⸻
We knew they'd come back.
We just didn't think it'd be that fast.
So that night, we rigged up some traps around the apartment—ropes, broken glass, kitchen knives tied to string. It was stupid. But we were desperate.
But it made us feel like we had some control.
That illusion didn't last long.
BOOM!!
The front door splintered into pieces. The tall guy from earlier stepped in—scar down his face, fists clenched like concrete blocks. Behind him were the same three punks Kaito had dropped before… and this time, they weren't laughing.
The scarred guy looked around.
"Cute setup," he said, stepping over a fallen bottle trap. "You boys trying to Home Alone me?"
I say, "You really came back for a second beating?"
But something felt… wrong.
His right hand—it was glowing faintly. Like it was holding back a storm.
That's when I felt it.
A pressure in the air. Heavy. Tight. Like something was about to explode.
One of the goons rushed me.
I ducked low and cracked his jaw.
Another jumped at Kaito—he dodged, elbowed the guy in the gut, then slammed his fist into the side of his head.
They dropped fast.
That's when the big one smiled.
"Well damn," he said. "I'm impressed."
And then he moved.
⸻
It was like fighting a wrecking ball.
His punches shook the floorboards. Every step cracked tile. He didn't just swing—he broke the air around him.
Me and Kaito fought together. Like always.
We ducked. Countered. Swung. Slammed.
Nothing worked.
He took every hit like we were slapping a wall.
And then—CRACK.
One punch caught Kaito in the ribs and launched him across the room. His back hit the wall hard.
"KAITO!!"
He didn't get up.
Didn't move.
Didn't even blink.
⸻
I froze.
My chest clenched like it couldn't draw breath.
My mind… went quiet.
No fear. No panic.
Just stillness.
And then—
Something inside me broke.
⸻
I don't know what it was. But the moment it snapped, I felt everything change.
The room felt lighter.
My body felt heavier—but faster. Like my blood was on fire.
Even the scarred man flinched.
Still grinning. But nervous now.
I moved without thinking. Grabbed his face with both hands—and dragged it across the floor, smashing through shelves and cabinets.
He growled, kicked me off—
But I flipped midair and spun, landing a 720° kick straight into his ribs.
He staggered for the first time.
I slammed my fist into his jaw—then another into his gut—then flung him out through the busted doorway.
I followed him out.
"I'm done playing games," I said, standing over him. "I don't want to see your face again."
He wiped blood from his mouth—and laughed.
"You boys are pretty scrappy," he said. "I'll give you that."
Then he raised his hand—
And a glowing orb of raw energy started building in his palm.
The air got heavy. The light pulsed.
"This right here?" he said, smirking.
"This is DU.. You ain't real fighters till you learn how to use it."
Then he raised his hand—
And fired.
A glowing bolt of raw energy tore through the air toward me.
I didn't react fast enough.
But Kaito did.
⸻
"ENRO—GET DOWN!!"
Kaito's voice hit me like a shot. His body flew between me and the blast.
The energy slammed into his back and launched him forward—right into me.
We hit the ground hard.
"KAITO!!"
He wasn't moving. Again.
The scarred guy laughed.
"Didn't see that one coming, huh?"
⸻
I turned toward him, fists trembling.
"You—"
He didn't wait.
He kept firing—blast after blast. Glowing projectiles, sizzling with power.
I ducked behind a broken wall. Rolled across the floor. Dodged just barely—barely alive.
I didn't even know what he was firing.
What was that?
Then I felt something.
A hum. A rhythm.
Like something in my chest had started buzzing—matching his attacks. Matching his pressure.
It was inside me.
That same glow.
⸻
Then—I heard movement.
Kaito.
He was getting up.
Blood running down his chin, arms shaking, breath ragged… but alive.
He stepped behind the scarred guy, raised a trembling fist—
And slammed it into his back.
"I'm not letting you fight alone," he whispered.
The scarred man turned, surprised. "You little
—"
BOOM!
Uppercut to the chin.
Kaito grinned. "Missed me?"
And I used the opening.
I charged in, jumped off the stairs—and drove both feet into the guy's spine with everything I had.
⸻
Then it hit.
The air around him pulsed.
The world slowed.
We felt it.
A force.
A presence.
Like invisible pressure, rippling out from his body.
Heavy. Wild. Alive.
Kaito stepped back, eyes wide. "What is this…?"
I nodded slowly. "That's what he used… to fire those blasts."
We didn't know what it was called yet.
Didn't know what it meant.
But in that moment…
We realized something.
We had it too.
⸻