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Chapter Text

"Oh good! Looks like you can hear me! Tell me what you mean by "in the past"."

Takemichi sat up in bed and blinked several times before laying back down. Clearly the events of the day were weighing so heavily on his mind that he was now beginning to hear the late Baji Keisuke's voice in his head.

"You ARE hearing my voice! Get up now!"

Takemichi instead opted to pull the covers over his head.

"Stop ignoring me! What the hell do you mean by "in the past"!?"

As Takemichi began to debate asking his mother to call a doctor, he felt a sudden chill. It didn't feel like the normal chill of autumn, either; he felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on his face. He sprung up in his bed once more, only to come face to face with what appeared to be an intruder. Startled, he let out a scream as he attempted to pull himself out of bed to get away... only for his leg to become tangled in the blanket, resulting in him falling to the floor.

His mother shouted from downstairs, demanding to know what was going on up there. Takemichi rushed to the light switch, flicking it and illuminating the room. The intruder was still there, and what's worse, he looked very familiar to Takemichi.

"B-Baji?"
"Fucking finally!" Baji, who Takemichi realized seemed transparent, let out a bark of satisfaction.

The sound of footsteps told Takemichi that his mother was coming upstairs to see what the commotion was.

"S-Sorry, Mom!" He shouted before he could stop himself. "I hit my leg on the table before I got into bed and it really stung!"

He heard his mother let out a sigh before warning him to be more careful. The footsteps retreated back downstairs. Now that the possible interruption was gone, Takemichi forced himself to look at Baji.

'He really is transparent.'
"Yeah, it looks like you can see right through me."

Takemichi hoped that Baji hadn't just read his mind.

"I did. I mean..." Baji paused, thinking it over. "It's really more like I HEARD your thoughts, rather than reading them."

Neither option sounded very reassuring to Takemichi. Then again, if Baji knew what he was thinking, then wasn't that more evidence that he was just a figment of Takemichi's imagination?

"I'm not!" Angered, Baji took a swing at Takemichi. Unsurprisingly, his fist simply passed through Takemichi's face. The freezing sensation that followed it, however, did suggest that he wasn't merely a guilt-induced hallucination.

Baji seemed frustrated at not being able to hit anything.

"Can you tell me something only you would know?" Takemichi suggested. "Like your birthday or...?"

"Baji Keisuke, First Division Captain of the Tokyo Manji Gang. Born November 3rd, 1990. My blood type is AB, and my mother's name is Ryouko."

It was true that Takemichi didn't know those things, and there wasn't really a way to verify most of them with Chifuyu without looking suspicious, but it was likely that he'd be able to at least meet Baji Ryouko at her son's funeral.

"Can you at least act like you believe me before then!?" Baji grumbled. "You're some kind of time traveler, right? Is it that hard to believe in ghosts?"
"How much of my mind have you read?" Takemichi whispered.
"Not that much. You were thinking about what would happen if you died "in the past", and it seemed like you had an idea of what was going to happen today. It's not hard to connect the dots."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Takemichi said sheepishly. "I guess I should tell you everything, huh?"

At some point during the explanation, Takemichi's mother called upstairs telling him to get off the phone and get to bed.

"Try talking to me in your mind."
'Can't you hear all my thoughts?'
"I'm... not sure, actually. I was able to hear pretty much everything earlier, but that was before you knew I was there." Baji frowned as he contemplated this. "Plus, I hadn't fully regained my mind. Maybe I actually WAS part of your mind for a bit?"
'I wonder if it's something you actually have to try to do?'

The two fell silent before Baji asked Takemichi to continue with his story. When Takemichi was finished, the mood was melancholic.

"I did think it was odd that some twerp who seemed to come out of nowhere was suddenly everywhere when it came to Toman." Baji sighed. "I guess I should have been more suspicious about why that same twerp I'd met twice would come up to me teary-eyed begging me to not get killed."

Neither interaction had even been good, now that he was thinking about it; His first interaction with Takemichi had been punching him the face without even speaking directly to him. The second had been when he'd used him as a witness to infiltrate Valhalla after beating up Chifuyu.

'What are you thinking about?'
"I didn't make much of a good impression on you, did I?"
'That's what's on your mind?' Takemichi stifled a laugh. 'Baji, that doesn't matter to me. My main goal today was to keep Mikey from killing Kazutora, but I still wanted to save you and bring you back as well.'

The fact that he'd failed was his biggest regret since he'd first discovered his ability to time leap.

"Well, that might explain why I'm haunting you and not Kazutora or Chifuyu."
'Haunting!?'
"I'm a ghost, I'm attached to you... The only thing backwards is which of us has regrets." Baji shrugged. "Sure, this wasn't the outcome I wanted, but I can't say I'm sorry with how things turned out."

...That was a load of shit and they both knew it.

Baji certainly hadn't forgotten about his mother. For all he called her terrifying, she was the most important woman in his life. Was an outcome where she was now planning his funeral when she'd been preparing his birthday gift a day earlier truly acceptable to him?

And would a man who loved Toman as much as Baji did truly be fine with being the reason Kazutora was going back to juvie, likely for an even longer time? Was he okay with his death being the catalyst for Mikey almost crossing a line he wouldn't be able to return from? Could Baji honestly say he was fine with forcing Chifuyu to hold him as he died when his vice-captain's loyalty wouldn't even permit him to strike him in an attempt to get him out of harms way?

Really, the only thing that would have made this particular outcome worse would be if Mikey HAD killed Kazutora.

"I should have just gone for Kisaki at the start. Dammit!"
'What?'
"My main goal was to bring Kazutora back... but I didn't have that knife on me so I could stab myself."

Baji gave Takemichi a wry smile as his words sank in.

'You were planning on stabbing Kisaki!?'
"Well, you and Chifuyu confirmed he was bad news. Figured it was worth a shot."
'So what was your plan for after that? Take responsibility and go to juvie yourself?'
"If it got down to that."

Any trace of regret was gone from Baji's face. Takemichi sighed before a thought occurred to him.

'You got the idea to stab Kisaki and brought the knife with you because Chifuyu confirmed your suspicions?'
"Yeah...?" Baji gave him a puzzled look, not understanding why Takemichi was so concerned with that fact. It didn't take long for him to realize what the issue was, however.

'We take this to our graves.' Takemichi declared.
"Way ahead of you."

When Takemichi left the abandoned lot that afternoon, he didn't think he'd be getting much sleep that night. As it turned out, he'd been right, but not for the reasons he'd thought. While the events of the day were indeed still weighing heavily on his mind, his night was spent examining what Baji Keisuke's new form was and what it was capable of. The results were interesting.

Baji was capable of hearing Takemichi's thoughts, but only when Takemichi's mind was "open", so to speak. If Takemichi truly wanted to keep his thoughts hidden, it was possible for him to do so. On the other hand, he couldn't hear Baji's thoughts at all.

It was possible for Baji to possess Takemichi, but it required a lot of concentration. Furthermore, both parties had to be willing; if either of them rejected the possession at any point, Baji would be ejected from Takemichi's body.

Baji could not go more than a few meters away from Takemichi. Each time he tried, he found himself back by Takemichi's side. At least that meant Takemichi could get SOME privacy when necessary.

The only thing that had yet to be tested was how this translated into Takemichi's time-leaping. Would Baji remain in 2005? Would he end up in 2017 with Takemichi? Or... would he simply disappear?

"Well, I'm not gonna head back to 2017 for at least a few weeks." Takemichi reassured him as he finally settled into bed for sure. "I want to make sure things are... at least somewhat okay here first."

As Takemichi drifted off to sleep, Baji thought about how things were going to be for Toman going forward; it thankfully wasn't going to be absorbed into Valhalla, which would hopefully dampen Kisaki's influence on Mikey. The First Division was going to need a new captain. Baji had his suspicions as to who Chifuyu would pick, but decided to keep them to himself. His biggest concern was what his current state meant.

If his becoming attached to Takemichi was related to Takemichi's time-leaping ability, what did that mean? What was the point of him remaining tethered to Takemichi when he hadn't been able to save him despite his best efforts? Was it possible that Takemichi was going to end up coming back to 2005 again? If so, didn't that mean that the future waiting for him in 2017 was also going to be a terrible one?

It was an unpleasant thought, but Baji understood that for now, all he could do was wait and see.

By the end of what should have been his 15th birthday, Baji Ryouko's son was reduced to ash and bone.

Takemichi quietly paid his respects to her, then took a seat next to Chifuyu.

'Are you sure you don't want me to say anything more to her?'
"If you were Mikey or Chifuyu, I might have asked you to pass on a message, but you've never met my mom before. She'd probably think you were pulling some kind of prank." Baji shook his head. "Just let me watch her until the end."

He had never wanted his mother to cry over him again. Now that he had done so in the worst possible way, however, he had an obligation to witness her tears, especially since he could no longer speak with her. The sight of his grandmother comforting her when she couldn't keep her head up filled him with a sadness he hadn't truly felt since that night in August two years earlier.

'Hey, what...' Baji turned to look at Takemichi, who already looked like he was about to burst into tears. He'd heard that the guy was something of a crybaby, but the funeral had barely started.

'Why do I feel like this?' Even while sharing his thoughts with him, Takemichi voice still sounded barely above a whisper to Baji. 'These emotions don't feel like mine.'

Fuck.

Were his own emotions leaking into Takemichi? Was that another thing they were going to have to deal with? Then again, it hadn't happen until he'd seen his mother crying. Did he have to be feeling the emotions really strongly?

"Sorry, I... don't like my mom crying."
'Am I... feeling what you're feeling?'
"Maybe? You said it didn't feel like the emotions were yours, so... That leaves mine."

Fortunately, the funeral passed without incident. When Takemichi turned to Chifuyu to ask if he was alright, he was brushed off.

"I'm... fine." He said flatly, sounding as though he hadn't slept well the past few nights. "I'm gonna check on Baji's mom. She's my neighbor, you know."

Takemichi attempted to press the issue, but Chifuyu again told him he was fine.

"You should check up on Mikey." Chifuyu shook his head. "He's probably in worse shape than I am."

He gave Takemichi a knowing look before grinning at him.

"Really, don't worry about me. I'll call you later tonight."

Chifuyu walked away, leaving Takemichi to wonder what that was about.

"You think he might have heard what you said to me the day before the fight?"
'Huh?'
"Mikey. You were worried about making him sad."
'Hmm... Maybe.'

By that point, it was clear that Mikey had already left. Just as Takemichi was about to ask Baji for suggestions on where he might have gone, he was spotted by Mitsuya.

"How are you doing?" He asked before Takemichi could say a word.
"I'm doing fine." Takemichi said with a smile that he hoped didn't look weird. "I'm more worried about you guys. I didn't really know Baji as well as everyone else."

Mitsuya reached out to ruffle Takemichi's hair.

"And yet you ended up being the one to stop the whole fight. If you hadn't jumped in when you did, there might have been two deaths instead of one."

He looked away with an almost hesitant expression, as though worried that his next words might change how Takemichi saw him.

"I don't think I would have been able to stop it. Especially since Draken couldn't."

There was a strange subtext behind Mitsuya's words that Takemichi couldn't decipher, and he honestly wasn't sure he wanted to. In the short time he'd known him, Mitsuya had come across as the epitome of a caring older brother, the kind Takemichi had wished he either had or could be during the days he'd begged his parents for a younger sibling. What's more, it was obvious that Mitsuya was fully aware of how everyone saw him. Perhaps that was why he was trying to keep whatever darker emotions he was feeling concealed from the new recruit.

"I... didn't want Mikey to kill someone."
"Huh?"

Mitsuya turned back to look at him, his uneasy face giving way to surprise and confusion.

"Mikey told me a few days ago that he couldn't forgive Kazutora for what he did to his brother, but I'm... sure he would have regretted killing him."

Takemichi wasn't sure if Baji could see the image of Mikey's sorrowful expression from the timeline where Kazutora died, but he quickly received an answer in the form of a soft gasp. Whether or not the tears that were once again threatening to leak out were his own or Baji's, he couldn't say.

Mitsuya was still staring at Takemichi with a stunned expression. The emotion that Takemichi couldn't identify began to creep back in, but Mitsuya quickly shook it off.

"I see. You were thinking about Mikey." He finally smiled (though Takemichi could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes). "You know, at first I was thinking how terrible it was that you ended up getting dragged into something that we as Toman's founders should have handled ourselves, but... maybe it IS for the best that you did."

He laughed softly as he gave Takemichi a slap on the back.

"You made the Second Division proud."

Mitsuya left, and Takemichi was now feeling even more befuddled. Baji had been able to provide a possible explanation for Chifuyu's words, but Mitsuya's left him just as stumped.

Takemichi looked around; the other Toman members he knew were all gone, and he still had no way of knowing where Mikey was.

"There's a number of places he might be, but he might have just gone home."
'Nothing I can do in that case. It'd be weird if I knew where he lived without anyone telling me.'

In the end, Takemichi wouldn't see Mikey for nearly a week. His messages went unanswered and his stupid early 2000s phone made it impossible to tell if they'd even been read. Fortunately, on the fifth day after Baji's funeral, Mikey called him.

"Can I come over?"
"Yeah!" Takemichi answered before he even thought about it.

A click let him know that Mikey had already hung up.

"That's unusual. If Mikey wants to hang out he usually just shows up uninvited." Baji sounded concerned before letting out a chuckle. "My mom yelled at him so many times."

When Mikey arrived, he was finishing up eating some dorayaki. He grinned as he laid eyes on Takemichi.

"Hey-a, Takemitchy!" His tone was light, but it was obvious to both Takemichi and Baji that he hadn't been sleeping well for at least a couple days. In fact, he seemed to be swaying a little as he walked into the Hanagaki home and removed his shoes.

"Sorry I haven't been in touch." He said before Takemichi could speak. "Haven't really felt like talking to anybody the past few days."
"It doesn't look like you've felt much like sleeping, either."

Mikey turned to look at him in surprise. Baji, meanwhile, began guffawing.

"Damn, Takemichi!" He said in between breaths. "I know this is your own home, but that's still pretty honest!"
"When did you learn to talk to me like that?" Mikey also seemed amused. "But you're right. Sleep has been kind of... hard, lately."
"I don't blame you." Takemichi said with a kind smile. "I'll get you something to drink. You know where my room is, right?"
"Yeah, yeah." Mikey nodded as he went up the stairs.

Takemichi considered preparing a cup of tea, but Baji advised that he'd prefer something sweet, so Takemichi grabbed a small juice box.

'What do you think he means by "sleep is hard"?'
"There's really only two ways to read it, right? It's hard to get to sleep, or it's hard to stay asleep. Worst case scenario, it's both."

He'd almost expected to find Mikey asleep in his bed, but he was simply sitting on it while looking around the room. He thanked Takemichi for the juice, and for a few minutes, the two sat in silence while Takemichi waited for Mikey to finish his drink. Even when he did, he simply placed the empty box on the table and sat for another minute or so before speaking.

"...I keep having dreams." His voice was quiet.
"About?" Takemichi gently gestured for him to continue.
"A lot of things." Mikey smiled back. "Baji, Kazutora, my brother... I've even had a few about you and Kenchin."
"Me?"

Most of those people, he could understand. It had only been a few months since Draken's own brush with death, after all. It didn't really make sense for Takemichi to be part of those anxiety and grief induced dreams, however. His confusion must have shown on his face, because Mikey's next words offered an explanation.

"...I wonder what would have happened if you hadn't managed to get me to stop." His smile faded. "Would I have killed you too?"

His words should have sent a chill down Takemichi's spine, but they didn't.

"Dreams can be scary like that." He reassured him. "...Maybe sleeping somewhere new might help?"

Mikey gave him a pouting look, but it didn't last long.

"Takemitchy's offering up his bed, huh?" He said with a smirk. "I might take you up on that offer if you do one more thing."
"What is it?"
"...Can you hold my hand?"
"Huh?"

The lack of a blush on Mikey's face told Takemichi that he wasn't embarrassed by the request. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure Mikey could get embarrassed.

"When I was little, my brother would do this on nights I had a hard time sleeping."

Ah. Mikey had said that Takemichi reminded him of his brother.

"Your personality's a bit like his." Baji explained. "Shinichiro was cooler, though."
'That's what Mikey said, too.'

"Okay."

Mikey lied down and shut his eyes as he held his hand out. Takemichi lightly placed his hand in his. Mikey smiled, and it wasn't long before Takemichi heard a quiet breathing that told him that Mikey had fallen asleep.

'He already kind of has a baby face, but it's really obvious when he sleeps.'
"Yeah, when he first met my mom she thought he was adorable until he opened his mouth."
'That kind of sounds like him.' Takemichi swallowed the laugh.

The two fell silent for awhile. Outside the window, the sky slowly turned from blue to red. Finally, Takemichi decided to ask Baji a question.

'Do you think Mikey will be okay?'

Baji didn't reply right away, but Takemichi knew he was thinking about it. It was kind of hard to come to a conclusion about such a thing, even (or perhaps especially) with someone you've known for most of your life. If anything were to happen to say, Takuya, Takemichi wasn't sure he'd be okay for a long time.

"I think it'll be awhile, but I think he will." Baji finally answered.
'You think?'
"Yeah. I'm hardly the first person he's lost, but he's surrounded by people who love him. Plus, he's got you looking out for him, so I'm sure he'll be able to take care of both himself and Toman."
'I hope so.'

A soft groan drew Takemichi's attention back to Mikey, who was opening his eyes with a groggy expression.

"Takemitchy...?" He mumbled before looking around. "This is... your room?"

When his gaze moved to his hand still holding Takemichi's, he ripped it back like it had burned him.

"Were you holding my hand this whole time!?" To Takemichi's surprise, Mikey's face was as red as Osanai's uniform.
"Yeah? Did you... not want me to?"
"It's... not a problem, it's just..." Mikey, for once, seemed to have trouble finding the right words to say.

"It's kind of weird to keep doing that after the person falls asleep, dumbass."
'Then why didn't you say anything!?'
"Because you didn't think Mikey got embarrassed, and I knew this would do it."

"Not even Shinichiro held on after I fell asleep." Mikey laughed suddenly. "You're pretty weird, Takemitchy."

Takemichi decided to brush the comment off and ask Mikey how he felt.

"I feel like I've slept better in the past couple hours than I have in years." Mikey gave Takemichi his familiar grin. "I can't even remember what I was dreaming about."
"I... guess that's good?"
"I'm pretty sure it was about Baji, though." Mikey mused as he looked toward the ceiling. "In fact, I think it might have been about him telling me to get my shit together and that I'd be okay."

He fell silent, and Takemichi gave him a moment to gather his thoughts.

"My head's still kind of a mess." He said, still not looking at Takemichi. "I still haven't decided if I'm really going to forgive Kazutora or not."

There was a certain somberness to his words that didn't quite match the thoughtfulness of his expression. Takemichi suspected that he might have already forgiven Kazutora in his heart, but his mind wasn't there yet.

"I don't think we should tell him that. He needs to figure that out on his own." Baji advised, and Takemichi found he agreed.

After exchanging a few more words, Mikey excused himself, saying he needed to head home.

"I need to start getting stuff out for dinner, anyway." Takemichi said as he walked Mikey to the door.
"You cook?" Mikey gave him a curious look.
"I'm... competent. Mom's job has her working weird hours, so she's not always around to cook. I'll make something for you next time."
"I'll look forward to it."

When Mikey finally stepped outside, he called out.

"Takemitchy."
"What is it?"
"Thanks again."

Without another word, Mikey left.

A few weeks later, Takemichi received a call from Draken, saying that he wanted him to accompany him somewhere. His tone was serious, so Takemichi had a good idea of where it was.

"...they said I should expect at least ten years. Considering what I did, that's still pretty short." Hanemiya Kazutora said to his visitors. "But I won't run away anymore. I've got to face up to this, like he taught me."

Despite his promise to go through proper rehabilitation, however, Draken wasn't convinced.

"Don't die, Kazutora."
"Huh?"

Draken warned Kazutora not to try atoning by committing suicide. Kazutora looked down at his hands, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

"I've got a message from Mikey." Draken continued. "Now and always, Kazutora is part of Toman."

Kazutora's eyes widened.

"And... "I forgive you"."

As tears filled Kazutora's eyes, Takemichi spoke up.

"And if you really want to make it up to everyone, then maybe you can start by letting us be there for you when you get out." He said gently. "I think... part of the reason things ended up the way that they did is because no one else besides Baji reached out to you earlier."

Kazutora and Draken shared a quick glance that Takemichi didn't notice. The latter hadn't mentioned his meeting with the former before the "Bloody Halloween", but it was true that from Kazutora's perspective, it had felt like too little, too late.

"So... maybe the rest of Toman can forgive you... if you can forgive Toman for not being there for you. At least, that's what I think Baji would say."

Kazutora made a sound that resembled something between a choke and a gasp before rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

"That was pretty profound, coming from you, Takemitchy." Draken said as the two departed the juvenile detention center.
"I guess I was just sorta trying to think of what Baji would say to Kazutora." Takemichi said sheepishly.

"No, you were repeating what I wanted to say to Kazutora."

Takemichi opened his mouth to reply, only to clamp it shut as he realized who had just been speaking to him.

"It's been weeks. How have you not already gotten used to talking to me in your head?"

'Because even if Draken wasn't here speaking to me (which means I have to switch between speaking in my head and speaking out loud), it's still a little hard to get used to having a dead person speaking inside my head.'
"Sounds like a personal problem to me."

Takemichi narrowly avoided rolling his eyes as Draken turned around to tell him that Mikey had a message for him.

"He said he has something important to tell you at the next meeting, so you better show up."

Takemichi mused over the news.

"You seem worried."
'I am. I couldn't do a damn thing during the "Bloody Halloween" in the end. You died and Kazutora got arrested.'
"You saved Kazutora and hopefully prevented Kisaki from taking Toman over in the future."
'I guess we'll just have to wait until the next meeting to know for sure.'

Upon realizing that they'd arrived in Shibuya, Takemichi wondered aloud where Draken was taking them. To the surprise of both Takemichi and Baji, Draken said they were heading to his place. That wouldn't normally be too strange, if not for the fact they were in the middle of Shibuya. Upon discovering that his home seemed to be a building housing a number of businesses, Takemichi seemed impressed, calling Draken lucky for being such a "city boy", though Draken didn't see what the big deal was.

When they arrived on the fourth floor, they discovered that Draken's home was, in fact, a brothel (though a cursory glance at the posters showed that it was officially a "massage parlor"). Draken needed to speak to the man who was apparently the manager of the establishment, so Takemichi was told to take a seat in the waiting room. Another man was already seated and was in the process of clipping his fingers. Before long, however, the man stood up and entered the restroom. Almost immediately afterwards, a woman calling herself "Remi" entered and thanked Takemichi for requesting her.

"Right this way! ❤"
"Huh!? Um... okay."

"Hold on a second!" Baji spoke up. "She said someone requested her, and it definitely wasn't you."

Takemichi paused. That was certainly true.

Remi stopped and gave Takemichi a puzzled look.

"Something wrong?"
"I... I think there might be a misunderstanding here. I was invited here by Draken."
"Ugh!" Takemichi nearly got whiplash at how quickly Remi's demeanor changed. "You're one of Ken-chan's friends?"

Fortunately, the waiting customer exited the restroom and spotted them. After a quick back-and-forth (the man was evidently a returning customer), the two departed, and Takemichi was left alone in the waiting room until Draken returned.

"I don't have any real parents." He explained as he walked down the hallway. "So I was raised by the people working here."
'He said that so casually...'

Draken's room seemed normal enough, but there was something off about the sounds.

"I'm hearing lewd noises from the next room... Is this a sex room?"
"Yeah, once you get used to it, it's a real nice place!" Draken, who earlier had referred to his home as a shithole, told Takemichi to take a seat.

Before doing so, however, Takemichi took notice of a bulletin board filled with pictures. It was mostly of the various members of Toman, but both Takemichi and Baji took notice that a handful of pictures featured a certain girl.

"You must really care about Emma!" Takemichi couldn't help but tease him.
"Shut up!"

"Ah geez, he really held onto that picture, huh?" Baji's voice took Takemichi's gaze back to the pictures. It didn't take long for him to figure out which picture Baji was referring to; it was one of Baji himself, with Draken standing back to back with him.

"Baji..."

Sensing the change in mood, Draken spoke up.

"Every single one of them is precious to me. If anything were to happen to any of them..."

He paused, and looked down, wearing an expression that made it impossible to tell what sort of emotion he was feeling.

"I... also wanted to kill Kazutora."

As Takemichi processed his words, Draken explained that he knew that it was wrong.

"I want to thank you for stopping Mikey. I don't think I could have done it myself."

Whether because of an inability or an unwillingness, Draken didn't say. Perhaps he himself didn't know and didn't WANT to know.

Baji was silent as Takemichi left the building.

'I guess I can understand how Draken feels. I'm trying to save the people I care about.'

When Baji didn't answer, Takemichi awkwardly tried to think of a different topic. It really wasn't fair that the mind-reading thing didn't go both ways.

'But you know, it really looks like Draken cares about Emma.'
"Oh yeah!" Baji sounded almost grateful for the opportunity to move on from what Draken had told them. "It's an open secret among the captains. We try not to give him too much shit about it."

In an odd coincidence, the girl in question also appeared to be out on the town. Encouraged by his earlier discovery, Takemichi decided to let her know that her chances were good. As he rounded the corner he just saw Emma enter, he was met with a surprising sight: Emma had her arms wrapped around the neck of someone both he and Baji knew well: Mikey.

"I love you, Mikey." She said sweetly. "Hug me tight?"

It was obviously a very intimate gesture, and Mikey slowly reciprocated the hug. Takemichi's mind was reeling at the implications. Had Emma given up on Draken and moved on to Mikey? If Draken were to see this...

"He'd laugh and make fun of Mikey for taking his little sister out for... Huh. It IS Emma's birthday, isn't it?"

...what? Little sister?

"Yeah, they have different moms, but they're siblings."

As Takemichi tailed the two in secret, Baji explained that Emma's mother left her with the Sano family several years ago. He couldn't remember what Emma's previous surname had been, but Mikey's mother and grandfather both agreed to adopt her into the family and she changed her name to "Sano Emma".

"Emma is actually why he calls himself "Mikey"."
'Really?'
"Yeah. From what I heard, Emma's mom was a foreigner. Mikey didn't want her to feel alone, so he started calling himself that."
'Wow. Mikey's such a good brother!'
"Yeah. He's basically got her and Draken's whole life planned out."

"This smells like a scandal." Hinata mused curiously, sounding surprisingly invested in what Mikey and Emma were doing.
"Hina?"

To Takemichi's surprise and confusion, his girlfriend was hiding behind a flower bed with her younger brother in tow.

Naoto explained that the two of them had been shopping together when they spotted him.

"I realized that we hadn't spent much time together lately... Is this what you've gotten into?" Hinata gave Takemichi a suspicious look.
"No!" Takemichi shook his head fervently. "I just spotted Emma and Mikey and wanted to say hi!"
"So... you weren't spying on them because you thought Emma was a two-timer?"
"They're siblings!"

Hinata's eyes widened slightly. Then they widened more, in a way that felt oddly deliberate.

"Oh! Of course!" She declared. "That makes far more sense! A-Ah look, they're stopping at a cafe!"

Mikey and Emma ended up stopping at a cafe, taking seats in the outdoor section. As their three voyeurs debated their next move, they were joined by Yamagishi.

"So how did you know it was Emma's birthday?" He asked when Takemichi finished explaining the situation.
"I-I heard Mikey mention something about doing something for Emma's birthday and figured it was something like this!"

None of his companions seemed to fully believe his words, but none of them chose to comment on it.

Emma, for her part, seemed to enjoy having her brother taste her parfait when it arrived.

"I don't think we really need to be watching this." Baji finally spoke up.
"Maybe we ought to head on our own way." Naoto, unaware that he was agreeing with the unknown fifth person in their group, turned to his sister.
"Yeah. I'm glad that's all it is." Hinata laughed. "I'd feel really sorry for Draken if it turned out to be something else."
"Who would you feel sorry for now?"

Takemichi nearly let out a yelp as Draken walked up to them with an irritated look on his face. As his mind struggled to find an excuse for Hinata's words, Draken spotted Emma and Mikey. As Baji predicted, Draken simply laughed while Mikey looked away with an almost embarrassed look on his face.

"Taking your little sister out for her birthday, Mikey?" He said in between gasps.
"Shut up." was Mikey's only reply.

Draken placed a stuffed animal on Emma's head as he wished her a happy birthday. It was a pink bear that looked like it came from a UFO catcher machine.

"Isn't that the one you wanted from the arcade last time?" Mikey helpfully answered that question.

"That's all. I'm outta here." With a grin, Draken departed, leaving every man save Mikey in awe of his coolness.

Emma, for her part, seemed delighted at the gift, squeezing the bear tightly with a warm smile on her face.

As the group quietly departed the cafe before Mikey could take notice of them and start asking awkward questions, Hinata noted that she'd never seen Emma look so happy before.

"Draken's always been able to get her to smile like that." Even though Takemichi currently wasn't looking at him, he could practically see the cheeky smirk on Baji's face.

"I hope things work out between her and Draken." Hinata continued. "And... I hope things work out for you and me, too."
"...Yeah." Takemichi smiled as he took her hand. "I know they will."

As the two began to set off for wherever their hearts took them, hand-in-hand, Hinata turned her gaze toward Takemichi... and abruptly released her grip.

Takemichi gave her a confused look as Naoto and Yamagishi walked up to them.

"Sis, we still have some errands to run for Mom." Naoto said in annoyance. "Did you forget?"
"J-Just for a second!" Hinata's laugh was weak. "Takemichi, maybe we should hold off on this for another day. After I finish with this, I think I'm gonna head home and lie down."
"Sure." Takemichi nodded, now concerned that Hinata might be ill. "Are you sick?"
"Maybe?" She shrugged. "It's just... for a second..."

She hesitated for a few seconds before finally looking Takemichi in the eyes.

"I thought I saw someone behind you."

Chapter Text

"Did it feel like she saw you?"

That night, Takemichi was sitting in his room. Baji was sitting on the bed thinking about the events from earlier.

"I think she might have caught a glimpse of me." Baji's brow furrowed. "It's not like there was much behind me that could have shocked her."
"Plus, there wouldn't be any reason to lie."

It didn't take long for the two of them to come to the conclusion that grabbing Takemichi's hand had been what allowed Hinata to see him. If shaking hands with Naoto had been the trigger to send Takemichi to and from the past, and Baji became attached to him because his time-leaping abilities, it stood to reason that holding hands with someone was what allowed someone else to see Baji. In fact, the more Baji thought about it, it was likely that Mikey had heard him speaking the day he stopped by Takemichi’s house.

"Do you..." Takemichi said after a moment of silence. "Is there... anyone you want to talk to?"
"Huh?"
"If holding hands lets others see you, then you could talk to Mikey or your mother."

For a second, Baji looked genuinely tempted, and it was easy for Takemichi to see why; even if Baji didn't have several loved ones he'd want to speak with at least one more time, he'd currently been stuck with only Takemichi as an option for conversation for nearly a month. In all honesty, Takemichi wouldn't have been surprised if Baji was willing to chat with Kisaki if it meant speaking to someone that wasn't him.

"Let's not go THAT far." Baji rolled his eyes. "Sure, it sucks not having anyone else to talk to, but you're not THAT awful. And I'm not sure I'd be able to talk to Kisaki without trying to hit him now that I know for sure he's scum."
"You wouldn't even try to possess me to do it?"
"With all the shit he's done? I'm not sure I'll be able to hold back the next time I see him."

Takemichi laughed, but he quickly realized that Baji hadn't answered his question.

"Do you not want to talk to anyone?"
"I do. But are YOU willing to tell others about your ability?"

Considering that Takemichi and Baji's meetings could be counted on one hand, it would doubtlessly be strange to an outside observer that the latter's ghost would become attached to the former. While there technically wasn't any proof that it was connected to Takemichi's time-leaping, Baji was still fairly sure that it was, and he had no doubt that all of the people he wanted to talk to would want to know why.

"Mikey DID think it was weird that I knew about what was happening with Moebius and Draken being targeted." Takemichi sighed as he leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. "I wonder what would have happened if he had forced the issue?"
"He might well have believed you. He was weirdly fond of you right from the start."

Remembering how Mikey had threatened to kill him if he failed to bring Baji back, Takemichi laughed awkwardly.

"Well, regardless, I think it may be best to hold off on telling anyone about this for now." Baji finally said. "You're planning on going back to the future after the next meeting anyway."
"Yeah, I guess that's true." Takemichi agreed, looking out the window with a somewhat wistful expression on his face.
"Do you... really have to go back?" Baji asked. "No offense, but it doesn't sound like your life was all that great."

Takemichi looked back to scowl at him, but he didn't deny Baji's words.

"I don't belong here in this time." He said in a low voice. "I care about every single one of the people I've met since I came back, but I've already lived through the twelve years that follow this one."
"What if the future you go back to is different?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're officially part of Toman now. What if you're not in the same position that you were before?"

Takemichi himself had told him that he didn't get memories of how things changed outside of what had happened with Kazutora's death, and that was only after Draken explained things to him.

"That's..."
"I'm not saying what you should or shouldn't do." Baji assured him. "I'm asking if you're prepared for the future changing in such a drastic way that you don't know what's going on."

Takemichi let out a groan. It was true that there was a decent chance that the future had changed in a dramatic way that now 2 of the 3 people he'd set out to save were still alive (even if one of them was currently incarcerated). It was also true that it was unlikely that he'd be able to fully catch up with all the changes, at least without arousing suspicion. Furthermore, there was still the question of what would happen to Baji when Takemichi went back.

Just as Takemichi was beginning to formulate a response, however, he received a message on his phone from Mitsuya. The message instructed him to go to his school the following day. Fortunately, there were also directions so Takemichi at least knew where to go.

"Do you have any idea what he might be calling me there for?" Takemichi frowned as he looked at the message before looking at Baji.
"He's your captain. You should know what he wants."
"I don't have a chip in my head telling me what Mitsuya wants like Chifuyu does with you. I don't think Mitsuya even wanted me in his division in the first place."
"Excuses, excuses."
"You just don't want to admit you don't know either, do you?"

The following afternoon, Takemichi waited outside of Mitsuya's junior high for fifteen minutes.

"Mitsuya's normally not one to keep people waiting. He must be busy with something inside."
"With what?" Takemichi asked, not noticing the strange looks the students were giving him.

Just as Baji was about to answer, a voice called out.

"Hey, Takemitchy!"

Takemichi turned around to see Peh-yan walking toward him wearing an incredibly gaudy shirt.

"You go to the same school as Mitsuya?"
"Yeah, c'mon." Without taking his hands out of his pockets, Peh-yan gestured for Takemichi to follow him.

He explained that he had come out to get him because Mitsuya was indeed busy with something inside. Takemichi followed him to... the Home Ec Room?

Peh-yan ignored his confusion and instead vented his frustrations about "that girl". Before Takemichi could ask who he was talking about, he received an answer in the form of a girl opening the door and yelling at Peh-yan.

"Are you here to cheat the club leader out of his time again, Hayashi!?" The girl shouted at him. "He's busy, so leave!"
"No, I just..." Peh-yan stammered at her.

The girl proceeded to berate Peh-yan about his shirt before Mitsuya walked up to interrupt things.

"Chill out, Yasuda." Mitsuya calmly eased the tension. "I asked Peh-yan to do something for me."

Yasuda let out a frustrated groan before declaring that Mitsuya was the only delinquent she didn't hate. For the next few minutes, Mitsuya walked around the room examining the projects the other club members were working on. He briefly told Takemichi that "it" would be ready in a second.

'He's a delinquent, but he's handling his school life so well!' Takemichi thought in amazement.
"Mitsuya's always kind of had it together." Baji agreed. "Sometimes he manages to keep a cool head even when Draken can't."

After a moment, Takemichi turned to Peh-yan and asked if Mitsuya was making something. For that matter, why did Mitsuya even want him to come, anyway?

"Your gang uniform." Peh-yan said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"Mitsuya has been personally working on your uniform. You better appreciate it."
"He's making my..."

Peh-yan continued, noting that Takemichi is the first member to have Mitsuya make his uniform outside of the founders. For gang members, Mitsuya explained, their most formal wear is their uniforms.

"This is my way of showing thanks to you, Takemitchy." Mitsuya looked warmly at him before turning his gaze back to the material on the sewing machine. "Both for saving Draken on August 3rd and for snapping all of us back to our senses during the Bloody Halloween. I wanted to make sure I was the one to make your uniform."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Takemichi thanked him. Mitsuya brushed it off, saying that he was doing it because he wanted to.

The following day was Sunday, and the day of the meeting Draken had informed Takemichi of. He arrived at Musashi Shrine feeling rather self-conscious even in the face of Peh-yan's urging him to hurry up and Mitsuya's encouragement. As other Toman members took notice of him, they began whispering. Takemichi walked toward the steps where Mikey usually made his announcements. Waiting for him instead, however, was Draken, who watched him with a dry smile.

"It doesn't suit you at all!" He said, his smile turning into a grin.
"...Yeah!" Takemichi agreed with a laugh. "I feel like someone else dressed me up!"
"Mitsuya DID help you put it on yesterday."

Draken gave him his second welcome into the Tokyo Manji Gang. Takemichi thanked him with a bow before taking his place as the meeting started. Draken warned him to prepare himself, since the meeting was going to be important for him.

'I'm still not sure what that means.'
"Well, you're about to find out, so focus." Baji ordered.

Mikey stepped forward, but to the surprise of everyone, he wasn't alone; following behind him was Valhalla's second-in-command, Hanma Shuji. The third person to appear was Chifuyu, who was wearing a serious expression on his face.

"This is going to be a bumpy meeting." Draken said as the three at the top of the stairs took their positions. "We're here to conclude the Bloody Halloween!"

Unsurprisingly, most of Toman's members were skeptical of Hanma's presence. A handful of them even looked like they were about to storm the stairs; Takemichi realized that they were members of the First Division. Before anyone could raise an objection, however, Mikey began speaking.

"On Bloody Halloween, it was Valhalla's 300 versus Toman's 150. Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, each of you held your own and claimed our victory."

The next person to speak was Hanma.

"Valhalla... has never had a leader."
"Bullshit." Baji scoffed. "You already told me that Kisaki was the leader."

In the wake of Valhalla's defeat, Hanma declared, they would be joining under Toman's banner.

That roused the excitement of most of Toman's members, who were now reeling at the news that the gang had suddenly grown to a number of 450. Takemichi, however, wasn't convinced this was a good sign.

'That's basically the same as combining both gangs, right?'
"Pretty much."

"Someone helped connect our two gangs!" Hanma continued. "It's because of him that this is happening at all!"

He asked Kisaki Tetta to step forward, and Takemichi felt dread fill his stomach as Kisaki did so. This was it: Kisaki was now taking over Toman. The beloved gang that Baji had died to protect was now going to turn into an evil organization. Takemichi had failed again. Terrible thoughts of what was going to come to pass began swirling in his mind; he could barely even register Baji's voice telling him to focus.

After shaking hands with Kisaki and Hanma, Mikey spoke again, saying there was one more matter to discuss. This got the still-excited members of Toman even more riled up.

"We gained much from Bloody Halloween." In contrast to the elation felt by the others, Mikey's tone was almost grim. "But there's also someone we lost."

In an instant, the buzz died down. Everyone present remembered that the First Division Captain, Baji Keisuke, had died that day.

"This is something that we need to reflect on and take seriously." Mikey turned away and told Chifuyu that he was letting him say the rest.

"I considered leaving Toman." Chifuyu admitted as he stepped forward. "But our leader stopped me by asking if I wanted to snuff out the First Division's flame."

"That's corny as hell." Baji snorted, but even though Takemichi wasn't looking at him, he got the strange feeling that he was smiling.
'Chifuyu was probably hurt the most by losing you as captain.' Takemichi noted. 'I'm not surprised he almost quit.'

Over the past several weeks, Takemichi had called Chifuyu many times, but the number of accepted calls amounted to only a handful.

"Leading the First Division is a huge responsibility for me." Chifuyu went on as he looked down at his feet. "After talking with our leader for days and days, I came to this conclusion."

Chifuyu's head shot up and he look toward the crowd with a determined look on his face.

"I'm gonna name the guy I wanna follow!"

Takemichi wasn't sure how Chifuyu seemed to sense the exact spot he was standing at, but the abrupt eye-contract startled him so much that he almost didn't register Chifuyu nominating him as the First Division Captain. Even as the people around him resumed their chatter, all he could do was say

"What... are you..."
"Takemitchy, I believe this is what Baji would've wanted." Chifuyu stood firm. "Our leader and I decided that he left this responsibility to you!"
"That... is what I did, didn't I?" Baji actually sounded amused. "Well, I'm sure you'll do fine."

Just as Takemichi was about to start thinking of every possible insult he could throw at Baji, Mikey shouted at him to raise his head and give Toman his answer.

"I know you can save my sister."
"Save us all, Crybaby Hero."
"I'll become the leader of Toman."

Naoto's, Akkun's, and even Takemichi's own words came back to him as tears filled his eyes.

"I leave Toman to you."
"I did leave Toman to you." Baji spoke to him. "And you're not alone. Raise your head."

There was still hope. Takemichi could change Toman. By now, the tears were freely flowing down his cheeks, but Takemichi raised his head.

"I'll do my best!" He yelled.

Draken said that there was no need for him to be crying. Mitsuya complained that he was going to have to redo the embroidery on Takemichi's uniform. Mikey said that he'd raised his head too high. Even so, all three of them were smiling. It almost felt like maybe Takemichi was on the right path after all.

Takemichi ended up remaining in 2005 for a few more weeks. He'd planned to leave the day after the meeting, but since he'd unexpectedly been named captain, he wanted to make sure his 2005 self would know what to do.

"I still think you should leave some instructions behind for him." Baji said as Takemichi got dressed on the day he prepared to meet with Naoto. "You said yourself that you were a dumbass in junior high."
'You're the one who told me I could handle it.' Takemichi scoffed. 'Besides, I'll have Chifuyu with me.'

Chifuyu had been a godsend. He'd taken it upon himself to instruct Takemichi on what he needed to do as captain and made sure to answer any questions Takemichi might have had about the First Division.

"Chifuyu's a dumbass, too."
'Chifuyu also managed to get to his second year of junior high without being held back.'

Takemichi wasn't facing Baji, but he was half-expecting a sudden chill to hit him. When it didn't, he turned back to look at him in surprise.

'You're not gonna try to punch me?'
"Why would I keep doing that? It doesn't do anything."
'Because you tried to punch me every time I said something that pissed you off for the first two weeks after we became like this.'

After a quick back and forth, Takemichi set out for the Tachibana family's apartment building. Before that, however, he stopped by the cemetery to pass his respects at Baji's grave, passing by a girl around his age with her father as they were paying their own respects to a grave labeled "Tomizawa". The walk to the Tachibana home was silent for the first few minutes before Takemichi finally asked the question that had been on both of their minds.

'What do you think is gonna happen to you when I go back to the future?'
"I can't say for sure. It's not like we have anyone we can ask for reference."
'Maybe a better question would be...' Takemichi paused. 'What do you WANT to happen?'

Baji fell silent, but Takemichi could tell he was thinking about it.

"Part of me wants to stay here in 2005... but another part of me wants to go to the future with you."

The first half of that sentence Takemichi had expected. The second half was a surprise. Takemichi stopped in his tracks.

'Really? What for?'

Sure, Takemichi was hopeful that the friends he'd made over the past few months would still be with him in the future, but it was also true that there were no guarantees. For all he knew, Toman might end up drifting apart even if Kisaki's goals were stopped.

"I kind of want to see how everyone's going to turn out." Baji grinned that now-familiar grin, but something felt off about it.

Before Takemichi could ask if something was bothering him, however, Baji spoke up again.

"It would be funny if I ended up stuck here and stayed attached to the Takemichi of this year. That'd definitely give him a scare."
'Asshole.' Takemichi growled. What had he been thinking, worrying about Baji? He continued on his trek, arriving at the Tachibana family's apartment soon after. He shook Naoto's hand and felt the typical pull of a time leap.

When Baji Keisuke regained his senses, he was alone.

Not entirely, though. He could see a couple people in the distance, standing behind... was that a grave?

He blinked, and soon realized that he was at the cemetery where the Baji family's gravestone was located. He turned around, seeing the grave that housed the ashes of both him and his ancestors. Okay, he'd figured out where he was, but the question was when.

God, it felt weird to think that.

Baji began looking around, hoping to catch sight of Takemichi. No luck. The time leap had indeed separated them. Now that Takemichi had returned to 2017, Baji had likely been shoved back to the closest thing he could be attached to: his own remains.

Why then, was he still here? If there wasn't anything left for him to do, then shouldn't he have been shuffled off to whatever afterlife awaited him (most likely hell, if Baji himself had to guess)? As Baji wondered what he should do, he took a closer look at the people in the distance.

One of them was a young woman standing with an older man who looked... strangely familiar? Baji moved closer to the duo, who were paying their respects in front of a grave labeled Tomizawa. Come to think of it, when Takemichi stopped by the cemetery before going to see Tachibana Naoto, there had been a girl and her dad visiting the same grave. Baji's eyes widened as he realized that these could be the same father and daughter that he had seen before.

Could it be that Baji really HAD been brought to 2017? But then, why was he separated from Takemichi? Why hadn't he been pulled back to him like what usually happened when he tried to go more than a few meters away?

He recalled how the time leap had actually felt; once Takemichi grabbed Naoto's hand, he'd felt a pull and the world around him began to... speed up, like someone had pressed fast forward on a VCR. The faster the world spun, the stronger the pull, and he'd quickly realized that Takemichi's presence was getting further and further away. Before he could say anything to alert Takemichi, however, it was too late.

Now Baji was apparently stuck in 2017 with no way of knowing where Takemichi was or how things had changed in the 12 years since his own death.

The only thing he could do now was go to the places he had frequented in 2005 and hope that things hadn't changed too much. Fortunately, his ability to fly made the exploration at least a little quicker. He decided that his first destination would be Musashi Shrine.

The shrine looked fairly normal and devoid of anything related to gang activity. True, it seemed to be a bit early, but Baji was still certain that he wouldn't be finding anyone he knew there.

The second place he stopped was his apartment building. He had hoped that his mother was still living there, but to his disappointment, there was another family, none of whom he recognized. Likewise, Chifuyu's apartment was now occupied by a young couple.

He considered stopping by the Sano dojo, but decided against it. After so many years, Mikey probably had his own place and Emma had surely already married Draken, so it was unlikely he'd find either of them there. As for old man Mansaku, well... He wasn't getting any younger, so he'd probably already gone to bed. Baji was fond enough of the old bastard, but he didn't think he'd enjoy watching him sleep.

The sun had set by now. Night had settled into Shibuya and Baji was no closer to finding Takemichi or anyone else in Toman. As he pondered his next move, he noticed two people moving nervously through the streets.

"What the fuck were you thinking, man!?"
"I didn't know those guys were from Toman!"
"Call your girlfriend and tell her to lock up tight!"

There had been no mistake. One of the men had definitely said "Toman", but why had the other man warned him to call his girlfriend? It wasn't like Toman went after women. All of the captains were very strict about that.

A disquiet began to creep into Baji's mind. Had Toman changed so much in the 12 years following his death that they now went after women? What other things might have changed? What sort of crimes might they now be committing? Had any of them died? Baji's head was filled with questions, but without a corporeal form, he had no way of obtaining answers. He couldn't even lash out.

"TAKEMICHI!" He shouted, despite knowing that he wouldn't receive an reply. Worse yet, it almost felt like he had heard someone call his name.

'Ba...ji...'

Now furious that his mind was playing tricks on him, Baji continued shouting for Takemichi to answer him.

'Baji, are you... here?'

Baji froze. That hadn't been a trick of his ears or mind. And that definitely sounded like Takemichi. It was a little deeper, but it sounded enough like him that Baji was sure.

"Takemichi!" He called again. "Where are you!?"
'Baji...' Takemichi sounded disoriented. In fact, he sounded like he did when Baji had tried to talk to him when he was half-asleep.

It took several more attempts, but Baji finally got Takemichi to reveal the general location of where he was. It wasn't an area that Baji was very familar with, but at least it was something. He didn't understand what was going on, but he instinctively understood that Takemichi was in danger. He had to move as fast as he could.

The buildings didn't look familiar, and some of them may not have even existed in 2005.

But Takemichi was nearby. Baji could feel it.

By now, it was fairly late at night, and the streets were mostly devoid of people, but Baji noticed that someone seemed to be trying to enter one building in particular without anyone else noticing. The man had longer hair than normal, and there was something familiar about how he moved.

It couldn't be... Could it?

He moved closer, but just as he was about to get close enough to see the man's face, he felt a pull. It wasn't an unfamiliar sensation; he had felt it each time he had inadvertantly gotten too far from Takemichi. That meant that Takemichi was...

As Baji tried to process what was happening, he heard a gunshot. The second thing he heard was a voice screaming "CHIFUYU!"

He began surveying the room. It was decorated rather ornately, but Baji's gaze was quickly taken by the sight next to him; a man was sitting in a chair while restrained by duct tape. The man's hair was black, and he looked older, but his teary blue eyes told Baji that he'd found Takemichi. And on the floor was another man also duct taped to a chair. There appeared to be a hole in his head, and Baji knew that he was dead.

But what really got his attention was the earring. He'd seen it nearly every day before his death.

"Chifuyu..."

Takemichi didn't react to his presence, still focused on Chifuyu. In all honesty, Baji probably would have been the same in his place. Hell, he practically already was.

"How does it feel to have Toman's fate resting solely on your shoulders?" Contrary to what Takemichi and Baji were feeling, the voice of the man holding the smoking gun was almost light. Baji finally managed to tear his eyes away from his fallen vice-captain and turned to look at him. Baji had no doubt as to who it was.

"Kisaki!" He snarled as he raised his fist and threw it towards him.

But of course, his body only passed through him. Kisaki stopped for second, as though puzzled by why he suddenly had goosebumps. He quickly brushed it off and stepped closer to the still-distressed Takemichi, assuring him that he'd be joining Chifuyu soon.

He aimed his gun at Takemichi's head, but to Baji's surprise, he just... stood there for a moment. When Takemichi didn't move, he leaned down and spoke.

"What's wrong with you?" Kisaki's expression changed. Rather than looking like a smug, punchable bastard, he looked almost displeased with Takemichi's lack of a reaction.

"You're gonna go out like that?"

Once more, Baji attempted to punch him. Even if it was pointless, it was the only thing he could do to vent his rage toward the man in front of him.

"Is this what you are?!" Now Kisaki actually seemed angry. He didn't even seem to care about the chill Baji was giving him anymore.

Takemichi continued to neither speak nor act, but Baji was pleased to see that he was now wearing a defiant expression. Kisaki didn't seem impressed, however.

"What a letdown." He sighed, standing up straight and re-aiming the gun.

Takemichi and Baji both braced themselves, but to their mutual surprise, Kisaki's face had changed once again. Not only did he look almost resigned, but something was sliding down his cheek. A tear?

"So long... My "hero"."

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, however, the room went dark. For a second, Baji suspected that he HAD fired, and the world went dark because Takemichi was now dead. The rustle and confusion from who Baji suspected were Kisaki's cronies revealed the truth, however. Someone moved toward Takemichi and apparently grabbed onto him, because a voice said,

"Keep quiet. I'm gonna carry you out."

There was something familiar about the voice, but because the owner was whispering, Baji couldn't determine who it was. At the very least, whoever it was seemed to be an ally. Baji allowed himself to relax a little as he attempted to follow the sound of Takemichi's mysterious rescuer. It turned out to be a lot harder than he thought, considering he could barely see, but in the one or two moments he got separated, he was able to confirm that his connection to Takemichi had been re-established, ensuring that he'd keep ending up at his side.

Takemichi wasn't answering when Baji called his name, however, and it wasn't until they were out of the building that Baji figured out why; because of all the chaos, he hadn't realized that Takemichi had already been shot in the thigh. Baji didn't think a leg wound would be as fatal as a head-shot, but even he understood that it could be fatal if blood kept gushing out. The fact that Takemichi had even stayed conscious throughout Kisaki's attempt to kill him was astonishing.

"Shit!" Takemichi's savior hissed in anger as he pulled the duct tape off of Takemichi's torso and began wrapping it around the leg, making sure to apply pressure to the wound. "This isn't proper first aid, but it'll have to do for now... I guess you can't hear me now, though."

Finally, Baji got a good look at the man's face. Immediately, he understood why his voice and movements outside the building had been so familiar. After all, it would be hard to forget someone you'd died for.

"Kazutora..."

Baji wasn't sure how Kazutora managed to carry Takemichi far enough that that they were able to get away from Kisaki and his goons, but he managed. Eventually, he stopped near an underpass and lay Takemichi underneath it. He stepped away and walked to what appeared to be a car hidden in the grass.

Upon returning with a first aid kit, Kazutora removed the duct tape and wrapped a proper bandage around Takemichi's leg. When he finished, he stood up and just seemed to stare down at him. His face was blank, so Baji wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he got the sense that he might be angry. At some point, he walked away and just seemed to stare off into the distance where the sun had yet to make an appearance. Baji debated whether or not to try waking Takemichi up when he heard a groan.

Takemichi slowly stirred, but sat up quickly once he regained consciousness, a move he swiftly regretted when the pain of his wound caught up to him.

"...I gave you first aid." Kazutora said quietly.

Takemichi looked around in confusion before his eyes landed on Kazutora. He blinked for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Baji?"
"No, I'm Baji."

Takemichi let out a squawk and half-jumped to the side, wincing in pain as he did so.

"Too bad. Looks like you're stuck with me." Baji gave him a toothy grin.
"Baji..." Despite the circumstances, Takemichi looked at him with a teary smile as he stood up. "You really DID come back!"

"...Are you done hallucinating?" Kazutora said harshly as he walked toward him.
"Huh?"

Without another word, Kazutora punched Takemichi in the face.
"Hey!" Baji shouted to no avail.

As Kazutora continued to beat Takemichi up, Baji became more and more frustrated with his inability to speak to or touch others. In a way, this was even worse than what had just happened with Kisaki, since now it was happening between two of his friends.

"Not long ago, I saw some guys beating up on a woman, just like this." Kazutora said when he finally decided that Takemichi had enough. "When I stepped in, I discovered that they were members of Toman."

He looked down at Takemichi, asking when Toman became an organization that beat women. But of course, Takemichi had no answer.

"I don't give a shit about you." Kazutora admitted, just before his voice cracked slightly. "I wanted... to save Chifuyu."

All three fell silent as they remembered their fallen friend. Neither Takemichi nor Baji knew what had gone on between Kazutora and Chifuyu, but evidently the former had come to care as much about the latter as they had.

"He fought alone for all these years." Kazutora continued, before turning to look at Takemichi accusingly. "And what were you doing?!"

Despite not remembering what had happened over the course of the past twelve years, Takemichi still looked down at his feet in shame.

'I get it now...' Takemichi's inner voice caused Baji to perk up. 'I ended up so bad in this timeline that Chifuyu couldn't rely on me.'

He couldn't even bring himself to look at Baji. How could he, when he just learned that he'd ended up spitting in the face of his promise to him?

Kazutora continued to rant bitterly about Takemichi's actions before revealing that not only had Draken still ended up on death row, but Mikey had disappeared completely. That was certainly concerning. In the previous timelines, Mikey was a known criminal, yes, but at least Takemichi had a general idea of where he was.

"...Hey, Takemichi." Kazutora sounded calmer now. "Where do you think Toman is headed?"

When Takemichi didn't answer, Kazutora reminded him of how Mikey had wanted to create a new age of delinquents. As promised, Toman had grown huge... but it came at the cost of its morality; drugs, prostitution, illegal casinos and underground money lending... Those weren't even the only crimes that had been committed to make Toman that large. Nothing seemed to be off the table anymore.

"But is that the new age Mikey wanted to create?" Takemichi was startled by the fact that both Kazutora and Baji had just asked the same question of him at the same time.

"Is this the Toman Baji died to protect?!" Kazutora asked.

Takemichi remembered the day after he met Mikey, when he and Draken had dragged him out of school to the riverbank.

"Neither of them wanted Toman to end up like this, did they Takemichi?"

No, they hadn't.

"The Toman I loved..." Takemichi said tearfully. "...was always shining!"

At last, Kazutora seemed satisfied. He smiled and looked toward the creeping dawn.

"Then let's take our Toman back."

The three headed toward Kazutora's car, which seemed to be a foreign one. After getting in, Takemichi decided to ask Kazutora to fill him in on some of the goings-on of the past twelve years.

"Wait!" Baji shouted as Kazutora put the key in the ignition.
'Huh? What's wrong?'

Baji gulped, making the resolve to swallow his pride.

"I want to talk to Kazutora."
'...Are you sure?' Takemichi didn't sound surprised by the request. 'When we go back, there's a good chance we'll change the timeline enough that he won't remember what you talked about. Are you okay with that?'
"...Yes."
'...Alright.' Takemichi agreed, reaching out to grab hold of Kazutora's hand on the steering wheel.

After Kazutora nearly crashed into the nearby fence, the car was pulled over to the side of the road and Takemichi was given a glare that seemed to say "You have thirty seconds to explain before I finish what Kisaki started".

"I... need to hold your hand for you to see Baji." Takemichi awkwardly held his hand out.

Kazutora had an understandably skeptical look on his face, but he accepted.

"Can you hear me?"

Kazutora's breath hitched in his throat. He focused his gaze straight ahead, refusing to look in the direction of either Takemichi or Baji.

"...I'm sorry." He whispered after a few minutes.
"Don't be. I don't regret it."

Baji moved so that he was now in front of Kazutora (leading to the sight of him coming out of the car's hood). Kazutora let out a gasp before slowly allowing himself to laugh at the sight.

"We're going to fix this." Baji ignored the laughter (and Takemichi's own amused face).
"He's right." Takemichi agreed. "I won't let Chifuyu die."

Kazutora looked back at Takemichi with a frown, then sighed, grumbling that he wished he hadn't forgotten his cigarettes.

Once the car was back in motion, Takemichi explained things to Kazutora.

"So... Mikey WAS supposed to kill me." Kazutora said when he finished most of his explanation.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he seemed to shake it (and whatever thoughts he might have been having) off.

"Yeah." Takemichi nodded, looking at his hands. "I... suspect that you might resent me a little for stopping him, but while I'll always regret not being able to save Baji, I'm not going to apologize for saving you."

The scoff Kazutora let out was faint, but both Takemichi and Baji (who was focusing on making sure his form remained in the back seat) heard it. Neither of them had a chance to comment on it, however.

"I'm not gonna get mad at you for that." He said in a gruff tone. "I'm still more pissed at you for leaving everything to Chifuyu."
"That's fair." Takemichi tightened his fingers. "Did I ever even meet with you after you got out?"

For a second, Kazutora flipped his head toward Takemichi with a surprised look on his face.

"You-" He began before turning his head back to the road. "...I'm surprised you remember that."
"It was only a few weeks ago from my perspective."

When Kazutora asked him to explain, Takemichi revealed that he had no memories of what had gone on over the past (current) twelve years.

"Well, that makes what I did to you earlier a little awkward..." Kazutora mumbled. "I'm not gonna apologize for it, though."
"And I don't want you to." Takemichi shook his head. "I want to beat up this version of me just for not keeping the promise I made to you."
"Can we PLEASE drop that?" Kazutora nervously asked. "It really wasn't that important to me."

In the back seat, Baji was smirking.

"Yes, it was." He said matter-of-factly. "He wouldn't have started bawling right there in the detention center if you hadn't hit him where it hurts. Takemichi, tell him that!"
'I'm not gonna tease him on your behalf, Baji.' Takemichi scowled.

Kazutora seemed to notice this and asked if Baji was saying anything. Since it wasn't safe for him to hold Takemichi's hand while driving, he could only hear Baji's words through Takemichi.

"Nothing important." Takemichi sighed.

"He told me that he almost thought you were a giant hamster when he went to your school to get you."

Takemichi's eyes widened slightly and he turned to look at Kazutora in shock.

"You thought I was a hamster?! Is that why you hugged me?!"

For a second, Kazutora contemplated punching the gas and driving into the nearest building. He settled for telling Baji to shut up with a red face.

After Baji's cackling settled down, Takemichi asked Kazutora to fill him in on what had happened with Toman over the past twelve years. Kazutora seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering.

"It was Mikey. He's... completely changed."

And because Mikey had changed, so had Toman.

"Wasn't Kisaki the one pulling the strings?" Takemichi protested.

Kazutora shook his head.

"While Kisaki was holding you captive, Pah-chin and Peh-yan were killed."

The car fell silent; Takemichi had only just seen them hours earlier. Knowing that they were both gone now was a solid punch to gut. For Baji, knowing that two of his closest friends from his days in Toman had been killed, and not long after he discovered Chifuyu's death, stung.

"Fuck..." Takemichi's eyes welled with tears. Baji wondered if his own emotions were leaking into him again or if it was Takemichi's own nature. Then again, it could be both.

"Mikey was the one who ordered it." Kazutora continued, explaining that Mitsuya had gone missing several months earlier.

It was likely that Mikey was purging the old members of Toman, no longer trusting them. He wasn't a delinquent anymore, but some kind of evil monster.

Contrary to how he'd acted on the Bloody Halloween, Kazutora's words didn't seem to be condeming Mikey, which surprised Takemichi.

"I'm one of the people who made him change..." Kazutora admitted.
"I think all of us are." Baji looked between both him and Takemichi.

At any rate, Kazutora wanted to talk to Mikey face-to-face and tell him to get away from those guys. He did want to help Sano Manjiro, but he needed Takemichi's help to do it.

"Those guys?"

Kazutora went into detail about the eleventh generation Black Dragons. Their leader, Shiba Hakkai, was rumored to have killed the previous leader for money and taken over the gang. Thanks to Kazutora's connections, he'd been able to locate the gang's secret bank account. His plan was to cut off the cash flow to put things to an end. Chifuyu's job had been to handle Mikey's right hand, Kisaki.

"He ended up getting killed because he backed Kisaki into a corner." He finished.
"How?!"

One day, Kazutora and Chifuyu had been approached by a detective claiming to be the brother of a woman Kisaki had killed.

"Naoto!" Takemichi gasped.
"You know him?"
"Yeah, he's the “trigger” for how I get to the past."
"Then do you know how Tachibana Hinata died?"

As Takemichi expected, Akkun had once again been forced into killing Hinata. However, Kisaki had an alibi: Namely, he had been in a meeting with the other Toman admins. Chifuyu had discovered proof that Kisaki had given the order, but for some reason had chosen to keep it to himself right up to his last moments.

"Why would he do that?!" Takemichi asked, flabbergasted that Chifuyu would throw away the chance to take down the man who'd arranged for Baji's death.

That is hard to believe. Baji thought to himself. I don't think Chifuyu would be dumb enough to not hand over that kind of evidence unless... it wouldn't just be Kisaki.

Baji glanced at the rearview mirror. Judging by the uneasy look on Kazutora's face, Baji suspected that he might have the same idea.

Shortly after, the car came to a halt in the city and Kazutora told Takemichi to get out. There was someone in the alley that wanted to meet with him.

The someone in question turned out to be Naoto. Takemichi was relieved to see him. He was less relieved when Naoto put handcuffs on him and told him he was under arrest. Kazutora also seemed unpleasantly surprised by this and tried to charge into the alley, but was stopped by one of Naoto's fellow officers.

In the end, Takemichi was escorted to a police car and taken to the station.

Takemichi found himself in an interrogation room with Naoto, who placed a laptop in front of him. On it was a video of a man whose face looked oddly familiar.

"Is that... me?"

Naoto paused the video, explaining that Chifuyu had taken the video in secret.

"In this timeline, you and I haven't spoken since junior high." He continued. "Just like before, my sister was killed on August 10th when Sendou Atsushi crashed his car into the one she was sitting in."

After that, Naoto began working with Chifuyu in order to avenge his sister by arresting Kisaki. Because of his position, he didn't have any choice but to arrest Takemichi.

"I called you here for a reason." The Takemichi in the video spoke when Naoto pressed play. "I want a certain someone wiped out."

He didn't know who the person was, but the fact that they were getting in Toman's way was enough. He didn't like the idea of asking the person he was speaking to do this, but Kisaki was going to get on his ass otherwise.

"You got that, Atsushi?"

The video ended.

"I... ordered Akkun to kill someone?"

This alone was enough to tell Baji what had happened with Tachibana Hinata's death, but it didn't seem like Takemichi had figured it out yet. Or perhaps he had and didn't want to face it. Naoto seemed hesitant to play the next video, but still did so.

It seemed to be in the same office as before, but the whole room was in disarray. The Takemichi in the video was throwing everything around, seemingly determined to make sure that nothing in the room was left intact. Chifuyu attempted to calm him down, but all Takemichi could do was rant about Kisaki setting him up.

"I didn't know it would be her..."

"Naoto, I've seen enough." To Baji's surprise, Takemichi sounded very calm as he asked Naoto to stop the video. His face was eerily devoid of any emotion, and it would have sent a chill down Baji's spine if he still had one. Even Naoto seemed reluctant to continue.

"We were looking for evidence of Kisaki's involvement in the death of my sister." He finally spoke. "This video... is proof."
"I SAID I'VE SEEN ENOUGH!" Takemichi shouted.
"Matsuno Chifuyu kept this video hidden away." Naoto said. "He was trying to shield you."

Takemichi slumped to the floor.

"It... was me." He mumbled. "I killed Hina..."

"You were being used." Naoto tried to assure him, but Takemichi didn't seem convinced.

"I've had enough."
"Huh?"
"Not only has nothing changed, it's actually gotten worse..."
"Takemichi!"

"And Akkun and Chifuyu!" Takemichi shouted. "It's my fault they're all dead!"
"That doesn't matter! You can still fix it!" Baji protested.

In contrast, Naoto didn't say anything in response, preferring to let Takemichi vent his frustration.

"No matter how hard I tried to save Baji, I can only go back twelve years!" He finally turned to look at Baji. "I couldn't save you!"
"How is crying going to help!?" Naoto exclaimed, conveying what Baji had been about to say.

He stepped closer to Takemichi, saying this was hard for him too.

"It's not the same!" Takemichi protested, turning back to Naoto. "I killed your sister!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Baji had reached the end of his rope and took a swing at Takemichi. Of course, he simply passed right through him.

"Let's just give up, Naoto!" Takemichi ignored him. "I couldn't change a damn thing!"

Just as Baji was about to throw another punch, Naoto wrapped his arms around Takemichi.

"You saved me." Naoto's voice cracked slightly. "Don't tell me you can't do anything!"

In the first timeline Naoto remembered, there was no Draken, no Chifuyu, no Kazutora or even Baji. None of them had been there, which told Baji that things had already gone pear-shaped for Toman before Takemichi began his time-leaping.

"The one who wove his feelings into reality was you, Takemichi." Naoto declared. "The only one who can change Toman for the better and save my sister is you!"

As Naoto begged Takemichi to change their terrible world for the better, Baji was surprised to realize that Naoto's words were moving him as well, even if it was mixed with annoyance that Takemichi was ignoring him.

"And even if I died, I'm still here with you." He spoke up when Naoto finished talking. "I'm not letting you give up here!"
"Baji..." Takemichi whispered.

Naoto seemed a little confused as to why Takemichi kept addressing someone who had died twelve years earlier, but he didn't say anything.

"You entrusted me with protecting Toman, and I even became the captain of the First Division." Takemichi continued. "I got a little closer to making it to the top of Toman, so I'd hoped that things would be a little better in the present."

But not only had Hina still died, Takemichi himself had been the one who gave the order.

"Is it possible that Kisaki did that on purpose?" Naoto suggested.
"What?"
"Why DOES Kisaki keep killing your girlfriend?" Baji agreed as Naoto commented on how strange it was that Hinata kept dying no matter how many times Takemichi leapt through time.

There was no doubt to Naoto that Kisaki was obsessed with both Takemichi and Hinata. This caused Takemichi remember the strange words Kisaki had said to him just before Kazutora rescued him. What had he meant by "my hero"?

A banging on the door to the interrogation room interrupted the conversation. Takemichi was about to be moved to a detention center, and that would make it difficult for Naoto to meet with him from that point on. Naoto held out his hand, saying that this was their only chance to send Takemichi back. Though reluctant at first, Takemichi agreed and held out his own hand.

"Wait!" Baji exclaimed. "What if we get separated again!?"
'Try to hold on to me. If not, I'll meet you at the cemetery.'

There wasn't really much time to process that. Besides, what did "holding on" mean? It wasn't like Baji could touch anything.

"What if I possess you?"

Takemichi paused, his eyes widening. At that point, however, Naoto's hand was already making contact with Takemichi's.

"Dammit!" Baji yelled as he placed himself directly on top of Takemichi.

Just like before, Baji felt a pull. Unlike before, the world seemed to be moving in reverse rather than fast forward. Baji felt himself panic as he remembered that the next sensation was going to be him getting pulled away from Takemichi. Without thinking, he threw his own hand onto Takemichi's as Naoto's disappeared. Even if he couldn't actually touch it, maybe he could still hold on somehow.

A loud crash rang out.

"Strike!" A girl called out.

Baji looked around. He wasn't in the detention center anymore, but he also didn't seem to be at the cemetery. Was this... a bowling alley? He looked around to see Takemichi's girlfriend bounding up to congratulate him.

Takemichi was thankfully still next to him, and his appearance indicated that they had indeed returned to 2005. Takemichi's own face shifted slightly at the sight of Baji, but since Hinata was there, he had to stop himself from giving a stronger reaction.

'I guess we've figured out how to keep from getting separated in the time leaps, huh?'
"Yeah." Baji let out a sigh of relief as Hinata took her turn to bowl, noting that she was pretty bad at it.

Takemichi didn't care about Hinata's bowling prowess (or lack thereof), however; the sight of her smiling was enough to bring tears of joy to his eyes. Even Baji had to admit that it was nice to see such a kindhearted girl in good health. He had seen Takemichi's memory of her in the car just before it exploded and it was not one that he wanted to see come to pass again.

After Hinata rolled a gutterball, Takemichi stepped up for his turn. Baji had never understood the appeal of bowling, but apparently Takemichi was actually pretty good at it, getting what was (going by Hinata's earlier words) his fourth strike in a row. In the lane next to theirs, someone else got a strike at the same time, even having thrown the ball in the same way as Takemichi.

This got the attention of the guy and his companion, noting that they seemed to be in sync.

'This guy's huge!' Takemichi noted, stunned at how tall the guy was. 'And... he looks familiar.'
"He's the Second Division Vice-Captain." Baji, thankfully, did recognize him. "I don't know him all that well, though. I think his name is-"

Baji's explanation was interrupted by the guy introducing himself as Shiba Hakkai. Obviously, this wasn't a surprise to him, but Takemichi actually seemed alarmed by this.

'He's one of the Black Dragons!'

That got Baji's attention. Come to think of it, Kazutora had actually mentioned Hakkai's name in the car on the way to meet Naoto. With everything that had happened at the time, Baji hadn't thought much of it, but how many Shiba Hakkais could there be out there?

According to Kazutora, Hakkai had taken over the Black Dragons after killing the previous leader for money. And now... this future murderer was declaring Takemichi his sworn brother and inviting him over to his house.

"It might be a good idea, if only to gather information." Baji said when Takemichi seemed to hesitate on what to do.
'I... guess so.'

And so, Takemichi and Hinata set off with Hakkai and his companion, who shortly after revealed herself to be Hakkai's older sister, Yuzuha.

Takemichi quickly discovered that Yuzuha wasn't one to mince words, not only correctly pegging him as not good in a fight, but even questioning why he was a captain in Toman. As far as she was concerned, the only reason Hakkai didn't outrank Takemichi was Hakkai's own lack of interest.

"Yeah, he does look strong." Hinata agreed with Yuzuha's assessment, but surprisingly Hakkai didn't say anything in response to Hinata's compliment. It wasn't until Yuzuha called him hopeless that Hakkai laughed and said the thought of being the top guy in Toman gave him a headache.

"I like being free." He finished.

'That's...'
"Actually kind of cool." Baji, having already realized how Takemichi would react, agreed.

"That's so cool, Shiba-kun!" Hinata decided to voice her opinion.

Once again, Hakkai said nothing in response to her words and simply stared blankly ahead.

"Don't worry about it, Hina." Yuzuha piped up. "Hakkai's a bit of a late bloomer. He freezes up when any girl besides me talks to him."

Wow. Hakkai was strong, but also apparently kind of a dork. Was he really the same man who would kill someone for money? What was going to happen to him over the next twelve years?

"Maybe he had some kind of falling out with Mitsuya?" Baji posited.
'Oh, yeah! Plus, Kazutora said that Mitsuya had gone missing.'

The following conversation revealed that not only was Hakkai actually the same age as Takemichi, but that he was also very fond of Mitsuya even if he tried to brush it off as them being stuck together. For Takemichi, this seemed to confirm Baji's theory that things may have gone bad between them in the following twelve years. If Takemichi could stop that from happening, then could he stop Toman from going bad?

Before he and Baji could discuss it further, however, the group arrived at the Shiba home. What they hadn't expected, was that there was a large crowd of delinquents in front of it.

"We've got a problem, Hakkai..." Yuzuha suddenly sounded nervous. "It looks like Taiju's coming home."

Takemichi observed the delinquents, who wore white uniforms with the English letters B.D. on the back.

"Hanagaki... I'm sorry, but you need to head home."

Just as Takemichi was about to ask Hakkai what was going on, one of the delinquents (and, judging by the way the others parted like the Red Sea to let him through, a high-ranking one at that) approached them, referring to Hakkai as "young master" in a blatantly sarcastic way.

"Koko..." Hakkai's tone gave no indication of how he felt about that, nor did his facial expression.

Baji didn't recognize the guy, but Takemichi did.

'He's... one of the ex-Black Dragon admins.'

Kokonoi Hajime, along with Inui Seishu, had been present at the Toman meeting Takemichi had attended before getting captured by Kisaki. Inui had a distinctive scar, and Kokonoi's appearance wasn't very different from 2017 at all. Takemichi had no doubt that these were the guys he'd seen.

"So these guys must be the Black Dragons."

Kokonoi took notice of Takemichi and Hinata and demanded to know who they were. One of his subordinates identified him as Toman's First Division Captain. This angered Kokonoi, who accused Takemichi of trying to pick a fight. The whole area, he explained, was the territory of the Black Dragons. Their boss had instructed them to kill any other gangs who wandered in.

"You know what that means, Hanagaki?" Kokonoi said with a sneer. "It means you're dead!"
"Get 'em boys." Inui ordered.

Hakkai shouted at the Black Dragons to back off, calling Takemichi his friend. Yuzuha, meanwhile, warned Hinata to stay back, saying that they didn't go easy on girls. When the Black Dragons were unmoved, Hakkai stepped closer and asked them to once again leave. Did that mean he already knew the Black Dragons?

One of them laughed, asking if he wanted to get the girls killed too. Takemichi blinked, and the guy was suddenly on the ground with Hakkai's fist in his face, telling him and the other Black Dragons to fuck off.

'He really is strong!'

"Sorry about this, Takemitchy." Hakkai stood up. "The boss of the Black Dragons is Shiba Taiju."
"Our older brother." Yuzuha added.

If that was true, then didn't that mean that in the future Hakkai...

"Where is Taiju now?" Hakkai asked Kokonoi.

Kokonoi didn't answer immediately, but eventually said he was shopping. Hakkai let out a sigh, saying that Taiju was hardly ever home except for situations like this. It was a pain. This angered Inui, who stepped forward with a pocket knife and held it to Hakkai's throat. Before things could spiral out of control, Yuzuha jumped up and kicked Inui away from her brother.

When Inui got back up, Kokonoi warned him to back off since Hakkai and Yuzuha were family of their boss. Inui was unmoved, however; his loyalty was to their boss and he had no intention of taking shit from them, even if Yuzuha was a girl.

"These guys are way different from Toman."
'They're insane!'

Yuzuha shouted at Takemichi to take Hinata and run. Not needing to be told twice, Takemichi turned to Hinata and told her to get ready to run. Hinata, however, saw something behind him and shouted for him to look out. Before Takemichi could process the warning, he felt someone's arm ram into his neck, knocking him over. Baji could see that Takemichi's attacker was wearing a coat similar to that of the Black Dragons, though his was red instead of white. The fact that the gang members bowed as he stood upright told him that this guy was most likely their leader. Hakkai referring to him as "Taiju" just cemented it.

"Your shit... just got wrecked!" The man shouted with a demented grin.

The already long day just got even longer.

Chapter Text

Takemichi continued to cough as Shiba Taiju complained about his men having fun without him. Baji himself had done so to members of the First Division in the past, but for some reason seeing Taiju do it pissed him off. Was it because he didn't like seeing parts of himself reflected back?

No, Baji decided. It was probably because he just elbowed Takemichi in the throat and was now lifting him off the ground with relative ease.

Takemichi squirmed, but Taiju simply laughed and tossed him to the side. Hinata was horrified and tried to run to her boyfriend, but Yuzuha held her arm up to keep her away.

Baji looked at the Black Dragons, who were now standing in rapt attention. Well, at least they weren't all about to jump them.

When Kokonoi explained who Takemichi was, Taiju gave a laugh that sounded unsettlingly fake before kicking Takemichi's chin.

"Hakkai brought a Toman bastard into our family home?!" He shouted with a grin. "Even though he keeps refusing to join us no matter how many times I tell him?!"

When he turned to look at Hakkai, however, he looked completely calm.

"Beat him to death. Take responsibility as a fellow Toman member."

Hakkai froze, his earlier defiance completely gone. He lowered his head slightly as attempted to argue that Takemichi wasn't aware that the area belonged to the Black Dragons. Taiju was unmoved, however; his orders as Hakkai's older brother came before Toman. Family bonds mattered more than friends. Yuzuha protested Taiju's attempt to pressure Hakkai.

Taiju responded by punching her away. Oh, so that was what they were dealing with today.

"You may be siblings, but Yuzuha's still a girl." Takemichi had recovered at this point and glared at Taiju as he stood up. "Are you the kind of guy who beats up women?"

Baji was proud of Takemichi's standing up for Yuzuha, but his own instincts were telling him that this was not a fight he could win.

"Takemichi, let me take control."
'Huh? But you said you weren't going to fight my battles for me.'

That was true. The night they learned that it was possible, Baji had warned Takemichi that he wasn't going to help Takemichi win any fights by possessing him. At the time, Baji had meant that he wasn't going to let Takemichi take the easy way out of fights. Now that they were facing a behemoth of a delinquent, however, Baji realized that there might be situations where not stepping in would get Takemichi in even more trouble.

Unfortunately, Taiju had already resolved to "show Hakkai how it's done" in the time Baji tried to explain this to Takemichi. He slugged Takemichi in the face and began beating him.

"Takemichi!" Baji shouted, hoping that Takemichi would answer. The lack of a reply told him that Takemichi was already unconscious. He looked around to see the Yuzuha holding Hinata back from jumping in.

"Sir!" Hakkai's voice drew everyone's attention to him. "Please... let Takemitchy go."
"Offer me an equal trade, then." Taiju did not relent in his assault on Takemichi. "If you don't, this is where he dies."

Hakkai took a deep breath before saying he would quit Toman. Taiju's fist stopped in mid-air.

"I'll join the Black Dragons and support you as leader, so..." Hakkai pleaded. "In exchange... let Takemitchy go!"

Taiju's smirk faded for a second (in fact, he looked almost displeased), but it returned just as quickly as he dropped Takemichi to the ground.

Hinata rushed over to Takemichi and began checking over him. Hakkai asked Taiju if he could at least take Takemichi home. Taiju brushed him off and told him to take care of it quickly.

When Takemichi woke up, he was on Hakkai's back while Hinata walked alongside him.

"You awake?" Hakkai asked him when he let out a groan.
"Hakkai, I thought I heard you say..."

"Were you really still conscious?" Baji asked. "We could have-"
'My head is still ringing Baji, so please shut up.'

"I'm sorry, Hakkai." Takemichi said in a weak voice. "It's my fault you're leaving Toman."
"It's not your fault." Hakkai reassured him. "I'd already decided to leave awhile ago. Thanks for sticking up for Yuzuha at any rate."

He attempted to lighten the conversation for a few minutes before saying that there was something he had to do in the Black Dragons. Despite the fact that Baji was floating a few feet away and not touching Takemichi at all, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Was Hakkai going to kill his own brother? Was this what had truly happened in the timeline Takemichi just saw?

His head still hurt like hell, so once he was back home, he went straight to bed after Hinata insisted on bandaging his injuries.

As Takemichi slept, Baji heard movement downstairs. As he phased through the floor, he realized that Takemichi's friends from Mizo Junior High had let themselves in. What's more, they weren't alone; Chifuyu was with them.

"You're sure Takemitchy's gonna be cool with this?" Chifuyu asked as he walked in.
"It's cool." One of them, Takuya, grinned at him. "We've done this before."

Though he hadn't looked for very long, the sight of his vice-captain's corpse on the ground had hurt Baji deeply; seeing Chifuyu healthy and moving around would hopefully purge that sight from his memory.

"He's asleep." The one with glasses, Yamagishi, whispered as he came down the stairs.
"Eh, he'll wake up eventually. Let's head up." Makoto shrugged it off as the group went upstairs.

The group made themselves comfortable on the floor while Chifuyu awkwardly took a seat in the desk chair. He grabbed a manga from Takemichi's desk and started reading while the others pulled out a deck of cards. For awhile, the mood was relatively relaxed. Baji had seen plenty of the Mizo Middle Gang during the days after he'd gotten attached to Takemichi, so the group dynamic wasn't a surprise to him. Chifuyu didn't seem to have fully acclimated himself with them yet, but he was at least comfortable enough to exchange banter with them. Hopefully that would change as time passed.

Finally, Takemichi let out a soft groan that none of the others noticed. He didn't immediately sit up, but Baji could see his eyes were open.

'I'm starting to understand what happened in the future.' He said mentally. 'Hakkai's gonna kill his brother, then join forces with Toman, and it'll result in the future we saw.'
"But even if we stop Hakkai from killing Taiju, the Black Dragons are clearly gonna become a problem for Toman at some point."

With a leader like that, there was no way some peace treaty was going to last, especially since it sounded like Taiju had already been hassling Hakkai to join the Black Dragons for awhile. Did that mean Takemichi was going to fight them head on? Of course not.

'First Kisaki, now the Black Dragons... The problems sure are piling up.'
"Hey, you agreed to deal with them when you started time leaping. You don't get to bitch now."

"Yeah, and I gotta deal with them on my own."
"What are you mumbling about?"

Before Baji could protest that he was with Takemichi, the others noticed that he was awake, which in turn caused Takemichi to realize that they were even there.

"What are you guys doing here?!"
"We came to check on you, what else?!"
"Get some self-awareness as our captain."
"We won't be able to keep the First Division together if you keep being reckless."

The realization that his friends had joined Toman was a surprise to Takemichi.

"You're the one who invited them." Chifuyu turned around the chair.
"Chifuyu..."

Ah, right. Takemichi hadn't seen Chifuyu yet, and given that he'd actually watched him die, it was a surprise that he hadn't already burst into tears. Chifuyu himself seemed a bit confused as to why Takemichi was staring at him in the first place, but didn't push the issue. There were far bigger concerns than that.

"With over 450 members, beating up one of Toman's captains is sure to cause a conflict." Takuya noted.
"Yeah, and it's gonna be unlike anything we've dealt with before." Chifuyu agreed. "The Black Dragons are known for their Homicide Sqaud."

The current leader, Shiba Taiju, revived the Black Dragons when they should have faded out after their clash with Toman two years earlier. What's more, he changed their uniforms and started training them to act like an army.

"He's not much older than us, though, right?" Akkun asked.
"Just two years." Chifuyu nodded. "But the thing is, he sells his violence."

Taiju, according to Chifuyu, has ties to the wealthy and makes money in exchange for the Black Dragons' violence.

"That sounds familiar." Baji said wryly.
'Kazutora said that's what they were doing, and they did end up bringing that with them when they merged with Toman.'

"The current Black Dragons are totally different from the Ninth Generation. If Toman were to fight them now..."
"There'll be casualties." Akkun finished.
"You guys don't have to fight."

All eyes turned to Takemichi.

"This is between me and them. Toman has nothing to do with it."

With an intense look on his face, Takemichi declared that he would handle it on his own.

"Takemichi..." Baji frowned. Hadn't he just told him he wasn't alone hours earlier?

Fortunately, Chifuyu took notice of this and invited Takemichi outside for a ride. Baji was pleased to see that Chifuyu had kept his Goki in good condition. After a quick drive, Chifuyu came to a spot where the two of them had frequently hung around.

"Nice bike, isn't it? It's a memento from Baji." Chifuyu said with a smile.
"I did say I wanted him to take care of Goki if anything ever happened to me." Baji grinned, remembering the exact conversation. "He got mad at me for saying that, but look where we are now."

"I know what you're gonna say, Chifuyu." Takemichi didn't look at Chifuyu or Baji. "You're gonna tell me not to take this on all by myself."

'But that future was too awful.' He thought.

"I know you wanna say my friends are all here for me!"

Baji saw flashes of Chifuyu and Akkun's deaths.

'It has to be me.'
"Takemichi!" Baji shouted, ready to throw another punch, no matter how pointless it was.

Chifuyu, however, just laughed and said that that wasn't what he brought him out here to say.

"Have fun with all this, okay?" He said, his smile turning into a grin. "Baji didn't leave Toman to you because he wanted to stress you out."
"No, I didn't." Baji agreed.
"He'd be so mad at you if he saw you right now." Chifuyu laughed. "He'd be like "Cheer the hell up, Shittymichi" or something like that!"

That was exactly what Baji would say under normal circumstances, but given that Baji was fully aware of what Takemichi was actually going through, such words would actually be kind of insensitive. This wasn't simply a brawl between delinquents anymore: It was a situation that had to be navigated carefully if they wanted to protect the lives of their friends, including the vice-captain standing before them. Still, it seemed that Chifuyu's words DID have an effect on Takemichi, who looked deeply moved. Hopefully this would persuade him to lean on his friends a little instead of trying to do it all with only the advice of a dead guy for assistance.

"Chifuyu, I..." Takemichi began. "I came from the future!"

Baji stared at Takemichi slack-jawed. Chifuyu gave him a puzzled look and asked what he meant. This caused the floodgates to open, and Takemichi was soon spilling nearly everything that had happened so far. How he'd been pushed in front of a train, why he'd joined Toman, what happened in the future they'd just seen, and how the time leaps worked. The only thing he left out was Baji being a ghost. The insane part was... Baji could tell that Chifuyu believed him.

He knew Chifuyu well enough to know that he wasn't just humoring Takemichi's story. Even when Takemichi, upon realizing that he'd just told him nearly everything, tried to brush it off as a joke, Chifuyu just shook his head.

"Somehow... I always kind of knew."

There had always been something a little off about Takemichi, he explained. At times, Takemichi seemed almost like a different person.

"And before the fight with Valhalla, you told Baji not to die. I didn't hear all the details because I wasn't standing close enough, but I heard that much."

Knowing that Takemichi knew Baji was going to die, his desperation made sense to him now.

"It wasn't enough, though. I wasn't able to save him."
"Takemichi, if you're telling him about the time leaping, then tell him I'm here! If you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to both of us together!" Baji exclaimed.
"You're pretty incredible."
"Huh?"

Baji nodded as Chifuyu noted that Takemichi had been fighting basically alone the whole with nobody praising him or anything.

"Be proud of yourself, Takemitchy! What matters is how it ends!"

Even if nobody was watching, Takemichi still stood and didn't run. That was something that Chifuyu respected.

"I'm watching you." Baji spoke up. "And I'm waiting for you to let Chifuyu know that."
"In a second!" Takemichi snapped, the tears threatening his cheeks beginning to dry up. "I don't want to just dump THAT part on him without a warning!"
"...What are you talking about?" Chifuyu gave Takemichi a concerned look. "Is there something else you gotta tell me?"
"...Yeah. There's one more thing that's really important." Takemichi nodded, wiping his eyes. "The truth is, I actually DO sort of have proof."

Chifuyu stiffened, waiting for Takemichi to show him whatever it was.

"Chifuyu, Baji's here."

Chifuyu blinked, then tilted his head at Takemichi curiously.

"Yeah, he's always with us."
"I'm not speaking metaphorically! He's been haunting me since the fight with Valhalla!"
"Just grab his hand!"

Rather than do so, however, Takemichi held his hand out and gestured for Chifuyu to take it. Chifuyu's eyes widened slightly, but he did accept. His gaze moved to Takemichi's right, where Baji was standing.

"Hey. It's been awhile."

Chifuyu let go of Takemichi's hand and stepped back, now staring at him with eyes that looked like they were about to jump out of their sockets.

"Hey!"

After a few seconds, Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's hand again.

"Are you ready to talk to me?"

Chifuyu reached out his other hand and attempted to touch Baji, only for his hand to pass through. He shuddered slightly, but didn't show much of a reaction to that.

"Y-You're really here." He whispered.
"Yep. Can't say I'm "in the flesh" anymore, but I'm still me."

Now it was Chifuyu's turn to tear up. Baji turned to look at Takemichi, who was unsurprisingly on the verge of tears himself again.

Great. Now Baji had to deal with two crying people. Getting Chifuyu to stop would be one thing, but over the past 24 hours Baji had learned that he was not good at drying Takemichi's tears.

(Not that it bothered him. So what if Naoto and now Chifuyu had done a better job of consoling Takemichi than he had? That warm fuzzy crap wasn't Baji's forte anyway.)

"I'm gonna punch you for keeping this from me...!" Chifuyu sobbed.
"I'm sorryyyy!" Takemichi bawled.

This was a rather pathetic sight. Anyone walking by would probably think this was some sort of lovers' quarrel.

"Both you knock it off!"

Chifuyu instantly snapped to attention, though Baji could tell he hadn't actually stopped crying or let go of Takemichi's hand. Takemichi, meanwhile, showed no regard for Baji's order and simply cried like Baji hadn't even said anything. If Baji didn't know better, he'd think Takemichi was deliberately ignoring his command.

Eventually, they both finally stopped crying and went to a convenience store to get something to eat. Under most circumstances, Chifuyu probably would have gotten yakisoba or instant ramen, but he decided to purchase a couple nikuman so the conversation could continue with all three of them speaking. Takemichi was privately relieved at this, since he'd eaten enough peyoung yakisoba over the past month that he was almost sick of it.

The day after the Bloody Halloween, he and Baji discovered that while Baji couldn't and didn't need to eat, he could sort of "taste" whatever Takemichi ate. Unsurprisingly, this led to Baji making frequent "requests" for peyoung yakisoba on the nights Takemichi was at home alone.

"So Kisaki's really gonna kill me?" Chifuyu said, not looking at either Takemichi or Baji. "That pisses me off!"
"I heard him say directly say that he planned Baji's death." Takemichi nodded before biting into his nikuman.
"I'll kill him!" Chifuyu growled. "...Eventually."

Not only was Kisaki currently the captain of the Third Division, but there was also the Sixth Division comprised of the former Valhalla members. That was going to be an obvious hurdle for them to get through.

"And you guys haven't been the leaders of the First Division for long." Baji added.
"It's a big gap between them and us." Takemichi nodded.
"I'm kinda pumped, actually!" Chifuyu turned to Takemichi with a grin. "You're gonna make the First Division unbeatable."

Even if Takemichi was starting from nothing, Chifuyu was sure he would pull it off. Whether it was the Black Dragons, Kisaki, or whoever, Chifuyu would have his back.

"That's my answer to you." Chifuyu's tone grew more serious, but he was still smiling. "Both for telling me everything and for letting me talk to Baji again."

Baji glanced at Takemichi. There were no tears in his eyes anymore, and he returned Chifuyu's smile.

"Let's do this, partner!"

After they finished their nikuman, Chifuyu took Takemichi home. Once they were in front of the Hanagaki house, Baji spoke.

"Takemichi, let me possess you for a second."

Takemichi didn't seem surprised by this request, and simply nodded with a smile. He closed his eyes and focused as Baji interposed himself over Takemichi.

"Chifuyu." He said when the possession was complete.
"What happened to your... voice?" Chifuyu turned around from getting back on his bike, only for his eyes to widen.

Considering that this was Takemichi's body, Baji knew he probably looked (and sounded) stupid, but he still couldn't help but grin at Chifuyu in the same way he had on the day they met. Chifuyu gasped, and the next thing Baji knew, Takemichi's body was being slammed into. Chifuyu's arms were tight enough around him that he could barely breathe.

"This time..." Chifuyu's voice was cracking, but he didn't seem to be crying yet. "This time I promise I'll protect you both!"

Baji didn't say anything in response to Chifuyu's words. He simply stroked his back until Chifuyu decided to let go. He returned Takemichi's body to him and moved to the side as he and Chifuyu said goodnight.

Despite it only having been an hour or two since he woke up, Takemichi was still exhausted when he entered his house. He'd only gotten a few hours of sleep in the past 24 hours, after all.

"What a day, huh?" He laughed weakly as he climbed the stairs.
"No kidding. You got the shit beat out of you in the present AND the future."
"Sure did." Takemichi smiled dryly.

Sensing that the topic was something of a sore spot for Takemichi, Baji tried to change the subject.

"At least we know what to do when you time leap now!" He grinned. "Hopefully next time I'll actually get to see everyone, since I didn't this time."

Takemichi stopped in front of his bedroom door and looked down at his feet.

"To be honest, I'm kind of glad you didn't see most of that."

At first glance, it didn't seem like the others had changed all that much, but after hearing about what Toman had been doing from Kazutora, the whole thing felt... disgusting to Takemichi. Like none of them really cared what Toman had become. The disconnect between the Hakkai that Takemichi met in 2017 and the Hakkai he met in 2005 was jarring and it only made him feel worse about how the future had gone.

"Knowing that I basically turned my back on everything I promised you and Chifuyu makes me want to puke."

The one person Takemichi should have been able to understand was his own past self. The fact that he didn't almost made him feel like an alien.

"I think a small part of me actually wanted Kisaki to finish me off."

Normally Baji would have immediately protested such words, but he had a feeling that Takemichi wouldn't listen to him about that, which was beyond frustrating. He wanted to change the subject again, but he couldn't think of a way to do so without making it too obvious. Worse yet, Takemichi wasn't talking in his head, which told Baji that he was deliberately concealing his thoughts from him.

"It was pretty hard seeing you and Chifuyu like that." He said. "To be honest, I'm surprised my emotions didn't overwhelm you at that moment."
"I think... I might HAVE felt your emotions, but... I was kind of overwhelmed myself."

Come to think of it, Takemichi didn't even seem to realize Baji had returned to his side until after Kazutora had rescued him.

"I guess that's to be expected. It WAS a pretty intense situation."

The conversation trailed off as Takemichi finally entered his room with Baji following behind him. Before he could get back into bed, his phone rang.

"Hey, Takemitchy!" Mikey's voice was loud when Takemichi answered. "I heard what happened this afternoon. Are you okay?"

Either Hakkai or Chifuyu must have told him. Baji wasn't surprised that Mikey called him almost right away. Hopefully the conversation would cheer Takemichi up, or at least take his mind off of what had happened.

"Got it. Thanks. You too." Takemichi said before hanging up and letting out a sigh.

There was going to be a meeting about what happened in the next day or so. Mikey wanted Takemichi to call him in the morning to see how he was feeling. If he felt up to it, the meeting would happen the next day. If not, it could wait for the day after.

"He's gonna want all the admins to hear what happened from you and Hakkai." Finally, Baji could say something in confidence.
"And Hakkai's probably gonna quit at the meeting." Takemichi groaned.

Fuck.

"Let's stop talking about the Black Dragons for now!" Baji exclaimed. Takemichi turned to look at him in confusion before moving toward the bed.
"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

Baji floundered for a few seconds before saying,

"Kazutora looked healthy."
"Y-yeah, he did." Takemichi paused for a second before adding. "I guess he really did keep his promise to Draken."

He grinned for a second before getting a thoughtful look on his face.

"I wonder why he seemed so weird about the promise I made to him." He mused. "I get being mad that I didn't keep it, but he seemed so embarrassed when I brought it up."
"Now THAT'S something I can answer." Baji smirked. "I'm pretty sure Kazutora wanted to be friends with you."
"What?"

The night Baji left Toman, he'd met with Kazutora and told him of what had happened. When Kazutora asked about the guy he'd punched, Baji had given him Takemichi's name and mentioned that he went to Mizo Junior High. Kazutora had been pleasantly surprised by this, which Baji found encouraging. Since Baji would need a witness for his initiation, Kazutora was going to find a random Toman member to act as one, and of course the guy he'd beaten up would be the ideal choice. Since Takemichi went to the same junior high as Kazutora, it would save him time looking for him.

"Of course, my plan was that he'd be your senpai after re-joining Toman. It'd be good for him to have a kouhai at school."
"He already had two kouhai at Mizo."
"Those guys were chumps." Baji waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, he broke their legs the same day I left Toman."

Come to think of it, Kazutora never did tell either Baji OR Takemichi why he'd done that. The two Valhalla members had been polite enough to Baji for the ten days he was with the gang, but he could tell that it was only because Kazutora was friendly with him. He hadn't caught sight of either of them around Kazutora much during the fight on Halloween, though admittedly he didn't exactly have much time to look around.

"I mean... I don't see how Kazutora wanted to be friends with me. It sounds like you wanted us to be friends."
"I wasn't joking about the hamster thing, you know. He thought you were adorable." Baji insisted as he crossed his arms. "It kinda pissed him off, actually. He said you were probably going to be miserable in Toman."
"Well THAT'S certainly a blow to my ego." Despite Takemichi's words, he WAS at least smiling. "What about you? Do you think I look like a hamster?"
"A little bit, but you actually look more like a sad, wet dog that got thrown into a pool when it doesn't like swimming in my opinion."

Takemichi grabbed his pillow and threw it at Baji, only for it to pass through him. Baji could only smirk in response. It may not have been perfect, but he at least got him to smile. Plus, now that Chifuyu was involved, it'd hopefully be easier to cheer Takemichi up.

The next day, Chifuyu arrived at Takemichi's house to strategize how to keep Hakkai from leaving. They had wanted to plan it the night before, but by the time evening had changed into night, they were both too exhausted emotionally.

"I've got a plan!" Chifuyu said confidently. "In fact, I have several plans!"
"That's reassuring." Takemichi was impressed.

Baji wasn't so sure about that. Chifuyu was dedicated and eager to assist, but his ideas weren't always the best.

"Mikey's the critical point." Chifuyu explained. "He's our boss, so Hakkai can't leave if Mikey doesn't accept it. And I know his weakness!"

Chifuyu pulled out a dorayaki he'd purchased on the way.

"Dorayaki!"

Yep. This plan was going to be a disaster. Baji knew that even before Chifuyu handed over a notepad with a backup plan that Baji had no doubt only had something like "be brave" or "guts!" written in it. That was not going to help when Mikey inevitably tossed the dorayaki to side to eat later. Baji knew his childhood friend, and he knew that Mikey was childish, but he wasn't going to be bribed into forcing Hakkai to stay with dorayaki.

Baji was now faced with a dilemma. On one hand, this plan was going to fail. On the other hand, it would be funny to see it fail. Besides, he suspected that keeping Hakkai from quitting Toman wasn't going to be as simple as getting Mikey to refuse his resignation. Whatever issues the Shiba family had clearly ran too deep for that.

So far, neither of them had asked for Baji's input, and part of him was actually a little relieved, if also a bit left out. Even if the idea was stupid, Takemichi and Chifuyu were at least acting on their own without relying on him for guidance. Not only that, but Chifuyu had been in a good mood ever since he arrived, and it reminded Baji of how he'd acted when he first joined Toman. It hadn't even taken him long to get used to holding Takemichi's hand to hear Baji's voice.

This was another night where Takemichi was on his own for dinner, so he invited Chifuyu to eat with him.

"Any suggestions on what I make?"
"Peyou-"
"Besides peyoung yakisoba."

The following day, Takemichi arrived at Toman's hideout where the other admins were waiting. Hakkai was also outside. He greeted Takemichi with a smile, but turned serious as he turned toward the door.

"Enter!" Mikey's voice was in his commander tone. Takemichi and Hakkai obeyed and entered the hideout where Chifuyu and the admins were waiting, including Kisaki and Hanma. Baji, knowing that punching would do no good, opted to simply float toward Kisaki and pass through him. Kisaki shivered and wrapped his arms around himself for a moment. It wasn't much, but it was at least some form of revenge.

'Are you gonna do that every time we see him?'
"It's all I can do. Let me have this much."

"As you know, a few days ago, Takemitchy was beaten by the head of the Black Dragons." Draken announced. "He committed violence against Takemitchy despite knowing he was one of our captains. This means that it was a declaration of war by the Black Dragons."

The captains of the fourth and fifth divisions, Kawata Nahoya (known as "Smiley") and Mutou Yasuhiro (known as "Mucho") were confident about Toman's chances, but Mitsuya was skeptical.

"We beat the Ninth Generation before, but the Tenth Generation is completely different."
"That's not the point!" Smiley said with his signature grin. "It wasn't Takemitchy's fault that he didn't know where the Black Dragons' turf was. Why the hell did you take him there, Hakkai?"

That... had absolutely nothing to do with Smiley's original statement, which was that Toman should simply stomp the Black Dragons' asses.

"Yeah, he does that sometimes." Baji nodded as Mucho walked toward Hakkai. "He'll suggest something, then pretend he didn't when someone else points out an issue with it."

"Are you acting as a spy for the Black Dragons, Hakkai?!" Mucho demanded accusingly.
"You're the boss's little brother, aren't ya?" Nahoya added.

When Mucho suggested that Hakkai had tried to hide that from them, Takemichi tried to speak up in his defense, only for Mucho to tell him to shut up.

'I'm the one who got beat up! Why are they telling me to be quiet?'

"I won't make excuses." Hakkai said as he knelt on the ground. "Hate me, beat me, do whatever you want. As his little brother, I'm prepared to accept whatever consequences you deem fit."

He turned to Mikey.

"I, Shiba Hakkai, Vice-Captain of the Tokyo Manji Gang's Second Division... request permission to leave Toman!"

"...Is that really what you want?" Mikey asked.

The room was silent. None of the admins had anything to say, and Hakkai himself didn't seem able to answer. It seemed like it was Takemichi's time to speak up.

"I object!" He exclaimed, causing all eyes to move to him.
"Takemitchy..." Hakkai looked genuinely surprised.

Takemichi stepped forward and asked if Mikey had considered dorayaki as he pulled out the snack in question. Mikey stared at it for a few seconds before grabbing it and tossing it to the side and telling Takemichi not to interrupt.

"Do you think this is a joke?!" Baji laughed as Draken added his own opinion on Takemichi's behavior.

Several of the others either looked annoyed or rolled their eyes. Hakkai, meanwhile, looked distressed, presumably under the impression that his brother had given Takemichi some sort of brain damage. Baji glanced over at Takemichi, who was now flipping through Chifuyu's notes. He looked up with a horrified expression as he turned his gaze to Chifuyu, who gave him a thumbs up.

'I forgot... Chifuyu's an idiot.'
"I told you before he was a dumbass."
'And you just let us go through with this?!'

By now, Draken and Mikey had decided to ignore Takemichi and return to business.

"What's your decision, Mikey?"
"I'll leave it to Mitsuya, since he's the Second Division Captain."

As Mitsuya stepped forward, Hakkai apologized, saying that his mind was made up. After a moment, Mitsuya spoke up.

"Don't look so sad, Hakkai. I understand."

Hakkai stood up and bowed.

"Taka! It was a pleasure working with you!" He shouted, his voice cracking slightly.

'Things can't go on like this!'
"Don't worry. I know Mitsuya."

"I didn't say you could leave." Mitsuya said without turning around.
"Huh?"

Mitsuya finally turned to face Hakkai and said that he would talk to Taiju.

Mikey ended the meeting so Mitsuya and Hakkai could leave to speak with Taiju. As Takemichi and Chifuyu wordlessly decided to follow, Baji watched Mikey pick up the discarded dorayaki and open the packaging before shamelessly digging in.

Baji let out a snort before following Takemichi.

"Taka... I don't think it's a good idea to meet with Taiju." Hakkai said quietly as the group made their way to a building that apparently acted as a sort of headquarters for the Black Dragons. "Nothing you say will get a good result out of him. He's... trash."
"You always try to handle things yourself." Mitsuya sighed in annoyance. "By the way, why are you two tagging along?"

Now put on the spot, Takemichi and Chifuyu both offered reasons.

"I was there when it happened!"
"And I have to keep an eye on him." Chifuyu pointed at Takemichi. "'Cause he's a moron."

Takemichi protested that that terrible plan was Chifuyu's idea, but Chifuyu simply said it all worked out in the end. Hakkai was silent for a moment before asking if Takemichi's head was really okay.

"Oh, yeah!" Takemichi grinned at Hakkai in an attempt to lighten Hakkai's mood. "The ringing eventually stopped enough for me to get to sleep."

Those words caused Mitsuya to stop in his tracks. He turned to look at Takemichi in alarm.

"You went to sleep after a beating like that?"

"Hoo boy, here we go." Baji rolled his eyes. "Time for a lecture from the nurse's kid."

By the time they arrived at the building, Mitsuya had effectively talked Takemichi's ears off regarding the dangers of going to sleep with a concussion.

"I should have warned you about talking about head injuries in front of him like that. Sorry."

Had Takemichi not just gotten a taste of how fierce Mitsuya could be outside of a fight, he might have thought Baji's apology was silly. Indeed, it had been so sincere that there was no doubt in Takemichi's mind that Baji had been on the receiving end of such scoldings numerous times before.

"All of us founders were. He actually hit Mikey in the face one time when Mikey tried to brush it off."

That sounded counterproductive, but not too surprising. Mitsuya was easily the kindest of the Toman founders, but Takemichi had already seen his anger first-hand. That it might occasionally override his better judgement wasn't that odd.

"And a severe enough blow to the head can even cause blindness!" Mitsuya continued with no regard to what was going on.
"Taka, we're here." Hakkai's words sounded like they were spoken through gritted teeth, which told Takemichi that even he had gotten sick of listening to the lecture.

After several minutes, Mitsuya was seated on a couch opposite to Taiju. While Takemichi, Chifuyu, and Hakkai stood behind Mitsuya's couch, Kokonoi and Inui stood behind Taiju's.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Taiju."
"You're that fucker that's been manipulating my little brother!"

"Those are the first words out of his mouth?"
'This is gonna be a productive meeting.' Takemichi groaned inwardly.

"That's quite the accusation." Mitsuya did not lose his smile, even when Taiju threatened to "kill his ass".

Taiju's body language was relaxed (he even had his bare feet on the table, for goodness sake), but he was watching Mitsuya with a calculating expression.

"What is it you wanted to tell me? Keep it short."
"I'll give Hakkai to the Black Dragons and won't see him again."

"What?!"
"You can't be serious, Mitsuya!"

Taiju also seemed surprised by Mitsuya's declaration, but he quickly recovered.

"Didn't you come here to prevent that?" He asked with a sneer.
"In exchange, I want you to set Yuzuha free."

That wiped the smirk off of Taiju's face.

"Taka, why are you..."
"You're having Yuzuha do something, aren't you?"

Mitsuya explained that Hakkai had been protecting Yuzuha from Taiju's domestic violence. His leaving Toman was another case of that, rather than because he was afraid of Taiju. Instead of defending himself, Taiju lunged over the table and swung his fist at Mitsuya's face. There was the sound of flesh meeting something, but when Takemichi rushed around the side of the couch, he saw that Mitsuya had blocked Taiju's fist with his arm. Taiju seemed impressed by this, but Mitsuya was irritated.

"I'll say it again!" He exclaimed. "I'll give Hakkai to the Black Dragons, so let Yuzuha go!"

If Taiju accepted those terms, Toman would leave the Black Dragons alone.

"And if I refuse?"
"Then it'll be an all-out war."

Baji moved so he could see Mitsuya's face, and it was obvious that Mitsuya's almost relaxed demeanor was gone now. He was deliberately maintaining eye contact with Taiju, presumably because he was worried that Taiju or his cronies might start swinging at his three juniors behind him. In hindsight, tagging along might have things harder for Mitsuya.

Eventually, though, Taiju smirked and extended his hand to shake Mitsuya's, saying they had a truce. He insisted that he didn't commit domestic violence, but vowed to not hit Yuzuha ever again.

"If he keeps that promise, then I'm Natori Yuko."

In the end, they weren't able to stop Hakkai from going to the Black Dragons. The meeting DID confirm one thing to Takemichi, however: If Hakkai was going to kill Taiju, it was going to be for Yuzuha's sake.

Ahead of them, Hakkai thanked Mitsuya for his help. Mitsuya looked back at Hakkai and told him,

"No matter how hard things get, only use your strength to protect. And don't hate the situation you're born into."

Takemichi and Chifuyu parted ways with Mitsuya and Hakkai and walked near a park.

"I'm thinking of heading back to the future." Takemichi announced.
"Huh? Why?" Chifuyu looked surprised.

Hakkai was going to kill Taiju for Yuzuha's sake, but now that Mitsuya had gotten Yuzuha freed, Hakkai no longer had a reason to kill him. That meant the future likely changed.

"But what if it didn't?"
"Maybe, but what if nothing's changed?"

Takemichi let out a sigh before taking a seat on the bench and gesturing for Chifuyu to hold his hand so all three of them could talk.

"If nothing's changed, then I'll come back."
"You said you were in jail." Chifuyu said with a raised eyebrow. "How are you gonna shake Naoto's hand in that case?"
"It's too risky." Baji agreed.

Chifuyu argued that Mitsuya was the one who freed Yuzuha, not Takemichi. If Takemichi didn't change anything, then the future probably wouldn't, either.

"That's... a good point."
"I'm proud of you, Chifuyu. You said something smart!"

Chifuyu grinned at Baji's praise, but resumed scolding Takemichi, asking if he was really 26.

"It would have been the end if I'd gone back, huh." Takemichi laughed nervously.

"Takemitchy, there you are!"

The three turned to see Hakkai walking toward them.

"I've been looking for you! Taka went to go see the Commander about something and..." He sounded happy to see them, but stopped in his tracks when he got close enough. "Am I... interrupting?"

Takemichi was confused by Hakkai's sudden awkwardness until he remembered that he and Chifuyu were still holding hands.

"I-it's not what it looks like!" He stuttered as he let go. "We forgot our gloves and it's cold!"
"Okay..." Hakkai didn't look convinced, but he didn't push the subject.

Takemichi, Chifuyu, and Baji moved to sit on the playground equipment while Hakkai took a seat on the bench.

"Can you guys tell Taka I said thanks again?"
"Sure, but... why?"

Hakkai explained that his home life was complicated: He didn't have a mom, and his father had barely been home since he was little. As a result, Taiju, the eldest, was the one in charge. While he was certainly bigger and stronger than the other kids, his real strength was his ability to gather followers. He was also an expert at using violence, not pulling any punches, even with his own family.

"I thought that love was supposed to be painful because that was how I was raised." Hakkai's voice was solemn, but he smiled. "Meeting Taka turned my whole world upside down."

Even though he could have been playing, Mitsuya was looking after his two younger sisters. It was obvious that his home life was hard, but he was smiling.

"When I ate the food he made, I cried like a baby. I just said it was really salty."

The memory made him laugh softly, and he recalled that Mitsuya told him to use violence to protect.

"Back then, I swore I'd protect my family." He said, before pausing. "Since then... I've been taking Yuzuha's beatings for her. I've... protected her this whole time."

However, Taiju didn't keep his promise and hit Yuzuha like always, arguing that Hakkai was trying to shield Yuzuha from her own family. She needed to be taught a lesson.

All three in Hakkai's audience reacted in disgust, and Hakkai nodded.

"You get it now, right? He doesn't think anything of his agreement with Taka. He won't let Yuzuha go free."
"Then how do we free her?" Takemichi asked.

Hakkai looked down.

"It's embarrassing to admit, but even now, standing before Taiju makes me shake. I can't do anything."

He admitted that that was why he'd wanted to quit Toman, so that Toman wouldn't get a bad name from what he was going to do.

"To protect my family, I'm going to use violence." Hakkai took a deep breath as he stood up. "I'm going to kill Taiju."
"Hakkai!" Takemichi stood up, ready to argue.
"I'm prepared to get arrested for it, too." He looked at Takemichi with a smile. "So you don't need to worry about me."

Both Takemichi and Chifuyu were standing up now, but only Takemichi was able to speak.

"Why are you telling us this?"

Hakkai seemed to ponder this before answering

"I guess I'm putting my determination into words."

If he didn't, he'd get too scared. He was weak like that.

"We didn't know each other for long, but it was fun, Takemitchy." He said sadly as he walked up the stairs. "I'm sorry for... interrupting you guys."
"Dammit, Hakkai, it's not like that!"

After a quick back and forth, Hakkai departed. Once he was out of earshot, Takemichi spoke.

"It pisses me off, you know."
"Huh?"

"Hakkai feels so cornered by his own brother that he feels like he has to kill him." Takemichi turned to look at Chifuyu with a determined face. "We can't let Shiba Taiju get away with this!"

The sight of Takemichi's determined face made Baji happy. After the past couple days, it felt good to see his successor stepping up to do what was right. He had a pretty good idea of what Takemichi was about to say.

"We're gonna crush the Black Dragons!"

Chifuyu didn't answer right away, but when he did, he called Takemichi an idiot.

"Don't you think there's a better way to stop Hakkai from killing Taiju?"

He reached out to grab Takemichi's hand so that he could see Baji's face. Baji simply gave him a toothy grin in response and said,

"You two are the ones leading the First Division. I'm just an advisor."

Chifuyu groaned when he looked back at Takemichi's face, which hadn't changed at all.

"Get that look off your face! I get it!" He looked away and sighed before returning Takemichi's gaze. "If we crush the Black Dragons, the future is sure to change, right? Count me in!"

Takemichi and Chifuyu called the other captains to a family restaurant to discuss what to do about the Black Dragons.

"Then..." Draken began after Takemichi finished his explanation. "You want to fight the Black Dragons?"
"Yes!"

"Quit fuckin' with us!" Smiley protested. "I've already said "I'll kill ya" a million times already!"
"And if we actually killed someone every time you said that, you'd end the world, idiot." Mucho rolled his eyes.

Both of them rejected Takemichi's proposal. Kisaki said nothing, but Hanma just called the situation boring. When Smiley asked Draken for his opinion, he seemed to think about it for a moment. Unfortunately, he too decided to reject the motion.

"Takemitchy, I know you probably have your own reasons for wanting to do this..."
"He has no idea." Baji sighed.

Draken pointed out that going after the Black Dragons would ruin the peace treaty Mitsuya set up, which would in turn ruin his reputation. When neither Takemichi nor Chifuyu could come up with a rebuttal to that, Draken dismissed the meeting. Once the other captains left, Chifuyu started talking.

"Yeah, I guess it would ruin Mitsuya's reputation. There's really no good way to do this."
"It's gonna just have to be the three of us to solve this."

Hearing Takemichi say "the three of us" made Baji happy, but his joy was short lived when someone else asked to join in. The person in question was someone unexpected.

"...Kisaki!?"

Chapter Text

"Wanna work together with me?" Kisaki asked.

Before either Takemichi or Chifuyu could even respond, Baji's fist ran through Kisaki's face. Kisaki shuddered and began rubbing his forearms, but didn't look away from Takemichi, saying he wanted to stop Hakkai, too.

"Bullshit!" Chifuyu shouted as he stood up. "Why the fuck would I ever want to work with you?!"
"You got any better ideas?" Kisaki was unfazed by Chifuyu stomping toward him. "As long as Mitsuya's truce is active, the other admins won't lay a finger on the Black Dragons. And there's no way the two of you can take on the Black Dragons alone."

The way Kisaki put emphasis on the word "two" told Takemichi that he'd heard him say "three".

"By the way, when I say "the other admins", I'm including Mikey in that, as well."

Did Kisaki think Takemichi was going to ask Mikey for help? Was that what he thought he'd meant by saying "the three of us"?

The sound of breaking glass put a stop to that train of thought. Chifuyu had broken one of the empty glasses left behind by one of the other captains and was now holding a large piece of it to Kisaki's throat.

"You refer to Mikey as "Mikey-kun", you got that!?" He hissed. "You may be a captain, but we're the same age, so don't you dare act like you're better than me!"
"Chifuyu-" Takemichi stepped forward to stop him when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.

He looked down to see Hanma holding a knife to his throat. It seemed to be one of the restaurant's, so it didn't look particularly sharp, but he had no doubt that Hanma would be able to cut his throat wide open if it got to that point.

"You guys know that in-fighting is strictly off-limits." He said in a light tone. "Break that taboo, and I'll have to go a little crazy, ya fuckin' animals.♥"

...Yeah, Hanma was both capable and utterly lacking in qualms about performing a makeshift tracheotomy right there in front of everyone.

Chifuyu reluctantly pulled the glass back before asking what good it would be to team up with Kisaki.

"There's a mole in the Black Dragons. Follow me."

Chifuyu hesitated, glancing at Takemichi to make a decision as Hanma pulled the knife away. Takemichi, in turn, looked at Baji. Instead of asking if they should follow Kisaki, however, Takemichi asked,

'Baji... are you okay?'

Baji had yet to say a single word, but it was obvious to Takemichi that he was furious. In fact, his rage almost seemed palpable, like a darkness that appeared to be swirling around him. Before Takemichi could dwell on it, however, a sharp, agonizing pain struck his head and he nearly fell over.

"Partner!" Chifuyu called out as he rushed toward Takemichi, catching him before he fell. Kisaki, who had been moving to leave, turned around and surprisingly almost looked like he was going to reach out to him.

This seemed to snap Baji out of whatever trance he was in, though his anger hadn't dissipated in the slightest. He swung his fist through Kisaki's body for the second time in as many minutes.

"Don't you touch him!"

He needn't have bothered; Kisaki had already begun pulling his hand back, evidently having decided that touching Takemichi was beneath him. Either that or he was worried that Chifuyu might bite him if he got too close.

(A hypothetical fear that would have been 100% warranted)

"Looks like Taiju messed up your head worse than you thought." Hanma was the only one who seemed amused by the whole situation. "Maybe you're not as up to taking on the Black Dragons as you think?"

Takemichi looked up to glare at Hanma.

"I'm... fine. I'll meet up with this mole."

Kisaki didn't look convinced, but his no-nonsense attitude quickly returned.

"I don't like wasting time. Follow me!"

Takemichi looked at Chifuyu and nodded. Chifuyu still seemed concerned about Takemichi's head, but followed him as they left the restaurant after paying for the glass Chifuyu broke. By now, Baji had begun to calm down at least a little and process what all had just happened.

"Am... Am I the one who did that?"

The destination was a karaoke booth. Waiting for them was a nervous member of the Black Dragons, who Kisaki handed an envelope to. After the Black Dragons member opened it and counted the money inside, he leaned back.

"Make sure nobody finds out about this. I'm as good as dead if anyone finds out I talked to you."
"Nobody's gonna rat you out." Kisaki assured him. "So, do you know Taiju's movements?"
"Taiju's movements?"

Kisaki explained that if they wanted to defeat the Black Dragons, they needed intel on its leader; specifically, they needed to know what Taiju did on a typical day. The mole was one of Taiju's assistants, so he was familiar with the aspects Kisaki mentioned. Before he could go into detail, however, the door to the room opened...

And in walked Kokonoi Hajime, complaining about the stench of rats.

While Takemichi and Chifuyu were shocked by the sudden appearance of Kokonoi, Baji watched the reactions of Kisaki and Hanma, both of whom looked some measure of displeased. This suggested that Kokonoi showing up wasn't planned, but Baji knew better than to trust Kisaki's reaction. As Kokonoi began reminding the mole of what had happened to the last person caught giving info away, Baji started talking to Takemichi.

"How did he know which room we were in?"

Takemichi's eyes widened slightly, but his focus stayed on Kokonoi, who had the mole dragged out by his two goons. Once they were out of sight, Kokonoi mused on what to do about the four Toman members. He had them cornered, certainly, but it was four-on-one. Was he that confident in his own skills? Kisaki's statement that they weren't here to fight suggested he had reason to be.

Kokonoi eyed him for a few seconds before glancing at the mole's discarded payment on the table.

"One hundred thousand." He said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"For 100,000 yen, I'll tell you bastards whatever you wanna know."

Without skipping a beat, Kisaki pulled the money out of the envelope and handed it to Kokonoi, asking when Taiju was alone.

"He's never alone. The boss always has at least five soldiers with him. Except for one day."
"And that day is?"
"Christmas Day."

Shiba Taiju was apparently a zealous Christian who went to the Udagawa Church to give worship on Christmas Night each year. He only went alone.

"I see." was all Kisaki said in response.
"Is that all you want to know?"
"Yeah, that's enough."

Kokonoi seemed amused by this, saying that Taiju was plenty strong even on his own. Four people might not cut it.

"I can't wait for Christmas!" He said in mock cheeriness as he turned to leave.
"Wait!" Takemichi spoke up. "Why are you betraying Taiju?"

Baji personally had a pretty good idea of why, giving Kisaki a dirty look. Kokonoi turned to look at Takemichi for a second before turning back to the door.

"I just like strong guys, is all. If you want to know more, well... That'll cost you another 100K."

Once Kokonoi was gone, Kisaki turned to Takemichi.

"Takemitchy, I didn't ask when Taiju was alone so we could attack him."

Baji understood where Kisaki was going with this; Hakkai would surely be aware of his brother's habits and choose that moment to strike.

His attention, however, was taken by Kisaki referring to Takemichi by the nickname that Mikey had given to him. As far as Baji was concerned, the only ones who had the right to use it were the people who genuinely cared about both Mikey and Takemichi. Hearing Kisaki use it made Baji see red. The anger that flashed onto Chifuyu's face told him he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Kisaki..." Takemichi said as he looked at him in surprise. "That's why you went to all this trouble?"
"What's wrong with helping a teammate?" Kisaki said, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

The four of them, he declared, would stop Hakkai and defeat Taiju.

"On Christmas Night, we'll have our decisive battle in secret."

When none of the others said anything, Kisaki spoke again.

"There's something that's been bothering me. To tell the truth, I don't think Mikey's gonna last much longer."
"What?!" Takemichi looked alarmed by this.
"He's acting like it's not bothering him, but Baji's death is really weighing on him."

This set Chifuyu off.

"You bastard, you're the one who-"
"Chifuyu!" Takemichi blocked Chifuyu with his arm.

Kisaki ignored Chifuyu and said that Toman was likely to dissolve at the rate it was going. All of them needed to support Mikey.

"We don't need to team up with you to do that!" Chifuyu protested. "Right, Takemitchy!?"

Both he and Baji looked at Takemichi, who didn't say anything.

"We're going to be acting without anyone else in Toman knowing, which means we won't be using anyone from the Third or Sixth Divisions, either. That's why we need you guys." Kisaki explained with an impatient look. "Besides, you're still not looking too good, Takemitchy."

Baji flipped his head back to Takemichi. It was hard to see in the dimly lit karaoke booth, but Takemichi really didn't look well at all. In fact, now that Baji was thinking about it, Takemichi had seemed oddly out of it since the restaurant.

"Takemichi, are you really sick!?"

A foolish question. On a subconscious level, Baji knew what the cause was; he just didn't want to face it yet.

"Partner... are you okay?" Chifuyu asked, noticing Takemichi's condition.

When Takemichi still didn't answer, Kisaki sighed and said,

"Takemitchy, I told you earlier that I hate wasting time. I want an answer by tomorrow."

With that, he and Hanma departed.

On the way home, Chifuyu insisted that they didn't need to team up with Kisaki. The three of them could do it themselves.

"...I don't think we have a choice in the matter." Takemichi groaned.

Angered, Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's shoulder.

"He's the guy who got Baji and Tachibana Hinata murdered!"
"Don't shout that in the middle of the city, you idiot!"
"Keep your voice down!" Takemichi hissed. "Let's find somewhere less bright to talk about this."

The trio made their way to a small park close to Takemichi's house. Once they'd ensured no one was around, Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's hand.

"You agree, right Baji? We don't need Kisaki!"
"...To be honest, I was perfectly fine with using Kisaki just for this."

Before Baji could protest, Takemichi argued that their best option was to get Kisaki out of Toman. Part of him had hoped that maybe they'd be able to learn something about Kisaki that could get him kicked out of the gang.

"We can do that on our own!" Baji insisted.
"Well, like I was trying to say earlier, I think we might HAVE to do it on our own." Takemichi scoffed. "I don't think you can handle it emotionally and I don't think I can handle it physically."
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember how my head started hurting at the restaurant? That was the worst it got, but the ringing didn't actually stop until just now."

Baji froze.

"Wait, did Baji… do something back there?" Chifuyu, looking back and forth between the two, asked. "I mean, not that I blame him if he got mad, but..."

He had been informed of how Baji's intense emotions could leak into Takemichi, but the way they'd explained it to him suggested that it only affected Takemichi's own emotional state. Nothing had suggested that Takemichi could actually be hurt by it.

"Of course I got mad!" Baji recovered. "Kisaki's doing all of this for... hell, I don't know! And he thinks he can just waltz up to Takemichi and act like everything's cool?!"
"And if it was just your normal, punchy anger, Baji, there wouldn't have been a problem, but..." Takemichi hesitated. "That wasn't your normal anger."

Takemichi hadn't been able to look at him for long, but it had been obvious that Baji's rage had gone far past its boiling point. He'd looked like one of those evil spirits seen in movies. If Takemichi hadn't gotten distracted by the throbbing of his head, he honestly would have been terrified.

Chifuyu was silent when Takemichi finished his explanation. Had this happened two months earlier, he would have jumped down Takemichi's throat for insinuating such a thing about Baji. Of course, things were different between them now. Takemichi wasn't just some random guy whose path happened to align with Chifuyu's; he was his partner, someone he'd fought alongside in an attempt to save Baji. He was the only person besides Tachibana Naoto in the year 2005 who Takemichi had told about his status as a time leaper. In some ways, Chifuyu was the closest person to Takemichi, and vice versa.

Baji understood that, but it didn't stop the hurt he felt when he realized that Chifuyu wasn't saying anything in his defense, even if he recognized that it was arguably a good sign; that Chifuyu was not only strong enough to move forward without him, but also capable of seeing past his own hero-worship of him.

And of course, it stung hearing Takemichi say that he looked like a horror movie monster when he'd been trying to protect him.

From what, though? Kisaki obviously wasn't going to do anything to Takemichi in the restaurant. Hanma was the one who'd threatened him, and Baji had barely even spared him a glare.

Things were quiet for a few minutes. Both Baji and Chifuyu were struggling to find the right words to say, hoping that they might come up with a way to repair the group's peace of mind. In the end, though, it was Takemichi who broke the silence.

"I do think Baji's onto something about Kisaki, though. How did Kokonoi know what room we were in?"

Chifuyu, who had noticed someone was at the door in the split-second before it opened, perked up.

"Come to think of it, he opened the door as soon as he got there." He said with a frown. "He didn't even peek inside to make sure he had the right room."

It also seemed a little too convenient that the price Kokonoi wanted for information just so happened to be the same amount offered to the guy who was supposed to be their informant. Kokonoi had looked at the money on the table in a very unsubtle way, but it would have been difficult to actually ascertain how much was in the envelope without checking.

"If Kisaki really was working with Kokonoi..."
"Then it may not matter if we choose to work with him or not."
"And even if Kisaki isn't working with him, there's nothing stopping Kokonoi from warning Taiju about our plan."

The realization that they might be right back where they started made Takemichi want to hit his head against the tires. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the fact that he'd already received enough expressions of worry, sincere or not, about the state of his head. Knowing that both Baji and Chifuyu were just as frustrated as he was made him feel slightly better... until he remembered that it meant neither of them had a solution, either.

"At any rate, I don't think the benefits of working with Kisaki outweigh the cons."
"That's..."

Takemichi and Chifuyu both looked at him in surprise.

"Baji, isn't this for the best?" The latter asked. "You don't want to work with Kisaki, either, right?"

He very much did not. He also very much didn't want to be the reason Takemichi was holding himself back. If working with Kisaki truly would provide intel that would help save the future, then they should do it regardless of Baji's own feelings.

"We still don't know what it is that happened back there. If it happens when he take down Taiju-"
"I can handle it!"

Takemichi looked at him skeptically, though he did at least seem uncomfortable about doubting him.

"What if it happens again?" He asked softly. "What if Kisaki pulls something while we're fighting Taiju, and you get angry?"

Hell, Hanma was enough of a nutcase that he might just pull something on his own. The more Takemichi thought about it, the more he realized how much could go wrong by letting those two get involved. At the same time, Baji was coming to a realization of his own.

"They already know when and where we're planning to strike. Wouldn't it be better to keep them where we can see them?"

A nagging part of Baji's mind told him that that was basically what he'd done when he infiltrated Valhalla, and look how THAT turned out. Another part of his mind insisted that it would be fine this time; after all, Takemichi and Chifuyu were working together, and it wasn't like Baji could get himself killed again.

"...And what'll we do if they DO end up pulling something?" Chifuyu's voice shook slightly. "How would we stop them?"
"We'll think of something."
"Like what, Baji!?" Chifuyu snapped. "Another knife!?"

If Baji still had a body, he would have felt his blood run cold at that moment. He and Takemichi both stared at their vice-captain in shock.

"Chifuyu... you knew?" Takemichi spoke after regaining his voice.
"Of course I knew!" Chifuyu's voice cracked. "I know I'm stupid, but I'm not THAT stupid!"

He knew full well that Baji would never do something as underhanded as carrying a knife to a brawl normally. Not unless he was really desperate. And the only reason he'd have been so desperate would be if he knew for sure he was dealing with a genuine threat to Toman.

And the reason Baji knew Kisaki was a threat to Toman...

"If I had known that you would have gone that far, I never would have told you about Kisaki!" By now, tears were beginning to spill down Chifuyu's cheeks. He looked down at the ground briefly before turning his gaze back to Takemichi and Baji. "Do you get it now?! It's not just because of what Kisaki's going to do to Toman!"

Even more than that, Chifuyu was afraid that becoming entangled with him would lead to Takemichi taking the same sort of unnecessary risks that Baji had, with potentially the same consequences.

'Ah... It's just like in the future.' Takemichi said to Baji. 'Throwing away a chance at getting Kisaki just to keep his captain safe.'

We really don't deserve him, Baji thought to himself.

Before either of them could respond, however, a voice called out.

"Chifuyu? I thought that was you!"

The voice wasn't one that Takemichi strongly recognized, but it was one that was very familiar to Baji. He felt a shudder as woman with bobbed, black hair approached them.

"Mom..."
"R-Ryouko-san!" Chifuyu stood up straight and started wiping his face with the hand that wasn't holding Takemichi's. "What are you doing here?"

Baji Ryouko frowned as her eyes moved to Chifuyu's hand.

"I was in the neighborhood visiting a friend of mine. You remember Hasegawa-san, from Keisuke's funeral?"
"Oh, yeah!" Chifuyu nodded. "She was the lady you were talking to at the end."

'I know her. She lives right down the street from me. Small world.' Takemichi noted.

"Now let's get to what you're doing here..." Ryouko crossed. "Were you two... fighting?"

There was something odd about her tone, as though she was asking more than one question. Takemichi looked down to realize that they were still holding hands. He quickly let go.

"We're not-"
"It's not like that." Chifuyu shook his head calmly. "I'm just worried Takemitchy here's gonna do something stupid."

The look on his mother's face told Baji that she was thinking "Like... breaking up?", but she didn't say it out loud, and simply asked if they'd eaten dinner yet. As the two boys opened their mouths to answer, she specified that she meant an actual meal.

"We did." Takemichi said with a nod.
"Alright then, why don't you tell me what sort of stupid thing you're planning on doing?"

Takemichi gave Chifuyu a dirty look before letting out a sigh.

"We haven't actually decided if we're going to go through with it or not. That's the issue."
"Hmm... And this stupid thing you're planning on doing, is it dangerous?"

Takemichi and Chifuyu clammed up, inadvertantly confirming Ryouko's suspicions. Baji groaned, remembering that he'd once warned Chifuyu not to do that.

"Normally, this would be the point where I smack both of you upside your head for doing such a thing, but I get the feeling that it won't make much of a difference." Ryouko said before pausing. "Is it about a friend of yours?"

They both nodded without a word. She stared at them for a moment before scratching her head.

"Then you're just gonna have to go for it, yeah?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you're friend's gonna get hurt, then you pretty much have to step in no matter what." Ryouko explained before getting a thoughtful look on her face. "Of course, if it's one of your friends, maybe it's more about stopping your friend from doing something stupid?"

After a pause, the two boys admitted that it was indeed the second option.

"Is it something that might be helped if an adult were to step in?"
"I knew she was gonna say that."

It wasn't like there was anything wrong with her suggestion; if there was abuse going on in the Shiba household, there were avenues they could pursue to get it dealt with legally.

"But there's a couple issues with it." Baji pointed out. "One, I don't think Hakkai wants outside help, especially from strangers."
'And two, the Black Dragons already seem to have a lot of influence. It's possible that it may not even help.'

"I... don't think so." Chifuyu was the one who ultimately answered, looking her straight in the eye.

The air felt tense for a moment; it was clear that Ryouko knew Chifuyu was lying to her. To Baji's surprise, however, she just looked up to the sky for a few seconds before looking back at Chifuyu.

"...Whatever it is you do, promise me one thing."

Chifuyu stiffened up.

"Don't make your mother cry." Neither her face nor her voice betrayed any specific emotion, but all three boys felt their guts clench. Takemichi's eyes welled with tears that he knew weren't just his own.

"...Yes, Ryouko-san." Chifuyu nodded.
"And that goes for both of you." Ryouko turned her gaze to Takemichi.
"R-Right!" Takemichi exclaimed.

As she left, Chifuyu mused on her words.

"I've already made my mom cry plenty of times."
"I'm pretty sure mine gave up when I started dyeing my hair." Takemichi laughed.

After another few minutes of silence, Chifuyu said that he would only agree to work with Kisaki if there were some insurances in place.

"I think we should at least make sure we have a way to message Mikey and the others if things go south."
"Yeah." Takemichi agreed. "Breaking the treaty is one thing, getting ourselves killed is another."
"And..." Chifuyu's voice trailed off.
"What is it?"

Chifuyu shook his head and said it was nothing.

"So we're in agreement in regards to working with Kisaki?" Takemichi looked at his two companions.

Both nodded.

"Alright."

The three set off back toward Shibuya as Chifuyu complained that he wouldn't be able to get a date for Christmas now.

"I think Hakkai and my mom would be surprised to hear you say that."
"Shut up, Baji."
"Did Baji say something, Takemitchy?"
"No."

Surprisingly, Kisaki and Hanma were still in Shibuya. Baji decided to hang back until the discussion was over, then floated back to Takemichi after he parted ways with Chifuyu.

'Do you feel calmer now?'
"I'm less pissed if that's what you're asking."

After a pause, Takemichi asked if Baji was thinking about his mother. When Baji didn't answer, Takemichi noted that Chifuyu had said that he was regularly checking in on her, but that Baji was the one who would have the best judgement of her mental state.

"She's always been a terrifying woman, but she's also really... self-reliant, at least when it comes to her feelings." Baji explained. "When I got held back, it was the first time I'd seen her cry, really cry, in a long time."

He had a feeling that she'd done plenty of crying since the day he'd died. It had been hard to see in the park, but her eyes were a bit red. Her visit to Takemichi's neighbor probably wasn't just a friendly get-together.

"I'm glad she has people she can lean on, but I still feel guilty that she has to do that in the first place."

The atmosphere was beginning to grow heavy, and the two continued to make their way home in silence. It wasn't until Takemichi's house was in sight that Baji spoke up again.

"Actually, when you said your mom gave up when you started dyeing your hair, that actually gave me a little hope that you might finally start telling me about your relationship with your parents."

Despite having been attached to Takemichi for a month and a half, Baji still had very little knowledge of the Hanagaki family's dynamic; he knew Takemichi's father was an archaeology professor and his mom was some sort of architect, but little else. He'd barely seen either of them interacting with their son.

'There's not really much to tell.'
"From what you told me, you basically left home after graduating junior high. Didn't your parents look for you?"

Now it was Takemichi's turn to fall silent. Baji wondered if he'd accidentally hit a nerve when Takemichi entered the house. It wasn't until he'd climbed the stairs, entered his room, gotten into his pajamas and sat on his bed that Takemichi spoke again.

"What do you think happened at the restaurant?"

Real subtle, Takemichi. Baji thought sarcastically.

Takemichi's family life obviously had some issues, and he clearly wasn't in the mood to talk about them. At the same time, however, it was true that what happened earlier needed to be addressed. Takemichi's parents weren't beating or starving him, while Baji had apparently made Takemichi feel like his head was going to explode just by getting mad. It was the more pressing issue.

(This was definitely not his way of comforting himself over the fact that Takemichi wasn't opening up to him)

"My best guess is that my anger got the better of me, and it leaked into you."

There were two problems with that explanation: The first was that Baji's strong emotions had previously only affected Takemichi on an emotional level, and the second was that Takemichi hadn't been affected emotionally that time. Sure, Kisaki's offer had made him angry, but he knew better than to make a scene in public.

There was also a third, unrelated problem: In the brief time that Takemichi was able to look at him, Baji appeared to be surrounded by swirling darkness. Nothing similar had happened at Baji's funeral.

"Wait... Actual darkness? You weren't just using a metaphor?"

Takemichi nodded and Baji shuddered. If that were the case, then no wonder Takemichi compared him to an evil spirit. It was entirely possible that he really had turned into one, if only for a moment.

"Is it different for each emotion?" Takemichi suddenly suggested. "What do you suppose would happen if your happiness were to leak into me?"

It was a transparent attempt at taking Baji's mind off what might have happened to him, but one that he was grateful for.

"Can't say. I was happy to talk to Chifuyu again, but you just cried like normal."
"Hey!" Takemichi pouted. "Those were tears of joy! Though..."

He tilted his head to the side and admitted that he felt normal during that exchange. He didn't feel any emotions that weren't his own.

"I guess the best way to test your theory is to make sure the future we go to next is a happy one." Baji grinned.
"Heh." Takemichi couldn't help but laugh. "You're right!"

As Takemichi stood up to turn off the light, Baji reached out to ruffle his hair, only for his hand to pass through.

"...thank you, Baji." Takemichi whispered when the surprise wore off. "I appreciate that."

The smile that graced Takemichi's features was a sincere one; Baji could tell that he had been comforted.

So why did Baji feel like shit?

Sure, being incorporeal was more than a little aggravating: He couldn't ride Goki ever again, he couldn't brawl alongside his friends anymore, and he'd never be able to tell his mother that he was proud of being her son. And yet, it wasn't until just now that he had truly felt a sense of loathing toward his current state.

Once he was sure Takemichi was asleep, Baji drifted to the roof; since he didn't need to sleep anymore, he usually went to the roof to watch the various animals around the neighborhood. One of the few perks of being a ghost? Turns out animals really are more in tune with spirits than humans. Most of the neighborhood animals had acknowledged his presence in one way or the other. Sure, it sucked that he couldn't pet any of them, but it was still pretty cool. Even the few birds that hadn't flown south yet would approach him curiously.

Tonight, his only company was the Hasegawa family's cat. Another benefit of being a ghost: he was able to spend time with the cat in question without worrying about his mom's friend's annoying daughter pestering him with "Keisuke-kuuuun".

Moku was a very relaxed cat, but tonight he seemed cautious about approaching Baji. He didn't seem afraid, but he was watching Baji with an expression that seemed to see right through him.

"Ah. Can you tell I'm upset?" He asked. "I kinda fucked up today and hurt my friend... And I can't make it up to him."

Worse yet, this particular friend had already done a lot for him in the short time they'd known each other (and even before they'd ever met), and he wasn't even capable of paying him back. Takemichi was even refusing to talk to Baji about things that were clearly bothering him. Baji had thought they'd grown close after being stuck together for a month and a half, but now he was learning that there were things Takemichi wasn't willing to share with him.

Moku did not say anything in response to Baji's venting because he was a cat. Baji leaned onto his back and stared at the sky, wondering what he would say to Takemichi in the morning. Moku approached and stared at him for a few minutes before stretching and laying down next to him.

"Is this your way of telling me to get closer? Or are you just trying to cheer me up?"

Moku, who was not capable of human speech, said nothing, and Baji eventually growled.

"The second Takemichi wakes up, I'm gonna make him tell me his life story."

The only reply he received from his stargazing companion was a soft meow.

Chapter Text

Baji Keisuke was not one to half-ass his promises, even when they were to creatures that probably didn't even understand what he was saying in the first place.

The second Takemichi sat up in bed the following morning, Baji was in his face.

"Tell me everything!"

Takemichi blinked at him.

"My... dream?"

...Okay, maybe grilling him for his whole backstory when he was still half-asleep wasn't going be productive. Especially since he hadn't actually specified what he was asking about.

"I don't see how my relationship with my parents is going to help us save the future." Takemichi frowned at Baji when he finished his explanation before turning away to finish getting dressed.
"It doesn't. I just want to know."

Takemichi, who was in the process of putting his shirt on, paused and turned back to Baji with his brow furrowing even more.

"Why?"

His tone was cautious, but Baji pressed on.

"I want to know more about you."

Now Takemichi looked genuinely confused (and even a bit surprised), as though Baji had started talking about random, unrelated things. By the time he put his shirt on, however, his frown had returned.

"Again: why?"

Baji wasn't sure why, but Takemichi's question made him a little sad.

"Well, maybe it IS a little related to the future."
"How so?"
"I mean, we know that I'll be going to 2017 with you when we fix things."
"Yeah..."
"Takemichi... if I go wherever your consciousness goes, then what do you think that means for your life in 2017?"

Takemichi pondered over Baji's words for a moment. Rather than explain right away, Baji chose to wait for realization to hit him. He was sure it wouldn't take too long. Indeed, it only took about 15 more seconds for Takemichi's eyes to nearly bug out of his head.

"Aw, hell!" He exclaimed, smacking his face into his palm.
"Yeah. There's a good chance I'm gonna be with you for the rest of your life." Baji scoffed. "So if there are any dark family secrets you're hiding, I'd kind of like to know about them now."

Takemichi let out a loud groan.

"If that was it, then just say so!" Surprisingly, his face was turning red. "For a second, you almost sounded like..."
"What? What did you think I was asking for?"

Takemichi's face turned even redder.

"I-It's nothing!" He turned away. "It's just... the first time I came to the past, Hina said something similar to me."
"Do I look like your girlfriend?" Baji snorted. "Like, at all?"
"Well, you do have long hair..."
"Long hair is badass!" Baji said defensively. "Besides, your girlfriend has short hair."

Takemichi's mother shouted from downstairs to hurry up and get down there to eat breakfast. The sound of conversation followed by the sound of the door opening and closing told him his parents were both leaving.

Takemichi did need to hurry; it was the last day of finals, after all.

"I'll hang back for today, but I mean it when I said I wanted you to tell me more about you."

Takemichi stopped in the doorway to his room.

"You're really not gonna give up on this, are you?" He sighed.
"Nope."

Takemichi had never been the most stellar student in general, but finals did go a bit easier the second time around.

He bumped into Hinata and Naoto on his way home, and found himself walking together with them. Eventually, he and Hinata took a seat on a bench when Hinata reminded him of Christmas.

'Crap! I'm double-booked!'

Before he could dwell on this, Naoto declared that he was going home.

"I don't like to waste time." He said as he walked away.

"Geez, he sounds like Kisaki!"
"Ha ha!" Hinata laughed. "He does, doesn't he?"

"What?" Baji turned his gaze to Hinata. "Did she just..."
"What did you say, Hina?"

Hinata seemed puzzled by Takemichi's question.

"I agreed with you. He sounded just like Kisaki Tetta-kun."
"You... know Kisaki?"

The two of them had gone to the same cram school in elementary, she explained.

"And you've met him before, too, Takemichi."

Takemichi was currently looking at Hinata, but he could practically feel Baji's stare into the back of his head.

"We lived in the same neighborhood, so we walked home together a lot." Hinata continued. "I don't know how he's been since then, though, because he went to a private middle school."
"He's, uh... running with Toman now."
"What?"
"He's even a captain!"

This was a surprise to Hinata, who said that it didn't suit him.

"I actually kind of agree with her there." Out of the corner of his eye, Takemichi saw Baji cross his arms. "Some of the shit that's been going on would have been unthinkable until HE showed up."

"At the same time... I think the two of you might get along!" Hinata mused. "He's blunt, but he's a good person, deep down."
"Okay yeah, she's definitely not talked to Kisaki in awhile."

Takemichi was similarly skeptical, but chose to ask Hinata how she knew he'd met Kisaki before. Hinata was amused that Takemichi didn't remember, but she seemed hesitant to talk about it, to the point of standing up and taking a few steps away.

"It was actually the day we both met you."

It had been the summer of their sixth year in elementary school, and they'd been on the way home from cram school when they spotted some older kids torturing a cat in the park.

"Takemichi, please tell me this story ends with you plucking out their eyes."
'Hush, Baji!'

Hinata had confronted them against Kisaki's advice, but they simply made fun of her. As she stood there with tears in her eyes, a boy her age had run up and kicked one of them over. Standing proud, the boy declared that the hero had arrived. Baji snickered as he realized the boy's identity, but quieted down as Hinata revealed that the boy had been shaking terribly as he confronted the middle schoolers despite his bravado.

Takemichi attempted to fight back. The key word being "attempted". Unsurprisingly, it ended with him lying on the ground with bruises and cuts while he and Hinata were both in tears. Takemichi ended up shouting at her for crying, and told her that she shouldn't have jumped in without thinking. Then he'd left with an embarrassed look on his face.

For Takemichi, the incident was fourteen years ago, so he couldn't really remember it very well. He did remember that it happened, however.

"Damn, I was so lame." He groaned.
"You think so?" Hinata sounded surprised by his statement.
"Well, yeah! I ran in to help, but I got beaten."
"And you knew you wouldn't win, but you still came to my rescue."

As far as she was concerned, that was better than someone who won.

"I fell in love with you that day." She admitted.

As the two parted ways, Hinata reminded Takemichi that they'd be meeting up at Umishita Park on Christmas Eve.

"Quite the story." Baji whistled when she was out of sight.
'Yeah, but I think she's romanticizing it a little.' Takemichi laughed to himself. 'I can't remember all the details, but I'm pretty sure an adult came by and broke the fight up.'

In fact, he thought he actually spoke to the man, who came off as a real hero, at least from Takemichi's perspective.

"Damn. And you can't even remember what he looked like?" Baji said in a disappointed tone. "Lame."
'Lay off, it's been 14 years. I'd probably be able to remember if I saw a picture of the guy.'

Even Baji's comments couldn't diminish Takemichi's good mood. All he could think of was meeting Hinata at Umishita Park.

On Christmas Eve.

He stopped in his tracks.

"Umishita... Park?"
"What's wrong?"
'That... was where I broke up with Hina.'

Baji didn't really didn't care all that much about Takemichi's relationship, but it did seem strange that he'd do such a thing when they seemed so happy together, even if they'd been having a hard time meeting up lately.

"Impossible." Takemichi said. "It's 100% impossible that I'd dump Hina!"
"There's still a few days before Christmas."
"Right!" Takemichi agreed. "There's no way I'd want to break up in such a short time frame!"

Baji's point was that a lot could happen in a few days, but Takemichi seemed determined to go with his own interpretation of Baji's words, so Baji let it slide.

As Takemichi prepared to make his way home, a voice called out to him.

"Hanagaki-kun?"

Takemichi turned around to see a man with combed black hair and glasses looking at him with a stern expression.

"Naoto!?" He gasped in surprise.

Unless Naoto had to leave because he was undergoing a sudden growth spurt and needed to take an eye exam, that couldn't have been him. The man was probably...

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The man smiled, looking almost a little amused. "I'm Hinata and Naoto's father, Tachibana Masato."

For a few seconds, Takemichi just stood there slack-jawed before he finally greeted the man with a bow and an apology for his rudeness.

Masato took him to a nearby cafe, explaining that he'd heard about him from his wife.

"You're dating my daughter, yes?" He asked, to which Takemichi nervously answered in the affirmative.

"Get it together, Takemichi! It's not like you're asking for her hand right this second."
'I know, but I can't help but feel tense.'

Masato assured Takemichi that he wasn't going to eat him. As Takemichi tried to find something to say to the man, Masato continued, explaining that he was very busy, so he didn't have much time to spend with his children. Most of what he knew about them was heard from his wife. His youngest, Naoto, hated his job because he was hardly ever home. Lately, however, he'd expressed interest in becoming a police officer himself.

"And that's thanks to you."

His gratitude was completely sincere, and that made Takemichi feel embarrassed.

"I... didn't do anything special! So please don't bow!" He exclaimed.

Masato expressed relief that Takemichi was nice as he'd been told.

"I'd like to ask you a favor."
"Huh?"

Masato stood up and bowed to Takemichi.

"Would you please break up with my daughter?" He asked. "I want her to be happy."
"Wait a second!" Takemichi protested. "I want her to be happy, too!"
"You're a delinquent." The bluntness of Masato's reply reminded Takemichi of his son. "Can you promise she won't get dragged into that?"

Baji had been about to add his own two cents on Masato's request, but that last statement caused his words to die on his tongue. Masato was probably speaking about the general risks of being a young girl connected to a gang; he had no idea how much danger his daughter was truly in.

(In truth, Masato's fears stemmed from an incident close to home: just a few months earlier, he'd investigated an incident where a girl who wasn't even dating a gang member ended up being victimized by them, simply because her boyfriend was friends with one. Reading the report on the girl's injuries, followed by seeing his high school senpai break down in tears over the possibility that his daughter might not ever wake up was not an experience Masato wanted for himself or his own daughter.)

He stood up straight and gave Takemichi a sad smile.

"To be clear, I'm not ordering you to break up with Hinata, nor am I going to tell her to break up with you." He said in a surprisingly gentle tone. "I'm asking you to at least think about where you want your future and hers to go."

Masato paid for the drinks and left, leaving Takemichi to sit in the cafe alone.

The walk home felt much longer than normal, and neither Takemichi nor Baji could think of anything to say.

If Baji were truly being honest, a small part of him actually thought Takemichi's relationship was kind of annoying. Sure, Hinata was a great girl, but Baji had not been enthused at the idea of playing third-wheel on Takemichi's dates with her, and had told Takemichi as such when he first became a ghost. The fact that Takemichi had been too busy to spend very much time with her outside of walking home together was something that Baji was secretly (if guiltily) grateful for.

The anguished look on Takemichi's face desperately made him wish Hinata was there at that moment.

Baji wanted to tell Takemichi not to worry; that Masato was just being overprotective, and that breaking up with Hinata would only hurt both of them.

But he had seen her die in Takemichi's memory. Takemichi had told him that she had died in the very first timeline, when the two of them had been long broken up.

"Does it really matter if you break up or not?" He spoke before he could stop himself. "If she's going to be in danger either way..."
'It's better to keep her close, right?' Takemichi's voice was devoid of emotion. 'But I have no way of knowing if I'll be in a good position to keep her safe in 2017.'

Indeed, it didn't seem to matter if Takemichi was a successful Toman admin or a DVD rental store worker barely scraping by; Kisaki was bound and determined to ensure Hinata died no matter where Takemichi was in life. Hell, he seemed determined to make sure one of Takemichi's friends was the one responsible, almost like he was trying to rub it in.

Just like with Hakkai, this was a situation that needed to be handled delicately... And delicate wasn't something Baji was good at.

His strategy had always been "punch first, ask questions later, if ever". It had served him well for years, and it wasn't until he got into junior high that it started to become a hindrance. Of course, when Baji had tried a stealthier, more intelligent approach, it ended with him dying and his friend going back to juvie. He wasn't sure he wanted to think about what that implied about him.

Takemichi suddenly stopped in his tracks as he arrived at home.

"Huh?"

Baji was roused from his thoughts at the sight of someone standing by the gate.

"Mikey?"

Takemichi was spotted before he could respond and Mikey walked up to him with a grin.

"Welcome back, Takemitchy!"
"How long have you been waiting!?"
"Not too long!" Mikey laughed. "I heard your exams were going on, so I figured I'd stop by when they were done."

He brushed off Takemichi's question about his own exams and asked to come inside. Not needing to be told twice, Takemichi practically dragged Mikey into the house.

"So are your parents not back yet?"
"They both have weird hours. I don't even know if either of them is gonna be home tonight."

Mikey made himself comfortable on the couch as Takemichi explained his parents' jobs.

"So is your dad an archaeologist or just a teacher?" Mikey asked.
"A bit of both, actually." Takemichi explained as he prepared a mug of hot cocoa for Mikey. "He's mostly a teacher, but he does go to sites occasionally."

Baji listened to Takemichi's answers to Mikey's various questions. This was his chance to finally get a clue as to what Takemichi's relationship with parents was like. Sure, he'd have preferred to ask Takemichi these questions himself, but he'd take what he could get. Besides, he had wanted to see Mikey; his primary focus over the past day had been Takemichi, but Kisaki's words were still in the back of his mind.

"He's acting like it's not bothering him, but Baji's death is really weighing on him."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Kisaki's words were entirely consistent with what Baji knew about his oldest friend. Mikey often came across as an open book, but the one emotion he seemed almost violently allergic to expressing was grief. Sadness, sure (and Mikey definitely knew how to sulk). Disappointment? Baji had seen Mikey despair at the convenience store being out of dorayaki plenty of times. One thing he hadn't seen from Mikey in a very long time, however, was tears.

After Sano Sakurako's funeral, Baji noted that it was weird that Mikey hadn't cried. Mikey shoved him to the ground and said that only weaklings cried. That spawned one of their usual brawls (Mikey won), but Baji asked his mother about it later that night.

"Manjiro's mother was sick for a long time." She explained. "It could be that he'd already made peace with her death and didn't have any tears left."

At the time, that was honestly the most depressing thing Baji had ever heard. He knew his mom didn't cry much over his father anymore because so much time had passed since he died, but to reach that point before the person was even gone? It sounded horrible to him.

And of course, Baji never saw Mikey cry over Shinichiro even once.

(Not that Baji had been able to bring himself to even look at Mikey for weeks after it happened)

"Geez, it's already almost six!" Takemichi's annoyed tone dragged Baji back to the present. "If they're not back by now, they're not gonna be back 'til way late!"

He prepared to move to the kitchen to get ingredients out.

"Make sure to make enough for two!" Mikey cheerfully called to him. "You did say you'd make me something next time!"

Takemichi turned to him in surprise, then laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. Is curry alright with you?"

The look on Mikey's face told Baji that it very much was not fine with him, but for whatever the reason, he didn't begin demanding something else.

"Just... don't use too much curry powder on mine, okay?"

Fortunately for him, Takemichi picked up on the admittedly unsubtle hint that he didn't want curry and suggested he make omurice instead. Instantly, Mikey's eyes began sparkling.

"Takemitchy, you're the best!" He exclaimed in delight. "How'd you know that that's my favorite? Did you ask Kenchin, or...?"

Takemichi's mouth turned into a thin line. He looked toward the wall opposite to where Baji was standing and tried to think of an excuse.

"What's with that look?" Mikey smirked at him playfully. "You been stalking me or something?"

Takemichi's gaze moved toward the wall Baji was standing by.

"Hey, don't look at me for an excuse, Stalker. You're the one who's followed him to family restaurants on countless occasions just to see what he ordered."

'I was following Draken that time!'

That must have been in August, when Draken was the one in danger. Takemichi had mentioned that he'd initially tried following Draken around as a secret bodyguard. They'd probably gone to a family restaurant, where Mikey presumably threw a fit over not getting a flag on his meal, which may or may not have been omurice. Baji knew that Mikey liked most of the food on the kids menu.

Before Baji could continue his teasing of Takemichi (via reminding him of Emma's birthday), Mikey spoke up, looking concerned.

"Takemitchy?"
"I-it's just a lucky coincidence!" Takemichi awkwardly laughed. "I can't really do any complex dishes, but I'm pretty good at omurice!"

Appeased, Mikey made himself comfortable on the couch as he looked around the living room.

'He's not gonna get mad at me if I don't have a flag for it, will he?'
"Not as mad as he'd be if he knew you thought Draken was more fun to stalk than him."
'Knock it off. I'm not gonna let an arsonist lecture me about being a bodyguard.'

Baji gave Takemichi a mortified look.

"He told you about that?!"

Takemichi finished cooking and was about to call Mikey to the table when he heard an unexpected sound: the opening of the front door. He hurried to the living room to see Mikey jumping up from his seat into a fight-ready position. The sound of two voices (one male and one female) told Takemichi that his parents had both arrived at home, and he unconsciously relaxed.

"Mom? Dad?"

This was unusual. Because of their varying hours, Takemichi's parents typically arrived home at different times.

"Takemichi, did you already start dinner?" Hanagaki Touko removed her shoes by the door, pausing as she noticed Mikey's. "Do you have a friend over? These aren't Takuya's shoes."

Baji noticed Mikey's posture change at the sound of Touko's question. He didn't seem to be on guard anymore now that he had confirmation that the people who'd walked in weren't intruders. For whatever the reason, though, he didn't relax like he normally did on the rare occasions a fight got de-fused before it started.

Touko walked into the living room followed by her husband, Hanagaki Takezou. Despite being a careerwoman, Touko looked the part of a typical housewife. She acted the part, too, from what Baji had seen of her. If she was at home in the morning, breakfast was made by the time Takemichi woke up. On the nights she was home, she made dinner and asked Takemichi about school.

Hanagaki Takezou looked like a stereotypical nerd, only middle-aged. His glasses had a thick frame, and he wore sweaters that made him look like a dork. On the nights he was home, he seemed content to let his wife take the lead on conversation. He wasn't as strict about Takemichi's grades as Touko was.

All things considered, they were both pretty normal, almost boring, even. Baji hadn't grown up with a typical family dynamic, nor had most of his closest friends, and it was obvious even to him. These weren't the sort of people Mikey picked fights with, but they weren't the sort of people that intimidated him, either.

"Is this... one of your new friends?" Touko, who had been eyeing Mikey since she walked in the room, asked Takemichi.
"Yes!" Mikey answered as Takemichi opened his mouth. "I'm Sano Manjiro! My friends call me Mikey."

"Oh, so this is the famous Mikey-kun?" Takezou said with a smile. "Takemichi's told us about you."

Baji couldn't recall any of those conversations, so they must have happened before Baji died or when Takemichi was in the future.

"We were about to sit down to eat." Takemichi said in an... oddly blank tone. Baji turned to look at him, but his face wasn't showing any particular emotion.

Mikey was also looking at Takemichi now, and seemed a little confused by his change in demeanor.

"It's fine, Takemitchy!" He tried to assure him. "We can do this another time if it's a problem."
"Takemichi, I think we need to take Mikey to the hospital. He really IS losing it."

Touko told Mikey that it wasn't a problem at all, and that she'd help Takemichi finish cooking so that there was enough food for all of them. Takezou, meanwhile, offered to chat with Mikey while they waited.

Baji found himself at a crossroad: He could watch Takemichi cook with his mother (and thus possibly get a better grasp of how he interacted with her) or he could watch Mikey talk with Takezou (and hopefully get a good read on Mikey's mental state).

Ultimately, Mikey won out.

"So you're the leader of a group Takemichi's been running around with lately?" Baji was almost impressed at how Takezou danced around the word "gang".
"Yep!" Mikey answered proudly. "I scouted him myself."

No kidding. Most of the recruits were brought in by a captain, and that was usually after the captain in question had kicked their ass. Mikey bringing in someone new was a bit of a surprise, especially since he seemed to actually like him. Even weirder, Mikey freely admitted that Takemichi was a terrible fighter. When Baji asked what he thought he was doing, bringing someone like that into Toman, he simply said that Takemichi reminded him of Shinichiro.

That shut Baji up real quick.

The fact that Takemichi was brought in right around the same time Kisaki showed up had actually made him suspicious early on, but it didn't take him long to figure out that they didn't know each other. Seeing Takemichi punch him, then clumsily try to stave off the inevitable beating by the other captains further convinced him. After all, Baji's initial plan had been to punch Kisaki himself.

"He didn't cause any trouble for you at the time, did he?" Takezou's tone was casual, but he did seem curious.
"Not at all!" Mikey shook his head. "If anything, he did us a favor!"

Takezou didn't ask Mikey to elaborate, which allowed him to keep the whole "Kiyomasa's Fight Club" debacle a secret.

"By the way, your last name is Sano, right? You wouldn't happen to be related to Sano Mansaku?"

When Mikey confirmed he was, Takezou revealed that he'd been a student of the old man's when he was a kid.

The conversation moved to mundane things like school, and from what Baji could see, Mikey did seem to be in a genuinely good mood. When the two were called to the table, Mikey thanked both Takemichi and his mother for cooking. Not a single smartass remark left his lips for the duration of the dinner, which was astonishing.

'How did Mikey seem talking to my dad?' Takemichi asked a few minutes into it.
"Exactly as he's acting now."
'Hmm...'

After dinner, Takemichi walked Mikey to the door.

"That was good, Takemitchy! I might have to ask you to show Emma how you make it sometime." Mikey joked as he put his shoes back on.
"Heh, sure." Takemichi grinned at him. "Was there... something you wanted to talk about?"

Judging by the way he opened and closed his mouth, Mikey hadn't been expecting that question.

"It's... not important." His smile remained, but no longer seemed real to either Takemichi or Baji. "I just felt like hanging out with someone and I happened to be in the neighborhood."
"The Sano dojo is in the opposite direction of your house."

Sensing that Takemichi wasn't buying it, Mikey pouted.

"Maybe I wanted to hang out with just the two of us!" He said sulkily. "Not only has the First Division been hogging you, but you got the crap beat out of you the other day. I wanted to make sure you didn't actually have brain damage."

That excuse made sense, but it felt like something Mikey had come up with either on the spot or on his way here.

"Mikey-"
"Got any special Christmas plans?" Mikey changed the subject with all the subtlety of a metal pipe cracking a skull. "Gonna take Hina on a date?"

Takemichi nodded, saying they were going to Umishita Park.

"Make sure to show her a good time!" Mikey's grin contrasted with how his words sounded like an order. "Let's all meet up over winter break, okay? See ya, Takemitchy!"

Before Takemichi could say more, Mikey opened the door and walked out.

'He really didn't want to answer any of my questions.' Takemichi sighed as he climbed the stairs.
"And after you answered his so easily."

Sensing the double meaning behind his words, Takemichi told Baji that it was probably time for them to talk.

"Yes, it is."

There was no room for argument in his voice.

Takemichi entered his room and sat on his bed.

"What do you want to talk about first?"

"What was going on with your parents in your first timeline?"

Takemichi closed his eyes and tilted his head up for a moment before answering.

"You're really fixated on that, huh?"

He was. Baji knew that if he had run away from home, his mother would have stopped at nothing to drag his ass back, if only to beat it. But all Takemichi had told him was that he'd left home after junior high and drifted from job to job. Where had his parents been that whole time?

'The first few years after I left, they DID actually try to bring me back home. They even got the police involved at one point.'

Baji didn't say anything, and nodded for Takemichi to continue.

'Once I was 18, they couldn't force me back home anymore. Of course, things were already really tense between us at that point.'

Takemichi's mother had wanted him to go to high school, but he refused to take exams for any of the ones she suggested. Not helping matters was that his mother was working on a big project, which only added to her stress. By the time of Takemichi's first time leap, he hadn't spoken to her in over four years.

Takemichi's father had also wanted him to go to high school, but was more understanding of why Takemichi wanted to try working. He tried to play mediator, but all he could really do was keep his wife and son from saying things that might damage their relationship beyond repair. He called Takemichi every few months to ask if he was okay, and each time he did, Takemichi claimed he was "getting by".

'Of course, I kinda think Mom was glad to have me out of the house.' Takemichi smiled, but it was painfully fake one. 'I... wasn't exactly planned.'

Baji could relate to that; he himself was the product of an unplanned pregnancy between two stupid 17-year-olds (his mother's words, not his) to the chagrin of both of their families. His mother's family eventually came around while his father's didn't. From what he'd been told, his parents intended to marry when they were 20, but his father died in a work accident at 19, just a few months before Baji turned two.

'I kind of put my mom's career on hold for awhile.' Takemichi continued. 'She's never said anything about it, but I always wondered if she resented me for that.'
"Have you ever talked to her about it?"

He hadn't. Sure, it was unlikely that she would ever admit to it if she did, but Takemichi was afraid of even the smallest chance that she would.

'And... that's it.'

It wasn't a dramatic tale filled with twists and heartbreak, but a rather mundane reveal of Takemichi's own insecurities. Baji was beginning to feel a little silly for getting so worked up about it.

'Sorry if it wasn't what you were expecting.' Takemichi smiled wryly at him.
"No, it's fine. I'm just not sure why you didn't want to talk about it."

Takemichi had told him that morning: he didn't see how it was relevant to saving the future. Baji saying that he wanted to know more about him was confusing. Baffling, even.

"Why? Is it that weird that I might want to know more about you?"
'I mean... I guess not, if it's true that we're going to be stuck like this forever.'
"Don't talk like that's the only reason I'd want to know about your family life! You're making me sound like an asshole!"

To Baji's surprise, Takemichi smirked at him. He actually smirked at him!

'I don't know... I think a guy who punches random people when he's sleepy and sets cars on fire when he's hungry sounds KIND OF like an asshole.'

Baji sputtered for a second.

"Okay, first of all, I only set a car on fire once!"
'I'm not hearing a denial on the punching.'

As Baji tried to explain that he'd only done that a handful of times, Takemichi heard his father call that it was his turn to use the bath. He stood up and walked to the door of his room.

'When I finish, we can talk about Mikey.'

Right. Baji had almost forgotten.

When Takemichi returned, he was drying his hair with a towel before sitting back on the bed.

'You said Mikey was acting like he was at dinner when he was talking to my dad.'
"I'm used to him being mouthy toward my mom, so it was weird seeing him be so polite."

When Takemichi suggested it was because Mikey was meeting his friend's parents for the first time, Baji shook his head.

"The very first thing he said to my mom was an insult about her hair. I was half-afraid she'd toss him off the balcony."

And no, Mikey's manners hadn't improved much since then. The fact that he was entirely complimentary to Takemichi's parents and didn't call his father a dweeb to his face was shocking.

'I mean, the sweaters kind of hide his frame, but my dad is actually decently muscular.'
"Oh, yeah! It sounds like your dad was a student of Mikey's grandpa when he was younger."

Come to think of it, Takemichi remembered his dad suggesting that he take up martial arts when he was a kid. His mother, wanting him to focus on school, shut that idea down. If she'd allowed it, would Takemichi have ended up a student of Sano Mansaku's as well?

"It's probably for the best." Baji grinned his familiar toothy grin. "I'd have just kicked your ass all the time."
'Very funny.' Despite his words, Takemichi DID look amused. 'But, getting back to Mikey...'

Why had Mikey come to his house? Why had he been so cagey when Takemichi asked if there was something he wanted to talk about? Neither Takemichi nor Baji could come up with an answer to those questions.

'If my parents hadn't arrived when they did, I might have been able to get him to tell me something.' Takemichi's brow furrowed in annoyance. 'But I couldn't just bring it up at the dinner table with Mom and Dad there.'

"Whatever he wanted to talk to you about was something he didn't want to risk your parents overhearing."

That was a little concerning; while Takemichi's parents were to some degree aware that he was running with a gang, they hadn't said anything to him about it, and neither of them was the type to eavesdrop. Was Mikey concerned that whatever he wanted to talk about would lead to shouting? Privacy was clearly an important factor, since Mikey would have simply invited Takemichi to go somewhere else otherwise. Baji also had a sneaking suspicion that he hadn't discussed whatever was troubling him with Draken or any of the other captains.

'I suppose it's too late to send him a message that I'm open to talk?' Takemichi asked.
"Once he made up his mind to keep quiet, it was already too late." Baji groaned. "He'll get mad if you try to bring it up now."
'So are we just supposed to put it on the back burner for now?'
"I don't think we have a choice."

It felt like they'd been coming to that conclusion a lot the past few days: They couldn't stop Hakkai from leaving, they couldn't keep from getting Kisaki involved in their plan to stop Hakkai from committing fratricide, and now they had to pretend that Mikey hadn't come over in some sort of cry for help.

Oh, and Takemichi still hadn't decided whether or not he would break up with Hinata.

"That's something you're going to have to find the answer to on your own."

Takemichi understood that.

The problem was, if he was going to break up, he wanted it to be a totally clean one that wouldn't leave her pining for him for the next twelve years. He wanted her to be able to move on from him and find happiness, like she hopefully had in the original timeline when she'd been the one to initiate the breakup.

"There's a few things you could tell her." Baji explained. "But it might make it harder for you to get back together if you go through with it."
'...What do you suggest I say?'

A few days later, Takemichi met up with Hinata and the two enjoyed a romantic stroll through Umishita Park. When it came to an end, however, Takemichi told her that he had something important to say.

"Hina... let's break up."

Hinata obviously hadn't been expecting him to say that. She only said "What?" and stared at him with a surprised expression.

"I know you're probably wondering why I'm doing this outta nowhere, but..." Takemichi took a deep breath. "I have actually been thinking this over for awhile, mostly 'cause I've been figuring some things out."

He took another deep breath.

"The truth is, Hina... I think... I think I actually like guys."

Hinata's eyes seemed to widen ever-so-slightly for a second before she lowered her umbrella so that Takemichi couldn't see them.

"Is it someone in Toman?" She asked quietly.
"Huh?"
"You said you've been thinking about this for awhile. Did someone in Toman help you figure it out?"

Takemichi looked at his shoes, unprepared for her question; sure, he'd expected her to ask if there was a guy he liked, but to be that specific? Just as Baji was about to tell him to answer, Takemichi spoke.

"...So what if it was?"

Without a word, Hinata rushed up to Takemichi and threw her fist in his face, dropping her umbrella in the process. He fell on to his back and she sat on his torso.

"Woah!" Baji shouted as Hinata's assault continued.

"You jerk!" She shouted as she pummeled his face. "I hate you!"

This went on for what felt like hours, but couldn't have been more than a couple minutes. At one point, Baji attempted to wrap his arms around Hinata's back to pull her off to no avail. The assault only ended when Hinata decided it did. Saying nothing, she picked up her purse and umbrella before walking away.

'She was crying.'

Baji hadn't seen it, but the heaving sounds coming out of her mouth told him that she was. He couldn't bring to care all that much when Takemichi was still lying in the snow, however.

"Do you think you made a mistake?" He asked as he knelt down to look at Takemichi, who hadn't stood up yet.

Takemichi was silent for a moment as he remembered Tachibana Masato's words.

'It's fine. There's probably some sort of connection between me, Hina, and Kisaki. So... this is for the best.'

Baji saw flashes of Takemichi's memories of Hinata (including the one where she declared that she wanted to know everything about him). Even without looking at Takemichi's face, he could tell that he'd started crying.

'I... really do love her a lot!'

Chifuyu, Kisaki, and Hanma were waiting for them at a restaurant.

"It's the night before our big battle." Hanma scolded. "Get your ass in gear."
"Also... What happened to your face, Takemitchy?"

Baji turned to look at him as Hanma laughed that he got even uglier. It was true that between Hinata's beatdown and Takemichi's own crying, his face had seen better days. Neither Chifuyu nor Kisaki (who Baji gave his usual chill to) said anything before the latter began to go into their plan.

"Taiju will conveniently go to Udagawa Christian Church alone to pray late at night." He explained.

It was the only place Hakkai had a chance to attack him alone. He was most likely already going to be in there when Taiju arrived.

"Three of us will wait outside. Takemitchy, you'll go inside and reason with Hakkai."

Baji grit his teeth at the sound of Kisaki using that nickname.

"Aren't you the best one for that role, since the two of you get along?"

While Takemichi was doing that, the other three would beat down Taiju before he could even see his brother.

After the group split up, Chifuyu asked if Baji was okay.

"I'm... fine." He said, leading Takemichi to nod. "It was only a few minutes, and he only called you "Takemitchy" once, so..."
'Was that part of the reason you got so mad the other day?' Takemichi allowed himself to chuckle. 'Because he called me that?'
"Mikey gave you that name! He has no right to use it so casually!"

Chifuyu watched Takemichi's face change and smiled.

"Looks like you're enjoying whatever conversation you're having." He said softly.
"Oh!" Takemichi gasped. "Let's head to the park by my-"

Chifuyu shook his head.

"Since I don't have a date, Mom wants me home for dinner. I'll see you at the meeting place tomorrow."

With a grin, Chifuyu walked down the road leading to his apartment building.

"You're not gonna tell him what happened?"
'We need to focus on stopping Hakkai.'

Before Baji could give a response, Takemichi continued.

'I don't want to think about it right now, Baji. Please.'

Baji slowly nodded.

'But... once we stop Hakkai and beat the Black Dragons... I think it might be nice to... talk to someone.'

Takemichi gave him a smile that looked almost mischievous.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"
'Nothing.'

Baji protested that Takemichi was clearly up to something, and he wasn't going to stop heckling him until he told him what.

'You're gonna be heckling me for awhile, then.'

True to his word, Baji spent the rest of the evening pestering Takemichi to tell him what he was up to, only letting up when he was sure Takemichi had fallen asleep.

Once Baji drifted up to his usual spot on the roof, however, Takemichi quietly pulled out his phone and composed a message to Chifuyu. With a smile, he sent the message and closed his phone before curling back under the covers to sleep for real.

The following night, Takemichi arrived at the meeting place.

'It's kind of weird that Chifuyu's not here yet. We're closer to his place than mine.'

Baji had a pretty good idea of what the holdup was.

"You're looking a little underdressed, Takemichi."
'Huh?' Takemichi gave him a confused look. 'I put my uniform on like normal.'
"You're still missing a little something."

As Takemichi started to question what Baji was up to, Chifuyu arrived.

"Takemitchy!" He shouted.
"Oh, Chifu-"

"Tokyo Manji Gang First Division Vice-Captain, Matsuno Chifuyu!" Chifuyu declared with a bow. "Born in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in 1991, I spent my life hating and hurting others! The person who changed all that was a man named Baji Keisuke!"

Baji's first meeting with Chifuyu had gone well enough, but he could tell at the time that his future Vice-Captain was a little shit who antagonized plenty of people. It was true that being taken under Baji's wing mellowed Chifuyu out a lot, but it seemed silly to give Baji all the credit.

Chifuyu held out Baji's tasuki sash as he continued.

"He was a great man who rushed straight ahead through every obstacle! This is his sash that I am leaving in your care!"

Takemichi watched Chifuyu silently until then, accepting the sash and putting it on.

"I've got the baton now, Chifuyu." He said with determination. "Tokyo Manji Gang First Division Captain, Hanagaki Takemichi! Wearing this sash, I'll run straight ahead through every obstacle! I swear it!"
"Corny ass motherfucker." Baji snickered, but the warmth in his eyes gave him away.

"Are you and Baji fired up now?" Chifuyu asked with a serious look.
"Yeah!"

Meeting up with Kisaki and Hanma led Takemichi to note that it really was just the four of them who could fight this battle; none of the other members of Toman could help them.

When they arrived at the church, Takemichi took in the sight. It wasn't a huge, but the size was decent.

"Can you stick to the plan?!" Kisaki's harsh tone irritated Baji, who responded by simply passing his hand through him. Part of him wanted to remain outside just in case Kisaki tried something, but another wanted to see Takemichi talk to Hakkai. Besides, he was confident Chifuyu could handle himself.

"Yeah, I'll go in and reason with Hakkai while you guys ambush Taiju. He should already be in there."

Chifuyu stepped closer and pat Takemichi on the back.

"Beating Taiju's important..." He whispered. "But if you can persuade Hakkai, that'll change our future! I'm counting on you guys."
"Yeah! I got this!"

Takemichi continued to climb the stairs until he reached the top and opened the door to the chapel. Baji felt himself shudder as he and Takemichi moved inside.

He hoped that wasn't a bad sign.

Chapter Text

Standing near the altar was Hakkai, who was wearing the Black Dragons uniform. As he turned around, he had a fierce expression on his face that quickly melted into confusion.

"Takemitchy?" He asked. "What're you... doing here?"

His confusion, in turn, melted into a frown. Takemichi and Chifuyu were the only ones he'd told about his intentions, after all; it wasn't hard to figure out why Takemichi was there.

"Because I figured you'd be here, Hakkai." Takemichi said as he walked toward the altar. "I came to stop you."

The fact that Hakkai was even here was proof that the intel Kisaki had gotten from Kokonoi was correct. Taiju was almost certainly on his way, so Takemichi had to talk fast if he wanted to get Hakkai to stand down before his brother arrived.

"Hey, if you get it done fast enough, maybe we can join in the fight outside." Baji suggested cheekily.

"Takemitchy, I didn't tell you what I was gonna do so you because I wanted you to stop me." Hakkai explained. "It was to strengthen my resolve! And if you get in my way... I'll kill you, too!"
"No, you won't." Takemichi's reply was quick and unafraid. "Whenever I share my worries with someone, it's because I haven't decided what to do."

He let his words sink in for a few seconds before speaking up again.

"I know how you feel. You think there's no other way to stop Taiju but to kill him. But murder isn't going to protect anyone. Didn't you want to protect your sister, Hakkai?!"

Hakkai's answer wasn't immediate, but it was loud.

"What do you know?!" He shouted, causing Takemichi to flinch. Baji wasn't surprised by Hakkai's outburst, and simply waited as Hakkai went into the various abuses Taiju inflicted on him; getting hit for bad tasting food, forced to kneel for not giving a greeting, being kicked to the point of vomiting blood if he didn't wake up early enough, or even getting beat up for making eye contact when he was in a bad mood... That was life in the Shiba household.

Hakkai turned away, telling Takemichi to stay out of his family's business. When Takemichi didn't move, he told him that he wouldn't be persuaded and that he should just go home.

"...I broke up with Hina yesterday."

Hakkai turned around and looked at Takemichi with a raised eyebrow as the latter explained that he broke up with Hinata to protect her. Takemichi began shaking as he went on to talk about how Hinata loved him despite him being weak, gutless AND an idiot.

"So I'd do anything to protect her!" Takemichi, who had been looking at his feet, raised his head and looked at Hakkai head on. "But no matter how much I hated my enemy, I'd never kill anyone! No matter how hard it would be otherwise, I wouldn't do something that would make Hina sad!"

Now shouting, Takemichi asked Hakkai if this would make Yuzuha happy. Wouldn't she be sad if her little brother became a murderer?

"Takemitchy..." Hakkai stared at Takemichi in shock.

Before either of them could make a move, however, the door to the chapel opened...

And in walked Shiba Taiju.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven." He said as he marched toward the altar. "I pray in thy holy name. Amen."

Despite the serenity of words, it was clear from his expression that he was pissed.

'Why is Taiju here?!' Takemichi said to Baji.

"What happened to Kisaki and the others?!" He said out loud.
"What the hell are you bastards doing here?!" Taiju demanded, not even deigning to give Takemichi's words a response. Had he really not encountered any obstacles?

"We've been betrayed." Baji hissed as Hakkai charged forward, knife in hand.

Takemichi blinked, and suddenly Taiju was lifting Hakkai off the ground by the neck. A clang drew Takemichi's gaze to where Hakkai's knife fell to the floor. His head began aching and he turned to Baji.

There wasn't darkness swirling around him like there had been the other night, but it was just a matter of time. His posture was stiff and he was staring at the door where Taiju entered with a livid expression.

'Baji! Focus!'

Takemichi turned to look back at Taiju, who was still lifting Hakkai in the air and lecturing him about his failure to kill him.

'We stopped Hakkai from killing his brother, right? Isn't the mission complete?'

The sight of Hakkai struggling in his brother's grasp disabused him of that notion. Sure, Hakkai had failed, but now he was the one in trouble.

"Stop!" Takemichi shouted, drawing Taiju's attention to him.

"Hanagaki Takemichi." He said as he dropped Hakkai. "This is the second time you've stuck your nose in the Shiba family's business!"

There was a nasty smile on his face as he turned around, but he scowled as he walked toward Takemichi. When he was right in front of him, though, he smiled again.

"Hakkai, my back's wide open."

'Why is he-'

Takemichi's thought was cut off by Taiju's fist in his face. His body flew several feet, landing nearly where Hakkai had been standing when he arrived. His head was aching and he wasn't sure if it was because of Baji's anger or the punch. Taiju began saying something about percentages, but Takemichi could barely make out his words. The ceiling seemed to swirl in his vision as he realized that he couldn't move. He'd received many punches in his life, but Taiju was on a whole other level.

'He's... really gonna kill me!'

As Taiju approached, continuing to goad Hakkai on, Takemichi realized that Baji wasn't saying anything, nor had he rushed to his side. He attempted to pull himself up to look at him, only for Taiju to lift him up by the neck as he had done to Hakkai earlier.

"Hanagaki Takemichi!" Taiju shouted. "Do you know why Hakkai wants to kill me?"

"Because..." Takemichi gasped. "Because you've been abusing Yuzuha!"

Taiju simply laughed at Takemichi's accusation like he was amused.

"You hear that, Hakkai?" He turned slightly to look at his brother. While he did this, Takemichi (whose head felt a little clearer) looked around the church and felt his blood run cold.

There was no sign of Baji anywhere in the chapel.

Baji Keisuke was angry. Enraged, even.

How could he not be? Not only had Kisaki once again fucked him and his friends over, but now Takemichi and Chifuyu were both in actual danger. He could barely register Takemichi telling him to calm down. The only thing on his mind was wrapping his hands around Kisaki's throat and throttling him so hard his head popped off.

'BAJI!'

He felt himself being pulled back to reality by the sound of Takemichi calling him. When he looked around, however, he realized that not only was the area around him darker, but Takemichi was nowhere to be seen.

In front of him was a window, and Baji realized that he was outside the church. He could see Hakkai standing several feet away from the door while Taiju was holding Takemichi up by the neck.

And emerging from underneath one of the pews... was a girl.

"Stop it!" Baji heard Hakkai shout.
"Yuzuha?!" Takemichi shouted.

Yuzuha approached her brother and seemed to touch him with something in her hand as Taiju turned to look at her. Baji felt his stomach drop as he realized what the item had to be. He attempted to rush toward Takemichi...

Only to find himself pushed back.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed.

Irrationally, he raised his arms in an attempt to smash the windows, only to stop as he took a look at them.

Something black was spinning around them, made more obvious in contrast to the white Valhalla jacket. Even without understanding what it was, Baji could tell that it was bad news.

Is this... what Takemichi saw the other day?

It would make sense if it was; Baji was just consumed by thoughts of inflicting all sorts of violence upon Kisaki, after all. Even thinking of his name was making him angry... and that, in turn, was making the darkness around him worse. Well, that answered that question. The second one was why Baji had been flung from the church.

Actually, now that he thought about it, that one had a pretty easy answer, too.

Before Baji could dwell on it, a loud crash rang out. Back inside the church, Yuzuha was now sitting on the ground a few feet away from Taiju, who had dropped Takemichi. Strangely, one of the pews near them had disappeared from its spot and moved near Yuzuha, who was covering her head.

There was no doubt in Baji's mind as to how the pew had moved. There was even less doubt as to how much danger Takemichi, Hakkai, and now Yuzuha were all in. Baji had to act fast if he wanted to be able to help. In order to do that, however, he knew that he needed to calm down.

He closed his eyes and thought about Takemichi and Chifuyu. He thought about all of his friends in Toman, whose futures were in jeopardy. He thought of the days he spent with everyone, riding their bikes. He remembered the sound of Mitsuya's Impulse, Draken's Zephyr, and Mikey's CB250T...

Heh, I can hear Mitsuya's Impulse so clearly it's almost like it's nearby.

In fact, the sound of Impulse did seem to be approaching. Baji's eyes opened in a flash. He rushed around the building to the entrance to the chapel as the sound of a motorcycle faded. He looked down the stairs leading up to the door and saw someone climbing them.

"Ah..." A relieved smile crossed Baji's face.

Takemichi only had enough time to shout for Baji once.

While Taiju prepared to reveal whatever deep, dark secret Hakkai was hiding, the middle child of the Shiba family swiftly approached her brother with a knife. No sooner had Taiju moved in response to Takemichi shouting her name than Yuzuha's knife plunged into her brother's back. Just as quickly, Takemichi felt himself fall to the floor as Taiju used his now-free right hand to punch her, sending her flying.

Taiju tilted his head to gauge the wound, then glared at Yuzuha.

"Yuzuha, you bitch!" He snarled before grabbing one of the pews with one hand and threw it at her, telling her that she'd really fucked up this time. Was this guy even human?

Hakkai, meanwhile, stared at her slackjawed before he could find his voice.

"Yuzuha... why?" He asked. "What are you doing here?!"
"I came to save you." Yuzuha's reply was no-nonsense and to the point. "I'm gonna end all this."

For her, coming to save her brother from her other brother was as natural as breathing. Hakkai didn't seem willing to accept this, and only quietly repeated his question before turning on Takemichi with a scowl that, while not quite as menacing, did remind Takemichi that he and Taiju were brothers.

"Takemitchy, you bastard! You told Yuzuha, didn't you?!" He said accusingly. "You and Chifuyu were the only ones I told!"

It was not Takemichi, but Yuzuha who denied it, saying that Kisaki was the one who told her everything.

This was more or less an explicit confirmation that Kisaki had indeed betrayed the plan; while it really only needed to be hidden from anyone in Toman, there was the risk that an outsider might let it slip to someone in Toman or the Black Dragons. Kisaki had even brought it up during their discussion the previous night. Takemichi had thought that if Kisaki was going to blow the plan, it would be via informing one of the other captains, and he certainly never considered that Kisaki would tell Hakkai and Taiju's sister.

A thought occurred to Takemichi, and that in turn led to more thoughts: Rather than informing Yuzuha of Hakkai's plan, had Kisaki actually goaded her into this specifically so that she would stab Taiju? Was it possible that even in the future Takemichi experienced, Hakkai wasn't responsible for Taiju's death? After all, Takemichi hadn't really done anything, but Hakkai hadn't been able to stab Taiju at all, let alone fatally.

But Yuzuha did stab Taiju.

The one who had originally killed him must have been her. And since Takemichi hadn't been able to stop her, the wound must have been fatal.

Taiju, for his part, now seemed to be treating his injury like a mild annoyance, pulling his coat off to examine the wound.

Wait, when did he pull the knife out?

"You fucked up, Yuzuha." He said with a smug look. "Thanks to Hanagaki shouting when he did, I had a split-second to move. So if you want to blame someone, blame him."

He showed his back, revealing that the wound was shallow enough that the knife may have actually fallen out on its own. This was a relief for Takemichi; if Taiju didn't die, that meant the future where Kisaki manipulated Hakkai had been averted. That was good!

"How sad, Hakkai, Yuzuha." Taiju smirk faded into a glower. "You tried to kill your own brother. Your flesh and blood, who's whittled down his own bones for you!"

Being trapped with a furious delinquent capable of throwing a large wooden pew with one hand was less good.

"Like hell you did it for us." The ever-defiant Yuzuha was unmoved. "You did it all for yourself. You use words like "family" to manipulate us. You're a demon."

Taiju's response was a punch in Yuzuha's face. This one was hard enough to send her right into the altar. No matter how many times it happened, Takemichi still couldn't reconcile the sight of an older brother hitting his little sister.

"O Lord, why must you put me through these ordeals? Why must I murder my beloved little sister?"

Yuzuha was unfazed by Taiju's declaration of his intent to kill her and charged forward with a fierce cry. As if to taunt her, Taiju stepped to the side when she got close enough and punched her toward the door.

"I'll beat you to death slowly." His voice was cold as he stepped toward Yuzuha's fallen form.

Finally, Takemichi found the resolve to move rather than shout, putting himself right in front of Taiju, telling him to calm down.

"Move."
"You say you care about your family, but aren't you the one who's tearing them apart?!"

Hakkai yelled for Takemichi to stand down, but Takemichi only turned his attention to him, asking if he was going to protect Yuzuha. Before Hakkai could answer, Taiju punched Takemichi toward the door and reached for another pew.

"They're the ones who tried to kill me in the first place!" He screamed as he threw it toward Takemichi, who managed to move out of the way just in time.

The absurdity of the situation was enough to make Takemichi's head hurt.

"Why does a sibling fight have to escalate to murder?! It doesn't make sense!" He cried out.

Yuzuha, who had slipped back toward the altar (presumably to grab the dropped knife) said, in a weak voice,

"This is the path we chose as siblings, Hanagaki."

She really was the key to all of it, wasn't she? In the original timeline, she killed Taiju, and Hakkai took the blame for it. Since Kisaki knew the truth, he basically had Hakkai (as the new leader of the Black Dragons) in the palm of his hand, and that led to Toman's corruption.

(Baji would have already figured that out. Takemichi could practically hear him saying "Duh. Taiju really did scramble your brain, didn't he?")

"Alright, Hakkai!" Takemichi declared. "I know what I have to do now! I'm gonna beat Taiju down!"

"Takemitchy... you can't!" Hakkai said disbelivingly. "You don't know how dangerous he really is!"

It was true that his chances were slim to none. Baji would laugh at him for acting like he stood a chance. Mikey would, too.

"How big of an asshole do you think I am?"
'The absolute worst.' Takemichi grinned to himself.

Despite barely being able to walk, Yuzuha picked up the knife and moved toward her brother, warning Takemichi not to get in her way.

"I'll... protect Hakkai." She slurred. "I will..."

As she lifted the knife, however, someone grabbed the blade.

"You don't use this to protect others." A familiar voice scolded her gently, like a kind older brother.

Takemichi's jaw dropped.

"Mitsuya?!"

Sure enough, the Second Division Captain was standing next to Yuzuha, holding onto the blade.

"She is this close to cutting Mitsuya's sewing career short."

"Let go, Yuzuha." He said calmly before giving her an almost nervous looking smile. "You're kinda cutting my hand."
"Mitsuya..." Tears filled Yuzuha's eyes. "Why are you here?!"

Her body didn't give Mitsuya a chance to answer her; she collapsed into his chest.

What was Mitsuya doing here?

"Only Mitsuya's Impulse sounds that sweet. 'Guess that was Chifuyu's "insurance"."

Takemichi's head whipped toward the source of the voice that he nearly gave himself a(nother) concussion.

'Baji!' He had to stop himself from saying his name out loud. His vision grew blurry as tears filled his eyes.

"Takemitchy! Focus!" Mitsuya's tone was harsh, but softened as Takemichi snapped back to attention. "Geez, I know you're happy to see me, but I need you to take care of Yuzuha."
"R-right!"

Takemichi wrapped Yuzuha's arm around his shoulder as Mitsuya faced Taiju.

"It's you and me now, motherfucker."

Takemichi turned his head back in surprise at the harshess of Mitsuya's words. This wasn't like the stern lecture he'd received the other day. Mitsuya was pissed.

Looking at the startled look on Takemichi's face, Baji said,

"Ah, that's right. You haven't met Luna and Mana yet, have you?"

Taiju (who thankfully hadn't moved since Mitsuya's arrival) demanded to know why Mitsuya was breaking the truce.

"Shut up." Mitsuya's voice sent a chill down Takemichi's spine. "I'm going to give you a bit of advice, so listen closely: Never hit your little sister. No matter what she does, you forgive her with a smile.

"That's what being a big brother is all about!" He shouted as he opened his uniform, exposing his chest.

The two began fighting as Takemichi lay Yuzuha on one of the pews.

'He's really matching Taiju's strength!'

"Quit gawking."

Takemichi whipped his head around to see Chifuyu, looking a bit worse for wear but otherwise okay. He explained that Kisaki and Hanma had dragged him to one of the rooms and tied him up. Mitsuya had saved him, since Chifuyu had called him beforehand.

"But- The peace agreement..."
"Was Mitsuya's. It's got nothing to do with us. Besides, the others will understand if he breaks his own truce."

A thud drew their attention back to the fight. Mitsuya had taken a knee. Just as Taiju was bragging about only using 70 percent of his power, however, he stood back up.

"A strap on my boot came loose." He claimed.

Baji snickered in response.

"Sure it did, Mitsuya."

The fight continued, and Hakkai found his voice again, yelling at Mitsuya to fall back.

"I thought you were smarter than that!" He cried desperately. "You've never fought pointless battles like this!"

At some point, Chifuyu told Hakkai to be quiet, explaining that Mitsuya was being stubborn.

"He's putting himself on the line because he knows what he's doing!"
"Right on the money."

Takemichi gave Chifuyu a grin to let him know that Baji approved of his little speech. Chifuyu, realizing what it meant, smiled back, and Hakkai gave them an odd look.

When the sounds of fighting stopped, however, Baji turned to see both Mitsuya and Taiju were panting. Not too far from Mitsuya, Baji spotted just the slightest hint of movement.

"Someone else is here." He said in alarm.

Takemichi looked and saw blond hair emerging from underneath a pew by Mitsuya.

"I'm getting tired, so it's time we finished this."

At the sound of his words, Inui Seishu stood up on the pew, a lead pipe in his hands. Takemichi rushed toward him.

"Look out!" He yelled.

Mitsuya turned his head, then maneuvered his body to get out of the way; he wasn't fast enough, however, and the pipe made contact with his head. Fortunately, Takemichi's warning meant that it barely grazed him and he merely stumbled backwards into one of the pillars.

Takemichi slammed his body into Inui's, knocking both of them to the floor as Hakkai ran to Mitsuya.

"Did my info help?" The smug voice of Kokonoi Hajime came from behind Baji as he walked up to them with his tongue out. "Was it worth 100K?"

He looked where Takemichi had tackled Inui and tilted his head curiously.

"Inupi's pretty fast. I'm surprised Hanagaki spotted him in time."
"You son of a-!" Chifuyu prepared to charge him, but hesitated when he realized that Takemichi hadn't gotten up yet.

Baji hurried over to the pew, only to find Inui had Takemichi pinned the floor. Without thinking, he threw himself through Inui. He couldn't physically get him off of Takemichi, of course, but he could hopefully at least distract him long enough for Takemichi to throw him off.

Luckily, his gambit worked. Inui shuddered and stopped wrestling with Takemichi for a few seconds, allowing the latter to free himself. Once he did, he jumped over the pew and re-entered the aisle as Baji followed. Inui quickly recovered and grabbed him by the wrist. Takemichi was able to shake him off, but not before Inui's grip reached his hand. By now, Hakkai had effectively dragged Mitsuya back to where Chifuyu was.

"Alright." Mitsuya grunted when Takemichi reached them. "Thanks to Takemitchy's warning, I didn't get hit too bad, but I am getting pretty close to my limit."

Chifuyu was also pretty beat up from what Kisaki and Hanma did to him. The only one who was still in somewhat okay condition was Takemichi. Whatever happened, they needed to protect Yuzuha.

"Don't worry!" Takemichi said confidently. "We just have to hold out until Mikey and the others get here."

Mitsuya asked if Takemichi had called Mikey. When Takemichi asked the same of him, Mitsuya explained that he had come here to help Hakkai on his own.

Of course he hadn't actually called Mikey or anyone else.

"Don't even think about giving up here." Baji growled, noticing the look on Takemichi's face. "Mitsuya's not trying to make you fight all three of them on your own."

Mitsuya unknowingly confirmed Baji's words, saying that he could take on Taiju if Takemichi and Chifuyu could keep Kokonoi and Inui at bay. He then turned to Hakkai.

"Can you help me, Hakkai?" He asked, cause Hakkai to wince. "I know you're a member of the Black Dragons now, so you don't have to help us, but if you do, we can save Yuzuha!"

Hakkai hadn't been able to fight back against Taiju after all this time, but he had managed to protect Yuzuha. Hakkai still seemed hesitant, so Takemichi decided to psych himself up by letting out a yell.

"Sorry for worrying everyone so much!" He said, slapping his cheeks.

Mitsuya chuckled and Chifuyu stepped forward with him.

"I'll take birthmark boy. You take the guy with black hair."

Since Kokonoi was the one who sold them the info, Chifuyu reasoned, he would probably back off if Taiju was at a disadvantage. Takemichi agreed and the two charged. Kokonoi and Inui each moved in a separate direction, moving to different sides of the chapel.

Takemichi opted to do what he'd done with Inui and latched onto Kokonoi's torso while Chifuyu attempted to punch, then kick Inui.

"You've being rather clingy." Kokonoi sounded amused. "Is this really your plan?"

'Holding this guy back is really all I can do.' Takemichi said to Baji.

"Hakkai, Mitsuya!" He shouted. "Please hurry up!"
"Ohh!" Kokonoi made a sound of comprehension. "You're stalling for time!"

"Let's do this, Hakkai!" Mitsuya screamed as he ran toward Taiju.

When Taiju simply laughed, however, Mitsuya turned around to see Hakkai hadn't moved.

Trembling, Hakkai apologized to Mitsuya.

"What were you even expecting from him?" Taiju sneered before knocking Mitsuya to the floor. Takemichi barely had enough time to react before Kokonoi kneed him in the torso. Baji heard Chifuyu being knocked to the floor by Inui, who lamented that he had wanted to fight him when he was in better shape.

The sight of his friends on the ground, ironically, was what finally prompted Hakkai to move. He brandished his knife and prepared to charge.

"Takemichi!" Baji exclaimed, but Takemichi was already in the aisle by the time Hakkai got close, headbutting him to make him stop.

Then, to Hakkai's surprise (but not Baji's), he grabbed the knife's blade. Hakkai froze, not wanting to risk cutting Takemichi's hand like Yuzuha had inadvertantly done to Mitsuya.

"I won't let you go through with this!" Takemichi said in a shaky voice. "This isn't the way to fight back, and you know that!"

He took a deep breath as he let go and turned to face Taiju, saying he'd show Hakkai how it was done.

"You still haven't learned your lesson, huh?" Taiju stared down at Takemichi with a scowl that Baji was sure he'd used to intimidate his siblings and subordinates multiple times in the past.

Takemichi was unfazed, and gave an audacious grin at him.

"That's my only redeeming quality."
"I can relate to that." Even though he was just out of sight, Takemichi could see Baji's own lazy grin clear in his mind.

The fight went about as well any of them could have predicted: within the span of a couple minutes, Takemichi's face was even more bruised and bloodied than it had been the first time Taiju had beaten him up. Taiju himself was wondering how many punches he'd need to take before he was satisfied.

Baji wanted to step in. He wanted to tell Takemichi to let him take over and fight this bastard. But he knew that Takemichi would refuse.

Besides, he wasn't entirely sure if it was safe to try.

"Takemitchy, just stop!" Hakkai yelled. "You've done enough!"

"That's enough, Takemitchy." Chifuyu's weak voice drew Baji's attention to him.

His vice-captain was pulling himself up.

"I can..." He murmured.

Before he could, however, Takemichi stood up straight, gripping his necklace (a gift from Hinata, he'd told Baji).

'Hakkai won't be able to stand up for himself as long as Taiju- no, the Black Dragons as it is now exists.'

"Taiju." He said, blood in his teeth. "I'm gonna defeat you and take control of the Black Dragons!"

No matter how many times Takemichi took a blow, he charged forward, ignoring Hakkai's cries for him to stand down, that he couldn't change anything.

"Aren't you the one who won't change, Hakkai?"

It hadn't been until the other night that Baji understood what Takemichi's life prior to time leaping had been: he had been alone. If he had died when Akkun had pushed him onto the tracks, there wouldn't really be anyone to mourn him. He was estranged from his parents, had cut ties with his friends years ago, and Hinata was dead.

'I felt like I had to shoulder that burden alone.' Baji heard Takemichi's voice, but got the distinct impression that he wasn't actually talking to him. 'Even when I was promising to change the future, I felt helpless and afraid.'

And yet, Takemichi continued, the others accepted him.

"TAKEMITCHY!" Chifuyu screamed. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE!"

He finally pulled himself into a kneeling position and started reaching into his pocket.

Would the future change if Takemichi stood his ground? Maybe, maybe not. But if there was there was even the slightest chance...

It was then that Takemichi's finally felt his fist connect with Taiju's face. Sure, it coincided with another punch to his own face, but as far as both Takemichi and Baji were concerned, it was a victory.

As Takemichi fell to the floor, Taiju scoffed that it didn't hurt just before falling to his knees.

Hakkai was stunned by the sight, but he was even more shocked to see Takemichi pulling himself up.

"Takemitchy... just stop!"
"If there's even the smallest chance..." Takemichi mumbled. "...of changing the future, then isn't worth risking my life?"

His face was in terrible shape, and smiling was probably painful, but he did it anyway.

"Hakkai, it's not painful to fight on... Loneliness hurts far worse."
"...It really is."

Takemichi's open eye flickered to Baji for a second, but he continued speaking to Hakkai, who was now tearing up.

"We're friends, aren't we? You can talk to me about anything."

Tears now streaming down his face, Hakkai fell to his knees and finally whispered.

"Please... help me, Takemitchy."
"Leave it to me."

Meanwhile, Inui and Kokonoi were still stunned at the sight of their boss on his knees.

"That's just how Toman's captains are!" Mitsuya said confidently as he sat up.
"You did it, partner..." Chifuyu sounded relieved as he removed his hand from his pocket.

With a determined look on his face, Takemichi promised to protect Yuzuha for Hakkai. That should have been a comforting statement, but Hakkai looked down.

"You're wrong, Takemitchy." His voice was low. "There aren't any bruises on my face, but Yuzuha's beaten and bloody."
"What?"

"I wanted to protect Yuzuha." Hakkai sobbed. "I did! But... I couldn't stand up to Taiju. I'm the one who's been protected this whole time. I lied to you."

He confessed that Yuzuha had been the one who made the deal with Taiju, but he'd made it sound like he'd done it for her.

"That's... pretty shitty, Hakkai." Chifuyu didn't mince words.
"It's pathetic." Inui agreed.

"That's enough!" Yuzuha sat up in the pew.

"Letting a girl take hits for you is bad enough, but lying about it?" Kokonoi taunted. "Pretty low, young master."

Yuzuha defended her decision and insisted that it wasn't Hakkai's fault, though he himself disagreed.

"It is my fault." He couldn't even bring himself to look at Takemichi. "You got involved because I lied. I was so scared of Taiju that all I could do was try to stab him."

Takemichi didn't say anything right away.

"Hakkai..." He finally spoke. "YOU SUCK!"

The others stared at him in surprise.

"But... you're not the only one." He turned back to smile at Hakkai. "I sucked even more."

Mitsuya chuckled slightly as he stood up.

"Yeah, you really do suck, Hakkai." He agreed. "Remember how I told you not to hate the situation you're born into? Well, the truth is, I hated mine."

One day (probably before Mitsuya even met any of the others), he ran away from home, leaving his sisters by themselves. When he returned the next morning, his mother slapped him... and then hugged him.

"She cried, and said "I'm sorry you have to put up with this"."

He knelt down and told Hakkai that he wasn't the only one who wanted to run away.

"And I'm a hypocrite." Chifuyu spoke up. "I... got on a friend's case for doing something, then did it myself."

Baji wondered if it was related to whatever he had in his pocket.

All of them were weak. That was why they had friends and family; Toman wasn't going to abandon one of their own over a lie like that. That's what it was all about, after all.

This seemed to move Hakkai, who pulled the Black Dragons coat off after letting out a cry of determination.

"Stand back, guys." He was still crying, but there was a smile on his face; not a sad one, either. He almost seemed like he was swallowing a laugh as he said his three friends were all beat to shit.

He stepped toward Taiju, saying he wouldn't run away anymore, nor would he wear the Black Dragons uniform ever again. Taiju stared at him for a second before leaning down slightly, asking if he thought he could trick himself into thinking he'd gotten stronger.

"Which one's your real family, huh?!" He demanded. "Me, that's who!"

Yuzuha stood up, shouting for Taiju to keep his hands off of Hakkai.

To the surprise of everyone, the first one to throw a punch (and connect, even!) was Hakkai.

"I'm the Tokyo Manji Gang's Second Division Vice-Captain, Shiba Hakkai!" He declared. "I will protect Yuzuha AND my friends, no, my family! To do that, I'm gonna beat you down!"

His words were encouraging, as Baji noted.

"Seems like murder's off the table now."
"The future's gonna change!" Chifuyu whispered excitedly.

Baji looked at Takemichi, who surprisingly had an apprehensive look on his face.

'Hakkai's not trying to kill Taiju anymore, but Taiju might decide to kill him.'
"What do you mean?"

Before Takemichi could elaborate, Taiju started crying, asking why God was continuing to test him.

Hakkai shuddered before Taiju's fist met his face to push him to the floor.

"Do I really have to kill both of my siblings?!" He screamed before resuming his assault. "Even though I love them so much?!"

His words and actions cleared up Baji's confusion: Shiba Taiju was obviously insane.

When he finally stepped back and looked at his brother lying on the ground, he gave a small huff before turning his gaze to the others.

"You bastards have to die, too." His voice was cold as he revealed that there were at least a hundred of the Black Dragons's strongest men outside, a fact that Chifuyu backed up after looking out the window.

"But you weren't planning on running in the first place, were you?" Baji gave Takemichi a knowing look.
"The future won't change if we don't beat the Black Dragons down, Chifuyu." Takemichi stepped forward. "I had no plans to run in the first place."

Out of the corner of his eye, Baji saw someone shift slightly. When he looked, he noticed that Inui seemed to be staring at Takemichi with an odd expression. If he weren't so stoic, Baji might have been able to figure out what he was thinking. Hopefully it wasn't a bad sign.

Chifuyu took a breath before agreeing.

"We are so dead." Mitsuya grinned, though he ended up apologizing for his words when Yuzuha was less than enthusiastic about the prospect of them all dying.

"Just like you said, my expectations made Hakkai suffer." He said somberly. "I really don't have a right to be his big bro."

Yuzuha, meanwhile, had been protecting Hakkai all on her own.

"I really respect you."

His words brought tears to Yuzuha's eyes as he pat her on the head.

"And now, it's our turn." He said, grin returning.

The fight continued. Chifuyu went after Inui for the second time, but Mitsuya chose to take on Kokonoi while Takemichi fought Hakkai.

He wasn't facing him alone: Hakkai caught him when one of Taiju's blows nearly knocked him to the floor. Any fear he might have still had, he didn't show as he charged forward.

"I'm gonna protect Yuzuha even if it's the last thing I do!" He declared.

The camaraderie reminded Baji of his earlier days with Toman and made him wish he was able to fight alongside them again.

He quickly turned his attention to Yuzuha, not wanting to get emotional. Besides, Yuzuha was clearly getting emotional enough for the both of them. The sight of her brother fighting to protect her (no doubt after years of protecting him) was overwhelming enough that she fell to her knees.

And... there was someone behind her.

A woman, who looked very much like Yuzuha, was embracing her from behind. The woman seemed to be whispering something to her before releasing her grip. As she stood up, she turned her gaze to Baji.

She smiled at him with an ambiguous look in her eyes before mouthing something at him.

"Good luck."

Then she was gone.

Baji decided to go back to watching his friends fight. He did not want to deal with the implications of whatever had just happened.

In the time he was looking at Yuzuha and the mysterious woman, the three Black Dragons had unfortunately made a comeback: Chifuyu and Mitsuya were both on the ground, and the only reason Takemichi wasn't was because Hakkai was holding him up.

Hakkai was defiant in the face of Taiju's taunts. It was pretty impressive, but Baji was distracted by the sound of a familiar motorcycle approaching. It wasn't his imagination, either; Hakkai laughed weakly that he was hearing things, and Mitsuya also recognized the sound.

"Mikey's CB250T...!"

Baji thought he might have also heard the sound of Draken's Zephyr, but it was hard to tell, even when the sound died down.

"If Mikey's here... we can beat the Black Dragons!" Takemichi said with a determined face.
"You sure about that?" Mitsuya was more skeptical.

They had broken the peace agreement between them and the Black Dragons, after all. As Mitsuya asked what Mikey would think of that, the door to the chapel opened and in walked the man in question.

"Merry Christmas." Mikey said warmly. "What's everyone doing here tonight?"

No one said a word as Mikey looked around curiously. When he noted that even the Black Dragons were there, Mitsuya bowed in apology, saying it was his fault.

"I irresponsibly broke the peace agreement I made, and we're fighting them now."

Rather than scold him (or even acknowledge what he said), Mikey responded with,

"My brother recognized the sound of your Impulse."

Mikey's voice was still calm, but for whatever the reason, Takemichi felt his heart beat a little faster.

"And I remembered how Baji loved the way it sounded."

Baji did like the sound of Mitsuya's bike, but why was Mikey bringing it up now?

"I was led here by those two."
"Mikey... what are you saying?" Mitsuya was staring at him with wide and confused eyes.

Again, his words went ignored by Mikey, who turned to Taiju.

"So you're the "Invincible Mikey", huh?" He looked down at him with a toothy smirk.
"Why are you standing in my way?"

It was like Mikey was having a conversation with someone who wasn't there. He hadn't really given a proper response to anything anyone else had said. Baji had never seen Mikey like this before.

No, that wasn't true. He had seen Mikey in a state that was lugubrious and threatening at the same time. Just a few months earlier, in fact.

It was in mid-August, and Baji was hanging out in Mikey's room. Mitsuya was sick at home and Draken was visiting a doctor to make sure his wound was healing properly. Baji had very carefully mentioned that he'd heard that Kazutora was going to be released from juvie soon.

He'd tried to make it sound like he'd heard it from someone else, but he suspected that Mikey knew he'd learned it from Kazutora himself. Regardless, the temperature in the room felt like it dropped a degree or fifty. Mikey's pleasant mood soured, and within a few minutes, Baji was talking Mikey out of murdering Kazutora for the first time.

And now Mikey was wearing a similar expression as he did that day.

"I just wanna ride with my guys again." Mikey continued, tilting his head slightly. "And if Mitsuya dies... it'll make Baji and my brother sad!"

The words themselves were heartwarming, but the way he said them was frightening.

Takemichi remembered how Kisaki had told him that Mikey seemed to have gotten weaker and probably wouldn't last much longer. He remembered Kazutora's words about how Toman had changed because Mikey changed. If this was the beginning of that change, then...

Before either Takemichi or Mikey could move, however, the latter was suddenly punched to the floor by Taiju's fist. The sight of him on the ground was shocking for everyone present. The church's bell rang, signalling the change to a new day. Taiju, on the other hand, took it as a sign of his victory over the "Invincible Mikey". Even when Mikey stood up, none of the Black Dragons thought he stood a chance. Inui even said that Taiju's strength was on a different level than Mikey's.

"Compared to him, you're just a pebble." He said matter-of-factly.
"I did just throw my best punch today, but it looks like it'll more than one hit to shut you up."

"He's swaying." Baji noted. "Why did he let Taiju do that?"
'Let him...?' Takemichi was confused. 'Is Mikey actually... not going to lose?'

He'd been sure that Mikey still hadn't recovered from all that had happened. Going against an overpowered delinquent like Taiju in that state was a terrible idea.

Before he could fret more, however, Mikey let out a sigh.

"I let you do that as a punishment for myself." He said with blood dripping down his chin, as though it explained everything.

Then, for a second, Mikey seemed to be floating. In the next, Taiju disappeared from Takemichi's sight.

"Geez, Mikey..." Baji sighed. "Don't scare me like that."

Takemichi was still struggling with processing what he just saw while Inui and Kokonoi expressed their shock at Taiju's defeat. Hakkai, Chifuyu, and Yuzuha were amazed at Mikey's abilities. Mitsuya let out a relieved sigh, knowing the fight was over. Mikey ignored them and instead looked toward the ceiling.

"I decided I'd go riding with Baji and my brother every Christmas."

He reached into his collar and pulled out a familiar charm. Takemichi let out a soft gasp at the sight.

"I ride the memento my brother left me while wearing the memento Baji left me." He continued. "Out in the snow, it's like they're still with me."

His words made enough sense, but hearing them in the situation they were in made Takemichi question if Mikey really had lost his mind.

"You're still tearing up, though." Baji smirked at him.

"My brother, Baji, and all of you..." Mikey put his hand on his heart. "You're all in here with me. And that's what makes me strong."

"Cooooorny!" Baji teased.
'He's alright.' Takemichi allowed himself to smile. 'Mikey won't turn evil.'

Mikey suggested they all leave, but Taiju's booming voice interrupted them. Inui was helping him to his feet as he glared at them.

"He's got drool coming down his chin." Baji snickered.

Taiju demanded that Kokonoi summon the hundred Black Dragons waiting outside.

"The Black Dragons are strong, Taiju." Mikey said with a frown. "But they won't create a new age. You're strong, but you have no heart. So sit back and watch as we create the new age."

When Taiju continued to demand that Kokonoi summon the others, Kokonoi (who had gone outside to do just that) finally answered from the top of the stairs.

"Boss... it's over."

Taiju shoved Inui away and stormed outside on all fours when he fell over. Baji followed him outside, letting out a laugh when he spotted someone sitting on the stairs.

"Huh?" Taiju said in shock.

"Looks like I was hearing Zephyr." Baji called back to Takemichi.

Draken, without standing up, turned around with blood on his face that was undoubtedly not his own. He grinned when he realized who was looking at him.

"You guys done? Could you let Mikey know we're done out here, too?"

On the ground were countless Black Dragon members, each looking some measure of beat up. Baji smirked at Draken before going back inside, where the others were preparing to head outside for one last stand.

"There's no need. We've won."
'What do you-'

Draken walked into the chapel behind Baji and looked over everyone.

"Why's everybody look so tense?"

He then ignored everyone's surprised looks and pointed outside with his thumb.

"I stomped everybody outside." He explained. "Shiba Taiju lost to you guys and his men have all been defeated. His will to keep going is gone."

"The Black Dragons are dead!" Mikey announced as everyone started to run outside. "It's Toman's victory!"

"He really did all this on his own...?" Yuzuha could do little more than stare.
"Yep." Mitsuya chuckled. "Our top two were the biggest monsters of all, as usual."
"I've got goosebumps!" Chifuyu shouted excitedly. "How 'bout you, Takemitchy?!"

Takemichi couldn't find an immediate answer; he looked at the three Shiba siblings, then at Mitsuya. Everyone was alive.

"Mission complete?" Baji asked with a smile.
"Mission... complete." Takemichi whispered, blinking back the encroaching tears.

Chifuyu's eyes widened slightly, as though remembering what the goal for the night was, but he quickly grinned back and agreed. Satisfied, Takemichi felt his consciousness slip away. Fortunately, Mitsuya was there to catch him.

"Thanks, Takemitchy." He said, holding Takemichi on his back. "Mikey, Draken. We managed to beat the Black Dragons, thanks to the two of you. But I'd say tonight's MVP is Takemitchy, wouldn't you agree?"

Neither Mikey or Draken said anything, but the smiles on their faces gave their answers away.

Hakkai and Yuzuha stayed at the top of the stairs for a few minutes to talk to Taiju. Takemichi was still out of it as Mikey put a bike helmet on him.

"We don't need to put him on your bike, Mikey. I'll take him." Chifuyu offered.
"Don't worry about it, Chifuyu." Mikey refused. "I need to take him somewhere."
"And so do I." Chifuyu frowned.

Mikey stopped and gave Chifuyu a surprised look that melted into a suspicious one.

"You... Were the two of you-"
"What's going on?" Hakkai, noticing that things seemed to be getting tense, walked up to the group.

Rather than finish what he'd been about to say, Mikey stared at Chifuyu for a few seconds. Baji got the distinct impression that whatever was about to happen was going to be very, very stupid.

"You know, the reason I came looking for you guys was that Emma called me, then Kenchin when I didn't pick up the phone." He began. "She was pissed."

Emma had apparently run into Hinata at the shrine Shinichiro went to to pray every Christmas.

"They had an... interesting conversation about Takemitchy."
"Yeah, Takemitchy broke up with Hinata, right?" Hakkai nodded. "To... "protect" her?"

He clearly didn't believe that excuse and was now giving Chifuyu an equally suspicious look.

"That's apparently not what Takemitchy said to her yesterday." Mikey continued. "According to her, Takemitchy told her he likes guys."
"I knew it!" Hakkai shouted, pointing at Chifuyu accusingly. "He said you guys were just holding hands 'cause it was cold!"
"W-We were!"

Mikey was now staring at Chifuyu with wide eyes that told Baji that Chifuyu needed to talk fast.

"Where were you planning on taking Takemitchy, Chifuyu?"

All eyes were on Chifuyu now. Since Takemichi was asleep, Baji couldn't give Chifuyu any advice. Not only that, but part of him was actually a bit leery himself. Was Chifuyu doing this on his own? Or had the two of them made plans for after defeating Taiju? If the latter, then when had they had the chance to do so?

Son of a bitch, Baji thought to himself as he realized when it happened. I shouldn't have let Takemichi go to sleep without telling me what he was up to.

"I-" Chifuyu hesitated. "We were going to see Baji's mom."
"Ryouko-san?" Draken sounded surprised, but Chifuyu nodded firmly.
"WHAT?!"

"Uh-huh." Mikey didn't sound impressed. "Baji's mom. Who lives in the same apartment building as you."
"Yes." Chifuyu sounded calmer and more determined now.
"You were gonna go see her after midnight?" Mikey's eyes narrowed. There was a smile on his face, but anyone who looked at him could tell he was angry.
"We... didn't think taking down Taiju was gonna take as long as it did." Chifuyu looked away, cowed by the sight of Mikey's gaze.

Then a thought seemed to occur to him, and he looked up.

"That... is something I want to talk to you about later, actually."

"He's telling the truth..." A groan came from Mitsuya's back. "Chifuyu's been checking in on her since Halloween. It's her first Christmas without Baji, so we were going to go check on her together."
"Takemitchy!" Chifuyu sighed in relief. "And- I actually already messaged her!"

He reached into his pocket, different from the one Baji had seen him reaching into earlier, and pulled out his phone. Without a word, Mikey grabbed the phone and began reading the message.

"This is the one you sent Mitsuya."

A frustrated noise left Chifuyu's mouth as he snatched his phone back. While this was going on, Baji moved toward Takemichi, who was getting off of Mitsuya's back.

"What the hell are you two thinking?!" He hissed. "You're not planning on-"

"Does she know to wait up for us, Chifuyu?" Takemichi ignored him.
"Yeah." Chifuyu nodded as he showed Mikey the actual message. "To be honest, I actually told her what we were doing tonight."
"WHAT?!" Takemichi shouted, his earlier exhaustion replaced with panic.

"It's fine!" Chifuyu waved his hand dismissively. "When Mitsuya saved me, I sent her another message that we'd be fine. Besides, how do you think I got Baji's sash?"

Takemichi gave a loud groan before turning to Mikey.

"Is that good enough, Mikey?" He asked. "Can we go?"

Mikey's mouth was a thin line when he finished reading the message.

"I'm tagging along." He declared.
"Huh?!"
"She's my childhood friend's mom. I want to check on her, too."

"I'm fine with that." Baji huffed. "Hopefully there won't be any surprises if he comes with us."

Mikey put his helmet on before telling Takemichi to send a message to Hinata that he'd call her soon.

"But we-"
"Do it."

Reluctantly, Takemichi pulled out his phone and began composing the message.

"Now get on." Mikey smiled at Takemichi. "Chifuyu, we'll meet you there, okay?"

Chifuyu didn't get a chance to answer; as soon as Takemichi was on Mikey's bike, it sped off into the night that was about to get even longer.

Chapter Text

"So are you gonna ask what happened?" Takemichi asked once everyone else was out of earshot.
"Nope." Mikey's response was quick and to the point. "That can wait until after we've talked to Ryouko."

Because his back was turned to him, Takemichi had no way of knowing how Mikey was feeling at that moment. Baji had to focus on making sure he was able to keep up with the motorcycle, so he wouldn't be any help in that regard. Besides, Takemichi suspected that he was angry.

"I am." Baji grumbled. "Why were you and Chifuyu keeping this from me?"
'...We wanted it to be a surprise.' Takemichi grumbled.

Baji thought that sounded like a terrible surprise. Sure, it would be nice to see Takemichi and Chifuyu looking out for his mother, but he didn't like the thought of seeing his mother all by herself. What had Takemichi been thinking?

The ride continued in silence until they reached the apartment complex. After disembarking, they waited for Chifuyu outside. When he arrived, they went inside and climbed the stairs to Baji's floor.

Baji Ryouko didn't look terribly surprised by the state Takemichi and Chifuyu were in. She seemed far more stunned by the bruise on Mikey's face.

"Get inside." She ordered, leaving no room for argument. "I'll get the first aid kit."

The three were marched into the apartment where Ryouko had them sit down in the living room. Mikey pulled Takemichi to the couch, sitting next to him. Chifuyu took a seat in the chair. Takemichi noticed Baji move toward one of the rooms, but was distracted by Ryouko returning with a first aid kit. She stopped in her tracks and eyed the arrangement with a raised eyebrow, but shrugged it off and pulled a chair from the kitchen.

"Were you guys facing delinquents or gorillas wearing boxing gloves?" She demanded as she began to examine Chifuyu's injuries.

"Good question." Takemichi laughed awkwardly.
"I think the line between Shiba Taiju and a gorilla is... a lot thinner than we think." Chifuyu agreed, only to wince as his bruises were touched.

Ryouko didn't laugh and simply brought out a bandage.

"If Chifuyu hadn't sent me that message that you guys were okay, I was going to call the police." She admitted. "And looking at you guys now, I'm starting to think I should have done that anyway."
"The church was in pretty bad shape when we left. I don't think the priest is gonna be happy when he gets there in the morning." Mikey mused.

Ryouko sighed as she pulled out a cotton dab and some rubbing alcohol.

"Did you at least stop your friend from doing something stupid?"

The question surprised Takemichi, but not Chifuyu, who nodded.

"Yeah. And I think..." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I think he's gonna be ok-OW!"

Ryouko was pressing the cotton dab into his cheek a bit too hard.

"That's her way of scolding us when we get beat up too hard." Mikey whispered to Takemichi. "She's rough. You're in for a lot of pain."

At this point, Baji returned to the living room.

"My room's untouched." He explained. "It's exactly as I left it on Halloween. The only thing missing is my sash."
'Does that make you happy?' Takemichi asked.
"I... don't know."

Finally, Ryouko finished patching Chifuyu up and moved her chair to the couch where Takemichi was sitting.

"Just out of curiosity, are you the one who got the worst of it?" She asked, giving him a disturbed look. "Because I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a few days before you can open that eye."
"Well, Mitsuya got beat pretty badly, but he at least left it to me and Hakkai toward the end." Takemichi remembered the fight.

Ryouko nodded in understanding. Evidently, she knew that Mitsuya was capable of taking care of himself. She got to work on Takemichi, and as promised, it was a painful experience. Mikey didn't require much examination; it was mostly a formality since he rarely got hurt in fights anyway.

"I'm surprised this Shiba kid got a hit on you." Ryouko said as she put the first aid kit away.
"It was self-punishment. If I wanted to, I could have taken him down before he even got a chance to say a word."

Ryouko made a skeptical noise, but returned to the living room and took her seat.

"So?" She asked. "There's a reason you wanted to talk to me, isn't there?"

No one said anything, not even Mikey. She frowned in response.

"I'm not so lonely that I need a bunch of punks paying me a visit at one in the morning." She scolded. "Either tell me what it is you're here for, or get out."

Her words were harsh, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was prepared to toss them out now if she deemed it necessary.

"Let's go, Takemichi." Baji said. "We've bothered Mom enough."

For the second time that night, Takemichi ignored Baji's words. He glanced at Mikey, then gave Chifuyu a look before gesturing to the door with his head.

This did not go unnoticed by either Baji or Mikey, the latter of whom narrowed his eyes.

"Mikey!" Chifuyu said as he stood up. "Can you come downstairs with me for a few minutes? I want to tell you about how we planned this."

The request was a genuine surprise to Mikey, who now looked a little confused. He glanced back and forth between Takemichi and Chifuyu before nodding. Baji followed the two outside the apartment as they left, returning after a few seconds.

"They've gone downstairs."
"Alright, kid, you've got me alone." Ryouko crossed her arms in her seat. "What is it you want to talk to me about?"

Now feeling put on the spot, Takemichi looked at his hands in his lap.

"...Has Chifuyu told you who I am?" He finally asked.
"You're the new First Division Captain." Ryouko said. "You've basically taken Keisuke's place in your little gang."

Her words were neutral, but there was a small sense of sadness behind her words.

"I'm not angry, if that's what you're worried about." She continued as Takemichi opened his mouth. "The world moves on no matter who dies."

She looked at the ceiling for a second, mumbling that she needed a cigarette.

"Takemichi..." Baji glared at him.
"Is there anything you want to say to your mother?" Takemichi suddenly looked at him.
"Huh?"

"My mother?" Ryouko looked at Takemichi in confusion. "My mother was here just a few hours ago."
"I'm... not talking to you, Ryouko-san." Takemichi said, not taking his eyes off of Baji.

"I..." Baji couldn't find an answer.

Ryouko watched Takemichi carefully. Her confusion slowly melted into irritation.

"Kid... are you fucking with me?" Something low and dangerous was creeping into her voice as she stood up. There was no doubt in Takemichi's mind that if she thought he was making a mockery of her son's death, she would physically remove him from her home. Probably with a few extra bruises, too.

Without thinking, Baji tried to place his hand on her shoulder. Ryouko, who was wearing a rather snug sweater, shivered. She'd never been so superstitious that she was outright afraid of ghosts, but the way her eyes widened in horror told him that she knew what caused that sensation.

"Kei...suke?"

Her gaze slowly returned to Takemichi.

"Hanagaki... Is my son here?"

Her voice was shaking. Takemichi held his hand out and gestured for her to take it.

"It's a long story, but..." His words were cut off by Ryouko grabbing his hand like a lifeline.

She wasn't facing him directly, but Baji knew that she could see him. Her eyes were drawn to his form for a fraction of a second.

"H-Hey, Mom." Baji stuttered.

Ryouko's breath hitched in her throat. She released her iron grip on Takemichi's hand and stepped back, panting hard.

"Sorry!" She said, pointedly not looking at Takemichi. "I... need a minute."

She sat back down and took a deep breath.

"Forget the cigarette, I need a fuckin' drink..." She grumbled after a few minutes.

She looked at Takemichi with a guarded look.

"Who are you?" She asked. "Some kind of medium, or...?"
"No, I'm just a time leaper." Takemichi looked away nervously.
"Time... leap?"

Takemichi gave a general explanation of his situation to her. Ryouko listened without saying much, and when Takemichi got to the end, she asked,

"Where does Keisuke come into this?"
"That's..."
"Something we haven't figured out yet."

Takemichi gave Baji an annoyed look before offering his hand to Ryouko again. Realizing that her son had been speaking, Ryouko moved to sit next to Takemichi on the couch before accepting his hand.

"You can hear me, right?" Baji asked.

Ryouko took a deep breath before answering "Yes", squeezing Takemichi's hand.

No one spoke for a moment. Ryouko had her eyes firmly shut.

"I'm sorry." Baji finally said.
"You should be!" Ryouko snapped, her voice cracking. "What the hell were you thinking?!"
"I was trying to protect my friends!" To Takemichi's surprise, Baji began yelling back.
"And what a great job you did!"

The harsh words continued for a couple minutes. It wasn't until Takemichi felt tears rolling down his cheeks (which, given that one of his eyes was still swollen shut, ended up being rather painful) that the argument stopped.

"Takemichi?" Baji was the first to notice. "Ah, shit! I'm sorry."

He hurried over to Takemichi and knelt down. Ryouko finally opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"Hey, are you-" She said, reaching her free hand toward him.
"Hands off!" Baji glared back at her.

Ryouko bristled, and Takemichi decided to step in.

"Maybe we should cool off before we keep talking?" He suggested.

Baji huffed, but stood up and walked to his room, leaving Takemichi and Ryouko alone. The latter let go of Takemichi's hand and stood up. She briefly walked into the kitchen, but walked back out.

"I should probably stay sober for this, and it's too cold to open a window to smoke." She scowled as she sat back down.

Takemichi remembered that Baji once told him that his mother only drank on really bad occasions. Once, she went so long without drinking that she hadn't noticed the beer in the fridge had expired, and she spent the weekend puking.

After another minute, Ryouko asked if Chifuyu knew.

"Yeah. He was the first person I told, just a few days ago."
"Is that why the two of you were holding hands in the park the other day?"
"Y-yeah..." Takemichi nodded. "That's how you can see and talk to Baji."

"How has he seemed?"
"Huh?"

Ryouko asked if Chifuyu seemed like he was doing okay.

"He's been coming to my apartment nearly every damn day trying to check on me, but he always brushes off my questions about how he's doing."
"I think he's just worried about you." Takemichi defended Chifuyu. "He really admires Baji, so of course he'd want to look after you."
"I know he is, and I know why." Ryouko said bluntly. "But I'm the adult here. I do have people I can rely on. As far as I can tell, though, Chifuyu hadn't really gotten all that close to anyone else in your gang."

Now that Takemichi thought about it, it was true; Chifuyu had been able to give him a basic run-down on most of the other members of the First Division, but he didn't seem to know any of them on a personal level. Even when he showed up at Takemichi's house with his friends at Mizo, he'd been sitting off at the desk away from them.

"I think he's trying to move forward, but..." Takemichi paused, thinking of how Chifuyu had been acting ever since he learned the truth. "I think he might be getting a little too protective."

Ryouko gave a brief chuckle, but her mood shifted quickly. In fact, Takemichi thought he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Sorry about that." She whispered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I've been a little... out of practice with laughing lately."

Takemichi didn't say anything in response to that. Ryouko broke the silence by asking him to tell her about Baji.

"It's a little funny, actually." Takemichi smiled softly. "I didn't really know him all that well before... you know. But now I feel like he's my second partner, like Chifuyu is."
"So... when you go back to the future, does he go with you, or...?"
"He does, though we have to be careful not to get separated."

When he'd realized that Baji wasn't with him upon his return to 2017, he'd felt a mix of loss and fear. Had he been left in 2005, or had he disappeared? The question had been in the back of his mind throughout the entirety of the day. Seeing him again made him cry with relief.

"I see." Ryouko had an almost disappointed look on her face.

"You've moved out, by the way." Baji said as he returned to the living room.

Takemichi grabbed Ryouko's hand.

"Getting a little bold there, kid." Ryouko said as she gave him a dry smile.
"Baji was saying you'd moved out in 2017."

"I didn't have enough time to find out where you were, though." Baji said as Ryouko opened her mouth. "I don't know if you moved back in with Grandma or got married, or what."

Ryouko was quiet for a few seconds before asking a question that neither Takemichi nor Baji really wanted to answer.

"Why'd you come back?"

Surprisingly, it was Takemichi, rather than Baji who finally answered.

"The future we went to... wasn't a happy one."

Ryouko looked at both of them, but didn't ask for any elaboration.

"Are Chifuyu and I the only ones who know about this?"

When Takemichi nodded, she asked why he hadn't told any of the others.

"I mean..." Takemichi looked away. "Prior to this, I didn't really have any proof. When Draken was in danger, I tried to act in secret, and not only did he still get stabbed, but Mikey actually got a little suspicious of me."
"Chifuyu believed you even before you told him about me." Baji protested. "And Mikey would have, too!"
"Hey, you agreed that we ought to keep it a secret!"

"I mean, there are some issues with telling someone that you're from a future where things went horribly." Ryouko interjected.

Learning that a horrible future could come about from something as simple as one person dying would be anxiety-inducing. Someone might become overprotective of their loved ones out of a fear of something bad happening to them. Worst case scenario, they might do something drastic, and that in and of itself could lead to things going wrong.

"Plus, the more people who find out, the bigger the risk that it ends up slipping out to the wrong ears." She finished.

Both Takemichi and Baji shuddered at the thought of Kisaki learning about what Takemichi was doing.

'He'd probably try to kill me here in 2005.'
"Hn..." Baji tried to push the thought of Kisaki out of his mind.

Ryouko watched them both carefully, taking note of their reactions. Rather than ask them to explain, she decided to change the topic to any abilities Baji might have now. Welcoming this, the two boys went into a detailed explanation.

"So... how many times have you possessed him?"
"Only a couple times!" Baji, said defensively. "And most of those were testing to see if we could or how to get out of it. The only time we got a chance to do it outside of that is when I wanted to talk to Chifuyu."

Takemichi glanced at the clock on the kitchen counter.

"It's been almost an hour since Chifuyu and Mikey left." He said with a frown. "It couldn't have taken him that long to explain things to him, could it?"
"Eh, Mikey's probably giving Chifuyu a hard time." Baji shrugged. "He seemed kinda mad at him when you were out of it."

He had thought that was odd. It wasn't like Chifuyu had done anything that night that Takemichi himself hadn't done. Then again, he'd apparently shown up because Emma was upset about Takemichi breaking up with Hinata, and he didn't seem all that agitated until Hakkai brought up the possiblity of Chifuyu and Takemichi having THAT sort of relationship. And, given that Mikey seemed weirdly invested in Takemichi's relationship with Hinata, which was still a thing when that happened, that would have been cheating.

It seemed strange to get mad at Chifuyu and not Takemichi, but Baji had to admit that Mikey wasn't always the most rational person anyway.

"Do your parents even know where you are?" Ryouko's voice disrupted Baji's train of thought. "I doubt you told them where you were going."

Takemichi and Chifuyu had both told their parents that they were spending the night at a friend's house. Takemichi had even given an explanation that he was worried because a friend of his friend had died a few weeks earlier, and he wanted to keep him company.

"I should probably get going, though. Gotta make sure Mikey isn't being too hard on Chifuyu."
"Wait!" Ryouko exclaimed. "Before you go..."

She hesitated with an expression that Takemichi got the impression wasn't one she made often. He looked at Baji and saw that he was making an identical face.

'Ah.'

He smiled.

'Baji. Come here.'

Baji winced, suddenly seeming more vulnerable than Takemichi had ever seen him. He moved slowly to overlap himself over Takemichi's body as the latter closed his eyes.

The person who opened Takemichi's eyes wasn't him, and it was obvious to Ryouko just by looking at how his demeanor changed. Before she could move, however, the boy's body crashed into hers, squeezing her in a way that she hadn't been since her son was little.

Takemichi was closer in height to her, so his face was buried in her shoulder rather than her head.

"I'm sorry." The way his voice quivered might have fooled Takemichi's friends into thinking it was him, but Ryouko understood that it was her son speaking to her.

She wrapped her arms around him, too, squeezing as though he might vanish she didn't.

"For what?" She asked shakily.
"For being a bad son."

Ryouko gave a wet laugh.

"That's my line. I'm sorry for not always being the best mother to you."

Now it was Baji's turn to laugh.

"The hell are you talking about, you crazy woman?" He said, tears streaming down Takemichi's face. "I know I was a pretty terrible son, but I've never not been proud that you were my mom."
"Quit stealing my lines, you idiot."

It was another fifteen minutes before Baji relinquished control back to Takemichi. By then, both Takemichi's and Ryouko's faces were red and wet.

"Sorry, kid. You're gonna have a lot to explain to Chifuyu and Manjiro." Ryouko's smile only looked a little forced. "But... thank you."
"I hope this helped a little bit."
"It did. I'm not gonna beg you to stay in 2005, but... I wouldn't mind if you stopped by when you head back to 2017."

Takemichi nodded before leaving the apartment. He walked down the stairs to the second floor where he was met with the sight of someone in the hallway.

"Mikey?"
"Welcome back, Takemitchy!" Mikey grinned at him, but frowned when he looked at his face. "Are you... done talking to Ryouko-san?"
"Y-Yeah." Takemichi nodded. "She was... telling me some stories about Baji and I got a little emotional."

Mikey gave a fond laugh before asking what Takemichi was planning on doing for the rest of the night.

"I told my parents I was spending the night at Chifuyu's."

Mikey's expression was unreadable at that statement. He didn't seem angry, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Well, now you're spending the night with me!" He declared.
"Huh?!"
"I already told Chifuyu. That's his punishment from the commander."

Mikey turned and started to walk toward the stairs. He stopped for a second before looking back at Takemichi.

"You're going to have to scold him, too."
"What do you mean?"
"He'll explain it to you in the morning." Mikey walked back to Takemichi, who hadn't moved, and grabbed his hand. "Come on!"

Contrary to his earlier bad mood, Mikey seemed almost chipper.

"I called Emma and told her to tell Hina to head on to bed, and that you'd talk to her in the morning. You're gonna be busy tomorrow."

The ride to the Sano dojo was short (Mikey had told Takemichi it was in the same neighborhood after all). After parking by a storehouse, Mikey led Takemichi inside.

"Huh? There's a couch and a bed?"
"This used to be my bro's storehouse, but it's my room now." Mikey explained. "I used to watch him fix bikes in here."

Baji watched Mikey head to his drawer, presumably to get pajamas, before stopping.

"But we're not talking about my bro right now." He said seriously before gesturing for Takemichi to sit down on the couch. "We're talking about you."

Takemichi obeyed, and Mikey sat next to him.

"Emma told me some other things she heard from Hina. Did you meet with her dad recently?"
"Y-yeah." Takemichi said before explaining the conversation they'd had.

Mikey was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"I guess I can kinda see his point." He said, leaning his head back. "You'd never lay a hand on her, but there are plenty of others who would if you pissed them off."

Mikey frowned at the idea of someone hurting Hinata, remembering what had happened to the girlfriend of Pah-chin's friend, and what Draken had told him in the hospital. Baji was remembering the same incident; he'd never met either the friend or his girlfriend, but Pah-chin knew both of them quite well, and could barely keep his head up talking about what had happened. In hindsight, it was little wonder that he'd go after Osanai with a knife.

"But, getting back to what you told her..." Mikey said abruptly. "Is there... any truth to it?"
"I..."

Rather than give him a chance to answer, Mikey kept going.

"You told her it was someone in Toman, right?" He demanded. "Were you really only holding hands with Chifuyu because it was cold? Or..."
"Yes, Mikey!" Takemichi groaned in frustration as Baji laughed. "Chifuyu even complained that he wasn't gonna be able to get a date because of our plan to take down Taiju!"
"I don't know, I think fighting side-by-side with your lover sounds pretty romantic!"

Takemichi told Baji to shut up as Mikey unknowingly laughed along with him. When he stopped, he looked away for a moment.

"Are you going to get back together with her?"

Mikey was now staring at Takemichi intently. Baji was looking at him curiously, too.

"You said you wanted it to be a clean break, right?"
'Y-yeah, but...'

"I... wouldn't mind getting back together with her." Takemichi finally admitted. "But I'd also accept it if she refused."

He remembered their breakup all those years earlier; being used as a gopher for Kiyomasa and his lackeys ate into Takemichi's time and ensured that the portion spent with Hinata grew smaller and smaller. By the time their last year in junior high began, she'd had enough, and asked to break up with a sad, but resolved look on her face. Takemichi had accepted it without complaint. Even back then, he'd recognized that he hadn't been a good boyfriend, and the fact that the relationship nearly made it to a year was astonishing.

Their relationship was better now that Kiyomasa had been taken down, but knowing that she'd be killed in the future while simultaneously not knowing why was almost paralyzingly frustrating and terrifying. He really wished he'd been able to get some actual answers out of Kisaki.

A quick glance at Baji forced Takemichi to purge that thought from his mind, not wanting to risk Baji getting angry. Sure, he could close his thoughts, but he didn't want to risk it.

In truth, Baji was more bothered by how the conversation was progressing, but couldn't pinpoint where the issue was. Mikey, meanwhile, stood up and walked toward the dresser.

"Let's get out of our uniforms and talk about something else." He said with a sense of finality.
"...Is it whatever you wanted to talk about the other day?"

Baji was surprised at how bold Takemichi was to bring that up, but he was even more surprised at how Mikey's eyes simply widened before he gave a pouty look to Takemichi.

"Well played, Takemitchy." He said, his pout turning into a smirk. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you planned this."

Takemichi gave an awkward laugh as Mikey pulled two pairs of pajamas out of his drawer and handed one to him. The two were close enough in height that Mikey's clothes should fit him easily. Once the two were out of their uniforms and into the pajamas, they sat back on the couch.

"Was there any reason you didn't want to talk about it while my parents were home?" Takemichi asked.

Mikey's eye twitched ever-so-slightly as he realized that Takemichi had figured him out.

"Eh, y'know..." He grinned. "I feel weird talking about that kinda stuff when parents can walk in."

Even without Baji's soft "Liar" hitting his ear, Takemichi could tell that Mikey wasn't being honest. He got the distinct impression that calling him out on it wouldn't be productive, so he let it slide.

"Is it... something you can't talk about with your family? Where are your parents?"
"Haven't got any." Mikey said. "It's just me, Gramps, and Emma."

He let Takemichi take the info in as Baji explained that Mikey's father had died when he was still really little, and his mother had died of illness when he was in elementary school.

"So your grandpa raised you?"
"Pretty much." Mikey nodded. "Emma and I have different moms, so we lived separately until her mom dumped her with us about ten years ago."

When Takemichi didn't react, Mikey gave him a puzzled look, but didn't comment on it.

"In a lot ways, my bro was the one who raised us." He continued with a wistful look in his eyes. "He was ten years older than me, so we followed him everywhere. He taught us a lot."

He fell silent for a moment, looking down into his hands. Takemichi took the chance to look at Baji, who unsurprisingly looked very uncomfortable.

"He should be here right now, but he's not." Mikey finally spoke up again. "And when I think about that, my mind just sorta goes blank and I don't know what's going on."
"Mikey..." Baji sounded worried.

Mikey took a deep breath.

"And when I'm like that... I don't know right from wrong."

'So Mikey does know about his inner darkness.'
"Yeah. I've... seen it even before this all went down."

Mikey didn't say anything for a couple minutes before he abruptly changed the subject.

"You know, my bro was the leader of a motorcycle gang even though he sucked at fighting."
"Huh?! No way!" Takemichi gasped. "You're kidding!"
"Nope." Mikey smiled proudly. "Even if he couldn't fight, people still gathered around him."

Baji nodded as Mikey explained how much faith Shinichiro's men had in him. He suspected it was far more than Shiba Taiju's men did.

"That's just like you, Mikey!" Takemichi said.

Normally Mikey would have eaten that sort of praise up, but when he looked at Takemichi, his smile looked almost sad.

"No, I'm actually weak." He mumbled. "But you're strong, Takemitchy."
"What?" Takemichi gave Mikey a skeptical look, as though debating whether or not to check Mikey's head for a fever. Mikey chuckled before explaining,

"Winning fights isn't what's really important. What matters is not losing to yourself."

Takemichi knew full well that he was weak, but he refused to give in, even to the leader of the Black Dragons. Mikey grinned slightly as he said that, no doubt thinking of what would happen if Takemichi were to fight Shinichiro. It passed quickly, and he gave Takemichi a serious look.

"Hey, can you promise me something?" He asked. "Whenever I feel like I'm gonna snap and lose sight of myself... Can you scold me, Takemitchy?"
"Scold you?"
"Like my bro would have!" Mikey smiled again.

Baji frowned as Takemichi tearfully promised to do so.

Mikey jumped off the couch.

"Well, it's already late and you've got a busy day tomorrow!" He declared. "Since you're a guest, I'll let you take the bed!"

Takemichi turned to look at the bed. It didn't look that small. It might be a bit of a tight fit, but it wasn't like either of them was that tall. Surely they could both fit.

"You don't have to do that, Mikey!" He said, holding his hand up. "There should be enough room for both of us. Or, I could stay on the couch."

But Mikey shook his head.

"I move around a lot in my sleep, so I'd probably keep you up."

That wasn't entirely true; sure, Mikey moved around a little, but it wasn't like he was constantly kicking or anything.

"It's cold, though."
"It's fine, Takemitchy."

That was the tone Mikey used when the argument was done. Baji recognized it, and Takemichi recognized it. Rather than let it go and get into bed, however, Takemichi said,

"At least promise you'll get in bed if it gets too cold."

Mikey opened his mouth (whether to argue or to threaten Takemichi into bed, Baji couldn't say), but closed it and let out a sigh.

"Alright, Takemitchy."

Mikey lasted half an hour before getting off the couch and crawling into bed with Takemichi, who was still awake but feigned being asleep. Baji, who had been lost in thought while looking around the grounds, returned inside when he noticed movement.

"I knew that was gonna happen." Baji snickered.
'He's already out like a light.' Takemichi smiled as Mikey curled into him. 'I wonder if he did this with his brother when he was little?'
"I remember Shinichiro once got on his case about it, so I bet it happened plenty of times."

The two were silent before Takemichi found the nerve to say more about Shinichiro.

'I didn't know he led a motorcycle gang.'
"Yeah." Baji nodded. "He was actually the founder of the very gang we defeated a few hours ago. The Black Dragons."

He'd almost been afraid that such news would startle Takemichi enough that he'd start shouting, but Takemichi simply gave him a surprised look.

'Really?'
"Yeah."

Baji explained that they had kept it a secret when Toman took down the ninth generation, figuring it would be a hindrance if word got out. According to Mikey, they had Shinichiro's full permission to do so, since the eighth generation had changed it so much.

"Mikey said it was because they weren't as cool as they'd been when they first formed, and I wanted to take 'em down because of what happened with Kazutora, but..." Baji paused. "When I asked him about it, Mikey said that he thought Shinichiro knew more than he was letting on."
'I mean, the Black Dragons probably meant a lot to him.'

Of course they did! Because of the Black Dragons, Shinichiro ended up meeting a lot of his closest friends.

"Maybe I'll tell you about them sometime." Baji grinned. "But right now, you need to get to sleep."

He looked down to see Takemichi looking at him with a befuddled expression.

"What?"
'You've never talked all that much about Mikey's brother before.'

Takemichi was curious about the man, but had refrained from bringing him up because he knew it would bring back bad memories for Baji. It was why he didn't ask Mikey about him unprompted either.

"I appreciate the thought, but you don't have to walk on eggshells around me like that." Baji scoffed. "I'm not so broken that hearing his name is gonna make me fall apart."
'Whatever you say, Baji.' Takemichi smiled as he closed his eyes.

Baji drifted outside again. He spotted a stray cat that liked to sleep under the floor of the dojo and gestured for it to come over. The cat moved closer, but didn't get so close that he'd be able to touch it if he were alive.

"It's been awhile, huh?" He knelt down to give it a better look. "Sorry I can't feed you anymore."

The cat had never let him pet it, but he knew that it was happy to eat whatever food was left for it.

"Still, it looks like Mikey's been feeding you since I died. Or is it Emma?"

The cat turned its nose up at him, as though offended at the suggestion that Baji's death would keep it from getting a good meal. Baji watched it groom itself before scampering off to the dojo. It had been about an hour, but the sun wouldn't rise for at least a few more.

At one point, Baji thought he heard movement in Mikey's room, but chalked it up to the wind blowing against the metal shack.

Once the sun had finally risen, Baji's attention was grabbed by noise in the main house. Emma did most of the cooking, but sometimes the old man would do it. Judging by the way Emma was walking to Mikey's room while yawning, today was one of those days.

"Mikey!" She knocked on the door. "Wake up! It's time for breakfast!"

A few seconds later, a loud thump came from inside Mikey's room.

"Emma...?" Takemichi's sleepy voice called out.

Emma got a surprised look on her face and opened the door. When she entered the room and caught sight of Takemichi on the floor, she gasped.

"Takemitchy?!"

By now, Mikey had sat up on... the couch? Emma turned her gaze to her brother, her eyes wide.

"Mikey, you..."

Her words trailed off. Whatever she had been about to say, she'd decided wasn't worth it.

"Breakfast is ready." She said in a restrained voice. "I'll get another seat ready for Takemitchy."

Then she turned and walked back into the house.

After Takemichi and Mikey regained their wits, they entered the house, where breakfast was a tense affair.

Sano Mansaku, if he noticed the atmosphere between all three of the people at the table, chose not to comment on it, and instead spent breakfast lecturing Mikey on the importance of making sure everyone was on the same page. They fortunately had made enough for four people, but if they hadn't breakfast might have been delayed. Baji suspected he understood why Emma was angry, but what bothered him was the fact that things seemed awkward between Mikey and Takemichi, too. Mikey had barely said a word, and he was refusing to even look at Takemichi.

Emma finished first, and stood up announcing that she was going to call Hinata to the dojo so she and Takemichi could talk.

"Make sure you're ready." She said, giving Takemichi a stern look.
"And after that, we're gonna go to Chifuyu's apartment to talk to him." Mikey said before Takemichi could respond. "Make sure you're ready for that, too."

Takemichi, for his part, looked down into his lap.

"Have you made up your mind on what you're going to do?"

Baji received no indication that Takemichi had even heard his question, which told Baji that he hadn't. Baji sighed before telling him,

"Just make sure you don't do anything you're gonna regret."

Takemichi's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

The Sano siblings waited for Hinata's arrival in Mikey's room with Takemichi. None of them spoke, and it was obvious that none of them were in a particularly good mood; Takemichi's expression hadn't changed since breakfast, and he was refusing to speak to anyone, including Baji. Mikey was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling deep in thought. Emma, who'd initially seemed the angriest, had ironically started to calm down.

When her phone rang, she answered without checking to see who it was.

"Are you here, Hina?" She asked calmly. "We're all in Mikey's room. You remember how I told you about the shed? That's where it is."

After hanging up, she told Mikey to come with her to her room.

"While they're talking things through, we're going to have a little chat of our own."

There was no room for argument in her voice. It was times like this that Baji was really reminded that she was Mikey's sister.

A knock on the door announced Hinata's arrival. Emma opened the door, and she stepped in.

"Thank you for having me, Emma, Mikey." She smiled and greeted them politely though she seemed a bit stiff as she looked at Mikey.
"And now it's time for the two of us to make our exit." Emma returned her smile as she grabbed Mikey by the arm.

The door shut, leaving Takemichi alone with Hinata.

'Baji.' Takemichi finally spoke to him. 'Can you leave us alone, too?'

Baji gave him a surprised look, but nodded and moved outside. He spotted Emma and Mikey entering the house and scowled. Since Emma's room (if he remembered correctly) was a decent distance from Mikey's room, Baji would likely just get flung back to Takemichi if he tried to follow them. So much for eavesdropping on them.

The cat was currently sleeping under the dojo, and Baji didn't want to disturb it. The only thing he could do was sit near the window and wait for Takemichi's conversation to finish.

He and Hinata were keeping their voices rather quiet, presumably because he realized that Baji would try to eavesdrop.

In contrast, it didn't take long for Baji to hear what sounded like shouting coming from the direction of Emma's room. The old man had mentioned at breakfast that he was visiting a friend, so Emma presumably felt no need to conceal her voice. Baji had always known her to be rather opinionated, so he wasn't surprised that she was yelling. What concerned him was the fact that she was yelling at Mikey.

The two of them had been close almost right from the moment Emma arrived, and their arguments were usually over petty disagreements and the occasional eating of each other's snack. The fact that this argument was likely over something serious was bad enough, but the fact that Baji had no idea what it was about made it worse.

Not wanting to dwell on it, Baji peeked into the window.

Hinata was sitting at an angle where she'd be able to see him if she grabbed Takemichi's hand, but Takemichi was sitting on the part of the couch that had his back facing the window. In other words, if someone incorporeal were to slide into the room through the wall and under the couch...

Part of Baji's mind said not to do it: Takemichi clearly wanted to speak about this issue with Hinata on his own, and Baji should respect that, especially since he already agreed to do so. Besides, it wasn't really his business if he got back together with Hinata or not.

Another part told him that Takemichi's relationship was absolutely Baji's business because Baji was going to be with Takemichi for the rest of his life. If anything, it was actually stupid and rude of Takemichi to not keep him in the loop.

Baji wrestled with his own conscience for a minute before slowly drifting into Mikey's room, careful not to make contact with Takemichi or Hinata. He probably should have simply crawled in through the wall with the door, since that would have placed him right behind Hinata while keeping him out of Takemichi's line of sight, but it was too late to go back now.

"I mean, I do see where your dad's coming from." Takemichi was speaking calmly. "I am a delinquent, and Toman has gotten into a lot of serious trouble the past few months."
"I know. I was there the night Draken got stabbed, remember?"
"And just a couple months later, another one of the captains actually died."

Hinata shuffled in her seat.

"Baji Keisuke... Right? Emma was really upset."
"He's her and Mikey's childhood friend."

Hinata was quiet for a moment.

"...It's not like I don't know the risks." She finally spoke. "I've heard stories from girls who've heard stories."

Ah, the gossip mill. Truly an endless source of drama.

"Yeah, you're smart, Hina. So you have to know just how dangerous it is to-"
"Takemichi, I recall asking you a question when we started talking." Hinata interrupted. "And since you still haven't given me an answer, let me rephrase it and tie it in to the current topic."

She stood up, causing Baji to instinctively make himself smaller despite knowing she couldn't see him.

"Did you break up with me because you're scared I'll get hurt or did you break up with me because I'm a girl?"

That... should have been an obvious answer, shouldn't it? Takemichi should have already told her that he'd lied the other day if he was planning to get back together. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Did something happen between you and Mikey?" Hinata continued. "Is he the one who helped you "figure yourself out"?"
"What makes you so sure it was Mikey?" Takemichi said, giving a humorless laugh. "Hakkai thinks it was Chifuyu!"

Hinata took a deep breath. Baji couldn't see her face, so he couldn't even begin to guess what was going through her mind.

"N-Nothing." She said, shaking her head. "It just seemed like you and Mikey were close, that's all. I'm having a hard time imagining it could be anyone else in Toman."
"You barely know anyone else in Toman."

After a pause, Hinata spoke again.

"Is it Kisaki?"

It took every bit of Baji's self-control (which wasn't a lot in the first place) to refrain from yelling at the girl that she had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

"NO!" Takemichi, thankfully, did it for him. "No, it has never been Kisaki!"

The disgust in his voice was clear, and that pleased Baji. To the surprise of them both, however, Hinata laughed.

"Wow, maybe the two of you really don't get along!" She said between breaths.

Eventually, Takemichi allowed himself to laugh as well. When the laughter died down, the two sat in silence for a few minutes before Hinata spoke again.

"Maybe we've been going about this the wrong way." She sounded calmer now. "I probably should have asked if you stopped liking me."
"I... don't think I have." Takemichi said hesitantly.
"Then perhaps we could keep going until you know for sure?"

The sound of them reconciling was... annoying to Baji. He couldn't explain why. Before he could stop himself, he reached his hand through the couch through Hinata's torso.

"Hina?"
"I-It's okay, Takemichi!" Hina held her arms up to reassure him. "I just... felt really cold all of a sudden."
"What?"

The way Takemichi's voice dropped a couple octaves told Baji that he'd been found out.

'Leave.'

Baji had never found Takemichi intimidating and he still didn't. Despite this, he still felt like he needed to get out of the room. Before he could, however, the door slammed open.

"Mikey!" He heard Emma's exasperated voice.

Mikey ignored both his sister and the flabbergasted stares of both Takemichi and Hinata, barging into his room like there was no one else there. He grabbed his keys and helmet before storming out. Shortly after, the sound of his CB250T signaled that he was leaving. Baji heard Emma trying to argue with him, but Mikey said nothing and drove off. Emma groaned in frustration before entering the room.

"Hina, Takemitchy, I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, Emma!" Hinata reassured her. "I think Takemichi and I have finished up!"
"Finished...?"

Emma looked at the smile on Hinata's face, which soon spread to hers.

"Are you guys back together?"
"I think we are." Hinata beamed at her. "I better go tell my parents."

Before leaving, she turned to Takemichi.

"Let's go to the shrine together on New Year's!"
"Y-yeah, sure!" Takemichi returned her smile, though with less enthusiasm.

Hinata didn't look encouraged by this, but she stepped toward him and kissed him on the cheek anyway before departing.

"Hey, can I talk to you before you head out too?" Emma raised her hand to grab Takemichi's attention. "Just for a second."
"Sure..." Takemichi gave a quick glance to Baji. "What's wrong?"

Emma explained that while Mikey had talked like they were both going to Chifuyu's house, it was probably just going to be Takemichi.

"I... kinda upset him."
"What happened?" Takemichi asked. "Is it something I could help with?"

Emma gave him a sad look before shaking her head.

"It's not my place to tell you."

Was this something she had decided on her own? Or had Mikey asked her not to say anything?

As Takemichi turned to leave, Emma stopped him again.

"And... I want to apologize for what I did the day we met."

Takemichi stopped in his tracks as he remembered that day. He still wasn't sure what was going through his mind that led to him agreeing to that.

"I'm... not sure I'm the one to apologize to for that." He said. "I still don't understand why I agreed to it, but it was my fault, too. Hina's the one you should apologize to."
"And I did." Emma nodded. "I'm amazed she was even willing to be friends after that. It's just..."

She paused.

"I guess it never really hit me until just now how terrible it was of me to try luring a guy who told me he had a girlfriend into doing that." Emma looked at the ground. "I guess I was just too blind to see it."

The walk to Chifuyu's apartment was silent.

Takemichi was still angry, and Baji could tell that he wouldn't respond to anything he said, so he decided not to bother. Besides, there would be plenty of time to hash out their problems with Chifuyu.

Chifuyu's mother, Matsuno Haruna, had a stern face, but she was a bit more of a worrywart than his own mother. The first words out of her mouth upon opening the door were asking Takemichi if he needed to go to the hospital.

"I'm fine!" Takemichi smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Matsuno-san."

Chifuyu, hearing Takemichi's voice, came out to greet him.

"Good to see ya in one piece." He grinned at him. "Ryouko-san wasn't too hard on you?"
"No, it went well."

As Haruna left to run a few errands, Chifuyu led Takemichi to his room. Once they were both seated with their backs to the bed, Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's hand and asked how it went.

"Like I said, it went well."
"She took it better than I thought she would."

Before Chifuyu could ask for more details, however, Baji said,

"I wish you'd have let me know what you were up to beforehand, though."

Chifuyu got an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Baji. It was my idea."
"Yeah, that's what I figured." Baji nodded. "Mom's worried about you."
"She said you keep brushing her off when she asks you how you're doing."

Feeling put on the spot, Chifuyu said that helping Ryouko keep his mind off of things.

"Chifuyu..."
"Look, I get that it's probably not good for me to keep it bottled up, but I think getting involved in all this is helping!"
"Is that why you took a knife with you to the fight last night?"

Takemichi, who hadn't had the opportunity to take a close look at Chifuyu when he was putting his hand in his pocket, froze.

"What?"

Despite the fact that he had to have known this was coming, Chifuyu looked like a deer in headlights at the accusation.

"Chifuyu. Where is it."

It was not a question. It was an order from his captain.

"Th-The drawer." Chifuyu finally answered, lowering his head.

"Go get it." Takemichi finally recovered and released his hold on Chifuyu's hand.

Reluctantly, Chifuyu stood up and retrieved the knife. Looking at the colors as he handed it to Takemichi, Baji noted that it appeared to be the same brand that he had used.

"What were you going to do with this, Chifuyu?" Takemichi's voice was blank as he used his free hand to hold Chifuyu's.
"If it got down to it, I was going to take Taiju out myself." Chifuyu looked Takemichi straight in the eye. "And if Kisaki had gone into the fight with us, and pulled what he did, I would have done the same to him."

Come to think of it, Baji had seen Chifuyu put his hand in his pocket during moments where it looked particularly bad.

"And what was your plan for after that?"
"I don't fucking know, Takemitchy!" Chifuyu looked down again. "I know Ryouko-san was on standby to call the cops, but I wanted to make sure nothing happened to you guys!"
"You didn't think we could pull it off?"
"Oh, like you didn't nearly give up when Mitsuya said he didn't call Mikey!" Chifuyu exclaimed with a glare.

"He's got a point." Baji, sensing that Chifuyu was getting emotional, tried to play peacemaker.
"Shut up, Baji!" Takemichi snapped. "Just sit there and listen! You've already been doing plenty of that today, so you might as well keep going!"
"Oh, NOW you want me to listen, huh?!"

Now that the focus was off of him, Chifuyu looked between Baji and Takemichi.

"Did... something happen?"

Neither said a word. Not to Chifuyu nor to each other. That in and of itself was as good as a confirmation to him. The trouble was, he had no context for what it was. Had they been lying about things going well with Ryouko? Did something happen at Mikey's house?

"What happened?" He asked again.
"Nothing important." Takemichi finally answered. "Baji just didn't do something I asked him to, is all."
"Hey, you told me you wanted to make a clean break with your girlfriend!" Baji fired back. "What was with you getting back together with her?!"
"That's none of your business, Baji!"

Chifuyu opened his mouth to comment, but Baji was already shouting that Takemichi's relationship was his business. Had he already forgotten that the two of them were stuck together?

"Believe me, I'm fully aware of that! Though I have to say, right now I kind of wish I could forget!"
"Hey!" Chifuyu shouted.

He glanced at Baji, who flinched slightly, but recovered just as fast. In fact, he almost seemed angrier now. He and Takemichi braced themselves for whatever biting remark Baji was about to say... but it never came. Baji just seemed to sit there, fuming. It was almost frightening. Chifuyu had never seen him like that before. Takemichi lowered his head, groaning as he did so.

"Takemitchy!" He called out.

He flipped his head to Baji, yelling for him to calm down.

Baji continued to stare at Takemichi for several seconds that felt like hours. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. Within a few minutes, Takemichi was able to raise his head.

"Are you... okay?" Chifuyu asked.
"Y-Yeah."

Baji stood up and stormed out of the room.

"Baji!" Chifuyu shouted, but Takemichi shook his head. "But-
"Let him finish cooling off."

Chifuyu wasn't happy to hear that, but he was more concerned with the fact that Takemichi still looked out of it. He ordered him to lie on the bed while he went to get a wet rag. Because he'd let go of Takemichi's hand, he had no way of knowing where Baji was as he moved through the apartment. When he returned, he placed the rag on Takemichi's forehead before kneeling by his bed.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Takemichi explained what had happened during his conversation with Hinata, though he left out most of the specifics of their conversation. Just as it wasn't Baji's business, it wasn't Chifuyu's business, either.

"I see. You guys are back together, then?"
"For now we are."
"And that's what's bothering Baji?"

Takemichi couldn't say. Sure, Baji had told him that he didn't like playing third wheel on their dates, but he didn't seem opposed to their relationship. He didn't even seem to object to the idea of them getting back together, though he had agreed with Takemichi's initial desire to make it a permanent breakup so Hinata could move on.

"Does he not like Hina?"
"I don't think that's what's going on."

Baji had never shown that much of an opinion on Hinata as a person beyond saying she was a good girl. He'd even agreed that she deserved to live a happy life. What could have changed?

"I don't have an answer for that." Baji said as he returned the room. "I haven't really thought all that much about her since the other night."
"You're the one who told me to say those things to her." Takemichi said without sitting up, only opening his hand so Chifuyu could take it. "But you didn't really react to me actually breaking up with her beyond trying to pull her off of me."

Chifuyu gave Takemichi a surprised look at that statement, but because the rag was over his eyes, Takemichi couldn't see it.

"Maybe you're not all that interested in Hina, but didn't it bother you seeing her cry?"
"I was more worried about the guy letting his ex beat him up while he was lying in the snow."

Takemichi's body grew stiff.

"I mean, I basically said I'd cheated on her, right?" He said in a huff. "Wouldn't that make you mad?"
"Yeah, but I don't think the cops would accept it as an excuse if you beat her up."

Takemichi opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out.

"Look, I don't hate Hinata." Baji said. "I just... don't think I like her all that much."

After a moment where no one was saying anything, Chifuyu finally asked if Takemichi was feeling better.

"I am." Takemichi pulled the rag off of his face as he sat up. He smiled at Chifuyu in thanks.

Just like before, he planned to remain in 2005 for a couple weeks to make sure everything was okay.

"Alright." Chifuyu sounded a little disappointed, but nodded. "Are you gonna head home? Do you need me to walk you?"
"I didn't get much sleep last night, but I'll be okay." Takemichi said as he stood up. "Besides, I don't want to risk anyone catching sight of us and getting the wrong idea."
"Yeah, I think Mikey would probably run me over."

Takemichi laughed before grabbing the knife off of Chifuyu's desk, where he'd placed it before lying down.

"I'm confiscating this." Takemichi grinned at him. "As both your captain and your friend."
"Besides." Baji added. "We've saved the future. It's not like you'll need it anymore."

Chifuyu's eyes grew wet, but he laughed in agreement.

When Takemichi arrived at home, his father was reading the newspaper.

"Welcome back." He said, greeting his son with a smile. "How is your friend doing?"
"He's doing okay. I think he's starting to cheer up a little."
"That's good. You two weren't up too late, were you?"

Takemichi laughed and said he was guilty as charged.

"Well, you're on break, so I suppose you could sleep in a little later, but don't stay in bed all morning or you won't sleep tonight."
"Got it, Dad. Thanks."

Once inside his room, neither he nor Baji said anything to each other. After a couple minutes of waiting, Takemichi decided to just get into bed and go to sleep.

They hadn't really made up yet. Baji suspected that Takemichi was still sore over what he'd said about Hinata, even if what he'd said had been accurate.

Then again, it was also possible that Takemichi's head was still hurting.

"Hey... You are okay, right?" He asked suddenly.

Takemichi pushed the covers down slightly and gave him a scowl.

"What...?"
"Your head. Does it still hurt?"

Takemichi snorted and pulled the covers over his head.

'Right now the only headache you're giving me is trying to talk when I'm trying to sleep.'

There was annoyance in his voice, but there didn't seem to be any venom behind his words. He sounded like he'd been woken up by a friend who wanted to hang out. Here Baji had been worrying over nothing. Now in the mood for a little payback, Baji decided to ask,

"Did something happen between you and Mikey last night?"

Takemichi didn't move.

"Last I saw, he was in bed with you, but this morning he was on the couch."

The covers rolled off of Takemichi's face, revealing a concerned expression.

'I don't know. At some point, he woke me up when he got out of bed.'

Still half-asleep, Takemichi grabbed for Mikey's hand, only for Mikey to yank it back like Takemichi was made of fire.

'He said he got too hot, but I think he might have actually had a nightmare or something.'
"A nightmare?"
'Yeah. It was dark, but I could see he had a scared look on his face when he turned to look at me.'

That was certainly cause for concern.

"Do you have any idea what might have caused it?"
'I don't know. It's not like dreams are known for being logical.'

After a moment, Takemichi sighed.

'Baji, I really do want to get some sleep, so can we talk about this later?'
"...Fine."

A few minutes later, Takemichi was asleep, leaving Baji alone with his thoughts.

Chapter Text

The days building up to the new year were uneventful.

Most contact with the other Toman members was over the phone. After the clash with the Black Dragons, nobody felt like moving around all that much.

Takemichi and Baji's routine slowly returned to normal, not because they'd actually resolved their issues (or even identified them), but because boredom became too much.

On New Year's Eve, Takemichi met up with Hinata and the two made their way to Musashi Shrine, which was filled with visitors waiting to greet 2006.

"I wonder if Mitsuya and the others made it?" Takemichi mused.

As if summoned, Mitsuya's voice called out from behind him. With him was Hakkai, Yuzuha, and two little girls.

"Damn. Luna's sprouting up like a weed." Baji laughed.

"Mitsuya, are these your little sisters?" Takemichi looked at the girls before kneeling down. "They're adorable! How old are you?"
"I'm not a little kid, dummy." Luna replied.
"Dummy." Mana repeated.

As Luna and Mana fawned over Hinata, Takemichi demanded to know how Mitsuya was raising them. Mitsuya looked away and pretended not to hear him.

After a quick discussion revealing that Yuzuha and Hakkai had completely recovered, Hinata was dragged further into the shrine grounds by Mitsuya's sisters.

"Well, there goes my date." Takemichi sighed.
"Sorry about that, Takemitchy." Mitsuya pat him on the back. "But you two can go on a date any time, right?"

Hakkai and Yuzuha stayed back for a minute to talk (and whatever Yuzuha said shocked Hakkai greatly), but eventually the group made its way to the front, where they could purchase an ema. When Hinata expressed an interest in what wish Takemichi wrote on his, he shyly tried to hide it, claiming that it wouldn't come true if he let anyone see it.

Naturally, Mitsuya and Hakkai immediately began to close in on him, wanting to see it. In his attempt to keep it hidden, Takemichi accidentally threw it several feet behind him.

When it landed in front of Chifuyu (who was with Peh-yan), Takemichi attempted to get it back, only for Chifuyu to throw it on reflex.

Before long, the ruckus attracted the attention of Mucho and Smiley who joined with the other four in chasing Takemichi.

Did Angry stay home or something? Baji wondered when he caught sight of that.

Finally, the ema was picked up by Mikey, who was with Draken and Emma. As he moved to hand it over to the now-desperate Takemichi, however, the countdown began. Once the others arrived, Mikey suggested they all jump together, and the ema ended up thrown to the side.

In the end, though, Takemichi was able to grab it and hang it up without anyone else catching sight of the wish, including Baji.

"Come on, tell me what you wrote!" He complained as he and Takemichi made their way home.
"No!" Takemichi insisted. "The way I worded it is really embarrassing!"

A few more days passed, and the time came for the first meeting of the Tokyo Manji Gang of 2006.

'It's gonna be a long one, I bet.' Takemichi said as he climbed the steps to Musashi Shrine.
"Well, word's pretty much already spread about what happened on Christmas, so I'm sure everybody's gonna want an explanation." Baji agreed.

Upon arriving, Takemichi was delighted to see Hakkai wearing his Toman uniform again. Hopefully everyone who wasn't in the know would be understanding.

Draken announced the beginning of the meeting before explaining what had happened over Christmas as Mikey stepped next to him.

"Three people will be stepping forward to discuss the matter with everyone!"

The various members of Toman whispered among themselves as Draken called Hakkai up. Once everyone's eyes were on him, Hakkai spoke calmly and clearly.

"This all started with a stupid lie that I told." He began. "Then, to keep that lie up, I ended dragging my family... I ended up dragging Toman into it."

As the problem grew bigger, it escalated into the conflict between Toman and the Black Dragons.

"I'm responsible for all of it." He finished, before bowing. "I'm sorry, everyone."

After a few seconds of chatter, one person spoke up.

"Don't worry about it, Hakkai!" Mucho declared. "It's always something small that ends up starting conflict in the first place!"
"Besides, we beat Black Dragon anyway, right?" Smiley agreed. "So it's all fine! Right, guys?"

One by one, Toman began speaking in support of Hakkai, who looked stunned at the easy acceptance of what happened.

"I mean, it's not like most anybody besides a handful of us were involved anyway." Baji shrugged as Mitsuya stepped forward.

"Hakkai!" He shouted. "You'll always have a place as the Second Division's Vice-Captain!"

The rest of the Second Division cheered in agreement.

"I'd say it was all worth it, right?" Chifuyu asked.
"Yeah." Takemichi nodded.

"Now, the second person!" Draken announced when the cheers died down. "Inui!"

"Inui? Isn't he..."

Though Draken only called for Inui Seishu, Kokonoi Hajime was right behind him as they introduced themselves.

"The Black Dragons lost to Toman." Kokonoi explained. "And our leader, Shiba Taiju, has retired."

The two of them had succeeded him as the leaders of Black Dragon's 11th Generation.

"And, after talking things over with Mikey, we have decided to join under Toman!"

Before Takemichi could even react, Mikey announced that the Black Dragons were being assigned to the First Division under his leadership, causing the entire First Division to react in shock.

"All of them?!" Baji heard Yamagishi gasp as Takemichi yelled in surprise.

"Got it, Takemitchy?" Mikey said, not changing his tone.
"Y-Yeah." Unsurprisingly, Takemichi stood down. "But... why? Who made that decision?"

Mikey glanced at Inui before looking back at Takemichi.

"They said "If we're going to join under Toman, we'd rather be with him"..." Mikey explained.

Mikey was always fairly serious when acting as Toman's leader, but tonight he seemed unusually stiff. Baji noticed that his gaze darkened when he looked at Inui. What exactly had they discussed?

"There's no way that's all there is to it." Chifuyu scoffed as the two former Black Dragons stepped toward Takemichi.

"Glad to be here, Captain!" Kokonoi said in an utterly insincere tone before sticking his tongue out.
"I won't ask you to trust us." Inui said after looking Takemichi over. "Just tell us when you need us, and we'll be there for you."

Draken shouted for everyone to quiet down before Mikey said that there was one more matter regarding the Christmas Conflict to discuss.

"Kisaki Tetta!"

Hearing his name called, Kisaki adjusted his glasses and stepped forward. Mikey looked at him for a few seconds before declaring,

"You're fired."

Immediately, the chatter among the gang resumed. The only ones who didn't have anything to say were the captains, none of whom (outside of three) looked all that shocked. Two of the exceptions, of course, were Kisaki himself and Hanma. The third was Takemichi.

"What did you think Mikey and I talked about when he came over?" Chifuyu looked at Takemichi's shocked face with a raised eyebrow. "Of course I gave him a full report on what Kisaki did."

Still, he hadn't expected Mikey would go this far; it wasn't like they had any proof. Kisaki had been careful enough to ensure that any discussion of their plan was only done verbally, so there weren't any e-mails that Chifuyu could have shown Mikey as proof.

"What are you saying, Mikey...?" Kisaki finally found his voice. "You're joking, right?"
"I'm not. You're fired." Mikey's voice was cold.

"Hey, hey..." Hanma called out as he strolled up to the steps. "If Kisaki gets thrown out, then I'm leaving, too. Not only that..."

He gestured to the Sixth Division, saying that all 350 of the former Moebius and Valhalla members would leave too, leaving Toman with a mere 100 members.

"I don't know, I kinda like Toman." Baji, who had moved toward the back of the meeting as soon as he heard Kisaki's name called, heard one of the Sixth Division members say to the guy next to him.
"Didn't the Black Dragons just join us...?" A Fifth Division member asked another.

"I don't care." Mikey declared. "Toman's gotten too big, anyway."

That hadn't been the answer Hanma was expecting. Kisaki also seemed baffled by Mikey's words.

"Wasn't that the goal?!"
"Is that why you instigated the Christmas Conflict?" Mikey asked, unmoved.

The reveal that Kisaki had been involved was news to most of Toman, who had until then been under the impression that only the First and Second Division captains and vice-captains were involved.

"You lied to Takemitchy and Chifuyu." Mikey explained. "You gave Yuzuha a knife so she could kill Taiju. Chifuyu and Mitsuya have already told me everything."

Mikey admitted to ignoring Kisaki's underhanded tactics until now. This was the end of that.

Kisaki shouted in protest, saying that he'd done it all for Mikey's sake. When Draken intervened as Kisaki tried to move toward Mikey, Hanma threw a punch and demanded that Draken let Kisaki talk. Draken blocked it, but the interruption allowed Kisaki to climb the steps.

His words stopped making much sense: he began babbling about making Toman into an organization that was sure to breed darkness, and he was fully prepared to take that on. Mikey needed him.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Chifuyu whispered to Takemichi.

When Mikey turned and began walking away, once again rebuffing him, Kisaki turned around and faced Takemichi.

"You!"

He charged toward him. Chifuyu threw himself in front of Takemichi, but Draken had already intercepted him.

"Hey!" He snarled as Kisaki tried to wrestle out of his grip.

Before either Takemichi or Chifuyu could feel reassured, however, Hanma rushed Chifuyu, knocking him to the side. He then grabbed Takemichi's collar and threw him to the ground.

"Why don't you tell us what sort of occult bullshit you've been doing to Kisaki?" Hanma hissed, still wearing his demented grin.
"What...?" Takemichi rubbed his head as he sat up.

Finally giving up on getting past Draken, Kisaki turned back to Mikey, who was now marching toward Kisaki with a wide-eyed and furious look on his face.

"Every time I'm around him-" He pointed at Takemichi. "I feel like somebody dumped ice water on me!"

Takemichi froze. He looked at Baji, who had hurried back to the front as soon as the commotion began.

"Maybe you feel cold because Baji's haunting your scummy ass!" Chifuyu started to run toward Kisaki, only for Hakkai to block his way.

"Chifuyu, let's just-" He was interrupted by Mitsuya physically grabbing Chifuyu and pushing him back.

"Leave this to the captains." He ordered.

Hanma, meanwhile, was now staring down Inui and Kokonoi, who had placed themselves in front of Takemichi. The other members of the Mizo Middle Gang all looked ready to jump on Hanma if he moved.

"Stand down, Hanma Shuji." Inui took a fighting stance.

Takemichi's head began throbbing. He looked back at Baji, who was standing perfectly still and staring at the ground. The now familiar darkness was swirling around him, but he seemed to be trying to will himself into calming down.

Before anyone else could step in, however, Hanma raised his arm to block Mikey's leg. As he landed on the ground, Takemichi shuddered as he got a look at his face. It was identical the one he'd seen just after Baji had collapsed in the abandoned lot just a few months earlier.

Undeterred, Mikey rushed toward Kisaki, knocking him to the ground with a kick. Before Kisaki could recover, Mikey placed his foot on his chest and leaned down.

"Leave." His voice was cold enough to make even a corpse shiver. "I don't care what sort of nonsense you've deluded yourself into thinking Takemitchy's done, but he didn't make you do anything you've done so far."

Kisaki scowled and seemed to look around for a way out. Mikey removed his foot, then pulled Kisaki to his feet by the collar. He leaned into his ear and whispered something, but no one besides maybe Draken was close enough to hear what it was. Judging the by way Kisaki froze, it must not have been anything pleasant.

When Mikey released his grip, Kisaki stormed away.

"Let's go, Hanma." He ordered as he walked by.

Hanma didn't seem pleased by this, but followed him out of the shrine, telling the Sixth Division to do so as well.

As Draken attempted to declare the meeting over, Takemichi, who was still on the ground, noticed a hand by his face.

"Would you like me to help you up, Captain?"

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Kokonoi's offer, but there was something smarmy in his voice that told Takemichi he was being made fun of. Inui seemed to notice this as well, giving him a dirty look that seemed to say "You're not endearing us to him". Still, it didn't seem like a trick, and Kokonoi's back was to Baji, so Takemichi allowed him to help him up.

"Thank you." He said.
"Of course, Captain!" Kokonoi stuck his tongue out. "That's what I'm here for!"

Yeah, Kokonoi was definitely making fun of him.

Baji finally seemed to have calmed down, but he didn't look happy. Even as most people left when Draken finally got things under control, he didn't move from where he was standing.

"You alright, Takemitchy?" Mitsuya asked him after Kokonoi and a reluctant Inui left.
"Yeah. All I really did was get tossed to the ground."
"Don't worry about what Kisaki was yammering about. He was just talking out of his ass." Hakkai slapped him on the back.

Mitsuya admitted that he'd been a little surprised to hear that Kisaki had done such a thing, but it did line up with how Kisaki had acted ever since he'd joined Toman.

"Guess your instinct to punch him at your first meeting was right on, huh?" He gave Takemichi a cheeky smile.
"Oh, y-yeah."
"Can't say I'm sorry to see him go." Hakkai said with a huff. "He almost got Yuzuha killed!"

Mitsuya agreed, saying that giving her the knife was incredibly dangerous.

"When you say it like that, it almost sounds like letting her have a knife is dangerous in and of itself." Chifuyu said.
"I mean, it kind of is." Mitsuya rubbed his head sheepishly.
"I'd trust Yuzuha with, say, a gun, but not a knife." Hakkai nodded sagely.

A snort drew Takemichi's attention to where Baji was standing. Hakkai's words actually seemed to have made him laugh for a second.

"Takemitchy?" Mikey walked down the steps to where the others were standing. "You're spacing out. Are you worried that Kisaki's going to come back?"
"No, I'm actually a little relieved." Takemichi laughed softly. "It's... finally over."

Mikey didn't say anything in response to that. Was he thinking of his previous request for Takemichi to bring Baji back in exchange for kicking Kisaki out? Or was he thinking of what Chifuyu had told him of how Kisaki had manipulated Takemichi into agreeing to accept his help?

"Yeah, I suppose it is, huh?" He finally let out a sigh. "I guess we're gonna have to start over if we want to build our numbers back up."
"I'm sorry." Takemichi said before he could stop himself

The others looked at him in surprise before Mikey shook his head.

"Don't apologize. You were right." Despite his words, there was something uncomfortable about the grin he gave Takemichi. "Kisaki was turning out to be pretty bad for Toman."

Mikey had just admitted a few minutes ago that he was aware of Kisaki's more underhanded actions, but acted like he wasn't. Evidently putting Toman members in danger was too much for him to ignore. Takemichi wondered just how much Chifuyu had actually told him.

"I have to wonder if Baji really ISN'T haunting us for not getting it together." Mitsuya laughed sheepishly.
"No, I'm just haunting this moron." Baji smirked at Takemichi.

"Well, we got it together now!" Chifuyu glanced at Takemichi, no doubt having a pretty good of not just the fact that Baji spoke, but what he said. "Things can only go up from here."
"You're gonna jinx it!" Hakkai protested, but the others just laughed.

On the way home, Takemichi asked Baji how he felt about it all being over.

"To be honest, I kinda doubt Kisaki's gonna take it lying down."
'You're probably right.' Takemichi sighed.

Not only had Kisaki's reaction to getting kicked out confirm Draken's words that he was obsessed with Mikey, but he also seemed to be obsessed with convoluted schemes.

"I'm pretty sure Toman can handle him." Baji said confidently. "Hell, we managed to get past his attempt to fuck us over this time, didn't we?"
'Barely.' Takemichi scoffed. 'If Mikey hadn't shown up when he did, we would have been in a lot of trouble.'
"We really need to work on building your self-confidence."

Takemichi rolled his eyes and explained that being realistic and knowing your limits wasn't the same thing as lacking self-confidence.

"True, but they can also overlap." Baji fired back without missing a beat. "And I'm pretty sure that's what's going on with you."

Takemichi wanted to argue, but their dynamic had finally gotten back to normal, so he didn't want to start another fight.

'Whatever you say, Baji.'

Baji waited for Takemichi to bring up what Kisaki had said at the meeting, but he never did. It wasn't until Takemichi was climbing the stairs to his room that he finally bit the bullet and asked.

"Are we... gonna talk about what Kisaki said?"

Takemichi stopped at his door.

'It doesn't matter, right? Kisaki's gone now.'

Takemichi turned back to him with a grin.

'Don't worry about it, Baji.'

A couple days later, Takemichi got a phone call from Mikey about a surprise he had for him. When Takemichi didn't know where the place was, Mikey told him he'd send Chifuyu to bring him there. Chifuyu showed up at Takemichi's house with an excited grin on his face and told him to follow him.

"This is something even Baji doesn't know about!"

Chifuyu ignored any and all requests for further information, insisting on keeping Takemichi's eyes covered the entire way.

"Maybe we should have waited until we got closer." Takemichi suggested.
"Yeah, you're probably right."

Even so, Chifuyu did not remove his hands from Takemichi's eyes even before Mikey showed up looking filthy. This alone gave Baji a pretty good idea of what the surprise was, but he chose to not give any hints to Takemichi.

"You're starting to scare me a little!" Takemichi continued to protest until Draken called out.

When Chifuyu finally allowed Takemichi to look at the surprise -a CB250T- he was confused.

Mikey explained that Shinichiro had gone to the Phillippines a few years ago, and that was where he'd found two motors in some ruins. One of them found a home in Mikey's Babu after Shinichiro gathered the parts for it.

Over the past few weeks, he and Draken had been gathering parts for a new Babu.

"Wow!" Takemichi sounded impressed. "That's... inspiring!"
"You haven't figured out who the bike is for, have you?"
'What?'

"It's yours now." Mikey said.
"What?"
"It'd be pretty lame if our First Division Captain didn't have a bike."

Takemichi began stammering.

"G-Giving such an important bike to someone like me of all people..."
"Just having it on display would be a waste." Mikey pointed out.

"This is so cool, Takemitchy!" Chifuyu exclaimed as he looked at the bike from behind Takemichi.
"Y-Yeah..."
"You know what's even cooler, Chifuyu? Being able to hear out of both ears." Baji sighed, saying Takemichi's thought out loud, even if Chifuyu couldn’t hear it.

Takemichi got on the bike at the urging of the others. When Draken told him to turn on the engine, he wasn't sure what to do.

"Seriously, Takemichi?"

Chifuyu moved to see if he could help, but Mikey got there first, climbing onto it behind Takemichi.

"I'll show you. We'll take a lap around the block."

It took Takemichi a few minutes to get the hang of it. Even Mikey started to get a little annoyed.

"Maybe you should stick to regular bicycles." Baji teased.
'Very funny.'

"My bro got a sense of destiny from those motors." Mikey suddenly said.

The sky was gray and suffocating. The building's ceiling had collapsed, and the two motors were in a pile of scrap. He said that they'd been calling out to him.

"I'd like to see that place one day."
"Yeah!" Takemichi agreed without thinking. "Let's go!"

Eventually, Takemichi got the hang of driving (though his parking was utterly disastrous), and the two returned to where Draken and Chifuyu were waiting, where the four parted ways.

Rather than go somewhere public, Takemichi and Chifuyu went to the Matsuno apartment to talk. Once they were in Chifuyu's room sitting on his bed, things were silent for a few minutes before Chifuyu, sounding a bit too calm, asked Takemichi what was on his mind.

"You too, Baji."
"Well..."
"That's..."

The Black Dragons were under Toman's command. Kisaki and Hanma were both gone. The First Division was the biggest one in Toman now.

"I do wonder why the other captains just let that slide." Baji mused. "I know Mitsuya doesn't like having too many people under his command, but I feel like Smiley would have complained a little."

The other two couldn't come up with much of an answer to that, so the three shrugged it off.

"Well, even if the Black Dragons have an ulterior motive, it's not like Taiju died."
"Do you think there's an ulterior motive?"

Chifuyu's brow wrinkled.

"Can't say." He mumbled. "I definitely don't trust Kokonoi, and I don't think Mikey likes Inui all that much."

So it hadn't just been Takemichi or Baji's imagination that Mikey had been giving Inui dirty looks at the meeting the other day.

"But the main thing you came here to do was get Kisaki out of Toman, and you succeeded." Chifuyu leaned back to lay down. "Your mission's over, so... You're gonna go back, right?"

He was speaking calmly, but he was unable to conceal the sadness in his voice.

"Y-Yeah." Takemichi said.
"This isn't your home. It's 12 years in the future. And Baji, your home is with Takemitchy now. Or, I guess your home is Takemitchy now."

The sadness Takemichi was feeling was enough on its own, but he knew that Baji's own sorrow was creeping in.

"Chifuyu, we never would have made it this far without you!"
"Right."
"You're... the best friend I've ever had! Thank you!"

Chifuyu sat up and smiled at them.

"You're talking like it's goodbye for good!" He laughed, but Baji could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "I'm gonna see you guys again in 12 years! We're just... parting ways for a little while."

After an embarrassing few minutes where the two dried each other's tears, Takemichi left Chifuyu's apartment and went down the stairs. On his way out, however, he bumped into Ryouko. She quickly took note of his red eyes and escorted him up to her apartment before he could come up with an excuse. He took a seat on the couch while she prepared tea.

"So, did something happen with Chifuyu?" She asked when she returned with a cup. "He didn't make any dramatic love confessions and beg you to stay, did he?"

Takemichi rolled his eyes as Baji laughed.

"I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"
"Nope."
"Never."

"...How did you know I was getting ready to go back to the future?"
"Chifuyu's kept me updated." Ryouko gave him a dry smile. "I know you're planning on going back in the next few days."
"O-Oh..."

It was a few minutes before Baji asked Takemichi to let him talk to his mother. When Takemichi did, he said he had a request for her.

"What is it?" Ryouko didn't look all that surprised, so she probably already had a good idea of what it was.
"Kazutora's probably gonna be out by the time we're there." He said seriously. "I want you to look out for him when he does."

Ryouko didn't say anything right away, and Takemichi couldn't blame her; she was doubtlessly aware of the role Kazutora had played in her son's death. For her to look after him, at the request of her son's ghost at that, was a tall order. She let out a sigh.

"Is he gonna be able to look at me if I do that?"

Her tone was... surprisingly light.

Noticing the confused look on Takemichi's face, Ryouko explained that she had already spoken to Kazutora once before, shortly after Halloween. He had spent most of that meeting apologizing to her, so they hadn't exactly had a productive discussion, but she could tell that his regret was eating him alive.

"I wonder if that was before or after we visited him with Draken..." Takemichi said with a furrowed brow.

"I can't promise I'm gonna be able to do all that much for him, but it largely depends on how he is when he gets out." Ryouko explained. "I know he's important to you, though, so I will keep my eyes peeled."

After a few more minutes, Ryouko walked them to the door, hugging both her son (after a quick possession) and Takemichi himself.

"Make sure to come see me when you get back, okay?"

Both boys nodded.

"While we're on the subject of Kazutora..." Baji said when Takemichi finally left the apartment building.
'Do you want to talk to him before we go back?'

There was a hint of a second question behind Takemichi's words, one that Baji picked up on immediately.

"I don't know think we can tell him directly."

It wasn't like the guards would let them hold hands, especially since Kazutora was likely to have a bad reaction to seeing Baji.

'I guess writing a letter is an option.'
"I did write to him when he was in juvie the first time." Baji said. "He'd know my handwriting."

When Takemichi arrived home, he went to his desk and gave Baji control of his body. At this point, Baji had a pretty good idea of where to find what he needed.

"I should probably put something in here that's something only the two of us would know." He noted as he began writing.

It may be difficult to read, but Baji decided to mention what he had said to Kazutora that night in August of 2003.

"Make sure to let him know he can lean on Ryouko-san, too!" Takemichi suggested.
"Yeah."

When he finished, he looked the letter over.

Yo Kazutora!

I bet you're surprised to be hearing from me, huh?

Remember Takemichi? I'm currently writing this with his body.

Things are really complicated and I don't understand a whole lot, but he's a time leaper from the future, and now I'm attached to him.

Things haven't been good for Toman in the future, but he's been trying to fix it, and I think we've got the last piece to make a happy future.

Mom knows. When you get out, I want to you to rely on her. She's forgiven you just as I have. Remember: No matter what hell awaits us, I'll be with you 'til the end.

Takemichi and I will have returned to the future by the time you get this. It'll be Janiary 2018 when we arrive. I'll see you then.

You better be happy when we get there!

-Baji Keisuke

"You spelled January wrong."
"Shut up!"

The next day, Takemichi mailed the letter off before calling several of the others to Toman's base for a meeting after school.

"Why'd you call us all here?" Draken asked.

"Mikey, Baji said something to me before he died." Takemichi confessed. "He said "Kisaki is the enemy"."

He relayed Baji's words about Pah-chin being the true captain of the Third Division.

""Pah-chin. Mitsuya. Draken. Mikey. Kazutora. Those guys are are my treasure", is what he said." Takemichi said, tearing up. "No matter what happens, please don't forget Baji's goal! Stay strong!"

He turned to Mikey.

"If anyone can create a new age on their own, it's you, Mikey!" He declared.

Baji wasn't sure he liked the way that had been worded. Hadn't Takemichi promised to stick by Mikey and scold him like Shinichiro had? Mikey also looked a little concerned by Takemichi's words, but didn't say anything.

"And... there's one more thing I'd like to ask." Takemichi said, wiping his tears away. "Could we... take a picture together? To remember this occasion?"

Most of the others were confused and skeptical, but relented when Chifuyu helped talk them into it. Takemichi set the camera up.

'Are you going to be in it, too, Baji?' He asked.
"Why would I? I'm not gonna show up on the film."

Takemichi frowned.

'You're still one of us. Get in position.'

"Better hurry, Takemitchy." Mitsuya warned him teasingly.

'Hurry!' Takemichi insisted.

Baji groaned, but followed him to where the others were standing. He narrowly placed himself between Mikey and Chifuyu as the flash went off.

When Takemichi checked the camera afterwards, he sighed at how he ended up tripping into the shot, but the others refused to let him re-take it, saying it looked better that way.

"Even with the weird shadow by Chifuyu?" Hakkai noted, pointing to where Baji had been standing.
"Maybe Baji wanted in the picture, too!" Mikey laughed.

Draken and Mitsuya laughed along with him, but Hakkai actually looked a little frightened at the prospect of there being a ghost in the picture. Chifuyu, meanwhile, gave Takemichi a knowing smile.

"Sorry to call you out like this, Naoto."
"It's fine. You said it was important."

Takemichi bowed, asking Naoto to be good to his sister.

Naoto didn't look all that surprised by the request, but nodded and extended his hand.

'Hold on tight, Baji.'
"Right!"

The time leap felt as bizarre as it had the first time, but Baji forced himself to stick as close to Takemichi as he could. When the world finally seemed to... clear up (?), he looked at Takemichi.

He was a little taller and his hair was black, so Baji knew they were back in 2017 (or rather, 2018) before Takemichi pulled his phone out to confirm the date.

'I was in prison before, but now I'm not...'
"The future changed!" Baji grinned at him. "But... what's with that suit?"

"Hanagaki-kun?" A woman with pink hair walked up to Takemichi. "It's been a long time."

'Do I... know this woman?'

The woman bowed, thanking Takemichi for coming during such a busy time.

While this was happening, Baji was looking around.

"I think it's a funeral."

The woman escorted Takemichi to the line to sign in before taking a seat next to another young woman.

"She's at the reception desk, so she must be related to the deceased."

When Takemichi got to the front, the second woman (a blonde) looked down. Now that Takemichi was looking closely, both of them looked familiar to him.

"Thank you for coming to my brother's... My brother's..."

Two young women, one with pink hair and the other a blonde... Baji had a bad feeling about this.

"Get a hold of yourself, Mana!" The pink haired woman told Takemichi to head inside before scolding the woman next to her.
"Sorry, Luna." The blonde apologized.

"Mana and Luna... No, it can't be...!" Baji gasped as realization hit Takemichi as well. He rushed inside, looking at the picture of the deceased on the altar.

His hair was black now, but Mitsuya's kind face was still clear as day to the both of them.

'No... Mitsuya's dead?!'

Takemichi forced himself to approach the coffin. Mitsuya looked as though he were asleep, but the absence of breath told Takemichi the truth.

The funeral passed in a haze. No sooner had it ended than Takemichi began running out of there. Tears were in his eyes, but he knew he didn't have time to cry. With shaking hands, he pulled out his phone and began searching the news for Mitsuya's name. The search yielded results indicating that Mitsuya was still a Toman admin. Another search revealed that Hinata was also dead, and died in the same fashion as before.

"Nothing's changed...?"

Takemichi began pounding his hand on the ground in frustration.

"Nothing's changed!" He shouted. "Where is everyone?! Why is Mitsuya dead?!"

Baji noticed a key had slipped out of Takemichi's pocket, and pointed it out. Slowly, Takemichi picked it up.

"This is... to the same place I was living before."

It even appeared to be the same apartment. With no other ideas on how to proceed, Takemichi made his way there.

The key proved to be to the same place Takemichi called home. The scent was familiar too. Baji resisted the urge to make a smartass remark. He honestly didn't feel like making fun of Takemichi anyway.

The picture that they had just taken yesterday was on the table, as though waiting for them. Had the Takemichi of this timeline gotten it out before leaving for Mitsuya's funeral?

"Here you are." A voice called from the doorway.

Naoto walked into the apartment, explaining that his memory was overwritten when Takemichi returned.

"Naoto!"
"Takemichi." Naoto nodded in acknowledgement. "You've time-leaped several times in order to save my sister."

Unfortunately, he revealed, this was the worst possible future yet.

"Not only was my sister not saved, but all of the chief members of the Tokyo Manji Gang have been killed."
"WHAT?!"

Naoto glanced at the picture in Takemichi's hand as he went through the list: Chifuyu had been shot to death, Hakkai had been burned to death, Mitsuya had been strangled, and Draken had been stabbed.

Hayashida Haruki ("Pah-chin!") and most of the others were on the list as well.

"Who... all are they?"
"Hayashi Ryouhei and Mutou Yasuhiro..." Naoto mentally went through the list. "Both of the Kawata brothers and Akashi Haruchiyo..."

The only one whose death hadn't been confirmed was Hanemiya Kazutora, who was missing. Even Kisaki was dead.

"We're fairly certain they were all killed by one suspect, who is still at large."
"What about Mikey?! Is he..."

Naoto hesitated.

"Takemichi, I want you to brace yourself for what I'm about to say." He said slowly, pulling out a picture. "Sano Manjiro is the prime suspect for these murders."
"Bullshit!"

"Quit joking, Naoto!" Takemichi exclaimed. "Mikey would never do such a thing!"

Naoto looked away for a second, prompting an outraged "Hey!" from Takemichi. When he looked back, his expression looked... odd.

"Takemichi, I want to know what's going on. I want to meet with Sano and talk to him." He explained. "But... I think the only one he'll be willing to talk to is you."

Plus, as the only surviving Toman admin, Takemichi was the only one Naoto could rely on.

"What did you learn during your last time leap?" He asked. "There must be a clue somewhere."

Something Takemichi did or didn't do must have caused a great change.

"Did I mess up...?" Takemichi wondered aloud. "We took care of the two people who were going cause Toman to turn bad!"
"Who's "we"?"

Takemichi gave Naoto an incredulous look before remembering that he hadn't had the chance to explain Baji to him yet.

"Ah." He sighed. "Well, before we go into my possible screw-ups, I should probably tell you about Baji."
"Baji Keisuke?"

Naoto seemed to believe Takemichi's story, though he did swat Takemichi's hand away when he tried to show Baji to him.

"I believe you, but we might need to hold off on introducing ourselves until we can shake hands without time leaping."
"G-Good point..."

Takemichi sat down as he tried to think of where he went wrong.

"Should I not have told Mikey he could do it on his own?"
"After you promised to be there for him? No, I don't think that was the smartest thing to say."

Takemichi winced at Baji's words as he glanced at the kotatsu, spotting something strange on top of it.

"A letter?"

As he picked the envelope up, Naoto looked at the front where the address was written.

"The postmark... isn't in Japan!" He gasped as he grabbed it from Takemichi. "It's in the Phillippines!"

As Naoto wondered who could have sent it, Takemichi (for once) had the answer.

"Mikey..."

Takemichi began telling Naoto the story that Mikey had told him the other day. As he was finishing, however, a voice called out.

"Is there a reason you're talking about this with your door open?"

Standing in the doorway to Takemichi's apartment was a middle-aged woman with long, black hair.

"Mom!"
"Ryouko-san!"

Ryouko sighed before giving Takemichi an amused smile.

"Judging by that reaction, I'd say you've returned?"

After being forced to run to the convenience store to get a coffee (with cream), Takemichi returned to find Naoto was cleaning the room under Ryouko's commands.

"For God's sake, Takemichi, even Keisuke managed to keep his room in better shape!" She complained when he walked in.
"With a mother like her, I can see why..." Takemichi thought he heard Naoto mutter under his breath.

Considering how Naoto had reacted to Takemichi's apartment the first time he came over, that said a lot about how Ryouko was ordering him around.

The three sat down and began discussing what was going on.

"I've been coming over here the past couple days to see if you'd returned."
"How did you know this was where Takemichi was living?" Naoto asked. "And how did you know he'd be coming back around this time?"

"...I spoke to him a couple days before he left." Ryouko answered. "As for your first question, I did keep in contact with the you that I met in 2005."
"What about Kazutora?"

Takemichi's eyes widened for a second.

"Have you spoken to Kazutora?"
"Did Keisuke ask you to say that?"

When Takemichi nodded, Ryouko held her hand out. When Takemichi accepted it, Naoto got a thoughtful look on his face.

"I wonder if forming a chain would let me speak to Baji?"

Without skipping a beat, Ryouko extended her other hand. It wasn't until Naoto, looking almost shy, accepted it that she thought to ask,

"Is there a reason you can't just grab his other hand?"
"Naoto's the trigger for the time leap. If I grab his hand, it'll send me back."

Ryouko asked if he was speaking from experience, and Takemichi nodded sheepishly. Meanwhile, Naoto's wide-eyed expression seemed to confirm that his idea had worked.

"You can see me, right?"

Naoto nodded silently. Takemichi turned his attention back to Ryouko.

"Going back to what we were talking about... Have you seen Kazutora?"

Ryouko hesitated, glancing toward the door.

"Do you have a pen and paper?" She whispered.

That... was not a very encouraging response. Takemichi stood up and got the items she was asking for. She let go of Naoto's hand and began writing.

I saw a shady looking guy downstairs. I pretended not to see him, but I wondered if he was part of Toman.

Naoto's expression darkened as he read what she wrote.

"It... might have been one of my neighbors." Takemichi whispered. "Fujikura's been kinda been holding a grudge against me for the past few months, ha ha..."

Ryouko began writing another note.

"You think? What'd you do to piss him off?"
No, he didn't seem all that familiar with the building.

The contradiction between what she said and what she wrote was confusing, but the others quickly caught on.

"I might have accidentally gotten him dumped."

Ryouko laughed as Naoto began writing a separate note.

It's possible that Toman may have gotten wind of our investigation. They might also be trying to keep an eye on Takemichi since he's the only surviving admin.

"Let's get to the letter." Baji spoke up.

Takemichi agreed and opened the folded paper.

The message in the paper was neither a confession or denial of Mikey's crimes. It contained an address, and a simple message: "January 20th. Meet me in the place we talked about."

The address, unsurprisingly, was in the Phillippines.

Ryouko sighed and wrote another note.

I hope you have a passport ready.

Takemichi laughed awkwardly, but nodded.

"I guess it's a good thing I listened to my mom about getting one, huh?"
"Yes, it is." Ryouko pulled her phone out and handed it to Naoto after typing in the password.

"Put your number in." She mouthed.
"Um, yes." Naoto coughed before doing just that.

While he was doing this, Ryouko grabbed Takemichi's hand again.

"You really haven't changed at all." She murmured, looking at her son.

There was a certain melancholy to her voice, but she didn't look particularly sad. She almost looked happy, even.

That night, Takemichi felt his face hit the futon in exhaustion.

"What a day..."

The rest of the afternoon was spent making preparations to leave for the Phillippines in a few days. Ryouko left shortly after, saying they'd have time to talk when they returned.

"Make sure to give Manjiro a smack on the head for me." She said as she walked out.

There were parents that wouldn't discipline a child that wasn't theirs. Baji Ryouko, evidently, wasn't one of them.

'I'm sorry you didn't really get to talk to her.' Takemichi said as he rolled onto his back.
"She never did tell us if she'd seen Kazutora."

Takemichi had noticed that as well.

'Hopefully she kept quiet because she was worried that we were being spied on.'
"Yeah."

After a few minutes, Takemichi sat up and looked at the picture on the floor. Why had it been sitting out when Mikey's letter was still in the envelope?

"You probably took the picture out first and got emotional while looking at it." Baji shrugged. "If it got here today just before you went to Mitsuya's funeral, would you be in the mood to read a letter that didn't even have a name on it?"

That was a good point.

"What surprises me is the fact that you haven't been killed. Out of all the captains and vice-captains, you probably would be the easiest target."
'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Baji.'

Takemichi's annoyance was obviously in jest. It was true that he likely would have been the first one to go if someone was going after the Toman admins. Either Toman had pissed someone off, or Toman still ended up becoming a criminal organization even without the influence of the Black Dragons.

Why then, had they not gone after the weakest of them?

"It's a little weird that you're still living in this dumpy apartment. Even my building's in better shape than this." Baji looked around the room. "If Toman's gotten big enough for the news to know its name, shouldn't you be doing better financially?"

That was also a good question.

"You didn't... leave Toman, did you?"
'How would I know? I only got back a few hours ago.'

It was true that that was one thing that frustrated Takemichi about the time leaps; last time he'd gotten so corrupted that he lost sight of his promise to Chifuyu. This time he may have gone in the opposite direction and just left Toman after promising Mikey he'd stay by his side.

"Don't worry about it!" Baji said suddenly. "I'm sure there's a good explanation for what's going on."
'...I hope you're right.'

The nearly five hour flight to Manila did little to assuage Takemichi's fears of what awaited them.

Baji tried to get him to relax by telling him of all the things he'd liked about what he'd seen in 2018 so far.

"I'm really happy to see Natori Yuko's still active.
"Peyoung yakisoba is still the best."
"They keep coming out with new chip flavors and you still only eat that brand."

Okay, that last one was him complaining about Takemichi's eating habits, but the point still stood.

When they landed, Takemichi and Naoto checked into a hotel to rest for the night. The next day, they made their way to the address in Mikey's letter.

In truth, the "address" encompassed a large area that was mostly devoid of people. When Takemichi suggested they split up to cover more ground, Naoto was hesitant.

"Even if he's not the one responsible for the murders, Sano is still a wanted criminal outside of that." He said.
"It's fine!" Takemichi grinned at him. "There's no way Mikey would hurt me!"
"I wish I could have your confidence in that." Naoto sighed.

Eventually, though, he agreed on the condition that Takemichi scream as loudly as he could if anything happened.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it won't come to that."

Once Takemichi began to approach a decrepit looking building, Baji spoke up.

"I guess it's easier to convince others than yourself, huh?"

Takemichi didn't respond to that. Of course he knew that Mikey had likely changed over the past twelve years. He also knew, deep down, that it was entirely possible that Mikey really had killed the others. He and Baji had both gotten glimpses of his inner darkness, after all.

And yet, Takemichi couldn't shake the excitement of seeing Mikey again: It was the first time they'd met in the present, after all. Even with the knowledge that Mikey could be planning on killing him the second they meet, Takemichi still wanted to see him.

As he ventured further into the building, he caught sight of various mechanical parts on the ground. There was no doubt that this was the place Mikey's brother had found the Babu engines. Before Takemichi could remember more of the conversation, he heard two people say his name.

"Takemichi."
"Takemitchy?"

Chapter Text

His hair was shorter, and he'd dyed it black, but both Takemichi and Baji recognized the man sitting on a pile of junk.

There had always been something about Mikey that seemed almost unnaturally beautiful, and that was still the case now. He was frowning, but his face lit up into a soft smile as soon as he realized that Takemichi was indeed standing before him.

It was a familiar smile, if somewhat tired looking. Takemichi felt like everything was going to be alright.

"You, uh... been doing okay, Mikey?"
"...Yeah."

That pause was, in hindsight, the first clue that something was wrong, but Takemichi didn't care: Mikey was finally in front of him and he seemed to be in good health, too. His vision grew blurry and he was soon wiping tears off his face.

"Still a crybaby, huh?" Mikey looked at him with a fond smile.
"He's not even making fun of you." Baji laughed.

"I called you here because I wanted to ask a favor of you." Mikey said as he stood up. "Coming here... reminded me of my brother, and all the memories just came flooding back."

He remembered all the guys he'd fought with when he was a kid; understanding them, laughing and crying with them.

"I started thinking of how Toman grew and felt nostalgic."
"Mikey..."

'He's still the same person after all. He'd never kill the others.'

He ignored the nagging feeling in the back of his mind saying "Wait, what's been going on with him and the others in the past twelve years? Hasn't he thought of them since then?"

Mikey looked to the sky, saying that Toman changed when he wasn't looking. Baji moved closer to get a look at the tattoo on his neck, realizing that it was the same dragon that Draken and Mitsuya had.

"Takemitchy." He said as he looked back at Takemichi. "Why did you... leave Toman?"

Even though Baji was standing a few feet away from him, Takemichi's body suddenly felt cold. Worse yet, he wasn't saying anything, not even to admonish Takemichi.

"I wanted you to stay with me." Mikey continued. "To... scold me like my brother would have."

Considering it had only been just under a month, Takemichi and Baji both remembered that promise quite well. Baji hadn't been able to pinpoint why Mikey's request for such a thing felt strange to him, but now he thought he had a better idea of why: Mikey wasn't being entirely honest about what he wanted Takemichi to do, was he?

"I tried to keep going on my own, but I couldn't keep from losing myself."
"Mikey... what do you mean?"

Mikey looked down for a moment.

"When you wanted to leave, I tried to stop you. But... Kenchin stopped me."

He and Mitsuya both spoke up in defense of Takemichi's leaving, saying that he wasn't suited for the direction Toman was going. Mikey had chosen a violent path, and they agreed to give Mikey their lives, but they didn't want Takemichi to go down that same path. They'd even gotten on their knees to request that Mikey accept Takemichi's departure.

"They really said that?" Takemichi asked, tears once again filling his eyes.
"Yeah." Mikey's brief laugh was incredibly hollow. "They were the best, weren't they?"

A soft breeze blew through the building at Mikey's next words.

"And I killed them."

Breathing suddenly became difficult for Takemichi as Mikey confessed to killing everyone in the old Toman.

'No, no, no!'

By now, Takemichi could barely see in front of him.

"You understand what I'm asking of you, right?"

Mikey pulled something out of his clothes and tossed it on the ground near Takemichi's feat.

A gun.

"Kill me. Put an end to my dream."
"NO!" Both Takemichi and Baji exclaimed.

Takemichi forced himself to look at Mikey straight on.

"What are you saying, Mikey?!" He choked. "We meet up again and you ask me to kill you?! I just wanted to see you again!"

Mikey looked away for a second. Before Baji could move to see what sort of face he was making, however, he turned back, and whatever emotion he'd been feeling had been crushed by a blank look.

"You wanted to see me... Hakkai said something similar just before he died."

Remembering that Naoto had said Hakkai had burned to death, Takemichi gulped.

"My main goal was to make a new age for delinquents, but..." Mikey sighed. "Then things got difficult."
"...In what way?" Takemichi asked.

Mikey looked away again, as though not wanting to see Takemichi's reaction to his next words. Like before, however, he buried whatever he was feeling and looked back at Takemichi with a stare devoid of anything.

"The first time I killed someone, I didn't feel a damn thing."

After that, he decided that most problems could easily be solved by killing.

He said that with such a pleasant smile that before Takemichi realized what he was doing, his hands were already on Mikey's shoulders.

"Don't say that!" He pleaded. "You haven't changed! I can tell just by looking at you!"
"Takemitchy, stop." Mikey ordered.
"Please, just stop talking about... wiping people out!"

Baji was not surprised to see Mikey grab Takemichi's collar before shoving him to the ground. The second gun he produced, however, sent a chill down where his spine should have been.

"What kind of freak do you think you are?!" Mikey hissed, his lips so close that Takemichi could practically taste whatever he last ate.

He blinked, as though realizing what he was doing and leaned back slightly. Rather than get off, however, he pressed the muzzle against Takemichi's face. Baji threw himself at Mikey's body, but Mikey didn't show any reaction. He just stared at Takemichi for what felt like hours.

"Quit looking at me like that." He demanded with chattering teeth as tears filled his eyes. "And pick up the gun, Takemitchy."

The meaning behind his words was clear: Either Takemichi fulfilled Mikey's request to kill him, or he would die here. The threat to then turn the gun on himself went unspoken, but Baji knew it was there. When one of Mikey's tears dripped down to Takemichi's face, he sat up and readjusted the gun.

"We can't go back to the past." Mikey whispered, putting his finger on the trigger.

A bang rang out, and Mikey collapsed onto the ground, the gun falling from his hand.

"Takemichi!" Naoto's frantic voice called out. "Are you all right?!"
"Naoto...?" Takemichi murmured, realizing that he was still alive.

He began turning his head in confusion, but the sight of Mikey on the ground cleared his mind up quickly.

"Mikey!" He sat up and pulled Mikey into his arms in defiance of Naoto's order to stay away from him.

Naoto rushed toward them as Takemichi continued calling Mikey's name, but stopped at the sight of the gun on the ground.

"He wasn't... going to shoot?"

At the moment, Baji desperately wanted to lash out at someone, but he couldn't move.

"Tachibana Naoto, huh..." Mikey's voice was weak, but he was at least able to talk. "Thank you..."

He'd known all along that Takemichi wouldn't be able to pull the trigger.

"So why did you try to make him do it, you bastard?!" Baji demanded.

He didn't expect an answer. Neither Mikey nor Naoto could hear him, and Takemichi was too focused on Mikey.

"Maybe I wanted Takemitchy to have blood on his hands, too." He chuckled darkly. Baji would have wondered if maybe Mikey really HAD heard him, but his next words made him freeze.

"At least it's finally over now." Mikey smiled. "My life was nothing but pain."

What?

"What about Emma and your grandpa?"

"Mikey, I promise I'll fix this!" Takemichi vowed. "I'll go back to the past and fix all of this!"

Mikey smiled sadly.

"Thanks for trying to comfort me, Takemitchy." He looked up at him with an almost dreamlike expression. "Even if it's a lie."

Takemichi's body grew stiff, and he reached for Mikey's hand with his left one.

"It's not a lie!" He shouted. "Baji!"

Mikey let out a painful laugh as his eyes widened.

"It really must be time if I'm seeing your ugly mug again."
"Tell me, dammit!" Baji screamed. "What happened to Emma and your grandpa?!"
"...Huh?"

Mikey's smile faded.

"Mikey, Baji's really here! We're gonna go back to the past and fix all of this!"
"You're... not lying?" His voice was getting weaker. "You're gonna... save Emma?"

Takemichi's blood ran cold, but he nodded, begging Mikey to stop saying such depressing things.

"Okay." With what little strength he had remaining, Mikey nodded. "I believe in you guys."

Then, strangely enough, he started leaning into Takemichi's right hand, which was still holding his head.

"Takemitchy, your hand is so warm..." He whispered, looking back at Takemichi. "I... love it."

His eyes turned dark, and he said no more, even in the face of Takemichi's pleas. Eventually, Takemichi pulled him close, squeezing tightly as he remembered his first meeting with Mikey. He remembered Mikey telling him about his dream, the time they went to the bathhouse together. He remembered the night he spent at Mikey's house.

His mind was open, so Baji could see them just as clearly. When the memory of Mikey waking Takemichi up that night came up, he saw the mortified look on his face as Takemichi grabbed his hand.

"Takemichi." Naoto finally spoke.

At this, Takemichi looked up. There were still tears streaming down his face, but there was a fire in his eyes.

The next couple hours passed in a blur.

Determined though Takemichi might have been, he had just had Mikey die in his arms. He was clearly emotionally drained by the time Naoto gently led him back to the hotel room.

"You've got blood on your face." Naoto lamented, gently placing his hand on Takemichi's cheek before reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief. He walked to the sink in the bathroom to dampen it before returning to where Takemichi was sitting on the bed.

Mikey's blood mixed with Takemichi's tears made for a very unpleasant picture, but Baji didn't think it was necessary for Naoto wipe it off of Takemichi's face for him, even if he WAS borderline catatonic.

"I need to send a report to the department about what happened." Naoto continued. "You might want to take a shower or get some sleep."
"No." Takemichi shook his head. "I... want to go back now. To the past."

Naoto didn't look that surprised, though he did seem a little... sad? Disappointed? Baji honestly didn't care. He personally just wanted to get away the whole situation they were in, Naoto included.

"I'll need to write some things down. Namely, I need to remind myself to look into whatever happened to the Sano family."

Naoto pulled a notepad out of his pouch to write it down. After placing it down on the bed, he started to extend his hand for Takemichi to grab, but held back for a second.

"What?" Takemichi tilted his head.
"Can you..." Naoto paused, as though trying to figure out how to word his next words carefully. "Promise me that you won't do anything drastic when you get back?"
"What do you mean?"

There was a somewhat intense look on Takemichi's face that didn't suit him at all. Anyone who knew him would realize something was wrong.

"Don't do anything that might get you hurt or put you in danger."
"I promise." Takemichi still sounded a bit confused by the request, but agreed.

Finally, Naoto allowed Takemichi to take his hand.

Chifuyu was annoyed. He didn't mind going to Takemichi's house, but it was a pain to do it in the rain, especially when it was January. The already cold weather became even colder. When he reached the park near Takemichi's house, he felt a sense of relief that soon his journey would be at an end.

His attention, however, was quickly taken by the sight of someone punching the tires. He couldn't see the person's face, but he recognized the jacket as being Takemichi's.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, wondering why Takemichi was here when they'd already agreed to meet at Takemichi's house.

Takemichi turned to him, but something seemed off about about his posture.

"I'm not in the mood, Chifuyu."

Even his words sounded off. There was something familiar about them, however, and Chifuyu gasped.

"Baji?! You and Takemitchy came back?!"

Ignoring Chifuyu, Baji went back to punching the tires. Now getting annoyed, Chifuyu placed himself in front of Baji.

"Move." Baji ordered.
"Let me talk to Takemitchy."

After staring each other down for a moment, Baji nodded.

"Fine. I'll let him tell you why we came back."

Baji was angry. That much was clear. His fury was a horrible match with Takemichi's face, however, so Chifuyu was relieved that he was giving control back to him.

The scream Takemichi let out was less than a relief.

"H-Hey!" Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's hand. "It's okay! Whatever might have happened, we can..."

Takemichi's hand was wet, but there was also something almost sticky on them. When Chifuyu looked down, he saw red.

"Is this blood?"

Rather than give either Takemichi or Baji a chance to answer, Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's other wrist. A quick examination revealed that both hands were bloody. A glance at the tire exposed some red on it.

"Have you-" Chifuyu said, staring at them in shock. "Have you been doing this all day?!"

Despite Chifuyu's hopes that Takemichi would be more open to talking to him, he simply resumed Baji's task of punching the tire.

"Takemitchy!"
"Gotta get stronger!" Takemichi said as though Chifuyu weren't even there. For whatever the reason, Chifuyu suspected that Baji wasn't urging Takemichi to stop.
"You're not gonna get any stronger by punishing your fists like that!"

Finally, Chifuyu tackled Takemichi to the ground. Rather than fight back, Takemichi covered his face as he screamed.

"What else am I supposed to do?!"

Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's hands and demanded to know what happened.

"Everyone's dead." Baji answered.

He'd expected that things in the future were dire, but he hadn't expected Baji to say it so bluntly.

"I couldn't save anyone!" Takemichi cried. "Mikey died in my arms!"

Apparently Takemichi could still feel the warmth of Mikey's body fading. The way he just seemed to stare at his hands as Chifuyu held them before pulling them away to cover his face again to muffle another scream made that clear. Chifuyu looked at Baji again; he didn't seem angry (or at least, not AS angry as he initially seemed), but he was also just as upset as Takemichi was, if the thousand-yard stare on his face was any indication.

Neither of them seemed to be in the mood to actually talk to Chifuyu, so he stood up, pulling Takemichi to his feet as he did so.

"We're gonna get sick out here." He said, pulling Takemichi toward the park entrance. "Let's go somewhere we can get warm."

Takemichi allowed Chifuyu to drag him to the Harmony Bath House, though neither he nor Baji said anything. His mind felt a little clearer once they were indoors, but getting undressed and entering the bath felt like he was going through the motions. It wasn't until his hands hit the water that he felt a twinge of pain.

"Ow!" He pulled his hands out, looking down at them.
"That's what you get for abusing your hands like that." Chifuyu teased.

Chifuyu watched Takemichi settle into the water before asking if he felt calmer now.

"Yeah, but I don't really want to talk about it in a public place." He said, glancing at the other patrons.
"Fair enough." Chifuyu nodded. "I will say that even if the future you saw was a shitty one, I'm a little happy."

Baji scowled, and Takemichi decided not to tell Chifuyu about it, only asking Chifuyu to elaborate.

"'Cause I got to see you guys again!" Chifuyu grinned.

Baji didn't look that impressed with Chifuyu's heartwarming statement, but he did look away in what seemed like embarrassment.

The two boys finished up their bath and walked outside.

"Hey, it stopped raining!"

Tonight was another night where both of Takemichi's parents were working late, so they went to the Hanagaki house after leaving.

"Wow." Chifuyu looked at the ceiling with an uncomfortable expression. "Mikey killed everyone?"

It wasn't that much of a shock; Mikey was easily the strongest member of Toman, after all. Chifuyu couldn't help feeling annoyed, however.

"It pisses me off, since it sounds like I got killed without a fight."
"I mean, Naoto said you got shot, so it wouldn't have been much of a fight in the first place."

Chifuyu pouted slightly, but said nothing.

"Well, the only ones who can take Mikey on seriously are us in Toman, right?"
"Right." Takemichi nodded. "I used to think Mikey really WAS on a whole level from us, but... He's our friend."

Takemichi explained what Mikey had said to him.

"If Mikey's hurting, I want to support him. If he screws up, I want to take him on seriously." He declared. "And... I want to protect the people important to him."

The fact that Mikey had specifically mentioned Emma told him that something had happened to her in the past twelve years. If something had happened to his grandfather, he would have brought him up.

"Mikey's grandpa might have died of old age in the years between." Baji added. "We should also look into Kisaki."
"Kisaki?"

The biggest change in this timeline was Kisaki getting thrown out of Toman. It was possible that that may have played a role in Mikey succumbing to his inner darkness.

"Come on, Baji!" Chifuyu laughed. "You don't buy what Kisaki was saying about Mikey needing him, do you?"
"But... what if Kisaki KNOWS something?" Takemichi said with a furrowed brow.

The discussion went on for another hour before Chifuyu's mother called, asking him to return home. After hanging up, Chifuyu headed to the door to put his shoes back on.

"Before I go... You promise you aren't gonna do anything stupid after I leave, right?"
"Hey!" Takemichi protested.
"You look exhausted." Chifuyu said seriously. "Get some sleep, and don't spend the night arguing with Baji. Baji, make sure Takemichi goes to sleep."
"You're acting like my mom!"
"And I'm not his babysitter! He's not that bad about taking care of himself."

Chifuyu laughed and said payback was a bitch.

"What the hell does THAT mean?"
"I seem to recall the two of you acting like nagging parents the other day."
"Wha-"
"We were acting as your captains!"
"Sure, sure."

When Chifuyu was gone, Takemichi entered his room feeling annoyed.

"That Chifuyu!" He grumbled as he got out of his clothes to put his pajamas on. "Calling me his mom!"
"Hey, he only compared us to "nagging parents", he didn't say anything that specific!" Baji laughed. "You're the one who decided he was Chifuyu's mom!"

Baji mused that that presumably made him Chifuyu's dad.

"Damn, no wonder Chifuyu's a delinquent."

The two laughed for a moment before settling into an awkward silence. Takemichi put his pajamas on and sat on the bed.

"You're angry."
"Not..." Baji's voice trailed off.
"It's okay. My head didn't start hurting until after... you know. I don't think it's because of you."

Baji's mouth was a thin line. Finally, he admitted that he was angry with a lot of people at the moment. Takemichi had a pretty good idea of who, but asked Baji to tell him anyway.

"Naoto for shooting Mikey. The others for not being able to help Mikey. Mikey for killing the others. And..." Baji stopped.
"Me, right?"

Mikey's request, while perhaps not worded as honestly as Baji thought, was still a sincere one. Takemichi had recognized that and made an equally sincere promise to stay by his side. And yet, the Takemichi of the past not only failed to keep it, but left Toman altogether. What's more, Baji had a sneaking suspicion of why.

(Bringing it up would only make Takemichi defensive, however)

"Things may not have gotten as bad as they did if you had been there."

Takemichi bristled at his words, and gave him a glare.

"You're only saying that because you weren't there to see how things went when I was there."

Under most circumstances, Baji would have taken those words as an opportunity to start a fight; hell, he badly wanted to. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the look on Takemichi's face.

There was a tinge of bitterness in his eyes, but it seemed almost smothered by grief.

"And yet, the worst possible future you've seen so far was the one where you left."
"And I don't understand how that could be!" Takemichi exclaimed. "Kisaki was gone! Everyone else was still with him! Why was I the only one who left?!"

He was also baffled by the reactions of both Mikey and the others. From the sounds of it, Mikey had no intention of letting Takemichi leave Toman. Even if he wanted Takemichi to act like his brother, that was a bit extreme. On the other hand, it sounded like they hadn't spoken since Takemichi left Toman. Did the others know where Takemichi was living and keep his location a secret? If Kisaki was dead, then was it Mikey who ordered Hinata's death? Were she and Takemichi even still together by then?

There were so many unanswered questions that it made Takemichi's head spin.

"We gotta make sure we keep Emma safe, too." Takemichi buried his face in his hands and fell back onto his bed. "But until Naoto finishes with his research, we won't know what we have to keep her safe from."

Neither Takemichi nor Baji wanted to think about the possibility of Emma dying, but they knew they needed to address it. His sister dying would certainly be a catalyst for Mikey falling to darkness. The real question was, if someone were to try killing Emma, who would it be? Was it possible that the Black Dragons had joined Toman for other, more sinister reasons?

"Were Inui and Kokonoi in the Ninth Generation of Black Dragons?" Takemichi asked.
"I don't think they were, though I admit I didn't pay much attention to the faces of all the guys I beat up." Baji's brow wrinkled in thought. "The Ninth Generation leader was a guy named Madarame something-or-other. Mion, maybe?"
"So you think they're unrelated to what happens in the future?"
"Probably. Though..." Baji remembered what Madarame said at the confrontation. "He was saying something about "carrying on the Eighth Generation's will", and it almost sounded like Mikey was their primary target."

That certainly sounded like a clue worth pursuing, but hadn't Baji mentioned wanting to go after them because of Kazutora?

"You should know by now that a great way to get at gang members is to go after their friends, both in and out of the gang." Baji scoffed. "Besides, Mikey's reputation for being "Invincible" was already spreading even before we formed Toman."
"Would talking to Kazutora yield any new information?"

Baji crossed his arms.

"I guess, but I could probably answer any questions you have. It's not like we have to go see him."
"Do you not want to see him if you can't talk to him directly?" Takemichi asked as he crawled into bed.
"Huh?"

Takemichi seemed confused by why Baji was trying to talk him out of visiting Kazutora. Baji blinked. Why was he doing that?

"Are you scared he'll react badly?"
"Maybe, but it's been a few days. He's probably had time to process what I wrote."

After a moment of silence, Takemichi bade Baji good night. Baji nodded, and drifted to the roof to see which cats were out and about.

"I didn't think I was going to see you until I got out."

When Kazutora entered the visitor's room, Takemichi saw the dye was gone from his hair. He looked a bit tired, but the light hadn't disappeared from his eyes. He watched Takemichi for a minute before asking if what he wrote in the letter was true.

"Yeah." Takemichi nodded. "Baji said you thought I looked like a hamster?"
"You do." Kazutora said bluntly. "I can't believe you're actually a captain now."
"Same here." Takemichi laughed awkwardly.

After another minute of silence, Kazutora asked if he came back because things were bad. Takemichi nodded, explaining that he was looking for information on the Eighth and Ninth Generation of the Black Dragons.

"I can tell you a bit about the Ninth, but I don't really know anything about the Eighth."

Kazutora had had a falling out with some friends of his, and those friends had sought help from the Black Dragons after Mikey and the others had kicked their asses.

"Did their leader say something about "upholding the Eighth's will" or anything like that? Baji said that it felt like he was talking to Mikey specifically rather than you."

The memory of that day seemed to return to Kazutora, and he nodded with a surprised look.

"You really have been talking to him, huh."

Another uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"I'm not angry with him."
'I don't think that changes the guilt.'

After another moment, Baji looked at Kazutora and sighed.

"Get ready, Takemichi."

Takemichi smiled and closed his eyes in concentration.

"Don't freak out, okay, Kazutora? I'm gonna let Baji take control for a moment."
"...You can do that?"

"Yep!" Baji said, giving Kazutora his familiar, toothy grin.

Kazutora took a deep breath and turned away.

"Is it too much?"
"No, it's just... I need a minute."

When Kazutora finally got up the nerve to look at him, Baji smiled sadly.

"I never blamed you even once."
"I... know." Kazutora looked down at his hands. "But... I think I needed to do this."

Baji nodded in understanding before giving control back to Takemichi. Kazutora watched curiously as he did.

"The difference between your demeanor is actually kind of funny."
"Yeah, I guess I don't really give off the vibe of a hardcore delinquent." Takemichi rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"I think for some people it's something you have to learn."

When Takemichi asked what Kazutora did to give off that vibe, Kazutora narrowed his eyes in jest before getting a thoughtful look on his face.

"To tell the truth, one of the reasons I started wanting to be a delinquent was reading manga like Bukkomi No Taku."

That was far from the only reason, of course, but it was the thing that sparked his interest in the first place.

"Of course!" Takemichi's eyes looked like they'd bug out of his head. "The bibles of being a delinquent!"

He looked as though Kazutora had given him all the answers he needed.

The two chatted amiably for a few minutes before the guard said time was up.

'Next is the really difficult visit.' Takemichi said as he left the detention center. 'But it's one I have to make. I need to see him.'

On his way to the Sano dojo, Takemichi ran into Draken, who had just finished parting ways with Mitsuya.

"You've got a weird look on your face." He noted with a concerned look.
"Sorry, I just... I had a rough couple days."

Draken said "hmm" in regards to that, but thankfully didn't ask any more.

Mikey had apparently come down with a cold over the past few days, though he was well enough to at least have guests over.

"Hey, Takemi-"

Mikey's slightly nasally greeting was cut off by the sight of Takemichi's face.

"Are you... okay?"

Takemichi took a deep breath before pulling Mikey into a hug.

"Woah!" Mikey let out a startled noise. Even Draken was giving him a strange look.

When Takemichi finally let go, Mikey's face was red.

"Did you miss me that bad, Takemitchy?"
"Heh... Maybe a little."

Draken warned Takemichi to step back before Mikey got all of his germs on him. Mikey pouted at him, but gently pushed Takemichi off of him.

"I appreciate it, Takemitchy, but Kenchin IS right." He said with a grin. "I don't want you getting sick, too."
"Right..."
"Don't get me wrong, it's just a cold! I'm not gonna die or anything."

Takemichi winced, and Mikey laughed.

"And here I thought Mitsuya could be a mother hen sometimes!"

When Takemichi didn't laugh with him, he and Draken both gave him a concerned look.

"Look, I'm feeling a lot better! I'll be right back on my Babu within a couple days!" His grin now looked a bit more forced. "I'm not gonna die!"
"Alright!" Takemichi laughed weakly. "I'll hold you to that."

After a few more minutes, Takemichi left.

"So what's the current plan?"

Rather than answer, Takemichi slapped his own cheeks.

'I'm gonna take what I've learned from Kazutora and study up on how to become the top delinquent in Toman!'

Baji didn't recall Kazutora saying anything about that. He hoped Takemichi wasn't going to come up with something stupid like using manga as a research tool. Even Baji had never been that dumb.

A few days later, Baji's fears were confirmed when, upon finishing the 25th volume of Shonan Junai Gumi, Takemichi had come to a conclusion: In order for him to reach the top of the delinquent world, he first needed to go to the peak of it: Kanagawa.

"And to get started, we'll beat up the punks of Yokohama!" He explained, having dragged Chifuyu to the train station.
"Have fun!" Chifuyu waved goodbye. "Make sure to bring back a souvenir after you finish eating meat buns in Chinatown!"

"You know, maybe it's a good thing Kazutora won't be able to act as your senpai. A single conversation with him has made you dumber."

"None of us are friends anymore!" Takemichi declared as he prepared to get his ticket. 'Baji, you stay quiet the whole time we're there! If you say anything, I'll make sure to get the most deeply simmered food Yokohama has to offer!'

Just as Baji was preparing to make commentary on every single thing he saw for the rest of the day, he heard a familiar voice call Chifuyu's name, quickly followed by the sound of two people running before coming to a stop.

Yamagishi and Makoto had clearly seen better days, but before Takemichi could exit the loading area, a train arrived, carrying several rough-looking young men wearing identical red uniforms. Evidently Yokohama's delinquents had decided to come to them.

One of them took notice of Takemichi and shouted for another to "bring the guy they just got up here". When a roughed up looking Akkun was brought forward, he looked at Takemichi with a blank expression as the first guy pointed at Takemichi, asking if he was in Toman.

"Akkun!" Takemichi gasped in shock, eliciting a groan from both Akkun and Baji.
"You moron!"
"Idiot!"

The delinquent released Akkun from his grip and announced that Takemichi would be the fifth Toman victim of the day. Before he could issue a beatdown, however, Chifuyu launched himself over the barrier and kicked the guy in the face. He shouted for Takemichi and Akkun to run, but Akkun still seemed a bit dazed. Takemichi knelt down and told him to get on. As he fled, Chifuyu promised that he'd be right behind them, but both Baji and Takemichi had a bad feeling.

Because of how large the group of Yokohama delinquents was, the first one to speak to Takemichi chased him with several others.

Makoto and Yamagishi had run ahead, yelling for Takemichi to follow them into a building that Makoto then locked. This didn't deter their pursuers, who began discussing breaking the door down.

"Let's run out the back!" Makoto hissed.

As the group made their way toward the back, Takemichi explained that Chifuyu would catch up soon.

"Hopefully."

Once they were outside, Makoto apologized, saying the mess was his fault. He explained that the delinquents chasing them were from Yokohama, and they were called "Tenjiku".

"When I mentioned Toman's name, they jumped us. Akkun acted as a decoy so the rest of us could get away."

Takuya had been with them too, but he'd gotten separated in their escape.

"They're bad news." Akkun, who was waking up, added. "I think they said about 300 of them came to Tokyo today."

Takemichi stopped in his tracks.

"300...?"
"He's strong, but he can't handle that many. I don't think even Draken could handle 300!"

"Akkun, can you walk?"
"Huh? Y-Yeah."

Takemichi let Yamagishi support Akkun before telling them to head to Toman's hideout. There were likely to be other Toman members there.

"I forgot something!" He said before running back in the direction he just came from. As he followed, Baji looked back at the group, none of whom looked convinced by his excuse. Once Takemichi rounded the corner, Baji saw all three of them moving to follow.

'I bet Chifuyu knew those guys were Tenjiku and made himself a decoy anyway!' Takemichi said angrily. 'He better be in one piece when I-'

An arm to his throat derailed that line of thought. The Tenjiku punk responsible jeered at him for actually coming back. The one leading them joined in and kicked Takemichi when he was on the ground, but a second kick was interrupted by a kick to the face via Akkun.

"You guys!" Takemichi gasped. 'Baji, did you know they were following us?!'
"Of course I did. They're our division."

"Did you think we were gonna hold you back?" Makoto almost sounded hurt.
"We're not just the Mizo Mid Gang anymore." Yamagishi declared.

They were in the First Division now, and Takemichi was their captain.

"You're planning on rescuing Chifuyu, right?" Akkun said as he stood up. "Don't act like we're not part of this."

All of them were Toman, and they weren't going to abandon their friends.

"Get it now?" Baji grinned as the three prepared to charge. "You guys can save Chifuyu together!"
"Right!" Takemichi yelled as he stood up to fight alongside them.

Unfortunately, four Toman members versus around a dozen Tenjiku members wasn't much of a fight. Even with Baji running through anyone who put their hands on them, it wasn't enough.

"They keep coming...!" Akkun said through his pants.
"I can't even stand up anymore..." Yamagishi groaned.

'Who are these guys, anyway? They've never shown up before!'

A gap opened up in the crowd as one particular member stepped forward. Even without that, though, Takemichi's eyes were still still drawn to him.

"You really don't know what's going on, do you?" Kisaki looked down at Takemichi with no emotion.

Well, that answered THAT question.

"Kisaki!" Takemichi gasped.
"Yo, Hero. Let the Kanto Uprising begin."

Being called that reminded Takemichi of the night he saw him kill Chifuyu.

"I was the captain of the Tokyo Manji Gang's Third Division." Kisaki continued. "Now I'm Kisaki Tetta, General Staff Officer of Yokohama's Tenjiku."

"So you switched to another gang right after getting thrown out of Toman?" Takemichi said accusingly.

Kisaki gave only the slightest flinch, and his expression remained fairly blank.

"Don't try to judge me, Takemitchy." He scoffed. "I'm going to make my own Toman."
"Don't fucking call him that!"

Takemichi doubled over, his head feeling like it was about to explode.

"Not gonna use your-"

He shivered as Baji threw a punch through him, and his face shifted into a genuine glare, albeit one that also seemed to be questioning Takemichi's sanity.

"He really can make you cold!" One of the Tenjiku members said to another.
"So that chill wasn't just the wind...?"
"Why's he so weak, though?"

Takemichi could barely make out their words. He'd been afraid this would happen the second Kisaki had shown up.

"I don't really know what it is you're doing, Takemitchy..."

Takemichi heard Kisaki step toward him, then felt his collar being grabbed. The next thing he knew, Kisaki was right in his face, staring at him with a burning determination. He felt Baji continuing to punch through him to Kisaki.

"But it's gonna end bad for you no matter what you do. I'll make my own Toman and force Mikey to acknowledge me."

The sound of a motorcycle approached and came to a stop. Takemichi thought he saw Hanma riding it while wearing an identical Tenjiku uniform, which was confirmed when he heard Hanma's voice call Kisaki and tell him to hurry up.

"Well, at any rate, don't let it end here." Kisaki said with a sneer as he released his grip on Takemichi. "We will be meeting again, after all."

The motorcycle started up again, and Kisaki was gone.

"I heard Toman's got five teams." A different voice called out. "Are the other four at least stronger than this?"

A large man walked through the crowd dragging something behind him.

"Who..." Takemichi groaned.

"Chifuyu!" Yamagishi cried.

At the sound of his vice-captain's name, Takemichi pulled himself to to his feet as the man declared that Toman wasn't worth it. He tossed Chifuyu to the others and explained that he just got word that some of Tenjiku's other men were in Shinjuku fighting the Second Division.

"Beat these losers until they never think of standing against us again!" He ordered. "We gotta get this done before Kakuchou shows up! The glory is going to our team!"

He declared that he'd be leaving the cleanup to the rest of the "Mochizuki Team" as the gathered Tenjiku members cheered. When the man was gone, the remaining members encircled Takemichi and the others. Now even more outnumbered than they had been before, panic began to set in.

Before anyone in Tenjiku could lay a hand on them, however, a scream rang out from the back of the crowd.

"Get out of the way! There's a bike coming through!"

Takemichi barely had the time to process the sound of another motorcycle approaching before a terrified Tenjiku member ran toward them, screaming about the "Meguro Twin Devils", followed by him and several other members being sent flying. Soon, all of them were running in every direction as the motorcycle came to a stop by Takemichi.

"Is that... Nahoya?"
"No... that's Angry."

Takemichi looked at Baji. There was still darkness swirling around him, but it didn't seem as severe as it had been. He looked as exhausted as Takemichi felt.

"Hey!" The boy, "Angry", yelled at Takemichi as he got off his motorcyle and placed the person he'd been carrying over his shoulder on the bike. "Look!"
"Takuya!" Akkun managed to react before Takemichi did.

Sure enough, the guy on Angry's bike was an unconscious Takuya. Angry explained that he'd found him collapsed in the street and gave him first aid.

"But make sure he gets to a hospital!" He said through clenched teeth. "And you should probably go, too! I'm worried about both of you!"

"Hey, Takemitchy!" Smiley's deceptively cheery voice distracted Takemichi's bafflement at his brother's harsh-but-caring attitude.

'You weren't kidding.' Takemichi sighed as Kawata Souya (known as "Angry") warned the others in the Mizo Mid Gang to go to a hospital as well.
"You know who they are, right, Takemichi?" Yamagishi asked. "Or... are you just out of it?"
"The second one." Takemichi forced himself to smile. "Who would have thought that the Fourth Division was led by twins?"

'Maybe next time I'll meet Haruchiyo.' He said. 'You said he's a childhood friend of you and Mikey, right?'
"Y-Yeah." Baji answered, sounding uncomfortable. "Are you... really okay?"
'I think so.'

"Hey, Chifuyu, can you stand?" Smiley looked over at Chifuyu, who had woken up.
"Yeah."

To Takemichi's relief, Chifuyu was able to pull himself to his feet with little issue. Angry told the two of them to get on his and Smiley's bikes.

"It's time to raid Yokohama!" Smiley said pleasantly.

The scenery passed by quickly. Sure, it might have been faster to go by train (it wasn't like they were that far from the station), but there was something calming about going by motorcycle.

"Are we really going to Yokohama?!" Takemichi shouted.
"Yep! By the way, Chifuyu..."

Smiley asked if Mocchi was the one who'd beaten him.

"He didn't beat me!" Chifuyu protested. "He sucker punched me! Doesn't count!"

After a pause, Chifuyu said he was even ready for a rematch.

"Don't push yourself. You were out cold a few minutes ago." Angry warned him. Smiley agreed, telling Chifuyu not to act tough.

"Mocchi's really strong. Even we've lost to him."

Angry explained that before joining Toman, the two of them used to get in fights with a Kawasaki gang called Jugem. Eventually, fighting to a stalemate got old, so one day both groups gathered by the riverbed for one final confrontation between the bosses: Smiley versus Mochizuki Kanji.

"He completely annihilated me!" Smiley said, as though it were a nostalgic memory.
"And after that, I challenged him and he beat me, too.
"They joined up with Toman not long after that."

As the brothers teased each other over their loss, Chifuyu gave them a puzzled look.

"Why do you guys look so happy remembering a fight you lost?"

Angry was nonplussed by the question, saying they didn’t pick fights they were sure they would win.

"We're like you in that regard, Takemitchy." Smiley turned back to Takemichi to grin at him.

Besides, he argued as he turned to watch the road, if Mocchi was out hunting, this was Toman's chance to raid their headquarters.

Angry spotted two Tenjiku members casually walking around. The brothers pulled over and told their passengers to wait while they "gathered information" on where Tenjiku's hideout was. While this was going on, Takemichi decided to fill Chifuyu on what happened while Chifuyu had acted as bait.

"You met Kisaki?!"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's the one who planned the attack today."
"That explains some things."

Chifuyu was looking at Takemichi's face, which still looked rather pale. Baji looked down at his feet as he realized that Chifuyu knew why.

"I think it explains a lot, actually." Takemichi frowned. "Including something that's been bugging me."

No matter what Takemichi did, things turned out bad. He'd saved Draken, but the future didn't change much. Kisaki had been driven out, but things actually got worse.

"What if... every time I change the future, someone else changes it more?"
"You don't think..."

Chifuyu also picked up on what Takemichi was implying, staring at him with wide eyes.

"What if Kisaki can time-leap too?"

Chifuyu was skeptical, but Takemichi reminded him of what they'd discussed regarding what Kisaki had said at the last meeting.

"I thought maybe Mikey took on all of Toman's darkness on his own with Kisaki gone, but... maybe that's not what happened."

Kisaki had been trying to create a Toman that was convenient for him and that was probably why Tenjiku was suddenly attacking.

"You think he comes coming from the future to make a Toman that suits him?" Chifuyu asked with a frown before conceding that it would make sense if that were the case.

"And if he is..."
"There's really only one thing we can do."

The dull ache returned with a vengeance. Takemichi wasn't sure what sort of face he was making, but Chifuyu's eyes narrowed.

"Baji, I can't hear what you're saying, but I have a pretty good idea of what it is."

He paused, trying to find the right words.

"And Takemitchy, you've got a scary look on your face yourself." He said before reaching out to pull at Takemichi's cheeks.
"Hey!" Takemichi protested when he let go.

"I think you both have a bit of a problem with tunnel vision." Chifuyu crossed his arms. "Right now, we need to focus on figuring out what Tenjiku's deal is. All the more so if Kisaki really IS pulling the strings."

Plus, if Kisaki was indeed a time-leaper, he was probably just as desperate as Takemichi was. After all, he'd apparently died in the future. Their best bet at the moment was to find out if Takemichi's theory was true. If Kisaki was in Tenjiku, then he might have been at the Tenjiku hideout, which the twins had conveniently extracted from the two members they'd accosted.

The conversation on the way to the hideout revealed other things about Tenjiku: They had only formed recently, but they'd already recruited all the delinquents in Kanagawa.

"Well, it ain't like they've got any other monsters like Mocchi. Toman would be in a lot of trouble if they did."

The hideout turned out in a warehouse by the port. The large collection of motorcycles was not only a dead giveaway, but also a hint that perhaps the "hideout" was actually a trap.

Dozens of Tenjiku members were waiting inside, but surprisingly none of them attacked. Standing in the middle of the warehouse was a tough-looking guy with a large scar (that Baji privately thought looked cool) on his head. He wore a single earring and a confident smile.

"It's about time you got here."

'There's... something familiar about that guy.'
"Did you see him in one of the other futures?"
'No, he doesn't look like any of Kisaki's goons.'

According to the scarred man, there were a hundred men there, but only he would be fighting. He dismissed the others, who obeyed without question.

"He's probably one of the higher ups in the gang."

The man explained that a hundred on four was chickenshit. Four-on-one was more than enough. Smiley introduced himself.

"It's gonna be one-on-one." He declared.

This shocked Takemichi and Chifuyu, but Angry just cheered his brother on. The scarred man didn't look pleased by this, however, and pointed at Takemichi.

"I want to face Toman's First Division Captain, Hanagaki Takemichi!"

He stepped forward and gestured for Takemichi to do the same. He introduced himself as Kakuchou, one of Tenjiku's Four Heavenly Kings.

Neither of the twins said anything, but Chifuyu was reluctant to let Takemichi, who was already injured, fight.

"I don't think he's going to let us leave without a fight from you."
'Plus, we might be able to get info on Kisaki.' Takemichi agreed.

Finally, he stepped toward Kakuchou, who prepared to fight.

"Bring it on."

The others shouted encouraging words as Takemichi got into position to charge. With a shout, Takemichi threw a punch. In the fraction of a second before it connected, Baji thought he saw Kakuchou smile. In the second, Kakuchou was sent flying toward the back of the warehouse. The force of the punch also caused Takemichi to become unbalanced and fall to the ground himself, but no one else seemed to care about that.

"Hell yeah!" Chifuyu cheered in excitement.

And that was it. Smiley, Angry, and Chifuyu all began walking to the door to return to Tokyo. Takemichi, still wondering if he knew Kakuchou from somewhere, hesitated for a second before moving to follow.

"DAMN IT!" Kakuchou shouted. "I HATE IT, TAKEMICHI!"

His words and the sight of him lying on his back brought Takemichi back to early in elementary school: He remembered seeing a friend sprawled on the ground after losing a fight.

"Kaku-chan?!" He gasped.

At this, Kakuchou sat up and grinned at Takemichi.

"It's about time you remember, Baka-michi." He laughed. "It's been a long time. The second year of elementary school, if I recall."
"Oh yeah!" Takemichi smiled back. "That's when you changed schools. How've you been?"

"You just sent him flying and you ask how he's been?"

Kakuchou glanced toward the door. The other three were outside and hadn't yet noticed that Takemichi hadn't followed them. He looked back at his childhood friend and said that he wanted to talk to him privately.

"That's why I threw the fight, you see." He explained, swaying as he stood up.
"Sure you did, Kaku-chan."

This irritated Kakuchou, who protested that he HAD gotten stronger the last time they met. Besides, he scoffed, that punch was really weak.

"Yeah, yeah." Takemichi chuckled before patting Kakuchou on the shoulder. "You always did like picking fights, even if you were a sore loser."

It was hard to believe he was now one of Tenjiku's Heavenly Kings.

"I've heard rumors about Toman's new First Division Captain." Kakuchou sighed, but gave Takemichi a smile. "You were my hero back then."

His smile faded quickly, however, and he got a serious look on his face.

"Tenjiku's boss, Kurokawa Izana, is my hero now. That means you and I are enemies."

Takemichi, to his credit, didn't seem surprised by Kakuchou's declaration. Baji hoped that that meant he wouldn't make any stupid mistakes based on sentimentality.

"That's why I'm asking you to save him."

Chapter Text

Takemichi arrived home that night with more questions than answers in regard to Tenjiku.

Kakuchou said that he didn't agree with this conflict and that Izana was being manipulated by Kisaki.

"I don't believe him."
'Why?'

There wasn't really any proof of Kakuchou's claims. For all they knew, his plea for Takemichi to save Izana in and of itself could be a trap on Kisaki's part.

'Kaku-chan wouldn't do that!'
"How do you know that? You said yourself that you haven't seen him in years. He wouldn't help us meet Kisaki and he wouldn't even tell you where he got that scar."

The only real hint Kakuchou gave was a warning about a traitor.

Takemichi wanted to argue, but a glance at the shoe area by the door revealed his mother was home and it was almost dinner time. She would definitely notice something was up if he was scowling the whole time, so he decided to drop the subject until he went upstairs.

"Did you get into a fight?" Touko frowned as Takemichi took a seat.
"Nah, it's more like I got the shit beaten out of me."

Touko didn't look happy at this, but surprisingly she didn't say anything. She usually had plenty of commentary when her son got in trouble, so the fact that she was silent was... probably not a good sign. Takemichi decided to let the subject of Kakuchou drop for the night.

The following night, Toman gathered at Musashi Shrine for an emergency meeting.

Looking around, Takemichi realized that many other members were also nursing injuries like those in the First Division. Mitsuya was actually sporting more bandages than he was. Whoever had jumped him must have either been really strong or really lucky.

"Yesterday, several members of our gang were attacked in various parts of Tokyo!" Draken announced. "The culprits were a gang from Yokohama known as Tenjiku!"

As the troops began chattering, Draken explained that Tenjiku had only formed recently, so any information was useful. He called the First Division, who had been attacked first, forward. Takemichi and Chifuyu both did so, explaining that they'd been attacked by "Team Mochizuki". Smiley piped up to add that their leader was Mochizuki Kanji, and that they were probably Tenjiku's main force.

"Mocchi? From Kawasaki's Jugem?"
"He's from the S-62 Generation! Everyone knows who he is!"

Mitsuya spoke up to disagree with Smiley's assessment, revealing that Tenjiku had also recruited the Haitani Brothers.

"The ones controlling Roppongi?!"
"Does Tenjiku have all the S-62 Generation?"

Mikey twitched when Draken mentioned that the other members who'd been attacked said that the culprit was Madarame.

'Madarame? Isn't he a former Black Dragon leader?'

"Madarame is also a member of the S-62 Generation." Mucho spoke up, as though answering Takemichi's question.
"In other words, the S-62 Generation, which normally wouldn't have any reason to team up..." Mikey said. "...Have done so to form Tenjiku."

The chances of there being a connection between Toman and Tenjiku were high.

"We're not taking this lying down!" Mikey declared after a moment. "Next time, we're gonna invade Yokohama!"

Toman cheered in response, but neither Takemichi nor Baji felt particularly confident.

"I feel like we're just playing into Kisaki's hands." He told Chifuyu when the latter noticed that he wasn't cheering along with the others.
"So go talk it over with Naoto."
"Huh?"

Chifuyu sighed.

"You already said you were gonna head back to talk about Emma. Pretty sure Kisaki being a time leaper is something he'd want to know about."
"That's... true." Takemichi said sheepishly. "Thanks, Chifuyu."
"What would you do without me?" Chifuyu asked with a confident smile.

He was right, of course. Enough time had passed that surely Naoto had been able to do enough research to figure out what happened to Emma. When the meeting ended, Takemichi rushed toward the stairs to make his way to the Tachibana apartment. As he reached the second stair from the top, however, he slipped on some ice that hadn't yet melted.

"Take-" Before Baji could try (and fail) to do anything, however, a hand reached out and grabbed Takemichi's forearm.

"Watch yourself, Captain!" Kokonoi's words came out sounding a bit more alarmed than he probably intended, most likely because Takemichi nearly pulled him down the stairs with him.

"Y-Yeah, sorry..." Takemichi nodded as he readjusted his body. "Thanks, Kokonoi."
"You can just call me "Koko". That's what most people call me." Kokonoi glanced at Inui, who also had a startled look on his face. "And you can call him "Inupi"."

"Koko", Takemichi could believe. But Inui came across as a serious person who would hate such a cutesy nickname.

"It's fine." As though reading Takemichi's mind, Inui spoke up in order to vouch for Kokonoi's claim.

"O-Okay." Takemichi nodded.
"Where were you off to in such a hurry?"
"Oh, I was just..." Takemichi looked at the ground awkwardly. "I was going to visit my girlfriend."

Baji noticed an odd expression on Inui's face, as though Takemichi's words cleared something up for him.

"I see. I was hoping the three of us could talk about how you want to us to integrate with the First Division." He sounded a little disappointed.
"You've kind of been brushing us off, Captain." Koko crossed his arms. "I know you don't exactly trust us, but I would like it if we could at least establish a working relationship. It'd mean a lot to Inupi, too."
"O-Oh..."

"Don't let him guilt-trip you, Takemichi. We still don't know if they have anything to do with what happens to Emma."
'...Right.'

"Maybe once this mess with Tenjiku gets sorted out, we can talk about it." Takemichi suggested. "I... really do need to go now. Thanks again for saving me, Koko!"

Koko didn't look entirely satisfied with this, but nodded. Inupi, meanwhile, maintained his slightly unhappy expression.

"I don't trust either of them, if I'm being honest." Baji said when Takemichi reached the bottom of the stairs.

Koko was clearly a suck-up who'd betray you to the highest bidder and Inui was a brute whose sudden interest in Takemichi was suspicious.

'I mean, I did think it was weird that they picked the First Division rather than the Second, but...'
"But...?"
"Ugh, I don't know!" Takemichi groaned out loud. 'Right now I just kind of want to tackle one thing at a time.'
"Then let me worry about it."

When he arrived at the apartment building, he braced himself to ring the doorbell, only to hear Hinata's voice call out to him. She had a surprised look on her face that melted into anger.

"Have you been fighting again?!" She admonished him.
"Eheheh... I just keep losing."

Hinata opened the door to call Naoto outside.

'It's nice to get a reminder of why I'm doing all this, huh?'
"...Yeah."

Takemichi shook Naoto's hand, and woke up in his apartment in 2018. He wasn't alone, however.

"Oh, you're awake." Hanemiya Kazutora greeted him.

As they waited for Naoto and Ryouko to arrive, Kazutora explained what he was doing in Takemichi's apartment.

Upon his release from prison a couple years ago, Kazutora had opted not to rejoin Toman on both Ryouko and Chifuyu's advice, at least not formally. He acted as an associate, and was familar with at least some of the faces that joined after his first incarceration, but maintained a distance otherwise.

"A couple months ago, I got a call from Chifuyu telling me to go into hiding." He said, looking at the ceiling. "Something had... shifted in Mikey, and some of the others had gone missing or turned up dead."

<"I've... got some company that... really wants to talk to me. Before I hang up, though, can you promise me you'll look after Ryouko-san and Takemitchy when he gets back?">

Kazutora listened to him and took refuge in Ryouko's apartment. A few days later, it was reported in the news that Chifuyu's body had been found.

"...Fuck." Takemichi wiped tears from his eyes.
"He was looking out for us until the end." Baji's smile was sad.

Ironically, though, Chifuyu wasn't the one who had been keeping Takemichi's location a secret; it had actually been Mitsuya who knew where Takemichi was living. Kazutora suspected that Mikey had gotten Takemichi's address from Mitsuya's computer after killing him.

"I don't get it." Takemichi said under his breath.
"Huh?"
"Why the hell did those guys go so far to protect me?"

Kazutora stared at him for a moment before asking if Takemichi would have done the same for them.

"I mean, I'd like to think that I would, but..."

Kazutora moved to pull Takemichi into a hug without letting go of his hand.

"Isn't that enough?" He said calmly. "Wanting to keep your friends safe, even when you've already fallen down that hole?"
"But..."

Kazutora squeezed him a little tighter.

Hey, you're getting a bit too close there, Kazutora, Baji thought to himself.

"Look, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be alive right now if you hadn't told me about your time leaping." Kazutora continued. "And Baji, my biggest regret is not realizing what you were trying to do by infiltrating Valhalla."

The sudden acknowledgement brought Baji back to Earth.

"When Hanma told me that you were a traitor, I stopped thinking. I don't think Hanma even planned for me to kill you, but I still let myself get manipulated by him."
"I mean, it was actually Kisaki who planned it."

Takemichi explained what Kisaki had told him in the previous timeline. Kazutora's expression was dark when Takemichi finished his story.

"Well, at least he's dead now. 'Spares me at least one moral dilemma."
"I wish I could say the same."

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of Naoto and Ryouko, but Kazutora jumped up to check the peephole.

"Were you followed?" He said.
"No, I made sure we weren't." Naoto answered.

Kazutora opened the door to let them in, then shut and locked the door. Once the four were settled around the kotatsu, Ryouko spoke up first.

"Naoto told me what happened in the Philippines. I'm sorry about what happened."
"Don't be, Ryouko-san." Takemichi shook his head. "It wasn't your fault at all."

Naoto pulled his computer out and opened some articles.

"In February 2006, a young girl was assaulted with a blunt object while she was on her way to meet with some friends. She was found quickly and taken to the hospital, but died almost immediately after arriving. That girl was Sano Emma."

He paused to let Takemichi and Baji take it in.

"Do we know if it was someone in Tenjiku?"
"There weren't any direct witnesses, but the people who found her DID report hearing the sound of a motorcycle on the street just before it happened, so it is suspected to have been a gang hit."
"And I'm guessing nobody was ever caught?"
"No."

All four looked at Ryouko, who was staring at her cooling coffee on the table.

"Like Naoto said, there weren't any real witnesses to what happened since Emma happened to be the only person on the street when it happened."

She let out a sigh before apologizing to Takemichi again.

"If I had told you about it before you left, maybe you could have used that as leverage to get Manjiro to surrender."
"Hindsight is 20/20." Takemichi reassured her. "Besides, if I had told him about my time leaping right away, maybe things wouldn't have gotten that far."
"It happened in February, right?" Baji spoke up. "I think that means Tenjiku was probably involved."
"Tenjiku?" Kazutora gave Baji a curious look.

Takemichi explained what was going on in 2006 before going into his theory about Kisaki. Naoto looked at the ceiling for a moment before speaking in a resolute voice.

"If Kisaki really is a time leaper, we'll have to kill him."

Going to the past was pointless if he was just going to change things, he argued. Killing him was the only way.

"Naoto, you're scaring me."
"I'm kidding."

As Takemichi scolded him for making jokes at a time like this, Baji privately doubted Naoto was actually joking. Besides, he thought his reasoning was solid.

"What's Kisaki trying to do in the past?" Kazutora, trying to change the subject, spoke up.

Naoto frowned and brought up a picture of his whiteboard on the computer.

"Twelve years ago, Kisaki formed Tenjiku and tried to take over Toman, but in the present, no one in the police even knows what Tenjiku is."
"Nobody in Toman ever said that name to me." Kazutora nodded in agreement. "Did he mess up or something?"

Looking at the pictures on the whiteboard, Takemichi noticed a familiar name next to a picture of a man wearing hanafuda earrings.

"Kurokawa Izana..."
"Ah. He's one of Toman's top brass." Naoto explained. "He's apparently a former leader of the Black Dragons."
"Black Dragons?!"

"No, he's the leader of Tenjiku!"

Takemichi went over his conversation with Kakuchou. By the time his explanation was over, Naoto's brow was so furrowed he looked like he had a migraine.

"I'll need to look him up in the police database." He sighed, closing his computer.
"I'll do some sleuthing, too!" Takemichi added.

By chance, he happened to glance at Kazutora as he said this, but to his surprise, Kazutora looked away awkwardly.

"I'm not sure how good of an idea it is for me to be on the streets right now." He looked away. "I didn't get a chance to tell you why I was here, did I?"

On the same day Naoto returned to Japan with Takemichi, Kazutora had stepped outside for the first time in weeks. Upon leaving a convenience store near Takemichi's apartment, he was accosted by two members of Toman who were very insistent that he accompany them to visit someone who wanted to speak to him. Kazutora, realizing that something was up, fled and ended up at Takemichi's apartment since he had gotten the address from Ryouko.

"It worked out, since it meant someone was here to take care of you while you were unconscious." Kazutora rubbed the back of his head. "But it does mean that I'm stuck here until we figure out what's going on."
"Someone's still after you?" Baji's eyes widened.
"Maybe Mikey really DIDN'T kill everyone?" Takemichi said hopefully.

"To tell the truth..." Ryouko, who had been silent for the past few minutes, spoke up. "I think I know someone who might have information."

The other night, she had met with some friends at a fancy restaurant to celebrate a birthday. The owner happened to be there when they arrived and greeted them on his way out. He was apparently on his way to the Udagawa Christian Church.

"I didn't recognize his name at first, but when he told me he was going to the church, I realized that he was the same guy you fought on Christmas twelve years ago." She said, pulling out her phone. "I pulled him to the side and told him who I was and what we've been doing."
"Taiju?!"
"You told him?!"

Ryouko gave Naoto an annoyed look.

"Why not? His brother was one of the victims. He even said that he's been going to the church to pray for his soul." She dialed a number. "He told me he wasn't interested in cooperating with the police, but he WAS interested in trading intel."

She stood up and walked to the corner of the room to talk on the phone.

"Well, while she's doing that, I'll head into headquarters to check the network." Naoto sighed. "Make sure to check every time someone comes to the door."

After Naoto closed the door, Kazutora asked Takemichi about Taiju.

"He's... really strong." Takemichi shuddered as he remembered the fight on Christmas. "If Mikey and Draken hadn't shown up when they did, we might not have won."
"Do you think he'd be a good ally?"
"Good question."

"Got it. I'll let Naoto know to meet you at the restaurant later. I'll send him the address."

She hung up and turned back to face the others.

"Naoto is going to meet with Taiju at his restaurant when he finishes up at the church. You three are going to stay here."
"Why?" Takemichi asked. "And what about you?"
"I have an errand to run and then I'll be standing by at home. Since Kazutora still can't go outside, I don't want him getting lonely."

"What am I, a rabbit?"
"Well, if we use some gel to make the dyed parts of your hair stick up, they'd probably look a little like rabbit ears." Ryouko teased.

Kazutora looked at Baji with an annoyed expression.

"This is what I spent two months putting up with. I can't believe you spent 15 years with this woman."

Ryouko responded by giving Kazutora a noogie before leaving.

"It sounds like the two of you were getting along okay." Takemichi grinned as he returned to the kotatsu after locking the door.
"No, she's just acting like a nagging mom." Kazutora grumbled as he held his hand out. "It's... irritating."

Takemichi remembered Baji had told him that Kazutora had a bad relationship with both of his parents.

"Is it uncomfortable?" Baji asked. "Being around my mom?"
"...I guess a little. Mine disowned me after what happened at Halloween."

He paused, then gave them both a suspicious look.

"How much has Baji told you about me?"
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb!" Kazutora pouted. "He told you I said you looked like a hamster!"
"You did say he looked like a hamster!" Baji wagged his finger at him. "You also said he'd be miserable in Toman and maybe we should try to bring him over to Valhalla, too!"
"Baji..." Kazutora glared at him.
"You told me you wanted Kazutora to be my senpai after we brought him back to Toman!" Takemichi protested. "You didn't tell me the part about recruiting me to Valhalla!"

Baji scoffed and said that 1. Kazutora said that, not him. 2. Obviously he'd only played along when he was undercover.

"What's this about me being your senpai?"
"Baji wanted me to replace your two kouhai when we re-recruited you to Toman."
"I didn't say it like that!"
"He said the kouhai you had at Mizo were chumps."
"HEY!"
"Verbatim."

Surprisingly, Kazutora laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose they were." He said, looking at the ceiling. "Just before I met up with you when you left Toman, they were talking shit about how you were probably a traitor."

He gave Baji a dry smile before saying he probably owed them an apology.

"Hey, I didn't see them helping you at the abandoned lot."

The mood was light for a few hours. The three chatted about various mundane subjects, letting the conversation drift wherever it went. Around 11, however, Takemichi received a phone call from Naoto.

"Hel-"
"Are you still at your apartment?!"

Immediately, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. Takemichi didn't have the phone on speaker, but the look on his face was enough to alert Baji and Kazutora that something was wrong.

"Naoto? What's going on?" Takemichi pressed the button to turn the phone onto speaker.
"Several Toman members showed up at Shiba Taiju's restaurant." Naoto explained. "They were being led by Kokonoi Hajime."
"What?!"
"Taiju had me slip out the back while he held them off, but I'm certain that someone's on their way to your apartment."

Naoto said that he needed to hide, so he was hanging up. Kazutora was already standing up and grabbing the bag that Takemichi had noticed earlier.

"It's not much, but we'll have to make due." He said grimly. "I noticed you got a knife that's the same kind Baji used."
"Ah. It's Chifuyu's. I can't believe I held onto it."
"If Kokonoi was alone, then it's probably Inui on his way here."

Baji looked angry, but also... satisfied?

A knock on the door was enough to kill all sound in the room.

"Hanagaki." The voice that came from the other side was a familiar one. "I know you're in there. I suspect Hanemiya Kazutora is, too."

That was convenient, Inui Seishu said. That meant all four of them could be delivered right to Izana.

'Izana?!'

What would Izana want with them? Why were Inui and Kokonoi operating under his orders?

"If you come out now, I might be able to convince him to spare your life."

None of them missed the implication that Inui said "life" (singular). The uncomfortable look on Kazutora's face would have been almost comical if not for the situation. His gaze moved to the window. It wasn't a particularly large one, but it was big enough that one person could slip through followed by another.

"They'll have the building surrounded before long, assuming they don't already." He whispered. "Be ready to run."

Kazutora opened the window as quietly as he could. Baji phased through the wall to look outside. Sure enough, there were several rough looking men outside the building, but all of them were more around the perimeter, and none of them were watching the window. He thought he saw someone in the bushes, but he couldn't tell for sure.

"You go first. You're the only one who can fix this." He said as Takemichi opened his mouth. "Head to the apartment building where Naoto and Hinata grew up."
"And run like hell once you hit the ground."

Takemichi's mouth turned into a thin line, but obeyed, climbing onto the sink and pushing himself through the window, careful to avoid making too much noise on the iron railing. With a quick breath, he jumped, bracing himself to hit the ground...

Only to feel his body make contact with another.

Whoever caught him swiftly wrapped his arms around his body and clamped a gloved hand around his mouth before pulling him a few feet away from where he'd landed. Suddenly being robbed of his ability to speak and move caused Takemichi to panic, and he tried to wriggle out of his captor's grasp.

"You!" Baji snarled. "I knew you were up to no good!"

Was this someone he knew? Takemichi didn't have time to ponder this, since Kazutora jumped from the window and landed on the ground. At the sight of Takemichi being restrained, he dropped the bag and lunged at his captor, only to fall over after someone behind him struck the back of his neck.

"Your options were to surrender to me, your former subordinate..." Inui said coolly as he stamped on Kazutora's back, eliciting a cry of pain. "Or be caught by your childhood friend. You were never going to get away."

Childhood friend?

'Kaku-chan?!'

Takemichi resumed his struggling as Baji threw punch after punch. Kakuchou shivered, but refused to even lessen his grip on Takemichi. If anything, it only tightened.

"We know you were living with Baji Ryouko until recently."

All three froze.

"I've been informed that she's not home right now, but it's just a matter of time until we find her."
"You son of a-" Kazutora yelled, trying to push Inui's heels off of him.
"Don't act like you're anything more than a de-clawed kitten." Inui stared down at Kazutora with a disdainful glare. "I'm trying to offer you a deal. I'm sure you can figure out what it is, right?"

Takemichi tried to speak, but because Kakuchou's hand was still covering his mouth, no one could understand him. Kakuchou slowly removed his hand.

"I'll come quietly!"
"Takemichi, what are you-"
"I will, too." Kazutora said. "Please, just... Just leave her out of it."

Kakuchou released his grip and stepped back; Takemichi didn't move. Inui removed his foot so that Kazutora could stand up. He, too, did not move from his spot.

"Excellent job!"

A fifth person began walking toward them. This seemed to prompt a surprised reaction from both Kakuchou and Inui, the latter of whom frowned.

"Kisaki. I told you the two of us had it handled." He said with narrow eyes.
"I know, and you did pull it off. Now it's my turn."

"You-" Takemichi's jaw dropped. "You're supposed to be-"
"Dead?" Kisaki Tetta gave him an infuriatingly smug smile. "Let's just say the reports were greatly exaggerated. Can't say it'll be the same for yours."

In a flash, Kisaki produced a gun, aiming it right at Takemichi.

"The hero is dying here."

Several things happened in the following three seconds; Had Baji not been so focused on Kisaki, he might have noticed Inui preparing to shove Takemichi to the ground. He would not have made it in time, but ultimately it was a moot point.

Once the gun was out, all eyes were on it, which meant that none of them were on the figure hiding behind the shrubbery. This, in turn, meant that none of them (least of all Kisaki), saw the figure approach him. The only one to see the flash of the blade was Takemichi, and that was for a mere fraction of a second.

Within the next, the blade had been embedded in Kisaki's spine.

Kisaki let out a scream, pulling the trigger as he collapsed to the ground. The bullet fired into the air, but no one was hit. His attacker fell with him, twisting the knife inside of him. Whoever it was was determined to make sure he either died or would never walk again.

Two lower ranked Toman members hurried toward Kisaki and wrenched his attacker off of him. In doing so, they exposed the attacker's long, black hair as it fell out of the hood.

"Mom...?"

None of the three were strangers to Baji Ryouko's glares. Kazutora had gotten to know them fairly well over the past couple years. Takemichi had been able to tell right from their first real meeting that she was a fierce woman. Baji felt absolutely no shame in admitting that she was terrifying when she was mad.

This was the first time he struggled to recognize his mother.

There was no trace of the rough-but-loving woman they knew on her face. She was looking at Kisaki's fallen form with a contemptuous glare. For what felt like hours, not a single person moved.

"Check for a pulse."

Those were the first words Kakuchou had spoken since the confrontation began. One of the goons slammed Ryouko's face onto the ground. Enraged at the sight of this, Baji turned his attention to the man and began lashing out at him. Like Kakuchou, the man shivered, but did not move, holding Ryouko in place while the other removed a glove and placed his hand on Kisaki's neck.

"He's... gone."

The first one to react was Ryouko herself.

"I was aiming for his spine, but I didn't think I'd actually get it on the first try. I was gonna keep stabbing until I did."

There was no joy behind her words, but the callousness of them made her son stop in his tracks.

"What should we do?" The second nervously asked as he stood up.
"Get the body out of here." Inui ordered.

He looked back at Takemichi.

"It seems Baji Ryouko herself has decided to void the agreement. All three of you are coming with us."

Takemichi, Kazutora, and Ryouko were blindfolded and shoved into the back of a van. Their hands were bound with zip ties, though the close proximity allowed them to grab each other's hands.

As the vehicle began moving, Ryouko suddenly spoke.

"I'm sorry."

She explained that not long after she'd learned of Takemichi's time leaping, she'd requested that Baji's knife (which was still in police custody) be returned to her. The officer she spoke to was giving her the run around, but fortunately another officer stepped in and got it back for her.

"Now that I think about it, I thought Naoto looked familiar when I first met him. He looks a lot like the guy who got it back for me."
"My knife? Wait..."
"Yeah. It's the one you used twelve years ago."

She explained that she had secretly rented the apartment directly below Takemichi's right after Takemichi returned to 2018. If push came to shove, she reasoned, they could use it as a way to stay nearby without too much movement. After setting up Naoto's meeting with Taiju, she went to her own apartment to change clothes and picked up the knife. While there, she'd spotted some Toman members skulking about, so she'd left quickly.

"I... suspected that something was going to happen in the next few days, but I didn't think it'd be so soon." In contrast to her ice cold demeanor earlier, Ryouko sounded almost overwhelmed.

She and Naoto hadn't said anything to Takemichi or Kazutora, but they both had a gut feeling that Kisaki was still alive.

"Once Naoto said that he thought Kisaki was still alive, I think... that's when I really started planning this."
"To be honest, I suspected you were up to something." Kazutora quietly admitted. "I didn't realize it was something like this, though."

After a moment, he said that he would have helped her if he'd known.

"I know you would have." Ryouko chuckled. "But I didn't want to risk you making yours and Takemichi's location known, even if Toman found out anyway."
"Why now, though?" Takemichi said with a frown. "Why not act as soon as Naoto and I got back to Japan?"
"It had to have been either Kisaki or Kurokawa who gave the order."

The driver yelled at them to shut up, and the conversation ended there.

'Baji, can you see where they're taking us?' Takemichi asked after a few minutes.
"I'm not sure. I haven't really been in this area before." Baji frowned. "Wait a minute, that building..."

Memories of his first trip to the future flooded his mind. He hadn't known how to keep from getting separated from Takemichi, and he'd been forced to fly all over the city. When he finally managed to hear Takemichi's voice, he'd been pulled to a particular building.

"I think this is the same place Kisaki brought you before."

The van came to a stop, and the three of them were pulled out. Once they'd been dragged inside, their blindfolds were removed. Kakuchou led them to what looked almost like a storage room. "Almost" because the room was comprised entirely of a few cardboard boxes and was devoid of anything else, including anything that might be useful as a weapon. Kakuchou nudged Ryouko into the room, but shut the door before Takemichi or Kazutora could follow.

"Hey!" Kazutora shouted as Ryouko began banging on the door.
"Izana has no real business with Baji Ryouko. We'll decide what to do with her later." Kakuchou said flatly. "Keep moving."

Rather than follow along, Baji chose to enter the room his mother was being kept in; Ryouko was frantically kicking the door. When she wasn't kicking, she was using her knees. For some reason, Baji remembered the day he learned he'd have to repeat his first year in junior high. His mother had cried out of both sadness and fear for his future. The sight had stuck with him, and he'd vowed to never make her cry like that again.

At the moment, however, he realized he'd do anything to see those tears again. They hurt, but they were preferable to the tears she was shedding now; Ryouko wasn't simply afraid of the future, she was terrified of not knowing what fate awaited her, Takemichi, and Kazutora. She wasn't simply sad, she was in the throes of despair, knowing that she had just seen them for the very last time.

Baji wrapped his arms around her body. Sure, they went right through her (and he hated that), but hopefully she'd realize what he was trying to do.

"Ah..." Ryouko stopped and shivered. "Keisuke, you're here."

She stopped banging on the door.

"I don't know if we're going to make it out of this." She whispered. "When you go back to Takemichi, make sure he and Kazutora both know that I'm grateful to them for everything. And tell Takemichi that I believe he'll change this future."
"I will." He said.
"And Keisuke... I love you."
"I love you too, Mom."

They stood there for a moment before Baji felt himself pulled back to Takemichi's side.

The first thing he saw was Kazutora being ordered to sit down. A few feet away, Takemichi was sitting in an identical chair. Kakuchou leaned down and... started reaching into Takemichi's pocket?

"What's the password?" He asked after pulling Takemichi's phone out.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I need to call someone and I don't have his number. I know you do, however."

Apprehension dawned on Takemichi's face. He exchanged a glance with Baji, who had come to the same realization: Naoto must have gotten away.

The door opened, and in walked someone who, until now, they'd only seen in pictures.

"I'm back, Kakuchou." Kurokawa Izana, contrary to his position as a top leader in a criminal organization, spoke with an almost airy tone. On his face was a pleasant and obviously empty smile.

He stopped by Kazutora and looked at him for a few seconds. Takemichi blinked, and suddenly Kazutora's chair had crashed to the floor. Kazutora let out a gasp of pain and unconsciously tried to curl into a ball.

"That's a preview for what's going to happen once I have you and Tachibana Naoto together." Izana hissed, his light way of speaking having been replaced by a venomous growl.

He stared down at Kazutora for a few seconds before kicking him again.

"I'm almost glad you managed to evade Mikey. That means I get to punish you."
"What...?" Kazutora groaned.

Izana kicked him a third time.

"He might have forgiven you, but I won't."

Finally, he turned his attention to Takemichi, his scowl dissolving into nothing. He walked as though he hadn't just kicked Kazutora three times. When he came to a stop in front of Takemichi, he noticed that he wasn't particularly tall. In fact, he almost seemed to be about the same height as Takemichi himself. He hardly had an imposing figure.

Of course, both he and Baji understood that there were a myriad of ways to compensate for such a thing.

"So you're "Takemitchy", huh." Izana said analytically as he reached out to grab Takemichi's chin, forcing him to look up at him.

Baji threw a punch; he didn't care if it was pointless. At that moment, all he wanted was Izana's hands off of Takemichi.

Alarmingly, Izana didn't seem surprised at all. He barely even shivered.

"Kisaki was right. You really CAN give chills to people." He mused, as though talking about a random trivia fact.

He let go of Takemichi's face with a sigh.

"I got hopeful that maybe there was a physical resemblance when your hair wasn't dyed, but looking at you up close, there really isn't one."

Izana ran his fingers through his hair. The curls reminded Baji a little of Takemichi's.

Just as Izana moved to walk away, he paused, as though remembering something.

"Have you been able to make contact with Tachibana Naoto yet?" He asked, turning to Kakuchou.
"No. I was about to have him unlock his phone so he could call him."
"Alright, then."

Izana reached for Takemichi again, but stopped. He turned around and looked at Kazutora with an almost thoughtful expression.

Without a word, Izana nodded to Kakuchou, who handed him Takemichi's phone before walking over to Kazutora. Takemichi watched him crouch down and roll Kazutora onto his stomach before taking one of his fingers into his hand.

Realizing what was about to happen, Takemichi opened his mouth to yell, but the crack of Kazutora's finger breaking caused his voice to die in his throat.

"AGH! FUCK!" Kazutora screamed.
"Bastard!"
"I'll give you fifteen seconds to give up the number, Takemichi." Izana said pleasantly, not taking his eyes off of Kazutora's squirming form. "For every fifteen seconds you don't, Kazutora gets another finger broken!"

Stammering, Takemichi told him the passcode. Izana pat him on the head like a dog.

"Good job, Takemichi!"

Izana unlocked the phone and wondered what else he could get him to do if Kakuchou broke more of Kazutora's fingers.

"Don't!" Takemichi exclaimed before he stop himself.

Izana stopped and slowly turned his head to look at him.

"Kakuchou."

A crack. Another cry of pain. Izana grabbed Takemichi's face again, digging his fingernails into his skin.

"You don't give the orders here."

He let go, only to punch Takemichi in the face, knocking him to the floor.

"You may not have been the one to pull the trigger, but you still killed my Mikey."

'Your Mikey?'

Baji, who had been about to throw another punch through Izana, stopped. The way Takemichi said that sounded odd, like he was almost offended by Izana's words.

"Actually, you did more than that." Izana looked down at Takemichi on the ground. "You abandoned him."

Takemichi had started to push himself up, but froze.

Then, to Baji's surprise, he gave a soft laugh.

Izana bristled with rage, but before he could unleash his wrath upon Takemichi, the latter said,

"I did, didn't I?"

He looked up at Izana with tears in his eyes.

Izana seemed surprised at this, but quickly resumed scowling.

"He talked about looking for you several times, you know. I even offered to help at one point. But you kept yourself hidden."

Izana didn't believe Takemichi was unaware that Mikey was looking for him. What's more, he was certain that Takemichi had been in regular contact with Mitsuya at the very least.

"Did the promise become too much of a burden?" He hissed. "Did you think you were too good for him?"

Takemichi, of course, had no idea what had been going through his past self's mind when he chose to leave Toman.

"I don't know!" Takemichi cried. "Right now I just wish I could strangle my past self for leaving!"

Izana didn't look impressed by Takemichi's tears, but he no longer looked angry. Baji didn't feel reassured by this, however. Izana was now looking at Takemichi like he was some sort of lab experiment. He tilted his head almost curiously.

"Tell me, what you do if I told you there was something you could do to make up for it?" He asked.
"Huh...?" Takemichi blinked.

Izana crouched down and grabbed the top of Takemichi's head.

"To tell the truth, Mikey did tell me why you reminded him of Shinichiro, and if he's right, then..." He explained. "If you become Shinichiro, I'll keep you."

"Keep" him? What did that even mean?

Izana gave him a sly look.

"I'll let you in on a little secret: Kakuchou was the one who suggested you be brought in alive." He whispered, like a child sneakily telling his friend that a classmate had a crush on him. "He tried to make it seem pragmatic, but I think he wanted to see you."

Baji and Takemichi both looked at Kakuchou, who was still standing by a shaking Kazutora. He showed no reaction to Izana's words.

"Kisaki initially argued to just have you killed, but I think he realized that he could have the chance to kill you himself." Izana continued.
"Do you... know why Kisaki wanted to kill me? Why he killed Hina?"
"Not really." Izana said dismissively. "I kept him around because he was useful, but it's not like we were friends. To be honest, I don't even really care that he's dead."

The fact that Izana didn't have any real intel on Kisaki was discouraging, but hearing that he wasn't bothered by his death wasn't.

"Then... Ryouko-san-"
"I'm not entirely sure letting her live is an option." Izana said, glancing out the window. "She knows just a little too much about us."

Well, that hope didn't last long.

"And I have absolutely no intention of letting Mikey and Shinichiro's killers live."

That got a reaction out of Kazutora, who turned his head in surprise.

'Did Izana know Shinichiro?'
"This is the first I'm hearing about it."

Izana picked Takemichi up and sat him back in his chair before going back to fiddling with his phone.

"Let's see... Here's Naoto's number..." He said, pressing the call button.

Naoto's voice mail played. He must have turned his phone off to ensure there was no risk of it ringing while he was in hiding.

"No matter." Izana wasn't fazed by this. "Let's see if we can get him to come to us."

He gave Takemichi a dangerous smile.

"I'm going to give the address, and you're going to tell him to come here."

Takemichi gulped.

"Hello, Tachibana Naoto! This is Kurokawa Izana speaking. I have Takemichi, Kazutora and Ryouko here, and if you don't surrender yourself at this address within the next 24 hours, I'm going to kill all three of them."

He said the address before looking at Takemichi.

"Now it's your turn."

As he held the phone to Takemichi's mouth, Baji thought about what would happen if Naoto DID turn up. There was the risk that Izana would just kill him and Kazutora right then and there, but if Takemichi could get close enough, they could trigger a time leap.

"Takemichi, let's-"
"No. Not without a promise from you first."

Izana's smile turned glacial. Before anyone could react, Takemichi found himself back on the floor with a new impending bruise.

"You've got some nerve asking me to make a promise to you when you didn't keep yours."

Takemichi blinked, but did not get up.

'I think he might have actually given me a concussion just now.'
"What are you doing? What are you trying to get out of Izana?"

Takemichi gave him a dry look.

Oh.

'It's the least I can do for you AND her.'
"What do you mean by that?"

Rather than answer, Takemichi pulled himself up.

"Then let's think of it as a... mutual exchange." He said with blood in his mouth.
"Hmm?" Izana stared down at him, unblinking.

"I'll talk on two conditions: One, you let me talk to him for a few minutes when he gets here. Two, you let Ryouko-san go."
"That doesn't sound like a fair trade." Izana gave him a bored look. "You're asking me for two favors in exchange for one."
"Your second favor comes after."

Izana looked intrigued.

"Oh? Could it be..."
"Yeah. I'll be Shinichiro for you." Takemichi nodded.

Under most circumstances, Baji would have praised Takemichi for playing along, but... Takemichi wasn't that good of an actor.

Kazutora also seemed to have realized the sincerity of Takemichi's words; he started to crawl toward Takemichi, only to be stopped by Kakuchou holding him in place by the neck.

"Are you insane, Takemichi?!" He yelled. "Don't let him use you as some fucked up replacement!"

Kakuchou pressed down on Kazutora's neck, telling him to shut up. He looked up to see if Izana had any other orders, but Izana's back was to him. His eyes briefly met Takemichi's, and he looked away with an expression that was almost, but not quite, unreadable. There seemed to be sadness in his eyes, but... there was anger there, too.

'Ah, that's right. Kaku-chan wanted me to save Izana. Guess that's another thing I failed at.'
"You didn't owe him anything!"

Takemichi's phone beeped, indicating that it had finished recording the message.

"Whoops, it looks like we used up the whole time." Izana shrugged before walking to a nearby couch to sit down. "But I'm sure the conversation made it in there."

Now that Izana wasn't within arm's reach of Takemichi or Kazutora, Baji allowed himself to look around the room; it almost looked like some sort of lounge. Kakuchou and Kazutora were by a counter that had alcoholic drinks behind it.

"The two of you are going to be here for the next 24 hours." Izana declared. "Or until Naoto shows up. Whichever comes first."

He stretched his arms and let out a yawn.

"I'm gonna take a nap. Kakuchou, keep an eye on them."
"Yes, sir."

Curled up on the couch, Izana looked less like the leader of a violent criminal organization and more like a child about to be carried to bed by his parents.

"If I wasn't so sure he'd beat the shit out of you and Kazutora, I'd wake him up." Baji growled.
'Y-Yeah, he does strike me as the type who'd do that. He's like Mikey in that regard.'

"Takemichi." Kazutora whispered.

Kakuchou was no longer pressing down on him, though he was standing attentively just a couple feet away. He looked at Kazutora with an almost annoyed expression, but said nothing. Even when Takemichi gave him a nervous look, he didn't move.

Taking that as permission to get close to Kazutora, Takemichi got out of the chair and knelt down.

"I'm sorry, Kazutora." He said before Kazutora could open his mouth. "I should have tried to argue for you, too."
"You heard him." Kazutora chuckled darkly. "He's already made up his mind to kill both me and Naoto."

He pulled himself to his knees, wincing in pain as he did. He turned to look at Kakuchou.

"Mikey and Shinichiro meant a lot to him, didn't they?"

Kakuchou narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" was all he said.

"Guess he didn't take the bait."
"Kaku-chan..."

Even if their chances of escape were basically nil, Kakuchou explained, he had no intention of giving them anything they could use against Izana.

"Izana is your hero, after all." Takemichi noted sadly.
"So you DO remember my request." Kakuchou crossed his arms. "Well, at least now you can do SOMETHING for him."

Takemichi laughed uncomfortably.

'I really do hate my past self.'

Kazutora watched the exchange curiously.

"You two know each other?"
"We used to."

Kakuchou's words should have stung, but surprisingly they didn't. Or rather, it wasn't the words themselves that hurt, but the realization that they were true. Just as Kakuchou didn't recognize Takemichi as the boy who promised to avenge him as children, Takemichi no longer recognized the man before him as the honorable, hot-blooded boy he'd met so many years ago.

Both looked away feeling uneasy.

"Do you have regrets about how you've done things?" Kazutora asked.
"That's none of your concern. Besides, I'm not sure a man who's going to be dead within the next day has much room to ask about the regrets of others."

The grim reminder was enough to make Kazutora deflate, though he recovered enough to turn his attention back to Takemichi.

"Hey, I don't know when we're gonna get separated, so I'm gonna tell you now." He said with a smile. "Once you fix all this, I really do hope you let me be your senpai."

Takemichi looked at him in surprise, but Baji grinned.

"Told ya."

Hours passed with little change.

Kakuchou eventually cut the zip ties binding them, though Takemichi suspected that it was because Kazutora's untreated fingers would eventually start swelling. Once that started, the pain would be unbearable, and Kazutora's groans would end up waking Izana.

Once the sun began creeping over the city, a phone rang.

"Naoto!?"
'No, that's not my phone.'

Kakuchou pulled his own phone out and answered it.

"Report?"

Whoever was on the other line began speaking. Movement on the couch drew Takemichi's eyes to Izana, who was sitting up and stretching.

"I need to stop doing that." He said, yawning.

He glanced at Kakuchou, before looking at Takemichi. Rather than say anything, though, he simply watched him, seemingly relishing the sight of him of squirming. When he finally got off the couch, Takemichi winced. Just as Izana began to walk toward him, however, Kakuchou hung up.

"Kokonoi located Tachibana." He announced. "He's bringing him here now."

Izana stopped in his tracks.

"Well, it looks like you failed to convince Naoto." He looked down at Takemichi with a tilt of his head. "I wonder if I should fulfill either of your requests...?"
"I-I still agreed to be Shinichiro!" Takemichi protested with a pale face. "Just... please let me talk to him!"

He was panicking now. Begging for Ryouko's life was one thing, but if Naoto died before he and Takemichi could shake hands, it was all over.

Izana seemed amused at Takemichi's fear, letting out what sounded almost like a giggle.

"Well, we'll see how it plays out when he gets here." He said, reaching out to mess with Takemichi's hair.

"It looks like he's trying to straighten your hair." Baji said, watching the scene unfold with a baffled expression.
'Well, he's out of luck.' Takemichi said despite himself. 'Mom never did manage to get rid of my curls. Not without a lot of gel.'

He wisely decided not to voice this out loud as Izana pulled him to the couch.

While Izana continued fiddling with his hair, Takemichi asked if Shinichiro had straight hair.

"More or less." Baji answered, his eyes not leaving Izana. "He had it in a punch perm when he led the Black Dragons, but he stopped when they were disbanded."

An hour later, the door opened and a man was shoved inside, followed by two other men walking in.

Naoto was visibly injured as Inui forcibly escorted him to the center of the room. The man with him was obviously Kokonoi Hajime even before sticking his tongue out at the sight of Takemichi on the couch.

"Good to see you again, Captain!"

Takemichi ignored him and looked at Naoto. Their eyes met, and Naoto stood up straight as Izana rose from the couch.

Without a word, Izana lifted his leg to kick him to the ground.

"Ah... I forgot to greet you." He said, as though he'd accidentally bumped into him.

He looked down at the groaning Naoto and gave a shrug.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter." He shrugged. "You're going to be dead before long, anyway."

He glanced over at Takemichi.

"I'm giving you ten minutes."

Takemichi released a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Thank you...!" He said. "Thank you, Izana!"

For whatever the reason, Izana looked displeased at Takemichi's words. He glanced at Naoto with a glare that seemed even colder than it had been before.

Izana had the decency to let Takemichi take Naoto to the couch so they could talk with at least some degree of privacy.

"I'm sorry, Naoto." He said, looking at the bruise forming on Naoto's face.
"It's okay." Naoto said with a wince. "I listened to Izana's message. Kokonoi was skulking about and I turned myself in to him. I don't know if Taiju managed to get away or not."

For whatever the reason, Kokonoi was not receptive to his request that Ryouko be set free.

"I'm sorry, Baji. All we can do is hope Izana's in a good mood."

He gave a quick glance at the man in question.

"We don't have much time. I'll tell you what Taiju told me."

Izana, as it turned out, was both the leader of Tenjiku and the Eighth Generation leader of the Black Dragons. He was also a member of the S-62 Generation. There hadn't been a clear winner between Toman and Tenjiku.

"The groups ended up uniting with Sano Manjiro as the head, Kisaki Tetta as the second-in-command, and Kurokawa Izana as the third."
"And now Izana's the only one left..."

Naoto shook his head.

"Kisaki's still alive."
"He was. He's... not anymore. Ryouko-san made sure of that."

Naoto looked surprised at this, but recovered quickly.

"It seems like Kisaki was able to fake his death via Kurokawa's influence over the police. I think that's how they figured out everything."

This last bit of info was the most important.

"Whoever Izana is, Sano Manjiro trusted him even more than Ryuuguuji Ken."
"What?!" Baji sounded incredulous. "There's no fucking way. Mikey trusts Draken more than he even trusted me!"
"More than even Draken?"
"Why wouldn't my brother trust me?"

Takemichi and Naoto flinched as though Izana had hit them. They'd been so involved in their conversation that they hadn't noticed Izana had crept up behind Takemichi.

"Brother?"
"What are you-" Takemichi stammered.
"You've been sitting over here gossiping about me the entire time." Izana said, placing his hand on Takemichi's shoulder in a vice grip. "Why?"

"Takemichi!" Naoto shouted, pulling Takemichi's attention back to him. "I confess, the first time I met you in the present, I was filled with despair."

Baji looked at Izana, who was scowling.

"You were... pathetic, to tell the truth. I couldn't understand why my sister fell in love with you."

Izana glanced down at Takemichi with a questioning look.

"Ironically, all your failures helped me figure it out." Naoto laughed sadly. "I think... that's what a hero is like."
"You're kidding, right?" Takemichi said, tears filling his eyes. "Your jokes are terrible, Naoto."

Naoto smiled.

"Isn't a hero someone who never gives up even when it seems hopeless?"

Izana, getting more impatient, interrupted again.

"What are you trying to do with this conversation?" He growled. "Answer me."

Naoto looked up at Izana and smirked.

"Would you believe me if I said we're trying to save Sano Manjiro from you?"

Izana's grip on Takemichi's shoulder tightened enough that it felt like the bone was about to break. Naoto ignored him and looked back at Takemichi.

"This will probably be our last handshake."
"I won't let it!" Takemichi cried, barely registering Izana's hand.
"I know you won't." Naoto nodded. "I'm... proud of you."

He reached for Takemichi's hand. At the same time, Izana let go of Takemichi's shoulder and reached for something near his waist.

Naoto was faster, however, and his hand grasped Takemichi's tightly, as though he was afraid it would slip away. Baji, meanwhile, had been so focused on Izana that hadn't reached for Takemichi's hand himself.

"Fuck!"

The world began spinning. Baji threw his hand toward Takemichi's, but before he could reach him, he vanished.

Chapter Text

When Baji regained his senses, he was once again at the cemetery.

"Son of a-"

This was admittedly better than when it had happened before, since he was in 2006 and had a good idea of where he could find Takemichi. The issue was, he had no idea which place to look first, and he had a feeling that he needed to find Takemichi fast.

He probably wasn't in danger, but he was almost certainly in a bad mental state.

It was daytime, but it was also Sunday, so the Takemichi of 2006 could conceivably be anywhere.

Naoto and Hinata's home was closer to the cemetery than Takemichi's house (plus, Takemichi was likely to seek Naoto out), so he decided to check there first. As he flew there, he mused that Kazutora had actually told Takemichi to head there when they tried to flee his apartment.

When he arrived, he noticed Hinata leaving the apartment with a woman (presumably her mother). Once the door was shut, Baji phased through it to examine the place; Tachibana Masato wasn't there, but Naoto was in his room reading an occult magazine.

Just as Baji was contemplating his next move, he felt a pull, and the sight of Naoto vanished.

When he blinked, he was outside, near the stairs. Takemichi was rushing up them and making his way to the Tachibana apartment.

"Takemichi!"

Takemichi stopped, but only long enough to give Baji a nod acknowledging that he'd heard him. He continued his trek to the Tachibana family's door, frantically pounding on it when he arrived.

"I'm sorry about hitting the door so hard."
"It's okay, I'm just... a little confused and worried." Naoto, who had sounded annoyed when he answered the door, was now looking at Takemichi with a concerned look.

"Don't worry about it, just..."

Baji moved to see Takemichi had grabbed Naoto's hand... but nothing happened. The world remained as it was and Takemichi didn't even seem to realize Baji was there. Nobody moved until Takemichi collapsed to his knees.

"Naoto..." He said, wetly.
"Takemichi, are you okay?" Naoto asked, reaching for Takemichi with his free hand. "Do you... want me to call my sis?"

Takemichi pulled himself up and apologized for bothering him on Sunday. Naoto seemed reluctant, but eventually closed the door, pausing a couple times before shutting it all the way.

"Takemichi."

Takemichi gave a slight nod showing Baji that he'd heard him. Other than that, he didn't move for a couple minutes. Finally, he turned and walked down the stairs to the street.

"Where are you going?" Baji asked as Takemichi reached the bottom. "We should probably let Chifuyu know we're back."
'I don't know. I just don't think I can talk to anyone right now.'

He began running. True to his word, he didn't seem to have any set destination, and only occasionally stopped to catch his breath. After ten minutes of this, Baji spoke to him again.

"Knock it off." He said, during one of Takemichi's stops.
'I don't want to hear anything from anyone right now, Baji.'

Baji was amused at this statement: Sure, he could avoid Chifuyu and the rest of Toman. If he stayed away from Baji's apartment, his chances of running into Baji's mother were slim. And the only way he could talk to Kazutora was by going out of his way to the detention center.

Baji, on the other hand? Baji was free to make as much noise as he wanted and there was little Takemichi could do to stop him.

"What happened while we were separated?"

When Takemichi didn't answer, Baji said his name.

'Nothing. I was working on a puzzle, and went to see Naoto as soon as I got out of my pajamas.'

For someone who liked jigsaw puzzles, he sounded irritated at the realization of what his past self was doing, as though offended at the thought of doing something unrelated to saving the future. Baji could almost imagine him glaring down at the puzzle before getting his shoes on, all so he could shake hands with Naoto and return to 2018, no matter how bad an idea that would be.

And now, he had proof that his worst fear had been realized.

Naoto was dead in 2018. Kazutora probably was, too. Hell, maybe Izana changed his mind and decided to kill Takemichi after all. It would be stranger if Takemichi WASN'T broken up about it. For whatever the reason, though, Baji had a bad feeling. Takemichi wasn't acting like he normally did when he was sad.

Takemichi's phone began ringing, though he ignored it. The ringing stopped, but then started up again just as Takemichi was about to start running again. With a frustrated groan, Takemichi answered it.

"Where are you, Takemichi?" Baji heard a feminine voice on the other end.
"Hina? Shouldn't you be shopping with your mom?"
"I asked you a question first."

Hinata explained that she had gotten a call from Naoto telling her that he had come to visit not long after she left. He also told her that Takemichi had seemed distressed.

"I should have told him not to tell you." Takemichi sighed.
"He would have told me, anyway."

Hinata again asked for Takemichi's location.

"I don't want to talk to anyone right now, Hina. Not even you."

'Especially not her.' Takemichi said to Baji. 'I couldn't save her and this time I got her brother killed.'

"Isn't this the best time to be talking to someone?" Hinata pleaded. "I want you to rely on me!"

Takemichi didn't say anything for a moment. When he finally spoke, he sounded tired.

"I'm sorry, Hina, but I want to be alone right now. Just enjoy shopping with your mom, okay?"

As Hinata continued protesting, Takemichi hung up the phone. Baji gulped.

"Tell me where you're going."
'I don't know, Baji!'

Baji looked around the area. It wasn't too far from Toman's hideout.

"Let's head to the hideout."
'Why?'

Baji crossed his arms and said that it was better than just running aimlessly like a headless chicken. He decided not to voice his worries about Takemichi's mental state at the moment. With another groan, Takemichi agreed.

The hideout felt strangely quiet when there wasn't anyone else there.

There were chairs in the "meeting room", but Takemichi opted to sit on the lower level of the steel beams where Mikey usually sat at the top. It wasn't a comfortable place to sit, but Takemichi didn't seem to care. He just seemed to stare at the ground for a few minutes before Baji finally asked what Takemichi wanted to do from there.

"I'll just... change the past again." Takemichi's voice sounded weak. "I'll save Naoto and Kazutora, and I'll be able to save Hina and Mikey, too."

Then, he argued, he'd return to the future and... find that everything's gone to hell again because of something he did or didn't do.

Just as Baji was about to protest, a thought seemed to occur to Takemichi.

"Maybe... I'm the problem?"

He looked up and... smiled.

It wasn't one that Baji had ever seen him make before. It almost reminded him of the broken smile Kazutora had made that night in Shinichiro's shop. Of course, Baji knew Takemichi well enough at this point that Takemichi would never say anthing about killing Mikey.

No, Baji realized. He's not thinking about killing Mikey.

"Maybe... that first time leap was a mistake." Takemichi continued, looking back down. "Maybe Akkun did the right thing."

Before Baji could stop himself, his hand was already flying to Takemichi's face. Punching was more his style, but the situation felt like it called for a slap. Surprisingly, Takemichi winced as he shivered, as though Baji's palm really had made contact with him.

When he looked up, Baji thought he saw a mark, but when he blinked, it vanished.

"I..." Takemichi said slowly. "I almost felt that."

He let out a chuckle. It was a weak and exhausted one, but the smile that crossed his face felt more genuine and sane. Baji remained on guard, however; he wouldn't believe Takemichi had truly calmed down until he actually spoke to him like normal.

After another few minutes, Takemichi looked at the ceiling of the dilapidated building and sighed.

"I don't know where I'm supposed to begin."
"I mean, we could start by looking more into the guy Mikey apparently trusted more than Draken." Baji said with a shrug. "Especially since it looks like he also knew Shinichiro."

Baji understood that saying Izana "knew Shinichiro" was an understatement; Izana actually seemed to be somewhat obsessed with him, even to the point of trying to make Takemichi into him. Baji thought that was the most disturbing thing he'd seen of the guy, even more than his strength.

"He called Mikey his brother." Takemichi said, looking at Baji. "Were there any other kids in Mikey's family?"

Baji shook his head firmly.

"Nope. It was just Mikey and Shinichiro before Emma showed up."
"Maybe he was another one of Mikey's grandfather's students who got close to Shinichiro?"

Baji's brow furrowed. He didn't think he knew anyone by the name of Izana from the dojo, but he supposed it was at least possible.

"Well, I don't know how to contact Kaku-chan, and even if I did, I doubt he'd tell me anything about him anyway." Takemichi looked up at the ceiling and rubbed his forehead. "Our best bet might be to talk to Mikey and see if Shinichiro ever mentioned Izana to him."

Just as Takemichi stood up, the door to the hideout slammed open.

"Takemitchy, are you here?!"

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear", as they say.

Despite looking like he'd just been running, Mikey's face was pale and he seemed rattled. When he caught sight of Takemichi, however, he got an indignant look on his face before marching over.

"Where the hell have you been?!" He demanded.
"...What?" Takemichi asked nervously, suddenly feeling put on the spot.

About half an hour ago, Mikey explained, Emma got a frantic call from Hinata.

"Hina said her brother called her about you showing up at her place acting like the world had ended. When she called you, you brushed her off and hung up on her. Do I have it right so far?" Mikey asked with a dangerous smile.
"Y-Yes."

Hinata had then called Emma and asked her to ask Mikey to help her find Takemichi before he did something stupid.

'Why do they think I was doing something stupid?'
"It's an expression, Takemichi." Baji said with crossed arms. "They didn't think you were doing something "ha ha, funny" stupid, they thought you were, well... Doing exactly what you were thinking of doing before I bitch slapped you."

"How many heart attacks have you given poor Hina so far?"

Takemichi laughed awkwardly.

"It's not funny!" Mikey snapped, but Baji could tell that he was starting to relax a little.
"I'm sorry, Mikey." Takemichi looked at the ground.

Mikey huffed and said that Hinata was the one Takemichi really needed to apologize to. Takemichi nodded and pulled his phone out, but Mikey stopped him from dialing Hinata's number.

"After that, I think you need to actually SHOW her you're alive." He said before grabbing Takemichi's wrist. "She should be at my house by now. Let's go."

On their way to the dojo, Takemichi noted that he was actually glad to run into Mikey.

"I have some things I want to ask you about."

When Mikey gave him a curious look, Takemichi said that it was related to Tenjiku.

"I didn't get a chance to say anything at the meeting, but I do have some information, and I think I need to talk to you about it."

Mikey took this information in, and nodded.

"Hey, Mikey!" Draken's voice called out. "Did you find Tak-"

He and an equally concerned Mitsuya joined them. After a quick scolding, the four plus one arrived at the Sano Dojo.

"So..." Hinata began, after Takemichi finished his apology while kneeling on the ground of Mikey's room. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Takemichi winced and looked away.

"We're..." He said, before closing his mouth. "Toman's kinda having some trouble lately. A lot of our guys got ambushed the other day."
"Is that really all?"

Hinata was watching Takemichi very carefully, looking for any signs of dishonesty. Takemichi was fairly certain that if she thought he was lying, she'd call the others (who were waiting outside) into the room to stage an impromptu intervention.

"Yeah." He said, ignoring the guilt burning in his gut. "Chifuyu actually ended up taking a pretty bad beating so I could get Akkun away."
"Is he okay?"

Takemichi smiled.

"He's fine. He was even complaining about being ready for round two within an hour." He said, chuckling. "I guess I just... felt guilty for not being able to protect him as his captain."

After a few more minutes of being assured that he was fine, Hinata accepted Takemichi's apology and left, saying that she'd promised her mother it would be a girls' day out.

"I want you to remember that you can rely on me." She said before exiting the gate.

"The other day, I ended up meeting with one of Tenjiku's higher ups, and he told me a couple things." Takemichi began. "Tenjiku's leader is named Kurokawa Izana."

Mikey's eyes widened slightly as Takemichi revealed that he was also the Eighth Generation leader of the Black Dragons.

"That guy I met before..." He murmured.
"You've met him?" Draken sounded surprised at this.
"What did he look like?" Mitsuya asked.

Mikey described him, and it fit with what Baji and Takemichi had seen. The possibility that a second Kurokawa Izana had somehow snuck into Toman was pretty slim.

"Could he be connected to Shinichiro?" Draken wondered aloud, before glancing at Mitsuya, then at Mikey.
"Mikey's brother?"

Draken looked at Mikey, who nodded.

"Alright, keep this a secret." Draken said seriously. "Shinichiro was the founder of the Black Dragons."

This was a surprise to Mitsuya, but since Takemichi was already aware, he simply nodded. This did not escape the attention of any of the other three. Mitsuya looked back and forth between him and Draken.

"Did you already know about this?" He asked, sounding almost offended.
"N-No! I was just surprised!"

All three looked skeptical, but Draken continued as normal.

Mikey, Draken, and Baji had thought that news getting out about the Black Dragons founder being related to Toman's leader would be a hindrance, so they decided to keep it a secret. Again, Takemichi nodded. While his attention was on Draken, however, Mitsuya's was now on him, and worse yet, he didn't even seem to realize it.

"Right before we took on the Black Dragons, I had a talk with my brother." Mikey looked down at the floor. "He said that the Black Dragons were everything to him and that the Eighth Generation totally changed what he had created."

Mikey sighed.

"He had a weird look on his face when he talked about it, and I got the sense he was hiding something from me. Guess I know what it was now."
"And I guess we know what happened with the Black Dragons now."

Emma entered Mikey's room with tea, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm just here to bring you guys some tea." She said with a faint blush on her face. "Don't mind me."

It was obvious that she very much wanted Draken to "mind" her (and hopefully notice that she had her hair in a cute side plait).

Takemichi asked if Shinichiro had ever mentioned Izana. When Mikey shook his head, he frowned.

"It might be a good idea to do some recon around Yokohama. Maybe someone there knows who Kurokawa Izana is." Mitsuya suggested.
"He's my older brother." Emma said.

All eyes turned to her. Emma seemed confused by this and repeated her statement that Izana was her older brother. When even Mikey didn't say anything, Emma got annoyed.

"I've told you about having another brother before about a hundred times, Mikey!" She huffed. "He's... technically your half-brother, too!"

Emma's previous surname was Kurokawa, and she had an older brother by the name of Izana.

"I guess Emma was our lead all along." Baji mused as Takemichi asked Emma if she remembered anything about him.

Emma shook her head.

"Not really. He left when I was three, and I was left here not long after that."
"Ah... I see."

Emma got a thoughtful look on her face.

"Though... I think he and Shinichiro got along well."

This was news to Mikey, who now looked concerned.

"How would the two of them known each other?"

Rather than answer, Emma got up and said she'd be right back, leaving the room.

"I'm... pretty sure they knew each other because Emma told Shinichiro about him." Mitsuya gave Draken a look that seemed to say "C'mon, man".

Emma returned a couple minutes later with a box that apparently turned up when the Sano family had gone through Shinichiro's things. Inside were several bundles of letters, all from Kurokawa Izana. Emma hadn't read any of them; she only knew they were from Izana because she glanced at the bundles while going through the box. Considering how many there were, Emma thought that the two of them must have gotten along well.

"With THAT many letters? I'm not so sure."

Draken unknowingly agreed with Baji, calling the amount of letters kind of creepy.

He, Mikey, Mitsuya, and Takemichi each took a bundle and began reading the letters, hoping to find some sort of clue.

"So far it just looks like it's him describing his daily life."

Details like what he ate for breakfast and lunch, what he did in the afternoon, what sort of schoolwork he did... That sort of stuff.

'I wonder if he ever mentioned Kaku-chan to Shinichiro...'

The letter Draken was reading revealed that Shinichiro had met Izana in person at least once. Izana even said that he was happy to have a family.

Mikey seemed focused on the letter he was reading before abruptly standing up, saying he needed some air. He walked out before anyone could stop him.

Draken picked up the discarded letter and began reading aloud.

"'Dear Shinichiro, my head's been hurting all the time lately. I bet it's his fault. Please stop talking about Manjiro.'"

That last sentence sent a chill down Takemichi's spine. Despite being rather possessive of Mikey in the future, it seemed he hadn't been fond of him at all in the past.

"I wonder what changed..."

Takemichi and Baji both glanced at the person who may have been the trigger for that. Was it possible that Emma's death, combined with Shinichiro's death two years ago, forced the two brothers to come together?

"Could someone in Tenjiku have gone after Emma?" Baji wondered.

"If Shinichiro was the only relative that ever bothered to visit Izana after he was abandoned..." Mitsuya spoke up.
"What would he think about Mikey?" Draken finished for him.

Izana took over the Black Dragons, but Shinichiro wanted Mikey to lead them. How would Izana feel about that?

"Was he... jealous?" Emma suggested.
"Yeah. He probably has a lot of resentment towards Mikey." Draken agreed.
"This kinda clears up what Madarame said, huh?"

When Takemichi and Emma looked puzzled, Draken explained that when they took on the Black Dragons, their leader, Madarame Shion ('I thought you said his name was Mion?') declared that he was carrying on the Eighth Leader's will.

"You don't think the attack on Kazutora might have been part of Kurokawa Izana's plan to take Mikey out, do you?" Mitsuya said, sounding disturbed at the prospect.
"Maybe he had Madarame do it so Shinichiro wouldn't find out he was behind it." Draken said, looking down at the floor.
"That fucker!" Baji growled.

"And now that Shinichiro's gone, he's trying again on his own." Takemichi added. "Maybe that's why he founded Tenjiku."

Draken began reassuring a worried Emma that even if Izana was capable of taking Mikey out, Mikey had the rest of Toman with him. While he was doing this, Mitsuya pulled Takemichi off the floor and said they were off.

"Are you sure you're doing okay?" Mitsuya asked once he and Takemichi were outside the dojo's gate.
"Huh?"

Mitsuya crossed his arms and gave Takemichi a stern look.

"You gave all of us a good scare. Mikey especially."

Takemichi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, he really gave me a talking to when he found me."
"...You know why, right?"

Mitsuya explained that he had a conversation with Mikey a few days before Takemichi confronted Taiju, and at the end of it, Mikey told him not to go and disappear.

"He framed it as half of Toman's founders being gone, but I get the feeling that he'd say the same about any of us."
"He really would, wouldn't he?" Takemichi laughed, glancing at Baji.

Mitsuya ruffled Takemichi's hair.

"Now answer my question: Are you really okay?"
"Yes!" Takemichi pouted. "I just had a bit of a... manic episode. That's all."
"This is the first I've heard of you having manic episodes."

Takemichi awkwardly looked toward Baji for help.

"Well, now Mitsuya thinks you're either lying or crazy."
'That's... not helpful, Baji.'

"I mean, everybody has them sometimes, right?" Takemichi laughed. "Besides, I didn't really sleep last night, so..."

Once the words left his lips, exhaustion hit him like a train. The Takemichi of 2006 must have also been awake all night.

"Aw, hell..." He groaned. "I really am tired!"
"So you just tried to lie me, but actually told the truth?"

After a moment of Takemichi trying to talk his way out of the situation, Mitsuya insisted on walking Takemichi home. Once they arrived, he then insisted on staying with Takemichi until he fell asleep.

"You really don't have to wait here, Mitsuya." Takemichi said as he got under the covers.
"Don't worry about it. I've done this for Luna and Mana plenty of times."

'So he's treating me like his little sisters?'

Baji snickered at this.

True to his word, Mitsuya waited until he was sure Takemichi was asleep before getting ready to leave. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, however.

"What are you hiding from us, Takemitchy?"

With a sigh, he left.

When Takemichi woke up a few hours later, Baji was waiting for him.

"I guess Mitsuya really did leave once I was asleep."
"He's also pretty sure you're hiding things."

Takemichi gave Baji a dirty look.

"You were getting on my case about not giving up, and now you're dropping this on me? I'm getting mixed signals here, Baji."
"Hey, you've got no one to blame but yourself for being weird and scaring everybody."

Takemichi lay back on the bed and covered his eyes.

"Maybe it would be better if I told the others about the time leaps?"

Ryouko's words from a few weeks ago came back to both of their minds. There were several risks in letting too many people find out about Takemichi's ability. At the moment, there were only three people besides Naoto who knew about it, one of whom was Ryouko herself.

Thinking of Ryouko brought both of their moods down.

"I stayed with Mom as long as I could before I got pulled back to you. I've... never seen her like that before. Ever."
"I bet."

The two fell silent before Baji spoke.

"I don't want to get her involved in this anymore. Actually, I don't think I want anyone else involved, either."
"Neither do I."

A couple days later, Takemichi called Chifuyu to his house after school. Chifuyu didn't seem surprised (Takemichi's visit HAD been to get intel, after all), but the serious look on Takemichi's face made him worry.

"Did... something happen?" He asked, reaching for Takemichi's hand.
"It... didn't go well."

Takemichi and Baji explained what they learned. Chifuyu was surprised by a lot of this, but nodded.

"I never thought this would go all the way back to Toman's founding." He said, whistling. "But it's nothing we can't handle, right?"

Takemichi didn't answer immediately. He and Baji looked at each other before breaking the news.

"Chifuyu, we only told you this because we trust you. But your involvement in all this ends here."
"What?!"

"Naoto's dead." Takemichi said grimly. "We can't go back to the future anymore. This is our last chance."

The conflict with Tenjiku was going to end in a compromise, which in turn would lead to him falling into Kisaki and Izana's clutches.

"I won't let them manipulate Mikey!" Takemichi declared. "Even if I get killed in the process, I'm going to kill Kisaki and-"

Two memories came to him in that moment: One was of Kakuchou's stern but earnest plea. The other was of Izana playing with his hair. Chifuyu was staring at him with wide eyes.

"And Izana, right?"

Takemichi paused.

"I..."
"Don't tell me you fell for that act of his?!" Baji shouted. "Remember, he probably killed Kazutora, too! He wanted you to be a replacement for Shinichiro!"

Chifuyu had looked unsettled at Takemichi's declaration of killing Kisaki, but now looked very confused.

"But... Kaku-chan asked me to-"
"I don't care what that bastard asked you to do!"

Takemichi's eyes flashed with anger, and Chifuyu realized that he needed to step in.

"What about the First Division?!" He demanded.

"Stay out of this, Chifuyu!" Baji snarled, making Chifuyu flinch, if only for a second.

"No!" He stepped toward Baji and Takemichi. "This concerns all of us, so I'm not letting you push everybody out!"

He revealed that he'd called the others in the Mizo Middle Gang over when he was on his way.

"...Why?" Takemichi groaned.
"Do you think this is just some sibling rivalry?" Chifuyu scoffed. "Shinichiro founded the Black Dragons. Kurokawa Izana turned them evil and Mikey crushed them. That led to Toman's founding, and it led to me meeting you."

He gave Baji a warm smile.

"Do you get it? That sibling rivalry is the whole reason Toman even exists, First Division included."

Takemichi didn't need to tell everybody all the details, but he did need to talk to them and ask what they thought they should do. As if on cue, the other four members of the Mizo Middle Gang burst into Takemichi's room declaring their support for fighting Tenjiku.

Akkun and Makoto argued that they owed Mikey for saving them from Kiyomasa. Yamagishi growled that Izana needed to be dealt with, while Takuya said it was just common sense to want to fight Tenjiku for what it had done to Toman.

"If you go down, we're all prepared to go down with you, Captain!" Akkun declared.

Yamagishi agreed, saying that he didn't want to miss the greastest sibling rivalry event the delinquent world had ever seen.

As Makoto and Takuya began arguing over Mikey's family tree, Chifuyu pat Takemichi on the back.

"Put a little faith in the First Division and stop trying to do everything on your own."
"...Right. Thanks, guys." Takemichi grinned.

Before Takemichi could call a meeting, the honking of a car came from outside. Takemichi might have been content to brush it off, but shortly after he heard a voice call,

"Is the First Division Captain here?!"

"That voice..." Baji gasped as Takemichi opened the window.

Standing by a black car was a boy with long hair that seemed be somewhere between blond and pink. The boy wore a black mask and a Toman uniform, but Takemichi didn't recognize him.

"Haruchiyo?"
'That's Haruchiyo?'

Baji had told Takemichi that Haruchiyo was a childhood friend of him and Mikey. He was also apparently the Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division.

"Get down here." Haruchiyo ordered.

Baji frowned.

Once Haruchiyo had been named Mucho's Vice-Captain, he barely ever saw him. It had been quite some time since they had a proper conversation. After the incident at the Sano dojo, Baji had perhaps unconsciously started to distance himself from him.

<"Laugh, Haruchiyo.">

Seeing Mikey standing over Haruchiyo with bloody hands was bad enough, but the fact that Haruchiyo actually did start laughing was terrifying. One could be forgiven for thinking that Haruchiyo had only done so because he was afraid Mikey would go for somewhere more lethal if he didn't... but Baji got the distinct impression that his laugh that day was a sincere one.

While Baji was lost in his thoughts, Takemichi and Chifuyu both walked down the stairs, followed by the others.

"Wait!" He shouted, causing Takemichi to stop.
'He's a member of Toman, right? And you know him, so I don't think it's a trap.' He said, before continuing to walk to the door.

Besides, even if it were, he'd already given away that he was home.

Once the door was open, Baji got a bad feeling in his gut.

Now sure that Takemichi was actually approaching, Haruchiyo knocked on the car window. It rolled down to reveal Mucho sitting in the back seat. Chifuyu stiffened up, and unconsciously began reaching for Takemichi's hand.

"This isn't good, Takemitchy." He said. "Mucho's the only guy in Toman with a special position."
"What do you mean?"

Mucho got out of the car and casually greeted Takemichi before Takemichi's ears were filled with the sound of footsteps. He turned around to see at least two dozen Toman members surrounding Chifuyu and the others, grabbing onto them so they couldn't interfere in whatever Mucho had planned.

"Takemichi, dodge!"

Without thinking, Takemichi jumped to the right, narrowly avoiding Mucho's fist. The latter seemed surprised by this, but recovered quickly enough. Chifuyu yelled for Takemichi to run, but he hesitated, not wanting to leave the others at the mercy of the Fifth Division.

"What are you doing, Mucho?!" He demanded as Mucho grabbed his collar to hold him up. "Infighting is-"

His words were cut off by Mucho's fist repeated whacking him in the face. Mucho was so focused on pummeling Takemichi that he didn't even register the goosebumps Baji was giving him. Once he was sure Takemichi wasn't in any state to fight back or run off, he lowered him to the ground and grumbled,

"Damn Izana... Giving me extra work."

He ordered Haruchiyo (who he called "Sanzu") to put Takemichi in the car.

Takemichi was taken to a building that had closed up. Baji recognized the place as one that had been used to interrogate traitors before. Takemichi was carried in to the storage room (where interrogations presumably took place) by Mucho, then casually dumped to the floor before being tied up with tape.

The room was dark, but Baji could make out two other figures sitting in chairs. Judging by their posture, they were likely tied up.

Mucho began walking out of the room, but turned back when Takemichi began coughing.

"Ah, so you're awake, Hanagaki."
"Why... are you doing this?" Takemichi groaned. "We're fighting Tenjiku right now... Isn't this a bad time?"
"Look by you, Hanagaki."

Haruchiyo took this as a cue to turn the light on. Takemichi winced as his eyes adjusted to the light, but it wasn't long before surprise overtook the pain.

"We've got all the actors here." Mucho said in a dull voice as Takemichi took in the sight of Kokonoi and Inui in the chairs. Both of them were sporting nosebleeds and other bruises. Evidently the Fifth Division had paid them a visit just before picking up Takemichi.

"Damn." Koko said with a "tch". "Even Takemichi got caught by the S-62 Ghosts, huh?"

Takemichi blinked.

"Aren't those the Tenjiku admins?" He said weakly.
"Yeah. And this guy's one of them." Inui said accusingly, not taking his eyes off of Mucho. "He's part of the Vicious Generation that met in juvie five years ago."

Mucho sighed and said that this (whatever "this" was) was between him and Izana.

"Why are you doing this?"

Mucho pulled up a chair and began explaining the role of the Fifth Division: As Toman's "morality council", they were the only ones allowed to engage in infighting. They were allowed to punish any traitors without the consent of Toman's leader.

"Mikey gave this task to me, Toman's strongest fighter."

'Does this mean he's not on Tenjiku's side?' Takemichi said. 'Wait, then... Does that mean he thinks I've done something?'
"It's probably those two." Baji looked at Koko and Inui with narrowed eyes.

"Do you think I've done something wrong?"
"Hell if I know." Mucho shrugged.

"It's because of Izana, right?" Inui spoke up. "I have a history with him, specifically from being his right-hand man in the Black Dragons."

This was news to Takemichi and Baji.

"I knew we couldn't trust him." Baji hissed.

"And since I'm in the First Division now, that means I'm acting as Tenjiku's spy, with Hanagaki Takemichi as the ringleader, right?" Inui said with a smirk. "That's what you're thinking, right Mucho?"

'Is he... trying to frame me as a traitor?'
"Or at least drag you down with him!"

Just as Takemichi tried to protest, however, Koko spoke up.

"Hanagaki's no traitor."
"Huh?"

Inui agreed, saying that none of them had done anything to betray Toman.

"Best get ready to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness that'll never come." Koko chuckled darkly.

Mucho was unintimidated and simply asked why everyone was getting worked up over a misunderstanding. Mucho's role as Fifth Division Captain had nothing to do with what was going on now.

"Izana and I committed all sorts of crimes together. Even when we formed separate gangs, we were still feared as the Vicious Generation." Mucho said, sounding almost wistful. "Then Izana stepped back from all that for whatever the reason. I was actually pretty bored when Mikey recruited me."

Mucho stared down at Takemichi as though dealing with a particularly unruly child.

"Do you understand now, Hanagaki? I'm a founding member of Tenjiku."

A chill ran through Takemichi's body.

"So... you're the one betraying Mikey? And Toman?"

Mucho didn't answer right away.

"If I'd met Mikey first, things might have turned out different. Now that Izana's back, though..."

Toman was his enemy now, and that meant Takemichi was going to die here.

Baji looked at Takemichi. Even if he were able to possess him, it would take him a moment to get out of the tape. And even without the tape, Baji wasn't sure he'd be able to take Mucho on by himself.

"Mucho... what are you trying to accomplish?" Takemichi said before Baji could suggest a plan. "Izana only formed Tenjiku so he could crush Mikey."

"Why do you think we abducted the three of you?" Mucho sounded unimpressed. "Mikey's not the only one Izana's after."

He looked over at Inui.

"Why did you pick the First Division, Inui? Was it because you knew Hanagaki wouldn't manipulate you?" He asked. "Isn't that why you initially supported Shiba Taiju in the Black Dragons?"

Inui showed no reaction as Mucho continued.

"Taiju agreed to help rebuild the Black Dragons, and in exchange, Kokonoi Hajime was also recruited."
"What...?"

Mucho looked back at Takemichi and asked if he knew why Koko was recruited in the first place.

"It's because Kokonoi is a genius at making money. Izana wants to use that."

It was true that Koko had been present in the past couple futures. He also clearly had some business acumen. According Mucho, however, Koko was only interested in listening to Inui, who in turn was currently under Takemichi's command.

"That's why I'm killing these two here." Mucho explained to Koko, who was now sitting very stiffly. "Once they're gone, you won't have any other choice other than joining Tenjiku, right?"

Mucho knocked Inui out of his chair and stomped on his head.

"Well, Kokonoi?" He said with a smile that made Takemichi's skin crawl. "Are you gonna die with these two here? Or..."

Koko simply stared at him with a gaze suggesting that he was attempting to make Mucho's head explode with his mind.

Mucho looked back at Takemichi.

"Kokonoi's assets, Kisaki's brains and Mikey's charisma. Izana wants to use these to create the most powerful crime syndicate." He declared. "The S-62 Generation is 18 years old now. We're not playing around anymore."

He looked back at Koko.

"What's your answer, Koko? If you agree, I'll let these two go."

Koko was sitting there defiantly, but his resolve seemed to waver in the face of Mucho's promise to let Takemichi and Inui go.

"You don't have to damn thing this guy says." Takemichi growled as he started to push himself to his knees.
"Takemichi, you need to be careful!" Baji warned. "Mucho wasn't bluffing about being the strongest fighter."
'I don't care. This is our chance.'

"I'm not gonna back down even if you kill me." Takemichi turned his attention to Mucho as he stood on wobbling legs. "Kokonoi Hajime's a member of the First Division. You're not getting your hands on my subordinate!"

'If I can protect him, we might actually be able to change things!'

To the surprise of everyone, Takemichi got an audacious grin on his face.

"You can't win against me." Mucho said bluntly.

Baji agreed. If he was being honest, Takemichi's best chances of getting out of there alive were to simply hand Koko over to Tenjiku. It wasn't like he was entirely convinced either of the former Black Dragons weren't really up to no good.

So why did that idea leave a bad taste in Baji's mouth?

"You think I care whether or not I can win?!" Takemichi huffed.

That got a reaction out of Inui, who had pulled himself up after Mucho removed his foot.

"I'm not gonna-" Takemichi stopped as his gaze moved toward Haruchiyo in the back of the room. "You... You're involved in this, too?"

Haruchiyo had been standing stoically by the light, not reacting to anything that was said or done, but now that he'd been addressed, his demeanor changed. Now he seemed on guard.

"He's only acting on the orders of his captain." Mucho said coldly. "He's not involved."
"You're loyal to a guy trying to crush and manipulate his childhood friend! How could he not be involved?!"

That got Mucho's attention. He turned to look at Haruchiyo in surprise.

"You're Mikey's..."

Neither Baji nor Takemichi had ever been all that fond of attacking an opponent while his back was turned. Baji had always preferred to face things head on, and Takemichi had always thought it was sort of cowardly to do so, even if not doing so meant you ended up losing. Mucho could probably sense that about Takemichi and felt safe turning his back on him for that reason.

Unfortunately for him, two of his three captives were pragmatists.

Inui threw his body into Mucho's legs, sending him tumbling down. No sooner did he hit the floor did Koko's foot stamp down on his head.

"Bastard!" He hissed.

"Hanagaki!" Inui shouted. "Run!"

Not needing to be told twice, Takemichi bolted toward the door alongside Koko. If the three of them could bum-rush Haruchiyo...

Takemichi felt Mucho's hand wrap around his ankle. His face hit Koko's back as he fell.

"Shit!" Inui, who had managed to move fast enough to stand up, kicked Mucho in the face. Koko, meanwhile, leaned down and actually grabbed the collar of Takemichi's jacket with his teeth in an attempt to pull him away from Mucho.

This made for... a rather ridiculous looking picture. Baji glanced at Haruchiyo, who actually seemed baffled at the sight.

One of Inui's kicks finally managed to hit hard enough to make Mucho lessen his grip on Takemichi, enabling him to pull his leg away. By this point, however, Haruchiyo had prepared himself and moved to block the door, reaching into his pocket for something.

Whatever it was, he didn't get to reveal it; Koko released his grip on Takemichi as soon as his leg was free and turned toward Haruchiyo with a lifted knee that went straight into his crotch.

Haruchiyo let out a loud yell that made it clear that it had connected. He crumpled to the floor as Koko pushed past him. The door was shut, but the handle was the kind that could conceivably be opened by someone who couldn't use their hands. Takemichi rushed forward and... threw his head down on the handle, pushing it down. The door opened slightly, and the two pushed forward.

Inui had still been kicking Mucho, but stopped when he heard the door open and rushed toward it with the other two.

"Dammit!" Baji heard Haruchiyo cursing. "Get back here, you slime!"

They were still in the building, but it thankfully didn't take long for them to find an exit. After another headbutting of a doorknob, they were outside. None of them looked back, but Baji didn't see either Mucho or Haruchiyo following them.

'We're not out of the woods yet, though!' Takemichi said when Baji pointed this out to him. 'We need to get to a hospital! Or at least somewhere we can hide.'

"Hey, Inupi, isn't this area close to the hideout?!" Koko said when they stopped to catch their breath.
"Yeah." Inui stopped and turned to Takemichi. "C'mon."

As Baji looked at the area, he realized that he'd been here before, too. An uneasy feeling washed over him, one that only got worse when Inui and Koko stopped in front of an abandoned building.

"No..."
'What? Is it a trap?' Takemichi asked, sounding alarmed as Inui fiddled with his bindings.
"I-I can't go in there."
'Why? What is it?'

"This used to be your predecessor's bike shop." Koko said when Takemichi hesitated. "We can patch ourselves up here at least."
"Huh?"

By now, Inui had freed himself and gotten the door open. Koko walked behind Takemichi and began nudging him into the building.

"Hurry, before they find us!"

Takemichi turned to see Baji wasn't following him inside.

'Ah, that's right.' He thought to himself. 'Baji said that it happened in Shinichiro's shop...'

Once inside, Inui was able to remove Koko and Takemichi's tape. Now free, Koko went digging in a pile of what looked like junk. He picked something up and put it on the nearby table. Light filled the room, and Inui grabbed a first aid kit. He and Takemichi sat on the floor to patch themselves up, while Koko grabbed what he needed and sat on a chair.

A few minutes after they had finished, all three of them were sitting in silence. No one seemed to want to say anything, but it was obvious that they all wanted someone else to.

"Well, I guess now we can have that conversation you guys wanted to have." Takemichi said, finally deciding to bite the bullet.

Koko gave him a baffled look. Inui, meanwhile, gave a slight chuckle.

"Yeah, I suppose we could." He said. "It beats sitting here wondering if I just killed that guy."

Come to think of it, it did seems strange that Mucho hadn't pursued them once the door was opened. Had Inui kicked him hard enough to render him unconscious?

"I'm sure he was just unconscious, Inupi." Koko said casually before looking back at Takemichi. "But I suppose it IS true that we finally got you alone."
"Can you please not word it like that?" Inui groaned when Takemichi turned stiff. "You make it sound like we really WERE up to something shady."

He moved into a kneeling position and placed his hands on the ground.

"I admit, I'm a little surprised you managed to pull it off, but you saved Koko." He said. "If you hadn't, Koko probably would have ended up agreeing to join Tenjiku so Mucho would let us go."
"No, I wouldn't." Koko protested, sounding perhaps a bit too defensive. Inui looked back at him knowingly.

"Yes, you would have."

He looked back to Takemichi.

"You really are the kind of person I thought you were. I know I'm making the right choice this time."

He bowed his head.

"Hanagaki, please become the Eleventh Leader of the Black Dragons!"
"Huh?!"

Koko sighed.

"Inupi. You skipped over too much."

Inui scowled, but sat back down and looked at the ceiling.

"Us delinquents used to gather here." He said wistfully. "In Shinichiro's shop."

Shinichiro was always working on one of the bikes lined up in the store, he explained. No matter which delinquents walked in, all of them were on their best behavior because he was there.

"He was my hero."
"Wait, you're fixated on the Black Dragons because-"
"Yeah. I want to recreate the Black Dragons the way he made them."

Inui talked about how his senpai would tell stories of when they were in the Black Dragons. Shinichiro would apparently act bashful when the stories were brought up.

"Being able to laugh about that kind of stuff even after becoming an adult sounds nice, isn't it?"

Inui smiled at Takemichi, though it didn't last long.

"By the time I joined the Black Dragons in the Eighth Generation, Izana was in charge." He said darkly. "It was the worst."

The Eighth and Ninth Generations committed a variety of heinous crimes that were completely devoid of any trace of the First Generation's intentions. Inui eventually ended up in juvie and by the time he got out, the Black Dragons had been crushed by Toman. Not wanting the Black Dragons to come to an end, Inui relied on Shiba Taiju, who went to Koko's school.

"And... I guess you know the rest." Inui sighed. "I'm still not sure what I was doing."
"Inupi..."

Takemichi looked around. Baji still apparently hadn't been able to bring himself to come inside. Koko assured him that the chances of anyone finding them here were slim.

"I... think I owe you two an apology." Takemichi finally spoke.
"What?" Koko gave him an incredulous look.
"I didn't think you two were any better than Tenjiku. But, listening to Inupi talk and hearing that Koko might have been willing to sacrifice himself so we could get away... I was wrong."

Neither of two said anything, but both looked away in embarassment when Takemichi added that they were both good people.

"I'm... trying to save someone." He confessed. "And I'm doing whatever I can to do that."

There were actually a lot of people Takemichi was trying to save (and the number had just increased by two), but Koko and Inupi didn't need to know that part.

"I keep screwing up, though, so I can kind of understand how Inupi feels."

Takemichi fell silent. Koko and Inupi's eyes were both on him with varying degrees of curiosity.

"I'll become the leader of the Black Dragons." He looked at Inupi straight on. "I'll be the Eleventh Leader and the First Division Captain of Toman!"

He extended his hand to Inupi, telling him to be prepared.

"I doubt Tenjiku's going to give up on getting a hold of Koko. We'll have to crush them along with Kisaki and Izana!"

Inupi still looked surprised, but his expression turned serious as he took Takemichi's hand.

"My life is in your hands." He declared.

Just as Takemichi was turning to Koko, whose face was now quite red, he heard Baji's voice.

"Takemichi, there are some Fifth Division guys skulking about!" He exclaimed.

At the sight of Takemichi's hand in Inupi's however, he froze.

'Should we turn off the light?!' Takemichi said, now focused on Baji's words.

"That guy just..." Inupi gasped. "Went through the door..."
"What guy?" Koko said with a frown, looking toward the door.

Takemichi flipped his head toward Inupi in alarm before looking down at his hand still holding his. He let go, but not only was the damage already done, he'd done it fast enough that the narrowing of Inupi's eyes quickly told him that he'd given himself away.

Inupi grabbed his hand again and stared at Baji.

"He's transparent... Is he a ghost?"

Koko stood up and grabbed Takemichi's other hand.

"I don't believe it..." His eyes looked like they were about to burst out of his head. "When did he get here?!"
"Wait a sec!" Inupi stepped forward and took a closer look at Baji. "I've seen him before."

He looked down, searching through his memories. When he finally came to a realization, he looked up in surprise.

"The fight at Udagawa! When I grabbed your hand before..." He looked at Takemichi. "I thought I was seeing things!"

Baji groaned. The cat was clearly out of the bag at this point. The best he could do at this point was try to keep them from making things worse.

"Turn the light off before you guys get caught!"

The light was turned off, and the three living boys sat against the wall. Baji faced them, frowning as Koko and Inupi sat on either side of Takemichi. It really wasn't necessary for them to be THAT close, was it?

"It's cold." Takemichi protested when Baji spoke up.

Inupi gave Baji an odd look before looking at Takemichi.

"Hey, um..." He said quietly. "Can you... talk to ANY ghost?"

Koko turned his head and gave Inupi a sharp look.

"No, it's just Baji, and I'm still not sure why he became a ghost in the first place."
"I see." Inupi's voice was neutral, but there was still the slightest hint of disappointment on his face.

Koko huffed and looked away in response. There was clearly something going on there, but neither Inupi nor Koko volunteered information, so Takemichi decided not to ask.

The two handled Takemichi's story rather well, only asking a few questions. Even when Takemichi tried to keep certain aspects hidden, one of them would manage to figure out what it was.

"So I still ended up back with Izana, huh." Inupi looked rather crestfallen at that realization.
"I won't let that happen!" Takemichi said firmly. "I don't really know how I'll do it, but I'm gonna make sure Izana and Kisaki don't get their clutches on Toman!"

Koko ruffled Takemichi's hair.

"And you're gonna do all that on your own?" He scoffed. "Are you gonna be a human shield for everyone in Toman? No offense, Captain, but you're not exactly intimidating, even with the rumors of you being able to freeze people."
"You can rely on us." Inupi agreed. "We'll do everything we can to help you."

Baji frowned as Takemichi slowly nodded.

Hours passed, but the group remained hidden. The Fifth Division was not one to give up pursuit until forced to. Koko and Inupi both fell asleep leaning against Takemichi after getting a couple blankets. Takemichi messaged his parents and Chifuyu letting them know not to worry about him.

"I still don't trust them."
'Ah, that's right. You didn't hear our conversation.' Takemichi said. 'They really are good people. Shinichiro was Inupi's hero.'
"And Izana's Shinichiro's brother. What's your point?"

Takemichi scowled.

'Why are you acting like this?'
"I don't know. I guess I'm just pissed about Mucho being a traitor. Haruchiyo, too."

That part was true. Baji had honestly liked Mucho, so hearing him say that he was throwing Toman away for a guy who wanted to destroy his own apparent brother stung, even if he could understand him being more loyal to an old friend from juvie.

'I guess that would put me in a bad mood.' Takemichi admitted. 'I'm sorry. Maybe we'll feel better in the morning?'
"Maybe. You look like hell, so you probably should get some sleep.

Takemichi nodded at Baji, and then nodded off.

The following afternoon, an emergency meeting was called; Chifuyu had evidently let Mikey and Draken know what had happened.

"So... you're saying Mucho's double-crossed us?" Mikey's voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of melancholy to it.
"Yes. We barely managed to get away." Takemichi explained. "I don't think Tenjiku will stop until they have Kokonoi Hajime in their clutches."
"And we won't let them have him!" Chifuyu piped up. "He's a member of the First Division and that's where he's staying!"

Koko, for his part, looked almost bashful at the sounds of the First Division adding their agreement.

"We should be careful, though." Takemichi continued. "This time they went after me as Koko's captain, but next time they might go after people close to us."

That prompted whispers among Toman's ranks. Plenty of them had siblings and friends outside of the delinquent world, after all.

Mikey's expression turned serious, no doubt thinking of what he'd do if anyone targeted Emma.

"Inui!" Mikey addressed Inupi. "When do you think Tenjiku is most likely to strike?"
"February 22nd." Inui said automatically. "That's the 11th anniversary of the day the Black Dragons were founded."

Sano Shinichiro, the founder of the Black Dragons, was someone special to Kurokawa Izana. That would make February 22nd an important day for him.

"So we've got a few weeks until they really make their move, huh?" Mikey crossed his arms. "Alright, then. It'll be tough, but we'll have to be on our guard until then."

He announced that Toman would meet on February 21st for one final pep rally before they confronted Tenjiku on the 22nd.

In some ways, the wait for February 22nd to arrive was more frightening than the impending battle with Tenjiku.

Koko's movement was limited during that time, so as to make sure no one from Tenjiku tried to snatch him up when his guard was down. Takemichi tried to meet with Kakuchou to see if there was anything that could be done, but to no avail. No one caught sight of Mucho or Haruchiyo, either. In fact, there was no sign of anyone from the Fifth Division, who'd all apparently defected to Tenjiku.

The pep rally on the 21st had been a tense affair: Mitsuya and Smiley had both been ambushed with steel pipes. According to Hakkai, they were still unconscious. Nearly half of Toman was ready to start playing as dirty as Tenjiku did.

Surprisingly, though, it was Peh-yan who got things to settle down, saying he wanted to fight in a way he wouldn't be ashamed of.

Mikey ordered Hakkai to stay with Mitsuya and Smiley to make sure they didn't try to leave the hospital when they woke up. After all, Mikey was all Toman really needed, but what he didn't need was an injured Smiley and Mitsuya making him worry.

The following morning, Takemichi skipped school and accompanied Inupi (who was now sporting his new Toman uniform) to the cemetery where the Sano family grave was located. He, Inupi, and Baji all said a prayer before the grave.

"Shinichiro, this is the Eleventh Leader of the Black Dragons, Hanagaki Takemichi."

Takemichi bowed, promising not to disgrace the name of the founder.

"How nice." An airy voice called out. "The Black Dragons's founding happens on the same day it gets its Eleventh Leader."

A young man with dark skin and white hair walked toward them. He wore Tenjiku's red uniform and hanafuda earrings.

"So you're Hanagaki Takemichi!" Kurokawa Izana was smiling, but the only thing in his eyes was mild curiosity.
"Izana..." Inupi growled.
"It's a shame that Mucho wasn't able to recruit Koko from Toman." Despite his words, Izana's expression didn't change at all. "Well, I suppose we can just recruit him tonight."
"You bastard!"

Inupi snatched Izana's collar and raised his fist, but Izana didn't look intimidated at all.

"Listen, I don't really care about you." He said calmly. "I'm just here to visit my brother's grave."

"Let go, Inupi."

Takemichi turned to see Mikey with Emma behind him.

"How nice!" Izana said in faux-admiration as Takemichi walked over to Mikey. "Brother and sister both coming to pay their respects."

"Mikey, what's Emma doing here? It's not safe for her to be walking around." He whispered.
"Isn't it more dangerous for her to be alone?" Mikey whispered back. "Just take her away from here. I'll take care of Izana."
"I'll keep my eyes on them. Just don't go too far."

Takemichi nodded as Emma handed the bucket of water to Mikey before pulling Emma outside the cemetary gate.

"Bring all of Toman to the 7th Pier at Yokohama at 8pm." Izana ordered after saying a quick prayer at the grave. "It'll be all of Tenjiku versus all of Toman. We'll put an end to all of it."
"Izana... Why are you doing this?"

Izana looked surprised by the question.

"Surely Takemichi told you what Mucho said? I'm not playing around in biker gangs anymore. Now I'm looking into making an actual crime syndicate."
"What, you didn't get enough of that in the Black Dragons?!" Inupi spat.
"Inupi!" Mikey's order for him to stand down went unspoken, but was heard nonetheless.

Izana turned to leave, but was stopped.

"Why are you only doing this now? Why wait two years after Shinichiro died?"

Izana's smile didn't fade, but for some reason Baji got the sense that Mikey's question may have nudged at a sore spot.

"What were you doing during those years anyway?"
"That's not important."

Okay, yeah, Mikey definitely hit something. Izana's reply came way too fast. Mikey seemed to notice this, too.

"You could've-"
"I'm done here." Izana cut him off as he turned to leave. "Our showdown will happen at 8pm tonight. I know I'll be there, but I wonder if I'll see you there?"

That was a somewhat ominous statement, but none of them had time to dwell on it: The sound of screeching tires rang out, followed by the sound of distant screams. Mikey and Inupi tore out of the cemetery, instinctively realizing that something had happened.

Outside the gate, several feet away from the entrance was a strange figure on the ground. As he got closer, Mikey realized that the object was actually two people.

Takemichi and Emma were lying there facing each other, with their arms and legs positioned in what almost looked like a grotesque parody of a heart, particularly when Mikey noticed the traces of blood on both their heads.

And standing nearby... was Kisaki Tetta, holding a metal bat with something dripping off of it.

Chapter Text

"That guy is my other older brother Izana, right?" Emma asked once she and Takemichi were outside the gate.
"Y-Yeah."

Emma had told him that she didn't really remember him, but she knew that he was targeting Mikey. How would that feel?

"They're gonna be fighting soon, huh." Emma sighed. "Why do boys have to fight all the time?"

She gave Takemichi a questioning look before turning her gaze back to her brothers.

""Leader of the Tokyo Manji Gang", "The Invincible Mikey"..." She sighed again. "He's always been putting up a strong front. Both when Shinichiro died and when Baji died. He never shows any weakness to anyone."

Takemichi nodded in agreement. Mikey made sure that everyone both in and out of Toman knew how strong he was.

"But I'm sure you noticed that he still sleeps with that ratty old terry-cloth blanket." She grinned at him. "He's still a weak little boy. A kid like you and me."

That was... also true. Takemichi mused that Mikey was less than a year older than him. They'd actually been the same age when they met in July.

"So if he ever snaps from the strain..." Emma said confidently. "You and I are gonna be the ones to save him!"
"Huh?"
"Mikey saved me, so I'm gonna save him! And you're gonna help too!"

This conversation had gone in a strange direction; sure, Takemichi was determined to save Mikey, but how could Emma have realized that?

"You're... really important to Mikey." Emma noticed his confusion and looked away with an almost sad look on her face. "And you're really important to Hina. So I'm gonna protect you, too!"

Weren't they just talking about "saving" Mikey? Where did this talk about protecting people come from?

"Mikey's been kinda overprotective these past couple weeks." Emma laughed. "But I know he's worried about you, too. You're not exactly good in a fight, you know."
"Hey, he asked me to keep an eye on you!" Takemichi protested.
"Sure, sure." Emma teased. "We all know who's protecting who here."

To illustrate, she pointed at herself, then at Takemichi as she spoke.

Just as Takemichi was about to argue, he heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching. He remembered what Naoto had told him about the report of Emma's death. Without thinking, he grabbed Emma's arms and pulled her closer to the gate.

"Hey!" She protested, only to gasp as she caught sight of a motorcycle riding way too close to them.

The two tumbled to the ground as the motorcycle sped past. Instead of continuing on, however, it came to an abrupt stop, causing its passenger to nearly fall off.

The passenger jumped off and began storming toward them. Even though he was wearing a helmet, Takemichi could somehow tell who Emma's would-be assailant was.

"Kisaki!" He hissed, standing up.

"I have had it up to here with you, Takemitchy!" Kisaki sounded just as angry. "You've gotten in my way for the last time!"
"I won't let you hurt Emma!" Takemichi shouted, placing himself firmly in front of her.

He couldn't see Emma's baffled expression.

"Didn't you hear him just now, Takemitchy?! He's not after me, he's after-"

A flash of silver was followed by the sound of metal hitting flesh. Emma blinked as Takemichi's blond head gained a splash of red. She realized that Kisaki had just hit Takemichi with a metal bat. Inexplicably, Takemichi remained standing, if only for a few seconds.

"Fuck!" He said as he collapsed to the ground.

Emma rushed in front of him, holding her arms out in an attempt to act as a shield. Kisaki gave her a disdainful look before swinging the bat towards her head.

"She went down faster than Takemitchy, huh." Kisaki didn't sound surprised. "Then again, I guess I did hit her harder."

"Emma? Takemitchy?"

Mikey was standing a few feet away now, staring at the two on the ground. Inupi was right behind him, and he seemed just as horrified at the sight.

"Hanagaki!" He fell to his knees to examine Takemichi and Emma.

As for Baji, he couldn't take his eyes off of Kisaki.

(As a result, no one saw Izana taking in the sight of his sister on the ground before slinking off)

He understood that he should be focusing on Takemichi. Getting angry would only make things worse. In fact, he knew he was already making things worse.

Takemichi had been silent, but was now groaning in pain. Baji got the distinct impression that it wasn't just because of the wound to his head.

"Emma... No..." He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

Despite the agonizing pain he was obviously in, he was trying to reach for her.

"Hanagaki, don't move!" Inupi pleaded before turning to Mikey.

The motorcycle returned, with Hanma snatching Kisaki up before speeding off. Baji should have been relieved; now he could calm himself down.

How could he, though, when Takemichi was still lying on the ground?

Inupi finally managed to snap Mikey out of his trance long enough to get Emma onto his back.

"Sorry for the roughness, Hanagaki." He apologized as he pulled Takemichi's arms over his shoulder. "Asagaya's the closest hospital. Let's hurry!"

The rush to the hospital happened mostly in silence. Emma regained consciousness at one point and tried to tell Mikey to give her confession to Draken for her. While Mikey was urging her to tell him herself, Takemichi had started speaking.

"Baji... are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here, Takemichi!"
'My head's killing me. I'm guessing you saw Kisaki?'
"Don't talk about him! Just focus on staying awake, okay?"
'Okay...'

After another couple minutes, Takemichi suddenly apologized.

"What are you apologizing for?!"
'I dunno... Everything? We've been arguing so much lately and now I let Emma get hurt.'
"Stop it with that talk." Baji ordered. "Gah, just stop talking for now! We're almost there!"

Upon their arrival, Emma was immediately taken in for surgery while Takemichi was examined by another doctor.

Takemichi's wounds weren't quite as severe as they initially looked. Emma's, on the other hand, were indeed as bad as they seemed.

Fortunately, the waiting room was nearby, allowing Baji to see what the others were doing. Mikey was sitting in the waiting room in a daze. Inupi called Chifuyu and Koko to the hospital. He somehow managed to get Mikey to respond long enough to hand over his phone so that Sano Mansaku could be informed of what was going on.

Within ten minutes, Mansaku arrived and went to talk with one of the nurses about Emma's condition.

Another twenty minutes later, Chifuyu and Koko arrived.

"He's still being examined, but I don't think they took him in to surgery." Inupi filled them in on what was going on.
"What about Mikey's sister?" Koko asked.
"She's in surgery right now."

Eventually a doctor came out and told them that Takemichi was stable, but resting. When Baji entered the room, Takemichi was sleeping soundly with a bandage around his head.

"You keep pulling this, Partner." Chifuyu sighed as he walked in. "You really are gonna give me a heart attack one day."

After checking that the coast was clear, he grabbed Takemichi's hand.

"Did you not see what happened, Baji?"
"No, I was with Mikey and Inui when Kisaki attacked."

Inupi, who had grabbed Takemichi's other hand, scowled.

"I was with Mikey. I would have reported what Izana said to you and Hanagaki."
"Yeah, and look how things turned out because you stayed with Mikey!"

Takemichi groaned, and Chifuyu told them to be quiet.

Several hours passed before Takemichi began stirring on his own. Occasionally one of them would check on Mikey and his grandfather in the waiting room. So far there hadn't been any changes on that front. At one point, Chifuyu stepped out to call the Mizo Middle Gang to let them know of the situation.

When Takemichi did wake up, the doctor ordered him to stay put for at least a day, an order that Takemichi had every intention of ignoring.

"Do we know how Emma's doing?" He asked when the doctor left.
"Not yet."

"Hey."

All eyes moved to the doorway. Standing there was Draken, wearing a haunted expression. Inupi had called him as well, but his phone had been off, so it went straight to voice mail.

"Where's Emma? Where's Mikey?" He asked, no emotion in his voice.

The group moved to the waiting room where a doctor was speaking to Mansaku. Mikey didn't seem to have moved. According to the doctor, the surgery was done, though it remained to be seen if Emma would wake up.

"Mikey." Draken said in a dull and dangerous voice. "Come here."

Mikey actually stood up. He was facing Draken, but didn't actually appear to be looking at him. Draken glanced at Mansaku, who was still speaking with the doctor, then at Takemichi before gesturing for Mikey to follow him.

Mikey's eyes followed Draken's before he nodded and began to walk toward the exit with him.

"Takemichi, we need to do something!"

It was obvious that Draken wasn't taking Mikey outside for a friendly chat or to console him. Takemichi hurried in front of Draken to block him.

"Draken, wait!"
"Move."

His voice was cold. He wasn't about to let Takemichi persuade him from what he was he going to do. Chifuyu and Inupi watched while Koko held back and waited, still listening to Mansaku's conversation with the doctor.

"Mikey!" Takemichi turned his attention to Toman's commander, but the look on Mikey's face told him it was just as fruitless to talk to him.

Now getting frustrated, Takemichi threw his body at Draken's and wrapped his arms around him as he attempted to go around him.

"Let. Go." Draken was speaking through gritted teeth now.
"Takemitchy." Mikey finally spoke. "It's fine."
"No, it's not!" Takemichi protested.

"Pah got arrested. Baji's dead. Kazutora's in jail." Draken hissed as he started to pull Takemichi off of him. "And now Emma's-"

His breath hitched in his throat. He looked down at Takemichi with a threatening look in his eyes.

"Takemitchy. Let go." He ordered.
"It was my fault!" Takemichi cried. "If I'd been stronger, then Kisaki might not have-"

Draken took advantage of Takemichi's distress to knee him in the chest. Takemichi gasped in pain as Draken pulled him off and shoved him to the side to continue on. Mikey followed without another word.

"Dammit!" Takemichi grunted. "If you won't listen to me, then maybe you'll listen to him!"

He threw his hands out, grabbing Mikey's with one and Draken's with another.

"Takemitchy-" Draken now sounded ready to actually punch him as he and Mikey turned around, only to catch sight of his dead friend right behind Takemichi.

After the nurses finished scolding Mikey and Draken for screaming in the hospital, the group went outside to talk.

"Baji..." Mikey extended his free hand toward Baji, shivering as it passed through him. "You're freezing."
"Yeah. That's what happens when you touch a ghost."

Mikey fell silent as Draken asked if he was responsible for Kisaki's claims of Takemichi doing something to him.

Baji nodded, and Draken let out a sigh.

"Is this the only weird thing about Takemitchy, or is there more?"
"There's... more." Takemichi admitted. "I came here... from twelve years in the future."

Both Mikey and Draken stared at him as though he'd grown an extra head for a few seconds, but surprisingly both nodded in agreement.

"That... explains a lot." Mikey looked up at the sky. "I could always tell something was off about you, but..."
"There's a guy in the Second Division who's fully convinced you're an alien." Draken actually tried to lighten the mood, but his grin was obviously forced and didn't last long. "So, uh... why'd you come back?"

Takemichi said that each future he'd seen had gone very badly for Toman, so he kept coming back to try to fix things. Since he could only come back to the exact date as in the future, he was limited on what he could do.

"Who all... knows about this?" Mikey asked. "Is it everybody here?"
"Koko, too."
"Plus Mom and Kazutora."

Mikey's expression seemed to darken, but only briefly.

"And that's it?"
"Y-yeah." Takemichi nodded. "Though... I think Kisaki might also be a time leaper. Every time I try to fix things here, things still go badly in the future because of him."
"Is he..." Draken's eyes narrowed. "The one who attacked you and Emma?"
"I don't know if it was him in the last timeline, but it was definitely him this time. He even said he wasn't gonna let me get in his way again."

Draken took his turn to look at the sky before looking at the others with a determined look.

"I'm killing Kisaki."

Before anyone else could say a word, Baji yelled.

"No, we're killing Kisaki!"
"What's this "we" stuff?" Inupi scoffed. "You're not gonna be any help. You might even make things worse."
"What'd you say?!"
"Enough!"

Mikey's commanding voice silenced everyone else.

"I'm not sure I want Takemitchy fighting after a blow to the head like that." He sighed. "If he were at the same hospital as Mitsuya and Smiley, it'd be easier on Hakkai to keep an eye on him."
"I'm not staying behind!" Takemichi protested. "I already made up my mind to kill Kisaki when I got back!"
"And I already told Kisaki I'd kill him if he ever went near you again."

Takemichi gave Mikey a confused look and asked when that happened.

"Ah. I guess Mikey didn't tell you." Draken rubbed the back of his head. "You remember how Kisaki tried to fight his getting thrown out and went after you? When Mikey stopped him, he said he'd kill him if he went near you again."
"And now he's gone after you AND Emma." Mikey growled. "I'm not gonna let him live."

"So what are you going to do about your sister?"

Everyone turned to see Koko standing near the door. How long had he been there?

"You too, Draken." He said harshly. "What are you gonna do if she dies while you're not there?"
"Koko!" Inupi protested as Draken bristled.

"And what about your grandpa, Commander?" Koko ignored Inupi and turned his attention to Mikey. "He seems like a nice enough old man. Are you really gonna leave him to deal with all this by himself?"

Mikey, too, bristled up, but did not move. Even his anger seemed to deflate within seconds. Apparently even he couldn't deny Koko's point.

"And Captain, are you really sure you're up to going after Kisaki?" Koko went on. "Are you sure Baji won't go berserk as soon as he sees him?"

Mikey and Draken looked at Takemichi and Baji with inquisitive stares.

"Takemitchy, does something happen to Baji when Kisaki's involved?" Mikey tilted his head curiously.
"It's... nothing major. It's just that Baji's particularly strong emotions end up leaking into me." Takemichi laughed nervously. "So when Baji gets too angry, I get angry."
"Chifuyu, what happens?" Mikey turned his gaze to Chifuyu.

Chifuyu flinched and looked down at the ground, only glancing at Baji and Takemichi with a guilty look on his face.

"Chifuyu." Mikey's voice grew cold.
"I-It's not that big of a deal!" Takemichi exclaimed. "My head just starts hurting, is all."

Draken looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"And you want to go after Kisaki when you already have a head injury?"

Takemichi and Baji looked at each other, now feeling even more put on the spot.

Mikey was silent for a moment before telling everyone to go back inside.

The chain broke up, and moved back inside.

"Takemitchy, I don't think I want you going to the fight."

As Takemichi opened his mouth to protest, Mikey held his hand up.

"If being near Kisaki is going to end up hurting you, then I'd rather you stay here with my grandpa."
"Mikey-"
"Takemitchy. Please."

"What's going on?" Mansaku noticed they had returned and walked over.
"We're... supposed to be fighting some guys here pretty soon." Mikey looked down at the floor. "They're the ones responsible for what happened."

Something entered Mansaku's eyes for just a fraction of a second, and Baji was reminded that he really was Mikey's grandfather.

"I see." He said flatly. "Then I suppose you hooligans need to get moving, huh?"

When Mikey hesitated, Mansaku smacked the back of his head.

"Don't underestimate your sister!" He scoffed. "Try to get back here before she wakes up."

Mikey stared at his grandfather with wide eyes. He blinked back tears before nodding firmly.

"Right! And... Can you make sure Takemitchy stays here?"
"Mikey!" Takemichi protested.

"Takemichi!" A familiar, frantic voice called out.

Hinata and the Mizo Middle Gang hurried over.

"You brought Hina?" Chifuyu glared at Akkun.
"Of course I brought her!" Akkun said defensively.

Takuya explained that Akkun had called her right when she got out of cram school.

"What happened?!" Hinata demanded, looking right at Takemichi. "Was it a fight?! Did someone ambush you?!"

Looking closely, Hinata's hair seemed messy, and her skin was shiny with sweat.

"I-I'm sorry." Takemichi said, smiling weakly at her.

With tears in her eyes, Hinata threw her arms around Takemichi.

"You're okay, though, right?" She asked softly.
"Yeah, I'll be okay. I need to go, though."

"No." Mikey said firmly. "You're staying here. That's an order from your Leader."

He turned to leave before Takemichi could protest further.

"Let's go."
"Mikey!"

Takemichi reached for Mikey's hand, only for Mikey to rip it away. He turned back and gave him an intense, yet unreadable expression.

Just as quickly, though, it melted into one that seemed to be pleading with him.

"Please. Stay here with Grandpa and Emma."

He glanced Hinata.

"Besides, I think you have some things you need to tell her."

Hinata's eyes widened slightly.

"Partner." Chifuyu stepped forward. "I won't let Kisaki get away with this. And Mikey WILL take down Kurokawa Izana."

Neither Takemichi nor Baji wanted to relent. Finally, Mansaku spoke again.

"At least stay here until Emma wakes up. I think she'd like it if she had some friends here as the first thing she sees when she wakes up."

"Sensei..."

"That settles it!" Mikey finally smiled. "Takemitchy, you and Hina stay with Emma!"
"Only until Emma wakes up." Inupi added. "And... I'm sure she'll wake up soon."

Inupi, now that Baji was looking closely, had looked uncomfortable the entire time they'd been in the hospital.

"We'll see you at Yokohama, Captain." Akkun said firmly.

As most of Toman began filing out the door, Takemichi grabbed Chifuyu by the wrist.

"Don't let either Mikey or Draken actually kill Kisaki." He leaned in to whisper.
"You don't have to worry about that, Captain." Koko pat his shoulder. "I'll fill them in on why that would be a bad idea on the way."

Takemichi gave him a puzzled look, but Koko simply followed the others out.

"Takemichi?" Hinata asked. "Is... Kisaki the one who attacked you and Emma?"

Takemichi gulped. Hinata had a very vulnerable look on her face. She clearly didn't want to believe that the boy she'd known for years would do such a thing to anyone, let alone one of her friends and her boyfriend.

"Yes." He finally answered. "He... got kicked out of Toman last month and helped make the gang Toman's fighting tonight."

Hinata took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling.

"I see." She said calmly before looking back at Takemichi. "And that's not the only thing you have to tell me, is there?"
"...No." Takemichi looked down at the floor.

"Why don't you two go outside to chat?" Mansaku suggested. "Emma's room is on the same side as the entrance. If she wakes up while you're gone, I'll open the window and shout for you."
"Thank you, Sano-san." Hinata smiled at him in relief. "Let's go, Takemichi."

Takemichi's story was unexpected for Hinata in more ways than one; that her boyfriend was a time leaper who also had a ghost attached to him was not what she'd been bracing herself to hear.

This was a pretty heavy secret. Hinata almost wished they hadn’t come outside to talk about it; it just made her feel like they were exposed and anyone could be listening.

"I did think it was strange that you seemed to show up at the strangest times, and that you always wanted to shake hands with Naoto." She said, gazing down at her hand holding Takemichi's.

She intertwined their fingers, making Takemichi blush. Nobody else had done that to talk to Baji before, but he actually really liked it.

"Yeah, I guess that did come across as pretty weird." Takemichi said sheepishly.
"And you're... Baji Keisuke, right?" Hinata asked, now looking at Baji. "Emma told me about you."

"Yeah, I know. I've been around for all of your conversations since Halloween."

Hinata blinked in surprise at Baji's blunt response. Takemichi frowned as he tried to remember that particular conversation.

"Oh yeah!" He said sarcastically when he did. "The one that I specifically asked you not to eavesdrop on!"

Sensing that this was about to turn into an argument between them, Hinata asked if they knew why Baji became a ghost in the first place.

"No, we don't." Takemichi shook his head. "We think it might be related to both of our lingering regrets, but we don't have any proof."

Hinata nodded as she took this in.

"Then I guess that Koko guy was right. Killing Kisaki would probably be a bad idea."
"Huh? Haven't you been listening at all?" He said, glaring at her. "He's not the kid you knew in cram school anymore!"
"That's... not what I mean." Hinata still seemed confused at Baji's demeanor, but pressed on. "It's true that I don't want Kisaki to die, but..."

She gave Baji and Takemichi a concerned look.

"If he does die, isn't there a chance that he might become a ghost, too?"

Takemichi and Baji's faces both went blank.

"I mean..."
"Takemichi thinks Kisaki's a time leaper, too, so..."

Hinata sighed fondly before suggesting they go back inside. Both boys readily agreed.

When they re-entered Emma's room, Mansaku asked if they had resolved things. Hinata nodded and took a seat. Takemichi stayed standing and looked over Emma.

Her head was bandaged like his was, but her face looked fairly peaceful.

'She looks so relaxed when she's asleep.'
"Yeah, when she's awake, she's more of a nag."

Just as Takemichi was about to scold Baji for his remark, Emma groaned in her sleep as though she'd heard it. She turned her head from side to side as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Emma!"

Mansaku hurriedly pressed the call button as Hinata stood up and rushed to the bedside.

"Emma, are you awake?!"
"Hina...?"

Emma's voice was groggy. Mansaku grabbed her hand.

"Emma, I'm right here!"

"Grandpa's here too?" Emma slurred. "You guys... ARE here, right?"

A doctor hurried in, followed by a nurse that ushered Takemichi and Emma out of the room.

"You're Hanagaki, right?" She asked, taking note of Takemichi's uniform. "Can you tell my son to stop skulking around the lobby?"
"Huh?"

The nurse, who now looked very familiar to both Takemichi and Baji, sighed.

"I'm Mitsuya Naoko. My son is part of your little gang."
"You're... Mitsuya's mom?!"
"Yes. And my son is currently hanging around the lobby. I've already told him to either head home or return to the hospital he snuck out of."
"He's... here?!"

Naoko gave him an odd look and said that her son had followed them inside a few minutes ago.

"He was outside?"
"Yes. I assumed you met up with him and came in together."
"Was he listening?!"

Takemichi and Hinata moved to the lobby where they spotted a familiar patch of silver hair.

"Hey." Mitsuya raised his hand in acknowledgement. "Did Emma wake up?"

Takemichi stared at them.

"Are you ready to head to Yokohama?"

Takemichi still wasn't saying anything. Hinata was able to find her words, though.

"Were you eavesdropping on us earlier?" She asked, trying not sound accusing.

Mitsuya stood up and said, smiling,

"I didn't hear anything."

"Motherfucker!"

"Mitsuya-"
"Let's go."

He turned to Hina.

"We'll be counting on you to take care of things here, Hina."

Hinata slowly nodded, then spoke up.

"Um!" She raised her voiced. "Before you go..."

Takemichi turned around.

"What is it, Hina?"
"...Good luck." She smiled an uncomfortable smile at him.

Takemichi nodded, then turned around to leave.

As they left, Mitsuya explained that Hakkai and Angry helped him and Smiley sneak out of the hospital they'd been taken to. They'd made their way to Asagaya right when the rest of Toman was leaving.

"Since we figured you'd be making your way to Yokohama eventually, I decided to stay behind." He said as he got on his bike. "Get on. We need to hurry."
"Mitsuya, about what Hina and I talked about-"
"Don't worry about it. We've got other things to focus on tonight."

With a sigh, Takemichi got on behind Mitsuya.

"With any luck, we'll get there right about the time the fight starts." Mitsuya said as he started the bike up. "I know Mikey and the others were heading to the shrine first."
"Are you gonna be able to handle fighting?"
"No, and I don't think you are either. Is that going to stop either of us?"

Baji chuckled at that.

"I guess not. Let's go." Even Takemichi couldn't help but smile as Mitsuya set off.

Five minutes into the drive, he asked Baji if he was sure that Mitsuya had heard them.

"I'm positive. He's just acting like he didn't."
'Should I be... worried?'
"Nah, he's telling the truth about not wanting to get into it now, but he is gonna want an explanation later."
'That's gonna be fun.' Takemichi sighed, remembering how Mitsuya had reacted to his going to sleep after a beating from Taiju.

Baji laughed and said that it all came from a place of love. Toman was just below Luna and Mana on the list of Mitsuya's most important people.

'Yeah, I guess you're right about that.' Takemichi smiled as he squeezed Mitsuya's back a little tighter.

"You scared?" Mitsuya laughed.
"No, I'm just... glad you're here."

Mitsuya laughed again and said he wasn't going to be much help, but he was glad that Takemichi felt reassured.

Once they arrived near the port, Mitsuya and Takemichi got off the bike and hurried toward the 7th pier, where they found Smiley waiting. The sounds of fighting were in the air, and it was obvious that the clash had already begun.

Rather than jump right in, the three took note of where everyone else was.

"It looks like Madarame's down." Mitsuya mused. "Guess he hasn't improved much from 2003."

"You." A venomous voice called out.

Takemichi turned to a young man with long hair and a face mask approaching with a furious look in his eyes.

"You're... Haruchiyo?!"
"How the hell did you know who I am?!" Haruchiyo snarled, grabbing Takemichi by the neck.

"Hey-Sanzu!" Mitsuya grabbed at Haruchiyo's arm, attempting to get him to release Takemichi, though Haruchiyo didn't seem interested in even acknowledging him.

"Answer me!"

Haruchiyo seemed almost frenzied now. He clearly wasn't in the mood for a friendly chat.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to convince that traitor that I was on his side?!" He demanded. "I had to say that my King meant nothing to me!"
"What?"
"Kinda rich for a traitor to complain about another traitor!" Smiley said with his usual deceptively cheery tone.

'Is he talking about Mikey?'

"I made sure only the founders knew who I was!" Haruchiyo continued. "How did a slime like you find out?!"
"Dammit, Sanzu, let go!" Mitsuya exclaimed, finally kicking him in the gut to get him to release his hold on Takemichi.

Haruchiyo backed off for a second and glared at Takemichi before a thought seemed to occur to him.

"Wait a minute..." He murmured. "Could you really be-"
"Sanzu!"

All eyes turned to the interruption.

Kakuchou was calmly walking toward them despite the chaos. His eyes softened slightly when he recognized Takemichi, but his gaze hardened just as quickly.

"So it's true that you survived. I'm guessing that girl did as well?"
"I think that bastard knew Kisaki was going to attack Emma." Baji growled.

"Kaku-chan, did you know what Kisaki was up to?"

Kakuchou didn't answer, but the uncomfortable way his body shifted was enough of an answer.

"What the hell, Kaku-chan?!" Takemichi yelled. "You're the one who said you didn't agree with this conflict! And you let Kisaki go after an innocent girl?! Izana's own sister, at that?!"

Baji noticed that Haruchiyo had stormed off in a huff as soon as Kakuchou arrived, having apparently lost interest in interrogating Takemichi now that there were at least three witnesses. Mitsuya, meanwhile, was watching Takemichi yell at Kakuchou with a curious look on his face.

"So you two know each other?" He finally spoke.
"I thought I did!" Takemichi shouted, not taking his eyes off of Kakuchou.

Kakuchou had been taking Takemichi's words stoically, but that last remark actually seemed to sting a little. Takemichi was unmoved and simply looked around the area where most of the fighting was going on. Mikey and Draken both seemed to be handling themselves well, though for whatever the reason, Izana had yet to step in, preferring to sit on a shipping crate. Hakkai and Angry were getting into a fight with the Haitani brothers. Koko and Inupi were both doing fine. He couldn't see Chifuyu, but he heard him yelling. As for Kisaki...

"There he is..." Baji pointed upwards.

Kisaki was standing atop a pile of shipping crates, watching the brawls, but doing no fighting of his own. The very sight made Takemichi angry. He turned back to Kakuchou.

"Get out of my way, Kaku-chan." He demanded.
"No. As long as I'm here, you're not getting to Kisaki."
"You told me he was manipulating Izana! How am I supposed to save your hero if you won't even let me stop him?"

Kakuchou had nothing to say in response, but it wasn't long before everyone's attention was pulled to the center of the fighting. Takemichi heard the voice of Mochizuki Kanji shouting, but he couldn't make out what he was saying, especially since it abruptly stopped.

"Is that... Angry?!" Mitsuya gasped.
"Is he crying?"

At that, Smiley's grin dropped.

"Oh, fuck."

He pushed past Kakuchou, who grabbed his arm.

"Let go, dammit! If I don't stop him, he really will kill someone!"

Takemichi looked back to see that Mochizuki was lying on the ground. The Haitani brothers were nearby in a similar state. Mucho was stepping forward.

"So you're Toman's dark horse." He said cooly. "I won't go easy on you, Souya."

When he grabbed Angry's arm, however, Angry simply grabbed his back. In the blink of an eye, he'd jumped up, flipping Mucho over, kneeling on his throat when he landed.

"Even Mucho?!" Takemichi heard a Tenjiku member yelp as Angry stood up.

Chifuyu ran toward him, amazed at how he'd pulled that off. Koko and Inupi, having taken down their own opponents, casually walked over to Hakkai, who had apparently been knocked over. Takemichi couldn't hear what they were saying, but a reluctant Hakkai accepted Koko's hand to help him up.

Just as he, Mitsuya, and Smiley were preparing to jump into the fray themselves, Mucho stood up... and in his hands was a knife.

"I'm not gonna lose!" He shouted desperately, sounding so unlike the near-emotionless man they knew.

He swung the knife at the startled Angry.

"Mucho, you bastard!" Smiley shouted as he and Takemichi rushed forward. Takemichi shoved Angry toward Smiley, who grabbed his brother's clothes and pulled him away from the blade, which was now hurtling toward the former.

"Takemichi!"

Before the blade made contact with him, however, it was grabbed by Kakuchou.

"You've lost, Mucho." He said calmly.
"Move." Mucho's voice was trembling now. "You don't know anything."

In response, Kakuchou punched Mucho in the gut, sending him crumbling to the ground.

"I don't want Tenjiku to corrupt the one who taught me how to be a real man." He said, sounding almost sad before telling Izana that he'd accept his punishment later.

As both Toman and Tenjiku whispered among themselves, Takemichi offered a reluctant "thank-you" to Kakuchou.

"Don't be grateful. I didn't do it for you." Kakuchou brushed it off. "I'll follow the man I've given my life to into hell, if that's where his path takes him."

He took a fighting stance, saying that he wasn't the little kid Takemichi knew anymore.

In a flash, he rushed Angry, flipping him into the air. In another, he'd sent both Inupi and Chifuyu flying as well. Kakuchou came to a stop right in front of Takemichi.

"I know you're injured, but don't think for a second I'll hold back against either of you." He said coldly.

Takemichi stared at him for a few seconds before saying.

"You really did get stronger like you said you would. And all it took was joining a band of killers. What happened to you, Kaku-chan?"

Kakuchou hit Takemichi in the stomach. For a second, Takemichi thought he saw Mikey kneeling down by Mucho.

"Of course I'm not the same as when I was a little kid." Kakuchou scoffed.

Izana, who'd been silent up to that point, revealed that the two of them grew up as brothers in an orphanage. From there, Kakuchou became his strongest soldier.

"I don't care about who I was in the past, Takemichi!" Kakuchou yelled as he punched Takemichi in the face. "You could never understand the bond between orphans."

Even someone like his childhood friend could be killed without mercy.

The beating went on, though anyone paying close attention would have noticed that Kakuchou only struck Takemichi's head once, preferring to hit his limbs and torso. He ignored Baji's chills until he was sure Takemichi wasn't going to stand up.

"I do wonder if you don't actually have some supernatural power." He sighed. "But it's not enough."
"You really haven't changed, Kaku-chan!" Takemichi laughed as he pulled himself up. "For a second I thought a little kid was punching me!"

The smile on his face looked almost deranged as blood gushed from his nose.

Kakuchou's eyes widened in surprise. Inupi chuckled.

"Have a little more faith in your captain, Koko."

Finally, Baji turned his attention to the others. Koko was standing by the fallen Inupi while supporting Hakkai. Chifuyu was desperately trying to pull himself up.

"Are you sure about this, Takemichi?" Kakuchou asked. "If you move again, I really will kill you."
"Ah, shaddup!" Takemichi tried to throw a punch, but Kakuchou was faster.

By now, Chifuyu had successfully stood up and rushed over, throwing himself in front of Takemichi.

"That's enough, Takemitchy!" He pleaded. "Just leave the rest to us!"

If he kept going, Chifuyu choked through his tears, he would surely die.

"It's alright, Chifuyu." Takemichi laughed again as he stepped around. "I don't think Kaku-chan really can kill me. He doesn't have the determination to win."

"What about you, Takemitchy?"

The sound of that voice grated on Takemichi's ears and made Baji's non-existent blood boil.

A click rang out into the night as Kisaki held a gun to Takemichi's head.

Immediately, frantic whispers from both sides filled the area. Baji turned to see Mikey standing up in preparation to charge, but he knew that Mikey wouldn't move until the gun was pointed away from Takemichi. He was fast, but not that fast.

Takemichi, though... smiled.

'I'm not scared at all. I've got everyone's hopes with me, after all.'

"Well?" He asked. "What're you scared of?"

A bang.

Again, Takemichi showed no fear. He fell to one knee, but didn't cry out in pain. Baji realized that Kisaki was sweating now, staring at Takemichi like he was a monster.

"I don't think a shot to the foot is gonna kill me." Takemichi's laugh sounded almost like a giggle. Baji began to worry that he really was starting to lose it.

'I have so many reasons not to lose here.' Takemichi said, remembering everyone who helped them fight to get to this point.

"I don't have Mikey's charisma, Naoto's smarts, or any of that." He said aloud as he stood up. "All I have is an inability to give up!"

"I'll kill you." Kisaki said, still staring at Takemichi with an unsettled expression.
"Then do it!" Takemichi scoffed. "It'll easier than swinging a bat, right?"

Kisaki slowly lowered the gun before smacking Takemichi in the face with his free hand. The force knocked Takemichi to the ground.

"That's enough, Kisaki."

Mikey's voice was devoid of its usual energy in a fight. It reminded Baji of how he sounded just before going after Kazutora.

As he marched toward Takemichi, Baji noticed dozens of fallen Tenjiku members, some of whom he suspected were Draken's doing. Once he got close enough, Takemichi somehow managed to pull himself up again.

"Mikey, wait..."
"I'm stepping in too, Kisaki."

Izana stepped in front of Kisaki. He stared Takemichi down before suddenly lunging toward him. Thankfully, Mikey managed to block the blow.

"Izana, I want to deal with Kisaki first." Mikey growled. "We can talk after."
"Talk?" Izana laughed. "What makes you think I have any interest in talking? I'm trying to clean up Kisaki's little mistake."

'Wait... Does he mean me?'

"Sure, Hanagaki may not have originally been a target, but considering he's apparently your favorite, I'd say killing him is almost as good as killing Emma!"
"He didn't kill Emma!" Takemichi shouted. "She woke up and she's waiting for Mikey to come back!"

Izana looked back at him with an unreadable expression before attempting to kick him. Once more, Mikey blocked it. Kisaki moved back, but Baji focused on Takemichi, who was being pulled away by Chifuyu.

'My head's killing me, but I don't know if it's because I've been fighting or...'

He glanced over at Baji.

'I can... see some darkness, but not as much as I thought there'd be.'
"Probably because you insist on giving me a heart attack." Baji huffed. "I can barely focus on the bastard with you insisting on chasing fights you can't win. I'm starting to think you're a masochist."

"Takemitchy, did Emma really wake up?" Takemichi was interrupted from calling Baji a colorful insult by Draken's unusually quiet voice.

When he looked at him, there was a subdued but present desperation in his eyes.

"Yeah." He nodded. "We got pushed out of the room pretty quick, but I heard her talk."

Draken shut his eyes for a second, as if thanking every deity he knew the name of.

"You better tell her how you feel when you see her."

Rather than tell him to shut up, Draken sighed.

"Yeah, you're right."

Baji turned his attention to Mikey and Izana's fight. Mikey attempted to kick Izana, only for it to be parried.

"No wonder they call you unbeatable!" Izana said excitedly.

When Mikey jumped at Izana a second time, he was kicked away, eliciting gasps of shock from everyone present.

"I can't remember the last time someone blocked Mikey's kick." Mitsuya noted.

When Mikey charged again, Izana kicked him back.

"But I already see through all your moves." He said haughtily. "It doesn't matter if my plan failed, I'll still crush you."

Mikey recovered and tried to kick Izana again, only to have it blocked.

"Why did you try to kill our sister?" He asked.

Izana looked surprised by the question, but only for a second. He gave Mikey a thoughful look before saying he supposed he could tell him.

"Shinichiro couldn't become my ideal brother." He admitted. "Then your subordinate killed him."

He grabbed Mikey's chin.

"So... I decided that I'm gonna burn you to ashes and make you into Shinichiro!"

His words sent a chill down Takemichi's spine.

'Did he... try to do that in the last future?'

"So why not cut out the middleman and just become empty already?" Izana continued. "It'll save me the trouble of trying to kill Emma again."
"Is that really what you want?" Mikey, surprisingly, took the threat to his sister's life calmly.

Izana didn't seem happy about this, knocking him to the ground and accusing him of taking everything from him.

The fight resumed, with neither side really gaining an advantage over the other.

"Mikey's going all out. The fact that he's struggling means Izana really is a monster."
'I mean, he was fighting all those other Tenjiku guys earlier, right?'

As if to show Baji's point, one of Izana's punches sent Mikey flying.

"Is this really your true strength, Mikey?!" He shouted with an amused grin on his face. "If this keeps up, I'm really gonna kill you, you know!"

Mikey stood up and gave Izana a questioning look before kicking at him.

"So if you're not interested in others, does that include the comrades fighting for you?"
"Fighting for me?" Izana actually sounded amused. "They're fighting because they're afraid of me!"

According to Izana, fear and self-interest were all that drove Tenjiku forward.

"That's... actually really sad." Takemichi mumbled.

Baji gave Takemichi an annoyed look, but didn't get a chance to comment.

"Izana's blows... aren't connecting anymore."
"Yeah." Draken agreed. "His limbs are probably worn out from blocking Mikey's attacks."

"Why do you still think you're all alone?" Mikey asked Izana. "Emma's still alive. And you have me, too."

He looked down at the ground when Izana didn't answer.

"Won't you let us save you?"

Izana shuddered at Mikey's words before attempting a kick that Mikey blocked.

"Shut up!" He screamed, only to be met with Mikey's fist in his face.

Taking advantage of Izana's shock, Mikey knocked him to the ground with with one of his signature kicks. To Izana's credit, he rose back up just as quickly with a grin.

Before he could make a move, however, Mikey punched him in the stomach.

"Are you really that against us?!" He asked angrily. "Is it that hard to love your siblings?!"

He and Emma were still more than willing to accept him with open arms. Why was Izana so adamant that he couldn't be part of their family?

"Shut up!" Izana screamed again. "Why is Shinichiro on your side?!"

Baji blinked, and for a second, he thought he saw Shinichiro standing behind Mikey. The vision disappeared just as quickly, however.

With a frustrated yell, Izana ran toward Kisaki and grabbed the gun from his hand. He aimed it at Mikey with a crazed look on his face.

"If I lose here, then I really have lost everything, right?"
"Then do it, Izana."

"Don't egg him on, Mikey!" Draken shouted. "He's serious!"

Mikey ignored him and dared Izana to shoot. For whatever the reason, though, Izana still hesitated.

In the end, it was Kakuchou who made the decision; no one had noticed him until he swatted the gun out of Izana's hands.

"That's enough, Izana." He said, looking Izana right in the eye. "We've lost."

This sparked whispers on Tenjiku's side. Kakuchou was more loyal than anyone, after all.

Izana himself seemed shocked by Kakuchou's defiance. A servant wasn't supposed to give orders to the king.

"I've fought for you since the day we met, regardless of how twisted your ideals were. I'd still happily die if it was for you." Kakuchou said gently. "So please, stop this! I don't want to see you acting so pathetic!"

Rather than say anything to Kakuchou, Izana turned to the other Tenjiku executives and ordered them to kill "this guy". None of them moved, however, and Kakuchou grabbed Izana's shoulders while insisting that none of them could defeat him. It was Tenjiku's loss. Izana let out what ultimately became his final "shut up" for the evening.

No one noticed that Kisaki had picked the gun back up.

A second bang rang out, and Izana's face was hit with blood that wasn't his own.

Kakuchou coughed and fell to his knees.

"Kaku-chan!" Takemichi yelled. Just as he was about to run to him, however, Chifuyu grabbed his arm to keep him in place.
"Don't be an idiot!"

"Every single time, Hanagaki ruins my plans." Kisaki hissed. "I can't use Mikey anymore, so I have to use Izana as a medium. But you're getting in the way of that, Kakuchou."

Kakuchou charged toward Kisaki with a yell. Just as he got close, however, Izana grabbed him and threw him out of the path. At the same time, three more shots rang out.

Both collapsed to the ground as everyone reacted in shock. Why would Izana protect a servant?

"Jeez." Izana sighed, as though he hadn't just taken three bullets to the torso. "You need a lot of looking after for a servant."

He defended his decision to take the bullets as his body moving on its own. Kakuchou was unconvinced, saying that Izana was free to disregard him like trash. How else was he going to make his own era?

"Wasn't it "our" era, though?" Izana said, staring at the sky.
"Huh?"

Izana let out a painful laugh.

"I really only have you, Kakuchou."

As his blood formed a pool around his body, Mucho shouted for someone to call an ambulance.

"Mikey, you wanted to "save" me, right?"
"Of course I do! You're my brother." Mikey sounded almost offended by Izana's question.

Izana gave him a dry smile before saying that he once ran into the mother that abandoned him.

"And you know what she told me? She said that I was born from an affair that her ex-husband had with a Filipino woman. And Shinichiro knew that."

"So he's not really related to Mikey at all."

"Can you still say you can save me, Mikey?" Izana asked.

Mikey still seemed surprised by this revelation, and Izana laughed when he didn't say anything.

"I really am... beyond saving..."

He fell silent. Kakuchou managed to pull himself up, demanding that Izana answer him. When he received no reply, he crawled toward him and grabbed his hand, saying he wouldn't let him be lonely.

"We both... really sucked at living, didn't we?"

"It's snowing." Baji noted.

Kakuchou also noticed this and stared up at the sky with a wistful smile on his face.

"Kaku-chan..." Takemichi sobbed, taking a step toward his fallen childhood friend.

Mikey addressed everyone, saying that the conflict was over. It wouldn't be long before police and an ambulance arrived. Both Toman and Tenjiku needed to get out of there, but he would stay and take care of things.

"No, Mikey." Mucho said, walking up to him. "We'll stay behind. You need to get out of here. Sanzu, you go with him, too."

The remnants of the S-62 Generation showed no signs of running away. Haitani Ran even casually walked up and knelt by Izana and Kakuchou, closing their eyes with a solemn expression. Mikey nodded before turning back to Mucho.

"Remember what I said to you."
"Yes."

Finally, Mikey turned to Kisaki.

"You're the only one I won't forgive."

Before he could do anything, however, Hanma sped past him on his motorcycle, snatching Kisaki up just as he had hours earlier.

"Shit!"
'If they get away, the same thing will happen again!'

"Takemitchy!" Draken called out. "Get on!"

Draken had already gotten on his own motorcyle.

"We're going after them!"

Without thinking, Takemichi climbed on with barely enough time to grab onto Draken before he took off.

"Hold on tight!"

"Are you ready, Takemichi?" Baji asked. "This is going to be our last confrontation with him."
'Yeah. After everything he's done, we're finally gonna take him down for good!'

Judging by the twists and turns, Hanma was driving back to Shibuya. Once they were back within the boundary of Tokyo, Kisaki seemed to do something to Hanma, causing him to crash. When Draken narrowly came to a stop in time, Takemichi got off and walked to the fallen Kisaki, who surprisingly only had a few scrapes.

Kisaki stood and began running away.

"I think it's time you let me take over, Takemichi."
'...I guess you're right.'

Baji superimposed himself over Takemichi and felt himself take control. Immediately, he felt pain all over, particularly in Takemichi's head and foot.

"Takemitchy, what are you doing?!" Draken got off his bike and hurried over to him.
"Draken, it's me."

Draken's eyes widened.

"Baji?! You can do that, too?!"

Rather than answer, he attempted to give chase to Kisaki, only to fall after a few steps.

"Ah, that's right. I did get shot in the foot, huh?"

Draken pulled on his sash and told him to get on his back. Baji glanced at Kisaki's fleeing form before doing so.

"So can Takemitchy hear me when you do that?" Draken asked as he chased Kisaki.
"Yeah."
"Good, so he knows I'm paying him back for before."
"Huh?"

Draken reminded Takemichi of what had happened in August, when Kiyomasa had stabbed him.

"That was one of the things you came back to change, wasn't it? You fought so desperately."

Baji heard footsteps behind them and shouted for Draken to turn around. Draken narrowly avoided letting Baji get hit with a metal pipe courtesy of Hanma.

"Can you run?!" Draken asked when Baji jumped off of his back.
"Yeah!"
"Then leave Hanma to me!"

Without a word, Baji resumed chasing Kisaki.

"Hey, this area..."

Baji ignored Takemichi as Kisaki rounded a corner. Rather than follow him right away, Baji stopped, his gut saying that following him was a bad idea. Kisaki returning with a cinder block in his hand just confirmed it.

Kisaki tossed the cinder block as hard as he could before attempting to run away again. Baji was faster, however, and once he was close enough, he punched Kisaki in the face.

"Remember me, Kisaki?!"
"Huh?" Kisaki stopped and stared at him for a second as Baji pounded Takemichi's fist into his other hand, grinning his usual grin.

"You're... not Takemitchy, are you?" Kisaki took a step back. "You're..."

He began staring at him with horrified eyes.

"Baji?!"
"Wow, so you DO recognize me!" Baji laughed, stepping toward Kisaki, grabbing his collar. "Never call him "Takemitchy" again!"

The gears in Kisaki's head were clearly turning, and he inexplicably started laughing.

"I see... This whole time it was you!"
"Takemichi's done most of the heavy lifting, but I've been by his side since Halloween." Baji raised his fist to punch him. "We haven't used anyone as a tool like you have!"

Kisaki recovered from the shock enough to catch the fist.

"You really are an idiot!" He yelled. "There are ways to become a leader without brute force!"

He tilted his head back before slamming it into Baji's.

"GAH!" Combined with Takemichi's existing injuries, the pain was almost unbearable.

"What you need is a perfect plan!"
"Perfect plan?!" Baji grunted before jumping onto him. "What kind of perfect plan gets thwarted by idiots like me and Takemichi?!"
"Hey, I managed to get you killed, didn't I?!"

"This is the parking lot where Hina was killed!"
'Is this really the time to be focused on that?!' Baji groaned.

Despite his words, he looked down at Kisaki.

"You've been adjusting your plans, right?" He said icily. "Each time Takemichi ruins one, you go back and forth from now into the future. This is where you plan on killing Tachibana Hinata, right?"

Kisaki's eyes widened before he began laughing.

"So it's true. You can time leap!"
"Why are the two of you so obsessed with her, anyway?"

Kisaki stopped laughing and gave Baji a cold look.

"We figured you were clinging to Mikey because you wanted Toman, but why do you keep killing that girl?"
"...Heh. Guess I failed after all."

At that moment, a memory that didn't belong to either Takemichi or Baji entered their minds.

Hinata as she was in 2017 was standing in the parking lot. Kisaki was facing her with a confident smile as he offered her a box with a ring inside of it.

"I'm sorry." was all she said before walking away. Kisaki remained, staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.

Baji stared back at Kisaki in shock.

"You did all this because-"

Kisaki cut him off by pointing the gun at him.

"This is the end of the connection between the three of us as well. Since it's the end, I'll tell you."

Kisaki had pretended not to notice at first, but he realized that he did like Hinata when they attended cram school together. He thought that Hinata would surely fall for him, who others had called a prodigy. One day, however, a hero appeared, stealing her heart.

"After that day, I started following him around. He never even noticed me." He explained. "I heard him tell his friend that he was gonna be the number one delinquent in Japan."

He thought it was stupid at first, but he started doing research and made contact with some delinquents, namely Osanai. Eventually, that led him to discovering Mikey. He met with him in July shortly after Takemichi did. He'd expected it would take around two years to manipulate Mikey, three years to dominate Tokyo, and four years to take over Japan. All in all, Kisaki expected his plan would take around ten years to fully come to fruition. After that, he'd be free to live out his days with Hinata.

"I was right, then." Baji said blankly. "You really didn't care about Mikey at all."

Kisaki blinked, giving Baji an offended look. Baji kicked the gun into the air. Rather than try to grab it, however, he lunged at Kisaki and wrapped his hands around his throat.

"I'll kill you." was all he said as he tightened his grip.

Kisaki gasped as he tried to pull Takemichi's hands off of his neck. It was almost funny, in a way.

No, it was funny. Even if his own vision seemed to be getting darker, it was genuinely hilarious watching Kisaki struggle. Takemichi must have agreed, considering that he was no longer saying anything.

"Takemitchy!"

Baji barely registered the sound of Mikey's voice. Within seconds, however, Mikey was grabbing at his arms, trying to pry them off.

"I'm not letting him hurt you or Takemichi anymore, Mikey!" Baji snarled.
"Let me take care of it!" Mikey shouted. "Wait, are you-"

While they were talking, neither of them noticed Kisaki lifting his leg. He kicked Baji, startling him enough to loosen his grip enough that Kisaki could get away. He ran, but Mikey grabbed his wrist before he could pursue him.

"Let go, Mikey!" He said, yanking his arm back. "I'm not letting him get away!"

He ran after Kisaki.

"You're not going back to the future this time, Kisaki!"

Kisaki, who had just entered the street, stopped. He turned around and gave Baji a bemused look.

"You still think I'm a time leaper?"
"Aren't you?!"

Kisaki laughed, and suddenly he seemed to be illuminated by a light.

They both realized too late that the light was coming from a large truck; it barreled into Kisaki, sending him flying before crashing into a wall that was diagonally from where Baji was standing.

"Shit!" Mikey, who had caught up to them, swore as he pulled out his phone.

Kisaki's right arm was bent in an unnatural way. His right leg appeared to be in a similar state.

"I can't stand up!" He yelled as he tried in vain to do so.

As Baji got closer, he noticed there was a large gash on his head. Kisaki tried again to stand up, but collapsed once more.

"I don't... wanna die..."

At the same time Kisaki Tetta spoke his last words, Baji felt dizzy as the world began to grow dark.

"Hey, Baji, are you and Takemitchy ok-"

He collapsed to the ground, barely having the presence of mind to give control back to Takemichi.

Chapter Text

The world was dark when Sano Emma woke up. So dark, in fact, that she initially thought she was still asleep.

She remembered that she managed to dodge Kisaki's initial strike. After that, she ducked down and attempted to cover Takemichi with her body. That... was when Kisaki hit her head, if she recalled.

She vaguely remembered talking to Mikey as he carried her, but she couldn't recall what exactly she said.

The doctor said that she had sustained damage to her occipital lobe.

He also said that the chances of her regaining her sight were slim to none. The fact that she was alive was nothing short of a miracle.

"Grandpa." She asked when the doctor left. "What about Takemitchy?"
"The boy you came in with? He left once you woke up."

Hinata confirmed this, saying that he left with Mitsuya.

"Was he... okay?"

Hinata didn't answer right away. Not being able to see her face filled Emma with anxiety.

"His doctor came up to me while yours was talking. I don't think he was supposed to leave."

That was probably a bad sign. A couple hours later, her fears were confirmed when she heard the sounds of doctors rushing to move someone into surgery. Hinata got up to check on things. A few minutes later, she returned with what sounded like another person, or perhaps two.

"Emma!" It felt strange, hearing her brother's voice sound so frantic. "How are you feeling?!"

Mansaku scolded him for being too loud in the hospital and told him and "Ryuuguuji" to sit down.

"Ken-chan... You're here, too?"
"Y-yeah." Draken sounded unusually awkward.

"Sorry." She apologized. "I probably look terrible, huh?"
"No!" Draken exclaimed. "No, you look-"

He cut himself off.

"Shit, I mean... I'm just... I'm so glad you're alive."

There was a strange sincerity to his voice that made Emma's heart race.

"Nothing else matters besides that."

"I guess you're right..." She allowed herself to laugh.

One of the nurses came by and told them that visiting hours were almost up.

"We'll head to the waiting room. Takemitchy's in surgery right now."
"What?!"

Mikey explained that he ended up sustaining some further injuries during the fight, and he'd collapsed once they got back to Shibuya.

"Don't worry, Emma!" Hinata tried to reassure her. "Takemichi's stubborn. He'll be just fine."
"Just get some rest, Emma." Mansaku insisted.

"I'll come visit tomorrow." Draken said. "I've... got some things I need to talk to you about."

Emma could only nod.

"Takemichi told me that Kisaki was the one who attacked him and Emma." Hinata said as they took a seat in the waiting room. "Is it true?"
"So you know him, huh?" Draken looked away from her uncomfortably.

"We went to the same cram school when we were in elementary school."

Neither Mikey nor Draken looked ready to talk.

"Mikey!" Chifuyu shouted as he rushed into the lobby, followed by Inupi and Koko. "Is it true that Takemitchy's in surgery?!"

Once of the nurses hissed at him to be quiet.

"Yeah." Mikey nodded. "And to answer your question, Hina... Yes. I saw him standing over Emma and Takemitchy with a bat. It was definitely him."
"I see. And where is he now?"

Now Mikey looked really uncomfortable.

"Where's Kisaki, Mikey?!" Chifuyu growled.

"He, ah..." Mikey crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling. "Got hit by a truck."

No one moved.

"What?" Hinata gave him an incredulous look. "Mikey, please don't joke at a time like this."
"I'm not. It'll probably be on the news later." Mikey ran his fingers through his hair. "It was a big truck."

"Is he..."
"Yeah. The paramedics tried to revive him, but..."

He glanced at Hinata before falling silent. Hinata took a deep breath before moving to sit down.

"What happened? Hanagaki didn't-"
"No. Kisaki ran into the street and he stopped when..."

He glanced at Hinata.

"Did Takemitchy tell you about what's going with him?"
"He told me about the time leaps and Baji." Hinata answered, looking at the floor.

"Right. Has Baji always been able to take over Takemitchy's body?"
"Yeah. Was Baji the one chasing him?"

Mikey looked a little relieved at this, especially when Draken confirmed that he had actually spoken to Baji right before he went to confront Kisaki.

"By the time I got there, Baji was already in control."

He hesitated.

"Is there... more to what's going on with Baji?"

Chifuyu seemed concerned by the question.

"...Did something happen?"

Mikey didn't get a chance to reveal anything; at that moment, both of Takemichi's parents arrived with pale faces.

"What happened?!" Touko demanded. "Where is my son?!"
"Are you Hanagaki Takemichi's parents?" Naoko walked into the lobby at the sound of the noise. "He's currently in surgery."

Naoko gave a brief rundown on his injuries before mentioning that he'd been brought in earlier, but had snuck out.

"Snuck out?! To do what?!" Touko rounded on Mikey. "Did you do this?!"

She turned to the others.

"Or was it one of you?!"
"Touko!" Takezou placed his hands on his wife's shoulder.

"Actually, ma'am." Naoko cleared her throat. "I suspect that the culprit was actually my son."

She explained what Mitsuya had been doing at the hospital. She also specified that everyone except Hinata had already left.

"Mikey actually wanted Takemichi to stay here with Mansaku-san." Hinata added.
"Hinata-chan?"

"We went after the ones who attacked Takemitchy and my sister." Mikey said resolutely.
"Your sister?" Takezou asked.

"Are you Hanagaki's parents?" Mansaku, who had been speaking to one of the other nurses, walked into the lobby.

"Y-Yes." Touko stood up straight while Takezou looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you-"
"My granddaughter told me that your son saved her from getting hit by a drive-by attack, then shielded her when the attacker came at them on foot." Mansaku explained. "Thanks to him, she's still here."

Mikey moved to stand next to his grandfather, and the two bowed in thanks.

Touko stiffened up at this. She evidently had not expected this reaction.

"You don't need to go that far, Sensei." Takezou rubbed the back of his head.
"I thought I recognized you, Takezou!" Mansaku grinned at him. "Haven't seen you since you graduated high school!"

The two men exchanged pleasantries while Touko took a closer look at Mikey and the other members of Toman.

"You're all covered in bruises." She noted with and odd sense of melancholy. "...Don't you ever think of how much you worry your parents when you do that?"

No one said anything in response. Touko briefly wondered if perhaps she'd been a bit presumptuous; it wasn't like she knew most of these kids or their home lives, after all.

"Go home." Naoko ordered. "Visiting hours are over. Get some rest and come back tomorrow. Oh, and Ken-kun?"

Draken winced.

"Let Takashi know that he's in a lot of trouble when I get home."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."

Everyone began to leave besides Takemichi's parents. Chifuyu offered to take Hinata home, which she graciously accepted.

"Baji can possess Takemitchy, huh." Mikey said aloud as he and Draken got on their bikes. "I wonder if Baji was listening to us in the lobby just now?"

Draken shrugged, saying they'd have to wait until Takemichi woke up before they could ask him. Mikey smiled and agreed before speeding off toward home.

(As it turned out, Baji had not been listening to the conversation, nor was he even aware it was happening. He was dealing with a far more pressing concern.)

Before leaving, Mansaku asked Naoko to let Emma know when Takemichi's surgery was done. Even if she couldn't speak with him or see his face, she wanted to actually be present to know he was okay.

"We'll... let her know." Touko spoke up, revealing that she'd heard his request. "Which room is she in?"

Mansaku thanked her before advising them not to stay too long, considering that they both looked pretty exhausted themselves.

"Doctor Yoshimura is very good at what he does." Naoko assured them.

As promised, the surgery light went out thirty minutes later. The doctor exited through the doors and informed them that Takemichi was asleep. Touko went to Emma's room to fetch her while Takezou entered Takemichi's room.

Takemichi's head was now more heavily bandaged than before. According to the doctor, they also needed to treat a gunshot wound to his foot.

A couple minutes later, Touko entered Takemichi's room while escorting Emma, who was holding on to her arm.

"It's nice to meet you... Emma, was it?"

Emma bowed politely.

"I can hear his heart monitor." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad he's okay."
"What about you, Emma?" Touko asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

Emma nodded.

"It does hurt a bit, and I'm gonna have to adjust to... not seeing things anymore, but I'm alive."

She tried to sound optimistic at the end of the sentence, but it was obvious that she was afraid of what the future held for her. Takezou and Touko gave each other a concerned look, particularly when she shivered and began rubbing her arms.

"I wonder what happened to Kisaki." She said in a sudden and blatant attempt to change the subject.
"Kisaki?"

Emma explained the circumstances behind their attack.

"You think Takemichi was the target?"
"Yeah, he even said he wasn't gonna let Takemichi get in his way again. It's obvious, right?"

Takezou had his doubts about that: Not only had Kisaki apparently attempted a drive-by on a motorcycle, which could have easily let him hit both of them in quick succession, but Emma's injuries were more severe than Takemichi's initial ones.

He decided not to voice this out loud; he didn't want to scare her, after all, especially since they had no way of knowing where this "Kisaki" was.

"So, ah, Mikey's your older brother?"

This particular subject change cheered Emma up, and she happily went into detail of how strong and kind her brother was to her.

"Are you cold, Emma?" Touko asked when Emma rubbed her arms again.
"Maybe? It doesn't sound like you guys are cold." Emma tilted her head. "It's more like I keep getting bursts where I feel cold, then feel fine for a few minutes, then another burst."
"It might be a little chilly in here." Takezou mused, rubbing his own arms.

Dr. Yoshimura entered the room and asked to speak with the Hanagakis before they went home.

"Emma, would you like me to walk you back to your room?" Touko asked.
"I think I'd like to stay here a little longer." Emma smiled in her direction. "Don't worry. I can get one of the nurses to take me back."

Takemichi's room did happen to be quite close to the reception desk where a nurse was on call. Touko nodded, but advised Emma not to stay awake too late.

The Hanagaki couple stepped out to talk to the doctor after saying goodbye. Emma was tempted to try listening in, but she decided not to. Those sorts of details were private, after all. Besides, from what she could hear, the doctor sounded optimistic enough.

A few minutes later, Emma thought to herself that Takemichi's parents were nice. Touko reminded her a little of Sakurako. Maybe it was a mom thing?

She listened to the sound of Takemichi's heart monitor for a couple minutes. It was nice to hear something telling her that he was alive, but she also felt like she wanted to feel that he was alive.

After carefully touching around the bed itself to make sure she didn't accidentally grab anything she shouldn't, Emma found Takemichi's hand and gently took it into her own.

"You tried to kill both of Shinichiro's siblings! You have no right to even say their names!"
"I don't want to hear that from you!"

Emma froze.

The second voice sounded kind of familiar, but she knew the first one very well. Almost as well as her brother's, in fact. But... it was impossible for her to be hearing it.

She had gone to his funeral just a few months earlier.

"Ba... ji?" She whispered, squeezing Takemichi's hand.

Instantly, all sound in the room died besides Takemichi's heart monitor and his quiet breathing. Whoever Emma had just heard had not expected her to hear them and wanted to make sure it stayed that way.

"I know you're there." She said, suddenly feeling indignant. "I know I can't see anymore, but that doesn't mean you can pretend I'm deaf now, too!"

Her own anger was surprising her.

"And the other voice I heard... You're Izana, right?"

No one spoke.

"Answer me!"

Her eyes grew damp. A few seconds later, she felt another chill run down her spine.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I can't comfort you."

Emma gave a sniffle as Baji said that "the jackass next to him" couldn't either.

"Not that he has the right to."
"Shut up! You helped kill Shinichiro. If anything, you're the one who doesn't have the right!"

"Stop it!" Emma cried. "I don't want to hear any fighting!"

Both boys fell silent.

"What's going on?" She pleaded with them.

Kurokawa Izana had made peace with the fact that he was alone.

Shinichiro had hidden the fact that he knew they weren't related by blood, even indirectly. When Kisaki suggested going after Emma, he'd hesitated, but only for a minute. When he gave the order, he rationalized it as getting rid of a stranger. After all, he'd been out of Emma's life for most of both her life and his own.

He didn't feel anything seeing her on the ground. Really!

All he wanted was some semblance of Shinichiro returned to his life. If Manjiro was no longer in the picture, then maybe they could go back to what they were like before. That was why he'd urged Shion to go after Toman in the first place, after all.

But not only did Shion fail, Shinichiro died shortly after, killed by one of Mikey's own subordinates.

That was what broke him.

He honestly didn't remember the day Kisaki approached him all that well.

That was when the idea began to form in his mind: If Manjiro took everything from Izana, why not take what's most important to Mikey? Break him down like he was broken down.

Then just as Kisaki had somehow managed to bring Izana back from the ashes, Izana would bring Mikey back from the ashes. Sure, he probably couldn't fully become Shinichiro, but he'd be close enough, right?

Was it a plan that made sense? Not particularly, but Izana didn't care. He didn't!

When Mikey actually showed up and revealed that Emma had survived Kisaki's attack, a tiny part of him was relieved.

He told himself it didn't matter: Once Tenjiku crushed Toman, he could simply break Mikey in other ways. If push came to shove, he could arrange for another little "accident" for Emma.

(He'd already been thinking of arranging for various things to happen to Mikey's closest circle within Toman, after all)

At no point did Izana expect Mikey to actually try extending a hand to him. It wasn't even like he was unaware of what Izana had done, either; he'd even asked why Izana did it!

And Mikey still wanted to save him?!

Izana almost wished that he'd told him the truth right then, just to see him visibly give up on him.

As it happened, he'd been sure that Mikey knew at the end that he really was beyond saving. He looked shocked enough.

So why did Izana still see some sadness in his eyes?

Had he imagined it? Was Mikey like Shinichiro in that regard, able to spout nonsense about blood not mattering? Or... had Izana actually hoped that Mikey wouldn't give up on him?

No, that was impossible: Izana said that he only had Kakuchou, and he knew that to be a fact.

Unlike Izana, however, Kakuchou DID have others. He knew Mucho would look out for him once he got out of jail. Shion, Mocchi, and the Haitani brothers might be a different story, but Izana was sure they were all fond of Kakuchou in their own ways. No matter how strong he got, they weren't afraid of him like they were of Izana.

Kakuchou also had Hanagaki Takemichi.

He had mentioned him to Izana before, though he spoke of him less as they got older, at one point even saying that the person he was before was gone, and that included the people he knew before the accident.

Izana saw Kakuchou perk up the day they heard about him from Kisaki. When Izana asked if he wanted to meet with him, Kakuchou said that he wanted to challenge him; it would be a chance to finally and truly put that part of his past behind him.

It was an obvious lie, but Izana let it slide: if Hanagaki was important enough for Kakuchou to lie to his King, then perhaps it was worth letting things play out on their own.

(Izana would get the chance to punish Hanagaki later when Tenjiku absorbed Toman anyway)

Izana also knew that Kakuchou was distrustful of Kisaki. He had been vocal about it since the day Tenjiku was formed. In fact, if Izana hadn't already been aware that Hanagaki was Kakuchou's childhood friend, he would have thought that Kakuchou was seeking out Hanagaki specifically because of Kisaki's disdain for the guy.

Hanagaki... had not come off as impressive when Izana met him that morning. There were delinquents that came off like that while actually being quite strong, but Izana got the distinct impression that Hanagaki wasn't one of them.

Seeing Hanagaki, who was supposed to have been hospitalized, show up and keep trying to get to Kisaki despite the severe beating Kakuchou had given him reminded Izana of Shinichiro, who had known Izana was a stranger to him and still offered to let him punch him until he was satisfied. Like there was still a connection between them.

He quickly decided that Hanagaki needed to die.

Mikey, of course, stepped in and ultimately managed to wear Izana down enough that Kisaki pulled out a gun in frustration.

Izana still wasn't sure why his body had moved so quickly; sure, Kakuchou was all he had, but was the thought of him being killed that unbearable?

He didn't think Kakuchou would die from the wound he already had. The others wouldn't let him.

It was going to be hard for him to lose his King after so many years, but he was strong enough to live alone.

He wasn't like Izana, after all.

The first thing he saw when he regained his awareness was the sight of Hanagaki Takemichi heavily bandaged and asleep in a hospital bed that was being rolled into the room.

"What the hell?" He heard a sleepy looking voice talking.

Izana turned to see a young man (perhaps around Kakuchou's age) standing there to the side of Hanagaki's bed with a dazed look on his face. The young man wore a white jacket and had long black hair. And... he was transparent.

It was then that Izana realized that he was looking at the boy and Hanagaki from a bird's eye view. At the same time, he remembered what had just happened.

"Am I a ghost?!"

The boy snapped out of his daze and stared at him as he drifted to the floor on the other side of the bed.

"Kurokawa Izana..."

Anger flashed in the boy's eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

The boy looked around the room before his gaze fell on Hanagaki.

"Takemichi!"

He began to reach for him, only to be interrupted the entrance of a man in glasses. He didn't seem to be a doctor, but he did bear something of a resemblance to Hanagaki.

Izana looked back at the ghost boy.

"Who are you?" He asked.

The boy looked at him and scoffed.

"Baji Keisuke, former Captain of Toman's First Division."

Izana had heard of him before.

Their names were kept out of the news due to being minors, but that didn't stop rumors from spreading about Shinichiro's death and those involved. Two names reached Izana's ears: Hanemiya Kazutora and Baji Keisuke.

"You..." Izana growled.

Before either of them could lunge at each other, a woman walked in escorting a young girl with bandages on her head.

"Emma!" Baji exclaimed in relief.

Izana stared at her.

When he saw her in the cemetery, Emma looked... healthy. Like any other girl her age.

She looked more fragile now. Like the slightest touch would cause her to break.

Ah. That's my fault, isn't it?

Hanagaki's parents engaged her in polite conversation. Emma went along with it, but it soon became clear that she wasn't okay. Without thinking about it, Izana reached toward her to pat her on the head.

Not only did he find that his hand passed right through her, but Baji was soon upon him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"Don't even THINK about getting near her." His words were spoken through gritted teeth.

Baji's eyes widened slightly before his gaze went down to his hand around Izana's arm.

"Ah." An unsettling smile crept onto his face.

He let go of Izana's arm, only to pull his hand back into a fist and swing it toward Izana's face. Izana jumped back and raised his arm to block it.

Far from looking upset at this, Baji seemed delighted.

"Finally...!"

He lunged at Izana, headbutting him. When Izana actually jolted backwards, Baji laughed.

"I've been waiting for this!"

So ghosts could touch each other. That was... oddly comforting, in a way.

Izana kicked at Baji. The kick landed, but Baji showed no signs of feeling any pain. It didn't even leave a mark.

"Guess we can't actually hurt each other, huh." He sounded almost disappointed. "But I guess that means I don't need to hold back."
"I wasn't going to hold back anyway."

They brawled with each other for several minutes. At one point, they even found themselves outside of the hospital. Occasionally they ended up running into Emma, Hanagaki's parents, or Hanagaki himself, but for the most part they kept the fight away from them.

"Just out of curiosity, why were you so disappointed you couldn't hurt me?" Izana asked as he dodged one of Baji's punches. "Hoping to crack my skull like you and your buddy did to Shinichiro?!"
"You are the last person to get on my case, you fucking sadist!" Baji snarled. "You had your lackey break Kazutora's fingers to threaten Takemichi!"

Izana had absolutely no clue what Baji was talking about. Judging by the expression Baji was making, even he seemed to realize that what he said made no sense.

"In the future!" He said abruptly. "You took over Toman after Mikey died and tried to turn Takemichi into Shinichiro!"

Izana blinked as Baji remembered Takemichi's thought from earlier.

"You tried to do that to Mikey too, didn't you?!"

Izana... didn't flinch, but he did stand up straight a bit too quickly.

"What the hell are you talking about? The future?"

Baji stared at him for a moment before looking at Takemichi.

"I guess I might as well tell you. You're probably bound to him now, too."

He sounded... bitter.

Izana listened to Baji's story with mild interest; finding out that ghosts were real was one thing, but time leaps? What's more, he was now apparently tied to Hanagaki.

"From the sounds of it, Hanagaki got Mikey killed in the future."
"Go to hell!" Baji yelled. "You were the one who crushed Mikey's heart in the future!"

He glared at Izana, saying that he tried to turn Mikey into Shinichiro, but only turned him into himself.

"At least he was alive until you got to him!" Izana snapped back. "Which is more than can be said for Shinichiro!"
"You tried to kill both of Shinichiro's siblings! You have no right to even say their names!"

They'd been so focused on fighting, they hadn't noticed Emma grabbing Hanagaki's hand, which apparently enabled her to realize that they were there.

"I missed you." Emma admitted after a moment. "Mikey refused to cry after that first day, so I had to do most of it."
"Why?!" Izana demanded. "He and his friend killed our brother!"
"What do you mean "our"?!" Baji fired back. "You're the one who rejected the Sanos for not being related by blood!"

Baji had no knowledge of the last time Izana and Shinichiro spoke, but it wasn't hard to guess how it went.

"Did you throw a fit and scream at him? Punch him in the face?" He said with a sneer.
"Shut up!" Izana screamed, causing Emma to turn her head toward the door, unconsciously (but irrationally) worried that someone may have heard.

Baji, however, looked at Takemichi with a concerned look. Even with how much he was likely drugged up, that much noise should have woken him up.

"Scared your little replacement's gonna join you in the grave?" Izana, noticing this, jumped on the chance to turn things around on Baji. "Or maybe sharing a grave with him is what you WANT."

"Stop it!" Emma exclaimed. "Please, just stop fighting."

Neither of them really wanted to, but the sight of Emma's distress was getting to them (even if they wouldn't admit it). Both ultimately moved away from each other: Izana toward the wall, Baji toward Takemichi.

"Sano-san?" The nurse at the reception desk walked into the room. "Are you alright?"

Startled, Emma let go of Takemichi's hand and stood up, saying she was fine.

"I understand that you're worried, but it's no good to be shouting this late at night. Why don't I take you back to your room? I'm sure your family would like you to be awake when they visit you tomorrow."

The nurse's voice was stern, and Emma got the impression that she wasn't going to let her decline.

"I'm... sure everyone is going to come and visit tomorrow." She said, a bit louder than normal. "We can all talk then."
"That's correct." The nurse nodded, albeit with a slightly puzzled look before extending her arm for Emma to grab.

Once Emma was gone, Baji and Izana spent the rest of the night glaring at each other.

Matsuno Chifuyu and Tachibana Hinata were silent when he pulled up in front of her apartment building.

"Are you gonna be okay getting home from here?" Chifuyu asked as Hinata got off.
"Yeah, thanks." Hinata nodded.

Rather than go right inside, she stood there.

"How much do you know about what's going on with Takemichi and Baji?" She asked.

Chifuyu wasn't surprised by the question, but that didn't make it easier to process. He was probably the best person to ask outside of Baji and Takemichi themselves, but he wasn't sure it was actually a good idea to tell Hinata what he knew.

Besides, it wasn't like he wanted to think about it himself.

Mikey's behavior made Chifuyu think something bad had happened during the confrontation with Kisaki. What's more, there was a 99% chance that it was Baji who had done so while possessing Takemichi's body.

Baji was the first guy he'd ever wanted to follow. He'd annoyed Baji until he let him join Toman and eventually became his vice-captain. He'd been prepared to follow him straight into hell if it got to that.

The past few months, however, had forced Chifuyu to consider that maybe he should be more cautious about advising his captains. Not for his own sake, but theirs.

Baji had always been somewhat short tempered, but his anger seemed more self-destructive now that he was a ghost. If he wasn't tied to Takemichi, that might not be as bad, but it was obvious that Baji's rage caused physical pain for Takemichi.

Hopefully things were resolved now that Kisaki was dead...

Chifuyu ignored the pit in his gut telling him that they weren't and grinned at Hinata.

"I think things are gonna be okay from now on."

Hinata frowned and Chifuyu understood why; he had just completely dodged her question. Rather than push the issue, however, she let out a sigh and said that she hoped that was the case as she walked toward the stairs.

"Baji cares about Takemitchy as much as the rest of us. He'd never do anything to hurt him."

'Not intentionally, at least.'

Inui Seishu was driving Kokonoi Hajime home when the latter suddenly asked where he thought things were going to from there.

"What do you mean?"
"Kisaki's dead. There's nothing left for Toman to worry about."

That was a good thing: Toman could move forward without fear of Kisaki's manipulations.

"What are you worried about, Koko?"

Koko didn't answer immediately, but Inupi wasn't particularly concerned by this; Koko HAD always been something of a calculating sort. It wasn't until Inupi came to a stop in front of Koko's home that he got an answer in the form of a question.

"If this really fixes the future, Hanagaki has no more reason to stick around, does he?"

Much like everyone else who had learned of Hanagaki's secret, both of them had compared him to how he was outside of the time leaps. It wasn't long before Inupi came to the conclusion that the Hanagaki that time leaped was the one that had made him want to follow him. The one that was unaware of the future wasn't a bad person, but he didn't quite inspire in the same way his future self did.

Annoyingly, neither Hanagaki was controllable with money like Koko had hoped. Sure, it was more convenient that Hanagaki was willing to lead them in the way Inupi wanted, but... Koko didn't like it. At least with Izana and Taiju, he knew where he stood. Hanagaki actually seemed to prefer that Koko not use the skills he'd developed.

Koko was perfectly fine with just being "the money guy" and he didn't like the fact that Hanagaki was treating him as anything more than that.

Sure, it was true that Koko probably would have jumped on the grenade and joined Tenjiku had Hanagaki not accidentally distracted Mucho and Sanzu when he did, but that changed very little. Izana made it clear when they arrived that they fully intended to bring him into the fold once they defeated Toman. Mucho had said during the fight that even if Toman won, there would be other gangs looking to use him.

Hanagaki had protected him that time, but there were no guarantees he'd be able to do it a second time, especially if it wasn't the Hanagaki that had knowledge of the future.

Judging by the look on his face, Inupi seemed to have realized this, too.

"You're not thinking of asking him to stay here, are you, Inupi?"
"And if I am?"

Koko let out a frustrated groan before muttering,

"And you get on my case about Akane..."

Inupi scowled, but said nothing as Koko walked toward the door.

Mitsuya Takashi was... reevaluating everything he knew about Takemichi.

(Partially because of what he'd learned about him just hours earlier and partially to take his mind off of the scolding he knew he was going to get once his mother's shift ended)

He hadn't thought much of him the first time they'd met. He hadn't even thought he was going to end up joining Toman. Sure, it had been impressive that he'd managed to get Mikey and Draken to stop fighting, and that made him a little curious, but that was all.

When his curiosity ended with Takemichi being put in the Second Division, he'd been annoyed, even after Mikey revealed that he and Draken had already made the decision to put him there.

Mitsuya had sighed, but resolved to suck it up.

If he had bothered trying to reach out to Takemichi, would he have trusted him with his secret? Could he have worked with him and Chifuyu to help save Baji? Now that Mitsuya was thinking about it, Takemichi's "spacing out" on Halloween was probably because he'd been trying to find Baji.

Trying to worry about things like that now were pointless, though. Baji was dead and apparently a ghost now. From the sounds of it, Mikey and Draken had only just learned about Takemichi's ability the same night.

Did others know? For that matter, was Takemichi willing to let one more person find out?

The unlocking of the apartment door signaling his mother's arrival home was a welcome distraction, even if he knew he was in for one of her lectures.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?"

Ryuuguuji Ken stopped in his tracks at the sound of Sano Manjiro's question.

"Yeah." He answered before turning back to him with a grin.

He'd accompanied Mikey back home to make sure he was okay; the night may have ended in Toman's victory with no casualties on their side, but Mikey had narrowly lost his sister. He had lost Izana. From what Mikey had told him, he'd also seen the truck hit Kisaki.

"Gonna spend the night thinking of how you're gonna tell Emma how you feel?"

Normally, Draken would have told Mikey (or anyone else) to shut up. Tonight, however, he gave a slight nod and a "yeah".

"I'm gonna warn you: She's probably not gonna believe you right away."
"Yep. I'm gonna have to really bare my heart, huh?"

His tone was lighthearted, but Mikey could tell he was nervous. Draken had grown up around women for whom sex was basically a day at the office. Sharing his own sincere feelings with a girl was a whole different monster, even if he knew that she felt the same way.

"What do you think about what we've learned about Takemitchy?"

Draken let out a deep sigh.

"I'm pretty sure I'd be dead right now if not for him."

They both thought on the various times Takemichi had seemed so frantic and desperate.

"It sounds like some bad shit happened to Hina in the future." Draken crossed his arms before letting himself smile. "It figures he'd do all that for her. Remember how he was ready to throw down when he thought we were gonna beat her up?"

Mikey, surprisingly, didn't smile at the memory. In fact, he looked a little annoyed.

"Yeah, I remember. I'm not surprised."
"Are you... gonna be okay?"

Mikey gave Draken an obviously fake smile before waving him off.

"Make sure to give her a proper confession tomorrow, okay?"

He drove his bike into the dojo grounds before Draken could say a word.

The next day, Chifuyu arrived at the hospital to see Takemichi's parents talking to the doctor.

"So you don't know why he won't wake up?"
"We aren't sure what's going on. It's not a coma, and we can detect brain activity, but it just seems like his body or his mind is refusing to wake up."

He suggested that perhaps Takemichi was exhausted and asked if he was stressed by school or problems with friends.

"He... HAS been hanging out with some... ruffians lately. I think they may have gotten into a big fight last night." Touko explained.

Her eyes met Chifuyu's for a second before he moved out of her line of sight.

Takemichi hadn't woken up yet. That was probably a bad sign.

"Chifuyu."

He turned to see Mikey and Draken entering the lobby. He walked over to them, hoping to stay out of sight of the Hanagakis.

"Are you here to see Emma?" He asked.
"Takemitchy, too, but..." Mikey glanced over at where Takemichi's parents were still talking to the doctor. "Let's see Emma first."

The three boys made their way to Emma's room just down the hall.

Emma was listening to the television, but turned it off when she heard them come in.

"Who all is here?" She asked.
"It's me, Kenchin and Chifuyu." Mikey grinned. "Sorry to keep you waiting. How are you feeling?"

Emma said that she'd felt better, but she was adjusting. She said that Takemichi's parents had stopped in to say hello to her about an hour ago.

"They're really nice." She said. "They even let me sit with them in Takemitchy's room last night. After they left, I stayed for a few more minutes."

Mikey gestured for her to go on, but said so verbally after Draken elbowed him.

"...Did Izana die last night?" She asked.

You could have heard a pin drop with how quiet all three boys were being at that moment.

"Did Takemitchy wake up and tell you that?" Mikey asked in an uncharacteristically nervous tone.
"No, he hasn't woken up yet." Emma shook her head. "But when I grabbed his hand, I heard Izana and Baji's voices."

"Izana's too?!" Chifuyu stood up in shock.

He glanced out into the hallway, ready to run to Takemichi's room, confrontation with his parents be damned.

"So you guys knew about it." Emma scoffed.
"Hey, we only found out last night." Draken said defensively. "Chifuyu's the one who's known for months."

He ran his hand through hair before a thought occurred to him.

"You... only heard two voices, right? Not a third?"

When Emma confirmed that she hadn't, all three boys let out a sigh of relief.

"Then again, I think we would have noticed if Kisaki HAD managed to sneak in." Chifuyu scratched his head. "I'm pretty sure Baji would have accidentally given Takemitchy an aneurysm."

"Kisaki's the guy who attacked us, right? He died too?" Emma sounded incredulous.
"Yeah, he got hit by a truck. It was on the news this morning."

That raised some questions. Izana had apparently become a ghost but Kisaki hadn't.

"What about that Kakuchou guy?" Draken wondered.
"I think he actually made it." Chifuyu revealed, explaining that he'd been in contact with the Mizo Middle Five since last night.

The reason they hadn't come with him today is because they were visiting him at a hospital in Yokohama.

"It looks like he, Takemitchy, and Takuya are childhood friends."
"So they're visiting him but not Takemitchy?"
"Takuya said they were gonna visit after checking in on Kakuchou. It sounds like Takemitchy's mom didn't want too many people visiting him today anyway."

Mikey frowned at this, but Chifuyu checked the hallway again.

"It looks like Takemitchy's parents have left."

Mikey glanced at Draken before standing up and grabbing Chifuyu's arm.

"Let's go see him, Chifuyu! We'll get a chance to interrogate Izana."

Draken glared at him, but Mikey only grinned as he dragged Chifuyu out toward Takemichi's room.

Rather than grab Takemichi's hand as soon as they were in the room, Mikey told Baji to head to Emma's room.

"Confession time is a go."
"You're really gonna make Baji spy on your sister?"
"Absolutely." Mikey said as he moved to Takemichi's side opposite the door and grabbed his hand.

"Absolutely not." Baji said, rolling his eyes. "I've already had enough of dealing with one of your siblings."

Mikey's gaze moved toward the other side of the room.

"You really are here, Izana."

Chifuyu grabbed Takemichi's other hand and looked at Izana.

"I can't believe it..."
"I know, right?" Baji echoed his disbelief. "We finally take care of Kisaki and then THIS happens."

He gestured to Izana in a dramatic way.

"How do you think I feel?" Izana growled. "I sacrificed myself for my servant, only to get stuck with one of my brother's killers."

"Enough." Mikey said firmly. "We can talk about what this means going forward when Takemitchy wakes up."

He looked back at Chifuyu.

"So the other Mizo guys are gonna be showing up later?"

When Chifuyu nodded, Mikey sighed in annoyance.

"I don't want to risk anybody walking in at the wrong time. We might have to save this for later."

He clearly didn't like the idea, but it seemed like he didn't think there was much of a choice.

"We don't know when he's going to wake up, though." Baji said with a huff as he looked at the sleeping Takemichi.

Chifuyu agreed, saying that the doctor was confused, too.

Whatever the issue was, it was probably related to Takemichi's abilities.

Mikey stared at Baji for a moment, as though urging him to reveal what he'd done the night before.

Chifuyu still wasn't sure he wanted to hear what it was.

"Is there... anything you want to say to Izana, Mikey?" He said suddenly, taking Mikey's attention away from Baji.

Mikey seemed to realize what Chifuyu was up to, but let it slide and looked back at Izana.

"I'm glad we're able to talk again."

Izana stiffened up at this and looked away.

"I'm not. I would have preferred that you and Emma both moved on and thought of me as an unpleasant memory you were glad was behind you."

Despite his words, Chifuyu thought Izana looked a little happy.

After a few minutes of silence, Draken entered the room.

"I think it's time we headed out." He said quietly.

His expression was unreadable, though his eyes seemed a little red. Had it not gone well?

Draken seemed to notice the apprehension and smiled.

"It took some convincing, but I think it went well. I think she just needs a little time to process it."

Mikey released his grip on Takemichi's hand.

"I'll come back." He promised. "We can talk then."

Hanagaki Takemichi was... dreaming.

At least, he thought he was.

There was a thick fog blanketing the area around him. He was presumably outside, but he couldn't see the ground.

All he could do was walk.

He couldn't tell how much time had passed. A few minutes? A few hours? A few days? It felt like all three simultaneously.

When he finally caught a glimpse of a light through the fog, he felt like crying in relief. Just as he began to run toward it, however, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Where are you going?"

He turned around and realized that there was another person in the fog. He couldn't see the person's face or even their body. Even their words felt more like they'd just appeared in Takemichi's mind. Why did the person seem familiar, then?

The person drew closer, but their features remained enshrouded even when they were standing right next to Takemichi.

'I should be scared... but I'm not.' Takemichi thought to himself.

"Glad I caught you before you walked in." The voice sounded like it was trying to be casual. "I'm not sure I would have been able to bring you back. Not only that, but I think you would have left them behind."

That was... ominous, but again, Takemichi didn't feel any fear, even as the figure grabbed his hand.

"I'll walk you back. It's the least I can do for you, after all."

The figure walked with him the entire way in silence. Takemichi understood that he probably should be asking some questions, but his mind didn't seem to want to think of any. He also had a strange feeling that the figure wouldn't answer any of them.

Eventually, the figure came to a stop and let go of Takemichi's hand.

"Am I dead?" Takemichi finally found his voice.
"Not at all." The figure said with a soft chuckle. "You were actually closer to the boundary of time than the boundary of life."

"The boundary of time...?" Takemichi blinked before a realization hit him. "Are you saying I almost time leaped?!"

Before the figure could answer, he asked if he had really changed things and if everyone was okay.

"Slow down!" The figure scolded him. "Let me talk."

Takemichi apologized sheepishly, feeling like he'd interrupted a parent or older sibling.

"I'm... not actually sure what would have happened. I'm pretty sure the time leaps are within the boundary of time, even if they branch off."
"Shouldn't you know for sure?"
"Lay off!" The figure said defensively. "The most I've been able to figure out about is what I just told you. My best guess is that you'd start seeing things outside of what you know. Like, you might see a world where the sky is gold instead of blue."

It was clear now that Takemichi wasn't dealing with some mystical being, but in fact another person.

"Are you a time leaper, too?"
"...Yeah. I didn't have the power for long, though."

The figure admitted to having seen bits and pieces of Takemichi's journey so far.

"All of you have had a hard time because of me." The figure lamented. "I'm sorry... and thank you."
"Because of..." Takemichi took the figure's words in before gasping. "Are you the one who gave me the power?!"
"Y-Yeah." The figure seemed confused by Takemichi's sudden fervor.

"Who are you?! When did you give it to me?!" Takemichi demanded.

Rather than answer Takemichi's questions, the figure asked one of their own.

"Wait... You don't recognize me? I know we only met that one time, but-"
"How would I know that? I can't see your face and I can't even tell if your voice is that of a man or a woman!"

The figure seemed surprised by this.

"What do you mean you can't see my face?!"
"Exactly what I said! You look like a blurry, faraway figure in a photo!"

The figure let out a groan and... possibly face-palmed.

"Dammit. I think you DID tell Keisuke that you couldn't remember all the details. That might be why."
"Is this all taking place in my mind?"
"More or less."

The figure looked at Takemichi.

"Listen, I’m-"

A familiar voice cut in at that moment.

"Takemichi?"

On February 26th, Hanagaki Takemichi woke up.

Chapter Text

The voice he heard was a feminine one, but it didn't sound like Hinata or his mother.

"Are you awake?" Oh, there was his mother's voice. "Hold on, let me get the doctor!"
"Takemitchy!"

That sounded like Chifuyu.

Then, the first voice he heard might be...

"It's Mom." Baji's voice scoffed. "Have you already forgotten what she sounds like?"

'Is this... the hospital?'
"No, it's Tenjiku." A sarcastic voice said.

"What the hell's... going on?"

He didn't get much of an explanation; Chifuyu and Ryouko were swiftly ushered out of the room so the doctor could examine him.

His mother spent the whole examination fussing over him in a way she hadn't since he was very little.

Eventually, he was left by himself. He looked around the room and realized that he and Baji weren't alone.

"Kurokawa Izana?" He said, staring at him. "You're... a ghost too?"

"Unfortunately." Izana gave him a dry look.

Takemichi got a horrified look on his face.

"Then... Could Kisaki-"
"Nope." Baji cut him off. "It's been about three days. If he were a ghost, I think we'd have caught sight of him by now."

As Takemichi sighed in relief, Izana looked curious.

"You guys really hate Kisaki, huh?"
"Have you not been listening to us talking shit about him for the past few days?"

As the two ghosts argued among themselves, Takemichi mused on what he'd learned so far. It had apparently been a few days since the fight with Tenjiku.

"What all has happened?"

Baji went through the list: Emma had accidentally learned about him and Izana. She was blind now. Takemichi's mom had befriended both Ryouko AND Mitsuya's mom.

"Is there any GOOD news?"

"Emma and Draken are together now, I guess."
"Kakuchou is still alive."

Baji and Izana glared at each other as Takemichi's eyes widened.

"Kaku-chan's alive?!"

Baji scowled as Izana haughtily asked if he really thought Kakuchou would succumb to a single bullet wound.

"He looked crushed when you died. He asked me to save you, you know." Takemichi said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh! Kaku-chan is my childhood friend."
"I know. He's talked about you before."
"Oh..."

That made sense. Kakuchou HAD said that Izana was his hero, after all.

"Kaku-chan said you two were orphans." Takemichi said after a minute. "Did you guys meet there?"
"I guess you could say we were raised in an "orphanage"..." Izana explained. "Though most of the kids there were illegitimate children or kids whose parents were in jail and such. I think Kakuchou was one of the only ones who could really be considered an orphan."

Izana had been the one to give him a reason to live after his parents died.

"I see... Thank you."

That hadn't been the response Izana had been expecting.

"Kaku-chan really has grown to be strong." Takemichi said sheepishly, remembering the blows he struck the other night. "But I think that might be because he wasn't alone."

Baji groaned in disgust.

"Hey, remember how he knew about Izana's order to kill Emma?"
"I already told you that Kakuchou didn't approve of that."

Baji was unmoved, pointing out that he didn't try to stop Kisaki, nor did he even try to contact Takemichi outside of that meeting at the warehouse. He wanted Takemichi to save Izana, but refused to give him any information about how.

Takemichi fell silent as his parents returned to the room.

"They want to run a couple more tests, but if all goes well, you'll be home in a couple days." His father said cheerfully.
"And at some point, I... want to talk to you about all this "Toman" business." His mother's tone was far less pleasant.

She looked... anxious. Like she hadn't slept well in the past couple days. Come to think of it, his dad was smiling, but he also looked rather tired.

"Fo now, just-" She said. "Just focus on getting better, okay?"

Finally, Touko forced a smile.

"...I will, Mom. Thanks."

His parents left, leaving him alone with nothing but his own thoughts and two ghosts for company.

His first visitors were Mitsuya, Hakkai, and Yuzuha. Once the latter two were gone, Mitsuya asked Takemichi for an explanation on what he'd been doing with the time leaps.

"So you WERE listening." Takemichi looked at Mitsuya with narrowed eyes as Mitsuya looked anywhere but at Takemichi's face.

Takemichi and Baji told Mitsuya of what had happened in the past few timelines.

"I ended up leaving Luna and Mana alone, huh." He stared at the ceiling with an unreadable expression before looking back at Takemichi. "You think you managed to change that future?"
"I hope so." Takemichi nodded. "Is it true that Kisaki's dead?"

Mitsuya nodded, saying that there had been a news report of him getting hit by a truck the morning after the fight with Tenjiku. Mitsuya had nearly spit out his breakfast.

"And Izana's not gonna be much of a threat when he can't even touch anyone."

This prompted an argument between Baji and the man in question.

"Can you two knock it off?" Mitsuya glared at them.

After a few minutes, Mitsuya asked who all knew Takemichi's secret. When Takemichi went through the list, Mitsuya looked at Baji before giving Takemichi a serious look.

"Hey... Is it alright I let Pah know about all this?"

The mention of that name got Baji's attention, and he looked at Mitsuya with wide eyes.

"Not right now, mind you. Just when he gets out of juvie."

Takemichi looked at Baji, who had a pensieve look on his face.

Pah-chin had been informed of Baji's death, of course, and he'd apparently taken it rather hard. As of that moment, he was the only one of Toman's founders who had no idea that Baji was still in the world as a ghost.

"And if you want, I can leave all the stuff about time leaps out of it. I'm not sure Pah would understand all that much of that anyway. He'd probably say something like "I'm dumb, so I don't know anything about all this time travel stuff"."

"You might as well. We've already decided to tell Kakuchou."

They had not, in fact, decided to tell Kakuchou. This was actually the first time Izana had brought the subject up.

"I don't remember agreeing to that."
"Too bad."

Baji resumed arguing with Izana ("Pah might be dumb, but he's a good person!") while Takemichi told Mitsuya that it was fine to tell Pah-chin. Appeased, Mitsuya thanked him before asking if Takemichi's mom was always like that.

"Like... how?" Takemichi frowned, trying to ignore the bickering a few feet away.
"Like my mom." Mitsuya said with a sulky look on his face. "I ended up being late getting here because I ran into your mom as she was leaving."

She had apparently given him quite the scolding, too.

"Sorry about that." Takemichi laughed awkawardly. "I was the one who decided to leave, after all."

Mitsuya shook his head, saying that while she HAD brought that up, she got on his case about leaving the hospital himself when he was injured, too.

"Is it normal for moms to nag kids that aren't theirs?" Takemichi wondered. "Your mom's a nurse, so it makes sense for her to do it, and Baji DID die, so I can understand why Ryouko-san would worry about his friends, but I don't get why my mom would do that?"

Mitsuya just shrugged.

The following two days were met with visits from Hinata and the Mizo Middle Five.

"I met with Kakuchou." Takuya said quietly after the group had settled into the room. "...I don't think he's happy he survived."

He DID know that Takemichi was planning to visit him once he got out of the hospital, though he didn't seem all that enthused about that, either.

"Sounds like our hero needs to get better before he does." Akkun chuckled before getting a serious look on his face. "He kinda struck me as the type to try sneaking out and slipping away before you can find him."

"He would." Izana, who was standing in a corner with his arms crossed, nodded.

"I'll come see you when you get out." Hinata promised. "It seems there's a lot we've got to talk about."
"No kidding." Takemichi laughed weakly.

A handful of Toman members stopped by as well, including the twins and Peh-yan. Inupi dragged Koko along, saying that they were looking forward to seeing the return of the First Division's captain.

"I'm particularly looking forward to where you'll lead us going forward."

Koko gave Inupi an odd look, but Inupi's focus remained on Takemichi; he didn't even grab his hand, so he didn't speak a word to Baji or Izana.

("So you've managed to piss him off too, huh?" Izana sneered when Baji rolled his eyes)

Come to think of it, Baji noted as the two left, was he even aware that Izana was a ghost now?

Emma and Mansaku stopped by to formally give their thanks, though Takemichi downplayed what he'd done, saying that all he did was shield her when Kisaki attacked.

"Learn to accept gratitude, Takemichi." Baji rolled his eyes as Takemichi asked Mansaku not to bow his head.

Draken and Chifuyu visited together, with the former admitting under intense pressure that Emma had ultimately accepted his confession.

After some brief congratulations and teasing, Takemichi asked what had happened after Baji took over. At some point, he lost consciousness during Baji's possession.

Chifuyu got a concerned look on his face, but said nothing as Draken explained that he fought Hanma to a standstill before going to look for Mikey; he'd found him on the phone talking to the 911 operator.

"And what about Kisaki?"
"He apparently ran into the street and got hit by a truck. Mikey's the one who saw most of it, so you're better off asking him about it."

Izana looked at Baji, who showed no reaction to Draken's words.

"Did he run away from you, Baji?" Chifuyu asked.
"...Yeah."

Chifuyu grinned, saying he knew Kisaki wasn't a chance for him. Izana said nothing, only giving Baji an unreadable look.

Mikey did not show up at the hospital even once after Takemichi woke up.

On February 28th, Takemichi was discharged.

Rather than go straight home, he boarded a train to Yokohama.

'Yokohama City Hospital is the one closest to the piers, right?'

Takemichi arrived at the right time: As he approached the doors, Kakuchou exited the building. The two exchanged a surprised look before Kakuchou sighed.

"Follow me."

Izana was not surprised when Kakuchou led Takemichi to his apartment. Once they were inside, Kakuchou (and Izana) went straight for the tank. Izana's fish were swimming along like normal. It seems one of the lower ranked members of Tenjiku had been stopping by to take care of them.

Kakuchou got a small and sad smile on his face.

"At least you're still here." He murmured.

After a few minutes of taking care of the fish, Kakuchou gestured for Takemichi to sit down next to him on the sofa.

"I'm guessing you're gonna tell me that I need to keep living, right?" His smile was gone now, and he didn't sound like he was in a good mood. "Takuya kept showing up talking about how Izana wouldn't be able to rest if I keep talking like I'm dead."

Takemichi glanced at Izana, who looked almost melancholic.

"Well, the part about Izana not being able to rest is true." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "He threatened to keep me from getting a good night's sleep for the rest of my life if I didn't let him talk to you."
"Fucker." Baji glared at Izana.

Kakuchou gave Takemichi an odd look, as though he weren't sure to be offended or concerned that he might have given Takemichi brain damage.

"There's... a lot that I haven't told you. I guess I don't have much right to get mad at you for not trusting me."

Kakuchou looked away with an almost guilty look on his face.

"Do you want to talk to Izana?" Takemichi asked, holding his hand out.

Kakuchou recognized why Takemichi was doing it; rather than accept right away, he gave Takemichi a furious look and said,

"If this is a joke, I'm going to make you wish I really had killed you the other night."

Baji looked back at Izana, half expecting him to flee the room and leave Takemichi to Kakuchou's mercy. Instead, he was watching Kakuchou with a calm expression on his face. When Kakuchou grabbed Takemichi's hand, Izana smiled.

"You really are a troublesome servant, Kakuchou."

Takemichi hadn't been sure how Kakuchou would react to learning about this. Disbelief, anger, tears... Any one of them sounded plausible, which really was a testament to how little Takemichi knew about his childhood friend.

He had not been expecting all three in relatively rapid succession. Even Mikey reacted better.

Kakuchou's first instinct was to jump off the sofa and accuse Takemichi of trying to trick him with the same magic he used to give people chills.

"Kaku-chan, that was Baji-"
"Oh, I'm happy to demonstrate!" Baji stepped forward and threw a punch.

Kakuchou shivered and stared at Takemichi, who grabbed his hand again.

He looked back and forth at Izana, Baji, and Takemichi.

"This is... real?"

He sat back on the sofa, staring off into space for a moment.

"You didn't tell me about any of this."

His tone was accusatory, which immediately set Baji off.

"You didn't tell him a damn thing!" He yelled. "You spouted off nonsense about wanting to save this bastard, but didn't tell Takemichi anything!"
"Baji!"

Baji ignored Takemichi and continued ranting at Kakuchou.

"You talked a big game of not trusting Kisaki, but said you wouldn't betray Izana by giving us any info on him!"

If Izana was so important to him, then shouldn't he have been willing to tell his "former hero" anything that might help?

Kakuchou glared at Baji, who remembered more of his conversation a few weeks earlier.

"You knew Mucho was a traitor, didn't you?!"

Kakuchou didn't say anything in response to the accusation, though he did look down at the floor. Takemichi remembered Kakuchou saying Mucho was the one who taught him "how to be a man".

"You did know, huh."

His words made Kakuchou wince. Baji scoffed.

"Don't act ashamed now! It's too late for that!"
"Baji! Enough!" Takemichi shouted.

Baji continued glowering at Kakuchou before storming outside.

"Pathetic." Izana sneered.

"He's... right, though." Kakuchou said quietly. "I made an unreasonable request of you while not giving you any information that might have helped you."

If he had, then maybe Izana wouldn't be like this.

Kakuchou reached for Izana, shivering when his hand passed through him.

"I see. So all along it was that guy, huh?" He laughed weakly. "And I guess now Izana is like him?"
"I'm tied to Hanagaki now." Izana explained. "And that's not all."

Kakuchou listened to Takemichi's story without saying much. When Takemichi reached the end of his last visit to 2018, however, he asked a question.

"Did I... seem anything like the person I am now? Was I anything like the person I was when we were in elementary school?"

It was an odd question, and Takemichi struggled to come up with an answer. Izana also looked a bit put off by it.

He had demanded that Takemichi show him the memory of his future, but he hadn't shown much of a reaction to it. That had actually unsettled Takemichi more than if he was happy or angry.

Kakuchou was wearing a serious expression, and Takemichi understood that lying or sugarcoating wasn't an option: Kakuchou would see right through it.

"The you I met in 2018... was nothing like the boy I met in elementary school." Takemichi said slowly. "If not for that scar, I may not have even recognized you."

The memory flashed through his mind.

"Stop thinking about it!" Izana demanded. "I don't want to see it again!"

At Kakuchou's confused look, Takemichi explained that Izana could see his memories when his mind was open.

"And... was I not a good servant?" Kakuchou's voice cracked.
"You were loyal and obedient." Izana's reply was immediate. "And I never want to see you like that again."

In truth, nothing Izana had seen in Takemichi's memory made Izana particularly happy.

(Well, maybe kicking Hanemiya)

Kakuchou was still by his side, but he didn't see anyone else from the S-62 Generation. Mikey had apparently killed Mucho, but there was no mention of anyone else.

(Not that he cared if the people who followed him out of fear were dead or not)

Izana had more or less succeeded in his goals of creating the strongest crime syndicate in Japan, but he ended up losing Mikey. Not only that, but his attempt to make him into Shinichiro failed, and he was apparently trying to make Takemichi into Shinichiro as well.

He wasn't that pathetic, was he?

As his future self had pointed out, there wasn't THAT much of a physical resemblance between Takemichi and Shinichiro. There was SOME overlap in their personalities, but they were still fairly different people. Izana was actually a little amused to realize Takemichi had a girlfriend. How many rejections had Shinichiro been through again?

"I don't understand." Kakuchou derailed Izana's train of thought. "Didn't we get close to creating the kingdom we dreamed of?"

"I only saw what Hanagaki saw." Izana glared at Takemichi. "So I have no idea how close we actually got."

"What sort of kingdom were you trying to create?"

Kakuchou, with a wistful expression, talked about how they had wanted to create a haven for orphans like them. Once he finished remembering the day they had made that vow to each other, however, his face fell.

"I wonder when things started to go wrong."

In truth, Kakuchou had his own idea of who had indirectly caused it, but he had never voiced them out loud. Izana had never been afraid of getting rough when he felt it was necessary. From Kakuchou's perspective, however, his true spiral into a life of violence and crime didn't begin until he got involved.

But how could a mere servant speak against his king's brother? How could he have ill feelings toward someone Izana loved so much, especially when he'd been kind to him as well? Hadn't his death reduced Izana to a shell of his former self? Wasn't that proof that Izana needed him?

"I suppose it doesn't matter now." Izana sighed. "You can't exactly have a kingdom with a dead king. I could possess Hanagaki, but he'd just eject me if I did something he didn't like."

He gave Takemichi a dirty look while Kakuchou looked between them.

"You can do that...?"

Baji was angry.

It felt like that was all he could feel lately. Even with Kisaki gone, he was now saddled with Mikey's insane pseudo-brother.

Sure, it was nice having someone he could fight with, and the fact that said person was an asshole like Izana made him feel better about it... Or at least it should have.

Each day that passed just seemed to make him feel worse.

Movement near the gate drew his attention to it. Baji moved toward it and realized that it was a cat. Did it belong to one of the other building residents?

The cat caught sight of him and stopped. Just as Baji was about to lean down and chat with it, however, it began hissing. Startled, Baji began to back away. The cat took advantage of this to run away.

That... had never happened to him before.

Not before his death, nor after he became a ghost.

His friends knew how much he loved animals and how much they loved him. Draken even called him a "Cat Whisperer" at one point.

Now it seemed that the cat could sense something about him that he couldn't.

His attempt to cool off having failed, Baji re-entered Izana's apartment.

Takemichi was still seated on the sofa, but Kakuchou had... climbed onto it and now had his arms wrapped around Takemichi's torso.

Baji froze. What was going on?

His confusion didn't last long; Kakuchou was making sounds that resembled sobs, so he was likely crying. Takemichi's demeanor also seemed off, which meant that it was probably...

"Do you mind?" Izana took notice of Baji and gave him a disdainful look. "I'm trying to comfort my servant."

His words prompted Kakuchou to sit up and get back into position. Like Baji expected, his face was wet with tears.

"Heh..." He managed to smile. "It's funny. It isn't your voice, but I still ended up crying."

"It does seem like everyone can tell it's not Takemichi when that happens." Baji noted. "Now hurry up and get out of him."

Izana gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Interesting choice of words there."
"Shut up! Hurry and get out."

Annoyed that his attempt at teasing didn't seem to work, Izana decided to comply. At that same moment, Takemichi's phone began ringing.

"Hello?" Takemichi asked when he answered it.

"Where are you?" His mother's voice replied on the other end.

A nurse at the hospital (Mitsuya's mom, Baji realized) had called her to let her know that he'd been released a short while ago. The fact that he wasn't home yet was cause for concern.

"Ah... I'm in Yokohama right now. Do you remember Kaku-chan?"

After a brief back and forth, Takemichi promised to make his way home shortly.

As he stood up, Kakuchou grabbed his arm.

"What do you plan on doing from here on out?" He asked.
"I'm gonna make sure everything's okay here before I go back to 2018."

Kakuchou looked surprised by this.

"You're not staying? You're gonna go back?"

No one made a sound. Even Izana seemed to be struggling to come up with something to say.

Eventually, Kakuchou got off the sofa and held his hand out.

"Let me give you my number."

"Why would he need it? He's gonna be leaving in a few days."

"At least call me before you go back."
"...I'll do that. Mom wants to see you, too."

Kakuchou looked surprised at this, but looked down at the floor as Takemichi left.

"Are you really planning on going back to the future?" Izana asked as Takemichi boarded the train back to Tokyo. Since there weren't as many people on board, Baji and Izana had more room to maneuver around.
'...Yeah.'

Izana made an indignant noise.

"I don't recall giving you permission to do that."
'Kaku-chan may have accepted you as his king, but I haven't.' Takemichi said, rolling his eyes. 'Besides, I don't belong here.'

"Don't give me that. You aren't like Kakuchou and I."

Takemichi had parents that loved him. He had friends that cared for and would do anything for him.

'So did you.'

Takemichi brought up the memory of one of the Haitani brothers closing Izana and Kakuchou's eyes.

Izana fell silent for a moment. When he spoke up, he sounded as though he were trying to come across as confident.

"That was nothing more than a subordinate paying tribute to his king."

Baji and Takemichi gave each other skeptical looks.

"It's true." Izana scoffed. "Kakuchou was all I had. Now I'm stuck with you two."

He scowled at them.

"And here one of you is trying to run away from all these people who love you and the other is letting him."

Baji looked surprised as Izana continued.

"From what I could see, your mom is actually pretty cool."

Ryouko had yet to actually meet Izana. She hadn't been able to visit Takemichi except for the day he woke up, and at that point Takemichi's mother was already at the hospital. The two had an interesting chat that felt alien to Izana.

He'd apparently taken more after his father, so he'd never gotten quite as many strange looks as his mother had. She didn't really have friends from what he could tell; he'd thought it strange as a child, but in hindsight it was probably because she was a foreigner.

Seeing two mothers speak to each other in a fairly friendly way felt weird. Baji Ryouko was a no-nonsense but kind woman. Hanagaki Touko tried to come across as no-nonsense, but instead seemed like a worrywart.

"That's what moms are like." Baji scoffed. "At least with kids they actually love."
'Baji!'

While not as crowded, there were still enough people around who would find it suspicious if Takemichi glared at Baji.

"I was talking about how she talked to Hanagaki's mom." Izana hissed.
"Yeah, that's how Mom talked to Sakurako-san when she was still alive. I don't know what issues Emma's mom had, but that's totally normal."

Baji shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe YOU were the issue."

'BAJI!'

Even before Izana's face fell, Takemichi felt he needed to stop Baji from talking.

Baji was rough and not one to mince words, but what he'd just said seemed unusually cruel to Takemichi.

Rather than argue, Baji crossed his arms and fell silent. Izana said nothing and stared out the window as the scenery changed from Yokohama to Tokyo.

Dinner was... suffocating.

Hanagaki's mother was practically hovering over him the whole time he ate. His father wasn't quite as bad, but he was fairly talkative and the way Hanagaki reacted to it told Izana that this was out of the ordinary for him.

His room was fairly boring and his pajamas were actually pretty lame.

Hanagaki pouted at him when he pointed that out.

'I get enough of that from Baji. I don't need it from you, too.'

Izana did not like the implication that he had something in common with Mikey's attack dog.

"Don't compare me to him."

Baji also looked slightly offended, but didn't say anything.

Hanagaki glanced at him before asking Izana to head to the roof for a few minutes. He needed to talk to Baji alone.

Izana came across as the type who would have refused and demanded that the conversation happen where he could hear it, but surprisingly, he agreed without argument. He moved toward Takemichi's bed and drifted to the roof.

"Try to make it quick. If I get bored up there I'll return even you aren't done talking."

'Baji... What all happened that night?'

Baji, who had been expecting Takemichi to scold him for what he said to Izana, looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't remember?"
'I remember seeing that memory of Kisaki's, and then...'

Takemichi's brow furrowed.

'I think I had a dream about someone walking me back from something.'
"That... sounds kind of important, Takemichi."

Takemichi understood that Baji was right about that, but he wasn't about to let him change the subject.

'Tell me what happened after we saw that memory, Baji.'

"...I don't know. I blacked out at some point, too."

When Takemichi looked at him skeptically, he insisted that he didn't regain his awareness until Takemichi was already at the hospital.

'When did you pass out?'
"Right after Kisaki got hit by the truck."
'And nothing happened in between that time?'

"Nothing happened!"

Takemichi stared at him for a moment before turning out the light and climbing into bed.

"We'll talk more tomorrow."

Within a few minutes, Takemichi was asleep, but Baji didn't go up to the roof until an hour later. When he saw the night sky, he heard Izana's voice ask him

"Why did you lie?"

Baji flipped his head to glare at Izana.

"You-"
"Did you really think I'd obey Hanagaki's request? I came up here, then entered the room under his bed from downstairs."

Baji swung his fist at him, only for Izana to catch it with ease.

"Woah, is THAT what your little secret is? A darkness that swirls around you when you lash out like a little bi-"
"SHUT UP!" Baji yelled, swinging his other fist.

Again, Izana caught it.

"Let's see... whatever you did must not have injured Kisaki so much he couldn't walk..." Izana sneered as Baji attempted to push back. "Did you push him? No, apparently Mikey said that he saw Kisaki run into the street."

Baji again told Izana to knock it off, but Izana only headbutted Baji, pushing him back.

"You didn't try to strangle him, did you?" Izana laughed. "You know they can get get fingerprints from skin, right?"

Izana remembered Mocchi had once mentioned reading that in a book somewhere. It was a difficult process, but it was quite possible.

"And if they happened to do so... Whose fingerprints do you think they'd find on Kisaki's body?"

Baji's eyes widened.

He'd never considered the possibility that something like that could happen. Everyone always seemed to realize it was Baji whenever Takemichi allowed him to use his body. Even Kisaki had figured it out.

But those were all people who knew them. People who cared about them. The authorities wouldn't have any reason to give Takemichi any leniency even if he revealed Baji was there.

"You COULD tell them that you took over Hanagaki's body against his will, but that just means that there's a guy running around with a dangerous ghost attached to him. Surely there are places such a person can be locked up?" As though reading Baji's mind, Izana continued, stepping closer.

Baji took a step back, but Izana kept moving toward him.

"Maybe they'll even bring an exorcist in to try to get rid of you."
"And what about you?!" Baji demanded.

Izana laughed and asked what he had done with Takemichi's body so far. His face soon fell, however.

"And even if they were to exorcise me, it may be for the best." He said, looking up at the sky. "At least I'd be away from you and Hanagaki."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Baji could understand why Izana wouldn't want to be around him. Takemichi hadn't done anything to Izana, however; even what he'd seen of the future wasn't really a reason to hate him. Unless...

"Does he remind you of Shinichiro?"

Izana's fist met Baji's face.

"You don't have the right to say his name." He growled. "Kisaki told me about you. How you were Mikey's childhood friend, and how you helped Hanemiya kill Shinichiro."

Baji opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. Izana stared at him coldly in response.

"What were you going to say? "I didn't mean for it to end like that"? "I tried to stop him"?"

Baji gripped his fists and looked at Izana straight on.

"Answer the question." He demanded. "Does Takemichi remind you of him?"
"You-"

Baji pushed back as Izana got closer.

"Besides, what right do YOU have to be angry? You already turned your back on him for not being a blood relative."

Baji remembered their conversation the night of the battle.

"Come to think of it, you never told me how you did it." Baji said viciously, baring his teeth. "Did you throw a fit like I thought? You strike me as the type."

The two began throwing fists and kicks at each other. This went on for a few minutes before the sound of groaning drew their attention away from each other.

'Ugh...'

Immediately, Baji returned to Takemichi's room. The lights were off, and Takemichi was still lying in bed. His face betrayed his discomfort, however.

"Takemichi!"

With a groan, Takemichi opened his eyes and looked at Baji.

"Were you two fighting...?" He murmured. "My head's killing me."

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. When he stopped, he stared at Baji for a few seconds.

"I barely notice when it happens now."

He didn't specify what "it" was. He didn't need to.

"Kisaki's gone. Why am I..."
"Maybe you're destined for darkness."

Izana's taunting voice as he made himself seen was irritating.

"Can we please not do this at night?" Takemichi rubbed his temple. "I know it might be boring, but maybe one of you should stay here?"
"I'll do it." Baji said automatically. "I don't trust this guy not to randomly wake you up in the middle of the night."

Izana argued that it took two to tango, and that Baji was just as responsible.

"At this point, I don't care. I want to sleep."

Takemichi glared at Izana, who gave a huff before going back through the ceiling.

"He's not lashing out at you. I guess that's... good?" Baji said.

Takemichi said nothing and layed back down. After another hour, Baji moved to stand by the bed.

It had been some time since Baji had really thought about how much he hated not being able to touch the living.

Then he remembered something.

After coming back to 2006 several weeks ago, Takemichi had been borderline suicidal. And Baji had tried to slap him. He thought he'd just imagined the mark on Takemichi's face, but what if he really HAD managed to strike him?

Before he could stop and consider anything else (or remember that he'd passed through Takemichi's body when he was at the hospital), he reached out to stroke Takemichi's hair.

His hand passed through, and Takemichi's eyes flew open. He blinked at Baji for a second before betrayal entered his eyes.

"Baji, what the hell?!"
"I was trying to-"

"Forget it!" Takemichi hissed, turning away from him. "Just knock it off."

He pulled the cover over his head, ignoring Baji's attempts to explain.

The following afternoon, Takemichi and Hinata walked home together, only to find Chifuyu waiting outside the Hanagaki house.

"Should I come back another time?" He asked, upon noticing Hinata.
"I mean..." Takemichi glanced at Baji and Izana.
"We kind of already have company." Hinata giggled.

They hadn't held hands on the way, but Hinata knew that Baji was there. Emma had also told her about Izana when Takemichi was still unconscious.

Once everyone was inside, Takemichi got tea ready.

"How come you two aren't talking?" Izana asked. "Did something happen last night?"

His attempt to mess with them was clear.

"Of course. I have to amuse myself somehow."

Besides, he was also curious as to why things were so tense between them.

"Nothing happened." Takemichi sighed in disgust. "Baji just decided to try petting me like a dog for no reason."
"And I'm trying to tell you that I had good reason to think I could do it!"

"Baji tried to pet you like a dog?" Chifuyu poked his head into the kitchen.
"I was trying to stroke your hair! Like how my mom did when I was a kid!"

Izana howled with laughter.

"That's even more embarrassing!"
"Shut up!"

After the chaos settled down, the group sat in the living room.

"So... how are you guys adjusting?" Hinata asked, glancing between Takemichi and the two ghosts.

None of them answered. Even Izana knew better than to pretend that things were going well.

"I'm stuck with the guy who tried to kill my childhood friend and his sister."
"I'm stuck with the guy who HELPED kill my brother."

Takemichi took a sip of his drink rather than say that he was stuck with both of them.

Hinata and Chifuyu gave each other uncomfortable looks before Hinata tried to change the subject.

"It looks like Emma's already made arrangements to transfer schools."

Since her and Mikey's current school didn't have accommodations for blindness, she was transferring to a school specializing in it in Katsushika.

"That's not too far."

The conversation came to a halt for a couple minutes.

"I saw the report of Kisaki's death on the news." Hinata said quietly.

Takemichi gave Baji a warning look as she laughed wetly.

"To tell the truth, when you left for Yokohama that night, I wanted to ask you if there wasn't some way things wouldn't end with him dying."

Baji exploded.

"Didn't he tell you enough about what Kisaki's done?!" He snarled. "He tried to have Draken killed! He got me killed and Kazutora arrested! He killed Chifuyu in the future! He tried to manipulate Yuzuha into committing murder so he could use the Black Dragons! He tried to kill both Emma AND Takemichi!"

Hinata endured Baji's ranting calmly, even as Takemichi yelled at him to calm down.

"It's alright, Takemichi." Hinata said sadly. "I think maybe Baji's right. I didn't know what Kisaki was up to."
"That doesn't mean he can yell at you." Chifuyu argued. "You said you haven't even seen him since you started junior high."

At that moment, Izana decided to speak up.

"Why didn't Kisaki become a ghost as well?"

That was the elephant in the room, wasn't it? Sure, it was probably for the best that he hadn't, but there was still the question of why.

"Maybe intent matters?" Chifuyu suggested. "Kisaki's death was an accident while you guys'... weren't."

Takemichi fell silent for a moment. Hinata gave Izana a grateful look, which didn't go unnoticed by Baji.

"Would Emma have become a ghost if she had died? Or Draken?" She added. "She actually wondered about that when I talked to her."

Since Emma and Draken thankfully hadn't died, there was no way to know for sure.

"It's no use wondering about that. You saved them, so we don't need to worry about it." Baji declared, looking at Takemichi straight on. "You kept your promise."

Takemichi looked down at his hands in his lap.

"But I didn't save you or Izana."
"That doesn't matter!"

Takemichi didn't look convinced.

At that moment, the door opened.

"Takemichi, are you home?" Hanagaki Touko's voice called out. "Oh, we have company."

She hurried into the living room. She smiled when she caught sight of Hinata, but frowned when she realized Chifuyu was there, too.

"Hello, Hinata-chan, Matsuno-kun."

Sensing she wasn't happy about him being there, Chifuyu stood up and said he had an errand to run for his mom. Hinata likewise said she was going to be late for cram school (even though it wasn't until tomorrow).

Takemichi walked them both outside.

"Takemichi, you've got all of us with you." Hinata said. "No matter what."
"Right!" Chifuyu agreed. "I'll help you figure things out even if it kills me!"

Takemichi smiled and thanked them as they left. When he went inside, however, he felt like someone was watching him, even though Hinata and Chifuyu were gone.

The next couple days passed quietly. Baji and Izana were content to ignore each other for the most part while Takemichi finished recovering.

(Takemichi had not yet discussed his dream with either of them)

On March 4th, as Takemichi arrived at home, he was met with someone he hadn't seen in several days.

"Mikey!" He gasped, rushing over.
"Hey, Takemitchy!" Mikey said with a grin, as though they'd seen each other just yesterday.

Just as he was about to invite Mikey in, Takemichi heard his mother's voice.

"Takemichi? I ran into-"

Takemichi turned around to see his mother was walking with someone behind her.

"Kaku-chan?"

Chapter Text

"You're... Manjiro-kun, yes?" Touko was the first to react. "We didn't get much of a chance to talk the other night."

"It's nice to see you again, Touko-san." Mikey greeted her.

The sight of Mikey being polite still creeped Baji out. He wasn't the only one who felt that way, either; judging by the looks they were giving him, even Izana and Kakuchou could both tell that this was fairly out of character for him.

Touko invited Mikey in along with Kakuchou. Takemichi's father would be home a bit later since he was overseeing exams at the university. Takemichi, who was used to this, nodded and told Mikey and Kakuchou to follow him upstairs while Touko prepared dinner.

"So... does he know?" Mikey gestured to Kakuchou.
"About Izana and the time leaps? Yes." Kakuchou answered for Takemichi.

He sounded a little defensive.

"So where have you been for the past few days?" Baji asked when Mikey grabbed Takemichi's hand.
"I've been... busy." Mikey grinned. "I had to answer some questions about what happened and things have been kind of hectic at home. I've... had a lot to think about."

That was... a good point.

Mikey explained that in addition to Emma having to transfer schools, they'd also had to change some things about the layout of their house so that she could safely move around.

"That sounds... rough." Takemichi looked at the floor. "Mikey, I'm-"
"Don't even think of apologizing, Takemitchy." Mikey said sternly. "I'd rather help move furniture than help plan another funeral."

He glanced over at Kakuchou.

"Speaking of which, what ended up happening with Izana's?"

According to Kakuchou, Izana's funeral was handled by the prefecture since he was already 18 and therefore no longer under the jurisdiction of the orphanage when he died. His remains were presumably placed in the Kurokawa family grave.

"And what are YOU doing here?"
"Hey!" Izana said, glaring at Baji.

Kakuchou looked a bit put on the spot, but said that what Takemichi's mother said was true: He had run into her at the train station, and she invited him over when he explained who he was.

"So you guys really ARE childhood friends." Mikey mused. "Mitsuya told me about it when he and Kenchin stopped by the dojo the other day."

Mikey asked if Kakuchou was the one who had told Takemichi about Izana when the conflict first started.

"Yes." Kakuchou nodded as he looked at Izana. "I... wanted him to save you."

Izana nodded, finally understanding why he'd wanted to meet with Takemichi. He hadn't asked about it the other day because it really didn't matter all that much to him, but it was nice to hear from Kakuchou that it was true. He wondered if maybe Takemichi had been on to something in regard to why some people became ghosts and others didn't.

"I didn't trust Kisaki, either, but..." Kakuchou sighed. "All I did was ask Takemichi to save you. I still followed all of your orders. I protested the attack on your sister, but I didn't try to actually stop Kisaki. I even stopped Takemichi from confronting him at the pier. If I hadn't, then maybe things wouldn't have ended with you dying."
"How long have we known each other, Kakuchou?" Izana scoffed. "You should know by now that I wouldn't have stopped."

Kakuchou laughed weakly and said that was true.

"I guess we've all got a lot we need to talk about with each other." Mikey said.
"Yeah, I guess I should tell you about all the stuff that's happened since this began, huh?" Takemichi smiled, though it was obvious that he wasn't looking forward to talking about it.
"Not just that. I want to hear all about you." Mikey used his free hand to ruffle Takemichi's hair. "You've been hiding Baji for months and who you are for even longer."

"I..." Kakuchou spoke up. "Would also like to hear more about you."

"I thought that part of your life was over now?"

Despite Izana's words, there didn't seem to be any malice behind them. On the contrary, he sounded like he was expecting Kakuchou to say that, and was fully prepared to tease him.

"Izana, I..."

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by movement downstairs. Takemichi stood up and walked to the door, opening it slightly so he could listen.

"Dad's home. And I think Mom'll be done with dinner soon."

Neither of his guests looked all that pleased, but surprisingly they didn't complain, either.

Dinner ended up being gyudon. Takemichi's father made idle small-talk with Mikey and Kakuchou, the latter of whom gave short answers. Takemichi and his mother, meanwhile, ate in silence.

When dinner was finished, Touko ordered everyone into the living room while she and Takemichi took care of the dishes. When THAT was done, Takemichi was told to sit on the couch with Mikey and Kakuchou.

"Takemichi, your father and I have kept... fairly quiet about what you've been up to lately." Touko began. "But after what happened the other day, I don't think we can do that anymore."

"Two people died in the latest incident." Takezou added. "And we learned from Baji-san that her son died several months ago during a different fight."

Finding out that Takemichi had been taken to the hospital after a drive-by attack was bad enough, but learning that he snuck out of the hospital and sustained further injuries was another.

"When Mitsuya-san told me that one of your injuries was a gunshot wound to the foot, I nearly fainted." Touko looked at the floor as she said those words, her voice cracking as she remembered the moment. "I... don't want you going through that again."

She let out a sigh and composed herself before looking at Mikey.

"And that brings me to you, Manjiro."

Takezou explained that they had learned some things from Emma and Mansaku.

"One of the people who died was apparently Emma's brother. Emma herself nearly died even with my son's interference." He said sternly. "Next time, she may not be so lucky."
"What exactly DO you intend to do going forward?" Touko asked, looking Mikey dead in the eyes.

The fact that Mikey didn't immediately respond with a smartass remark was worrying.

"You're right." He finally spoke up. "We don't really know where things are gonna go from here."

Toman's loved ones had been targeted before. The chances that it would happen again weren't zero.

"But I think the next few days are gonna be the clencher." He grinned. "And I think once we're past that, we won't have anything to worry about."
"Mikey?" Takemichi gave him a concerned look. "What are you-"

"It's okay, Takemitchy." Mikey looked at his hands in his lap with a contemplative look in his eyes. "For now, let's just wait a couple more days."

That was... weird. Mikey had always been flighty and did whatever he wanted, but he looked almost mature at that moment.

"As for you..." Touko looked at Kakuchou, who had been silent ever since he sat down. "What are you planning on doing?"

Kakuchou glanced at Takemichi, silently asking how much he'd told his parents.

"We do know that you're still legally under the guardianship of an orphanage in Yokohama, even if it's been several days since they saw you." Takezou spoke up. "It sounds like you haven't been attending school, either."

"I..." Kakuchou spoke up. "Was close with Sano Emma's brother. He gave me a reason to live after my parents died."

Now that he was gone, Kakuchou felt lost.

"There may be no easy answer." Touko sighed. "But at the very least you should finish your schooling."
"And if you feel you need guidance and don't think you can rely on the adults around you, you can come to us."

Kakuchou looked surprised at the offer. Takezou chuckled.

"It's good to see you again, Kakuchou. Takemichi cried for days when you moved."
"Dad!" Takemichi stood up with a blush on his face.

Touko laughed before offering to let Kakuchou and Mikey spend the night. It was Saturday, after all.

"We're happy to take you up on that offer!" Mikey accepted before Kakuchou could respond.

Takemichi in turn got up to get the bath ready before his mother could tell him to.

After all three boys were finished bathing, they settled into Takemichi's room again.

"Now that the chances of there being an interruption are gone..." Mikey's hand snaked into Takemichi's. "You can tell us everything now."
"I suppose I owe you that much."

Takemichi told them his story. Kakuchou looked concerned at several points, but listened in silence. Mikey didn't say anything either, but nodded a few times, as though he'd gotten an explanation for something he'd been curious about. Surprisingly, even Izana didn't deign to offer any commentary. Baji already knew most of what Takemichi was saying, so he couldn't help feeling a little smug, especially when he gave occasional interjections.

"And... that's it." Takemichi said after talking about how he woke up in the hospital.
"You've been through a lot." Kakuchou said softly.

Hearing about how Kiyomasa had tormented Takemichi throughout the entirety of Takemichi's time in junior high made him wish that they had gone to the same school.

"Maybe I could have been YOUR hero." He said with a grin.
"But in the end it ended up being Takemitchy who helped bring down the fight club by standing up for his buddy." Mikey said with a pouty look. "I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance if I hadn't seen him there."

Takemichi had been getting pummeled by Kiyomasa when Mikey caught sight of him. That in and of itself wasn't that weird, but the way Takemichi was carrying himself was.

"Your back looked... bigger, somehow." Mikey explained, intertwining his fingers with Takemichi's. "Like you were carrying something heavy."

In hindsight, he was carrying a lot of heavy burdens.

"You're my hero, at least."
"Don't say that." Takemichi said with a red face and a cracked voice. "If I was really a hero, Emma wouldn't have gotten hurt at all and Baji and Izana would still be alive."
"Takemichi!" Baji protested.

"I don't see how you could have changed anything." Izana scoffed. "I was the one who chose to protect my servant."

Takemichi fell silent, but Mikey looked at Izana with a raised eyebrow.

"Didn't you say your body moved on its own?"
"Shut up." Izana demanded, eliciting a snicker from Mikey.

"You kept going, didn't you?" Kakuchou spoke up. "Even when you stumbled, you kept at it. Isn't that what a hero is supposed to do?"

Mikey gave Kakuchou an annoyed look for stealing his thunder, but nodded in agreement. Takemichi still didn't look fully convinced, but released Kakuchou's hand so he could wipe tears from his eyes.

"You guys..." He murmured. "Thank you."

It was nice to see Takemichi at least pretend to listen when someone encouraged him. Maybe he'd even internalize this time, unlike whenever Baji tried to tell him.

He must have gotten angry, because Takemichi winced slightly. He glanced over at Baji for a second before turning back to Mikey.

"There's something I wanted to ask you about the night Kisaki died."

Mikey showed no reaction to his words, but similarly looked at Baji.

"Do you... not remember how things played out?" He asked.

Takemichi explained how Baji's possession normally worked, and how it had worked that night.

"So you don't remember anything." Mikey narrowed his eyes slightly. "And Baji doesn't remember anything either?"
"That's what he says." Takemichi said with a nod. "But Draken said that you'd be the best one to ask about it."
"I think he's lying." Izana placed his chin in his hands. "We had an interesting conversation the other night."

Everyone looked at him with varying levels of interest. Kakuchou looked a little worried while Takemichi looked almost relieved that he might get a proper answer.

Baji and Mikey briefly glanced at each other in a way that Izana quickly picked up on.

"Is there something you want to share with us, Mikey?" He asked, leering at them. "You WERE the only one who can remember what exactly happened that night... Aren't you?"
"Mikey...?" Takemichi slowly turned to look at him. "What happened?"

Mikey hesitated, looking back at Baji.

"You really don't remember?" He asked. "You said you weren't going to let Kisaki hurt me or Takemitchy anymore."
"Baji, what did you do?" Takemichi growled.

No one moved. No one spoke.

"And don't lie to me." Takemichi now sounded upset. "What did you do?!"

A thought seemed to occur to him.

"You didn't-"
"No." Mikey held his hand up. "Takemitchy, I promise, Baji didn't kill Kisaki."
"So what did he do?" Takemichi asked. "Why is he lying to me?"

"I tried to strangle him!" Baji yelled. "Is that what you wanted me to say?!"
"Baji-" Mikey said through gritted teeth, squeezing Takemichi's hand. "Calm down."

Baji stared at him for a few seconds. Then he threw his fist at Izana, who caught it nonchalantly.

"Aww, is someone mad that I exposed him?" Izana taunted. "I'm not the one who lied to Hanagaki, you know."

"Let's forget about it!" Mikey ordered. "It doesn't matter anymore. Kisaki was killed when he got hit by the truck. The conflict is over."

He gave Takemichi a hard look.

"Right, Takemitchy?"

Before Takemichi could answer, Izana spoke up.

"The issue isn't really about Kisaki anymore, is it? The issue is the lying."

Tears began spilling from Takemichi's eyes.

"What the...?"

He looked back at Baji.

"Why are YOU getting upset?"

Baji stiffened up, realizing that his own emotions were leaking into Takemichi again.

"I... don't know." He admitted. "I guess YOU getting upset?"
"Well, maybe you should have thought of that before lying to me!"

"Takemichi?" Takezou's voice came from the other side of the door. "Is everything alright? It sounds like things are getting a little heated in there."

"It's fine, Dad!" Takemichi tried to steady his voice, but it didn't work.

After a brief pause, Takezou said he was opening the door.

"Dad!" Takemichi protested, but the door was already opening.

Kakuchou quickly let go of his hand and stood up as Takezou walked in. He looked around the room until his eyes landed on his son's teary face.

"Takemichi? What's wrong?" Now worried, Takezou walked toward him.

"I..." Takemichi hesitated.
"I told him that I was disbanding Toman."

Takemichi turned to Mikey in surprise.

Mikey's expression was calm. He was looking at Takezou head on. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't appear to be lying, either.

"We've taken down Tenjiku and are currently at the top." He said emotionlessly. "I want to end it while we're at the peak."

He looked at Takemichi with a grin.

"Like I said, I'm gonna announce it at the next meeting... Our final meeting."

"Play along." Izana said quietly.

Takemichi slowly nodded.

"It hurts a little. I've made a lot of really good friends in Toman."

Takezou didn't look fully convinced, but relented when Takemichi insisted he was alright.

"You're pretty good at coming up with bluffs on the spot, Mikey!" Takemichi laughed once he heard his father's footsteps fade away.

When Mikey didn't laugh with him, Baji spoke up.

"You're... not bluffing, are you?"

Mikey shook his head.

"I haven't even told Ken-chin."

"Wha..." Takemichi gasped. "Mikey, why?! What happened to your dream of creating a new era for delinquents?!"
"We're at the top of Japan now." Mikey said with a sad smile. "I'd say we've done pretty well so far."

His smile faded.

"But your mom's right. We might not be so lucky in the future." He said, looking over at Baji. "We've already lost Baji. Next time it might be Ken-chin, one of our friends... It might be you."

Kakuchou got a curious look on his face at Mikey's words, but said nothing.

"So... it's for the best we stop now." Mikey still looked a bit sad, but suddenly smiled. "My brother did the same thing when he graduated high school."

Sano Shinichiro apparently didn't even have any enemies like Mikey had. He was far better at bringing his rivals together without a fight.

"I wish I could say the same." Takemichi gave a weak laugh. "Maybe Kisaki wouldn't have caused so much trouble otherwise."
"Well, Wakasa and Benkei are pretty different from Kisaki." Mikey smiled fondly. "And my bro did cause some problems of his own."

He looked over at Izana.

"He once asked me how I'd feel about having another older brother." He explained, causing Izana to wince. "I said I'd probably love him, and I still feel that way."
"I don't understand you at all." Izana said with a huff. "I tried to kill your beloved sister. She's going to be walking with a cane for the rest of her life."

Mikey gave Izana an annoyed look.

"She's your sister, too. She may not remember you all that well, but she still sees you as the first brother she's ever known."
"Then she's just as dumb as you are!" Izana declared. "I'm not related to either of you and I've done nothing but try to ruin your lives since we met."

He turned his attention to Kakuchou and asked why he'd chosen to come to Takemichi's house that day.

"Real subtle, Izana." Takemichi sighed.
"...I came here to ask if you really intended to return to the future."

The room fell silent.

"I told you before." Takemichi said, refusing to look at anyone in the room. "I don't belong in this time."
"Why?!" Kakuchou protested. "You said yourself that your life was miserable in the future! Why not take the chance to do things over?"

"Because things have already changed for him in the future before, dumbass!" Baji yelled. "And don't think you can fool me: You only want Takemichi to stay so you can see him."

He derisively pointed at Izana with his thumb.

"That's not-" Kakuchou opened his mouth to defend himself, but Izana had already kicked Baji.

"Cram it, brother-killer!" He shouted. "Besides, it's not like YOU have Hanagaki's best interests at heart anyway. Weren't we just talking about how you almost killed someone with his body?"

"We're done talking about that." Mikey said in his commander voice.

Just as quickly, however, he turned to Takemichi and spoke to him softly.

"You'll forgive Baji, right?"

Mikey argued that Baji was only trying to protect Takemichi and him from any further machinations from Kisaki. The only reason he hid it was because he was afraid of how Takemichi would react. He was probably also confused, too.

<"He was only trying to make you happy. That's why he couldn't accept what he'd done.">

"Mikey!" He spoke up, feeling ill. "You don't... need to go that far."

Mikey looked puzzled, but it didn't take long for him to realize why Baji was getting upset.

"You... get my point, right Takemitchy? I don't want you guys to fight anymore."

Usually when Mikey wanted to "persuade" someone to see his point of view, he got aggressive in words and/or actions. The fact that such a person was also capable of pulling off the classic puppy-dog eyes was completely unfair.

'A pretty face really does get you far.' Takemichi sighed mentally.
"Huh?"

"We can talk about that some other time." Takemichi said out loud. "Getting back to what Kaku-chan was saying..."

He looked his childhood friend in the eye.

"What ARE you planning on doing after I go back?"

Kakuchou didn't answer. It was ultimately Izana who spoke up.

"Even if Hanagaki stays, you're going to have to find a way to live without me."

Kakuchou flinched.

"You aren't like me." Izana continued. "You can surround yourself with others without using fear."
"Izana..."

"To tell the truth, I think the best thing for you is to try to live an honest life."

Kakuchou looked down at the floor.

"And how am I supposed to do that?"
"Easily. The only reason you got involved in gangs in the first place was because I was."

Takemichi's parents had already extended their hands to him. All he had to do was accept it.

"And I'm sure Hanagaki will do the same."

Izana gave Takemichi an expectant look. To his surprise, however, Takemichi hesitated.

"I would, yeah. But the me of this time..."

The Takemichi of 2005 and 2006 either became corrupted by Toman or abandoned it.

"That's a moot point now, yeah?" Mikey shrugged. "Toman's going to disband in a couple days. It can't go bad if it doesn't exist anymore."
"Mikey..."

Mikey gave him a strangely sad looking smile.

"I don't want you to have any regrets about leaving. I want you to go to where you belong and live a happy life with everyone."

He chuckled.

"It may be a little weird having both Baji and Izana there, but I'm sure you guys'll do fine."

They WERE his childhood friend and older brother, after all.

"Hanagaki, let me possess you for a minute."
"Izana, I'm not letting you hit Mikey just because you're embarrassed."

The mood was light for a few minutes. When Takemichi yawned, however, Baji remembered something.

"You had a dream when you were in the hospital. You saw someone walking you back from something."