GRUDGE BURST - Urban Fantasy Multi Protag Downward Spiral

Midnight in Japan

Jin, the boy with the owl mask, sits in Mishima's office. The room is nearly pitch black.

"So, why'd you ask me to come here now?"

"Two main reasons." Says Mishima, illuminated by the glow of his computer. "For starters, I've been reading through Ushiyama Kito's history. It seems paper thin. Alongside some miscellaneous info, like the fact that he's never taken vaccine's before, he seems to have lived a typical life until he left his parent's house."

Jin raises his eyebrow. "...And?"

"From what I've gathered, he disappeared for a while before coming back to Japan. He's been working in the harbor and as far as I can tell, that's about it. But this all seems too clean. I've read the files on all of his accomplices lives and they all seemed normal until they met him. Why would they all of a sudden agree to join in a political operation with no background?"

Jin shrugs. "People are idiots. They'll believe in what makes them feel good, and that's that."

"That sounds reasonable. But to have this level of confidence while taking this much of a lead after the mayor dies seems a bit too... convenient." Mishima pauses.

Jin leans in. "So what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to kill him."

Jin blinks. "Over... a hunch?"

"Yes."

"And what if he's an innocent person?"

"Then we'll take care of that," simply says Mishima. "You already know how these things go."

Jin rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

The next morning.

7:56 AM

Jin camps up on the same roof he was at last time. Along with his rifle, he has coffee and bread. He sets his rifle up and peers through Kito's window. Jin, mid-sip in his coffee, sees Kito open the window drapes, before walking away.

"Tch." Scoffs Jin to himself, putting the coffee down. "Lucky bastard."

Jin peers his eye through the scope once again. Kito is sitting down directly in front of the window reading the newspaper.

Kito looks up.

Jin, open-eyed, meet's Kito's gaze. As if hearing a train blare at him from behind, his instincts scream at him to turn around. He does so.

A fist stops a mere millimeter away from Jin's face. The force of the punch blows air past the student's face. Behind the fist is Kasumi Murobuchi and his eerie, permanent smile.

"What the fuck?" Yells Jin. He backs away, circling around Kasumi. Kasumi, as still as a statue, keeps the punching pose. Just as Jin aims his rifle at Kasumi's head, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kito's window.

Kito is gone.

Instinctively, Jin yells "OH SHIT-" and jumps to the side, turning to an owl. Kito, climbing up the building, finally lands on the roof.

"I sacrifice 80% of my Ki to fly away for thirty seconds" declares Jin, jetting away at mach speeds.

Kito, beginning a runner's start, kneels...before standing back up again. "You, know, next time, I'll just jump out the window and go straight here."

Kasumi unfreezes, and stands up normally. "Whaddya mean boss?"

"If I didn't try to go down the stairs, blur past the civilians and scale this building, while being as quiet as possible mind you, I'm pretty sure I could've severed that kid's spine in half." Kito snaps his fingers and says in a chipper tune. "So close!"

"Can't we catch him though?"

"See that's what I'm thinking. You most likely can, its just that him flying would deny you from getting near him. And I could, with some effort but... I'm weighing my options right now. See, there's a chance he's just some random sorcerer but- let's grow a brain here. He's definitely from the Ordinance Academy. So, no real nice way to put but, we're a bit... inconvenienced. Now here's what I'm thinking. If I severed his spine, we could've wrung the information out of him. But the important thing would be confirming that's he's from the Academy... And we already know that. Now if we killed him, I'm assuming they'd bring the top brass against us. And though we'd win, I gotta be blunt, I doubt each one of you would survive."

"But now that we let him go, what now?"

"Well, this just confirms that we're sorcerers so, all that acting was for nothing. But, he's alive. And thus, this could make the Academy underestimate us for now. Which to be frank, I would much prefer fighting some low tier students than an actual agent. For now, its about lasting as long as possible rather than staying undercover. I'd like to think this works for us simply because the runner up for mayor suddenly disappearing would tilt way too many heads. People would be talking, and that's not good for any government."

"Ah. Gotcha. Say, how'd you know he was gonna come anyway?"

"I've been sensing familiar 'presences' for the past couple days. That's why I called you up this morning to finally get rid of them and we were just- so close. It's whatever though. A setback, but a minor one for now. I'll leave this be future Kito's problem. For now, I simply want to enjoy the moment. You're not busy right now, are you?"

Kasumi shrugs. "Not really. What's up?"

"Let's get some breakfast. Egg on top of rice sounds good right about now."

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Later that day, in Naoki's room.

The both of them are staring at a Tekken character select screen.

"Ok so, have you ever played Tekken before?" Asks Naoki.

"No." Simply responds Yamada.

"Ok...let me rephrase that. Have you ever played a fighting game before?"

Yamada chuckles. "Naoki, the last video game console I touched was the Nintendo 64."

Naoki turns his head and shouts. "God DAMN you're old."

Yamada's smile evaporates. "So what were you saying about Tekken..."

"Sorry. Uh yeah, so Tekken's a 3D fighting game. It's really cool, and I think its an easy way for me to teach you fundamentals. Now granted, real life isn't a video game. You're not gonna be juggling bitches in mid-air with combos like in this game... OK with Ki existing, I wouldn't doubt some sorcerer in the world can do that, but still. My point is that there's some thing you can learn from this. Take a look at the characters here and choose the one that you like the most."

Yamada skims through the characters. He tilts his glasses and comments at each one. "...Why does he have a jaguar head but the body of a man?"

"It's just a mask. He still talks like a jaguar though."

"...That makes no sense...Why does this guy have segments all over his body?"

"He's a giant Russian robot."

"I see...This guy looks scary."

"Yeah, he's a psychotic cyborg zombie who lives to spread chaos and violence. So the true American character."

"Interesting..."

Eventually, Yamada picks his character.

"Kuma?" Asks Naoki.

"Haha, yeah," says Yamada with a smile. "It's a bear...who's name is bear. That's so silly!"

Naoki stares at the cockroach. "You are such a cornball dude." Naoki then picks his character: Lee Chaolan.

"Who is that?" Asks Yamada.

"He's a hard to use character but he makes up for it in flashiness and style. He's also the ex adopted brother and adopted son of the main villains. It's a long story."

Lee finishes his intro cutscene. "Also, he's just like that, you know?"

"No." Responds Yamada.

"Alright for starters," says Naoki. "This game has high, mids, and lows. If you press back, you block highs and mids- but not lows. But if you hold down and back, then you block lows and dodge highs- but not mids. So, press 3+4 and you'll enter a stance."

Yamada stares at his controller. "3+4...? All I see are X, square, triangle, and circle?"

"No- ughhh. 1 is your left hand, 2 is your right hand, 3 is left leg, 4 is right leg. So do 3+4."

"..." Yamada looks at Naoki. "7."

"DUDE- no."

Naoki then took an hour to explain Tekken's button notations.

"OK. SO." Starts Naoki again, with a raspy voice. "Lucky for you and me, both of our characters rely on their stances."

"Stances?" Asks Yamada.

"Its like when you crawl on your limbs and you fight totally different compared to when you're standing up."

"Ohh, I gotcha. But how is that important?"

"Its important because stances give you options. So, try to predict whether I'm going to go for a normal attack or a low."

Yamada blocks normally.

Naoki does a low attack. This trips Yamada's character.

"That shit's a mixup. We call them 50/50s and they're super important for fighting- not only in this game, but also in real life."

"So its a guessing game?" Asks Yamada.

"That's right. Normally, if you defend right, you can punish my attempt. But if I guess right, then I do lots of damage and I win."

Naoki proceeds to grab Yamada's character. "Also sometimes I can just grab instead of going for a mid or a low." Continues Naoki.

Yamada, annoyed, turns to Naoki. "Then that's not a 50/50 that's a 33/33/33..."

"You know what I mean..." grunts Naoki.

The teenager looks at the time. He then gets up and explains. "Welp! I hope you enjoyed your training session."

"But we've only played for two minutes?"

"And we also spent an hour learning what the buttons are so- that's how time flows." Explains Naoki. "Anyway, feel free to take the console and tv to your room. You can continue playing around with the game. It's the weekend so, I'm gonna be heading out for a while. See you when I get back."

"I see. See you later, Naoki." Says Yamada, continuing to fiddle around with the game.

Naoki leaves his dorm room, donning his civilian disguise. He still wears his stylish sneakers, on top of a baggy hoodie and black shorts.

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An hour passes.

8 PM

Naoki strolls around the city. From the busy market, to the arcade, and eventually towards the beaches.

Naoki goes to an outdoor ice cream shop. He feels an odd sensation, as if something familiar was there. The person just ahead of him in the line looks back. They reek of salt and fish. They're wearing a black bandana.

Naoki and Kito lock eyes. The man smiles, motioning for Naoki to come over.

Naoki thinks about the person in front of him. Getting cut in a line feels pretty bad, after all.

"My cousin is back from the bathroom," says Kito to the person behind him. The person nods and lets Naoki pass.

"What are you doing here?" Asks Naoki.

"I'm done for the day. This is my favorite ice cream shop in town. What are you doing here?" Rebuts Kito.

"Done with school, and the weekends are the only time I have off so, I like to make the most of it."

"By the way," says Kito. "Pick which one you want. I'll pay for you."

"Are you sure?"

"Psh, it's not like I work for a living. I know how little teenagers get for allowance."

Naoki shrugs. "Well alright. I'd like the chocolate mint ice cream please."

"Gross." Says Kito before ordering for Naoki.

Naoki has a comical vein on his forehead.

The both of them go outside and sit on a bench.

"Thanks for buying the ice cream, Mr...Kito?"

"Correct. And you might as well tell me your name if we're going to keep bumping into each other."

"It's Shingo," says Naoki.

Kito turns to him and looks him dead in the eye. "Are you lying to me, Shingo?"

Naoki freezes, before slowly answering "You shouldn't give your name to strangers."

"Fair enough." Says Kito. "Anyway, there's no reason to thank me. After all, you owe me after this one" he says, biting into his wasabi ice cream.

"You bite your ice cream? You animal..." Mutters Naoki under his breathe. "Also... that's kinda lame. I could've just paid for it."

Kito shakes his head. "I'm kidding. Kind of. It's all to paint a point."

"Am I getting lectured now?" Asks Naoki.

"That's right. I'm sure you already know this but, loyalty is a fickle thing."

Naoki looks over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you projecting right now?"

Kito chuckles. "Not necessarily. I haven't been betrayed yet. And don't get me wrong, loyalty is a great thing, for sure. But as much as we cherish it, relationships aren't eternal. Friends leave due to circumstances. Even siblings can break from time to time. People are only loyal as long as you have something they want."

Naoki pauses. "I mean...are you sure about that? I understand the world isn't sunshine and rainbows but... even siblings?"

"Not every family is tightly wound. I'm not sure if you have a sibling but, if you do, don't you ever have disputes with them?"

Naoki looks down. "I have a sister...yeah. I love her to death but we butt heads often. If anything, what you're saying sounds a lot like something she would say."

Kito grunts. "Hmph. Interesting. Speaking of your sister, do you care for her?"

Naoki slowly turns to him. "...Yeah? Of course?"

The air gets warmer. "Good. She needs it. Women are disadvantaged by nature. Its up to men to look out for them."

"I uhh... I think she would slap you if she heard that, Kito."

Kito shakes his head. "But its the truth." He turns to Naoki and looks him in the eye. "Trust me kid, its not out of misogyny. Do you think bleeding every month without asking is fair? Do you think that women should be out alone without supervision?"

"Can't a woman watch out for herself?"

"Kid, I know you're not stupid. Men are evil. When men have the advantages that they do, they'll do what comes naturally. Thus is nature."

Naoki purses his lips. "I...I see."

"And besides, hormones are difficult to manage."

"Well, that goes for anyone."

"Not when they're being pumped out at an extreme rate."

Naoki looks at him wide-eyed.

Kito in turn, looks at him. "It's the truth. We all have a place in nature. You can either accept, and make the best out of it. Or reject it, and die trying. I would hate to be a woman. I pity them; I do. But with the duty of a man, I'll do my best to protect them. If nature would allow us to be the same, that would be great. Unfortunately, nature does not care. So I will."

Naoki slowly shuffles. His half eaten ice cream plops to the ground. "We... all have a place in nature?"

"That's correct. We make the best out of our own situation. Whether it be a woman that's over six feet tall, or a man who's born with a disability, we all adapt and evolve for our sake. We strive for our reason to live. And ironically enough, nature stays the same. The patterns that dictated man has carried over for thousands of years. As it was back then, it still is now. Men are on top, and it is our duty to secure it."

Naoki finds his breathing stifled. "And what about you, Kito. What's your purpose in nature?"

The sky splits open. The sunset appears as a bright, flashing red.

"To win."

Naoki can't say anything.

"The world is a cruel place." Says Kito. "Loyalty is fickle. We are ultimately alone on this planet. Hell, the only thing we truly own, are our bodies. And we have to make do with it. I may not be the tallest, nor the smartest. But you best believe that I'll do anything in my power to win this election. It's the optimal way to live life. Consider this lecture a warning. Unwarranted advice, but advice nonetheless."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Asks Naoki.

"Because, I'm doing to you what I'll do to this province."

Naoki simply stares at the ground. His ice cream drips down his hand. "And how do you know that you're fit to be a leader?" Asks Naoki.

Kito shrugs. "We've given plenty of people a chance. I know what this society needs. Things were better back then, so we'll do that instead."

"But everyone has a different way of living. You can't just dictate how society works."

"Yes, I can, actually. That's politics. Influence the way things work, people will eventually work that way."

Naoki freezes.

"Listen kid," continues Kito. "I'm the one fit for the job. It doesn't stem from arrogance, it's simple confidence."

Naoki tries to respond with "that's what an arrogant person would say."

Yet nothing but stammers leave Naoki's lips.

"Society can't be dictated by weak men." Continues Kito. "So I'll make things work the way they're supposed to."

Kito then looks at his watch. "Hmph. Would you look at that?" He gets up. "As much as I would like to continue, it's ten 'till 9. I have business to attend to. I hope you have a good rest of your night, 'Shingo.' We'll talk soon enough."

Kito then walks away, finishing his ice cream.

Naoki sits on the bench. His body feels limp. He stares out into space.

"Yeah."

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Naoki eventually walks back towards the academy.

His mind is occupied.

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.

.

The first person he sees is Makoto. She's minding her own business, getting coffee in the lounge.

Naoki goes up to her and without a word, hugs her.

Makoto, confused, eventually (and lazily) reciprocates the hug with one arm.

"You smell of sweat...and fish? What's this all about now?" Asks Makoto.

"I've just...I've been thinking Makoto." Says Naoki in a quiet tone.

"Oh yeah? About what?"

"Our places in this world."

"...Uh huh?"

"And I don't know man. I love you. You know that, right?"

Makoto makes a wry face. "You're acting real corny right now. What happened."

"Nothing its just... well I've been thinking about the women in my life and...though I don't have many, I'm glad I have you."

Makoto lightly exhales out of her nose and smiles. "Oh...thanks?"

"Of course Makoto. I'll always be there to take care of you."

Makoto looks away with a cocked eyebrow. "Eh...I think I can handle myself just fine but, I still appreciate it Naoki. You're a good kid."

Naoki leans in for one last hug. "Of course dude. After all, you can't help it."

Makoto looks down at Naoki.

"...Can't help what?"

"Well, you know? Your hormones. The way you act?"

"...

...

What."

"Well yeah. With a woman and her periods messing everything up, she needs a guy to support her. You know?"

Makoto immediately pushes herself off of Naoki. "The fuck did you just say to me?"

"Is...Isn't that how that works?"

Makoto drops the coffee to the ground and immediately slaps Naoki across the face. He stumbles to the ground. "NAOKI. I. DON'T. BLEED." She wrinkles her nose. "Get the fuck out of my face with that shit."

Naoki sits there, blankly looking into space, confused. He then looks back at Makoto.

"Oh my god...I'm sorry Makoto, genuinely. I don't know what got into m-"

"Save it." She barks. She scoffs and storms off.

Naoki sits on the ground. He makes a wry face. His vision becomes wet and blurry.

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30 minutes later, Makoto stands in a hall in deep thought. Viral is beside her.

"What seems to be bothering you, Makoto?" Asks Viral.

"First of all, who are you? Second of all, how do you know my name?"

Viral looks a little saddened. "I'm...Viral, remember?"

"..."

"The exchange student."

"..."

"From Pakistan."

"..."

"...Polio-virus spear."

"Oh! You're that girl, gotcha."

"We ate lunch with Ken earlier?"

"Going to be honest, I can't even remember things that happened earlier today unless its important. Unfortunately, I'm remembering something alright."

"What happened?" Asks Viral."

"I was insulted. More specifically, it was out of character."

"By whom?"

"By that little dipshit Naoki. It's one thing when he's picking my hair for dandruff in the shower but, its another when he says something so... wrong."

Viral scrunches up her nose. "...You guys take showers together?"

"It's not what you think. But anyway, this is unlike him. He's never once concerned me in such a way. And there's NO way he would come to the conclusions he did today all by himself. So he's been talking to someone.

-Naota wouldn't teach him to be this crass. If anything he would teach him the opposite.

-Kyouji doesn't care about women, much less humans in general.

-And I doubt Akemi even knows what a uterus is.

-He doesn't talk to the older men in the staff so that's not it either.

-There's a slight possibility that Yamada told him this but... he's so weak and normal that unless he's secretly a massive misogynist, he wouldn't say that.

-I bet Saizo would say something like that but, those two don't really hang around each other.

-And finally, Ken makes fun of everything, but the only instance I would see him being involved, is if he deliberately planned for this to happen. But I didn't hear a jackass laugh around the corner so, no dice.

There's plenty of other students but, from the people who typically hang around him, that's all I can think of."

She continues to ponder about this. "Give me a sec Viral..."

Viral simply stands there. She looks to her right and hears footsteps down the hall. It's Saizo and Ken.

Saizo walks up to her. "Yo."

"Good evening Saizo," she says with a bow.

"O..ok? Anyway, first and foremost, you're a real cute girl. You're also really strong, and I like that in a girl. Whadya you say you go on a date with me?" He says with a sly grin.

Ken in the background chuckles to himself.

Viral blankly blinks. "I'm flattered but, I'm going to have to decline."

Saizo shrugs. "Aight."

Viral looks at the ground, before continuing. "You know Saizo, I expected more from you. I rescued you expecting you to turn your ways. To give you a second chance. I know what its like to be you."

Saizo walks up to her face and narrows his eyes. "What do you know what its like to be me?"

Viral shakes her head. "Let me rephrase that. I'm a vessel too."

Saizo blinks and steps back. "Oh. As a spirit, gotcha."

"I suppose its on me to expect a random stranger to change their ways overnight. I thought someone under the threat of so many contracts and people looking to kill them would understand the situation. But the first thing I see is you agreeing to a fight and continuing your violent ways. I'm sorry but, I can't love an angry man like that, much less associate with one."

Saizo glares at her. "On one hand, I appreciate your kindness. Truly. On the other, I didn't ask for you explanation."

Silence.

Saizo eventually starts up again. "Anyway...on a more important note, Ken and I talked to the principal asking if we could go on a patrol to recruit my friend. He's also a spirit but, if we can get to him, we can turn him into a vessel just like us. If he sees me first, we can even skip the whole fight. I think I already know what the answer is but, I'm still going to ask. Would you like to help us retrieve my friend?"

Viral hesitates but eventually answers. "Yes. I will help you, Saizo."

With surprised eyebrows and a slightly tilted head, Saizo responds. "Alright. But why?"

"I don't like to judge someone before I meet them... so I won't. Even if they end up being uncouth, I don't see the harm in saving someone."

Saizo nods. "Cool. Thank you." He then turns to Makoto. "What about you hot stuff?"

"Kill yourself."

"Right-" Saizo corrects his question. "What about you, Makoto?"

"Better. To answer your question, I'll go only if Naoki is going too. I have things to go over with him."

"Actually, we were about to ask him next. We'll let you know afterwards."

.

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.

"Nice going with Viral." Starts Ken.

Saizo shrugs. "Well she can choose who she wants. It ain't that deep."

"I was expecting you to be a lot more aggressive, actually."

Saizo gives him an almost insulted look. "Why?"

"Well y'know, gangsters tend to be very hostile when it comes to girls."

"So you're basing me off a stereotype."

"Yeah, kinda."

Saizo stops walking and clenches his fist. "You're really starting to piss me off with your assumptions."

Ken's smile dies down. "Hey man, you win. I don't want to start a fight, I was just curious."

Saizo loosens up and continues to walk. "Well, I won't deny that some gangs did that type of thing. But I'm not a fan of assault."

"I know this may sound stupid or insulting but, why? I'm sure one of your gang members at least got a little...handsy, no?"

"Some did, and we've dealt with them. But in my gang, we made it a big deal to not do that type of thing."

Ken pauses for a sec. He looks at Saizo's body language and vibe. He then asks a genuine question. "Forgive me for sounding like an asshole but, all the experiences I've had with gangsters were violent. Where did this care for woman come from?"

"Well for starters, my mother was assaulted. And then she had me."

"I- Oh."

Ken pauses and looks down. Silence. He eventually looks back up at Saizo. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Saizo shrugs. "It is what it is."

Ken's heart beat thickens. He ponders to himself as they walk forwards.

"(He couldn't even remember his own full name after a month, and yet he remembers something like that. I suppose its true what they say about spirits.

We only remember the things that matter to us.)"

"Say," says Saizo. "I won't make promises but, if things turn out well, I think you'd like my friend."

Ken turns to him. "Oh?"

"Yeah. See, I'm a pretty aggressive guy."

"Really now?"

"Shut up. But Nakayama he's... how should I put it? He's a soft soul. And don't tell him I said this but, I admit it. He's stronger than me. Both in terms of abilities, and in character too."

Ken smiles at Saizo. "You know guy, I think that's the kindest thing you've said ever since you got here."

Saizo exhales through his nose. "It comes with respect. He used to be the leader before me too. But then he passed away, and I had to take the reigns."

"Were you a good leader?"

"Oh, hell yeah; I was the best! But in losing a brother, you tend to get angrier. I was already an angry motherfucker to begin with. Now take the guy who calmed you down out of the equation, and you can understand why my gang had the most violent streak when I was in control."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you pass away?"

"I..." Saizo turns around with an embarrassed look. "I don't want to talk about it."

Ken exhales air out of his nose. "Gotcha. You know Saizo, I think you could make a lot of friends here. You just gotta chill, you know?"

"I didn't ask for suggestions," grumbles Saizo.

"Loneliness sucks, but you can't depend on another person to regulate your emotions."

Saizo says nothing and frowns.

Ken sighs and thinks to himself. "(Me and my big mouth...)"

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.

Ken and Saizo eventually meet up with Naoki. He's in a dimly lit hallway standing next to the water fountain.

He's been holding onto the fountain button for at least three minutes. He's staring at the water.

"You gonna sip any time soon?" Asks Saizo.

Naoki wakes up. "Oh, sorry. You can use it if you'd like."

Saizo cocks his eyebrow. "Nah man. I was just...nevermind. Anyway, we talked to the principal about retrieving my friend. He's also a spirit, and if he sees me, we won't have to fight. With you along we'd get a decent crew. What do you say?"

Naoki looks at him with a hollow look. "Why are you asking me for this?"

Ken bumps into the conversation. "Most people are either out or asleep. We'd ask Yamada but we knocked on his door and he didn't respond. Akemi would kill the spirit regardless of the mission. And those that are here are just not interested."

Naoki stares at the both of them. He murmurs yet nothing comes out clear.

"(He's right...)" Thinks Naoki to himself. "(Loyalty is a fickle thing. It doesn't matter who they choose as long as they get something out of it. And what would I even get from this anyway? A boost in ego? A reward? I would just be wasting time. At best it's a kind, waste of time. At worst, something wrong will happen, and we'll die. Granted, I don't know how but... why should I risk my life for this?)"

Ken looks at Naoki with narrowed eyes. "Hey, are you good?"

"(It's a shame. The things he said are turning out true. How stupid could I be. How naïve. The last time I helped someone, I almost got myself spiritually lobotomized and another person executed. Even...Makoto... has a point. These adults and their calloused souls. But what's a calloused soul to a stupid fucking kid anyway? One wins; it is truth. That's the way the world works. It's all nature. It's all nature. And now I'm left cursing either myself, or Naota. That retard Naota. Shame on you for raising me this way. Shame on me for continuing to listen to you. Buddha this. Detachment that. Detach this foot out of your ass after I'm done with you you fucking moron. For shame. ON ME. Seeking enlightenment. How ironic. Meditate with an empty mind? How empty-minded. I curse you. I curse you.)"

Ken pokes Naoki.

Naoki looks up and responds.

"Do I look like a bitch to you?"

Saizo and Ken, both wide-eyed look at each other, then turn to Naoki. "What?"

Naoki shakes his head. "Sorry I'm just... I need to go to bed."

Saizo gives him a weirded out glare. "Dude just say no. It's not that deep."

Ken intervenes and holds Naoki by the shoulder. "It's ok, go get some rest."

Naoki instinctively slaps Ken's hand off of himself.

Ken pulls back with a stiff expression.

Naoki simply stands there.

Saizo shrugs, turns around, and walks away.

Ken pauses before following Saizo's lead.

"(Wha...I...)" Naoki thinks to himself.

His mind goes blank. So many thoughts. Yet not a single comprehensible statement.

"(Wait... no. I'll put it to the test. If Kito is right... if Makoto is right... The world is a dark place, I know that for sure. But this concept of loyalty. I don't get anything in return. And doing things for free is silly. But doing things out of something else. For the sake of compassion.)"

With an irked expression, Naoki winces. "(What a silly thought... but I have to try. A hypothesis of sorts. I'll test it out and see what I get. I don't know why but, this feeling in my stomach. It hurts; it churns. But I need to prove Kito wrong. A world like that... I simply do not agree. Even if this spirit ends up being another asshole, I just can't let Kito win. I know its petty, but I need to see the results. I don't want to revert back to the way I was a couple months ago. Not like this. Not this easily.)"

Running down the halls, Naoki calls out.

"WAIT."

Both of the vessels turn around.

Panting, in a haggard voice, Naoki says "I'll join you guys tonight."

"...ok." Says Saizo.

Ken gives a worried nod.

.

.

.

Late at night.

Saizo, Ken, Viral, Makoto, and Naoki all exit out of the academy. Saizo is eager. Ken is quiet. Viral is calm.

Makoto is bored, yet still has a chip on her shoulder. She simply looks at Naoki.

He holds himself with a stiff face.

Everyone can sense his contrasting heartbeat.

"Let's go."

The air is humid. The breeze is cold.

They run towards the harbor.

Slowly yet surely, they sense a loud presence.