Jin's pov
Where the hell could Kai be?
I don't care if I have to fight Shiro Ryota or anyone else. My only goal is to get Kai out of this goddamn building. Every second that passes only fuels my frustration. I storm down the dimly lit hallway, checking every room I come across, but there's still no sign of her. The more I search, the more restless I become.
A flicker of movement catches my eye, shadows shifting at the edge of my vision. I tense, ready for an attack, but I quickly shake it off. I don't have time to deal with anyone else right now. Kai comes first. I push forward, shoving open another door, hoping—praying—that she's inside.
But instead of Kai, I find someone I didn't want to see.
"You managed to find me, huh?" Shiro Ryota's voice is calm, almost amused, his back turned to me as he speaks. "We have some serious business to settle."
Slowly, he turns to face me, stepping forward. His face is already bruised, blood smeared across his cheek and lip. My eyes narrow—who did this to him? Whoever it was, they were strong. But it doesn't matter. Right now, the only thing that matters is getting past him.
"The space in this room is too small for us," he mutters, and before I can react, he swings his leg up and aims a powerful kick straight at my chest. I barely manage to block it with my forearms, the impact pushing me back a few steps.
We spill into the hallway, the fight already igniting between us. Shiro doesn't waste any time, launching a relentless flurry of punches and kicks. His attacks are fast, calculated, forcing me on the defensive. I dodge, block, sidestep—he's good, but I'm better.
Still, I have to admit, he's strong. Stronger than before.
I counter with a sharp punch aimed at his ribs, but he twists his body at the last second, my fist grazing him instead of landing a full hit. He retaliates with a swift roundhouse kick that nearly catches my temple. I duck just in time, feeling the air shift above me as his foot sails past.
We move further down the hall, reaching a wider open space. The abandoned building is massive, though cluttered with construction debris and broken scaffolding. The walls are unfinished, wires hanging loosely from the ceiling. The dim lighting casts jagged shadows across the floor, making it look like a battlefield.
Shiro exhales sharply and rolls his shoulders. "Now, let's finish our fight here."
I crack my neck and plant my feet firmly on the ground. "Fine by me. But don't waste my time. I'm only here for Kai."
Shiro's expression darkens. "You think I'm just going to let you walk away? After everything?"
I clench my fists. "I don't give a damn about your grudge right now. I just need to find her."
Shiro lets out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "You're still the same, Jin. Always acting like you're above everything. Like you can just bulldoze through anything in your way." His gaze sharpens. "But you can't always win."
"Try me."
That's all the warning he gets before I launch myself at him. I feint a right hook, but as he moves to block, I twist my body and drive my knee up into his stomach. He grunts, stumbling back, but he quickly regains his footing and retaliates with a spinning kick aimed at my ribs. It connects, sending pain rippling through my side, but I grit my teeth and keep moving forward.
Blow after blow, we trade attacks, neither of us willing to back down. The sound of fists colliding, shoes skidding against the dusty floor, and heavy breaths fill the air. Shiro is good—annoyingly so—but I can tell he's already starting to slow down. His previous fight must've drained him more than he's letting on.
I see an opening. I duck under his swing and drive my fist into his ribs, making him stagger. Not wasting a second, I grab the collar of his shirt and pull him forward, slamming my forehead against his. He stumbles, momentarily dazed, and I take the chance to grab his arm, twisting it behind his back before slamming him against the nearest wall.
"Enough, Shiro! I don't have time for this!" I growl, pressing my forearm against his throat. "Tell me where Kai is, and I'll leave."
Shiro grits his teeth, glaring at me despite his position. "Even if I knew where she was... why would I tell you?" His lips curl into a smirk despite the blood trickling from his mouth.
"Then I'll just end this quick."
With that, I charge again, putting all my force into the next attack. If he wants a fight, I'll give him one. But I will find Kai. No matter what.
_________________________________________
Shiro's pov
Damn it, I need to take this guy down before Jin Yagami gets here. But this fight is dragging on longer than I expected. He's just as strong as me—maybe even stronger.
I wipe the blood from my lips and glare at Isaac Fields. I hope Yuzu has already managed to escape this building. There are still too many enemies lurking on this floor, and the last thing I need is for her to get caught up in this.
"What now, Shiro? You just gonna stare at me all day? This won't end unless you actually fight." Fields taunts me, his voice laced with mockery.
I clench my fists. This is humiliating. As the current head of Sensō High, I can't afford to lose here. I let out a bitter chuckle. Who am I kidding? Yagami will probably replace me soon enough.
"Don't worry, Fields. You'll die right here and now." I lunge forward, throwing a rapid series of punches and kicks at him. He blocks most of them, but the force behind them keeps him on the defensive.
Isaac Fields. One of the four Aces of Housen High. Ranked third in that damn school. The last time we fought, we were evenly matched, but now... I don't know. He's even stronger than before.
Sensō and Housen have been at each other's throats for years, always fighting to see who was stronger. But after a major incident that nearly took both schools down, Akira—the former head of Sensō—pushed for a truce. A non-aggression pact was formed. For two years, the fighting stopped.
But Housen broke that truce. And now, here we are again.
Fields dodges most of my attacks and counters with a flurry of his own. Five consecutive punches—I dodge two, but three land clean. The force sends me staggering. My head spins, my vision blurs.
Shit. This is bad.
"That the best you got, Shiro? You've gotten sloppy. You used to be stronger." He smirks, then drives a devastating punch into my gut. The impact forces the air out of my lungs, and I cough up blood before collapsing onto my knees.
"This is the price you pay for getting weak."
I grit my teeth, struggling to push myself up. Is this really how far I've fallen?
Then I sense it—an overwhelming presence rushing toward us.
Damn it. That idiot never listens.
Yuzu leaps over me, aiming a kick at Fields. He dodges, but the attack forces him to step back. I use the moment to stand, one hand clutching my aching stomach.
"What are you doing here? I told you to hide!" My voice is sharp, but it's not because I doubt her. Yuzu is strong. That's not the problem. The problem is that if Yagami sees even a single scratch on her, he's going to lose it. And if that happens, I'm dead, no matter what my reason is.
"And let you die? Not gonna happen, dumbass. I'm fighting too, so don't slow me down, you half-dead freak."
That sharp tongue of hers never changes. Classic Yuzu. But I already know there's no stopping her now. Might as well fight with her.
"Tch. I should be saying that, stupid. Try not to hold me back, Ms. 'Lady in Distress.'"
She gives me a disgusted look, raises her middle finger at me, and smirks. Yeah, this is definitely Yuzu.
Together, we charge at Fields.
We attack at the same time, but he's too fast. None of our hits land. I'm already exhausted, but Fields barely looks winded. I signal Yuzu to move left while I move right. If we can surround him, we'll have a better chance.
I launch forward again, striking at his ribs. Yuzu mirrors me from the other side. This time, our attacks connect. I can tell he felt it.
Now's our chance.
I throw my strongest punch, aiming for his jaw—but then he looks at me. Just one sharp glare.
Suddenly, my body freezes. A cold sweat drips down my back. What is this feeling?
Fear.
Before I can react, Fields moves. In an instant, he lands a brutal kick into Yuzu's stomach. She crashes into the wall with a sickening thud.
Everything happens too fast. I can't even process it.
I take a step back, trying to create distance.
"Shiro. I'm here."
The weight of the situation crashes down on me. I didn't even notice his presence until now.
King has arrived.
Isaac Fields smirks. "So, even the famous King of Sensō High is here, huh? Good. Let's finish this."
King steps forward, his presence dominating the space. "Pick up Yuzu and get out of here, Shiro. I can handle this myself."
His voice is calm, but there's an unmistakable edge to it. He glances at me one last time. "Find Jin Yagami and get him to the open space where you and Yuzu were earlier. Ace will meet you there."
No hesitation. I move immediately, rushing to Yuzu's side. She's breathing heavily, but she forces herself to stand.
"We need to go. Fast."
Despite her pain, she doesn't argue.
"We should split up. We'll find Jin faster that way."
I pause. She's really devoted to him, huh?
"Fine. We meet at the same place later."
She nods and disappears down the hallway. I take the opposite direction, checking every room I pass.
No sign of Yagami.
I know he's looking for us—for Yuzu, specifically. He has to be here somewhere.
Then, something on the floor catches my eye.
I kneel down, picking up a small piece of metal.
No. No way.
A .45 caliber bullet casing.
I check my side. My own gun is still there. I don't like using it, but if this situation escalates, I may not have a choice.
Then, I feel it.
A strong presence behind me.
He's here.
I don't even need to turn around to know who it is.
"So, you managed to find me, huh?" My voice fills the room. "We have some serious business to settle."
I finally turn to face him.
Jin Yagami.
________________________________________
King's pov
"I think that's all of them," I muttered, letting go of the limp body of one of these Housen punks. They were tough, but not tough enough. Not for me and Ace.
"I'm not sure," He responded, his tone unwavering. "Don't let your guard down."
His words made me stiffen slightly. He had a point—there was no guarantee that this was all of them. We had to stay cautious.
I scanned the surroundings, taking in the unconscious bodies scattered around us. Thirty, maybe more. They had come at us like a wave, but we crushed them just the same. Still, something felt off. I didn't like the eerie silence settling in.
Ace had stopped moving. His eyes locked onto something in the distance. I followed his gaze and clenched my fists as frustration surged through me. This wasn't good.
"It's time for me to make you pay for what you did, Akira," a cold voice echoed through the corridor, filled with hatred and rage.
Akira—the former head of Sensō High—chuckled, unfazed. "And how exactly will you make me pay, Yuu Kanzaki? You know you can't beat me."
Yuu Kanzaki, the Ace of Diamond. Rank two among Housen's four Aces. This was bad. I knew we could take him down, but it would take time—time we didn't have. We had to regroup with Jin and Shiro as soon as possible.
Without hesitation, Kanzaki lunged at Ace, his speed almost unnatural. But Akira dodged effortlessly, weaving through the attacks like it was child's play. Kanzaki might have been strong, but Ace was on another level.
"King!" Ace's voice cut through the flurry of attacks. "Go find Shiro and Jin. Tell them I'll meet them at the unfinished lobby of this floor."
I hesitated for a split second before nodding. I had to trust him. He could handle Kanzaki. My priority was getting to the others.
I took off, sprinting down the corridors. If only I had an idea where they were. The hallways stretched endlessly, the occasional groans of fallen enemies echoing in the distance. Then, up ahead, I spotted Shiro.
But my relief was short-lived. My eyes widened as I saw who he was up against. Isaac Fields.
The Ace of Heart was here too, huh?
Shiro was already battered, his breath labored. Yuzu was slumped against the wall, barely conscious. This was worse than I thought.
"Shiro. I'm here." My voice cut through the tension as I stepped forward.
Fields turned to face me, a smirk playing on his lips. "So even the famous King of Sensō High is here. Good. Let's end this shit already."
I ignored his words, cracking my fingers as I stepped forward.
"Just pick up Yuzu and get out of here, Shiro," I ordered. "I can handle this myself."
Shiro hesitated, glancing at me before nodding. He turned to Yuzu, helping her to her feet. ""Find Jin Yagami and get him to the open space where you and Yuzu were earlier. Ace will meet you there."
With that, Shiro took off, supporting Yuzu as best as he could.
Now, it was just me and Fields.
"To be honest, you're not the one I wanted to fight," Fields admitted. "I was looking for your prodigy, Satoshi Cruz. I wanted to test myself against him."
I raised a brow as he stripped off his uniform jacket, muscles flexing underneath. "But since you're here, I guess I have no choice but to kill you instead."
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders before reaching down to remove the weights on my wrists, shoulders, and legs. I had been wearing them since the beginning of this battle.
"Bring it on, fool."
The moment the weights hit the ground, Fields lunged at me. His speed was impressive, but now that I was free of the extra weight, I was faster.
I dodged his first strike by a hair's breadth and countered with a quick jab to his ribs. He grunted but didn't stagger. Instead, he smirked.
"That all you got, King?"
I didn't respond. Instead, I advanced. This wasn't going to be an easy fight. Fields was strong, there was no denying that. His stance was solid, his attacks precise. He wasn't fighting with brute strength alone—he was skilled.
I threw a powerful right hook, but he caught my wrist, twisting it sharply. Pain shot up my arm, but I used the momentum to spin and drive my elbow into his side. He coughed but didn't let go.
"Not bad," he admitted before slamming his forehead into mine.
I staggered back, blinking away the dizziness. Blood trickled down my forehead, but I didn't care. I smirked, wiping the blood away with the back of my hand. "You hit like a bitch."
Fields scowled. "Big words. Let's see how long you last."
He rushed forward again, this time feinting a punch before pivoting and slamming his knee into my gut. The force sent me skidding back, but I remained standing.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. This was going to take everything I had.
"Enough playing around," I muttered. "Let's end this."
I pushed forward, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks. Fields met me head-on, blocking and countering, his eyes gleaming with excitement. It was a brutal exchange, neither of us giving an inch.
Then, he made a mistake. He overextended on a punch, leaving his ribs exposed. I didn't hesitate.
I stepped in, twisting my body, and delivered a devastating liver shot.
Fields gasped, his entire body locking up in pain. I didn't give him a chance to recover. I grabbed the back of his head and brought my knee up, smashing it into his face.
He crumpled to the ground, blood streaming from his nose.
I stood over him, breathing heavily. "Told you."
Fields coughed, glaring up at me. "This... isn't over."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "Stay down."
I turned, wiping my hands on my shirt. I had to find the others. This battle was far from over.
And I had a feeling the worst was yet to come.
________________________________________
Jin's pov
"Where is Kai?" I asked, my voice edged with frustration. I didn't care about this guy in front of me—I just wanted Kai back.
"Don't worry, Yagami. She's looking for you too." His words were calm, but I wasn't convinced. We were standing several feet apart, neither of us making a move. He had no intention of attacking me yet. But if Kai wasn't with him, then he was useless to me.
"If she's not with you, then I have no business with you anymore," I muttered and turned to leave. But before I could take a step, his next words froze me in place.
"So you're just going to run away? Huh, coward?"
I gritted my teeth. He was just trying to provoke me. I kept telling myself not to fall for it. He wasn't worth it. But then he kept going.
"Just as I thought. You're nothing but a selfish coward."
My patience was wearing thin. Slowly, I turned to face him, my fists tightening. "You don't know a damn thing about me, Shiro."
"Then prove me wrong. Otherwise, what makes you any different from a coward?"
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to stay calm. "I don't have to prove anything to you. As long as I can protect my comrades, that's enough for me."
I turned to leave again, but his next words stopped me cold.
"If you really want to protect them, defeat me and take my position as the head of Sensō High. That way, you can ensure their safety."
I faced him again, narrowing my eyes. He wasn't joking. He was completely serious. But the question was—could I even beat him?
Before I could respond, he suddenly lunged at me, his fist flying straight toward my face. I barely had time to react. His punch connected, sending me stumbling back. Damn it—I wasn't ready for that. Shaking off the pain, I steadied myself just in time for his next attack.
He had beaten the hell out of me before, but I wouldn't let that happen again. I dodged some of his strikes, blocking the others. When I spotted an opening, I struck back. I dashed forward, delivering a crushing body blow. He staggered, so I grabbed his head and drove my knee into his face. He wobbled on his feet. I could end this now.
I kicked him in the chest, following up with a right hook. Just when I thought he was done, he caught my fist, countering with a brutal punch to my face. The impact rattled my skull. Damn it—he was a monster. Despite being beaten so badly, he refused to go down. That thought made me chuckle. He was the strongest opponent I had ever faced.
Shiro wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes gleaming. "You amaze me, Yagami. You really are worthy of becoming Sensō High's new head."
For the first time, I saw him smile genuinely.
"Defeat me already and take the throne."
Without warning, he launched another attack. This time, I wasn't just fighting out of anger or hatred. I was fighting at my full potential. Shiro deserved nothing less.
We traded blows like it was the last fight of our lives. Blood dripped down my face, but I ignored it. I wiped my mouth, grinning.
"Come at me, Shiro. Let's make this battle one to remember."
With the same reckless grin, he charged at me again, throwing rapid punches with no hesitation. I blocked some, took a few hits, and countered with my own.
Then, after landing a powerful left hook, he suddenly stopped and staggered back about twelve feet apart, catching our breath.
His expression shifted.
"I guess it's time for you to know the truth."
I frowned. "What truth?"
He hesitated, his face serious. "The true enemy—"
Before he could finish, his expression changed completely. His eyes widened in terror, as if he had seen a ghost.
"This can't be... no fucking way..."
His voice dropped to a whisper, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Then, suddenly, his fear exploded into full panic.
"NO FUCKING WAY!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.
My body froze. I couldn't move a muscle.
What the hell was happening?!
"JIN YAGAMI!"