Yuuto and Shiyon rushed at each other again, renewed vigor.
The tension in the air was palpable, an electric current running between Yuuto and Shiyon as they faced off in the midst of their clash. Their movements were a blur, each strike and counter showcasing their near-equal prowess.
"A-amazing..!!" one of the hoodlums exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief as he watched the unfolding battle.
"To think he's actually keeping up with Aniki...!" another chimed in, their voice tinged with a mix of awe and surprise. The crowd was visibly shaken, witnessing a level of competence from Yuuto they hadn't anticipated.
"Look, I know I'm probably going to regret saying this... But doesn't that Pillow... seem more methodical than Aniki?" Konro ventured, hesitantly voicing a thought that seemed VERY blasphemous in this crowd.
"The fuck are you talking about!? Aniki's the best there is!!" Gon retorted immediately, his loyalty to Shiyon making him bristle at the mere suggestion of any comparison.
"I know, I know! It's just... Look at how Pillow moves, like a boxer, precise and calculated... But Aniki... It's like he's improvising, without a distinct style," the daring Konro elaborated, trying to articulate the difference they observed, their gaze fixed on the fluid, yet contrasting movements of the fighters.
"That the first time you saw him fight? Aniki has his OWN form! That fucking Pillow shuts down his kicks on purpose, because he knows it's his strongest attack!" Gon, the defender of Shiyon, interjected, scoffing at the notion that Shiyon's fighting lacked sophistication.
"Ahh... You think so? I don't know... It just seems odd to me," the skeptic mused, still unconvinced. Their words hung in the air, sparking a quiet debate among the onlookers. The contrast between Yuuto's disciplined strikes and Shiyon's seemingly chaotic, yet effective, method had drawn a line in the sand, leaving the crowd divided in their admiration and skepticism.
'Those are smooth-brained amebas... But they have a point. That Organ-Harvester... Doesn't do any movements resembling Kendo or any martial arts. One time a knee; since I'm shutting down his kicks. The other, a punch, then - attempting a grapple. I'm obviously much more amazing, but that bastard still hides his best tricks...' Yuuto thought, taking Shiyon's restrictive jeans into consideration.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! AMAZING, SAKURAI-CHUN!!! EVEN AT THE WORLD-KENDO CHAMPTIONSHIP, NOBODY LASTED THIS LONG!!" Shiyon yelled, attacking with seemingly no pattern.
Amidst the rapid exchange of blows, Yuuto found his thoughts drifting, an image flashing vividly in his mind: Kyoya Guuji, his lifeless body a haunting memory that threatened to cloud his focus.
"Getting lost in thought midfight!!? Don't insult me after everything we went through, Sakurai-chun!!!" Shiyon's voice cut through the haze of Yuuto's mind, sharp and accusing. Before Yuuto could brace himself, Shiyon's fist connected with his face, full force. The impact sent him tumbling to the ground, the world spinning as the crowd gasped and cheered.
"T-THAT'S IT!!! ANIKI WON!!! FUCK YEAH!!! HE HIT HIM FULL FORCE, TOO!!!" Gon screamed.
"PILLOW IS NOT GETTING UP FROM THAT ONE!!! GOT JOB ANIKI!!!" Konro cheered.
Yuuto hit the ground hard, the taste of iron filling his mouth. As he lay there, a fleeting question crossed his mind, 'Why did I remember that... Corpse...'
Sendo's eyes then widened amidst their cheers, "Nah, it ain't over yet!"
"W-what!? Sendo-kun, he hit him head-on!! That Senpai of yours is finished, Sendo!" Gon yelled in defiance.
"Wait!! LOOK!" One of the students that Sendo took down pointed at Yuuto.
Slowly, Yuuto began to rise, each movement deliberate, drawing a stunned silence from the onlookers. 'Ahh... Right... Kyoya is an infighter. He fights up close... This Organ Harvester... Has a loose form, no specific martial-art, and fights like a common street thug. I bet if he had a rock nearby, he'd definitely pick it up and bash me with it... But what really bothered me, was that he has a really far reach, but isn't looking for a way to use it. Every time I shut him out, he just goes along with it, he goes in.'
Yuuto thought as he wiped his blood with his hand.
(Maga x JVLA x Zupay - Animality QUES)
'Kyoya Guuji, you motherfucker. The epitome of a fucking NTR villain... Was beating you the lesson I needed?'
'You're gonna hold back, Organ Harvester? Letting me take the lead? Perfect.'
Yuuto clapped his hands twice,
'I've got a strategy to take you down without showing my hand, you asshole.'
"What's with the clapping, Pillow? Throwing in the towel?! Did you finally realize you're in way over your head!!?" Gon taunted, his voice filled with scorn.
"Time to dance, Organ Harvester," Yuuto declared, his voice steady, as he re-assumed a basic boxer's stance.
Shiyon locked eyes with Yuuto, noticing an unmistakable determination.
"Oho~? Ready to bring out the big guns, Sakurai-chun!?" Shiyon teased with enthusiasm, but Yuuto wasted no time, dashing forward.
He dove low again, aiming for a gut punch...
"Predictable, Sakurai-chun!!!" Shiyon shouted, landing a knee to Yuuto's head.
"ANIKI SCORES AGAIN!!!"
"Nah...! He didn't pull it off!" Sendo corrected, his surprise evident.
Shiyon, too late, realized his knee hadn't hit with the intended force.
"Eh~?" he uttered in shock.
"Try grappling with this, you filthy casual," Yuuto spat back, undeterred by the blow to his head, as he barreled into Shiyon's lower waist.
'I get it... The hit was shallow because he pushed in further, not away, reducing the impact of my knee!' Shiyon realized as he found himself sprawled on the ground, with Yuuto now dominating the position atop him.
Without hesitation, Yuuto unleashed a barrage of punches onto Shiyon's head, each blow landing with precision and force - as Yuuto pinned Shiyon's hands using his knees.
"ANIKI!!!!!!!" The onlookers screamed in dismay, witnessing a scene they could hardly believe.
With every strike, Shiyon's situation grew dire. After the fourth punch, blood started to escape his mouth, a grim result of his teeth cutting into his lips, while a burst vein in his nose added to the crimson flow marking each impact.
Left, right, left, right...
In the midst of this relentless assault, the image of Kyoya flashed through Yuuto's mind once again. He remembered the intensity of their confrontation, the moment he had Kyoya in a chokehold. This memory caused Yuuto to pause momentarily, his fists still raised, as the ghost of battles past momentarily held him captive.
In a sudden turn of events, Yuuto found himself tackled to the ground by two students from the crowd.
It was Konro and Gon, swiftly joined by others eager to jump into the fray.
'Damn...!! Distracted by that NTR jerk again..!!!' Yuuto seethed internally, struggling against the weight pinning him down, his fists flailing in a desperate attempt to break free.
Sendo charged towards the melee, intent on intervening.
"Hey, cut it out!!! Aniki told us to stay out of this—"
But before he could finish, two students pushed Sendo aside, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Sendo-kun... You just stood by while your Aniki was being beaten by that FREAK... How can you stand there and say that?!" They protested with a fiery conviction. "As Aniki's underlings, it's our duty to protect him!"
"That's just your excuse!!!" Sendo retorted, picking himself up, his Kendo sword now in hand, while Yuuto's phone tightly gripped in the other, ready for action, while Yuuto grappled with Gon, Konro, and another accomplice.
"So what if it is!? We're defending Aniki, and that's what we'll do!"
(Bleach OST - On The Precipice of Defeat)
"Funny..."
Suddenly, Shiyon emerged, bloodied yet undeterred, his eyes ablaze with an intense fury.
"Then, does that mean I'm free to do as I please, without any rules?" he remarked coolly, an icy edge to his words.
In the blink of an eye, the two students were inexplicably sent soaring through the air, their bodies flipping over in a bewildering arc.
'Huh...?'
'What just happened...? Why am I... upside down...?' These were their last coherent thoughts before they hit the ground with a thud.
"Gon-chan..." Shiyon's voice was soft, yet it carried an unsettling edge, a whisper that seemed to slice through the air.
"A-ANIKI!! We've got this bastard pinned down for you!!" Gon exclaimed, his grin wide with misplaced pride.
"Who..."
Shiyon's expression was a void, darker than the abyss itself, as he reached out, his hands finding their necks with an almost spectral ease, flinging them aside as if they were mere dolls.
"...gave you permission to interfere?" His voice was a chilling calm, a stark contrast to the fury smoldering in his gaze. He glanced briefly at Yuuto, who lay in the dust, disregarded, before his attention returned to the trio, now frozen in fear.
"For the first time in a long while, I was actually enjoying myself... And you decide to... spoil my fun?"
"ANIKI...!! Y-You've got it all wrong!! We just... We couldn't stand watching Pillow—"
"Do you really think so little of my wishes, you five...?" Shiyon's query was like ice, sending tremors down their spines as his face twisted into a grin that bordered on madness.
Sendo knew... That this is Shiyon, his Aniki. Yet that aura he emitted... Reminded Sendo of a darker time.
A time where his beloved Aniki... Was a foreign object of chaos and calamity. A person who didn't hold back at all, on anyone.
He began to advance on them, his knuckles cracking ominously in the silence.
"I've returned after such a long time... And this is how you welcome me...?"
"It seems life at school has been too comfortable in my absence... Have you forgotten even the basic form of respect? Must I remind you of it myself?"
As if under a curse, they dropped to their knees, bowing deeply, their apologies tumbling out in a desperate cascade.
"WE'RE SORRY...!!! ANIKI!!!"
Shiyon's air of hostility then gradually faded as he saw them all earnestly apologizing.
"Haah... I... am deeply disappointed in all of you. It appears I must reassume my role as King, even just as a guest. What's the saying? A parent's job is never done..." Shiyon's voice trailed off as he massaged his temples, a slow shake of his head betraying his exasperation.
Then, his gaze shifted to Sendo.
"Except for you, Sen-chun~. Thank you for not interfering <3" Suddenly, the ominous cloud lifted, and Shiyon's voice lightened, a stark contrast to the moment before, as if the storm had never been.
Sendo merely nodded with that honest gaze on his face.
'Should I use that moment to get the drop on him...?' Yuuto thought as he already rose to a standing position.
"Sakurai-chun," Shiyon began, turning to face him with an unexpected admission, "I lost. You've won."
Yuuto brushed off the dirt from himself, a quiet "Hmph" escaping him as a sign of acknowledgment.
"I must apologize for the overenthusiasm of my juniors..." Shiyon said, casting a glance towards his followers. "You five?"
In perfect harmony, they responded, "YES, ANIKI!!"
"Ensure that no word of today's events leaves this circle. It appears Sakurai-chun is rather discreet about his true capabilities," Shiyon stated, a note of displeasure in his voice.
"Y-YES, ANIKI!!! THIS SECRET DIES WITH US!!!" They proclaimed, their voices echoing their pledge.
"That's reassuring," Shiyon replied, his smile returning.
Sendo observed the exchange, thinking to himself, 'Normally, he'd say, "Don't be so dramatic, just keep your word..." Aniki must really be ticked off this time.'
"You got an issue with keeping this under wraps, Harvester?" Yuuto asked, his tone nonchalant.
"Aha~~! Sakurai-chun, you didn't call me Organ Harvester! Does this mean you're starting to see me in a better light?"
"Not a chance. It's just easier this way," Yuuto replied promptly, dismissing any notion of camaraderie.
"Haaah... I see. Baby steps, then," Shiyon said, his smile warm yet tinged with a hint of melancholy. "However, I do have an issue with your preference for secrecy. It's such a waste to hide your remarkable strength. But, as the defeated party, I'll respect your wishes. My eager juniors here won't cause you any more problems... Right?" He glanced at the group.
"R-right, aniki..." They murmured, somewhat subdued.
"And there you have it <3," he said, turning to Yuuto with a smile.
"Also, Sakurai-chun, make sure you visit the gym before the afternoon classes. There's going to be something quite interesting happening."
Shiyon walked away, one of the students offering him a napkin to clean the blood from his face. Together, Shiyon and the five juniors moved off as a unit. In contrast, Yuuto, fueled by frustration, marched towards Sendo.
Stopping just short of him, Yuuto demanded, "The phone, kid," extending his hand expectantly.
Internally, Yuuto cursed, 'Must've deleted all the footage. Gonna need to do some reconnaissance... Damn it.'
Without hesitation, Sendo handed over the phone, which Yuuto immediately scrutinized. To his surprise, everything was untouched.
'The... footage is still here. It's even still recording...'
Looking up, Yuuto's expression remained cool despite his astonishment.
"Sendo. You didn't think to delete or pause the recording? What if I release this?"
"Then ya release it. It's yer phone, Senpai," Sendo replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Silence fell as Yuuto processed this. After rubbing his temples in frustration, then he advised, "You can't do that, Sendo. You must be ruthless to your enemies."
"But ya ain't my enemy, Senpai."
"I was beating the shit out of your Aniki."
"He liked it, Senpai. So it's all good," Sendo responded without hesitation.
At the mention, an unwelcome image of Shiyon in BDSM attire flashed through Yuuto's mind.
Yuuto then inhaled... And exhaled. He accepted this thought, and moved beyond its reach - where it can never get to him ever again. Ever.
"Right. Okay then." With that, Yuuto paused the recording and pocketed the phone.
As they continued, Shiyon glanced back, his pace slowing just enough to catch a glimpse of Yuuto and Sendo's exchange, a warm smile playing on his lips.