Chifuyu and Iris still do their daily practice swings to hone their technique. Ariel joined in since she decided she has to greatly improve her swordsmanship. Kagura joins in as well so she isn't left out. Chifuyu has his own blade while Ariel still has her Alter Blade. Since nobody besides them and the Hunter Agency President knows about her weapon's power, she has to naturally keep it under wraps.

"Hahahaha. Yo guys, check this out."

"Oh, is that the new issue of Hunter Monthly?"

"Yeah, and look at who's on the cover."

"Pff."

"I'm gonna hurl..."

Hunter Monthly is a magazine featuring Hunters, as the name implies. They're mainly used as models and to promote other brands. The person in question on this month's cover is none other than Shoyo looking like an absolute stud. Chifuyu and Kagura die of laughter just looking at it, Ariel almost throws up the food she just ate, and Iris doesn't even know what to say.

"Heh. Wonder if I could be on this one day."

"Please don't Chifuyu... I might make fun of you for as long as 30 days."

"Yeah, please don't go out there looking like this idiot."

"It's only funny when it's someone you know."

"True. Well if you actually wanna be on it, we can maybe get some duo poses."

"Hey, I like your idea. 'Up and coming stars. Chifuyu and Kagura make a splash!'"

"Ugh..."

Chifuyu and Kagura start making silly poses together while narrating potential headlines. Ariel is detached from the topic.

"Would you wanna be in this magazine, Iris?"

"Eh? Me? No way..."

"You and me both."

Although it's for different reasons, they both do not wish to be in this Hunter magazine.

"Well, let's go, Ariel."

"Yeah."

"See you later! Iris and I will hold down the cafe until you two get back."

"We're off."

Today is their first shift on patrol. Hunters are given designated routes when patroling and areas to look out for. This has been the norm for a long time now so it's natural for civilians to see Hunters walking around with weapons by their waist or on their back. A lot of Hunters also opt to patrol in their cars. There are also lookout posts when certain areas are highly suspicious. Odd jobs will just be patrolling in 2 man teams for 3 days out of the week until they gain more members. This week it's Chifuyu and Ariel.

There's an open hunt for a vampire in their area who's gone off the deep end. A report from a 4th Rank Hunter who fought it and barely escaped with his life states it clearly hasn't fed in a long time. It's confirmed to have claimed 2 lives, both from groups walking the streets at night. With no discretion at all, it attacked a single victim from groups that both had more than 3 people together and ran off with the corpse. Clearly abnormal behavior with no care about being reported by the eyewitnesses. It's described to be a male, over 6 feet tall, with narrow slanted eyes, and short gray hair.

The thing is with vampires who've gone so long without feeding on any blood at all is that not only do they go off their rocker, but they stay in that state for an uncertain period of time. The amount of blood needed to return them to their senses is arbitrary. Who knows how many victims they may claim. At the very least, they're guaranteed to slip up sooner rather than later. Hunters are briefed on vampires seen in their district any day there's an update through email. If a Hunter has a run-in with a vampire, they're required to write a report on it. In fact, Hunters have to make reports on their activities weekly.

If they find particular buildings or such suspicious, they have clearance to check them out. When providing proof that they're Hunters, they simply show a digital Hunter ID. To ensure nobody's impersonating a Hunter, the IDs have an encrypted code which are immediately tracked if some super hacker ever tries to copy it.

Ariel flexes her physical prowess by scaling a building that Chifuyu has to use the ladder to climb. She enjoys rubbing in her superhuman strength, she's definitely enjoying the patrolling.

Nothing much happens in the first 2 days, which is to be expected. But on the 3rd day, Ariel notices they're being followed by someone. It was clear as day to her, she felt a definite looming presence watching over her with an insatiable appetite. Ready for a fight, Chifuyu and Ariel lured their guest to an abandoned warehouse.

"So it was the mad vampire on the loose, like I thought."

Entering the building after them was a tall figure with a hoodie on. Taking it off revealed a vampire with deep bloodshot eyes, pulsing veins all over, and drool drilling down his mouth. He matched the description of the vamp that lost his sense of self and has been killing humans with no concern of being seen.

"He really does look crazy..."

"Demon Lord Ariel... And... The half-human, half-vampire boy. Oh man, I'm picking up a crazy good smell from you. Your blood must be quite appetizing. I wonder how it tastes..."

"This guy's a loony Ariel."

"Tell me about it. I've seen more than enough of my kind who've been driven to this."

"Ahh... The blood of a Vampire Lord must be just as good, I can't wait."

"This sure is convenient, the vamp went ahead and showed himself to us so we can go ahead and take care of him."

"You can beat him alone, right Chifuyu?"

"You got it... Wait, what?"

"Here he comes."

"Half and half feast!!"

"Woah."

Lumging at him, Chifuyu evades the vampire with a limbo-like dodge. Gripping the hilt of his blade, he prepares for the vampire's next attack. Looking to his side, he notices Ariel is gone. She jumped atop one of the warehouse shelving to enjoy the fight.

"Go Chifuyu, go! You can do it, Chifuyu! Do your best! Gooooooo, Chifuyu!"

As if she's a cheerleader, Ariel starts rooting for her partner's victory as if this is some type of event. Chifuyu gazes up at her with an annoyed expression.

"Teh. You want a show huh? Well, I'll give you one. This is the debut of Chifuyu Kyotani's first vampire fight!"

Getting into stance, he puts his thumb on the crossguard of his blade, ready to draw it at any second.

"Hahahaha, I'm gonna enjoy ripping you apart!"

"Spoiler alert, I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Erm... You gotta work on your one-liners, Chifuyu."

The vampire rushes Chifuyu and begins an onslaught of attacks. Chifuyu trained against Shoyo: the strongest Hunter for half a year, so although he never landed a hit on him, dodging the brainless swings from this low-ranking vamp shouldn't prove difficult. After evading every few attacks from the vampire, Chifuyu lands a nonfatal slash across his opponent's body. As Shoyo taught him, he shouldn't go for a vampire's vitals too early in a fight until he gains more experience, otherwise he could get punished for it dearly.

This is Chifuyu's first real fight against a vampire attempting to take his life, and he's handling it well. But the vamp is losing patience. He has a clear motive to drink the blood of a half-human, half-vampire. Already being in a state of insanity, he's incapable of thinking and fighting rationally. His attacks get even more ruthless and carry immense power, one strike from it could break Chifuyu's bones.

'Crap. His attacks are getting wilder and more unpredictable by the second.'

The vamp is exerting so much physical strength that the muscles and his arms are tearing. His punches crack the concrete ground and leave huge dents in the steel walls. Like a wild animal, the vampire grunts heavily after throwing each blow. Chifuyu hasn't been able to land a hit in several seconds now, he's on the defensive in fact.

The desire for his enemy's blood continues to grow as the fight goes on.

Chifuyu is getting overwhelmed. Most Hunters, even those with more years of experience would feel the same when faced with this ferocious presence. His screams reverberate in the warehouse, making his mad roars even more intimidating. This doesn't seem like a vampire anymore, but a wild beast with the only desire to devour the prey in his sights. When it comes down to it though, this is the true essence of a vampire.

Chifuyu can't predict his attacks. The vampire doesn't care where he makes contact, because anywhere he does will deal major damage. Chifuyu tries to go ahead and finish the fight, going for his enemy's head. This was a mistake. Not only was the slash not strong enough, but the vampire also caught it in his arm. A deadly punch is aimed at the boy's face, if it makes contact it's taking his head off. He blocks it in time with his left forearm but still gets sent flying.

Sat down with his back to the wall, he looks down at his arm which he is unable to move. Both of the bones in his left forearm, the radius and the ulna had been snapped. Holding in the need to yell in pain, Chifuyu slowly gets himself up. He sees his sword on the ground near the vamp and starts internally panicking. Though this vampire is a low-ranking one, his insanity due to blood deficiency and extreme urge for blood is momentarily allowing him to surpass his physical strength threshold. This is an unexpected first fight. Charging in for another attack, Chifuyu stands there breathing heavily unable to move. Before the vampire can make contact, Ariel intervenes, kicking him across the warehouse.

Not noticing Ariel in front of him, Chifuyu continues to stare at the ground heaving for air. Looking at his eyes, Ariel grabs Chifuyu's head with both of her arms. Bringing him down to her height, she delivers a startling headbutt that plays back from 3 different angles. It succeeded in bringing Chifuyu back to his senses.

"A-Ariel..."

"You back with me, partner?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Fear's natural Chifuyu. But let's save it for an actual strong opponent. This one's not worth your fear. You're far stronger than this guy."

Chifuyu takes a deep breath in and out.

"You're right. I got overwhelmed for a bit there, but I'm back. I'll finish this now."

"That's what I like to hear."

"Raaaaaaaaaah!"

"Oh, look who's back."

"I'm off!"

Chifuyu and the vampire are both running toward each other. Dodging his lunge, he barrels to his blade and retrieves it. Chifuyu only has one arm to use, so he must be decisive. Side-stepping every one of the vamp's attacks, he keeps a steady eye on his movement waiting for an opening. The vampire attempts to grab a hold of his prey but instead gets both of his arms slashed off. Chifuyu goes for another attack but his opponent retreats. After regenerating his arms, the vampire starts breaking apart the vacant shelves and throws the pieces with all of his force. Evading everything that comes his way, the vampire charges back at Chifuyu who puts the hilt of his blade sideways in his mouth and does several one-handed backflips to escape his reach. Halting his movement just as the vampire got in front of him, Chifuyu got a clean slash right across his abdomen which spills blood until it heals.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

The grunting, fierce yells, and menacing appearance of the vamp are no longer intimidating Chifuyu. Feeling truly threatened now, he attempts to flee the warehouse but is stopped by Ariel.

"And where may you be going?"

"Argh... Raaaaaaaaah!"

Not even capable of speech anymore, the mad vampire runs toward a cluster of steel beams and starts swinging one of them around, destroying everything in the warehouse.

"Is he trying to bring this place down now? Chifuyu, put a stop to him!"

"On it."

Initiating a charge, Chifuyu plans to deliver the final blow. The vampire swings the steel beam horizontally but Chifuyu spins over it, not letting his momentum stop at all. Coming back again, this time the swing of the steel beam has a slightly upward path. Timing it just right, Chifuyu leaps on the steel beam and uses the force of the swing to launch himself into the air. Following suit, the vampire jumps with the intention to rip his prey apart. Already having his right arm cocked back, Chifuyu waits until his enemy is within reach and lets his arm flow forward. A precise slash beheads the vamp, thus ending the fight. The winner falls on a pile of steel beams though, unable to stick his landing.

"Oww..."

"And the winner is Chifuyu Kyotani!"

"Heh. Couldn't have done it without you. You're the best, Ariel!"

"I know right?"

Helping her partner up, they walk toward the exit together.

"I can heal this, can't I?"

Chifuyu's referring to his broken left forearm.

"Yep, just imagine healing your injuries. Your blood will take care of the rest. After a while, you'll be able to heal yourself subconsciously."

"For some reason, I'm not looking forward to that."

After doing what Ariel said, Chifuyu's injuries are promptly healed. He moves his left arm around and can't help but still be surprised. Since he used his regenerative ability, Chifuyu has taken on his vampiric form.

"Haven't seen you in your vampire form since the trial."

"Guess so. Woah, I'm getting hungry all of a sudden."

"As you should be. You've never had any blood before this after all and you just healed yourself. Don't worry though, just a bit will last for a while."

"Yeah, since I'm a half-vampire right?"

"Right."

Unbuttoning her uniform, slipping it off, and revealing the trapezius area underneath her shirt, Ariel offers Chifuyu her blood. This is one of the reasons why they were allowed to stay in Shioto and not be executed during the trial: by drinking each other's blood.

"Please be gentle."

"I feel like I've heard those words before. Well, here goes nothing."

Biting into Ariel, a charmed smile comes about on her face. She's never had her blood drunk before, she could get used to the feeling. Although vampires can't drink each other's blood for nourishment, a lot still engage in this activity because of the pleasure derived from it.

"Thanks for the meal."

***

"Congratulations on beating your first vampire, Chifuyu!"

"Thank you, thank you."

After returning from the warehouse and informing Kagura and Iris of their run-in, the former sprinkles Chifuyu with praises.

"You should've seen my Master's badassery! He was upside down in midair when he slashed the vampire's head clean off!"

"I-I'm glad you're okay."

"Hehe, thanks Iris. I'd let you guys continue to praise me, but I've got a report to write."

"Do I have to write it too?"

"Yes."

"Sigh."

Killing a vampire in under a month of being a Hunter is a big achievement these days. The next day when his report was approved, the cash came soon after. The base pay of 8k for exterminating a vamp, plus the bonuses of killing one that had lost his sanity along with doing so in under a month brought the total payout to 15k. There's also the money from their first Odd Job along with the bonus they got. Chifuyu has plans not to waste a single dime. For him, that means he'll be spending his money perfectly on anything worth it. On their next off day, Kagura drives him to an otaku mall in the district over 20 miles away. Iris tags along while Ariel is sleeping in his shadow. After a long drive, they arrive at the mall.

Entering the premises, Chifuyu takes a big inhale through his nose and a loud exhale out of his mouth.

"Ah, I feel at home here. It's been too long since I've surrounded myself with fellow otakus."

"Haha, Chifuyu's a nerd," Kagura throws out a jab while giggling.

"You say something?"

"Nope."

"Well then, we move."

An epic journey unfolds.

Chifuyu's first paycheck will be an investment to his first gaming PC. He's always been a console player, but he realizes that PCs are the go-to for the best gaming experience now. He's not one to brag except to those he's close to, but he was top 500 on a fighting game he poured his blood and sweat into during middle school, and he was diamond ranked in the couple of fps games he played which is in the top 10 percentile. He was quite the gamer along with Dakota, who had both a console and a PC. Browsing the game stores, there was an abundance of top-tier PCs to choose from. He opted for one that was around 2 grand, along with a gaming chair that would be shipped to Odd Jobs. Now it's time for a figure and manga haul.

"You getting anything, Iris?"

"M-maybe."

"Are you an otaku too, Iris?"

"Um... Well, I've watched some anime with Chifuyu."

"I converted her."

"Haha, is this some type of religion?"

"One might say so."

"Uh-huh..."

Iris hadn't watched anime before, but she was very excited to willingly get into it with Chifuyu while they were training. Her favorites are slice of life from the animation studio Shioani. They make her feel at peace of mind. The conversation continues as they browse the manga section.

A couple of guys next to them are talking about an anime that Chifuyu and Iris watched. It was a short series, only having 13 episodes. Nonetheless, it was an amazing one. On the first watch, Iris was confused about some parts of the story which made the whole show seem off. However, after receiving an explanation from Chifuyu, she had been enlightened. Even to the point where she shed a tear and thought of it as a cinematic masterpiece. The two boys are currently discussing how the show made no sense and that it was quote on quote: mid. Iris intends on clearing up the misunderstanding. Pulling out her reading glasses to look smart, she approaches them.

"Um, akshually(actually)..."

"Wow. Iris is talking to strangers on her own."

"I believe we have me to thank for that."

"Haha, is that so?"

Chifuyu continues browsing, while Kagura acts like she knows what she's looking at.

"Hey, this manga looks cool."

"Eh, it fell off."

"Fell off?"

"Means it was good until it wasn't. I really liked it for the majority of the story, but the final arc just turned into a dumpster fire."

"Sorry to hear that."

"I feel sorry just saying it. Anyway, if there's anything you should read, it's this."

"Woah, it's taking up 3 rows of this shelf. Over 100 volumes?! It must be good."

"Oh, you bet it is. I'll get you the first volume if you want."

"Sure, but you've already got a handful yourself."

"Heh."

Chifuyu is currently holding over 20 manga volumes, and he plans to get a lot more.

'Hey Ariel, could you come out? I need your help.'

Carrying all these volumes that is.

"Chifuyu, who is that?"

Kagura poses a curious question.

"That's.... the Otaku God!!"

"What?! In the flesh??"

Even Iris is surprised.

The Otaku God: A fellow with a big belly staggering over 6 feet tall with glasses that hide his eyes for no reason. He's watched every anime and read every manga, light novel, and visual novel there is. People say his taste is the equivalent of God's testament.

"Is he some kind of legend?"

"Yeah, you can tell just by looking at him... Gah!"

"H-His spiritual pressure is immense, my body can't move."

All 4 of them fall to their knees under the insurmountable presence of the Otaku God.

"Master, what do we do...?"

"There's nothing we can do. I never imagined I'd cross his path."

"How strong is this guy?"

"Strong enough to topple every single Vampire Lord! His power is so unbelievable, legends say he can put body pillows over five feet tall in left and right pockets."

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. All we can do is wait for this calamity to pass, and hope we don't die in the process."

As the God in human flesh passes by them, they pray to never be caught in his presence again.

"The world truly is vast."

Ariel gets out some wise-sounding words.

They ended up walking out of the manga store with a few big bags carrying 125 volumes in total, Iris got a few herself. They made a trip to the car and back so Chifuyu could get some figures as well. After a couple of trips back and forth, Chifuyu notices a sign on another manga store. This one in particular has magazines, art books, and other books on anime, manga, and light novels. The sign in question advertises a special volume signed by the author with the transcript of an exclusive interview and dozens of additional character illustrations fans would die for. Our boy was unaware of this, so he races to see if there's still any left.

"Sorry bud, we're sold out here."

"No..."

Chifuyu is devasted. Kagura walks up and pats him on the back. Seeing this, the owner decides to share some information he wouldn't usually do.

"Listen kid, you didn't hear this from me, but I know where there's still one copy in stock."

"For real?! Where?"

Leaning in, he whispers the location.

"At Gatari, in an underground mall downtown. The place is called Nine. It's a few miles away from here."

"Thanks, you're real for that."

"Don't mention it."

Exiting the store, Chifuyu pulls up the GPS on his phone.

"Hey Chifuyu."

"What's up Iris?"

"I um... I kinda want the volume too."

"Oh man, well that sucks."

Out of the few series that Iris is a fan of, this one is actually her favorite. In this situation, kinda means she absolutely wants the volume. Looking over at her, Chifuyu sees Iris is also pulling up the GPS. Their eyes then meet. They know exactly what the other is thinking and what must be done. Leaving the bags that they were holding, they take off like the wind. It's a race for the ages.

***

A match-up nobody could've seen coming, Chifuyu against Iris. Since she usually keeps to herself, there's no way Chifuyu could've known Iris already tried to get this volume herself. It sold out instantly online, and select stores were also selling out fast. She'd given up hope, but a sudden chance has presented itself. Iris can't yield this opportunity, not even to her first friend, for this is one of the few things she wants in life. She only became a fan of this particular series last year, even so, her passion for it burns as brightly as any other day-one fan. Their destination is exactly 3.7 miles away, right on the outskirts of downtown in this district. Both contenders have tremendous physical capabilities, either one can claim victory. Leaving the last of their bags for Ariel and Kagura to carry alone, they run off.

3... 2... 1... Start!

Their starting point is on the third floor at the opposite end of the exit they're taking. Weaving through the dozens of people in their path, they'd think they'd just stolen some jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars. Taking the ramp to the second floor, Iris notices Chifuyu climbing over the guard railing and leaping all the way to first floor, using a perfect barrel roll to cushion his fall. The 30 or so people who saw this are left speechless as he continued to make a mad dash for the exit. Not wanting to break her legs, Iris runs down the ramp and speeds to the closest escalator. Not willing to wait behind the rest going down, she jumps on the handrail and executes a few consecutive flips on it until she reaches the bottom. The onlookers had to assume this was some kind of professional performance. Unfortunately, no one had their phones recording.

Once Iris makes it out of the mall, she sees Chifuyu darting across the parking lot to the street. Lucky for him there were no cars passing so he's able to pick up the momentum. This road has a long stretch, so it's about 3/4s of a mile to the next light. Chifuyu's able to sprint knowing Iris has been left far in his tracks. That is, until he hears an engine roaring behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he sees a Scat Pack speeding at over 70 mph on the street. On its rear bumper is Iris. Chifuyu's shocked face gives her a little giggle. She was able to leap and latch on to it right as it was flying by, and the driver didn't notice because of how quick Iris was.

Chifuyu has to think of something fast. At this rate, he'll never be able to catch up. But, there's nothing he can do except kick into overdrive. The light's about a quarter of a mile away now, and he can see that it's about to turn red. If this light had stayed green for a few more seconds, Iris would've definitely been the winner. Now, they're both at the same point again. Chifuyu catches up to the light and looks at her with a smug face. Iris has no choice but to embarrassingly get off the car and go back to the sidewalk. They're on opposite sides of the road, perfect condition for the foot race. They eagerly wait to get the go-ahead from the pedestrian signal. Once they do, they make like the wind.

If it comes down to a straight-up contest of speed, Iris doesn't think she'll win. After all when they first met, Iris tried to run away from him and he caught up with ease. Looking at the GPS, they'll be turning right in less than a mile then going mostly straight for the rest of the way. If she wants a chance, Iris'll have to cut the distance diagonally. She's never done parkour, but she'll have to try it now if she wants this volume. A few meters in front of her is an apartment complex with 4 floors, and someone is coming out. Right before the door shuts, she catches it and runs in taking the stairs all the way to the top floor. Chifuyu can only wonder what she's doing. The ceiling only covers around the complex, as a result Iris climbs on the railing and jumps to the roof. She could only grab the edge first, so she pulls herself up as fast as possible. Looking in front of her, Iris finds out she made the right choice. This is the ultimate shortcut. Taking a deep breath, she takes off a full speed.

Iris realizes how much of a super athlete she actually is, leaping across several buildings like it's nothing. She lands herself in a residential area with smaller houses. Most of these houses have sloping roofs, so running across them would be a waste of time. Instead, she runs across the brick fences separating each house with great balance. Fast approaching downtown, she must continue the race back on the ground. However, she cleared a couple of miles in no time thanks to the shortcut and doesn't intend to stop there. Looking to her left, she sees a figure running at an incredible speed. Who else would it be?

"IRIIIIIIIS!!!"

Chifuyu yells her name for dramatic effect as he tries to catch up. Iris is in the zone now though, she will claim this victory no matter what. She continues her dash. Now that they're close to their destination, they'll be making more lefts and rights. If Iris can close the distance with more parkour, Chifuyu's defeat will be assured.

They've entered downtown, the end draws near. Cutting into an alley, Iris scales up a stairwell. Instead of running up each step separately, she leaps up and climbs the platforms that the stairs are built upon. Reaching the roof, she begins her second round of parkour. The first leap is 20 feet away, but the building is slightly downhill and a little shorter than the one Iris is jumping from, so she's able to make it flawlessly with the addition of a barrel roll.

Iris leaps.

She leaps.

Again.

And again.

She slides under a billboard. After one more leap, the destination is right below her. She's on top of a parking lot, running down as fast as she can, she gets to the tunnel leading to the underground mall. Seconds later, Iris arrives at the store.

"Huff... Huff... Huff... Hey mister, m-may I please buy your last exclusive Yona volume?"

"Ho.. Looks like you went through hell to get here. You got it."

Iris pumps her fist up. She is the well-deserved winner.

By the time Chifuyu gets there, his opponent is already walking out with the prize in her hand. Gasping for air, Chifuyu falls on his back.

"You beat me, huh?"

"O-Only cuz I cheated.."

"Ha! You didn't cheat. You hopped across buildings like a ninja from the hidden leaf village. I didn't stand a chance."

"No, if it we both raced on the ground then I wouldn't have stood a chance!"

"Nah, I ran full speed the whole time and still lost. I was confident I'd win. You beat me, Iris. You really are incredible."

"Heh. Thanks."

Both of them are remarkable. They ran a distance that would've normally taken around 40 minutes in just 15.

"Let me help you up."

Iris sticks her hand out to help Chifuyu off the ground. It's an epic moment, her face is saying 'I'm here for you. She's always wanted to do this.

"I'm good, I don't wanna move an inch."

But she is cruelly rejected. Tears flow as she's betrayed by her first friend. She just stands there looking at her hand in dejection.

While Iris contemplates life, Chifuyu calls Kagura.

"Hey, can you pick us up?"

"Sure thing."