In this world, monsters called Eldritch wander around hunting humans for their flesh and negative emotions. To fight these beasts, humans with supernatural powers are gathered by an organization called the Division of Eldritch Affairs (DEA) and trained to be Slayers. However, an uncanny phenomenon called the Turning causes Eldritch to become human after consuming human flesh. In a rural village, a Raven Eldritch discovers that his human friend, Cody, was attacked by a Scissor Eldritch. With Cody's consent, the Raven Eldritch eats him and subsequently becomes human, taking his appearance. After finding the Scissor Eldritch and getting revenge, the Raven Eldritch-turned-human is found and taken by five Slayers led by a man named Scott Lewis. Now Cody Byrd, he decides to become a Slayer to prevent other tragedies while helping Scott and his research team find the cause of the Turning in exchange for keeping his secret.
Characters
Cody Byrd/Raven Eldritch: The main protagonist. Initially a Raven Eldritch, he becomes human after he is forced to eat his dying human friend, Cody, taking his appearance as a result. After finding and killing the Scissor Eldritch, he is found by five Slayers led by Scott, who take him to Morningstar City and name him Cody Byrd. As Cody Byrd, he attends DEA Academy as a freshman Slayer-in-training while helping Scott and his research team find the cause of the Turning. Cody is curious and is often confused with social cues and metaphors. But with Scott and his classmates' help, he begins to understand more about those and human emotions. Due to being the Raven Eldritch, his hands turn into talons, and bird wings sprout from his back; he uses those to fly and fight, hence earning the nickname Shadow Angel from his classmates.
Lucien Nanami: A prodigy Slayer and a senior at DEA Academy. In the beginning, Lucien becomes infatuated with Cody due to the latter not panicking during the entrance ceremony. He is seen as a "menace" by the teachers and is feared by the students. However, he is well-respected by the students in his squad but tends to punish them by making them do nearly impossible tasks. Lucien's ability allows him to run fast to evade enemy attacks and owns a pair of pistols and a dagger. As time goes by, he discovers Cody's secret and reveals to him his own. Lucien later falls in love with Cody.
Scott Lewis: A mysterious man who is one of DEA's top Slayers. In the beginning, he and his team travel to the rural village to slay the Scissor Eldritch, only to find that Cody beat them to it. Upon discovering him, he and his team take him to Morningstar City to shelter and train him until he is ready to attend DEA Academy. Scott serves as a father figure to Cody, offering his wisdom whenever needed. Calm and collected, he puts on a serious demeanor when in combat situations and doesn't like to reveal his past to anyone except for those close to him. He is armed with a pair of gauntlets that enhance his punches and he has a heightened sense of smell.
Pearl Rockwell: A junior at DEA Academy who is a member of Lucien's squad. Pearl is introduced as a taciturn individual who rarely socializes. She respects Lucien for keeping his promises but also resents him for the way he treats the other squad members. Pearl's ability allows her to turn anything and anyone she looks at into stone. However, because her powers are "always active," she wears a blindfold to prevent petrifying others on accident. Pearl's combat abilities are kick-based, and she wears special boots with heavy soles that help her fight this way.
Milo Rossi: A freshman at DEA Academy who shares a dorm with Cody. Milo is initially a socially awkward boy who grew up without having friends. He immediately bonds with Cody, believing he shares a lot in common with him but is oblivious to his true nature as an Eldritch. Milo's ability allows him to summon purple threads he can control at will. His hobbies are sewing and knitting. Milo has an older sister named Alma, who is a Slayer herself, but she disapproves of his choice to follow in her footsteps.
Lynn Parker: A junior at DEA Academy who is a member of Lucien's squad. Lynn's ability allows her to see the near future, giving her peers the instinct to prevent it if necessary. But since her powers don't grant her any combat ability, she is often required to keep her distance from battle to fight from afar instead. For this, she was trained to be a proficient sniper. Lynn tends to dote on her fellow squad members and gives out advice whenever they need it. She respects Lucien but also scolds him for his impulsive nature. Lynn is the first to welcome Cody into Lucien's squad, not knowing he is an Eldritch.
Matilda "Tilly" Aldine: A sophomore at DEA Academy who is a member of Lucien's squad. Tilly is the daughter of one of Morningstar City's top Slayers and entered DEA Academy on recommendation because of this. Her ability allows her to jump very high and she wields a pair of handheld chainsaws, granting her the nickname "Chainsaw Girl." Tilly is cocky, hotheaded, and brash, but is jovial and outgoing. She respects Lucien out of admiration but is secretly feared by the latter due to her spitfire nature. Tilly is also the lead singer of an amateur all-female rock band called Bubblegum Devil.
Preview
Putting the needle back on the tray, Cody watched as black blood trickled down from his pointing finger to his palm. Then, the puncture he made closed up, not leaving a scar. He looked up to find Scott offering a white rag, which he took to wipe off the ebony-colored liquid.
"You can't let anyone see that, Cody," Scott said firmly.
"Why not?" Cody asked as soon as he finished wiping his hand.
"Every Slayer knows what color an Eldritch's blood is," Scott explained as he crossed his arms. "You may appear human on the outside, but on the inside, you're still an Eldritch. You're not allowed to get wounded while you're out there fighting."
"But isn't getting hurt part of being a Slayer, though?"
"You're not wrong about that, but if someone spots you bleeding, they'll immediately notice you're not human. They'll know what you are in an instant and even detain you. I've seen it happen plenty of times, and I don't want it to happen to you, too."
With pursed lips, Cody nodded and said, "You're trying to protect me and I appreciate that. I promise I won't let it happen. I'll be careful from now on."
In response, Scott smiled and placed a hand on Cody's shoulder. "Good."
