Hinata said nothing. The silence weighed heavy, as if the entire world was holding its breath. But beneath this apparent stillness, something was boiling. Jack had crossed a line that Hinata could not tolerate. Her gaze emptied of all human emotion; there was only void left, an icy coldness that desired only one thing... to see Jack broken.
She took a step toward him. And everything stopped. The rain was still falling, but the tumult of the crowd, the laughter and insults, seemed to fade into an oppressive silence.
Then, slowly, fear spread. Those who had mocked Hinata's brother, who had encouraged Jack, collapsed, unconscious and bleeding. Sharp blows echoed in the alley, cracking like thunderclaps. Hinata was striking Jack on the ground with a precision and brutality that chilled the blood, each impact hammering his already swollen face. Blood splattered on her, but her gaze remained cold, empty, merciless. This was not ordinary hatred... it was the weight of protection, love, and loyalty toward those she cared for.
— We have to stop her...!
— Jack... he... he's not moving anymore!!
— You think he's dead?
— Stop her, damn it!
— Oh no, I'm not getting close... did you see what she did!
The horrified crowd no longer knew where to turn. Some backed away, others tried to flee, paralyzed by Hinata's violence and coldness. Even Mayohi, crouching further away, watched without recognizing her friend. This person, that look... this was no longer Hinata. It was something else. An unstoppable force, a demon shaped by rage and injustice.
Mayohi recalled what Hinata had told her a few days earlier:
"Melokosa... is all I have. He is my family. He is the one who has always taken care of me. He's not rich, but he fights day and night so that I lack for nothing."
Hinata's love for her brother was powerful beyond measure. And Jack... Jack had just touched what should never be touched. Mayohi felt her heart tighten seeing Hinata strike, hammer relentlessly. Each blow cracked the bones in Jack's face, a dry sound resonating in the damp air. But in Hinata's eyes, there was no pleasure in causing pain. No. There was only injustice, disgust, and the pain of seeing her loved ones humiliated.
Mayohi trembled silently. Her eyes were fixed on Hinata, and for the first time she understood the magnitude of what protective love meant. It was not a monstrosity emanating from Hinata, but the absolute refusal to allow humiliation and injustice to pass. She saw Hinata's anger materialize in every movement, every blow struck with relentless determination.
Blood and rain mixed on the ground, making the scene unreal, almost like a nightmare from which one cannot look away. Hinata struck Jack again and again, but her mind was elsewhere, focused on what mattered: Mayohi's dignity and safety, her brother Melokosa's protection, and keeping at bay those who dared threaten what she loved.
Mayohi felt her own tears mingle with the water and blood. What she saw was not ordinary hatred, not just an excess of violence... it was Hinata, carried by love, pain, and justice, revealed in all her brutal force.
Time seemed suspended, the rain beating down on their bodies and the ground. Hinata looked only at Jack, and in that gaze, there was no indulgence. No compromise. There was only a crossed limit, and the need to restore what must be.
Her body covered in blood and rain, Hinata continued to strike Jack, her fists pounding the ground and the boy's face with a chilling determination. But behind her, a cry pierced the tumult of the crowd and thunder:
— HINA! That's enough!!!
Mayohi. Despite her wounded body, despite the pain making her stagger with every step, she advanced toward Hinata, legs trembling, face strained by effort and anxiety. But Hinata did not listen. She continued, hypnotized by her rage.
Mayohi stumbled on a slippery stone, fell to her knees in the pouring rain, her face twisted in pain. She got up, gasping, clothes soaked and sticking to her skin, hands still bloodied from previous wounds.
She walked straight to Hinata without hesitation, and when she reached behind her, she suddenly crouched down, wrapping her arms around Hinata to hold her back.
— It's okay... Hina... stop... she whispered, her voice trembling but firm, enveloping Hinata like a barrier against her own fury.
The emptiness in Hinata's eyes, that icy absence reflecting only rage and thirst for destruction, began to dissipate. Her fists relaxed, and she stayed still for a moment, breath short, feeling Mayohi's weight against her back.
— I know... I understand you... but now it's over... Mayohi added, her voice soft but resolute.
Hinata clung to herself for a moment, letting her anger slowly die out, replaced by a mixture of shame and relief. Mayohi, still behind her, began to slowly lift her, sliding her hands under Hinata's arms to support her.
Standing face to face, Hinata felt her legs buckle under exhaustion and emotional tension. Mayohi smiled at her, eyes shining despite the rain and wounds.
— You've done enough, don't you think? she asked softly, but with firmness that commanded calm.
Hinata caught her breath. A deep sadness, almost physical, overwhelmed her. Her whole body trembled, and she threw herself into Mayohi's arms, tears streaming down her cheeks, mingled with water and blood.
— Hina... you have the right to cry... Mayohi whispered, holding her close, placing trembling but comforting hands on her shoulders. — Jack really went too far... it's unacceptable... no one has the right to do that to you... especially not in front of me.
Hinata sobbed, burying her face in Mayohi's neck, letting all her emotions escape: anger, fear, frustration, the pain of seeing those she loved threatened and humiliated.
Mayohi continued to support her, whispering comforting words between bursts of rain:
— I'm here, Hina... it's going to be okay now... you don't have to fight alone anymore... I'm here, we'll get through this together... do you understand?
Hinata nodded, unable to speak, simply letting herself be soothed by Mayohi's reassuring touch. The rain still fell, cold and driving, but in this embrace, they seemed to create their own bubble, a space where fear and outside violence had no power.
— We'll get through this... Mayohi whispered softly. — We'll get through it all, and you won't need to strike to protect anyone anymore... we'll do it together, okay?
Hinata felt her strength slowly return, the fire in her eyes softening, replaced by a mix of sadness and relief. She breathed deeply, detaching slightly from Mayohi, but without breaking contact.
— Thank you... she whispered, voice broken by sobs, gaze finally human but still full of feeling. — Thank you for being here... for not leaving me...
Mayohi smiled at her, gently wiping the blood and water from her face.
— Always, Hina... always... she replied, with the quiet conviction of someone ready to face all dangers to protect her friends and family.
Around them, the crowd remained silent, terrified, but the rain, blood, and chaos no longer held sway over them. For now, there was only Hinata and Mayohi, drenched, wounded, but united in an unbreakable bond of trust, fear, and sisterly love.