Father's Study - Year 1345
Mayumi sat on the study, her face pale, hands trembling as she clutched the snail den den mushi. Her breaths came in short, uneven gasps as she pressed the receiver to her ear, her fingers gripping it so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Akira, still in his high school uniform with a single gold-striped tie, watched her from the doorway. And walked towards her, His sharp eyes caught the wetness in her eyes, the way she bit her lip to suppress a sob. He stepped forward, concern deepening the crease between his brows.
"What happened, Mayumi?"
She didn't answer immediately, her gaze locked onto the silent receiver as if sheer willpower could make it connect. Frustration twisted her expression, and she hit the receiver against the desk, her breath hitching.
"Who are you trying to call?"
Akira asked, his voice calm but firm.
"I want to talk to Dad."
Her voice wavered, barely above a whisper.
Akira moved closer, his hand resting on the desk as he leaned in slightly.
"Why? What's wrong?"
Mayumi inhaled sharply, shaking her head as she pressed the dial again. Silence. Her chest heaved, and she wiped at her eyes quickly, as if ashamed to show weakness.
"I've been calling for so long, but he's not answering."
Akira studied her carefully, noting the slight tremor in her fingers, and the way she refused to meet his gaze.
"Okay," he said. "Tell me what happened."
Mayumi hesitated, glancing at Akira before lowering her eyes to the desk.
"They're… They're ragging me in college. I can't handle it anymore."
Akira's expression hardened, but he kept his voice level.
"Ragging? What did they do?"
Silence.
"Did someone say something to you?"
Mayumi remained still.
"Did they insult you?"
No answer.
"Did they touch you, Mayumi?"
Her shoulders tensed, but she didn't speak.
Akira leaned closer, his voice barely restrained.
"Did they touch you?"
She shifted slightly, turning towards him, just enough to confirm his question.
He grabbed her wrist and started towards the door, his grip firm but not painful.
"Come on."
…
"Akira… where are we going?" she asked, her voice rising in alarm as he pulled her along.
Akira's pace didn't falter as they made their way outside. He signaled for a carriage, his grip tightening around her wrist. The driver barely had time to ask,
"Where to, sir?"
Before Akira brushed past him and climbed into the driver's seat himself.
"Sir! I'll get in trouble if you---"
"Get in, Mayumi,"
Akira ordered, ignoring the driver's protests.
Mayumi hesitated for a fraction of a second before obeying, clutching her hands together as she watched Akira take control of the reins. The driver, realizing there was no stopping him, climbed in the back with a resigned sigh.
The carriage jerked forward violently as Akira snapped the reins, his expression unreadable.
…
The heavy wooden doors creaked as Akira strode into the corridor, his grip on Mayumi's wrist loosening only slightly. The scent of ink and aged paper lingered in the air, mixed with the faint murmur of lessons from behind closed doors.
"This one?"
Akira asked as they passed a classroom.
Mayumi shook her head, staring at him instead of the door. He moved to the next one.
"This one?"
She shook her head.
Another classroom.
"This one?"
Inside, a professor was in the middle of a lecture.
"A classic example of heat and mass transfer would be a bullet---"
Mayumi nodded slightly.
Akira didn't hesitate. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"---exiting the machine gun."
The professor faltered, glaring at the sudden interruption. The students turned, some confused, others amused.
"Ma'am, please excuse me,"
Akira said, his voice calm but laced with authority. He turned to the class, scanning their faces.
"Who messed with my sister?"
Silence stretched across the room before someone scoffed.
"What has life become?"
A young man in a blue t-shirt leaned back in his chair, smirking.
"Even schoolkids think they can question us now."
Another boy pointed at Akira.
"Ma'am, this baby is disrupting class. Why don't you stop him?"
"Hey, scaredy cat, get out,"
A girl taunted.
Akira ignored them.
"I'll ask again."
His gaze swept over the room, settling on the blue-shirted boy.
"Who messed with my sister?"
"Hey, get lost!" someone yelled.
Akira didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Mayumi.
"Wait here, Sister. I'll be right back"
Akira didn't wait for a reply he turned and walked out, leaving Mayumi alone.
A murmur of laughter rippled through the classroom.
"Ragging season hasn't even started yet, madam," someone said to Mayumi. "You've got a lot more to witness."
The footsteps returned, heavier this time.
The blue-shirted boy's smirk vanished as Akira re-entered, an AK-47 in hand.
A burst of gunfire fired on the floor.
The metallic scent of gunpowder filled the air. Akira walked slowly, purposefully, his expression unreadable. The gun was still warm from the warning shot he had fired into the floor.
Akira climbed the steps, He stopped in front of the blue-shirted student and rested the gun against his shoulder. The boy gulped, his bravado crumbling.
"Sir,"
He stammered, raising his hands.
"I'll tell you everything."
The room held its breath. As he got up and answered.
"There were five guys in total,"
the boy said quickly.
"They left after lunch. Koi, Vinas, Narak, Dimpy, Hesa."
Another student, barely able to breathe, added,
"Can you come back tomorrow, sir? You'll find them here."
Akira stared at them for a long moment before lowering the gun.
…
They walked toward the exit, Mayumi still in shock.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?"
she demanded.
"If anything like this happens in college, You should inform me right away. You shouldn't wait until
things get out of hand."
Akira said, his voice steady.
"You think you're some kind of hero? Are you a goon now?"
she snapped.
"You fired a gun in class! Do you want me to study there or not? Just wait until Dad finds out."
"That's our college, Mayumi."
"What's the point if you're not safe in our own damn college?"
He shot back.
"And to ensure your safety, I can be anyone, Let alone a goon."
"Don't worry. This isn't over yet."
Akira's voice was cold.
"I'll be back tomorrow."
"You don't need to be anyone for me."
Just before Mayumi could argue, she froze. Her eyes widened as she stared ahead. Akira followed her gaze.
The five figures emerged through the entrance. Their laughter was casual, but their postures screamed arrogance.
"Is that them?"
Without waiting for an answer, Akira gave the AK-47 to Mayumi.
The five boys noticed the Mayumi, their smirks widening. Like predators sensing prey, they surrounded Akira and Mayumi in a loose half-circle, their stances relaxed yet deliberate even when they noticed the gun in Mayumi's hand.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" One of them drawled.
Akira immediately stepped in front of his sister, his body tense, His heart pounded, but his breathing remained steady.
A brief, loaded silence. Then, in the blink of an eye, Akira lunged.
His fist struck the nearest student's throat with pinpoint accuracy. The man gasped, stumbling back, clutching his neck. Akira followed up with a brutal knee to his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs.
Another student, reacting too late, swung a fist. Akira ducked, grabbed the first man's head, and slammed it into the attacker's skull with bone-cracking force. Both collapsed, dazed.
He pivoted, hooking an arm around one man's torso and swinging him into the man on his right. They collided with a grunt, their balance lost as they tumbled.
A spinning kick sent them flying, their body crashing against a stone pillar before slumping to the ground. The dust settled around them.
Two were knocked out, Two on the floor with only one man remaining standing… the leader.
Narak.
He grinned, unfazed by the spectacle. Then, with a guttural roar, his transformation began.
Muscles swelled beneath his shirt, bones cracked audibly as his skin turned rough, thickening into a grayish hide. His nose elongated, and a massive horn jutted from his forehead. His eyes, once human, glowed with a feral hunger.
Uma Uma no Mi, Model: Rhinoceros
Akira barely had time to react before Narak charged.
The ground shook with his monstrous steps. Akira rolled to the side as the beast crashed into the stone wall behind him. The bricks shattered, debris flying in all directions.
Akira pushed himself up, dodging a massive fist that swung toward him. He countered with a flurry of punches to Narak's ribs, each strike precise.
Nothing. The beast barely flinched.
A massive hand clamped around Akira's forearm. Before he could break free, Narak hurled him through the air. Akira crashed hard against a wall, pain exploding across his back. He slid down, coughing blood.
Through blurred vision, he saw Narak charge again.
"Mayumi!" Akira shouted, barely dodging another strike. "Give me the gun!"
Mayumi hesitated but flung the AK-47 through the air.
Akira caught it mid-spin, his hands instinctively finding their grip. He hit the ground, bracing himself, and squeezed the trigger.
A barrage of bullets exploded from the barrel, striking Narak's legs, and tearing into the ground. The beast stumbled, roaring in pain, his charge faltering.
Akira scrambled up, blood trickling down his arm. He aimed for Narak's head and fired two more rounds.
The bullets ricocheted off his horn, sparking against the dense bone.
Narak staggered but didn't fall.
Gritting his teeth, Akira stumbled forward, closing the distance. With one final move, he pressed the barrel against Narak's torso and emptied the remainder of the magazine at point-blank range.
Narak roared one last time before collapsing, his massive form shrinking as the transformation faded. His shirt was in tatters, bullet marks lining his chest, but there were no fatal wounds. Just unconsciousness.
Akira exhaled sharply, his body swaying. He lifted the rifle once more, pulling the trigger, but nothing. Empty.
With a growl of frustration, he tossed the weapon aside and turned toward the remaining two members of the group.
"H-He's going to kill us!"
The last two who got up but didn't join the fight bolted.
Akira give it a though but despite the pain radiating through his body, Akira pushed forward, his legs carrying him on sheer adrenaline.
The chase was on.
The two ran through the campus, shoving past confused students. Akira followed, closing the gap with every step. At first, it seemed they might escape. Then, with a final burst of speed, he caught up.