find solace (belong) [KNY/BNHA]

[28] days on end

The missions accumulate. That's basically it.

"Caw! Slay the demon and protect the villagers!"

Charlotte smiled lightly, brushing the ruffled black feathers of her kasugai crow. The bird on her shoulder shook its wings and closed its eyes at the contact.

"Come to think of it," She murmured, "Do you have a name?"

The crow tilted its head. It stayed silent, soot-black eyes staring at her intently.

"I'll take that as a no." Blue eyes twinkled, bemused and a little helpless. "Then let's go with... Tsuku."

A warbling sound, resembling that of a question, resonated in the crow's throat.

"Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon." Charlotte explained as she wandered around. "As tsukuyo, 'moon-light', you guide me. And as tsukumi, 'moon-watching', you see. What do you think?"

She chuckled as the bird nuzzled her finger, content with the name.

"Now..." She trailed off, eyes flickering about the port and the bustling people who shopped in the fish market.

"We have a demon to kill."

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(And it was over in an instant. Blade drawn high, a fierce, unrelenting slash struck.

All of a sudden, it was as if nothing else existed, just the salty sea breeze and the metallic blade that divided the atmosphere into two.

There was no escape.

"Wha—" The demon, greyish-blue skin, crazed eyes and unruly hair tangled in knots, was cut off abruptly as her head rolled backwards, falling into the ocean with a heavy splash.

Charlotte leaped off of the wooden plank she had landed on, back towards the broken boat she had borrowed.

She muttered something under her breath, eyes still fixated on the ripples atop dark, murky waters. It was only after a while that she spoke again. "Your next life will treat you better... probably.")

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The first mission wasn't as bad as Charlotte thought it would be. But perhaps she had expected and prepared for the worst.

Of course, it wasn't that she was nervous about it in the first place. With how much Sabito and Makomo beat into her, with how much Urokodaki taught her, and with how much she experienced in the final selection— a single demon wasn't an issue, even if it did have blood demon art.