Hayama drove his sword into the wall, slicing through it like butter, carving a window just wide enough for us to slip through. He went first. I gestured to the girl standing beside me to follow, my intentions clear, but she just stared at me, unyielding. With an awkward scratch of my head, I climbed through before her.
Inside, beside Hayama, a young man sat cross-legged on the floor, facing a flickering TV. He clutched a controller, his thumbs dancing over the buttons. On the screen, a 3D anime-style girl with a massive sword battled a towering monster.
Hayama glanced at us. "You ready?"
"Yeah," I said.
He strode toward the young man—who, of course, couldn't see us—and rapped his knuckles on the guy's head three times before stepping back swiftly, hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw. I mirrored him, gripping my own katana, and glanced at the girl. She, too, held her blade at the ready.
Suddenly, thick black smoke poured from the young man's head, coalescing into an ornate, stone-carved black door that materialized between him and the TV.
Hayama let out a disappointed sigh. "Let's go."
He stepped forward, pulling the door open. Black smoke filled the frame, obscuring what lay beyond. Hayama walked into it and vanished. The girl followed, disappearing just as quickly. I sighed, then stepped through.
I found myself standing beside Hayama and the girl. He spoke, his voice grim. "Looks like this bastard's psyche is some fucking RPG world. Have fun." He drew his sword.
---
More than 48 hours earlier.
At the cemetery, I stood before a gravestone, staring at the name etched into it and the photo pinned beneath. The girl in the picture was my older sister, Misa, short for Misaki, her radiant smile stolen by the cruel grip of cancer. I didn't want to cry—not with Sensei standing beside me. I glanced at him. Mid-thirties, though he looked younger, he wore a sharp gray suit and sunglasses he never removed, giving him the air of a businessman.
Every time I visited my sister's grave, I talked to her. She'd taught me to do that when we visited our parents' graves together. Since her death, I'd come every day to speak with her. Even with Sensei here, I couldn't break that ritual.
I knelt on my right knee, placing my right hand on her gravestone. "I finished my training. I graduated. They're sending me to Shira City—smaller than the capital, but beautiful from the pictures I've seen. I'm finally starting my journey as an official Muma Hunter, joining a real team. I won't be able to visit you every day anymore, but I'll come every week or month—whenever I can. I'll never forget you, Sis." My voice broke as tears streamed down my face. I kissed my hand and pressed it to her grave, just as she'd taught me.
Standing, I turned to Sensei, hiding my tears. To my surprise, he was crying too, staring at my sister's photo. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he startled me by pulling me into a hug, patting my back. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll visit her every day I'm in the capital."
I hugged him back, realizing I wouldn't see him too, but I least I can call him.
"Ready to go?" He said.
"My parents' graves aren't far. I want to visit them too."
"Take your time. I'll wait in the car."
The first time I saw Sensei was at my sister's funeral. He'd been crying then too, silently, tears streaming beneath his sunglasses. I'd thought he was her boss at first, but he was too young for that. Then I wondered if he was her lover, but later learned he was her Sensei —and that she'd been a Muma Hunter.
Two minutes' walk brought me to my parents' graves, side by side. I knelt again, placing my right hand on my mother's grave and my left on my father's. This time, I smiled. "Mom, you'd probably worry yourself sick knowing I'm moving to a new city alone, like you did when Sis moved to the capital. Don't worry—I won't be alone. I'll try to start fresh, make friends, and I won't quit studying. I'll graduate high school, though I haven't decided about college yet.
Dad, I think you'd be proud. You'd probably insist on coming with me to Shira City, not just the train station. It's hard to believe in a god these days, but I do—for you, for Sis. I believe you're together somewhere better. I might not visit for a while, but I'll come as soon as I can. Thank you for bringing me into this world, becoming much uglier by losing you and Sis. But I'll try to leave something beautiful behind before I see you again face to face. Until then."
I kissed both hands and pressed them to their graves, then stood. Spotting a bench under a tree, I sat and pulled the last cigarette from the pack in my pocket, along with a lighter. I lit it, staring at the glowing tip. "This is my last cigarette," I said.
In Nairon, the legal age for smoking and drinking is 20. I'm only 16. Some delinquents at school paid homeless people to buy them cigarettes and drinks, but I worked part-time at a shop that sold it. That's how it started.
As I smoked, I pulled out my phone and set my sister's photo—the same one on her grave—as the wallpaper. I stared at it until the screen dimmed, then stubbed out the cigarette in the pack and tossed it, lighter and all, into the trash. I spritzed on some cologne, and sighed. Standing, I headed out of the cemetery toward the parking lot.
Sensei's sleek black SUV suited his status perfectly. They clearly paid him well, though he'd never tell me how much, no matter how often I asked. Next month, I'd get my first paycheck as a Muma Hunter, and I was genuinely excited for it.
I climbed into the car. "Sorry for taking so long."
Sensei was engrossed in his phone, a fancy cigar in his other hand, sunglasses perched on his forehead. He quickly turned off the screen, slid the glasses back on, and started the engine. "You were smoking, and here I was worrying about you."
"Smoking? What are you talking about?"
"Maybe smoking doesn't harm us Moma Hunters, but it hurts your wallet and those around you. It's a bad habit, one of the hardest to break. You need to quit, especially since you're starting fresh." he said, then put the cigar in his mouth.
"When did you figure out I smoke?"
He lowered the cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "From the start. I thought it'd help you manage stress, focus on training, and curb your appetite to lose weight early on. But you need to stop relying on that poison. Wait—how'd you know it doesn't harm you?"
"From academy talk. Plus, I caught Misa smoking a couple times. she said it didn't hurt her unlike me and swore she'd kill me if I tried it. I asked her why it didn't, she said because she was a 'demon hunter.' I thought she was joking, but after joining the academy, I remembered. Eventually, I tried it myself. This reminds me, in the academy, why they always harp on alcohol and drug addiction—saying it could lead to execution—but never mention smoking?"
"It's about addiction. Cigarettes don't affect our health, so they don't impact our work. But drugs and alcohol—especially drugs—mess with your mind, even if they don't harm our body. For a Muma Hunter, that's a death sentence. You lose the right to wield your sword, and the only way to take it from you is to kill you. As for alcohol, moderation is key, or better yet, avoid it. Stick to wine on special occasions."
He put the cigar back in his mouth. I couldn't hold back anymore. "With all due respect Sensei, why haven't you quit? Is your salary so huge that chain-smoking fancy cigars don't dent it?"
"You still want to know my salary?" Sensei laughed.
"Can I at least know before I leave?"
"Right, do you still want to be the next odashito toriyama"
"I'll be the First Reiji Kurosaki, you'll never understand real art"
He laughed again. "Saying that outloud is a little cringe to be honest. You said you want to do it so you won't have regrets. I bet odashiro toriyama himself if he knew about us he would wish he could be Muma Hunters to save his health by keeping making art just a hobby. But, still relying solely on your hunter salary won't let you enjoy your hobby comfortably—especially if you get married. So keep your hobby a hobby and make real money, because doing what you want to do is no different than gambling."
"Look at you, dodging the salary question like a pro."
"You don't want to face reality, fine, I'll tell you a secret then. That shop where you worked part-time? I own it, not my friend. That's how I knew you were smoking."
"What? You're kidding!" I stared at him, stunned.
"I've got plenty of ventures. The cigars I smoke? Paid for by the profits from the cigarettes I sell. I buy these from my own shop, so I'm not losing health or money, and I don't rely on my academy salary."
I just gaped at him, speechless.
"What they'll pay you might seem like a lot now, but once you start living on it, you'll see what I mean. You'll end up living to pay off debts. Start saving now and build a real business in the real world. If you save up, I can help you get started. I'm thinking of opening new branches in Shira City."
"I can't believe this. It all makes sense now."
The car stopped. I looked out and realized we'd reached the train station. Sensei stubbed out his cigar, turned off the engine, and gave me a light pat on the shoulder. " I've got a restaurant here in the mall. Want to see it?"
"What?"
He got out, opened the trunk, grabbed my bag, and locked the car after I stepped out. He started walking, and I hurried to catch up.
"Are you serious? You own a restaurant in the new station mall?"
He didn't respond, just kept walking.
"What else do you own? The mall itself?"
Sensei sighs "This restaurant was your sister's idea. She started working for me, then became my business partner. She's the reason most of my investments succeeded."
"What?" I stopped, incredulous.
He reached the restaurant before me. "Let's sit and talk inside."
It was a fancy place , empty, as expected for the morning. Sensei sat at a table, placing my bag beneath it. "Sit. Don't forget your bag."
"No way. You were her mysterious boss?"
"Sit, boy"
"Back to that again" I sat, still taking in the restaurant, then turned to him. "You were really my sister's boss? She always said she'd introduce me to her manager, that I should study hard to work for him too. I can't believe it was you. What else are you hiding?"
"I know you've wondered why you didn't inherit any money from your sister, only the house."
I won't lie—I'd thought about it but avoided dwelling on it out of respect for her. I'd never asked anyone, though I was curious. I didn't respond, not wanting to press if he didn't answer.
"She left her money with me to invest for you until you're of legal age, she asked me teach you how to handle it before you get it, it isn't a small cash, you know how she worked so hard, not only for her, but for you for the most part"
"I Know", I wasn't too shocked. I'd suspected as much after he took care of me and after learning he was her sensei, but I was stunned he'd been her boss too. I stayed quiet, and so did he, until I broke the silence. "Is that why you had me work part-time at your shop? To teach me how to handle money?"
"Yes. Commerce is the foundation. Your sister told me not to give you the money if I thought it'd do more harm than good. So You'll start learning business in Shira city."
"I thought I'd get a break from working after I start getting paid, and now you're piling on another job on top of studying and hunting? You want me to explode? I'm focusing on school. Two years till graduation."
"That's why you need to learn time management. I've arranged everything. You'll finish high school remotely, only attending midterms and finals."
"Really?" I found myself smiling. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"
"Go to Shira, settle in, get used to remote studying and the city…"
A waitress approached, bowing to Sensei. "Welcome, sir, we're happy you're visiting us. How may we serve you?"
"A bottle of wine and two glasses, please."
"Right away, sir." She hurried off.
"Two glasses?" I asked, surprised.
"There's one more thing we need to discuss, and I think it's fitting for your first drink."
"You're freaking me out with all these surprises today."
"You're happy about skipping high school, though? Not worried about missing that golden phase of life, jumping straight into the adult world? That experience could help if you want to turn your hobby into a career."
He was right, but I lacked the courage to talk to girls or make friends so what's the point? I'd tried a year of high school—it was a nightmare. Why waste time there? "I'll stick to reading high school manga," I said. "I'm not going back to that place and missing this golden chance."
The waitress returned, opened the bottle, and poured it for both of us.
"When drinking with someone older or of higher status, hold the glass with your right hand, turn to the right, cover the space between the glass and your mouth with your left hand, and drink—after pouring for them first. Got it?" Sensei demonstrated as he spoke. "Your turn."
"I've seen this in a manga." I hesitated but mimicked him, lifting the glass to my face. I sniffed—a faint scent, like rain on old wood. I took a sip. It left a warm tingle in my chest. Not bad. I liked it so I returned the glass empty to the table.
"Pour for me and yourself now," Sensei said.
I did, then looked at him.
He sighed, sipped his wine, and said, "The cancer that killed your sister wasn't ordinary. It was caused by a demon."
"What?" His words scrambled my thoughts.
"Your sister was infected by a lover demon after an incident in a psyche world. She was unlucky. The demon took advantage, nesting in her chest, causing breast cancer. We only discovered it in its final stages. By the time we expelled the demon, it was too late."
"A demon? What are you talking about?"
"Just listen to me, the gates to demons have been sealed since ancient times, but they still affect us Muma Hunters. The academy doesn't go into detail—just hints—so most don't catch that. It's rare and usually easy to detect." I gripped my glass tightly, listening. "But demonic influences have been increasing lately, especially in recent months. There are secret meetings in Nairon and worldwide bracing for the worst. Some even predict the demons' return. I'm telling you this so you'll be cautious. Know your condition. Be careful in psyche worlds and against Muma." He downed his glass.
I drank mine, slammed it on the table, and said, "You're saying a demon killed my sister?"
"Yes."
"Why tell me now? Why not before?"
"I'm telling you now because you have seven hours on the train to process it and think about everything I've told you. We'll talk more later."
I glanced at my watch, then stood. "Fine. It's time for my train. I need to go."
"I'll send you the number of your team leader. Call him half an hour before you arrive."
"Okay."
He pulled my bag from under the table, stood, and handed it to me. "Call me once you're settled." He hugged me with one arm, and whispered in my ear "And stop reading hentai manga and… you know. Get a girlfriend."
After the hug, I stared at him, stunned by what he'd said.
"Wondering how I knew?"
"You own the shop where I buy my manga from too?"
He laughed. "No, but I saw your collection and the drawings inside."
My bag hit the floor as I clapped a hand to my head. "No way. It was you?"
"You need to stop. Is that the hobby you want to turn into a career? Think about everything I've said, and don't forget to call me. Go, before you miss your train." He laughed and sat back down.
I grabbed my bag and ran for the train, pausing to wave goodbye. He waved back. I sprinted again, barely making it after showing my ticket to the attendant. As I boarded, I had no idea that moving to Shira City wouldn't just change my life forever—it would change the world.