "Berserk has probably activated," he kissed his teeth as he allowed his body to drop.

Berserk, Dong-Su's specialized passive Fighter Skill. It was the only known Skill he had, one that had been paraded around in the earlier days for him to boast how much better he was with only 'one skill', so he could assume this was all that he had in his pocket.

'It raises all his stats proportional to the amount of damage he's taken,' it was a horrid combination with his Ashvin Gauntlets. "If I don't end this fight soon, I'm gonna be dealing with an S-Rank monster soon enough," he had to find the right way to do this.

He landed on a thread before snapping it, his body basically flung at Dong-Su's.

His hand slipped into his weapon box.

Dong-Su crossed his arms to block those shuriken, the throwing stars bouncing off his forearm armor.

Then he saw something on them that had him roaring.

Before they erupted with 'snapping force', the air rumbling again as Obito threw down a smoke bomb.

Dong-Su hissed at the annoyance before being knocked around the smoke, eyes searching for the next blow.

"Why can't I hear you?!"

Another blow slammed into his neck, sending him on his back.

Obito's form shot around the smoke like a phantom as Dong-Su got back onto his feet, the enraged man's body releasing a wicked red glow.

"You trash!" He lifted his arms as Obito grimaced.

They swung down and the Mage jumped high into the sky to dodge, Dong-Su's hammer blow causing the area to shake and a nearby building to collapse.

Landing on a thread between two still-there buildings, Obito looked down on the armored Hunter.

'It has to be taking more stamina,' Obito thought before the enraged Hunter lunged at him.

He jumped back while snapping that thread, Dong-Su completely unhindered by the explosive force.

As he came in close, Obito's eyes flickered red.

Dong-Su barely pulled his arm back in time to at least block the throat-level slash of the older man's suddenly-there bone scythe but couldn't prepare for the two slashes at his right side and left thigh.

He crashed into a building as Obito landed, the Mage tightening his right arm.

"Wrath," he commanded.

The air around him thrummed with light blue energy as Dong-Su's roaring form came shooting towards.

Obito widened his stance as his scythe's edge colored a crackling black.

His weapon swung.

Dong-Su's lunge was arrested as the building behind him exploded at its midsection.

Obito's right arm burned with his greatest technique, his Oni Arm, before it snapped out and then dragged itself back.

The top-half of the building came down and brought the S-Rank with it.

The rumble that followed deafened him while it tossed up more clouds of dirt, stone, and dust.

The Mage vanished within haze as the building exploded, revealing a crimson Dong-Su.

The bull-headed armor looked around in a frenzy, its scratches and cracks healing in seconds.

Just in time for that hazy phantom's crackling blade to arc past his side.

"What?!" Dong-Su held his side, the cut not deep but the electricity… Oh, that bastard's electricity. 'How?! This was never put into any record, dammit!'

Another sparking slash carved into his back as he swung behind him, crushing a building a bit away with the pressure of his fists alone.

"Where-?!"

A sparking foot slammed into the underside of his chin, the S-Rank's body taken off its feet for another damning time.

His eyes barely looked down in time to see him.

That red-eyed phantom.

"Bachong Shen Xing." (Eightfold Divinity)

Electricity… No. Lightning struck eight times in an array of shining slashes of murderous intent.

They seemed to resonate with each one, Dong-Su's body yelling out to him to escape danger.

He landed on his weak feet, knees buckling as he fell to them.

Obito's flickering form appeared behind the man, scythe coming around before resting the crux of the blade by his neck.

~NRK~

"YES!" Jin-Ah cheered, relieved as the cameras showed the current 'results'.

"Speed, destructive power, and cunning he can't keep up with," Jong-In said with a relieved smile as his guild cheered.

Yoon-Ho's eyebrow rose at the live showing of the two. '... How do we know he's not doing something tricky?' He wasn't sure.

He'd be happy for Obito to have won now but he wasn't sure if this was so cut and dry.

Jin-Woo's eyes searched the screens for any possible trickery. 'Come on, make this the end,' sure, Dong-Su's armor wasn't broken but this fight was seemingly heading the way of him just getting his neck slit.

So, why was he feeling a sudden case of dread?

"Hmm, he'll likely just turn into his Berserk State," Thomas said, chilling the deck. "He's finally gotten hit with severe damage," he chuckled as eyes snapped to him. "And that means your Mage is gonna have to bring out all the stops or he'll die."

~NRK~

Obito felt 'it' before he saw it.

He hissed, already a block away as he held the shaft of his scythe.

The blade crumbled in Dong-Su's viciously-glowing hand, the man's armor releasing steam from the ports that'd seemingly grown on his back.

'Of course, his armor's likely been worked on for years,' he'd been aware of this possibility but hadn't been sure of how far it could have gone. "He's-"

There was a heavy distortion of wind at his side, the C-Rank's eyes snapping to the now-enlarged craggly fist coming towards his head.

Obito's clothes twitched before the man was already jumping away from the building-destroying fist that brought a thin high-rise down on its owner.

Skipping back and away from the destruction, Obito kissed his teeth at the bleeding cut on his cheek.

"Just great," he grunted, that tower of malicious energy punching through the debris and allowing the enraged Dong-Su to come out of it like a lumbering giant… Actually.

He'd gotten bigger, it seemed, the man now standing at a worrying eight-feet-tall and his build's upper-half had grown more broad and bulky, his arms bearing log-like limbs that sported those three-feet-wide rock-like fists from earlier.

'All his stats have risen, likely sans intelligence-!'

Obito threw his body to the side to dodge a sudden fist, his form landing inside a part of the crater that'd formed. Seeing the shift of the red energy within, Obito shifted to the side while swinging his former-scythe at Dong-Su's face.

The struggle nearly tore his arms off before Obito's leg raised and pushed out with an entirely black leg.

Dong-Su's form went flying through, what? Four buildings before the Wrath finally died down.

'I've got, what, 75% left?' Obito thought, vanishing in a blur that circled the block. 'I can't really see the end to his stamina yet,' he frowned as he skirted a corner.

And watched an elementary school split down the middle, Dong-Su's walking form leaving its depths.

He cracked his neck before his eyes slowly turned to find Obito in front of his face.

A kick sent the armored man's head snapping to the side before the bone shaft snapped it the other way, the Mage's legs preparing to swing.

Only for the bull-armored man to grab his offending limb.

"ORRYYAAAA!"

He swung him down and around into the elementary school.

It exploded with the Mage shooting out the other end before he recovered into a roll with a grimace.

Dong-Su shot out of the school walls just in time to catch and fist to the face that sent him back through it before Obito lunged through it.

Coming out the other end, the S-Rank grit his teeth as the C-Rank's sparking hands came into view.

They slammed into his midsection.

~NRK~

Another explosion dropped another building, the sparking lights flashing along some of the others before dying down.

The fighting had continued on for close to ten minutes as the two kept at it.

"Tsk, C-Rank my ass," another of the Draw Sword Guild members said with an excited gleam in his eyes, the scar across his nose twitching as his grin kept going on all cylinders. "Dammit, I want to be out there."

"Ken-kun, please," Akari sweatdropped. "Can you not?"

"I can think of it."

The Healer held her head.

Ryuji kept watching the two the whole way, the center of this false island long since destroyed.

"He's still holding back," the man frowned as Kanae nodded.

"He hasn't used what he did during that raid. I wonder why?" She tapped her lip. "I have to assume that he's trying to see if he can defeat Dong-Su as he is, right?"

"... I can't say I don't understand that logic," Ryuji admitted as she smirked at him. "Hmph."

Then, the Mage got thrown through a quartet of buildings, all of them collapsing down on themselves.

"... I suppose he'll do so now."

Kanae, despite the shock, laughed.

~NRK~

"Obito?!" Gina called out, terrified at the screen.

Dong-Su had lunged at that fourth building with vicious intent, a meter away, before a clawed hand reached out and gripped his helmet-covered face.

"You BASTARD."

The armored man was enveloped by lightning as that limb kept holding his face before another braced against it.

"Hiraishin!"

Four more buildings were punched through by Dong-Su's body this time around, the S-Rank's last crackling with electricity before it began to crawl with thread.

"Terrain."

It covered the entire thing.

"KATSU!"

The explosion was visible even from there height, the sight of it roaring into the sky before it destroyed many of the other buildings around.

"Damn," Yoon-Ho said as Mr. Ahn's eyes shone with opportunity. "Might wanna give up on that one, Managerial Chief, he is with the Hunters, after all."

The man wilted as Hee-Jin pat his back with a chuckle.

"We can still try," she whispered with a look around as Mr. Ahn perked up while Yoon-Ho sweatdropped at his orders being circumvented.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

Gun-Hee raised a brow at the sight of Obito's One-Horned Oni appearing atop the clocktower.

The transformation finally in full view, Song-Yi and those not in the know jumped at the sight.

"W-What is that?" Ki-Hoon asked, alarmed. "It's so cool!" He declared with manly tears that Jin-Ho reciprocated.

"It is, isn't it?!" The heir said.

Soo-Hyun sweatdropped. "Would you two shut up and calm down?" She asked even as her eyes went to that now 'praying' man? "What the hell is doing?"

And then a tower of magical power shot into the sky, alarming all on the boat save for Jong-In & Jin-Woo.

'One-Horned Oni, Terrain, & Wrath all mixed together,' they thought in unison. 'That's beyond S-Rank energy,' it was.

The power currently being wielded by Obito was terrifyingly majestic.

And then thread shot out from the air itself, slamming into every piece of rubble, debris, or detached large rock that they could.

The sky was filled with electrified thread.

~NRK~

Dong-Su grunted as he pulled himself out of the broken building and looked up.

"You're a dead man," he hissed as his armor's new dent, melted helmet bits, and cracked mask. "..." Dong-Su frowned.

He was still going, his stamina hadn't failed him but he was reaching the halfway point.

His eyes burned with hate. 'He's got nothing but pathetic tricks!' Dong-Su had undergone training even despite his great power in the beginning.

Building thick skin, stamina training, and even defensive evasion training despite how useless that was!

He'd had the best training! The best of America which was more than his dinky-old country could have offered. He was the BEST outside of fucking Thomas Andre!

And he was losing to this C-Rank TRASH?!

The red on his body tripled as that hurricane of force above finally came to a finale.

"DIE!" The armored man shot up towards that pain in his ass.

That damn COCKROACH who'd decided to try and land above his dirt and shit!

That horned being that stood there released a powerful light-blue glow before Dong-Su grit his teeth as all those small pebbles shot down towards him like raining stars, each one surrounded by a quickly rotating ring of thread that snapped upon contact.

'Lan Xing (Blue Stars) aren't doing much to him now,' the man's defenses had likely risen to a higher level with Metal Realm active. 'I have to bring all of that metal off of him,' Obito thought as he crossed his arms with clawed-up hands.

A familiar pair of weapons began to form within them, the threading-together fangs of Cerberus releasing an ephemeral glow.

"Cerberus."

The magic around him funneled into the powerful sickles before the spiritual power fed into the glowing white orbs that now sat in the former-empty ring-like pommels.

A chain of light blue formed between them before the horned man began to spin the left one.

They released a hellish sound as neon blue lit up the sky, Dong-Su's form breaking through the smoke of his barrage.

Obito swung his entire body into the swing. "Shén liàn." (Divine Chain)

Dong-Su's eyes narrowed as he prepared to bat the attack aside-

DODGE

His mind froze as the single command shot throughout it, the feeling of his bones quivering at that high-speed sickle confusing his instincts to no end as he barely threw his body out of the way of it.

That chain screamed bloody murder as he shot past, startling him as he saw it falling towards the ground-

His eyes widened at the divide that'd found itself born, the cut reaching beyond his own vision.

Only for a feeling of bloodlust to fall over him alongside a falling shadow.

"Shén dāo." (Divine Blade)

He'd not been fast enough and the only thing his turning around had done?

It'd lost him an arm and leg.

That trailing blue slash swung through the S-Rank's armor and skin before slicing past the city's horizon.

~NRK~

They all stared at the cut city line as the attack crashed into the waves.

The destruction hit caused the ocean to quake and rumble as more and more buildings fell in a heap.

"Crazy," Joo-Hee said in shock as they watched it happen in real time.

That and the split ground.

"He has to finish this fight soon," Jong-In declared through his awe, knowing better than to just assume things were in Obito's favor. "Hyung."

~NRK~

Kanae released a long whistle at the sight of the attack, her acceptance of the Uchiha's 'S-Rank truth' helping ease the shock far more easily than it would have without it.

"Hahah, that's crazy!" She chuckled. "He's almost as bad as you in Spirit Form."

Ryuji's hadn't left the screen even as the Japanese Hunter Bureau Chairman released a shaky breath.

"Y-You can't be laughing, Kanae Tawata!" He said as the woman jumped while looking sheepish. "Do you understand how bad this is for us?!"

"H-Hey, easy, I'm just saying that this is still in our favor!"

"Can Ryuji Goto sport such full field control? No?" The man grimaced as she flinched. "Then quite frankly, I'm not amused."

"Chairman."

The man flinched at the rise in pressure around him, those gleaming yellow eyes glaring him into submission.

"Don't put my skills at such a MEAGRE level."

The spiritual pressure died down, leaving the Chairman time to breathe weakly as Akari frowned.

"Easy, that's my uncle," she said flatly as Ryuji scoffed. 'Always so troublesome,' she wanted to groan but held it in. "Right now, it's clear that Obito guy can't keep this up for extended periods of time. Approaching Korea with an actual plan has always been our idea."

"We just need to focus," Kei said. "We're doing this for the betterment of Japan," he added even as Ryuji shot him a scoff, Kanae grimaced, and the Chairman cleared his throat.

The other Draw Sword members were in agreement with him.

Kanae muttered something. "Yeah, for Japan," she said weakly.

Even if that was total bullshit.

~NRK~

Obito grimaced at his screaming body. 'D-Dammit, is using spiritual energy so difficult?' That move alone had pulled out a lot of it and that made his body… No.

His soul throb, he'd never done that before.

So, he grimaced at the growling Dong-Su as they fell to the earth below.

'This is my chance! I can KILL him!' His mind raged as he prepared to swing. "One more cut!"

The S-Rank knew this as well. "FUCKER!"

His left side re-grew itself in an instant, the veins in his forehead throbbing as he swung out at the alarmed Mage.

'WHAT?!' Obito's eyes widened before he crossed his arms, the thread on the front of his forearms snapping in defense. 'This is gonna hurt like hell!'

The palm of the S-Rank slammed into his guard while Obito's threads erupted back with force that was instantly pierced through.

The rattling of his bones and torn muscles had the Mage hissing before he was sent flying far.

No, not just far.

Obito had gone through a series of buildings over and over before hitting a pier… A familiar pier with an explosive crackle, the sounds of buildings falling in his wake doing little more than helping him wake up.

'Oh shit, I fell unconscious?!' The man's body roared at him as he pushed up and got one foot up on the ground.

The feeling of his body lacking thread hurt his pride and his chances.

'I knew already,' Obito thought with a frown as thread reformed around him before he stood up, aching body throbbing before he snapped something back into place with a tightening of thread. "God does not like simple challenges, does he?"

There was an explosion in front of him, the Uchiha's hair ever-still despite the entrance.

"Let's make this a good end for you, Dong-Su," Obito said, the Hunter-in-question appearing through the smoke as Obito raised only one sickle. "Lost the other one somewhere," his thread split to show his sharp-toothed grin. "Let's bring it back, yeah?"

Obito pulled with all his body and might.

~NRK~

Gina grimaced at the sight of her battered fiance, Obito's grimacing expression caught on screen.

"What happened?" Jin-Woo frowned as he gripped the side of the boat with a deep frown. "Why did he miss his chance like that?"

"... Was that technique too expensive?" Jong-In considered with a frown as Thomas released a long breath before blinking as Obito tugged on his sickle. "Surely, there's a mechanic we're missing-"

The man swung a building.

~NRK~

"Either his defenses are so low," Ryuji began.

"Or Dong-Su reached such a powerful point that he's ridiculous, yeah," Kanae said with a nod. "No wonder America wanted him, Berserk is such a ridiculous power when it's mixed with amazing equipment, naturally high stamina, and training."

"I don't think most S-Ranks could take a blow like that," Kei said, tugging at his collar nervously as even Ken looked a bit nervous. "If those spatial threads of his can create such a dense barrier between himself and attacks, it's no wonder that this form of his has such drawbacks. It puts his abilities at the near top of the S-Rank."

"It's likely due to why it doesn't last that long," Akari said as she held a file with a frown. "His powers are very low-stress, like, it's hard to detect low-stress. There's a chance that due to all that pressure, it's that his body can't handle it more than it being energy intensive-"

And then the man threw a BUILDING.

~NRK~

Il-Hwan swallowed nervously at the combat. "D-Dammit, I can't… I-I can't be there," he said somberly with a closed-eyed grimace. "Obito, come on, ya gotta win," he said as he listened to the two's conversation.

"Let's bring it back, yeah?"

Il-Hwan blinked as the man pulled on something. "That other sickle-?" He wondered, confused.

And then Dong-Su got hit by a building.

His jaw dropped.

~NRK~

Thomas blinked, bug-eyed, as Dong-Su's form was sent careening with a building as his wrecking-his-face ball.

"The hell is this?" He asked the also-blinking Gun-Hee, the Chairman squinting his eyes as if he wasn't sure about what he was looking at.

"... Um," the man began as the waters released towering explosions that reached even their height. "... Physics."

Jin-Woo sighed in relief while Gina's head tilted with most of the others.

"Um, what?"

~NRK~

Obito looked out at the ruptured waves before pulling his other sickle out of its stuck-in-a-building status, his spiritual power hissing at him but it was so worth it.

"Bastard," he said as he hitched back weapons onto his lower-back. 'But I'm not winning any contests like this,' Obito was, basically, working on 35% of energy at this point. '... Wait,' he blinked as he looked down at his hand.

He flexed it, blinked, considered the strain- "Where'd the strain go?" The former shinobi asked himself, confused. "In fact, I don't feel any kind of pull? What's going on?" Obito's head perked up as he looked at Dong-Su's location, a rising crimson tower of energy spouting out of the waters. "... If this is some sort of benefit, I'm fine with it but that doesn't mean anything," Obito frowned before he crouched.

He lunged over the waters at high speed, a trail of blue bursts behind him as he tripled his speed with a series of intertwining rings of thread, his hands thrumming with lightning before his entire body began to follow suit.

His skin felt like it was burning as he kept the electricity in before he reached Dong-Su's own lunging form.

"What-?!"

"RAIJIN!"

~NRK~

The beam of light that shot into the sky colored it, and the surprising clouds that followed, with light-blue magical power.

The harsh winds rocked their ship, Jin-Woo holding onto Joo-Hee and Jin-Ah as they rode it out before Gina covered the group in a sphere of her magic, the American-Korean mix's eyes purely on Obito and Dong-Su's location.

Jong-In released a heated breath as the other Hunters looked on with bated breath as well.

When the lightning ended, there was a hissing, smoking, crater the size of a small village within the water, a hole that had repelled more of the ocean from rushing in.

~NRK~

"Damn, guess being near the water wasn't a good idea on Dong-Su's side," Kanae said as they saw the true damage once the smoke cleared. "Wow."

She gawked at the hole in the water where they could see all the way down to the floor, the two combatants on their knees within it.

"There's no way they're both not suffering right now," Akane frowned deeply. "Their bodies have to be fried by this point. I'd be surprised if either of 'em are conscious, as a doctor, but I'm still bothered by how powerful Dong-Su's Ashvin Gauntlets & stamina are."

"Electrocution, underwater, high-level trauma," Ken listed off as she nodded. "His entire fucking side came off, for one, he got hit by a flying building, and he's been hit with more of all of that before hand… How the hell is he alive right now? Berserk is so fucking busted."

"There's a good reason why we don't fight the USA or China," the Chairman said nervously. "..." He grimaced as Ryuji's eyes snapped to him. "... It's nothing Ryuji-sama-"

"Chairman, you're not thinking-" The S-Rank began.

"I am thinking," the older man shot back with another frown as Ryuji hissed. "Do you understand, if they don't kill each other, Korea's gained another S-Rank. It doesn't matter if his usual form is that of a C-Rank if he can get the time to do all of this. He'll be an eternal problem."

"Damn," Kanae looked back at the screen. "... They're up," she said as Akari stared in disbelief.

"W-What's wrong with these Koreans?" The Healer asked nervously.

~NRK~

Obito stumbled to his feet, body tilting somewhat before he steadied himself, Dong-Su's hulking form on trembling legs. "You big bastard," he said with a hissed, arm pointed at the S-Rank. "All of this bullshit, all of it, is all on your own head."

Dong-Su growled vocally. "Shove it, piss stain, I'm not worried about problems," he hissed out.

"I don't understand how a trashy pair of brothers reached the points they did… Well, I could with one," Obito said as Dong-Su's eyes widened behind his helmet, his head coming up. "Don't you know? Killing a pair of brothers will soon be crossed off my bucket list."

"Y-You piece of shit-!"

"Dong-Suk said the same thing."

~NRK~

Jin-Woo's head fell as Gina sighed and pat it.

"It's fine," she said as Joo-Hee and Jin-Ho looked down as well.

"What happened?" Soo-Hyun frowned deeply. "What is he talking about?" She asked Jin-Ho who flinched before looking hesitant. "Jin-H-"

"I killed Dong-Suk," Jin-Woo told her with a soft frown as the model's head snapped to him. "And uncle's trying to take the blame for it."

"W-What?!"

"He was Lizarding if you know the term," Gina said with a frown as Yoon-Ho grimaced and Hee-Jin gasped, Mr. Ahn choking on his tongue. "And that's what started this whole mess."

"T-That's…" Cheung looked horrified while Ki-Hoon frowned.

"... Jin-Woo did the right thing," the A-Rank Tank said from the bottom of his heart while his friend looked startled.

"Ki…" The [Player] looked down. "I'm not sure what was the right thing at that time."

"Living is," his friend said. "And I have a feeling all three of you were at stake," the Tank observed as Jin-Ho sighed while Joo-Hee bit her lip and nodded.

"Ideally, we'd never have such situations," Jong-In told the Reawakened man. "But, when it's do or die, that's it. Don't taint that decision by being guilty of saving a life."

Jin-Woo's fists clenched before they went limp and he released a single breath. "Goddammit."

"I know."

~NRK~

The crimson glow within Dong-Su's body raged… Before it reached a lower point than ever before.

Obito's eyes narrowed, his mask's eyes's glaring colors following suit. "Not much longer, huh?" He asked him. "Your stamina, your healing, your upkeep of that armor, it's all gonna be your downfall," Obito said as he walked towards the growling man. "So, let's make it into a coffin, yeah?"

"You son of a bitch!" Dong-Su growled before he charged him as Obito reciprocated.

They reared back and punched at one another in unison.

The blows caused the waters to quake as they were both rebuffed.

Obito's arm bereft of its thread. 'I gotta attack carefully!' He ducked into Dong-Su's guard, dodging his haymaker, before bringing his fist up into his chin.

The blow sent the larger man's head shooting back before Obito sent a fist, and his shoulder, into Dong-Su's diaphragm.

The blow shook him but did little more as the S-Rank threw him to the side, through a series of rocks, and growled at him as Obito flipped back before landing in a crouch.

As the charging man glared at him, Obito scoffed before lifting a hand in his face and pulling at something.

Dong-Su's eyes snapped behind him-

And caught a dropkick to the face that sent him on his back, Obito's foot coming up, around, and down on his chest.

Their little 'arena' rumbled as he did, the Mage's foot sparking as he pressed down on Dong-Su's diaphragm.

Then, the Berserk-user's head snapped up to him.

Obito was sent flying off his feet into a tumble as red energy threw him back, Dong-Su's helmet's eyeholes glowing an unnatural red. "Ya did it NOW, trash," he said ominously as he got to his feet while kipped up, landing in a crouch.

'Is there a sort of FINAL level to his Skill?' Surely there was an end to this madness. "Explain yourself, boy, what the hell are you on about?"

Dong-Su scoffed as more red spilled out before he chuckled. "Dumbass, you thought I was running OUT of steam," he said with a sort of sound that made Obito know he was grinning. "You've got no fucking CLUE about how my Skill works!" Dong-Su reared back a fist.

And alarm bells jolted about Obito's body, the Mage's eyes widening at the sight of the red energy around his opponent following his movements. "Oh, fuck." He'd released a large number of spinning threads that formed a circular shield ahead of him, Cerberus in his hands. "Cerberus," he commanded as his weapons burned. 'Getting away from that fist is gonna be life or death-'

Cerberus glowed, confusing the Uchiha-

Dong-Su's fist shot out.

And destruction followed, a cone of red mana and force that carved apart the ocean all the way towards the fake island's base, rocking its foundation and cracking its earth but…

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!"

~NRK~

Obito grunted as he hit the ground, completely and totally confused. "Ow?" he said, looking up.

At a confused Gina? What the hell?

"H-Honey?" The American-Korean said, confused, as Obito's head tilted before he got up and looked down at Cerberus.

He chuckled as his hands clenched tightly. "THAT'S what they do," Obito said with amusement as he nodded to the others. "These things finally matured," he said as he flicked a finger towards the island. "So, this should work-"

He vanished in a swirling wisp, confusing the group before Jin-Woo's eyes widened and he chuckled.

"The Cerberus Sickles finally matured," he realized, confusing the others. "Uncle's weapons have always had an ability that, sometimes, don"t fully manifest yet," Jin-Woo grinned as all eyes widened. "And Cerberus's Skill likely teleports him wherever he has threads."

~NRK~

Landing on the shores of the island, Obito nodded to himself as he looked out, and down, at Dong-Su's enraged form.

"Done being a dumbass?!" The Uchiha asked.

And was above the red-coated charge that tore apart the island behind him before he landed.

"Guess not," he shot after him. 'I need to get him with a good amount of thread,' his powers were rather 'polite'.

If the person who'd be 'tagged' would accept them, they stayed and could 'shift' in and out of existence. Becoming an unproblematic, nor invasive, addition to their lives.

But if the person was against it, they didn't stay for long. It's why Obito hadn't tagged every person he knew. There was a rule to this thing.

So, as he slammed into Dong-Su's powerful shoulders, he kicked off and slashed at the younger man's back with powerful swings.

Each cut left a carved mark that healed up at an impossible rate before Obito bounced 'down', dodging Dong-Su's backhand swing.

'Thank God for my pants!' He thought, jumping onto the man's limb, entangling it in thread, and then dropkicking his face. 'The utter lack of wind pressure is amazing!' Obito thought as his opponent went flying, the Mage landing on his feet. 'I wonder,' he chased the tumbling Fighter.

Dong-Su growled before he recovered, the man's feet and hands carving into the ground as he came to a stop before his body glowed a vibrant crimson and he released that energy towards the Uchiha.

Obito hissed at his side before clenching one of his sickles.

Dong-Su's eyes widened as he vanished before a kick to his cheek sent him to the ground. "What?!" He pushed up only for a pair of legs to lock around his neck.

Obito held his hand, the pointer and middle fingers up, towards his face with his weapon in hand.

A burst of electrical might fried the man's face as Obito kept sending more surges towards his palm before hissing at his side's flare, attack halting. "Dammit-!" Dong-Su grabbed his side, squeezing on the weak point and getting a wet cough out of him.

He lifted his torso up and swung it down, Obito grimacing as he teleported out of his grip before landing on his back and jumping away.

"Get back here!" Dong-Su gave chase, Obito's eyes narrowing as he punched into a home with Dong-Su right behind him.

"KATSU!"

The house exploded into a dust cloud that had a single black figure shooting out of it before he vanished from view, a quake occurring within the dust cloud before it dispersed to show a pissed S-Rank.

"DAMMIT!"

Obito stood above the building behind the armored man before his eyes closed and his body thrummed.

Thread shot out from all over him at high speeds, nearly blind to the naked eye, and spread all over the island in mass.

'Alright,' he thought, his mask's neon glows burning red as he clenched his sickles. 'That's about it, isn't it?' 15%.

That was all he had left. Thank his lucky stars that Cerberus's ability only requires the same amount of mana as a single thread, its one drawback was needing said thread all around.

"To defeat him," Obito's body thrummed, more circling thread forming around his limbs as even One-Horned Oni's threads began to rotate. "I've got to use everything."

He tipped over the edge before kicking off, destroying his former pedestal like it was brittle tin foil, alerting Dong-Su of his move but it was too late.

His chains vibrated with spiritual power.

~NRK~

The floating being's head tilted in confusion.

At that 'hole' that, painful to work with sometimes, human had made between his soul and that of Cerberus's will.

[Tsk, it's so painfully slow.] He hadn't expected the man to form a sort of 'thinning' process with Cerberus's will. [I can't alter it.] Another worrying prospect.

How had a barrier he put there become unable to be manipulated? Was this human's will so powerful? Why couldn't he alter it?

[Annoying.] That vial of the Demon King's Blood. [Perhaps giving this to him would be a bad idea-]

The vial had floated around him, in his 'domain' so to speak, so it shouldn't have moved, not one bit.

So why had it VANISHED?!

[WHAT?!] His eyes snapped around in horror before a flash of bright red light came from behind him, the winged being mechanically turning around with a face that, if it could, would pale. [No! Why?! What had taken the blood?!]

The red hole that had been that odd portal between the will of Cerberus and Obito Uchiha's soul thickened before… Before it all flashed into a ball of red light that 'locked' into place between the two sides.

It melded them, leaving the winged being horrified.

[... COME BACK!] He ordered the blood, powers surging out to lock around that former portal. [You will NOT disobey me! I made you. I created this connection that never should have existed!] He reached out towards that 'connection' with his full might-

And was rebuffed?!

His eyes widened as he stared at that skeletal being that began to form, its eyeless sockets turning to him with a quaking jaw.

The winged being shot back from that half-formed skeleton with a look of anger. [How dare you?!] He roared at it.

And then the creature's hands slowly came together, its skeletal frame beginning to distort into that of a half-dog-half-demon's own as its power formed a barrier?!

Going slackjawed at this… At this mutationof a human soul, the winged being's mind froze at being disconnected.

His 'permissions' had been forcefully detached!

~NRK~

Dong-Su crossed his arms as that demonic shadow of a man kept attacking him with slashes that nearly reached his skin.

He released a roar of red mana, the sphere of power rebuffing him for a mere second before he vanished, landing on the side of a far-off building.

Dong-Su's eyes snapped around before he found something to throw.

Obito's eyes narrowed as the armored Hunter lifted a broken piece of one of the high-rises, the easily four-storied portion being carried with ease before he tossed it at him.

The Mage shot towards it before brandishing his sickles.

The broken structure was cut into several large pieces just in time for him to find Dong-Su in front of him.

And then the Fighter was squished between two of the large pieces, the Uchiha roundhousing him away.

Watching the man crash into the street a bit away, Obito was lunged at him with his sickles spinning at his sides.

'My sides are killing me,' his body prayed for relief but he pushed on, the pain would be dealt with in time. "Finish it with this!" He roared at the struggling-to-his-feet Dong-Su before vanishing before the man's eyes.

A harsh slash across his left side had the Fighter gritting his teeth.

Another pair formed onto his back in a cross.

Another three hit his right thigh.

More and more, his formerly blurring opponent now moved about like a flash of blue and red light, each cut tossing the Fighter's senses around.

He widened his stances-

A cut to his ankle had him buckling before a blow to his chin revealed his opponent for a breath.

Demonic red eyes peered back at him before it vanished and he was soon assaulted on all sides.

By those demonic phantoms of red and blue that brought the whole charade to a close from afar.

Obito's feet carved into the ground as he shot back farther and farther.

All the way towards one end of the island… Before he ducked low coiled numerous large rotating threads around his body.

"Shinjutsu:-"

He vanished in a shock of blue light.

Dong-Su's body hadn't even been back on his feet before the Mage slammed into him and then took him with him.

They'd hit more buildings than the Fighter could count with his frayed mind, more bits of heavy construction that jumbled his mind in his helmet… But his hands reached out and crushed with impunity.

The thread-cloaked man's mask spat out blood, its shape conforming into a more humanoid helmet before cracking to reveal the Sharingan within that currently sat against black sclera.

"KAMUI!"

The last bit of his strength had Obito sending the man down with all the force he could muster.

The edges of the island cracked before all went silent.

The action, the noise, and the combatants all silent from within that giant cloud of dust on the right side of the island.

~NRK~

Their ship got closer as they looked on with bated breath.

"Come on…" Hae-In said nervously, hands gripping the edge of the boat in worry. "Oppa…"

As the dust and smoke began to clear, they saw two bodies.

One flat on the ground and the other currently within a crater.

"Obito?!" Gina called out gripping the edge of the boat tautly, the wooden cracking beneath her fingers.

"OBITO?!"

~NRK~

He landed on that newly-made port for this whole event.

"Honestly, xué zhǎng," he said with a huff, eyes observing the fight even from here through his body's power, the people around looking at him in sheer disbelief. "You should call more."

He vanished across the waves.

~NRK~

"OBITO?!"

Obito groaned, flat on his back, clothes back to normal, and body bearing a wicked amount of bruises with a pair on his sides damn near ruining his want to get up.

"F-Fuck," he groaned, just wanting to lay down and not get up at the moment. "Ahhh, t-this ranks within the top ten," having his entire body feel like his cells were on fire was certainly new and made him think of being continuously stabbed by Zetsu. "God, my luck is horrible."

He let out a hissing breath before shuddering as he turned his body on its side, the city block-sized crater beside him still hissing as he felt out Dong-Su's energy.

'Shit, that's not good,' he thought, feeling not only his nearly empty energy reserves but then Dong-Su's own still being at 20%. "Four times my amount? That's just not fair," Obito grimaced as he felt the sides of his coat and top. "..."

He sent both into his spatial pocket, leaving him in his pants, boots, and vambraces and allowing him to see that horrid dark purple bruising on his sides that had been bleeding.

"Bastard," he said to that large hand currently pulling a just-as-bruised body out of his damn hole. "Why can't you just stay down?"

Dong-Su hissed out a breath as he landed on his feet before buckling, his form hitting a knee as his own torn-apart form sat before the Uchiha.

The man's numerous bruises, burns, and lacerations were to the Mage's satisfaction but clearly not to his benefit.

After all, the damn man was still standing.

'What can I do?' His mind spun with ideas as his body glowed weakly. 'What do I have left?' His eyes flickered.

His limbs spasmed as he stood up fully, eyes burning red.

'The Sharingan, my body's hurting beyond imagination but it's still able to move,' Obito thought as Dong-Su beat on his knees to stand. 'My magic's still usable but I've only got so much,' he thought before blinking at his spiritual 'tank'. 'It's still half-full,' he realized but what did that mean for him?

Using that damn thing always seemed to leave him weaker than before, draining his soul for energy was just not great.

'I need working energy,' his body creaked. 'A more durable body, at least, for a moment,' Obito hissed out a breath as thread burned as it left his sides.

As Dong-Su got up and looked at him, Obito knew this was going to be a bad time.

He crossed his arms and blocked the man's fist from making contact with his face, so that was great.

Didn't stop his body from flying down the street and bouncing before he hit his back.

"Goddammit," the Mage groaned as he slowly got to his feet again, eyes flickering as they watched Dong-Su approach. "You don't…" His cheeks bulged before he spat out a painfully bad amount of blood. "Fuck me, I'm doing so great."

Dong-Su looked prepared to attack again before his lungs buckled as he slid on his side, the Fighter hissing as he pushed off the ground.

"I-I'm going to…" His body hissed out red vapor, muscles bulging as his Ashvin Gauntlets creaked with his clenched fists. "I'm… Gonna kill you, you bastard!" Dong-Su's legs hissed at him.

Obito knew he had to do something, NOW, before he'd likely lose this fight.

And then his life.

'Dammit, I never did check in on him recently,' his mind told him, eyes growing weak, vision blurry. 'Dammit, last thing I might do, yeah? Gotta at least tell 'em where he is now-' Obito thought as he took a deep breath-

~NRK~

Il-Hwan's heart nearly burst out of his chest at the state Obito was in-

And then his thread twinged. It was weak, it was insignificant, it was so minute that had his entire body not been on high alert, he'd have missed it.

But he hadn't.

He gripped his bicep and massaged it with clenched eyes. "Obito, come on!"

~NRK~

Obito Uchiha's eyes snapped into focus, mind clearing at the sudden, but intense, 'rub' he'd felt from the thread.

"?!" No… No fucking way! "... Hehe, so, he's finally come out," Obito grinned a bloody smile, confusing Dong-Su. "Damn it all, if I just surrendered would you even care?" He shot Dong-Su with a bruised but amused look.

"I'm killing you," the full-Korean told him as Obito's eyes closed and he chuckled.

"Hahaha, of course, right," his body began to thrum.

Il-Hwan had returned.

His bones and muscles ached.

And here he was having the fight of his life to ensure that man's kids could live good healthy lives.

His magic was depleted.

He had a woman to make a wife.

His soul burned.

He had a nephew and niece he had to guide to good futures and, potentially, two happy marriages.

His threads began to wrap around his abdomen.

But he didn't have a lot to work with, Obito knew. His body was battered, his magic skills expensive compared to his current reserves, and his Skills… None of them could-

---

The two blows rang out and cracked the boss's 'flesh', the magic beast squealing as they did before icy towers shot out from the ground and the boss's body towards them.

'That's what the skill does!' They thought in unison,

---

They scaled the boss's body, already reaching the nape-

And then it sank into the ground in a sudden fashion.

"W-What?!" Jin-Woo's eyes widened as they found nothing beneath them, the trio mid-air as the boss vanished.

And a pair of white eyes sprouted from the wall at their side.

---

"Exactly," Obito said. "This and the Terrain Orb Band I wanted to increase their usage to reach their next points."

"Actually, uncle, you've never really used that other one," Jin-Ah said as Joo-Hee nodded. "I mean, does it do what Reika did?"

"In a different manner, well, maybe I'm not good enough yet?" Obito blinked. "Honestly? I don't know. Reika could form ice spires off her body but I can already create my thread anywhere on me. It does give me a range boost of thread, mind you, and the increase in magical power is very useful…" He looked down at his right bicep. "It could sink into its element…"

"Huh, it'd kind of be like me sinking into my Shadows-I just got an idea," Jin-Woo said with a grin. "When this is all over, uncle, I want to get one of these. I think it'll help someone like me a LONG way."

"Sure."

---

Obito's eyes closed. 'Use the spiritual power,' he thought as his foot lifted. "Mix it in, activate, and expand… Use the body as a medium."

A small circle of thread formed beneath the Mage's feet… And then that crawled.

He could turn his magic into thread, this was how it worked, that's how it'd always worked.

Using Terrain allowed him to expand a field of magic and turn that into thread on command.

From his few uses of spiritual power, the manifestation of his soul, Obito had infused things with his soul and/or increased his attack power by imbuing his will into it.

Use. Imbue. Change. These principles were what he needed.

'Just my arms, legs, and sides,' he couldn't take chances and certainly didn't have the energy to do so. 'Come on.'

~NRK~

The winged being watched in utter fascination as that skeleton formed muscles, tendons, and flesh before looking… Oddly familiar

[It's like a mix between Baran, that human, and Cerberus.] He noted darkly. [Tsk, using me and thinking things will end well. We'll see, human, keep feeding off that paltry bit of a Lord, you'll never match up.] He turned and left.

And the manifestation of Obito Uchiha's soul responded to its master's call in measures of power he could barely use.

~NRK~

Il-Hwan's eyes widened at the sight of Obito's body's new red glow. 'The hell is going on with his body?' His own thumped in… Familiarity? "... That's not possible," his eyes widened. "They had said there'd be a Light in Korea but is it reall'y him? That can't be right, They'd said I wasn't connected to them and had to find them so… Obito, what the hell is happening to you?"

~NRK~

"... Isn't his magic light blue?" Kanae frowned as Ryuji's eyes narrowed some more. "Throughout this entire fight, it's been blue so what gives?"

"Perhaps it's a spell?" Kei offered. "Like how Ryuji-sama's attacks are a different color compared to his white spirit energy? Though, for him, it's a specialized phenomenon," he rubbed the back of his head, facial wear shifting as he adjusted it. "But even I can tell that's not normal, even with that explanation."

Akari frowned before blinking in surprise along with the others. "Wait, can he do that stuff right now?" She asked, confused.

At the red energy horn sitting on the Uchiha's forehead.

~NRK~

Jin-Woo's eyes widened at the feeling of the [Demon Tower], Joo-Hee whispering to him and confirming his suspicions.

"D-Did Cerberus have some weird effect on him?" She asked.

"... Yeah," Jin-Woo nodded with his eyes trained solely on Obito. "I think they did something to uncle, something deep," he explained with a soft frown. "I just hope that it's enough to help him."

She nodded.

~NRK~

Obito clenched his right hand, his Wrath Orb Band glowing with a new red light. "I see," the Mage said, voice distorted. "A demon's tone, eh?" He smirked a bit as he faced Dong-Su, the S-Rank given some pause.

At the Uchiha's black sclera, his energy horn, the man's sharp teeth, and then there aura coming off of him.

Was this even a human-?

'He's just changed something worthless,' the Fighter's eyes narrowed as he walked up to the older, but shorter, man before he was standing before him in a similar amount of attire. "..."

His punch coiled his wicked Skill's energy around it before it swung for Obito's face.

And found a punch of similar strength meeting it.

The ground beneath them caved in as Dong-Su's eyes widened before Obito's leg snapped up into his ribs, the bigger man folding around the blow before flying into the side of a broken home, breaking down its wall.

The next moment, the Fighter was throwing broken debris at the 'Mage', the demonic-looking man's narrowing at them as he took a deep breath.

He skidded to a stop behind them, each one of the projectiles cut to pieces.

"Blade Dance," he whispered as Dong-Su's eyes slowly widened before he blurred towards him, fist raised back. "Fire Spear," Obito snapped his finger, his longsword dispelled into thread.

And a spiraling ball of 'fire' sent Dong-Su's body into a bakery and out the other side.

Just in time for Obito's form to appear below him, a pair of thread-made daggers in his hands.

The number of cuts that tore into Dong-Su's chest sent him flying down the street before he barely recovered in time to lock eyes with the soft glare of the 'Mage'.

"I'm going to make you look like the fool you've always been," Obito declared as he slowly formed a long bladed weapon, one that was longer than he. "By beating you with the S-Rank," the Uchiha hissed out as he walked towards the sweating Dong-Su who steeled his nerves before rushing him.

"Bullshit!" The full Korean growled as he reared back. "You can't-"

"Full Demon Form."

Dong-Su's eyes shrunk as Obito resheated the odachi right in front of his eyes.

"Tsuki-Rin."

The building behind him was cut all the way down the middle, the Fighter's right arm gone.

The area went silent as the 'Mage' released the threaded weapon into the ether before forming two more.

A pair of large one-sided daos that crossed at his hips.

~NRK~

Il-Hwan's eyes looked at this… 'Form' in confusion.

"There's no way… He can't be a Monarch," the man said in horror before he grimaced and shook his head. "No! I refuse to believe it! There'd be no point to what he's currently been doing if he had been one! I… I need to talk with him," he said to himself. "The Rulers hadn't said anything about this."

~NRK~

Kanae's eyes shrunk not just at the display of S-Rank Skills, NO.

She'd looked on in horror at Ryuji's Skills being used by a man NOT NAMED 'Ryuji Goto'!

The others wheezed, choked, or paled at the sight while Ryuji's form had gone stock-still before bloodlust rampaged about the area and weighed down on the area around him.

So, basically, the entire floor nearly shattered from his anger and demon-like rage.

"E-Easy, Ryuji!" Kanae tried to assuage him. "Seriously, stop, we'll all fall to the first floor!" She shouted.

The pressure dropped but it left behind a wicked aura that threatened to kill any who came close.

"I'm going to kill him," Ryuji Goto, the strongest S-Rank in all of Japan, declared with a murderer's bloodlust. "And NO ONE can stop me."

~NRK~

Jin-Woo's eyes stared down at this display his uncle had put on. 'Copy movements down to their most miniscule,' that's right, the man had told him but… How had he copied Jong-In's FIRE? "This is crazy," he said, mind trying to understand before Jong-In's head tilt gained his attention. "You got something?"

"I… Hyung has never been able to copy my flames before," the redhead said, Hae-In's face scrunching up in confusion.

"Actually… W-Wouldn't he have gotten to fire by this point? I-I mean, yeah, static electricity but with how fast some of those threads can rub together, wouldn't fire have appeared by now?" The female S-Rank Fighter asked.

"That's just another odd facet of his powers…" Jong-In cupped his chin. "His normal threads simply don't create friction but 'they can rub' is the best way to put it… Did he figure out how to change that?"

Seeing how the man had abused it? He had to assume so.

Then he saw the man's next choice of weapons after Jin-Woo's-

"How in the world?"

Thomas Andre's own eyes widened at the sight of those familiar weapons. "... He knows that one, eh?" He scoffed before hearing chuckling from the side of the ship.

"Of course, he knows me-Whoops!" The man who'd arrived on their ship chuckled sheepishly as he sat on the edge. "Right, Korean, I need to be more careful of that," he said with an amused expression as all eyes went to him.

"... You know my uncle, don't you?" Jin-Ah asked, sweatdropping at the man who'd arrived. "My God, shuushuu, you know this guy and you don't tell people?!"

"He is my 'xué zhǎng', after all, he's good at being disciplined," the new arrival said. "Ah, sorry, 'childhood friend' is how you say it," he grinned.

"WHAT?!" The whole group choked.

~NRK~

"How?!" Dong-Su grimaced as his arm returned with his gauntlet, his fingers twitching as Obito stood to his full height. "How-?!"

"Moshen." (Demon God)

The 'Mage' slowly resheathed his weapons as Dong-Su stumbled on his feet, arms hitting the ground at his sides.

Dispelling the dual great daos, Obito stood in front of the already-growing-stumps Dong-Su, the S-Rank gritting his teeth as his body trembled, his brow filled with throbbing veins, and his pupils dilated.

"You had so many chances," Obito stressed. "You're an S-Rank, on top of the world, and yet you chose to be nothing but a two-bit thug who can't do anything more than beat his head against a wall," his eyelids lowered. "You're a disappointment to both your country and yourself."

He was already under his guard, the S-Rank's pincering arms dodged without effort.

'So I'm gonna teach you to NEVER do this again.'

A dual-fist blow sent the bigger man skidding back before he found the Uchiha in his face one more time.

"Demon Leg."

The kicks that followed tore apart the Fighter's defenses, burnt his skin, and hammered him with blows that went beyond the speed of sound.

Obito stomped his offending leg down, shattering the street as he stepped in for one last hit.

Right arm reared back, a flickering red energy formed over it like a throbbing distortion.

And it swung true, the attack slamming into the center of Dong-Su's chest.

"Kamui."

He twisted his hand.

The building behind the Fighter 'twisted', a sort of impossible 'mirage' that caused it to bend, before it was torn apart by spatial energy that carved through the Fighter's body.

Obito let out a slow, relieved, breath as he removed his hand from Dong-Su's sternum, a familiar symbol scarred into his skin.

"You'll never forget this day," he told him as his features returned to normal, the only thing 'left behind' as a hint being a new wicked crown-like mark sitting at the center of his forehead and his own Kamui emblem sitting above his heart on his chest. "Fuck you, Dong-Su," Obito spat as the Fighter's eyes rolled back into his head before he began to fall. "And stay the fuck out of my country."

The man hit the ground with a heavy 'THUMP' and a crumble of broken stone as Obito let out a groan before looking down at his hand.

He clenched it into a fist before raising it high.

The air filled with roars and cheers the world over, the Mage groaning as he stumbled before falling backward-

"Got you," a pair of voices said as they caught his arms, the Uchiha's eyes closed as he whined.

"I am NOT okay right now."

He went limp and Jin-Woo sighed in relief before looking at the newcomer he couldn't help but feel still shocked by.

~NRK~

"That's it," Kanae said with a hand running through her hair, mouth set in a frown. "He's beaten Dong-Su," she stated.

'Stated' because it was now a fact.

A 'C-Rank', even if they didn't believe that anymore the slightest bit, had beaten an S-Rank.

Ken shot the quiet Ryuji a look before rubbing the back of his head. "Back to the drawing board, I guess," he muttered as Akari nodded with a similarly-worried look thrown their leader's way.

Kei kept observing the TV with a curious expression.

What would happen now?

~NRK~

Il-Hwan hit his knees in relief, eyes closed as he wore a big grin. "Thank the Rulers, he made it out," he said with a large sigh before his eyes opened and he observed the news. "... Wait, he knows a 'what' Hunter? National-Level?"

~NRK~

Obito groaned as he awoke. "Who the hell hit me?" He hissed as he held his forehead before finding a pair of hands holding his kindly. "... Did I win?" The Uchiha asked, eyes creaking open to reveal a relieved Gina, Jin-Woo, a nearly in-tears Jin-Ah, Jong-In, and another- "... Dì di, what are you doing here? I'm more surprised you didn't show up earlier than you being here now."

Allowing the Mage to sit up, the man found a nodding Yoon-Ho, smiling Gun-Hee, and curious Thomas standing around.

"... So, I'm assuming I did win."

There were cheers around him as Jin-Woo chuckled, Jin-Ho raised his batons, and Soo-Hyun's head tilted in disbelief.

"You… A-Actually beat an S-Rank," she said, jaw dropping. "T-The strongest Korean S-Rank?!" Soo-Hyun wheezed.

"See, noona?!" The Yoo-Jin heir said happily, looking over the moon.

"Y-Yeah, well… I've got nothing, you were right 100%."

Hee-Jin, Mr. Ahn, and Song-Yi gawked at the newcomer who'd pat Obito's back with a friendly chuckle.

"Obito? Honey?" Gina asked kindly. "How the hell do you know LIU ZHIGANG?"

Obito looked sheepish. "I've told you all, I'm sure at one point, that I had a childhood friend," he admitted as Hae-In's jaw dropped while Jong-In's glasses shined in confusion.

"Um, what?" The redhead asked as the newcomer, Liu Zhigang, grinned as he stood up and saluted the group while Thomas raised a brow at him.

"Liu Zhigang, at your service," he bowed with a handsome smile. "The Strongest Fighter-Class in the world and Asia's National-Ranked Hunter."

Jin-Woo observed this man and grinned nervously at the sheer power coming off of him. 'He's just like Thomas,' he thought.

Liu Zhigang was a tall Chinese man with a well-muscled build all behind an open red changshan with rolled-up sleeves that revealed a scarred chest, a pair of black pants, brown sandals, and a pair of crossed great dao swords that sported one-sided bladed edges and ring-like pommels.

Having fair skin, a handsome face, dark yellow eyes, and long smooth black hair tied into a slightly fluffy ponytail with a few random strands coming down over his forehead.

"Xue zhang, you're quite the curious man in the news these days."

"I blame an idiot and protective instincts," Obito said as he nodded to Gun-Hee. "Alright, let me get up, there's like a very big song and dance to this," he added as the old man smiled knowingly.

Allowing him to do so, Obito walked up to the Chairman with crossed arms and a shrug. "I hope you didn't mind me rearranging a couple of his organs," the Uchiha said to Thomas who hummed before shrugging.

"Can't tell him he didn't ask for it," the blonde man said. "And ya won, can't blame ya for feelin' it."

"I'm just glad this is over," he said as his younger friend grinned. "Don't cause any trouble… You just ran here, didn't you?"

"Would you believe how many customs to have me go through?"

"That answers that question. I'm sure I can find a hotel you'll be happy with."

"Nice," Liu smiled before nudging Obito a bit as he winked at the amused-looking Gina. "Also, very nice."

"Mind your eyes," Obito said as his companion grinned. "He's gonna be a guest, apologies," he offered the chuckling Gun-Hee his nod.

"Yes, many are already prepared to offer you invites as we speak," the old man smiled. "Now, I'm sure this has been quite the turn-around for all of us," Gun-Hee said to a camera crew who'd arrived with hurried steps before they took picture after picture of the group. "But the result is clear, the winner of this battle is as such."

The screens all around cut down Dong-Su's info card and pushed Obito's to the front.

"Our winner is the Mage from the Hunters Guild," he smiled.

The applause hit another crescendo as Jin-Woo chuckled.

"It's how it is, shuushuu," he said to the suddenly nervous Obito.

"I'd have worried about how we'd get home-Actually, there's something I'd like to ask of you, Thomas Andre," Obito began before his eyes widened and he turned to the curious American. "Can you get me a trip to America? As soon as possible?" He smirked as Jin-Ah tilted her head. "I have someone I need to pick up," he chuckled.

The Sung siblings' eyes snapped to him as Obito chuckled.

"Your father has returned," he told them before the others in the know gawked at his nod. "He tugged on the thread near the end there, really gave me a kick in the ass to keep going," Obito said simply as he focused back on the confused Thomas.

The large man hummed, opening his mouth to say something before his phone rang.

"What the hell?" He picked it up. "One moment-" He'd prepared to answer it.

And got earful over the line. -GET THE WINNER AND BRING HIM HERE, WE GOT A WEIRD SITUATION HE MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN!-

"Ow," the National-Ranked Hunter whined. "What are you on about?" He asked, on speaker.

-We… There's a man who came out of a Gate recently, his name's… Is Sung Il-Hwan and he seems to recognize that man-

Obito's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. "Sir? You're right, I do know that man," he said as the Sung siblings looked excited. "I'm his brother-in-law."

-... WHAT?!- The man over the line stumbled. -S-Sir, um, I'll return him immediately-

"Wow, that went remarkably well," Jong-In said, eternally amused. "Still," he turned to the nodding Gun-Hee. "I don't suppose you have one on you?"

"I was prepared for the best outcome," Gun-Hee said as the screens about made a change in Obito's info card.

A 'C' turned into an 'S'.

The people got loud once more as Obito accepted an ID card with his name, face, and new Rank on it.

"S-Rank, that's a new one," Obito chuckled as Jin-Ah and Song-Yi cheered.

"You did it, shuushuu!"

"Yes, I suppose I did."

~NRK~

After getting healed by both Joo-Hee and Jin-Ah, Obito and the others sat within the Hunters field, the S-Rank Mage nodding to the last of his new fans within their guild.

"So, like, what does this actually change, noona?" Song-Yi asked as Jin-Ah looked at Obito's card with interest, head tilting every which way as she and Jin-Woo observed it.

"It's really about opportunities," Hae-In explained as Hee-Jin spoke at length with Gina. "That, oppa's, most likely, upcoming contract with the Hunters Association," she continued as Gina raised a brow at that as Liu Zhigang hummed.

"It's bound to be a decent paycheck, I can never really find much time for those," the Strongest Asian Hunter said with a sheepish chuckle. "So, well, I invested in my own gym and school."

"He teaches a powerful Liu-made martial art," Obito explained to the curious group. "He's actually respected beyond more than just his Hunter status despite his age."

"Wait, I thought you two were childhood friends?" Cheung asked.

"We are but I'm ten years younger than him," Liu explained. "Xue zhang spent a lot of time in the same neighborhood as me and was a teacher for a lot of us when he was fifteen," he chuckled. "He'd been my first-ever teacher outside of my family's personal one."

"Wait, you're also from a rich family?"

"Essentially. Nowadays, that's assured, my bloodline has been practitioners of multiple martial arts for ten generations. It's said I'm tangentially related to Lu Bu even if it's only by a very loose bloodline."

"Hmm," Gina tilted her head in thought only to jump a bit as Obito rested beside her, her cheeks coloring at his fingers drumming around her waist. "H-Hey," she told him.

"Hey," he said back, his haori thrown over his shoulders on its own. "... Dammit, Gina, I'm glad this is all over with," Obito said to her with a whisper, eyes flickering about.

Gina blushed at a kiss to her cheek that filled her with 'energy' she hadn't expected, the A-Rank Mage blushing some more. "T-That's surprising, I always thought it'd be me who'd spring this on you," she muttered as he wore a knowing look. "... Tonight, alright?"

"Yeah, sounds great."

"What does?~" Liu asked slyly before finding himself upside-down by a hanging thread. "That doesn't make me wrong!"

"Hush, you're too nosy for your own good."

~NRK Out~