New Era Hunters

By 4fireking

III

Ujiki Chizuru was on his long and perilous journey to find a Navigator that would take him to the building where The Hunter Exams were going to take place. Along the way, Ujiki found a friendly weasel with yellow strips on his back that resembled a lightning bolt. Ujiki named the weasel Gein and allowed him to travel under his cloths.

Ujiki had a map out. Searching through the map, finding where his checkpoint was, he placed his finger between his hometown and where his sources believed a Navigator was. Uijiki was so happy moving; he hadn't been this excited since the day he got married.

"We're getting close, Gein," Uijki said while his eyes were staring at the map. " I can't wait to tell Mito how I passed the Hunter Exam." Uijki then froze, stopped, rubbed his chin and pondered to himself. " Oh yeah, first I need to pass the Hunter Exam before I can tell her that." Uijki smiled again—brighter than his last one—he remembered the zeal ideas of being a hunter. " But it's not like I'm going to fail after traveling so far. Hahahahaha!"

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!

Uijki felt the rumbling of his cellphone in his shorts, took his cellphone out, and placed it on his right ear. " Hello."

" Ujiki, is that you?" Uijki heard the voice of his wife Mito on the end of the receiver.

" Yeah, it's me, baby. What's shaking?"

"Don't call me baby. Remember, you're more like a son to me than you are a husband. Now, where are you?"

" I dunno." Ujiki whirled around, studied the forest he wandered in, and then returned to his original pose. " I think I'm somewhere near Kukuroo Mountain. But I hear the Hunter Exams are in Zaban City. Course, I need a Navigator to lead me there."

" Just make sure you hurry him quickly. You know how I worry about you whenever you're away."

" Yeah. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

Beep

III

Nishiwaki Tetsu was a blacksmith for the quaint Forklorg Village located near Kukuroo Mountain. Nishiwaki was old, his most discriminating features of being old was the cross-shaped scar over his right eye and his short, fuzzy brown beard, and wrinkly hands. Nishiwaki wore a vest made of grey armor that had silver buttons, two bands on his biceps, a large side-belt, and skull earrings on his ears and eyebrows.

Everyone in town knew Nishiwaki as a drunkard—once called him a 'thief'—he had been drinking heavily for three years.

"Why won't the day end sooner?" Nishiwaki moaned while the zing of alcohol mad his mind woozy. "Those damn bandits! I hate them all!" Nishiwaki pulled a clear glass bottle of alcohol to his mouth and took a sip from it. "They'll rue the day they set forth in this town! I'll kill them! I'll kill them all!"

Nishiwaki threw his bottle of alcohol against the ground and dozens of glass pieces scattered around him. Nishiwaki's sorrow was great, and he grieved while he worked on another piece of weaponry.

However, his work was interrupted by the sound of a young boy behind him. " Hey mister, whatcha working on?"

Nishiwaki grumbled and then spun around to look at the boy that pestered him. He was 4'8, had short spiky blonde hair, creamy skin, Forrest green hazel eyes, and brawny yet small arms. His outfit composed of a red jacket with yellowish edges covering a white tank top underneath, red shorts, and red laced boots. Behind him was a bow and quiver, and on his hips was a knife.

"What do you want, kid?" The man said rudely. " Can't you see that I'm BUSY!"

"Excuse me, but would you happen to know where the nearest pathway to the next town is, sir? My name is Ujiki Chizuru. I have very important business to attend to."

Nishiwaki had more sorrow over him, and he wished he still had his bottle of beer. "Sorry kid, but there's only one pathway in this whole town, and too bad for you it's blocked by bandits."

"Bandits you say?" Cat whiskers sprouted from Uijiki's cheeks as a plan popped up in his head. "Mind telling me where these bandits a—"

Nishiwaki leaned in at Uijiki's face and scoffed. Uijiki shuddered at seeing the man's eyes glare at him. " You really don't want to go there; you're still a little boy. And little boy's like you stand no chance against th—"

A weasel popped out of the collar of Uijiki's shirt. The weasel hissed at Nishiwaki as he backed away from him. The weasel then buried back inside of Uijiki's shirt. " I'm sorry about that. Gein can be quite a hassle at times. But he only acts that way to protect me. Now, could you tell me more about these bandits? I'm always curious about my opponents."

Nishiwaki was trembling as he stared into Uijiki's eyes, but his anxiety turned into a smirk, he taunted, " It's mortifying to see a little kid like you trying to take down the scary bandits."

" I'm not a kid. I'm old enough to drink beer."

" So? Everyone has alcohol once in their lives. Hell, your mother used to rub Vapor Rub with alcohol on you when you weren't even ten."

" But I'm not a kid. I can take care of the bandits. "

There was a long moment of silence between Nishiwaki and Uijki. Then, the sound of footsteps was heard. Uijki felt a cold hand touch his right shoulder. Uijki turned his head and looked into the wicked eyes of bandits. There were two bandits, each wearing green leather shirts and gold fabric lining the bottom, brown trousers, and carried short daggers.

" Do you have money for your taxes?" One of the bandits snickered.

" You do have to pay your taxes, or we'll be forced to deal with you Personally," Another one of the bandits snickered.

Uijki looked at both of the bandits with unafraid eyes. Uijki looked at the daggers, smiled and looked at both bandits in the eyes. "Are you sure you two should be carrying weapons such as those? People will think you're up to no good."

" Idiot! We're bandits! And if you don't cough up that Jenny…things are going to get ugly!"

Uijki didn't move. However, he didn't have to. Uijki's pet weasel Gein sneaked up to the bandits and climbed up their trouser pockets. With one swish of his tail, Gein swat the daggers from their hands with his tail.

" OI!" Both bandits exclaimed in unison. "What just happene—"

Both bandits were beaten by Uijki. Uijki uppercut the bandit on the left, and he roundhouse kicked the bandit on the right. Both hands had red marks on their faces as they both then collapsed on the ground. Uijki smiled and turned his head to Nishiwaki as he expected him to be amazed by his livid skills, but saw him to be angry instead.

"What the hell were you thinking, you stupid kid? Now because of you…bandits will come to kill you."

Uijki was surprised by the man's reaction; he was expecting him to show a little more courtesy to the person who helped him. Uijki rubbed his chin, pondered, said, "So?"

"So!" Nishiwaki shouted. " So they're going to kill YOU! Don't you care that you're going to die! Aren't you afraid your life is going to end?"

" Nope. Realizing I'm going to die just makes life more enjoyable. It would be awfully boring if I was invincible. So I'm going to fight the bandits and hope that I don't die."

Nishiwaki just stared at the tittering smile of Uijki; he could not bare his hearted smile. The smile made him anxious, angry, his face sweated and he shouted:

" You're just a stupid child. Just go away. Go too that base and die. I don't care what happens to you anymore. Just go!"