Chapter "Hamlyn's Past"

Hamlyn then turned his back on them and marched towards his friends, aligning himself with them as he confronted the group of boys.

"Now Let's start with some questions," Hamlyn declared. "First up: Daigo and Kenshin, are they related or just allies?”

"They're just friends," one of the boys responded promptly.

"And what happened to the previous leader of Red Evil?" Hamlyn pressed on.

"Kenshin killed him and took over.” The boy replied

"Were the previous leader and Kenshin related?" Hamlyn asked.

"Y-Yes, they were brothers," the boy hesitated before responding.

"Now tell me, who is the police officer working with Red Evil?" Hamlyn pressed on.

Boy's eyes widened in disbelief "How do you know that?" one of the boys asked, completely stunned.

"Just answer the question," Hamlyn said, unfazed.

Dropping to his knees. "I swear, we don't know anything about him. Please, believe me, we have no idea," the boy pleaded.

"Red Evil has over 500 members. How many operate within this city?" Hamlyn pressed on with his questioning.

"Approximately 100 members," the boy replied, visibly nervous.

Hamlyn continued, "If someone were to kill Kenshin, would Red Evil seek revenge on the killer?”

"No, if Kenshin got killed, Red Evil would appoint a new leader and follow his commands." the boy clarified.

"Do you know where Kenshin is?" Hamlyn pressed on, undeterred.

Shaking their heads in unison. "No, he changes location every day," the boy replied.

"That's all for today," Hamlyn concluded. "I'll be in touch. Thanks for the betrayal."

"What do you mean by 'betrayal'?" the boy asked, confusion etched on his face.

"Every time we meet, you prove just how worthless you all are." Hamlyn replied with a knowing smile.

The boys appeared bewildered, but Hamlyn's smile remained confident.

"I've observed that whenever Red Evil members are apprehended, Kenshin manages to secure their release within a month," Hamlyn explained. "I considered sending the old video of your attack to the police. It might lead to your arrest temporarily, but Kenshin would likely intervene." he continued. "However, I've devised a more effective plan. If you share information about Red Evil and Kenshin with me, you'll inadvertently become my inside sources within the organization." Hamlyn concluded.

He gestured towards Fredy, who smiled and retrieved the locket he was wearing, handing it over to Hamlyn with a grin.

Hamlyn reciprocated the smile as he retrieved a camera from the locket. displaying it to those groups of boys

"I'll be sending this recording to Kenshin," Hamlyn declared calmly. "Once he receives it, instead of helping you in jail, he'll likely decide to kill all of you for your betrayal.”

The boys stood in utter shock as Hamlyn's words sank in.

"Your only option now is to obey me," Hamlyn stated firmly, without missing a beat. "Any attempt to harm me or my friends will result in one recording sent to Kenshin and another to the police." he continued unwaveringly.

"And if, by some chance, you succeed in killing me, then my friends will do this job," Hamlyn added calmly.

"Remember, I have 30 friends, each armed with recordings, and you haven't the slightest clue who any of them are." he concluded.

Hamlyn's smile remained "From now on, consider yourselves my informants within Red Evil." He declared

The boys visibly trembled, fear and shock etched on their faces.

"You have no choice now, but to obey my orders, just like a dog." Hamlyn stated with finality.

With a smile, he bid them farewell and started walking away, his friends following closely behind him. Leaving the boys in stunned silence.

"Hey, are you even human, or are you from another planet?" Hamond joked with Hamlyn, as they came outside the park.

"Man, you've got an IQ that puts us all to shame." Henry chimed in with a smile.

"Yeah, Hamlyn doesn't need to rely on physical strength," Fredy nodded in agreement. "His intellect alone is a force to be reckoned with." He turned to Hamlyn, inquiring, "So, what's the next move?”

"Time to confront Kenshin," Hamlyn declared, his smile widening. The shock on everyone's faces was palpable, yet Hamlyn remained calm and collected amidst the tension…

Later, at home, Hamlyn sat at his writing table, deep in thoughts, when his phone suddenly rang.

Recognizing Sheryl's name on the caller ID, Hamlyn felt a pang of concern and promptly answered the call. "Hey, everything okay?" he asked with a hint of worry.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk with you." Her calm voice came from the other end.

"Of course, we can talk." Hamlyn responded warmly.

Sheryl's voice trembled slightly as she expressed her concern. "I'm just so worried about you, Hamlyn,"

"Don't worry, Sheryl. I'll be fine," Hamlyn reassured her gently.

"I can't help feeling anxious with Red Evil and Kenshin out there. I always think about you, You're always on my mind," Sheryl admitted, her worry evident in her voice.

"Oh, really?" Hamlyn responded playfully, his smile audible in his voice.

Curious, Sheryl turned the question back to him. "Hamlyn, what do you think about me?" she asked, her tone filled with intrigue.

Hamlyn's eyes widened in surprise at Sheryl's unexpected question.

"What do you mean by that?" Hamlyn asked, caught off guard.

"I mean, what's your feelings for me?" Sheryl pressed on, her voice tinged with apprehension.

A heavy silence filled Hamlyn's room as he grappled with his response.

Before Hamlyn could gather his thoughts, Sheryl interjected hastily, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I asked that. Just take care of yourself, okay? bye."

With that, she abruptly hung up, leaving Hamlyn smiling softly as he gazed at his phone screen…

The next day, during lunchtime at school, Hamlyn and his friends gathered on the terrace.

Amidst their chatter and laughter, Sheryl appeared noticeably distracted.

Sensing her distraction, Hamlyn gently inquired "Hey, Sheryl, is everything okay?"

Curious about Sheryl's demeanor, all eyes turned toward them.

Sheryl met Hamlyn's gaze, pausing briefly. "Hamlyn, if it's alright with you, can I ask you something?" she inquired.

"Sure, feel free to ask anything," Hamlyn replied, extending an open invitation to Sheryl to pose her question.

"You and your brother mentioned a promise. Could you tell me what this promise is about?" Sheryl inquired.

Hamlyn's gaze remained fixed on her as he considered her question.

"Yeah, we never got around to asking about that," Hamond interjected.

"Tell us, Hamlyn," Henry added eagerly.

"It's okay if you don't want to share," Sheryl offered reassurance.

"I'll share with you," Hamlyn began with a smile. "When I was five, Ullmar and I started martial arts classes. For five years, we dedicated ourselves to mastering various forms of combat, always coming out on top." he continued.

"Our training was initially for self-protection, but by the time I turned ten and became a martial arts master, I and Ullmar decided to extend that protection to others." he continued

"One day after school, we came across a distressing scene: a young boy being bullied by a group. We tried to talk things out, but they attacked Ullmar, and we had no choice but to defend ourselves and the boy."

“Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, things escalated, and the bullies ended up severely injured and hospitalized. It was never our intention to harm them that much, but we lost control in the chaos of the fight.”

“This incident marked a challenging period for us. We were expelled from school, and due to our age, the police arrested my father instead of us, damaging his reputation and costing him his job. I started having self-hatred during that time.”

“Then Ullmar and I made a solemn vow to never use our martial arts skills again, anywhere or on anyone.”

“A month later, we decided to move and start anew in a place where we weren't known.”

“That's the time I got here where nobody knows about my past, things were going fine, But suddenly Ullmar broke the promise a year ago, and you all know why.” Hamlyn concluded.

"Why didn't you ever mention this to me?" Fredy questioned.

"We decided to keep it a secret," Hamlyn replied.

"But you did the right thing by protecting the kid," Hamond interjected.

“Yeah, I know,” Hamlyn affirmed with a nod.

Sheryl gently placed a reassuring hand on Hamlyn's shoulder, sharing a smile that he warmly returned.

"Dude, you must be an incredible fighter." Henry exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yeah, even Ullmar was taken down by Kenshin. Imagine how strong Kenshin must be." Hamond added thoughtfully.

Hamlyn grinned confidently, "If Ullmar and I join forces, then we will come on top." he declared

A collective smile swept across the group as they nodded in agreement.

"You're a master strategist with those fighting skills, you're absolutely unstoppable." Henry praised.

Standing tall on the terrace, Fredy looked out over the city skyline.

"Listen closely, Kenshin and Red Evil." He called out loud, "Get ready because we're coming for you."

Smiles of solidarity and determination spread among everyone present, showing their unified determination.