FUKAKU HIGH SCHOOL – CENTRAL COURTYARD – THE CONFRONTATION
William and Takuya stood face to face. The wind had picked up, lifting dead leaves between them.
Takuya was smiling. That blissful, almost childish smile that never left him.
"Willy dear… it's been a while."
William didn't answer. His candy rolled on his tongue. He chewed slowly, mechanically.
Behind him, Daek-Bin wiped his hands. The giant lay on the ground, unconscious.
"You've changed," said Takuya. "You're colder. Harder."
"So have you."
"Me? No."
Takuya spread his arms.
"I stayed the same. I just…"
His smile froze.
"…waited."
He attacked.
The Happy End members stepped back. William's men stepped back too.
A shock. A dull thud. William took a step back, his forearm blocking Takuya's fist.
"Willy…"
Takuya followed through. His blows rained down, fast, unpredictable. He leaped, bounced, struck from everywhere.
William took it. He no longer retreated.
He understood.
Takuya wasn't fighting to win. He was fighting to be heard.
"Why did you become like this?" Takuya said as he struck.
"Why did you lock yourself in that marble fortress?"
William parried a blow, sent one back.
"Because I had no choice."
"You had a choice!"
Takuya leaped.
"You could have come to talk to me. Told me the truth. I would have forgiven you."
William struck him. Takuya took it.
"I DON'T DESERVE YOUR FORGIVENESS."
His voice echoed.
Takuya stopped. He looked at William. His eyes glistened.
"Values… heroism… justice…"
He lowered his arms.
"Do you remember what we used to say when we were kids?"
William stood still.
"A hero must be indestructible."
William closed his eyes.
"Captain Man…"
"No," said Takuya. "You. You were the one who said it."
Silence fell.
William opened his eyes again.
"I'm not that kid anymore."
"Yes, you are. You always have been."
William clenched his fists.
"You don't know me."
"I know you better than anyone, Willy."
Takuya approached.
"I know you suffered. I know you regret. I know that every day, you wake up thinking about my parents."
William didn't answer.
"I forgave you, Willy. A long time ago."
William cracked.
His fist trembled.
"Then why…"
"Because you had to acknowledge it. Yourself."
Takuya placed his hand on William's shoulder.
"You're not a monster. You're not a cold heir. You're just a kid who made a mistake."
William felt his eyes burn.
"And you deserve a second chance."
CRACK.
The ground split behind them.
A voice, calm, relentless, echoed.
"Values… who gives a damn."
Everyone turned.
Midas advanced. Behind him, the Black Snake – Tatchin's men – and members of the Family. Dozens. Hundreds.
They surrounded the courtyard.
Daek-Bin stepped back. William positioned himself in front of Takuya.
Midas stopped in front of them.
"You Happy End… and this street you cherish so much…"
He pointed to the surrounding buildings.
"…all of it is going under private control."
Takuya looked at him.
"Who are you?"
"Midas Grey. The one who will change the world."
William stepped forward.
"You won't get through."
Midas smiled.
"The Black Snake are pros. We're a subsidiary of a gang based in Marie-Joy."
His eyes gleamed.
"Surrender peacefully, and no one gets hurt."
The Happy End members closed ranks around Takuya.
"Never," said Takuya.
Midas shrugged.
"We share common values. You and I."
He approached.
"What I want… is to build a better world. Where even pariahs can have a family."
He extended his hand.
"And for that, I have to control everything. So that no one is oppressed anymore."
He looked at Takuya.
"You want to be a hero, don't you? So I'm not annexing you."
His voice softened.
"Join me. Become my ally. Against the Diamond Platinum."
Takuya looked at him.
"And if I refuse?"
Midas withdrew his hand.
"Either way…"
He turned to William.
"…I'm the one who decides who won this fight."
"WHAT?"
Takuya spun around. William was pale.
"Willy, what's he…"
Daek-Bin removed his eyepatch.
The blood from the bodies around – Tatchin's men, the Happy End members – rose. Red puddles stirred. Droplets lifted into the air.
They formed a spear.
A spear of blood.
It shot toward Takuya.
"NOON!"
William dove.
He placed himself in front of Takuya.
Did the spear go through him?
No.
It went through Takuya.
Takuya looked at his chest. A hole. Red. Clean.
William fell to his knees.
"NO!"
Daek-Bin put his eyepatch back on. The spear dissipated.
William collapsed.
Takuya crumbled.
"TAKUYA!"
William caught him. Takuya was in his arms. Blood flowed. A lot of blood.
"Hang on… hang on, I'm here…"
Takuya opened his eyes. He smiled. That blissful, tired smile.
"Willy…"
"Don't talk."
"I'm fine…"
"SHUT UP."
William held him tighter.
Takuya raised his hand, touched his cheek.
"I never really hated you, you know…"
William felt his tears flow.
"If I wanted to beat you at all costs… it was so you'd think we were even."
He coughed. Blood.
"So you could finally accept yourself."
William shook his head.
"I know how much you've been through…"
Takuya closed his eyes.
"All I ever wanted… was to be your friend again. Like before."
His eyelids closed.
"Goodbye, Willy dear."
"NO! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME! NO!"
"NOOOON!"
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Takuya jolted awake.
He opened his eyes.
A white ceiling. Fluorescent lights. The smell of antiseptic.
"Annh…"
He sat up. He felt his chest. No hole.
"I had a nightmare…"
He looked around.
"I dreamed I died. I was scared."
He turned to the right.
William was sitting on a chair, arms crossed.
"Willy?"
William looked at him.
"You're an idiot."
Takuya blinked.
"What?"
"You're not dead, you big dummy."
William stood up.
"You just passed out."
"Passed out? But I took a spear in the chest…"
Daek-Bin, leaning against the wall, spoke.
"I didn't hit any vital points. And I restored your blood."
Takuya touched his chest. No scar.
"Where are we?"
William pointed to the window.
"Armstrong Urgent Medical Clinic."
Takuya whistled.
"Wow… your family is really loaded with cash."
William smiled. A real smile.
"Yeah."
Takuya smiled too.
"I'm glad we made up."
"Same."
A door opened.
Midas entered.
"That's all very nice, but we still have two gangs to take down."
Takuya looked at him.
"Midas Grey."
Midas approached the bed.
"Takuya Oma. You were the leader of the Happy End. From now on, you'll be one of my good collaborators."
Takuya looked at him.
"I want to take down the Diamond Platinum. What they're doing is unspeakable."
His voice hardened.
"We must unite to protect this street, this neighborhood, this district."
He clenched his fist.
"We are all vigilantes. And we must enforce the law."
"Which law?"
Midas smiled.
"The law of the strongest."
---
ELSEWHERE – YOKOHAMA TORII – NIGHT
Motorcycles. Dozens. Hundreds. Their headlights illuminated the torii.
A man in a white jacket, blond hair on his motorcycle, raised his hand.
"LISTEN UP, MEMBERS OF YOKOMANDJI!"
The crowd roared.
"WE ARE AT WAR! OUR ENEMIES ARE NUMEROUS! VERY NUMEROUS!"
His voice echoed under the torii.
"BUT WILL WE LET THEM TAKE OUR TERRITORY?"
"NOOO!"
"THEN FIGHT! FOR THE HONOR OF YOKOMANDJI!"
The leader turned to his right-hand man, a young man with badly cut hair.
"All right, I motivated the troops. Yokohichi, wanna grab a drink?"
Yokohichi nodded.
"Mmh."
---
ELSEWHERE – ARCADE HALL – SLAY GOOFY HIDEOUT
The hall was crowded. Flashy games. Neon lights. Laughter.
The leader, a guy in a plush costume, hugged his men.
"Don't worry, friends!"
He jumped onto an arcade machine.
"They're not going to do anything to us! Okay?"
The crowd stared at him.
"They can't compete!"
He brandished a joystick.
"Come on, come play!"
"YAY! YEAH!"
---
DIAMOND CASINO – NIGHT
A black car stopped in front of the massive entrance.
A young man stepped out. K-pop star haircut. Angelic face. Perfect smile.
"Welcome, sir. You may enter."
As soon as he passed through the door, the casino rushed toward him. Even the rich. Even the VIPs.
"It's the director!"
He went to the elevator. Turned the knob.
Ground floor.
A special button appeared.
He went up.
The VIP lounge was immense. Armchairs. Screens. Waitresses.
VIPs from around the world. All gathered to watch the treasure hunt.
He sat down.
"Yohan. How are you?"
A man in a crow mask approached.
Yohan stood up instantly.
"Hello, Mr. Crow."
Crow placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Shh. You. Sit back down."
He pointed to the other VIPs.
"I don't want to draw attention."
Yohan sat back down.
They clinked glasses. Champagne at a million a bottle.
"Mmm. Delicious."
Crow set down his glass.
"So, what does this game consist of?"
Yohan smiled.
"It's very simple. The participants are drugged and plunged into darkness."
He pointed to the screens.
"The VIPs, the hunters, must chase them with flashlights. They are, of course, completely naked."
Crow nodded.
"Once the participants are caught… the VIPs can do whatever they want."
"Ah. It's starting."
---
IN THE DARK – THE HUNT
A little girl ran. Naked. In the dark. She couldn't see anything.
A heavy, fat body fell on top of her.
"AHHH! HELP!"
The man chuckled.
"Mmm… I caught a young girl. She's quite well-built, I must say."
He felt her face.
"How old is she? 18, 17?"
He brought his mouth to her ear.
"No… 15? Ahahahah! Jackpot!"
The girl screamed.
"LET ME GO! WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING IN MY MOUTH? NO… AHHHH!"
---
ANOTHER CORNER OF THE DARK – A BOY
A boy stumbled. He tried to understand.
"Oh, fuck… where am I?"
He slapped his forehead.
"Originally, I came to make a vlog for my channel…"
He saw colorful shapes.
"Why do I see unicorns? Am I high or what?"
A burly, muscular man fell on top of him.
"Oh, holy shit…"
The man felt him.
"What's this ass? Is she a Jipanguese? It's so small…"
He stopped.
"A boy? IT'S A BOY?"
He struck him.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU'RE MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A GAY!"
The blows rained down.
Again. Again. Again.
---
THE VIP LOUNGE
Crow watched the screens.
He sneered.
"What a spectacle."
He turned to Yohan.
"You're a total Machiavellian, my young Yohan. Even more than I was at your age."
Yohan lowered his head.
"No, don't say that, Mr. Crow. I'll never hold a candle to you."
Crow smiled.
"Perhaps. You're very promising."
He stood up.
"Maybe you'll become my successor."
He left.
Yohan approached the window.
He looked down at the city below.
His eyes gleamed.
If I become his successor…
I can finally realize my dream.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…