A cold breeze brushed through us, and in its wake, the scent of winter. The moon rests high in the sky, shining its beautiful light upon an undeserving city.

Below, the sound of sirens wailed as dozens of policemen stormed into the building that Sakuno and I stood on the roof of. We stood in silence and watched, shrouded by darkness. Even if they looked up, they would never even know we were here.

"Would you look at that," Sakuno scoffed. "We've got those guys working overtime right at the turn of the month. I feel kinda bad. It's supposed to be the month of festivities."

"The month just started. They have plenty of time before Christmas day."

"Yeah, but they gotta clean up our mess for the next hour. Not the best start to the most joyful month of the year."

"That's their problem. Not ours."

"Heartless, ain't ya?"

"Realistic is the word you're looking for."

I reached for my earpiece and began speaking.

"Watcher, sir. The job is done. Minazaki is dead."

"That's what I like to hear," Watcher chuckled. "What did you think? Minazaki was an infamous mob boss who ran a shilling business with his casino. He financially ruined hundreds of people. How does it feel to rid the world of him?"

"No matter what you tell me, my answer will always be the same, sir. He was the target, and I was the hunter. There is nothing more to it."

"It's alright to show your true colors here and there, bro," Sakuno chuckled. "Minazaki was someone who I've had my eyes on for a while. Finally being able to slit his throat was ecstatic."

I gave the side eye. "I don't want to hear that from you. You're a killer who derives joy from instilling fear into your prey."

"Only to those who deserve it. Give me a little credit."

"Anyway, good job, kids," Watcher said. "Another one bites the dust, and the people are a bit safer now. You two are dismissed. I'll wire the payment from our client to your accounts. Go home and get some rest."

"Yes, sir," we both replied.

After that, we were left to dangle on the top of a casino building. Sakuno crossed his arms and leaned against an air conditioning unit.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Three-forty. We've been on the hunt for about an hour and a half."

"Not my best record, but I'll take it."

Sakuno walked over to the edge of the building and stayed there. Even from here, I saw a vapor cloud trailing by as he let out a sigh.

"You know... This... world... the normal world. It's not so bad when you look at it like this," he said with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you felt it too, right? Back at the college campus, all of those students were laughing, spreading joy, and having the time of their lives. For a moment, I got to be part of it, and it felt so surreal. In my whole life, I had never experienced anything like it."

"I won't lie, I did feel that too. However, at the same time... I couldn't help but feel just a bit out of place. The things that they do are things that I don't see myself ever doing."

"Hah. Right? It's like the world knows who we are, and it's constantly reminding us that we're not allowed to simply move on from this life. This life... as an assassin. It does tend to haunt you when you see everyone else living the life that you've always wanted."

Something is off. Sakuno was never one to get sentimental out of the blue. I wonder why it's happening now.

"Sakuno... Did something happen in the time you were away?" I asked.

That was when he went silent. Sakuno is a wild card when it comes to the Hunt. On the surface, he seems like the most normal, cheerful, and outgoing guy, but underneath lies a restrained demon. All it takes is the right reason, and he'll go on a rampage until not a single soul is left alive. For him to be this concerned... is unimaginable.

"Tsuki... Have you ever met your family?"

"Can't say that I have," I answered unsurely. "The only family I've ever known was the Hunt. Why do you ask?"

"Because... Hah. Because I did. I saw my mother... My blood mother."

I had nothing to say in response. It's almost unheard of for any of us to uncover fragments of our past, especially those of us raised and trained by the Hunt, myself included.

"... And...? What happened?" I asked.

"It was nice, at first," he said. "She cried, I cried, and for a while, it seemed like we were a happy little family. But then I found that she was being harassed by a gang of loan sharks. She owed them money or something like that. I gave it some time, but it seemed like she kept getting more and more depressed. They beat her and shamed her, but she stayed strong. Her gentle eyes looked at me as she told me that everything was fine, that I shouldn't worry about it, but how could I not?"

Even without hearing the conclusion, I could tell where this was going. He overstepped his boundaries.

"The next time those sharks swung by, I beat them to shit. It was messy, but I spared them and told them to never come back. Who would've thought they came back with weapons? So, I killed them. All of them... and my mother saw it happen. I thought I was helping her. I thought I was doing her a favor. Now that the sharks are dead, she doesn't have a debt to worry about. She can finally be free and happy, but instead... she looked me straight in the eye and said... that I wasn't her son—that I was a liar and a monster."

Yeah. That sounds about right. That's simply how it goes out there in the normal world. No matter what, we are killers. We will always be seen as nothing more than that. It sucks, but that is our reality.

"You know what the worst part is?" Sakuno chuckled. "I wasn't even sad. I wasn't angry, confused, or even surprised... because I knew how she would react. Still, I don't understand. Tell me, Tsuki... Am I that fucked up that I genuinely don't see anything wrong with what I did?"

"Yes," I replied truthfully. "You're definitely fucked up. Apparently, I am too, because I would've done the exact same thing. The world we see is not the same as the world everyone else sees. There is good, there is evil, and there is the Hunt. No matter what we do, even if it benefits the world, we will always be seen as the villains. That's who we are. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with what you did, but... It does suck that your mother bashed you for it."

"Heh. I'm glad that someone thinks so. Thanks, man."

The Hunt is more than just an organization full of deranged, blood-thirsty maniacs. We're a family. The only difference is that we will seek out the blood price we are owed.

Sakuno and I turned our heads to take in the bustling city, alive with a kaleidoscope of lights. Beyond the commotion in the casino, the vibrant nightlife thrived—people drinking, laughing, and savoring the moment, all beneath the calming darkness of the vast sky.

"Hey, Sakuno," I said.

"What's up?" he replied.

"We're both messed up in the head, aren't we?"

"I'd be more surprised if our diagnosis said otherwise."

"No argument there. We're monsters. We can kill someone without even batting an eye, and because of that, we may never adjust to the normal world. But... I don't think that's a bad thing. We've already done a lot for this world. All of us. Even if we were to die today, we've left our mark. Call me a lunatic, but I feel at peace with that in mind."

"Hah. You and I both, Tsuki. You and I both."