The rain fell in relentless sheets, turning the quiet suburban street into a glistening mirror of sorrow. Thunder rumbled in the distance like the growl of old demons awakening. Peter's footsteps echoed sharply through the empty hallway of his mind as he paced, his scarred face twisted in rare, visible stress.
"No... no, no, no."
His voice was a low, frantic mutter, barely audible over the storm outside.
"Come on-think... think..."
"Where did I go wrong? Where the hell did I go wrong?"
He stopped abruptly, fists clenched at his sides. The image of Reina's face flashed in his mind-her embarrassed blush in the principal's office, the way her eyes had lingered on him with something dangerously close to warmth. *What about Reina? What am I supposed to do with her now?*
"Jelunia?" His voice cracked slightly.
"Yes, Mr. Rasel. How may I assist you?"
"Code Blue. 8-5-1-9-6-0-R-T-N."
The AI went silent for a few heavy seconds. Then her synthesized voice returned, softer this time.
"Peter... what's going on?"
He didn't answer.
---
Outside, the storm intensified. Hiroki stood motionless in front of the house that once held everything he loved-and everything that had destroyed him. Rain soaked through his black hoodie, plastering it to his newly hardened frame. Lightning illuminated the familiar windows, now dark and lifeless.
Peter approached silently and pressed a pair of reinforced leather gloves into Hiroki's hands. Metal spikes glinted coldly along the knuckles.
"Careful with these," Peter warned, his voice low and grave. "They'll go straight through flesh if you put any real power behind them."
Hiroki nodded, slipping them on. The weight felt right. Like justice finally had teeth.
Peter gripped Hiroki's wrist before he could pull away, forcing eye contact.
"Promise me... no matter what happens in there, you won't kill them. They might taunt you, push you until you want to crash out completely. But you stay better. You stay calm. Understood?"
Hiroki held his gaze for a long moment, memories of betrayal flooding back-his mother's disgusted face, his sister's laughter, Nao's mocking voice. The pain was still raw, a bleeding wound that had never truly closed. But he nodded.
"Is there a back way in?" Peter asked.
"No. But there's a window on the second floor that leads into the bathroom. Shake it gently until there's a gap. You can slip through."
Peter gave a sharp nod. "Good. But let's make this interesting."
Hiroki looked at him, confused.
"Jelunia."
"At your service, Mr. Rasel. How may I assist you?"
"Create a short power shortage for twenty seconds. Countdown from five to zero when I give the signal."
"Confirmed. Shortage will initiate on your mark. Standby."
Peter turned to Hiroki, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "This will be good, don't you think?"
Hiroki was speechless. He could only manage a thumbs-up, heart hammering with a mix of dread and dark anticipation.
"Jelunia, do it. Hiroki-count to five, then move. I'll see you inside."
Peter melted into the shadows, sprinting silently toward the back of the house and scaling the wall with practiced ease, his scarred hands finding holds where none should exist.
Hiroki swallowed hard, rain streaming down his face like tears he refused to shed. He began counting under his breath, each number heavier than the last.
"Five..."
Lightning cracked across the sky.
"Four..."
Thunder answered like a warning from the heavens.
"Three..."
The house loomed, a monument to everything he had lost.
"Two..."
Memories assaulted him-warm dinners that turned to mockery, promises of protection shattered by betrayal.
"One..."
The lights inside the house flickered violently... then died.
Zero.
Hiroki moved like a ghost through the darkness, rain dripping from his soaked hoodie as he reached the second-floor window. His fingers trembled slightly-not from fear, but from the storm of memories threatening to drown him. He shook the frame gently, just as Peter had instructed. It gave with a soft creak. He slipped inside, landing silently in the bathroom.
The house smelled wrong. Stale. Sour. Like rot and sweat and something far darker.
He crept down the hallway toward the main living room, heart pounding, spiked gloves heavy on his hands. The power was still out, the world reduced to faint silhouettes and the constant drum of rain against the roof.
Then he saw it.
◇
In the dim flicker of a dying candle on the table, Hiroki froze, every muscle locking in pure horror.
A tall, dark-skinned man stood in the center of the room, sweat-slicked and grunting like an animal. A thick rope was looped around Kaede's neck, the other end tied to a crude hook in the ceiling. He yanked it rhythmically, strangling her just enough to make her body twitch and jerk while he thrust into her violently from behind. Kaede's eyes were glassy, almost lifeless, her face swollen and purple. Drool and tears mixed on her chin as her body was used like a broken toy, her neck bearing deep, rope-burned bruises that looked moments from snapping her spine.
It was worse for Konako.
She was forced onto her knees, chains wrapped so tightly around her body that her skin had turned purple-black in places. Two other men stood over her, laughing as they used her mouth as a urinal, forcing her head back while they pissed directly down her throat. She gagged and choked, vomit and urine spilling from her lips, but the chains kept her immobilized. Her eyes-wide, bloodshot, and filled with broken despair-met Hiroki's for a split second before another yank on the chain made her gag again.
The scene was pure nightmare fuel. The air reeked of sweat, blood, piss, and degradation. These were the people who had once been his family. Now they were nothing but broken meat for monsters.
Hiroki's vision tunneled. Rage, pure and volcanic, exploded through him.
◇
At the same moment, Peter slipped through the bathroom window he'd forced open. He moved like death itself-silent, efficient. A man was zipping up his pants in the hallway. Peter clamped one hand over his mouth and the other around his throat in a brutal chokehold. The man struggled for only seconds before going limp. Peter lowered him quietly to the floor.
"Jelunia," he whispered. "How much time left?"
"Ten seconds."
"Alright, I have time to-"
A blood-curdling scream tore through the house from downstairs.
"NO... not again," Peter growled, cracking the door open just enough to see two more men stumbling out of Hiroki's old bedroom, laughing. Inside, he caught a glimpse of Nao and Ayuma-tied, bruised black and blue, bodies exposed and violated. Bert stood naked and hard in front of them, grinning like a demon.
The lights suddenly flared back on with a harsh buzz.
The living room was a slaughterhouse.
Two men lay unconscious, faces swollen into grotesque masks, teeth scattered across the floor, legs bent at unnatural angles. Two others were barely conscious, clothes shredded, bodies covered in deep, bleeding gashes as if they'd been whipped with chains. The last man was dangling by his throat in Hiroki's iron grip.
Hiroki's hair had reverted to its original blonde, wild and soaked. His eyes-once cold and controlled-were now glowing with an unholy crimson, the pupils burning like fresh blood. The spiked gloves had already done their work.
He slashed the man's face open with a vicious backhand. Skin tore like paper, blood spraying in an arc as the thug screamed in agony. Hiroki finished him with a brutal spinning kick that sent him crashing through a glass table.
Then he turned.
Bert stepped out from the hallway, still half-naked. His eyes widened in pure terror.
"You're... alive?!!"
Hiroki's eyes flared brighter. In a blur that seemed almost inhuman, he closed the distance. Peter tried to grab him-"Hiroki, wait!"-but it was too late. Hiroki drove a devastating punch into Bert's gut. Blood sprayed from Bert's mouth as he doubled over. Hiroki grabbed his belt from behind and slammed him violently up the stairs.
Bert crawled desperately toward Hiroki's old room, slammed the door, and locked it, whimpering.
"What the fu-"
A fist punched straight through the wood, splintering it. Bert screamed and backed against the wall, grabbing Nao and using her as a human shield.
Hiroki smashed the door off its hinges and stepped inside like judgment incarnate.
"D-d-don't come closer or I'll kill her!" Bert shrieked.
Nao's eyes fluttered open. When she saw Hiroki, pure animal terror filled her face. "H-Hiroki?! Hiroki, please save me!!"
"SHUT IT, WHORE!" Bert yelled, pressing something sharp against her throat.
Hiroki's response was a savage side kick that sent both of them crashing into the wall. He grabbed Nao by the hair and hurled her aside like trash. She tried to cling to his leg, sobbing, "No, don't do it!!" but Hiroki showed no mercy-another turning kick knocked her unconscious.
Bert begged on his knees. "Please! I apologize! I didn't want any of this! She made me do it! Oh God-"
Hiroki kicked him again. Bert's head smashed into the mirror behind him, shattering it. Glass shards rained down. Hiroki grabbed Bert's face and dragged it across the broken mirror, carving deep, ragged gashes into his cheeks and forehead.
"NOOOOO!"
"NOOOO! AUGHHH!!"
"AUGHHHH!!!!"
"AUGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Bert's screams were raw, guttural, filled with unimaginable agony as Hiroki kept slamming his face into the jagged glass.
"Look at yourself..." Hiroki whispered, voice dripping with cold fury, "an ugly face that shouldn't exist."
*Slam.*
"You're gonna learn about pain."
*Slam.*
"You're gonna learn about suffering."
*Slam.*
"You're gonna learn about loss."
*Slam.*
"You're gonna fear me... and remember me!"
*Slam.*
Peter finally reached the room, but it was too late.
"You're gonna remember what you did to a family."
*Slam.*
Hiroki leaned in, lips brushing Bert's mangled ear as he hissed with pure rage:
"I tried to end myself... but then I realized... it's gotta be the same for you. When you look at your ugly, mangled face... you're gonna remember what you did. You'll GONNA REMEMBER!!"
One final, devastating slam.
"YOU'RE GONNA REMEMBER ME, ASSHOLE!!! HUAHHHHH!!!"
Bert collapsed to the floor in a bloody, unrecognizable heap.
"Hiroki!!!" Peter shouted.
Hiroki turned, eyes still blazing crimson... then his body swayed. The adrenaline crashed. He collapsed forward onto the blood-soaked floor.
"Hiroki!!"
...
...
Time passed in a hazy blur of pain and silence.
Hiroki stirred on the living room sofa, a thin blanket draped over him. His head throbbed with a dull ache, the kind that came after unleashing something monstrous. As consciousness returned, so did the memories-the blood, the screams, the crimson rage that had consumed him. He sat up slowly, breath catching in his throat.
The room was dimly lit. Around the dining table sat the remnants of what was once his family. Kaede, Konako, Ayuma, Nao... all of them. Bruised, broken, silent.
"Hiroki. You're awake." Peter's voice came from the doorway, calm but heavy. He leaned against the frame like a sentinel.
"Mr. Rasel... I..."
Peter cut him off gently. "Hungry?"
Hiroki nodded, still disoriented. Peter gestured to an empty chair at the table. Hiroki's old phone sat there beside a handmade doll-blonde hair, familiar clothes, a stitched face that looked eerily like him as a child.
As Hiroki sat, the sound of violent vomiting echoed from upstairs. Kaede and Konako eventually stumbled down, pale and trembling. They wouldn't meet Peter's eyes. He stepped aside without a word, letting them take their seats like ghosts at their own funeral.
Peter's voice sliced through the suffocating quiet.
"Listen up. This is the last time any of you will ever see Hiroki's face. Tonight is the last night he will ever spend under this roof."
Kaede opened her mouth, but one deadly glare from Peter silenced her instantly.
"You should all be grateful I didn't let Hiroki finish what he started. Because you were once his family and friends... if not for that, you would have ended up like them." He pointed toward the corner where Bert and his friends lay chained, battered and barely conscious, their bodies a canvas of swollen bruises and broken bones.
Hiroki stared, shock rooting him in place. The confirmation hit like ice water. He had done that.
Peter continued coldly, "Until I say otherwise, none of you are to speak to him."
He turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
Hiroki's hand brushed the doll. He picked it up, fingers tightening around the soft fabric. It looked exactly like him-the old him. Innocent. Hopeful. Then it began to play.
"So sweetheart, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Kaede's recorded voice, warm and loving.
"I wanna be strong enough to protect you and sisi!" Young Hiroki's voice rang out, full of childish determination.
Kaede's soft chuckle followed. "No, hehe, I didn't mean it that way, haha."
The memory crashed over him-three months after his father's death, sitting in this very house, believing love still existed here. Hiroki stood abruptly and slammed the doll to the floor. His foot came down again and again, crushing it with raw fury.
Kaede rushed forward with a broken cry. "Stop! Please!" She dropped to her knees, gathering the torn, mangled doll into her arms and hugging it tightly. "There, there... no one's going to hurt you again... Mama's sorry... Mama's so sorry..." Her voice cracked into sobs as she rocked the ruined doll like a baby.
Hiroki froze, staring in horrified disbelief. Kaede had completely lost her mind. Talking to a doll of him. Clinging to it as if it were her only remaining piece of a son she had helped destroy.
His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Teeth grinding, he turned slowly toward Nao.
"P-please..." she whimpered, shrinking back in terror.
Hiroki moved like a predator. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her clean off the chair. Nao gasped and struggled, nails clawing uselessly at his wrist. With a snarl, he hurled her toward the others. She hit the floor hard. He stalked after her, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked her face up to his.
"I should've never dated you," he hissed, voice low and venomous. "You're a fucking disgusting, worthless piece of shit."
He released her hair like she was filth. Nao collapsed, sobbing.
"You're not even worthy of me raising a hand against you."
His gaze swept over the rest of them-cold, final.
"And all of you... make sure to dig a grave for Hiroki. Because you killed him a long time ago."
Ayuma stood shakily. "Hiroki, please... let us explain-"
"You're the only man I want... Hiroki can't win... he will never beat you..."
His voice rose, mocking and filled with pain.
"Do those sentences sound familiar?! You said them while I was tied up in the judo club's storage room! You were the last one... before you became just like them. Just another sex toy for this monkey." He jabbed a finger toward the chained Bert.
The room was thick with broken silence. Kaede continued rocking the destroyed doll, whispering apologies to it. Konako stared at the floor, hollow-eyed. Nao curled into herself, trembling.
Bert, barely conscious, chained and broken on the floor, tried to lift his mangled face. One swollen eye cracked open just a sliver.
"Y... you... Don't... dare..."
The words were barely a whisper, pathetic and trembling.
Hiroki froze for half a second... then his face twisted into something feral.
"HUUUHHH?! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!"
His roar shook the walls. He lunged forward like a wild animal, grabbing Bert's head with both hands, spiked knuckles digging painfully into his scalp as he yanked him up by the hair.
"YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING, YOU LITTLE SHIT?! HUH?! YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?!"
Bert whimpered, blood and spit dribbling from his ruined mouth. Hiroki slammed his face closer, forcing their eyes to meet. His voice dropped into a low, psychotic snarl that sounded straight out of a nightmare.
"Look at me, asshole. LOOK. AT. ME."
Bert forced his one working eye open, shaking uncontrollably.
"You're the powerless little bitch here. I tell you when to speak. I tell you when to breathe. I tell you when to fucking die. You understand me?!"
Hiroki's grip tightened, the spikes breaking skin as he shook Bert's head violently.
"One more word out of that worthless fucking mouth and I'll bend your legs backwards until your fucking knees kiss your spine, you hear me?! I'll make you watch while I snap every bone in your body one by one and laugh while you scream like the pathetic fucking coward you are!"
Bert swallowed hard, a broken, wet sound. Tears mixed with blood on his face.
"That's what the fuck I thought."
Hiroki spat directly into Bert's face, then shoved him back down hard onto the floor.
"Now shut that fucking crap before I really lose my temper and turn you into something even your own mother wouldn't recognize!"
The room was dead silent except for Bert's weak, terrified whimpers and the sound of rain hammering against the windows outside. Hiroki stood over him, chest heaving, eyes still burning with that terrifying red glow, every muscle coiled like a predator ready to strike again at the slightest movement.
Hiroki turned slowly toward Nao, his crimson eyes still burning with barely contained fury.
"Go sit down, whore."
Nao didn't hesitate. She scrambled to her feet, legs shaking, and stumbled toward the table, collapsing into a chair like a broken puppet.
His gaze shifted next to Kaede.
"You..."
Kaede couldn't even lift her eyes to meet his. She kept staring at the floor, clutching the ruined doll like a lifeline.
"Making a doll of me... and begging it for forgiveness?" Hiroki's voice was low, dripping with disgust. "Even if I gave a fuck - which I never will, not even in your sickest fucking dreams - how the hell are you going to ask forgiveness from your husband? From Father? The man I wanted to become like so I could protect you... But no. Not only did you disappoint him... you killed his only son. Turned him into a fucking slave for this rotten asshole."
Konako suddenly shot up from her chair, face twisted in anger. "What the fuck is your mou-"
She clapped a hand over her mouth as her stomach heaved.
Hiroki stared at her with pure revulsion. "Sit your sorry ass down, Konako. You're literally a human toilet."
Konako sank back into her seat, trembling.
"I had it in my mind to report all of this to the police," Hiroki continued, his voice ice-cold. "To save all of you."
Everyone at the table looked up at him, a flicker of desperate hope in their eyes.
"But after hearing those words... after those sentences you said behind my back..." He took a deep, steadying breath. "I decided to take this matter into my own hands."
Hiroki paused, letting the silence crush them.
"Now I've become strong enough that I don't need anyone's help."
He sat down heavily. The room remained deathly quiet until Peter's voice cut through it from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready!"
Peter emerged carrying two large bowls of ramen - rich, steaming broth packed with tender meat, perfectly boiled eggs, fresh vegetables, and spices that filled the entire house with a warm, almost mocking aroma. He placed one bowl in front of Hiroki first, then the second in front of Kaede. He made two more trips, serving Nao and Ayuma, and finally returned with the last bowl along with a glass of water and some medicine.
"Use it," Peter said calmly to Konako, handing her the pill. "You won't throw up."
Konako's hands shook violently as she took the medicine and washed it down with a sip of water.
"T-Thank you..." she whispered in fear.
"Whatever," Peter replied coldly, returning to lean against the door frame. "Enjoy, Hiroki."
Hiroki clasped his hands together for a few silent seconds, murmuring a quiet prayer under his breath, then clapped once. "Let's eat."
He picked up his chopsticks and began eating slowly. The flavor hit him immediately - rich, savory, perfectly balanced.
"Good as always, Mr. Rasel."
"Glad you enjoyed it, son."
The word "son" made everyone at the table freeze in shock. A complete stranger calling Hiroki that... while they sat there like broken strangers in their own home.
"Take it or leave it," Peter said, his voice rising slightly as he stepped closer to the table. "I don't have time to waste."
They all began eating in tense silence. The food was undeniably incredible - even Kaede, who had always prided herself on her cooking, looked stunned. She couldn't replicate something this good.
"Thanks for the meal," they muttered awkwardly when they finished.
The silence returned, heavier than before.
Ayuma slowly stood up and began collecting the dishes. Peter stepped aside to let her pass into the kitchen. She placed everything in the sink, gripping the edge tightly as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
"You wish you could change it, don't you?"
Ayuma spun around, startled. Peter stood right behind her.
"Do you or do you not?"
Ayuma nodded, wiping her tears frantically.
"Do you still believe Hiroki is going to forgive you?"
She slowly shook her head.
"If you had the power to do it, would you..."
Ayuma nodded several times, desperately.
Then listen...
Hiroki sat at the table, fingers tapping restlessly against the wood, his crimson eyes fixed on its surface like he could burn a hole through it. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the occasional whimper from the chained men in the corner.
The front door suddenly creaked open.
"Guys, sorry it took so long. They didn't have-"
The man stepped into the middle of the room and froze. Peter and Ayuma emerged from the kitchen at the same time. The newcomer - 5'9", brown-skinned, carrying bags of alcohol and drinks - stared at his beaten friends, then slowly set the bags down. His hands rose cautiously as he turned toward Peter.
"Please don't hurt... wait... Peter?!!"
Peter's eyes widened as he looked the man up and down. "Adam?!"
"Boy, you actually remembered me!"
"Why wouldn't I?" Peter replied, voice low.
Bert slowly lifted his swollen head, blood dripping from his lips. "You... You're alive?"
"Well no shit, Sherlock. You finally realized who I am," Peter said, walking slowly toward him.
Hiroki looked between them. "Mr. Rasel..."
"You remember that day at Ayato's house when I told you about the friend I lost in the fire?"
Hiroki's gaze shifted to Bert. "Is he...?"
"Yes, Hiroki. This is his arrogant older brother. The one who was the complete opposite of Carl. His name was Carl... just in case you forgot."
"Yeah," Hiroki said coldly, "he should've burned in that fire instead of Carl."
Bert's face twisted with rage. "You fucking dare-"
"SHUT IT!!!" Peter and Hiroki shouted in perfect sync. Bert immediately shrank back.
Adam walked over and pulled Peter into a tight hug. "I missed you, man. Besides Carl... you always had my back too."
"Glad to see you again, Adam."
"Thanks, man."
"But not glad to see you here," Peter said, gently pushing him back as Hiroki stood up.
"Hey, what's-" Adam's words died as he finally noticed the four girls - bruised, broken, and silent. His expression darkened instantly. "Who... who the hell are they?!"
"Don't act like you don't know," Hiroki started. "You were with-"
"No, seriously," Adam interrupted, raising his hands. "I thought we were just renting a place for a small party with the boys." He pointed at the bags. "They sent me out to buy drinks and snacks. Now this..."
Peter crossed his arms. "How should I know you're not lying?"
Adam slowly raised his left hand, showing a simple silver ring on his finger. "I have zero reason to lie, or I'd end up like them. This party was supposed to be my last night with the boys... because I'm getting married next month. To someone I've loved for four years."
Peter looked genuinely surprised. Hiroki's eyes widened.
"You're getting married? Congratulations!" Peter stepped forward, shaking Adam's hand firmly before pulling him into another hug.
"Thanks, man."
"Okay, I have a question," Hiroki said, approaching carefully. "You didn't know this was going to happen?" Adam shook his head. "And you're a friend of Mr. Rasel - which I respect. You don't seem like a bad guy. So why the hell are you friends with them?"
Adam smirked slightly. "You're a smart kid." He took a deep breath. "To save others."
"What do you mean by others?" Hiroki asked.
"Girls, specifically. Whenever a girl got too close to them, I'd give her a warning sign - tell her to stay away. Because I know exactly what kind of monsters they are." Adam's gaze shifted coldly toward Bert.
"By the way, Bert..."
Bert slowly looked up, eyes filled with hatred.
"I already told Natasha what you did behind her back."
Bert went ballistic. He lunged forward against his chains with a furious roar. Hiroki moved like lightning - a brutal turning kick slammed into Bert's face, knocking him out cold instantly.
"Dear God..." Adam muttered, making the sign of the cross.
"Who's Natasha?" Peter asked.
"B-Bert's girlfriend," as Adam said it, Nao suddenly blurted out, jumping up from her chair in shock.
"SHE'S WHAT?!!!"
Everyone turned to stare at Nao.
"Why so shocked?" Peter asked, arms crossed.
Nao slowly sat back down, looking sick.
"Who is she?" Adam asked.
Hiroki cleared his throat. "It all started when Bert came to my school-"
"Wait," Adam interrupted. "He's not even a student."
"HUUHHH?!!" Peter and Hiroki said in unison.
"He's not a student at all," Adam continued. "So either someone got bribed, or he has people covering up his real identity."
"Jelunia?" Peter touched the small earpiece hidden in his ear.
After a few moments of silence, he continued, his voice cold and precise.
"Bribed a school official. Based on Article 197 of the Penal Code — three years in prison, two and a half million yen fine. Stole a student's spot by fraud — Article 233 adds another three years on top."
Everyone at the table stared in stunned silence.
"He's not just getting expelled," Ayuma whispered, voice shaking. "He's a criminal."
"Boy, he is completely fucked," Hiroki said, crossing his arms with a small, dark smirk.
"Indeed he is…" Adam muttered. "But now I want to know the whole story."
Hiroki leaned back, eyes hard. "Oh yeah. So this piece of shit transferred into my school. I knew he was trouble from day one, so I tried to fight him. I lost. And then that bitch—" he jabbed a finger at Nao, "—cheated on me with him and helped drag him into my family."
He took a deep, angry breath before continuing.
"First my sister. Then my mother. Then that girl, Ayuma." He pointed at each of them one by one, his voice dripping with venom.
Adam turned to Peter with wide eyes. Peter simply nodded, confirming it all.
Adam's face twisted with barely contained rage. He pressed his fingers hard against the bridge of his nose, trying to crush the headache — or the disgust — before it consumed him.
"No fucking wonder people are way more racist toward us now than they were in the 90s."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Because of assholes like him," Adam spat, gesturing violently toward Bert, "even those of us who have nothing to do with this shit have to deal with the same goddamn racist slurs every single day."
Peter and Hiroki stayed silent. Peter eventually reached out and patted Adam's shoulder firmly.
"It's not your fault."
"Not my fault?" Adam laughed bitterly, dragging his hands down his face. "It's because of our silence that all this keeps happening. Our silence is making our own people unsafe in society."
"Hey, enough with that," Peter said calmly, trying to steady him. "It was never your fault, okay?"
Adam looked at him, still pissed but calming slightly.
"Now what are you gonna do with them?" he asked, glancing at the broken group.
"I actually have a plan," Peter replied. "But there's one simple problem."
"What is it?"
"Forgive me, Adam."
"For what?"
Peter moved like lightning. A precise, powerful strike hit the back of Adam's neck. Adam's eyes rolled back and he collapsed instantly onto the floor.
Hiroki's eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Rasel, why would you do that?!"
"Hiroki, I did it for his safety," Peter said flatly.
"Oh come on, what kind of safety is that?! Knocking out your friend like tha—"
"Enough, Hiroki!"
Peter's tone shifted instantly — serious, commanding, and leaving no room for argument as he stared Hiroki down.
Peter slowly patted Hiroki's back. "Go sit down, son."
Hiroki returned to his seat without a word.
"Alright," Peter said, his voice clean and deadly serious as he looked over the girls. "I'll make this short and quick. From this moment forward, Hiroki no longer belongs to this house. All connections with him are cut."
He pointed directly at Kaede. She slowly raised her head.
"Tomorrow, first thing you do is sign the papers for the orphanage."
Kaede's eyes snapped wide open, burning with rage.
"No… I won't let that happen!!"
Peter stepped closer, leaning down until his scarred face was inches from hers, his voice dropping into something icy and inhuman.
"One more chance. Easy way… or the hard way?"
Kaede stared back defiantly. "I'd rather die than let you have him!"
Peter's expression turned completely cold. "You really think I won't do it?"
Kaede stepped back, fear flickering for the first time.
"Even if I don't," Peter continued, "your own son will."
Kaede slowly turned to Hiroki. He stared back at her — completely emotionless, eyes cold and empty, like he was looking at a stranger.
She rushed forward, grabbing his hands desperately. "Please, son, don't leave—"
Hiroki shoved her hands away violently.
"Don't you ever dare touch me with those filthy hands again."
Kaede's eyes filled with tears. "I-I am your mother…"
"You were. Not anymore. Now get away from me and stop pretending. Your son is dead. No longer alive!!!"
His final shout echoed through the house like a death sentence.
Kaede froze.
Then…
"Ha… haha… HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
The laugh started low, broken, then exploded into something unhinged — a shrill, wet, choking cackle that scraped against the walls like nails on bone. Her eyes widened unnaturally, pupils dilated as she slowly dragged her nails down her own face, leaving deep red scratches. Blood welled up in thin lines across her cheeks while she grinned with pure madness, teeth bared, laughing harder, the sound twisting into something guttural and inhuman, like her soul was tearing apart right in front of them.
Peter grabbed her shoulders and forced her back into the chair. She kept laughing — manic, broken, eyes locked on Hiroki with deranged glee, the scratches on her face bleeding freely as her body shook with uncontrollable spasms.
Peter turned away from her, ignoring the deranged laughter still echoing behind him, and looked at Ayuma.
"Alright. I'll make it short and clear… Hiroki is no longer part of this house. Not inside. Not outside."
He glanced at the tied-up group in the corner.
"Report this to the police and all of you will rot for life. Besides, you'll stay in this house for a while. With your current conditions, you'll draw too much attention if you leave."
His words landed heavily. Everyone stayed silent — except Kaede, who continued grinning menacingly, blood trickling down her face, her broken laughter slowly fading into quiet, rasping chuckles.
"Hiroki, if you have anything left to say—"
"No, sir. I've already said enough."
"Alright… then let's go home."
...
...
...
Peter stood alone in the dimly lit room, the weight of the night pressing down on him. He touched the small earpiece.
"Jelunia… This… This wasn't supposed to happen."
"What could be the problem?" Jelunia asked calmly.
Peter's voice was strained. "He unlocked it way too soon… or I should say, he achieved it far earlier than planned."
"Peter, I'm sure he can control it."
"Control it?" Peter stood up sharply, brushing his hair back with a frustrated hand. "Jelunia, do you really think a fourteen-to-eighteen-year-old kid can become that strong in just three months? He was supposed to be able to protect himself… maybe take down three to five people at most."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed in exhaustion.
"His first real test wasn't supposed to involve over fifty people… He was only meant to face five to seven thugs."
"Then why didn't you stop him?" Jelunia asked.
Peter went silent for several long seconds, pacing the room.
"Because he unlocked his power… I didn't say anything because I thought the faster he awakened it, the better his chances of survival. But tonight…" His voice dropped. "He went completely out of control."
"He wasn't himself anymore."
"I saw the demon in his eyes."
The room fell into heavy silence.
"Jelunia… what should I do?"
"I know you gave him power for revenge," she replied.
Peter let out a bitter laugh. "You really think I hand out power to random kids just for revenge? It's not about revenge. It's…"
"Peter… what is it? Tell me."
A long pause.
"My nemesis… he's here. On Earth."
"What?"
"The plane crash that killed Ayato's parents… it wasn't an accident. All those people died because of me."
"Peter, I know how bad this is, but you can still find a way—"
"Find a way?" Peter's voice cracked with frustration. "Jelunia, if Ayato ever finds out his parents died because of me, do you think he'll stay calm?"
**"THAT'S ENOUGH!"**
Jelunia's voice suddenly sharpened, cutting him off. Peter froze.
"Peter, I still haven't forgotten how you saved me… That day those fucking monsters decapitated my body and left me to die. You saved me. You gave me life again. Even though I'm just a brain in a machine now, you gave me a chance. Despite everything, I'm grateful. No matter what happens, I will stay by your side."
Peter slowly looked up. A faint, gentle smile crossed his scarred face.
"So… what's the plan?" he asked.
"First, we send Bert and his friends back to the U.S."
"And then?"
"Leave the rest to me. I'll handle what needs to be done."
"Jelunia?"
"Yes, Peter?"
"Thank you… for everything you've done for me. If it wasn't for you, I don't know how I would've—"
"Don't worry about it, Peter. It's just a small repayment."
Peter smiled softly and started walking toward the door.
"Oh, Peter. One more thing…"
"What is it?"
"Chloe is here. In Japan."
Peter froze mid-step. Cold sweat trickled down his face. He took a slow, deep breath.
"Keep an eye on her for me. Make sure she stays safe… please."
"Don't worry, Peter. She will be safe as long as I'm here."
"I gotta go now. Thanks, Jelunia. Return to AI mode, and make sure Hiroki didn't hear a single word of this."
"Ayy ayy, Peter."
A few soft beeps sounded, then the room fell completely silent.
Peter stepped out into the cold night air, the heavy gate creaking open before slowly closing behind him with a metallic clang. He paused for a moment, staring up at the dark silhouette of the house one last time, then turned to leave.
A sharp click echoed from the shadows behind him.
"Well, well, well."
A familiar male voice cut through the rain.
"Ye Joon Si-woo. Your voice still sounds the same after all these years," Peter said calmly, turning slowly to face him.
Ye Joon stood there, gun aimed directly at Peter's chest. Several of his men flanked him — armed with metal pipes, machetes, and brass knuckles, their faces twisted with ugly anticipation.
"Been a long time since we first met, Peter!" Ye Joon snarled.
Peter crossed his arms, unfazed, and gave him a mocking once-over. "Hello, Ye Joon." His eyes lingered on the jagged scar running across the man's forehead. "Nice scar."
"YOU DARE MOCK HIM?!"
One of Ye Joon's men — Gyeong — charged forward and drove a heavy punch into Peter's stomach. Peter didn't flinch. Not even an inch. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Gyeong's hand and snapped his ring finger backward with a sickening crack.
"AUGHHHH!!!" Gyeong screamed, clutching his mangled hand.
"You son of a bi—"
Ye Joon didn't get to finish. Peter moved like lightning, disarming him in a blur and pressing the stolen gun right between his eyes.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Never get distracted. Even with a pistol, you can be disarmed so easily if you're not careful."
As Ye Joon's remaining men surged forward with weapons raised, the roar of engines shattered the night. Several black vans screeched into the street, surrounding the group. Doors flew open and heavily armed men poured out, MP5s trained on every target.
A dark, glossy 1970 Dodge Challenger rolled into the center of the chaos, its powerful headlights blinding the attackers before cutting off.
The driver's door opened.
A tall, athletic man in his mid-thirties stepped out. A vicious scar ran down the side of his face to his ear. His hands were covered in old scars and bulging veins. He wore a black jacket over slim black jeans, casually flipping and snapping a Zippo lighter between his fingers with practiced ease.
"Boy, you came at the perfect time," Peter said, a hint of relief in his voice.
"Indeed," the man replied with a cold grin. "Looks like these clowns were about to cause trouble."
"You fucki—" one of Ye Joon's bodyguards snarled, stepping forward aggressively.
Wrong move.
The armed men instantly raised their MP5s. The scarred man walked straight up to the loudmouth and delivered two brutal, open-handed slaps across his face.
"Listen up, punk," he growled, voice low and menacing. "You're not in any position to speak to me like that." He slapped him again, harder. "Know… your… fucking… place!"
The man's head snapped side to side with each strike, blood trickling from his split lip as he staggered back in humiliated silence.
The scarred man walked straight toward Peter. The two shared a firm, warm handshake that quickly turned into a tight brotherly hug, the kind forged through blood and fire.
"Been a long time, Peter."
"Oh, shut up! You didn't even send me a single message."
"I was busy!"
"BULLSHIT!!"
They argued back and forth for a moment, voices rising like old times, until both suddenly stopped and broke into low, rough laughter.
"Welcome back, brother," Peter said, tapping the man's shoulder firmly. The scarred man smiled, a rare genuine expression cutting through the tension.
"Now, back to the topic," Peter said, turning with him toward Ye Joon.
Ye Joon slowly raised his head, trying to look fearless despite the guns trained on him and his men.
"Yeah, yeah, I see. Still acting confident," Peter muttered. He smoothly pulled the magazine from the Deagle and inspected the bullets with a poker face, then glanced at Ye Joon again.
"Dude… I don't know if I should be impressed or disappointed," Peter said, holding up the magazine. "Look at this shit."
The scarred man leaned in, took a look, and did a double-take.
"What the hell is this? Did you just shove goddamn 9mm rounds into a fucking Deagle?" He looked genuinely disappointed. "Even though I'm not a fan of this weapon, that's straight-up disrespectful."
Peter gave a mocking shrug. "On the other hand, he modified the mag and muzzle to make it smaller. Kind of an interesting design… if you're an idiot."
He slammed the magazine back into the Deagle and casually tossed the heavy pistol back to Ye Joon, who caught it clumsily.
The Korean gangster's face burned with humiliation as his own weapon was thrown back at him like trash. His men shifted nervously, surrounded and outgunned, the weight of Peter's mocking words hanging heavier than the rain still falling around them.
"Now, for a clarification…" the scarred man said, his voice low and threatening as he stared directly at Ye Joon. "If I see a single round fired here, around this man, or anywhere near this place… you already know exactly what I'm going to do to you. You don't know who I am yet, but trust me — you'll wish you never found out."
"You motherfu—"
"Ki! Enough!" Ye Joon snapped. "Take the boys and go!"
"But—"
"Ki!!"
Ki reluctantly barked orders. The battered group slowly retreated, weapons lowered, disappearing into the rainy night.
"Atta boy," the scarred man said mockingly to Ki as he passed. Ki opened his mouth to retort, but Ye Joon's cold glare silenced him instantly.
Only Ye Joon remained, standing alone under the downpour.
The scarred man signaled his team with a raised finger, drawing a slow circle in the air. The armed men lowered their guns.
"Now, what do you want?" Peter asked, staring Ye Joon down.
"I just came to tell you… this place is not big enough for both of us," Ye Joon said with a smirk. "I'll let you live… for now. But know this — I'll be watching you. And I will ruin everything you try to build."
The smirk faded the moment he saw the pure, murderous anger burning in Peter's eyes.
Peter lunged forward and grabbed Ye Joon by the collar, yanking him close.
"Listen to me, you disgusting excuse of a human being. You worthless piece of garbage. I'm not the same boy who once held a rock. You dare step in my way again, I will cut off your fucking legs, shove them down your throat, and make sure you feel every single second of pain. I'm not the kid you remember. You should be grateful I didn't embarrass you in front of your men. In their eyes you're a leader, a king. But to me? You're just a dog on a chain leash."
Ye Joon's face twisted with rage. He grabbed Peter's collar in return.
"The same darkness you unleashed on me… one day he's gonna bite your goddamn neck off. But next time we meet… you're going to be the one who fears me."
They shoved each other away at the same time. Ye Joon turned and vanished into the rainy streets without another word.
"Man… he had some real guts talking like that with guns pointed at his head," the scarred man said, shaking his head.
"Don't worry about him. He can't do shit anyway." Peter turned to his old friend. "So when the hell did you get back? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Hmm, I don't know… maybe I wanted to surprise you?"
Peter chuckled. "Welcome back."
"Thanks."
"You've changed a lot, you know?"
"If it wasn't for your help back then, I wouldn't have reached this point. With these people around me."
Peter waved it off. "Nuh, it's fine. Right now I need your help."
"What is it?"
A notification beeped from the man's phone. Peter had already sent him the location.
"That place I just sent you — there are a few guys tied up. One of them is mostly unharmed. Be careful with him… he's supposed to get married soon. Send all of them back to the U.S. If you can, put them on a ship and make sure they get there safely. Also, there are four women in that house. I put them to sleep. Clean the place up. There's blood and… other stuff."
"Consider it done."
The scarred man walked toward his glossy black Dodge Challenger, pointed a finger upward and spun it in a circle — the rally signal. His team loaded up into the black vans. Engines roared to life as they followed him into the night.
"Mr. Rasel?"
"Yes, Jelunia?" Peter tapped the small earpiece.
"Who… was he?"
"Kazuki… Kazuki Okino."
To Be Continue...