Chapter 1 "Guardian"

The next morning, Legoshi and Haru went to the city hall to file for divorce. Legoshi had never felt so bad before. After leaving the administration, the former spouses said goodbye.

Haru: Well, here we are again free.

Legoshi: Yes... free...

Haru: Don't be sad, love. Know that if you need help, you can always contact me. Or if you just need to talk.

Legoshi: Thank you, Haru. It's just that it's kind of weird...

Haru: Don't just think about it, okay? Now the main thing is to endure, and then you will get used to it. Time cures...

Legoshi kissed Haru for the last time and went to the dorm where he used to live. All evening he longed for Hara, it seemed to him that life would never be the same. Suddenly Legosi called Louis.

Louis: Hello, old man. How are you holding up?

Legoshi: Hey Luis... I don't know how to stop thinking about Haru. I'm afraid I'll miss her.

Louis: I understand. When I broke up with Juno, I felt the same way. But then somehow it became easier, and when the son was born, he completely forgot about sadness.

Legoshi: I don't know if I did the right thing?

Louis: You're just used to Haru. He sought her hand and heart for so long that when he achieved his goal, he lost his love interest. Or maybe it was not love at all, but a feeling of overprotection.

Legoshi: Maybe. Haru has been getting really annoyed lately that I'm hanging around with her like she's a little girl.

Louis: Wow, see. And with her, on the one hand, it's impossible to do otherwise, she constantly gets stuck somewhere. So do not worry. You have taken a very important step, it is better to let her go in time than to continue to spoil the relationship.

Legoshi: Thank you Louis...Louis: If anything, always ask, not strangers. See you.

Legoshi lay down to sleep, remembering the bright moments with her...

Legoshi spent the next day at work, where he could more or less take his mind off recent events. There were few visitors in the noodle shop, today Legoshi was on duty after work. He polished the entire hall and kitchen to a shine. It was deep night outside.

Legoshi was already finishing his shift and leaving the restaurant, when he suddenly heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind and felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He realized that he was losing consciousness. The last thing he heard was "Hurry up, grab him!"

Several hulks grabbed the stunned Legosi and carried him to the car.

When Legoshi woke up, he found himself, judging by the smell, on a fish cutting table. His limbs were tightly tied around the edges, he could only move his head, on which the contusion throbbed strongly. In the eyes beat bright from the lamp hanging from above. Near the table stood three dark silhouettes. One of them started talking.

Ryuu: Hello, Legoshi. I thought you looked bigger, I can't believe you ever fought gangs in the Black Market.

Legoshi: Who... are you? What you want from me?

Ryuu: My name is Ryuu, I'm from the Meat Eater clan. You must have heard of us?

Legoshi: Yes, but why am I here? I don't eat meat.

Ryuu: You and Melon left predators like us without the Black Market. The blood of a herbivore for us is a sip of pure water, his flesh is a piece of fresh bread.

Legoshi: Are you going to kill me for this?

Ryuu: Most of our brethren, including myself, decided to give you one chance... Become one of us, will forgive you everything if such a strong ally appears in our clan.

Legoshi: I WILL NEVER TOUCH MEAT AGAIN! So tell your "brothers"!

Ryuu: Don't be stupid, Legoshi. You're a predator, don't resist your instincts.

Legoshi: The last person who said that killed my friend Tam, and now he's behind bars, cursing the very day he did it. I will never be like you, remember that!

Ryuu: Well, you leave me no choice, Legoshi... Come on guys!

One of the alligators grabbed Legoshi by the head and pushed the funnel into his mouth. The second stood over Legoshi, holding a huge barrel in his hands.

Ryuu: We agreed to kill you if you refuse. But I will do even better... I WILL MAKE YOU BECOME ONE OF US!

Ryu removes the lid from the barrel, it was filled to the brim with blood.

Ryuu: Can you imagine how many animals it took to kill to fill it completely? And it's all for you, my friend. ACT!

The torture began. Legoshi desperately resisted, but the blood continued to voluntarily pour inside. He felt his stomach fill with fluid.

Ryuu: Divine nectar, right?

Suddenly a voice from the darkness...

Stranger: Howdy!

Ryuu and his bone-breakers turned around in fear. Out of the darkness, a gunshot rang out. The bandit holding the barrel was the first to fall, it flopped to the floor and blood flowed from it like a river. The bandit, holding the funnel in Legoshi's mouth, rushed to the side and fled, but was killed by a knife thrown in the back.

Ryu stood in a daze.

Ryuu: Who are you?!

The stranger slowly approached Ryuu, Legoshi could not see him, the blood flooded his entire muzzle.

Stranger: It's funny that you don't remember me Ryuu. Forgot how you begged me on my knees a few years ago to spare you? Then you were still a simple robber, and I just handed you over to the police.

Ryuu: IT CAN'T BE! BUT YOU...

Ryuu slipped on a pool of blood spilled from a barrel.

Stranger: Maybe a buddy. I had to return to the old craft. I hope you are ready to say goodbye to life?

The stranger pointed a sawed-off shotgun at Ryuu's head.

Ryu: STOP! SPARE ME!

Stranger: I've heard that before, you know I rarely give last chances. And there won't be a second one. Sweet dreams!

Ryuu: NOOOOO!

Ryu was shot in the head.

Legoshi, belching blood, still could not see his savior.

Stranger: You're in big trouble, kid... It'll be hard for you to fight against a whole clan. Get up, I'll take you to your friend at the hospital.

"To a friend? So it wasn't Gohin who saved me... But who?" Legoshi thought.

Legoshi: Who... you?

Stranger: We'll have time to get to know each other, but for now, better save your strength...

The stranger picked up Legoshi and led him towards Ryuu's car. Legoshi sensed that the stranger was small in stature. At the moment, he could only tell by smell that it was a stranger carefully placed Legoshi in the back seat, and he got behind the wheel and drove towards the hospital. Legoshi, feeling weak, passed out. Due to the stomach overflowing with blood, bestial instincts awakened in him again.

When Legoshi woke up, he realized that he was in Gouhin's house.

Gouhin: How do you manage to get into trouble, Legoshi? Shishigumi, Reese, Melon... I gave you a stomach pump while you were out. Two liters of blood came out of you. What happened baby?

Legoshi: I don't know, master. I was knocked out as soon as my work day was over... Those who kidnapped me were from the "Meat Eaters" clan, they forced me to join their sect, trying to make me drink blood.

Gouhin: I'm afraid it's not just a sect. This is a huge grouping, which includes all the dregs of our society. At one time we caught a lot of them with ...

Gohin stopped abruptly.

Legoshi: With whom, master?

Gohin: Doesn't matter what happened next?

Legoshi: Then some predator saved me, I couldn't see it. I don't remember the rest. Do you know who it was?

Gouhin: Yes. But I can't say it yet. This is dangerous for both of you, you will meet him again soon. In the meantime, be careful, try to avoid deserted places. I ordered a taxi for you.

Legoshi: Thank you, master.

Legoshi left Gouhin's house and got into the car. On the way, he remembered everything that had happened to him yesterday.

Legoshi: Who... you?

Stranger: We'll have time to get to know each other...

Gouhin: Yes, but I can't tell yet. You will meet him again soon.

Legoshi's thoughts: One against the whole clan. What to do? They can easily track me who is this mysterious ally? Will I be able to recognize him in such a big city?