The Hunt

The days that followed Ryota continue his work normally like nothing happened. Every afternoon though he visited the "Tea and Sympathy" and continued his training in the gym-basement. Later every night he and Ryosuke along with Sayaka hunted down dangalaks and other kinds of lowly demons.

One day he was just doing his usual training, this time sparring with Takashi while both of them using their swords from their own mana. After hours of fighting Ryota fall to his knees overwhelmed by Takashi's fighting experience.

"Feeling okay old timer" Ryosuke asked him as he was sitting on a chair watching them

"Phew ah...uph well, i could keep this up, phew but my legs disagree" Ryota said panting

"That's quite alright Mr. Endo, you need to rest now, it's almost time for the hunt" Takashi said as he made his sword disappear

"Oh yes, that's right, tonight i will go outside to find powerful demons for the first time, and i didn't need to train for months about it, hehehe" Ryota laughed nervously as he walked through the door of the gym looking his watch on his wrist, it was 22:10

"No joking around Ryota, this no laughing matter. It will be an actual demon hunt, not like those warm ups that you were killing low level demons, but you can also think of it as part of your training." Ruosuke said as they walked to the exit of the café.

"Yeah, in which i could die" Ryota said tiredly 

"Now now, no more of this long face of yours Ryota dearie" Masami came to see them in the exit and helped him wear his coat

"You don't need to worry so much, Ryosuke and Sayaka will be with all the time so nothing bad will happen to you"

"We will protect Ryota" Sayaka said with a gleaming face

"That's right, you will be with two professionals if that puts your mind at ease" Ryosuke said as Takashi helped him wear his own coat

"Ehe, i know that and i trust you all, but still I kinda feel somewhat frightened to fight more powerful demons" he said a bit anxious

"That's quite alright Ryota dearie, it's very good you don't let your pride or your confidence blind you, others should take an example from you" Masami said as she looked Ryosuke sharply

"Okay okay, time to go now" Ryosuke said as he walked outside the café and Sayaka followed her. Ryota stand for a moment before he leave too.

"See you tomorrow then... goodnight Masami and Mr. Kubo" Ryota waved nervously

"Goodnight Mr. Endo"

"Good luck on your first Hunt Ryota" Masami waved to him smiling

Ryota smiled too and hurried to catch up with the others.

Later the three of them were walking on the street and arrived outside of the Shōkoku-ji Temple. The time was 23:00 pm so they weren't any visitors that time.

"So what are we doing here?" Ryota asked

"Demons enjoy destroying any kind of temples, they find a sadistic joy of destroying anything that has to do with people beliefs. People always think that the constructive quality materials have problems  and they blame the conservation group"

"Isn't that the typical job for dangalaks?"

"Yes it is, but dangalaks are very low kind of demons, they can't approach temples because they are protected by divine power"

"Divine power?"

"They are two kinds of magic that sorcery is based on, the divine magic which comes by praying and the temples, second one is alchemy which comes from potions and research from magic books" Sayaka explained

"What kind of magic you use Sayaka?"

"I can use both kinds of magic, I simply focus on divine magic for defence and use alchemy magic for attack"

"Fascinating" Rytota said making Sayaka beam with pride

"Alright, enough with the magic lesson time to move on" Ryota jumbed with on the roof of the gate and start moving to the main temple while Sayaka with her magic make Ryota and herself to hover on the roofs. After a bit air walking the arrived on the main temble.

"They are on the other side of the roof, four of them" Sayka said as they landed on the roof of the main temple quietly.

"Good, now follow my lead, quietly" he raised his right hand and make his katana appeared, Ryota did the same thing and the three of them started walking quietly on the roof until theυ reach the top of the roof. Carefully they leaned over to see the other side of the roof.

On the other side of the roof, they were four demons in human size. They had black furry skin and horns on their heads, different shapes each one of them. Their legs were like a goat's and they had long tails from behind their back. The two of them had long black tridents which they nailed the roof with force and the other two were throwing the tiles away while they are laughing.

"Okay, they have weapons but it's okay they are not demon warriors, probably stole these weapons from their fallen comrades" Ryosuke turned back and nod to the rest to gather closer him

"Okay here's how will move, Ryota you will take the one demon with the trident I will take the other one, Sayaka keep the other two busy until me and Ryota kill the other two, but keep your focus on protecting Ryota, he never fought armed demons so it will be a bit hard."

"Okay, I'm ready when you are." Ryota held his katana tightly with more determination after spending so much effort on practice

"Got it" Sayaka nodded

"Okay, let's move then, and watch your step" Ryosuke stood up and together walked to the other side of the roof.

Ryota and Ryosuke started to running towards to them with advance the slope of the roof but Ryota mistepped and lost his balance with the result to stumble towards one demon and make both of them fall close to the edge of the roof.

The other demon manage say "what the" before Ryosuke slice his throat and kill it, while Sayaka cast a wind spell to throw dust to the other two demons eyes.

Ryota stand up again still holding his katana while the demon he had pushed had lost his trident. Leaving a determined yell and raising his katana Ryota attacked the demon but he managed only to cut his left horn. The demon screamed in rage and pain.

"MY HORN, MY BEAUTIFUL HORN" it screamed and rushed tpwards Ryota making him lose his balance and pin him down.

"DIE HUMAN" the demon grabbed Ryota's neck trying to choke him, Ryota unable to reach his katana push the demon off him by grabbing his face. Then he made his katana reappear on his hand and swing it against the demon's face slicing his nose and his right eye.

"AAAAAAHHH YOU DIRTY HUMAN" the demon screamed in pain while holding his face.

Ryota without losing a moment he cut off the demon's head and sent it flying away. Then as he tried to catch his breath he heard Ryosuke yell at him.

"LOOK OUT RYOTA" the one of the two remaining demons had grabbed one of the tridents and throw it towards to him. Ryota managed to avoid it but he lost his balance.

He slipped off the roof with a thud before he grabbed the edge of the roof with his left hand and his right hand was hanging around.

"RYOTA" Ryosuke yelled while the one demon pulled out a knife made of bones and attack him while the other demon charge on him from behind.

"Sayaka help Ryota"

Sayaka without losing a second runs to the end of the roof and held Ryotas hand to use her magic to land on the ground safely with a "featherly spell". After avoiding the attacks, Ryosuke was found at the middle between the two demons. The both of them charge at him at the same time screaming. Ryosuke keeping his cool swing his katana and cut in two pieces the armed demon, and then quickly turn the edge of his katana towards the other demon's chest and stabbed him there with force.

After confirming that both demons were dead Ryosuke jumped to the ground to meet again with Ryota and Sayaka.

 "I thought i told you to watch your step old man" Ryosuke said annoyed

"I'm sorry, it seems that my body it's older that i thought" Ryota apologised to him

"More like your mind doesn't work correctly" Ryosuke said teasingly as he pat his shoulder softly

"Try to not scare me so easily old timer'

"Why Ryosuke, i didn't know you care so much about me" Ryota gave him a mocking look to tease him

"It's not that, it's just Mrs. Fukunaga and Sayaka will kill me if something happens to you" Ryosuke groaned dramatically

Ryota gently patted his shoulder after hearing this.

"You got it tough" he said teasingly but with a rather friendly and grateful look on his eyes...already knowing that Ryosuke was a good friend deep down