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The grey sky blended into yet another sunless day as the rain poured. Heavy akin to a curtain descending onto the stage, the rain covered the streets of the town, leaving them with the ghosts of the passers-by and their afore-thoughts.
Waking up to the pressing noise of the downpour outside his window. Shiro left his bed and headed out, irked that his nap was short-lived.
Body warmth lingered on the bed-sheets behind the shut door before they retained their coldness from the breeze filling the then-empty bedroom.
Shiro fixed his appearance and walked downstairs, there were no customers expected that day as well so the closed sign was still hung on the door of the studio.
'Reincarnation' was the name of the workplace. It was one of boring sappiness and faked artistic value. Isshiki said he liked it but there was nothing deep to it, he no longer even remembers why he chose that name of all things.
Hands in pockets, Shiro approached the desk and the man dozing on it, unguarded.
"Working hard, aren't we?" Shiro raised his voice a little to be heard but not enough to startle Isshiki awake.
"Thanks," a whiskey-soaked voice replied.
"I was being sarcastic. Go wash your face and lighten up, we've got work to do."
As his eyes adjusted to their surroundings, Isshiki blinked a few times. Shiro's piercing gaze staring him down was what greeted him.
"What kind of work?"
"The troublesome kind."
"I see." Isshiki sighed as he rose from his seat.
"What? You got any complaints?" Arching an eyebrow, his eyes followed Isshiki's back as he made his way into the hallway.
"I enjoy doing anything with you, Shiro." Isshiki threw his head back, a smile spread across his face. Then walked out of what Shiro's sight could allow, darkness prevailing over him.
Taken aback, Shiro stood still. Like a bereft man robbed of his possessions over a night, he remained in place.
"Why you…"
Aware that he ought to have feigned annoyance or rolled his eyes at that remark. Shiro wound up dropping his gaze to the ground, his expression masked by his hair.
Almost like the scorching sun was only shining on one part of the studio, it was suffocating. Just by looking over his shoulder and smirking, he was enticing enough.
His goddess, Bell-chan had always been the kind of person who would look divine no matter what. Indeed, that hasn't changed, even now.
No more than fifteen minutes passed before Isshiki returned, sitting down on the sofa opposite the one Shiro slumped himself over.
"So, which one is it this time? Finding missing people or spreading rumors?"
"Neither, we were tasked to look up this man." Shiro tossed a paper on the table Isshiki's way and leaned forward, his hands crossed.
Putting one leg over the other, Isshiki grabbed the paper sheet and checked its contents.
"Takahashi Nobu…"
Raising an eyebrow, "rings any bells?" Shiro's attention was grabbed by the slight frown before him.
"No, first time seeing his face too." Isshiki continued scanning the paper with no heed to the bummed clues Shiro hoped for.
Nothing stood out about the man's appearance or personal information as soon as Isshiki noticed it. He knew the purpose of this paper was to engrave his face in his mind.
"Any details?"
"I'll tell you on the way, we're heading out now."
Shiro's shadow passed over Isshiki. Already at the door, ready to leave.
"You're quite in a hurry."
Following suit, the sound of heels trailed after Shiro as the two reached their escort for the night: the car.
Shiro sat before the steering wheel while Isshiki settled for the backseat he usually preferred.
After glancing for a split second at the rearview mirror, Shiro started the engine and stepped on the accelerator.
Few street headlights illuminated the front windscreen before the knee deep silence was broken, "you won't put on your lipstick today?"
"Already did, It's not like I do it every time I ride here."
"No. This is the first time."
"Do you always pay attention to the road or me?" Isshiki noticed the eyes closing in on him and gave a little smirk.
"T-that's, it just happens my eyes fall on you whenever I'm checking the mirror." As though struck, Shiro refocused his attention on the road ahead of him.
"I know. I was just messing with you."
"Don't let your guard down once we get there. We're quite possibly dealing with a human-trafficking gang."
"…" Met with nothing, Shiro tightened his grip on the wheel for a moment.
"Our job is to rescue a kidnapped 9 year old kid. Don't give me the silent treatment, say what's on your mind."
"Shouldn't such a case be given to the police…?"
"The police didn't bother second guessing the non-obtain of evidence. That's why his family turned to us- or so that's what the father said. I didn't look into it myself."
"Sounds like a bother, why did you accept his request?"
"Money of course, he'll pay a tidy sum. What other reason is there to?"
"Fufu, that sounds like you." Isshiki's voice was the last to resound in the vehicle.
Moments after, all the lights were turned off and silence descended over the engine's rumble. They'd made it to their destination
The two men got out of the car, their steps in a mismatched rhyme with Shiro taking the lead.
With countable strides down the walkway, the scene began to change into the entrance of a one-way tunnel seeming unfit to be subterranean than aboveground.
"Whoa, the smell here is unbelievable." Unable to stand the pungent smell, Isshiki covered his nose with his bent elbow. As soles kept trodding over the solid ground, his face twisted in disgust.
"Shiro, how much until we reach that kid?"
The tunnel was a two-cell reinforced concrete tunnel with enough lambs to light the whole place up. There was running water between two lanes of sidewalk for pedestrians.
Reaching into his pocket to grab a handkerchief, "I don't know, I wasn't told that much." Shiro dropped it on the ground and crinkled his nose.
There was the sound of water dripping into a stream, the magnified noise reverberated in the empty space, its resonance within a serene shelter. Though the timing of each drop was whimsical, the rate per minute neither increased or decreased.
The handkerchief was purely there to ensure they could find their way back in case they got lost due to some twists and turns. Just as that last time. Despite the dim possibility of such a scenario, he believed there was no harm in being cautious.
As the clock ticked away the wasted minutes foreign to either men, time kept passing like a night-shriek echoing midday.
Momentarily dissipating, the ringing of drops persisted once again.
The click-clacking of heels against the floor, the trickling water, the dimming light from the outside, and the stench of rotten eggs. Shiro began to doubt the value of the money as the air weighed down on him.
However, in such a situation, the failure to uncover anything would be the worst outcome possible.
"Could this be a trap?" Isshiki cast a sidelong glance at Shiro, who didn't even realize he had been frowning until then.
The father requested his son be rescued from a supposed human-trafficker, he ushered them to this district and said he would pay a ridiculous amount of money in return. He went to the police department but they turned him down so instead he asked a photographer for help.
Lining up the case—it reeked.
Rather, what did they expect to find? Why choose this place, why not search anywhere else, what was the point? What did he expect to find at the end? There was no telling.
"Trap? For who?"
"You."
Impossible.
"…Ha! I don't have this many enemies."
"It's because you're such a charming man. I'm sure a lot would be jealous of you."
"…" A hint of innocent fun was apparent in Isshiki's voice. Shiro, on the other hand, only peered sightlessly into the dark.
How long have they been walking? Have they been walking for minutes or hours? The entrance was far away, and the outside couldn't be seen any longer, but it must have gotten dark.
Shiro was the one leading the way, but he didn't know anything about their goal being in this tunnel in the first place. It felt natural to walk in there. As though it was a puppeteer putting on a show that promised all the answers. And his impulsiveness was his invitation ticket
"No one thinks that except you-"
The pain sinking in the back of Shiro's mind persisted on, numbing it till it wasn't to be ignored no more. Both brushing it off or blaming it on the surrounding atmosphere were futile. There was no denying it, this discomfort only meant one thing: a monster was nearby.
Shiro's strides began slowing down as sweat beaded his forehead and moistened his entire body, but he had no intention of telling Isshiki. Perhaps it was out of stubbornness, a desire to get things done now so he could have some relief later. At least not until he figured out what was causing the air to be cemented in his lungs.
Was he holding his breath and couldn't release it—No, he was faltering.
Noticing the distance between them grew to well up, Isshiki's expression sank into worry almost the moment he looked at Shiro's face.
"What's wrong, Shiro!? You look unwell."
"N-nothing, just got tired of walking a little." From his hunched posture, Isshiki sensed something wasn't quite right.
"Then you could stay here. I'll search for that kid-" Before Isshiki could make him rest on the ground, Shiro's eyes, though clouded, held him in place.
"Not worth it. We lack too much information." Shallowing his rapid saliva, "I don't care that much to make you do the work yourself." Shiro continued.
He could tell it was all because of the monster hiding close. It was unknown, however, when it would make its grand entrance or strike. Isshiki seemed oblivious to its presence, or perhaps he was too preoccupied with him to notice.
"Listen, you were right… We might have been set up." The timbre of Shiro's voice rose.
The tunnel was stifling, and the stench was becoming even more brutal.
However, a pair of yellow eyes glistening in the dim light bore down on him. In a daze, Shiro felt sweat droplets, foreign to him, fall to the ground. Turned out it was a dead end flat-fare after all.
Seeing his eyes widen in recognition of what's past him, "Shiro, what are you-"
Something swung from the front and slammed into Isshiki, catching him off guard and sending his body smashing against the opposite pedestrian lane's wall.
"Isshiki!!"
Smoke flared up in place of the damage, temporarily enshrouding Isshiki's body. And from the darkness ahead a gigantic monster with a mounted U-shaped cutter clipper emerged.
Panic struck Shiro like a bolt of lightning as the sparse dust settled and he saw Isshiki's head covered in blood.
For a split second, the thought that monsters could heal all kinds of wounds passed Shiro by. Akin to the two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day.
However, one minute Isshiki's head was bleeding out, and the next he was in his Icarus form, charging at the monster still on the right side of the tunnel. Shiro's gaze was diverted by Isshiki piercing its right eye.
Turning his other veil-wrapped arm into a spear, he ripped one of the monster's arms off.
Shiro knew Isshiki's chances of defeating his enemy were about as certain as a bullet ramming someone's skull in a Russian roulette. Yet, that fact alone did nothing to alleviate the irritation slowly building inside him.
Was he ticked off because they crossed roads with a monster that might have had nothing to do with the case and is just a waste of time or was it because said monster managed to injure Isshiki by playing dirty? The reason was probably the latter.
As the blade danced about, the Icarus moved from the monster's body, leaving no room for it to strike; he hardened his left hand and stabbed its remaining eyeball.
Black blood spurted over the Icarus, alienated from its usual yellowish tinge, turning his white armor a coalesce of monochrome.
With another swing, the white Icarus aimed at the monster's head. The sharp edge of the massive cutter clipper drew out, grabbing the Icarus's waist before its head was severed.
The critter vanished into thin air, and a somewhat young woman materialised in its place.
"This is..." Under the guise, Isshiki furrowed his eyebrows–dead monsters shouldn't return to their original forms.
A spark flickered in Shiro's golden eyes. Some-how, the woman's face seemed familiar; he could almost recall her.
It was then that it hit him, the woman's features resembled the man they were after, their target.
Putting two and two together. The father's story was utter rubbish; there was never any kidnapped child in the first place.
"He indeed lied to you. I was the one who asked him to." The woman directed her words at Shiro, a tone of apathy to it.
What caught Shiro's attention wasn't her words, though. It was the fact she could see through him.
The ability to read others' minds. That was one of Isshiki's abilities. The same skill can't overlap with two monsters at the same time unless it was transferred.
Regardless, Shiro brushed the thought off. Preferring not to jump to any conclusions. Although it's not impossible, the woman might have just guessed and that's all there was to it.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to drag you into this. I'm only after the white Icarus." Leaving that said, the woman transformed into her jewel beetle-looking form.
Standing still, "good. That would make taking you out less troublesome." No matter how soft his tone, there was no hiding the murderous intent.
No sooner had Isshiki lunged forward at the monster, than it melted into the wind.
"Can't be." Shiro's face hardened, no monster can turn itself invisible unless it had that ability.
The Icarus's eyes hurried to search for his enemy before blood gushed out his own flank.
The monster made its re-appearance a few meters away from where the white Icarus stood, medallion yellow staining one of its claws.
Rather than returning like for like, "how did you pull that?" Isshiki asked, not expecting an answer.
"...."
"Tsk."
The Icarus pulled back as a sophisticated five feet tall white Rhino emerged. It was one of the monsters he had killed and manipulated as his pawns.
Those pawns had no will nor conscience of their own. Once they've been called, they only stopped once they were gnawing at their target's flesh.
It wasn't that the white Icarus was unable to finish the monster, himself. Rather, he didn't want to risk her stealing another one of his abilities.
Thanks to its weight, however, the Rhino mis-aimed most of its attacks at the woman. The tunnel was getting more damaged, but not enough to crumble yet.
Not after much cut and thrust between the two monsters, one of them managed to overpower the other.
The Rhino's body was imprisoned between the blades of the beetle's mounted cutter clipper. Then, it was cut in half.
Dissolving into air, the monster died.
"That was rather quick."
To Isshiki, It was a waste that he was defeated but he did serve his purpose.
Shiro considered transforming but Isshiki's gaze stopped him. Their eyes met for a fraction of the time till he broke it off.
Though nothing was said, Shiro knew he was not to meddle.
In one fell swoop, the white Icarus charged at the monster, both of its hands hardened into swords.
"Hold on!" before he could hear his own voice, Shiro called out.
Gone unnoticed. Isshiki's transformation unraveled itself midway through his attack.
As though thunderstruck, Shiro's eyes widened and his voice curdled in his throat.
"Shit-"
Isshiki froze for a moment before the monster's claws bore a hole through his gut.
A mouthful of blood poured vigorously from Isshiki's mouth and onto the ground as the remnant congealed red glued to his lips.
With enough force to hurt himself further, Isshiki pushed his body a little from the monster.
Face twisted in pain, Isshiki held his abdomen trying to stop the bleeding. His ability to heal or alleviate the pain, numb.
"Goddammit!" Even though the word felt foreign on his tongue, Shiro cursed and rushed to Isshiki's side.
Not only was this turn out of expectations, but also grievous. There was no way a monster is able to revert someone to their original form, let alone steal theirs abilities.
The cutter clipper that hovered over the monster seemed to be the source of the woman's prowess and through it she could take reign over her enemy's skills.
From the look of how collected the woman acted, she thought she had the upper hand.
So, rather than coming at her, Shiro changed into his monster form.
Realizing that Isshiki would be powerless for a while, he blocked Isshiki's body with his own.
"S-shiro…" gathering the strength to stand upright, Isshiki raised his face at Shiro, his hand still on the wound and his face soaked in sweat.
"Be silent." In one instant, Shiro held Isshiki with his front horns and dashed from the place till they exited the tunnel.
Outside, the rain poured from the pitch black skies in the dead of the night. There was no sign of human presence.
After checking whether the monster was following behind them, Shiro rested Isshiki's body against a car parked outside the tunnel beside a light pole that seemed to be illuminating nothing but darkness.
Isshiki still had his hand covering his injury, even under the rain he was sweating. The wound looked bad and it wasn't healing. It was painful seeing him in that state.
Unraveling his transformation, Shiro stepped closer to Isshiki who kept his head lowered and never met his gaze.
In the dappled dark, the grey rays of downpour dripped upon the street, forming transparent pools. And upon the skin of the man sitting on the ground and the one looking down at him.
Silence passed between the two as if it was elevator music. Shiro put his hands on Isshiki's shoulders and force-pushed him back as Isshiki was about to stand up.
Now leaning against the car once more, Isshiki fixed his glare on Shiro, eyes narrowed to slits. It was the first time Isshiki gave him such a look.
"Calm down, idiot. Take some rest."
"This is no time to rest, that woman has to be killed."
"You're seriously injured, you won't be able to take her out in this state."
"I can heal myself in a minute if I transform."
"But you can't. If you could, you'd have already done long ago."
"…" Isshiki couldn't deny the fact, and only wore a frown over his face.
Squatting to even their eyesight, "I don't know what's going on but we have to get out of here." Shiro looked into Isshiki's eyes.
"I can't leave unless I kill her. I must get my power back."
"Neither one of us can beat her like this."
It wasn't that Shiro left the tunnel without putting up a fight because he was afraid to take the monster on, but Isshiki's condition worsening was the one thing he wouldn't want to risk.
"I have to get my power back." Again, being uncharacteristically persistent.
Shiro took a deep breath, letting it settle. "Yes, of course we'll but try to consider your position a little."
"Sure you are stubborn but there's limits. What we should do now is try to think logically."
"No. I can't do anything without my power. Unless I get them back I…I'm good as nothing." The tone of Isshiki's began to invert the coldness from before.
"Who says your entire worth relies on such a thing?" Raising an eyebrow, blood slightly rushed to Shiro's head.
They had spent so much time with each other. For Isshiki to be this insecure, even avoiding… it was—
Snapping Shiro from his thoughts, Isshiki's hands grabbed his shoulders, "because it's only through it that I can protect you! If I can't even protect you then!" Isshiki's voice rose as the tension weighted down, his palms unbelievably clammy, "I put in so much effort to get this far… I can't just lose them over a night!"
The sound of the rain crashing against the surroundings reverberated louder than ever. Pearl grey upon leaden blacks, It flowed.
Shiro was taken aback by the strangled expression Isshiki looked at him with, he couldn't recognize his voice nor features.
"Isshiki…"
There was a great deal of emotion behind his words. Usually Shiro would say something like "I don't need you to protect me." But instead he chose to do something new.
Instead of dismissing Isshiki's feelings then regret it like last time, he thought of doing something different.
He wasn't not acting like himself nor was his vulnerability anything new, it was merely the side of Isshiki he turned a blind eye to.
"Shiro…?" Wrapping his hands around Isshiki's neck. Shiro pulled him into his embrace.
Mustering a much gentle tone than normal, "I understand how you feel, but I wouldn't want you to risk your life. Isshiki you haven't lost anything, it's a temporary ability." Shiro's words flashed through Isshiki, easing the pain.
Despite stating it like a fact, Shiro wasn't hundred percent sure it was indeed temporary but that was the only flaw possible. Otherwise, the monster would be invincible.
"And even if you did, whether you are able to protect me or not doesn't change anything of your own worth."
Isshiki couldn't see the expression on Shiro's face but the heat seeped to him in spite of the rain and comforted his body. He wanted to let himself lost in that warmth.
The sound of heels resounded from inside the tunnel and out of it appeared the woman, her transformation unraveled and a wooden look on front.
"You're right. In fact, the effect of my power will vanish in the next two minutes." Shiro got on his feet, both his head and Isshiki's turned towards the woman approaching.
"Why're you…" Shiro didn't finish his words.
"What? You mean apathetic? Or is it careless? Either way, It's because I've already lost my brother to the man beside you. I don't really have anything left to do. Whether I die or kill the white Icarus, I'm a winner." She shrugged with a little liveliness.
"Huh? Are you a suicidal freak or something?" Isshiki remained silent beside Shiro who took a step to hide him behind his back.
The woman gave no answer.
Mirroring each other, the woman and Shiro turned into their monster forms. Vigilance apparent in his each move, Shiro took the intuitive to strike.
Kicking her with his long wand tail. The monster was blown away in the air and struck against the entrance of the tunnel.
The woman knew Shiro thought he was safe as long as her blade didn't touch him. "How naive." Just as she was about to swing at her nemesis, she found her lower half falling before her eyes.
"Ha, that's funny-" The woman's body was cut in half by an unfamiliar monster hiding in the dark behind her.
Shiro unraveled his transformation. Turning his gaze, he realized that Isshiki's wound was completely healed.
"Seriously… you have such a bad taste."
"She was wasting your time." The old light playfulness became transparent in Isshiki's voice.
The monster that drew the final 'blow' was one of Isshiki's pawns, or rather, army of dead monsters.
Him using that kind of ability meant his full power must have gone back to him.
Faint amusement was drawn over Isshiki's face, one little change and his attitude was flipped from minutes ago. "Guess that's how much of a boost power gives you." Shiro scoffed and walked to the woman's bloodied upper body.
Isshiki's footsteps followed him and the two stared down at the corpse lying on the ground before them.
"What are you planning to do with her?"
"She will follow her brother."
With an "Ironic," Shiro turned his back on Isshiki and began to stride back to his car.