The Past.

'I lost...'

Hunter felt his mind hover between consciousness and unconsciousness. Cain didn't kill him, but he still beat him half to death. During the short timeframe of fewer than 10 seconds, Cain struck him with the blunt edge of his blade.

He didn't even see what happened. All he was was a flash of color before he found himself beaten to the ground.

'To think that I, Hunter, would be reduced to such a state...' Hunter thought to himself as his hazy sight began to darken, and the last bits of his consciousness faded out.

***

City Z... 29, Black Cross avenue...

These parts of the city were infested with lowlifes, petty criminals, and of course, the real players of the game, the denizens of the underworld.

These individuals built their entire lives on all sorts of activities that would be deemed criminal in a court of law. Drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, and various other illegal means of entertainment formed the foundation of this part of the city and its environs.

Hunter was a part of this world...

"Hunter, who's the target this time?" Dan said as they walked side-by-side through the semi-crowded streets. The streets around these parts were filled with all sorts of shady characters. They'll gaze at the duo with curiosity, suspicion, and or bloodlust.

Yet, it seemed as though they weren't even paying attention to their surroundings. They just continued forward without glancing to either side.

Hunter waved his hand dismissively. "You'll see when we get there."

"You always do this shit. Why can't you tell me the name of the target beforehand?!" Dan's brows twitched with resentment.

Hunter replied indifferently, "Because that goes against my code of conduct as a No trigger."

"Since when do hired killers need a code of conduct!" Dan replied, exasperation evident in his voice.

"Just wait. You'll find out soon enough." Hunter replied to his partner and lifelong best friend with a cold face. He increased his pace, leaving Dan in the dust.

Dan couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "This guy..."

He followed after him with brisk steps...

They soon left the main streets to enter a slightly darker alleyway. Within the alley, there was a well-hidden door that looked like a part of the wall. It was so well hidden, that it couldn't be noticed unless you were looking for it.

Hunter and Dan quickly entered through the door, and traveled down a flight of stairs, before they arrived at a metal door guarded by two surprisingly unassuming guards. Although these guards didn't appear threatening, they couldn't hide the concentrated aura of blood that suffused their bodies. This showed that they had seen their fair share of bloodshed.

One of them stared at the duo for a while before speaking up, "Card please?"

Hunter and Dan exchanged glances before turning to the guard. They raised both of their hands, then said in unison, "No card."

"Oh..." The guard's eyes narrowed into slits. In a split second, the guard took a step forward, a knife appearing in his hand. He slashed the blade down with unnatural precision. The way he moved spoke lengths of the number of times he had performed this action until it had become ingrained within his bones like a sort of reflex.

Hunter didn't even need to move, as Dan quickly responded in kind. A blade magically appeared in his grasp as well. He dodged the incoming blade by gliding to the side like he was walking on ice, before letting his blade travel toward the unprotected neck of the guard.

The two had performed these seemingly simple actions at speeds so great, all an ordinary observer would be able to perceive, is a blur.

However, with every dangerous exchange between madmen, there would always be a winner and a loser. And in this case, he who is faster automatically won the battle.

Before the guard could correct his stance to guard against Dan, the blade had already reached his neck.

Surprisingly, the guard didn't even flinch. Dan also didn't make any attempt to continue attacking.

Clearing his throat, the guard glanced down at the knife, "Please put that thing away."

"Hehe... Amateurs." Dan said with a smug grin, to which the guard responded with a light frown.

"You are welcome to the Armadillo. Please, enjoy your stay..." The guard said with a bow. The door was then opened by the other guard, while the other one led Hunter and Dan inside.

***

They walked for a while before they arrived at their destination.

The bar was filled with loud obnoxious music and the stench of degeneracy. Most of the people there were all high on some sort of illegal substance as they swayed their bodies to the rhythm of the loud music. Some were even so depraved as to be engaged in all sorts of unspeakable sexual acts in public, yet most of the people there turned a blind eye to it as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Fuck this! I hate these places. How the hell are we supposed to find the target in these conditions?!" Dan couldn't help but curse out loud. Despite how the music was, the two were still able to hear each other.

"There he is," Hunter said all of a sudden. The two hadn't even been there for a minute, and Hunter had already spotted his target.

Dan spun on his heels as he looked around, "Eh? Where?"

"3 o'clock, VIP section..." Hunter said as he walked towards his target.

Dan let his eyes travel to where Hunter had pointed to him. As soon as he glanced over, his eyes widened in surprise. He ran after Hunter, and once he had caught up to him, he grabbed him by the arm and screamed at him at the top of his lungs...

"Ketch the butterfly?! The target is Ketch the butterfly?! You might as well say you want to fight the devil or something!" Dan yelled at him with his eyes wide open.

Hunter didn't respond as he attempted to free himself from Dan's strong clutches.

Dan tightened his grip even further, "He's one of the most notorious No triggers in the business. Do you think we have what it takes?! Or are you looking for a way to throw our lives away?!"

"Relax... You know I'm not stupid. I won't do anything unless I'm very certain." Hunter finally answered Dan.

"How can I be so sure, huh?! Even after all these years, you still haven't changed, have you? You still keep me in the dark. I know there's something you aren't telling me. Spit it out!" Dan gazed directly into Hunter's eyes as he said this.

Hunter was silent for a while before he spoke out, "I've mastered the technique."

Dan was shocked for a while before his eyes widened even further.

"You mean, that technique?!" He said in disbelief.

Dan's expression turned ugly instantly, " You told me you wouldn't practice it again!"

Hunter responded with the seriousness this time around, "Dan, listen to me. In this world, we have no one other than ourselves. From the orphanage till now, we've been on our own, doing everything together."

Taking in a deep sigh, he continued, "How many times have I broken my promise to you?"

Dan paused for some time to think about it, " Well, there was that time with the knife, and the other time with the dog... You break your promises all the time!" Dan said angrily, some bitter and frustrating memories resurfacing...

"Exactly..." A slight smirk emerged from Hunter's lips. He freed himself from Dan's grasp, leaving him in a state of confusion.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Dan continued after Hunter.

Before they reached their target, Dan leaned over to Hunter, "If you have a plan, now is the time to speak up."

"Yes, I do actually," Hunter said as they neared the VIP section.

"Oh? And what is that?" Dan asked eagerly.

"I'll take Ketch, you handle the small fry."

"How the hell is this even a freaking plan?!" Dan was on the brink of pulling his beautiful blue hair away from his head.

"Trust my strength... And whatever you do, do not interfere in my fight. Even if you see me beaten to the brink of death, never interfere." Hunter's said in his usual indifferent tone.

"Yeah, yeah... I've heard that a thousand times already. I won't interfere." Dan had heard this a thousand times already.

Whenever they were about to engage in a fight, or they were about to undertake a dangerous mission, Hunter would always remind him never to interfere with his fights.

And so far, never once had Dan seen the need to do so. This was because Hunter was one of the best No triggers in City Z. He also never took on an opponent he wasn't sure he could beat.

"Alright. Let's go!" Hunter and Dan pulled their weapons out and marched straight to where Ketch the butterfly was seated. Most of the people in the underworld preferred using cold weapons, such as blades, knives, and daggers to fight, as opposed to firearms for various reasons. This included Hunter and Dan.

Ketch the butterfly, was named so because he had a butterfly tattoo drawn on his bald head. That, and he always used a butterfly knife to slit the throats of his opponents once they were defeated.

He was one of the most well-known No triggers in the underworld society and would kill without any reservations.

No triggers could be contracted to kill other people. That was their primary source of income. Hunter had gotten a contract to kill Ketch the Butterfly. Although it was risky, the pay was more than enough for the risk involved. Hence he agreed to it without any hesitation...

And once Hunter set his eyes on prey, he would hunt it down and kill it. That was his nature... He was a natural predator that would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"Hold up! This is the VIP section. Unless you-" The bouncer who was standing guard outside the VIP section tried to stop Hunter and Dan, but his throat was slit open before he could even finish his sentence.

"Ketch the Butterfly?" Hunter said as they walked right up to the muscular baldy sitting on one of the sofas while groping the breasts of a scantily dressed young woman.

There were also a few other women caressing how the entire body, as he chugged down on a bottle of alcohol. The stench of sex and drugs in the air was so heavy, it made the atmosphere cloudy. He didn't even look up to acknowledge their presence because he was too engrossed in what he was doing.

Hunter and Dan glanced at each other, exchanging a nod. In a flash, the heads of all the girls in the room bent backward as fountains of red erupted from their slit throats.

"Ketch the Butterfly?" Hunter said again, this time, with blood dripping from the blades he held in his hands.

"Yes?" A gruff voice answered him in an annoyed tone.

"I've come to claim your life."

Ketch raised his head to stare straight at the man whose mission was to claim his life.

He responded with a frown, "Bold words, I must say, coming from a punk like you, Hunter."

"We shall see... Dan, secure the area. Make sure no one gets in." Hunter said without taking his eyes off his target.

"Roger that." Dan dashed out of the room as soon as he was given the go-ahead. He had no intention of interfering with the fight.

As soon as he was sure Dan had left, Hunter pointed the still-bloody blade at his target.

"Let's see what you can do, punk. I've heard a lot about you, Hunter the Hunter. I truly hope you do not disappoint me." Ketch the Butterfly said as he stood up from the sofa. With a flash, he pulled out his weapon as well, pointing it straight at Hunter.

Without wasting any more time, Hunter dashed forward like a predator ready to pounce on its prey...