Chapter 1

Robin had only met her client once.

The red haired beauty was known for getting anything her clients desire. She was just that good. She always wore a tight black outfit to highlight her beauty and features. Not to mention, it was an easier way of getting details out of potential targets. Yet this latest job, has her a little confused. After all, despite the legions wanting the demon vessel, this one has expressed interest in a lone pendent, it got her interested. It all happened a few weeks ago. She was gathering Intel on the demon vessel as well as information on the bounties that have been placed on his head. There is a group that wants him alive, but he payout was too small, those who want him dead, now, that was a cause she could get behind.

At the same time, she has also kept an ear out for what has been said among her fellow bounty hunters. Many have gone to try and take out the demon vessel on their own.

None have returned alive.

In fact, there has been no trace of them at all, so one can only assume they are dead.

She sat at a coffee bar that tailored to people of her trade to say the least. Here they could eat, drink and speak about their jobs without worry. She was going over the list of various hits she could do in the mean time until there was a way to subdue the demon vessel, when she paused.

She jumped a little as a man sat across from her, his face hidden under a hood, and yet, she didn't sense him at all. She could tell the difference between curse and divine energy, curse has a very dominating and oppressing feel come off the sorcerer. Divine, it's automatically sense. But this man, she didn't sense any sort of energy coming off of him. However, she knew better than to trust the lack of energy around him.

"Can I help you?" she asked curiously.

He snapped his fingers. Instantly a black coffee was brought to him without question or even a word. She was impressed.

"Robin, I assume? Divine user, third best bounty hunter among the divine, you place 8th overall do you not?" he asked rather curiously.

"Depends on who wishes to know." She said callously. "Who are you?"

He glared at her from under his hood, she could see his eyes but none of his facial features. "I wish to hire you to retrieve something for me." He said, and then his lips curled into wicked smile.

She noticed his eyes were red, demonic looking, like a certain sorcerer posing as a model. "Oh? If you are looking for the demon vessel, I don't have enough information…"

"I want this," he said and slid her a magazine.

She paused. "You want him?" she demanded. "He's just as bad…"

"What's around his neck," he said in a stern tone. "I want that!"

Robin peered down once more, it was that fang Suiryu wore all the time when he models, he makes certain to wear it loud and proud in the open. Curious she decided to probe a little bit more. "Interesting, you wish to obtain that… I already have a buy for it, if I obtain that along with the demon vessel, there's an extra 20 million yen in it for me."

The man smirked, before he began to cackle evilly. "Really? That's a good pay day for you? How about less risk, more reward then? I just want the pendent, I don't care about the demon vessel… or this insulting creature on this magazine… I just want the pendent." He said plain and simply. "For that, I am willing to pay 900 million yen."

She froze.

Robin stared at this odd man who now had a smug look on his face. "What those divine users are offering you is chump change. That pendent is as valuable as the demon vessel itself. But I only want the pendent." He said once more.

Curiouser still. "What do you know about the pendent? I know for a fact that is a family heirloom of the Tooru clan… but they are all dead."

"That's the exact reason why I want it," he said once more. "No one understands it's true power… that pendent… is everything to me. However, if you manage to obtain the demon vessel, I will be more than happy to pay the same amount depending on the condition… you bring me this one… I'll double it."

The look of confusion didn't vanish from her face. "Wait, wait, wait… you want that thing over the real deal? Why?" she asked. "There is a lot more to this than what you are saying!" she protested.

He smirked. "The pendent belongs to me, I want it. But that abomination there… I cannot stand to allow it to live any longer on this world. This disgusting beast… is nothing more than an eye sore to me. I wish to dispose of him myself."

Robin paused, this could work out to a good payday. After all, she gets the pendent and some how, manages to snag Suiryu and hand him over to this man, it would be worth it all. Not to mention open the door to obtaining the demon vessel. He will be down one guardian, his strongest for that matter.

"Interesting notion… how do I know this is all going to pay out properly? I want some sort of arrangement…"

He didn't appear bothered by the notion, he reached into his cloak and took out a parchment. From there he pricked his finger and allowed a single drop of blood to fall upon the paper. She watched as a contract was forged before her eyes with a mere drop of blood!

"Offer a drop of your blood on this parchment. I will pay you a small sum upfront, the rest you will obtain the moment you gained the necklace and or the abomination." He said. "However, if you do obtain the demon vessel, I will reward you the same amount of the bounty that is place on him… dead or alive."

This was too good of a deal, she wholeheartedly agreed and pricked her finger and allowed the blood to hit the parchment. With her blood as proof, he nodded. He reached into his cloak once more; he took out a small bag and placed it before her, then a disposable cell phone. "Keep this on you at all times," he warned.

She nodded as she took the cloth bag and peered inside of it.

Gold coins!

"Wait, you're paying me in gold?" she asked.

But when she looked up, he was already gone.

"Who… what the hell was he?" she whispered.

It didn't matter anymore, she had promised to attend a meeting later that night to speak about possible plans of obtaining the demon vessel. Perhaps though the easier payoff would be the necklace, after all, why risk your life for a mere boy when a necklace is just as profitable?

She knew she made the right call, after she left that meeting, the next day, word spread of the ring leader of that meeting was killed. In fact, everyone who didn't follower her out of the place last night, was dead.

It was a good call, now, it's time to find and cash in her meal ticket!