Bachi's arms were trembling. His breaths were short, his palms slick with sweat and Alan's blood. He had been performing CPR for what felt like hours. Each compression drained more energy from him. Alan's chest barely moved, but the occasional pulse gave him a glimmer of hope.
Kaguro acted quickly. With cloth torn from a nearby curtain, he covered Alan's wounds to slow the bleeding. The pressure wasn't perfect, but it was enough to stabilize him momentarily. Kaguro's mind raced — he had to stay sharp.
Meanwhile, Kashimo was starting to feel the side effects of whatever Michelle had forced him to ingest. His vision blurred, muscles weakened, and his balance faltered. A bitter taste lingered on his tongue, and his limbs grew heavier by the second.
He knew it was poison.
"Y-You witch…" Kashimo growled, attempting to rush Michelle, but his movements were sluggish. His strikes missed, and she effortlessly dodged and knocked him down. With a final push, Michelle slammed her elbow into Kashimo's back, and he collapsed, momentarily unconscious.
Kaguro's eyes narrowed. Alan was stabilizing, but now Michelle had shown her true form — a violent, twisted figure corrupted by hatred. Kaguro turned to her, speaking with calm rage.
Kaguro: "Just... why?"
Michelle (smirking): "Because I have a reason."
Kaguro: "A reason? What kind of mother needs a reason to nearly kill her child?!"
Michelle paused, then answered with unsettling clarity.
Michelle: "Do you know why I stabbed him 24 times?"
Kaguro: "To kill him. That's obvious."
Michelle: "No, dear. It's deeper than that. He scored 76% in his exams. So, I did the math: 100 minus 76 is 24. That's why I stabbed him 24 times. One for every missing percent."
Kaguro clenched his fists. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Michelle (continuing): "As for the beatings, I gave ten. I expected 86 from him. So ten beatings — four with a belt, two with my hands, three with slippers."
Kaguro: "That's only nine."
Michelle (smiling): "Ah yes, the last one… was hydrochloric acid. That's what burned him."
Kaguro (shocked): "You used acid? Where did you even get that?!"
Michelle: "He had an interest in the dark web. I used his browser to access it. Pure, water-free hydrochloric acid — not like the diluted trash on the surface web. It wasn't hard to find."
Kaguro was speechless for a second, then roared, "That's not discipline! That's attempted murder!"
Michelle (coldly): "I don't care. He's a disgrace. A blemish."
Kaguro (furious): "No! You're the disgrace! Kamiko — take her down!"
Kamiko didn't wait. He lunged at Michelle, trying to subdue her, but she had experience and size on her side. With a savage twist, she threw Kamiko to the floor, slamming him hard against the wooden boards.
Kaguro charged in. This wasn't about being the smartest anymore — this was survival.
The fight that followed was fierce. Michelle was physically dominant, her experience and rage making her strikes brutal and precise. Kaguro, though outmatched in strength, relied on agility, quick reflexes, and sheer determination. Each time she landed a blow, he came back harder.
They clashed for what seemed like forever. Michelle's knife sliced through the air, barely missing him. Kaguro dodged, rolled, kicked, and countered. She was wearing him down, but he refused to give up.
Then she pulled a second knife from her pocket — the final piece of her madness. She aimed to stab Kaguro directly in the chest.
But Kashimo intervened.
Staggering back to consciousness, blood still dripping from his mouth, he threw himself in front of Kaguro. The knife pierced his hand with a sickening crunch.
Kashimo (through gritted teeth): "Win, Kaguro... Win this. I might not be able to fight anymore... but I saved you. So do what I couldn't."
He collapsed once more, eyes fluttering shut.
Kaguro stood in shock, his resolve turning into cold steel. Fueled by Kashimo's sacrifice and Alan's suffering, he fought with renewed fury. He managed to disarm Michelle, wrestling the knife away with sheer willpower.
Meanwhile, Bachi was reaching his limit. His muscles gave way, and he gasped for air, barely holding himself up over Alan's body. Ten minutes of continuous CPR had worn him down to the bone. Kamiko stirred again and saw his moment.
With Kaguro and Michelle still locked in combat, Kamiko tackled Michelle from behind. This time, his grip held. He restrained her arm as Kaguro pressed down on her shoulder, pinning her to the ground.
Sirens blared in the distance.
The police and ambulance had finally arrived, though traffic had delayed them dangerously long. Two officers ran into the scene, guns drawn, followed by two paramedics with stretchers and medical kits.
Kamiko shouted, "Give me the sedative!"
One of the officers tossed him a syringe filled with a sleeping agent they had brought at Kamiko's request. Kamiko handed it to the medics, who immediately administered it to Michelle. Her wild screams faded as her body went limp, finally knocked unconscious.
The paramedics rushed to Alan and Kashimo, beginning emergency treatment. Bachi was helped to his feet and placed into a police vehicle along with Kaguro. Both boys were drenched in blood, dirt, and sweat — warriors who had just survived a war.
Alan, Kashimo, and Kamiko were placed into the ambulance and driven to the nearest hospital.
Kaguro looked out the window of the police car, his breath steadying, but his heart still racing.
The chaos had finally ended.
For now.
---
To be continued…