Warning: it's one hell of a long chapter so be ready for 4624 words 🫡
Also it is re written along with chapters 57 and 58 because I decided to change the plot hehehehehe, so if you haven't re read those chapters I recommend you do because they're entirely different.
Enjoy!
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[Mikey's Pov]
"Toman! Let's gooo!!" I yelled and we all charged at the opposite gang smiling confidently.
A Tenjiku guy came running straight up to me. He launched a punch directed to my face, but I ducked effortlessly, then stood up countering with a swift kick to the right ribs.
"Ack-!" The guy wrapped his hands around his stomach as he fell down.
Then someone came from my right. He launched a punch directed to the side of my face, but I took a step back before kicking him in the side of his head.
He also fell unconscious to the floor, and the adrenaline filled me. 'I forgot how much I love fighting, I kinda missed this.' I thought while I charged at a guy who was heading towards Kenchin, who was fighting with another guy.
I came running up straight in front of him and passed by Kenchin when I jumped and kicked him right in the face. I landed in his face as my blonde partner placed his back against mine.
"Thank you for that. I never saw him coming." He thanked me and I chuckled "Don't worry, these suckers don't know how to fight clean. Now, shall we?"
He grinned as he fought against some other guy after knocking the one from before. I ran towards the man but suddenly another one appeared from the side, which made me have to duck down. Still kneeled down I got on my hands and kicked both Tenjiku members in the face.
Suddenly multiple people yelling startled me. I looked at my side to see Peh rampaging through the crowd, knocking down anyone who got in his way while yelling "Get out of my way!!"
As if they were little flies Peh began beating each one of the Tenjiku members who were close enough to get his hands on.
I smiled proudly as I watched my gang member beat each one of his opponents.
"I'll handle this pests Mikey!" Peh replied when suddenly a dude came running from behind me.
I then swiftly ducked down and kicked him from below in the jaw, knocking him down.
"That was a close one!" Kenchin said as he punched a guy and then dodged a punch.
"Don't get distracted Mikey!" Draken exclaimed.
I looked at him as he punched a dude and he fell unconscious 'so cool!' I thought, and felt like a little kid again. Admiring delinquents beating up each other.
A guy came from my side but I effortlessly punched him in the face, making him fall unconscious (if not dead) with a probably broken nose.
"Let's make a pathway for Mikey!" Souya yelled and suddenly my blood started bubbling. 'Thank you guys...' I thought.
I smiled confidently and nodded as I began to ran towards the blonde who stood up above watching all.
I just punched and kicked anyone who got in my way. I felt like each second that passed as I kicked and punched the ones in my way I was getting closer and closer to the damn blonde.
'This is it Takemitchy, I'll revenge you, and make sure that he suffers like I did when I lost you.' I thought, but that thought was the impulse I needed to keep going. The reason why we were fighting so determinedly right now was so we could avenge our dear friend, dear brother, dear best friend.
"Very impressive, Toman!" Suddenly that voice stopped me from running, I turned my head around to look as Izana stepped on Shion's head. He looked down at him on the floor and added "Shion... you never change, even after two years."
"What happened Mikey? Why did you stop?" Kenchin asked and then followed my gaze up to Izana. "Oh..."
He then lowered his head to look at him more closely "That time when Black Dragon lost to Mikey..." my name in his mouth sounded cold. Full of hate and remorse. "It wasn't because of Mikey's strength, it was because you are fucking weak, aren't you?"
He then got up and walked forward, towards Peh who was beating every Tenjiku member he got his hands on. Most of the opposite gang were gathered around him just to see him fight tirelessly.
"Even at this point," he said and my heart started beating faster with fear. "Even in Tenjiku you are useless."
I felt as if my heart would burst out of my chest. I feared for Peh, I feared that my friend would not get out of this. I don't doubt Peh's strength, but even he compared to Izana is a little flea. I've heard the worst things about him, how he crushed his enemies to death. He is simply in a whole another level.
I swallowed hard before I thought 'he may be even stronger than me.'
"I am acting third division captain! Hayashi Rypuhei!!!!" He yelled and I started to walk towards Izana. Kenchin followed me.
"Move." Izana demanded as he walked by his subordinates, who moved to let him through. Izana walked towards Peh who was knocking out some dudes.
"Move you bastards." I ordered as I got closer to the gathered Tenjiku members. At first the ones who heard me turned around angrily, but when they recognized me they immediately let me through along with Draken.
I was going to watch in first row my friend getting beaten up, but I stayed still. I trust Peh, even if he doesn't win I won't step into the fight, this is his fight. But if things get out of hand... then I guess I will have to step in.
"Well... revenge is totally not my style but," Izana said as he walked towards Peh, who was looking at him threateningly. "Fight me, will you?" Izana asked.
Peh's eyes went blank as he swiftly charged towards the person who I used to consider the closest to me and yelled "Bring it on!!!"
But Izana dodged him easily, effortlessly. Peh fell on his face and was left unconscious pretty quickly.
My whole body froze, so Izana was at that level where he didn't even have to put any physical effort to beat a strong guy like Peh. 'At least he didn't suffer much.' I thought kind of relieved.
"Okey! He stopped moving now!" Izana said and then turned around, looking directly at me with so much flaming rage that I fell as if I was in hell itself.
[Juvenile center: 4 years ago.]
Blood drops fell to the floor from the guy's face, which bled nonstop from being harshly punched by a white haired guy.
He was being choked against the wall as he bled.
"Only you are capable of leading us, Izana." A blonde strong looking guy said, as four more guys stood along him, watching how the lilac eyed guy killed the man.
The abused dropped the body which fell to the floor with a "flop". He then turned around to look at the five men looking at him.
"I wonder, why was Takemitchy here? How did he end up here?" Izana muttered "You have met Takemichi Hanagaki right?" He asked now more loudly so the other five could hear. They all immediately nodded.
"He was here not too long ago, but got out a few weeks ago." The same blonde form before explained.
"He was rather an interesting guy, he was small but really really strong." Another one added.
"And he was only ten, I wonder what got a ten year old in juvie." One of them wondered.
Izana looked at them and smiled, creeping out anyone who looked at him. "Let's find more information about Takemichi and then assemble but until then, let's terrorize some more."
[Back to present]
"Now it's your time to shine! "Era of brutality" Izana said with a smile which would creep out even the most courageous men.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance "Tsk." And immediately turned around. I would deal with Izana later, my number one in my "To beat up/kill" list was Kisaki.
But the second I turned around I was met with Mochi's glare "Yo Mikey! Ready to get beat-?! " but I cut him off when I kicked him in the stomach, making him stumble a few steps backwards while hugging where he had been hit.
"I guess you are still angry I from when I beat up your friends" he said as he chuckled. He slowly stood up as I waited for him to get ready.
"You have no idea how much I waited to fight you invincible Mikey! I'll take off that stupid nickname of yours..." He laughed when he noticed how angry I got. "I haven't felt this adrenaline in years! I-"
But before he could continue he had to block a kick from Chifuyu, who said "Mochizuki! Your opponent is me!"
"Tsk." Kanji clicked his tongue as he said "Can't you see I wanna fight your leader? Get your nose out of my fucking fight-" but he was interrupted when Chifuyu attacked him once again, this time with a punch.
"Do I look like I care?" The blonde asked and then turned to me "Go find the asshole of Kisaki! I'll take care of him! Now go!" He exclaimed and I nodded.
As I ran towards Kisaki I noticed the Haitani brothers approaching Hakkai and Souya.
"You are in the second division?" Ran asked Hakkai, who stopped fighting and turned to look at him. "How's your captain?" He asked and my friend's expression became furious.
"Man, another weak one?" Rin asked as he walked towards the younger Kawata, who then looked at him. "Your brother is the famous one, we're both similar in that aspect, huh?" He said as he took fo his glasses.
'I need to help them!' I thought angrily. I started walking towards the four when suddenly a tall figure got in my way.
I was ready to knock them dead but I realized who it was "Kakucho... right?" I asked with a freezing calmness. "Takemitchy told me you were his childhood friend... Now get off my way.They're gonna hurt-"
"Your opponent is me." Kakucho interrupted me as he stood in firmly in his place.
I stared at him in awe but then I frowned "Get off my way, I don't want to waste my energy in you." I spat but he didn't even flinch.
"Guess I'll be fighting you, former fifth division captain." I suddenly heard Inupi said. I turned my head to look at my left, where the two blondes were standing. "I'll fucking kill you and take Koko back." He added.
When suddenly someone punched him from the side. His eyes opened wide as he looked at the one who punched him, honestly I couldn't believe it either.
"... Koko?" Inupi muttered in surprise.
Koko stood there, in front of his former best friend as Mucho said "I will not be the one fighting you." He then turned around and walked away, leaving the two friends against each other.
Suddenly, with the corner of my eye, I saw Kakucho charging a punch towards my face, which I barely managed to block.
"Manjiro, you have no idea what you've done." Kakucho said as he sent another punch which I easily blocked. "Do you even know who Takemichi is?"
He retreated a few steps as he barely managed to dodge my kick as I replied "Takemitchy seemed to have some soft spot for you... so I told myself not to fight you but...
"Kakuchou... do you know about Takemitchy getting killed? About the accident?" I looked at him in a mix of seriousness and angry.
His eyes were now opened wide open, as I saw how they turned watery in a matter of seconds, but he stood silent as I glared at him.
'He didn't know? Maybe Kisaki ran off before he could check if Takemichi was dead. He did die in the way to the hospital though, so he would only know if he followed us or something. Or maybe Kisaki knew he was dead, but for some reason he didn't tell them.' I thought curiously.
"Takemichi is... dead?" Kakucho muttered while his eyes shook in surprise. He stumbled a step backward as he glared at me, and I glared right back at him without any emotion. "But that- but that can't be- Kisaki told us he survived the attack. That he hit him by accident but he didn't die-"
"Well he fucking lied to you. Takemichi died and someone even stole his corpse." I spat at him angrily. "I can't believe he even cared for you,"
My gaze never left the guy in front of me, not even for one second, "and Takemichy wasn't someone who would trust others easily."
He frowned angrily and now, he was no longer shocked. He now looked as if I had insulted him in the worst way possible. "And what the fuck do you know about Takemichi huh?! Do you even know where he comes from?! The horrible things he lived as a child?! Do you even wonder how he is so good at fighting?! Why he has all those whip scars in his back?!" He yelled and now I was the surprised one.
"I do often wonder how he is so good at fighting, but I assumed it is because he trained since young. About his childhood... " I muttered as I looked at him shocked.
"He never really spoke about it, we asked once but he didn't seem to want to share it so I didn't bother him anymore..." I explained as I looked at my feet but then I glared back at him.
"And I don't know about those whip scars on his back, I've seen his back and he has nothing in it..." I finished and he chuckled angrily.
"Because he covers it up. He has gone through a place worse than hell, where they hated him the most, so he received the worse treatment possible." He responded and once again I was shocked. He was abused as a child?
"Me, Izana, and Takemichi have known each other since we were little kids." Now my eyes were opened as wide as they could when I heard him talk. All this time Takemichi knew Izana on a personal level and he never even spoke a word about it...
"We met at an orphanage, were each day was hell. We would barely get any food nor education, we would get tortured because they fell like it. And for some unknown reason Takemichi was the most hated of all the poor kids there... so he suffered the worst. He would often offer himself to get tortured in my and Izana's place, and he never said anything so we wouldn't feel guilty. Izana taught him most of the fighting he knows, and trained us to become strong. That place made us strong too, the weak kids often died and their bodies were taken. God knows what they did with them."
I couldn't believe the guy's words, why did Takemichi never mention anything about this?
"But it all became worse...
[Flashback: At the orphanage]
"Here you go." The cook said as she took a spoon with some soup of... something that couldn't be recognized, and didn't even fill the scrawny child's plate.
Young Kakuchou swallowed hard when he noticed how small the portion he was given was, but his thoughts were interrupted when the older woman yelled "You already got your part! What are you waiting for?! Move!"
But the kid's feet were glued to the floor, he couldn't move. The rest of the kids on the line waiting for their part of lunch looked at Kakucho, who's dint even move.
The kid with the scar was starving, yesterday there wasn't enough soup for everyone so because of his bad kick he couldn't eat anything in the whole day, even Takemichi and Izana starved too.
"Ummm sorry miss, but yesterday I really didn't get to eat anything..." he started explaining softly. He was shaking in fear, but he felt like he would die. He placed a hand on his stomach, and it made him want to puke when he noticed how skinny he was. "I was kind of- kind of wondering if I could get a little more..."
All the children watched the kid in terror as he asked for more food. They knew what would happen, but they were too scared, too terrified to help him.
"What did you say you little shit?!" One of the cooks said as he walked to the boy, grabbing his ear and started dragging him to the center of the comedor, making him drop his plate.
When the poor quality porcelain plate fell to the floor, it immediately broke and shattered into pieces, dropping also the food in the ground.
Kakucho had never been so scared in his whole life as he was harshly dragged by the woman. Tears started to roll down his cheeks as he begged "No! Please! I'm sorry! I'll never ask anything again! But please don't-"
"Shut up! You're all ungrateful brats! You don't know how lucky you are that we give you food everyday along with a place to sleep!" She cut off the crying kid.
As he cried he felt how she dragged him to a door, and his heart stopped when he recognized where that door lead too... the "punishment" room.
His heart never pounced so quickly, and the terror he felt was one of another world. It wasn't the usual fear you ah e when you watch a movie or when a friends jumps to scare you.
It was a fear that crawled all the way to your bones, and consumed you full. A fear that kept you from thinking or moving. A terror that froze you up, which was so frightening that made him feel as if it had hands, and those hands were wrapped around his neck, making him unable to breath.
He couldn't see clearly, but the instant he heard the door creak open he knew he was done for. The kids who ever complained were never seen again... and his name was going to be added to that list.
When Kakucho thought that he was done for a voice that made him go back to his senses was heard. "Wait!"
Everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice, including the woman and the kid she was dragging. His heart stopped (again) when he saw Takemichi standing up and walking towards them.
"Takemichi!" Izana exclaimed, but the raven boy just kept walked towards the woman.
"Take-Takemichi? What- what are you doing?" He barely managed to form that sort sentence, but the fact he didn't reply frightened Kakucho. He knew exactly what was going on, there was no need to ask.
"Take me instead." Takemichi demanded and the woman looked at him incredulously.
"And why would you do that huh?! Why would you choose to take his place at the punishment room?!" She spat at him as she glared at the kid in front of her.
"I asked him to do it, I told him to get me more soup because I was hungry. It is my fault miss, please punish me instead." He explained with a plain face.
Kakucho couldn't believe what he was seeing, Takemichi was lying for him?! 'No, no, no, no, no! Lying gets even a worse punishment! And to this woman's eyes this is the worse thing that can be done!' He thought.
He tried to scream, to make the words he wanted to say leave his mouth, but he was way too frightened to do anything. He looked at his friend, and even though he had a deadly stare and an expressionless face he noticed his hands turned into fists were shaking.
'He is scared too, and yet he stood up for me...' Kakucho thought as more tears flooded his eyes. 'Why am I so useless? He is scared and still he came to confront her and lie about the situation so I could get out, while I'm just here watching my best friend, probably for the last time.'
He bit his lip in frustration, he never felt so useless in his whole life.
"So you forced your fellow brother to get you more food, and made him lie like a coward?! But to be honest, I'm not surprised. This is something I totally expected from you" She threw Kakucho away and grabbed Takemichi's hair, to then quickly start dragging him away. "You will get the worst punishment possible."
Izana ran to Kakucho and kneeled down to check on him. "Kakucho! Are you okey?" He looked at his ear and clicked his tongue. "Tsk. That horrible woman left your ear bleeding. If she did it a bit harsher it might just have popped off."
The younger kid sobbed as he struggled to form the words "Izana -sob- they took -sob- Mitchy because of me... -sob- he's going to die and it's all my -sob- fault."
Izana stared at his crying friend in silence. He couldn't deny that it was Kakuchou's fault, but it was Takemichi's decision to lie.
Izana hugged the younger one and caressed his short dark hair "Shhh don't cry Kakucho, it is not your fault... Takemichi is strong, he won't die... he will be okey."
Izana deeply knew that those words didn't only mean to convince Kakucho. He was trying to convince himself of that.
'Don't you dare die Mitchy... cause if you do, then I'll be fucking lost without you.' The white haired kid thought as he kept on tightly hugging his younger friend.
• • •
Only a few minutes have passed since they last saw their friend, and the two were inside the room. Silence invaded the place as both didn't know what to talk of. After all it was their friend who was being tortured right now.
But then Kakucho decided to finally speak up. "I have a plan." He said and Izana looked up from the floor to his friend. "Really? A plan to what?" He asked.
"To help Takemichi." Kakucho explained and the older one just sighed and looked away. "There is nothing we can do about this Kakucho. This is not some game, he might actually die if we interfere..."
"And what if we don't?!" Kakucho yelled "What if the reason he dies is because we didn't do anything?! We have to get out of here and-"
But Kakucho couldn't finish his sentence because a loud yell interrupted him. Both kids froze; they knew who was the owner of the yell...
Another cry of pain was hard along with whipping sounds.
Kakucho covered his mouth with his hands as tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. He started sobbing as big fat tears came out of his eyes. He got to the closest corners and cried as both heard the cried and yells of pain that belong to their friend along with awfully loud whipping sounds.
They don't know for how long it has been, but it felt like hours before the yelling finally stopped. In all that time the sun had set down and none of them had spoken.
Soon loud steps where heard as the door of their dorm opened, and a bunch of men threw the poor black haired kid to the room.
Izana and Kakucho rushed over their friend as the door was harshly closed.
"Takemichi!!" Both yelled as tears began to fill Kakucho's eyes again. He cried the whole time as he heard his friend getting tortured and had just recently stopped crying.
The scrawny kid tried to sit up but he only fell. "Takemichi! Stay still! Let me look at you-" but Izana couldn't finish his sentence when he saw Takemichi's back.
He covered his mouth and his eyes shook. Kakucho could only cry more as he looked at away.
The kid's back was destroyed. It was all red, dripping what probably were tons of blood, some parts of fresh flesh could be seen along with some bone.
Izana walked to be in front of Takemichi to look at his face, but he could only see the pair of blue eyes dead. No light, no shine, he could easily pass by as a corpse.
"Oh my... Takemichi... what did they do to you?" Izana sobbed as he grabbed his friend's head and buried it in his shoulder as he hugged his best friend's head since he couldn't touch his back.
[End of flashback]
[Mikey's Pov]
I looked at Kakucho, and felt like my own eyes were starting to tear up, but I wouldn't dare, I couldn't.
"Takemichi then recovered, it took him months, but he did in the end. The medics said it was a miracle that he was still alive. His back was practically destroyed." Kakucho explained "After that when Takemichi was eight, he was taken away and we never saw him again for six years. Izana and me a year after he disappeared, we escaped that hellhole and decided to look for him. Afterwards Izana got sent to juvie, where he met the other S-62 generation members. We also found out that in that week the day before Izana's arrival Takemichi was freed. Everyone in the S-62 gen knows Takemichi, so he clearly is part of the S-62 gen. He seemed to become close with most of them during his time in juvie."
"And Tenjiku was created to find Takemichi, so he could be where he really belongs. Well, where he belonged I guess." Kakucho finished explaining.
I was angry, like fuming angry. Why did Takemichi never mention this? So he was part of the S-62 generation, had an intimate relationship with Tenjiku and Izana?!
Was Takemichi betraying me all this time?! Was he always on Tenjiku's side?!
I started breathing heavily, Kakucho remained serious. "Izana can't know Takemichi is dead though... if he knew, he would probably go crazy." He muttered softly but I couldn't control myself anymore.
All k could do was see red, I felt so blinded, so used, so betrayed. I trusted Takemichi more than anyone in the world, I thought the was the most loyal guy I knew. But guess what, he was loyal to my enemy, not to me.
All the self control I once had vanished completely, and before I knew in a blink of an eye Kakucho was laying unconscious on the floor. His nose was bleeding, his cheek was red and blood came out of his nose.
When I regained consciousness in my mind and control of my body I noticed everyone was looking at me surprised. Toman members not really, but Tenjiku members eyes were big as watermelons.
Many whispers stormed the crowd. "What?! Kakuchou, the strongest of the heavenly kings, has been defeated with one punch?!" And "Is the invincible Mikey really that strong?!" Could be heard in the Tenjiku members.
I looked one last time at Kakucho before muttering to myself "Now, I need to get Koko to re-join Toman..." I knew it was Takemichi's wish to bring him back, and he was a traitor, but still I felt the necessity to make Koko join Toman once again.
"I don't think he will be able to get Kokonui back." Mucho said as he appeared behind me. I quickly turned around, ready to block an attack, but he was approaching me calmly. "That guy chose to be in Tenjiku himself."
"What...?" I muttered surprised and looked at Koko and Inupi. "What do you mean?" I asked, two betrayals in one day? I didn't get to know Koko that much in a personal way, but it still kinda hurt.
"It is what you heard Mikey.
Koko chose to be in Tenjiku... himself."
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"The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies."
- Aldrich Amese