"Well then, shall we continue?"

A/N: Merry Christmas Eve! This chapter's my gift to you. Hope you enjoy it!

The Black Dragons arc will be at least nine chapters long, with (hopefully) monthly updates.

This arc of the fanfic will tackle a potentially more sensitive topic than previously: domestic abuse. Honestly, I'd prefer not to write about it because it's a volatile subject that countless people face, but it's kinda integral to the manga. As always, please tell me if I write anything insensitive.

"Takemichi-kun, you look kinda tired today.... Should we still go bowling after school? We can go some other time."

"Huh?" Takemichi rubbed his eyes to see Hina standing over his desk, her copper-brown hair trailing over her cheeks as she watched him try to nap. He dragged his head up from his nestled arms and tried to give his girlfriend a reassuring smile, but his lips felt as heavy as his eyelids. "I had a bad dream last night and didn't sleep too well. But I still want to go bowling with you today...maybe it'll help put my mind off it."

"A nightmare?" Hina pulled a nearby chair over to his desk to sit beside him, and the faint, saccharine aroma of tangerines tickled his nose. "Do you want to share? Sometimes it helps to talk about it."

"No, it's fine. I don't really remember the exact details of it, anyway." He made a few chuckles and flicked his hand.

Her slight frown persisted, but she stood back up. "If you say so, Takemichi-kun. But look forward to our date!" Hina's face brightened. "I think I've gotten better since the last time we went bowling—I might be catching up to you."

"Yeah, I can't wait." Takemichi waved as she returned the chair and ambled back to her desk, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Hina was the same as ever. Everyone was, in the past. Of course they were. The only person that had changed since his last time leap was him. Nothing was new, only his perception of the people around him...

Blake Myers looked up from her lunchbox as Hina plopped down on the seat beside her, quiet among the gathered girls laughing around Hina's desk. Her face, concealed by blond, wavy hair and thick-framed glasses, bore little resemblance to that of the boy who'd helped him save Draken.

They were apparently the same person.

Her gaze meandered across the classroom, settled on Takemichi for a second, then flickered away. He looked away, too, before it became too obvious that he was staring, and instead rested his cheek against his palm and closed his eyes.

Naoto had said that according to the police, Myers would commit arson with homicide, but he hadn't specified who the victim was. However, in his most recent leap, Kazutora said Myers didn't kill the 2nd Division Vice-Captain. If both contradictory statements were true, did that mean that she'd been framed to kill Hakkai in an arson? Heck, maybe Kisaki had manipulated her into starting the fire. Kazutora was trustworthy—he'd saved Takemichi's life multiple times and was fighting Kisaki and Toman. So Takemichi would trust him here. Besides, he'd seen Myers hanging out with Hakkai, and they seemed to be friends.

He groaned as his head pounded. This was too much mental gymnastics for his sleep-deprived brain.

'Frank did nothing.' Draken's cryptic response two leaps back had sparked his suspicions of Frank's allegiances, but maybe he'd meant that Fra—Myers was innocent. Myers might just be oblivious of Kisaki's harmful intentions. She'd defended Kisaki twice, as Chifuyu pointed out, but Kisaki was outwardly an ally as a fellow Toman member. It wasn't necessarily proof she worked for him. She wasn't an enemy.

Her identity was her secret. He'd respect it by saying nothing.

Kisaki would somehow be behind Hakkai and Baji's deaths, according to Kazutora. But when? Where? Did they both die at the same time? Same place? To what? At least with Draken, he'd luckily found enough clues and been at the right place at the right time to save him, but here, it felt like he was starting from nothing. He scratched his hair.

Hakkai would supposedly die in a fire— that was what he got if he pieced together Naoto's and Kazutora's hints. But before leaving them to confront Mikey, Myers had told him that she'd killed Mikey's childhood friend. That should have been Baji.... Maybe Hakkai shared some past with Mikey that made him one of Mikey's 'childhood friends.' Takemichi barely knew the 2nd Division Vice-Captain, and they'd only ever talked at his welcome party—

His phone blared out a ringtone, and Takemichi jumped in his seat, his eyes shooting open and back stretching straight. A few students nearby watched as he whipped his phone out of his pocket and held it to his ear, but they turned back shortly after. "...hello?"

"Hey, partner. Why do you sound so out of breath?" Chifuyu said with a slight echo to his voice.

"Your call...startled me." He propped his chin on his palm again.

"Heh. Nice timing, then."

That same, boyish voice of the person he'd fought alongside against Kisaki twelve years in the future. He'd been unconscious the last time Takemichi saw him, when the time traveler had barely evaded the police to escape to the past.

Naoto had said the current future continued even after Takemichi left. That meant Chifuyu, Kazutora, and maybe even Naoto had probably been captured by the police. Who knew what they were experiencing at this moment...

He couldn't take too long to change this timeline. Maybe he wasn't sure what to do next, but he had to figure it out soon.

"What's up? Why're you calling?"

"Are you free after school?"

"Today? ...I've got a date with—"

"Matsuno! You should be in class!" a masculine voice scolded in the distance.

"Aw, piss off," Chifuyu whined. "Anyway, meet me at my apartment after school!"

"But I'm—"

"It's important. It's about Baji-san!" Chifuyu hung up that moment, and Takemichi slipped his phone into his pocket.

Baji? Had something happened? Chifuyu hadn't sounded super urgent, so Takemichi could toss out the morbid thought that Baji had already died, but maybe he'd find some hints about Baji's death if he went! He'd have to cancel his date with Hina, but they could always go another time. This was an opportunity he couldn't miss.

Hina still sat with her friends, eating lunch and chatting, but Myers was gone from her seat. However, her bag and lunchbox still remained. She'd probably gone to the bathroom or something. He released a sigh of relief. Takemichi didn't trust himself to not act weirdly around her now that he knew her hidden identity. Luckily, they'd never been very close.

Hina accepted the rescheduling with a cheery smile and a wish he'd get a good night's sleep, and Takemichi stumbled back to his desk, his heart a melting mess of sunshine and flowers.

---

"So, what, Chifuyu? Why'd you bring Takemichi here?"

The time traveler cringed upon seeing the black-haired boy, whose eyes seemed to pierce through Takemichi's soul.

Every time they met, the 1st Division Captain was committing violence: Baji beat him up at the Toman meeting (which had not been a fantastic first impression), Chifuyu at Valhalla's hideout, and a truckload of Valhalla members at the Halloween battle. The only time he'd ever spoken to Baji was when Kazutora had dragged Takemichi over to Valhalla's hideout, and under the guise of being an enemy to Toman, Baji had been kinda hostile. If not for Chifuyu's confident assertion that Baji had left Toman to dig up dirt on Kisaki and Takemichi having seen Baji assault Kisaki at the fight, Takemichi would've cowered away from the scary boy.

The striped tie loosely hanging from his collar, underneath his school blazer, at least helped curb Takemichi's wariness.

"He can help us fight Kisaki. I vouch for him." Chifuyu said from against the concrete wall of his apartment building, hands tucked in the pockets of his matching jacket.

Baji tossed his hair back. "Fine, I'll admit I wasn't able to stop Kisaki on my own, and you kept pestering me about wanting to help. But you—Chifuyu—I know the capabilities of. What can he do?" The 1st Division Captain jabbed his thumb in Takemichi's direction.

A red maple leaf from above slapped Takemichi across the cheek.

"Takemitchy's just as committed to getting Kisaki out of Toman. We've been working together while you were in Valhalla. He won't let Kisaki's crimes go free."

"Hmm...." Those feline eyes again scrutinized him, and Baji found something that had him crack a grin. "You've got guts, at least. There aren't many guys who'd have the balls to attack a Captain during his nomination. Sure, you're in."

Takemichi wasn't sure if he should be proud hearing that from the boy who'd joined in said fight, outwardly defected to the enemy gang, and attempted to grievously injure that same exact Captain of his previous gang. Baji's track record was certainly impressive.

But now that they were proper allies, those traits that had set Takemichi on edge—Baji's unpredictability, brutality, and defiance—now felt...reassuring. The Captain had placed his reputation on stake to chase down Kisaki, and although he was unsuccessful, his actions had hugely influenced Toman. If Takemichi could ride that wave, maybe he'd catch his best chance at washing away that terrible future.

"Nice to be working with you." Takemichi nodded toward Baji.

"Yeah."

He still had no clues or ideas about what would cause Baji's death, but now that they were working together, he'd at least be nearby Baji. Perhaps he had to think more broadly: Kisaki would be the apparent perpetrator, whether directly or indirectly. Stopping Kisaki would ultimately prevent him from killing Baji and Hakkai.

"So, what's the plan for Kisaki?" Takemichi asked.

"We kill that crafty bastard." Baji cracked his knuckles. "He's a careful one, that ass. I couldn't find anything substantial about him while I was in Valhalla. But none of that matters after I bend him over my knee and snap his glasses."

More like reckless than reassuring.

"Uh, I don't think that's—"

"You can't, Baji-san!" Chifuyu hurried to Takemichi's side to confront the Captain. "You'll be disgraced if you do that. Toman doesn't know he's an enemy, and they'll take your attack in the wrong way."

"So what if my name gets tarnished? Removing Kisaki's more important than that. I don't care how they see me afterwards."

"But, you'll..." Chifuyu's head dipped down. But true to his words, Baji didn't look bothered by the prospect. Chifuyu shot Takemichi a pleading glance. 'Help me,' he said. 'Help me stop him.'

Baji didn't care, but Chifuyu did. That was enough for Takemichi to act.

"We just need to get Kisaki out of Toman!" Takemichi interrupted. "After the nomination ceremony, I talked to Mikey-kun—he acknowledged Kisaki was dangerous. He was willing to make a deal with me to kick Kisaki if I brought Baji-kun back to Toman. Mikey-kun isn't blind to Kisaki's—"

"But I'm back now. Why's Kisaki still here, then?" Those sharp eyes landed on Takemichi again.

Takemichi couldn't reply.

He'd...never actually thought of that. Even if he somehow managed to convince Mikey that he 'technically brought Baji-kun back,' would Mikey still listen to him? Kisaki and his Division had been vital to Toman's victory against Valhalla, and there was a chance that Mikey now deemed keeping Kisaki worth the potential danger. Currently, Kisaki held more weight than Takemichi in the gang.

Chifuyu raised his head. "Kisaki's power in Toman is growing...but that means he can't hide as easily. We have more chances to catch him doing evil."

Baji crossed his arms. "I'm not going to sit back and wait for him to act. He's already stolen Pah-chin's position and manipulated Kazutora into joining Valhalla, and he's probably done some other dastardly shit I don't know about. I won't let him have his way any longer."

"And we won't let him," the Vice-Captain said. "We've just got to prove to Mikey-kun that he's really bad—"

"And will he listen?"

"I'm sure Mikey-kun'll hear us out."

"But will he listen?"

Chifuyu began frowning. "If we've got strong enough proof, I think he will."

"Your method is too indirect," Baji said. "Regardless of if you can obtain any, proof of what? That he'd been controlling Valhalla? Kisaki never showed his face while I was there, and the only leader they've known is Hanma. How can you prove Kisaki was Valhalla's leader, short of hearing it from the dipshit himself? And would being the former leader of a now-allied gang be a good enough reason to kick him?"

He was raising good points, Takemichi had to admit. However, Kisaki's crimes weren't limited to Valhalla: "Maybe proof that Kisaki was behind the attempt to kill Draken-kun would," he interjected. "That's definitely enough to show he's up to no good."

Baji paused and looked at Takemichi again. "How'd you know that?"

"Eh?" Crap, had he accidentally let slip his future knowledge? "I...uh..."

"Osanai told us," Chifuyu said. "He told us Kisaki arranged the fight, then put all the blame on him. But yeah, Takemitchy's got a point!"

Takemichi shot Chifuyu a small smile, even if the boy would probably misunderstand what it was for. It was hard to remember what information he'd discovered from the future versus the past, especially since he'd been struggling to piece together any of the limited information he had. What he learned in the future was just as crucial to stopping Kisaki's plans.

But did he still have to keep it a secret from Chifuyu and Baji? They were now allies against Kisaki. Maybe if he told Baji he would possibly die from charging off recklessly on his own, he'd listen to them and just calm down.

It was such a big secret, though. Maybe he...he would wait and think over it a bit more before he rashly blurted it out. He'd always act without thinking, and while that fact had let him do what needed to be done lots of times—like fighting back against Kiyomasa to protect Draken—he'd gotten into some dangerous situations because of it, too—like punching Kisaki at his nomination.

On second thought, he didn't really regret punching Kiskai.

Baji sighed and scratched his dark hair forcefully. "We're not getting anywhere. Okay—how about you two go do that, and I go after Kisaki by myself. Yeah, that sounds great, actually."

"Let's vote on it. We've got an odd number of people," Chifuyu interrupted. "Who's for finding evidence to get Kisaki out of Toman?" The Vice-Captain's hand shot up, and Takemichi readily raised his own.

"But I'm a Captain. My vote overrules yours," Baji said. "I vote that we split—"

"What're you guys fighting over?" They all froze and swiveled to watch Kazutora stroll up to them, his sneakers noisily crumpling the fallen leaves scattered over the sidewalk. "What's the vote for?" Kazutora continued.

Draken had told Takemichi in the future that Kazutora was used by Kisaki...maybe in addition to providing testimony that Kisaki was dangerous, Kazutora could also help them chase after incriminating evidence! He must've known about Kisaki, too. Kazutora had said in his most recent time leap that he hadn't been involved until very late—if he started working with them earlier, then surely it'd help avert that timeline. Takemichi couldn't let the past play out the same.

Takemichi cleared his throat. "We were talking about Ki—"

"Chifuyu said he's better than me at math. He hasn't even learned about derivatives yet." Baji sniffed and raised his head to peer down at Chifuyu.

"That's 'cause your tutor's going ahead of the curriculum. You're still sloppy at the basics," Chifuyu whined.

Huh? Takemichi glanced between the 1st Division pair, who looked fully committed to their acts. Why would they try to hide it from Kazutora?

"Oh, I vote against Baji, then." Kazutora grinned. "You're garbage at math."

"Tsk. Say what you want," Baji said. "But what're you doing here?"

"I was just going to hang out with Draken."

"Oh. See you later, then. Tell him he still owes me lunch."

"Ha, sure." Kazutora ambled away, and the three of them silently watched him leave. Takemichi peeked at Baji and Chifuyu's faces, which seemed almost solemn.

After Kazutora rounded the corner, Baji spoke up. "Leave Kazutora out of the Kisaki business, Takemichi. I don't want him to get involved in it."

"Baji didn't want me to get involved after I chose not to reenter, and then Chifuyu tried to do the same," Kazutora had told Takemichi in the future.

He hadn't realized the significance of it at the time, not with everything else that had happened that night. Baji hadn't entered Valhalla solely for Kisaki—he'd done it for Kazutora, too. Takemichi still remembered the end of the Halloween battle: Baji, with his pipe discarded behind him, watching the boy collapsed beside him instead of the hawk-eyed boy watching from afar. Baji had been a meter away from his goal, when suddenly he'd run off, and Takemichi had realized that Kisaki wasn't his only goal after all.

Knowing that, Baji felt a little less intimidating.

"Sorry. I'll keep it a secret," Takemichi said.

"Baji-san. We don't want you to do anything dangerous like that." Takemichi looked back as Chifuyu quietly spoke, his head lowered and long bangs concealing his expression. "We don't want you to get in trouble. So please, don't be rash." Chifuyu raised his head to lock eyes with his Captain. His face had relaxed compared to earlier, but something about him looked...sad. With how different Chifuyu was acting since Kazutora's appearance, he had a feeling that the 'we' Chifuyu used wasn't referring to Takemichi.

Baji stared back for several seconds before he scowled and closed his eyes. "Fine. I won't confront Kisaki directly." With a flip of his hair, he spun on his heel and walked away with his hands in his trousers pockets, in the direction Kazutora had arrived from.

Chifuyu perked up, his face brightening. "Baji-san!" he called as he chased after his captain.

Takemichi smiled as he watched the pair before he more leisurely caught up with them. A friend remade, and a powerful ally recruited. This was a good start to his quest in the past, whether or not Takemichi's presence had made any impact on this development.

"But about you, there's something I've always been curious about," Baji began as he peered over his shoulder at Takemichi once he'd arrived within hearing range.

"Huh? What?" Takemichi increased his pace to walk beside the Captain.

"How did you know Kisaki was an enemy from the start? I saw no hesitation when you slugged Kisaki. What's your motive? Why do you hate Kisaki so much?"

Ack. Good question: how would Takemichi's past self have known about Kisaki?

"I knew about Kisaki...because..." He trailed out his words to give him a few more precious seconds to think. "L-like Chifuyu said earlier! We found out from Osanai-kun that Kisaki plotted to kill Draken-kun."

"But we spoke to Osanai after Kisaki's nomination," Chifuyu said. The Vice-Captain leaned forward to watch Takemichi from Baji's other side. "Did you know Kisaki was behind it beforehand? I'm kinda curious, too."

His lie was caught immediately. If he tried to make another excuse and failed again, it'd definitely look like he was hiding something. If he was going to lie, it had to be a good one, but despite his racing heart and darting eyes, his mind was cloudier than the white sky overhead.

Baji continued to watch Takemichi in his silence, the Captain's glower fierce and lips disapproving. It felt like no movement or word from Takemichi would escape Baji's scrutiny, no matter how small or seemingly innocent they were. That was one part of the boy that had previously made him nervous. Now, he knew better. It was an alertness born out of compassion, out of intimacy with the people he treasured, and he would do anything to protect them, even if it forced him to act as an enemy or suspect the supposed allies around him. Constantly watching and on edge—that was probably how he'd found out about Kisaki.

Baji was amazing. As was Chifuyu, who'd stick by Baji's side no matter what. No, all of Toman was. Despite being about ten years older than them, Takemichi felt like he was the inexperienced one.

"What's wrong, Takemitchy?" Chifuyu asked.

What was wrong? Why couldn't he just tell them about what he'd seen in the future? He'd been considering it earlier. Perhaps he was worried about how it'd change the future—but didn't he want to change it? That was the entire point of telling them: enlisting their help in preventing that timeline from occurring.

But...something stopped him. Something stopped him from sharing how horrible that future was, where Toman would morph into a despicable crime syndicate, where Baji and Hakkai would die, and where Mikey would descend to the point of murdering his previous friends: a future where Baji had miserably failed to protect the people close to him.

"I...just heard from a friend that Kisaki had a bad reputation," Takemichi said. "That's all. I must've confused those events in my memory. I guess I was shocked when I saw him announced as a Captain, and I assumed the worst."

Judging from his persisting scowl, Baji didn't look entirely convinced, so Takemichi redirected the question back at him to stop either of them from poking more holes in his responses: "How about you, Baji-kun? How did you know Kisaki was up to no good?" Takemichi walked closer to Baji to avoid the businessman exiting a small corner shop.

Baji glanced back at Takemichi a final time before he turned away and answered. "After Pah-chin got arrested a few months ago, I heard Kisaki make an offer to Mikey to get him released in exchange for his Captain position."

"Osanai told us that, too," Chifuyu murmured.

"Osanai again? He knows quite a lot, huh..." Baji shrugged. "But anyway, Mikey knows full well that Kisaki's dangerous. Obviously. If Mikey had accepted that deal in the end and Kisaki really did manage to get Pah-chin released or acquitted, even I'd be surprised. Unlike a proper fight, that's not something you can achieve through brute force. But in the end, Mikey asked him for help to fight against Valhalla—Kisaki's own gang. What a fucking joke."

"Then we just need to find definitive evidence to win him over!" Chifuyu said. "No matter how far Kisaki's risen, he can't disobey the—" Chifuyu suddenly halted.

"Huh?" Takemichi stopped and looked back at the boy, who had taken to looking around the street intersection they were at. Chifuyu seemed to be staring at the street sign affixed to the traffic light, but to Takemichi, the street name didn't ring any bells.

"Chifuyu?" Baji called.

"...Hakkai told me that he'd heard rumors that the Black Dragons were back in town. Maybe we shouldn't wander onto their turf."

The 'Black Dragons'? That name didn't ring any bells to Takemichi, either.

There was a stifled gasp behind him. Takemichi looked back to see a middle-aged woman clasp her hands over her mouth. Their eyes met, and hers widened before she ducked her head down and scurried away. A second passerby not far away from her abruptly turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

But to the people living here, it clearly did. A whole temple of bells.

"They're still around?" Baji clicked his tongue. "I thought we'd finished those bastards off."

"Baji-san, this is old news...they reformed as the 10th generation under a new leader, Shiba Taiju. He's apparently really dangerous. Haven't you heard of it at some point?"

"Maybe. I don't know. But they're nothing much. If they cause a fuss, then we'll just take them down again."

They had history with these 'Black Dragons.' A gang? And the fact they had 10 generations meant they'd been around for a while, and they'd probably amassed plenty of power, too. However, not as much as Toman had in its single-generation lifespan, Baji's dismissive attitude implied. Maybe Chifuyu just didn't want to spark any unnecessary conflicts.

Takemichi didn't want to be involved in any unnecessary fights, either. "Maybe we should—"

"Baji Keisuke, 1st Division Captain of the Tokyo Manji Gang. Would you like to retract that statement?"

Takemichi spun around to see a slightly taller boy leaning against the wall of the convenience store a few meters behind them, whose long, double-breasted coat and pale hair blended seamlessly into the off-white paint. And he probably would've, if not for the light pink scar that tore across his forehead, accentuating his narrowed eyes.

That scar was too distinctive. He was one of the Toman admins who Takemichi had seen in the future. He hadn't been very friendly to Takemichi, but neither had the rest of the admins, who'd taken Kisaki's side against Chifuyu and him.

"Hah? Who the hell are you?" Baji kept his hands in his pockets as he turned to face the newcomer. Yet Chifuyu tensed up and inched his foot back upon seeing him. Did Chifuyu recognize him? Considering Chifuyu's reaction, the newcomer wasn't one of his friends.... Takemichi swallowed and fingered the sleeves of his gakuran.

"Inui Seishuu, the Attack Squad Captain of the 10th Generation Black Dragons. I'll repeat myself," he intoned as he stalked forward, his dark boots, which resembled those of Toman's uniform, plodding across the asphalt. In the reflection of the window behind Inui, Takemichi saw the stylized "B" and "D" emblazoned across the back of his coat. "Would you like to retract that insult?"

Baji snorted, but his lips peeled back in a sneer, and he stepped up to meet Inui while slipping his hands out of his pockets and tugging off his tie. "You're part of the Black Dragons, huh? ...Mikey'll get mad if I drag us into another gang war, so let's keep this personal." His grin widened. "And fuck no."

Uh, Baji-kun? Could you please not provoke him?

Inui's fist crashed into Baji's raised arm. The black-haired boy retaliated with a punch at his opponent's face, but Inui craned his neck away so that the blow sailed past.

Takemichi glanced at Chifuyu, who watched the fight with alert eyes but stood more relaxed than when Inui had introduced himself. Hadn't he wanted to avoid contact with the Black Dragons? Shouldn't they be stopping this?

"Chifuyu, should we be letting them fight?" Takemichi whispered.

The Vice-Captain surveyed the brawl for a few more seconds. "It's fine. Baji-san's the kind of guy who gets into fights regularly, and he'd probably get grumpy if I tried to stop him. I was just concerned because I'd heard the 10th gen Black Dragons were pretty dangerous, but I mean..." Chifuyu's gaze drifted back to the fight.

Inui grunted as Baji grabbed him by the collar of his coat and hurled him against the storefront. He caught himself against a trash bin, but Baji kicked his feet out from under him before Inui could react, and he crashed down onto the pavement. To Inui's credit, Baji looked slightly winded as he waited for Inui to get up, with his hair ruffled and cheeks tinged red, but Inui was clearly faring worse.

"I heard their leader was super strong, but those are just rumors. I've never actually seen Taiju myself. And our leader's 'invincible,' right? If worse comes to worse, I think...Toman would win. I mean, maybe I'd struggle a bit against that guy Baji-san's currently fighting, but he's their Attack Squad Captain. We've got Mikey-kun, Draken-kun, and five really strong—four strong Captains." Chifuyu glowered. "And Valhalla and Moebius have made us stronger, even if they're Kisaki's."

Valhalla and Moebius...Kisaki had planned both of their conflicts with Toman to further his agenda. Inui would end up serving Kisaki in Toman, so could the Black Dragons also be...?

"What if...Kisaki also has control over the Black Dragons? Wouldn't that—"

"I doubt it," Chifuyu answered immediately. "Kisaki was originally a Moebius Captain, and unlike Valhalla, the Black Dragons have a long history spanning back to—" At the sound of footsteps, Chifuyu stopped and glared sideways at the approaching boy.

He wore the same white coat, yet he still managed to look like the antithesis of Inui. Black, tousled hair draped down his right cheek, and his slitted pupils bore resemblance to those of a snake's, observing its prey with relaxed ease. It was the man who'd sat beside Inui at the Toman meeting.

"Seems like he bit off more than he could chew. As always," he muttered to himself before offering Takemichi and Chifuyu a polite smile. "Hey, if I ask nicely, do you mind stepping aside?"

"And let you team up on Baji-san? Hell no." Chifuyu undid his tie and tossed his blazer away onto the sidewalk. "You wanna get to him? Then you gotta get through me, first."

"Feisty, aren't ya?" The interloper cracked his knuckles. "I'll take you up on that."

Takemichi shifted uneasily as the two boys faced off without words, waiting for the other to act. In the background, Baji and Inui continued tussling, their shoes scuffling against the asphalt and voices leaking into their panting.

The convenience store's automatic doors slid open with a happy chime.

Takemichi almost laughed at the anticlimactic tune until a two-meter-tall man stepped out the doors. He was at least as tall as Draken, but unlike the comforting presence Takemichi had become accustomed to from the powerful-but-compassionate Vice-President, this man—or boy, Takemichi couldn't tell anymore after hanging out with Toman—he was the kind of guy that if Takemichi had seen on the streets before he'd joined Toman, he'd scurry away and find another route to his destination.

His crimson coat, the same as the other two Black Dragon members' except for its color and longer length, hung open to reveal a swirling tattoo across his neck and pecs. The words etched across his abs were strangely delicate in comparison, and the plastic bag hanging from his hand looked comically small.

Then he suddenly lashed out at Baji's unguarded back with his free hand, his arm a blur of red that shot forward more rapidly than Takemichi had expected of his burly physique—

"Baji-kun!" Takemichi yelled.

The warning wasn't necessary.

Baji spun around while leaning away to let the blow brush past his chest, sending his hair astir but otherwise doing no damage. Inui took the chance to punch at his distracted opponent, but Baji backhanded him across the face before the fist could connect, sending Inui tumbling back.

"Inupi!" called the boy Chifuyu was about to fight. Chifuyu similarly looked towards the new battle developing at the entrance of the store, more concerned by that fight than his own.

Rather than show concern for his supposed ally, the man in the red coat bellowed with laughter, a gloved hand cupping his forehead. "You're having this much fun without me?" he said once his initial fit had subsided. "You've found someone interesting, Inui. Share some of him with me." He kneeled to offload his bag on the ground and swept back his streaky, cerulean hair.

"You're that Taiju guy, I'm guessing?" Baji straightened up and snapped a hair tie off his wrist as he faced the newcomer. "You're pretty big."

Baji-kun, please stop fighting everyone you see....

He'd handled his first opponent with ease, but this man clearly possessed a level of strength magnitudes higher. Chifuyu had attempted to warn them of the Black Dragon's President, and now that the man was standing only a few meters away from him, Takemichi could see why. Powerful, domineering, and imposing—those were the words that came to mind when he looked at the person in front of him.

On the other hand, Baji seemed to take that as a challenge.

Taiju was content with waiting for Baji to tie back his hair, and he shooed Inui away with a flick of his hand. "Don't bother us, Inui. I want him to myself."

"Chifuyu!" Baji flicked his ponytail and called back. "I don't want any distractions getting involved, either. Take care of them for me."

"Yes, Boss!" / "Yes, Baji-san!" they chorused, and then they froze and exchanged glances, and by unspoken agreement, began stalking towards each other.

Thwack!

Takemichi peeled his eyes away from the new brawl that was about to commence to watch Baji and Taiju's, which had already started. It was an unending storm of blows between them—Taiju hurled a meaty fist at Baji's head, which the shorter boy narrowly deflected away with his forearm before slamming a punch into Taiju's torso. Taiju stepped back with a frown, and Baji had to shuffle away to dodge the retaliatory right hook Taiju sent him—

"Takemitchy! Cover the other guy!" Chifuyu yelled.

Crap, he'd forgotten there was a third enemy! Takemichi spun around—momentarily spying Chifuyu guarding against a punch from Inui—to face-off against the snake-eyed boy, who'd been...standing in-place with his arms crossed, spectating Chifuyu and Inui's fight.

Takemichi stared at him.

"Oh." The boy blinked and looked at Takemichi. "I'd prefer not to fight, and you seem to, too, so how about we just stand here and 'distract' each other?" He mimed air quotes. "Regardless of who's stronger between the two of us, we can occupy each other indefinitely while walking away at the end unharmed. Win-win. So, for example, I wouldn't rush over to help Inupi once I beat you because we wouldn't fight in the first place. Taiju can't complain that I'm not doing my duty in keeping you away from him, and I don't think your boss can, either. How about it?"

"...huh?"

He sighed. "Okay, let me reiterate. I'm proposing that we don't fight. We just stand here and do nothing." He over-enunciated each syllable like he was talking to a toddler. "Is that—"

"I understand that part. You don't have to spell it out to me," Takemichi said. "But you were so...eager to fight earlier. Why this, now?"

How can I trust that you won't attack me when I let my guard down?

Based on past experience, the Black Dragons member could probably clobber Takemichi even if he 'had his guard up,' but at least he'd stand a chance if he knew the attack was coming. If the other boy launched a surprise attack, Takemichi would immediately be disadvantaged.

"Good question." His lips curled up, and he snapped his fingers. "Inupi was basically getting his ass handed to him earlier, but his current match is almost even. Whether he wins or not is on him. I don't see the need to interfere, and he likely doesn't want me to, either." The boy shrugged. "So, I don't have a reason to fight you."

"I..." With his mouth half open, Takemichi surveyed Chifuyu's fight. The Vice-Captain hissed as Inui's knuckles glanced off his cheek, but he spun on his heel and slammed a kick into Inui's side, who grimaced but stood strong.

It looked roughly even. Neither was obviously winning or losing, and with Inui battered from having fought Baji, Chifuyu should have the advantage. The boy beside Takemichi should've also realized this, yet even with the reason he'd given, he seemed too calm, too assured that his involvement wouldn't be necessary...

Takemichi's eyes wandered to Baji, still engaged in fierce battle. He ducked and weaved past all of Taiju's blows with unnatural ease, as if he was a practitioner of some martial art, and pounced on any opportunity to strike back, darting forward to stab his fists at his opponent's massive body, the occasional attack bypassing Taiju's guard—

Taiju's hand clamped down on Baji's outstretched arm before he rammed a fist into the Captain's face. Baji's ponytail sprayed back.

"Baji-kun!" Takemichi cried.

Taiju flung him away like a child with his toy, and Baji grunted as he impacted the sidewalk. The black-haired boy immediately rolled into a crouch, but his gaze flickered to his hand as he wiped away the drops of red trickling from the cut on his cheek.

The leader of the Black Dragons plodded closer.

Baji needed help. Takemichi might not have the capabilities to defeat Taiju, but he could at least do something! Distract Taiju to let Baji regain his breath, or distract Taiju to let Baji make a clean hit, or distract—

A distraction. That was all Takemichi could be: powerless on his own and reliant on others.

That didn't matter right now! He clenched his fists. Valhalla and the Black Dragons's strength were far beyond Kiyomasa's, the strongest opponent he even had a chance of defeating. Of course he couldn't win and had to depend on Toman for help! But this frustration at being incapable—it didn't matter. His pathetic ego was trivial; he had to take any venue he could to change the future. Takemichi unbuttoned his gakuran as he stepped toward the battle.

"Woah, stop." A white-sleeved arm swung down in front of him like a railroad crossing gate. The snake-eyed boy blocked Takemichi's way. "I thought we had an agreement?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Takemichi tossed his jacket onto the sidewalk railing. "I've got to help Baji-kun." He raised his fists toward the boy of unknown strength in front of him.

He had to at least take down this boy on his own. Then, he could assist Baji.

With a short battle cry, Takemichi gathered up his strength and put it into the punch he hurled at his opponent's chest. The boy intercepted it on his forearm but staggered back, and Takemichi advanced with his other fist cocked—

His legs crumpled underneath him, and Takemichi braced his arms before he slammed into the asphalt. His skin burned as if it were under an open fire as he skidded across the sidewalk, and as he struggled back up, he flipped over his forearms to see that while he hadn't received any scrapes, his skin had flushed raw red.

"You're not a very experienced fighter, are you?" The snake-eyed boy lowered the boot he'd tripped Takemichi with. "Willpower will only get you so far. You need to learn, practice, and most importantly, think—" He tapped his head. "—if you want to get anywhere in this world. Stop thinking, and you die."

Takemichi gritted his teeth and rushed forward with his arms outstretched. The boy didn't resist as Takemichi seized his waist and kicked off the ground to try and wrench his opponent off-balance. He felt the boy shift a leg back, but he stood as stable as a skyscraper.

Nothing Takemichi did was working. Let alone confront Taiju, he couldn't even reach Taiju.

Bang!

Takemichi glanced past his opponent to watch Baji crash into the railing, the red welt on his crossed arms plainly visible. A car roared past him on the street, ruffling his disheveled hair and blazer, but he grabbed the bars of the railing and hauled himself onto his feet.

"Baji-sa—shit!" Chifuyu cursed and dodged past Inui's fist.

Baji was losing. He had to get to the 1st Division Captain immediately! For all Takemichi knew, Baji could become gravely injured in this battle. He couldn't die—Toman needed him to keep itself from descending down the wrong path. Baji had to stay alive to protect Toman!

He strained forward, squeezing out as much power as his legs could muster, and was rewarded as the Black Dragons member toppled backward—

And then Takemichi was falling forward through just air again. He collided with the ground, and the snake-eyed boy peered down at him, unfazed. He didn't seem to care as Takemichi heaved himself upright, the black-haired boy instead angling his body away to watch his leader's fight.

"I'll admit, you're not half-bad." Taiju's voice cut through the sounds of Chifuyu and Inui's ongoing scuffle. The Black Dragon's leader stood over Baji's panting form. He hadn't emerged unscathed from the fight himself, even if it was only a slight sluggishness to his speech and minute bruising on his chest.

"You're a cut above most of my own people," Taiju said. "Tell you what, I want your strength. I'll make you an offer: join the Black Dragons, and I'll grant you—"

"Fuck you." Baji spat on the sidewalk and rubbed the blood off his cheek. "Toman is my gang, now and forever. Go take your recruitment drive elsewhere."

Taiju paused. "Toman...?" His brow furrowed as his expression grew stormy, but then he drew his head back and laughed with such abruptness and fervor that Takemichi flinched.

The snake-eyed boy continued watching Taiju. "Boss's evil laughter really is something, isn't it?" He seemingly didn't want to fight Takemichi, but depending on this development, maybe Baji would be fine, and Takemichi wouldn't need to help him. Taiju's extreme reaction to 'Toman'...was it a good or bad thing? Could it end this conflict?

As Taiju's mirth died down, he looked toward the other ongoing fight. "Inui!" he called.

The pale-haired boy disengaged from his scuffle with Chifuyu and hopped a few steps back. "Yes, Boss?" he said while keeping his attention on his opponent. Chifuyu held his fists up, but he remained stationary.

"Who's this guy you started fighting earlier?" Taiju angled his head at Baji, who took the chance to lean against the railing and steady his breathing.

Inui glanced back at his leader before responding: "He's the 1st Division Captain of Toman, Boss."

"You, a Captain?" Taiju scoffed. "You're one of their strongest? Huh, Toman's weaker than I thought. The previous gen must've been real crap to lose to these guys." Inui frowned.

Taiju brushed some dust off his red coat and readjusted the lapels. "Let's go, Inui, Koko." He turned away from Baji, bent down to pick up his bag, and began walking down the street, his footsteps heavy and dull. "I've seen enough."

So, it was lucky that Taiju had found out Baji was from Toman. Takemichi watched Inui and 'Koko' follow after him, the latter giving Takemichi a small wave. Chifuyu had earlier implied the Black Dragons and Toman weren't on peaceful terms with each other, and, well, he could see the subcontext that they really weren't, but it somehow resolved this conflict. Takemichi rubbed his sore arms before going to pick up his gakuran from the railing.

Taiju continued speaking. "Toman might be stronger than the other gangs in Tokyo, but they're just pushovers. If Hakkai refuses to leave his little gang, then I'll just—"

Whack!

Baji's fist buried itself in Taiju's face, the Captain having teleported across the sidewalk upon hearing Taiju's words. Takemichi gasped, and all the other boys tensed up.

Baji drew his arm back and stood tall in front of Taiju, who hunched over, clutching his face. The dark-haired boy's eyes glinted like steel. "Whatever connection you have with Hakkai, leave him the fuck alone. You got that?"

A drop of scarlet, more vibrant than the hue of his coat, fell from Taiju's fingers and struck the asphalt. As Taiju rose back to full height, he withdrew his hand, revealing the blood dribbling from his nostrils and down his lips. He quickly brought his hand back to his face.

It was difficult to read Taiju's expression, with his gloved hand cupped over his nose and hair falling down over his eyes, but Takemichi could hear the suppressed spite in his now-nasally voice: "He never told you?" He gave a short bark of laughter. "I'm not surprised, he's always been such a coward. I won't spill his big secret, then, but I'm sure you'll find out from him eventually."

Baji said nothing.

"See you around, sometime or later." With a sweep of his red coat, Taiju departed, flanked by his two subordinates.

It was after they'd crossed the road that Chifuyu hurried to Baji's side. "Baji-san, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll beat the shit out of that bastard the next time we meet." Baji scowled and trudged in the opposite direction of the Black Dragons, his shoes scraping against the sidewalk.

"Kisaki's the enemy, not the Black Dragons—we should focus on Kisaki. Maybe Taiju's got some connection to Hakkai, but we don't need to fight them." Chifuyu bent down to retrieve his blazer and hurried after his Captain, who wasn't walking particularly fast.

"Toman doesn't need to fight them. It's more of a personal thing." Baji's voice became inaudible as he stalked away.

Maybe the Black Dragons played some part in Kisaki's plan, even if Chifuyu was right that they couldn't be working in cohorts. Taiju had overpowered Baji and apparently bore some relation to Hakkai: the two people whose deaths he had to stop.

If Takemichi was to change the future, he had to work together with the 1st Division pair to stop Kisaki. He had no time to waste moping over his own inability—the only important thing was to stop that from occurring.

Thick, dark clouds drifted closer from the horizon, forewarning a future storm.

He watched Baji leave with a slight limp to his gait, ignoring Chifuyu's protests, before hurrying to catch up with them.

---

The front door slid open.

"Oh, it's you. What happened to your face?"

"Shut up."

His fingers froze over the screen. The blinking ellipses indicated Mitsuya was typing, but his Captain had always been a slow typer.

"Who turned on the heat while I was gone?" Multiple pairs of footsteps padded along the floorboards.

"I did—it's freezing in here. Who wouldn't use the heater in the winter?"

"Inui, turn it off. It's a waste of electricity. And put these in the fridge."

"Yes, boss." Someone scampered off.

"Where is he?"

"What do you need him—"

"Where is he?" the voice repeated.

There was a pause. "In his room."

The comfortable current blowing from the ceiling vent was choked shut. Despite the lingering heat, he could almost feel the air grow frigid at that instant, leaving his skin tingly as the hairs on his arms rose.

They were on the second-floor corridor. Mitsuya still hadn't finished typing. He clasped his phone in his hands, faintly warm after using it for the past fifteen minutes, and gazed out his window at the gray sky.

3. 2. 1.

Still typing.

He stared at the screen for a moment longer before switching it off and tucking it into his pocket. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the warmth gather in his heart.

"Hakkai, I need to talk to you."

His chest froze solid.

Hakkai looked up to watch his older brother duck into the doorway of his room, his nose bruised light purple. His sister followed behind him and gave Hakkai a tight smile. One of Taiju's henchmen waited by the doorway.

He pried open his jaw to respond, but all that came out was fog.

Taiju sighed. Hakkai cringed. "Before that, I bought you some sports drinks. The sugary ones you drink aren't healthy. I threw them out."

Hakkai had bought those with his own money. A small spark flickered in his chest, slowly but surely thawing the frost that had gathered in his airways—

Money that had come from his older brother.

The flame fizzled out.

"O-okay."

Hakkai's phone buzzed in his pocket. His breath hitched.

A giant palm loomed in front of him. "Give it to me."

He slowly removed his phone and handed it to his brother. Taiju flipped it open and glanced at the screen before tossing it back onto Hakkai's bed. Hakkai's eyes flickered to it. Mitsuya had finally sent his message, but he didn't dare pick up his phone to read it.

His brother sighed again and shook his head. "You've gotten weaker since I last saw you. Toman's making you weak. Join the Black Dragons, and I'll make you as strong as me."

The silence dragged on until it was clear that Taiju was expecting a response from him.

"...I'm fine with Toman. You don't...have to."

"You won't survive in the real world like this, Hakkai. You're my brother." His brother's hand was a block of ice on Hakkai's shoulder. "I'm not trying to scare you. I want to help you."

—

"You don't believe me that I can help you? I ran into one of your Captains earlier and overpowered him. Baji, was it? He wasn't bad, but he's no match for me. Toman is limiting you, Hakkai. And I'm not even that angry that you've been pretending we're unrelated."

—

Taiju clicked his lips and glared off to the side. Hakkai flinched back as his brother leaned closer to him, so close that all he could was the displeasure and disappointment chiseled into his brother's scowl. "I've been patient for years, but even I have my limits. When will you finally pick yourself up and—"

"Don't put him on the spot." His sister's mellow voice melted his fear. Taiju arose to look at Yuzuha, who'd stepped forward to challenge him, her hair flowing like flames. "Give him some time to consider it."

Taiju walked to his sister, and Hakkai felt the air warmen. "This is just as much your fault that he's like this as it is Toman's. You're too lenient with him, and he never learns."

"You're unreasonably harsh on him. Don't force him to—"

Smack!

Yuzuha stumbled back against the wall. Hakkai pursed his lips and stayed still.

"Hakkai, I'll show you how weak they really are. They're not worth your time. The Black Dragons will crush Toman." Taiju stalked back toward him, peering down at Hakkai with a frigid gaze. "Don't look so nervous. You won't have to do anything, not yet. Just watch your big brother for now."

That giant hand again descended to rest on Hakkai's shoulder, and then Taiju left with his henchman.

Taiju was no longer there to watch him, but Hakkai couldn't thaw his joints to read Mitsuya's message nor look at his sister's face as she sat down beside him.

Her hand was soft and warm over his.

"What do you want to do, Hakkai?" Her caramel-colored hair rolled down her shoulders as she hovered at the edge of his periphery.

As if by magic spell, his mouth began working again. "I..." Even if he could speak, he had no answer to say. "I...I'm sorry." The wrong words spilled out. "He hit you again. It's my fault that I can't—"

"You did nothing wrong. And it doesn't hurt that much—I think he's matured the tiniest bit since the last time he was home to at least realize that pure brute strength isn't always the answer to everything. Or maybe I've just gotten tougher." Yuzuha chuckled.

"But, if you're not sure what to do, just follow your heart. I'll support you, whatever you choose to do. So just take your time with it, 'kay?" Her voice was gentle, her words sweet.

He tried to smile. "Okay."

"Alright." He heard her lean forward before her hand drifted away from his.

It was as the warmth left it that he truly realized how numb his skin was.

His hand trailed upwards, fingers extended towards Yuzuha—

Her long hair swayed as she vanished into the doorway, although not before he caught a glimpse of the red blooming across her cheek.

His hand dropped onto his bed.

It'd been a while since home had felt so cold.

---

"I'm not religious, but don't even you think it might be kinda yikes if we attacked a Christian in church on Christmas?"

Past his glass of juice, the bespectacled boy peered at the teen on the left sitting across the table but continued drinking. Upon setting down his empty cup and straightening his coat, he responded.

"That's far too oversimplified of a plan. Even if his information is accurate and even if...you, for example, could defeat him in combat, I don't want to risk dragging Toman into conflict with the Black Dragons, especially after our 1st Division Captain impulsively provoked them. They're a threat to Mikey's power, and I want to deal with them without involving the entirety of Toman. Preferably before the situation escalates any further."

Kisaki adjusted his glasses and fell silent as the waiter tiptoed to their table in the corner of the restaurant and deposited the receipts in front of their respective customers. Kisaki muttered his thanks and slipped his receipt into his wallet. His Vice-Captain, a burly boy with close-shaven hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose, crumpled his own and stuck it in his jacket pocket. Hanma, sitting beside the Vice-Captain, drummed his fingers on the table and stared at the waiter, who kept his head lowered and movements quiet.

Kisaki continued once the waiter had left: "Regardless, I don't practice Christianity, either. Why should the date and location that some religion has assigned symbolic meaning bear any importance to me? It's irrelevant—unless it bothers you."

The Vice-Captain merely shook his head, but Hanma waved his arms and snorted. "Chill, dude. I'm not bothered at all—actually, that sounds like it'd be insanely fun. Would the power of Christ compel—"

"Do not act without my orders." Kisaki silenced him with a glare. "Become a hindrance, and I will remove you, even if I can't compare to your strength directly. Understood?"

"Yup, yup, yessir." Hanma raised a hand to his forehead in salute. "I gotchu, bro."

The restaurant door slammed open with an angry rattle of the bell, and the boy they'd been conversing with five minutes ago crashed onto the tiles, his face swollen and limbs limp. The waiter who'd handed them their bills gasped, and the light chattering of the other customers died away.

The three gangsters observed the newcomers who then stepped in, donning the Black Dragons's white uniform. The boy at the head of the procession scanned over the restaurant until his gaze settled on the Toman members seated at a corner. A grin spread across his face, and he swaggered over to them, with the ten other uniformed boys following.

"You're Kisaki, aint'cha? The 3rd Division Captain of Toman."

Kisaki's expression remained cool, but he paused for a heartbeat. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

"Hm, I guess so." The Black Dragons stopped in front of their table. Kisaki's Vice-Captain stood up from his chair and Hanma sat up from his slouched position, but Kisaki remained seated with his arms resting on the table. "Thanks to you, we managed to catch a rat who's been sellin' us out for God-knows how long. But we've also got orders from the Boss to take care of anyone from Toman, so...you guys're just unlucky." He shrugged. "Nothin' personal."

"From your boss, you say." Kisaki's eyes narrowed. "I trust that he, and you, are intelligent enough to realize the consequences of assaulting the Captain of a neighboring gang. Are you prepared?"

"Yup. You guys've gotten too big in our absence, anyway. Oh yeah..." He clapped his hands. "Could you also verbally pass the message along to your gang afterwards, loud 'n clear?

"The Black Dragons declare war against Toman."

A/N: Next chapter returns to Blake.