《The Hunter Games: A Monster Hunting LitRPG》 B1.CH1: Birthday Boy NOTE: This series starts off slow burn for purposes of fleshed out world building and character development (which, understandably, isn''t the normal speed on RR). So for the first 32 chapters or so, Nero and his team will be undergoing trials/field exams for their entry into Hunter Corp. Book 1 will be about 190k words From hunter evaluations to entering a tournament for big prize money, there will be monster slaying, mystery solving, rank leveling, and sponsor rewards!
CHAPTER ONE Nero Calling all talent! Calling all talent! Take your career to the next level! Become a hunter and earn easy money! Collect fame points, gain sponsors, and become the hero of your town! Well, what are ya waiting for?! Registration is easy. Head to your nearest sign up station today! Easy money, huh? Ma would beg to differ¡­. Being a hunter was all I ever dreamt about, but it wasn¡¯t an easy gig in the slightest. Reason number one¨C the application process. It was ridiculously selective. Only talents could sign up, people who were lucky enough to be born with a gift. Whether it be bending metal with your mind or shooting ice out your ass, if you got a super power, you were eligible to be a hunter. And even then, there was a preliminary review you had to pass, where your stats were judged by a council of seven elite meta-humans. Safe to say that even if you didn¡¯t enlist, having a meta ability was pretty damn badass. Despite talents being regulated all around the globe, just being in that 10% in town was a special feat that nothing else could compare to. And here I was, slouched over my kitchen island, wishing that I had a meta ability¡­. Having a special skill would be such a game changer. And being a hunter, even more so. It was the best badge in the world by a long shot. Being a licensed slayer came with perks, like a butt load of money, prestige, and being idolized as a hero. But there¡¯s also a scariness to it that the giftless hunter fan base tried to ignore, and that was completing assignments. Which brought me to reason number two, shadow-walkers. Shadow-walkers, flesh-eaters, demons, monsters¡ªit didn¡¯t matter the slang. They all meant the same thing. They were the creatures you heard bumping in the night, the ones that lurked in the corners of your back alleyways and backyards, stalking and terrorizing you and everyone you love. They needed to feed on blood to survive, and they fed relentlessly. Shadow-walkers were the reason why the Hunter Corp existed in the first place, where teams of three would hunt them and their collective territorial asses. Unlike every other aspect of being a hunter, killing flesh-eaters was the most dangerous¡­. ¡°Serve all over the globe, collect fame points and become a star!¡± the perky Molly Melody chirped in her enthusiastic voice, the teal-haired icon enticing a grunt out of me as she continued her stunts on the flat screen TV. ¡°I¡¯m trying, Molly, I¡¯m trying¡­¡± I pouted, ruffling my fingers irritatedly through my black hair until I heard my mom¡¯s sandals clacking my way. I turned to her to see her face twisted in a disapproving frown. ¡°Her again?!¡± she hissed as she wiped down a wet plate, her eyes looking at the TV in the living room of our open-floor-plan flat. ¡°Don¡¯t they ever get tired of her being on the big screen?¡± I snorted amusingly. ¡°She¡¯s a symbol of Hunter Corp. She¡¯s always going to be on TV. According to statistics, her ads reel in the most hunters by far.¡± Ma huffed. ¡°And, she¡¯s a cute bat girl with talent. She represents the demi-human population, too.¡± ¡°Well, the least she could do is put some clothes on,¡± she moaned, sucking her teeth. I laughed. ¡°Ma, she has clothes on.¡± She snapped her eyes at me with a gasp. ¡°You call that skimpy leotard an outfit?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all part of the image and branding. Besides, I bet it¡¯s comfortable in combat,¡± I said in a cheeky tone. ¡°And you have to admit, her acrobatics are pretty impressive.¡± She rolled her eyes and then shifted her attention back to the screen. After she muttered something about her wild conspiracy theories under her breath, I chuckled again, shaking my head. ¡°You¡¯re just hating on Hunter Corp, as per your anti-establishment tendencies.¡± She heaved a sigh, the sigh sounding more like a groan. The flamboyant advertisement ended with Molly Melody striking a pose and then flipping backwards off the screen in a flurry of bright, seizure-inducing colors. ¡°Nero, you know where I stand on hunters. I have every reason to hate Hunter Corp,¡± she whispered seriously, her grip on the plate tightening. ¡°Sending those kids out there to fight problems adults should be handling. It¡¯s unethical!¡± ¡°Meta-humans are at their peak between the ages of 16 to 22, Mom. You know that. If you¡¯re lucky, that range could be longer, but it¡¯s rare.¡± My mom¡¯s face scrunched up as she continued to watch that commercial. She said that the positive spin they loved to broadcast made her sick to her stomach. Sure, being a hunter came with all the glory one person could ever dream of, but it was also risky. Going out there day in and day out, saving the population from vicious monsters easily ten times your size¡­. She called it torture, something kids shouldn¡¯t be doing on a regular basis. ¡°Ma, you¡¯re overreacting,¡± I whispered to her gently, watching as she settled the plate right next to me on the counter. ¡°Hunters are trained. Why else would they have mentors?¡± ¡°Training? Does that guarantee that they¡¯ll come back in one piece? Back to their families? Their mothers and fathers? Does it, Nero?¡± I sighed. ¡°No, but it lessens the possibility of¡ª¡± ¡°Being eaten alive out there?!¡± she cried, her voice breaking. ¡°You know, they rarely talk about it! About those who don''t make it? They glorify this as a grand adventure, but they never stop to mention the hunters who lose their lives... not once!¡± she ranted, her gaze shifting from my face to the plate she was holding on the countertop. Her knuckles had turned white from gripping it too tight, my mom¡¯s stand on this topic unwavering. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make up for the horrors behind closed doors. You can¡¯t convince me that there¡¯s nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I feel sorry for all of those families¡­.¡± I sulked. ¡°I know being a hunter is all you¡¯ve ever wanted, Nero, but I have dreams of you being so much more¡­.¡± She turned to me and smiled sweetly. ¡°Like a doctor! You remember Grandpa Benjo, right? I want you to amount to something. To become an important part of society that cannot be replaced. In these dark times, we need more heroes in the medical field. You know this, I am sure you do. You¡¯re a very smart boy, Nero. I know you can do it!¡± ¡°Of course, I know you believe in me,¡± I said disappointedly, perching my chin on the ball of my palm. ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have emptied out your life savings on that snobbish high school.¡± She chuckled as she walked over to the fridge behind us, pulling out a tray. ¡°You only say that because the tuition in Acadia High is expensive.¡± My eyes softened on her as I turned my head her way. ¡°Mom, we could put that money to good use.¡± I sighed. ¡°Having to kill yourself so I can get this so-called top notch education. You¡¯re working like a dog as it is. I mean, three jobs? Hell, I hardly get to see you. I¡¯m surprised you had the time to set all of this up and¡ª¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± she blurted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss this very special day for those pencil-necked hussies at Spenser¡¯s Jewelry Boutique! It¡¯s my baby¡¯s birthday! His 18th birthday!¡± she sang, settling my birthday cake right next to me on the island counter. She lit up exactly 18 candles, the heavy fumes getting in my throat as I coughed. I fanned my hand over my face and teased, ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re gonna burn the house down!¡± ¡°Oh, stop being dramatic! Isn¡¯t as bad as the last time we lit some candles, right?¡± ¡°You were turning 43. I¡¯m shocked the sprinklers didn¡¯t go off.¡± ¡°Hardy har-har, smart-ass,¡± she sassed cheekily. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I still look sexier than you.¡± I smiled. Traditionally, a birthday song would be sung, but of course, Mom wanted to be different. After lighting the candles, she proceeded to do this very awkward and embarrassing birthday dance. She swayed her hips side to side and spun around the small kitchen in a twirl, her face beaming with unfiltered joy. She had no rhythm, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight. But I loved her. The woman who had held my hand on my first day of school. The one who had nursed my scraped knees and tolerated my daredevil phase, and the one who continued raising me after dad left when I was nine years old. She was my best friend, and undeniably the brightest light in my life, and I¡¯d do anything for her. ¡°Okay mom... okay¡­.¡± I managed, mustering as much sternness as I could. But it was difficult to hide the grin spreading across my face. ¡°You¡¯re going to hurt yourself with that sorry excuse for dancing!¡± ¡°Quit being a sorry stick in the mud!¡± she tweeted playfully, then proceeded to shimmy toward me with her round hip poking out. ¡°Instead of being a loser, dance with me!¡± I shrugged. ¡°Well¡­ if you insist¡ª¡± I got right down to it, pumping my fists up in the air and gyrating my waist back and forth like Bully Maguire. My mother laughed, her contagious chuckles harmonizing with the 90¡¯s pop music she had playing softly in the background. ¡°You¡¯ve always had two left feet!¡± my mother interjected, mock frustration painted across her face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she placed one hand on her hip and pointed a finger at me. ¡°You¡¯ve got to let the music move you, not just flail around like a rusty windmill.¡± ¡°Ha! I know you¡¯re not talking about my dance moves!¡± I teased. ¡°If I¡¯m that horrible at dancing, you know where I got it from.¡± ¡°All right, all right! Shots fired!¡± She laughed. I knew I was far from a dancing prodigy, but seeing her in such high spirits was worth any amount of personal embarrassment. The worn wooden floorboards of our living room creaked and groaned under our synchronized hip bumping. We looked like two goofballs, but being silly with mom was commonplace. The only reason I was being a sour-patch earlier was because I was bummed out about what this 18th birthday really meant for me¡­ ¡°Oh, what a workout!¡± Mom heaved, finally catching her breath. She then went into a bout of coughs, the ones she¡¯d go through about 20 times a day. Countless clinics and over 30 doctors later, and we still couldn¡¯t get a diagnosis. ¡°You all right, Mom?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. My throat is just dry. And my feet¡­¡± she said, trying to brush it off, before grabbing her knee as she leaned over. ¡°They are still killing me from landscaping. But I¡¯m fine.¡± She smiled. ¡°The beauty of aging, am I right?¡± I snickered. ¡°Thanks for putting all of this together, Mom.¡± ¡°Of course, Nero,¡± she said, cradling my face in her hand. Those beautiful brown eyes shimmered like diamonds, filling my chest with wholesome feels. ¡°Happy Birthday, nugget!¡± I rolled my eyes playfully at that baby name she refused to let go, and then I gave her a hug, my mother holding me tightly. ¡°I wish I could give you the world¡­ I really do.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve given me plenty, Mom.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so understanding, Nero. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better son¡­.¡± I peeled gently from her, feeling her body tremble. ¡°Oh no, none of that!¡± I hissed playfully. ¡°Kill the water works. There will be no crying on my birthday tonight!¡± She giggled. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just getting emotional.¡± I wiped her tears away. ¡°I mean it, Mom. Quit pushing yourself so hard. We have a roof over our heads. That¡¯s what matters, right? I hate that you¡¯re killing yourself for me. You¡¯re already not well¡­.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re making me feel like a basket case,¡± she teased. ¡°Nero, don¡¯t you worry about me. Just focus on making it through Acadia. Big grades equals big rewards. Your success is my investment. No one said it was going to be easy¡­.¡± I knew that, but¡­ it could be easier¡­. She tried hiding her eyes glancing over to the fridge, where a legion of post-it notes cluttered family photos and shopping lists. Reminders of bills being overdue, shifts at her three jobs, medical bills, and small things to do around our tiny apartment that would generate the desperate income we needed to keep things afloat. We weren¡¯t the richest family in the world, but my mom swore we were the poorest. Unlike any other town in New York State, Xion was one of the few places where you could live in a doll house and still pay over four thousand dollars for rent. The once small and peaceful town in upstate New York now had a higher cost of living than the Big Apple itself, and the reason for that was because Xion was recognized as the birthplace of the gifted. Understandably, people began flocking over to Xion right after the first gifted infants were born decades ago. ¡°Don¡¯t let that ruin your moment, Nero,¡± Mom said, noticing I was looking over to the fridge. I cracked a smile. ¡°No Ma, it¡¯s not that¡­.¡± ¡°Then, why do you look so sad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m eighteen¡­ which means, I¡¯m definitely not getting a gift¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, who needs powers nowadays?!¡± she said, trying to cheer me up. ¡°You got better things! Wit, charm, street smarts, and a heart of gold! You don¡¯t need powers to go a long way in life.¡± ¡°But¡­ they said there¡¯s a 5% chance of getting a meta-ability before turning 18¡­. Midnight is only a couple hours away, and¡ª¡± ¡°So quit grumbling about it and make a wish for the future,¡± she said, handing me a knife to cut the cake. She looked up to me passionately, with a confident motherly glow that made my chest flutter. I already knew what she was saying¡ªgood things were coming. Don¡¯t let one shortcoming close doors for the possibilities around the corner. I enveloped her hand in mine, letting her know that I wanted both of us to cut the cake. ¡°I have a lot I want to ask for, Mom. But there¡¯s only one that means a lot to me¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t say my wish aloud so it could come true. It was the same wish I had every year¨Cto be able to support my mom, so she could stop stressing out about me and focus on her health. She never took the time to take care of herself, and her situation wasn¡¯t getting better anytime soon. They said money didn¡¯t solve problems, but in our case, it would by a long shot¡­. I felt a chill run through me as we drew the blade down, cutting a line through the strawberry-filled lemon cake. I¡¯d made my wish, and then just as suddenly, a whistle blew. And not the partying type of whistle, either. How ironic that everything around us went dark the moment I sliced that cake, the sound of low churning making Mom and I look around, noticing that the power had gone out. Immediately, Mom panicked, turning around and fishing for something as she ran her hands over the counter. With the street light from outside shining some light through the kitchen window, she opened the drawer where all of her final notices were stashed. ¡°No, no, no!¡± she huffed, rummaging through the stack of bills before she found the one she was looking for. ¡°Ugh, the 15th?! It¡¯s not due yet! Those bozos! What ever happened to their grace period?!¡± This wouldn¡¯t be the first time our power went out. Luckily, I had planned in advance, installing battery-powered LED lights all over the apartment. I clapped my hands and they all went on at once, bringing light to every room. I went over to comfort Mom, who was being more hysterical than usual. I could only imagine what was racing through her head right now, already blaming herself for ruining my special day. But I didn¡¯t care about all of that. ¡°Hey,¡± I said, taking my mom¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯ll pay for it on my card. I can take up extra hours at the shop and¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± she retorted, quickly rejecting my offer. ¡°You need that extra time to study, Nero. I don¡¯t want your grades slipping. You¡¯re barely making it along as it is. I will take care of it.¡± ¡°What? Seriously, I¡ª¡± ¡°Final answer, Nero. You know I don¡¯t like repeating myself.¡± I scrunched my face at her and looked down at my mom sternly. ¡°You know, next time, I¡¯m not going to ask. I know you might think I don¡¯t know this, but I see a lot. More than you want me to see¡­.¡± ¡°Please, Nero¡­. I don¡¯t want to talk about this right now.¡± She sighed, raking her fingers through her brunette hair anxiously. ¡°I need to think about how I¡¯m going to get the power back on.¡± I grabbed her wrist gently and turned her attention to me. ¡°We need to talk about this,¡± I begged, but before I could say another word, we both jumped from the loud thud coming from the front door. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Sophie, my adopted sister, tweeted, kicking the door behind her closed with the heel of her shoe as she hauled three stuffed paper bags in her arms. Her short blond hair bounced over her shoulders when she took a step back with a startled look across those blue eyes. ¡°Whaaat?! I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t cut the cake before I came back from work!¡± I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You said you were working the third shift. We didn¡¯t expect you back until 3am.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know, but I gave the head chef a piece of my mind today!¡± She hissed, her furry hamster ears flaring up whenever she got all hot and puffy. She dropped her bags on the kitchen counter, where I noticed she¡¯d brought decorations for my birthday. ¡°I told him I needed just one day off out of the year. Just one! I told him way in advance! I¡¯m talking months! And he had the nerve to flat out deny it! That kitchen wouldn¡¯t last one day without me! I deserve respect! I deserve some appreciation! So I stormed into his office and gave him a piece of my mind. I put my foot down and said, if you¡¯re not going to honor my day off, then I quit!¡± Mom gasped. ¡°You quit your job?¡± ¡°Sophie, please don¡¯t tell me you quit your job for me!¡± I begged. ¡°I was gonna! But Dorian said I could take the rest of the day off!¡± Mom clenched her chest and took a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, thank goodness¡­. Please So, don¡¯t go around burning bridges. We can¡¯t afford any one of us losing our jobs.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t burn any bridges. They need me more than I need them,¡± Sophie retorted, pouting slightly, but there was a flare of triumph in her eyes. ¡°Though, I guess I might¡¯ve singed a few, heh!¡± I snorted, despite the earlier tension in the room. Sophie always had a knack for defusing situations with her eccentric remarks and zany attitude. She was unpredictable to say the least, but if there was one thing she was an expert on, it was cooking. God damn, that girl could cook¡­ She¡¯d already promised me a home-cooked birthday meal, I just didn¡¯t know which day she¡¯d have the time to make it. ¡°Alright,¡± she continued, deflating her rowdy emotions. ¡°Let me get started on dinner then. You only turn 18 once!¡± She started pulling ingredients out of a bag¡ªlamb chops, potatoes, Penne noodles, ground beef¡­ I was getting more and more excited with every item she pulled out! ¡°I¡¯m making your favorite meals tonight, birthday nugget!¡± She beamed. ¡°I also dashed to Party City and grabbed all of this cool stuff so we can decorate and celebrate proper! But I see that you guys already partied on without me, so¡ª¡± ¡°No, no, no! Party on!¡± Mom interjected. ¡°So, I¡¯m glad that you can take some time off and celebrate with us. We actually hadn¡¯t eaten the cake yet. And the both of us only had frozen dinner a few hours ago. Nero could use a home-cooked meal on his birthday¡­.¡± Sophie smiled. ¡°Okay, good because I¡ªwait a minute, why are the back-up lights on?¡± She gasped. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s for the party? Gotta say, I¡¯m not hatin¡¯ it!¡± ¡°No actually. It¡¯s not for the party. The power went off. Just a few minutes ago, actually.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t let that stop our fun!¡± Mom chirped. ¡°Please, decorate, cook, dance, enjoy yourselves! It¡¯s still early, and there is no point in killing the mood for one small mishap. I¡¯ll get the lights back on, don¡¯t worry, okay? I just¡­ need to go to the bathroom and make a quick phone call¡­.¡± She took her phone with her to her bedroom and locked herself inside as she fought another bout of coughs, my eyes following her every move until she shut the door. Sophie turned to me and asked, ¡°Hey, Nero? Is everything okay?¡± I looked down at her and smiled. ¡°Yeah. Everything is fine. Mom wants us to party, right? So let¡¯s party, Sophie¡­¡± ++++ If there was one thing that I didn¡¯t like about Mom, it was her stubbornness. She¡¯d never let me spend a penny for anything around the house. Not even for something as small as groceries or internet and cable. The money that I did make went to help pay for my tuition, and even then I had to fight her about the idea of me taking a part time job. According to her, more time away from the garage meant more time I could study and better my grades, but she couldn¡¯t understand that her stressing out with all of this was making me stress out, too. Not to mention, Acadia was no walk in the park, either. I was surrounded by eggheads there. A simple guy like myself was in the bottom percentile. Most teachers there saw me as a joke because my grades were laughable compared to everyone else on campus. At school, I was just the class clown, the guy with the smart mouth, or the laid back dude who hung out with the geeky kids and traded ¡®anime¡¯ cards. They were so lame that they didn¡¯t know what Magic was¡­ Not to say that I didn¡¯t try. No one knew how much I tried more than myself, it was just that killing myself was something I couldn¡¯t do¡ªto myself, or to Mom. Sophie got me in better moods when she cooked us that amazing five-star dinner once the power came back on. Even though Mom tried dodging the topic of our crippling debt situation at the table, I could tell that she didn¡¯t have an answer for us about how she got the lights back on. But I didn¡¯t push it on her. I didn¡¯t want to unload the can of beans tonight and ruin the evening for everyone. She wanted to focus on me tonight, and I was going to let her. For one night, I wanted her to stop worrying about our problems. My family always had it rough. Things just seemed to go from bad to worse. Other people would ask with a doctor in the family, how could folk like us have money woes? Well, Grandpa Benjo had like a gazillion kids, and those kids had kids. Mom was the middle child. You know, the sorry kid who gets forgotten in family transactions? And Mom was never the type to speak up about being left behind, either. She¡¯d always been very independent. And honestly, for a while, it was enough to push us through year after year. But then dad left, and shit hit the fan. Since then, we¡¯ve been living in the struggle. Struggling seemed to be the theme of our lives, and honestly, I was sick of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t think things would get this tough¡­¡± I whispered to myself, checking the time on my Android again for the umpteenth time. It was nearing midnight now, and I was sitting in my room counting down the seconds. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll feel this strange sensation in my chest¡­. My muscles will tense, and then my stomach will get filled with butterflies¡­. ¡°A strange power will take control of me, and before I know it, I will have a gift¡­.¡± Yeah, just like that one guy in Lockstead¡­ He was about to turn 18 too when he got his powers. Five percent didn¡¯t mean zero. And if there was hope for me to become a hunter, then I wasn¡¯t going to give up! Suddenly, I jumped, hearing a tap. My reaction might have been a bit over the top, seeing as it was a soft knocking on the door. But I had my hopes up that it was something else, like the sound of destiny knocking¡­ The power to concentrate sound waves? Corny, but shit, I¡¯d take just about anything right now¡­. ¡°Nero? I know you¡¯re not asleep yet. Can I come in?¡± Sophie said, and I prompted her to enter. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± I¡¯d planned on sitting in the dark alone, counting down midnight on my phone, but Sophie¡¯s company sounded good, too. She slowly crept in with a small muffin holding a single lit candle on a saucer, the light flickering off the candle illuminating that devious smile on her face. I chuckled. ¡°I know that sneaky look,¡± I sang, Sophie finding me on the rug with my back against the bed. She joined me by my side and admitted, ¡°I stole the last one from the kitchen before I left.¡± ¡°Muffin raspberry cheesecake¡­¡± I whispered as she handed it to me, along with the smallest spork I¡¯d seen in my life. ¡°I know it¡¯s your favorite dessert from Pochetti¡¯s!¡± ¡°Aww, how thoughtful of you¡­ thieving for your best friend. Melts my heart.¡± She tossed a playful punch on my shoulder. ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± ¡°I just hope you don¡¯t expect the same from me. Mom would beat me silly with that old crusty sandal she keeps in her closet if she ever heard about me thieving.¡± She giggled. I blew the candle and fixed myself to take a bite. ¡°You¡¯re lucky she¡¯s not as strict with you as she is with me.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re her son. I¡¯m just an orphan.¡± ¡°Hey, you know I don¡¯t like it when you degrade yourself like that. You¡¯re part of the family.¡± ¡°I know, I know. But it¡¯s different for you. You know that. Not to say that Nataly doesn¡¯t care for me. I know she does. And I care for her, too. But her little nugget gets to be mama bear¡¯s target for her extra rigorous disciplining!¡± ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re just messing with me.¡± She huddled her knees against her chest as she smiled at me. Sophie patiently waited for me to take that first bite of my muffin, and when I did, my soul melted like putty. ¡°Mmm, this tastes better than the last batch you stole.¡± ¡°Oh, jeez, thanks for making me sound like a certified crook!¡± ¡°Just a certified cook.¡± I snickered. ¡°Although, on my defense, this was like the seventh one you snatched.¡± ¡°And the eighth one I¡¯m gonna steal is going down this donut chute!¡± she argued playfully, pointing at her own lips. ¡°All right, all right, you don¡¯t have to get nasty, Sophie! Here,¡± I offered, giving her my spork. Her eyes grew, Sophie taking it hesitantly. ¡°What? You never shared your muffin cake before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling generous today. Sue me.¡± ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s not it,¡± she said, taking the tray with her. ¡°Something¡¯s on your mind. I can tell.¡± ¡°Heh, really? You know me that well?¡± ¡°Spill it.¡± I snorted. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Egh, you sound like Mom. Always with the don¡¯t worry about it. Not exactly a flattering trait. If something is nudging you, you have to talk it out. You know I¡¯m always here to listen, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just¡­ don¡¯t want to bother with it anymore.¡± ¡°Bother with what? Come on, tell me,¡± she insisted as she ate. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ conflicted¡­¡± I admitted, rolling up the sleeves to my flannel shirt, ¡°between what I want and what she wants.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Yeah. For the longest time, I¡¯ve wanted to be a hunter. She¡¯s loved putting a bad spin on it, every chance she gets. At some point, I stopped mentioning it so often because I always knew it¡¯d put her in a mood. But then she enrolled me in that preppy high school. Her saving up for me to go there was a surprise. Hell, if I¡¯d known all of her hard earned money was going there, I would have stopped her a long time ago. She¡¯s doing everything she can to set up this career path for me, but here¡¯s the thing¡ªit¡¯s not for me. Being a doctor¡ªshit, I can¡¯t even see myself in a blinding white coat let alone in a cramped office spitting discharge orders to Nurse Cathy!¡± She looked at me funny and asked, ¡°Ughh, have you been watching my soaps again?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, but that¡¯s beside the point!¡± I protested playfully. ¡°That¡¯s her dream, not mine. But how do you say that to someone who has spent nearly two decades bending over backwards for you so you could have a decent life?¡± ¡°Nero, Mom has always been like this. Why is it bothering you now?¡± ¡°Because,¡± I uttered, shooting up on my feet and pacing anxiously down my rug. ¡°Because¡­.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re 18, and you think you aren¡¯t getting a gift?¡± ¡°This was my year to make a difference for her¡­ for all of us¡­.¡± ¡°Not getting a gift isn¡¯t your fault, Nero.¡± ¡°Then why the hell do I feel like I¡¯m the only one to blame?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. It¡¯s not something you can control.¡± ¡°There¡¯s 10% out there¡­ and then there¡¯s me.¡± I scoffed, and then I turned to her defeatedly. ¡°When the hell are we going to catch a break? Ya know?¡± ¡°We ¡®gotta face reality, stare it right in the eye sockets and realize that fate has different plans for us! Mom is right. Being gifted isn¡¯t everything! There¡¯s so much work behind it that you¡¯re forgetting about. You have an image to upkeep, and a bunch of people watching you 24/7. Honestly there is no privacy in the career at all. Then there¡¯s endless training, contracts, Hunter Games¡ª¡± ¡°I thought you said you liked watching the games?¡± ¡°Pfft, yeah! Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d want to be part of it! What I¡¯m saying is, I think you¡¯re giving this whole being a hunter thing too much credit. You¡¯re totally beating yourself up about it.¡± ¡°Mom¡¯s health is declining¡­ if I had the money, she could¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the bills, she¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than that.¡± I held my breath. ¡°She¡¯s working with a loan shark, Sophie¡­.¡± She jumped on her feet. ¡°What? How do you know?¡± ¡°I know my mom well enough to figure it out. She¡¯s been acting different lately¡­ secretive, always dipping in and out. She¡¯s hiding shit, and she¡¯d never done that with me before. We¡¯ve always been transparent with each other. With the both of us. I just don¡¯t like where this is heading at all. I¡¯ve kept my mouth shut about it long enough, waiting for her to tell me¡­.¡± ¡°Nero¡­.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want her getting hurt is all. And if I had real cash, she wouldn¡¯t have to get mixed up with the wrong kind of people.¡± ¡°We¡¯re only speculating.¡± ¡°I have all the proof I need. I overheard a conversation. Her side only, but it was enough to come up with a pretty solid conviction. Shit, I just feel so stuck,¡± I said, letting a hard breath out as I raked my fingers through my hair. ¡°Without a talent, nothing will ever change. We¡¯d have to continue fighting the hard way. And I get it, life isn¡¯t supposed to be easy. But I¡¯m so sick and tired of pushing and pushing with no give. She won¡¯t stop until she sees that silver lining, Sophie. Her free pass has always depended on my success. This pouring money into me, trying to mold me into a high-paying, outstanding citizen of Xion has always been her dream! And don¡¯t even get me started on leaving this forsaken expensive dump! I need to stay in this Ivy League high school¡­. I need to enroll in an Ivy League college! It¡¯s so much pressure, and I just¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to disappoint her?¡± Sophie said behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Disappoint her or¡­ disappoint myself¡­¡± I sighed. She gave me a wholesome grin. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about all of that! Because you will be passing all of your classes and that SAT with flying colors with my help!¡± ¡°But, we go to different schools. We don¡¯t have the same classes, and¡ª¡± ¡°So?! I can still be your study partner! Besides, your extra-curricular activities are impressive, especially for someone who works part time. You have also done some volunteer work, colleges look at all of that. It¡¯s not only about academia, Nero. If we really sit down and focus on a mission here, it doesn¡¯t have to be all that hard. You can get into any school you want!¡± ¡°Sophie¡ª¡± ¡°Remember when you saved me, Nero?¡± she asked, her eyes softening on me. ¡°When we were young? Remember what you said? That¡­ you don¡¯t need to be strong physically to win a fight. You just need to be smart, and patient, and honest with all the things you can and cannot do at the moment. So what if you can¡¯t be a hunter? And so what if you don¡¯t want to be a doctor? The world will keep spinning, and you¡¯ll keep on living and surviving. Choose a career that you do want, one that you can do. Everything else will fall into place¡­.¡± My alarm went off with the clock on my phone hitting midnight. ¡°It¡¯s official!¡± she tweeted excitedly. ¡°You can finally move on and stop stressing yourself out! We¡¯re the meta-less duo, and that¡¯s what we are always gonna be! Which is perfect, because I would have been lonely without you.¡± She winked. She got a chuckle out of me. ¡°Hey, maybe you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m right!¡± The art of forgetting¡­ Sophie was onto something here¡­. ¡°A new career¡­. Well, I¡¯ve always been into fixing cars, basically learning how stuff works.¡± ¡°There you go!¡± ¡°I could be a mechanical engineer¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking electric generators, escalators and elevators!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, stuff like that.¡± ¡°I can totally see you in a hard hat!¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t let those super powered assholes at school rub it all¡ª¡± I stopped short, looking down at the tray in Sophie¡¯s hand. My face sulked, trying hard not to give her a stone cold look. ¡°Sophie¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡­ you ate all of my cake¡­.¡± ++++
Naomi
Age: 18
Meta: Telekinesis
Career: Pending...
Last night was rough, but I was feeling pretty damn good about myself this morning. I thought I¡¯d have a tough time falling asleep, but I knocked out like a thumb-sucking baby. Having all of those sweets must have hit me big time, giving me the best seven hour snooze of my life. Once 7:30 am struck, I was out of bed, ready to head back to school one more time before the weekend. When I woke up, I didn¡¯t see Mom anywhere. Usually we¡¯d all head out at the same time, where she¡¯d obsess over how crooked the tie to my uniform was. But today, all I got was a little sticky note on the door saying that she went to work early to pick up some overtime. I scratched my chin, unable to think of the last time her job offered overtime in the morning. But I didn¡¯t dwell on it too much longer than I had to. ¡°Stop dragging your feet, Nero! We¡¯ll miss the bus!¡± Sophie said behind me, stuffing a piece of toast in my mouth before she dashed out the door in a hurry. After I watched her get off at her stop, she stood along the curb and waved me goodbye. I saluted her from inside the bus, before she took her fist and slammed it inside her hand with a mischievous look on her face. At a quick glance, the gesture looked like a dirty joke, but what she was really referring to was the time I¡¯d slipped on pound cake, when I had taken my last step off of the bus on a fluffy golden loaf straight to hell. My back was gone for over a week, but honestly, I blamed that hostile old lady for shoulder bumping me as she got inside the bus holding her dessert. The sharp-tongued, impatient scrooge was more worried that I¡¯d flattened her winning entry for the county fair baking competition as I lay on the sidewalk in pain. I rolled my eyes at Sophie as the bus drove off, and then I tried to distract myself with everything and anything from Hunter Corp. Which honestly, was the hardest thing to do, considering being a hunter was all you¡¯d see in the streets. Ads were up on billboards, on benches, on storefront posters, even on the back of the seat I was sitting behind. I picked up the magazine and shuffled through, landing on a page where Molly was posing with last year¡¯s top hunter, Ramus. I scoffed. ¡°That egotistical maniac. He had to go ruin it for himself by being a junkie.¡± Once I reached campus, my eyes glossed over the usual scene. Acadia High was a cesspool for segregation, talent sticking with other talent on one side, and regulars wishing they were talent on the other. Using powers on school grounds was forbidden, but something small like a light show usually slipped under their radar. By now, the gifted knew how to dodge enforcers of the code, but every now and again, a showboat would get expelled for not following the rules. Which was perfect, because the rules got rid of everyone¡¯s brolic bully, Bruce Seynaro. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t get rid of his loyalists, too. As soon as I flung the double doors of General Hall open, a bunch of push-over metas known as Brucers cocked a sneer at me. Their pissy faces instantly brought a smile on mine as I remembered our last encounter a few days ago, when they¡¯d tried to jump me for getting their big boy expelled last week. Bruce was all brawn and no brain, his metal sheath skill getting to his head. I¡¯d caught him passing questionables around campus, vials he swore would give us regs powers. But Compound 7 was illegal in New York, as well as the rest of the United States, and he knew if he got caught that he¡¯d be out of the running for a hunter career when drafting season came. So when I saw him and Ashton exchanging big cash and big product behind the bleachers, I made a nasty comment that had him swinggin¡¯. Bruce was strong, but with all of that muscle and metal, he was slow. I barely had to lift a finger in our fight, letting his rage do all of the work. Each punch he threw was telegraphed and easy to sidestep; his kicks couldn¡¯t land either as I danced around him, light on my feet. His supporters, the Brucers, didn¡¯t dare step in to help him. That¡¯d ruin his rep and make him look pathetic. There¡¯s no reason talent needed help fighting a reg. There was nothing they could do but pull up a chair and watch the show, their smirks slowly turning into grimaces as I made a joke out of their leader. In exploding frustration, Bruce had finally resorted to his metal sheath extender skill. An impressive feat to say the least, but a glaring weakness to those who knew a way around it. The layer of steel around his body made him almost invincible¡­ if he could manage to hit anything. The thick armor weighed him down, sapping his energy and making him even easier to dodge. It was only a matter of time before a crowd formed and the principal caught on to all of the noise outside. The mess Brucester made rallied a bunch of campus enforcers, who then hauled him away. His doormats kept their eyes on me as I made my way to my locker, their faces only splitting my grin wider. Connie, the tall blond guy out of the pack, flicked me off, and I saluted him with a middle finger bouncing off of my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re a magnet for trouble, you know that?¡± I heard someone behind me say, and when I veered my head, I noticed my best bud Chen giving me a cheeky smirk. I snickered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you hang out with me?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, because I absolutely love being called to PD¡¯s office every other day to vouch for your sorry ass,¡± he said, rolling his eyes with a playful grin on his face. We¡¯d been through this routine countless times before, and though he complained, I knew Chen secretly enjoyed the thrill of our escapades. But lately, Bruce¡¯s crew had been on my case more than usual. Chen was afraid that one day the bunch of wannabe campus thugs would risk it all and come at my neck. Despite his seemingly unbothered demeanor, I knew that he had been analyzing the situation just as carefully as I had been. All his jokes and banter aside, Chen was perceptive, always watching and always calculating. He¡¯d been my friend for years, and just like Sophie, he¡¯d throw hands against a meta for me if he had to. We walked side by side along the rows of lockers, ignoring the whispers that followed us like a stray puppy. Connie pulled away from the group and started to slowly follow us, some Bruce-wannabe jackass who sported a shaggy mop of hair and a scowl that would have made the big Brucester proud. Which was funny, because he was stronger than his boss by a bit. He was one of the more powerful meta-humans on campus, with an electricity thing going on which he¡¯d used to scare off freshmen. It didn¡¯t bother me one bit though. Guys like him got his ego stroked all the time. I¡¯d be damned if I were a typical femboy bending over backwards for this guy, like the group of regulars who¡¯d just intercepted him from stalking us. Nice save. ¡°You look paranoid, Chen,¡± I said, looking over my shoulder at him as he turned to me sheepishly. ¡°Stop worrying. He isn¡¯t going to get expelled and hurt his chances of being enlisted.¡± ¡°You say that, but Bruce had no problem trying to squash your ass last week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s dense, and registration wasn¡¯t open last week.¡± ¡°But they are open now. Now until Saturday morning.¡± ¡°Not even a full 24 hours¡­ such a tight window.¡± ¡°Hey, I know you¡¯re crapping out about not getting an ability, but I hope you were still able to enjoy your birthday.¡± He smiled. ¡°Did you get anything awesome?¡± ¡°Nah. Told the familia that I didn¡¯t want anything this year. Money is tight enough as it is.¡± ¡°Really? Sophie didn¡¯t give you anything?¡± He cheesed, then nudged my arm with his elbow mischievously. ¡°Egh? Egh? Maybe some dessert after a filling dinner?¡± I snickered. ¡°Well¡­ she did get me some dessert from her restaurant¡­ damn, it was good¡­.¡± ¡°Come on, man! Don¡¯t hold out on me!¡± ¡°We¡¯re just friends, Chen. She¡¯s like a sister to me.¡± Chen mocked a barf and shook his head like he was getting chills. ¡°Dude, you got to stop saying that.¡± ¡°Just because we are childhood amigos living together doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± ¡°Man, maybe you do have a fucking super power. It¡¯s called Oblivioso!¡± He grunted and I laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t make me kick you in the ass for letting this one go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re relentless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious! Sophie is a babe! She¡¯s super sweet, super funny, and she can kill it in the kitchen! I¡¯m talking about loyal wifey material, man! You better not take her for granted!¡± ¡°Sophie is great, don¡¯t get me wrong, but we don¡¯t vibe like that. Besides, I like how things are between us. Why ruin it by making things weird?¡± He dropped his shoulders and looked at me starkly. ¡°Dude¡­.¡± ¡°Wanna grab some protein smoothies in the caf before class? I didn¡¯t have much for breakf¡ª¡± I stopped, being thumped in the shoulder by the long ivory-haired girl brushing past me. I held myself up by my heel and then turned around to watch her and her long sashaying ponytail go, Naomi unfazed from nearly pushing me over. I swore that was intentional, because she would do this type of shit at least once a week and not say a damn thing about it. ¡°Out of your league,¡± Chen said before I could get a word out. I snapped my head at him with my mouth hanging off the floor, shocked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I see the way you look at Naomi. She¡¯s out of your league, bro. So don¡¯t even bother.¡± I tittered nervously. ¡°What? No. I¡¯m not even looking her way.¡± ¡°You got a type, an alt girl. A hybrid between punk and goth. And she¡¯s gotta be quiet and smart¨Chard to get, too. But she¡¯s not for you, brother.¡± ¡°She¡¯s cute, but the thought honestly never crossed my mind.¡± ¡°Good. Because she will grind your heart and have it for dinner. There¡¯s something about her that feels off. She¡¯s just... weird. And a real pissy bitch, too¡­.¡± I laughed. ¡°You¡¯re still mad about the time she hooked you?¡± ¡°She nearly knocked a molar right outta¡¯ my mouth!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you were poking under her skirt like a perv!¡± ¡°I WASN¡¯T¡ª¡± Chen cut himself short and reeled his loud voice in, then grabbed my arm toward him as he walked us to a quiet section in the hallway. ¡°For the last time, I wasn¡¯t peeking under her skirt!¡± he whispered through his teeth. ¡°I dropped my text book and went down to pick it up!¡± ¡°And her ass happened to be there. Yeah, I know, I know. Heard the story about a thousand times.¡± ¡°And you still don¡¯t believe me!¡± ¡°Just admit you don¡¯t have a grip on your urges, buddy. Bet you¡¯ll never do it again!¡± I teased. ¡°Hey, look over there,¡± Chen said, pointing at the electronic bulletin at the end of the hallway. ¡°The school already has a list of top talent. Their favorite picks to become hunters.¡± ¡°Damn, that was quick.¡± I followed Chen to the crowd gathered around the interactive bulletin smart screen at least twice my height. There was a long list of names and stat sheets, where only 30% of the school¡¯s meta population were listed. My eyes fell on a few, one of them catching my immediate attention:
Career Level: --
Name: Marcus Cross Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality: --
Age: 18 Endurance: 5
Rank: -- Strength: 6
Fame: 0% Agility: 3
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 5
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 50/50
Specialty: Blitz Barrage Squadron:--
Sponsor Count:--
Mentor:-- Assignment Location:--
Fame Points:-- (FPs Accumulated):-- Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency:--
¡°His attributes aren¡¯t insanely high,¡± I said to myself. ¡°Pretty average in my opinion. Which could be a good thing¡­¡± ¡°Sign up list is on the bottom, over here,¡± Chen said, pressing the next arrow to a different list that was several screen-pages long. ¡°Heh, most of these students aren¡¯t even gifted!¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± I glossed over it, realizing just about every name on the school was on this list. ¡°What, this list is a joke. Who is going to sit down and waste time filtering through this?¡± ¡°At least we get to see the potential team-ups. Three talents per hunter team. A perfect way to make enemies out of friends!¡± I snorted. ¡°With only three spots to fill, yeah, it¡¯s tough.¡± ¡°Sorry man,¡± Chen said. ¡°I know how badly you wanted your name up there.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. Really. It¡¯s history now. I¡¯m going to take the advice of a very sharp cookie and keep to things I can do, not things that I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well then, that¡¯s the spirit! Now, if we want to get to block A on time, then I suggest we swing by the cafeteria now. Let¡¯s go.¡±
++++ Seeing that list had the blood in my veins on fire to be a hunter again. Right after I got over it, I had to be reminded of the adventure of it all. I couldn¡¯t keep my foot still, my jitters going through the roof. Classes seemed longer, and the time slower. I was itching to be as far away from that bulletin board as possible. Seeing those stat sheets made me remember that being qualified to become a hunter wasn¡¯t all about high attributes. It was about character, charisma, and likability. The more likable you were, the more sponsors you could get, and the more money and recognition they¡¯d get. After shooing the school bully off of campus grounds, I scored a few popular points among my peers, which would have bumped me big time if I had some spark¡­ ¡°Cut it out, would ya?¡± I hissed to myself as I closed my locker shut. ¡°Big dream, big fall. It doesn¡¯t mean the end of the world, though.¡± ¡°See you next week, my guy!¡± Chen waved at me as he headed off, taking his bike home while I waited for a few minutes more for the bus. After school, I went to work at Greeley¡¯s Auto Shop, finding Mr. Greeley himself underneath a suspended F150. I gave him a shout, and he greeted me back, keeping his eyes locked on the engine block. I moved around the labyrinth of car parts scattered about, and then I hung my backpack on the rusty hook along the door before heading to the bathroom to change out of my school uniform. Once I was in my dingy, oil-stained overalls, I rolled up my sleeves, ready for work. ¡°Got anything special today, Mr. Greeley?¡± I looked over at him, wiping my hands on a rag. ¡°Nah, just the usual kid,¡± he replied without looking up from his work. ¡°Got a few oil changes and tire rotations waiting for ya.¡± His voice rumbled under the clatter of tools against metal, his thick Brooklyn accent heavy like a tailpipe belching smoke. ¡°And don¡¯t forget about that transmission job on the ¡®67 Impala. Old beaut needs some tender lovin¡¯ care.¡± ¡°Aye, Mr. Greeley,¡± I agreed, heading over to my workstation. I walked toward the back lot where a row of cars were waiting like patients in an overcrowded clinic. The sun was starting to dip low, sending long shadows sprawling over the yard and painting everything in hues of orange and pink. The scent of fresh rubber, metallic oil, and decades of hard work and sweat filled the air. Picking up my tools, I was ready to plunge into the mechanical nuances of the evening. After working eight hours at the shop, it was finally time to go home. I was starving, and I couldn¡¯t wait to eat Sophie¡¯s leftovers from my birthday last night. I took the bus and had a few blocks left to walk before I reached my apartment. But I was starving, so I took a shortcut through Monument Park. I could feel the full moon over my shoulders shining down my path, but the grass was still dark as shit. Chills started to creep up my back, the air so quiet that I could hear my own rushing heartbeat. Areas with tall trees and hidden clearings were perfect hunting grounds for walkers. Even though my stomach was begging me to get home faster, I¡¯d rather take the longer route than risk crossing paths with those monsters. ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± I whispered, feeling my legs shake before they made a complete stop. I¡¯ll turn back now. No shame in pussying out¡­. I don¡¯t have anything to prove, I said to myself, and then a chime startled me, my phone buzzing from a text. Sophie messaged me; she sounded worried. My signal was finally back up, so I told her that I was fine. I texted her that my boss had an emergency and I had to stay a little late, but I was on my way home now. I turned back, ready to take the smart route home, before a scream forced me to turn my head toward the park, the echo of a desperate woman making me freeze. At first, I tried telling myself that it was the paranoia messing with my head and making me hear things, but then I heard the scream again, ¡°Someone, help me!¡± I tightened my fist and grounded my feet. Her echo was coming from deep within the forest lines of the park. For a second, I was frozen stiff, the sound of my heart knocking against my chest holding me down. Her next scream knocked me back to reality, where I fumbled with my phone to dial the Hunter Hotline Number. ¡°Come on, come on, come on!¡± I grunted to myself, realizing my signal went out again. ¡°Damn it!¡± Help wasn¡¯t coming. It was just her, the threat, and the sweat around my collar trickling down my back. I¡¯d never be able to live with myself if I let my doubts keep me from helping someone. This was what hunters did on a regular basis, so I should at least see what was going on¡­. With a deep breath, I ran toward the grove, ignoring every muscle in my body telling me I shouldn¡¯t. The best case scenario was bumping into a street thug. I had a pocket knife that I could use if anything. The worst case scenario was finding a god damn shadow walker, and with the streets so dead, I doubted there was a hunter around. If there were, they¡¯d have been here by now. So I planned on taking her and running to the nearest safehouse, an abandoned church I knew was a few blocks away from here. ¡°Please! Someone!¡± the voice echoed again. I ran faster, rushing deeper into the park. With every step, my heart raced as the sound of growling confirmed what I was afraid of. That grunt sounded deep¡­ I wonder how big it is¡­. Those heavy clouds in the sky blocked the moon, leaving everything around me in shades of black. That didn¡¯t help me one bit as I tried to assess my surroundings. Figures formed out of shadows, making me doubt every step I took. I followed her voice the best I could as I slowed down and moved cautiously. When I pushed aside a thick curtain of knobbled branches, I finally found myself in a small clearing. And in the center was a young woman huddled on the ground, with a five meter behemoth hovering over her. I held my breath. She was cornered and helpless, the menace drooling over her ready for his meal. I whipped out my pocket knife as I watched the bones along his dark leathery spine extend, a reaction from the asshole getting excited after the chase. He looked like a cross between a werewolf and a giant rabid bat, with claws six feet long and narrow ears that could hear everything from a mile away¡ªincluding me. When his furry ear flicked and his snout poked up the air, I knew he¡¯d caught my scent. He turned around and gave me a looming look, those fangs in his mouth stretching wide. ¡°Ahh, another entr¨¦e,¡± he taunted in a deep raspy growl with a twisted smile plastered on his ugly face. ¡°I love food that delivers itself!¡± I braced myself as his red beady eyes flickered satisfyingly, his long whipping tongue lapping over his lips. He looked like a category C threat, but I couldn¡¯t be sure until he started attacking. Not that it mattered anyway. I wasn¡¯t a hunter, so I didn¡¯t have much in my arsenal to compete with him. Even so, I squared my eyes on him and scoffed. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d be a terrible meal!¡± I jested. ¡°All skin and bones, really. How about you turn back around and try your luck elsewhere? Let¡¯s say, hell?¡± ¡°Been there, done that,¡± he hissed, the brute turning his body to me fully. ¡°Why go anywhere when I¡¯m having so much fun in this petri dish of a city?¡± ¡°Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but this city is about done with your kind. You¡¯re all but a bunch of misfits causing chaos,¡± I retorted, my grip on the knife tightening. The sick piece of shit let out a horrifying laugh and sighed. ¡°Is that so?¡± he rumbled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got news for you, human... you runts are our playthings. And we¡¯re not finished having fun in the playground!¡± I sucked in a deep breath and firmed up my posture. Knowing what I was up against now, I should have tried my luck and ran off. Any sane man would. But I couldn¡¯t run, no matter how much my body begged. There was something about these freaks that really got under my skin, and even though I didn¡¯t have a gift, I wasn¡¯t going to let them terrorize my city. ¡°Judging by that puny knife of yours, I¡¯d say you aren¡¯t a meta-human. So what are you? A punk kid with a death wish?¡± I smirked. ¡°Honestly, all of you blood-sucking pricks are so fucking full of yourselves! Believing that the world is yours to eat up. Well, you keep on with that narrow-minded and ignorant thinking. And you keep making your nests and swarming into territories. The day will come where you¡¯ll all be snuffed out! It¡¯s not a matter of if, only a matter of when. And I promise you, that day is right around the corner.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± he sneered, his claws stretching out as he crept closer to me. ¡°And who¡¯s going to get rid of us? You?¡± I swallowed hard, trying to keep my bravado intact. ¡°You go on and keep thinking that Hunter Corp is a joke. Dumb monsters are dead monsters. Your ego is going to be your downfall.¡± His malicious laughter echoed through the clearing before he snarled. ¡°I doubt it. I¡¯ve eaten my way through a handful of them already. They are simply mouthwatering when they wail and scream, and when they cry for their mommies, it¡¯s just icing on the cake! The taste of fear on my tongue is something I can never get tired of, and I can smell it all over you.¡± He whiffed, getting down on his fours. ¡°You¡¯re truly pathetic to think you can hurt me. But it will amuse me to see you try!¡± Just like that, the asshole lunged at me with a guttural roar. My breath hitched at his bulking muscles and his quick speed. I wasn¡¯t ready for the quick movement on this guy as I lifted my pocket knife defensively, not letting my eyes leave him for a second. The first thought that crossed my mind was how my knife was more of an annoyance than an actual weapon against this monster, but it was all I had. Since I was limited, I took the second I had to think of a plan to give myself an edge. The pouch along the side of my backpack had about a half bottle of motor oil in it that I was planning to give to one of our unit neighbors. Without wasting time, I reached for it and popped the cap open, then gave the beast a grease wash as soon as he crossed me. I splashed his face before I leaped back. My side-step carried me behind a tree, the same tree he recklessly crashed into. I had aimed for his eyes, temporarily blinding him while I ran to the girl. She had a hard time getting up, so I helped her, realizing she had a twisted ankle. ¡°I think I can make it,¡± she whispered, her voice trying to hide the pain shooting up her leg. Her watery eyes turned to me, where I could see the genuine appreciation for me coming here to help her. ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. Mr. Steroids over there isn¡¯t dead.¡± Her eyes grew. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t plan on fighting him alone? You have no gift.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m going to buy you time so you can run on out of here.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Run, as fast as you can, all right? You know the abandoned church up Elric Place? Go there. You¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°But what about¡ª¡± ¡°No time, he¡¯s getting back up. Just go, now!¡± I ordered her, the woman not wasting any more time. She hobbled down the forest and left me behind, my eyes turning over my shoulder to the brute getting his bearings. ¡°You insolent whelp!¡± he bellowed, ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that dirty trick!¡± I had to calculate my options quickly. I knew carrying her to safety was out of the question. I couldn¡¯t cap my speed with her broken ankle, however, I could buy her time to escape, and that¡¯s exactly the route I took as I turned around to face this monster a second time. He paced his way back to me, his heightened sense of smell helping him locate where I was. Knowing that, I circled him, watching as he continued to scratch the oil from his beady red eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to take my time ripping you apart! I¡¯ll crush every bone in your body, you hear me, boy?!¡± He lunged again, using his massive claws to try and swat me away like a fly. I dove to my right, narrowly avoiding the swipe. The ground shook under his weight as he came crashing down where I had stood just seconds earlier. My head kept focused, on my own movements, and even more on his. I wasn¡¯t a seasoned fighter, but I did pay attention to those talent electives at school, where only promising gifted students were allowed to enroll in combat courses. From the full-glass walls of Master Jen¡¯s classroom I watched, dissecting every turn and every swing. Adrenaline ran through me as I implemented what I¡¯d learned, doing more dodging than actually getting my hands dirty. It was how I was able to outsmart Bruce. I ducked and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another swipe that would have sent me spiraling. When the beast noticed he wasn¡¯t landing any hits, he broke his stride and grinned with a squint. ¡°Quick on your feet, I like that. This will not be as boring as I thought. But if there¡¯s one thing you should know about shadow-UGH!¡± he yelped, feeling my pocket knife plunge deep inside his foot. He roared in pain, my move risky as fuck. I¡¯d only gotten close after I was sure the woman had run away far enough. Now, it was my turn to get the hell out of here. I turned around and hauled ass out of the ring. Fight smart, not stupid. I knew from the very beginning that I was no match for this guy, so as soon as I found an exit, I took it. But my moxie move angered the beast, his roar giving me goosebumps as I ran away. ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m done playing with food! If you won¡¯t stand still, I will make you!¡± Without another word, his entire body began to glow a bright beaming white. His power sent a tremoring pulse wave along the ground that instantly made me stop dead in my tracks when it reached me. I staggered back, trying to keep myself from falling. With one look between my feet, I started to freak out, realizing they wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how hard I tried to wedge them up. ¡°What the hell?!¡± I muttered to myself, my heart pounding against my chest. My entire bottom half was numb, allowing the beast to inch up to me. I didn¡¯t have to turn around to feel how terrifyingly close he was. As a matter of fact, I was too afraid to, knowing shit only went south from here. I could feel his rancid breath roll over my nape as he sized me down. My eyes went wide as I tried to wrack my brain over my crisis right now, but shit¡­ I was fucking out of options¡­ Everything went blurry and it felt as though my mind was being dragged through sludge. I had to think, to act, but my traitor body refused to cooperate. I could smell the beast now as he drew closer, the stench of sulfur and hot iron filled my nostrils, making me choke. ¡°Luck can only get you so far,¡± he sneered as he circled me. ¡°That move takes a lot out of me, and I haven¡¯t eaten. So you could imagine the insatiable amount of hunger I¡¯m enduring right now!¡± He cackled. ¡°You¡¯re going to wish you hadn¡¯t saved that girl. Risking your life for a complete stranger. My, you really are as dumb as they come!¡± I tossed a punch against his snout when his face inched close, the walker unfazed. I didn¡¯t leave a scratch on his long muzzle, my face wincing as the blinding light over his body suddenly faded away. ¡°Like I said, taxing skill. But it does come with some perks.¡± Just like that, he jerked his huge arm into my chest, my throat clenching up as he yanked out my heart. It happened so fast that my body felt like it lagged a reaction. Signals fired through my head, and I couldn¡¯t make any sense of them. I felt dizzy and weak as a wave of shock heated my blood. When he reeled his arm back, he wagged my heart in front of me, taunting me. My vision blurred as the world around me started to spin uncontrollably, the feeling of death not too far behind. I vaguely heard him laugh; a deranged, satisfied snicker before he slurped my heart whole down his meat chute. ¡°Truly delectable¡­¡± My body dropped hard on the ground, whatever spellwork he had locking my legs gone. After collapsing with my chest open for the stars to see, I tried to move my lips, nothing but gurgling noises coming out. Was this really how I was going to go? Was this my defining moment? Reg faces off walker, thinking he¡¯s meta. Secures his death bed by being a wannabe hunter. I could see the headlines now, and I hated that the first thing that crossed my mind was regretting how weak I was¡­. The feeling that chased my regrets was the idea of leaving mom so vulnerable, and that shit was ten times worse. A tear slid down my cheek at the thought, my shaking hand instinctively clutching at the gaping hole in my chest. The wound felt so viscous and raw as if he had carved out a piece of my very soul. The world was quickly becoming a fevered dream. Sounds were muffled as though submerged underwater, colors blending into an indistinguishable mess of swirling darkness. My eyes felt heavy like they were sinking through the back of my head with the edges of my vision fringed with black. Every shallow breath I drew was a struggle, until I told myself to stop fighting the inevitable. The beast loomed over me, ready to finish the job. Eat me down to the bone, right? The least you could do is knock me out first. His thin, long fingers sprawled over my face, the cold touch suddenly sharpening my senses and jolting me from the edge of unconsciousness. His red eyes glared down, those beady orbs reflecting my defeated gaze back at me. I could see my life ebbing away in his eyes, and feel my essence being sucked down some fucking abyss. Without a thread of fight left in me, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. A shred of peace was all I asked for before I died¡­. ¡°Hmm?¡± the beast grunted, lifting his head up like he heard something behind him. And then just as something caught his attention, his head exploded¡­. I was showered with monster blood, both inside and out. I didn¡¯t have any brain cells left to try to work out an explanation to what the hell had just happened. All I knew was that one moment the behemoth was about to eat me, and then the next, his head was gone. His body dropped to the side of me with a loud thump, confirming that this wasn¡¯t some last moment illusion I was going through. Weirder than that, I had a visitor approach my impending grave¡­. I couldn¡¯t make out the features at all, my vision leaving me. The only thing I could compare it to was pulsing static blur of a black and white movie on one of those ancient tube televisions. The newcomer knelt beside me with their form indistinct, but I was conscious enough to realize that it was a girl. Her hand reached out, hovering hesitantly over the bloody wound on my chest. Even though I couldn¡¯t see clearly, I could feel a warmth radiating from her palm. ¡°Who¡­?¡± I wanted to croak out, but my voice was gone. The effort was too much, the world threatening to fold in on me again. She cradled me on her lap, where I then felt her soft fingers brush along my dark bangs. Her silhouette against the moonlight was beginning to look familiar, as I realized that I may actually know who this mystery chick was¡­. Suddenly, a strong pull clenched my chest, the pain so unbearable that it made being punched in the chest feel like a paper cut. It was nothing I¡¯d ever experienced before in my life! I tensed, feeling my body jump up and freeze up like I was being shocked by live wires. I could feel myself struggling to breathe, my desperate gasps filling the silence around us. She didn¡¯t hesitate, nor did she stop whatever the hell she was doing to me! My body couldn¡¯t take it, this weird, overbearing energy taking me to hell and back. Unable to tolerate it anymore, I sunk into the void of black, finally letting death collect its due. B1.CH2: Dragon Boy CHAPTER TWO ¡®Morning sunshine! Time for breakfast! Morning sunshine! Time for breakfast!¡¯ I grunted, letting my alarm clock jingle run itself on repeat. After several chimes, it began being smart-cheeked with me, insisting I got my lazy ass out of bed. Funny enough, it was Sophie¡¯s recording behind the red panda alarm clock bouncing back and forth on my nightstand. She thought it was a good idea, and that it would somehow strike some motivation in me to get out of bed. Yeah, not today. My hand swatted that damn panda right to the ground, the sound of it shattering into pieces not registering in my mind just yet. Not until I realized that the entire transaction was impossible if I was¡ª ¡°DEAD!¡± I screamed, jumping up on my bed with my fist clenching my chest. My eyes bounced from one corner of my room to the other as I panted, my brain trying to collect visual cues of where I was. I went into denial as I looked down at my chest, realizing that there was no hole through it. I was alive, heart fully intact, and back in my apartment, with the sun¡¯s rays pouring through my bedroom this bright Saturday morning¡­ ¡°The hell?!¡± I had a million questions racing through me as I tried putting pieces together. But the harder I tried to work my way through what happened last night, the more my head felt like mush. It was giving me a throbbing headache, but I was desperate for answers. Dead one moment and alive the next. No, this wasn¡¯t a dream. I¡¯d already pinched myself once, twice, and then a third time for good measure. The sting was too real. This had happened. All of it. I brushed my fingers down my cheek and gasped, ¡°What am I, some sort of... ghost?¡± It was a ridiculous notion, but what else could explain this? The sense of sudden death, and now my inexplicable resurrection... Wait a minute¡­ was I gifted? Was immortality my ability? It would make sense why I never knew about it, right? It wasn¡¯t every day I would get to experience getting brutally murdered by a monster. While that could be a possibility, everything still felt off about how I¡¯d died last night. The monster was one thing, but that girl I saw¡­ The harder I tried to focus on her image, the more my head was hurting. I swear she¡¯d done something to me, something batshit crazy¡­. I tumbled out of bed and staggered to my phone on top of the dresser. I had no idea how I was alive let alone how I managed to get back home, and thought the best place to look for answers would be the last person I spoke to, Sophie. Her shifts on Saturdays were sporadic, so I figured I would try calling her first. With my hand cradling my head, I looked down at the mess I made out of my alarm clock. Hell, I didn¡¯t know my own strength. Or my own weight for that matter. As soon as my foot had touched the floor, I felt heavier, but this pain in my noggin was distracting me from thinking anything of it. ¡°Jesus, what¡¯s with this migraine?¡± I moaned, walking over to my dresser for my phone, until I made a full stop after I passed my closet mirror. I walked backward to make sure that I wasn¡¯t seeing things, and when I turned my head toward my reflection, I saw this complete stranger staring back at me¡ªsome white-haired chad with a DMC t-shirt on and a pair of black plaid shorts. I swear my heart skipped a beat. ¡°What the...?!¡± My voice trailed off as I gave my reflection a thorough inspection. I blinked, thinking that maybe I was still half-asleep and hallucinating. But the reflection didn¡¯t change. The man in the mirror couldn¡¯t be me. I lifted a hand, and so did he. I gave my head a shake, and his hair fanned out just the same. The white hair wasn¡¯t just dazzlingly white; it was a little longer, too. My eyes, normally a chestnut brown, were a vibrant electric blue. I lifted the hem of my t-shirt, revealing a six pack that definitely wasn¡¯t here yesterday! I leaped at my mirror, gripping it at the frame and zeroing in on my face. Two hard blinks traded, a left turn of my head, and then a right. Then I lifted my neck, noticing something like a holographic reflection bouncing off of my skin. ¡°No way¡­.¡± I had fucking scales?! The scales didn¡¯t go far, starting from my right traps and stopping just below my pec. It also covered a fraction of my shoulder like a short sleeve, while the other side of my torso was completely clear. I looked back at my reflection with my mouth hanging on the floor, until I realized something poking out of my lips, a set of short top row fangs! ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m a dragon!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, triggering an alarmed Sophie to barge into my room. ¡°Nero!?!¡± she called out, her eyes turning to me. The moment she realized something was off, her face went from worried to lost, the poor girl filled with instant regret. My room was a mystical emporium filled with strange secrets and even stranger surprises, and I was the main attraction. She was speechless, and so was I. But the awkward stare-down was interrupted when she slammed the door shut before running off. If she was overwhelmed, imagine how I felt! I could hear her talking to Mom, trying to get her as far from my room as possible. The back and forth banter made me tune into their conversation, where Sophie continued to lie to my mom about me finding a spider in here. It was a safe enough lie knowing how scared she was of them. Anything to keep her away until Sophie found out what was really going on. Sophie managed to get her to leave the apartment for an appointment with her doctor. She shouted goodbye, but I was too cotton-mouthed to reply. Once I heard the front door close, Sophie crept my door open again. However this time, she peeked inside through the crack like she was afraid to come in. I rushed to the door, Sophie instinctively backing away from me until I grabbed her wrist and reeled her into my bedroom. ¡°Thanks for covering for me,¡± I said as I closed the door behind us. I thought she was protecting me until I turned to her, only to realize that she was carrying a rolling pin! ¡°Sophie?¡± She glared. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know who you are or what you did to Nero, but I¡¯m going to make you wish you¡¯d never broke into our home!¡± ¡°What? No, Sophie, it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°And how do you expect me to believe that?! You are just a no-good shape-shifting shadow-walker!¡± she retorted through her teeth. ¡°You filthy monsters are truly sick! Slipping into his clothes, waking up in his bed! Don¡¯t think for a minute that I won¡¯t beat the shit out of you to get some answers! Now, where is Nero?!¡± ¡°So, seriously, it¡¯s really me!¡± ¡°Liar!¡± she growled, and then swung at me with that rolling pin full force. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think she would attack me so easily, feeling the hard impact on my forearm as I raised it to shield my face. Surprisingly enough, her swing didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought it would, given how hard she¡¯d swung. She was relentless with it, too, whacking me like a god damn Pi?ata. ¡°Sophie, stop!¡± I begged, but she kept hammering on. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Give-me-back-my-Nero!¡± she insisted with every whack, until I managed to wrangle the rolling pin away from her. I tossed the kitchen utensil across the room, surprised at how quickly it flew. The handle crashed into the wall behind us and lodged there in the hole I created. My new strength threw me off, my eyebrows furrowed at the power behind these new set of muscles until I turned my head back to Sophie introducing me to a juicy left hook shot! ¡°You think disarming me will save you?! Think again!¡± she bellowed, Sophie cocking her fist back and letting me have it. Her fist landed hard against my cheek, but my head didn¡¯t move. I grabbed my jaw, thinking the pain might have been delayed, before I saw her foot angling for a cheap shot between my legs. Yeah, not happening. I wasn¡¯t getting through to her. If I wanted any kids in the future, I needed to tame this heated situation quickly. So as she tried to swing at me again, I grabbed her arm and tossed her over my shoulder, slamming her back on my bed. I sprawled on her just as she tried getting up, pinning her arms down and keeping her legs locked before I insisted, ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you or Mom!¡± I pleaded. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s me! I get that shadow-walkers can shape shift, but this isn¡¯t the case here. I¡¯m really Nero,¡± I said with a softer tone. ¡°Yeah, I know I look like some anime fan¡¯s wet dream right now, but... I can prove to you that I¡¯m me. Remember that time we snuck out to watch that meteor shower? Or when you sprayed me with that skunk perfume on April Fool¡¯s day? What about your first talent show? You sang ¡®Chasing Pavements¡¯ by Adele and you forgot the words halfway through because Tommy Jacobson was making faces at you from the audience! But I was still there to support you, cheering you on, remembering the words you forgot and whispering them to you from off-stage, remember?¡± Her eyes widened as I reminded her of our shared past, her body gradually relaxing under my weight. But she was stubborn, that was for sure. She still tested me, her voice shaky and uncertain. ¡°And¡­ what did we do after the talent show?¡± she demanded, still holding onto some shreds of doubt. ¡°We went to Joe¡¯s Diner. You ordered a double cheeseburger with extra pickles and a mango smoothie while I had chicken parm.¡± I replied instantly, recalling the night vividly. ¡°It was the same night you told me you wanted to be a chef.¡± Her breath hitched, tears threatening her eyes. ¡°Those monsters can¡¯t fake memories.¡± ¡°Nero? Is¡­ is that really you?¡± I smiled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡± She blushed and gave me a sheepish look. ¡°Then why do you look like a pretty-boy K-pop star?¡± I cringed, instantly peeling off of her. ¡°Egh, it¡¯s not that bad, is it?¡± She sat up on the bed and gave a quiet giggle that ended in a relieved sigh. ¡°God, Nero. You seriously scared me.¡± Her eyes flitted over my face, taking in my new features before she reached over and snagged one of my fangs in my mouth. ¡°They are real¡­ but you¡¯re not a demi-human¡­.¡± she said, before she got up on her feet. ¡°Believe me, no one¡¯s more surprised by this ordeal than I am.¡± ¡°Sorry I sucker punched you.¡± I snorted. ¡°I was ready to sucker punch myself in the mirror too when I saw how I looked. I woke up like this!¡± ¡°Like what? With a gift?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to call this¡­. Sophie,¡± I called out to her solemnly, hoping she could fill in the gaps in my memory. ¡°How did I get here last night?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± I cocked my eyebrow at her, Sophie promptly elaborating from her point of view. ¡°You came back from the shop like you usually would every Friday night at 7pm and¡ª¡± ¡°Seven pm?¡± ¡°Yeah? We had pot roast for dinner, we watched a movie, played some board-games, totally kicked your ass at Uno by the way, and then we retired for the night.¡± I was starting to freak out. Why the hell was her recollection of last night so much different than mine?! Was I living in the twilight zone? She scrunched her face at me. ¡°Nero, what¡¯s wrong? It looks like you¡¯ve seen a ghost or something.¡± Hell, I should have been a ghost! I saw that walker eat my heart! I saw him reach for me to finish me off, before¡ªthat blur¡­ ¡°Nero?¡± I remembered the monster¡¯s head blowing up¡­ and I remembered her holding me, and then this intense pain¡­ God, that pain! Soon after that, everything faded into black. Sophie grabbed my arm, looking up to me genuinely concerned. ¡°Nero, you¡¯re starting to scare me again. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°How do you not remember?¡± ¡°Remember what?¡± ¡°Text¡­¡± I whispered, then dashed to my drawer, picking up my phone to show her the timestamps in our conversation. The proof will be right there, I said to myself, pacing back to her as I scrolled, before I realized our entire conversation last night wasn¡¯t there. ¡°What the hell?¡± I gasped, turning my phone around to make sure that it was mine. ¡°What happened to it?¡± ¡°To what?¡± ¡°We were texting back and forth last night.¡± She pulled out her phone and went through her messages. ¡°The last message I got from you was that frog meme.¡± She really didn¡¯t know I¡¯d died last night? Or did I? Nothing was making any sense. Not the missing texts, not the monster, not the girl, nothing! I had no solid proof to counter her claims of what happened or didn¡¯t happen. The only thing I had to work with was my 180 appearance. I kept my mouth shut about what I remembered. It was better if she didn¡¯t know the hell I had gone through. For her sake, and for Mom¡¯s. Since our stories were off, I may never know the truth, but I wasn¡¯t as pressed about it as I was when I¡¯d first woken up. Now, I just wanted to know where I could take it from here. I looked different, and I felt different, but was I actually gifted? ¡°Usually gifts don¡¯t change people¡¯s physical appearances,¡± Sophie went on to confirm. ¡°Unless of course your super power is active.¡± ¡°There are rare cases where they don¡¯t have to be, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! I mean, you¡¯re already a rare case! Getting a gift not even 24 hours after you turned 18? The probability of that is low enough as it is! So tell me, what¡¯s your gift? What do you feel?¡± ¡°I feel stronger. But I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s all I have going for me.¡± I looked at her promisingly. ¡°So you¡¯re sure this is a gift?¡± ¡°Um, what kind of question is that?!¡± She smiled. ¡°What else could it be?¡± I walked back to my mirror and gave myself another look over. There was no doubt in my mind that these last few hours were absolutely unhinged. I¡¯d died, and somehow, was brought back to life. Whatever supernatural forces it be, it happened. I could beat myself about it all I wanted to and kill myself trying to figure it all out, or I could make something of it. This was my second chance, my big moment. I smiled at my reflection, accepting what Sophie had said. I was strong, this could very well be my new ability blossoming. Sure my appearance changed, which threw me off a bit, but it wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t work with. I still looked like myself for the most part, just leaner. And now I had white hair, so I really did look like Dante from DMC. ¡°I could¡­ get used to this,¡± I whispered to myself, sounding less convincing and more appreciative. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Nero!¡± Sophie congratulated as she bounced off her tiptoes. She clasped her hands together and looked at me like how sponsors looked at their hunters. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be bummed out about me having a gift? You always called us the undefeatable commoner duo.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Seriously? I was just saying that to make you feel better!¡± I smirked. ¡°Your support means everything to me, Sophie. Thanks. I really needed to hear that right now.¡± ¡°I could say the same about you though. I was expecting you to be thrilled that you finally got what you¡¯ve always wanted!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m seriously overwhelmed right now. I don¡¯t know how to process all of this. It hadn¡¯t sunk in yet. Me, having an ability¡­ this is nuts¡­.¡± ¡°I bet it¡¯s the same for every kid who finds out that they have an ability! There¡¯s so many emotions going through your head right now, it¡¯s easier not to try working them out all at once. But I¡¯m so excited for you, Nero! You better go over to campus and register before it¡¯s too late! Sign up ends in less than an hour!¡± ¡°What?¡± I paused. ¡°Oh, right!¡± I flashed her a confident smile and nodded. ¡°Thanks for reminding me.¡± ¡°And in the special skill section, just jot down super strength. That¡¯s all we have to go off of for now, right? Hurry up and get dressed! We¡¯ll talk more about it on the way there.¡± I reached over to my closet to snatch a clean shirt, getting excited for the first time about this. Sophie was right¡ªI had a talent now. We didn¡¯t have a category for it yet, but one thing was for sure, I was stronger than I was yesterday, and that was all that mattered. ¡°So, what happened last night?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I turned over to Sophie as I stuffed my keys and phone inside my backpack, startled by her question. ¡°Sounds like there was something that I was supposed to remember.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­ nothing. Got my head all jumbled up, I was rambling nonsense, heh!¡± ¡°You sure? You sounded pretty anxious about¡ª¡± I grabbed her shoulder, cutting her off with an overzealous smirk. ¡°Who cares?! None of that matters! I have a meta-gift, Sophie! A real-life, god damn, fucking gift!¡± I laughed hysterically. ¡°Man, if I could do backflips, I would! This is it. Right here, right now. The start of something new, something better! Finally, the change we needed. You and Mom will never have to work a day in your lives again! Just think about it¡­.¡± I took in a hard breath as I swelled up with emotion. ¡°No more worrying about rent or bills, no more scraping by paycheck to paycheck. We can have anything we want. Mom can finally quit that godforsaken job at the factory, the jewelry boutique, and the landscaping... and you¡­. You could go to college! You wouldn¡¯t have to put your dreams of going to culinary school on hold, working in that slave kitchen! This is perfect. This is what we¡¯ve been waiting for!¡± She smiled back at me, Sophie wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°You two could finally start living¡­.¡± B1.CH3: Thanks, Miss Popularity
Reina
Age: 18
Meta: Weapon Forging
Career: Pending...
CHAPTER THREE From a nightmarish death experience to waking up as a meta-human in the making. I headed to campus alone, Sophie being called in at the last minute for a shift at the kitchen. She was heated about it, but I reassured her that I was fine going on my own. Her support was genuine, and I appreciated Sophie for being the hype that I needed in seeing all of the positives in my transformation¡ªit was a hard reset that we needed. As far as I was concerned, last night didn¡¯t happen. There was no point in mulling over something I couldn¡¯t understand anyway. I pushed it onto the backburner. I¡¯d take being a jacked up platinum chad than being six feet under any day. When I hopped off the bus, I rushed down the block toward campus, crossing my fingers that I¡¯d make it in time. Right now, final applications were pouring through. At 9am, registration was going to close. I had literal seconds left, my heart pumping hot blood through my veins. Each beat was like a countdown, like the final seconds of a ticking time bomb that threatened to derail my future career. And then, another barricade¡ª ¡°Pardon me!¡± someone shouted, an arm zipping right in front of me as soon as I barged through the front door of General Hall. I jerked back, falling on my ass as I tried to hold myself from colliding right into Reina, the stuck up, spoiled bratty princess of campus. She was the rich popular girl of 4th year, with long auburn hair, gold-umber eyes, and a pair of fluffy fox ears on her overinflated head. ¡°The nerve of some people!¡± She crossed her arms under her breasts and looked down at me with a death stare. ¡°You have two eyes on that pea-brained head of yours, don¡¯t you? How about you use them!¡± she hissed in that annoying preppy accent of hers. ¡°You nearly scuffed my loafers!¡± Ignoring Reina¡¯s condescending remarks, I scrambled to my feet, brushing off the dirt from my jeans. I didn¡¯t have time for her or her designer loafers. ¡°Move it, princess,¡± I shot back, not even glancing in her direction. ¡°Some of us have real problems.¡± I rushed past her, trying to get to the sign up board, but my luck must have run dry this morning. Reina just wouldn¡¯t leave me alone, grabbing the back of my collar and reeling me to her again. ¡°Not so fast. Only the Acadia student body is allowed to use this designated board for Hunter Corp registration.¡± I brushed her hand off of me, irritated. ¡°Knock it off, Reina! You¡¯re in my way!¡± ¡°Excuse me? How do you know my name?!¡± I scoffed. ¡°From the amount of times I hear people cursing you out, how do I not know your name?¡± I shot back, until I remembered that I physically looked different and that Reina wouldn¡¯t know that I was Nero Aldeon. ¡°You quit being smart-mouthed with me and answer the question! My name is not something that any stranger has a right to throw around! I¡¯ve never seen you a day in my life, and I¡¯d be damned if¡ª¡± her eyes grew, a cue that she¡¯d finally connected the dots. ¡°Nero?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Congratulations, you figured it out.¡± She cringed. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand¡­ the scales, the fangs¡­ and God, what did you do with your hair?¡± ¡°Hey, honestly, I¡¯d love to entertain this boring conversation more than anything, but I need to sign up before registration closes,¡± I insisted, stepping around her only for her to step right in front of me with her hands pinned to her sides. ¡°Woman!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a meta-human,¡± she tweeted with a cheeky grin on her proud face. ¡°Nice try, Nero. That disguise won¡¯t work. Did you seriously think that pretending to be a demi would change the fact that you¡¯re a reg? The entire campus knows you¡¯re a meta-less loser who couldn¡¯t even pass a simple entrance exam to get into Acadia High! What was it again that got you strolling down these halls? Oh, I remember, it was your mother¡¯s constant begging to the board!¡± My eye twitched. ¡°That, and a few extra Bens, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s not a trade secret, Nero. You never belonged here. Honestly, you should have taken the easy route and followed that blond friend of yours to Windsor Academy. It would have saved you the trouble, and the money.¡± ¡°Your opinion is as valuable as your talent, Reina,¡± I retorted, making a clear attempt to sound indifferent, and then I circled my fingers into a zero and shoved it at her face as I walked off. ¡°Goose-egg.¡± Game set and match. Everyone knew Reina had a huge insecurity, just about the only insecurity she had. She hated her weak talent. Not to blame her, the skill was downright useless in her hands. She could forge any type of weapon she wanted from thin air, but that kind of power was useless for someone who didn¡¯t bother working on dexterity. Reina hardly used it, and sometimes the new freshmen rolling in the fall semester would mistake her for a reg. When I finally got her to shut up and stop interrupting me, I made it to the registration board. To my regret, sign up was closed. I could feel my face pale when I realized my one shot had flown right out the door! I¡¯d have to wait an entire year or even longer to sign up again. All thanks to the nosy body back there getting in my business! I clenched my fists, an unfamiliar, primal rage bubbling to the surface. I turned around to glare at her, where she was lounging against the wall smirking, her red hair glinting in the light streaming in from the large windows of the hallway. She seemed to be enjoying my plight, her eyes scanning over to me with a fake expression of regret plaster on her face. ¡°Early bird catches the worm, Nero. As always, you fall short.¡± ¡°No thanks to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for your shortcomings. Not like they¡¯d onboard you anyway. You seem to be forgetting the key ingredient to the trade¡ªtalent.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean that thing that you don¡¯t have?¡± She scoffed. ¡°For your information, I do have a meta ability.¡± Her eyes grew. ¡°Oh my¡­ I must have missed the morning news with my chai tea and biscuits.¡± She patted her sides down like she¡¯d forgotten something. ¡°Forgive me, I¡­ don¡¯t seem to have an umbrella for the legion of pigs flying above our heads right now,¡± she drawled sarcastically, a corner of her lip curling upwards. And then she laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my interest, Nero. Do enlighten me, what¡¯s your grand meta ability? Being chronically late?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°You would like to know, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± I sucked my teeth and went on about my business. Disappointed, the only thing I could do now was work up a plan on how I was going to tell Sophie about this. There¡¯s no easy way I can break the bad news to her, I thought, until Principal Dominique Dubois walked down the hallway with his renowned white suit and smile. The debonair blond who damn near every girl at school had a crush on walked up to us with a long smile on his face. He fixed his frames over his face and brushed the whip of long hair from over his temple and went on to approach Reina with open arms. ¡°Congratulations, Miss Faust! You¡¯re all set! Welcome to Hunter Corp!¡± I choked! ¡°Thank you, Principal Dubois. I appreciate this last minute arrangement,¡± Reina curtsied. ¡°I feel terrible being so unprofessional, but father and I had a long talk about this and¡­ well, he decided it was best I¡­ expanded my horizons.¡± Dominique scratched his chin at her comment. ¡°Hmm, doesn¡¯t seem like a decision Mr. Faust would make so abruptly, or at all for that matter. Either way, I cannot support the decision enough! Being a hunter is a rewarding career choice!¡± She bowed. ¡°Thank you for your kind words¡­.¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I said, needing to butt-in. I looked the principal in the eyes and demanded answers. ¡°How does Reina qualify to be a hunter?! That decision isn¡¯t up for the divisions to make!¡± ¡°While this is true, Mr. Faust is the school¡¯s biggest benefactor, which in exchange, plays an important role in promoting Organization VII and Hunter Corp. Because of this, Reina here has some pull. She will skip the preliminary review process, where countless files will be analyzed down to every detail¡ªstats, talent, academia, character, contributions to society, etc. While she¡¯d never been interested in becoming a hunter before, I made a call and, voila! She¡¯s in!¡± Right. So in the end, the wealthy wins? Was that seriously what it boiled down to? ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain anything to Nero, Principal Dubois. Nero isn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± I retorted. ¡°You were in my business, Reina, now I¡¯m in yours!¡± ¡°Nero?¡± PD fixed his frames over his green eyes and squinted at me before the realization kicked in. ¡°Ah, Mr. Aldeon. What a pleasant transformation! Almost didn¡¯t recognize you there. Is the new look part of your latest cosplay?¡± Reina giggled. ¡°PD, please, I¡¯m begging you, I need to register,¡± I groveled. ¡°I know I¡¯m a little late, but being a hunter means everything to my family!¡± He cocked an eyebrow at me confused. ¡°I got my talent this morning. Super strength. I can prove it to you! Just give me a chance! I don¡¯t need a free pass like Reina. I just need you to give me 30 seconds to register! Squeeze me in as an entry, and I promise, you won¡¯t regret it. I¡¯ll represent Acadia, your name, anything! Just please¡­ a few extra seconds is all I¡¯m asking for, here.¡± ¡°Hmm, unfortunately, there is no credibility behind your name, Nero.¡± ¡°Then call up those same people for Reina and say that I¡¯m her plus one!¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡± Reina squawked. ¡°Absolutely n¡ª¡± I snapped my head back at her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget it¡¯s your fault that I¡¯m late in the first place. You owe me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t owe you a dime!¡± she sassed. ¡°Very well!¡± PD tweeted, taking my suggestion. Reina jumped. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°Me too,¡± a monotone voice said behind us, my head turning to Naomi standing by the front door. I hadn¡¯t heard her enter, all three of us staring at her confused. ¡°I¡¯m having the same melodramatic episode as he is, and I suddenly find myself needing to enlist.¡± ¡°Now you wait just one darn minute!¡± Reina ordered in a fit. ¡°I am not a conditional ride that you two can just use as a ticket out of your tardiness!¡± Reina¡¯s complaining went through one ear and out the other as Naomi walked between us. My stomach began swimming in butterflies as she walked by, as my mind randomly thought back to last night. The silhouette I¡¯d seen¡­ I knew it looked familiar¡­. ¡°Move aside,¡± she brushed me off, and I took two steps away from the principal before she reached her hand out. ¡°Miss Brunsfield, what are you doing?¡± ¡°You have to scan my hand, don¡¯t you? To make sure I have a meta ability?¡± The principal paused for a moment, and without much context, he pulled out a smile as well as a tablet he had hooked on a carrier belt, tucked underneath his jacket. My eyes jumped, Naomi noticing how baffled I looked. She turned her cold emotionless eyes to me and asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°P-p-roblem? No, heh! Not at all!¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Just one question, though¡ªwhy are you signing up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a free country, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right, but you had time yesterday. I saw you on campus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, am I only entitled to enlist on Nero¡¯s time?¡± ¡°No, I was just¡ª¡± She turned herself to me fully and stared at me hard. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me on your team, tough luck. This isn¡¯t a decision for you to make. I revoke your right to do so.¡± My team? Revoke my right? ¡°Consider yourself worthy to have someone like me ready to haul your poor excuse of a record to victory. I doubt you could get sponsors on your own with those stats, anyway.¡± I looked down at her halfway insulted. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve never seen my stats. And I¡¯m sure they qualify anyway, especially considering¡ª¡± ¡°Considering what?¡± she interjected, Naomi leaving me speechless. I didn¡¯t know why I hesitated, because it wasn¡¯t a secret that I had powers if I were enlisting. I also physically looked different, and stronger. So¡­ why the hell was I afraid to tell her that I was gifted? ¡°Nothing,¡± I said simply, then gave her a genuine smile. ¡°Thanks for volunteering to be on my team.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t regret it,¡± she said flatly, scanned her hand with the PD, and then walked down the hallway to the exit. Such a strange girl¡­. ¡°You two will be granted a preliminary waiver along with Reina. Nero, welcome to Hunter Corp!¡± ¡°But why?!¡± Reina begged. ¡°Because it makes sense. The three of you constitute a working team. That is, of course, if Nero here is actually gifted.¡± He smirked. ¡°Never in my years have I witnessed a late bloomer. If you may, place your hand on the pad.¡± I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± I placed my hand on the device with the node readers on the screen, looking forward to the same response it gave Naomi just a few seconds ago. It was warm to the touch since it¡¯d undergone thermal purging. The scan analyzed micro fluids along the skin and dissected DNA from those fluids to determine a meta ability present. Since Sophie had been confident that I had an ability, I was too, and there was no doubt in my mind that the screen would turn the color¡ª ¡°It¡¯s green¡­¡± Reina sulked. That made it official¡­ ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s settled!¡± PD slipped his analyzer back in its sash and took out his iPhone. ¡°Reina, Nero, and Naomi! What a dynamic team! Super strength, weapon forging, and telekinesis! It¡¯s perfect! The three of you would still need to pass mentor evaluation. This arrangement doesn¡¯t solidify a seat in Hunter Corp¨C your placement is still contingent on your mentor¡¯s approval. If they decide that you¡¯re not fit for a hunter career, then we¡¯ll have to reassess the structure of the team without you. Remember, there are no second chances at Hunter Corp. Once you¡¯ve been disqualified, there is no reapplying. So give the evaluation your all!¡± I knew well how important this was. I was planning on passing that evaluation, no buts or ifs about it! If you failed the evaluation, there were other avenues for talent, but nothing as rewarding as being a hunter. Everything else was minuscule compared to the hunter life, so I was ready to give it my all. PD clapped his hands together once and then, with a broad grin, he insisted, ¡°Why not mark this exciting moment with a picture? There¡¯s always time for a memento, no?¡± he said, and I immediately reeled Reina¡¯s shoulder in and brought a cheesy smile out. Reina on the other hand was cringing hard, which got me in a better mood. She¡¯d tried so hard to get in my way, which actually ended up helping me big time. Talk about a quick dose of karma. PD chuckled to himself as he saved the picture. ¡°Right then. Let¡¯s make that phone call and get this all squared away. Check your school emails for further instructions in the next few hours. And if I were you, I¡¯d pack your bags as early as possible. Preferably by tomorrow night. The organization already had a destination set for Miss Faust¡­¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Utoro, Japan.¡±
B1.CH4: Organization VII CHAPTER FOUR Dubois Something like this called for immediate attention. A boy in Acadia designated a late bloomer¡ªthere was no such thing. Our elite council at Organization VII fabricated the possibility of giftless humans acquiring a meta-power before they turned eighteen. Unless the council found a way around the requirement of forging the purest of souls, then someone like Nero Aldeon shouldn¡¯t exist. I sighed at the thought of them leaving me out of their developments, their excuse of me being a high school principal as old as the realms themselves. After long hours on campus, I looked forward to going home. On my desk in my pure white office, beneath reports of misdemeanors and applications, was a tall wine glass waiting for me. Freshly squeezed as always. I dropped my briefcase along the armchair, undid my tie, and sat in front of my laptop ready to indulge. The glass bottle sitting in a bucket of ice had a label on it¡ªF/17/AB-. I smiled at the rare find, paying my respects to my supplier. ¡°Tastes sweet, just how I like it.¡± I pressed the intercom button on my phone and contacted my waitress. ¡°Olivia, would you be a dear and raise the bid on model F/17/AB? Negative.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Dubois¡­.¡± Pulling out my phone, I searched for the picture I¡¯d taken of Aldeon, and then I opened my laptop and made a phone call. Only two of the six other members answered, their faces and bodies blacked out, where the only object I could see were their silhouettes along a bright blue background. ¡°Dubois, long time no see,¡± Lady L sang in a seductive voice. I grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure. Lady L, Predemcer.¡± ¡°Dubois,¡± Predemcer grunted in a deep raspy baritone. ¡°You better make this quick.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I am quite offended, my cranky ol¡¯ friend. You don¡¯t sound very happy to hear from me. How long has it been now?¡± ¡°Exactly five days.¡± ¡°Correct. Five days too long. I miss listening to your deep, gravelly voice. Gives me goosebumps every time,¡± I teased, earning a sigh from Predemcer. ¡°Cut the pleasantries, Dubois,¡± he commanded, his silhouette shifting on the screen. It was difficult to make out his expression, but I could feel his impatience through the line. ¡°Why¡¯d you call us?¡± ¡°Yes. To what do we owe the honor?¡± Lady followed. I paused for effect, pulling up the photograph I¡¯d taken of Aldeon on my phone. I sent it to my laptop, sharing it with both of them. For myself, I clicked on the picture, and asked the two, ¡°Recognize him?¡± ¡°No, should we?¡± Lady L said. ¡°Looks familiar¡­.¡± Predemcer followed. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°A student in my institution.¡± ¡°All right, are you going to keep us guessing or are you going to spill it? What¡¯s so special about him? Besides his innocent charm?¡± Lady L asked. I smirked. ¡°Predemcer, Lady L, I want you to take a good look at him, would you? I want you to never forget the anomaly.¡± ¡°Anomaly?¡± Lady L asked. ¡°Has the recipe remained the same?¡± I asked them. ¡°Of course,¡± Predemcer confirmed. ¡°As I expected. Then he is in fact an anomaly. This man here has been gifted at the age of 18.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Predemcer huffed. ¡°There is no appointing that happens beyond the womb. Otherwise, the entire formula is compromised.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Which is why he has become a great concern. Not only has he been gifted, but his gift triggered a phenotype alteration. Here, I have taken a before and after. Please confirm receipt.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, a real noticeable change,¡± Lady L said, Predemcer remaining quiet. ¡°I do like the new hair better. Looks like such a sweetheart. What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Nero Aldeon. He¡¯s a senior at Acadia.¡± ¡°Run that name by me one more time,¡± Lady L requested. ¡°Nero Aldeon. He lives in District 1 Xion with mother Nataly Aldeon and adopted sister Sophie Lynhart. But today, I¡¯ve had him reassigned.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Predemcer asked. ¡°Utoro, Japan. On the same conditions as another student of mine.¡± ¡°Why did you have their prelims waived?¡± Pred asked. ¡°Good reasons,¡± I said, folding my hands together. ¡°Reina. The child¡¯s father is a benefactor.¡± ¡°All the more reason to not send his daughter into the lion¡¯s den,¡± Lady L said. ¡°He sounds like a man with deep pockets. What¡¯s his real reason for wanting her to be a hunter then, Dubbie?¡± ¡°I did not inquire further. While it seemed outlandish to me, it isn¡¯t my business to pry into human affairs. Not that I care much for it, anyway. But this human here, he has my undivided attention¡­.¡± ¡°What is his talent?¡± Lady L asked. ¡°Super strength for now. I suspect there¡¯d be more.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°A hunch, and a pretty good one. So tell me, what does it all mean? A boy with no special characteristics acquires a meta ability, possibly without our influence?¡± Lady L sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think it was possible¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Predemcer growled. ¡°This isn¡¯t one of ours.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lady L asked. ¡°I mean exactly how it sounds. He isn¡¯t one of ours. And before he becomes a problem, we should deal with him.¡± ¡°Hold on, I think we are getting a little ahead of ourselves here,¡± Lady L chimed in. ¡°We should monitor him for a little while. We aren¡¯t savages. Not like those humans who resort to destroying anything they don¡¯t understand. We watch him for a while, and see what kind of powers he develops. If he does develop more, then we figure out what we are up against.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an idiotic idea,¡± Predemcer protested. ¡°Says the one who¡¯s quick to say he¡¯s not one of ours with zero evidence. Just because he¡¯s now showing signs of meta human strength, doesn¡¯t mean that he isn¡¯t part of our census. There¡¯s still a possibility that his powers were really dormant.¡± ¡°I find it hard to believe that a boy his age never had the opportunity to tap into a power as common as super strength.¡± ¡°Trust me, Predemcer. Let¡¯s not send the hounds on him just yet. Unlike you, some of us want to understand this, not just bury it.¡± Predemcer grumbled under his breath, but he knew Lady L was right. Our kind thrived on knowledge and understanding, as well as development and research. We wouldn¡¯t be where we are today if we acted like those revolutionaries, with no guidance and no mission. Rebellious and no consideration of consequences¡­. The very thought made my stomach churn. Order had never been an optional element in any realm. Our very existence depended on it. From the smallest seed to the grandest galaxy, everything functioned within a set of rules, a delicate balance that ensured the smooth running of the cosmos. Chaos was simply not acceptable. If the universe had to obey orders, so would they. Across the vastness of space, a symphony of stars and galaxies obeyed the cosmic order. Each star in its designated place, each planet orbiting with precise calculations. There were no anomalies, no digressions from the set course. All elements under submission to the unyielding rules that governed existence. There was nothing that irked me more than those mindless monsters disobeying code¡­. The boy presented a conundrum, one that was as intriguing as it was unnerving. In the face of such ambiguity, the most suitable course of action was to study it, not stifle it prematurely out of irrational fear or lack of understanding. I agreed with Lady L. If such a case were not a breed of our own then it was up to us to figure out where someone like him came from. ¡°So then, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Predemcer asked grudgingly. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Lady L said. ¡°We watch him, stay in the shadows and observe his movements. We monitor how his abilities manifest, how they grow and morph. We see what triggers them¡ªwhether it¡¯s emotion or circumstances or something else entirely. The fact that our H-Tec devices are calling it a meta ability only means one thing. I am sure all of you would agree that the source is related. It¡¯s really the how and why that we are concerned about.¡± ¡°You make a good point, Lady L.¡± I smiled. ¡°Same source, different route. I don¡¯t like exclusions. Gives way to too many possibilities.¡± ¡°So who are we assigning on this?¡± Predemcer challenged. ¡°I will volunteer,¡± Lady L said. Predemcer scoffed. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why not! I control the Eastern Asia sector, after all. And since he will be in Utoro, it only makes sense that I investigate.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anyone more suitable for the job.¡± I snickered. ¡°Please Lady L, try your best not to interfere unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I won¡¯t scare him!¡± She giggled. ¡°We need to process two possibilities of concern here,¡± Predemcer asked. ¡°That one, he is in fact a threat to us, and refuses to cooperate, or two, he is a threat and becomes too powerful to control.¡± ¡°I like how both possibilities are against us,¡± Lady L gleamed. ¡°So pessimistic, Pred.¡± ¡°Those are the only two realities that bother me. Regardless of what Lady L finds, we should implement a plan to exterminate accordingly.¡± ¡°Under those two outcomes, if we simply must kill Nero Aldeon¡­.¡± I paused, unfolding my hands into a steeple. ¡°Then we will.¡± I grinned. ¡°Like I said, I am not a fan of anomalies. Especially ones that refuse to play by the rules.¡± B1.CH5: A New Beginning CHAPTER FIVE Nero What doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger¡­ I¡¯d found that saying total bullshit until today. Here I was, a meta-less reg on the verge of giving up on all of my dreams, until a strange incident nearly killed me. That same incident turned around and gave me a gift, enabling me to enlist as a hunter. Crap, I was so excited that my hands couldn¡¯t quit shaking throughout the entire bus ride back home. When I reached my apartment, I sat at the edge of my bed trying to process everything. Honestly, it was so much to take in all at once from start to finish. I was still so overwhelmed that I didn¡¯t tell Sophie about getting into the corp. This was the kind of news that couldn¡¯t be transmitted through text. And while I made preparations to leave, like quitting my job and packing my bags¡­ and checking my school email every thirty seconds, I went through all of the possibilities of breaking the news to Mom. But even Mom¡¯s impending reaction wasn¡¯t enough to ruin my good mood. ¡®Hey, we still up for COD tonight?¡¯ I read Chen¡¯s text as I was scrolling through my email, and I told him I wasn¡¯t sure yet. Instead, I mentioned having a big surprise to tell him, in which he insisted on telling him right now. Chen was never good with secrets, so I didn¡¯t say shit. I planned on telling everyone I cared about at the same time, that way we could all be on the same page together. ¡°Hey, I finally got something,¡± I whispered to myself, noticing it was a boarding pass. ¡°Gate 32, Utoro, Japan. The flight leaves tomorrow morning. Wow, that was quick. I wonder what flight Naomi was in.¡± Another email chased that one, and according to this note, my mentor was already selected¡ªand so were my living arrangements. I was given directions to claim my care package and a map of Utoro with how to get to my new house. ¡°A new place to live, a new area to get used to, and some new roommates to make friends with,¡± I mused aloud, the reality sinking in. It was a mind-boggling concept. Just last week I was stuck in a never-ending cycle of going to classes I didn¡¯t care about and working at a job that hardly paid the bills. Now, I was preparing for an adventure of a lifetime. ¡°With Reina, the school icon, and Naomi, the school loner. The popular diva, the loner chick, and the nerd¡ªhmm, didn¡¯t see that mash-up coming¡­.¡± Cozying up to both of them sounded like a challenge. Reina was just annoying, and Naomi was¡­ quiet. A real keep to herself type of girl. Which was why it confused the hell out of me that she¡¯d offer to be in my team. She didn¡¯t care that Reina was tagging along at all. In fact, the girl barely glanced at her the entire time she was there. It was clear that she enlisted for me, or I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe that was my ego talking? ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. As long as I have a team, I¡¯m a step ahead. Two girls with two opposite personalities.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Should be fun.¡± My last few months of senior year would be at a local and regular international high school with my team. Hunter Corp insured families that they would not sacrifice education for their careers. That was a good gateway for breaking the news to Mom as I heard her walk in, my heart instantly dropping two floors into my stomach. I was nervous to confront her with my new appearance and the news, my hands getting sweaty at the fact that she¡¯d be here any moment to check up on me. But strangely enough, she didn¡¯t. In fact, it was pretty quiet on the other side of my wall, and her delay gave me time to stock up on some courage to go out there and tell her everything. After an hour, I had to face the music¡­. Luckily by that time, Sophie had already come back from work. That shift was stupid short, so either she gave them an excuse to come home early, or she finally caved in and punched the head chef in the face and quit. ¡°Nero?¡± Sophie called out, and Mom quickly stopped her, saying that I was probably sleeping for my late shift today. Sophie mentioned me never being in bed this late, then rushed to my bedroom to fish me out. The bubbly girl insisted I stop being a chump and share the good news with Mom, and when she finally saw me, she was speechless. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Nero, why did you dye your beautiful brown hair?¡± ¡°Erm-eh, I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°What do you mean, I¡ª¡± Her eyes went fish-wide, Mom putting the pieces together. ¡°No¡­.¡± She gasped, taking a step back. ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­.¡± ¡°It is!¡± Sophie tweeted, jumping in to give me a tight hug. ¡°Nero has a gift!¡± Mom flung her shaking hand over her lips, tears streaming down her face. I rushed over to console her sadness, but when she reeled me in and held me close, I realized that it wasn¡¯t tears of pain she was shedding¡­. ¡°Nero, you finally have your wish¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you!¡± ¡°Mom?¡± She inched back and cupped my face proudly, that big smile on her lips followed by a very, VERY confusing question, ¡°So, you signed up to become a hunter, didn¡¯t you? Well, tell me, how did it go?¡± ¡°He made it to signing at the very last minute, right, Nero?¡± Sophie asked, the both of them looking at me for good news. ¡°Uhhh, yeah, I did, actually. Well, no, scratch that. I didn¡¯t. But that doesn¡¯t matter because PD confirmed that I was officially drafted. I¡¯m part of the Hunter Corp.¡± ¡°Wait, what?! You got in?¡± Sophie gasped. ¡°I thought you have to pass preliminaries first? How did they get to your application so fast?¡± ¡°Well, Reina was the reason I was late, and she had a ticket to the corp. Goes without saying, I guess. I took that ride to the finish line with her, and the PD was there to verify it.¡± ¡°Nero, that¡¯s wonderful news!¡± My mom¡­ cheered? ¡°What is your special ability?¡± ¡°Super strength,¡± Sophie said for me with confidence, while I continued to stand there completely bamboozled from my mother¡¯s unexpected reaction. ¡°Hold on, pause, time out, rewind,¡± I said, ready to demand answers. ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you supposed to be freaking out about this?¡± I asked, my voice filled with disbelief and shock spanning several wavelengths. ¡°I mean, this wasn¡¯t how you reacted all the times I mentioned wanting to be a hunter. And now, you¡¯re rooting for me?¡± I managed to stutter. My mother¡¯s support in being a hunter hadn¡¯t even been a rare commodity in the past, so this new attitude was out of place for her. ¡°Well, why wouldn¡¯t I be? You¡¯re living your dream now, aren¡¯t you? And truthfully, that¡¯s all that matters, Nero. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been selfish. All I want is to see you happy, nugget. I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡± ¡°Yeah, Nero,¡± chimed Sophie, nudging me slightly as she shot our mom an encouraging look, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯ve always wanted? Full support from your family? We are here for you, backing you up 100%!¡± ¡°Yeah, but...¡± I stuttered, the confusion still seeping deep, and I mean way deep. The sudden rush of support from her felt outlandishly unfamiliar, like a pair of shoes that didn¡¯t fit quite right. My brain was doing somersaults, trying to understand everything, while my heart was swelling with sheer bliss. After accepting it all, a smile finally found me, followed by a nod and a ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a simple response but it carried all of the feelings I was going through right now. Their support meant more to me than they would ever know. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Nero,¡± my mother replied gently, her eyes welling up with tears of happiness. ¡°You¡¯re going to do great things. I can feel it.¡± Sophie looked at me with a broad smile and added, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re gonna kick ass out there! This is only the beginning!¡± ¡°Nero,¡± Mom said in a voice warm with love and understanding, ¡°being your mother has been an adventure filled with risks and worries from the very beginning. This is just another chapter in that journey. One where you branch off and face challenges that define your character, your will, and all of your blooming strengths. While you are leaving the nest, you are taking with you your knowledge, your passion, and the unwavering love of your family. You¡¯ll be fine out there. I just know it.¡± She reached out and gently squeezed my hand, her touch radiating a sense of reassurance that I hadn¡¯t felt since I¡¯d been made a hunter. ¡°You¡¯re not alone,¡± she added, sounding so certain that it almost made me forget my own doubts. ¡°You¡¯ve got us. I will be with you here,¡± she said, putting her hand over my chest. ¡°Forever and always.¡± I looked at the people who were the foundation of my existence; Sophie, with her sharp eyes that missed nothing, always ready with a witty comment or sarcastic quip. She had been my best friend since childhood, always standing by my side, in all of our childish misadventures. Ever since I¡¯d saved her from those shitfaced, category E monsters who killed her parents, she¡¯d been unwaveringly loyal. They¡¯d knocked on her door for her, having a sweet tooth for children''s blood. At that time, child trafficking was at an all-time high for both shadow walkers and assholes who wanted to breed metas with Compound 7, and I happened to be there to fight off those shitheads from getting to her. Ever since that day, she saw me as her guardian, and she paid me back with the best friendship I could ask for. And then, there was my mom. I had no words for her. She was a steady and comforting presence in my life. Her quiet strength and unyielding determination were something I could always depend on. Those qualities made me who I was today, and I had her to thank for everything. To both of them I made a promise. I was going to try my damn hardest to make it to the top of the leaderboard. They¡¯d never have to worry about money again¡­ B1.CH6: In-Flight Pest Control CHAPTER SIX My head was filled with everything that lay ahead¨Cmonster contracts, a strict training regime, and most excitingly, the Hunter Games. Being part of Hunter Corp was terrifying and thrilling at the same time, but knowing that my family supported me gave me extra courage and determination. I had my bags already packed, my plans laid out, and my Uber ride to the airport booked. The next morning, I left with the fam for the airport to my final destination, Japan. We¡¯d always been too broke to travel internationally, and even our domestic vacations were always tame. Something light, nothing too expensive. My dreams of going to the heart of all things anime and manga was finally coming true. Once it was time to board, I said my final goodbyes to Sophia and Mom who had waited with me the entire two hours. It was a bittersweet moment before I boarded, but I knew I was doing the right thing for them. Before I knew it, the plane lifted off the runway, my heart shot up with adrenaline. Farewell, old life. Hello, new adventure. I was aching to experience the vibrant cityscape of Tokyo, the historical beauty of Kyoto, and the untamed wilderness of Hokkaido. But more than that, I was anxious to begin my journey as a monster hunter. So far we were 13 hours in, and I couldn¡¯t sleep just thinking about it. The flight was long and grueling, my excitement seesawing between fits of boredom and bouts of anxiety. The cabin lights dimmed, while the low hum of the plane tried to ease my wild nerves. It was then I thought about my meta ability and how it compared to the rest. Monster levels varied by region, and I started to think over how basic super strength was. I took another look at my stats I¡¯d gotten from the administration committee via email. With all of the excitement, I hadn¡¯t given it an honest look over yet. So I pulled out the screenshot I¡¯d taken earlier with my phone and studied it this time:
Career Level: 1
Name: Nero Aldeon Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality:
Age: 18 Endurance: 4
Rank: -- Strength: 9 (+50 meta boost)
Fame: 0% Agility: 4
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 1
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 40/40
Specialty: Super Strength Squadron: Beta1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 0
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 0 (FPs Accumulated):-- Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency:--
¡°Super strength, huh? I should have tested how far I could push it. Guess I was just excited to be enlisted. Didn¡¯t matter, though. With fame points, I can train and bulk up my stats,¡± I whispered to myself, the little girl no older than five sitting in the middle seat overhearing me. Her rosy cheeks brightened when she flashed me an innocent smile, and then she asked me in a cute Japanese accent, ¡°Are you a hunter?¡± I smirked. ¡°Sure am. Well, not yet. I have to pass my mentor evaluation. But you can put a win on the record books. Because I¡¯m not failing that test.¡± She giggled. ¡°You are very confident in yourself.¡± ¡°I have every reason to be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be a hunter too when I grow up.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Really? What¡¯s your talent?¡± She paused for a second and started to show me, the texture of her skin changing. At first I thought it was turning translucent, as if she had an invisibility trait, but the longer I paid attention, the more I realized it was something else. The blue and white fabric from her seat began to bleed into the color of her skin, her palms assuming the same textured pattern, too. My eyes widened as I watched the transformation. ¡°Camouflage! Not gonna lie, that¡¯s pretty impressive.¡± Her smile grew wider as she nodded. ¡°Yup. It¡¯s called adaptive camouflage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± I breathed out, excited by her talent. ¡°But,¡± she added, shyly looking down at her hands as the fabric pattern slowly faded away, returning to her original skin tone, ¡°it¡¯s not as practical when it comes to hunting.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, genuinely confused. Such a skill seemed top tier for a hunter. ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t help me sense danger or fight off threats,¡± she said wistfully. ¡°All it does is allow me to hide.¡± I understood where she was coming from. In the world of hunting, being able to fight and detect danger were as essential, if not more so, than the ability to hide. At least that was the pitch she was giving herself, but I gave her a different perspective. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t belittle it. Your talent gives you an edge. Yes, it might not help you attack or defend directly, but it can give you a crucial advantage. You¡¯d be the master of surprise attacks.¡± She looked at me, her big brown eyes taken by wonder. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of it that way,¡± she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Then it¡¯s time you start thinking differently,¡± I encouraged her, my tone more serious than before. ¡°Hunting isn¡¯t just about strength or speed. It¡¯s about strategy, too. Your gift is unique and could be frightening in the right hands. Just you wait. Before you know it, everyone would want you on their hunter squadron.¡± She erupted in bubbly giggles. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Heck yeah!¡± Her mother sitting right next to her tittered behind her hand and then turned to me. ¡°Thank you for that. It¡¯s hard convincing them when they are young. There¡¯s so much bias out there about the perfect meta. It¡¯s really disheartening, you know?¡± I snorted. ¡°I can imagine.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough thinking about all of the details that go with being a top tier hunter. Kids have enough to worry about nowadays.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Hey, can I ask you a question? Feel free to decline.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Have you always been so supportive about your daughter being a hunter?¡± She chuckled. ¡°I know that isn¡¯t always the norm, but yes. Her dreams are my dreams. That isn¡¯t to say that I don''t get worried every now and again, but in the grander scheme of things, Miko will be protecting our country. And so are you, right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Your station is in Utoro?¡± ¡°Ah, right, yeah! It is.¡± ¡°Born and raised. Miko and I are coming from a business trip. I¡¯ve been so homesick! I can¡¯t wait to unwind and make it back for the cherry blossom festival.¡± ¡°Hey, that sounds like fun. I¡¯ll have to add that to my itinerary for sure.¡± As I was talking with Miko¡¯s mother, Asami, time seemed to go a lot faster. Before I knew it, we were only minutes away from our destination. It was time to fasten our seatbelts and prepare for landing. When I saw the seatbelt light go off but no stewardess, I didn¡¯t think anything of it at first. Though, I realized that the stewardess hadn¡¯t been back here for a while and I got curious. I shimmed out of my seatbelt to take a peek up front, noticing the curtains closed. My head turned to the back of the cabin, where I did notice a stewardess, but she was knocked out. Drooling off the side of her mouth kinda knocked out. I jerked my head around and saw that she wasn¡¯t the only one snoozing. Passengers left and right were fast asleep, and it was only then did I pick up on the snores and whistling in front of us. Hmm, something feels off¡­ I get that it was a long, exhausting flight, but the more I looked around, the more I came to a conclusion that my row and a few others in front of us were the only ones awake. Asami, Miko and I were seated all the way in the back, with a few empty rows behind us. Once I got a good look of the cabin, I sat back down, Asami looking over my way concerned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s asleep in the front of the cabin¡­.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Well, it is nearing 11pm. It¡¯s a tiring flight, but I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡± I smiled. ¡°Frequent flyer, huh? I¡¯m up because I¡¯ve been anxious about being a newly appointed hunter. But¡­¡± I paused, reaching my neck out again to look down the aisle. ¡°hmm, maybe I¡¯m just being paranoid.¡± I guess I really couldn¡¯t comment on the phenomena, seeing as I¡¯d never been on a long flight before. Magazines skirted the floor, food and drinks and phones, too. At first glance, it pretty much looked like everyone had passed out at the same time. From the businessman slumped over his seat with his forehead against his standing laptop monitor, to the little boy hanging off the armrest still holding onto his soda can. I reeled my head back to my headrest and tried to brush it off, but this gut feeling wouldn¡¯t quit nagging me until an outlier stood up from the right side of the cabin. He was a tall lanky guy, who clearly wasn¡¯t a country native. In fact, he looked very American, and a little under-dressed compared to the rest of us. Quite honestly, he looked like a bum with his disheveled hair, raggedy trench coat, and worn out sneakers. He shuffled down the aisle haphazardly, each step uneven as if he were walking down a damn tightrope. His eyes roamed from left to right, his lingering gazes making me squint harder. I couldn¡¯t tell at first, but the next time he stared at a row, his eyes seemed to shift colors¡­. My vision was limited from where I was sitting. I tried playing it cool as he approached us, flipping through my Shield Hero manga before he stopped right at my feet. I couldn¡¯t help but look up, that yellow grin on his face creeping me out. His face looked so leathery and beaten down, committed to the whole hobo look. Before I could say anything, Miko waved, and beamed with a peachy voice, ¡°Hi, mister!¡± Not a second later, mister¡¯s pupils disappeared, and Miko and her mother dropped. ¡°What the?!¡± I gasped, turning over to them terrified. Miko fell on her mother¡¯s lap, and Asami¡¯s head fell against the window, both of them fast asleep. ¡°What the hell?! What did you do to them?!¡± I retorted, with my hand on the headrest in front of me, my body ready to leap. He was brazen, the jackass trying the same stunt on me, but when his eyes went white again, nothing happened. The look of disappointment on his face was reassuring enough for me to shove him back, the freak falling over a stout man¡¯s pudgy belly before he bounced back up again. I got on my feet and curled my hand into a fist, realizing that this prick could be a shadow walker in disguise. ¡°Mental immunity, what are the odds,¡± he sighed. ¡°Making my life that much harder, aren¡¯t you, kid?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who has been putting everyone to sleep.¡± He chuckled mischievously, his voice grating against my nerves. ¡°You catch on quick,¡± he replied, dusting off his trench coat. His pupils came back, those deep blues smiling at me unafraid. I had to keep my guard up with him. Usually shadow-walkers who shape shifted did it to hide among humans. But this guy was clearly different. He was out in the open, willing to risk exposure on the off chance that a hunter wasn¡¯t around. Even if he wasn¡¯t expecting someone like me, someone who had mental immunity, it was a big risk flashing powers like that so bravely. What a way to find out that I had another meta ability, thousands of feet in the air, aboard a plane to my assigned hunter location. I doubted I was the only meta on board, but since I was the only one awake in the cabin, it was up to me to shut this flesh-eater down. ¡°New blood, how about you take a knee on this one? You wouldn¡¯t want to cause more problems, now, would ya?¡± I glared at him. ¡°Mad? Confused? What, you didn¡¯t want everyone knowing your little secret? Oh I know you¡¯re a hunter. I heard you talking to the MILF and her rugrat all the way from up there. Thanks to these big ears. I know, I got a real Dumbo look goin¡¯ on, but when you look like this, no one takes you seriously. They do the exact opposite, and more importantly, they stare¡­.¡± His grin went wider. ¡°You see a dirty mutt like me on the streets and you can¡¯t help but glance their way. And when they glance, they sleep. Eye to eye contact, less than a half second is all I need. I¡¯m not the type to chase after my meals. Real exhausting. Takes a lot out of me. I might be classified as a category C menace to society, but I am not to be taken lightly. Sleep manipulation is a big deal, and it¡¯s a specialty I took time to master. If you ask me, it¡¯s a fucking work of art!¡± ¡°Let them go,¡± I retorted. ¡°Now, why would I do that?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve got a full course meal right here. My client¡¯s quota has been met. All I have to do now is wait until we land. My associates will not be too far behind¡­.¡± The monster¡¯s smile broadened as he took a step toward me, the cabin suddenly feeling much smaller. ¡°Listen, what you¡¯re about to do is way above your rank. A small fry like you going against me ain¡¯t worth it. Now, if you were smart, you¡¯d sit your ass back down, cock your head to the side, and pretend that you¡¯re asleep, just like everyone else. Once we land, I¡¯ll let you leave alive for keeping your mouth shut. Sweet deal if you ask me. Or, there¡¯s an alternative, you make a fuss, and I eat that shitty look on your face right here and now. The choice is yours.¡± ¡°You son of a¡ª¡± ¡°Quit worrying about them.¡± He waved dismissively. ¡°For all you know, they¡¯re just taking a little nap... permanently.¡± ¡°Like hell they are!¡± Anger boiled within me and overpowered my sense of self-preservation. Ignoring his warnings and threats, I lunged forward, aiming for a direct punch at his smug face. He swerved, barely dodging my fist but I quickly swept out with my foot, catching him off balance. He twisted away from me, stumbling over a row of seats. His hideous laughter echoed in the silent cabin. ¡°Feisty little shit, aren¡¯t ya?¡± he huffed as he straightened up again. ¡°I see we are doing this the hard way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your rank or your threats,¡± I growled. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt them! When will you monsters take a hint? This world isn¡¯t your domain! And we aren¡¯t playthings for your selfish entertainment!¡± ¡°But you pathetic meatbags make it so easy!¡± I chased him down the aisle, the hobo doing more defense than offense. I couldn¡¯t understand why he hadn¡¯t taken a swing at me yet until I remembered how many people he put to sleep. The entire cabin was under his spell, and that must have taken a lot out of him. He hadn¡¯t had time to feed yet, which meant that his energy was low. I had to capitalize on his weakness. Reaching over to the guy on my right, I took his umbrella and used it as a spear. Closing the gap between me and the flesh-eater helped, the pointed end of the umbrella stabbing him at his chest when he tried to dodge it. All of that walking backwards finally got to him too, the asshole tripping and falling on his ass. When he went down I wasted no time, stabbing him again right through his hand as he tried to block his chest. He winced, that cockiness on his face finally replaced with anger. I could tell he was fuming inside with that glare, but as I reached in to finish the job by coming at his neck, he used the moment I pulled the umbrella from his hand to kick me backward. My hand reached for a headrest, holding me from falling. When I looked back at him again, the fucker was already back up on his feet, mid-transformation. ¡°Oh, shit¡­.¡± Shadow-walkers were stronger in their true form, their monstrous form. His true form happened to be a giant fucking roach, a spitting image of Edgar the bug from MIB. Except his figure was more humanoid, and thankfully, shorter. I swear I puked in my mouth a little, wincing back from the gross form he¡¯d morphed into. My stomach lurched again as I took in his spindly limbs and the segmented body, the wet coat melting off of his shell like slime. The smell hit me then, a stench so bad that it felt like I was standing on a landfill. My hand tightened around the umbrella as I fought back the bile knocking at the back of my throat, telling myself to suck it up long enough to kill him. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t be eating an order from one of my clients, but¡­ I¡¯ll gladly make an exception for you.¡± He sneered, his mandibles clicking as he paced toward me. And then, he jumped¡ªthe piece of shit had to have wings! He was a lot heavier too, landing right on me as I used the umbrella between us to hold him back. I felt the air whoosh out of my lungs as he landed on top of me, his insectoid legs pinching into my skin as he leaned in for my head. The umbrella snapped in two as his weight came down, and I improvised, using the sharp end of the shaft to stab at him again. This time, he couldn¡¯t back away soon enough. I jabbed right into the roach-man¡¯s chest, the umbrella rod burrowing a few inches deep. Green ooze poured from his wound, that smelly shit getting on my lips. When he screeched in pain and reared back, I got on my feet again and rushed him down. I threw punch after punch, the force behind my punches crippling his barricading arms until he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fled to the front of the plane. A shrill cry for mercy cawed from behind me where I realized the passengers were beginning to wake up. One by one they were falling out of their dreams and waking up to a nightmare. The monster was getting weaker, so it made sense that his effects were, too. The bug was desperate, rushing toward the cockpit. I didn¡¯t know what he was planning to do, but I wasn¡¯t about to sit here and wait to find out. So I rushed after him, grabbing the emergency axe by the side exit and cocked my good arm back, then flung the bad boy up the aisle, the blade catching the back of the roach¡¯s head. Most shadow-walkers could regenerate as long as their heads were intact, so I rushed him down before he could dislodge the axe and snatched the wooden handle. As he turned around to attack me, I ended the fight, slicing his head clean off his thorax and onto a woman¡¯s lap. Her blood curdling scream made me jump and apologize before she flat out fainted. ¡°Heh, sorry about that!¡± At least the bug monster was properly exterminated, right before landing, too. B1.CH7: The New Roommate CHAPTER SEVEN I¡¯d always been selfless, putting myself behind others. Mom said that it was something she admired about me since I was young, and it was something I never grew out of. I always had a hunter mindset, which made this new journey in my life so much more rewarding. Ignoring my human instinct to save myself was never hard. There had always been another pull, a stronger pull, one that led me toward the danger instead of away from it. It was as if I felt more alive when I was helping someone survive. Some would say that I was a masochist, deriving some twisted satisfaction from jumping into the fray. But I called it doing what was right. With or without powers, I was always willing to help. I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch on like the others. I couldn¡¯t be afraid, not like dad, who ran away when shit got rough. Unlike him, I was no coward. I saw the challenge, and instead of looking for an exit out, I plunged into it headfirst. It was a deep-rooted sense of responsibility to take care of each other that forged my motto. It was the same overbearing sense of duty that you¡¯d find in soldiers, firefighters, or doctors dealing with life or death situations each and every day. People who chose to be in the line of fire, not because they were fearless but because they cared. That was who I was, and I couldn¡¯t change that even if I wanted to. I remembered how Sophie had looked at me that nightmarish night. That look of unworthiness that crossed her terrified, blood-stained face. She didn¡¯t think anyone would come; she didn¡¯t think anyone cared. Her neighbors weren¡¯t far. They had to have heard the cries, the pleas, and the blood-curdling screams. You see news about shadow-walker victims, the ones that hunters missed all the time. It became so common that we learned to become desensitized to them. That same lack of empathy allowed her neighbors that night to close the curtains and draw the blinds, lock their doors, and turn off their lights. Instead of having a heart and calling the corp, they pretended they weren¡¯t home to save their own asses. When all hope was lost, it wasn¡¯t a hunter, or a cop, or even an adult that came in to help her. It was a kid, and she thought then and there, why? One life for another. To monsters, life was weighed in pounds. But a life was precious, immeasurable by any means. We are all worthy of life, from the smallest infant to the oldest sage. Every breath that pulsed through our veins, and every beat that drummed in our hearts was a testament to our existence and right to live. Monsters didn¡¯t have the right to take that from us. They didn¡¯t have a right to crawl out from wherever the fuck they came from and claim our lives theirs to take. That girl at the park gave me the same look Sophie had when I saved her. You and me, we are the same. We are both meta-less beings, so why put yourself out there to help someone like me? Because shit, if I didn¡¯t, who would? The world was a darker place than it had any right to be. With every opportunity, we should shed some light into it. The plane landed at last, where everyone could breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone was in a rush to unboard the plane, especially me, who was being pampered in a show of love and appreciation for helping everyone land safely. The feeling was a bit overwhelming, nothing like the time I¡¯d gotten rid of big Brucer. It was the most recognition and praise I¡¯d received in my lifetime, and the gratitude only grew from there when security hauled the monster out for processing. I indulged in the fame a little bit, but it was a whole scene at the airport, a moment I¡¯d never forget. Police officers and paramedics hustled around, tending to those who needed medical attention and gathering statements from witnesses. Agents in suits arrived on scene, with dark glasses and cryptic badges only adding to my speculations. They didn¡¯t seem to be with Hunter Corp or local law enforcement. They took charge of getting everyone in order, when I heard talk of an evacuation plan for the terminal. When they came to me, I told them what had happened. The one guy in front of me gave quiet commands to search the area through his ear piece, anxious to find the monster¡¯s accomplices. The delay was massive, riding into high hours of the morning. From all the hype, I was finally starting to feel the exhaustion kicking in, and I was desperate to head over to baggage claims, grab my stuff, take a long hot shower, and crash on a soft, cozy bed. Once the commotion was over, I had bags under my eyes, and a bunch of phone numbers from a lovely clutter of admiring teenage girls. I grabbed my stuff and buzzed my designated lift, whipped open my map, and sat in the backseat after giving the driver the address. In Utoro, there was a diverse range of people from all over the world, and English wasn¡¯t as foreign a language as I expected. The kind driver understood my directions before I even tried handing him the map. The ride to my new home was pretty far from the airport, further than I thought it¡¯d be. I guess it made sense for a location housing trainee hunters. Even my chauffeur was arranged by the Corp, the kind, elder gentleman someone in their inner circle I¡¯d imagine. By the time I got there, it was 5am, the sun already rising. The sky had all shades of purples, pinks, and oranges, spread across it like watercolor on a canvas. It was a beautiful sight to say the least, enough to keep me awake. It made up for my sleepless night and the jetlag that threatened to tip me over at any moment, until the taxi made a stop, the centerpiece to the right of me making my jaw drop. My new home was a dojo? The building was an old majestic, wooden Japanese bungalow nestled in the bosom of mother nature herself. The dojo was deliberately designed to be unobtrusive among its forest mountainside surroundings, and as much a part of the landscape as the ancient trees standing around it. Each window had these delicate shoji screens on them filtering the soft sunrise. The main entrance was a large and ornate gate guarded by two stone lions, their sharp gaze clear even through the early morning foggy mist. Stone lanterns lined the walkway made of cobblestone, the path leading toward the grand dojo. Japanese architecture had always been fascinating to me, but seeing such ornate detailing in person was a sight that took my breath away. The taxi driver looked at me through the rearview mirror. His dark eyes twinkled at the corners as he grinned, as if he was privy to the wonder I was feeling right now. A noteworthy reaction I was sure. I didn¡¯t want my foreigner showing so early in the game, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I was fucking enchanted right now. The driver helped me unload my stuff from the trunk, his welcoming smile never wavering as we lugged the suitcases to the front porch. I tipped him through my app with my starter money, and in exchange he gave me a hearty handshake followed by a respective bow. ¡°Much thanks for your services to our city, Mr. Aldeon.¡± My emotions were all over the place right now. Exhaustion, thrill, anticipation, and imitation all bundled up in one. When the cab driver drove off, it was only me and my hand on the front door knob. I took one last breath before stepping into my hunter headquarters, and¡ª ¡°Holy crap. This place is bigger from the inside¡­¡± It was modern, clean, and pretty empty, the sound of the front door opening echoing down the training room. My eyes looked up to the wooden rails on the second floor hallway, noticing how truly massive the dojo was. The more my eyes roamed, the more I felt like I was living a fantasy by being here. Out of all of the locations I could have been assigned to, the Corp picked Utoro. And now, I could cross one of my top three vacation spots off my bucket list. Overhead, wooden beams crisscrossed the high ceiling like bones of some gigantic animal. Multiple katana racks stretched along one side of the wall, each blade glinting under the sunlight. A large and incredibly detailed mural dressed the first-floor back wall of the dojo, depicting an epic battle between historical warriors. I was standing in a shrine of tradition, where the past and present seemed to have melded into one. From fighting wars to fighting monsters. I felt like a warrior in my own right as my eyes continued to look around. The headquarters was eerily silent, beside the sound of water running from outside. After I kicked my shoes off and closed the front door, I treaded lightly on the smooth, polished floorboards as I wondered where my mentor was. My guess was that he went to sleep once he realized that I wasn¡¯t going to be here on time. I didn¡¯t want to wake him, so I toured around the building by myself. There were plenty of bedrooms, enough for a few hunters. From B1 to B6, I read the labels off the doors, but I didn¡¯t want to be rude and open any. There was also a huge kitchen, a gym, and lounge area. Hell, there was even a god damn hot spring in the back. When I went back inside, I snagged my bags sitting in the foyer, and when I turned back around, I nearly had a heart attack when I saw a cat girl at my feet! ¡°Got some choooow?¡± she meowed, I mean asked, standing there in front of me on all fours. She had the saddest look on her face as she begged me for food, my mind not processing what was happening just yet. I got that she was a demi-human, but with her on the ground like that, she legit looked like an animal. Brown furry ears over her short brown highlighted hair, a long swaying fluffy tail, and even a green collar around her neck with two fake plush bells on it. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to eat around this place! It¡¯s uncomfortably spotless!¡± she moaned. ¡°If I don¡¯t find something to eat in the next minute, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll¡ª¡± She paused, her yellow eyes broadening in exaggerated desperation. I reached over in my hoodie pocket and gave her a Snickers bar. ¡°Here, I got something,¡± I said, offering it to her. ¡°Not a lot, but I ate everything I really had to eat on the plane and¡ª¡± before I could finish, she snatched the chocolate bar with her teeth and hauled ass, the strange girl turning down the hallway and disappearing in a flash. ¡°Huh, she¡¯s pretty quick on her feet. She must be a hunter from another squadron¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time you showed up,¡± I heard someone say, and when I turned behind me, I saw Naomi there, lounging against the wall of the foyer with her arms crossed, wearing a large, plain black t-shirt and her signature monotone face. It was clear she had either been sleeping or was ready to go to bed, and for a moment, seeing her in such a casual outfit around me threw me off, until I finally croaked, ¡°Yeah! Long ride. Luckily, you weren¡¯t on my flight, either. Otherwise, you would have gotten here just as late. The delay was a nightmare.¡± ¡°No, I was on Reina¡¯s and the others, unfortunately. We got here around eight. Why? What happened on your flight?¡± I snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s just say my hate for demonic bugs climbed up the ladder by another couple notches.¡± ¡°A monster on your flight? What were the odds?¡± She shrugged. ¡°High, to be honest. Though, I am surprised it caused enough trouble to delay passengers.¡± ¡°He was working for a client that had a big appetite¡­.¡± She gave me a heavy look and then asked, ¡°Did you kill him?¡± I raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. ¡°Were you expecting me to?¡± ¡°What if I said no?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯d say I wasn¡¯t expecting to kill him, either, but I did.¡± She paused, turning her head away from me almost timidly. ¡°Good thing you made it.¡± Naomi walked off without saying another word, and for some reason, I was too reluctant to stop her. I knew what I wanted to ask, but for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it aloud. Even though I wanted to put that haunting incident in Monument Park behind me, I still had questions. These doubts wouldn¡¯t rest, the idea of Naomi being there bugging me. I was 80% sure she was there, and that she¡­ did something to me¡­. ¡°Naomi!¡± I called out. She turned her head to look at me before she said, ¡°Our bedroom is down here.¡± Wait, did she just say our bedroom? I grabbed my stuff and followed her down the hallway, Naomi leading me through a floor plan I was already familiar with. She stopped in front of B4, and when she opened the door, I immediately noticed the three beds inside. Maybe floor mattress was a better word¡­. In Utoro, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to sleep on a futon, which was the same thing as a floor mattress. But it was a sight unfamiliar to my eyes. They were each in their own column behind the ceiling-to-floor windows, draped with clean, soft, breathable cotton blankets. They each had a single pillow, and a small wooden crate serving as a minimalist bedside table. The room was spacious and airy, with wood-paneled walls reflecting the cleanliness of the living area. The smell of Japanese cypress wood wafted through my nose as soon as I stepped inside. The tatami mats beneath my feet suddenly caught my attention, woven with straws of soft rush grass. They felt great under my socks, like a gentle cushion for my toes. Naomi stopped not too far behind me and said, ¡°Your Shikibuton?¡± ¡°My what?¡± ¡°Your bed.¡± ¡°Do I get first dibs?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care where I sleep¡­.¡± ¡°Well, what about Reina?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t sleeping here with us.¡± I looked at her stark for answers. ¡°She¡¯s over at B3.¡± ¡°She has an entire bedroom for herself?¡± ¡°Privilege¡­ or in her case, bitching and screaming.¡± She walked over to the sliding door of the closet as she continued, ¡°A squadron usually shares a bedroom space. B1-6 isn¡¯t meant for individual quarters, where six hunters get a room to themselves. They are meant to house 18 hunters. But since there are only two teams currently stationed here, we have free space. Reina insisted she have her own room, and our mentor, eager to spare his sanity, decided to give her one. However, that is due to change. The Corp likes to move hunters around, as you¡¯re already aware.¡± I smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. We may actually get some sleep without her around. Speaking of, why aren¡¯t you in bed?¡± She bent back up from getting something from the pocket of her duffle bag before she walked toward me and handed me something. ¡°It¡¯s an H-Tec, a com unit and a system sensor board in one. In the field, keep it with you always.¡± She gave me something that looked like one of those FBI earpieces without the extra wiring. There was something that looked different about it, and when I slipped it over my ear, I realized that this gadget was more than just an ear piece. I pressed the button along my eardrum and noticed it began to analyze. Rings of red started to scan my surroundings, a transparent screen popping up in front of me coming back with an error message stating body not found. Until I turned to Naomi, and her stats surfaced:
Career Level: 1
Name: Naomi Brunsfield Hunter Attributes:
Gender: F HG-Vitality:
Age: 18 Endurance: 16
Rank: -- Strength: 3
Fame: 0% Agility: 9
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 7
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 160/160
Specialty: Telekinesis Squadron: Beta1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 0
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 0 (FPs Accumulated):-- Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency:--
I cleared my throat, trying not to look completely intimidated! Naomi just didn¡¯t look like the type who would surpass me in starter stats. But she knew I had read her, no matter how hard I tried not pulling back my collar from the heat wave that slapped me on the face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, and I fumbled. ¡°Nothing! J-just, telekinesis! Heh! Pretty¡­ pretty sweet meta, honestly!¡± ¡°You mean all this time, you didn¡¯t know that was my super power?¡± I knew, but before I embarrassed myself further, she interjected, ¡°You should get some rest. We have a meeting with Hayashi at 10.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I hesitated for a second and then said, ¡°Naomi, there¡¯s¡­ something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you¡­¡± I said, trying to summon enough courage to talk to her about that night. ¡°When you¡¯d seen me in General Hall, was that the last time we saw each other last Friday?¡± ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°It could very well be my imagination talking here, but after work, I¡ª¡± ¡°Were you looking for an apology?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°For bumping you? Well, there isn¡¯t one.¡± ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s not like t¡ª¡± ¡°You have a bad habit of getting in my way, Nero,¡± she admitted, although I couldn¡¯t help but think she was jesting with me. ¡°So it¡¯s a good thing you have powers now, because I wouldn¡¯t want you getting in my way during a hunt.¡± Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t she the same girl who refuted my right to deny her being on my team? The same one who swore she¡¯d help me climb to the top? As she walked to the door, she gave me one last bit, that solid stare on her unwavering. ¡°By the way, stand clear of Ashley. That cat girl has a stomach the size of gluttony and will eat your food money dry.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Aren¡¯t you going to snooze, too?¡± She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at me weird. ¡°Why do you want me in bed so badly, Nero?¡± My face flushed. ¡°No, not in my bed if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking!¡± ¡°I already slept. I need to meditate. Be at the garden at 10,¡± she reminded me one last time before she closed the door and headed off. B1.CH8: The "Sober" Sensei CHAPTER EIGHT Bright and early, I had a meeting at 10 in the morning. That barely gave me five hours of sleep. I didn¡¯t bother with unpacking since I only had time to do the bare essentials like washing up and brushing my teeth before bed. After that, I knocked out. To my surprise, I actually slept, right through my alarm, too. It was Reina¡¯s loud and obnoxious voice piercing through the wall that woke me up, the sound of her talking to one of her girlfriends overseas too pitchy to ignore. After my very rushed morning routine and a quick call to the family, I went to the kitchen at about 9:50am, noticing a few unfamiliar faces. ¡°G¡¯morning!¡± the guy with the curly curtain undercut beamed, waving my way as he held his cup of coffee. ¡°You must be Nero, right?¡± I nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure am. Good morning, erm¡ª¡± ¡°Felix, Felix Navarro. Nice to meet you!¡± he said, walking over to me with a handshake. The guy was tall, maybe a half foot shorter than me at about 6¡¯ 1?¡±. He had tan skin and a bright smile, and the kind of energy that could light up a room. His hazel eyes were full of spark and intrigue, instantly making me feel more awake than the strongest cup of coffee ever could. ¡°Nice to meet you too, Felix,¡± I replied, returning his firm and friendly handshake. ¡°It sucks that they don¡¯t ID the people we¡¯re bunking with, huh? The only reason I knew about you was because your teammate kept complaining about a, Nero the Nerd being in her squad.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Reina. Such a sweetheart,¡± I sang sarcastically as I released our handshake. ¡°Heh, yeah! She has a mouth on her.¡± ¡°Yeah, one that never seems to shut up.¡± ¡°Quite a character for sure. I¡¯m from District 2.¡± ¡°District 1 in Xion.¡± ¡°Yikes, it¡¯s pretty crazy up there in District 1 compared to the other districts in Xion. Not a lot of local hunters surveying the streets.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. We got it bad there, but it¡¯s home.¡± ¡°I hear that. Ashley and Gunther are from District 3.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know how it feels being in a cozy district like that. Wonder what got them into hunting.¡± ¡°Cash, like most of us.¡± He smiled. ¡°And for some others, credibility and honor.¡± ¡°Reina is from District 3, comes from a pretty rich family, too. Crazy enough, her wealth is how Naomi and I got here. That being said, District 3 usually keeps their local talent in house. They are well enough to support themselves, financially and defensively.¡± ¡°Yeah, but sometimes, they crave change. Besides, Ash and Gun come from middle-class families. I wasn¡¯t so lucky.¡± ¡°I hear that.¡± ¡°My parents died to monsters, and told my young sister that there was no way in hell I was going to let that happen to her, too. She¡¯s living with our aunt in Syracuse, keeping her head down like I taught her. Sara is smart; she deserves the best.¡± ¡°You always want what¡¯s best for your family. I¡¯ve got one back home that I¡¯d love to support, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear!¡± ¡°Morning, losers!¡± the cat girl Ashley giggled. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m kidding, you guys are great!¡± She strolled into the kitchen on all fours again, the preference making me squint curiously. There was a pep in her jolly happy go lucky step, her tail sashaying left and right before she took a seat at the breakfast nook. ¡°What¡¯s for breakfast? Another hot steaming bowl of air soup?¡± ¡°Hey Ash, this is Nero of the Beta1 team,¡± Felix introduced. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve met before. When he first came in this morning! Even gave me a Snickers bar. Solid lad!¡± She plopped down on the breakfast nook table and eyed me up and down again. ¡°So, are Reina and I the only demi-humans here so far? Or do those scales along your neck make you some type of hybrid snake?¡± At the notion of my scales, my hands flew over them to cover them up, Ashley suddenly giggling at me. ¡°Nothing bad, of course. I think they look sweet on you!¡± ¡°Heh, thanks but I¡¯m not a demi-human.¡± ¡°No? So, do you have a snake-like meta that egged it on?¡± ¡°Not that either. I guess I have them for aesthetics. I got them when I got my meta Saturday morning, and¡ª¡± ¡°Wait a minute, you got a talent Saturday morning? As in, last Saturday morning?¡± someone from the right of me coming into the kitchen said, my assumption being Gunther. He was just as tall as Felix, maybe a little shorter, and just as skinny. I noticed the gauges in his earlobes, and a piercing along the corner of his lip. To be judgmentally fair, he looked like a pretty-boy stage-junky who played guitar and hung out at clubs on the weekends. The dark blue tattoos trailing down his arms of some questionable provocative art certainly got my attention, as well as his blinding confidence. In terms of physique, he was a little bulkier than me before my transformation, had spiky blond hair and heavyset brows that furrowed at my statement. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve only been a meta for less than a week? And they already got you in Hunter Corp?¡± He snickered. ¡°Talk about the luck of the draw.¡± ¡°Nero, this is Gunther, the last member of our team,¡± Felix introduced. ¡°Nero, nice! Diggin¡¯ the hair! I was thinking about going plat too, once upon a fair time. Say, where¡¯s your team?¡± ¡°Egh, I haven¡¯t seen Naomi in a while, but¡ª¡± ¡°Heh, let me rephrase that¡ªwhere is Reina?¡± ¡°In her room, the last I heard her,¡± I said, as he took a seat from across Ashley on the table. ¡°In her room, huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°All right, all right, let¡¯s settle everything out in the open now before it gets in the way. Are you banging her?¡± Ashley chuckled, and Felix twisted his face embarrassingly. ¡°Talk about being blunt!¡± Ashley sang. ¡°Hell no!¡± I retorted. ¡°Good, because the babe is now off limits! I¡¯m making her mine.¡± He winked. ¡°The only thing you¡¯ll be banging Gun is your head against the wall trying to figure out how to control your horny hormones when she rejects you,¡± Ashley teased. ¡°There¡¯s no rejecting the machine Gun,¡± he boasted, right away showing his strong ego stripes. He folded his inked arms across his chest, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he warned me playfully. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make a move on her.¡± I snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Felix shook his head and sighed, ¡°Just remember what happened last time you tried to ¡®make someone yours¡¯, Gunther.¡± Gunther scoffed, rolling his eyes. ¡°Not my fault she couldn¡¯t handle all this,¡± he said, gesturing to himself. Ashley struggled to keep her laughter contained, her attention turning to me with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nero, you clearly don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± I chuckled. ¡°But he might. Reina is more of an acquired taste.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your meta ability anyway?¡± Gun asked as he pulled out a smoke from his pocket, Ash jumping at him on cue. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Can you cut that out?! You¡¯re going to get in trouble with Kenji!¡± she griped, snatching the cigarette away from him before he could light it. ¡°Egh, he can stick his dumb rules and that cigarette up his ass. There¡¯s nothing else to do around here, anyway,¡± Gun hissed. ¡°That¡¯s beside the point, you¡¯re supposed to be kicking the bad habit in the bucket!¡± ¡°To answer your question, I have super strength and mental immunity.¡± Felix smiled. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s pretty impressive actually. My talent is wind.¡± ¡°Mine are power claws and multiply,¡± Ash said. ¡°And Gun¡¯s got spirit animal construct.¡± ¡°Pretty sweet dynamics for a team. Talents tend to share gifts, but I¡¯ve never met someone with animal construct. Reina¡¯s is a weapon forger, and Naomi has telekinesis.¡± ¡°Your team isn¡¯t bad either, honestly,¡± Felix complimented. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you guys ace the evaluation!¡± ¡°Hold your horses, Felix, we haven¡¯t even had breakfast yet!¡± Ash chimed. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for breakfast,¡± Felix reminded her. ¡°We have to get going now. It¡¯s two minutes to 10.¡± ¡°A long orientation without breakfast?!¡± Ash groaned. ¡°Just shoot me now.¡± Felix edged us along toward the garden so we wouldn¡¯t be late. I could already tell that he was the leader of his team with the way he carried himself and took initiative. The dude was pretty down to earth, calm and cool. Whereas Ash was a bit on the eccentric side, reminding me a little of my own zany cookie back home. Except Ash made it clear that despite her overzealous love of food, she couldn¡¯t cook worth a damn. Then there was Gunther, a real charmer. Got a Leo attitude on him that was as loud as a train horn. As the group and I talked on our way to the garden, I realized that the dude didn¡¯t have a humble muscle in his body, and that he might actually be Ash¡¯s type. Of course, I was only speculating. The three of them had been friends from their own school for quite a while. When we reached the garden, I noticed that Naomi was already there sitting along the stone hedges of the freshly manicured garden. The garden itself was a backyard paradise, a breath-taking oasis just a few yards away from the dojo. It was a landscape of lush greens and dazzling floral colors, my eyes taking the time to appreciate how tranquil it all looked. A variety of flowers were in full bloom, given the season, bursting with deep reds, sunny yellows, pastel pinks, vibrant violets, and cool blues. Their beautiful contrast under the bright morning sun locked my attention, as did the sweet fragrances wafting through the air. I¡¯d learned to appreciate nature a little more when my mom took that job as a landscaper. She was pretty good at it too, but this work of art right here would have easily put her talents to shame. As we approached Naomi, she closed the book she was reading and looked over at us unamused. I took no offense, seeing as her face always looked incredibly stoic. ¡°Morning, Naomi,¡± Felix greeted. ¡°Any sign of Mr. Hayashi, yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± he said, and then a tear in space opened up right before our eyes. The form of Mr. Hayashi materialized from between the folds of another dimension, his entrance nearly missing a step as he staggered in front of us. First impressions were everything, and Mr. Hayashi was certainly making one to remember. As his eyes settled on his students, I noticed how sunken they were. The guy wasn¡¯t any older than 40, with long black hair in a thin ponytail, rectangular glasses, and a black kimono robe. And yet he had aged bags under his eyes like he was pushing 60. The edge of his lips curled into a dreary frown, and as he walked toward us, I realized that he might actually be drunk. There was some dramatic flair to this man that I couldn¡¯t ignore. But if there¡¯s one thing I gauged, it was that he wasn¡¯t the easy going type. Felix confirmed this when he bowed down urgently at his entrance, as did his teammates. ¡°Apologies for keeping you waiting,¡± he said, making me bow down as well. Hayashi¡¯s gaze swept across the garden as Naomi took to my side on the line up, before he finally locked on me. ¡°You were late last night,¡± he hissed in a cold and impatient drab voice. ¡°What¡¯s your excuse?¡± ¡°Terminal delay, Sensei Hayashi. The airport had everyone bac¡ª¡± ¡°Noise, is what I¡¯m hearing,¡± he said, cutting me off. ¡°I heard your story. Now what about the red head?¡± ¡°Erm, you mean Reina?¡± Ashley prodded. ¡°Her hair is actually auburn, in the middle of brown and r¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡± he interjected. ¡°Ashley!¡± she tweeted. ¡°Ashley, you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± ¡°O-ugh, um, she is at the dojo, Mr. Hayash¡ª¡± ¡°Disqualified.¡± My stomach tanked. ¡°Anyone who fails to take this career seriously will be disqualified. I don¡¯t have time to babysit children who do not respect the practice.¡± Hayashi¡¯s voice slipped into a growl, causing a sudden chill to spread across our group. ¡°You¡¯re on my time, and I¡¯ll have you all know that I don¡¯t like my time being wasted. You¡¯re here to develop, learn, and excel. Being a hunter isn¡¯t about building fame points and cash prizes, it¡¯s about protecting lives. There¡¯s no room here for slackers.¡± His voice echoed around the garden, the severity of his words etched in my brain. ¡°You will respect this dojo and the rules that govern it. Arriving late is not an option. Is that understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Sensei Hayashi,¡± we nodded and murmured together. ¡°Good,¡± he replied curtly, adjusting his glasses. He peered at us through his rectangular lenses, scrutinizing each of our faces one by one. When he reached me again, he lingered for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s hope you learn to value punctuality.¡± Why was he looking at me funny? Unlike Reina, I had a decent excuse. Speaking of the devil, we all heard shuffling noises coming from behind us, in came the princess rushing toward the garden out of breath. ¡°I apologize, I lost track of time,¡± she pleaded, sensei looking at her flatly. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯re an abusive little one. I can tell that you¡¯re used to being spoiled rotten.¡± Reina gasped, offended. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°You mistook my kindness for leniency. I was just telling your comrades here that you¡¯re disqualified for your lack of punctuality.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I allowed you to have that bedroom because it¡¯s not being used. Please, don¡¯t get accustomed to getting special treatment from me. Here you are the same as everyone else. You¡¯re here to learn, not to be coddled.¡± Reina¡¯s face flushed with humiliation and anger. Her lips trembled, but she said nothing, and merely hung her head in shame. I¡¯d never seen anyone shut her up like that! No whippy comeback, no sass? Was this the same stuck up brat of Acadia? She bowed respectfully and gave another apology that even had Naomi looking at her funny. After sensei was done grilling her, he gave her one more chance, and then, he introduced himself, ¡°Now that you¡¯re all here, allow me to welcome you to Hunter Corp evaluations. This preliminary step into your career is vital, and I, Kenji Hayashi, am here to make sure you all have potential to be true monster hunters. You¡¯ll be tested on trainability, accountability, resourcefulness, and teamwork. I¡¯ve been in the business for over a decade, and I can assure you, this is not a profession for the faint-hearted. You¡¯re here because we believe you have what it takes. Show me you¡¯re worthy to be here.¡± There was an unmistakable weight behind his words, bearing heavy on my shoulders. This big bright ball of sunshine really knew how to lay it on you, huh? He got my blood rushing, and not in a good way. He was inspiring fear in the trade, trying to get us to pussy out. I could feel the atmosphere around us turn darker and more serious the more he talked, our playful banter and small talk earlier now a distant memory as we collectively comprehended the reality of what lay ahead. ¡°Many of you will not make it past this stage,¡± he admitted. ¡°This is not a place for fame seekers or glory hunters. This is a place for those who want to serve humanity, and protect it from the demons of this world. I doubt any of you here have had the pleasure of fighting a monster before. What you see on television is absolute bullshit. There will be blood, guts, tears, sweat, and more blood. It¡¯s not that family friendly rock, paper, scissor showdown you see on the big screen. Now, I want you all to do me a favor and abandon everything you think you know about Hunter Corp. Put that shit in the garbage, and start seeing yourselves as actual soldiers in an army. Your meta is your weapon, your squadron is an extension of your weapon. You will rely on each other for survival, not just in the field, but also in the training grounds. If you can¡¯t work together, then none of you will survive.¡± His eyes went sharp, cutting through each one of us as he continued. Reina seemed to shrink under his gaze while Naomi looked determined, like she was digesting every word he said. As for me, I felt a mix of the two. While I was excited to finally show what I had to be a hunter, I was also nervous about being in a squad. It hadn¡¯t sunk in until Kenji said it¡ªmy team¡­. Their lives were my responsibility also. If I fucked up out there, or if they fucked up out there, it was on me¡­. I was reconsidering the word fun when I realized back then that Naomi and Reina were my teammates. They were going to be a challenge to work with. At least for Felix, he had the pleasure of working with his friends. I hardly ever talked to Reina, even less for Naomi. One girl taunted me at school, while the other ignored me like the plague. ¡°From now on, your trial is an all-day affair,¡± Kenji continued. ¡°There are no breaks. You¡¯re on call from sun up until sun down. I will be shadowing you during these contract missions. You will be rewarded as you would a true hunter during evaluations, so expect fame points. Not that you should use them as motivation. Remember that this trial period is a test. A test of your capacity to endure hardship, to show resilience in the face of adversity, and demonstrate your ability to strategize under extreme stress. Forget about glory; focus on survival. That is your assignment. If you survive the week, we¡¯ll talk about official membership. Use your time wisely.¡± Immediately Ashley raised her hand, that petrified look on her face already asking him the question we¡¯re all wondering. Kenji jerked his head, prompting her to ask, ¡°Excuse me, but we weren¡¯t informed that the evaluation involved us actually going out there to fight monsters.¡± ¡°Like I said, I will be shadowing you. The possibility of a fatality is borderline 0%.¡± Ashley squinted doubtfully. ¡°Borderline?¡± His eyes went flat. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°No offense, but¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have confidence in my abilities to keep you alive during your evaluation, then you won¡¯t have trust in me as your mentor. I get it¡ªtrust is something that needs to be earned, so, let me earn it. You are students, trainees under me. You may not understand or appreciate it now, but this experience at my dojo will shape and mold you into warriors. I am not like the other mentors out there who take this as one big celebrity game show. I take pride in my students being the top hunters out there, and you six will be no different. Listen to me, and I promise you, we¡¯ll give those flesh eaters something to talk about.¡± All right, this guy meant business! He was talking my language. When he mentioned his students being top hunters, it all started to click. Usually, people don¡¯t bother looking at hunter stats when they advertise it. All they really cared about were the fame points and a hunter¡¯s popularity. Outside of that, people wanted to know how much money they made and how many sponsors they had. But his name, often labeled KH, popped up on a few high ranked hunters from over the years. He wasn¡¯t lying when he said his students were among the very best, and that was where I wanted to be. ¡°During your evaluations, your enrollment into Nishimaru International will be pending. Like I said, use this time wisely. And remember to have your units on at all times when hunting.¡± Suddenly, he brought his hand over his right ear and tapped his own H-Tec. A glare in his eyes flickered before he looked over to Naomi, Reina, and I. ¡°Speaking of hunting, there¡¯s a contract in our area. Beta1 team, I want you to handle it.¡± B1.CH9: Trial, Test One CHAPTER NINE A contract, already? That was quicker than I thought. I¡¯d just gotten to the dojo, where I didn¡¯t have nearly as much time as I thought I would to unwind or unpack. But an assignment was an assignment, an urgent hunt that needed to be addressed right away. Our first contract mission was worth 100 fame points per squadron member, and we could do anything we wanted with it. From buying items we could use in the Hunter Games, converting it to real cash, or even feeding our attributes. If I wanted to up my stats, I¡¯d cough up fame points, and in return, I¡¯d be trained by my mentor. Those lessons weren¡¯t cheap, but they were very well worth it. Which is why I was planning on using mine for training. The location was at a farmer¡¯s market in a quaint square called Mitsaku. During the briefing, Sensei Hayashi mentioned that a monster was spotted in an alleyway. The source wanted to remain anonymous, so we couldn¡¯t ask him any questions. All we knew was that he¡¯d seen her shapeshift into a teenage girl with long jet-black hair and a burgundy overall dress. It wasn¡¯t much to go off of but it was literally all we had, so Reina, Naomi, Sensei and I went to Mitsaku, arriving there a few minutes past 11. CONTRACT LEVEL: ONE MISSION: Locate and slay the shadow-walker reported in downtown Utoro MONSTER GRADE: C-D REWARD: 100 Fame Points .ph (per hunter) EARNINGS: $1,000 .ph (payment pending during evaluation phase) I still couldn''t believe we were being paid a grand each for slaying a lesser monster... ¡°Why are we even here, anyway?¡± Reina complained under her breath as the three of us walked along the cobblestone streets of Mitsaku while our mentor hid close by, keeping an eye on us. ¡°By this time, the demon is most likely miles away from here with a kill under her belt. That intel is at least 40 minutes old.¡± ¡°More reason why Utoro needs hunters,¡± I said just as quietly, making sure to keep our voices low on the off-chance the flesh eater was still around. ¡°Just keep looking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing, but forgive me if my lack of breakfast is distracting this mission!¡± She retorted. ¡°Unless starvation is part of this trial, then I¡¯m going to grab something to eat! This is a farmer¡¯s market after all.¡± ¡°That can wait, Reina. We¡ªhey!¡± I cut off as Reina dashed away, her auburn hair bobbing through the crowd toward a food stall. I hurried after her, weaving through the wave of people. By the time I reached her, Reina already had a skewer of yakitori in hand. ¡°Really, Reina?¡± I chastised, glancing nervously around the marketplace. Reina rolled her eyes, prepared to take a bite out of the skewer. ¡°Relax, she probably left hours ago.¡± ¡°You better hope that she didn¡¯t! You seem to forget that we are being tested right now. And trailing away from the target is going to knock off some points from our score.¡± ¡°What target? We don¡¯t even know where she is. I stand behind the notion of her leaving. Why else wouldn¡¯t the square be evacuated?¡± When I looked over my shoulder at Naomi, my heart jumped. She¡¯d disappeared on us, my eyes jumping left and right to search for her. Reaching for my com unit over my ear, I made a command to call her to no avail. After the third time, I gave up, thinking that either A, she didn¡¯t charge her unit, or B, she was flat out ignoring me. I whispered her name through my teeth as if calling a cat, because I refused to move from my spot. All it took was a few steps to lose Naomi, I wasn¡¯t about to lose Reina too. ¡°You look ridiculous right now,¡± Reina taunted. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the rendezvous point and tell him¡ª¡± ¡°Tell him what, Reina?¡± I retorted. ¡°That we not only couldn¡¯t find the shadow walker, but we also lost Naomi?¡± Reina¡¯s mouth clamped shut and then she shrugged it off like she didn¡¯t care. She was about to take another bite before I jerked the skewer from her hand. ¡°Hey! Give me that!¡± she shouted, looking at me stunned and outraged. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Reina. This isn¡¯t a joke. Our lives and those of innocent people are at stake. Quit acting like you don¡¯t care about this! Your ass is on the fire too if you can¡¯t make it through this week!¡± I reminded her, while that sweet smell of skewered chicken wafted under my nose, making my stomach growl. My face went from annoyed to hungry real quick, Reina noticing as she pulled a smirk and crossed her arms under her breasts. ¡°There¡¯s no denying it. You¡¯re hungry, too.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right¡­¡± I whispered, and then took a big bite out of her yakitori. She gasped. ¡°Thanks for sharing, Reina,¡± I managed to say through a mouthful of savory chicken, the skewer¡¯s glaze sweet and sticky on my lips. Reina blinked at me, her voice missing for a change. The audacity of my action had her cheeks turning a fiery red, a low growl rumbling from the pit of her stomach. I could almost see smoke blowing out from her ears, but I shrugged it off casually. ¡°You looked like you weren¡¯t enjoying it anyway with those bird bites. Playing with your food and all.¡± ¡°You have¡­ some nerve...¡± She was stammering now, too furious for words. ¡°That was the man¡¯s last yakitori!¡± ¡°And it was finger licking good. Now that your focus is back on track, let¡¯s look for Naomi.¡± Reina followed me out of the crowd, blowing my ears off with her constant complaining. I thought I was doing myself a favor by eating that chicken, but the consequences weren¡¯t worth it. Not by a long shot. I swear, that woman didn¡¯t have an off button. Her rambling was giving me a headache, and for five minutes straight, she refused to shut up. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just did that, that¡¯s my allowance, are you aware?¡± she hissed, her voice filled with undisguised contempt. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me if I was willing to share with you!¡± ¡°Would you have said yes if I had?¡± I retorted, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice as we navigated our way through the square, aimlessly searching for Naomi. ¡°That¡¯s not the point! You should¡¯ve asked!¡± Reina fired back, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she power-walked beside me. ¡°It¡¯s about manners.¡± Rolling my eyes, I turned to face her, a smirk plastered on my face. ¡°Ah yes, manners. Something you¡¯re clearly an expert on.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± She shoved at my shoulder, causing me to stumble slightly. I turned to her annoyed, wondering why she was making such a big deal about a snack. ¡°You owe me money!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your problem, anyway? Sweating over one little sn¡ª¡± I stopped myself short, finally realizing what was going on. The spoiled brat was spending her own money on herself¡­. If I had to take a wild guess, I¡¯d say Reina never had an actual allowance. She¡¯d always been fed with a silver spoon in her mouth, catered to from head to toe. Whatever she asked for, she got. Every object of interest, every whimpered desire, every passing fantasy¡ªit was hers, wrapped and presented before she could even finish asking. She probably didn¡¯t know the meaning of the word ¡®denial¡¯. I mean, who could blame her? The world was her oyster, and she lived like a goddamn queen off of her father¡¯s wealth. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. She wore finely tailored clothes that would make a supermodel pea-green with envy¡ªall designed by high-end fashion brands from Armani to Lui Vuitton. From elegant watches and bracelets that were worth more than an average person¡¯s annual salary to diamond studded necklaces and earrings that could practically blind you in the sunlight. Her hair was always styled perfectly, not a strand out of place, and her makeup looked like it was done by a professional artist every single day. In Japan, things were different. We all started from the same beginnings. She had been pampered, spoiled rotten, and now she was here, complaining about a measly piece of chicken. I grinned at her almost impishly. ¡°Reina, I¡¯d be so embarrassed. Are you seriously that broke?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, nerd!¡± I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like how things were back home, now is it? I feel you, I really do. How about I make it up to you with a serving?¡± ¡°A serving? Of what?¡± ¡°A serving of reality check, with a side of humble pie.¡± I couldn''t help but laugh at the confusion that spread over her face. It was like she was trying to understand a foreign language. ¡°I¡¯m glad this is all very entertaining for you,¡± she said, squinting at me irritatingly, ¡°But let¡¯s not forget that you¡¯re in the same boat as I am!¡± ¡°True, but I¡¯m used to it.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Pedaling for pennies, going to bed without dinner, and just scraping to get by. Nothing to be proud of, of course, but I¡¯ve been through it all. Going through all of that shit builds backbone, and an awareness of how to survive when resources are limited. A talent you clearly never had the opportunity to build. Not to shame being rich but, daddy¡¯s money isn¡¯t here to help you this time. Here, you have to work for every yen you spend. Reina, you¡¯ve been living in a fairy-tale world your whole life. Everything handed to you on a silver platter. But this is real. Nobody gets anything for free here.¡± ¡°Then give me back my money,¡± she said, stretching her hand out to me with a snarky grin. ¡°No free passes, right?¡± ¡°Listen, if you¡¯re so bent out of shape for one tiny chicken stick, then I¡¯ll pay for your dinner. How about that?¡± She drew her hand away in shock, those big eyes of hers growing bigger. ¡°You¡¯re offering me a meal?¡± ¡°Only so you''ll shut up. Now, can we focus on finding Naom¡ª¡± I stopped short, my body bumping into someone. When I turned around, I saw the ivory-haired purple eyed girl standing there staring back at me. ¡°I found something,¡± she said, and then proceeded to walk away again. Reina and I followed her, Reina asking about a million questions about where she¡¯d been. Soon, those questions would be answered when she stopped in the middle of an alleyway while Naomi and I climbed heaps of garbage. Princess didn¡¯t want to get her high-end boots dirty, but more than that, she was petrified of the robust smell of garbage. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have taken a picture?!¡± Reina cried. ¡°This is filthy.¡± She huddled herself with her arms as she breathed through her mouth. ¡°I am getting light-headed by just standing here.¡± ¡°What exactly are we looking for, Naomi?¡± I asked her as she mountain-climbed. ¡°We aren¡¯t exactly frolicking through roses and violets over here.¡± ¡°Just hold your nose and keep moving,¡± she muttered, not even turning around to look at me. I heard an audible gag from Reina as I started to sift through the garbage along with Naomi, until the smell down there multiplied by two. Rotten eggs¡ªgod, I swear I was going to puke! But it got worse from there when I realized a skinless hand sticking out of one torn black trash bag, meat nearly eaten down to the bone. ¡°Fuck¡ª¡± ¡°Did you find it?¡± Reina called out. My heart hammered in my chest. The world around me blurred as I slowly reached forward, pulling the trash bag apart to reveal the rest of the body. It wasn¡¯t just a hand, but a whole human carcass, rotting and mutilated beyond recognition. It was one of the most gruesome sights I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. ¡°I think we¡¯ve found more than what we bargained for,¡± I said, trying to hold that yakitori down. ¡°What is it?¡± Reina persisted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over here and see her for yourself?¡± Naomi said. ¡°Her?¡± Reina gasped. ¡°Is there a dead body over there?¡± ¡°Not just any dead body,¡± I trailed off, squinting my eyes as I looked more closely. ¡°Burgundy overall dress¡­¡± ¡°Whoever gave that anonymous tip to Hunter Corp is on our suspect list,¡± Naomi confirmed. ¡°The girl wasn¡¯t the flesh eater, she was the victim¡­¡± I said to myself before Naomi and I climbed back down. ¡°We need to report this to the police!¡± Reina insisted, Naomi looking at her funny with that request. ¡°So they could what, exactly? Hunting monsters is above their pay grade. It¡¯s our job to find the walker and get rid of him before he finds his next meal. Besides, we¡¯re not even sure if this victim is a shadow walker.¡± Naomi¡¯s comment made me numb. ¡°Shadow walkers are territorial. Stepping into certain feeding grounds warrants attention and attacks like these. We won¡¯t know for sure now, since the only thing that distinguishes us from them is their need to feed on blood. Even after a monster dies, they don¡¯t necessarily have to revert to their true form, depending on how fast, or slow, they lost blood.¡± ¡°But, I thought the only way to kill a monster was to decapitate them?¡± ¡°Her head doesn¡¯t look intact to me,¡± Naomi said, before she kicked the dead girl¡¯s head with the tip of her shoe, and sure enough, it rolled down the trash pile. ¡°Are we through playing with that corpse yet?!¡± Reina cried. ¡°My skin is crawling!¡± Reina shuddered and moved away from the body, looking very green around the gills. When she heard the head thud, she turned around and walked away. ¡°This was not what I signed up for,¡± she whispered to herself, holding her hand to her stomach. I paced down the pile and walked over to her, my hand on her shoulder before she swatted it away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± she hissed immediately, snapping her body around to show me actual tears streaming down her cheeks. I looked at her sympathetically for the first time ever and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t handle this, I think you should request an exit interview. This job isn¡¯t for everyone. Now, I don¡¯t know why your old man wanted you here so badly, maybe to teach you some sick lesson, but it clearly isn¡¯t worth it. So, to spare your sanity, I suggest you leave.¡± There was a pause as I let my words sink into her. Reina blinked, caught between shock and disbelief. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out. The silence that hung between us was thick enough to slice. Naomi took to my side, waiting for her response. Reina was beyond herself, her body trembling, her eyes looking around as if expecting someone to jump from the shadows and contradict me. When no one stepped forward, she seemed to crumple in on herself, and said, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°We all have our limits, Reina.¡± ¡°If she leaves, we fail this test,¡± Naomi said, turning to me. ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°I get it, but we fail either way if she doesn¡¯t have the stomach for this. This is the first day of evaluation. If she resigns this early, then maybe sensei would reassign someone else. I don¡¯t see why we all have to drop out if we¡¯re admitting to¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not weak,¡± Reina whispered. ¡°I will¡­ carry on.¡± ¡°Reina, why are you¡ª¡± ¡°Like I expect any of you to understand!¡± she blurted out passionately. ¡°So quit your yapping and let¡¯s move on with it!¡± ¡°There will be no more breakdowns,¡± Naomi said, glaring at Reina. ¡°We gave you a chance to back out before the storm hits. If you decide later during evaluation that you¡¯re not fit for hunting, then I personally will hunt you down.¡± I choked! ¡°Do we have an understanding?¡± Reina glared at her back. ¡°I don¡¯t need your empty threats as mock motivation!¡± ¡°The threat isn¡¯t empty. Does this look like a face that¡¯s pulling your pretty leg?¡± Reina fell silent, her gaze locking onto Naomi¡¯s unyielding stare. Naomi didn¡¯t look like the type for empty threats or frivolous talk. If she said she would hunt Reina down, she meant it. The look on her was deadly serious, enough to give me goosebumps. ¡°Just... get on with it,¡± Reina capitulated, wiping the last of tears off her face with a swift swipe of her sleeve as she turned back around, heading out of the alleyway. Naomi turned back to me, a look of disagreement on her face. I sighed inwardly. This was a mess. Our task was to work together as a team, not to tear ourselves apart. ¡°Reina is a wild card,¡± Naomi whispered to me. ¡°If we do this now, we can vote her off the island.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°Many don¡¯t know this, but during the first 24 hours of evaluation, you are able to vote a team member off the squad. Do it early enough, and we won¡¯t be penalized for poor sportsmanship, or whatever.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to do that.¡± ¡°I thought your family needed this, Nero¡­¡± she said, turning away from me and staring at Reina as she walked away. ¡°Who matters more, a stuck-up teen model Barbie or your family? Sophie and Nataly?¡± I smiled down at her. ¡°Sophie and Nataly? I¡¯m surprised you know their names.¡± ¡°I make it my job to know everything about you.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Since we are partners. And as a partner, I advise we vote Reina out.¡± ¡°Look, I know she¡¯s really rough around the edges, but we can¡¯t give up on her yet. She¡¯s willing to do better, isn¡¯t she? Besides, she¡¯s the one who got us here in the first place. We owe it to her to give her a chance.¡± ¡°That chance won¡¯t be there tomorrow,¡± she said, walking back toward the market square. ¡°Remember that, Nero.¡± B1.CH10: D-Card CHAPTER TEN What Naomi said kept running through my head like a broken record. Was I really giving Reina too much credit? She hadn¡¯t exactly shown me she was worth keeping around. Between her untuned meta and the way she¡¯d been handling herself since we got here, she¡¯d given me all the reason in the world to vote her out. But I couldn''t be reckless. While Naomi was sure we could vote her out, I wasn''t so confident that was an option for us. We were invited here outside of normal channels, through a VIP ticket, sorta'' speak. And I bet that if Reina got voted off the island, there''d be no island. Aside from my own personal agenda, I couldn¡¯t be selfish with Reina. I wasn¡¯t raised like that. Despite her shortcomings, I had to remember that without her, I wouldn¡¯t have been a hunter. Well, not officially. Not yet. We still had to pass evaluations, which was why Reina, Naomi, and I were following a trail. I gave Naomi a hint that shadow walkers usually liked to keep their trophies close. The real arrogant ones loved the thrill of the chase, trying to test hunter insight. They called it hiding in plain sight, and they got off of stumping hunters on a regular basis. Another reason for stashing or tossing bodies nearby was to bait out hunters. I had the strongest feeling this was the case here, but that didn¡¯t stop us from searching. ¡°We are getting nowhere fast!¡± Reina complained. ¡°This would make much more sense if we had a decent lead. But we don¡¯t. So all we are doing is wasting precious time.¡± ¡°Quit complaining,¡± Naomi said smoothly. ¡°Do you honestly think that real hunters base their hunts purely on leads? There¡¯s an active threat in the area. We scope it out by any means necessary. Until our mentor tells us otherwise, we keep searching.¡± Not too far from the farmer¡¯s square was a quaint little bakery across the street¡ªYumi¡¯s I read, under the big white Japanese symbols along the storefront. There were a lot of people there, browsing and eating, Reina insisting we searched there. Another food run, I thought. Not gonna lie, I was hungry, too. I suspected the reason why the fridge back home was empty was because kitty cat Ash had emptied it last night. Foraging for basic necessities was part of the hunter package, and after our care package was exhausted, we were left to spend more of that starter money. Sweet buns and pastries lined the window display like precious edible artifacts, bathed in the warm light of morning sun. Each treat was a miniature work of art, crafted with layers of dough, icing, and fillings that immediately grabbed my attention. An aroma of baked sweetness and cooked yeast wafted from the bakery, so strong that we¡¯d smelt it from a block down. Unlike the last time Reina had trailed off, I didn¡¯t stop her, my nose locked on heaven food like I was hypnotized. Ranging from flaky croissants filled with velvety chocolate to custard cream red bean buns dusted with snowy powdered sugar, Yumi¡¯s confectionery creations were far from ordinary. There were Danishes topped with berries whose colors popped against their golden crusts, and shiny Japanese milk bread sparkling under the display lights. Then there were tantalizing crispy cream puffs, mint swirls, custard filled Shu, and even mochi¡ªmy mouth was watering already... ¡°Man, why does everything look so cute in Japan?¡± I said admiringly as I stared through the store front window, until Reina walked in, the door chime ringing after Naomi. I followed the girls inside, Reina already browsing down the rows of food. ¡°Melonpan looks nice,¡± she whispered to herself. ¡°They even have Daifuku.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting the crispy cream puffs for sure,¡± I said, then turned to Naomi with a warm smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting anything?¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± she said flatly. ¡°Why? Not hungry? I didn¡¯t see you having breakfast.¡± ¡°Breakfast isn¡¯t really my thing.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not saying that because we are on an allowance. Come on, my treat.¡± She flashed her pupils my way while the rest of her body made no movement. I could tell that I¡¯d enticed her, the petite ivory-haired girl finally accepting my offer, ¡°I¡¯ll take the milk bread.¡± When we went up to the counter, I paid for our food including a small cup of brown sugar bubble tea for Naomi, Reina looking at me funny from the corner of my eye. We took a seat outside since it was so nice out, the girls taking a seat while I reeled an extra from the table behind us. ¡°I thought you were paying for my dinner?¡± Reina asked me. ¡°That hasn¡¯t changed.¡± I smirked. ¡°I¡¯m not cheap like you.¡± She rolled her eyes and picked at her Melonpan before I took a bite of my own treat, the sweet, fluffy pastry melting in my mouth. I could see why this bakery was so popular among locals and tourists alike. Yumi truly was an artisan in the delicious craft of baking. ¡°Mmm, damn, you have to give this a try,¡± I said, breaking off a piece for Reina and offering it to her. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m very content with what I have. Besides, that is no way to offer a woman a piece of your food. Where were you raised, in a barn?¡± ¡°Aw, seriously? It¡¯s really good! Come on, just a taste. Trust me, you¡¯re missing out! Here comes the itty bitty plane for the hangar!¡± I teased, whizzing my hand back and forth while Reina¡¯s face went beat red. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Cut it out!¡± she cried, back-handing my offering before it inched toward her cheek. She then propped her elbow on the table and hid her face in shame, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You¡¯re such an absolute embarrassment, you know that?¡± ¡°Hah, you need to learn to loosen up a little, Reina.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that it looks like we¡¯re a couple on a date.¡± ¡°How so? There¡¯s three of us here. What does that make Naomi? My associate?¡± Reina sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m the sheltered one¡­.¡± ¡°Heh, though, that¡¯s kind of you to think of me like that, Reina.¡± ¡°Oh, quit stroking your own ego.¡± Naomi, who had been quietly enjoying her milk bread until then, looked up at our antics, her eyes curious. ¡°You two seem awfully friendly for people who routinely hate each other.¡± ¡°Nah, you got it wrong. I don¡¯t hate Reina. She¡¯s just annoying as shit,¡± I teased. ¡°And you¡¯re no walking ray of sunshine, either, you awkward, play card-slinging, cosplay-wearing, anime-obsessed, socially inept manchild,¡± Reina retorted, her voice full of spite. I laughed, surprising even myself with how genuine it sounded. ¡°Well, when you put it like that, I sound downright charming.¡± She growled. ¡°Down right unbearable, is more like it.¡± She hissed, before I turned my eyes to Naomi, about to ask her what she thought about her bubble tea before I noticed her focusing on a couple a few feet away from us. The girl was a bombshell, long black hair with pretty big eyes and a smile that was brighter than the afternoon sun, while the man accompanying her was tall and dressed in a spiffy outfit, looking every bit as dashing as the girl was enchanting. He gave off wealthy charisma, and he was a pretty good smooth talker, too. I couldn¡¯t understand a lick of what he was saying in Japanese, but judging by that girl¡¯s constant giggling and blushing, he was definitely flattering her. The chad was doing a pretty successful job at working her up. He leaned in, whispering something into her ear, causing her to brush her bangs and playfully swat at his arm. I turned my gaze back to Naomi, who was still watching them from the corner of her eyes, her bubble tea untouched. Her expression was unreadable; was she focused on their conversation or just admiring the couple? I couldn¡¯t tell which. ¡°Naomi,¡± I murmured, leaning slightly toward her side of the table. She blinked and turned her head, finally breaking contact with the couple to look at me. There was a stern seriousness in her eyes that disappeared once she looked away. Quickly, she lifted her bubble tea and took a long sip. I followed Naomi¡¯s gaze and then whispered, ¡°Hey, Naomi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She didn¡¯t say anything back, but now, my curiosity was invested. I looked at the man again, his square jaw, broad shoulders, and overall sex appeal. To be honest, he was the kind of man that girls sighed for in romance novels, and yet Naomi seemed less impressed and more bothered. ¡°What are you two staring at?¡± Reina asked, and just as she spoke, Naomi turned her eyes back to her food. ¡°Nothing,¡± Naomi whispered, but I knew something was up. The longer I looked at the guy the more I felt like Naomi thought he was the culprit. I wasn¡¯t sure how she knew, maybe it was his vibe. We couldn¡¯t know for sure, but there was something about him that was throwing me off now, too. I guess the more hunts I went on the more I¡¯d get a sixth sense for this thing. That being said, my speculations were just that, speculations, until his date slipped up and cut her thumb with a knife she was using to eat, the man staring at the gash like she¡¯d just pulled out a diamond the size of her fist. He grabbed her wrist to help ease her into cleaning it right up, but at the same time, he was hiding the fact that he was applying pressure on that thumb, making the blood gush out faster. His eyes never left that spot as he pulled out a handkerchief to dab the pooling blood, his expression churning my stomach. ¡°Oh God, is that a shadow-walker?¡± Reina whispered in a hushed tone before she flung her head back at us. However, it didn¡¯t matter how softly she¡¯d said that, the bastard acknowledged us, looking our way along the corner of his stare. He eyed Reina, the fox girl holding her breath when that cold glare wouldn¡¯t let her go for a whole two seconds. After that, he waved down the waitress and dropped a few bills on the table, all of a sudden in a hurry to leave with the girl in his hand. Reina shot up right off her seat, Naomi immediately hissing at her, ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°We cannot idly sit by and¡ª¡± ¡°Reina,¡± she said, tucking in a growl. ¡°Take a seat.¡± ¡°They¡¯re on the move¡­¡± I whispered, watching as they left the table. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Reina insisted, and then stormed right up to the couple and interjected them. ¡°Excuse me, miss. But there¡¯s an important call waiting for you inside the bakery.¡± The tall woman looked at her confused and shook her head. ¡°Nani?¡± ¡°Denwa, naibu.¡± My eyes went wide. ¡°Reina could speak Japanese?¡± ¡°She¡¯s half Japanese,¡± Naomi confessed. ¡°And half idiot.¡± ¡°Seriously, she doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± the guy said in near perfect English, shaking his hand refusing Reina¡¯s help. ¡°Thanks, but we¡¯re good.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to speak on her behalf!¡± Reina retorted. ¡°I suggest you let her go so she could handle her business inside! The call is urgent!¡± ¡°No phone call,¡± the girl said, pulling out her cell phone for Reina. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Your signal is atrocious!¡± Reina gasped. ¡°No wonder you couldn¡¯t pick up. Here, I¡¯ll walk you over. The sooner you answer this emergency, the sooner you can¡ª¡± Reina was cut short, the guy standing in between both girls with a mean look locked on Reina. ¡°Hey, what the hell is your problem, anyway? Can¡¯t take no for an answer?¡± he whispered, his threatening voice about ready to make me leap out of my seat. Naomi on the other hand suddenly looked unbothered as she sipped the last drops of her bubble tea, the noise slurping through the straw uncharacteristically deafening in the tense silence. A chill ran down my spine as I watched the shadow walker''s eyes narrow, his grip on the girl¡¯s wrist tightening. He said his next words in such a low growl that even I, sitting at a close enough distance, could barely make them out. But by the way Reina recoiled, I knew he¡¯d said something offensive. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say it again,¡± the man followed with a growl, his tone almost inaudible. ¡°Back off.¡± Desperate, Reina finally played the D-card, and as soon as she labeled him a demon, the guy¡¯s girl friend screamed, and Naomi shot right off her seat. B1.CH11: Prince Charming ¡°Smooth lip, buttercup,¡± Naomi murmured under her breath, and then jerked her hand across her body. The chair he was sitting on instantly levitated in the air before it bitch-smacked him across the head. Reina had ducked just in time, the impact allowing her to grab the screaming girl he¡¯d loosened his grip on when he tipped over. She ran off with the girl, while Naomi and I approached him. The crowd scattered, the bakery emptying out in seconds. A manic laugh broke out of the flesh eater, until it tapered off into maddening frustration. ¡°Come on, come on, now! Don¡¯t you fucking hunters ever leave well enough alone?! We knew what was up, we played it smart! Why can¡¯t we all mind our own and leave shit be?¡± he vented. Well, now I didn¡¯t feel bad for Naomi whacking a complete stranger with a wooden folding chair. I pressed the com unit in my ear, my system scanning his body. For some reason, it wasn¡¯t processing his category threat level. It was then I remembered Felix saying something about it only working when the shadow walker took on its true monstrous form. Not only that, the system couldn¡¯t detect a monster¡¯s specials like it could hunters, so we were stuck with figuring that out for ourselves. The flesh eater rolled his shoulders back irritated, giving off a tired sigh. ¡°Why ruin my muse, egh? Dirty good for nothing Organization VII killing all of my fun. And for what? A dirty profit? Shit.¡± He sucked his teeth as the bruise on his face healed, his regen fast for a cat C monster. ¡°You know, for a long while, we were undetected. Made every kill look like an accident. It was a good life. We nested, we fed, and everyone was happy! And then one crazy motherfucker fucks it up for us all. We did away with him good, gave everyone else a real valuable lesson on disobeying orders. Ever since, we¡¯ve been quiet. Very quiet. But no, they still wanted to shove hunters up our asses!¡± He growled. ¡°Then everyone decided, fuck it! What¡¯s the point of keeping leftovers when we can have a fresh meal every night?! But not me, I stayed in line. I respected the code! And it was effortless, too. You slap on a sexy face as bait and take to the waters. Heh, you can catch all the fish you want. Sprinkle some hard cash on that too, and man, they¡¯re practically begging to get fucked. They don¡¯t care about anything else¡­ I made a living being a self-made millionaire, a dashing gent pouring words into their hopeless ears like liquid gold. It¡¯s so easy, it feels like I¡¯m cheating the system!¡± He laughed. ¡°These desperate, lost bitches are practically eating off my hands!¡± ¡°Feeding from desperation doesn¡¯t sound too far off the monster playbook. So I have to ask, what made you toss that shape shifter in the dumpster and then phone in a fake tip about yourself to Hunter Corp?¡± He grinned ear to ear. ¡°Oh no, that was no demon. She was a meal, and I¡¯m going to do what I did to her to your nosy little friend over there.¡± His glare shifted to Reina, who was hiding the girl behind her. I glanced at Naomi. Her face was calm, composed, as if she was listening to a sermon in church and not the raving of a desperate monster. She allowed him to ramble on until she finally spoke, ¡°Hey, I get it. I¡¯m only in this business because monsters out there, like you, make it necessary. I¡¯m not doing this for my health or leisure, as I have better things to do with my time than chase a bunch of greedy assholes who can¡¯t keep their urges in check. Or their legs closed in your case. It¡¯s sad really, because you monsters have the upper advantage, but you¡¯re all too stubborn and arrogant to use it. It¡¯s the same story anywhere you go. From the US to Japan, all of you dumbasses operate the same. That being said, every shadow-walker who ever crossed my path had one thing in common.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± he said mockingly. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°They thought they were smarter than me.¡± Naomi raised her hand, her palm shrouded with a dark purplish glow like before. Without a second to react, the flesh eater caught massive air, being tossed right into a street pole. When he dropped, I ordered Reina to remove the girl out of the vicinity. He snarled, pushing himself off the ground as the dented metal pole creaked and buckled. His eyes flickered with rage, those hazel hues turning sewer green. ¡°Let me handle this,¡± Naomi insisted. The shadow walker fumed, ¡°All right, that¡¯s how we are gonna do it then! Let¡¯s play!¡± Suddenly, his teeth elongated into sharp canines, the color to his skin dulling. He was taking on his monstrous form, and Naomi allowed him to. She knew as well as I that monsters were stronger in their true skin, so I couldn¡¯t for the life of me wonder why she¡¯d patiently wait there for him to bulk up. Maybe she wanted to see what grade he was? Category C-mid level monster. I didn¡¯t interfere, as I hadn¡¯t since she landed the first attack. Honestly, I¡¯d never seen her fight before, and a part of me wanted to see just how strong she was on her own. Naomi remained unfazed as he continued to change into some grotesque frog mutant, the type worthy of a TMNT super villain. His skin became thick and lumpy with warts. The clothes on his back tore at the seams, unable to contain his monstrous size. He was enormous now, standing at least ten feet tall with a muscular frame that made me brace myself. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, veins visibly popping against the surface of his skin. His nose was replaced with two slits, similar to a frog¡¯s nostrils. Wet slimy green skin, big beady eyes, and to complete his transformation, a slick black tongue licking his choppers down left to right. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°How ironic,¡± Naomi muttered to herself. ¡°A real prince charming.¡± ¡°The three of you made me miss my next meal,¡± he grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay in blood, you clowns!¡± The frog monster leaped, his jump launching so far in the air that he dropped down to the size of a speck in a matter of two seconds! Naomi¡¯s eyes followed him into the clouds, her gaze steady, her stance firm. The glow around her hand intensified, forming a protective shield around our bodies with the tables she telekinetically surrounded us with. I found myself holding my breath as I continued to watch him through the gaps of the tables, trying to figure out what he was planning. It seemed that Naomi had an idea with her preemptive defense, and before I could open my mouth and suggest a strategy, a loud belching noise forced me to fling my hands over my ears. The belch erupted from the frog monster like a volcano, an explosion that boomed off everything in its vicinity. Buildings shook, trees danced, and the ground underneath us felt like an earthquake. Sidewalk slabs cracked and split under the sheer power of it, sending chips of concrete ricocheting into the air. The guttural noise was so intense that I couldn¡¯t think straight. I hunched down from within the table barrier that was breaking into itself. Thin metal legs buckled under the pressure wave, table surfaces splintered and falling over us inch by inch. We wouldn¡¯t have anything left to protect us much longer, but judging by how calm Naomi was, I speculated it wouldn¡¯t matter. It was then I realized what she was probably thinking¡ªthe asshole was going to have to take a breath sometime, and when he did, we¡¯d attack. As the decibels of the monstrous amphibian¡¯s sonic attack lessened, I patiently waited for an opening. I could barely see through the dust and debris that sprayed up in the air, but Naomi¡¯s eyes were glowing like two lighthouses in a storm. She was waiting for that one moment when he¡¯d lower his guard. When he¡¯d gasp for a breath to fuel another sonic belch, we would strike him down. Except that wasn¡¯t what he did... The belching stopped abruptly, replaced by an unsettling silence that lasted all of two seconds. And then, a warbling noise. When I pulled my head from under my arm, I saw how fast the fucker was dropping back down! ¡°Run,¡± Naomi said, dashing for cover. The words barely left her lips before I tailed her, heading for the nearest wall to duck behind. But we couldn¡¯t make it in time. The flesh eater¡¯s weight slammed into the ground, a shockwave puffing out, and taking us for a ride. The wave tossed Naomi and I, where I was barely able to grab her mid-air from falling hard into the ground. I¡¯d made an observation before when Sophie had swung at me, that I might have had another meta ability. When I landed with Naomi in my arms and slammed into the pavement, I wanted to confirm it, barely feeling anything besides the pressure of falling. No pain, no problem. That was what invulnerability felt like. The ground beneath us shook, the buildings around us shuddered, and windows shattered like raining crystalline shards around us, but I was okay. ¡°Hey, you alright?¡± I said, Naomi peeling back her arms from shielding her face underneath me to reveal the first blush I¡¯d seen on her since I met her. She tried to hide it by shoving me off lightly, trying to get up on her feet on her own. I got on mine too, turning around to witness another form of the shadow-walker. The dude was humongous! The frog monster had landed with his huge slimy belly against the ground, with rivers of thick mucus oozing down his bright skin. There was nothing human about this form, his monster perfect form, the prick so goddamn gargantuan that he left an imprint of his ass in the cracked earth where he had landed. ¡°Okay, he¡¯s committed to the frog look.¡± I smiled. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not impressed.¡± ¡°Fight at a distance,¡± Naomi ordered. ¡°We watch and assess his skills, and then we plan acco¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s readying up for another belch attack!¡± I shouted, noticing that people were still pouring out of buildings. If he broke out in another burp, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d make it. Without another moment to mull it over, I leaped in, leaving the sound of Naomi warning me behind. My biggest obstacle wasn¡¯t getting within close range of the guy, but dodging the puddles of ooze he¡¯d surrounded himself with. But I found the gaps, and hopscotched my way in with a cocked fist for his pudgy round belly. I lodged my shot deeper than I thought I would, still awed by my new strength. The punch sent ripples down his skin, through his muscles, and right into his guts. The monstrous amphibian gurgled, reeling back as I carved a hole through him. ¡°Took the wind out of him!¡± I cheered, watching as his eyes bulged, and his massive form toppled backward. His whopping tail started to slap the ground vigorously, churning rubble and spitting up another cloud of dust. He was making it hard to see his top half, where I felt him move in to strike me. Without much but the movement of air to go by, I couldn¡¯t tell what was happening. One second I was backing away to distance myself from him, and then the next, I was flying through the air, a huge arm swiping me clean off my feet and into a brick wall across the street. ¡°Nero!¡± Naomi cried. The impact rattled me a bit, but that was because I thought my hunter career was over before it began. When I expected starbursts to explode in front of my eyes, I saw nothing but more dust in my face from the masonry. I didn¡¯t even have any dizziness to shake off, and simply peeled myself off the wall like nothing had happened. ¡°Big mistake,¡± Naomi growled, her eyes turning a pitch black color. An airy aura around her intensified as she drew out her hand, pointing it toward the beast. Before I could blink, she attacked with the big shard of glass from the bakery storefront b-lining right at the wounded monster. He was too sluggish to escape, taking that direct hit from his shoulder. The glass slashed him so fast that I couldn¡¯t see it, Naomi bringing it back around to give him another. His shoulders went down, the huge gash on him almost making me feel sorry for the guy. His eyes bulged and rolled back, his mouth opening impossibly wide as it cried out in immense pain. Naomi didn¡¯t stop after two slashes, going back at him over and over again until the ground beneath him was an oozing bloody mess. The monster convulsed as though struck by a tidal wave, thrashing with every cut. At some point the scene was too brutal to stand by and just watch, Naomi going overboard with this kill. I rushed to her and called out, ¡°Naomi! That¡¯s enough!¡± and she immediately ended him, taking that same glass blade and slicing his neck clean. Flesh and parts were all that was left, some flecks on me, most of it on that pile over there with a big head as a cherry on top. My feet stopped right next to Naomi as my eyes couldn¡¯t look away, until people began to slowly flood the streets again. Gossip stirred, and then as if on command, they all cheered. I was familiar with this kind of noise. It made me feel righteous and heroic. Whistles and cries of thanks flew through my ears, and then I turned to Naomi, chuckling nervously. ¡°I guess we were lucky he wasn¡¯t poisonous.¡± B1.CH12: Taking That First L CHAPTER TWELVE After we defeated the demon frog giant, our mentor tapped into our com units and ordered us to meet at the rendezvous point. Somewhere quiet enough for privacy, and distant enough that the lingering stench of frog flesh wouldn¡¯t follow us. It wasn¡¯t easy getting there, because we had to dodge civilians asking us a shit ton of favors. From trying to snap pictures of us to groveling for autographs, escaping was just as taxing as the goddamn fight. I thought Miss Popularity would have gotten a kick out of it, but I could tell on her face that she was rattled from being so close to a shadow-walker. Given her very sheltered lifestyle, she actually did pretty decent in my opinion. It took guts to do what she did. After multiple bouts of dodging and weaving fans, we reached our destination. The rendezvous point was an old, abandoned cannery about a mile away from the bakery. This place was huge, and had a few uncharacteristic features. Its steel-reinforced walls and solid metallic floor made it feel more like some type of military bunker than a former processing plant. My boots clanged against the cold metal as I entered, my team following suit behind me. There was a twisted look on Reina¡¯s face the deeper she caved in, and then she pinched her nose and commented on the horrendous smell. ¡°I am getting quite tired of foulness being a theme in our endeavors!¡± I looked around, noticing that our mentor was nowhere to be seen. I continued to scan the area trying to spot him among the tangle of old machinery and other high-tech contraptions I couldn¡¯t even name if I wanted to, when suddenly a light flickered behind Reina, where she was standing in front of a conveyor belt. She screamed, Hayashi startling her. When she bumped into the conveyor belt, I caught the look on our sensei¡¯s face, and he wasn¡¯t pleased one bit. ¡°Horrendous performance,¡± he started, his furrowed eyes glued to Reina. ¡°What went through your mind when you thought it was a good idea to out a monster in public?¡± ¡°I was thinking it is a good idea to get the girl out of harm¡¯s way!¡± Reina hissed back. ¡°One girl, compared to a community of people in the vicinity? You¡¯d be lucky if no one got hurt.¡± Reina gasped. ¡°Are you seriously weighing the life of one person to others?¡± ¡°You could have played that differently.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean let the monster go off with her so she could be the next body we find tossed in the dumpster? Was that the play you had in mind?¡± ¡°You¡¯re missing the point. Part of being a hunter is blending in with the background. Being inconspicuous, learning when to sit by and observe, and when to size up and attack. There needs to be a balance between saving life and preserving order. Being impulsive or reckless puts all of that in jeopardy. At some point, you forgot that this was a covert mission, as most contracts are. If you¡¯d rather have your emotions overcome your better judgment, you will fail every time.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my emotions that made the right play,¡± Reina argued as she brushed herself off. ¡°If I didn¡¯t step in when I did, there¡¯s no telling where that monster would have ended up! Why risk losing him when we could interfere immediately?¡± ¡°What part of inconspicuous don¡¯t you understand? You tail, you shadow. You didn¡¯t see me, did you? I was around, witnessed every part of that encounter. So quit using your sorry excuses and accept that you jumped in without thinking about the consequences.¡± Hayashi¡¯s deepened voice echoed in the hollow industrial space, his frustration making my palms sweaty. The growing elevation in his voice didn¡¯t make Reina shut up, though. She stood firm behind her choice, taking two steps in his space to argue. Reina regained her composure, her fiery anger now simmering into outright defiance. Her jaw clenched tight, and then she said, ¡°I know what it means to be a hunter,¡± she said confidently. ¡°And I also know what it means to be human. Clearly, you have lost touch with that.¡± Oh no, Reina. You don¡¯t square up with the guy who holds your hunting future in the palm of his hands! Reina sure as hell didn¡¯t know when to pick her battles. Hayashi¡¯s eyes narrowed at Reina¡¯s words¡ªhe was getting irked at her persistent rebellious attitude. He took a moment to take in the sight of her, hair tousled, dirt smeared on her cheeks with the faint gloss of perspiration on her forehead. She went through it, and she was about to go through a lot more if she kept talking back to sensei. ¡°I didn¡¯t become a hunter to lose my humanity,¡± Reina continued. ¡°I became one to protect it. If that means jumping into the fray instead of skulking in the shadows, then so be it. Humanity is not just about staying alive; it¡¯s about living.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at talking bullshit,¡± he said flatly. ¡°This fake righteousness crap, I could see right through it.¡± Reina gasped, the girl clearly offended. ¡°What I¡¯m hearing is I want to do what I want, and I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s right or wrong, because I¡¯m always right. Even if your actions do more harm than good, you¡¯ll find a way to validate it. Just as long as you get to sleep well at night, no guilt, no remorse. But frankly, I don¡¯t have time to hear an earful of your petty squabbles.¡± Hayashi challenged as he squared off against her, leaving Reina speechless. Reina staggered back, as if physically hit. An uncomfortable silence grew between the two of them, allowing the echo of Hayashi¡¯s words to bounce around in the barren space. Reina''s lips pressed tight in a thin line, her eyes bright with determination as she raised her chin and met Hayashi¡¯s icy gaze. Her face churned, halfway looking defeated, before she softly admitted, ¡°I did what I thought was right. That monster would have killed her or¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, what you thought. I mentioned this to you before, and I will say it one more time. Forget everything you knew about Hunter Corp. This is the last and final time I will say this. If you don¡¯t, I will deem you untrainable, and I will have no problem failing your evaluation. You need to start thinking like a flesh eater. Weighing a life by pound. As cruel as it sounds, that is the cold hard truth of it. So what if you saved that girl? You¡¯d save plenty more if you had approached that monster privately. You¡¯d save his future victims, and the innocent bystanders from the mess caused by a public discovery. If Nero hadn¡¯t stopped him from unleashing another Cosmic Roar, those people fleeing those nearing buildings would have been dead.¡± Reina sulked. ¡°We limit casualties. We save lives by the masses. And most importantly, we act before we strike.¡± She finally bowed and accepted his criticism. ¡°Yes, master Hayashi¡­.¡± ¡°And you,¡± he said, turning his head to Naomi. ¡°What the hell was that all about?¡± Naomi¡¯s face remained stoic as she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to pull back your punches? You were doing fine at the beginning. What triggered you to overreact?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that is an issue,¡± Naomi fought back. ¡°The monster¡¯s dead. My powers were very much in my control, and I didn¡¯t put anyone in immediate danger.¡± Hayashi¡¯s stare rolled my way, as if he wanted my personal feedback. I was terrible at picking sides! Honestly, I didn¡¯t think either girl was in the wrong here. Not Reina, and not Naomi. Sure, there was a better way to approach the demon, and Naomi didn¡¯t have to go all chainsaw massacre on him. But we worked like a team to not only keep everyone alive, but to come out of that shit in one piece, too. But the longer his stare lingered on me, the more I was beginning to think he was making an observation¡­. ¡°You will still get your fame points for completing the mission, but as far as my grade, this is a failed exposure.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I tensed. ¡°Make arrangements to head back to the dojo. I will be supervising the second team shortly.¡± ++++ The first test of our evaluations, and we flunked? Holy shit¡­. I didn¡¯t know where to put myself right now¡­. If we failed, then I wondered what actual failure looked like through the eyes of Hayashi? The guy didn¡¯t even have to step in to save our asses. The monster was dead, everyone was saved, and we came out of it in one piece. I was trying to wrap my brain around this while in the reception area that Hayashi had modified into a meeting room, sitting at the table with my finger stroking my chin. Reina however, was more expressive with her frustration, the heated girl pacing back and forth relentlessly. She was practically erupting, her fists clenched and face red with anger. She moved like a wild animal trapped in a cage, her high heels echoing loudly along the floor. From her muttering, I could tell she was politely cursing out Hayashi, something about a waddling wanker or another. I wanted to say something comforting, but my own thoughts were still scrambled. I doubted anything I could say would help. On the other hand, Naomi seemed unfazed by our mentor¡¯s harsh grading, sitting at the table adjacent to me, reading her favorite untitled black leather book between her fingers. ¡°Who does he think he is to make such outlandish judgements?!¡± she hissed. ¡°So we messed up, according to him. Even so, we didn¡¯t fail the mission!¡± ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s not just about getting the job done,¡± I mused out loud. ¡°It¡¯s about how we got the job done.¡± ¡°Somehow I can¡¯t help but feel that we are competing against the other team here,¡± Reina said, concerned. ¡°What if they pass? He¡¯d have every reason to toss us aside! He¡¯d have his perfect team.¡± ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that hunters are in high demand,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Even though he¡¯s being hard on us, it¡¯s not like we are completely expendable.¡± At the end of the room, Reina stopped pacing for a moment, her hands hanging by her side as she took in a long breath before releasing it slowly. She turned to face us, still contemplating. ¡°He expects perfection from us,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°But he forgets we are not him.¡± Her words reverberated through the silent room. I wanted to throw out an agreeable response, but I had no words. My mind was busy thinking of my own case. I couldn¡¯t fail. It just wasn¡¯t an option¡­. Naomi flipped a page to her book, the simple gesture making the silence between us grow louder. Somehow that infuriated Reina and her misplaced anger, the sassy girl marching right up to her and snatching her book away. ¡°I love how you don¡¯t seem to care one bit about our dilemma!¡± she hissed. ¡°Always with this book! I see you around the school halls with it every day! What is so interesting that you absolutely must reread these pages every single chance y¡ª¡± Reina paused, her eyes gaping at the pages, the both of us noticing that they were¡­ blank? ¡°What is this?¡± Naomi snatched her book off the table and glared down at Reina. ¡°You touch my book again, and I will break more than just the nails off those pretty little fingers.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡± Reina cried, holding the hand Naomi almost scratched at when snatching her book. Then Reina glared back. ¡°You know, I¡¯m getting awfully tired of your I¡¯m better than you attitude! Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t hear what you said to Nero earlier, about cutting me off of the team? Before you suggest such foolishness, you ought to remember who got you this career in the first place! If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t even be here!¡± ¡°You mean, if it wasn¡¯t for your daddy,¡± Naomi fired back. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my father who was on campus when you got a free ride to Utoro!¡± Reina retorted. ¡°I think I would have preferred him than you, seeing as all you do around here is complain and be loud.¡± I butted in, ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t want us figh¡ª¡± ¡°And you do any better? So you can fling things around with your mind. Big deal. At least I took initiative and saved that girl. All you did was feed him a creepy stare. Very intimidating,¡± Reina mocked. I chuckled nervously, getting off my seat, trying to stop a catfight from breaking out. ¡°Girls, I understand that tension is high right now, but we need to remember that we are a t¡ª¡± ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t consider your finisher something to be proud about either.¡± Reina smirked. ¡°The way you killed that monster made you look downright monstrous yourself.¡± Naomi snapped, flinging Reina across the room. She tossed her so quickly that I didn¡¯t get a second to react. Reina crashed into the wall with a loud thud, her body sliding down to the floor in a heap. Groaning in pain, she struggled to her feet. Her eyes were wide with shock and surprise, taken aback by the gall of Naomi. ¡°Reina!¡± I cried, rushing over to her. But when I reached out to help her up, she swatted my hand away, stubborn pride flashing in her amber eyes. ¡°Stand back,¡± she spat bitterly, using the wall to push herself up. I could tell that she was hurting, but all of that adrenaline pumping in her veins was masking the pain. She steadied herself for a moment, brushing off the dust from her clothes. But she wasn¡¯t looking at me anymore. Her gaze was locked like a hawk on the ivory haired girl across the table. ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough!¡± I stepped between them, holding my hands out in an attempt to keep the peace. ¡°This is not what we¡¯re here for. We need to get our act together and remember why we¡¯re even a team in the first place.¡± Both girls ignored me completely, Naomi even showing me that her telekinetic powers weren¡¯t biased. She flung me, too, right back in my seat, where I fell over like a sorry stack of cards. ¡°So that¡¯s how you want to play?¡± she hissed at Naomi, reaching her arm out as static began to form in her palm. I flew my head back in awe, never having witnessed Reina use her powers before. A huge rod of electricity zapped in her hand before it took on the form of a huge scythe about a foot taller than her height. She launched at Naomi full speed, the scythe humming with energy. Naomi wasn¡¯t thrown off guard, quickly answering to Reina. With a flick of her wrist, the table and chairs between them were sent flying Reina¡¯s way, but Reina was ready to defend! She swung her scythe over her head and landed a diagonal slash, cutting the table in two. The blade of her weapon beamed out a powerful wave of deep red light, like a crescent ki blast at the end of her strike. It went right for Naomi, but because the blast was so slow, Naomi had enough time to step dodge out of the way. Splinters of wood exploded in the air. I panicked as I watched that crescent energy blade sliced the wall of the meeting room, ripping it right down to its bones. The eruption forced me to move back, the trail of Reina¡¯s powers still radiating in the air. She was reckless with it too, having no real aim as the fight stretched outside. From within the dojo, Reina had the upper hand, a confined space with a meta that could sweep pretty much instantly. I didn¡¯t care what the rumors in school said¡ªReina¡¯s powers weren¡¯t ass. She had no real weapon¡¯s training and her aim was trash, but it didn¡¯t matter when you had something as badass as a huge scythe. Even Naomi knew to stand back, the girl bobbing and weaving her swings, trying not to get hit with the blade and the chaser energy beams. She played it smart, letting Reina expend her stamina and overexert herself, Reina creating a mess in our sensei¡¯s yard instead. ¡°You wretched little harlot!¡± Reina growled. ¡°Quit running off and fight me!¡± ¡°Cut it out!¡± I cried. ¡°The both of you are going to get us kicked out!¡± My orders fell on deaf ears. Naomi didn¡¯t stop making a fool out of Reina. She started to act more offensively when Reina was cutting it too close for comfort with those energy beams popping off her scythe. Reina nearly nipped Naomi across her forehead¡ªa lucky shot from the looks of it. Even though Reina was tired, she didn¡¯t stop swinging, no matter how sluggish and telegraphed her moves were starting to become. The impatience pouring off of Naomi was enough to make my stomach sink. She did something even I didn¡¯t expect her to do, using her powers to reel Reina into her. She must have expected Reina to drop her weapon when she scooped her up, and sure enough, she did. Caught off guard, Reina flew over to Naomi with crazy speed and force, Naomi cocking a punch back and letting Reina have it. Quick thinking saved Reina¡¯s pretty face, the girl crossing her arms like an X to protect herself. Fortunately for Reina, Naomi¡¯s melee attacks weren¡¯t as strong as her telekinetic ones, and all Naomi managed to do was send Reina to the ground with that punch. Except, the punch was just to get her down. The follow up was what was dangerous. ¡°Naomi, no!¡± I shouted, rushing to Reina¡¯s aid. Just as Naomi picked up one of the shattered pieces of a stone hedge, over Reina¡¯s body, I leaped in to defend her. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± I cried with my arms spread out, protecting Reina on the ground. ¡°We aren¡¯t here to kill each other!¡± She glared at me. ¡°When will you quit protecting her and her reckless mouth?!¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re really as heartless as you look!¡± Reina retorted. ¡°Trying to kill me with a stone! Psychopath!¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly stronger than her, Naomi. This isn¡¯t a fair fight. We shouldn¡¯t even be fighting each other, anyway. What are we really breaking shit here for? Risking our careers over a book? Look at the mess we made. Hayashi is going to bust our heads for this, and we have no good reason for it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re picking favorites,¡± Naomi retorted. ¡°You didn¡¯t try to stop her when she came after me.¡± She lowered her weapon and her controlling hand, the stone falling between our feet. ¡°I don¡¯t care how poorly trained she is, she had intent to kill. If she comes at me again, I will kill her. Make no mistake. And this time, you won¡¯t be there to save her, Nero.¡± ¡°Care to explain how the three of you managed to turn my home into a play pen?¡± I heard Hayashi say, my head snapping toward the direction of his voice. When I saw him standing there with the other team, I nearly had a god damn heart attack. He was back early, with a face as cold as stone. I couldn¡¯t gauge his emotions right now, but I was still terrified to answer. The man was notably a neat freak, and we¡¯d finished demoing his home. We were boned for sure¡­ B1.CH13: Im Not Scared, Youre Scared CHAPTER THIRTEEN To my surprise, and to that of my team, our mentor didn¡¯t pop a blood vessel after witnessing the mess we¡¯d caused. In fact, he was real chill about it. We tousled his front yard and broke the east wall of his meeting room, and the only grief he gave us was cleaning up the mess. I had a hard time understanding the man¡¯s temperament, though, when I focused on his gait more, I realized that he might have been drunk¡­. When he stepped inside, Felix confirmed it, his team in a good fucking mood. They didn¡¯t do great in their evaluation either, but Ash managed to change his mind after a round of drinks. Gun mentioned him operating like a cheap date¡ªget him in a good mood when you liquor ¡®em up. I hadn''t had the experience, but it was a good tip nevertheless. Clearly, it saved their asses, and ours¡­. Felix, Gun, and Ash helped us fix our mess. I kept referring to the chaos as our mess because I felt in part responsible for it. I had a feeling that our mentor wanted me to be the leader, so I took the blame. When Felix mentioned Hayashi using his portal to get them here faster, he also mentioned that our next evaluations would get progressively harder, despite our passing or not. Which meant that I had to get both Naomi and Reina on the same page, or our next test could very well be our last. Collectively, it took us over seven hours to clean everything up and tarp the gaping hole in the meeting room wall. After that, it was dinner time, where Ash and I sat on the front steps, flipping through a few menus she¡¯d collected for take-out. There was a sweet noodle spot she wanted to try, volunteering to come with me to pick up the food. But she said that Felix arranged a meeting for his team in a couple minutes, and the noodle shop closed in an hour. After that, they were going to head off to the market to pick up groceries. ¡°Here¡¯s our half,¡± Ash said, giving me some cash and a list with her order for her team on it. ¡°Extra spicy for mine, don¡¯t forget!¡± I snickered. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You sure you want to go by yourself?¡± ¡°Egh, I might change my mind. We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°You never told the big boss what went down today, or us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important. We messed up, that¡¯s all. And don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do better.¡± She gave me a funny look. ¡°Those girls went at it, huh?¡± I snorted, scratching the back of my head. ¡°Man, was it that obvious?¡± ¡°The structure is different for your team. Wasn¡¯t hard to figure out. Know what I mean?¡± She winked. I looked at her confused. ¡°No, not really.¡± She giggled. ¡°You can be so innocent sometimes, you know that, Nero?¡± She got up off the stairs and walked back inside, threatening me to come back home safely from my food run. I rushed after her and offered her some yen for our half of the groceries. That way, we could at least have some breakfast in the morning. She promised me she wouldn¡¯t use my money on snacks, even though I didn¡¯t bring the topic up. Now I was worried, but when I saw Naomi walking up from the corner of the dojo, my conversation with Ash magically disappeared from my head. When we¡¯d been cleaning up, Reina admitted to trying to harm her, but not to trying to kill her. From where I was standing, it looked like the both of them were out for blood. Despite that, I knew Naomi was the stronger girl, and if she landed a hit, it would stick. It may have come off as favoritism, but there was no way Reina was on top of my favorite person list. I was just terrified of the idea of Naomi overdoing it like she had in our eval¡­. I rushed to her, calling out her name. She stopped immediately, looking over to me with that mellow uncaring expression on her face. ¡°Hey! Where have you been? I¡¯ve looked for you everywhere,¡± I asked concerningly. ¡°What do you want?¡± I looked down at her fist carrying something red inside of it and asked, ¡°What you got there?¡± ¡°Reina¡¯s heart,¡± she said, my chest tanking at her dark joke. For a moment, my brain had taken her seriously, even though that face of hers said otherwise. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering where I was, I was beyond the estate lines, digging her a six foot grave.¡± ¡°Heh, you gotta stop saying shit like that. I can¡¯t tell when you¡¯re kidding¡­. You are kidding though, right?¡± She opened her hand up to show me what she had, and I swear I was about to be an accomplice to a murder. Until I realized that what she had was shinier¡ªa ruby with a huge diamond stud on it. ¡°Hold on, where the hell did you get that?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± I dreaded the thought, but I knew where she was going with this! ¡°Naomi, you stole that from Reina?!¡± ¡°For leverage.¡± ¡°Leverage?!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want me harming a hair on her head, but I needed something to satisfy my rage. And this is it. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s worth more than the both of us combined. If she crosses me again, I will pawn it.¡± I wanted to keel over. ¡°You do know that she will figure out it¡¯s missing, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s only one necklace of many in her collection. I doubt it.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I sighed defeatedly. ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s better than you trying to kill each other. Even though she¡¯ll figure one of us took it.¡± ¡°Probably you more than me.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I can deal with her when the time comes. Your dirty little secret is safe with me.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± she said, proceeding to walk away until I took her by her shoulder and offered her an invitation. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m heading to the noodle shop for dinner. Ash loves the spicy pork dish.¡± I smiled. ¡°Sounds fascinating¡­¡± she said in a painfully sarcastic yet comical voice. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go on a food run together.¡± She looked at me slightly shocked and commented, ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to ask Reina?¡± ¡°What? No. You seem to be forgetting she hates my guts.¡± ¡°The feeling doesn¡¯t seem to be mutual, if that is actually the case.¡± ¡°You could be my muscle. It isn¡¯t safe out in these streets. I need my bodyguard.¡± ¡°Are you admitting to me being stronger than you?¡± ¡°Well, if you absolutely must emasculate me by rephrasing it, then yes!¡± I teased, the girl breaking out in a slight smile. It was the first time I¡¯d seen her do one of those! What a small sense of accomplishment¡ªand that smile, it looked great on her. I¡¯d like to see it more often. ¡°Fine, but only because I can¡¯t let someone as weak as you wander the streets alone.¡± Aww, that¡¯s cute¡­ The ride to the noodle shop was long, but Naomi seemed to relax a bit, her shoulders not as rigid and her temperament lighter. Perhaps my company wasn¡¯t as bothersome to her as she wanted me to believe, even though she¡¯d shoot down much of the small talk I was trying to engage her in. After we ordered dinner, we hailed a designated cab, and I insisted we take Hayashi¡¯s advice to drop off at least two miles from the dojo. ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have our own private limo service, huh?¡± ¡°Limousines make me uncomfortable,¡± she refused. ¡°I¡¯d rather walk.¡± ¡°Hopefully not in total silence. That¡¯d be boring¡­.¡± She craned her eyes to me. ¡°Are you calling me boring?¡± I laughed. ¡°I hope that¡¯s not your defensive voice,¡± I played. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get you to talk to me for our entire trip. I thought for someone who wanted to be in my team so badly, you¡¯d learn to open up to me.¡± She paused, turning her head back around before she admitted, ¡°I¡¯m not very good at those¡­.¡± ¡°Those what?¡± ¡°Kinds of things. Just¡­ talking¡­ openly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as hard as you¡¯re making it out to be. We can start from the obvious topic, your meta. You seem to have a real handle on your talent.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had practice. Hunting monsters helps you get better.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve hunted before?!¡± ¡°Thought it was obvious from my stats.¡± ¡°Well, yea, but, no, not really. If you¡¯ve hunted before, where are your fame points?¡± ¡°I hunted on the side, for private clients. And that¡¯s about all I am willing to admit in the matter.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ I have a real pro in my team.¡± I smiled. ¡°Sweet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit,¡± she said modestly, then turned her eyes up to me. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Hmm? What about me?¡± ¡°Your meta ability. Or should I say, abilities¡­¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know I have more than one? Have you been checking me out?¡± ¡°No, but our com units are advanced in a sense that they pick up meta signatures when they are first utilized. As long as the device is equipped. Usually, that is the case, although sometimes, there¡¯s a delay.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t explain how you know I have many.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Which is why I¡¯m asking. It¡¯s only a speculation, seeing as you are already a special case¡­.¡± ¡°Well, the super strength you already know about. I also have mental immunity and a more recently discovered physical invulnerability.¡± ¡°What? Mental immunity?¡± ¡°Yeah. Pretty crazy, right? I haven¡¯t heard too much of that special power moving around. It helped big time on the flight to Utoro. There was a sleep-inducing demon roach on board, and he couldn¡¯t touch me.¡± She didn¡¯t comment, Naomi turning around almost as if she were disappointed. Until she said, ¡°A triple threat. Having three abilities is rare. What else could you do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Kinda¡¯ figuring all of this out as I go.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± she asked a bit ominously. Truthfully, I had no idea what she meant by that, so I gave her a simple answer. ¡°I feel fine. Great, actually.¡± She stopped short, triggering me to do the same. The look on her face was different again, but instead of a smile, she hit me with a worried look. ¡°You need to be careful.¡± I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Having three gifts will naturally make you not only a target for creatures, but a focal point for Organization VII.¡± ¡°What? Organization VII is already monitoring our every move. We are in their system as hunters, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that¡­.¡± ¡°Then, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I am just telling you to be careful out there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being very specific, Naomi. What am I supposed to be worried about?¡± She answered me with silence before she confirmed, ¡°Never mind. Forget I mentioned it.¡± I snorted. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re too damn mysterious?¡± Just as I said that I heard a strange chuckling noise, Naomi and I turned toward the direction it was coming from. The noise stopped, and then we heard shuffling along the forest¡¯s shadows. ¡°We have company,¡± Naomi said unfazed. ¡°Sounds like a shadow walker.¡± She went on to investigate, my hand impulsively flying over her shoulder to stop her. ¡°Hey, maybe we should find another route,¡± I suggested, not having realized where my words were coming from before I made the connection in my head. A part of me was afraid of going in there. The area looked similar to where I¡¯d died, the memory bolting my legs to the ground. I didn¡¯t want Naomi thinking I was fucking shaking in my boots, but I was. This hunt was different, and as much as it bothered me, I couldn¡¯t break out of being genuinely petrified. ¡°This way is faster,¡± Naomi said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be scared of.¡± I laughed sheepishly. ¡°Scared? No one said anything about being scared!¡± ¡°The shell of your ears get red when you lie,¡± Naomi pointed out, my hands flinging over them embarrassed. ¡°I am here with you. So quit being afraid and investigate with me.¡± She turned back around and led the way. I watched as her figure blended with the shadows, fading until only her voice echoed back. ¡°You coming or not?¡± I hesitated, before I settled our food under a tree and followed her. My heart pounded, my skin prickled and my palms were sweaty. I tried to buckle down and keep it together, but this time, I wanted to listen to my human instincts and keep away. Far far away. ¡°S-sh-hit¡­¡± I hissed under my breath. Why did it have to be a goddamn forest in the middle of the night in some creepy isolated neck of nowhere? B1.CH14: Spider Queen Usually, I would be all for hunting monsters, but whenever I closed my eyes, I saw my heart being ripped out of my chest and eaten raw by a behemoth of a demon. I stayed as close to Naomi as possible, my eyes searching relentlessly. Stretching them nice and wide didn¡¯t give me any advantage, but I did it anyway, until I saw a thick bush of green rattling in the background. ¡°There,¡± I pointed out, Naomi changing her path toward the direction I was pointing. As we neared the bush, I suddenly felt a cold gust of air. Naomi stopped in her tracks and cocked her head, analyzing. She raised a finger to her lips, signaling for me to stay quiet. Instantly my mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard against the lump rising in my throat. I could hear the soft rustling of leaves, the wind carrying the soft whispers of the chuckling again. But beyond that, I began hearing actual words¡­. ¡°Hush, little baby, don¡¯t you cry. Mama¡¯s gonna¡¯ sing you a lullaby¡­.¡± The feminine voice sounded downright demonic; it was making the hairs on my neck stand on their ends. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take care of you, precious¡­¡± Naomi drew close, and my steps were right behind her. When she drew the foliage of the bush back, I didn¡¯t know what to expect, but what I saw scarred me to the bone¡­. I held my breath, feeling my face grow cold and pale. There was a spider monster woman cradling something bloody in her arms, rocking it back and forth as she continued to hum. Please tell me that¡¯s a fucking doll¡­. Its eyes were gouged out with maggots swarming in its mouth. The side of its head was bashed up, and its skin was so gruesome looking that it looked like it¡¯d died days ago. I couldn¡¯t tell if that was a baby girl or boy because the infant body was coated in so much blood. My feet backed away and to my regret, I stepped on a twig, the monster immediately jerking her head to us. ¡°Trespassers?!¡± she cried. ¡°How dare you step into my nursery!¡± She swung at me, dropping the baby and sending me crashing into a tree. My body bulldozed it down, the back of my head stopping my fall when it thumped against a giant uproot. I quickly picked myself up, grunting and scratching my head. When I got on one knee, I saw Naomi dodging spindling webs shooting from that naked monster woman¡¯s fingers, turning the forest into a webbed obstacle course. The spider monster was a humanoid top half, her long black hair doing nothing to cover her indecency. She was heavy, about eight feet tall, with an enormous spider bottom half. She had six red and black eyes on that head of hers, with furry spider legs and a large spider abdomen. Her sharp black shiny claws to each one of those eight legs were long, their heavy steps not slowing down her speed. She stayed on top of Naomi, who started to resort to leaping off tree branches to evade her. I gave her a quick scan and realized that she was a category B threat. The spider creature screeched, her fury relentless as Naomi continued to avoid her attacks. ¡°You stay away from my baby!¡± she cried, flinging jets of sticky webbing at Naomi. Until I rushed her down, serving her with a sharp flying kick. I thought I¡¯d gotten her for sure, but she blocked my move with one of her legs. Unpredictably, the leg she used to block my attack was reinforced with some type of hardening ability, my kick flying against a stone-looking armor. It cracked, but it didn¡¯t shatter. The skill took me by surprise, the spider capitalizing on my stupor by swinging at me again. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. She had tricks, and I had treats. When her leg came at me, I caught it and took her for a spin. Getting her weight off the ground was the hard part, Naomi looking at me like I was nuts. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think I was strong enough to lift her either, but when I gave her the Bowser tail treatment, she hollered, right until I tossed her into a nearby riverbank. She fell with a ground-shaking splash, the river erupting as soon as her body landed. I didn¡¯t skip a beat, rushing her down again to finish the job, but when I reached the bank, she had the tail of her abdomen in the air, a green sticky paste shooting out of it at me. It came at me quickly, and it was too late to dodge it. That shit flew right into my eyes, making me take a step back as I tried to scrape it off. Before my fingers could cup the sticky paste off of me, it hardened like a rock and fused my eyelids together, instantly blinding me. Naomi signaled me to run with her voice, the spider queen on the move again. I heard and felt the spray of water in front of me, the spider leaping out of the water. She must have flown over me as I felt droplets of water tap my clothes. With her above me, I was at a disadvantage, forcing my mind to work through the pain and disorientation to locate her. But before I knew it, the monster began bolting me down with layers and layers of sticky web nets. Shot after shot she went, each blow inching me lower to the ground. She hissed satisfyingly when my body finally went down. I felt like a caterpillar in a cocoon, the mesh so airtight that I couldn¡¯t budge. Suddenly, I felt the weight of her over me, making my body even stiffer. I gritted my teeth, trying to break free from the restraints, but I was distracted with the stinging that started to cut through my eyes. Crap, my physical invulnerability had limitations! Only my skin was resistant¡ªeverything else was free game. ¡°Food for my babies!¡± she tweeted. ¡°A nice and bulky meal, too! Plenty of muscle to sink my fangs into! I can¡¯t wait to rip you apart and feed you to my nest!¡± ¡°Get off of him!¡± Naomi shouted, a powerful wind suddenly sweeping over me. Just like that, I felt the spider bitch fling off of me, Naomi hitting her with something big and strong. After hearing the impact of her fall, I assumed it was the tree I¡¯d smashed into, Naomi using it like a fucking bat to crush her. One by one, strings of web began to snap off of me. I sensed Naomi close working them off, freeing my hand in the process. I helped her peel the rest of it off before she locked her fingers along the hunk of hardened paste over my eyes. ¡°Hey, hey, careful with that!¡± I warned her. ¡°Before you rip off my eyebrows!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not coming off.¡± ¡°No kidding. And this shit is burning my eyes.¡± ¡°It could be venomous.¡± ¡°She shot it out of her ass.¡± She paused. ¡°¡­What else could it be?¡± My breath hitched. ¡°Naomi, this isn¡¯t the time to joke around like that!¡± ¡°You spoiled brats!¡± I whipped my head in the direction of the screech, before I heard the shadow walker and her eight long legs skittering over the earth with hot fury. She hissed, more spit flying our direction. With Naomi¡¯s help, I was able to escape, Naomi jumping one way, and throwing me the other. I felt a slight shift in power, an aura I was familiar with moving through the air. It had Naomi¡¯s signature written all over it, and I knew she was using her telekinetic ability again. Though, judging by the sudden stalemate, I¡¯d say her target didn¡¯t budge. The spider queen laughed mockingly, and admitted, ¡°Your telekinetic powers cannot work on me. Transmittal immunity, a real deal breaker for you, darling. Try again.¡± Without warning, she opened her big mouth and screeched! I wasn¡¯t ready, my ear drums damn near popping out of my skull. I tossed my hands over my head and ran off as far as I could from the source while bearing in mind my surroundings. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the worst of it when I heard Naomi mention spots on the ground pitting in. ¡°Rise my children! Defend your mother at all costs!¡± B1.CH15: Inferno Did she just say rise? Rise as in, rise from the dead? The correlation was as clear as day, but I refused to believe it. The dead baby, the mention of her nursery¡ªthis walker was getting me more pissed off by the second! The more I focused my hearing on my surroundings, the more I heard the ground break and fissure. Spots along the grass began to tremble in sync. From the cracked and pitted earth, scores of her victims began to crawl out, the sound of their moaning and grunting sending chills down my skin. ¡°You filthy bitch¡­¡± I seethed through my teeth. How many kids did she fucking slaughter and bury here?! ¡°You¡¯ve stepped into the wrong home, you pestering hunters!¡± She cackled. ¡°Methodia, the spider brood mother, defends her nest, always! Make no mistake, you two will not be leaving my domain alive!¡± She was the worst¡­ preying on innocent kids¡­ making them her puppets! ¡°Defend your queen!¡± she roared, ordering her legion to attack us. A scream that could summon the dead¡ªI would have given her a higher rank. She was definitely no easy opponent, this venomous shield she had over my eyes making fighting her ten times more difficult. Well, she pissed me off, and I was determined to shove a one way ticket to hell right up her fat ass! So I snatched the rock around my eyes and buckled my fingers down, borrowing the strength of my rage to crush it. With enough raw strength, it cracked, and then ultimately shattered. When I opened my eyes, my vision was blurry with a tint of red, but I was able to make out shapes without a problem. I staggered back as a horde of Methodia¡¯s victims grew bigger. Their eyes glowed a ghastly green, their faces showing different stages of decomposition. One girl no older than nine crept along the corner of my eye, and when I turned to her, I noticed how alive she looked. A recent kill¡­she didn¡¯t even look dead¡­ As if the sight wasn¡¯t horrifying enough, the smell of decay was turning my stomach, but I tried to remain headfast. ¡°This ends now!¡± I roared, the rage burning within me adding fuel to my booming voice. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about being a fucking mother! Taking these kids away from their parents, robbing them of their dreams, their future! You¡¯re as bad as they come! And I¡¯m going to make you pay for each innocent soul you¡¯ve condemned!¡± She giggled. ¡°Such brave words, you fragile being! Your weakness brews in your voice! I bet my eight legs that you couldn¡¯t hurt not one hair on their pretty little heads!¡± She snapped her finger, and suddenly, all of them lined up in front of Methodia. They circled her with their bodies, some stacking on top of the others to form a barrier around the spider walker. ¡°Go on then, do your worst! Show me the true power of a hunter!¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Gladly,¡± Naomi muttered, and when her arm stretched out, kids began to fly. One by one she plucked them up, using them to attack the spider queen. I froze, my stomach tanking at Naomi¡¯s weapon choice. With a shout, I protested, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°They are already dead!¡± she cried, watching as the monster tried to protect herself from the bombarding bodies slamming against her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do for them! So quit hesitating and fight!¡± I knew that but¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t have the heart to defile them¡­. I clenched my fists, pressed my stinging eyes shut, and dug real deep. With an apology, I stormed into the fray, using my arm to tackle through them. My voice broke out in a furious cry as my body bulldozed them down. My aggression only triggered their resolve. They fought back, boys and girls of different ages reaching their small hands out at me. Desperately they grasped, holding onto my hoodie, my pants, my sleeves, anything to take me down and protect the bitch that enslaved them. I looked up at her insidious grin, realizing that Naomi had stopped tossing them. When I looked over to my left, she was being piled. There were just too many of them, I grunted to myself. This wasn¡¯t where our career ended! I had an oath to fill, to protect mankind at any means necessary! I couldn¡¯t let this shit bother me¡­ I had to fight! I had to win! ¡°You manipulative, six-eyed slut!¡± I roared. ¡°YOU¡¯RE DEAD!¡± With a hell cry, I combusted, swallowing everything in my path with hot wild flames to get to that monster. My fury had no bounds, this unyielding energy pouring from every pore of my body. A void of white flashing through my eyes. I¡¯d cracked, unleashing power I didn¡¯t know I had. The world seemed to fade for a moment, my ears ringing from the sound of scorching silence. I could feel bodies melt all around me, bodies crumpling one by one against the heat that soared over my head. ¡°YOU WILL NOT HAVE THEM!¡± I shouted through the chaos, my voice reverberating through the field. I was completely focused on bringing that creature down, regardless of the bodies jumping in my way. There was no room here for sorrow or regret, only vengeance and fury. I could feel it in every fiber of my being, every inch of flaming skin and searing bones. The cleansing fire whistled, cracked and popped, until my stamina took a hit and doused my flames. Exhausted, I dropped to my knees, flurries of ashes mirroring in my drooping, tired eyes. That bitch was gone, gone for good, and now, all of those kids could rest in peace. ¡°Nero!¡± Naomi cried, rushing to me. She slid down to her knees and held my shoulder up, trying to keep me from tipping over. ¡°Are you all right?¡± I turned my head to her and chuckled, the bitter taste of smoke still lingering on my tongue. Staring at those sweet lavender eyes, I opened my mouth to answer. ¡°Yeah¡­ just¡­ peachy,¡± I croaked, a wry smile pulling at the corner of my lips. Soon, I felt my strength ebbing away, my head dropping against her chest before I passed out. B1.CH16: Wake Up Call Before Hunter Corp, we never really needed protection from those flesh-eating hellspawns. They just didn¡¯t exist. The first flesh-eater to walk on earth was only reported twenty years ago, in the great US of A. That¡¯s only two decades of hunting, two decades of the most dangerous predators humankind had ever faced. They came from nowhere, emerging from the shadows, horrible parodies of the human form that fed on us relentlessly. When the first sightings were reported, they were dismissed as nonsense: drunken hallucinations, elaborate pranks, even mass hysteria. Who could believe in such monstrosities¡ªcreatures that hunted and consumed humans? But as the reports multiplied, and gruesome evidence began to pile up, denial became increasingly difficult. Sightings of shadow-walkers became all too common. It was clear that they were growing in numbers and strength. It started out with one or two incidents: someone would claim to see a werewolf, others, a gargoyle. Humanity took those claims lightly at first, until people started to go missing by the dozen. It escalated quickly from there. In a blink of an eye, the shadow-walkers began a campaign of terrorism. The world had to face a terrible truth: we were no longer alone at the top of the food chain. The birth of Hunter Corp was out of necessity. We had to fight back against our new predators. Luckily, humankind already had an answer for them. It all started about 50 years ago, where stories about babies being born with weird powers began flooding the press non-stop. About 2% of the population in our small little town, Xion, were gifted. Exclusively. That tiny two percent quickly grew to 10%. At first, no one knew what to make of it, and thought the best answer was to stuff them all into a facility where they could be studied further by the big brains of society. But even they didn''t know what was going on. No amount of studies or tests could crack the code to their design. Things were very black and white then, you either had a meta ability or you didn¡¯t. Regulars started to become paranoid of what they didn¡¯t know, and like the human beings we were, what we couldn¡¯t understand was a threat to us. So in an answer to control the ambiguity, our governing body established The Institution, a place where the gifted were confined, ostensibly for their own safety, along with the safety of ¡®normals¡¯. For some time, there was a quiet calm while the gifted were regulated, and the gifted learned to control their abilities, each one extraordinary in its own way. But what started as controlling soon turned authoritarian. Many laws and rules that The Institution began developing were clearly anti-gifted, and many meta humans began feeling segregated from the rest of the world. Instead of embracing meta humans, we were systematically casting them away. Again, out of fear, we adapted. Regs didn¡¯t want a revolt, so to make the gifted population happy, our government introduced talent to various avenues of enforcement. Police, military, you name it. Those who resisted were termed as renegades and seen as potential threats. As you could imagine, that didn¡¯t go too well. After all, the gifted were still free-minded human beings, so just like comics have super heroes, they also had super villains. At that point, no one knew how to process the gifted. The majority of regular humans started to fear them even more. Meta-humans wanted to be treated as gods, and they made that request known throughout the globe. So, to snuff the chaos before it got out of hand, Organization VII took control of things. VII was a top-dog collection of seven gold-masked elite gifted people. They forbade meta-humans from using their powers so the rest of society could live comfortably again. They were pulled away from enforcement and forced to live regular lives. Any meta reported using their powers would be promptly persecuted. This strict regime seemed to work, up until the first shadow walker was taken seriously. Organization VII didn¡¯t waste any time. They sprang into action, challenging this unprecedented conflict. They began with containment, cordoning off affected areas and deploying talents in the hopes of neutralizing the threat. But it was clear that these measures weren¡¯t enough. The shadow-walkers were elusive prey, and they loved to hunt at night¡ªhence the name. The elite order of super-humans then took it a step further and established Hunter Corp, a branch that organized and oversaw talents everywhere. Hunter careers were made a worldwide concept, funded to end the reign of monsters around the world. Supported by sponsors like average folk, hunter fame was something everyone wanted. Because, why not? The payout was more than generous, and the life-changing experience was a page straight from heaven. The Hunter Corp was designed to solve two issues, like killing two birds with one stone¡ªto satisfy the growing talent population by making them popular, and to neutralize the shadow walkers worldwide. Between the fame, the prestige, the wealth, and the popularity, being a hunter sounded like a no brainer. The Hunter Games was a big contributor to all of the hype, where squads would fight against each other in tournaments for even more fame points and recognition. Recognition meant more sponsors, and more sponsors meant more money. It was a favorable domino effect that was similar to being a celebrity, but as a hunter, you took an oath, which crushed all the other aspects of your career¡­ I pledged my life to constant danger. The world was full of beasts; otherworldly creatures that defied logic and tested the limits of human comprehension. From blood-thirsty fiends that lurked in the shadows of the city streets to gargantuan behemoths that lived deep inside uncharted territory. No one really knew what they were or what their ultimate goal was. Some theorized demons, others, evil spirits and other crazy paranormal nonsense. It didn¡¯t matter what they were, it mattered more where they came from. Knowing that was the only way we were going to stop them for good. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I wanted to be part of a team who searched beyond the surface for answers. After garnering enough experience as a hunter, I had plans of going on my own missions to discover the truth. Uncover the veil and dispatch the secrets. For some reason, I felt it my duty to dig deeper, so I could stand between humanity and these abominations. It was a calling that resonated within me, like a burning desire that needed to be fed. But how the hell was I going to do that if I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on with my own meta? I couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was off about it. Even though I wanted to put that incident in the park behind me, my mind wouldn¡¯t let me. My body was drained, throat dry, head muddled. I¡¯d been in a limbo between reality and dream, stuck in my own thoughts mulling all of this shit over. I was so physically exhausted that I didn¡¯t want to get up from the dewy patch of grass I was lying on. With no idea where I was, I should have been more eager to get my ass up, but I wasn¡¯t. I could sense Naomi was around, and her company confirmed that I wouldn¡¯t be eaten alive out here. Even so¡­. ¡°Hey,¡± I said softly, finally opening my eyes to the blanket of stars in the sky. ¡°How long was I out for?¡± She didn¡¯t answer me right away, Naomi putting something down on the ground before she admitted, ¡°Twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Felt much longer than that.¡± ¡°Be glad that it wasn¡¯t.¡± I managed to summon enough energy to sit up, and the first thing I noticed beside my sore muscles was the ivory maiden chowing down on some noodles. ¡°What?¡± she asked, looking at me dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯ve been out for only 20 mins, and you¡¯re here eating takeout?!¡± She gave me a comical glare. ¡°I was hungry.¡± She slurped between her chopsticks, the smell of the sweet and spicy noodle broth suddenly raiding my nose. That food was making my stomach growl as I got up on my feet, my body feeling less sore when I finally got off the ground. ¡°They don¡¯t look red. Good sign,¡± Naomi commented as I took a seat right next to her on a log, the popping and crackling from the campfire she built drawing my attention. I sighed, rubbing the side of my right eye, realizing Naomi was talking about them. ¡°Still can¡¯t believe that bitch caught me off guard like that.¡± ¡°It happens.¡± ¡°Yeah? Do zombie kids happen, too?¡± I paused. ¡°You¡¯ve fought flesh eaters for a living. How common is shit like this?¡± I furrowed my brows, feeling disoriented. ¡°That fight was the biggest reality check. For the first time, I feel like I¡¯m way over my head about this.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Fighting monsters I can do¡­ but¡­ the victims. Just seeing them like that. That girl in the trash bag was bad enough. We are talking about children here, Naomi¡­ infants to kids barely breaking their pre-teen years.¡± ¡°Prey and predator are part of the hunter package. You have to learn to separate your emotions from the job.¡± ¡°How the hell can I do that? I felt terrible for them. Alive, dead, didn¡¯t matter how they looked. Their fears, their cries for help, it was all I could think about when I looked at them.¡± My shoulders pent up. ¡°No child should experience that kind of helplessness¡­.¡± ¡°Desensitization happens over time,¡± she said, her gaze steady on the flames licking at the charred logs. ¡°It¡¯s a real thing¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve gotten used to it,¡± I said, clenching my fist. I could still see the horror etched into those young faces, their haunted eyes stirring a rage inside me again. Naomi shrugged, setting her chopsticks down on the plastic container. ¡°It¡¯s not about getting used to it, it¡¯s about understanding that this is our reality now. This is what we have to face. And you can¡¯t let your emotions get in the way, or it¡¯ll destroy you.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± I muttered, picking up a pebble and scratching its shiny side, my reflection looking back at me. ¡°You weren¡¯t the one who had to put down a four-year-old today¡­.¡± Naomi couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°I burned them until nothing was left¡­.¡± ¡°They were already dead, Nero.¡± ¡°How many is that now?¡± I said sternly. ¡°Four? Super strength, mental immunity, physical invulnerability, and now what? Explosive flames?¡± I sulked. ¡°Ones that I couldn¡¯t even control.¡± ¡°You will learn to control them.¡± ¡°I want to confide in you, Naomi. I¡¯m a little shaken up about this. One meta is the norm. Two, you¡¯re special. Three, you¡¯re rare. Four is unheard of.¡± ¡°Maybe for you. I¡¯ve heard of legendary grade talents with four gifts.¡± ¡°Okay then, ultra rare. You know, it hasn¡¯t been a full three days and it feels like my arsenal is growing every passing minute.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows at me. ¡°Why does it sound like you see this as a bad thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong; I want powers. I¡¯ll appreciate as many as I can get. But¡­.¡± ¡°But what?¡± I broke out in a modest chuckle, throwing my hand over my nape sheepishly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just feels all off, especially this last meta, you know? Like there¡¯s a glitch in the system. And I¡¯m the glitch.¡± Naomi gave me a sidelong look and shook her head, her long ponytail falling over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve always been an oddball though, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± I shrugged. ¡°In school, when every reg was dreaming of becoming a meta with one power, maybe two if they were ambitious, I was obsessed with the idea of having as many as possible. That¡¯s crazy talk though, I never thought it¡¯d happen. Hell, I¡¯d feel special with just one. But now that it¡¯s my reality... it doesn¡¯t feel like victory. It feels like a ticking time bomb.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Naomi said sternly. ¡°You feel that way because you¡¯re jumping to conclusions. Yes, it¡¯s unusual. Yes, it¡¯s scary. But have you ever considered that maybe this is happening for a reason? That you have these powers because you¡¯re meant to do something important with them?!¡± Out of nowhere, she started being extra serious for some reason. I drew a blank to her question and asked, ¡°Like what?¡± Judging by the sudden lost expression on her face, I could tell that Naomi felt like she might have overexpressed herself. After being so passionate about the topic, she reeled those emotions in a little, and gave me a basic and bland answer, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I smiled. ¡°Would be nice to figure it all out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you worrying, Nero¡­¡± I turned my head to her. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°And as long as you have me, you won¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Naomi?¡± ¡°I promised I¡¯d take you to the top. So quit worrying about the details and focus on being the best hunter out there.¡± She got up, put her food back in the bag, and hauled the rest of our meals with her after she took out the flames of the campfire with her powers. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We need to head back now.¡± B1.CH17: The Killers Numb I was having a hard time understanding why Naomi felt responsible for my success in Hunter Corp. Was this her way of feeling sorry for me? That¡¯d only make sense if it were really her who¡¯d been there with me that night. But every time I mention it and try to gauge her for answers, she¡¯d blow me off or change the topic. I guess it was easier for her to deny the truth, no matter how itchy my need for closure was. There¡¯d always be the doubt that it was really her out there if I didn¡¯t get a straight answer from her though, but tonight wasn¡¯t the night for that. Tonight, we were going to finally eat as a team with the other beta squad. Noodles were cold, but we had no complaints. Everyone was starving as we all sat in the kitchen exchanging light pleasantries with Felix and his squad. We shared info about our contracts, Felix giving out pointers to each of us. Except Reina, who was too perfect to receive criticism. Didn¡¯t matter though, Gun kept her out of our discussion for the most part. He helped us discover something she was an absolute pro at, and that was talking about herself. She went on and on, the pretty boy enticing her beyond the high hour of midnight. Seeing Reina in a light mood changed my mood as well, trying to not feel so guilty about what I did back there. That being said, I didn¡¯t take Naomi¡¯s advice. I¡¯d never become so accustomed to the death of innocents to the point of not caring. I didn¡¯t care how many years I was a hunter, that sort of indifference sounded crazy to me. Innocent bloodshed would never be a routine I¡¯d get comfortable with. I get that she was experienced, running her own solo missions as a hunter before she stepped foot in the corp. Personally, I thought she was suffering from the symptom of survival. The killer¡¯s numb, not entirely a strange concept to fathom at all. It would explain her persona, actually. Not to say I felt different about her because of it¡ªif anything, I felt closer to her. Being so closed-off like that only meant she didn¡¯t have anyone to vent out to. But now she had me, and I had her, and we were going to work all of this out together. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have actual fame points!¡± Ash said as she sat on the armrest of the couch while Gun flipped through the channels. We¡¯d moved our hangout time to the living room, Naomi having left right before Felix suggested it. She said she needed to take care of things, while Felix, Ash, Gun, Reina and I tried to find a quick movie to watch. ¡°Yeah, me either,¡± I said with a smile as I sat next to Felix on the two-seater. ¡°Actually, with everything going on, I hadn¡¯t stopped to check my stats.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only 100 points,¡± Reina said as she sat to the right of Gun, being a party pooper. ¡°It¡¯s more than you had yesterday,¡± I reminded her. ¡°What are you going to do with your points, Nero?¡± Felix asked me. ¡°I¡¯m saving them for training.¡± ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Gun snickered. ¡°What a waste! You don¡¯t even know you¡¯re sticking around yet.¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°That confident, huh?¡± I smirked. ¡°Very. There is no going back home without a hunter badge near my name.¡± ¡°Kudos for the optimism. I, on the other hand, am going to use it for something more useful.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Feel like I¡¯m going to regret the answer.¡± ¡°Conversion.¡± Software version, 7.0? Reina raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°You mean, converting FP for yen?¡± ¡°Yup! Makes all the sense in the world. I¡¯m wrung dry out here! That starter money wasted in a fucking day.¡± ¡°How the hell did you use all of that in a day?¡± ¡°Check the fridge, and my wardrobe.¡± He snorted. ¡°Food and style ain¡¯t cheap.¡± ¡°Well, besides the fashion part, Gun is right,¡± Felix piggybacked. ¡°If we run out of funds, it isn¡¯t like our mentor is going to step in and help. The only thing that pays out during our evaluation are Fame Points, and even then, they consider that generous. Our evaluation contracts don¡¯t pay out in live currency, not unless we pass. After that, they are bracketed into how many FP we earned that week from contracts. Think of it like a paycheck.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°If we accumulate 1,000 FP in a week from contracts, we are paid $10,000 USD each,¡± I said. ¡°The next bracket is $20,000 USD for 2,000 FP in a week.¡± ¡°Wow, imagine being eighteen and making 20 grand a week!¡± Ash said excitedly. ¡°We¡¯ll be broke this week, though.¡± Felix smiled. ¡°Learning how to manage a budget is part of the trial, and if we can¡¯t survive, then we are out.¡± ¡°Truly, this is an excuse they give to cover the fact that they don¡¯t want to pay talent who may not pass evaluations,¡± Reina chimed in, making a point. ¡°But the conversion rate from fame points to live cash is terrible,¡± Gun said. ¡°Better than nothing. Besides, we could always do more contracts,¡± Felix shrugged. ¡°Level one contracts are worth 100 FP, for the low grade monsters,¡± Ash said, reading off something from her cellphone. ¡°Level two, 200 FP. Level three, usually grade A and sometimes B monsters, 300 FP.¡± ¡°Which is an insane concept, knowing that a level three contract is worth less than getting second place in a round of HG,¡± Gun complained. ¡°True, but the games aren¡¯t as consistent as our contracts,¡± I replied. ¡°One is a game, the other is real life. I don¡¯t care how inconsistent it is. We should be getting more points for risking our lives out there.¡± I turned to Ash and asked, ¡°Is there something beyond a level three contract?¡± ¡°Special contracts, which honestly, I don¡¯t want to be part of,¡± Ash said, breaking off a piece of her chocolate wafer. ¡°Says here on the hunter manual that special contracts are reserved for year three hunters.¡± ¡°Year three only?¡± ¡°Usually. Year three or top-ranked. Because of the, quote, high probability of fatality, unquote.¡± ¡°So, what category do they fall into if not A grade monsters?¡± ¡°Umm, says here Category S.¡± ¡°What? I forgot there was a category beyond A.¡± Honestly, I was to blame for that. These past few days have been unapologetically busy, that I haven''t had the time to read the manual or carefully read my contract. ¡°Yeah, I rarely hear about that category too, to tell ya the truth.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe they¡¯ve only been rare sightings?¡± Felix asked. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, I thought we were supposed to be watching a movie, here?¡± Gun protested. ¡°I spent my whole day being a hunter. I want to unwind and be ol¡¯ fashion Gun, doing what he does best. Chill.¡± Hmm¡­ I wondered what a grade S monster looked like¡­. ¡°We are not about to sit here and watch Makufumi¡¯s Cherry Bosoms Festival!¡± Ash hissed. ¡°That movie is pretty much hentai!¡± ¡°Hentai? What¡¯s that?¡± Everyone jerked their heads at Reina¡¯s question, the air drawing to a sudden, stunned silence. Gun¡¯s mouth opened but no words came out. I was also at a loss, unable to answer her question. How was it possible that a popular girl like Reina, an idol damn near every guy on campus wanted to smash, didn¡¯t know what porn was? Well, anime porn¡­. ¡°Well,¡± Ash started with a cheeky smile, obviously trying to find the most diplomatic way to explain. ¡°It¡¯s, um, a genre you¡¯d find on the spicy web.¡± ¡°Spicy web?¡± Reina tilted her head, appearing genuinely confused. ¡°Hen-tai¡­.¡± I face-palmed as she repeated the word over and over again, while Gun on the other hand couldn¡¯t stop staring and smirking at her gullibility. ¡°To put it plainly,¡± Felix chimed in, grinning mischievously. ¡°It¡¯s a mini movie filled with lots of naked people doing¡­ uh¡­ naked people stuff.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say, it¡¯s certainly not something you¡¯d want to watch with your friends,¡± I added, and was actually thrown that it was available to watch at the dojo. Exactly what are you doing in your downtime, sensei? ¡°I must have misheard that obvious word in the title. That¡¯s absolutely repulsive,¡± Reina commented with a twisted face. ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to be.¡± Gun winked. ¡°Oh, how about Doctor Hatcher? It¡¯s a pretty good horror film,¡± Ash asked. I snorted. ¡°I think I had my fair share of blood and guts today.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s either that or a chick flick, unless you prefer Cherry Bosoms too, Nero,¡± Ash giggled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the gory horror,¡± Gun said and then turned to Reina. ¡°If you get scared, you can always hold onto me, babe.¡± Reina rolled her eyes. ¡°In your dreams, Gunther.¡± Felix cackled while I tried to stifle my own laughter. Even in his cocky assurance, Gun looked a little hurt. ¡°I¡¯d have to agree with Nero here. I¡¯m not in the mood for a blood show.¡± ¡°Oh, we could watch a mystery film! Have any of you guys seen The Labyrinth¡¯s Secret? It looks pretty good.¡± Reina¡¯s face brightened at that. ¡°Oh, I love mysteries!¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Felix agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go with TLS.¡± ¡°I guess we have a winner then,¡± I said, before getting up to make popcorn. But as soon as I got up, I felt lightheaded. The feeling came and went, like a slow pulse. I grabbed my head and caught my footing, then looked up to see everyone in a different light. What I saw weren¡¯t faces and figures, but instead, the pathways inside of them. I could see the intricate circulation of warm blood pumping through their veins¡­. It made my heart race. I saw¡­ everything¡­. ¡°Nero, you alright there, K-pop?¡± Ash asked, and I lifted my head, shaking away the creepy feeling. It happened so fast that I swear I¡¯d miss it if I¡¯d blinked¡­. I answered her with a smile and said, ¡°Yeah, guess I just got up too fast. I¡¯ll be back. Heading to the kitchen to make some popcorn.¡± B1.CH18: A Poor Mans Bet For the rest of the night, I couldn¡¯t shake off that nasty feeling off of me. I couldn¡¯t concentrate long enough on the movie to focus on the plot, or to answer Reina¡¯s barrage of questions. I had a feeling that she was that type of movie viewer¡ªwe were all watching the movie at the same speed. Yet she kept asking the rest of the room as if we had some secret insight to the movie she didn¡¯t have. Gun was the only one brave enough to answer them all, the pretty boy thinking he could still score some brownie points by being nice to her. Tenacity was a great trait to have. When it was time to knock out, I realized that Naomi was missing again. The first thought that crossed my mind was meditation, so I didn¡¯t bother searching for her. With a sigh, I dropped the incident back there and tossed it in my bin of unsolved mysteries, finding it ironic the genre of the movie matching that of my life. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking crap again,¡± I whispered to myself as I lay on my floor bed, the sound of crickets outside lullabying me. ¡°No point in sweating something I don¡¯t understand. Clearly, it¡¯s related to what happened to me that night. Just like every freaky thing that has been happening to me thus far. If I¡¯m patient enough, the answers will come. They have to¡­.¡± I sighed, and then smiled, focusing on good things in the future. ¡°Another day, another evaluation. This time, I¡¯m going to blow Master Hayashi away.¡± Come morning, I was up and ready to tackle a new day. The smell of something burning followed me all the way to the bathroom where I did my morning routine. At a certain point, it became too thick to ignore. The smoke alarms went off, and as soon as I slipped my last sock over my foot, I rushed into the kitchen to witness a sorry sight¡­. Reina¡¯s cooking¡­. The chaos was like a scene straight out of a cartoon: Reina trying to scrape what looked like burnt pancakes from the pan, Ash standing on top of a chair, trying to disengage the smoke alarm, and Felix trying to crack open a window to let the smoky air out. The air was so thick in here that I could barely breathe, Felix finally noticing how bad it was getting and triggered his meta to spin all of that smoke into a tornado. Gun rushed into the kitchen and managed to open that same window Felix had been struggling with, and Felix tossed the smokenado outside. ¡°I am not really a fan of using my gift without a weapon,¡± Felix said, ¡°but desperate times.¡± ¡°Still smells like a forest fire in here,¡± I said, rushing to Reina who tried to salvage food on the stove top. ¡°Shit, Reina, you still had the burner going underneath that thing? It¡¯s completely charred!¡± ¡°Well excuse me for becoming distracted when everyone raced in here and began ruining my concentration!¡± ¡°You can quit the concentration and the cooking!¡± I quipped. ¡°As a matter of fact, you¡¯d help everyone if you¡¯d just stay out of the kitchen.¡± She gasped. ¡°As if you could cook a decent breakfast yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying I could rock it in the kitchen, but I could definitely do better than this.¡± ¡°You tried your best,¡± Ash jumped off the chair and said, looking around at the disaster-struck kitchen. Broken eggshells were all across the counter, an entire carton of milk had somehow spilled onto the floor and unidentified fluids were dripping from the ceiling. ¡°Heh, lots of wasted food, but at least everyone is okay!¡± Ash said, trying not to break down in front of everyone. Until her bottom lip started to quiver, her hands falling over her cheeks. ¡°So much precious food¡­¡± she bawled. ¡°Oh, the inhumanity!¡± Poor girl had to dash out in a bout of emotions. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was genuinely upset or if she was just being funny. ¡°Be realistic, you¡¯re acting as if no one had ever butchered a meal before!¡± Reina hissed, still trying to defend herself. ¡°I just wanted to make some blueberry pancakes, but the recipe is botched! The batter was too thin, then too thick. And the eggs¡­ I could never get them right!¡± ¡°Next time, let¡¯s leave cooking to someone who actually knows how to cook," I suggested delicately, then my eyes turned to Naomi who was walking into the kitchen with a tablet in her hands. ¡°Let me guess? Reina tried to burn the house down?¡± Reina huffed, pinning a hand to her hip. ¡°How original of you to think it was me who was cooking!¡± Naomi shrugged. ¡°Figured someone like you never had to touch a stove before in her lifetime. Surprised you knew how to turn one on.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be hard on fox girl!¡± Gun beamed. ¡°We all gotta start somewhere, right? Humble beginnings?¡± ¡°That was a bit too humble,¡± Naomi sassed. I was about to help clean the kitchen up before I heard my name coming from Naomi¡¯s tablet. I stood next to her and watched, realizing that she had a segment in local hunter news on. The reporter was speaking Japanese but the subtitles were in English, and I read along. To my surprise, my airplane story was being broadcasted, but I didn¡¯t remember any cameras or journalists at the scene¡­ ¡°Hold on, you fought a shadow walker in your flight?¡± Felix asked as he watched on with me. Gun moved in closer too, on the other side of Naomi as we all read the story. Gun beamed, a grin stretching along his face. ¡°Did you hear that? They¡¯re calling you the Airplane Angel!¡± ¡°Airplane Angel?¡± Reina repeated, and even she was interested in what everyone was hype about. Felix chuckled. ¡°Talk about making a big entrance. Bet you didn¡¯t know you were famous, did you?¡± This is insane¡­. The reporter on the screen was talking animatedly about my intervention and had even managed to snag a few interviews with other passengers who spoke of my heroic deeds. It felt strange experiencing it for the second time, my jaw slipping open as they went on about the ¡°Airplane Angel¡± who had single-handedly vanquished the monster. One interviewer was beyond himself, swearing I was his daughter¡¯s savior. The camera then panned to a bright-eyed teen girl who was enthusiastically recounting my feat. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Man, it was epic! He came outta nowhere, like, all daredevil like, and he fearlessly put that big roach down!¡± She gesticulated wildly. ¡°Whoop, and then she- BAM!¡± Her hands widened into a dramatic explosion. ¡°No hesitation, no fear, he just... completely destroyed him!¡± Gun laughed as he continued to watch, this girl¡¯s overly dramatic description getting me tickled, too. Felix snorted in amusement at the girl¡¯s theatrics and then said, ¡°Looks like you have a few admirers already. Your fame grade definitely went up. Go on and check. It updates real time in our sys board.¡± I checked, having had my com unit already on me. To my surprise, Felix was right. I went from 0% to 10%.
Career Level: 1
Name: Nero Aldeon Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality:
Age: 18 Endurance: 4
Rank: -- Strength: 9 (+50 meta boost)
Fame: 10% Agility: 4
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 2
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 40/40
Specialties: Super Strength Mental Immunity Physical Invulnerability Flame Manipulation Squadron: Beta1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 0
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 100 (FPs Accumulated): 100 Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency: 14676 Yen
My meta abilities really did update automatically at first use also. ¡°The higher the fame grade, the more you¡¯re recognized. And that means the more sponsors you can get,¡± Felix said.¡± ¡°And the more sponsors you have, the higher your cash bonus is for ranking in the Hunter Games,¡± Gun swooned. ¡°Man, I can¡¯t wait to get me some sponsors!¡± I grinned. ¡°Something tells me with your charm, that won¡¯t be a problem. You just focus on passing evaluations, first.¡± ¡°Well, well, kudos to you, Nerdo,¡± Reina said, actually paying me appreciation. Though, the simple gesture looked like it was painful for her, given how shattered her ego was. ¡°But don¡¯t think for a moment that I won¡¯t be hot on your heels, competing for more sponsors! I may have lost this battle, but the war isn¡¯t over!¡± ¡°Holy shit, Reina, are you beefing with me already?¡± I smirked. ¡°I doubt you could get more sponsors than me. Your persona tends to scare people away,¡± I jested. ¡°Or make them sick to their stomachs,¡± Naomi sassed. ¡°Am I hearing a friendly wager underway?¡± Gun said, stroking his chin deviously. ¡°If so, I want in on this action!¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s make this interesting,¡± Felix said, getting pumped up. ¡°After evaluations, let¡¯s see who can collect the most sponsors by the end of the week.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Winner of the most sponsors gets 50% of the loser¡¯s sponsor bank bonus for the first HG tournament,¡± Felix proposed. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to sweep you guys,¡± I said humbly. ¡°I already have a head start. And the more people who see this story, the higher my fame grade gets.¡± ¡°Ha, if you¡¯re that confident, then let¡¯s make it a solid month!¡± Gun said. ¡°No excuses! That¡¯s more than enough time for the rest of us to make waves.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± Reina said, the first to agree to this crazy bet! ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m in, too,¡± Gun followed. ¡°Count me in,¡± Felix said after. ¡°How about you, Nero? You in?¡± ¡°You guys are nuts!¡± I snickered. ¡°That¡¯s 50% of sponsor bank earnings of tourney one. I don¡¯t think you understand how much money we are putting on the line here.¡± ¡°We understand, that¡¯s why we are betting!¡± Gun said. ¡°Those donations go hard. Some of these top ranked hunters are getting more money from their sponsors than the actual tournament!¡± ¡°How about you, Naomi?¡± Felix asked. Reina scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s too much of a prune to join.¡± ¡°No,¡± Naomi said flatly. ¡°I pass because it¡¯s a stupid idea.¡± Reina smirked. ¡°Just admit you¡¯re afraid of losing and call it a day, already. No one is going to invest in someone with no basic understanding of social interaction.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Naomi said outright. ¡°I¡¯m fine with earnings from the games. I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s charity.¡± I hated to admit it, but Reina had a point there. Even though Reina¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t all marshmallows and sugarplums, I saw her getting sponsors over Naomi. Reina was outgoing, and she loved the spotlight, so she could figure out how to get it and possibly learn to cater to her fans. Naomi on the other hand, had a back off or I¡¯ll bite you kinda attitude. She was the total opposite. In this career, likability raked in the big bills. If no one liked you, then you were barely getting by. In that case, I changed my mind and said, ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± After all, I doubt that I was going to lose with the lead I had. With the money I¡¯d win, I could not only help my family but my entire team. ¡°Sweet! Then let the real games begin!¡± Gun said, then Ash came in asking what all the excitement was about. Without a doubt, I knew she¡¯d want in, and she did. She swore she¡¯d get the most sponsors with her sweetness and relatability, and after I thought about it, I realized I might have jumped the gun too soon. Ash had a magnetic personality, and I could see her winning this bet without breaking a sweat. Shit, there was no backing out now. ¡°Why does my dojo smell like charred rainbow monkeys?¡± Kenji said as he walked in, his face twisted in disgust. Ash clasped her hands together and gasped at his comment. ¡°You like rainbow monkeys, too?¡± Funny, I didn¡¯t know our high ranked hunter would even consider the cunningness of a show like KnD. ¡°My kitchen is a mess¡­¡± he said, his voice deepening. ¡°We will clean it up right away, Master Hayashi,¡± I said dutifully. ¡°Just give us a few minutes, and¡ª¡± ¡°No time,¡± he said, cutting me off. ¡°I need all of you in the courtyard for FP analysis. You will clean up after.¡± B1.CH19: Rank System Fame point analysis was a fancy way of discussing FP usage with our mentor. The only way it¡¯d involve his cooperation was if we wanted to use any of our points for increasing our stats, AKA training. When he lined us up, I already had an idea what the others would use them on. I, on the other hand, could do a while without pocket money, so I was looking to use my points on training. But first, our sensei wanted us to be fully informed about our options, so we could make a wise and informed decision. He began with a lecture about the importance of balance, the equilibrium that one must maintain between their strengths and weaknesses. He spoke about the need to build on our individual strengths while also not neglecting the areas we were lacking in. ¡°A warrior who can strike like a tiger but has the endurance of a mouse, will fall at the first sign of prolonged battle,¡± he said, explaining further with more metaphors. Honestly, the conversation was a bit more poetic than I was used to from him, but I kept my attention locked in, until I sensed Ash fidgeting beside me. I turned my eyes to her and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The look on her face said pain before she admitted in a whisper, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± I smiled. ¡°Try not focusing on your loud gurgling stomach. It¡¯ll help pass the time.¡± ¡°Reina said she was going to make breakfast, and I believed her.¡± I chuckled. ¡®First mistake was assuming she meant for the entire house.¡± She turned her head to me and begged, ¡°Got another Snickers bar on you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the candyman, Ash!¡± I jested. ¡°You just happened to catch me at a good time.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m starving!¡± she said, her voice above a whisper. Immediately, Master Hayashi turned to her and called her out. ¡°You, up front,¡± he ordered, Ash straightening up. ¡°Now.¡± ¡°Hai!¡± Ash ran to him, Hayashi immediately turning her body to face us with his hands on her shoulders. ¡°This is a perfect example of discipline training. Take Ashley here. A young female who is obsessed with food. It will become her downfall, but she can be saved with much guidance and steady diligence,¡± Master Hayashi continued, looking at each one of us. ¡°A lack of control over one¡¯s needs and urges is akin to a gaping hole in one¡¯s armor. She may be the swiftest runner or the strongest fighter, but when her hunger strikes, she falters.¡± Ashley stood there mortified as Master Hayashi went on with his lesson, using her as a living example of vulnerability and a life lesson we all needed to think about. ¡°In moments of trials, your enemy will exploit your weaknesses.¡± There was a seismic growl of Ash¡¯s stomach in response to his words. I winced ¨C it sounded like she hadn¡¯t eaten in days, not just since this morning. But Ash only bowed her head and said, ¡°Hai, sensei.¡± ¡°So Ashley, tell me, who are you? The very spawn of gluttony, or a sharp minded, invested hunter of the Corp?¡± ¡°I am a hunter, sir!¡± she said immediately, straightening her pose and posture. ¡°And what do you stand for?¡± ¡°My oath, sir!¡± ¡°More specifically¡­.¡± ¡°The people!¡± Ash continued to shout confidently. ¡°I am ready to lay down my life for the betterment of society! Screw those blood-thirsty savage shadow-walkers!¡± He tapped her shoulder. ¡°Good. I want you to remember that before you blow your hard earned Fame Points on sugary sweets and fattening snacks. Now, get back in line.¡± ¡°Hai!¡± Ash dashed back to me, blushing with embarrassment and determination. She took her place in line, standing herself tall and rigid, keeping her eyes on our mentor as he continued with his lecture. Ash¡¯s face shone with an intense resolve, while mine was getting red from trying not to laugh. ¡°You might have read an explanation before, but allow me to give you a thorough breakdown. I¡¯m a firm believer of remembering matters that are spoken aloud opposed to being read internally. That way, it becomes part of the subconscious mind. Let¡¯s go over your system¡¯s stats sheet from the very top. Career level¡ªthis is simply the year of hunting you¡¯re in. Year one to three. Four if you¡¯re lucky. It goes without saying that a meta-human¡¯s abilities peak between the ages of 18-21. There are exceptions, such as my case, but when dealing with the norm, don¡¯t expect a career beyond the 3rd year. On the left of your stats, beyond your name, gender, and age, is your current rank. Career level ranks between rank one bronze, to rank five diamond. For each rank, you must have an accumulative FP requirement. Right now, none of you have a rank. That¡¯s because you aren¡¯t official hunters yet. When you become listed, you will start off as bronze. Once you accumulate 7,000 Fame Points, Silver. Gold requires an accumulation of 14,000 Fame Points. And so on and so forth. It also goes without saying that the higher your rank, the more the Corp expects of you. Your contract payouts also increase, but your hunter game profits will remain the same. If you don¡¯t have any questions, I will move on to the next section, Fame.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I have a question,¡± Gun said, raising his hand. ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°Exactly how much do our contract profits increase in relation to our rank?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself when you get that far,¡± he said flatly. ¡°Right now, you shouldn¡¯t be concerned about payouts prior to your evaluation. Now, for Fame. This yields a percentage according to your general popularity. Unfortunately, in this career, the media is your best friend. The more those pretty little faces are out there, the more you are recognized, and the more good deeds you perform, the higher this percentage gets. It is important to the Corp that this number rises. For me, not so much. The number is great for gaining sponsors, fans who are willing to pay out to support you and your efforts. They contribute in many ways, but we will get to that later. Infamy works the opposite way. The Corp frowns on this number increasing. This means that you are not likable. Strangely enough, there are a few twisted minds out there that enjoy seeing this number rise, and you can become popular for being a heinous brat. However, if it gets to 80%, the Corp is well within their power to revoke your hunter rights.¡± ¡°Like Ramus,¡± I added. ¡°Or that cowboy guy with the pork belly slogan,¡± Ash beamed. Hayashi deadpanned us, drawing his eyes away restlessly. ¡°Right¡­.¡± ¡°They went MIA so suddenly. The corporation didn¡¯t even mention them leaving. Soon after, people stopped talking about them. We always had a hunch why, but now we know for sure,¡± Felix added. ¡°If you value your time here, you will be on your best behavior. Simple enough? Good. Next, HG-HP. These are Hunter Game health points. Your HG-Vitality feeds your health points. The higher your health points, the longer you can survive in a round of the games before you have to respawn. As you know, the arena is set up to be non-lethal, for good reason, where the system is geared to reward longevity. You¡¯ll rely on these points and your respawn tokens to rank as high as possible in the tournament. Stamina is self-explanatory, and so are your skills, mentor, FP, and FP accumulation. The last item I want to talk about on the left is your respawn tokens. And the only reason I¡¯m bringing this up again is because of how important it is in the games. An important factor to mention is that sponsors give these tokens out. This is the only avenue you have in place to receive all specialty items for the games. While respawn tokens aren¡¯t necessary to win a round of the tournament, it does help. It is also important to note that they are not cheap for the social class most of your fans are in, so if a sponsor gives you one, just know that sponsor is investing in your future. It also means to remember to use those tokens sparingly.¡± ¡°How much are they a pop?¡± Gun asked. ¡°Usually around $1,000.¡± Shit?! Seriously? ¡°Before the games begin, your respawn tokens are group-tallied to a maximum of five per team. Every time a player uses a token, that number drops, and it isn¡¯t replenished. Whatever you don¡¯t use will be available for the next match, and potentially, the next series. You are not able to trade or buy tokens for yourself. The benefit of these tokens is to implement immediate entry back into the games. Otherwise, there is a 25 second wait time for a team on standby mode. That counter may not seem long, but I¡¯m sure some of you if not all are familiar with the broadcasted games, and 25 seconds could be a big deciding factor of earning potential. Questions?¡± ¡°Just one,¡± Felix said. ¡°Do hunters have any way of communicating with sponsors?¡± ¡°They do, and those contacts are heavily monitored. As you¡¯d imagine, cheating is very likely, and has happened in the past, where hunters pay sponsors to collect respawn tokens and items. In addition to contactless interactions, meeting sponsors in person is also carefully monitored. Private sessions of any kind are not allowed.¡± That goes without saying¡­. ¡°On your right, you have your attributes: Endurance, Strength, Agility, and Dexterity. These four attributes weigh heavily on not only your performance in the games, but in your contracts as well. Which brings me to my last point, feeding your attributes. If you want to make it far as a hunter, you will build these stats. With Fame Points, you can do just that. Invest a number of these points and you will qualify for a lesson with me. Successful completion of the training will equate to an increase in that stat.¡± ¡°What about items?¡± Gun asked. Hayashi raised an eyebrow at Gun. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t gone over them yet!¡± he insisted as he smiled. ¡°They are objects or features gifted by your sponsors that give you an edge,¡± he said pretty unenthusiastically too, if I might add. It seemed that Gun might have jumped the gun with that question, Hayashi probably not done emphasizing the importance of building our stats. ¡°Like I said, sponsors help hunters in a variety of ways. To get these items, you must perform tasks pertaining to your everyday lifestyle. Of course completing these mini assignments are for you to decide. It is not a requirement. But if you want to keep your fan base, you¡¯d have to complete at least a few of them. Keep your fans happy, and they will continue to reward you with these worthwhile items. They also contribute to the Hunter Games. Each sponsor has a donation bank that pays out in the event that you hit 1st or 2nd place in any bracket in the tournament. Once that bank depletes, they are allowed to immediately replenish it. The corporation gets a percentage of those donations, but not your prize money for winning the tournament.¡± ¡°Really? How much is that exactly?¡± Reina asked. ¡°30%¡± ¡°That¡¯s a decent amount!¡± she protested. ¡°Deal with it. That number hadn¡¯t changed for years. You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s not half at this point. The rest of your stats are nothing special. And now that I¡¯ve done a complete overview, you are now ready to make informed decisions about how you¡¯d like to spend your FP. So, how many of you would like to train with me?¡± B1.CH20: Training With Sensei I felt like I was the only one who was going to take the invitation! We all looked at each other for a second, until I took initiative. My hand was the first to go up, and after Hayashi gave us a few more seconds to decide, Felix¡¯s hand went up, too. ¡°Just two rookies?¡± Master Hayashi huffed. ¡°Sorry to disappoint, sensei, but, Reina made a big mess in the kitchen this morning and wasted all of our grocery money!¡± Reina gasped. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°No lie there,¡± I said behind a chuckle. ¡°I know you said I need discipline and all, but discipline requires the subject to be alive, so I very much need this money to survive the rest of the week!¡± ¡°Oh, would you quit being dramatic?¡± Reina huffed. ¡°I barely used much of anything in that ordeal!¡± ¡°And the rest of you?¡± he asked. ¡°Gotta go with Ash here,¡± Gun said. ¡°Nothing is free in this world.¡± ¡°I need the funds too,¡± Reina added. ¡°No point in additional suffering if it can be helped.¡± ¡°And you?¡± he asked, turning his head to Naomi. ¡°I¡¯ll save it,¡± she said, surprising everyone. ¡°All right. The rest of you can take up converting your points for currency on your system board. The funds will be applied to your credit cards immediately. You¡¯ve been dismissed. Go clean up the mess you made in my kitchen. By the time I¡¯m done with training, it better be spotless,¡± he said, then turned back to Felix and me. ¡°As for you two, what attributes did you want to boost?¡± ¡°I want a boost in agility, sensei. I could really use the extra speed. From the first trial, I noticed that my movement could use some improvement.¡± ¡°Decent deduction.¡± He then turned to me, ¡°And you?¡± I hesitated for a moment, my mind shuffling through the options available for boosting. Strength was something I didn¡¯t have to worry about for now. It was my highest attribute. I could use a boost in agility, but more than that, I wanted to work on my, ¡°Endurance,¡± I said confidently. ¡°I want to last longer during contracts. A monster¡¯s stamina is usually high, and I don¡¯t want to run into a situation where I¡¯m tapping out too early.¡± ¡°Endurance, huh?¡± He raised an eyebrow contemplatively, considering the request. ¡°Interesting choice. Most rookies make the mistake of going all out for power or speed, forgetting that a battle isn¡¯t always won by who hits the hardest or fastest.¡± I smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn that lesson the hard way.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start with you first, wind bender. This training is most suitable for outdoors. Our session shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour. During that time, I want you to wait right here, Nero.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Master Hayashi and Felix went off, leaving me behind. Patiently, I waited, the hour going on two. I was beginning to fall asleep as I waited for them on the grass, with my legs folded and my chin perched on the ball of my palm . I then wondered why he didn¡¯t want me going back inside¡ªmaybe he thought if I talked with the others then I¡¯d change my mind or something. Or maybe this waiting was a form of discipline in of itself. Whatever the case, I was losing my patience, until I noticed a figure out in the background, coming from the forest line. I got up on my feet, realizing the figure was Hayashi with no Felix. That smile on my face went south as I waited for him, until our sensei stopped in front of me and said, ¡°Your turn.¡± ¡°Where is Felix?¡± ¡°Still scrambling himself up a few meters off,¡± he admitted flatly. ¡°The test was taxing to say the least.¡± ¡°Shit, is he going to be alright?¡± ¡°After a round of cardio, I¡¯d imagine so. But enough worrying about your peers, you need to be focusing on yourself. Training speed and endurance do overlap in a few areas. So I hope you can keep up with the lesson.¡± ¡°Hey, speaking of keeping up, is there a possibility of wasting those points? You know, if I don¡¯t pass the lesson?¡± ¡°If you fail the lesson, we will continue until you pass. The time it takes is entirely up to you. Felix went over the allotted time because he was persistent, but I told him not to make a habit of it. I have to keep my time blocks stringent to accommodate all of my students.¡± ¡°Sounds pretty fair to me. Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enthusiastic about this. Keep that same energy.¡± Where Felix took a path down the right, I took a path down the left. Once Master Hayashi found a nice empty field, he stopped in the middle of it and requested his due. To build my endurance from 4 to 5, I needed to cough up 50 Fame Points. The requirement increased from there, meaning if I wanted to bring my endurance from 5 to 6, it would cost 60 FP. After I exchanged the points through our H-Tec units, he placed himself by backing a few feet from me, and crossed his hands behind his back. ¡°During this segment, I want you to try and land a direct hit on me. I will not strike you during this time.¡± I snickered, curling up my fists. ¡°And if I hit you?¡± ¡°Then I will strike back,¡± he admitted nonchalantly, my immediate reaction to check his stats with my unit:
Career Level: Mentor
Name: Kenji Hayashi Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality: ¨C
Age: 38 Endurance: 80
Rank: Diamond Strength: 10
Fame: 3% Agility: 30
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 20
HG-HP: ¨C
Stamina: 800/800
Specialties: Astral Portal Speed Amplifier Realm Transfusion Squadron: ¨C
Sponsor Count:--
Mentor Grade: A Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 0 (FPs Accumulated): 155,000 Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: ¨C Currency: wouldn¡¯t you like to know?
I gulped¡ªhis stats didn¡¯t disappoint! Strength was the only thing I was beating him at. Not only that, the guy had a speed amplifier for a meta¡­. ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± he taunted. ¡°You made the same mistake Felix made, checking my stats before battle. What you¡¯ve managed to create are expectations from me and limitations from you.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡ªisn¡¯t it a good idea to check what category the monster is in before striking?¡± ¡°Why is that a good idea?¡± ¡°So you know what you¡¯re up against.¡± ¡°What does it matter the category? It¡¯s not like you can read their specials. Checking only hurts yourself. It works the same way in this case.¡± I guess he¡¯s right¡­ ¡°Focus on collecting data, formulating a plan to defend and attack, and adapting to the circumstances as they change,¡± he continued calmly, his gaze unyielding. ¡°Your fear and doubts only serve to handicap you right from the start. Learn to consider understanding your surroundings¡ªuse everything you¡¯ve got as an edge to a fight. Don¡¯t limit your strategy to stats alone,¡± he continued. ¡°Your intuition, your reflexes, your experience¡ªall of these are more important than the rank of a flesh-eater.¡± I absorbed his words, locking eyes with him. ¡°Okay then,¡± I said with a nod, trying to keep my voice steady. ¡°It¡¯s your move.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to read off of someone who wasn¡¯t being very offensive. I was stuck on trying to figure out if he had a pattern to his movement. So I swung without intent of hitting him, a test to observe how he¡¯d avoid me. He easily sidestepped my swing, but I had expected as much. My back foot grounded my body for another punch, his movement fluid and unpredictable. He kept me guessing¡ªside step, low duck, back step¡ªeverything was so anti-telegraphed. So I started mixing up my attacks too, throwing in high kicks and low sweeps, sharp jabs and powerful hooks. With every dodge, I watched his movements closely. He was as fast as a whisper and just as elusive. Dude¡¯s movement was a blur in the wind. If there was anything to study in his pattern, he was making it extremely hard. It was like he was doing disappearing acts around me. My eyes just couldn¡¯t catch up, not at the pace he was moving. Then I noticed that he was watching me too, studying my movements just as ardently as I was studying his. ¡°What are you trying to accomplish?¡± he finally asked me. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªtrying¡ªto¡ªstudy¡ªyour movement pattern,¡± I replied between melee attacks. This time he parried my punch with the back of his hand, the impact not hurting him. ¡°Don¡¯t just swing aimlessly,¡± he corrected. ¡°A fight isn¡¯t about flailing your arms and hoping to hit something. It¡¯s about anticipation¡ªanticipating their moves and countering them with your own. Observe. Look for patterns, analyze and predict the next move. That¡¯s called strategy.¡± ¡°You know, you¡¯re not exactly making strategy easy for me.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not taking this training seriously, either. So, we are both in the wrong, aren¡¯t we?¡± I froze. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told you to land an attack on me. You have two offensive skills in your system. Not only are you holding back your punches, but you¡¯re also limiting your range. Why are you only tapping into one meta ability and not the other?¡± Crap he knew¡­ ¡°Particularly the one that has no range.¡± I guess I shouldn¡¯t be too surprised. He was bound to find out sooner or later. ¡°I read your file. You only recently acquired a talent. Not only that, so far, you¡¯ve developed four.¡± ¡°Eheh, you know about that too, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be repressive about. There are many aspects of talent that we still don¡¯t understand or comprehend. I stand as an example. I am well beyond my prime, and yet, here I am, still able to train young metas like you.¡± ¡°So the whole having four abilities doesn¡¯t throw you off?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How often do you come across a student who has so many?¡± ¡°Not frequently. But whether it¡¯s three or four, it makes little difference. Application is important, and particularly important in your case, where you can combine the ones you have.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get why that¡¯s not freaking you out.¡± ¡°Should it? I am still very much stronger than you, and I only have three.¡± I deadpanned him with my fists still positioned to attack. ¡°Didn¡¯t have to rub it in.¡± ¡°Forget about trying to understand why you¡¯re different and focus on applying what you have. Talent without control is like a loaded gun with no safety. It¡¯s dangerous. That¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re having a problem with the concept. But once you hone your skills, you¡¯ll see it for what it¡¯s really worth.¡± ¡°I appreciate your understanding, but that doesn¡¯t make it any less infuriating that I can¡¯t seem to keep up with you,¡± I teased, shaking out my arms and trying to catch my breath. ¡°How about being less telegraphed and allow your flame, and your true strength, to run its course?¡± Okay, so he wanted me to land a serious hit on him¡­. I squared my shoulders and focused on my meta. ¡°The use of superhuman skill is universal among talent. Everyone shares the same capability. The only requirement is channeling your core, or life force. The difference between us and normal individuals is our substantially larger amount of life source that can be manipulated as energy. We call it an extension. Energy is a general term, and it comes in many forms. But one thing that is shared among all life force extensions is that it is expressive through superhuman feats. This extension has boundaries that are governed by the body. Stamina plays a large role in how effective and how sustainable the exertion of this power can be. That¡¯s why even though I have fewer sources, I can still outfight you.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯m following so far.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say your stamina sits at 40 units or points. You will have access to all of your abilities, but the output will be limited, and you may experience meta exhaustion.¡± Hmm, that would explain why I passed out when I used my flames for the first time¡­ ¡°If you overexert yourself, you¡¯ll find your body empty on meta until it has the opportunity to build back up again. The rate at which you refuel your extension also depends on your stamina. The higher your endurance, the quicker you may recover. Now, if you build your stamina, you can not only last longer in fights, but your extension bank expands. This is why top talents are able to last longer out in the field. They have more life energy to consume. The physical exhaustion and life force exhaustion work hand in hand, which is what makes endurance one of the more vital attributes to build.¡± His words were making all of the sense in the world, making me more determined. I looked down at my hands, now glowing with a soft red light. This was the manifestation of my own life energy. My extension. It felt warm and pliable, as if it were alive¡­. ¡°Okay then,¡± I muttered to myself before taking a deep breath, allowing the fire within me to branch out. ¡°Keep focusing on your extension. Own it, embrace it, and let it flow through you naturally.¡± I raised my fists again and took a fighting stance, feeling the raw power coursing through my veins. For the first time, I didn¡¯t feel afraid of what I was capable of. Sensei was right¡ªI should be owning up to my powers. Only then would I know how to control them. ¡°Good,¡± Sensei said, his voice as calm and steady as the aura around me grew. ¡°Now, concentrate on your breathing. Let it anchor you in the moment.¡± I did as he instructed, my senses acutely aware of the slow rhythmic cadence of my breath, the way each inhale fueled my energy, and each exhale expelled any lingering doubt or anxiety. The fire within me flared, responding to my emotions, flickering and itching to break free. ¡°Now channel that fire into your fists but remain controlled. Remember you are not just a vessel for your powers; you orchestrate them.¡± I drew a deep breath, focusing on transferring the warm fiery energy that simmered within me to my fists. The air around them began to shimmer, heatwaves distorting the view like a desert mirage. I could feel the power around them pulsating, and with confidence, I tightened my fist, leaned in, and threw a hook shot at Hayashi. Before it connected with his chin, his hand caught my fist. The impact of the punch sent waves of flaming energy rippling through the air, creating almost a sonic boom in the forest. Everything around him was instantly torn down, from the grass on the whipped terrain to the burning top of trees tousling in the air. My flame punch didn¡¯t hold back, and I was surprised that it didn¡¯t send Hayashi flying. But one thing I noticed was that the ground underneath his feet sank a few inches down, Hayashi probably locking himself in place to resist my power. I¡¯d manage to fuse two specials into one. Even though Hayashi absorbed that blow with his hand, I was amazed by the kind of strength I had. The blow only landed on him, and yet, I managed to take a third of the forest down. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± he muttered to himself, and then suddenly, he struck back! I wasn¡¯t expecting it, getting hit with a low punch along the side of my rib. Hayashi followed that cheap shot with a tornado kick, and I went flying down the chaos path I created. Without a tree to stop my gliding, I was tumble-weeding for a while, until I found my footing and tried to stand myself up. Nothing good awaited me when I stood tall with another strike from Hayashi incoming. This time, I was ready, blocking his barrage of swift punches with my crossed arms over my face. I hunched over to protect my mid-section, but his movement wasn¡¯t meta-human! I didn¡¯t give him an inch, but he took one anyway, using the gap I left just behind my tricep as his angle to get in. Again, I didn¡¯t feel any pain when he stabbed me with his fingers there, just a whole lot of pressure. Even so, I was off my feet again, forced to catch myself from falling on the ground. Shit, what the hell happened to the training terms? He¡¯s working me all of a sudden, and that¡¯s only because he allowed me to hit him! I was left wondering why he didn¡¯t dodge my attack. He¡¯d dodged all the others. Relentless with his pursuit, I had no time to linger on it. I was being pinned against the ropes stuck on fucking defense. Under the assumption that we¡¯d trade blows, I was caught off guard with his constant striking. Something told me that he wasn¡¯t this hard on Felix, my heart and mind racing, trying to figure out what his next move would be. Whatever the case, I had to sweat through it. So I leapt back to space us out before I revved up a flame ball around my fist. I aimed it and then cocked my arm back like a gun before unloading it at him, or at least, where I thought he¡¯d be. I must have caught on without realizing it, subconsciously noticing a pattern with the heel of his foot. If it shifted more toward the right, away from a right-angle, he¡¯d step dodge that direction. Sure enough, he dodged to the right, but my flame didn¡¯t make contact. He swallowed that sucker up with an astral portal! He enlightened me with a subtle smirk and said, ¡°You¡¯re learning.¡± And then, just like that, he disappeared. ¡°Damn it,¡± I grunted under my breath, putting up a dome of flames around me. With little reason to believe that¡¯d stop him, I tried it anyway, but I got not a damn thing out of it when I felt his hand shove my back. I landed face first on the ground and growled. This being tossed around like a rag doll was getting old quick, and I was itching to land a punch on him again. ¡°Shit, just one,¡± I grumbled, and then I felt a grip at the back of my collar before I was flung up into the fucking sky! ¡°Hoooollllyyyy crrraaappp!¡± I wailed, my body moving at the speed of light. Above me I saw a tear with bright white ridges, the same kind of tear I¡¯d seen Kenji step out of when I first met him. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best, having nothing to counter it. By the time I opened my eyes again, I was hovering two feet off the ground, just before Hayashi slammed me down with his heel. ¡°F-fuck,¡± I grunted. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to hurl.¡± ¡°Your physical invulnerability is impressive, one of the best I¡¯ve seen so far,¡± he complimented, and then took his foot off of me. ¡°Was this the first time you stabilized your flames?¡± I got off my ass and chuckled. ¡°Yeah, it was, actually.¡± ¡°What happened last time?¡± That smile on my face left. I hesitated for a second before I answered him, ¡°Egh¡­ the last time, huh¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, when we were coming back after a food run last night, Naomi and I¡­ we ran into a shadow walker that could¡­ turn dead kids into her zombie puppets,¡± I shuddered. ¡°That bitch killed them¡­.¡± ¡°And you torched their undead bodies, I imagine? Out of rage?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± ¡°Sometimes emotions can trigger our extensions to flow recklessly. In this case, you did those children a favor¡­.¡± I looked up to him stunned, my mentor then dropping his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t allow this misguided guilt to hold you back. You did the right thing.¡± He nodded. ¡°Good job, today. In this session, you have earned an upgrade in your stats.¡± ¡°What?¡± I choked. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel like I really did anything today.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± He asked skeptically, withdrawing his hand from my shoulder. ¡°Now, go wash up. You have a contract approaching.¡± B1.CH21: Escort Mission
Our next test was going to be a bit more hands on than our first. It was a sizable upgrade that made me scratch my head about my team¡¯s overall readiness. Reina and Naomi were still fighting like cats and dogs right now, and I wasn¡¯t so sure how friendly they¡¯d be with each other for trial number two. I guess it didn¡¯t matter how prepared or underprepared we were, we had to do our jobs as hunters and give it our all. Since it was sort of a last minute thing, we were briefed quickly. The way Hayashi explained it, it was a simple escort mission. An American hot shot in Utoro had a teenage girl who required protection. We needed to make sure she gets from point A, a public library, to point B, the site of her father¡¯s private jet, where she would be departing indefinitely. CONTRACT LEVEL: ONE MISSION: Safety transport target to rendezvous point MONSTER GRADE: NA REWARD: 100 Fame Points .ph (per hunter) EARNINGS: $1,000 .ph (payment pending during evaluation phase) Naomi, Reina, and I made it to Shimoru Street through different means. After all three of us had taken a private ride from the dojo, the chauffeur dropped us three miles away from the library, where Reina and I took the bus, and Naomi took a motorcycle that was waiting for her at a pick up spot. I didn¡¯t know the punk goth girl could ride until today, where she mentioned being a professional. Reina rolled her eyes at the thought, as if she were jealous or something. Frankly, I appreciated Naomi even more for knowing how to ride¡ªshe¡¯d have to teach me sometime. Reina and I had been walking for over ten minutes by now, and I already felt like pulling all of my white hair out. All of that raw-end complaining about everything was getting on my last nerves. She had something to say about the smallest crap, and I was turning blue in the face from hearing her rant! ¡°And don¡¯t even get me started on her fashion sense!¡± she hissed, referring to Naomi. ¡°I swear, that Mr. Dubois must have been on something to even consider our partnership! She is the absolute worst!¡± I sighed. ¡°The more you talk, the more I wish it¡¯d been you who knew how to ride a bike.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how someone like her would even want to be a hunter.¡± ¡°You know, the same could be said about you.¡± Her eyes went low. ¡°I have a very good reason.¡± ¡°Right. Your dad wanting to whip you into shape. Hell, maybe she has something that could cap that. Who knows?¡± ¡°That book¡­.¡± she said before she paused. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something on it that we just aren¡¯t seeing¡­.¡± I snorted, turning my head to her. ¡°And why do you care?¡± ¡°If there wasn¡¯t, then she¡¯s even stranger than I thought!¡± Reina hissed. ¡°But I doubt it, because she¡¯s committed too much time with it for those pages to be empty. Clearly, she is hiding something¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that book is any of your business.¡± ¡°Nero, aren¡¯t you the least bit concerned about where her head is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t worry about Naomi.¡± ¡°She almost killed me back there!¡± ¡°And you tried to kill her. Despite the excuse you¡¯re dishing out, two wrongs don¡¯t make a right.¡± ¡°I was only trying to send her a message!¡± ¡°A fatal one?¡± I teased. ¡°That look in her eyes! I know you saw that! You saw it, right, Nero?¡± ¡°Saw what?¡± ¡°The look of someone who¡¯s done that before!¡± ¡°Done what, exactly?¡± ¡°Killed humans!¡± I flat-eyed her. ¡°I think you¡¯re reading too much into it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s so much we don¡¯t know about her!¡± she protested. ¡°I say we should keep a look out. She may have ill intentions.¡± I laughed. ¡°All right, beside the fact that you two got into it, what merits you saying that she has ill intentions?¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯ve heard plenty of stories about bad hunters hiding behind the hero name. Hunters who want nothing but to tear Organization VII from the inside out. Their agenda, unknown. But they run their own sabotage operation for a reason.¡± ¡°And you think that Naomi is what? Some type of mole? You are aware that she¡¯s just as new as us, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°This is true, but she could have been hunting before enlisting into the corporation.¡± ¡°So what if she has. Doesn¡¯t mean that¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, are you confirming that she has hunted before?¡± ¡°Come on, Reina. It¡¯s pretty obvious that she¡¯s had some experience before.¡± ¡°Well, she could have been meta-skilled! Not hunter-skilled!¡± Reina confirmed. ¡°There is the proof you need!¡± ¡°Cut it out, Reina. Naomi isn¡¯t a bad seed.¡± ¡°You cannot with a bold face stand here and tell me there isn¡¯t something off with that girl!¡± Reina persisted. ¡°She is hiding something!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s none of our business if she is. As long as she isn¡¯t hurting anybody, then I don¡¯t see what the problem is.¡± Reina narrowed her eyes on me. ¡°You¡¯re too trusting, Nero. There¡¯s something not right about that girl. Mark my words, she¡¯s dangerous.¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve all got our baggage. I try not to judge.¡± Reina huffed in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re impossible. How can you be so nonchalant about having a partner who is clearly unstable? I don¡¯t trust her one bit.¡± ¡°Naomi¡¯s been a good partner so far. A little quiet and recluse, sure, but dependable.¡± Reina crossed her arms under her chest and rejected my statement. ¡°Hmph. Well don¡¯t come crying to me when she finally stabs you in the back.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I chuckled. ¡°I think I can handle myself, thanks. Now, if you¡¯re done making my ears bleed, I¡¯d like to focus on the mission.¡± We reached the library, Ueno Moto Toshokan. And off the corner of the library was a black Lexus model sedan that matched Hayashi¡¯s description of the carrier vehicle. Inside, I noticed a middle-aged man wearing casual khakis, a simple button down, and a basic baseball hat, looking straight ahead. His hands were on the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle, and his face was sweaty as shit. The dude was the very definition of a nervous wreck. I exchanged a glance with Reina, who nodded, understanding my unspoken plan. We approached the car casually, and I tapped on the driver¡¯s side window. The man jumped in his seat, his eyes widening before he turned around and stared at me. ¡°Hey there,¡± I said amiably. ¡°Hot day, isn¡¯t it?¡± The man nodded jerkily, not lowering the window. ¡°Mind if we chat for a minute? We just have a couple quick questions.¡± I lifted my jacket hoodie to reveal who I was, Reina removing the scarf over hers. ¡°You can take a breath,¡± she advised. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to hurt you.¡± ¡°That is, if we confirm your identity. I have three questions that I have to ask. If you answer them correctly, everything will be fine! But if you can¡¯t answer them correctly, getting at least one wrong, then things would progressively get worse from here. Sounds good? Great!¡± His jaw dropped, those big fish eyes bouncing between Reina and me. If he really wanted to, he could have hit the gas and burned rubber down this road before I said a word, but the fact that he was still hanging around was a good sign. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get right down to it. Question number one: the crow flies over a couple in the desert. What does he drop on top of the woman¡¯s head?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ um, a-ugh, a¡­ gold coin?¡± ¡°Correct!¡± I beamed. ¡°Next question: A mother and her toddler son enter a candy shop and she purchases a lollipop for him. What color is her purse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sunflower yellow, the same color as the lollipop.¡± ¡°Good, good. You¡¯re doing great so far. Now for the last question: Whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard?¡± Reina stifled a giggle. ¡°Ugh, wait¡­ what?¡± ¡°Answer¡­ the¡­ question,¡± I said, flashing him a creepy grin. ¡°Oh please, please! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± he begged. ¡°That¡¯s not one of the questions I was told to answer!¡± I laughed. ¡°Okay, okay, you got me there. Congrats! You passed!¡± ¡°You scared me,¡± he panted, finally putting the window down a few inches for us. ¡°I nearly went on myself!¡± ¡°Then you need to learn to loosen up. You¡¯re not inconspicuous at all sitting there like a sore thumb. You¡¯re making yourself a target with all of that sweating and shaking.¡± ¡°There is nothing to fear. I¡¯m Reina, and he is Nero. And we are the hunters your boss hired to transport his daughter to the departure zone.¡± ¡°My name is Omo. Please, hurry up and retrieve Miss Halloway. They can¡¯t pay me enough money to put my life on the line here!¡± ¡°Tell us how the scene has been so far?¡± ¡°Quiet¡­ a bit too quiet, actually! I know they notice us here, they just do!¡± He dodged his eyes between us again and asked, ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t there supposed to be three of you?¡± ¡°Our third is around. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I flipped my hoodie back over my head and smiled. ¡°Now, you sit tight with Reina. I will be back with Bridget Halloway.¡± Reina got in the backseat while I turned around and headed for the library. Once inside, I searched for Bridget, noting that the crowd was light and the place was uniformly quiet. My eyes scanned from left to right as I walked in between round tables and ducked between rows of bookshelves. Hayashi mentioned she¡¯d be here, and after three minutes of looking around, I thought I finally found her. She was in the fiction corner of the library, her back facing me. She wore something Reina would wear¨Ca reserved white wool sweater with a long pink skirt. Her nose was buried in a thick book; the blonde was so distracted that she didn¡¯t hear me approaching her. She didn¡¯t realize I was there until I tapped her shoulder and she glanced up, her bright green eyes meeting mine. ¡°Bridget Halloway?¡± I asked. She nodded, looking at me curiously. I realized I must look out of place in my dark hoodie over my head, but then the expression on her face fixed right up when she realized who I was. ¡°And you must be, Nero, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± I grinned. ¡°Man, has anyone ever told you that you look like Lili Rochefort from Tekken?¡± She smiled. ¡°Only prettier,¡± she cooed, twirling her bouncy jumbo curls. ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± ¡°Your father sent me to escort you safely to your destination. But I need you to answer a few questions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gold coin, and the second answer is sunflower yellow,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Father and his riddles.¡± ¡°Precautionary steps must be taken for his lovely daughter. He cares for you a lot to hire three bodyguards.¡± ¡°I know. And honestly, I appreciate the effort. We¡¯ve¡­ had a few run-ins with walkers lately. It¡¯s one of the reasons we are leaving to¡ª¡± ¡°Shh,¡± I said, putting a finger over my lips, and then whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t know who is listening. Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡± She grabbed my arm and insisted I lead the way. Once we were outside, I acted as casual as possible, the both of us heading to the black sedan. My head jerked up to the building across from us, but the top of it seemed empty. I could swear I¡¯d seen something up there, my eyes shifting to my left, then to my right. My brain wasn¡¯t playing tricks on me, so I discreetly tapped my H-Tec and connected to Naomi, asking her in a whisper, ¡°How is the coast looking?¡± ¡°Clear. Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°We are about to move. Keep on our tail.¡± I opened the passenger-side back door for Bridget, and she sat in the backseat with Reina, who introduced herself. After another quick look around, I got in the front passenger seat. Right off the bat, they started complimenting each other about their designer clothes, accessories, and shoes. My immediate thought was having a second Reina in the car. But unlike my comrade, Bridget was humble and sweet. Once I turned to my right, I told our chauffeur we were good to go, and our test officially started. The ride was smooth for the most part¡ªthe girls hitting it off in the back, the road clear and the weather calm. I kept my eyes peeled, scanning the horizon and checking the rearview mirror constantly for any signs of trouble. We had made it out of the city and were cruising along an open highway through rolling green hills. Again, I checked with Naomi, who wasn¡¯t directly behind us but was on the same road following close. She confirmed everything was fine, which made me think that we¡¯d lucked out on this mission. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t count our luck just yet,¡± I whispered to myself, Omo turning his head to me with a genuine smile. ¡°Only a few minutes until we drop off Miss Halloway,¡± he said excitedly as we entered another city, Oni-Nayagi. ¡°After that, I can finally retire with my wife!¡± I grinned. ¡°Sounds like a dream, honestly. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re a bit more relaxed now, Omo.¡± ¡°We are almost at the finish line, that¡¯s why. I¡¯ve been working for the Halloways for over fifteen years, and this is my last assignment. They pay very well, and the benefits are even better. But with their wealth comes many dangers. And if I can be honest with you, Nero, that area isn¡¯t my strong suit.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I gleaned that.¡± ¡°Some people are just not cut out for this line of work. As a private chauffeur, I¡¯ve seen my fair share of threats against the Halloway family. Kidnappings, extortion attempts, even a few assassination plots over the years. They¡¯ve had to live their lives on edge constantly, surrounded by armed bodyguards like yourself.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Shit, that sounds terrible¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why this final task is different. Such a burden uplifted from my shoulders. With my retirement comes a freedom one could only dream of. I am leaving Utoro and moving to America!¡± ¡°Seriously? Where? East coast?¡± ¡°No. South Dakota. My wife loves the natural atmosphere, and the people are very friendly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°A few times already. And we loved every visit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for you Omo. But you better be ready for those harsh winters.¡± ¡°I say, bring it on!¡± he said with carefree enthusiasm. ¡°Surviving the brutal winter by forging defines a boy from a man. I will embrace the challenge!¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty sweet that you can retire at a young age. I wish you two all the best.¡± He bowed. ¡°You are much too kind, Nero.¡± As we continued chatting during the drive, I started to become more relaxed myself. I noticed we only had a few more minutes left on the clock now, Bridget in the backseat getting excited about leaving Utoro. She too was headed to America, but she had her sights on my state of New York. We started to have a conversation about the amazing food there and the culture, until I saw a vehicle approaching quickly from behind. It was jet black with tinted windows, making it impossible to see who was inside. As it pulled up dangerously close to our rear bumper, I felt a chill go down my spine. ¡°Who is that?¡± Reina whispered nervously. I reached Naomi, who couldn¡¯t confirm who that was either. ¡°Saw where it came from?¡± I asked her. ¡°First time I¡¯m seeing it. It must have pulled out from a parking lot.¡± ¡°Tail it.¡± ¡°Maybe we should pull off course just to make sure?¡± Bridget suggested, my eyes catching Omo¡¯s hands shaking again. I looked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. Just keep on course. If they get much closer, we¡¯ll¡ª¡± my words stopped short, a loud bang bursting through my eardrums followed by raining glass. The sound of Bridget¡¯s shrill scream followed, where I realized I¡¯d raised my arm over my face to protect myself from the windshield that had exploded. And to my right, Omo with a gaping bullet wound in his forehead. A thud on the hood of the car made me turn my head forward, where I saw a short punk girl with bright-blue pigtails grinning at me with her horse teeth. ¡°Howdy, partner!¡± her raspy voice sang as harsh wind continued to slash my face. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to intrude, but youz got some precious cargo we after! Hand her over and no one else has to get hurt!¡± B1.CH22: Floor It! I was floored, struggling to process what was happening. Omo was dead, a bullet through his forehead. The windshield was shattered, broken glass all around. Bridget was screaming in the backseat. And this deranged girl with blue pigtails had appeared out of nowhere, threatening us with a branded pistol in her grip, and a sniper rifle strapped on her back. My ears were still ringing from the gunshot. Omo was slumped over the steering wheel, blood oozing from the bullet hole in his skull. The sight of him infuriated me as I moved myself to attack the girl, but she was agile, pointing that pink pistol¡¯s barrel on my forehead just as I budged an inch. ¡°See now, I wasn¡¯t askin¡¯!¡± she cackled. ¡°Since ya don¡¯t know how to follow the rules, it¡¯s best I get rid of you. You just smell like trouble. Night, night, stud muffin!¡± Bridget gave a pitched scream when this mystery girl pulled the trigger. Even though I knew I had physical invulnerability, I still held my breath and froze. When the bullet ricocheted off my forehead, the girl¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What the hell?¡± she exclaimed. I had a moment of realization myself, but I didn¡¯t linger on it. I seized the opportunity and lunged forward, knocking the pistol from her hand. She was fast, because as soon as I disarmed her, she leaped in the air and disappeared. ¡°Shit,¡± I grunted, grabbing onto the dashboard and poking my head out of the huge gap where the windshield used to be. ¡°Where is she?!¡± ¡°Nero!¡± Bridget cried, her eyes glued on the tractor trailer we were about to collide into. I grabbed the swerving steering wheel and gently pushed Omo¡¯s body back against the seat, my hands trying to maneuver the best it could at an awkward position. More awkward than that, I had no idea what the hell I was doing¡­. Carhorns blared and honked as I dipped in and out of lanes, my navigation skills atrocious. I could hear the harsh screeching of the tires as I tried to keep the car straight, until Reina leaped in between the two front seats and bawled, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to drive?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking to someone who takes the bus for a living!¡± I retorted. ¡°You work as a mechanic, do you not?!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t replace having a driver¡¯s license! Or knowing how to drive sideways with no access to the brakes!¡± ¡°Toss the body!¡± Reina shouted, the hairs on my neck rising. I looked back at her like she had three heads. ¡°Toss the what?!¡± ¡°You heard what I said. Rest in peace, Omo, but I have no doubt that he would understand that we¡¯d love nothing more than to see another day after this crazy car chase! Now toss him!¡± ¡°No way!¡± I retorted. ¡°Reina, Bridget, pop the seat back and drag him by the shoulders.¡± ¡°What?! I¡¯m not touching a corpse!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not about to fling a victim out of the car when we have options!¡± I barked back at her. ¡°I will do it,¡± Bridget said as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Nero¡¯s right. He deserves better than to be discarded like that. It¡¯s disrespectful¡­.¡± Her voice shook. ¡°Omo was brave, and was always a nice man to me. If he could safely transport me around Utoro for over 10 years, then I can bring him to his wife in one piece.¡± Bridget reached over with trembling hands and fumbled to find the seat lever. As the backrest collapsed backward, Omo¡¯s lifeless body slumped down. ¡°Grab his shoulders!¡± I shouted over my shoulder, one hand white-knuckling the steering wheel while the other tried to help them bring Omo to the backseat. Reina hesitated, her fingers hovering just above Omo¡¯s shirt. They both tugged at Omo, and luckily, the man wasn¡¯t very heavy to begin with. They were pulling him back gradually, until a thud jerked me against his knees, something hitting us from the right side of the car. Spurred by urgency, Bridget steeled herself and took hold of Omo''s shoulders. She dragged him all the way back, allowing me to take the driver¡¯s seat. When I looked over to my right, I saw the same black car with tinted windows speeding up. It was gliding toward us for another slam, and we were dangerously close to the side guard. The black car slammed into us again, jolting the whole vehicle violently. I struggled to keep control of the wheel as we swerved back and forth, focusing on keeping the girls alive. Another impact¡ªthis piece of shit was relentless! He sent us careening toward the guardrail. I yanked the wheel hard to the right, barely avoiding a collision. The tires screeched in protest as I floored the accelerator, pushing the car to its limits. ¡°They¡¯re still coming!¡± Reina shouted. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw the black car gaining more speed. ¡°Crap, they don¡¯t know when to quit!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The black car was neck and neck with us now, and then finally, the jackass behind the wheel pulled his window down. He was a tall and tan brute looking fucker with a big smile, a sleeve of tats, stupid black shades, and a pathetic mini mustache. ¡°Give us the girl and end it already!¡± his deep voice demanded. ¡°The man in the big seat isn¡¯t about to brush us off! He owes us big money! If he wants to run away, we¡¯re gonna give him something to sit around for!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not touching a hair on her head!¡± I growled. ¡°Come on, you wannabe heroes got nothing to do with this! Meddling in people¡¯s affairs¡ªtake the easy route and back off. Unless you want us to make that decision for you¡­¡± Just as he said that, I heard a loud thud from the roof of the car, my eyes turning up to see it dented from the outside. Something heavy had crashed into it, and then like a jack-in-the-box, a long blade pierced the metal clean through. On cue, Bridget hollered, the blade inches away from her. It stretched between her and Reina, the girl backing into her seat and trying to maneuver around Omo¡¯s dead body to avoid decapitation. ¡°Hmm, I rarely miss,¡± I heard a voice say from above us, and then when my eyes met the skinhead again, he had his pointer finger zeroed in on me before he whispered, ¡°Bang.¡± Immediately, I hit the brakes, causing everyone in the back to jerk forward. I nearly slammed my face into the steering wheel, but I made a hard break just in time to miss the shotgun blast from that guy¡¯s finger. I saw a horizontal beam of green light that avoided us and cut through a clutter of trees off the side of the road. It didn¡¯t look as cool as Urameshi¡¯s, but it was just as deadly. The car kept going for a couple of seconds before the sound of its brakes screamed as its tires locked up. The hard break also caused the skinny tall chick who was on the roof of the car to dismount it and leap in front of it. She was wearing a black cat suit and had long black hair in a braided ponytail. She was also wearing a red and white Kabuki mask over her face. I stared at her and her long sword as the girls collected themselves. The temptation to rev this car and run over her seeped through me, as my desire for revenge boiled my blood. But the mission was more important than my vendetta right now. ¡°Reina, take Bridget to the rendezvous point,¡± I whispered to her. Reina choked. ¡°What?! I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°You have to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the same predicament you¡¯re in, Nero. I cannot drive either!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t either,¡± Bridget cried. ¡°Well, you girls can take it up between yourselves,¡± I said as I exited the car through the busted door. ¡°I¡¯m going to run interference as best as I can so you can escape, starting with her.¡± ¡°But, Nero, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± Reina said, before she stopped short. Something overcame her and she straightened out right away, taking my spot behind the steering wheel with a serious expression on her face. ¡°Do what you must. I will bring Bridget to safety.¡± I turned back and gave her a smile. ¡°Good luck.¡± Once I stepped out of the car, Reina backed up and peeled off. And then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed Naomi on her motorcycle chasing her. Good, she had some insurance. I could feel better about letting her head off with Bridget. The both of them should be able to handle business without me. ¡°How admirable,¡± she sang, her voice smooth like silk. ¡°To forfeit your life for your friend. But the blonde girl, you have no relation or connection to her, I presume.¡± I smirked. ¡°You¡¯d be right to presume that.¡± ¡°I have never understood you hunters. What you stand for is utter complete bullshit. Risking your lives out there for people you don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rewarding, but I doubt someone like you could understand that. You¡¯d rather feed on humans and live for your own gluttony and greed.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You think I¡¯m a shadow walker? No, lackey. I¡¯m more sophisticated than that.¡± Wait a minute, was she gifted? Well, that would explain a few things. She and her team were rogues¡­. ¡°Don¡¯t bunch us up with those mindless monsters. We live for ourselves and run by our own rules, but we do not feed on the living.¡± I snorted. ¡°Right, instead you terrorize the living and kill the innocent. At least you have one thing in common with those demons.¡± ¡°That girl and her father aren¡¯t as innocent as you think.¡± ¡°Tell me more about it from inside a prison cell,¡± I taunted, before I turned around and jumped off a short cliff and into the thick forest off the side of the road. I landed in a crouch on the slippery grassy terrain before sliding a ways down. When I noticed a rough clutter of rocks, I changed gears, fast walking the rest of my way into an unkempt neck of the woods. With my luck, the mystery assassin girl followed my lead. I wanted her off of the road and away from civilians, limiting casualties as best I could. But when I went down, I didn¡¯t see her. ¡°Crap, did she really stay behind?¡± I mumbled to myself, itching to head back the way I came. Except she promptly made herself known when she sliced the air in front of me, forcing me to jerk back at the sound of a whooshing noise. I whipped around to space us out, but instead, I saw the masked girl standing behind me, twirling a short dagger in her hand casually. Her fluidness with her blades caught my attention as I grabbed the long one edging for the back of my neck, and then grabbed the dagger. Her eyes opened up at how brave I was to snatch them, the girl in black sliding them out of my grip before she tried again. This time she went for my chest, and I backed away with every wind breaking slice she tossed at me. Until my chest caught one, the blade slicing the t-shirt under my hoodie. Finally, she leaped back, probably realizing that I wasn¡¯t taking much damage with her blades. ¡°Not bad, minion. Invulnerability. How lucky some of us are¡­.¡± ¡°I hear a hint of jealousy. I¡¯m curious, what¡¯s your gift?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Must be something light for you to stick with basic weapons.¡± ¡°I promise you, my skills behind these blades aren¡¯t basic¡­.¡± I grinned. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re pretty quick on your feet. Got a strong arm, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯ll be losing yours in a second,¡± she threatened, but instead of striking, she stood there and stared at me, stand-off style. ¡°Why the cowboy stare down? I hope you¡¯re not stalling for something?¡± ¡°Nothing in life is easy, so I¡¯ll complicate things and allow you to believe that.¡± ¡°Why are you after that girl and her father?¡± I asked, doing a bit of stalling myself as I tried to gauge her abilities. ¡°What do you want with them?¡± ¡°Retribution¡­.¡± B1.CH23: The Not So Innocent
¡°You said they aren¡¯t innocent¡­¡± I repeated. She was fixated on the Halloways being treacherous, and I wanted to know why. ¡°Why ask me? Didn¡¯t your file mention that he was a crook?¡± ¡°Well, so are you. But I¡¯d like to hear your definition of the word.¡± ¡°My mother worked as a maid at the Halloway Estate. She did so for years. Underpaid, but loyal. Never complained for a penny more than what she¡¯s worth. One night, there was a party with the host, the big man himself. Mother said there were a bunch of men and women in masks. They were dressed in glitter and gold, but the smell coming off of them had the aftertaste of something wicked. She is a very religious woman, and she could tell when something¡¯s off in the naturally pure balance of things. And she swore something was toxic about that party. They gambled, they smoked their cigars, and they drank late into the night. Mother said she caught glimpses of things she couldn¡¯t understand. She didn¡¯t give me any details because she couldn¡¯t describe it. The walls were dark in some of those rooms, and she said something would scare her away whenever she got too curious. Not wanting to lose her job, she stopped snooping around and went back to her tasks that evening. Until the next morning, she found someone wandering the halls. She wasn¡¯t a guest. She was wearing civilian clothing, a girl no older than you. She had lots of blood on her collar, her knees rashed, her eyes bloodshot. She was lost in a daze. Her dress was torn, and her whereabouts unknown to her. When mother tried to help her, the woman just stared right through her with hollow eyes before dropping at her feet, unconscious. My mom cried for help, and Mr. Halloway came down the hall. And with a condescending smile, he said, ¡°You¡¯re relieved of your duties indefinitely, Mrs. Fushiro.¡± I tightened my face, drawn to her story. ¡°Ever since that night, nothing has been the same. My mom kept talking insanely, saying that monsters were out to get her. She couldn¡¯t sleep, she couldn¡¯t eat, and she was slowly losing her mind. Every day was a living nightmare trying to reel her back to reality. Do you know how terrifying it was for a nine year old, thinking that there were monsters underneath her bed? In the closet?! Outside of her home at night?! The crazier she talked, the crazier she became. Until the authorities took her from me¡­. They said she was too unwell to raise me. My aunt and uncle took custody of me, and they brought my mother to a nuthouse. I visit her every day, and yet¡­ she still doesn¡¯t even remember my name¡­¡± she whispered, trying to cling to her voice. ¡°So excuse me if I don¡¯t sympathize with the offspring of the devil¡­.¡± Her tone went heavy again, the mystery girl drawing her blade at me. ¡°My vengeance has nothing to do with you! So stay out of my way!¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry that you had to go through hell. I can tell you¡¯ve been through it. I don¡¯t know what it feels like losing a mother. But I can sympathize. Mine means so much to me. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of something devastating happening to her. It¡¯d mentally and physically break me. So, I get it. I really do. But, Bridget has nothing to do with her father¡¯s business. I heard her during our ride, she thinks her father sells diamonds for a living. I can tell that girl is clueless to the dirty bullshit her father is involved with.¡± ¡°Oh, I know she isn¡¯t involved. But ignorance makes little difference.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. I¡¯d think someone like you would understand. Your mother was innocent in all of this. And so is Bridget. Why does she have to suffer?¡± ¡°Because I want her to feel the pain I felt!¡± she screamed. ¡°She¡¯s going to give me what I want! The names of everyone at that stupid party! One of them has an answer for the curse they placed on my mom! And I¡¯m going to find it! And after she gives me all of the names, I¡¯m going to make her suffer for her father¡¯s crimes!¡± ¡°You might not be a monster, but right now, you sure as hell sound like one¡­.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even begin to understand my pain!¡± ¡°And your associates do? That big guy behind the wheel was talking about cash. That doesn¡¯t sound like what you¡¯re after.¡± ¡°So I linked up with like-minded people. They have a score to settle with Halloway, and so do I. If I get a cut of the profit, so be it. A bonus to my vendetta, one that I intend on satisfying.¡± I squared my eyes on her. ¡°I am not going to let you hurt an innocent girl.¡± ¡°You have no choice. Last chance to stand down.¡± I ignited my flames, a flame ball burning in each hand. ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to come to this, but¡­.¡± ¡°Save me your apologies, corporate lackey!¡± The masked girl lunged at me. I barely had time to dive out of the way, feeling the breeze of the blade sweep past me. Rolling back to my feet, I flung one of the fireballs at her, but she dodged it. The flames erupted along the forest line as she came at me again. I realized her strikes were becoming more precise. I managed to evade her attacks, but only just barely. This girl was skilled, fueled by years of resentment and pain. But there was something else about her that made a light flicker in my head. From her first strike to her last, she was getting stronger¡­ faster¡­. It felt like the longer she fought, the closer she got to actually landing her hits on me. Worse yet, her attacks began to burn. I missed evading that last slash against my arm. When I stepped back, I saw a bright red line along my skin. It was something she hadn¡¯t been able to pull off a few minutes ago. Whatever she had was eating away at my physical invulnerability, and pain began registering up my muscles. ¡°Having fun yet?¡± she taunted as she circled me. This masked vendetta girl must have had some type of adaptability meta¡­. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. She came at me again, and I crouched down and slammed the ground with my fist. A burst of flames erupted in a ring of fire, spreading outward and catching my opponent. Unfortunately, she had an answer for it, the girl taking her blade against the ground and sweeping my flames like a broom to a dust bunny. She flung that flame tail in the air like it was nothing, confirming my suspicions. She¡¯d avoided my flames before, now she was taking them head on. When she closed in on me, I grabbed her blade and it was hot to the touch. It also managed to cut slightly into my skin. With her dagger, she twirled around and aimed under my rib. I managed to twist away, feeling the blade slice through my shirt and leave a burning gash along my side. I stumbled back, clutching my wound as warmth spread down my hip. The girl stalked toward me, energized as I gave her a false sense of security, my opponent thinking I was caught off guard. And then, I lashed out with a square punch into her face. I¡¯d pulled back my strength, not wanting to kill her. After all, she wasn¡¯t a monster. My job was to hunt and kill shadow walkers, and since she didn¡¯t fall under that category, my only purpose here was to detain her. But when her head flew back at me and she slammed her forehead into mine, I realized just how crazy she was. She followed by slamming the blunt end of her dagger against my chest, and a flash of light exploded. One second my feet were on the ground, and the next, I was being tossed across the field. My back struck a tree before I slid down, the feeling along my back now worse than pressure. It was a hint of pain, and I was starting to piece out the puzzle to her mysterious meta ability. ¡°Not so confident now, are you?¡± she taunted. I straightened up, clenching my jaw against the pain. ¡°I get it now¡­ your weapons¡­ they are absorbing my meta.¡± ¡°More like tapping into your life force extension and mimicking your gift upon contact.¡± She smirked. ¡°The latter is better. The same way Rachi¡¯s bullets steal extensions, my blades do the same thing when they touch you, but more efficiently.¡± ¡°Omo wasn¡¯t gifted!¡± I seethed. ¡°That short stack killed him!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t control who she ends up slaying.¡± ¡°But his death is on your hands! You¡¯re hanging out with a murderer! You swear all you¡¯re after is revenge, but you don¡¯t care about the blood trail of innocents you leave behind! Omo had no extension to feed off of! She ended up killing an innocent man, and for what?!¡± She scoffed. ¡°If you can¡¯t see how you¡¯re just like those fucking monsters, than you¡¯re delusional as shit.¡± Her face twisted. ¡°Quit comparing me to those flesh eaters, you pawn!¡± Her blade went up in flames, a hot roaring fire sparking with energy akin to my own. I couldn¡¯t lie¨Cher meta was OP. She struck the ground my way, and it fissured, the crevice blowing out pillars of heat and smoke. She was trailing her new found flames everywhere I went, following me through every corner of the grove. I braced myself as she charged another round, her flaming blade poised to strike. At the last second, I rolled out of the way, barely avoiding the slash. The heat from the flames was eating at my skin, but I was enticing her to continue this onslaught so she could tucker her stamina out. ¡°I¡¯m nothing like them!¡± she shouted, whirling around for another attack. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say I¡¯m a monster!¡± Her rage made her strikes wild and unfocused. I continued to dodge and evade, watching for an opening. Her anger was making her sloppy. Hayashi was right¨Cemotions contributed to meta exhaustion. And right now, this girl didn¡¯t have a grip on hers. The trigger words poured out of my lips a second time, her next wave of heat hotter than the last. I was sweating big time, but my plan was working, her movement sluggish now, enough for me to find another opening. As she overextended on a wide swing, I took my chance and sweep kicked her. My shoe stepped on her wrist holding her sword after she dropped to the ground, her dagger lost the moment she collided. She was panting and tired, having been reckless with her powers. ¡°Out of stamina? Or just about, I¡¯d imagine.¡± I kicked her sword away, and she got on her knees, a crack on her mask giving away. When it fell off, I noticed that she had a black cloth over her eyes, and there was a long vertical scar running down her left cheek¡­. ¡°So, what are you going to do now? Kill me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hunt humans.¡± ¡°Your righteousness will get you nowhere.¡± ¡°I will call local authorities, and we¡¯ll let the justice system handle you.¡± ¡°Or, you can take matters into your own hands,¡± she provoked. ¡°Don¡¯t be a pussy about it, and don¡¯t you dare look at me like I¡¯m some nut case, either. I might be blind, but I can see perfectly fine¡­.¡± ¡°Shit, you¡¯re so stubborn¡­¡± I hissed, scratching at the back of my head conflicted. ¡°Things were a lot easier when they were black and white. Good and bad, monster and human, no in betweens.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re considering letting me walk?¡± she whispered, her eyes growing on me. ¡°I can sense the aura coming from you¡­ it¡¯s¡­ different.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that a lot.¡± ¡°A taste of dark and light, but¡­ not entirely balanced¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, quit talking all of that metaphorical crap, you¡¯re starting to sound like my mentor.¡± She paused, the mystery woman straightening her back and giving me an odd looming stare before she asked, ¡°What¡­ are you?¡± And then thump¨Cshe went down, a large log slamming against the back of her head. ¡°That¡¯ll teach you to try and stab me!¡± Reina said as she glared down at the unconscious girl. After that, she looked up to me and smiled. ¡°Home run!¡± ¡°Reina?¡± ¡°Honestly, Nero, I can¡¯t pick up after your mess all of the time. You¡¯re a big boy now. You have to learn how to tidy up on your own.¡± I smirked. ¡°Well, someone¡¯s feeling themselves today. Actually, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t just slice her head off.¡± ¡°If she were a shadow walker, she would have transformed already, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you made that deduction.¡± ¡°Bridget made it to her jet safely. Naomi took care of the other two beforehand and alerted the officials.¡± ¡°Was she the one who sent you to search for me down here?¡± ¡°Yes. She is on the side of the road as we speak. But, what will we do with Ersi?¡± ¡°Ersi?¡± ¡°That¡¯s her name. According to goon number one and goon number two. Rachi and Bull-Nickle.¡± I chuckled, Reina looked back at me cluelessly. My face went straight. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s his real name?¡± She shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what the girl called him. Which, by the way, has the worst sailor mouth I¡¯ve heard for a child her age.¡± ¡°She has to be the youngest talent I¡¯ve seen in person. Sucks that she¡¯s in the crime business. We will let the authorities handle Ersi, too.¡± ¡°Were you really going to let her walk, Nero?¡± Reina asked me seriously. ¡°Why would you ask me that?¡± ¡°I saw that look on your face. You weren¡¯t sure you were doing the right thing.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t going to let her walk,¡± I said. ¡°But I did want to help her. She¡¯s just lost and hurting. She needs to be steered in the right direction. Ersi disclosed some info to me that I think Hayashi would want to investigate further. So let¡¯s head back to headquarters.¡± After I took the weapons, we walked uphill, and I noticed Naomi slowly cruising into focus. The engine to her new motorcycle purred as she made a stop and pushed up her visor to ask me straight, ¡°Where¡¯s the other one?¡± ¡°Down the hill.¡± ¡°Hayashi is requesting we pull back.¡± ¡°Then we will wait here until they pick her up.¡± ¡°They should be here in a few seconds.¡± ¡°And then, we will find a ride to our rendezvous point.¡± B1.CH24: Different Shades of Monster Another failed mission. That was two for two so far. When we met up with Hayashi, he mentioned the civilian that had died, our friendly near-retiring private chauffeur. All I could say in return were a few words of condolences, and that was it. I had no excuse; we screwed up. Hayashi was also harsher on me since he made it clear that I was the leader. Once we were back at base, he pulled me aside and emphasized that. As we debriefed by the courtyard, Hayashi¡¯s expression darkened for a brief moment. I was familiar with that look of disappointment stretched along his face. It was the same look my mother would give me when I fucked up. ¡°We can¡¯t afford any more of these failures, can we?¡± he said, and I answered him back with emptiness in silence. ¡°That¡¯s two in a row, now.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I muttered defeatedly. ¡°The stakes are high; I know what¡¯s at risk.¡± ¡°Then you better find a way to turn this around, or I¡¯ll have no choice but to disband this squad.¡± I bowed respectfully. ¡°Yes, sensei.¡± ¡°Tell me, what have you observed within your team?¡± ¡°We were more coordinated,¡± I admitted. ¡°Unlike the last time, we were on the same page.¡± ¡°Talk to me about Naomi.¡± ¡°I have only good things to say about her, really. She¡¯s reliable.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t she see Rachi zero in on the carrier vehicle?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how she could have. Our enemy had a sniper rifle. And according to the report, she not only had a weapon enhancer as a meta, but she could also teleport. So, no perch was needed when she took that shot. And we were out in the open, too.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that Naomi couldn¡¯t have prevented that man from dying. How about you?¡± I lifted my head up. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You saw something back there at the library, but you chose to ignore it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t put that on the report¡­.¡± ¡°Did you forget that I was watching?¡± ¡°Right¡­ well, I didn¡¯t see anything, so I definitely didn¡¯t ignore it. I buzzed in with Naomi, and she said that the coast was clear.¡± ¡°Right, in her area. At the time, you were told where Naomi would be posted, in an area too far for her to scope the potential threat following you.¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I said, my heart suddenly racing. ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t see anything! I just had a hunch, that¡¯s all. I thought that my mind was playing tricks on me. No way did I think we were being tailed from the starting point!¡± ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°To withhold information like that and jeopardize the mission?¡± ¡°Perhaps you wanted to believe there was nothing there, so you could move on with the mission,¡± he insisted. ¡°When you were leaving the library, you caught a glimpse of it, didn¡¯t you? Someone ducking behind an air vent. It was just a shadow, barely even there. You didn¡¯t think much of it at the time¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¨C¡± ¡°But you should have trusted your instincts,¡± he continued, his words making me hold my breath. ¡°Even if it was just for a fleeting second¡­. And yet, you didn¡¯t say anything to Naomi, did you? You could have ordered her to scope the area. Instead, you decided to remain silent in your suspicions, correct?¡± ¡°I-I¡­.¡± The words didn¡¯t want to come out. ¡°Yes, sir¡­.¡± ¡°Would you mind enlightening me as to why?¡± ¡°I... refuse to take the blame for this,¡± I said, Hayashi shocked at my statement. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything, and if I did, it wasn¡¯t anything alarming as a potential threat to our mission. The wing of a bird, or a petal off a flower falling. That¡¯s it. I was so confident that I didn¡¯t bother telling Naomi to investigate. Directing her to move from position would have been more detrimental. There were no bad judgment calls here, and I didn¡¯t cost us that man¡¯s life.¡± He looked at me sternly and silently, before he said in a monotone voice, ¡°Part of being a leader is admitting when you¡¯re wrong, and admitting when you¡¯re right. In this case, you were right.¡± I let go of my breath and gaped at him confused. ¡°I wanted to test your level of accountability. The fact that you didn¡¯t cave into my guilt trip is a good sign. For a moment, I thought you¡¯d blame yourself for that man¡¯s death, but you turned around and surprised me. Remain firm in your affirmations, always.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I bowed. ¡°Yes, sensei.¡± ¡°Lastly, tell me about Reina.¡± ¡°She did well. She took care of business, as always.¡± ¡°In what sense?¡± ¡°She did better in our second mission, take my word for it. Neither of us knew how to drive, but she got behind the wheel and was the one who brought Bridget to her destination using Omo¡¯s digital gps. Just like the report mentioned. But¡­ Master Hayashi¡­.¡± I paused, my face churning from my upcoming question. ¡°I thought you said that shadow walkers were after that girl?¡± ¡°Sources said. Like I told you before, intel filtering through the corporation will not always be accurate. You¡¯ve witnessed this already in your first mission. You will have your bad grapes and your good grapes. Information is not perfect in this line of work.¡± ¡°I understand, but in the same light, we are risking lives on potentially inaccurate intel.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The masked girl, I mean, Ersi. If it wasn¡¯t for Reina¡¯s better judgment, she could have¨C¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the point you¡¯re forgetting. Her better judgment was what saved her. As hunters, it is your job to make those decisions.¡± Again, that feeling of this being over my head sunk in. The amount of responsibility was immense, but it was something I¡¯d just have to learn to facilitate through each and every mission. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy, but it had to be done. Master Hayashi sighed. ¡°It¡¯s an imperfect system. But we work with what we have. The corporation relies on a vast network of sources, and sometimes those sources are wrong or misleading. Other times, the situation changes rapidly. What was true yesterday may not be today. Remember, adaptation, resourcefulness, and intuition¨Cyou are going through this trial period to learn how to apply all of those things. It will not always make sense from your vantage point. But you must trust the process. You must trust that those higher up in the corporation have a broader perspective and access to information you do not. Even when things seem unclear, your role is to carry out the mission as assigned, to the best of your abilities. Focus on that, and you will do fine.¡± ¡°Yes, sensei.¡± ¡°And yet, something is still bothering you,¡± he said, his eyes softening on me. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What I reported in the file, about Ersi, about what she said.¡± ¡°Feeling sorry for her is human. But what happened to her mother doesn¡¯t pardon what she and her team did to Omo.¡± ¡°I understand that. What¡¯s bugging me is that there¡¯s talent in Utoro despite what people are saying. It¡¯s just that they¡¯d rather be selfish with it than help the masses.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have a duty to uphold, and they don¡¯t feel inclined to put themselves out there for the betterment of society. Once you understand that, you¡¯d find that there¡¯s nothing wrong with this philosophy. Our values are just different.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a scary thought, is all. I mean, it¡¯s bad enough that we have to worry about monsters¨Cwe have to keep a look out for metas, too?¡± He paced further into his garden, his fingers barely grazing the soft petals as he mused. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for thinking this way. You¡¯ve lived a very sheltered life. Despite your district being the most dangerous of the three, I could tell by your character that you haven¡¯t experienced everything this world of ours has to offer. Soon you will learn that there are three true evils of this world¨Cflesh eaters, the rogue gifted, and humans associated with flesh eaters.¡± I stared at him, eager for him to elaborate. ¡°Flesh eaters are simple¨Cthey work in a very code-like manner. They hunt, they torment, and they feed endlessly. It¡¯s not black and white, but something close enough to it that their nature seems predictable enough. For the most part. Then you have the gifted rogues. Special people like you and me, however, they are corrupt with power. They might as well be flesh eaters, but they are more complex than that. They usually don¡¯t operate systematically, which makes them unpredictable and very dangerous. Meta humans without a purpose are like ticking time bombs,¡± he continued. ¡°They have power at their fingertips but no guiding principles on how to use it. That kind of recklessness puts everyone around them at risk. At least with the flesh eaters, we know what drives them¨Ctheir endless hunger. And the lawful gifted like us have a code of ethics that guides our actions. But the rogues¡­ their motivations are often unclear. Power for the sake of power. Violence without reason. They sow chaos wherever they go.¡± ¡°And associated humans?¡± ¡°The worst out of the three,¡± he said, making my breath hitch. ¡°Personal opinion, but one I can validate each and every time. They enable suffering and are master manipulators. What¡¯s worse than having shifters turn into your loved ones are your loved ones themselves condoning wickedness. They hold auctions in the black market, bidding off body parts, family members, children, infants¡­ casting them into the darkest parts of the underground for profit and gain. I¡¯ve heard reports of weeping mothers being dragged from their children, husbands ripped away from their wives. And all while their enablers cheer them on, lining their pockets with each innocent taken. It churns the gut to think of it. But monster slaves are beyond appeals to mercy or morality.¡± My eyes grew stark the more he talked. ¡°They host their own version of the games, luring humans to play as unwilling contestants for the entertainment of flesh eaters. They broadcast live hunts as sport, and have an intricate working system that streamlines the business. For the longest time, we¡¯ve tried to expose this operation, but finding the parties involved has been difficult thus far.¡± He scoffed. ¡°You have to be a certain evil to lure innocent lives into the hands of predators, while being prey yourself.¡± I clenched my fists as he continued. ¡°Their depravity knows no bounds. They pit human against human in brutal death matches, forcing them to maim and kill one another for nothing more than twisted amusement.¡± I could feel my hands trembling as the rage coursed through me. How could anyone be so cruel, so monstrous, as to auction off human lives for profit? To rip families apart and feed the innocent to beasts for sport? ¡°Do you think Mr. Halloway is capable of that?¡± I asked him, Hayashi turning his head to me. ¡°Do you have a personal connection with our escortee¡¯s father to know if he is?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. However, I think it is very much possible. It¡¯s more common than you might think. That being said, I am having an investigation done, and appointing another mentor to follow up on it.¡± ¡°Why not us?¡± ¡°For one, they¡¯ve seen your faces. And two, I already have another mission lined up for your team.¡± B1.CH25: Covert Mission
I was shocked that I was able to keep my flames to myself during our conversation. The thought of humans selling out other humans felt like worms crawling under my skin. It boiled my blood, and the fact that it was common practice fumed me even more. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from thinking if one of my classmates at school was a monster associate. I wouldn''t stop blaming myself for not knowing, and I¡¯d feel ten times worse if they got to Mom, Sophie, or Chen. I took a deep breath to calm myself. Getting worked up now wouldn¡¯t help anyone. I needed to put all of that in the back of my mind and focus on my next mission. Another contract, another chance to prove to Hunter Corp that I had what it took to make it. After I washed up, my mood changed. Even though I wasn¡¯t official yet, I was still making a difference out there for the better. I went to the meeting room for a briefing. Hayashi mentioned this contract being a lot different than the two before, and he wanted to make sure we understood our assignment fully. When I opened the door, I expected to find Naomi and Reina waiting there, but what I found instead were Gun, Ash, and Felix fixing the hole in the wall that my team created. I scratched my head at the sight¡ªAsh on the ground playing with an assortment of nails with a hammer on her head, Felix chopping down wood with an axe and his wind-infusion, and Gun scaling down other pieces of wood with a power tool. ¡°Heh, now I feel even more terrible for what happened here, seeing as Hayashi is making you fix the room up. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because my team and I have a contract tonight?¡± Felix smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, Nero. It gives us something to do until it¡¯s our turn. Besides, I see this as part two of my training.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so damn tedious,¡± Gun sighed taxingly. ¡°As boring as raking leaves. I¡¯m about to lose my mind if I don¡¯t get some p¡ª¡± ¡°I found another worm!¡± Ash cried out gleefully, interjecting Gun. She held the little critter at the bottom as it curled upward, Ash giddy at the sight of it. And here I thought she was playing with nails¡­ I turned my head to Felix. ¡°Wait a minute, you didn¡¯t get your attribute point with Hayashi?¡± ¡°No, not yet. But I¡¯m being a good sport about it. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll get it in my next session.¡± ¡®You¡¯re a wet, slippery one, aren¡¯cha?¡± Ash giggled, letting the worm crawl up her arm. At the tail end of her giggling, I heard the front door creak, and when I turned around, I saw our mentor walking in with Naomi and Reina right behind him. ¡°The three of you are dismissed,¡± our mentor ordered. ¡°You will pick up your work after our meeting.¡± ¡°Come on cute little wormie,¡± Ash said as she got up, taking the jar of more worms with her. ¡°You and your friends can bunk with me.¡± Felix followed her, Gun did too with his arms behind his head. He turned to Reina and gave her a wink before he left, the girl rolling her eyes at his flirtatious gesture. ¡°Nothing like feeling the brisk spring night¡¯s air along your skin,¡± Sensei said as he gestured for us to take our seats, standing behind the head of the table. ¡°I have the biggest window I could ask for to enjoy this refreshing breeze.¡± I cleared my throat with a face of guilt and shame, trying not to look directly at him. Reina sat on a seat closer to the door, while I took one across from her, where that lovely breeze could hit my back. Naomi took a seat right beside me, the three of us eager to hear our next mission. ¡°Your next assignment will be more complex than your first two, which is why we are meeting like this for the first time. This is a covert termination mission, involving a criminal chain operation in underground Utoro. Compound 7 is a nationwide drug in the black market that has reared its ugly head again in Japan. After the wave over a decade ago, it¡¯s returned to full fury, with a modified recipe. The ringleader of the movement is a man by the name of Katsuro Shimadora. And¡­ he is not a man to be taken lightly,¡± Sensei warned. ¡°Katsuro Shimadora¡­ why does that name sound familiar?¡± Reina scoffed. ¡°Oh please! You¡¯ve been in Japan for a mere few days. How would you possibly know this man?¡± ¡°No, seriously. I¡¯ve seen him before. A round pudgy man, he wears these tiny round glasses and a bowtie... Oh right, when we were coming back from the noodle shop last night. His face and name was on a poster plastered on a bus stop shelter.¡± ¡°He is a very popular business man in Utoro. Owns a chain of high-end sushi restaurants called The Golden Koi, frequented by the city¡¯s greatest and richest. He maintains a pristine public persona. However, our confidential sources have revealed his involvement in this illicit drug trade.¡± ¡°Sounds like the plot for a bad crime movie,¡± Naomi said, biting into an apple she had plucked from underneath her long sleeve. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The plot thickens, because the delivery of this special version of Compound 7 is being pumped into Golden Koi¡¯s so called fresh fish, turning patrons into unknowing test subjects.¡± ¡°How horrible,¡± Reina muttered under her breath. ¡°Why would a man with such status do something so revolting?¡± ¡°Because he isn¡¯t a man. He¡¯s a shadow walker.¡± ¡°Well, there goes the spoiler,¡± I said, expecting the twist. ¡°Katsuro is ruthless, clever and incredibly dangerous. He¡¯s known for his unpredictability and extreme caution. But tonight, he is attending a banquet event in Shinzeno¡¯s Mansion. It¡¯s a hall in downtown Utoro. The event is a contribution to a charity organization, Youthful Kids, which supports anti-trafficking of minors. But for Katsuro, it¡¯s a facade to mask his true intentions. We suspect he¡¯s using it as a cover to meet with his associates and finalize plans for the distribution of Compound 7.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m assuming the raw fish that he¡¯s injecting with Compound 7 has undergone multiple rounds of variable interferences within his unknowing test subjects. Side effects have been recorded with the untampered drug, and since he¡¯s done modifications, I¡¯d suspect that there are even more changes. How is he collecting these people for further research?¡± ¡°He is having them kidnapped.¡± I dropped my shoulders down. ¡°Seriously? And to plan this all out in a Youthful Kids, anti-trafficking charity event is really a fucking shot to the face!¡± ¡°His victims are mostly minors, but they come in all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Utoro is a melting pot of people from around the world, opening its arms to other cultures. Which makes this the perfect place to harvest guinea pigs. ¡°I don¡¯t care how ironic this situation is. The man is evil, he does evil things, and he must be stopped,¡± Reina said with hard determination. ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel this way, Reina,¡± Kenji Hayashi said with a slight smirk on his face. ¡°Because you will be one of his escorts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m one of his what?!¡± she screeched. ¡°Reina, you¡¯ll be one of his escorts,¡± Hayashi repeated, for sarcastic measure. Heh, Kenji Hayashi was a petty man¡­. ¡°The man loves his women, and ironically enough, you¡¯re his type. His associates arranged him an escort tonight, someone outside of his litter, and we arranged that special someone to be you.¡± ¡°I refuse! Absolutely, positively refuse!¡± Reina protested repeatedly. ¡°I am a hunter, not a spy!¡± ¡°It goes hand in hand.¡± ¡°An assignment of this magnitude requires hunters of skill and clean execution in the art of deceit!¡± she defended. ¡°If you want this to be done right, I am not the right candidate for it!¡± ¡°Well, there is Naomi, but I am afraid she would bite the guy¡¯s head off prematurely.¡± Naomi nodded comically. ¡°And, he isn¡¯t into mean and nasty.¡± Naomi tossed Hayashi a wow, seriously, look that got me chuckling softly. ¡°He¡¯s into those delicate types: petite, thin, feminine, and most importantly, demi-human.¡± ¡°I am not a collectable item for his eyes to devour!¡± she retorted as she snatched her fluffy fox ears. I snorted. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it¡¯s just his eyes!¡± Reina cringed. Her arms reached in and hugged herself as she had chills. The poor girl snapped her eyes shut, revolting at the idea. ¡°Eww, I can¡¯t imagine being with someone who looks utterly appalling!¡± ¡°What do you mean? You haven¡¯t even seen him yet,¡± I said. ¡°With your description, he sounds like a creep!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a few hours of your life, you¡¯ll survive,¡± our mentor said, opening the manila folder on the table. Inside of it was a picture of our target, and he did in fact, as Reina described him, look like a creep. That smile alone would have had me running for the hills. ¡°The objectives are simple¡ªReina will find out where he is hiding the kidnapped subjects, and the location of his main experimental hub. Once she extracts that information, you will make sure he and his associates are dead.¡± ¡°Sounds easy enough!¡± I beamed. Reina scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Maybe for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important that you also take his phone, Reina. Shave the skin off his thumb, it¡¯s print sensitive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where you get off expecting such creativity from me!¡± Reina cried. ¡°Execute this mission flawlessly and you may change my mind about you yet.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°It is important to extract as much information as possible before you¡¯re sent to a private guest room.¡± ¡°What happens in the private guest room?¡± Naomi asked. I felt like she had an idea what would happen behind closed doors, but she wanted it said aloud to spook Reina. ¡°She will be handled and then disposed of.¡± ¡°Disposed of?¡± I raised my eyebrow, not expecting that part. ¡°You mean, he¡¯s going to off her?¡± ¡°Well, eat her, to be more precise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a ballsy move with all of those people around.¡± ¡°He will not get caught. The one special that we know he has is poisonous kiss. It immediately renders his victims motionless. Paralysis enables him to get away with a quick kill. Where the only concern is his associates getting rid of what remains of the body. No fuss means no exposure.¡± ¡°All of this while making sure he doesn¡¯t kiss me?¡± Reina cringed again. ¡°Well, if it makes you feel any better, he won¡¯t try until he brings you into a private room.¡± Naomi stifled a reaction, Reina turning her head to glare at her. ¡°I¡¯m soooo glad you think all of this is funny!¡± ¡°Egh, maybe a little bit,¡± I teased. ¡°While Reina is gathering intel, Naomi will be outside of the function, playing lookout. And you, Nero, will be working within the function as hired help.¡± ¡°Hired help?¡± I grinned. ¡°Oh, like a waiter?¡± ¡°Why does he get to have the simplest task in the world?!¡± Reina hollered. ¡°I am utilizing your strong points. From what I¡¯ve gathered, you are conversational. Naomi is quiet and therefore can be stealthy, and Nero is good at thinking on his feet. Putting him in a broader environment would be beneficial for the both of you.¡± ¡°So, to summarize, Naomi¡¯s positioned outside of the building, while I am inside. Reina is big daddy¡¯s play pillow, chatting him up so he can spill juicy secrets. I can find them in the dining hall at a special table with his associates¡ª¡± ¡°Three of them,¡± Hayashi clarified. ¡°Right, three other shadow walkers in disguise, and our cue to take him down will be Reina being escorted to a private room to do the nasty?¡± She squinted. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. To get disposed of?¡± She glared at me. ¡°All of you are just rotten.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Spare the casualties, perform with stealthy execution. Do not mess it up. There¡¯s more information within the folder to help streamline the process. Your ride and equipment will be arriving shortly.¡± Hayashi narrowed his eyes and added. ¡°Go out there and make sure he never sees the light of day again.¡± I smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any more time. We have a banquet to crash!¡± B1.CH26: Ballroom Bonanza
A spy mission¡ªwhat a rare treat for a second test. I was pumped! I felt a little bad for Reina though, but for the most part, if we successfully completed this mission, there was no way Hayashi would deny us permanent entry to Hunter Corp! CONTRACT LEVEL: TWO MISSION: Defeat the Drug Lord and his associates. Gather intel on trafficking operations. MONSTER GRADE: Various REWARD: 200 Fame Points .ph (per hunter) EARNINGS: $2,000 .ph (payment pending during evaluation phase) ¡°Now we are getting into some advanced level monster slaying,¡± I said to myself as I picked up my gear in a small box sitting on the front porch. It had my name on it, my super excited same-day Amazon delivery face smiling at the hooded mystery driver who was walking back into his car. He waved back at me hesitantly before he escaped inside of his black sedan, taking off into the night. I walked back into the foyer and kicked the front door closed, then crouched down and rubbed my hands together. I gazed at the box, its contents not a complete mystery. I already knew that I was getting a wardrobe, some kind of monkey suit to go with my temporary title. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything James Bond worthy, so I didn¡¯t get my hopes up. Even though the mission felt like something out of a spy thriller rather than a regular monster hunting gig, I was realistic about my role. I could feel a grin slowly spreading across my face as I lifted the lid and peered inside. Not only was my outfit in there, but Reina¡¯s was as well. I pinched my fingers at the shoulders of the white dress shirt and gave it a look over, and then looked inside at the black piece that went with it. ¡°Ah, there goes my tactical vest,¡± I said sarcastically. Then I analyzed Reina¡¯s outfit, a stunning, shimmering red dress with a double long slit along the sides. Along with the outfits was a black wig for me as well. It was part of the disguise, and I was thankful that a matching mustache didn¡¯t come along with it. There was however a pair of rectangular glasses in the package. As well as a small note tucked away in the corner with instructions: ¡®We expect you at the rendezvous point by 1800 hours,¡¯ it read. ¡®Do not be late.¡¯ The three of us got ready for the function. As always, our mentor would be close by to evaluate our performance. Unlike Reina and me, Naomi wasn¡¯t expected to be physically at the banquet until it started at 9pm. My shift started at seven, and Reina had to be at her pick up point an hour later than that. Working in the kitchen and getting the food ready was the easy part, because when 9pm struck, I had to keep my eyes on Reina like a hawk. With our com units on, it was easy to talk to each other. Reina, however, had less down time to feed us intel. That made me hanging around her all the more important. But I had to remember to be as discreet about it as possible so I wouldn¡¯t blow our cover. ¡°On table 9, Michael,¡± the pink-haired waitress said to me, handing me a set of white porcelain plates to arrange in the second floor hall. She fed me a smile and a wink. ¡°You¡¯re doing great so far! Just like it says in your resume¡ªquick and efficient!¡± I laughed nervously, not knowing what the hell she was talking about. ¡°Heh, well, you know me. Always a hard worker.¡± ¡°I can tell. We are really saving time with all of your help! The hall looks amazing out there. If you keep this up, Hun might actually keep you after your contract! He admires strong workers.¡± ¡°I¡¯d seize the opportunity!¡± I said, before turning back around to the hall, trying not to sweat under my collar. In no time, the hall began filling up with food. I should have eaten more than just a quick snack before the mission, because the aroma was killing me. What helped me get over it was the possibility of it being infected with Compound 7. Once I told myself that, my stomach shut down real quick. After a while longer, the guests slowly began trickling in. They were a bunch of rich stiffs that formed the elite class of Utoro, Japan. They came in all shapes and sizes, some tall and lanky, some short and pompous. The men wore tuxedos that probably cost more than my flat back home, while the women donned gowns that shimmered under the huge chandeliers. As they took their seats, they chattered away, unaware that underneath the beautifully presented food and ambiance was a team working meticulously to prevent a disaster. I tried to maintain an air of nonchalance, focusing on serving champagne and otsumami rather than scanning the crowd for potential threats. Nonetheless, I couldn¡¯t help my gaze from flickering over each new guest who entered, searching for any sign of shifter activity. Then suddenly, I heard Naomi¡¯s voice. ¡°Michael,¡± she whispered urgently, ¡°check out table 3.¡± I smiled and then whispered back, pretending I was adjusting silverware on a table, ¡°Well hello to you too, squad mate! You haven¡¯t spoken a word to me all night.¡± ¡°I only got here 20 minutes ago¡­.¡± ¡°Really? Felt like you¡¯ve been stalking me for a while,¡± I teased. ¡°Also, you don¡¯t have to call me that. Only I can hear you. You¡¯re positioned?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on the glass roof, scoping.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about that table?¡± I asked softly. ¡°When they were walking inside, one of them had a red handkerchief.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I squinted confused. ¡°Does that symbolize something?¡± ¡°Red blots of dry blood on white. He was dabbing his lips with it behind his cuff.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that there could be more of Katsuro¡¯s associates in here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely that our inside source wasn¡¯t aware. There¡¯s also a chance that they may not be associated with him at all.¡± ¡°Shit, this will make limiting casualties even harder. Don¡¯t know why they couldn¡¯t put both teams on the job.¡± ¡°More hands in risk exposure. There¡¯s a higher chance of getting caught. Besides, do you really want Ash working a mission in a banquet?¡± I smirked. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Where is Reina?¡± she asked. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s a little late with her entourage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good sign.¡± ¡°Wow, Naomi, that¡¯s sweet of you to be worried about her w¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± she said, quickly cutting me off. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the mission.¡± Hah, she was quick to correct my assumption. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine,¡± I continued in a whisper, Naomi suddenly filling my head with scary scenarios. ¡°She has to be. The show hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°Keep me posted.¡± I subtly maneuvered my way toward table 3, and from first glance, nothing looked out of the ordinary. That being said, nothing ever really did with monsters hiding in plain sight. I saw a blonde girl in a pink kimono dress. She was Japanese, judging by her dialect and her oriental features. Her face was positively glowing, catching the attention of everyone around her. She had two partners, two tall men, one in a white suit, and the other in a black one. They all looked like they were slightly older than me, maybe late twenties, socializing with other wealthy folk in the banquet hall. And then, a woman who looked like she was in her fifties joined them, and that was when they all sat at their table. Hmm, seems like the guy in the black suit¡¯s mom¡­. Could they all be shadow walkers, or was someone being deceived? After giving them a once over, I went back to focusing on being the best waiter I could be. Time was quickly winding down, until I finally saw Reina walk in with Mr. Target, her merry spirits as she made it down the walkway making me do a double take. ¡°Oh, Kat, you slay me!¡± she said, giggling at his dumb marketing joke. ¡°Ah, Matsumi, you¡¯re much too kind,¡± he replied, the man unable to keep his ogling eyes off of her. Holy shit, Reina was actually doing a good job out there. They exchanged words with others in the banquet, pretty much paying a visit to all of the tables that were filled inside. That was nearly 20 tables, Reina having enough stamina to keep that smile going for so long. And here she had me worried that she couldn¡¯t make it out as an actress. She was a goddamn pro. I guess with all of the attention she and her radiant dress were getting, it was easy to fall into character. That, and she was already in her natural habitat. Being around rich folk, schmoozing, being surrounded by glam and fortune¡ªwhy was I worried for her, again? She looked amazing, her furry fox ears making that dress on her pop even more. Even though Reina was demi-human, she didn¡¯t have the fox tail like Ash had her cat tail. Unlike Ash, Reina was a hybrid, but it was enough to get Money Bags going. In no time, the party really started. The Youthful Kids charity banquet event cued in the orchestra that had been playing classical music mid shift. The live string quartet I¡¯d been hearing all night now had a few instruments to join in on the revelry as the musicians stood high on the stage at one end of the decorated hall. Their symphony filled the air with melodious harmony, the kind one might hear in a royal courtyard during a summer garden party. The crowd turned toward the musicians, their conversations reducing to a quiet whisper as they enjoyed the music. Crap, that tune was starting to make me doze off¡­. After an applause from the audience, the host man did his introduction. Following the introduction was a toast, everyone clinking their crystal glasses with the sound resonating throughout the room. I had to make sure those glasses were full. After a few more speeches from the men in suits on that centerpiece altar, the pretty girl in the pink dress from table 3 got up on the stage. Wasn¡¯t expecting that¡­. All eyes were fixated on Keiko, the founder of the Youthful Kid¡¯s Organization. She raised her glass with a grace, giving a spiel on no child being left behind in times of war. With war between the fight between humankind and flesh eaters. The irony wheel just kept on spinning. Something in my gut was telling me that she was fooling everyone as she continued to encourage charity donations, but I couldn¡¯t jump on my theory just yet. The crowd was eating from the palm of her hand. She was the embodiment of refined elegance and charm, her smile mesmerizing, her giggle contagious. They were soaking in everything she was saying, but the more she talked, the less I trusted her. ¡°Let us remember,¡± she began, her voice ringing clear and steady over the hall, ¡°that this night is for our youth. Let their futures shine as bright as our hopes.¡± A deep, appreciative silence fell over the room as she spoke. Then applause broke out, mingling with the clink of toasting glasses. After her speech, food was served. It was hard to keep my eyes on Reina when I was popping in and out of the kitchen, but the mission has been smooth so far. Also, I was sharing her table with Tino, so every now and then, I¡¯d get to exchange some light talk with her. She was still handling herself well, my eyes catching her engaging our target in a lot of conversation. Naomi had been silent since our last talk, so after I stepped into the kitchen with a small plate of half eaten deep fried cake, I brushed aside to check in on her. No answer. I called out again, starting to freak out that Naomi might have been made. At this point, I had two choices¡ªto go out there and risk jeopardizing the mission, or to cross my fingers that Naomi was fine. I believe in her¡­. She¡¯s alright¡­. It could be that she had relocated to an area where she couldn¡¯t talk. So I went back into the dining hall carrying a coffee carafe and a large tray of bite-sized chocolates, cream and sugar for table three to help one of the other waiters. I settled the chocolates as a post dessert treat in the middle of the table, and then turned to Keiko and asked, ¡°How would you like your coffee, Mrs. Nakamura?¡± She flashed me a playful stare. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the coffee, thank you.¡± I smiled. ¡°No problem. How about¡ª¡± ¡°You look cute,¡± she whispered, those hazel eyes locked on me like a crosshair. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± That compliment caught me off guard as I snorted sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s Michael Reuss.¡± ¡°Michael Reuss. What¡¯s a handsome man like you doing in a line of business like this?¡± ¡°It pays the bills!¡± I said charmingly. ¡°Oh? But you¡¯re much too delicious to be a waiter.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m in the right business,¡± I joked. She giggled. ¡°Charismatic, cute, and funny. I like that. Do you have a girlfriend?¡± The guy in the white suit grunted subtly at her question, then turned around to roll his eyes. Wait a minute, was that her date? ¡°Um,¡± I said, hesitating, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± she sang, giving me a flirty smile. ¡°I¡¯d think someone like you would be spoken for.¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯d think, right?¡± I said, my laugh coming off as nervous. ¡°Thank you for the compliments, but I¡¯m being called to the kit¡ª¡± I stopped, Keiko grabbing my wrist tightly as I tried to walk away. ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± she whispered, my head immediately turning to Reina, who was walking away with one of the female associates at her table. I then snapped my head back to Keiko, giving her a cracked smile before she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you can leave¡­.¡± B1.CH27: A Fishy Affair ¡°I saw you eyeing her all night¡­. Is that your type? Demi-humans?¡± I chuckled nervously. ¡°Heh, no. It¡¯s nothing like that. She¡¯s sitting at my table, and she¡¯s been tugging me back and forth all night.¡± ¡°All I hear are excuses,¡± she whispered seductively. ¡°I can be a demi-human for you, Michael.¡± She winked. Crap, this wasn¡¯t the time to be getting hit on! I was losing sight of Reina. She wasn¡¯t leaving with our target, but with no idea where she was headed, I started to panic. So I created a diversion as soon as a waitress walked by me, and I swung my large serving tray around, knocking the cream and sugar right on top of her white blouse. I made it look like an honest accident, the waitress shocked and embarrassed. The tray clattered on the floor, the loud noise grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. Carmen looked down at her once pristine blouse, now marred by a rapidly spreading wet stain and gasped. ¡°Oh crap, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I apologized, pretending to be flustered. I grabbed a handful of napkins from Keiko¡¯s table and began dabbing at the bottom of her blouse, muttering apologies under my breath the entire time. ¡°Stop, you¡¯re making it worse!¡± Carmen wailed, insisting she took care of it herself. I scrambled the rest of the cream and sugar on the floor and pardoned myself from table three, Keiko looking at me like she caught onto my setup. Desperate times¡ªI didn¡¯t care if she knew, as long as I was out of there. I¡¯d volunteered to get Carmen a spare uniform in the back, which luckily for me, was in the same direction Reina had headed. I sprinted seeing as Reina and her chaperone had a head start, cutting a shortcut through the kitchen. I told myself I¡¯d run back out there and clean up the mess soon after I figured out where she was headed, and thankfully, she was just being escorted to the bathroom. ¡°Shit, that was close,¡± I whispered to myself, turning my head away from the hallway and preoccupying myself with the butler¡¯s waiting area. I placed my hand on the lever, and just as suddenly, I heard a voice. ¡°Michael?¡± ¡°Naomi?¡± I said super softly. ¡°Where the hell were you?!¡± ¡°Scoping. I couldn¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°I was worried you got into some trouble and left your post.¡± ¡°The coast is clear from the outside. That¡¯s the only status update I have for now. But¡­ I am concerned. The event is almost done and the target is still alive. Where is Reina?¡± ¡°In the lady¡¯s room.¡± ¡°And he is still in the hall?¡± ¡°Yeah, from the last time I checked.¡± ¡°Going radio silent. I¡¯ll be watching from the skylight.¡± Well, at least now I had one less thing to worry about. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing Naomi was okay, then I walked into the closet, and fetched Carmen a spare blouse. But when I closed the closet door, I jumped, noticing she was standing right behind me. She snatched the blouse and huffed. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re nice, or I would have slapped you for touching me!¡± I flustered up. ¡°Sorry about that, I was panicking. Honestly, I should be apologizing twice. I used you as a diversion,¡± I admitted as humbly as I could. ¡°You were the closest to me at that time.¡± The fair redhead with freckles raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Let me guess? Trying to dodge Keiko?¡± ¡°Crap, was it that obvious?¡± ¡°No, but your acting could use a little work. And, I don¡¯t blame you. I¡¯ve been getting bad vibes from her all night.¡± So, it wasn¡¯t only me¡­. ¡°But, enough chit chat. I need to head back to the floor. I cleaned up that mess you made back there.¡± I smiled. ¡°I appreciate that, Carmen. Thank you.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lucky the puppy face is working for you. And the next time you get the idea of using me as a sorry sucker, please don¡¯t.¡± I gave her some privacy to change and then went back to the ballroom, where I noticed Keiko back on the stage again. She was closing the night with one final speech, but this time, she talked about herself and not her Youthful Kids organization. I stopped in my tracks to listen, interested despite what I thought about her. ¡°I¡¯m from a small town, having a far less-than-ideal childhood that made it difficult for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Adopted at a very young age, I had to learn how to accept the way things were. My parents weren¡¯t the best, but they were all I had. Their flaws were immense, while their love was scarce¡­. There was no room for me, and absolutely no space for any of my dreams and ambitions. From a very young age, I had to deal with realities that few my age could comprehend. I was often lonely, yearning for something more, something beyond the confines of our dreary, run-down house,¡± she continued. Her gaze wandered around the room before landing on me. For a moment it seemed as if she were looking right past me, to someone or someplace else. ¡°Among my siblings, I felt like an outcast. They didn¡¯t hide the fact that they saw me as a helpless mutt that needed to be put out of her misery. For so many years, I thought that there was something wrong with me, that maybe, I was to blame for my sad life. I couldn¡¯t understand how two people who took an oath to nourish and provide for me treat me this way? What was the reason for taking me in? To abuse me? To neglect me? The despair was too much to take. And then finally, a stroke of salvation. One day, a visitor came to our town, an odd old man with stories of far-off lands and incredible adventures. He¡¯d spin tales to small children with a voice low and soothing like a lullaby. Every day I¡¯d see this man sitting on the park bench while a huddle of kids listened to his stories, until one day, there was only one child¨Cme. My parents never knew I¡¯d walk 25 minutes to town to hear his tales, seeing as they hardly bothered with my existence. So I continued listening to those stories, and he encouraged me to tell him some of mine. Determined to help me, he provided me with a blanket of security. Words are powerful, and a lost girl like me needed to hear that she could be saved. I remember him telling me that I didn¡¯t have to suffer anymore. And for the first time in my life, I was hopeful. My friends of Youthful Kids, I went through some really dark times, where I began questioning my worth and importance in this world,¡± she continued. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears but her voice held strong. ¡°But one day, I decided to fight against it all. I decided to believe in myself because if I didn¡¯t... who would?¡± Her words dropped like a ton of weight over my shoulders. I sharpened my stare, not expecting such vulnerability from her. But this feeling that was growing from her felt like a bad omen. I didn¡¯t sympathize, instead, I got ready to jump in and fight¡­. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°I was lost, confused, and without a compass, I was drowning for every second of my life that dragged by. I never felt like I belonged, But I realized that it wasn¡¯t about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning how to dance in the rain. I hope to help children who need a second chance. To find that place of nourishment and love in difficult times. My goal is to turn darkness into light. If I was able to do it, they can too, with our help. I¡¯ve moved on and found recovery. I have my father to thank for supporting me, being the foundation that I needed in learning my true purpose in life!¡± she honored, gesturing her hand out to none other than Mr. Sushi Man himself. Father? But the file said that he didn¡¯t have any kids? It seemed that everyone in the hall was confused, the incoherent and slow clapping a hint of that. The look on their faces said that this revelation came to a surprise to them as well, which made me even more worried. Reina¡¯s new friend stood up when Keiko mentioned his name, and bowed down feeling awfully good about himself. ¡°We thank you for supporting the cause. Your generous contributions will help stop the trafficking of our children! But there is another way you could help. All of you have been specifically chosen to join our celebration, as there is something special within every one of you. Unique in different ways, your DNA is the key! Your blood will strengthen the blood of our youth!¡± The crowd looked at each other baffled. ¡°Your enthusiasm is much appreciated! And don¡¯t worry, we promise to make the extraction process as painless as possible.¡± ¡°Naomi¡­¡± I whispered under my breath, and before I could signal her, Keiko initiated her attack. ¡°Sacrifice is necessary. Together, we will reshape a better tomorrow¡­¡± I held my breath and jerked my head back to Katsuro who began hunching over, with the bones to his vertebrae popping out. He was growing and fast, his skin turning a sickly gray color as he underwent his monstrous transformation. The once pudgy man was now ripped from top to bottom, tearing through his fancy clothes and adopting a fish-like appearance. The veins along his bulging arms pulsed, the gills along his abs flapped, and the pupils in those huge fish eyes rolled to the back of his head, the white of them turning black. It was like a wreck, I couldn¡¯t look away, noticing that he wasn¡¯t the only one changing right before my eyes. Half of the gala was showing their true demonic faces. What we thought was one or two tables being infected with flesh eaters turned out to be over 10. All of the doors around the ballroom closed, the curtains covered, and the chandelier lights dimmed. It was a total shitshow! ¡°Matsumi¡­¡± Katsuro rumbled, snatching Reina from her waist and tossing her over his shoulder. ¡°Hey, you let go of me you smelly freak!¡± ¡°I decided not to kill you after all. Such a sweet and loving girl. I will make you mine¡­.¡± Reina gasped. ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡± ¡°Daddy, you always had terrible taste in women,¡± Keiko tittered, and then began a transformation of her own¡ªshe was a straight up octopus girl¡­ A multi-chain sushi restaurant owner being a fish monster, also didn¡¯t see that coming¡­ That beautiful bleach blond hair on Keiko¡¯s head started to sprout limbs, big, slimy, purple tentacle limbs. Her skin turned the same glossy shade of violet, and her eyes widened unnaturally large and glassy, taking on an otherworldly look. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Michael,¡± she said, her voice reverberating strangely in her transformed state. ¡°It¡¯s not all as bad as they want you to believe. I can protect you. Also, I can shape shift. If you don¡¯t like this body, I can adopt another. I told you, I can be your demi-girl. I can be anything you want¡­.¡± Strange tentacle girl with daddy issues hitting on me¡ªwhat was that special genre of media that Reina didn¡¯t know about again? Beside the purple skin and the extra limbs, she still looked relatively human. Even so, she wasn¡¯t my type. A girl that lured innocent people to their deaths was a huge turn off. The ballroom around me burst into mass hysteria as her victims tried to scramble themselves into corners, under tables, and under chairs. It looked like the daughter and father duo were the only ones who had the sea creature phenotype, the rest of their friends taking up other monstrous forms. Meanwhile, Katsuro was toying with Reina, his clawed fingers running threateningly along the back of her thigh. ¡°And you, pretty little thing,¡± he growled. ¡°You will become a perfect addition to our family.¡± ¡°Get your hands off me, you pervert!¡± I grinned. ¡°I gotta hand it to you freaks, you really had everyone fooled. That pitch you gave about leaving no kids behind, truly, a masterpiece,¡± I said, realizing her monsters were waiting for her to signal the attack. She frowned. ¡°You think I was lying? I am hurt, Michael. I meant every bit of what I said. I don¡¯t want all of those cute little faces to go through what I had to go through. I remember when I had no memory of my identity. I had washed up on the shoreline, my body battered and bruised up. Imagine a little girl, lost and confused. I was later rescued off the streets, put in a home of demons, and raised like an inconvenience to their lives. I¡¯d never experienced love, only fear, sorrow, and misery. Until I met the man in the park, Katsuro. He was understanding and compassionate. He was different, and he cared for me. Not only that, he was someone just like me¡­. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I was something stronger. He showed me how much power I had, and how much strength I possessed! I abandoned that weak, fragile child¡¯s body and took on a mature soul. I helped Katsuro build an empire, and he helped me fulfill my calling! Soon you¡¯ll see that children all over Utoro will become just as strong as me! They¡¯d never have to worry about cruelty, starvation, or abuse! They will become part of our¡ª¡± ¡°Fish family?¡± I jested. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t resist. Well, sorry to break it to ya, but there¡¯s no way in hell we¡¯re letting you poison people for your amusement. And to taint sushi of all things¡ªnow, that¡¯s just fucking low.¡± She glared at me as she smashed the altar to step down the elevation, looking at me sus. ¡°I never said anything about poisoned sushi¡­¡± ¡°How else were you going to get Compound 7 into their veins?¡± I summoned a flame ball in my right hand, squaring off to fight. ¡°Hunter!¡± she growled. Katsuro choked. ¡°I knew there was something fishy going on with you. I¡¯m glad I could still rely on my guts to steer me in the right direction.¡± ¡°Your guts are about to be smothered across the ballroom floor, you filthy hunter spy!¡± Naomi finally made a shattering entrance, breaking through the skylight box and into the chaos of the ballroom. Amid the screaming guests, she worked her magic, using her telekinetic ability to slice through the crowd of monsters one by one. She made it look so easy, the ivory-haired pro hunter resourceful and precise. Heads flew off and bodies dropped as the monster population sank in the blink of an eye. Her skill and accuracy never failed to impress me. I sprang into action, charging a flame burst straight for Keiko. I imagined a water type like her hated the heat, and I was right to assume that. She dodged my flame burst, having nothing to counter it with. At least, that was the impression she gave. When she used her elongated tentacle hair to leap out of the way, she immediately swung them at me. I had no time to move out of the way of her trajectory, getting wrangled like a gullible piece of ham. She slammed my back on the ground hard, making my wig slip off and my fake glasses break. ¡°And to think I had a thing for you!¡± she hissed. ¡°I¡¯d never date hunter scum!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Hey, no hard feelings! You aren¡¯t exactly my type, either.¡± ¡°Eat gravel, bastard!¡± She swung me around, making me think back to the time I took that frog monster for a spin. I wasn¡¯t planning on being her entertainment for long though, rotating my wrists to rope in more of her suckers around my arm. With enough grip, I began to heave before she could slam me on the floor again, Keiko not yet catching onto what I was about to do. Luckily she didn¡¯t stretch her extremities further, or my next move wouldn¡¯t have worked. With a firm grip and a strong tug, I used the momentum around me and snapped two tentacles off her noggin, and then broke the ones around my ankles on the inside with my fists. She flailed, the pain distracting her from my right hook shot across her face. I sent her flying into the north wall, before I went to one of the chairs and broke its leg off. ¡°You despicable hunters!¡± Katsuro growled. ¡°I¡¯m going to snap off every last one of your¡ªgah!¡± he cried, Katsuro¡¯s throat bulging along his Adam¡¯s Apple. There was something sharp and silver glistening under the dim chandelier light, and when Reina leaped off from his shoulder, I realized she¡¯d stabbed him from the back of his neck. Her feet landed on the floor, Reina assuming a fighter¡¯s stance. ¡°I got everything I needed from you!¡± Reina hissed. ¡°For every ounce of tolerance you squeezed out from me, I will make you pay in gallons of blood!¡± Katsuro stared at her utterly betrayed, the man unable to budge a muscle as he witnessed Reina forge a weapon in the palm of her hand. ¡°N-n-no¡­ not you too¡­ my¡­ my Matsumi¡­¡± ¡°My name is not Matsumi!¡± she retorted, fashioning a long blade between her hands. ¡°It¡¯s Reina, and don¡¯t you forget it!¡± Katsuro pulled the blade from his neck, those fish eyes eating away at Reina¡¯s soul. He was so pissed he couldn¡¯t form words, merely growling at Reina. After a few moments, he exploded with a deep roar, ¡°TO HELL WITH HUNTER CORP!¡± A decapitation was in Keiko¡¯s near future, and the same could be said for the big fish man. But suddenly, I noticed that my vision began to dance, before I felt something trickling down the corner of my lips. I drew my finger over my chin, and when I peeled it back, I saw black ink¡­ ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve seen you¡¯ve taken my juices inside of your mouth? Naughty boy¡­¡± Keiko snickered. ¡°Have fun scraping up your brain from the floor, Airplane Angel.¡± B1.CH28: Let The Rage Burn
¡°I know who you really are, now,¡± she sang, the sound of her heels clacking my way making me pick my head up again. ¡°Nero, you must be a year one hunter. I¡¯d only heard your name around these parts as of late. And you didn¡¯t come alone. No, you decided to stroll into my affairs with the rest of your team, determined to crash my little soiree. Sorry, but your names weren¡¯t on my guest list. I¡¯d love nothing more than to properly dispose of you and your friends, so Daddy and I can finish our business here.¡± I heard a piece of glass slide off the floor and attack her, no doubt Naomi using her powers to slice her head off. When she decapitated the flesh eater, I wanted to breathe out a sigh of relief, but something felt off. I squinted my eyes and carefully walked closer to Keiko, my body instantly growing numb at the sight of Naomi¡¯s head twitching against a tossed chair. I backed away, nearly tripping on my feet as my legs went weak, my heart burning ripples through my chest. ¡°N-n-aomi?¡± ¡°Oops!¡± I heard Keiko¡¯s voice from the left of me. When I turned around expecting to see Keiko, I saw Naomi¡­. ¡°What was¡­ going on?¡± ¡°Such a shame, that friend of yours¡­. But she was playing cheap, and I just had to get rid of her. Don¡¯t worry though, her corpse will be put to good use.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ understand¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to. I¡¯m a top grade predator, and I don¡¯t hold back. I used your friend¡¯s ability against her, and now she¡¯s dead. All of that happy beheading¡­ I¡¯d say that¡¯s karma justly served. She killed my friends, so I killed her.¡± My mind was so clutter-fucked that I couldn¡¯t think straight. I just couldn¡¯t process Naomi being dead. I swear, my whole body went on shut down mode as my vision began to stir. The world around me was spinning like a vortex on steroids with my ears filled with a high-pitched ringing. I grabbed my head, sinking to my knees as I fought the emotional turmoil tearing me apart. ¡°Poor baby,¡± Keiko cooed mockingly. ¡°Life¡¯s not a playground and karma certainly isn¡¯t a schoolteacher who¡¯ll pat your back and fluff you with words of endearment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay¡­¡± I growled, my body heaving hard deep breaths. ¡°You hear me¡­ I will¡ª¡± I stopped, feeling a fire seeping through me itching to escape. I remembered the last time I lost control that I set everything around me ablaze. I had to remember that Reina was still here, and so were the innocent lives that Naomi saved. It was hard¡­ so fucking hard¡­ applying my training with Hayashi here and now¡­ with her dead eyes staring back at me¡­. Naomi promised to bring me to the top, and I couldn¡¯t give her the courtesy of being a decent teammate! I grinned. I couldn¡¯t keep the madness inside anymore. The tips of my fingers pressed against my skull as I felt something crawl into me, forming words from my smirking lips, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ let that wrath consume you¡­ burn everything to the ground¡­. It¡¯s not as bad as you think it¡¯ll be. Trust the process¡­.¡± I¡¯d lost touch with reality just then as it felt like something was dominating my body inside and out. I fought hard to disengage it, but it laughed and laughed, this power changing me. My throat felt raw, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I clenched my fists into the floor, feeling my chest about ready to burst. I snapped my eyes shut and tried to drown the noise in my head, and just as fast, I¡¯d forgotten where I was¡­. ¡°Nero, are you alri¡ª¡± I swatted her hand away, Keiko taking a step back as I glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you touch me!¡± I growled. ¡°You kill her and then use her body to taunt me?!¡± My vision swayed again, Keiko¡¯s poison ink still working through my blood. I got up on my feet and fought it, the glare in my eyes keeping her away as she stood there and stared at me. ¡°You and your half ass excuse of a father are dead!¡± ¡°Nero, snap out of it! You¡¯re under an illusion! I¡¯m not Keiko!¡± ¡°Quit messing with me!¡± I roared, charging right for her. ¡°Nero!¡± she yelled out again, terrified. But her cries were drowned by the rage-fueled madness bubbling inside of me. I had to keep telling myself that this was all a trick. A top grade monster would stop at nothing for the kill, and she¡¯d already shown me what she was capable of. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. In a blur of movement, I lunged at Keiko. She tried to sidestep my attack but she wasn¡¯t quick enough. My body collided with hers, and we crashed into the wall with a dull thud. The force rattled her, my attack stirring up more dust and debris before we dropped down. When her back collapsed on the floor, I cocked my fist back to wallop her, but she flung me off. I went flying into the ceiling, my back smashing into a crystal chandelier before I was tossed through the balcony window. With quick thinking, I grabbed onto the balcony railing and climbed my way back up. I blinked once, and then I felt something tickling the back of my eyes. When I pressed them shut again, I saw a bunch of signatures in patterns of greens, oranges, and reds. Thermal imaging? I got another meta ability¡­. Perfect timing, I thought, able to see that bitch Keiko running through the hole I blast her through as she tried to sneak into another room. ¡°You¡¯re not escaping, I promise you that! Not after what you did to Naomi!¡± I growled under my breath before jumping onto the other balcony to my right. With my elbow, I bashed the window glass and invited myself into a dark room within the mansion. I paced my breathing and allowed my body to adapt to my thermal vision. The moonlight outside gave way to a bunch of shadows of furniture along the room that I realized was a parlor. A bunch of fancy couches and chaises, a mini bar, a grand piano, bookshelves and a huge fireplace. Nothing else stuck out, and I realized the time I took to get in here made me lose her. I thought that anywhere Keiko might hide, I would find her, but the blur of hot red I¡¯d seen before was now gone. ¡°Where the hell are you hiding, you cold-hearted bitch?¡± My eyes roamed, until I heard a noise over my head. When I looked up, I noticed the same sliver of red thermal energy escaping inside an air vent. It was a smart hiding place, but she was no church mouse. I climbed the fireplace to reach the ventilation shaft. Holding onto the edge of the stone overmantle, I leaned over and tore the grate, suddenly feeling push back as the grate was swallowed in dark purple energy. Immediately, I released the grate, but Keiko caught me with a smack against my face. The grate kept whaling on me until my feet dropped to the floor, and that was when she surrendered the grate for a stronger weapon¡ªthe grand piano. The stupid thing caught me off guard, rolling toward me before I had a chance to resist it. It shoved me, the pressure from the heavy instrument crashing me into the wall. Once I was pinned, Keiko leaped onto the floor, her cold stare locked on me. ¡°Your cheap tricks aren¡¯t going to work!¡± I hissed at her. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to listen to you! The only shit that comes out of your mouth are lies!¡± She froze, like I¡¯d said something that personally offended her. Whatever I said made her lose concentration of her powers, the pressure from the piano weakening. Just like that, I tore through the piano and tackled her again, refusing to use my flames. No, Keiko was a special case. I wanted her to feel what it¡¯s like getting her cranium severed out of her fucking body! Tables, books and shelves, bottles of wine¡ªall of them bounced against the arm I was holding that was blocking my head as I rushed her down. She was running out of options and quick, the last of the heavy piece of furniture she tried to attack me with backfiring on her. My feet leaped off the ground when I slammed into her, the both of us landing on a chaise. The force of our landing tipped it over, Keiko grabbing me by the throat to scare me off. I gave her the same treatment. She winced, the look of fear in her eyes making me hesitate. But I had to remain firm in my resolve. This wasn¡¯t my Naomi. ¡°You monsters are truly something else. I had a feeling that you were bad news, but to be so full of yourself thinking that you¡¯re actually making a difference out there by poisoning kids. I didn¡¯t believe a word that came out of your sick mouth! You think that mutating them will do them good? Compound 7 is a disease! And messing with it will only motivate those other worthless shits to do the same!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Nero¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I shouted. ¡°Get out of her skin, or I¡¯ll snap your head off so quick that you won¡¯t get a chance to pull another one over on me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Keiko,¡± she begged. ¡°You¡¯re letting your emotions take over. You need to learn to control them. I¡¯m not dead. Why is that so hard to believe? Think about the events that led up to that scene. A monster can shapeshift into someone else, but they can¡¯t mimic our powers,¡± she said calmly. ¡°So ask yourself, are you really going to sit here and let this anger inside you make you kill me?¡± ¡°No more games!¡± I cried, trying to suppress the burning tears trying to flood my eyes. ¡°You shut up and get out of her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­. not listening to me again,¡± she said, and then loosened her grip around my throat. ¡°We have memories, Nero. For months, I¡¯ve knocked into you, trying to pretend you don¡¯t exist. In Acadia, the place you swore you¡¯d escape as soon as you got the chance to. I hear you talking to Chen, I know how much you hate being there¡­.¡± I paused, actually considering her words. ¡°Again, I¡¯m still alive, right here underneath you. Keiko tricked you into thinking I was gone, and you know what? She isn¡¯t dead, either. She¡¯s in the other room right now laughing her ass off thinking she¡¯s made you kill me. The black ink that went in your mouth is making you see and hear things. Don¡¯t be a chump and fall for it.¡± My face dropped as she continued to open my mind up. ¡°But, my mental barrier¡­ how could¡ª¡± ¡°We don¡¯t see a monster¡¯s skills, remember? She could very well have a blocker. She isn¡¯t a grade A for no reason.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking¡­. It¡¯s harder to accept knowing that you hurt me than to accept what I say is true. But it''ll be harder to accept knowing that you killed me, Nero.¡± My fingers released her neck, and I leaned back, disengaging my thermal vision to see Naomi for who she really was. ¡°Naomi?¡± My voice shook, and I took a hard breath after I realized what I was doing. ¡°Naomi, I¡¯m so sorry, I¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± she whispered softly, and then her voice went stern, ¡°Just get off of me and let¡¯s take care of Keiko and our target.¡± B1.CH29: Taking Another L
I felt terrible. Luckily, Naomi was understanding. It was a good thing she got to me when she did, because I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with myself knowing I¡¯d killed her. I helped her get back up on her feet, my eyes softening on her. Feeling embarrassed from getting caught off guard like that was unavoidable, but Naomi tried to make me feel better about it with her sarcastic remarks. The thought of a dirty comeback for her choking comment crossed my mind, but I kept my mouth shut. It was too soon, and frankly, really something Gun would say. When we headed back to the ballroom, I heard the sound of Reina cheering. I let out a sigh of relief, and I dashed inside the messy hall to see Reina standing there right next to Hayashi. She was jumping up and down like she¡¯d score a win, the girl basking in the spotlight. ¡°I beat the nasty fish man!¡± she tweeted, and then I immediately turned to the decapitated fish man slumped over a slanted round table. ¡°No way,¡± Naomi said, her face as firm as stone, her eyes huge. ¡°You actually did some honest hunter work?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be congratulating,¡± Hayashi said. ¡°Your mission is incomplete. You let Keiko walk away.¡± ¡°Keiko escaped?!¡± I cried. ¡°Well, what did you expect? While you two took your dance to another room, she fled.¡± ¡°Upon seeing you, I am sure,¡± Naomi said to Hayashi before turning back to Reina. ¡°Because I doubt the sight of the fox girl over there would get her panties soaked with piss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an awfully crass thing for you to say!¡± Reina retorted, and then she shrugged. ¡°But at least I dealt with my target.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± one of the survivors bawled, crawling up to Hayashi and Reina on his hands and knees. ¡°You saved us! Bless your hearts!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re heroes!¡± ¡°Please, sign my shin!¡± More of them came up to all four of us, thankful that we¡¯d gotten rid of the monsters. In no time, sensei called in local enforcement and medics to come assess them. Soon after the Extraction Team came. We made our report, and then left for the dojo. This would mark my first portal ride anywhere, Hayashi taking us back home in style. Inside the meeting room we went, where we were debriefed. Reina did all the talking, which I was sure she enjoyed, feeling quite proud of herself. And she had every right to be. Reina redeemed herself tonight, having not only gotten the intel we were looking for, but also helping in killing the bastard. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°So tell me, should I give the three of you a passing grade?¡± I looked around the table before I turned back to our mentor again, then asked, ¡°Are you asking us to evaluate ourselves, sensei?¡± There was a brief silence in the air until Reina broke it first. Her chest puffed out, her shoulders squared, she met Hayashi¡¯s gaze with determination. ¡°I think we deserve an ''A''. The mission was a success!¡± ¡°Was it?¡± ¡°At least a ''C'', sensei,¡± I said. ¡°¡®B¡¯, if you want to be generous. We got the job done but there¡¯s clearly room for improvement.¡± ¡°Right, Keiko got away.¡± ¡°Keiko wasn¡¯t our concern,¡± Naomi commented, her stern gaze on our mentor as she sat there with her arms and legs crossed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten our objective, as it stated in the folder you gave us. We were to terminate Katsuro and his associates. Keiko wasn¡¯t one of his associates.¡± ¡°Then what was she?¡± ¡°Someone sucking on his teat, profiting from his scheme. He was her daddy.¡± ¡°A regular daddy, not a sugar daddy,¡± I clarified. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. She is in fact associated with him.¡± ¡°Then you should have mentioned it in the file,¡± Naomi struck back. ¡°As much as I hate to say it, I¡¯m with Naomi on this one,¡± Reina co-signed. ¡°We were thrown off guard by her involvement in the matter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of being a hunter, being able to adapt as the situation changes. So quit using it as an excuse. You were to neutralize his associates, every last one of them. Now, we don¡¯t know where Keiko is.¡± ¡°But once we tear down his operation, we will,¡± Naomi added. ¡°No. Another team is going to use the intel you provided to finish his operation off.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Naomi countered. ¡°We started the job, so we ought to finish it. Unless that¡¯s your way of saying that you don¡¯t trust us?¡± ¡°Take it however you want. You were supposed to do the initial leg work. I never planned on reintroducing you to Katsuro¡¯s operation.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the verdict here?¡± I asked anxiously. ¡°Did we pass or fail?¡± ¡°The three of you failed.¡± My breath hitched. ¡°Think of this as a learning opportunity to better work as a team.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Reina hissed, slamming her hand on the table and jumping right up. ¡°I didn¡¯t get groped by that slimy fish demon for nothing! I gave it my all out there!¡± ¡°And you will continue with your efforts, but that wasn¡¯t your all. What I saw out there was potential to be better.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it! We did the best we could given the circumstances! Nero was trying to murder Naomi!¡± My chest sank at Reina¡¯s words. ¡°Both of them were preoccupied, and I was left alone to fight two elite monsters! I was lucky Keiko preferred to watch me fight her father one on one, but she only insisted because she thought he¡¯d kill me! Not to mention I sliced the flesh off his thumb and stole his phone like you told me to!¡± ¡°And if he hadn¡¯t held back his punches in the beginning, you would have been dead. You knew that, and yet, you felt like you had something to prove by being offensive rather than defensive.¡± ¡°Something to prove? I stayed because I had to fight to protect those people!¡± she cried, sensei giving her a short smirk. ¡°Look at that, improvement. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, don¡¯t take this as a loss. Part of that mission was a success. That being said, focus on what you could have done better. The three of you are dismissed.¡± B1.CH30: Motivated Three failed missions¡­. This was unreal. I didn¡¯t know how many chances we had left, but the thought of not making it scared me down to the bone. As much as I wanted to keep a positive attitude about this, I was beginning to seriously worry. All of the hype I had before was losing steam, and the more we went on these missions and failed, the darker my future was looking. It didn¡¯t matter the trials and tribulations. I was ready to tackle them all. All I asked for was a chance, an opportunity to show them what I got. But if what I had was laughable, then what was the point of even trying? I felt helpless and confused. A moment of letting go crossed my mind, and it made me angry as hell. It would be easier to just let go, to just stop fighting it. But there was a stubborn streak in me that refused to give up. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± I murmured to myself as I stopped pacing back and forth in my bedroom and took a seat at the foot of my futon. It had been an hour after debrief, and I still couldn¡¯t get the stench of losing off of my skin. Even so, I needed to firm up and keep it moving. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving up.¡± That was fear and intimidation trying to freak me out, trying to shake me. But my spirit was stronger than that. My spirit was unbreakable. ¡°Failure is never an option¡­.¡± ¡°Do you usually lock yourself in your room and give yourself cheesy doses of pep talk?¡± Naomi said, my head turning around to see her standing by the door behind me. She was still in her spy outfit, dressed in all black, while I had comfortable house clothes on¡ªa pair of sweats and a simple t-shirt. I¡¯d gotten the bedroom for myself for a while, so I suspected she was here to wash up and change. ¡°Oh hey, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± she said sarcastically. I chuckled. ¡°Oh right, the shinobi girl. You did really good, Naomi. I forgot to congratulate you.¡± ¡°On doing my job? That¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was hogging the room for so long. Guess I lost track of time. You can spruce up now and¡ª¡± ¡°No, I actually came here to talk to you.¡± ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡± There was an odd silence between us, before Naomi finally said, ¡°How¡­ are you¡­ feeling?¡± I laughed. ¡°Okay, try that again, but this time, try looking a lot less painful.¡± She was being a bit reclusive, a simple question like that difficult for a girl who swore her heart was as cold as ice. ¡°I don¡¯t bite, Naomi,¡± I said, patting a seat right next to me. She took it, curling her knees against her chest as she tried to find the right words to say. ¡°I told you that I¡¯m not really good at this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not bummed about it anymore. I just had a moment of weakness.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be worried, honestly. It doesn¡¯t matter if Kenji is going to send the other team to finish the job.¡± ¡°What? Did he say that was what he was planning to do?¡± ¡°Not to me. I eavesdropped on a conversation between Gun and Kenji down in the hallway.¡± ¡°Not gonna lie, I¡¯m feeling a little betrayed.¡± ¡°Mention of a follow up objective was never implied in the beginning at our briefing. Kenji didn¡¯t plan on us following up with it at all.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s one way to look at it.¡± ¡°Sharing the responsibility would be easier. And to be fair, I didn¡¯t want to follow up on it anyway.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wanted to stay here tonight¡­¡± she said. ¡°Where things are simpler¡­.¡± I snorted. ¡°I get it. We need a break every once in a while. But to be honest, I¡¯m still pumped up. My adrenaline is shot, and I want a rematch with Keiko.¡± ¡°What was she saying to you earlier? Before you bumped into that girl?¡± I flustered and laughed sheepishly. ¡°Nothing I want to relive, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think Kenji is failing us to demotivate our futures in the Corp,¡± she said, turning to me. ¡°I think he is failing us so we push ourselves harder next time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some tough love, and I have tough skin, but that strat won¡¯t work on everyone. I think Reina is taking it personally.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s a spoiled brat, so she takes everything personally.¡± I nodded. ¡°Fair. I still can¡¯t believe what she added in the report, though. She might be a spoiled brat, but she is a good manipulator.¡± Naomi shrugged, unimpressed. ¡°Comes with the territory. She¡¯s used to feeding guys what they want to hear, and deep down, Katsuro was a big softy. A real hopeless romantic. She noticed that and used it to her advantage. Once she got close enough, she sliced him. With Hayashi¡¯s help, of course.¡± ¡°Hell, it was a good thing Hayashi stepped in when he did.¡± ¡°Keiko was stupid for using Reina for entertainment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s shadow walker arrogance right there.¡± ¡°A universal flesh eater weakness. Works wonders for hunters.¡± She turned to me again and complimented, ¡°You are getting stronger, Nero.¡± ¡°Cut it out, you¡¯re going to make me blush!¡± I joked. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re getting more comfortable with your powers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to be with monsters like Keiko having perks that could cancel out my immunity.¡± ¡°The bypass in this case was unexpected, just like when the spider woman canceled my ability to telekinetically toss her around. And she was a grade B walker. It happens to all of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about using more fame points to boost my stats but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting pretty low on cash.¡± ¡°Never seemed to bother you before.¡± I snorted. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll figure something out. Gonna have to cheap out on dinner or something to push me through the week until we get paid.¡± I turned to her. ¡°I noticed you eating light already.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been paying attention to what I¡¯ve been putting in my mouth?¡± I choked. ¡°God, Naomi, why do you have to make things sound so dirty?¡± ¡°Or maybe, it¡¯s just you who has a dirty mind¡­.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Wow, is Naomi actually messing with me?¡± I smirked. ¡°Glad to see you opening up to a fellow comrade. Didn¡¯t hurt now, did it?¡± ¡°You¡­ make it easy¡­¡± she admitted, her wholesome comment making my heart swell up. But then that happy expression on her face changed when she asked me, ¡°So, you really don¡¯t remember?¡± My face sank at the thought of hurting her back there. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to forget¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about you fighting me,¡± she said, walking up to me. ¡°I¡¯m talking about that voice you made¡­.¡± I looked at her confused. ¡°What voice I made?¡± ¡°Oh yes, that voice!¡± Reina said from behind us, giggling behind her fanned out hand in the hallway just outside the open doorway. ¡°Oh my, that was a spectacle to say the least. I thought Nero tossing you around was scary enough, but that deep, raspy voice¡­ something straight from hell. It gave me the chills!¡± ¡°This is a private discussion!¡± Naomi snapped. ¡°Oh? I could have sworn I was part of the team as well!¡± ¡°Did you see an invitation at the door? No? So beat it!¡± Naomi hissed, her powers slamming the door shut ¡°Why I never!¡± Reina cried from behind the door. ¡°Then it¡¯s high time you start,¡± Naomi barked back. ¡°Quit eavesdropping!¡± Reina stormed off with a huff, and I turned to Naomi baffled. She rarely lost her temper, well, besides that time she ripped that frog monster to bits, and tried to terminate Reina with a head of stone, and there was that other time when¡ªokay, let me rephrase that¡­ ¡°You good, Naomi?¡± I said softly, trying to calm her down. I noticed she gets uncomfortable whenever she loses her cool, so I tried to play it off like the outburst didn¡¯t happen. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what the heck you two are talking about. Care to fill me in?¡± ¡°No,¡± she sighed. ¡°But, big mouth over there is going to tell you anyway, so you¡¯ll know regardless. When you thought I was dead¡­ the sound that came out of you¡­ wasn¡¯t your usual tone of voice.¡± My eyes grew. ¡°Whoa, did I really sound like a spawn from hell?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not evil!¡± she cried. ¡°It was just¡­ different¡­.¡± I chuckled. ¡°You know, you look cuter when you get all defensive for me like that.¡± She heated up, turning her head away to hide her blush. ¡°Hey, if it¡¯s nothing to worry about, then, I¡¯m not worrying about it. Like you said, I thought you were gone. I was about to lose control, but I didn¡¯t. Maybe that was part of the process of taming my powers¡­¡± I said, scratching my chin at the thought. And then I turned back to Naomi with a smile. ¡°Speaking of, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright, and I¡¯m sorry for¡ª¡± I choked, Naomi tackling me with a strong hug. ¡°Quit apologizing, would you?¡± she whispered in my ear, her hold on me getting tighter. I held her back, letting her head fall against my neck. It was a few seconds of bonding time, and that was all I was going to get before she changed up and threatened me, ¡°Tell anyone we hugged, and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never walk a day in your life again.¡± And just like that, she got up and left, leaving me utterly confused and, shamefully, a little turned on. B1.CH31: Fishing
Last night came and went. A bit later after I gave Naomi some privacy to tidy up, I knocked out early in anticipation for an early day. Skip dinner, make room for breakfast. For the first time, I woke up to Naomi sleeping in her bed. I did my best not to wake her up, the ivory ninja girl looking super innocent when she was snoozing. You¡¯d never know that she was a certified monster killing machine, slicing meat off like a skilled butcher. Once I ran my morning routine, I took my things and headed to the river. During my short walk, I decided to make a call to my family. They told me time and time again that it didn¡¯t matter what hour of the day it was when I called. They were happy to hear from me, especially So, who mentioned it every two minutes we spoke. I miss you dearly, she¡¯d say as if we were in the 1700¡¯s. It was easy to joke around about me not being there, but I could tell deep down that she was hurting from us being so far apart from each other. We were inseparable, like twins. Despite our busy lives, we always made time to either eat a meal together, or play some games together. Her niche was fighting games, while mine was fps. Absolutely sucked at it. And Sophie was a sore loser, so whenever I¡¯d mop the floor with her, the next few days turned into a prank pen. I¡¯d never forget the day she sprayed whipped cream on my hand and tickled my nose when I was sleeping. And they said that I needed to grow up. I loved her and her silly little pranks regardless. ¡°Now who am I gonna play Street Fighter with on the weekends?¡± Sophie said at the other end of our video call. ¡°My Juri misses having your Luke as a punching bag.¡± ¡°I was getting tired of those feet kicking me around, anyway,¡± I teased. She giggled. ¡°Thanks for calling us every day. I appreciate that. Hurry up and make us some money so I can come over there and spoil you rotten with my cooking, okay? I¡¯ve heard your horror stories¡­.¡± I laughed. ¡°I would kill for your home cooking right now. You have no idea.¡± She smiled wholesomely. ¡°All jokes aside, I really do miss you, Nero¡­.¡± ¡°I do too, Sophie. I¡¯ll talk to you again soon, all right?¡± Just as I ended the call, I heard splashing. It was coming from the direction I was headed, and when I turned the corner between a pair of twin trees, I saw where the source was coming from. If I didn¡¯t see it for myself, I wouldn¡¯t have thought it were true. There Reina was, trying another daring feat¡ªfishing. Or at least that¡¯s what I thought she was doing as she slapped her hand in the water like a cat teasing a goldfish. She knelt along the bank and had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, too. I felt that she might have been a tad overdressed for the affair, wearing a plaid red and white skirt and a white blouse. Well, at least she knew enough to have her hair up. ¡°Reina, what are you doing?¡± I called across to her, a smile pulling at the corners of my lips. I tried not to laugh when she perked up like a startled rabbit, almost falling into the water before catching herself at the last moment. ¡°You think it¡¯s funny sneaking up on people like that?!¡± she hissed, her cheeks flush with exertion and embarrassment. ¡°I am trying to fish, what does it look like?¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re assaulting aquatic life,¡± I joked, walking over to stand beside her. The water was cool and clear, it was easy to see the small fish darting around beneath the surface. ¡°We had the same idea, didn¡¯t we? But you came unprepared.¡± ¡°My apologies for not prepacking a fish net!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t either, but I got some stuff in Hayashi¡¯s storage house.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised he allowed you to use his equipment.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I never said I asked. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be putting it right back.¡± She turned her head back to the river and sighed. ¡°Oh, good for you. I just couldn¡¯t take another sickening day of starvation! Eating scrappy food and being expected to perform. It¡¯s insanity at its finest! So I took this beautiful morning to go out here and find something to eat. I looked up to the light filtered through the trees overhead, and enjoyed the breeze strolling through. ¡°Yeah, it is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± I turned my eyes back down to suggest a technique, until I noticed fresh gauze and a dab of blood around Reina¡¯s thigh. My body had a strange reaction to the sight, my heart racing for two seconds, and my senses elevated. The feeling came and went, and I shook it off just as fast to ask her, ¡°You got hurt last night?¡± ¡°I did in our last mission. What concern is that of yours?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t part of your report¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want our devoted mentor docking points for it,¡± she said as she swatted her hand out of the water. ¡°But seeing as he failed us anyway, it doesn¡¯t really matter now, does it?¡± ¡°Katsuro didn¡¯t kiss you, did he?¡± She choked. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± ¡°Okay, good. That poisonous kiss side effect sounded pretty fucking horrible.¡± She smirked. ¡°Interesting how you¡¯re all of a sudden worried about my wellbeing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been worried about your wellbeing.¡± ¡°Have you, now?¡± she sang, taking to her feet and giving me a haughty mischievous look. ¡°Admit it, Nero. You didn¡¯t think I had what it took to kill that monster all by myself, did you?¡± I snorted. ¡°To be honest with you, no, I didn¡¯t. And since I didn¡¯t, I shouldn¡¯t have left you out there alone to fend for yourself. And for that, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯ll take your apology, if you admit that I¡¯m not as weak as you say I am.¡± I smirked. ¡°Since when did you care about what I think?¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t see the way you and that devil woman look at me? Like I¡¯m some type of helpless damsel in distress?¡± she huffed, her eyes set ablaze. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not. I can hold my own! And I proved it to you both! Two eye witnesses cannot deny me my glory!¡± I sighed, running a hand through my hair. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t see anything, and neither did Naomi. But, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re stronger than I give you credit for, and you proved it last night. But your strength doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t worry about you.¡± She looked away from me, her gaze dropping to the crystalline pool at our feet. ¡°Why?¡± she asked quietly after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why do you worry about me? It¡¯s not your problem, Nero.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re my squad mate. Of course it¡¯s my job.¡± She turned her head back to me timidly, before I knelt down on one knee and asked her, ¡°Can I?¡± She blushed, wincing as she leaned back. ¡°Exactly what are you asking me permission for?!¡± I laughed. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m better off marrying a seagull. I¡¯m not asking you for your hand. I¡¯m asking to see the wound on your thigh.¡± She hesitated for a few seconds, probably questioning my authenticity. And then, she stuck her leg out a few inches, the moment I touched her giving her goosebumps. ¡°I said you can check it, not caress it!¡± she retorted, the girl fighting off the red from her face. I grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not down here to fulfill your fantasies, Reina,¡± I teased. ¡°You keep talking like that, and you¡¯ll find my foot wedged in your big mouth!¡± ¡°Hey, have you redressed it since the fight?¡± I asked her, inspecting the dry blood on the gauze. ¡°You need to remember to keep it clean. I¡¯m guessing you disinfected it already. Here,¡± I said, taking off the gauze and rewrapping it around her with the dry blood facing away from the cut. ¡°It¡¯s only a few inches long, not too deep. This is a temporary fix until you get something fresh over it.¡± ¡°Thank you for your sympathy,¡± she said sarcastically. I took a seat and prepared my fishing station, Reina staring at me the entire time. The look on her skeptical face twisted, Reina probably thinking that just like her, I didn¡¯t know what I was doing. She took a seat next to me and asked, ¡°So you really know how to fish?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do, actually!¡± ¡°But¡­ you live in the city,¡± Reina said with a suspicious squint in her eyes. ¡°Since when did you have the opportunity to learn how to fish?¡± ¡°My mom taught me how to.¡± ¡°Your mother? Fishing is a manly sport.¡± ¡°What? Since when?¡± ¡°Since forever.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Reina, women can fish, too. And women can hunt¡­ and shoot a rifle, and hike. Hell, they could even hot wire a car if they have to.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re not referring to your mother doing all of those things?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, my mom¡¯s a badass.¡± ¡°Well, how about your father?¡± My smile flat lined. ¡°I don¡¯t really have one. Honestly, I just had my mom. And she was all I really needed, so it wasn¡¯t like I was missing out or anything. She taught me fishing back when things were decent, I guess. I was maybe 5 or 6. Heh, fishing became my hobby. I¡¯m telling you, I was hooked. No pun intended.¡± She smiled. ¡°We¡¯d go camping three, maybe four times a year to escape the city. It was dangerous, you know, with the walkers and their territories and all. But we managed, having only one incident. Thankfully with my mom¡¯s quick thinking, we slipped them.¡± ¡°Wow, that mother of yours sounds like a brave and strong woman¡­.¡± ¡°She is. She¡¯s so strong that I don¡¯t think she knows exactly how strong she is¡­. The sacrifices she¡¯d made for me. I could never repay her. Honestly, she¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I do love helping people. It¡¯s in my blood to never turn down a cry for help. But more important than that is my mom.¡± Reina softened her eyes on me. ¡°I wish I felt that way about mine. A stronger bond with her was something I always felt was unachievable. She was more concerned with how I looked and conducted myself. I was the image of the Faust Empire, so she says. My brother and I felt that she was more of a nagging nanny than a true nurturing soul but¡­ she¡¯s always been that way. Maybe that was how she showed us that she cared¡­ in her own special way.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound much like a caring mother at all if she¡¯s detached from her kids.¡± ¡°She means well. I understand that she¡¯s going through a lot of pressure. It¡¯s not easy being in my father¡¯s shadow all the time.¡± She turned to smile at me. ¡°But, your mom seems like a kind soul.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her kindness fool you, though. She takes shit from no one.¡± She closed her eyes and tilted her chin up smugly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one thing you didn¡¯t get from her.¡± I snickered. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You never talked back to that scoundrel Kenji for failing us! And I know deep down, Nero, you know we did good. Especially in our last mission!¡± I snickered. ¡°Reina, you¡¯re still on that?¡± ¡°It is very important that we pass, is it not?¡± ¡°Right, but it¡¯s not my job to talk back to my mentor.¡± ¡°It is your job to defend your team.¡± ¡°By going against his observations? Where exactly would that leave us? Other than being on his bad side? And since we are on the topic, you need to quit picking fights with him. You¡¯ve been trained in respecting your elders, I¡¯m sure.¡± She gasped. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take my comment as an insult, Reina. I¡¯m not trying to grill you here. I¡¯m just giving you pointers on how you should behave around Hayashi. He¡¯s our mentor, after all. Not some punk on the street.¡± I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not helping your case when you¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Reina glared at me, getting up on her feet. ¡°How dare you! I don¡¯t have to take that man¡¯s nonsense! I¡¯m perfectly capable of handling that old coot myself!¡± ¡°Reina,¡± I said, holding up my hand placatingly. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just trying to help you.¡± ¡°Evidently, I don¡¯t need your help. Especially not from someone who doesn¡¯t have the backbone to stand up for his own team,¡± she said coldly. ¡°You know, something tells me that you¡¯re doing all of this for more than what you want the rest of us to believe,¡± I started. ¡°Because the Reina I know wouldn¡¯t push herself this far to prove to her father that she could handle a little roughness. When you saw that body in the trash, you were seriously considering backing out, but you decided not to. You said that¡­ we wouldn¡¯t understand why you stayed. Like I said, you¡¯re not the type to care about what others think of you, Reina. And you care even less about proving you¡¯re strong. You were always daddy¡¯s little girl. Mr. Faust doesn¡¯t seem like the type who¡¯d¡ª¡± ¡°Are you done¡­ speculating? Hmm?¡± she said, turning her back toward me as if she were trying to hide something. ¡°I¡¯d really like it Nero¡­ if you¡¯d stop talking about him right now¡­.¡± I paused, then thought real hard about her words. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I said, understandingly, sensing something was off. It seemed like her dad was a hot button topic, and even though I wanted to know why, I respected it. ¡°But I want you to know, Reina, despite our differences and whatever, that I¡¯m here for you. You can talk to me about anything.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± She was still for a while, Reina clearly bothered by what I said. Along the corner of my eye, I noticed that the line to my fishing rod began to shift, my bait catching something. I turned back around and reeled it in, the rod bent under the weight of whatever hooked it. Judging by the heft, it was something big. So I got up on my feet, my heel gliding on some mud. Accidently, my fingers slipped, making me release the rod. But I wasn¡¯t going to let my catch off like that! ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± I jumped right in after it, Reina calling after me as soon as I went for a dive. In the water, the huge fish was giving me the work, thrashing and buckling as I fought to get a tight grip on it. The more air I gave it above the surface, the more tired it got. Until all of that fight in him tapered away, and I managed to climb us both along the bank. ¡°You must be the craziest person I know!¡± Reina cried. ¡°Have you no fear for your own life?!¡± ¡°Hey, Reina, want to learn how to prep this catch with me?¡± I asked her, Reina giggling at my childish smile. ¡°You¡¯re a total goofball, you know that?¡± B1.CH32: Ken & Ryu Hayashi Team A extracted intel from the notorious Katsuro Shimadora. And Team B demolished his main testing lab¡­ Despite the mission being successful for the most part, Felix and his team were still unable to capture Keiko. It seemed that fishing her out of hiding was going to be a trial, and with so much time having passed, it¡¯d be even more difficult to track her. After 12 hours, her trail was lost in the network. After 24 hours, her trail was clean. A woman like that was thorough. We¡¯d have to start over from scratch, and hope that our informant would catch wind of her before she struck. She hadn¡¯t been in our radar until now, and I was upset we¡¯d missed the association. I¡¯d done my part in researching the files, and usually, I was good at making connections like these. As for the encounter, part of losing Keiko fell on me as well. I was expecting too much too soon from Reina. I had my assumptions given evidence of that evening. Her target had been doting her all night, and even refused to attack her. Shimadora was taking Reina too lightly, until he didn¡¯t. I had to step in and interfere, which gave Keiko a chance to flee. Speaking of¡­ What I witnessed back there with Nero was still bothering me¡­. It wasn¡¯t exactly what he said, but how he said it. That voice¡­ it wasn¡¯t his. No matter how overwhelmed he was when he thought his team mate had died, I couldn¡¯t see an easy going kid like himself derail like that¡­. I sat on the second floor balcony of my den and looked out into the morning sun, contemplating what it all meant. My head fought theories, none of which were good. I looked down at my tea before my crossed legs and struggled with the concept of this being connected to his growing list of meta abilities. Four was one thing, but five gifts? Never in my history in Hunter Corp had I ever witnessed someone with so many. ¡°I wonder if this is a cause of concern¡­¡± I whispered to myself as I picked my cup of tea, bringing it to my lips. ¡°His system board had already analyzed the new skill. Any day now, Organization VII will get involved, and things might get messy¡­.¡± I sighed, the thought annoying me. As I closed my eyes, I sought answers. While I didn¡¯t want to burden Nero with my unease, I also didn¡¯t want to deceive him into thinking all of this was normal. At one point, I truly believed it was. One meta addition wasn¡¯t alarming, but two¡ªnow, the elites will be looking at him funny. ¡°Aww, how sweet! You actually care for the kid!¡± a grating voice echoed in my ears, my face already churning. ¡°That¡¯s very uncharacteristic of you, Hayashi! You always were the tough-loving type. Gotta admit, I¡¯m a little envious of him already¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to use a front door like everyone¡ª¡± I paused, looking down at my tea to see nothing but air. When I heard slurping across from me, I looked up, seeing my unrefined associate drinking a hot beverage with a proud grin on his face. He sat there posing, the light spring breeze flowing through his white and black spiky hair. The asshole thought he was truly majestic as he sipped my tea with a smug satisfaction that only inflated his already considerable ego. ¡°Delicious. You really outdid yourself with this batch, Ken!¡± I flat eyed him. ¡°I told you not to call me that. It sounds so¡­ American.¡± He looked down his glasses at me and smirked. ¡°Oh, come on! Ken, Ryu¡­ it practically rolls off the tongue!¡± I sighed. ¡°Ryuske, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Hey now, that¡¯s no way to treat a guest!¡± ¡°A pest is more like it¡­.¡± ¡°I sensed a disturbance in your aura¡­. Your output wasn¡¯t tickling me in the right places anymore¡­.¡± ¡°Please¡­ stop talking¡­.¡± ¡°We are connected on a special plane, after all¡­¡± his voice cooed. ¡°An astral plane, if you will¡­. Something was amiss, and I just had to see what had your wires crisscrossed! Usually, your year ones don¡¯t give you this much grief.¡± ¡°They always give me grief.¡± ¡°But this time is different¡­.¡± He grinned. ¡°You want my advice, and I¡¯m here to give it to you.¡± Ryuske Itodoro, one of the strongest high-ranked retirees. He used to be a mentor like myself, but he was atrocious at it. He was forced to resign after a number of his students went missing under his watch. His lack of structure and responsibility had great repercussions in the corp. Those same students went solo, turned vigilante, or they went rogue all together. But what he lacked in organization and leadership he made up for in self-discipline and execution. The man was stronger than me by an immense range, his meta abilities superior and his execution near flawless. I wouldn¡¯t be wrong in saying he was the strongest meta out there, even stronger than any single member of Organization VII. As a matter of fact, he¡¯d been hunted for being above and beyond the imperial standard, on the hit list for both monsters and hunters alike. Despite his persona being somewhat of an acquired taste, I owned the man my life. In the beginning of our partnership, I couldn¡¯t understand why he found a particular interest in me, until he told me I reminded him of his younger brother. I was older than him by a few years, but it didn¡¯t matter. Yuji died a while ago, and he swore I looked and acted just like him. ¡°Nero Aldeon. Year one, age, 18, District 1 Xion native,¡± Ryuske said, continuing to read my mind. The moment I¡¯d said yes to being part of his realm, we were connected. Being able to read my mind was one of his perks, among other things. ¡°Meta abilities, five: super strength, mental immunity, physical invulnerability, flame manipulation, and now, thermoreception.¡± He grinned. ¡°Well, he¡¯s a natural Super Man, isn¡¯t he? I wonder what his kryptonite is¡­.¡± ¡°Inhibitors,¡± I said. ¡°Nooo, that¡¯s an advantage for flesh eaters,¡± he corrected. ¡°I¡¯m talking about an exclusive weakness. Something that¡¯d work on him every time¡­.¡± ¡°Why is that important?¡± ¡°You tell me, Ken?¡± he said, giving me a looming look. ¡°I never thought about putting him down.¡± ¡°It hadn¡¯t crossed your mind? No need to lie to me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I could read your thoughts, after all.¡± ¡°If I had, it was a subconscious exploration.¡± ¡°Best be prepared than regret trying to improvise at the last minute, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good kid, Ryuske.¡± ¡°That¡¯s neither here nor there. I don¡¯t even know the guy, so I cannot comment on his ethics. But truthfully, that may not be something worth factoring when the time comes. If that voice came from somewhere else or someone else, then that only indicates a matter far more serious than questionable morals. Think about it¡ªNero¡¯s persona going dark is much less alarming than something inside Nero being dark.¡± I looked up to him, startled. ¡°What are you implying?¡± He shrugged and laughed. ¡°No idea! Though, I am invested in finding out. He¡¯s still testing this whole hunter business out, right? His evaluations aren¡¯t over yet?¡± ¡°You already know the answer to that.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He pouted. ¡°Yeah, I know, but entertain me, here! I¡¯m a sucker for conversation! Life gets boring otherwise! I am curious, how is he performing so far?¡± ¡°He has much learning to do, but his heart is in the right place.¡± ¡°Good! That¡¯s all that matters for now. Has his crew said anything about the incident?¡± ¡°Not that I know of¡­ but I know you, Ryuske. You are never without your theories. You came here to tell me something. Well then, let me hear it.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª¡± his voice hitched, then a greedy smile stretched on his lips. ¡°Well, sorry to disappoint. I actually came here to dive into your brain a little. You know how much I like the warmth of your gooey insides.¡± I raised my eyebrow at him. ¡°Your madness is truly unparalleled¡­.¡± He winked. ¡°I will take that as a compliment! That being said, I do want to observe him, given the right time. I want to see how this develops¡­.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take that for an answer,¡± I said seriously. He chuckled, then placed the tea cup down and got up on his feet. ¡°I said I came here to give advice though, didn¡¯t I? Not theories¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want any advice. I want to hear the theories. What are you thinking? This situation¡­ it¡¯s a missing piece to your puzzle, isn¡¯t it?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Can¡¯t say, really. Maybe it is, maybe it isn¡¯t. Like I said before, I don¡¯t really know the kid enough to say for sure.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°His presence does raise a few questions, as anyone would suspect. When you have an abnormality, you begin to wonder. Meta humans have this code, a ranking system some would call it. We tend to ignore it sometimes and bunch them all in the same mosh pit, so the majority won¡¯t feel left out. You have metas who only have one skill, which are the common group. Then, you have humans who have two. The gifted who have three are special. They are rare cases, three being ultra-rare. Then, you have the meta humans who have four gifts¡ªthey are legendary! Only a handful have been reported worldwide. And then, there is Nero, the abnormality. Who doesn¡¯t quite fit in the equation, and maybe, he isn¡¯t supposed to¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There could be a possibility that the meta is the conscious being using Nero as a vessel, and not the other way around. It¡¯s uncommon enough to discover talent this late.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why now? When he¡¯s eligible to become a hunter?¡± ¡°Maybe the sentient meta ability has a plan within the corp. It would make perfect sense. Remain dormant until the time is right, then show all of the pretty colors to get the vessel in front of the target. After all, his abilities began flaring up just in time for him to enlist.¡± ¡°Are you serious about this conscious meta ability?¡± He chuckled. ¡°No, which is why I said it was only a running theory.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a viable one, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Could be. Truthfully, I hope I am wrong. The idea of meta abilities controlling host humans is scary enough as a concept as it is. You said he was a good kid, and yes, it matters a lot. If his purity is fighting this thing from going haywire, that¡¯s crucial. More than you know.¡± ¡°But what if the meta decides to take over entirely? Suppose Nero becomes just a shell?¡± He shrugged, ¡°Wish I had an answer for you there. The truth is, we¡¯re in the dark as much as he is.¡± I lowered my eyes, thinking to myself. ¡°That fact that he doesn¡¯t remember is a tad alarming¡­.¡± ¡°It might actually be a blessing in disguise. If he doesn¡¯t remember, then he will continue to think he¡¯s normal. Maybe for a short while, but that while might be enough time for us to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± He sighed exasperatingly. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to chew on, isn¡¯t it? Fifty years ago, we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation. Meta beings, shadow walkers, both supernatural beings beyond the human understanding. You know, the only difference is that one needs to feed on human blood. For strength, for vitality, for pleasure¡­¡± He snorted, tossing his hands in his pockets before he turned his back at me, watching the sunrise. ¡°Such a strange concept¡­ finding similarities between the two. Sometimes, I can¡¯t even tell them apart¡­. And we still have no idea where either of them came from¡­.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t deserve to be grouped up in the same category as flesh eaters, Ryuske¡­.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like having this conversation with you again¡­.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t that much different from them, are we? And as meta beings, not so different from humans, either. You can¡¯t deny that. If you really think about it, you¡¯ll see that the only difference is our callings in life, our values, and our temptations.¡± ¡°You just explained the definition of identity,¡± I said looking up to him. ¡°What shapes us is our life choices, our ambitions, our values, and the resistance to our dark temptations. Eaters make a choice to terrorize; their ambition is to ruin lives. They have no values, nor do they have any type of resistance to dark temptations.¡± ¡°An infamous hunter shares the same traits,¡± he said, and I could sense him smiling without him looking at me. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong?¡± ¡°An infamous hunter doesn¡¯t feed on humans.¡± ¡°No. They feed on greed and pride, which could be worse. A greedy and prideful man with power is very capable of burning down cities, countries, even. Washing away lives in the masses. But most monsters feed because it¡¯s a necessity.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate your analogy, Ryuske. From what you¡¯re implying, there is very little that makes us different from serial killers, rapists, and pure devils of this world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. All I¡¯m saying is that we¡¯re not so different from humans, from each other, or even from the monsters we hunt. We all have our own callings, our own desires, and our own temptations. It¡¯s how we choose to act on them that makes us who we are.¡± I digested his words for a moment, before I frowned and said, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying... we¡¯re all monsters in our own way?¡± Ryuske nodded solemnly. ¡°In a way, yes. We all have the potential to do monstrous things. But it¡¯s our choices and actions that define us. We are all shaped by our own internal hunger. Whether we feed it with power and pride, or with the flesh of others, it comes down to the same basic instinct: survival.¡± I squinted, looking at him intensely. ¡°Something triggered you to defend the predator mindset.¡± He chuckled and turned to face me. ¡°Funny you should mention that! This issue with Nero really had me thinking. But it wasn¡¯t him that triggered it, not directly. More so, it was the correlation to your student and this small boy I saw the other day.¡± ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°He was an itty bitty assignment¡ªreports said he ate a married couple in one night.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t an uncommon thing for a shadow walker to do.¡± ¡°The boy looked like the couple¡¯s son who died four years ago.¡± ¡°Also not uncommon for shadow walkers to taunt their victims.¡± ¡°When I approached the boy, slash, flesh eater as he knelt down in the blood of his victims, he turned around and apologized.¡± I raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°His sorrow was genuine¡­. He mentioned having to do it because he¡¯s been starving for weeks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not following you, Ryuske. Monsters play mind games all the¡ª¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a mind game¡­¡± he said, his face growing serious. ¡°This flesh eater was genuinely upset he ate his parents. I believe the couple had bonded with him for some time, and for whatever reason, it truly believed it was a little boy.¡± ¡°They do strange things for a thrill.¡± ¡°Maybe, but not a ride. That level of commitment wasn¡¯t fabricated for malevolence.¡± ¡°Was that all you took from that experience?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still so much we don¡¯t know about shadow walkers, Ken. The power struggle isn¡¯t black and white. That¡¯s just what we want to believe. It¡¯s simpler to think that monsters are just monsters, and hunters are heroes. But it¡¯s deeper than that. And Nero is proof of it.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I said, getting up on my feet. ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t want to hear your theories¡­.¡± He laughed. ¡°You¡¯re just upset I compared you to a flesh eater!¡± He grinned. ¡°All of that tough talk only to be a big sensitive softy inside!¡± ¡°Your implications are a stretch. The difference between us and those monsters is black and white, night and day,¡± I said confidently. ¡°Our differences aren¡¯t as simple as you¡¯re making them seem. Flesh eaters enjoy terrorizing humankind. It¡¯s in their blood. It¡¯s their code of ethics. If you put together a little girl and a shadow walker posing as a little girl, the one posing will devour the other girl every time. The true human child will not resort to eating the other to survive. We have presets that are just in our nature. Those presets are not shared across the food chain. I don¡¯t care how gullible that posing monster child made you; it doesn¡¯t change what he¡¯d done. All it means was that he was more cunning and devious than most. And the fact that you don¡¯t see that truly terrifies me, Ryuske.¡± He smirked. ¡°I almost forgot how stubborn that mind of yours is, Ken.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t bend for demons.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t you ever compare Nero to them.¡± He raised his hands as a gesture of an apology. ¡°I misunderstood your position in this conversion. Clearly, this boy is to be defended at all costs.¡± I glared at him. ¡°I could do without your smart attitude, Ryuske.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not doing him any favors by treating him like that.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like a mindless child who needs to be protected from the scary truths of reality. Tell me, Ken, are you afraid of discovering these truths, too? Are you afraid of finding out something you don¡¯t like? If not, then you¡¯ll listen to reason. You¡¯ll be the bigger man and be proactive about this. If you really want to help him, you¡¯ll let me observe. And when the time comes, you¡¯ll allow me to interfere¡­.¡± I considered my options carefully. ¡°All I¡¯m asking is to study him. That¡¯s all. I won¡¯t hurt a hair on his head! I promise!¡± He fanned his fingers and gave me a giddy smile. The idea was harmless. As harmless as things could get with Ryuske. He respected my word, so I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt Nero or cross any boundaries. I turned around to exit and gave him the answer he was looking for, ¡°You¡¯ll wait until the evaluation period is over.¡± He clasped his hands together delightfully. ¡°Ah, I knew you¡¯d come along!¡± he cheered, and then his tone turned cheeky. ¡°However, you do know that means that you have to pass him, right?¡± ¡°It was good seeing you again, Ryuske.¡± B1.CH33: Dont Ship Me! Nero Cleaning, gutting out, and fileting a fish with Reina was a nightmare. When we¡¯d gone back home, the both of us walked into the one room she was forbidden in¡ªthe kitchen. I thought she¡¯d be fine preparing the fish for frying, seeing as she single handedly decapitated a fish monster. But I learned that it was all wishful thinking. I get that the bass was big, but she was a big girl. From descaling the fish to opening that bad boy up, she was hesitant, squeamish even. The concept just didn¡¯t make sense to me¡­. She didn¡¯t like the fact that the scales tucked under her polished nails. That wouldn¡¯t have been such an issue if she knew how to use the knife right! I swear I still had a fleck of fish skin under my eyelid from her horrendous shaving technique. Getting bombarded by them was annoying. And don¡¯t even get me started with gutting the damn thing out¡­. ¡°Just look at that slimy meat,¡± Reina whined, gingerly holding the fish by its tail. ¡°How am I supposed to just... slice it open?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done worse!¡± I retorted. Truth be told, Reina¡¯s disgust was amusing. I wouldn¡¯t have guessed the girl who tore through a flesh eater easily twice her size could be so scared of some fish guts. ¡°Now quit being a drama queen and use the technique I taught you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get a firm grip on it,¡± she hissed. ¡°Ugh, my fingers are going to smell like fish for days! This is unacceptable!¡± ¡°I told you before, sensei doesn¡¯t have any gloves in his storage unit.¡± ¡°I wish you¡¯d told me how utterly grotesque this chore was!¡± ¡°You¡¯d definitely not survive in the wild.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never have to live in the wild!¡± she fired back. ¡°We have the simple luxury of having a roof over our heads!¡± ¡°Give me that,¡± I spat, grabbing her knifed hand and fixing myself behind her. ¡°You have to work the knife on the flat side. Smooth, horizontal slices. No need to butcher the fish.¡± I helped her glide the knife, my hand holding hers on the handle. ¡°See? Nice, even strokes¡­¡± Her body tensed, my eyes catching her grip on the knife begin to shake. ¡°Please, stop, it¡¯s too much!¡± she whimpered. ¡°Something is going to squirt out! I just know it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only cutting into muscle.¡± ¡°No,¡± she protested, her voice strained. ¡°My hands are getting slippery!¡± ¡°Then grip the knife tighter,¡± I advised, my fingers tightening around hers. ¡°You have to be in control, not the dead fish.¡± ¡°I feel sick,¡± she whispered melodramatically, tossing her eyes away from the fish and nearly thumping the back of her head against my chin in the process. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You¡¯re not even looking at it,¡± I retorted, rolling my eyes despite the fact that she couldn¡¯t see me. She groaned but didn¡¯t argue further. We continued cutting through the fish in silence, and I could feel her gradually becoming comfortable with the motion of the blade. By the time we reached the end of it, she had stopped trembling and had started to cautiously maneuver along the fish on her own. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I nodded approvingly, watching as she continued to carve into the fish. ¡°Oh goodness, I did it?!¡± ¡°Actually, we did it, but¡ª¡± She giggled. ¡°This cooking thing is not half bad!¡± I smiled. ¡°All right, let¡¯s not get too ahead of ourselves, now.¡± ¡°Am I¡­ interrupting something?¡± Gun said, my head immediately turning to him standing under the doorway of the kitchen. He flashed us a cheeky grin, tucking one hand in his pocket and the other playing with the toothpick between his teeth. As soon as Reina saw him, she tossed her arms in the air and brushed me off immediately. ¡°Unhand me, nerd!¡± Reina hissed, a hint of red creeping up her face. ¡°I¡¯m done being feely touchy with my dinner!¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re getting some with the way you were handling it.¡± Gun laughed. ¡°The both of you are just downright filthy!¡± she hissed and growled. ¡°Men!¡± She stormed out of the kitchen, whispering something about deep sanitizing her fingers in the shower. I snorted. ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°You sure you¡¯re not into Reina?¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think you¡¯re seeing me as some type of competition. Gun.¡± ¡°I saw Reina head off, and then you went the same direction a little after,¡± he said, flicking his toothpick in the trash bin as he walked over to me. ¡°Looked like a set up for a little private time.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Happy accident, I swear. We both had the same idea to fish.¡± ¡°Is that your catch over there?¡± ¡°Well Reina wouldn¡¯t have caught anything that big.¡± He smirked. ¡°Not yet. Not if she doesn¡¯t play her cards right.¡± I smiled. ¡°Is she really your type?¡± ¡°And she¡¯s not yours? The babe¡¯s got it! No complaints! She¡¯s smart; she¡¯s feminine, shapely, and petite. Got a nice basement to match the balcony. What more can you ask for?¡± ¡°Pull back on the sass, the haughtiness, the spoiled brat complex, the pride, the loud mouth, the constant naggi¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, no one is perfect!¡± ¡°She made a living picking on me and my friends in school. I only fired back when she got real rough and personal. She didn¡¯t like the fact that I was so quick to defend myself. It made her look weak¡­¡± I explained as I flipped the fish and filletted the other side. ¡°But I never took our quarreling seriously. I always thought someone that mean had their own problems going on. And I had no right to make it worse.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty honorable thing to say, Nero. Doesn¡¯t change the fact that she wants a piece of you.¡± I choked. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll change her mind.¡± Gun smirked. ¡°You got Reina all confused!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯ve been around enough women to know when they are interested in a guy.¡± I looked at him funny. ¡°Do you, now?¡± ¡°And I also know when a girl like her is one in a million. Reina¡¯s a real catch, and I¡¯ll fight for her if I have to!¡± he said, tossing his fist into his palm. I raised my hand defensively. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not trying to battle you to the death over some girl I don¡¯t like, dude.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t like her. The fact that she likes you is what¡¯s important!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t like me either; you¡¯re delusional!¡± ¡°A man with lack of experience would say that!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°We fight after breakfast. By the garden courtyard. Be there and be ready!¡± I chuckled sheepishly. ¡°This is a joke, right?¡± ¡°For Reina¡¯s hand! I will show her that I¡¯m stronger than you, and she¡¯d have to like me!¡± Shit, he¡¯s really serious! ¡°Bring your a-game, Nero!¡± He flexed his arm and slapped his bicep. ¡°Just because we are friends doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll go easy on you!¡± ¡°This is a prank?¡± I smiled nervously. ¡°It¡¯s a prank, right? Did Ash get you in on this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go bang some reps in the gym!¡± he said, walking away with a pep in his step, the guy still pumping himself up as he walked down the hallway. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± B1.CH34: The Spirit Animal Whisperer I was actually about to duel for a girl I had no interest in being with! After breakfast, I tried catching Gun, hoping to coax him into believing that Reina couldn¡¯t hate my guts more. The only reason we were tolerating each other was because we were on the same team. It was my job to protect her, and it was her job to protect her team. That included Naomi as well. Somewhere down the line, he saw something that wasn¡¯t there. He also mentioned that the longer we fought together, the more feelings she¡¯d develop for me. According to him, I was a six-foot jacked dude who was stupid strong and practically invincible¡ªthe attraction was inevitable. Okay, first off, I was lean, not jacked¡­. No matter how much I refused to fight him, he would go on and on about never backing down from a fight. It was the Gun way. Doing so would tarnish his rep, and ruin our friendship, and a whole bunch of crap that I didn¡¯t freaking understand! Not long after, the entire dojo learned about our fight, and as I got ready for it an hour after breakfast, I got a surprise visit from Naomi. She slammed the bedroom door open, nearly tearing the hinges off. The ivory girl gave me a terrifying expression on her brick face, her lavender eyes piercing my soul as she asked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I sighed, slipping my socks on. ¡°Getting ready for this unavoidable fight.¡± ¡°Why are you fighting for that bleep?¡± ¡°Wait, what was that?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she said, turning her eyes away from me. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you said you weren¡¯t into her, and yet¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± I said, jumping to my feet. ¡°I don¡¯t get why no one believes me.¡± I paused, noticing the can of pop on the right of me starting to glow a dark purple. It began crumpling into itself, folding over and over again rapidly until it was the size of a dime. I turned my head back to Naomi and raised my eyebrow at her, before the wooden crate started to do the same thing. That time, I jumped, the huge snapping noise making me wince. I didn¡¯t know her powers could do that without her gesturing her hands, Naomi standing still as her meta turned that wooden crate into dust. ¡°Reina didn¡¯t say anything when Gunther brought it up.¡± Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. ¡°That¡¯s because she was basking in the attention. Traditional Reina. She isn¡¯t going to stop the fight. The idea of two guys fighting for her is a huge boost for her ego.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯d look at you differently if you could find someone like that attractive,¡± she scoffed. I chuckled. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t blame you. You need to be a certain crazy to date Reina, and have the tolerance of a camel to keep up with her heat.¡± ¡°So¡­ what kind of woman are you attracted to, then?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I said, turning back to her after I tucked my phone away. That question took me off guard, and I accidently left this dead silence in between us to fill in the awkwardness. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said as she turned away. ¡°Good luck with your pointless fight.¡± My phone vibrated soon after she left, and when I picked it up, I saw Gun¡¯s text messages. I grunted. The dude was a meme god¡­. He was waiting for me in the garden, and as soon as I walked through the floral bushes and tall manicured hedges, I saw a topless Gun rotating his arm with a big smile on his face. ¡°Hey! I was scared you¡¯d chickened out!¡± I dropped my shoulders and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± ¡°Oh hold on, now. We have to wait for our audience!¡± ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late!¡± I heard Ash shout from behind me. ¡°I wanted to make some popcorn for the show!¡± When I pivoted, I saw Felix and Reina, too, the only hunter missing being Naomi. ¡°Looks like everyone is here except Miss Purple!¡± ¡°She said she was going to sit this fight out,¡± Felix said with a smile. ¡°She said to me down the hallway, and I quote, I have better things to do with my precious time.¡± ¡°If by precious you mean reading blank pages off a book,¡± Reina sassed, and I groaned. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t say you were sitting to watch us fight,¡± I protested. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we?!¡± Ash giggled. ¡°I¡¯m putting 7,000 Yen on Nero!¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Gun laughed. ¡°Seriously? The guy has some pretty impressive talents, but they don¡¯t compare to my sh¡ªs-shit!¡± His eyes jumped when he tapped the com piece in his ear. ¡°Since when did you get five abilities?!¡± Oh right, that¡­ I forgot Felix and his team wouldn¡¯t know about all of my gifts, seeing as they¡¯d been popping off like fireworks lately. ¡°Five?¡± Ash said. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t even know he had that many!¡± Gun gave her a playful glare. ¡°And you still bet on him?¡± ¡°Five is unorthodox¡­¡± Felix followed, the look on his face a bit concerning. But then he fixed his expression. ¡°Congrats! You¡¯re the first hunter I know to have so many!¡± ¡°He¡¯s nothing special,¡± Reina huffed, and then flashed me a cocky smirk. ¡°And when he loses, it¡¯ll burn all the more knowing he failed with so many perks.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re betting on Gun winning, Reina?¡± Ash asked. ¡°I¡¯m not betting.¡± She sighed. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have to hear myself say this, but¡­ I¡¯m broke.¡± ¡°Holy crap, I think an angel just fell from the sky,¡± I teased. ¡°You keep smiling over there, Nero. Because in a minute, the only thing you¡¯d be doing is picking your teeth up off the ground.¡± ¡°Yeah, I doubt it,¡± I whispered, turning my head back to Gun. ¡°I agree to this fight, but not the location. We already did damage to sensei¡¯s meeting room and his kitchen. I don¡¯t want to ruin his garden, too. Let¡¯s move a few meters north.¡± Gun agreed, and the gang and I went closer to the forest in the same area I¡¯d taken out those trees earlier. Before we started the match, Felix entertained Ash¡¯s deal and picked Gun to win. I had a feeling he knew he¡¯d lose his money. I had no idea why he made that foolish bet, but only he knew his friend better than anyone. Maybe he was saving his pride. He¡¯d made it clear that he wanted Gun to be happy, and even hinted Reina would be a good fit for him. ¡°Ready to get rocked, Dragon Head?¡± I smirked and squared my fists. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are, Gun.¡± ¡°Ready??!!!???¡± Ash shouted as she stretched her arm over her head, and with a strong burst of energy, she swung it back down and said, ¡°Fight!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna go easy on you, Nero!¡± He slammed his fists together in front of him and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s get right to the power house of spirits! White Aura, Polar Bear Spirit¡ªengage!¡± Hold on, did he just say polar bear? Just like that, a huge beam of white light shocked the ground, the power feeling like a heat wave. I blocked my eyes with my arm, feeling a violent current stretch along the ground. It felt like a light vacuum sucking me in; the blast was so powerful that it danced the trees around us. When the violent wind settled, I peeled my eyes open, seeing Gun with a specter of a polar bear double in size! So this is what Felix meant when he said spirit animal¡­. The fierce mug on that thing was downright terrifying. It stood over Gun like some type of armor, draping Gun¡¯s back as it finished materializing completely. It was transparent, but the aura around it was real. The bear let out a deafening roar that echoed through the forest, causing a few birds to flutter away. I could feel the power radiating from Gun as he took a defensive stance, and then leaped right at me. Without wasting any time, I summoned a fire ball around my fist. The air around me sizzled and popped as I continued to charge my strike. I waited until he got close enough to throw my fire ball at him, but then Gun answered back in an unsuspecting way. A goddamn ice shot. The polar bear opened its mouth and shot an ice beam at me that ate my flames in a blink of an eye. For a split moment, I forgot Kenji¡¯s training and froze, letting Gun hook punch me right into my face. I could feel the impact of that punch feeding ripples down my cheek. It seemed like time had stopped for a moment like a cheap slow-mo effect, giving me time to realize that I might have been fucked. When gravity finally decided to let me go, I flew, then crashed into some trees before finally getting myself entangled in a bush. I stood up and snapped the thorns around my wrists, my body not feeling the prickling along my skin. They didn¡¯t leave an impression, but that power strike from Gun did. I never really analyzed his stats, but after a punch like that, I had to think that his strength was at my level when he triggered his spirit gift. Adrenaline ran through my veins¡ªnow, I had a real reason to fight back. Gun was more of a challenge than I thought, and I wanted to seriously see who was going to win this fight! I had a whole Goku meta going on right now as I sparked some more flames. This time, I held the fire from my fingers and down my forearm, prepared to use it more defensively in this round. ¡°Hey Nero, you out there?¡± I heard Gun call out. ¡°Man, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re tapping out already! We¡¯re just getting started!¡± Gun was getting closer, his bear¡¯s powerful strides shaking the ground beneath him. I needed to act smart if I wanted to stand a chance against him. Remembering Master Hayashi¡¯s words, I focused on my breathing and centralized my meta. ¡°There you are!¡± he shouted as he lunged right at me. I dodged to the side with an agility Gun didn¡¯t know I had. For a second there, he thought he had me, slugging with his follow up. His massive claws swiped through the air where I had just been standing, missing me by inches. Seizing the opportunity, I channeled my energy into a concentrated blast of heated air, aiming it directly at Gun. He had his arm out to absorb the blow, but nothing happened. I looked at my sorry excuse for a strike as he lowered his guard, the guy staring at me funny. ¡°Are you drawing blanks, my guy?¡± He laughed. ¡°That barely tickled!¡± he taunted, revving up a side kick. I ducked under his leg and rolled to the side, then gave him a serious uppercut into his jaw. Gun ate that punch and ate some air before he dropped down again, the sound of Ash cheering far away making me glance in her direction. I turned my head back at Gun again, trying to figure out how this spirit animal of his worked. The reason I didn¡¯t hit him with my flames directly was because I didn¡¯t want to kill him. I¡¯d seen what a strong fire punch from these fists could do, and the last thing I wanted to do was take a life. So I went with a safer option. However, his bear had him covered. His bear might actually be his body of armor after all¡­. ¡°Nice shot,¡± Gun said as he picked himself up, where I noticed a trail of blood coming from his nose. Shit, I held back with that punch¡­ He pressed his right nostril shut with his thumb and breathed out, flicking that drop of blood on the ground. ¡°I gotta give it to you, man, you¡¯re strong! But if there¡¯s anything I like more than hot girls and hot guitars is a sweet challenge!¡± He squared up to fight me again. ¡°That¡¯s one for one. I¡¯m not the type for ties, so¡­ show me what ya got!¡± B1.CH35: Tournament Determined to take me down, Gun signaled for me to come at him. He circled along our ring, and I mirrored his footwork. I understood what he was doing in round three. He wanted to study my strategy. It was shitty timing, seeing as I was doing the same thing just a few seconds ago. I guess I had to be the one to step up. This was a training exercise for me regardless, because not all monsters were going to be impatient knuckleheads that swung first and planned later. ¡°This isn¡¯t a dance recital, Dragon Head, come at me,¡± Gun taunted, still being a good sport about our silly fight. I charged at him, igniting both arms with a sleeve of flames. I sidestepped and unleashed a flurry of punches using my base strength, aiming each one precisely. Gun might have been slightly faster than me, because he blocked each one. Block, counter, weave¡ªblock, weave, counter, duck¡ªthe pattern was different every time, but I faked him out into countering deep this time, and I saw a nice opening for punishment. When he leaned his body backwards to avoid my hook, I pivoted and served him a strong elbow jab behind his head. His eyes widened in surprise as I connected with him and sent him stumbling forward. I couldn¡¯t afford to give him a breather, so I moved, launching myself in the air for a ground-shaking body slam. Even though I tapped into a small percentage of my super strength for that attack, Gun was a hardened warrior, recovering faster than I had anticipated. He rolled quickly out of the way just as my body hit the ground. The impact created a mini shock wave that sent dust billowing around us, and by the time I saw Gun again, he was in the sky. He pulled out a spirit eagle this time, a pair of wings materializing along his back. ¡°That was a cheap shot, Nero,¡± he said snickering. ¡°You nearly knocked me out!¡± The eagle¡¯s head turned to look at me standing there on the ground, its big sharp eyes never leaving my sight. And then, it struck¡ªGun came torpedoing at me with the heel of his shoe. The closer he got, the clearer those talons of his bird spirit became. When he landed I stepped out of the way, and then Gun summoned an even bigger beast to ram into my back¡ªa mother fucking rhino! My face slammed into a boulder, the pressure ringing in my ears before I turned around to see Gun charging another strike. Instead of dodging this time, I stood there and took the impact. My grounded feet glided inches down when I gripped his horn, his strength trying to buckle me down. Gun held his fist controlling his spirit animal in the air as it began to shake at my resistance. Despite the fact that I was keeping up with him, my stamina was lower than his. I had managed to get a few licks off of him, but Gun was better at conserving energy. There was no way I was going to outlast him, especially seeing as he could pull out a new animal to counter me every time. I thought this was going to be an easy win, but since I didn¡¯t want to roast Gun, there was no winning this fight. Didn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll blow through every ounce of stamina I had. I used part of my super strength to hoist the bastard rhino over my head and slam it into the boulder. Gun winced and rolled back on the ground, where a series of punches were waiting for him. Landing blow after blow, I could see the surprise in his eyes as he struggled to keep up with my relentless assault. But just when it seemed like I had the upper hand, Gun suddenly shifted tactics. He ducked under my guard and delivered a powerful strike to my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I stumbled back, gasping for breath as he seized the opportunity to land his own series of punishing blows. If I was going to lose, I might as well go out swinging, but as I tried to recover, Gun didn¡¯t let up. His attacks were fierce and calculated, having shifted to another type of bear again. He left me little room to counter. At some point, I could feel the bruises forming on my skin, the ache in my muscles intensifying with each hit. I didn¡¯t get it, I thought I was invincible? Why were his physical attacks now hurting me? With lightning speed, the massive beast lunged toward me, claws outstretched and teeth bared. I couldn¡¯t afford a direct hit, not in this condition. So, using the last bit of energy I could muster, I rolled to the right just in time as Gun¡¯s bear crashed against the ground. The ground trembled beneath his weight as shards of rock shot up around him. Relentless, he was on me again faster than I could blink. Despite the pulsing pain in my body, I used the momentum from my roll to spring back onto my feet. My legs shook under the strain, but I held firm. I erected a flame wall to space us out, but Gun reached right through it, grabbed me by my collar, and body slammed me into the ground. I swear my soul left my body just now, sirens ringing in my head. I understood now why I was feeling pain, Ash screaming at me to get up. Caught up in the fight, I stopped paying attention. Stamina and meta¡­ they were connected. And as long as my stamina was low, my powers would run dry, too. Gun scooped me up and held me in a chokehold. He leaned over my ear, the grip on my windpipe closing. ¡°Looks like I win, Nero!¡± I chuckled as I gripped his arm around me. ¡°You know, I actually thought about letting you win this fight, but I guess you outlasted me.¡± ¡°You killed your shot of winning when you held back those flames,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I know you have more in you. Thanks, Nero.¡± I raised my hand to surrender, Ash instantly dropping to her knees. Reina clasped her hands together delightfully, and Felix tossed Gun a proud smile. ¡°Wrapped it up nice and clean there, Gun,¡± he congratulated. ¡°Nice work!¡± Damn it¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to go on with this stupid fight¡­ Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ++++ I had no idea why I was glad Naomi wasn¡¯t there to witness my shame. In all realness, I thought I¡¯d win even when pulling back my powers. It was a silly fight, but I was ready to snatch the glory. That being said, I¡¯d clearly underestimated the pretty boy rock star. He had some neat tricks, and he¡¯d proven to be worthy of the hunter title. Skill came in various forms, and his was pretty sweet. I then scratched my chin and wondered what my spirit animal would be¡­ ¡°Probably a wolf,¡± I whispered to myself as I washed up after the fight, and then I made my way to the courtyard to search for Hayashi. I had enough Fame Points for another training session, but after searching around for him for a bit, I was ready to give up and head back into the dojo. ¡°Lost something?¡± I heard Naomi say. When I pivoted around, I noticed her standing at the doorway of the shed with that same book in her hand. I gave her a genuine smile. ¡°Actually, I was looking for Master Hayashi.¡± ¡°He left a little while ago with the other team. They have a test to complete.¡± ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll schedule training another time.¡± ¡°They should let squad members train each other,¡± she said, the statement seeming random coming out of her lips. I chuckled. ¡°Is that your indirect way of asking if you could train me?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said simply. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d do as good a job as Kenji. But¡­ once you get good enough, I¡¯d like you to train me.¡± Wait, what? ¡°Naomi, why would you say that? You¡¯re the strongest in our squad. So naturally, you¡¯d advance faster than Reina and me.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± she said, then looked up to me seriously. ¡°So, did you win?¡± I snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Did Gunther hurt you?¡± I scratched my chin and cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°Did Gun hurt me?¡± I sang, strolling over to her as she slowly inched herself out of the shed. ¡°Will you avenge me if I said yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious if you burned through your stamina like a dumb ass again.¡± Nice save¡­. ¡°And here I thought you were genuinely worried about me,¡± I teased. Naomi rolled her eyes at me. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself. I was just making conversation.¡± ¡°Did you come all this way to ask me if I was injured?¡± ¡°If it looked like that, I sincerely apologize,¡± she said sarcastically, then tucked her book under her arm and started walking back toward the barracks. I fell into step beside her, noticing how the setting sun cast a warm glow on her face. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I found myself stealing glances at her profile, taking in the light illuminating her features. A warm feeling stirred in my chest, but I voted to dismiss it right away. While Naomi was easy on the eyes, I didn¡¯t want to jump into the ocean only to drown to the bottom of it. I was never really good with rejection, and being friends with her was just safer. In the same vein of friendship, I wanted to know more about her. It was sad that I knew more about Reina, and she was someone I avoided like the plague in Acadia. Despite both girls being my teammates, I was biased. Between Naomi and Reina, I was unashamed to say I favored Naomi more. So I started with something light, ¡°How are you liking hunting so far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°How does your family feel about you having that career?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t live with my parents, so their opinion doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°I live alone, as I have for some time now. My decisions. My problems. My accomplishments. I don¡¯t owe them any answers.¡± I chuckled nervously. ¡°I take it that you aren¡¯t really close to your folks?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ indifferent¡­.¡± ¡°You know, Naomi, I¡¯m not just striking small talk with you to fill in the time. Remember when I said I¡¯d help you open up? Well, with these back to back missions, I haven¡¯t gotten the time to really get to know you, and¡ª¡± ¡°Then ask me something you¡¯re genuinely interested in, not something like my parents,¡± she cut me off, turning her lavender eyes to me that looked like thistle under the sunlight. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s start with the obvious question. What¡¯s inside of that book?¡± I asked. Naomi gave me a wary side glance before answering. ¡°It¡¯s a biography of some of the greatest shinobi warriors in history. I¡¯m studying their strategies and techniques. It¡¯s a secret, and that¡¯s why the untrained eye can¡¯t see the words.¡± Of course she was reading something practical and educational in her spare time. ¡°Stealth and subterfuge require different tactics than open combat. To truly excel, you must play to your own strengths, not blindly emulate others.¡± Naomi held the book out with her hands, her thumb grazing along the leather cover, and then her intense gaze met mine. ¡°Tell me, what are your strengths?¡± Clearly, it wasn¡¯t picking up on her sarcasm¡­. I deadpanned her when I realized she was pulling my leg. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder and harder to tell when you¡¯re serious, when it should be getting easier. That poker face of yours is rock solid.¡± I smiled. ¡°Either way, sarcasm looks good on you. You don¡¯t have to tell me about the book if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s just¡­ I feel like there¡¯s a wall between us. A wall that really shouldn¡¯t be there.¡± I paused, Naomi trying her best not to react to what I was saying. ¡°Sometimes I feel like you think I¡¯d judge you or something, and I¡¯m not that type of guy.¡± ¡°There are parts of myself I prefer to keep private,¡± she said after a moment. Her voice was carefully neutral. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can understand that.¡± ¡°I do¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like you do.¡± ¡°Well, to be honest with you, Naomi, I trust you. Maybe I trust you more than I should. I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve made it clear that you¡¯re looking out for what¡¯s best for me, and I appreciate that. Either way, I¡¯m not the one who needs convincing. Reina has been saying some things about you that made me uneasy about how she saw you. Her perception is bothering me. I get that we are squad mates, and we don¡¯t necessarily have to like each other. But we should trust each other well enough to work as a team.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what that nosy brat thinks of me,¡± she said, quick-tongued. ¡°Her only interest is to pry into my affairs, and I give her no right to do that. What¡¯s my business is my business.¡± ¡°She thinks you are an undercover rogue agent.¡± Her eyes grew. ¡°And that your notes on us are in your book.¡± ¡°You mean a book that I had even before I came to Utoro?¡± I snorted. ¡°Yeah, same book. Look, I just don¡¯t want her opening her mouth to the wrong people. If you can convince her that¡ª¡± ¡°You worry too much, Nero,¡± she said, interjecting me. ¡°I can take care of my own. You should focus more on yourself and our evaluations. Also, I heard whispers of a Hunter Game event in a few weeks.¡± My eyes jumped. ¡°What? A tournament already?¡± ¡°The date was a surprise, and they announced it to the public already. Games rotate once a month, or once every two or three months. It really depends. Org VII suggests that year ones keep a distance, as they typically do.¡± I grinned from ear to ear. ¡°But we aren¡¯t your average year 1 hunters!¡± ¡°You want to enter this early? There will be another tournament shortly after. I¡¯d consider bulking up your stats first.¡± ¡°No way! I say there¡¯s no risk in not going after that tournament money right now, right?¡± ¡°Other than potential sponsors who notice how badly you end up ranking.¡± ¡°Exposure is exposure, whether good or bad. Besides, I¡¯m not planning on losing! I¡¯m using all of my Fame Points to boost my stats and firm up before the tournament!¡± ¡°You seem to be forgetting that your entire team has to agree with this decision.¡± That huge smile on my face didn¡¯t go anywhere as I reminded Naomi, ¡°Reina jumped on that bet we made, remember? She¡¯s going to want to join! And you, well, I remember one feisty ivory-haired girl telling me that she¡¯d help me climb the leaderboard. So I already know that you¡¯re down to join.¡± ¡°Such optimistic thinking¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re entering that tourney! And we¡¯re going to make it to the top.¡± B1.CH36: Cult Business News about an upcoming tournament got my juices pumping. The Hunter Games were where the money was at; teams pinned against each other to rake in thousands and thousands of dollars! While Naomi was worried that we were severely underprepared, I reminded her that I was no quitter. I¡¯d do whatever it took to compete and win. The Hunter Games was my chance to prove myself, to show everyone that I had potential to be on top of the leaderboard. When Reina caught wind of a tournament just around the corner, she was just as fired up about it as I was. She loved the thrill of competition and wasn¡¯t afraid to play dirty if she had to. The popular pretty girl at school fueled off on challenges, whether it be fashion shows, beauty competitions, or even duking it out with an entire cheerleading squad to be Model-Model¡¯s prime finalist. Even though being a hunter was outside of her comfort zone, she was slowly molding into the hunter name, doing better and better on our assignments. As for Naomi, I knew she¡¯d come around eventually. Underneath that cautious exterior was a fierce competitor who hated to lose. I could just tell she wanted to show the world what she could do. I needed to win this competition, and I¡¯d carry my team on my back if I had to to get that prize money. During the next few days, I started training harder than ever before, pushing my skills to the limit. I took so much of Hayashi¡¯s time in the lab honing my metas and crushing any barricades my body put up. The finish line carved my path, and my motivation was my family. Pain was temporary, but victory was forever. I pushed through the aches and fatigue, visualizing the moment I would stand victorious on the tournament stage. My family needed this prize money, and I would be the one to earn it for them. I trained nonstop. My skills grew sharper and my reaction time quicker with each passing day. Hayashi was impressed by my dedication, even as I demanded more of his time. I ate, drank, and slept under the ceiling of that dojo training room, and when I wasn¡¯t training with sensei, I was completing missions. Again, I checked my status to read the update:
Career Level: 1
Name: Nero Aldeon Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality:
Age: 18 Endurance: 10
Rank: Bronze Strength: 11 (+50 meta boost)
Fame: 15% Agility: 8
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 4
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 100/100
Specialties: Super Strength Mental Immunity Physical Invulnerability Flame Manipulation Thermoreception Squadron: Beta1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 0
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 490 (FPs Accumulated): 1400 Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency: 4068 Yen
Throughout the week, we continued with our contracts. I made noticeable progress, but ultimately, it was up to one man to decide my fate in Hunter Corp¡­ This morning, our mentor, the strict, tough-skinned, and partially sober Kenji Hayashi, was going to check us off one by one. We tested as a team, but we¡¯d be graded individually. Even though I told myself that there was no room for failure, I was still shaking inside. Personally, I thought I was doing fantastic, but unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t my call to make. The deciding factor of my future was upstairs of the dojo, getting ready to either break or make my day. No pressure or anything¡­. I was so nervous that I didn¡¯t get a lick of sleep. I was wide awake, but anxious as shit. The feeling was terrible, and it was nothing coffee could fix. I¡¯d already had two cups, and I was risking it. I was like a ticking time bomb after one cup of straight black, and the last thing I wanted to do was clench my butt cheeks in our evaluation meeting today to keep myself from exploding. ¡°Nero, my bestie, my amigo!¡± Ash crept in, noticing the door to my bedroom was partly open. I was sitting on the bottom half of my bed, flipping through my contract like I was about to lose it. When Ash took a seat on the bed that was supposed to be for Reina, I hurried and turned off my phone. I didn¡¯t want her thinking I was sweating it. Despite her clashing with Kenji a few times, I¡¯d rather not ruin her uppity mood. ¡°Why so down, chum?¡± I snickered. ¡°I¡¯m doing great, Ash.¡± ¡°Nervous like the rest of em?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe a little. But tell me, what¡¯s your secret?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sweating over the big day?¡± She stretched her arms and legs before she plopped on the bed with a satisfying sigh. ¡°Our trial is over, the day has come where our fates would be weighed by one man in a cute black dress.¡± Cute? ¡°Those sandals look comfortable too.¡± She smiled. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not sweating it, Nero. You know, statistically speaking, only 30% of hunters pass evaluations.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mhm! Out of that 30%, do you know how many were mentor-confirmed?¡± ¡°No, how many?¡± ¡°Another 30%. The other 70% either quit or died. I¡¯m more of a glass half full kinda girl. Why bother bringing myself down when I know I¡¯ve already won this week? Not many make it this far, Nero. Once you see it like that, you¡¯ll be happy with yourself and take whatever he says as a bonus, not a verdict.¡± ¡°Ash, you¡¯re always so optimistic. Just like Sophie.¡± ¡°Is she the girl you mentioned I reminded you of?¡± ¡°Yeah, she is.¡± With a chuckle, she sat back up again and shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s just my perspective in life. You tend to live a lot longer when you¡¯re not so stressed out all the time. Quit killing yourself over things you can¡¯t control, and stop every once and a while to appreciate all the things that you have. Besides, I¡¯ve heard people break down over evaluations. Lost good friends, too,¡± she said quietly, her gaze becoming distant. ¡°Being a hunter was nothing I¡¯ve considered long enough to say that I¡¯m a huge fan of the trade. I want it because I feel like maybe, things are better on this side of it, you know?¡± My smile lowered a little. ¡°I get it, Ash. I feel like for the most part, people who want to be hunters are running away from something. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to, but just know that you¡¯re not alone.¡± She beamed. ¡°Felix and Gun are such good friends. And now, I get to have more friends here in Utoro. I really like you, Reina, and Naomi. Even though Reina is a food murderer, and Naomi has a murder face.¡± I laughed. ¡°Well, I like you, too, Ash.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever miss my twin?¡± ¡°Your what?¡± ¡°Sophie.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, of course! I talk to her every day.¡± ¡°A girlfriend?¡± She smirked. ¡°Think she¡¯s okay with you hanging around us girls?¡± ¡°Haha, no, not a girlfriend. She¡¯s more like a best friend. I could tell that she¡¯s bummed about me being here, that we can¡¯t see each other every day. We are family, real tight. And I get that she¡¯s trying to move past it. Seems like every time we do talk, it¡¯s about hunting.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ever since I got here, she¡¯s been obsessed with shadow walkers.¡± ¡°Like, what they do?¡± ¡°Moreso where they came from. She calls it starting the legwork, since I mentioned wanting to figure it out myself.¡± She giggled. ¡°Well, everyone knows that shadow walkers are spirits! No, not spirits, curses! No, demons! No wait, I got it¡ªjust plain ol¡¯ defects of humanity!¡± I snorted. ¡°Yeah, seems like we could never narrow it down, huh?¡± ¡°You know, there¡¯s this dark society on the internet, a cult saying they know the truths behind walkers.¡± ¡°So, what are they saying?¡± ¡°Demons. There are accounts online saying some walkers admit to it, too.¡± ¡°Admit it to who, humans?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°And they live to tell the story?¡± ¡°Hey, your guess is as good as mine! I¡¯ve never heard of someone having a conversation with a walker and live to tell about it. Unless of course¡ª¡± ¡°Ghouls¡­.¡± ¡°As crazy as it sounds, we have those weirdos out there who love being shadow walker food. Catch a thrill from hanging out so close to danger.¡± ¡°Or maybe¡­ they don¡¯t have a choice¡­.¡± ¡°I guess you can see it like that, too. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. But with so many options these monsters have, I doubt that¡¯s usually the case, you know?¡± ¡°Monsters are sick¡­.¡± I frowned. ¡°They are capable of fulfilling any twisted fantasies they like.¡± I turned to Ash. ¡°Hey, do you know the exact website of this cult?¡± ¡°Yeah, if the domain hasn¡¯t changed. Why?¡± ¡°I want to look into it.¡± ¡°Really? You are aware that most of this stuff is crap, right? Mock theories at best.¡± ¡°Clearly to some, it¡¯s real. I¡¯m no cult advocate. I just want to pick their brains a little.¡± ¡°And what do you hope to find?¡± Ash asked, squinting at me suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t get too bogged down with this crap, Nero. These people aren¡¯t in their right state of mind!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± I said, handing her my phone with a notepad open on it. ¡°Type the site.¡± ¡°Well okay¡­, if you¡¯re sure,¡± Ash said, taking my phone and typing the website. ¡°Fair warning, some of the stuff you¡¯ll find in there are graphic. Nightmare inducing if you catch my drift!¡± ¡°Ash, how long have you been looking into this?¡± I asked as she handed me back my phone. ¡°I haven¡¯t been looking into anything!¡± she resisted defensively. ¡°One of my friends from school bumped into it and dared me to make an account as a joke. At first, I hung around for a while just to see what they were into. It was like a car crash, you know? Horrible, but you can¡¯t look away? I thought it was a gag until I realized that some of those spells they were posting up there required sacrifices and stuff. It spooked me out! Ever since I logged out, I never logged back in.¡± ¡°Spells?¡± ¡°No one ever takes these kinds of sites seriously. But I¡¯d be careful, Nero. Like I said, don¡¯t get invested. You¡¯re a hunter, too. Good people don¡¯t get wrapped up with cult business.¡± ¡°Cult business?¡± Felix said, walking into our conversation. ¡°Sorry, I heard you two talking. I actually came up here to fetch you for our meeting.¡± ¡°Oh crap, I lost track of time,¡± I said, getting off my bed to head out, but Felix intercepted me, hung up with Ash and I¡¯s conversation. ¡°Hold on,¡± he chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s this I heard about cult business? Are you two¡­.¡± ¡°Hell no,¡± I refused. ¡°Nero and I were just talking about how this cult named Obrihden had their own website, telling everyone that shadow walkers are demons.¡± ¡°What? Seriously?¡± ¡°Just a bunch of weirdos getting into dark stuff. You know how bored people get.¡± ¡°Well, if they are spreading lies fast enough, and their movement is strong, they may convert the masses. Fear is a powerful thing.¡± I snorted. ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if their fan base is huge. People are so desperate for answers that they¡¯d pretty much follow anything that has a believable enough foundation.¡± ¡°Let me see this website,¡± Felix said, and I showed him the link. He snickered. ¡°Man, the lines some psychos online would cross.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle along with him. ¡°They¡¯re also writing some convincing ¡®dark rituals¡¯ too. That¡¯s what got Ash spooked.¡± ¡°Have you checked if this website is legit?¡± ¡°Ahh, no, not yet. I¡¯ll try searching for it now.¡± I copied and pasted it on my browser, Felix snatching my phone before I could look at it. Felix¡¯s eyes dissected the site which had a red and black theme, the tacky bold fonts and pixelated images giving it a real Myspace era vibe. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that the shadow walkers are real. But this...¡± He clicked on a tab on summoning demons, and another of being granted wishes through contracts. When I started reading along, Felix exited the website and scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s all utter nonsense, fear-mongering at its worst.¡± He handed me back my phone and smiled. ¡°Now come on! We got more important things to take care of this morning.¡± Felix walked out, Ash following him until she stopped short and turned to me. ¡°Hey Nero, got any more chocolate?¡± I flat-eyed her. ¡°Was that the real reason you paid me a visit?¡± ¡°If I said yes, would you be mad at me?¡± I sighed defeatedly. ¡°I gave you one Snicker¡¯s bar¡­.¡± ¡°You know what happens when you feed a cat once right? They keep coming back.¡± ¡°No kidding.¡± I snickered, reaching into my pocket and tossing her another treat. ¡°Pocky. Not a Snickers bar but¡ª¡± ¡°Better!¡± she sang, snatching it with her teeth again and dashing off on all fours. I scratched the back of my head and I wondered, sometimes, if Ash truly was a cat pretending to be a demi-human¡­. Anyway, it was time to face the music. Would I be staying in Utoro as a hunter, or would I be shipped back to New York as an Organization VII reject? B1.CH37: Judgement Day Back in the garden where it all began. How could a place that looked so peaceful fill me up with soaring anxiety? We were lined up again, just like we were when I¡¯d first met Master Hayashi¡ªFelix, Gun, Ash, Naomi, me, and Reina. Hayashi portaled in, this time, he was carrying a bottle of booze and a few shot glasses in his hand, those bags under his eyes more pronounced than ever. But unlike the first time we met, he didn¡¯t look shit-faced drunk. This was a special occasion, I said to myself. His gaze was sharp on us, and then me in particular. Master Hayashi walked a straight line to me and handed me the first shot glass and said, ¡°Today is a unique gathering. I don¡¯t normally share my liquor with my students, but an exception will be made. The week has gone by, and your evaluation period is officially over.¡± I bowed down to him respectfully. ¡°Thank you, Master Hayashi.¡± He then handed a glass to Reina, and then went back down the line to pass the rest of them out. ¡°Those of you who have been granted my blessing will share a drink with me. Those who have not, will get to guzzle down a mouthful of sunshine and fresh spring air. Which I heard, is good for the soul, but not so good for one¡¯s dignity. If you walk out of here unlisted, you will not be granted a second chance. The organization doesn¡¯t believe in do-overs, and neither do I.¡± Ash gulped. ¡°First, I¡¯d like to congratulate all of you on your bravery. Enlisting to become hunters was not an easy decision. While the concept of fame and fortune drives many through my doors, you are still taking an important oath of protecting the world from monsters. That within itself garners my respect. I¡¯d also like to congratulate you all for making it out of evaluation week alive and in one piece. Whatever the outcome of my decision, know that it was a pleasure getting to know each and every one of you.¡± Well, Hayashi was sure being nice today¡­ ¡°And I¡¯ll be watching your shattered faces with a broken heart as I kick you off of my property¡­.¡± Spoke too soon¡­. Hayashi was doing his best to prolong this nerve-wrecking meeting, getting all metaphorical on us again. His words were like stepping on pins and needles as he made us wait. I clutched the shot glass tightly, wondering if this would be my first and only drink with my mentor, or the last time I¡¯d be seeing him. As he talked, I had time to gauge everyone¡¯s reaction. Felix stood tall, trying his damn hardest to wear confidence I knew he didn¡¯t have. I could tell that he was sweating behind his collar, and rightfully so. Gun¡¯s face was stoic, betraying nothing. Ash looked like she was two seconds from dropping on her knees and pleading sensei for a second chance. Naomi picked at her nails nonchalantly, like she had no care in the world, and then I turned to Reina, who looked super serious. ¡°Felix Narvarro,¡± Hayashi said finally, Felix walking up to him promptly. ¡°I¡¯ve made my fair observations throughout the week, and came to learn that you have tremendous potential as a hunter. Your weapon wielding fusion with your wind meta is excellent and your ability to think on your feet has impressed me. I¡¯ve watched you grow and overcome your personal challenges. The days of doubting your decisions are over. Now, when faced with obstacles, you always mark your path, even if that path is made of jagged rocks and stone. Forever steadfast, no goal is unattainable through your eyes. I am honored to welcome you as an official hunter of Hunter Corp.¡± Felix broke down and fell on his knees with passion. He held back his tears as he slouched his shoulder forward and folded his hands and muttered, ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t know how much this meant to him until now. When we first met, he did say something about protecting his little sister. But Felix had been pretty placid so far, and the burst of emotion expressed just how much being here meant to him and his family. When he got up, he took his shot glass to Hayashi who popped the bottle open and poured him a drink. The liquid was clear and transparent, the smell coming off of it nothing I could recognize. Felix bowed and took his shot brave, his face turning tight from the burning aftertaste. He chuckled. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s definitely not light weight. What is it?¡± ¡°A secret cocktail, made from the finest ingredients,¡± he said after taking his own shot. ¡°Congratulations, Felix. You¡¯ve earned your stay at my home.¡± Next was Gun, and Hayashi said his piece. When he started, it sure sounded like Gun was going to be the first guy out. Our mentor highlighted all of his bad traits¡ªlack of seriousness, lack of consistency, carelessness, and lack of discipline. Basically, the guy got distracted whenever a cute chick crossed his path. I could see the look on Ash¡¯s face when Hayashi was grilling her teammate, but then he surprised everyone when he finished off with, ¡°However, you have also demonstrated creativity, resilience, and most importantly, heart. Welcome to the corp.¡± Holy shit, my heart skipped a beat. ¡°Jackpot!¡± Gun cheered as he flexed. ¡°Wise choice, considering I¡¯m your strongest student right now,¡± he said, then turned his head over his shoulder to wink at me. Dude was totally feeling himself right now. I¡¯ll let it slide¡­ Hayashi poured his next round, and Gun dropped it down easy. He pounded his fist into his chest and stifled a burp. ¡°Wow, that does burn, but in a good way. Kudos to the bartender!¡± Sensei squinted. ¡°You stay away from my mini bar, you hear?¡± Ash and I chuckled. It was Ash¡¯s turn, and she was the most nervous out of us all. From the start, she hadn¡¯t had the best relationship with Hayashi. He¡¯d pick on her every chance he¡¯d get, poking at her lack of discipline and her insatiable hunger. ¡°Sensei,¡± she began, her voice wavering. ¡°I know I have struggled with discipline and focus in your teachings. But I have been practicing diligently, and today I will show you how far I have come!¡± Hayashi said nothing, merely raising an eyebrow. ¡°It would be in your best interest, and in that of my fellow teammates, that I continue to strive under your guidance!¡± she continued confidently. ¡°Is that so?¡± he said. Though Hayashi¡¯s expression remained impassive, Ash could sense his skepticism. ¡°Hai, sensei,¡± she said firmly. ¡°I know I still have much to learn, but I am determined to prove myself. My teammates have worked hard to support me, and I cannot let them down.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°Let us see this newfound discipline of yours.¡± Out of nowhere, Hayashi pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket, Ash instantly gasping at the sight of it. ¡°I noticed your secret stash is running dry. This happens to be the last of your caramel and coco wafer bars.¡± Ash looked positively mortified. ¡°If you¡¯re as disciplined as you say you are, then you¡¯ll watch me eat it without making a peep.¡± She shook. ¡°H-h-ha-hai¡­.¡± Ash tensed up when Hayashi began to peel the wrapper. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but Hayashi told her to open them back up. ¡°You must watch me take every bite,¡± he whispered, Ash nodding hesitantly. I could smell the tantalizing aroma of chocolate from back here¡ªI couldn¡¯t imagine how tempting it was for the cat girl. But this was a test of her resolve. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t cave in and let her teacher down again. Hayashi¡¯s bites were slow with his chewing deliberately loud. I bet Ash was hating him right now as her caramel oozed over his tongue, the crunchy wafer mingling with the smooth chocolate. Our mentor savored each bite, but Ash remained firm. Control the mind, and the body will follow. Desires cloud judgment. Discipline brings clarity. I remembered his words to her as Ash kept her hands clenched at her sides. The crinkling of the wrapper as he finished the bar was deafening, but Ash was finally able to relax. The torment was over¡­. ¡°That was rather impressive,¡± Hayashi said. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever seeing you without food at your immediate reach. And yet, you were able to watch me eat your last guilty pleasure without curling over in a fetal position.¡± He smirked. ¡°Welcome to the corp.¡± She shared a drink with him, a smile curling on my lips. I was happy for Ash, Naomi going right after her. Master Hayashi didn¡¯t have much criticism for her, and I wasn¡¯t surprised. She came here confident that she was staying, and sure enough, she was. Naomi expressed that she wasn¡¯t a big fan of liquor, but rejection wasn¡¯t an option. When she downed it, she had no reaction, besides her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. Hayashi was tickled. After Naomi, it was my turn. I walked up to the plank, and for a long while, the only thing that Hayashi did was stare at me. And then, he finally spoke, ¡°Nero, you are very different from my other students. In my history of preparing young hunters for the challenges ahead, I have never come across someone quite like you.¡± I felt my heart sink. Was he going to reject me already? ¡°Tell me,¡± he continued. ¡°What drives you to become a hunter?¡± I paused for a second. ¡°Your answer will decide your future, so think about it carefully.¡± ¡°Family,¡± I said confidently. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for them. First and foremost. And then, I¡¯m doing it for everyone else.¡± ¡°Everyone else? I feel your two answers contradict each other.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they do, respectfully, sensei.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± I took a deep breath before responding. ¡°I don¡¯t see it as a contradiction. My family comes first - I want to protect them and provide for them. But I also have a broader purpose. As a hunter, I¡¯ll be defending people from threats some don¡¯t even know exist. I¡¯ll be making the world safer, even for those who never realize the danger they were in. So yes, I¡¯m driven by my love for my family. But I also feel a sense of duty to others¡ªto help those who cannot help themselves against the supernatural forces that hunters face.¡± ¡°If your family were out of the equation, would you be here? Truthfully?¡± ¡°I would.¡± ¡°You have no connection to the general population. If you¡¯re doing this for righteousness sake, I fail to see your anchor. In reality, your motivation lies within your family. If you disconnect from your family, I doubt you¡¯d be here.¡± I looked at him stark. ¡°Sensei?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, fame, fortune, prestige, glory¡ªthe majority of hunters fight for those reasons. They don¡¯t fight for the betterment of society. You took an oath to protect and serve. These are overtones. Deep inside, we fight for more selfish reasons. Which is why I asked you to answer me truthfully. So, I will ask you again, what drives you to become a hunter?¡± Why was he¡­ asking me these questions? Me in particular? He didn¡¯t lean so hard on the others, which had me thinking that the context was deeper than I thought. Was he trying to crack some code? Did he think that I was lying to him? Why was he so persistent with getting a specific answer out of me? ¡°Answer the question,¡± he insisted. ¡°My two reasons remain the same,¡± I answered. ¡°They don¡¯t contradict, in fact, they overlap. From a young age, I had felt a strong sense of justice and peace. I hated to see the weak preyed on. That kind of shit boils my blood. I am always willing to put myself in harm¡¯s way if it means helping others. I didn¡¯t care if I had powers. For most of my life, I didn¡¯t. Despite being meta-less, I saw myself as someone who was fortunate enough to be in this world. I¡¯m still breathing¡ªmany aren¡¯t as fortunate. So in a sense, I¡¯m privileged. And as a privileged person, it is my responsibility to help those less fortunate,¡± I continued. ¡°Like I said, I have felt this way for as long as I can remember. It¡¯s who I am; it¡¯s in my nature. It¡¯s as much a part of me as my flesh and bone. The powers I recently developed simply became a means to more effectively carry out my mission and my beliefs. And my beliefs are something I take very seriously. So if you ask me again, I will give you the same answer. I don¡¯t use my abilities for personal gain or out of a deep-seeded quest for power. I use them to make the world safer. Fame, money and glory are just bonuses. And I have no shame in being rewarded, and enjoying the rewards, too.¡± Everyone was quiet for a moment, including Hayashi. That frown on his face was nerve-wracking, until he finally cracked a soft smile. ¡°That answer is reassuring. Welcome to the corp.¡± Crap, Hayashi had me shitting bricks just now¡­. He poured me a drink and I took a hit. It gave me some odd chills, but I brushed it off and thanked him again. ¡°I appreciate the opportunity.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of potential. Don¡¯t let me down, Nero.¡± Last but not least, it was Reina¡¯s turn. I walked back in line, prompting Reina to step forward. Hayashi gave her a once over, his loitering making Reina ask, ¡°Well, hurry up and flunk me already!¡± He scoffed. ¡°I know you¡¯re itching to belittle me. Go on with it.¡± ¡°You remind me of someone,¡± he started. ¡°Reckless, impulsive, and have much to learn when it comes to respect.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that all you have observed?¡± Reina hissed back. ¡°No. You are selfish, haughty, and downright unbearable. Argumentative, unapologetically arrogant, and unfiltered in your persistent ideology that you are flawless in every way.¡± ¡°I refuse to apologize for who I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking for an apology. I¡¯m asking you to evaluate yourself. If you were me, would you pass someone like you?¡± ¡°I would! I¡¯ve done everything you asked of me!¡± Reina fired. ¡°Every failed mission, I¡¯ve given it my all! From being an escort for that repulsive fish man, to digging a grave for a golden tooth off of that corpse! I¡¯ve done things I¡¯d thought were well beyond my boundaries, all for the sake of¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°For the sake of what, Reina? Redemption? Honor?¡± Reina¡¯s face fell at his question, her mouth open to protest, but no words would come out. ¡°What are you fighting so hard for?¡± Her eyes softened. ¡°I don¡¯t have to give you the answer you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°How do you know what answer I¡¯m looking for? All I ask is that you answer honestly,¡± he said, before taking her hand with the shot glass and pouring her a drink. ¡°When the time comes, I¡¯d like to know, so I can help you reach your goals¡­.¡± Reina was speechless. And so was I¡­. ¡°Welcome to the corp.¡± My entire team got to stay in Hunter Academy, AKA, Hayashi¡¯s dojo. This was a fucking dream¡­. Reina was so overwhelmed that her hands shook. They shook so badly that she dropped the shot glass between her feet. And then, she did something no one expected¡ªshe tackled our mentor with a hug. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she whispered through her trembling breath. Hayashi stood there, Reina¡¯s sudden embrace catching Hayashi off guard. He was frozen for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Though he maintained his stoic demeanor, inside, her gesture stirred something in him. After a brief hesitation, he slowly returned the hug, resting his hand between her furry ears. It was the first act of real human connection he had allowed himself to show, and honestly, it brought a smile to my face. ¡°You¡¯ve earned it,¡± he said simply. Reina stepped back, her eyes glistening. She quickly brushed away a tear before it could fall. Hayashi pretended not to notice. ¡°Wooo!¡± Ash cheered, jumping with joy. ¡°You just passed all of us!¡± Felix beamed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still standing with all of those shots you had to take!¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Gun chuckled. ¡°The man is a professional! He can hold down his liquor better than all of us combined!¡± Hayashi smirked. I couldn¡¯t believe it¡­ the trial was seriously over¡­. We were all bonafide monster hunters¡­. B1.CH38: Hot Springs Evaluation week came and went, and now, we were certified and licensed monster hunters! What was a short seven days felt like an eternity. The road to official membership wasn¡¯t easy for me and my team, but I was glad we made it out as a group. Felix¡¯s team had their shortcomings too, and they stuck it out as well. Even Gun, who swore he was always bored to death, but tonight, he wouldn¡¯t be because our sensei allowed us to use the hot springs for the first time. It was totally Gun¡¯s idea to ask and immediately jump on the offer. It was obvious why he was so anxious to dip in¡ªhe wanted to see Reina in her birthday suit. I was interested myself¡ªnot in naked Reina, but in the hot springs. Before dinner, we made plans, all five of us, where Naomi was the obvious party pooper who refused to join. After very little convincing from Gun who had invited all of us, I went back to my bedroom to try and get Naomi on board. I knocked and she invited me in, where I found her sitting on the window nook with her little black book. ¡°Hey, are you sure you don¡¯t want to join? We are celebrating.¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°Are you super sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely interested in seeing indecency on a maximum level.¡± I laughed. ¡°Gun was just messing around.¡± She craned her eyes to me and deadpanned. ¡°Was he, though?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s going skinny dipping, Naomi. Come on, you¡¯ve rejected us every time we asked you to hang out. It¡¯s not every day we¡¯d get to celebrate becoming officially licensed hunters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as big a deal as you¡¯re making it out to be. I already knew you would pass.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had so much faith in me. But, just like you promised you¡¯d help me make it to the top, I¡¯d promised to help you socialize more. And this is an important step.¡± ¡°Seems like a pretty big important step. A complete nightmare for introverts.¡± ¡°No one said it was going to be easy.¡± ¡°Pass.¡± I sighed, a smile still on my face. ¡°Well, all right. If you change your mind, you know where to find us.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be waiting up,¡± she said, and then I turned around and walked over to my futon. I slipped my t-shirt over my head, feeling Naomi¡¯s eyes on my toplessness already. There was no mistake that she was taking in my dragon scales, seeing as it was the first time she¡¯d seen all of it along my chest. I took my phone from the nightstand and began to walk back out, before she abruptly stopped me and said, ¡°Wait¡­.¡± She closed her book, and I turned my head around and asked, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± Naomi¡¯s face turned a tinge of pink as she clutched her black leather book against her chest, and she hesitated before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go¡­. But only for a while¡­.¡± A smile spread across my face as I said, ¡°Fantastic! You won¡¯t regret it, Naomi. I promise.¡± She nodded, not quite meeting my gaze, but I could see a flicker of anticipation in her eyes. With that, I allowed her to prepare herself in the bedroom while I stood just outside the door. When she came back out, she had a white crop top on with a pair of black, boy shorts that looked like boxer briefs. It was the most skin I¡¯d seen on Naomi, and even though I felt the need to comment on her outfit, all I managed to say was, ¡°Who knew there¡¯d be a pool out back, right? Didn¡¯t pack any swim trunks or anything.¡± ¡°Is this appropriate?¡± she asked, and I was curious as to why she wanted my opinion. Did she want my approval or a compliment? ¡°Look¡¯s fine!¡± I said safely, trying to avoid being a creep. ¡°Just¡­ fine?¡± ¡°Fine as in, fine?¡± ¡°Fine in what level of the definition?¡± Naomi, what is this? Some type of word game?! I caved in. ¡°Okay, you look cute in that outfit.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she said simply. ¡°You do, too¡­.¡± Huh?! Cute wasn¡¯t the word I was looking for, but I¡¯d take it! We headed out to the hot springs, where I expected Naomi and I to be the first ones there. But Gun was already inside of the water, with a cooler filled with what looked like beer bottles, some towels, and a small speaker sitting on the bench behind him. His face lit up with surprise when he saw Naomi trailing behind me, Gun moving closer toward the edge of the pool. ¡°Naomi, you decided to join us after all!¡± he exclaimed, then looked around us before asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Reina?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, how the hell did you get here so fast?!¡± I asked. We¡¯d just been in the kitchen less than five minutes ago. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to wait around for you slow pokes!¡± he jested. ¡°Figured I¡¯d get a head start. Plus, the water¡¯s just right!¡± ¡°Do you have any clothes on under there?¡± Naomi said sarcastically. ¡°Of course! Unless¡­ you don¡¯t want me to?¡± He smirked deviously. ¡°God, please, keep them on.¡± I cringed. He laughed. ¡°Seriously, where is Reina?¡± ¡°No clue. I went to my bedroom when I stepped out.¡± ¡°She left the same time you did, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I heard Ash¡¯s voice behind us, and when I turned, I noticed the girl wearing a tight pink tube top with matching underwear. ¡°You guys are already here! I brought us some snacks!¡± she said, pulling out a basket of goodies from behind her. ¡°They had white chocolate Kit Kat bars in that convenience store! I can¡¯t wait to try them out!¡± Well, someone replenished their secret stash quickly. I snorted. ¡°So much for Hayashi¡¯s whole bit about discipline and controlling one¡¯s urges.¡± ¡°Looks like the party is all here,¡± Felix said as he walked in. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Kenji¡¯s actually letting us use this small slice of heaven right now.¡± ¡°Might be our only chance in forever, so make good use of it!¡± I smiled. Ash and Felix jumped in, Ash doing the most with her reactions. Her back arched as soon as her body fell in the pool, her fingers curled, and a resounding ¡®ahhhh¡¯ echoed through the backyard. Goosebumps pimpled along her skin as the warm water enveloped her body. She let out a satisfying gasp, shaking her head to toss her wet hair back. Felix on the other hand executed a perfect cannonball, causing waves to splash over the sides of the pool and drenching everyone in the vicinity. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°You¡¯re a maniac!¡± Ash said in bubbly laughter. ¡°You can¡¯t just jump in! You gotta let your body get acclimated.¡± ¡°Acclimation is for the weak,¡± he teased. ¡°Man, this water feels awesome. Are you two going to jump in or what?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± I turned to Naomi. ¡°Ladies first!¡± ¡°No, you go.¡± ¡°If I go in, you promise not to turn back around, right?¡± She gave me a sarcastic glare. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t run away,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Too bad I don¡¯t believe you,¡± I said, then snatched her before she had time to react. My hand scooped her from behind her knees and I lifted her up, and then I turned around to jump inside with her. Poor Naomi didn¡¯t yelp or scream, instead, she grabbed onto me for dear life. I then wondered if she knew how to swim, seeing how tense she was when she held onto me. We submerged inside the water for a short bit, the sound of our comrades laughing amping when we surfaced again. I whipped my hair back and forth and looked at Naomi still in my arms, and with a long smile on my face, I asked her, ¡°See, it wasn''t too bad now, was it?¡± ¡°I feel like a wet dog,¡± she said as she brushed her wet bangs away from her eyes, and then she looked up to me¡­ completely mesmerized. She blushed, again¡­ and the second time, she didn¡¯t peel her eyes away from me. Right then, I couldn¡¯t help but think that she might have a thing for me. Little miss knock me over every week on campus interested in a nerd like me. Now that I gave it some serious thought, it wasn¡¯t too hard to believe. From that fateful registration day, she made it clear that she was out to help me. And now, I knew why¡­. She¡¯d been messing with me for months because she liked me¡­. Okay, maybe Chen was right. I was oblivious as shit. I¡¯d also lied to him when I¡¯d said I wasn¡¯t looking at her that way. Even if I did have a crush on her since the beginning of senior year, I had a feeling a giftless reg like me had no shot with her. It took being squad mates for me to understand her love language. Who knows, if I¡¯d picked up on her hints earlier, we might have already been a couple by now. But, I was getting a little too ahead of myself right now. I guess she wasn¡¯t the only one excited. As she hung there timidly, looking away from me while we had a moment, I jested and asked her, ¡°Comfortable?¡± ¡°I revoke my right to answer that¡­¡± she whispered, that blush on her face getting hotter. But her mood was due to change when I noticed Reina finally walking in, at 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­. ¡°Why are you cradling her like that?¡± she hissed. ¡°Will the witch melt if she remains in the water?¡± Reina tittered, my eyes glossing over her red bikini. ¡°God damn, Reina, you look smoking hot,¡± Gun blurted out, earning himself a playful punch on the arm from Ash. ¡°That¡¯s not how you compliment a lady!¡± Ash retorted. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell she took the time to accessorize?¡± She turned to Reina with a smile and complimented, ¡°You look positively radiant, Reina! A matching ruby ankle bracelet, matching flip flop sandals¡­ and are those actual gold studs along the strap?¡± ¡°They are!¡± Reina beamed. ¡°Thanks for noticing, Ashley.¡± Reina smirked, clearly reveling in the attention. ¡°Who packs a bikini on a hunter trip?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. The rest of us were clearly unprepared for this poolside experience, and yet, Reina had options. ¡°You couldn¡¯t expect me to work on the clock every day, now, could you?¡± I flat eyed her. ¡°This isn¡¯t a vacation.¡± ¡°Unlike you, I planned for a beach time escape.¡± She gave me a smug grin as she pinned her hands to her hips. ¡°Don¡¯t get upset with me because you didn¡¯t consider it. I am half Japanese, and while I¡¯ve been to my mother¡¯s homeland on a few occasions, I¡¯ve never been to Utoro. So I have every right to indulge. Just like you two¡­¡± She paused, eyeing Naomi suggestively. ¡°It looks like I¡¯m interrupting something,¡± she said as she raised an eyebrow at us. ¡°We were discussing strategy for our upcoming assignment,¡± Naomi lied. Reina snorted. ¡°Right. Because whispering sweet nothings and cradling each other is essential for taking down the enemy.¡± ¡°The strategy was to leave you stranded,¡± Naomi hissed, Ash back there stifling a laugh. Reina however wasn¡¯t amused as she glared at Naomi. ¡°You know, you¡¯re not as funny as you think you are. Hmph,¡± Reina sassed, before she walked toward the edge of the pool, dipping her toe inside to test the water. ¡°It¡¯s hotter than I expected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hot spring, Reina,¡± I said, before letting Naomi go, the look on her eyes spelling mischief. ¡°Obviously! I¡¯ve been to one before, just not one this hot.¡± ¡°Would you hurry up and get in already?¡± I asked, Reina hissing at me not to rush her. And that was when Naomi did it, the telekinetic girl using her powers to toss Reina into the pool. She shrieked, splashing water everywhere when she sank. By the time she resurfaced, Reina¡¯s eyes blazed with fury. She was red all over, her skin more sensitive than ours. She wiped the water from her face, while I caught her gold studded sandals buoying along the pool before I tossed them aside. Ash was doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach as Felix joined in, unable to contain themselves. ¡°Maybe that can wash off that terrible, self-glorifying attitude of yours,¡± Naomi taunted. I snickered, watching that vein along Reina¡¯s forehead strain. She was sputtering with rage. ¡°Oh, you think it¡¯s funny to toss a lady into a pool, do you? Just for that, I¡¯m going to¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to do anything,¡± I cut in with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s not make it a habit of bringing Hayashi¡¯s house down.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, my back is still killing me from fixing up his meeting hall,¡± Gun complained, stretching his waist back. Reina was quiet for a moment, glowering at Naomi. Then she slowly began to giggle. It started as a low chuckle that quickly escalated into full-throated laughter. ¡°Oh, I see what this is! It all makes sense! But sweetheart, you¡¯ve got it all wrong, I¡¯m not looking in the same direction you are. And I¡¯m certainly not after what you¡¯re after, either¡­.¡± Naomi squinted. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Ohhh nothing¡­¡± she sang, tapping her finger along her chin as she eyed Naomi mischievously. ¡°My only advice is that you start acting right with me, or you¡¯d find things much harder for you¡­.¡± ¡°Reina, what the hell are you talking about?¡± I asked her, confused. ¡°Naomi knows what I¡¯m talking about, don¡¯t you, Naomi?¡± Naomi fed her a dark glare. ¡°Or I could be clearer, if she doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± Reina¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Good! As long as she understands, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°Heh, I feel like we are missing some huge context here,¡± Felix said sheepishly. ¡°Did we skip a few pages in the book, or?¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Naomi said, before she started to edge closer to the pool. ¡°Wait, where are you going? We¡¯re just getting started?¡± ¡°I forgot I had¡­ something important to do inside.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ash asked. ¡°Got enough sweets for all of us!¡± ¡°Yeah. Good night.¡± I watched her leave, knowing all too well that it had something to do with what Reina had said that made her back off. Reina was back there giggling, and when I turned to her, I gave her a look. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°Oops! Guess she wasn¡¯t ready excited about the pool after all. Such a shame, I truly will miss her.¡± ¡°Reina, cut it out. What did you mean when you said¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you should bother yourself with. Honestly, Nero. Quit complaining and simply enjoy yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dragon Head,¡± Ash said, handing me a bottle of beer. ¡°She can hang out with us next time!¡± I was finding it hard to enjoy myself knowing that Naomi was upset. I was the one who pushed her to join us. Ash and Felix insisted I not chase after her, and if anything, we could talk later. This was our celebration after all, and we ought to break loose and have fun. After a few drinks, I could tell that the mood in the pool was getting there. Maybe, a little too loose. Ash, Felix, and I were deep in conversation about Marvel movies and Pop figures, while Gun was in the corner, putting the moves on Reina. She was all liquored up after only two bottles; the girl was unable to hold her alcohol. The once hard to get rich brat was all giggles and flirts with a guy she hardly looked at, Gun finally catching a break. I chuckled to myself, shaking my head at them before I turned around, noticing a strange look on Ash¡¯s face as she stared at them. ¡°Hey, you good, Ash?¡± I asked her, the girl snapping her head back sheepishly. ¡°Oh, yeah! I¡¯m livin¡¯ it big! Wooo!¡± Felix snorted, continuing to look at the couple. ¡°I think we should give these two some space, yeah?¡± ¡°Agreed. I¡¯m not in the mood to spectate,¡± I teased. ¡°I¡¯m already feeling like a third wheel.¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± Ash said, brushing off the faint touch of jealousy in her voice. I went back to my room, expecting Naomi to be there, but it was empty. It was getting late, just about time I retired for the night. So I locked the door and turned back around to change, drying myself with my towel one last time. I was thinking of giving my folks a call before I knocked out, but then a strange feeling crept up my back as I stood at the foot of my floor bed. The first thing that crossed my mind was a flesh eater. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, it should have been the last thing to consider. But the feeling was dangerous and¡­ oddly sweet, like figs and honey. Whatever was behind me caught me at a ridiculously bad time, my bare ass cheeks facing the threat as I clenched them impulsively. At this point, I¡¯d been frozen still for a few seconds now. It knew I was onto it. So the only option I really had was to turn around and fight¡­. I pivoted around with the towel between my legs, ready to square off with a beast. But instead of finding a giant monster, I saw a giant woman! I looked up to her and her height with a flush on my face as she stood there with her gorgeous melons casting a shadow over my indecency. She pinned her hand over her hip and batted her lashes at me. ¡°Well, well, well,¡± she cooed, her gaze between my legs. ¡°Is that a meta-ability, or are you just happy to see me?¡± B1.CH39: Lady L I keeled over and fell on my bed, instinctively raking my towel over my hips. My heart raced as I tried to figure out how this chick got inside of my bedroom! I shook my head, trying to snap out of it. Clearly, I was dreaming, that had to be it. There was no way she just waltzed in here without anyone noticing! Unless¡­. ¡°Nero Aldeon,¡± she sang and pulled out her hand for a formal handshake. ¡°The pleasure is mine.¡± Her voice was rich and warm, almost like a soothing lullaby. The chick was a full-sized Amazonian, with long black hair and jade eyes. She had full pink lips, which curled into a mischievous smile. Her figure was curvy in all the right places, the kind that could make even a statue blush. I hesitated to take her hand, but when she wiggled her fingers, I relented. If she tries anything funny, I have something in my back pocket for her¡­. When I took her offer, she quickly reeled me in. She scooped me up like I weighed nothing more than a feather, my feet stumbling as I stood up. The mystery girl jerked me right into her, my chest bouncing off her jugs like a slinky. I collected myself in a rush to not look so damn flustered, but she just grinned like she knew exactly what I was thinking. ¡°Tall, dark and handsome,¡± she purred into my ear, her breath tickling my skin. ¡°You certainly look delicious../.¡± Her words sent a jolt down my spine as I tried not to twitch under my towel. It was wrong to think of her in that way, but damn, if she wasn¡¯t one heck of a distraction¡­. But I had to get my head straight here¡ªshe was still a stranger in Hayashi¡¯s house¡­. ¡°I¡¯m Lady L,¡± she introduced. ¡°A member of Organization VII.¡± Wait, what the actual hell?! ¡°I¡¯m also the one overseeing your sector. You can think of me as your boss.¡± She winked. ¡°Then, this would make this very awkward encounter even more taboo,¡± I joked. ¡°Aww, if it helps, you can slip some clothes on.¡± I felt a sweat drop along my forehead as I continued covering my bottom half. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like that.¡± She snickered. ¡°So how about you answer the big elephant in the room?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± her voice peaked. ¡°No, not that elephant!¡± ¡°Now I really want to see what you¡¯re hiding behind that towel.¡± I fought a blush on my face. ¡°Listen, lady, I¡¯m not entirely convinced that you¡¯re human let alone an elite council head. For all I know, this could be some sick trick to¡ª¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you let me earn your trust?¡± I hesitated, not sure whether to trust this mysterious woman who called herself Lady L. On the one hand, she claimed to be from Organization VII and my boss, which seemed far-fetched. But on the other hand, she had an alluring presence that made me want to give her the benefit of the doubt. ¡°Alright,¡± I said slowly. ¡°How do you plan on earning my trust?¡± Lady L smiled, her red lips curling up slyly. ¡°Well, for starters, how about I help you get dressed?¡± She lifted a finger and spun it over once, and then all of a sudden, my towel started glowing. Its size multiplied before it draped over my skin, my immediate reaction to step back and avoid it. At first, I thought she was being sneaky and trying to attack me, before I realized that what was magically clothing me was cotton fabric. And not just any fabric, it was my plain white T with the words ¡®level up¡¯ in boldface letters, and my pair of gray sweatpants. My hands brushed down my chest as I tried to understand how she¡¯d done that. And when I looked over to the folded pile of clothes I had laid out in my bed, I saw the towel I¡¯d been wearing a few seconds ago¡­. ¡°Matter replacement¡­.¡± I whispered to myself, then turned to her with my mouth hanging on the floor. ¡°Even if you were a shapeshifter, there¡¯s no way you would have been able to mimic her powers. Unless of course, your power was mimic. Chances of that are¡ª¡± ¡°Slim to none.¡± I scoffed. ¡°I had a recent run in with a crazy sword girl who could almost do that. She uses her blade to absorb soul extensions. But¡­ my mind is still not processing something here¡­.¡± She tittered. ¡°You¡¯re overwhelmed, which is understandable. It¡¯s not every day we grace the public with our presence. But you¡¯re not just anybody, are you Nero?¡± My heart raced. ¡°You¡¯re seriously Lady L¡­ of Organization VII, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°See? Now we are getting somewhere,¡± she sang, then she leaned back like she was about to fall. Instead, she sat down in some type of invisible chair, crossing one leg over the other and lounging easily as she studied me. I¡¯d never seen Lady L¡¯s face behind the golden mask. No one ever had. Quite honestly, all I had to go by was how well she pulled off her powers, and the fact that she sounded like her, and matched her body type to every last measurable detail. Even so, I was convinced, because the power around her felt like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before¡­. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Like I said, it was dangerous, the kind of dangerous that could put any brave SOB down. The more I focused on it, the more pronounced it was. And with the way she was studying me and smiling at me, I had to wonder why she paid me a visit like this in the first place. Maybe Naomi was right about my powers drawing attention¡­. ¡°I received a report from Kenji¡ªyou¡¯ve passed your evaluation period. How do you feel, Nero?¡± I broke out in a nervous smirk. ¡°Good. Amazing, even. But¡­ I hope you¡¯re not here to take it away, are you?¡± ¡°Now how did you come up with such a bizarre assumption?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Sometimes when something good happens, something bad has a habit of happening right after. Seems to be the theme of my life, really.¡± ¡°Well, Nero had finally caught a break. Five gifts, each one unique. You don¡¯t need me to tell you how rare this is, do I?¡± ¡°Not at all. I know I¡¯m a walking phenomenon. Gotten quite used to it, by now.¡± ¡°Then why on earth would I ever pull someone with your skill set out of the field?¡± She smiled. ¡°You¡¯re more than a diamond in the rough, Nero. Which means that you ought to be protected at all costs. And valued at all times. Frankly, I don¡¯t think it has really sunk in yet, the extent to which you¡¯re special. Not only have you been gifted at such a late age, you managed to acquire beyond the maximum number of talents we¡¯ve seen to date.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re here?¡± She giggled. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°But, why like this? You know, in Hayashi¡¯s spare bedroom and not in a tower in headquarters or something?¡± ¡°I wanted to meet you in a more personal space,¡± she explained, her jade eyes glinting in the low light. ¡°Getting to know my most gifted agent on a one on one level this way is important to me. I want you to be comfortable with me, Nero. To be someone you can rely on, and to be someone you can trust.¡± Her words seemed innocent enough, but then her face shifted into a more serious tone. ¡°Because in this industry, you need someone like me to survive¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°While I am more than impressed that you have these unique and one of a kind gifts, there are others who would see you as a threat. Your gifts are extraordinary, but they also make you a target. There are those who would seek to use your powers for their own means¡­ or snuff them out entirely,¡± she warned me, her voice hardening at the last words. ¡°I despise both ideas. We as a society are so easily offended by those who are different, those who don¡¯t conform to expectations. Your gifts set you apart, make you special, and that unfortunately breeds cruelty and resentment in small minds. But I see your potential, Nero. I see how your powers could change things for the better, if properly guided. Your gifts should be nurtured, not suppressed or exploited.¡± ¡°By they, are you referring to the other six members of the organization?¡± ¡°I am. Alastair, Enujin, Saiyer, Bors, Mavees, and Predemcer.¡± My breath hitched. ¡°The other members of the elite guild want me dead?¡± She giggled. ¡°No silly! They want you neutralized.¡± Like that was supposed to make me feel better?! ¡°Have you ever heard of the human condition? What does society tend to do when they don¡¯t understand something? A select few study it, others try to manipulate it, and the majority tend to fear it. And fear breeds hostility,¡± she continued. ¡°Human history is rife with examples of all three. The other elite heads are no different. You are an unknown element, something to be wary of,¡± she went on. ¡°They don¡¯t fully grasp the extent of your abilities, and that makes them anxious. They prefer things to be orderly, systematic. Anything that doesn¡¯t fall under that is put under the spotlight under a very strict lens.¡± ¡°So all in all, they see me as a threat? That¡¯s the only reason they¡¯d be hostile about my powers.¡± Her eyes softened on me. ¡°They do, Nero. They fear that you are the beginning of something that cannot be controlled in the future, and for that, they would prefer you neutralized.¡± ¡°I could see that, but, why aren¡¯t you worried about me?¡± She smiled. ¡°I have no reason to fear abnormalities. If everyone were the same, then we wouldn¡¯t be in the mess we are in right now, would we? There¡¯s never such a thing as balance. Whether we like it or not, some are destined to be leaders, and others, not so much. Those who are afraid are usually the ones who are jealous and spiteful, and we will put them in their place, together.¡± ¡°Put them in their place? What did you want me to do about it?¡± ¡°All I want you to do is reach out when things are in disarray,¡± she said, getting off her invisible throne and walking up to me. She reached her hand over my temple and tapped her finger along it twice, and somehow opened up my system dashboard without me wearing my H-Tec device! She then went ahead and added a five digit number in my items slot before turning everything off. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we could activate our sys boards like that¡­.¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t, but I can. I added my number via your unit¡¯s power residual. It should still be stored the next time you put it on.¡± ¡°B-but, how, di-did¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It isn¡¯t your job to understand Organization technology! It¡¯s like trying to decode the premise of our Hunter Game arenas.¡± ¡°Damn, what money can buy¡­.¡± She smirked. ¡°Right, money¡­.¡± She winked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone we met tonight. And don¡¯t tell anyone you have my direct line. In order for this partnership to work, we must be discreet about these things. It¡¯s only for your own protection, Nero.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to protect me?¡± I smirked. ¡°That¡¯s going to be hard to do if you want to keep this partnership between us on the hush-hush.¡± ¡°Not if you consider the repercussions of not being careful from here on out.¡± She frowned. ¡°Nero, I want you to gauge how serious this is. The Organization isn¡¯t going to come down themselves and pull you out of the corp. I told them that I will look after you, and to prove that you¡¯re not as dangerous as they are making you seem. But some of them are thick-headed and will go against my assignment to deal with you themselves. I just know it.¡± I straightened my face and nodded. ¡°I get it. Still, it seems weird that my higher ups are willing to throw me into the fire because of my powers¡­. I wanted so badly to believe that I had nothing to worry about getting this strong.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t have anything to worry about. This is a working partnership. I made an oath to support every meta-human in my sector, and that includes you. We work for the people, not each other, understand?¡± She smiled. ¡°And I¡¯m going to make sure we continue doing our work for humanity here to the best that we are able to.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lady L. I feel a little relieved after hearing that.¡± ¡°Of course. After all, I could never let them hurt such a sexy face¡­¡± she cooed, Lady L giving me bedroom eyes. She inched closer, the back of her finger grazing along my neck and down my scales. Her eyes followed the trail, her lips puckering at the feel of my skin against hers before she whispered, ¡°Those scales¡­ they look just like his up close¡­.¡± I raised an eyebrow at her, before those jade eyes met mine. ¡°You take good care of yourself, Nero. And remember what I told you.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t tell anyone, and buzz in when shit seems off. Which, honestly, right now is going to be every day of my life if you think about it.¡± She giggled. ¡°I can see why she likes you.¡± I flashed her another confused look before she leaned into me and gave me a soft kiss on my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, all right?¡± B1.CH40: Love Is In The Air I was still fighting off chills from that random meeting I had with Lady L last night. It was crazy enough having her visit me in my bedroom, but to hear about the entire Organization being against me? Well, I did have a warning from Naomi, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t really invested too much in worrying about it. Just like I shouldn¡¯t be worried about it now. It was something beyond my control. To be fair, I¡¯d be afraid of me, too. Stacking meta abilities like nobody¡¯s business, growing stronger and more powerful. I was one serious SOB in the making! That being said, these last few days had been pretty tame. I hadn¡¯t gotten a new ability since thermal vision. I had no idea what caused the slowdown and didn¡¯t bother too much with it, either. I was too busy toning the skills that I did have with my training sessions with Master Hayashi that it didn¡¯t cross my mind, until last night. Hell, what if I didn¡¯t have someone like Lady L looking out for me? Would I have been cooked by now? As I finished my routine on this sunny Monday morning, I tried not to fixate on it. As long as I was still hunting full time, I was solid. She also said to contact her if I found myself in any trouble with other talent. If the Organization felt froggy and decided to jump me, they¡¯d send strong metas my way. But that was only if I gave them a reason to. Lady L would try her best to run damage control at headquarters. All I had to do was stand guard and keep myself out of trouble by not being the trouble. And I had no intention of fucking my career over by being some narcissistic OP badass who became thirsty for power. Didn¡¯t fit my motto. I had a different one, well¡­ two to be exact. My newly acquired ¡®don¡¯t sweat what you can¡¯t control,¡¯ and my original ¡®looking out for one another.¡¯ I could never forget the last one. It¡¯s what I lived by, and what I¡¯d been constantly reminded of each and every day. Ever since I started training with Master Hayashi, he had drilled certain mantras into my head, wanting me to live by a warrior¡¯s code. There were so many, so god damn many. Whenever we went on his metaphorical journey, I tuned him out. It was the same script. Something about honor, another about protecting the weak. Master Hayashi was always going on about how with great power comes great responsibility, like I was a character in some comic book. I had powers most people would kill for, so it was my duty to use it to help others. Now that I thought about it, that explained why he drilled me yesterday about what I wanted from my hunting career¡­. Well, he didn¡¯t have anything to worry about, and neither did Organization VII. I wasn¡¯t about to be selfish with my talents, and I wasn¡¯t about to screw it up for my family and go dark. Being here meant too much for me to allow greed and power to get over my head, I said to myself, my stomach protesting. Ugh, my hunger was kicking in big time. I headed for the kitchen for a hearty breakfast. It was about time I had a decent one for the first time in Hayashi¡¯s dojo. Luckily, Ash had done some groceries with the money we finally got to cash in. Since we were official now, all six of us got paid for our contracts. I wasn¡¯t broke for a change! Now, the real question was, how was I going to make this money stretch out for me and my family? Better question, why the hell were we letting someone like Ash do our groceries every other day? ¡°I swear the freezer was fuller before I went for that ice pop last night¡­¡± I muttered to myself deep in thought, not paying attention as I heard whistling down the hallway. I picked my head up, but by then it was too late. I bumped right into Gun, who was strolling down with his hands in his pockets, as high spirited and merry as ever. I grinned. ¡°Well, well, well, someone¡¯s in a good mood this morning.¡± ¡°Dragon Head!¡± he beamed. ¡°Heading to chow town? You better get there fast before Ash cleans up the place.¡± I snickered. ¡°I¡¯m just crossing my fingers that she didn¡¯t clean out the fridge. You seem happy as shit this morning.¡± ¡°Sure am!¡± I laughed and shook my head. ¡°Classic Gun, always on the prowl. Let me guess? You finally got some?¡± He snorted. ¡°What?¡± ¡°With Reina? I saw you two hitting it off last night. I know you had your eyes on her ass ever since we¡ª¡± Gun¡¯s dashing toward me cut me off, my eyes getting big at his abrupt leap. He grabbed me by my shoulders and slammed me against the wall, that offended look on his face stretching wider. ¡°Just what kind of a man do you think I am?!¡± he whistled through his teeth sheepishly. I felt like that was a trick question, but regardless, I answered honestly and said with a squint, ¡°The horny kind?¡± He cleared his throat and sharpened his voice behind his fist. ¡°While this may be true, Reina is not like the other girls. She¡¯s different¡­¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°A classy woman like her requires more effort. Real delicate work.¡± Delicate? The girl was no flower. And if she were, she had thorns¡­. ¡°I did nothing with her last night. Not even a gentle peck on the cheek.¡± He¡­ he wasn¡¯t serious, was he? ¡°Instead, I serenaded her¡­¡± he said with a proud smile on his face. ¡°With my guitar and my lovely, swooning baritone voice!¡± ¡°Y-you¡­ brought a guitar?¡± ¡°Of course! Didn¡¯t you hear my harmonic melody in the high hours of midnight?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ I was¡­ sleeping.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t meant for the dojo, anyway. It was for Reina!¡± he said with a proud white smile. ¡°Okay, gotta say I didn¡¯t see that coming¡­¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°What was that?¡± I chuckled sheepishly. ¡°Heh, nothing!¡± I blinked, as Gun continued beaming with pride over his unusual romantic tactics. A serenade by moonlight? That was certainly a new approach for him. Reina would be the one to change someone like Gun. Soon, he¡¯d be less consumed by his usual antics and more thoughtful, even reflective. Maybe Reina was inspiring something new in him. I didn¡¯t know this guy¡¯s track record, but something told me that it was a special feat to witness in person. Still, I had to chuckle internally at the thought of Gun hauling a guitar around, determined to properly court this woman who had caught his interest. He could be surprisingly sentimental when he wanted to be¡­. ¡°Well hey, good for you, Gun! I¡¯m happy for you.¡± ¡°I have you to thank for that, Nero.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you didn¡¯t throw in the towel in our fight, she might not have seen me the same way. You didn¡¯t have to do that, but I¡¯m glad you did.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°No problem!¡± ¡°You know, one of these days, we should have a serious fight, one where you don¡¯t hold back.¡± He winked. I snickered nervously. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯m pretty sure these fists could break through metal.¡± He laughed. He didn¡¯t think I was serious. Part of me was tempted to show him, to really cut loose in a fight someday. But I knew that was stupid. My powers were meant to help me protect others, not to feed some macho desire to prove myself. Besides, Gun seemed happy now. His mind was on romance, not fighting. I should leave him to his moonlight serenades with Reina. At least that way she¡¯d stop annoying the crap out of me. ¡°On a different note, you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re ready to head out to school this morning,¡± I asked, noticing that he didn¡¯t have his uniform on. The standard colors for Nishimaru International were black and white¡ªblack bottoms and a white top. Gun was dressed heavy on the casual side, which was why I asked him that question. Today was our first day of classes, and we were expected to be there on time. Hayashi stressed that a lot. Not only for appearances, but for us to familiarize ourselves with the commute. He tossed his head back and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not a uniform type of guy.¡± I chuckled. ¡°What are you talking about? Hayashi is going to hand us our hunting gear tonight. And it¡¯s mandatory.¡± ¡°I know, doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it. The whole idea is stupid, anyway, don¡¯t you think? If a flesh eater spots our uniform, then we¡¯ll be compromised either way.¡± ¡°Not if we aren¡¯t on a covert mission. I¡¯ve done a few of those already, and I wasn¡¯t in uniform.¡± I smirked. ¡°Just wear the outfit and quit complaining.¡± ¡°I hate being put into categories.¡± I snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just upset that you can¡¯t v-neck your line like you¡¯re used to.¡± ¡°Well, what can I say? I love showing off all of my assets,¡± he said with a flex. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way around it, make it my own.¡± ¡°Yeah, we all know how you like to stick out from a crowd. Got any assignments lined up?¡± ¡°Nope. Just classes. You?¡± ¡°Not yet, and I¡¯m not exactly itching for any today, either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same. After class, I¡¯m going to spend some time with Reina.¡± You mean she agreed to that sober? ¡°Take her shopping downtown Utoro, you know, walk around and get to know the area.¡± ¡°Jeez, Gun, you better be careful with that. She¡¯s going to run your pockets dry.¡± He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll get it all back with these contracts, and the Hunter Games event coming up! I need to take every opportunity I can to get to know her better. I really like her a lot. And with everything that¡¯s been going on lately, I could use a break to just relax and enjoy time with someone special.¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve seen enough of downtown Utoro from our contracts. A little down time at the dojo sounds more appealing. But don¡¯t take too long getting ready. You know how Master Hayashi gets when we¡¯re not where we are supposed to be on time.¡± Just as I said that, Mrs. Tardy herself appeared, Reina walking down the hall and spotted us talking. ¡°Morning,¡± I said with a friendly smile and wave. ¡°Nero¡­¡± she said in a groggy voice as she held her bath things in her arms. ¡°Gunther¡­.¡± ¡°Hey Reina!¡± he tweeted, before he reeled in all of that excitement just so he could look cool. He cleared his throat and did a smooth do-over, but Reina wasn¡¯t impressed. In fact, she looked out of it. ¡°You look tired as shit,¡± I commented bluntly. She sucked her teeth and scratched her head. ¡°It is much too early for your insults, K-pop!¡± she hissed. ¡°I have this horrendous migraine from all of that alcohol last night.¡± ¡°All of what alcohol?¡± ¡°Too much beer.¡± ¡°Was that your first time drinking?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°It was, yes.¡± ¡°I got the perfect fix for that!¡± Gun suggested. ¡°Hang tight!¡± He turned back around and dashed toward the kitchen with big bold and comical steps, and then I pivoted to Reina. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not planning on skipping school or anything.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m more sophisticated than that,¡± she sighed. ¡°But, if the school were to miraculously shut down today, I wouldn¡¯t be against it.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± I said, then turned over my shoulder to make sure Gun wasn¡¯t around, and then I turned back to Reina and whispered, ¡°Are you into Gun?¡± She raised her eyebrow at me. ¡°I only ask because I know you, Reina.¡± She jerked back like she was insulted. ¡°Do you, now?¡± ¡°You have this bad habit of leading a guy on and then leaving him high and dry once you get bored of him. The typical timespan being about a few days to a week.¡± Reina¡¯s eyes flashed with anger. ¡°How dare you accuse me of something like that,¡± she said sharply. ¡°I would never intentionally lead someone on!¡± I deadpanned her. ¡°You make me out to be a cold-hearted harlot with no regard to anyone¡¯s feelings!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one here but us,¡± I reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re acting like I didn¡¯t go to the same school as you did for four years. I¡¯ve seen it in person. Your warpath is filled with men with broken egos and shattered hearts. Not that I have any real sympathy for any of them. They were the same jock heads that bullied me around. But Gun is different. He isn¡¯t just some creep. Sure, he came off as an Fboy, but deep down, he really cares a lot about you, Reina. I just don¡¯t want to see him getting hurt.¡± Reina¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter what you think, now does it? Unless of course, you were jealous?¡± I chuckled. ¡°That was a joke, right?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t a simple nerd like me win over a girl like her?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s clearly in delulu land.¡± She smirked. ¡°You don¡¯t come off as the type who would really care about trivial things, Nero,¡± she sang as she waltzed by me, feeling proud and confident. ¡°Gun isn¡¯t trivial. He¡¯s a friend.¡± ¡°Well, this friend of yours has nothing to worry about,¡± she said, which at first, I thought she was messing around and being sarcastic. But then that look on her face turned sweet. ¡°I really like him.¡± I grinned. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He has this real charm to him. He¡¯s confident, funny, and he knows he¡¯s attractive.¡± I made a mental note to myself to let him know to keep the cocky attitude. ¡°He can also be sweet sometimes, but not too much. And he is the strongest in the dojo after Hayashi, so there¡¯s that, too.¡± I was happy for them both. Gun was a good guy who deserved someone special in his life. And Reina, well, underneath all of¡­ that, she was a caring person who just wanted to be accepted for who she was. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have someone like Gun looking out for you.¡± ¡°What about you, Nero?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± She gave me a mischievous grin. ¡°Who has got you up at high hours of the night?¡± I scoffed playfully. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± ¡°I would. You had no problem questioning my personal affairs.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t as personal as you think, we all saw you hitting it off in the hot springs last night,¡± I sassed. ¡°No matter, you were still very nosy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a date with the bathroom, or something?¡± ¡°Quit dodging the question and answer it!¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m looking at you funny. Why are you so interested in my love life?¡± I smirked. ¡°Are you the one who¡¯s jealous?!¡± ¡°Very funny, Nero.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend, Reina,¡± I finally answered. ¡°I¡¯m the lone pup on campus, remember?¡± Her face sulked. ¡°Oh, right¡­ I almost forgot about that¡­.¡± Wow, that was strange. I wasn¡¯t expecting that kind of a reaction from the name she¡¯d given me in sophomore year. It was a curse, not being able to keep a girl around for longer than a few weeks. But honestly, I had little to do with it. Those jock heads would spread rumors about me, the same dicks who hung out with Reina and her paparazzi. After that, it wouldn¡¯t take long for my love interests to avoid me like the plague. I¡¯d never really know what was said to shoo them away, but truth be told, it was all water under the bridge now. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± I said, trying to brush it off. ¡°I¡¯m used to being the lone wolf by now.¡± But Reina didn''t seem convinced. She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say more but couldn¡¯t find the words. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, or anything.¡± I placed a hand on her shoulder as a show of good spirit. ¡°Go wash up and join us for breakfast, all right?¡± I said, then felt a tight twisting feeling in my stomach. My heart jumped, anticipating what was next. I¡¯d felt this before, back when we were watching that movie¡­ My eyes drew to Reina¡¯s neck, her jugular vein stealing my attention. All of a sudden, my mouth started to water, the sight of her pulse getting me excited. I quickly looked away and took a deep breath, trying to push down the strange urge. Focusing on Reina¡¯s neck had stirred some type of primal hunger, unlocking an instinct I didn¡¯t understand. Where was this feeling from? ¡°Nero?¡± she whispered timidly, her face scrunched up at me. I chuckled nervously. ¡°Heh, sorry about that. My mind got caught up with something. Try not to drag your feet in there!¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yeah! On second thought, I¡¯m gonna go for a quick walk to clear my head,¡± I muttered. ¡°You go on ahead, I¡¯ll catch up in a bit.¡± Before she could ask me another question, I bolted. My heart raced as I ran out of the dojo. Once outside, I tried to regain control over myself. I couldn¡¯t stand there anymore¡ªmy head was swimming and I was getting weird chills. Sweat misted over my forehead, and the heat along my collar was suffocating. The smell that had been coming off of Reina was sweet, and not in a good way¡­. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine¡­ I kept whispering in my head, before the feeling of throwing up made me run to a bush, where I puked. Drips of bile stamped the grass as I leaned over a tree and hurled. Emptying out my stomach wasn¡¯t the worst part of it¡­ When I opened my eyes, my bile began to sizzle and fizz. I froze, realizing that the crap that was in my stomach was eating away at the earth. What¡­ the fuck? It looked like molten lava, but more translucent and less viscous. After it ate the grass and the dirt, it began to blacken over and then harden. I staggered back from the bush, staring at the smoldering patch of earth. What was happening to me? B1.CH41: First Day of School I¡¯d gotten on Reina and Gun¡¯s case about going to our first day of school, and now I didn¡¯t want to go. I wasn¡¯t as thrilled about it after what¡¯d happened with Reina back there. Being quiet throughout the breakfast Felix and Ash made had everyone questioning me, and they insisted I was acting a bit off. Normally I was a chatterbox around the new fam, but I couldn¡¯t push myself to utter more than a few sentences during our meal. Not forgetting my motto, I wanted to forget about the incident as I navigated down the halls of my new school. Maybe the lava puke and the close faint spells was the onset of another meta, and the blood thing was a side effect of it. This had nothing to do with anything else, not with getting a dark meta ability, and definitely not with being a¡ª ¡°Monster!¡± a girl said as I stepped outside the building and toward the campus field. She looked animated as she reenacted something across my right shoulder, her friends giggling at her joke. I was taking a quick tour of the school, her loud shout snapping me out of my daydream. ¡°You seem out of it this morning,¡± Sophie said, as I held my phone in my hand with her concerned face staring at me. We were on a video call, Sophie having suggested I call her so she could tour the school at the same time I did. Reina and Naomi had separated from me a few minutes ago, and we were going to regroup soon. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± I sighed, scratching the back of my head anxiously. ¡°Just jittery.¡± ¡°From what? Talk to me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot developing at the same time, you know? But I¡¯ll get a hold on things.¡± I smiled, trying to make her feel better. ¡°I always do.¡± ¡°Do you need me to come over there, Nero? Because you know I will.¡± I snorted. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re still looking out for me, So, but I¡¯ll be alright. I promise.¡± She frowned. ¡°I miss being there for you.¡± ¡°You never stopped being there for me,¡± I reminded her with a smile. ¡°Talking to you every day is like home away from home.¡± ¡°Is that my nugget?¡± I heard mom hollering from afar. ¡°Yes mom¡­¡± Sophie said with a playful hint of jealousy and irritation in her voice. ¡°Oh, how is my baby?¡± she screeched. ¡°I want to say hi! Pass me the phone!¡± ¡°If he wanted to talk to you, too, he would have called you,¡± Sophie jested, before my mom tackled her phone. I laughed. ¡°Quit hogging the line!¡± ¡°Hey! I wasn¡¯t done talking to him!¡± They fought, their banter putting a bigger smile on my face. ¡°Hey sweetie!¡± Mom sang, her arm leaning on Sophie¡¯s head to tame her. ¡°Hey Mom!¡± I beamed. ¡°How¡¯s my boy doing out there in the big city? You''re staying out of trouble, I hope.¡± I smirked. ¡°Of course, Mom. You raised me right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear! You¡¯re getting real adjusted out there, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m happy for you, nugget,¡± Mom¡¯s cheerful voice continued to pour through the phone, instantly lifting my spirits. ¡°Sure am. It¡¯s my first day at International. Check out this huge campus,¡± I said, lifting my phone over my head and giving her a quick scope. I could hear her hollering over my head, and Sophie squawking at her about busting her eardrums. ¡°It looks beautiful, Nero! Sure seems fancier than Acadia.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been here long, but we¡¯ll see about that!¡± ¡°I hope you have an amazing day at school, you hear?¡± I nodded. ¡°I will, Ma. Don¡¯t you worry about that.¡± ¡°Now tell me, have you been eating properly? It looks like you¡¯ve gotten skinnier. I worry about you not getting enough protein in your diet. Now I don¡¯t want you losing weight over there and starving yourself!¡± I snickered. ¡°I¡¯m not. After I got paid, I started budgeting again, and I haven¡¯t cut down the cost of food. It¡¯s going to take some time before the money I wired to you guys gets processed. But Mom, this is the beginning of a new life for the both of you.¡± ¡°Nero, you didn¡¯t have to split your first paycheck with us¡­.¡± ¡°Stop with that, Mom. The both of you deserve it. I don¡¯t want you feeling sorry for me.¡± Tears pricked her eyes as her lips quivered. ¡°Thank you, nugget. You have no idea how much we appreciate it.¡± Mom continued to talk to me for a few minutes longer, asking about my contracts and my transitioning with the lifestyle. I assured her everything was fine, and I asked her the same questions. Finally she let me go, blowing kisses through the phone before passing it back to Sophie. She had to go to work, and once she left the apartment, I asked Sophie for the truth. ¡°You know she likes to keep her secrets,¡± she said, giving me a judgmental look. ¡°Just like someone else I know.¡± ¡°She does it because she doesn¡¯t want us to worry.¡± ¡°Still doesn¡¯t make it a good habit. She¡¯d been coughing more lately, but she swears she¡¯s okay. I know she gets these episodes, maybe I¡¯m just being paranoid now that you¡¯re not here.¡± ¡°Is she happy?¡± I asked her seriously. ¡°It feels like she¡¯s putting up a front for me.¡± Sophie smiled sweetly. ¡°She¡¯s happy, Nero. She¡¯s happy that you¡¯re happy. And that¡¯s the honest truth.¡± ¡°I miss her and her energy,¡± I admitted. ¡°Once I get situated and gain sponsors, I¡¯m heading over there to visit.¡± ¡°You coming over will be like ten Christmases!¡± she beamed. ¡°And you know how I feel about my favorite holiday!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I moaned. ¡°God, you got me thinking about your famous hot cocoa¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, and the Tiramisu, too.¡± ¡°My stomach misses you dearly, So.¡± ¡°Naturally. Your stomach and I are married, after all.¡± We laughed. ¡°On a serious note, though. I did look over the website you gave me.¡± I sighed objectively. ¡°I only gave it to you because you were relentless about forking it over.¡± ¡°You wanted to brush it off! But I thought it was important.¡± ¡°It stopped feeling like a big deal after Felix made that comment about it.¡± ¡°Well, it is a big deal! Because when I went to look for it, it was gone.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Gone?¡± ¡°You heard me right. The domain doesn¡¯t exist.¡± I didn¡¯t get it. ¡°What do you mean the domain doesn¡¯t exist? I literally just looked at it a few hours ago.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s what¡¯s so weird. When I typed in the url you gave me, it said the site couldn¡¯t be found. I tried a few times just to be sure.¡± A looming feeling had my head jumping to conclusions, none of which were any good. This could only mean two things¡ªthat someone caught wind of hunters browsing that website, or it was removed because some shit was about to go down. ¡°Are you sure you got the right link? Maybe you mistyped it.¡± ¡°I copy and pasted it, Nero. And then I double-checked it.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re doing maintenance on the site or something.¡± ¡°Then why would it say the domain couldn¡¯t be found? Domains don¡¯t just up and vanish within a few hours, especially with something like this. It should at least have a ¡®temporarily down for maintenance¡¯ or a forwarding link to a new address. But I did find a trail, though. Sort of like a sister site, a wiki of sorts.¡± ¡°What did it say?¡± ¡°Something along the lines of the origin of shadow walkers. Long story short, they are demons.¡± My body wasn¡¯t ready for the bad news as I felt my throat dry up the moment she confirmed it. ¡°Apparently, something opened the door to a bunch of demons from another place to cross over into our world. From the translation I whipped up, this place isn¡¯t on earth. It might be an entire world or even a realm.¡± ¡°Translation?¡± ¡°Yeah, the entire wiki was in some sort of code. But I stayed up all night working bits and pieces. The translation isn¡¯t perfect, and there are major chunks of detail missing. According to the wiki, these demons are called ¡®shadow walkers¡¯ because they can blend into shadows. Shadows represent the lack of light within their souls that died out from evil deeds and evil misfortunes. They possess decayed and rotting bodies by infusing their spiritual essence inside these vessels. When inside a vessel, something about their spirits being in a foreign vessel morphs their appearance and alters their memories.¡± ¡°A foreign vessel? Wouldn¡¯t all vessels be foreign to them?¡± ¡°I think it translated to foreign. Again, I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°What are you telling me, Sophie? That these demons are people? What else is capable of evil deeds?¡± ¡°On a mythological level, plenty. There are all kinds of evil imps and goblins and whatever.¡± ¡°What are the chances that these shadow walkers are actual people who have died, and who have been banished to hell? What if that other place is the nether realm or something?¡± ¡°Here, I have these symbols that I took snapshots of. Sending them over now.¡± In a few seconds, I got a notification, I opened the images Sophie had sent over, studying the strange symbols. Underneath these symbols, she drew letters, some paired, others not. She went into detail trying to decipher the code, but these symbols¡­ they were unlike any language I had seen before, all sharp edges and looping curls. Squinting, I could start to make out patterns in between them, the shapes suddenly shifting in front of my eyes. It was starting to give me a migraine, as if my brain was working puzzle pieces together¡­ ¡°This looks like some kind of ancient language,¡± I murmured to myself, before looking away from it completely. If these shadow walkers really were human souls banished to a dark realm, it would make sense that they¡¯d have their own form of writing¡­. ¡°It goes on, Nero. This place they came from is described as the cycle of fury. A place of constant strife and suffering. There was also something crazy that caught my attention, and I think it read ¡®recipe for disaster.¡¯ The rest of the page wouldn¡¯t load. I even tried refreshing it, but I was never able to go back to it. The site freezes up every time and¡ª¡± ¡°Sophie,¡± I called out to her in a hushed and serious voice. ¡°Don¡¯t try searching for that website anymore. You hear me?¡± ¡°Huh? Why, I was just¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence that this site went down when we started looking into it. We are getting into something dangerous here. This language, these shadow walkers, the mysterious website going down¡­ it¡¯s lining up perfectly. At first I thought that there was a possibility of something bad happening. But the more we talked about it, the more I realized that it might have been Ash and me who triggered the site to disappear. We accessed that website from within the dojo. The admin has access to IP addresses. Are you catching me so far?¡± ¡°So you think the admin squashed an entire website on a hunch that hunters caught wind of it?¡± ¡°Not even hunters, the VII, too. Think about it.¡± ¡°More reason to keep digging, Nero,¡± she said, her comment making me hold my breath. ¡°If these shadow things really are lost souls, maybe there¡¯s a way we can help them. Or at least, send them back. A place of constant strife and suffering¡­ it could be that these souls have been tormented for so long, that they forgot how to be human. If we are basing it off the fact that they were once human, of course.¡± Sophie¡¯s theory was starting to seem less far-fetched, though it raised even more disturbing questions. If hell truly existed, exactly how many of these lost souls were among us? ¡°You don¡¯t actually believe all of this stuff, do you?¡± I churned my face at her. ¡°Do you?¡± She went quiet for a second before she admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I have to consider the possibility, don¡¯t I?¡± I looked over both of my shoulders and walked further away from the scattered students in the front yard. ¡°Listen to me carefully, So,¡± I continued to whisper. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll drop this, okay? Don¡¯t look into it anymore.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Since you tried accessing that website after it shut down, you can be a target.¡± She gasped. ¡°A target? Nero, you¡¯re creeping me o¡ª¡± ¡°You need to be,¡± I said seriously. ¡°Because whatever the fuck this is, it¡¯s serious. If this admin was cautious enough to tank an entire domain, there has to be something real big behind it.¡± Sophie stared at me, her eyes wide. ¡°You really think I could be in danger just for looking at a website?¡± ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but everything about this feels off. The cryptic language, the talk of lost souls¡ª this goes way beyond some random internet conspiracy theory. Someone went to a lot of trouble to cover their tracks.¡± Her face turned grim. ¡°Oh my god¡­ then the possibility of all of this being real¡­.¡± I glanced around the yard again before lowering my voice further. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this between us for now. I have your word?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± ¡°Delete the images off your phone and clear your browsing history. And remember, don¡¯t try going back to the website.¡± ¡°All right. I promise.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± someone said behind me, the sensation of a hand on my shoulder making me jump. I flailed and pivoted around, my heart lunging against my throat. ¡°Calm your brakes; it¡¯s just me!¡± Reina hissed. ¡°God damn it, Reina! You didn¡¯t have to sneak up on me like that!¡± She crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Well, pardon me for your paranoia!¡± I let out a shaky breath and rubbed the spot where my heart should¡¯ve been. ¡°Damn, you scared me half to death.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Reina tilted her head and noticed Sophie on my phone. ¡°Who is your friend?¡± Reina waved at her just as Naomi walked toward us. ¡°Good morning! My name is¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I know who you are,¡± Sophie hissed, already getting hostile. ¡°We are not on a friendly basis, you self-loving, pink-bow-wearing, wannabe fox-trot Barbie!¡± Reina winced. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you still like poking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong, because I got a few choice words for¡ª¡± ¡°Heh! Okay. Ta-ta for now, Sophie! Luv ya! Bye!¡± I cut her off, then hung up the phone, Naomi smirking behind Reina. ¡°That was awfully rude of her,¡± Reina said, offended. ¡°I barely said five words to the girl and she attacked me. The rudeness of some people.¡± ¡°Yes, the rudeness,¡± Naomi mocked sarcastically. ¡°Anyway, I made my rounds.¡± ¡°Your rounds?¡± ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Naomi, this isn¡¯t a contract. It¡¯s school.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said flatly. ¡°All locations have potential to be a hunting ground. It¡¯s up to us to protect all of these students¡­.¡± ¡°Boy, I really do hope we aren¡¯t the only talent on campus¡­.¡± Reina considered. ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, looking out to the field again. ¡°After all, we aren¡¯t back home anymore, where a small percentage of our population were meta-humans. If Utoro is short on hunters, then naturally, they¡¯d be short on metas.¡± ¡°And any one of them could be shadow walkers¡­.¡± B1.CH42: Collecting Sponsors! Once school was in session, we hit the ground running. All three of us were in separate classrooms. Master Hayashi¡¯s requirements. I guess he had the same thought process as Naomi. School campus was the perfect spot to hunt for food, and these flesh eaters had no problem with blending in with food. The more spread out we were, the more we could cover campus and keep watch for anything sus. As soon as I reached my history class, people started turning their heads. More and more these students were recognizing me, whispering among themselves as I took the empty seat that literally had my name on it. After taking a closer look, I noticed that the wooden plaque was freshly polished with edges sanded smooth. It was as thick as a quarter of an inch, and the closer I got to it, the more the three girls standing there with their black skirts and white knee-high stockings giggled and tittered. I smirked. I guess this came with the territory of being famous. Along the corner of my eye, I saw them stare, until one of them walked over to me, having been pushed by her friends. She nearly tripped at the tip of her black loafers, her face getting red already as I slipped my bag on my cushioned chair. Unlike the other wooden ones in the classroom, mine looked like a throne, and the girl approaching me added to that feeling when she bowed to me and whispered something in Japanese. ¡°Egh, can you repeat that?¡± ¡°S-s-s-soo-sorry,¡± she apologized. ¡°It was wrong of me to presume you spoke the language.¡± I clasped my hands together and bowed back. Then I put her at ease. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. Name¡¯s Nero.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she snickered, covering her lips sheepishly. ¡°I know your name. We all do.¡± ¡°Seriously? All of you? As in, the entire campus?¡± I teased. ¡°Am I a name brand around these parts?¡± She giggled. ¡°You¡¯re the Airplane Angel.¡± So that nickname is sticking, huh? ¡°Not everyone knows about it, but we do. You saved a lot of people that day. And again in Uppo Beach. I am sure there are other rescues, but those are the ones that got broadcasted in television. I am grateful.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to help whenever I can.¡± ¡°My name is Emi. And those are my friends Nabi and Chiyo.¡± When I looked over to them, they blushed, their giggling contagious. Emi fanned them down to introduce themselves, but they were too shy. Emi jogged over to them and pulled her friends toward me, forcing us to meet. ¡°I don¡¯t bite! Despite the fangs,¡± I said, then flashed them my pearly white, one of the Japanese girls getting weak-kneed. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all,¡± I said. ¡°I appreciate you coming over to say hello. I¡¯m still getting used to life here in Japan, so it¡¯s great whenever I meet new people.¡± Emi¡¯s friends continued to titter and whisper to each other, until she gave them a playful nudge. ¡°Don¡¯t be so shy! Nero has been brought here to protect our city. The least we can do is have a proper conversation.¡± Just as she said that, Chiyo, the taller girl with the straight bangs said something in Japanese to Nabi, the shorter girl with the pigtails who looked more Korean than Japanese. Nabi¡¯s face went flush as she pinned her knees together, the girl suddenly stifling a laugh. ¡°Hey, what are you two saying?¡± I asked playfully. ¡°You two are embarrassing,¡± Emi turned around to hiss under her breath, and then pivoted back to me with a face of absolute guilt. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s something. Come on, tell me.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me repeat what Nabi said. She¡¯s a pervert,¡± Emi said with a deadpan expression on her face. Shockingly blunt! ¡°I suppose those could do some damage if they wanted to?¡± Nabi said excitedly. ¡°Those what?¡± She proceeded to gesture her fingers like vampire fangs to the corners of her lips, until Emi¡¯s bluntness shone again as she confessed for Nabi, ¡°She¡¯d said she wants you to bite her in the ass.¡± ¡°Nani?!¡± Nabi gasped, and then raked her hand over Emi¡¯s lips so fast that the poor girl didn¡¯t have time to register her friend tussling her from behind. ¡°Chinmoku! Uso! Uso!¡± I laughed as Nabi dragged Emi away in embarrassment, Chiyo capitalizing on the moment to introduce herself with a handshake. ¡°We¡¯ll try American customs, fair? Chiyo. Pleasure to meet you in person!¡± I took her offer and nodded. ¡°Likewise, Chiyo. So, are you and your friends always this zany?¡± She chuckled. ¡°Always. But, we mean well. It is good that we go to the same school, where we can see each other every day. You are, how they say, eye candy?¡± ¡°Heh. I have been told I¡¯m more on the sweeter side.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still new to Utoro. I don¡¯t think you have many sponsors yet, do you?¡± ¡°No, actually. None at all.¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°None?¡± She beelined to her friends and started chatting in Japanese, and then all of them pulled out their cell phone and rushed to me. My eyes fell on the website they were on, but the text was in a different language. I had no clue what it meant until I put the two and two together. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°We are going to be your first sponsors!¡± Nabi cheered. ¡°Lucky us!¡± I was speechless¡­. ¡°Chiyo!¡± Emi wailed. ¡°You finished the registration form first!¡± Chiyo laughed connivingly. ¡°That means I am his very first sponsor!¡± ¡°I wanted bragging rights¡­¡± ¡°You girls are awesome! Thank you! Seriously. You have no idea how much this means to me.¡± ¡°Your sponsor registration has probably just opened up. Seeing as you didn¡¯t have your license yet. At least, that¡¯s my assumption as to why you didn¡¯t have any supporters. Don¡¯t worry though, Nero. The three of us are the very beginning,¡± Emi said. ¡°I heard a lot of students talking in the halls. Some recognize you. The more who do, the more sponsors you¡¯ll have.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you perform in the Hunter Games, Nero¡­¡± Nabi sang. ¡°And perform some of my tasks, too¡­.¡± ¡°Are you planning to give me some sweet items, Nabi?¡± ¡°Sure, among other things¡­¡± she said, batting her lashes. She sure had no problem flirting with me full force. ¡°It¡¯s too bad we have to wait a few seasons to see you in the stadium,¡± Chiyo pouted. ¡°A few seasons? I¡¯m joining this season. The one in a few days now, right?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Emi cried. ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Usually year ones like to wait a while,¡± Chiyo mentioned. ¡°That way they can train up for the tournament, and collect lots of items. People donate items the more faith they have in you winning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want more sponsors?¡± Emi asked me. ¡°When you don¡¯t place, you lose out on fans.¡± ¡°That¡¯s if I don¡¯t rank,¡± I emphasized. ¡°My team and I have our eyes on the grand prize!¡± The girls looked at each other doubtfully, until Nabi chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s confidence! I believe in you, Nero-san!¡± She skipped to my side and softly grabbed my arm into hers. Those big brown eyes looked up to me with promise. ¡°You¡¯re going to win, and we are going to support you every step of the way!¡± She was cute, until she was frisky, the girl pressing her fingers over my chest lightly to cop a feel. Those innocent eyes blew up twice as wide as she assessed the firmness of my pecs. ¡°Oh wow, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be that hard¡­.¡± ¡°No shame!¡± Emi hissed, snatching her off of me. ¡°Sorry about that!¡± Emi bowed. ¡°We¡¯ll let you settle down now!¡± ¡°Wait, I wasn¡¯t done!¡± Nabi whined. ¡°I need to do a full evaluation!¡± I smirked as the girls bickered and shuffled to their seats. Despite their antics, I was thankful for their support. My first three sponsors¡ªI couldn¡¯t be more excited! Once I sat down, more students came trickling in, followed by our history teacher. Mr. Sato was a portly man with a bristly mustache and a long face. He nodded in my direction, acknowledging me briefly. Unlike the others who kept turning over their shoulders to look at me in the middle of the room, he seemed less enthusiastic. I was grateful for the sliver of normality, until I realized he had a small resentment for me when he said, ¡°A star in my classroom, what an honor,¡± he huffed. ¡°A hunter at that. This must be my lucky day.¡± He lowered his thick glasses and looked down his nose at me. ¡°I sure do hope you don¡¯t turn into a big distraction for my students, Mr. Aldeon.¡± Distract? I¡¯d be better off blending in the background with all of these stares! Given my title, I still wasn¡¯t used to all of the attention I was getting. When I¡¯d first walked in, it didn¡¯t really hit me. Down the halls, I¡¯d catch some glances, but I guess the crowd hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at me. Because right now, I had a huge spotlight on me that wouldn¡¯t go away. Mr. Sato gave me a quick welcome by making me stand up. I got a round of applause and then class was in session. I tried to focus on taking notes, but the whispers and sidelong glances persisted. After class, I met up with Reina in the hallway, who already had a swarm of admirers on her tail. She was the popular girl in school again, and I had no doubt that she¡¯d fit right in. When she walked up to me with her posse, she gave me a snobbish look, then waved her hand in the air to dismiss them. ¡°Finished with your first block?¡± ¡°You too, I see. Have you seen Naomi and the other team since?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t bother with them, Nero. And neither should you. You should be focusing on getting more sponsors.¡± I smiled. ¡°I have three from my class.¡± ¡°Oh? Only three?¡± Of course, I should have known better. ¡°Let me guess? You have triple that?¡± She giggled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you my count.¡± ¡°Or, I can just see it in the system w¡ª¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Reina shouted, snatching my wrist before I could even tap the com unit in my ear. ¡°No cheating!¡± ¡°Cheating?¡± I snorted. ¡°All I¡¯m doing is checking your stats. It¡¯s no secret. Unless of course, you¡¯re scared I¡¯d catch up to you,¡± I said with a cheeky grin. She scoffed, flipping her glossy amber hair over her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself, Nero. If you absolutely must know, I have well over 30 sponsors. And climbing. My entire class registered for me. Almost.¡± ¡°Thirty huh?¡± I smirked. ¡°That¡¯s not going to stay long.¡± Her face dropped. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The rest of the campus hadn¡¯t seen me yet,¡± I said, boasting a little. Just enough to get under her skin. Reina seemed to be reveling in the popularity, and I wanted her to get off her high horse. In a show of friendly competition to keep things interesting between us, I opened my mouth and continued, ¡°I¡¯m the Airplane Angel. According to my stats, I already have a Fame grade. The more students who see me, the more sponsors I¡¯ll get. And nothing is stopping them from unlisting with you and going with me.¡± She gasped. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°They just might.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with supporting two hunters!¡± ¡°True, but the likelihood of that is slim. There¡¯s just not enough money for the both of us.¡± Her bright eyes narrowed at me, and something flickered in them. Even though she had always been high up in the social hierarchy, she never really had to worry about losing it. There was no one competing for her spot in Acadia High, but now, things were different. ¡°Maybe,¡± she said after a moment, her voice tense. ¡°But you¡¯re forgetting one thing.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her saucy bravado. ¡°Please, do enlighten me.¡± ¡°You,¡± She pointed at me, a hard edge in her voice. ¡°You are the new kid. Year one hunter. An unknown factor. Do you really think people are going to be so quick to trust you with their money when they have better options out there?¡± I stared at her for a moment, the smirk on my face growing. ¡°It¡¯s not like they know you either, Reina!¡± I clapped back. ¡°But I have a pretty face! And you are just¡­ you!¡± She gestured with her hands. ¡°You might be able to strike some points with the nerd population, but that¡¯s about all of the luck you¡¯re going to get!¡± Just as she said that, Naomi walked up to us, sporting a deep red lollipop in her mouth and her thick black leather book to her hip. ¡°Naomi, how was your first class?¡± She looked at us with her renowned unimpressed expression on her face and said monotonically. ¡°Eventful.¡± Reina flashed her a cocky grin. ¡°Scored any sponsors?¡± ¡°A few.¡± I beamed. ¡°Shit, really?! How many did you get?¡± ¡°100.¡± Reina and I both choked on our words simultaneously. ¡°100?!¡± ¡°Oh no, wait,¡± Naomi said, checking her H-Tec and corrected, ¡°109.¡± Reina¡¯s eyes were wide, the cocky grin wiped off her face. ¡°In one day?¡± she stammered. Naomi simply shrugged, rolling the lollipop around in her mouth. She pulled it out with a pop and fixed us both with her cool, indifferent gaze. ¡°They said they liked my face.¡± Reina cringed and pointed at her. ¡°That face?¡± I laughed on the inside, but I was happy for Naomi. It seemed that she didn¡¯t need my help after all. ¡°AHHH!!¡± a scream from the hallway made my head turn. Everyone in the hallway froze, the chatter tapering off into whispers. The scream echoed again, followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering glass. Without waiting another damn second, I darted toward the source of the commotion, brushing past the crowd that started to rush the same direction. When I got there, I saw a grave scene¡ªthe sight of a girl with her throat ripped out¡­. B1.CH43: Murder on Campus All of that blood on the floor made my heart skip a beat. She was laid out in the utility closet, with a pool of blood underneath her, and her fingers curled up in a desperate clutch. Her lifeless terrified eyes were locked open, with bits and pieces of her glasses shattered over her face. For a second, I had to brace myself, realizing that my head was swimming the longer I stared at her. Chills, a swelling heat in my throat, the sound of my own blood racing¨CI told myself to get a grip as I grabbed the frame of the doorway, trying to shove the swarming in my stomach down. I had to keep my head clear and get a handle on this situation. ¡°Everyone stay back!¡± I shouted, but my voice was lost in the chaos that had blown up around me. The hallway was up in arms. Students screamed and rushed about, their faces pale and their paranoia making them crazy. The girl¡¯s body was quickly surrounded by traumatized classmates: some crying, others shrieking in panic. Reina arrived at my side with her face as white as a sheet. ¡°Call 911!¡± I barked over my shoulder to anyone who would listen with my gaze still fixed on the girl. Naomi took to my side and slipped into the closet part way, crouching over and checking the pulse along her wrist. ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± Naomi whispered. One of the girls gasped. ¡°I s-s-s-saw red pooling from under the door! I was scared to open it but something told me I had to-to-to at least check what was inside!¡± I spun around to face her, and asked her seriously. ¡°What exactly did you see?¡± I demanded. ¡°Nothing! Absolutely nothing!¡± She was just a student, probably no older than fifteen. Her knees were shaking, and she was on the verge of collapsing. She looked at me with wide trembling eyes, her bottom lip quivering. ¡°Are you sure that no one ran out from this hallway?¡± I pressed her, my voice firm but gentle. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone,¡± she whispered, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. ¡°I swear.¡± From all of the noise around me from the tilted crowd, I gathered that the victim¡¯s name was Isole, a mousy sophomore with no friends, and who mostly kept to herself. ¡°S-she¡­ she didn¡¯t deserve this!¡± she stuttered, her hand clasped over her mouth. Naomi came out of the utility closet, the look on her face confirming what we already knew. This was no accident. It was a shadow walker attack¡­. ¡°All right, everyone, clear the hallway!¡± I yelled, pushing past the gawking students. ¡°Please, stand back!¡± Reina assisted. ¡°We are hunters! For your safety, please exit the building.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going¡ªAHHH!¡± Ash said as she rushed to the scene with Gun and Felix right behind her. I furrowed my eyebrows at them. ¡°Where the hell have you guys been?¡± ¡°We got held up in the chief executive¡¯s office,¡± Felix said, while Gun stood right next to him with a troubled look on his face as he raked his fingers through his spiked hair. ¡°Ahhh, shhiiit¡­.¡± He grunted. ¡°There¡¯s a fucking shadow walker in the school?¡± ¡°I called the emergency line,¡± Naomi said, while Reina and Ash finished clearing the hallway. ¡°We need to report this to Hayashi, ASAP,¡± Felix added. ¡°He didn¡¯t just drink her blood, he mutilated her.¡± I whispered under my breath¡­ ¡°Fucking hell¡­.¡± ++++ Shortly after Felix and his team came, a few faculty members did, too. Unlike the students, they didn¡¯t seem too shocked when they discovered Isole¡¯s body in the closet. The school had a few incidents of something like this recently, just like every other school. Institutions like these were a feeding ground for shadow walkers. In a place where everyone had the same agenda, wore the same clothes, and did the same things, it was easy for monsters to role play with their meals. It was a scary reality they had to live with every day, but Utoro refused to be subjugated by ruthless flesh eaters. ¡°You heard what they said. Haruto Nagamagi died the month before with Aiki Pathuga a week prior,¡± Felix mentioned as we sat around the den table in the dojo. After the emergency at the school, everyone was sent home, including us. Hayashi insisted we not investigate until the corp had more intel. ¡°Those poor people,¡± Ash mumbled. ¡°We really didn¡¯t have to deal with stuff like this back home. There were always a few hunters patrolling the campus.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Some schools more than others,¡± Felix corrected. ¡°Some Xion schools had a few incidents, just not as frequently.¡± ¡°Wow, first day of school, and we¡¯re already getting some action.¡± Gun grunted as he reeled himself and his open designed collar that he altered in his seat, with his arms crossed behind his back. He sucked his teeth irritatedly and let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°This blows. Selfish ass flesh eaters.¡± ¡°I feel like we were underused back there,¡± Reina added, then lifted her head to everyone. ¡°We should have scoped the area at the very least.¡± ¡°And do what? Interrogate the entire student body for a suspect?¡± Felix questioned sarcastically. ¡°That¡¯s assuming there is only one suspect,¡± Naomi added. ¡°She¡¯s right. This could have been a team effort,¡± I added. ¡°Or a group,¡± Felix speculated. ¡°It was best we stayed out of it for now. Until we have more info.¡± Gun sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Well, this shit has gotten me in a bad mood. I need a smoke.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be doing no such thing,¡± Hayashi said as he walked in, prompting all of us to turn his way. ¡°You know my rules. No smoking. The smell is undesirable and it ruins the tranquility of our home.¡± ¡°Sensei,¡± I said, getting off my seat. ¡°Did you get word from the corporation?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Well, are we still going to attend that school as hunters or as students?¡± Ashley asked in a strained voice. ¡°Nothing has changed,¡± he answered the distressed Ashley. ¡°What do you mean nothing has changed?¡± Reina shot up off her seat and sassed. ¡°A girl is dead under our watch!¡± ¡°Hey, we are all anxious, but we need to sit down and discuss strategies about this,¡± Felix added, standing up to counter Reina. She was furious with the idea of ignoring it, and frankly, so was I. Even so, I understood both arguments and felt that our best way of approaching this was listening to Hayashi¡¯s perspective. ¡°This issue didn¡¯t stir up as soon as we walked through the doors. It has been a recurring issue. Which means that the problem has been festering and growing for some time . So before we dive head first into solving it, we need to assess the situation entirely. We are in their court, not the other way around. We play the slow and steady game, right Hayashi?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°And allow them to take more victims?!¡± Reina huffed. ¡°No,¡± Hayashi countered, his voice calm yet firm. ¡°We aren¡¯t allowing anyone to do anything. As hunters, we aim to prevent that from happening again at all costs.¡± ¡°But to do that, we need to understand who we¡¯re dealing with,¡± Felix added, and then Gun jerked from his seat, upset, walking away from our discussion. ¡°I need some air,¡± he said, with his arms casually crossed behind his head. I knew he wanted to remain tough-skinned about this topic, but it was clear that it was eating something bad inside of him. Same with Reina, but she didn¡¯t know how to keep her emotions tucked in. ¡°I refuse to let another victim fall prey to these predators,¡± Reina proclaimed, her voice trembling with raw conviction. Her defiant eyes met Hayashi¡¯s calmly assessing ones. Hayashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before speaking. ¡°You think we don¡¯t all feel that way, Reina? We are hunters. Our mission is to protect innocents from harm. But rash actions won¡¯t help anyone. I could have sworn you learned that during your evaluation period.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather act than stand by while another life is snuffed out,¡± she retorted, crossing her arms defiantly. ¡°We¡¯re not standing by,¡± Felix interjected. ¡°Enough agreeing with this madness!¡± Reina shouted at him. ¡°If the school board had any real sense, they¡¯d shut the school down!¡± ¡°And what good would that do?¡± I turned to her. ¡°Look, Reina, I know that you want to catch the assholes who did this, but what you¡¯re requesting will not solve the problem.¡± ¡°No, it will only delay it,¡± Naomi said as she flipped through her cell phone. ¡°You get the entire student body to hide in their homes and guess what the eaters are going to do? They are going to hide, too. Until they invite everyone back to campus, where their feeding schedule will resume. So what exactly are we solving by dancing around the real issue, here?¡± ¡°All I hear is your idea of using innocent lives as bait!¡± Reina retorted. ¡°You had a chance to leave¡­¡± Naomi said, her voice deepening as she looked up her lashes and glared at Reina. ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the small stuff, then why didn¡¯t you take our invitation to run back home to your mommy and daddy with their fat pockets and sit around and watch your soaps all day?¡± That cold comment from Naomi came out of nowhere. I already knew this was going to trigger Reina, so I turned to her, prepared to leap before she reacted. Reina bristled, her face reddening in anger as Naomi continued, ¡°This is about the lives at stake, not about what you want when you want it.¡± ¡°Excuse me?!¡± ¡°All those big words,¡± Naomi continued. ¡°But have you thought about the consequences of our actions? We are part of a system that needs to be balanced. If we overreact, if we show sloppiness and unprofessionalism; we give these eaters exactly what they want: chaos. So quit talking out of your ass about doing the right thing and actually do the right thing and shut up and be patient.¡± Reina inched forward, and I moved. Once I saw her fists curl up, I already knew what she wanted to do. So I held her back, Naomi unfazed by her reaction. After I reeled Reina in, I turned her around and tried talking some sense into her. ¡°Come on, relax, Reina,¡± I insisted. ¡°Naomi¡¯s right, more or less. I wouldn¡¯t have put it in those exact words, but this isn¡¯t the kind of enemy you can just charge at with guns blazing. We need more intel. The more we know, the better equipped we¡¯ll be to face it,¡± I added, ¡°This is different from the missions we¡¯d been on so far. I know it¡¯s hitting close to home, but we have to stay level headed. Not only for each other, but for the school, too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± she cried, her voice shaking. ¡°Time is against us! And if we can¡¯t find the answers we need, then they¡¯ll die!¡± A single tear shed down her heated cheek, my heart skipping a beat at seeing her so passionate about this. ¡°Reina?¡± I whispered, but before I could say another word, she stormed off. ¡°Reina!¡± I called out, ready to go after her before Hayashi stopped me. ¡°Let her go figure it out,¡± he ordered. Then I turned to Naomi. ¡°Naomi, why did you¡ª¡± ¡°She needed to hear the hard truth,¡± she hissed. ¡°If we keep letting her say anything she wants and steam roll over us, she will never learn. And I¡¯m not the one to sugar coat anything for her.¡± ¡°Nero, Naomi,¡± Hayashi called out to us. ¡°I have a mission lined up for you.¡± I turned to him. ¡°What about Reina?¡± ¡°She will also be joining you. We brief at 8pm.¡± B1-CH44: Hunter Uniforms! Gun and Reina were missing for most of the day, but I didn¡¯t worry too much about it. Gun had mentioned going on a date with her anyway, so I figured they were out at the festival. Meanwhile the rest of us stayed at the dojo and tried to relax, cook, read, or train. Felix had a session of training with sensei in a block before I did, and after I paid the price of boosting my stamina, my stats updated:
Career Level: 1
Name: Nero Aldeon Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality:
Age: 18 Endurance: 11
Rank: Bronze Strength: 11 (+50 meta boost)
Fame: 17% Agility: 8
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 4
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 110/110
Specialties: Super Strength Mental Immunity Physical Invulnerability Flame Manipulation Thermoreception Squadron: Beta1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 25
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 380 (FPs Accumulated): 6100 Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency: 22098 Yen
I was happy to see that I gained more sponsors and my fame grade bumped up, too. Even though school ended on a bad note, I was able to say that at least one good thing happened today. After a quick wash after training, I stepped into the kitchen for a light dinner before our mission tonight. Maybe a sandwich, or some of those rice balls Gun made the other day. Not to my surprise, Ash was already there, sitting at the table with an oversized shirt draped over her. She beamed at me and waved as she enjoyed her bowl of watermelon wedges. ¡°Hiya K-pop!¡± I snickered. ¡°Ash, glad to see you doing what you do best.¡± ¡°At this rate, I should eat professionally, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d always bet on you when it comes to a food eating contest.¡± I scanned her and scratched my head, wondering where all of that food went in her petite body, before I realized what she was wearing¡­. The giant T-shirt was inside out, but I could still see the graphic fade from the other side. ¡°Ash¡­.¡± ¡°Yea-huh?¡± ¡°Have you been in my bedroom?¡± She shook her head no vigorously, her mouth stuffed with watermelon. Already, she had a guilty look on her face as she tried to deny the obvious. ¡°Really? Then how are you wearing my Gurren Lagann shirt inside out?¡± She swallowed the food in her mouth and looked down, her fingers pinching the fabric of the shirt, pulling it away from herself to look at it as though seeing it for the first time. ¡°Oh, this is yours?¡± she said, her face lighting up with a sheepish smile. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I folded my arms over my chest, raising an eyebrow at her. ¡°Don¡¯t try to play clueless with me, Ash. You knew it was mine when you pulled it out of my closet.¡± She shrugged, not the least bit bothered by my accusation. If anything, she seemed amused. ¡°Well, you did say we¡¯re like siblings, right? Siblings borrow clothes all the time!¡± she admitted before she stood up off her seat, where I noticed the cat girl also sporting my god damn boxers, too! ¡°Ash!¡± I shouted, and she sprung. I ran at her, but she was nimble, leaping off of my back as I reached in to grab her. I slammed into the table when I missed, then immediately pivoted around to chase her into the hallway. Just as I cut the corner, she was already gone, but I did clash with Reina, who winced as I nearly bulldozed her over. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± she hissed. ¡°You nearly stepped on my feet again!¡± ¡°Reina!¡± I beamed. ¡°You¡¯re back. How¡¯d the date go?¡± ¡°As if it is any business of yours!¡± she huffed. I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I probably don¡¯t want to hear the graphics of your night out with Gun, and¡ª¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t go that way, you pervert!¡± she retorted. ¡°What kind of girl do you think I am?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me answering that,¡± I said slyly with a smirk. She crossed her arms over her chest and flicked me a sour look. ¡°Well, if you must know, the festival was great. Gun and I shared a lovely meal together.¡± ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t sushi¡­.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m glad that you two are hitting it off. Now you have someone else to annoy besides me.¡± She deadpanned me. ¡°Any who, did you see a sneaky little cat dash past here a few seconds ago?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the streak that whizzed by? Yes, she bolted straight through the back door and into the courtyard. And she was wearing some God awful pants with cheetah prints on them.¡± Those were my favorite pair¡­. ¡°But you don¡¯t have time to chase after Ashley. I heard that we will have a briefing in a few minutes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. And I still need to eat dinner. I¡¯ll catch her later,¡± I said, heading toward the kitchen before I stopped short. ¡°Oh, right.¡± I pivoted around and asked, ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°After classes today¡­ you want to vent, or¡ª¡± ¡°No¡­ I am fine.¡± She fed me a weak smile. ¡°I was just a bit overwhelmed is all.¡± I smiled. ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± After I ate a light dinner, it was time to head over to the meeting hall. I let Ash get her victory tonight. Come tomorrow, she won¡¯t be so lucky. I didn¡¯t know what turned me more, the fact that she managed to sneak around wearing my clothes with no one saying anything, or the fact that she looked better in my prints than I did. I was the last of my team to walk in, Naomi and Reina sitting on opposite sides of each other in the meeting hall. Again, Naomi brought her black book with Reina sitting there drumming her fingers on the table. Reina made it dead obvious she was staring at Naomi as she read. Soon after I took my seat next to Reina who was closest to the door, Hayashi came through, bearing gifts. ¡°Sensei, are those our uniforms?¡± ¡°For your first mission as officially licensed hunters, you will be properly suited,¡± he said, then placed the folded uniforms on the table between us. ¡°You will wear these with pride and honor. Remember, they bear the insignia of our corporation, a symbol that you represent us in every action you undertake. They represent not just your individual accomplishments, but our collective achievement as hunters. I highly suggest that you maintain them at all times.¡± I reached over and grabbed my uniform, unfolding it and taking a look. It was a unit all right, with leather padding along the shoulders and straps along the midriff and the thighs. Our matching accessories, arm guards, and boots were all included, my fingers stroking along the fabric as I tried to guess what material the suit was made out of. It looked breathable and stretchy, with the Hunter Corp emblem embroidered on the left side. In crimson red, it almost looked like the Assassin¡¯s Creed emblem with an eye in the middle of it. There were two sets for each of us, Reina taking one of hers and laying it out flat on the table to inspect it. The design looked the same as mine, which made her cringe. ¡°I thought we were hunters, not super heroes?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen the hunter¡¯s uniform before?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes. And I also know that the design changes every season.¡± ¡°Only ever so slightly,¡± Hayashi said flatly. ¡°These colors¡­.¡± ¡°Be glad that it doesn¡¯t come with a cape,¡± I teased, Naomi getting up to take hers. Right away she inspected how ¡®fitting¡¯ it was. For a girl known to wear baggy clothes, I could tell from that look on her face that she wasn¡¯t too happy about her new threads. ¡°I opt for something less revealing,¡± she complained. ¡°Understandably for you,¡± Reina added. ¡°You don¡¯t have much to be proud about with the way you¡¯re shaped.¡± Naomi craned her eyes at her, giving her a sharp look. I didn¡¯t know what Reina was talking about. Naomi was just as curvy as Reina, minus the bosom area. Reina had bragging rights there. ¡°Before you ask, no, you cannot suggest design options, and no, you cannot ask for size modifications,¡± Hayashi said. ¡°These suits have been tailored to the measurements you supplied before onboarding. Unless they cannot fit, deal with it. The colors compliment the nature of our business, and the snug fit prevents snagging and offers the best maneuverability. The materials are highly resistant to most forms of damage, be it from weapons or nature¡¯s unpredictable conditions. They are not designed for fashion statements but for functionality and survival.¡± ¡°Great, I can¡¯t wait to try it on!¡± I smiled. ¡°As for your level two contract, there has been a series of disturbances in a local cathedral in Utoro. A few disappearances have sparked some concern, dating back for months now. One or two members of the church couldn¡¯t be located, and according to their fellow parishioners, they were never seen leaving the area. Reports have been inconsistent, but allegedly, eerie noises can be heard from the cathedral after sunset.¡± ¡°Disappearing parishioners and ghostly sounds? Sounds like something right up our alley,¡± I responded. ¡°One or two members didn¡¯t trigger too much concern, not until that number tripled in the following months. Desperate for answers, they are calling on us for our assistance in locating a family of four who have been missing for a few days. The church has been ringing our doorbell for some time now, and finally, they got the attention of Hunter Corp. That is where you three come in. Your job is to investigate the building for any shadow walker activity. But more importantly than that, you must find the family in this folder, dead or alive.¡± Sensei slid the file on the desk over to me, and I caught it under my fingers. Before I opened it up, I looked over to him and asked, ¡°What makes them think that the family is in the cathedral? I¡¯m sure they would have searched all over that place to find the family, no?¡± ¡°They did, but paranormal activity suggests that they are inside. Pastor Fedrei mentioned that every night, faint cries for help echo from the cathedral¡¯s bell tower, sometimes drowned out by the tolling of the bell. Others have heard these same cries and suggest it¡¯s Maria Camelli¡¯s voice, the mother in the file.¡± I opened up the file to find pictures of the family members ¨Ca couple in their forties and two young children, twin boys who looked no older than ten. Underneath each picture was a brief description of each person and their usual habits as provided by friends and families. ¡°I am in no mood to witness more dead bodies today¡­¡± Reina said quietly under her voice, and then looked up to Hayashi seriously. ¡°We will find them, alive.¡± ¡°There are suggested areas where your targets may be according to their lifestyles. Search those areas first. You¡¯ll find more information in the folder. And Reina,¡± Hayashi said as we all stood up to get ready, Reina pivoting to him as he continued, ¡°after the mission, I¡¯d like a word with you.¡± B1-CH45: Cathedral of Horrors This contract was looking more and more hopeless the longer we were out here searching. It felt like a wild goose chase. I hated wasting time, and I had a feeling that we were going to come up empty in our next stop, too. If we couldn¡¯t find these victims soon, then I was going to pull all of my goddamn hair out. CONTRACT LEVEL: TWO MISSION: Locate the missing family. MONSTER GRADE: Unknown REWARD: 200 Fame Points .ph (per hunter) EARNINGS: $2,000 .ph (payment pending during evaluation phase) Max was a warehouse worker, so upon Hayashi¡¯s request, we stopped there to ask a few questions. For the majority, he hadn¡¯t been to work in over three days, but some swore they saw him a few hours ago at various points of the warehouse at random times. Max was a manager for the local packaging plant, a major employer in Utoro. He was a lanky man with shaggy black hair and round thick glasses, and he was not the type to slip by unnoticed. The guy had a signature look¡ªbutton down shirt with khakis, and about ten zillion pens and pencils in his chest pocket. He also walked around with a clipboard, scribbling his safety violation tickets to staff on a regular basis. Safe to say, no one really missed poor Max. We had initially planned to interview his coworkers, friends, and acquaintances. Maybe someone would have seen or heard something that could help us in our investigation. But our lead turned cold when we reached Olivia, Max¡¯s direct subordinate and closest confidant at work. She claimed that Max had been acting strangely for the days before his disappearance, but she hadn¡¯t seen him since he¡¯d stormed out of the plant a few days ago. Again, we searched the place thoroughly, and then headed to Greystone bar in search of Maria. ¡°Their marriage was rocky,¡± Raven, the purple-haired bartender said as she wiped down the counter with a rag. She turned her brown eyes over to me, the heavy black eyeliner around them accentuating all of the piercings she had on her face. ¡°They had their fair share of fights, like all married couples do. Usually about money woes, and then stupid things like Max not taking out the trash, or Max missing for long hours of the night. You know, the small shit. But this time it was different, I had never seen Maria so out of it.¡± ¡°When does her shift usually start?¡± I asked Raven. ¡°Nah, Maria doesn¡¯t work here. Not anymore. She got that new fancy job in the law-firm a little over a week ago. And kept it on the hush hush.¡± Reina turned to me and gave me a look I immediately understood. Yeah, I know, intel was never perfect in this industry. Didn¡¯t matter though, because it sounded like Maria was a regular. ¡°She¡¯d pop in here once or twice a day. She had a routine, you could almost set your watch to it. Morning coffee with a side of eggs benedict, and at exactly 1:30 PM, she¡¯d walk in, order a gin and tonic, and sit quietly at the far corner table. But not for the past couple days,¡± Raven explained, absently pouring shots for a couple of frat boys at the end of the bar. ¡°The last time I saw her, it looked like she¡¯d skip work because she came early and stayed for hours. I tried to sit down and talk to her, and she told me how angry Max has been. He¡¯s a temperamental bastard to begin with, but¡­.¡± She sighed. ¡°Maria is a good friend. And trust me, I¡¯ve seen Max upset, but this was something else. According to her, the night before was nasty. He came storming in with his face purple with rage, veins popping out on his forehead, pent up shoulders, like he was ready to beat someone up. Maria said he¡¯d been throwing stuff around the house. Broke a mirror, smashed a vase¡ª¡± ¡°Was he trying to attack her?¡± Reina asked. ¡°No, he was just out of his mind! Totally nuts! Maria said that she remembered him mouthing off something under his breath over and over again: ¡®I¡¯m running out of time. I¡¯m running out of time.¡¯ It crept the shit out of her. At first, she thought he got into some kind of trouble. Cause, you know, Max... he¡¯s always been a handful. But the kind you could handle, you know? But that day¡­ man, he swore someone was coming after him. And then just like that, he disappeared. Ran right through the front door and into the night from what she said right before she left. That was the last time I saw Maria.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°But not the last time you talked, right?¡± I asked. ¡°According to our intel, you spoke to her the morning after?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I did. She was trying to give me that fake ¡®I¡¯m happy and everything¡¯s okay¡¯ voice, but I knew better. She said Max was changing. He had apologized and wanted to be a better man. Starting with going to church. You know, that huge cathedral a few blocks from here? Saints? Honestly, if you ask me, it sounded like a cry for help. That was the last I¡¯ve heard of her.¡± Naomi asked her some follow up questions, but nothing worthy of trying to wrap my head around. Besides the fact that Max had been recently promoted to manager, and his frequent nightly escapades, it was clear that the man was acting like a jackass toward his wife, as well as acting like he was swinging it single in the streets. The new car, the new job, and the new lifestyle. Everything was looking good for Max, up until now. Raven told us where the law firm was, but it was too damn late to check it out. Unlike the warehouse that was open 24/7, we had zero way of gaining access into the building. Naomi suggested some B&E, and I emphasized it was unnecessary. There was no reason Maria would be there at this hour, unless she was thinking that her body was stashed up somewhere inside. Besides, Reina felt like we¡¯d be wasting time by going there. We¡¯d already burned hours into our search. Looking back at my team, their faces looked just as weathered and worn out as mine did. Since 8pm, we¡¯d been moving, and the little sleep I had last night was taking its toll on me. Though, despite my exhaustion, I kept my head high. I had to. The night was dragging, and it was 2am already, but I wasn¡¯t about to fail a rescue mission for the sake of my tiredness. We walked the distance to our last destination when it began to rain heavily. The Cathedral of Saints stood tall in all of its Gothic glory, its marvel a centerpiece in twilight. Its massive size drew long shadows across the cobblestone block. I stretched my neck to see the soaring spires and arched windows, its beauty taking me in. I didn¡¯t think there were cathedrals in Japan, but then I thought about where we were. Utoro was a cornucopia of cultures and influences, and also a melting pot of the old world and the new century. From its bronze bell tower, to its decorative carved stone and statues¡ªfor the first time tonight, I had a moment of thoughtlessness, my mind lost to this ancient piece of architecture. ¡°When you¡¯re finished daydreaming, I¡¯d like to get back to reality,¡± Reina said as she passed by me. I jerked my head over to her as she stopped walking a few feet in front of me, her eyes scaling the building as well. ¡°Why do I have a hunch that we will end up just as empty-handed as our previous destinations?¡± ¡°We need to search it, anyway,¡± I said, and then Naomi walked to my right and stared at the cathedral vacantly. ¡°Maybe you should sit this one out¡­¡± she suggested with no context. I turned to her, lost. ¡°What do you mean sit it out?¡± ¡°What I meant to say is that I think we should all sit this one out.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t cross this location off of our list without searching it first,¡± I reminded her. ¡°I say we vote,¡± she countered. ¡°All in favor of going inside?¡± she said, and I was the only one who raised my hand. I snapped my head to Reina and protested, ¡°You? You two can¡¯t be serious, right? I mean, this is a joke?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to complain,¡± Reina said, Naomi already giving her the side eye, ¡°But I must agree with Naomi. My feet are killing me, my hair is soaked from the rain, and we haven¡¯t found a shred of useful information in the last two places we¡¯ve searched. We¡¯ve been at this for hours with nothing to show for it. The chance that we¡¯ll find anything in that godforsaken cathedral is lower than a starved snake¡¯s mercy toward a fat, slow rodent.¡± She sighed deeply, rubbing at her temples. ¡°I am overdue for a nice, warm bath¡­ and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries.¡± Naomi turned to me with a stoic look. ¡°We¡¯re just asking for a couple of hours. We can start again tomorrow, fresh and rested.¡± ¡°But what if they are in there?¡± I demanded, pointing back to the cathedral. ¡°Those victims¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help them; we always do,¡± Reina responded, her voice too calm and relaxed. ¡°We¡¯re just not at our best right now.¡± ¡°And going in there half-cocked isn¡¯t doing them any favors,¡± Naomi co-signed. ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± I argued back, ¡°The point is that we¡¯re here to do a job. A job that requires us to be vigilant and thorough, not pampered and well-rested.¡± ¡°Spoken like someone who hasn¡¯t been on their feet for hours, soaked to the bone,¡± Reina shot back at me. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal, anyway? Can¡¯t you smell a snuffed mission? We are probably being played for fools,¡± Reina persisted. ¡°Eaters bait, don¡¯t they? And, we voted. It¡¯s best we go home now.¡± ¡°No¡­ something¡¯s off,¡± I said to both girls. ¡°Are you two actually agreeing with each other?¡± ¡°Even the sun shines on a dog¡¯s ass,¡± Naomi quipped. ¡°That only indicates how tired we really are,¡± Reina said, her eyebrows raised. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that tell you something, oh powerful and relentless leader?¡± I looked at the two of them and their unwavering stance, struggling to suppress my disappointment in them. The thick rain continued to fall, adding to the miserable chill seeping into the souls of my shoes. I couldn¡¯t care less for exhaustion, it was part of the job. That being said, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that wouldn¡¯t let this go. I just had to follow through with the mission. B1-CH46: Vampire Angel I turned to Reina, and then to Naomi. She didn¡¯t know it, but that look on her face was betraying her. ¡°There¡¯s more going on here than you¡¯re not telling me,¡± I said, looking at her seriously. ¡°The victims need our help now, not tomorrow. We¡¯re their only hope,¡± I said as thunder struck. ¡°Sensei didn¡¯t pass us so we can take it easy. I didn¡¯t break my back training to bench it when things got rough. Now, I don¡¯t know when tired feet and wet hair ever stopped a hunter from completing a mission, but they sure as hell aren¡¯t going to stop me. So the both of you can head back home if you want to. I¡¯m going in there and searching high and low for those victims.¡± I pivoted around and headed to the cathedral, the large wooden doors inviting me in right away. Once inside, I noticed the darkness and shadows played tricks on my eyes, causing me to squint. The musty scent of damp wood and aged stone filled my nostrils, a testament to the cathedral¡¯s years. I continued to pace along the stone slabs, drawn toward the nave and the moonlight peering through the stained glass windows. Finally I stopped, the sound of the downpour outside making me hear things. Statues of saints and stone pillars edged my eyes, drumbeat tapping lining my ears. I was getting a real eerie vibe from this place, until I heard wet footsteps approaching me. I turned around to see my girls. ¡°Naomi?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t stand a chance fighting off walkers without me,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I can¡¯t take much more of this rain,¡± Reina followed after her as she took my side and squeezed the tail of her long hair. I smiled. ¡°Thanks, team. I think we should split up.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Reina squeaked. ¡°Not two seconds inside, and I¡¯m already regretting my decision.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t Scooby Doo,¡± Naomi piggy-backed. ¡°We are stronger as a team.¡± I grabbed my shoulders and hugged myself as I chattered my teeth. ¡°Hey, can you quit agreeing with Reina? You¡¯re giving me goosebumps.¡± ¡°Haa, such a riot! But no, absolutely not. I am not about to scan these halls alone, where I can be caught off guard by a blood hungry monster.¡± I smirked. ¡°But I thought you said there were no monsters in here?¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Naomi said, her head turned to the right. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± Reina said. ¡°Nothing but the thunder and heavy rain outside.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything, either,¡± I said. ¡°Want to pursue it?¡± ¡°No,¡± Naomi said quickly, then she turned to me. ¡°We¡¯ll take your lead.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll respect your decision to stick together, just know it¡¯ll take longer. We need to be thorough, top to bottom.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The power is dead,¡± Naomi said as she trailed away from us to turn on the lights. ¡°Storm must have killed it.¡± ¡°How about starting us off with some light?¡± Reina suggested as Naomi made her way back to us. ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing in here.¡± Just as she said that, the front doors slammed, Reina jumping at the sound. All three of us jerked our heads behind us, Reina then backing further into the cathedral with a spooked look on her face. ¡°Please tell me that it was just the wind?¡± ¡°Well, it was a little windy outside,¡± I said, then ignited a fist of flames. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to burn that hot,¡± Naomi suggested. ¡°Spare your stamina.¡± I downed the fire a little and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Oh, no way!¡± Reina cried, scurrying her feet in between Naomi and I. ¡°I refuse to be stuck in the back where something could snatch me up!¡± ¡°You sure I won¡¯t just step aside and let them snatch you?¡± Naomi teased. ¡°Nothing is sneaking up on us. There¡¯s a stairway to the second floor just over there. Let¡¯s go.¡± We went up to the second floor of the cathedral and began our search for the kidnapped victims. My flame gave off a warm orange glow as we made our way up the ancient wooden stairs, making figures dance along the walls with light. The eerie stillness in the air made the space around us feel even emptier, the howling winds coming from outside adding to the spooky vibe of the cathedral. It wasn¡¯t until we reached upstairs did I realize just how dilapidated this place was¡ªpeeling paint, broken floorboards, and debris scattered across the ground. Upstairs needed some serious TLC. As we slowly walked through the dark hallway, the boards groaned under our feet. Reina jumped at every little sound, grabbing onto my arm. I could feel Naomi rolling her eyes without turning around, the same thought crossing my mind, too. She was a certified monster hunter. Shit like this shouldn¡¯t scare her anymore. When we got to a certain spot upstairs, I stopped short, registering a cold draft blowing in. It was strong, the kind of strong to blow out my flame fist. Naomi walked up to me and told me not to ignite another, and also told us to be quiet and still, like she was trying to pick up something. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Reina cried, and before I could blink, a huge glowing scythe came for my head! I ducked Reina¡¯s shot like I didn¡¯t have physical invulnerability as a meta, and then jumped back up on my feet and hissed, ¡°Reina!¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± ¡°I swear I saw that statue behind you move!¡± ¡°What?¡± I pivoted around and looked behind me, scanning the area where Reina had seen movement. But there was nothing there except an old stone statue of an angel in the thick darkness, its wings folded and head bowed. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± I said, squinting. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just seeing shit because you¡¯re spooked out of your mind?¡± Reina nodded, her eyes wide. ¡°I swear the statue moved! Its head turned and its wings unfurled, like it was going to attack you.¡± I studied the statue more closely. It seemed innocuous enough, covered in a layer of dust and grime. The angel¡¯s face was turned down in a serene expression with its stone wings folded around its body. Nothing about it suggested imminent attack. ¡°Reina, are you sure you didn¡¯t just imagine it?¡± I asked. ¡°Old places like this can play tricks on your eyes, especially in low light.¡± Reina glared at me. ¡°You think I¡¯ve lost my mind? I might be terrified, but I would certainly not fabricate things for the sole purpose of your entertainment!¡± ¡°And who exactly were you trying to entertain? I nearly got my head sliced off!¡± ¡°Quit being a drama queen! We all know you would have survived!¡± she hissed back. ¡°I know what I saw! That angel came to life and tried to attack you with its fangs, and its long pointy claws!¡± ¡°So it turned into a fucking vampire, too?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Naomi suggested stoically. ¡°No point in loitering around if the victims aren¡¯t here.¡± B1-CH47: Rescue Mission As we continued to search the cathedral, Reina wouldn¡¯t quit talking about that damn statue. She swore on her pet hamster¡¯s grave that she¡¯d saved me from being attacked. I wanted to believe her, but the girl had been jittery ever since she stepped foot inside these walls. In under an hour we were almost done searching, and it looked like we were coming empty yet again. The complaints from Reina started on cue, but something about this place enticed me to continue searching. ¡°How about the sub floors?¡± I suggested. ¡°We already searched this entire place inside out.¡± ¡°Sub floors?¡± Reina repeated. ¡°As in a basement of sorts? Of a cathedral?¡± I turned to her and raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°You are aware that spirits rest in these subfloors, right?¡± Naomi rolled her eyes. ¡°Not only are you painfully annoying and paranoid, but you¡¯re superstitious, too?¡± Reina smirked at Naomi¡¯s comment. ¡°Oh, some wannabe dark aesthetics girl forgot our little talk by the hot springs, now, didn¡¯t she?¡± Naomi glared at her, and then Reina turned back at me. ¡°I simply refuse to head down there and risk the chance of being driven mad by haunting ghosts and apparitions!¡± Okay, something was obviously going on between those two. The fact that Reina brought up that incident again by the pool was confirmation of that. It made Naomi shut up right away, and she wasn¡¯t the type to back down and take Reina¡¯s shit easily. I wondered what had happened at the hot springs between them that Reina seemed to be holding over Naomi¡¯s head. Whatever it was left a bad taste in my mouth, and I made a note to talk to Naomi about it later. But for now¡­. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just check the basement and get it over with,¡± I said, trying to defuse the tension. Reina shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest adamantly. ¡°No way. I¡¯m not going down there. It¡¯s bad enough we had to search every inch of this creepy cathedral!¡± ¡°Then stay up here by yourself,¡± I said as I snatched Naomi¡¯s hand and made for the stairs with my fist of flame. ¡°Good luck with the vampire angel!¡± Naomi nearly stumbled as I made her follow me, probably not expecting me to bring her along. Once she got her footing she didn¡¯t refuse, but Reina sure as hell had something to say about it. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not about to leave me up here all by myself!¡± she cried, her feet rushing down the floorboard. ¡°Nero!¡± She tagged along, that mouth of hers quiet up until we reached the subfloors. The basement of the cathedral wasn¡¯t just a basement, but an actual crypt, which fed into Reina¡¯s ideas of spirits haunting this place. Inside the stone walls were pockets with bones inside of them, stacked like bricks one over the other. There were plaques assigned to most of them but not all of them, and I took the time to read some of the names. ¡°I wonder how long this stretches out for,¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°This place seems massive¡­.¡± The walls were wide as they were long, our voices echoing down the many hallways. I could tell we were in for one hell of a walk, before I stepped on a block of stone, feeling it sinking from my weight. Just like that, the area lit up, with artificial torchlights along the tunnels paving our way. The dome-shaped pathways stretched out like networks, and I insisted that we continued looking for the victims in the underground labyrinth. Naomi made mental markers of the place, and I helped by running marks as check points on the walls. After a short while, I started to feel something surrounding us, so I tapped into my thermal vision for answers. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m picking up something,¡± I whispered to my team, and when I turned down the corner, I saw four bodies¡ªthree alive, and one dead... The three that were alive coiled and cowered in fear when they saw me, twin little boys and an older lady who I believed was their mother Maria. The unfortunate victim sitting there with his bottom jaw torn out looked like their father, Max, Reina taking a step in front of me to look at the victims more closely. ¡°Please, please, don¡¯t¡­¡± Maria wept. Their skins were covered in grime and blood, their clothes blotched and greasy. I held up my hands to show I meant no harm. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re here to help you,¡± I said in a gentle voice. Maria continued weeping, clinging to her boys as her eyes bounced between us. ¡°We are hunters. And it¡¯s about time we bring you to safety.¡± I glanced at Naomi and ordered her to check on the man¡¯s body while I tried to calm the family down. She crouched beside him, examining the gruesome wounds on his face. The skin around the missing jaw was ragged, as if something had torn it right off his skull¡­. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°He killed him,¡± Maria cried. ¡°That savage monster killed him!¡± ¡°How did no one find you down here? Enforcers had checked this place according to our file,¡± Reina asked. ¡°W-we were hidden,¡± Maria stuttered. ¡°Blind-folded and stashed away. I don¡¯t know where¡­¡± she cried. ¡°The monster, he took us into a black hole and, and¡ªI¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in shock,¡± Reina said, putting a hand on her shoulder to ease her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We didn¡¯t come here to interrogate you. Try to relax. You¡¯re safe now.¡± Maria¡¯s eyes were red and swollen, a sharp contrast to the pale, scared faces of her boys. She held them tight, convinced by our words but still in shock. The twins, Liam and Lucas, finally had a dawning moment that Reina was actually here to save them. They rushed in and gave her a hug. Reina was taken aback at first, then softened as she wrapped her arms around the trembling boys. ¡°Thank you,¡± Maria said, bowing ten times over. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here,¡± Reina suggested, rising to her feet, her attention immediately turning to Naomi. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked as Naomi got up on her feet too with her hands in the pockets of the black jacket she¡¯d tossed over her uniform. Naomi turned to her. ¡°What was what?¡± ¡°That thing you took from that man¡¯s pocket.¡± ¡°You¡¯re seeing things. I didn¡¯t take anything from his pocket.¡± Reina glared at her but didn¡¯t have a comeback. I turned to Naomi and then back at Reina before shrugging it off. Naomi didn¡¯t look like the type who¡¯d pickpocket, so maybe Reina was trying to stir up some unnecessary drama. ¡°We need to get moving,¡± I said, giving Reina a pointed look. She seemed to understand, shrugging off her suspicion and turning her attention back toward Maria and the twins. ¡°Once we are topside, we¡¯ll call enforcers for Max.¡± We led the disheveled family through the dark, humid alleyway, each of us keeping a sharp eye for any signs of the monster who had captured them. Maria held Liam¡¯s hand, and Liam held Lucas¡¯. Lucas clung to Reina from the string of four, the boy seemingly attached to her more after she¡¯d rescued them. The boys kept casting fearful glances over their shoulders, but they were brave and steadfast on leaving. We moved along the labyrinth using Naomi¡¯s markers. I remembered some of them as we passed by, a few misaligned stones here and there, a scratch on the wall, a piece of cloth tied to a piece of bone protruding from the wall. Our steps echoed down the cold stone as we paced back toward the exit, until the lights started to flicker. Before I could get a word out, they completely turned off, leaving us in darkness again. Maria immediately began to panic. ¡°This way,¡± I murmured to my team, leading them toward the exit. I had memorized the route, turning on my flames to guide us down the path. But then I heard low grunting from behind us, my feet instantly stopping at the sound. ¡°What was that?!¡± Maria cried. ¡°I¡¯ll go investigate.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Naomi suggested. ¡°I want you with Maria and the boys.¡± ¡°Reina is with Maria and the boys.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t made it out of the cathedral yet, Naomi. Reina might need your help. Make sure they make it out safely.¡± Naomi stayed silent for a while before she gave in. ¡°Fine.¡± I smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be alright. We have our H-Tec. If it¡¯s something I can¡¯t handle alone, I¡¯ll buzz you. Deal?¡± She gave me a skeptical look before her eyes turned back to the tunnel we just left, and then she walked away to the family. ¡°Be careful,¡± Reina said, using the flashlight from her phone to see. And just like that, they were off. Using my palm of flames as a guide light, I went back the direction we came from. Now alone, I felt the pressure of figuring out what was behind that noise. I didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard, walking into unknown territory. The darkness seemed to close in around me, swallowing my flames the deeper I went. My steps were slow and steady, and I made sure to keep my eyes as sharp as possible. The element of surprise was out of the question as I carried this makeshift torch for vision. I couldn¡¯t sneak up on them if I couldn¡¯t see where I was going. But just as I turned the next corner, the grunting sound came again, this time closer than before. My flame danced in my hand, casting elongated shadows along the walls that I kept mistaking as figures. The aged carvings and skeletal remains seemed to come alive as I scanned them with my light, making me think of that one bootleg Indiana Jones movie I watched years ago with Mom. My adrenaline was spiking right now, but I pushed on. The grunts came another time, and now I was starting to believe that I was being lured somewhere¡­. Down one hallway, and out the other. I was being baited hard, but I had no choice but to bite the line and see where this took me. If I killed this bastard now, Utoro wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him terrorizing this church anymore. All of a sudden, I saw a cool-toned light down my path. I followed it to an open circle that was giving off sewer prison vibes. The entire atmosphere changed, my eyes scanning the stacks of bricks as they towered beyond the limits of the underground crypt. It didn¡¯t make any sense how massive this place was, and it made me question the purpose of a space like this being under a place of worship. I brought myself to the center, the ground streaked with fresh blood. I turned off my flames as the light continued to pour down from above, where I realized it was the moon giving off its shine. ¡°Pretty sweet, huh?¡± someone behind me said. I looked up to see a guy in stitches sitting on a torch perch meters over my head. I saw staples and lines across his face, down his arms, and over his scrawny legs. He was wearing a simple white T-shirt with a dark pair of pants, the guy looking like he just rolled out of bed. His hair was black, tousled, and greasy, but his eyes¡­. Those were what caught my attention. They were bright blue, glowing like flashlights. They had a cold, icy edge to them, the kind of gaze that belonged to only the worst kinds of monsters. A chill ran down my spine as he jumped down from his perch, landing on his bare feet, with a wild and excited grin plastered on his pasty looking face. He flashed me his jagged teeth and greeted, ¡°Welcome! Welcome! To my kingdom,¡± he said, spreading his arms wide, showing off the vast emptiness of his underground domain. Was this Reina¡¯s vampire angel? B1-CH48: Sevv, The Soul Welder ¡°Humans do some crazy things, don¡¯t they?¡± He chuckled. ¡°You know, this place was once used to imprison and torture those who were seen as untouched by the light. Which in layman¡¯s terms meant those who were seen as evil. Those wicked, impish creatures! We must capture them and damn them all to hell! Pretentious, isn¡¯t it? As if their god came down and instructed them to purge their land for the sake of purity and sanctity. Hypocrisy at its best!¡± A dark laughter broke out of him, its echo bouncing off the walls and cueing a newcomer into the ring. From the depths of the room came a tall towering statue suit of armor¨Cfully animated. I took a step back, creating more distance between us, but then the guy who looked like he got run over by a truck closed the gap with a step, his creepy face still smiling at me¡­ This was going to be a 2v1 match, wasn¡¯t it? I spaced out my footing and balled up my fist, ready to fight. Luckily for me, this asshole looked like he was in a monologue giving mood, which gave me time to think about how I was going to deal with this. With arms splayed out again, he spun around in a circle, reveling in his underground chamber of corpses. ¡°Tis the circle of life¡ªhate breeds more hate, and hate breeds more evil. You see, I was once like you, but then they threw me down here, left me to rot. They thought they could purge evil by banishing it underground, throwing their sins into deep dark graves where no one could see them. Countless lives lost to self-entitlement! But the joke is on them. While they thought they were doing this world some good, what they created was this¡­.¡± He gestured at himself. ¡°Their hubris has built something far more sinister than sin, and I¡¯m here to reap justice that¡¯s been long overdue!¡± I glared at him. ¡°So this is payback? Killing innocent people who have no business being in your vendetta?¡± Finally, with a frown on his face, he looked at me disappointingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear a word I said? HUMANS ARE SAVAGES!¡± he shouted. ¡°Living in their fairytale lives where every villain is evil and every hero is pure. But life isn¡¯t so black and white, now, is it?¡± I¡¯d heard this ideology before. This twisted understanding of the world, where humanity was corrupt, and everyone deserved to be punished for it. And here it was again, in this underground prison house, being preached by Mr. Vengeance and Despair. ¡°I believe that there is good in people,¡± I retorted, my fists clenching even tighter. ¡°You can¡¯t generalize everyone based on your shitty experiences.¡± ¡°I can, and I will. Because let¡¯s face it, these people you¡¯re protecting out there aren¡¯t as innocent as you want to believe. These simple humans who wanted to prove their devotion are just as bad as the people they condemn. Those cheaters, liars, thieves, and killers. They are the true monsters. Pretending to be better than everyone else, when they are no different than the ¡®evils¡¯ they sought to banish!¡± He grinned ear to ear. ¡°Prime example over here,¡± he said, gesturing his hand to introduce his friend. ¡°You remember him, don¡¯t you?¡± I tightened my face. ¡°I have no idea who the hell that is.¡± ¡°Come on, think about it long and hard. You know him. This isn¡¯t a trick. He¡¯s been on every channel on television. Everyone loved this handsome hunter icon.¡± My chest dropped. ¡°R-Ramus?¡± As in the meta who could embody stone, Ramus? ¡°Give the man a prize!¡± he beamed. ¡°My associate used to be a star, known worldwide. A top ranked hunter doing what he did best. And he did it well, until, well¡­ you know his story, don¡¯t you? Corruption always wins. Sooner or later, humans give into it all.¡± ¡°Ramus, what the hell are you doing?!¡± I barked at him. ¡°Siding with a fucking monster?!¡± ¡°Oh he can¡¯t hear you,¡± the flesh eater said. ¡°I¡¯ve turned him into my slave. Funny story, he sent me to kill some jackass named Max, and I did. But then he started going off on me about involving the kids and the whiny bitch. They were my souvenirs, so I couldn¡¯t let them go. But like Ramus, he kept going on and on about doing shit right. I don¡¯t like being bitched at, so I fixed his soul into the dead guy¡¯s body, and turned Ramus into a shell.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You heard me right. I can turn his soul on at any time, but it wouldn¡¯t matter, anyway. With all of the blood Max lost, he¡¯s going to stay dead. Right where he belongs.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± I growled. ¡°You¡¯re going to burn in hell for this!¡± He laughed, mocking me. ¡°I¡¯m already in hell, my friend.¡± He cackled. ¡°And you¡¯re standing right in the heart of it with me. In my domain, souls are stashed, transported, and reconditioned. I¡¯m a natural at the craft, a divine architect. I can break down a spirit, rip away its individual threads of consciousness and weave them all anew. And you¡­ my dear hunter¡­ are my next project.¡± His vicious sneer stretched wider with each word, until he placed a hand over his chest and bowed to me. ¡°My apologies. I just realized that I didn¡¯t introduce myself. The name is Sevv. And I¡¯m known as the Soul Welding Walker.¡± Ramus picked up the large stone double axe he was holding and swung it over his shoulder with his attention locked on me. He fixed himself to strike as a twisted sense of pride shot from Sevv¡¯s eyes. ¡°All these lives lost were not sacrifices to my cause but to humanity¡¯s arrogance, its greed, and its disregard for life! They are the masters of their demise!¡± ¡°You get off on this, don¡¯t you?!¡± I growled. ¡°Manipulation and control. These lives are like putty in your hands!¡± ¡°You have no idea how many I¡¯ve taken! You just caught me in a seasonal drought where my cages are empty!¡± He straightened his icy gaze back on me, ¡°And now here you are, stepping into the heart of their hypocrisy! Will you become a monster too?¡± He snickered. ¡°Only time will tell! Have at him, Ramus!¡± Ramus roared, the depth of his voice the sound of a behemoth. It shook the floor and the walls before he charged right at me. Before I could blink, I caught myself step-dodging an attack. The stone axe whistled through the air as it fell half an inch away from me, Ramus fast on his feet. I almost forgot that he had a speed boost, but I remembered that it was contingent on the number of strikes he landed consecutively. Stolen story; please report. Not giving him an opportunity to hit me would save me in this fight. As long as I avoided his weapon, I should be able to bring him down. I followed up with a counter punch just underneath his rib, Ramus absorbing the blow. Stunned he didn¡¯t budge, Ramus countered my counter, dropping his blade on my head again. I was forced to block it with my arm, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through my body. He was top-ranked for a reason, his stone materialization saving him from my strength. ¡°Ramus, don¡¯t do this!¡± I begged, my voice desperate. ¡°I know you went through shit, but this isn¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Ah, sweet desperation,¡± Sevv commented from the side-lines, sitting on his ass to watch the fight. ¡°I could bottle that and savor it later. I bet it tastes as delicious as it sounds!¡± I ignored him, focusing instead on Ramus who peeled his axe back and tossed another swing. When I dodged it, the blade sliced through the floor I¡¯d just been on, bits of stone debris flying in the air. Again, another near miss. He¡¯d landed the previous strike, which granted him another agility boost. Ramus is strong, far stronger than I gave him credit for. I need to play this smart before he lands another hit on me. I paced myself and took the time to analyze where he¡¯d target next. Taking a deep breath allowed me to steady my nerves and focus on budgeting my stamina. Ramus was fast and incredibly strong, but he also relied too much on brute force. If I could avoid his strikes and wear him down, I might stand a chance. As Ramus heaved his axe upward for another swing, I darted forward inside his range. Before he could react, I slammed my fist into his gut. He grunted as the blow landed, but the rocky plates he had for a body absorbed it. I added a little more force into that one, I was getting closer to bringing him down. The idea wasn¡¯t to kill him, no matter how many times Sevv reminded me that he was already dead. When I put Ramus down, that jackass was next, and I was going to make him transfer his soul back! Ramus answered back to my punch with a backhand across my face that barely missed. No more boosts for you. When I swung my head from his punch, I reeled back and snatched his arm and tossed him over my shoulder. He didn¡¯t move for a good two seconds down there, before he did the unexpected, transforming his double axe into a lance that extended, the head of it pushing me back. The switch caught me off guard, the head of the lance drilling my chest. The lance began to spin and it continued to grow, pushing me so far back that I struck the other end of the dungeon, several feet in the air. Pinned against the stone wall, I looked down at the pointed tip tearing through my new uniform. Pissed, I grabbed the spinning lance, forcing it to lock in place. And then, I dug my fingers into it and shattered it, allowing myself to free fall back inside the ring. Down there, Ramus was waiting for me. The guy didn¡¯t allow me to study his moves anymore, he was changing weapons frequently now. For someone who was soulless, he was sure playing smart as he shuffled through a flail, a spiked mallet, and then a sword. I thought about Reina as he swapped weapons, and then thought about the cheap ways she won her evaluation fights. She was good at talking flack and getting under someone¡¯s nerves, so I tried that. ¡°Hey Ramus, you¡¯d gotten real soft over the years, haven¡¯t you?¡± I insulted as he continued to swing at me. ¡°Was that why you went off the deep end? Because you were getting older and your meta game was trash?¡± ¡°What is the point of talking to a vessel?¡± Sevv commentated. ¡°Are you still fixated on the idea that he¡¯s in there somewhere?¡± Again, I ignored him and kept my eyes on Ramus. ¡°You let all of that money, fame, drugs, and sex get into your head! Now look at you, some demon¡¯s pet!¡± ¡°Enough talk, spill his guts!¡± Sevv hissed. ¡°Hurry up and waste him already!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really fallen off your throne! I used to look up to you before you started to tank. You were the best, someone I aspired to be. But now? You¡¯re just a shell of your former self. Even worse, you¡¯re a fucking lackey. The real Ramus would never let himself be controlled like this. He was too proud, too stubborn to let anyone use him as a puppet. What happened to the real Ramus? The one who stood for justice and protected the innocent?¡± Ramus roared and came at me again, even more enraged. His swings became wilder and less accurate. I was getting to him. Or at least, getting to whatever shred of himself I knew was still lingering in that stone body. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± Sevv shouted. ¡°Focus on your command and put him down!¡± I smirked, the asshole confirming my suspicions. ¡°You lied to me,¡± I said to Sevv. ¡°Ramus isn¡¯t just a shell. If he were, he wouldn¡¯t care about me flinging insults about his terrible life choices at him. Not only that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use his meta at all. Life force and souls are one in the same. And in order to tap into a meta ability, you need a soul extension. And there is no soul extension without the base requirement¡ªa soul.¡± Sevv clapped his hands together and smirked back at me. ¡°Well, well, well¡­ seems like you¡¯ve figured it out. But, I didn¡¯t lie, not entirely, at least. He does have remnants of his soul inside of him, just enough for him to use his talent. Unfortunately, I cannot separate his life force extension from his memories. This was the risk I took in using his body. His soul may be diminished, but traces still remain. Enough for basic function, but also enough for moments of lucidity.¡± He shrugged. ¡°An unfortunate side effect, but a necessary sacrifice. The body serves its purpose, even if shreds of the original host poke through from time to time. The only way I make controlling every soul I relocate and weld possible is by giving a piece of my own into the vessel as well. More sacrifices must be made, because I am vulnerable in a body that has a shred of soul left intact. I can become overpowered in a plane that¡¯s not mine. I clenched my fists, anger boiling up inside me. ¡°You bastard! You didn¡¯t just take his body, you took his mind too. He¡¯s still in there, trying to break free.¡± ¡°He can still have a resemblance of what he once was, but it doesn''t matter in the grand scheme of things. I still control him, so he can put you out of your misery!¡± I watched as Ramus summoned a stone bow and arrow. Immediately, I took cover and dove behind a pillar just as I heard the arrow whizzing. The pillar exploded, shards of rock raining down as I ducked. After I scrambled back to my feet, I made a run for it, Ramus¡¯ arrows following me everywhere I went. When he realized he was getting nowhere with the arrows, he pulled out a war hammer and chased me down, lunging at me relentlessly. It was easier to avoid him now¨C his movement was getting sluggish. Now was the time to trap him, so I managed to lead him to one of the prison cells. He tossed a punch into the bars, denting them. With my back toward the cage, I waited for him to take a shot at me again, and when I ducked it, I rolled between his legs and tossed the bars shut. With my flames, I heated the metal against the latch and welded it together. His first instinct was to charge right into the bars, but I scared him away when I used the bar to snake in a whip of fire along the ground. Down the bar a rope of fire went, until I traced a circle around his feet, the flames now towering as tall as him. ¡°You might be made out of stone, but you still need to breathe, don¡¯t you?¡± I could tell that he was already exhausted, and the flame cage was the final nail in the coffin. He dropped to his knees as he clenched his throat, his body begging for air. Ramus collapsed to the stone floor, gasping for air as the flames ate the oxygen around him. I watched as his stony body convulsed, the firelight flickering over his stone skin. After a few agonizing seconds, his struggles grew weaker, until finally he lay still, the fire burning low around his motionless, now fleshy body. He¡¯d turned back to normal, which meant that his stamina had run dry. ¡°Think fast!¡± I heard Sevv say, and when I pivoted my head around, my eyes grew twice as big. He came lunging at me with his hands reaching over me and a manic expression on his twisted face. ¡°All I need is one touch! And then, your soul is mine to weld!¡± B1-CH49: Chickens Way Out My heart dropped down into my stomach when I realized I was fucked! How the hell didn¡¯t I sense him coming? He was centimeters away from my face, until he stopped short, his body levitating in the air mid-leap. Not only that, he had a film of dark purple around him, a powerful aura permeating his body. ¡°W-wait?¡± Sevv croaked, the stark look in his eyes telling me he was just as caught off guard as I was. But then I realized where this power was coming from, and I breathed an inner sigh of relief. ¡°Naomi¡­.¡± She peeled him back from me and slammed his face several times against the bars of the cell Ramus was knocked out in. It was so bad that his stitches started coming out, the meat on his face giving way. All while this abuse was going on, Sevv couldn¡¯t stop fucking laughing¡­. Naomi finally dropped him, Sevv¡¯s body dropping on the floor sounding like a bag of potatoes. He was visibly weak as his arms struggled to lift himself up, the blood from his torn forehead oozing down his smile. ¡°Of course it¡¯s you! It is always you!¡± I winced. It sounded like Sevv knew Naomi. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with your work, so spare me,¡± he said, getting on his knees and grabbing his head. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± The monster didn¡¯t transform, he didn¡¯t attack, hell, he didn¡¯t even escape! Instead, he bore his fingers down on his head and decapitated himself, the stitches around his neck popping off one by one. I wanted to gag, but I kept the nauseating feel down. Blood erupted from his neck like a volcano, before his body dropped lifelessly on the floor. ¡°Shit¡­¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± ¡°I told you I should have handled it,¡± Naomi said as she walked over to me. She popped the bars open and knelt by Ramus¡¯ body, then said something that shook me, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± I held my breath. ¡°Leave it to Ramus to get himself into trouble.¡± ¡°That monster was playing with his soul!¡± ¡°He was, and now that the monster is gone, he is, too. Without the sliver of Sevv¡¯s soul there¡¯s not enough to keep the body living.¡± ¡°That jackass transferred his soul to Max!¡± I cried. ¡°Maybe if we could¡ª¡± ¡°There is nothing more we can do here,¡± she said. ¡°I know Sevv. I¡¯ve fought him before, when I was running my own hunting business. We crossed paths a couple of times, and every time, he¡¯d do something dumb like this. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find him in Utoro, though...¡± ¡°Do dumb shit like what?¡± ¡°Off himself.¡± ¡°Wait, so he¡¯s immortal?¡± ¡°He is, in a sense. He plays with souls¨Che welds them, transforms them, mutates them¨Cwhatever mood he¡¯s into that day. He also collects them. And with so many souls at his disposal, he can transfer his spirit upon death, using the stolen souls as an anchor. After tethering a part of his soul with that of his victims, he finds himself another body to snatch.¡± ¡°So he is immortal. How do you even categorize a skill like that?¡± ¡°Special grade,¡± Naomi said flatly. ¡°His defense is garbage without his collection of corpses housing imprisoned souls, but he is still a nuisance to deal with.¡± She got up from Ramus¡¯s body and turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s like he has unlimited lives. The only way to stop him for good is to destroy his soul completely, but that¡¯s no easy to do.¡± I stared at Ramus, my mind racing. If Sevv had a habit of jumping out of his body before we could finish him off, then how the hell were we going to stop him for good? ¡°There has to be a way around this,¡± I said desperately. But I was clutching at straws here. Naomi was an experienced hunter who had found him before, and even she didn¡¯t have an answer for him. So what were the chances that I¡¯d stop him? Maybe I couldn¡¯t, but my team and I could¡­. Naomi gave me a sympathetic look. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Hayashi about this.¡± I looked at her lost. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Sevv is a coward. All he does is run away when he has to get his own hands dirty. Even so, one touch from him can potentially kill you, which is where his threat level comes from. I don¡¯t want Hayashi getting ideas of sending hunters after him.¡± ¡°So we let him roam free, taking lives by the dozen?¡± ¡°There is a big drawback to Sevv¡¯s powers. It¡¯s seasonal. A powerful ability like his is taxing, and judging by his cages, he¡¯s not doing a lot of hunting.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Then explain the family?¡± ¡°An outlier¡­.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°I know his pattern, Nero. Trust me.¡± ¡°Naomi, there were several people in this church that went missing for months. And his fridge is right here! That¡¯s not some wild coincidence.¡± ¡°You said you trust me, right?¡± she said, turning to me seriously. ¡°Sevv has been a thorn in my side for a very long time. I know how he operates. Another monster was behind those missing people. Or maybe a talent, or worse, a human. But, it wasn¡¯t him. The dominoes are falling in the right places, and we start assuming things without thinking them through.¡± I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. Naomi was right. I needed to think this through logically instead of jumping to conclusions. ¡°Okay,¡± I said finally. ¡°Explain it to me then. Help me understand Sevv''s pattern and why you¡¯re so sure he wasn¡¯t behind the missing people.¡± ¡°Like I said, his power is taxing. He can only harvest a few times before he needs to rest and regenerate¡ª sometimes for months. That limits how often he can hunt. He takes a soul, stores it, welds it to another soul to make it more powerful, and does a variety of things with them. All of that takes a lot out of him. He¡¯s known to experiment, implanting multiple souls into a person. But as you know, souls are energy, and there''s only so much of it a vessel could take. Once you go over two souls, you risk boiling that vessel alive, from the inside out¡­¡± ¡°Okay, then how about Max?¡± ¡°I told you before, outliers¡­.¡± ¡°Was I an outlier too?¡± ¡°You were. He placed himself in a situation where he would rather risk draining himself than losing. Typical arrogant flesh eater mindset, remember?¡± I considered Naomi¡¯s words carefully. She had far more experience hunting monsters than I did. If she said Sevv wasn''t behind the missing people, I had to trust her judgment. Still, it didn''t sit right with me. All signs pointed to Sevv being the culprit. His ability to steal souls, the private dungeon in the basement of the cathedral, the timing of the disappearances. It fit too perfectly. But Naomi was adamant. She claimed to know Sevv¡¯s patterns intimately. And if there was one thing I had learned about her, it was that she didn¡¯t make reckless accusations. Then there was someone like Ramus being involved with this case¡­. ¡°We need to get our story straight for Hayashi,¡± she said. ¡°We pin all of this on Ramus, understood?¡± I felt queasy about the idea¡­. ¡°He attacked you, right? That¡¯s why he¡¯s caged?¡± ¡°He did, but¡­.¡± I looked up to her. ¡°Sevv told me that Ramus ordered him to kill Max, but not the kids, or the wife.¡± Naomi straightened herself out and remained quiet. ¡°I know Ramus isn¡¯t the best person out there, but¨C¡± ¡°He told you that and you still doubt that he¡¯s behind the murders?¡± ¡°Ramus, a killer? He¡¯s a lot of things, but working with a monster is¡­is¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put so much faith in people you don¡¯t know, Nero. You¡¯ll just end up feeling stupid and played.¡± ¡°How could someone like Sevv be ordered around by someone like Ramus?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t our job to find out. Our job is to stop this from happening again, and keep other hunters from getting killed. So don¡¯t mention Sevv in your report.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t feel right about lying to sensei. And finding Sevv later, who is going to take on that responsibility? You?¡± ¡°If I say yes, will you omit the encounter on the report?¡± She managed to avoid being victimized by this high grade threat¡­ I should trust that she can handle it on her own, right? ¡°All right, Naomi.¡± ¡°Japan is far from Ramus¡¯ grid. He shouldn¡¯t have been here. Even though Sevv used him, I believe that he was the true culprit of the missing parishioners. Especially after what you said. Don¡¯t complicate things by asking irrelevant questions.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said weakly. ¡°You¡¯re doing the right thing. Even though it doesn¡¯t feel like it right now. We are saving hunter lives by keeping Sevv off of their radar. Imagine if Hayashi sent a year three team after him? He might not be harvesting, but he has souls in storage for his down seasons. There¡¯s no point in going after a dangerous shadow walker like him without experience. It¡¯s the same thing as throwing lives away. I will find him myself. I promise, he won¡¯t slip from me again.¡± ++++ Despite feeling unsure about blaming the case on Ramus, I focused on the lives we saved. Unfortunately Max wasn¡¯t in the lineup, but with an order to shut down the cathedral, we kept further parishioners from being targeted by people who may be associated with Ramus. Father Fredrei was trying to avoid the cathedral from shutting down, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The local authorities had made up their minds¨Cthe recent string of disappearances and strange occurrences around the cathedral had to be dealt with. The disappearances now had a proven source, and the cathedral was that source. As I wrote my report in the dojo meeting room, I could still envision the Father¡¯s theatrics upon hearing the fate of his church. Fredrei sank to his knees, with hot tears in his eyes as he pleaded, ¡®Why is this happening?¡¯ he cried to the heavens. ¡®Have I not been a dutiful servant? Is this how you reward decades of loyalty and devotion?¡¯ It was like he didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about his congregation. It was almost as if he were part of the disappearances, but I didn¡¯t feed into that theory. It was too damn scary. Local authorities were interviewing everyone that went there, anyway, so as far as I was concerned, that money-hungry jackass wasn¡¯t my problem. ¡°Long day?¡± Hayashi said as I exited the meeting room. He stood along the doorway, eyeing me like I was hiding something. ¡°It was. Can¡¯t believe it¡¯s still Monday. Normally, they aren¡¯t so action-packed.¡± ¡°Get used to it.¡± He looked down at the manila folder. ¡°Is that your final report?¡± ¡°Yeah, here.¡± I gave it to him and he began skimming over it. ¡°I thought maybe you might have left something in our debrief.¡± ¡°I never do.¡± ¡°Perhaps a fine detail worth considering?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I said, playing clueless. Hayashi closed the folder and stared at me, his expression unreadable. ¡°I know you¡¯re holding something back. You¡¯ve been acting strange ever since you came back from the cathedral.¡± I hesitated. Hayashi was my mentor, and he was also deeply loyal to the Corp. I looked up to him. Whereas Naomi was my ally, and my crush! How could I betray either one of them? ¡°Ugh, just a bit rattled, honestly,¡± I said as I scratched the back of my head. ¡°First the murder in school and now this? It¡¯s a lot to take in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing. There will be situations far more severe.¡± ¡°Well, shoot, then this is a good time to start toughening up, huh?¡± He raised an eyebrow at me and then squinted. ¡°Have your ears always been so red?¡± I dipped. ¡°Haha, gotta go! It was a long day, and I can¡¯t wait to catch some z¡¯s. Night, sensei!¡± B1-CH50: Searching for the Truth Hayashi I looked at the report for the third time and I couldn¡¯t find any gaps in his story, but something told me otherwise. Nero was withholding information, and I didn¡¯t understand why. The reason must have been important enough to keep it from me, someone he¡¯d been open with ever since he came to Utoro. There wasn¡¯t anything going on with his hunting career that I didn¡¯t know about, until now. That license meant the world to him. He wouldn¡¯t risk losing it by doing something stupid¡­. I had to trust that whatever he was up to wouldn¡¯t jeopardize the integrity of the Corp. Even so, this unease in his hidden agenda was bothering me. Whatever the reason, pushing Nero for answers right now would likely only make him withdraw further. The best thing would be to wait and let him come to me when he was ready. I set the report down on my desk with a sigh. Nero was one of my best agents, and I had come to rely on his honesty and intuition. When local authorities released their own findings, I¡¯d make a comparison and review the intel further. For now, I would put the case on hold. I was expecting a guest tonight. I¡¯d invited her to the second floor of my dojo, an area reserved for only me¡­. When I turned toward the doorway I saw Reina there looking at the photos of my family¡ªmy wife Amelia, and my daughter Mai. She was a little younger than Reina at the time of the family photo, Reina picking up the frame and leveling it closely to her eyes. I was sure she noticed the resemblance. My Mai was a demi-human as well, with fox ears and long silky auburn hair. She got it from her mother, who passed down her beauty and wisdom to our only child. Watching Reina study her left me with an empty feeling I fought to dismiss right away, before I made myself noticeable. ¡°They are in a better place now,¡± I said standing under the doorway, startling Reina. She immediately placed the frame back on the end table and apologized. ¡°Sorry for touching your things. It¡¯s just¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but notice you and your family.¡± She frowned. ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°Nothing I am in the mood to share with you right now.¡± She looked back at me like she¡¯d offended me, before I reassured her. ¡°In due time.¡± I gestured my hand for her to sit in my study across from us. As I followed her inside, I noticed how Reina¡¯s keen eyes scanned around my study, absorbing every detail. She was especially interested in my ornate sheathed katana displayed along my wall, crowning my oak bookshelf. Her eyes widened with child-like interest, before she said, ¡°My mother has something that looks just like that.¡± I grinned. ¡°Then your mother has good taste,¡± I said, and offered her tea as she sat on the floor mat. ¡°So, am I in some type of trouble?¡± she began. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that no one has ever been here before, not even your earlier hunters¡­.¡± ¡°This is true.¡± ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°The latter. If it eases you, I can confirm that you are not in trouble, even though you may feel like you should be with all of the back-talking you¡¯ve been doing ever since you got here.¡± She pursed her lips shamefully. ¡°You remind me so much of her. My daughter, Mai.¡± ¡°She does look quite a bit like me. Doesn¡¯t take from her father at all. Which is why she¡¯s so beautiful.¡± I chuckled. ¡°She was one bratty entitled child, too. You couldn¡¯t tell her no¡ªthat word was just another challenge to overcome. Everything her heart desired, she made sure to get one way or another. It didn¡¯t make things easier on us that she was a daredevil at heart, either.¡± Reina smiled, seeming to relax a little as I reminisced. ¡°There was never a tree too high for her to climb, or a river too wild for her to cross.¡± I laughed at the memory. ¡°Mai was a firecracker from the start. Even as a young child, she had a knack for getting into mischief. Addicted to thrill and danger. She certainly inherited my stubborn streak.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°She sounded like a handful.¡± ¡°One time when she was about four, she somehow got a hold of a pair of scissors and cut off all her hair, just so she didn¡¯t have to let me brush it anymore. Her mother was horrified when she saw her, her head nearly bald with tufts of uneven strands sticking out here and there. It took all my strength not to laugh at the sight of my little girl, grinning up at us guiltlessly while still clutching the scissors in her hand. Really, she had no shame.¡± Reina giggled. ¡°I would never destroy my beautiful locks. What a brave little girl.¡± ¡°But she wasn¡¯t all rebellion. Mai had a heart as fiery as her spirit. When she was six, she found a wounded bird in the backyard. For weeks, she took care of it, feeding it, warming it, whispering sweet words to it until it was strong enough to fly away. She cried for days after that bird left, but that was Mai--all toughness on the outside, but inside, she was just¡­¡± I paused, fighting tears from forming in my eyes. ¡°Hayashi?¡± I batted my eyes to hide their glossiness, and I smiled sadly, lost in bittersweet memories of my beloved daughter. ¡°Mai was so full of life. She was full of passion, and felt everything so deeply¡ªjoy, anger, love. Especially love. She loved fiercely, with her whole heart. Even as a young child, she was protective of those she cared about. I loved her very much.¡± Reina¡¯s expression softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± she said sincerely. I poured her a cup of the hot brew before continuing. ¡°Just like my Mai, you too Reina have passion for everything you care deeply for. You express yourself without limitations, so after seeing your outburst a few times, I had to wonder where these emotions were coming from.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read your file. Thoroughly, on several occasions. You can almost say that I know you inside and out, but it takes more than a file to give me a deeper insight and understanding of your persona. It doesn¡¯t align with your reason for being here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean a head-strong, independent, self-minded wealthy woman wouldn¡¯t care about being compatible in this line of duty. The main reason why many gifted individuals want to become hunters is for fame, fortune, and glory. And then, a small percentage of them want to get out of their poverty stricken lives and make a name for themselves. You don¡¯t need fame, the fortune, or the glory. You¡¯ve been receiving that back home. You¡¯re also not desperate for cash, which brings us to the bogus reason that everyone¡¯s going by¡ªMr. Faust wanting you to shape up and be somebody.¡± She gave me a stern look. ¡°Why are you calling it bogus? It¡¯s the truth!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something behind all of that passion that hits closer to home. So why not tell me? Do we still have trust issues?¡± Her face softened. ¡°I trust you, but I have nothing to hide.¡± Reina looked down, her cheeks flushing pink. ¡°I suppose my emotions have gotten the better of me at times. It¡¯s just¡­ I care so deeply about this. I want to protect them, but I feel powerless.¡± ¡°Protect them?¡± She looked up to me. ¡°Protect the people of Utoro.¡± ¡°I genuinely believe that you want to do the right thing. From your very first mission to your last, I¡¯ve seen you evolve from someone selfish and self-centered to someone who could charge into the fray and rescue those in danger, without any regards for yourself. You¡¯ve become a symbol of hope for the people, a beacon sparking up even in the darkest corners of Utoro.¡± A pained smile crept up on Reina¡¯s face. ¡°A beacon doesn¡¯t feel hopelessness and uncertainty.¡± ¡°But neither does it shine alone. It¡¯s backed by countless people who fuel its shine, who provide the strength to keep it alight,¡± I reassured her, reaching out to gently hold her shaking hands. ¡°You have a team who supports you. You¡¯re not in this alone.¡± ¡°Things aren¡¯t well at home,¡± her voice shook. ¡°I¡¯ve had others protect me and my family¡­ never had I needed to do it on my own. And that¡¯s what I feel¡­ like it¡¯s all on me. The burden¡­. It¡¯s like the world is on my shoulders, and if I don¡¯t make it here, it¡¯s over¡­.¡± I gently peeled my hand away, concerned. ¡°Reina, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, getting up on her feet. ¡°I¡¯ve said too much already.¡± I got up and intercepted her as she tried to leave. ¡°Reina, you are not as powerless as you think. Your courage and determination will see it through. And you won¡¯t have to stand alone. I will be by your side, along with your team. Lean on us when you need strength. We¡¯re in this together. Whatever you¡¯re going through¡­ you¡¯re not alone.¡± She nodded, looking up to me as she wiped tears from her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Hayashi.¡± Just like Mai¡­ holding everything in. Thinking she¡¯d be a burden to her family. Pretending she could handle everything by herself. It was the death of her, and I didn¡¯t want to see the same thing happen to Reina. I wish she¡¯d open up and tell me. A little voice in the back of her head told her not to get anyone involved. The outbursts, the resilience, it all had to do with protecting her family. From what and who, I really wanted to know¡­. Despite being desperate, I allowed her the opportunity to tell me on her own time. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me everything. I understand whatever you¡¯re going through is difficult. But I¡¯m here for you, no matter what. When you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll listen.¡± B1-CH51: Step On Me, Naomi-san! Nero After one wild Monday night, I wanted to see what normal felt like again, and I got it. When we went back to school, it was like nothing had happened the day before. Sure there was talk about the attack, and we had extra security around campus, but other than that, everything was normal. Just about as normal as it could get in a city of monsters. I took my classes. So far, there were no incidents today, and no suspects for the day before. While Felix, Gun, and Ash weren¡¯t looking out for potential suspects, I was, keeping my eyes sharp throughout the day, especially when lunch time came. Gun had managed to relax Reina a bit about the murder as they sat in one table in the cafeteria, and Naomi, well, she was being Naomi, reading her book quietly to herself as she always did. I was making my way over to her to join her for lunch until a swarm of goth and emo kids noticed her. About seven of them began chatting her up, potential sponsor prospects! At this point, she had 213, but the way she collected them was downright confusing. She treated her fans like they were pests, Naomi taking her book and her small meal with her. I watched curiously as Naomi gathered her things and headed outside, the group of goth kids following eagerly behind her. Through the glass window, I saw she led them to a secluded table far from the other students with her expression neutral as always. As soon as they had all taken their seats, Naomi slammed her book down on the table, making them jump. ¡°Listen up, maggots,¡± she growled. ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this once. I¡¯m not interested in making small talk or gathering ¡®sponsors.¡¯ I don¡¯t care about any of you losers. Got it?¡± Yikes¡­. They looked at each other, exchanging confused glances before they uniformly broke out in a round of applause and cheers. ¡°That¡¯s our Naomi!¡± one of the goth kids shouted. ¡°So dark and brooding!¡± Naomi rolled her eyes. ¡°I just told you to scram. Why are you clapping?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your style,¡± another girl explained. ¡°Your cold indifference is so mysterious and alluring!¡± ¡°We worship the ground you walk on!¡± another girl sang. ¡°Please, step on me, Naomi-san!¡± a guy said, getting down on his hands and knees. Naomi winced, curling away disgustedly before she kicked his shoulder, the guy falling on his ass. ¡°Get off the floor, you idiot,¡± she hissed, another girl closing in on her with folded hands. ¡°Excuse me, Naomi-san. I know you can¡¯t use your talent off the clock, but, can you just show us a little trick?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± another girl beamed. ¡°Show us how your awesome powers work in per¡ª¡± Without warning, Naomi chucked her half bitten apple at the girl¡¯s forehead, and she keeled over right on top of the floor-kissing boy¡¯s lap. The way she dropped was hilarious, and I couldn¡¯t help myself from snickering at her theatrics. ¡°There¡¯s your trick, with a treat. Now, back off.¡± She went down on her knees and cradled the apple like it was gold. ¡°I¡¯ll cherish this for the rest of my life!¡± She rolled her eyes and walked away, this time, her fans getting the message. I went outside and over to her with my food and smiled. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re really popular in this school.¡± ¡°It¡¯s revolting¡­.¡± Naomi let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Reina does it.¡± I shrugged. ¡°She basks in the spotlight. It¡¯s where she lives.¡± ¡°I have no privacy. It doesn¡¯t matter where I am.¡± ¡°Fame and fortune comes with fans. And you¡¯re crushing it out here. Effortlessly too, if I might add.¡± ¡°Maybe if I start acting nice, they¡¯ll run away.¡± I laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I might run away, too.¡± I teased. ¡°It¡¯s only been a half day, and I¡¯m already exhausted from dodging all of these people. ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± I joined her and sat down across the table. With a lean, I whispered. ¡°Hey look, I didn¡¯t get a chance to really talk to you last night. How is, erm, you know?¡± She looked up her lashes at me. ¡°It¡¯s moving along, I told you not to worry about it.¡± ¡°If you need any help with it, you¡¯ll tell me, right?¡± ¡°The part you played in this is over,¡± she clarified. ¡°I don¡¯t want you involved. You¡¯ll get hurt.¡± ¡°Naomi, just like you have my back, I have yours. We¡¯re a team, remember?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°And as your teammate, you should understand when you¡¯re needed and when you¡¯re not needed. And Sevv is a topic where you¡¯re not needed.¡± I squinted. ¡°How long have you been beefing with this guy, anyway?¡± ¡°Too long.¡± ¡°Sorta¡¯ like an arch nemesis?¡± I chuckled when she deadpanned me. ¡°So, you have a vendetta, too, huh?¡± ¡°I want to talk about something else¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm? Like what?¡± ¡°Like¡­ how you¡¯ve been feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coping, Naomi.¡± I smiled wholesomely. ¡°You ask me this question almost every day. Speaking of, I never got to thank you for helping me out last night. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Sevv would have wasted me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job to look after you. And I take that job seriously.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s my job to look after you, too. So how about we curve the topic again? What¡¯s going on between you and Reina?¡± ¡°Besides the obvious hate and disdain?¡± ¡°Yeah, besides that. What the hell happened in the hot springs?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I picked up on it again when we were at the cathedral. What does she have over you?¡± She turned her head away from me. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­.¡± ¡°Naomi?¡± ¡°I elect to change the topic again,¡± she curved. ¡°I hope she¡¯s not blackmailing you,¡± I said, halfway serious, halfway joking. Though the more I thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. Reina had some kind of dirt on Naomi, that much was obvious. But what could it be? I wracked my brain trying to think of something scandalous enough to blackmail someone over. Naomi was still a mystery to me. And her past, even more so. All I knew was that she had some hunting experience under her belt. She never talked about where she came from or how she managed to work privately. There were gaps in her history that left plenty of room for secrets. And then, this. I guess I could talk about it with Reina, but I already knew she wasn¡¯t going to give me crap. Maybe grief, but that was it. I squared my eyes on her, trying to read her reaction. Like I said, the girl had a pretty good poker face, not the easiest to figure out in the slightest. So I dropped the topic after letting her know that she could tell me anything. Even though ever since the hot springs, I felt like she was closing herself off from me again little by little¡­ We talked some more about work and school, where Naomi mentioned there being a supernatural club on campus. She heard one of the goth kids talking about it, and in the back of my head, I was telling myself to check it out one of these days. With how my last conversation with Sophie went, I was interested. I told her to quit looking into it because I was worried about her safety, and I didn¡¯t want anyone looking for her, but I was a hunter. I was better equipped to handle myself. After school, I trained with Hayashi. Our session didn¡¯t run long. In fact, he had to cut it short. He had an emergency meeting with his board, and we scheduled a continuation later on this evening. I was packing up my things in the backyard before I noticed Felix, and he looked physically stronger with the white tank he had on. Hell, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯d last seen his stats. I hadn¡¯t taken off my com unit since I came back from school, so I took a quick peek at them:
Career Level: 1
Name: Felix Navarro Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality:
Age: 18 Endurance: 9
Rank: Bronze Strength: 9
Fame: 2% Agility: 13
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 15
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 90/90
Specialties: Air Manipulation Squadron: Alpha1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 25
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 120 (FPs Accumulated): 1600 Items:--
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency: 300 Yen
¡°Checking me out, Nero?¡± He grinned. ¡°You ought to buy me dinner first.¡± I snickered. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been feeding your stats, Felix.¡± ¡°Sure have. I¡¯m not here to mess around. But I got a lot of learning to do.¡± ¡°You had a training segment with Hayashi, too?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I just walked past him in the hallway. He had to postpone it.¡± ¡°Same.¡± ¡°So how about it?¡± he asked, then proceeded to dress his hand with a long white wrap. ¡°How about what?¡± I smiled. ¡°You want to spar me?¡± He snickered. ¡°No point in wasting time, right? Hayashi might be MIA, but we can still train together. Unless of course, you¡¯re scared?¡± I snorted. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°I get it, that last fight with Gun might have shaken you up a bit. I won¡¯t judge.¡± ¡°You got jokes, Felix. You know I let him win, right?¡± ¡°Whatever you say, Dragon Head.¡± ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you? You really think Gun won that fight straight? He got a couple of lucky hits in, but that¡¯s only because I didn¡¯t give him my all.¡± ¡°Wow, Nero, I¡¯ve never known you to be the type to toot your own horn.¡± Felix shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. It sure didn¡¯t look that way from where I was standing. Looked to me like Gun handed you your ass.¡± ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t believe me. Fair!¡± I chuckled. ¡°I have no problem proving it to you.¡± B1-CH52: Wind Guard Felix began wrapping his other hand, eyeing me confidently. ¡°Give this fight everything you got. I want to see the Dragon Head in action.¡± I bounced lightly on my toes, loosening up my shoulders. ¡°Careful what you wish for.¡± Deep down, I think Felix knew I gave the W to Gun. He just wanted to rev me up for a fight. And it worked. After all, I was missing a good chunk of training time in my segment, so I might as well spar with Felix. Not only that, I¡¯d never seen the guy work his wind powers, besides that one time he fanned the smoke from the kitchen in Reina¡¯s horrendous cooking fiasco. ¡°You¡¯re going to fight me with those?¡± I said, referring to his fists. ¡°Sensei said I have to stop relying on my extender weapons when tapping into my talent.¡± ¡°Words from a wise man. But you¡¯re putting yourself at a disadvantage already.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I like a challenge!¡± We made a ring out of the backyard, Felix circling me as he squared up his fists to his face. Without wasting time, he lunged forward, throwing quick consecutive jabs at me. I slipped the first two, but his agility was higher than mine. The breeze from his fists were slicing at my skin, my physical immunity protecting me from getting cut. Despite my trait, I was immediately forced to defend, the barrage of punches getting faster with every throw. He followed up with a left hook, putting his hips into it. I raised my forearm, blocking the blow. I had to give Felix some credit¡ªhe¡¯d studied the fight I had with Gun and was flustering me up. He continued tossing strikes, Felix light on his feet as he danced around me. I continued playing defense, getting a feel for his style. He had good form and speed, and awareness to know when to switch up his range and follow up. Felix wasn¡¯t a telegraphed fighter, but I needed to turn him into one. So I studied patiently, allowing Felix to continue raining down blows from all angles. I kept my guard up, deflecting and blocking, biding my time. Suddenly, I saw an opening. Felix overextended on a right cross, leaving his ribs exposed. I slipped the punch and countered with a left hook to his side, but my fist felt resistance. What the hell? Was that a wind cyclone? I realized it a moment too late, my punch falling into the whirlwind he summoned to protect him from my shot. When my knuckles dove deeper into the wind pocket, I went with it, first my arms, then my entire body, twirling around like I was in some god damn rinse cycle. Once he was tired with swinging me around, he spat me out, and I flew right into a tree. My head was disoriented as I opened my eyes, where I noticed Felix charging right at me with an uppercut. I made a sloppy attempt at getting out of his way. As soon as his front foot slammed the ground, his fist went up to the sky. He summoned a spiraling wind vortex that wrapped around the body of the old tree. With the tree being weak, Felix effortlessly whipped strips of bark out with his meta, and then flung them like javelins in my direction. I dove out of the way just in time as the barrage sailed over me, splintering as it crashed against the ground. Felix was a master of momentum as he picked up large chunks of jagged trunk pieces from the ground, using his wind to toss them back at me. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Over a dozen projectiles chased me across the field, and I was burning so much energy dodging and scorching each of them. The more I warded them off, the faster he generated more wind. I was being backed into a corner quick, so I had to find a way to break his momentum. I needed to stop dodging and start countering. But Felix wasn¡¯t being careful with where he was leading me, into the heart of sensei¡¯s precious garden. ¡°Felix, wait¡ª¡± I warned him. But before I could finish, he shouted, ¡°No holding back, Nero!¡± He smiled. ¡°Come on, I haven¡¯t seen anything from you yet!¡± ¡°Hayashi is going to bust our ass if we¡ª¡± ¡°Use more of your flames!¡± he demanded. ¡°All you¡¯re doing is avoiding projectiles. We both know you can take a hit.¡± Felix was starting to get carried away. He summoned an air ball between his hands, the damn thing growing to twice the size of his head. At first glance, it didn¡¯t look threatening, but when he tossed it at me, I realized just how powerful it really was. First off, it was stupid fast. I drew an X with my arms over my face to absorb the blow. It kept on spinning and warbling, Felix increasing its intensity the more his fingers curled. The soles of my feet were being pushed into the ground the longer I resisted, and the impact rippled against my arms like a buzzsaw. I squinted harder, the wind blinding me, and the force keeping me from making a move. Too bad Felix didn¡¯t wait for me to make a move. He made the air ball explode, sending me flying backwards. I landed inside the garden, crushing Hayashi¡¯s collection of blooming flowers. Now, Felix got me pissed, because I¡¯d tried warning him before, but he was more preoccupied with kicking my ass to listen! ¡°Felix, stop!¡± I groaned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I just want to see your true power!¡± he yelled back. ¡°Use your flames!¡± ¡°You want flames? Fine!¡± I retorted, getting up on my feet. At this point, there was no saving those flowers, so I stomped my foot on the ground, and a pillar of flame shot out of the earth like a geyser. The dirt and leaves swirled up, my flame tower shooting twenty feet into the sky. The heat was so intense, I could feel the air around me distort, the oxygen thin and dry. I concentrated my extension into the pillar, and it shifted into a dragon. Pure power and energy vaped from me and fueled my flames, increasing the size of my creation. It opened its big mouth and stretched its long neck, casting a shadow over Felix. I sent the snake dragon to attack Felix, and I was itching to see what kind of counter he had for it. Felix kicked his foot in the air, keeping his legs straight. And then, he began to spin, creating a ring of wind around him. A diagonal topper was his repellant, Felix confident that it¡¯d destroy my flame beast. And even though this was my first time summoning a dragon out of my flames, I was confident he wouldn¡¯t defeat it. The dragon roared and lunged, its claws tearing at the wind shield. The wind whipped around them, dirt and debris swirling in a chaotic vortex. Felix¡¯s concentration was unwavering as he channeled more of his power into the wind. The wind shield held as it grew, but I could tell that it was a struggle. Each swipe of the dragon¡¯s claws sent tremors through the barrier, and Felix was running out of stamina fast. He knew he couldn¡¯t keep this up forever. My dragon was relentless. Felix had to find a way to break through my attack. But just like he wasn¡¯t easy on me, I wasn¡¯t easy on him. I ordered my flame dragon to take a snap at the vortex with its teeth. The wind swallowed it as expected, and just like that, Felix was creating his very own furnace. The more he spun, the hotter it got. Until he enveloped himself completely in a flame ball, Felix having no option but to disengage his cyclone. I gave him what he wanted. He was suffocating in flames. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he began to back away, summoning the air around him to put out the fire eating at his skin. I did my part in tapering my flames, and when the ruckus was finally over, I walked over to him. ¡°Are you all right?¡± He continued to cough, a big smile etched on his face as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°I knew it,¡± he said. ¡°I knew you were holding back.¡± B1-CH53: Broken Spirit Well that confirmed it. Felix knew I let Gun win. He just wanted to see if he could beat me, and I proved that he couldn¡¯t. ¡°We aren¡¯t as evenly matched as I thought,¡± he said as he flicked the last flame thread off his pants. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could have defeated you if we¡¯d continued fighting.¡± I frowned. ¡°You could have seriously gotten hurt, Felix.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± he said as he looked at me. ¡°I wanted to see how long I could last in the ring with you. Now I know I have to work on my resistance to pain, and exploiting your weak points.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say you were doing a pretty good job with that.¡± ¡°I could have done better. I could have used the air to block your view. With the mess we made, that would have been easy.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Something was pulling me away from the idea¡­¡± I smirked. ¡°You think you have something to prove? And maybe even thought that doing that would have been like cheating for a win?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Sensei said that there was no such thing as playing clean.¡± ¡°Yeah, when fighting monsters.¡± ¡°And you have a few things to work on too, Nero.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Learning how to stop holding back¡­¡± I laughed. ¡°Well yeah, I have to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± My smile started sinking. ¡°What do you mean by why? We are all friends here. I¡¯m not going to seriously injure any of you.¡± ¡°Like in that match with Gun. It would have been easy to knock him out while he was on the ground, or to break his leg, his arm, anything. There were multiple times where you had him in a position to do real damage, but you stopped yourself. Why?¡± I had to think for a moment. Felix was asking troubling questions. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t want to cause any serious damage.¡± ¡°Exactly. But that¡¯s the difference between someone like you and someone like me. I don¡¯t care about causing someone pain. In fact, if I were able to cause my opponents a lot of pain, then I would have a much better chance of winning.¡± I looked at him funny. ¡°That¡¯s a cruel way of training, Felix.¡± ¡°Cruelty is irrelevant on the battlefield, Nero. You¡¯ll need to learn that if you want to survive.¡± ¡°We are at the dojo,¡± I confirmed, in case he¡¯d forgotten. ¡°This isn¡¯t a contract. In fact, this is as far from a contract as we could get.¡± ¡°What does that matter? You aren¡¯t a warrior, Nero. You are a killer. There is a difference.¡± I stared at him seriously. ¡°I am no killer. I¡¯m a hunter.¡± He snickered. ¡°One and the same! You need to fix your mindset. Mercy is a luxury that a killer cannot afford.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that I should have fought you with the intent of killing you?¡± ¡°I mean, yeah. Why not? You don¡¯t hold back when you fight monsters, right? So why would you hold back with me? If this were a fight to the death, you would be dead. And I¡¯d be standing here.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I shook my head at him, disappointed. He was being totally unreasonable. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fight to the death, though. You do realize that, right?¡± Felix¡¯s perspective was shot. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was pretending to be some bad-ass or something, but I was starting to really worry about how he saw his hunting career. ¡°Training for what? An actual fight to the death, right?¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± I said, agreeing with him to unravel his thought process. ¡°Then you should train for it the way it would actually be.¡± ¡°So you want me to beat you to a pulp?¡± I asked, incredulously. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem, you can¡¯t. Something inside your head is stopping you. I don¡¯t think you realize out there, it¡¯s not just monsters you¡¯re fighting. It¡¯s other metas, too. While the Hunter Games is an entire realm of its own, where we aren¡¯t dealing actual damage, you still have rogues and vigilantes out there messing everything up for everybody. If they don¡¯t have a problem killing you, you shouldn¡¯t have a problem killing them. When it comes down to the wire, you need to see them as a threat, too. And do whatever it takes to neutralize the threat. Even if it means taking a life.¡± ¡°Felix¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to save your life, Nero. And Reina, and Naomi¡¯s. You need to start thinking like a leader, and not like a wimp.¡± ¡°A wimp?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing worse than fear¡­¡± he said, as if talking to himself. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, Felix,¡± I interrupted. ¡°But I can¡¯t just kill someone because they are in my way. It¡¯s not that simple.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple?¡± Felix scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s as simple as breathing! If they¡¯re trying to kill you, you kill them first! It¡¯s self-defense!¡± he vented. ¡°But what if they¡¯re not trying to kill me?¡± I asked. ¡°What if they¡¯re just trying to stop me?¡± ¡°Then you stop them from stopping you!¡± Felix shouted. ¡°You don¡¯t let them get in your way! You do whatever it takes to get the job done!¡± ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t kill someone who¡¯s only trying to stop me. I¡¯ll find a way around them while protecting myself and others. If they try to kill me to stop me then it gets more complicated. But in the end, I will always protect myself and those I care about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to get yourself killed out there, Nero. You think you¡¯re going to be able to spot when they go from trying to stop you to killing you to make sure the issue ends? It¡¯s not going to happen when you¡¯re ready for it! You need to toughen up! You need to¡ª¡±he stopped himself, his eyes growing wide. It was now I realized where he was coming from. He was projecting himself on me¡­. Something in his past shifted his perspective, and he was speaking from experience. ¡°You had to kill someone, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked quietly. Felix didn¡¯t answer. He just stared at me, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, immediately regretting asking. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to pry.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said finally. ¡°And, it¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t mean to flip out on you like that.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Must be those fumes! Got to my head.¡± ¡°Felix, you don¡¯t have to explain w¡ª¡± ¡°No, really. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing. I got carried away¡­.¡± Felix took a seat on a head of stone to decompress. I joined him, giving him time to collect himself. After a long silence, Felix spoke again. ¡°These monsters have a real knack for messing with people¡¯s heads. They are professionals. It¡¯s bad enough that they are stronger than your average meta¨Cthey have to have the ability to shape shift, too.¡± He sighed, his shoulders slumping further. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it feels like¡­ to live with a shadow walker for days without even noticing. My parents were so distant that I had no idea¡­ and neither did Sara.¡± ¡°Shit¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just tools to them, Nero. It¡¯s why I¡¯m hard on myself, and my friends. It¡¯s why I¡¯m hard on you.¡± He turned his kind eyes to me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see someone I care about get tricked like that. Never again. Don¡¯t take pity, all right? Get the job done, even if it¡¯s hard. If no one has ever told you this before, let me be the one to endorse it. Don¡¯t let your kindness be your downfall. And don¡¯t let your gullibility hurt the ones you love.¡± I smiled, and tapped his shoulder comfortingly. We were having a wholesome moment, just in time for Hayashi to walk in and ruin it. The onset of chills swooped in before I saw him along the corner of my eye, the disappointed expression on his face speaking volumes. I jumped off that rock, faster than I¡¯d ever jumped before in my life, and tried to explain myself. ¡°Master Hayashi, this isn¡¯t what it looks like!¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Sensei grumbled. ¡°First my meeting hall, then my kitchen, and now, my garden.¡± Felix got on his feet too, his eyes scanning the mess we made. It probably didn¡¯t dawn on him how bad it was until sensei pointed it out. But before he could say a word, I pointed to Felix childishly, his face ridden with guilt. In all honesty, I was the one who¡¯d been trying to move the fight away from the dojo, knowing the type of trouble we¡¯d get into. But it didn¡¯t matter. Master Hayashi gave us a look that said that we both deserved some lashes. ¡°I hope you two have cleared schedules this afternoon, because you¡¯re both going to rebuild my garden to its former glory.¡± We both bowed and replied together, ¡°Yes, sensei.¡± B1-CH54: Send Help And so, we began the tedious task of rebuilding the garden. We gathered the scattered rocks, replanted the uprooted flowers, and swept away the debris. It was slow, grueling work, but we didn¡¯t complain. We knew we had to earn back Master Hayashi¡¯s respect. I had learned a few things from my mom, who was a professional landscaper. I taught some of those things to Felix, who was oblivious to the careful art of gardening. It was painfully obvious the guy didn¡¯t have a green thumb, not even a yellow thumb. Even so, he was a real good sport about it, eager to learn and restore the courtyard with me. As the hours passed, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the sky turned a deep shade of purple. We were both exhausted, but we kept working until the last rock hedge was laid. I took a step back and nodded, appreciating our work. We had to seed a few areas, but for the most part, I knew Hayashi would be proud. After our gardening session, I hit the shower. And once I washed up all the dirt and muck from my skin, it was time to wash all the dirt and muck from my clothes. Not a laundry day went by where I didn¡¯t hear the sound of the machine churning. Granted, this was my second laundry day, but there were only two machines, a washer, and a dryer, for seven people. I guess despite the number of housemates, it was still better than what I had going on back in my old place, where we¡¯d have to take the elevator down to the basement, where there was always a god damn fiesta of people there every hour of the day. Washing clothes was the only cheap thing about that apartment complex¡­. I swear there was a guy running a laundry service on the fifth floor, advertising his business while using our amenities. But here, I didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Apparently, all I had to worry about was Reina causing a mess in the shared laundry room. ¡°Don¡¯t open the door, don¡¯t open the door,¡± I murmured to myself as I heard a fuss from behind it, the sound of the machine rumbling angrily making me tense. Carrying my haul, I was seriously considering turning back around and pretending I didn¡¯t hear a thing, until I saw bubbles poking from the bottom of the door. I sighed. If it wasn¡¯t one thing, it was another with her. So I flung the door wide open, bearing witness to Reina fighting the mess she made from putting a butt load of soap in her cycle. She caused a flood of suds to erupt from the machine, soap continuing to spew from the lid. ¡°Reina!¡± I yelled as a tide of bubbles flowed across the laundry room floor. She jumped at the sound of my voice and then turned around to stand there, gaping at me, still holding an armful of sopping wet clothes. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there!¡± she hissed. ¡°Help me!¡± I stood frozen in the doorway as the bubbles continued to spill out across the floor. Reina was frantically trying to scoop up piles of suds in her arms, but it was no use. The more she grabbed, the more bubbled forth from the raging washing machine. ¡°This is unbelievable,¡± I said, shaking my head. As much as I wanted to walk away from the chaos, I knew I couldn¡¯t just leave her to deal with this alone. With a sigh, I set my laundry basket on the counter top and waded into the relentless sudsy sea. ¡°You can¡¯t cook; you can¡¯t clean,¡± I retorted, rushing over to turn off the machine. ¡°But I¡¯d think at the very least, you¡¯d know how to do your own laundry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not your typical housewife!¡± I rolled my eyes as I tried to stop the overflow of bubbles. ¡°Reina, you don¡¯t need to be a housewife to know you shouldn¡¯t dump a whole box of detergent in one load!¡± Reina huffed, blowing a strand of soap sud-covered hair out of her face. ¡°Well excuse me for not having a PhD in laundry!¡± ¡°Did you even read the directions on the detergent box?¡± I asked exasperatingly, picking up the empty box of NanoX. ¡°It¡¯s in Japanese!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that excuse,¡± I slapped back. ¡°I overheard you telling Gun that you know how to read Japanese.¡± She snatched the box from my hand when I caught her in her lie, Reina pouting. ¡°Well, who asked you, anyway?¡± ¡°And how the hell did you get your hair wet, but your clothes are completely dry? Well, minus the suds.¡± She sighed defeatedly, bringing her soapy hands at eye level. ¡°I was fighting with the washer machine, and the washer machine won!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a whole case, you know that?¡± I tossed a dry towel from the overhead rack on her wet silky locks and then gently wrung all of the water. Her hair was heavy and thick. Healthy, too. I could see why she took the time she did to take care of it. ¡°Your hair might smell like a fresh load of laundry, but you might want to wash it. All of those chemicals will irritate the follicles.¡± ¡°Well, well, well, who knew you were an expert on hair?¡± ¡°I liked to roughhouse with nature when I was young. Got lectured a lot by my mom about keeping my crown clean.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nero¡­¡± she said softly as she turned back to me, flashing me a sweet smile. And then she converted to Reina classic, pivoting her head around and slapping me with the tail-end of her hair. ¡°Now, would you be a dear and finish my laundry?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Huh?!¡± She proceeded to tiptoe around the mess she made on the floor, and then walked right out of the laundry room. ¡°And when you¡¯re done, fold them up in my basket and drop it off at my front door, m¡¯kay?¡± I chased after her, but my dumbass wasn¡¯t watching out for those suds. I slipped and busted my ass, before I got up on all fours and crawled my way to the door frame. ¡°Hey Reina! News flash! I¡¯m not one of your servants back at your palace!¡± I cried out to her as I watched her make a turn on the other end of the hallway. ¡°I¡¯ll owe you one, Nero!¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± ¡°Need some help?!¡± someone from behind me asked, and when I turned my head over my shoulder, I saw Ash! I screamed, not expecting her to have been in the laundry room the entire time! She sprouted from the thick film of suds like a sea monster, munching on a chocolate bar, her signature snack. ¡°What the hell?!¡± She giggled. ¡°Sorry to startle you! But it looks like you could use a hand, or two, or four.¡± ¡°Were you in here this entire time?¡± Ash giggled again as she reached down to help me up from the sudsy floor. ¡°Yeah, I was hanging around in the cabinet, where I usually store my snacks from Hayashi. But then I fell asleep, reading one of my favorite horror books. When all of a sudden, I heard this rumbling and groaning! I thought I was having a nightmare! Turns out to be Reina using the unit behind the door. She started crying to high heavens. Then screaming, then back to crying, then whimpering, and that was when you came in. By then, I was buried deep in the suds!¡± She smiled innocently. ¡°I love bubbles!¡± ¡°Let me guess? You have a cat bed in there?¡± I said, pointing my thumb at the bottom cabinets. ¡°Don¡¯t tell sensei, okay, Nero?!¡± I face-palmed. She looked around at the bubbly mess covering every surface. ¡°But it looks like Hurricane Reina struck again! I swear that girl leaves a trail of chaos wherever she goes.¡± Ash shook her head, amused by her antics. I grumbled, wiping suds from my clothes. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not cleaning up after her royal highness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, we will help!¡± Ash 1 and Ash 2 said as they jumped in front of the doorway. I scratched my eyes to make sure I wasn¡¯t seeing triple¡­ The Ash behind me chuckled. ¡°No, you¡¯re not hallucinating. I can multiply, remember? That¡¯s one of my metas.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just, I¡¯ve never seen you use it in person!¡± ¡°My clones have the same abilities and stats that I do, but with time and exertion, they power down. Splitting like this takes a big toll on my stamina. However, when I¡¯m doing simple stuff like house chores, I get to keep them around longer!¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve never met someone with your talent, Ash. You¡¯re one of a kind.¡± ¡°How sweet of you to say! I¡¯d like to think that I¡¯m one of a kind in many ways. Just like you, Nero.¡± She winked. ¡°I lost a lot of yen in that fight you had with Gun, but I know that you went easy on him.¡± ¡°Heh. I was just looking out for him.¡± The two clone Ashes cheered and immediately got to work gathering up piles of suds and depositing them into the sink. The original Ash grabbed a mop and began swirling it across the soapy floor. I found a spare mop and started helping her clean the tiles. As we cleaned, I got to learn more about Ash. She was still hung up about hiding her family life, but again, I didn¡¯t push her. I didn¡¯t want her sharing more than she was comfortable with. However, I did learn that before she wanted to be a hunter, she had wanted to do social work. Ash was great with kids and animals. Which was why her career choice came to no surprise to me. The bubbly sugar addict already had childish traits, always playful and generally fun to be around. Speaking of, I got my cheetah prints back from her, but the elastic on them was stretched. I was afraid to ask her for specifics on that one¡­. She was a ray of sunshine that could brighten anyone¡¯s day. As we mopped the floors, she told me stories about her volunteering at animal shelters and children¡¯s hospitals back home. I could tell as she talked that she missed all of that. Whatever driving forces that peeled her away from her happiness and brought her here still remained a mystery to me. That being said, I was thankful for her being around. Ash had a special talent of making me forget about my worries, but there was one thing that she couldn¡¯t make me forget¡ªThe Hunter Games. It was both a stress and a blessing, and it was right around the corner. It was all I could think about the next day at school. Between classes, during classes, during lunch, out in the courtyard, damn, even in the crapper. I was counting down the days, down to the hour. Felix¡¯s team and my team had already registered, and Hayashi didn¡¯t drop a word about our collective decision. Deep down, I knew he was happy. He wanted us to participate. Since news broke out that I was attending, I started raking in sponsors. Not only that, more of them caught my heroic stories, and now, I was up to 73. ¡°Man, at this rate, I¡¯ll never catch up to Naomi,¡± I said, smiling to myself as I walked down the hallway of school, looking at my phone and studying my stats. ¡°She¡¯s missing out big time with this bet. Hey, wait a minute,¡± I said, opening another tab on the Hunter Fanbase Website. ¡°Hold the phone, did I get a respawn token?!¡± I whispered to myself, trying to suppress my excitement. ¡°Holy shit! I got a token! From a¡­ secret admirer? One of my anonymous sponsors gave me a big-deal item!¡± I wanted to rush to Reina to rub it in her face. I knew exactly where she was, too, out in the front yard showing off her diamond tennis bracelet to her fans, until law enforcement barged in through the double doors I was just about to walk through, rushing past me and down the hallway. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I whispered to myself, Felix, Gun, and Ash walking in behind me. Suddenly, I heard screaming, fussing, and cussing. The police barked a couple commands, and that triggered my feet to move. ¡°Stand back!¡± one of them ordered us, clearing the hallway. It was then I noticed one of the students being handcuffed out of the building. Dumbfounded, I watched my classmate Yusuke being handled by the police. His usual friendly expression was gone, the guy becoming a completely different person¡­. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± he shouted, struggling against the officers. ¡°Do you fuckers have any idea know who I am?! You mess with me, and I¡¯ll make sure you pay! ALL OF YOU!¡± The cops weren¡¯t listening as they hauled him toward the exit. My mind raced, wondering what he could¡¯ve done to warrant this. Yusuke was a simple guy who kept to himself. Besides being head of the Supernatural Club Naomi told me about, he had nothing else that made him stand out. As I watched him being dragged away, screaming threats the whole time, I turned to Felix and asked, ¡°Any idea what happened?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a suspect to the Isole murder,¡± Ash said, her face twisted with regret. ¡°Yusuke Imashi. Junior year, engineering student. I can¡¯t believe this¡­.¡± My eyes grew. ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± Yusuke continued to fight. ¡°So what if I killed that dumb bitch? No one is going to miss her! She was a nobody!¡± he hissed. ¡°All of this sport for a sorry sack of meat! Don¡¯t you asshole have something better to do?!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t trust anyone these days,¡± Felix said as he shook his head disappointingly. ¡°That lousy piece of shit has what¡¯s coming to him,¡± Gun hissed angrily as the cops shoved Yusuke out the door. Seriously? Yusuke? I didn¡¯t know the guy at all, even so, something about this didn¡¯t feel right¡­. B1-CH55: Body Count While the entire school cheered for Yusuke¡¯s arrest, I remained conflicted. Reina did, too. Call it a gut feeling, but there was more to this murder. I could just feel it. Either way, Hayashi finalized the case and handed it over to his boss. I could tell, even he had his doubts, but if higher up said to close it, then closed it shall be. For now, I guessed it was for the best. That way, we could focus on our contracts. And, the games. Days melted away, and soon, it was the night before the next season of the tournament of tournaments! All of us gathered around the living room to chat one last time as buddies, because come tomorrow, we were going to be enemies in the arena. Everyone except for Naomi was there, as usual. Our gatherings weren¡¯t as entertaining as her meditating or reading her book. I didn¡¯t take offense. However, I did try to hell and back to get her to hang out with us. In her defense, she seemed out of it. So I didn¡¯t press on her too hard. I didn¡¯t blame her for being exhausted. Because between classes, training, and contracts, we had our hands full 24/7.¡± ¡°So how many sponsors do you have, Gun?¡± Ash asked. He smirked, throwing Ash a side eye as she lounged in the chair with his legs kicked up on the coffee table. ¡°I have a solid 300.¡± ¡°A whole 300? Wow, that¡¯s impressive!¡± Ash beamed. ¡°I only have 130.¡± ¡°Heh, more than what I got,¡± Felix added. ¡°I only have 55. How about you, Nero?¡± ¡°The last time I checked, I was up 160. You still have time to catch up for our little bet, though.¡± ¡°Hardly,¡± Felix snorted. I turned to Reina. ¡°How about you, your highness?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you my sponsor count!¡± Ash giggled. ¡°You know we can see it whenever we want to, right? Reina? It updates in real time.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s not that embarrassing, is it?¡± ¡°She has 95,¡± Gun blurted out, Reina immediately tossing a hand over his mouth as she lunged at him on the sofa. ¡°You blabbermouth!¡± she cried, Gun laughing. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about, babe. You just weren¡¯t satisfying your sponsors.¡± ¡°What? Well, what the hell did they want you to do in your mini assignments?¡± ¡°Things that were absolutely ridiculous!¡± Reina hissed. ¡°Oh, juicy!¡± Ash tweeted. ¡°Give us an example of one!¡± ¡°There are just certain things that I simply refuse to perform! I don¡¯t care how many sponsors I lose¨C I¡¯m not going to degrade myself for their amusement!¡± ¡°Oh come on, you have to give us more than that!¡± Ash insisted. ¡°We¡¯re all friends here.¡± With a sigh, Reina relented. ¡°Fine. One of the sponsors asked me to send a video of myself dancing in a bikini.¡± Ash and I exchanged amused glances. However, Gun let out a low whistle, turning his head away from us shame-faced. Felix chuckled. ¡°Oh no, Gun, did you give in?¡± He shrugged sheepishly. ¡°Hey, I got some sweet donations in the tip jar for it! Besides the items I¡¯d need for tomorrow. They also wanted me to perform for them. I sang some of my originals, and they loved it!¡± Ash laughed. ¡°We appreciate you stripping down at our expense, Gun!¡± Reina sighed. ¡°The items were tantalizing, but¡­ I am no slave to the will of those people.¡± ¡°Those people are your fans,¡± I reminded her. ¡°They are investing in your career, spending tens if not hundreds of dollars on you so you can continue doing your best out there.¡± Reina crossed her arms, still complaining. ¡°I understand they support me financially, but I won¡¯t compromise my principles for money or fame. There are some lines I refuse to cross.¡± Gun shrugged. ¡°Hey, no judgment here. We all have our limits. Me, I don¡¯t really have many.¡± He grinned. ¡°But Reina¡¯s got integrity. I respect that.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Ash chimed in. ¡°We girls got standards. Can¡¯t fault us for staying true to ourselves.¡± Reina gave Ash a small smile. ¡°Thank you, Ash.¡± ¡°Of course, sponsors will keep pushing those boundaries,¡± Felix said. ¡°It¡¯s up to each of us to decide where we draw the line. Personally, I am not ashamed to show some skin if the price is right.¡± ¡°Something tells me not everything is dirty,¡± I said to Reina. ¡°What else ya got?¡± ¡°Certain interactions with my team,¡± Reina muttered to herself as she scrolled through her phone. ¡°Of which, only two are acceptable!¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Let¡¯s hear them.¡± ¡°Painting each other¡¯s faces, and the other one is amateur cooking.¡± I smirked. ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about the other ones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sharing those!¡± ¡°Come on. I want to hear what kinda freaks you¡¯re attracting!¡± I teased. ¡°So this is a joke to you? Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°That you¡¯re only scoring perverts?¡± ¡°How authentic is my list of sponsors if they only sign up to see me perform these lewd things?!¡± ¡°Like hen-tai?¡± Ash said, playfully reminding Reina how she didn¡¯t know what that was over a week ago. ¡°Now I have to know,¡± I said, jumping on my feet and snatching the phone from her. ¡°Hey!¡± she cried, climbing up the back rest of the couch to catch me. Reina protested as I side swept her reaching hands, but I scrolled through her sponsorship requests anyway. Though I teased her, I knew Reina had strong values. She wouldn¡¯t actually compromise her principles for money or fame. ¡°Nero, no!¡± She made another swipe for the phone but I dodged out of the way. ¡°Nuh-uh! Not yet! I want to see what these fans of yours are really into!¡± The more she fought for me not to see these requests, the more curious I was to see what her die-hard fans were begging for. As I scrolled, I saw mostly normal fan meet-up ideas - selfies, autographs, friendly competitions. But interspersed were some more eyebrow-raising suggestions. Nothing too wild at first, like requests for Reina to wear certain outfits, pose in certain ways, until¡­ ¡°Give it back,¡± Reina hissed through her teeth as she stood behind me. And after I read that last request, I was more than happy to hand it to her. Man, there were some sick people in that school¡­ I felt something poke me behind my back, Reina forging a weapon against my shirt. Damn, after reading that request, I sure did hope it was a gun. I pivoted around, trying to get those images out of my head, and when I looked down, I noticed how beat red Reina¡¯s face was. She snatched her phone back and whispered, ¡°You better not tell a soul¡­.¡± I smirked. ¡°Oh yeah? Or else?¡± Her eyes jumped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Or else what, Reina?¡± I whispered, everyone behind us looking our way. I looked back at them with a wholesome smile, waving them down and showing them that everything was okay. And then I turned back to Reina, continuing to whisper. ¡°Funny how blackmailing works, right?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Nero, you wouldn¡¯t stoop as low as to¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Everything okay back there?¡± Gun asked. ¡°Peachy!¡± I said, giving him a thumbs up. ¡°Just talking about strategy for the game tomorrow. You guys can¡¯t hear it. As a matter of fact, we¡¯ll need to discuss in the other room! Excuse us!¡± I gently took Reina by her arm, and we peeled off into the hallway, garnering some privacy. ¡°Why, Nero, I have you all wrong,¡± she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°You¡¯re still full of surprises.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Reina,¡± I reminded her. ¡°But since Naomi isn¡¯t going to tell me what¡¯s going on between you two, I figure I¡¯ll get the answer from you.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°That night by the hot springs. You said something to Naomi, and she backed off without a word. Naomi doesn¡¯t shut up like that. Especially for you.¡± ¡°Well, she ought to.¡± ¡°Reina, I¡¯m serious. What do you have over her?¡± ¡°Nothing of your concern!¡± ¡°All right, that¡¯s how we are going to play it?¡± She smirked. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing! If you go back there and tell them what you read, you¡¯d be just as embarrassed!¡± ¡°I would?¡± ¡°You have a reputation too!¡± I laughed. ¡°Reina, I wouldn¡¯t care if the entire school knew about the kinky shit that¡¯s on your phone!¡± Her face sank. ¡°You seem to be forgetting, you were the queen of rumors. I haven¡¯t heard anything as bad as that, not from you. But from your crappy friends?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t lose any sleep at night. And deep down, you know I¡¯m not bluffing about that.¡± She glared at me, but I remained steadfast with my request. ¡°Well?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I will drop it.¡± ¡°I want to know what it is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting both!¡± she hissed. ¡°I will end it just as long as you don¡¯t say a word to anyone!¡± ¡°All right, deal.¡± We went back inside the living room, but I was floored as soon as I walked in. There Ash was, showing her friends what she had over that huge snuggly night gown of hers¡ªanother pair of my drawers! ¡°And they snap real nice too around my waist!¡± she said, sporting my Gundam boxers. ¡°So breathable! I¡¯d never go another night without it!¡± ¡°ASHLEY!¡± I shouted. ¡°Look. At. Me.¡± She jumped. ¡°This is the last time I¡¯m going to catch you with my clothes on!¡± Reina chuckled. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, Nero, those look much better on Ash than they do on you.¡± Gun tilted ¡°Ugh, should I be worried you saw Nero in his underwear?¡± ¡°But they are so warm!¡± Ash sang. ¡°And so liberating and comfy!¡± I huffed. ¡°I already let you keep one pair so you can keep your paws off my stash!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trade ya!¡± I looked at her like she was crazy. ¡°Trade? Those are my underwear you¡¯re talking about!¡± I said. And then I walked around the couch and caught her full figure, noticing that she was wearing my socks, too! She¡¯d been wearing those fluffy slippers the entire time, so I didn¡¯t notice. The girl was shameless! ¡°Get back here!¡± I shouted, chasing after her as she booked it. I didn¡¯t know why I insisted on running after her. She was clearly faster than me, even more so when she dashed on her hands and feet. But when she went out the front door, she converted back to bipedal shuffling, probably feeling sorry for me. I was so far behind her it wasn¡¯t even funny, to the point where she started to slow down. ¡°Oh, come on, Nero, you can do better than that!¡± she said through her infectious giggling as she looked back at me. ¡°You¡¯re not even tryi¡ª¡± She stopped short, Ash tripping on her feet. When I ran closer, I noticed that it wasn¡¯t her feet she¡¯d tripped on, but a buck. A dead one. ¡°Ash,¡± I cried out, Ash colliding against the carcass. ¡°Eww! Gross!¡± she yelped as I helped her up, her hand drenched from the pool of blood she caught when trying to catch herself from falling. ¡°You all right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. But he isn¡¯t,¡± she said, turning to the dead animal. ¡°What the hell? An animal attack, out here by the dojo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not as uncommon as you may think. But that wound is,¡± she said, pointing at how the gash on his neck almost looked like the one from Isole. ¡°This is a monster attack.¡± ¡°You mean a flesh eater did this? There¡¯s no way. They don¡¯t feed on animals.¡± ¡°I get that it¡¯s rare, like, super rare. But it does happen.¡± ¡°The body¡­ it still looks fresh¡­.¡± I stared at the mangled body of the buck, its neck ripped open in a savage attack. Curious, I knelt down to examine the buck more closely. The wound on its neck was massive, exposing a lot of muscle. Blood continued to slowly trickle out slowly, the grass inches away from me soaking wet. ¡°This definitely happened recently,¡± I said. ¡°For sure, under a few minutes ago. The blood is not clotted yet.¡± Ash¡¯s face went pale. ¡°A flesh eater must have been really desperate to go after a deer.¡± ¡°Which could be a good sign or a bad sign¡­.¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. The monster could still be close by.¡± ¡°And we¡¯d be sitting ducks.¡± Ash¡¯s eyes went wide as she scanned the dark forest surrounding us. Shadows moved and morphed in the dim moonlight, but we didn¡¯t hear one peep. ¡°We should get inside now and tell the others,¡± I insisted. She looked up to me. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we search for this thing first? Especially since we know he¡¯s close?¡± ¡°We are only speculating that he is,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, the more hands on this, the better.¡± She nodded. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡± B1-CH56: A Deep One With Naomi As soon as sensei heard about a potential walker being on his property, he went to work. He put on his hunter boots and trekked along the forest, at first, alone, until I insisted I joined him. Felix did, too, which left Gun and the girls back at the dojo. We searched high and low for the monster until midnight, and we couldn¡¯t catch a whiff of the bastard. Whoever ripped that buck apart was gone, but of course, that wasn¡¯t what Hayashi wanted to hear. The man was adamant about his dojo being a safe haven, free of any flesh eaters or supernatural threats. Despite not finding any trace of the monster, Hayashi refused to give up the search. ¡°It¡¯s out there somewhere,¡± he insisted, lighting a lantern as we prepared to head back into the deep reaches of the woods. Felix tried reasoning with him. ¡°Sensei, we¡¯ve combed these woods for hours. Whatever did this is long gone.¡± But Hayashi would not be deterred. ¡°You two can go back if you want. Go rest. You have a big event in a couple of hours.¡± Felix was skeptical about leaving him, but I planned on heading back. Hayashi was right. We did have a big day, and I wouldn¡¯t let a jackass flesh eater ruin it by eating away at my sleep time. ¡°You go on, Nero,¡± Felix whispered to me. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind and help Hayashi.¡± ¡°All right, but don¡¯t stay up too late, now! You need all the rest you can get for the games.¡± I was a foolish man to say that¡­. As soon as I went back inside and hit the sack, I couldn¡¯t sleep. I was too damn anxious, my adrenaline already pumping for the tournament. I was nervous, excited, and worried all at once. Nervous about competing, excited for the chance to test my skills, and worried that we wouldn¡¯t score as well as I wanted to. After all, we were going against year two¡¯s and year three¡¯s. My mind raced as I lay in bed, thoughts bouncing around about my opponents, my preparedness, my strengths and weaknesses. When Gun mentioned getting items, I felt like I was short on supplies. I only had one item, nothing else. Not to discredit a respawn token, of course. That was like the mother-load of items. But a Scope or a Barricade would have been helpful also. Sleep dodged me for hours as I mentally strategized and visualized the matches ahead. Sometime past three in the morning, I heard Felix and sensei return. Their hushed voices in the hall let me know the search was still unsuccessful. Okay, maybe now I could sleep? All right, I confirmed they were okay, so quit daydreaming about the games and catch some Z¡¯s already¡­ ¡°You sure are shuffling around a lot,¡± Naomi said from with the balcony, with her back turned toward me. ¡°You¡¯re making it hard for me to stay asleep.¡± I sighed and sat up on my bed. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m too damn anxious¡­¡± ¡°You have a round to win today. Go to sleep, Nero.¡± I smiled. ¡°I wish I could.¡± ¡°Tried counting sheep?¡± ¡°That never worked.¡± ¡°How about listening to the crickets?¡± ¡°Is that what you do?¡± I said, getting up and walking to her. ¡°Sometimes.¡± I opened the sliding door and took a seat next to her on the floor mat. The moon was full tonight and the stars were out. Even with this peaceful ambiance around us, I couldn¡¯t find myself relaxed enough to knock out. ¡°How are you not nervous, Naomi?¡± ¡°Why should I be? Being nervous isn¡¯t going to change the outcome. If it¡¯s fate, it will happen either way.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying this is fate?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This. Being here, at this very moment¡­.¡± ¡°It is.¡± I considered Naomi¡¯s words carefully. She seemed so calm and assured about everything being destined. ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± I asked. ¡°That all of this was meant to be?¡± Naomi hugged her legs against her chest. ¡°I do,¡± she said softly. ¡°Each step that brought us here, from the moment we were born to this very night, was laid out for us by destiny.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can accept that,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t we have a say in shaping our fates through the choices we make?¡± ¡°Of course we make choices. But I believe those choices are part of a larger pattern that was meant to unfold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a scary thought.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because that means regardless of what we do, the end result will remain the same.¡± ¡°This is true. But what¡¯s so scary about it?¡± ¡°The lack of control¡­.¡± ¡°I see it as a peace of mind. You cannot alter your path, so why worry about it?¡± ¡°You make it sound so carefree, Naomi.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it is. I learned that¡­ a long time ago¡­¡± Naomi¡¯s voice trailed off, her eyes becoming distant as she seemed to fall into some deep memory. I studied her face, curious about what past experience had shaped her views on fate and destiny. ¡°What happened a long time ago?¡± I asked gently. ¡°Nothing I feel like sharing.¡± ¡°Naomi,¡± I said seriously, ¡°do you trust me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep pushing me away?¡± Naomi blinked, my question snapping her back into the moment. She turned her head to look at me, and admitted, ¡°Just like everything else, it¡¯s¡­ complicated¡­.¡± ¡°And intentional, I can tell,¡± I said flatly. ¡°Someone used to say that I was a good reader of people. I think that super power faded away as I grew older but, for the most part, it¡¯s still there. I can tell that you¡¯re forcing yourself to shut those doors when you¡¯re around me. Maybe afraid of what I might say or feel. I get it. You don¡¯t really know me. Not as well as, let¡¯s say, some of your close friends¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends,¡± she admitted quickly. The comment wasn¡¯t meant to be funny, but I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle after she said that. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°For some reason, I find that surprising. But that¡¯s beside the point. You want to be open with me. I saw how you were making progress, stepping just along the corners of your comfort zone, and then just like that, you closed right up again. So to help, I talked to Reina about that night¡­.¡± ¡°What night?¡± ¡°In the hot springs. Whatever she had over you, it¡¯s gone. So you can talk to me again, Naomi.¡± She looked back at me conflicted with her shoulders slumping slightly, her body language changing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean¡­¡± she said quietly. ¡°Naomi, it¡¯s just us here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me to let people in. I¡¯ve been on my own for a long time, relying only on myself. Letting someone in, trusting them with my thoughts and feelings... it makes me feel vulnerable.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯d take advantage of you?¡± ¡°No.¡± She paused. ¡°But I learned a long time ago that getting too close to people only leads to heartache. It¡¯s dangerous for all parties involved.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t always been nice, Nero¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Exactly how it sounds. I haven¡¯t always been nice. And I¡¯m living through the consequences for what I¡¯ve done in my past.¡± My eyes went soft on her. Naomi fell silent with her eyes downcast as she continued to muse. I could tell there was more she wanted to say, but the words seemed lodged in her throat. ¡°You can tell me anything, Naomi,¡± I said supportively. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t judge you for your past mistakes. We¡¯ve all done things we regret.¡± She looked up at me, hesitation lingering in her lavender eyes. ¡°Even if I¡¯ve... hurt people?¡± I nodded. ¡°Especially then. The past is done, but we can still redeem ourselves in the here and now.¡± ¡°Do you really believe in redemption, Nero?¡± I smiled. ¡°I sure do. Second chances, they are a real thing. I believe that people can always change for the better, no matter how bad things are.¡± Naomi took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing herself to share her story as she turned her eyes toward the outlook. ¡°When I was younger, I fell in with a rough crowd. I was angry, reckless, and stupid, and I let that anger control me. Things were bad at home, and I didn¡¯t have anywhere to vent. So I made everyone else¡¯s life a living hell. I was jealous that they got to live in paradise, while I rotted in hell. Each and every waking day of my life was a trial, a new opportunity for torture. It was no way to live, and just¡­ seeing all of those happy faces was boiling me up inside,¡± she continued softly. ¡°I took my anger out on anyone I could. I picked fights, destroyed property, even mugged a few people. I knew it was wrong, but I didn¡¯t care¡ªI just wanted others to hurt like I did. I thrived off of humiliation and bullying, and got high from the thrill of power. And then, the catalyst to everything¡­.¡± Her voice wavered, and she paused to collect herself before continuing. ¡°One time, a prank went too far. Someone was badly hurt, and it was my fault. I¡¯ve regretted it every day since, but I couldn¡¯t take it back. My friends were impressed with what I did, and wanted me to do more of it.¡± She looked away. ¡°It was then I learned that I was really good at this craft, and that I could do terrible things with it. I tried running away from my mistake, but¡­ no matter where I went, my past always found me. They threatened me to continue hurting people, even after I told them that I¡¯d changed. To them, and their master, it didn¡¯t matter. I was their weapon, their tool, and I had to do everything they said,¡± she muttered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t escape it no matter how hard I tried¡­ I wish I¡¯d never found that kind of power¡­.¡± I jumped right in to try and lift her up. ¡°But you eventually did escape it, didn¡¯t you? You put it all in the past, where it belongs, and you were given a chance to move forward.¡± I smiled. ¡°What was that you said about our fates?¡± I continued, trying to cheer her up. ¡°We can¡¯t change what happens at the end of the book. We¡¯re in it for the ride, right? And yet, here you are, with me, with Reina, Felix, Ash, Gun, and Hayashi. Fighting monsters, defending people. Doing what¡¯s right. Your second chance.¡± She turned to me guilt-faced. ¡°Do you really think that fate planned a 180 for you and that being here was destined? Our trials and our heartache are all tests. What we take from it shapes our future. The turning point was the catalyst to the new you. There are two sides to every coin. If you¡¯d continued down that path, I doubt you would have ended up here. That¡¯s what I mean when I say that we are masters of our own destinies. Our choices make up our future. Take me for example. If I didn¡¯t get those powers that day, I wouldn¡¯t have been here. No matter how badly I wanted to be a hunter, it wouldn¡¯t have happened. There¡¯s no path I could have taken that would have placed me here in this very moment with you, unless that event happened. And I¡¯d like to think that if something was meant to be, it will be. Which is different than saying that fate has predetermined aspects of our lives that we absolutely have no control over.¡± She continued to stare at me in shocked silence. ¡°I don¡¯t think any less of you , Naomi. You¡¯re a gem as far as I¡¯m concerned. I cherish you, with all of your imperfections, your darkness, and your struggles. I¡¯m sorry about your past, but clearly, it didn¡¯t define who you are. Besides, despite what you may think of yourself, the shit you went through turned you into a better person. So I care about you for everything that you are, and everything that you aren¡¯t. And I¡¯m here to support you through everything you¡¯re going through, just like you promised to support me.¡± I paused, giving her a moment to answer back, but I¡¯d rendered her speechless. ¡°So how about it? We quit telling ourselves that we should be punished for our past, and start giving ourselves room to grow in the here and now? I promise, you¡¯ll feel a lot better when you allow yourself to heal and vent, and you know, have friends. It¡¯s better than anything meditation can fix. I can guarantee you that!¡± ¡°Nero¡­¡± she paused. ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I hope that¡¯s not a serious question.¡± ¡°It is¡­.¡± ¡°Because you deserve kindness, Naomi. Everyone does.¡± ¡°But what if I¡¯m not worthy of it?¡± Naomi said with a brittle voice. ¡°What if I can¡¯t be the person you think I am?¡± ¡°Your past is telling you that you¡¯re not worthy. You¡¯ve been conditioned to think that you¡¯re worthless, and that you shouldn¡¯t be loved. Instead, to be used, treated like shit, and abandoned emotionally. But I¡¯m here telling you that¡¯s BS. Take a first step and open up, even if it leaves you feeling vulnerable. Even if it feels awkward. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll never change the perspective you have about yourself. I never said it¡¯d be easy, but you¡¯ve faced bigger challenges before. The proof is right here. You being here, with us.¡± ¡°The idea¡­ it¡¯s daunting.¡± ¡°I know. Change often is. But you can do it, Naomi.¡± She looked over at the panoramic view of the horizon, her eyes softening underneath the full moon. For a moment, she mused. ¡°The world can be so ugly sometimes¡­¡± she said with a gentle voice. ¡°And yet, you find beauty in it, every way you can. The faith you have in humanity is¡­ limitless. You¡¯re forgiving, so unapologetically forgiving. I saw it every day in Acadia. It doesn¡¯t matter that you have your own problems, you always handle people with an air of equality. Like those jock heads, those meta pricks, and even Reina. She did you wrong in every way, and yet, you didn¡¯t get revenge. You countered her hostility with lightheartedness, jokes, and even understanding. I could never¡­ he could never....¡± She stopped her sentence short to look at me deeply. ¡°You¡¯re unlike anyone I¡¯ve ever met.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re unlike anyone I¡¯ve ever met, too,¡± I said with a genuine smile. ¡°I guess¡­ we¡¯re both a little weird.¡± ¡°There¡¯s this unbreakable positive energy to you, Nero. Not everyone has it. It¡¯s unique, and it¡¯s warm¡­ comforting¡­.¡± I scratched my chin. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that I¡¯m some type of human blanket?¡± ¡°It makes me feel like, despite how grim things are, that in the end, everything will be okay.¡± She gave me an inviting look, and boldly asserted, ¡°Can I sleep with you tonight?¡± Holy shit, that was forward! ¡°It¡¯d make me feel better if I did¡­.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting her to ask me that. Naomi certainly turned the tables tonight, our conversation showing me a different side of her. I guess that¡¯s what she meant when she talked about feeling vulnerable. The dam got hit with a bulldozer ball, letting all of the water gush out. And I was drowning! To avoid looking like a jackass, I kept my mouth shut and allowed her to elaborate. But when she didn¡¯t, I took initiative, breaking the awkward silence and said, ¡°Yes.¡± This could only end up one of two ways, and naturally, I was good with either option. Though, if I understood correctly, Naomi was the subtle type, not the wild type. So I watched her make the first move. She got up and slowly walked back into our bedroom, the confused expression on my face turning. She dropped down and knelt on the bed between ours, the one that was supposed to be for Reina. After she dragged it closer to my mat, I understood what she wanted to do. ¡°Maybe now, you can sleep¡­¡± she said, and then turned to me. I got up and closed the balcony door behind me, then asked her, ¡°You want to sleep in the bed next to me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Heh. Okay, good. Because for a second there, I thought you were asking to have sex with me!¡± I immediately got punished for opening my big mouth, Naomi telekinetically flinging my phone right at my forehead. Yeah, I deserved that! ¡°No, you idiot,¡± she hissed, my comment making her face hot red as she turned her eyes away from me. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re going to learn to get embarrassed sometimes with me. I like to joke around a lot.¡± She hesitated for a moment, and then admitted, ¡°You¡¯re the nicest person I know, Nero.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I get that a lot.¡± ¡°It can be sickening at times¡­¡± she said, giving me a pouty but playful look. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s a good thing though, right?¡± ¡°A very good thing¡­.¡± She smiled, laying her head on the pillow and curling up under the covers. I did the same in my own bed, watching as Naomi stared at me passionately. ¡°I don¡¯t see you smile often. You should do that more. It looks great on you.¡± ¡°I need a reason to smile.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at one right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said, her eyelids getting droopy. ¡°Let¡¯s kick it in the ass at the games, Naomi,¡± I whispered. ¡°Sleep tight.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, Naomi falling fast asleep already. And soon, I did, too. B1-CH57: Betrayed Forget counting sheep or listening to crickets, sleeping next to Naomi was my melatonin. As morning sunlight filtered into the room, I woke up, blinking against the brightness. Naomi was still nestled under her covers. I didn¡¯t want to disturb her peaceful rest, so I kept quiet, until I heard the sound of my alarm go off. Naomi began to stir. She blinked her eyes open slowly, and I greeted, ¡°Good morning, sleepy head!¡± ¡°The games¡­¡± she groaned, and then her expression shifted, the look on her face making me worried. ¡°My alarm just went off,¡± I said, reaching for my phone. ¡°We still have an hour before we¡ª¡± I paused, realizing that we were an hour late! ¡°Shit!¡± That wasn¡¯t my alarm going off, that was my ringtone, Chen calling me. How the hell did we sleep through my alarm?! Naomi leapt out of bed, hurrying to get her clothes ready. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we overslept!¡± I vented, hopping on one foot as I tried to get my pants on. ¡°The opening ceremony starts in 20 minutes. We¡¯re never going to make it in time!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find my phone,¡± she said as she looked for it. And then, she picked her head up and asked, ¡°Where is Reina?¡± I rushed to her bedroom door in a heartbeat. After bombarding her door for a solid ten seconds, I tried the lever. It was unlocked, and I swung it open to see Reina missing. ¡°Reina?¡± I whispered, dipping my head left and right to realize she wasn¡¯t here. There was no way she left without us. We were her team! I rushed back to my bedroom, Naomi just about ready to leave. She slipped her com unit on, and I grabbed mine as I told her that Reina was missing. ¡°When did you set your alarm?¡± she asked me. ¡°Last night, when I was hanging out with the guys.¡± ¡°I set mine last night, too. Was your phone with you the entire time?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Did you check the alarm before you went to bed?¡± ¡°No, because I know for a fact that I set it earlier. Not just one, either. I had three alarms set.¡± ¡°Someone messed with our phones.¡± ¡°You think¡­.¡± I paused, realizing what Naomi was saying. ¡°Felix, Gun, and Ash?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem impossible when we are talking about thousands of dollars. And, that stupid bet all of you settled makes playing dirty all the more easier. Doesn¡¯t answer the question of where Reina is, though.¡± After we got ready, we stormed out. We were late, but I wanted confirmation of Naomi''s theory. So I shouted their names, each one of them. Shockingly, I got no response, not even from Reina¡­. ¡°REINA?¡± I called out again. I was tempted to rush up the stairs to sensei¡¯s level, until I heard the front door slam wide open. ¡°Reina!¡± I gasped, noticing that she was covered in mud and gunk. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She was beyond pissed as swamp water continued to drip down her silk nightgown. ¡°What the hell?¡± was all I could say at a time like this, Reina¡¯s anger making the silence between us loud as she glared at us. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Naomi finally choked out. Reina remained silent, her face red and blotchy. She stomped toward us, her bare feet leaving muddy prints on the hardwood floor. She was so mad that she started to shake, her hands balling up into fists as she brought them to her sides. ¡°I¡­ Am¡­ Going... To¡­¡± She panted, her heavy breaths deepening with every word. I grabbed her by the shoulders and asked her to calm down, ¡°Relax and just tell us what happened?¡± ¡°Felix and Ash happened!¡± She blurted out. ¡°This morning, the both of them kidnapped me from my sleep and tossed me in the middle of nowhere!¡± Naomi rolled her eyes. ¡°What exactly is the middle of nowhere?¡± ¡°Excuse me, didn¡¯t you not hear a word I said?!¡± ¡°If it was this morning, they couldn¡¯t have dropped you far from the dojo.¡± ¡°Yeah, but Reina has a poor sense of direction,¡± I added, Reina turning to me offended. ¡°Pardon?!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Better yet, why didn¡¯t Gun stop them?¡± Reina started to malfunction, tossing her hands on her head and blurting shit in Japanese. She started to hyperventilate, and I was sure she was about to have a full-blown panic attack. I didn¡¯t know what to do, between Naomi telling her to shut up so she could think, and Reina¡¯s endless bawling. She let out a loud wail and started to cry. And that was when I shouted, ¡°HEY!¡± and both girls went quiet. ¡°We¡¯re not about to lose our shit because the other team decided to screw us over! We have a tournament to win, and this little hiccup isn¡¯t going to stop us, all right? Now, we are going to think this through, but first, Reina, you¡¯re going to take a record breaking five-minute shower, get dressed, and meet us back here. Naomi and I are going to search for Hayashi, and pray that he¡¯s still here to teleport us to the drop off location.¡± Reina stifled her sobs, and whimpered, ¡°Ashley¡¯s clones are pure evil...¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know, but try to focus on our plan, Reina. Now, pick yourself up and go wash.¡± She went off, leaving Naomi and I to search for Hayashi. Luckily, we didn¡¯t have to go far, Hayashi popping into the foyer from a rift he tore open. ¡°Still here, I see,¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Well, because stunts like these happen every season,¡± he confirmed. ¡°It isn¡¯t uncommon for my students to jeopardize another team¡¯s success in the games.¡± ¡°Well then, our request isn¡¯t going to sound at all unfamiliar since you¡¯re used to it.¡± ¡°You need me to taxi you to the drop off location. I understand¡­¡± ¡°Question is, will you?¡± Naomi asked. Sensei sighed and scratched his temple. ¡°Well, I suppose I have no choice, do I? I want all the best for my students. Even though I don¡¯t believe in a sponsored event as ridiculous as the games, the three of you do.¡± ¡°If you knew this was going to happen, why didn¡¯t you warn us?¡± Naomi asked bitterly. He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t pick sides.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Just as long as he¡¯s helping us. And since we have a couple minutes, I¡¯m going to properly ready up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag your feet, and don¡¯t make a habit of relying on me.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, sensei. And thank you.¡± I didn¡¯t think those three were capable of doing something so damn despicable. When we reached the drop off point, I was going to rip them! I got that a lot of money was on the line, and that this was a competition, but that was just poor sportsmanship. After we all finished up, Hayashi portaled us to the drop off zone. It was like any other area on the map. The only requirement being a random discreet location pre-selected by the council. We had to be there on time, and if we weren¡¯t, we¡¯d be disqualified faster than any of us could bat an eye. In a competition like the Hunter Games, they¡¯d take any reason to kick you out. There was no mercy here, and that was part of the magic of it all. Again, I found myself nearly missing an opportunity. My first time was when signing up for Hunter Corp, and now, when participating in the Hunter Games. As soon as Hayashi brought us to the plateau, I spotted Felix, Ash, and Gun standing along a cliff in their uniforms. I also saw a big ball of white energy forming in midair in front of them. It was my cue to run toward the light. That was our lift to the arena¡­. B1-CH58: Patch Us Through, Pachi When the light faded, a small, levitating, red raccoon looking animal appeared. It had a furry head, a bushy tail, and a set of fairy wings. The creature wearing a pair of green Arabian pants and a brown vest was one of Onigen¡¯s familiars, Onigen being the all-powerful fuel source of the Hunger Games, I mean, Hunter Games. ¡°Hey there, stiffs. My name is Pachi. Not Papa, not Chi-Chi, just Pachi. And I¡¯ll be teleporting you to the arena, where you will play for fame, fortune, and glory!¡± he cheered, his tiny hands stretching out ecstatically. His voice was a couple notches higher than Rocket from Guardians, and his personality, just as scruffy. ¡°Now, before we get into the rules, we need to go over the complexity of arena diving. First, it is imperative that¡ªhold on,¡± he paused, scanning the three. Then he picked up his stubby fingers to his face and started counting them. ¡°One, two¡­three¡­¡± He looked up confused. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys a little short?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the short one!¡± Ash spat. Felix took a step forward and insisted, ¡°We are all here. Now, quit stalling, before¡ª¡± ¡°HEY!¡± I shouted, waving the fur ball down. ¡°WAIT!¡± My team and I made it to the cliff, where Pachi eyeballed each of us, and asked, ¡°Are you the Beta1-UJP team?¡± ¡°We are,¡± Reina said as she panted. Pachi smiled. ¡°Oh boy! You barely made it. You came just in time for lift off.¡± ¡°Hey, guys! Glad you made it!¡± Felix said with a big smile on his face, as if he just hadn¡¯t screwed us all over! He relocated Reina, he stashed Naomi¡¯s phone, and he turned off my alarm clock just so we would miss the games. ¡°Yeah, thanks to you, here we are,¡± I said sarcastically. ¡°That¡¯s a dirty trick you guys pulled.¡± ¡°Yah, you¡¯re right. I tried to make you miss it,¡± Felix admitted with a guilty chuckle. Gun looked away from us shamefaced, and Ash stood right next to him, whistling like she had no part of it. ¡°Look, I did it for my team. I knew we¡¯d get an edge if a team was out, so¡ª¡± ¡°But you almost got us disqualified!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Pachi cooed, summoning a chair and a tray of berries before he reclined himself. ¡°This is gonna be good!¡± Felix shrugged. ¡°Hey, as far as I¡¯m concerned, that¡¯s just one less team to worry about. Sorry you didn¡¯t think about it first.¡± Reina jumped, snatching Felix¡¯s collar as she began barking at him. ¡°The two of you and your filthy tricks! Do you know how hard it was for me to scale the wilderness in my bare feet, with the threat of monsters around every turn?! I could have been killed!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hunter, Reina.¡± Felix smirked. ¡°We had faith in you.¡± ¡°Calm down, Reina, it¡¯s just some honest, competition fun,¡± Ash tried to calm her down, but Reina wasn¡¯t having any of it. She was ready to lunge at Ash, the cat girl yelping and hiding behind Gun before I snatched her. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± I said, Reina writhing to break free from my arms. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s done alright! This will not be forgotten,¡± Reina said through gritted teeth. ¡°Alright, alright. Fine, fine,¡± Felix said, giving up. ¡°No more dirty tricks from us. But you have to admit, it was a pretty good plan. Almost worked too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no way to win a tourney,¡± Gun sighed as he rubbed his nape. I could tell his team¡¯s cheating made him uncomfortable, but it was two against one. ¡°We should all get fair game. And these guys, they are our friends. I don¡¯t care about customs. We are better than that.¡± He turned to us and apologized. ¡°Sorry about all of this¡­.¡± ¡°No point in holding grudges. Let¡¯s just keep this incident in the past, alright? I don¡¯t want this to get out of hand,¡± I said, Reina finally relaxing a bit. ¡°Of course,¡± Felix said. Ash mumbled her apology, prompting Naomi to step up to Felix. ¡°So, can I get my phone back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s safe, tucked away behind your wall clock,¡± Felix said. ¡°How ironic¡­.¡± I gave a curt nod and turned to Pachi, who was grinning and eating all his berries throughout. For him, I bet he¡¯d seen this stuff happen all the time. But like Gun said, I didn¡¯t want this incident to come between us. Quite honestly, I didn¡¯t think that they had it in them to fuck us up like that. But I could tell that Felix was the mastermind behind that plan, and he had convinced Ash to go along with it. I¡¯d heard about teams being disqualified in the games, and for some reason, tricks like this had never crossed my mind. I guess I was too na?ve. Reina was big time upset about it¡ªNaomi, not so much. It gave me perspective on how much winning this tournament meant for them, which had me thinking again about the real reason Reina wanted her hunting license so badly. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Pachi asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice. ¡°No scrapping? Name calling? Hair pulling?¡± ¡°Sorry to burst your incredibly small bubble,¡± Naomi said sarcastically. Pachi sighed, getting up from his levitating seat just for him to fold it and have both the chair and the empty bowl of berries disappear in thin air. ¡°Best part of my job, but all right¡­¡± he mumbled to himself, before he turned toward us again with a different energy. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go over the rules as quickly as I can, here. We are short on time. So let¡¯s just jump right into it! Allow me to introduce myself again since you¡¯re all here now. My name is Pachi, one of Onigen¡¯s familiars. His favorite familiar, by the way. And I take my job here real seriously.¡± As he introduced himself, I turned my head over my shoulder to wave goodbye to sensei. He waved subtly and went back into his portal, where he¡¯d be going back to his dojo to see the broadcast from his TV. Unlike the other mentors who would be in the arena¡¯s seating ring in the sky, Hayashi voted not to participate live. He was never an advocate for the games, but by watching it, he was still supporting us, which meant a lot to me. I turned back around to our teleporter and continued to listen to his instructions. ¡°Now, it should go without saying that there is no swapping teammates. And if you attempt to side with a team, you will be automatically disqualified. Worse yet, your sponsor count will drop to zero. That¡¯s how much the corp hates doubling up. Remember, the strength of our operation is teamwork. The games are designed to test your mettle, not your ability to form alliances. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll keep that in mind. So if you find yourself with a little imp on your shoulder telling you to do something sneaky, don¡¯t do it!¡± he warned, his last words coming off as a teacher schooling a bunch of five-year-old kids. ¡°Something else that will get you disqualified is trying to break the arena¡¯s barriers. The way that the arena is laid out from top to bottom goes like this: big timer ring in the sky, tiered stadium seating, game elements within, arena and the outlining arena barriers. They are red lines on the ground which indicate transparent walls that, once touched, bounces the participant back in the ring. There have been cases where some of our participants thought it was a good idea to break down a wall. We at the Hunter Games take sponsor and guest safety seriously. Outside the box is for them. Inside the box is for you guys. So not only will you be put down if you attempt a stunt like this, you-will-be-arrested. Your hunter license will be stripped, and your shameless antics will be forever remembered in the history of Organization VII. So, don¡¯t do it!¡± he repeated, wagging his little finger. ¡°Also, there is no swapping items in the games between other teams, no time-outs, and no sponsor shout-outs. They are barely able to see you if it weren¡¯t for the floating big screens up there, anyway. So they are definitely not going to be able to hear you. Any questions so far?¡± ¡°Just one¡ªwhen do we get to access the items that our sponsors gave us?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ve all been told to bring your H-Tecs with you, right? Once you enter the arena, total immersion will initiate. Your items will appear on your system board, and they will become accessible to you. You¡¯ll also be able to see the HP of your teammates, but not their location.¡± ¡°And our personal items?¡± Gun asked. ¡°Absolutely no personal items allowed in the arena. I will show you where you can store your phones, and keys, and all of that good stuff.¡± ¡°I have a question!¡± Ash asked, urgently raising her hand up nice and high. I could already tell by the childish expression on her face that this question wasn¡¯t as important as she was making it seem. ¡°Why are you so short?¡± Really?! He turned his back to us and crossed his arms over his chest smugly. ¡°Now, since we don¡¯t have any serious questions, let¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± I stopped him. ¡°You forgot to mention arena diving?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pachi said, and then a light went off in his head as he pivoted back to us. ¡°Oh, right! I almost forgot. I got so caught up in the drama, but that¡¯s the most important part of our short introduction. Arena diving is a quick but dangerous process. We must all hold hands and remain holding hands the entire time. I get that nerves are high, and your sweat glands are all over the place, but if we break the link, then you¡¯re risking getting lost in the vortex. My nose is sharp, but not that sharp. It will take me days, if not weeks to find you in any one of the dimension pockets you could have fallen through. It¡¯s not worth it. It creates more unnecessary work for me. So¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Gun mocked playfully with a grin. ¡°Yeah, yeah, we get the picture. Now, let¡¯s get to the ring already! I¡¯m all fired up and ready to roll!¡± We were all set with the rules, so Pachi turned back around and assumed the position. The raccoon clapped his hands three times, and a blinding light flashed before my eyes. Silly Ash whipped out her phone and started taking pictures once the light started to swirl and change all types of translucent colors. Then Pachi started doing these stretch exercises, before he finished prepping off with a quick set of squats. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. ¡°All right! Had to get warmed up!¡± He had one hand in the sphere of light, and the other reaching out to us. ¡°Come on. One of you man up and take my paw.¡± He wiggled his fingers enticingly, Ash running to the opportunity. ¡°Aww, they are so cute and small!¡± she sang softly as she caressed the back of his hand lovingly, only to be rewarded with a firm slap. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°I said grab, not pamper!¡± Pachi hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not a pet!¡± ¡°You sure do look like one,¡± she mumbled, taking his hand and starting the chain. ¡°All right. This weird one here is your anchor,¡± Pachi said in a louder voice as the sphere of light began to warble and churn. ¡°If you break off beyond this point, you¡¯re as good as gone!¡± Gun took Ash¡¯s hand, and Felix took Gun¡¯s. Reina was the closest to Felix, but she turned to me and refused. ¡°I can¡¯t look at that man after what he did,¡± she whispered to me. ¡°He bribed Ashley to pin Gun down and have her clones haul me away!¡± ¡°Reina, squash all of that, all right?¡± I smiled. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to hold grudges against our friends.¡± ¡°Friends? It was 100% intentional!¡± ¡°He promised he won¡¯t do it again. This game is important to me too, so I know how you feel. I do. But we need to move on. Learn to forgive and forget.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Nero¡­ it¡¯s not easy for me to brush something this serious off like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you need time. You¡¯ll get there. Let¡¯s not let one incident ruin what we have with the other team. Besides, that¡¯s your boyfriend¡¯s best friend!¡± She blushed. ¡°Boyfriend?!¡± ¡°So you at least have to try to like him!¡± I teased, wedging myself between her and Felix. I grabbed his hand, trusting he wouldn¡¯t do something as cold as release mine. He had all the tools in the world to do it, too, his wind being able to slip between his grip and simply blow me, Reina, and Naomi away. Once Reina and Naomi locked hands, it was time to head into the arena and show the world what we got. B1-CH59: The Arena! You don¡¯t need to be physically strong to win a fight. You just need to be smart, and patient, and honest with all the things you can and cannot do at the moment¡­ I thought about the advice I¡¯d given to Sophie back when I¡¯d helped her escape those monsters. Every now and again, she¡¯d sulk about the fact that she had been too weak to save her parents. I tried to encourage her to be realistic about her abilities, to understand that she couldn¡¯t take on a fight she wasn¡¯t prepared for. The same scenario applied here, right now, as I was being transported to the arena. Despite how many times I¡¯d dreamed of this very moment, I had to be realistic about it. My team and I were year ones. We were going against year two and year three hunters. I¡¯d tell my team that we¡¯d win¡ªit was what kept us motivated. In the same light, I couldn¡¯t beat myself up if we lost, either. We had to understand that the guys out there were stronger than us. They had time to train, to build their stats, and to sharpen their talents. Not only were we year ones, we¡¯d only been official hunters for a few weeks. The goal was to try our hardest, but at the same time, we had to set expectations. We also needed to understand our disadvantages and work around them. To play smart, to play patient. They were expecting us to lose. So we¡¯d let their hubris get the better of them. The rift was as fast as Pachi said it¡¯d be. In a flash, we were in the arena, dropped off in one of the spawn points. I held my breath as soon as it all hit me at once¡ªthe big timer ring in the clear blue sky, the hovering seats over our heads filled with supporters and spectators, and the overwhelming sensation of actually being a contestant in the Hunter Games¡­. Holy shit, we made it¡­. The crowd continued to cheer and shout for the new season, anxious for the games to start. I looked around me like I was seeing this spectacle for the first time, my adrenaline pumping fire in my veins. As my head turned, my smile widened. Their shouting ¡®Hunter Games¡¯ was like fuel I didn¡¯t know I needed. I turned to Reina who looked just as enchanted as I did with her mouth hung low as she took everything in. ¡°Here we are!¡± Pachi exclaimed. ¡°Pretty sweet, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± Ash tweeted, skipping around the field with her hands stretched wide. ¡°All of these people are watching us! I feel like a real celebrity on the big stage!¡± I pulled out my phone and called my mom. It didn¡¯t even ring once before she picked up, her high-pitched squealing making me peel the phone from my ear. ¡°My nugget, you made it!¡± she cried, and I could hear Sophie in the background screaming her head off. I chuckled. ¡°I could barely hear you with all of this noise. I planned on calling earlier, but I was rushing out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Nero!¡± her voice shook. ¡°I love you, Mom,¡± I said, ignoring the lump in my throat. ¡°I¡¯m going to win this one for you and Sophie.¡± ¡°Love you more, my sweet boy,¡± she sniffled. ¡°We¡¯ll be watching you, honey.¡± ¡°NERO, YOU BETTER WIN!¡± Sophie shouted, her voice blasted in my ear. She giggled. ¡°I know you can! Because you''re a badass like that!¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m glad you have so much faith in me.¡± ¡°Remember what you told me, Nero?¡± ¡°I was just thinking about it earlier. I didn¡¯t forget.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°I¡¯m always counting on you¡­ isn¡¯t that silly? One day, I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± ¡°You already have. You owe me nothing, Sophie.¡± ¡°I will always support you. You got this¡­.¡± ¡°Just in case, I¡¯m gonna need the both of you to put your hands in the air and lend me your energy.¡± ¡°Hey Nero, it¡¯s time,¡± Naomi called out, and I turned back to my folks. ¡°All right, I have to head out now. Talk to you when the round is over.¡± Mom blew me a good luck kiss, and we hung up. I took a deep breath to relax my nerves. It was now game time, and Pachi pulled out a bag where we were supposed to dump all of our things in. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°I wonder where you stash all of our stuff,¡± I whispered to myself, the furball looking up to wink at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once the round is over, you¡¯ll be getting all of your things back. We want no distractions, and no cheating.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t break my phone,¡± Reina huffed. ¡°I paid good money for it!¡± ¡°You mean your dad paid good money for it,¡± Naomi challenged. ¡°His money is my money. You¡¯d know that if you were rich,¡± Reina slammed back. ¡°Are we going to make it easy on the other teams and fight each other?¡± I asked them, before our ride stood between us. ¡°Would be pretty nutty if you did!¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a sucker for drama. But, we have to start the show. And this spot here is Beta 1¡¯s spawn point,¡± he clarified. ¡°I will make a short drop to your point. Felix, Ashley, and Gunther. Please, follow me. And to you three,¡± he turned to us, ¡°good luck!¡± ¡°May the best hunter win, Nero!¡± Felix said, saluting me, before the four of them vanished, leaving me and the girls alone. I stood in front of them and set the grounds for their bickering. ¡°All right. We need to set a few things straight. We¡ª¡± ¡°I cannot let him win!¡± Reina growled, balling up her fists. ¡°After that stunt he pulled, I don¡¯t even want him in second place!¡± ¡°Then the both of you are going to have to make up,¡± I said, referring to Reina and Naomi. ¡°If not, you¡¯ll weaken our chances of winning. Reina, you said you wanted this money bad, so start showing me how badly you want it. And Naomi¡­¡± I turned to her. ¡°I get that you don¡¯t really care if you win or lose, but you do care if I win or lose. You promised to help me get to the top, well, winning this tournament will bring me one step closer to the leaderboard¡¯s top ten. We can squabble and fight and diss each other after the round. Right now, we need to stay focused on the mission. Deal?¡± Naomi shrugged. ¡°Whatever¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it,¡± Reina huffed, and on cue, I heard Molly Melody¡¯s voice. Over our heads, a large glowing disc descended. It stopped in the middle of the timer ring, and all of a sudden, a holographic screen about 50 inches wide popped up to the right of Reina. She shirked, startled by it, but then I realized that this was our angle to see what was up above, the popular and perky Hunter Game icon on that same screen. ¡°Oh, our hostess has arrived,¡± Reina said, clasping her hands together. ¡°I always did love her energy!¡± Naomi rolled her eyes. Perky and loud¡ªI bet hanging around Molly would be hell for her. ¡°ARE YOU RRREEEAAAADYYYY!?!¡± she shouted through her microphone, arena music suddenly firing off. It was time for the opening ceremony, where Molly would hype up the crowd and introduce the players before explaining the game. The camera panned over to the crowd, where we got to see them up close. There were so many people up there who paid to be part of our experience, and it was breathtaking¡­. ¡°You guys sure do sound ready! Welcome to the 160th season of the Hunter Games!¡± she shouted, trailing her last syllable. She sounded like a wrestling host, and I could see why she was a fan favorite. ¡°I¡¯m your host, Molly! And oh boy, do we have a great game for you today! So without further adieu, let¡¯s meet our contestants!¡± she yelled again, and the camera panned over to a line of three players. ¡°Let¡¯s give it up for Team Lynx!¡± The tournament teams would be listed off in order of rank, which meant that Felix¡¯s team and my team would be listed last. Year threes would get the spotlight first, and then year twos. Not so strange enough, Felix¡¯s team and my team were the only year ones who entered this season. Team Lynx was big, like, physically big. There was a girl there by the name of Elissa the Hammer, clearly a hand selected fame name, who was as big as a bodybuilder in his prime. Team Lynx, which was the name they were given for this tournament, also had Mirkov, a smart looking guy in a white lab suit, and Bella, a rabbit girl with a big mallet about three times her size over her shoulder. I¡¯d never seen them before until today, but they were year threes. It then dawned on me that they could have been from another country, Elissa confirming that when she started talking to the crowd with a microphone they spawned for her. ¡°Our title will not be tarnished!¡± she shouted in a proud German accent. ¡°We are the top hunters in the motherland, and we will reign supreme in this competition!¡± Deutschland! Deutschland! Deutschland! Deutschland! A few sections of the crowd cheered, pumping Elissa up. Mirkov and Bella let her do all of the talking, before Molly introduced the next team, Team Hawk. For every team was a name of a predator type¡ªlynx, and now hawk. And these characters definitely had hawk energy. The crowd roared, and the camera focused on Bram, who was the leader of Team Hawk, and then Yoleeha, the siren, and Sift, the gravity expert. Bram had a stern look on his face, not a lick of fear in his eyes. His team was just as composed as he was. They all looked like they were ready to kill, and just by looking at them I could tell that they were going to do everything possible to win this tournament. Again, only year threes and twos had privilege around here. Team Hawk was given a microphone, but Bram didn¡¯t say anything. Even after Molly suggested they speak to their fans. Nothing. Served with cold stares, the crowd¡¯s energy began tapering down. The looks on their faces confused, and some, afraid. Until Molly spoke for them and said, ¡°Team Hawk is a team recently arrived from the west Netherlands,¡± Molly continued. ¡°They have shown their dedication to Hunter Corp, earning their spot here through sheer talent and strategy! Let¡¯s see if they can make it through the Hunter Games!¡± ¡°We can, and we will,¡± Bram said with a stoic and eerie look on his face, speaking coldly into the microphone. ¡°Which is more than I could say about the two low ranked teams who entered this tournament.¡± My chest tanked. He looked directly into the camera like he was staring right into my soul. ¡°Take the time before the round starts to say your prayers, because you¡¯ll need it.¡± B1-CH60: Total Immersion ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to need prayers!¡± Reina barked back like he could hear her. ¡°The nerve of that man!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t highlight their specialties in the introductions,¡± Naomi said, ¡°Which means that we have to figure out how to fight them on the field.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all for surprises,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°He¡¯s just trying to be intimidating, Reina. Don¡¯t let him get to you.¡± ¡°Oh boy! Those teams better watch out! Team Hawk is out for blood!¡± Molly said enthusiastically. ¡°They¡¯re just trying to get into our heads,¡± I said as the crowd roared once again. ¡°If they were that good, they wouldn¡¯t need to resort to mind games.¡± ¡°Yes, but they did win against some pretty good teams,¡± Reina said as she continued to read the bottom of the screen, where their win to loss ratio was in blinding white: Tournament Wins: 5. Tournament Losses: 1. Second Place Count: 1. ¡°They¡¯re obviously doing something right,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just lucky,¡± Reina said with envy in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s not about luck; it¡¯s about strategy,¡± Naomi replied. ¡°And they obviously have a good one.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see how their strategy works against ours,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re not going to let them intimidate us.¡± Molly continued to introduce the next team, Felix¡¯s, Team Seal. He didn¡¯t get a mic, but he and his team did get to pose for the big screen. After his team was the last team in this group, our team. Team Owl. The crowd wasn¡¯t as stale as I expected it to be, my team getting shouts from the audience, some even cheering my name. Or my alias, Airplane Angel. It felt good being recognized, and as I fanned my hands in the air, the crowd got louder and louder. ¡°Oh, looks like Team Owl has some cred on their backs!¡± Molly chimed. ¡°They are going to need it to compete with Team Hawk!¡± Molly then shifted gears, leaning close to her microphone where she started pacing along her platform. ¡°Buuut, you know¡­ some say Team Hawk has grown complacent. That they¡¯ve lost their edge after their five consecutive wins. I hear talk about them not taking that loss lightly,¡± Molly said, getting the crowd revved up for more. ¡°I¡¯m interested to see if those rumors hold any weight.¡± I smiled, watching Molly try to create some drama. The camera panned to Bram, who had a subtle irritation in his eyes. While they were our biggest competitors, and a win against them would be a huge blow to their image, I didn¡¯t feel so threatened. I was confident in my team. After Molly introduced group one teams, she went on to explain the rules. But before she went on with the rules, she gave a brief overview of how we hunters got here¡­. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Participation in the games was on a first come first serve basis. Also, if you participated last season, you couldn¡¯t participate in the next. This rotation allowed fairness, where hunters could get their chance to win big prizes. To qualify, you had to be actively hunting, which meant that those lazy or retired hunters out there couldn¡¯t participate. Another requirement was having a specific amount of sponsors. Our team had plenty, thanks to Naomi. The same went with Felix, Ash, and Gun, where Gun¡¯s numbers carried his team. They checked sponsor numbers a few hours before the games, as well as contract activity. Anyone who didn¡¯t qualify would be booted, and anyone on the waiting list would be considered replacements. Now, for the rules. The earliest group in the day, group one, went first. The other three groups would go right after, with intermissions in between. Once their games were finished, the top two teams of each group would compete the next day. So as long as we placed in the top two, we were guaranteed to compete the next day. In Round two, things got a lot harder. Instead of four groups, there were two groups, and the two teams of each group advanced to round three the next day. After round three, there was the last and final round of the Hunter Games, where four teams were pinned against each other for the title of champions. With every round, there were winnings. Every time you ranked first or second in a round, you got 700 FP or 300 FP points per teammate respectively, as well as $40k and $20k per teammate respectively. The tournament winners got 1,400 FP and $80k a pop. So theoretically, if you ranked 1st in every round and won the tournament, you were looking at $200k off of one season! And that wasn¡¯t considering the sponsor bank! I was getting chills just hearing her talk about all of that money¡­ The name of the game was Territory Dominion. The objective of Hunter Games, besides the few times they did sponsor event roulettes, was getting our golden dragon egg from point A to point B. The egg wasn¡¯t light weight, and it also wasn¡¯t small. So it was safe to say that it wasn¡¯t made out of real gold, but we were to protect it like it was. It was about 12 inches wide and 16 or so inches tall, but it weighed about fifteen pounds. It was also very durable, and for good reason. I¡¯d seen round plays where that egg had been scorched fifteen times over, kicked around like a soccer ball, and tossed off of a nearby five-story building. And it barely had a scratch on it. This special egg had two locations in the beginning of every round, and after a team claimed the egg, the designated drop off points, or nests, would appear. Once the egg was dropped off in the nest, it was time to defend. For an entire 60 seconds, we needed to make sure the egg stayed ours. If another team dropped in our nest and claimed our egg, then we were screwed. A team had about 5 seconds to claim an egg by keeping their hand on it. The signature changed, while the 60 second countdown continued. After the 60 seconds was up, another rotation on the map would happen. The rules might sound pretty straight forward, but it could get real crazy out here. Between our metas and stage events happening at the worst times, we also had to consider items that other teams had that could help them secure the crown. So after Molly explained the rules and the horn sounded off to start the first round, I turned to Naomi and Reina to start planning ahead. ¡°Let the games begin!¡± Molly shouted, and just as suddenly, her voice was swapped out with two commentators up in the cloud booth. The Hunter Game was about to start¡­ -Total Immersion Process- Preparing Hunter Game Systematics in 5...4¡­3¡­2¡­1¡­ B1-CH61: The Hunter Games! Total immersion had a tickly feeling to it. From head to toe, I was being suited up. The new threads were a lot different from our hunter uniforms, and we were color coded. Team Owl owned purple, our tech- styled clothing variants of that color. I looked over to Naomi, who had a crop top with skinny mesh leggings. When she noticed how revealing she was, she let out an irritated sigh. Well, at least they gave us her favorite color! And she was rocking it, too, from the silver pads, to the chest plate that came with her outfit. Reina looked great too, wearing an alternative to Naomi''s outfit, while I had a more rugged look, complete with a chest guard, leg and arm guards, and fingerless gloves and other accessories that were shared among my team. But immersion was more than just looking awesome. Immersion was the first step for every round, a segment where every contestant would acquire HG-biometric integration systems. HG-BIS was a basic term for a bunch of things, from the ability to use the HG-Armor, to the usage of respawn tokens and other items. HG-Armor was essentially the tool that allowed us to take damage after damage without physically being wounded. Even though the receptors within HG-BIS were responsive enough for its users to experience feedback from both environment and other contestants, the physical correspondences were generous. The armor was a film that protected our bodies, and it prohibited fatalities in the arena, and was incorporated with our HG-Vitality points. Basically, it went against all laws of natural order, which made Onigen¡¯s system so fucking cool. Speaking of HG-Vitality, everyone started at 100. It didn¡¯t matter how strong you were, or what year of hunting you were at. The way we got vitality points was different compared to our other attributes¡ªyou score more kills, your health bar goes up. Right now, everyone was sitting at 1 HG-Vitality, and 100 HG-HP. So if I got another player at 0 HP, my vitality would jump to 2, which would translate to my HP going up to 200. The power between contestants was something that wasn¡¯t scaled, and that was why a lot of year ones wouldn¡¯t dare enter the ring with year twos and threes. ¡°With all of these belts and buckles, we are doomed to get snagged,¡± Reina commented as she glossed over her new clothes. ¡°We have ten minutes to work with for the whole round,¡± I whispered to myself as I eyed the big ring in the sky. The countdown officially started. I checked my com unit and both egg locations were on the map. The map was a standard city layout. It had a couple acres to it, nothing out of the ordinary. This particular map was called Camilla, which looked very much like Venice, Italy. Maps were randomized every round, but I was glad our first one was pretty straight forward. Straight forward and beautiful. The immersion phase allowed us to see the city for its true vibrant colors. Canals and bridges, Italian architecture and shiny cobblestone paths. The sky was ablaze with streaks of crimson and orange, reflecting off the shimmering waters at every turn. Before the total immersion, I didn¡¯t smell anything. But now, the air was filled with the scent of salt, fresh bread, and the faint aroma of coffee. I felt even more terrible for skipping breakfast. It was a real sight for sure, and I knew I would¡¯ve taken more time to admire it if it wasn¡¯t for the tournament. ¡°Are we going for the Fae or the Hydra dragon egg?¡± Naomi asked me. ¡°According to the map, Fae is closer. But I suggest we wait.¡± ¡°Wait?¡± Reina gasped. ¡°Why?! So the other team could capture it?!¡± ¡°Yeah, actually,¡± I said bluntly. ¡°We are year ones, which means that we don¡¯t have the luxury of a vast item tool box like the other teams do. Unless you guys have a respawn token too, then I¡¯m the only one who has one. That¡¯s the only advantage I¡¯m bringing to the table. And with our limited supply of items, it¡¯d be in our best interest to let the other teams use their items, and then later, we can capitalize on any traps they¡¯ve laid out. Make sense?¡± ¡°That¡¯s risky!¡± Reina chimed. ¡°We are relying on a lot of variables that we have no control over.¡± ¡°Reina is right,¡± Naomi said, ¡°What if the other team has the same strategy? And what if the egg is trapped?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Trapped?¡± ¡°Untouchable. A team with perfect defense will be unbreakable. The only thing we¡¯d be doing is feeding their HP.¡± ¡°If the egg is already trapped, we are out of luck, anyway. So we might as well try. And if we don¡¯t get the Fae egg, we¡¯ll get the Hydra dragon egg. We have to get one right?¡± ¡°So we should reach for both eggs!¡± Reina added. ¡°That should help us. With more options, we are¡ª¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re talking absolute nonsense,¡± Naomi retorted. ¡°Spreading our defenses by being greedy will only lead to a quicker loss. That¡¯s an idiotic suggestion.¡± ¡°More idiotic than standing here and doing nothing?!¡± Reina hissed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Listen, I¡¯m the captain of this team, and I finalize the tactical decisions. You trust me, right?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t,¡± Reina said bluntly. ¡°What changed?¡± I asked in a flat tone. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a problem with taking my lead during our contracts.¡± ¡°That was because those are contracts. And this is¡ª¡± ¡°A game? Where we could lose out on money, right? Was that what you were about to say, Reina?¡± I said a bit irritatedly. ¡°It¡¯s pretty crazy how you can trust me with your life, but not with your cash. Which is more important?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you lecture me about importance!¡± she barked. ¡°You walk around like you¡¯ve got this all figured out! When in reality, everything is still up in the air! I can¡¯t lose! I simply can¡¯t! And this is a gamble! One I refuse to partake in!¡± ¡°You have two choices, to wait it out and potentially 3rd party, or to go for the Fae egg,¡± Naomi said. ¡°All right. To make it fair, we will vote,¡± I suggested. ¡°All in favor of going for the Fae egg now, raise your¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish my sentence before Naomi and Reina raised their hands. I stared at my teammates in disbelief. ¡°Seriously, you guys want to do this?¡± ¡°I have a very good hunch that the high ranked teams know we are going to pull off a play like this. So we need to prepare for both outcomes,¡± Naomi said. ¡°If we storm in late, they¡¯ll have the perimeter on lock down. Which would be bad for us. You could say that a well-oiled trap could help us, but that is only if we could manage to not only avoid the traps but take out the three higher ranked hunters out defending the egg.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Reina said. ¡°If we charge in now, we could stop them before they use their items, bettering our chances of securing the egg.¡± ¡°So we need to quit stalling,¡± Reina said as she tapped the unit along her ear. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like anyone has secured it yet.¡± ¡°Fae?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. The Fae egg.¡± ¡°So we still have time,¡± I replied. ¡°All right. If we are going to do it your way, then we need to lay out all the tools we have to work with.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any items, unfortunately,¡± Reina admitted. ¡°My four slots are empty.¡± I looked over to Naomi. ¡°How about you, Naomi?¡± ¡°I have a few,¡± she admitted, my eyes getting big at her statement. ¡°Well don¡¯t hold out on us, how many do you have?¡± Reina asked impatiently. ¡°Not enough to carry us through the entire tourney, not if we don¡¯t budget them right. I have ten all together.¡± She listed them all, and then the four she had in her item slots. I told her to get the Egg Relocator ready. Egg Relocator: randomly relocate claimed egg and nest from one area in the map to another. ¡°That might come in handy soon,¡± I said, and then turned to Reina. ¡°We¡¯re heading for the Fae egg, now. Remember, stick together. A team who supports each other has better chances of winning.¡± With that, we were off. I was really hoping we could wait it out, but the girls wanted to strike now. There was no telling if two teams would go after the Fae egg. In the start of an egg spawn point, two teams were usually within close proximity. That¡¯s so the game was balanced, providing opportunity for each team. What that also meant was that there were usually two teams going after one egg at any given time. Sometimes though, teams would change tactics, and one egg would be prioritized over the other. I was hoping this was the case here. Wishful thinking. We had no idea where the other teams were. The map would only disclose the location of the gold eggs. After we claimed them, then the nest locations would show up. ¡°80 meters now,¡± Reina said, and already, we heard a commotion. The ground was shaking, and the sound of two teams fighting could be heard from the north. ¡°Hey, the Fae egg was the closest to us and another team,¡± I reminded them. ¡°Which means that the Hydra egg only has one team on it.¡± ¡°We should confirm,¡± Reina said, and just like that, Naomi began to levitate off the ground, her body glowing with a deep purple outline. I grinned. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t know you could fly,¡± I said as she hovered over us a couple feet from the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve been training with Hayashi too,¡± she said. ¡°He taught me how.¡± ¡°Well, your ability to fly would certainly come in handy,¡± Reina said appreciatively. ¡°Please, be a dear and scope the area. But be discreet about it!¡± she whispered, Reina comically hiding behind a tree as Naomi flew over for a better look. ¡°That¡¯s not going to help you, Reina,¡± I chuckled, walking over to her. ¡°Shh! Keep your voice low!¡± ¡°You do know that we are being televised, right?¡± I whispered to her. ¡°What do you think your sponsors would say if they saw you cowering like that?¡± She pouted. ¡°They¡¯d think that I am cautious and careful!¡± ¡°I¡¯d be damned if all it took was hiding behind a tree to not get snuffed out by pros.¡± I felt someone behind me as I talked to Reina, and when I pivoted my head over my shoulder, I noticed it was Naomi coming back. ¡°Well?¡± Reina asked. ¡°There¡¯s no one there¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no one there?!¡± Reina cried. When she said that, the sound of fighting did stop. But by the time I realized what was going on, it was already too late¡­ B1-CH62: Elissa the Hammer ¡°Knock, knock!¡± someone shouted, the voice of the butcher woman making the hairs in the back of my neck stand up. She came falling from the sky, with her fists over her head and a big smile on her scary face. She descended so fast that I couldn¡¯t process her speed. Elissa the Hammer slammed her fists down, and as soon as she landed, the ground cracked. The crevice trail headed for Reina so fast that I barely had time to leap and grab her. My effort in trying to push her from harm¡¯s way fell short. The ground opened up, and the both of us fell in. I had Reina in my arms, and we were falling fast. But with Naomi¡¯s quick thinking, she used her telekinetic powers to stop us. Reina looked down, her heart racing against my chest. I could tell she was afraid of heights, and maybe even thought that Naomi couldn¡¯t hold the both of us for long. ¡°Crap, I didn¡¯t even hear her coming,¡± I hissed under my breath, and then looked down to Reina. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be better if we can get out of here!¡± I looked up, ground still flaking over our heads. But the tree that Reina had been hiding behind was still secure¡­. ¡°You see that branch over there? Secure a zipline to it so we can escape.¡± ¡°A zipline isn¡¯t a weapon!¡± she retorted. ¡°A zip line gun is.¡± I smirked. ¡°Just try it.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Reina focused her extension in her right hand and a bolt of light jolted from her palm and into the air. She directed her weapon¡¯s forging meta toward the hanging tree branch, and sure enough, she created a hooked zipline with the gun she materialized in her fist. And just in time, too. Because Elissa wasn¡¯t alone¡­. The hold Naomi had on us disappeared the moment I heard another hunter grunt and growl. Naomi had her hands full, and she needed us to get out of this ditch, so we could help her. So I grabbed the handle of the gun with Reina and we hoisted ourselves up, and once we were topside, a knuckle sandwich was waiting for us. I wasn¡¯t expecting Elissa to let us off that easily, so her retaliation didn¡¯t come as a surprise. I was ready for her with a sweeping kick, the likes of which she wasn¡¯t prepared for. As soon as my leg made contact with her noggin, she buckled. I could tell that she underestimated my power, and she didn¡¯t fix herself to absorb my shot. Worked for me. She was disoriented as she tried to pick herself up¨Cbut right away, I had takenoff 30% of her health bar. As soon as my feet landed on the ground, I ordered Reina to help Naomi, who was handling the other Team Lynx hunter, Mirkov. With Elissa and Mirkov here, I had to imagine that they left the bunny girl with the egg guard. So that was their plan¡ªhave her claim the egg, while the two of them handle us so we could stay away from it¡­. Mirkov¡¯s specialty was material construct, similar to that of Lady L., but his worked differently. Whatever he touched embodied itself into a puppet, and this behemoth he whipped up to attack Naomi was an equivalent to fucking Swamp Thing. So the grunt from before was his construct. That was probably the source of the fighting we¡¯d heard earlier, too. I had to trust in my team that together, they could handle him. As for me, I already had my hands full with Elissa the Hammer. ¡°You don¡¯t hit like a bronze ranked hunter,¡± Elissa said as she finally got on her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment!¡± I taunted. ¡°And I¡¯m digging the German accent. Makes you sound extra badass.¡± With a shifty smile on her face, she grabbed her chin and her head, then snapped that neck of hers back into place. ¡°Interesting. You will be a worthy challenge after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so.¡± I fixed myself to fight her, while Elissa checked her H-Tec unit. Reading my stats, this ought to be interesting. I remembered what sensei had said and I didn¡¯t bother reading hers, but her reaction to seeing how many talents I had was definitely one I¡¯d never forget. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. That smile turned into a frown in less than a half second, Elissa trying her hardest not to look intimidated. ¡°I do not understand¡­¡± she said under her breath. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you get it. What matters is that I bring you down and snatch that egg!¡± ¡°Your board must be glitched.¡± ¡°Denial will only make you feel better for a short time, Elissa!¡± I said, then charged right at her with a flame punch. Fighting another meta with super strength wasn¡¯t going to be easy, and Elissa proved that to be a fact. Despite her incredible mass in muscle, she was fast. It was smart of her to feed her agility to counter her size, Elissa coming in with some heat of her own. We traded blows, but I was meticulous with it. Being in the Hunter Games with 10 minutes on the clock per round might not sound like much, but this event was where stamina management would be put to the test. Unlike HP, our stamina didn¡¯t reset every respawn. So that meant that I had to consider my reserve, and right now, duking it out with Elissa would do more long-term damage for my team. For someone like Elissa, who was a higher rank than me, she had nothing to worry about. Her stamina bar was girthy, which meant that I was the one who had to budget my resources. The more we fought, the more I realized that super strength was all she had. Not to discredit her meta. At some point, I thought super strength was all I was going to get, too. And I was proud about it. She had a few tournament wins, so clearly, it was working for her. But one thing I noticed with Elissa was that she couldn¡¯t team kill us on her own. Hence, why Mirkov was here. She had to be paired. Even with all of that muscle, she couldn¡¯t take out an entire team by herself. Mirkov was the decoy, and she was the janitor¡­. I just thought of an idea¡­. After I realized my sweep kick was the only lucky shot I¡¯d get on her for free, I turned my attention to Mirkov. For a second, Elissa couldn¡¯t understand why I ignored her to dash to her teammate, but she chased right after me, shouting at me as I ran. ¡°Get back here and fight, you coward!¡± Me running away from a fight wasn¡¯t great crowd footage, but it didn¡¯t matter. I told myself I¡¯d be playing smart, not flashy. So when Mirkov realized I was charging at him, he folded his hands together and summoned another construct. Reina dealt with a giant made out of vines, and Naomi, one made out of rock. Mirkov freaked out and gave me a dirt dude, and my flames had an easy time eating right through it. I stopped short and clapped my hands once, a spark flickering in the construct¡¯s chest. In under a second, that spark erupted, and the dirt giant took a quick dirt nap. Chunks of earth and clay exploded, sending shards of dirt flying everywhere. It was such a sudden explosion that even Mirkov was caught off guard. He didn¡¯t have time to shield himself, and a piece of clay caught him right in between the eyes, knocking him backwards. His health bar was untouched, but it wouldn¡¯t be for long. His concentration on his constructs slipped. Naomi snatched him up with her powers and used his body to weed-whack Elissa. Elissa blocked her face with her big arms, shouting at Naomi to stop. I used the distraction to summon a ring of fire around Elissa¡¯s feet, and then fixed a rope around her ankles with it. Magpie: Oh, no folks! It looks like Team Lynx is being worked up by Team Owl! Flamingo: We are talking about a Diamond Ranked team getting torched out there by rookies. Ouch! Those commentators infuriated Elissa, and she tried to snatch Mirkov from the air. From this angle, I couldn¡¯t help but contain my laughter, as it looked like a cat trying to snatch her toy rat from a string. Reina giggled, while I continued to pour fuel in the fire whips around Elissa¡¯s legs. Her health wasn¡¯t looking so healthy now with my flames ticking those bars away, and neither was Mirkov¡¯s¡­. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick¡­¡± Mirkov cried, and then the last of his health vanished, his body exploding into gold coins. Naomi¡¯s HP was now at 200¡­. ¡°Oh no, looks like the big bad wolf is all on her own,¡± Reina taunted. ¡°You made a mistake splitting your defenses.¡± ¡°Which was exactly what you suggested,¡± Naomi pointed out, making Reina¡¯s face red. ¡°I agreed to it being a bad idea, didn¡¯t I?!¡± Reina huffed, and then she fixed herself again, clearing her throat. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my moment, Naomi. Miss Elissa needs to understand that Team Owl is not to be taken lightly.¡± ¡°We can gloat later, Reina,¡± I said, checking the map. ¡°Their team mate claimed the Fae egg.¡± ¡°We need to move,¡± Naomi said. And with Elissa bolted down, I served her one last gut punch to deplete her HP. Nero Aldeon: +100 HP The crowd cheered when we took down both Mirkov and Elissa, everyone suddenly rooting for the underdogs. ¡°I could never get tired of the confetti of coins!¡± Reina said. She looked like she wanted to step in and shower in them, but they weren¡¯t for grabs. In fact, they disappeared after five seconds. It was all cosmetics. What really happened after your HP dropped to 0 was less spectacular. You got teleported into a blinding white waiting room. In there, you¡¯d wait for the 25 second timer to hit zero, unless you had a respawn token, which would instantly revive you. I was hoping I wouldn¡¯t need mine. That being said, with Elissa and Mirkov out of the picture, all we had to worry about was Bella, the bunny girl, who was running with the golden egg. She was fast on her feet, the fastest in her team. There was no way we could keep up with her, but it wouldn¡¯t matter. As long as she had the egg, we could track her in our H-Tech units. So when she took off, I instructed my team to wait¡­. B1-CH63: Scoring The Win ¡°She might be baiting us,¡± I said to my team. ¡°Do we take it?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Yeah. Bella knows that her team is down. If we eliminate her, it restarts the countdown for Mirkov and Elissa, assuming they don¡¯t spawn on the map by then. In a game against time, she doesn¡¯t want to risk that. So she drops the egg to play it safe, allowing her team time to come back.¡± ¡°While also allowing us to take the egg,¡± Naomi said. ¡°In the White Box, the respawn waiting area, there is no communication with your team. It¡¯s like you¡¯re in limbo, where the only thing you can do is spectate. So for now, Bella is on her own.¡± ¡°I say the decision is already made up for us then,¡± Reina added. ¡°Then hop on,¡± Naomi said, waving her hand toward a barber shop storefront. She stripped the sign clean off of it and levitated it between us, Reina looking at her like she¡¯s nuts, and Naomi snapped, ¡°What? Unless you want to walk instead and burn all this precious time that we have.¡± ¡°Man, hunter squads who don¡¯t have a reliable mode of transportation wouldn¡¯t be able to participate in the games, would they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to choose your teams wisely, before you even register.¡± ¡°Oh, where would we be without you, Naomi?¡± Reina sang sarcastically as she mounted the sign on all fours. I laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not a magic carpet, Reina.¡± ¡°Well, excuse me for not trusting the dark princess over there!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Naomi said in a creepy voice. ¡°I need you alive to win, after all¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not comforting to hear at all!¡± Right, Naomi would be more inclined to dump Reina in a canyon outside of the arena. Here, they had to work like a team, and as soon as we made it to the egg, the both of them did just that. Naomi scoped the area for Bella, and Reina took the egg to our hovercraft. I looked around for Bella too, who I found standing there in an alleyway, casually leaning against a brick wall as she watched us snatch her egg. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± she said with a cheeky smile, her long wavy hair bouncing along her shoulders. ¡°You should be with the rest of your squad, making a quick escape!¡± I smirked. ¡°There¡¯s no point in fighting you, huh? You¡¯re just going to run away.¡± ¡°Against every fiber of my being, mmm, I must¡­ resist!¡± She giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t the last time you¡¯ll be seeing me.¡± ¡°Nero, let¡¯s go already!¡± Reina shouted as I turned my head to her. Then, I turned back to Bella, still debating whether I should fight her or not. ¡°Well, what are ya waiting for, cowboy?¡± Bella saluted me. ¡°See you real soon, Nero.¡± With that, she sped off. Well, I guess she made a decision for me. In the Hunter Games, we took handouts. I had no doubt that I¡¯d be seeing her again for that egg. So I jumped on the sign and we sped off to the drop off point, which, according to the horizon, was crystal clear. That meant that Team Hawk and Team Seal were duking it out at the other nest closer to the Hydra egg. Great, this gave us a little time to set up shop. Our nest was exposed, sitting on top of a financial institution building over 30 stories high. Now the nest wasn¡¯t an actual nest, but a tall and glossy hand statue that looked more like a dragon claw. When Reina jumped off of our flying carpet, she ran over to the drop off point and settled the egg inside the purple hand statue sculpted in a cupping gesture, and suddenly, it began to close up and grip the golden egg. It pulsed, and the 60 second timer started. Veins along the purple arm stretched all the way to the fingers, and from the base, it began to gradually glow lavender, our team color. That was our external timer. As for our internal timer, it was in our sys board, with 55 seconds left on the clock. From the corner of my eye I saw Naomi move, and I doubled back and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Trying to scout out where Team Lynx will be coming from,¡± she said as she walked toward the ledge of the building. ¡°For a second there, I thought you were going to ditch us,¡± Reina chimed. ¡°Remember, we need to stick together. We might need your item prepared in case we can¡¯t fight them off.¡± ¡°They had to have respawned by now,¡± I said to my team. ¡°We need a game plan,¡± Reina said, turning to me. ¡°Their metas are pretty standard,¡± I said. ¡°Elissa only has super strength. Mirkov has material construct, and Bella has super speed and specialty mallet.¡± ¡°Someone did their homework before the tournament,¡± Reina said with a smile. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of assigning us our opponents, it¡¯s not a good idea,¡± Naomi said. ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to anticipate their approach and counter it.¡± ¡°They have range with Bella,¡± Reina added. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where they come from. As long as Bella could distract us, this egg is as good as theirs.¡± I had an idea, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯d work¡­ ¡°Naomi, find a high point to search from a wider view. Do your best to spot Bella. Reina,¡± I turned to her. ¡°I want you to create a defensive dome. Weaponize it by adding spikes. Think your meta is able to do that?¡± She nodded. ¡°I will try.¡± Reina stood in front of the nest and crouched over, the tips of her fingers along the cement roof of the building. Electricity started to flicker down her wrist, Reina concentrating her extension to create a barrier around the egg. Before I could blink, I saw a white flashing light followed by a loud snap, Reina materializing a metal dome that was a few inches thick. It was tiered, with each row sporting these long pointed rods that spun in gears. By the looks of it, her dome was self-sustaining, guarding the egg and any speed bunny that wanted to grab it. ¡°Impressive,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°Well, like my older brother would say, anything is possible with a little bit of imagination.¡± ¡°No sign of the rabbit,¡± Naomi said, triggering me to look at the time. ¡°There¡¯s only 20 seconds left¡­ what¡¯s taking them?¡± Just as I said that, I heard an alarm go off behind me, the sound of our egg being captured! ¡°That¡¯s impossible, my barricade is intact!¡± Reina cried, Naomi flying over to us as the siren went off. There was no way they could have gotten through Reina¡¯s dome¡ªthere was no sign of entry! Unless¡­. I balled up my fist and slammed clean through the cement, falling down one floor. Through the scene of dust and debris, I saw Bella¡¯s foot hopping off of her wooden mallet that had grown over ten times its size. She went through the ceiling, and was stealing the egg from within Reina¡¯s defense dome¡­. Magpie: Sneaky work by Team Lynx! Looks like they are snatching their golden egg back from right under Team Owl¡¯s noses! Flamingo: That¡¯s right, Magpie! Team Owl didn¡¯t see that coming! I¡¯d heard about her ability to phase through solid material, Bella controlling the vibration of the atoms in her body to match that of the ceiling. The downside to her OP meta was how stamina consuming it was, meaning she¡¯d drain her super power much faster than someone who was on her level. Whatever the case, her meta allowed her clear passage to our point; but what I couldn¡¯t understand was how Naomi had missed her¡­. It didn¡¯t matter now, she was in the process of claiming what she came here for. So I climbed on the mallet and punched a hole clean through the ceiling, disrupting her capture, but also bringing down the nest, the egg, and Reina¡¯s metal dome. Bella yelped, falling on her ass when the ceiling came crumbling down. Bella had no physical invulnerability at all, so she took slight fall damage, and damage from the ceiling crashing on her. If it wasn¡¯t for the arena¡¯s armor, she would have been done for. ¡°Silly rabbit, tricks are for¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± she hissed as she brushed herself and got back on her feet. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the amount of times I heard that cheesy line!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Then you know what comes next, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you,¡± someone behind me said, and suddenly, I felt a tight grip from my shoulders down to my stomach. My feet came off the floor, and I realized right after that Mirkov had sicced a cement golem at me. ¡°Seriously? Don¡¯t know how to quit?¡± he said with a quiet but snarky voice, that prick looking down his glasses at me as he adjusted them. ¡°Ugh¡­ This really is annoying. I get that you¡¯re trying because you have to, but, you¡¯re in the big leagues now. Do yourselves a favor and stop wasting our time¡­.¡± He squeezed his fist, making the golem do the same. I felt like a stress ball with all of the pressure I was feeling, but my stamina kept me from receiving any actual damage. ¡°Your stamina won¡¯t last much longer with those laughable stats,¡± he taunted. ¡°Once I get your endurance out of the way, then the real fun will begin¡­¡± ¡°Naomi!¡± I shouted, and down came the hammer herself. And in her grip were Naomi and Reina! ¡°Look at them! Refusing to use their stamina!¡± Elissa said, Reina and Naomi writhing from her grip as she hauled them over her shoulders. ¡°Like garbage, they will be properly disposed of!¡± Magpie: Oh no, folks! It looks like Team Owl has given up! Flamingo: You¡¯re right, Magpie. Did Reina and Naomi really throw in the towel? No, they couldn¡¯t have¡­ They were planning something¡­ I knew how much this meant for Reina. She never gave me any details, but I could just tell that this win was a catalyst for every other win here after. She wanted the trophy, and giving up just wasn¡¯t her style. That girl was headstrong, stubborn and annoying, but headstrong nevertheless. As for Naomi, she took her own reasons for being here seriously, too. She promised to take me to the top, and that was what she was going to fucking do. Which meant that they were strategizing. Without talking to them about this new game plan earlier, I had to imagine that it had something to do with me¡­. Wait a minute¡­. ¡°Grab the egg, Bella!¡± Elissa ordered the bunny girl. There were six seconds left on the countdown¡­ six seconds for them to capture the egg and score the win¡­. B1-CH64: Third Partying Disaster As soon as Bella touched the egg again, it was up to me to bring my team home. For a bunch of hunters with tournament wins, they were sure cocky as shit. They should have beaten us down, instead of gloating while we watched those seconds tick away. But honestly, I shouldn¡¯t be complaining. One team¡¯s ego was another team¡¯s win. Even the crowd started to count down, until I served them a steaming hot plate of flame rangoon surprise. In one hot flash, I went up in flames, incinerating everything on the floor. Like I said, I didn¡¯t have to worry about the egg breaking, nor did I have to worry about the nest, either. They were both invulnerable, but Elissa¡¯s team wasn¡¯t. Neither of them had physical invulnerability like I did, or the egg and its nest. So as soon as I went into full-fledged heat mode, they panicked and dispersed, and I was free again. Bringing Reina and Naomi down with them was a literal definition of friendly fire. Though deep down, I knew they were hoping that I¡¯d do everything it took to keep that point on our side of the park. ¡°You idiot!¡± Elissa said, her voice smothered in flames. By the time the buzzer went off, the big score board in the sky said that we won it! Magpie: Holy cow, Flamingo! What a power play from Team Owl! They scored the egg! Flamingo: Who knew a little bit of friendly fire would turn around and save the day? That was certainly an unsuspected move, Magpie! And it sounds like the crowd loves it! Go Team Owl! ¡°Hot, hot, hot!¡± Bella cried, dashing up and down the steps to kill the fire on her suit. Even though she couldn¡¯t feel the high volume of heat I was putting out, our armor had receptors to translate sensations, enough to where it wouldn¡¯t hurt us¡ªto an extent. The idea behind total immersion was to make these battles as real and safe as possible so both sponsors and hunters, and even the parents of hunters, wouldn¡¯t complain. After all, the Hunter Games was supposed to be a fun event. And I was having the time of my life right now. I killed my flames. Unfortunately, Reina and Naomi took too much damage from their fight up top and down below, and my heat melted the rest of their HP. Elissa and her team got no HP bump for what I did, but the bad side was that now I was open for punishment, Elissa and Mirkov now inching closer to me. ¡°So desperate, so foolish!¡± she growled. I stepped back again, curling my hands into fists to defend myself. I felt a sweat drop slide down my forehead as they closed in, my immediate thought to run away squashed by the idea of a snow bunny behind me catching me quickly. Not only that, the alternative option wasn¡¯t favorable either. If I fought, I¡¯d be burning precious stamina away. ¡°Well played,¡± Mirkov muttered under his breath. ¡°I do hope you know that you¡¯re not leaving here alive.¡± I smirked. ¡°No, not at all. But it doesn¡¯t matter, does it? My team scored. That¡¯s all we care about.¡± ¡°Not the type to plan for the future, I see¡­.¡± My smile faded. ¡°What the hell are you mouthing on about?¡± He grinned. ¡°I have to admit, you are definitely a different breed. Melody didn¡¯t mention it, and I have a feeling I know why. Your metas are pretty impressive¡­¡± he said, a little too excitedly. He was making me uncomfortable, and just when I thought he¡¯d strike me down, Bella came from behind and tackled me. She hit me hard, her strength driven by her speed. As soon as I fell, I tried to pick myself back up again, but Mirkov¡¯s golem had already scooped me up. I punched it clean against its face, knocking its head right off its shoulders. Mirkov tented his fingers, and just like that, the golem sprouted a new noggin, and head-butted me with it. ¡°Please, go right ahead and make things easier for us,¡± he taunted. ¡°You break, I remake. However, the difference between you and me is that my stamina is much higher than yours. So my meta will last much longer.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Dammit¡­ they weren¡¯t trying to fight me, they were going to keep me hostage¡­. Reina and Naomi were screwed without a third. As much as it sucked to admit it, that dickbag was right. Stamina was something that built up slowly. Unlike my HP, it wouldn¡¯t come back during the rounds. So if I sat around and fought this entire team, I was the only one who would lose. I didn¡¯t think that part through, and I bet Reina and Naomi didn¡¯t expect this either. Either way, the show had to go on. Mirkov doubled the size of his giant golem, making sure that most of my moving parts were locked in its fist. Resistance is futile, as Elissa said, her and her team heading to the next egg pick up point on the map. Bella walked to the right of me, with her arms crossed behind her head and a big smile on her face. She was humming a tune to herself as they closed the distance between them and the egg, and I just had to turn over to her when she looked at me. ¡°Bet you¡¯re mighty proud of yourselves,¡± I muttered coldly. ¡°There¡¯s a little over 5 minutes left, no sign of your friends, and no sign of the other teams, either¡­.¡± She giggled. ¡°Looks like we are scoring an easy win this time!¡± She winked. ¡°I told you that we¡¯d be seeing each other real soon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be getting this intimate,¡± I hissed, turning over to Mirkov and shooting him a quick request. ¡°Any chance that you can loosen rockhead just a tad? My butt crack is starting to feel a bit like the Grand Canyon.¡± Mirkov grunted, and then a sound echoed through his golem. After he rolled his eyes, Bella responded with a boisterous laugh. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite the joker, aren¡¯t you? If we weren¡¯t being pinned against each other right now, I¡¯d say we may even be friends!¡± I smirked. ¡°Really? So how about we pretend that there isn¡¯t a money bag on the line here and chuck it up, huh?!¡± She giggled. ¡°You¡¯re not that funny, though!¡± she said with sparkling eyes. I felt the golem¡¯s grip suddenly tighten on me, and my instant reaction was to turn over to Mirkov. He was being pissy, the guy looking at me from the corner of his eye. Was that jealousy I saw just now? Oh hell¡­ material man had the hots for bunny girl¡­. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so smug if I were you,¡± I said, turning back to Bella who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying my predicament. ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time left.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Bella replied, her eyebrow arched as she turned to me. ¡°Do you have a plan up your enslaved sleeves?¡± ¡°Reina and Naomi are going to¡ª¡± ¡°Pfft,¡± Elissa butted in. ¡°Depending on them will bring you no good. Right now, I bet they are pissing their pants, trying to scrape up a plan that will only feed our health bars all the more!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know them like I know them. They¡ª¡± ¡°Have a history of getting on each other¡¯s bad sides,¡± Mirkov finished. ¡°You¡¯ve done homework on us, and we¡¯ve done some on you as well, Nero.¡± ¡°Smartass¡­¡± I muttered under my breath. But this situation I was in wasn¡¯t the end, not by a long shot¡­. Not once did I ever reconsider joining early. Not once did I regret signing up for this season of the Hunter Games. I believed in my team, and I knew they¡¯d figure something out and push through. Reina and Naomi were smart. I was not going to doubt them, not even for a fucking second¡­. The second egg was an easy steal. Team Lynx had no problem claiming it. There was no sign of Reina and Naomi. My chest was getting tighter at the thought of them going for the other egg and losing. I couldn¡¯t check my H-Tec to confirm anything being confined like this, and the big screens in the sky were limited, depending how exposed to the outside we were. This stupid golem was making sure to bring me everywhere it went, no matter how dark or tight the fit was. I was getting more and more irritated by being held hostage. ¡°Here we are,¡± Bella said as we entered a warehouse for the third egg. So far, her team had a point, and ours had a point, too. I watched as she dashed to the egg and claimed it, the golden ticket wedged between two old crates. The room was dimly lit, dust particles dancing in the long shafts of sunlight that filtered from the high, narrow windows. So there was no telling if we had company. I was crossing my fingers that we did, because I¡¯d have a chance of getting the hell out of here. For whatever reason, Elissa took the egg from Bella and then lifted the egg and held it up to the light. She squinted at the faint writing on its gleaming gold surface, my heart suddenly racing as the room got quiet. It then dawned on me that Elissa was inspecting it for a good reason. There was an item out there that could mimic the actual egg, an item called Imposter Egg: pose as any golden egg currently in play. Effects last for 30 seconds. ¡°What¡¯s the verdict, Elissa?¡± Mirkov asked. ¡°Is it real or what?¡± Bella followed. ¡°An imposter egg usually has one tell of imperfection,¡± she said, continuing to study it. ¡°It is very small, and if not careful, can be easily missed. However this one does not have it. I¡¯d say it is solid. The real deal.¡± ¡°Damn, I was really hoping you¡¯d get bamboozled,¡± I sighed. ¡°The other two teams must really be going at it to miss this spawn, too.¡± ¡°There will be no free passes over here. That¡¯s what you so-called brave year one metas get for swinging me around like a Pinata,¡± Mirkov hissed. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s head to a nest before anyone snuffs us out,¡± Bella insisted, and she was the first to dash out of the warehouse. However, she didn¡¯t get very far, the poor girl running right into a giant ball of wind. Immediately I knew right then and there that it was Felix¡¯s team! ¡°What the?¡± ¡°Sorry to barge in like this, but¡ª¡± ¡°Reina and Naomi third partied us and stole a point!¡± Ash cried, cutting off Gun. She was hysterical as she came in swinging, Ash leaping into Bella on the ground with her powerful slash attack. My eyes went wide as Bella dodged her and her powerful claws, Ash creating a gigantic slash in the cement where Bella had been just a second before. That was the first time I¡¯d seen her use that ability, Ash stronger than she led everyone to believe. But what was more shocking than Ash¡¯s meta was what came out of Ash¡¯s mouth¡­. Reina and Naomi secured another point for our team¡­. B1-CH65: Hard Boiled Egg Felix and his team kept the momentum going. The round was almost over, and judging by how hard they were hitting, I imagined that if they didn¡¯t confirm an egg, they were going to be knocked out of the tournament. So Felix wasted no time in getting rid of Bella. He swung his arms in a tornado formation, picking Bella up before she could realize what was going on. Felix was so quick with it that if I¡¯d blinked, I¡¯d miss Bella being scooped by the tornado and flung out the warehouse window like yesterday¡¯s trash. Gun followed up by summoning a Bison, Gun garnering its speed and strength for Elissa. ¡°Not a chance!¡± Elissa cried, clashing her fists together. ¡°This egg is ours!¡± We have to secure this egg before time is up, I said to myself, having made a mental note of the seconds left in the round. But if two teams were here, and Reina and Naomi just scored, then what was Team Hawk doing? Gun and Elissa clashed, which left Mirkov with Ash and Felix. Mirkov made his golem toss me into them, and I landed at my feet. Honestly, I was just grateful that I was finally free. Not out of the fray, but free, nevertheless. With a sigh of relief, I picked myself up. No sooner did I get on my feet, Felix attacked me with a wind blade. Instinctively, I raised my arm to absorb the blow. I opened my mouth, about to ask him a stupid question, until I realized that Felix was zoned in. In the Hunter Games, we weren¡¯t roommates. We were opponents, fierce competitors fighting for the same crown. Forget our camaraderie and the good times. Felix was locked in. That being said, I couldn¡¯t expend too much on this fight. Even though my HP was higher than his, I tried to seal the fight as quickly as I could. Felix continued to hit me with a barrage of wind blades, leaving a tingling sensation on my skin. I could tell with how fast he was going that he wanted to wrap up our fight as well. Whether it be because of points or stamina, it didn¡¯t matter. Felix tended to falter when his back was against the wall. He¡¯d lean into his stamina more just to get the job done, his patience thinning the longer I dodged and blocked. Until he finally snapped, bringing the warehouse ceiling down with a full-blown wind explosion. He sent everyone flying away, the roof falling over our heads. This friendly fire wasn¡¯t as strategic as mine, but it got the work done, because while he buried his friends in the rubble, he also buried Mirkov and Elissa there, too. My physical invulnerability kept my health bar safe. I wish I could say the same for Gun and Ash. I pushed the chunks of wooden beams from my back and peaked through the screen of dust to see Felix. He snatched the Drake egg and made a clean getaway, dashing out of the warehouse leaving Ash and Gun behind. This was my opportunity to counterattack, but as I got out from the rubble, I stopped myself and checked my H-Tec. My team had two points. Felix¡¯s team had zero. Bram¡¯s team had one point, and Elissa¡¯s had one point, too. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Team Owl: 2 Team Hawk: 1 Team Lynx: 1 Team Seal: 0 Teaming up with opponents was forbidden in the Hunter Games. But even if I wanted to help Felix, him scoring the egg wouldn¡¯t advance him into the next round. Ties are broken by performance, and judging by how low his team¡¯s HP caps were, he was going to lose regardless. This was why it was dangerous to feed kills to the opponent. So even if Felix could score this egg, he¡¯d need to team wipe, too. Could that be why he left Gun and Ash behind? Or was he just being reckless and desperate? Gun, Mirkov, Elissa, and Ash started to stir up from the rubble. I thought about my options carefully, and ran the opposite way from Felix and toward the other egg. More important than chasing Felix was reuniting with my team¡­. I reached a forest area and looked up, the time under two minutes now. As soon as I looked ahead of me, the crowd went wild, Team Seal scoring a point. Great. Now all Felix, Gun, and Ash had to do was claim the other egg on the map and¡ªshit, Bram¡¯s team just nested it! I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling a harsh breeze slice through me. It had to have been Bella, and she was trying to regroup with her team. ¡°Count my blessings,¡± I whispered under my breath, thankful that she didn¡¯t see me. But with Team Hawk nesting an egg, everyone was going to want to get their hands on it. It was going to be a battle royale¡­. ¡°Nero? Is that you?¡± I heard Reina¡¯s voice, but I couldn¡¯t see her. I tapped into my thermo vision for a second, noticing her and Naomi hiding in the base of a tree. ¡°Naomi? Reina!¡± I ran to the large stone serving as a door for the opening of the tree, Naomi nearly knocking me out with it as she pried it open with her meta. As soon as I saw them, a smile found my face. I was glad they were all right, and their health bars were full, too. ¡°We just respawned,¡± Naomi said as she crawled out after Reina. ¡°Where have you been?!¡± Reina barked at me. ¡°We barely made it out of that fight with a point!¡± ¡°I heard you two 3rd partied without me?¡± I chuckled, then reeled both girls in my arms. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you two! Working together to get the job done!¡± ¡°All right,¡± Naomi said, wiggling free. ¡°Let¡¯s not get carried away. I already had to spend more time than I wanted to cooped up in a tree with her.¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re any more pleasant!¡± Reina clapped back. ¡°I was being held hostage by Mirkov,¡± I admitted. ¡°I had to weigh my options, but I''m glad I didn¡¯t burn through my stam. I believed in you girls.¡± ¡°I used more items than I wanted to in that skirmish,¡± Naomi said. ¡°There¡¯s no time for any team to get the other egg on the other side of the map. No one but¡ª¡± ¡°Bella,¡± I finished. ¡°So, what¡¯s the play?¡± Reina asked. ¡°We have two points. The other teams have one each.¡± ¡°But Bella is going to effortlessly score another point,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Elissa and Mirkov are probably going to go to the hot egg right now. Worst case scenario, they die, and respawn closer to Bella to confirm their score.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯ll be 2/2, 1/1,¡± Reina said. ¡°Unless 3rd or 4th place secures an egg, then it''ll be tied three ways,¡± I reminded them. ¡°At which point, the judges would turn to kill score.¡± ¡°Ours isn¡¯t looking too great¡­¡± Reina whispered. ¡°Our problem is stopping Team Hawk from securing a point. So let¡¯s focus on that.¡± Naomi turned to me. ¡°A doable distance, but time¡¯s against us.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go now. ¡°Wyrm egg, 112 meters away,¡± Reina said as she checked. And then she turned to Naomi and asked, ¡°We need a lift.¡± But before Naomi could fix our ride, I heard a loud crack behind us, the ground sprouting up the Wyrm egg! Someone must have used a relocator item, infusing its unmovable base in its new spawn point. And now the golden egg and its nest was ripe for the taking! ¡°Naomi, take it!¡± Reina cried. But instead of turning around and touching it, Naomi leaped out of the way and shouted, ¡°Watch out!¡± B1-CH66: Did We Win? Gun and his spirit bird came swan diving in. And on the back of his spirit bird, he carried his entire team. Felix leaped down with a gust of wind to disperse us, Reina and Naomi being tossed in different directions of the grove. Ash paired off, her clone rushing to the egg to claim it. Right now, Bram¡¯s signature was on it, and Ash had five seconds to steal. With only 20 seconds left on the clock, the typical 60 seconds for capture was shortened to whatever time was left for the round. So this steal was big for Team Seal. Unfortunately, Team Owl wasn¡¯t going to make it easy on them. ¡°With the tank and her minion gone, we just have one team to worry about!¡± Gun smirked. I realized that his health bar had grown since the last time we met, which meant that not only did he beat Mirkov or Elissa, but he also had a health potion that negated the need to respawn before using his new health bar cap: Health Potion: Maxes out health bar to 100%. Bypasses respawn requirement for vitality increase. He was at 300 HP now, the magic of sponsor items. But an item like that was only as good as your stamina reservoir. Felix, clone Ash, and Gun wasted no time defending their point. They needed kills, and it looked like they were going to take them from us. Like Reina had said, Ash¡¯s clones were straight evil. This was the most I¡¯d seen her multiply, breaking off three clones, one to handle the egg, and the other two on us. Naomi not only had to fight a cat girl clone, but she had to fight Felix as well. Reina also had her hands busy with the original Ash, and I had to fight Gun and an Ash clone. ¡°Sorry about this!¡± the clone said, grabbing me from behind so Gun could punch me right in the gut. I bent over like a tent, my stamina tapering off. That punch from his white polar bear¡­ I could feel it through my armor, Gun leaving a fucking impression on me. After he knocked the air out of my lungs, Ash slashed my back and brought me down on my knees. Gun followed up with a sharp kick against my face, ignoring the flame I was conjuring up for a counter. Shit, how did he still have so much stam left? Were we not fighting in the same arena against high-ranked hunters? Then I thought about how they might have used up all the items they¡¯d gathered thus far to help them with their reserve. Going all out¡ªeven if I had that many items in my pocket, I might not have been so frivolous with them. The consequence was as clear as day, Team Seal still struggling for top two. And as Team Hawk charged in from the horizon, Felix, Ash, and Gun might have still been screwed either way. The irony¡ªReina and Naomi had 3rd partied Team Hawk and Team Seal. And now, Team Hawk was 3rd partying us¡­ Naomi and Reina were sent to the White Box before Team Hawk crashed in. Bram used his Ice Technique, which allowed him to turn any part of his body into ice. From there, he could do a variety of things, his technique giving him an edge in fighting multiple opponents at the same time. When he got into position, Felix and Ash stopped whalloping me and all eyes were on him. I braced myself, his ice extension proliferating up his fingertips.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The ice lances came in quick, Bram turning the forest into a winter wonderland. Countering him was no easy trick, because the extensions from his finger-tips branched out, and those ice branches staggered even more. Before I knew it, he had the entire area locked with crisscrossing rods of ice, with nowhere to turn and nowhere to escape. His eyes glowed a frosty blue, and the rods started to move. Bram caught me off guard and bolted my feet to the ground, and encased Ash and her clones in ice. I felt bad for Ash, who cried out to Gun to break her free as the ice continued to crawl up her neck. But Gun had his hands full, trying to resist the onslaught of Bram¡¯s ice spears. The more Gun fought, the more Bram packed on ice. No animal was too big for Bram, and Gun being so desperate to break free, he emptied out his stamina. ¡°Cold, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bram taunted, showing no remorse. His gaze on me was unyielding even as Felix unleashed a battle cry and attacked him from the back with his halberd. My jaw dropped at the sight of how precise he could counter Felix¡¯s wind blades against his back without even looking at him. ¡°I warned you, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t get too upset when we steal this point and put your friends in their graves¡­.¡± ¡°Nero, stop him!¡± Ash yelped as her face was being swallowed up by the rising ice. ¡°Stop h¡ª¡± Ash¡¯s voice cut short, her body now entirely encased in ice. I snapped my eyes at Bram, the crowd going wild. ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this a little too much¡­¡± I curled my fists and locked my body tight. With the last bit of soul extension I had, I set my body ablaze. My flame roared, burning brighter and hotter than anything I¡¯d summoned before in the arena. A wall of heat radiated from me and challenged the biting frost. It flashed over Gun and Ash, smashing their ice cocoons, but my damage bottomed them out. From the other side of my growing meta, I heard the crowd fall silent, blown away by the light show. I gave it my all¨Cwe were at the home stretch, now. But Bram remained unfazed, his smirk dissolving into an amused chuckle. ¡°Fire against ice? You should know better, Nero,¡± he jeered over the sound of my flames, raising his hand to counter my attack. Felix stepped in, risking it all in this mosh pit of fire and ice. I could feel my entire body turn into a conduit of raw energy, my extension on overdrive. The heat of my flames met the cold of his frost, creating a swirling vortex where they clashed. Ice shards flew through the air, refracting the light from my flames like starbursts. From face value, it almost looked like we were evenly matched, but I could only hold on for so long. Felix realized that my power was dying off too, and he triggered his wind to wrap around my flame, using it to melt Bram¡¯s ice more efficiently. But my flames were too much, and it was too late¡­. The buzzer went off, and the round was over. Drained, I dropped on my hands and knees, my vision dazed as I took in the scene in front of me¡ªtorn earth, Felix on the ground, Ash and her clones gone, Gun missing, and Bram standing there triumphantly. He dropped his ice, the arena soggy and wet. When I looked over to my right to the golden egg and its nest, I saw Bram¡¯s teammate, Yoleeha, had managed to secure the point for Team Hawk¡­. Magpie: What a round finisher, Flamingo! The chaos, the catastrophe, the clutch! Flamingo: Team Hawk scores with no time wasted on the clock! Now that is how you hunt! The crowd got animated again, but the final scores weren¡¯t up on the board yet. Instead, they made us wait as judges tallied up the score. It was a three way tie between Team Hawk, Team Lynx, and Team Owl. Each of us had two dragon eggs, so it came down to how many kills our team collectively had. And the wait was killing me¡­. Bram was mouthing off about how he had nothing to worry about. Yoleeha and his other teammate Sift took to his side, gloating among themselves. Felix got up on his feet, his eyes glued to the sky monitor as he patiently waited for the results. I felt bad inside, because he knew he lost, but I guess he wanted to see if me and my team advanced to the next round. He looked more anxious than I did, and when the screen revealed the final placement, I swear my heart stopped¡­. 1st Place: Team Hawk 2nd Place: Team Owl 3rd Place: Team Lynx 4th Place: Team Seal Holy shit¡­ we made it¡­. B1-CH67: Celebrating the Dub I couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªwe barely made it to the top two¡­. My Hail Mary flame show took out Gun and Ash, and solidified our win. Our first round in the Hunter Games and it was a three way tie¡ªmy jaw was still on the floor. Team Hawk and Team Owl were going to advance into the second round, which would be broadcasted the same time tomorrow morning¡­. Seriously, I felt like I was living in the twilight zone right now. The aftershock of winning second place had me numb. From the moment I saw the final score, I was displaced. I felt like my body was going through the motions, but my mind was out in space somewhere. To be honest, I was shocked that I didn¡¯t pass out. Naomi, Reina, and I had a postgame interview, and I couldn¡¯t remember saying a damn thing. By the time I snapped out of it, our furry friend, Pachi the red raccoon, had teleported us to the pick-up zone. When we arrived, I was surprised to see Master Hayashi waiting for us. He was wearing a small grin on his face¡ªI bet the man was unable to contain himself, too! His year ones were making a name for themselves out there! ¡°Congratulations,¡± Hayashi said. ¡°I saw the entire tournament. You three played well.¡± ¡°Oh my, you mean you aren¡¯t going to flunk us?!¡± Reina teased. ¡°Hell must have frozen over.¡± ¡°Thanks, sensei.¡± I smirked. ¡°We have you to thank for that win.¡± ¡°Where are our roommates?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Already at the dojo.¡± ¡°You transported them there? I thought relying on you wasn¡¯t supposed to be a recurring thing?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. But I suppose I can make an exception for your first day.¡± ¡°Soooo, you won¡¯t be bringing us back here tomorrow?¡± Reina cooed, trying to coax him with her sugary tone. Hayashi smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the morning to drop you off and pick you up. Don¡¯t celebrate too hard tonight. Remember, the second round starts early.¡± It was clear that at this point that Hayashi had a soft spot for Reina. And honestly, I felt like he always had. He¡¯d always been tough on her, especially when she was quick to fire off her mouth at him and talk back. I started thinking that maybe he fought back because he expected better from her. And ever since they had talked that night, I haven¡¯t seen Reina disrespect him like that again. That being said, I was happy that their relationship was growing. Once Hayashi teleported us back to the dojo, I made a quick call to the fam, who were more than happy about my performance. Mom couldn¡¯t stop hollering through the phone, and Sophie couldn¡¯t stop sobbing like she¡¯d just hit the lottery. Seeing them above themselves motivated me to press on for tomorrow, and I just had a feeling that my team and I were going to crush it again. We were making waves in the hunter scene. After talking with my folks, I searched around for Felix, Ash, and Gun while the girls cleaned up. Not to rub our win in their faces, but to boost their spirits up. Luckily, I spotted Gun outside, walking through the garden with his head low and his hands in his pockets. ¡°Hey!¡± I called out to him and waved, Gun picking his head up and waving back. As he approached the dojo, I could tell that his smile was forced. ¡°Great job out there,¡± he said. ¡°Gotta tell ya, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d make it!¡± ¡°Oh ye of little faith!¡± He stretched out his hand and I shook it with a firm grip. ¡°Seriously, Nero. We¡¯re happy for you. Sorry again about earlier.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Hey Gun, don¡¯t sweat it. Where¡¯s Ash and Felix?¡± His lips went flat, Gun¡¯s eyes dodging to the side. ¡°Ash is somewhere inside but¡­ Felix isn¡¯t taking the loss well¡­.¡± I frowned. ¡°Sorry. Well, where is he?¡± ¡°Back there,¡± he said, tilting his head to where he came from. ¡°Taking time to blow off some steam.¡± ¡°I guess this is a pretty bad time to talk to him then, huh?¡± ¡°Felix doesn¡¯t take losing well; he never has.¡± He chuckled sheepishly. ¡°He was blaming Ash and I for losing. Mostly Ash. The dude was being a real dick about it, too, making Ash cry. So I had to put him in his place¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see the VODs. Was Team Hawk defense heavy? You know, before we clashed in the end?¡± ¡°You saw their HP bars. We kept them healthy. Bram had a wall that just wouldn¡¯t break. And with Felix barking at us, it made it even harder to figure out a working plan. He didn¡¯t want to hear our suggestions, but god forbid you tell him that¡¯s the reason we didn¡¯t make it.¡± He pulled out his other hand from his pocket, where I noticed blood on his knuckles. Gun flexed them and chuckled. ¡°You know what Felix hates more than losing? Being told he was wrong. And more than that, being seen as weak.¡± So they got into a physical altercation, and Gun came out of the fight as the winner¡­. Actually, now that he mentioned it, when Felix and I trained, he was anxious to beat me. He would rather suffocate in my fumes than to admit he was weak. I guess that was why he pushed me to fight the way he did¡ªhe not only wanted me to push myself and show my true strength, but also to challenge himself against someone with 5 metas¡­. ¡°Look, I get it. Being in the Hunter Games, fighting for cash like that, it does something to you. But at the same time, you can¡¯t let that money consume you and turn you into something you¡¯re not. He needs to cut himself some slack. We were both fighting against pros. Even if your team made fourth place, he should be proud of himself for even participating in the games. You guys gained experience. When it¡¯s time to sign up again, you¡¯ll have that as an advantage. To be fair, I¡¯m surprised the council even allowed us to join.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Probably for publicity and hype. I bet no one counted on your team making it out in the top two.¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Even if you barely made it, you guys are going to cap big time on that wave. So milk it out as much as you can. Those sponsors love it when their hunter wins.¡± ¡°We advanced!¡± Reina cried behind us, the bubbly girl already slipping into something nice and casual. She wore a light yellow halter dress with a lace collar, her skirt floating in the spring breeze. Reina ran right into Gun¡¯s arms, the rock star gently grabbing her and swinging her around. ¡°The future Season 160 Hunter Game champion!¡± Gun cheered. ¡°Man, I must be the luckiest guy in the world right now. Smart, stunning, and strong,¡± he complimented Reina. ¡°You are lucky!¡± Reina tweeted, Gun giving her a soft peck on her forehead as he settled her down. ¡°Congrats, Rosebud. I knew you could do it.¡± I arched my eyebrow¡ªRosebud? Now, that¡¯s cute. ¡°Want to go out and celebrate? My treat? Any restaurant downtown, your choice.¡± ¡°Actually, I was thinking about celebrating with Nero?¡± Wait, what? ¡°And Naomi, of course!¡± she said last minute, correcting herself. ¡°My team!¡± She turned to me then back to Gun again. ¡°This is our first win, so I want to do something special with them.¡± ¡°Of course! We can schedule something for t¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Naomi said as she walked over to us. ¡°Celebrating too early. We haven''t won anything yet.¡± ¡°We got second prize money, what do you mean?!¡± I corrected her excitedly. ¡°Round 1 prize money isn¡¯t anything to celebrate for.¡± ¡°Are you delusional?¡± Reina hissed. ¡°We are rookie hunters who won a round in the Hunter Games, first try! That means access to 70% of sponsor donations, and $20,000 in the tourney bank! If we¡¯d gotten any lower than 2nd place, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten any of that!¡± She winced and then turned to Gun. ¡°No offense, of course.¡± ¡°If this were our eval, we wouldn¡¯t be celebrating. In fact, Hayashi would have called this a failed mission,¡± Naomi said with a straight face, and I couldn¡¯t tell if she was being serious or sarcastic. ¡°But this isn¡¯t eval, Naomi,¡± I reminded her. ¡°I stand by my decision to not celebrate. If the both of you want to¡ª¡± ¡°Jinx it?¡± Reina cut her off and said with a sly grin, ¡°Boy, Naomi, I¡¯d forgotten you were the superstitious type.¡± I smirked. ¡°Truthfully, the both of you are a little nutty.¡± Reina shrugged. ¡°All right. We won¡¯t celebrate, then. I guess Gun and I will just have to enjoy brunch together alone downtown.¡± ¡°Great. Have fun,¡± Naomi said as she turned back around to head to the dojo, until I grabbed her wrist gently and stopped her. ¡°And we¡¯ll have a picnic by the river,¡± I said, rendering Naomi speechless. ¡°It¡¯s not celebrating. I promise!¡± ¡°A picnic?¡± Reina reiterated under her voice. ¡°Just the two of you?¡± ¡°That is, if Naomi is down for it?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Naomi hesitated for a moment. Then she looked up to me and gave me a short nod. ¡°Okay.¡± B1-CH68: A Picnic by the River Something light, nothing too fancy¡­ Inviting Naomi to a picnic was an impulsive reaction from the victory high I was on. If I hadn¡¯t just won a round of Hunter Games, I probably wouldn¡¯t have done so. At least, not this soon. Though, I was feeling pretty good about myself, and I could tell she was, too. So I seized the opportunity and went to the kitchen to prepare a simple lunch for two. I was no chef, but I could whip up a mean sandwich. I had become well-practiced at crafting the perfect sandwich over the years. Turkey, ham, roast chicken, you name it. It was always our go-to meal for those lazy Sundays in front of the television, back when we had time on a weekend. I pulled out some fresh bread and cheeses, some fruits, and a jar of homemade marmalade my mother had given me the recipe for. As an afterthought, I also added a fresh garden salad and strawberry shortcakes to the menu. As well as a mason jar of lemonade with mint from Hayashi¡¯s garden. I could usually care less about how food was packaged, but this time, every item had carefully been tucked into a wicker basket. I found a checkered red and white blanket in the storage closet and double checked my arrangement before covering it with the blanket. After preparing everything, butterflies started to salsa dance in my stomach. It was an odd feeling, like I had a reason to be nervous about Naomi and I sharing a meal together. I already knew that we had chemistry, so I tried swallowing the nerves away and walked over to the river. I told her to meet me there at 12pm, but I was going a few minutes early to set up. The dojo wasn¡¯t far from the river, and it didn¡¯t take long to get there. After I found our spot, I took in the scene for a second. It was awesome weather for a picnic, the sky clear, and the river just as picture perfect. The reflection of the bright sun streamed across the water, sparkling like diamonds. I crouched over and looked into the water, being able to see the fish swimming through. The last time I was here, I went fishing, and I caught a big bass for the dojo that lasted for days¡­. I spread the checkered blanket under a willow tree as the scent of food filled the air, mingled with the sweet fragrance of wild roses. The longer I basked in the peacefulness of the river bank, the more my nerves continued to flutter. ¡°This is just a quick lunch with Naomi,¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be jittery about¡­.¡± ¡°So the talking to yourself is just part of the Nero experience, then?¡± I whipped around, Naomi creeping up from behind me. She nearly gave me a heart attack, the ivory-haired ninja making it her mission to sneak up on me every chance she had. ¡°Crap, Naomi!¡± I gasped. ¡°I told you to swing by at 12pm!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a little jumpy for a monster hunter, Nero.¡± ¡°When the hell did you get here?¡± ¡°A few minutes ago,¡± she admitted. ¡°I was behind that tree.¡± I deadpanned her. ¡°So it was a premeditated jump scare, nice.¡± I watched as Naomi¡¯s face softened, a hint of a smile falling on her usually stern lips. I smirked. ¡°You think that¡¯s funny, huh? You must love scaring the shit out of people.¡± She snickered. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s gotten you in such a good mood? Our win?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that either¡­.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± She turned around and grabbed the basket, then walked back over to me. ¡°Let me help you set up.¡± It was nice seeing Naomi like this, her usual serious and distant persona replaced with a rare warmth. Her icy eyes sparkled, showing an uncharacteristic playfulness that I found endearing. She was relaxed with me, and I had the night before the games to thank for that. Before then, she was always wound so tight, always on guard, as if the weight of the world was sitting on her shoulders. Our lunch was pretty calm, and the quiet murmur of the river provided a soothing backdrop to our meal. The topic came up about how I liked my job before this career. I told her that it kept me busy, even though it never really helped with the bulk of the bills. Things have always been rough when it came to money, a concept she luckily didn¡¯t have to deal with. ¡°I had Sophie sell all of my Pokemon cards a few years back to help pay for stuff around the house,¡± I said as she held an actual conversation with me that had nothing to do about hunting. ¡°Was the saddest day of my life! But then I got into cosplaying, and wasn''t really good at it until I started making the outfits on my own.¡± ¡°You craft costumes?¡± Naomi asked me with disbelief in her squinting eyes.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Yeah, I do. I even take orders on the side. Most of my clients go to our school. But I put that on pause, been that way for a few months, now. Even though I enjoyed the side gig, I needed something with a steady stream of income.¡± ¡°Your mechanic job?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Which is funny, because it doesn¡¯t pay the bills. Not in the way I want it to, anyway. But, that doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± I smiled. ¡°Naomi, I still can¡¯t believe we just earned 20 grand for what we did out there in the arena.¡± She smirked. ¡°And we will earn more as we climb the bracket.¡± ¡°Last night, you asked me why I was being so nice to you. Well, this is part of why. You might not have told me directly but¡­ I could tell that you care about my family being happy.¡± ¡°Sophie and Nataly?¡± ¡°You knew about them before we even teamed up, didn¡¯t you? Which means that you care a lot about me and my dreams. Providing for them is all I ever think about. Having that hunter license, ranking up, collecting rewards and climbing up the leaderboard. They always come first, and the fact that you knew that and have been looking out for me¡­ I just¡­¡± I paused, realizing my chest was starting to swarm with butterflies. ¡°I don¡¯t take that kind of appreciation lightly, Naomi¡­.¡± She stared at me overwhelmed, before she started popping fruit in her mouth. She stuffed the piece of cantaloupe between her lips and proceeded to chew quickly. When she threw another one in her mouth before she could finish the first one, I knew that I was making her fluster up, and she didn¡¯t know how to respond. And frankly, neither did I¡­. At this point, it was obvious that she liked me and that I felt the same way about her. Despite that, she still felt like she didn¡¯t deserve what I wanted to give her. If she didn¡¯t think she was worthy of friends, the idea of having a boyfriend must have been terrifying to her. I didn¡¯t want to ruin what we had. We were still in the building phase. But I was doing everything I could right now not to lean over there and kiss her. Baby steps. I wouldn¡¯t rush it. Naomi gave me space to grow into my powers, so I should give her space to grow into her confidence. I chuckled. ¡°You sure were hungry¡­¡± I teased. ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t the early day eater type?¡± ¡°Something about this conversation¡­¡± she murmured with a mouth filled with food. ¡°I¡¯m starving¡­.¡± Just as she said that, I heard something behind us. When I turned around, I saw Felix, and he was dragging something at his feet. I got up and took a closer look, realizing that it was a kid no older than 14 years old, hogtied, and bloody. ¡°Felix?¡± I called out, rushing to him. The boy had a piece of cloth wrapped around his mouth as he panted heavily, glaring at me. With his hands tied behind his back and his ankles roped together like that, it was hard to imagine that Felix had snagged an actual monster, and not a human. ¡°I got him,¡± Felix grunted excitedly. ¡°He tried to run, but I caught him!¡± ¡°Caught what, exactly?¡± I asked skeptically. ¡°The flesh eater. The one who was stalking our camp! Hayashi and I couldn¡¯t find him last night, but here he is!¡± Naomi walked over to the boy, knelt down in front of him and gently removed the cloth from his mouth. As soon as she freed him, he snapped at her, bearing his sharp fangs. ¡°Come closer, slut!¡± he growled. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking hungry!¡± ¡°Naomi, stand back,¡± I instructed her. And then, I looked up to Felix. ¡°Felix, this isn¡¯t a typical shadow walker.¡± ¡°What? What are you saying? This thing is definitely a monster.¡± Felix looked down at him, a cruel smile spreading across his face. ¡°He was looking for some lunch,¡± he said. ¡°but he was sloppy.¡± Felix tugged the rope around the boy¡¯s neck, the boy wincing in pain. ¡°We should tell Hayashi about this, and¡ª¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Nero? We kill the shadow walker right here and now!¡± Felix pulled out his hand and stretched his palm flat, ready to decapitate the kid until I stopped him. ¡°Felix, wait!¡± I shouted. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to kill him!¡± Felix glared at me. ¡°I thought we talked about this, Nero¡­. Grow a backbone and learn to take care of business!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not considering the fact that this isn¡¯t one of our regulars. Clearly, he¡¯s lost blood. Lots of it. And yet, he hasn¡¯t transformed. Why aren¡¯t we asking ourselves why? He¡¯s still in his shifter form.¡± ¡°And what does that matter? If we don¡¯t kill him now, he could transform and cause us grief. Why give this sleaze an opportunity to do that?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to tie him up if he could transform,¡± Naomi said. ¡°What if this isn¡¯t even a flesh eater?¡± Felix looked at Naomi and I disappointedly. ¡°You two are serious, aren¡¯t you? Since when did we start questioning the authenticity of monsters?!¡± ¡°Since we learned about the alternate version of Compound 7,¡± I reminded him. ¡°This could be a by-product of that serum. All of us know about the Katsuro Project. So while you¡¯re eager to off this guy, we need to take the proper steps and report him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you passed anything with that mentality,¡± Felix mumbled under his breath. That insult was directed to me, but it didn¡¯t matter. Felix wasn¡¯t thinking rationally. After his loss, he wanted someone to pay for it, and I couldn¡¯t let him lash out on someone who might help us solve the Compound 7 case. Keiko was still out there. It didn¡¯t matter how many of Katsuro¡¯s warehouses we¡¯d shut down. As long as she was alive, that serum was still a problem. The grip on the rope linking Felix¡¯s fist to the monster¡¯s neck grew tighter. Naomi took a step closer, trying to talk some sense into him. ¡°We have two options¡ªreport him, or kill him. If we kill him, we could be making a huge mistake. Like Nero said, he could be linked to Compound 7, but we¡¯ll never know unless we give Hunter Corp an opportunity to study and interrogate him.¡± ¡°Study him? Like they studied all of the other demons, right?¡± My chest went tight as he mentioned demons. ¡°Why is it so important that we kill him right now?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Because we are hunters! Unless you¡¯ve forgotten what we¡¯re doing here, we kill monsters!¡± Felix barked at her. ¡°Hey, Felix, calm down,¡± I said seriously. Dude looked like he was two seconds from blowing up. ¡°Fine. Suit yourself. If you can¡¯t stomach the sight of me getting rid of these insects, then the both of you can turn around and mind your own,¡± he said, before Naomi locked his arm in place with her meta. ¡°No,¡± she said strongly, and without warning, Felix retaliated. With his other hand, he flung her across the field, Felix catching the both of us off guard. Without thinking, I struck back. I rammed my arm against his throat and pinned him against a tree, Felix holding his breath and squirming against my grip. ¡°What the hell is your problem?!¡± I growled at him. ¡°You¡¯ve fucking lost it! Attacking one of your own, for what?!¡± He winced. ¡°If you need something to punch, do it out there! Don¡¯t take it out on us!¡± He glared back at me. ¡°Quit being an asshole!¡± I said, then finally let him go, but when I turned my head down, I noticed that Felix still had the rope in his hand. I pivoted around and saw that he¡¯d already killed him, the kid¡¯s head oozing at the heel of my foot. B1-CH69: Dinner with the Fam It was supposed to be a nice, simple picnic by the river¡­. Felix got me so pent up that I couldn¡¯t even think straight. I didn¡¯t care how pissed off he was about losing the tournament, that gave him no right to attack Naomi like that, or kill the only clue we could have had about Compound 7. That mission belonged to both teams, and all it took was one pessimistic douchebag to ruin it for us. As soon as Felix killed him, he walked off. I went off too and told Hayashi about the entire thing, to which he told me to ignore it. ¡®Focus on the tournament. I will report everything to the organization accordingly,¡¯ he said, and I swear, it felt like he was brushing the whole incident off. Until I realized that he was trying to keep my head in the game. I couldn¡¯t let this bother me. Even so, I wanted to know more about that guy, and what he actually was. Hayashi couldn¡¯t tell me. He had no idea. I was hoping for theories at the very least, but he was stumped, too. But one thing was for sure, he couldn¡¯t categorize him as a flesh eater. So that could mean that Felix killed a human back there¡­. Naomi had crashed into a tree, but she bounced back up. For a petite girl, she had a pretty good recovery time. It seemed like pain rolled off of her, Naomi the most resilient hunter I knew. After a few hours of cooling off and getting my head back together with training, she suggested meditation, and I joined her in a session. Yeah, I couldn¡¯t get into it. I tried to clear my head the best I could, but with another round in a few hours, Naomi was asking for mission impossible here. Thirty minutes of lotus style sitting and deep breathing was all I could take, but Naomi appreciated that I stayed the entire session. Just as we were about to head back to the dojo from the greenhouse, Felix showed up at the door. ¡°Naomi, Nero,¡± he said almost timidly. ¡°I was looking all over the place for you two.¡± ¡°Felix,¡± I said flatly. ¡°Sorry. I overreacted earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s putting it mildly,¡± Naomi said as she tucked her yoga mat under her arm. ¡°Hey, ah, I know I messed up, and there¡¯s no way I could take back what I did or said. It¡¯s just, I saw an opportunity to redeem myself and I just had to jump on it. There''s just so much pressure and¡­ I¡¯m tired of failing. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s driving me nuts!¡± he vented, tightening his fingers as he gestured frustration. ¡°Being in that arena was important to me. And there¡¯s no telling when I¡¯ll get the chance to go back again. I thought at the very least, we¡¯d make it past round one but¡­ there was just so much pressure in performing perfectly, that I¡ª¡± He paused. ¡°These expectations¡­ my dreams¡­.¡± He sighed. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m ranting.¡± Felix looked up to me, and when I met his helpless gaze, I felt sorry for him. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to give you excuses.¡± ¡°Felix, you¡¯re too much of a perfectionist,¡± I admitted to him. ¡°Any sign of flaws, and you break down mentally. It¡¯s not healthy. You need to give yourself time to make mistakes and learn from them. You can¡¯t control everything, so just let go and focus on improving over time. That¡¯s all you can do.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he chuckled sheepishly. ¡°Big character flaw, huh? Being a perfectionist. I mean, I have my reasons, but there¡¯s no justifying what I did. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He paused. ¡°Can you ever forgive me?¡± ¡°None of us are perfect, and everyone has their breaking point. It was a lot to process. Just try not to do it again.¡± He stared at me, then Naomi. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± She shrugged. ¡°So, we cool?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re cool,¡± I said. ¡°Good.¡± He grinned. ¡°We didn¡¯t tell Hayashi more than he needed to know about the incident,¡± I said, implying that I left out the part where he snapped at her.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t have to¡ª¡± Naomi shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wasn¡¯t helping, either.¡± ¡°What did Hayashi say about the monster?¡± ¡°That he pr¡ª¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I cut Naomi off. Felix was feeling shitty as it was. He didn¡¯t need to hear that he could have potentially murdered a human. Felix looked at the both of us. ¡°Nothing? Or something?¡± ¡°That he was probably associated with the case, but we couldn¡¯t be sure until we gathered more intel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have kept my cool.¡± ¡°Quit apologizing, would you?¡± Naomi said. ¡°It¡¯s over. Let¡¯s move on, and do things differently.¡± I smirked. ¡°You should try meditating with Naomi!¡± Naomi elbowed me in the arm. ¡°See? Very therapeutic!¡± Felix chuckled. ¡°You two make a fun couple.¡± I choked. ¡°What?¡± Naomi whispered as her eyes went big. ¡°No, n-ugh¡­ we¡­ aren¡¯t a thing¡­.¡± Felix flashed us a cheesy grin. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m fumbling hard today, aren¡¯t I? I apologize for that. Anyway, I heard that Reina is cooking dinner for us.¡± I jumped. ¡°HERE!?¡± ¡°Heh, yeah. Back in the dojo. Gun has been teaching her a few things.¡± ¡°But Gun¡¯s not a master in the kitchen, either,¡± Naomi said bluntly. Felix shrugged. ¡°Well, between all of us, he is the best we have.¡± ¡°I guess beggars can¡¯t be choosers¡­¡± Naomi commented. Still, I was afraid of what awaited us back in the dojo. Reina in the kitchen¡ªthe group forbade her to test her culinary prowess, or lack thereof. Flashbacks of a breakfast disaster flooded my mind. She tried to make pancakes, but they ended up resembling black holes on the stove top. As we walked back to the dojo, I took a breath of relief, noticing that there wasn¡¯t any smoke coughing out from the windows. That was a good sign, so far so good. Naomi dropped her meditation stuff in our bedroom, and then joined Felix and I in the hallway. He suggested we walk in together, and when we did, my jaw nearly dropped to the floor¡­. ¡°Surprise!¡± Reina beamed, her arms in the air as she welcomed us with a delightful smile. She had a tall chef¡¯s hat on and an apron, Gun standing right behind her as he finished decorating the table. The spread was unbelievable, and the smell in the kitchen and the eating area was downright mouthwatering¡­. ¡°I made us dinner! Teriyaki salmon, rice, some vegetables,¡± she said, pointing items out on the table. ¡°Tossed green salad with a creamy dressing, dumpling soup, glazed duck, Agedashi tofu, and a plate of spicy chicken katsu. Hayashi even gave us some plum wine in the back of his pantry that we could polish off!¡± she added, Gun holding the bottle behind her like a child holding a present on Christmas morning. ¡°Reina, what are you¡­?¡± I started to ask, but she held up a finger to her lips. ¡°Now before you say anything, don¡¯t worry. I followed Gun¡¯s instructions and the recipes we found online to the letter. It¡¯s good food, I promise!¡± I smiled. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m hungry enough to try your meal. But if I get food poisoning, I¡¯m blaming you both.¡± Gun snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s been practicing all day. Turns out all she needed was a great teacher,¡± he whispered along her neck, nuzzling against her. A blush crept up Reina¡¯s cheeks as she giggled, and she playfully swatted Gun¡¯s arm. ¡°Stop it, you¡¯ll make me blush!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not celebrating,¡± Naomi said. I turned to the side and looked at her. Okay, so maybe she was superstitious after all, but I insisted. ¡°Naomi, this is one dinner you can¡¯t back out on.¡± ¡°This is clearly a meal to celebrate our win at the tournament.¡± ¡°Okay, so what if it is?¡± Reina asked. ¡°I thought you and Gun were going to dine alone?¡± ¡°We were, but then I thought about something better. Instead of going to a restaurant, we went grocery shopping.¡± ¡°Please, share a meal with us, Naomi,¡± Gun begged. ¡°This is something to party about. We might not have made it, but the three of you did. And, we¡¯d like it if you could share this moment with us.¡± Naomi didn¡¯t say anything. She stayed silent for a few seconds as she stared at the table, then at Gun, then back to the table. And finally, she looked at me, and I begged, ¡°Just this once.¡± She sighed. ¡°If it¡¯ll stop all of you from groaning and whining about it.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Gun chimed. ¡°Hayashi should be joining us shortly.¡± Just as Gun said that, Felix and Naomi took their seats. I followed them, until I heard whimpering behind me. Whimpering and soft murmuring¡­ I walked over to the collapsible door to the small closet in the kitchen, and when I opened it, I saw Ash curled up on the floor in the fetal position. ¡°Ash?¡± ¡°F-fu-ffff-ah¡ªf-fu¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind the cat girl. She¡¯s being overdramatic¡­¡± Reina said, rolling her eyes as she served Gun a drink. ¡°I told her we don¡¯t eat until everyone is here, and she broke down into a stuttering fit before she lost all sense of herself. I swear, she refused to leave the kitchen.¡± ¡°Oh Ash,¡± I cooed, crouching over to her. ¡°I saw you had a bowl of ramen just two hours ago,¡± I said softly, stroking her shoulder to ease those hunger pains. ¡°I¡¯m starved,¡± Hayashi said from behind me, and when I turned around, I noticed that he was wearing some type of festive feathery hat. ¡°Looks like everyone¡¯s here,¡± Gun said, and before I could turn around and invite Ash to the table, she tackled me, the famished cat girl walking over me like a dirty floor mat. She nearly knocked over Hayashi as she flew to the buffet of food, and all I could do was sit there and smile. This marked the first night we actually ate like a family. After a big competitive fight, sore muscles and bruised egos, it was time to put our worries aside and indulge in camaraderie and good food. B1-CH70: Round Two Dinner was amazing. Everyone shared food, laughs, and liquor. I had to push the brakes on Reina¡¯s indulgence, seeing as she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol. While Naomi wasn¡¯t the drinking type, Reina tasted sin, and she got addicted. She was pretty good about restricting herself once I monitored her, and throughout our meal, I continued to praise her for her cooking. I guess deep down, I was waiting for her to admit that Gun did all of the work¡­ When she never confessed, I had to give credit where credit was due. Now, if only she could learn how to clean up after herself¡­ After dinner, we watched a movie. And before we knew it, it was time to head back to the arena again. Today¡¯s map selection, Downtown Nork City. Day two in the tournament was brutal. Team Owl had to go against two new year-three teams: Team Tiger and Team Jaguar. The other team, Team Hawk, was in our group yesterday, which meant that Team Tiger and Team Jaguar had taken first and second places in their group round yesterday too. Team Jaguar was a cakewalk compared to Hawk and Tiger, so we needed to keep them in our radar. At some point, we were stalking Team Jaguar rather than pursuing the egg, but Team Hawk and Team Tiger weren¡¯t having it. One team would take one egg, and the other team would fetch the other egg. With Hawk and Tiger splitting up like this, they avoided clashing with each other, which pretty much guaranteed their top two placement in round 2. Everything felt helpless as my team and I continued to lose every time, those two teams not giving us an option to fight Team Jaguar for even a second. I could only imagine what was going through Team Jaguar¡¯s head right now¡ªif we teamed up, we could take at least one of them down¡­. Unfortunately, that was considered cheating, and something that could get the both of us disqualified. Magpie: Ouch! Looks like Team Owl¡¯s Nero has been sent to the White Box again! Flamingo: That¡¯s right, Magpie! Let¡¯s see if Reina and Naomi could handle it out there on their own! At first, I liked the idea of being able to spectate in the White Box. Though, after being sent here so many times, I began to hate it. Sitting on the bench, watching the rest of my team fight out there without me¡­. I felt so damn useless. But I was the tank, my physical invulnerability putting me in the front of the line. My HP didn¡¯t deplete as quickly as theirs did. So I had to play guard for them, which sent me here more times than I wanted to admit. I could feel my stamina taking a beating. If I drained my life force extension, then we were screwed¡­ ¡°A little over a minute left until the round is over,¡± I whispered to myself, then I looked at my sys board and noticed that I had only a couple seconds before I went back into the ring. ¡°We managed to secure one point. Team Jaguar has zero. Team Hawk has two and Team Tiger has one, also. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Team Hawk: 2 Team Tiger: 1 Team Owl: 1 Team Jaguar: 0 ¡°All we need is to secure this egg, and we¡¯ll advance to round three.¡± I studied the field through the holographic screen in the White Box carefully. ¡°Reina and Naomi are playing defense in the fight with Team Tiger¡­. There¡¯s only one fighter left standing in Team Jag. Team Hawk is preoccupying the other egg on the map, giving that one hunter in Team Jag the heat. At this rate, there¡¯s no point in even trying to go for it. Team Hawk is stronger than Team Tiger, anyway. But the problem is¡­ collectively, Team Tiger¡¯s HP is too damn high to compete with¡­.¡± I curled up my fist. ¡°Reina is hanging in there, but she¡¯s at 20 HP right now. I don¡¯t know if she can hang on much longer.¡± The good thing about Reina and Naomi being active was the fact that when I did come back, I¡¯d be closer to them. So as soon as my counter went down, I materialized back on the map and made a hot dash for the nest. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this puppy just roll over and play dead already?!¡± I heard Saruna¡¯s high-pitched voice as I rushed down the street, followed by a loud ass explosion coming from the apartment building to my right. Saruna was a hunter in Team Tiger, and her expertise was spatial manipulation. When she snapped her fingers or clapped her hands, she could distort space, and the objects preoccupying it. Her powers were dangerous, because depending on how much stamina she used, she could apply that much pressure in a focal point, unleashing powerful blasts in the exact space someone was occupying. Which meant that if she had her eyes on you, you were fucked¡­. ¡°Come on, stop playing hard to get!¡± she giggled, and I already knew she was fighting Naomi. Well, more like chasing Naomi. Naomi was stuck on defense, probably maneuvering around the city to find cover. Her telekinetic powers could hold Saruna off for a short while, unlike Reina. The shitty part about this was, if Naomi was fighting Saruna, then that meant that Reina was dealing with Grad and Thiago. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to hang tight a little longer, Reina,¡± I whispered to myself as I continued to run toward Saruna. They were the closest to me, and once I spotted the levitating spatial girl from the third floor stairway window, I leaped. I climbed the windows like a monkey, aiming for a stealthy approach. By the time I got to the third floor, I could hear Grad, but faintly. I still had time, crawling in from the open window and searching for Saruna. In the unit, I saw her searching for Naomi, and with her back facing me, I tackled her. Saruna yelped when I brought her down, screaming bloody murder. The first things I reached for were her hands, and with my weight on her on the floor, I stretched them back and pinned them against her tailbone. I balled them up in my fist, Saruna squirming and writhing as she tried to buck me off. ¡°Manhandling me, and you didn¡¯t even bother offering me dinner first!¡± she hissed, and then her duo personality kicked in, Saruna giggling like a little schoolgirl. ¡°Now, that¡¯s no way to treat a classy lady like me¡­.¡± ¡°You spent a lot of Fame Points feeding your stamina, that you didn¡¯t even bother giving your strength any attention.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Against you? That¡¯d be a waste, wouldn¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Naomi, where are you?¡± I called out, and from the east window, she levitated into the apartment. ¡°It¡¯s about time you showed up.¡± ¡°Ohhh, you¡¯re so lucky your tank came in to save your lousy ass!¡± Saruna hissed at Naomi. ¡°I would have made mincemeat out of your tiny little bones!¡± ¡°Please, keep talking,¡± Naomi said with a straight face. ¡°You¡¯re only fueling my rage¡­¡± All of a sudden, Naomi took over, using her powers to control Saruna. I took a step back, Saruna a puppet to Naomi now. ¡°You bitch!¡± Naomi shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been called that so many times, that at this point, it¡¯s a term of endearment. But, I¡¯m not done with you, yet.¡± Her voice deepened. ¡°You chased me all over this block. Now, I¡¯m going to make you chase your friends¡­.¡± B1-CH71: Loss by Plunger I already had an idea of what Naomi was planning to do, and it brought a smile to my face. Unlike some of us, Saruna¡¯s meta couldn¡¯t be turned on or off. According to her file, she had to wear gloves to prevent skin on skin contact, a trigger to her superpowers. I rushed to the area where I last heard Grad, and as expected, he was with his buddy, Thiago, terrorizing Reina. ¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are!¡± he taunted, Grad almost as big as Elissa the Hammer. He looked like an unnatural bodybuilder, with a haircut that I couldn¡¯t stop associating with Guile from Street Fighters. Come to think of it, he had the entire military aesthetics to him too with that outfit on, and a pair of aviators to complete the look. Must have been a happy Total Immersion coincidence. His teammate, Thiago, was just a glorified Elastaboy, and a pretty lanky one at that. But for someone with such a basic ability like near infinite stretching, he made a name for himself back in his parent¡¯s homeland. ¡°Grad, look out!¡± Saruna cried as Naomi drew her closer to her team down in the street. The both of them paid her no mind, Grad even fanning Saruna down and retorting, ¡°Pipe down, Sar! I want to get my last kill before the timer goes off!¡± ¡°You idiot! Run!¡± Saruna cried, but it was too late. As Thiago searched for Reina behind one of the parked cars along the road, he turned over his shoulder at Saruna¡¯s warning, then ate a hearty breakfast of asphalt served with a side of instant regret. Naomi made Saruna clap, sending both Grad and Thiago flying. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Saruna cried, but Naomi tuned her out, unleashing another wave of destruction. This time, Grad and Thiago crashed right into the caf¨¦ shop, debris raining down on them as Naomi readied up another serving. ¡°Sarunaaaaa!¡± Grad cried from the rubble, mad as shit. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°You have two eyes, don¡¯t you, bimbo?!¡± Saruna shouted. ¡°Get this creepy chic off of me!¡± Saruna was helpless as Naomi stood behind her with her arm out, her purple aura melting over Saruna. I could tell that Naomi¡¯s stamina was waning as Saruna¡¯s steps down the street got slower. She was having a hard time controlling her, Saruna¡¯s resistance pushing against Naomi¡¯s powers. It wouldn¡¯t matter unless we got that egg, so as Grad crouched there with his fingers embedded in the ground, ready to charge up his electricity powers, I strategized. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Reina hiding in the top of the tree, which was high enough to work with the plan I had. It wasn¡¯t the perfect plan, but a workable one only if Reina was thinking what I was thinking when I ordered Naomi to point Saruna at her. ¡°Naomi, attack Reina, now!¡± ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Grad charged his energy through the ground, the branches of electricity popping off in front of him. ¡°Whatever the hell you fuckers are planning, it isn¡¯t going to work!¡± I warded Naomi from the trail of electrical current. Grad was seriously willing to share some friendly fire to stop what I was planning. Even so, I used my flame tail to redirect his meta off the ground just in time for Naomi to target Reina. If my calculations were correct, then that explosion shouldn¡¯t eliminate Reina. Reina was far enough to catch the tail end of Saruna¡¯s powers, leaving Reina with enough HP to do what I hoped she¡¯d do. We only had mere seconds left¡­ everything fell on Reina now¡­. From the looks of it, she got the memo, and understood what I wanted her to do. As soon as she leaped from the tree branch, my chest went tight, Reina getting a boost of air from Saruna¡¯s explosion. It pushed her closer to the nest. She then turned around and summoned a grappling hook gun, piercing the rooftop the egg was on. ¡°They are trying to capture the egg!¡± Thiago said, stretching his body to cut off Reina¡¯s trajectory. I wouldn¡¯t let him. As soon as I saw his torso elongate, I moved my flame tail smothered in Grad¡¯s electricity at him, shutting him down immediately.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I created enough of a distraction to allow Reina her space. She reeled her wire in and tumble rolled on cement, then she rushed to the egg and placed her hand on it. Initiating steal¡­ I heard a female voice in the arena call out, the crowd suddenly counting down the last five seconds Reina had on the clock. 5¡­4¡­ ¡°THIAGO, GET HER!¡± Grad cried, his teammate closing in on Reina Thiago had his feet on the ground as his body stretched upward toward her. ¡°Shit!¡± I hissed under my breath. There was no way I was going to get up there in time, especially with Saruna suddenly free. I felt a wave of pressure strike me from the back, killing my flames. The strike brought me to my knees, and when I pivoted my head over my shoulder, I saw Naomi gone, and Saruna free. ¡°That was some cute trick, there! But sorry, tiger. It¡¯s not enough¡­¡± 3¡­2¡­ ¡°Thiago!¡± Grad shouted, and I froze as Saruna readied to blow me into the next dimension at the snap of a finger, but when something came flying over our heads, she stopped. Was¡­ was that a giant plunger? With Thiago¡¯s balled up body inside of it? Round Complete. Team Hawk and Team Owl Advance. ¡°Wait¡­.¡± Magpie: Holy smokes, Flamingo! Team Owl made the steal! Flamingo: When crunch time comes, Team Owl sure knows how to put us at the edge of our seats! Another close victory for our underdogs! A job well done! What a big upset¡­. The crowd went nuts¡­. People lost money this round, and it showed. I heard a mix of boos and hurrahs, though the boos drowned all of the cheering from the crowd. I was beyond myself. I couldn¡¯t move as the buzzer went off, and confetti coins rained down on us. Saruna sucked her teeth and dropped her hand to her side before she growled, ¡°Lucky.¡± Grad was fuming from the ears as he charged at the plunger, and then he tried to yank Thiago out to no avail. ¡°What is this?!¡± He continued to tug as veins bulged from his arms. Finally, Thiago was free, his comrade covered in sticky goo-looking tacky liquid. ¡°What kind of weapon is this?!¡± ¡°Clearly, the effective kind,¡± I said snarkingly with Grad glaring at me. ¡°Good game! You and your team were one hell of a monster to beat!¡± Grad tossed Thiago the ball and the plunger as he stormed to me. I, however, didn¡¯t move a muscle as I realized we were dematerializing out of the arena. Reina, Naomi and I re-materialized on Melody¡¯s hovering platform underneath the spotlight, the bat girl herself congratulating us again for another win. We came in second, but it didn¡¯t matter. We were given the first post-game interview because of how popular we were, a bunch of year ones making waves in this season¡¯s tournament. ¡°Another victory for the new hunters of Utoro!¡± she beamed. ¡°How does it feel to make it this far?¡± ¡°I feel¡­.¡± My mind blanked. I couldn¡¯t find the words to describe how I felt. All of this felt like a dream, and my brain just couldn¡¯t accept that I was actually living it¡­. The booming crowd, the high-end stage¡­. Someone like me, a reg who lived all of 17 years without a meta, under the Hunter Game spotlight¡­ A rookie hunter, catching two wins, making it to round 3 in my first attended season¡­. My speechlessness was valid¡­. Reina stepped in, taking the microphone Melody was offering me and said, ¡°It feels amazing! It¡¯s everything we could have hoped for and more.¡± She snuck a wink and nudged my arm, Reina¡¯s smile snapping me out of it. I came back to my senses and took the microphone she gave me. ¡°It feels great! And¡­ we couldn¡¯t have done it without our sponsors out there cheering us on!¡± The camera shifted to the audience, and in that audience, a bunch of people started to wave banners with Team Owl on them. ¡®Go Team Owl¡¯ ¡®Look Hooo Did it Again?¡¯ The arena started chanting our names, and I was getting goosebumps. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we got this far. I owe it all to my team! If it weren¡¯t for Reina¡¯s smarts and Naomi¡¯s determination, we¡¯d never have made it through this round. Team Tiger had us against a corner, but you know what they say about cornered animals¡ªthey fight the hardest. And we aren¡¯t going to stop fighting until we are this season¡¯s champions!¡± I said, revving up the crowd. Melody chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all about teamwork, right? So, tell me, what¡¯s your secret? How did you manage to defeat such experienced hunters?¡± ¡°Well, we had a really tough time in round one, but thankfully, we were able to figure out a strategy together. We worked really hard to get to this point, and I¡¯m glad it paid off.¡± ¡°The crowd can¡¯t get enough of you guys!¡± Melody tweeted, turning now to Reina. ¡°Reina was clearly the star of the show! We need to know, what went through your head when you stuffed Mr. Elastic inside that plunger?!¡± Melody leaned the microphone to Reina, who suddenly broke out in a light blush. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my proudest weapon, however, it got the job done. I had to think of a way to keep him away from me, and when he balled up, I knew what came next. My team was counting on me not to let my hand go from the egg, so I thought of a way to keep him caged up long enough for me to steal.¡± ¡°Well, a sticky plunger concoction did the trick! And because of your smart thinking, your team is one step closer to cashing in the grand prize! Naomi, do you have any last words for your fans?¡± Naomi pumped her fist up, her renowned stoic face making the simple gesture look funnier than it was supposed to be. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Team Owl.¡± B1-CH72: The True Reina The scent of victory was downright intoxicating. I was basking in it, and I couldn¡¯t get enough. It was like a high that I never wanted to come down from. The rest of the day was a blur of celebrations. We took pictures, we gave interviews, and we even got to meet some of our fans. It was the third best day of my life. I didn¡¯t get to see much of my team for the rest of the morning. Reina had stayed back to revel in her victory, being pampered with attention, and Naomi wanted some time to herself, going for a private walk. I could tell that her social bar had drained, and the introvert in her needed to refuel. As for me, I called my folks and then took a well-deserved nap. After two hours, I woke up, and looked at my reflection through the standing mirror across from me. I got up on my feet and concentrated at the image looking back at me. I¡¯m still the same old me, I said to myself, looking down my neck and over my pecs where my scales stopped. But something had changed. I felt¡­ different. I¡¯d always known what I wanted to do with my life, but living through it felt so surreal. I swore I¡¯d protect and provide for my family by climbing the ranks, and being the best hunter out there. But look at me now¡­. I was doing it¡­. Like, actually doing it. There was a difference between a dream and reality. And living this reality was opening doors for me. All of a sudden, I wanted to train harder than I ever had before. I wanted to surpass the standard, to exceed my own expectations. I wanted to put my skills to the test, to see how far I could truly go. The hunger for improvement burned inside of me a flame I wanted to fuel, and I knew that I wouldn¡¯t rest until I achieved my goals. ¡°I just raised the bar, today,¡± I whispered to myself as I flexed my fist with a smile. ¡°And I am just getting started.¡± I heard a noise, the sound of someone clearing their throat making me pivot my head over my shoulder. ¡°You know, Naomi did mention your strange enjoyment of private monologues,¡± Reina said as she hung out from my open door. ¡°Or did she say pep talks?¡± I turned to her and snickered. ¡°I see you¡¯ve adopted her light-footedness.¡± She smiled, Reina trying hard not to focus on my six pack. ¡°I''ve always been light-footed.¡± ¡°Cap. You¡¯ve always been loud and obnoxious,¡± I teased, and then walked over to my bed to toss a shirt on. ¡°There, that¡¯s better. You seemed distracted.¡± Her face heated up as she pivoted around. ¡°You¡¯ve always been such an embarrassment! And so full of yourself!¡± I smirked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t pay me a visit to ogle the body of a god, so, how can I help you?¡± She turned back around, her eyes softening on me. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to talk to you after the interview.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t get to talk to Naomi, either. We got crowded with fans. Autographs, pictures, selfies, and a foreshadowing of some odd mini assignments. Heh, I¡¯m sure you know all about that, don¡¯t you, Reina?¡± ¡°Can you quit being perverted for two seconds!¡± she hissed. And then she sighed, her playful spirit fading into something serious. The twinkle in her eyes simmered down as she said, ¡°You know, today was more than just about winning, Nero. It¡¯s the fact that we made it this far together. We¡¯re one team, one unit and¡­ we did it. Even when I thought we wouldn¡¯t.¡± She was right, and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle, nodding at her sentiment. ¡°Yeah, I know. I had doubts too, to be honest with you. I didn¡¯t want you seeing those from me. Being a leader means keeping morale high. I¡¯ve always been pretty consistent with that, but the Hunter Games¡­. With so much on the line, even I was getting weak-kneed.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Reina¡­.¡± She met my gaze with an expectant look. ¡°Yes?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m proud of us too. And you crushed it out there.¡± She smiled. ¡°I came to congratulate you as well, Nero. You did great today.¡± I gave her a sideways smile and ran a hand through my hair, ¡°It was one for the books, all right.¡± Reina folded her hands tentatively, as if bracing herself for a deeper conversation. ¡°I mean it, Nero. And it¡¯s not just your performance in round two. You¡¯ve... changed,¡± she hesitated, choosing her words carefully. She angled her head toward me, her eyes bearing into mine. ¡°You¡¯ve become stronger, not just physically, but mentally too. You¡¯re more focused, more driven. You¡¯re a different person, a night and day difference from the man I knew from Acadia.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I changed that much. Maybe physically, but¡ª¡± ¡°Of course you won¡¯t see it. And that¡¯s because, well¡­ you¡¯re you. It¡¯s harder to see the changes in ourselves because we live with them every day, slowly adapting to each change until they become a part of us.¡± I shrugged nonchalantly, though her words had struck something in me. ¡°I guess the situation had changed, and I needed to change, too. Not a full 180 but¡­ an improvement falling in gradients. I was just thinking about how I felt different, but not because I¡¯ve undergone some drastic change. But if you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m a different Nero, then¡­ I¡¯ll have to take your word for it, huh?¡± I smiled. ¡°I guess it¡¯s easier to believe I¡¯m the same guy. The underdog, the outcast... you know? It¡¯s kind of hard to see myself as anything else, even with all of the attention we¡¯ve been getting.¡± ¡°Nero¡­ I want to apologize. I understand that I haven¡¯t been the friendliest person to you over the years. You¡¯d never treated me in the same way I''d treated you, and you¡¯ve also had the strength to ignore all of my past ill intentions to be my teammate.¡± I chuckled. ¡°No need to apologize, Reina. I¡¯ve told you this before. Besides, you getting me here makes up for the past.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only that¡­¡± she paused, her voice getting heavy. ¡°You¡¯ve brought me this far, and I know it wasn¡¯t easy. I can¡¯t speak for Naomi, but I can speak for myself. Winning those rounds helped me in more ways than you can imagine.¡± I stopped leaning against the wall and looked down at her seriously. ¡°Reina,¡± I began, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re making it sound like I¡¯ve done you a huge favor or something. The truth is, we wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without each other. You¡¯ve been a key part of this team, and don¡¯t you forget that.¡± ¡°I know, I know, but still. This journey¡­ it¡¯s made me see things¡­ in a different light. Especially about... us.¡± Her words hung heavy in the air between us and for once, I found myself at a loss for words. There was newfound sincerity in our relationship, and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t believe that I was actually talking to Acadia¡¯s fox queen. ¡°You know, life¡¯s not so different¡­ being in school and being at home. In school, people looked up to me, not necessarily because they believed in me or trusted in me. But because I¡¯m Reina. I have a reputation, a title to fill. I¡¯m a model, an image of something they aspire to be. There¡¯s no room for imperfections and flaws, doubts or insecurities. All of this love and admiration isn¡¯t toward me, but what I represent. At home, it¡¯s the same thing. I have an image to uphold. There are certain standards in the Faust family that must be met. I wasn¡¯t allowed to fail anyone. Not my mother, my brother, or my father. I was expected to act a certain way, talk a certain way, and even eat a certain way. Never being able to let my guard down, always having to present this mask... this illusion of perfection. And when I wasn¡¯t perfect, there were no words of encouragement or guidance. I had no support, no one to say that they believed in me. For as long as I can remember, I¡¯ve been by myself in this struggle of self-improvement. And at the top, it¡¯s lonely. The fa?ade of the perfect daughter in the perfect family, the ideal student who everyone envies at school¡­. Never once did they ask if I was okay, or if I needed anything. The pressure was overwhelming and relentless.¡± I looked down at her empathetically. ¡°So, I painted a smile on my face, laughed at all the right jokes, and wore the clothes they wanted me to wear. I was careful not to show any signs of rebellion or discontent. I studied harder and pushed myself to excel at school, not for my own satisfaction or sense of achievement, but for them. It¡¯s always been for them. But now, you¡¯re here for me. We are here for each other. It feels different, and refreshing.¡± She looked up to me with a big smile. ¡°I can be myself around you, Nero. It doesn¡¯t matter what I say or how I act, you¡¯re always there, ready to help and support me. I¡¯ve never had a friend like that before, and having one now, during a time in my life where I need one the most, is the best thing that I could ask for.¡± I grinned, warmed by her wholesomeness. ¡°I¡¯m glad I can be a shoulder you can lean on, Reina,¡± I said, and then Reina leaped in and did something I never thought she¡¯d do in a million years¡ªshe hugged me. ¡°Thank you, Nero.¡± I held my breath. ¡°For believing in me when no one else would¡­.¡± B1-CH73: Fan Requests Are Sus I wasn¡¯t expecting to share a moment with Reina, but I was glad I did. She went on to say that in that round, we were in sync, and the fact that I¡¯d trusted her to score meant a lot to her. Truth be told, I did have a lot of faith in her back then because I had to. After everything we''d been through, it¡¯d be stupid of me not to believe in her. Sure, we had a rocky past, but that was then, and now is now. We¡¯d grown closer, even though I mentioned that our friendship would be a lot better if she nagged me a little less. She had a mouthful to say when I sassed her about that, but in the end, Reina was easy to mess around with. Maybe a little easier than Naomi. After we talked a bit, the rest of the day escaped us. Before I knew it, we only had a few hours before the 3rd round began. I checked my inventory and noticed that my sponsors had given me some items for the rest of the tournament. While I appreciated the few that I got, I was really hoping to get another respawn token. I used the only one I had earlier today, and with the bracket advancing, I knew I was going to need another one tomorrow. These games were getting harder and harder. Any edge I could get over the other competitors was invaluable. ¡°Damn, 679 sponsors¡­¡± I whispered to myself as I pulled out the plug from my charger and grabbed my phone. I scrolled down the list of names, and I saw a notification from an Emily Gaiden. ¡°A mini assignment?¡± Just as I said that, a few more green dots appeared by my sponsor¡¯s names, these mini assignment alerts coming from girls. ¡°Crap, now I¡¯m at 731¡­¡± I plopped myself down on the desk I brought to spruce up the room and continued to scroll through my phone. The server must have had an update, because these requests were suddenly pouring in. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s see what assignments I can get done before the 3rd round. Hey, there¡¯s one request with a respawn token reward!¡± But before I could click it, I got a random video call request from an unknown phone number. I accepted it, thinking it might have been Lady L using another phone number. But I saw Nabi, Chiyo, and Emi on the other side. ¡°Konbanwa, Nero-san!¡± They sang in harmony. I smiled. ¡°Hey! Emi, Nabi, and Chiyo! I wasn¡¯t expecting a call from you girls tonight.¡± ¡°We missed you!¡± Emi tweeted. ¡°We won¡¯t get to see you on campus until the tourney is over.¡± ¡°And I can¡¯t wait that long!¡± Nabi cried. ¡°Heh. I miss you girls, too. My first sponsors. But, I have to ask, how did you get my phone number?¡± ¡°Nabi has her ways,¡± Chiyo said mischievously. ¡°Of course, she won¡¯t tell us how.¡± Nabi smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I¡¯m super smart!¡± She tapped the side of her head and winked at me. ¡°She¡¯s a hacker,¡± Emi cawed, being blunt as usual. ¡°We¡¯re glad that you got to use the respawn token we sent you!¡± Chiyo said. ¡°Oh, wait a minute, that was from you three? It said, anonymous.¡± ¡°Well, we had to,¡± Emi replied. ¡°Since we all pitched in, Nabi thought it was best that none of us took the credit.¡± ¡°So we made an account, and registered again as your sponsors!¡± Nabi said. ¡°But now, you should see our joint account by the name of SexyMisty instead of anonymous.¡± Emi rolled her eyes. ¡°She took all day figuring that terrible name out.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­.¡± SexyMisty was the girl who was offering a respawn token. ¡°Hold on, I hope you¡¯re not breaking bank by splurging on me, here. This is the second respawn token you¡¯re offering!¡± ¡°The first one was free, but this one is going to cost you,¡± Nabi cooed. I chuckled, a tad terrified by the request. I hadn¡¯t opened the assignment yet, but honestly, I was willing to do just about anything they wanted me to for dropping two grand on me so quickly. Anything except for that¡­. I cleared my throat and pulled my collar back, the temperature in my room instantly jumping 40 degrees. Just by reading it, I already knew that Nabi was the one who wrote down the request, Chiyo confirming that by asking me what it said. ¡°Nothing I should say aloud¡­¡± I said timidly. ¡°My god, Nabi, what did you request?!¡± Emi exclaimed, her eyebrows arching dramatically.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Nothing so dire, surely,¡± Nabi said nonchalantly, suddenly taking on a British accent. She brushed off the question with a flick of her wrist, continuing on with a royal tone. ¡°We simply want our money¡¯s worth after all.¡± Chiyo snorted, glancing at me with an amused smile. ¡°I think he might pass out from anxiety before he even starts.¡± Emi looked at Nabi like she¡¯d lost her mind. Her face was beat red, embarrassed from her friend¡¯s antics. She was always the more sensible of the two, preferring safety to thrill. On cue, she leaped in and snatched Nabi in yet another chokehold, dragging her friend off camera. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this, Nabi!¡± Nabi clenched Emi¡¯s arm as she tried to hold herself up from being dragged. She tried to peel Emi off as she defended herself, ¡°You miss 100% of the shots you don¡¯t take!¡± ¡°What kind of fun requires someone to sell their dignity?¡± Emi retorted sarcastically. ¡°I can only imagine what you told Nero-san to do!¡± I laughed, and then thought to myself that if they were really curious about what Nabi had written, then they could very well read it for themselves. But then it dawned on me that Nabi might have been the one who made the account, and her two friends didn¡¯t have access to its credentials. A sudden wave of embarrassment rushed through me and I lowered my gaze, letting out an uneasy laugh. My face must have been beat red, until Chiyo said, ¡°Whatever is in the request, please ignore it.¡± ¡°You bet, I will! But, I¡¯d still like to do something for you girls. You not only gave me one, but two respawn tokens. How can I repay you?¡± ¡°How about you meet us halfway?¡± Chiyo said slyly. ¡°Halfway? Like in a¡ª¡± ¡°Strip show!¡± Nabi exploded, clapping her hands enthusiastically. Emi, on the other hand, turned an even deeper shade of red and cawed at her friend. ¡°Nabi!¡± she sputtered, flabbergasted by her friend¡¯s audacity. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just throwing out ideas here,¡± Nabi replied innocently, her eyes twinkling with mischief. ¡°In all seriousness, we don¡¯t expect anything in return.¡± Emi intervened. ¡°Your performance at the games is enough entertainment for us!¡± ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± Nabi cried, snatching the phone from Chiyo and walking off. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Chiyo and Emi might be okay with just seeing you on the big stage, but Nero-san, I need something extra. I will be forever grateful¡­¡± she sang. ¡°If it¡¯s not too much to ask? Okay, how about, just the tip?¡± ¡°Just the what?!¡± ¡°I mean, just the top! Heh!¡± ¡°Just my top?¡± I clarified, tugging at the hem of my top and flashing her a little skin. She bit her lip and nodded. ¡°Mmmhmm¡­¡± ¡°All right, deal. I¡¯m not taking anything off below the waist though, got it?¡± ¡°Shh-sh-ss-shh, I think he agreed,¡± I heard Chiyo whisper back there to Emi, the both of them now jumping back onto the video call. All of a sudden, I heard mood music start wafting from the speaker of my phone, a bouncy, jazzy saxophone tune that seemed to grow louder and more intense with every passing second. I didn¡¯t know where it was coming from off camera, but they had it ready, and for a split second, I swear it sounded like they had EroX on. The girls on the other side of the call were all giggles now, and all eyes were on me. Damn, Nabi even had a little drool at the corner of her lip, there¡­. ¡°Well, here goes nothing,¡± I muttered, shaking my head with a good-natured roll of the eyes. They erupted into a chorus of excited shrieks as I turned around and pulled at the hem of my shirt, lifting it slowly for dramatic effect. I even gave them a little hip movement, the sound of Nabi passing out in the background making me chuckle. She was so dramatic¡ªI hadn¡¯t even shown them anything yet. I teased them for a bit, flexing and winking over my shoulder at the camera. Chiyo started to fan herself, and Emi began to dramatically swoon, cradling her flushed face in exaggerated disbelief. ¡°Totemo oish¨©¡­¡± she cooed, Emi looking like she was two seconds from melting into a puddle on the floor. When I turned around, they screeched, the sight of my abs making them curl up. I licked the tip of my fangs and let out a low growl, and they went nuts. With one last shimmy, I tugged off my shirt completely, and I gave them a gun show before giving them an unabashed view of my sculpted back and shoulders. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I laughed, tossing my shirt onto the bed behind me and flexing my muscles one last time for good measure. ¡°There¡¯s your reward.¡± ¡°What a tease,¡± Chiyo whispered under her breath with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll empty out my bank account right now if you press play and move on to part 2!¡± Nabi insisted, her eyes trailing south. I snorted. ¡°Oh no, the agreement was top only.¡± ¡°All right, fair,¡± Nabi said in a disapproving high-pitched voice, looking at me a tad smugly. ¡°But how about I sweeten the offer?¡± I laughed. ¡°Nabi, you¡¯re making me feel like I¡¯m pimping myself out here.¡± I was curious to see what she had to offer, Nabi fluttering her lashes at me with an innocence behind her eyes that was so deceiving. After that first request, I understood why Emi was always so playfully embarrassed of her unfiltered friend. Nabi opened her mouth to shot me a request for another item, until¡ª ¡°AHHHH!!!¡± the girls screamed, and I jumped. Before I could figure out what they were crying about, the screen went black. They¡¯d ended the call, something from my end scaring them. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to look behind me before I saw a hand reached over my shoulder and grabbed my phone. When I turned around, I saw Naomi, who looked like she was two seconds from murdering me. ¡°I revoke your right!¡± she scolded. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Those girls have no business seeing you naked!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not¡ª¡± ¡°Chiyo, Emi, and Nabi¡­.¡± Hold on, how did she know their names?! It wasn¡¯t like Naomi was in my class. And even if she did see them on campus, she¡¯d never seen me around them enough to know them by name. ¡°Remind me to put them on my list,¡± she said, dropping my phone in my open hands and walking off. ¡°What list?¡± But she kept striding away, her long ivory hair bouncing in her ponytail with each step. Until she reached the door and looked over her shoulder and said playfully, ¡°I thought you were better than that.¡± She should have seen what they wanted me to do before¡­. I smiled, knowing that Naomi was just being jealous. It was cute. Luckily for me, I checked my phone and saw that my first fans had sent me over that respawn token. An amateur strip show for an edge against winning thousands of dollars? I¡¯d say that was a bargain. B1-CH74: Flamenado A new day, a new challenge. Round 3 was well underway, with three minutes left on the clock. Team Owl, Team Hawk, Team Buffalo, and Team Bear were fighting for top two to enter the final round of the tournament. I had to give it to Onigen for applying these random arena events, because the last one actually scored us our one and only egg point. Giant laser beams fell from the sky at random intervals, striking mostly buildings and other structures, leaving behind blackened craters of destruction. But occasionally targeting contestants on the field. A direct hit was fatal, and an indirect one could still inflict some serious HP damage. Naomi used those lasers against Deander of Team Buffalo, the lizard girl with the rupture meta, locking her in position with her telekinetic meta to receive a butt load of damage. She was already half bar, so Naomi not only scored an easy 100+ HP, but also an egg point for our team. But with how things are going for us, it seemed like that was the only time we were going to luck out¡­. Our team was now split up, and I had Crisscross from Team Bear chasing me through the Ubon Medical Center Map. I flew across the third story sky bridge and into its glass railing, landing in the first floor lobby with a crash. Shards of glass rained down around me, my arm shielding my face from not only the debris but the bright ass lights in the upper ceiling. I knew Crisscross was right behind me even though I couldn¡¯t see him. The fucker was stupid fast, not as fast as Bella, but fast enough to dodge everything I threw at him. His team was smart to split us up, pairing Reina, Naomi, and I with their stronger counters. By default, I was the slowest on my team, but the strongest. However, strength wouldn¡¯t matter in this fight if I couldn¡¯t land a god damn hit on him. I got up on my feet and ran away as fast as I could. The lobby was designed in an open-plan concept with escalators leading to the upper levels, elevators against the walls, and a reception desk on the opposite end. I jumped behind the desk to recollect my thoughts and figure out how I was going to get back to the nest. Crisscross had an annoying talent, being able to shoot these diamond tethered threads from between his knuckles like some wannabe Spiderman. The problem with those threads was that it ate through my physical invulnerability fast, which drained my stamina a lot quicker. We were halfway done with the round, and I was almost out, my HP not able to take much more of this BS¡­. I heard his feet touch the floor, the asshole probably having swung from his threads on the chandelier. Like that one Adele song, I was holding onto my reserve for dear life, so I had to be a little creative with Crisscross to bring him down and get back into the game. ¡°Out of ideas, big guy?¡± Crisscross taunted from the other side of the lobby. I was out of breath, not out of ideas. I was plotting behind this desk, checking my surroundings for a plan and a shot. There was sure a lot of foundational support on this level¡­. Columns here and there, I could use them to my advantage¡­.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Enough hiding!¡± Crisscross shouted. ¡°Come out and fight like a hunter! Or so help me, I will shred this map to bits!¡± ¡°All right, all right! Don¡¯t get your tidy whities in a bunch!¡± I said, coming out from behind the reception desk with my hands up in the air like I was surrendering. There he was, Crisscross, what a cheesy name. He had a real Rock Lee look, with a bowl cut only a mother could love. He stood there so full of himself, letting his threads extend beyond his fingers. ¡°Ready to give up?¡± ¡°I guess so. I mean, a bunch of year ones like my team and I really don¡¯t stand a chance against you guys, huh?¡± ¡°Check your sys board. The scores pretty much speak for themselves, don¡¯t they? Team Hawk, 2 points. Team Buffalo, 2 points. Team Bear, 2 points. And Team Owl, no points.¡± ¡°Damn, six eggs in about six minutes. You guys were loaded with items in this round, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The perks of being in the game longer than a month,¡± he mocked with a smirk on his smug face. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you three are somewhat impressive for making it this far. Somewhat. But this round is where the road to the big bucks ends. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll catch up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure of yourself. It¡¯s not over yet.¡± He laughed. ¡°I could see why you¡¯re a crowd favorite. You¡¯re painfully delusional.¡± No, but hopeful. Because according to my calculations, Team Buffalo and Team Bear hadn¡¯t been scoring enough kills to break a potential tie. Collective kills weren¡¯t something that was shared with us, or even the audience. When it came to those close tie breakers, the Hunter Games wanted to keep that kind of information on the hush hush, for dramatic effect. Fortunately for me, I was good with numbers and keeping track of them. So if my team and I managed to capture two eggs, then we could potentially do another tie. A four way tie was a rare treat. But it wasn¡¯t impossible¡­ ¡°I must have gotten you scared stiff,¡± Crisscross retorted. ¡°You haven¡¯t moved an inch. Are you pissing your pants? I understand, the sight of me does that to monsters, too. So, any last words before I drag you and your friends to the shadow realm?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just one, think fast!¡± ¡°What?¡± I kicked the reception desk at him, nothing too flashy. Just enough to get his attention. A diversion was all I needed to dash behind one column, and as expected, Crisscross used his threads to chase me there. I had to remember that his agility was a problem too, so I used my flames to give me a boost toward the next column to the west of him. One by one he was tearing down columns, not only making a mess out of the lobby room, but also setting up the stage for his grave. ¡°You idiot!¡± he shouted. ¡°Running around like a headless chicken won¡¯t help you win. You¡¯re just postponing the inevitable!¡± How wrong he was. With every column he knocked down, with every step he took to catch me, he was unknowingly playing into my hand. My heart pounded in my chest as I darted from column to column, calculating each leap and landing with precision, leading him on a wild goose chase around the room. I had to be careful with my stamina reserve, but I was almost done, Crisscross about to go under in a few more seconds¡­. ¡°How¡¯s it feel to be made a fool of?¡± I taunted from behind another column. His rage slashed at the stone structure, his thread cutting clean through. ¡°You¡¯re not even close to catching me!¡± ¡°Stand and fight like a man, you coward!¡± he cried, but then he froze, his eyes blew up as the ceiling came crashing down on him. I smirked. ¡°Night, night.¡± I snapped my fingers and the flame ring I¡¯d secretly summoned underneath him shot up like a flamenado, locking Crisscross inside. He didn¡¯t have time to escape, and hell, neither did I. When the ceiling came crashing down, it was curtains for the both of us, but unlike him, I was able to withstand the damage, while he was left buried under big chunks of cement. I crawled out of the rubble, and checked my stamina level. It was damn near empty. But my HP was decent. So I escaped and branched off to where I thought my team was on the map. With my luck, they¡¯d still be fighting for the Drake egg. B1-CH75: Holding Down The Fort The Drake egg was the closest to my location, and it was currently claimed by Team Bear. The other egg was being simultaneously claimed by Team Hawk, so my team and I didn¡¯t have much time left. I scored the medical center campus, rushing into another building where I heard sounds of a strife. The sound of raining glass and explosions were all too familiar, and when I reached the fifth floor, I saw another member of Team Bear, Wens, the metal bender. A flying stretcher wasn¡¯t exactly what I was expecting to see the moment I cut the corner from rushing up the steps. I was shocked that I had a fast enough reaction time to duck it, but then I heard folding metal and turned my head over my shoulder, noticing that she turned that stretcher into a legion of makeshift throwing knives. ¡°Watch your back, noobie!¡± she taunted, her long, blonde pigtails swinging wildly as a second wave of metal knives spun around her body like a vortex. She had some sort of a tactical looking Lolita dress, Wens married to the creepy porcelain doll concept. Her eyes were bright crimson red, making that evil smile on her face more ominous. She forced those knives into my back, the pressure from them borderlining pain. That was my sign to dip. I couldn¡¯t fight her, not like I did Crisscross. I summoned a flame wrap around me and flung those knives off of me, and then leaped down the stairway, the sound of Wens following me not too far behind. ¡°Oh no, where are you going? I¡¯m not done playing with you yet!¡± she growled, her voice dropping a couple of bars. I didn¡¯t have to worry about fall damage with that leap, but I had to keep my ears open for the sound of her friends close by. I heard another close fight on the second floor, hearing Reina giving a hissy fit about Balizi breaking her blades. Balizi was the last member of Team Bear, so I had to wonder where Naomi was? Unless Naomi was fighting the other team, she should have been here fighting Wens. ¡°Shit, where¡¯s Naomi?¡± I whispered, and then tried to reach her on my com unit. ¡°Come on, Naomi, pick up,¡± I begged impatiently, but more times than not, a call in the Hunter Games was left unanswered. When things were down to the wire, calling in was the last thing on your mind. If you weren¡¯t together in those final moments, you were either in the White Box, or you were being grieved by a team. Either way, you were fucked. So I stopped trying and turned my attention to where Reina¡¯s voice was coming from. For a second, I forgot that I was being chased, and as soon as I heard the sound of knives whizzing behind me, I pivoted. ¡°Are you trying to run away from me, playmate?¡± She giggled, tossing her next legion of knives at me. I bobbed and weaved between panting breaths, trying not to use the little stamina I had left. When she ran out of knives, I escaped, heading to the ICU from the waiting room area. She chucked chairs at me, trying to slow me down. By the time I turned down the next hallway, her barrage had stopped, but I¡¯d managed to corner myself in a room, and she wasn¡¯t too far behind. ¡°If you don¡¯t stand still, I¡¯m going to have to make you!¡± her echo said down the corridor. In the room, I waited for her to show herself, but instead of Wens, I saw three room dividers flying in. I blocked them one by one, wrestling with the cloth as I found myself entangled in Wens¡¯ restraints. I could barely hear my own strained breathing over the sound of Wens¡¯ maniacal approaching laughter down the hallway. When I tried to burn through the cloth, nothing happened. My stamina was too shot to ignite my body, leaving Wens a huge opportunity to twist and bend those bars on the dividers around me. I fell to my knees and tried to budge the bars off¡­. It was no use¡­. Wens¡¯ silhouette appeared at the entrance of the room, and a blood-chilling grin spread across her face as she met my eyes. She drew a new set of knives from her belt and pouted. ¡°Aww, you seem so sad! I guess losing in round 3 does that to ya, huh?¡± She eyed the tips of her knives between her fingers and then looked back at me as I continued to struggle through her meta. ¡°I must admit, you¡¯re one seriously tough year one cookie! But like any foe, you can be studied and adaptation will soon follow. My team and I didn¡¯t get here by luck, but by understanding our enemies. And you, my dear Nero, have been thoroughly understood.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. With a flick of her wrist, she sent one of the knives at me. The spinning projectile was a test to see if I¡¯d eat damage, and unfortunately, I did. She stabbed me right on the shoulder, and even though I really couldn¡¯t feel much of it with the HG-Armor on, my HP was being shaved away. Her eyes blew up delightfully. ¡°Oh, would you look at that?! The tank can be killed. So let¡¯s carve a smile on that sad face then!¡± I already knew what was in store for me the moment she summoned the rest of her knives. Wens tossed another barrage at me, and I was defenseless. In no time at all, I was back in the White Box. I had 25 seconds to think of a plan here. We were almost spent on time, and my team and I needed two more kills to secure a tie-win. ¡°Without me, they have no guard,¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°I know Naomi has two items she could use that would help us big time, but there¡¯s no telling if the other teams have something that would counter it. Though, it didn¡¯t matter what she had or didn¡¯t have¡­ because I can¡¯t get a hold of her. And right now, I have no way of trying to connect to her at all.¡± I continued thinking to myself¡­. If Naomi wasn¡¯t with Reina, and she wasn¡¯t answering my calls, then she was either in a fight, or she was hiding. Then I weighed the possibility of her plotting something over being in trouble, because from the moment I started fighting with Wens to the moment she eliminated me, Naomi was sitting on 5 HP¡­. I hated being in the dark! I looked at my sys board, where everything was grayed out. I couldn¡¯t use a damn thing, expect the one item that had any meaning in the White Box. ¡°Respawn token?¡± My only respawn token¡­. I had to give a strip show for this priceless item. Those girls from school¡­ they believed that I¡¯d make it to the top. And Naomi promised she¡¯d help bring me there, too. So just like I trusted in Reina, I ought to trust in Naomi. She¡¯d mentioned using a last resort before the round even started. Between all of us, she had the most sponsors, which meant that she had the most items. Luckily for her, she didn¡¯t have to do much to get them, but it was also lucky for Reina and I, her teammates. There was one particular item that could make or break a point, something that some hunters said was more powerful than a respawn token: Displacer: Swap places with an opponent of your choice. Good for one use only. Activates within inventory. I heard that Team Hawk had used it yesterday during round 2. It was hard to imagine that someone like Bram had to use it, though, it worked like a charm. Displacers weren¡¯t easy to come by, and the fact that Naomi had two was a goldmine. The corp only had a few in circulation at a time, and it was handed off on a first come first serve auction for sponsors. Personally, I didn¡¯t think it was better than a respawn token, but in tight last second situations like these, hell yes. My only hesitation was that we may need her displacer for the final round. Naomi confirmed earlier that she would use one if she had to, and with the time winding down, I figured she may be using it for the last five seconds to score a point. However, we needed two points and two kills, which had me thinking about the other one she¡¯d given me¡­ The Displacer stared at me in my inventory, my time in the White Box almost over. This would be one hell of a Hail Mary if we pulled this off, but as I considered my options, the plan I was working in my head made the most sense. We tackle the problems of today, and worry about tomorrow later¡­. So as soon as I respawned on the field, I went to work. Scope (lvl 1): grants user guidable aerial view of map for 10 seconds. Activates within inventory. Scope was a way better item than Radar (lvl 1), because I could see specific people and their placements on the map instead of little red dots of any movement. Radar (lvl 2) narrowed it down to enemies only, but this Scope item was exactly what I needed. I couldn¡¯t see Naomi before, but now, I saw exactly where she was, in the middle of the map, between the two eggs. And she wasn¡¯t alone, being chased by a hunter from Team Buffalo. ¡°Her stamina wasn¡¯t doing too well, either,¡± I muttered to myself as I continued to check my sys board. ¡°We only have a few seconds left now, and Reina¡­ She¡¯s still in the hospital with Team Bear. This placement doesn¡¯t make sense¡­.¡± Team Hawk was holding down one egg, and Team Bear, the other. But the two hunters from Team Buffalo who weren¡¯t on top of Naomi were waiting just outside of the hospital Team Bear was preoccupying. They were plotting something, but what? B1-CH76: Wee-woo! I had no time to fumble my thumb on it. It was time to move. When I respawned, my placement was usually randomized between Reina and Naomi. So the great Onigen picked one, Naomi. I was a few meters from her now, and even though she was the girl I needed to strategize with, we didn¡¯t have time. And to make matters worse, Reina¡¯s HP dropped just as I respawned. She was sent to the White Box. So it was only Naomi and I for the final 18 seconds of the round. Balizi, Wens and Crisscross¡¯s partner, was at full health, and he was the furthest from the egg. So I used my Displacer on him, making the selection in my sys board. Before Wens and Crisscross could notice he went missing, I replaced the plant meta hunter instantly. Quick and smooth like a thief in the night. Now, I dashed to the egg, Wens and Crisscross standing a few yards in front of it. I heard them complaining about Reina and how she did some damage to Wens. The thought about her handling business out here against these year threes made me smirk, and I could tell that Reina had fought tooth and nail for that win. All of the extra private training she¡¯d done with Hayashi really paid off, and she wasn¡¯t that useless weapon forger from Acadia anymore. Wens, 40 HP, Crisscross, 80 HP¡­ even without any stamina left, I could take them both on¡­. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Wens asked Crisscross. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°It sounds like banging.¡± ¡°You¡¯re paranoid, I don¡¯t hear any¡ª¡± An alarm went off, signaling the nest was being captured! ¡°Damn it! Someone¡¯s on our egg!¡± Wens cried, rushing over to the elevator where the nest was. The fight that had broken earlier left the elevator hanging on its last threads of life, the nest buried in rubble, but visible from where those two were standing on the ground floor. ¡°Wait, Wens, this could be a¡ª¡± ¡°Peek-a-boo, asshole,¡± I said behind Crisscross, who pivoted around to an invisible year one rookie. I punched him hard across the face with my base strength, which was more than enough to drop him on his ass. I didn¡¯t give him a second to get off the floor and retaliate, walloping him until that HP bar was gone. I started the fight, Reina worked him over, and then I came back to toss him in the coffin. Then I turned to Wens, who was standing there confused as shit as to what happened. My plan consisted of a few items in executing order, and judging by the look on her face, she wasn¡¯t expecting it: Wee-woo: A sound box that imitates a false steal alarm. Duration, five seconds. Ghost Stamina: Allows user to mimic effects of 5% stamina gauge. May only be used once per tournament. Activates within inventory. Meta-Roulette (lvl 1): Randomly grants a low-grade talent that¡¯s not on your system board. Effects last for 10 seconds. Activates within inventory.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Criss!¡± Wens cried as she watched his body dematerialize. By the time he was gone, my Meta-Roulette was gone, too. I was already charging at Wens with a fierce punch by the time I became visible again, and unfortunately, she was ready to counter with her knives. ¡°You¡¯re not stealing our win!¡± she growled, charging six metal knives at me. When she noticed I blocked my face with my arms to take less damage, she followed with an ace up her sleeves. The linoleum floor began to peel back from a jagged line perpendicular to me, and just like that, the floor surfed over my head! Shit, did she have that hiding there this entire time? The metal tsunami came out of nowhere, a flat piece of steel just underneath the floor. I step-dodged it and then pulled out two of her knives that were lodged in my arms. Wens began panicking. Clearly, the girl wasn¡¯t her greatest under pressure. ¡°Barricade!¡± she turned around and cried, tossing an item from her inventory like a pokeball: Barricade: Materializes semi-meta resistant hexagon dome around nested egg or individual for 10 seconds. I had a counter for that¡­ Evaporate: Neutralizes all defensive items surrounding nested egg in play. Unlike her, my item was a command, and as long as I was within the defensive item¡¯s perimeter, my Evaporate worked. She fumbled when I countered her play, but I was still coming at her ready. I tossed her knives back at her. Without hesitation, she lifted her finger and controlled them, and the half second of distraction was all I needed to uppercut the last of her HP away. It was then I realized that she was panicking for a reason¡ªWens was shy of stamina too¡­. When she was out, I ran to the nest and claimed it. Point secured. Magpie: No way, Flamingo! Team Owl is locked in! Flamingo: That¡¯s right, Magpie. Who would have thought that they¡¯d use the Displacer specialty item in the last second to score game point? Magpie: One canceled out the other. Solid effort from Team Owl! The same strat? So that was why they weren¡¯t moving¡­. It didn¡¯t matter, though, because Naomi scored the last point on the other side of the map. She negated the other team¡¯s steal. Two golden eggs spawned on the map again, but it didn¡¯t matter. There were only two seconds left on the round clock, and then, the buzzer went off. The crowd erupted at another close call. Again, we found ourselves in a tie, and I couldn¡¯t stop holding my breath to what awaited us next. If my calculations were accurate, we should have gotten second again. Judges were in the background assembling their own numbers while the big screens in the sky counted down the final results. Magpie: It seems that the theme of this season is tie-breakers! Flamingo: That¡¯s right, Magpie. Team Owl came in and really shook tournament standards, making for an edge of your seat experience! Edge of your seat¡ªI was on the edge of my life. Adrenaline spiked in my veins, my hands were sweaty as a cold shiver racked my spine. The larger-than-life LED screen began to flicker. The anticipation in the air was so thick, it felt as though we could cut through it with a knife. One by one, the points of each team blinked on the huge scoreboard suspended above the battle arena: 1st Place: Team Hawk 2nd Place: Team Owl 3rd Place: Team Bear 4th Place: Team Buffalo Magpie: Remarkable gameplay! First place goes to Team Hawk yet again! That goes to show you that these hunters are on the leaderboard for a reason. Flamingo: They are really pushing it out there, Magpie. And for good reason. There¡¯s a lot on the line here, folks. But let¡¯s not count out Team Owl, who could very well take the entire season! The entire season. I snickered. Imagine that¡­. B1-CH77: Agree to Disagree It was a battle of the items in the last 20 seconds of round three. Advancing to the final round, what a fucking dream¡­. I was shocked my heart could take so many close calls, and it was nonstop. If clawing our way to the top was a team, it was us. After the interviews and the post-game ceremony, we were teleported back home, where the festivities just began. Gun wanted to get us stupid drunk early, so we wouldn¡¯t crash later. But Reina had plans to train with Master Hayashi, and so did I. We were both sore from the competition, but we pushed through. After our training rounds, I had a talk about strategy with Reina. The sun was setting, and Naomi went missing for a while. Though, when I couldn¡¯t find her, I moved on with the team meeting. Basically, we needed to stick together more. More times often than not, we were being separated, and when we were separated, we were vulnerable. Reina agreed, but also thought that there was an advantage to being separated, too. ¡°It makes us look less predictable,¡± she said as she walked back to the dojo. ¡°And helps us depend less on each other.¡± ¡°While that¡¯s true, most high ranked hunters usually stick together.¡± ¡°Not in the final minutes of the game.¡± ¡°Usually in the final minutes of the game.¡± ¡°Nero, we don¡¯t have to play the game by the books. I have an idea for our last game¡ªI want to play markswoman.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°A lot of the time, we fall into our roles¡ªyou, the shield, Naomi, the defense, and me, the offense. I believe that these games are getting harder on us because our opponents are studying our pattern. We¡¯ve fallen into a predictability that can be studied post game in the VODs.¡± ¡°They are getting harder because we are fighting against year threes that are winning their group rounds, Reina,¡± I insisted. ¡°Of course we fall into our roles. That¡¯s what the other teams do also. And they do it because it works.¡± Reina stopped in her tracks, spinning around to face me. The warm dojo lights caught on the tips of her hair, making her locks look fierier. ¡°Playing safe doesn¡¯t guarantee us a win, Nero. It only takes us so far. We need to surprise them.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re asking for is dangerous. Splitting up on the off chance that it¡¯d give us an edge? When playing together has proven to work?¡± ¡°What works for others. That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that it will always work for us. Take the last round for example.¡± ¡°Yeah, a round which would have been easier if we¡¯d been together.¡± ¡°I think that we won because we were separated. Higher ranks have the luxury of deciding, we don¡¯t. Each of us have four item slots, not including the respawn tokens. And team leaders have six. So there are typically four items to use for a round that aren¡¯t revealed to our opponents until we are in the ring. High¨Cranked hunters have a diverse arsenal compared to us. They can pick and choose without worrying about supply. I know this because the longer you are a hunter, the more time you have to satisfy mini assignments from sponsors. And since they are the only sources of our items, we need to be strategic about which ones we put in play. Because they tend to have better items than us, they can afford to be predictable. The same idea applies to their stats. So when you consider those two factors, it makes sense to take risks. We, on the other hand, don¡¯t have that luxury. If we play by their rules, to our disadvantage, we are compromising ourselves.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that. It¡¯s not about who has the higher rank and who has the cooler items. It¡¯s about playing to our strengths,¡± I tried to explain. ¡°Naomi is the best defense player we¡¯ve got, you¡¯re the only one who can match her in offense, and I... I am just trying to keep us together, Reina, absorbing as much damage as I could.¡± ¡°So we just keep doing the same thing? Keep relying on the same strategies until one day it doesn¡¯t work, and we¡¯re all knocked out?¡± ¡°Reina, we aren¡¯t going to¡ª¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t robots. We can change tactics. We need to adapt¡­ evolve.¡± ¡°I understand. But doing something like this untested, in the biggest round thus far isn¡¯t the way to do it. Adapting doesn''t mean breaking what¡¯s working.¡± She held my gaze, and for a moment, I was taken aback by her passion and refusal to accept the way things were. Sure, we might have a sliver of a chance by playing it her way, however, that was risky. All I could think about at the moment was being separated and never getting a chance to group up again. There was so much on the line that the other teams would do anything to get the win. I remembered Reina saying that she had never been interested in the games until now, which meant that she hadn¡¯t watched the games religiously like I did. I¡¯d seen shady plays, underhand tactics, and teams torn apart by their own desperation. I knew what we were up against, while she was blindly optimistic. She didn¡¯t see it. She couldn¡¯t. Not yet at least. I was trying to get through to her the more I explained, though, Reina was stubborn, and always had been. She was relentless in testing out her theories.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Adapting isn¡¯t just about changing our strategies,¡± I said, my voice steady and controlled despite the whirlpool of thoughts inside my head. ¡°It¡¯s about learning from our past experiences. From our defeats as much as our victories. Now, if you want to work on that, I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°You said you trusted me?¡± ¡°I do. And I¡¯m here for you. Which is why I need to step up as a leader and tell you when something is downright dangerous.¡± Her stare on me went stern. ¡°You and I¡­ what we are fighting for isn¡¯t very different. You¡¯re here to put your family out of a spiraling misery of poverty, and I am fighting for my family¡¯s stability. So know that I have a lot to prove, and I have a lot on the line. This request isn¡¯t like any other request I¡¯ve made since I¡¯ve gotten here. I am well aware of what¡¯s at stake, which is why I am so adamant about this.¡± We remained silent for a while, the tension between us growing. I watched as Reina¡¯s expression changed from sternness to determination, the fire in her eyes burning brighter than ever. ¡°Nero,¡± she began, her voice gaining an edge. ¡°I understand your concerns. Safe is easy. Safe is proven. That¡¯s what all other teams are doing and look where it has gotten them. Even though we¡¯d tried it both ways, together and apart, and still managed to win by the skin of our teeth, those close calls would have been better if we were together. I stand here to tell you that we truly wouldn¡¯t know, because it wasn¡¯t how it happened. We are only speculating. Facts are facts, and what we can say wholeheartedly is that both options have been working for us. We are the underdogs. We can defy patterns and placements. So why don¡¯t we use that against them?¡± Despite my stance, I found myself considering her words. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest anything unless I thought it could work,¡± she said, her voice carrying a desperation that made me wince. ¡°I need you to believe in me, Nero.¡± I sighed, raking a hand through my hair as I regarded her with weary confusion. ¡°Surprise them, right? Okay¡­ How do you propose we do that? Your markswoman idea? So, where would Naomi and I be placed? In the frontlines? A shield and defense still spells out defense at the end of the day, and we can¡¯t win by playing only defense.¡± ¡°Which is why you¡¯d have to play both shield and offense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s scary talk, Reina.¡± ¡°Naomi has items that could help. We are allowed to swap items among each other. So she can give you an HP Guard.¡± ¡°Which is only good for a few seconds.¡± ¡°A few seconds would be all we need with me behind the scope.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, have you ever shot a gun before? Most of your forges haven¡¯t been firearms.¡± She smirked. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve shot a gun! Do you really think I¡¯d suggest this idea if I hadn¡¯t?¡± ¡°My answer might shock you¡­.¡± She deadpanned me. I chuckled. ¡°All right, all right. So with your plan, you¡¯re going to play hitman, and Naomi and I are going to be in the field. I am assuming you know how to spare your stamina for this to work?¡± ¡°I was fine tuning that skill with Kenji earlier. This was not my first session with him. So you have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°We need to win this, Reina.¡± ¡°I understand that more than anyone, Nero.¡± I nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it.¡± She squeaked with joy, clasping her hands together and bouncing off of her toes. She also did something insanely cute, the reaction catching me off guard. Her ears flinched. ¡°Oh hey, that¡¯s new. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen your fox ears do that.¡± I reached behind her ear and she swatted it almost immediately, Reina¡¯s face turning a shade of pink as she snatched the furry pokers on her head. ¡°Don¡¯t touch them like that!¡± ¡°Heh, sorry. I wasn¡¯t aware they were so sensitive,¡± I said with a smirk, withdrawing my two fingers that had a ladybug in between them. ¡°You just had a bug behind your ear.¡± Her face suddenly went pale. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s harmless,¡± I said, showing Reina the tiny insect in the palm of my hand. And then her ear twitched again, instantly catching my attention. The sight was almost too cute to bear. However, the bug made Reina jerk those ears for a different reason. She looked scared of the little fella. Reina stood off to the side and huddled herself in her arms, then said, ¡°While I appreciate the gesture, I¡¯d rather you not pet them.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t petting you, though.¡± ¡°You were¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want me to put the bug back on your ear, or?¡± I teased. ¡°I don¡¯t mind demonstrating what I did.¡± Just as Reina pivoted around to shoot me an earful, Naomi walked in. I smiled. ¡°Hey, stranger. I haven¡¯t seen you around for a hot minute.¡± ¡°Where have you been?¡± Reina asked. ¡°What are you? My keeper?¡± Naomi sassed. ¡°We were talking about strategies for tomorrow¡¯s game and you were off the premises for the last five hours.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that you out of all people were keeping tabs on me.¡± Reina scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t care what creepy activities you do on your time!¡± Naomi arched a brow comically. ¡°Creepy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you goth girls do on your downtime. Maybe summon ghosts or something.¡± ¡°I had some errands to run. Is that so creepy?¡± Naomi retorted, tossing her long ivory hair over her shoulder. Reina stiffened, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Running errands for five hours? What kind of errands are these?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± Naomi snapped back, turning to me and ignoring Reina¡¯s icy glare. ¡°Now, what do you need from me, Nero?¡± ¡°Just a lending ear. We¡¯re trying a new strategy tomorrow. Reina¡¯s going to take the sniper position,¡± I explained. Naomi blinked in surprise. ¡°Sniper? You think she can handle it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here you know!¡¯ Reina cawed at her. Ignoring Reina¡¯s exasperated outburst, Naomi kept a piercing gaze at me. ¡°Nero, this isn¡¯t a test trial. One misstep could be the difference between a grand prize and no prize at all.¡± Reina exploded, ¡°I don¡¯t need your validations! I know what I¡¯m doing!¡± she hissed. ¡°And if you have a problem with my plan, how about talking to me about it? I¡¯m right here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves,¡± she interrupted, turning her glare to Reina. ¡°You don¡¯t have a final say in what we do in the final game. But since you insist on opening your big mouth and interrupting my every sentence, then I will redirect my concerns from Nero and address my comments to you. This is a critical game and we can¡¯t afford any mistakes. If this request is anything like the others you¡¯ve made thus far, then it will backfire. You play your part in the field like you¡¯re supposed to. You don¡¯t see any of us trying to modify a working formula. If you find yourself wanting to scratch an itch, don¡¯t do it here. There¡¯s nothing for you to prove, and we aren¡¯t going to stand around and enable your stupid ideas.¡± Reina simply smirked, pinning a hand to her hip. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath. Clearly, you misunderstood the words that came out of his mouth. Nero said that we will try my strategy. He wasn¡¯t seeking your approval.¡± ¡°The floor is open, and that decision can still change.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not changing, Naomi,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Reina has done a lot for this team. I approved it, and that¡¯s what we are going to do tomorrow.¡± She snapped her head back at me, ready to retort, but Reina¡¯s ringtone went off, and she stared at her screen contemplatively. ¡°I need to take this call,¡± Reina said, and then walked off. B1-CH78: We Have Sunshine and Rainbows Naomi and I watched Reina head back into the dojo, Reina not answering the phone until she made her way there. Judging by her sudden shift in attitude, the call seemed to be serious. Though, Naomi didn¡¯t let it deter her from our conversation as she turned her head back toward me. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to entertain her demands all the time.¡± I chuckled, placing the bug on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that at all. I know you two fight like cats and dogs and don¡¯t necessarily see eye to eye but Reina¡¯s improved big time. From our first contract to our last, she¡¯s sharpened her meta game.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t make her stupid comments any less stupid.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s time we trust her judgment.¡± Naomi scoffed and rolled her eyes away from me. ¡°She¡¯s impulsive to a fault. And as loud as a foghorn.¡± ¡°She¡¯s also fierce, brave and resourceful. You may not want to admit it, but she had scored us a couple points in all three rounds combined. You can¡¯t deny the facts, Naomi.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Whatever. It isn¡¯t like you¡¯re going to change your mind. But when we lose, I will say I told you so.¡± I smirked. ¡°We¡¯re not losing. It¡¯s all about approach. Jump over to the optimistic side. We have sunshine and rainbows, and¡ª¡± ¡°Every word you say is making it sound less appealing¡­.¡± I quit teasing Naomi and slightly changed the subject. ¡°So, how did you know I was going to use mine?¡± She turned to me. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My Displacer? Switching places with Balizi was a late call, and you did the same thing with Team Buffalo.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± she said honestly. ¡°Though¡­ I had an idea that you might. I went with my gut feeling that you¡¯d time out the egg too, and steal in the last five seconds.¡± ¡°The fact that we had the same idea means a lot as partners. As Reina would say, we are in sync. If we didn¡¯t time that perfectly, it wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our final round tomorrow, Nero,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah, clearly, not enough time to fuel up and do it all over again, huh,¡± I said, noticing how exhausted she suddenly looked. ¡°It¡¯s early, but you should catch some sleep now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. Have you gotten a chance to talk to your family?¡± ¡°I have. I had already set up all of my winnings from the tournament to go to their bank accounts.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows at me. ¡°All?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m not talking about my bonus. I¡¯m letting that grow a bit. Sponsor money will remain untouched. I¡¯m waiting for Felix, Gun, and Ash to get in the game again. I¡¯m not backing out of our bet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about. What about yourself?¡± I craned my head. ¡°What about myself?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve earned that cash. You ought to enjoy it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a minimalist, Naomi. I don¡¯t own many things, and the things I do own aren¡¯t very expensive. I¡¯ve always told myself that the cash I collect is for my family first. When we spoke not too long ago, they were in tears. I could hear the relief in my mother¡¯s voice¡­.¡± I paused, my chest fluttering from the thought. ¡°Do you know what it feels like to finally be able to give back? I get that it''s her job¡­ to look after me and protect me, and make sure that I¡¯m fed and have a roof over my head. But I¡¯ve seen her struggle through all of that, and I had nothing to give her. Until now. That feeling is priceless. And I¡¯m going to keep winning these tournaments to relive the moment over and over again.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Sounds like your mother means the world to you¡­.¡± I paused, looking down at her and feeling guilty. ¡°Oh, Naomi, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing to feel guilty about. I didn¡¯t have that growing up. So it¡¯s nice to hear that you got to experience it. I¡¯d like to meet this woman who is the center of your world one day.¡± I snickered. ¡°One day soon, I hope. They are already planning on visiting. It still sounds crazy to say that they could actually take a vacation!¡± She smiled. ¡°Honestly, it feels great, Naomi, to finally see her get out from under all of that stress¡­.¡± Stress from working too hard, her physical health, and having to find an outlet to keep things afloat. It wasn¡¯t easy for Mom to admit it, but she finally did. She was in fact dealing with a loan shark. I had to drag the truth out of her, though I figured it was easier for her to fess up when she realized she could pay the money she owed them once I was done with the tournament. She had apologized for keeping it a secret. Her excuse was the same as all the others. She didn¡¯t want me worrying to the point where I¡¯d drop school. I made her swear to never keep stuff like that from me again. Our relationship was grounded on trust and openness, and I wanted it to stay that way. I wish I were there to revel in their happiness. The moment I won the first round was the moment they realized that things could really change. It was the same moment the weight of her worry lifted. As soon as the post-game ceremony was over, I¡¯d raced to call her and Sophie. She was breathless and beyond herself, There was a hint of pure relief in her voice. I told her to take care of herself with that money, and to make sure that our mother did the same thing. Paying her loan shark, finding herself a good doctor¡ªSophie promised me she¡¯d make sure she stayed on top of everything while I was away. Naomi looked at me, her purple eyes shimmering in the sunset. ¡°You can be too selfless sometimes. I am happy for your family, but you need to think about yourself too.¡± ¡°Seeking their happiness is thinking about myself. The dopamine is at its peak right now!¡± She giggled, and I offered her a reassuring smile. ¡°We all make sacrifices, Naomi. And to be 100% with you, this isn¡¯t even a sacrifice for me. It¡¯s a privilege to be able to help them. Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going homeless or anything. I still have my basic needs met.¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m around, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°And, I have this awesome and cute girl on my team looking out for me, making sure I stay on top of my game.¡± She blushed. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful life, and I can¡¯t complain. Happy family, a great career where I get to help people every day, and awesome friends.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t get any better than that, does it?¡± ¡°Well, I can think of a way it could be perfect,¡± I said, gazing at her curiously. She looked at me lost. ¡°Perfect?¡± Naomi repeated, until she stumbled backward with her hand cradling her head. ¡°Naomi?¡± She tried to hide her wince, Naomi quickly shaking it off like she wasn¡¯t just about to faint. ¡°Naomi, are you okay?¡± I asked her, my arms out ready to catch her fall. She shook her head. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just dehydrated. I¡¯ll be fine¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that on your collar?¡± I asked, pointing on a blotch of red stuff along her dark gray jacket collar. ¡°It¡¯s still wet. Is that blood?¡± Naomi threw her hand over her cheek, the side facing away from me. When she pulled her hand away, I saw a big streak of red and my chest jumped. ¡°Naomi, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± I said, and then noticed a trickle of blood leaking from her other ear now. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said sheepishly as she tried to wipe them away. ¡°Nothing? Naomi, you¡¯re losing blood!¡± I protested, trying to see the extent of the damage. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Nero,¡± she insisted, pushing my hand away. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ a side effect. Stress-related.¡± ¡°What sort of stress causes someone to bleed from the ears?¡± I pressed on. Her poker face was gone, and she was trying to feed me BS. Naomi was flustering up and she knew it. She was always strong-willed and stubborn, but now she looked helpless. ¡°It¡¯s from the pressure of using my telekinetic powers frequently,¡± she confessed, finally meeting my gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve been tapping out my stamina back to back. It¡¯s just a small side effect.¡± She was lying¡­. Naomi might not know it, but she had her own tell, too. Her stoic face became more expressive. She was hiding the truth, and this truth was dangerous, potentially lethal. As the silence stretched between us, she dropped her gaze, Naomi trying to disengage the conversation. But I refused to let this one go. ¡°Naomi,¡± I whispered softly, ¡°We should go to the hospital.¡± ¡°I already told you that this is normal,¡± she refused, and then turned her back toward me. ¡°I just need some rest. I¡¯ll be good again for the finals tomorrow.¡± I answered her with silence as I stood there and watched her walk away. ¡°I should get going¡­, Good night, Nero.¡± B1-CH79: Little Black Book I suggested treatment knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t go with it. To be fair, anything I¡¯d said to her was going to be brushed off regardless. Later that night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Unanswered questions and worries about Naomi nudged me. The image of the blood on her collar just wouldn¡¯t fade. As much as I tried to shake it off, it kept resurfacing¡­. The fact that she wasn¡¯t in bed didn¡¯t help with all of my worrying either. So I pulled out my phone and started searching for random stuff: telekinetic power symptoms, extension exhaustion, and stamina burn out side effects¡­. I wasn¡¯t getting anything relevant to what Naomi was experiencing right now. So I walked over to my desk and pulled out my notebook, starting to jot down everything I knew about telekinesis. I was desperate, trying to make sense of it all. But then I turned over my shoulder and saw something on her nightstand¡ªher little black book. What the hell was it doing out in the open like that? Naomi rarely left without it¡­. The temptation to go over there and pick it up crossed my mind, and I hated that it did. Unlike Reina, I didn¡¯t think that Naomi was a mole, putting our hunter secrets in a book that only she could magically read. Like she said, she¡¯d been carrying that book since Acadia. Naturally, I wondered what made it so important, and what was such a secret that needed to be hidden? It wouldn¡¯t be the first secret she¡¯d kept from me though, this condition of hers now being one of them. ¡°She deserves her privacy, just like anyone else,¡± I reminded myself in a low whisper. Yet, that book¡­ something about it tonight was calling to me¡­. I turned my head back toward my desk and let out a sigh. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m aching for answers because I¡¯m stressing out from not being able to help her.¡± She was always looking out for me, and I felt it was my job to look out for her, too. And right now, she was making it extremely difficult.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. I hated seeing her so helpless¡­. The sound of the door opening up made my head turn to the figure in the dark, Naomi turning around to see me at my desk. ¡°You¡¯re still up?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep again,¡± I admitted. She looked over to the nightstand, and then back to me again and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I said as I tucked my notebook back in my desk drawer, that simple gesture changing Naomi¡¯s temperament instantly. She rushed over to her book and then stopped herself short. I got off my seat as I saw her hesitate there, contemplating something. ¡°Naomi?¡± I called out to her, but she didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she looked over to me for a second before walking toward me. ¡°I don¡¯t need to ask, do I?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± She was not hiding the fact that she was worried I might have. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to you,¡± I reassured her, and gave her a weak smile. ¡°Check out the ears.¡± I pointed at them, noting the fact that they weren¡¯t a telling shade of red. Suddenly, she jumped on me, burrowing her face in my chest and holding me gently. ¡°Naomi?¡± ¡°One day, I will tell you everything¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°I promise.¡± I cradled her head softly to relax her. I could feel her heart thumping hard against my body. ¡°I was worried about your well-being is all,¡± I insisted. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯d back out of the tournament?¡± ¡°I know you would if you knew I was feeling ill¡­.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t think I¡¯d force you to fight out there. So then tell me, is that why you¡¯re being secretive about this?¡± ¡°Please, forget about it, Nero. You weren¡¯t supposed to see it¡­.¡± I wasn¡¯t supposed to see it? ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll forget it¡­.¡± ¡°Only if you promise you¡¯ll get checked out. And soon. In the next 8 hours, soon. That means right after the tournament, Naomi.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I had to compromise with her. It was obvious that she didn¡¯t want us missing our final round for her sake. So right after the tournament, we were going to get her checked out. But when she lifted her head from my chest, my stomach dropped. I thought that Naomi was a pro at the stone face, yet her puppy face was even more convincing. I doubt she even knew she was doing it. She was getting more comfortable with dropping her guard around me, and the normality of it only meant one thing¡ªshe was warming up to me. She trusted me with her feelings in bursts and bouts. Tonight, she needed reassurance, so I cradled her face, and looked deeply in those lavender eyes before leaning in for a peck on her forehead. It was harmless, but not meaningless. When I reeled my lips back, her eyes were huge and glassy, Naomi staring at me completely lost. ¡°A kiss, to seal the deal. Now, you can¡¯t back out of your word.¡± B1-CH80: The Finals, Pt.1 Naomi was quiet throughout the rest of the night after that kiss. Not in a bad way, but in a thoughtful, pensive way, I can¡¯t believe he just kissed me kinda way. Just as long as I didn¡¯t cross any boundaries, I was okay with her being unable to contain herself from an innocent peck! At least I got her feeling better, her mind less preoccupied with worrying. It didn¡¯t stop her from catching any sleep though, and the same could be said for me. When it was show time, my alarm woke me up, Naomi already out and about in the dojo. I finished my morning routine and then bumped into Reina, who looked out of it herself. My girls have been feeling crappy these last couple hours, haven¡¯t they? ¡°Morning, Reina,¡± I said, Reina picking her head up to me as she cradled her bath things in her arms. ¡°Morning, Nero,¡± she answered back, unenthused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing you can help.¡± ¡°I hate when you girls tell me that,¡± I insisted, making Reina stop her pacing. I stopped in her direct path, ready to demand answers, until she cocked her head to the side and tapped a finger at her bottom lip. ¡°Maybe you can¡­.¡± ¡°Maybe I can what?¡± Just as she said that, she shook her head. ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°No way. What were you going to ask me?¡± ¡°Forget I mentioned it. I¡¯ll deal¡­¡± ¡°Whatever you¡¯re dealing with, you don¡¯t have to do it alone.¡± She smiled sweetly. ¡°I wonder what it¡¯s like being so hopelessly optimistic,¡± she murmured, a hint of teasing in her tone. I shot her a fake offended look and said, ¡°It¡¯s not hopeless optimism, it¡¯s called being supportive. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s my job as leader of this squad to look after you two.¡± She giggled, the sound light and airy¨Ca pleasant contrast to how she was feeling moments ago. ¡°Fine,¡± she said after a beat of silence, ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no harm in asking. Nero, we need to place at least in the top two this morning.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t your original question.¡± ¡°Perhaps not, but the weight of it is still the same.¡± The smile on her face faded. ¡°Reina, what kind of trouble are you in?¡± ¡°Think you can do that for me, Nero?¡± She asked me, dodging my question. ¡°I¡¯m pouring my heart and soul into this last round, Reina. That you don¡¯t have to worry about.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Thank you. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to freshen up.¡± I watched her leave, scrunching my eyebrows at what she had going on. Whatever it was could be remedied with a win, so I didn¡¯t push any further than that. After another hour more, Master Hayashi teleported us to the drop off zone, and then we were shipped to the arena by the furball himself. ¡®Be ambiguous. Don¡¯t let your opponent anticipate your every move.¡¯ Hayashi¡¯s last words to us resonated with me. It was basically the same thing Reina had said last night, and I played it over and over again in my head after we were dropped off at the map. Today¡¯s setting, the wild, wild west? Interesting stage choice¡­. Funny enough, the audience got to pick where we¡¯d be fighting. And since it was the final round in the tournament, aerial seating doubled. There were twice the number of live viewers in those seats, and they had a taste for small salons and an ol¡¯ dusty trail. As always, Molly Melody gave us a warm welcoming speech, her voice ringing out across the grand coliseum. There was an undeniable excitement in the air that surpassed the rounds before this one, magnified by the collective anticipation of the rowdy crowd. The seats around the arena were filled to the brim with spectators and sponsors eagerly awaiting the start of what promised to be a finisher like no other. Reina, Naomi and I made history¡ªwe were the first year ones to make it to the finals. ¡°This is it! The grand finale is here! Four teams, one winner. Who will take the grand prize home and be our 160th champions? Let¡¯s give it up for our hunters in the arena!¡± Molly cheered, and then, the spotlight moved from team to team, illuminating each one as Molly introduced us. ¡°Today¡¯s contestants were the finalists of every round. It just so happens that Team Owl followed Team Hawk throughout the entire bracket! Besides Team Hawk and Team Owl, we also have the fearless Team Wolf and Team Cheetah!¡± The zealous crowd waved their banners proudly for their supporting teams. From where I stood, I could see thousands of eyes trained on us, accentuated by the occasional flash of a camera. The cheers were deafening as each hunter name rang out over the speakers. Team Hawk: Bram, the ice menace, Yoleeha, the siren, and Sift, the gravity expert. We never had the luxury of fighting the rest of his team too much. Bram usually cleaned house all on his own. He was team captain, using his six item slots to his advantage. Yoleeha and Sift were usually mother hens, protecting eggs from predators. Then there was Team Cheetah: Fiona, the explosive archer, Canessi, the water wielder, and Dot, the blue-haired cow girl with a rare stamina healing power. An all-girl team with metas that complimented each other. And lastly, Team Wolf: Sal, a guy with a wild card magic meta, Jane, a girl with a camouflage and distort meta, and the dangerous Belhem, a hunter who could turn into a titan with the sound of a whistle. The lineup was intimidating, but our team was OP too to have gotten this far. ¡°Everyone, cast your votes!¡± Molly¡¯s voice echoed through the arena. ¡°Which team is going to take home the coveted Hunter¡¯s Trophy this year? Will it be Team Hawk, with their ice cold precision and unwavering defense? Or maybe the unpredictable and dynamic Team Cheetah will snag the victory? Or could it be Team Wolf with their fearsome abilities and solid teamwork? Hmm, I don¡¯t know, Team Owl seems to be making a name for themselves. Is it possible that the under dogs will come out on top and crush our veterans?!¡± ¡°Team Owl!¡± ¡°Team Owl!¡± ¡°Team Owl!¡± It felt unreal, the excitement, the adrenaline, and the nervousness that tingled like electricity across my skin. In that crowd were people cheering for us over all of the other teams. I wanted to cheer along with them! Once the votes were in, the poll was set. Despite the crowd cheering our name the loudest, the majority anticipated Team Hawk to win. Great, I loved proving people wrong. Another upset was around the corner, and as soon as Molly finished her introduction, I buckled down, because a storm was about to hit. ¡°Let the final round begin! Unleash our contestants!¡± -Total Immersion Process- Preparing Hunter Game Systematics in 5...4¡­3¡­2¡­1¡­ B1-CH81: The Finals, Pt.2 The sky was a wide canvas of cobalt blue, streaked with wisps of white. It was an unforgiving dusty and dry terrain, but one that had an alluring sort of raw beauty to it. A few scraggly tumbleweeds rolled lazily across the ground, pushed along by the howling winds that reminded me of gunfighters and outlaw gangs. I felt a southern accent tickling in the back of my throat already, the total immersion effect submerging me in a western movie set. Except this was real life, and the outlaws out there were ready to snatch my prize money right out of my hands. Under the blazing hot sun, a mock-up town had been meticulously assembled by the great Onigen himself. For our last match, the Wild West surrounded us in all its rousing glory¡ªramshackled homes, free wagons hauling hay, and wooden saloons every few yards down the trail. Once we were immersed, I instantly felt the big globe of molten gold over our heads, the heat painfully unforgiving. Our HG didn¡¯t accommodate the heat, which had me thinking that this was a stage challenge rather than a stage event like the other rounds. Hell, I¡¯d take alien abduction and low gravity over this heat wave any day¡­. ¡°Are they trying to cook us?¡± Reina said, wiping her eyebrow already. ¡°This heat is going to slow everyone down, but Bram most of all,¡± I said. ¡°Or least,¡± Naomi added. ¡°He can cool himself off with his ice.¡± ¡°Right, but he¡¯d have to burn more stamina to tap into his meta.¡± ¡°I doubt he¡¯d have a problem with that, seeing as his stamina is high.¡± ¡°Every bit counts. If you keep hacking away at it, it¡¯d make an impression in their strategy.¡± ¡°Speaking of strategy, which egg are we going for?¡± Reina asked. ¡°Basilisk or Coatyl?¡± ¡°We are dealing with one that is 100 meters away compared to 280,¡± Naomi said as she checked her sys board. ¡°By default, two teams are close to one egg.¡± ¡°The issue is we don¡¯t know which team is near Basilisk,¡± I added. Team Cheetah would be preferable. Naomi¡¯s gift could squash Fiona¡¯s, and I could challenge Canessi. Dot wasn¡¯t a problem¡ªbeing a healer, she wasn¡¯t an offensive opponent. However, I had to expect that she had a few specialty items that would help her protect herself. Unless she made it her business to stick with her team throughout the entire 10 minutes, we had to anticipate a surprise from her. Speaking of items¡­. ¡°Reina, one of your item slots is empty,¡± I said, turning to her. ¡°I thought I told you to ask Naomi for one?¡± She huffed. ¡°My apologies for getting seriously sidetracked last night!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t good, we needed all of our slots full,¡± I said, turning to Naomi. ¡°You have a cloak jacket, don¡¯t you? I need you to give it to Reina.¡± Naomi would be short one item, but she had better options for defense than Reina did. And I trusted her capabilities in the field wouldn¡¯t be affected by one missing item. Naomi handed her the capsule that encased the cloak and Reina stored it in her inventory. ¡°Now, for the plan. We are going to let the other team take the golden Basilisk egg. Once it¡¯s claimed, the drop off zones will be revealed. Reina, I want you to set up shop in whichever is closest to the dragon egg. You¡¯re going alone, so make sure you aren¡¯t being followed. Also, your cloak jacket is only good for so long, and with this heat, that timeframe is shortened.¡± Her breath hitched. ¡°You mean, the cloak jacket is affected by environmental conditions, too?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Yes, so don¡¯t get cocky and think you¡¯ll be invisible forever. In this arena, there¡¯s plenty of places for you to hide and snipe, it doesn¡¯t only have to be on rooftops. Getting away from the sun will help you stay out of sight longer.¡± ¡°Speaking of sniping, how effective are those rounds?¡± Naomi asked Reina. ¡°It all depends on how much of my stamina I expend.¡± ¡°Comparable to your blades, how much are we considering here?¡± Reina scrunched her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that.¡± ¡°I think we ought to. If your scythe only consumes two stamina points to summon, and your special beam from your blade, another one point, then we could safely assume that in a one v one fight, you¡¯re consuming about 15 stamina points.¡± ¡°That¡¯s on the high end,¡± Reina retorted. ¡°I¡¯m playing it safe. Now, if every shot from your sniper costs three times as much, how screwed are we?¡± ¡°Reina did the math,¡± I said. ¡°She has more than enough stamina for her strat, right Reina?¡± ¡°Like I said, I wouldn¡¯t have suggested it unless I knew it would work.¡± ¡°All Reina has to worry about is keeping her distance from the other teams and focusing on staying on the extraction point.¡± ¡°Team Hawk has Basilisk,¡± Naomi said as she checked her Tec. On my map, I saw the same numbing information¡ªan egg icon with an icy blue outline around it. Team Hawk was blue Team Cheetah was orange Team Wolf was red And today, Team Owl was green. ¡°The plan remains the same,¡± I said. ¡°Reina will take the long route to Basilisk and set up shop. We will take the short route but flank from behind. Let¡¯s go.¡± Bram and his team already had a head start, being closer to the nest. It wouldn¡¯t matter since Reina was going to take some time to get there. With her long approach and our back end one, we were sure to catch Bram by surprise. But when Naomi and I got there, things were locked down. ¡°They are surrounding the nest, all three of them,¡± I whispered as we hid behind a wagon a few yards away from the saloon, where the nest was located inside. Through the window, I saw them. ¡°Bram, Yoleeha, and Sift¡­.¡± It looked like they were changing shit up too, being less predictable. In every other round, Bram was nowhere near the eggs. He was out there neutralizing the oppression. But now, the asshat was in the saloon, sitting on the stool along the bar with his crossed legs hiked up along the counter, looking unapologetically unbothered. He had his arms crossed and his head down, eyes closed, with no care in the world. Yoleeha was on the piano to the right of him, playing a western classic, and Sift just walked through the swinging doors to play lookout. ¡°We have just under 40 seconds to get this egg,¡± Naomi whispered. ¡°But we can¡¯t do anything until Reina gets here.¡± ¡°If we wait here much longer, we might lose the point.¡± Just as she said that, I heard a sniper shot pop off in my ears. The sound of glass followed, and I saw Sift rushing back inside the saloon. It was Reina, and judging by the screams coming from Yoleeha, Bram was sent to the White Box. I smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Reina!¡± ¡°Bram is down for the count,¡± Reina said over our com units. ¡°Advance, Nero.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll try to draw them out for you, Reina,¡± I said, and Naomi and I were on the move. I was my team¡¯s shield, rushing in like a flaming inferno. I slammed my fists together and summoned my flame dragon, and it went out there and wrapped itself around the saloon in a strong chokehold. I was able to extract Sift and Yoleeha, and as soon as Yoleeha saw me, she opened her big mouth and screamed. The blonde¡¯s banshee siren cry brought my hands over my ears and my knees to the floor immediately. I snapped my eyes shut and tried to focus, but Yoleeha¡¯s high note wouldn¡¯t give. All of a sudden, another sniper shot went off, Yoleeha however, remained unaffected. An invisible barrier dome item? That didn¡¯t make any sense¨CYoleeha wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue screaming if she had a barrier item protecting her from Reina¡¯s shot¡­ unless, They had a shield sitting behind them, not around them¡­ That was a smart move. Luckily for me, I wouldn¡¯t have to suffer much longer. I heard violent whooshing, a heat wave drawing closer to us. When Yoleeha stopped, I was finally able to open my eyes to see Naomi using the burning planks from the saloon to shut them out. Her idea was creative, Naomi forming another dome for them made out of fire and wood. She was cooking them from the inside out, and Yoleeha couldn¡¯t shout, unless she wanted to deal damage to Sift. Either way, they were taking damage. ¡°They are going to ascend,¡± Naomi anticipated. To escape the fiery dome, Sift was going to use his meta to lower gravity around himself and Yoleeha. At least, that was what we thought he¡¯d do. Instead, he anti gravitated the entire dome, lifting it off the ground just enough for him and his comrade to crawl out of it. ¡°Terminate the tank, and the rest of the team falls apart,¡± Sift said as he got back on his feet, and the black vertical lines on his face began to glow. Before I could retaliate, I was grounded, a shit ton of pressure pinning me down. B1-CH82: The Finals, Pt.3 If I ever wanted to get a gravity machine experience of a lifetime, this was it. I was being pancaked, and Yoleeha readied another serenade. Without a moment to waste, Naomi reacted, reassembling the planks of wood to attack Yoleeha and Sift. She tossed them like projectiles, Sift¡¯s effect on me weakening by the second. Naomi took on the role of distractor, and with the seconds shaving down on the clock, I was finally able to get up and head to the egg. The saloon was stripped apart as my flames continued to engulf it. In the middle of the room, I saw the nest with the egg, and rushed over to claim it. Naomi was running out of fuel out there, and started to yank bottles from the shelves, tables and chairs, and anything she could get her hands on to keep those two away from me. Yoleeha had an opportunity to scream again, and just as suddenly, Naomi¡¯s HP bar began trickling away. ¡°Come on, Naomi, just a little longer,¡± I whispered to myself, and boom, another gunshot from our sharp shooter, Yoleeha shutting up immediately. But then another sound broke through, making my heart drop down to my stomach. I heard whistling, and not the delightful cowboy type of whistling either. It was followed by the sound of a thunder clap, feeding chills down my back. It all happened so fast, my hand sweating on the egg as I continued to claim it. This had to be the longest five seconds of my life, the ground underneath me rattling like we were inside a goddamn snow globe. Big heavy steps began to march my way. It was Belhem and his titan meta ability. Belhem was one talent I didn¡¯t want to cross paths with. He wore a mask similar to that of Slipknot¡¯s Number 7 finished in chrome black. He was known as the silent giant, but there was nothing quiet about the chaos that laid in his wake. Besides the fact that no one heard him talk, you¡¯d hear wherever Belhem went. Buildings crumbled, cars exploded, and monsters fled in terror. He left a trail of rubble and ruin behind him without ever uttering a single word. Thankfully, Naomi had bought me enough time to seal our score, and now all we had to worry about was escaping before the hurricane came. ¡°We locked in our score. It¡¯s time to get the hell out of Dodge.¡± As soon as I rushed out of the burning building, a giant foot crushed it flat. I was blown forward from the gust of air and particles chasing me as Belhem entered the scene. Sift looked up to Belhem in all of his towering glory, but the gravity manipulator didn¡¯t use his meta on him. To anti-gravitate a person that big would require a shit ton of stamina, and he wasn¡¯t about to burn away his resources on one guy, let alone on a lost point. Sift stood where he was, and Belhem crushed Sift. The crowd erupted with excitement. Magpie:That was one ground-stomping sacrifice there, Flamingo! Flamingo: It sure was, Magpie! The giant has given Sift a one way ticket to the White Box! While that was smart of Sift not to use his stamina bar, he could at the very least try running away from Belhem. Unlike Sift, Naomi and I ran for our lives. We sprinted through the rubble and down the dirt road, the town looking smaller the faster we ran. The ground shook with each of Belhem¡¯s pounding steps behind us, and when he realized he wasn¡¯t catching up, he picked up speed. ¡°Naomi, break!¡± I shouted, and we forked off. Luckily for Naomi, he went for me. If I knew her, she was going to regroup with Reina and strategize, Naomi confirming that through my com two seconds later. With Belhem here, that could only mean one of two things¡ªhis team couldn¡¯t secure a point and he wanted to rack up on HP, or his team did score and he was being greedy. When I looked at the score, it confirmed that they¡¯d taken a point. So far, Team Owl scored one, as well as Team Wolf.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Team Owl: 1 Team Wolf: 1 Team Hawk: 0 Team Cheetah: 0 ¡°We are going after the Wyrm egg,¡± Reina said through my earpiece. ¡°The coast is clear. Try losing Belhem and meeting us t-t¡ª¡± ¡°Naomi?¡± I called out, but the connection was lost. ¡°Naomi,¡± I panted as I ran, ¡°Are you there?¡± Shit. They got into some trouble, both of their health bars taking a hit. I needed to shake off Belhem quick, so I ducked into an alleyway and funneled through the maze of side streets. I sprinted through the narrow alleys, vaulting over debris and squeezing between half-collapsed buildings. Belhem¡¯s thundering footsteps grew fainter as I gained distance. I tapped my com again, hearing cracks in the line, and Reina¡¯s voice trying to pierce through. Static hissed over the channel before Naomi¡¯s strained voice responded, the sound inaudible. ¡°Naomi? Reina? Are you there?¡± I whispered, until a huge fucking hand dropped down from the heavens. I spun around just as the massive hand slammed down behind me, cutting off my escape. Towering above was a huge grin, Belhem and his beady eyes glaring at me hungrily as he attacked. The giant didn¡¯t say much, but his eyes were expressive. He thought he got me when he slammed his fist down again, but I cocked my fist back and bore down between his knuckles, Belhem, instantly peeling back. He didn¡¯t like that, and I darted to the side to avoid him retaliating. But in my hurry to get away, he snatched me with his other hand as it bulldozed through a wall. Debris rained down as I struggled to break free over a pile of rubble. Belhem¡¯s reaction speed was ridiculously fast for someone his size, the confined alley not slowing him down. I struggled against Belhem¡¯s grip, trying to wiggle free, but his massive fingers were like iron bands around my body. His size was a multiplier for his strength. So I had to ask myself if it was even worth fighting this guy alone? Sift was a year three hunter, and even he didn¡¯t bother wasting his stamina on this guy. But if we kept feeding Belhem health, we were setting ourselves up for failure toward the end of the round. I had to weigh my options, but luckily, I didn¡¯t have to do it alone. Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted from behind me, momentarily blinding Belhem. His grip slackened, and I dropped to the rubble below. When I pivoted around, I saw Reina standing there, with a rocket launcher over her shoulder. ¡°Thought you could use a hand,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Reina?¡± Belhem got up from crouching, waving the smoke screen from his face. Capitalizing on his distraction, Reina and I bolted, running as far away from him as possible. ¡°Thanks for the save, Reina!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I had to leave Naomi with Bram.¡± ¡°Bram?¡± ¡°He was pretty upset I shot him in the head.¡± She grinned. ¡°I told you my sniper idea will work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I gave it a chance. But now, let¡¯s focus on grouping up again.¡± ¡°Oh no, Naomi¡¯s in the White Box,¡± Reina said. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± I sucked my teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We don¡¯t have to rush it. We got a point. Let¡¯s give Naomi a place to respawn to. Between both eggs this time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to set up a scoping location?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point unless we know what we¡¯re up against. Not only that, Bram¡¯s team will expect you on your perch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. And these nest locations are more exposed than usual¡­.¡± ¡°We have limited optimal elevations on this map, and we don¡¯t want to make it obvious.¡± ¡°Both eggs have been claimed. We have Team Cheetah on the left, and Team Wolf on the right.¡± ¡°Right now, claiming those eggs isn¡¯t even in our plans right now. Let the big leagues fight over it and then swoop in under them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an advantage to nesting the egg first, Nero.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s just not the luxury we have right now.¡± ¡°It may be in our interest to third party now, no? If we continue to lag behind, their bars will increase, and ours will remain stagnant.¡± I smirked. ¡°We will score some kills. You already have two. Here.¡± I handed her my healing candy item. Dragon Tail Soft Candy: Restores HP bar to max. Negates respawn rule. ¡°That way, you don¡¯t have to wait to respawn to use 300 HP.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to matter, either way. You two are done for,¡± someone said from behind me, and when I pivoted around, I saw nothing, and no one. Not until Reina yelped. I snapped my head back in time to see her standing on top of a huge magnified card that had a drawing of a wormhole on it. And in under a second, Reina dropped right inside of it. ¡°Reina?!¡± B1-CH83: The Finals, Pt.4 ¡°Sal, at your service,¡± he said, making himself visible as he leaped from the top of a tree in front of me. However, his voice had come from behind me earlier. Either this was one of his twisted card magic tricks, or his camouflage buddy was here with him using her distort ability. ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± ¡°Somewhere far away, where she can¡¯t meddle in anyone¡¯s affairs with that pesky weapon forging ability of hers,¡± he said as he brushed his jacket off. Then he looked up his eyebrows at me with a smirk on his face, the prick fanning three cards under his chin. ¡°I think we don¡¯t have to overexert ourselves here. Super Strength, Physical Invulnerability, Mental Immunity, Flame Manipulation, and Thermoception. I have just the card that will do the trick.¡± I loaded my meta, my flames setting my fists ablaze. Sal said a snarky remark about being grossly unprepared, and how our team should be grateful to be in fourth place. I lunged at him so I could shut that smart mouth of his, but instead of charging at Sal, I ran right into a tree. Sal burst out in laughter as he pulled out the middle card from his hand and taunted, ¡°Like I said, grossly unprepared. So how about all three of you do us a favor and stay out of the way?¡± He threw the card down as soon as Jane fucked me over with her distort ability. Once the card enlarged on the ground, it was over. There was no breaking out of it¡ªthe only thing I could do was anticipate its properties. And judging by the picture of the sorry sap locked in chains, I assumed that was what Sal had in store for me, too. My knees dropped on the ground, pulled by an invisible force of magic. My fists chased down my knees, and suddenly, these huge metal cuffs swung around my wrists. They were linked to chains coming from the face of the card still underneath me, Sal walking over to me with a smug grin on his cold face. ¡°We have just about seven minutes left on the clock. I hope you savor that point, Nero. Because it¡¯s the last one you¡¯re going to score in the finals.¡± ¡°You son of a¡ª¡± ¡°With you bolted down, Reina missing in space, and Naomi out somewhere singing her last song, I¡¯d say it¡¯s about time to throw in the towel.¡± Jane appeared at the edge of the top of the card, turning off her meta ability in sections of her body. The only parts on here that were visible were her head, feet, and hands. She simply stood there and stared at me for a few seconds, that face of hers reminding me of Naomi¡¯s. Except, her indifference had an aftertaste of curiosity, and I couldn¡¯t tell if she was wondering how me and my team managed to get this far, or if she was wondering how someone like me was gifted with five different powers. ¡°Jane, time to go,¡± Sal fetched her, and they both left the side road. ¡°Crap, this is just perfect,¡± I grunted under my breath, yanking at the cuffs and chains. ¡°How the hell am I going to get out of here?¡± I turned over my shoulder and saw the other card with the worm hole drawn on it, the gears in my head starting to turn.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. Getting angry wouldn¡¯t help me break free. I had to think strategically. There were still 7 minutes left in the match, more than enough time for a comeback. ¡°Sal¡¯s meta magic cards¡­¡± I said to myself. ¡°Just like any gift, it has a source. His soul extension, measured by stamina. I remember seeing somewhere that his meta has a range limit, but I can¡¯t remember if that range has a direct impact on how strong his cards¡¯ properties were.¡± I looked down at the giant cuffs on my wrists and curled my hands up into balls. Sal planned on keeping me tied up for the entire tournament, but I swore to my team and to my family that I was going to give this final round my all. Yanking at them had already proven to be unsuccessful. So I concentrated my meta and increased the heat of my flames. I directed the energy to the metal around my wrists and tugged my arms. I tugged and strained against the cuffs, feeling the metal heat up as my flames intensified. The cuffs started to glow red, then orange, as the metal softened. With one final pull, I ripped my hands free, the cuffs clattering to the ground. The crowd gasped in surprise, but the commentators didn¡¯t say a thing. They didn¡¯t comment because they didn¡¯t want to give me away. Which confirmed that Sal didn¡¯t know that I was free. I flexed my fingers, my flames swirling around me. The pull from his card¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t as strong as it was before, and I was able to peel away from it. Now to find a way to get Reina free, and Sal was my target. Sal wanted to play dirty? Well two could play at that game. Moving like a ghost in the fog, I trailed them. My goal was to free Reina, and Sal was going to give me what I wanted. I turned my thermo mapper on to keep Jane in my sights, and then just as Sal and Jane were going to hop through a teleporter magic card, I made my move. I snuck up on Jane and punched her at the center of her back. The girl was weak, 100 HP weak, and with a full strength punch from me, it was an easy lights out. By the time Sal turned around to hear what that noise was, my flame dragon had already been summoned, its jowls wrapped nicely around Sal¡¯s body. I brought the asshole back to where he left us, my dragon dropping him off in his very own trap. As I¡¯d hoped, the cuffs snapped around his wrists just as they did mine. ¡°I had to refresh my memory,¡± I said. ¡°All of those blogs your fans had up about how cool your powers were. It really helped me understand what I was up against.¡± ¡°You release me this instant!¡± ¡°I will, once you free Reina.¡± He laughed. ¡°And why would I do that? Any time now, Belhem will be here. All it takes is one titan transformation and he gets the best aerial view anyone could ask for. And once he scopes me out, it¡¯s game over.¡± ¡°Hmhm, hmhm. Or, a second option, I beat the crap out of you and wish you freed Reina?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± he hissed. ¡°You¡¯re just a low-ranked hunter who got lucky enough to make it to the last round! Do you seriously think you can stand up against a titan shifter like Belhem? Or a master distortionist like Jane? Or a sorcerer like me?! You¡¯re in for a rude awakening, pal, when you realize that this is as good as it gets for you!¡± Sal was getting cocky. He was at my feet, and yet, he continued his monologuing. But I didn¡¯t have time to hear any of that. I snapped my finger and my beast roared, instantly shutting him up. Sal gazed at me defiantly, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He knew I wasn¡¯t bluffing, and judging by his temperament, he wasn¡¯t the type to jump into the fray. Sal was more of a stand in the sidelines and let my tank do all of the heavy work kinda¡¯ guy. He looked fragile and didn¡¯t want to experience pain, but I wasn¡¯t shy about letting him get his servings fresh from the kitchen. ¡°Last chance,¡± I said. ¡°Release Reina, now or later in the White Box. Your choice. You saw what I did to Jane, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to feel that in the morning. So how about it, Tarot Trick Tarzan?¡± B1-CH84: The Finals, Pt.5 Sal remained silent, sharpening his stare. I sighed. ¡°Have it your way.¡± I nodded to my dragon, who opened his massive jaws. Sal¡¯s terrified eyes went wide as he realized what was about to happen. And suddenly, he wailed, ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll release her!¡± I smiled. ¡°Smart choice. And don¡¯t you try doing anything funny. My fire dragon is faster than your quick draw.¡± I released him, and in turn, he broke his card¡¯s spell and released Reina. It was like pulling a bunny out of a hat, Reina springing up the same way she fell in. The girl looked positively dazed and zoned out of it. ¡°You all right?¡± I asked her, only because she had this terrified expression on her face. ¡°Reina?¡± She shuddered. ¡°It was horrible¡­ the tap dancing, the costumes, the endless trolls¡­.¡± I¡¯m sorry, did she say trolls? ¡°It was a musical nightmare from hell¡­.¡± A musical? That dirty son of a bitch¡­ Sal was about to retaliate, using Reina¡¯s distraction as a gateway to attack us. But Reina struck, summoning her scythe and slicing his two cards before he could toss them. I followed up with my dragon, Sal waving his hand desperately for me to stop. I didn¡¯t go easy on him, my dragon swallowing him whole. He belched, and the sound of Sal dematerializing into the box confirmed that he was finally out of our hair. And just in time too, because Reina and I had to move. I was in no mood to deal with Belhem again. Unfortunately, Reina had lost the healing candy I¡¯d given her when Sal had sent her plummeting in his worm hole. I didn¡¯t have another, so we had to manage for now. We were down at the wire now, with four minutes left remaining in the final round. The score was daunting, because Reina, Naomi and I still had only 1 point. We managed to third party Team Cheetah, but Team Hawk ended up getting the point. Team Wolf scored again, and Team Cheetah got their revenge from Team Hawk with a team wipe out. Right now as it stood, we were in last place: Team Wolf: 2 Team Hawk: 1 Team Cheetah: 1 Team Owl: 1 Time: 6:06/10:00 Hawk and Cheetah claimed a few kills from us on purpose to offset the probability of them losing to a tie. Since Team Owl was nefarious for tied battles, this time they made sure we didn¡¯t stand a fighting chance. With under four minutes left on the clock, the only way we were going to secure first place was scoring not only two points, but collecting more kills than Team Hawk. It wasn¡¯t impossible, just as long as we kept our heads in the game and believed¡­. I had an egg in my arm right now as I hustled down a barber shop, trying my best to avoid Fiona from getting her hands on it. Team Cheetah was on my ass, which was better than having Team Hawk or Team Wolf. So I counted my blessings, the other teams duking it out for the other golden egg across the other side of the map. Between fighting these last few minutes and trying to set up traps, my stamina had taken a hard hit. Not only that, I was down two items, my respawn token being one of them. Fiona tossed another explosive arrow as it beelined right over my head, taking out the top shelf behind me as well as the support beam of the shop. I rushed out the back door and found myself in a bank, another whizzing noise following me there. This time, it didn¡¯t explode instantly, which was more nerve wracking than if it did. After that arrow, I heard four more in concession, before the sound of rusty metal creaking stopped me in my tracks.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Wait a minute, the bank was right next to a water tower, wasn¡¯t it? Before I could finish my thought, the bank exploded, and a tsunami scooped me up from right under the wreckage. Canessi and Fiona worked together to try and get the egg from me, but Naomi was there, hovering over my line of view. ¡°Naomi, catch,¡± I shouted, between fits of hacking up water and choking. When I threw the egg in the air, Fiona chased it with another explosive arrow shot, and the unexpected Naomi took a hit. But this time, my team and I stuck together, so as soon as Naomi dropped, Reina was right there to scoop the egg and made a hot dash for the nest. ¡°Fiona, go after her!¡± Canessi cried and Fiona moved. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these two!¡± ¡°Healing service!¡± someone tweeted from the right of us, and there I saw the blue-haired cowgirl Dot ringing the bell round her neck with a glass of milk in her hands. Where the hell did the milk come from?! ¡°I¡¯m full, thanks, doll!¡± Canessi said, at about 50% stam. ¡°Just stand over there and look pretty!¡± I got up from my knees and tried to ignite my flames, my low stamina and wet hands trying to test my limits. Naomi on the other hand had attack on her mind, shifting her attention to harmless Dot. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± the red headed Canessi cawed, encasing Dot in a water bubble. ¡°No one is going to lay one hand on our healer!¡± ¡°Thanks, Canni!¡± Dot beamed in a perky voice. ¡°Must be real neat being able to recharge your stamina,¡± Naomi hissed at Dot as she got up on her feet. ¡°Has me wondering just how many times you can do that without tapping out?¡± ¡°Take a look for yourself!¡± Dot chimed. ¡°I keep my stamina healthy!¡± ¡°And not much else. So tell me, do you like being a servant?¡± Dot took offense. ¡°Hey! I ain¡¯t no cowpoke!¡± ¡°But you are a slowpoke,¡± Naomi said, using the red water tower to whack her with it. When Naomi realized that the water bubble was strong enough to withstand her telekinesis, she turned to Canessi, but Canessi retaliated. Naomi backed off, running and dodging Canessi¡¯s water spears. This was the perfect distraction. I charged in at Dot, and embedded my fingers into the water bubble, trying to break through to it. ¡°AAHHHHH!¡± Dot cried, but it was too late. I broke through, and was now in her safety bubble. Smart Dot tried tossing her arm in the air to get rid of the healing milk, however, I caught her wrist just in time. A few drops managed to escape the glass, but there was more than enough left inside to down the beverage, watching as my stamina bar bounced back up. Shit from 10% to 50%... not half bad at all. ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Dot cried, reaching into her item inventory, but I stopped her. ¡°Before I bench you, I need to know, where does this milk come from?¡± I said with a straight face, my fist still holding onto her wrists. ¡°Because it tastes absolutely amazing!¡± ¡°Uh-erm, if I tell you, will you let me go? Heh?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Man, I almost feel bad for putting you out. See you later, Dot.¡± I karate chopped the back of her neck and she went down like a stack of cards. My HP gauge increased by 100, and now, it was time to chase down Fiona. I left Naomi with Canessi and went on hot pursuit of the smartest of the girls in Team Cheetah. I tapped into my com unit and shot Naomi an order, ¡°We are going to reset Dot¡¯s box time.¡± If Naomi could knock Canessi out at the same time I knocked out Fiona, then we¡¯d reset Dot inside the White Box, and prevent Team Cheetah from scoring on us. That was of course, if they didn¡¯t have an item like Displacer or Respawn up their sleeves. Luckily, Reina managed to lock the egg in its nest, the 60 second countdown starting. Reina also had a protective barrier around the nest sitting on the rooftop of an ol¡¯ western mansion, one of the items from her inventory. I saw Fiona loading the foundation with arrows as I rushed in, and with Dot filling my stamina bar, I summoned a flame cage around Fiona. Six tall pillars of lava scored the skies, entrapping Fiona. She took a step back and looked left and right, realizing there was no way out. ¡°Just hang tight,¡± I said as I walked over to her. ¡°If my timing is accurate, Dot has eight seconds left.¡± She laughed. ¡°This is cute; the three of you are really trying? Sounds like you all did your homework, huh? Well then, there¡¯s no point in fighting it.¡± She looked a little too relaxed in there, Fiona¡¯s ease in her tight situation making me anxious. On top of that, she didn¡¯t detonate her arrows¡­. Regardless, I didn¡¯t have time to speculate on what she was planning, so I tapped into my com unit and gave Naomi the word, hoping she could get rid of Canessi. I took my two fingers and slid them together, instructing my pillars to snap shut. They fused like magnets, resulting in a quick knockout for Fiona. I could hear Reina above letting out a sigh of relief, and I let one out myself. This point wasn¡¯t easy to get, but it was sure as hell easier than the first. ¡°Hang in there, Reina,¡± I shouted, but when I didn¡¯t hear the dematerialization prompt for Fiona, I began to worry. ¡°Don¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch,¡± Fiona said, walking out of my pillars with a film of glowing blue around her. ¡°Didn¡¯ ya mamma ever tell ya that?¡± she taunted in a faux Southern accent, and then, she snapped her fingers. All hell broke loose. The mansion came tumbling down with Reina on top of it. Our egg, our nest, all of it. We were close enough to the explosion to receive damage, though Fiona controlled its range and its trajectory. A mushroom of dust escaped into the air, covering the scene in white. ¡°Gotta love your specialty items! Savior is one of my favorites!¡± Fiona cackled. Savior: deflects damage that would have instantly knocked you to the White Box. Allowed usage per round: 1. Activated within inventory. That sneaky little¡ª ¡°Hey,¡± Canessi said over my head. She levitated up there, looking down at me like a bad omen. She grabbed my head, and whispered over my ears hauntingly, ¡°Did you know that the human body is made out of approximately 70% of water?¡± B1-CH85: The Finals, Pt.6 I panicked when I started to feel dehydrated. The effect went from 0 to 100 in a heartbeat, my arms struggling to reach over my head and snatch her off. They were stiff, and I couldn¡¯t peel her off of me! ¡°Respawn token,¡± Canessi taunted, ¡°I was saving it for an occasion like this. Thanks for settling that egg for us in its cozy nest. We¡¯ll take it from here.¡± The sound of our egg being captured rang through my ears. Reina was sent to the White Box after that explosion, leaving Fiona with just enough time to capture our point. Shit, no¡­ we weren¡¯t going to place! I begged my muscles to move, cursing at this stupid HG immersion systematics! It was too real, making metas like Canessi¡¯s too effective. You mean to tell me that all she had to do was touch me and I was cooked? She was taking my water content, and with two more seconds on the egg timer, all I could do was watch my HP drop. But then, the alarm cut short¡­ ¡°Get off of me!¡± I heard Fiona shout, before Naomi flew out of the rubble, being tossed right into a tree. ¡°Stupid bitch wouldn¡¯t let go of my hair!¡± Fiona cried. Naomi, you didn¡¯t¡­ Naomi groaned, her body slumped on broken twigs and shattered masonry. She was covered in dust and debris, making it hard for me to see her. Fiona however, stood tall across the clearing, her fiery eyes glowering at Naomi, before she looked over to the egg she let go of. ¡°No,¡± she cried, glancing at the crumbled heap burying the nested egg. ¡°No, no, nooo!¡± The time was up, and our point was secured¡­ Holy shit, we were in top two with Team Wolf. Team Wolf: 3 Team Owl: 2 Team Hawk: 1 Team Cheetah: 1 Time: 8:10/10:00 Team Wolf just scored over Team Hawk, Bram and his friends being sent to the White Box. ¡°UGH! You annoying pests!¡± Fiona growled, loading up an arrow at Naomi. ¡°Take a dirt nap, mouse!¡± Fiona pointed her arrow to Naomi, and when she released it, the arrow didn¡¯t fly. In fact, she held onto it, not by choice. Ice formed around her weapon and her arms, before it swallowed her entire body, Bram then leaping in mid-air with the heel of his foot ready to stomp on Fiona. I felt like I had to dial 911 after witnessing that murder. Bram stepped on Fiona and she broke into tiny chunks of ice. She dematerialized and was sent right to the White Box. The crowd gasped, some cheered, but most were simply in awe of Bram¡¯s raw power. ¡°Touchdown!¡± the announcer Magpie bellowed as Bram landed back on the ground, his boot leaving a small crater where Fiona once stood. Canessi finally released me and tried to avenge her friend, while I stood there trying to process how Bram got so strong¡­. Was he using the Meta Roulette item? ¡°We¡¯ve got to stop meeting like this,¡± he said, craning his eerie glare at me. ¡°You ice pick!¡± Canessi cried, charging full speed at Bram. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± Bram summoned two ice blades over his arms¨Chad a whole Sub Zero thing going on. Canessi vs Bram spelled Bram winning every time. Canessi¡¯s talent was water manipulation, and Bram¡¯s was ice. Canessi might as well hand over the win right now, because Bram was running circles around her. Either way, she was running interference for me. Feeling the strength come back to my arms and legs, I detoured around their fight and rushed to Naomi. ¡°Hey, are you all right?¡± I said as I crouched down by her. ¡°I¡¯m out of stamina¡­¡± she admitted regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Canessi¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to apologize, Naomi. Do you have Ghost Stamina equipped?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Take mine.¡± I offered, and Naomi activated it. ¡°This isn¡¯t much. Maybe good enough to run away.¡± ¡°Naomi, listen to me,¡± I whispered to her seriously. ¡°Your HP is low, and right now, we can¡¯t afford you going to the White Box. Reina will be here any moment, but we have a situation in our hands. The last two potential eggs in the map. If Team Cheetah or Team Hawk scores, we¡¯re fucked. We are out of items, but not out of ideas. There¡¯s no way we are going to get first place, but I¡¯ll take second.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Nero?¡± I smiled. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t feel bad. As long as we place, then I¡¯m proud of us. So what I need you to do is go up that tree and help me bring Bram down. Make sure he can¡¯t see you, Naomi.¡± She nodded. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°If we keep Bram preoccupied, then Team Hawk will have a harder time securing that egg. ¡°What about Team Cheetah?¡± ¡°Reina¡¯s got them and Sift, and Yoleeha.¡± Her eyes grew. ¡°You¡¯re banking it all on Reina?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving it on us. Team Wolf would be the type to let Team Cheetah or Team Hawk score just to mess with our placement, but just as long as Reina uses the cloak you gave her, she¡¯ll be able to handle herself until we get there. Team Wolf might be left uncontested on one egg. Understood?¡± ¡°This plan is risky, Nero. We are assuming that Team Wolf won¡¯t engage with Team Hawk and Team Cheetah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only solid plan we got.¡± She paused for a moment and then agreed. ¡°Then, let¡¯s bring it home.¡± Naomi hid inside the tree, Canessi and Bram still going at it. Canessi was on her last licks of stamina, too, but Bram had enough for another round. We had a little over a minute left until the game was over¡­. Bram clapped his hands together and triggered his ice field maneuver, locking Canessi¡¯s legs in place. I used my flames to thaw mine away, but before I could go over there and help her bring Bram down, Bram knocked her out of the arena with a sharp slash across her chest. Thank god for HG-armor¡­ Bram was definitely using an item. He was never able to deliver that much melee damage so quickly before. ¡°So, Meta Roulette, lvl 3 I¡¯m assuming? Your super strength has lasted beyond ten seconds,¡± I said to him, his attention turning to me. ¡°The time I have left is more than enough to get rid of you,¡± he said, engaging his ice blades along his arms again. ¡°Then let¡¯s dance to a song of ice and fire. Your move.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put you in your place, amateur!¡± With a roar, Bram lunged at me, his ice blades after my vital points. I sidestepped his attacks and retaliated with a surge of flame, pushing him back. With a crash, he skidded across the icy terrain, regaining his footing immediately. This was his playground after all, and he maneuvered through it like a pro. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to do better than that,¡± I taunted. But as I said it, a sudden chill seeped into my bones, and I knew Bram was behind it. Frostbite aura¡­. It was an unforgiving ability designed to interrupt my rhythm by draining my warmth, and thus, affecting my flames. The air temp dropped exponentially, to the point where it was hard to breathe. ¡°You¡¯re all brawn and no brains, to step up to me so brave in the face of death!¡± he battle cried, coming up to me with an ice cleaver for my neck. Little did he know, I had someone watching over me in this fight¡­. Naomi tossed Bram and his cleaver away from me, Bram crashing into the skeleton of the mansion. While Bram was down, Naomi picked up pieces of wood from the debris and encircled me with it. As the broken pieces of wood swung around me, Naomi was generating a protective barrier of heat, attempting to counteract Bram¡¯s frostbite aura. Despite the barrier¡¯s thin weave, I could feel the warmth returning to my body, reigniting my dwindling flames. I shot a grateful glance at Naomi, whose face was solid with concentration as she maintained the barrier. Meanwhile, Bram had shaken off the impact of his crash and was back on his feet, snarling with pent-up fury. With my attention back on him, I created my own domain of fire, melting his ice, and making it harder for him to generate more. Back and forth we went, Naomi making it harder on him at every turn. Each attack Bram launched was met with a sharp retaliation from me, and a follow up from Naomi. His attention was split, Bram trying to locate where Naomi was hiding while simultaneously fighting me. Bram summoned an enormous ice spear and hurled it toward me with a speed that he hadn¡¯t demonstrated before. He¡¯d gotten impatient with the back and forth, looking for finisher moves. In response, I drew up walls of fire around me, melting his spear into harmless droplets before it could reach me. ¡°Enough games!¡± he shouted, pushing back with an ice shield. I met his ice shield with a blazing tornado. He matched my energy, summoning an ice whirlwind. When the two forces clashed, they immediately dispersed, but Bram had an attack hiding behind the whirlwind. A volley of ice shards rained down on me, hissing and evaporating as they hit the wall of heat I summoned. The intense steam fogged up my vision, making it harder for me to see Bram. Using my own meta against me, he hid himself. Suddenly, the icy mist cleared, and Bram charged at me, his eyes filled with murderous rage. ¡°I¡¯m not losing to a rookie!¡± he growled, his ice sword connecting with my armor. I registered the pain late, my stamina running dry. Shit, I was so caught up in the fight that I didn¡¯t realize how much of it I was outputting. With one swing, Bram sent me to the White Box, where I didn¡¯t hesitate to use my last respawn token. Again, with Naomi and Reina on different sides of the map, my respawn point was randomized, and thankfully, luck was on my side. ¡°Reina,¡± I whispered through my com as I ran toward her. ¡°Please tell me you have your eyes on an egg?¡± ¡°Positive,¡± she whispered softly, trying not to blow her cover. ¡°Hawk scored...¡± she sulked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nero, but that fight was a lost cause. So I rushed to the Serpent egg.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Just cover me. My stamina is low. I¡¯m going to steal.¡± Ten seconds left: Team Cheetah down, Team Hawk down, and Team Wolf with one man standing. Team Wolf was already in the lead, but they were greedy, going for the same egg Reina was camping. So far, Reina had been perched in her spot with no issues. Her HP bar was full according to my sys board. So all I had to do is rely on her to knock out one dude, Belhem. I had no idea where Reina was positioned to take this shot, but I ran in there like a headless chicken and trusted she¡¯d pull it off. Past the train station and into the central square I went. From the torn up Sheriff¡¯s office lobby area, I saw the nest and Belhem guarding it. Perfect, his stamina was low, which meant that he wasn¡¯t going to go attack titan on me. So I climbed up the window with the broken glass and slid in for the steal. Immediately, Belhem heard the alarm and turned around to find me. Reina followed up with a sniper shot. Holy fuck, he ate the damage! She landed a headshot, indicated by the glowing red spot on the back of his head. The HG-armor registered the blow, but the guy was still standing with 22 HP left. He looked down at me and cocked his fist back to punch my jaw clean off my face, and I couldn¡¯t do anything but sweep kick him. He fell for it, but took little damage. No stamina meant no super strength. He got back up and I blocked my face with my one arm, tensing my muscles on the hand holding that egg. I had mere milliseconds left for the steal, and as Reina¡¯s sniper popped off again, I felt my hand slip from the egg. The buzzer went off, and the tournament was over. B1-CH86: Game Show Prizes Magpie: There you have it, folks! The final buzzer of the tournament! Flamingo: What a spectacular event! Our final results are in! Team Wolf: 1st Place Team Owl: 2nd Place Team Hawk: 3rd Place Team Cheetah: 4th Place Congratulations Team Wolf! My heart stopped¡­. I made it just in time for the buzzer¡­. The crowd went wild. Spectators erupted into howls. Colorful confetti popped off in the sky, and on the big screen afloat, our names flashed in bright neon lights. Cheers, shouts, and songs echoed throughout the stadium, bouncing off the walls and even shaking the very earth beneath our feet. Uncontainable energy surged through the coliseum as fans whooped and waved their team flags high, showing their appreciation for the spectacular event. I was beyond myself as I tried to catch my breath¡­. All together, we were released from full immersion, lining up together in one spot. Bram had his eyes on me and me alone, and I could tell he was boiling under his skin. We¡¯d stolen his win, and everyone who swore he¡¯d defeat us were just as pissed off. I had no counter for him, besides a soft smile, because honestly, there was nothing in the world that could ruin my good mood right now. I was basking in the fact that Reina, Naomi, and I made it to the second top position for the entire tournament! The magnificent Molly Melody swooped in with her hovercraft platform, inviting the two winning teams on it. Team Wolf to her left, and Team Owl to her right. She helped Reina up, taking her hand as she stepped on the platform before she whispered to the side, ¡°You did amazing today, Reina!¡± Reina looked up to Molly like she was some type of angel,lost in her crystal blue eyes. Magpie: Molly Melody is now joining our winners on the hovercraft! This is truly a moment for the history books! Flamingo: Indeed Magpie. All of these teams have shown an outstanding performance. To be part of this experience is truly magical! The craft hummed beneath us, rising with a smooth motion to bring us to the center of the stadium. The crowd roared louder, the awesome noise sending shivers down my spine. Suddenly, the stadium lights hovered over to us, and the crowd¡¯s volume began to taper off. The words GAME OVER glowed on the big screen, and Molly Melody began speaking into her microphone.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Congratulations to Team Wolf and Team Owl for their unbelievable performances tonight! Let¡¯s give our contestants a round of applause!¡± The crowd amplified, and then went silent again to allow Molly to continue. ¡°Before we move on to the awards, let¡¯s have a chat with our champions. Team Wolf, you were the second team predicted to take it home today, with Team Hawk being the first. We saw you out there giving them an immodest beatdown! What plays do you think helped you score over them?¡± She brought the microphone to Sal. ¡°Unbreakable leadership,¡± Sal said, referring to himself. ¡°You have to know when you jump in and when to step back. And Bram, he¡¯s too high sprung. He didn¡¯t know when to sit down, relax, and let his team handle it. He was full of himself, leaving his team out there to babysit while he played hero. But he¡¯s forgetting that this is a team effort. We all have to do our part.¡± ¡°Words of a ferocious hunter!¡± Molly complimented, and then turned to me, the leader of Team Owl. ¡°And Nero, the Airplane Angel!¡± She smiled. ¡°You and your team had a lot of hoops to jump through this tournament! And every time, you came on top! This was no small feat! Being titled the underdogs in this competition, and yet here you are taking second place! That¡¯s quite a statement. How does it feel?¡± The crowd held their breath as I stepped forward, microphone in hand. ¡°It... It¡¯s unbelievable,¡± I stammered, my voice echoing throughout the stadium. ¡°We worked so hard for this moment. We¡¯re just... overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Anyone you want to thank?¡± Molly asked, her dazzling smile never wavering. I felt a lump forming in my throat. Looking around at my team, their faces shining with sweat and pride. ¡°I want to thank Reina and Naomi, my team.¡± Reina smiled, her eyes glassy with tears as she folded her hands to her chest. And Naomi smirked, both of them proud of themselves for our accomplishment. I swallowed hard, and then looked out to the audience, giving them a shout-out, too. ¡°Everyone... everyone who believed in us,¡± I started, my gaze falling on each of them. ¡°My fans out there, thank you. Thank you for not doubting us!¡± They applauded. ¡°And lastly, I want to thank my family for supporting me. I wouldn¡¯t be here without their love. Thank you Mom. Thank you Sophie. You two are the best!¡± ¡°You¡¯re jerking tears right out of my eyes, Nero!¡± Molly tweeted. ¡°Such heartwarming words. Thank you for giving us a competition we¡¯ll never forget! And now, we move onto the most thrilling part of the day: The Prize Presentation!¡± As though on cue, a large opaque capsule slowly descended from above. Applause filled the vast arena once more as Molly continued, ¡°This is more than just a trophy. It is proof of dedication, teamwork and an indomitable spirit. A symbol of your grit, your will to succeed and your ability to soar above the challenges laid in front of you. And, it is an embodiment of the countless hours spent training, strategizing and pushing your limits.¡± She pressed a button on the shell of the capsule and the top of it opened up. ¡°As we continue this tradition, remember that it¡¯s hunters like you who make our league so incredibly special. Each and every one of you define the spirit of this competition. It¡¯s your victory today, Team Wolf! You¡¯ve earned it!¡± Molly turned around and pressed another button and the capsule split apart with a hiss of pressurized air, revealing within it a gleaming and radiant trophy of a platinum dragon¡¯s hand holding an egg. ¡°The dragon, king of predators! The arena is your throne! Let¡¯s give it up one more time for the winners of this season¡¯s Hunter Games!¡± Along with everyone, I clapped for Sal, Belhem, and Jane. Reina and Naomi showed their sportsmanship too, Sal grabbing the trophy and reveling in the glory. He had the spotlight today, and we were all happy for him and his team. B1-CH87: Of Pride and Gluttony, Pt.1 Predemcer Dubois was careful, but he was also very easily influenced by Lady L. As knights of the great lord, we needed to do a better job in protecting our domain, and Dubois had shown that his easily persuasive persona could get in the way of our ultimate mission. I didn¡¯t bother pouring my opinions in the meeting to overpower the seemingly unbreakable duo, because my voice wasn¡¯t as powerful a weapon as my intuition. Instead, I planned on dealing with this issue on my own. That Lady L was just as careless as Dubois, but twice as dangerous. There was a larger plan behind her eyes in that meeting, and her motivations were not as pure as she wanted us to believe. I¡¯d always had a difficult time trusting her, and that never changed. Even when we were back in our own realm, she¡¯d always seemed a float, someone carrying along the surface and making appearances for the sake of. Being flirtatious and frisky was in her nature, but this feeling whenever I was around her was something more troubling than that¡­. No one else but me could see it, her beauty blinding the other members of the elite council. I walked through the halls alone, my leather boots echoing down the stone walls of my palace. As every night, it was quiet, the songs of nature the only sounds to trickle through my windows. The corridors were dimly lit, with just a few torches brightening my marble floors. I had another knight fetch me precious intel that would facilitate my plan to annihilate the anomaly, the same knight that I was on my way to meet in my dining hall. A block away, and I could already hear his ravenous eating from behind the double doors. The smell of sweet cakes and roasted meats wafted through my nose, and when I made my turn into the east wing, the sound grew twice as loud. I pushed open the heavy doors to find the wide yet spry Bors, the more trustworthy of the knights, gorging himself on the food laid out before him. The table was long with various meals I had my servant girls make for him on his arrival¡ª roasted pheasant glazed with honey, venison stew with root vegetables, fresh breads and cheeses, and fresh blood sauce to drizzle over his roasted long pig. Bors looked up from the leg of the pheasant he was voraciously tearing into, grease coating his fingers and bits of food stuck in his beard. He gave me a wide toothy grin. ¡°Predemcer!¡± his raspy voice greeted. ¡°I was beginning to wonder if you¡¯d join me for supper this evening?¡± ¡°We have business to tend to. I wouldn¡¯t miss our meeting.¡± He chuckled, his round belly bouncing. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s unlike you to be late. I¡¯ve already finished four plates on my own! I was getting quite lonely¡­¡± He licked the back of his pudgy fingers, eyeing one of my maids as she took a plate from him filled with bones. His hungry gaze was attached to her as soon as she walked in, the drool falling from the corner of his lips catching her attention. She tensed and jerked her eyes away from him, letting her long strawberry hair hide the worried look across her face. ¡°Down, Bors,¡± I scolded, Bors instantly jumping at my command. The hound dog needed disciplining. I didn¡¯t appreciate him frightening my women. ¡°I told you before, not her.¡± ¡°Oh-ey! Pardon my intrusion, but the fruit is always sweeter when forbidden!¡± I flashed him a small smirk. ¡°You best keep your gluttony at bay for Nalia.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± he mumbled to himself as she sped-walked away, the smile on his face flattening. ¡°Such a waste. She is very pretty. I bet her bones taste like honeydew¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re done, we have pressing matters to discuss,¡± I interjected. He needed to focus on why I brought him here, and I took a seat across from his mess on my table to begin. ¡°This is splendid compensation, Pred.¡± He smiled again, but it was wicked and mischievous. ¡°Give my regards to your cooks for me.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I chuckled as I poured myself a glass of red wine and reeled my back into a casual lounge in my chair. ¡°You want a doggie bag?¡± I smirked, crossing my leg over the other. ¡°If you should be so kind?¡± ¡°If I say yes, will you quit thinking about eating my staff and focus on our issue?¡± He nodded vigorously. ¡°All right then, you can have one cook, of my choosing.¡± He grinned ear to ear as he bounced in his seat, his fingers drumming against each other in a steeple. ¡°And, I want to watch as the others cook em!¡± ¡°Compensation well deserved if you have the intel I¡¯m after.¡± ¡°Oh, but I do¡­.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal.¡± He went back to ravishing his meal, crumbs showering his beard as he ate. After he cleaned his plate, he belched, patting his large stomach before he stood up to rake in his fifth plate from the plethora of food in front of me. Though lacking in manners, Bors made up for it with his skills in gathering information. This wasn¡¯t the first time I sent him out to infiltrate The Vault, a records keeping system that was connected to the H-Tec devices. It had a multitude of purposes, each connecting our networked corporation to the masses. The Vault had information on all of our sectors for each elite head in Organization VII, including Lady L¡¯s. After polishing off his fifth helping, Bors leaned back in his chair and let out a satisfied sigh. ¡°Now then, I suppose you want to hear what I learned about her sector before we share a meal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungrier for information than filler food.¡± He laughed. ¡°There¡¯s only so much flesh I can eat before it gets unbearably boring.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have it. What did you gather?¡± ¡°Nothing different than what Dubois said. Nero Aldeon is a student in his institution. He is stationed in Utoro, Japan, with two other classmates: a Naomi Brunsfield and a Reina Faust. Mentor, Kenji Hayashi. Everything you¡¯d get in a standard file. Along with a multitude of gifts. More than any we¡¯ve seen in our decades. They reside in Hayashi¡¯s estate, a location I have yet to discover. That information isn¡¯t even in The Vault, a request made by Hayashi himself.¡± ¡°And Lady L honored that?¡± I asked. ¡°She did. Now, this team is bunking with another team in the estate. Felix Navarro, Gunther Wolf, and Ashley Braun. All year ones. Nothing too special about them, except for Felix Navarro, one of our moles in the network.¡± ¡°How fresh is this agent?¡± ¡°A few months, but his record is squeaky clean!¡± ¡°No hiccups in a couple of months is not that impressive if you ask me.¡± ¡°The boy is a patriot! Personally, I was impressed at the amount of pacts he gathered for us! If you ask me, he¡¯s a dime a dozen.¡± ¡°Then why is he playing a hunter?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a double agent. We could always use a few good ones.¡± ¡°Do you have his contact information?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Does he have a transcript with Lady L?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, no.¡± ¡°How is that possible if agent Navarro is in her sector? Does she not know?¡± ¡°To be fair, he was recently displaced. He wasn¡¯t a hunter until recently. It is possible that she is unaware of his involvement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excuse. His file fell on her lap, and she¡¯s doing nothing with it. Even after our meeting, you¡¯d think that she¡¯d reach out to him. Navarro is within close proximity of our target. Not pursuing the mole is just careless.¡± ¡°Felix was in Dubois¡¯ sector before he enlisted,¡± he reminded me. ¡°As all gifted are.¡± ¡°He is pardoned. Dubois, covering the US, primarily Xion, excuses him for not connecting Felix with Nero.¡± He grinned. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve kept my end of our deal. Not only have I supplied you a means of locating your target, I gave you an inside man! I am sure you will make good use of Felix Navarro. From the looks of it, he¡¯d been dealing with another agent, and never had the pleasure of reporting to us directly. He¡¯s more of an under the table man, if you will. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d make his day when he realizes Organization VII is paying him a direct visit!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be visiting him,¡± I said. ¡°A simple phone call would just as easily get the job done. Without knowing what we are dealing with, I¡¯d rather we not risk exposure.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he sang, flashing his pearly whites at me again. ¡°Then I take it after this conversation with Felix, you are planning to unite The Shadow Troupe?¡± ¡°The Shadow Troupe was disbanded,¡± I said disappointedly. Two of which died in their last mission.¡± ¡°And the one that survived is unstable and insane as shit!¡± he cried manically, Bors practically unable to contain himself as he shot up from his seat. ¡°Ohhh! Predemcer! You crazy nut! I see that wild look in your eyes!¡± Bors cackled, his fingers grabbing onto the edge of the table as his eyes bulged excitedly out of his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to do it, aren¡¯t you?! You¡¯re going to get the band back together?! Your ultimate meta team! The omega beasts of blood!¡± I snorted. ¡°I have someone in mind I¡¯d like to recruit,¡± I said, thinking back about the recent hunter report in Utoro. It was a car chase down Jinju Highway, and there was a masked girl that immediately caught my attention¡­. ¡°She¡¯ll never replace Omar or Cindara, but Ezer will set them straight.¡± ¡°I have zero doubt that fiend would send them straight to hell!¡± he laughed. ¡°This Nero kid brought out the fire in you, Pred! It¡¯s been a long while since I''ve seen your star team in action!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Sending them after Nero may be overkill, but¡­ I want to make sure the job is done right.¡± B1-CH88: Of Pride and Gluttony, Pt.2 My new team would never be as good as the original. Bors and I talked over dinner about their escapades, retelling their tales that supported his excitement in me bringing them back from hiatus. Ezer had one meta ability, putting him in the lowest ranking meta tier, but one meta ability was all he needed to lay entire cities to ruin. His talent Terror was unstoppable. The ability to turn everyone¡¯s fears against them unmatched. Terror was a toxin he emitted that could control people through madness, turning even the most valiant hunters into shivering, whimpering children. Ezer was not only a mastermind manipulator¡ªhe was also well versed in the art of reservation. He was never without stamina. And truthfully, he had no reason to be. With the ability to make just about anyone do what he wanted, the world was his weapon. The first instant I heard of Ezer in Xion, I jumped on the opportunity. All I needed was a little devil in him, and I made him into my perfect slayer. With his strong meta came an ego that was downright maddening and chaotic. He saw himself as a god, and had even gone against me a few times before I put him in his place. But my pride was unbreakable, and after conditioning him, I created a slave out of a scoundrel. Even so, he still had his rebellious episodes, the last of which made me pull him from service. The Shadow Troupe had an assignment that resulted in Ezer using his team to defend himself from the target, thus, resulting in their deaths. After that, I couldn¡¯t trust him working with others, but this issue with Nero Aldeon had made me reconsider letting him out of Pandora¡¯s box. With the elegance of a drunk bear from his chair, Bors pardoned himself and went to the bathroom. I warned him about going to my kitchen, reminding him that I was the one who¡¯d choose his doogie bag selection. He gave me a very unconvincing scout¡¯s honor before he left, but I didn¡¯t let it concern me. Bors was a loyal and trustworthy friend, where even his gluttony wouldn¡¯t come between us. Which was a lot to be said for a man like him¡­. In his absence, I took the information he gave me and phoned Felix Navarro. I got off my seat and into the balcony of my dining hall, with the full moon over my head. My number would be blocked for this double agent posing as a pact dealer and hunter, so I was hoping he¡¯d pick up the phone and answer. After a few rings, I became doubtful, until I heard panting on the other end, followed by an, ¡°I told you not to call me, you jackass!¡± he hissed. ¡°Lose my number!¡± ¡°You have mistaken me for someone else,¡± I said, the sound of my voice making him quiet. ¡°Who is this?¡± he said, his voice giving off a faint hint of fear. ¡°Predemcer of the Org,¡± I answered. ¡°Is this Felix Navarro?¡± ¡°Is this a prank?¡± He asked cautiously. ¡°How did you get my number?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, who did you think I was when you first answered?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer that question until you answer mine,¡± he insisted. ¡°How else would I have gotten your phone number?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hanging up¡ª¡± ¡°Do it and Sara in Syracuse will be losing a finger for every day of the week,¡± I threatened. ¡°But I will leave her middle finger, that way she could flick you off for making a target out of her.¡± He went quiet again, this time, the duration was much longer¡­ ¡°I need proof¡­ That you¡¯re really him¡­.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Video call, right now.¡± ¡°What difference would a video call make? Shadow walkers can shape shift.¡± ¡°Oh no, I can tell. I got a sixth sense for that shit.¡± I grunted, but I honored his request, just as long as I could see him in return. When I turned the camera on, we exchanged glances, Felix studying my features making me weary. ¡°You sure sound a lot like him. I can¡¯t say you look like him since I¡¯ve never¡­¡± he gasped, the realization finally hitting him. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m so, so sorry!¡± he apologized. ¡°Listen, I thought you were Ramus calling in to haggle me, I had no idea you were legit!¡± I scrunched my face at him. ¡°Seriously, excuse the disrespect. I didn¡¯t mean to attack you like that. God, my heart is racing, though! I can¡¯t believe an elite is giving me a call! The most badass elite at that! Respectfully, of course.¡± ¡°I appreciate the praise, but I didn¡¯t call you to have my ego stroked. I called on business.¡± He heaved, Felix so excited he was having trouble keeping up with his breaths. ¡°B-b-business? With me? Like in, what, a mission?¡± ¡°You can call it that, yes.¡± ¡°Whatever you need,¡± he said ambitiously, ready to exact my every command. Maybe Bors was right about this kid. For a human, he did have a lot of promise in him. As a pact agent, he knew the true nature of our business¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, I also wanted to let you know that I got rid of a leak,¡± he added. ¡°A leak? ¡°Someone had put up a website putting all of our business out there. The spells, the cult magic, the truth. Everything! I thought we had people on top of that, but someone slipped up and allowed the internet to eat all of that shit up. The website had traffic.¡± ¡°A website?¡± ¡°It was massive.¡± ¡°Apparently, not big enough to garner our attention.¡± ¡°Either way, you don¡¯t have to worry about it! I got it all taken care of.¡± ¡°You followed the IP address of the admin?¡± ¡°Yeah. Like I said, I took care of it,¡± he said behind a grin, feeling awfully proud of himself. He was inches away from asking me for a merit badge, but he wouldn¡¯t get one. I wanted to interrogate this character myself, and I let Navarro know that. ¡°You¡¯re in no position to handle Org matters without instruction,¡± I retorted, the smile on his face sinking. ¡°Judging by your ownership of the issue, you handled it by digging him a grave out back. If you had any sense, you would have reported him to us promptly.¡± ¡°S-sorry to interject, Predemcer, but, I don¡¯t have a way to reach out to¡ª¡± ¡°Who signed your pact?¡± ¡°R-Ramus¡­¡± ¡°The same man who you¡¯re trying to avoid? The same man who has recently been confirmed dead.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± ¡°Your contract will be transferred to another dealer, and this time, I will be monitoring your behavior.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°If you misstep, the terms of your pact activates. It is instantaneous. You are aware of that, aren¡¯t you?¡± He lowered his head. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°This replacement of my choosing is your contact with me and me alone. You call him if things of our concern need addressing. You don¡¯t go out there and handle it on your own volition. With the source of the website dead, we have no way of knowing how information like that leaked. Whether a pact gone bad, a betrayal or a double agent, we are left in the dark. You understand the severity of this, Navarro?¡± He nodded, ¡°I-I understand, Predemcer. And it won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°It better not. You will report to your new handler immediately. His name is Lucius Welmer. You have one hour.¡± ¡°And, the mission? My special assignment?¡± ¡°How close are you to Nero Aldeon?¡± His shoulders slumped. ¡°So, this is about Nero? The guy with the five metas?¡± ¡°Answer the question.¡± ¡°Pretty close. Our assignments are in the same location.¡± ¡°Where?¡± He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°I thought the Org would know where hunters are stationed.¡± I gave him a dark glare. ¡°We are at the dojo,¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°In Kenji Hayashi¡¯s dojo out in the mountains. I can give you the coordinates if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°I will take those coordinates from you. In the meantime, I want you to keep tabs on him for me. You will send me your report every evening without fail. My contact details will be forwarded shortly.¡± ¡°All right. Is there... um, anything about him that I should be worried about?¡± The question was unexpected, but not completely without merit. So I played with it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, is there?¡± He chuckled nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t know. It¡¯s why I¡¯m curious, really. Because, as far as I know, no one has ever had that many gifts. Had me thinking that something¡¯s off with him.¡± ¡°Off in what way?¡± ¡°Nothing I could pinpoint, exactly.¡± ¡°Then if you¡¯re done wasting my time, I¡¯ll take those coordinates from you.¡± ¡°Wait, one last thing. How did Ramus die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no concern of yours right now. When the public knows, so will you.¡± B1-CH89: Lord of Chaos, Pt.1 Nero Money was such a powerful tool. I¡¯d always known that, and unfortunately, I had experienced how hard things could get without it. Even when dad was there, life was never easy. We were still broke, not as broke as we were before my hunting career, but still broke enough to worry about tomorrow. Having empty pockets was one thing, but having a broken home was another battle. Mom and Dad had fought a lot. The financial burden was heavy on Dad, however for him, it was never something he could ever fix on his own. He jumped jobs a lot, trying to fund his dreams of owning his own business. No one really knew what that business was about, but hell, he went for it hard. He took out loans, and then more loans to pay off those loans. Mom called him selfish, because he could have been using those loans to fix our problems. Later on, we realized that he was laundering money and doing a whole bunch of illegal shit that could get him behind bars. By the time the truth came out, it was too late. The debts were overwhelming and the authorities were closing in. Mom got tired of it, afraid that he¡¯d do something as crazy as selling the house to get his ass out of the fire. Her patience had tolerated a lot, until one night, enough was enough. She gave him an ultimatum: to shape up or pack up. That night was the last time I¡¯d seen him,. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think Mom even knew he was going to walk out that door and never come back. We waited days, and those days turned into weeks, months and years. After year three, she gave up, but I¡¯d long buried the possibility of him coming back. In fact, I remembered the point when I didn¡¯t want him back. The day the house was foreclosed, and we had to claw our way into an apartment. It became an endless fight of survival for us. Every day was a challenge, and every meal a victory won. Things got scary fast, and Mom had to take on different hats just to keep us afloat. The mountain of medical bills, utility bills, and the constant threats of eviction notices tied to the doorknob¡ªthese were all things that were as commonplace to me as the air I breathed. I¡¯d hated Dad for so long, and every time I thought about him, I felt like a different person. I¡¯d surge up with anger, this deep hatred growing and festering inside of me, hot and fast and sharp. He was a coward, a selfish foolish coward to walk out on us like that, knowing we could have ended up in the streets. Just so he could chase his stupid dreams. But now¡­ I had my own dreams. Dreams of taking control when he wouldn¡¯t. Dreams where my family wasn¡¯t only surviving but thriving. Dreams that involved me taking on contracts, stalking monsters, and saving lives. Hunting was more than just a career. It was a lifeline, a way to put food on our table, and to help Mom and Sophie get everything they deserve. Especially Mom. She was a pillar throughout all those years. She juggled jobs like a circus performer, never letting one ball drop. And if she did, you best believe that she¡¯d pick it up and try all over again. It was just who she was. She¡¯d be damned if she didn¡¯t give something her all. One hundred percent every time. Though, that same perfectionist and tenacious attitude of hers was the very thing that was going to force her into an early retirement, or worse. Stress, as the doctors had put it, was wreaking havoc on her health, making her sick more often than not. I remembered the first time she couldn¡¯t get up to make breakfast. I tried my best to replicate her famous pancakes, ending up with something that looked more like a batch of sad scrambled eggs. Mom was a good sport about it, but that was when I noticed she started coughing a lot. She loved to blow off the idea that she was getting worse, but I could tell that she was worried. So she pushed on, searching for more jobs, and finding extra work to do online, just so she could distract herself from her deteriorating health. It was a testament to her strength, a reflection of her sacrifice. I admired her in ways words could never express. For everything she¡¯d done for me and more. And now, it was my turn to take care of her. Naomi, Reina and I didn¡¯t make first place in the tournament, but a bunch of rookies making second? Yeah, I¡¯d take that. Since we participated in this season, we¡¯d have to wait for the one after the next to try our luck at the grand prize again. Though, with the money I earned for second place, I didn¡¯t hear any complaints from the fam. Speaking of earnings, we all agreed to dropping the bet between Felix, Ash, and Gun¡ªmy idea. With their loss, they were sure to lose. Reina, Naomi and I were already raking up sponsors for our 2nd place victory in the tournament. It just wouldn¡¯t be fair for Felix and his team to wait on participating again just to lose. So the bet was set between Reina and I, Naomi still sitting it out. I had a grin on me only a villain could wear, and I couldn¡¯t wait to cash in my split of Reina¡¯s donations after rubbing it in her face! All in good fun, I thought, before I checked my system board for my current status:
Career Level: 1
Name: Nero Aldeon Hunter Attributes:
Gender: M HG-Vitality: --
Age: 18 Endurance: 11
Rank: Silver Strength: 11 (+50 meta boost)
Fame: 47%Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Agility: 8
Infamy: 0% Dexterity: 4
HG-HP: 0
Stamina: 110/110
Specialties: Super Strength Mental Immunity Physical Invulnerability Flame Manipulation Thermoreception Squadron: Beta1-UJP
Sponsor Count: 2,165
Mentor: Kenji Hayashi Assignment Location: Utoro, Japan
Fame Points: 1280 (FPs Accumulated): 7,000 Items: 15
HG-Respawn Token: 0 Currency: 123400 Yen
I had over 2,000 sponsors! Not only that, my second place in the competition boosted me up to Silver Rank. My hunter¡¯s license just got an upgrade! Thinking about our win brought a smile to my face as I walked over to the river at midnight. I had a feeling that was where I¡¯d find Naomi, and sure enough, there she was. She sat along the bank alone, not stargazing, but pondering as she stared down the river with her knees pinned to her chest and the spring breeze flirting with her hair. My steps along the leaves on the ground gave me away, but she didn¡¯t turn around. Somehow she realized it was me as she said, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep again?¡± I snorted. ¡°Who said anything about sleep tonight? I just might stay up until the morning after a day like today.¡± I crouched next to her with my arms handing over my knees and asked her, ¡°Mind if I keep you company?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± I sat down by her and tried to see what she was looking at out there beyond the river. She looked so focused that I was almost reluctant to ask her what she was thinking about, until she said, ¡°I got myself checked out.¡± ¡°Without me, huh?¡± ¡°It was nothing, just like I told you. If you don¡¯t believe me, the test results are on my bed.¡± I snickered. ¡°Nah, I believe you. Thanks for doing that, Naomi. It gives me a piece of mind in knowing that you¡¯re okay.¡± She paused. ¡°Nero, have you ever thought about doing something other than hunting monsters?¡± ¡°You mean, when I retire?¡± ¡°No. I mean, right now.¡± ¡°Never. Hunting is all I ever wanted to do.¡± I crossed my arms with my elbows on my knees, looking out into the distance where the trees framed the horizon over the river. ¡°I don¡¯t care that we have options. The people who are against the corporation just don¡¯t understand. They say, Young lives are ruining their futures by pursuing hunting, and getting themselves killed for money. Instead of growing up and being someone useful in society. What has the world come to? I say those people are narrow-minded. I bet they don¡¯t consider how much harder things would be if we weren¡¯t out there putting those monsters in their place.¡± She turned to me. ¡°So, you really love what you do?¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s the best job in the world, Naomi. You can give me a list of options¡ªdoctor, lawyer, hell, even a CEO of a multi-million dollar e-commerce empire, I¡¯ll pick being a hunter every time. Hunting is what I live for.¡± She remained quiet, her gaze turning to the bubbling waters of the river. Even though she didn¡¯t reply, I could tell from her vibe that she was deep in thought. ¡°You must really enjoy protecting them¡­.¡± ¡°Them?¡± ¡°I mean, us¡­ people.¡± ¡°More than enjoy it, Naomi, I feel compelled to. They need us. We¡¯re the line between them and a world where these monsters run our streets,¡± I said with a passion that made my heart swell up in my chest. ¡°We hunt so they can live in peace, blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking just out of sight. And sometimes, the dangers are just around the corner.¡± I turned away from her and contemplated further on her question. ¡°The adrenaline rush, the thrill of victory, the satisfaction of safeguarding innocents¡ªnothing compares to it.¡± ¡°You can be so corny sometimes,¡± she said with blunt sarcasm in her voice, making me break out in a laugh. I turned my attention to her, studying her profile in the soft moonlight. ¡°All right then, what about you?¡± I asked. ¡°Have you thought about doing anything else?¡± Naomi shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted truthfully. ¡°This life of serving others¡­ it¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever known. Doing anything different seems so intimidating.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Anything¡­.¡± ¡°You have to have something specific in mind.¡± ¡°I... I actually like gardening,¡± she said, the moonlight dancing in her eyes as she admitted her secret passion. ¡°I know it sounds stupid, especially compared to the intense life we live. But there¡¯s something about growing things, nurturing them, seeing them come to life¡­.¡± She trailed off, looking a little shy. I was surprised, but also delighted. ¡°Gardening? Who would have imagined it? You, the fierce hunter, with a green thumb.¡± I chuckled at the beautiful irony of it all. ¡°It¡¯s not stupid. In fact, you should see if Master Hayashi would mind you helping him with his masterpiece. Is that why you always meditate in the greenhouse?¡± ¡°Part of why.¡± She smiled lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ask¡­ I never gave it any real consideration. More than helping around the dojo, I¡¯d like to have a garden of my own, on a piece of land with a small house, planting sunflowers, lilies, roses, mums¡­. Whatever can grow. I¡¯d love to see them bloom, one at a time. I¡¯d like to make something pure and precious for once¡­.¡± I listened to her speak, and the warmth in her voice touched me. It was as if she were saying these dreams of hers aloud for the first time. Here was Naomi, who could bring down a man twice her size with her gift, dreaming of simple things like flowers and a white picket fence. The dichotomy was endearing. ¡°Your plan sounds awesome, Naomi,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°You should do it. There¡¯s more to life than just survival and combat.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to create something else too, Nero,¡± she said, her voice gently lowering to barely a whisper. I smiled. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re trying to nurture, I¡¯m sure you can do it. Is it something that maybe I can help with?¡± She snapped her head at me, and her face went red. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was something I said, but Naomi looked totally flustered. ¡°I... um¡­.¡± She began to fumble over her words, her eyes now looking away from mine. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. I scratched the back of my head and gave a sheepish chuckle. ¡°Hey, sorry if I said something to embarrass you, but¡­ it almost sounds like you¡¯re asking him to be your husband¡­.¡± Naomi went pale, and I sucked my teeth. Tsk Tsk Tsk¡­ ¡°Poor, desperate Circessa . Still clutching onto hope, like your old days in the pit? I thought Sevv had beaten that last itch of humanity out of you. But I guess you¡¯ll always be a rambunctious and rebellious student who refuses to learn.¡± I grinned, my voice emulating a gravelly reverberating roughness. ¡°Or maybe¡­ you just need a better teacher?¡± B1-CH90: Lord of Chaos, Pt.2 Lord Agonmeir Naomi jumped on her feet and backed away from me, afraid that I¡¯d finally taken down her walls and broke free from this bloke. ¡°Now, don¡¯t be rude. That¡¯s no way to welcome your king. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not at my best, or I would have shown you where you belong, at my feet¡­.¡± I got up slowly, adjusting to Nero¡¯s body. The effort of getting off the ground was surprisingly taxing, something so simple exerting more energy than it should. I was still adapting to freedom, sensations and feelings hitting me all at once. But shit did it feel good to finally be free! I flexed my fingers into a fist, noticing that they were veinier. I took on a slight mass, and my fingernails were sharper and pitch black. When I turned to the reflection of myself in the river, I noticed that I¡¯d gained some of my features back, too. From my sanguine eyes to my royal insignia markings on my face that trailed down to my navel. My skin was still painfully pale, but I still had a long way to go from looking my best. I couldn¡¯t expect much on my first try, so I patted myself on the back, before Naomi started to mutter her spells under her breath. ¡°Shhh,¡± I warned her, putting a finger to my lips. ¡°We won¡¯t have any of that. You put me back into your box, and I just might get angry and¡­ who knows? Nero here could end up missing a limb.¡± She stuttered, ¡°H-how, did you¡ª¡± ¡°I can ask you the same thing!¡± I said, grinning ear to ear. ¡°Now, don¡¯t get me wrong. I knew you were powerful, but being able to bring me from the grave and keeping me caged up in this worthless vessel? Cess, I never knew your talents could reach such heights. I must admit, I am impressed.¡± Naomi clenched her fists, her lips forming a thin line as she glared at me. ¡°You know nothing of my strength. You never did!¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± I replied with a dismissive wave of my hand. ¡°Your strength lies in your invocations and enchantments. It¡¯s really quite something I¡¯ve never managed to understand. Your magic is a true work of art. And I envy you for it. But wasting your talents and your time on this annoying, righteous, super hero, meta stealing wannabe?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Now, that¡¯s just flat out embarrassing. It pains me to see a witch like you soften up to him like that. I¡¯d like to create something else, too,¡± I mocked her in a pitchy voice. ¡°Oh, I bet you would! Is that the kind of fantasy that runs through your head nowadays, Cess? Living in wonderland with your cute little garden, in your quaint little house, with Nero fathering your cute little kids?¡± ¡°You get his name out of your mouth!¡± she threatened. I stuffed a hand in my pocket and shrugged. ¡°Or what?¡± I scoffed as I stroked my chin, eyeing her up and down. ¡°You know, I¡¯m beginning to regret making you my pet. Maybe I should have made you one of my concubines. A woman with power like yours, well¡­ let¡¯s just say I would have treated you a whole lot nicer. Being nice to you clearly has its perks.¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes sparked with fury. ¡°I am no one¡¯s pet or concubine! Least of all yours!¡± she spat, her voice getting louder on me. I laughed, ¡°Such defiance! With all the things I made you do back home, I could only imagine how long you¡¯ve been holding that one in your back pocket!¡± I said, a lopsided grin splitting my face. ¡°But you know, you really should work on hiding your feelings better. It¡¯s all over your face; everyone knows how much you care for him. And me, I have to see it every day¡­¡± I finally frowned. ¡°It¡¯s sickening.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done being your slave! I am free now, and I get to make my own rules!¡± ¡°Free? You¡¯re far from it. You¡¯re not only a slave to this cage you created for me, but you¡¯re a slave to your own careless emotions, too. You didn¡¯t think this plan of yours through, did you? You infuse my soul into Nero¡¯s body to save him from dying a horrible and gruesome death, recite a bunch of shit to keep me caged up, and then you seal the deal by casting a spell on me to keep my essence from eating him from the inside out. But you didn¡¯t bank on my powers spilling through the cracks of your enchantment. I leaked out, despite your efforts.¡± I raised my hand and stretched out my fingers. ¡°Five specialties of many. You had no idea¡­. It¡¯s not your fault, you didn¡¯t know. So you obsessed and obsessed until you found something that worked. And now, Nero hasn¡¯t gotten more of my powers. You¡¯ve managed to shut me out, at least, temporarily.¡± I cackled. ¡°You know me, Cess, I¡¯m a very impressionable demon lord. Tenacious too. And you know I won¡¯t stop until I get what I want.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I strode toward her, the curves of my lips still self-assuredly cocked in an impish grin. Naomi flinched as I drew nearer, like a terrified fawn bracing itself against a lion. She didn¡¯t try to defend herself, her love for this vessel prohibiting any sudden movements on her part. But the fact of the matter was that I couldn¡¯t hurt a hair on this vessel¡¯s head¡ªnot yet. I needed to find a way to escape him first, or I¡¯d be lost between the limbo of life and death. Maybe she hadn¡¯t realized I was bluffing. All the better for me. I tilted my head to the side, studying her in the moonlight. She was even more defiant when furious, and I enjoyed goading her more than anything else. ¡°You honestly think you are fit for this world, and it¡¯s sad. After all the evil you¡¯ve done, you are fighting for a second chance. This set up for failure and disappointment, it¡¯s beyond me. You¡¯re a demon, and you¡¯ll be nothing more than a demon. When Nero finds out, do you seriously think he¡¯d forgive you for lying to him?¡± ¡°Stop¡­.¡± Her voice shook. ¡°Sure, you might have gotten him the powers he desperately wanted, but at what cost?¡± ¡°I saved his life!¡± she cried. ¡°He¡¯s not going to see it like that. In fact, he won¡¯t see any of it once the truth is out there. The friendship that you built, the trust and loyalty. All of that will become irrelevant when he realizes you¡¯re no different than the monsters he kills for a living. You¡¯re reaching for something that will never come to be. A human would never live in harmony with a demon. We are the by-products of the things they hate! Greed, lust, envy, pride, gluttony, sloth, and wrath. And Nero, someone who hardly has a corrupt bone in his body, would hate you even more. Talk about making my life in here a living hell. His pure soul is eating away at my existence, corroding a piece of me bit by bit.¡± I shuddered. ¡°I get nauseous every time I think about it. Did you know that I¡¯ve been trying to get him to take a bite out of Reina?¡± Her eyes blew up. I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, and that good natured spirit of his would fight back every time. That dumbass is in so much denial, that it¡¯s making my job so much¡ª¡± Naomi leaped, throwing a punch at me. She caught me off guard, and I nearly fell on my ass as I tried holding my weight at the heel of my foot. I¡¯d gotten her upset¡ªclearly she didn¡¯t know how much I¡¯d been messing with him. When I felt something trickling down the corner of my lip, I ran my fingers over my skin, looking down at the warm streak of red. ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s interesting¡­ I¡¯m¡­ bleeding¡­.¡± ¡°You leave him alone!¡± she barked at me. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think of me. I don¡¯t even care about what you think of Nero! You can stand here and say whatever you want about him, he¡¯s not your typical vessel! He¡¯s a vessel strong enough to contain you! If he¡¯s been resisting you this much, then that means he¡¯s so far from sin that you can¡¯t even reach him! He¡¯s not dumb, and he¡¯s not weak! He¡¯s the smartest and strongest person I know! And if I had to save him all over again, I will!¡± she cried, streaks of tears rolling down her face. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t deserve a second chance. Maybe I¡¯m so rotten that no amount of good can redeem my past. But if I have one thing to keep on fighting for, it¡¯s him. He will conquer you and own your powers¡­.¡± She seethed through her teeth. ¡°He will make you wish you¡¯d never spawned from the belly of your filthy realm! Nero will bring what¡¯s left of your kingdom to the ground!¡± She triggered me, my arm reaching over to snatch that thin little neck of hers! But she stopped me with her powers, and before I could say anything, a red glowing ring with script along the inlays began to rotate around my feet. ¡°You¡¯ve lost it!¡± I growled. ¡°All of this for the love of one insignificant insect?! You think this will make you feel better about yourself at night? After all of those people you killed! After all of the suffering you caused! You¡¯re delusional if you think your twisted vision of redemption will make any difference in the future! You can¡¯t erase your sins, Circessa. Even a thousand lives saved... it won¡¯t bring back the ones you¡¯ve ended!¡± I growled. ¡°This world is mine! Obrihden will soon learn to bow down to me! And so will the rest of you good for nothing, low-bred demons!¡± ¡°Anah-saie!¡± she cried, the markings along my skin glowing. I felt a symbol carve on my forehead, and before I knew it, I was on my hands and knees, resisting her magic. ¡°You hopeless bitch¡­.¡± I grunted. ¡°Always underestimating my power. You think your spells can break me? Oh, how little you know me, Cess. Or should I say, how little you remember. You can¡¯t keep this up forever! I see the toll it¡¯s taking on you¡­ that blood coming from your brain¡­ my power is working you down!¡± ¡°You will heel, Agonmeir, dragon demon, lord of fire, brother of ice. Relinquish your authority to me!¡± Ignoring the agonizing burn that spread from my forehead through my veins, I fought her spell. It was doing me no good. She stretched her hand over my head, power permeating her body. I hated the way she looked down her nose at me! That wrench! I was still very weak, and she was quickly bringing me down. ¡°I heel to no one.¡± I smirked. ¡°Just you wait. When it¡¯s time to dispose of this body, I will hold you down and make you watch me pull the skin off his bones. And then, I¡¯ll shove his flesh down your throat while you choke on your hexes!¡± ¡°Anah-saie!¡± she shouted again, and I curled up. It felt like a shit ton of weight was on my back, and I was trying to keep myself from being crushed. ¡°And then¡­ Cess¡­ weaver of spells, curator of my demise¡­.¡± I snickered maddingly. ¡°I will show you a torment like no torment you¡¯ve ever seen before¡­.¡± ¡°Ahi-stei!¡± she said, sealing my fate. I felt my essence being dragged into the depth of this body, and I was tucked away before I could say another word.