Chapter 1 Arc 1 — "Stray"

Speak, hear, see no evil. It was the only words you'll hear around Sumida Ward.

Well not entirely Sumida, although the crime rate in Japan had drastically increased due to the constant attacks from the anomalies.

Anomalies… beings that manifest from the essence of one's soul. In short, they're a pain in the ass—mostly because everyone's soul was darkened after the Second World War.

Most of the people who'd lost their lives either resort to these things. Prostitution, Crime, and joining The Agency of Counter Anomaly.

Either choice is a pain in the ass, but Sasaki had no choice but to do another job from his boss, "The Uncle"

He sat by a bench next to the river, sharpening his rusty machete with a grindstone taped on some plywood.

As banal as his appearance is, he wasn't worried to be seen by others sharpening his blade. It's not like he hasn't been seen before but he'd already experienced those things.

Most passerbys would just assume that he was a civilian agent, or they would figure out his dark intentions and would rather not meddle with his affairs.

He looked like he was ready to drop at any given moment, medium pitch black hair and eyes which had a sharp shape. He had soft muscularity, hidden under his gray raincoat, giving off a low class vibe.

After a while, his flip phone started vibrating on the pocket of his dark jeans.

He let out a tired sigh, placing the machete on his lap with the grindstone, looking reluctant to take the phone in his pocket.

Taking out the phone off his pocket, he flipped it open. A clicking sound was heard as he answered the phone, placing it next to his ear.

"Hello—"

"Sasaki! My boy, I have yet another job for you!"

The man behind the phone had a static voice, but it was clear that his tone was full of enthusiasm and liveliness.

Meanwhile, Sasaki looked the opposite as he answered his phone, gritting his teeth and his eyes glinting sharply developing murderous intent. He was annoyed he'd been cut off like that.

Even if he'd already guessed what he was about to say, he could at least let him finish his sentence right?

Even with a lack of morality, Sasaki could still develop such thoughts.

"Anomaly hunting or debt collecting?"

"Of course, your specialty, debt collecting!"

Sasaki's voice was deep and raspy, as if there was a cat scratching his vocal chords each time he speaks.

One might assume that he's angry whenever he would speak in a calm tone, yet this is not one of those moments.

"Who?"

"Hiragana Kouji. Well, you already know who he is since… y'know so bye, I'm hanging up."

The phone clicked once again. Hiragana Kouji, that name replayed to Sasaki's mind once again as he placed his phone in his pockets.

—Hiragana Kouji, I could only hope that this won't be the end of you.

He picked up his rusty machete, and the makeshift sharpener, placing them both into his trash bag filled with multiple weapons inside.

He was somewhat disappointed that he'd have to be in his contracts for this day. Well, he could only hope that he would pay his debt.

Choices aren't to be made by animals. They have a consciousness, but they lack conscience. Which is why they only live by one thing.

They just eat, and listen. Weak animals shouldn't speak up to the one atop the food chain. Strong animals must maintain their reputation, even if it causes their life.

After all, reputation was everything during these hard times.

Arriving on the busy streets, he was about to make a slight turn in an alley on the corner. Although he stopped for a moment, looking around the street.

He saw the cafe where his "caretaker" worked. If it was the right word for it. Well, there's no redoing anything.

—Hanae-san.

Sasaki snapped back, and continued to walk in the dark alley, arriving at a poorly gated school.

The walls were peeling off and yellow like molds from the gas were engraved on them like a stain. Its fences looked torn by wire cutters, and as abandoned as it is, voices were heard inside the building.

Inside was a ugly man sitting in a chair screaming at dozens of people in a single-file line.

He had a crooked look on his patchy bearded face, wearing a white tanktop and his pajamas like it's some kind of new hideous fashion trend.

The people who stood in line looked frail and most were poor families who looked like they hadn't eaten anything in a month.

Their clothes weren't even worthy of being classified as clothes anymore. If so, they were just torn out rags ready for disposal.

—From what I've heard they've been working on renovation last month. But for some reason, the man who started the project just stopped it I guess… Now it's some kind of messed up refugee camp managed by Kouji.

Sasaki limped towards Kouji, dragging his trash bag as the weapons inside it began scraping the ground in a spine chilling sound.

His banal appearance differed from those of the families inside the building. The scraping sound also seemed to have attracted attention on the people inside, as they were fixating their eyes on Sasaki.

Kouji turned to him with a puzzled look with a little sense of familiarity in his eyes.

"Huh, Stray! Whatcha doing here?"

Sasaki stopped in front of Kouji, his lifeless eyes looked dull and sleepy. But even his dull eyes had a sharp sensation when he glared at his victims.

"Well Stray, I'm currently working as you can see. If there's anything we should discuss can we put it aside for later?"

"No."

Kouji slightly turned away for a moment as he let out an accepting sigh. Everyone in the streets knew what was up when Sasaki blatantly showed up out of nowhere.

It's either you need to pay your debt, or your deadline has passed. Both signs were bad enough, and it meant certain death.

"I see… so how's Miyuki?"

"Yeah she is. But you aren't."

His pupils dilated as the two exchanged stares. Kouji suddenly remembered his unpaid debt, and his only chances of surviving are either negotiating or stalling.

Well, although negotiations never worked against Sasaki since he wasn't the one managing their "business." Even so, there was a glimmer of hope he'd accept because...

They're friends.

"Do you have the payment?"

Kouji froze in place hearing those words. There was no way he'd have the payment, the people in the building were already paying their respective debts to him.

It's not like he could be able to pay his debt with the little amount they're paying him.

Kouji quickly stood up in his chair as it got knocked over. He kneeled at the cold dirty pavement as he pressed his forehead on the floor.

"Sasaki, please wait outside. I promise I'll have the money once they all paid their debts… please.

His trembling entreaty was heard loud and clear across the room that even the refugees looked at his hapless condition with pity. But they know themselves, they can't do anything to help since they're broke themselves.

Sasaki had a second thought, he could wait for a while outside, but doing that would get him harmed as well.

The last time he'd failed his job as a child they stabbed him in the back, leaving him in the middle of nowhere for a week as he tried to find his way home.

Lucky for him, it barely missed his spine, so there was a slim chance that he could walk properly. But after his recovery, there was a limit to how far he could walk.

Ever since that day, Sasaki could no longer walk properly, every time he'd try, the pain would be so excruciating he'd just limp towards the destination he's heading.

"Okay, I'll wait here."

Sasaki sat on the floor, taking out his machete and makeshift sharpener. Kouji glanced at him with fear, gulping his spit before turning to the residents.

He knew he might be there for a while, so striking a conversation wouldn't be that bad.

But sympathizing with Kouji would just make him harder to kill. Although he didn't want a heavy heart after all this, he might as well comfort him before his last moments.

"How's your mother?"

"I'm glad you asked, but her condition isn't getting any better. I'm afraid the virus would kill her before she actually gets operated on."

"Didn't her condition get better the last time I visited?"

"It did, but because of the non-stop rain, the damp atmosphere made her condition worse."

—The rain… I should probably patch up our roof before Miyuki gets drenched inside the cabin. Otherwise, it'll be a flooded disaster inside the house.

Sasaki continued sharpening his machete as time passed by quickly. Little by little the people left after paying their debts, and Kouji didn't look like he was doing good either.

What's left now was him to count his money and pray that it was enough to pay off his debts to Sasaki's boss.

"You done there?"

Kouji froze in place, he'd finished counting the money yet-

"Hey, you hear me?"

Kouji quickly got off his chair and prepared to make a run for it, knocking off the coins on the table.

Sasaki's face turned into a combination of wrinkles, as he turned to the now running culprit with a bewildered mind.

"Kouji, why the hell are you running?!"

Sasaki grits his teeth, forcefully gripping his machete tightly, as he prepares to chase after Kouji.

To Be Continued…