> April, 11th. Monday.
Akira stared blankly at himself in the bathroom mirror, dressed in his new uniform, his hair unkempt like yesterday. Crossing his arms over his chest, he sneered, tilting his head to the side.
"What's up, fukcers. I'm the big bad transfer student," he chuckled menacingly. The chuckle soon turned into an awkward laugh as he covered his heated face with both hands. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and tucked his hands into pockets. He had to be serious—first impressions are everything!
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Akira Kurusu," Akira began with a confident smile. "I'm not familiar with the area, so I would be much obliged if you could all take care of me." There was a pause. Akira groaned as he ruffled his hair in frustration. No matter what he did, his speeches either sounded awkward or he was just screwing around and not taking it seriously. Massaging his face, Akira sighed and stepped out of the bathroom, giving up. As long as he smiles and keeps it short, he'll be fine.
Akira walked upstairs to his room and pulled out a small medication bottle from his bag, popping it into his mouth. Once swallowed, he got on his knees in front of the window and made a prayer for his mother. It was an everyday ritual for Akira to pray for health and safety from God, as he was raised to do so with his mother. His father didn't necessarily have any religious beliefs (despite participating in shinto rituals), unlike his mother who was a very faithful Christian. Preferring his mother much more than his father, he decided to follow her, wanting the comfort that religion brings.
Once Akira had finished praying, he got up, grabbed his bag and headed downstairs. A rather spicy aroma wafted to him as he inched closer to the cafe. Much to his surprise, Sojiro had arrived and the kitchen was filled with steam.
"Good morning," Akira greeted with a bow. Sojiro looked up and blinked.
"Oh, so you actually are going to school?" Sojiro asked, sounding rather genuinely surprised. Akira nodded, trying to hide the fact that he was nervous. Sojiro hummed in interest, looking down at his hands. "...Here, I'll feed you. Just make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in."
Akira blinked in surprise before nodding, taking a seat in front of Sojiro. Sojiro walked over to the kitchen and scooped up something that Akira couldn't see and walked back, placing a fresh plate of curry down in front of him. It smelled delicious and Akira was more than grateful to have something to eat in the morning, but... Why curry?
"What's that reaction for? Just eat it," Sojiro instructed. Akira flinched and nodded obediently, picking up a spoon and scooping up a small amount of rice. After taking a bite, Akira found himself having difficulties to stop and began shoveling it down. He could taste complex flavors within the bold spiciness, his face brightening as they danced in his mouth. He couldn't help but look disappointed at his plate when he finished his meal. Not noticing the expression, Sojiro grabbed the plate and waved his hand dismissively at Akira.
"It's time for you to go," he pointed out. Akira stood up and smiled widely.
"Thank you for the meal! It was delicious, I'm wide awake now!" Akira chirped, practically beaming. Sojiro was a little surprised to see the boy smile so and couldn't help but return a sheepish grin.
"Thanks... Now hurry over to school. You'll end up late if you get lost on the way," Sojiro instructed. Akira nodded happily and with his head held high and walked out the door. Exiting, he noticed that the shop sign was still on "CLOSED". Closing the door, Akira decided to flip it over to "OPEN" so that the old man wouldn't have to do it later. With that, he pulled out his phone, opened Navi Maps and made his way to his first train station: Yongen-Jaya.
Upon arriving at the station, Akira noticed that there were a lot more people than the other day, when he had to ride the train. It was mostly filled with business men, but there were quite a few teens his age. Sadly, none of them wore the same uniform.
When the train arrived, a hoard of people stepped out much to Akira's surprise, and in exchange everyone who waited stepped in. As Akira shyly stepped inside with the others, he noticed that there wasn't much room inside. When he stepped a foot in, he knew that he was going to have to stand right by the doors. Removing his bag, Akira hugged it close to his chest and stood right by the right door. There car was packed with people—just like the rumors had said!—but there was still enough space for him to relax and breathe. The doors soon closed and began to run.
As excited as Akira was to experience the rumors, he knew that he was going to fall asleep if he didn't find something to distract him. Looking around, he noticed that the train was showing the news up on some LCD screens above the train doors. He didn't want to waste the efforts of actually paying attention to whatever horrible things were happening, but based on what the screens were showing, it seems like there are still some lingering effects from yesterday's accident.
Akira soon arrived to Shibuya. Looking at his phone, it said that he had to change lines to Ginza, which was on the upper floor. Exiting the train with a mass of people, Akira made his way upstairs peacefully. The upper-floor was bustling with shops and resting stations, a majority of men dressed in business suits seemingly grumpy over something. Akira paid them no mind however and focused on heading over to the Ginza line. Following the signs hanging in the air by wire cables, he managed to find the sign that pointed him in the right direction. However, it seems that they were cleaning and he had to find another way.
Just my luck... Akira sighed. Looking around, he decided to head up a flight of stairs to the station square where he noticed a woman being filmed. By the look of her formal attire, she was a news reporter. Passing them, Akira walked to the Teikyu building and headed up the flight of stairs and soon managed to find the Ginza line after walking through another resting station.
Akira rushed through the hall when he noticed his train accepting passengers, once again holding his bag to his chest as he waited right beside the door. The train then took him from Shibuya to Aoyama-Itchome, a station that was relatively close to the school according to the Navigation app. Akira smiled to himself, glad that he managed to make it in one piece. Walking up the stairs with other teens wearing his uniform, he soon noticed that they began to run. Looking up, he saw that it was raining. Akira stopped at the step and blinked. He didn't have an umbrella...and he was sure that no one was going to lend him, a perfect stranger, one. Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed and casually walked through the rain. As he walked, the rain began to pour, causing Akira to run for cover under a nearby buildings awning.
Akira cursed under his breath as he began brushing his clothes. Thankfully for him, his shirt managed to remain dry and wasn't soaked with rain water like he had thought. Relieved, he shook his head to get his wet bangs out of his eyes. Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he removed his glasses that were covered with droplets and began to wipe them. While doing so, he noticed a figure run over to him, stopping beside him. Akira blinked in slight surprise, staring at her blankly. Based on the slender body, Akira concluded that the figure was a girl, a white hood covering her head as she brushed off the rain from her shoulders.
The school uniform she were wearing was modified, a black blazer over a white varsity-like hoodie worn long to cover a good chunk of her thigh which was covered with red tights. Her hoodie has a zipper, a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, and S symbol near the front bottom on one side. Placing his glasses back on, he blinked in surprise when the girl suddenly removed her hood.
Just as he predicted, it was a girl who was rather beautiful with fair, flawless skin. Her eyes were bright blue like that of a clear summer day's sky, wavy long ash-blonde hair bouncing on her head. Akira was rather fond of her uniform, admiring its fashion. The girl, who had been looking up at the sky to see if the rain would let up soon, when she noticed Akira staring at her. Looking over at him, the two locked eyes for a moment. Akira blinked before nodding hello. The girl smiled and nodded hello back, looking away to stare at the road.
Akira looked down at his bag, pulling out his phone. He couldn't help but glance back at the girl. It only lasted for a second, but it felt like a century to him. The girl's smile was innocent and filled with warmth and kindness despite the fact that they were perfect strangers.
It'd be nice if we could be friends... I'd be lucky if she attended the same school as me, Akira thought to himself, the idea brought hope to his heart. Looking back at his phone, wondering if whether or not he should ask what school she went to, he noticed that the strange app from before had opened up and was covering a majority of his screen. Akira clicked his tongue and attempted to open the code to reprogram it. But for some reason, his phone refused to cooperate with him as the screen seemingly froze.
Turning back to the girl, he opened his mouth to try and ask her if she had the same app when a car pulled up to the curb, catching their attention. The driver rolled down the window and peered out, revealing a man with dark curly hair, a large nose, relatively handsome dark eyes, and a large squarish chin.
"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late," the man offered. Akira blinked, wondering if he was talking to him.
As if to answer for him, the girl walked over to the car, muttering a polite, "Um sure, thank you." Akira blinked rapidly in surprise, startled if he should pull her back. After all, it wasn't necessarily a normal thing to do in this sort of situation. But perhaps they knew one another? Before Akira could make up his mind, the girl was already sitting in the car. The driver fixed his gaze on Akira and smiled.
"Do you need a lift too?" he asked. Akira gasped softly in surprise, smiling nervously.
"N-No thank you, I'm alright," he said, nervously as he waved a thank you. The man nodded in reply and began to roll up the passenger window, where Akira noticed that the girl didn't exactly have a warm expression on her face like last time. As the car veered from the curb, a blonde haired boy sprinted past him with a bit of a limp, missing the car by a fraction of a second.
"Dammit... Screw that pervy teacher," he panted. Akira raised a brow and blinked.
"...Pervy teacher?" he repeated. He suddenly felt his phone vibrate, but he decided to ignore it. The boy turned around and locked eyes with him, his gaze filled with suspicion. The boy then approached him, his short eyebrows furrowing. Akira glanced down, noticing that he was a student with a modified uniform as well. He wore a black blazer that was unbuttoned to reveal a yellow t-shirt with a comic style star symbol and the word 'ZOMG!' printed on. He wore similar plaid trousers as Akira did that were rolled up to reveal his ankles, black suspenders hanging down.
"...What do you want?" the boy sneered. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"
"Kamo...shida?" Akira repeated slowly, slightly intimidated by the vulgar boy's tone. "What do you mean?" The boy threatening expression relaxed, replaced by confusion.
"Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida..." he began. "He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is—the kind of a castle?! Ugh, don't you agree?" Akira blinked in surprise.
"He's a king of a castle? W-Which castle?" Akira asked, oblivious to the boy's words. The boy nearly fell in response, shaking his head.
"No, I-I mean..." the boy began. He suddenly stopped, looking Akira up and down. "...Wait. You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?"
"I think so...?" Akira replied awkwardly. In all honesty, he almost forgot that the name of his new school was Shujin Academy. The boy crossed his arms over his chest, starting to feel annoyed.
"...You messin' with me? You're wearing a Shujin uniform," the boy pointed out. Before Akira could reply, the boy took a step forward to him and noticed the emblem on his chest pocket. "A second-year, huh... We're the same grade then. Never seen you before though..."
"Uh, I probably should have pointed this out sooner... But I just transferred here," Akira explained, laughing awkwardly. The boy nodded slowly in reply, now understanding the situation. He then clicked his tongue and rubbed the back of his head.
"Then no wonder you don't know him..." he sighed. He felt a little exhausted having to go through all of that just to realize that he was talking with a newbie. He looked up at Akira, noticing they were at eye-level with each other, and motioned for him to follow. "This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late." Akira nodded, pocketing his phone.
Suddenly, a wave of pain shot through his head, causing him to pinch the ridge of his nose. The other boy stopped and cradled his head, whimpering a quiet complaint. Did he also feel a headache coming on? With a sigh, he began to walk down the street, to which Akira followed from a distance behind.
> > > < < <
Akira sighed as he rubbed his temple, opening his eyes to see the gray haired woman staring at him, having listened to his story so far with a grain of salt. Readjusting in her seat, she decided to ask a question—resting her elbows on the edge of the table.
"...There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember it, don't you?" she asked. "I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the psychotic break down incidents."
Akira stared at her, absorbing her words, before pinching the ends of his bangs, replying "I might." The woman scowled, not appreciating his tone. But she soon sighed and tried to relax, reminding herself that the poor boy had gone through enough tonight with the police brutality and the drugs.
"It was all over the news and one of the victims included a teacher a your high school. I've no doubt you heard about it," she began, sitting up straight. "On that day...were you still an 'ordinary' student?" Akira continued to pinch his bangs, twisting the black strands in silence. The woman unconsciously grabbed a chunk of her own long, gray hair and began to fondle it, somehow mesmerized by Akira's actions.
"...Let me change the question," she sighed, causing Akira to glance at her. "You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct? An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city...that's what it should've been. What happened around that time? Tell me everything—truthfully."
Akira squeezed his hair for good measure before letting out a sigh as he pushed himself back to lean on the chair's back. He was exhausted and could really use a nap... but to satisfy the woman, he decided to continue, though doubtful that she would accept whatever he was to say next...
> > > < < <
Akira followed the vulgar boy without much thought, his eyes mostly focused on the way that the boy walked. He clearly had a limp and it really stood out, the way his head would bop up and down unrhythmically with each step. Akira couldn't help but wonder why the guy had a limp. Was it a fight? A simple stretching error? Or was he trying to do something heroic and only got his ass busted? The curiosity was tugging at Akira in so many different it was starting to annoy him.
As the two continued walking, Akira suddenly stopped, blinking in surprise. Something felt... off. Looking around, Akira noticed that the two had entered a narrow alleyway, the rain no longer falling. Akira began to sweat, wondering if it was really such a good idea to follow a random stranger who claimed to be form the same school as his new one...
"Wha—?!" Akira heard the boy say from a distance. Blinking in surprise, Akira quickly strides down the alleyway, making it to the other side where he saw the boy staring at a large, western style castle. Akira couldn't help but gasp in awe, stopping right beside the boy. It was no school, but he would most definitely sign up if they were offering royal tutors to teach random kids.
"We didn't...come the wrong way though..." the boy muttered, looking back form the way they came to the castle. Following his gaze, Akira noticed that the alleyway had several turns and corners, suggesting that there could have been other openings.
Looking at the boy, he asked, "You sure?"
"Yeah, this should be right..." the boy replied with a sincere tone of confusion. "What's goin' on...?" Looking at the castle, the two boys looked at each other and nodded. Akira began to turn around to head back.
"I guess we'll just have to go and ask," the boy hummed, causing Akira to turn back around to follow him.
Upon entering the castle with the doors, strangely enough wide open for anyone to enter, Akira could tell that he would definitely like to stop by again. It had a rather medieval atmosphere to it, which really appealed to him. The floor was plastered with black and blue-gray diamond tiles, cloaked with a red and golden edge carpet, marvelous crystal chandeliers and candelabras hanging from the high ceiling, flattering red curtains draping here and there; but the area that deserved most praise was the grand staircase that stood before them, behind two silver-colored pillars—a charming, yet somewhat peculiar painting of a prince charging to battle hanging in the middle, above the stairway. The way it was so boastfully exposed earned some mental praise from Akira, alongside the confusion of the situation.
"Th-That's weird... Where's the school...?" the boy asked, scratching the back of his head, to no one in particular. Turning his attention to the boy, Akira couldn't help but sigh and rub the back of his neck.
"Are you sure you didn't make a wrong turn?" Akira asked in exhaustion. He was starting to doubt this guy and his sense of direction...
"N-No! This has to be it!" the boy replied nervously. It was clear to see that he was confused about the situation as well, but at least had a strong will that this was indeed the location of the school. "I mean, it... should be..."
Hm, assumed too soon. The boy then stuffed a hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
"Out of service? Where'd we end up...?" the boy asked, now in shock and possible fear. Not turning to Akira, he asked, "The sign was for the school, right?"
"Uh, sorry... I wasn't really paying attention..." Akira replied, pinching the ends of his bangs. He didn't see the sign for the school on the castle, but he did notice a sign on their way that said 'Shujin Academy' meaning that it was nearby.
"Ugh, are you for real?!" the boy snapped, nervously. Akira rubbed the back of his head in apology when he noticed a body of what appeared to be armor with a blue, sad mask approaching them. Pointing at it, the boy blinked and followed its direction, gasping in surprise when the suit of armor stopped right in front of him. A closer look at it, Akira noticed that it had a longsword in one hand and a large shield in the other. The way that it stood didn't exactly seem all that...friendly. Akira gripped his bag strap nervously, putting up his guard.
"Geez, you freaked me out..." the boy sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "...Who're you? You a student?" Akira couldn't help but raise a brow at the boy's lacking "Man, your costume's impressive... Is that armor real? C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'... H-Hey, what's goin' on here?"
"...This your kink or something?" Akira asked teasingly as a way to break the tension. However, due to his nervousness, it came off really really awkward.
"Is now really the time to be jokin'?!" the boy snapped, not appreciating Akira's attempts. The body of armor took a step forward, similar to that of a soldier, causing the two to become rigid. "...This shit's real."
The group of soldiers, almost as if activated by the boy's words, pointed their spears and broadswords at them. Akira blinked in surprise, his companion yelping in surprise and arising fear.
"C-Calm down! Time out, man!" the boy shouted, clearly in distress. He then backed up to Akira, his breathing noticeably heavy, and shouted: "We gotta run!" Akira stared blankly at the boy, unsure of how to deal with the situation.
"Stop standin' around and run!" the boy snapped, pushing Akira, causing the two to turn to the entrance to try and escape, only to be surrounded by more guards. "Ugh, what's with these guys!?"
"You are unauthorized to be here!" one stated with unquestionable authority.
"Capture them!" another demanded. Akira's heart began to race, terrified of what this could result in. The soldiers draw closer, surrounding them in a tight circle to prevent them from running anywhere. The boy brought his arms up in a boxing pose, but he knew just as much as Akira that there was no way he could stand against them. The closest one to the boy bashes him in the back with its shield, knocking him to the ground.
"Whoa—hoy!" Akira couldn't help exclaiming, looking frantically back and forth between the soldier and the boy. Paying no mind to Akira, the soldier forcibly grabbed the boy's arm, the sound of stiff muscles popping and possible bones grinding upon each other was heard.
"Oww...! Y-You're gonna break my bones, dammit!" the boy whimpered, trying to get up and resist the soldier's forced actions. Akira decided to try and help, glaring at his opponent before taking a step forward. Suddenly, he felt a numbing pain from the back of his head, the world around him growing dark as he collapsed onto the ground. The last thing he could see was vivid blonde hair.
> > >
Floating in an abyss of darkness, Akira could feel something warm hold onto her right arm. It felt... gentle and caring. Almost conquered. It was an old feeling—one he thought he would never feel again. It had been a good amount of time by now since someone has hold his arm like that. Opening his eyes, Akira could see a blurred figured standing over him, golden rays surrounding its head. Blinking the blur away, the figure became clear—a dumb yet cute face leering down on him with slight concern.
"Hey, you good?" the boy asked, shaking Akira's arm. There was a small pause of silence before Akira readjusted his glasses... and suddenly let out a scream of realization—the boy also screaming, but in shock/surprise. The boy jumped back as Akira jolted up, shortly cupping his head as a shockwave of pain overtook him.
"What the hell is your problem, man?!" the boy barked, sounding very annoyed with Akira's unusual antics. Akira rubbed the back of his head and looked over at the boy, giving a weary smile.
"S-Sorry, bad dream surfaced to real world... You alright?" he asked. The boy let out a loud sigh, his body flopping forward in an almost cartoonish way.
He stood up straight and stuffed his thumbs into his pockets, replying with a mere "Yeah."
Looking around, Akira realized that they were imprisoned in what appeared to be a medieval cell; barrels sitting beside the cell door, rope, and what appeared to be shackles hanging from the walls. He noticed that their bags were inside with them, sitting atop the barrels. It looked almost as if they were on a movie set with the rather fine, almost disturbing, amount of detail their surrounding environment and objects had. Looking down, he saw that he had been laying on a cot.
Flinging his legs off, standing up, and brushing his clothes; he asked, "How long have we been out?"
"I dunno," the boy replied, looking around with clear agitation. "Damnit, where are we?! Is this some kind of TV set...?"
The boy walked over to the cell bars and began to bang on them, yelling, "Let us outta here! I know someone's out there!" to anyone—if there was anyone—nearby. Akira crossed his arms over his chest, taking in his environment. Walking over to the left wall, he reached out, touching the shackles hanging. Cold. Smooth. Metal. He lifted it, pulling away from the wall as hard as he could, causing the chains to clang together like little imps laughing.
Damn. I don't think these are just props on a set... he thought, noticing the subtle weight the shackles had.
"H-Hey, are those...? Don't they use 'em for torture and stuff?" the boy suddenly asked, uneasily. Well, it was one way to put it... Akira nodded in reply, letting the shackle fall back to the wall, laughing once again at the impact. It was a real shackle—not a prop by any means. Depending on who rules this castle, the two were going to be tortured or even executed... Or even receive the other end of a stick. When a scream suddenly echoed in the dungeon, he could feel sweat accumulating on his forehead, his glasses fogging just a tad. He rushed up to the bars, holding onto the bars beside the boy and looking down the corridors, but they could not see the owner of the screams.
"The hell was that just now...?" the boy began. More anguished screams erupt from somewhere deeper in the dungeon, as if answering for him. The boy shook his head, his grip noticeably tightening with—what can only be—fear. "Whoa... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... You're shitting me right?"
Suddenly, a set of armored soldiers clustered to the front of their cage.
"You're lucky your charges have been quickly decided. You're charged with unlawful entry. Thus, you will be sentenced to death" they say simply.
"Say what?!" the boy shouted in shock. Akira could only stand there in a stunned silence. He called it, and yet he couldn't help but swallow anxiously. Th-There was no way... Were they really going to die?
"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle," a distorted voice suddenly stated. The soldiers parted in the middle, allowing a strange man with bright yellow eyes to walk up to their cage. Akira blinked in disgust, internally screaming as he noticed that the man wore a crown on his head and a tight pink speedo along with an extravagant cape. If they were being tortured before the execution, then it was starting right now.
"Huh? Wait..." the boy began, sweating in disgust and shock. "I-Is that you, Kamoshida?"
"Kamoshida?" Akira repeated. He thought back to the strange man from before, comparing the two in her head. Facially, they certainly appeared to be the same. But something was rather off about the one standing before him.
The strange Kamoshida before them huffed, crossing his arms over his bare chest, uttering "I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto..."
Sakamoto. So that's his name, Akira thought, making a mental note to himself.
"Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?" Kamoshida asked in mock innocence. Akira glanced over at Sakamoto, spotting a split second tension from him. The two has some history, huh?
"And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything for yourself," Kamoshida commented, causing Akira to glance back over at him. The two locked eyes, Kamoshida's gaze winning the battle of intimidation—causing Akira to break the gaze by looking away.
"That ain't funny, you asshole!" Sakamoto snapped, his teeth gritting against each other. Kamoshida glowered down at them, giving him an appearance of fearful authority.
"Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me—the king!" he growled, clearly upset. "The punishment for that... is death." Waving an arm out, his cape fluttering with almost a sense of grace. "It's time for an execution! Take him out!"
The soldiers rattled against the bars, surprising the two. Sakamoto began to step back, sweat rolling down his jaw. Akira looked back and forth between the incoming guards and Sakamoto, his legs unable to move despite his brain telling them to do so.
"W-Whoa, what? S-Stop it...!" Sakamoto whimpered softly. The soldiers opened the cell door and forced their way in, heading straight towards Sakamoto. Before they knew it, they surrounded Sakamoto. Akira couldn't do anything but stare stiff as they closed in on him.
"...Goddamnit...!" Sakamoto muttered under his breath. With amazing strength, he rammed into one of the soldiers. It clattered to the ground, leaving an opening for him to get out. "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!"
Sakamoto gestured at Akira to run towards the cell door. But before Akira could even react, Sakamoto was sucker punched in the gut by one of the other soldiers. Sakamoto groaned, coughing violently and gulping large chunks of air, desperate to stabilize his trembling body. He fell slowly to his knees, using his right hand to keep himself up. As he struggled, the soldiers regrouped around him, Akira gritting his teeth. Sakamoto was doing what he could to escape—now was not the time to cower!
"Leave him alone!" Akira barked, rushing forward towards a soldier and tried pushing one away. But to no avail.
"Just go! Get outta here...! These guys are serious!" Sakamoto yelled, not wanting someone else to go down with him. Kamoshida, possibly noticing the still breathing and living boys, walked into the cell. He smirked at Akira, amused that the fool was trying to move one of his men.
"Oh? Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are," Kamoshida snickered, putting extra emphasis on "friend" for extra effect.
Akira turned his head and glared at Kamoshida, about to open his mouth to reply, when Sakamoto huffed: "He ain't a friend..."
Akira flinched and looked at Sakamoto, who despite being a bit beaten up—his gaze was intense and serious. The two of them were just unfortunate souls and nothing more. Akira knew this to be the truth, but he couldn't help feeling hurt. Maybe because he was hoping that the two would one day become friends or maybe because he knew that Sakamoto was just admitting it openly in hopes to save him.
When Akira did nothing, staring blankly back at Sakamoto with those big glasses of his, Sakamoto growled and yelled once more: "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"
"Saka...moto-san..." Akira muttered under his breath. Gaining new confidence, he continued to struggle with the soldier before her, but there was no use. He couldn't let this nice guy just die! He was friend potential!
"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" Kamoshida mocked, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. He turned his attention towards Sakamoto, approaching him as he waved a hand—causing two soldiers to push Akira back against the wall. "Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time."
The soldier gripped Sakamoto's arms tightly, prompting a yelp to escape, the intensity gone from his eyes. Once fully raised, a sadistic grin formed on Kamoshida's face as he slowly waved a fist in front of Sakamoto's face. There was a loud smack, followed by a grunt, shortly after; Akira wincing at the sight.
"Take this! Lowly scum! Useless pest!" Kamoshida laughed as he effortlessly beat down on Sakamoto. Akira was shamefully stuck at his spot, unable to say or do anything, wincing with each smack that resonated in the room. With one more punch, he sent the poor blonde face first to the ground. He was motionless on the ground. Akira flinched, taking a step forward. Kamoshida spat on him, causing Sakamoto's hands to twitch in response. Akira couldn't help but sight softly in relief, Sakamoto looking up at Kamoshida with a weak glare, the damage evident on his face.
"...Hmph. Where'd your energy from earlier go?" Kamoshida asked mockingly, kicking Sakamoto to keep him limp. "A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll have you killed right now."
Akira finally managed to get enough courage and screamed out: "Stop it! Have you lost your mind?!"
Kamoshida hummed in surprise and amusement as he looked over his shoulder, those hallow yellow eyes making him feel a bit unsettled. But he didn't back down.
"What...? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am," Kamoshida asked, sounding genuinely surprised, as he got up in his face. Akira glared at him, hoping his intense emotions would reflect on his lens.
"That look in your eyes irritates me!" Kamoshida growled, punching Akira with a left hook. He managed to hold his ground, suppressing event a grunt so that Kamoshida wouldn't have the pleasure of hearing it.
Kamoshida huffed in annoyance, dissatisfied by the result. Turning back to Sakamoto, the soldiers pushing their shields closer to Akira, he instructed: "Hold him there... After this peasant, it's his turn to die."
"No!" Akira shouted as he tried to crawl underneath the soldiers shields. But the soldiers grabbed him by the arms and slammed his against the wall. He could hear Sakamoto begging—crying, even—to be spared as Kamoshida strode closer to him. His fists tightened, emotions swirling violently inside of him...
This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none
Akira blinked in surprise, glancing up in response to a rather familiar young girl's voice resonating in his mind. A butterfly fluttered carefree before her, its slightly transparent blue body simply mesmerizing.
But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you...
Akira's eyes widened, everything becoming silent. Was there really a...?
What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself?
A voice as strong as a bear's roar resonated within Akira's mind, his heart stopping with fear and surprise.
Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?
Akira's eyes snapped open, the woman's petrified pleas, the predators slurred words, the sound of static, police lights breaking the dimmed streets... How could that choice be a mistake? It wasn't...! Even now, being put in this hell of a situation, he didn't regret anything. He saved that woman! The sudden sound of Sakamoto's struggling brought him back to reality, his head practically turning like a wild animal. He flinched as a soldier raised him from the neck, choking him. It raised its' sword, ready to end his life.
"Don't you dare! He isn't going to die on my watch!" Akira shouted, his voice cracking in a way that ended up making it sound doubled. But Kamoshida and his soldiers didn't pay any attention to him—or rather, they couldn't even hear him. He fiercely flailed against the soldiers that held him in place. His only thought was to save Sakamoto.
Very well... I have heeded your resolve.
Throbbing pain suddenly smacked him in the back of his head, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut and swing his head violently to the side. It was unbearable—sweat down pouring his face like rain, the sound of nails on a chalkboard vibrating from deep within his ears. It felt like his body was being split in half, starting from the head down.
Vow to me.
He wanted to scream out in agony. But he kept his voice inside, gulping large chunks of air like water, stretching his vocals as he suppressed himself.
I am thou, thou art I...
Thou art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!
His body jerked violently as the pain grew in an alarming rate. His skin felt hot, his eyes shifting frantically through closed lids. His pounding heartbeat filled the silence in his ears each time the voice paused.
Call upon my name, and release thy rage!
He threw his head up, soft gasps and whimpers escaping him. They weren't loud enough, however, to bring unwanted attention.
Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own though thou be chained to Hell itself!
The pain ceased as the voice did, but his anger did not leave. It flooded his entire being, powerful enough to have created an entirely new person. Akira couldn't help but crack an almost evil smirk, new confidence and determination filling him.