Flames continued to ravage the Fourth Division, devouring everything in their path. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning wood, smoke curling in black ribbons that choked the sky, and the faint, metallic stench of blood. Amidst the chaos, the real danger did not lie in the fire, nor in the crumbling walls and falling beams—but in those who moved within it with a predatory grace: the Lotus Petals.
At the eastern wing of the headquarters, Reiko and Tōkichirō faced Nakahara Sōbei. Even standing apart from the fire, his presence was enough to make Tōkichirō's chest tighten and his knees tremble. There was an almost tangible aura of menace that radiated from him, a darkness so complete that even Reiko felt unease clawing at her mind.
"Kekekeh," Sōbei said, a maniacal chuckle splitting his lips. "You're hurting my feelings, Tōki-Tōki. Seriously… how come you didn't tell them about us?" His smile was wide and unnatural, stretching across his face as though it were permanently etched there. His dark eyes glimmered like knives.
"Reiko… get away… run!" Tōkichirō's voice cracked as he spoke, trembling from head to toe. He barely managed to keep himself upright.
"Run?" Reiko said, her tone calm but firm. "I'm not running. Not from him."
Tōkichirō's gaze locked on Sōbei, fear pooling like cold water in his chest. "This isn't a joke… Sōbei is dangerous."
Reiko's lips curved into a confident smile, and she placed a reassuring hand on Tōkichirō's shoulder. "Right now, Sentarō and Tadatoshi are giving their all, fighting criminals and saving the Fourth Division… They believe in it. In what we stand for."
Tōkichirō's expression softened into subtle shock. Her words cut through the fear that had gripped him, a fragile spark of hope igniting.
"And if those two idiots are giving everything for the Fourth Division," Reiko continued, her voice gaining strength with every word, "then I have no choice but to do the same." She slammed her right fist into her left palm, the motion firm and determined. Her eyes shone with unyielding resolve.
Tōkichirō froze. Regret washed over him in a wave so sudden he had no words.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Tōki-Tōki," Reiko said, her gaze sharp as she met his eyes. "Sentarō, Tadatoshi, and I haven't forgiven you… not yet. So you better have a valid reason for what you've done."
Tears welled in Tōkichirō's eyes. The warmth of her words—the knowledge that they were willing to hear him, willing to fight for the same cause despite everything—was overwhelming.
Sōbei's cruel smile stretched wider. "I see. You've found better friends than I, Tōki-Tōki. Too bad… I plan to kill every single one of them. Don't think you're going to get a moment of happiness."
"That's enough!" Reiko shouted sharply. Her katana flew from its sheath, reflecting the orange glow of the flames. "From the way you speak to Tōkichirō, it's clear you're another note in his story."
"Note?" Sōbei tilted his head in mock consideration. "Creative… but not quite accurate."
Without warning, he lunged forward, a blur moving faster than the eye could follow. Reiko's instincts flared. She swung her katana just as he materialized in front of her—but he didn't continue in a straight line. His movement curved midair, twisting with a serpent-like grace, and in the instant he passed, he reappeared behind her.
Before she could react, Sōbei struck. Two sharp kicks landed simultaneously on Tōkichirō's thigh and jaw, sending him hurtling backward through a pile of splintered wood. Reiko's eyes widened. She spun midair, only to find two daggers now embedded in her right shoulder and lap. Reflexively, she dove backward, preventing Sōbei from pulling the blades free.
He landed lightly, crouched low on all fours like a predator, his sinister grin widening. "We are no mere notes," he hissed. "Consider me the author of this little story of yours."
"Tōkichirō! Are you okay?!" Reiko shouted, rising to her feet despite the pain in her shoulder.
"I… I'm… alright," Tōkichirō managed between ragged breaths, struggling to regain his footing.
Kekeke… "Your intuition is impressive," Sōbei said, now drawing six daggers, one held between each finger like extensions of his will. "But now… you die."
The daggers shot forward in a deadly fan. Reiko's katana met the attack, clanging violently as she blocked them one by one, sparks flying into the smoky air. Sōbei dashed again, moving in an S-shaped path, a motion both terrifying and mesmerizing. Reiko tracked him, but even she was caught off guard when he closed the distance and delivered a straight, devastating kick to her face.
THUD!!
The impact launched Reiko backward into a pile of shattered timber. Flames leapt into the air, scattering shards and ash as the inferno around them roared. Pain ripped through her body, yet she struggled to rise, eyes narrowing as determination replaced the haze of agony.
"Tōkichirō!" she heard him cry, panic lacing his voice. She could feel his fear, his desperation—an emotion all too familiar. Memories of the Red Sun Incident flooded her mind: screams, chaos, death… a nightmare that had followed them all.
Sōbei turned, glancing at the barely standing Tōkichirō. "Now, you want to play?" His grin was cruel, savoring the terror he had sown. "Killing your friend was the right choice."
Before Tōkichirō could react, Sōbei drove his elbow into Tōkichirō's gut. The blow landed with such precision and force it stole his breath. Pain lanced through him, yet he thought: "This must be punishment for what I did… I truly am a bad person."
Sōbei's eyes flicked to Reiko's battered form. "The best part," he whispered, voice dripping with malice, "is watching your expression when I kill someone you care about."
He sprinted toward her, daggers poised in both hands. Tōkichirō's heart lurched. "Wait… no!"
But Reiko was ready. She pushed herself up from the scorched ground, gripping her katana tightly. Her resolve crystallized in that moment, the fire in her eyes brighter than the flames consuming the division.
"Kekeke… that won't do you any good, darling," Sōbei sneered, accelerating. His path curved once more, serpent-like, unpredictable.
Reiko drew a deep breath. The world seemed to slow around her. She focused, feeling the rhythm of Sōbei's movements, his intent, the unnatural curve of his strike.
"Reiko Style… Shōkaku!" (Crash Core)
THUD!! BOOM!!
Her fist struck with the weight of a hurricane and speed of the wind, smashing Sōbei's head into the ground. Dust, splinters, and ash erupted into the air as the impact created a massive crater beneath him.
"How… did she… track my serpent curve technique? Damn… how… is she… this strong?!" Sōbei gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. But it was too late. Blood spurted violently, and the life that had animated him moments ago poured out in a crimson tide. His body went limp.
Tōkichirō crouched nearby, chest heaving, his expression frozen in absolute shock. "That punch… I didn't even see the movement… only the aftermath…" he thought, trying to comprehend the scale of Reiko's strength.
Reiko's chest rose and fell rapidly, her katana still gripped tightly as exhaustion and adrenaline mingled. She looked to Tōkichirō and gave him a bright, reassuring smile, her thumb raised in triumph.
One punch. One decisive strike. Nakahara Sōbei, one of the Lotus Petals, was dead.
Tōkichirō's knees weakened slightly as relief washed over him, though the fire and chaos around them remained merciless. He blinked repeatedly, still processing the impossibility of what he had just witnessed.
Reiko exhaled sharply, sweat and soot mixing on her face. "A weak look," she muttered, shaking her head slightly. "It's unbelievable… he made me use my strongest technique."
Tōkichirō approached cautiously, still keeping his distance from Sōbei's fallen form. "R-Reiko…" he began, voice trembling. "You… you did that… all on your own?"
She nodded, giving him another thumbs-up and a huge smile. "One Lotus Petal down. That's all it takes timing, focus, and resolve. Remember, Tōkichirō, what matters most in a fight is strength of will."
But the fight was far from over.
And with Nakahara Sōbei's fall, the first crack had been made in the terrifying structure of the Lotus Petals.
But even in death, the sense of danger lingered, and the night was far from over.