Akino's voice softened as she smiled nervously, trying her best to sound confident.
"Please… welcome our Messiah, Scarlett Nova," she announced, her voice echoing throughout the broken area.
"Just like her captivating beauty… her strength is immeasurable."
For a moment— silence.
A heavy, deafening silence fell upon the crowd. Everyone just stood there, processing what they had just heard.
But then—
"WHAT?! IMMEASURABLE?! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" someone from the crowd shouted, and at once, chaos erupted.
"Yeah, is there some kind of mistake? There's no way someone's strength can be immeasurable!" another person yelled.
People started whispering and shouting, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Reporters, who were already on edge after the explosion, now went absolutely wild.
A few of them immediately broke through the crowd, desperately trying to approach Scarlett for an exclusive interview. Their cameras and mics were already aimed at her, flashing constantly.
"Miss Scarlett! Our Hunter News TV channel is willing to pay a huge amount for a personal interview! Please consider this offer!" one reporter shouted loudly, hoping to grab her attention.
"Our Dungeon-TV will also pay you an enormous amount! Consider our offer as well!" another reporter screamed, his voice cracking from excitement.
It was pure madness. Everyone was pushing, shouting, and fighting to get close to Scarlett. They had just witnessed something unimaginable.
But then—
A sharp, commanding voice broke through the noise like thunder.
"You idiots! She's from another world! Do you really think she even knows what a news channel is?!"
The voice was firm, filled with authority, yet undeniably feminine. The crowd instantly froze and turned their heads to see who it was.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Hovering in the air, just above the destroyed building, was a stunning woman with long, sleek black hair and soft blue eyes that resembled the deep ocean. Her gaze was sharp and cold, like someone who had seen countless battles.
She was wearing a futuristic, full-body nano suit that perfectly hugged her curves, giving her a seductive yet dangerous appearance. The suit was mixed colour of blue, black and white, and in the center of her chest was a massive, shining blue diamond-like core. The armor looked like it came straight out of a science fiction movie.
The crowd gasped.
"S-Sora Aoi…! The ice queen, Sora aoi?" someone finally managed to say, their voice shaking with disbelief.
"The Fifth and youngest S-rank hunter of Japan… and also the third strongest hunter in the world…!" another person whispered, their face pale.
"GO LIVE! GO LIVE IMMEDIATELY!" one of the reporters screamed frantically. "Our TRP is gonna SKYROCKET if we capture this moment!!"
Yes! The woman floating in the air was none other than Sora Aoi, the third-strongest hunter in the entire world and Japan's youngest S-rank hunter.
She was famous not only for her insane combat strength but also for her ethereal beauty. Even though she was still in the last year of the newly established Hunter Academy, she had already surpassed most of the world's top hunters.
At the very next moment—
A loud screech of tires filled the air as dozens of black cars came speeding down the road, stopping abruptly right in front of the chaotic crowd.
The crowd fell silent, confused and curious, but that silence quickly turned into panic when the car doors flung open, and dozens of men in black suits poured out. Each of them was heavily armed, pointing their guns at the crowd. Their presence was intimidating and suffocating.
"Nobody moves any further!" one of the armed men shouted, his voice loud and clear.
"This matter is under higher authority. No civilians are allowed to interfere!" another man yelled, his gun still aimed toward the public.
The reporters froze in fear, some trembling while clutching their cameras. The crowd murmured nervously, unsure of what was happening.
Up in the air, Sora Aoi descended slowly, her blue eyes cold and sharp.
"This matter is no longer your concern," Sora announced as she landed gently on the ground. "Step back and keep your distance if you value your safety."
Scarlett, who had been silently watching the situation unfold, finally shifted her gaze toward Sora. She narrowed her eyes, examining the woman in armor.
Ice queen, huh? Scarlett smirked to herself. Reminds me of Xao Feng… but honestly, Xao is way better.
Just as Scarlett was about to continue observing, a petite figure suddenly jumped in front of her, blocking her view.
It was Irish. Her face was puffed up in jealousy, and her cheeks were slightly red.
"Stop looking at her too much! Look at me!" Irish pouted, folding her arms dramatically. Her possessiveness was clear.
"Pfft…!" Scarlett couldn't help but chuckle, looking away just to tease her further.
Irish's cheeks turned even redder, and she puffed them up angrily. "Meanie!" she muttered under her breath.
Meanwhile, Sora finally approached Akino, her gaze still sharp and professional.
"Ms. Akino," Sora addressed her calmly, "Your work here is done. You can step back and rest now. But before you leave… mind explaining what you meant by immeasurable?"
Akino, who was already mentally drained, hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Ah… well…" she began nervously, trying to find the right words. "The machines we use to measure battle points are designed to read up to twenty million battle points at most… but…"
"But Ms. Scarlett completely destroyed the machine with just one finger. The machine didn't even have the chance to calculate her power before it exploded… so technically… her battle points are immeasurable."
A long silence followed. Sora stared at Akino, processing the information.
Finally, she raised an eyebrow. "I see…" she muttered, her tone unreadable. "Understood. You can leave now."
Without wasting a second, Akino's eyes lit up with tears of joy.
"I'M FINALLY FREEEEE!!!" she screamed as she dashed toward the luxurious limousine parked on the road. "I swear I'm resigning from this job and having a peaceful retirement!! Sob…sob…"
The crowd watched in disbelief as Akino practically threw herself into the car, desperate to escape the mess.
Meanwhile, Sora turned back toward Scarlett. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, She slightly bowed in respect toward Scarlett.
"It is an honor to have you with us, Ms. Scarlett," Sora spoke politely. "You have already proven your strength. Now… let's proceed. It's time to finalize a contract."
Scarlett's eyebrows slightly raised. "Contract?" she repeated in her mind. "They have something like contracts here too?"
But instead of voicing her surprise, Scarlett smirked and crossed her arms arrogantly.
"A contract, huh?" she said, her voice filled with smugness. "A contract is supposed to benefit both parties… so what exactly do I get after saving you guys?"
Sora froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that response.
"What do you want then?" Sora finally asked, slightly caught off guard. "Wealth? Men? Power? Land? Or perhaps something else?"
Scarlett pretended to think for a moment, tapping her chin playfully. "Hmm…"
But then she grinned slyly. "I don't know for now," she said casually. "But I can guarantee that whatever it is, you guys can fulfill it… I will not ask anything that will be beyond your capabilities!", she assured.
The crowd fell into stunned silence.
carlett grinned . "And also as side request, I need top-quality clothing, a luxurious shelter, and five-star treatment while I'm here. Everything should be of the highest standard."
A brief silence passed before Sora finally chuckled softly. "That goes without saying, Ms. Scarlett. How can we possibly mistreat our Savior?"
Sora then turned, signaling Scarlett to follow her. "Come. The contract will not be handled by me but by the higher authorities. You'll meet them soon."
---------------
Scarlett and Irish followed Sora as they departed toward another headquarters to finalize the contract.
While walking, Scarlett couldn't help but wonder why Sora herself couldn't make the contract.
"It seems making a contract is a huge thing here," Scarlett thought, narrowing her eyes. "Back there, For Avion, opening an ancient contract book was something he could do with a single thought. Avion even taught me how to do it. Xao, Reiza, Li Feng, and Lunatic could also manage it with some effort."
She let out a small sigh. "But now that I think about it… why does making a contract even matter? How does it work to keep both parties in check? And where does all this power come from?"
However, Scarlett quickly shook her head, dismissing her own curiosity. "Whatever the case is… signing the contract is all that matters right now."
After walking for some time, they finally arrived at another large headquarters.
The moment they stepped inside, Scarlett noticed that everything was already prepared. Several high-ranked hunters were present — many of them were Rank A, but what really caught her attention were the two S-Rank Hunters standing at the front.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes, observing the two S-Rank Hunters. They weren't among the top five in the world, but they were still within the top 20, making them extremely famous.
One was a woman with fluffy black hair, hailing from Mexico. Her sharp gaze and confident stance showed her experience. The other was a tall, muscular man with dark skin from Dakarai, one of the African countries. His presence alone was intimidating.
In the center of the room, there was a large star drawn with red dust on the ground. Surrounding it were strange, monstrous skulls that looked like they came from terrifying creatures.
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"What the hell is this setup?" Scarlett muttered under her breath.
As the ritual began, the Rank A Hunters started chanting strange, magical words. The room slowly filled with a heavy atmosphere, and the red star on the ground began to glow.
Irish, who stood beside Scarlett, let out a deep sigh. "We just got here a few hours ago… why are we already storming through different weird places?" she grumbled.
Scarlett held back a laugh. "Haha… this kinda looks like those creepy demon-summoning rituals from horror movies," she thought, glancing around.
Suddenly —
A powerful, blinding light erupted from the middle of the room.
She saw an ancient-looking book floating in mid-air, slowly descending toward the star. The book was old, worn out, and gave off an eerie yet powerful aura.
As soon as it touched the ground, it flipped open on its own. Pages rapidly turned one after another until it abruptly stopped. The Rank A and S-Rank Hunters closed their eyes, concentrating their power into the ritual.
More glowing lights appeared, and ancient words began to carve themselves onto the book's pages. The atmosphere turned heavier with each passing second.
One of the S-Rank Hunters opened his eyes and looked at Scarlett. "It's ready now," he said in a firm voice. "We've stated both of our conditions. You just have to place your hand on it."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "So flashy… just to sign a contract," she thought with a smirk.
Without hesitation, she walked toward the book, her gaze fixed on the glowing letters. Despite the ancient language written in the book, she could somehow understand every word.
She shook off the thought and began reading the terms of the contract. It seemed fair enough — promising her high-class living conditions, and a guarantee that she would receive what she asked for in return for her assistance.
Scarlett was about to place her hand on the book when a sudden thought crept into her mind.
"Should I really sign this?" she hesitated. "Am I really cut out to be a savior? And… what am I even going to ask for in return?"
Her heart slightly wavered, and for a moment, doubt clouded her mind.
But just then —
A sudden notification screen appeared in front of her. It was her status screen, and it popped up without her permission. Scarlett's eyes behind the blindfold widened in shock.
Scarlett's eyes widened in shock as she read the notification that suddenly appeared on her status screen.
"What the hell…?" Scarlett mumbled, utterly confused. "Who the hell is Sylvania Yogsothoth?"
But before she could even process it, her expression quickly turned into a mocking smirk.
"Heh… whoever it is, why the hell should I listen to someone else's orders?" Scarlett scoffed in her mind. "And little sister? What the hell! I'm a boy, dammit!"
Her blood boiled with irritation. The fact that someone was trying to boss her around — and even referring to her as a little sister — only made her angrier.
But just when she was about to brush it off, another notification appeared.
And the very next moment —
THUMP!
A suffocating, bone-crushing pressure suddenly descended on Scarlett, forcing her entire body to kneel on the ground before she could even react.
"What the f*ck—!?" Scarlett's mind went blank. The sheer pressure was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was like the weight of the entire world was crushing down on her.
Inside her blindfold, her eyes were wide open in shock. She couldn't move or even think straight.
Meanwhile —
The other hunters in the room looked at Scarlett in utter confusion. They felt no pressure, no suffocating force, nothing at all. All they could see was Scarlett suddenly dropping to her knees as if something invisible was weighing her down.
"What… is she doing?" Irish blinked in confusion.
"Is she alright?" One of the S-rank Hunters asked, equally puzzled.
But Scarlett couldn't even answer. The pressure was so powerful that she couldn't even open her mouth.
And then —
Another notification appeared.
Scarlett's head was still lowered to the ground, her teeth clenched tightly as sweat rolled down her face.
But she slowly lifted it up.
But the moment her gaze met the notification, something inside her snapped.
"Heh… hehehe…" A weak, hoarse chuckle escaped her throat.
She gritted her teeth, forcing all her strength into her legs. Her body trembled violently, her knees refusing to lift, but she still pushed herself up.
Her legs shook as she tried to stand up. The pressure grew heavier, but Scarlett's burning determination grew stronger.
"And you know what?" Scarlett's lips curled into a wicked grin. "I was actually hesitating about signing this contract… but now?"
"Now I'll definitely sign it. Let's see what the hell you can do to stop me!" Scarlett spat venomously.
Without another second of hesitation, she strode forward and slammed her hand onto the contract.
FLASH!
A deafening burst of light erupted from the book. Powerful lightning bolts crackled around the room, causing the walls to shake violently.
And then —
Vwoosh!
The contract book instantly vanished into thin air, along with the suffocating pressure that had pinned Scarlett down.
The room fell silent. Everyone was stunned, especially the two S-rank Hunters who had never seen anything like this before.
Scarlett exhaled heavily, wiping the sweat off her forehead. She looked around, expecting another warning from the so-called Supreme Being.
But nothing appeared.
No notification. No threats. No pressure.
Scarlett smirked. "Hmph… all bark and no bite."