CRIMSON EYES

Step. Step. Step.

Yuuki rushed from corner to corner, burrowing himself behind raised pipes and brick walls. Trash littered the ground, and graffiti dotted the scenery.

He stood motionless for but a second, observing where he was.

One of Rokudou’s many alleyways.

He hunched and took a step out of the corner, his hand trailing and scraping against the moist brick. The trench coat covered most of his body, shielding him from any prying eyes. Fortunately for Yuuki, his only companions were the lowly vermin that roamed those winding alleyways.

He slipped into another crack in the path, emerging into another open alley. To his left was the open city. Fireworks continued to sound in the sky, and he could even catch a glimpse through the cracks of stars above.

Instinctually, he stepped forward before grinding to a stop. No, he couldn’t.

Turning heel, Yuuki forced himself to go right. He marched onward, deeper, and deeper into the labyrinth before him.

And then…

"Your wallet. Now." A distant voice commanded, drowning out pleading whimpers.

Yuuki froze, clutching his head.

"What…?" His mind raced and his eyes flew all around the alleyway. Was he imagining things?

"N-no, I can’t, I need that money to…" cried a pathetic voice in response, to which it gasped at the sight of... something.

Yuuki ran after those faded voices, ducking from alleyway to alleyway before coming upon an all-too familiar scene.

Three people.

A teenager, dressed in shorts and a graphic tee, was pinned against the wall by two gangsters donning suits. They both wore short, black hair and small golden badges on their breasts.

The one holding the hapless teen up tightened his grip, with the young boy gripping at the suited man’s arm. He was struggling to breathe.

The other brandished a blade, flipping it open. It glistened in the pale light of the moon.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." He brought the knife up to the boy's cheek, allowing the blade to rest comfortably against it. "You don’t want your momma to see that pretty lil’ face of yours all fucked up, right?"

In the time it took for the young boy to shed a tear, Yuuki leapt at the men.

He knocked the two back onto the ground, with the teen crumpling onto his rear and gasping for air.

The two gangsters cursed, freezing at the sight before them.

Yuuki stood tall, his crimson eyes burning brightly throughout the darkness. He clenched the knife blade in his hand, crushing it as if it were paper mâché.

"W-what the fuck is that thing, boss?!" The bigger of the two huddled up close to the smaller, before being pushed away.

"Whatever it is-" The smaller man yelled, jumping to his feet. "It’s gonna pay!"

He threw a left jab towards Yuuki, only for the masked boy to catch his fist. He stepped forward, gripping it. The man yelped, struggling to free himself.

Elegantly, Yuuki twirled with the man’s fist still in grip, twisting his arm. He struck the elbow and the man screamed; his arm was deformed in ways nature had never intended.

He fell back, passing out from shock. The bigger subordinate threw himself at Yuuki, promising to the heavens that he’ll pay him back for his boss.

Yuuki struck a left hook against his nose, sending the man spinning onto his back. Deep red blood trickled down his nose and gums, leaking from his mouth. Both were still breathing, but out cold.

The young teen’s eyes fixated on the deformed blade and broken bodies before him. Yuuki turned around, his trench coat flowing in the evening wind much like a cape.

"Are you alright…?" His gentle voice reached out to the boy, only to be struck down.

The teen screamed in terror, staring up at those deep crimson eyes. He pointed, barely choking out the words "M-monster!" before running out of the alleyway.

Yuuki spun around, pacing around for a second before striking at the brick wall. Cracks dug through the brick like an infection, dust upheaving from the strike.

With a frustrated scream, Yuuki grabbed at his head and pulled, before ripping the green and gold helmet off his body. His black hair spilled out, those bright green eyes glowed bright, and he clutched the helmet.

Only the top half was in his possession. The bottom grill, mimicking an insect’s mouth, remained as if glued shut to his body.

He clutched that helmet in silence, before turning to look at the mess he’s caused. Two broken bodies, a scared teen, and fireworks accompanied his "victory".

***

It was 1 am.

Yuuki stumbled throughout the empty streets, stepping around any dimly shining streetlight. He held his helmet close to his side, his trench coat obscuring its form as with the rest of his body.

He was hungry…

At least that’s what he thought…

Was he hungry? He couldn’t tell. Something inside of him was begging, craving for food, yet his body retained no such instinct.

He gazed at the wide-open streets before him. Rokudou City’s downtown was less "modern" than the famed city center, but it still had its own attractions.

Salons, an assortment of boutiques, food carts, corner shops, apartments, etc. All lined the two sides of the streets, and between them were bridges of wires and banners, holding them together.

However, all that life was gone for the night. Normally there’d be some sort of activity, he mused, but it seemed that the night’s parade was what everybody was focused on…

A bright, shining light caught the boy’s eye. It was a diner. The sign read "Joey’s". A distinctly American establishment in an otherwise Japanese domain. It was something of a local attraction for just how "exotic" it was.

Oh, how strange it was.

With his trench coat blowing in the wind, Yuuki walked through the glass doors. As he swung it open, a bell rang.

"One moment, honey…!" A woman’s voice was heard from the back, fighting a losing battle against the sandman.

Yuuki paid no mind and swiftly sat himself down in the corner. The bright fluorescent lights offered a comforting warmth to Yuuki. Something so sterile, yet so… normal.

He sank in his seat, hiding his helmet off to his side. He slid his trench coat over his body and his mouth, concealing as much as he could.

"Ahem!" piped up a young woman, brushing her jet-black hair to the side. She was rather short and wore an outfit that seemed to be lifted from a 50’s American diner. She stifled a yawn. "What can I do for you, sir…?"

Yuuki shook his head, waving his hand to the woman.

"Let me think about it first." Yuuki’s eyes were glued to the raised TV in the diner.

The woman only nodded and slipped a menu into his hands, dragging her feet back to the counter. She couldn’t help but throw an eye at Yuuki every other moment. How odd.

Yuuki tapped the menu, taking a glance at it.

"Y’know, a hotdog sounds good… Maybe-" The boy paused, looking down at his mouth.

How on earth would he eat like this?

Yuuki simply slumped, sinking deeper into the worn-down red diner seats. He let out a deep sigh, looking back up at the TV.

It was a live broadcast from Radio Television Rokudou. How could he forget…? It was the big festival, an all-night event.

The camera panned over the streets in central Rokudou, thousands upon thousands of people participating. Fireworks lit up the sky, lights decorated the landscape—it was like a dream.

Parade floats occupied center stage in the streets. One by one, magnificent floats rolled by, before the camera cut to a view of a specific float itself.

Yuuki raised an eyebrow, seeing a man walk out onto the float. He wore a stylish, glittery getup, proudly unzipping his jacket to reveal a strange belt. On the buckle was a camera-like device.

He ran his hand through his shoulder-length brown hair, giving a wink to the crowd.

"Let’s get this party started!" He pointed to them, striking a confident pose.

He slammed what seemed like a roll of film into the camera itself and spun around. He stood tall, pointing his hands up into the sky.

A crystal mirror materialized from his fingers, and he drew them out in a director’s pose, shouting "HENSHIN!"

That mirror crashed onto his body, and in a swirl of glass, he transformed into the famous hero ‘Kagami Rider’.

He began to perform, but Yuuki couldn’t help but stare at him, absorbing every detail of his suit. That Kagami felt… awfully familiar to him. The two looked similar.

He didn’t like that one bit.

Minutes passed, and the TV station cut to commercials. A logo flashed on screen for a local research company, "Takayama Industries". A man was edited against a background of corporate stock footage, discussing recent trends in "luminite attacks".

"Rest assured, Takayama Industries has been at the forefront of fighting this menace. All our resources have been directed to the local police department for- "

Yuuki stood up to his feet. He couldn’t stand to listen any longer. He grabbed his helmet and stormed off from his table, slipping it back onto his head.

The waitress from before was startled at this sudden action and walked along the counter, raising her hand at Yuuki.

"Sir…? Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice quivering.

Yuuki stopped dead in his tracks and turned his gaze, those crimson eyes shining brightly at the woman.

She yelped and stepped back as Yuuki stormed out of the diner.

***

Yuuki stood in front of a café. It was closed, barred for the night.

On it hung a wooden sign, reading "Archaique".

The armored boy peered deep through the windows, peeking through the cracks of the blinds.

"Nobody’s here…" Yuuki spoke to himself, letting out a deep sigh. He slid away into the darkness, prowling the side of the building.

The only other entrance was before him. He grabbed at the handle and turned it- nothing. Locked.

Unbeknownst to Yuuki, the turbine on his belt began to spin.

He tightened his grip, the ice consuming the handle and crawling up the door frame before it gave way. The knob, and by extension, the lock, shattered into thousands of tiny ice crystals.

Yuuki forced himself inside, closing the door behind him.

He observed the sight before him. Despite it being the dead of night, he could see clearly. It was surreal…

It was a rather unique café, a mix of traditional Japanese and Western European architecture. There were countless framed photos of travels and archeological digs, shelves littered with finds and items on proud display—replicas, no doubt.

His eye caught a photo on the counter. It was of a family. They looked happy…

"Freeze!"

Yuuki stood like a statue. A voice came from behind as a light shone over his back.

"Turn around… slowly…" so spoke a young man. His voice shook.

Yuuki did as he was asked and slowly turned around, his crimson eyes coming into full view. He stared at the boy ahead of him.

He was holding a baseball bat in his right hand and a flashlight in his left.

A white lab coat over a black graphic tee, rolled up jeans, and oh so tired eyes. His normally smooth brown hair hung over his face as he took deep breaths, intimidated by this strange intruder.

Yuuki was speechless.

"Marshy…?" He choked out.

Marshal held his bat high, taking a solid second to process what he had just heard. The grip loosened over the hilt as he lowered the weapon, his eyes widening.

He knew that voice.

"Y-Yuuki…?" Marshal was in disbelief. He had so many questions, he-

Yuuki fell to the ground, watching the world fade before him.