"You have heard of them before. Although they appear to be indistinguishable from your common mage, they are another breed of magic-user. They lack the studious nature of your Shamans, the dark desires of your Sorcerers, the vile fascination of your Necromancers and the otherworldly obsession of Summoners and Conjurers alike.

They use magic as a tool; as a means to an end. They do not conform to any existing magical ideology, in fact, some believed they have created their very own. They use tools of wars alongside their hastily learned spells; wielding them with precision as they cut down men and beast alike.

Once famed for driving out attacks and raids of Youkai's and Oni's from the Yatsugatake Mountains to the human settlements beneath it, they have been reduced to their current state of sell-sword lifestyle after whatever remained of their organization splintered off into different factions.

Although separated, most Slayers still uphold the tenets taught to them during its founding.

One. A Slayer must slay. Be it beast or men, both are equal to the Slayers' blade.

Two. Be of sound mind and body. A Slayer must meditate in the lessons they have learned, be it practical or theory.

Three. Walk the lonesome road. The road ahead is never-ending for a Slayer.

These are but some of the tenets they used to ingrain into the minds of young Slayers, before subjecting them to harsh and borderline torturous training regimes. Despite being humans, most doubt them for how efficient they are in doing their jobs.

-Excerpt from The Chronological Accounts of All Things Fantastic by Y. Yukari.

Helping Totsuka train has certainly taken a good chunk of his free-time. Free-time, he says, not 'work' time. Before 'joining' the Service Club, he usually spends his after school hours preparing for his Guardian duties. This includes checking stock of ammunition, performing maintenance on his guns, brewing potions and checking his inbox for any Slayer contracts.

While he still commits to his routine, a good chunk of that time - especially one spent the first three - are taken up by having to be present during club hours. He can easily read through his inbox from his phone and Yukinoshita and Yuigahama will be none the wiser. Maybe he should take some time off from club activities? That's a thought he should give some time thinking over to.

"Good work Hikki, Sai-chan… Yukinon." Yuigahama approaches the bench where her friends are currently resting on with a towel draped around her neck. "Man, Sai-chan, you're - like - way better than you were before! Your serves are much faster, you can - like - hit harder and jump higher!"

"Ahahaha… it can't be, you're just saying that, Yui." A modest soul he is, this Totsuka Saika-kun. Rubbing his wrist - a habit that Hachiman notices Saika has - the silver haired tennis captain looks away with slight coloration on his cheeks.

Although Yuigahama might be exaggerating it in the way she speaks, Hachiman agrees with her to a degree. From his initial observation, the boy is already good at tennis. Not a pro by any definition, but Hachiman can see that change some time in the future; should the tennis ace choose to further his training.

Conduct some friendly matches with neighbouring schools, get an endorsement from a reputable sports club, try out for the nationals and if that goes well - he might just be playing against Federer during Open Season or something.

Either way, Totsuka Saika is already that good of a player. So why bother asking them for help? Yukinoshita is familiar with the sport. But with her poor and non-existent stamina, she can't compete against Saika when he gets all serious. Yui is, well, let's just say they had to spend the first two days teaching her how to serve the ball. As for Hachiman; he's an amateur at best.

"But, Hachiman, you play really good!" Totsuka praises the Slayer, a look of genuine adoration on his face for all to see. "Your form's pretty much perfect, your reflex is extraordinary and you can play four matches straight with no trouble! Even I get tired after my third."

If Hachiman is a more honest soul, he'll reveal his status as a Slayer and entail all the physical benefit of being one. But he is not the most honest of individuals. It's a Mage thing.

"Like I told you, I work out." Not to sound like a total gym bro, but that is as close as Hachiman can get to the actual answer.

"How surprising." comes a subtle but nonetheless snide remark from the black haired club president sitting beside Yuigahama. "I have you figured for a creature that lives a sedentary lifestyle as he revels in his slothful tendencies, Hikigaya-kun."

"And I have you figured as a sharp tongued devil who drags the soul of people into the deepest part of hell, Yukinoshita."

"How original, Hikigaya-kun. Like I haven't heard of that before."

"I'm sure it won't be the last time either."

Not unlike the tennis match they had earlier, the two original members of the Service Club delves into a back and forth which - should any outsider be paying attention to them - makes them look like they were past lovers who used to be in an on and off relationship before deciding to break it off entirely, but they happen to have the same day job so seeing each other for a huge portion of their time is unavoidable and although they are acting toxic towards each other, the sexual tension between the two of them is just so goddamn obvious thatohmygodI'mgoingtoscrea-

"Are they always…" Totsuka, being an outsider who is currently paying attention to them, can only watch the back and forth with morbid curiosity. To him, it's like watching a car crash. But the car is burning. While speeding towards a playground full of kids. Orphan kids.

"Arguing like they're married? Yup." For some reason unknown to Totsuka, Yui looks upset. The pink haired girl, having enough of hearing the two of her clubmates going back and forth like a married couple, decides to intervene. "Alright, cut it out; the both of you! You're making Sai-chan uncomfortable."

Although the smile that Totsuka is giving is that one of reassurance, on the inside, he is glad that Yui manages to stop the two students from tongue lashing against each other even more. One of the two has got to be a masochist, but which one is which, he does not know. Is it Yukinoshita for goading Hachiman to come up with even more brutal retorts? Or is it Hachiman for taking it all like a champ?

Again, he may never know… nor is he keen to find out.

"...huff." Feeling her face warming up - due to the strenuous activities they did today and most definitely NOT the banter she just had with Hachiman - Yukinoshita dabs her towel around her face. "You tire me, Hikigaya-kun."

"Hm. Didn't have to try too hard in order to do that." Hachiman does not miss the look of annoyance that briefly flashes across his club president's face.

Both Totsuka and Yuigahama know that Hachiman wins this round, although really, why should they care?

"Heeeey! Are you guys, like, done playing for the day?"

Hachiman's body briefly froze. Even if it is only for a millisecond, his body freezes. He swivels his head towards the direction of the courtyard entrance, where the voice comes from.

His eyes land themselves on a rather particular sight.

A group of friends. Numbering six in total. Four guys and two girls. None of them look out of the ordinary; just your typical group of teenagers with the stereotypes filled in.

There's the popular guy; the most good looking one out of the boys, the so-called 'Alpha' of the Smiles walking around with his pearly whites showing, hands in his pocket because his non-confrontational as heck… yeah, to Hachiman, he doesn't look too bright.

Next is the hype guy; the one who's the most obvious at everything it is that he does. Flashy hair, not up to standard dress code… how in the hell did they let him attend classes? This one's even less bright.

Then there's the jock. Taller than all of his friends, this fine specimen is wearing his baseball undershirt underneath his uniform. He also subconsciously flexes his arm the moment he notices people looking at him.

The last guy is a bit more interesting. While not good looking or the athletic type, he is known as being the group's 'Yes Man'. Laughs the loudest at any joke his friends tell, even though he has heard it countless times before; your all around people pleaser.

Proceeding to the girls... one is the quiet glasses wearing girl who no one really knows what is going on inside her head. Those glasses not only enhance her vision, but also paints the image of a studious soul… although whatever it is she's studying, no one knows. And are those tissue papers stuffed inside her nostrils?

The last girl…

Well, the last girl is a-

"Oi, the loser with the freaky eyes, stop staring at me you creep!"

-bitch. She's a bitch. Plain and simple.

"Yumiko, that's rude." reprimands the leader of the posse, although his natural nice-guy face does not make him look reprimanding at all.

"It's fine, Hayato." The one identified as Yumiko reassures her fellow faux blonde in her major bitch voice. "He's got thick skin, don't you, Hi~Ki~O-kun?"

Gyaru style make-up, check. Bleached blonde hair, check. Skirt three centimeters shorter than it is normally allowed, check. List after lists after lists; she is scoring them all. Her appearance, along with the confident and almost cheshire-like grin she has on her face is enough to intimidate students; especially the girls from the lower levels, if he recalls correctly.

She plays the whole 'Mean Girl' act to a T; her being the way she is only adds to that image.

"Eh?" Yuigahama looks at Hachiman before quickly switching back to the approaching girl and her group of friends. "Hikki, Yumiko… you two know each other?!"

It seems her surprise is shared by most - sans Hachiman - present on the court.

"Oh my." Yukinoshita, despite how obviously biting she's making it sound like, still shows surprise at the unexpected revelation. You cannot say you don't know a person if they come barging in on your tennis practice insulting your facial feature while calling you in what appears to be a nickname of some sort. "You continue to surprise me, Hikigaya-kun. I was not aware you keep yourself busy in the company of lions."

Hachiman fixes a pair of narrowed eyes toward the approaching group, or just the blonde girl to be more specific. "...more like kittens."

"What was that, Hikio?"

"Oven mittens." The boy replies without missing a beat. "I need to buy me a new pair after practice is over." He leans forward to grab his water bottle, already unscrewing the cap. "What are you doing here, Miura?"

Those unaware that of the two knowing each other - in this case pretty much everyone else present on the court sans the two - shows their own respective degrees of surprise at how casual the start to a conversation the two are currently having.

With her arms crossed underneath her bust, Miura Yumiko shoots him a catty look. "We saw an empty court and thought it'd be fun if we could play a game or two."

"Well, in that case, you must have poor eyesight then." Hachiman replies, voice as smooth as butter. He screws his water bottle back shut after taking a quick chug from it, eventually putting it back in the bag where it belongs. "Last time I checked, there were four people standing on this 'empty' court before you and your litter came strutting in."

Her eyes flashed crimson, with black slits.

The others might have missed it, but Hachiman's eyes never miss.

"Oh… you'd know all about having poor eyesight, don't you?"

"I know all about not having them."

After that one last comeback, no one says a word. Even the normally rambunctious group filled with some of the most talkative guys in class are quiet after watching the not-so-friends exchange of words by both Hachiman and Miura.

Yukinoshita, knowing how barbed her words can get whenever they are exchanged with Hachiman, is stunned by how downright hostile the scene playing before her eyes is. Coming from a different class than all of the other students present, she is ignorant to the kind of company her clubmates keep outside of the club.

Although Yuigahama has made it clear more than a few times before that she is on friendly terms with Hayama and his group of friends - even as far as considering her to be a part of said group - the same cannot be said for the only boy in the Service Club, she's afraid.

His entrance to the club is something Yukinoshita did not expect. Granted, it was a certain club advisor that practically dragged the loner into the club - something to do with a punishment of some sort, but somehow managing to convince her that it was all part of a plan to improve his attitude in general; and don't get her started on the bet she so foolishly agreed to.

But knowing that Hikigaya Hachiman and Miura Yumiko are on… insulting terms with each other?

That is a surprise.

While Yukinoshita is busy with her thoughts, the other female member of the Service Club is more keen on making sure that things do not go out of control. Judging by how fiercely both her best friend and clubmate are glaring at each other, she reckons it's not that far off.

"U-Um, you guys take it easy, okay?" She bravely steps in between their line of sight and breaks it with hopes that it will cool down the heat that is released from the two's staredown match. "Let's just cool down now."

Fortunately for Yuigahama, Miura relents first; dropping her glare while letting out an audible huff. Her eyes, known only to Hachiman, return to their normal non predatory state; but they are still focused on the loner standing on the other side of the court.

"Fine. But only because you said so, Yui." Hachiman rolls his eyes, making sure to do so outside of Miura's peripherals so as to not irk her further. "So, Yui, you're hanging out with him now?"

At the sudden question, Yuigahama feels pressured to answer. "Eh? You mean Hikki?" She sees Miura nod. "Y-Yeah… b-but there's Yukinon too, you know!"

For whatever reason, the way Yui's cheeks flush red infuriates Miura.

"...damn womanizing…"

"Hm? You say something, Yumiko?"

"Nothing." Miura says, subtly shifting the conversation elsewhere. Back to Hachiman. But this time, rather than just stare at him in a way that will cause further misunderstanding - this time - she walks up to him, passing through the net dividers, until she is a mere feet away from the taller boy.

Hachiman's left eyebrow rises in a noticeable manner, but despite the obvious display of intimidation, his face remains the same. Unchanging, never showing anything. Miura, however, has an idea of what might be going on inside that head of his. Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out an envelope. The long and expensive-looking one, the type one would normally give or receive formally. With a quick flick of her wrist, she throws the envelope towards him.

Even if he only has a fraction of a second to catch the offending item, he manages to do so, using the gaps between his fingers. He eyes the item closely, inspecting it not unlike a parent would do to their child's report card. Hachiman's nose twitches, and then, realization dawns upon him. Pocketing the envelope inside his jersey's pocket compartment, he then returns his gaze back at Miura.

"Thanks." he says.

"...tch." Miura clicks her tongue and shoves both of her hands inside whatever space there her skirt's pockets can provide. "Forget it guys, let's head back… I'm not in the mood to play anymore." She yells at her friends, to which some are upset about; especially that one noisy kid with the headband.

Not being in the mood to question her, the group of friends glance among each other, their eyes asking the same question that has been going through their minds. Hayama, in particular.

"What in the world just happened?" Surprisingly, it is Yukinoshita who utters it.

Like a pack of curious chicks that have just recently broken out of their shells, Yuigahama, Yukinoshita and Totsuka trots toward Hachiman.

"Ano… Hikki, what was that?" Hachiman can tell that Yuigahama is referring to the envelope he just received from Miura, the one that is in his pocket. "Is it a l-l-lov-"

"No." It might have just been them, but it's as if Hachiman just raised his voice. "Nope. Not in a million years."

"Then what is it, Hikigaya-kun?" With all her poise and grace, Yukinoshita can't make it anymore obvious that she is just as curious as Yuigahama is.

"It is a little bit surprising, Hachiman…" Totsuka informs, chuckling to his delicate fingers. "We're from the same class and I never see Miura-san interact with you at all."

Sighing, the fish-eyed teen scratches the back of his head. "Well, if you must know…" they don't, really, but for the sake of sating everyone's curiosity, he'll just come in clean. He reaches his hand back into his pocket to fish out the envelope. Nonchalantly, he begins to rip open the seal to reveal the contents.

"W-Whoa…"

"Wow…"

"Why…?"

Those responses come from Yuigahama, Totsuka and Yukinoshita respectively. What he's showing them probably knock the sails off whatever it is they have in mind. But, Hachiman cannot blame them.

This is probably the first time they've ever seen so many Hideyo Noguchi in one place.

...maybe not Yukinoshita, but Hachiman gets the feeling that she's more of a debit and credit kind of girl.

"T-That's a lot of money, Hikki! Why did Yumiko give you that much money?" For once this time, Yuigahama is not exaggerating. There is, indeed, a lot of money inside the envelope; in fact, it's packed with nothing but 1000 Yen banknotes.

"I was going to count them at home, but since I've opened it, I might as well do it here…" He quickly flips through the banknotes. A hundred of them, so that brings the total to 100,000 Yen.

"Are you out of your mind, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita questions, her tone sounding a little bit heated for some reason. If Hachiman has to say why it probably has something to do with the way he is handling his money. "How does a high school student acquire such a huge amount of money like that in the first place?" She asks, her tone close to demanding. "Never mind that, why did Miura-san give you the money in the first place?"

Hachiman inwardly curses his blonde haired classmate. 'If she'd just wired the money in…' then he won't be having this dilemma. Or maybe, this is all part of her plan? If so, he has to admit. It is effective.

Shaking his head, Hachiman stashes his cash away inside his pocket as he and his group make their way back to the bleachers to engage in the conversation properly.

"It's hard to explain." It isn't, really. Unless he's willing to break one of the most important codes there is to a Mage. "But to put it simply, Miura borrowed money from me a few months back." He starts his explanation in a normal manner.

"Yumiko borrowed money from you?" This time, Yuigahama isn't so easily convinced, judging by the suspecting look she's giving Hachiman. "Even if that's the case, why on earth would she need to borrow that much money from you?"

Hachiman subtly relaxes. Now, he can easily make up his tale. "Not quite sure. I remember her saying something about needing cash so bad and being all desperate about it." He shrugs, resuming his explanation, "At the time, I didn't ask why."

"And why not?!"

"She was desperate. Very desperate."

See, Hachiman is making it sound like Miura had been in a helpless situation. Something along the lines of not being able to pay the bills, being in huge debt due to irresponsible parents or maybe even being in debt herself has come up in Yukinoshita, Totsuka, and Yuigahama's mind. Now, Hachiman has no problem leaving things like that. But, you see, contrary to what others might think, he can be a vindictive son of a bitch when he wants to. And since Miura's been nothing but a bitch earlier, he figures it will only be fair if he makes things inconvenient.

"That does not make things any less strange, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita points out accusingly. "In fact, it makes you even more suspicious." She says in a manner that would make most lawyers sweat. "Why would Miura-san come to you, and you specifically, for money? And, the most important question, what kind of relationship do you have with her that would make it okay for her to borrow such a large amount of money from you in the first place?"

As expected of his club president. He would've been surprised… if he is an idiot.

"To answer your question altogether; Miura and I are co-workers," Hachiman answers as if he's saying the most mundane of things.

"Eh? Co-workers?" Totsuka utters questioningly. "You have a part-time job, Hachiman?"

'Yeah, I wish it was part-time…' Hachiman nods. "Yes. And so does Miura." he knows that they will not be satisfied with just that so he elaborates, "We work for a cleaning service company. We have been for quite a while now."

For as long as he can remember, actually, but they don't have to know that.

"That's strange…" Yuigahama comments, humming. "Yumiko never said anything about having a part-time job before."

Hachiman grumbles. "Maybe she's embarrassed? A girl like her doesn't seem the type to freely admit that she's a part-time janitor." This is another diversion, but it sounds like something he usually says, making it all the more believable. "At least to me she doesn't."

Oh no, Hachiman knows that she is exactly not that type of girl.

"I guess that makes sense." It seems out of the three, Totsuka is the first one to be convinced by Hachiman's words. "It's just, and don't take this the wrong way Hachiman, unexpected that someone like you would know Miura-san. To a point where she owes you money, especially… hahaha."

"None taken." Hachiman snorts.

"..." Hachiman can tell that Yukinoshita isn't as easily convinced. She is pursing her lips, while her eyes are giving a far-away look that indicates thought. She is still trying to come up with a far more logical reason, one that is entirely based on her understanding of his character. Not totally unreasonable for a person to do, considering how deceptive he is in general.

Yuigahama, like Saika, is content with the explanation he has given. Although Hachiman cannot tell what kind of private conclusion she has come up on her own regarding his relationship with Miura, he can tell that it is troubling her a little bit. To a point where she's pouting like Komachi does whenever he enforces her curfew upon her.

But speaking of enforcing things… looking at the time on his phone, Hachiman should really go. Due to the interruption earlier, they have wasted enough time to play two games at the very least. He is about to inform Yukinoshita of this but the sudden buzzing of his phone prevents him from doing that.

To: H

From: P

Meet me at the usual spot.

-Message Ends-

A rare feeling of dread crawls up his spine.

"...Fuck."

Contrary to what most Mages believe in, Slayers do not kill Mages exclusively. It just so happens that most of the contracts a Slayer is assigned to have a mage, or two, getting in the way of said Slayer from completing his task. Other than that, the fact that Slayers are technically mages themselves contributes to the statistics. But that doesn't mean a Slayer is above snuffing a normal person or two. If the situation calls for it, those ignorant of the moonlit world will die; most of the time to keep it that way.

Hachiman, in particular, has slain more thugs hired by the same mages he tries to kill. He remembers his first kill. One always does…

Hachiman's nose twitches; his body follows in reaction to the gesture by straightening its posture with his back no longer slouching but instead straight and parallel to the backrest of the bench he is currently sitting on.

"So sorry I'm late. They had to call everyone for an emergency meeting regarding the disappearances that's been happening lately…"

A casual - too casual - and easy-going voice belonging to a female person calls out from Hachiman's left, prompting the young Slayer to look that way. His already tapered eyes narrow even more, taking in the figure of the approaching person. Slowly, he relaxes his eyes; whatever feeling of irritation brewing inside has simmered down to leave behind a feeling of mild annoyance.

Hachiman won't admit it, but she does have that effect on him.

"Ne, ne… are you mad, Hachi-kun?" the latecomer asks, her voice gradually increasing in volume due to her approach. He feels her occupy the empty spot next to him, the bench creaking slightly to support both of their weight. "You're not mad are you?"

"No, I'm not." He is not. "I'm just… you know." he finishes lamely. Hearing giggling coming from his left side, Hachiman rolls his eyes. 'Glad to know someone's taking it easy…'

No, he can't say that. He shouldn't be saying something like that in the first place. Despite how it might look like, the girl sitting beside him is in a position that Hachiman does not envy at all. It's a surprise that she even has time to meet him face to face like this, considering how busy her schedule can get.

"Muuu… I won't know what you mean unless you say it to me, Hachi-kun." That's a lie. She can totally read him like an open book; she just wants him to say it out loud. "Come on, tell your senpai, what's wrong?"

'Fine then… if you want it that way…'

Hachiman leans against the backrest, taking his time to relax before speaking, "Komachi, she…" he hesitates, lips unusually dry, "she had another fit."

The girl, hearing the tone of voice he is using, immediately abandons whatever mischief she is carrying from before. "That explains the resonance I felt yesterday," she reveals, her voice still maintaining its easy-going nature despite the initial shift in mood.

"You felt that?" Hachiman questions, getting alert.

"Ah, don't worry." The girl sitting beside Hachiman waves off with a small chorus of giggles. "I helped you erect the barrier around your house so whatever feedback you might've felt, I can too. See, I care about you, no?" Giggling, she playfully nudges the boy sitting beside her.

To any outsider observing, they look like an adorable high school couple. With him being the younger one, while she is older by a year. But in truth, it cannot be any further than that. He respects her. A lot. The girl sitting beside him is one of the few people in his life to actually give a shit about him. She is also the one who helps him transition properly to the profession he has now.

In a way, she is his senpai… both in school and outside. She has been his mentor for a short while, his friend and his senior.

But to her, she is Shiromeguri Meguri. She is Hikigaya Hachiman's senpai.

"Yeah. You do." Shiromeguri turns to face Hachiman, almost gasping at what she's looking at. On Hachiman's face is one of the rare genuine smiles Hachiman almost never shows whenever he's in public. "Thank you, senpai."

Even among their circle, the teen rarely expresses any emotion aside from the occasional ones when he is either annoyed or bored. That does not mean he's emotionless, not at all. Shiromeguri, in fact, finds it to be the opposite. To her, Hikigaya Hachiman is probably one of the most emotional persons out there. He may not be expressive, but he is reactive to the things around him; especially when it comes to people in general.

After seeing him smile and genuinely thanking her, what else can she do other than say, "You're welcome."

"But… I do hope you didn't call me all the way here just to hear me say thank you." Ah, there's another part of him that she adores; his ability to switch from a normal boy to the professional Slayer he is. "Otherwise, I'm gonna have to walk away right now…"

"Of course not." Shiromeguri huffs, pouting in a manner that makes Hachiman feel at ease. "Here." Zipping open her school bag, she fishes out a roll of canvas with a strap keeping it from unfurling attached in the middle. "It's quite hard to get some of the ingredients you listed. But… I guess these have to do with your current contract?"

"Yes." Hachiman is not surprised that Shiromeguri knows about his assignment. "Silver dust, holy water, powdered salamander bone and-

"Refined salt." Shiromeguri finishes for him. "I know what to get, Hachi-kun. If you're not the type of boy that you are, I might've thought you're mocking me."

"Never," Hachiman says in a firm tone. "Not in a million years. You're better at this than I am. That's why I asked you to pick these out for me." Hachiman gestures to the rolled-up canvas bag.

"So," Shiromeguri begins, "a Blister Venom, huh? You must be serious if you asked me to prepare its ingredients for you. You know that most people struck with anything that has a little bit of that concoction on it suffer before they expire."

"I do. But I've no intention of making anybody suffer." Hachiman says, picking up the canvas roll and stashing it inside his own bag. "Got no intention of using it against normal folks. Mages, on the other hand…"

"Ah." Shiromeguri acknowledges understandingly. "The wards they cast can be quite annoying. But nothing a little bit of silver and elbow grease can't do!" She raises her arms upwards, making flexing motions.

Hachiman considers Shiromeguri to be a far better Mage than he is. She has more experience both in the field and theory; enough for him to request a mentorship - which they agreed to although only for a short while - from her. And from his experience being mentored by Shiromeguri Meguri, he has taken a very important lesson to heart.

Never, ever, underestimate your opponent.

Six years spent together with Shiromeguri has introduced in him this heightened wariness of female magic users; be it female Slayers, Sorceresses or Witches. Hachiman likes to think he is a forward-thinking individual so the concept of women being inferior in any way shape or form from men is completely alien to him. Throughout that short six years of his life, he has seen Shiromeguri performing deeds that most men will not do.

This includes - but not limited to - stopping fanatical cultists from committing acts of violence to the public, hunting down dangerous magical anomalies, straight up abolishing an entire criminal enterprise all by herself and, the most amazing of all, going face to face with an Ayakashi and lived to tell the tale.

Yes. This is the reason why he felt alarmed by the sudden text she sent him earlier at school. Not only because it is written in a manner that implies haste and rush, but because the sender herself is calling for him to meet her.

He trusts Shiromeguri with his life and more. But, by God, does this girl scare him in all the right way.

"So, you got any lead to your hunt, Hachi-kun?"

"...Yes." He answers. "I have a general idea of where to go for more clues."

The senior's eyes look at him with silent praise. "That's great. I know you can do it." She tells him, causing his chest to swell with a feeling of goodness. "Now don't let the others hear this - especially Wolf-san - but out of all of us, you have always been the best one when it comes to investigation."

Although he is not too sure about that, he will take the compliment.

"I mean, Wolf-san is good and all, but they don't have the patience you have when handling a long term assignment like this." The older of the two Slayers giggle to herself. "And Cat-chan, well, let's just say that there's a reason why she only does patrol jobs."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, senpai, but this assignment…" Hachiman's statement is left hanging. Shiromeguri can hear the tightening of muscles and the popping of bones. "It's a bit more personal than I would normally like."

"Oh?"

"Wolf gave me an assignment that requires me to investigate the disappearances that have been happening around the Greater Tokyo Area." He briefly summarizes.

"Ah, the disappearances, huh? I have a feeling that it might have to do with this." Shiromeguri remarks pensively, "The most recent cases are all women from the Saitama, Yokohama and Chiba area, right?"

"Yes. And here is where it gets interesting: they're all mages."

"...that is concerning."

Hachiman agrees in silence. "The reports Wolf gave me summarize what public investigators have already known, along with some extra information undisclosed to the public. Wolf also got me information on what the Organization thinks of regarding this whole thing."

Judging by how grumbly he is getting, Shiromeguri gets the feeling that it is not something pleasant.

"They want to forcibly disband every and any Magic Cabals that they think are suspicious. The number of Magic Cabals the Organization is planning to disband is in the hundreds, and that is Honshu alone. With how much influence they have over anything magic related in this country, I don't think it'll be a hard job at all. And after that's done and over with, you can already see the picture…"

Shiromeguri has come up to the same conclusion as Hachiman halfway through his explanation.

Magic Cabals are smaller groups of magic users banded together to form a unity. There is usually a lot of reason as to why a Magic Cabal is formed, but commonly, it is formed as a way for mages with similar interests or personal views to protect themselves from an opposing adversary.

"The reason they're doing this is that they believe that one of the motivations the perpetrator has; has something to do with furthering the agendas of an unknown society. If that happens, mage on mage encounters are going to be a lot more common and even bloodier than usual. I can think of at least five - no, six - cabals out there who will outright oppose the Organization and declare war on them the moment shit hits the fan." Hachiman finishes.

"But how does all of this tie into it being personal to you, Hachi-kun?" asks Hachiman's senpai.

Hachiman begins using his upper teeth to gnaw lightly upon his bottom lip, a sign that Shiromeguri knows that he only makes when he is truly nervous or unsure of what to say or do.

"The Organization... they think that... an... old flame of mine is the one behind this whole mess."

Normally composed and unassuming, Shiromeguri fails to maintain that image the moment the revelation is made. She wants to speak, but her words die the moment they reach her throat. So, she settles for a calmer approach; taking in deep breaths while harmonizing her Core to prevent any accidental outburst from happening.

"I… see." Grim realization settles into Shiromeguri's mind, followed by sympathy. "So, will you go and search for her?" she asks, maintaining her soft spoken mannerism.

"...it was her, herself, who gave Wolf this assignment to give to me."

"W-Wait." The confusion evident on her youthful face, Shiromeguri raises a hand in an attempt to stop anymore twists from happening. "So she told Wolf-san to tell you to find whoever's responsible for the disappearances that have been happening? Why can't you just ask Wolf-san to tell you where she is at?"

"She made Wolf sign an Oath." Hachiman grumbles, answering Shiromeguri's question quickly. "If I know her as well as I think I do, nothing can bypass the mechanism behind a binding spell made by her." The sullen exterior returns once again to Hachiman's face. "And, yeah, she is one of the best sorceresses in Honshu - hell - Japan I know of."

The sigh Hachiman releases is a long and tired one. "Which means, something as complicated as making a dozen or two mages disappear off the face of the earth isn't something she cannot do with ease." The boy grunts.

"But you know her, right?" Shiromeguri asks, placing a comforting hand on her junior's shoulder; making squeezing motions in a way that triggers a sense of nostalgia within Hachiman. "If you know her as well as you say, then there's no need to worry."

Hachiman may be one of the smartest people Shiromeguri knows, but the most trusting, he isn't.

He finds it hard to trust people and considering the kind of world they're living in, it is a perfectly reasonable attitude to have. With how cutthroat things can get and how bloody most relationships can end between mages, it is normal to think that everyone you meet has a dagger hidden under their sleeves. But this is also a part of him that she adores. It shows that he does not take relationships lightly; that and he truly values the trust that it builds over time.

'Still the same as ever, aren't you, Hachi-kun?'

"Shiromeguri-senpa-

"You're not in this alone, Hawk." Whispers the young woman who is enveloping him in an embrace. "You got me, Wolf-san and Cat-chan to rely on. Please. Rely on us."

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace of highly feminine arms, Hachiman stifles the urge to lash out. His decision to not do anything against his current predicament, lands him on a rather… familiar spot. The same one he thought has grown up from.

By the gods he can smell her. And smell her real good he does.

Images of his younger years flash through his mind. It plays images of simpler times, younger times…

A time when he still finds it easy to smile, a time when he can just lay down his arms and rest his weary body without having to deal with a nightmare; a time when he was still normal.

But… he stops himself.

Reminiscing will not help him. Vigilance and preparation will.

"...I chose to walk this road alone, Panther. Hell, we all do."

A flick to the forehead prompts him to look at his oftentimes partner straight in her eyes. Her ruby red eyes.

"But no one says anything about fighting alone." She retorts in her trademarked playful manner while drawing distance between them once again. "The ways of the old Slayer Way of Life no longer applies to modern times, Hachi-kun. With how fast things are changing, we cannot keep on following old principles. We have to keep up with the changes. A Slayer is only as good as his-

"-ability to improvise, adapt and overcome." Hachiman finishes, a rare smile forming on his face. He no longer feels lost and confused. Talking with his senpai has shattered all manners of doubt and uneasiness that seems to have festered in him earlier. Or maybe, it's a sign that he needs to finally visit a therapist.

Who knows?

"Thank you senpai… I guess you're not my senpai for nothing."

"Mou, Hachi-kun, I can tell you're teasing me."

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

"Saying sorry two times doesn't make it sound anymore sincere, you know?"

Hey guys, I hope you enjoy the official first chapter of this series I'm writing. I appreciate the reviews and favorites, as well as the, follows you guys are giving me. But unfortunately, I have a little bit of bad news to share.

The reason why this chapter came out so late is that I have been sick ever since the next day I uploaded the prologue to this fic. High fever, coughing and runny nose… ya'll know what that sounds like, considering the ongoing state of society. I was so anxious I couldn't write in the same pace I normally do, so that explains why it took a while to update.

But, anyway, I called in the health inspector and got tested. Test result for COVID-19 will take roughly a week - although I won't be surprised if it came much later - until then, I'll just have to isolate myself in my house while taking a lot of rest since I am still feverish. And if I am confirmed positive, they'll have to isolate me entirely. I personally have no problem with the isolation, it's this damn fever that's making me suffer.

I'm just so anxious right now I don't know what to do, though some of it I put into updating this story. I just hope that it's nothing serious and that I'll recover from this fever soon. It sucks.

What does this all mean for this story? Well, it just means that I won't be updating this story sooner or later. Most of the time I'm sleeping off the headache and fever and if I feel like I can type, I put in a few stanzas to the draft for this story. Other than that? Nothing else. It sucks living alone when you're like this. And since no one dares to touch me with a ten-foot pole, I'm stuck here until they can tell me that it's all good.

Stay safe and healthy guys. Please.