Life Hunter 130 ''Eighteen, Huh?''

In a certain building of the company, secret researches were being made there under the cover of a simple shopping mall.

In the underground floors, many scientists and technicians were working on different products. And even lower, on the last floor, they were working on a different version of the FEB, more compact, but as powerful. And the fact that they were doing this in the middle of the city only meant one thing; that they had mastered its manufacturing method.

"Did you hear? The founder is coming today" One of the researchers said to his coworkers during the break.

"Yes, of course. Everyone is more than curious about him. Apparently, he's only seventeen and he started all of this only a year ago" Another one said "Well, we all know that it wasn't really legal, but that's even more impressive if he's truly seventeen" He added, and everyone nodded.

"He's here" Suddenly, a woman entered the room and declared before leaving. The researchers looked at each other and immediately followed her.

Arima was visiting that building with Haze. When they reached the underground floors, everyone bowed to Haze but didn't recognize Arima since they never saw him before. When they remembered that the founder was supposed to be very young, they became extremely cautious to not offend him.

"Well, here we are. We didn't have that much time, but we managed to finish one at least" Haze said to Arima as he looked at a monitor in one of the offices.

What was displayed on the screen was the final product of the FEBs' research. Fully functional and perfectly stable.

"What about the Plasma Cannon?" Arima then asked.

Haze snickered "It's doing well, the first problem was the huge quant.i.ty of electricity we needed but since you got that much Eion from the black market, we're completely good. It will be finished next year I think"

Arima nodded and mused while looking at the image of the FEB "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. What about the other thing?" He then asked as he remembered.

"Oh, that one, huh?" Haze changed the big screen's image and this time, what was displayed was a view of the planet from s.p.a.ce "The NASA refused but, in the end, s.p.a.ceX accepted our request" Haze commented.

Arima laughed lightly "The result is the same. Can you send the codes of this satellite to Jin? He will take care of the security and surveillance"

"Sure, it's already done actually" Haze smiled and said "Tell me, Arima, what's your plan now? You're enough prepared, right?" He inquired.

"Well, you're right. We're not that powerful right now, but we're ready to start something else" Arima scratched his hair and declared "Also, can I ask you to form a team of experts on Eion energy? I want to a.s.sign them a new task"

Haze raised an eyebrow "It's not a problem, you can do it now actually. You're in the middle of your main laboratory" He said and pointed behind him with his thumb. Outside, in front of this office, there were dozens of people waiting for Arima to appear.

The latter smiled wryly "You're right about that" He said and turned around "What we'll do next rely on the mercenary branch. We have some targets" Arima announced and opened the door of the office.

Haze shook his head and sighed. He followed Arima out of the office and they both faced all of the personnel. When everyone was able to observe Arima, they sighed in admiration. Their boss was an adolescent but he radiated with confidence and prestige.

After that, as Arima said, he called the people who were the best at handling Eion energy and gave them a new objective, totally different.

Arima led the group of ten to a private laboratory and handed a certain file to each. When they looked through the content, the researchers couldn't believe their eyes.

"…Is that really what you want us to do?" Nina, the leader of the team, asked.

"Yes, you have as much time as you want. I just require that you use all of your skills to do this. Do you think that's possible?" Arima responded. Nina was made speechless by his calmness and determination.

She looked at the doc.u.ment one more time and slowly nodded "I think it's possible. But we need time and resources"

Arima smiled and nodded "I'll leave it in your hands then. Keep this work secret" He instructed and left the laboratory and the researchers looked at each other.

"Let's get to work immediately" Nina directed, and everyone complied.

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"Oh, welcome back, Arima" Tieria said when Arima entered his home. He smiled at the sight he had for a year now. He still wasn't sure if he could get used to it.

Also, the moment he stepped inside, Rocky ran to him and jumped on his legs. Arima crouched and started caressing him "Where is Scatha?" Arima asked Tieria after a short moment.

"She said she was tired and went to sleep" Tieria answered.

"I see" Arima nodded and opened the door for Rocky "I will walk a bit with him, do you want to come?" He asked.

"No, it's okay, I will make dinner since Scatha is sleeping" Tieria responded and Arima's expression turned awkward.

"Thanks" He laughed wryly and left the house with Rocky. He started walking toward the park near the house and let the dog play around there.

"How are things going for you?" Arima suddenly heard a voice behind him. That voice was strangely familiar, and he turned around to see the same old man he had met three years ago in this park.

"You are…yes, I'm good" Arima responded with a strange expression.

"That dog is doing well, I see" The old man pointed his chin at Rocky and remarked "I have a question of pure curiosity for you. How old are you?" He then asked Arima.

The latter frowned but he thought that it wasn't a problem to say it "I'm seventeen, I'll turn eighteen in seven months" So, he answered.

"Eighteen, huh?" The old man muttered and smiled "Eighteen is a good age. Particularly in this world, it's at that age that things can change a lot" He said and stood up with his cane "Well, farewell. I'm sure we'll meet again" He added and departed from the park.

Arima stared until the old man was out of sight. He felt a really strange feeling when he looked at him. When he was younger, he kind of missed it but today, he perfectly felt it.

"Rocky" Arima called and the Labrador immediately returned to his side "Let's go" He declared and returned home.

*********************************************

After that day, Arima's activities suffered another change. The mercenaries affiliated with his company and his own squad, including Tieria, started to aim for huge targets. Every time, they would collect the target's possessions, but all of those people were ones that Arima considered to be a threat. Not only for him but for the entire humanity and the goal he wants to accomplish.

When Arima turned eighteen, Tieria basically dragged him everywhere she could and at the end of the day "Close your eyes" She ordered, she wasn't even asking.

Arima did as he was told, and the following scenes were predictable for anyone. Tieria took the first step and kissed Arima. The latter was a bit taken off guard, but he didn't even open his eyes as he embraced her in return.

When the two separated, Tieria sighed and smiled "Finally. I had decided to do this when you would turn eighteen, but it was so irritating to wait…" She complained and Arima only could chuckle. He really did his best to not laugh.

The thing he wasn't able to notice was an ominous presence not that far from him. The same day, Arima said he would go meet the squad and Tieria then decided to go wait for him at home.

Arima went to one of the buildings he owned, the one he had given to the two squads working for him. Everyone there wished him a happy birthday and started chatting for a moment.

"Sir Moria, if I wanted to leave the army, could I?" Arima suddenly asked Moria while they were talking together.

"You can drop the Sir already. You're basically higher placed than me now" Moria answered and took a sip of wine "As for your question, you were basically born to be a soldier the moment you were found in front of the orphanage. You can say that the army is your legal parent"

Arima mused and nodded "Thank you" He said and stood up to leave "I will go now. You can use this building as much as you want"

Moria smiled and waved his hand "Yeah, go home already. You have two girls waiting for you"

Arima smiled and bid goodbye to everyone before leaving. It was already dark outside. While he was walking home, Arima heard the police sirens and frowned. It wasn't really common to hear that these days.

When he opened the door of the house, he heard the noise of the plates and Tieria's voice "You can come in, the dinner will be ready. Can you call Scatha? She isn't home" She said since she knew it was Arima.

"Sure" The latter responded and took out his phone. When he was about to call Scatha, he heard the door opening behind him.

At first, he thought it was Scatha but he suddenly froze when he felt the terrifying presence. He couldn't move at all. Rocky even cowered as he looked behind.

"Who-?!" Arima was interrupted as he felt an invading pain in his chest, he looked down and saw a dagger piercing his chest, just next to his heart. He almost vomited blood and the red color started tainting his clothes and the floor.

The person behind him apparently let go of the knife and Arima fell on his knees, he was feeling extremely weak all of sudden "(Poison?)" He thought and did his best to look behind him.

His eyes narrowed and wavered. The person behind him was Scatha, with her clothes full of blood and an expression devoid of any emotion.

Arima opened his mouth but couldn't say anything as the shock was too big and his mind was fading away. Rocky acted when he witnessed his owner being stabbed. He growled and jumped on Scatha to bite her, but the latter moved abnormally fast and Rocky's neck was crushed in flight.

Arima gasped and clenched his fists as Rocky fell on the floor, lifeless. He tried to shout but he coughed even more blood.

"Arima!" Tieria shouted. She went here to check what was the noise and happened to witness Scatha killing Rocky "What does that mean?" She gritted her teeth and stared at Scatha with eyes that could kill.

"...It means nothing, it's just how things should be" Scatha opened her mouth and an eerie and emotionless voice resounded in the room.

Both Arima and Tieria trembled when they heard it. It wasn't her voice at all. Only Arima started shaking, he recognized that voice. It was a little different, but he definitely recognized it.

"You…are…" Arima struggled to speak.

"Yes" Scatha grinned evilly "Didn't I tell you? A lot of things can change when you're eighteen years old"

Tieria rushed toward the entrance at that exact moment "No! Tieria!" Arima managed to shout but it was already too late. Scatha moved inhumanly and appeared just behind Tieria, she stabbed her in the heart with her bare hand.

Arima could only watch, one more time, as Tieria fell on the floor. He immediately crawled to her pressed the injury with his hands, in vain. Tieria was gradually losing focus, she raised her arm and caressed Arima's cheek "I love you…" She murmured, and her arm turned limp just after.

Arima held his head with his hands and almost shouted screamed on the spot. His eyes were slowly turning bloodshot as he forcefully moved his body and grabbed the Eion gun he always carried before pointing it at Scatha in rage. But as much as his rage was driving him, he couldn't press the trigger.

"You're really interesting" Scatha laughed with that unfamiliar voice "Let me present myself, I'm one of Lord Karaskan's Seeds. I only bring chaos, that's my mission. You were an interesting target for my final, I will soon lose the rest of my mana" She sighed "What a shame, this world is so entertaining"

Arima couldn't understand anything, but the rage he felt was growing even more when he heard Scatha talk like that.

"Anyway, before I leave, let me tell you something" She spread her arms wide "Where do you think all of this blood comes from?"

Arima was barely lucid but when he heard the question, he felt hopeless as he thought about one possibility.

Scatha smirked and grabbed Arima's gun. She took it away from him and observed it. She then crushed it barehanded and two small stones started hovering above her hand.

"Eion, right?" She muttered "This is quite interesting. If I had the time, maybe I could have used it as a subst.i.tute for mana" She wondered "Oh well" She smirked and waved her hand, the two small stones flew to Arima and pierced his skin before exploding.

The walls cracked and Arima was sent flying to crash on the wall. He screamed in pain as his skin was burned and his flesh destroyed. A lot of his bones also broke but he managed to stay conscious.

"Mm, really intriguing" Scatha muttered "You're too tough for a simple human" She commented and grabbed the dagger that fell on the ground "Well, you're lucky then, let me show you one last thing" She grinned. She made spin the dagger and placed it against her throat.

Arima's eyes widened and the dagger flashed. It left a red line on Scatha's neck. When she was falling on the ground, her eyes turned back to normal and she moved her mouth "I'm…sorry…"

When everything was over and Arima could finally think of what just happened, his mind broke into pieces. He was looking at the dead bodies of both the woman he loved and the one whom he considered as his mother.

Arima cried and howled and pain for the first time, his emotional injuries overcame his body's as he fainted on the spot. He fell on the ground, in his own blood, with Eion energy constantly flowing through his body.