[2004]
Senju Akashi.
Takeomi wasn't perfect, far from it. When Haruchiyo(Sanzu) and I were still in middle school, Takeomi was riding his bike around our schoolyard, tarnishing the grass in tyre tracks and filling the air with smoke.
That alone made us enemies of the teachers. But that Takeomi died when Shinichiro disbanded The Black Dragons. Choosing to focus on raising his siblings and getting a respectable job, Shinichiro went on to open his bike shop; Wakasa and Benkei reformed their past factions, and Takeomi found a home in sketchy bars and gambling rings. The notoriety of being a Black Dragon had its perks for the early years of High School, but the tabs piled up to the point his glory days meant nothing and his eyes sank deeper with each passing day.
But there are so many arguments you can have with somebody in hopes they will change, but I found my acceptance of him in Taekwondo, training with Mikey, Baji and Kisaki during the day and sparring with Wakasa and Benkei at night kept my worries of Takeomi at the back of my mind while Haruchiyo kept the verbal assaults frequent to the point they threw fists.
Haruchiyo's resentment for Takeomi is far more violent than her own. He refuses to acknowledge Takeomi is a sibling; to Haruchiyo, that man is just a drunk that happens to share the same blood as them.
---
"Don't look at me like that, Haruchiyo. " Takeomi grumbles, the stench of alcohol reeking off his breath and clothes.
In the dim lights of the gym, the bastard had forced his way into the office's safe, destroying it to get to the savings.
Haruchiyo held a crowbar in his right hand.
"So this is what it's come to," Haruchiyo growled.
"Don't be difficult, brat." Takeomi stalked over to him with a drunken stumble.
Takeomi's haunch-drunk form loomed over Haruchiyo.
Haruchiyo stood his ground, flexing the crowbar in his grasp.
"I hate the way you look at me, Haruchiyo. You don't respect me as your older brother. "
"I don't have a brother. Haruchiyo snaps back.
"Takeomi. Haruchiyo. Please.." Senju nudged herself between them.
Senju's eyes frantically moved between the two of them, her movement indecisive on who to intercept first.
"Takeomi, please don't do this." Senju pleaded with him.
A small change happened in his eyes as if light had finally caved through the darkness.
"I...I-m...sorry. " He sincerely apologises.
"I hope you die." Haruchiyo curses, the words infecting like venom to a wound.
The faint light in Takeomi's eyes died out, replaced by his blank, drunk stare.
"If that's what you wish for, so be it."
...
Two days later, he was found dead in an alleyway with his face mutilated to the point that he would be presented in a closed casket.
Whatever life was in the gym died with Takeomi. The funeral was the last time his Black Dragon brothers reunited to honour him, and even though they tried to comfort me and Haruchiyo, the numb feeling in my heart kept me disconnected from everything. I never noticed how much Haruchiyo was losing himself until the day he tried to kill Shinichiro.
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Sano's bike shop| 2006
The police sirens blinded the store in red and blue. A small crowd formed around the store like nosy critters, two patrol cars blocking them from the scene as best as they could.
Fortunately, no lives were lost that night.
From what Shinichiro recalls, Haruchiyo broke into his store at night with a crowbar, looking for Shinichiro, but his plans were spoiled by Baji and Kazutora. The two Toman members arrived before Haruchiyo to check on Mikey's new bike for his 14th birthday.
A.N-
The characters have been aged up to be High School seniors cause I'm not writing teens in an adult story.
Thank you.
When the two saw Shinichiro, they tried to disarm and a scuffle broke out, ending in Kazutora bleeding out from a head wound and Haruchiyo in handcuffs, barking like a rabid animal on his way to the back of the patrol car.
Shinichiro didn't press charges on Haruchiyo, out of respect for Takeomi and my brother spent the rest of his teens in Juvenile. He refused my visitations and got deeper into gang activities in Juvenile. Wakasa and Benkei tried their best to keep me company during training but as their gangs got more recognition, the shorter the visits became and even though Shinichiro says there's no bad blood between us, the trauma Haruchiyo caused made it evident that I was not welcome in their Dojo.
4 years of loneliness, self-dependency, and guilt, and to think I'd find a soul brave enough to stay with me in a park after nearly beating him up is truly absurd.
'Thank you, Tenzo.'
---
End of flashback.
Tokyo | 2010
[Akashi Taekwondo gym]
The two Akashi siblings had a face off, both leaders of rival gangs trying to rule over Tokyo and only one can be victorious.
Sanzu balls up his fist, grinding his teeth till it hurts and his emerald eyes glared at Senju.
"Why do you persists on trying to reason with me, Senju? I already made it clear on how much I hate you."
"No you don't. " Senju spoke sharply, "If you truly despise me, you wouldn't have hesitated to attack me." Senju points out.
"Tsk, you have his stubbornness. "
"You are more like him than I am." Senju smirks.
"You little–"
"Enough. " Tenzo cut in.
The standoff between shattered from Tenzo's own dark impulses. Holding Sanzu's wrist with a iron grip, Tenzo asserts himself in the standoff.
"Let go off me." Sanzu growls in warning, trying to break his hold.
"Don't even try moving unless you want to kiss concrete. Tenzo adds more force to his grip.
Sanzu hisses in pain.
"Haruchiyo. You know I can let you go, right? This is beyond a sibling issue; this is a declaration of war."
Sanzu chuckles at her conclusion. "This is just a teaser for what is going to happen on Halloween. Valhalla officially challenges Brahman and Toman for control over Tokyo.
Halloween will be the dawn of a new era of Tokyo, Senju. Are you willing to shed your own blood?" Sanzu cackles like a maniac.
'This bastard is crazy. '
End.