-Aizawa Maria(2)-

“Fujin Guild?!” Kenshin muttered in astonishment. Fujin Guild is one of the many guilds spanning all over Japan. But, unlike other guilds, this guild had a very special reputation. They only accept females as their members.

The interesting thing was that the guild master is a male with ‘special’ preferences. This woman exclusive guild, not only is very courteous and generous to their members but also helps them with all kind of problems.

Due to this, it was very famous among the women all over Japan, and even in some foreign countries. But, the nearest branch of Fujin was too far than Mito, although they have a few branches in Ibaraki Prefecture.

What’s a member of that guild doing all the way here?! Moreover a magic skill user at that! Kenshin couldn’t wrap his head around. Though, it was none of his business in the first place.

Aizawa Maria was a very simple woman. A few years back, she was a married woman and had a very fulfilling life. Her husband was a hunter with a very strong skill and was working for another local guild in their place. Life was good for her and her family, a year after their marriage, they had a son too.

But, everything changed when she awakened to a very strong magic skill. Though she had never gone through a specialized hunter training, she knew the ropes. She began to accompany her husband to dungeons. There her prodigious skill in magic control came to full display, allowing her to gain power faster than her husband who had undergone a special hunter’s training.

Although she was happy to help her husband and overcoming trials together with him; her husband didn’t share such thoughts. He became jealous of her ability. That jealousy caused a divide in their relationship. Later, this jealousy intensified when her skills were exposed. All the top guilds in Japan, as well as the government, scouted her out to join them.

As her husband’s behavior worsened, she started to worry about her marital life. Things worsened to such degree that she had to divorce her husband. As she had a higher status than her husband, she was successful in keeping her son with her, but her happy little world had already broken.

She could no longer return to those days as a naïve little wife that loved her husband and cared for her son. Though she was depressed for months, she still didn’t neglect her son. She started to work as a freelancer hunter. During a certain event, she was in a pinch against a particularly powerful monster. At that time, a group of girls helped her. Later, under their recommendation, she had joined the female only guild, Fujin.

She realized that, unlike what she had heard about guilds, Fujin was completely different. The members were all females and would often help each other out. She didn’t take long to subsume herself into the guild.

That was all two years ago.

A few days ago, the guild master had called her to his office and informed her that she should pack her bag and prepare to head out to Mito. Reason for that being, the guild was opening a branch at Mito; she was sent here as the temporary supervisor. Until the guild decides a permanent member, she was going to stay here.

She left her son with a friend of her’s from the guild and left for Mito this morning. After reaching here, she had done a background checkup on everything concerning dungeons to hunters here in Mito. After she did a careful observation, she discovered this unusual dungeon. Curiosity grabbed her heart in a vice grip, and she was here with her gear to check out what's so spooky about this dungeon.

She entered the first floor and traveled all the way to the fifth floor, which was the max floor limit of a level 2 dungeon, but except the irregular spawn rate of the monsters here, she didn’t find anything else.

Getting bored of this dungeon, she was about to leave it but encountered the enigmatic person, Kenshin on the way. Her first impression of Kenshin was very bad after seeing his foolish ogling look towards her. She knew that she’s beautiful and her admirers were too many to count. But, as a single mother, she couldn’t help but be disgusted at such frivolous looks directed towards her.

Unwilling to lower herself to his level and quarrel with him, she decides to ignore him completely and instead focus on clearing her way towards the exit. Unsheathing her short sword, she held it in a reverse grip and prepared herself to face a hoard of zombies. But, when she exits the protective bubble, she was so surprised that she had forgotten to breathe for a second.

Corpses littered everywhere, for a dungeon filled with zombies it was normal. But, they were not moving; that was surprising. The only reason a zombie stops moving when it was slain or rotted to the point of disappearance. Seeing a little closer, she discovered that indeed these zombies were all slain.

‘But how!?’ Maria’s couldn’t understand who was strong enough to do such deed. There were at least a thousand zombies here!

‘Is it this boy’s doing?!’ she began to think it was the deed of the boy she had just disdained. But she was unwilling to believe it. Due to her tragic past, she had developed a kind of social skill to discern people by their characters. Earlier she had seen Kenshin’s ogling and leveled him as a person who wouldn’t amount to anything in future.

But, seeing the devastation caused by him here, she had to take back that assumption. After his awkward self-introduction, which strangely sounded like what one would do in a mixer, she confirmed that this boy was indeed the preparator of this carnage. Though unwilling, she couldn’t deny the truth.

As a form of courtesy, she returned his greeting with one of hers.

“You are saying that you are the one who did this?” she asked as she pointed her right index finger to those dead zombies.

Kenshin nodded in agreement, feeling a little proud of his achievement.

“I don’t believe it!” her voice was firm as if nothing would change her decision.

Kenshin felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him on a winter day. His enthusiasm towards this lady vanished faster than a tissue paper in water. Though, he was very much enamored by this beautiful lady; he still remembers his priority. If she does not believe him, then so be it! He was not in a mood to prove himself. He had already graduated from such childish thoughts.

“So be it! Bye…bye…see ya!!” Kenshin decided to go up. There was no point in wasting his time with her. There was also no guarantee that she would be attracted to him, besides, maybe she has a boyfriend!

“Stop it right there!” the woman’s shout had stopped Kenshin’s unhindered steps.

“What?” Kenshin asked as his brows furrowed.

Of course, Maria had seen how fast Kenshin changed his facial expression when she said that she doesn’t believe him. She was now sure that Kenshin was telling the truth. But how can that be the truth? Although these zombies were weak, they are a real nightmare when ganged up. Someone capable of slaughtering that many zombies, surely wouldn’t be a weak hunter, right?

If he was this strong, then why hadn't she heard about him till now? Suddenly she felt like Mito was not as simple as she had initially thought it would be.

But she was now curious about this boy’s strength. His actions had left a deep impression of himself in her heart.

“Let’s have a duel!” she proposed.

Kenshin’s brows disappeared into his hairline.

‘Just what was this woman thinking?’ he couldn’t help but curse her in his heart.