In the empty streets of Tokyo, there was a shadow that moved at night. One that the criminals had learned to fear, and the innocent had learned to trust. Those who had seen it up close spoke of only one thing, a blue streak of lightning that came like thunder and disappeared like a dream, leaving nothing but unconscious criminals and sparks of electricity. This shadow was Kazama Raiden.
On one such night, Yuki shifted the shopping bags from one aching hand to the other. She glanced at her phone and it was 9:47 PM. Her parents were going to ground her, and her little sister would never let her hear the end of it.
Come on, there has to be a faster way home, Yuki thought, squinting at the navigation app. A blue line appeared, cutting straight through the maze of alleyways she didn't recognize. The screen displayed two routes: fifteen minutes through the dark shortcuts, or thirty-five minutes along the well-lit main streets. Yuki had a choice. A tough one.
Her phone battery blinked red. Only 6% remained.
Yuki bit her lip, looking toward the distant glow of the main street, then back at the alley's entrance. Graffiti covered the brick walls like battle scars.
These areas are patrolled by that Shield hero guy, right?, she thought to herself, adjusting her grip on the bags. Takeru-san or whatever his name is. I just hope there are no rats. Twenty minutes earlier might actually save me from the scolding.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the alley. The darkness swallowed her whole. The air smelled of damp concrete and something sour she couldn't identify. Yuki's breath came faster as she navigated around puddles reflecting the distant city lights above. There were no rats but there was something much worse.
Halfway through, she noticed them.
Three men lounged against a graffiti-covered wall, cigarette smoke curling around their faces. Their eyes tracked her movement like predators watching prey.
"Well, well," the tallest one, a guy with a buzzcut and a scar across his chin, elbowed his friend. "Look what we got here."
The muscular man beside him flashed a golden tooth when he smiled. "Nice clothes. Girl's got a taste. And those shopping bags? They look heavy as well."
"And no sense of direction," the third one added, bouncing on his feet. "Doesn't she know whose neighborhood this is?"
Yuki's pulse quickened. She started to realize that the path she had chosen was definitely not the right one. She stopped and took a few steps back but one of them quickly blocked her way back.
"Hey, miss!" Buzzcut stepped forward, his voice mockingly sweet. "Those bags look heavy. We're real gentlemen out here so let us help you out."
"Yeah," Gold Tooth added, blocking more of her path. His shadow fell across her like a net. "These streets get dangerous at night. We'll make sure you get where you need to go. Safely."
"Come on, don't be shy! We're trying to help!", the third guy added.
"No thanks. I'm fine," Yuki managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
She tried to push past them, but they closed in around her. Three grown men filled with malice, boxing her into the narrow space between the buildings. Further back in the shadows, two more figures watched. The short heighted one nudged his companion, a guy named Hiro casually flicking a silver lighter open and closed with rhythmic clicks.
"Looks like the boys are having fun," the fourth gangster whispered. "Should we join the party?"
Hiro shook his head, the flame briefly illuminating his face. "Big man told us not to get involved with this kind of stuff."
"You scared of him?", his short heighted partner asked.
Hiro's eyes gleamed in the firelight. "I ain't scared of anyone. But we need to keep our heads down until the deal goes through. Causing trouble now means trouble for us later."
"Just hand over the bags, sweetheart," Gold Tooth said, his fake politeness slowly evaporating. A creepy smile spread across his face. "Nobody has to get hurt."
Yuki stumbled backward, her shoulder hitting the rough brick wall. "Please, just…. let me go. I don't…. want any trouble." Her voice was now breaking in between sentences. She was not ready to accept whatever fate had written for her but there was nothing more she could do.
"Too late for that," Buzzcut said, and lunged forward.
Her scream echoed off the narrow walls, bouncing between the bricks like a pinball. On the main street barely fifty feet away, a couple of people glanced toward the alley. Nobody moved to help. Nobody ever did.
That's when the shadow dropped from above.
A figure in all black, hood up, mask covering his face. Kazama landed behind Yuki and her attackers. Moonlight glinted off the metal rod and wrench in his hands.
"Who the hell are you?" Buzzcut snarled with fists up.
The masked Kazama didn't answer. One moment he stood five feet away and the next, he was between Gold Tooth and Buzzcut. The rod cracked against Gold Tooth's head with a loud thud while the wrench blocked Buzzcut's wild swing with a metallic clang.
Did he just... how did he move that fast? Yuki pressed her back against the wall, heart pounding.
Buzzcut recovered and threw another punch. Kazama ducked low, dropped the rod, and whipped his arm out. Electricity crackled through the air, forming jagged bolts that struck Buzzcut square in the chest. The gangster's body went rigid before he collapsed to the ground, muscles still twitching.
"Hmm. That's interesting. Join them." Hiro said, looking at his short-heighted partner. The partner went rushing to help his companions.
He is good. I would like to fight him one on one. Finally something interesting is happening in this job, Hiro thought after getting impressed by Kazama's fighting style. He shut off his lighter and crossed his arms, patiently waiting for what Kazama did next.
"Get him!" the third gangster yelled, rushing in from behind.
Kazama caught the gangster's swing with his rod, then whipped the wrench toward his face. The man ducked right into the rod as it swung back around. Before he could recover, the short-heighted gangster jumped on Kazama's back. A sharp elbow to the ribs, then Kazama grabbed his arm and slammed him to the pavement followed by a punt kick to the head.
When Kazama turned to face the last standing gangster, Yuki caught a glimpse of his eyes through the mask. They faintly glowed blue, like lightning trapped behind glass. A slow clap echoed through the alley. Both Kazama and Yuki turned their attention to the sound of clapping hiding in the shadows.
Hiro stepped out of the shadows, cigarette dangling from his lips. "Not bad, kid. Real nice moves for someone who looks like he should be doing homework. Or maybe tucked in bed for a good night's sleep."
Kazama's voice came out distorted and heavy: "I don't have time for wannabe gangsters who think they own the streets."
"Wannabe?" Hiro smiled. He flicked his lighter, and flames erupted along both arms. "Just because you can throw around some party trick lightning and generate 2 watts of electricity doesn't mean you can handle real firepower."
Fire punches flew toward Kazama, who sidestepped them with fluid grace. They circled each other, trading blows and blocks about 10 meters away from Yuki and the knocked out gangsters. Hiro's punches were either dodged or blocked using rods while Kazama connected all of his punches with precision. Hiro swung at Kazama but he ducked and connected a knee to the gut which startled Hiro.
Yuki still pressed against the wall, frantically jabbed at her phone's power button, but the screen remained black. The chaos in front of her stunned her. She was unable to move from her position. She was scared, her heart beat still on the higher note and she gasped and covered her mouth with each movement in front of her.
"You're good," Hiro admitted, breathing hard. Sweat glistened on his forehead despite the flames dancing along his skin. "But I can't let this drag on."
He spread his arms wide. Flames poured out like twin flamethrowers, racing along the ground and up the walls. Within seconds, they were trapped in a burning cage. Heat pressed against Yuki's face. Smoke stung her eyes.
Behind his mask, Kazama's mind raced. Third time facing someone with powers in these situations. This one's more problematic. The longer this drags on, the harder he'll be to take out. And that woman...
He glanced toward Yuki, cowering in the corner. He could feel the fear Yuki was going through. He knew that feeling. From a long time ago.
"Time to end this!" Hiro said loudly as he directed streams of fire towards Kazama.
Kazama slammed his metal rods together. Electricity arced between them, forming a crackling grid. He held them in an X-shape, catching the stream of fire. For a heartbeat, lightning and flame fought for dominance, blue and orange light battling in the narrow space.
Then Kazama broke the X-formation which dispersed the flames and burst forward through the remaining flames. He tagged Hiro on the shoulder. Electricity coursed through the gangster's body. Hiro dropped to one knee with a grunt of pain.
But he was back up in seconds, grinning through the pain. "You think a little shoulder tap is gonna work on me? Gonna have to do better than that."
What I am about to do next would be much better, Kazama thought as he spotted a broken drainpipe.
Hiro continued throwing fireballs. Kazama dodged in an unusual pattern, sometimes leaping left when right made more sense, sometimes dropping low when he could've blocked high. The fireballs missed their marks, scorching the walls and ground instead. Each miss left scorch marks that traced a deliberate path.
When Hiro's flames sputtered for a split second, eyes wide with shock at his depleting energy, Kazama struck. He tackled Hiro with the force of a freight train, a perfect wrestling spear that drove them both backward.
The tackle sent them both into the puddle of water pooling near the broken drainpipe. Exactly where Kazama had been herding him.
"Flame's out, sir," Kazama said quietly.
Then he let loose every bit of electricity he had. Hiro shrieked as the current coursed through him, amplified by the water. After several seconds, his screams faded to groans, then silence. He went limp.
Police sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer.
Kazama pulled himself from the puddle and gathered Yuki's scattered belongings. Water dripped from his clothes as he walked over to where she sat trembling against the wall.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, showing genuine concern.
Yuki looked up, tears streaming down her face. Her whole body shook. "N-no. I think I am… I am okay. Thank you. You saved my life." She had a sense of relief. Her heart rate slowly got back to normal.
"Stay out of these alleys. There are worse things than rats down here.", Kazama said.
"My phone died," Yuki said shakily, holding up the dead device. "I just wanted to get home faster and I..."
"May I?" Kazama held out his hand.
Yuki hesitated as she still had some doubt in her mind, but finally placed her phone in his palm. His eyes glowed brighter. A faint humming sound filled the air. When he handed it back, the battery showed 100%.
"How did you...?" Yuki asked as her eyes lit up.
"When the police arrive, don't mention me. Just tell them a hero helped you out" Kazama said calmly.
"But you are a hero", Yuki replied with a softer tone. She meant it. She was grateful for the save that this vigilante made.
Kazama looked at her for a moment and zoned out for a moment as a memory flashed. Ten years ago, he heard his father saying the same thing to someone who visited their house but at that time, those words had a different meaning. It was right before calamity struck. Kazama only had glimpses of that night. Nothing more.
He then stepped backward into the shadows. Electricity danced around his body with crackling blue light. He vanished into the power lines overhead with a sharp zapping sound.
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On a rooftop several blocks away, Kazama pulled off his mask to catch his breath. The night air felt good against his sweaty face. The city sprawled below him, lights twinkling like stars.
THUD.
Something heavy landed behind him.
"We need to talk, kid", a deep voice Kazama had heard on television before.
Kazama put his mask back on and slowly turned. The man standing in front of him was broad-shouldered, around 6 '1 wearing a black and silver powered suit that appeared regularly on news broadcasts. A large shield was strapped to his back, its polished surface reflecting the moonlight.
Shirai Takeru. The Shield of the Local.
"You know those guys work for the Kurotsuki Mafia, right?" Takeru's voice was stern but not unkind. "You just painted a target on your back."
A nerve struck. Kazama had heard that name before. Kurotsuki Mafia was the last thing his parents were investigating. But he couldn't let those emotions take over him while facing a hero.
"That's not a reason to let innocent people get hurt", Kazama replied instantly.
"No," Takeru admitted, running a hand through his dark hair and noticed a couple of heroes patrolling across the street. "But it's also not a reason for some kid to get himself killed playing vigilante. You have no idea what you're up against." Takeru was ready to take on Kazama but avoided conflict. For now.
"I can handle myself", Kazama replied with confidence in his voice. He knew that he wouldn't be doing this vigilante work half heartedly. He was ready to take on a hero if it meant he could continue on this path.
"Can you? Because from where I was standing, that looked like dumb luck. You could get seriously hurt. Worse than you can imagine", Takeru asked as he crossed his arms.
Kazama's jaw tightened under the mask. "You wouldn't catch me at all."
A cocky edge crept into his distorted voice. Lightning coursed through him, and he disappeared into the city's electrical grid with a sound like zoop-zap-zoom.
Takeru stared at the empty space where the vigilante had been. "Kids these days..." He rubbed his beard thoughtfully, his expression darkening. "But how the hell did he take down that flame guy?"
He needed to investigate before the local police intervened and contaminated everything. He was the type of guy who wouldn't waste a second. He already let Kazama off easy but was not going to let go of this chance of investigation.
Takeru jumped from rooftop to rooftop with ease, his enhanced strength making the gaps between buildings trivial. Within minutes, he reached the alley. The gang members had been zip-tied, and four police officers were investigating the area. Crime scene tapes around the alley.
THUD. An older officer noticed him and recognized him instantly.
"Shirai-san!" The older officer tipped his cap respectfully. "Glad you're here."
"What's the situation?"Takeru asked with a professional tone.
A younger officer stepped forward eagerly. "We've got five suspects, one civilian victim, and evidence of superpower usage. We should probably..."
"Superpowers, huh?" Takeru interrupted. "Well then, this case comes under my jurisdiction."
The youngster continued, "But sir, we've also identified some notable criminals among these guys. I think we should have a look around as well."
Takeru lifted his shield off his back and planted it on the ground with a heavy thunk. The young officer's next words died in his throat. The metal shield gleamed in the streetlight, an unspoken symbol of authority.
"Here's the thing," Takeru said calmly and started pointing towards the zip-tied gangsters. "See that guy over there? The one with the burns? He's been giving you both funny looks ever since I arrived. And we already know at least one of them has powers. I have been in these situations countless times and I can assure you they never end well. So let me handle this. Okay ?"
"But sir, we have..." The youngster's voice carried a tremor of fear.
The older officer placed a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Let it go, son. Do you even know who that man is? That's Shirai Takeru, the Shield of the Local. Our streets are safe because of him. Time and time again, he's stepped in where no one else would and helped us take down gangs, arrest dangerous criminals, and protect the people. If anyone has earned our respect, it's him."
The younger officer's hands clenched into fists. His jaw worked silently. He wanted to get to the bottom of this and show his competence.
The older officer added gently, "I know this is your first big break, but trust your senpai on this one. You will get the next case. Let's just have Shirai-san handle this."
The young man nodded reluctantly. Takeru stood with pride, his chest swelling slightly at the praise.
The senior officer looked around and called out, "Hey, wrap it up, boys. We're gonna have Shirai Takeru take over from here."
"Okay, Senpai!" "Thank you, Shirai-san!" "Can't believe Shirai-san is helping us out!" The officers showed their gratitude.
"Thanks, officers. I'll take it from here. And by the way, what about the victim you mentioned ?" Shirai asked with a smile while looking at the older officer.
"It was getting really late so we sent her home along with an officer", the older officer replied.
"Okay thanks. Good night officers." Takeru said.
After they left, Takeru's expression shifted. The heroic mask dropped away, replaced by something colder. He knelt down and carefully removed any evidence of the vigilante's presence - footprints in the ash, scorch marks in unusual patterns, anything that might tell a story. He even destroyed Yuki's purse which was lying in some corner by lighting it up on fire with some gasoline and a lighter.
Then he cut the zip ties holding the gangsters. They groaned as circulation returned to their hands.
"Come on," Takeru said with a tone which sounded like an order from a war general. "Help each other up."
The gangsters struggled to their feet, supporting each other. They began limping toward the alley's exit, casting nervous glances back at him.
"Hey." Takeru grabbed Hiro by the shirt, jerking him close. "What the hell happened here?"
"Thanks for the save, bro." Hiro struggled to maintain his footing, still shaky from the electrical attack.
"Don't thank me yet. How did you lose to that nobody?" Takeru asked again with a louder and deeper tone. His grip on Hiro's shirt tightening.
"He wasn't a nobody," Hiro protested. He raised his arms and tried to act like it wasn't his fault. "Kid had real skills, not gonna lie. And those lightning powers..."
"That's not an excuse!" Takeru said loudly as he let go of Hiro's shirt. "I put you here to be the muscle, and you got your ass handed to you by someone who looks like a teenager". Takeru was disappointed at the person he handpicked.
"You were watching?" Hiro's eyes widened. "You could have helped us."
"Help you beat up a guy who was saving an innocent woman? Do you know how that would look?" Takeru's lip curled in disgust as he turned around and ran his hand across his hair.
"Although I did confront that vigilante afterward." Takeru said as he turned back.
"You got him?" A puppy-like hope crossed Hiro's face.
"There were two heroes nearby patrolling who weren't on our side." Takeru's jaw clenched. "Don't worry though. I'll get to him."
As the gangsters limped away into the darkness, Takeru's expression grew darker still as he looked at the moon. His hand tightened into a fist.
And when I find him, he's going to wish he'd never put on that mask, he thought to himself, watching the empty alley.