Recap

Stendhal drags the bound individual into the center of the warehouse so that the moonlight can properly shine, allowing for both vigilantes to have a proper look.

With black hair, and clothes with various holes, patches, and dried blood stains, the person looked like your typical criminal. If not for the ropes binding their legs and hands, and the blindfold on Azure, they would have assumed a combat-ready position.

For the time being, Stendhal made the bound criminal face towards the entrance and Azure and said, "Well since you couldn't get information from the previous villain and you've learned from your previous mistake, for the time being, you're going to learn how to get a criminal to talk." Your flames may help, but they won't always work. "

Even though Stendhal sounded no different from his usual emotionless self from behind his mask, Azure was sure he could hear a tinge of playfulness.

_________________________________________

The morning after that gruesome night, when screams could be heard all throughout the district, people were finally on the streets, with most trying to head to their jobs.

With the light snow trickling down, signifying the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, some of the ordinary people who were heading towards their jobs early in the morning momentarily stopped to admire the minuscule amounts of frozen droplets of water.

Some, who had only recently arrived in the bustling city of Musutafu, Japan from more winter-heavy areas, sighed at the coming weather.

The people who had stayed in this region for large amounts of time merely gave the snow a glance before continuing on with their depressing lives, wondering if they would ever make it out of this monotonous cycle.

Walking through a crowd of people, a boy standing at the height of 4'7 dressed in a windbreaker, and a matching black mouth mask, also briefly stopped to gaze at the snow.

Many natives of Musutafu continued on with their lives, but Dante had joined in with those stunned, admiring or admonishing the sight.

However, unlike most of those facing the sky, his mind wasn't on the snow. His mind was clouded with memories of a time he would prefer to forget.

An image flashed through Dante's mind. The Sakura tree he planted around 8 months ago. Dante reminisced about the petals that the Sakura tree would be producing in 5 years, .

His reason for living was gone. However, only 7 days after the death of his parents? He ended up planting his new ones. He had a tradition of getting to the hill on which his parents lay and talking about his life, staring at the tree as spring broke out in full.

The promise was only valid for 5 years, considering that that is how long it takes for the tree to blossom. However, with this 5-year promise, he found a reason to continue. He felt as if he had found something that had an end in sight.

And so, every year, he swore he would return every April to watch its growth. So, as he looked at the winter, he thought about the opposite season, leading him to wonder if the snow would cause adverse effects on the tiny tree.

But as the saying goes, "Nothing lasts forever."

And so, the image passed as quickly as it came and so he turned around to face the mob of people and silently cursed at thinking about "it".

His most hated month, the month that brought only demise, and remorse. As he continued to trudge through the waters of the river of time.

He thought back to his destination, his abode. He thought of the silence that permeated the surroundings. His mind went back to thinking about the tree.

As he was walking towards his current living space, he thought to himself, 'Damn! That accursed month.'

*Timskip a couple of days later. *

Dante could be seen walking through the crowd of adults, heading towards their jobs slightly early. Although a boy of his height walking in a mob of people, at 7 am would usually be suspicious.

With the weather being like this, and with the second school term coming to a close soon since its December 21, students are trying to raise their grades so the third and hardest semester doesn't impact their grades so much.

Many such students would choose to pop into their respective schools early to study. If they had to cram school afterward, they would go into the school to make up the test and work extra hard so that they could pass with flying colors and enjoy the new year.

Dante subtly kept moving his head from side to side, as if looking for someone, or something. A few moments later, he spotted whoever he was looking for, so he started walking towards the man who was near the alleyway.

An office worker, with the usual suit and tie, and with a low ponytail, walks towards his job.  He had black hair and carried a satchel around his chest, the satchel being compacted with documents.

Dante was right behind his target. He had been following Stendhal when they left after the practice. After finding out what Stendhal looked like in civilian clothes, he wanted to know what his reaction would be when he appeared in front of him.

'Will he ignore me? Will he rush me to a place to talk quietly? Will he seem as if he had predicted this? '

When he arrived behind Stendhal, Dante felt thoughts rushing around in his head. He stretched out his hand, trying to tap him on the shoulder, when Dante felt his center of gravity change and the world get darker.

The morning sun wasn't in front of his face, instead, a cold stone was all he could see. Two tall buildings block off his right and left.

The back being a dead end made it so only up or forward was the way out. Dante scoffed. Besides the risk of leaking his identity, he could escape with relative ease.

Or so he thought when he looked towards the entrance of the alley. Mobs of people could be seen walking in the same direction, causing anything behind them to be unseeable.

However, in front of the alleyway, a lone figure stood between the allied path and the hordes of people. Average-looking person was the one blocking his path.

A look of realization came upon Dante's face. After a minute of silence, he said while looking towards the man's eyes.

"Ah…So you're done, Stendhal."

Dante felt a grin come up on his features. Something only, he would notice because the mask prevented others from seeing it.

Dante heard a mutter.

"That's wrong."

However, Dante caught this mutter.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Stendhal.' Right?"

However, instead of the defeated sigh he expected to hear. Dante heard something. The voice was the same as last time, but the content could be heard as clearly as day.

"That is also incorrect."

Dante had already stood up and was observing the man's features.

"Stendhal is an existence who has surpassed the confines of humanity. The right of life. "

"And the black of death."

"The persona of the convector."

"Who severs the gap between the two with a single stroke. "

"Without my mask, I am no more than an ordinary man who devotes himself to the ideologies of heroes."

"And I despise allowing those two sides to interact."

As Dante saw the fanatic look on "Stendhals" face, he admonished himself for trying to appear cool in front of his Sensei.

Azure was jolted out of his reverie when he heard a bloodcurdling scream. He looked at his surroundings and saw the rusted cells, and the grim atmosphere surrounding the place.

But his sensei interrupted his thoughts since he grimly said, "Yakuza scum."