The Guild's large doors open wide as a young man stares at the massive building. He soon took a breath that weighed heavily with both relief and giddiness that rose as the moments passed. It was finally time for his life to begin.

For 7 years he had endured his Grandfather’s gruesome training. Being thrown into the harsh tundra that was Grayvorn, the unbearing heat of the Regalian Wastes, surviving on the scarcely resourced islands in the southern kingdom of Brezza Blu, and finally facing off against the hardened Masters of Senngokun martial arts. All to stand up to his Grandfather’s test of strength, the fight that proved to his Elder he could become a proper Hunter. This young man’s name was-

"Fenix Lytle..." Ria looked at the young man. He appeared to be around 18 and stood at 6'1". His somewhat messy hair a sandy dark red cornering on rust and his eyes a light burgundy that were filled with fire. Though this fire soon faded as he saw who he was speaking to.

He was well toned with muscle not so well hidden under his light gray shirt and matching runic cloak. He had what appeared to be a specially made red gauntlet on his right hand, snaking up to his shoulder where small spikes jutted out. It had a dragon design that moved in odd ways around it and a dark cloth-like material at the joints. No doubt it was meant to enhance whatever power he used. Finally was the sword with a cloth wrapped handle in an unassuming scabbard on his back.

"Y-Yep! That's my name. Don't wear it out, miss...?"

"Pheonix, I know it's you. I've seen you at reunions with-" Panicking Fenix rose up his hand and made several shushing sounds at her.

"Please just go with it." He whisper begs her, glancing back at the line of people behind him then back at her pleadingly.

Ria simply turned her head to the line and pulled out a whistle underneath her desk. “Sorry, people. After I’m done with this guy, it’s break time for me. Go line up with the others. Go on, get.” She shooed the rest of them, hearing their groans of annoyance as new recruits and guildmates lined up to other receptionists.

“Okay…’Fenix’.” Ria crossed her arms, her tone rich with sarcasm when mentioning his name. “Can you please give me a short introduction about yourself?” She’s more interested in why he’s not using his real identity. He could easily skyrocket to the quicker ranks and gain popularity out of nepotism and recognition as being related to one of the Seven Families.

“Introduction?” He was taken aback, he lined up to see her just ask the recruit’s names, prick them with a scanner, what the color their emblem should be and where they should stamp it. “Is it necessa-”

“It is. Otherwise, you would be under arrest for identity fraud, and I will get fired and lose my job.” She said with a tone that almost sounded like she wanted to get fired.

“O-Oh!” He’s doing something illegal, it may feel romantic to put on a fake name. But realistically, this is borderline dangerous to do. “My name is, ah, Fenix Lytle. I’m originally from Senngoku. I was training with my Grandfather to become one of the best Hunters this guild has ever seen and now, well, here I am.” He gestured as he spoke as though unsure where to put his hands while talking, with Ria looking not too impressed with his story.

“Must’ve been a slow training session when you could’ve been ready to join at thirteen...” She pulled out her scanner. “Tell me, do you have any family members, ‘Fenix’? Also stick out your arm for me.”

Fenix handed her his left arm. “Just—ow!” He winced when he suddenly pricked her with the scanner, despite being prepared beforehand. “Just a brother and a grandpa…”

“I see, I see…” She didn’t bother looking at the screen as she can tell from his hair and simply knowing who he is. She didn’t need to know his essence’s element. “Why do you want to join the guild? Is it to really be the best of the best? Sounds like a shallow goal and reason to join.” She pulled out a stamper, already Inked and ready to be placed where he wanted. “Where do you want it? And Imagine any color for the emblem while I stamp it.”

Fenix paused for a moment when she asked that question. “I...I wanted to prove myself.” He handed her the back of his left hand. “I...yeah, th-that’s the reason why…” He attempted to speak further but his tongue twisted and tied itself at the wrong time.

“I see…” She repeated, with that one sounding to have a hint of respect. She stamped him as the black emblem stamped on his hand turned a garnet red before blending into the color of his skin as if he wasn’t stamped at all. “Well...welcome to the guild, Fenix Lytle.” She said. “Oh—almost forgot.” She immediately slapped Fenix’s face as hard as she could.

His head turned to the side when he slapped her. “Ow!” He winced, placing a hand to where she slapped him. “What the heck was that for!?”

“A welcome slap. Every recruit gets one. You don’t get any special treatment. You’re just like anyone else in this guild.” She then pulls up a sign to put on top of the desk. “Now go do some missions or something…” She threw the stamped aside as she pushed her chair back and kicked her feet up on the table.

Fenix clicked his tongue from the pain. “Tch...that really stings.” He’s now an official member of the Hunters Guild, at the very bottom of D-Rank. He looked around, finding the mission board to take and accept a mission for him to do.

“HYAAAAH!” A shriek was heard. Fenix turned to see what caused someone to scream. “It’s her!” The screaming girl pointed to someone who walked at the halls of the guild.

A tall, beautiful woman with long hair tied together to be twin tails. Raven Black with a tinge of natural violet. She stood around 6’6” with beautiful purple eyes. as she wore a rather risque outfit. A short-sleeved short jacket. The jacket itself was beautiful and ornate with the trimmings being gold and the color of the jacket being a shiny black.

Her top was even more risque, looking more like a corset that hugged her form. She had block short shorts that hugged her skin. Her arms covered in glossy violet silk gloves and wearing and violet thigh highs with a butterfly pattern woven on the socks.

“It’s her! The Black Butterfly!” The woman Squealed in delight as the guild started chattering when she passed by.

“She’s so beautiful...I want to be close to her.” A guy beside the screaming fangirl said.

“Idiot! If you do you might get yourself killed. You know you’re not worth her time!” the fangirl retorted to the guy and continued, “She’s higher than the S-ranks, she’s the most beautiful of them all too!”

“She’s not only beautiful, but powerful too!” She clasped her hands together. “Watching her fight is like watching a performance. It’s stunning and gruesome yet elegant…”

So much commentating and praising about how wonderful this one woman was. Fenix couldn’t help but listen to it further. Not that he felt...yeah he felt a hint of envy with such power but impressed at this woman’s feats.

“Isn’t she the Hunter who managed to slay that Archdemon by herself? I don’t think any number of us B-Ranked Hunters could even stand up to something like that…”

“Aria I love you!” A guy called out before being tackled down by the fangirl.

“What did I just say!?”

Ignoring the scuffle between the fans Fenix watched Aria for a moment as she walked away. Everyone appeared to be, well, extremists about her. He himself wasn’t sure what his first mission should be either. Maybe it was time to make his move.

Wading forward through the bodies he stepped out into the cleared path of individuals and in front of The Black Butterfly. Having to tilt his head up slightly to see her face as she froze in what seemed to be surprise. At that moment he noticed just how many eyes were on the two of them and it made him gulp. Everyone went silent.

Come on, if you can’t so much as talk to a girl how do you expect to fight a group of demons?

The young man internally chided before taking a deep calming breath. Looking directly into the Butterfly’s eyes he smiled somewhat awkwardly and held out a hand to her. “Hey, there. Names Fenix, ah, Lytle.” He paused for a second. “What’s your name?”

The woman’s surprised look slowly shrunk back to her calm, normal self, seeing his awkward hand out like a weird branch of a tree, she took it, gently wrapping her fingers around his hand. “Aria Leonhart. It is a pleasure to meet you, Fenix.”

“Oh, a Leonhart?” He asks with a bit more confidence now. A half-cocked smile coming to his lips. Then it seemed to falter as though remembering something, before coming back all over again. “I’m new, and all these people are talking about you.” He looks around. His hand was warm and so were his eyes. “It kinda got me interested in maybe teaming up for a mission? I’d like to learn from someone with experience.”

It wasn’t only that though. Fenix couldn’t help but notice something in her that he could relate to. It was in her eyes while she walked through a crowd of people who adored her. Loneliness.

The fans were speechless. This guy, this stranger they never met decided to boldly walk up to the Black Butterfly with no worry or fear. Aria simply chuckled at his request. “Why I would gladly accept your request. I am your senior, after all. It is fair I must guide my juniors to strive greater heights than I.” She lets go of him.

“Why not we schedule a meeting? Let us say...twelve o’clock at the cafeteria? You have caught me at the most inappropriate time. But once I have finished my task I will come back to you exactly before the clock hands all reach twelve.” Her smile never wavered a single bit. The way she spoke was very intricate and formal. Too formal, even.

“O-Okay. see you at lunch, then!” He saw Aria walk off, leaving him to get the stares of Aria’s Fans. They were beyond furious and in disbelief that he had managed to do something they never had the stomach to do.

“Hey, there.” He nervously waved to Aria’s fans and despite their fanaticism, it was limited to each other as they scoffed and separated now that their Idol was gone. Leaving him on his own.

Fenix shrugged a bit and smiled to himself halfheartedly. “Already making friends..” He mutters a bit with a laugh before walking off to get some materials ready.

Meanwhile, Aria continued her walk, going into the women’s restroom. She examined the room, pushing the doors of the stalls, all unoccupied. She’s alone in the restroom...Aria walked to the sink and rests her hands at the edge of the sink. Aria suddenly retreated one hand to cover her mouth as she felt herself getting nauseous.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” She screamed in her head, removing her hand from her mouth as she started hyperventilating, heaving back and forth as her heart started thumping and beating.

“I can’t—I can’t take the pressure. All those people talking to me, and all of a sudden someone new came out and asked if he could partner up. I don’t know why I said yes. If I said no, then it would reinforce those people that I really am unapproachable.”

She said it all in one breath as she gasped. “W-Why...Dear Celia? Why did you take my earplugs away? The stares were enough...but hearing their praises and adoration were making me sick…” She rests her head on her arm as she was on her knees. “What did I do to earn such recognition? Was it really because of what I do?” She tried to stand up as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“I look scary…” She looked at her makeup. “My outfit is terrifying...My body is intimidating.” She looked at her outfit and frame. “It’s not my fault I wear like this. This outfit was designed to help make my abilities stronger.” She didn’t like this clothing...but she didn’t want to be rude to the designer who made this. Her heart kept beating as she tried to keep breathing steady.

“If I change the outfit, the designer will be disheartened. They worked so hard making this for me...I could feel it...Petalouda, you feel they put their all in this clothing, yes?” She turned her back. What she had behind her was a large violet staff with a skull ornament at the top.

I do. I feel their heart and soul was put into this outfit. You dislike it immensely as it is not your style. Yet, you do not have the heart to insult fine craftsmanship.

“The only time I can remove this is when I am not working or when I don’t feed you. And I do both longer than I do nothing.”

A predicament, this is. A predicament you drone over and over to me. You are always conflicting with what you want to do but don’t want to do. You accept what you have been given despite how it displeases you, only to simply make a tailor proud of what they have made.

“Seeing their smile when I accepted it and wore it for them to see that smile grow larger, was a joy greater than I could ever feel when I try to make myself smile…”

If only you could see me smile when you feed me. Each slice, each cut and rending of flesh. It brings me joy and euphoria as I can feel myself reach metamorphosis.

“I am really curious as to what you’ll become next this time. You were a scythe, you evolved to develop a second blade, now you evolved to have none for my sake. I promise you to keep feeding you until you achieve perfection. That is what a friend would do, yes?”

Indeed. Someone is coming, I can feel who it is. Your friend. The child of ruin himself is approaching this room.

“D-Dear Celia is coming here!?” She quickly stood up. Patting her clothing to get rid of any dust and dirt that caught her. She stood up straight, quickly calming herself down as her heartbeat returned. She then looked at herself in the mirror and crouched, pulling out from her pocket, lipstick, red and glossy.

The restroom door was pushed open to reveal a small young girl with a lilac hair clip and a starry eyepatch. “Ari?” She slowly tilted her head to the woman putting on make-up.

“Hih!—” She swallowed her gasp. Despite the warning to prepare herself by Petalouda. She felt her calm heartbeat immediately go rapid and pounding. It was so strong she could feel her own ears hear the heartbeat coming from her own body. Her cool, smooth face started developing beads of sweat, her hold on her lipstick became shaky and jittering like water on a speaker.

Her throat went dry immediately as she dryly swallowed and capped the lipstick and hid it back into her pocket. Looking down at the small girl. “D-Dear Celia! Y-You caught my be surprise!” She slapped herself in the face, her head turning before turning itself back to face her. “You caught me by surprise!”

“Oh, Dear Celia. You’re so adorable. So beautiful...so cruel. Why did you send me out to the world without those plugs? You know I need them to silent out the noise caused by the people who idolize me…”

“and that is what happened.” Celia said. Looking up at Aria with her innocent eye.

“H-Hm?” Aria tilted her head on what she said.

You were staring at her the entire time. She was talking to you but you were silent. Respond, Aria.

She was thinking too slowly as she didn’t realize she was only staring down at her. “I-I’m sorry, could you repeat that, Dear Celia? I might have misheard.”

“as i said, i came to find you at the lodge and found out you were still asleep, i saw there were these plugs on the desk and took them because they were pretty. i wrote a note that said that i borrowed them and wanted you to have a good night's rest while you were asleep.”

“Yes. Your note. It was a wonderful, lovely note that I will cherish till the day that I die. I have it in my pocket sealed in a small zipped pouch where it will be preserved…” She stared down lovingly at the girl, before that loving stare turned into a natural blink

“O-Oh! So are you done borrowing them?”

“i am. here you go.” She pulled out in her pockets to reveal a set of earplugs, which Aria carefully pinched from Celia’s palm.

“Don’t touch her hand, don’t touch her hand, don’t touch her hand or else your filthy, impure hand will taint her beautiful, small hand.” She continued repeating this in her head over and over like a mantra.

“Thank you...Dear Celia.” She smiled at her, yet inside her head...she was having a meltdown.

“Wait—she borrowed this...this meant this was in her ears.” She started hyperventilating inside of her head. “I can’t wear this. I can’t put them on my ears in this state. I’ll be sharing the inside of her ears with these very plugs she put on not too long ago. I can’t wear this. I’ll die from wearing them, I’ll die from happiness when I put these back on my ears!”

“S-So...Dear Celia, what is it that you wanted to talk about when I was still asleep in my room?” She pocketed her earplugs. She’ll sanitize them later so that she can wear them without having to die from happiness.

“i came to tell you that i have made new friends today, Ari.” She raised her arms up, her tone losing a bit of it’s monotone for an itty, bitty, moment. “they are three girls who gave me french fries and burgers.”

“Woh!” She couldn’t help but clap in appreciation. “You made friends? That’s wonderful, Dear Celia!” She crouched a bit to even herself with her. “What are their names?”

“hmmm...i have not asked their names yet. but they trust me however...look.” she lifted something to see she was holding a tattered jacket, some pants and a shirt, all had holes. “i came to their room to get the clothes of the girl who fought valentine.”

She was taken aback. “She...she did what?” She did not asked if she was lying to her. She knows you can’t hide lies from her. She probably knew beforehand that she wasn’t putting on makeup at all and was expecting her to come in.

“she fought valentine and lived. the truth are these clothes, which i shall repair.”

“She must be a very strong girl to make it out alive and fought the former Guildmaster…”

“she was more than likely just lucky.” Celia looked at the outfit. “would you like to meet them? they are on the same floor as you. the girl is from the ares family, right beside your family’s room.”

“Oh? So it’s an Ares who fought? I hope they can become like Lessan-...Lexa. I hope they can become like Lexa.” She remembered Lexa. She was close with her brother…

“you are sad, Ari…” She can feel her sadness when she mentioned Lexa. “i miss them too...do you know what will cheer you up?” Celia pulled out a bag in her pocket, stuffing the clothes into them as the bag didn’t change size or shape as it swallowed the clothes up, pocketing them back in.

“...What is it?” When she asked, she felt thin, cold arms wrap around her which soon became warm after doing a full wrap.

“a hug.” Celia hugged Aria. her gestures were full of life and emotions, shame her voice and expression cannot be translated to how she truly felt.

“...Hm…?” She blinks, suddenly her arms jerked and froze mid-motion, looking like she was frozen in place in a screaming position. “HMMMMM!?” She muffled her scream.

“A HUG!? A HUG!? DEAR CELIA IS HUGGING ME, SHE’S HUGGING ME, SHE’S HUGGING MEEEEEE! Petalouda! Jolt me, hit me in the head, use the power of the demons I have killed for free movement to hit me if this is but a fleeting dream! Please make this be a dream! I can’t survive, I can’t breathe—I CAN’T HYPERVENTILATE TO CALM MYSELF.”

You are not dreaming. This is real. I do not want to waste the energy to make myself move to harm you.

“T-This is real. Dear Celia stole and purified my tainted earplugs with her lovely earholes. Dear Celia is truly giving me a loving embrace. I don’t deserve this. I really don’t. Should I hug back? What if I hug back too hard?”

I’m using the souls of the demons you’ve slain just to do this.

Aria felt her arms move on their own, gently embracing back to Celia as her thoughts were thrown away as she felt herself grow calm and losing the feeling of panic. “Thank you for this embrace...Dear Celia.”

Celia pulled back which made Aria pull back too. Aria stood up straight as she looked at her dear friend.

“you are welcome. will you meet my friends?”

“I will make time to meet them, how about tonight?”

“tonight sounds appropriate.”

“I will see you tonight.” With that, She saw her friend off, walking away from the restroom.

You owe me a full course meal.

“Three strong demons? But It was just for control over my arms, correct?”

I do not think you know how difficult it is for me to control not only your limbs, but to control your state of being and emotions to prevent yourself from collapsing and shutting down.

“Y-You’re joking, right?”

I am not.

With a sigh of defeat. She realized making proper contact with her will still be an impossible task. “I will find a mission suitable for that…”