'This guy... What is he going to do to me? Sigh... This is so depressing... If only they were here, it wouldn't have to go this far...'
Kioshi, just kept laughing, and at the same time, frightening. His laugh is not just a simple laugh, it is creepy as hell, so creepy it felt like he's planning something bad.
Back at the shop, Toki Asano suddenly woke up. She remembered that she and Eijiro were taking Shoto in his room, and at the same time, remembered how she slept right away. However, she didn't know what happened after.
She quickly headed to the bathroom, to try to wake herself. It seems that she's had enough sleep, that is why she is wide awake, but the truth is, she just couldn't stop thinking of Eijiro.
(Back at the ramen house, where they celebrated, Eijiro is seated right in front of her, looking down as if he's regretting. She believed that maybe Eijiro is having a regret after killing a person.)
She gnashed and quickly slapped her face and asked herself, "Why are you thinking of him!? What do you care if he regrets himself? That's how cruel world is and he must accept it!"
She is so pissed, but after that, she remained calm. Because after all, Eijiro's room is just close, near the bathroom. She will pass his room before she makes it to her own.
As she passed by Eijiro's room, she then remembered Eiji again. So, she tried to take a peek if Eijiro is alright and to see if he is sleeping tight. However, when she peeked, she saw no one.
She was so surprised that she slammed the door to see where Eijiro is, but he wasn't really there...
She tried to wake Shoto up, but Shoto is a heavy sleeper due to drunkenness.
She quickly headed to different rooms, inside the shop, but Eiji is still nowhere to be found. He is not in the cafe room, he is not in the repair room, he is not in the back alley, nor in the street in front of the shop.
As soon as she realized that, she then announced to herself, "Eijiro is missing..."
She suit up and took her keychain weapons. She then headed outside to search for Eijiro.
Meanwhile, Eijiro was about to reach his sword, when suddenly, Kioshi grabbed his shirt and pulled him closely, "Come on, we have more things to do. The first thing you will do is to comfort me from my wound. I will keep you alive if you do what I say, got it?" He smirked as he said that.
As he forced Eiji to follow him while pointing his dagger at him, a girl suddenly came out of the shadow.
She was wearing long boots, a hot pant, a crop-top black leather jacket, and a white racer-back tank top with a written word in its front 'I'M SEXY AND I KNOW IT', printed in pink.
"You know, I thought you were gonna kill him. Instead, you are forcing him to follow you.--"Kioshi is stunned, trembling with his eyes opened widely. It's like he knew the girl, which is why he easily recognized her. She then followed it with a gaze, scary, dead-fish eyes and a question, "--What are you planning to do to him..?"
Kioshi gulped quietly. Staring and trembling with his sweats running down from his head. Eiji, on the other hand, was just confusedly looking at them, back and forth. Nothing can be heard, but silence.
They were just staring and gazing with one another, waiting each other who'll strike first, when suddenly, Kioshi pushed Eiji to the ground and ran behind him. The girl, however, quickly summoned her silver, glowing in light-green color, bow. She pulled her bowstring as if she has an arrow and shoots in thin air.
Eijiro, felt a piercing wind as it passes through him, 'Impossible! Wh-What was that??'
Kioshi, immediately got hit by an invisible object on his right shoulder. However, he continued to run away, even though he is bleeding.
Eiji, looked at the girl with his mouth agape. For him, It is just too impossible for that to ever happen. It's like, something shoots out of thin air, without seeing a visible object through our naked eyes.
Eiji started to shudder, because he had never seen such a thing. He just couldn't believe that such weapon exists. He started to think and ask himself, 'How many more weapons are like that? Are there more surprising weapons like that?'
As the girl came close, she looked at him and aimed her bow to his head. Eiji was only surprised, but now he is shocked! I guess he didn't see it coming.
He gulped, 'I thought I was saved. I guess was wrong...'
Meanwhile, as Toki ran to look on each alley one-by-one, she suddenly saw the red-haired guy, running for his life. She saw him bleeding as he ran. So, she tried to follow him, but he already made a quick turn, eventually losing him.
"Shit! I lost him." She said.
She then started to think, 'But he left a drop of his blood in the street. If I follow the trail, maybe I'll be able to catch him, but if I follow the trail where the bleeding starts, maybe I'll find Eijiro. Either way, it will lead me somewhere.'
Toki, followed the trail to where Kioshi Ito ran. She decided to go to Kioshi, because she is unsure of what she will find out if she took the other way. At least, if she followed Kioshi, she can interrogate him about Eiji and end his life, after.
Back in the alley, where the girl is aiming her bow at Eiji, she asked, "What's your name?"
"Uh, um... Eiji, Eijiro, Ei-Eijiro Suguha..." He stuttered as he reply.
She smiled, "You don't have to tell me your real name, but I guess it's ok. Anyways, hi."
She lowered her weapon and quickly unsummoned her bow. Eijiro was surprised, because he thought he was gonna get shot. But he's also confused, "Um, hello? Who-Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is you help me find your psycho friend, as in right now... So, get up!"
Eijiro, quickly stood up and grabbed his sword. The girl, then moved forward closer to him and looked at his sword, "You have a shitty sword..."
She was facing him as she said that. She is so direct. Eijiro grinned. He scratches his head and just looked away.
"Come on, let's follow the blood trail." She added.
On the other side, Toki Asano kept following the blood trail. She was hoping it to end, because it is going further and further. She is starting to have a doubt. However, if she stopped following now, she will never get to kill the last assassin that is hunting them, that is why she had no choice but to go on.
At that time, Toki was having a debating doubt in her mind, 'If I keep following this guy, there is no doubt that I will put myself in danger, but if I stopped following him now, I'll never get to see Eijiro. However, Eiji might be on the other side of the blood trail, because when I saw this red-haired guy, he never had Eiji with him. So, maybe Eiji managed to slash him, but I doubt it, because Eiji is a newbie...'
Sooner or later, as the blood led her to an alley, she saw the red-haired guy, sitting on top of a dumpster. She tried to get closer while also preparing her weapon, when suddenly, the red-haired guy smirked. She immediately got shook, 3 hoarders suddenly jumped out of nowhere, in front, and started to clash swords with her.
Meanwhile, as Eijiro and the girl ran and followed the blood trail, the girl suddenly felt something as if she had a feeling of tingle.
"Quickly! I sense magical keychains clashing!" She announced.
"Wha-What!? How did yo-"
The girl, then grabbed Eiji's arm and started running together. He blushed, but tried to forget it, because someone might be in trouble.
On the other side of the blood trail, Toki Asano jumped back. However, another hoarder quickly slashed her from beside, managing to wound her right arm.
She felt the pain, but she didn't scream, instead, she gnashed, "Ugh! You'll pay for that!"
Toki, quickly followed it up with an uppercut slash using her left arm, managing to slash the guy that cuts her arm. The guy, then fell on his knees and died. However, the rest of the hoarders, managed to clash swords with her once more.
Kioshi Ito, then saw the hoarder's dead body, that is why he tried to leave once more and left Toki with the other hoarders to fight each other. Toki Asano, on the other hand, is severely wounded. However, she never thought of surrendering, that is why even though she is bleeding and losing a lot of strength, she still managed to stand up and fight.
The girl who was with Eiji, quickly ran as fast as she can, making Eiji almost trip himself.
"Wo-Woah! Wait! You are going too fast!" He said.
"We're almost there! I can hear it."
As they hear swords clashing inside an alley, the girl, quickly summoned her bow and entered in. She saw a group of hoarders, about to stab a wounded girl.
Just when she's about to pull her bowstring, the hoarders suddenly saw her. They quickly ran away and left Toki alone. However, the girl smirked and aimed above.
Eiji, confused and puzzled, asked, "Huh!? Why are you aiming above?"
"Why don't you just watch and learn..."
Eijiro, scratches his head. He was trying to guess on what she's trying to do, when suddenly, the girl chanted a word, "Shrapnel!"
As she shoots her arrow to thin air, it quickly reaches the running hoarders with not just one, but two or more arrows. Wind of arrows started raining above them, hitting all three hoarders.
Their body got pierced by an invisible object, coming from the air, when suddenly, the girl followed it with a next chant, "Explosion!"
Eiji was just speechless, with mouth agape, as if he had never heard a combination of skills, the same reaction with Toki.
Arrows that hit the hoarders, started to explode, making the hoarders body scatter into bloody pieces. It was like a rain of arrow, combined with exploding shrapnel, making it a very powerful skill in terms of a large target area.
Eiji and Toki were amazed. However, Toki suddenly fell on the ground. She lost consciousness, because she has lost a lot of blood.
Eiji was shocked and almost don't know what to do, when suddenly, the girl tapped his arm, "Hey! Calm down! She is still alive! She just lost a lot of blood. Just take her to the hospital and she'll be fine." She said.
Eiji, calmed down and took a deep breath. He started carrying Toki, when the girl called a taxi to drive them to a near hospital.
On the next day, Shoto Mamuro received a call from the hospital. It appears that he has to close the shop once more.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Eiji fell asleep in his seat. Toki started to wake up and when she saw him, she smiled faintly and took a deep breath.
Shoto, then slammed the door as he entered with a shout, "Toki!? Are you alright!?"
Toki got surprised and stared speechlessly at him. Eiji, on the other hand, woke up from the noise. When he saw Toki awake, he tried to go near her to see if he's not hallucinating, when suddenly, he got punched right in the face.
Eiji didn't have enough sleep, because he was trying to be a lookout for Toki overnight, but now, Eiji is fully awake, not just from the noise that Shoto did, but also from Toki's punch.
He looked at her with an awe in his face and asked, "How can you even punch when you are at your weakest state?"
She gnashed, "When I saw you, my blood started to boil up. Where were you last night!?"
Shoto, crossed his arms and took a deep breath, "Ok, what really happened?"
She hastily points her finger at Eiji, "This kid! He was all by himself, leaving the shop all alone without realizing the danger he will meet!"
Eiji immediately responds, "Wait, I am the kid? And I didn't know that you care for me that much. I mean, all I know is that I left you asleep."
Eiji, made her blood boil again. She gnashed and was about to smack him once more, when suddenly, Eiji ran and hid behind Shoto's big body, tongue teasing her, after.
"Why, you!? I'll kill you after I get out of here!"
Shoto, tried to break their fight, "That's enough, you two! Toki, you go rest. Eiji, you go apologize to her."
Toki remained calm and waits Eiji's apology. Eiji, then came closer to bow down and start apologizing, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were still awake that night and I didn't know you're willing to put yourself in danger just to find me. I-I almost didn't know what to do when you lost consciousness. That's why I tried guarding you all night, in case another hoarder tries to kill us. I swear, I am truly sorry for what happened."
Toki was surprised, so surprised she couldn't believe that he almost didn't sleep just to keep a look out for her.
Toki smiled and replied, "You know how I'll forgive you?"
His eyebrows furrow, "Ho-"
Toki, quickly smacked his head from above, making Eiji's face to hit on the ground.
"That's how!"
Shoto laughed, seeing the two kids getting well with each other. It seems that friendship between the two of them is starting to build, or at least that's what he thought.
On the underground, below the city of Tokyo, there lies a secret turf of a secret society. One hoarder with long, sharp, tiger claws, bowed down to someone with a red-jewel ring.
This unknown someone with a red-jewel ring is having a conversation with this hoarder, "Form your team. I want you to eliminate this threat, right away..."
"As you wish, my elder..."
This hoarder is a woman. She has a short hair with a brushed hairstyle. Wearing punk winter stand collar faux and a leather trench coat. She has a Gothic pant and black leather boots. She has a fierce look and could turn her eyes into reddish-reptilian demon eyes.
As she left the room of the elder. Her bodyguard, the executioner, followed her. This executioner is a tall man, as tall as Shoto, wearing a furry collar faux cape on the outside, and a black leather jacket on the inside. Along with a Gothic-black pant and black leather boots. He is also wearing a thick, black, leather mask covering his entire head, leaving only his eyes to see. His weapon was a long halberd, but it's not just any halberd, it is modified like a huge poleaxe with hammer, and a pointed blade on each tip (top and bottom). Basically, it has a spear blade on each tip, an axe on the front, and a hammer on the back. Not to mention, as tall as a halberd.
The elder smiled as they walked away.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Shoto asked the two, "Ok, what really happened last night? I want you to tell me from the very beginning."
Toki replied, "Ok, so after you got so drunk, we carried you all the way to your bed and you know what? You are so heavy!"
"Yeah! it's like we are carrying 10 sacks of rice, you are that heavy!" Eiji added.
"Um... That's too much, I'm not as heavy as 10 sacks of rice. 4 or 5 sacks maybe..."
"My point is you are really heavy, as heavy as a truck." Toki said.
"Yeah, yeah... Then? What happened next after you brought me to bed?"
"I don't know to Eiji. I quickly headed to my bed, because I feel so sleepy after eating so much from that ramen house."
Eiji looked down, "Yeah, she fell asleep. I left the shop, because I want to breathe some fresh air while remembering the people I lost, and also to forget that one hoarder I killed during the raid we had."
They paused for a moment, to look at Eiji.
Shoto coughed to break the awkward silence, "Ehem! Then? After that? What happens next? How did you two get all bloody?"
Eiji clenched his fist, "That red-haired guy... I was gonna attack him after seeing him, when suddenly, another hoarder appeared out of nowhere and started clashing swords with me."
Toki was surprised. She thought she's the only one who experienced it, "So... He did the same thing to you? The same thing he did to me when I saw him sitting on top of the dumpster in an alley? Hoarders suddenly appeared out of nowhere?"
Eiji gulped, "Well... I don't know those hoarders. Mine was the last hoarder that left that battle. The one you stopped me from intercepting? I don't know, but maybe he just got the time to call for backup."
Toki gasped, "Whatever, he is a coward..."
Eiji immediately added, "And a pervert! His name is Kioshi Ito if I remember. He is obsessed at young guys like me. And if my theory is true, maybe he is the one who killed my best-friend! My best-friend is as young as me, by the way."
"Good grief. Luckily, I'm not that looking young, anymore. No wonder why he never showed up with Ryu." Shoto felt thankful.
"Then? What happened next? Who is that girl that saved us?" Toki asked Eiji.
Eiji looks clueless, "I... I had no idea... She never said her name. All I know is that she has a powerful bow and could shoot through the air, even without a physical arrow..."
Shoto interrupts, "I think I know her..." They both looked at him, "--One of Ryu's old acquaintance. She is a bit younger than me and she is as fierce as you, Toki." He switches his eyes to Toki as he said that, "She was a student, when she was introduced to these keychains, just like you two... I guess she prefers to be alone, surviving and hunting all by herself. That is why she earned the title 'Lone Wolf'."
Toki and Eiji were amazed. They were speechless when they heard that the badass girl whom they met in that alley, used to be a student just like them, before she was exposed to this cruel life.
Shoto added, "I haven't seen her fought, maybe because I never get to meet her. But there is one thing I know that Ryu told me,--" He looked at them with fierce eyes, "--she is more intense than him..."