(CHAPTER 11: TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN)

"Five million gold!"

"Ten million if alive!"

"That's a lot of fortune!"

"But who would dare to take upon the devils son?"

"Nah, don't risk it."

A group of bounty hunters gather around the billboard the moment the bounty poster was posted. Five million gold, that was one of the top hundred bounties the government had ever set on someone. But one look on the sketch of the beast was enough to give them desperation. The son of the devil, not even with ten life's they would dare to take upon this suicide mission.

As the men walk away, one man stay.

"Devil's son huh." He stare at the sketch for some time as he mumbled under his breath. A faint hissing sound can be heard from his Crow shaped mask as he breathed. "I will take it." He rip the poster down from he board before leaving, alongside the group of crows soaring and circling on top of him.

"Who is he?" One of the young bounty hunter amongst the crowd stare at him leaving before asking. "You rookie. He is the Crow, ranked number fifty on the hunter list. Five hundred and nineteen hunts, only once failed. Other always get them, paralyzed and alive, and he would always take his unfortunate victims back. Some say he use it as his test experiment, while some say he work under the government." An old experienced hunter beside him replied. "Anyone ever seen him before? Without the mask." "No, he is a man of secret. No one knows what lies beneath those masks." The old man turn answered. "Sometimes it is best to not knowing something."

I let out a deep breath, the tree in front of me fall to the ground with a thud while I gasped for air. My heart was beating like a fucking drum on a rock and roll band, paired with distant humming within my eardrums It sure is tiring to remain this form, I need to cooldown if not I can't hold this for long. "So this is my real power huh." I stare at the fallen down tree which is still smoking, as if it was chop down by a flaming axe or struck down by lightning. I walk towards a nearby stream to cool myself down, the water boils the moment I dip my feet into it. Through the reflection of the river I could finally see ,myself in this beastly form. I am a lot taller, a lot muscular and a lot stronger. My muscles pop like I take protein shakes as water. There is a strange marking on my chest every time I transform, a symbol of a hound, or maybe a wolf. With a fire circle around his mane. I have two sharp fangs that popped out from my upper jaw and razor sharp claws. And this made it even sure I am the guy on the bounty list, with five billion gold on my head.

"Argh fuck it." I let out a sigh, these days weren't the best. Even at the countryside, but at least I got a little stronger by now, right? I form a small fireball at my palm as I stare at it aimlessly. Since I unlocked my next form, I am able to control flame, instead of you know, shitty heat. I can also heat up my body parts for more deadly attacks, just like how I chop down that goddamn tree the size of Aiko's thic-

"Sha-"

I heard a faint rustling around the bushes and turn around alerted, a small figure crept out from it. "How long." I already turn back to my original self, my body sizzles as smoke fume out from my body, making me look like a devil. Until then I wore the cloak to cover my body, afraid it would set up in flames. "Five minutes and ten seconds." Selina answered, I rub my head in frustration, still not good enough. I peek at her, still standing meters away from me, keeping her distance as if am going to fucking eat her. "Still scared to see me like that huh." I asked, patting the seat beside me, gesturing her to sit beside me "…" She hesitated for a moment before sitting. She seems unnatural and uncomfortable, twitching nervously. I don't blame her. If one day some random guy show up and fucking kill three men in front of me, I would be scared for life too.

"So you guys really need to work, at that place?" After a moment of silence she finally spoke. "Yeah, we needed money to travel further. We've made it out of the Sun, all we need is to pass by three more towns. Just for once alright." I said, "I needed someone to keep a look on your stuff. I need you two to guard our tree house alright?" "…" She didn't reply, the two of us stare at the streaming water, the night sky reflected on top of it was a different image. Just the two of us sitting shoulder to shoulder at a quiet night, Aiko is already fast asleep at the makeshift tree house.

It felt calming somehow.

"Huh." I felt a light tug on my cloak. I turn around and saw her handing me something while she turn her face away. "Here." She opened her palm, it was a small bottle, filled with a clear liquid. "Take it." "What is this?" I took the bottle and inspect it under the help of the moonlight. It was clear, the substance sparkled dimly like there were stars within it, the only way that differentiate it from the plain old water.

"T-that's my t-tear." She spoke, her ears twitched nervously. I could see fume steaming from its tip, that's just fucking adorable right there. "Long ago I read books, stories and fantasies. I found out the prince would always come and save the princess. So for the past year, every time I cry, I will collect those tears in a bottle." She paused for a second, I could hear that she was very nervous talking about this stuff. "I always hope that one day the prince will arrive. And looks like I do." She turned her head around as our sight clashes. She was crying, her watery eyes gleamed like a sparkling guiding star in the void of night. I look at the bottle in my hand. Who knows how many desperate days and pitch black night this girl have suffered? Within this bottle was all her pain, suffering and sadness, so let it go away.

"Thanks." I take out a string and used it to hang the bottle around my neck. "Thanks to you too." She let out a smile, even though she was crying. She leaned her head on my shoulder, we didn't talk much later on. Just enjoying the night sky together, it was a quiet night, we could hear our soft heartbeat. It was like a lullaby and soon she fell asleep. I stood up and stare at her. Her body cuddled into a ball as her tail swayed slightly. She let soft breathes, or maybe purrs, her check still damp with lines of tears on it. I reached my hand out and patted her, in her dreams she still could feel it as she let out a light chuckle.

I am starting to like this world to be honest.