章 16: Chapter 16
Denji strode down the grey streets of Saint Petersburg, the usually bustling city oddly quiet. The streets were surprisingly clear, with only the occasional hurried civilian passing by. Angel had stayed back at camp with Kobeni, and Kishibe's recent transformation had unsettled Denji. The old man had startled him, placing his hand over his face and morphing into a completely different person. Now much younger with blonde hair, he bore a striking resemblance to Denji, though with longer hair and green eyes. The resemblance was uncanny, and the encounter left Denji intrigued and a bit unnerved.
Kishibe held a door open for Denji, and the teenager stepped inside. Kishibe's plan to impersonate important people with their black suits and ties seemed to be working, as they were immediately greeted by an old man who was busy stocking a shelf with canned goods. While Denji couldn't understand Russian, Kishibe managed to engage in a conversation. Kishibe raised three fingers and pointed at a clear bottle of what Denji assumed was alcohol. The old man smiled.
"Non-alcoholic, please," Kishibe requested in English.
The old man's face changed instantly. "Mad Dog!" he exclaimed, moving from around the front desk and grabbing Kishibe's hand, shaking it. Denji noticed a piece of paper appearing in Kishibe's palm after the handshake. In turn, Kishibe reverted to his normal form, the scars becoming more prevalent, and his blonde, youthful hair shifting to a silvery grey.
"It's been a long time, Dieter," Kishibe said, then turned to Denji. "This is Dieter."
Denji shook the old man's hand awkwardly, noticing the thick brown leather glove on his left hand and feeling the warmth emanating from it.
"Dieter, I happen to have some friends who are in need of a place to stay. Do you know of a good inn?" Kishibe inquired.
"My friend, you know if I could, I would stash you here. But that show you put on in the sky earlier really puts the heat on you," Dieter replied.
"If I remember, Dieter, you've never had a problem with that," Kishibe chuckled.
"I'm unfortunately not as young as I used to be, but there does happen to be a spare room with my name on it," Dieter mentioned.
"Dieter, you haven't aged a day," Kishibe noted.
"Wish I could say the same for you," Dieter joked.
Denji had long since turned his attention away from their conversation, now inspecting the various cans of food stacked on the wall. Dieter gestured to him, encouraging him to take whatever he wanted. Denji packed a few cans of off-brand Russian spam into his rucksack and threw it over his shoulder. Kishibe placed his hand on Denji's shoulder.
"Hand the stuff off to me. I have to take care of some business here. You go out and look around. If anyone is standing outside or on the street, take note of them and then report back to me if they seem suspicious," Kishibe instructed. Denji nodded quietly and stepped outside into the cold.
The city was bustling, even in the chilly weather. He kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary as instructed, keen to report back and assist in whatever way he could.
Angel wasn't exactly a foolish child; he simply didn't care much about rules and tended to follow his instincts. Currently, he was floating 200 feet above the city of Saint Petersburg, holding Kobeni in a princess carry. She had expressed worry about Denji and Kishibe after two hours had passed without their return. The anxious girl had been practically whining to Angel about her concerns, and though he initially shrugged it off, he began to realize that he genuinely cared about her well-being. He attributed it to being overly emotional at the moment.
His attention flicked back to Denji, who was now walking down the street away from the shop Kishibe had entered. Kobeni spotted Denji too and tapped Angel's shoulder. Getting the message, he began to follow, maintaining a distance from Denji as he floated overhead. Angel noticed someone rapidly approaching Denji down the street. Kobeni saw the person too and tried to reach for her knife, which was holstered at her hip. Angel began to descend, suspecting that Denji might be in for a fight. However, to their surprise, Denji kept moving as if nothing unusual was happening.
"Hey, you there!" Denji looked up from the sidewalk, startled, to see a girl with striking purple hair and large green eyes. His heart raced a bit as he took a step back from her. "Uh, yeah, I do speak English," he replied, a bit taken aback.
"Do you know a good place to stay at? I lost my map, so I don't know where there's an inn," she explained, her arms crossed. Denji felt a bit embarrassed at his initial reaction.
"Uh, sorry. I'm just not used to people approaching me," he stammered, rubbing the back of his head. She smiled warmly, reassuring him. "Listen, I don't mean to be so pushy. I'm just lost, so if you could help me, I'd really appreciate it."
Denji's heart skipped a beat when she smiled. "This is my first time in this city. I don't really know where anything is," he admitted, looking around. "If I had to guess, maybe it's that big house-looking building over there." He pointed to a massive log cabin-like structure with an intricately tiled roof.
"Thanks, I guess," she said, walking past him toward the supposed inn. Denji found himself turning to look at her as she walked away. "Wait! My name's Denji." She turned back to him, and her face showed a hint of neutrality, as if she was debating responding. Eventually, she sighed and spoke, "My name's Reze. It's nice to meet you."
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