When Zara arrived at the Hunter Society Alliance's headquarters, the morning air was still quite cold. She waited in the small park before the building, just as Aritimi had told her.
A few minutes passed when she noticed someone exiting the building and walking toward the spot she was waiting. She was a young Japanese girl with long black hair, Zara recognized her. She was Akemi, the girl with the telekinetic powers.
"Hey, good to see you in one piece, I thought the Flesh Fiend would eat you or worse," she said as she noticed Zara.
"Hi, Aki," Zara greeted the girl, whom she hadn't seen since the experiment last week. Akemi was wearing a green tracksuit with white stripes along the sides. The words "Hunter Society Alliance" and her name "Akemi Yoriko" below it were embroidered on the chest like a fancy name tag.
"Are you waiting for Aritimi as well?" Akemi asked.
"Yeah," Zara responded, "I just got a message to come here and wait for her."
They stayed quiet for a few minutes.
"So... how many monsters have you taken down since the experiment? Did you leave any for your fellow hunters?" Akemi asked with a playful smile, trying to break the ice.
"My kill count is still zero this year. I'd love to test my powers on Crowsend's monster population, but Margaret told me to stay inactive until today. It feels like I'm back to square one," Zara sighed.
"Yes, in the old times, people were allowed to go hunting a day after they got their augmentations. But these days, the HSA requires all freshly augmented hunters to go through an advanced course to master their augmentations. I know it feels like a step back, but it's necessary. Plus, these new courses showcase different branches of the monster hunter business, from the biggest to the smallest, so you can find where you're the most useful. It's a big opportunity for any hunter."
"I know, I know. I just can't wait to unlock my powers and finally unleash the beast," Zara chuckled, flexing her hand as the tissue pulsed beneath her skin.
"Don't stress over it. You shouldn't push yourself too hard. Overworking your augmentations can end badly. They need time to adjust sometimes," Akemi advised.
"Oh, yeah, it can end badly, like turning into a pile of goo for hours!" Zara fought the urge to say this out loud and decided not to talk about the experiment. She felt lucky that she managed to reform without help, just as Aritimi had said.
"By the way, what does it feel like? Do you have any powers yet?" Akemi asked, intrigued.
"Sort of. It seems like my body can adapt to... um... various things if needed, but nothing special so far. No eye beams, levitation, or shooting fire from my ass," Zara joked, "And your powers?"
"I can feel they are getting stronger each day, but I must train them. In the beginning, I was barely able to lift a paperclip with my mind and it caused headaches so bad I thought my head would split open. It's much better now though," Akemi said, "And what about yours? Does Margaret have any idea what kind of powers you will have?"
"According to her and Fifi, I'll be able to control my body as a tool or weapon, just like a Flesh Fiend. The problem is that I still can't do anything worth mentioning. I think a fight with some monsters might help, but Margaret and the council won't let me go hunting on my own until I complete this course," Zara lamented.
"Anyway, I just hope some powers manifest soon. I've been reading field reports from hunters who've encountered Flesh Fiends. They mention things like detachable spear-like bone growths, dermal armor, bite strength that can tear chunks of metal out of a tank, and shapeshifting so extreme that even a DNA test couldn't determine if they were human or not," Zara explained.
"Nah," Akemi shrugged, "Shapeshifting isn't that big of a deal anymore. You can just check the Poe radiation level of any suspicious person to see what they are. Even our HSA-issued phones have a built-in Poe radiation counter."
"I know, I'm more interested in the combat-related powers," Zara said.
"Just be careful," Akemi warned, "Also, I forgot to ask, but technically, are you still human or considered a Flesh Fiend now?"
"I'm officially classified as a modified human in the HSA's database after the experiment. My Poe radiation level is slightly higher than average but similar to other augmented hunters' levels," Zara clarified.
"Oh, okay," Akemi replied, then paused for a moment, "Wait a minute, are you wearing the same clothes? I thought Fufu, the Flesh Fiend, shredded them," she remarked, examining Zara's brown leather jacket, black tank top, and ripped jeans.
"It's Fifi, not Fufu, and no, these aren't the same. Fifi ate my clothes while I was asleep, even my boots," Zara explained. "I just bought a bunch of similar outfits."
"Ha ha! You remind me of that weird detective guy from the show Monk," Akemi giggled, "He always had a closet full of the same clothes."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Zara asked with a playful glare, running her hand over her leather jacket, "These are practical for the job. Besides, I like the look."
"A compliment, of course. I like weirdos. Normal people are boring," Akemi grinned.
"Good morning, pupils!" they heard Aritimi's voice coming from a bright green portal behind them, and then Aritimi herself stepped out of the portal. She was wearing the same jumpsuit she was wearing during her visit to Zara's hospital room.
"Good morning Miss..." Akemi started.
"Just call me Aritimi. No Miss or Mistress or anything like that. Just my name will suffice," Aritimi said with a warm smile. It gave Zara goosebumps though.
"I see everyone is here, so we can start," Aritimi continued.
"Start? But it's just me and Zara here, there are a bunch of other hunters who took this course," Akemi pointed out, looking around the empty park.
"I know, but we will do most of the course in small groups," came Aritimi's response.
"But why?" Akemi asked.
"It wasn't my idea," Aritimi answered, "According to the council, this way will be the best because of two things. One, big groups attract too much attention and since we will do most of the stuff on the field, we could easily alert the monsters to our presence if there are too many of us. Two, bonding between hunters is important for teamwork, and camaraderie. If the groups are too big, they will quickly split into cliques. We want the next generation of hunters to be able to get along when needed. Lone wolfs don't last long in this business."
"Oh, I get it now, sorry for bothering you," Akemi said.
"No problems," she replied, "I got something special for today. Follow me, girls," Aritimi said and a circular red portal opened behind her.
Both Zara and Akemi began to strode toward the portal but Zara paused for a moment. The red portal slightly reminded her of the night when her mother disappeared. Although, the red glowing circle she saw that night was significantly different as if some kind of energy was radiating from it.
"Hey, don't be shy, Zara," Akemi said, poking her playfully in the ribs before she disappeared into the portal. With a deep breath, Zara stepped through the gateway, feeling the odd sensation of being stretched and squished at the same time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zara found herself standing in front of a big red van with "Hunter Society Alliance" written on its side. The street they were standing was in a quiet luxurious part of Crowsend. The houses there looked like castles, surrounded by high walls and iron gates.
"Hey, Inez!" Aritimi knocked on the van's door, "Are you here?"
