After determining the situation was safe, Shun returned to his original form.
"Your powers are one of the most extraordinary I have seen," Akira commended.
"It's not as grand as you might think. It has side effects."
"Side effects?"
"Yes." Shun didn't share further.
"You must have it rough." Akira understood secrecy and gave a comforting smile. "But you'll be fine. You don't have to worry about doing everything alone.
"I'm here. I know I'm weak and won't do much, but I'll help as much as I can."
"Thank you for the offer." Shun offered a faint smile.
As they were conversing, the meat let out a sweet scent. Its texture had turned golden brown with a bit of crisp. Shun handed the skewers one by one.
Akira breathed out softly and steadily to cool the meat. The thin smoke emitting from it flickered slightly and stubbornly refused to be snuffed out.
The monster girl just ate it in one breath.
"Where are the others?" she pondered.
"What do you mean?" Shun frowned slightly.
"My babies, they also need to eat."
Shun cast his gaze at the nightmares. Most of them were sleeping anyway, and they weren't exactly your typical animals…
Such a thought crossed his mind, but it wasn't like he could argue.
These creatures had helped them a lot, and it was only fair they also got some kind of reward.
He summoned the gryphon's remains—only bones and some meat left.
"Dig in!" Shun threw it away, and it landed with a thud.
The nightmares opened their eyes and devoured the carcass.
Shun shifted his gaze to Akira and lent her the flask that had been hanging on his waist the whole time.
"The water from the fountain? Is it safe? How did you even make this flask?" Akira glanced at it and bombarded Shun with questions.
"First and second questions, yes, and it is safe. Third, I made it with the gryphon's stomach. Be at ease, I cleaned it thoroughly."
Akira's eyes flickered with amazement. "How did you even know how to do that? Wait, I've heard of a school exclusively for hunters that teaches skills like this.
"Are you from such a school?"
"Yes."
"That explains it." Akira accepted the flask and took a gulp before returning it. "You must be something to be able to attend such a place."
The school of hunters—a place where students could enroll through a personal interview, not based on ability or level.
It was one of the most unique and prestigious hunter schools in the region.
All sounds good until you actually enroll, Shun said inwardly, as unpleasant memories resurfaced.
Bullying and being treated like lowlives. If not for his bold and unpredictable demeanor, he might not have lasted long.
Bully coming? Easy—just respond twice as hard. Oh, they're two stages ahead of him and have influential backing? Well, Shun had a damn will and managed to bathe them in acid.
Of course, such behavior landed him in class Z.
He rarely attended that class unless it was hunter-related.
As for the bullies, they did come back for vengeance, and Shun replied in kind until they stopped altogether.
Exiling a student wasn't really the school's thing, but they would do everything they could to make the student quit on their own, and Shun held on.
"It's a good place to learn," Shun finally spoke after falling quiet.
"I see. Do you have a girlfriend?" Akira asked curiously.
"I have a fiancée."
She jolted a breath out in a cutesy, low pitch and glared at him. Shun smiled teasingly, avoiding her eyes. They looked terrifying.
"I don't have anyone." He shook his head, his eyes flickering with loneliness.
When he thought about romance, he'd automatically shake his head and hands.
I'm not cut out for romance, but the way couples support each other, always being there no matter what—I don't reject the notion, Shun thought to himself.
"What about you, Akira?"
"You know what my ability is. People lie all the time. They smile despite their deception. I'd like to spend most of my time alone." She opened up.
Shun grunted in acknowledgment and looked at her with sympathetic eyes.
"But you seem to be getting along with those girls."
Before she got here, she'd been hanging out with around five or six girls—Shun's memory was hazy.
"It's not like I have a choice." She paused for a moment, looking for the right words. "They're the cool girls of my class. It'd be rude to refuse, and they're good kids.
"Sure, they spat some lies here and there, but that's just part of being human. Though I must say, I ran out of tissues within two minutes of spending time with them."
"Must be tough."
"You tell me—tissues are darn expensive!" she exclaimed.
Shun noticed she had become more friendly. When they first met, she was distant and cold. It was nice.
They chatted a bit, exchanging stories, and quickly ran out of them.
Silence lingered for a few moments when Shun thought of something. His eyes drifted to Akira's nightmare.
"Monster girl." He then shook his head. "I can't keep calling you monster girl. It's long. How would you like to be called?"
She simply shrugged. "Dunno."
Before Shun could say a word, she quickly said, "Give me," with her hand outstretched and open.
Shun glanced at Akira.
She uttered, "Why not? I doubt we're going to kill her anytime soon, and giving her a name would make things easier."
"Any ideas for a name?" Shun asked Akira.
"I'm not good with naming things."
How bad could it be? Shun muttered inwardly and said, "Come on, just give it a try."
"Alright." She fell silent, pondering. After what felt like forever, she opened her lips. "Onna no Ko no Shinigami."
Are we creating a fictional character? Shun asked himself, the corner of his lips twitching.
"I like that!" The monster girl—no, Onna no Ko no Shinigami—raised her hands with an excited smile.
You are?! Shun exclaimed in his heart, a bit surprised. But then again, she probably didn't know what it meant and just thought it sounded awesome, though its meaning was a bit ominous.
"It's too long. Shorten it," Shun argued.
"Shinigami-ko," Akira replied.
"Too ominous."
"Micchan."
"Approved."
"But I want to be called Onna no Ko no Shinigami!" The girl with many names but none decided begged to differ.
"That is your real name. We're thinking of a nickname," Shun explained.
"What's that?"
"Think of it as a higher form than a real name."
Akira sneezed and lightly punched his abdomen.
Shun played along and winced in pain, but his smile was evident.
"Really?! Then I want to be Micchan!" She got up enthusiastically, her hands on her waist.
Looking down on them, she declared with a prideful smile, "From now on, I am Micchan!"
Shun clapped his hands, "Congratulations for getting a new name."
"Thank you, thank you." Micchan bowed respectfully.
"Since when did you two get really close?" Akira asked, a bit displeased.
"No biggie, right?" Shun responded playfully, "Furthermore, she can be our strongest ally."
"Did you forget what you promised me?"
"I haven't. Don't worry, I won't get attached to her." He said softly and full of reassurance.
That's right, not getting attached. It's easy, I've done it all this time, Shun convinced himself and all of a sudden, he felt empty and detached.
Nothing matters, but his purpose and goal.
He didn't even question this sudden change of character. He thought of it as natural.
This is the genuine him, the one that he always buried, and it's finally the time to come out.
But Shun's mind shook a bit. He doubted himself, the real me?
Yet like a small firework that just exploded, it was forgotten quickly.
Akira stayed silent for a moment, then parted her lips, "You're a monster, Shun."
Giving a target they will kill a name, bonding with her but only a facade, and worst of all–
Shun smiled, "Probably."
– he didn't feel anything from it.
And for a moment, putrid evil flashed. Shun's figure became dark like the void, but his smile and eyes alone, replaced by two white dots and a sickening white streak.
Akira's pupils shrunk. She instinctively took a step back.
As for Shun, after he said those words. He felt emptier and desolate. The colors seemed bleak.
The radiance became gray, it was only Akira's face that wasn't covered by emptiness, but Micchan and her nightmares, their faces, Shun couldn't see them.
I didn't have to see Micchan's eyes when I killed her, he thought to himself, somewhat relieved.
Then, a panel flashed before his eyes.
[Memory of Flesh has been activated.]