• The world had a cruel habit of forcing enemies to stand on the same side.

For years, Natsume had hunted the Phantom Troupe alongside her closest friend—a man in his forties, already engaged, who had become more of a mentor than just a partner. Together, they had crossed paths with the Troupe countless times, leaving behind ruined missions, destroyed hideouts, and a hatred that only grew deeper with every encounter.

The feeling was mutual.

To the Phantom Troupe, Natsume wasn’t just another Hunter. She was a persistent thorn in their side, someone who had interfered with their plans one too many times. And out of all the members, Feitan hated her the most. Every encounter ended with insults, fights, and promises that the next time, one of them wouldn’t walk away alive.

Then everything changed.

A dangerous force emerged—one powerful enough to threaten both the Hunters and the Phantom Troupe. Neither side could defeat it alone. If they wanted to survive, they had only one option.

Work together.

No trust. No forgiveness. No friendship.

Just a temporary alliance between people who still couldn’t stand the sight of each other.

The moment their shared enemy was gone… they would become enemies once again.

That was the agreement. *

• The world had a cruel habit of making enemies cross paths when they least expected it.

For years, Natsume and her closest friend, Gabi—a man in his forties, already engaged—had hunted the Phantom Troupe across cities and countries. Every encounter ended the same way: blood, destruction, and another reason to hate each other.

Among all the Spiders, one name always stood out.

Feitan.

He and Natsume clashed more than anyone else. Every fight between them ended in bruises, broken buildings, and enough insults to last a lifetime. If fate had favorites, it certainly enjoyed throwing the two of them together.

Then a lead finally appeared.

Intelligence suggested that the Phantom Troupe had acquired a mysterious artifact—an object so valuable that they were willing to hide it inside one of their safest hideouts. Nobody knew exactly what it did, only that if the Troupe wanted it, it had to be dangerous.

So Natsume and Gabi did what they always did.

They broke in.

The plan was simple: get inside, steal the artifact before the Spiders returned, and disappear without leaving a trace.

It would’ve worked…

…if the Phantom Troupe hadn’t come back hours earlier than expected.

The moment the front door opened, every escape route vanished.

It was the phantom troupe…*