Scene 1: Aoi's True Intentions
Yuuji stared at the black card in his hand, the golden engraving glinting under the hallway lights.
"An invitation?"
He narrowed his eyes. "What exactly am I being invited to?"
Aoi Kanzaki tilted her head, amusement flickering in her icy blue gaze. "To the real battlefield."
Yuuji exhaled. "And what if I say no?"
Aoi smiled, but there was something cold about it. "Then you'll just be another pawn in someone else's game."
Yuuji studied her for a moment. He had only been at Shiroyama Academy for a few days, but it was already clear—this school ran on something more than just academics.
It was a world of power, influence, and violence.
And now, he was being offered a chance to step into the center of it.
He glanced at Renji, still unconscious on the floor, and the remaining thugs who were too scared to move.
Then, he looked back at Aoi.
With a smirk, he slid the black card into his pocket.
"Fine," he said. "I'll bite."
Aoi's smirk widened.
"Good," she said, turning on her heel. "Be at the old gym after school. Don't be late."
And just like that, she walked away, leaving Yuuji standing amid the wreckage of his latest fight.
Scene 2: A Dangerous Meeting
After school, Yuuji made his way to the old gymnasium, a building that looked abandoned at first glance. The windows were covered in grime, the doors worn with age.
But as he stepped inside, he realized—it was far from empty.
More than a dozen students stood in a circle around a makeshift ring, where two guys were currently beating the crap out of each other.
Blood stained the floor.
The sound of fists connecting with flesh echoed through the air.
Yuuji frowned. "What the hell is this?"
A voice behind him answered.
"The Underground."
He turned to see Aoi standing there, arms crossed, watching him carefully.
She nodded toward the ring. "This is where the real power struggles happen in Shiroyama. The strongest students fight, and the winners gain influence. Lose too many times, and you become irrelevant."
Yuuji exhaled. "So that's why you brought me here? To fight?"
Aoi smiled. "No. I brought you here to survive."
Before he could respond, a deep voice interrupted.
"Well, well. So this is the transfer student Kanzaki's been babysitting."
Yuuji turned to see a tall, muscular guy with a jagged scar across his jawline. His arms were wrapped in bandages, and his aura radiated menace.
Aoi's expression hardened. "Takeshi."
Yuuji raised an eyebrow. "Another one of the school's top dogs?"
Takeshi cracked his knuckles, his sharp eyes analyzing Yuuji. "I don't see anything special. Just another cocky bastard who thinks he can fight."
Yuuji smirked. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you."
The room tensed.
Aoi sighed. "You two are going to fight anyway. Might as well make it official."
Takeshi grinned. "Agreed."
Before Yuuji could protest, he was already being pushed toward the ring.
He sighed. "Guess I don't have a choice."
Scene 3: The First Underground Fight
The second Yuuji stepped into the ring, Takeshi lunged.
A blindingly fast punch came straight for his face.
Yuuji barely dodged in time, feeling the gust of wind as Takeshi's fist shattered the air.
"Shit—he's fast for his size."
Before Yuuji could react, Takeshi spun, his elbow crashing toward Yuuji's temple.
CRACK!
Yuuji ducked just in time, countering with a sharp knee to Takeshi's ribs.
Takeshi barely flinched.
Instead, he grabbed Yuuji's leg and hurled him across the ring.
Yuuji crashed into the floor, rolling before quickly pushing himself up.
The crowd roared.
"Damn, Takeshi's not even going easy on him!"
"New guy's tough, though. Most people would be knocked out by now."
"Kanzaki's boy better not disappoint."
Yuuji wiped a trickle of blood from his lip.
"This bastard is a tank."
Takeshi grinned. "Not bad. But you're still too slow."
He charged again.
This time, Yuuji didn't retreat.
Instead, he stepped in.
Takeshi threw a punch—Yuuji weaved past it, stepping inside Takeshi's guard.
Then, he unleashed hell.
A brutal right hook to Takeshi's jaw.
A sharp elbow to the throat.
A powerful kick to the knee.
Takeshi stumbled, his face flashing with surprise.
Yuuji didn't stop.
He grabbed Takeshi's collar and pulled him forward—slamming his forehead into Takeshi's nose.
CRACK!
Blood sprayed across the ring.
The crowd exploded.
Takeshi staggered, his vision dazed.
Yuuji didn't hesitate.
He pivoted, swinging his leg in a devastating roundhouse kick to the side of Takeshi's skull.
BOOM!
Takeshi's body collapsed.
Silence filled the room.
Then—cheers.
Yuuji exhaled, shaking his hand. "Damn, that hurt."
Aoi smirked from outside the ring. "Welcome to the Underground."
Scene 4: A Dangerous New Enemy
As Yuuji stepped out of the ring, he could feel everyone's eyes on him.
Aoi walked up to him. "You made a statement today."
Yuuji scoffed. "Didn't have much of a choice."
Aoi chuckled. "That's the Underground for you. Now that you've won, more people will start paying attention to you."
Before Yuuji could respond, another voice interrupted.
"Interesting."
The crowd parted.
A boy stepped forward, his presence alone enough to silence the room.
Unlike Takeshi, he wasn't big or muscular.
But there was something unnerving about him.
His cold, golden eyes seemed to pierce straight through Yuuji.
Aoi's expression darkened.
"Shit," she muttered.
Yuuji frowned. "Who's this?"
Aoi's lips pressed into a thin line. "Hiragi Kaito. The strongest fighter in Shiroyama Academy."
Kaito studied Yuuji for a moment before smirking.
"You're interesting," he said. "Let's see how long you last."
Then, he turned and walked away.
The tension lingered, even after he was gone.
Yuuji sighed. "Great. Another problem."
Aoi patted his shoulder. "You've made enemies, Kisaragi."
Yuuji smirked. "Wouldn't be fun otherwise."
Aoi chuckled. "Then let's see how far you can go."
As they walked out of the gym, Yuuji couldn't shake the feeling that his real battles were only just beginning.
And Hiragi Kaito… was watching.