Kazuki left the streets always watching his back. His eyes were sharp, scanning corners, every sound making him twitch. The city had become a cage, and everyone wanted his head.
He moved out of the main streets into a quieter town. It wasn't too developed, but it held pieces of his past, from the way his eyes lingered on broken lanterns and old shops, you could tell he once called this place home.
He waved at some people who still remembered him. Their faces shifted in shock at his presence. Some even froze, not knowing if they should greet him. Kazuki didn't stop long. His steps were heavy, he hadn't rested since the fight with Makoto's men.
At last, he reached it.
A beautiful wooden gate stood before him, designed like the entrance to a palace. The sight alone made his chest tighten.
The dojo.
Kazuki stepped inside, and memories hit him like thunder. His smile when he was a child, the laughter of his friends, sparring under the sunlight, eating together after training. Even though the world outside had been cruel and empty, here they had each other, here he had family.
This was where Naoyuki, the old master, had taken him in after his parents died. He had raised Kazuki, Hikari, Makoto, and others as his own. But Naoyuki was gone now. Two years in the ground.
Kazuki walked into the training room. The wooden floor creaked under his boots. He knelt, placing his hands on his lap, and bowed his head before the picture of Naoyuki that still hung on the wall.
"Sensei…" his voice was low, almost breaking. "I'm home."
Exhaustion finally overtook him, his body swayed forward.
Thud!
He collapsed and drifted into sleep.
…
"…Hm. Is he alive? He looks dead to me," a young voice whispered.
"Well, let's just end him to check," another replied. "I heard there's a bounty on him. We can say we killed him and take the money."
"Yeah… that's a good idea."
SWOOSH!
A blade shot toward Kazuki's face
His hand snapped up and blocked it. Instinct.
The attacker flipped back in shock. Another figure jumped away, both of them landing gracefully and taking stances.
Kazuki rose slowly. His movements were stiff, zombie like, his eyes half closed. But there was something worse—something pressing.
His aura.
It spilled out of him like a storm, heavy and suffocating. The air grew thick, choking the two young men.
The Yasuo brothers.
Yusuke, the elder. Calm, precise, methodical. Assassin No. 28.
Yukio, the younger. Reckless, fast, desperate to overwhelm. Assassin No. 29.
They both knew him well, he wasn't just a target. He was once their leader the strongest in the dojo, their big brother.
"Damn," Yusuke muttered under his breath, sweat trickling down his temple. "I forgot… he's not easy to kill."
Yukio's voice cracked. "He looks like a demon…"
Kazuki's head tilted up, his eyes sharp now, glowing with something dark.
"You two… what did I tell you," his voice was like gravel, low and threatening, "about waking a tired man from his sleep?"
The brothers froze. Their throats tightened.
"…Yukio," Yusuke whispered, "do we… still have ramen?"
Yukio blinked. "N-No… brother." His voice trembled.
Yusuke's shoulders slumped, fear spreading across his face. "Does this mean… we're going to die today?"
Before he could finish—
FWOOOSH!
Kazuki's hand clamped around his face and slammed him into the wooden floor.
BOOOM!
The ground shook, splinters flying. Dust rose into the air.
"Brother!!" Yukio screamed. His body trembled, but before he could react, Kazuki was already there.
He planted his left leg, twisted, and unleashed a crushing kick with his right. It struck Yukio's arm as he tried to block, but the force was overwhelming.
CRACK!
The blow launched him across the room. His body hit the wall hard and slumped down. His wrist dangled weakly damaged, nearly broken. He gasped, air escaping him like he had been hit by a truck.
That wasn't a kick. That was a death sentence.
…
Yusuke groaned and pushed himself up, coughing. "Yukio!"
His younger brother let out a weak chuckle. "Heh… lucky… I'm still alive…"
The two stood, battered but not broken. They exchanged a look, nodding at the same time.
They took their stances.
"Together," Yusuke said.
"Yeah," Yukio smirked through the pain.
FWOOOSH!
They charged.
Yukio came in first, as always, fast and reckless. His fists flew in flurries, striking from every angle—left jab, right hook, low kick, rising knee. Kazuki blocked calmly, each movement fluid, his body moving like water.
Still, Yukio forced him back a step. That was all Yusuke needed.
The elder brother lunged, his strike aimed perfectly for Kazuki's blind spot.
But Kazuki was faster.
He deflected Yukio's final punch, slammed his palm into his chest, and sent him flying across the dojo once more. At the same time, he twisted, catching Yusuke's wrist mid strike.
Yusuke's eyes widened. "Tch—!"
Kazuki yanked him forward with brutal strength, spinning him like a ragdoll. His elbow crashed into Yusuke's back, then his knee drove up into his stomach.
GUHHH!
Spit flew from Yusuke's mouth. His body curled over Kazuki's knee before he was hurled sideways into the dojo wall.
The wood cracked under the impact. Dust rained down from the ceiling.
Yusuke groaned, sliding down the wall, clutching his ribs.
The dojo was silent for a moment. Only the sound of birds chirping from outside and Kazuki's slow breathing filled the air.
He stood in the center of the room, aura still radiating like a storm, his shadow stretching across the broken floor. His expression was blank, but his eyes burned.
The Yasuo brothers were down but not defeated. They staggered back to their feet, battered, trembling, yet refusing to quit.
Kazuki raised his head slowly.
"…Come."
The words dropped like thunder.
The dojo floor creaked under the brothers' steps as they prepared for another clash.
The storm of violence was just beginning
.
To be continued…
~about the ramen part. whenever kazuki is in that state either he smells cooked ramen or collapse from exhaustion~