I'd let the world burn for you... || Tokyo Revengers

Beneath the Bloodstained Banner

In the future

Naoto walked briskly toward the metro station, lost in his thoughts, the noise of the city fading into the background. His mind was preoccupied with the endless stream of investigations and unanswered questions surrounding Tokyo Manji, the gang that had shaped so many lives—including his own. Suddenly, a soft jolt pulled him back to reality as someone accidentally bumped into him.

- "Oh, I'm so sorry," a woman's voice said, filled with genuine apology. Naoto glanced down and was surprised when the woman grabbed his hand, her touch light yet deliberate. "I'm so clumsy sometimes," she added with a warm smile, pressing a small piece of paper into his palm.

- "Don't worry about it, miss," Naoto replied, his detective instincts kicking in as he scanned her features. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place where he had seen her before. Yet, as she disappeared into the crowd, a nagging feeling told him that this wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed.

With the piece of paper now tucked into the pocket of his trousers, Naoto continued his journey, though his thoughts were now divided between the mysterious woman and his usual concerns. It wasn't until he arrived at his apartment, a place overrun with files and boxes filled with documents on Tokyo Manji and its members, that he finally pulled out the paper. But before he unfolded it, his eyes drifted to Takemichi, who lay unconscious on the bed, the weight of their shared mission heavy in the air.

The room was cluttered with evidence of his relentless pursuit—folders, photographs, and notes scattered everywhere. On his desk, a new file lay open, its contents spilling out. Among the clutter, several pictures of Kaiya were strewn about, each capturing different moments of her life. Naoto picked up one of the photos, his expression softening with a mix of regret and sorrow.

Maybe if he had reached out to her back then, things would have been different. Perhaps if he had acted on his instincts and contacted her a few years ago, Kaiya wouldn't have ended up marrying Manjiro Sano. But it was too late now. The woman he once knew had become a beautiful, caged bird, trapped in a gilded cage from which there was no escape. Even attending a funeral was something she could no longer do freely, always shadowed by unseen eyes.

With a sigh, Naoto sat down in the chair at his desk and unfolded the piece of paper that had been slipped into his hand earlier. The handwriting was delicate, yet the words carried a heavy weight.

"Naoto-kun, my sweet Naoto-kun, please, stay away from us. I was able to offer protection for a few people in the past, but now that my husband is missing, there is nothing I can do, and you are getting dangerously close. Please, drop all of this and move out of Tokyo."

Naoto stared at the note, his heart sinking. It was from Kaiya. The realization hit him hard—she wasn't safe either, despite being the wife of Manjiro Sano. The protective shield he had imagined surrounding her had shattered, leaving her vulnerable to the same dangers that loomed over them all.

How had he missed it? How could she have been so close to his sister, Hina, all those years ago, and yet he had known nothing of her deep involvement with Toman? It wasn't a complete surprise—Kaiya had always been different, far from the average girl. After all, what kind of ordinary girl could take on three men in a fight and ride a motorcycle with such fearless confidence? But she had never mentioned the gang, never hinted at the life she led in the shadows. And yet, deep down, Naoto was certain Hina had known.

As he sat there, the reality of the situation weighed heavily on him. Kaiya, the enigmatic woman he had once admired from afar, was entangled in the web of darkness that had claimed so many others. And now, she was warning him to stay away, to abandon the mission that had consumed his life. But could he really walk away, knowing that she was trapped in a world where even her safety wasn't guaranteed?