Nicholas Arc is a man of many talents, one of the most prominent being his skill with a sword. It was no wonder how he became a professional Huntsman employed by the acclaimed guild of Beacon.
In this world, there is a thing called the Grimm. Monsters created of pure malice... Negativity given form.
To combat this threat, the Huntsman association was established, also known as the Guilds. They would train potential candidates in the use of Aura, a power like no one, coming straight out of the soul. They would also contract those who showed prospects to their own guild branch.
Why? Well, while Grimm are a threat to humanity, their are also the de facto towards improvement.
When Grimm are exterminated, they tend to leave behind a thing called the Grimm Core. The Grimm Core can be used for many things, from alchemy to blacksmithing, and if grinded and infused into dust, it can also boost its effects.
One could say that being a hunter is rather profitable as the Grimm Core can be sold for great amounts of gold. The older the Grimm, the better its Core.
Nicholas's family are hunters of old, and one of the most respected family out there. Every single man or woman in the family would always become a great Huntsman, no question asked.
Nicholas Arc was no exception, and that's why he was here. The guild informed him of a recently destroyed village by the Grimm, normally it would not require a Huntsman of his caliber to investigate or search for any survivor, but odd levels of energy had been captured by the guild's sensors.
... High enough to a worrying degree. So, they dispatched Nicholas to investigate the case.
Nicholas made his way carefully, the destroyed buildings around him giving a desolate feel. A sight that he was all too familiar.
Nicholas looked around and then at the ground. Blood and detached limbs decorated most of the barren wasteland that was once a village. Men, women, children, and the elderly. Some recognizable, and others not, making Nicholas sigh in desperation.
'It never gets easier...'
Nicholas continued his investigation, making sure to take everything in. He found some strange scorch marks here and there, but nothing too odd.
Until...
Nicholas paused when the scorch marks in the ground started to resemble an perfect oval circle, the scorch marks being much more prominent than the ones he found earlier.
Looking closer, he found out that deeper in the ground the earth was turned into glass. Nicholas let out a surprised gasp at the sight.
'Would you look at this...' He thought aloud.
Then, he noticed something. The stray marks he had been following until he found the circle... they weren't naturally formed by whatever weird phenomenon that happened here.
... No, they were rather familiar marks. Marks that he, strangely enough, recognized.
... Marks that he had only seen in extensive military training.
Marks of... Someone crawling low in the earth to not gather attention.
Or worse... Someone injured.
Nicholas bolted from his place, returning all the way to his starting point while keeping his eyes on the ground. At some point, the marks disappeared, but Nicholas didn't let it keep him from trying to find its owner.
He inspected everything carefully, taking in the sights for any anomalies. A person did not disappear like this, not without a very specific type of semblance, which he doubted being the case as someone like that wouldn't crawl in the dirt without a good reason.
At least the person he had in mind wouldn't do so. The possibility being null.
After searching for a bit he finally found some clues, footmarks in the ground near some blood-stained greenery, indicating that its owner seemed to regain some of his/her strength to at least walk.
Following the footmarks, while keeping an open eye for everything, as any good hunter would. Nicholas reached one of the few houses that were still somewhat intact.
Coming to the front door, Nicholas strained his ears, using both aura and his semblance - Aura Amplification - to inspect the house. Heightening and overloading his senses to a proper limit in a controlled manner.
He heard faint, strained breathing. The intervals indicating the person current inside of the house to be resting.
Nicholas opened the door slowly, the lock already destroyed at his feet by the one inside. He steadily held his body weight to not make any sound as he entered the house.
Following his senses, he walked towards the kitchen, his gait silent.
When he entered the room, the first thing he saw has an open fridge, then he looked down and saw everything that's somewhat edible wasting in the ground, save for a few open bags of... sweets?
His gaze then stopped at the figure laying down at the feet of the fridge. Twitching slightly from time to time in pain. The sweet bags still in tightly clutched hands as if scared of letting go.
Nicholas's eyes widened at the frail form of a woman. His breath caught on his throat almost instantly.
Long white hair cascaded down around her neck, bright pink lips formed a thin painful line as sweet gathered between her eyebrows. She was wearing a red trench coat above a black tank top, her full figure was also accentuated by tight jeans. Her eyes were close so he couldn't see them, but Nicholas had no doubt in his mind that they would be as beautiful as gemstones.
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An enormous devil-like sword was leaning on the kitchen counter near her. Though, he did not pay much attention to it.
Nicholas crouched down quickly, letting go of all decorum for some reason as he reached to take her pulse. He could feel his heart racing but paid it no mind, as he deduced it being fright.
The moment his fingers touched her fair-skinned hand, however, her eyes shot up, and in a show of inhuman speed, her great sword was in his neck in a matter of nanoseconds. Her eyes holding pure demoniac power as they narrowed at his figure, who despite the jump-scare, didn't wield at the almost instinctual feeling of fear at being gazed by a predator, making the ones of the said predator widen slightly in wonder as they held a mutually power-filled starting contest.
That's their first meeting. A meeting who would head towards the first unholy union between a hunter and a demon.
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AN: Man, this was one of the most fun chapters I've ever written, tell me what you all think, comment, or vote if you found it enjoyable!
I think I'll be updating, never fully dressed without one next, so stay tuned.
