red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xxiii: unmasked

true to his words, mikey got up to his feet just as takemichi promised. however, this isn't how kazua wanted it to go.

he's now being held by one of kazutora's lackeys, having kazutora himself hitting mikey's head repeatedly with that annoying pipe that he got from nowhere. by every hit, kazua found it hard for her to keep her anger in.

she can't watch this any further.

after swearing to protect sano manjiro himself from danger, how come she's not doing anything right now?

because she's supposed to save baji?

she should save him, too, right?

mikey could die with that many hits on the head.

"mikey-kun will be alright!"

takemichi's affirmation rang in her ears as she watched in disbelief. mikey retorted, and he was able to headbutt his captor even after many aggressive hits in the head. he then lifted the other lackey that was holding on to his leg, kicking both him and kazutora down the ground with a single roundhouse.

"that idiot. he could've done that sooner." kazua gritted her teeth, pulling her hood over her head to conceal herself once more. she stayed beside the pile of cars to move faster later on, a precaution she only realized now. "he didn't have to let kazutora hit him so many times before he ended them. that fucking idiot."

whump!

mikey falls on his knees, battered and lightheaded from his enemy's previous attacks. it gave the valhalla members a chance to attack, and they all changed their targets from the toman members to the leader of the organization himself.

"we're gonna curb-stomp mikey!"

"tokyo manji gang, 3rd division captain. kisaki tetta."

a guy in glasses was able to punch the nearest valhalla member to hit mikey, making kazua sigh in relief. "wait, did he just say..."

"my division will protect our gang's leader!"

"that's..." kazua's eyes fell on his right hand. he soon tucked it inside his pockets, making her snicker. "...this is supposed to be kisaki tetta? his hand's shattered in pieces after that one punch!"

she snorted, taking a step back to hide herself as she began laughing by herself. he hid his punching hand right after that one, and knowing that it's bruised all over only made it funnier for her. the guy himself sure looks like he can't fight, but she had to remember that he's manipulating everyone in the field right now.

he's taking this as his chance to get to toman's good side and increase his influence in the group.

"kisaki, good work! i'll leave mikey to you!"

draken fell in the trap.

kazua turned hollow. "he gets the upper hand in this fight either way. he sure is smart." she thought.

there he is.

"fucking finally,"

"i've been waiting for this, kisaki!"

"right at the head. right at the head. right at the head. right at the head. you have one fucking job, kei."

baji keisuki hit kisaki tetta with a pipe to the side.

disappointing.

"he had one job." kazua weeps, flicking the tears out of the corner of her eyes with her delicate fingers. "oh, wait. i have a job too."

"kisaki! i'm gonna rearrange your fuckin' face!"

"yes, please." kazua tucked her hands in her hoodie pockets and began walking around the junkyard. she made sure to use the cars to keep herself hidden, not letting her figure be spotted by anyone at least once.

takemichi and chifuyu should be dealing with baji right now. they're distracted from kazutora who got lost in the crowd that went wild when baji decided to reveal himself by playing baseball.

"they won't be able to stop kazutora." she confirmed to herself once again. takemichi mentioned that he tried before, and baji left him to believe that he wasn't stabbed. he was wrong, and that led to baji's death because of rapid blood loss.

thankfully, she found kazutora a little behind a tired mikey. she was itching to check if he's alright, but she reminded herself countless times that he will be alright.

in one swift move, kazua pickpocketed kazutora and got the swiff knife, replacing it with a rubber one instead.

"that should do. kei owes me a truckload of choco mint for this one."

***

the rest of the fight, kazua watched intently. kazutora tried to stab baji with the duplicate she made, and to say she was satisfied when he looked hella confused was an understatement. he's got to be so mad right now, trying to think of who would dare play him like that.

luckily, he isn't aware the kazua was there.

and while baji had every intention to end this fight with kisaki under his mercy, he wasn't able to follow through with his own plan.

"just as planned, huh?" kazua leaned against the wall behind her. "everything's going well. perfect."

mikey woke up a little after baji passed out in exhaustion, and after beating hanma with a single kick, everyone else in valhalla made a run for it.

"i see now! he lured baji into valhalla, so he could kill him when he least expected it!"

there isn't any blood on baji, nor are there any stab wounds, but kisaki made sure to block his body from sano's narrowed vision.

he was provoking toman's invincible leader, adding fuel to the fire.

"ah, kisaki tetta sure is smart." kazua giggled. "how irritating must it be..."

mikey did declare that the fight was over, assuming that baji was defeated because of kisaki's fabricated words.

"people can betray anyone..." kazutora chuckled, looking up at mikey who now stood before him. "...let's end this, mikey. will you die? or will i?"

sano manjiro didn't hesitate to land a punch the moment kazutora finished talking. as he drops down the ground, mikey crouched at his level and continued to mercilessly punch his face.

the person who he's been wanting to kill for so long now.

"if all you can do is destroy the things i care about, then i'll destroy you right here and now." his eyes were so hollow, so unreadable that no one dared to even understand what he's thinking right now.

nobody can stop mikey, and he's on the verge of killing one of the people he once considered his friends.

a person that he once considered his own family.

"MIKEY!"

"eight minutes. impressive."

"you got mad for my sake? thanks, man!"