Anton feels that something is wrong with him. He senses that a part of him is missing. At times, there are sounds that speak to him. Something in his feelings has changed so much that he believes it's likely due to his work.
Over time, he felt like a robot, completing missions. He had forgotten what he was like before, but all of that changed when he interacted with Akira.
She felt the same way as Anton but didn't say it, nor did she want to appear weak in front of him. Akira had a different mentality; she was aware that if she showed weakness, she couldn't have a certain dignity like her father. Despite knowing that it was wrong because she wasn't the same as her father, Akira couldn't help it.
"So, are you telling me you've never attended school?" Anton looked at Akira, who had shown him around the city.
Akira frowned and said, "Don't make it sound like I'm illiterate. Even though there's nothing wrong with that, I received a special private education. There's no need for the lunatic who wants to reap benefits from my family without knowing the consequences."
"That makes sense..."
"And you? You must have undergone training as tough as any other professional assassin." Akira looked at Anton, who was much calmer than before.
"From childhood until now, I've been trained. We exorcists have to deal with eliminating things worse than humans, like werewolves or blood-sucking vampires." Anton looked at Akira seriously, as if implying that he was better than her.
"Do you think our dark lives are worthy of knowing who had better training between us? I can assure you, I could hunt much better than other experienced exorcists." Akira was an expert in murder; she used the bow and melee weapons, just like her family had for generations, so eliminating supernatural creatures shouldn't be too extreme.
Anton smiled slightly and said, "We underestimate supernatural creatures a lot, but what's true is that we are prepared to protect ourselves at any moment, which not everyone has."
"The only good thing about all this is—let's go to the dinner place; my father really put effort into choosing a quite exclusive restaurant." Akira stood up and headed towards the car.
Anton followed her in silence. His experienced gaze always observed the people around him, and just out of curiosity, he decided to use his shadow ability.
By using this ability, Anton spent a lot of faith points, but with a solid daily recovery, he just wanted to know a little more about this now that there didn't seem to be many people around.
Extending his hand, Anton manipulated the darkness of his shadow, and with a simple movement of his hand, the darkness within his clothes appeared on his hand, covering his entire skin in something visibly dark.
"This is incredible..." Anton thought to himself, but after reaching the car, he stopped doing things that might seem strange to others.
Akira, without saying a word, got into the car, and after Anton got in, she accelerated towards the meeting restaurant.
"Any advice on pleasing your father?" Anton looked at Akira, who seemed very focused, or rather nervous.
Akira glanced at Anton, who seemed a bit more open, and said, "Just be yourself; I think he'll like you."
"Well, certainly, as a man, I have my charm." Anton agreed with his good personality and said nothing more.
After arriving at the restaurant, Anton wanted Akira to open the door for him but thought it would be too forward. It's okay for them to get along well, but it would certainly be too much if he made a joke of that level with the seriousness Akira had in front of others.
"Welcome, please come in." An attendant was waiting outside, and when he saw Akira, he extended his hand towards the inside of the restaurant.
This place was very traditional with its ancient structures; at least that's what Anton saw at first glance in the surroundings.
When they reached the entrance of a room, Akira stopped, and after taking a deep breath, she entered and said, "Dad, we've arrived."
"Forgive us for being late; I had an appointment with your daughter for most of the afternoon, so we lost track of time." Anton sat down casually in front of Akira's father and extended his hand. "I've heard a lot about your great accomplishments; I must say it's an honor to meet you."
Koji looked at Anton, and seeing the confidence in his gaze reminded him of his friend, so he nodded and, after greeting him with a handshake, said, "Take a seat; we should have introduced you both a long time ago, but we know you both have very different responsibilities."
"Anton mentioned that his work prevents him from wasting time on unnecessary things, just as you mentioned, Dad." Akira looked at Anton with a smile while the vein on her forehead rose.
Anton knew she was angry, but he didn't care and engaged in a quite open conversation with Koji, who was much more approachable than his father.