[La Tazzina d'Oro, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 1:20 PM, May 7th, Tuesday 2025]
"Yo… I wonder, you mind if I sit here?"
Both Jack and I looked up at the stranger with wonder.
"Uh, right… Okay."
Jack leaned over, whispering to me.
"I don't think that's a good idea, bro. This guy is giving off really bad vibes… And I swear he looks familiar."
Yoshio suddenly knocked on the table, drawing our attention.
"What are you two whispering about? That's so rude. I just sat down — what, you want me to leave? I can't just have a friendly chat with two random people?"
"Well, that's kind of the point. We don't know you… Why do you want to sit down here, out of every table in the cafe?"
Yoshio didn't answer immediately. He glanced around the cafe, smirking to himself.
"Oh, you're right, it IS empty! Hah… How fortunate. Anyway... what's the deal with you two just chilling like this? Drinking coffee on a Tuesday, looking all comfy and shit." Yoshio turned back to us quickly, not letting us answer, his expression instantly turning serious. "You two killed my little brother."
My jaw practically dropped. This was Cathy's brother — Yoshio Ariston.
Yoshio chuckled and tapped the edge of my coffee mug with his pinky.
"Don't look so scared. Like you have no idea who I am. I'm Yoshio Ariston, The Clover. Third Ranked member of The Syndicate. I'm only two ranks below The House, could you believe that? Huh?" He asked almost impatiently, glancing between the two of us.
"Yeah… Yeah, we believe you. But what are you doing here? How did you find us?" To my surprise, even Jack looked startled by his presence. Something did feel off about him.
"Pfft…" He scoffed and picked up a sugar packet off of the table, flipping it in his right hand. "There's many things you don't know yet, about us, about the world… We've been watching a lot of people closely, not just you. There's a man working for us who is an incredible scientist. It's funny to think that his younger brother would be so low in our rankings… But you killed him too, didn't you? James Karawei."
Hearing him say my name sent a chill down my spine, grounding us in the moment. Whatever this was, it was happening.
"You're bold, throwing your name out… We know enough about you, Cathy told us—"
Yoshio groaned, burying his head in his palms.
"Let me stop you right there! I don't want to hear anything about her, I don't care. I'm here for a different reason, not gossiping! No family drama, got it? Sheesh…"
Jack reached out, practically chugging the rest of the coffee in his mug, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You didn't answer our question. Why are you here?"
He didn't answer immediately, again. Instead he peeked out from between his fingers at us before dropping his arms on the table and crossing them. Yoshio suddenly looked at me intensely, his expression turning into something almost pained. Then he leaned forward, his lips curling into a dangerous smirk.
"You killed my little brother. I had to come. It was you, James. I know it's you. Raijin told us everything… How you fought both of them all night long, how… 'Ponytails' over here managed to injure him, how Normand managed to achieve a Maxima before dying, and how you used The Divinity of Speed…" He sat there, looking intensely into my eyes.
I couldn't help but feel like his eyes were hollow… It made my stomach twist and it made me want to get up and run.
"Relax, I'm not after you... not yet. Blaze should be first. I came here to warn you about that. To talk, mostly. I just had to see you up close. Both my dad and I are on edge with everything that's happening, and the plan must be followed to a T, capiche?" He said as he leaned back into his seat, glancing up towards the ceiling. "Never really liked this place, such poor taste for a king… Hah, it's funny, a bunch of us own businesses world-wide as fronts, but he actually loved this place. Before he went away—"
Jack tapped his mug with his finger, matching the way Yoshio did earlier, drawing his attention.
"Hey. Look… We get it, but… It wasn't personal. We did what we had to do to survive! I mean — you're here, right? You came after us. And so did they! So did he. There's nothing more to it. I'm sorry. We're sorry. For your loss."
Yoshio's face stiffened up, looking absolutely irritated. He stood up, leaned over the table, staring Jack down. Jack, in turn, got up as well. So did I.
"Ah… So that's how it is? I see where this is going. Let me stop you right there — I didn't come here to fight. I just wanted to talk. Remember? Just a… friendly… little… talk." He reached out, placing a hand on my left shoulder. His breath was uncomfortably close, his hair brushing against my ear. "Mmm… Your audacity is something else. What's your game plan, huh? Just gonna keep hiding here in Havok forever? Gonna be a useless loser like your father?"
I winced, pushing him away as my jaw clenched. I didn't remember my parents, but I didn't like the idea of someone who knew disrespecting them.
"What do you know about my father?! You don't have the right to talk to me like this. Get away from us — now!"
I extended my hand forward to punch him, but just as my fist neared — about thirty centimeters from his chest — the chandelier above us collapsed, crashing down onto our table. I dodged out of the way narrowly, landing on the floor. Jack flipped out of the way. Yoshio simply took a step back.
"Don't worry... I'm just teasing you!~ I told you, didn't I? I didn't come here to fight. At least… not yet. There's always certain conditions to be met, obtained, completed. That's just how plans are. I know that firsthand better than anyone else." He began whistling, tilting his head up toward the ceiling, arms outstretched as if catching something only he could see.
Jack jumped over and helped me up. I met Yoshio's gaze, anger burning behind my eyes. I had gotten used to it by now.
"Just walk away! You found out what you wanted, right?! We've talked enough. There's no need to do anything harsh."
"I came here to warn you, and to leave a message — stay away from The Android, or there will be consequences. Boss's orders. Little Zuzu loves to play, and she's been especially interested in you for a while now, so don't you dare befriend her. Or talk to her. Or fight her, you'll totally lose and then we'll have to move on to plan B. Which sucks. So… don't do that." He pointed towards me, voice rising in tone with every word.
He then put his hands in his pockets and started walking away, stopping right at the door.
"Although… I would like to tell you something else. I'm technically not supposed to do this, but I'm itching to." He grinned and walked back over to us, not taking his eyes off Jack.
"What? Did my eyes captivate you, blondie?"
Yoshio's eye twitched at the comment, but his grin didn't waver.
"Members of Iris, the secret organization created to rival ours, are currently attacking your home. Erika recently talked to one of The Dragons an hour or so ago about the situation. According to our database — that's one of ours — and since then, we have it on good authority to believe that they are still fighting." He leaned in and whispered to Jack. "Be a good brother and go help out your sister. I hear their torture methods are… dehumanizing."
Jack's eyes widened in panic, stepping back from Yoshio and looking between me and him. He started hyperventilating.
"N-no… How'd they find — no… This can't be… Erika won't lose, she won't… I—"
Yoshio burst out laughing, clutching his stomach, resting one hand on a table.
"Bwahahahaha! Ah… That's incredible! You actually love her?! This is the funniest thing I've seen today… Ha! — no shit she'll lose! She's fighting the third strongest guy in Iris. You better run, Jackie Boy! Or else! Hahaha!"
I went over to Jack's side to comfort him, putting my hand on his shoulder. He started breathing even faster and just pushed my hand away.
"Jack! Calm down! He's just trying to manipulate you!"
"NO! You… stay away, stay the hell away from me!" Jack then turned abruptly and jumped straight out of the nearby window, glass shards flying everywhere.
The wooden mask on my face stretched absurdly, acting like a shield and stopping the glass shards from hitting me or Yoshio, to which he stopped laughing and stood up.
"Wow… That's cool. It's just a copy though. Plus, my ability is far superior."
I then turned to look at Yoshio, the mask once again morphing and resting on my face.
"You're sick! You wanted to separate us, didn't you? You are here to fight, aren't you?"
Yoshio grinned maliciously and stepped closer.
"Consider it a punishment."
I once again punched forwards, the strike directed at his face, but right before connecting with him — a car crashed through the front door of the cafe. I tumbled backwards as the car hit me directly, sending tables crashing over and destroying a few of the marble pillars in place around the cafe.
Yoshio just chuckled and walked towards me. I quickly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.
"I represent the fundamental law of fortune, not something you're familiar with, I reckon. I am Yoshio Ariston, The Clover!" He then pulled out a gun from the right side of his backpack, shooting towards the car.
"No!" I dashed forwards, but it was too late. The man and the woman in the front seat of the car were both shot.
I let someone else die.
"You — oh… Oh… oh no… I really really really don't like you." I looked up at him, with burning anger coursing through me.
He chuckled and put the gun back in the right-side backpack pouch.
"Good. That makes us even. You see… I'm sure someone already told you about this, but I have a special power called a Holiness. Everyone gets three, three that I have and only one needed to beat you. These are dormant at birth and are awakened through present Flow in someone's body, awakened Flow, so, not dormant. I call the first one 'Don't Worry', it's really simple… Anything that tries to disrupt my fortune falls prey to the effects of it. It's not misfortune per se, just the direct lack of fortune of anyone that tries to affect me, whether that be through physical harm, psychological, physiological… Meh, you get it. This is a completely passive effect that I can't control, yet. The Boss told me I had to keep training, even after all my hard work… Ahh, sad. Whatever! You're not going to—"
I didn't hesitate. I concentrated the Flow within my body and created a rose on my palm, shooting three bubbles at him. Right before connecting with his torso, a piece of the ceiling cracked and fell down, hitting the bubbles and popping them before they could reach him.
"You know, it's not good manners to interrupt someone while they're talking! I wouldn't expect a country bum like you to understand that though."
"Stop it. Shut up. Let's get this over with. Now." I stepped even closer to him, practically trembling with rage.
"Hah, I like the energy, but this isn't ending so easily. Definitely not on your terms. Did you even hear anything of what I just said?"
A bunch of people from the street started clamoring around the entrance of the shop, where the car crashed earlier.
"Dear Ancient… Someone! Call the police!"
"There's two hooligans fighting in this cafe! Hey, look!"
"I should've just stayed at home today…"
Both Yoshio and I turned to look at the crowd of people forming.
"Ah, that's unfortunate. For them."
Just as he said that, the car engine exploded, sending many in the crowd flying back and injuring them, and killing the rest. It also sent me flying, but he crouched down right before it exploded, in front of a table. My back hit the wall first, then the pain and then the realization.
"YOSHIOOOO!" I wriggled myself free from the crack in the wall as roses grew from all over my body. I swung my arms wildly, causing bubbles to shoot out everywhere in the cafe.
"You should really calm down before someone gets hurt!" Yoshio said as he hid behind the table. He calmly reached into his backpack once more, grabbing the gun and aiming it towards the ceiling, somewhere above me. "This should calm you down… Luck: Painkiller!"
He shot at the ceiling. At first, nothing happened. I ran towards him, kicking over tables and debris as more and more bubbles filled the cafe.
"You absolute monster! How will you pay for all of this?"
"Yeah? How will you?! I'm not the only one wrecking this place up, clearly!"
A few stray bubbles managed to make their way all the way up to the ceiling, popping and cracking it. The pressure from their air bursts and the lack of a chandelier in the center caused the ceiling to begin cracking, rubble began falling down. I quickly looked up as the ceiling fell. The mask on my face once again stretched and wrapped itself around me like a wooden ball. Yoshio, however, just stood perfectly still as all the rubble and debris fell around him.
[La Tazzina d'Oro, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 1:25 PM, May 7th, Tuesday 2025]
The roof caved in completely, exposing the top of the cafe to the open air.
"Mask, work with me here!" I yelled, and the wooden ball around me retracted back into a bat in my right hand. I stared him down angrily, wiping blood from the corner of my lip. "I've had my share of seeing corpses by now. No more people die here today because of you."
Yoshio clapped his hands, taking a fighting stance as he grinned wildly.
"Now you're talking, Karawei!"
I rushed at him, swinging the bat full force — just before connecting with his face, a bird dropping fell right into my right eye, blinding my vision and making me reel backwards.
"Agh! What the—"
Before I could even react, he extended his arms forwards, punching me right in my chest with both fists.
"First Step: Apex Strike!"
The Apex Strike connected, sending white ethereal glass shards coming from my body. The force of the strike sent me backwards through the back wall of the cafe and into the kitchen.
He knows the Ten Steps too — how? I thought to myself as I coughed up blood, clutching my side. Seven ribs were shattered and my left kidney started bleeding. I should've been flat on the ground, but something in me refused to go down.
"Holy shit! I'm not getting paid enough for this!" the barista screamed.
I hit my head hard against a metal counter. Not even listening as the barista ran away through the back door.
"What… What the heck kind of move was that…? It seemed like Jack's—" I hunched over, coughing up blood and tried to stand up.
Yoshio stepped forwards calmly through the large hole in the wall, his gun in hand and already pointed at me.
"How bloody dense can a fucker be? Huh?! You've tried hitting me, like, three times now and you still haven't realized it won't work? You're even worse than I thought… Maybe I should kill you!"
I slowly stood up, barely, and swayed from side to side.
"You can't… Can you? You… you're not allowed to, bastard…"
He shot near my left shoulder. My right hand shot up instinctively, without a rose being formed — an iridescent bubble shot out of it and hit him directly in the chest. He took a step backwards, a combined look of shock, intrigue, and irritation on his face.
"How… Oh, you dirty dog!" He stepped forwards and kicked me straight in the face.
I stumbled backwards, landing on the floor. A few pots and pans from a rack above one of the stoves fell on top of me. I could barely hold on to consciousness.
"Hmph. You're right, I can't kill you. I don't have orders to do so… So we'll call this here. You clearly have no idea how to use Flow, so you won't even be able to play with me. How sad… Not!" He chuckled and crouched down, grabbing my chin and looking into my eyes, whispering. "We're not done here by a long shot, and I suggest you try to go after your friend, unless you want something bad to happen to him. Spoilers, he was being mind-controlled…"
He then let go of my chin and stood up again, and walked out of the kitchen and the cafe, leaving me battered and bruised.
"Jack… I'm sorry… I…" I mumbled as I fell into unconsciousness.
Feeling utterly useless.