Slowly, I turned around. My head still lowered until I lifted my gaze—my eyes now cold, focused, unshakable.
Then I walked straight into the alley.
Then I saw it.
Three men stood over a girl wearing the female version of my school uniform. She was on the ground, trembling, her skirt torn, her pink undergarments exposed. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes wide with pure terror.
One man pinned her wrists to the concrete.
The other two towered beside him, their shadows stretching over her like monsters—grinning, laughing, their faces twisted with sick, hungry expressions.
For a moment, everything inside me went silent.
Cold.
Empty.
Focused.
Those three weren't just "men."
They were predators wearing human skin.
Seeing this sight, something in me snapped.
Before I even realized it, my feet had already moved. I stepped deeper into the alley, the shadows swallowing me until I stood only a few meters away.
My voice slipped out before my brain caught up.
"…What are you doing?"
All three thugs jerked their heads toward me.
The one pinning the girl down froze mid-grin, confusion twisting across his filthy face.
"The hell?" He spat to the side. "Oi, kid. This ain't your business."
The second thug—tall, greasy hair, a scar cutting across his cheek—took one lazy step forward, sizing me up like I was some stray cat that wandered in by accident.
"You lost or something?" he asked, smirking. "This is Largin territory. People who walk in uninvited… don't walk out."
The third one, built like a fridge with anger issues, cracked his knuckles loudly. Crack. Crack.
He stepped right into my face, breath smelling like rot and cheap alcohol.
"Listen, brat," he growled, grabbing my collar slightly and leaning close, "turn around and get the hell out. Don't you see what we're about to do?"
His grip tightened.
"Unless you wanna get hurt. We're part of the Largin Gang. Ever heard of us?"
His grin stretched wide as his friends snickered behind him.
"You better start running before we decide to warm up on you."
For a moment, I said nothing.
I just stared at him.
Not scared. Not shaking.
Just… disappointed.
I spoke quietly. Calmly.
"…Let go."
He blinked. "What?"
My eyes narrowed.
"I said. Let. Go."
He barked out a laugh. "Or what, anime boy? You gonna hit me with a Rasengan?"
His friends laughed louder.
"One more second," I said softly. "And you'll regret touching me."
He shoved me.
That was it.
Something inside me finally broke.
My grandfather's voice echoed in my skull:
"Akido is not power. It is harmony. Let your opponent give you everything—then return it to them."
I inhaled once.
Exhaled.
And moved.
The thug who grabbed me didn't even have time to blink.
I seized his wrist with both hands—
STEP. TURN. DROP.
—and redirected his shove into a vicious arm lock. His shoulder popped as I twisted, the joint sliding halfway out of its socket.
"GAHH—!!"
Before he could scream again, I pivoted my heel—
BAM!
Planted my foot into his sternum and sent him crashing into the wall behind me.
He crumpled instantly, gasping like a fish, arms limp.
The scar-faced thug lunged at me from the side, swinging wildly.
I didn't step back.
I stepped forward.
Akido teaches one thing: Enter the attack.
I slid inside his swing, slammed my shoulder under his armpit, grabbed his momentum—
—and launched him over my hip.
THUD!!
He hit the ground so hard the concrete cracked beneath him.
Before he could rise, I rotated my body, hooked his wrist with a locking grip, and—
CRACK!
Bent his elbow backward until it snapped like a twig.
His scream echoed through the alley.
The last thug—the biggest one—rushed me with a roar, fists flying in violent, sloppy patterns.
He was strong.
Too strong.
But strength without technique is nothing.
He threw a heavy right hook—
I slipped past it.
He swung again—
I redirected his arm with a small circular parry.
He tried to grab me—
I pivoted, letting his hand glide past harmlessly.
"STOP MOVING, YOU LITTLE—!!!"
His fist came down like a hammer.
I caught his wrist in midair.
His eyes widened—
Too late.
I twisted.
Hard.
SHHH-CRACK!!
His wrist bent sideways, bones grinding under the pressure.
Before he processed the pain, I stepped behind him, trapping his arm in a brutal lock, used his momentum—
—and slammed him face-first into the concrete.
BOOM!!
His entire body jolted.
He tried to push himself up.
I stomped on his elbow.
CRUNCH.
Another scream. Another broken bone.
Silence followed.
Only the girl's quiet sobs filled the space.
I stood there, breathing steadily—not from exhaustion, but from the calm after impact.
All three men were on the ground.
Broken.
Writhing.
Whimpering.
No dramatic speech. No heroic pose.
Just cold, efficient Akido.
Exactly as Grandpa taught me.
With the three men down.
I grabbed the girl's arm gently and rose her up to her feet.
"Are you okay?"
She trembled. Nodding her head being to scared to voice a word. I understood her so i didn't ask anything more.
As i helped the girl out of the alley, her steps shaky but determined, I suddenly heard movement behind us.
The thugs.
Even with their arms twisted, ribs bruised, and pride shattered, all three of them somehow staggered back to their feet. They leaned on the wall, clutching their injuries, but their mouths still worked just fine.
"Y–You bastard…!" one hissed through clenched teeth.
Another pointed at me with a trembling hand, his face swollen and red. "You think this is over!? You think you can just walk away after doing this to us!?"
The last one—his wrist still bent unnaturally from the throw I gave him—spat blood to the side. "You messed with the wrong people, kid! The whole Largin Gang's gonna be after you now! You hear me!? You're dead! DEAD!"
They started limping toward us, trying to look intimidating despite barely being able to stand straight.
The girl beside me flinched and grabbed my sleeve.
I didn't move.
I just slowly turned my head and stared at them.
A single glare.
Cold. Heavy and focused.
The same glare my grandfather used to give those training dummies before breaking every bone inside them.
All three froze instantly.
Their bravado cracked like glass.
Their shoulders stiffened. Their eyes widened. And I watched their tough-guy act crumble in real time.
The one with the broken wrist stumbled back, shaking. "Tch—! F-Forget this…!"
"Y-Yeah, whatever! You—you just wait!" another yelped, nearly tripping over himself as he backed away.
They turned and scrambled out of the alley, running with limp, uneven steps.
"Y-You hear me!?" one screamed from a distance, his voice cracking. "We'll get our revenge! Prepare yourself!"
"You can't hide forever!" another added, his voice fading as they disappeared. "We'll find you no matter where you go!"
Their shouts echoed through the alley… but not once did I blink.
Not once did I look away.
When silence finally returned, I exhaled slowly and turned back to the girl.
"…Let's go."
And this time, we walked out of Largin Territory together.
As I walked with the girl toward school, she suddenly tugged on my sleeve, stopping me in my tracks. I turned to look at her, confused.
"Yui?" I asked.
"Huh?" she replied, her brow furrowed slightly.
"Yui Momo—that's my name. W-what's yours?" she asked nervously.
"Shiedo Natski," I answered.
"Sh-ie-do N-a-t-s-k-i," she whispered to herself, almost tasting the syllables on her tongue.
"Shiedo, would you mind escorting me back to my place, pretty please?" she asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden request. "Uh… sure," I said, trying to sound casual while my heart skipped a beat.
But i knew it wasn't for what i imagined so i just smiled slightly, nodding. After that, I made sure to walk Yui all the way to her apartment, ensuring she got home safely.
When we finally reached her home about 20-minutes later, I realized Yui didn't live in a house at all—it was an apartment building. She lived on the second floor, fourth door on the left: Room 207.
I was honestly surprised by how many rooms the first floor had, but I didn't think much about it.
I waited outside the door while Yui walked ahead. Suddenly she stopped, turned back to me, and smiled.
A beautiful smile—the kind that freezes you in place. I was completely stupefied.
"Thank you, Shiedo," she said softly. "You really saved me. I didn't realize how scared I was until it was over… I thought no one would come. I thought I might lose something precious. I even thought I might… do something to myself if it continued. But because of you, I'm safe. Truly… thank you. I hope we can keep seeing each other at school. I'm sure we'll meet again. But for now… I might need some time to process everything."
I could barely speak. I just nodded, stunned —not just by her words, but by her beauty.
It was only in this moment that I truly saw Yui. During the incident—what I was now calling the Largin Alley Attack—hings had been so serious, so chaotic, that I hadn't had a second to take in any details about her.
But now…
Yui had long, bubble‑gum‑pink hair that fell gracefully to her shoulders. Her figure was striking— with a slim waist, soft curves, and a generous chest and a natural confidence in the way she carried herself.
Her torn skirt revealed her long slender legs while hugging her form just enough that I caught myself thinking, damn…this girl has an ass. The kind that if i held i wouldn't let go for a long while.
She was the kind of girl who just by passing by made guys turn their heads without even realizing they were doing it, even if they were walking with their girlfriends.
And her eyes… A gentle, light violet that pulled you in the longer you looked.
I immediately felt bad for thinking such perverted thoughts of Yui especially after what she almost went through.
But that thought later on faded and i managed a small smile and nodded again. Yui finally slipped into her apartment, and I turned around to head home.
What I didn't know was that, as I walked away, Yui who now was on the the second floor was watching my back with the eyes of a girl who had fallen deeply in love with someone.
But what type of love exactly, that i couldn't tell you yet.
But later on… I would. Oh god would i truly.