Hina's hand trembled only slightly as she pulled the silver case from her pocket.
She then opened it and took a look at the drug-medicine she always takes in order to not remember anything bad.
A single pill rested inside, gleaming under the dim fluorescent light.
She stared at it for a heartbeat, then tilted her head back and swallowed it dry.
Bitter. Metallic.
But then the familiar haze began to wash over her.
The ghosts receded.
No more gunshots echoing in her skull, no broken screams.
The faces of the past — gone.
Her breathing steadied.
She managed to calm her senses down.
Her body was no longer a battlefield for memories.
Now she could finally focus on her training.
She stepped toward the heavy bag, sliding her jacket fully off, muscles in her arms tightening.
She positioned her fists and exhaled.
The first strike was sharp.
The second — brutal.
By the third, the entire hall was alive with sound.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Leather stretched and groaned under her fists.
The chains overhead clattered with every impact, reverberating like steel chimes.
Her rhythm escalated — jabs, hooks, a spinning heel kick that made the bag swing violently on its axis.
Sweat glistened across her temple, dripping down her cheek.
Her breathing turned into a predator's growl, measured and low.
Each hit was an exorcism.
Each kick — a declaration.
The "Beautiful" yet deadly thing about Hina was that her hits could easily kill someone.
She perfectly knew every vital point of the body.
From her place in the shadows, Hiromi leaned one shoulder against the wall.
She had been silent the whole time, studying Hina.
Her eyes followed every movement with something between amusement and hunger.
She remembers every single moment she had "spent" with Hina.
It was many years ago, when the Kobayashi Dragons wanted to take control over a famous place in the city of Tokyo.
In that moment, Hiromi perfectly remembers how Hina killed a lot of skilled Rei's soldiers.
And their fight...
Hiromi still carries a big scar on her chest.
Hina almost killed her.
Hiromi studied Hina's movements for some minutes before a malicious smirk appeared on her face.
She wanted to test something.
She had a strange sensation.
Hiromi felt that Hina perfeclty knew about her presence.
Then, without warning, she moved, with a rapid dash.
Her bare feet slid noiselessly across the mat.
She glided behind Hina, closing the distance like a serpent ready to strike.
Her hand stretched forward, fingers aimed at the pressure point beneath Hina's shoulder blade.
But Hina pivoted instantly.
Her elbow slashed through the air, missing Hiromi's jaw by only a breath.
The air cracked with the force.
Hiromi retreated smoothly, a grin blooming across her lips.
Not friendly. Not mocking.
Predatory.
"Well, well…" Her voice was casual, almost playful, though every word was sharpened steel. "It seems like you're still strong as before..."
Hina shot a deadly glance to Hiromi, literally saying "Stay away from me."
After that, Hina moved her eyes to the punching bag again but a truly risky remark from Hiromi caught her attention.
"Kai really is adorable, isn't he? Sweet. Clumsy. Caring. And he learns so quickly." She said, with an almost flirty tone of voice.
Hina's shoulders tensed. She said nothing.
Hiromi tilted her head, watching her closely.
"You're lucky, you know. A boy like that doesn't come around often. So innocent. So… impressionable."
The next punch Hina threw into the bag nearly tore it from its chain.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
Hiromi smirked, stepping closer, her movements feline.
"I wonder what our next training will be... Maybe something... bolder..."
The chain rattled violently as Hina hammered another kick into the bag.
Her teeth clenched. Her knuckles split, leaving faint smears of red against the leather.
She was trying to completely ignore Hiromi.
Despite the drugs she had taken, Kai's name seemed to trigger something deep inside of her soul.
She kept punching the bag, completely ignoring Hiromi's voice.
"Focus... Focus... Focus...-"
Hiromi's eyes lit with satisfaction. She prowled in a slow circle, voice dripping with poison.
"You already noticed, didn't you...? That he's not a normal and pure guy... He could easily kill someone without thinking about it twice... and I think that this is the real reason why you chose him, right? "
Her words were cut short by a sudden roar of impact as Hina delivered a perfect knee strike into the bag.
The heavy leather snapped forward, slamming into the wall before swinging back.
Hiromi's eyes widened a little, not expecting such a brute force coming from such a beautiful and "delicate" girl like Hina.
This wasn't training anymore.
Every strike was lethal.
Every blow could crush bone, cave ribs, end lives.
Hina then moved her gaze to the woman in front of her.
She was ready to kill her.
"You talk too much, Bitch." Hina said, while stepping closer to Hiromi, with a menacing expression.
Hiromi finally had what she wanted.
She had found Hina's weak spot.
"You'll fuckin' die." Hina whispered, before dashing at Hiromi.
Hiromi then smiled for an instant before blocking Hina's punch.
Then, the two of them were face to face, with Hina's arm blocked by Hiromi.
"I remember you were much stronger than that, Mrs. Death. You won't protect your boyfriend like that. You cannot lose to emotions. Not you." Hiromi said, with a teasing tone, before grabbing Hina's arm and trying to slam her to the ground with an elegant move worthy of an experienced assassin.
For a moment, she could sense Hina's bloodthirsty aura.
But Hina took advantage of her move and managed to do a great jump and landed on her feet.
She then tried to land a low kick to Hiromi, but she blocked it.
"Please. You're stronger than that. I'll take your beloved Kai if you won't control your feelings, Mrs. Death." Hiromi said, still teasing her opponent.
Hina, on the other hand, became furious.
She was in killing mode.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE, BITCH!" Hina shouted, before freeing herself.
After that, Hina realized that Hiromi had disappeared.
She scanned the room immediately .
"Over there."
The floor whispered as Hiromi swept across the mat, dropping low.
In a flash, her leg hooked around Hina's ankle, pulling it clean.
The world tilted.
Hina's body crashed onto the mat with brutal force. The air rushed out of her lungs.
She couldn't react. Not at all.
For a moment, all she could do was stare at the ceiling, her chest heaving. Her fists clenched tight against the floor, trembling.
Not from pain.
From realization.
She had lost her composure.
She had given Hiromi exactly what she wanted.
To be specific, Hina perfectly knew that such a stupid mistake like that would've mean Death.
And, for her, it was unacceptable.
Hiromi crouched beside her, strands of hair falling loose from her tied bun. Her voice dropped, calm and cutting.
"You're much physically stronger than before, Hina, I must admit. I would've been dead if you would've hit me just once."
Her smile faded into something colder and sharper.
"But strength without discipline means nothing. You need to train your mind… or your enemies will use your heart against you." Hiromi said, with a friendly smile-
The words sank in deeper than the fall.
Hina lay still for another moment, her breath ragged, her jaw set.
The storm inside her was far from over.
But slowly — carefully — she pushed herself back up, eyes hard as steel, not saying a word.
The silence between them was louder than any blow.
Then, Hiromi stood up and offered her hand to Hina.
"Come. Let's leave the past behind and start working as allies. I'll help you." Hiromi said.
Hina's eyes widened, while her bloodthirsty aura faded, realizing that her anger had no sense.
She perfectly knew that a single mistake like this would've mean death in battle.
She looked at Hiromi, with a "strange" expression.
"Is she stupid? I just tried to kill her and she's offering mer her hand...?" She thought...