Huh? Where am I?
I rubbed my eyes, trying to process my surroundings. A paved road stretched it's way in front of me, lined with street lamps. Wooden stalls formed a narrow marketplace, their owners shouting over one another, trying to sell goods to travelers.
Huh? This doesn't seem like Toyko, is this a convention?
The people around me wore cloaks and leather boots. Like where the hell am I? This must surely be a cosplay convention. I was up all night playing that shitty game, so how did I got here?
"Uh... excuse me?" I said as I approached a grumpy old man who was selling knives?
"Not sellin' to kids. Piss off." The guy barely spared a glance.
"No, uh... actually can you tell me where this is?"
He sighed, putting his knife down. He glanced at me with a tired look.
"You lost kid?"
"Uh... Yeah."
The old guy takes a deep breath, shaking his head.
"Brats these days, Wanderin' into places they don't even know." He pauses, as he leans on the counter. "Listen up this is the city of Kaldor, also known as the city of wolves. You'd better find your way back or find a place to stay, night isn't a safe place here."
Kaldor? Where is this place supposed to be?
"Now move from my stall, find another one to kill time, I got none to spare here."
I ducked into a nearby alleyway, trying to piece all the information together.
So this place is called Kaldor.
My surroundings doesn't seems like japan. Neither is this a convention. So... did I got transported into another world? Wait that seems stupid... but if I remember correctly, when you get transported, there's this cool thing called a system that helps you level up right?
"System!"
Huh?
"Stats!"
Pure Silence.
What? Why isn't it opening?
Wait a minute! I haven't considered the fact that this could be a dream!
I slapped myself hard in the face, I shouldn't have done that.
Ouch! That hurt! This isn't a dream? Huh, you gotta be lying... This must be a dream! Like it's not possible to get transported to another world right? That only happens in fiction right?...
"Where is the damn goddess that will guide me!? I shouted, frustrated.
"Stop shouting will ya?" A voice reached me, hm... that didn't sounded like a goddess's.
The voice reached me again, "I am right here you fucking idiot."
I turned my head to my left, and noticed a guy that leaned against the brick wall, arms crossed, looking at me like I was the dumbest person alive. He wore a cloak, and a leather boot, seemed like one of the guy that could blend into the crowd in a matter of time.
"Let me guess," he said, pushing off the wall. "You're the 'chosen one' right?"
"Shouting at the sky, looking lost as shit, yeah, you're either a lost noble's bastard or some poor bastard who is mentally unstable."
His eyes turned to my clothes,
"And you don't even look rich."
"The hell's your problem?" It's true I am not rich, but neither is it true that I am fucking poor as well.
"My problem," He steps closer "is that you're about five minutes away from getting robbed, and I'm debating whether I should bother warning you."
As if they'd get something from robbing me
"Look this city isn't the kinda place where you stand around looking confused. Either you've a plan or you're a target. So which, are you?"
His question was cut short.
The ground rumbled, creating large cracks. The chatter of the marketplace went to silence.
*BOOM!*
Then loud shouting panicking voices were carried over from the streets to the alleyway.
"The hell was that?" I spoke in confusion.
He exhaled, pinching the tip of his nose. "Tch. Fucking great."
Then he grabbed my wrist and dragged me deeper into the alley.
Where is this guy trying to drag me?
"Where are you taking me to-?" I tried to pull my hands but he kept walking, gripping tight.
He took a turn into another alley, moving away from the main road.
I pulled my hands away, "You mind explaining what the hell is happening!?"
He gave me a side glance, as he replied "Some dumbass must have really done it."
"Done what?"
Before he could answer, a massive gust of wind blasted through the alleyway along with the sound of a loud explosion. I shielded my face as dust and trash were sent flying.
"The explosion, that we heard earlier came from the north east, but this shit came from the north west! This is bad!"
"What do you mean?" I spoke as I covered my mouth with my arms from the dust.
Covering his mouth, "There are two major problems here, the dumbass and Phantom."
"Phantom?" I questioned.
"Don't tell me you have never heard of Phantom now-"
His reply being interrupted by the loud shouting, but this time it wasn't just some random panic.
Orders?
Metals clanked, boots marching, and orders were shouted.
"Great," He muttered.
He turned his head to me, with a smirk. "Dumbass you're on your own!"
Huh?
The sound of the metal boots clanked louder, I turned my head towards where the sound were coming from, and saw soldiers in front of me.
I looked back at that guy, he had disappeared.
"Where did he go?" I muttered
"You there, don't move." The voice came from one of the soldiers.
"Eh?" I muttered in confusion.
He came closer, "You match the description of the wanted man."
For fuck's sake, am I deemed to be caught up in misunderstandings?
"Uh... You must have got the wrong guy."
"Where are you from?"
"Tokyo."
"Never heard of it, another lie."
I pressed his response, "Hey! You having not heard of it doesn't means it's a lie."
"Arrest him! He is suspicious!"
They walk closer, preparing to arrest me.
"For fuck's sake I am the wrong guy!"
Where the hell did that guy disappear?
A voice reached me from behind, "Ah, there you are, dumbass." I turned to see the owner of the voice.
Ah, it was the bastard that had left me.
Why is he back?
The soldiers looked at him, the same one who questioned me asked "Who are you?"
"Listen, you guys are looking for Phantom right?" He continued, "We're travelers. My buddy here just got too excited exploring."
"And do you expect us to buy that?"
They sure want to find a culprit.
"Look, if he was Phantom you all would have been dead by now."
I decided to play along, "Ventasis! I was looking for you!"
The soldier glared at me, "Tch. We got the wrong-"
Just as the soldier was about to speak, the ground trembled. Another explosion erupted, but this time, right in front of us. Two blurry figures had crashed into the streets, the impact alone sent the us along with the soldiers flying back, hitting the walls. The entire street fell into chaos.
Ouch! That hurts, what the hell was that?
I coughed as dust filled my lungs. Through the dust, two figures appeared. The smoke was slowly clearing off, one of the figures were a guy in a black uniform, holding a blade. And the other, a man with a long coat, and long messy hair, with bright red daggers in his hands.
"The Phantom has been sighted!" One of the soldier screamed,
Which one? The one with the long coat?
The guy with the daggers slashed his daggers towards the one with the uniform.
He barely dodged it, cutting his chest plate. If he had been even a second slower, his torso would have been split in two.
"Fight against Phantom along with the Knight!" Came a command from the soldiers as they marched towards the guy with the daggers.
It is clear by now who Phantom is.
The knight's blade ignited with a dark blue glow. The knight sliced through the smoke, with a relatively fast speed that created after images. Phantom in response, dodged by sidestepping effortlessly.
Then he vanished into the smoke. There was no sound, no motion. He was just gone.
Where did he vanished to?
From the knight's blind spot appeared Phantom. His hand gripped the knight's face, slamming him into the wall. The wall shattered due to the impact, and large debris were sent flying.
Shit!
I shielded myself against the debris. The knight coughed, and swung his legs up, twisting his body mid air, kicking Phantom away. Or did he? Phantom tilted his head, as he dodged his kick. He lifted the knight from the ground by gripping tight his hair.
"I expected more."
"...Tch." The knight coughed blood as it spat into the ground.
"Protect Commander Cedric!" The command came from the one that questioned me, as he stepped forward leading the rest.
"Release him, Phantom! Or we'll cut you down where you stand!"
"Enough." Said Phantom, he glanced at my direction and gave a smirk.
He let go of the Knight, as the knight fell to the ground. He vanished, leaving no trace.
The soldiers rushed to the Knight to aid him.
What the fuck just happened?
"Well that was one hell of a pain." A familiar voice muttered behind me, the bastard was still here. He stretched his arms, as if he woke up from a nap, then gave me a smirk.
"Anyway, ya owe me one," he said, "I came back out of pity."
I glared at him, he chuckled.
"Rael Varian."
I sighed.
"Yuma Tanaka."