✧✦✧✦✧3rd person PoV✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

They looked at each other, glared at one another. They were looking at the hoarders with intent, but in return, the hoarders did the same. They were just waiting patiently and silently, along with their piercing-gazing eyes, when suddenly...

One of the hoarders, attacked Ryu, but Ryu was expecting it. He smirked and immediately take action by lowering his head to charge and follow it up with a slice on the side of the body, eventually killing the man. However, two of the hoarders, quickly followed it up with a charge attack, leaving Ryu no choice but to parry their attacks.

Shoto on the other hand, charged, to aid Ryu. However, he is suddenly blocked by another two hoarders and ended up parrying with them. But with his strength, they only parried partially, so instead, they executed a combined attack against him.

Shoto, immediately realizing their plan, thrusts his buster sword to the ground and jumped using his sword as a support to lift him up as if he's doing a front flip. The two hoarders, eventually missed their combined attack as they parry and slide their sword through the buster sword, instead of slicing him. After that, Shoto land on their back and quickly took the sword to spin it to the left, slashing the two hoarders from behind.

After slicing the two hoarders into half, another hoarder sneaks in to take advantage of his slow move. His eyes opened widely as he thought it would be the end of him, when suddenly, Ryu quickly intervened the hoarder's attack with a parry. Shoto was surprised, but realized he left the other two hoarders for his sake. So, just when he saw the two charging hoarders, he immediately parried with them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, the 13 hoarders, charged altogether against Eiji, Shiro, and Toki.

As they charge, Eijiro, quickly parried one of the hoarders. On the other hand, Toki sliced two of the hoarders with just one slash after charging with crossed arms. At the same time, Shiro, managed to thrust his sword on one of the hoarder and then threw its body to the other hoarders. Making them fear him.

The red-haired guy, summoned his two daggers and quickly parried with Toki. Meanwhile, Eijiro is having difficulties in fighting with one of the hoarders. He just parried and parried with the hoarder and couldn't even land a single blow. The rest of the hoarders, targeted Shiro, instead of Eiji. Because Shiro somehow managed to kill 3 hoarders already.

They parried with Shiro and managed to push him to the wall. It took 3 men to parry his long katana. However, as they forcefully push him with their swords, Shiro, then lowered the strength in the tip of his sword and quickly slide his blade by stepping aside and pulling it, making the hoarders trip themselves. He then followed it with a slash and aimed for their necks. He managed to cut down the three men who were pushing him by cutting their head-off. The rest of the hoarders witnessed the savage scenery, making them to tremble in fear.

However, that did not stop them, they continued to charge and parry against Shiro without hesitations.

Meanwhile, Toki and the red-haired guy, continued clashing with their blades.

As the red-haired guy clashes with Toki, he then praised her, "Very good reflexes! I must admit, you are a very good fighter and a suitable assassin, just like me..."

Another hoarder came in and attack Toki, however, she parried it with her right katana. She knew she is in trouble, so she kicked the red-haired guy and quickly slashed the other hoarder with her left katana. As she slashes the hoarder, she replied, "Sorry, I didn't sign up for an audition!" She followed it with a spin to the left and quickly sliced the hoarder's neck from the left side with her left katana.

After that, the red-haired guy parried with her once more, "Oh, it may be too late to ask you to join us, but that guy over there... Is still somehow fresh..." He said.

At that moment, Toki immediately knew he was pertaining to Eijiro. Both of them looked at Eiji, but seeing Eiji having difficulty against one hoarder, makes Toki sneer, "That useless guy? Hmp! He's all yours if you want, he will die anyways."

"Oh... I see you are blind, you never knew his potential. Most likely because you always doubt him. Why don't you look at him again?"

She was puzzled, but also curious. So, she looked at Eiji once more.

As Eijiro parried with a hoarder, he suddenly remembered some of the moves that Ryu Akimoto used when he was fighting the hoarders.

He remembered the first day that Ryu showed up just to save him.

(I'm just watching them parry each other, but I don't see any attacks.

Could it be, that this guy that saved me, wounds this guy that tried to kill me just by parrying? Or could it be, that he is fast at slashing his sword? So fast that it can't be seen by my own two eyes that he is already slashing the guy without second thoughts?)

Eijiro finally got the idea.

As he parried with the hoarder, he quickly followed it with a second attack from below and then parried again. He managed to wound the hoarder's loin and cheered by himself, 'I did it! I just... I need to be more faster. I-I can do this!!'

As they parried, he quickly slashed the hoarder from his lower left, all the way to the upper right and quickly followed it with another same attack on the other side. Making a big cross mark against the hoarder's body.

The hoarder was pushed away and was about to retreat, when suddenly, Eijiro remembered a finishing attack that Ryu did by the time that hoarder retreated.

(As the guy that tried to kill me is about to step back, the guy that helped me, began to slash him in just one blink of an eye. The guy that got slashed, started to burn all by himself and I don't even know where did the fire came from nor how did he do it. All I know is that this guy's sword lights up in the color of orange after he chanted 'Incinerate'.)

Eijiro, then started chanting, "Incinerate!"

He quickly prepared a stance that was about to slash the hoarder. His sword lights up in the color of orange and quickly charged himself at the hoarder. The hoarder on the other hand, was exhausted and by the time he was about to defend himself, Eiji already managed to slash him, making himself burn to the ground.

"You see? He has lots of potential. Are you really giving up on him?" The red-haired guy asks.

Toki was shocked, it is as if she had never seen Eiji fought so well.

"Well, I guess I doubt him too much--" She then switches her eyes back to the red-haired guy with a glare. "--Anyways, aren't we supposed to fight like them!?"

She quickly bunted the red-haired guy's head and started parrying with him.

The red-haired guy may have managed to parry Toki's one attack with his two daggers, but Toki had another sword which gives her an opening attack at the lower part of the red-haired guy, wounding him fatally in his left leg.

The red-haired guy was pushed back, but Toki was pushing him further. He tried to defend himself from all of her continuous attacks, when suddenly, Toki changed how she hold her left katana into upside down, managing to slide her katana through his daggers, all the way to his shoulder.

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The red-haired guy shouted in pain, "Ouch! It hurts! It hurts!"

The red-haired guy is heavily wounded and decided to retreat all by himself.

Shiro, on the other hand, managed to kill 7 guys all by himself. The last guy was a time killer and decided to evade Shiro every time he attacks. However, Shiro still managed to outsmart him via slashing him from above and then bumping him like pushing him in case he managed to evade the attack. As he bumped the hoarder, he then quickly followed it with a spin to the right and managed to slice the hoarder in half. Giving him 8 kills in all.

Eijiro, on the other hand, is parrying with the last hoarder. However, when the hoarder saw Ryu and Shoto coming in his way, and at the same time, seeing his comrades' dead body, the hoarder quickly ran as fast as he can after pushing Eijiro.

Eijiro was about to follow him, when suddenly, Toki grabbed his shoulder, "Don't follow him. It's either you get kidnapped or they are planning something. Either way, it's a trap."

Eijiro, then remained calm, but was also surprised, because it was the first time Toki touches him.

As Shoto and Ryu came, Shoto then asks,

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, we're ok. I don't know if any of us are injured, though." Toki replied.

Ryu, on the other hand, inspects around and saw a dead-body in ash. His eyebrows furrowed, "Who burned this body?"

Toki, points her finger to Eiji, "It was Eiji, it seems that he had finally learned how to chant an ability."

Ryu, Shoto, and Shiro looked at Eiji as if they are surprised.

Ryu, curiously asked Shoto,

"I don't remember teaching him that. Did you, Shoto?"

"Nope, I never did. Did you, Toki?"

"W-What!? Why me? I never even taught him anything. Did you, Shiro??"

Shiro remained in silence in the corner and effortlessly denied the question via a non-verbal communication.

Eijiro, chuckled at them after seeing them pointing each other. He grinned as if he is proud of himself, knowing a useful skill all alone without anyone teaching him. However, he also had a feeling of regret, because after all, he just killed someone...

Soon after that night, daytime arrived, however, everyone was exhausted. So, Shoto decided to close the shop for the day.

After waking up late, Shoto asked Eiji and Toki for a small meeting at the cafe room, "It was a glorious battle. However, our battle does not end here. In other words, this is just the beginning, especially for you Eiji. We may have managed to not suffer from a wound or any fatal injuries, but there are more days that we need to look forward to. For now, we must celebrate this victory, for every victory must be celebrated."

Shoto called Ryu and Shiro for a celebration and even told them that he will pay for the food tonight. He called them, because they are part of the celebration, and at the same time, it was them who killed more hoarders, than the rest do.

By the time the night came, they celebrated at a near ramen house, and at the same time, ordered a bowl of rice, meat, and beers. Eiji and Toki, are not allowed to drink, yet, whilst Ryu is not in the mood.

Shiro, on the other hand, is as a heavy drinker as Shoto. However, he doesn't look drunk, and at the same time, he is just silently drinking with Shoto.

After the celebration, Shiro drove them home, but at the same time, Ryu left all by himself. Shoto was drunk real hard, but Shiro was like, only tipsy...

Shoto was so heavy as they brought him to his room. Eiji couldn't even believe that he and Toki were able to put him in his bed. As in, just how heavy is this guy?

After that, Toki went to sleep, because she got full from the food. It really is true, that when you are full, you could easily fall asleep.

Eiji, on the other hand, wasn't really in the mood. So, he decided to take a walk in the streets for some fresh air. He was still thinking about the fight yesterday, and that, he couldn't move on from the first guy he killed.

He knew his situation was either life or death, but still, he couldn't believe that he could do such a horrible thing. Which is killing someone.

He decided to stand and enjoy the view from the bridge. Seeing the glimmering stars of the night sky and feeling the breeze-fresh air of the wind. He suddenly somehow remembers his family and his best friend, Miki.

He remembers the time when he hangs out with Miki, and his parents cooking tasty foods for him. He couldn't believe that even after all he has been through, he still remembered every good memories he had with them...

Time quickly passes by, so quick that he couldn't believe it's already almost over two weeks since the day his magical keychain turns into a real sword. It was a memorable moment, because by the time his sword showed up, everything started to change.

It took him hours of walking in the street, just to get this thing he's been thinking off from his head.

After clearing his mind, he headed back to the shop, because it was almost midnight.

As he passed by an alley, he heard someone whistled at him. He got curious, so he checked it while also preparing his keychain sword.

He saw him! The red-haired guy! It seems that he bandaged his wounds and was looking at him with intent, "Eiji..." He said in a creepy low voice.

Another guy with a black leather coat, suddenly showed up and tried to cut him with a long sword. His sword is as same as his, however, his sword had a golden hilt and a ruby in the pommel. It was he who ran away from Eiji during that fight. He was one of the surviving hoarders.

Eiji, realized that these remaining hoarders, must've been here to finish their task. He believed that their one and only task is to kill him.

He knew he needed to protect himself from this assassination, or else he'll get killed in no time. So, he parried and parried with the hoarder again and again until he pushes him back. Eiji tried to bump him with his shoulder, but failed miserably, because the hoarder saw what he's trying to do, giving the hoarder a chance to hit Eiji with a fatal blow. However, Eiji saw it coming too, and decided to step back in order to evade the attack.

They decided to stand back from each other for a while, breathing in and out heavily with intense glare, when suddenly, they clash swords once more.

He looked at Eiji with a fierce look as they clashed each other's swords, but Eiji is doing the same. Sooner or later, the hoarder unsummons his keychain and stepped aside, to trip Eiji. The hoarder, then followed it with a knock on Eiji's head using an elbow, attacking from behind.

It hurts Eiji so hard, resulting to his downfall on the floor. He tried to stand up, but before he was about to, the hoarder immediately kicked him. So, he decided to slash him from below, however, he is immediately parried heavily, making his hand shook as if it vibrated from a heavy parry, and at the same time, losing his grip from his sword.

He then stepped on Eiji and slashes him in the chest. It was a slow, suffering, pain, as if he never had this kind of pain before. It may look minor, but it is still a long cut.

Eiji is slowly feeling the pain, because the hoarder's sword is not just pointing closely at him, but also stepping on his severed chest.

The red-haired guy, then laughed hysterically from the corner, "Haha! Well done!"

He came close and stepped on Eiji's severed chest as well, at the same time, summoned his dagger.

He then looked not to Eiji, but to the hoarder, "Come on, now. I shall be the one to kill him."

But the hoarder refused, "Why don't you just sit back, there? I'm the one who should kill him. After all, I'm the on-"

The red-haired guy, suddenly stabbed the hoarder's right chest, and at the same time, chanted a spell 'Immolate'.

The hoarder, quickly shouted in pain, "N-Noooo!!"

The hoarder, suddenly began to smoke. He never turned into ashes. He just quickly died there without any fire burning his skin, and yet he is smoking.

Eiji was shocked, witnessing a person to die from a mysterious cause of death. He looked at the red-haired guy with fear in his eyes, but only to find his creepy smile.

"No one will kill Eijiro, except me..." He said. "--Now Eiji, would you like me to introduce?"

He quickly removed his foot from his severed chest and introduces himself, "I'm Kioshi Ito, and well... I'm just a simple hoarder. But you know what I liked about you?"

Eiji shook his head, "You don't necessarily need to tell-"

"I like you, because you resembled a once young man who has the same looks as you and as same school as you.. Except he had a different hair color... If you know who I mean..." He smiled.

Eiji, opened his eyes widely. He suddenly pictured an image of Miki, 'Is he talking about my best friend, Miki? Did he knew him? Why did he mentioned him? Is he alive? Or is he the one who killed my best friend?'

Eiji, suddenly raged and tried to get up. He was about to punch him so hard, when suddenly, Kioshi, pointed his dagger at him.

Eiji gnashed, "How did you know him?? Are you talking about Miki? Miki Ebisawa!?" He shoutedly asked.

Kioshi was surprised, "So you do know him!? Oh... I just loved that young man's body... However, he didn't last long and that his body will soon decompose. Sooner or later, I was informed that he had a friend that is as same look as he. That's why I decided, maybe I'll have a second chance to reunite with him, through you?"

Eiji, wanted to beat him so bad. He wanted to kill him with his sword, but realized it was on the ground and it's too far for him to reach it. He is in a risky position. If he tried to get up to reach for his sword, he might end up getting stabbed, or worse, die in a mysterious cause of death, just like the hoarder's fate, earlier.

He continued to gnash and replied, "What do you mean? What are you gonna do to me?"

Kioshi smirked, "Replace him. Replace the dead body of Miki. But this time, I will keep you alive. This time, I will not make the same mistake..." He was smiling creepily as he said that to Eiji.

Eiji, eventually, was creeped out by him, "You are insane..."

He laughed hysterically from his reply, "Haha! I know right? Everyone told me that, before!"

Eiji felt scared, since he doesn't want to be his slave, nor let him do stuff in his body...

He looked up in the night sky depressingly and told himself, 'H-Help me... I would rather die than to submit to him...' Kioshi just continued to laugh hysterically, making Eiji look back at him with a frightened face, '--I just... I hoped someone will rescue me... Someone like Ryu...'