“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.

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!”