The Fire Hunter

The Fire Hunter (火狩りの王, Hikari no Ō, also known as The Firecatcher Lord) is a Japanese fantasy novel series written by Rieko Hinata and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. Holp Shuppan published four volumes between December 2018 and September 2020. The story is set in the distant future where a calamity has altered human physiology, causing them to spontaneously combust in the presence of fire. As a result, human civilization collapsed until an alternative fuel source was discovered, derived from the blood of demonic creatures called "Fire Fiends." This led to the formation of elite hunters called "Fire Hunters," whose sole purpose is to hunt Fire Fiends and harvest their blood, fueling a new industrial revolution. The narrative follows Touko, a young girl from a remote village, and Koushi, a Fire Hunter. Touko is saved by a Fire Hunter in the forest, who, with his last words, tells her the name of his dog, Kanata. Feeling responsible for the hunter’s death, Touko is tasked by her village to take Kanata and the hunter’s belongings to the capital. Meanwhile, Koushi discovers troubling secrets about the ruling royal family and embarks on research into a special fire stone left by his father, sparking a race against time to save humanity. The series has been adapted into an anime television series by Signal.MD, with the first season airing from January to March 2023, and the second season from January to March 2024.