Blade of the Demon Hunt

Chapter 5 Joining

A figure slowly emerged from the darkness, moving with a steady, graceful stride as if strolling through a bustling street, completely unaffected by the surrounding bloodshed and strangeness.As the figure drew nearer, they became fully visible from the shadows. Dressed in a black trench coat that accentuated her slender form, with striking silver hair and perfectly sculpted features that seemed almost unreal, she wore a cold, frosty expression like an icicle in winter. It was the silver-haired beauty Amir had seen once before in the dark alley.Seeing her approach, the interviewer suddenly leaped up and fled toward the door.The silver-haired beauty looked up and called out into the air, "Yasin, stop him." Her voice was as clear and melodious as a wind chime stirred by a gentle breeze.No sooner had she finished speaking than a shadowy figure darted from the sky, landing in front of the door and blocking the interviewer's path.The shadow was the same pitch-black owl from before, now perched on the doorframe with its golden eyes sharply fixed on the approaching monster.As the interviewer reached the door, the owl spread its wings and flew into the air, extending its claws to swipe at the monster's face.Caught off guard by the sudden aerial attack, the monster was flustered. The owl's strikes were precise, targeting the eyes and cheeks of the monster. Its agility and continuous, erratic flight soon left the monster's face covered in wounds.Once the monster managed to escape the owl's relentless attacks, it fled in panic in another direction. The silver-haired beauty, seeing this, leaped forward. Amir couldn't fully see her movements, but he noticed her graceful form moving with astonishing speed. She quickly closed the distance, reaching the monster's back. With a swift, elegant spin, she delivered a powerful kick to the monster's lower back, sending it flying.Not stopping there, the silver-haired beauty pursued the monster, and before it even hit the ground, she soared through the air and delivered a finishing kick that pinned the monster down.Amir looked at the hole in the ground, the monster writhing inside, and the silver-haired beauty standing with one foot on the monster's back. A cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. The beauty was stunningly beautiful, yet her actions were ruthlessly efficient.Seeing that the monster was no longer able to resist, the silver-haired beauty withdrew her foot and jumped out of the hole. She waved her hand lightly, and the owl flew over and elegantly perched on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.D, with a smiling face, patted Amir on the shoulder and signaled for them to approach.As they got closer, the burning sensation on Amir's wrist intensified. Given his recent encounters, he speculated that the symbol might be related to the monster. He tightened his grip on his wrist with his left hand.Noticing Amir's gesture, D stroked his mustache thoughtfully and said with a slight smile, "It seems your weapon is quite hungry. Perhaps you should discuss it with Zahra. She might let you have this one."Amir looked confused, not understanding what D was talking about.Seeing Amir's confusion, D didn't provide further explanation. He turned to the silver-haired beauty with a smile and said, "Zahra, please show him."Zahra, slightly frowning at the request but saying nothing, lifted her left hand.Amir noticed a similar glowing red symbol on the palm of her left hand, much like the one on his wrist. Zahra opened her left hand and, using her right hand, grasped the red light and pulled outward. As she did so, a uniquely designed black long sword materialized in her hand."Magic?" Amir's first thought was that the beauty was a magician. However, he then recalled the dagger he had found and glanced down at his wrist."The Crescent Moon seems to be in good condition. Looks like you've slain quite a few demons recently," D said with a satisfied smile, nodding at Zahra.Zahra ignored D's jest, holding the black long sword with her hand and looking at Amir with a pair of clear, beautiful eyes that were devoid of any warmth.In Zahra's eyes, Amir could clearly see his own reflection, and he felt completely exposed in her presence."Your weapon," Zahra suddenly spoke, her voice like a gentle chime in the breeze."What?" Amir was so lost in thought that he didn't realize she was speaking to him until D gently nudged him in the back."Release your weapon," Zahra repeated expressionlessly. Her voice was pleasant but devoid of any inflection, as cold as eternal ice."Uh, how do I release it?" Amir finally realized she must be referring to the dagger, but he had no idea how to "release" it."Oh, you don't know how to control your weapon?" D said with exaggerated surprise."Should I know?" Amir thought, feeling a bit exasperated. He was just an ordinary 25-year-old man struggling to find a job—how could he possibly understand these strange things?"Since the weapon has chosen you, you should instinctively know how to control it." It seemed the ice-cold silver-haired beauty was displeased with Amir's reaction, her brow furrowing slightly. This was the first time she had shown an expression beyond her usual impassive demeanor.Feeling as though he was being looked down upon by the beautiful woman, Amir felt a pang of sadness.Before Amir could speak again, the interview monster lying on the ground suddenly moved. While everyone's attention was diverted during their conversation, the monster had regained some strength. Seizing the opportunity, it suddenly lunged toward Amir.Seeing this, Zahra raised her sword to strike the monster, but D grabbed her arm to stop her."Wait, let's see what happens first," D said with a slight smile, gesturing toward Amir.Amir was stunned by the sudden turn of events, his mind going blank.The pattern on his wrist suddenly emitted a blinding red light, and a peculiar, rusty dagger appeared before his eyes. Without thinking, Amir reached for the dagger and charged toward the monster.Everything around him, except for himself, seemed to move in slow motion. The monster rushing toward him seemed to be moving through space, each movement clearly visible. Amir didn't understand why he was charging directly at it, but before he knew it, he was in front of the monster, holding the dagger.The monster looked down at him, raising its arm to strike.The movement is so slow. Amir thought, ducking under the incoming claws and using his left hand to push the dagger forward with his right, driving it deep into the monster's abdomen.A piercing scream escaped from the monster's mouth as the surrounding speed returned to normal.The monster seemed to be in immense pain, howling and flailing its arms wildly, its sharp claws swinging around recklessly. Amir, caught off guard, was struck by a powerful swipe and sent flying backward.He rolled a few times before coming to a stop on the ground, feeling a searing pain in his back as if it had been torn apart. Warm, wet liquid oozed out; he didn't need to look to know his back was severely injured.The monster continued to thrash and roar in fury.A silver figure leaped into the air, gracefully flipping and cutting through the air with a flash of cold light. The monster finally ceased its movements.The silver figure landed gracefully on the ground as the monster's head fell with a thud. Blood gushed from the severed neck like a grotesque rainstorm, drenching White Night's form. Despite the deluge, her silver hair remained pristine.In the midst of the bloodstorm, Amir forgot the pain in his back. At that moment, he found the silver figure's beauty breathtakingly overwhelming."Wow, this is quite something," D's exaggerated voice echoed again. "Being injured by a demon is really troublesome." He approached Amir, bending down to inspect his injury. "Fortunately, the wound isn't too deep. If treated promptly, there shouldn't be any long-term effects."Amir felt overwhelmed with questions but wasn't sure where to start. At that moment, a flash of white light passed over the monster's body, and a slight pain shot through his right wrist. He knew that the symbol on his wrist had appeared again."I was planning to sit down and explain things to you properly, but it seems we don't have time for that," D said with a smile, still bent over. "Do you remember what I mentioned to you before?""Wh—what?" Amir's mind was a whirl, and the pain in his back made it hard for him to think clearly."Remember the Demon Hunter Guild?" D reminded him."Oh, that." The pain in his back was intense, and he really needed some help to stop the bleeding first."Are you interested in joining now?" D seemed oblivious to Amir's pain and continued with a smile."Um, my back really hurts..." Amir managed to mutter."Given the current situation, let me give you a brief overview," D said, sitting down on the ground and looking at Amir, who was lying there. "Our guild's mission is to eliminate demons like him that blend into human society and prey on humans. Joining us means you'll become a hunter who makes a living by hunting demons. Of course, there is compensation for demon hunting, which I will explain in detail later.""This world is truly fantastical," Amir thought. If he hadn't experienced these things himself, he would definitely think that the man in front of him was crazy."The claws and teeth of demons are poisonous. Only our guild has the special medicine to treat your wounds. If you agree to join us, you will receive treatment immediately. Otherwise, even the greatest healer won't be able to save you in two days," D said with a smile, without waiting for Amir's answer.In other words, unless he agreed to join, he was as good as dead."So, what's your decision?" D asked with a warm tone and a smile."Do I have any other choice?" Amir glared at him, clearly unhappy."Seems like you don't," D replied with an airy smile.This forced method really irritated him, but considering his own life, Amir had no choice but to compromise."Alright, I'll join." Amir said with a resigned expression, closing his eyes and steeling himself. The thought of dealing with these strange people and those flesh-eating monsters made his future seem bleak."Then, please place your handprint on this contract." D pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket, which was clearly prepared in advance, and laid it out on the ground in front of Amir.The parchment was densely covered with text, most of which he did not recognize. Wondering if this had any unfair clauses, Amir hesitated. D smiled as he grabbed Amir's right hand and pressed it onto the parchment with the blood from his own body.At the moment his fingers pressed down, the parchment emitted a golden glow."The contract is now established. Congratulations on becoming a member of the Demon Hunter Guild." After D rolled up the parchment and stood up, he faced Amir, lightly clenched his right hand over his left chest, and bowed slightly, saying softly, "On behalf of the Demon City branch, I officially welcome you, Mr. Amir."