6: Dan at Dawn

“Oi Lavrov, What's wrong with you, not gonna say hi—”

A strangulation tightened his throat, sending his face purple. Before him stood Lavrov, turned and you could only see his back. From the walls the graffiti began moving. Raiko's eyes followed the movements.

What the heck!? He thought.

I would have thought the same. 

The graffiti came off the wall and formed into a shadow that coiled around Lavrov.

It formed an eight shape, and strands of dark matter coiled around Raiko's neck. 

GRIP

“ka-kr!” 

Raiko's hand dug violently into the shadow, burning as it consumed his skin with black fire.

Lavrov turned but his voice wasn't Lavrov's. He lifted his hand pointing at Raiko.  

His stare was lazy, and the eyes heavy and dark on his rather pale skin.

“Sir, your ticket please.”

What? The train conductor?

…

Liberty packed the yellow van on a free spot far away from the initial parking space. He jumped off the vehicle and slammed the door hard. He opened it again, grabbing a wireless communicator that soon buzzed awake.

CLICK

“Sanō.”

“I have sent for reinforcements. They will arrive soon…”

“Are there any survivors?” 

Liberty asked as he made his way to find Raiko. He passed in front of a store, passing a woman dressed in a kimono, her blue hair the most distinguished aspect. She turned a slight smile at him.

“I still need to ascertain this…”

“How could such a thing happen…”

“I know who may have been involved”

“You do…”

Couch cough. 

The air became pungent and constrained, his vision doubled. As a purple incense tricked up from a store behind him. Liberty turned to look, nobody was there.

He asked himself, what was that?

He quickly took some distance. This is why I don't come to this city…Tch!

“Oh sorry Sanō, you were saying…”

…

BACK IN THE ALLEY

Raiko's eyes grew red, but his fingers, though bloodied, were able to create a gap. Yet with great trembling, he smiled.

“Don't take me for granted, you punk.”

His left arm, pierced into the shadow causing it to dissolve momentarily.

He fastly stepped back to return to the entrance of the alley.

STUMBLE. BANG

The side of his body hit hard at the same wall as before. Behind him the alley stretched. endlessly.

A Loop?

His eyes trembled. On the walls were the same graffiti from before.

A shake on the lines. And rustling movements.

Raiko smiled “Eh, not bad, not bad at all, however who are you exactly?”

A dead silence preceded him.

“Dan, of the Hourglass.” 

The summoned serpent of Shadows lunged at him.

Raiko smiled, “ohoh!”

His foot stomped on the ground, his hands joined together, particles of light gathering from the surrounding. And from within the shadows

Dan eyes widened sluggishly. Is he commanding light…out of darkness? This is bad.

Raiko groaned “Akatsuki, Light Blade!”

The veins of his hand pumped hard, protruding from the skin.

The light ray pierced through the darkness causing the snake to explode to nothing.

The shadow smokes fell by the way, leaving a whole channel of light piercing up to Dan.

Raiko pointed at him “Tell me Dan, on that train did you happen to meet a little girl with silver eyes. And two men one with white hair, and the other one had his eye sockets that looked like Egyptian make-up….uh”

Dan stared at him, “Why should I tell you anything…”

Raiko walked closer, the several graffiti on the wall moving as if monitoring his steps.

Only God knows what else this guy has in his sleeve, better talk to him from here.

“Listen Dan, my patience is not for criminals like you…”

“Criminals? – his gaze fell to the ground for a while–so that's how you guys see us.”

Dan took a step forward, pointing to his right. Up there was a billboard of Miura sitting on top of the HachiGami Corporation. Raiko looked at him.

“He is Bosslady's boss, and all we do is for the benefit of humanity…the children will grow strong enough to defend themselves, it's only a matter of time”

Raiko frowned “sorry, but not sorry, what does Shirome have to do with the Hourglass…and I asked you a simple question. Where is the silver eyed child?”

Dan's hand covered his face, his eyes shadow glared at him. “That shall you not see and the other shall you fail to have… now go to sleep.”

A quake shook the plane, the graffiti shrieked back into the palm of Dan. He slammed it to the ground. 

“Viper dash!”

To which Raiko responded “Saiton Baria!”

And it was so that projectiles of black matter shot out of the moth of the reptile behind him. The barrier took each and every hit. 

Raiko looked at his surroundings, the little vegetation that grew around here was suddenly decomposing at touch. 

I can't hold this forever, I must get myself out of here. 

From behind the barrier, he opened his palm as swirls of light and transparent matter began forming into a sphere. 

“Shojin Rai!”

The ball blasted hard in the loop excavating space. The swirl pierced through the fabric of the manipulation.

Dan asked “already going?”

Raiko smiled “next time I will kill you myself…”

Dan mouth opened for a while “be my guest.”

And in one last move he tightened his fists releasing the viper on Raiko. 

However from tree alleys away Liberty rushed, his coat clapped past several storages arranged in this numeration. 

11/20M - 11/21M - 11/22M - 11/23M and so on.

In front of him was nothing but a wall. He unsheathed his sword.

SLASH. 

He came face to face with the viper that was already circling around to hit Raiko.

This is bad. Liberty gritted his teeth. 

His sword tore the darkness, sending the canine teeth of the beast to graze solely the sole of the boots of Raiko. 

Dan stood up and blurred away. 

The loop faded just as the Shojin Rai was detonating. 

A flood of light flooded the surroundings, followed by a deafening… 

BOOM 

The explosion caused the debris to fly in every direction.

The initial alley was there again, but a wall of a school was brought down. Liberty sword slipped off his hand. 

“Are you guys ok?”

One of the teachers trembled  “y-yes.”

Liberty bowed. Sirens blew from the city and the police began rushing to the place. 

Raiko pushed himself up to his feet “ehehe, my bad.”

“Was he from the Hourglass?”

“Yes.”

Liberty sheeted his sword “didn't I tell you never to engage them alone?”

No response, and nothing more left. 

They both returned to the van where a man waited for them wearing a gentleman's cap.

…

I heard the blast, but the Bosslady  had just returned and fell on my neck asking me.

“How are the plans going Piero, see you later.”

Oh yea, we were to begin working, my first mission. Locating a cache of stolen goods, needed for The Hachigami Corporation.

As I was left alone I breathed deeply, focus intact and boots headed to the situation building. 

It was 11:13 AM