They stand in a small room with various tools and weapons hanging on the wall. While Danzo can recognise the weapons, he is unfamiliar with most of the strange-looking instruments.

  “Pick your poison,” Felix says as he pulls out the pistol hidden in his coat. Kira whistles a merry tune while he takes one of the swords.

  Danzo turns to the door and answers, “I'll be fine.”

  Felix turns to Kira for a few seconds before replying, “Don't come crying when you get hurt.”

  “Check your radios before entering,” Zoey instructs via an intercom.

  Felix checks his radio and says, “Testing, 1, 2, 3. Over.”

  Zoey gives a thumbs up in acknowledgement, announcing, “You are clear for entry.”

  A loud buzzer sounds, followed by two loud clicks. One from the door behind and another from the one in front. Felix casually opens the door to the observation area and enters; Danzo and Kira follow behind him.

  They walk across the vacant room toward the large steel doors; their footsteps echo across the room. Kira casually strolls behind the two while Danzo maintains his focus on the large doors before them. They stop a couple of meters away from it.

  Felix speaks into the radio, “At position, ready when you are. Over.”

  “Copy that, opening doors. Caution is advised. Over,” Zoey replies.

  The alarm blares a warning sound as the doors open, revealing a dark shadow that hides what is inside. Danzo takes a fighting stance whilst Felix casually prepares his gun.

  Danzo watches as a strange wolf-like creature slowly reveals itself, with chains tied on a collar around its neck. It has a mix of fur covering its body and grey scales covering its legs. Its eyes glow, and spikes stand up on its shoulders. It snarls at them.

  “This is just a taste of what you are going to face on the field. These guys are common and tend to hunt in groups. Just be warned, even one is tricky to take down with a weapon,” Felix explains, his gun making a clicking sound. He turns to Kira behind them. “You prepared?”

  “Naturally,” Kira replies, although his words betray him as he makes gestures at Zoey.

  “A reminder to personnel that horsing around in the observation area is subject to a disciplinary hearing,” Zoey announces over the intercom.

  Kira chuckles and says, “So serious when we are working.”

  Felix ignores him and returns to Danzo, “Are you ready?”

  Danzo places his bag beside him and asks, “Ready to fight it?”

  “Yes.”

  Danzo guessed correctly. Hearing the doctor's answer, he rolls up his sleeves and takes a fighting stance. Although his heart is racing, he maintains his composure and keeps his breathing constant.

  “Captain Kira and I are here in case things go sideways.” Felix turns to Danzo and places his hand on his shoulder. “I'm not sure of Vito's intentions, and this is quite dangerous. Answer me honestly. Are. You. Sure?”

  Without missing a beat, Danzo answers, “A moment.” Kira and Felix exchange a confused look as Danzo moves his bag to a corner. The hunter is busy growling at them.

  While walking back, Danzo quickly checks himself.

  Feeling hydrated. No signs of mental fog or fatigue. Shoe laces: tied. Pockets: empty. Sleeves rolled. My uniform shouldn't get in the way. The field and situation are pretty basic.

  Danzo returns to his previous spot and resumes his fighting stance. Focusing on the hunter in front of him, he says, “Ready to commence.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Felix scratches the back of his head and says, “O-okay? Call if you need help.” He takes a step back and speaks into the radio, “Ready to engage. Over.”

  Receiving clearance, Zoey announces over the intercom, “Releasing restraints on hunter on 0. Beginning countdown: 3…”

  Danzo feels his posture tighten and focuses on the blood rushing through his veins. He could only train so much until experience was required.

  “...2…”

  He remembers all the training he endured and the lessons he learnt from Vito and Elizabeth. Since his training, his largest fear is that he would be unable to control his nerves, but strangely enough, his heart is still. Danzo relaxes his posture slightly.

  “...1…”

  His mind becomes quiet as he watches the monster.

  “...0.”

  A large click comes from the collar as it releases and falls to the floor. The hunter watches him and begins to walk around him. Danzo follows suit, and they circle one another.

  Unsure of how the hunter will act, Danzo waits patiently.

  This goes on for nearly a minute, earning the yawn of a bored Kira.

  In an instant, the hunter charges at Danzo. His arm snaps toward the hunter, and blood shoots forth from his right wrist at its head. Danzo focuses on forming a sharp spear while he pivots his foot.

  Kira takes an aggressive stance, ready to intervene.

  The hunter is quick to react– it jumps to Danzo’s left and exposes its jagged fangs as it lunges toward an opening. The change in its attack catches Danzo by surprise.

  In response, he makes a swiping motion with his right hand, turning the spear into a dense string, landing in the hunter's mouth. Danzo maintains his momentum and uses it to slam the hunter on the floor.

  As the hunter slowly recovers from the damage, Danzo watches it. He can feel a strange sense of intrigue pass through him.

  I still have plenty to learn. But for now, this is trivial.

  Danzo feels his posture relax, and watches the hunter regain its composure. He runs at it while his blood swirls around him. Once it is within range, the blood forms two flat plates, one much thicker than the other. He uses the thick plate to defend himself while he uses the other to cleave.

  The protection is unnecessary as the hunter is unable to react in time. He manages to bisect the hunter, its sides slumping to the floor. Blood from its corpse begins to form a pool.

  After watching it for a couple of seconds, he releases the floating blood upon confirming its death. The smell of iron spreads as his blood splashes on the floor.

  “Interesting,” Felix says, his left hand on his chin while walking toward the hunter's corpse. Danzo relaxes his posture and walks over to his bag.

  “I know about mutations bringing about changes in humans, but didn't expect it to be able to bring forth abilities like these,” the doctor thinks out loud as he crouches over the hunter's corpse.

  Kira whistles in surprise and says, “Nice to know that another one of us has joined the battle.”

  Felix looks up at Danzo as he walks toward them with his bag. “Would you be fine if I took a sample of your blood?”

  “For studying?” Danzo asks.

  “Yes. This is opening a whole slew of questions for me.”

  Danzo opens his bag and hands the old sample of blood he has. It is crimson red.

  “Why the sudden interest, Felix? We had plenty of Frontiers for decades. Couldn't you take their blood?” Kira asks as he pokes the corpse with his sword.

  Frontiers? Are there more like me?

  “Not like this,” Felix answers as he analyses the blood in the jar. “The Frontiers that joined previously always relied on physical traits or invoking some sort of special phenomena. None of which you can put under a microscope and study. But Danzo's blood is something we can learn from.”

  “You know what, forget I asked,” Kira sighs, not hiding his sudden disinterest in the topic. He turns his attention to Danzo and says with a slight grin. “We can use a guy like you in the Claw Division.”

  Danzo focuses on tightening the bandage on his wrist as he answers, “No thanks. I'm fine where I am currently stationed.”

  Kira closes his eyes and smiles. “My hunch was right about you when we met earlier.” Danzo's eyes narrow upon hearing Kira's words.

  “Hmm, what are you talking about, Kira?” Felix interrupts as he overhears the conversation.

  “You're a smart guy, doc. Think about it. A man with a serious mindset, drive, access to special privileges, and a Frontier to boot, joins the most rundown division with a past glory surrounding it. It's a little too coincidental, don’t you think?”

  The doctor pauses for a moment and thinks, mumbling words under something under his breath. Danzo's fists tighten, and he can feel his blood flow faster.

  After a couple of minutes, he takes a relaxed stance and asks, “Danzo. Are you planning to take over the Slayers?”

  “Bingo,” Kira laughs.