1: Tsubomi Ibara

The night sky was filled with stars, and with the fresh breeze, the man found himself at peace on the rooftop. He closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly an unfamiliar smell invaded his nostrils. He snapped his eyes open as if there's something dangerous.
"I sense a Phantom..." The man muttered, inhaling the fresh air yet the putrid smell on the floor ruined it, it smelled like rat base urine. And all of the sudden, he jumped off the building, the air hitting him like a twig. 

Ibara Tsubomi slung his bookbag over his shoulder with an exaggerated face, pacing towards the lockers
"Ugh, school again...." He sighed, opening his locker in frustration. Scraps of death threats overflowed his locker, Ibara opened one of them then threw it away, earning a scoff from his mouth. When he turned away from his locker, his nose hit someone's chest. Ibara looked up at the guy who was merely an inch taller than him.

"Oh, sorry." The guy with weird hair color and civilian clothing flatly apologized, looking at him insignificantly. Ibara raised one eyebrow and sighed. "It's fine, just watch where you are going." 
When the weird person turned away, he wrinkled his nose and dusted imaginary dust on his uniform. "Tch, blind person..." He muttered, Ibara turned to his locker and removed his old crusty leather shoes as he wore the indoor shoes that he spent his budget on. Then he sauntered towards his classroom. 

The room was full of noises, students chattering and the putrid stench of women' s perfume hung in the air. Making Ibara cover his nose in disgust.  All of the sudden, the teacher walked in, their noise dissipating. 
"Ok class.....Whip out your assignments.." He muttered lazily, they took out all of their assignments, the teacher stood up and looked at each of his students before his eyes landed on Ibara. "Tsubomi Ibara....Answer question no.1, what is the X of a square with 50 degrees with a right angle? Stand up."

Ibara sighed, muttering curses. He stood up tall, looking at his notebook. 

"Forty degrees..." He answered quietly, unsure about his answer. The hooligan whispered to the next person to them.

"What's wrong with him? I can't hear it.." They whispered, Ibara's head shot towards them, glaring at them. "Shut the hell up!" He screamed.


"Quiet, schibel!" The teacher scolded, trying out his poor German language. "What's your answer?!" He asked. Ibara rolled his eyes, looking at his paper again.

"Forty degrees." He said, loudly. 

"Correct." He said. Ibara sat down. 


"So, understanding equivalent variables is a crucial part in our everyday lives...So, as...." The teacher's words seemed to muffle in Ibara's ears. He carved his initials on the desk out of boredom as he looked out of the window. He saw the weird guy again who bumped into him earlier, looking at the corner with his hands raised up, 

How weird of that guy.

But staring at that person...

CRACK!

He felt that primal unease that whispers when danger might be hiding in plain sight.

Ibara tensed as he snapped his head towards the sound, suddenly his vision was red. His seat mate was unbelievably twisting their neck into unnatural angles. Eyes multiplied, people seemed empty. 

That made his guts twist in revulsion and fear. But, in a snap it was all normal.

"Huh? Is this a sign to get a check up?" Ibara thought, unaware.

.....




At the alleyway near Ibara's school. There was an ominous figure hiding in the shadows. He phone rang. He lazily took his phone out and answered it.

"Momoko Kenya, speaking..." He muttered onto the phone. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm at the succesor's school. I'll keep track of him." Then he hung up. 

"What a nice day to begin with."


The western chime bell rang, all of the kids sauntered out of the classroom. Including Ibara, while walking through the hallways of the dawn sunset. He spotted the weird guy cornered by senior high delinquents, he sneaked to get a better look at what they are doing.
The burly guy towered the smaller guy's frame, his expression smug. 

"Hey, so you're the one who humiliated my bitch, eh?" He asked towering the weirdo.

"Sorry." He blankly said, the guy's muscle twitches. "You seriously think this is a joke?!" He screamed, the boy covered his ears.

"No need to shout, I can hear-" 


The man's eye twitched, and he swung his fist at the boy with breakneck speed. 


CRUNCH!

The hooligan's eyes widened as he saw Ibara blocking his fist, with his forehead, pain shot through his skull yet he endured it. Bead of blood began to appear on his forehead.

"Huh?" 

"Get lost, dickhead."

The man gritted his teeth and grabbed Ibara's collar. "I'll fuck you up when I get the chance." And he left with his underlings. 

"Try me!" Ibara screamed more curses at the retreating hooligans until the weird guy put his hand on his shoulder. 

"You should stop." He blankly said, Ibara turned to him. 

"Huh? Why should I? Those guys are gonna leave you here for dead." He replied, his tone harsh and with a slight of concern. But the guy left before he could finish his sentence. Ibara scoffed.

"Tch, suit yourself." And he turned away and went outside.

...

As Ibara was near to his street, suddenly his tongue was thirsting for anything to drink to his luck he passed by a vending machine, he quickly pulled out two cents and got a fizzy drink with fat bold letters that are in japanese and he took a big chug from the can. Wiping his mouth, he turned around to continue. 

Until he saw that same hooligan that messed with the weird guy. 

"Yo, look who it is. The loser playing hero earlier, hmm?" He brought his face closer to him, his breath hot on his neck.
"I'll make you regret crossing and spouting nonsense at me." The hooligan's voice was above a whisper and dangerous. His eyes linger on Ibara's body for a moment, suddenly his calloused fingers found Ibara's veined ones, swatting the can out of his hands. 

"Look at your hands, clean right?" He asked, Ibara cocked his head in confusion before he could say anything. The hooligan broke his index finger, making him collapse on the asphalt ground in pain but the cruel hooligan kept his iron grip on his hand.

"Not playing the wannabe hero now?" He mocked, Ibara looked at him with gritted teeth and sweat. The hooligan's lips curled into a sadistic grin. 

"I wonder what your screams hear like." He said. Ibara, out of anger attacked the hooligan on the face, breaking his cartilage completely. The hooligan staggered back, clutching his nose in rage.

"YOU BASTARD, YOU BROKE MY NOSE!" He grabbed Ibara's collar and pinned him at the vending machine. 
"You'll fucking regret it." He hissed, then the hooligan's fist met Ibara's face, and again until he looked like a vegetable.  His face was pure sadistic, enjoying Ibara's stiffled grunts of pain.

However, his moments were interrupted by footsteps nearby. 

Ibara's eyes widened as he saw the weird guy earlier walking steadily towards them. 

"You... where did you come from..?" Ibara muttered in shock. The weird guy stopped on their side for a moment, cocking his head.

"What's with the ruckus here...?" He asked, his voice soft. The hooligan's grin widened. 

"Well, well.... If isn't the cowering guy from earlier." He said, his voice was dripping with false naivety. 

But, the weird guy pointed at him.

"Where are your other comrades? Did you eat them?" He bluntly asked, Ibara's eyes widened even further. Yet, this strange guy's words shocked him even further.

"And this person, no. The succesor was supposedly your next victim. Expected for a low-ranking Phantom like you."
Ibara's expression darkened.

"Succesor?"
"Phantom?"


"Just what the heck is this guy talking about?"


The hooligan's grin faltered, replacing with a serious face. His appearance contorting into something that looks like a humanoid monster. 

"Still not mature." The weird guy muttered. But his eyes widened as the monster opened his mouth to devour me. He lunged, and killed the monster with his fist only. It collapsed, and Ibara's body hit the ground, his vision faltered slowly as the person approached him. Slowly, like a predator. Then Ibara lost consciousness.

The strange person crouched beside him, lingering closer to his face with his sharp teeth and a cracked face. He snarled in shock. But a person appearing from the moon immobilized him from the above with a katana.

"A Phantom trying to kill the descendant...."

"would be a grave mistake."

Then, he stabbed the person to sleep, as the weird person coughed blood. He pulled out his phone, dialing his Superior. 

.....


"Director.... I caught the succesor and successfully immobilized the Phantom Deity."


TO BE CONTINUED..