D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 1553 Kam-Cam

--- Kamiko --- (About 4 hours after leaving Kat and Lily)

Kamiko bit back a scream when a hand landed on her shoulder but that didn't stop her flinching. Looking over she saw Hunter's face near her, and the hand on her shoulder kept moving… oh Hunter was giving her a pat. "Oh… um… are you trying to comfort ?" asked Kamiko. She… genuinely wasn't sure. Since setting off things had been tense, at least in her mind and Hunter… wasn't helping.

Even if she might have been trying?

"Yes though I can see from your face that it has not worked. Do not worry, I will ensure your safety on this trip in Kat's stead. Knowing you can heal it is not a large sacrifice to make," stated Hunter.

Kamiko gulped and gave a small nod. "Um… right… I… I trust you that much but well… honestly g is a bigger concern. I'm… I'm surprised you got away from her. I an, I can see her hair in front of us and I… I'm sure she can hear … but well… you… haven't exactly been the best at standing up to her.

Continue your journey on empire

I um… I didn't want to ask, but… but nobody else did and… well now I think I might be more scared of not knowing… so um…"

Hunter grit her teeth. "It is… not a thing that I enjoy admitting out loud. I suppose I have been intentionally trying to sidestep the issue and I am sure that the fights we engaged in simply muddied the waters further. To… answer your question?"

"You… you um… don't have to if you don't want to?" offered Kamiko after a few monts of silence.

"No, you likely deserve an answer. Kat and Lily do as well… but it is easier to admit to this knowing that you feel so scared. Kat and Lily… or at least Kat, seed more equipped to deal with 23HX502 then I feel I can. I… I have a lot of problems with 23HX502 as has been obvious…

"But there are very few people in our age group that can keep up with us. Even knowing that we are a few years apart in age… 23HX502 has always been a cut above everyone else. In a straight fight I am not her match, but in terms of hunting and assassination I manage a leg up.

"The issues… the issues co from my own lack of social circle. I do not… I cannot say that I like 23HX502. She represents many of the parts of my clan I find least pleasing. I… see her as part of the problem. So many people are simply ungrateful for the benefits they have received, disrespect the traditions of my clan… and then further have the gal to not even properly make use of them.

To wallow in diocrity.

"23HX502… has not done this. She has spat in the clan's face while still making proper use of our facilities and presenting her problems in a forthright manner. I cannot deny I have a much higher level of respect for her then I do many others that act similarly… but at the sa ti… she is the one I see most often. She regularly seeks out and causes problems. She is…

"Despite being so different from many of the other more problematic mbers of the clan that I am aware of, because I interact with her so frequently she has beco the FACE of those problems in my mind, even if it remarkably unfair and she shares little with those individuals… her presence gives a person to lump bla upon.

"It is uncharitable of … but that is the main reason we do not get along. The… conflicting problem is that I do not have anyone else on my level. While there are those amongst our age group that respect the clan for what it is and does… they simply lack the skill and dedication to stand on equal footing with .

They cannot challenge , I do not see them as peers… and I am… admittedly quite intimidating.

"Most of the clan mbers I find acceptable have their own friend groups that I have been set apart from. I was put on a pedestal for a long ti and I did not properly rectify that while we were growing up. Now I find myself lacking in friends… and while I do not find that a terribly disturbing thing… soone I am not friends with cos around to bother .

To compete with and act as a rival and I find… I find… hmm…" Hunter found herself trailing off not quite able to find, or say, the words.

"You… you have a rival… and… and maybe you don't like her but you definitely do not wish to be rid of her?" asked Kamiko.

Hunter nodded, "Yes. I do not… I do not know how to change our relationship or if I even want to. She… she is my peer in the way those older then us cannot be, and those our age simply are not. I… I do not know if I can find it in myself to like or approve of 23HX502. She… everything that she is… I do not like it.

We have fundantal disagreents and I cannot spend too long with her without getting angry and attacking…

"But that too is part of our rivalry. I ntioned it, I do not want to remove her… and our fights are not so lethal as they seem. Ultimately… I find myself not knowing what to do. The fact she signed up for this mission, not to ensure the safety of a world but to help out… I do not know how to feel.

It is a mixture of joy and anger that if anything just make the anger stronger… yet it does not entirely stamp out the joy. It is a problem I just…" Hunter sighed.

"The point I am hoping has co across here is that my fights with her a in many ways performatory but if she was to cause you real harm, either ntal or physical, I would not be inclined to hold back in my retribution the way I do now. Just… know that I am on your side in this,"

"Oh… um… yes that… that does help. Though… um… hmm… I feel like… like it might be better if you were friends? But… but maybe that's just because having friends was my dream for so long. I… hmm… I feel like sharing sothing important with you in return… but… oh wait no! I know.

Um… so…" Kamiko took in a deep breath and glanced at g who wasn't looking back… but did seem to have a slight skip in her step that was not there before. Kamiko made a note of that.

"So… I had… have? Had. I had issues with my sister. Aslena she caused a lot of trouble when I was younger and… even sowhat recently. It wasn't until I t Kat and she sort of… confronted Aslena for that we started to get along. I an, it isn't perfect and I… she still causes problems from ti to ti but… it's… it's much less hostile now.

I feel…

"Hmm… I don't want to make it seem like I am just attempting to speak ill of her… but she feels more like my sister now. Before she felt like a problem or an enemy. I… I would not call her a rival. It was not about pushing to be my best… but pushing down instead.

I… I know so of that was my unwillingness to speak up about it and let things happen but… I put a lot… or maybe all of the bla on her. Which wasn't fair but it is what it is. Um… what I'm saying is… you can change your relationship with people whenever you want, sotis… sotis you just need a push,"

"I thank you for what I assu is well aning advice but I assure you I have considered changing things many tis. I have yet to find a compelling enough reason though. I struggle to overco my inherent dislike of 23HX502 and her choices. I respect her, and that ans we can get along sowhat, but I do not have a favourable opinion of her.

I can see many easy ways to ensure we had a more standard friendship but I do not believe it would make happy in the long run… and truthfully I am unsure if 23HX502 would feel the sa," explained Hunter.

Kamiko didn't say anything… but she thought it worth noting that g had allowed a rather serious conversation in which Hunter referred to her as 23HX502 without interrupting and complaining about not being called g. Sure the mist muted sound a bit but not by that much. Kamiko didn't know what that ANT exactly, but it was certainly sothing to keep a note of… and maybe inform Kat?

Kamiko would think about that once they'd set up camp and nobody else would notice the ssage.