Volume 7 Chapter 1 Graveyard City Ravenyard
It was an ominous, eerie, and cursed-like night.
The town sank into the darkness of night, transforming into a black, unsettling silhouette. In the hazy atmosphere, a faintly lit bonfire flickered, and red butterflies fluttered around it――.
From the bell tower of the great cathedral, I gazed down at the night scenery of the town.
'Noroa... still can't find the target?'
Suddenly, I heard a familiar girl's voice.
But, of course, there was no one else at the top of this bell tower.
The owner of the voice was peeking out from my waist pouch.
Cursed Doll (Juju Wala Doll)――a palm-sized doll dressed in a refined black dress, suitable for a night out. Her black hair and red eyes reminded me of a mischievous cat.
'Can't you hurry up? It's summer, but it's cold here...'
"Just a little more, okay?"
'No way. I'm cold-blooded.'
"A doll being cold-blooded is unheard of, isn't it?"
'I'm always one step ahead of the times, that's my quality.'
At that moment, the wind blew, and Juju twitched her nose.
'Fu... fu... fu-nix!'
"Is it the phoenix?"
Juju let out a grand sneeze, and then wiped her nose with a "spit" sound.
'Hey, did you hear that? My sneeze is cute, isn't it?'
"Are your ears rotten?"
'He... he... Heaven's!'
"Is it heaven?"
She sneezed again. I wonder if dolls can catch colds too. It's a mysterious mechanism.
Anyway, let's get this over with. It's a hassle to deal with Juju's tantrums.
I gazed down at the town's streets again. There was almost no sign of human life. It was as if the entire town was holding its breath, rather than being uninhabited.
'This town is so gloomy. I wonder if everyone's having a funeral or something.'
Juju blurts out her honest opinion, and to be honest, I agree with her.
"Maybe it's because of the 'Equipment Hunter'."
'Equipment Hunter? Ah, you mean that guy. The one who's super strong when you put mustard on him.'
"Yeah, without even a scratch."
The Equipment Hunter is a serial attacker who's been causing a stir in this town lately.
They attack people on the streets at night and destroy their equipment.
They don't take lives, but... in a society where equipment determines one's livelihood, losing it is a fatal blow. Without equipment, you can't work or enjoy your hobbies.
The biggest problem is that the Equipment Hunter possesses cursed equipment ―― in other words, they're a "curse holder."
Cursed equipment holds immense power.
In exchange for a harsh cost, it grants the user power that's almost like a natural disaster. It's extremely difficult to deal with. Even the "Curse Equipment Investigators," experts in handling cursed equipment, are being one-sidedly beaten by the Equipment Hunter.
It's no wonder the townspeople are on high alert against the Equipment Hunter.
If someone is out at night and happen to run into them, they're in big trouble.
But I'm a bit different.
I'm deliberately going out into the night to find the Equipment Hunter
And I got lucky.
"――Found him"
A man in black clothes is wandering around the night streets, carrying a massive scythe.
He's moving stealthily from shadow to shadow, and even from a distance, there's no mistaking him. The eyewitness accounts match, and the Compass Eye (Ra Shingan) is pointing straight at him.
He's... the Equipment Hunter.
'Is that today's "target"?'
"Yeah, that's right."
'Hmm.'
Juju seems uninterested, playing with her hair.
'So, does that mean we're going to "take" his cursed equipment?'
"Of course."
I give a sly smile.
So, I'm not a hero who fights for justice. I don't think about defeating evil and bringing peace to the city... That's too lofty a goal for me. My objective is, and always will be, to get my hands on the "cursed equipment" possessed by those who are afflicted with a curse.
I took out a mantle and a mask from my "bag."
A black, long mantle that blends into the darkness of night. A blue crystal mask that covers my face from forehead to nose, shaped like a crow's head. It's a disguise set produced by Juju. Although it doesn't take much time to put on, it can effectively conceal my appearance.
With the mantle on, the mask worn, and the hood up―I'm all set.
'You look just like a wanted poster!'
"Unwillingly, I must admit..."
Anyway, now it's time for equipment hunting. I can't afford to lose sight of my goal. In this complex cityscape, even with the power of Compass Eye to guide me, searching for what I need can be a real hassle.
So, if I'm going to do it, I'll do it swiftly, like a crow.
"Shall we go, then?"
Just then, the bell right below me rang out with a solemn sound.
It's a funeral bell. As if responding to the sound, I leaped out of the tower.
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