Bab 8: Chapter 8 – Malice
Being a Slayer was an honorable job. They protected normal civilians from Supernatural beings, Supernatural phenomena, or evil people who misuse their power, often called troublemakers by people in the Supernatural world due to their nature.
It was an honorable job, but that didn't mean everyone thought that way. In a society and organization, there would always be bad milk somewhere.
When Griffin heard there was a Phoenix sighted near Chinatown in New York City, near his house, he knew it would attract some attention. He was about to secure the Phoenix and hide it from other people before taking it to the Slayer Base, but he was a bit too late.
When he arrived, there was nothing left but the burnt ground. It took him a night to trace what had happened because there was another idiot who went after the Phoenix and set up a Talisman barrier without permission.
He immediately went to check and found out that a human, a boy in his early 20, somehow defeated the second troublemaker unscratched. Griffin noticed the boy wasn't ordinary if one was only looking at his superhuman speed.
The boy then returned to his restaurant with the unconscious Slayer in tow. Griffin decided it was time to have a talk with the boy until his communication device rang. It was a message from the Slayer base in the US to him. The message told him to stay out of the boy for now.
Griffin was only given permission to observe the boy a day after, but he was by no circumstance talk to the said human. He only needed to see whether the boy was dangerous or not, so he visited his restaurant, pretending to be a normal customer.
To his surprise, the Phoenix had turned into a human and worked as a waitress. His eyes were about to fall off their socket was an understatement. He tried his best to maintain his calm, especially when she approached him to get his order.
Griffin thought she knew as she smirked at him. No, she certainly knew about his presence. But she ignored him like he was an ant. He couldn't think and just pointed at a random list from the menu.
A few minutes later, his order arrived on his table. The said Phoenix also served it on his table, and she had a smile that told him not to do anything.
"Enjoy your meal." She added.
Gulping, his eyes only focused on the red Mapo Tofu on the table.
'I can't handle spicy things.' He lamented.
***
After the lunch rush ended, the customers in Kai restaurant dwindled. He let the two waitresses, Mai and Anna, eat first with his grandfather while he tended to the few customers with Amber.
Using the free chance, Kai talked to Amber through the small window that connected the front area and the kitchen.
"He left?"
"Yes. Sweating a lot after he finishes his Mapo Tofu. He said that he would return because he has taken a liking to your dish."
"Really?"
Amber only replied with a nod to Kai's question.
He didn't want to doubt it, but it was strange. A Slayer entered his restaurant, only to eat and leave after what had transpired yesterday.
However, he could also see from their point of view. In a way, Kai helped them get rid of two troublemakers, making them work less.
Maybe the Slayer who just ate only wanted to take a look at him or Amber. She mentioned that most of them were actually level-headed and only dealt with something that harmed humans. He must be satisfied after knowing that Amber had no intention like that at all.
"Maybe he only wants to see you or me?" Amber gave her opinion.
"I really hope so. I am not ready to get involved yet."
"Indeed." She agreed. "I have not yet taught you how to recover your Spirit Power. I plan to teach you tonight. Only then you are ready to get involved in this Supernatural filled world." She continued with a small smile, leaning against the small window with her elbow.
"Is that really enough?" Kai asked wryly. "No more training and such?"
"We can do that in our way. You want to visit the Slayer Base to know more, right? You know you will find something Supernatural in that place."
"Ugh, I can't deny it."
In just a few days they had been together, Amber seemed to be able to guess his true nature. His curiosity was something that made him different from normal people, but he knew it would also lead him to the danger of the unknown.
Just like before. His curiosity propelled him to check the alleyway, and he found Amber. As a result, he formed a contract with Phoenix and put himself in this position.
He was by no means a hero. He only wanted to satisfy his longing for Supernatural and Mythical beings.
"We can visit them on our next day off if you want to. While we're at it, how about we observe how they work?"
"Seriously? We can do that?" Kai turned to Amber almost immediately, beaming with a smile. Observing a Slayer's work meant he could see a Supernatural thing, whether it was a Supernatural being or a strange phenomenon.
"There will always be a way to find out." She smiled confidently. "I will show you when the time comes."
***
Kai believed he was a pretty lucky guy if one talked about luck.
He had never been into an accident before. His gacha in the game was good; he always got a super rare character once every few tens pull. The fact that the first Mythical Beast he encountered was a friendly one and even made a contract with him was due to his luck too.
That was why he believed it would be like that in the future.
After he closed the restaurant, Marcus always went to drink with his friend. The night was chilly as it was a February night. That night, he wanted to drink something hot, so he went to the grocery store just outside Chinatown. Amber tagged along with him, and they walked together.
He gave Amber a thick fur jacket to keep her from getting cold. He didn't need it at all because the cold wind only brushed against his skin, but he didn't feel cold at all.
"That's because of the Phoenix Fire. It will keep you warm." Amber said when he asked her. "You also didn't need to give me this jacket. I can't feel cold at all." She continued.
"No. It's better if you wear that jacket. Your dress is bound to attract unwanted attention, and I want to keep you safe."
"Kai..." She looked at him with a grateful gaze. "Fufufu, I will accept your kindness then. Thank you."
Kai looked away in embarrassment. Amber's smile was dreadful. She was too lovely that his heart beat faster every time she directed that destructive power at him.
"You're welcome." He replied in a mutter.
They walked in silence afterward. Reaching the grocery store, they bought only the necessary things they wanted. Such as canned coffee and some snacks to accompany their night. Both of them planned to have a little training tonight about replenishing one's Spirit Power with Nature power.
Alas, a Phoenix was bound to get attention. She was really careless that day. When they walked back from the grocery store through the dimly lit street of Chinatown while holding a plastic bag each in their hand, Kai noticed a shadow standing in their way.
It wasn't unusual for a drunkard to act like that. He just needed to call him out and bring him to the side or to the stall near his restaurant so the people there would take care of him.
But when he took a step forward and was about to call that person out, Amber stopped him by gripping his shoulder.
"Kai, that's not a person." She said,
"Huh, what do you mean?" Kai turned to Amber, asking curiously.
"That's…" Amber pointed at the shadow, and Kai followed her finger. Somehow its body shook when she glared at it. Then, it morphed.
Its body turned bigger, like a balloon that was pumped by air. Before, it was shaped like a human. And now, it easily was bigger than three meters and had two big arms, with some small arms jutted out from all over its body.
Then Amber continued. "… one of the Supernatural disasters called Malice."
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