Chapter 2 Arc 1 — "Sasaki the Slasher"

"Where the hell do you think you're running to Kouji?!"

Sasaki throws his grindstone by the side, as he tries to catch up behind Kouji.

He already has the advantage in speed, due to his experience for running from the cops; but Kouji was a different breed.

Kouji on the other hand was experienced due to running away from debt collectors like Sasaki himself. Which is why Sasaki doubted the legitimacy of his actions in the first place.

—This damn bastard, attempting to rip me off again! Hell no!

Kouji had hurriedly ran up the steps of the dark school grounds, somewhat leaving him behind as he was seen with a nervous yet relieved grin.

Kouji had already known the entire layout of the school, and he had the blessings of the refugees. Which already puts Sasaki to a disadvantage.

He was confident that he could fool Sasaki yet again, like what he did to him before.

But little did Kouji know.

Sasaki, wasn't your average debt collector anymore. He was the "Stray" and for a vivid description on how he got that title-

"Gah!"

Despite having a disadvantage, Sasaki threw a bayonet from his pocket from a gap below the stairwell, piercing Kouji's eye.

Kouji threw the knife back at Sasaki. The knife gilded slowly in heading his direction. The throw was so weak that even a toddler could dodge the flying blade.

—How the hell?! F-from below there?! How'd he hit me?! This man is a monster!

"You have nowhere to run!"

Sasaki bit the handle of his machete as he jumped up, grabbing by the cold railings of the stairs, boosting himself in repetition with each floor.

Sasaki's strong agility and flexibility had made up for his lack of strength. Most debt collectors were hired because they were extremely intimidating and strong.

But his focus wasn't on strength. It was getting the job done, one way or another. And because of this strong determination, Sasaki had always had his hands on his food.

After boosting himself up repeatedly from the second floor, he had landed safely on the sixth floor. Looking around, he noticed Kouji running from the left side of the hallway.

Sasaki had begun chasing him, like a cat preying on a mouse.

The doors suddenly opened by what was supposed to be the classrooms. Well, it used to be the classrooms, but now they're just mere refugee camps,

"Wha—"

As he was running, he turned by the windows in shock. Seeing that the people inside were ready to throw things at him.

Chairs, desks, knives, rocks, damn even food! They were ready to throw anything just for Kouji to survive.

He didn't understand a thing on why they were doing this. Isn't it better for the landlord to die? That way rent would be free?

Maybe people in poverty truly are stupid. But even so, he lives in poverty himself, why isn't he stupid?

The residents began throwing their things at Sasaki. Shattering the windows, the furniture, and splattering the food.

But Sasaki had already experienced these before. Casually, he dodged each item thrown at his vicinity. But he made sure to catch the food and place it in his pockets.

Why? Because he's so damn hungry.

"See ya!"

Sasaki blitzed out of the way unharmed, as the three residents looked at each other in shock. There was no way a human could dodge like that in coordination.

"Did he just…"

"Yeah, he did."

"He's a monster... "

And to rub salt in the wound, he also caught the food thrown at him like it was some kind of buffet, which felt insulting to them.

Kouji looked behind him dumbfounded to see that Sasaki was holding a fresh tomato. Only a few steps away from catching up to him.

He took a bite, in a gritty manner, and glared at the horrified eyes of prey,

"This is getting annoying Kouji!"

Throwing the machete across the clear horizontal hallway as it sliced Kouji's hamstring.

He tripped over from the pain, hitting his head on the metal railing of the stairs. He groaned half consciously as Sasaki walked over with a pained look in his eyes.

His back was worn out from boosting himself from the railing and dodging the attacks thrown at him by the refugees.

Groaning in relief, he limped over to Kouji, half conscious on the cold marble-like floor. His head dangling over one of the steps. He picked up the machete laying beside him,

"Gah!"

Kouji jolted from the shock on his leg, after Sasaki pierced his thigh. He lifted his head up to look over Sasaki, looking much more agitated than before.

"Kouji… I'm tired of waiting."

Sasaki sighed, pulling out the machete he stuck on his thigh-

"Wait wait wait! I'm sorry! Did you even check how many coins were on the table?!"

"No."

Kouji raised his hands in fear of dying in a shameful manner at Sasaki's hands.

His reputation as an escape artist would be tarnished if anyone knew that he died from a debt collector with a bad back.

"If this is another one of your cheap tricks, I've had enough."

Sasaki raised his blade-

"Hold on! I swear I have enough money, it's on the table!"

Sasaki pauses for a moment with his blade in the air. The two of them locked eyes.

"Why did you run away then?"

"You have a fucking machete! Anyone with the right mind would run away! Do you even watch slasher films?!"

Sasaki dropped his blade for a moment.

He had never heard of slasher movies before, but he did watch some shows as a child when he would peek on people's windows to watch television.

Thinking about it, if he would spare Kouji, he might have a chance to watch some of those "slasher" films. Maybe that would help improve his ability to chase deadbeats like him.

"No way… Freddy Kruger? Jason Voorhees? The Shining?!"

Sasaki's lack of proper knowledge had stunned them both for a moment.

He walked over Kouji, his eye shut tightly, prepared to die. To his chagrin Sasaki grabbed his tank top, dragging him across the stairs to come back to the main hall.

—This man's a monster…

"I'm sparing you for now. If I find out you're trying to trick me. I'll kill you."

"Yes!"

The residents sighed in relief seeing that Sasaki had spared Kouji for a moment. Their eyes following them as they descend below the stairwell.

Who would've thought that Kouji's metaphorical statement about Sasaki being a slasher antagonist would save him.

It was stupid, yet it unexpectedly worked smoothly.

They've returned to the main hall, the knocked off coins still laying on the ground next to the flipped table. Sasaki threw Kouji over there.

"Start counting. I'll give you five minutes."

"Y-yes!"

Sasaki bluffed Kouji, in reality he could make him count there for an hour or so. He still had a lot of time left before his deadline.

Kouji was kneeled over, his head practically pressed into the pavement. He took his time counting each total coin on the ground.

"Faster."

"It's hard to count with one eye dammit!"

—Slasher films… it better be worth watching once I spare this guy.

Sasaki looked around, noticing his trash bag was laid down behind the knocked over chair. He limped over, still keeping his eyes on Kouji while he was hurriedly adding up the coins on the ground.

He wouldn't want another escape attempt from Kouji, considering his back was already worn out from earlier.

"Uh, how much was my total debt?"

"Fifty Thousand Yen."

Kouji gulped as his body began trembling. The cold sweat dripped from his cheeks. Sasaki looked over at him in a confused manner.

"How much did you count?"

Kouji froze for a moment-

"I'm a thousand short."

Sasaki didn't want to kill Kouji. Yet he didn't want to let him live for such a pathetic reason like slasher movies. To be honest, he could just ask his boss to rent out a disc as salary or just steal it.

Were slasher movies really worth watching? Would Miyuki like the genre? Would he like the genre?

He was curious. He wanted to get his hands on a disc drive. He looked over Kouji, his teeth shaking as Sasaki walked closer to him.

—You don't have a conscience. You don't have a conscience. You don't have a conscience. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it! I will… I will kill you here and now!

Kouji had accepted his fate, staring into Sasaki's rusty blade. He stood in front of him, looking down on the piteous look on his eyes.

"I'll just ask Momo to cover it. My sister's staying over in her room anyway so it's a win-win."

"..."

Kouji looked above him, half blind questioning his statement. Sasaki, spared him? He spared him!

"Really?!"

"Just shut up and follow me."

Kouji was about to leap in joy, but his sliced hamstring prevented him from doing so.

Sasaki limped towards the trash bag, fumbling around the items for a moment before pulling out two crutches from his bag.

It was some sort of backup equipment for him, just in case one of "those" situations happened again. He didn't want to get thrown away in a deserted warehouse for a second time.

He tossed the crutch over Kouji, as he painfully tried to stand up.

"First time?"

"Shut up."

Sasaki smiled after mocking the man. Imagine the best escape artist using a crutch. How shameful. Maybe he should just commit seppuku instead,

[T/N: a Japanese ritual suicide where a samurai kills himself by cutting into his belly.]

But he wasn't honorable enough to be a samurai. Maybe just hanging himself off a noose would do for Kouji.

The two limped over the streets looking like tramps who'd gone from street to street scavenging garbage.

The banality of their presence attracted some passersby, most of them going home from work, most we're just walking to head to the next street, some were kids probably on their way home.

"Mama look, a hobo!"

The kid pointed at Kouji, the two were speechless as they froze for a moment looking at the young boy holding his mother's hand.

"You hear that Kouji, you're a hobo."

Sasaki grinned and looked over at the child.

—I'm handsome, ain't I kid?

Were the words that want to burst out of Sasaki's mouth, while he pulls off an elegant pose.

"A cripple!"

The boy ecstatically pointed at Sasaki with a wide smile on his face. He was stunned in place. His heart was shattered into pieces.

—Cripple…

"Hey, don't go pointing your finger around! — I'm so sorry about my kid."

The mother whispered in an exasperated manner to her child. Before she apologized to the two, who were frozen like Mayan statues,

"Sasaki, you should've killed me earlier... "

"I'll kill you right now then... "

Their pride disintegrated into ashes. Their souls were damaged. Their will to live… GONE!

They forgot about the pain in their body as their crutches dropped by the sidewalk, crushed by cars passing by.

They continued to monotonically limp over the next street, finally arriving at Momo's restaurant.