I got out of the VEO and it was slowly getting dark. I could have asked Akira to take me home but I wanted to walk all the way back for once. Yes, it was a very long way back my "walking" isn’t actually what one would call walking. One building after another, I leaped and ran at my true top speed. The wind breezed across my face as I made my way through the alleys, buildings, and streets trying not to gather much attention.
"Sigh, I need to get stronger," I muttered to myself but the only option I had was something I didn’t want to consider. I trusted the VEO and the hunters there in being able to carry out the mission as smoothly as possible but I still couldn’t get over the fact that I couldn’t be a part of it. Thinking that I would not be the one who got Ai back, something felt wrong with it. Call it selfishness or stupidity but I wanted to save Ai. The emphasis is on "I". But to actually make that I reality I need to find a way to best Dominic, a way to look through his plans and get AI back.
"But I am still clueless," I muttered again and kept moving.
"My you really seem in a sadder mood than before boy," Ethan said and I lightly nodded to the comment. "So obsessed with the idea of being the knight in shining armor?"
"It’s not even that, I am not trying to save her because I want to be her hero," I replied and stopped on top of a supermarket building. I walked over to the corner and sat down.
"Then is it more like repayment?" Ethan asked but I didn’t reply. "I would say that is rather foolish of you to think that way. Your lover hadn’t saved you expecting for you to save her one day. She did it because she knew it was her duty to be the stronger one amongst you two and save you from your death."
"So maybe I am just so agitated because it’s my turn to save her but I am able to do anything about it," I said in a low voice and curled up. "And here I sound like I’m whining all curled up on top of a random supermarket roof talking to the voice in my head which actually has a different personality and identity. It sounds like I’m going insane when I say it that way."
"Still haven’t lost your sense of humor I see," Ethan said. "If we can even call that humor."
"Ouch, thank you Ehtan, Now I have to think if I’m even funny or not," I said holding onto my knees. "I wonder what Ai would do if she saw me in this situation. Probably just run up to me, pull me up, and bury my face in her chest comforting me."
"I can say for sure she would do that," Ethan joked with me and we got a little laugh out. After that, there was silence, complete silence. Something that I wanted right now, I just wanted silence with no one else around in a place where no one would expect to find me. It wasn’t to recollect my thoughts or formulate a plan. No, this was something different. I couldn’t tell at the moment but it just felt right.
Sitting there for over half an hour, I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked up and it was the scary-looking guy from before. I saw him in the VEO last time. Wait, he is an S-class hunter, isn’t he? I gulped and quickly got completely unaware of his intentions with me. He had two big shopping bags in both his hands. Did he come to this place to get some groceries? Even so, why is he here?
"So this is where you are. I was looking forward to meeting you," I said walking closer to me and I took some steps back. My eyes looked back at the ledge of the roof. Even if I jump down from here, I won’t be getting too injured if it is a free fall…I hope…
"What do you want from me?" I asked him being aware of every move he made. I had the keychain clenched in my fist ready to defend myself.
"You don’t need to be scared of me. I have no intentions of hurting you," he said yet I still didn’t let my guard down. He let out a sigh and raised the shopping bags in his hands. "Look, the only reason I came here was to get some groceries to cook some food. Moreover, I have these bags in my hands. There is no way I can attack you."
"You are an S-class hunter so I would think rather the opposite. You can still kick me out of existence if you want, can’t you?" I told him and he let out a sigh.
"What kind of monsters do you think we are?" He said and scratched his head, lifting the groceries so easily. Is he a monster? What is that strength? "Though you would not be wrong. Listen, I am not here to harm you or anything. I just wanted to talk with you, that is all. Nothing more, nothing less, just two men talking."
Men…so he thinks I am a man? I don’t know why but that made me a little happy.
"What did you want to talk about?" I asked him and he walked closer to me.
"We have been assigned a mission-" he began speaking.
"You didn’t give me your name," I asked him and he came to the realization and let out a little laugh. "My name is Meme."
"Meme…"
"Just Meme," he said. "Well, what I wanted to say was that we have been given a mission for the S class hunters…"
"If this is something about you trying to flex or something, I am not interested. I may have seen me looking at you guys in the hallway but I am no fan of yours," I replied sternly. I don’t have any time for some bullshit.
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"Oh I know who you are, Shiba Kazuki, the bearer of the blood of the first. Well, the mission is something you would be interested in because it is similar to your rendezvous yesterday," he said and my eyes widened. Wait, don’t tell me he is one of the pair that was sent to keep a watch on me.
"So why are you telling me this?" I asked wary of his intentions.
"Well, if you want in on the mission, meet me in front of the church three days from now," he said and started walking away.
Hmmm? What just happened? I am so confused right now. What did he mean by "if you want to in on the mission"? But James already said I am dismissed from any pursuit of Ai. Then why is he acting this way?
"Wait!" I called out to Meme and he looked at me. "Why are you doing this? James already said I am not allowed to go after Ai."
He looked at me and gave me a little smile before walking away. In one strong leap, he was already on the opposite building’s roof and started making his way back. I was left all alone on the rooftop petrified in my place. I could not process what just happened to me even if what he was saying was the truth. Is he trying to mess with me? Does he have any other objective? What should I do?
"I…should be heading back," I said to myself and turned around the other way jumped off the roof to another, and started making my way back home. Even if what he said made no sense to me as to why he was doing that. He was an S-class hunter and that added some credibility to his words but that was all. In the end, I am still clueless about his intentions. Is it a trap of some sort?
I think I should be feeling lucky. That I am able to be on a mission to get Ai back. I know Ai is a very important asset to the VEO. I don’t know why but given that James is sending S-class hunters to go after her to save her, there would be more importance to her than what one would have expected. However, that reason is still unknown to me. So…what should I even do? Should I blindly believe his words and go after them or is there something else I should be doing? Like…leaving it to their hands…and not being selfish…?
I can trust them with Ai’s safety, right? They are S-class hunters after all. They know what to do.
Yea…I might just be deadweight to them. I couldn’t even hold up against Dominic myself. I can take up the small fries but if we were all going up against Dominic, I would be someone they would have to protect too given I have the blood of the first and that would put them in a very unfavorable position.
"Doubting yourself boy?" Ethan said and I didn’t reply. Of course, I was doubting myself. Even if I decided to go with them, how would I even be strong enough in three days to help them against Dominic?
Moreover taking Akira and Yuna with me on the mission is another headache altogether. I don’t want to put their life at risk again due to my selfishness. Sure I could go on and try sneaking out from there but Akira will know at all times where I am. Even now, I am very sure Akira knows exactly where I am and the only reason she is not showing herself is out of the respect of my desire to be all alone at the current moment. Sigh, this is seriously getting more and more confusing
What should I do?
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