On that day, the sun fell from the sky as if it was pulled down, leaving only vestiges of twilight. And on that day, a single girl came face to face with a shadow who gripped cold steel in its hands. A red puddle laid on her feet, accompanied by the faint smell of gunpowder that lingered in the air. There were no bodies, but merely corroded, withered remains that had completely lost their original shape.

The girl gazed upon the shadow before her; messy gray hair that coated itself in the twilight, as well as lonely, empty eyes of the same gray. A black-clad man who looked down upon the young girl who fell on her behind, and on her head was a cold sensation—

"You…"

"Sorry, little girl."

He pushed the tip of the gun's barrel against her forehead, resting his finger on the trigger. Wordlessly, he moved his finger as the two gazed at each other. He definitely intended to kill the girl without any exception, but even so, he held no feeling of hostility towards her. As he was about to pull the trigger, the girl suddenly spoke—

"Who are you?"

The man was taken aback by her words, not because of the words themselves, but because she had spoken them without any change in emotion. The girl had no trace of fear despite death staring in front of her, or perhaps — she was oblivious to the fact. Not just that, but any normal human would surely be unable to speak when faced with the gun that consumed all lives.

"Before that, what are you? You're not human, the fact that you can speak in this situation tells me that much. I can't feel even a trace of fear from you."

"Well… you don't feel like a bad person, so I'm not afraid."

Yes, no human could speak — or even operate normally — when faced with the killing intent of one of the eight terrifying creatures; the 'Phantasms' who held power that transcended the realm of humanity as a whole. The fact that this girl could casually do something that none other could do convinced the man, and he withdrew his weapon as he continued to speak.

"A kid like you wouldn't understand, huh… Well, setting that aside, I'm surprised you didn't know who I am, considering that everybody speaks of my name."

"Are you famous, mister?"

"Hahaha! Well, that's one way to put it. I am the so-called 'Man-Reaper' who wanders the land, or some call me by my title: The Judge."

He holstered his silver revolver before standing up from his prior crouching position, offering his hand to the girl and pulling her up. The Man-Reaper offered the girl to go on a little walk around the area under the twilight as they spoke.

And so, the two walked side-by-side through the deserted streets of the empty village, down the familiar-smelling dirt roads, and past the old, dilapidated homes whose stone had become weathered by time. They walked surrounded by fields of lush greenery, and accompanied by the silent noise of buzzing insects.

"What's a young child like you doing here? Or more importantly, who are you in the first place? This isn't a safe area, there should be no way for a child like you to stay unharmed."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I… I don't know."

"You don't know?"

The girl shook her head lightly as she seemed to be in thought. She tried to remember something but to no avail.

"I don't know who I am… My mind is empty, I don't have any memories. But, I think I'm searching for something…"

"Amnesia, is it?"

The Man-Reaper placed a hand on his chin, casting his gaze downwards as he seemed to be in thought for a moment. The girl gazed at him intently as if observing his features, although he didn't seem to mind.

"You said you're looking for something, aren't you?"

"I think so."

"Do you know what you're looking for?"

"I don't know…"

He simply gazed at her for a few moments before looking away again and continuing to walk.

"Do you still remember your name, at least? Or have you forgotten even who you are?"

"My name…"

She was in thought for a second before she smiled and answered him. For some reason, Lynx's expression slightly shifted when he heard her name, but the purple-eyed girl didn't notice that fact.

"It's Mary."

"Mary, huh…"

Lynx stopped walking and gazed at the sky for a moment — his expression unreadable — before he turned around and looked at Mary, and perhaps, his eyes were slightly more gentle this time.

"I see. You don't know what you're looking for, right? In that case, why not come with me? If you wander around enough, then you'll eventually know what you're looking for and find it as well."

Upon hearing his words, Mary stopped walking and stared at him in surprise. She didn't expect his offer at all but was overjoyed nonetheless, especially since he seemed to be a capable person from her perspective.

"Really? I'd love to, but why would you ask that so suddenly?"

"Curiosity, I guess you could say. You're an interesting kid, I'd like to see with my own eyes what you really are."

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up, exhaling a puff of smoke as he continued to speak.

"There's one more thing you need to know, though."

"Yes?"

"I'm not wandering for fun, there's something I need to do too. You just saw it here, didn't you? If you come with me, then blood and death will become a common sight for you, and maybe one day you'll stain your hands with it as well…"

"I understand that, but it's okay. I don't think you're a bad person, I know you have your own reasons."

"I see. You should be fine, then."

The Man-Reaper took a few more puffs of his cigarette as he gazed upwards before he flicked it away and stomped on it, putting it out. The two then walked for some more until they reached the edge of the village they were at, and that was when the Man-Reaper stopped and turned to look at the girl.

"By the way, my name is Lynx. I don't usually tell people, but you should know it if we're going to be together."

"Lynx… that's a good name."

The sun had almost set, and the last rays of sunlight were fading away. As they showered in the gentle light, Lynx held his hand out towards Mary, offering her a single handshake that marked the beginning of their time together.

"I'm looking forward to it, Mary."

"Me too, Lynx."

The two shook hands, and the entire world was drowned in silver moonlight. A soft breeze brushed the endless fields of greenery and the man and woman who stood at the edge of the empty village, however, none of them realized—

—that the winds had begun to change.