The port town of Sherde was a modest coastal settlement that benefited greatly from trade routes running through to larger cities across the world. The constant flow of boats provided plenty of work for those living in the town proper, and these workers in turn provided demand for goods and services, thus growing Sherde from a makeshift stop in voyages to a popular rest stop for captains.

Usually there were a handful of boats docked in the harbor for maintenance before they could sail further into the seas. But, for a short time in early January, the town was packed with visitors without fail. The visitors were not tourists, as the temperature of the town was mild at best due to ocean winds. They were ambitious people, traveling from across the continent to reach little Sherde, not for the town itself, but for the harbor. Of course, such an event inevitably gave way for an increase in theft, vandalism, assault, and a slew of other petty crimes as travelers marked each other as easy pickings, though local businesses appreciated the increased revenue too much to turn people away.

These visitors would funnel onto boats, one after another. In some cases, boats would threaten to sink due to the large number of passengers before sailing over the horizon. The ambition and will of the visitors carried them here and would be needed to carry them still long after the ships reached their true destination. After all, these brave souls were seeking to be no ordinary people. They were on their journeys to become Hunters.

Despite the influx of people, there were still a few places in Sherde that were quiet. One such place was a small bar, hidden from the view of ships in an alley. This bar served the local workers, providing strong drink at fair prices, though the place was quite cramped at times, not to mention the uncomfortable stools. Of course, while most patrons were locals, the occasional sailor or tourist would wander in, usually lost. And of course, most people aren't day drinking. So, while the sun was nearing its peak, and the prospective Hunters awaited their boarding call, this bar had but one customer.

He was large. He would easily dwarf most sailors in height, and, if any did happen to be taller, this man would be stronger, judging by frame. He sat at the bar, leaning heavily on it. A small electric fan was pointed at him as he absentmindedly chewed on the ice from his glass. His dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail with just barely enough length to be securely tied. He looked over at the bartender, a comparatively skinny man, and said, "Is it always hot here?"

The bartender let out a small laugh. "Apparently so. Haven't met another guy before now that could just walk around outside in the middle of winter with barely anything on." He wasn't lying. The patron appeared to be wearing nothing but a thin pair of pants, held up by leather suspenders. A similarly thin shirt was laid on top of a bag at his feet. Notably, attached to the suspenders were multiple leather sheathes running down his chest, each with a blade's hilt sticking out the ends. "Don't see too many guys armed to the teeth, either."

"Armed to the… teeth? I do not understand."

"Huh?" The bartender was caught off guard. "Uh, it's an expression. You've got a bunch of knives strapped to your chest."

"Ah. I see. I apologize, for I am not yet used to your language."

"My language? This is what most people speak, right? Where are you even from?"

The patron's eyes, already a dark brown, darkened a little further at the question. "I am from a place far from here. Much colder than here. It is… was, my home."

The bartender's gaze drifted to the floor behind the bar. "Oh. I, uh, didn't mean to pry. Er, I mean I didn't mean to remind you of painful memories."

"I am alright. The past cannot hurt us, and so we are still alive," The patron nodded.

"…Right. Well, why's a guy like you coming through town? I'm guessing you're here to go to the Hunter Exam, yeah?"

"Hm," the patron straightened his posture, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "I do not think that is the case. I have not heard of such a thing before. Why must hunters be tested in an exam? I do not understand."

"Okay," the bartender said with a sigh, looking the patron over. Is this guy for real? What rock did he grow up under, anyway? I thought most countries used the same language nowadays, not to mention everyone knows what a Hunter is. Hell, aren't like 60 of the richest people in the world Hunters? And to top it all off, with a body like that, this guy'd probably pass with flying colors! "So, I guess the best way to describe a Hunter is that they are the most powerful members of society. Would-be Hunters need to pass the Hunter Exam to be licensed, which proves to the world that they are the strongest. Does that make sense?"

"That is interesting. I did not think that hunters would be so highly regarded outside of my homeland. You say that the Hunter Exam proves the strength of those who pass it, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. That sums it up."

"How do I take this Exam, then?" The patron asked, lightly slapping a hand against the bar.

"As for that, well…" The bartender trailed off for a moment in thought. "You'll need to get on one of the boats at the harbor. They'll take you to where the Exam is held. I'd think that from there, you'd just have to follow the crowd to figure out the rest."

"Ah, good! Then I will be going," The patron said as he stood after grabbing his shirt, already beginning to shift off his suspenders to put the shirt on underneath them.

"Woah, woah, wait," the bartender said, trying to keep his voice level as he leaned on the bar. The patron stopped to look at him. "The Hunter Exam is super dangerous. Like, most-people-die dangerous. Are you sure you want to just hop in like that? No preparation at all?"

This gave the patron pause. He thought it over for a few seconds before replying, "Yes. This Hunter Exam you speak of is something I must complete. If it is dangerous, then I must be stronger than it." His voice had a hint of matter-of-factness as he continued. "If I die, then that means I am not strong. And if I am not strong, then I have no hope. I thank you for your advice." With that, the patron had slung the bag that had been at his feet across his back and walked out the door.

"Uh, yeah…" the bartender called after the patron, but the larger of the two was already out of earshot. I never even got his name. Damnit. The bartender looked across his now empty establishment and sighed. Still, he probably isn't even the weirdest guy to roll though here this year.

/\/\/\

The former patron walked down the narrow street towards the harbor, the ocean winds cutting through the thin clothes he was wearing. He didn't mind, though. It reminded him of his home, a place that felt so far away, so unreachable now. But despite this, he saw the light of hope once again. The Hunter Exam provided him with a way to prove his strength to the world, and his homeland was a part of the world. That would have to do, at least for now.

The wind pulled his shirt tight across his chest, its faded blue color perhaps resembling a clear sky at one point, but continuous use wore out the color, now resembling a hazy morning sky. His pants and shoes were in a similar situation, too. The legs of his pants, a shade of gray matching the cobbled streets he walked down, were beginning to fray at the hems, while his shoes were nearly sandals with all the holes worn through them. The only piece of clothing in good repair were the suspenders he wore: the leather was clearly of a higher quality than the cloth used for the shirt underneath or the pants they held up.

He approached the end of the street, which opened out into a clear view of the ocean. Looking, he spotted the masts of about a dozen boats closer to the center of town, as well as what appeared to be a person running down the road towards him, though they appeared to still be some distance away. Raising an eyebrow, the former patron walked towards the harbor. As he walked, he started to make out two more people running towards him as well. Judging by the distant yelling accompanying the two, he figured that they were chasing the first person, who was clearly much smaller than they were. As he grew closer, he recognized that the first was a child, who clearly held something in one of his hands.

Theft. A crime that became commonplace in Sherde because of the temporary boost in population. The criminals themselves were also typically travelers, following the groups of hopeful Hunters like vultures. Nonetheless, the victims of such crimes are far from forgiving on average, regardless of who stole from them. Case in point: Two grown men chasing a child down the street, the men hollering countless threats as they did so.

And so, when the child reached the former patron, the latter was surprised when the child, whose head barely reached the former patron's shoulders, quickly ducked around him and clung to the back of his shirt. Both stopped as the men caught up.

"Hey, you! Outta our way! Gotta skin that little shit!" The man on the left said, brandishing a machete. The second nodded before bending over to catch his breath.

The former patron looked behind him at the child. Looking closer, he could tell that the child was a boy, and a malnourished one at that. His light brown hair was unkempt, though shorter than the former patron's. The boy's face was caked with dirt, and his red t-shirt hung loosely off his thin frame. The boy, with one hand gripping his improvised protector's shirt, took a small bite of what he had apparently stolen. A piece of dried meat. A common ration for travelers and prospective Hunters alike, it seemed. The former patron looked back at the two men. "You wish to kill this boy. Why? What harm has he done to you?"

The second man straightened out, still breathing heavily. "He stole from us… you blind!?"

"This boy has stolen but one piece of food."

"Yeah, and he's gotta learn the hard way to not do that!" The first man yelled, taking a step forward.

"Are you men… here to take the Hunter Exam?" The former patron asked hesitantly.

The first man stopped. "Yeah. What about it?"

The former patron exhaled hard. "You, who claim to be strong, would kill a child for a single crime? You are not strong, only pretenders."

"Huh? You wanna die, too!?"

"Do you not understand? The two of you are foolish for pursuing this boy. Your own anger has hidden the true path from your eyes."

"Say something that makes sense for once, why don'tcha!" The first man spat before turning to his friend, who had stuck his hands in his pockets and tried to strike an intimidating pose. "Let's just kill 'em both and be done with this. We've got a boat to catch." The first man then began closing the distance between himself and his target, machete held high above his head. The former patron calmly and softly pushed the boy back with an open hand, widening his stance as he reached toward his thighs.

The boy watched, frozen in place, as the former patron pulled two identical knives, eight inches in length, from their sheathes on his legs. The knives were single bladed, with the cutting edge not tapering to a point until just before the tip, at which the blade quickly curved to meet the blunt edge, which was entirely straight. The knives lacked a cross guard of any kind, which the boy assumed helped keep the blades tight against the body when sheathed for easier concealment.

The first of the boy's pursuers had reached the former patron, bringing down the machete in hand with a grunt. But as the blade swung, the former patron raised an arm to meet it. The sound of metal scraping against metal followed as blade met blade. Using the flat edge of the knife, the former patron guided his attacker's own blade to swing harmlessly through air. He leaned forward, raising his other hand. In the blink of an eye, the former patron had turned the tables completely, now pointing his other knife inches from the man's neck.

"You are no hunter. You who would hurt the innocent deserve no such title," The former patron said, his voice growing firm.

"H-hey, man, I was just kidding! I wasn't really gonna kill that kid! Right?" The first man managed to squeak out, gesturing to the other man, who was attempting to subtly remove the brass knuckles that he had slipped onto his fingers.

"Yeah, we were just having some fun! Let him go, wouldja?" he asked, raising his now empty hands to surrender. The former patron lowered his arms, allowing for the first man to quickly backpedal, still loosely holding the machete.

"Leave here."

"Yeah! Sure! Let's get outta here! Forget the Hunter Exam!" The first man practically screamed as he shakily sheathed his machete and ran past the former patron and boy, the second man quickly following behind after managing a quick "thanks, man."

The former patron sighed, relaxing his shoulders and sheathing his own blades. After looking over his shoulder to ensure that the attackers wouldn't be returning, he turned to face the boy, tilting his head down due to the height difference. Both stood silently for a few seconds before one of them finally spoke.

"T-thanks," The boy said as his pale green eyes looked down at the cobbled street, still shaking. Another second passed before he tilted his head back up to ask, "Hey, what's your name?"

"My name? Why do you need to know such a thing?"

"Oh," the boy said with a hint of disappointment, "I was just wondering, is all. You saved me, so I guess I ought to know your name, at least."

"That is a fair reason," the former patron replied as he looked at the boy before him. "My name is Tenulan."

"Ten… ool… ahn? Okay, I can remember a name like that," the boy muttered to himself, carefully pronouncing the name a few times. "Oh, it's only fair then you know my name, right?"

"I am not sure. Is that a common practice in this place?" Tenulan asked, furrowing his brow. "Perhaps it would be best. Tell me then, boy. What is your name?"

"I'm Orin," the boy replied. He met Tenulan's gaze before quickly looking to the side. Tenulan continued to size up Orin, lost in thought. The seconds crawled by as Orin started to wonder if he could head back to the harbor. Those two guys' stuff should still be there… They wouldn't mind anymore if I took a bit more, right? As he took a small step towards the harbor, Tenulan placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Orin. I have a question to ask of you," Tenulan said as the boy looked at the hand resting on his shoulder. "Will you come with me?"

"What? Where?"

"I am going to take the Hunter Exam. You are but a boy. A place like this is no place for you. It is too dangerous. So, in order to keep you safe, we will take the Hunter Exam together."

"Are you crazy? I could never pass that! I'm nowhere near strong enough."

"I will help you."

"Why?"

Tenulan removed his hand from Orin's shoulder. He closed his eyes, tilting his head up to the sky. Huh? Orin thought. What's up with this guy? Yet another few seconds passed before Tenulan opened his eyes again, turning away from the boy and towards the harbor. "I cannot tell you why I will help you. I only ask that you follow me."

Tenulan began walking. What? A few feet now stood between the two. Do I go? If I could get a license, I'd be set for life! Ten feet. But there's just no way I could pass the Hunter Exam… Orin still hadn't moved. His thoughts grew jumbled. The Hunter Exam was a death sentence for someone like him, and yet…

Twenty feet. Argh, I'll never get a chance like this again! Orin started running. But I'm done for! Fifteen feet. Why? Why? Why? Ten feet, rapidly decreasing. To hell with it! "Tenulan! If you want me to go with you, at least wait up!"

/\/\/\

Tenulan's own thoughts were similarly mixed. I know that I must protect this boy, and yet… Memories of his past kept disrupting his train of thought. Why must I be the one? Am I, who has been exiled from his people, deserving of such redemption? He had almost reached the harbor, with Orin following now closely behind. He does not need to know the sins of my past. He does not need to know that my decision is a selfish one. Tenulan stopped in place as Orin moved next to him. The two had reached the harbor.

It was quite a sight. The few docks that stuck out to the water were packed with people. While such an issue rarely, if ever, occurred during a normal day in Sherde, the allure of the Hunter Exam brought far too many people to stand shoulder to shoulder, waiting to board the boats docked there. Judging by the tension in the air, that time would be arriving soon.

"Do you know which boat the Hunter Exam is on?" Tenulan asked after giving each ship a once over.

"The Exam isn't on the boats, Tenulan. These just take people to where it really starts," Orin replied.

"Ah. I see."

As if on cue, the gangplanks of the ships dropped onto the docks. A distant voice, likely originating from one of the ships, called out, "Applicants for the Hunter Exam, climb aboard! Anchors aweigh in five minutes!"

Five minutes? Tenulan watched as the crowds of applicants began to push each other to get onto the boats. The short time limit had forced them to run up the gangplanks, a few slipping on the wood as they climbed.

"That's weird," Orin said, tilting his head to the side as he watched. "Five minutes is nowhere near enough time for everyone to get on board. And look." Tenulan did as he was told, eyes following the direction the boy was pointing. Orin continued, "There's no railing on those planks."

"Is that important?"

"Yeah, well, at least most ships have railings there to stop people from falling into the water." Orin was right: a few applicants had indeed slipped and fell into the sea below, now desperately trying to find a way back to dry land to no avail. "We'd better get on one of those now," Orin stated the obvious as Tenulan nodded. He grabbed the boy's hand abruptly.

"Then hold on. I will clear the path," Tenulan said as he started running to the closest boat. Nearly dragging Orin along, Tenulan bumped and shoved his way to the dock. The applicants he passed yelled various insults, though he paid them no mind. Only the strong can pass this so-called Hunter Exam. These men seem no better than the two who would have killed Orin. Upon reaching the gangplank, though, he was met with a new problem.

While the gangplanks of the other ships were simply lacking in any railings, the ship Tenulan had chosen to board had a different gangplank to say the least. The board was only wide enough for one person at a time, which was normal as far as gangplanks go, but was at such a steep incline that applicants were quite literally climbing it to reach the deck of the ship. The smooth wood of the gangplank didn't help matters either. Applicants were almost constantly slipping down as they struggled to climb, while some other applicants had opted to knock those above them off the gangplank entirely. In all, the mere ten feet that stood between Tenulan and the ship seemed insurmountable.

Tenulan looked across the side of the ship. Its wooden hull was similarly smooth, and the railing across the deck appeared thick and sturdy, though simple. But that didn't help Tenulan get onboard.

"Hey, Tenulan. I've got an idea," Orin whispered as he tapped Tenulan on the arm. "Can you lift me up? I think I can reach the railing up there." Tenulan pulled himself and Orin to the side, out of the way of the applicants still trying to claw their way onto the ship before picking the boy up. Oh, he is quite light. Toeing the edge of the dock, Tenulan tried to get Orin as close as possible to the railing above.

After brushing the edge a few times, Orin managed to get a grip on the railing. With another boost from Tenulan, he managed to pull himself over and onto the boat. He quickly turned around and stuck an arm through a gap in the railing. "Okay, now grab on."

"Two minutes, applicants!" The voice from earlier called out again. Tenulan looked at Orin's hand. It was much smaller than his own, and for a moment, Tenulan wondered if the boy would be able to pull him up at all. No time to waste.

With a short hop, Tenulan's hand met Orin's. The boy grunted, bracing himself above on the railing. Despite the effort, the best he could manage was to hold Tenulan at one height, unable to muster the strength to pull any harder. For a moment, Tenulan hung in the air, just above the dock. The hull is too smooth to grab… Tenulan thought as his free arm swung back and forth. It brushed against a familiar shape on his thigh. Ah, but with this…

Tenulan drew one of his knives, the metal gleaming in the sun. With a grunt of his own, he reached up and plunged the blade into the side of the ship. Another grunt, and Tenulan began rising higher, but he found himself still too short to grab a hold of the railing.

"One minute!"

Thinking quickly, Tenulan let go of Orin's hand. As Orin gasped from exhaustion and surprise, Tenulan quickly pulled a second knife that was sheathed across his chest and pushed it hard into the wood of the ship. Now, he was able to close the remaining distance, adding only two more gashes to the ship's hull as he did so. As he crested the railing, the voice from before called out one last time, "Alright! Time's up! Next stop: Dolle Harbor!" With that, the gangplanks were all pulled back from the docks with a few applicants managing to hold tight. Those who had not been so lucky had suddenly been abandoned by the ships. They had failed the Hunter Exam before it had even begun.

Tenulan sat on the deck of the ship, carefully brushing the splinters of wood off his knives. Orin sat next to him, pulling his knees to his head. "I'm sorry, Tenulan."

"What for?"

"I couldn't pull you up," Orin said, his voice beginning to shake. "I thought I could, but I'm just not strong enough."

"It is alright. I would not have reached this ship if you had not helped me."

"Really?" Orin sniffled.

"Yes. I would have slipped off that plank of wood that the other applicants fell from," Tenulan replied as he returned his blades to their sheathes. This boy… he is not strong like I am, but his mind has the ability to find solutions that I cannot. He chuckled lightly. He almost reminds me of… hmm. Tenulan looked over at Orin, who had taken to scanning the other applicants that had managed to climb aboard as their ship began to move. Another memory jumped into Tenulan's mind. I hope Orin does not become such a person. I cannot bear such a thing.

Tenulan tried to push the thought away. For now, I must focus. He joined Orin in sizing up the other applicants. While most of those at the harbor were little more than common thugs, those who managed to scrape their way onto this ship were of at least a slightly higher caliber. Most had their weapons displayed prominently on their person, not too much unlike Tenulan's own knives. The other applicants differed in other ways, though.

A wide variety of people were on board the ship, each with their own scars telling their stories. Each applicant had clearly seen their fair share of trouble to get to this point, and each eyed the other warily. It was clear that many of the applicants thought the rest of the people on board were enemies, not to be trusted.

"I think I get it now," Orin suddenly said, shifting to rest his head in his hands. His voice had become stable again. It seemed to Tenulan that Orin was able to distract himself from his feeling of guilt from just a couple of minutes earlier.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Tenulan asked, looking back at the boy.

"I think I know why we only had five minutes to get onto a boat," Orin began. "This boat will take us to Dolle Harbor, which isn't where the Exam is, but it's pretty close. There were a ton of people at the harbor just now, and there are plenty of other ships that will stop at Dolle Harbor from other places around the world. So, there's gotta be thousands of applicants. Tens of thousands, or maybe even millions. But the Hunter Association can't possibly test everyone."

"The Hunter Association? What is that?"

"Oh, they run the Exam, which is really to see who can join them, so all Hunters are a part of the Hunter Association. Anyway, they have to somehow get rid of the people who wouldn't pass, so they must work with the ship captains to cut down the number of applicants."

"I see. Then, if this Dolle Harbor is not where the Hunter Exam is, there must be further tests to get rid of applicants," Tenulan replied. I had not thought of such a process. Perhaps these Hunters are quite different from the hunters of my homeland. Orin nodded as a man walked up to the pair.

He was an older man, with graying hair and a thick beard. Based on his clothing, this man must have been the ship's captain. "And who're you two? You boys aren't on my passenger list," he said, his voice rough.

Orin spoke up first. "We're here to take the Hunter Exam… sir."

"Applicants, eh? Alright, sure, fine. You got on board, might as well. How's about you two come with me?" the captain asked, though his voice belied his words. Tenulan and Orin stood up and followed the captain across the deck of the ship and through a few doors to end up in what must have been the helm of the ship.

"Now, you two want to be applicants, right?"

"Right," Tenulan and Orin replied.

"Well, I'll let you, but you'll have to fill these out first," The captain said as he looked around in various drawers before saying, "Ah! Here they are." The captain laid two sheets of paper on a table. "These are your applications. Fill these out, and I'll send them to the Association once we reach Dolle Harbor."

"Is such a thing allowed?" Tenulan asked.

"Well, I don't see why not. I've already disqualified a hundred or so applicants, so adding two more won't change much," The captain replied as the other two filled out the forms. At least, Orin did. Tenulan stood at the table, staring blankly at his application. He held a pen, clearly confused. He watched Orin fill his own application out, trying to figure out what to do.

"What's wrong, sonny? Can't write your own name?" the captain asked Tenulan.

"I…" Tenulan started. "I have never needed to do such a thing. I am sorry."

"Well, you're quite the character, aren't you. Alright, fine. I'll do it for you," The captain sighed as he stood next to Tenulan and took the pen. "Now. What's your name?"

"Tenulan."

"Tenulan, what?"

Silence.

"Your last name, sonny. What is it?"

"I do not understand. I have only one name."

"Yeah, but your last name. Your family name. Whatever. Anything?"

"Ah. I do not have such a name anymore," Tenulan replied. I am no longer deserving of such titles, after all…

Meanwhile, Orin had finished his application for the Hunter Exam, an act he had never dreamed of doing. The boy watched as the captain wrote down Tenulan's information. After a few seconds, the captain gave up on getting a last name from Tenulan and decided to leave that field blank. Luckily, the rest was relatively easy to fill out.

And with that, Tenulan and Orin were officially applicants in the 287th Hunter Exam. Tenulan looked out the window to the deck of the ship. I will not waste this chance. I must prove that I am strong enough.

Orin joined his newfound companion and looked at the other applicants. He thought to himself, I hope I was right to take this chance. Hey, who knows? Maybe some of Tenulan's strength will rub off on me? I mean, I'll need something like that to happen to pass the Hunter Exam. I'm not strong enough otherwise.


Hi, it's Glaive, the author! Thanks for reading!

This is my first fanfic that I'm posting anywhere (and probably only to be honest, lol)

In the future, I'm planning to also upload this to Ao3 but I'm on the wait list right now.

I'm not planning on NOT uploading future chapters here, though :)

Oh, and since this'll probably happen in the future: This fic isn't dead until I say it is, even if there's a multi-year break between uploads. I'm just doing my best Togashi impression if/when that happens :)

"See you next time!" - Dolce Kamiya, Yakuza 0