Third person's pov
"JIN YAGAMI!" Shiro Ryota's voice erupted like a thunderclap, raw with desperation and rage as he yanked a gun from his waist.
"JIN! NO!" The frantic scream of a woman cut through the chaos, but it was too late.
Three deafening gunshots rang out, their echoes bouncing off the concrete walls of the crumbling building. Jin Yagami felt his body lock up, his breath hitching in his throat. Time slowed to a crawl.
A warm, wet sensation spread across his hands.
He looked down, and his heart stopped.
Kailey Yuzu, the woman who had fought beside him, the woman who had stayed by his side through every storm, was now limp in his arms. Her blood dripped from his fingers, soaking into his skin like a cursed stain. She had shielded him—taken the bullets meant for him.
"No... No, no, no... Kai..." His voice cracked, barely more than a whisper as his vision blurred with unshed tears. His entire world was crumbling, slipping away faster than he could grasp it.
Kailey weakly lifted a trembling hand, brushing his cheek. Her smile was soft, fragile. "It's okay now, Jin... I love you..."
Her words barely reached his ears before her body went slack in his arms.
Jin felt something inside him snap. His hands shook as he clutched her closer, his mind unable to process the reality in front of him. The weight of grief bore down on him like a crushing tide, but beneath it, a fire burned hotter than it ever had before.
His breath became ragged. His vision blurred, not from sorrow, but from unrelenting, seething rage. Tears mixed with the blood on his face as his expression twisted into something unrecognizable—something monstrous.
Slowly, he lifted his head, locking eyes with Shiro Ryota. His face was blank, but his eyes burned with an emotion so intense it sent a shiver down Shiro's spine.
Without hesitation, Jin reached into his jacket and pulled out the gun Akira Yuiji had given him. There was no thought, no hesitation—only action.
He squeezed the trigger.
The gun roared to life.
Shiro barely had time to react before the first bullet struck him. His body jerked violently, his breath hitching as he stumbled back. The second shot followed, then the third. Each bullet slammed into him like a hammer, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood pooled beneath his body, mixing with the filth of the battlefield.
Silence.
Jin's chest rose and fell heavily. His grip on the gun tightened until his knuckles turned white. But even after seeing Shiro's body slump motionless, the rage inside him refused to die down. It clawed at him, whispering for more.
Kill. Destroy. Burn it all down.
But then, a soft sound pulled him from the abyss.
A weak breath.
Kailey was still alive.
Everything else faded as he tightened his hold on her, cradling her against his chest. He needed to get her out of here. Now.
His legs moved on their own, his body running on instinct as he carried her through the ruined halls. He barely noticed when he bumped into Akira Yuiji at the entrance. Akira opened his mouth, but whatever words he wanted to say never came. Jin simply dropped the gun at his feet and walked past him, his focus solely on the woman in his arms.
Akira stared at the gun. His hands clenched into fists. He had come too late. This wasn't how things were supposed to end.
He exhaled shakily, guilt gnawing at his insides.
"I'm sorry... Jin..." he whispered, but the words fell on deaf ears as Jin disappeared into the night.
Outside, the battle had ended.
Briana Naomi wiped the sweat and blood from her brow, taking in the sight of the battlefield littered with bodies. Housen High's forces had been defeated. It was finally over.
Faith Ishida, panting heavily, clapped a hand on her shoulder. "It's over... for now at least..."
His exhaustion caught up with him, and his legs gave out. Briana caught him before he collapsed completely, offering silent support.
Then, movement from the building's entrance caught their attention.
Jin Yagami emerged, his clothes stained with blood, his expression void of emotion. But what caught everyone's attention wasn't the blood—it was the fragile body in his arms.
Kailey Yuzu.
The remaining members of Sensō High rushed toward him, their voices overlapping with concern and questions. Even Claine Yuzu, Kailey's own brother, was among them, demanding to know what had happened.
But Jin didn't answer. He walked forward, his face empty, his mind elsewhere.
The world around him was nothing but noise, a distant hum in his ears. He couldn't hear them. He couldn't feel anything. He was hollow.
Then, he stopped.
Slowly, he turned to face them all, his grip on Kailey tightening.
His voice was cold. Flat. Deadly.
"Starting today, I won't show any mercy. I will crush everyone who gets in my way. I'll kill all of you if it's the last thing I do."
The words sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
And with that, Jin Yagami walked away, disappearing into the darkness, leaving behind a battlefield—and a warning.
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Anonymous POV
Darkness. That was all I knew for what felt like an eternity. But then, a flicker of light—dim at first—grew brighter until I forced my heavy eyelids open. My vision blurred, and a dull pain throbbed inside my skull as I tried to sit up. A sharp tug on my wrist made me glance down. A dextrose IV was embedded in my arm. Annoyed, I ripped it off, ignoring the sting as the needle left my skin.
How long has it been? Days? Weeks? My body felt weak, my limbs sluggish, but my mind was racing. The last thing I remembered was—
I clenched my fists, feeling the fury bubble up inside me.
Damn it.
I scanned my surroundings. White walls. The steady beeping of a heart monitor. The unmistakable smell of antiseptic.
A hospital.
So, they left me here to rot.
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Man, I should be with the others fighting, but here I am, taking care of the boss."
A familiar voice. I stayed silent, waiting for him to enter the room.
When our eyes met, his widened in shock. I guess he wasn't expecting me to be awake yet.
"How have you been, Cross?" I asked, my voice hoarse from disuse.
His mouth opened, then shut as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Boss... You're awake..." His expression quickly shifted to urgency. "I need to tell everyone!"
Without another word, he turned and sprinted out of the room.
I exhaled sharply, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My body protested, weak from inactivity, but I forced myself to stand. I stumbled slightly before catching myself on the edge of the bed.
That's right. I'm awake.
And now... it's my turn.
They thought they could take me down, leave me behind like I was nothing. They thought I would disappear quietly into the darkness, that they could move on as if I had never existed.
Fools.
Akira Yuiji... Kuro Ryota...
I haven't forgotten what you did to me.
I will never forgive you.
My vision darkened momentarily as I took my first step forward. I had to get out of here. There was no time to waste. The war wasn't over.
Not until I had my revenge.
No matter what it took—even if it meant dragging myself back here broken and bleeding—I would burn Sensō High to the ground.
(End of Volume I...)