Chapter 46: Chapter 44 – C Rank

I sighed while fingering the dogtag in my hand. It read "C-rank Hunter, Vanguard. Callum Dain". This was my dog tag, of course. I was sat at a table in the hunter's guild in Mou 13, the Frontier of Glass. I was an average vanguard type that used dual swords and wore medium armor. I had slicked back, platinum hair and wore a long coat over my armor, a modular set of enhanced steel breastplate, shoulder pads, gauntlets and shin guards. I was a C-rank hunter, with a power of about 300, 360 if I used Physical Up. 

My position doesn't sound especially bad, but I had been stuck at this level for a few years now, having turned 31 this year. Yet I heard recently that a young girl, not even 18, had achieved B-rank in this very guild. Her name was Christy Amara, and she was known lately as the Frontier Witch. I haven't witnessed her fighting yet, but I wanted to see if I could party with her. I had to eat my pride as a man and try to get closer to this young girl, because there might be some way for me to learn how to break out of C-rank. And yet, she hadn't shown at all today.

I got up from my table and stuffed my tag into my pocket, along with my hands. My eyes were glued to the floor as I left the building, my expression pensive as I thought about what my next move would be. Should I continue to wait for her from now on, or do I seek another way out of my shell? After all, it would be strange for a grown man to be waiting around all day for a little girl... What a headache. If only she wasn't a prodigy, then I wouldn't have to risk getting strange looks.

My feet carried me through the streets of Mou 13, moving routinely through the crowds and alleyways of the city. My apartment was in a building in the northwest part of the middle ring, a somewhat quiet, if sketchy, area. I looked up at the black sky instead of the grey floor, letting myself wander while deep in thought, stewing in my nihilism. For a similar reason, I was given the name of "Blue Blade" for being such a downer, and using two swords. Then, my thoughts were suddenly pierced by the smell of iron.

I leveled my view and took in my situation, while resting my hands on the hilts of my swords. I had wandered into a quiet alley with no one around. As the alley turned right, there were many branching paths that went in separate directions. I turned into one where the scent was coming from, and sensing a bad feeling, I quietly drew my blades. I crept down the cramped alleyway until I reached a building with its door open, and the scent of iron stronger than before.

I stepped in through the threshold, and investigated the scene ahead of me. It seemed like an average storefront, except further in, I found a corpse lying between some of the shelves. All of the lights were off, and it was hard to see or make sense of the body's state, but his torso seems to have been shredded like a blender was shot through it. I carried on, pitying the poor soul that died like this. I stepped past an open sliding door, where I came upon a set of stairs that went down, and another that went up. This is a three story building, so I understand, but a downstairs as well?

A dark stain on the wall led me downstairs, where I descended more than a floor down, and reached another, heavy metal door that was partly ajar, seemingly blown open by something. I could smell a distinct, putrid and fowl stench at this point, as I pushed open the door quietly and looked inside. It became hard to see, and so I casted a magical light, stowing one of my blades. If only I hadn't.

What I saw was an operation room. Several flat, long tables took up most of the room, some holding bodies that were in mid-operation, and were terribly deformed. One body had an arm replaced entirely with a cluster of massive insect legs and spines, with the torso split open as if in the process of being dissected.

Another body had its head replaced with a long, thick tendril covered in eyes, and its limbs replaced with up-scaled crab legs. One of the legs had been taken off for study and the "head" was opened up. I covered my mouth and held in the urge to eject the contents of my stomach. My mind was filled with thoughts of disgust and horror, then rage at whoever did this. There were two doors at the end, that I approached. One was closed, and the other open, so I inspected the open ohe first.

Inside this room was what looked to be an open, empty jail cell. I felt confused at the site, as my head began to piece things together. Was this the base of some horrid organization, and someone put a stop to it? I held my chin, covered with a thin platinum beard. I turned and approached the closed door, nearly opening it before getting an odd feeling and jumping back. The center of the door suddenly contorted, twisting and turning before being shredded apart. Then it flung open.

???: "Oh~? Was there another one? No matter." Came the voice of a young girl. Out stepped a small girl in an engineer's outfit, holding an exceptional staff. I recognized her... Christy Amara. What was she doing here?

Before I could question her, she suddenly shot huge spikes of stone at me from the walls, and I was forced to dodge them, lest I be impaled without a word in opposition.

Callum: "W-wait! Hear me out first!" I pleaded, evading the fire as she rushed towards me. I got the sense it would be bad if she touched me, and so I proceeded to put as much distance between us that I could, with just enough success.

Christy: "Why should I when you're a sick bastard?" She asked, venom dripping from her words as I only barely manage to escape her horrifying grasp. To think an engineer could pressure me so much like this... She really is a witch. Whenever she swung her staff, I would deflect with my sword, re directing the attack and slipping away, while taking cover from any projectiles she would fire at me.

Callum: "It really is a mistake! I'm a hunter!" I once again shouted, still in vain as she hunted me down.

Christy: "Yeah, a hunter of innocents, you vile alchemist! Subhumans like you will be reduced to shreds by my magic!" She said, laughing at the end. It was becoming harder and harder to maintain the distance in this cramped and crowded space, especially when she was so small and agile, diving over or jumping off operating tables.

Then finally, I tripped over an arm on the floor, and dove into one of the walls, hitting it hard as the young girl loomed over me with her bloodthirsty expression. I felt chills running through my body as I caught my breath, stuffing my hand into my pocket.

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Christy: "Any last words to come out of your slimy, slippery mouth?" She asked, pleased at the fact she caught me. I grimaced before whipping out the object in my pocket.

Callum: "Yeah, look at this!" I said, letting the tag dangle from my hand infront of her. She looked at it dubiously while thinking to herself. Then finally, she crossed her arms and looked into my eyes.

Christy: "...Are you truly a hunter?"

Callum: "Yes, truly! You can take me back to the guild to confirm it with them, they know me as the Blue Blade." I said, letting out a relieved breath and looking down. Finally, thus stubborn girl was listening to me. I thought I was a goner.

Christy: "Fine then, I'll take you to the guild to confirm it." She said with a huff, seemingly very irritated. She stepped away and began to leave the room, and I followed after, sheathing my sword. I guess I would be meeting her today... But today was going to be a long one, wasn't it?

~~×~~×~~

We returned to the guild and confirmed that I was, indeed, a hunter with the guild. Some of the guys laughed that I was beat up by a girl less than half my age, but I was less concerned about that. Christy seemed guilty about it all and apologized deeply to me.

Callum: "It really isn't such a big deal... No one lost anything in the end, after all."

Christy: "Still, I want to make it up to you. Is there something I could do?" She asked, sitting opposite from me at a table we sat down at. I sighed, and thought fir a moment. Right, of course, there was that...

Callum: "...Well, if you truly insist... I would like to party up with you. See, I've been stuck at C rank for a long time now, and was hoping you could teach me something to break my limits."

She thought about it for a while, before looking up at me with concern.

Christy: "I'm sorry, I doubt there's much I can teach as an engineer, but if that's fine... Then we can still party together. My friend Iris will likely be able to teach you some things though, when she comes back." She said, smiling suddenly at the mention of Iris.

...Iris who? The name felt familiar, but...

Callum: "I see, that's alright then. My name is Callum Dain. And you're Christy Amara, correct?"

Christy: "Yes, I'm Christy Amara. Engineer hunter specialising in frontier magic. I can heal, use all material magic, and twist things I touch. Pleasure to work with you."

And so, our party was formed, even if it was just us two.