"Are you really gonna be alright, Sugino?" Nagisa asked.
"Yes, they're just a little group of petty criminals. You don't need to worry! After all I'm a hunter, am I not?"
The two guys were talking through a computer. The boy called Sugino was in an internet café and could see his friend's face and a hotel's room as background in the monitor.
"Changing subject- said Sugino with a smile- How long are you gonna stay in York Shin?"
"No idea, I've just met Kayano, so probably we'll spend two or three days together thinking about what we should do" Nagisa answered looking to the girl who was sleeping peacefully in a bed behind him.
"Hey Nagisa- Sugino was blushing lightly- Kayano didn't have any news about Kanzaki, did she?"
Nagisa turned surprised to his friend. A smile spreading on his face at the sight of a totally embarassed Sugino.
"No she didn't. She was without any money and wasn't able to contact anyone for a while. However,- Nagisa looked to the other boy with a mocking expression and yet completely serious-You have her home-code, you should just call her yourself"
"Don't be silly! I can't do this kind of thing out of the blue!"
"Ok, then. I have to go now. Let me know about your progresses and good luck" and after that Nagisa cut off the communication.
Sugino stood up, paid for his drink and went out in the streets.
XXX
The city of Las Bronxto was divided into two areas.
The one Sugino was in was called the Centre. It consisted in a group of strange temples and shrines in a style Sugino had never seen before. He had read somewhere that that style was the same used on a little and isolated island called Japan. The Centre was full of priests of the most different cults and it was a famous melting pot of religions originated in every angle of the world. Except that, it was rather common. There were shops and bars and normal people or tourists walking in the streets covered by the shade of wonderful trees.
The other area, however, was the complete opposite.
It was nicknamed the Ring and was driven by criminality. In particular, it was famous for prostitution and young women's traffic. Tortured and raped, a great numbers of girls were sold everyday to clients or forced to work in bars and hotels.
Sugino could feel his blood boiling just by thinking about it. If only he could he would have destroyed every single one of those violent bastards and freed those girls. But he couldn't. He was weak.
Weakness. He didn't use to think about it so much when he wasn't a hunter. He had always thought that by growing up he would have become stronger, arriving to a point in which he could have stood on equal grounds of him. Of his hero.
Pitcher Arita. That was his hero's name. He was a hunter and one of the strongest baseball pitchers of all times. He was a chosen one, excellent in both baseball games and in his activities as a hunter. It was thanks to him that Sugino grew interested in the world of hunters and decided to take the exam.
He remembered how happy he was the day he passed! He foolishly believed that he was about to reach his idol. But the only thing he was about to reach was actually the comprehension of the difference in their abilities. That was made clear when he learnt nen.
At the beginning he thought: "Wow, how cool!" and when he discovered to be an emitter he was sure to have found the best possible ability. A super radio ball made of nen. He tried to emulate Arita's pose while throwing the ball. He put in a lot of effort arriving to pass out during trainings, but in the end it was useless. His Nen Radio Ball was slow. And weak. An expert nen user was able to avoid or block it without any problems. Following this failure he was put in Section E.
Well, there was no point in thinking about it now. All he had to do was just moving forward! He may have chosen the wrong ability, but he would have still done his best in fighting criminality. After all he was a hunter, right? He wouldn't have targeted any big boss, but he could easily win against small flies like that little group involved in drug traffic.
While thinking so he arrived in front of a big building. It was impressive how high and elegant it was. He was constructed in a neo gothic style and his walls seemed to reach the sky. That was the place his informant was in. St Mary's Church.
XXX
"Hic, hic, hic! What do we have here? So the Sugino Loser is still at it, right?"
A small and ugly dwarf was looking to Sugino with evil and sparkling eyes. His skin was covered in a green scales-like substance and his nose was so big that hided almost all his face.
"Hello, Mr Steck. You're as kind as usual. However, what exactly is this place?"
They were in a little space next to the church. It was dark and humid, but strangely clean.
"Oh. It's the bar associated with the church I own. It's nice, isn't HIC it?" Mr Steck said while drinking a beer. Sugino was sure his loud voice and his strange laugh were perfectly audible from inside the church.
"So do you have any information for me?" Sugino asked trying to cut off any conversation.
"Well, yeah. To put it simply...You are too late"
"What?"
"That group of losers was completely destroyed by the Guild of the Purple Snake. One of the big four organizations which run the Ring. So you have it! Your help wasn't needed, HIC HIC HIC"
"I can't believed it". Sugino felt completely useless and empty.
"Come on! Don't be so upset HIC! It's not over yet! Hey, do you know that Kanzaki chick you have such a big crush on? You sure spent all the night talking about her when we first met. Hic hic hic" Mr Steck laughed.
"I wouldn't have if you hadn't made me get drunk" Sugino angrily answered.
"Hey, that was your own fault. However, I'm sure the two of you would be a perfect pair. Two Section E losers are just perfect for each other. Well, if she can survive, that's it"
"Wha..."
"According to my information Kanzaki Yukiko was captured by the Guild of the Purple Snake. And you can be sure that they are no gentlemen".
Sugino felt as if he was upside-down. He couldn't fully understand those words. Then he did. And his heart froze.
The next chapter will introduce Kanzaki and continue the story in Las Bronxto :)
On a side note I decided to have Sugino as an emitter and Kayano as a conjurer. I made this decision because of their attitudes.
Sugino gets passioned pretty easily, but he seems like someone who forgives people and doesn't hold grudges. On the other hand Kayano is usually seen acting as a support, but when she decides to take action she calmly evaluates the situation and plans ahead as the pudding plan showed.
I pretty much know the nen group every student is in, right now. I tried to have the students divided in the six categories, so that there is a good balance.
