Dante ran without looking back. (gasping) He pulled out his phone and dialed Rita's number, but she didn't pick up. His mind filled with chaotic thoughts. Had something happened to her? Or was she already caught up in another mess?
Whatever the case, one thing was clear in Dante's mind: the one to blame was Rita. Of course. For stealing money from a dangerous gang.
The gang that had attacked him called themselves the Blues, but in reality they were a cheap copy — a second-rate crew using the name of the real thing to spread fear in the alleys. The genuine Blue gang was a much larger, more structured organization, made up of 304 members divided under the command of three captains (each in charge of one hundred men) and a leader who controlled the remaining three hundred and three, not counting himself.
On the other hand, the Greens, the district's original and oldest gang, had changed course after losing 25 of their own in the massacre. In subsequent meetings they were colder, more calculating… and thirsty for revenge.
Meanwhile, Black, aware of the imminent danger and the weight his name carried in the streets, decided to disappear for a while. (lighting a cigarette) He would go unnoticed, watching from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to reemerge.
Months later, he did. But this time with a new symbol, a new color… a new gang wearing black bandanas.
A group that, although born strong, was destined to perish.
Dante had had two brothers, and both had died the same way: a stray bullet. The difference lay in the circumstances. Ryu died defending Dante, while Tokito died after getting mixed up with the Reds, a gang of 400 members. At that time, the Greens numbered 350. Tokito was a captain in that gang; without a clear purpose, he was killed over some stupidity.
The streets, the people… everyone tried to live in peace, but gangs kept rising and spreading chaos everywhere.
The second-rate gang that pretended to be the Blues now ran into trouble. During a Greens meeting, Ryu's death was announced as the work of the Blues, though the Blues denied it.
One week later, the second-rate gang was annihilated completely, leaving only three men: the three captains of the true Blue gang — ruthless, trained in military combat and experts in the use of bladed and firearms, with strategies planned down to the smallest detail.
Dante now had only one goal in life: to found a gang and accumulate enough power not just to seize Tokyo, but all of Japan and, little by little, to expand across the world. (staring into the void) He believed that with money even the wealthiest would yield and behave like a puppy; that's how Dante thought, and in large part he was right. He didn't believe in love either — those stories that appear in typical anime — for him, being alone and feeling apart was the best option.
When he got home, Dante grabbed the clippers and shaved his head. (running the clippers with determination) Later he went to get tattoos. (entering the shop) The tattoo artist refused to ink a minor, but Dante insisted until the man gave in. (spending the little money he had left) With what little remained, he set out to find members to fulfill his dream: to be the king of all Japan, surrounded by companions as terrible as the true gangs.
Dante: So? Explain what the hell is going on, Rita! My brother is dead!
Rita: (at a loss for words) I... I'm so sorry... it was all my fault.
Dante: Your regret won't fix anything. (raises his gaze) I've decided to leave home so my parents won't be harmed again. My two brothers are underground. You better come to the funeral, understood? (stares at her) Rumor has it Black will form a gang with black bandanas; it's our chance to take the only color left.
Rita: I understand. I'll go to the funeral. (breathes in) Calm down, I heard the rumor too: after your brother's death, for some reason a week later the fake Blue gang was wiped out.
Dante: I've been looking for you for two weeks, do you understand?
Rita: I understand, damn it!
Dante: If I don't see you at the funeral tomorrow, you'll pay for it, Rita. (threatening, in a cold voice)
Rita: Fine... (nodding, voice trembling)
In the morning nobody showed up to the funeral: only Dante and Rita. (heavy silence) Not even their own parents. Life for Dante was shit, in short, but he kept moving forward under the weight he carried. It was too much for a fifteen-year-old, and yet, little by little, he began to see things with a cold clarity, as if he had years of street experience.
Dante sought out street fights and underground tournaments; there, among punches and bets, he started recruiting people with the money he stole. In the end he managed to gather twenty members. (he studies them one by one) They all covered their faces with black bandanas, but there was still a problem: Black also wore black bandanas. It had to be dealt with the hard way.
Ryu's vengeance burned in Dante. (clenching his fists) He began to look for high-quality bladed weapons; after some time, he found them. The twenty recruits made a decision: to stay in the gang without pay. Pure loyalty. Something Dante had never truly experienced—until that moment.