I Am All At Sea of Blood: Before Chainsaw Man

Chapter 2 : Moving Along

Within a darkened bedroom, the soft, warm sunlight pierced through the gaps of the curtained window, landing on Izuki's face. His eyes flickered as they sensed the light shone on them, and not long after, Izuki could feel the weight of his whole body lying on the bed. Even with his eyes still closed, he knew he was already fully awake and would eventually need to move out of his bed soon. And although he was asleep just a moment ago, his mind began to wander, reminding him of what he had to do that very day.

As he covered his eyes from the sunlight with his hand, he felt a sense of anxiety dawning on him.

"Gods... do I have to?" he groaned, his other hand feeling around the bed's side for his blanket, and when he finally felt it, he immediately pulled it over his head as if turning into a cocoon.

Embracing the warm comfort of the blanket, he hid from the light, hoping that his body might eventually go back to sleep.

Maybe if I make an excuse that I overslept from tiredness, she will be less harsh on me, he thought.

But even in the darkness, he could not stop his mind from thinking. He recalled his memories from five days ago, moments after Kishibe left him alone in that cold hospital room, where not long after, nurses came rushing in along with them, the doctor who had cared for him. "You're quite the fighter, aren't you?" she snarkily remarked to him.

"A fighter, huh?" He sighed. "Was Subaru-kun not enough of a fighter, then?"

Reluctantly, he peeked his head out of the cotton shelter he had made for himself, looking to his side. He stretched his arm out, picking up a small photo frame placed on the nightstand, his eyes filled with sorrow when he saw the picture displayed on it.

"What do you think, Izumi?" He asked the photo.

Surely enough, a mere photo of his sister, no matter how lively her smile was captured at the moment, would never be able to give him the reply he wanted. But still, he could imagine the pouting face she would've made at that moment if she were there with him and how she would've scolded him for waking up late like she would in the past.

"Hahaha..." He chuckled. "Right, right. I got work to do, I know. I'll get up now. I'm sorry."

With a heavy heart, he pulled himself up from his bed and started his regular morning routine. A nice warm bath, laundry, dressing up, and finally, cooking for his breakfast. The meal for the day? A simple rice ball stuffed with slivers of fish along with a warm cup of tea. Even knowing the fast-paced Tokyo City life, Izuki took his time to take in all the subtle flavors of his meal.

He looked out to the balcony view from his window, seeing a murder of the black color of the flying crows speckling the sky, now grey as the clouds covered the sun before it.

I guess winter is going to come soon.

The cold weather was all the more reason for him to be unenthusiastic for the day, but deep inside, he knew that this was something he would have to do, or else his heart would not rest easy. After finishing his meal, he approached the door leading him outside. He looked back to his living room as if somebody was there with him to begin with.

"I will be off now. Watch over the house for me, okay, Izumi?" He smiled solemnly as he closed the door, finally stepping ahead to start his day.

***

As Izuki made his way to the Devil Hunters' Headquarters building, he looked over to his neighbors, a group of mothers who had recently sent their children to school. When they noticed his presence, they all greeted him with a smile. Being a young Devil Hunter, he was considered a respected member of the community. Thanks to the many publicization from the media, the promise of great pay from the government, and the prestige that comes with killing devils, for many, becoming a devil hunter did not only mean having an easy way to get an early retirement, but also being a hero, just as how they would regard police officers, militants, firefighters, and doctors as one. But just like those other professions, it became somewhat of an open secret that becoming one would mean risking your life daily.