The devourer of darkness

The price of living

The supermarket was only a stone's throw from the house, but even if it were fifty miles away, Ichiro wouldn't have minded. He was used to walking through the streets with a swollen face. The store was owned by Hakiri, an elderly friend of his. As he walked, Ichiro debated whether he should buy painkillers, despite what he'd told

Emiko. He also remembered she needed a new water bottle -- the latest trend among schoolgirls. She'd been begging him for a month. Since he couldn't afford the bills anyway, he figured he might as well settle the more 'pressing' issues. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the strange looks people were giving his bruised face. Or perhaps he just didn't care anymore.

Ichiro reached the supermarket and pulled on the door. It didn't budge. He pulled again,

harder this time, wondering if he was so weak that even a door was his superior. Suddenly, a young man pushed the door open from the inside. He was wearing a smile that looked too perfect to be real, and he was undeniably handsome -- the kind of good looks that immediately annoyed Ichiro.

"Push, don't pull" the young man said, pointing to the sign on the glass.

Ichiro clicked his tongue. He always forgot the sign, even though he'd been coming to

Hakiri's since he was eight. "Thank you" he muttered.

"No big deal" the fellow said, though his tone shifted as he walked past. "I mean, you were

wasting my time."

Ichiro sighed heavily. If he were strong enough, he would have loved to give the hobo a piece of his mind. Right. 'No one really cares about me'. He stepped inside.

"Merciful Buddha... your face!" Hakiri exclaimed, clutching his own cheeks in sympathy.

'At least Hakiri cares'.

"Good evening, Hakiri-senpai," Ichiro greeted.

"Evening..." Hakiri couldn't take his eyes off Ichiro's bruises, even as he began scanning

the items Ichiro placed on the counter. "No painkillers?"

"I can't afford them," Ichiro admitted. It wasn't a lie.

"Let me take care of that for you, then," Hakiri offered. When Ichiro hesitated, Hakiri nodded

firmly. "Go on. They're in the pharmacy aisle."

Ichiro gasped and bowed deeply before hurrying to grab the medicine.

"Life is hard, isn't it?" Hakiri muttered as he handed Ichiro the bag and the receipt. Ichiro

forced a smile.

"I remember" Hakiri began, looking up at the ceiling. Ichiro was always happy to hear Hakiri's stories, no matter how late he was for dinner. "Back when life was hard, and the only way to make it was to have a good business or be a Hunter. But a good business without capital is just a dream. I had to do what I had to do."

"What did you do?" Ichiro asked, leaning in.

"I gathered Mana, bought a weapon, and joined a hunt troop. I left harvesting behind. I

became a Rookie, then a Low-ranked Hunter," Hakiri replied.

Ichiro was stunned. "You were a Hunter?"

"Yes. It was hard hunting without a Hunter's Core, but with enough determination, I

pulled through. I saved enough to buy this shop." He patted the cash register as if it were his own child. "I believe you can do it too, Ichiro."

Ichiro nodded, feeling a spark of hope. "Thank you, Hakiri-senpai."

****

"Your bottle" Ichiro said, dropping the pink water bottle onto Emiko's lap

She squeaked, jumping to her feet. "Ichiro! You actually got it!" She couldn't hide her

excitement. Hitoro watched from his wheelchair, a thin smile on his face.

"Thank you, Ichiro" his father said gratefully.

"No problem, Papa" Ichiro said, heading for the stairs. "I bought ingredients for ramen.

Emiko... do you mind cooking?"

"Of course I'll cook! Do you want it in your room or downstairs?"

"My room, please."

Emiko squeaked again, and Hitoro chuckled. "I can't believe your love can be bought so easily, Emiko. I learn something new about my children every day."

Emiko hugged the bottle to her chest. "I've always loved my brother, Papa!"

Ichiro lifted his mattress and pulled out four blue Mana crystals he'd hidden away. He inhaled sharply as he heard a knock at the door. It was Emiko with his ramen. He quickly kicked the crystals under the bedframe.

"Come in!"

Emiko walked in with a tray. She moved an old toy off the cupboard to make room for the tray that contained Ichiro's bowl of ramen and a bottle of water.

"Since you couldn't afford pork belly, I made spicy shoyu ramen. Enjoy!"

She turned to leave, but then her eyes caught a glimmer of blue under the bed. She

stopped. "Is that your phone under the bed?"

She moved toward it, and Ichiro tried to block her, but she was surprisingly strong. "Why don't you want me to see?" she asked, struggling with him.

"It's none of your business!" Ichiro hissed.

She stopped fighting and suddenly chuckled. Ichiro frowned, but her expression was even

stranger. "I can't believe it... you watch p**n!"

She huffed, turned around, and walked out, closing the door behind her. Ichiro sighed and

locked it. He sat back on the bed, exhausted from the brief struggle.

Four blue crystals weren't enough for a high-end weapon, but he was willing to try his luck. He picked up the ramen and ate in silence. His mind was made up: only becoming a Hunter would satisfy the hunger burning inside him.

Burning...He hissed in pain. The ramen was hot and spicy, and eating it with a busted lip was pure torture. He reached for the painkillers Hakiri had given him. Tomorrow, everything would change.

****

"You should watch the news with us, Ichiro" Hitoro said as he watched his son descend the stairs, a side bag slung tightly across his shoulder. "A harvester died yesterday. He tried to take the core from a beast that wasn't fully dead, and it infected him."

Ichiro forced a smile, his hand gripping the strap of his bag. "Sorry, Papa. I'm heading out. Save the details for me, I'd love to hear them when I get back."

Emiko looked up from the floor, where she was finishing a bowl of ramen twice the size of the one Ichiro had eaten. 'That's why you're so strong' Ichiro thought, remembering their struggle back in the room.

"Where are you going, Ichiro-san? I should come with you" she said, her eyes lighting up.

"Never mind" he said, walking toward the door.

"I should mind! I could help you kick those bullies..." She kicked the air several times. "I'm good at Taekwondo, you know."

Ichiro rolled his eyes. "You trained for one month and quit because the teacher let another student beat you in practice."

Hitoro let out a short laugh. "That is true, Emiko."

She growled in frustration. "Fine then! Go get battered!" She paused, then chuckled.

"Kidding. Ichiro-san... be safe!"

Ichiro waved as he stepped out, a genuine smile finally touching his lips. But as soon as he cleared the gate, a ball slammed into his face.

"Ichiro-san!" a voice cried. It was Aoi, his eight year old neighbor. The boy ran over, looking terrified. "Ichiro-san, I'm sorry!"

Ichiro forced a smile and picked up the ball. "It's fine, Aoi-kun. Just be more careful next

time."

Aoi nodded, then looked at Ichiro curiously. "Where are you going?"

Ichiro remembered that Aoi's father was an R-rank Hunter. Maybe the boy knew something. "Aoi, do you know where I can find a good weapon store?"

Aoi scratched his head thoughtfully. "There's one in Tokyo Central... right where there

change Mana to yen. Not Ren..." He struggled to explain. Ren was the middle aged man who did Mana exchanges outside their estate, and Aoi was having a hard time explaining. "If my father would let me, I could show you..."

"Never mind, Aoi" Ichiro said, turning to leave. He was already on bad terms with Aoi's father, Tengen. Tengen was an Ranger Hunter at Links, the agency where Ichiro used to work. Ichiro had once caught Tengen stealing purple crystals and reported him to avoid being blamed himself. Tengen had hated him ever since.

"I'll find my way. Thank you, Aoi-kun" Ichiro said with a small bow.

"Alright then! Tokyo is dangerous, Ichiro-san! Don't get robbed!" Aoi called out as he ran back to his friends.

****

When Ichiro stepped off the train, the rich, vibrant scent of Tokyo Central hit him. He took a deep breath, but someone immediately bumped into his shoulder.

"Watch it, newbie" the man cursed, walking away without looking back. Ichiro shook his head.

[Tokyo Central. Tokyo, Japan.] An automated voice serenaded the station. Even though it wasn't night yet, the city was ablaze with lights. The music playing through the speakers was a calm, melodious rhythm that matched the city's evolved, overdeveloped vibe. It was worlds away from the grime of Sanya.

"Good day, sir..." Ichiro began, approaching a magazine seller.

"Thief! Get lost!" the man barked, already reaching for his shoe to throw. Ichiro hurried away. 'Maybe I do look like a criminal with this face'. He decided to rely on his phone instead. The armoury was located right in the plaza where he was standing.

The store was massive, and through the glass doors; Ichiro could see rows of weapons and armor arranged in pristine aisles. A young woman sat behind the counter, focused on a

tablet. Ichiro pushed the door, but it didn't move. He pushed harder, his frustration rising. The clerk looked up and shook her head, gesturing for him to pull. When he did, the door opened with a sharp squeak. 'I am so tired of glass doors'.

"Hello" the clerk said. "Would you like to purchase a weapon or exchange Mana?"

"I'd like to buy a weapon" Ichiro said, leaning against the counter.

The clerk nodded slowly, her eyes scanning his worn clothes and bruised face. "Of course. How will you be paying? Yen or Mana?"

"Mana."

She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Can I see? I need to know the value before I

can direct you to the right aisle."

Ichiro pulled out his bag and poured the four blue crystals onto the counter. Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a tight, frozen expression. "Is this... all?"

"Yes" Ichiro said, nodding.

She chuckled dryly, but her job type forced the fake smile back onto her face. "Alright then, sir. This way."

Ichiro followed her past the shimmering glass cases filled with legendary blades and

enchanted armor. He felt a surge of excitement, wondering what he could get. But they kept walking, past the beautiful displays, all the way to the back of the store. She stopped at a small, dented door that looked like it led to a closet.

"You will find a weapon deserving of your Mana in here" she said, gesturing for him to enter before scurrying back to her desk.

Ichiro stepped inside. The room was filled with mops, buckets, and rags. In the corner sat a

wooden box filled with damaged weapons, a fire extinguisher, and thick cobwebs.

"Are you kidding me?" he groaned.

He searched the box. Most of the weapons were useless -- snapped blades, missing hilts, or weapons whose Mana stones had been pried out. How is any of this supposed to kill a beast?

In a fit of rage, he kicked the box, immediately regretting it as pain flared in his foot. He slumped to the floor, brooding for five minutes. 'Stupid life'.

As he stood up to leave, his gaze fell on a small dagger lying alone in the dust. He picked it up. It was a simple blade, but it had a tiny purple Mana crystal embedded in the hilt. It was small, but it was something.

He stuffed the dagger into his bag and walked out. The clerk's eyes widened as he

approached, and she started to speak, but Ichiro walked right past her without a word. He didn't trust himself not to say something he'd regret.

"Thank you for your patronage! Please come again!" she called out to his retreating back.