Truth in Chains

Hiro's consciousness flickered between darkness and light. His body ached, his head throbbed, and a dull ringing echoed in his ears. The sharp tug at his wrists pulled him fully back into reality. When his vision cleared, he found himself suspended by his wrists, bound tightly by thick chains, hanging in the center of a dimly lit room. A single spotlight beamed down on him, casting a long shadow beneath his feet.

Then, a voice echoed from the shadows.

"Well… I must say, I'm impressed. No one's taken down that many of my guards in a long time."

Hiro's eyes darted toward the source of the voice, still trying to adjust to the blinding light. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Who… are you? Where am I?"

A deep chuckle filled the room, followed by the sharp sound of approaching footsteps.

"Hahahaha… you're currently in the lower levels of Tower Azabudai Hills Mori. Specifically, basement level ten."

Hiro's pulse quickened. That meant he was deep underground, far from any easy escape route.

"And as for who I am…" the voice continued. The overhead lights flickered on, illuminating the room. Hiro's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man standing before him.

"I am the Emperor of Japan… Yoshikawa Eichi."

Hiro's breath hitched. The very man he had been sent to kill was now standing right in front of him. And yet, he was the one chained up like a captured animal.

The emperor took a step closer, studying Hiro with curiosity. "Now, I must ask… who exactly are you?"

Hiro swallowed hard but refused to show weakness. He met Yoshikawa's gaze with cold determination. "I'm the one assigned to kill you. I work for Kazuya."

The emperor stared at him for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. Hiro furrowed his brows, confused. "What's so funny?"

Yoshikawa wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, finally regaining his composure. "Oh, it's nothing about you, personally. It's just amusing to see how desperate Kazuya has become. He sent a child to do his dirty work."

Hiro clenched his fists. "What do you mean, desperate?"

Yoshikawa's smirk faltered slightly. He studied Hiro's face carefully, as if piecing together a puzzle. Then, realization dawned on him.

"I swear I've seen that face before…" he muttered. "But that would've been long before you were even born."

A strange silence settled between them before Yoshikawa's expression darkened. He took another step forward, his tone now unreadable.

"Tell me… are you, by any chance, related to Kousuke Namikaze?"

Hiro stiffened. His instincts screamed at him to lie, but something about Yoshikawa's gaze told him that the man already knew the answer.

"…Yes," Hiro admitted. "Kousuke is my father."

For the first time since their conversation began, Yoshikawa seemed truly taken aback. He let out a quiet breath, rubbing his chin.

"So… you really are Kousuke's son," he murmured to himself. "I can't believe it. Your fighting style… the way you move… it all makes sense now. You inherited his talent, but you've made it your own."

Hiro's mind raced. How did the Emperor of Japan know his father?

"How do you know my father?" Hiro demanded. "And how the hell did you see through my mask?"

Yoshikawa sighed, shaking his head. "You really are full of questions, aren't you? Fine. I'll tell you everything."

Hiro remained silent, waiting.

"I used to be a part of the organization," Yoshikawa admitted. "Long ago, Kazuya, Kousuke, and I were at the top. We ran everything. That is, until one fateful mission changed everything."

Hiro's breath caught in his throat. His father and Kazuya had worked alongside Yoshikawa?

"When Kazuya took over as boss, he grew greedy. He claimed I owed him money for all the times he'd 'saved me.' At first, I thought it was a joke. But then he sent men after me, demanding repayment. He made sure I would never stand above him."

Hiro's jaw clenched. "And my father?"

Yoshikawa exhaled sharply. "I went to Kousuke for help, hoping he'd see reason. But he didn't believe me. He stood by Kazuya's side, refusing to see the corruption right in front of him."

Hiro shook his head. "That's not true. My father may have been a killer, but he had honor."

Yoshikawa gave him a sad smile. "Believe what you want, kid. But the organization is built on lies. It's rigged to serve Kazuya and Kazuya alone. And if you stay in it long enough… you'll be consumed by it, just like your father was."

Hiro's stomach twisted, but he refused to accept Yoshikawa's words. "You're lying!"

"I wish I was," Yoshikawa muttered. "But it's the truth. And if you're smart, you'll walk away before it's too late."

Hiro glared at him. "And if I don't?"

Yoshikawa sighed, walking toward a nearby table and picking up a gun. "Then I'll have to kill you."

Hiro's mind raced. He searched for an escape but found nothing—until he remembered his suit's hidden wrist blade.

Yoshikawa approached, aiming the gun at Hiro's head. "Any last words?"

Hiro closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then snapped his eyes open with a deathly glare. "You're going to die, Emperor."

In one swift motion, Hiro flicked his wrist, activating the hidden blade. The chains snapped. He lunged forward, kicking the gun out of Yoshikawa's hand before sending him sprawling backward.

Hiro landed smoothly on the ground, rolling his shoulders. "Time to pay your debt, Yoshikawa Eichi."

The Emperor straightened, dusting himself off. His calm smirk returned. "So you really are your father's son."

Hiro smirked. "You have no idea."

Without hesitation, he threw a smoke bomb, using the cover to retrieve the other half of his mask. But before he could secure it, gunfire rang out. Bullets struck his back, making him stumble.

Through the smoke, Yoshikawa chuckled. "That suit of yours is impressive… but even it has limits."

Hiro gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn't keep taking hits. Just as he reached for his mask, a final shot struck his knee, forcing him to the ground.

Yoshikawa slowly approached, picking up a steel pipe from the workbench. "I warned you, kid."

With brutal force, he swung the pipe into Hiro's ribs. A sickening crack echoed through the room. Hiro gasped, his vision going white with pain.

Another swing. More broken ribs. He couldn't even scream anymore.

Yoshikawa leaned down, grabbing his chin. "Hope you enjoy hell, Namikaze."

He turned and walked toward the elevator. Hiro's world blurred, pain drowning his thoughts. But as he faded in and out of consciousness, one thing remained clear.

He clenched his fist.

He wasn't done yet.

Yoshikawa took another step, but Hiro's voice suddenly cut through the silence. "YOSHIKAWA!!!"

The Emperor froze, turning to see Hiro rising to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth, eyes burning with fury. "Insult me all you want," Hiro growled. "But if you ever insult my father again—I will make you suffer."

Yoshikawa's expression darkened as Hiro charged.

The real fight had just begun.

"You are resilient, Hiro... I've got to give it to you... You don't know when to give up. But still, you know I'm right. You and your father are Pathetic..." Hiro, clenching his fist again, says to him, "YOU'RE WRONG!!!". Hiro starts to run slowly but increases his speed as he gets close to Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa, seeing this, gets scared and heads for the elevator. He presses the button, and the elevator doors open. He gets in and presses the top button to go to the top floor. He looks at how far away Hiro is, but Hiro rams him into the elevator, making him go against the wall. The elevator doors closed, and all hell broke loose. Hiro and Yoshikawa start to fight, blocking and dodging each other's attacks. But all of a sudden, Yoshikawa punches Hiro in the ribs, making Hiro go off guard. Kazuya then grabs Hiro's head and slams it against the wall, knocking him all to the ground, but as Hiro is trying to get up, Yoshikawa isn't letting him. He keeps punching Hiro's mask until it starts to break, and Hiro can't see anything. In a desperate attempt, he kicks Yoshikawa, sending him off to the wall... Hiro takes the time to take off his mask and get up quickly, but Yoshikawa manages to grab onto Hiro's neck, and he starts to choke the life out of him. "End of the line, Hiro..." The elevator door opens, and Hiro tries to get off of Yoshikawa's headlock. He then decides to go for a Headbutt to his nose. This works and sends Yoshikawa stumbling behind him. Yoshikawa gets back on his feet but gets an uppercut by Hiro, making him go outside the elevator. Now, they were on the roof of the building. Hiro starts to approach Yoshikawa slowly, saying to him. "End of the line... You can't run no more... Time to die..."

(End of Chapter )