Chapter 9: Ranking
No POV:
After Adam left, Axel turned to the young hunter who was getting bullied.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Y-yes... Th-thank you so much for helping me."
The boy’s voice shook. Even after Axel had reverted to his human appearance, the hunter was still trembling, haunted by the image of yellow eyes, red skin, and sharp teeth. Before Axel could say anything else, the frightened boy bolted.
Axel let out a heavy sigh and squatted down, elbows on his knees, trying to steady himself. Slowly, his skin faded back to its normal tone.
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"Uhmm... Are you okay?"
Amy’s voice pulled him back. She had been watching from a short distance.
"Yeah, probably," he replied, standing up and brushing himself off. "I just didn’t like what I was seeing. Acted on impulse. Sorry about that."
Amy stared, momentarily stunned. The way he apologized..calm and sincere, made her heart skip. She had always admired people who stood up for the weak.
Axel was doing just that.
"O-oh, no problem at all, it’s fine. Really."
~~~~~
Deep in a damp cave, the pale-bodied devil stepped into the shadows. Another devil was crouched over a fresh corpse, tearing into it with wet, crunching sounds. He didn’t look up until Nightmare spoke.
"We meet again, Yuri. I see you’re still living up to your reputation. You haven’t changed a bit."
Yuri lifted his blood-smeared face and grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth. He rose to his full height, the long spikes running down his spine catching the dim light. His pure white eyes scanned Nightmare carefully.
"Long time no see," Yuri said. "To what do I owe the visit from the great Lord Nightmare?"
He was known as the "Hunter of Hunters". A devil who specialized in tracking and slaughtering humans and devils alike.
His methods were brutal; the bodies he left behind were often unrecognizable. Though he wasn’t as powerful as Nightmare, his tracking skills and relentless nature made him ideal for this task.
"There’s someone I need you to hunt," Nightmare said.
Yuri’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He beckoned Nightmare deeper into the cave as they continued talking.
"This isn’t an ordinary devil. It possessed a human boy and immediately went rogue. I wanted the devil on our side, but it seemed more interested in protecting the boy. The creature is strong. I learned the hard way that brute force alone won’t work. That’s why I came to you."
Yuri listened, his grin widening. A devil strong enough to defy its summoner and overpower Nightmare? This was the kind of challenge he lived for.
"So what’s in it for me?" he asked.
"All the corpses of every human I’ve ever killed, and more, if we succeed."
Yuri’s smile stretched unnaturally wide, exposing every tooth. He fed on death. The more corpses he consumed, the harder he was to kill. It was the core of his twisted existence.
"Deal," he said. "But this is temporary. If things go south, I’m gone."
"Fine by me," Nightmare replied. "I only need you to track him down."
~~~~~
Back at the academy, Axel and Amy had just finished the tour. As they approached Squad 5’s barracks, Amy turned to him.
"Umm... I guess this is it," she said, smiling softly. "I had fun. This is where we part ways... hehe, hope you don’t get lost."
She nudged his arm lightly, a playful gesture that hid how much she wanted to keep talking...
"Yeah, this place is huge. I hope I don’t get lost either. It would suck trying to find the bathroom..." Axel replied with a small chuckle.
"You’ll be fine," Amy assured him. "Let’s see each other again sometime, okay?"
An awkward but comfortable silence settled between them.
"Well... see you later," Axel said. "I’ve got to meet Commander Vaden for something."
"Y-yeah... bye."
Amy waved as he walked toward Squad 7’s barracks. She watched him go, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.
Meanwhile, Axel’s mind was elsewhere. He still didn’t understand all the protocols that came with being a hunter. The endless tests and scans had left him frustrated.
’Maybe I should’ve just chosen execution instead...’
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Commander Vaden was already waiting when Axel arrived.
"Good, you’re here."
Axel shrugged. "So... any idea why I was called?"
Vaden gave a small smile. "It’s time to determine your rank."
Axel tilted his head, confused.
"You’re still new, so let me explain," Vaden continued. "Hunters here are ranked based on the amount of devil energy they possess. The ranks go from C to B, A, S, and finally Special rank, the highest. These ranks help us assign squads and monitor your growth. Devils can be ranked similarly based on their strength."
Vaden’s expression grew more serious.
"In your case, it’s... complicated. You managed to take on an A-rank devil, but we believe that power belongs mostly to the entity possessing you. Since the fusion isn’t complete, we measured *your* energy level. It’s significantly lower."
Axel waited.
"So... what rank am I?"
"B-rank."
Axel nodded slowly. He didn’t particularly care about status. A mid-tier rank meant less unwanted attention.
That suited him just fine.
But he had to ask...
"Is it possible to rank up?"
"Yes. Either by defeating a higher-ranked devil in combat, or through official testing that shows growth. I personally prefer the first method." Vaden answered with a smile.
Vaden stretched his arms.
"That’s all for now. Head back to your room. Tomorrow we’ll assign you to a squad."
Axel gave a nod and left, wondering what crazy shit could happen tomorrow...
~~~~~
All throughout that day, Yuri had been searching for his new prey. Even with Nightmare’s description, it proved difficult.
He didn’t know the boy’s face, nor the exact feel of his devil energy. But that only made the hunt more interesting.
With an excited smile, he thought:
’Now, what kind of thing are you?’
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