The King's Reign

Hajime got out of the way, hiding behind Yuu and his gang, as Katashi and Richard were beginning to brawl. The fight started with Katashi adopting a low grappler stance and charging at Richard, attempting to tackle him. However, to his surprise, Richard didn't budge. Richard, anticipating Katashi's move, planted his feet firmly before the tackle.

"Figured you'd be a wrestler because of the cauliflower ears!" Richard remarked, seizing the opportunity to taunt Katashi. With swift precision, he wrapped his arms around Katashi's neck, locking him in a guillotine choke. "Ugh! L-et go!" Katashi struggled, attempting to break free, but Richard tightened his hold, applying relentless pressure. Panic surged through Katashi's mind. *Is this guy insane? He's trying to kill me!*

Just as Katashi felt his vision dimming, a sudden hook to Richard's jaw disrupted the hold. Stunned, Richard released Katashi, who gasped in pain. "The hell, I thought you would come at me one by one," Richard quipped, holding his jaw and grinning at Jun, who assumed a boxing stance.

"What do you think this is, a movie? You're an idiot if you thought we'd play fair," Jun sneered as he advanced. He lunged forward with a left jab, aiming for Richard's face. In a swift sidestep, Richard ducked, avoiding the punch. Jun, undeterred, immediately followed up with a powerful right uppercut targeted at Richard's chin. With a nimble sway, Richard evaded the blow, a mere breeze whispering past his skin.

"What kinda amateur boxing is that? You fucking suck!" Richard taunted, his confidence radiating. Seizing the opportunity, he retaliated with a lightning-fast right jab aimed at Jun's head. Reacting in the nick of time, Jun brought up his guard, blocking the strike. Capitalizing on the opening, Richard shifted tactics. He feigned another punch with his left hand, deceiving Jun into raising his defenses once more.

Yet, this was a ruse. Richard's true intent became glaringly evident as he swiftly seized the back of Jun's head, pulling it downward. In a seamless motion, Richard unleashed a devastating uppercut with his free hand, striking Jun squarely under the chin. The impact sent shockwaves through Jun's jaw, jolting his entire body. The taste of canvas greeted him as he crashed to the ground, momentarily disoriented.

"Fucking weak-" Richard's taunt echoed in the air but was abruptly cut off as Kei intervened with ruthless efficiency. A haymaker, propelled by the full force of Kei's strength, collided with Richard's face. The blow landed squarely on Richard's nose, eliciting a sharp pain that reverberated through his skull. Blood began to trickle from Richard's nose as he staggered backward, momentarily stunned.

"God, you sure love to talk," Kei remarked, a smirk playing on his lips as Richard held his bleeding nose.

"Cheap bastard," Richard retorted, the taste of blood on his tongue.

Kei, cracking his knuckles, retorted, "In a street fight, anything goes, man." With a swift motion, he clenched his fist and swung it in a powerful haymaker aimed at Richard's face. Richard's reflexes kicked in as he intercepted the punch with a swift block, his hands colliding with Kei's forearm.

In a seamless motion, he shifted his stance, grasping Kei's fist, and used the momentum against him. Executing an over-the-shoulder judo throw, Richard sent Kei crashing to the pavement. The impact resonated through Kei's body, the clash with the unforgiving ground leaving its mark.

"You must be the runt of the litter!" Richard taunted, his voice laced with a mixture of amusement and derision. As he prepared to deliver a curb stomp to the downed Kei, he found his moment interrupted by Katashi. In a swift and powerful move, Katashi wrapped his arms around Richard's waist and executed a belly-to-back suplex, slamming Richard into the ground.

"Consider that payback, you son of a bitch!" Katashi declared, panting with exertion as he regained his footing. Meanwhile, Richard, still grounded, erupted into laughter.

"Is playing the maniac card supposed to save you?" Yuu, the ever-cool observer, remarked, cigarette still in hand. Slowly rising, Richard used the wall for support. "No, no, but it's hard not to laugh when you're acting all high and mighty. Sneak attacking me, jumping me, and not even fighting me yourself. How the hell am I not supposed to laugh at that?" Richard retorted, wiping a bit of blood from his face with a defiant smirk.

Yuu sighed, extinguishing his cigarette with a swift step. "Fine, get out of the way, all of you," he ordered, prompting Katashi, Kei, and Jun to step back. "Didn't expect that to work? You're pretty stupid, aren't you?" Richard taunted, wearing a smirk. 

Yuu, silent, approached Richard. Without uttering a word, he seized Richard by the collar with his left hand and aimed a punch at Richard's ribs with his right. However, Richard, quick on his feet, blocked the punch with his left arm and retaliated by pushing Yuu away. Capitalizing on the opening, Richard delivered a swift front kick, which Yuu skillfully blocked with his arms. Attempting to counter, Yuu reached for Richard's leg, but Richard swiftly retracted it, stepping into a position to strike. As Richard aimed for a liver shot, Yuu agilely backstepped, evading the punch.

"Looks like you're tough, unlike your boys," Richard remarked with a grin. In his mind, though, he couldn't ignore the fatigue setting in. *God damn, I'm tired. I doubt I can win, especially against this guy.*

Yuu wiped his arms, marked with the imprints of Richard's boots. While doing so, a subtle tremor ran through Yuu's arms—barely noticeable, but not lost on Richard. *Maybe not as tough as he pretends to be,* Richard mused, hatching a plan.

"Come on, or are you tired already?" Richard goaded, inviting Yuu to engage. With a roll of his eyes, Yuu obliged, launching a left hook that Richard deftly evaded with a backward step. Without an immediate counterattack, Yuu followed up with a straight right. Richard, agile as ever, ducked under the strike, readying himself for a tackle. However, Yuu anticipated the move, aiming a left knee at Richard's head. Reacting swiftly, Richard stopped the knee with his right hand, straining his wrist. He managed to execute the tackle, wrapping his arms around Yuu's waist.

"That's not how you do a tackle," Yuu remarked, attempting to elbow Richard with his right arm. Yet, Richard lifted Yuu off the ground, dismissing the critique. "Like I need to for your skinny ass!" he retorted, exerting every ounce of strength to hurl Yuu into the group.

As Yuu collided with the others, Richard seized the opportunity. Snatching the bat leaning against the wall, he sprinted towards them, preparing to deliver a crushing blow to Yuu's skull. However, just before the decisive strike, a powerful kick landed squarely on Richard's chest, propelling him backward about 10 feet.

Richard, using the bat for support, regained his footing, fixing his gaze on who had just delivered the powerful kick—the average-looking guy in a jacket. "Sir, you don't have to-" Yuu began, but before any further words were exchanged, Ken'Ichi silenced the impending protest from Yuu.

"Shut it, this is taking too long," Ken'Ichi snapped, his impatience evident. Hajime, somewhat confused, addressed their supposed leader, seeking clarification. "Sir? Aren't you the leader, Takeda-san?"

"Quiet!" Yuu barked, redirecting the attention back to the unfolding scene. All eyes turned to Ken'Ichi, who approached Richard with deliberate steps. As Ken'Ichi neared him, Richard, still catching his breath, couldn't resist a taunt. "So you're the actual top dog, huh? Talk about looking unassuming."

Surprisingly, Ken'Ichi didn't launch an attack. Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a card bearing the inscription "Shinryo Group," extending it toward Richard. "The hell's this?" Richard asked, to which Ken'Ichi simply replied, "I'm scouting you."

Yuu, taken aback by this revelation, interjected with wide eyes, "Sir! What do you mean? You're supposed to be evaluating me, aren't you?" Ken'Ichi silenced Yuu's outburst with a stern glare.

Richard, intrigued, accepted the card, examining it closely. In addition to the group name, it featured a phone number and an address.

Richard continued examining the card as Ken'Ichi began speaking, "You're strong, and currently, we're looking for a strong kid around your age. I recommend you give up and-"

However, Richard abruptly interrupted him with a sharp kick to the balls, throwing away the card like it was trash. The shocking act left everyone flabbergasted. As Ken'Ichi doubled over in pain, he looked up at Richard, gritting through the agony, and questioned, "What...are...you doing?" With a toothy grin, Richard swiftly swung the bat, slamming it hard into Ken'Ichi's face. His head bounced off the alleyway wall, rendering him unconscious.

"I don't give a single shit about you or your group!" Richard declared, flipping off Ken'Ichi's unconscious body. He then turned back to the others and stated, "I just want to beat the shit out of you fuckers," brandishing the bat as he approached them.

Yuu, witnessing Ken'Ichi incapacitated, erupted in anger, shouting, "You bastard!" He charged at Richard, fueled by blind rage, his fist aimed at Richard's face. However, Richard effortlessly spun around, dodging the punch. With a fluid motion, he twirled the bat in his hands and also struck Yuu in the balls with the pommel knob, exploiting the vulnerability of the family jewels. As Yuu doubled over in agony, Richard seized the opportunity.

Raising the bat, Richard swung it like a golf club, yelling, "Fore!" as he connected with Yuu's face. Yuu was propelled upward before crashing down onto his back, rendered unconscious. The remaining gang members watched in horror as their strongest fighters and leader go down.

Seizing the moment, Richard delivered a taunting remark, "First rule of fighting: never lose your cool; always keep a calm head." He brandished the bat once more, flashing a psychotic smile, and sneered, "Now, who else wants to be the last of their bloodline?"

Katashi stood bravely in front of the group, his voice trembling as he faced Richard. "I...ain't scared of...you, not at...all!" Despite his shaky demeanor, he tried to muster courage. Richard, amused by his words, raised his bat. Closing his eyes, Katashi braced for the impending strike, too scared to continue fighting.

However, just as Richard was about to deliver the blow, a familiar voice called out, "Richard?" Turning around, Richard saw Sasaki standing there, a somewhat confused look on his face. "What are you doing here, Sasaki?" Richard asked, nonchalantly resting the bat on his shoulders. Katashi cautiously opened his eyes, and the rest of the gang did the same, with Hajime recognizing Sasaki.

"I was on the way to my house after getting some groceries, and well...I found you here," Sasaki explained, holding plastic bags filled with groceries. Richard, unfazed, asked, "Cool, anyway, do you want anything?" Sasaki surveyed the back alley, taking in the scene of two classmates on the ground, one missing a considerable amount of teeth and the other in complete agony. Two unfamiliar individuals lay unconscious.

"Is the gang fight going good...or bad?" Sasaki inquired, trying to make sense of the chaotic situation. Richard responded casually, "Eh, so-so. Hajime, Shichiro, and Toshiyuki betrayed me, hit me in the back of the head with this bat, but I already punished them. As you can see, now I was in the process of taking care of the gang before you showed up."

Observing Richard's bloodied and tired state, Sasaki, concerned, asked, "Do you need help?" Richard dismissed the offer with a quick, "Nah, these guys aren't much of a challenge," as he swung the bat with one hand, striking Katashi in the head while maintaining eye contact with Sasaki. Katashi, clutching his head in pain, crumpled to the ground.

"Anyway, I should be asking you if you need any help with all those groceries you're carrying," Richard remarked, gesturing with the bat toward the bags in Sasaki's hands. Sasaki glanced at the bags and responded, "I guess they're kind of heavy, but not really a bother to me." Richard nodded before a sudden idea seemed to strike him. He snapped his fingers, declaring, "I just got an idea. Let's go to your house to hang out." Sasaki tilted his head in confusion, questioning, "So suddenly, why? Also, isn't that something friends or lovers usually do?"

Richard nodded, saying, "Isn't that what we are?" Sasaki, confused, asked, "What, lovers?" Richard quickly shook his head, "No, not that! But we're friends, right?" he said as Sasaki had a thoughtful look on his face, putting his hand to his chin. Meanwhile, Hajime, Katashi (still in pain), Jun, and Kei looked on very confused as Richard and Sasaki engaged in an oddly casual conversation.

Sasaki finally responded, "Okay, then, let's go to my house," to which Richard pumped his fist, "Alright, awesome! Let's go right now," he said as Sasaki looked at the others behind Richard. "What about them?" Sasaki asked Richard. The gang stiffened up, but Richard waved his hand, saying, "Whatever, they've learned their lesson. Let's just go," eliciting a collective sigh of relief from the gang as they saw Richard leaving with Sasaki.

Just before he left, Richard turned around and looked directly at Hajime, delivering a threat, "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Hajime." Hajime gulped in fear before Sasaki pointed out, "Tomorrow's a day off." Richard, hearing this, adjusted his plans, "Oh, okay then. I'll see you two days from now, Hajime," he rethreatened before he and Sasaki exited the back alley, presumably heading to Sasaki's house.

Meanwhile, the gang and Hajime were left to reflect on the colossal mistake they had made in their lives—picking a fight with The Richard King.