A gust of wind howled across the rooftop. Ravihiro's cloak billowed as he turned his gaze toward the presence lurking in the shadows.
Someone was there.
Leaning against the edge of a nearby building, a manโaround Ravihiro's ageโstood with his arms crossed. His posture was relaxed, but his sharp amber eyes betrayed his curiosity.
He had seen everything.
"๐๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช'๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐," the man mused, his voice carrying a slight hint of amusement.
Ravihiro narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
The man stepped forward, revealing himself under the dim city lights. His dark, slightly disheveled hair and sharp features gave him a rogue-like charm. A long sword rested on his back, but there was no killing intent.
"๐๐ค๐ช'๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ง๐, ๐๐ค๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช?" he continued, tilting his head. "๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ... that mask of yours, I've seen something like it before."
Ravihiro stiffened.
"๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค ๐ข๐ช๐๐," Ravihiro muttered. His fingers twitched, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword.
"๐๐? ๐๐ค๐ช'๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ?" the man laughed lightly. "That's not very friendly, is it?"
"๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ."
The man's smirk faded slightly, his expression turning serious.
"๐๐ค๐ช ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ ๐๐ข?" He shrugged. "๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ง๐ค."
Hearing his name from a stranger's lips sent a cold chill through him.
"๐'๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐จ," the man continued. "๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข. ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ค๐จ. ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐."
Ravihiro's heartbeat quickened.
"๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐," the man said in a whisper. "๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ ๐ข๐๐จ๐ . ๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช."
Ravihiro remained silent.
The man smirked. "๐๐ค๐ช'๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช?"
Ravihiro's grip tightened, his eyes darkening.
"๐๐๐๐...๐ฎ๐ค๐ช'๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ช๐จ," the man chuckled. "๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ."
For the first time, Ravihiro asked in a low voiceโ
"๐๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐?"
The man's smirk deepened.
"๐พ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐ข๐."
๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ - ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ง๐ค ๐ซ๐จ. ๐๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐ข๐
A tense silence stretched between them as Kirishima's amber eyes locked onto Ravihiro's piercing gaze. The night wind howled atop the tall building, the city below swallowed in an eerie stillness.
Thenโ
BOOM!
Kirishima vanished in an instant, leaving behind a sonic boom as he lunged at Ravihiro with unbelievable speed. His fist, coated in a strange crimson energy, shot forward like a meteor.
Ravihiro barely had a second to react. He twisted his body, dodging the punch just as the air exploded where he stood. The impact left a crater in the concrete rooftop.
"๐๐'๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ..." Ravihiro thought, sliding back.
Kirishima smirked. "๐๐ค๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฅ? ๐๐๐๐. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐!"
Without hesitation, Kirishima dashed again, his speed breaking the sound barrier. This time, Ravihiro didn't dodge.
He raised his hand.
๐๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ข.