The night was painted in shades of crimson and black. Blood splattered against the stone walls, dripping down to the cobblestone streets that gleamed under the pale moonlight. Screams echoed through the narrow alleyways, only to be abruptly silenced by the sickening sound of blades slicing through flesh. In the heart of the chaos, a figure stood motionless, his silhouette cloaked in darkness.
His eyes gleamed with an unnatural red glow as he watched his enemies fall, one by one. His movements were like whispers—silent, swift, and lethal. No one saw him coming. No one heard him leave. Yet, the mark of his presence was unmistakable: the symbol of the Kurogane Familia, seared into the ground, surrounded by the corpses of those who dared to defy them.
The man sheathed his blade, its edge dripping with blood. He looked down at the lifeless bodies, his face devoid of emotion. In this world, mercy was weakness, and strength was the only law. He turned away as shadows wrapped around him, and like a ghost, he vanished into the night.
The streets fell silent once more, save for the distant wail of sirens approaching the massacre. The Kurogane Familia had sent their message. Another clan had fallen.
---
The sun poured through the classroom windows, casting long shadows across the wooden desks. Miyamoroto Togai sat quietly at his seat near the back, his left eye hidden behind a worn-out patch. His right eye scanned the scribbled notes on his textbook, mindlessly absorbing formulas and historical dates. Just another ordinary day at Hinode High School.
"Oi, Togai!" a loud voice shattered his concentration. Watanabe Ryugji barged in, his blond hair messy as ever, sticking up in all directions like a restless lion's mane. His uniform was wrinkled, his tie hanging loose around his neck. "You're really gonna study during lunch? You're making the rest of us look bad, man!"
Togai looked up, offering a modest smile. "I'm just trying to do my best, Ryugji," he replied softly, not wanting to boast.
Ryugji grinned broadly, his carefree energy filling the room. "Yeah, right. I guess brains aren't everything—charm rules the day!"
A scoff came from the doorway. "Charm? More like you're just too dumb to study," Togashi Ryumi said coldly, his arms crossed. His dark hair was slicked back, his calculating gaze fixed on his childhood friends. "And for the record, showing up late every day isn't charming. It's just annoying."
Ryugji glared, his face turning red. "What was that, Ryumi?! Wanna go, huh?!"
"Enough, you two." Taika Aira marched over, hands on her hips, her face etched with disapproval. "You're disrupting the entire hallway. Honestly, you're both hopeless." Her long black hair flowed gracefully, framing her sharp, scolding eyes. She turned to Togai, her expression softening. "Don't let these two distract you, Togai. You're better off without their nonsense."
Togai chuckled, his nerves easing as his friends continued to banter. Despite his quiet demeanor and the patch over his left eye, he always felt normal when they were around. "It's fine, Aira. I could use the break anyway."
Aira sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, at least someone here knows how to study." She shot Ryugji a sharp glare, which he dodged with a sheepish grin.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Students filed back into the room, gossiping and laughing. Yet, among the chatter, one conversation caught Togai's attention.
"Did you hear? Another assassination happened last night," a boy whispered to his friend. "They say the Kurogane Familia's symbol was found at the scene."
Togai felt a strange mix of disgust and satisfaction at the mention of the Kurogane Familia. As he walked through the crowded hallway, rumors buzzed around him like a persistent echo.
A girl's voice trembled, "Yes, I heard it before I came to school. I don't understand why the Kurogane Familia always leaves their mark on their victims."
Another boy whispered, tapping his temple, "Maybe it's a warning to their enemies that this is their territory."
A third boy placed his hands on his belly, visibly relieved. "We're lucky this school is protected by the Konjuko Familia. Without their partnership with the school administration, this place would be overrun by gang violence and vandalism."
The bell rang again, signaling the end of lunch. As the class resumed, a subtle tension lingered. Togai's gaze drifted toward the window, watching as a police convoy sped down the street, sirens wailing. Rumors of Mafia wars and Augmenta conflicts buzzed faintly in the background, but for now, he was just a high school student, shielded by the walls of Hinode High.
At least, for now.
---
At the back of the classroom, Togai sat beside Ryumi. In front of Togai sat Ryugji, with Aira beside him.
"You're hopeless, Ryugji!" Aira's voice cut through the air as she glared at him. "How can you score that low on the history quiz? Even Togai did better than you!"
Ryugji shrugged, his carefree smile never fading. "Hey, numbers are just numbers. Who cares about the past? I live in the present!"
"That's why you'll fail!" Aira shot back, her frustration evident.
Togai laughed nervously. "I don't think that's contagious… But Ryugji does have a point. History is kind of boring."
"See? Togai gets it!" Ryugji cheered, giving Togai a playful slap on the back. "That's why we're best buds!"
"Idiots," Ryumi muttered, arms crossed as he stared at the blackboard, his serious demeanor contrasting with the rest of the group.
Aira leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Did you hear the rumors? There was another Augmenta exchange gone wrong in the city. They say two Mafia families fought right in the open."
Togai's interest piqued. "Augmenta… Those artifact things, right? The ones that supposedly give people superhuman abilities?"
"Yeah," Aira confirmed. "They say it's getting worse. More fights, more bloodshed. My dad says the police can't do anything because the Mafia controls the city."
"Scary stuff," Ryugji said, his playful tone gone. "Good thing we're just normal students."
Normal. Togai felt a chill run down his spine. But something inside him knew his life was anything but normal.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. As they walked out, their laughter echoed down the hallway, unaware of the shadows watching them, waiting for the right moment to strike.
They had no idea how close they were to a world beyond imagination—a world where power was measured in blood.