Guardians of the Light [Chapter Ten] Almost Dead
CHAPTER X - Almost Dead
Day 3, December 8.
Yuri woke up at around 7 am. Everyone else was still asleep. He turned to his side to see the still sleeping Ryutaro. He smiled awkwardly. Ryutaro was angry with him because of what happened last night. He got up and prepped himself. There’s only two days left.
He picked up his phone and dialed his sister’s number. It rang three times before a raspy, female voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Looks like you just woke up nee-chan.” Yuri greeted.
Saya’s voice on the other side of the phone started to become excited. “Yuri! Gosh where have you been? Why haven’t you called me? I was so worried!”
“Sorry. I'm well- travelling with a couple of friends.”
“Where? Do you want me to fetch you there? Are you okay? Are you safe?”
Okay, sort of. Safe, not sure yet, he thought. “I'm fine, no need to worry. And don’t fetch me nee-chan. I'm not a kid anymore.” He smiled.
Saya sighed. “Fine. Just, take care. And call me every day so I won’t get paranoid. Okay?”
“Deal. I have to go. Take care.” Before Saya could even say goodbye, he pressed the end button. Tears rolled down Yuri’s eyes. “Sorry nee-chan…”
A pair of hands slithered across Yuri’s chest from behind. He looked back to see Ryutaro hugging him. He leaned back and tried to smile.
“I'm sorry about last night.”
“It’s okay. Who was that on the phone?” Ryutaro asked.
“My sister, Saya. She worries too much.”
“Hmm… I wish I could meet her.”
“Why?”
“I just want to meet her.”
“I’ll introduce you to her once we finish this thing we’re doing.” Yuri promised.
“Let’s go get you some breakfast.”
“Great idea.”
Before leaving Nagasaki, they went into a boutique where they fitted themselves into better looking clothes. Keito took a white shirt matched with a black and white checkered scarf, blue pants, and white sneakers. Yuto had a blue shirt that had an imprint saying ‘Kick some as*’, black pants, and a pair of boots. Ryutaro went for the simple look. He wore a white undershirt with a white hooded jacket, cargo pants, and sneakers. Yuri was dashing in his black hooded shirt, navy blue shorts, and red sneakers.
Before noon came, they were on their way to Tokyo. Ryutaro told them about Satomi’s hunch and they followed it. However, the trip on train would take them 6 more hours. It was a gruesome wait but they had no choice.
“So, when we arrive at Tokyo, where do we start?” Yuto asked.
“From scratch.” Yuri answered.
“We should at least look for a spot to start this quest.”
“Yuto is right. We can’t separate in Tokyo to find the Hollow. We wouldn’t be able to do it.” Keito added.
Yuri flipped open a Tokyo map he got from the hotel in Nagasaki. He scanned it.
“Why don’t we start at the Edo castle?” he suggested.
“I don’t think we can come in that easily there.” Yuto said.
“Tokyo tower? Tokyo Dome? Tokyo Disneyland?”
“No. And besides, what’s in Disneyland that would interest the Hollow anyway?”
“Right.” Yuri rolled his eyes.
“Keito, what do you think?” Yuto asked.
“Why don’t we start at the heart of Tokyo? Then maybe we can scan the whole perimeter at night. No one would notice us much.”
“Point taken. Let’s just hope we find it fast.”
Time passed. They were just 30 minutes away from the Tokyo train station. They passed by buildings and monuments. They looked out for anything suspicious on the way but luck was not with them.
“You okay Yuri?” Keito asked when he noticed Yuri was nauseous.
“Yeah, just a little dizzy. And I feel weird.”
Ryutaro turned to the window and flinched. “It’s weird.”
“What?”
“Tokyo. It seems so dangerous. I think I can smell it in the air.”
“D’you get the same feeling Yuri?” Yuto asked.
“More or less. It’s really weird. I could even feel my intestines being churned.”
Yuto looked at Keito.
“I can feel the ground shake.” Keito announced. “Shit!”
All of a sudden, the train shook. The passengers trampled on each other and into the sides of the train. Suitcases were on the floor after the tremor. However, it was not over. They heard an explosion from the front part of the train. Sure enough, the train shook again and shots of fire were spitted from the driver’s area. Everyone panicked. The passengers moved from one place to another, looking for exits. But the train was still on the move. The sound of the metal wheels on the railroad was so sharp that it made loud noises.
“We have to go help!” Yuri shouted. With that, he kicked open a window which broke and he flew out. Ryutaro followed his lead. Yuto and Keito climbed out of the train and stood on top of it.
“The train has to stop!”
“Keito, Yuto, try and stop the train.” Ryutaro said.
They both nodded. Keito held onto Yuto's hand and the latter shot his free hand on the railings. With a great force, Yuto was pulled down, with Keito dangling on his side. Keito then grabbed the edge of the train with his hand, pulling it down and using Yuto’s grip as leverage. The train somehow slowed down but it was still on the move.
“Keito I can’t hold on much longer!” Yuto shouted.
“Hold my waist!” Keito commanded.
Yuto then spun his arms around Keito’s waist, giving him both hands free. Keito grabbed a handful of the side of the train, which made it slow down even more.
“Guys! Problem!” Yuri shouted and pointed to the front. The driver’s cabin has been filled with fire. Shouts of help come from one corner to another.
“Yuri! Ryu! Go help them!” Keito said.
They both flew towards the cabin. Yuto and Keito were left holding the train back. They did a pretty good job since the train was decelerating.
“Ryu-chan! Can you blow the train back? I’ll try and put out the fire.” Yuri commanded.
Ryutaro dug in deep and breathed a huge pillar of wind, hitting the nose of the train with much force that it made a dent instead of stopping it.
“Oops…”
Yuri kicked the window open and flung inside. Three bodies lay unconscious on the floor. They may be the driver and his companions. They were surrounded by fire.
“Driver-san! Driver-san!”
There was no response. Yuri gestured towards the fire and motioned it in the direction of the broken window. The fire sprouted into the open and died out.
“That ought to do it.”
“Good job…” a voice from behind spoke.
Yuri turned and gawked when he saw a man standing before him. He was taller than Yuri by about half a foot. His hair maintained its spikiness amidst the constant gust of wind. He had a pair of red pants and a black shirt. The smirk on his face made him look devastatingly handsome and dangerous.
“Who are you?” Yuri asked.
“Ryutaro knows me.” he smiled.
Yuri looked back at Ryutaro. Then, there was a sudden blow on Yuri’s back that made him fall to the floor.
“You should never turn your back from your opponent, okay?”
BOOM!
The whole train shook. He stood there, unmoved. He just looked at where the explosion came from.
CRASH!
Ryutaro had broken into the room.
“You?!” he started to move when he noticed Yuri on the floor, unconscious. Instead of attacking, he shook Yuri.
“Yuri! What did you do to him? Answer me!”
“Sheesh. He’s alive, Ryutaro.”
“If something bad-”
“Happens to him I will definitely not forgive you. Yeah I know that already.”
Ryutaro turned silent. “Inoo-san, what do you want?”
“Inoo-san? That’s too formal. Call me Kei. I prefer that. And I don’t want anything now.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s just say I’m a gun for rent. You’re lucky I’m told not to kill you.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To tell you what your next step should be.”
Ryutaro leaned his head to the side and raised his eyebrow.
“You surely are lost. My, uhm, client, ordered me to help.”
“Why?”
“It’s not my business to explain stuff Ryu. Go down. That’s where you’ll find what you’re looking for.” As he finished those words, he was covered in dark mist and vanished.
“Wait!”
Yuri stirred. Ryutaro helped him up.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. The train?”
That’s when they remembered. The train hadn’t fully stopped yet. The smell of burning metal surrounded the place.
“We need to get them out!” Yuri shouted, pointing at the crew.
Ryutaro placed two of them on his shoulders and carried them into somewhere safe in the train. Yuri followed, dragging the driver with him. After placing the crew on a safe spot, they flew out. Keito and Yuto were both standing on top of the train. Yuto was blowing streams of water to the burning parts of the train.
“Ryu! Yuri!” Keito called out.
“The train has not stopped yet!”
“Oh no…” Keito muttered, pointing to a spot a few meters away from them. It was a broken railway. Surely, if the train would pass by it, they would surely die.
“Keito! Use your powers! The ground!” Yuri ordered.
“Right.” Keito nodded.
He ran towards the nose of the train and waved his hands. The ground rose and turned into a somewhat makeshift railroad. The train passed through easily.
“We did it!” Yuto exclaimed. He did a good job as well. The train was wet, yet safe.
Soon enough, the train stopped. They jumped off the train after.
“We need to go underground.” Ryutaro announced.
“Eh?”
“That is the right path to find the Hollow.”
“Are you sure, Ryu-chan?”
He nodded. “I now remember. A friend told me.”