Hello Everyone! So let's see!
Is Izaya alive?

...gone.

Izaya was gone.

He wasn't here. No body. Only blood.

They had found where Izaya was hit on the wall. After all, Kida's jacket was still on the wall but near it was a line of blood that started and ended some meters before the ground. Izaya probably was hit on it and had fallen down.

But other than the pile of blood down on the pavement that showed that his head was broken, nothing else was presented. After Erika observed her surroundings, she saw that there was a hole near the puddle of blood and inside there was no blood. Meaning that that last strike as Anri had described it was never delivered...on Izaya but the ground. Yet again if someone was hit at the head wouldn't they be unconscious?

Then where were Izaya and the slasher?

Did the slasher take him? To blackmail him? To torture him? Erika started to get goosebumps and started panicking. Why?

Izaya was the worst person in the world. Yet again...he saved the humans who he had played with. The slasher was more dangerous than anything else that had happened in this city. She shook her head and hit her cheeks with both hands. She needed to remember why she was here.

She needed to save Izaya or at least find him. So she and Celty started looking around for any clues they could find. A road of blood, the sound of metallic hitting each other or at least hear that smirking voice again. Anything at all.

Both of them started to get anxious.

The mastermind was...gone.

Nothing gave where exactly he was. Nothing. The pile of blood that Erika every now and then saw made her stomach sick. It was so much. Izaya's skull would have probably been broken. Erika stopped moving.

If the skull was broken...then...

Izaya was sure dead.

She wanted to vomit. No. It can be! She felt herself denying everything. She knew that Izaya was hurt. She knew that Izaya was dead. She had evidence...

Yet why she was not accepting the facts. She was denying it because Izaya was...unbreakable.

All the tetris that Shizuo had thrown to Izaya all these years, all the vending machines, all the garbages, Izaya always returned back safe and sound. Yet why now she was afraid?

Was it because of the photos? Was it because she saw Izaya act humanely? To smile, to get angry?

Why?

...

Her OTP! Yes, think that! Her OTP would sink. She needed them to be alive so she could ship them as long as she wanted! She needed proof. She needed them alive.

"You fucking hear me you emo fucking sick bastard..." Erika started screaming at the sky hoping her screams to touch Izaya.

Wherever he was...

"I know you are alive!"

-xxx-

Namie looked around at the discord around her as well as Seiji. Today it was her day to have Seiji. She was with her brother as she had agreed with that bitch. Well, she didn't complain. Until she found a way to make that bitch disappear she could enjoy herself. Seiji was also mysteriously happy to be in that position.

He had two women beside him...but still he only wanted one... And that one was the head. And until he found it, he was more ok to have this. However, it was better to have his sister with him than spend time with that freak. However, he wasn't in the spotlight lately. It was the duo of Ikebukuro that even Seiji started to think about. He had heard the talk, the rumors. Of course, he would be inside the rumors. Anything interesting that happened, he needed to know it.

After all, in that way, he could also find his love.

Namie drank her coffee and watched as the people move around. She felt distortion. Did that bastard do something? Nah, he had some appointments as she remembered with his normal clients and right now he should be at his office. As Namie remembered, he didn't have any appointments at night today though. That was weird actually. What was he plotting?

Yet he was her boss. He could do anything he wanted. Namie was certain that he would be here somewhere around Ikebukuro and play with his playthings as he said. He WAS, after all, the informant broker.

Maybe make another high school girl kill herself with him? Probably... He liked to do that stuff. When he was near edges of buildings he liked to play with his life on them. He walked on them, made himself bend as far he could go to see down and not fall. Yet Namie remembered when she was at the edge of the roof, he had flinched.

Why?

Well, Namie wasn't an idiot like those girls, because Namie wasn't stupid enough to play with her life when her life, Seiji, her spotlight wanted her near him. She was so lucky and happy...and probably she should thank Izaya for it. Yet she wouldn't do it for anything in the world. She held Seiji hands and she was sure she was blushing. She was in heaven.

"Weird..." Her angel talked and Namie immediately turned and smiled at him.

"What is it Seiji?"

"...so many people. This road is usually empty."

Namie nodded. She saw more people come this way. Did something happen?

"The Dollars are still discussing the late photo." Seiji commented looking at his phone.

"The one with the fortissimo and that bastard in the abandoned place?" Namie asked.

"Yes, the one that Izaya has the black envelope." Seiji stopped and looked away from his phone and on the window that people passed by.

"I find it weird." He continued.

The tone had changed.

"What exactly Seiji?" Namie asked now fully turned at Seiji.

"That envelope is black. Izaya always has or a brown or a yellow envelope when he delivers information. Yet why is that specific one black?"

"Maybe because he used black envelopes at that time?"

"...I doubt it" Seiji simply said and looked at his sister.

Namie blushed but held the glance that Seiji send her and smiled.

"How so?"

"That envelope has something on it. I mean there is a symbol that we can't read. The admin was super extra careful not to show what it was exactly. Yet he wanted to show the photo. Why? Noone knows. But the color must be for something."

Namie tsked. "Why are you so worked up with that bastard?"

Seiji looked at her again.

"He has my angel head and I know that. If I can expose his secret and use it against him...his weakness then be sure that I will end him!" He said with a murderous tone and a small chuckle escaped at the end of the sentence.

Namie stared at him. Her heart beat faster. She was...losing herself on that stare. That warmth and that tone...it was...amazing. Her love was truly amazing. She smiled at him. If it was what Seiji wanted, then she would help him. She could find Izaya's weakness and used it against him for Seiji sake.

Suddenly the ground shook. Namie looked outside and saw what she didn't want to see. The fortissimo had picked up a sign and threw it at someone. But...

Namie stood up and walked towards the window. Unknown to her, her hand never left Seiji's hand so he had followed too.

The fortissimo continued to pick up signs and throw them at the yellow worn people, as Namie saw, but...he always missed. Why? Shizuo had a talent on hitting someone dead on. Why did he miss them? Still, his punches were landed on the faces of these yellow worn people but the signs missed them.

Now that was a problem and a new question. She would get nuts in the end with the relationship of the duo. Shizuo continued hitting whatever was coming closer to him and threw them back. The yellow worn people run, Shizuo followed. Angry.

Namie's attention was not at him, though. That fight was not created by Izaya. If it was then, Izaya would sit and see in the sidelines. Yet she saw nothing. Not his idiotic jacket or his stupid face. So that fight was between Shizuo and these guys. The yellow scarves as everyone said.

Yet why Namie felt that that fight would affect Izaya too? Suddenly despite her knowledge, she started walking. She left the shop they were in. Still, her hand hadn't left Seiji and Seiji still followed where his sister guided him. Namie didn't know why she went the opposite side of where Shizuo went. All of the others followed Shizuo. It was normal. It was their routine. The fortissimo and his fights had returned back. So they would take the opportunity to see it again.

It was part of their lives.

Yet Namie didn't follow them. She was going somewhere else. And the more she arrived where her subconscious told her to go, the more uncomfortable she became. Then why she went there?

She turned around an alley and found herself close to the main road where many went. Just some allies and she would arrive. But Namie heard someone gasping and her immediate reaction was to check on Seiji. He was as unemotional as ever giving Namie relief that it wasn't him that gasped. Without looking where she went to check Seiji, she continued walking towards the main road. Until she fell on someone.

She fell back as well as Seiji but Namie stood up quickly to check at him. When she was sure that he was ok, she looked at who she had fallen into.

She didn't recognize the person. He had a suit on and blonde hair. So close to Shizuo. If it wasn't the scar on his mouth, Namie would think that it was Shizuo. The man looked at her and then towards Seiji.

"Are you alright?" He asked politely.

Even the tone was so close to Shizuo.

"We are ok. Sorry." Namie apologized to him.

He put his hand behind his head and smiled.

"Oh, good. And it is ok. I was on my phone. I didn't see you too so sorry." He said and bowed his head probably feeling guilty.

Namie tsked.

"Don't worry. It happens." She said and the man smiled again and put his hand again behind his head.

"Do I know you?" Seiji asked surprising both of Namie and that man.

The man looked at him and shook his head.

"I don't think so..?" He simply said curiously too.

"Ah sorry." Seiji said and it was his turn to move and guide his sister. "Sorry again and bye."

The man looked as the siblings went straight and said quietly a goodbye.

"What was that about?" Namie finally asked.

Seiji stopped finally when they had reached the main road and watched the cars moving. He was quiet for a while when he turned and looked at his sister.

"Did you see it?" Seiji asked.

"...what exactly?" Namie said.

Seiji was quiet. "Of course you wouldn't."

"What are you implying, Seiji?" She gasped slightly offended and disappointed to help her love.

"There was something at that guy that made me curious..."

Namie waited for Seiji to finish. Suddenly she felt a dark appearance to come closer. She turned towards the road and saw what made her want to run and yet approached it more. Her eyes widened and fully turned towards the road with open mouth.

She didn't hear Seiji talking.

"His hand...his hand had something that I have seen before...and recently."

-xxx-

Erika watched as Celty moved her shadows around the area. They searched everywhere they could think of. Yet nowhere was Izaya to be found.

Now Erika was getting scared. If the great villain of this town was down...not dead (not yet) but hurt then everything would go downhill from here. Izaya was not the kind of person to get down after some hits. He even answered his phone (or others) when called or sent a message. Yet he didn't now. After all, she could think of, Izaya was not here.

Celty thought the same. Maybe he was hidden. That's why she searched with her shadows around. And she would try to find Izaya that way but also see if truly that slasher could hurt her. Like those yellow worn people. Yet Celty didn't feel safe. Not for herself but rather the people around her. She could sense an aura around here. So close to her and yet so far to feel it. It was making Celty uncertain by the minute because every time she felt it, she felt not herself anymore.

Like before. Several minutes ago. By that shadow.

So it was around here. She had destroyed it and yet it was nearby. Yet even though she felt scared, she was confident that she would at least this time defeat it and destroy it for good.

[I can't find Izaya.] Celty typed at her PDA making Erika signed.

"Where the fuck could he have gone? Ah! Do you think the slasher had taken him with him?"

That made Celty silver. Why? She was never so close to Izaya yet when something always happened she would try to protect him. It was her personality. Yet now she was not just neutral towards him but felt scared...was he truly...?

Celty shook her helmet.

He is Izaya for fuck sake. Celty was certain and sure this time that Izaya was ok. And alive. Yet where was he?

"Hello? Yes...no...we haven't found him yet..." Erika's voice made Celty stop thinking and went closer to hear the conversation.

"...you lost Shizuo. What does that mean!?...you lost sight? How that's possible? It is our fortissimo we are talking about...he stopped throwing stuff? What is happening!?" Erika was starting to yell by the end.

Celty agreed with her. What was happening? First Izaya saved the kids, now he has disappeared and now Shizuo stopped throwing stuff? Was he punching the yellow worn people now? What is happening here? Suddenly her shadows caught something and that made her jumped.

"...why you are gasping?...stop screaming...What? At the main road? Why? Why you want us on the main road?" Erika continued with her conversation.

Celty ordered Shooter to come to her aid and while she went on it with Erika, she knew why they needed to go to the main road. And that made her worry. It couldn't be!

Erika was still at the phone when she gasped.

"...it can't be..."

Celty held Shooter handlebars harder.

It was Izaya!

-xxx-

Saki watched with open mouth. After they had separated with Erika and Celty, Kadota's gang brought them to the main road. Away from Shizuo. But the father away they got, the quieter Shizuo became. He didn't throw anyone or anything at the sky. Like he wasn't fighting the yellow scarves. Yet the small quakes everyone felt was the only clue they had that Shizuo was still fighting.

When they arrived at the main road, everyone got out of the van. When everyone had calmed down and Anri was in the position to walk, they waited for Erika or Celty to call. Minutes passed and nothing was coming making everyone anxious. Why Izaya had saved Kida? He would let Kida get hurt and maybe help him as he had already had done in the past but...take the blame?

Why? That was not Izaya that Saki knew and had experienced all those years around him. There were no signs that Izaya would ever take the blame for someone. He would take it only to pass it to someone else. That's what he would always do. Yet now, he did the opposite.

So after some time of worrying, which no one knew why they did, they decided to call Erika. So while Walker was talking with Erika, someone on the crowd around them gasped violently and Saki turned to see why.

What she witnessed in front of her was...surreal.

In front of her, it was the slasher and...Izaya. The slasher was still covered by the black matter that left behind smokes in the air but in some spot on their arm, it had disappeared and in its place was blood. A huge amount of it. That started from the elbow to the hand. They were still holding the katana at their arms and it was pointed towards the other person.

Izaya on the other side was...weird. He had pulled up the hood of his jacket hiding his face from view yet Saki knew that he could see. His head was looking down and his jacket had blood all over it staining the small fur around it. His stand was weird and at the same time threatening. It looked like he had taken too many hits from the katana and yet he stood up. He was still holding his knife. But his hand was white.

He was holding it extra careful and he was probably angry at the slasher to have beat him. Yet he was alive. Saki was sure that the bam she heard when Izaya impacted the wall that he was a goner. She was afraid to admit it yet the smell of blood and the sound made it obvious that Izaya had cracked his skull and was dead.

Yet here he was. He was standing with a knife in hand ready to strike the other party. He still had blood but that was normal in a fight. Saki tried to see his face but the hood was down hiding his face. Only his neck was shown. And Saki didn't see blood. Yet how he survived? She believed Anri when she said that she saw blood in the wall and she trusted her ears and smell yet no blood on his neck. Had he dodged it?

Was then the blood from the slasher? As she saw at their arm, the blood started from the hand into the elbow. So maybe they hurt themselves by accident because Izaya dodged it. Izaya's knife as Saki remembered was still at the wall. So maybe the blood and sound were from the slasher hitting the wall and the knife that Izaya had thrown and they bleed.

That would explain then why Saki couldn't see blood on Izaya's neck. Yet something wasn't fitting. But Saki didn't have time to think because Izaya moved so fast that surprised even the slasher. Izaya moved and the knife hit the katana that the slasher was carrying and dodged it. Unsuccessfully.

Izaya moved back before the slasher moved him back and created a window of opportunity for him to cut the slasher. The slasher reacted too slow and in result, they were cut by Izaya. The knife touched their other arm that didn't have blood. Yet the shadows didn't disappear. They stayed at their places showing everyone that that black matter around the slasher was a layer of protection. Like Celty's. Yet when it was cut, nothing happened. It was unbreakable. That didn't surprise Izaya because he didn't appear to be in shock like Saki. Maybe all this time they fought and he knew about the layer. Yet why he continued to attack when he knew nothing was happening? And whose blood was on the slasher's arm?

Was Izaya able to cut them? That's why he didn't stop attacking them. All while Saki was thinking Izaya was continuing his one-sided fight with the slasher while the slasher tried as they could to dodge the attacks. Even the slasher had difficult to keep up with Izaya speed. Then why didn't they run? Could Izaya catch them so quickly? Probably.

Suddenly, metal hitting each other was heard in the air. The slasher had finally lifted up their weapon blocking Izaya. Izaya though didn't stop. He moved as close as he could towards the slasher making sparks danced in the air. Then more sparks appeared and Izaya had moved back as well as the slasher. Then both moved synchronized and lifted their weapons to attack.

While Izaya and the slasher fought, Erika and Celty had finally come and looked at the scene in front of them. Both in shock. Izaya was ok! Maybe...then.. Why Izaya moved so angrily, so ready to hit the slasher. Ready to kill them? That made Celty curious and anxious at the same time...nostalgic?

She umounted Shooter and while Erika run towards her gang, Celty observed Izaya. Trying to see or understand his behavior. She also knew that if anyone tried to stop him, they would have a death wish being answered later. That's why they watched with an agape mouth.

The earthquakes that showed that Shizuo was fighting had stopped or better had quieted down. That showed that Shizuo at least was not close to Izaya and was fighting somewhere else. Shooter shouted at her and Celty returned from her thoughts to see Izaya and the slasher fight. Yes, of course.

She petted Shooter while she observed Izaya. Izaya was moving quicker, more rapidly...without purpose making Celty unsure.

What was making Izaya not think?

Then suddenly the slasher finally made a move hitting Izaya's knife...and throwing it away. The sound of the knife being impacted made everyone try to find it. And they did. It was at the wall near Izaya and the slasher that appeared to be cut. And everyone knew from which thing. Izaya's knife. It had so much force even if it wasn't aimed there. Making the situation in front of them...

Dangerous.

Some backed away, others run and left. But still, some people were still watching. Curiosity sometimes is dangerous even to the point of your life. Still, none moved and continued watching.

While the crowd was minimized, the slasher had finally an opening to hit Izaya. Yet Izaya didn't appear to be in disadvantage because when the slasher tried to hit him with the katana, he dodged and...kicked them from behind in the neck. Everyone gasped!

That normally would kill a person. Yet the slasher after being hurt, they pulled their katana, let it impaled the ground and jumped away while holding their katana. They touched the ground several meters away and they slowly rose up from the ground. Izaya didn't appear to be lost and was unfazed by the kick he had given to the slasher unlike the people watching him. He turned to look at the slasher and without a warning, he moved towards him. The slasher saw the attack and moved their katana ready to strike. Then the katana stopped.

But it wasn't the slasher that had stopped it but Izaya. With a knife. Celty would not find that weird if it wasn't the wall across her. That wall was where Izaya's knife had cut a portion of it. And there was not a knife now in front of it. When did Izaya get it and how fast? That question was left unanswered as well as the question she had for Izaya. Why Izaya was fighting the slasher? Did he know them? And why didn't he play with them like Shizuo?

Izaya let the katana come closer to him and in a fast motion, he moved the knife back and front causing the slasher to lose their grip and lose their footing when thrown back. Izaya then cut again the slasher. Finally, gaining a reaction. A scream. An unhuman scream. That made everyone close their ears. Izaya didn't. Yet no blood was torn. The slasher caught the place where Izaya had supposedly cut them. Izaya pulled his knife up and within a second he had thrown the katana from the user's hand towards yet again the wall that he had previously cut with his knife. The katana moved and cut deeper the wall, making Celty afraid that it would collapse on the duo in front of her but the katana stayed inside the crack giving the wall a stool to stay.

After Izaya had thrown the katana he had moved back and kicked yet again the now open slasher on the stomach making them fall back and down. They caught their stomach in pain or so Celty thought because she could only see the red eyes of the slasher. Izaya, still with his hood down, walked threatening and slowly towards the slasher. He had stretched his hand out away at the side of his body and showed the knife at his hand.

Celty looked strangely at the knife, making her anxious. Oh no! It wasn't true. He couldn't...

Izaya, finally in front of the slasher, had stopped. He had stood quietly and didn't move. Then he pulled the knife...up, holding with both hands. Ready to strike at the slasher. To kill them!

No! That wasn't Izaya...it was...

Then Izaya moved it down...

...

...

...

...and had stopped some millimeters before striking the knife on the slashers head.

Noone moved. Not even the slasher. Not even Izaya. Everyone appeared to be in shock.

Then the knife Izaya was holding was thrown away. Somewhere unimportant, likely the ground. Izaya hadn't moved from his place as well as everyone around him apart from throwing the knife away. He had though moved slightly his head down looking at his hand that had stayed in front of him. Then he jumped...

And a sound was heard as well as smoke had suddenly in the place were Izaya previously stood. Izaya had landed some meters away from the smoke close to the wall with the katana and now he had his hand in front of his jacket's pocket. He had turned away not facing the smoke.

When finally the smoke disappeared, everyone yet again gasped. Now in the place of the slasher was a vending machine and in front of it, it was...Shizuo.

The slasher had disappeared probably when the smoke appeared giving them the opportunity to do so. Yet Shizuo had appeared. Probably he aimed for the slasher yet he didn't appear concerned when he didn't find them. He was focused more on Izaya than were he aimed the machine. He looked angry, mad as Celty had seen him some minutes ago. He was ok apart from his bowtie being untied and some scratches and cut on his clothes.

Shizuo walked towards Izaya but stopped some meters away from him. In front of the wall with the katana. Izaya hadn't moved an inch but had lightly moved his head down again, probably looking at the ground. He still showed his back on Shizuo and his hood was still on his head making hard for Celty to see his face.

Everyone stayed silent. Everyone watched the duo. They only had seen them together all this time on the photos on the website. They had all missed their fights. It was their routine. Yet after some time, here they were in front of them. Facing each other...or close to it.

Then after some time that everyone thought it was an eternity, Shizuo's voice echoed at the streets of the Ikebukuro.

"Izaya..."

Everyone waited for Izaya to talk yet no response.

"...here you are..." Shizuo continued, unfazed by Izaya silence. "...what are you doing on Ikebukuro?"

Izaya didn't answer, still showing his back on Shizuo.

"I thought I made it clear that I don't want you in my city."

Finally, Izaya laughed. His laugh.

"Your city? Ah~ Shizu-chan that city doesn't belong to you!"

His voice was normal. It had that disdain tone and it was like he hadn't battle beforehand. It was normal. It was Izaya's tone.

"Neither does belong on the hands of a flea."

"That might be true Shizu-chan...but I never was after the city...but the people of the city."

"Oi! You idiot! Come to your senses!"

"Oh~ But Shizu-chan I am now. Now I can see!"

"Your talking makes me irritated." Shizuo barked at Izaya and Izaya laughed

"As, thought from a monster of 'this' city!"

Shizuo looked at Izaya.

"This...?"

Izaya laughed.

"Oh~ Do you think that monsters are exclusive in a city? Oh~, Shizu-chan you make me laugh! They are here. Around us. "

"Stop your crazy talking!"

"And you know that too, Shizu-chan, don't play dumb as you always do! You know better that they are here! To strike. To kill."

"And if they are?" Suddenly Shizuo's tone fell dangerously low making everyone jumped from shock.

Izaya simply laughed. He pulled out his hands from his pockets and put them on his hood. He then turned around, pulling down his hood facing Shizuo.

"Whose fault is that, then!?" Izaya finally said.

And everyone around the duo gasped. Izaya face was covered with blood. His one eye was completely covered with blood closing it while the other was open. The blood started from the top of his head showing that he was truly hit on the wall by the slasher and continued until his jawline. Lines of blood traveled down and dripped down on the ground. The cut was still open and blood continued to fall down. Yet Izaya didn't wiped it out just let it fall down.

But even though Izaya condition was shocking for everyone, Shizuo's reaction made them lose their mind. Shizuo gasped surprised, moving his arm in front of his face in shock. Like he was trying to hide what he saw in front of him. He was looking away!

Izaya finally wiped the now dried blood from his eyes only so he could see. Shizuo finally looked at Izaya and with enough emotion that Celty couldn't understand well, said.

"No. It isn't! And YOU know well it isn't and it won't be!"

Izaya just looked at him. It looked like he had frowned and finally, he smirked.

"And if it isn't then, tell me, my enemy...why?"

Shizuo didn't answer. Izaya looked at Shizuo and for some milliseconds, that Celty caught, he looked sad. He then laughed and looked down. He put his hands on his jacket, probably trying to pull a knife out. Shizuo didn't move to stop him.

"If this is your answer...then..."

Izaya then moved towards Shizuo and put his hand on his chest. Shizuo did the same on Izaya's.

"Then your parade of death had just started!"

And the wall fell down on both of them.

Oh nox2