ã€ŠDual Soul [Discontinued]ã€‹


 Prologue: A Burning World

    5000 years ago

    The world burnt. It usually did, nowadays. Wild fires raged across the Ash plains, flames that would roar for years at a time. The bodies had stopped decaying long ago. Demons and Angels locked in an eternal war, their weapons entagled in each other as they died.

    Judgement stood on a hill over looking the battlefield, great sword nestled in his hands. He was oblivious to the burning ash that fell around him. The hot ashes burnt the very ground, but he stood defiant, glistening golden wings streched behind him, flowing in the burning wind. A thousand swords, spears and axes laid sprawled out on the battlefield before him, remnants of a battle previously fought.

    Avenger approached Judgement. He was covered in blood from the recent battle, and one of his wings was clipped, badly. He stepped up to his commander, taking a spot next to him, gazing out towards the battlefield.

    "This was all my fault, wasn''t it?" Judgement said, not bothering to look at his companion.

    "We are avenging Mercy." Avenger replied.

    Judgement said nothing.

    "I destroyed our home. And I destroyed this world. The one Mercy loved so much." Judgement sighed. "So many of our brothers and sisters have died. This war has waged for well over three hundred years, with no end in sight."Stolen story; please report.

    "We are doing this for Mercy." Avenger replied, resolute. "These monsters must die. They deserved to be wiped from the face of this world."

    "At what cost, my old friend?! At what cost?! Our home world lays barren. Battles only end in stalemates. And the Demon King still lives on." Judgement said, gripping onto to his blade tightly. "I don''t know if I can keep this up. In my rage, I caused this endless war."

    "Like I said.." Avenger stopped himself. He noticed the brokeness in his friend''s eyes. Judgement refused to take his eyes of the battlefield. "We must go soon commander. We must lick our wounds and prepare for our next battle."

    "My sister loved this world." Judgement said. "She loved the blue skies. She loved the rolling green fields." He sighed. Ash covered the landscape, a pattern of black and gray.

    "My friend. We must fight. It''s what gives our dead comrades meaning. We must avenge them." Avenger assured.

    "The Demon King. He''s just across this field." Judgement said. "All I have to do is slay him. And this war may come to an end."

    "I would advise against that my friend." Avenger said, looking Judgement in the eyes. "You are indeed one of the most powerful angels in Michael''s court. However, the Demon King can match Michael in battle. Even you would die."

    "But, with his death, we would win." Judgement said.

    "You''ll die." Avenger said.

    "I''ll pay for my sins." Judgement said.

    "You..."

    "I''m going." Judgement said, folding his wings. "It''s like you said. I''m avenging Mercy."

    Avenger said nothing.

    "Remember me." Judgement said. "If I do not return."

    Avenger nodded. His companion gusted his wings, soaring into the air, glistening sword reflecting off the pale red sun. He soared across the battlefield, headed towards his opponent, the Demon King.

    Avenger drove his sword into the ground, watching his companion go. He sat, and waited for his friend. He waited for a long time.

 Demon Hunter I

    Five Thousand years later

    ¡°You need to stop getting up five minutes before school starts. It¡¯d be more responsible if you actually gave yourself time in the morning!¡± Was the first thing Koryn said to me as I entered the school gates, mere seconds before they closed. ¡°Look at yourself! Your uniform¡¯s a mess!¡± She pouted. ¡°Didn¡¯t I iron it for you yesterday?¡±

    ¡°I wore it yesterday, so it got baggy.¡± I said, holding back a yawn.

    Koryn was an old friend of mine. Her thick brim glasses were her trademark that hid her evergreen eyes, so too were her pigtails which kept her long red hair in place.

    ¡°You¡¯re suppose to hang it up when your done wearing it.¡± She scolded some more, wagging her finger at me.

    I shrugged, putting my earbuds back in, cranking up my music. Lately I¡¯ve been a fan of alternative rock. It gets my blood pumping this early. Koryn continued to nag me; her voice drowned out by the sound of the guitar riff.

    Koryn suddenly freezed up, before nudging my arm hard. I turned to around, coming face to face with the class president. I pulled out one ear bud.

    Kurahara Tsukihi was a typical cold-hearted beauty. Compared to mine, her uniform was neatly pressed, to the point she could practically cut you the creases. Her black hair was neatly kept, tucked behind her ears. She stared me up and down with her icy eyes, clearly not impressed with the state I had come in.

    ¡°Aidan Crow, showing up again both tardy and with an embarrassing uniform.¡± She said, clicking her tongue as she jotted something down on her clipboard.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Thank you.¡± I took the slip. It was another uniform fine, about twenty Alms. The penalty starts at five, and increases by five each time you slipped up. My goal was to reach a hundred by the end of the year.

    ¡°You¡¯re an embarrassment to this school, you know that.¡± She said, giving me a look of disgust.

    ¡°You should get your grandpa to kick me out.¡± I shot back, waving her off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. I heard how you did on the qualifiers. A complete zero.¡± She made a 0 with her fingers. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to graduate at this rate. Consider it a favor that I even bother to correct a lost cause like you at this point.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯m honored. Now if you excuse me, Miss president, I have to get to class. Don¡¯t wanna be late and get another fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about him!¡± Koryn apologized frantically.

    ¡°Miss Vell, I don¡¯t know why you even bother associating with him.¡± Tsukihi sighed. Koryn bowed, before running after me.

    ¡°Why do you do that?¡± Koryn asked me as we walked together to class.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have any stake being at this school anyway.¡± I said. ¡°You saw how I did. 0. No potential.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Your good at sports¡­ if anything¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop. I stopped bothering about it already.¡±

    ¡°You can at least bolster your score by studying a bit. If you get really good grades, I guarantee you can at least get a score of 25 through academics alone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡± I snapped, grabbing her by the arm. ¡°What good is studying when I¡¯m fighting up against a demon?¡±

    Koryn conceded, looking down on at her feet.

    Here at Anastrid Academy, students learn how become demon hunters. Demons had been mankind¡¯s mortal enemy since Anastrid had created us. They are monsters that feast on our flesh, hunting us from the shadows. A select few individuals, known as Demon Hunters, protect the dominion of mankind. However, to become a Demon Hunter, one must have three things. Athletic ability, academic prowess, and the magical potential. However, without the last one, one cannot hope to fight against a demon. And of course, magical potential is the one thing I lacked.

    ¡°Without magic, I won¡¯t be able to kill a demon. I can¡¯t use a Divine weapon either.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s why I don¡¯t see the point of trying. Academics, training, it doesn¡¯t matter. I can¡¯t become a Demon Hunter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty athletic though. It¡¯s one of your good points.¡± Koryn said, trying to reassure me.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the only reason I haven¡¯t been thrown out yet.¡± I sighed. ¡°Too bad pure athletic ability doesn¡¯t count towards score.¡±

    ¡°Magical potential, academic ability, and martial arts.¡± Koryn said, counting with her fingers. ¡°Those three, in order from greatest to least factor into your score.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think martial arts would be a little higher at least. I¡¯d actually bother learning some if it was worth more.¡± I said.

    ¡°Even a gifted martial artist still only amounts to about 40.¡± Koryn replied. ¡°In contrast to a powerful magic user, If one is powerful enough in that one aspect, it can total up to seventy.¡±

    Just like the class president. Score:100. Of course, 100 is only the cap. Her martial arts alone would equal 40. And her academic ability 60. And course, her magical ability. 70. Maximum scores in every category.

    Koryn is little lacking in the martial arts department. She bolsters a score of 60. 40 of which is academic, the other 20 magical.

    ¡°This is me.¡± I said, pointing to my classroom with my thumb.

    ¡°Try not to fall asleep, or else I won¡¯t give you your lunch.¡±

    ¡°Wait! let¡¯s negotiate this.¡± I protested, but already she was walking away.

    It¡¯s going to be a long day.

 Demon Hunter II

    The demon¡¯s head seared off its shoulders, flying away at great speed. The sword that cut it glistened with its dark blood. It was a beautiful blade, black as night, rose thorns curling around its hilt and running up the blade. The thorns twisted on themselves, drinking the demon blood. When satisfied, black, metallic roses budded and bloomed, nurtured from the blood of the fallen.

    The man placed the hulking blade over his shoulder, the flowers still twisting and curling.

    ¡°I almost thought you¡¯d give me trouble.¡± He said with a whistle. ¡°Looks like more and more Aberrants are showing up around Eden. Looks like I¡¯m going to have to make a home coming.¡±

    A wolf like demon, four eyes glowing with hunger, pounced from the shadows behind the man, intent on taking him by surprise. But the hunter was faster. Moments before the wolf had its fangs in his flesh, he swung the blade around, sawing the beast in half. The rose buds fed on it as well.

    <hr>

    ¡°Thank you, goddess Anastrid, for this bountiful meal.¡± Koryn prayed, before taking a bit out of her meal. I just rolled my eyes. Anastrid was dead. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s watching over us anymore.

    ¡°I wonder what kind of divine weapon I¡¯ll get?¡± Koryn said, gulping down a piece of meat.

    It was lunch time now. We were eating a far classroom.

    ¡°A whip probably. You¡¯re always telling me what to do.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Hmm. I guess it would fit my image. Maybe I should get a matching outfit for it too.¡±

    ¡°Wait what kind of outfit are we talking here?¡± I said, leaning closer, curious at what she had to answer.

    ¡°Aidan Crow!¡± Tsukihi entered, clipboard in hand. And just like that, the mood was ruined.

    I tried to put in my earbuds, but she started writing before I did.

    ¡°What is it for this time?¡±

    ¡°For punching a fellow student.¡±

    ¡°Aidan!¡± Koryn said, anger in her eyes.

    ¡°He started it.¡± I said. ¡°Besides, I made sure not to hit his nose.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re tenacious, I¡¯ll compliment you on that point.¡± Tsukihi said, handing me my fine. 60 Alms. Expensive. ¡°But that aggression will only kill people, not save them from the demons.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fighting them. I don¡¯t see the point in not being aggressive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± She said. ¡°If you can¡¯t get that, I don¡¯t have the patience to correct you. Good day.¡± She turned and left.

    60 Alms. That¡¯s about a week or so of part time work. My wallet was hurting.

    ¡°Hey, Koryn, can you lend me some¡­¡±

    She put away her food, got up, and left without saying a word. She usually only did that when she was upset with me.

    ¡°Koryn, wait!¡± I called out to her, but she ignored me, leaving me alone in the classroom.

    <hr>

    I didn¡¯t see her for the rest of the day. I drifted through my classes, barely paying attention at all. After all, it didn¡¯t matter for a potential-less guy like me. I listened to music; I drew in my notebook. I played on my phone. I did everything but pay attention. I didn¡¯t pay attention to this school at all. Which¡­ is what I¡¯d like to say. There was one aspect of this school, the initial thing that brought me here in the first place.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Did you hear? The class president and the vice president are dueling today!¡± I overheard someone saying as they passed by.

    The one thing that I always attended. The one thing I paid attention to. The sparring matches in the gym.

    This was an important fight. Both the president and vice both had scores of 100. It would be a fight between two elites, and I had to see it. I snuck my way into the audience. They fought on a ring surrounded by bleachers, so finding a seat with a good view was easy enough. Kurahara stood ready, wooden sword forward in a defensive stance. She had changed out of the school uniform, and instead had a traditional swordsman robe. The vice president, sword at the ready, wore the same thing.

    ¡°Ready.¡± The referee said, raising his hand. ¡°Go!¡±

    The vice president bounded forward, closing the distance in a second. His speed was beyond what was humanly possible, without magic at least. He swung hard, intent on finishing the fight with one fatal blow, aiming for her center of mass. Kurahara responded, deflecting his attack, and spinning around behind him with the grace of a dancer. The vice president looped around, delivering three heavy blows. Kurahara used his momentum against him, deflecting the blows to the sides.

    It was a beautiful dance, the sound of cracking wood, the graceful movements of Kurahara compared to the vice¡¯s heavy blows. He seemed to realize that Kurahara wasn¡¯t striking back; instead she seemed to be waiting, deflecting the blows with almost casual indifference. The vice swung hard again, using the force of his strength, but Kurahara danced around it, deflecting it as she had the whole fight, dancing lightly on her toes like a cat.

    ¡°Kurahara.¡± The vice president grit his teeth. ¡°Take me seriously.¡± He said, gasping for air. Kurahara just stood there, staring at him coldly.

    ¡°I only take threats seriously.¡± She said.

    Man, she¡¯s cold and arrogant. How can she just say that so aloofly? Does she really think she¡¯s that much stronger than the rest of us?

    ¡°Hey dumbass!¡± I yelled. ¡°Stop throwing your weight into your strikes! She¡¯s just using it to tire you out!¡± Even an amateur like me could tell his swordsmanship was lacking. Of course, martial arts was the least of the three scores, so you didn¡¯t have to be great at them to have a high score.

    ¡°Stop telling me what to do zero!¡± He yelled, slamming down with a heavy overhead strike. Kurahara, spun out of the way, flipped her sword around, and dug the pommel into the vice president¡¯s stomach. He keeled over, hitting the ground with a thud.

    ¡°How unfortunate.¡± Kurahara sighed.

    ¡°Match!¡± The referee yelled, the crowd erupted into a mixture of cheers and groans.

    ¡°She¡¯s so cold! I want her to stare at me like that!¡± a person next to me said.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ She won again.¡± another scoffed.

    ¡°Look at her attitude, all high and mighty.¡± a girl whispered.

    I shook my head, pitying the vice president, who was still writhing in pain on the ground.

    ¡°Told you so!¡± I yelled at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re awfully sure of yourself, Aidan Crow.¡± Tsukihi said, leaping off the arena right in front of where I was sitting.

    ¡°Just making an observation. He sucked.¡±

    ¡°Interesting coming from you.¡± She said.

    ¡°I saw what you were doing, I was just trying to help him out.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You saw through my moves?¡± She asked. If she wasn¡¯t so emotionless and monotone, I would say that she was mocking me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me then.¡± She pointed to the arena with her weapon.

    My heart dropped to my stomach. The crowd around me silenced. I could feel their eyes on me.

    ¡°I¡­¡± And then she did. She gave me that look, a look I knew she gave only to me. My special look. She was looking down on me.

    ¡°Fine.¡± I said, anger seething in me.

    ¡°Very well. Go get changed and we¡¯ll start within ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± I said, jumping onto the ring. ¡°I can fight you in this.¡±

    ¡°I cannot allow that. It¡¯s against regulations.¡±

    ¡°Too bad. This is how I roll.¡± I walked over to the vice president, who now sitting up.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking this.¡± I said, grabbing his sword and swinging it over my shoulder.

    ¡°Good luck. You¡¯re going to need it.¡± He said, getting up and off the stage.

    I walked over to my corner, taking a few practice swings with my sword.

    ¡°You understand the rules, correct?¡± Kurahara asked. She was kneeling, her sword placed neatly before her as she waited for the ready. ¡°The winner is determined when one is unable to fight, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Is knocked off. I know. Hard blows don¡¯t count. You can get hit multiple times as long as you¡¯re still standing. It only counts if one of us can¡¯t get up.¡±

    ¡°So you actually do know something.¡± She said, surprised.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna pay for looking down on me.¡±

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting stance.¡± Kurahara said, holding her sword before her ready.

    I stood there, sword over my shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any sword training at all. But it¡¯s still enough to beat you.¡± I said, pointing my blade definitely.

    Her eyes glared in anger.

    ¡°Set.¡±

    What am I doing? How did this happen? Well, it¡¯s too late to doubt myself now. All I can do, is try to win.

    ¡°Go!¡±

 Demon Hunter III

    She rushed me. The crazy ice queen rushed me. I planned for her to be on the defensive. I had a chance of winning if that were the case. Instead, she smashed into me at incredible speed, the blunt wooden sword digging into my ribs, sending me tumbling backwards off the ring, and several feet further.

    I gasped for air; the wind completely knocked out of me. The pain in my side was intense. I tried to get up, but couldn¡¯t. It hurt so much, like I was just hit by a truck. I squirmed on the ground in pain as Kurahara approached me.

    ¡°You made a fatal mistake. You have no battle experience, so you can be forgiven for making it. You failed to read your opponent. I played on the defensive, because I knew the vice president was strong, and that he was fairly decent at swordplay. I couldn¡¯t afford trading blows with him, less he over power me, so instead I opted to wear him down, and strike him when he was weak.¡± She got up next to me. The pain was beginning to dull, but it still hurt to breath. ¡°You, on the other hand, have no defensive capability. You told me yourself, you had no sword experience, so you left yourself wide open. All I had to do, was strike.¡±

    ¡°You arrogant bit¡­¡±

    ¡°If anything, you were arrogant. Arrogant for thinking you can stand against me when you couldn¡¯t even gauge your abilities. That¡¯s how Demon Hunters get killed. They hunt prey that¡¯s far beyond them.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± I sucked in air.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They should only be cracked. I didn¡¯t put that much force into my blow.¡±

    Unbelievable. She sent me flying with a half-hearted strike? Is that really the power gap between a regular person and a 100?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She said, reaching her hand down. ¡°As class president, I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary.¡±

    I slapped her hand away, struggling to my feet. I almost fell back down in pain. My ears were ringing like crazy. I stumbled out of the gym, using the walls to support myself. Every breath felt like fire. I stumbled out into the schoolyard, and limped home.

    I tore my uniform off, revealing the wound. A nasty purple bruise swelled where she had hit me. There were all kinds of other cuts and bruises from tumbling backwards. I looked awful. And it was all only one blow. One.

    Night came. My groans echoed throughout. For the entire night, I thought about the two fights. The one with the vice president, and my fight. How could I have lost so easily? She was too strong. No, it wasn¡¯t that she was too strong. I was too weak. I didn¡¯t realize how much weaker I was. It¡¯s hard to gauge your own ability if you never test it. Other than the qualifiers, that was the first time I¡¯d ever sparred with anyone.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Aidan! Aidan open up!¡± Koryn voice echoed from outside as she knocked on the door.

    I struggled getting up, enduring the pain. I managed to reach the door, opening up to Koryn. She had a plastic bag filled with groceries.

    ¡°Oh my Anastrid, you look terrible.¡± She said. I was still only wearing boxers, so all my wounds were visible. ¡°Here, let me help you back to bed.¡±

    She took care of me, placing an ice pack on my bruise and helping make dinner.

    ¡°That was really stupid you know.¡± She called from the kitchen. ¡°Fighting the president. You know she¡¯s the daughter of the legendary hero, right?¡±

    ¡°Wait what?¡± I said, hissing in pain.

    ¡°Kurahara Haru. Anastrid¡¯s champion. The hero that killed the Demon King ten years ago. No one¡¯s seen him since, but he was the most powerful Demon Hunter in the world. It¡¯s no surprise that the president is a cut above the rest.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were related. I thought they just shared a last name.¡±

    ¡°Kurahara inherited the Hero¡¯s divine Arm too as well. Powerful arms resonate with powerful people. The more powerful the weapon, the powerful the user, and vice versa.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she was born special.¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bad attitude you know. Even if she is the Hero¡¯s daughter doesn¡¯t mean she hasn¡¯t been working hard.¡±

    Koryn finished up, bringing me the soup she finished cooking.

    ¡°Feed me.¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not that hurt.¡±

    ¡°But its uncomfortable.¡± I teased.

    ¡°Almost as uncomfortable as my idiot getting hit so hard he flew off the arena?¡±

    I laughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Hey, Koryn.¡± I said, lifting some soup into my mouth. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m weak?¡±

    ¡°Wrong question. Try again.¡± She said.

    ¡°Wrong? How is it wrong?¡±

    ¡°Try again.¡±

    ¡°But, try again.¡±

    I thought for a moment.

    ¡°I give up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your problem. You give up too easily, and you look down on yourself. You act cocky, but you don¡¯t have any confidence. You¡¯ve resigned yourself to not even trying because you don¡¯t believe you can make a difference.¡±

    ¡°I did try.¡± I said. ¡°Look at what happens to those who try.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. You tried something beyond your level. You can¡¯t run a race without training for it first, even if you give it your all, you¡¯ll just disappoint yourself. Kurahara was like running a marathon without even being able to run a kilometer. Ask your question again.¡±

    I thought again for a moment.

    ¡°Do you think I can become stronger?¡± I said.

    Koryn¡¯s face brightened into a beaming smile. ¡°Correct answer! And yes. The answer is yes. You may lack magic potential, but you can make up for it, starting with your grades, and picking up a sword.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying, I should¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. You have to try. Don¡¯t worry though. I¡¯ll help you through it, starting first thing tomorrow. I¡¯ll help find a sword teacher, and help you study as well.¡±

    ¡°Koryn¡­ I¡­ want to become stronger. I need more power. I want to become a Demon Hunter, and protect those closest to me. Like you.¡± I said.

    Koryn¡¯s face glowed red. ¡°Oh. I¡­ oh your soup is getting cold. Better eat it!¡± She said, taking my spoon and shoving it into my mouth.

    I felt a lot better after that. Koryn with the weekend being tomorrow, Koryn agreed to meet me at the park in the afternoon. I thought a lot about what she had said. About trying, and training up to fight Kurahara. I needed to start small, learning the baby steps. I needed to learn how to fight, and I needed to dedicate myself. It was the first step to bettering myself. Starting thing tomorrow, I¡¯ll start trying for real.

 Demon Hunter IV

    I got up at first light. Already the swelling in my side had gone down. I was well enough to get up and walk around. It was the weekend, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about school today. I dug into my closet, pulling a shirt, a hoodie, and jeans.

    I left my apartment, aiming to grab some breakfast at a little caf¨¦. Koryn texted me, saying she to run some errands this morning, and that we should meet up in the afternoon. I bought a small sandwich at the caf¨¦, scarfing it down before heading the direction of the shopping mall. It was pretty crowded, especially for so early in the morning. I kept my eyes open, looking for a particular shop. Found it. A store that sold sparring equipment for Demon Hunters and Academy students. On display were two wooden swords like the ones used in sparring matches. If I could buy one of them, I could practice at home. I approached the window, scanning the weapons. They were 50 alms each. Expensive, especially considering that massive fine. I didn¡¯t have enough money for it. I sighed. Maybe I could borrow some from Koryn?

    ¡°Looking for something, Aidan Crow?¡± A familiar, cold voice said behind me.

    ¡°Kurahara¡­¡± I muttered. I couldn¡¯t look her in the face, especially after my humiliation yesterday.

    ¡°I hope your bruise is healing well. I intentionally¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You held back. Because you¡¯re so much stronger than me.¡± I said, still not looking at her.

    ¡°But I am. It¡¯s a fact. You should accept it.¡±

    I wanted to protest, but I thought about what Koryn said last night. I swallowed my pride, keeping my mouth shut.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude not to look at someone when you¡¯re talking to them.¡± She said.

    ¡°Yeah well I¡­¡±

    Kurahara Tsukihi was wearing a hoodie with a mini skirt and sneakers. The girl who always carried herself with grace and pose, who¡¯s uniform was always immaculate, stood dressed completely casually. It was surreal to say the least. She even had around her neck a pair of headphones, with music blaring. We actually matched. Someone who seemed my opposite, dressed just as I am.

    ¡°What?¡± She said, tilting her head confused. She actually looked cute.

    ¡°Nothing. If you¡¯re going to scold me or something, just so you know we¡¯re not in school, so you have no jurstiction.¡±

    ¡°You wanted this sword, right?¡± She said, pointing at the weapon in window. ¡°Are you going to use it to practice?¡± She said. She actually smiled.

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± I said dismissedly.

    Her face almost returned to her cold neutral look.

    ¡°I want to get stronger.¡± I said, blushing. It was embarrassing admitting this to the girl who destroyed me in a sparring match.

    She smiled again.

    ¡°Here.¡± She said holding out a long wrapped object.

    I approached her, hesitant she was trying something. I took the object, unwrapping it a little. Underneath was wooden sword, with the name ¡°Kurahara¡± engraved on it.

    ¡°What¡­ what?¡± I looked at her, dumbfounded.

    ¡°You can borrow it.¡± She said.

    ¡°What?¡± I was very confused. ¡°But you hate me. Why would you?¡±

    ¡°Who said I hated you, Aidan Crow. I was just annoyed that you refused to better yourself. If losing to me would be the catalyst of your improvement, then I¡¯d take it any day. Use that sword, get stronger, and we¡¯ll have a real rematch. One where you can actually hold your own.¡± She waved, lifting her headphones back up to her ears. ¡°Oh, but if you lose it or break it, it¡¯ll cost 2000 alms. It¡¯s wood from the Life Tree after all.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± She waved goodbye, disappearing into a nearby store.

    Now I stood here, holding the very expensive sparring sword she had given me. I returned home. I took the weapon out from its wrapping. It was beautiful wood, shiny but flexible. Also, quite light. I took a couple practice swings. It felt really good. The balance was perfect. I can imagine Kurahara, holding this weapon, pirouetting in her elegant blade dance. Much different than the attack she hit me with yesterday. An attack of pure frustration.

    Koryn texted me. She wants to meet by the station a little bit away at around 3:00 PM, four hours from now. I figured I¡¯d get started on my training, looking up videos on my phone for the basics. I practiced swinging for hours.

    <hr>

    Koryn arrived at the station fifteen minutes early. She was to help Aidan with his self-improvement today, but of course, she really couldn¡¯t. Aidan didn¡¯t have any magic in him. That was the biggest thing that kept him from becoming a Demon Hunter. Koryn knew this. She knew that a non-magical could never become one, no matter what. Demons were simply too strong and fast for a normal human. And yet, she didn¡¯t like seeing him sad.

    Koryn had known him since they were kids. He had always protected her, beating up kids that were mean to her. He was always treated her kindly, giving her snacks when she was hungry, or cheering her up when she felt down. So, now it was her turn.

    She knew that it was cruel, giving Aidan hope like that, telling him that he could do anything he set his mind too. But she didn¡¯t have the heart. Ever since they first came to the Academy, Aidan has been getting more and more somber. He used to be a good student, with good grades, but the zero on his entrance qualifier destroyed that Aidan. He went from being the strongest person she knew, to being the weakest. And it crushed her.

    She loved Aidan. She knew it in her heart. That¡¯s why she put up with him, why she bothers when no one else would. Because he was there for her, when she needed.

    She smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m a terrible person.¡± She said to herself.

    She looked up, and noticed a man staring at her.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± She said, curling into herself in discomfort.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    The man stared at her with dead eyes. His skin was pale and gaunt. His knuckles were bloodied and torn, his fingers curling and scratching at the palms of his mangled hands. He rolled his eyes back, letting out a blood curdling scream, before falling backwards. He convulsed as he continued screaming.

    Koryn backed away, unsure of what to do.

    The man¡¯s face split open, revealing a long maw with razor sharp teeth. His limps stretched and contorted, becoming much longer. His fingertips and toes gave way to razor sharp claws. The creature leapt to its feet, before crouching on all fours, hissing and growling at Koryn.

    ¡°Demon!¡± She screamed, turning and running.

    The creature cried, chasing after her. It was fast, closing the distance in an instant it bit into Koryn¡¯s back. She cried, placing a hand onto where its jaws had clamped.

    ¡°SCALP!¡± She cried. A burst of wind erupted from she touched, tearing the creature¡¯s maw apart and freeing her from its grip.

    Koryn hit the ground; her glasses knocked off her face. She tried to stand up, but the creature lunged again, snapping into her leg. She let out a terrible scream.

    ¡°SCALP!¡± She said again, blasting the creature¡¯s head off.

    She collapsed, crying a pool of her own blood. She inched herself away from dead demon, fearing it might not quite be dead. Her vision was starting to blur. She was losing a lot of blood, an a chunk of her leg was missing. Koryn managed to pulled her phone from her pocket, trying frantically to dial a number with her blood-stained fingers.

    ¡°Hey, I was just about to text you I¡­¡± Aidan said.

    ¡°Help¡­¡± She sobbed. ¡°Help me¡­¡±

    ¡°Koryn! What happened? Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Station¡­¡±

    ¡°Stay there! I¡¯m coming!¡±

    ¡°Hurry¡­¡± her voice was getting weaker.

    Was she going to die here? She didn¡¯t want to die. She began to sob weakly, using every once of her strength to call for help.

    The sound of footsteps came to her right. Hope gleamed softly in her green eyes.

    ¡°Aidan...¡±

    Another demon stood over her, grizzled maw salivating.

    <hr>

    I was half way to the station when I got the call from Koryn. I sprinted as fast I could. That¡¯s strange, why aren¡¯t there any people down this way? Shouldn¡¯t there be more crowds?

    I saw why. The red lights were on and flashing. It meant there was a demon sighting. People reacted quickly, locking themselves inside their homes till a Demon Hunter gave them an all clear. Of course, there were places where one couldn¡¯t see the lights. Like older underground stations, like the one that Koryn was at.

    My stomach felt sick just thinking about it. I ran even faster, ignoring the warning lights, leaping down the stairway deeper into the station.

    ¡°Koryn! Koryn!¡± I cried frantically as I searched for her. As expected, it was barren. A person or two sprinted past me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go that way kid! There¡¯s a demon down there!¡± he cried after me. But I didn¡¯t care. I had to save Koryn.

    ¡°Koryn! I¡¯m coming! Koryn¡­¡±

    The demon held her in its arms, digging into her stomach and tearing out mouthfuls of flesh. Her head lay craned back, her green eyes, once vibrant and full of life, were dull and lifeless. I wanted to puke. Her was my best friend in the world, being eaten in front of me. What I did next, changed my life forever. I should of ran, but, how could I? How could anyone justify running away? A person I had known my entire life, being eaten in front of me. Some people would have run. Some would have froze there, not doing anything at all. But me, I charged forward.

    I drew Kurahara¡¯s wooden sword, raising it up over my head. I swung down with all my rage, all my sorrow, smashing into the creature¡¯s head, right as it went in for another bite. The creature bucked under the blow, but was unharmed.

    I smashed it several times across its head, screaming and shouting as I did. It only seemed annoyed. Finally, I aimed for jaws, smashing into the teeth with full force. The creature hissed in pain dropping Koryn and retreating backwards. I couldn¡¯t look at her.

    The creature growled at me. It looked like a mangy werewolf without fur, its yellow eyes hungry, blood and entrails dripping from its jaws. I readied my weapon, holding forward in the stance I had learned only hours before.

    It was too fast. The creature lunged at me, jaws snarling. I just barely able to block it with the sheath of the wooden sword. The wolf struggled against me. Its strength was overwhelming. It pushed me back, my feet sliding under me, its claws reaching for me, jaws chewing on the wood of the sword. The creature jerked aside, throwing me with it. I rolled as I tumbled, recovering back up into my feet, sword in my right arm.

    The creature jaws were around my sword arm immediately. It snapped its jaws shut, and with a sickening crunch, my arm was gone. I didn¡¯t care. Adrenaline took over. Just as the creature snapped it off, I attacked punching it straight in the eye. The wolf howled in pain, slashing at me with its claws. I flew backwards, splattering against the wall.

    I tried to get up, but my legs weren¡¯t working. Turns out, it was because my stomach was ripped opened, with my entrails hanging out. I puked blood, watching as the creature scratched at its damaged eye. I was able to jam a finger into it, and I managed to pop the eyeball.

    Despite the pain, despite the fact I was dead, I couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh. I couldn¡¯t of course, but I wanted to.

    The creature¡¯s eye healed, restored mere seconds after being destroyed. What a sick joke. Was I really going to die here, not having done any damage at all? Well, it wasn¡¯t all that bad. It was worth a shot. Guess I¡¯ll be seeing you soon, Koryn.

    The creature howled, crawling up to me. It knew it had won, so it was in no hurry. I watched as it casually stood up, looking down on me. Just like how Kurahara did. Looking down on a weakling that couldn¡¯t do a damn thing. With the last of my life, I cursed the thing. I cursed my powerlessness. I cursed this damned world for giving birth to me just so that I could die. Damn it all. Damn it all to hell.

    The creature¡¯s torso flew off its body, cleanly cut. As it landed, a blade was driven through its head. It was a black sword that glistened in blood, black metal roses curling along the blade. The man who wielded it swung the sword over his shoulder. He was an older man, dark black hair that resembled the long black coat he wore.

    ¡°Damn. I was too late.¡± He cursed. ¡°You still with me kid?¡±

    I managed a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ dead, right?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t say anything. He swung the blade down from his shoulder, digging it into the concrete easily. He left it there, walking over to me.

    ¡°You did good kid.¡± He said. ¡°Most people ain¡¯t brave enough to take an demon. You had some real fight in you. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have gotten here earlier.¡±

    Ah. My hearing stopped working. He was talking, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything at all. He sighed, tapping my shoulder, before getting up. He walked over to the demon corpse, looking it over, before walking over away from my vision. He seemed to be holding something. A wooden sword stained in blood. He suddenly was on me. Just as fast as the demon. He was saying something, but I couldn¡¯t hear. The last thing I saw, was him reaching into his coat pocket.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey, did you know?¡± Koryn said to me across from where I was sitting. ¡°Demons hide in plain sight. They can wear human masks, but their true nature comes out when they smell blood.¡±

    We were in that caf¨¦ by my apartment. And there was Koryn sitting in front of me, filling herself with cake.

    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I said, trying to hide my surprise.

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t pay attention in class at all.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why I got killed. Cause you weren¡¯t strong enough.¡±

    I looked up in horror. Koryrn stood there, here eyes cold and dead, blood leaking from her eyes, a gaping hole open in her torso.

    A demon burst through the caf¨¦ window, a blazing inferno of fire and death. It spread its wings, and everything burnt away to ash, till it was only the demon and I, staring each other down.

    It¡¯s deep, burning eyes stared down at me from between its long, jagged fiery horns. It exhaled, flame and smoke emitting from between its fangs. It¡¯s gaze bore deep into my soul, my arm set ablaze as the rage and hatred flowed through me.

    <hr>

    I woke up in my apartment, dehydrated and weak. I was covered in bandages around my torso and head. An IV was by my bedside, hooked up to my left arm. My right felt off. Wait, didn¡¯t I lose it? So why was it here, attached to my arm right now? Except, it didn¡¯t feel right. It was heavily bandaged, heavy, and numb. I tried to move my fingers, but all I could manage was a twitch. I tried to sit up, but I fell back on my pillow in pain.

    My chest burnt horribly, like a fire was burning inside it. I coughed and coughed, feeling like my throat was ripping apart.

    ¡°Help! Someone help!¡± My voice scratched.

    ¡°Oh.¡± An unfamiliar voice said from the kitchen. It was the man from the station. He was dressed in a casual white shirt and jeans, eating food from my fridge. Food Koryn made. ¡°You¡¯re alive. Thought you were a goner.¡± He said, eating up some cake.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, looking at the man.

    He grinned widely.

    ¡°Kurahara Haru.¡±

 Demon Hunter V

    One of the other things I paid attention to in school, were the legends of Kurahara Haru. He graduated from the Academy after only two years. He was such a good swordsman that he could cut a piece of ice in a water glass without cutting the glass. He once killed a demon with a pencil. Those kinds of rumors.

    Of course, I tried to get the truth of him from those who knew him, acquaintances and teachers who fought alongside him. He was the Chosen One, a legendary hero who defeated the Demon King Ozen in one and one combat. Wielding the Kurahara clan¡¯s mighty weapon, the katana Mercy, he cut the monster down on top of the world tree. Most think he died, suffering mortal wounds from the battle. Others, that he left, the pressure of a hero too much for him, leaving behind a seven-year-old daughter. Others say he betrayed humanity, using the power of Anastrid to turn himself into the new demon king. Regardless, the name Kurahara Haru was legendary. And here was a drunken idiot eating all my cake and guzzling beer in a dirty white shirt.

    ¡°You¡¯re suppose to be dead.¡± I said.

    ¡°I am.¡± He said, burping after finishing his beer.

    ¡°Did Koryn make it?¡±

    Kurahara sighed, putting down the can he intended to open.

    ¡°She¡¯s your friend, right? The other girl there.¡± Kurahara shook his head.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± I said, punching my pillow. I¡¯d be weeping mess if only I wasn¡¯t so drained.

    ¡°Well, your alive now.¡± He said, putting a fist to my chest. ¡°You¡¯re a fighter, Aidan. Got a lot of fight.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°How do you know my name? And why are you here? How did you find this place?¡±

    ¡°Called student I.D. kid.¡± He said, waving it in front of me. ¡°Has convenient things like names and address.¡±

    ¡°Koryn made that cake for me.¡± I said, watching as he dug into it.

    ¡°Oh my bad.¡± He took it, and put it on my lap. He even bothered to get up and get me a fresh fork. ¡°All yours buddy.¡±

    ¡°What happened to me?¡±

    ¡°You got torn to shreds. Luckily, I had one trick up my sleeve. Patched you back together, well mostly. That arm will probably act up pretty badly till you get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Used to it?¡± I asked, touching the wrapped appendage with my left hand. Something was even more off. The feeling under it was too hard to be skin.

    ¡°So I¡¯ll let you rest up. Recover, mentally and physically and the like. I think we¡¯re past the hard stuff. You might even be okay to go to school tomorrow.¡± He said.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s the weekend.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore kiddo. You¡¯ve been out for five days.¡±

    ¡°Five?¡±

    ¡°You were in bad shape. Didn¡¯t think what I did would have worked. If worse came to worse, you could have turned into an Aberrant. A demon I mean. Luckily, you didn¡¯t, so that¡¯s good.¡± He said, opening another can of beer and sitting on the floor. He grabbed the remote and flicked the T.V. on.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I said again, even more concerned.

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out eventually. But I¡¯ll tell you this, that arm, ain¡¯t your arm. Be ready for it. It¡¯ll be a shock.¡± He said.

    I tried to move it again. All I could managed was a faint wiggle of my fingers.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of Tsukihi¡¯s friends, right?¡± He asked, eyes glued on the T.V.

    ¡°Friend is a strong word. She¡¯s not exactly fond of me per say.¡± I said.

    ¡°How¡¯d you get that practice sword then? You steal it?¡± He asked, turning to me, his eyes serious.

    ¡°Tsukihi lent it to me. She said I should use it to improve myself. Get strong enough to fight her.¡±

    ¡°She did huh?¡± Kurahara nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s say you should get a little stronger.¡±

    He flicked the T.V off, getting to his feet. Walking over to the corner of the room, he pulled off his black coat from the rack and put it on. The long black sword lay across the kitchen table. He took it, and slung it over his back, before heading to the balcony.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come by to check on you every once in a while. Take care kid. Make sure to be friends with my daughter, kay?¡± He waved me off, before stepping out into the balcony.

    ¡°Wait! I still have questions!¡± I jumped to my feet, only for my legs to immediately collapse under me. He was gone when I looked up.

    <hr>

    The next morning, a knock came on the door. I got up, peering into the peephole. It was Kurahara Tsukihi, tapping her foot impatiently right outside my door. I cracked it slowly. Kurahara forced her foot through and let herself in.

    ¡°Aidan Crow, are you aware you missed school for¡­¡± her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Anastrid, you look awful.¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer, but I knew what she meant. I was pale and hagrid, wrapped in bandages. My arm still didn¡¯t respond to me, resting against my body with a sling. My eyes were blood shot, with bags under them. I was a mess.

    Kurahara looked down at her feet, biting her lip.

    ¡°I heard about what happened to Miss Vell.¡± She said, not looking up.

    A lump formed in my throat. The image of her mangled body, demon feasting on her innards, surged forward into my mind. It erupted, sending numbing quakes through my body. It took everything I had to keep from breaking down.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± I said. ¡°Pleas leave. I don¡¯t¡­ want to talk about it.¡±

    She nodded in agreement. She handed me a paper bag, before turning and leaving without saying a word. I tossed it aside, not interested in looking at its contents. I returned to my dark room, crawling back under my covers, before letting sleep take me again.

    Another night, more cold sweats and images of Koryn in my mind, my right arm burning hot. I was haunted, the images echoing in my head. Chained and trapped by my trauma and despair, I couldn¡¯t help but weep at my powerlessness.

    ¡°How long are you going to mope around?¡± Kurahara Haru said. He was sitting in a chair across from me, back against the wall, digging into the bag Tsukihi had brought with a fork. ¡°My daughter has good taste in sweets.¡± He said as he chewed.

    ¡°My best friend died. How¡¯d you expect me to react?¡± I mumbled; head buried in a pillow.

    ¡°By not pitying yourself. Moving forward, knowing she would want you too, for starters. No one likes a depressed downer.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Kid, I lost the woman I loved to a demon. Tsukihi¡¯s mother.¡±

    I peered up from my covers. For the week I had known him, Haru was always smiling, with a soft, relaxed expression constantly on his face. But this, this was the first time I saw anguish on him.

    ¡°And she was just one. I¡¯ve lost countless friends and family over the years. It is, unfortunately, the path of the Demon Hunter.¡± He said. His soft smile returned. ¡°Now come on. Let¡¯s get out this place. Some fresh air will do you some good.¡±

    It took me about thirty minutes to even motivate myself to get dressed. It took longer than usual, as I only had use of one arm. Haru waited patiently the whole time, humming to himself as he leaned against the wall, massive black claymore by his side.

    When I was ready, he swung up and over his shoulder with ease, leading the way out.

    ¡°Haru.¡± I said.

    ¡°What¡¯s up kid?¡± He said. He seemed to strut as he walked.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I said. I wore my hood up, trying to hide my haggard face.

    ¡°Kid, what am I famous for in this entire world?¡± he turned to me, massive grin on his face. ¡°We¡¯re going Demon hunting.¡±

 Demon Hunter VI

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± I said, backing away from him, my heart accelerating. I couldn¡¯t face on of those things again, not with the image of Koryn¡¯s pale eyes staring at me. My arm burnt. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can go near those things, never again!¡±

    ¡°Relax, Kid.¡± He whistled. ¡°You quite literally have the world¡¯s most legendary hero by your side. Besides besides, we¡¯re only hunting small fry. Should be a piece a cake, and should help you get over yourself, even just a little.¡±

    The flame burnt up my arm, spreading to my chest. My heart ached. Koryn¡¯s face stared at me through the dark. I began to hyperventilate. Damn, I really was messed up.

    Haru sighed.

    ¡°Look kid. You can head back if you want. I won¡¯t force you. I just thought, that seeing that they can be killed would give you a little more power over your mind.¡±

    I clenched my arm through the sling. It was hot to touch. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ try.¡± I managed to answer.

    ¡°Wonderful.¡± Haru grinned. ¡°Just stick close to me.¡±

    ¡°How will we know if we¡¯ll find one?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll know.¡± He answered.

    We avoided main street for some reason. Haru told me it was because demons tend to avoid crowds, but I¡¯m not sure if I remember being taught that at the Academy. Sticking to back alleys, we explored all the old and abandoned spots within a five mile radius of my apartment. While I anxiously remained vigilant, jumping at every noise, Haru walked with a swing in his step, whistling as he went along. He was too calm. Even I remember lessons at the Academy teaching a young Hunter to stay serious on the hunt. Carelessness got you killed. And yet, Haru was free. It relaxed me. I soon found myself matching his casual attitude as I followed behind him. My arm seemed to cool down as well. I managed to get control of my breathing. It was almost as if I was normal again, just like I was before Koryn¡¯s death.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Suddenly my arm flared up. It seared in pain, causing me to drop to my knees clutching the heated appendage.

    ¡°Showtime!¡± Haru said.

    He swung the large claymore over his shoulder, rushing off at a slow jog. I followed behind him. The stench of blood stood in the air. Again, I began to panic. Images of Koryn rushed through my mind. Haru suddenly stopped, raising an arm for me to the same.

    I stood just behind him. Peering around him, I saw it. It resembled a large insect, much like praying mantis. Blood gurged in its stomach, bright red and pulsing. It¡¯s pincers were like massive razor blades, the sound of grinding metal sparking from them as it rubbed them together, cleaning blood off. It looked up at us, head twitching as its glowing yellow eyes caught wind of us.

    A corpse lay below it. A human. Mostly eaten, missing its head. I lost my will, collapsing to me knees. It took everything I had not to puke.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Haru said. ¡°Should¡¯ve expected a corpse.¡± He said to me. ¡°Was kinda hoping we¡¯d get lucky and just find one in the wild. Guess not.¡±

    The mantis screeched, flailing its blades. It rubbed them together, producing a bright strike. The creature leaped backwards, perching itself on a nearby wall. It was fast, perhaps much faster than the one that had killed Koryn.

    It leaped forward with an audible boom, sailing towards us, blades ready. I fell backwards, crawling away as fast as it could. Haru stood there, chest puffed out and defiant.

    ¡°Haru!¡± I screamed.

    The creature flew backwards, slamming against the wall. Haru had one leg out. When did he kick it? The creature slid down the wall, a patch of blood staining where it had hit. It had broken a leg, and limped as it tried to recover, dragging its broken appendage behind it. Haru casually walked up to it, sword over his shoulder.

    The creature swung with its blades. Haru reacted, stepping out of the way of its strikes. He then swung his sword down from his shoulder, flourished it, before severing the creature¡¯s head in one blow.

    The fight was over.

    ¡°Easy peasy.¡± He grinned.

    This is the power of a Demon Hunter? The power of Kurahara Haru? The power to slay a demon so easily?

    ¡°Welp. Feel better now?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked at him dumb founded.

    ¡°They can be killed right?¡±

    I looked the corpse, and back at Haru.

    ¡°Is it possible for me to become as strong as you?¡± I asked.

    Haru frowned a little.

    ¡°Maybe. If you trained up.¡±

    ¡°Kurahara Haru.¡± I said, resolve resolute.

    He turned to me with a curious expression on his face.

    ¡°Can you train me to become a Demon Hunter?¡±

    Haru smiled brightly, grinning from ear to ear.

    ¡°Nope!¡±

 Interlude I

    Interlude

    Four figures sat on four seats. The first was a tall and confident man, thick bearded and barrel chested. He sat back on his chair casually, a trident in his right hand. The second was a woman dressed in a pink kimono. Two katanas laid at the foot of her throne. She sat politely, sipping a cup of tea. The third was a blond-haired man. He shifted impatiently on his seat. A great spear leaned up against his throne. The final figure was a old man, dressed in a black robe. His long hair was kept tied up in a bun, his beard neatly trimmed. He wore two katanas by his side, always keeping a hand on at least one of them.

    ¡°Step forward, Kurahara Tsukihi.¡± The old man said.

    Tsukihi stepped out of the shadows, approaching the thrones, before kneeling.

    ¡°Ah, Haru¡¯s flesh and blood.¡± The bearded man laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten so much bigger. To think you finally stand before the Iron Council¡­¡±

    ¡°She has the same cold look as Haru. Irritates me to my core.¡± The blond man said, making a noise expressing his disdain. ¡°Like father like daughter.¡±

    ¡°Silence.¡± The old man commanded. Both went quiet. ¡°Kurahara Tsukihi, you understand why you were summoned today?¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°It is regarding my acceptance into the Demon Hunting Corps, Grandfather.¡± She said.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Kurahara Ito said. ¡°You¡¯ve proven yourself exceptional. You are leagues above your peers, and your combat level and magical abilities already trump many within the Demon Corps itself. As it stands, we have summoned you to determine your eligibility to become a full Hunter.¡±

    ¡°Grandmaster Kurahara, if I may interject.¡± The blond man said.

    ¡°Rex, your animosity towards my son should not factor into your decision making. You are a member of the Iron Council, and will conduct yourself as such.¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, Grandmaster, but I simply take issue to you supporting a member of your own bloodline.¡± Rex said.

    ¡°The Kurahara¡¯s are blood descendant from Anastrid¡¯s original Honor Guard. We have produced exceptional Hunters for millennium. I support her as evidence to a fact, not because of blood relations.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like blood relations to me¡­¡± Rex mocked.

    ¡°If¡¯s she¡¯s anything like Haru, then we¡¯ll produce another monster, Rex.¡± Thorus laughed. ¡°Get over yourself. Just cause you couldn¡¯t beat Haru boy in a fight shouldn¡¯t weight into it.¡±

    ¡°The girl¡¯s very pretty as well. I would like to have her in my butterfly division.¡± Mizu said, sipping her tea.

    Rex didn¡¯t say anything, instead leaning back and pouting in his chair.

    ¡°Now then, all in favor?¡± Kurahara Ito asked.

    Everyone except Rex raised their hands.

    ¡°It is decided then. We shall send you to the Trials within a month. Bring honor to the Kurahara household, like your father before you.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Grandfather.¡± Tsukihi bowed.

 Power I

    I returned to school after a week of absence. It felt strange putting on my uniform, stepping out my door, all without Koryn there to greet me. I had to wake myself up, make my own food, and walk to school alone, something I hadn¡¯t done in a long time.

    ¡°Aidan Crow.¡± Tsukihi greeted me at the gate. She titled her head, confused. ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get to excited.¡± I quipped, much like I used to tease her. ¡°Disappointed you can¡¯t fine me this time?¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°Actually, you owe about seventy alms for missing a week.¡±

    I jumped backwards. So much money¡­

    ¡°Relax.¡± She said. ¡°I had it waved. You had a good reason for missing school. Losing someone you care about is¡­ traumatic.¡±

    My mind flashed to the image of Koryn in that demon¡¯s jaws. I felt like I was going to puke, but I steeled myself, forcing myself to look forward.

    ¡°Well, this has been fun, really has. But I have class to get to.¡± I said, beginning to walk away.

    ¡°I hope you kept up with your studies over the week.¡± Tsukihi said as I walked away.

    ¡°Why?¡± I turned towards her.

    ¡°Today are midterms.¡± She said.

    <hr>

    Needless to say, it was without a doubt, a disaster. I don¡¯t need to go into detail to how horrifically I failed on that day. Test after test, and I had no idea what I was doing. If my score wasn¡¯t already zero, if I was at Tsukihi¡¯s one hundred, I¡¯d find myself closing in on my current score. So badly did I suffer, I worried this was the end of my Demon hunting career. Luckily enough, this school doesn¡¯t look too favorably on drop outs, so instead I was stuck with remedial classes after school, and summer school during the summer. Of course, this was hell in itself, but the dream wasn¡¯t dead just yet.

    The weekend went by fairly quietly. Haru still slept on my couch, and ate my food, despite the fact that he refused to train me. I tolerated him to the best of my ability.

    ¡°Hey kid.¡± Haru said on Monday morning. ¡°We¡¯re out of eggs.¡±

    The area around my couch was a disaster. Wrappers of food and piles of beer cans were beginning to stack up. Perverted magazines, which I had absolutely no idea where they came from and refuse to admit anything resembling ownership off, were strewn brazenly across the couch and coffee table. Haru didn¡¯t even sit on the couch, instead he curled on the floor by it, watching TV and drinking¡­ in the morning.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    I had seen old pictures of this man. He had a stern look on his cleanly shaven face. His hair short and neat. His Demon Corps uniform primed and pressed, Black troop coat hanging behind him. By his side he had worn his Divine Arm, a katana with an engraved hilt. That picture was basically the Tsukihi if she were a grown man. The complete opposite of the man here now, hair disheveled, beard growing on his face, his clothes wrinkled and stained.

    ¡°Go buy some yourself you drunk hobo!¡± I yelled at him, swinging my bag over my shoulder. With my bad arm I could only wear one strap. It was making my shoulders lop-sided.

    ¡°No cash.¡± He said, raising his hand above his head and rubbing his fingers.

    ¡°Go back to the Demon Corps! I bet they¡¯d pay you in the millions.¡±

    ¡°No can do. Told you Kid, I¡¯m dead.¡± He smiled, opening another can of beer.

    ¡°Where the hell did you get all this beer then¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll buy some on my way back from school. I¡¯m going to be late though. I failed my midterms, so I have remedial classes till 5.¡±

    ¡°You failed your midterms? That¡¯s gotta be a huge drop in your score.¡± He said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter anyway. Im a zero.¡±

    ¡°A zero? Jeez you really suck.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Kurahara Haru. I appreciate that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± He grinned.

    I walked to school, made fun of Tsukihi again as usual, drawing out her cute angry face. Afterwards, classes went as they usually did, but this time I tried to pay a little attention. After school was over, atleast for everyone else, I went to my first remedial class. There were about six of us there.

    ¡°Allright, listen up here you stupid people.¡± The teacher growled. ¡°You¡¯re here because you don¡¯t have what it takes to kill demons. Im here to whip you in shape, or have you die trying.¡± He went on and on.

    I ignored him, looking around the room. All deliquents that I had a vague sense of familiarity with. People with scores of thirty or below tend to have knowledge of each other. There was only one face I didn¡¯t recognize. Towards the back, a girl sat. She had short brown hair, and shy green eyes. She wore a hoodie, which she wore with the hood up. When she noticed me staring at her, she panicked, darting her eyes away quickly.

    ¡°And worse of all is you, Mister Crow!¡± The teacher yelled, slamming his hands on my desk. ¡°A zero? Zero, are you kidding me? A demon would chew you up and spit you out.¡±

    ¡°Already kinda did.¡± I said, pointing at my arm.

    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky one. Very few survive an encounter with one of those things.¡± He said, before moving on.

    I don¡¯t know if I could call surviving that lucky. In fact, why did I survive that at all? Koryn had a decently high score. With a little more training, she could¡¯ve been a decent Demon Hunter. Not like me, someone who had no potential at all.

    Throughout the remedial class, I could feel the girl in the back¡¯s eyes drilling into the back of my head. She was staring at me, but everything I turned back, she would dart her eyes away, or pretending that she was playing with her pencil, or something like that.

    After class was over, I left for the store. It was already dark out when I emerged with a carton of eggs. The night was quiet and cool, the sounds of crickets echoing in the park I usually walked through on my way home.

    My arm suddenly felt very hot, my blood boiling throughout my body. A hiss echoed through the air. Out from behind a tree emerged a lizard demon, eyes filled with bloodlust.

 Power II

    A demon? This close to the Academy? What was it doing here? However, the time to wonder about wasn¡¯t now. It was staring at me, yellow eyes just above a row of razor-sharp teeth. It stood on its back legs, its scaly hide reflective in the dim moonlight. It opened its mouth, hissing like an alligator as it sized me up.

    I thought about what to do. The Academy was a first option. There, dozens of Demon Hunters stood guard. They could probably kill this thing no problem. Another option was to run home. Of course that was hit or miss. Haru usually left during night, so he might not be there. It had to be Academy. However, that was still a good distance away. I was a decently fast runner, but a demon was far beyond that. Of course, if I had magical potential, I could out run the thing, but I didn¡¯t. It¡¯d catch up to me in no time and tear me to shreds.

    Perhaps I could fight, however, after what happened before, I doubt I could even scratch it. My only option was to run.

    The demon swayed its head from side to side, seeming to sniff the air as it watched me. The heat in my arm was unbearable, nearly causing me to drop to me knees in pain.

    ¡°You want these?¡± I asked, holding out my shopping bag filled with egg cartons. The creature sniffed the air again. ¡°You can have ¡®em!¡± I chucked them towards it, before sprinting at full speed in the direction of the Academy.

    The sound of scrapping claws right behind me let me know it caught up to me in no time. I was dead, and I knew it. The heat in my arm intensified, letting me know it was right behind me. When my arm flared in heat, I ducked. The creature soared over me, tumbling several dozens of feet in front of me. It obviously wasn¡¯t expecting a slow human to dodge it.

    I turned towards me, hissed, before leaping at me. Fast. Too fast, but¡­ something was strange. For a split second, I saw its claws swinging at me. I leapt backwards as fast I could, the claws only managing to clip some fabric off my shirt. It swung again, and for a split second, I saw it as well. I ducked under the attack. It attacked a third time. I narrowly avoided it, the claw scratching against my side, drawing a little blood. The creature howled in frustration, before bashing me with its tail. I couldn¡¯t avoid that one. I flew back several feet, landing hard into a pile of gravel.

    As I picked myself up, the lizard leapt on top of me, opening its jaws and bit down. It had bitten down into my broken arm. The creature howled in pain, smoke bellowing up from my arm. The lizard fled backwards, watching me from a distance.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I looked down at my smoldering arm.

    Suddenly, a flame erupted from it, consuming my cast and burning off the sleeve of of my uniform blazer. What revealed underneath was an arm that was not my own. Black as coal, with flames bellowing from it. The fingers were more like talons. It¡¯s texture resembled more rock than flesh, and terrible heat arose from it.

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡±

    I had no time to question it further. The lizard lunged again. I anticipated it, rolling out of the way of its attack. It swung at me with its claws, but I blocked it with my flaming arm. Its claws bounced harmlessly off the rocky texture.

    ¡°My turn.¡± I said, swinging a punch at the creature.

    It connected with incredible speed, exploding in a shower of flame as it sent the demon flying. It hit the ground with a thud, sending up a plume of dirt.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The creature hissed in pain, limping as it clutched its destroyed face. My punch had burned half of it off, destroying the eye and burning the flesh.

    The creature turned and tried to crawl away.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± I screamed, charging after it. I caught up to it easily.

    The demon swung a claw at me, but I caught it with my flaming arm, burning into its flesh and crushing the bone as it twisted like cardboard from my grip. The creature lunged with its jaws, trying to bite my face. I let go of its arm, and struck its head, driving it into the ground in a flare of flame. Its head popped like a balloon, sending blood and smoke everywhere as my punch drove into the ground under it.

    I dug my arm out from the ground with some effort. Already it had cooled down. It seemed to go limp as well. I couldn¡¯t move it anymore, save for a little twitch of the talon-like fingers. I know I should¡¯ve freaked out more than I should, but the dead demon in front of me calmed down. This arm had given power; the power I needed to get revenge for Koryn. However, I still had questions, and Kurahara Haru had to answer to them.

    I returned home, placing the destroyed eggs in the fridge, and I waited. It was at 3am when he stumbled in through my balcony door, covered in demon blood.

    ¡°Oh, hey kid. You¡¯re still up.¡± He said.

    ¡°Explain what the fuck this is.¡± I said, raising up my arm. It was completely limp and numb now, like a rock attached to my bicep.

    ¡°Huh. It¡¯s a permanent manifest huh?¡± Haru sighed.

    ¡°What the hell is it?¡±

    ¡°Calm down kid. It¡¯s a demon arm as you can clearly see.¡±

    ¡°A demon¡­. Arm?¡± I said, looking down at it.

    ¡°It manifested after I tried using a Divine arm to save your life. The Divine arm kinda¡­ fused with you.¡± He said.

    ¡°A Divine Arm¡­ like a weapon?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s¡­ difficult to explain. So, I¡¯ll give you to you as simple as possible. You¡¯re a demon now. That arm made you that way. The reason I was sticking around, was to make sure it didn¡¯t take over and cause you start eating people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a¡­ demon?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. I sat down, staring at what used to be my arm.

    ¡°Not the worse thing in the world. You could be dead. Don¡¯t worry, as long as you aren¡¯t craving human flesh, you¡¯re still you.¡±

    I sat there and thought. I¡¯d become the very thing that took away my best friend. But, by becoming a demon, I¡¯d been given the strength to kill other demons. Still, I wanted to puke. I¡¯d become something that society drives away. A monster.

    ¡°This should be obvious, but you have to keep it a secret. Demon Hunters don¡¯t tolerate demons of any kind, regardless of whether or not they¡¯re actually hurting people. They see that arm, they¡¯ll hunt you to the ends of the world.¡± He said.

    ¡°What am I suppose to do then? Keep it in a cast forever?¡± I said.

    ¡°Just for now. You need to learn how to control it, and maybe, just a possibility here, you could probably return your arm back to normal. That thing is Divine Arm after all, so should be able to de-manifest it. I think.¡±

    ¡°But you said you wouldn¡¯t train me.¡± I said.

    ¡°And still won¡¯t. Don¡¯t have the time, or the patience. You¡¯re on your own on this one. However, I will stop by from time to time to check up on you.¡±

    ¡°Wait are you actually moving out now?¡±

    ¡°I mean, sometimes I¡¯ll need a place to crash. I¡¯ve grown awfully fond of that couch over there.¡±

    ¡°So basically, you¡¯ve cursed me with a demonic arm, forced me to hide it from the Demon Corps, and now refuse to help me learn how to control it?¡± I said. ¡°All while eating all the food in my fridge and making a mess of my apartment?¡±

    Haru sighed.

    ¡°If I find you a teacher, will you get off my back about it?¡± He said.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I replied.

    ¡°All right then. I¡¯ll put it on my to do list. In the meantime, try not to get into too much trouble using that thing. That Divine Arm had an absurd amount of power in it, and only a fraction seems to be manifesting at the moment.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±¡¯ I asked. ¡°Divine Arms always carry a name. I remember that much from class atleast. What¡¯s the name of this arm?¡±

    Haru frowned.

    ¡°Demon King Ozen.¡±

 Interlude II

    ¡°It appears to be true. The Aberrant we sent after the boy was thoroughly destroyed.¡± A voice said.

    ¡°So Kurahara actually implanted the Demon King¡¯s corpse into the boy?¡± Another voice chuckled.

    ¡°Madness. Madness. To think the power of our king placed in the hands of a mere boy.¡± A third voice answered.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t belong to him. We need to get it back.¡± A woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°I¡¯ll get it myself.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± A final voice rumbled. ¡°Let us watch this boy. It¡¯s amazing that the power of it hadn¡¯t consumed him and turned him into an Abberant. He appears to be able to control it to a small degree.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°But Demon King Mazen¡­¡±

    ¡°I have spoken.¡± Mazen said. ¡°We shall monitor the boy for now. Send Shadow to watch his every move. We must bid our time, awaiting the day the tree bears fruit once again. When that day approaches, I shall retrieve the arm from the boy¡¯s corpse personally.¡±

    ¡°Truly, you Demon King Mazen, surpass Ozen in everyway.¡± A voice praised. ¡°While he was arrogant enough to have compassion, you are devoid of it. You are power incarnate.¡±

    ¡°You dare denounce my brother¡¯s name in front of me?¡± The woman¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Enough! No need for this. Ozen is dead, but his power will still serve demon kind. For that, we should all be grateful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lord Mazen.¡± The voices agreed in unison.

 Alison Dream I

    ¡°So that¡¯s the guy huh?¡± Bessel grinned, tossing a ball in one hand. He watched Aidan from atop of a light pole, balancing perfectly with one foot. ¡°To think ol¡¯ Ozen¡¯s cowl bonded to a nobody like that. Second thought, sounds bout right. Wonder what his kid sister thinks of this¡­¡±

    Aidan thought he heard a noise. He looked up, but there was no one there.

    <hr>

    Three days had passed since I learned about this arm. Named after the Demon King that was slain ten years ago, it no doubt should be a source of tremendous power. However, I was specifically instructed by Haru not to fight demons, and not to expose the arm unnecessarily. As if I could do that. I was a student at the Demon Corps Academy, training to get a chance to qualify for the Selection. Those who passed were given their uniform and assigned to a squad. That was the goal I worked towards. Over the past three days, I endured grueling catch-up school work. I sparred, despite only being able to use one arm; my Demon arm hidden in a new cast.

    Finally, the day of my make up test had come and gone. I barely passed.

    ¡°Congratulations Aidan Crow.¡± Tsukihi greeted me two hours afterwards. ¡°You are no longer a zero.¡±

    ¡°Is my unlimited potential recognized? Did I finally rise to my rightful place as a 100?¡± I said.

    ¡°Close.¡± She smiled.

    My score was now a twenty-one. Most of it was due to my martial arts training. My speed and strength parameters seemed to have been boosted by the Arm¡¯s power just enough that I could barely fight.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that still super low?¡± I protested.

    ¡°It¡¯s a congratulations because you¡¯re no longer the bottom ranker of the school. You¡¯re second to last now.¡± She said.

    ¡°Is that really much of an improvement?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite the feat, considering the gap was about twenty points.¡±

    ¡°Wait who¡¯s the bottom ranker now anyway?¡± I asked.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°A girl named Alison Davenport. Short, brown hair green eyes. Cute looking, but doesn¡¯t really have a presence.¡± Tsukihi said. ¡°She¡¯s currently at twenty right now, so you just beat her by one point. However, all her points are due to magic, while you still have technically a zero in that aspect.¡±

    ¡°So all she has do is beat me in grades or martial arts even a little, and I¡¯m back as the bottom ranker.¡± I sighed. ¡°Wait why do I care anyway?¡±

    ¡°Because, Aidan Crow, you need at least a 55 by your senior year to graduate. However, most people below 65, have a tendency to fail the Selection.¡± She said. ¡°So what you really need to aim for is a 65 or above. And another thing. The bottom twenty-five percent of students get cut from the school by the end of their third year.¡±

    ¡°Wait what?¡± I spat, myself being a third year student. ¡°That¡¯s a thing??¡±

    ¡°How have you been here for three years and not know that?¡± Tsukihi said, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Is three months enough time to raise my score? Wait, what do I have to get anyway?¡±

    ¡°The bottom twenty-percent have scores of forty or lower, so you need to achieve a score of forty-one or above before the end of the year.¡± She said. ¡°Which, statistically, is impossible.¡±

    ¡°No way¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°However, there is a way.¡± She said, raising one finger. ¡°If you beat someone with a higher score in a duel, you can take about ten percent of their score. So the higher number you beat, the greater your score will increase. For example, if you beat me, you¡¯ll be boosted by ten points, which actually isn¡¯t enough to not get cut. You¡¯ll have to beat couple others too. But¡­¡± her eyes darted to my arm. ¡°Can you even fight in your condition?¡±

    ¡°How do you think I¡¯ve gotten my score up? Martial arts is my highest. I¡¯ve just been using one arm.¡±

    She looked at me in a look of mild shock.

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m desperate now, so I¡¯ll have to win, with or without a good arm.¡± Although, no doubt I could beat a good number of people if I actually used it¡­

    ¡°Oh? Then do you want to fight? Like I said, it¡¯s ten whole points from me if you beat me, and I drop to a ninety.¡±

    I had flashbacks to the last time we fought. My ribs ached just thinking about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m good thanks.¡± I needed to find opponents to beat who were at my level. And I had to beat them with the use of only one arm¡­

    I felt someone tug on my sleeve.

    ¡°Huh??¡± I turned annoyed.

    The girl yelped, jumping backwards. She was a lot shorter than me. She wore a hoodie over her uniform, a pair of old fashion earphones around her neck. Her shy eyes were light green, her brown hair cut short.

    ¡°I¡­ch¡­.¡± She fidgeted, knocking her feet together.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I said, staring down at girl. She almost hopped backwards.

    ¡°Aidan Crow, you¡¯re scaring her. You look a thug with that glare.¡± Tsukihi said.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Alison¡­. I¡­ want to¡­.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I said, trying to tone down my glare. She backed away from me.

    She took a deep breath.

    ¡°I want to challenge you to a duel!¡± She gasped.

 Alison Dream II

    Compared to the duel between Tsukihi and the vice president, almost no one showed up to the fight. A small gaggle of disinterested students appeared, spread out through the bleachers. Tsukihi came along as well, taking a seat towards the front. The only other person was the teacher in charge of monitoring the duel. Even he didn¡¯t look too excited.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to change into the dueling robe?¡± I asked, watching as Allison meekly strut on stage hoodie still on, but headphones missing.

    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable¡­¡± She said. ¡°I can fight just fine, like this.¡±

    ¡°Suits me.¡± I said. I didn¡¯t like wearing the robe either, opting to wear my school uniform too.

    I noticed that she also didn¡¯t carry a practice weapon. She was empty handed, so unless she was planning to fight me hand to hand, it looked like she was planning on using magic to beat me. Not a bad plan for someone who lacked magical ability.

    As for me, I carried a large practice sword. Compared to the normal dueling swords which bore the shape of a katana, my sword resembled a claymore. I intentionally started using it to mimic Haru¡¯s great sword. It worked well, the demonic arm to my side bolstering my strength enough to wield it well. I held it over my shoulder, waiting for the start signal. Alison got into some kind of prepared stance.

    ¡°Okay.¡± The teacher said. ¡°Alison Davenport versus Aidan Crow, for points. Whenever both fighters are ready¡­¡± he looked at me. I nodded. He looked at Alison, who nodded as well. ¡°Go!¡±

    ¡°By the wings of Anastrid, I beseech you, Gale!¡± Alison chanted.

    Suddenly a gust of green wind magic smashed into me, sending me sliding on my feet several feet back. I drove my sword into the ground, stopping my momentum. So she was fighting with magic. Magic was something I never bothered with. Never had any ability to use it. Even now, I don¡¯t think I could cast a spell to save my life.

    ¡°Gale!¡± She chanted again. This time I was ready, rolling out of the way of the gust.

    I charged her, sword ready. I swung at her side, intent on knocking her off her feet.

    ¡°By Anstrid¡¯s Honor Guard, protect the innocent, Barrier!¡± She chanted.

    My sword didn¡¯t connect. Instead, it hit some sort of energy barrier. The force of my strike cracked it, nearly shattering it, which caused Alison to yelp in surprise.

    ¡°Gale!¡± She chanted, blasting me backwards a few feet. I caught myself again, causing her to click her tongue in frustration.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    I charged again, going for an overhead. This time I intended to hit as hard as I could. Alison panicked, chanting up another barrier, just barely catching my weapon. Except it didn¡¯t. My strike completely shattered her barrier. However, it was just enough to offset my attack, giving her a split second to scramble out of the way on all fours. My weapon smashed into the ground with a hard thud.

    ¡°Your strong. Stronger than I thought¡­¡± Alison said, raising her hand for another incantation.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I grinned.

    ¡°Gale!¡± She blasted me.

    This time, I barely moved, but it was enough to knock me off balance. I recovered charging forward for another strike.

    ¡°Barrier!¡± She casted.

    I¡¯ll just bust right through and finish this.

    ¡°Move!¡± She ordered.

    The barrier suddenly slammed into me. It felt like a thick layer of liquid, soft enough to mold to my shape, but just hard enough that I couldn¡¯t break through. The barrier kept going, with me plastered against it, moving towards the edge of the arena, which would count as my loss.

    ¡°Dammit! Come on! Stop moving!¡± I yelled, trying to plant my feet and block the damn thing. ¡°Allright then!¡±

    I slammed against it with me feet, bouncing a few feet back, just inches from the edge of the arena. With my one arm, I swung my blade back, and struck the barrier. It shattered like glass.

    ¡°Ha!¡± I grinned.

    A gale slammed into me, sending me over the edge.

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± I quickly tossed my sword back into the arena, shifting my body just enough to grab onto it, then front flipped in recovery. I braced, tanking another gale, before shattering another barrier.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Alison protested, waving her arms in frustration, her face flushed red. ¡°You only have one arm, how did you do that?!¡±

    Honestly, I had no idea I could do that, but she didn¡¯t need to know that.

    ¡°Are those two moves all you got?¡± I said.

    I heard good mages know at least six. Well, she was a twenty. She was among the bottom twenty-five percent who would never become Demon Hunters. Knowing even one spell is enough to get a ten flat, no questions asked. She was a twenty. And judging by the fact that I see her in my remedials classes, plus the fact that she¡¯s only fighting me with magic, those attacks were literally all she had. All the while, I was fighting with a handy cap. But it wasn¡¯t like the arm worked at all. I only seemed to be able to move it near demons. Otherwise, it was a useless dead weight.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all you got, I¡¯m going to end this.¡± I said, pointing my weapon at her.

    I charged forward again, dodging gales and smashing barriers. As I closed the distance, she suddenly conjured up three barriers to block my attacks. I swung like a madman, bashing into them with a flurry of strikes. One barrier. Two shattered. Three. I swung at her with all I had, intent on taking her out with this strike.

    She yelped and slipped, falling backwards out the ring on her back. I looked at her in surprise¡­ and noticed she was still wearing a skirt. I turned quickly, feeling embarrassed. I could feel Tsukihi¡¯s cold stare on my back from here.

    Alison sat up, face red, tears streaming down her face.

    ¡°Winner! Aidan Crow!¡±

 Alison Dream III

    ¡°You certainly drew attention with this.¡± Tsukihi said. School was almost over at this point, and I was getting ready for another day of remedial classes.

    ¡°Everyone wants to fight me now¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°I got guys from thirty five to seventy eight challenging me to duels.¡±

    ¡°Well atleast you won¡¯t have to go looking. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Aidan Crow.¡± She said, walking off.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I said. ¡°You being near me is the only thing keeping the others from trying to beat me up.¡±

    ¡°Kurahara clan business.¡± She said.

    ¡°Kurahara clan¡­¡± I said. ¡°Kurahara!¡± I called out to her. ¡°I have something to ask you about. It¡¯s about your father.¡±

    She stopped. It was like the room had suddenly grown cold. It felt as if I had awaken a murderous aura within her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever ask me about that man.¡± She said, coldly, before storming out of the classroom.

    ¡°Yikes¡­ daddy issues¡­¡± I said to myself, making a mental note not to bring it up again.

    As soon as class was over, I decided to wander the school yard until remedial classes started. The Demon Corps Academy is the largest producer of Demon Hunters in the world. Located in Eden City, it¡¯s a massive campus housing around a thousand students. The main building resembled a modern classroom building, complete with state-of-the-art technology. The dojo, located next to the main building, was a humbler and more traditional looking. It was made of fine wood said to have been harvested from the World Tree, the same material that made up Tsukihi¡¯s practice sword.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The final building, located towards the back of the campus, was the Demon Corps headquarters. It resembled a massive cathedral, made of gray stone spires and stained-glass panes. The path leading up to it consisted of two pools of water on either side, both with statues popping out of them. To the right, the goddess Anastrid, her six wings outstretched, great sword Sorrow cradled in her arms. To the left, Kurahara Haru, standing proudly, coat flowing behind him, katana by his side.

    Towards the back of the cathedral stood a tall spire, said to represent the World Tree. It was there I am told, holds the Hall of Iron, where the Iron Council has met since the age of the Great War.

    I approached the cathedral itself, observing the story that was inscrided on the panes. My history was pretty bad, but I deciphered it to the best of my ability.

    The first pane had the image of light against dark, represented by stained red and blue. The second, stood a terrible demonic figure, resembling what I imagined Ozen to have been like. I touched my arm subtly. Third, a great angel, a male, not like the statue of Anastrid. Then, a great tree towering towards the sky. The demon and the angel touched its roots, a fruit spouting form it. Then, Anastrid, accompanied by the six original Demon Hunters.

    ¡°Pretty isn¡¯t it?¡± A voice said, startling me. It was Alison, seated on a bench hidden partially by a hedge.

    ¡°Alison!¡± I said. ¡°I¡­uh¡­didn¡¯t notice you.¡±

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t.¡± She said.

    ¡°Hey¡­ about our spar¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget it. I lost. That¡¯s done.¡± She said.

    ¡°Do you know the story behind this? Isn¡¯t this war when Anastrid killed all the angels and demons?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very simplistic way of looking at it.¡± She said, looking offended. ¡°Do you want me to tell the story?¡±

    ¡°Why not? We both got time to kill before remedials.¡± I said, taking a seat next to her. She blushed and inched away from me.

    ¡°But you have to promise something.¡± She said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I want a rematch. Agree to that, and I¡¯ll tell you the story.¡±

    I shrugged. Although I wasn¡¯t a fan of people looking down at me for fighting her, if she wanted to, I didn¡¯t mind. It seemed as if she was trying to get stronger, and I respected that. In fact, only two weeks prior, she probably would¡¯ve beaten me easily, if it wasn¡¯t for the arm.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I said.

    ¡°Okay. It goes something like this.¡±

 Interlude III: A Song of Creation

    In the beginning, when Avalon was still a young world, three races lived. The first, were the Demons. They were a savage and brutal race, born of darkness and hatred. They ruled over the world, harvesting and destroying it with machines of metal and steam. The second, were the angels. They did not live amongst the world like the other two races, instead they lived on the moon, Lunas. Occasionally, when the moon is full, the pathways between Avalon and Lunas would open, allowing the Angels to descend down, but they rarely did, for the Demons who ruled Avalon were fierce and brutal, and loved to rip off their wings, decorating their walls with their splendor.

    The third race, were an insignificant little race known as hollows. They were half the size of humans, twice as ugly, and three times as dumb. They served as food and slave labor for the demons.

    For thousands upon thousands of years, the demons industrialized the world, while the angel watched from above, oblivious to the workings of it, till one day, something happened.

    Amongst the angels, there were two siblings. The first, the older brother, was a stern and just figure. He was powerful, and towered over the others. From his lips, he carried authority. With one sweep of his sword, he could tear a forest asunder. The Angel King Michael bestowed upon him this powerful name, Judgement.

    The younger of the two was the sister. She was sweet and soft hearted. Now you see, the Lunas was a cold and sterile world, white and perfect, but utterly boring. Remember that during a full moon, the pathways to Avalon would open. The sister loved sneaking off to Avalon. It was a planet full of life. She loved all the trees, and the flowers of the field, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea. To her, they were the most beautiful of all things. The Angel King Michael knew of her kind hearted nature, and bestowed upon her the powerful name, Mercy.

    Now Judgement knew that Mercy would sneak off to the world of Avalon every full moon, and forbade her from every going.

    ¡°But brother.¡± Mercy protested. ¡°The flowers are so beautiful and vibrant. The wind makes me feel alive, and the swimming in the sea amongst the fish is something I cannot describe.¡±

    ¡°No sister.¡± Judgement scolded. ¡°That is the world of Demons. To go there is to risk having your wings ripped off, your flesh eaten in their brazen eclipse feasts. No such fate will befall you. I forbid you from ever returning to that world.¡±

    But Mercy did not listen. She waited till the next full moon, and snuck away to Avalon. She ran through the fields, soaking in the sunlight. She swam in the sea, naming each and every fish. She glided through the air, free as a bird.

    Just as it was time to return to Lunas, she saw smoke on the horizon. She crossed through the forest, curious as to its origin. What she discovered, horrified her. The Demons cut and burnt the wood. They tore up the meadows, scorching the soil black. They caught all the fish in the sea, cooking them in stews along with the birds in the sky.

    Mercy saw this, and she sobbed and sobbed.

    ¡°Oh, how could they do such a thing? How could they destroy such beautiful things?¡± She cried.

    She was so busy sobbing, that she did not notice the demon behind her, till it was too late. It bashed her head in till she stopped moving. Then, it dragged her corpse into their camp. They took butcher¡¯s knives, cutting her to pieces to throw into the stew. Her wings, however, were off exceptional quality. So exceptional, in fact, that they gifted them to the first Demon King himself, Demon King Amon.

    He was so proud of these wings, he hung them up in his courtroom, to the envy of all others in the land.

    ¡°Look at these beautiful wings I have procured? Do any among the Demon world have wings of such quality? I think not!¡± He boasted.

    Now, Judgement had heard of what had happened to his beloved sister. From Lunas, he could see her beautiful wings, torn from her body, brazenly displayed in the courts of Demons. Judgement flew into a rage. The moment the moon had turned full, he flew down to Avalon in full armor, sword drawn. With several swoops of his blade, he tore the world asunder. Black ash fell from the sky, and the moon turned blood red. This is why the red moon is called Judgement¡¯s moon.

    After he had fell ten thousand demons in a single night, including the Demon¡¯s king¡¯s own son, he returned to Lunas, his bloodlust sated.

    ¡°My son! My son! How could this have happened!¡± The Demon King wailed. ¡°I swear, I swear on my name, I shall destroy every single angel. I shall invade their world, rape their lands, and leave not but a wasteland of destruction and death!¡±

    So, a whole month passed, the Demon King welling up his forces. When the time of the full moon came, they marched into Lunas, a army of a million Demons. The battle lasted hundreds of years, claiming causalities on both sides, but in the end, the Demon King did what he set out to do, he rendered the moon a barren and lifeless wasteland.

    The Angels launched their counter attack from the sky, scorching Avalon much worse than Judgement had done in a single night, leaving it a barren wasteland of ash and acid rain. Only a few thousand Demons and Angels remained, including the Demon King Amon, Angel King Michael, and Judgement. Less than a hundred hollows remained, cowering underground.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Even with this devastation, either side did not seek peace, intent on annihilating the other, but they were forever locked in a stalemate, neither side gaining victory over the other.

    It was one day, that Judgement engaged in battle with the Demon King. Despite victory after victory, the Demon King managed to mortally wound the angel. The angel fled, bleeding and missing a wing.

    Judgement rested on a hilltop of a scorched field, blood seeping from his wound. His thoughts dwelt on his sister. She had once loved this world, calling it beautiful. She loved it with all her heart, body, and soul. And now it was nothing more than a burning rock of dust.

    In his final moments, Judgement regretted his actions. He regretted all the death, all the destruction. To avenge his sister, he had destroyed the world she loved. As he died, he caught glimpse of something, off in the distance. Dancing in the wind, a single feather fell on him.

    He died there.

    A few years later, a tree had begun to sprout from amongst his bones. Embedded atop it, was a sword. The tree grew and grew, till it reached the sky above, its roots spreading across the world.

    Michael and Amon recognized that the tree had power, for it was born of the conviction and love, of Mercy and Judgement. Both the Demon and Angel Kings realized, that if they poured their power into the tree, it would bear a fruit of overwhelming power that could change the tide of the endless war.

    Without the other knowing, they each began to pour their power into the roots of the tree, awaiting the day it would bear a fruit of power.

    Then, that day came.

    The last army of Demons, and the last army of angels marched towards the tree. It was pillar of life and light amongst a world of graves, ash, and darkness. The two kings realized that they both seeked the fruit of power, so they fought bitterly over it.

    The battle was a stalemate, but Amon determined at all costs he would not let the angels received the fruit. As he and the Angel King struck each other down, he used every inch of his power to fell the tree. His attack cleaved straight through the wood, and the great world tree fell, crushing many angels and demons. The fruit, too, fell.

    Both the Kings died, and the angels and demons fell into chaos, yet they kept fighting, like beasts. Slowly, the lights of the world began to go out. Angel and Demon sparks dwindled and dwindled, till there were only a few a hundred left. At this point, this barren world was doomed. It would become devoid of all life.

    But something unexpected happened. You could say it was a miracle.

    Now you see, there was not much food in this barren world. Only a few dozen hollows remained, and they were very hungry. And can you guess what had just fallen near the mouth of their cave? A single, large fruit.

    A female hollow, standing no more than the height of the child, approached. She was very hungry, you see, and thought nothing better of the fruit that had fallen in front of her. She bit into it greedily, savoring every bite and finishing it selfishly, without sharing with her fellow hollows.

    The fruit coursed with the energy of both the Demon and Angel King, spreading throughout the little hollow¡¯s body. She was consumed in a wave of divine light and glory, and was transformed. She was gifted with six beautiful wings, more brilliant that even Mercy¡¯s. Her beautiful was unparalleled, even the many flowers that once grew in the field could not match her splendor. However, her power and cunning were that of demons. She understood the war, and realized it was the reason that the world had died.

    With her new found power, she spread her wings, sending out a surge of energy that circled the globe. The gust of her wings blew away all the ash and dust. What was left was a desert. She saw this, and she cried. Her tears fell to the world, filling up the seas once more. With the wave of her right hand, she took strands from the world tree, and sowed them into the soil. From this, great forests sprouted, and the grass in the field grew once more. With her left, she raised vermin hidden in the caves, transforming them into the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and the creatures in the field.

    Finally, she saw the few angels and demons left, still fighting after the renewed world. She landed amongst them, and rebuked them. They saw her powers, that of both Angel and Demon, and bowed to this goddess. A goddess of Angels and Demons.

    Many who had held high positions in both armies begged her to be her servants and honor guard.

    ¡°Let us serve you!¡± they cried.

    ¡°No.¡± the goddess said. ¡°Was it not you who destroyed this world? Was it not you who nearly drove my people to extinction? Surely I tell you, you shall never hold power over this world again, neither angel nor demon.¡±

    The Demons resented this, and exiled themselves to the far forests of the world.

    ¡°Oh, sweet goddess.¡± The angels implored her. ¡°We do not ask to serve you. We simply ask you restore our world so we may return there.¡±

    ¡°Was it not an Angel who started this war? Was not his bloodlust the reason for your destruction? I will do no such thing. You will walk amongst this foreign world forever.¡±

    The Angels resented this, and exiled themselves to the far reaches of the sky.

    Now then, a goddess needed servants, so who better than her own people?

    She raised up the remaining hollows, granting them each a tiny shard of her power. With this, they were transformed, and became human. To six in particular, she gave even greater power.

    ¡°You are my Honor Guard.¡± She told these six. ¡°You will guard my people from the Demons of the forest, and the Angels of the air. Their resentment against me grows with each day. They will seek their revenge against me, destroy my people, and render this world to ash once again. You six, and you¡¯re descendants, will not allow such a thing to occur ever again.¡±

    ¡°What shall we call you, oh goddess of ours? Surely you have a name.¡± They said.

    ¡°I have no name. However, if you must, then hence forth, call me the name Anastrid.¡±

    And the Honor Guard, and their descendants, who became known as the Demon Hunting Corps, continue to safeguard humanity from the vengeance of both the angels and demons.

 Alison Dream IV

    ¡°That was¡­ beautiful.¡± I said, shocked.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She blushed.

    ¡°I could¡¯ve sworn the story went differently though¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°The Demon Hunting Corps changed it, for some reason. They make it seem like the Angels were allies to the hollows, rather than indifferent to them.¡± Alison said. ¡°When that wasn¡¯t the case. At least, that¡¯s what my mother told me, whenever she told me this story.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯d she hear it from?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A long line dating back to the first days of humanity. My family has kept the story alive since then, passing it down mother to daughter.¡± She said.

    ¡°Welp, you should make sure to keep that tradition alive. It¡¯s too beautiful to let die.¡± I said.

    ¡°Aidan¡­¡± Alison said, grabbing my sleeve. ¡°I know you lost your friend to a Demon.¡±

    I frowned. Just like Tsukihi with daddy issues, I was not fond of bringing up Koryn.

    ¡°I lost my mother a few years ago to a Demon.¡± She said. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to lose someone you care about.¡± She said.

    I sighed. Seems like everyone has lost someone. I¡¯m reminded of that everyday.

    ¡°Why do you want to be a Demon Hunter? Honestly.¡± She asked looking deeply into my eyes.

    I sighed again.

    ¡°When I first entered the Academy, I did so on a whim. I thought it would be cool to be Demon Hunter, to put on that cool uniform. To be a hero. It was actually Koryn¡¯s idea that I sign up with her. So that we could be together.¡± I smiled, remembering that fond memory of Koryn forcing me to finish the entry essay the night before it was due. ¡°But¡­ after she died, my reason changed. I want to avenge her, and make it so nothing like this happens again, even if it means exterminating all the demons on this Anastrid forsaken planet.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Aidan.¡± She smiled. ¡°Remember the reason the creation war even happened. It was to avenge the death of another. An endless cycle of bloodlust.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get to preachy on me.¡± I waved. ¡°Why do you want to become one? Especially since you¡¯re lower ranked than me now.¡±

    She pouted in anger.

    ¡°Because my mother was one.¡± She said. ¡°But don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not doing it out of bloodlust or anything like that.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m doing it, because I want to end the cycle of hatred. A demon kills a human because of their hatred of Anastrid, and a human kills a demon to avenge another. An endless cycle of hatred. I want to find a way to end it.¡±

    I scoffed. She scowled at me.

    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s not funny to laugh at other people¡¯s dreams, it¡¯s just yours is kinda¡­¡±

    ¡°Vague? I know that. Still, I want to try. I want to try with everything I have. And the only way I could do that, is to become a Demon Hunter. That¡¯s why I challenged you. If I can¡¯t even beat you, who was once below me, how could I accomplish anything? Will I be like Mercy and just cry while a demon bashes me over the head?¡± She said. ¡°No. I refuse.¡±

    I smiled at her. I liked her spirit. It was pure and strong, and I could tell she was convicted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit. I¡¯m only doing this for vengeance. I want to kill em all. That¡¯s all.¡± I said. ¡°But I won¡¯t look down on you for your dream. If you can convince me otherwise, if there really is another way, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± I said.

    The moon had come out a bit early, even though the sun was still out. Its ghostly figure hung in the air, sandwiched between two clouds.

    ¡°Maybe I should change my dream.¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Alison looked at me.

    ¡°I wanna go to Lunas, and see if the Angel King¡¯s palace is still there.¡± I said, pointing at the moon. ¡°Better ain¡¯t it?¡± I grinned. Alison blushed, but smiled back.

    ¡°I need to become stronger.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s the first step to my dream.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Get stronger. I¡¯m looking forward to you kicking my ass in this rematch of ours.¡±

    The bell rang, and we walked together to our remedial classes.

 Answers I

    An angry figure swaggered through the academy school grounds. His uniform was as sloppy as Aidan¡¯s, his scowl worse, his teeth razor sharp and eyes rough. He seemed to be searching for someone. He walked a bit faster, pushing his way past people, ignoring them as he bumped into them.

    ¡°There he is.¡± The figure grinned. ¡°Aidan Crow!¡± he yelled. Aidan was talking to Tsukihi, she seemed to be scolding him on something as the figure walked up to him.

    ¡°Challenge me to a fight! I¡¯m ready to kick your ass!¡± He boasted, grabbing Aidan by the scruff of his shirt.

    ¡°See something you like?¡± Aidan said, knocking his hand away. ¡°Get in line pal. Everybody and their mother wants to pick a fight with me these days.¡± Aidan looked at him from head to toe. ¡°Who are you anyway?¡±

    ¡°Glad you asked.¡± He said, taking a toothpick from his shirt pocket and putting it in his mouth. ¡°Name¡¯s Bessel Manchester.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Transfer student. Entrance score 65, and I¡¯m here to pick a fight with you.¡± He said.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Like I said.¡± Aidan replied. ¡°Get in line. Literally. I have four fights already lined up. You¡¯re gonna have to wait your turn.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course of course. Where do I pick up my number¡­ guess I¡¯ll have to¡­¡±

    Bessel swung, connecting with Aidan¡¯s jaw and sending him flying against the wall.

    ¡°Oh. Might have been a little too hard for ya.¡± He laughed.

    ¡°Hey! Fighting is forbidden outside the ring.¡± Tsukihi scolded. ¡°Im going to have to fine you.¡±

    ¡°Kurahara.¡± Aidan said, pushing her aside. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to kick this guy¡¯s ass.¡±

    ¡°If you fight back, I¡¯m going to have to fine you too.¡± She said.

    Aidan pushed her aside, approaching Bessel, one good arm ready.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna do much.¡± Bessel said.

    Aidan struck him hard, knocking him off his feet. His back hit the ground, but he bounce back up, recovering easily.

    ¡°Not bad. But if you really wanna put the hurt, you¡¯re gonna have to use the good arm.¡± He pointed at Aidan¡¯s arm in a sling.

    ¡°What you say?¡± He said, surprised.

    ¡°You heard me.¡± Bessel grinned.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame, cause I think this arm is all I need.¡± He readied his left arm, approaching Bessel, who raised his leg in a bizarre stance.

    The two combatants circled each other, before charging in, Aidan with a punch, and Bessel with a kick. Tsukihi flashed stepped between them, blocking both the punch and the kick, before striking each in stomach sending both flying backwards in different directions, all in less than five seconds.

    Both combatants blacked out. It was a draw.

 Answers II

    I woke up with pain in my stomach. I was in the infirmary. Alison was there, sitting in a chair waiting for me to wake up.

    ¡°Aidan.¡± She said. She was wearing her pink headphones around her neck again today. ¡°The president said to give you this. I think it¡¯s a fine.¡±

    ¡°I know what it is.¡± I sighed. ¡°What happened to the other guy?¡±

    ¡°He woke up pretty quickly and left in hurry.¡± Alison said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even see Tsukihi move. She was way too fast¡­¡± I said. Looks like even with my arm, I haven¡¯t caught up to her yet.

    ¡°Hey! You need to rest.¡± Alison demanded as I got up.

    ¡°I need to train.¡± I said. ¡°I was humiliated again today.¡±

    ¡°Take it easy.¡± Alison said. ¡°You took a hard hit.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I need to train. I¡¯m still no match for Kurahara.¡± Just how strong was the bloodline, that even with a Demon King¡¯s power, I still couldn¡¯t track her movement? And she doesn¡¯t even have a Divine Arm yet!

    ¡°What time is it anyway?¡±

    ¡°Three.¡± Alison said.

    ¡°Damn. Thought I would at least sleep past remedials.¡± I said. ¡°Maybe if I go back to bed¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on. We have class to get to.¡± Alison prodded.

    After another boring session of make ups, I decided to walk Alison home. She lived on the way home for me, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. We talked a lot about our training, and on myths. She had a lot of stories about all kinds of things. It seemed like she just collected things like that in her head.

    ¡°Alison.¡± I asked as we were walking home.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She asked, looking at me.

    ¡°How is it that you¡¯re so smart, and yet you do so badly at school you¡¯re in remedials?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the curriculum. It¡¯s wrong, and it tells falsehoods.¡± She answered.

    Koryn would¡¯ve killed me for giving an answer like that. ¡°Work is still work.¡± She would¡¯ve scolded.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the inaccuracies of the Angels. The Demon Corps also fear mongers the demonic threat out of proportion. Yes, there are casualties every day, but statistics show they are growing less and less common, and yet the Demon Corps insists that the threat is growing. They¡¯re using fear to control some kind of agenda.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a conspiracy nut.¡± I said.

    ¡°Aidan Crow, that¡¯s exactly what I am.¡± She laughed.

    The city was beautiful at night. The park where I was attacked by a Demon had a river in it. Across it, you could see the skyline. Eden City was one of the biggest on Avalon. According to Alison, it was also the site where humanity was born.

    I admit I was a little uneasy walking through that park again. I kept a lookout, ready to react if my arm even gave the slightest hint of being warm. However, that night it was cold as stone.

    ¡°Thanks for walking me.¡± Alison smiled as I dropped her off at her apartment. ¡°You said you live three blocks that way?¡± She pointed.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I said.

    ¡°Does your arm bother you? Must be hard adjusting to it.¡± She said, pointing at the sling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m a lefty anyways.¡± I said.

    She laughed and laughed. I laughed too. She smiled at me, waving softly, before walking up the stairs.

    I turned and walked away. I didn¡¯t head in the direction of home however. Instead, I found a nearby back alley, and entered it.

    ¡°We¡¯re alone now.¡± I said.

    Bessel leapt down from the building above, landing in front of Aidan.

    ¡°How¡¯d you know I was following you?¡± He asked, grinning.

    I tapped my arm. After leaving the park, it pulsed slightly.

    ¡°Heh. Like your own demon tracking radar.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Demon.¡± I said.

    ¡°I suppose so. That¡¯s what you folk call us.¡± He said.

    ¡°What do you want with me? Anastrid was a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Who in Amon¡¯s name gives a crap about that stuff anymore. What I¡¯m interested in, is right there.¡± He said, pointing.

    ¡°Heh.¡± I laughed, tearing my cast off and revealing my glowing arm. Bessel whistled in admiration.

    ¡°No little miss crazy to bother us now.¡± Bessel said. ¡°Time for round two.¡±

    Bessel¡¯s body contorted and transformed into a shower of sparks. It seemed he was now covered in shining silver armor from head to toe. His legs were jointed like a grasshopper¡¯s, powerful and wide. Two blades ran down his forearms, resembling those of praying mantis. And his head was like that of a locust, bulging black eyes jutting from it, insectoid mandibles clicking.

    My arm pulsed to life, the fire running through it allowing me full range of motion.

    ¡°Yeah. Round two.¡± I said, charging ahead.

 Answers III

    I charged forward, arm blazing an inferno, intent on killing the Demon in front of me. Bessel flipped over me right before I landed my hit, causing me to charge into the wall, completely destroying it in a blaze of fury.

    ¡°Too slow.¡± Bessel laughed.

    I turned, but he had already winded a kicked. His powerful grasshopper leg smashed into my chest. I notice the distinct sound of ribs cracking as the powerful kick dug into me. I coughed up blood as I collapsed, blazing arm weight me down.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know how to use that thing, do ya?¡± The locust mocked.

    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± I screamed.

    I punched, sending a shockwave of fire and pressure towards Bessel.

    ¡°Crap!¡± he exclaimed as it slammed into him, singeing his exoskeleton. ¡°Not bad!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not done!¡± I whipped my arm back, doing a backswing, sending up a surge of heat.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad at all!¡± he laughed as he flipped through the air. ¡°Using AOE attacks in a close space, where I have no room to maneuver. I can appreciate a little strategy.¡±

    I revved my arm up, slamming it into the ground. A huge wave of fire erupted, completely consuming Bessel.

    ¡°Take that.¡± I said, getting up and turning away.

    ¡°Too slow.¡± He was behind me, and before I could react, he delivered another hard kick into my stomach. I vomited blood, collapsing into a pool of it.

    It hurt so much I couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Too bad about you¡¯s arm. Guess I¡¯ll just take it off your hands and find a better owner for it.¡± Bessel said, sharpening his arm blade. ¡°This might hurt a lot.¡±

    A surge of energy flowed through me. A single emotion consuming my very being. Memories of one I lost to a demon. I can¡¯t lose to this demon now. I couldn¡¯t. Not until I avenged Koryn¡­ by killing every last one. Fire flowed; my demonic arm sent into a roaring blaze that burnt my clothing. The flickering tongues of fire dancing out, forcing the Insect back.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Woah. Now we talking!¡± he laughed.

    <hr>

    One. Two. Three. Demons fell to Kurahara¡¯s blade as easily as breathing. One step. Two. Three. A single cut here. Another there. He smiled to himself, knowing he still got it. Of course, the Kurahara sword flow, which is what he was using now, was more suited to a thin katana rather than a claymore, but he made due. The Aberrants were numerous tonight. Most were the less deadly, but still dangerous insectoid types. He made quick work of them, cutting through them like butter. The reptile types were a little more agile. He actually had to put weight in his swing to cut them down. And yet he did eventually. None could escape the deadly blade of Haru.

    Demonic blood coated his blade, but not for long. Sprouting directly from the blade itself, vines sprouted, drinking up the blood and budding metallic roses. They twisted and curled, glistening in pools of blood. Haru sighed. It was a beautiful Divine Arm, but it was morbid and sadistic. It¡¯s will was as strong as a maelstrom, requiring one of hard resolve to wield. Plus, the balance was terrible for a blade. Haru knew he¡¯d probably be at a disadvantage if he was fighting anything more than beasts. Yet, its abilities were unmatched.

    ¡°I wonder if I can scrounge up enough cash for a six pack¡­¡± he sighed. It was relatively quiet night, save for the howls of the various Aberrants in the distance. ¡°What¡¯s the Demon Corps doing anyway? Isn¡¯t this way too many Demons for it headquarter city? Still, the density is a lot smaller here than in the other cities, or the frontier for that manner.¡±

    His Divine Arm twisted and pulsed, the energy pulling him in the direction with a slight tug. A stronger tug now. The weapon was being pulled from his hands.

    ¡°Woah! The heck is this demonic energy?¡± He thought for a second, and only for a second. ¡°Crap.¡±

    <hr>

    Bessel slammed against the wall from the strike of my fiery punch. He let out a heave as he did so. The exoskeleton of his torso was cracked and burnt. He coughed as he slowly slid off the wall and onto the ground.

    ¡°So, this is power¡­¡± I said. I may have imagined it, but my voice sounded deeper.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting you to be able to tap into it this much¡­¡± Bessel coughed, picking himself up. ¡°Though it¡¯d burnt up your body the moment you used it more. A bit na?ve on my part. After all, It hasn¡¯t done it to you¡¯s yet.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I backswung, sending a shockwave towards Bessel. He slid under it, avoiding most of the force.

    ¡°Not bad. But is about time we finish this.¡± He said, lowering himself into a stance.

    ¡°Never met a demon like you before.¡± I said. ¡°But every demon I¡¯ve ever met is dead.¡±

    ¡°Jeez this guy. A little power and already acting so cocky¡­¡± Bessel said. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll show you true demonic power. Prepare yourself, Aidan. This might kill you.¡±

    My arm pulsed, sending shockwaves through my body. Something was coming. A pressure seemed to rise from Bessel¡¯s legs, coating him a thick sort of aura. He reved back, ready to charge. I held my burning arm out towards him. It had seared off my sleeves, the flames nearly burning off the rest of my shirt.

    I charged forward, Bessel doing the same at twice my speed. My flaming arm, against whatever technique he was using. The distance closed in a second, my fist about to make contact with his head, his legs about to kick into my already broken body.

 Answers IV

    Haru appeared between us. His speed was amazing. I didn¡¯t even notice him till my arm made contact with his black sword, the fire reflected off it and back into my face. It didn¡¯t burn me too badly, but it still stung. I looked and saw he had caught Bessel¡¯s outstretched leg with his free hand, holding his foot.

    Haru pushed, sending both of us flying. I slammed into the alleywall, but Bessel managed to roll himself free.

    ¡°Hey, Kuruhara! Was the big idea??¡± Bessel screamed.

    ¡°What¡¯d you think you¡¯re doing? Both of you!¡± He said, his demeanor stern. ¡°Fighting in the middle of the city filled with Demon Hunters, releasing Demonic energy like crazy!?¡±

    ¡°You know this demon Haru?¡± I shouted; arm still ablaze.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± Haru said. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you about it later. We need to leave, right now. I can feel Demon Hunters converging on this position. One of them is a Captain. We need to peace out like yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Allright then.¡± Bessel said. ¡°Good fight. See you¡¯s in school tomorrow!¡± Bessel saluted, before backflipping, bounding off the wall up and over the roof.

    ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡± I yelled.

    Haru placed a hand on my shoulder, and before I knew it, we were in front of my apartment.

    ¡°Get inside.¡± He ordered. He was being unusually strict, so I obeyed.

    We got inside, Haru locking the door behind us. I made my way to my couch. It was still a mess from Haru¡¯s squatting, but I had enough space to sit down. I heard the sound of Haru swinging his claymore through the air, followed by the distinct sound of him sliding it back into his sheath. He appeared in front of me a moment later, crossing his arms like a disappointed parent.

    ¡°Explain.¡± He said.

    ¡°He picked a fight with me first. Well, at school, then now. I was just fighting back.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Dammit Bessel.¡± He sighed. ¡°When I asked you to help this was not what I meant¡­¡±

    ¡°How do you know a Demon? And why are you on friendly terms with him?¡±

    ¡°He owes me.¡± Haru said. ¡°I was friends with his dad. Long story short, I¡¯ve been a family friend for years.¡±

    ¡°Friend? With a Demon?"

    Every single Demon I¡¯ve encountered from the moment Koryn was killed has mindlessly been trying to kill me, except Bessel. In fact, I was certain the norm was that they were mindless killing machines. Even after hearing Alison¡¯s story, my opinion of Demons was still low. I sympathized more with the Angels if anything.

    ¡°Every single Demon you¡¯ve encountered so far was what¡¯s known as an Aberrant.¡± He said. ¡°They¡¯re Demons who¡¯ve lost control, and have been driven crazy by bloodlust. However, they ain¡¯t the norm. Most Demons are like Bessel.¡±

    ¡°Picking fights with people they barely know?¡± I said.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s just Bessel. Most Demons are regular people. Like actually.¡± He said.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s one of those situations were I sympathize with another race, simply because you turned me into one?¡±

    ¡°No Kid. I mean, most Demons, don¡¯t even know they are Demons.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°After the Creation Wars, Demons hid themselves in the far reaches of the world. For centuries they preyed upon mankind. The only one in their way was the Honor Guard, which will later become known as the Demon Corps. Equipped with Divine Arms made from the essence of both Angels and Demons, they were the first line of defense against both. Now tell me Kid, what¡¯s the state of the Demon Corps now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as large as it¡¯s ever been, with Demon Hunters stationed all over the world.¡± I said.

    ¡°Would you say it¡¯s successful?¡±

    ¡°I guess. I mean, with the number of members it has¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly it. It¡¯s too successful.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying, that Demons went extinct about three hundred years ago. True Demons anyway. The ones you see now, are the result of Demons interbreeding with humans. They are called Demon Blooded.¡±

    ¡°Demon Blooded?¡±

    ¡°Of course, humans already have a piece of Demon-kind in them as a result of Anastrid¡¯s power, however interbreeding with demons makes it more so, allowing the traits to manifest. The truth of the manner is, the origin of magic, despite what Demon Hunting Corps says otherwise, is because of people¡¯s demonic heritage.¡±

    My eyes widened. What was he saying? I understood the words, but I couldn¡¯t process it. Wasn¡¯t magic a gift of Anastrid¡¯s? Something she gives freely to a few chosen people in the world.

    ¡°However, every once in a while, the Demonic blood within a Demon-Blooded goes crazy, like a cancer. This forces the Demonic heritage to surface, transforming them into Aberrants. Aberrants are blood thirsty beasts, driven only by a deep genetic hatred of Anastrid deep in their being. This hatred manifests itself as a hunger, driving them to consume humans.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean that this?¡± I looked at my arm. ¡°Makes me an Aberrant?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not an Aberrant. There are a few Demon Bloods that are capable of manifesting their Demonic heritage without driving themselves insane. People like Bessel, or like Ozen.¡±

    ¡°Wait, something¡¯s off. If what you¡¯re telling me is true¡­ then I¡¯ve been killing former humans? The Demon Corps has too¡­ and you too.¡± I said. His eyes were solemn.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way for a human to come back from going Aberrant. Trust me. I¡¯ve tried.¡± Haru said. ¡°They¡¯re more a danger to humanity as a whole if you leave them be.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, the Demon Hunting Corps is still a necessity.¡±

    ¡°For the time being.¡± He sighed. ¡°Welp, unless you¡¯ve got any more questions, I have a cold one in the fridge waiting for me.¡±

    I went to bed that night thinking about what Haru had told me. It haunted me to my very core, yet, I still resolved myself. The Demons were already extinct, slain hundreds of years ago. However, Aberrants still appeared every once in a while, and it was the duty of a Demon Hunter to exterminate them. I looked at my demonic arm. It was cold to the touch, and I could barely move it now that I was away from Bessel. It was like a dead weight I carried instead of an arm. Incapable of even the simplest of tasks. I sighed. I could still hear Haru laughing at the tv outside. Jeez, how could someone be so carefree, especially knowing what he knew? Plus, it was just a feeling, but there was definitely something he wasn¡¯t telling me¡­

    The next day, I rewrapped my arm in a cast, and back into it¡¯s sling. I met Alison on the way to school. She greeted me with a warm smile. Tsukihi greeted us at the gate, clipboard in hands.

    ¡°Good Morning Aidan Crow. Miss Davenport.¡± She said, checking us off as present.

    Just as we walked together to class, something kicked me from behind, knocking me forward. I hit the ground with a thud.

    ¡°Heh. Need to work on your balance.¡± Bessel teased. He was back to looking human. Or what resembled an angry monkey in the shape of a human. I hated his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re the new transfer¡­¡± Alison said.

    ¡°Oh wow. Didn¡¯t know you had such a cute girlfriend Aidan. Bessel Smalls, nice to meet ya.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend¡­¡± Alison blushed meekly.

    Wait, what¡¯s that suppose to mean?!

    ¡°You!¡± I said, grabbing the collar of his shirt. ¡°What¡¯s the big idea picking another fight with me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± He winked. ¡°Our mutual friend is too blame here. I¡¯m you¡¯re new trainer. Nice to meet ya.¡± He grinned, holding out his hand. I punched him in the face, hard.

    Tsukihi bashed me in the stomach again, fining me hard.