Chapter 14: Gourmet Hunter
During normal training, just maintaining Ken costs about 1 Aura per second—that's what Kai had used to measure his total pool.
But in a real fight, constantly switching between Gyo, Ryu, and Shu, the cost multiplies. Depending on your skill, you're burning 6 to 10 Aura every second.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"
On top of that, your Hatsu is an Aura-hog.
"Hey! You can't just ignore me!"
Kai's Divine Flick cost more Aura the longer he charged it. It reminded him of that Phantom Troupe member, Phinks, and his Ripper Cyclotron. The more he wound his arm, the stronger the punch. It was the same principle, and the same weakness: if you charge up a massive hit and then miss, you've just wasted a huge chunk of your Aura.
I need to set a rule for myself, Kai thought. From now on, no charging for more than three seconds unless it's a guaranteed hit.
Otherwise, it was just a waste.
Thankfully, this fight had been short. He still had plenty of Aura left. That final, 10-second Divine Flick could have emptied his tank if he wasn't careful.
"HEEEY!!!"
The green-haired girl's patience finally snapped. "You little brat, don't ignore me!" she roared.
Kai held up a hand, motioning for her to wait. To his surprise, she actually stopped.
He walked over to the wolf's body and touched the Star Marker on its neck. The pentagram dissolved. The wolf's head, which had been slowly dragging itself across the dirt, went still.
Instantly, Kai felt a cold wisp of "Death Aura" enter his heart.
So, the wolf was only half-dead when its head came off, he thought. Now it's finished. This confirms it: as long as the mark isn't destroyed, the target can't truly die. The healing will try to fix anything, even a severed head. It's just... very, very slow.
The girl was already tapping her foot. Kai stood up and pointed behind her.
"Behind me?" she asked, confused. "What is it?"
"Just take a few steps back," Kai said, his face serious.
Seeing his grave expression, she did as he asked. "Like this?"
"A few more. Stop. Right there."
Only then did Kai walk over to the scattered poachers and crouch down. The brawny man mauled by Butch was long gone; his "Death Aura" had been the first Kai absorbed after Muser's. One man was just unconscious. But the other two... the ones Garo had shot...
Kai looked at the bullet holes in their foreheads. The Star Markers had already healed the entry wounds, but from inside their skulls... Kai could hear a faint, wet squirming.
The marks are healing them, but the bullets are still inside, turning their brains to mush. They're in an unimaginable hell.
Kai shook his head and, as a mercy, touched the glowing marks on their faces, dispelling them. Two more wisps of "Death Aura" flooded his heart.
For a Manipulator, he thought, intel is everything. No one can ever know my real ability. He decided then and there: to the world, he would be an Emitter.
The green-haired girl, who had been watching him "check the bodies," called out, "Hey! That last one, the boss! He's not dead! Be careful!"
"I know he's not," Kai said, standing up. He hadn't felt Garo's "Death Aura" yet.
He looked back at the girl. "What are you still standing over there for?"
"You're the one who told me to stand here!" she yelled, exasperated. "I still don't know what's going on!"
"Oh." Kai nodded, and walked over to Butch, who was nudging the sack. A second, heavily tranquilized Pale Moon Tiger was inside.
"What do you mean, 'Oh'?!" The girl stomped over. "Aren't you going to explain?"
She reached out to grab his ear, but Kai dodged.
She tried again.
Swish, swish. Kai dodged twice more, then grabbed her wrist. "What are you doing? Trying to bully me just because I finished a fight and I'm tired?"
The girl froze. How did he make me sound like the bad guy?
She took a deep breath. "My name is Menchi!" she said, calming herself. "I'm a new Pro Hunter! I was drawn by the gunshots. These poachers... we've been tracking them! And these Pale Moon Tigers are protected animals from this Class-A reserve! Now let go, I can show you my License."
Kai finally looked her over. A tank top, cargo shorts, and a fishnet shirt... With the tank top and cargo shorts... she looks like a character from an old manga... oh, wait. That's Menchi. The Gourmet Hunter. The examiner from the 287th Hunter Exam.
Kai let go of her wrist.
"See?" Menchi dug her Hunter License out of her pocket and waved it in his face.
"Stop waving that thing," Kai scoffed, pulling out his license. "It's just a license. Everybody's got one. And I know more about Pale Moon Tigers than you do. You think I didn't know this was a reserve? Didn't you see this one helping me take out the poachers?"
Menchi was floored. "The Blanchett Company hired more Hunters? Wait... you're a kid! How are you a pro Hunter?"
Blanchett Company? Kai activated Gyo. He saw Menchi's Aura. It was thin, undeveloped. Her total Aura is probably less than half of mine, he thought.
"Heh. I'm 20, kiddo," Kai said, puffing out his chest. "You just learned Nen, didn't you? Mastered your Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu yet? Even developed your own ability?"
Menchi was completely flustered by his "senpai" attitude. "I... I just learned... but I had a good reason! I got sidetracked for a few months to prepare for a Gourmet Competition! I... I think I have an idea for my Hatsu, but... not really..."
"So, you haven't," Kai stated flatly.
"...Yeah."
"Well, keep at it. The Hunter Association is counting on rookies like you." Kai gave her an encouraging (and deeply condescending) look. "I've got high hopes for you. You'll make Single-Star in no time."
"Anyway, I'm out. Butch, let's go!" He started to walk away. "I'll leave this 'credit' for you. I won't steal it from a newbie Hunter. You can contact the 'Company' and handle these poachers."
"I... what...?" Menchi was reeling. "Why am I the one staying? Aren't you going to wait with me?"
Kai waved. Butch, seeing Menchi wasn't a threat, nudged the tranquilized tiger toward her and trotted over to Kai.
"You don't want the poachers to wake up and escape, do you?" Kai asked.
Menchi shook her head.
"Then you're set," Kai said, hopping onto Butch's back. "Butch, let's move!"
The Pale Moon Tiger let out a low rumble and bounded away, heading east toward the city.
Menchi just stood there, stunned, until he was almost gone. "Wait! What's your name?! Hey! Get back here!"
Kai just laughed, his five bird-scouts following high overhead as he and Butch disappeared into the forest. This new life was getting interesting.
(End of Chapter)