It was a warm afternoon in a town so small and obscure that it didn't even appear on the country's official map. The sun loomed high in the cloudless sky, casting an oppressive heat over the sleepy settlement. It was the kind of heat that made the air shimmer and forced even the most energetic townsfolk to seek shade indoors. No one wanted to be outside unless absolutely necessary—unless they wished to risk being scorched by the merciless sun.
Yet, despite the unforgiving weather, a few souls still roamed the streets, pulled out of their homes by obligations that couldn't wait. Among them were two individuals walking silently, heading toward the modest train station that sat on the edge of the town like a forgotten relic.
The first of the pair was a man in his early twenties. His short, jet-black hair contrasted sharply against his pale skin. His sharp eyes were narrowed into an irritated squint, and his jaw clenched with visible annoyance. His whole demeanor radiated displeasure, as though he would rather be anywhere else in the world than here.
Walking a few steps behind him was a scrawny 19-year-old boy. Unlike his older companion, this young man had a nervous energy about him. He flinched at passing noises, his eyes darted anxiously from side to side, and his shoulders were perpetually hunched, as if he were expecting an attack at any moment. He looked like someone who had been living in fear for far too long.
As they arrived at the train station, the man with white hair—a streak dyed into his otherwise dark locks—broke off and walked over to a vending machine. He inserted some coins, retrieved a cold canned drink, popped it open with one hand, and took a long, deliberate sip. He didn't spare a single glance at his anxious companion.
The boy, Tenki, continued to look around with wide, fearful eyes, as if danger could emerge at any second from the crowd or the shadows. His behavior quickly began to irritate the white-haired man.
After a long stretch of awkward silence, Tenki finally mustered the courage to speak.
Tenki: (scratching his head nervously) Um... Mr. Nagi? Are you sure it's okay to stay out in the open like this? What if they find us here?
Nagi: (stops drinking his beverage and glares at him) Can't you just sit down and keep quiet? If anyone was coming to kill you, I'd know. NOW SIT BACK THERE AND STOP BOTHERING ME!!
Tenki: (cartoonish face of apology) So…Sorry.
Tenki hurried over to one of the empty benches and cautiously sat down, still stealing glances at his surroundings. Nagi, who had now resumed sipping his drink, scowled even more deeply.
Nagi: (to himself) Babysitting this idiot... If it weren't for the hefty sum I'm getting for this, I'd be long gone by now. (eyes Tenki struggling to find a seat near the crowd) This fool couldn't last a minute on his own. Humans are so pathetic. But whatever, as long as I get my money, he can rot for all I care. (continues drinking)
To the ordinary onlooker, the pair might have seemed like mismatched travelers, but the story between them was far more complicated—and far more dangerous.
Nagi Sakamoto was not a bodyguard by trade. In fact, he was far from it. He was a fighter, a man who lived by his own rules and answered to no one. But Tenki had stumbled upon him by pure coincidence—or perhaps, by fate. After all, Tenki had been running for his life.
It all started a week ago. Tenki's father had passed away under mysterious circumstances. In his final days, the man had written a detailed will that clearly stated that all of his wealth and assets were to be handed down to his only son—Tenki. However, there was a clause. If anything were to happen to Tenki before the will was officially read and executed, the fortune would legally pass on to the next of kin. That next of kin was Tenki's uncle, a man named Garba.
Garba was a man driven by greed and consumed by ambition. He had long envied his older brother's success and had plotted for years to seize the family fortune for himself. Now, with his brother dead, he saw a chance to take everything—if only Tenki were removed from the picture.
In the shadows, Garba pulled strings and summoned a band of ruthless assassins—Lighters—individuals trained to kill swiftly and efficiently using their supernatural abilities. Their task: eliminate Tenki before the will could be enacted.
At first, Tenki survived only by sheer dumb luck—narrow escapes, wrong turns, and fortunate distractions. But even he knew that luck wouldn't save him forever. With nowhere else to turn, he went searching for someone strong, someone who could protect him until the legal formalities were over. That search led him to Nagi.
He had found Nagi during a violent street altercation. Nagi had singlehandedly beaten a group of armed men into the pavement after one of them insulted him. The sight was terrifying—and inspiring. Desperate, Tenki had thrown himself at Nagi's feet, begged for help, and promised him a generous portion of the inheritance.
Nagi had refused at first. Babysitting wasn't his style. But the mention of money—real, substantial money—was enough to make him reconsider. He reluctantly agreed to help, but only until the will was read and Tenki's safety could be guaranteed. Until then, he would keep the boy alive. Barely.
Now, as they sat at the dusty old train station, waiting for the next train to the city where the lawyer would read the will, the uneasy alliance between the two continued. Tenki, afraid and helpless. Nagi, bored and annoyed.
But unbeknownst to either of them, they were being watched.
And the Lighters were getting closer.
******
As Tenki finally sat down on his seat, a sudden shadow loomed over him. A massive, bald, and muscular man stood before him—his arms crossed and veins bulging. The sight alone sent a chill crawling down Tenki's spine.
At a distance, Nagi leaned against a pillar, watching the scene unfold with mild amusement.
Nagi (thinking): Looks like something interesting's about to happen. Might get a good laugh out of this…
Big Man: HEY, KID. YOU'RE IN MY SEAT.
Tenki: Huh? Your seat?
Big Man: YEAH. THAT'S MY SEAT. MOVE YER ASS NOW BEFORE I MAKE YOU.
Tenki (nervously): But... I've been here for like ten minutes now. It was empty when I sat—
Before Tenki could finish his sentence, the massive man grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him effortlessly into the air like he weighed nothing. Tenki kicked and squirmed, trying to break free, but the man's grip was like iron.
Gasps filled the air as everyone at the station instinctively backed away, creating space between the two.
Big Man (growling): I TOLD YOU TO MOVE, BRAT! YOU THINK I'M PLAYIN' AROUND?!
Tenki (struggling): Let me go!!
Big Man: STILL GOT A MOUTH ON YOU, HUH?! MAYBE I OUGHTA KNOCK YOU OUT COLD! THEN YOU'LL SHUT UP FOR GOOD!
At that moment, Nagi sighed and finally began walking forward, his hands in his pockets and his expression irritated.
Nagi (thinking): Of course... the idiot's picking a fight with a Lighter and he's not even a superhuman. Tch. I wouldn't care, but if this brat dies, I don't get paid.
Just as the big man raised his fist, glowing faintly with white energy, Nagi stepped in and lightly tapped his shoulder.
Nagi: Hey. As much as I'd love to see where this goes... I don't get paid if he dies. So let him go.
Big Man (turning with a glare): Huh?! You wanna piece of me too, punk?!
Nagi (sighs): All of this is so damn boring.
[WHITE: PARASYTE]
Suddenly, Nagi's hand and the big man's shoulder began to change color, fading into a sickly brown hue. Within seconds, the big man's knees buckled, his strength leaving him as if it had been drained from his body. Tenki slipped from his grasp and dropped to the ground, coughing.
Tenki (surprised, panting): That was... your technique? What did you do to him?
Nagi (annoyed): Just get on the damned train.
As Tenki scrambled to his feet and made his way to the train doors, Nagi released his hold on the man, who collapsed unconscious beside the platform. But before he could follow Tenki—
Nagi froze. He sensed something. A shift in the air. A dark pressure. A murderous presence.
Nagi (thinking): Damn it. They found us.
A figure shot up from the crowd like a bullet. A man cloaked in gray came soaring through the air, his killing intent thick and suffocating. Tenki, who had just turned to check if Nagi was following, found himself staring at a deadly force heading straight for him.
Assassin: WHITE!
His arms glowed and hardened, transforming into steel, aimed to strike Tenki's head clean off his shoulders. But before he could connect—
Tenki vanished.
The assassin blinked in confusion—only to see Nagi standing where Tenki had been.
Assassin (shocked): What?! Did he just switch places—?!
Then he saw Nagi's left eye. The lavender hue glowing ominously. His heart sank. He realized he had made a critical mistake.
Nagi (calmly): Too slow.
Nagi grabbed the assassin by the collar mid-air and flung him backward like a ragdoll. Simultaneously, he grabbed the unconscious big guy from earlier and hurled him toward the incoming assassin.
Assassin (thinking mid-air): Why is he—?!
Before he could complete the thought, the flying body of the big man collided with him. But that wasn't the end. In that moment of impact, sharp pain exploded through his stomach and chest.
He looked down. A paper—razor-thin and gleaming—protruded from his torso. Piercing clean through.
Assassin (gasping): What the—? He used the big guy to hide the real attack…
Blood spilled from his mouth, and before he could react further, darkness claimed him. He collapsed, lifeless.
Screams erupted. People rushed into the train in a frenzy, terrified by the brutal scene that had just unfolded.
Tenki stood frozen, stunned by how fast it all happened. He looked at Nagi, confused and overwhelmed.
Nagi (yelling): What the hell are you standing there for?! GET ON THE TRAIN. NOW!!
Tenki (snapping out of it): RIGHT!
He ran and jumped aboard just as the train doors closed behind him. The train began to move. Nagi stood alone on the platform.
Suddenly, four new figures appeared from the shadows. They were dressed differently, but they all exuded the same dark, lethal aura. They stared down at the corpse of their fallen comrade.
Assassin A (coldly): Well... this looks bad.
(to Nagi) You do this to our friend?
Nagi (tiredly): It's a hassle explaining myself.
Just come at me and you'll figure it out soon enough.
Assassin A (grinning): Fair enough.
The four of them chanted in unison:
"WHITE."
A brilliant surge of power surrounded each one as they began to activate their individual techniques. Their goal was clear. Kill Nagi. Finish the job.
But Nagi didn't flinch. He didn't even take a stance. He simply stared at them, his face unreadable—bored, even.
Nagi (thinking): I really hate this job. But a job's a job. And I need to get paid.