One-Shot

## Chapter Guide

**Red Hood** (レッドフード, *Reddo Fūdo*?) is a one-shot manga written and illustrated by Yuki Kawaguchi and published in Weekly Shonen Jump. It won the 14th Gold Future Cup award, and was the prototype for *The Hunters Guild: Red Hood* manga series.

## Summary

When the villagers of a small hamlet wake up to find a mangled corpse, all signs point to one thing: a werewolf. Velou, a young orphan proclaims that he will protect the village, but the other citizens instead turn to their mayor, who decides to enlist the help of a hunter.

## Plot Details

In a village in a cold, cold land, the villagers awaken to find a bloody, mangled corpse hanging from the side of the hamlet's well. This makes yet another casualty for the village, and it is all thanks to a certain werewolf in the area.

Just then, a young village boy named Velou pipes up, saying to his fellow citizens that he will protect the village. The villagers brush him off, not believing that a "little brat" like him could do anything against the might of a werewolf; but Velou retaliates and says that he's already thirteen, and that he will fight off the werewolves.

Soon after, the mayor of the village appears behind Velou, puts a large hand on his head and tells him not to worry. The mayor has contacted the Hunters Guild and requested a hunter to be sent to aid the village. The villagers talk amongst themselves about this news, including Velou, who asks if their poor hamlet has enough money to pay for it.

The mayor admits that it is a concern of his, however, he believes that a problem cannot be solved without making a necessary sacrifice. And so, the mayor suggests that if everyone in the village pitches in, they should be able to raise enough money for a competent hunter who will get the job done. The citizens all agree to help out, and the mayor tells Velou to leave the slaying of werewolves up to the adults, much to Velou's chagrin.

One week later, a little girl shows up in the village, introducing herself as Grimm and revealing that she is the hunter sent by the guild. The villagers and the mayor are shocked by this, and begin to mutter their disappointment, when Grimm tells them that if they want someone else, they should pay more money. She explains that werewolves were humans once too, so the village is essentially paying her to kill another person, and she won't do that for anything less than her wage.

At that moment, Velou slams the butt of his musket down on the ground, and tells Grimm that she can leave then; and while she's at it, she can return the money the village raised back to them. Grimm then says she feels oddly hated, to which the mayor apologizes and explains that Velou's parents were attacked by werewolves. He says that this is partly his fault, as he should have reached out to the Hunters Guild sooner, and perhaps if he did the tragedy befalling Velou's parents might not have happened.

Grimm is understanding, nevertheless, she asks that if she returns the money will the villagers be able to defeat the werewolf on their own. She says that the reason they hired her was because they were too afraid to pull the trigger, and that is why they are getting someone else to do it for them. At this comment, Velou gets incredibly upset and rushes toward Grimm, but the mayor holds him back while he curses at her.

An old lady amongst the villagers pipes up, saying that despite her age, Grimm must be a competent enough Hunter. She then offers Grimm candy, who accepts it happily; and a little while later, Velou is showing Grimm around the village. He says that he's only doing it because the mayor asked him too and that he hates money-grubbers like her, to which Grimm responds that he is such a kid. Velou says that she's a kid also, and probably younger than him, but Grimm ignores him.

Grimm begins to head away from the village when Velou asks her why she's going into the forest. She explains that werewolves feast on their prey there, so she's going to set traps. Velou heads after her, all while what seems to be the werewolf peaks out from a window, and watches them leave. Soon after, the mayor is informed about their disappearance and he is shocked by this news, immediately worried for their wellbeing.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Grimm notes that most of the leaves have already fallen off the trees, and winter is steadily approaching. She says that they needs to finish setting the traps quickly, all while she sits on top of Velou's shoulders. Velou points out that she must be a hunter that specializes in traps, and that's why her size must not matter in the grand scheme of things.

He goes on to ask her about the legendary Red Hood, and a rumour regarding how a hunters' rank depends on the color of their hood. Grimm asks him where he heard that, and he explains that the old lady in the village told him; he says that unlike Grimm, who he sees as nothing more than a selfish money-grubber, he wants to be a hunter that will never abandon someone in need.

Velou talks about how, after his parents died, it was the village that raised him. The mayor taught him a lot of things like studying and hunting, and Velou looked up to him; he wants to become as strong as the mayor one day. Grimm is silent for a moment, and then swings a small bag of money in front of Velou's face. She tells him that he may buy himself some sweets with this pocket money, to which he moans that she only cares about money.

Suddenly, the two of them begin to hear rustling behind them, and Grimm quickly pulls out her shotgun and aims it at the source of the noise. Out of the brush, not a werewolf, but the old lady from the village appears, out of breath and clearly quite distressed.

After a short reunion, Grimm asks the old lady why she is in the forest. She explains that she saw the mayor walking into the forest alone, and so she decided to follow him. What she ended up seeing, she says, was quite horrific: the mayor was devouring a human. Velou simply can't believe it, Grimm however, moves quickly into action, saying that they need to go find the mayor. Velou replies that their must be some kind of understanding, and that there's no way the mayor is the werewolf.

With their backs turned to the old lady, four large, furry arms break free from behind her, just as Grimm agrees with Velou. There's no way the mayor is the werewolf. Grimm, without even looking, fires a shot behind her, catching the werewolf on the side of its face. The werewolf is impressed that Grimm even noticed; meanwhile, Velou is still trying to process what happened.

Grimm explains that the weapon she used, the "Tenkou Shotgun", has a muzzle on the upper part of the gun to help ward off against ambushes. While she relays this information to Velou, the werewolf begins to heal and transform into it's true form. She says that she didn't notice it before in the town, but the old lady reeks. That more than likely means that she has devoured a human already.

With the old lady standing fully transformed and imposing before the two youths, Grimm comes to the conclusion that her shotgun isn't going to be enough to take down the beast. And so, she pulls out another tool of hers, this time a long weapon with a sight attached to it. The weapon shoots out a ball and chain, which Grimm refers to as the "Chains of Wisdom" as it flies towards the werewolf.

The chain wraps around Granny, tightly restraining it as it falls to the floor with a thud. Grimm tells the werewolf that there is no point in struggling, and that no one has been able to escape those chains before. The werewolf snickers, and then begins to barf up all of its food onto the ground. Pools of blood, guts and bones pour out from the werewolf's mouth, while Grimm looks on in surprise. Once its done shedding a few pounds, it begins to slowly shimmy out of the chains, until it's completely free from their grasp.

With blood and saliva still dripping from its lips, the werewolf begins taunting Grimm, saying that it was originally scared when it heard that the village had hired a hunter, but that it didn't expect the guild to send such a tiny one. It goes on to relish about all the time it has been leading the mayor and the rest of the village on, and that's when Velou notices a coontail hat lying amongst the werewolf's puke.

Velou asks the werewolf why the mayor's hat just came out of its stomach, to which the werewolf shows a sinister and sadistic grin. Before he can ask more, Grimm drops a small glass bottle, which breaks and creates a large smokescreen between them and the werewolf. Under cover, Grimm jumps from Velou's shoulders and pulls him away from the smoke, telling him to stand up because the smokescreen won't last for very long.

Velou lies on the ground, staring up in disbelief. With tears forming at the corners of his eyes, he says that he can't believe that the mayor is dead. Grimm tells him that werewolves are stronger than humans, and more intelligent than regular animals; the older ones even more so. She then says that she is going to return to her work, and asks him if he is going to help her. Velou sits up in a hurry, and begins to stammer that kids like them can't possibly defeat the werewolf on their own. She asks him what he is going to do then, and retorts that her job isn't baby-sitting. She bluntly says that the chief is dead, so who is going to protect the village now?

Velou sniffs and wipes his eyes. He stands up, pulls his musket out and says that he will take the werewolf down and he won't let it near the village. Grimm agrees with him, and then says it's about time that she revert back to her original form. Velou is clearly confused by this, as she reaches to a small clock device hanging from her hip. She presses it and suddenly begins to grow dramatically in size, until finally her true form is revealed. She thanks Velou for showing her around and says that they should get back to work.

The boy immediately notices her hood, which has changed from white to red, and asks her if she is the legendary hunter. Grimm says that there is no such thing, and that it's just one of the lies werewolves spread about hunters; and she proceeds to show him that it's just a reversible hood. She goes on to explain that hunters will sometimes take on the appearance of little children to not lower the townsfolks' guard; plus, she says, it comes with its perks, like getting free candy.

The huntress says that she only works according to her wage, but she will consider working more than her pay, but it all depends on if Velou is determined enough to help. She pulls open her suitcase and reveals a plethora of monster-hunting tools, and asks Velou if he is ready to slay the werewolf. He nods, and with a new resolve and a determined look on his face, he readies his musket.

Meanwhile, with the smoke almost completely dispersed, the werewolf peeks around from behind a tree, searching for its prey. Suddenly a crossbow bolt hits the tree, mere inches away from the werewolf's face. It looks up to see a rustling bush atop a small hill. Inside the bush, Velou sits nervously with a crossbow, all while the werewolf calls out to him, saying that it knows where he is. It's only then that the werewolf notices the bolt, which has cut the trigger of a small device disguised as a bird.

The bird, one of The Hunters 616 Tools, is known as the "Deaf Bell". As it opens its mouth it lets rip a piercing sound into the werewolf's ears, all while Grimm taunts it. **"Hey Granny, why do you think your ears are so big?"** The werewolf screams in agony as it falls to the ground, covering its head, just as a small lightbulb with a pull fuze flies out of the brush. The "Daylight Star", another one of the 616 Tools, lets off a brilliant light, blinding the werewolf in the process. **"Why do you think your eyes are so big?"** The creature rolls back, as yet another tool, the "Shell of Paralysis" lands next to it. The shell releases a thick, pungent spray, that Grimm explains is made from a mixture of herbs and pomegranate.

As the werewolf scratches furiously at its snout, Grimm sneaks up behind it with a large metal trap in hand. The trap, called the "Iron Maiden", quickly wraps around the werewolf's body and locks, restricting its movements. **"Your claws and teeth...Why do you think they are so big?"** Grimm, quickly followed by Velou, walks out of the smoke wearing a gas mask. **"It's so that humans are able to make you suffer fully, the pain you've caused them with each of your five senses."**

The two hunters raise their weapons to the werewolf, and Grimm asks the creature if it has any last words. The werewolf begins to beg Velou to spare its life, while it internally schemes to trick the young boy. It tries to appeal to Velou's better nature, saying that werewolves have no choice but to eat humans, and that if they let it go, it won't return to the village. It pleads with Velou, telling him that it doesn't want to die.

Velou, upon hearing this, lowers his musket and eyes to the ground. He says that he never set out to get revenge; the mayor is dead, and no matter what they do to the werewolf, it can't undo what has been done. He won't kill it. Grimm says that she understands, before promptly raising her weapon and shooting a hole through the werewolf's head.

As blood flies, the young boy looks on in disbelief. Grimm says that it is because of a werewolf's nature that they as hunters must exterminate them; they give in to their appetite without thinking and will die unless they consume human flesh. She tells Velou that if you let a werewolf escape, they will just head to another village and begin feeding again. She asks him when he is going to change, and if he truly does still want to become a hunter and protect his village.

As the werewolf's clawed hand wavers in the air, Grimm says that her job is to kill werewolves and that to take responsibility for one's actions is the hunters' way. Velou notices the werewolf slowly rising to the ground, its bones exposed and dripping with blood, as Grimm turns to face it defiantly. What's left of the creature pounces forward, making to grab her, as Grimm says to Velou that he needs be strong enough to pull the trigger.

The foul creature curses Grimm, its one remaining eye pulsing with rage, as it says that if this is to be its end, it is going to take her along with it. The werewolf swears that it will tear her apart with its own claws and—

Velou pulls the trigger.

The werewolf's limbs go flying in a bloody mess, as the boy breathes out heavily. Grimm is surprised and says that he had it in him after all. She explains that until creatures like werewolves, witches and vampires are nothing but fairy tales, the hunters will continue to fight on. The huntress then hangs the small bag of pocket money in front of Velou, as he kneels down before her, and says that she will help him.

After ten years of gruesome, mortal combat, the last werewolf was successfully killed by the hunters. Legends have gone on to say that the hunters fulfilled their purpose, hung up their weapons and disappeared just like the werewolves. They slayed the creatures with bullets, and their hoods were dyed crimson by the spurts of their blood.

These hunters came to be known as the "Red Hoods" and their legends have continued to be passed down for future generations.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Velou
* Mayor
* Grimm
* Granny