Eclipse

🌸🎧chapter 29💀🌸

Time passed by quick to the point Sakura couldn't pinpoint when the tides have turned. But she noticed how her classmates who once letting out confident noise turn quiet with grunts and groans.

Sakura shifted her gaze slightly to look at Tsugeura, who grunted loudly as one of the newcomers struck him with a pipe. Her earlier pace gone as she looked at her classmates in worry when she saw most of them get hit by pipes and baseball bats.

"Looking away from a fight? You must be pretty confident!" the man she was fighting taunted as he continued to attack her.

Something didn’t feel right, and her instincts were telling her that things weren’t adding up. Her eyes quickly scanned the scene, focusing on the newcomers as they fought against Sou, Kiryu, Tsugeura, and Sugishita.

“I can’t believe I’m in the same space as the four strongest fighters in class 1-1!” Nirei’s words flashed through her mind, taking her back to when they had gone to the restaurant after the fight with Shishitoren.

Her attention shifted to her classmates, who were being pushed back by the KEEL members. A sudden realization clicked in her mind, and her breath caught in her throat.

'Five newcomers', she thought, her gaze darting from her classmates to her companions, and finally to Sugishita, who had just blocked another strike from one of the five.

Anzai’s words echoed in her mind: “KEEL isn’t like other gangs. They’ll use anything—pipes, lumber, whatever they can find to attack.” A knot twisted in her stomach as she narrowly avoided another blow from her opponent.

They were trapped. This was all part of KEEL’s plan: isolate the strongest and overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Sakura clicked her tongue in frustration, feeling the pressure building on her shoulder.

That KEEL member had been smart—he anticipated that Anzai would bring reinforcements, one way or another. This wasn’t some casual confrontation. They had planned an ambush from the start. Whether Anzai arrived alone or not, the outcome had been set.

"Kakiuchi, watch out!" The shout caused a wave of dread to rise in Sakura’s chest as she turned just in time to see Kakiuchi struck by a KEEL member.

Blood

Her gaze immediately locked on Kakiuchi’s forehead, where blood began to drip down. Without thinking, she stopped fighting the man in front of her and charged toward him. But the same opponent blocked her path, swinging the pipe toward her.

"What? You wanna leave poor me to help someone else? You cheater," he taunted, just as Sakura’s emotions surged. Her breath slowed, a cold determination settling over her. She raised her leg, aiming to kick him in the face. But the KEEL member evaded it, his movements careless.

"Get out of my way! You—" Sakura began, but was interrupted. The world seemed to go quiet as her focus shifted to Kakiuchi’s agonized face. She barely noticed the incoming strike before the pain exploded in her head.

Slowly, Sakura regained her senses. She saw another KEEL member grinning from the side, holding the pipe he had used to hit her. Then her gaze shifted upward to the KEEL member standing on the second floor, watching with amusement.

Something inside Sakura snapped. She moved faster than the man could react, sending him flying toward the other KEEL members, who were distracted by her classmates' struggle.

"Guys like you... really make me sick," Sakura muttered coldly, her voice sharp and emotionless, as her pupils dilated and her calm facade hid the fury bubbling beneath the surface.

"Huh?" the KEEL member stammered, confusion flashing across his face before Sakura’s leg connected with his face, sending him flying several meters away. The other KEEL members hesitated as they felt the chilling aura she radiated.