Zero breathed out a sigh, the tension in her shoulders loosening. Nokori licked his lips contemplatively.

“So many things are happening too fast,” Rinko mumbled, her eyes wide and trembling. She cast her head down and clasped both hands together. “RIP, Mr. Janitor. Hopefully, you are in a better place now.”

“Rest in peace,” Nokori repeated nodding.

“Mr. Janitor … he was a good man. I only met him yesterday but, I think he was a good man,” Nahashi opened her palms, letting the two butterflies flutter away, and whispered: “May these butterflies guide your soul over the Abyss.”

Nokori clapped his hands and wiped a mournful tear off his eye. “May the Gods accept his soul, even with whatever sins he has committed,” he murmured, closing his eyes as tears trailed his cheeks. “I remember him saying he was already an old man. Perhaps, it was his time to move to the afterlife.”

Zero hummed. “Should we also sing a song while we’re at it?”

“Hey, I’m here.”

Their heads whipped to their left. There was Shinichi, his clothes were battered into slits and burn marks decorated it, yet ultimately, the condition of the person wearing it was fine. He stepped into the flashing blue light, his own cerulean hair blending softly with it. Shinichi wrinkled his nose, his lips curled down in a scowl.

Zero clicked her tongue. “False alarm, he’s alive.”

“Why are you guys so ready to kill me off?” He rubbed his sore neck, weary eyes landing on Irish’s collapsed figure. He turned his attention to the Instance Gate. “Zero, can you carry him for me?”

Zero gave a curt nod, lifting up Irish on her back in a piggy-back, already moving to lead the group away from the forest.

“Come on, pack up,” Shinichi ordered. “Let’s get out of here quick.”

Nahashi stared at Shinichi’s face and then her eyes fell to his chest. She turned away and snorted into her arm. 

Shinichi squinted at her. “…what?”

“Nothing, just um--” her eyes were caught on his face again and she spluttered as she tried to keep her mouth shut with a hand.

When Nokori caught sight of him, despite the drool oozing out his lips, he couldn’t stop the giggle erupting out of his chest. It quickly turned into a series of coughs as he choked on his own spit.

Shinichi raised a brow questioningly. ‘They’re losing it,’ he thought before shaking his head. 

Zero led them away. Despite the ruined forest and surrounding fog, mana consuming had sharpened her vision enough were such obstacles were trivial. They managed to create some distance between them and the Instance Gate when Zero did a sharp turn, bolting away from the path. “Devourers!” she screamed. “10 o’clock!”

Shinichi bit his lip. They definitely can’t run fast enough. “Hide!” Shinichi ordered, one hand guiding the students.

They ran and rolled into the ground, using the fallen trees to their advantage. Zero landed on Irish, a resounding crack echoing throughout the forest at the impact. Shinichi slid next to Zero, who was dragging the fallen Irish under some thick shrubbery, his limbs sticking out and all.

Shinichi gaped at Irish’s leg.

Zero cleared her throat.

“I don’t think his leg is meant to bend that way.”

Zero gave him a fleeting glare. “You saw nothing.”

Loud stomping approached their positions. The smoky fog and the foliage slightly obscured it from view but there was no mistaking its appearance: three beasts with huge legs, small arms, and a slender tail; long, curved horns adorned their misshapen heads, red slime dripped down their ragged teeth, falling at each step. Their eyes glow an eerie sapphire as they leapt through the ruined forest on their four limbs like a gazelle in the safari.

Shinichi and Zero sighed, both interpreting the Devourers’ mana aura similarly. “Level 1 Devourers,” said Zero.

From where they were hiding, Nahashi leaned forward, eyes sparkling at the sight. “It’s actually a live devourer!” she whispered.

Rinko shoved her. “Now’s not the time to get excited! We’re gonna get eaten at this rate.”

A phantom hand seemed to grip Nokori in place as his eyes landed to the three creatures. “Oh god,” his voice was a trembling mess. Cold sweat attacked his body, his vision becoming hazy at each second. “I don’t want to be a hunter anymore…”

Shinichi peeked over the gravelled road. ‘The injuries they possess seem to be from the common scuffle between devourers,’ Shinichi deliberated. ‘Are these from another two-way gate?’

Those three devourers were hunched over, their gnashing teeth echoing through the forest, blood and saliva splashing through the soil. Underneath them was a deer, turned red from the blast and slowly being carved open with each bite and tear. No wonder they hadn’t left, they were feasting over the carcass of a fallen dear.

Shinichi sniffed the air. His eyes widened at what he smelled. “Oh my, that odd blast had also roasted the deer to perfection.”

“Damn, I only ate those retched nutri-bars yesterday,” Zero groused. She clutched her groaning stomach, hunger pervading her being with one whiff of the cooked meat. “Maybe we can steal that while we’re at it.”

The meat split with each bite, a glimpse of grey bones peeked in between the pierced flesh. The burnt aroma seared through their nostrils, giving their appetites a seductive wink, lulling their gazes unto to the eating devourers. 

Shinichi’s face screwed up. “There’s like… devourer blood and saliva on it.”

“Extra seasoning.”

A shudder ran down Shinichi’s spine, forcing him to turn away. He’ll never understand this woman. “Once we move here, they’ll spot us. Think you can handle them all?”

Zero observed the roaming monsters carefully. She smirked. “Why even bother to ask?” She pulls out a small knife from her shoe and placed it carefully on her wrist. Blood oozed out of the cut, slithering through her wrist before dripping down onto the ground. But then it coagulated, as soon as the blood made contact with the air it thickened and hardened and slowly solidified into blade-like shape.

The crystallised blood seemed to shimmer in the night despite the lack of light their surroundings provided. That rare twinkle completely magnetised Shinichi’s eyes. He licked his lips. ‘So that’s the type of blood magic she could do,’ he thought.

Nahashi behind him seemed to agree with his thoughts. “So cool! It’s my first time seeing blood magic!” her sharp voice squeaked in awe. Then her expression dropped: “Um, Miss Zero..!”

The blood seemed endless; the blood fell and solidified, the crystallised blood now looking like a long staff with a curved blade at the end.

Shinichi’s eyes widened, all wonder now lost. “Zero!” he whisper-shouted, breath harsh.

Zero’s tan skin was eerily pale. “Wh-what..?” She held the scythe proudly on both hands. They shook at the weight.

“What the hell is that giant thing?”

“A cool ass looking weapon.”

"You're using too much blood for it!" 

"So??" 

"You look like you're about to faint." 

"Sh-shut up,” Zero slurred. Her bleary eyes glared at Shinichi.  “No one likes a back seat fighter." 

The heck is this woman talking about?? That vein inside his head was throbbing again. Shinichi wished it would just rupture and kill him immediately.

After a minute of arguing, Shinichi was somehow able to convince Zero to change her tactics. The scene helped the students scare off their boredom. With the blood back inside her body (a small nail-like crystallised blood now her designated choice of weaponry) and a few healing vials later, Zero was in top shape again.

Shinichi scoffed at her. “I’m surprised you could still stand with the amount of blood you used.”

Zero smirked at him. “I’m not a weak ass non-consumer, bastard.”

Shinichi flinched. What..? He gritted his teeth. He would hit Zero right now if it wasn’t for the fact that it’ll hurt him more. “Hey, lend her one your weapons!” called Shinichi to the students.

Nokori flinched at that. “But my energy shield was provided by the school! I'll be in a silver coin debt if I can't return it!” He hugged his bag protectively, pointing it away from Shinichi’s sight.

Well, Shinichi could respect that at least. Debts were pretty annoying.

Rinko laid out the explosive marbles on her palms.

Nahashi whipped out her baton, clutching it with both hands, almost reverently. “If I can fight—”

“No.”

Zero accepted the baton. She grimaced at the sight of it. “I only need my ability though,” Zero declared, flipping the crystallised nail on her hand.

“Yeah, yeah, and collapse from anaemia, right?” Shinichi shook his head. Crouching through the underbrush, Shinichi crawled towards Irish, fiddling through the man’s pockets. “I’ll see if I can find a faster method to transport us to a safe haven.”

“What the hell are you doing to an unconscious?” Nokori gasped.

“Yeah, going through another person’s body without their consent,” Zero shook her head and clicked her tongue. “That’s fucked up.”

Rinko stared strangely at Shinichi’s face after Zero’s statement.