The Raven Dark Hero 18

Chapter 18 : The Light Within Darkness, Bright

TL:SummerPeanut

Thank you for the patron Yorume and Tempo Blaze. It's weird coming from me but wouldn't it be better if you guys wait until the start of next month?

Author’s Note:

※Regarding gift evolution, added the detail “it’s ultimately what was confirmed”.

"Will you enter kuroyume?"

"......... what~?"

At the sudden suggestion, Kouki sounded like some tea-loving detective.[1]

"Think about it a little... You've already shown me your acceleration and slash gifts. On top of that, you are already up and kicking after all those injuries. It's likely that you also have a healing or recovery type gift. It's quite rare to have multiple gifts at the same time.

In addition to the fact that you don't belong anywhere right now, you also don't seem to have any good opinion about the NDF."

In Kouki's mind, this scouting was sudden and surprising, but it was also something that he had somewhat predicted in advance.

Even he himself believes that his gift is incredible. If Kouki's ability were to become known to others, there would be only two options for him to consider: to join or to be eliminated. It's too dangerous to leave him alone.

This time, the boss of the Filths organization, Kuroyume, probably wanted to take Kouki in as a comrade.

"Honestly, I was wondering if you wanted to suicide by charging in so suddenly at that time. Thinking that might be your intention, I haven’t felt this much regret in recent years. After all, promising youngsters are always valuable no matter where and when."

From Kouki's point of view, the main reason to hide his true identity was the danger of being erased if his abilities were discovered. So in a way, the boss's offer was not a bad deal for Kouki.

However, Kouki had always wanted to be a hero. Belonging to an evil organization meant that he would be the opposite of a hero. This was the only thing that stuck in his mind.

"This is again, not a forced inquiry, but let me ask you this. Are you not a ‘unique’-type gift holder?"

A unique-type gift. It's the most diverse and rarest of the many types of gift.

In the encyclopedia of gifts that Kouki read previously, there were only a few unique-type gifts recorded. Well, Revived Hunter wasn't even listed, so he couldn't identify if it actually belongs to the category or not.

"What made you think that?"

"Good question... if I have to say, it’s my intuition."

(Intuition you say... But you sound like you're absolutely sure that’s the case though~)

Kouki’s face turned pale immediately. Even though the person himself said it’s just his intuition, his expression is that of absolute confidence in himself. This is exactly the kind of knowledge that comes from the absolute confidence and experience as a veteran warrior. His overflowing dandy appearance seemed be able to see through Kouki.

(This is...definitely a nope. If I lie here, he’ll definitely know… There's no way I can hide this now...)

The next moment, Kouki opened his mouth as if he had given up.

"I'll confess. My gift ability is Revived Hunter. When I’m killed, I can obtain the abilities of the assailant and revive later...maybe."

"...What?"

Towards Kouki’s confession, Kiryu turned silent as he pondered.

"Acceleration gift. Slash gift. I know you used both gifts against me previously and both of them are high ranked gifts. Then on top of that, you even got my abilities?"

Kouki kept a blank expression on his face, but a greasy sweat appeared on his forehead. No one would feel great if they know that others gain the same ability as theirs.

Kiryu fell into his own thoughts again.

...A long silence followed. The next time Kiryu opened his mouth, would it be mercy or death? His fate would be decided at that moment, Kouki thought.

(What if he says he's going to kill me after all? I already know that I can't escape from this person. Then...there’s only one thing left to do!)

"I see..."

"I am sorry---!!!"

The moment Kiryu started speaking, Kouki rubbed his forehead against the floor with incredible momentum.

"I had only just recently awakened my gift, there are plenty of details that I don’t know about myself. No matter how much I researched it, I couldn’t find any data about Revived Hunter too! Besides, at my age, I've only just begun to develop my gift! Please! Please spare my life..."

"...Hey, look up first."

"No! I won't raise my head until you forgive me!"

"Putting aside forgiving or not, I’m trying to recruit you right now, no? Look up."

Kouki looked up fearfully and saw a handsome middle-aged man with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Revived Hunter? ...huh. Honestly, I’m surprised. Certainly, even I've never heard of this gift. But this would actually increase your worth."

"...so you're not going to kill me?"

"I might have considered it if I had lost mine when you obtained the gift, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Revived Hunter... Aside from getting killed by others, it’s probably a self-contained ability that doesn’t involve third parties. So there's no particular need to be ruthless to the holder."

"R-really? Thank God~!"

He slumped on his spot from relief.

Kouki, who had finally calmed down a little, voiced out his opinion.

"But are you sure? If I continue to acquire various gifts, there is a possibility that I will eventually become stronger than the boss and become an enemy to the organization. Even now..."'

He knew it's not going to happen. But even then, the feeling that he must kill Kiryu, the man in front of him, no matter what is still there deep down in his heart.

Kouki doesn’t know yet that that is one of Revived Hunter’s characteristics, ‘kill the killer’...in other words, it’s the mentality where if he was killed, he needs to kill the assailant back.

"Oh, you will become stronger than me? You're really an interesting guy, aren't you? It's true that you have the same Lonsdaleite as I do, so it's possible...but when that happens, so be it."

Kiryu dismissed the possibility of Kouki gaining power and betrayed the organization just like that. And above all, he had absolute confidence in his own abilities.

In fact, Lonsdaleite is a rank S gift. Kiryu is the only one who has manifested it. However, in Kiryu's case, his gift was not always Lonsdaleite.

The name of his gift when he first awakened was "Diamond Aquape" and the gift rank was A. In other words, Kiryu Shinichirou is one of the only three people in Japan who have ever evolved their gift. This is only the confirmed information though.

It is a simple but versatile ability that can be said invincible when mastered. By hardening the body with one of the toughest materials in the world, his defense is abnormally high and that same toughness can also be used to attack.

"....Alright. However, I don’t really want to expose myself so I’ll wear a disguise just like this time when I’m acting as a member of Kuroyume.”

"That's your choice, so do what you want. Then you need to hide your name too, no? You can use the code name we give you.”

“Code name?”

“That's right. I'm the only one who knows your true abilities at the moment. I have no intention of revealing it to anyone else. So just tell me your real name.”

"...My name is Suou Kouki.”

Although he felt some resistance to tell his name, he wouldn’t be able to win against Kiryu currently, and more than anything, there’s something that makes him seem credible enough for Kouki to tell the truth obediently.

"Kouki, huh? Then your code name will be...the light within the darkness, “Darkflash Bright”. What do you think?”

The light within darkness....He was a little embarrassed from the cringy name, but more than that, his heart was pounding. The word "flash" seemed to have something to do with his current abilities, such as Speed Star and Invisible Slash.

blight: solemnize, destroy.

bright: shining, brilliant, clear.

Depending on how you read it, his code name is basically a literal translation from his name in english.[2]

"I understand. From today onwards, I will be known as Bright of Kuroyume."

"Then let me welcome you once again. Bright, welcome to Kuroyume.”

And so this marked the page where Kouki became a member of Kuroyume, Bright.

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Author’s Note: “!”

TL’s note:

1. Nope, have no idea which detective he’s referencing to.
2. Kouki’s name has the meaning ‘to shine’ in japanese. Blight and Bright sounds the same in japanese.