Four people—three guys and a girl—climb out of the SUV.
All of them look young. High school age, maybe. They’re strapped up with bulletproof vests and MP5s.
I pick out the leader by the way he holds himself. Natural authority.
They huddle up near their ride.
I get out of mine, rifle in hand. A Type 20, 5.56mm. Loaded and locked.
The kids spot me, and their eyes go wide.
“Holy crap, he’s huge…”
“Look at that gun... way too many attachments...”
“Look, look! There’s a kitty in the car!”
“Even the cat’s big. So fluffy.”
“So cute~ She’s staring right at us! So fuzzy!”
Lady Ayano… your menace might just be terminal fluff.
“Red Guild sent me. I’m Ikaku. Your backup.”
“You’re the backup?” the leader says. “Well... you sure have presence. I’m glad such a reliable person came to help us. It’s an honor to work with you.”
He gives me a once-over, nods with a breath that sounds halfway impressed.
“Haruto Shinagawa. Good to meet you.”
About five-seven, short black hair, and black eyes. Fresh-faced and athletic.
We shake hands.
“This is Katsufumi Oobayashi.”
“Former rugby,” the big guy says. “Enhancement rate’s at 230 percent. Nice to meet you.”
Six-foot tank with a strong grip. We shake.
“I’m Mami Sunaga. Nice to meet you. I was in badminton club, and, um, my ability is... I can use a little magic. Like talking to squirrels.”
Five-three tall. Has that cute, friendly girl vibe.
We shake hands—she’s hesitant about it.
“Whoa!”
She flinches, blurts an apology.
“Your hands are so hard.”
“I work out.”
“Oh, I see...”
She compares hands for a second, goes quiet.
The last guy steps up.
“Ryo Takano. Nice to meet you. I work with spells.”
The cool-looking guy ends his introduction there.
“Takano and Sunaga handle the recon stuff!” Haruto claps him on the shoulder, beaming.
“So,” he says, “what do you think of our team? Think we’ll live long?”
“What’s with that question?”
“You’re a vet, right, Ikaku? I want your take. Think we’ve got what it takes?”
They’re missing a lot. But saying so won’t help.
“We all came from the same orphanage. Same schools, same everything. Three months back, we got caught in a Demon attack on the way to class. Got Soul Branded. Life went off-track.
They say it’s hard to survive like this, but if you can kill Demons, you’ve got a shot. So? What’s your read? Can we make it?”
The shine’s gone from Haruto’s face. The others look nervous, too.
“You’ll die. No question.”
Haruto tries to smile, but it’s tight.
“Yeah... figured. We only just started handling guns. Getting licensed felt too easy. Like we skipped something important. Maybe this isn’t for us.”
“You can’t dodge a Soul Brand. That mark carves your fate in stone. What’s waiting for you is despair. I’d bet all four of you get killed by Demons. Could be today.”
The mood hits rock bottom.
“But,” I say, “you can still fight back.”
They look up.
“We’re not cattle. Not born just to eat, sleep, and die. There’s got to be meaning in this life. Believe that. Train hard. Sharpen your edge. Keep your gear tight. That’s all normal people like us can do—but if you don’t slack, it’s enough. Barely.”
Something shifts. Tiny flicker of hope. Just a spark, but it’s there.
“So what now?” Haruto asks.
“The Hunter’s Guild team shows in ten. Two Ninth-Class Exorcists. They’re the main op. They’ll sweep the factory and take out the Mimic-Type confirmed inside. We’re fallback if they screw it up.”
He scratches his head.
“And you, Ikaku... you’re fallback for us.”
Backup for the backup. Sounds like a real prestigious role.
After a short briefing, I head back to my car.
Clack clack clack clack—ding.
[I intimidated them all with my overwhelming aura!]
Lady Ayano puffs up triumphantly.
I smile. “Yeah. They were shaking in their boots.”
[What were you talking about?]
“Gave ’em a pep talk. Also, turns out I’m backup for the backup. Probably won’t even see action.”
[Outrageous! How dare they treat my Ikaku like some side character?!]
“Milady, please calm down. You’re getting all fluffy.”
[Of course I’m getting fluffy! Aren’t you frustrated?]
“Not really. I’m a Red Guild contractor. The good jobs go to insiders first. That’s just how it works.”
[Still! Why did Fuji give you such a petty job? That chubby man’s insulting you! Is this harassment?!]
I give her a soothing petting.
“He’s probably testing me. Trying to build trust.”
[Trust?]
“If I had a Ninth-Class License, I’d flash it and be done. But I’m unlicensed. Without paperwork, the only way to earn trust is to prove yourself. Let people watch and deliver.”
That’s how Fuji came to trust my skills too.
“Basically, he’s trying to create a place for me in the private industry… probably. Grind out the low-end stuff. Show results. Make them remember you. That’s how a nobody gets work without the right badge. Keep at it, and they’ll overlook the rest.”
[Hmm. Sounds wise. Do you have that kind of experience?]
“Not enough to call it wisdom. That’s just how life works for people like me.”
[But that Fuji guy still seems shady! He can’t even pet cats properly! And he’s mean to the Akai family!]
“He’s definitely not a nice guy.”
While we wait, two Exorcists approach the factory on foot. They glance our way, then slip inside.
So that’s the Hunter’s Guild’s A-team. A duo.
Makes sense. Smaller group means more money per head.
But risk jumps. So only the skilled stick with two-man cells.
Haruto said they’re Ninth-Class. That checks out.
A Ninth-Class license is serious business. Seventy percent of Exorcists flash a Tenth-Class and act like hot shit.
Only twenty percent make it to Ninth.
Real skills. It’s the bar for joining the Coral Terminators.
Which means this job’s a snoozefest. I recline my seat and settle in.
[Can I sit on your stomach?]
“Of course.”
Meow~ Purr purr~
She curls up on me, warm and soft.
I watch the factory, one eye half-lidded.
Then, three minutes in—a second-floor window explodes. One of the Exorcists comes flying out. Covered in blood.
No time to land properly—he crashes to the pavement, primed grenade in hand.
Holy water vapor blasts out in a sharp, wet hiss.
“Meow?!”
“Time for backup to deploy, I guess.”
Looks like they got their legs swept out from under them.