"What kind of power did that girl have… my head is spinning… aaah… where even is this place…?"
Zeno was walking through the city when his stomach started growling again.
His eyes fell on a mobile cart grilling eel meat. His mouth watered, he quickly went forward and tried to grab one of the skewers, but the vendor slapped his hand away and angrily said:
"Money first, then food."
Zeno searched his pockets, but there was nothing. He smiled and said:
"Can't you count the first one as free?"
The vendor got furious and shouted:
"If you're not buying, move away and don't block my business!!!"
Zeno, hopeless and hungry, continued on his way…
He hadn't gone many steps when suddenly a skewer of kebab appeared in front of his face. Zeno quickly grabbed it and ate it.
He turned his face to thank the person, but when he did, his eyes widened and his mouth stayed open.
"Y-you…"
It was none other than the same elf he had seen in the forest.
"Sister Korenai."
"Sister Korenai?… My name is Arisa Shamrock."
But Zeno was still frozen and only kept repeating one word under his breath:
"Korenai…"
Arisa calmly said:
"If you don't want to die of hunger, you have to make money."
Zeno finally came back to himself and asked:
"How do I make money? I don't know how to do any work."
Arisa glanced at his sword and asked:
"Do you know sword fighting?"
Zeno said:
"Kind of, yeah."
Arisa calmly said:
"Follow me…"
The Royal Castle of the Shamrocks:
"Sir, the sword is out of control!!!… We can't control it anymore!"
"The sword Kleinor has been trembling and releasing energy for several hours now!"
No one could restrain it, when suddenly the second prince of the kingdom, "Raito," entered the room with dignity.
"Everyone, be informed, the prince has entered!"
Everyone bowed. Raito stood near Kleinor with cold eyes.
He reached for his sword. At the same time he drew it, a powerful wave was released.
The people in the room said in fear:
"Is this that power?!"
"Yes! They say this power was activated in his body when the holy sword chose him!! They say his power is on the level of an archangel."
Raito drew his sword and forcefully thrust it beside Kleinor. Kleinor calmed down, as if Raito's sword had put it to sleep.
Raito turned his face and calmly said to the guards:
"Until the emperor returns, my sword will restrain it. Until then, no one is allowed to enter this room."
"Yes, my lord!!"
Raito looked at Kleinor and said to himself:
"What is it that can excite you this much?"
"What is this Hanta Kyoka (Hunters' Guild)?"
Arisa gestured and said:
"Come inside, you'll understand."
Zeno and Arisa went in…
When they entered, Zeno's eyes sparkled. Muscular people, demi-humans, all kinds of people were there. With armor, without armor, scars that showed heavy battles.
One huge, muscular man appeared in front of them like a monster and angrily said:
"I was waiting for your return, Silent Killer."
Arisa calmly said:
"Step aside, or you'll lose your head."
Zeno looked around nervously. Everyone was staring at them with lifeless and terrifying eyes. Slowly and trembling, he moved his hand toward his sword and gripped it tightly…
Suddenly, the muscular man lifted Arisa, put her on his shoulder, and happily shouted:
"Our little Arisa is back, yeaaaaah!"
Everyone gathered around Arisa happily. Zeno, confused, got lost in the crowd and stayed behind.
"What the hell is wrong with these people?!"
Zeno quietly went and sat at a table. Beside him, another person, who was terrified upon seeing Zeno, said:
"Y-you… here!!!… I'd better leave quickly."
Zeno looked at him in surprise and said:
"Why are you sweating so much?"
The man stepped back in fear and fell off his chair. Everyone heard the sound. The place became silent.
The muscular man asked:
"What is it? Why are you so scared, Bartos?!"
"Can't you see?!" Bartos pointed at Zeno and shouted in fear:
"He's a monster!!!… The true embodiment of a demon!"
Everyone stared at Bartos with wide eyes and open mouths.
The muscular man said in shock:
"Then… then that means he…!!!"
Bartos, sweating and trembling, said:
"Yes!!!… He might be the reincarnation of a Shinigami!!!"
The muscular man's eyes widened even more and then…
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha!!… Bartos, I think that last war really messed with your head, hahaha!"
Bartos shouted angrily and sweating:
"I'm telling you, I wasn't scared in that war, I was just thinking a little!"
The laughter doubled.
"Hahahahaha! He says he was thinking! Do you even have a brain?! Hahaha!"
Bartos angrily left Hanta Kyoka, muttering to himself:
"One day you'll understand… but by then it'll be too late…"
Arisa hit the muscular man's shoulder and said:
"That's enough, put me down, Soma."
Zeno was sitting quietly. Soma laughed and said:
"Alright, alright. Why are you so rough, girl? If you stay like this, you won't find a boyfriend."
Arisa's cheeks turned red and she angrily said:
"I don't need a boyfriend!!!… Weak people are the ones who rely on others."
Soma looked at Zeno, stepped forward, and asked:
"By the way, who are you?"
Zeno calmly smiled and said:
"I'm with that lady."
Soma looked at Arisa with wide eyes and a smile, understanding everything…
Arisa's cheeks turned red again, and sweating, she said shyly:
"N-no… it's not like what you think… ewww…"
Arisa was lifted onto Soma's shoulder again.
"Our little girl finally made a friend! Tonight we celebrate, hoooraaaay!"
Zeno, not understanding anything, quietly stayed sitting on his chair…
Deep beneath the ground, in the castle of the Great Fiend Xailor:
Two of Xailor's subordinates entered the room.
Xailor narrowed his eyes and said:
"This time you came back empty-handed… right?"
They bowed their heads and said nothing.
Xailor got furious. The flames on the walls erupted, and so did his own aura. He was like a volcano. The two people present melted like iron from the intense heat.
The door opened and someone entered:
"Master, control yourself. You are damaging the relics of our lord Shinigami."
Xailor came back to himself and restrained his power.
"If this goes on, even in a hundred years we won't be able to open the gate!… Do you have any ideas, Chika?!"
Chika smiled and said:
"I know how to open the gate."
Xailor looked deeply at Chika and asked:
"And how?"
Chika gave an evil smile and said:
"Sacrificial magic…"
Xailor said:
"Where do we get the sacrifices?"
Chika said with a sinister tone:
"Demi-humans."
Xailor laughed and said:
"Prepare the half-demons as soon as possible!… The appointed day is near…"
Hanta Kyoka:
"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Hoooooo!"
"50 large cups of alcohol! A new record!"
Zeno was standing on the table, with cups piled like a mountain in front of him.
"This is nothing. Bring 50 more."
Beside him, someone had collapsed. It was Soma, the former record holder with 20 cups.
"Sir, I think you lost to a kid."
Soma drunkenly lifted his head and said:
"No way… I just… so his feelings wouldn't get hurt… ahem… I let him win, that's all…"
Soma fainted again.
Zeno finished the 70th cup and shouted:
"Bring the rest too!"
But Ten-in said:
"We're out of sake."
"Ooooooh! A new record! 70 large cups of alcohol! Who are you, kid?!"
Arisa said to Zeno:
"Did you completely forget why we came here?!"
Zeno suddenly remembered. Soma was slowly waking up. Zeno sat in front of him and said:
"Can I become a hunter too?"
Soma put his hand on his head and said:
"First you have to kill a cursed beast and bring us a part of its body. Then, based on your hunt, I'll give you a rank and a badge showing you're a hunter."
Zeno smiled and said:
"That's easy. I'll go right now."
Soma passed out again onto the table…
Zeno grabbed Arisa's hand and pulled her up. Her cheeks turned red.
"Where are you taking me?!… At this time of night?!"
Zeno smiled:
"Well, someone has to show me the way!… We're going, brother Soma."
Soma gave a thumbs up.
Zeno and Arisa left Kyoka. Zeno held Arisa in his arms. Her entire face turned red.
"Hold me tight, girl."
Zeno flew upward. The houses below looked like tiny stones. They were standing right in front of the moon.
Arisa had her eyes closed, but Zeno turned her around and said:
"Open your eyes. How long are you going to be scared like this?"
She slowly opened them. When she saw the moon, her eyes widened and sparkled.
"I've never been this close to the moon before…"
On the ground, people were looking at the moon and saw two figures embracing.
"What is that in front of the moon?!… It looks like two people kissing."
Arisa was looking at Zeno with shining eyes. Her heart was beating fast.
"What is this feeling… why is my heart racing… am I sick?!"
Zeno smiled and said:
"So, aren't you going to show me the way?"
But Arisa was still staring at his face, then pointed toward a forest.
Zeno held her and landed in the dark forest. Arisa was still dazed, unable to move.
Zeno snapped his fingers in front of her eyes.
"Hey, Golden, aren't you going to show the way?"
Arisa:
"Ah… this way…!"
Arisa and Zeno slowly disappeared into the darkness of the forest…