The red sun is starting to set. Looming shadows of the buildings cover everything in a blanket of darkness. Night is fast approaching. I look up and see people leaping across the buildings with incredible speed and agility. Shinobi. Someone must be on a mission. People with untrained eyes would never even notice the events unfolding on top of the skyscrapers. Whoever it is, they need to realize what they are truly getting into.

I walk into a nearby alleyway and pull a black bandanna over my face. My worn, tricorn hat offers extra protection for my identity by keeping my brown hair hidden. The first rule of being an unworthy slayer is staying incognito. The only thing people remember when they see me is my emerald colored eyes.

"Not too much further Alan. I can feel the yoma's presence inside the abandoned subway." Ryoki says.

"What type?"

"I don't know, but be sure you have some quicksliver in the event if it is a lycanthrope class." The steps that lead down into the abyss of black seems infinite. I reach around and grasp the sickle in my right hand, and the weighted chain in the left.

"Do you think you can handle this without Lawrence?" Ryoki asks.

"I've fought worse all by myself."

I inch down the stairs. The bottom of my steel boots echo throughout the inky area with every faint step I take. "How has he been?"

"I don't know. Since his identity was revealed, he went into hiding." Ryoki answers. "Shame. Our fighting styles really benefitted each other." I reach the platform and hop off onto the tracks. My instincts tell me that this thing is going to be in the darkest part of the city. A place that is discreet. I yank open a service door and proceed down the hallway.

"God it's dark." My hunter senses are even struggling to compensate for the lack of light. I focus some of my power into the nearby lights which forces the dim bulbs to light up an eerie, yellow path. Fresh blood stains the slick, grey floor and walls ahead of me. The sound of bones snapping like a twig bounce down the hallway. The demon must have acquired a taste for human flesh. Killing this thing will be a service to everyone.

I do a quick inventory check; three instant regeneration elixirs, two fifty round magazines of quick sliver, the chain sickle and M-16 assault rifle that was forged out of a demon soul, and my revolver that's loaded with hellshot rounds. I fold up my chain sickle and ready the revolver. Hellshot has the ability to instantly kill smaller demons. Lycanthropes are an exception because they are born from puddles of spilled shinobi blood.

"Be careful Alan. When I say that, don't let your ass crush me like last time!" Ryoki snaps.

I make sure the doll is resting in a safe and secure place inside my side satchel. "Don't act like you didn't enjoy it." I reply as I step out from the corner and fire a round into the thing hunched over. The bullet strikes the back of his head, but it remains unmoved. He slowly turns around and stares at me with a blood stained face and black, saucer like eyes. Oh no. Of course it had to be a damn lycanthrope!

I try to reach for my rifle, but the creature stands up. I fire again out of reflex. It flinches as the bullet hits the lycanthrope in the chest, but every round spent seems to piss it off. The clothing and flesh start to expand and rip as it begins to show its true form. The monster's teeth are stained with the plaque of sin. Each tooth slices through its decaying gums, and claws begin to burst out of its grotesque fingertips.

I pelt it with the remaining ammo to try and slow it down as I back pedal towards the exit. It hunkers down on all legs, pounces and knocks the revolver out of my hand. I reach around back and un-holster my M-16, but the creature takes hold of the gun and pins me up against the concrete wall. The smell of rotting flesh and decaying organs seep through my bandanna, causing me to gag in disgust.

"You worthless swine!" The monster grumbles in a raspy voice.

He raises one of his arms and swings. I feel the jagged, misshaped claws slash my torso, sending pain throughout my body. Hot blood courses out the wound as he grabs the back of my neck and throws me through the wall. Rebar punctures all the way through my left arm as I fall onto the train tracks. My face hits the solid ground and stars fly across my eyes.

I reach into my pocket and take out a small vial of green liquid. "Damnit… that hurt!" I stick the I.R.E in my mouth and grab hold of the rebar protruding out of my arm. "Guuuuh!" I groan in pain as I yank the piece of metal out of my bicep.

"ALAN!" Ryoki cries.

"It's alright sweetie, I got this!"

Blood spits out of my arm as I throw the metal rod across the platform. I gulp the flavorless fluid down and relief immediately rushes over my wounds. The sound of the creature's footsteps force the earth to rumble. I take hold of the M-16 and sling my arm around, firing a massive volley of quicksilver bullets all over the room. The werewolf shrieks as it staggers back in pain.

I take my chain sickle and attach it to the rifle. The stock stretches out, and the pistol grip folds into the gun, making a hellacious looking scythe. The creature pulls the silver bullet out of its collapsed glowing, blacklight eye. Red pours out of the wound as searing steam emerges out of the monster's finger tips.

The yoma throws the chunk of silver on the ground: "I'm going to make you wish you hadn't do that!" It growls in a demonic tone. I spin the scythe behind my back and point the tip of the blade towards the creature, "Venit aliquam (Come get some)."

Out of pure rage, the lycanthrope charges forward. I swing the scythe up, slicing the creature up the middle and pushing it back. The monster staggers around, holding the massive laceration and trying to get a grip on the situation. I slam the blade into the ground, change the position of my hands and flip forward, forcing the blade to work with gravity as I land another strike on the creature. Blood splashes up against my duster and face as the creature splits in half. Yellow tendons holding what was left of the creature snap as the two parts of the lycanthrope land on the ground.

I break my scythe apart and take a look at my torso. Even after taking an I.R.E, the wound still hasn't completely regenerated yet, because it is still bleeding. The yoma must have punctured one of my intestines, and the I.R.E hasn't taken full effect yet. I pull my armor back down and stick the chain sickle into the creature. The werewolf starts to liquefy into a red trail that travels up the weapon. Crimson fluid seeps into the blade and my armor, causing it to glow a brackish maroon color. I can feel my strength amplifying.

"Feed Alan! You will need great strength for the battles that lie ahead!" Ryoki shouts.

"Here you go. How does this taste?" I take out the doll and drip some of the red fluid on the head: "Oh Alan, vengeance tastes so good!" I put the doll back in my satchel and pull out a gold talisman: "Don't worry Angel Kagura, the one and only true slayer of yoma. Soon, you shall awaken and cleanse this evil world of the filth that has infected it." The talisman starts to pulse and one of the three holes fill up with the blood of the wicked.

"Alan, I sense a presence. Human." Ryoki says.

"Hostile?"

"No. The kai is white. Very pure."

I fold my hands and breathe in, absorbing all the essence that stains my body and clothes. Good as new. Now, back to the task at hand. Super pure kai? Could it possibly be someone who is actually a good shinobi? By my standard anyway. They would have to be if Ryoki is calling them pure. An elderly man wielding a custom katana and wakizashi starts to descend the steps.

"Out for a night stroll old man?" I ask as I pick my revolver up.

The mysterious figure strokes his long, smoky colored beard: "You know how I am! I can't sit in one place for too long! I need to be moving around!" I walk over and shake his hand: "How are you doing Master Hanzo?" We give each other a quick hug.

"I am good my boy! I heard that there was supposed to be a yoma in the area? You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" I look back at the destroyed environment and eviscerated remains of the lycanthrope, "Nope." He smiles. "Good! Otherwise, I'd have to report you to the higher ups!" We both laugh. "That's a good joke Hanzo! Gets me every time!" We begin to head back up the stairs.

"How did this happen?"

"How did what happen?" I answer.

Hanzo points to my arm and stomach. "Oh, that. Well you see, I got jumped by some punks and had to show them the error of their ways." A small chuckle comes out of Hanzo's gut, "I'll give points for trying." The both of us laugh.

"Why are you here Hanzo?"

"My granddaughter is taking a shinobi test, and I came to watch." That must have been who was jumping the rooftops earlier. "How did she do?" Mr. Hanzo holds his hand up and slightly waves it back and forth, "Average. She still has a lot to learn." "Don't we all?" I reply as we reach street level.

Orange street lamps offer small amounts of visibility in the dark. "Alan, do you have time to come by the academy?" Hanzo asks as we proceed down the narrow street.

"Anything sir."

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on my granddaughter. She's a good kid with a good heart, but I don't think she can stand on her own just yet." I remember her slightly. Always has the bunny ear laces in her hazel hair. Brown eyes. Massive knockers. Almost enough to put Ryoki to shame.

"I can hear that Alan!" Ryoki hisses telepathically.

"I know Ryoki. Why do you think it crossed my mind?" I clear my throat: "Absolutely Mr. Hanzo. Would you like me to give her some instruction as well?"

"That would be great Alan! I would appreciate it if you did!" I take a knee and place my right hand on my heart: "Master Hanzo, You have my word. I promise to protect her until she gets stronger. May my life end if I fail." He pats me on my shoulder: "Now, now! There is no need to go overboard with this! You have enough to worry about already. Isn't that right Alan Hellwalker, Slayer of Yoma?" I stand back up: "I have no idea what you are talking about…"

Hanzo opens a padlocked door to an abandoned building on the very back of the school property. Despite being unused, it is surprisingly clean. I have heard stories about this place while I was training to become a hunter. My instructor told me that the Hanzo National Campus is a world renowned school, not only for its ability to compete with great schools such as Yale or Oxford, but also serves as a training ground for good shinobi. The other academy being Gessen.

These places are dojos for people who qualify to become ninjas. No one except a handful of people know what truly happens in this building. If anyone other than shinobi did find out, they would have to be silenced. Permanently. I am one of the few exceptions, but I have absolutely no desire to become shinobi. I do what only the best are chosen to do, slay yoma.

These parasitic demons are from a reality known as the Fracture. Wicked creatures that are raised from the blood of fallen shinobi. Only those who have graduated and received the council's approval are granted the title of Kagura, permitting someone the right to kill these horrific atrocities. I do not own the title of Kagura because I refuse to comply with the council's methods. By law, anyone that is shinobi and finds out who I truly am are authorized to kill me because I am breaking the shinobi code of conduct.

However, some shinobi that actually possess logic like Master Hanzo and Mr. Kiriya know that they need skilled warriors like me to fight the yoma menace until the true Angel Kagura can finally rise. Ever since I became a hunter, I've had to live in the shadows, hunt in the darkness and shroud myself in mystery to prevent my identity from ever being revealed. My friend Lawrence fought alongside me until his identity was discovered. Ever since that day, he was forced into hiding.

Ryoki was a shinobi that was slain by yoma. Her desire for eradicating these abominations were so great, that Heaven allows her access back to Earth through the use of kouklas, a special doll crafted by the hands of God himself. This allows Ryoki to manifest back and forth between Heaven and Earth, acting as my guardian spirit. If Ryoki feels that I am in danger or about to die, she forcefully enters this world to protect me.

"I'm headed back to Heaven Alan. See you later." Ryoki telepathically says.

I take out the doll and notice that the black hair and blue eyes are gone, and it's just a normal wooden toy now. Her presence is completely gone. "Take it easy Ryoki. Come back anytime." I reply in my mind.

Hanzo leads me into a room with a strange looking vase: "The switch into the dojo is well hidden. You have to actually look for it." He says as he taps a certain spot on the wall. A passageway opens up, revealing a huge hole that leads down. "I'll go first and let them know they have company."

"Are you sure I will be welcome?" I ask.

"Of course! If I vouch for you, then they all have to!" He gets one leg in the hatch but suddenly stops: "Now listen here, this is how you get to the dojo. You will need a place to lie low for a while until things calm down." He winks again, signaling that we are being watched. I give him a thumbs up: "Sounds good to me." "WEEEEE!" Hanzo squeals as he slides down the tunnel. His voice starts to fade away slowly.

"Damn, that's a big ass slide right there!" The wall rotates back to its normal position. One, two, three, four, five. I hit the switch and jump feet first into the tunnel. The wall closes back, causing everything to turn pitch black as I slide into the depths of the school. My hat flies off my head, but I am not concerned. It's going to the same place I am. The slide feels like a solid, downward drop, but there is a slight angle that keeps my body gliding across the smooth metal. I can finally see light at the bottom. Time to be on my best behavior.

I land flat footed, slightly bending my knees as I regain my balance. Master Hanzo is talking to Mr. K. There are currently four girls here; a white haired one with an eye patch covering one of her red colored irises, a girl with jet black hair and turquoise eyes, a blonde that is for some reason, wearing a swimsuit and playing in a blow up pool. Her eyes are nearly as green as mine. Maybe a shade under, and a girl that has short, bubblegum pink hair. This must be a female only training ground.

Both men and women have their separate dojos due to the tradition. There have been discussions about a unisex dojo where both men and women could train together, but no clear decision has ever been reached. The only reason I am here is because Hanzo gave me a job. "This boy right here is Alan. Due to certain circumstances, he was unable to make it back to his safe zone, so he will be staying here until the heat dies down."

I kneel down to one knee and place my hand over my heart. "As long as he listens and leaves the girls alone, he is more than welcome to stay." Mr. K sighs.

"Don't you worry about that, I'll vouch for him!" Hanzo says. He motions for me to stand up.

"Am I allowed to leave my designated area?" I ask.

"Of course." Mr. K answers me.

"Am I allowed to train?"

"Well yeah…"

"Am I allowed to..."

"Enough! Don't behave like… Alan and you can stay! Damn son, use some sense!" Mr. K mutters as he walks off. I haven't been here five minutes and I've already annoyed the instructor! Score one for the boys back home! "Girls, this here is Alan." Mr. Hanzo introduces me.

I feel someone tugging on my arm. "Mister Alan… I think this is yours." The pink haired girl says as she tries to hand me my hat. "Thank you." I reach out to take the hat, but suddenly get the strangest urge to make eye contact with her. Our eyes meet and I am baffled at what I see. Both of her eyes look like they have some kind of flower shaped birthmark inside the pupil. If I didn't know any better, she must possess a hidden power similar to manipulation.

"You're name is?"

"Hibari. My friend Yagyu and I are first year students here." She points to the girl with white hair, "That's Yagyu."

I place my hands behind my back: "Oh yes, I know who Yagyu is. A prodigy. One of the youngest trainees to ever pass the advanced placement test."

"You seem to be on top of things." Yagyu says as she crunches on a lollipop.

"I just like to do my homework."

"How come we never heard of you?" The girl with black hair asks.

"I don't have a social network. The less friends you have, the better your chances are at staying anonymous. A very crucial element when preforming dangerous missions." I hang up my hat and duster on a nearby coat rack. "Whoa, what happened here?" Hibari asks as she points to the regenerating wound on my arm. "I got into a scuffle during the mission. He also did this to me." I pull up my armor. "Wow, he really laid into you!" Hibari states as she touches one of the gashes on my stomach. "I'm sorry! I just…"

"No, it's okay! I took some painkillers, so I can't feel anything right now! You get all kinds of cool battle scars when you become a shinobi!"

"I wish I had some scars…" Hibari states.

"No you don't. You're too pretty to have scars." Hibari instantly blushes at my statement and tries to hide her red cheeks with her hands, "I… don't know what to say Alan… That was really sweet of you…" I hear Yagyu scoff at me.

"Tiss… tiss… tiss… You sound like a cute little kitten when you do that." Yagyu folds out an umbrella and hides behind it. "Ha! She blushed too!" I point at her.

"By the way, I don't think I got your name, or the name of the blonde playing in the pool." I say to the girl with the long black hair.

"My name is Ikaruga, and this is Katsu. We are third year students."

Ikaruga? I believe she was the adopted daughter of that hypocrite from the high council. The one that forced an entire village off of their land for his own personal wants. Katsu, I've heard her name before. She was the little girl that was abandoned by her parents. They failed a mission and because of shinobi law, they should have given up their lives. Instead, they ran away, drawing all the danger away from their daughter. An unfathomable amount of courage that should be praised, but instead is treated with distain.

"I am honored to meet all of you. Katsu, I would love to join you, but I have had a long mission, so I will be retiring for the night." Katsu lays back in the pool with her arms behind her head, "Alan, you can join me anytime, anywhere." A giant smile rips across her face as she winks at me. I give her a thumbs up and grin back, "Hey, that works for me."

"You can stay in Asuka's room until she gets back." Ikaruga motions for me to follow her.

We head down the hallway and turn left. Ikaruga opens a door and lets me in. Stuffed animals litter a small bed. "I will clean Asuka's room when I wake up tomorrow morning." I say. "Wow, a considerate man. That's rare." Ikaruga states.

"Not as rare as those turquoise eyes you have. They really complement your looks."

"STOP IT! You're going too…"

"Too late!" I tease as I point to her red face.

"This is sexual harassment!" She shrieks.

"No... It's called giving a pretty girl a complement. What? Do you not like positivity? Your friends certainly enjoyed it. I think out of everyone, your face was the reddest."

"Goodnight Alan!" Ikaruga slams the door shut.

Jesus, what was her problem? She acts like she's never been called beautiful before. I don't see how. She's one of the finest looking girls I've ever seen, and that is actually saying something. In fact, all the girls here look incredible, just as good as some from my past. Behaving here is definitely going to be a test itself.

I take off my blackened chest plate. My tee-shirt is stained red from where the lycanthrope slashed me. I take out another I.R.E, chug half of it, and smear some of it across the three gashes on my stomach. "Ah, much better…" I douse my hand with the rest of it and rub my bloody bicep.

Knock, knock. "Alan! Here are some spare clothes for you!" Mr. K shouts.

I put the I.R.E away and open the door: "Thanks." I take the clothes and head to the shower. The warm water flows over my body and washes away the grime left over from the fight with the lycanthrope. I dry myself off, slip into my sleeping clothes and begin wondering about my step sister.

Is she enjoying her new life at Gessen? She loves to play, so making friends shouldn't be an issue. Still, I can't help but worry about her. She's so innocent. I don't want her making friends with the wrong person and getting abused out of the deal. Ever since her mom and dad passed, life has been hard on that little girl, but she never let that take her joy away. I maybe seventeen, and she might be sixteen, but we still play hide and seek and other childhood games together when we get the chance. At one time, all that little girl and I had left in this world was each other. I wipe a tear out of my eye and look back at the gashes in my torso, "I live this life, so Minori doesn't…"

Ending Song: "Short Change Hero" by The Heavy