March 12, Alexander, Virginia
Morgan and Kenzo arrived in Alexander, Virginia, eager to view a house they were considering for their move from Japan. The thought of returning to America after two decades had Morgan bubbling with excitement. He reminisced about how his father had fallen in love with Japan, married his Japanese mother, and settled there. Now, as an adult, Morgan was finally stepping back onto American soil.
They were greeted by the landlord, an elderly man with a kind smile. As they entered the house, Morgan's enthusiasm was palpable. He darted from room to room, marveling at every detail. "Look at the walls! Look at the ceilings! Holy moly, look at the kitchen!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe. His excitement was infectious, and Kenzo shared his enthusiasm.
When they reached the dining room and the balcony, Morgan was almost breathless. "Holy cow! Look at the dining room! Holy shit, look at the bedroom! Holy holy, look at the balcony!" His joy was unmistakable.
Jack, the landlord, watched Morgan with a satisfied smile. "It seems you really love this home. So, what do you think?"
Morgan didn't hesitate. "Hell yes! I fucking love this home. It's better than I expected. Don't worry about the money—just buy it!"
The old man's eyes softened. "I'm glad you like it. My wife and I built this home, and now that I'm old, I want to leave it to someone who will care for it."
Morgan placed a reassuring hand on the landlord's shoulder. "Don't worry, gramps. I'll take good care of this home."
Jack's gaze became somber. "Do you have anyone to look after you?"
The landlord's face fell. "No. My son died long ago, and my wife is gone. I'm just waiting to join them."
Morgan was silent, absorbing the gravity of the old man's words. He took a deep breath. "I hope you find your family again," he said quietly. "And I hope I find mine."
Jack noticed Morgan's somber mood and suggested a walk around town. Morgan agreed and pointed to a nearby poster. "Hey, look at this. On March 15th, there's a big event at Imagineers Academy. It says students from different countries will be there, and many judges, including Harrison Sinclair."
Jack's eyes widened in disbelief. "Harrison Sinclair? The businessman?"
Harrison Sinclair was renowned as one of the most influential and wealthy businessmen in modern America. He had a controversial past but remained a powerful figure. The thought of Sinclair attending an event at a student academy was astonishing.
Morgan nodded. "Yeah. It's going to be a huge event. I'm planning to go."
Nearby, a group of students read the same poster. Morgan asked them if they were students and if outsiders could attend. They confirmed, and Morgan thanked them.
Back at school, excitement buzzed among Manabu and his peers about the upcoming event. Manabu, in particular, was intrigued by the high-profile attendees. Mion arrived unexpectedly, causing Taiju to ask why she was there. "Are you an idiot? I'm a student, after all," she replied.
Taiju and Mion went to class, where Jasmine approached Manabu. "How are you, Manabu?"
Manabu replied coolly, "You're too close. I'm fine as always."
Jasmine invited him to join her team, which caused Mion to glare jealously from a distance. Jasmine noticed and asked Mion if she was new. Mion greeted her and invited her to talk outside.
As they stepped out, Jasmine asked, "What's your name?"
"I'm Sayuri Mion. Why were you so close to Manabu?" Mion demanded.
Jasmine smiled. "I'm Jasmine. He's my best friend. Why do you ask?"
Mion's emotions shifted rapidly. "Best friend? It's only been a month and a half."
Jasmine shrugged. "Manabu is a nice guy. I feel safe around him, unlike with others. We get along well."
Mion's tension eased slightly. "So, there's nothing more between you two?"
Jasmine shook her head. "Nope. Just friends."
Mion apologized for the intrusion, but Jasmine stopped her, grinning mischievously. "You got what you wanted to know. But what about you and him?"
Mion floundered for words. "W-well, he—he—"
Jasmine grabbed her arms, eyes sparkling. "Come on, Miss Sayuri, tell me!"
Mion, flustered, tried to explain. Jasmine noticed Mion's well-defined muscles and asked about her workout routine. Mion mentioned she had been training for about a month.
Jasmine was impressed. "You're tall too. Maybe 5'9" or 5'10." She promised to leave but reminded Mion that she owed her a question.
In class, the atmosphere shifted as the teacher entered. The students were silent and stood, but the teacher waved them down. "You don't need to stand and say good morning. If I'm alive, walking, and talking, I'm well."
The students responded, "As you wish, teacher!"
The teacher then addressed them. "Today is a half-day. As you know, the Great Mall of America was destroyed by terrorists. The government fears a similar attack might happen here. Therefore, the event scheduled for March 15th will be postponed to March 25th. Security will be heightened."
After school, Manabu and the group decided to join Mion at the gym while school was closed. The gym was massive, and Mai was intimidated by the muscular patrons. Mion, having quickly changed, approached them.
A stern woman, Miss Sara, greeted them with authority. "You're late, Sayuri!" Her voice echoed, causing everyone to tense. "Don't worry, she said. "Now, let's get started."
Sara's gaze fell on Manabu, Taiju, and Mai. "Who are they?" she demanded.
Mion introduced her friends. Sara instructed everyone to introduce themselves, which they did. She told them to call her Miss Sara. Mai, feeling uneasy, decided to leave, but Sara's harsh words made her reconsider. "Listen, redhead, if you skip even one day, you're dead. You look weak as hell!"
Mai, terrified, stammered an apology. "Yes, ma'am! I'm sorry!"
The training was intense. Mai, overwhelmed, declared she would never return. Mion, Manabu, and Taiju observed the boxing ring where Remon and Bruce were engaged in a fierce fight. Miss Sara watched with a look of annoyance, clearly frustrated by their personal conflict.
Mion approached Sara. "Do you want me to stop the fight?"
Sara, exasperated, replied, "You don't have to bother. They're fighting over a girl. Remon is strong, but Bruce is getting beaten badly. It's annoying, but I can't stop them."
Mion inquired about Bruce's punching power. "It's around 880-910 on the current machine," Sara said.
Determined, Mion donned boxing gloves. Manabu, concerned, asked what she was planning. "I want to show that I'm strong and that I can help people too," Mion explained.
Manabu warned her. "They're beasts. Look at the guy—he's about to die. That buff one doesn't even care if he does."
Mion replied confidently, "I'll be fine, trust me." She stepped into the ring.
The crowd jeered, "What the hell do you think you're doing, bitch?!"
Miss Sara intervened with a commanding shout. "YOU ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP, LOSERS!"
The room fell silent. Mion faced Bruce, challenging him. "Just a duel."
Bruce scoffed. "Don't you see his face? Are you trying to get yourself killed? A newbie like you can't beat me."
Mion's eyes narrowed. "I hope you're right. Otherwise, it's going to be really bad for you."
Laughter erupted among the spectators, and Remon's mocking laughter grated on Mion's nerves. "I hate the way you laugh. It's annoying. Your face is pretty ugly too. That girl will leave you soon."
Angered, Remon hurled an insult. "You're a bitch with no guts to say that."
As Remon lunged at her, Mion effortlessly dodged his slow, cumbersome attacks. Using her agility, she evaded his every move with swift footwork and precise dodges, employing skills like side-stepping and weaving to maintain her advantage.
With each dodge, Mion wore Remon down. She struck with precise punches, exploiting his waning stamina. Remon's energy dwindled rapidly, and he collapsed, face-down on the mat. The onlookers were stunned, even Manabu and Taiju.
Miss Sara, clearly impressed, remarked on Mion's progress. "This is impressive. You've shown dedication and strength."
Just as Mion began to bask in her victory, Remon attempted to strike from behind. However, Manabu, moving with lightning speed, intervened and punched Remon, sending him crashing out of the ring. Miss Sara was astonished. "Such strength…"
Mion, worried, checked on Manabu. "Are you alright?"
Manabu winced but assured her, "Just a dislocated finger. I'm fine."
Sara inquired about Manabu's training background. Manabu revealed he was a former martial arts student with a black belt, although he quit before receiving his reward.
Ms. Sara pointed at Taiju and asked, "What about him?"
Manabu replied, "He's the one who taught me martial arts. Taiju is the successor of our master." He continued, "Taiju was the first to react, but he noticed me too. He quickly stopped his body and push me even faster and balanced himself again in his place. But if I had been a little slower, or if you were, Taiju would have broken his chin."
Ms. Sara commented, "Even though he's strong, but as far as i have noticed from the training, he lacks stamina."
Manabu nodded. "That's really true."
Taiju looked embarrassed.
Ms. Sara said, "You two should come here every day. I'll help Taiju with stamina training, and Manabu's reflexes are great too. You can come here anytime you want."
She then looked at Mai with a straight face. "You too. You have to, or I'll find you."
Mai, frightened, started crying. "No~ I hate it!"
Everyone laughed. Bruce approached them, thanking them for their help but expressing his desire to win his girl by his own strength. Ms. Sara grabbed his collar and yelled,
"YOU DUMBASS! YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT THAT THING?! WHAT ARE YOU, A NERD AND OTAKU? IF YOU DO THAT AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN MY GYM, I WILL KILL YOU!!"
She then grabbed Remon's hair and shouted, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, JACKASS?! HUH?! YOU FUCKING AMATEUR OLD GUYS! DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT AGAIN!"
Both of them started crying. "Sorry, Ma'am!" They ran out of the gym and didn't return for a week.
Back at home, Maria was there, having skipped school today because she found it boring. Manabu was tickled by her comment, as he used to say similar things. He asked, "What happened to Robot?"
Maria replied, "Sidekick is totally silent today. Maybe he's sleeping or his battery is dead."
Maria then asked, "Where is Mion?"
"She's out shopping for dinner," they replied, and they recounted the gym incident.
Maria laughed, saying that kids her age are so obsessed with being strong and gym activities. Mai raised her hand, saying she hated it. Maria mentioned that she liked it and had learned a bit of martial arts from Leon a long time ago.
Manabu then shared news about Leon's cancer and his absence from the city for surgery. He explained that Leon, who was only 17, had third-stage lung cancer. The treatment had a 50% chance of success, and it must be incredibly painful for Leon. They all felt a bit sad, reflecting that if Leon had been a good person, they might have been able to do something, but now there was nothing they could do. The room fell silent.
In the hospital:
Leon's surgery was over, and he woke up in pain. Dr. Solomon was there, advising him not to move as his body was still recovering. Leon's lungs were in very bad condition, and while he was lucky to have survived, pushing himself too hard might worsen his condition.
Leon whispered, "How long until I recover fully?"
Dr. Solomon replied, "It might take weeks just to walk around, and months or even years to recover completely. If you need anything, press the button beside your bed to call a nurse."
Leon said, "I don't need anything, but I'm really hungry. I want something to eat."
The doctor assured him the food would come soon. Leon then asked for a necklace he had with him. The doctor retrieved it; it contained pictures of Leon and his sister.
The doctor remarked, "You both look cute. Are you twins?"
Leon responded softly, "Not really. Sumi was one year younger than me."
The doctor asked, "Was?"
Leon seemed to fall asleep. The doctor, seeing Leon's pained expression, left him to rest.
Back in Alexander, Virginia:
Mion had bought some vegetables and fish and was thinking about what to make for dinner when a few guys on the sidewalk asked her to join them for fun. She initially declined but stopped when they mentioned drugs, alcohol, and more girls. Mion stopped "Girls?". She agreed to go with them to their apartment.
Inside, Mion saw a man already on the bed and two girls with beaten and bruised bodies. One of the men pointed to the bed and said, "He's our boss." They told their boss that they had found a girl willing to have sex. The boss smiled as Mion walked in, saying she didn't have much time and heading straight for the table covered in alcohol, drugs, and condoms.
One of the guys offered her pills, and she threw the alcohol in his face, grabbed the bottle, and hit their boss on the head. He screamed loudly. Mion shoved the pills and drugs into his mouth. When another man tried to stop her, she grabbed a knife from a cake and cut his wrist. He screamed but was kicked in the head and passed out. Another man tried to escape but was stopped when Mion threw the knife into his hand and it went through his palm,She grabbed his hair and then threw him into their boss.
Mion then grabbed the boss's hair,who was apologising and begging for mercy, She smashed his face with broken glass on the ground and cut his face deeper. She demanded the key to the handcuffs holding the girls. After unlocking them and locking the boss in their place, she told the girls they were free to either kill him or spare him to her. The girls started crying, They were being torture for 6 days,chose to hit him repeatedly with their sandals. Mion took the handcuff and lock them with the bed like the girls were,"I hate people who enjoy hurting those who can't defend themselves" She took her bag, She bought detergine from the shop,She took the packet then poured detergent on the boss and the other 2 guys, causing them severe pain and burns. She rubbed the detergent into their wounds until one of the guy died. All of them were screaming in extreme pain but the room was soundproof. "How does it feel when you cry, Beg for help but no one can hear you, You deserve worse than death motherfucker!" She ripped his muscle of his face and even put detergine in his eyes, He died while suffocating in pain.
After ensuring the girls were safe and giving them money for food, Mion returned home and exchange her number with them, Telling that, "If anything happen again feel free to contact me."
About two hours late. She return home,When Manabu asked where she had been, she said she had been doing an "Important job."