Ducking his head underneath the tenth clothesline, Natsuki ventured further into the dark alleyway, where he could still see traces of his coin, swivelling as it rolled across the wet ground, getting slower and slower, until it finally toppled over, its right side shimmering across the dim sky.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Natsuki dashed towards the fallen heirloom, gingerly picking it up before brushing it with his fingers clad in the tissues he got from a lucky draw (he did not know why, but his luck suddenly exploded today, all of a sudden). "Phew! Thank God for the fact that nothing's happened to you. I don't know what I'll say to dad if you got scra...a...atched..."
Its dim exterior reflected a dark blue paint, light sinking deeply into its metallic chassis. Dirty tinted windows could be heard crinkling in the wind, shadows moving across their faded surfaces, some animalistic, some humanistic...
But it was the ridiculous sign painted on the front that made Natsuki question life
Welcome to Icks' Exposium! Here we have everything you want, from shit you need to shit you don't. And if we don't have it, we can procure it for you anyway!
(Just don't question the legality of it, trust me bro, you do not want to know how I got it...)
Displayed at the front of the back door was a large collection of paraphernalia, ranging from the small, to all the way as big as a telephone booth:
A watch clad in leather that emitted green light...
A fruit that seemed to have mutated, producing swirling patterns on its surface, along with, scarily enough, drumbeats coming from its core...
A golden glove with six gems embedded on it...
A large sword that seemed to be glittering, along with the caption that mentioned that its scabbard was stolen, by an unfilial runt at that...
And is that the fucking TARDIS I see there!?
As Natsuki stood bedazzled by the large array of (most probably) illegal items, he soon heard some rumbling coming from behind the door, before a slick curly-haired man emerged from the interior, his hair covered in oil and whatnot.
"Ooh, goodie, goodie! Looks like we have a customer!"
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Dusting his hands, a slick Grecian man emerged from thick curtains, his hands holding what appeared to be a partially dismantled centrifugal pump, but weirdly screaming its lungs out. Seeing how Natsuki looked disgusted by the pump, the man promptly yeeted the infernal device to the back, where it swore to the heavens before a wrench was thrown at its head, shutting it up (permanently Natsuki did not know, nor he wanted to for the matter...). "Sorry for the cussing pump. Some arsehole from the 16th floor from Hell wanted this pump to be fixed, and they paid pretty well at that. Now that's all laid aside, let me introduce myself:
The name's Icks, the greatest merchant (and inventor) alive!
Sure, my pops was better, but he ain't no longer around. So, what can I get you? This sword, or Bankai, I got from some random afterlife organisation that seems to have your name written on it. Wait, you don't like it? Well, what about this tiny badge– now, don't dismiss it; inside it lays a fully functional mech-suit. How? Well, it's something I got from the smartest man in that universe (sure he's a playboy and all, but we can gloss over that tiny 'bump', can't we...). Wait, too futuristic for you? Well say no more, cause I have what you desperately need:
A burning ball of flames!
Now, now, it's not just any ball if flame:
Sitting here is the very flame that helped the Flame Emperor Xiao Hou ascend to the Emperor level itself!
No? Well, I'm certainly sure we can arrange something..."
Hearing all this at once, Natsuki's head began steaming at the huge influx of information. Holding his hands, he asked for a pause. "Wait, wait, wait! These look dipe as fuck, but I can't afford it anways. I mean, what can this poor bastard give for all these awesome products anyway..."
That was all Icks needed
"Well, what about that shiny coin you have there..."
Pupils shrinking, Natsuki quietly began retreating. At last he knew what yhat scoundrel wanted:
The last memento left by his father
"NO, I WON'T LET YOU HAVE IT!"
Icks couldn't help hut chuckle hearing this. "Kid, you look like someone who's just come here. And by the looks of things, a weakling like you can only come here if someone accidentally killed you by mistake and you cannot reincarnate – So that makes you a weakling. Before things get rough, it would be wiser for you hand that coin over to.me, and take something in return. How about it–"
"Haven't you learnt anything from the last beating I gave you Icks...?"