[Akashi gym]
Senju's soft emerald eyes analysed my reaction.
My grey irises kept eye contact, a moment of respectful silence passed between us.
"So...are you going to join my gang?"
"..."
---
[ 3 days later ]
The last three days with Senju consisted of me getting my ass beat, as her sparring partner. The snow white-haired woman was relentless with training, kicks that nearly shattered my bones made me realise how lucky I was in our previous fight.
The Taekwondo prodigy badge made it easier for me to adapt to her strength but to gain experience I had to take more blows than necessary.
"You're getting strong, Tenzo." Senju chuckles, whipping her right leg to catch me with a roundhouse kick to my temple.
Bang
I raised my hand at the last second, the force of her kick pressed me against the side ropes of the ring.
"This is a spar!" I barked out, leveraging my body against the ropes for balance.
"Don't complain Magic man, use your powers or something. " Akashi suggested.
"Tsk."
"You ready?" She teases, already in her stance, waiting for me to pounce.
I took off charging at her, activating the Taekwondo badge, new muscle memory guiding me in the ring.
Whoosh
Kick
Senju sent a straight kick to my chest, I dodged her limb and countered with a swipe to her anchor foot.
Senju somehow jumped with the same foot keeping her balanced, twisting her body like a nimble cat, and she slammed her heel on my left shoulder.
Bang
My body slumps to the solid mat of the ring, senses overloaded by the spiking pain.
"I win." Senju's taunting voice rings in my ear.
"Huff...huff...rematch."
---
"Senju. Where's the rest of the gang?" I glanced at her.
"This is the gang." She scratches the back of her head.
In front of us is ten–12th grade students shaking in fear.
"Where did you find these guys?"
"From my school, half of them tried to flirt with me while the other half I beat up." Senju chuckles.
"Stand in formation!" She orders.
"Yes, Ma'am!" The seniors chanted, lined up horizontally in front of us, saluting like a platoon of soliders.
"...Is this really all of Brahman?"
"Yes."
"Tsk!" I pulled her lightly by her right elbow.
"Hey!" She protested.
Ignoring her complaints, I pulled us out of the park.
'System, how do I increase our gang?'
[System update]
☆Delinquents 101
> Majority of Tokyo's prominent gangs are funded by an official criminal syndicate.
> Recruiting members requires a high influence in the world of delinquents, established territories and rivalries with other gangs.
"How influential is the current Brahman?"
———————————————————
[System calculation]
Gang information:
Name: Brahman
Leader: Senju Akashi
Members : 12
Territories: Akashi gym
Influence: 2%
———————————————————
[New mission available]
°Expand Brahman to 100 members!
Time limit: 5 days.
> Reward:
+2000 SP
+20 influence
+ Uniform supplier.
> Penalties:
-10 members
-15 influence
Join Moebius.
———————————————————
"Crap!" I cursed out, still dragging Senju along.
"Where are we going!?" She demands.
"We're going to scout for new members. "
---
[Mizo high school]
Even in a new world, school still haunts Tenzo like an ancient curse. The Igbo lad went to every class with zero interest in any subject. His attention was focused on the lazy clouds taunting his mortal status.
His delinquent status in this world kept most of his teachers off his case, as they rather bare one more year with him then attempt to steer his future to a positive direction.
Throughout the day, Tenzo tried recruiting his peers into his gang but majority of them were scared of the delinquent lifestyle, even his open threats to beat to a pulp(Senju's idea) was futile.
"Please–let me go." A blonde haired senior pleads.
"Will you join my gang?" Tenzo presses him against a locker.
Around them was a pile of groaning school boys that Tenzo confronted earlier with the same offer, but they all refused.
"I can't even fight." The boys whines out, eyes swelling with tears.
"Sigh." Tenzo lets him go, "This is annoying."
Tenzo walks over the bruised seniors, walking off with his hands in his pockets, no care in the world.
"Do you enjoy hurting others?" A feminine voice invades his ears, a pinch of annoyance in her tone.
"Huh?" Tenzo turns to address the person.
"I hate bullies. " A pink-haired girl with large matching shade of eyes scowls at him,
"Why the hell did you hurt them?" She presses me.
My train of thought was interrupted by a sudden memory.
"Hinata Tachibana." I spoke out her name.
"Eze Tenzo, do you have to force your delinquent lifestyle on others? It's one thing to ruin your own future but forcing it upon others is despicable. " She spat out, marching over to me with steely eyes.
"What are you–"
Slap
Hinata's open palm whipped across my face, flesh stinging at the contact, a soft ringing in my eardrums creeps in.
"I won't tolerate your nonsense, Eze." Hinata stood her ground.
I stood there,cradling the spot she slapped me, completely shook at her actions.
"I should be mad but I deserved that." I let out a chuckle, soothing the red skin.
"Huh?" Hinata was taken back by my response. "You're not angry?" She blurted out, taking a step back incase I retaliated.
"I don't hit girls. "
'Liar.' The system called me out.
'Shut up!' I gritted my teeth in real time.
Bang
The doors to the school entrance burst open, three older guys came marching in, clearly in their 20s, the one in the middle has a cigarette resting on his lower lip.
"Oi! Where are my slaves?" He barked out, voice projecting down the hall.
"Kiyomasa-sun!" A skinny senior I beat down earlier screeches in terror.
Kiyomasa's gaze landed on me and Hinata.
"Are you the punk that beat up my slaves?"
"Yeah, I did. " I flashed a devilish smirk.
"Tenzo!" Hinata pulls at my left arm's sleeve, panic visible in her coral pink eyes.
"You have no idea how much money you're costing me kid." Kiyomasa grumbles out.
The goon on his left brandishes a metal bat.
"We can use him in the fights, Kiyomasa-sama." He snickers.
"That's not a bad idea." Kiyomasa whistles.
"Listen kid, you can either come with us or we'll beat you down in front of your lil girlfriend. "
"I'm not his girlfriend!" Hinata huffs out, a blush blooming on her pale cheeks.
Before I could respond, the azure screen, flashes into my eyes.
[Expand Brahman to 100 members]
Time left: 4 days remaining
"Great..."
---
Kiyomasa lead us into an abandoned factory infected with delinquents. Many in their early 20s, puffing smoke, spilling alcohol on the dirty floor and cheering on the teens fighting in the small circles.
"COME ON!"
"FIGHT DAMN IT!"
The rowdy onlookers chanted for the teens in battle.
"An illegal fighting ring." I whistled out.
Hinata had her arm looped around my own, the pink-haired girl is shaking in fear, glancing back at Kiyomasa and his goons.
"Your going to fight until both your debts have been paid off." Kiyomasa points his bat at us.
"Both?" Hinata gasps,
"Yes both. You watched him beat my slaves up girlie. "He cackles.
"What!?" The girl gawks at his reasoning.
"You bastar–"
"Lets get this over with." I interrupted her, unhooking my arm from hers, "Hinata, stay where I can see you,ok?" I pleaded with her.
"...ok." She whispers, "Don't die, Tenzo."
"I'll try." Tenzo chuckles.