The next day was no different. Ren made a point to try to stay as far away from them as possible, taking the less-used routes through the school. It was no use, however, as they found him again.

They beat him senseless, entirely knocking him out. Horohoro had repeatedly slammed his head into the lockers, and the cruel abuse had taken its toll after about 15 minutes straight doing that. The gang laughed as Ren slumped limply to the floor, unconcious.

Horohoro strode over to his lifeless form and reached into his pocket. He withdrew the boy's wallet and thumbed through it. "Hmmm...Not bad," he commented as he put Ren's wallet in his own pocket. "There's enough money in there for me to buy a new snowboard."

Tamao was usually a shy girl. However, before Yoh had noticed her and made her part of the group, she had been even shyer, and she hadn't been very popular, either. She felt a horrible sense of guilt. Someone like the old her, suffering merely because he didn't normally defend himself. And she stood, watched, and tried to laugh along with her friends. She couldn't bear to watch anymore.

"Th-that's not yours!" she blurted. "Put it back!"

Horohoro raised an eyebrow. "Who said that?" he asked dangerously.

Tamao glared at him. She wasn't afraid, and for once, she decided, that she could not back down.

"Leave him alone!" she snapped. "What has he ever done to you? What makes you think you can act all high and mighty and hit him so much that you knock him out? And then take his money? Usui Horohoro, you think you're so cool because you have a big gang and everyone looks up to you, but you're nothing more than a concieted, heartless jerk!"

Pirika nodded slowly. "I don't like her talking about onii-chan like that...but she's right..."

Horohoro narrowed his eyes.

You've got guts, Tamamura," he growled, approaching her. "What has he done to me? Why do I hit him? Because he exists. His presence annoys me, and that look he gives me every time we get near, like we're the evildoers...rubbish like him should be annihalated. And trying to defend rubbish...makes you one of them."

He slapped Tamao hard across the face. The pink-haired girl squeaked in pain and clutched her cheek, looking at Horohoro fearfully.

"You make me sick," he hissed, raising his hand for another blow.

"Onii-chan!" Pirika protested. "Stop it!"

"Yeah, Usui," Yoh agreed, stepping in front of Tamao. "Just let her off this once. She might be wrong about things, but it's OK to have an opinion, right?"

"You're all full of bull," Horohoro scoffed. "But if you insist, I'll let it slip." He glared back at Tamao. "Your first, last, and only warning," he said. "Next time, and you'll end up like him." He kicked Ren's limp body.

Ren opened one eye and glanced pitifully at Horohoro. His glare softened, and to his eternal shame, the Ainu felt pity for the very boy he loved to physically harm. He looked so helpless and innocent, and Horohoro realized that there was truth to what Tamao had been saying. He hadn't done anything to deserve their scorn or their abuse.

He refused to admit his feelings, and instead, kicked Ren hard in the ribs. He winced as Ren cried out in pain. "Don't you dare look at me, you filthy little nerd," he hissed.

"C'mon, guys," he muttered. "Let's not waste our time here anymore."

They stalked off, leaving Ren on the floor. Slowly, he slipped back out of conciousness, and everything was black.

He opened his eyes to find himself in Doctor Faust's office, the school's medical facility.

He moaned softly and rubbed his still throbbing head. Sighing, he let himself become swallowed with shame. A Tao would never be so cowardly to some school bullies. But Ren didn't know what to do. He couldn't defend himself, he couldn't fight back...

That day, when the boy went home, he went straight to his room and locked himself in, trying the trick again with the blade from the kwan dao his father had given him years before.