Chapter 29
Pledge of Demon
The battle raged in the courtyard. Dozens of men on both sides screamed in pain and fury amidst the breaking of bones, the clangs of swords, and the explosions of gunfire. Blood stained the pavement as bodies fell left and right. Throats were sliced open, legs shot by stray bullets before the unfortunate victim was executed by another. Death cries rang out into the night, long and billowing and desperate, and this was the scene that four of the Six Black Heavens Guns ran out into.
"This is madness," said Haru. "We can't fight against all of this ourselves! How are we going to get to Yusuke?"
Ann added, "I can hardly tell who's on our side and who we're fighting."
Ryuji cracked his knuckles confidently. "Any one of them that's turned traitor, I'll kick every goddamn one of their asses."
"Sakura-san," Makoto spoke up, "is there any other way out of this compound if we require an evacuation?"
"There is," Sojiro nodded. "Through the courtyard in the back, there's an emergency exit. But I am not leaving my family here to fight this war alone."
"Do you mean your crime family or Futaba?" Makoto pressed him, which was repaid with a glare.
"Both," Sojiro said.
"Then help up save Yusuke," Makoto stood closer to him, glaring into his eyes. "He needs all of us."
Sojiro looked back to the battle, which seemed to not favor one side or the other. He nodded, saying, "Down into the courtyard and to the left. I'll regroup with my men once we find Yusuke and Daijiro."
They all rushed down behind the pogrom and out into the courtyard as more yakuza joined the fray from either side. Through a small walkway between the walls of the property and the main building, they ran toward the burning house with Sojiro at the lead, until four yakuza appeared before them at the entrance to the gardens before the burning building. They wore sunglasses even at night and held knives at the ready.
"Are they with you?" Makoto asked Sojiro.
"They're from the Kitagawa Family, but I don't think they're with me anymore." Still carrying his sword, Sojiro raised in the direction of the oncoming yakuza, but they seemed unphased.
Haru muttered, "I have a really bad feeling about this."
Sojiro then cracked his neck. "Just stay close to me."
In a flash, he charged the yakuza blocking them. He cried out and made two slices with his sword, knocking their own knives out of their hands. One tried to stab him from behind, but Sojiro unleashed a backwards kick that struck him in the hand before being knocked to the ground with a strike of the katana's pommel. "Bastard!" cried the final assailant, but his attack was blocked by Sojiro's sword. Sojiro pushed him backwards, displaying a surprising strength as their blades were yet locked. He pushed the yakuza back into a wall so hard the wind was left his chest, and the last thing he saw was Sojiro's head about to crash into his own before the world went dark, and he slumped onto the ground.
"Come on!" Sojiro called to the girls. "Into the garden! We'll regroup with Akira there and find Yusuke and Daijiro!" They rounded a corner into the gardens at the back of the estate, but slowed when they saw the small house burning to cinders, flames violently erupting from the windows. "Oh my god," Sojiro whispered, looking on in horror. But what was just as concerning was the many bloodied and mangled bodies that were strewn about the front of the property. Limbs were cut off, and it was impossible to tell which bloody arm or leg belonged to which dismembered mess of a torso. One particularly poor soul continued to groan in pain as he lay on the ground, bleeding out from a severed leg.
"What the hell happened here?" Ann asked in shock. "Was this Akira's doing?" She prayed to any god that might hear her for that not to be the case.
"This doesn't seem like him," said Ryuji. "I don't believe it at all. It couldn't be him."
"Look!" Makoto pointed to the house. "The door's been broken down too, and there's a body in the doorway."
"Like someone was trying to escape," said Haru. "It must have been Yusuke. But then… where did he go? And how did he do all this!?"
"Kyodai…" Sojiro muttered, gripping his sword harder as he watched the house burn before him, and heard the cries of battle and pain from behind him. He grimaced at the scene, recognizing the men as Kitagawa family members, but sure enough, more yakuza came up from behind to corner them, these being led by Aizawa.
"Boss!" Aizawa called out. "You shouldn't be here! Someone sabotaged the Kitagawa estate; we have to move now!"
Sojiro slowly turned around to face the giant man, but there was no love nor concern in his eyes. "Aizawa," he spoke slowly, "what is this?"
"What do you mean, Boss?"
"Why the hell did you do this? Where is your patriarch?" he pointed his sword at him.
Aizawa then laughed heartily with head tilted up to the sky. "Guess it wasn't really worth it trying to put one past you now, huh, Boss? Not that it matters anymore when everything has gone to shit for you. Well then, no point in talking about it now, huh? You'll die just like the other dogs of your Clan. Boys, let's finish this war now!"
Aizawa and his six men charged the group, with Sojiro standing at the front, sword drawn. Beside him was Makoto, ready to defend them as well, but a smaller, more spry yakuza slipped past them from their flank, going after Ann in an attempted pincer formation as another came from the other side. Ann froze in place as the crazed man charged her, about to stab her with a knife. She heard his quick breaths, his pounding footfalls as he rushed her, and she was about to scream until…
There was a slicing sound, a flash of white and blue light, and no blow struck her. Ann opened her eyes and saw the yakuza reeling backwards, clutching his arm which now was missing a hand, blood spraying from the stump like a fountain. He wailed in pain, falling on his back, and then a man stood before her with his back turned to her. On his lean shoulders and black hair was vibrant blue fire, and she gasped again, for a second wondering if this was a dream.
Akira stood tall between them, looking down at the yakuza as he held his bloodstained blade, breathing heavily. The flames on his body danced in the moonlight as he turned around to face Ann, making sure she was alright, as well as the others. Their eyes met for a moment, and she saw great rage within them. Then his eyes widened, and in a flash, he held his sword over his shoulder behind him, blocking an attempted ambush from another yakuza. He spun around, knocking the katana away and sliced the attacker, who turned around dramatically and fell to his knees with a gasp.
"Oh fucking HELL YEAH!" Ryuji cheered. "That's my badass boy!"
"Here they come!" Akira called to his friends. He stood up, taking his spot at the front of the group with Sojiro and Makoto, readying his sword. The groups met gazes, preparing to strike. "LET'S ROCK, BABY!"
Hanran sung as the groups clashed, with Aizawa at the lead focusing on Sakura. He wielded his own sword, and his strikes were mighty, causing great clangs whenever their blades made contact, yet there was deftness and skill in his blows. Despite Aizawa looking like a beast, he fought with specific application of his strength, not just throwing it around like a club. When he attacked, he used his great strength to keep Sojiro off balance, unable to steady himself in time to properly counter. Akira tried to intervene but was cut off by defending the girls from other attackers, not that Makoto at least needed much help. Her aikido skills were showing in their full glory, countering, grabbing, and throwing anyone that came her way.
But slowly, even with their surprising strength and agility, they were backed up toward the burning house, the heat of the fires growing against their backs. Aizawa was in immovable wall ever encroaching upon them, pushing even Akira aside with seemingly no effort, though Akira was fighting more defensively to safeguard his friends. Though their resolve did not waver, their position did, and they found themselves between a raging inferno and a small throng of mighty, treacherous yakuza.
"You still fight well for an old man," Aizawa taunted Sojiro. "But this has gone on long enough. You or your kids have any last words, Boss?"
Sojiro held up his sword, and Akira did so as well. "As long as dragons still live," said Sojiro, "the Clan will never fall to its enemies. Your war is pointless, Aizawa. Your betrayal of your patriarch was no more than a disgusting insult to those that took you in."
Aizawa looked around, then up to the smoky night sky. "I don't see any dragons, Boss. I see a snotnosed brat with a nice party trick, but no dragons." He rose his sword by his head once more. "I'll make it quick. For all of you."
Makoto readied herself for the attack, but then, off in the distance, atop the scaffolding of the main building, she saw a silhouette appear against the shining moon. It was crouched low, and seemed to hold a katana of its own in its hand. The silhouette then stood tall, placing its hand on the pommel of its sheathed katana.
It cried out, "AIZAWA!"
Everyone looked up to the source of the noise, and they were finally able to make out the figure. Recognizing his thin frame and long, smooth hair, now disheveled and blowing in the breeze, Makoto said, "That's Yusuke," sounding greatly relieved.
Yusuke held up his sword in the air, keeping it sheathed. And with wrath drenching his voice, he called out, "ALL I HAD LEFT IN MY FAMILY WAS BURNT TO CINDERS BY THIS MAN! HE SEEKS TO STRIKE US ALL DOWN IN A BLAZE OF GLORY, BUT NO!" Yusuke unsheathed his sword in a quick flash, as precise and deft as his paintstrokes. "MY FAMILY HAS BEEN DESTROYED! BUT NO MORE SHALL MY CLAN SUFFER THE SAME FATE! BEHOLD!" He held up his sword over his head once again, the blade reflecting the moon's glow amidst the spattered, fresh bloodstains. "THE AGONY OF TREACHEROUS DOGS MEETING THEIR DOOM IS A BASED SIGHT, BUT ALL TOGETHER, WHEN I STAND TALL WITH MY FRIENDS, IT MAKES FOR QUITE THE PICTURE! THINE SERVANTS' BLOOD STAINS MY FAMILY'S BLADE AND HOME, AIZAWA! AND SO SHALL IT BE FOR YOU! THOUGH YOU ARE NOT EVEN WORTHY OF STAINING MY STEEL! LET THE HISTORIES KNOW," he cried out, holding his sword with both hands, "TONIGHT, MY FATE WAS MADE MY OWN! I AM MY OWN MASTER NOW!"
Yusuke shouted in fury and descended from the ledge into the throng, and a moment later, the head of one of the yakuza was sent flying, a fountain trail of blood erupting from the severed neck. The chaos gave Akira and his friends their own time to strike back, though it was only Yusuke would take lives that time. With wrath like an animal and precision like an artist, he cut through his enemies with precise strikes like flashes of blue and white light. Quicker than the yakuza could react, Yusuke cut off his dominant arm and then stabbed him through the chest, though to any viewers, it seemed like there was simply two instantaneous movements before the yakuza fell to the ground.
Yusuke then met Aizawa's gaze, and no more words were shared before they charged each other, locking swords. Aizawa was easily more than twice – perhaps thrice – Yusuke's size and strength, but miraculously, he stayed his ground even when being pushed back.
"You couldn't just die with your grandpa like you were supposed to?" Aizawa sneered at him as sparks flew off their swords. "Just lay down and die like the weakling you are?"
"I'll make you rue the day you sought to betray us, scum," Yusuke snarled at him.
They fought once again, though Aizawa's superior power was proving no match for Yusuke's phenomenal speed. When Aizawa tried to strike him off balance, Yusuke would easily shift to the other side to continue the pressure. Despite the fire in his eyes, Yusuke's blows were surgical, carefully calculated and decided, not but quick flashes of white and blue that even Aizawa could barely perceive. And it was Aizawa who now was being pressured backwards.
He realized he was beginning to breathe heavily, his strong attacks sapping him of strength that was doing him no good. Then Aizawa became more enraged when he saw Yusuke – the utter audacity – sheath his blade slowly before him. Yusuke stood to his feet, his hand hovering above the pommel, and beckoned him forward. "Bring it on," Yusuke said with a ghastly calm tone.
Aizawa gripped his sword harder, more like a club then a blade. "You little shit!" he cried out, then unleashed a great rumbling, guttural scream as he charged Yusuke, towering over him to even blot out the moonlight. But Yusuke did not waver, did not even flinch. His eyes were locked with Aizawa's until the absolute last minute moment, when he focused on Aizawa's sword baring down on him, and then…
With grace like a falling leaf in autumn wind's snare, let thine pitiable worthlessness be lain to bare.
Aizawa did not see the strike, nor did anyone else. The blade was simply sheathed, and then it was not, and Aizawa doubled over behind Yusuke, his sword flying through the air as Yusuke stood motionless, his own katana held high at the end of a quickdraw's lethal arc. Aizawa looked down to his hands, shocked that he did not feel them holding his own sword, and then he felt the pain in his chest and upper abdominals, and a dampness in his shirt. He groaned and fell to the ground, unable to move and barely able to breathe.
The moonlight now unobscured, Yusuke was awash in its glow as the remaining two yakuza were subdued, surrendering at the sight of their leader being defeated, and the victor, only moments before acting like a wrathful spirit of war and bloodshed, now the image of graceful lethality, a single tiny line of blood traveling down from the tip of the blade.
"One drop of your blood stains my sword," Yusuke spoke. "Even that is far more than what you deserve." He slashed his sword, and it was rendered clean before being sheathed. Yusuke turned to face his friends, breathing out slowly, only then realizing he had been holding his breath. "Fear not," he said. "He will survive. The blow merely paralyzed him." Yusuke walked over to Aizawa, standing over him. Now he blocked the moon's glow. "Who else conspires with you, bastard?" he sneered. "What more pain have you to bring down upon us?"
Aizawa coughed, then let out a choking laugh before coughing more, this time with blood spitting out from his lips. "It's… too late now," Aizawa forced out. "The last heir of your shitty line," he pointed to Sojiro, "is… all the way up the river, if you know what I mean."
"Futaba?" Sojiro glowered.
Aizawa laughed once again amidst bloody, pained coughs. "How many kyodai have you lost over the years, Boss? Because you're about to lose one more."
Akira interjected, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Aizawa smirked. "We already… got her. You gave her… right to us." He slipped into unconsciousness.
They all looked up to the top of the main building where Futaba was being kept. Sojiro gritted his teeth in incredible anger. "It can't be," he said. Akira met his eyes, worry obvious in his own as well. The concern in Sojiro's face was all he needed to confirm his suspicions.
"Stay safe!" he called to his friends and ran off for the main building.
"What are you doing!?" Ann called after him.
"Saving Futaba!" he called back. "Secure the area! I'll come back with her!"
He did not wait for a response as he ran back into the main building, which was now almost entirely deserted. Akira bolted up every flight of stairs faster than he had ever run before, the Heat within him maintaining his strength throughout. A large group would never get through all the fighting at the front like that, thought Akira. I couldn't risk the traitors being alerted and potentially hurting Futaba. I'm sorry, everyone, but I gotta do this one on my own.
To the safe room at the top of the stairs, he sprinted, and down a long hall adorned with many art pieces was a large door guarded by two yakuza. Akira approached them with a steely glare.
"Sorry, sir," said the one of the left, "but no one is allowed through at this time. We can't let you—"
Akira interrupted him with a strong punch to the gut, then threw him into the other guard, whom he then grabbed and slammed his head against the door, knocking him out. To finish off the other, he stomped on his head once before slamming it with his fist. "Now for the real challenge," Akira muttered. "If it really is you…"
The doorknob was locked, so Akira cut it off the handle with his sword. The latch broke, and he pushed the door open, being greeted by a large square room of tatami mats, lit by many bright candles adorning chandeliers above. He entered the room, and sitting cross-legged at the head of the room was none other than Kuze Daisaku, wearing his coat on his shirtless shoulders.
"So, Aizawa was no match for you?" Kuze asked without looking back at him. "I can't say I'm surprised. I had a feeling you might have had the gift, kid."
"Where is she?" Akira demanded. "What have you done with her?"
Kuze chuckled, standing slowly to his feet. "I've done nothing but kept her safe." He walked forward to a paper screen depicting a samurai fighting some sort of demon on Mt Fuji. "From my kyodai's ignorance." He kicked the screen down, and behind it was Futaba, tied to a chair and gagged. Her face was red from crying, and her eyes were wide with fear. She whimpered pitifully through her gag, looking to Akira with pleading, terrified eyes.
"You see, Akira," Kuze began, still facing away from him, staring down Futaba, who seemed scared into near silence, "back in my day, I was a renowned boxer. It was how I got set up with Sojiro in the first place. He recognized my strength in the ring, and I recognized his in the underworld. It's why I followed him for most of my life, but now, that strength is gone. His old ways will be the death of us all. That's why I chose to forsake pledge, my blood oath, to stand by him, as much as it pained me to do so."
"And kidnapping his last family member was what? A middle finger to your kyodai? An offering to your new benefactors?"
Kuze smirked. "Might as well have been either, or both." He placed his right hand on his jacket shoulder, and tossed the coat off of him in a swift motion. Beneath it was a full back tattoo of a red faced, angry shogun holding a scroll: the judge of the underworld known as Enma. He then finally turned to face Akira. "You wanna do this, then you better toss that antique away, kid," his lips tightened, his muscles flexed. "We'll do this the old-fashioned way, like men, with our fists." Kuze clenched his right fist, and even Akira heard the loud popping.
Akira looked down at his sword, then tossed it the side. "Fine by me," Akira glowered. "I wouldn't even need it. Besides, you deserve to answer for your betrayal. Say goodbye to that pinky of yours."
Kuze lifted his fists in a boxing stance. "You want out of this alive, Akira? Then show me everything you got. But know this: those flames of yours don't belong to you. Your family before you earned them through the trials of life while you've spent every day until recently in the cushy countryside. You think just because your whore mother trained you since you could walk that you deserve that fire?"
"How dare you?" Akira gritted his teeth, adopting the Dragon Stance. Blue flames once again appeared on his shoulders.
"There we go," Kuze nodded. "Yours are still blue, huh? That just means you're not nearly as strong as your predecessors. You know what?" Kuze lowered his stance. "Prove it to me."
"What?"
"Take the first shot. Prove to me that you have some strength in you. Because trust me, I'm a whole different game from some sadistic snuff fucker like Kamoshida." Akira met Futaba's gaze once more, and she was memorized by his Heat. She began crying again, and Akira knew this had to end now. "Show me, prodigal whore's son," Kuze said, taunting him with the title. "Show me dragons still live!" He pointed his thumb over his shoulder back to Futaba, "or it'll be her whole family by morning."
"KUZEEEE!" Akira shouted, the Heat of power and fury, quickly rising within him. He ran forward, crying out vociferously with more anger than he had ever felt in his life, and punched Kuze straight in the jaw. His glasses flew off his head and he stumbled backwards, then regained his stance once more, cracking his neck. Akira adopted the Dragon Stance, and their gazes were locked. Futaba watched in awe and horror as they roared at each other, their fists flying through the air to bring the other down for good.
DAISAKU KUZE
PATRIARCH OF THE KUZE FAMILY,
A SAKURA CLAN SUBSIDIARY
The blow connected with Akira's jaw instead, knocking him backward. The punch was wildly strong, and Akira's vision was blurred for a moment, meaning the follow-up punch that came after was dodged only by sheer luck. Kuze's attacks were fast, emphasizing power and pressure just like a boxer. Akira only blocked at the start, trying to guess which jabs would go to which part of his body; Kuze was artfully targeting each one in an impossible to follow rhythm, just like a professional of the ring.
One more lucky dodge and Akira secured another strike followed by a clumsy kick that Kuze darted from. He continued his pressure, forcing Akira's back to the wall. Futaba screamed against her gag, tears streaming down her face. Akira headbutted Kuze back midst an opening, but Kuze repaid in kind much harder, and Akira was pressed against the wall.
"What's the matter, 'Dragon'!?" Kuze cried out. Akira came to his senses, and the world seemed to slow around him for just a second, just long enough to see the most terrifying punch of his life aimed straight for his eye. He leaned his torso to the wide, narrowly dodging the punch, and there was a cracking explosion of sound from right next to his ear. Kuze had punched so hard that he had broken to brick wall, shockwaves sending out more cracks in a circle around the point of impact, which had been caved in by a whole inch.
Akira was shocked by it, his eyes widening in terrified amazement before barely blocking another strike as if Kuze did not even register the surface he just punched. Akira weaved by a strike and used the time to put the pressure on Kuze, punching and kicking his limbs away from his center of mass and then targeting it, just like mom had said.
They were back in the center of the room, the contest coming back to a slight advantage for Kuze – his resilience and tenacious style made him nearly impossible to damage. They traded more blows, but Akira was losing ground, being backed up again like a boxer cornering his opponent. But stepped to the side and swung an uppercut into one of Kuze's blows, knocking him off balance. Kuze tried for an uppercut as well with Akira's flank exposed, but Akira brought the same elbow down on the fist, breaking a finger. He followed with two punches that knocked Kuze to the ground, and Akira dragged him backward across the mats to punch him right in the core, causing Kuze to flinch and spit.
Akira tried to catch his breath, stepping back from Kuze as the old man tried to get to his feet. Akira prepared for a combination attack to defend, but Kuze instead charged him in a low stance, arm at the ready for a quick jab. Akira stepped backward toward the wall and his Heat took over. He grabbed the old man's shoulders and pushed him off balance, sending him careening into the wall. Stunned, Kuze slumped against the wall for a moment, but Akira grabbed him by the arm and rose his knee directly into his elbow, damaging the joint and causing Kuze to cry out in pain. Akira pulled his arm so his fist was facing upward, and smashed down it with the bottom of his own fist, breaking more of the fingers.
Kuze relented, clutching his hand. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Kuze looked almost impressed before Akira unleashed a fully chamber kick, knocking Kuze back into the wall where Akira ran forward with a mighty cry, grabbed Kuze's head, and slammed it backward into the wall. Kuze slumped over on the ground, bleeding from his hands and nose as Akira struggled to stand. He focused all he could on calming down so as not to have a repeat of last time, and to his surprise, he did. His flames subsided, and that new strength in his body left him, and he fell to his knee.
Kuze spoke through labored breaths, "Not bad…" he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Guess mom taught you a bit more than I thought."
"She taught me… everything," Akira breathed heavily in his exhaustion. "Everything I am as a martial artist comes from her. And you have no right to scorn her name, old man." He looked to Futaba, and she seemed a little less scared now. "It's over, Kuze. You're not getting out of this one. And if you ever come back and try to hurt her again, I'll bury the whole Kuze Family in the dirt, down to the last man." Kuze sneered through bloody teeth and fell on his back unconscious.
Akira picked up his sword and used it to cut Futaba free, who then immediately embraced him in a tight hug. He was surprised but embraced her as well. "It's alright, kid. It's alright now," he whispered to her. She nodded into his shoulder, murmuring something that could have been "Thank you", and he escorted her out, holding her hand all the way.
They went through the foyer, Futaba covering her eyes so as not see the bodies. They heard little fighting from outside, and Akira wondered if a victor had been decided. They walked outside, Akira shielding Futaba in case of another attack, and there was none. Sakura Clan loyalists were the ones that stood victorious, regrouping as some surviving attackers fled. And off to their right was Sojiro and Akira's friends, and they joined each other amidst the carnage.
Futaba and Sojiro embraced warmly, tightly, with Futaba starting to cry again in relief. "Grandpa…" she sobbed. "I-it was… Was Kuze…"
"I know, honey, I know," Sojiro nodded, comforting her. "We're safe now, we're gonna be okay. Grandpa will deal with it."
Akira turned to his friends. "Are you guys alright? Get in any more fights?"
"A couple," said Ryuji, "but we took care of them. Looks like you took care of your business too."
"Barely," Akira looked back to Futaba. "That guy was crazy good. I honestly hardly know I did it."
"The important thing is you did," Ann added. "She must have been terrified, poor thing."
"We're so glad you're both safe," said Haru sympathetically.
"Thank you," Akira nodded. "If the main compound is secure, we should try moving all of us out of the city limits until Kamurocho proper is control. Sojiro, we can get your granddaughter out of here if you can handle everything at HQ." Sojiro looked up from Futaba and only nodded. "Okay, everyone, let's find a vehicle and get the hell out of here."
He looked over to scan the parking lot for available cars but stopped when there were more gunshots from up the road. Futaba yelped and everyone else got in their own stances. "More of them," Makoto said, "and they're armed. We need to go now."
"Yeah, let's move—" Akira was cut off when a large truck came barreling down the road and crashed into one of their cars, yet was undamaged. The passenger's door opened and a man clad in all black stepped out, his face obscured by a hood and a skull mask.
"We always get the weird ones, don't we?" asked Ryuji.
The hooded man walked toward Akira and his friends but was stopped by a group of loyal yakuza blocking his path. "Freeze, asshole!" shouted one. "You wanna die? Get back in your truck before we blow your head off!"
"How confident of you," the masked man muttered. Akira could not see what exactly happened next, but what did he say was nye unimaginable to him. Two men were forced back ten feet by a sudden gust of wind, one man's arm was cut off before a sword tip erupted from the back of his head, and yet two more were suddenly on fire, running and screaming as they burned to death before falling to the ground, wailing in pain. Everyone screamed in fear, and Akira held up his sword.
The masked man then pointed to him. "Are you him?" he asked. "You who has come to light the darkness of Kamurocho with your flames like Prometheus descending from on high?"
"No!" Akira shouted back. "I'm the guy that's gonna kick your ass!"
"Quaint," said the masked man. "Quaint, childish, and foolhardy."
More yakuza surrounded them, holding their weapons out.
"You the last one?" Sojiro asked. "The last bit of strength Shido has against me?"
"No," said the masked man. "But he does have a show of strength meant to ensure you will never think to raise your blades against us again."
"What the hell?"
The masked man had a small electronic panel in his hand and casually turned the dial. There was the sound of clanging metal from the truck, and then deranged, barely human screams. Emerging from the truck was ten men… they thought they were men. They were pale, running towards the yakuza, screaming mindlessly and moving erratically, unlike a normal human. All around were terrified as the new threat descended upon the crowd of yakuza, beating them bloody, and ripping flesh from their necks and arms with their mouths. It was horrifying chaos, but the masked man did not move.
"A final gift from the Omi Alliance!" the masked man called out. "Hell's gates are open tonight!"
Akira and his friends pulled each other back into the main building with a few lucky yakuza. The rest were fending off the monstrous men with all they could, but even though it was just ten men against twenty, all armed with knives or guns, the fighting did not immediately stop. The screams continued, the sound of flesh being torn cut through the night like their swords.
"What the fuck was that!?" Haru screeched.
Akira watched the carnage through a crack in the door, nearly causing him to vomit, but he watched on. "The RZ-412 could have extremely violent effects if taken the wrong way, right?"
"Like every drug!" Ryuji replied stressfully.
"You know what I mean! Maybe that's what happened to these guys!"
Ann was becoming more and more scared as well. "They're like zombies! Did the Omi turn people into that!?"
"Maybe," said Akira. "But let's move further into the compound now. Sojiro!" Sojiro turned to him, still holding Futaba close. "We didn't sign up for this shit."
"Neither did we," Sojiro sneered. "All of you, back to the meeting hall!" he commanded them. "The rest of you make sure every one of those creepy bastards is dead on my lawn!"
More gunshots, and then more gunshots from outside. The Omi was sending reinforcements, and there was something fighting against the door. Akira and his friends ran inward away from the carnage in a scared flurry.
I didn't sign up for this shit! WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON IN OUR FAMILY, MOM!?
[Thanks for coming by. Reviews are always appreciated.]
