https://youtu.be/BP4eytwktOM

The first floor of Nummus Station was rather quiet, as expected from the immediate aftermath of the first explosion. Very few were willing to be there. And of the pair exploring the place right now, only one of them could be called 'willing'. Inigo walked in front, his hands in his pockets as he looked over at Namerisawa, who reluctantly trudged behind him.

As they walked through the halls, looking and listening out for anything suspicious, Inigo turned his head over to the hatted man and raised an eyebrow, causing the criminal to shudder. "Hey." he said, his voice calm, trying not to appear too intimidating. "Let's talk. I've got a few questions for you."

"U-Uh, right!" Namerisawa nodded, perking up a little before clearing his throat. "Actually, I was hoping to ask you a little something! But you give off those 'gut you like a fish if you look at me funny' vibes, so..."

"Out with it."

Namerisawa cleared his throat, deciding right away that Inigo seemed too no-nonsense to suffer much dawdling about. "Right...so, what's the story with you and the blonde babe?" he asked, causing Inigo to gaze confusedly into the distance. "'Cause, you know, I'm hoping I can get in on some of that action, but it looks like you're trying to get in the way."

That took a little while for Inigo to process, but once he did, he turned to face his tag-along. "...do you mean Scarlett?"

"Yeah, her." Namerisawa said, reaching out to place a hand on Inigo's shoulder in a 'friendly' way, a gesture that the albino quickly parried. "Between you and me, I'd really appreciate it if you backed off, okay? I ain't letting you throw away my shot."

Inigo considered all of this for a little while. It was plain to see that he was talking about romance - or perhaps something much less pure - but what did that have to do with him? Looking back at him, he sighed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"There you go, playing dumb! You think I haven't seen the way your hands are always all over her?" Namerisawa scowled, losing the snake-oil salesman voice in exchange for more straightforward annoyance. "The way you always swoop in to stop me when I'm about to score?"

Inigo, previously stoic, was now openly perplexed, his brow farrowing as he tried to work out what to make of these delusional accusations. "Regardless of her relationship status, she clearly doesn't like you." he said bluntly. "Now can I ask my questions?"

"Hold on, I'm not-" Namerisawa began, only to be blindsided as Inigo quickly closed the gap between them, delivering a swift kick to his shin. Namerisawa clenched his teeth, shaking the pain off his leg as he looked down at Inigo. "Hey, careful! My shield only just regenerated..."

"Are you done?" Inigo asked, his words an all-but-explicitly-stated request to drop the current topic. He beckoned him to follow as they kept walking, Inigo recollecting his thoughts before he spoke up. "Tell me about the Tori-tachi. Why would they try to kill you? You seem to have seen this coming..."

"Well...it's a little embarrassing to say, but this isn't my first time letting the boss down..." Namerisawa admitted, scratching his head. "I...guess the boss has always been pretty merciless on guys who leave. Says he doesn't want our secrets getting out. So I guess this is his way of laying me off..."

"Seems a bit extreme. Your boss must really value his secrets..." Inigo murmured, placing a hand on his chin. "Not that it doesn't make sense. You organised crime types are on the wrong side of the law, to begin with, and I'm guessing you don't have any protection here in Erdeland..."

Namerisawa nodded quickly, and as Inigo watched him, he narrowed his eyes, slowly turning his gaze ahead as he looked at what was up ahead, stopping his movement in an instant. Noticing him stop, Namerisawa squinted, also taking note of what Inigo saw - the body of a man in uniform, right at the end of the lane. "...there's no doubting it. He's been here." Inigo commented, continuing to step forward towards the body, with Namerisawa in tow.

Once he reached the body, he crouched down, closely examining the corpse, whose expression seemed aghast - like the last thing he'd seen before death was a hellish apparition. From a hole in his neck, blood was weakly pouring out, much of it having dried on the otherwise pristine floor. Inigo closed his eyes, shaking his head as he stood up. Obviously, this was a stabbing - and a recent one, at that. But no signs of a struggle...

Namerisawa, meanwhile, listened closely as he heard a faint sound in the air - a quiet, rhythmic beeping in the air - and he thought that sounded quite familiar. As Inigo stood up and began to walk off, Namerisawa followed him, crossing his arms. "We just gonna leave the body there?"

"...should we not?" Inigo asked cautiously, preemptively lowering his opinion on Namerisawa.

"Well, he's, like, right there. We could just take some loot, maybe a couple digits. He could maybe lend a hand." Namerisawa chuckled. "I mean, who's gonna stop us? The security?"

"Priorities, Namerisawa. We have a bomb to find." Inigo took a deep breath. "Any idea where your 'buddies' might put one?"

"I...think I can hear it." Namerisawa murmured, pointing ahead before turning his head to Inigo, smirking slightly. "I guess that means I'm calling the shots now, eh?"

"Sure. Just don't fuck up." Inigo said casually. Namerisawa, visibly disheartened at his blasé response, huffed a little as he walked ahead of Inigo, who followed his lead.

.........

https://youtu.be/_c4fY552hrc

It seemed Namerisawa was on the right track, as Inigo heard the beeping soon after, and they could both hear it getting louder. It was definitely in one of the shops on this lane. Namerisawa remained silent for the most part - not because of how focused he was, but because he was certain Inigo would kick him again if he said something out of line. As they moved together, Inigo decided to break the silence.

"All this does make me curious, though..." he said, harkening back to the corpse from earlier as he looked directly at Namerisawa. "Why are the Tori-tachi operating in Erdeland right now, anyway? Aren't you based in Han'ei?"

"Oh, that? That's true, but...truth is, this was the Ravener's idea." Namerisawa admitted, smiling nervously into the distance. "We normally do our business in Sorairo. But ever since the boss contacted those guys in Libera, he's been really getting on our nerves about doing an operation around this part of Erdeland. Dunno why, or how he got him to agree..."

"I can chance a guess as to why..." Inigo thought, closing his eyes as he crossed his arms. "I'm guessing, after all the explosions as of late, Libera's gonna be blamed for this...so, no skin off your back, right?"

"Heh, probably."

A few more seconds of silence, once again broken by Inigo as he listened closely, hearing the noise coming from somewhere to the right. Turning around to look at it, he could narrow it down to one of two suspects - the pet shop on the left, or the department store on the right. He hoped it was the latter - especially with the beady-eyed crows on the display case in the former - but he tried to get a good listen, anyway. As he focused, he spoke up once more:

"So, Namerisawa..." he said, Namerisawa raising an eyebrow as he heard a somewhat grim tone in the former's voice. "...what are you going to do when we're done here?"

"Hmm...interesting question." Namerisawa mused, closing his eyes.

"There's no way the Tori-tachi is gonna take you back. You fucked up one time too many - who knows what they're gonna do to get rid of you now?" Inigo began. "But at the same time, we can't take you along, either. We're not exactly a babysitting service."

"Yeah, hog the babe all to yourself." Namerisawa spat, rolling his eyes. "I don't need you guys, anyway. Once I'm done here, I can make a name for myself elsewhere, can't I?"

"Gonna look into a legit job? Maybe start a family - or return to the one you have?" Inigo raised an eyebrow, a flicker of hope in his eyes. Namerisawa, however, could only dismissively chuckle in response.

"I mean, yeah, I could." he said. "Or I could become a kingpin of my own!"

The disappointment on Inigo's face was only barely hidden. Had Namerisawa been smart enough to detect it, perhaps he would have picked his next words more wisely. "I mean, I'm strong, aren't I? It took three of you guys to kick my ass! And I've recently learned of a new way to make money! Factor in what I've learned from the Tori-tachi, and I'm pretty much made! King of the streets, with even finer babes on my arm!"

"...uh huh." Inigo murmured, closing his eyes as he held his hand out, gathering a mass of water into a sphere the size of a tennis ball. More and more water converged into this ball, condensing all the while until it was essentially a bubble filled with mist. Opening his eyes, he held it out towards Namerisawa. "Hold this. And do not drop it unless you see the Ravener."

"Uh...what's this?" Namerisawa asked, taking the ball - which seemed to have a slightly rubbery, elastic texture to it.

"It's my trump card. I'm going to defeat the Ravener." Inigo explained. "First, I'm gonna go in there and defuse the bomb. There's a non-zero chance that you'll be attacked. If you ever are, throw it on the ground. That should make sure you don't get wasted immediately. Fend him off, and I'll be back in time to help you finish him."

"Sounds like a plan..." Namerisawa murmured, watching as Inigo began to retreat into the department store. "U-uh, you are gonna save me, right?"

"You have my word. You will be saved." Inigo said simply, offering a salute before disappearing into the department store. Namerisawa was left alone, looking around the place with a look of apprehension on his face. Holding onto this strange ball, all by himself, in the crosshairs of a deadly assassin.

His breathing deep, his eyes wide, his body trembling all over, he tried to remind himself of what was at stake. He was going to become a kingpin! All the women and money would be his! And when he was done, the Tori-tachi would bow before him! But first...he needed to survive. He was strong. He could put up a fight. He was brave. As long as he wasn't getting jumped three-on-one yet again, he could win any duel. He tightened his grip on the ball, only to almost drop it as soon as he heard a quiet sinister chuckle, followed by that rasping voice chilling the air.

"Take my blades from out your heart...and take thy form from the Kingpin's door."

Namerisawa looked once again in all directions, only to see a figure standing in the pet shop that he was certain was never there before. A pink-eyed, white-haired, black-clad shadow. But he couldn't properly take in and process the figure before it lunged at him, phasing through the glass wall and right through his body before solidifying behind him, grabbing onto him and holding a black, feather-like dagger to his neck as he whispered in the ear of a shuddering Namerisawa, "Quoth the Ravener, 'Nevermore'."

Namerisawa froze, imagining the lifeless look in the Ravener's eyes - the same one that Inigo seemed to have, come to think of it. It terrified him just thinking about it, and as he shook his head, the Ravener gave off another chuckle. "P-Please have mercy..."

"Mercy? You know that's not exactly how we do things at the Tori-tachi..." the Ravener retorted. "But then again, given your track record, you might actually not know!"

"Haha..." Namerisawa chuckled nervously. "I-I'll do better, promise! No need to kill me!"

"I disagree. And so does the big guy, so there's no need to make your case to me. I'm just the messenger." the Ravener shook his head, pressing the knife into his neck. "Yoshiki Namerisawa...this just isn't your lucky day, is it?"

Namerisawa shuddered, letting out a small whimpering noise as the assassin continued. "A kingpin? You? You're not even cut out to be a goon. I bet you've already blabbed to the Joker. And you want to be the guy with all the secrets?" he said, before tutting softly. "A cowardly, delusional wretch. You flubbed every chance you've been given. Not that we expected you to succeed today, but this was just something else. Your luck's run out."

https://youtu.be/OZ4eUrcWZmo

Every word out of the boy's mouth was a scathing indictment of Namerisawa's very being. As he slowly loosened his grip, he began, poising to attack. "Considering what the big guy would do to you if he saw you again...consider this a mercy."

Namerisawa shivered, and right as he was set free, he hurled the ball to the ground, panickedly hoping it wasn't some kind of trick. The bubble burst, and a cloud of mist dispersed over the area, almost obscuring each combatant from one another's line of sight. The Ravener, remembering what happened in his last encounter with Inigo, let out a small, yet unmistakably amused laugh. "Evening the playing field, are we?" he commented, calling to hand a pair of daggers and holding them closely as he began to move through the fog. "Well played, Joker."

Namerisawa kept an eye on the black blur moving haphazardly through the cloud, summoning his chainsaw and holding it up defensively as he tried to follow his movements. He revved up the weapon, ready to go, and quickly turned around as he saw the Ravener circle around him. He raised it above his head, ready to strike him down as he approached head-on, but the little bird was just too quick. He ducked under Namerisawa's weapon and slipped between his legs, rising up behind him with a leaping slash.

Namerisawa pulled his weapon out from the ground, only to gasp as he saw his vision cut off entirely, something soft and black wrapping around his head. The Ravener, after landing, had removed his scarf, using it to obscure his foe's vision and twirling his knives as they glinted with a black light.

"Let's cut to the chase!" he quipped, rushing forth in a burst of speed and slashing to and fro of the taller man in a binding flurry of blades. Namerisawa scrambled to defend himself, putting the chainsaw away and unwrapping the scarf from his face, yelping in pain as he felt the daggers repeatedly cutting into his shield. Once he could see - as best as one could through the fog, that is - he spread out his arms and unleashed a wide sphere of black lightning, blowing the Ravener away.

He turned his body to face where the Ravener had come from, storming up to him with a desperate stare as his chainsaw reappeared. He raised the weapon, only for the Ravener to suddenly spring to life. "Wide open!" he declared, eyes widening as he leapt up with a harsh kick-flip, his foot smashing into Namerisawa's chin. He leapt back and landed on two feet, drawing his daggers once more as dark, glowing feathers formed around him. One by one, they were rapidly launched, and Namerisawa clenched his teeth as he braved the flechette storm, trudging through it to reach his opponent.

Once he saw what was going on, the Ravener prepared himself to dodge, but like he were wielding a baseball bat, Namerisawa went in for a swing, smashing him bluntly in the side before turning the chainsaw on. The Ravener gasped as the numerous teeth rapidly came and went, sawing at his shield like a ravenous predator ravaging a bird it had snatched out of the sky. As the weapon remained in contact with the assassin, Namerisawa gave a wide, animalistic grin, cackling as the weapon became infused with lightning, several shocks accompanying each strike. "Who's your daddy now, little bird?" he roared triumphantly.

Beneath the mask, the Ravener clenched his teeth, looking for the best way out. He wasn't about to lose to Namerisawa, of all people. As he stared intensely at his attacker, he grabbed onto his wrist and began forcibly pushing the chainsaw away from him, which Namerisawa countered by pushing it against him even harder. The hatted man smirked madly, his success fuelling his confidence as he yelled out, "What's wrong? Too we-"

Mid-word, a swift kick to the nads froze him in his tracks while he was distracted, and he gasped as he dropped the chainsaw. The Ravener, chuckling softly, pulled an aghast Namerisawa closer, tauntingly whispering, "Don't become a tengu, now." before pulling him out again like a dancer twirling his dance partner. Namerisawa nearly lost his footing, while the Ravener, with glowing shadow blades in each hand, closed the gap, cutting across the chest with an outward crosswise cut, enough force in the slash to knock him back and onto his back. His smug demeanour evaporating as quickly as it had coalesced, he held his arm up, panting heavily as he saw the fog slowly beginning to fade away. "Inigo! Help! Heeeelp!" he sobbed, as the harbinger pitifully gazed upon him.

.........

https://youtu.be/GoDiBWx4etA

Finding the explosive had been moderately difficult, not least due to the number of fakes planted around the various aisles of the department store. But he knew a fake crystal when he saw one - not that he knew why, but he chalked it up to a remnant of his forgotten past. When Inigo did find the real thing, it was hidden inside a dressing room, of all things. That had taken unnecessarily long, he thought, but he had it now.

He picked it up, examining it closely to verify its authenticity. And as he did, he looked at the time on the attached timer - just under three minutes. Not a lot of time to act. But he knew exactly what to do. He looked up from the rock, glancing at the mirror only to momentarily freeze as he saw his reflection in the mirror on the wall. He didn't see himself, necessarily - but a version of himself from that day four years ago. Younger, less tired, but with eyes that were just as dead and lifeless as his own.

Gazing into his own eyes, Inigo felt his heart pounding in his chest, as the memories from that day flooded into his mind. Memories of the warrior he'd slain, and the boy he'd left to grieve. Shaking his head quickly, he kept a tight grip on the bomb, staring into the mirror again and telling his reflection, "I am not you." before high-tailing it out of the fitting room. The hour of freedom was upon him.

He rushed closer to the entrance of the store, where he heard Namerisawa crying out for his help, and looked out the large glass window as he saw the scene. Namerisawa was, by all rights, about to be defeated, and was at the Ravener's mercy. Roughly as expected - hopefully, Namerisawa had landed a few hits on him. Because it was time to end this.

He was looking at two truly evil people. Just because Namerisawa sucked at it didn't mean he was any less a danger to the average human being. To the pair of them, the deaths of others were a sick joke, and left unchecked, the bodies - and in Namerisawa's case, the missing arms and legs - would only pile up. The Ravener was already spoken for, but as for Namerisawa...he would never be free. The law would want him, the Tori-tachi would continue hunting him down, and there was a good chance the Spectrums would cross paths with him again. Would Azurine be as merciful as she had been today? Who knew? He didn't plan on finding out.

"Sorry, Namerisawa. Consider this a mercy."

Without deliberating a second longer, he moved out of the store, avoiding Namerisawa's eyes as he took aim. Without a word, he hurled the explosive at the pair and extended his hand, acting as quickly as he could. Namerisawa's expression was one of abject shock, and the Ravener only saw what was going on just in time for a flurry of razor-sharp wind blades to hit it. The bomb was assailed from multiple directions before it could hit the ground, one of the wires cut, and right then and there, it exploded.

A violet cloud of energy, wind and fire, a bright light filled the area, and it was almost blinding, searing, even to Inigo, who was standing at a safe distance. The sound was deafeningly loud, with all three parties feeling an intense ringing in their ears. But the most important thing Inigo heard was the sonorous sound of shattered glass. Not just the glass windows and walls of the shops in the immediate area, but the sound of a shield broken - just one, though. Someone was in danger, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who.

As the two caught in the explosion coughed heavily, the smoke and dust began to clear away, the scene becoming clear. The pair had been blown far away from one another, the Ravener's mask and Namerisawa's hat removed entirely and the latter's clothing visibly damaged. Namerisawa's eyes were full of tears and fear as he, with what little strength was available to him, slowly began to crawl away from the scene. "Please...I yield..."

Inigo, without saying a word, summoned his cane to hand and took careful aim, firing a blade of wind like a bullet at Namerisawa. The man too weak and slow to dodge, the blade struck him right in the jugular. His eyes wide, he let out one final gasp before collapsing.

Watching the scene unfold, the Ravener stared at Namerisawa's corpse for a little longer, and as he processed what had just happened, he let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as he looked up at Inigo, who was breathing somewhat heavily as he lowered his cane. "...Red Joker. I didn't take you for the ruthless type..." he murmured, before slowly rising to his feet, smiling ever so slightly. "But then again, maybe I was mistaken. Those eyes of yours...they're the same as mine. Your hands are stained with blood, aren't they?"

Inigo stared blankly, first at Namerisawa, then at the Ravener, and slowly began to compose himself, his expression losing the sliver of shock it had once shown as he pointed his cane at the assassin. "Why are you gawking? You're next."