A while later, Yuma stepped out of the bathroom, steam following him. He found Yurezo standing by the door, dressed and ready.
"Oh? What's with that look? You okay?" Yuma asked, tossing his towel onto a chair.
Without waiting for an answer, he threw an arm around Yurezo's shoulders, guiding him toward the door. "Let's go. Fresh air will do you good."
As they stepped outside, Yurezo blinked in surprise. The air didn't smell like rot, and the ground wasn't stained with old blood.
"Where are we?" Yurezo asked, confused. "This isn't G17."
"Ah, right! I forgot to tell you," Yuma said, winking. "Welcome to the center of Sinish. Look at those cars, those buildings... fancy, right?"
They began walking down the busy streets. The skyscrapers reached for the clouds, a world away from the alleys of the slums.
"Listen," Yuma said, his voice dropping slightly. "Sorry I couldn't do more last night. But honestly? I don't really care about parents. I never knew mine. I grew up in orphanages until I was fourteen. That's how old you are too, right?"
"Yes," Yurezo replied in a low, hollow voice.
"Perfect! We're the same age, friend! And let me tell you, my job is the best. People pay me, and I hit people. Hahaha!"
Yurezo stopped and looked at him with a cold, dead expression. The trauma had left him with a gaze that looked much older than fourteen.
"What? Don't look at me like that," Yuma laughed, unfazed.
"How much do you get paid?" Yurezo asked suddenly.
Yuma's eyes lit up. "Eh, around 5,000 to 10,000 Yen per job."
"Really?"
"Oyoyo! You look interested now, don't you?" Yuma teased, winking again. "Money makes the world go 'round, kid. Even in Sinish."
A few months had passed, and the names Yurezo and Yuma were no longer unknown in the darker corners of the city. They worked as "problem solvers"—when someone had a grudge but didn't have the guts to face it, they sent the duo to handle it.
Currently, Yuma was leaning against a wall, casually licking a banana-flavored ice cream.
"Man, this banana ice cream is seriously delicious," Yuma said, looking completely unbothered.
"Stop being so ironic, Yuma," Yurezo snapped, his eyes fixed on the target ahead.
"What? I'm just enjoying my dessert. Can't a guy have a treat?"
"Don't you see where we are?" Yurezo pointed toward the end of the alley. "There are twelve guys right in front of us. One of them is built like a brick wall."
Yuma shrugged, taking another lick. "Come on, Naku. You're talking like this is our first time."
Yurezo facepalmed in frustration. He was focused, while Yuma seemed to be on a field trip.
"By the way," Yuma said, his tone shifting slightly, "did you hear what happened yesterday?"
"What?"
"The ALPHA gang. You know how they used to be just a bunch of random groups with no real leader? Well, they have one now."
Yurezo froze, his eyes widening. "What?! You're joking. The ALPHA gang was a mess of small factions. How could they have a leader all of a sudden?"
"I don't know the details," Yuma replied, his gaze turning serious for a split second. "But sooner or later, a wave is going to hit us."
"What wave? What are you talking about?"
"This new leader... he wants to unite everyone. You either join his hand or he crushes you. He doesn't believe in middle ground."
"And are we just supposed to accept that?" Yurezo asked, his fist clenching.
"Well, he's not just some random thug. He came from Tokyo. He built the strongest gang there—BANIZ—and then just left it to come here. They say he moved because Tokyo is too 'safe' now. Too many cops, too many quick arrests. Here? Here it's just chaos. Pure, beautiful chaos."
"Who is he?"
"Reino Shino. Tall, white hair, brown eyes. Strong. Very strong. I've heard enough stories about him that... well, I really want to meet him."
Yurezo looked at his friend. "The way you say 'meet him' is ironic. Do you want to shake his hand or trade blows with him?"
Yuma let out a dark chuckle. "How well you know me, Naku. Both. Hahaha!"
Yurezo sighed, hitting his forehead again. "Forget about that for now. We have twelve idiots to deal with."
Without another word, Yuma moved.
He lunged at the first man, who was busy talking to a friend.
THUD!
A lightning-fast kick sent the man flying backwards before he could even register Yuma's presence. His friend gasped, but before he could react, Yurezo was already there. With a powerful strike, Yurezo slammed the second man against the brick wall.
"Game over," Yuma chirped, still holding his ice cream in one hand. "Two down, ten to go."
The remaining ten men froze, paralyzed by the speed of the attack.
"Listen," Yuma said, stepping forward. "I'm not in the mood for a long talk. Just watch this fist."
CRACK!
Yuma buried his fist into another man's gut, dropping him instantly. He turned back to Yurezo with a grin. "How was my form?"
"Terrible," Yurezo replied coldly. "Watch this."
Yurezo charged. He grabbed one attacker by the throat, slammed him into the pavement, and then—in a display of raw strength—grabbed the man by the legs. Using the man's body as a living weapon, he swung him like a club into his own comrade. Both went down in a heap.
Yurezo turned back to Yuma. "What were you saying?"
Even Yuma looked a bit shocked for a second. He was currently holding another thug by the hair, the man's face pale with terror.
"Eee... what can I say to that?" Yuma laughed, his eyes glinting with excitement. "I think we're going to have a very interesting year, Naku."
"Hey, Naku! Look," Yuma said, pointing at the five thugs still standing. "I bet I can take all five of them down with just three moves. If I win, you're buying me my favorite meal. Deal?"
Yurezo blinked. "What? No—"
But before he could finish, Yuma was already a blur of motion. He launched himself at the group.
CRACK!
A devastating roundhouse kick caught the first man, sending him crashing into his friend behind him. Both went down in a heap of tangled limbs.
"That's two!" Yuma shouted mid-air.
Two more lunged at him with synchronized kicks, but Yuma twisted his body with impossible grace, slipping between them. He delivered a side-kick that caught one in the ribs. The force was so great that he was propelled into the next guy, knocking both of them out cold.
The last man, trembling, swung a heavy iron pipe. Yuma didn't even flinch. He stepped inside the man's guard and buried a solid punch into his jaw.
THUD.
The man hit the pavement like a sack of bricks. Yuma turned back to Yurezo, who was currently finishing off the man he had been choking.
"Ooh! What did I tell you? I won! Hahaha!" Yuma cheered.
Yurezo let the man's limp body drop to the floor with a dull thud. He wiped a drop of blood from his cheek, looking unimpressed.
"I won! Lalalala! I won!" Yuma started singing, dancing around the unconscious bodies.
"What do you mean you won?" Yurezo snapped. "We never agreed on a deal. We didn't even shake on it!"
"Who said we needed to shake hands?" Yuma grinned. "We made an eye-deal."
"An eye-deal? What are you talking about?"
"You looked at me, I looked at you. In my world, that means you accepted the terms!"
Yurezo stared at him, stunned. "Are you kidding me right now?"
"Nananana! If you don't do it, it means you're not a man of your word!" Yuma continued his victory dance. "I'm eating my favorite meal today! I'm eating my favorite meal today!"
Yurezo stood there with his mouth wide open, watching his friend celebrate like a little kid in the middle of a battlefield. He took a deep, steadying breath and clenched his fists. A devious glint appeared in his eyes.
"Fine. Let's make a real deal then."
"A deal? Eh?" Yuma stopped dancing, curious.
"See that guy?" Yurezo pointed toward the very last man—Number 12—who was slowly trying to crawl away in terror.
Yuma turned his head to look. "That guy? Yeah, what about him?"
But as soon as Yuma turned his back, Yurezo bolted.
"Whoever takes down the last one wins the whole thing!" Yurezo shouted as he sprinted.
Yuma froze, his jaw dropping. "What?! Hey! That's cheating!"
The poor thug looked back, seeing Yurezo charging at him like a demon. "Wait! Wait a minute! No! Stop—"
BAM!
Yurezo buried a fist into the man's face, knocking him out instantly. He stood over the body, raising his hands in triumph. He turned back to a fuming Yuma with a smirk.
"I won. Now you are buying me dinner!"
Yuma's face turned red with fake rage. "You're even more evil than I am, Naku!"
He clenched his fists and started sprinting toward Yurezo. Yurezo didn't wait around; he turned and started running, laughing for the first time in a long while.
"Who's buying me dinner today? Yuma is!" Yurezo teased over his shoulder.
"I am not buying you anything, you brat! Come back here!" Yuma yelled, chasing him down the alley as their laughter echoed through the dark streets of Sinish.
"I'm... I'm not buying you dinner..." Yuma muttered in a weak, barely audible voice.
He was slumped over Eito's back, his strength fading. The heavy rain poured down relentlessly, washing away the blood but not the pain.
Eito pushed forward through the storm, carrying both Yurezo and Yuma. His muscles screamed with exhaustion after the brutal battle, but he didn't stop.
Yuma's eyes fluttered open for a second. "I want... sushi..."
"Hold on, Yuma," Eito grunted, his breath ragged. "We're almost at the pharmacy. Just stay with me."
Yurezo remained unconscious on Eito's other side, his head hanging low, completely out after the devastating impact of the fight.
They finally reached the pharmacy. Inside, Osuke and Koji were waiting. When they saw their leader drenched in blood and carrying their friends, they rushed outside, their faces pale with fear.
"Leader!" Osuke cried out, quickly grabbing Yurezo.
Koji stepped in to support Yuma. Together, they hurried them inside the small, dimly lit building.
Eito didn't waste a second. He grabbed the first aid kits and rolls of bandages. "Yuma, give me your arm. It's badly mangled."
But as Eito reached out, Yuma weakly pushed his hand away.
"Stop it," Yuma whispered, looking at Eito. "Look at yourself. You're covered in wounds. Your nose is broken. Leave me... I can handle it myself."
Yuma looked down at his bloodstained hands. "I dragged you all into this. Eito... starting tomorrow, I want you to leave. Go to the university. You wanted to be a doctor, remember? Staying with me will only bring you a thousand problems."
Eito paused, a bandage in his hand. He looked Yuma straight in the eyes.
"No," Eito said firmly. "I'm staying with you until the end. We started this together, and we'll finish it together. So what if the BRAVO gang lost today? We learned something new. Our bond is stronger than we ever imagined."
"Leader is right," Osuke added quietly. "We won't leave you alone."
In the corner, Koji was carefully tending to Yurezo's wounds. The boy was still unresponsive, his body broken from the power of Keal's Axe Kick.
Yuma watched Yurezo, a single tear escaping his eye and mixing with the grime on his face. "This is all my fault."
"Stop putting all the weight on your shoulders!" Eito snapped, his voice echoing in the quiet pharmacy. "We all share the blame. We fall, but we get back up stronger. We learn from our mistakes, and we return with twice the power."
Yuma let the tears fall freely now. "I always thought that strength and violence could solve everything. But today... today, I failed us."
"Stop talking," Eito said, his voice softening as he leaned over. "Just lie back on the couch and let me close these wounds."
The rain continued to hammer against the roof, but inside, the fire of the BRAVO gang was far from extinguished.
Author's Note:
"I hope you all enjoyed this flashback! of yuma and yurezo Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! (: