Hunter X Hunter - Reviewers Rage

"Hmrgh…" Togiri mumbled as he lay sprawled on the bed, his limbs extending in a lazy, satisfying stretch.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, a small, peaceful smile graced his face as he woke up.

The moment was surreal, and for a second, he lay still, almost afraid to fully wake up, as if the nightmares might be lying in wait, ready to snatch away the rare peace he'd stumbled into.

But there was only silence. He could still feel a lingering warmth, a comforting stillness that had shielded him through the night.

It was a quiet he hadn't felt since he'd been thrown into this world, an unfamiliar relief settling into his bones.

'This was the first night without any nightmares,' he realized, almost breathless at the thought.

'I wonder… was all that killing enough to satisfy my subconscious? Is this my reward for pushing through?'

Slowly, Togiri sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of rest settling into his muscles.

He glanced at the clock. He'd slept for over twelve hours—twice the amount of rest he was used to.

The realization startled him, leaving him with a strange mix of disbelief and wonder.

'Twelve hours…'

He took a deep breath, savoring the weightlessness in his mind, the absence of any lingering dread, fatigue subconscious mental burden he was used to carrying.

His body felt stronger, sharper. He felt… alive.

Fighting back the urge to drift back into bed and let the feeling linger, he refocused and opened his system interface to check his status and skills.

Status:

Title: Man of Justice (locked)

Name: Togiri

Age: 13

Strength: 45.53

Agility: 44.52

Vitality: 48.32

Aura: 130,890

Body Cultivation: Third Layer of Bone Refining (Peak Stage)

Skills:

Nen (entry-level)

Mastery:

Ten 43%, Ren 30%, Ken 27%, Zetsu 38%Gyo 22%, In 11%, En 19%, Shu 28%Ryu 22%, Ko 13%, Hatsu 14%

Nen Ability:

Phantom Pages (Entry-Level)

Phantom Book (Entry-Level)

Max Pages: 10 white / 1 light blue

Phantom Warrior: 1.84 / 2.2 (STR, AGI, VIT)

Actual Combat Power: ★★★ (3)

Combat Power: ★★★★ (4)

As he scanned his skills, Togiri noted a slight improvement in his Nen mastery levels. A smirk tugged at his lips.

"A few of my Nen masteries went up by a percent or two. My combat power stayed the same. But… what is this?" His gaze sharpened as he noticed something unfamiliar in his status.

"Man of Justice?" He said outloud. @Master, yesterday you unlocked the title function of the system. You still need to pay one hundred thousand Existence Points to fully unlock it.@

Togiri scoffed, rolling his eyes. "This damn system always finds a way to charge me for things usually protagonists in novels get for free," he muttered.

A system panel appeared befor him with a single sentence [Unlock title function for 100 000 EP □Yes / □No]. Still grumbling, he reluctantly agreed, "Fine."

He tapped the confirmation button, watching as the title unlocked. Then, his eyes drifted to the corner of his system display, and his jaw dropped.

Existence Points (EP): 14,897,740

Shop Points (SP): 42,340

Reviewer Points (RP): 0

"Fourteen million Existence Points? Forty-two thousand Shop Points? I'm… I'm rich!" A rush of exhilaration flooded through him.

His heart beat faster as a triumphant grin broke out on his face. Yesterday's brutal struggle suddenly felt worth it.

'All that pain and exhaustion… it was all worth it.' He spent a few moments basking in his good fortune, before redirecting his focus.

Now, the real challenge was deciding how to use his newfound wealth. But first, he checked his title's effects.

Title: Man of Justice (5% SP increase when killing evil entities)

Name: Togiri

Age: 13

Strength: 45.53

Agility: 44.52

Vitality: 48.32

Aura: 130,890

Body Cultivation: Third Layer of Bone Refining (Peak Stage)

A dark, almost unsettling smile curled his lips. It was as if the system was encouraging him to keep killing.

"Seems like the system wants me to keep clearing out the trash," he muttered, his voice cold.

"But first, let's break through to the fourth layer of Bone Refining." Togiri's touched shoulder where yesterdays first sniper bullet hit him.

"When I first learned Nen by myself I thought training to have my Ten up all the time was a good thing, but slowing my bodys aging when I haven't matured physically is just dumb." Togiri closed his eyes.

He thought back to yesterdays moment when he was hit by the sniper shot. Although he reacted when the gun was fired, but he wasn't skilled enough to use Nen

Togiri discovered a few secrets about Nen. His bodys abilities and Nen grew with wach other. That made a lot of sense since Killua a 13 year old boy could push a gate weighing 64 tons open.

A young boy having the strength to produce 64 000 kg or 141 096 pounds of force. Nen held endless potential and Togiri hoped one day he would reach the level where his Phantom Warriors could cover the world.

He scrolled through the shop, searching for his usual body-tempering pill, when he noticed a new option listed beside it.

[Bone Refining Pill - 800 SP]

"Seven, did the shop get updated too? Like the system itself?" he asked, settling down on the edge of his bed, still absorbing the morning's revelations.

@Yes. The system takes a small portion of all the Existence Points you gain to strengthen itself over time. It does the same with Shop Points and Reviewer Points.@

This unexpected answer took Togiri aback. He'd assumed that system upgrades would require direct investment, not an automatic siphon of his earnings.

"Interesting…" he muttered, his mind whirring. "Seven, you can't directly tell me what Existence Points are, but you can confirm my theories about how to gain them. But what about Reviewer Points? What are those?"

A long silence followed. Togiri waited, his brow furrowing, wondering if he'd pushed too far. Then, Seven's voice came through, almost cryptic in its tone.

@Reviewer Points will make you the best Reviewer.@ Togiri's confusion only deepened. "Best Reviewer? What does that mean, Seven?

How does becoming the best Reviewer make me the strongest? I don't know if that was my wish when I first created the system and you, but shouldn't the system always adapt and evolve?"

There was another pause, followed by a bizarre static that twisted through his mind. It was like hearing fragments of a foreign language, broken and warped.

@...¥{£}°○•●♤◇◇£,■■■...@

A chill ran down Togiri's spine as he listened to the unintelligible sounds, and he felt an unsettling weight creeping over him. He shivered, the warmth of his rare, peaceful morning slipping away.

Togiri's head sank, his shoulders slumping as disappointment washed over him. But in an instant, his eyes lit up with a renewed spark, excitement flickering across his face.

"The system once said that this world didn't meet the conditions to start the tutorial and unlock the true Reviewer System," he thought, a grin forming.

"Back then, it cost just a million EP… but now I have more than fourteen million points and rising. Seven, unlock the tutorial!"

A system window blinked into existence before him, its message crushing his enthusiasm in an instant:

[The world doesn't meet its conditions. 100 billion EP required to unlock the tutorial. Unlocking the Hero, Legend, and Villain options requires 1 billion EP]

Rage boiled up in Togiri's chest. He clenched his fist and swung it furiously at the system window, only for his hand to pass through the translucent panel, meeting nothing but air.

"What the hell is this bullshit?!" he shouted, his voice trembling with anger. "It used to cost one million—now it's a hundred billion? And what even is this Hero and Legend stuff? Seven answer!"

His outburst echoed through the thin walls of the inn, drawing angry responses from his neighbors.

"Hey, kid, shut up!" one person yelled. Another voice chimed in, "You're not the only one here, brat!" And then, a more menacing growl, "Somebody get that kid under control, or I'll do it myself!"

Togiri gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. Killing intent flickered inside him, but they were just civilians.

He dismissed the system window and let his frustration simmer down, breathing deeply to keep from lashing out.

'Whatever these options are', he reasoned, 'they must be worth it. Just creating my Hatsu and sacrificing my strength from five years of training made me twenty times stronger in less than half a year.

There are approximately five billion humans on this planet. It's less than my earth, but I should be able to unlock those functions before the tournament'.

Resolving to keep moving forward, he retrieved a stack of thick steaks from his inventory and started devouring them quickly to fuel his recovery.

Then he sat cross-legged on his bed, a small, white pill in his hand. He could practically see the raw vitality radiating off it, pulsing with energy.

With a steely resolve, he swallowed the pill. 'I hope those 800 SP are worth it,' he thought, bracing himself.

Whoosh

Almost immediately, a deep, intense sensation coursed through his body. It was both familiar and profoundly stronger than anything he'd felt before.

His bones felt as if they were being struck by an invisible hammer, each blow sending a wave of energy rippling through him.

His skeleton cracked under the strain, each fracture quickly mended by the pill's healing power, only to be struck again.

The cycle of breaking and healing repeated over and over, pain and growth entwined in a relentless rhythm.

The process stretched on, an excruciating thirty minutes that left Togiri drenched in sweat. But as the pain finally ebbed, he opened his eyes, a newfound strength humming through his veins.

"The effect… it's a hundred times stronger than before," he murmured, his voice filled with awe.

"My cultivation speed increased by dozens of times." With anticipation, he opened his Status screen, eager to see the results.

Status:

Title: Man of Justice (5% increase when killing evil entities)

Name: Togiri

Age: 13

Strength: 49.75

Agility: 49.73

Vitality: 52.12

Aura: 135,410

Body Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Bone Refining (Late Stage)

A smirk crossed his face as he took in the numbers. 'I broke through the fourth layer all the way to the late stage.'

He clenched his fist, feeling the amplified power thrumming in his bones. 'Tonight, when darkness falls, the hunt for Points will begin again. This time, as a completely different person.'

-----------

The city descended into shadows as night claimed its streets.

Yesterday, Togiri had eliminated nearly 1,500 gang members, but tonight he would ensure no remnants remained in this city.

His presence stretched across districts and beyond, whispered in alleys and splashed across the front pages. The headlines blared: [The Blue Demon Strikes Again!]

Some speculated his resurgence was tied to the upcoming tournament in Momo City. With each headline, the Blue Demon's fame grew—and so did Togiri's own. Now he had a temporary but powerful income of Existence Points.

Standing atop a towering rooftop, Togiri surveyed the cityscape below and checked his Points and Status once again.

Status:

Title: Man of Justice (5% increase when killing evil entities)

Name: Togiri

Age: 13

Strength: 79.99

Agility: 79.99

Vitality: 84.99

Aura: 169,990

Body Cultivation: Ninth Layer of Bone Refining (Peak Stage)

Existence Points (EP): 19,003,991

Shop Points (SP): 1,000

Reviewer Points (RP): 0

All his stats had skyrocketed by over 30 points, making him wonder if sniper shots would leave even a scratch on his skin without Nen. Yet he hadn't had the chance to test this newfound strength.

Using 40,000 Shop Points, he'd consumed 50 Bone Refining pills, bringing his body cultivation to its peak of the Bone Refining realm.

However, breaking beyond this level demanded more than sheer points—it required focused preparation and time, luxuries his limited talent made unavoidable.

But that was fine. Togiri had a plan. He'd accumulated Existence Points deliberately, intending to save them for maximum impact just before the Shura no Kōrin.

His idea was to push his Nen mastery through survival encounters, edging himself forward bit by bit since his training yielded no progress.

He had already advanced by one or two percent in various Nen techniques just from last night's battles.

It was clear that his training encounters with Hisoka's avatar, intense as they were, couldn't match the real-life stakes he'd faced with Yotsuba, leader of Red Fang.

Despite Togiri's improved physical power, yet even so, the gap between Togiri and Hisoka was still vast.

While Togiri's physical power slightly outpaced Hisoka's, he was still behind in Nen, combat experience, and senses.

He knew Hisoka's true strength had to be at least five stars. In every way, he was Togiri's opposite—a natural genius in both combat and Nen.

'With every advancement in my body cultivation, I not only gain more Aura units, but it's as if my talent itself sharpens, bit by bit.'

There were layers of mystery—not just about the system, but within himself. 'This is… interesting,' he thought, a slight smile spreading under his mask.

His heart as The Reviewer was still alive. Togiri's wasn't a genius or very smart, but he saw through even exceptional twists of authors long before further Information was revealed.

It didn't matter if a new character of sudden relative was introduced Togiri seldom was wrong, but he couldn't figure out four things.

First, why did a higher being such as the false gods who watch him even get interested in him in the first place? He felt like he knew the answer, but couldn't remember it.

Second, the system itsself. It's tutorial function and purpose to make him the best Reviewer.

Third, he didn't believe Fang's older brother Kastriot, just randomly wiped out cities. What was the destruction of the world he talked about. Was it Togiri himself, but he would never do that.

He isn't like Gon, even if his new family died, he wouldn't lose his mind since in his memories he lost millions if not billions.

Fourth, how did Fang resurrect? Togiri thought deeply about this topic. A possibility was that Fang imagined his death, but Hisoka reaction to seeing him was utter shock.

He didn't resurrect himself like Hisoka. Togiri didn't fully read or follow the manga of Hunter x Hunter. He only knew up to the point when they entered the ship towards the dark continent.

Fang's resurrection was instantaneous it was almost a day later. Togiri's theory about that was that there may be kind gods and transcendental beings.

Having met only the huge mountain of a person that looked like Zeus gave him too little information regarding transcendental life forms.

The power to controll the soul, life and death, planets and time meant that Togiri stood no chance against them in the first place.

Togiri looked bitterly over the peaceful city and the many people living their ordinary lifes of talking, eating and drinking in the middle of the night.

@Baka-goshujin, half an hour has passed. It's time@ (baka-godhujin means stupid master. Master as in owner)

--------

In this world, there are six continents, over 250 countries, and countless islands left untouched and unexplored by humankind.

Somewhere on the outskirts of a certain city, a cloaked figure stood opposite a massive crowd—two thousand men and women, all armed to the teeth.

The weapons ranged from firearms to swords, daggers, metallic baseball bats, and steel chains, each weapon reflecting the rough lives of those who wielded them.

Ten leaders stood at the front of the crowd, facing the Blue Demon from afar. As each of them lit a cigarette, the faint glow illuminated their faces against the night, casting them in a sinister light.

The Blue Demon stood silently, watching as they sized him up, his gaze drifting over the crowd as a readout appeared before him.

2071 NA (non-awakened): ☆ (half a star)

27 Nen users:

16 Unknown ★

7 Leaders: ★☆

3 Leaders: ★★

1 Unknown: ★★★

'Someone here, not even a leader, has a combat power of three stars. Interesting...' Togiri thought as he took in the ranks of his opponents.

@Ugh, I hate these standoffs. Why can't you just start?@ Seven complained, clearly impatient.

'The moment they lower their guard, it's over,' Togiri replied, his confidence unwavering.

A young boy, around sixteen, pushed his way through the crowd, causing murmurs and annoyed glances.

With his refined senses, Togiri could make out every muttered insult, every scuffle in the crowd as they made way for the boy.

He observed as the boy, dressed in ragged clothes and bearing slightly tanned skin with raven-black hair and striking white eyes, handed a megaphone to the eldest leader.

The boy's face had a natural allure, rivaling even Fang's charm that often drew stares from strangers.

The oldest leader, a man in his sixties but with a sharp vitality about him, punched the boy on the shoulder as he accepted the megaphone. Then he raised it, his voice booming across the field.

"Blue Demon! You lured us here by pretending to be the leader of the Red Fang, imitating his voice perfectly. But did you think I was stupid enough to fall for that?"

Togiri smirked beneath his mask. The Disguise Pill allowed him to change not only his appearance but also his voice.

"You think my plan was just to call and pretend to be Yotsuba? No, my plan was counting on your low intelligence, and you delivered spectacularly. Did you or did not gather everyone to kill me? Thanks for that" The Blue Demon began clapping, the sound echoing across the tense silence, dripping with mockery.

A few leaders furiously broke the ciggarates they were smoking. The Blue Demon's mockery continued "Why would I waste time luring out just one gang when I could get an idiot to do the heavy lifting for me?"

Togiri's voice rang out in a low tone slightly hiding his young age, but every word was deliberate and taunting.

The eldest leader's jaw clenched in anger, his hand gripping the megaphone until his knuckles turned white.

The other leaders exchanged uneasy glances, their suspicion turning on the elder who had gathered them.

"But, hey! I didn't expect you to actually gather every gang syndicate leader here too. I thought one or two at most. You had more influence than I thought. You've saved me days of work." Togiri's mocking tone only grew more confident as he finished.

The elder almost crushed the megaphone in his fury, but he forced himself to stay composed.

Taking a long drag from his cigarette, he puffed out his chest and shouted, "You really think you can face the Ponpongi Alliance and survive? We're over two thousand strong! The legend of the Blue Demon ends tonight!"

"....."

"Keke...kekekeke...HahahahaHAHAHAHA!" His laughter built until it filled the night, sinister and wild, causing even the hardened criminals before him to shudder.

He let the laughter hang in the air before taunting further. "Do I think I'll live? Hahaha!"

The leaders, visibly shaken by his laughter, took a step back, though they tried to mask their fear.

The eldest leader that summoned his enemies took a blow, his pride was stinging. He moved to the back of a nearby black van. He opened the trunk and pulled out an RPG launcher.

"I won't be humiliated! I am Tazoki, leader of the Tazoki Syndicate!" With a swift motion, he aimed and fired the RPG directly at Togiri.

As the rocket soared toward him, Togiri's eyes narrowed. "Shit!" he cursed. @Idiot! Haha@ Seven snickered.

BOOM

A massive dust cloud rose from the impact, obscuring Togiri from sight. The criminals relaxed slightly, most laughing and mocking Togiri by mimicking how he said "shit" just before the explosion.

Laughter rippled through the crowd, but the gang leaders remained tense, their eyes fixed on the dust cloud.

*A few minutes later*

As the dust began to settle, silence fell as the Blue Demon emerged, standing unharmed in the same spot.

'These fools just cost me 9,000 Existence Points,' Togiri thought, scowling. 'Hey, Seven! Isn't this unfair? Why does the price spike so much just because I've gotten a little stronger?'

@Sigh~ The stronger your body becomes, the higher the cost of Existence Heal. Unlike other Nen users whose strength is tied to their aura, your physical body alone can handle attacks most non Nen attacks. Even when your aura's depleted, you don't just pass out like you used to,@ Seven replied.

'Stamina is tied to Aura units and Aura Units is life energy emitted by living beings. This system keeps twisting logic in new ways,' Togiri mused, half-lost in thought before remembering the crowd before him.

"Oh, right. Since I've gotten even stronger, I got a bit too relaxed around these weaklings." He took a deep breath and then yelled, "KIWI!" "...."

"Huh? Kiwi?" The criminals exchanged confused looks. And then, one by one, gasps and screams began to rise from the crowd.

"Behind! Turn around!" someone shouted.

Bang Bang Slash

Weapons clashed and gunfire erupted, a futile attempt against the eerie forces they faced, as useless as being stranded on an island with a pet rock.

Togiri watched the crowd of criminals scatter, with ghostly white versions of the Blue Demon pursuing them.

The Phantom Warriors's bodies and katanas were stained red, giving the spectral figures a strange, almost beautiful contrast against the dark night.

Skills:

Nen (entry-level)

Mastery:

Ten 43%, Ren 30%, Ken 27%, Zetsu 38%

Gyo 22%, In 11%, En 19%, Shu 28%

Ryu 22%, Ko 13%, Hatsu 20%

Nen Ability:

Phantom Pages (Entry-Level)

Phantom Book (Entry-Level)

Max Pages: 32

Phantom Warrior:

White: 4.20 / 1 hour, 22 minutes

Light Blue: 5.02 / 1 hour, 6 minutes

'I spent a million Existence Points to increase my Hatsu by 6 percent. Now the Phantom Warriors are finally useful,' Togiri thought, satisfied.

His Nen ability, once his greatest weakness, was beginning to reveal its strengths. With the book now capable of holding 32 Phantom Pages and each percent increase extending the Phantom Warriors' time limit by ten minutes, his Nen arsenal was finally becoming effective.

Bullets passed harmlessly through the Phantom Warriors. Standard gunfire couldn't disrupt their constructs, but when several gang members teamed up, they managed to bring down a Warrior.

Without an automatic weapon to pepper them with bullets, blunt weapons and sheer numbers were more effective against these paper constructs.

'These Phantom Warriors work great against weaker enemies, but for these leaders, I'll have to step in myself, I hope those 32 Phantom Warriors are enough to buy me enough time to deal with the leaders ' Togiri thought, cracking his neck and charging forward.

"Tazoki! He's coming! The Blue Demon is coming!" one of the ten leaders shouted in panic as Togiri approached.

Tazoki, the leader of the alliance, drew two revolvers. The red Nen of Tazoki flared up and most of his Aura was concentrated at his hands and Togiri noticed that obvious behaviour.

'So that's why the RPG tore me up earlier. His Hatsu strengthens firearms,' Togiri noted as his orange Nen flared, casting a fiery glow across the battlefield.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his daggers from his holsters. He gripped his daggers tightly dashed forward and took down two leaders before they even had a chance to use their Nen abilities.

Bang Bang

Tazoki fired his revolvers, one bullet missing while the other tore through Togiri's left arm leaving a finger sized hole.

'If I'd hesitated for a second, I'd be dead. He's too dangerous—I have to take him out first,' Togiri thought, feeling his now-useless left arm throbbing with pain. Still, he surged forward with his right arm.

But before he could close the distance, Tazoki fired three more rounds, all hitting Togiri in the torso.

"Not so funny now, huh, Blue Demon?" Tazoki sneered, a twisted grin on his face as he held the cigarette clenched between his teeth.

Despite his injuries, Togiri didn't waste any time and jumped towards his next enemy snd took down another leader, sneering he said, "You think you're actually strong?"

The remaining five leaders and Tazoki rallied, some panicked, others looking to Tazoki, their self-declared leader, for direction.

In a swift motion, Togiri hurled his Nen-infused dagger at Tazoki, but another leader holding a large shield intercepted it.

'Great, one of them's defense, the other offense. Just my luck,' Togiri thought, frustrated. 'I poured everything into Shu for the dagger to kill Tazoki, and even though my mastery's low, it should have cut through steel like butter.'

He felt blood dripping from his wounds onto the ground, and as he momentarily glanced at his inventory, he was ensnared by a whip.

The Blue Demon's arms and legs were bound tightly, but his eyes still held a fierce intensity as they locked onto the leader holding him captive.

"Do you know what I did yesterday to a woman who tried to bind me with a whip?" Togiri taunted. Before waiting for an answer, he flared his Ken, attempting to break free, but nothing happened.

'Damn it! This whip is sealing my Aura Nodes and forcing me into Zetsu. Seven, heal my left arm. I'll need raw strength to break this thing, but I can't even put pressure into my arm with this injury.'

@1000 Existence Points deducted@ 'Your basic healing is pathetic, Seven. If only it were better, I wouldn't have to keep wasting points,' Togiri grumbled as he felt the wound in his arm begin to close and blood replenish in his body.

The time it took for Togiri to get ensnared and him healing his arm took a mere second. Since the battle started by Togiri yelling Kiwi not even a minute passed.

"Aaahhhh!" the Blue Demon roared, mustering all his strength. "Now! Finish him!" Tazoki commanded, emptying his revolver into Togiri.

As one leader maintained his focus on the whip, the remaining three lunged forward, punching, slashing, stabbing or throwing at Togiri with conjured weapons.

Tazoki, along with the leaders wielding the shield and whip, were clearly the ones with two-star combat power, while the rest, only skilled in the basics of Nen, held one and a half stars at best.

While Togiri's mask deflected most of the headshots, he endured the remaining blows, his body absorbing the punishment.

Yet despite Tazoki's relentless firing, Togiri's wounds healed almost as fast as he sustained them. Meanwhile, Tazoki was the one gasping for air, each shot draining him significantly.

As he faltered, Togiri remained standing, seemingly invincible, while the remaining leaders, out of stamina, could only look on in horror.

Only the shield leader remained the same, having held back from the assault, because of his defensive ability.

The others had attacked relentlessly for five minutes—a duration that might have seemed brief, but to them, drained of energy and reduced to less than half of their total Aura Units, it was a lifetime.

"Finished? Boring," the Blue Demon muttered as he effortlessly broke free from the whip restraining his arms and legs.

With an almost casual flick, he threw three punches, each one landing like a miniature explosion. The three weaker leaders' bodies burst apart, showering the ground in blood and flesh.

He turned to the whip leader, seizing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground, his smaller figure defying the sheer weight of the older, heavyset man who now dangled helplessly.

"How does it feel to be powerless? Your Hatsu is born out of your desires. I bet you are a sick pervert that binds women or kids to rape them " Togiri asked coldly, savoring the panic flooding the man's wide eyes.

Desperate, Tazoki hastily conjured bullets with Nen and aimed at Togiri, firing off a rapid series of shots.

Togiri quickly raised the whip leader as a human shield, letting the bullets tear through his body before casting him aside.

"Not the smartest move, emptying your barrels before finishing me off," Togiri remarked with a smirk, his tone mocking.

Togiri closed the gap between him and Tazoki, who was already pulling the pin on a grenade. 'No! I am faster!' Togiri swung at Tazoki. Just as Togiri's fist was about to connect with his target's head, he heard a sound—Click

Tazoki's lips twisted in a grim smile.

'When I saw that RPG couldn't kill you, I accepted my death. But I've got one last gift for you,' Tazoki thought.

BOOOOOOOMMM!

The grenade detonated in a blast imbued with Nen, the explosion's force magnified twentyfold.

Both fighters were thrown back, their forms hurled through the air as shrapnel and flames engulfed the scene.

The explosion drew the attention of all the remaining hundreds of gang members still fighting against the Phantom Warriors.

A scene of war spread engulfed the outskirts of this city. Over a thousand bodies littered the ground and scattered clusters of gang members fought the remaining four Phantom Warriors.

Men, woman it didn't matter, everyone was struggling to survive against the Blue Demon. The reality of dying hit the ones that underestimate the Blue Demon the most.

None of the surviving people would ever question again or make anymore jokes about a teenager calling himself a demon.

The last leader, the shield leader was shaken but alive. He rushed to Tazoki's side. He recoiled as he neared the charred remains, the horrific sight and the sickening smell making him gag.

"God, why did you create such an evil being?" He meant the Blue Demon as he saw the nighmare invoking person before his feet.

Only a blackened skeleton with fragments of burnt flesh remained; even Tazoki's weapons had melted to charred lumps.

The leader looked away, his eyes scanning the battlefield in horror. The men who remained—barely a four hundred—were equally stunned.

Nine leaders lay dead at the hands of the Blue Demon, while over one thousand gang members had been annihilated by his white phantom copies dyed red in blood.

Among the survivors, a young boy of around fourteen with a smaller build than others, ran toward the remains of his leader, seemingly untouched by the carnage surrounding him.

Crack... crack... thud

In the distance, the sickening sound of bones snapping back into place echoed across the silent battlefield.

"Argh! Huff...Huff. Shit! Argh!" Slowly he stood up. He was a walking corpse and horro show. Ranging from flesh, hair, eyes and bones, everything was exposed and charred beyong recognition.

His appearance and every slight movement struck deep, deep instinctual fear into every person present.

Togiri stood up, his burned skin cracking and shifting as he forced himself upright.

The cloak and mask of the Blue Demon had been obliterated, leaving his true form exposed.

The surviving shield leader, the teenager, and the remaining men looked on, faces pale as they took in the Blue Demon's true appearance—a young boy.

He was barely thirteen, standing amidst the smoldering wreckage of battle. Togiri's hair and eyebrows were singed off, and his skin was grotesquely burned.

His arms, legs, even his spine seemed broken, twisted at unnatural angles. With an unsettling calm, he began to straighten his limbs, forcing his shattered body back into alignment.

"AAAARRGGGHHH!!"

He let out a piercing, guttural scream as his disfigured form slowly began to heal.

"Existence Heal, existence heal" he whispered, his voice laced with a grim satisfaction as his wounds closed, his blackened skin regaining its natural color.

His hair and brows returned as his disfigured face transformed back into the young, unscarred face of a boy.

The crowd stared, dumbfounded, as he stood before them, utterly naked yet unmoving, his mind focused inward.

A single thought appeared simultaneously across all mind witnessing the Blue Demon's resurrection — DEMON!

@Stupid Master, I truly don't know how you survived that shit. The system even your heart stopped for a few seconds. A single nano second later and you would have died since your brain was missing a good chunck.@

Togiri fully healed clenched his hands. He like often ignored Seven. 'I broke through. Why... just why now?' he wondered, feeling a strange tranquility settle over him.

Togiri realized his breakthrough had occurred due to the explosion's violent destruction of his body, rather than through the usage of pills.

The process of breaking and mending had tempered him, making his foundation more resilient than ever.

His muscles felt denser, his skin tougher, as if he had finally stepped closer to something beyond mere strength.

'Maybe body cultivation isn't just a quick path to power,' he mused, his thoughts turning ambitious. He envisioned an immortal form—one like in the legends, capable of flying on swords and leveling mountains with a single strike.

A thrill surged through him at the thought. Was this path the start of something far greater? Then, unbidden, his mind flashed to the immense, shadowy being that had transported him to this world.

A crack appeared in the dam holding back his anger, and a wave of raw hatred surged forth.

His teeth clenched, fists tightening as he let his anger simmer, quietly feeding his resolve.

But his thoughts were interrupted. 'Status.'

Status:

Title: Man of Justice (5% increase when killing evil entities)

Name: Togiri

Age: 13

Strength: 82.00

Agility: 82.00

Vitality: 86.00

Aura: 170,120

Body Cultivation: First Layer of Meridian Refining (entry level)

'My strength and agility both broke through 79.99 and increased by two points. Vitality only went up by one, and my Aura just a few hundred… but my senses and control over Nen feel sharper. What's behind that?' Togiri wondered, savoring the subtle growth.

Each new insight, each increase in mastery, brought him closer to his goal of ultimate power.

"Excuse me?" The quiet voice snapped Togiri from his thoughts. He turned to find the source: Tatejima, the leader who had somehow survived the night's bloody purge.

Togiri's gaze narrowed, truly seeing Tatejima for the first time. The man looked surprisingly ordinary, like someone you'd pass on the street without a second glance.

His mid-40s appearance, graying hair at the temples, and wire-framed glasses gave him a fatherly, even gentle look.

A slight belly stretched his button-up shirt, and his slacks and polished shoes added to the image of an unassuming man, one you might expect to find at a desk, not a battlefield.

He looked ordinary in every regard, yet Tatejima wore a large, round shield on his back—a curious contrast to his gentle demeanor.

'If this wasn't a battlefield, I would've mistaken him for someone's dad, a regular office worker… but…' Togiri's gaze flickered upward, his keen senses honing in on a number hovering over the man's head: 2151.

The value was staggering, equivalent to what he'd earn from eliminating over a two hundred gangsters. There was no chance he'd let Tatejima just walk away.

With a casual smirk, Togiri proposed, "How about giving me the boy next to you? Then I might consider letting you go."

Tatejima's face tightened for a moment and he broke out in cold sweat, but he spoke steadily, "Sorry, can't do. This kid follows me out of their own free will."

Togiri's eyes fell on the young boy standing beside Tatejima, taking in every detail: the raven-black hair, the faint tan that hinted at a life spent outdoors, and those striking white eyes that stood out against his slight tanned skin.

The boy's features were sharp and well-defined, with an almost effortless charm. He exuded a calmness that was both unsettling and intriguing, as though he'd already seen more than his years should allow.

'Interesting,' Togiri thought, his gaze piercing into the boy's unblinking eyes. Here was someone who had potential, a diamond hidden in the rough of street gangs.

'I see that this boy doesn't have much blood at his hands, but he saw his fair share of battles. He would make a great addition to the first squad' As Togiri took a few steps closer, the crowd tensed, weapons raised and bodies poised, ready for a fight.

Blades gleamed, batons were clutched tighter, and Tatejima raised his shield in a fraction, all eyes fixed warily on the young boy.

Stopping five meters before the group, Togiri softened his expression, offering a sincere, almost child-like smile that contrasted with his earlier deadly gaze.

He looked at the teenager in the hoodie that stood still next to Tatejima. "What do you think?" he asked, his tone unusually warm. "Do you want to join me? I'll train you, feed you… even give you enough wealth to start a new life, should you choose to walk away later or enough power to crush everyone in your way."

He kept his gaze fixed on the boy, his dark and endless abyss like eyes meeting the boy's white ones with intensity.

Togiri knew he was selling a promise of power, of transformation—and from the look in the boy's eyes, he knew that promise struck a chord. The countless books Togiri read made him a novice master in many fields, psychology was one of them.

The tanned boy hesitated, teeth digging into his lower lip. His eyes finally met Togiri's with a spark of resolve, though his voice was quiet, almost cautious. "I accept… but only if you spare Tatejima."

"...."Togiri's smile faded, a glint of irritation flashing in his eyes. His false sense of comfort he provided dissapeared and real his cold face devoid of emotion appeared.

"...Sure," he said, his voice cool. In a heartbeat, he vanished, reappearing among the crowd of gang members. With swift, deadly precision, he dispatched each of them, his blows landing in rapid succession, felling every last one within moments.

'Seven, give me three Time Bombs Version 1' The hooded boy saw three bowling balls appear from thin air and the Blue Demon threw each in quick succession to the many crowds of gangsters.

BOOM

All three detonated at the same time and the surving 400 gang members all died. 'Since the time dilation of the inventory is 100 to 1, I can put bombs close to exploding inside the inventory and take it out when needed.

They aren't as strong as Tazoki's granate, but if used some more expensive materials I could replicate maybe 70 percent of his strength'

Seven sneered @His granate rivaled a missle. I don't want to imagine if he wasn't a gangster but a martial artist solely delicated to training. His could have rivaled Zeno. There a lot more talented people out there then we thought, stupid Master@

Togiri continued his slaughter. When he finished, Togiri stood amid a field of bodies, his breath calm and steady.

The metallic scent of blood and gunpowder lingered in the air, mixing with the silence left behind after the screams had ceased.

Hundreds of corpses lay at his feet, a testament to the merciless efficiency with which he'd worked. He felt no remorse, no hesitation. This was his life. This was what the Blue Demon lived for.

Each death brought him a cold satisfaction, a fleeting but intense release from the emptiness that gnawed at his soul. In the thrill of the hunt, in the chaos of battle, he could finally let go.

The darker parts of him, the parts he hid even from himself, thrived in this brutal landscape.

As his gaze swept over the bodies, that emptiness began to creep back in, filling the void left behind by the violence.

His dark eyes found Tatejima, the lone survivor among the corpses, and the boy who stood beside him, eerily calm amidst the carnage.

Breaking the silence, Togiri spoke. "Come on. Let's go," he ordered, his voice low and authoritative. He turned his gaze on Tatejima, his expression darkening.

"Oh, and Tatejima—if you reveal my identity to anyone, I'll make you regret it. Death, in my eyes, is still mercy." Tatejima's face paled, a shiver of fear breaking through his composed exterior as he nodded silently, his gaze averted.

Togiri's words were a promise, one he knew the older man would not take lightly.

Turning his back, Togiri walked away, his thoughts already shifting to the future, but he was interrupted.

"That won't be a problem," said the figure standing close to him— The teen was nearly a head taller than him, though there was something delicate, almost understated, in their presence.

"Why?" Togiri asked, his words laced with suspicion. He stilled as his jaw went slack; the person beside him was channeling an incredible amount of aura into their index finger.

They began tracing a complex symbol in the air with deliberate, practiced movements.

Minutes ticked by, the symbol slowly forming and pulsing faintly as it floated above the teen's hand.

When complete, they pressed it with their finger as if it was a soap bubble guiding it toward Tatejima, who still stood in a daze, struggling to make sense of his survival.

"Leader," the teen's voice softened. "This symbol will erase your memory of today. Live well. Thank you… for everything." Their tone carried a rare warmth, a hint of vulnerability that even Togiri, sharp-eyed as he was, hadn't expected.

Tatejima's eyes filled with something close to peace as the symbol landed gently on his forehead.

The glowing mark spread across his skin, turning translucent before disappearing entirely. Togiri could only watch in silence, feeling a strange mix of awe and irritation at the skillful display of genius.

His instincts tingled. The teen had depth, a capability that intrigued him. The older teenager, took Togiri's hand abruptly, leading him away from the bodies and chaos, behind a big boulder.

Crouching low, they waited, listening as the silence of the battlefield echoed around them.

Amidst the corpses, Togiri could feel a strange calm, his heartbeat steady, his senses fully alert.

He had long been used to blood, the stench of gunpowder, the coppery taste of iron. Violence had become his life's rhythm, the one constant as his world spun darkly on.

There were no pangs of remorse, no shadows of guilt—only the cold satisfaction that he had achieved what he set out to do,, but as much as he told himself that killing still left a slight bitter after taste in his mouth.

As the Blue Demon, he had fulfilled his purpose, harvesting Shop Points from every fallen body to fuel his drive for strength. But now, his focus shifted to the person beside him.

The one who had shown a rare ability to remain collected in the face of such carnage. And not just collected—unfazed, perhaps even curious. The tall, slim figure who had shown no fear.

With a subtle glance, Togiri took in Kuroha's appearance. Short raven-black hair framed his face, and the bright, piercing white eyes seemed unearthly against their tanned skin.

There was a sharpness there, a depth that most others lacked. His gaze lingered on their face a beat too long. The older boy was… striking, though perhaps more than that.

And for a moment, he let himself imagine—a flicker of a possible future from his former life, an image of the kind of person he'd once wanted by his side.

Someone pretty, maybe someone curious like that boy, who could see through the hard shell he had built around himself.

In another life, he might have even hoped for a friend, maybe even a girlfriend who could understand him and his world without recoiling from it. But that was a thought from another time, another version of himself that barely felt real anymore.

Togiri's changed his name, his habits, his behaviour and himself. Only his ordinary appearance of brown hair, brown eyes and a easily forgettable face stayed the same.

But that to changed as his body cultivation progressed. His facial features became sharper and now he could even be called slightly good looking, not that being ugly or handsome would make any difference in Togiri's life.

"Wow. I didn't expect a boy to be so skilled," he said finally, breaking the silence with an intentional edge of speaking down on the older boy.

The hooded teenagers expression didn't shift; only the slightest raise of an eyebrow betrayed a reaction. "Hmph. I have a name, you know." They replied, crossing their arms with a look of mild offense.

"It's Kuroha, and I'm not a boy." A pang of surprise flitted through Togiri as he processed that. "Sure, man", said Togiri provokingly.

The older boy smirked and grabbed Togiri's hand and placed it on shit chest. @"Oh"@ said both Togiri and Seven simultaneously.

Togiri's face slightly reddened and swung his hand back. He looked her over again, noting the sharper features, the confident yet understated expression. Beneath the boyish clothing, there was a subtle grace.

"I see..."@Virgin@ Togiri's voice was neutral, though inwardly, he chided himself for misreading her so badly.

The Kuroha let out a soft, unimpressed sigh, her gaze drifting away. "And here I thought the Blue Demon-san could read people as well as he kills them," she murmured dryly.

Togiri's mouth twitched, caught between irritation and amusement. "I'm good at killing," he said simply, his tone without apology. "Reading people… well, that's another matter."

Kuroha stood with her arms crossed, her white eyes flickering to Tatejima as he began to stumble away in his memory-altered daze.

Togiri noticed the faintest softening in her expression as she watched her former leader, as if some part of her was still tied to the kindness he had shown her.

@She must have really been grateful to that gangster@ 'Yeah.. It is puzzling. Her calculated aura and fierce gaze had hinted at a killer's intuition, but this gentleness… what is it doing here? Her actions make me more and more curious'

His gaze turned colder as he considered her strength. 'The system estimated her combat power at three stars. With that symbol manipulation, she's stronger than she seems… likely an Emitter, Manipulator or even Conjurer. Her actual power might even surpass the system's rating.'

As if sensing his assessment, Kuroha met his gaze, her expression unreadable. For a moment, it felt like she saw through him entirely, as if those piercing white eyes could pierce the veil of his mind.

She glanced at the battlefield, unbothered by the bodies littering the ground, and Togiri could sense her curiosity—her silent questions, though unspoken, hung in the air.

Kuroha had watched him fight, watched him destroy, and yet she showed neither fear nor judgment.

Instead, there was a shadow of intrigue, something that mirrored his own gaze when sizing up someone unknown. And he saw something else—an understanding of sorts, an awareness of the blood-soaked path he walked.

That same path had somehow led her here.

"Why do you want to follow me?" Togiri asked finally, his voice cutting through the quiet, genuine curiosity laced in his tone.

Kuroha's eyes were still on Tatejima, now disappearing into the night, his memories wiped clean.

She didn't answer right away. Her lips pressed together, and she exhaled a quiet breath before speaking.

"I don't agree with what you do, you know," she began, her voice steady yet full with conviction.

"The way you kill without blinking… like it's nothing." Her voice held no accusation, only a matter-of-fact acknowledgment.

"But… I also know this world isn't kind. And you… you're brutal, yes, but you're not mindless. You have a purpose." She paused, her eyes searching his.

Togiri's expression and voice grew darker "Purpose? I curse the purpose of my existence every day" 'My purpose is to entertain those fuckers. I overestimated her maturity'

Kuroha saw the Blue Demon's angry response "I didn't mean the purpose somebody else has chosen for you, but the purpose you chose yourself. Your real purpose besides destruction."

Togiri took in her words, studying her with renewed interest. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, nor did she shy away from questioning him, challenging him or correcting him.

Most followed him either out of fear, or benefits. But Kuroha… she chose to stay, not despite his brutality, but because she wanted to understand it.

"And Tatejima?" he asked, though the answer was almost evident in her expression.

Her gaze softened as she spoke. "He didn't choose this life, Blue Demon-san.

He's a decent man, pulled into something he can't control. People like him…" Her voice grew quieter. "They deserve a second chance."

There was a brief pause, the weight of her words hanging in the stillness. Togiri regarded her in silence. She was like no one he had ever met.

Naive, perhaps, but pure—Not the kind of pure blind to the world's cruelty.

She seemed to walk a fine line between conviction and realism, something he couldn't yet fully grasp.

Different than the ignorant protagonists and their hypocrisy of saving everyone.

Togiri continued "So, you're willing to follow a monster?" His voice was low, probing. He was testing her, daring her to flinch.

A slight smirk appeared on her lips. "I can feel that if I follow you, I will get closer to finding out my own purpose. Also...You're not a monster… at least not completely. If you were, I wouldn't be standing here."

Her answer took him by surprise, a rare vulnerability creeping into his gaze. She saw him as something beyond the Blue Demon, the embodiment of rage and violence he had become.

She looked past the blood and fire and still found someone worth following. For a fleeting moment, Togiri felt a strange warmth—almost like the closeness he had once longed for, an echo of his past self.

Togiri's mouth smiled, but his eyes didn't. "Ridiculous..." The moment vanished as quickly as it came, but the feeling lingered, gnawing at the edges of his heart.

Turning back to the blood-stained field, he took a steadying breath. "So you'll follow me," he stated simply.

Kuroha didn't hesitate. "Yes. But if I see someone worth sparing, I'll make that call. Also I don't want to get directly involved when fighting" Her voice was resolute, unyielding.

He studied her for a long moment, the unusual boldness in her words a strange but welcome challenge.

Her conditions weren't something he'd usually entertain, yet he found himself nodding, agreeing.

"Fine," he said, his tone steady, though the word itself felt foreign on his tongue, when was the last time he made a losing deal.

With a satisfied gleam in her eye, Kuroha took a step closer, falling into stride beside him. "Then we're partners, for now."

Togiri mirrored her words, "Partners," though the concept felt distant, almost unnatural to him.

The quiet stretched between them as the remnants of the battlefield settled into silence.

Kuroha's presence by his side was starkly different from the aura of violence he carried—her calm defiance a soothing contrast to his darkness.

The air grew colder as the night deepened, and Kuroha's gaze wandered back to him. She scanned him slowly, a look of amusement flickering in her eyes.

"You know… you might want to find some clothes." Togiri stiffened, suddenly aware of his state, he didn't even notice the cold air with his strong body.

Kuroha's nonchalant amusement made him self-conscious in a way he hadn't felt in years, bringing a heat to his cheeks that he hadn't known he could still feel.

With an awkward cough, he muttered, "Turn around." Kuroha chuckled but obliged, her amusement evident. "As you wish, Blue Demon-san."

As she turned, he quickly opened his inventory, pulling out fresh clothes and donning his usual dark attire.

Out of the corner of his eye, he stole a glance at her. Despite the cold air, she radiated a warmth, a spark that made her presence beside him strangely comforting.

@Maybe in this life you will finally kiss a girl and lose your virginity.@ 'Shut it. She is just a little kid and I'm now 26 years old or 25? When I use my regular birthday then...' @Stupid Master, your body is 13 years old, this may be your only chance to have a girlfriend.

'Even if the circumstances of me and Kuroha were different, I don't have the luxury to live a normal life.'

Once he was fully dressed, he cleared his throat. "You can turn back." Kuroha spun around, her smirk lingering. "Much better."

They stood there in silence, an unspoken understanding settling between them.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Togiri felt a hint of calm in the presence of another, a small crack in the walls he'd built around himself.

"By the way... how old are you?" Togiri asked. Kuroha smiled "16 almost 17. Why?" "Just cause.."

For now, he allowed her to walk beside him, uncertain yet unresisting. And as they walked into the night, he wondered if, for the first time, he was no longer completely alone on this path of destruction.

She was the first person seeing his darkest side and not fearing, questioning or running away from him. This sense of comfort nice comfort was unsettling itself as Togiri's heart didn't want to get hurt again, by a new regretful memory