Darker than Black: Shinigami No Owari

Chapter One - Behind The Mask (Part II)

As I step outside, I'm instantly greeted by the freezing rain. It attacks me relentlessly, making me wish that I had, at the very least, worn a proper raincoat to work today. Perhaps it's for the best. After all, I was boiling when inside, so this is quite refreshing.

…Who am I kidding? I'm freezing. The rain has already soaked me completely in mere seconds, so I can't imagine what will be left of me if I have to wait for that peculiar man to show up.

Thankfully, I catch a glimpse of him, hidden around a dark corner, down the alley to my right. He seems to stare for a few seconds, as though he is studying me. Worried that I could be carrying, perhaps? Eventually, he slowly makes his way towards me.

"Are you him?" He asks, quietly.

Surely, he wouldn't risk mistaking me for someone else, right?

"Depends on who he is." I state, which causes the man to halt mid-step. A long silence falls upon us, as either he nor I feel obligated to share any, possibly, dangerous information that could place either one or both of us at risk. After a minute passes, I finally question, "Are you referring to BK-?"

"201?" He jumps in, equalising both our status' once again, with neither at a disadvantage of saying too much. I merely nod in reply, which makes the man grin happily. "So I've finally found you."

Then, the man finally steps into the dim light that was above the back door to the store, allowing me to get a better look at his features. He's about five foot seven inches. His shoulders are short, coming to an almost abrupt end, if they weren't so curved. Better yet, round. From that alone, I can distinguish that he's overweight, even though he hides his stomach behind that coat of his. As he lifts his head, my theory of him being a rather chunky fella is confirmed, as, under the rim of his hat, his cheeks are rather large and his lips also. He wears a large pair of spectacles which rest, slanted, on the bride of his wide, button nose. On his nose are a numerous amount of blackheads, leading me to believe that he is of poor hygiene. As he takes another, final step towards me, that suspicion is also confirmed.

After looking him up and down, I shoot him a serious glare. "Why've you been looking for me?"

"Ah…you see…I…" He taps his chin worriedly, clearly trying to think of some way to explain his reason for being here; searching for BK201.

Watching him frantically search his mind for the correct words to say, I'm unable to think of this individual as being a 'peculiar man' any longer. Instead, he's more along the lines of a 'peculiar, pubescent boy'.

Deciding to actually voice my curiosity, and to spare him any further strenuous brain activity, I ask, "How old are you?"

Snapping out of his dilemma, he stares at me, blankly, for a few seconds. "M-m-me…?" I nod slowly. Then, he points to himself. I nod again. And then, he taps himself with his finger and mouths the word 'me'.

"Yes! You!" I finally snap, raising my voice. The man cowers in fear, almost retreating completely back into the darkness.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm si-si-si-si-si-seventeen…!" He stutters loudly, spraying drool in all directions.

Seventeen? Why is someone so young…?

Stepping forward, I decide to press him for questions, as my patience is growing thin. "How do you know about me?"

"The in-in-inter…the internet! You-your ma-ma-mask is all over it-t-t-t-t!"

"Why are you here?"

"Be-be-because I was told to wa-wa-wa-wa-warn you!"

"By who?" This time, I get no answer, so I shove him angrily. "Who told you to warn me?!"

"…nami…" He mutters, almost silently, making me miss the first part of what he had said. Even so, I feel the fear growing inside my gut, as one name inparticular comes to mind.

Leaning forward, so as to hear him better, I ask again, "Who…?"

"They-th-the-th-they said their name was I-I-I-I…" He pauses for a second, and looks me directly in the eye, gaining the courage to say his 'employers' name fully. "Izanami."

Unable to prevent myself from doing so, I stumble backwards, completely confused.

That's…not possible…I…I…

"They…they said they have many names…but…" Falling to the floor, I stare blankly, not full taking in what he's saying. "…they said…you'd know them…b-b-by that name." My eyes look up to the moonless sky, while my mind just can't seem to think straight. "But…their name…the name that they have now…they said it's…that it's Kagu…Kagu-Tsuchi."

That last part catches my attention, and I give him a puzzled look. "Why…why that name?" He shrugs feverishly, but that's not good enough for me. "Where is she?"

"S-s-sh…she?" He asks. It seems that it was my turn to confuse him. "They're…a…they're a boy…"

My eyes widen. Now I'm completely lost. Izanami resided in Yin. Yin was female. Izanami was…

But they're not Izanami…they're Kagu-Tsuchi…

I let my head hang, as I'm far too tired and far too stressed to understand all of this at once. I need food.

"Hey, kid?" The boy jumps, clearly fearful of my unbalanced state. "Have you got any money?" For a moment, he looks down at me, bewildered, but eventually nods frantically. "Good."

Before he knows it, I've dragged the boy to a nearby diner and bought some food with what change I had spare. This 'change' is enough to buy me four main dishes, but it's just not enough to satisfy my hunger. Either way, as I begin to scram down the food I do I have, I can't help but notice that the person opposite me has a ridiculous amount of free space. In other words, he's ordered no food.

"Hey? I thought you said you had money?" I question, completely flabbergasted by the fact that such a porky kid such as himself had ordered absolutely nothing.

"Oh…I'm on a diet." He smiles nervously.

I give him a frown. "Really? How long have you been at it?"

"Two years." He answers instantly. Unable to stop myself, I look him up and down in disbelief. This doesn't go unnoticed, as he states, rather coldly, "It's a work in progress…"

After another minute, I find it unbearable to have this kid watch me eat. "Listen, you should order something, at least. You look hungry."

He fishes a few coins from his pocket and lays them on the table. Although I didn't count it, I could tell this kid was on the verge of being broke.

"This is all I have. I need to spend my money wisely, BK."

As I slurp up some noodles, I find myself growing sympathetic, and push my last remaining dish towards him.

"Here." I say, rather unhappily. "My treat." Then, I realize what he had referred to me as. "And don't call me that."

Not a second later, the once timid boy hungrily chows down on the meal I had given him. He finishes the large dish even before I fully consume my already half-eaten one. This kid's mother must have her work cut out for her…

As he licks his fingers, he finally decides to continue talking once again. "If I can't call you BK, then what?"

"I give you food and you start speaking full sentences?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

While in the middle of sucking his thumb, he gives me an exaggerated frown. "What should I call you?"

Gesturing to my badge, I smirk. "Doesn't my tag say it all?"

He shakes his head, unamused, and begins to wipe his face with his sleeves. Disgusted, I hand him a napkin, pulling away before he can so much as touch me with his now greasy sausage fingers.

"Clearly, you wouldn't use your real name." He theorises.

Sighing, I say, "I don't have a name."

"But, surely I can call you something other than Li? That name's so…so boring!" The boy argues.

Once again, I begin to grow tired of him, so I decide it best to give him one of my other many names. "Hei. Call me Hei." Thinking for a second, he then nods in agreement. As I start to sip on my drink, I can't help but ask, "So, how is it a kid like you managed to end up here?"

I was meaning for him to answer by explaining how he had run into this Kagu-Tsuchi, why he was sent to find me, and what I was being warned about. However, his eyes suggested that he was going to reply with something completely different.

He looks down, as if ashamed of himself. "My…inheritance money."

Deciding to go along with the conversation, I lean forward. "Inheritance? Why your-?"

"My father died two months ago. I never knew my mother."

For a once shy kid, he's surprisingly open.

I too look down. "I'm sorry." After taking another long swig of my drink, I find myself pondering as to why he now has so little money. "Why is it you have barely any cash, then?"

"Well," He starts, chuckling embarrassedly, "someone my age is easily swindled! And let me tell ya, I've been swindled. Many times, in fact."

Just after finishing my drink, I rest the now empty glass on the table and stare at the ceiling. "All in your search for me?"

"Yep."

A concerned expression appears on my face. "How will you get home?" He shrugs. "Do you have anywhere else to go?" He shakes his head. "When will you be leaving?" He shrugs again. I sigh deeply, worried that this kid was somehow going to become my problem. "What's your name?"

"Itsuki Taniguchi."

"Taniguchi, huh?" Focusing on him once again, I smile reassuringly. "You'll be fine. It'll all work out." He too then smiles. "But first, we need to get back to business." He nods calmly, his smile never fading. "Now, how did you-?" My words are interrupted when the sight of two men enter the diner. One is large and well-built, while the other is tall and scrawny.

Even now, I can tell a Contractor from a mile off…

"Taniguchi?" I say, in a hushed tone, gaining the boys attention. "We have to leave. Now."

This is where the fun begins…

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Here's part two of chapter one. Hope you enjoyed it! I know that the boy, Taniguchi, didn't really answer any major questions like why Kagu-Tsuchi sent him, or what he's warning Hei about. That will all be answered in part three of chapter one, which will be up soon, and I can assure you that that is where the action starts! So, keep an eye open for it!

Thanks for reading!