### **Kenji: The Shadow of Tokyo**
It was evening. The sun still glowed on the horizon, casting a golden hue across the school grounds — like it had only just risen, not preparing to sleep. The crowd of students buzzed with energy, cheering for something — or someone.
Kenji, moving through the heavy heat of spring, approached the commotion, curious about the so-called Tokyo Manji gang member who wanted to kill Takemichi.
When he reached the crowd, he saw a guy — cigarette in mouth, baseball bat in hand — swinging straight for Takemichi's head.
Takemichi shut his eyes tightly, bracing for the hit… but the impact never came.
When he dared to open them, the crowd was silent, their gazes fixed elsewhere.
Turning to follow their eyes, Takemichi saw Kiyomasa — bleeding from the head, slumped against a tree. In front of him sat Kenji, casually pulling the cigarette from his lips.
> "A student shouldn't smoke in my area... unless it's me," Kenji said with a smirk. He then turned around with an innocent expression, like he had no idea what had just happened.
---
### **(A few moments earlier)**
Kenji had seen the bat swing toward Takemichi and reacted instinctively. Leaping through the air, he extended his leg in a precise strike.
His foot connected with the attacker's head.
The boy was flung backwards, smashing into a tree. Dazed, he tried to raise his head — only to be met with another swift kick. His consciousness faded, and a loud crack echoed from the impact against the tree trunk.
---
### **(Back to the present)**
Kenji, still smiling, looked at Takemichi.
> "Now tell me… Takemichi. Who is Masataka Kiyomasa? I heard he's a powerful member of the Tokyo Manji Gang."
Takemichi, still in shock, replied,
> "The guy leaning against the tree… is he even alive?"
Kenji sighed in disappointment.
> "So *this* guy is a powerful member of Toman? I'm ashamed Yamazaki ever lost to gangs like this. What a letdown…"
Just then, a voice cut through the murmuring crowd.
> "Hey. Who the hell are you, looking down on the Tokyo Manji Gang?"
A tall student with a ponytail and a dragon tattoo on his left temple stepped forward. Ryūguji Ken — *Draken*. Beside him stood a shorter figure with long blonde hair tied in a topknot — *Sano Manjiro*, also known as *Mikey*.
Draken squared up with Kenji, their eyes locked. They were nearly the same height, though Draken had an inch on him. Tension crackled in the air.
Kenji smirked.
> "So what?"
Draken gritted his teeth and raised his fist, but Mikey grabbed his arm.
With a quiet glare, Mikey stopped him. Then, turning to Takemichi, Mikey said,
> "I like you."
Kenji's thoughts raced.
> *Did he just confess to a guy? …So the Toman leader is gay? Interesting.*
The crowd gasped at Mikey's blunt statement. But no one dared to react. He *was* Mikey, after all.
Well… no one *except* Kenji.
Kenji laughed lightly.
> "You should talk about that in private."
Mikey looked at him calmly.
> "What's your name?"
Kenji shrugged.
> "I'm straight."
Mikey blinked, unamused.
> "I meant your name."
Kenji scratched his head.
> "Oh. Kenji."
Mikey nodded.
> "Draken. Let's go."
As the two turned away, Kenji stared after them.
> "What the hell… *That's* their leader? Guess I've got work to do tonight in this area."
---
As the students slowly dispersed, some carrying the injured Kiyomasa away, only Takemichi's group remained.
Akkun approached Kenji, bowing deeply.
> "Thank you, Kenji… for saving Takemichi."
Tears welled in his eyes.
Kenji gave him a friendly slap on the back.
> "C'mon, man. I'm your friend."
He smiled warmly, and Akkun returned it.
Akkun then invited Kenji to hang out with them, but Kenji declined.
> "I've got someone to visit."
---
After parting ways, Kenji pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
> "Yes, young master?" came the voice on the other end.
> "Tell them I'm coming."
> "Understood."
Kenji hung up.
Minutes later, he pulled up on his bike in front of a seemingly abandoned building. But behind the worn exterior… was something far more dangerous.
He entered.
As he walked in, everyone inside the building parted ways and bowed, forming a path toward the area's boss.
Kenji approached, his expression cool, dark sunglasses covering his eyes.
The man at the end of the path stepped forward nervously, rubbing his hands together.
> "Young master, if you needed anything, I'd have come to *you*—"
Kenji interrupted.
> "I'm here to say… you're out, *Raiun-kai*."
Before the man could react — **slash**.
His head separated from his shoulders, his eyes wide as they looked down at his own body. Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Chaos erupted.
> "Nobody moves… if they want a painless death," Kenji warned.
But his words fell on deaf ears.
Some tried to run. Others attacked. The room descended into madness.
Kenji sighed.
> "This is such a drag."
Then he disappeared.
Only the gleam of his blade and spurts of blood gave away his location. Screams filled the building — shrieks of pain, terror, and finality.
Minutes passed.
Silence.
Kenji stood in the center of the bloodbath, soaked in red from head to toe, his blade still dripping.
Corpses littered the floor, bodies twisted, heads severed, limbs torn — not a single soul survived.
Kenji felt nothing.
No joy. No guilt. No sorrow.
He was used to this.
Then, the doors creaked open.
A girl entered, wearing a school uniform and a fox mask. She walked across the corpses without hesitation, stopping in front of Kenji and extending a hand.
> "Hello, Mr. Kenji Yamazaki. I'm *Neko*. I'd like to invite you to my business… in Korea."
Kenji looked at her hand. Then at his sword.
Without a word, he swung at her arm.
But before he could connect — **BAM**.
A powerful kick sent him flying across the room, crashing into a pile of corpses.
Kenji clutched his abdomen, grimacing.
> *That was one hell of a kick.*
He looked up.
A tall young man stood beside Neko — yellow hair, black eyes, radiating power.
**Kuroda Ryūhei.**
But Kenji didn't panic. Instead, he smiled, tossing his shirt aside, revealing a scarred torso and two unsettling eyes — black sclera with white pupils.
Ryūhei's expression shifted. He had seen eyes like those once before — during his fight with *Gun*.
Kenji vanished.
This time, it was Ryūhei who was sent flying.
---
### **To Be Continued...**
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