Missing among Shadows Kurai yoru no kage

Chapter Eight

Azuki's POV

Kurayaits led me inside the traditional Japanese mansion, where I was presented with various weapons to choose from. Despite telling him that I didn't want to be a Shadow Hunter, he insisted that I pick my favorite weapon from the selection. I spotted a scythe with a shiny silver blade and a white handle, and he urged me to pick it up. Knowing I had to follow the rules, I reluctantly obeyed and gripped the scythe tightly.

As I raised the scythe, I was shocked to see that the blade and handle color suddenly changed to black, with the word "Night Reaper" engraved on the side of the blade in red. My eyes widened in surprise, and Kurayaits remarked, "So your name will be Night Reaper, then? I wonder why you weren't chosen to be named something like 'Death Reaper' or 'She Reaper'." I responded, "Why did the blade color change?" He replied, "It changes based on the owner's preference towards life or death."

Kurayaits began to explain, "Most blades have different colors about the owner's perspective on life. Blue represents a peaceful view of life, red denotes a passionate view, and pink signifies a childish outlook. White is a realistic perspective, and the other colors aren't known. I find it intriguing that your scythe turned black, as it's a rather rare color choice."In confusion, I began to stammer, "So is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? Is it okay? Is it...?" Kurayaits quickly interrupted me and replied, "Girl, were you paying any attention? I just said, 'I don't know'."

Upon hearing his answer, I acknowledged, "No, I wasn't paying attention idiot" Kurayaits introduced me to what I thought was a single leader, but to my surprise, two individuals seemed to be in charge. One was a lady in her mid-twenties with black hair, and the front strands of her hair were dyed red. She had a commanding presence that demanded respect. The other person was a man with a friendly smile, but a long scar across his face. He exuded a sense of calm and confidence that made you feel at ease in his presence. I paid little attention to the Shadow Master's look or their motives for choosing me to join the Hunters. Instead, I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding this whole process. Kurayaits then physically slammed my head against the floor, causing me to quickly bow in submission. I was annoyed but decided to comply, and when he finally sat up, I sat up, too, ready to take command but still trying my best to maintain composure.

The female Shadow Master approached me and introduced herself as Kontagah. "It's nice to meet you," she said, and then mentioned that she had heard about my Blade's color change, suggesting that I was chosen to join their group. Before I could answer, Kurayaits swiftly replied on my behalf and said that I wanted to join, leaving me with no choice but to oblige. The male Master then confirmed my participation, and I asked if two of my friends could join me, too. The Masters obliged and quickly sent me away without allowing me to memorize their faces.