CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32

Shou stood near the shattered vending machine, hands buried in his pockets, posture relaxed as if he was simply waiting for a bus instead of standing in the middle of a gang brawl.

His eyes half-lidded, his expression empty, the same unreadable look he always carried whether he was watching a movie, eating ramen, or listening to Seijirou’s lectures about keeping a low profile.

But behind that lazy façade, his body moved with frightening sharpness, every twitch precise, every motion efficient and controlled.

A Hunter with a metal pipe came at him first, roaring as he swung.

Shou leaned sideways with the smallest movement, the pipe slicing through the air where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.

Without pulling his hands from his pockets, he raised one knee, driving it into the man’s gut so hard that the air left his lungs in a single pained wheeze.

The man dropped to the floor, clutching his stomach and gasping.

Shou sighed softly. "You all make too much noise."

Two more came, one swinging a chain, the other brandishing a knife.

Shou took a step back, his heel sliding lightly against the cracked tile.

The chain sliced the air in front of him, and before it could recoil, Shou stepped forward again, twisting on his foot.

His leg shot up in a wide arc, connecting with the chain-wielder’s jaw.

The man’s body lifted off the ground before crashing down hard, his head bouncing once against the floor.

The knife user hesitated for a moment, and that pause sealed his fate.

Shou was already inside his guard, his right leg snapping up with the speed and precision of a whip.

The kick hit the man’s wrist, sending the knife flying, and before it even hit the ground, Shou pivoted and delivered another kick, this one to the man’s ribs.

A loud crack echoed through the hall.

He exhaled through his nose, slow and steady.

His anger wasn’t loud, it wasn’t wild or dramatic.

It was cold, sharp, and heavy.

He thought about Renji, his stupid pompadour, his dumb laugh, the way he’d always volunteer to do errands just to help someone out.

Renji, the guy who’d once jumped in front of a teacher’s chalk to stop it from hitting Shou’s head when they were kids.

Renji, who told him not to fight back this time.

Renji, who was lying in a hospital bed because he got beaten for something he didn’t even do wrong.

Shou clenched his fists inside his pockets. His jaw tightened slightly.

"You really think we’d let you bastards walk after what you did?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, but every syllable carried a dangerous weight.

A group of five surrounded him now, circling like wolves, thinking they could take him by numbers.

Shou looked at them through his fringe, tilting his head slightly. His body relaxed even more, almost limp.

One of them shouted, "Stop acting cool, you freak!" and lunged.

That was the last thing he managed to say before Shou’s leg flashed upward, his heel connecting with the man’s chin in a rising kick that sent him sprawling backward like a puppet with cut strings.

The others charged all at once.

Shou moved.

He ducked under a punch, stepped into the attacker’s space, and struck with a spinning back kick that slammed into the man’s abdomen.

He twisted again, the next kick catching another opponent across the temple.

He landed lightly, one foot still half-raised, eyes glancing sideways as the last man hesitated, trembling.

Shou’s expression didn’t change. He just straightened slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.

"You done?" he asked quietly.

The man screamed and swung anyway.

Shou sighed and dodged with a small step, the punch brushing his cheek harmlessly.

Then he countered, his leg snapping out in a brutal side kick that knocked the man into a row of arcade machines.

Glass shattered, the man slumped, and the arcade lights flickered once before dying completely.

The room went silent except for the faint hum of electricity and the soft tap of Shou’s shoes as he stepped forward.

He looked down at the pile of broken bodies around him, his breath steady, his heart calm but heavy.

"Renji told us not to do anything," he murmured to himself. "He still thinks we’re just like before; an arrogant jerk, a useless fatty, a listless runner, a timid loner, and a loud boxer-wannabe."

He tilted his head back slightly, exhaling a small laugh without humor. "But he should’ve known by now. We stopped being harmless a long time ago."

A noise from the hallway caught his attention, the sound of something heavy crashing and Suzune’s faint laughter echoing faintly through the air.

He smirked, scratching the back of his neck. "Guess she’s enjoying herself."

Then he looked toward the back room, where Seijirou had gone as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don’t get too carried away, boss," he muttered, flexing his knuckles. "Leave a few breathing ones for questioning."

He began to walk, slow and steady, stepping over unconscious bodies without even glancing down, his shadow stretching long under the flickering neon light.

The expression on his face was blank again, but his eyes, cold and dark, carried the quiet fury of a man who had already decided that mercy was no longer an option.

*

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*

Sakai, who was usually loud, playful, and always cracking jokes, now looked like an entirely different person.

His face had lost all trace of humor, replaced by a cold and terrifying focus that made even his enemies hesitate.

His heavy frame, which people often mocked, now became his greatest weapon.

Every time he moved, the ground trembled faintly beneath him.

He charged forward like a raging bull, grabbing the nearest man by the collar and slamming him down with all his weight.

The man screamed as the air was crushed out of his lungs. Sakai didn’t even glance at him. He turned, eyes blazing, and shouted that he would never forgive anyone who dared hurt his friends.

One man tried to strike him with a metal pipe, but Sakai didn’t dodge. He took the blow head-on, the sound echoing sharply, yet he didn’t even flinch.

Instead, he caught the man by the arm, twisted it violently, and pulled him down before sitting on his chest, pinning him with all his weight.

The man coughed out blood and begged for mercy, but Sakai only growled.

"You think you can hurt Renji and get away with it?!" His voice was loud enough to echo through the building. "I’ll crush every single one of you!"

Two more came at him from the side.

He blocked one with his arm, grabbed the other by the shirt, and slammed his forehead into his face.

Blood splattered, and Sakai threw the man aside like trash. His movements were crude but effective, driven by raw fury and loyalty.

Each time someone attacked, he took it. He absorbed the hits, his body shaking but never faltering.

Then he countered with overwhelming force, knocking enemies down one by one.

Some tried to escape, but Sakai would charge after them, shouting that no one was leaving until he was done.

By the time the others stopped coming at him, a pile of groaning bodies surrounded his feet.

His breathing was heavy, sweat dripping down his forehead, but his glare was still sharp.

"Renji’s my friend," he muttered, looking down at the men he’d crushed. "If you touch him again, I’ll make sure you can’t stand ever again."

He saw another reaching for a chair to use as a weapon. Sakai snatched it first, swung it with both hands, and shattered it across his face.

The man crumpled, unconscious. The air was thick with the sound of grunts, broken furniture, and bodies hitting the floor.

Despite his size, Sakai moved with surprising speed.

He bulldozed through everyone, leaving a path of wreckage behind.

"You made a mistake," he muttered darkly as he lifted another by the throat. "You messed with the wrong people."

Then he slammed the man down and turned to the rest. "Come on! Who’s next?!"

He spat to the side, then straightened himself, scanning the area for any fool brave enough to still be standing.

None dared move.

Even the air felt heavy around him. Sakai, the man everyone called lazy and dumb, now looked like an unstoppable tank fueled by rage and loyalty.