✧✦✧✦✧✦Eijiro's PoV✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

The motorcycle repair shop is open for business again...

It is a busy day at the shop. Toki Asano is back at serving customers as a waitress, Shoto Mamuro is back at repairing his client's motors, while I am back with my filthy suit assisting Shoto.

Shoto shouted, "Eiji! hand me the wrench." I handed him the wrench. He shouted again, "Eiji! Can you bring me a water, please?" So, I left to get a water.

It is getting hot and more and more customers are coming. This must be the cost of closing the shop for days...

As I enter the kitchen to get some water, I looked at Toki to see how she's doing.

She is somehow doing pretty fine. As in, she looks calm while entertaining the waiting customers by having a conversation with them. I guess she is more used in her work, unlike me who thought these are all getting intense. Well, maybe because I'm quite new...

After the busy day, Shoto Mamuro announced to us that we earned more today, unlike the previous days they had. He said that this is history, and so, it must be celebrated.

We then headed to a nice ramen house and even invited sir Shiro Yamamoto.

Shoto, raised his drink, and shouted, "Cheers! We earned more profit today. Congrats to all!"

Toki, rolled her eyes down, "Except Shiro. I don't know why you invited him even though he's not part of the business."

"Well... He did told me that he got promoted. So... He's part of the celebration!"

I was surprised, "Oh wow, congrats sir Shiro."

Toki replied as well, "Yeah, congratulations, Shiro. That was unexpected, but wow."

We both clapped our hands to him as we congratulate him. Shiro bowed down to us as he thanked us.

After a while, Shiro and Shoto started to drink.

Toki Asano, who remembered how heavy Shoto was, warns Shoto not to drink too much, "Shoto! Don't drink too much!"

Shoto, who is feeling tipsy, doesn't want to lose from Shiro, "I just wanna beat Shiro in the drinking challenge..."

"No! Shiro always lasts longer than you. He even drove us while you were down and drunk. It's like he only get tipsy, never getting drunk, unlike you."

"Oh... you're a strong drinker, Shiro... Cheers!"

Toki, face palmed. Shoto and Shiro cheered, while me and Toki were just laughing at Shoto, because he is already quite drunk.

After the celebration, we managed to convince Shoto not to drink too much and that he just wanna call it a day. Shiro insisted to drive us home, and because of that, we are grateful to him.

It was another memorable day, but then I thought of something, 'Where is Ryu Akimoto?'

Early in the morning, we had breakfast. As we eat our breakfast, I curiously asked Shoto, "Where is Ryu? I mean, I didn't miss him, but where was he these past days?"

Toki smirks, "Nah, you definitely missed him."

I looked at Toki and made an angry glare at her.

Shoto laughed from the two of us, "Hahaha. Who knows? I'm pretty sure he had a mission of his own."

My eyebrows furrowed at him, "What kind of mission? Rescue mission? Assassination mission? Recruiting mission?"

He shrugged, "Probably either some rescue mission or some assassination, but I guess he is more of an assassination mission, because it's what he does."

"Well, I thought the lone wolf is more of assassination..."

"Ugh, they're just the same. We are the ones who are more of rescuing."

"Ok, why don't we rescue someone now? If it is our thing, then I guess we should do our thing."

Toki raised an eyebrow, "Oh? You wanna get in trouble again?"

I gulped, "Well... It's not what I meant. I just want to help people who are in trouble..."

"So you put yourself in trouble, just to keep others from trouble? You mean like you want to swap places with them?"

"I... No? I mean, well at least I don't want them to experience the same thing we experienced."

She sighed in disappointment, "Don't play hero, dummy. In this cruel world, heroes doesn't exist, neither as we..."

"What she is trying to say is that even if a hero exists, the world will stay cruel and nothing will change." Shoto added.

I scratched my head, denying everything they said, "But then... don't we have any mission?"

Toki laughed, "Your mission is to clean the dining/waiting room. How about that?"

Shoto tapped my shoulder, "Live your life. You don't need to live a vengeful nor a justful life. Life is short, just enjoy it."

I'm a bit stubborn for any of these, that is why I simply ignored everything they said. I will still try to look for someone who is in need of help.

✧✦✧✦✧3rd person PoV✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

It was night in Sapporo. The same time when Shoto celebrated with Eiji, Toki and Shiro in Tokyo.

Sapporo, a city in Hokkaido. Ryu Akimoto had only one mission there; To infiltrate the hoarders' future plans.

Inside an abandoned building, Ryu chanted, "Blade Flurry!"

As he quickly slashed 3 guys in a row, the 4th guy, immediately ran and called for backups. That is why, another 4 hoarders suddenly showed up.

Ryu looked at them with fierce look and asked them politely, "This is your last chance, leave or die..."

Ryu prepared his sword with a glare. But he suddenly realized, "Oh yeah, I forgot. You can't just leave nor abandon your task once you're summoned..." Ryu looked at them with a smirk and dead-fish eyes, after. A literal mocking face.

One of the hoarder got annoyed, "Traitor! Get him!"

Two hoarders quickly charged at him, whilst the rest follows. Ryu smirked, killing the two hoarders who charged first, with just one slash. The rest of the hoarders, split up and did a triangle formation as they charge on him.

The first two guys in the front, parried with Ryu. They were trying to distract Ryu, when suddenly, the last guy quickly thrusts Ryu from the middle. However, Ryu managed to step back and prepared himself once more.

He gnashed for a second, "Tsk! Now that's a move. How about we try that again?"

One of the hoarder, bursted out in anger, "You underestimated us!?"

Once again, they charged on Ryu through a triangle formation. However, Ryu slipped through the first two guys and quickly charged himself on the third guy at the middle. Ryu managed to kill the guy that shouted at him and replied, "Yeah, I underestimate you all..."

Ryu looked at them with a piercing glare, after. Making the rest of the hoarders, tremble in fear. They were thinking of ditching him, but since they had no choice but to fight, they quickly charged themselves at Ryu, even if it is a suicide.

In the end, Ryu killed them all...

As Ryu looked into the files, he found nothing. Nothing but their faces as targets, except Eijiro. He also saw some unfamiliar faces, which means that the hoarders in Sapporo have other more targets. So, he burned all of the pictures and even burned his own picture as well.

"I hope this will decline the number of people getting killed." He said.

As he was about to leave the abandoned building, a person wearing a black hood with a long trench coat, wielding a long scythe, suddenly appeared in the entrance and blocked his way.

"You have taken enough hoarder's life... It's time we take it from here." The person said.

Ryu's eyes opened widely, he wasn't expecting anyone. He trembled for a bit, but gnashed and quickly prepared his sword, when suddenly, the scythe's length increases and managed to almost reach him.

He quickly pulled himself down, just so he can evade the attack, but as he gets up, he realizes that the hoarder is charging right at him, eager to strike his face.

Everything was so quick, so quick it all happened in just less than a minute.

Since Ryu had a fast reaction, he managed to parry with the hooded hoarder's scythe. However, the scythe had a curved blade, which makes it very hard to parry with, eventually cutting Ryu's arm.

Ryu falls back immediately, right after he parried with the hooded hoarder. Ryu couldn't completely see the hoarder's face since it has a hood and a mask, but based on the hoarder's height and body feature, it seems like it is a young girl or maybe a small woman.

Ryu looked at his wounded arm and said, "Not bad for a girl..."

"So, you are known for your underestimating comments. That will lead you to your death..." The hooded hoarder glared at him, after.

But he glared back, "Tsk! You don't know me!"

Ryu quickly charged himself against the hooded hoarder. However, the scythe increases its length once more. The hooded hoarder swung her scythe from right to left, to hit Ryu's right side.

Ryu realized that it is just a one move, and if he evaded that one move, he can quickly slash the hooded hoarder, after. So, As soon as he realized that. Ryu jumped high, higher than the scythe could reach.

As the scythe misses its target, Ryu immediately landed on the ground and charges himself to the hooded hoarder, once more. He was about to slash the girl, when suddenly, he got stabbed right in the stomach.

The hooded girl's scythe is a chained scythe with a pointed spike at the bottom of its hilt. Before the girl's scythe swung and missed its hit on Ryu, she already knew that Ryu will eventually manage to evade it. She was expecting it, that is why she already prepared her pointed hilt.

As Ryu gets stabbed, the hooded girl gazes at him, "Don't compare me to the other hoarders you easily killed. I'm the kind of hoarder who is unpredictable..."

Ryu fell on his knees, but tried to crawl away and get up again as he put pressure in his wound.

He replied, while coughing blood, "Tsk! What a sly move... Why are you taking care of it now? Did the normal hoarders asked for your help?"

"No, the elders summoned us. You and your friends had enough interference with us..."

"I don't have any friends..."

"Then what do you call THOSE in Tokyo?"

Ryu shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know any..."

"I see that denying is also part of your tactics, just like what we were trained on. Tell me, did you try to have the same training as we blood hoarders do?"

Ryu continued to shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about. All I know is that you and other more like you had different ways of training. A more elite training than the normal hoarders do."

She chuckled, "I know you... You were a normal hoarder before and you even imitate the blood hoarders. But unlike us, you don't have a proper training, and a proper demonic power. I think it's best you stay as a normal hoarder."

Ryu smirked, "You're right, I'm self taught and the only way I can be better than a normal hoarder, is if I try to be like an elite. A true elite assassin seems to be better than me, but at least I'm better than any normal hoarders."

The girl, raised an eyebrow, "It seems that you know the difference between a hoarder and an elite hoarder. Do you?"

"Of course. Your kinds does not need to hoard keychains since the elders already granted you powers, unlike the hoarders who still need to collect these keychains just to grant themselves power."

"And you do know who is after your acquaintances now, do you?"

Ryu's eyes immediately opened widely, "N-No way! Your kinds will not lay a single hand on any of them!"

Ryu gnashed and glared at the hooded girl. The girl, on the other hand, was just gazing at him.

Then, Ryu looked down, "I may have learned some things when I was a hoarder, but I also learned some things living in this modern world."

The hooded girl's eyes narrowed as she prepares her scythe, "And that is?"

Ryu smirked, "Gadgets and stuffs..."

Small balls of metal, suddenly rolls on the floor and started releasing gases. White smokes began to cover the entire area. The hooded hoarder prepared herself for an attack, but as smoke disappears, she noticed that Ryu already bailed their fight.

The hooded girl, calmly unsummon her scythe into a keychain and speaks by herself, "You're not fit an assassin nor a hoarder for leaving a battle. You are like a rebellious ronin who fights for nothing..."

She gazed into the distance, 'I know where he's going, but he is already too late...'

Ryu was bleeding so much. He returned to his apartment in Sapporo and their, he performed a healing ritual for himself. He prepared 50 keychains and started drawing a pentagram while chanting, "By the powers of entities from the Netherworld, I hereby sacrifice 50 anti-matter weapons to give me a temporary healing. I summon, Heal!"

The pentagram lights up and started healing him. However, as it heals him, a creepy, deep-tone, monstrous voice, whispers, "Your soul is mine..." But he just ignored it.

The whisper keeps repeating and repeating until it heals his wound. After that, he closed his apartment and quickly rode his motorcycle, to head back to Tokyo.

It was midnight, when he left Sapporo...

Back at the Gothic 2-Wheel, the business is at it's normal business hours with normal number of customers.

Shoto gasped, "Well this is a normal day, unlike yesterday when we had so many customers..."

Eiji affirmed, "I agree. I guess there will be no celebration, later?"

Shoto shook his head, "There maybe nothing, but if we don't get tired 'till tonight? Then I guess we'll try to do it your way."

Eiji's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean my way? You mean try to help someone this time?"

"Yeah, that's possible. But I think we still need to find out if a hoarder has a target."

"I'm sure there are plenty, we are one of them..."

"Oh yeah? Aside us, who else do you think are targets?"

"Of course most targets would be Otakus. They're more of a weapon keychain lovers."

"That is... Well, you're quite right."

Toki, came out of the room and heard their conversation, "Not a busy day, huh? What are you guys talking about?"

Shoto replied, "I'm thinking if maybe we should get into action sooner, since it's not a busy day today."

Toki, stretches her arms and hands, "Yeah. I think I wanna go out and start slicing some hoarders, again."

Eijiro, felt an excitement, as he sees both of them agreeing with each other.

Later that afternoon, the team prepares an ambush at the 2 hoarders in an alley.

Toki, head towards them as she blocks their way, summoning her katana swords, after. She charged at them, making the hoarders see her. They were about to unsheathe their weapons, when suddenly, Toki jumped and landed on their back. Then, she quickly performed a spinning slash.

The two hoarders were frightened, and at the same time, severely wounded. But what's more frightening is when Shoto suddenly appeared and unsheathes his huge blade, slicing and cutting the two hoarders into half, after.

Eijiro was just watching from afar. Spectating their ways of ambush.

Shoto shouted, "You can come out now, Eiji! And that's how you ambush the hoarders..."

"Now we want you to ambush a hoarder, just as we did. We'd like to see if you improved." Toki added.

Eiji replied nervously, "Su-Sure... I-I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm ready... I guess..."

Shoto smirks, "Yeah? Show us what you got, then." He then switches his eyes to the lady who passed by, with a tiger claw keychain in her bag.

Eiji immediately knew, that Shoto is pertaining to the lady. So, he followed her.

He tried to follow a lady in long, red dress, with a tiger claw keychain in her purse, wearing a fancy hat and a pair of boots...

He knew that the hoarders will come right after the lady. So, when the lady turned right into an alley, he saw 1 hoarder blocking her way, just as he expected.

The hoarder that blocked her way, quickly summoned his dagger and was about to stab the woman, when suddenly, Eijiro parried it.

The hoarder was surprised. He furiously asked Eiji with a glare, "Just who the hell are you?"

"Me? I'm no one..." Eiji smirked.

Toki and Shoto were amazed. Seeing Eiji's action from a distance, on top of the roof.

Eijiro, parried all the attacks of the hoarder and even manage to cut his chest. As soon as the hoarder was about to shout in pain, he suddenly started to burn, all by himself.

Shoto and Toki were surprised with mouth agape.

Toki almost choke herself, "Ack! What a move. I didn't even hear him saying, 'Incinerate'"

But Shoto remained calm, "Yeah, that's a sly move..."

After that, Toki and Shoto moved down from the roof to reunite with Eijiro.

Eijiro, helped the lady to get up, when suddenly, Shoto and Toki shouted, "Eiji! Fall ba-". As Eijiro looked above, the lady's claw keychain, suddenly became real, quickly stabbing and wounding his leg, after.

Before it all happened, Shoto received a call from Ryu as he goes down from the roof with Toki.

"Where are you? The Blood Hoarders have come to finish you all off!" Ryu shouted in the call.

Toki, heard his shouting voice from the call. Just as when she's about to realize it was Ryu, she suddenly saw the lady, smirking.

She then tapped Shoto and said,

"Um... I think Eiji is in trouble."

Shoto saw the lady and immediately realized what Ryu meant, "Quick! Let's tell Eiji to fall back!"

So, Shoto and Toki shoutedly warns Eiji, "Eiji! Fall ba-"

However, Eijiro was already stabbed in the leg, and was also surprised as if he did not see that coming. Eijiro fell to the ground. Then, the woman quickly removed her long, red dress.

The woman was a hoarder. She have a short hair with a brushed hairstyle, wearing a punk winter stand collar faux, on top. She have a tight gothic pant and black leather boots. She have a fierce look and could turn her eyes into reddish-reptilian demon eyes.

She was smiling as she stabs Eijiro. Eiji, on the other hand, tried to crawl away from her. Toki, ran towards Eiji. But as she was about to help him, she got suddenly charged by a huge masked guyーThe Executionerーand bumped her right into the wall.

Shoto shouted, "No!"

Shoto jumped from the stairs and quickly summoned his sword to parry with the Executioner.

As he parried with the Executioner, he quickly pushed him away with his sword and headed near Toki and Eiji.

Shoto tapped the unconscious Toki, "Toki!? Get up! I know you are a tough girl, so get up!"

Toki, heard his voice and tried to stand up. She then prepared her katanas.

"No! No fighting for you. Leave me here with them and take Eiji with you. Now!" Shoto shouted.

Toki got confused, "But, what about you?"

"Just go, now! I will buy you some time!"

Toki and Eiji, cluelessly looked at Shoto. Whilst, Shoto just looked at the hoarders with fierce look and gnashing teeth.

The female hoarder, on the other hand, smiled. Her gaze is focused not to Eiji, nor to Toki, but to Shoto...