Chapter 4
After all the excitement everyone left for home while Akira and Master closed up the bar then Master showed Akira to his room and he went to bed leaving Akira to ponder his thoughts. Akira was sitting on the bed that was about twin sized covered with a nice sheet and comforter; the room he was in wasn't decorated but had a clock on the wall and a nice window overlooking the alley. The sound of the clock could be heard in the silence "tic, tock, tic, tock" as the quietness of night engulfed the room Akira stood up from his seat on the bed and walked toward the window and peered out it looking into the alleyway. Out of the corner of his eye he sees a shadowed figure quickly disappear around the corner of the alley but he caught a glimpse of what looked like a tail follow the figure. Akira's look went from calm to alert as he recognized the figure, he quickly opened the window, climbed down the fire escape and ran in the direction the figure went. Turning the corner he reached a dead end and the figure uncloaked from the cold darkness of night was illuminated under the light of the full moon.
"Shirogane?" Akira says surprised and bounds towards him with his arms open about to hug him while Shirogane gave a dark smile and thrusts his cane forward. Akira quickly seeing this nimbly moves to the side a little catching the cane between his body and his arm and then squeezes trapping the cane. Then grabbing the cane he disarms Shirogane catching him off guard causing him to lose balance and Akira plants the cane firmly on the ground grasps the top lifting himself off the ground and allowing Akira to deliver an earth shattering kick to Shiroganes jaw. Shirogane falls back but catches himself by putting his hand on the ground stopping him from flying any further then like lightning he disappears from sight catching Akira with a quick punch to the gut as he reappears in front of him. Akira crumbles to the floor after being hit with such a pulsating hit while Shirogane catches his cane and grabs onto Akira's collar before he hits the floor lifting him to eye level. Shirogane stares into Akira's eyes with a sharp, cold and penetrating glare and says in a cold voice.
"Looks like I couldn't catch you off guard that easily eh Akira." Akira who was frozen from that icy glare could only manage to glare back and say.
"Who are you? You're not Shirogane!" Shirogane just laughed coldly and flung Akira a good distance forward. Akira slid across the ground trying to catch himself and managed to at last but the force from the throw was hard for him to recover from. After he stopped himself from sliding he quickly got up and faced the opponent who was once again gone from his sight. Akira scanned the area but to no avail then Shiroganes cane was in front of his throat glowing a blueish color like so many times before when Shirogane was about to slay a kokuchi. Just before Shirogane could give the finishing blow Akira became engulfed in light which blew Shirogane back as he was transforming into his rei form.
"Well isnt this interesting, I was wondering when you'd get serious." He said twirling his cane. The light cascading around Akira disperses leaving Akira in rei form facing down Shirogane as he points his spear at him.
"Last chance, who are you?" Akira says glaring his opponent down while holding his spear about to strike.
"Last chance, don't make me laugh you can't compare to me but I'll answer you. I am … Shirogane." Akira's eyes widen by this declaration. Then he speeds towards Akira coming down hard with a strike from his cane, Akira blocks it by quickly raising his spear above his head Shirogane then takes this opening and kicks Akira sending him flying back and flashes after him while Akira catches himself quickly digging his spear in the ground and recovers fast enough to thrust the spear forward. Shirogane keeps running at full speed and at the last second side steps the thrust not losing momentum and catches Akira in the throat with his arm lifting him up and slamming him onto the ground then he grabs the spear and cane in each hand and thrusts them down on Akira catching his clothes making it so he can't move, and Shirogane lets loose a flurry of punches, each one connecting with Akira in different places moving so fast the human eye can't follow. Continuing the assault Shirogane gives earth shattering blow after earth shattering blow while Akira takes each hit unable to do anything. Then Akira quickly grabs onto the cane and spear tired of being a punching bag and forcefully lifts his body up while he thrusts his feet forward trying to kick Shirogane who dodges back quickly. Then Akira flips back landing on his feet and digs the cane and spear out from the ground throwing the cane aside and taking the spear and runs towards Shirogane, jumps in the air, and comes down with a stab only to miss Shirogane as he parries it by mere inches then when the spear penetrates the ground Akira uses it as leverage to lift his body and kick toward him. Shirogane laughs and moves aside quickly then Akira pulls the spear with him and slashes at Shirogane keeping momentum while Shirogane flips back out of the way, Akira doesn't stop there he follows and slashes at Shirogane who spins in the air dodging it with ease and then lands on his feet. Then Akira flashes at him faster than before slashing at him as fast as possible, Shirogane catches the spear with his hand and then crashes his fist against Akira's face causing him to release the spear and fly back sliding across the ground but unable to catch himself. Shirogane takes the spear and disappears then appears chasing Akira down before he even stops and stabs at Akira who nimbly rolls out of the way of the thrust and grabs the spear to stop himself while Shirogane finds his cane and runs after Akira who regains himself with spear in hand. Shirogane once again slashes at Akira who blocks with his spear and they hold that position then separate and clash again and again both weapons meeting each other at a standstill. Finally Shirogane makes his cane glow again and slashes at Akira who blocks but the force of the hit knocks him off his feet and he goes flying back only unable to catch himself due to fatigue and the sheer power behind the strike. Akira slides across the ground to a stop and wearily he gets to his feet using the spear to support him. As we take a closer look Akira is in bad shape he's bruised and dirty and his breathing is hard as he tries to fight off blurred vision. Shirogane looks on at what pitiful shape Akira is in and laughs out loud coldly.
"Akira what a pity it appears you're not even close to my power. Well looks like we have some guests on their way well I'd better get out of here." Shirogane turns around and starts to walk away when Akira says.
"Wait!" Shirogane pauses and turns around with a glare acknowledging him for a minute.
"How can you be Shirogane, you feel like him but at the same time… you can't be him!" Akira says in a pleading voice which says he has to know.
"Oh but I am Shirogane hehe. But I'll put your mind at ease Akira though I am Shirogane I am not the one you know." Shirogane glare deepens as he says this "The one you know and me are one in the same but it makes me sick to know that we are." With that said Shirogane disappears.
Akira falls to one knee still holding the spear for support and fighting the urge to pass out as his mind whirls in confusion. He begins to catch his breath but this is short lived as another voice calls to him from the shadows another cold voice but different from Shiroganes voice who he had just heard but familiar.
"No, not now" Akira says as he tries to stand but fails. Then out from the shadows comes none other than Shin Akira who is holding his two knives and laughing followed by an army of kokuchi.
"Well that was a pathetic display looks like I get to finish you off" Akira's doppelganger says as he runs towards Akira about to slash him when Akira from the beating he took and exhaustion collapses.