“I told you, electronic equipment won’t work. Can I go now?” Nestra glared at Doctor Mazingwe. Down, for once, since she was using her true form. The doctor tilted his head in a way that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable, because he was like a teacher and she was a petulant teen trying to get away from the physical exam. “Miss Palladian, do you perhaps believe I am clueless without electronics? Hmm?” “No, of course not,” she mumbled. “Then I believe we can proceed the old-fashioned way. I assure you, humans have managed their health for centuries without advanced machines and I will draw upon their experience. Now, if you will follow me?” “Oh, back in your days? Do you think an excess amount of humor in my spleen might cause me to be sad?” “I know you are trying to get a raise out of me because you are concerned, Miss Palladian, however I assure you that I have handled worse than you over the ages and I will qualify your banter as ‘average’.” “Oof. Who had the best banter?” “Surely you do not expect me to provide you with ammunition. Here.” Her time to flex, she guessed. With a ‘tut tut’, she clasped her badge to her breast pocket. Now if the guy put a hand on her, that was two years in prison and his license revoked. There was a certain hypocrisy in pulling ranks when she despised the gleams for doing the same. The difference was that she was not being an asshole. At least, in her own eyes. “This does not concern you,” the ex-wife finally told her. “Oh, but it does. I was Shinoda’s partner and you are making a scene. At a funeral, no less.” Nestra tapped her visor to indicate the woman was being recorded. If she was still a career politician, as Shinoda had mentioned, then this would not show her in a good light. The woman sneered at Kim one last time. “Mada owatta wake de wa arimasen. This is not over yet.” They left, the woman striding with all the fury hell does not have and the bodyguard trudging after her. Kim remained unmoving as a statue for a long time, Nestra waiting by her side. “Thank you, Palladian. You have made a difficult moment bearable.” “You seem to have it handled. I was merely providing Visit NovelHub for more amazing novels and chapters.” “I was ten seconds away from slapping the bitch.” They waited some more. In the distance, someone played the flute. It wasn’t very good. “We are done here,” Kim finally said. “For now. Let us walk. Since you are here, I wanted to go over a few things before I retire for the day. I do believe I will take a short break after that so we might as well finish first.” The prim Officer picked up a small object from her kimono’s inner pocket. It was a tiny jammer. She wasn’t taking any chances. The pair walked by the pond, then they made their way through an alley of tall sycamores. Kim appeared distracted. There was something about so much open ground that gave Nestra vertigo, made her feel unsafe rather than relaxed. Or perhaps it wasn’t open ground per se but her fragile, imperfect human form who couldn’t smell the enemy come and couldn’t trick sensors. “First things first, we just received word from Gidung. They have decided to settle for the murder attempt on you by drone. They will give up the idiot responsible for the operation under charges of reckless endangerment and provide you with a comfortable compensation of one point two million credits if you accept.” “Reckless endangerment? This was attempted assassination.” “It is up to you to accept or refuse, of course, but my advice is to take the deal since Gidung will otherwise clam up and hide their idiot behind an army of lawyers. It would take years before you see money. This way, the culprit will spend three years behind bars at the Red House.” Nestra thought about it. “Did they say who it was?” “They’re not cooperating until we sign. At least not on this.” “And we know they will give up the right person… how?” “Because we’ll have AIs go over their records, of course.” If she accepted the deal she would have a name, and then kill the guy if she felt like it. Not to mention, she needed money for a new car. The insurance wasn’t covering more than a third of the price since the car itself had been pretty old. “Good choice. I will also take the liberty of flagging that imbecile in our system to make his life miserable from now on. Can I drive you back?” They had arrived near a parking lot. They climbed in a nice hovercraft, black. The inside was perfectly clean and smelled vaguely of lavender. It was devoid of any trinkets, not even a loose wrapper, but there were three ports for charging electronics. Once the doors were closed, Kim leaned forward. “By the way, a janitorial team found a body and a demolished sniper rifle in the Levant Project Tower. How fortuitous. The dead might have made an attempt on Mr Watkins’ life otherwise.” “Serendipitous indeed.” Kim assessed Nestra for a moment. The secret demon didn’t react. There were already too many people knowing about her. Let Kim wonder a bit. “We may have a job for someone of your peculiar skill, outside of the walls. There is a… developing situation in one of the enclaves. It will have to come later, however. Your performance during the invasion has raised some questions. I have removed you from the active roster for the time being, and you will be replaced by peacekeepers trained specifically for the task. The end goal is to have District Fifteen law enforcement done by its own residents. You should go say goodbye at some point.” “I believe some paid leave would do you good since there is a possibility you will be… involved in our inquiries. How does that sound?” “Pretty good. I wanted to spend a bit more time with my family anyway.” “Is that so?” Kim asked with some doubt. “I have some catching up to do.” Helena had this guarded expression Nestra recognized in pictures of her around the same age. A bit hopeful, but mostly expecting some bullshit. The young gleam clutched her training gear with a nervousness that her face tried very hard not to express. It didn’t help that Nestra had brought her to a decrepit parking lot at the center of an abandoned hospital in the back of a rental van. If she wanted to give off psycho killer vibes, she couldn’t have possibly done better. “So… we’re training here?” the young gleam asked with obvious disbelief. “Yes, well, no. Around. But first we need to talk.” Nestra stepped out. It took a while for Helena to join her on a bench overlooking an abandoned zen garden. The hospital extended in a square all around to form a vaguely oppressive prison. Helena’s mana was leaking. It tasted familiar to Nestra’s dull senses but it also meant Helena was really, really nervous. Not good. “Shit, I should have picked a better place.” “Hmm damn right we should have. That’s like the set of some horror story where the stupid teens get picked off by a shadow monster, or something.” “Yeah it’s my bad. It’s just, at least here we won’t be listened on.” “By Riel Nestra have you, like, killed someone or something?” “Yeah but how does it relate?” “Nestra! Killing people is bad! Oh shit you’re a cop. I always forget. You guys don’t really mind.” “Damn it, Claire, get out of this body.” “Hahaaaa! No but seriously what is this about?” “Ok so, it’s a bit weird but it’s about me and… how it’s… Look, there is no good way to say this. You’re like that, with the weird attunement and the bursts of anger, because of me. It’s… not exactly my fault but it definitely happened because I existed and… I think you have a right to know. No, I believe you have a right to know.” Helena immediately rolled her eyes. “Oh my Riel Nestra not you too for fuck sake. I know the conversation by heart. I already got this shit from mom. Stop it. Stooooop it. You’re not helping, ok?” “No, listen, I’m serious.” “Yeah yeah I know the draft. ‘If only I have been here when you were a child’ and ‘I was too focused on my own boo boos’. Cut it. I want actions, not words. The sparring idea is good, though I really don’t see how this place is good for sparring…” “There is a portal underneath. In the shelter.” “There… Oh. Oooooh. Wait, you’re fucking crazy.” “And it’s my responsibility because I was born first and you got void as an affinity because of it.” Nestra bore her gaze into Helena’s amused, yet still worried black orbs. She had normal sclera but the iris and pupil really were like her own. It was uncanny. “Because I’m not human.” “Riiight. Right. Wait, shit, you’re serious?” “Dead serious. I was born non human, and mom’s body was… affected. And you got the void affinity and the anger as a result. Also our dad is not my real dad. I mean, not genetically. Probably. Whatever.” Helena’s mouth hung open. “I can prove it but you got to promise not to freak out.” “You… are not human?” “And…. who knows about this?” “Exactly five people. Three who shouldn’t be, I had to help.” “So, uh, ok? Are you going to… show me?” “Yep. If that’s ok, I mean.” “And you brought me here becaaaaause?” “The portal. If you were, I mean if you took it well, I thought we could have a bonding moment.” “And not because you wanted to kill me and get rid of the body if I threatened anything?” Nestra paled. Horror filled her chest. “Wha — what? No! No, of course not I would never! Helena!” “Ok ok ok ok sorry I shouldn’t have. My bad.” “I, shit I didn’t think it would worry you so much I’m so sorry!” “I know thinking’s a bit hard for you but just listen to me! I’m fine, just show me non human Nestra!” “Ok. Sure. Don’t freak out.” “You have tentacles?” “That’s so wired! Come on, show me.” Nestra sighed. It wasn’t going the way she’d expected. Helena was just so exuberant but… maybe that was better? She pulled off her mask. Immediately, the world became more. She could hear the birds nesting on the second floor cafeteria. Her nose picked the dust and the rot and the wild flowers growing through the cracks. The wind caressed her skin. Mana pulsated wildly from her little sister, familiar yet strange on a human. Said little sister was now standing but Nestra was still looking down at her in her best, most harmless impression of a meek demon. “And ssstill growing.” “And your voice is so low-pitched?” “Also because I’m really tall.” “No, please. Very sensitive.” “ Holy shit what are you?” “Yeah I can see that but what is it called?” “Hmm. Err. Gray Demon.” “Unless you want the latin name but please don’t address me by my genus and clade?” “That’s so wireeeeeeeed. How long have you been, you know, that?” “Hm. From birth. But I only figured it out recently.” “So is this why you have no core? Is that part of the disguise?” “Hm. No. My body needed a lot more mana to grow so… it cannibalized the human core.” “You nommed your own core? That’s so wired! Can you, like, regrow it?” “Don’t think so. My true form has a core anyway. It’s… serviceable.” “Nice. And can you use mana and everything?” “Yes, void, same as you. Or rather, you are the same as me.” “Riiiiight! Can you tell me more about who your dad is then? Are there more like you? Oh, are you infiltrating human society to overthrow it and control the government? Wait, you’re not going to do that, right?” “I can’t tell you more about what I am, partly because it endangers you and partly because, well, I know very little myself. But we are hunters, not manipulators. At least, I think so.” “Wait, you can have human shapes and you’re not evil manipulators bent on world domination?” “I can’t talk for other Gray Demons I assume exist but as far as I am concerned, I absolutely and very definitely couldn’t possibly be arsed.” “Damn. You show up with super infiltration power in human society and you stay for fun?” Helena huffed though a smile tugged at her lips. “That’s some high mindset here. I like it. Actually, you just asked me to bring my axe expecting me to, like, be okay about all of this?” “I was certainly hoping for it, yeah.” “And we just go into the portal and kill stuff? Wait, that means you’re registered as a gleam then?” “No, at least not yet and… this portal isn’t registered yet.” “What about the loot?” “This is so damn wiiiiiiirred. WAIT A MINUTE YOU ARE A COP IS THIS A STING OPERATION?” “Human Nestra is a cop. Demon Nestra…” “She is one hungry girl. And Threshold’s gleams are not exactly tolerant of non-humans.” “Yeah, I mean. Oh. You would be killed on sight. At least by the old guard.” “I am part of a secretive criminal conspiracy. Oooooh this is so wired. I wish I could tell someone, but I won’t. Oooh this is so damn wired. Can we go now? Can we go?” “Get in your training armor. I’ll go grab my sword.” “Yes. YES! We were only scheduled to raid shit portals at the end of the semester, and even then only under guard. You… you’ll cover my back, right?” Nestra used momentum to step really close. Helena jumped back with a yelp. “I’m actually quite strong. This is a D-class portal. We’ll be fine.” “Get that damn sword and let’s goooooooooooo!” “Just like the textbooks say. You just need to push your hands into the portal after coating them with mana.” Nestra drifted through the hospital portal into a forest. Leaves covered the ground in patterns she didn’t recognize. The trunks were smooth and striped like a zebra’s hide. They were also red. Above her, a bluish sun cast late afternoon rays that provided little heat while Helena finished collapsing from the entrance portal. “—AHT. Oh. Huh, it was easier than I expected.” “Might be the void element. Hss.” They stood in a clearing. The ground rose and fell in tiny mounds and deep recesses and the air smelled of mud and rotten leaves, altogether not unpleasant at all. The distant din of battle surrounded them on all sides though Nestra wasn’t too concerned. It had a distant, fake quality she couldn’t quite place. It was more a setting than a reality. That told her what sort of portal this would be. Helena stood up, She looked a little ridiculous in her training gear since it was so bulky, but it would definitely help. Her axe sucked since it was a dull weapon but she knew how to coat and it was all she needed with void mana. And it was still a large piece of metal swung by a gleam so… not exactly harmless. And Nestra was here. “A portal world! I’m inside a portal world! What do we do now, explore?” Nestra pointed. A short humanoid creature emerged from the treeline, clad in a gambeson with pieces of shiny metal strapped here and there. He looked surprisingly humanoid but his features were much more feral, his skin drawn, and the hair on top of his head was dark and thick like a horse’s mane. He growled when he saw them, then picked a mace hanging by his side and charged. A dozen warriors followed quickly after him. Only their hair color and weapon truly differed, though the first had by far the most protection. “Battle,” Nestra said. “You take the leader.” Nestra had been worried her sister might hesitate but the girl was meeting her foe head on with her axe held high. It was weird watching her be so fearless. She really trusted Nestra. Nestra used momentum to move to the first of two archers, dispatching him with a single punch. They were D-class. She was almost a step above. She was also twice their size and monstrously stronger. There was no context and yet, when his skull crumpled, she still felt her mind grow slightly faster. She took out the next archer in the same breath. Helena made contact with the squad leader. She didn’t coat, but her strength was alone to push him back. Her follow up was slightly too slow to land a solid blow, Nestra judged. The demon rushed to a spear wielder trying to flank Helena. A kick crushed his spine. She slew a sword fighter with a void blade an instant later. The barrier between worlds shivered. Nestra tensed, knowing what it meant. She grabbed a shield bearer before crushing his vertebrae. Helena fell back when another spear fighter threatened her flank. Solid battle instinct. Not bad, but though the warriors were little danger… Sashimi swam into this world. “Sashimi if you touch a hair off her head, I swear to… to…” But the shark just hovered above them. Their dark gaze met Nestra’s own and in them, she felt a sort of baffled condescension, along with a feeling words could only express one way. That was it. Sashimi would not attack Helena because Helena was a cub. “You leave her alone but you attacked me? What?” Nestra used momentum to appear in the middle of the surviving fighters before they could surround Helena. Her strikes were precise and, to be frank, there wasn’t much challenge here. It would be a little boring without Helena. Maybe she could fight without any mana at all? No, that was hubris talking. When Helena was here, Nestra would take no risks. Her sister did a nifty maneuver and managed to strike the enemy across the chest. It didn’t break through the armor there but the blow was enough to send the leader on his back. Before he could recover, Helena stepped forward to bring her axe down. The blade erupted with a dark corona. Her void was a wild thing, hard to control yet oh so destructive. The blade cleaved through an arm, the chest, and the loam below. A little bit of blood sprayed the armor. Helena stepped back. She pressed her hand to her torso, then found her fingers sticky with her victim’s fluids. She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Wow. Feels different when they’re humanoid. Wait, what is that thing? A pet? You have a pet shark?” “I wouldn’t call Sashimi a pet, per se.” The traitorous shark bumped Helena with their snout. Then stole her victim’s severed arm before lazily floating away.