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PROLOGUE
Her heart dropped along with her hopes and dreams when she took in the words that spilled out from her friend's lips.
Saori was a girl of dreams, a dreamer. She believed there were stars in her eyes, magic at her fingertips ever since she was little. However, her dreams weren't always butterflies and rainbows, and they were somewhat realistic──at least to her. Of course, she didn't think it was possible that she would be spending her life together with her childhood friend but neither did she think the two would part so soon, at the end of their high school year. So when she heard Aki telling her that he would be leaving to Tokyo, she would surely be upset to hear the news. The two were there for each other for almost eleven years... and the two only had each other for nine years after the appearance of the Gun Devil.
But Saori couldn't let him know that she was upset. And she certainly didn't want to hold him back.
She chuckled nervously as a response. "Tokyo University, huh? Wow... I mean, your grades were so good. No wonder."
Silence sat between the two. They were the only ones in the front yard of their school other than a few soccer players that were playing in the field in front of them as everyone else was eating their lunch. The bench under the plane tree was their spot for three years in high school, whenever the weather was nice, they would always come out and sit there for lunch with every chance they could take. "I am definitely going to miss your cooking though," she ate the lunch Aki prepared for her──they would each take turns every day, bringing lunch for the other with their own cooking.
"I'm not going there to study," he said, breaking glances to her every once in a while.
"Oh..." Saori's motions stopped slowly but then continued. She was curious on what could he possibly being doing in a big city but studying. "Well, there are a lot of opportunities in Tokyo!" She turned to look at him, his short black hair was flowing in the air by the gentle breeze. "What will you do there then?"
His expression suddenly darkened, the next words that he said felt like they were venomous. "I'm going there... to become a Devil Hunter."
The warmth from Saori's body disappeared. It abandoned her almost as if millions of people had vanished off the face of earth. The blood was sucked away from her face, turning pale, her body entering into a cold sweat. She knew being a Devil Hunter meant you're choosing the path of death, either way for the Devils and unfortunately, for yourself. "You're joking."
He shook his head, so slightly that it could barely be noticed.
"You'll die," was all she said. Precise and straight to the point.
"I know──"
"No, you don't!" Her voice was unconsciously starting to rise, tears prickling at the end of her eyes. She couldn't comprehend the idea of her friend taking the path of Death. "I don't think you understand either so open your ears and listen to me carefully. You'll die."
