Briana's pov
"Cover the others, Faith! I can handle this group!" I shouted over the chaos, my fists colliding with another enemy's face. Blood trickled from the corner of my lips, but I wiped it away with the back of my hand, scanning the battlefield. The enemies kept coming, wave after wave, as if their numbers were endless.
"Sis Briana, our situation is looking pretty bad. Their numbers are overwhelming us!" Claine called out, standing at my back, fending off attackers with swift, precise strikes. My heart clenched at the sight of our forces struggling—Chord Ruiz was already down, taken out by Ivan Yuroiji. Too many of our members were collapsing, but I couldn't afford to let fear creep in.
"Don't worry, we can do this!" I reassured her, my voice firm despite the exhaustion weighing down on my body. The bruises, the cuts—they didn't matter. I grabbed one of the enemies in front of me and hurled him into his comrades, forcing a brief gap in the onslaught. "We need to regroup with the others first!" I said, quickly assessing the battlefield.
Jerzey, Atsushi, and Kise were in the thick of battle alongside the Dark Knights' captains, all of them struggling against the overwhelming numbers. If we didn't do something soon, we'd be completely overrun. I grabbed Claine's wrist and dashed towards them, dodging incoming attacks, determined to reinforce our team.
"How are you guys holding up?" Claine asked as we reached them. Their condition was rough—Jacob Sy, in particular, looked like he could collapse any second. My heart ached at the sight, knowing that if Blake and Dwayne West were here, we might have stood a better chance. But they were missing Bryle Taiga and Kiro Yuri on their side as well.
"This isn't good," Faith muttered, his voice laced with concern. "We need to pull back, even if just for a moment."
We heeded his words, retreating slightly to catch our breath. The battlefield quieted, if only for a second. Our forces were dwindling, but so were theirs. Both sides had suffered.
"This fight won't end if none of us make a move!" Ivan Yuroiji's voice rang out from the enemy's side. Despite the blood trickling down his forehead and the bruises littering his body, his stance remained strong, his eyes locked onto mine. I could tell—he was still eager to fight. This battle was going to be harder than I had expected.
I clenched my fists. There was no other choice.
"Let's settle this with a one-on-one match, Yuroiji. You against me." I stepped forward, meeting his gaze with unshaken resolve.
A slow smirk stretched across his lips as he started walking towards me, his sharp eyes burning with amusement. "You sure about that, Briana? I'll make you regret your own decision."
Before I could respond, he lunged. His fist slammed against my face, a sharp burst of pain exploding through my skull. I staggered but recovered quickly, retaliating with a fierce kick to his stomach. He grunted but barely faltered.
Seeing an opening, I threw a straight punch, aiming for his jaw—but he was faster. He dodged, catching my wrist in a firm grip before twisting it and yanking me forward. The next thing I knew, I was airborne, my back slamming against the cold, hard ground. A sharp sting shot through my spine. Damn it, that hurt.
Ivan didn't hesitate—he raised his foot, preparing to stomp down on my stomach. I rolled out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the crushing force. Scrambling to my feet, I sucked in a deep breath, shaking off the pain. I couldn't let this drag on. Jin, Akira, Ken... they were still fighting their own battles. I had to end this quickly and make sure they were safe.
I charged at Ivan, throwing another powerful punch, but again, he was too quick. He sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing me by the waist and locking both my arms behind my back. I struggled, trying to break free, but his grip was unyielding.
Then, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Let's stop for now, Naomi. We've got company."
His tone sent a chill down my spine. He wasn't gloating. He wasn't taunting. There was something else in his voice—something that made my stomach drop.
I stopped struggling and followed his gaze. My breath caught in my throat.
A new presence loomed in the distance. Strong. Unfamiliar. And undoubtedly dangerous.
Ivan released me, stepping to my side as we both braced ourselves.
This... this was the worst possible scenario.
________________________________________
Akami's pov
The bastard in front of me cracks his knuckles, a smirk playing on his lips. "Shall we finish this?"
I return his smirk, my own fists tightening. "Do you really have a death wish, Jung?"
He lets out a dry chuckle. "Nah. But you know damn well I can beat the crap out of you, Holmes."
Cocky bastard. I let out an amused scoff. "You talk too much, man. Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than me. But don't worry—I'll make sure you're remembered. After all, legends die too, and tonight, you'll be one of them."
Trash talk. This could go on forever. We both know this isn't just about who's stronger. It's about something bigger.
"Enough talk—answer to my fists then!" Damian lunges at me, throwing three consecutive punches. Fast. Strong. But not fast enough. I dodge each one effortlessly, weaving through his attacks like water slipping through fingers.
"That's weak, man! Try this!" I taunt before throwing a powerful right hook, aiming straight for his jaw. He manages to block it at the last second, absorbing the impact with his forearm.
This guy... he's strong.
I exhale sharply. "You know what? This isn't gonna work."
Damian takes a step back, his expression shifting. "Yeah... for once, you might be right."
We both pause, catching our breath. Then, without another word, we sit down on the stairs, our backs resting against the cold concrete walls. The tension is still there, thick in the air, but for a moment, we allow ourselves to just breathe.
"You already know what's happening, don't you?" I finally ask, my voice quieter now.
Damian lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Idiot. I knew from the start."
I nod. "Yeah. Figured as much."
Silence settles between us for a moment. Then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes from the hallway, snapping both of us back to reality. I push myself up just as Damian does the same.
"They're here." My tone turns serious again.
Damian cracks his neck and rolls his shoulders. "Let's finish our fight later. Right now, we deal with them."
I smirk, holding out my fist. "Yeah, let's end this real quick. But don't get your ass beat, Jung. I don't want to be the one dragging your sorry ass out of this building."
He grins, bumping his fist against mine. "Same goes for you, dumbass."
_________________________________________
Akira's
"Why did you leave without saying a word, huh?!"
Jermaine never holds back! He's been throwing punches at me like a madman, and damn, it hurts like hell!
"Hey, calm your shit, man! How am I supposed to talk when you're trying to kill me?!"
Finally, he stops. Thank god. I take a moment to catch my breath, rubbing my jaw where one of his punches actually landed.
"So why did you leave?" he asks again, his voice more serious this time, eyes locked onto mine as if he's trying to read my soul.
"Because I had to."
I know that answer won't satisfy him. Jermaine's the type to keep pushing until he gets the whole truth. And from the way he just stares at me, arms crossed, waiting—I know I have no choice but to spill everything.
So I tell him. About my disappearance. About Shiro Ryota. About Jin. About what's coming next.
Jermaine listens, his usual cocky smirk gone. When I finish, he exhales sharply, then—out of nowhere—starts laughing.
"So that's how it is, huh?" He chuckles, shaking his head. "Man, and here I thought you just went off to do some dumb solo hero shit. So that's why you asked me to let Shiro Ryota take the top spot? And why you wanted me to watch over Jin Yagami at school? You should've just told me, man! I actually had a feeling something was up—I even talked to Ryota about it—but I wanted to hear it from you."
I sigh. "I thought you wouldn't agree. That you'd act rashly and try to handle things your own way. I didn't want that. I'm sorry."
Jermaine leans against the wall beside me, folding his arms behind his head. "Man, give me some credit. Have I ever doubted you before?"
I lower my gaze, feeling a little guilty, and shake my head slowly.
"See? You're still the one I trust the most, Akira. You're my brother—even if we ain't blood."
I glance at him, the corner of my lips lifting into a genuine smile. "Thanks, Jermaine."
"No problem, elder brother."
For a while, we just stand there, the silence between us comfortable, unspoken words lingering in the air. That is until we hear footsteps echoing from both ends of the hallway.
Jermaine straightens, cracking his knuckles. "That them?"
I nod. "Yeah, I think so."
He grins. "Good. Let's get this over with. You and I still got a lot to talk about after this."
________________________________________
Ken's pov
"Let's finish this quickly, Ken. Jin still needs our help."
Ryu was ready to charge at Satoshi and Hero, but I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him mid-action. I could see the confusion in his eyes, but I held my ground.
"Take your hands off me, Ken. I'm trying to end this as fast as possible," he said, his voice edged with irritation.
I shook my head. "No."
He forcefully shrugged my hand off, but I grabbed his sleeve again, keeping him in place.
"Ken, if you don't stop this bullshit, I'll take you out too," he warned, his expression blank but firm.
I met his stare with unwavering determination. "Listen to me, Ryu. They're not the enemy."
His brows furrowed, doubt clouding his face. I could tell he didn't believe me.
"I know it sounds absurd, but it's the truth. Trust me. The real enemy is them." I turned my gaze toward the approaching group, their presence growing heavier with each step.
"Figures." Kev's voice cut through the tension like a blade. He sounded unsurprised, almost as if he'd expected this all along. "There's no way Akira would show up just because of an internal fight. He's not that kind of person. This must be the reason he decided to reveal himself now."
He turned to Satoshi and Hero, his gaze sharp. "What are you two waiting for? Are you going to help or just stand there?"
A smirk curled at the edges of Satoshi's lips. "Don't slow us down, birdies." He stepped forward, Hero moving in sync with him.
Ryu exhaled, shaking his head. "I still have no idea what's going on, but I guess I really have to fight this time."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself as I faced the enemies before us. My fists clenched, my body tensed. "No holding back. Let's take these bastards down."
"Let's go!" Satoshi roared as we all launched ourselves toward the enemy, no hesitation, no turning back.
The real fight had just begun.
This—this was the reason I trained them so hard. And now, it was time to prove that I was more than just a leader. It was time to show them that I was a fighter, too.
_________________________________________
Jake's pov
"Bro, are you sure about this? Won't we just get in the way if we go inside?" Jerome asks, standing beside me at the back of the building.
I hesitate for a moment, but this feeling in my gut just won't go away. Something is telling me that we have to go in, that Jin needs us.
"Look, bro, I have a really bad feeling about this. It's like something is telling me we need to help Jin." I glance at the building, my fists clenching involuntarily. The fight in front of the building gave us the perfect chance to slip away unnoticed, and now we're here, trying to figure out our next move.
Jerome sighs, shaking his head. "You always have bad feelings, bro. Nothing new there. But... I think I'll believe you this time."
Just as we're about to step through the door, I hear footsteps behind us. Fast. Urgent.
"Bro, someone's coming," I say, and we both turn around at the same time. My eyes widen when I see them—at least twenty people blocking our way.
"Who the hell are these guys?" Jerome asks, keeping his voice low but tense. He's watching them just as carefully as I am.
I swallow hard. "I have no idea, but one thing's for sure—they're not on our side."
"Yeah, because they're the real enemies."
Jerome and I snap our heads toward the voice, just in time to see Blake Ryoma, Kiro Yuri, Dwayne West, and Bryle Taiga step out of the shadows. Along with them are several members of the Dark Knights.
"Blake, what do you mean?" I ask, my stance shifting, preparing for whatever comes next.
Blake steps forward, his expression unreadable. "I mean exactly what I said. They are the real enemy. Nothing more, nothing less."
A tense silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating. My mind races. If Blake and the others are here, that means whatever's happening inside is even worse than I thought.
Jerome clicks his tongue. "Tsk. So, what now? We fight our way through or what?"
Dwayne smirks. "That depends. Are you guys ready for this?"
My hands clench into fists. Ready or not, we don't have a choice.
"We don't have time for doubts," I say, looking at Jerome. "Let's go."
With that, we brace ourselves for the battle ahead.
________________________________________
Blake's pov
I had just woken up when I overheard the plan—Jin and the Dark Knights were preparing to attack Shiro and Akami. I spent the night in the school infirmary, recovering from the injuries I sustained in our previous fight alongside Kiro Yuri.
As soon as I felt my strength return, I got to my feet. I had to warn them. Shiro and Akami weren't the real enemies.
My eyes quickly searched the infirmary. Kiro Yuri was there, along with Bryle Taiga, Dwayne West, and several members of the Dark Knights who had helped us yesterday. I never expected them to step in, but I was grateful they did.
*Flashback*
It was our first day back after a two-week break. I felt stronger, but when I compared myself to Jin, the difference was staggering. He had improved so much, the gap between us had only grown wider. He truly was our best fighter.
As I walked toward the school, I took a shortcut through an alley. The moment I stepped inside, I realized I had made a mistake. I was surrounded by a group of men dressed in white uniforms.
A bad feeling crept up my spine. The alley was too narrow to escape, and even if I tried, I knew they would catch me. I had been saving my strength for our battle against the Phantom Six, but it looked like I had no choice but to use it now. I was alone, and they outnumbered me by more than ten to one.
I didn't waste time asking questions. Instead, I launched myself at them without hesitation.
I managed to take down four of them, but the rest were relentless. My body was growing weaker. If only I had backup—just one or two allies would have made a difference. I forced myself to keep fighting, but my limbs felt heavy. Before I knew it, I was on my knees, breathless and beaten. One of them raised his fist to knock me unconscious.
Then, out of nowhere, a figure jumped over the fence and kicked my attacker away.
"Can you stand?" a voice asked.
I looked up and saw Kiro Yuri standing before me.
"Yeah," I muttered, grabbing his outstretched hand and pulling myself up.
There were still eight enemies left. Worse, I had already taken a beating.
"This will be a tough fight, Ryoma. Are you still up for it?" Kiro asked.
I nodded without hesitation.
Kiro charged at four of them while I took on the ones at the back. Just as we were about to engage, more reinforcements arrived—but they weren't enemies.
Dwayne West appeared with several members of the Dark Knights, and on the other side, Bryle Taiga emerged from the shadows.
Now, we outnumbered our opponents. One by one, we took them down. The only one who had sustained serious injuries was me, having been ambushed earlier.
"Looks like that's the last of them. Let's go," Dwayne said.
But I didn't move.
"What are you waiting for, Ryoma? Let's go," Dwayne repeated.
I clenched my fists. "Why did you help me?" I asked, looking straight at Kiro and Bryle. "I appreciate it, but why? We're enemies, remember?"
Kiro and Bryle exchanged glances, then smirked. Before they could answer, Dwayne spoke up.
"Because they're not our real enemy."
I turned to him in surprise.
"That's right, Blake. We never saw you guys as our enemies. We're allies. I'll explain everything while we walk," Kiro said.
I wasn't sure if I could trust his words, but there was no harm in listening.
Just as I was about to follow them, I noticed more men in white uniforms approaching from behind.
"Damn it," I cursed before sprinting toward them. I shoved my allies aside and landed a solid punch on the man swinging a baseball bat at Dwayne.
"We're outnumbered," Bryle muttered. More than thirty enemies surrounded us.
"Bryle, you're the fastest among us. If you see an opening, run and get help," Dwayne whispered.
Before we could say anything more, the enemies attacked.
The battle dragged on, and we were losing ground. One by one, our allies from the Dark Knights fell. Soon, only four of us remained, facing fifteen opponents.
I wiped the blood from my lips and whispered to Bryle, "I'll clear a path for you. Don't waste it."
Without waiting for a response, I lunged forward, taking down the enemies in front of me. Bryle sprinted behind me, while Kiro and Dwayne covered our escape. When we reached the alley's exit, we turned around and blocked the path to ensure no one could follow him.
"This won't be the last time we fight together, but I'm grateful for today," Kiro said, patting our shoulders.
"We'll fall here, but we'll fall fighting," Dwayne added.
We charged at the remaining enemies.
I threw a punch at the closest opponent and followed up with a kick to his side. I grabbed another by the collar and delivered three rapid punches to his face. Before I could continue, I felt a sharp pain in my ribs as someone struck me. A kick to my face sent me crashing to the ground.
I looked over and saw Kiro fall as well, overwhelmed by three opponents.
Just as my vision blurred, reinforcements from the Phantom Six arrived. I didn't see Bryle among them—he was probably resting by now.
They took me to a room where I ran into Kise.
"Blake! What happened to you?!" he shouted. I tried to speak, but no words came out.
"Stay here! I'm calling Jin!" he said before rushing off.
Moments later, Jin arrived with the rest of the Crows.
"Who did this to you, Blake? Answer me!" Jin demanded.
I had to tell him. I had to warn him.
"They helped me... Akami Army... Akami Army is not the enemy... Kiro Yuri helped me..."
I could tell Jin didn't hear everything I said. This was bad. I needed to clarify.
"Ryu, gather everyone in the hideout," Jin ordered.
"We will avenge you, brother."
He was about to leave. I had to stop him. I grabbed his shirt weakly.
"Don't go, Jin. S-Stop, they're not our enemy..."
But just like before, he didn't hear everything.
I was exhausted. My body refused to move. Darkness swallowed my vision.
*End of Flashback.*
That was the last thing I remembered before passing out. When I woke up, I was back in the infirmary with the others.
I immediately woke Kiro and the rest. We had to stop the fight. As soon as they were awake, I told them everything I had overheard. Without wasting time, we left the school and rushed to stop the four factions from making a terrible mistake.
By the time we arrived at the building's entrance, it was too late. The battle had ended.
And the real enemy was already there.
Jin and Shiro were nowhere in sight.
We decided to sneak in from the back, climbing over the fence. As soon as we landed, we spotted the twins—Jake and Jerome. But they weren't alone.
More enemies were waiting for them.
This isn't good. We have to take them out first.
I just hope we're not too late to reach Jin.