Jin's pov
It's November 5 today, the start of a new semester. Normally, I wouldn't care much about it, but for some reason, I have this unsettling feeling that something big is about to happen soon. I try to shake off those uneasy thoughts and focus on what's ahead.
Over the past two weeks, not much has changed, except for the fact that our clan is now ranked number four in Sensō High. The Phantom Six still hold the top spot, and we're still being cautious around them. I've also heard rumors that Shiro has been showing up at the school almost every day since the semestral break started. I don't know what he's up to, but I have a gut feeling it's nothing good.
As I drive down the road, my eyes catch sight of a familiar figure walking along the sidewalk. He's limping slightly, and I notice fresh wounds on his arms. Bryle Taiga—one of the captains of the Phantom Six. He looks like he's been in a rough fight. What the hell happened to him?
Curiosity gets the better of me, and I pull over. I step out of the car and walk toward him. His movements are sluggish, and I can tell he's trying to keep himself together.
"What happened to you?" I ask, keeping my tone neutral. He barely glances at me and continues walking as if he didn't hear me.
He's definitely injured.
"I asked you a question, Taiga." My voice is more assertive this time, but he still doesn't respond.
"It's none of your business, Jin," he finally mutters, his voice weak and strained. He keeps moving forward, but his body is swaying, as if his legs could give out at any moment.
I sigh in frustration and turn back toward my car, but before I can take another step, I hear a dull thud.
I glance back and see him collapsed on the ground, barely conscious. Shit.
I crouch down beside him and take a closer look. His face is pale, and he's struggling to keep his eyes open.
"What a pain in the ass," I mumble before hoisting him up and carrying him toward my car. I don't have time for this, but I can't just leave him here either.
As I drive, I hear him mumbling under his breath. I catch fragments of words—something about the Dark Knights. So they're the ones who did this to him? I guess Taiga must've tried to take them on and ended up like this. That would explain why he looks like he exchanged punches with Damian himself.
I tap my fingers against the steering wheel, thinking about my next move. I can't take him to our hideout—Ryu would kill him on the spot. And leaving him at some random place isn't an option either.
With a sigh, I make a decision.
I'll just return him to his own clan.
Pulling up in front of one of the senior buildings where the Phantom Six are known to hang out, I don't even bother knocking. I push the door open and step inside, carrying Taiga's barely-conscious body over my shoulder.
The moment I enter, a heavy atmosphere fills the room. A presence so intense that it sends shivers down my spine. And then, I hear it—
"You must have a death wish, huh?"
The voice is deep and laced with irritation. I don't even need to turn around to know who it belongs to.
Shiro.
I glance at him briefly before dropping Taiga onto a nearby couch. "Relax. I'm not here to start anything," I say nonchalantly. "I just found your guy bleeding out on the side of the road. Figured you'd want him back."
________________________________________
Shiro's pov
"Shiro! Yagami is here."
I glanced up as one of my men burst through the door. Jin Yagami? What the hell does he want with us? Is he looking to die this fast?
"Let him in," I said, lighting a cigarette. I took a drag as I watched him step inside, carrying someone—wait. My eyes narrowed. Was that Bryle? What the hell happened to him? Did Yagami do this? No—he's reckless, but he's not that stupid. If he had taken out one of my captains, he wouldn't be dumb enough to bring him here like a trophy.
Jin walked in without knocking, no hesitation, no fear. This kid really had some nerve. "You must have a death wish, huh?" I muttered, watching him closely.
He ignored my comment. "I just found your guy bleeding out on the side of the road. Figured you'd want him back," he said, his tone indifferent as he laid Bryle down on the sofa.
I walked over, crouching beside Bryle. His face was swollen, cuts littering his skin, and blood stained his clothes. He got beat up badly.
My gaze flickered back to Jin, sharp and demanding. "Are you the one who did this?" My voice was low, dangerous. If he gave the wrong answer, he wouldn't be leaving here alive.
Jin met my gaze without flinching. "What if it was me?" he countered.
I shot up from my seat, closing the distance between us in an instant, grabbing him by the collar. "Then you won't be able to see what's outside anymore," I growled, my grip tightening.
To my surprise, he didn't hesitate to grab my collar in return, locking eyes with me in a silent standoff. There was a time when he wouldn't have dared. He was getting stronger.
He was the first to let go. "Yeah, too bad it wasn't me," he muttered, forcefully removing my hands from him. There was no fear in his expression, only defiance. This was getting interesting.
As he turned to leave, he casually threw a parting comment over his shoulder. "Before he lost consciousness, he was mumbling about Dark Knights or something. Anyway, it's your problem, not mine."
Then he was gone, as if nothing had happened.
Dark Knights, huh? My fingers tightened into fists. So that's what actually happened. This isn't good. If they've made a move against us, then it's time for me to make one too.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and quickly dialed a number. It rang only once before Hero So answered.
["Shiro, have you heard? Bryle got attacked,"] he said the moment he picked up.
"I know," I replied. "Yagami brought him here."
There was a pause. ["You mean Jin Yagami?!"] he asked, shock evident in his voice. ["He's the one who found Bryle?"]
"Yes."
["So what should we do now?"]
I exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl in the air. This was the perfect time to strike. We had to move before things escalated beyond our control.
"Execute Plan Raptum."
Hero was silent for a moment before he spoke again. ["You mean—no, I get it now. Copy that, Shiro."]
The line went dead.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket, my gaze drifting to the unconscious Bryle. Things were about to change. I'd do what needed to be done. I'd fulfill his wish.
He would return soon, anyway.
And when he did, a new beginning would start.
_________________________________________
Jin's pov
After dropping Taiga off at Phantom Six's hideout, I headed straight to our rooftop base. I must admit, their place is way better than ours.
We still had two hours before classes started, so I decided to stay here for a while. When I arrived at the hideout, only Kev, Ryu, and Jerzey were present.
"It's rare for you to come this late, Jin. Did something happen?" Jerzey asked as I sat down on the couch across from Kev and Ryu.
"Yeah, something like that. I ran into Bryle earlier. He was injured and collapsed halfway through. I think he got beaten up by the members of Dark Knights. So, I decided to bring him to their hideout," I answered, my voice laced with annoyance.
"Wait, did you just say Dark Knights? That makes sense." We all turned toward the doorway, where Atsushi had just arrived, leaning casually against the doorframe.
"What do you mean by that, Atsushi?" Ryu asked, his brows furrowing in concern.
"I saw a few beaten-up members of Dark Knights, including their captain, Dwayne West. I guess they crossed paths," he replied before sitting beside me and pulling out some food from his bag.
"I see. That explains it." I grabbed a rice ball from the food he took out. "But Dark Knights isn't the type to attack without a reason, right? Maybe Bryle Taiga provoked them." That thought had been nagging at me since earlier. Maybe Bryle did something reckless, which led to this.
"I don't think that's it." Kev's voice cut through our conversation, and we all turned to him. His expression was serious, like he was piecing together a puzzle.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Dark Knights and Phantom Six have their own dispute, right? It's got nothing to do with us."
"No, I have this weird feeling that something bigger is happening. We have to be cautious." His tone carried a weight that unsettled me. Kev had never been the type to get nervous, but this was the first time I'd seen him this tense.
"If you say so," I muttered, pushing away my unease.
Silence settled over us as we ate until the door suddenly burst open. We all turned to see Kise and the Maki twins, Jake and Jerome, rushing in, out of breath and looking frantic.
"Bad news, Jin!" Kise blurted out as they reached us. They were panting heavily—looks like they had run all the way here. "It's Blake! He was attacked!"
We all shot to our feet.
What the fuck is happening?! First, Bryle, and now Blake?! Who the hell is targeting us? Is this their payback?!
I turned to Kev, whose face had gone blank. Was this what he was warning us about? Did another clan make their move? I needed answers—and fast.
"Take us to him," I ordered, grabbing my things, as did the others.
We followed Kise and the twins to where Blake was. My fists clenched as my mind raced with possibilities. Who the hell did this? Whoever it was, I'd make sure they paid.
When we arrived, we found Blake slumped against the wall, sitting on the floor, looking pale and weak.
"Who did this to you, Blake?! Answer me!" My blood boiled at the sight of him in such a state. I wanted to rip apart whoever dared lay a hand on him.
Blake struggled to speak, his voice barely above a whisper. "Help... A-Akami... Akami A-Army... Yuri..."
So, it's them, huh? Ken actually predicted something like this might happen, but I didn't expect it so soon. I will crush them—including Akami Holmes.
"Ryu, gather everyone at the hideout," I commanded. Ryu nodded and immediately ran off to follow my orders. "We will avenge you, brother." I turned to leave, but despite his weak state, Blake grabbed the hem of my shirt, his grip trembling.
"Don't... G-go... S-stop..."
"Worry not, Blake. We will defeat the Akami Army for sure." I gently pried his fingers off me and quickly followed the others back to our hideout.
When we arrived, nearly all the members of Crows Zero were present—including the captains, core members, and our co-leader, Briana.
"Who's missing?" I asked Ken.
"Aside from Blake, who's still recovering, Kailey and Claine are not here yet," he replied.
That's fine. At least Kailey is safer if she's not involved.
"How many people do we have?"
"Currently, forty-seven. That includes our core members and other captains."
"And how many does the Akami Army have?"
"Sixty-three, including their captains and Akami himself."
We're outnumbered. But only five of them are actually strong enough to give us trouble. We can take them.
"Are you sure we're doing this?" Ken asked.
I met his gaze, letting him see my resolve.
We're ending this tonight. And I'll make sure Akami Holmes answers all of my questions.
And now, here we are—face to face with the rank-two clan of Sensō High. Akami Holmes stood in the middle, his co-leader, Satoshi, on one side, and their captains surrounding him. One person is missing—Kiro Yuri. So, the coward didn't show up, huh? Pathetic.
Akami smirked. "Who said you could step into our territory uninvited, huh?"
I smirked back. "You know why we're here, Holmes. Are you ready to die?"
"It's your funeral." He cracked his fingers and neck, his smirk widening.
"This so-called territory of yours will be your very own grave." There was no turning back now. "Time to settle this once and for all, Akami."
I rushed toward him, leading the charge for Crows Zero.
Akami laughed. "Then you will die here, Yagami. It's time to finish you off for good."
And so, this was the beginning of a battle no one expected.