There is complete silence between Nakano and Seishu as they walk through the rain. The umbrella Mikey had given Nakano right before he left is closed and clutched in her arms like she's protecting a baby from the cold. The actual object is supposed to do that for her.
Her movements are stiff, every step only taking her a couple inches forward at a time. Seishu, however, doesn't mind keeping this pace as he continues to carry his umbrella over their heads.
Though it's quiet, Nakano is just grateful for his presence. Being able to talk about her struggles with the time leaping and the unfortunate futures she's seen. It's like it took some weight off of her shoulders, though there is more being piled on with every moment she breathes. That short moment of relief was good while it lasted.
Just as they're walking in the rain, extra sets of footsteps splash from behind them. Nakano doesn't bother to turn around, until she hears a familiar voice calling her name.
"Nakano!!"
She stops mid step, and slowly turns around. She's met with the blue-grey eyes she used to seek comfort in, but only feel neglect and betrayal. Not because of him, but rather the reminders of the lies she had to live through, and the torment she suffered under from his mother.
"Takemichi." Nakano speaks quietly. "Looks like we're back. How'd you find me."
She notices Takemichi's eyes flicker cautiously to Seishu, before he returns a serious hinting look back at her. "We need to talk."
"Whatever it is you want to tell me, you can say in front of him too." Nakano stares blankly back at him, still emotionallymentally and exhausted exhausted after meeting Manjiro's alive self. "He knows." Her comment seems to have shocked him, which she finds one sided. "What. You told Naoto and Chifuyu, so I can tell who I deem trustworthy too."
"Ah... Right. Sorry." Takemichi apologizes as usual. "But you didn't have to, because I'm sending you back."
Now there's something she wasn't expecting. As drained as she is, this is a surprise that she isn't fond of in the least. "Sending me back to the future? You can't be serious!"
"Hear me out," Takemichi pleads with her. "You've been fighting so much, and I did barely anything to help you. You've just witnessed something horrible, and probably a lot more before that. I dragged you into my mess, so I'll take you out of it."
There's a twinge in her heart, and she can't really tell if it's a good or bad feeling. She just didn't expect Takemichi to say something like that, let alone even notice that she's struggling. Yet, as always, she puts up her tough facade.
"Don't be stupid, Takemichi. There's no way you're doing this on your own. If you're struggling even with my help, you don't stand a chance without me."
"Nakano... I saw Mikey-kun before I came to find you." She stiffens, averting her gaze from him at the mention of his name. "You saw him too, didn't you."
She refuses to show him the sadness she holds in her eyes. "So what if I did."
"I understand what it's like to see someone you love who you know is dead." She remembers. He's been in the same situation, so he should understand, right? "It hurts like hell. And you've suffered enough before this. I didn't do anything when you got kidnapped. I left you to fight people on your own. You've carried nearly the entirety of this mission alone. Let me handle the rest."
Nakano clenches her fists, trying to gather her emotions, but does a terrible job when she looks up at him with pent up frustration narrowing her eyes. "Takemichi, just stop already."
She sees him shudder under her gaze. "But-"
"We've been doing this for six months, with the only progress being that more people die. What good would it do if we kept wasting our time here."
"B-but, why?!"
"Hm, well, I dunno. Maybe, just maybe, it's because in the future, and even in the past, PEOPLE KEEP DYING!!"
"Well, we saved Draken!"
'This idiot is more stubborn than I am!!' Nakano scoffs. "He was sent to death row, and was killed by Manjiro. I get you're optimistic, but we have to face reality now. Fate can't be rewritten."
"Yes it can!"
"Oh, yes, you're right!" Nakano can feel herself spiraling into an emotional tornado, and they jumble up in sarcasm. "How could I have forgotten? We've been sentencing more people to death! Such an accomplishment!"
"Hey!" Takemichi has the audacity to glare back at her. "At least we're-"
"Doing our best? Trying our hardest? Well, it's not enough, and apparently it never will be."
"I can't give up, Nakano! I just... I can't... I don't want to see them die over and over." Nakano stays quiet this time, too tired to even verbally fight back at this point. "I have to keep trying. I'm just here to say... If you don't want to do this anymore, I understand." He sticks out his hand. "If you want to go back, I'm not stopping you. But I'm going to keep trying to change the future, and you can't stop me."
Nakano glances at his hand, then back at his face. There's a spark of determination, while his gaze remains gentle towards her. An expression she used to see a lot when they were kids. As she stares into his eyes, she suddenly feels a faint surge of that familiar serenity.
Like that, her expression changes. Her hard exterior drops, and she reveals the sorrow she's been hiding for months. She can't bring herself to care anymore. Slowly, her walls come crumbling down, just as her life did.
"Hah." Nakano gives him a pathetic fake smile. "You have no idea what it's like for me. Not a goddamn clue. But I gotta say." She glances back up at him with a much softer gaze. "Despite my skill and experience, you're miles ahead of me in a different league." She hangs her head low as she feels a hint of guilt. "I know it sounds selfish but... I don't want to do this anymore. I-I'm sorry..."
She suddenly feels two hands gripping her shoulders, momentarily startling her, causing her to lift her head up.
"I should be sorry. I should've known that I shouldn't have brought you into this mess. This is my problem, not yours. You've done enough for me already, and helped me get this far."
He gives her a bright smile.
"You're the best twin sister I could've ever asked for!"
Her heart skips a beat, but she has no time to react when he pulls her into a tight hug. She stiffens beneath him.
'I... I'm sorry... I'm not what you think I am...'
She just pats him on the back, uncomfortable with giving him a hug now that she knows the truth. It just doesn't feel the same to her. Once he releases her, tears have already formed small beads in the corners of his eyes.
'Once a crybaby, always a crybaby, huh.'
"Please take care of yourself, Nakano." His smile is softer, and somehow gives her that sense of calm again. How does he do that? She doesn't have a clue. "Wherever the future may take you, promise me one thing."
She gives him a concerned look. "And that is?"
"Promise me we'll see each other again."
Nakano stares at him for a moment, unsure if she really wants to follow through with that request. "Sure."
"Nakano!"
"Okay, okay." She holds her hands up in defence. "I promise."
'But apparently I suck at keeping them, so don't keep your hopes up...'
Takemichi sighs before letting go of her. "Alright. You ready to go?"
Nakano takes a breath, but a hand appears on her shoulder once again. The two glance over at Seishu, whose eyes are directed at the ground.
"A... Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks her quietly.
"I just want it all to end." She really does. She's so done with all this time leaping and watching people close to her die again and again. It's like losing Vincent over and over again. "Whatever my future holds... I'll just go with it."
Even if she's poor, even if she's a prisoner for murder, or still an assassin, or even dead. She doesn't care. Whatever her future holds, she'll take it. Fate cannot be rewritten, no matter how hard she fights.
She catches a frown from Seishu, but he's quick to replace it with a poker face as he nods and steps away from her. "Very well. Goodbye, Nakano."
Before she can hold out her hand, she turns back to give him a soft, yet genuine smile. "It was nice getting to know you, Seishu. And thank you for staying and listening to me."
She truly is greatful. Even when she knew him for a brief amount of time, she was glad to have met someone who would listen to her rant about her situation. He also comforted her in a way she didn't know she needed.
"Of course," he says with a nod, but she still notices a hint of sadness.
They share one last bittersweet farewell, then Nakano turns back to Takemichi. But... Just looking at him, she's starting to feel that heavy weight again. Her stomach churns, which sparks concern in her.
'No, don't acknowledge. Just leave it behind.' Nakano holds out her hand. 'Leave them behind.'
Along with this odd gut feeling, she suddenly feels a wave of an emotion she constantly feels. Regret. Regret for what? Does she even want an answer to that?
She starts to lift her hand towards Takemichi's. That's when names and faces begin flashing through her mind.
Takemichi, Hina, Akkun, Takuya, Makoto, Yamagishi, Emma, Yuzuha, Draken, Mitsuya, Baji, Hajime, Seishu...
That closed eyed grin replays in her mind. Again, and again, and again, in all the different scenarios she's seen it in ever since she returned. At the fight club, at the Musashi shrine, in the hospital room, on their rooftop.
'... Manjiro.' She clenches her eyes shut, and grips Takemichi's hand. 'Let them go, Nakano. You have to let them go. Let them live their lives. Go back to yours.'
That thought sends a jolt of pain through her entire body, and she opens her eyes. She's looking at Takemichi's hand, that's still clasped onto hers, but...
'Wait... What?' Nakano surroundings haven't changed. She's still with the three males she just said goodbye to. 'The hell is going on!?' She loosens her grip, and glares at his hand in utter confusion.
"Na... Na-"
She averts her gaze up to Takemichi. In the heat of the moment, she turns and sprints away from him. Her heart races, not because she's running so fast, but because she's panicking.
'Why didn't the handshake work!? Why can't I go back!? Am I stuck here now!?!'
Amidst her panicked sprinting, the rain drenches her entire body. Her chest feels heavy, and it's weighing her down. The rain has let up a bit and isn't as strong now. But her feet splashing in the puddles make it a struggle to hear anything but that and her heart beating like a bass drum. So difficult that she doesn't notice the motorcycle driving down the street she's crossing.
The high beams eventually reach her, as well as the road trembling beneath her. She lunges forward, and feels something clip her heel as she falls onto the ground. She splashes into a puddle of dirty water.
She props herself up on her forearms. She can still feel the rumbling of the vehicle behind her.
"Well, well, well! Long time no see, Commander's bitch!"
She freezes. 'That voice... Of all times for this fucker to show up, it had to be now!?'
She pushes herself to her feet, and turns around to glare at him, only to see that he's not alone. 'Both of them!?'
Hanma bends down to get up in her face. "What're you doing out here all alone in that puddle? Did you make that~? He must've been good, but I bet I could be better~! ♡"
Nakano just glares back at him, unsure of what to say. Seeing this lanky bastard is the last thing she wants to deal with right now. She then glances over at Kisaki, who's sitting on the backseat of the oddly leopard printed motorcycle.
However, as she's glaring at him, she notices the jacket he's wearing. 'A gang uniform?'
She looks at the Yin Yang symbol, but instead of the circles within the black and white colours, they're writings that she reads as 'Tenjiku'.
'Did they join a different gang?' She tenses, her anxiety only worsening. 'That's not good. That means Kisaki has another plan...'
'So I'll make my own.'
She sharpens her glare in Kisaki's direction. "Who the hell are you."
Hanma's smirk drops, and he straightens up so he towers over her. "Hah? The fuck do you mean, who are we?"
'Are they falling for it, or what?'
On a whim, she devises a plan to make these two think she lost her memory. Her hope is that Kisaki will use that to his "advantage".
"Where's your brother?" Hanma says in an attempt to tease her.
Kisaki glares back at her, which she has no problem with clashing against.
'Bold piece of shit.'
Igniting the fury in her, she drops the glare, and gives him the same face she gave him before she crushed his skull with her bare hands in a previous timeline. She sees him shudder, as if she'll lunge out and kill him at any given moment.
"I have no brother."
Suddenly, there are a set of footsteps splashing towards them. Nakano doesn't look in that direction, but she's dreading to see who it is. If it's any of those three, then it's going to cause some problems.
"Nakano-san!"
'No, Seishu!! Why did you follow me!?'
Keeping a neutral expression, she pretends to not know who he is either. He suddenly puts himself in front of her.
"The hell are you assholes doing with her!?"
"Woah, easy there, dog." Hanma smirks at him.
"I'll ask again." Nakano pushes past Seishu, and looks at all three of them one by one. "Who the hell are you people."
She stops at Kisaki, and holds his gaze. Then, he grins.
That evil fucking grin.
Yes, he's a hundred percent a psychopath.
"We're your friends," Kisaki answers.
Nakano has to stop herself from laughing at this. "If you are my friends, why don't I know who you are."
"Because they aren't your friends, Nakano-san." Seishu stands beside her while glaring at them.
"And you." She glares at him next, still trying to keep up the act. "Who are you to tell me this."
"I'm..." Nakano can see the weight he's carrying because of that hesitation. He already thinks she went back. "Well, you don't remember me. You don't remember anything, and that's why I'm here. I'm going to help you. I promised your br- Take- Uhm, a friend that I'd help you."
Kisaki dismounts the motorcycle and approaches her. A snide grin is plastered on his face as he pushes up his glasses. "He's friends with Takemichi, did you know that?"
He then drops the smirk, and looks straight into her eyes once again. She doesn't like this look as much as she hates the person giving it to her. She can see a plan forming in his eyes, but she isn't quite sure what it is.
'He wants to use me, that's for sure. I won't let him do that, of course, but even if I chose to go with him, what would he do?'
"Takemichi has neglected you again and again. He only sees your strength as something that can kill. But I see it as something of great power. You're special, but he doesn't care to acknowledge that. You two never really got along in the first place. But you know who'd surely be willing to help you? Our leader."
'Pulling out all the stops, huh, Kisaki.'
"Shut up!" Nakano glances at Inupi, who's glaring back at the two. "Nakano, these guys are spitting bullshit. Takemichi would never think that!"
"No. They're right." Nakano speaks in a monotone voice. "I am special. Despite everything I've been through, for that crybaby good for nothing, I'm still alive somehow. He's not grateful for any of it, and tossed me aside for that... Cat boy." She locks eyes with Kisaki. "Take me where you're going. I want to join you."
A grin spreads across Kisaki's face, as evil glimmers in his eyes. "Excellent."
"Wait, Nakano-san!" Seishu takes her wrist, causing her to look at him.
'I'm sorry, Seishu. I have to do this. Don't make it harder than it has to be, and let me go.' She rips her arm away, then forces her hand into the side of his neck. The sheer force knocks him out and he falls to the ground. 'I'm sorry...'
She hears Hanma laugh next to her. "Damn! Desperate mother fucker!! How pathetic! Should I carve my name on his forehead while he's out?"
"Don't waste time with this scum." Nakano says this to save Seishu. The last thing she wants to see whenever she sees him is Hanma's name etched into his forehead. The burn scar is already too much. "Take me where you're going. If you're an enemy of Takemichi and Toman, let me assist you in destroying them."
Kisaki smirks and turns his back on her. "Very well. The meeting is about to begin anyway."
"Wait, how are we supposed to fit three people on a single motorcycle?" Hanma questions.
"Mine isn't too far from here," Nakano responds. The Hanagaki residence may be a bit further from this park, but the hiding place for her motorcycle isn't. "I'll hang onto the back and tell you where to go."
Kisaki quietly groans in annoyance. "Just make it quick. The meeting is going to start soon, and he'll be pissed if we're late. At least we can use you as an excuse for being late."
"Who's 'he'," Nakano questions.
"The leader of Tenjiku, Kurokawa Izana. Now hurry up and get on the bike."
She nods, and all three of them mount up. Hanma takes the driver's spot, Kisaki sits behind him, and Nakano has her back against Kisaki, doing her best not to touch him. This is an odd position in the worst possible circumstance she's ever been in.
'I've learned to make peace with the enemy, but this feels wrong on a whole other level.'
━─━─━━─━「卍」━━─━─━─━
At first, Nakano was rather skeptical about where Kisaki and Hanma were leading her. After retrieving her motorcycle, she followed this match made in hell for half an hour until they reached Yokohama city.
All the riding had dried her off, but she's still a mess. Her clothes are wrinkled, her hair looks like a mansion for a family of birds, and she doesn't have any shoes on, yet again. She's just glad it's dark out now. It's pretty late at night, and it's also still very cloudy.
After a few more turns through the shady area of the city, with fewer people and more buildings turning to rubble, they slow down next to a building. An old school building to be exact. It looks to not have been in use for at least a decade, and was just left here to rot. The windows are covered by either wooden planks or plastic bags, and the cement infrastructure is beginning to crumble. It looks like the set of a zombie apocalypse movie.
They park at the front of the school building, and the first thing Nakano notices are the other motorcycles that are parked here. Not very many though, only eight, so it's not an entire gang meeting.
They leave their bikes, and enter the school building. The place is musty and dark. It's almost as if she's inhaling the shadows these dying walls cast. They pass through the front entrance, where there are old shoe lockers lined up. Then, they open a door that's right ahead. It screeches open, and takes them to an old, square shaped courtyard.
As Nakano follows Kisaki and Hanma, she looks at the people that have acknowledged their presence. She counts eight people here, just as many bikes she saw outside when they showed up.
They're gathered around a broken fountain at the centre of the courtyard, and Nakano takes in their faces. The most noticeable ones are two pairs.
The first pair she saw at Bloody Halloween, but they were only spectators. The Haitani brothers, if she recalls Chifuyu's explanation correctly. She notices an expression of shock on their faces, before glancing at each other with an uneasy look.
'Right, they were there when I killed almost half of the former Moebius members...'
On the opposite side of the path leading to the fountain, standing with different guys, are two people she used to see as allies. She doesn't entirely remember their names, but she recalls that they were the Fifth Division Captain and Vice-Captain.
'Fucking traitors...' She keeps her words and feelings to herself, and hides them behind sealed lips and an uncaring expression.
The rest don't really stand out to her. That is, until she reaches the front. There's a guy standing next to the fountain. He has rare heterochromatic eyes, and a massive scar across his face that reaches over his left eye.
Sitting next to him on the fountain ledge, is a guy with tanned skin. He has white hair in an undercut style. He wears hanafuda earrings on both his ears. When he looks up, she sees his striking purple eyes.
'The guy on the fountain has to be Izana.' She assumes so because of the way these guys gather around him.
"You're late," Izana says with an expression she can't quite describe. Is it his neutral resting face?
"We almost brought you roadkill, but we have a new and valuable member with us now." Kisaki glances back at Nakano, and she steps forward. "I'm sure you've heard of her, Izana. The 'Sinister Sister', and the one behind the carnage of Bloody Halloween. Toman's former Sixth Division Captain after Hanma, and the Eleventh Generation Black Dragons Commander after Shiba Taiju. Hanagaki Nakano."
Everyone is silent for a moment. The air is tensing up. Nakano's presence weighs upon everyone in attendance.
"Toman and the Black Dragons, huh." Izana averts his amethyst gaze upon Nakano. His stare is ice cold, but she has no problem rivaling it with her own fiery one. "I've had history with both of those gangs. They're strong indeed. But why would you leave them and join us? Perhaps you're a spy for them?"
'Already suspecting me, huh.' Nakano doesn't hesitate or falter. "I want nothing to do with Toman. Not when he's with them." She begins her charade.
"And who is this 'he'?" Izana presses on.
"Hanagaki Takemichi, First Division Captain of Toman. My... Brother." She implies this sarcastically.
"Oh? What an odd tone of voice for such a word. Why is that?"
"Why do you think," she sasses him, but continues. "Ever since I returned to Japan, I have dedicated my life to protecting my twin brother. I only recently learned that I had no twin brother to protect in the first place. He made me waste my life." Her eyes sharpen into a glare.
"So I'll end his."
There's a pause, before Izana smiles at her. Though, it's not as unsettling as Kisaki's mischievous grin. "You've come to the right place when it comes to seeking revenge for being lied to your whole life."
Izana stands up from the ledge of the fountain, and approaches Nakano. He stops right in front of her, looking at her with an amused glint in his eyes, before bending down to meet her height. "Welcome to Tenjiku, Kurokawa Nakano."
Nakano raises a brow at him, so he continues. "Well, you're not a Hanagaki, so I'll give you a new name. From now on, your name is Kurokawa Nakano." He pats her on the head, but she knows she's in no place to fight back.
"My little sister."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Oh SHIT-
Nakano went from Izana kinny to Izana's little sister. Also, that part where Nakano almost got run over by Hanma and Kisaki, I had to change Inupi's explanation in the previous chapter. You don't have to read it now since you've already seen this one. I just ought to let you know in case you were confused.
Anyway, so ab chapter ***
Wait, what chapter?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Never seen that chapter.
Never even heard of it.
But you wanna know what I have heard of?
❕QUICK NOTICE❕
So!! I made a blooper book for Keep Fighting!! I just thought this book would be a fun break from the depression Tokyo Revengers and Keep Fighting has probably given us. If you haven't seen it already, come check it out if you want! I've gotten up to chapter 5 as of this update.
Also, if you have questions for our characters, like Nakano, Takemichi, Mikey, or even me, the Author, feel free to DM me! I have "interview" chapters in that book as well! It may sound stupid, but like, I thought it would be fun!! Just let me know where in the story your question may have been based on, just so I know where to place it, because I follow the story's timeline. (For example, in the blooper/interview on chapter 10, they know nothing about chapter 66)
Alright, that's it for me. I'm gonna go back into my depressed fetal position while I forget a certain manga chapter.
See you next chapter!!
- tokyoavenger 💜