“𝐇𝐦…𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓.”
The voice was a symphony of two people speaking at once, as if Haiko was combined with an entity that manifested from within.
“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐦ā𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚..𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭.”
Her entire head was substituted by a flaming skull with four sharp teeth. One look into her eyes, and it felt like your soul was being measured against your deeds, both good and bad. Was this a demon? An evil spirit like the ones she tends to slay? Or worse?
—
“I don’t remember the details. My dojo was lit up in flames a few hundred years ago, and that’s when Bhasmāsura found me. The details of what actually happened were apparently scrubbed by a head injury. I’ve been hunting evil spirits with him by my side, since then.
—
“I’m not so reckless. I hunt the ones who truly threaten the livelihood of people and other spirits around them. Does that make sense?”
The swordswoman glanced at the large wolf. What a pretty animal.
He is silent for a moment, casting a glance towards to the large wolf pressed against his side.
“Thou’ll find no shortage of spirits here for thee to reap. Though not all of them are as evil as they seem at first glance… I would ask only some discretion be shown in thine hunts”
“Cause I’m not.” It definitely SOUNDED absurd to her which is why she was so skeptical about everything Haiko was saying and was currently trying to mentally poke holes in her story to see if she was lying about any of it!
“ 𝐈t's simple. 𝐈 want to create a world where life is as convenient as 𝐈 wish it to be. A comfortable world where everyone can laugh and enjoy their lives as much as possible. That's what 𝐈 truly and honestly want. ”
The thing is, she was telling the truth. Perhaps it’s the absurdity of it all. Haiko herself found it strange when she first began.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“…. Right” even for a (at least competent) Devil Hunter like Lilith that all seemed far from the truth.
Though she couldn’t explain those flames or why she would decide on such an elaborate lie for their origins if she wasn’t telling the truth!
“My partner in crime, essentially. That’s his flame, you just saw. I became a vessel to him a few hundred years back. That’s how I got into spirit hunting.”
“A gift from… what? What is that? I’ve never heard that name before in my life!” Lilith says, clearly surprised as Stinger settled back down after the other blade was placed fully back into its sheathe
“They are a gift from Bhasmāsura. He rides shotgun and allows me to survive, while I provide him with his joy of battling.”
When the blade is sheathed, the flames also temporarily cease to be. Yet, the impact of their existence is still felt in the air.