Kev's pov
"We need to prepare." My voice is calm but firm, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. I've been contemplating this for a while now, but I needed to be sure before making any moves. Now, though? It's as clear as day.
"What do you mean, Kev?" Jerzey Lim asks, a frown settling on his face.
We're on the rooftop of one of the school buildings, a place we've unofficially claimed as our hideout. It's secluded, quiet, and, most importantly, a place the Phantom Six rarely visit.
"Doesn't this strike you as odd? It's been a month, and the Phantom Six haven't made a single move. I have a bad feeling about this." I pause, letting my words sink in. This isn't like them at all. They never let fights linger for this long. Their reputation is everything, and they don't allow it to be tarnished by letting their enemies grow stronger.
"Isn't that a good thing? At least it gives us more time to prepare, right?" Jin chimes in, his tone hopeful.
"Yeah, maybe they're scared of Jin now?" Blake Ryoma adds with a smirk, nudging Jin playfully.
"No. This feels off, really." Kailey interjects, her voice cutting through the lighthearted moment. "Even if we have Jin, they can still take us down whenever they want. You all saw what Shiro Ryota did to him, right? Jin didn't even stand a chance."
The atmosphere shifts instantly, tension thickening in the air. Jin remains silent, jaw tightening at the memory.
"I agree with Kai." Briana speaks up, standing from her seat across from me and Ryu. "They can crush us any time they want. So why haven't they? Something about this doesn't sit right with me." Frustration laces her voice as she grabs Ryu's water bottle without asking and takes a long sip.
"Whoa, Briana. Stealing drinks now? Such gangster move." Ryu teases, but his tone quickly sobers. "But yeah, you two have a point. Maybe they're just being cautious. After all, there's a possibility we could actually win."
I shake my head. "If they were being cautious, they wouldn't wait an entire month and allow us to grow stronger. That's not how they operate."
"Exactly," Atsushi Narumi agrees, leaning forward. "If anything, the fact that they haven't moved yet makes them more dangerous. They're planning something."
"And why would they even be cautious of us?" Kise Goura adds. "We only have around thirty people, while they have over seventy. Numbers alone give them an overwhelming advantage."
"So what do we do? How do we prepare? Is there anyone else we can recruit?" Claine asks, glancing around at the group.
Jake shakes his head. "Based on our intel, we've already recruited everyone who might be willing to join us. We don't have any other known allies."
"And more than that," Jerome speaks up, his voice laced with something unreadable, "from what I can tell, the Phantom Six still aren't making a move because their co-leader, Ken Nobunaga, is gone."
A heavy silence falls over us. I notice Jin lower his gaze slightly, his expression unreadable.
I narrow my eyes at him. "Jin, you know something. Spill."
Jin hesitates for a moment before finally speaking. "I ran into Ken last week. I know he was there to finish me off, but... he didn't. He backed off."
My gut twists. Ken had the perfect opportunity to take Jin out, and he chose not to? That doesn't make sense. And I don't like it.
"If their co-leader is gone, isn't this the perfect time for us to attack?" Ryu suggests, eagerness flashing in his eyes.
"No." Briana shakes her head. "Even without Ken, the other captains are still strong. Jiro Matsuda alone could take on the three of you—" she points at Kise, Atsushi, and Claine "—without breaking a sweat. He may not look it, but he's a powerhouse. And then there's Ivan Yuroiji, Bryle Taiga, and, most importantly, Hero So. All of them are formidable opponents."
"She's right." I cross my arms, reinforcing her point. "Even if Jin and I team up, we wouldn't stand a chance against Shiro. If we add Ryu, maybe, but even then, it's not a guaranteed win. He's a monster. We can't afford to engage them head-on."
"So? What's the plan, Hyuga?" Blake Ryoma asks, anticipation creeping into his tone.
I take a deep breath. "I have one. Jake, Jerome, Jerzey, and Atsushi, you're staying here. The rest of you, go. We'll handle this for now."
Jin starts to protest, but I cut him off with a reassuring glance. "Trust me."
Eventually, he nods and leaves with the others.
Once we're alone, Atsushi leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. "So? What's the plan, Kev?"
I exhale slowly, eyes scanning the faces of the people I trust the most. "We strike the Phantom Six."
Jerzey furrows his brows. "If we attack, they'll retaliate."
"Exactly. And that's what we need to test." I lean back. "We'll hit them once. If they don't fight back, we hit them again. And if they still don't move, we start investigating."
"And if they do fight back?" Jake asks, watching me closely.
"Then we shift strategies." I meet their gazes one by one. "If they retaliate, we don't fight head-on. We isolate, strike, and dismantle them piece by piece. But for now, we make our move at exactly six o'clock this evening."
The five of us moved silently through the dimly lit streets, our steps deliberate and calculated. No more hesitation, no more waiting. It's time to see what the Phantom Six are really up to. We were heading toward an alley near a small convenience store, a place where we knew members of the Phantom Six often loitered. The air was thick with tension, each of us focused on what was about to unfold.
We waited in the shadows, time creeping by at an agonizing pace. My pulse remained steady, my body prepared for the confrontation ahead. Finally, as the clock struck six, our patience was rewarded. Jiro Matsuda and Ivan Yuroiji appeared, just as expected, accompanied by five other men.
I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of the moment settle over me. No turning back now.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward and delivered a solid punch to Matsuda's face. The force of it sent him staggering back, his expression a mixture of shock and pain before his body crumpled to the ground.
"Lim! Take care of Yuroiji! The rest of you, handle the others!" I barked, my voice cutting through the alley like a blade.
The air exploded with movement as my crew sprang into action. Lim lunged at Yuroiji, his fists colliding with brutal force. Jake, Jerome, and Atsushi wasted no time in engaging the other members, fists and kicks flying in a chaotic dance of violence.
"You bastard!" Matsuda snarled, shaking off the blow as he struggled to his feet, rage burning in his eyes. Before he could fully stand, I drove my knee into his ribs, sending him sprawling once again.
"What the hell is your problem?!" he spat, eyes wild with fury and confusion.
I didn't answer. Instead, I let my fists do the talking. I swung again, landing a crushing blow to his cheek. The impact sent him back down, his body slamming against the cold pavement.
Matsuda groaned, but he wasn't done. He twisted his body and lashed out with a kick aimed at my legs. I barely dodged in time, but he used the opening to scramble to his feet. He charged at me, swinging wildly. I ducked, feeling the rush of air as his fist missed my head by mere inches.
I countered with a powerful uppercut, catching him square in the jaw. His head snapped back, his knees buckling under the force. But still, he refused to go down.
"You don't get it, do you?" I said, my voice low, controlled. "This isn't just some meaningless fight. This is the beginning of the end for Phantom Six."
Matsuda's eyes flickered with something—fear? Realization? He barely had time to react before I grabbed his collar and drove him into the brick wall behind him. His head snapped back against the solid surface, and his body went slack for a moment.
In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of Lim and Yuroiji's fight. Yuroiji was strong, dodging and countering, but Lim was relentless. A well-placed elbow strike to Yuroiji's temple sent him crashing to the ground.
Jake, Jerome, and Atsushi had already subdued their opponents. The five other men lay groaning on the ground, unable to continue.
I turned back to Matsuda, who was barely holding himself up against the wall. I stepped closer, placing a firm grip on his collar.
"This is just the start," I muttered before delivering one final punch, knocking him unconscious.
I let his limp body slide to the ground and exhaled sharply, shaking off the remaining tension in my muscles.
"Let's go," I said, turning to my team. They nodded, following me as we left the battered members of the Phantom Six behind.
As we walked away, Jake turned to me. "What's next, Kev?"
I didn't hesitate. "Tomorrow, exactly at six o'clock, we strike again. This time, we take out the remaining captains of Phantom Six—except for their leader, Shiro."
The others exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. We weren't just fighting for revenge. We were fighting to end this war before it could consume us.
With that, we headed back to the house Ryu and I were staying in, preparing for the battle ahead.
The Next Day
As planned, we spent the day searching for Phantom Six members in their usual hangouts. By early evening, we found Bryle Taiga sitting at a roadside eatery with seven other Phantom Six members. They were relaxed, eating and chatting, completely unaware of what was about to hit them.
At exactly six o'clock, we made our move.
I grabbed a wooden support beam from the eatery and swung it straight at Taiga. The impact sent him reeling back into his seat, his food spilling onto the table. A stunned silence fell over the eatery as he clutched his stomach, trying to process what had just happened. But I didn't give him time to recover. Before he could react, I drove my fist into his gut, forcing the air from his lungs with a wheezing gasp. His body curled forward from the impact, but I seized him by the hair, yanking his head up just to slam it against the wooden table with a sickening thud. His plate of food scattered to the floor, mixing with droplets of blood from his busted lip.
A chair scraped violently against the floor as one of his men bolted upright. But before he could reach me, Lim was already on him, delivering a sharp elbow strike to his face. The eatery exploded into chaos. Tables toppled over, plates shattered, and bystanders scrambled to get away. The Phantom Six members jumped to their feet, some reaching for makeshift weapons—a fork, a broken bottle—but my crew was faster.
Jake drove a knee into a guy's ribs, sending him sprawling across the floor. Jerome weaved through two attackers, dodging a punch before countering with a devastating hook to the jaw. Atsushi grabbed one of them by the collar and hurled him against the counter, knocking over trays and utensils.
Meanwhile, Taiga groaned, attempting to push himself up. I crouched beside him, grabbing his collar and pulling him close so he could see the absolute lack of hesitation in my eyes.
"You should've known this was coming," I muttered, then sent a brutal punch straight to his jaw. His head snapped back, and his body slackened, barely able to hold itself up.
By the time I stepped back, my team had already finished off the rest. The seven Phantom Six members lay sprawled across the ground, groaning in pain, some completely unconscious. The eatery was a mess—broken dishes, overturned tables, and the lingering tension of a fight well-won.
"Let's go," I ordered, shaking off the lingering adrenaline. The others followed without question, leaving Taiga and his men broken and humiliated.
It was half-past six, and we were still searching for Hero So, another Phantom Six captain. We expected to hunt him down, but instead, he found us first. He stood waiting in the school parking lot, flanked by four of his men, as if he had anticipated our arrival.
"What do you think you're doing, Hyuga?" Hero's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge of anger in it. "You're taking us down one by one. Do you really think you can get away with this?"
I didn't bother responding. Words were pointless now. Instead, I charged straight at him.
Hero saw it coming and deflected my punch with his forearm, immediately retaliating with a jab toward my ribs. I twisted away just in time, his fist barely grazing my side before I launched my own counterattack—a sharp hook aimed at his temple. He ducked under it, his movements sharp and disciplined. This wasn't going to be easy.
"I don't know why you're doing this," Hero said through clenched teeth as he continued throwing punches, each one sharper and faster than the last. "But I'm not going down without a fight."
He swung a hard right hook. I ducked under it and grabbed his outstretched arm, twisting it violently. A sharp cry escaped his lips as I forced him down to his knees, his shoulder stretched at a painful angle.
"Then fight," I said coldly.
With both hands, I grabbed the back of his head and drove my knee into his face. Once. Twice. The impact sent shockwaves through my leg, but I didn't stop. A third time. Blood dripped from his nose. A fourth. His body trembled with every strike. By the seventh blow, he could barely keep himself upright. I released him, and he collapsed onto the pavement, unable to continue.
The rest of his men had already been dealt with by my team. Jake had one pinned against a car, while Jerome stood over another who lay groaning on the ground. Lim wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, looking down at his fallen opponent with disinterest.
We stood in silence for a moment, surveying the damage.
"Let's move," I said finally.
Back at our hideout, we gathered to discuss our next steps. The night's battles had been successful, but something didn't sit right with me.
"What now, Kev?" Jerome asked, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and concern.
"We wait two days," I replied. "If they don't retaliate by then, something's off. And if they do fight back, we'll execute the isolation-and-strike tactic."
Jake crossed his arms, thinking. "You think Akami Army will step in? They're Phantom Six's allies, after all."
He had a point. The Akami Army was a wild card in all of this. But I doubted they would make a move, not with the Dark Knights keeping them in check.
"No, I don't think they'll interfere," I said after a moment. I stood up, stretching out the tension in my shoulders. "Starting tomorrow, be ready for anything. We don't know what's coming next."
As I left the hideout, exhaustion finally started creeping in. What we did tonight had been reckless, but it was worth it. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over.
______________________________________
*Two Days Later*
Jin's pov
It had been two days since Kev launched his reckless attack on the Phantom Six captains, and we were still waiting to see if they would retaliate. Seriously, that was insane! We were all shocked when we found out what he did. Taking down the leaders of the strongest clan just like that? That was a death wish! Briana almost lost it when she heard about it, and if Kai hadn't stopped her, she would've gone straight to Kev to beat some sense into him.
But as crazy as it was, I trusted Kev. He had a plan—an interesting one at that. He called it the 'isolation-and-strike' tactic.
Apparently, isolation-and-strike was a strategy used when facing an overwhelming enemy. The idea was to form four smaller groups to divide the opposing force and pick them off one by one. What Kev and the others did was a variation of that—single isolation and strike. Instead of attacking in small groups, they targeted individuals, systematically weakening Phantom Six's leadership.
"Doesn't look like anyone's coming," Kise muttered, boredom evident in his voice.
I sighed, leaning back against the wall. Our group consisted of me, Kise, Kai, and eight other members of JRK, some of whom I barely knew. They were likely Jake and Jerome's people, the same guys we had fought against before. Funny how things change.
"I'll call the others," I said, pulling out my phone. First, I dialed Kev, who was currently with Blake and Atsushi. After a few rings, he finally picked up.
"Any sign of Phantom Six?" I asked.
["Nothing yet, but we're waiting a little longer,"] Kev replied before hanging up.
Tch. Typical Kev. No unnecessary words. I called Jake next, and this time, he answered immediately. Unlike Kev, he didn't make me wait—good man.
"How's it looking on your end? Any Phantom Six activity?" I asked.
["Nope. We'll wait until quarter to seven. If nothing happens, we're heading out,"] Jake responded before ending the call.
Finally, I called Ryu, who was with Claine and Briana.
"Yo, Ryu! You still alive, or did Phantom Six wipe you out already?" I joked.
["Pfft! Please, bro. No one's got the guts to take me down today. They're all scared shitless of me!"] Ryu laughed confidently.
Tsk. This guy. Cocky as ever.
"Keep bragging, dumbass. Let's see if you can still talk big when someone actually shows up. Quarter to seven, if nothing happens, fall back," I instructed before hanging up. No way was I letting him waste my time with his arrogance.
It was already 6:30, and still, no sign of Phantom Six. Were we waiting for nothing? What the hell was Shiro thinking? The guy wasn't the type to stay quiet after an attack. Something didn't add up.
Damn, I was overthinking again. All this thinking made me thirsty.
"Kai, come with me. I need a drink," I said, standing up.
Kai raised a brow, clearly unamused, but he still followed me.
As we walked toward a nearby store, I bumped into someone—a guy, maybe around my age.
"Oh, sorry, bro. Didn't see you there," he said, flashing a polite smile.
Huh. A rare breed. Someone who actually apologized for bumping into people. Must be a decent guy.
"Nah, it's cool. My bad too," I replied casually before continuing toward the store.
Something made me glance back, though. And when I did, I found the guy looking back at me as well, still smiling.
Weird.
But whatever. He didn't seem like a threat. Compared to Ryu, that guy looked like an absolute saint. No point in overthinking it.