Jin's pov
"Kai, where are we going?" I call out, my voice strained as we continue running through the dark alley. She doesn't answer. The sound of our footsteps echo around us, but my mind is elsewhere. My chest is tight with frustration because while we're escaping, our friends are still back there, fighting for their lives.
I grit my teeth. That's one thing I simply can't accept.
"Kai, stop! What the hell is going on?" I demand, yanking my hand away from her grip. She finally slows down, but instead of answering, she just clenches her fists. Her expression is unreadable, but I can sense the urgency in her stance. Something is wrong.
Before I can press her further, a flicker of movement in my peripheral vision catches my attention. Two figures are chasing us. I don't know if Kai has noticed, but I don't take any chances. The moment I see a narrow passageway to our right, I grab her wrist and pull her in, pressing us both against the cold brick wall. I keep my breath steady, forcing my pulse to slow down.
"What the hell, Jin?" she snaps, trying to break free from my grasp.
"I know this is awkward, but stay still. We're being followed," I whisper, barely moving my lips.
I steal a glance from the edge of the wall, my eyes scanning the alley we just left. The two men are approaching fast. They aren't just ordinary grunts. Their posture, their presence—it sends a sharp warning through my senses. They're dangerous.
Kai stiffens beside me. "Jin..." her voice is tense, but before she can finish, everything erupts into chaos.
A fist swings toward me at full force. I barely have time to react before Kai shoves me out of the way, taking the blow meant for me.
"Kai!" I shout as she stumbles back, her body hitting the ground with a sharp thud. My chest tightens as I see her wince in pain.
I turn toward the attacker, and the sight before me sends a cold chill down my spine.
The man standing there smirks, cracking his knuckles as if warming up for a fight he already knows he'll win. His presence alone feels suffocating, an overwhelming force pressing down on me. He's strong—I can tell from just one glance.
"So, this is the infamous transferee everyone's been talking about?" he muses, tilting his head. "Disappointing."
Kai groans from the ground. "Akami..." she manages to say through gritted teeth.
Akami Holmes. The leader of the Akami Army.
Damn it.
Before I can react, another figure emerges from the shadows—his right-hand man, standing beside him like a phantom in the night. This isn't just any fight. We're up against monsters.
I rush to Kai's side, reaching out to help her up, but I don't even get the chance. Akami moves with terrifying speed, his fist colliding with my ribs before I can dodge.
A sharp pain erupts in my side, knocking the air out of my lungs. I hit the ground hard, coughing as I struggle to regain my breath.
"Tsk, too weak," Akami mutters, stepping toward me. He grabs a fistful of my hair and forces my head up, making me meet his cold, merciless eyes. "Any last words, punk?"
His grip tightens, and I brace myself. I know what's coming. I can already feel the weight of his fist about to crash down—
But it never comes.
A sudden force slams into Akami, pushing him away from me. I fall forward, barely catching myself in time. When I lift my gaze, I see them—Jake and Jerome Maki, standing between me and Akami with unwavering determination.
"Boss, get out of here! We'll handle this!" Jerome shouts, his fists already raised.
Jake charges forward first, throwing a punch aimed straight at Akami's jaw. Akami dodges, his movements fluid and precise, but Jake doesn't let up. Blow after blow, he forces Akami to take him seriously. Meanwhile, Jerome takes on the second-in-command, their fight unfolding in rapid, brutal exchanges.
I turn my attention back to Kai. She's leaning against the wall, one hand clutching her stomach, her breathing uneven. I move toward her immediately.
"Hey, you okay?" I ask, gently supporting her.
She nods, though I can see the strain in her expression. "Yeah, he just caught me off guard."
I glance back at the fight. Jake is on the ground now, blood trickling from his temple, but his eyes burn with defiance. He pushes himself back up, refusing to stay down. Jerome, on the other hand, is still holding his ground, his movements sharper, more calculated, but he's struggling against the sheer strength of his opponent.
Kai grabs my wrist. "Jin, we need to go. Now."
I don't move. I don't look at her. Instead, I tighten my fists and take a step forward.
"No," I say firmly. "I'm done running."
"Jin, don't be stupid! That's the leader and co-leader of the Akami Army! You won't stand a chance!" Her voice is laced with frustration, but I can hear the underlying fear in it too.
I glance at her over my shoulder and offer a small, confident smile. "Maybe, but with those two by my side, I think I can manage. And besides... anyone who lays a hand on my comrades—will fall by mine."
Before she can stop me, I step onto the battlefield.
Akami notices me instantly, his smirk returning as if amused by my stubbornness. "Back for more? I thought you had enough."
I roll my shoulders, letting the tension ease out of me. "You talk too much. Let's see if you can actually back it up."
Akami's grin widens, and in the next instant, he lunges at me. I barely have time to react as his fist comes flying toward my face. But this time—I'm ready.
I dodge at the last second, pivoting on my heel, and counter with a solid punch to his ribs. He stumbles slightly, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.
"Not bad," he admits. "Let's see if you can keep up."
The fight ignites into full force. I barely register the pain anymore, my body moving on instinct, my adrenaline pushing me beyond my limits. I hear the sound of Jake and Jerome still fighting beside me, the chaos of the battle consuming everything around us.
We're outnumbered. We're at a disadvantage.
But we're not going down without a fight.
This time, I swear—I won't let anyone fall.
Not today.
______________________________________
Kevin's pov
"Kev, do you think you can still fight?" Briana asks, her voice laced with worry as we stand our ground, waiting for the enemies to close in.
Our opponents this time are undeniably strong—Kiro Yuri and Renz Hozon from the Akami Army, plus Hero So and Jiro Matsuda from Phantom Six. This is bad news.
"Yeah, I can still fight," I respond, but a nagging feeling in my gut won't go away. Something's wrong.
Where the hell is Holmes?! He was just with Satoshi earlier! They disappeared almost at the same time... Could it be?
"Holmes and Cruz are missing! They must have gone after Jin and Yuzu!" I curse under my breath. We were too careless!
"Shit! We can't let them reach Jin!"
"We'll go after them!" Jake volunteers before taking off with his brother, Jerome. I trust them to handle it, but I can't shake the worry creeping up my spine.
I glance at Ryu as he struggles to his feet, bruised and battered from his earlier fight with Shiro. Chord Ruiz and Faith Ishida move beside him, ready to assist.
"Kev, I'm not in the best shape, but I'll do what I can," Ryu mutters, wincing as he steadies himself.
"Just rest, bro. We've got this," I tell him before looking over my shoulder. "Claine, stay with Ryu."
Claine nods and moves back to support Ryu as our enemies stop a few feet away. Kiro and Renz stand confidently, waiting for the arrival of Yuroiji and Taiga. As if on cue, Drake Perez steps into the fray as well.
Now it's me, Blake, Jerzey, Briana, Faith, and Chord against Kiro, Renz, Drake, Ivan, Bryle, Hero, and Jiro. They have the numbers. They have the firepower. But I refuse to let our group fall here.
"Hyun, ready?" Kiro taunts, his smirk sending a fresh wave of irritation through me.
"We've been ready long before you got here," I reply, mirroring his grin.
"Good. Then let's get this started!"
"Bring it!"
Kiro charges first, and I meet him head-on. Even in my worn-out state, my instincts kick in. He throws a series of rapid punches, but I dodge and weave, waiting for my moment. As soon as I spot an opening, I drive my fist into his gut, making him stumble back with a grunt.
He grits his teeth, wiping a trickle of blood from his lips before straightening up. "Damn... you really haven't changed."
I grab his collar, yanking him closer. "Rankings don't mean shit. People may care about the highest ten, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still one of the toughest fighters here."
His smirk widens. "Yeah, yeah. I fucking know."
With a sharp slap, he knocks my grip away and immediately readies himself for another round. This is what I like about Phantom Six—they don't back down from a fight.
The battlefield erupts. Fists and kicks fly as chaos engulfs us. Kiro comes at me hard, his blows are relentless. I block a punch aimed at my jaw, countering with a sharp knee to his ribs. He staggers but retaliates instantly, catching me with a vicious uppercut that sends a sharp pain exploding through my skull.
Beside me, Briana moves with precision, dodging Renz's brutal strikes while looking for a chance to counter. Faith and Hero are locked in a grueling exchange, neither backing down. Chord and Jiro grapple, their struggle a test of sheer endurance.
But the tide isn't in our favor. Blake and Jerzey are already down, unconscious. I can barely process it before a heavy fist collides with my ribs, forcing the air from my lungs. My knees buckle, but I refuse to fall.
Jiro, Ivan, and Bryle are down, but it's not enough. The damage has been done. My vision swims, but I shake it off, forcing myself back into the fight.
A sudden voice cuts through the battlefield, freezing everyone in place.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
The weight of that voice alone commands silence. Even Shiro, the leader of Phantom Six, and Damian, the head of the Dark Knights, halt at the interruption.
My breath catches. "King..."
Jermaine "King" Lee steps forward, his mere presence sending a wave of tension through the air. His sharp gaze sweeps over the battlefield, unimpressed and unwavering.
"What the hell are you all doing?" His tone is sharp, authoritative.
"Stay out of this, King. It has nothing to do with you," Shiro mutters, his voice even but laced with warning.
King tilts his head, expression unreadable. "Is that so?"
Then he moves.
No one even sees it coming. One second, Shiro is standing tall, and the next, he's crumpled on the ground, clutching his jaw from a devastating punch. A heavy silence follows, thick with disbelief.
King doesn't need to raise his voice. "End this bullshit now before I start taking you all down one by one."
No one dares to move. No one dares to challenge him.
One by one, our enemies back off, some reluctant, others downright furious. But no one argues. No one tests him.
That's the power of the former number one in Sensō High's power rankings.
That's the power of Jermaine "King" Lee.
The lion of this brutal jungle.