Chapter 173: The Unseen Hero Makes Waves Across Central City

-----

Chen looked frustrated as she turned back toward Voss with clear anger in her eyes. "With people like these capable of holding such immense power, true justice simply cannot exist... it is all an illusion, and you know that as well, right?"

"..." Voss looked elsewhere and slowly rolled his eyes.

"We have strong agents. Some are A Rank, others S Rank, and there’s even an L Rank — the Director himself," she sighed heavily. "But he is just one man... he cannot fight all the crime in this city, let alone the entire network of people who oppress innocent civilians every single day."

"Yes," Voss nodded in quiet agreement. "Without a proper Authority, a proper Class, and proper Skills, most of us are simply hopeless. Even when the two of us are C Rank, what can we really do against such massive organizations? We cannot dedicate our entire lives to leveling. We still have to keep working and surviving..."

"At the end of the day there’s not really any justice left, huh?" Detective Chen sighed once more.

"..." Voss shook his head slowly. "We do what we can do." He turned and walked away without another word.

The detective remained silent for a long moment as she watched the rescued people being loaded into the waiting vans. She remembered her past as someone who had always strived for a better future, someone who wanted nothing more than to save people in need.

As someone who had lost her father to organized crime, bringing these kinds of bastards to justice had always been her strongest driving force.

But she had been wrong about how the world truly worked.

Nonetheless, this sudden act of vigilantism had returned a small spark of hope to her heart. Somewhere out there, perhaps, there existed an unseen hero.

Someone who possessed the same level of power as the greatest and most corrupt people in this world, yet aimed not to continue abusing the weak, but to save them instead.

Someone who wanted to... make a better world however he could.

"Whoever you are, I hope we can meet one day."

She walked away silently, deciding to join Voss in his ongoing investigations.

♢♢♢♢

Elisa’s fingers frantically tapped against the wooden table as she rested her face on its surface, glaring toward the window while waiting for him to return.

"Riven..."

She worried about him constantly. He had left very early in the morning, and she had not heard a single word from him since then.

She knew she had to be patient. Riven was on a great and dangerous quest, and everything else had to wait...

And yet she could not help but worry about him more and more with every passing hour.

"Um, Elisa, I think dinner’s ready..." Daniela said while tasting the curry. "It’s really yummy. I had no idea you knew how to cook curry!"

"Hmm... it’s one of my favorite dishes," Elisa sighed softly. "Hey, have you tried calling him again, Daniela?"

"I have, but... please take it easy. I am sure he’ll return soon!" Daniela answered gently. "Riven’s strong after all."

"..."

Elisa nodded faintly as she began listening to the television news. Little Carlos sat nearby, staring at the screen in quiet silence.

The news showed what had recently happened in an area of the slums of Central City, where a huge black gate had suddenly appeared and released over sixty people — all captives who had disappeared months or even years ago — out of nowhere.

The volume remained low, yet every word cut clearly through the quiet living room.

On the screen a polished female anchor sat behind the Central City Nightly desk, her expression carefully balanced between urgency and professionalism. Behind her, looping footage showed the ruined restaurant alley: yellow police tape fluttering under flashing red-and-blue lights, ambulances lined up in rows, and dozens of blanket-wrapped figures being carefully guided into medical vans.

"Breaking development tonight from the southern industrial district," the anchor began in a steady voice. "At approximately 11:47 p.m., an unauthorized Class-B shadow-type dimensional anomaly — described by first responders as a ’black portal’ — opened without warning in the back alley of a restaurant previously linked to the Kazama-affiliated Yakuza network. Within less than a minute, more than sixty civilians emerged. Preliminary identification confirms they are all individuals reported missing over the past eighteen months, many of them long believed deceased."

The feed cut to shaky cellphone footage filmed by a bystander across the street. A swirling void of pure darkness expanded rapidly, and people poured out one after another — men, women, even a few teenagers. Some collapsed the moment their feet touched the pavement, while others stared upward as if seeing the real sky for the first time in years.

"Hunter Association Special Investigations Unit has confirmed residual spiritual energy readings consistent with a high-tier shadow affinity," the anchor continued. "No Gate signature matching known Dungeon or Spiritual Realm classifications was detected. The portal sealed itself within ninety seconds, leaving zero residual coordinates for tracking. Authorities are calling this an unprecedented event."

Elisa, Daniela, and Carlos all widened their eyes as they continued listening intently. Elisa quickly moved her wheelchair closer to the television, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide with growing realization. "R-Riven...! It has to be him, right?!"

Daniela nodded vigorously. "YES! IT MUST BE!"

Carlos looked completely shocked. "He’s a hero? He saved all those people..."

The image on the screen switched to Sergeant Silvester Voss standing behind a cluster of microphones. He remained in uniform, his eyes visibly tired from the long night.

"At this time we can confirm that the individuals appear to be victims of prolonged captivity," Voss said, his voice steady but clipped. "They report being held inside what they describe as a ’Living Castle’ — a mobile Yokai-type monster structure believed to have been operated by elements of the Yokai Guild and local Yakuza. Multiple victims state they were rescued by an unidentified group led by a cloaked individual accompanied by a large shadow-type entity resembling a canine. No names, ranks, or affiliations were provided. The rescuers departed immediately after the release and have not been located."

-----