Immunity Hunter

Chapter One - Sasame Kai

Prey comes in different forms. Luckily for me, my target is an idiot.

With his face glued to that small, bright screen, this will be an easy hunt. Forget sneaking—short of yelling his name, he won't notice me.

I follow him past decorated storefronts and dull office buildings. The faint scent of pastries and coffee still lingers in the midnight air. Sakura trees line the sidewalks a few feet apart. Pink and white petals give pleasant color to the concrete surroundings.

Downtown Caara Island is deserted this late at night. Few people live close to the oversized buildings towering just high enough to see the top of the concrete wall surrounding our city. And around this time, most people are locked safely away in their cozy beds. They prefer living in the smaller homes in quiet neighborhoods and farmland.

Anything to avoid reminding themselves of the outside world.

Usually, my prey takes the time to enjoy the lasting scent of baked goods and the blossomed sakura, or at the very least, care. But he refuses to turn around or take his eyes off the screen. I could've taken him down at any point during this seemingly aimless trek through the empty downtown streets, but his attentiveness to the phone intrigues me. How can someone get attached to something so trivial?

Annoyance rushes over me—both from the fool I was sent to capture and the too-tight bra strap cutting into my shoulder. Then it hits me. Maybe he knows I'm here and is leading me into a trap? No, there's no way this fool could tell I'm following him. I made sure not to wear any perfume or use the fancy soap that smells like roses.

A good hunter doesn't leave an identifying scent.

Chilly winds blow between the empty skyscrapers, picking up the day's litter and drifting it through the streets. Everything remains dark and silent. The death stench from the Konadai blows in from beyond the wall, mixing with the scent of bitter coffee.

I take a slow breath and slide my fingers into my rubber knuckle-shaped stun gun. Regret hits me. Images of this fool getting drained and dissected run through my head, but I dismiss it. Now's not the time to grow a conscience. All of this is to save the city—the research, the hunting, the nightmares. My parents didn't die sitting around waiting for someone else to do their job. They wanted to make a difference.

And I'll be sure I get my job done one way or another.

I jog up behind my prey, ready to overtake him before he passes a set of knickknack shops. The idiot spins on his heels. I stumble to a stop and swing my arm behind my back to hide the stun knuckles, pulling at the ends of my long orange hair hoping to look innocent. He stares at me, eyes wide with suspicion. His mouth hangs open slightly, and then the corners curl into a smirk. A flash of pale blue electricity reflects in his eyes. My heart sinks to my stomach and I grind my teeth. Crap, I should've known.

He's a Lightning Rod.

His file failed to mention that tidbit of information. With electricity surging through his veins, my stun knuckle is useless against his lightning mahou.

"Staring won't get you anywhere," I say, tightening my fingers around the rubber grip.

"How long have you been following me?" he asks with his thumbs looped in the front pockets of his jeans. "You lost or something?"

"Maybe I am. Or maybe I just liked your gauged ears."

It wasn't a complete lie. His gauges are actually sort of cool. They're metal, like the wristbands some of the other mahou users wear to intensify the effect of their Kaji. Part of me wonders if the gauges work the same as the wristbands or if it's more of a fashion choice.