Chapter 14- From Solitude to Strength

Where am I?

The ceiling fan creaks. The air smells like cheap air freshener. My body feels heavy. Sore. Like I've been through hell and back.

I try to move—bad idea. Every muscle protests. Feels like I got hit by a truck.

I stare at the ceiling. My mind's a mess. Flashes of battle, power, darkness. Oscuros.

Tch. I lost.

I breathe out slowly. Did I hurt someone?

My fingers twitch. Takes effort just to clench a fist. Where is everyone?

I turn my head—slowly. The bedside lamp is on. Dim light. The hotel room looks the same as before, but something feels… off.

My sword isn't here. My uniform is folded on the chair. Someone took care of that.

I exhale. So, we won.

Good.

But I'm still here. That means—

Before I can finish the thought, the door creaks open.

Takumi steps in, hands behind his head, wearing that usual grin. "Yo, you finally up?"

I stare at him. No energy to talk.

He walks closer, then leans over, eyes narrowing. "You good?"

I blink. Am I?

He sighs. "Man, you scared the hell out of us." He pulls a chair and sits down, resting his arms on his knees. "How much do you remember?"

I glance at him, then at my hands. They look normal. No traces of that darkness. No crackling dark Seishin going haywire. Just… still.

"How much do I remember?

Enough."

"That so?" His tone is light, but I see through it. He's watching me carefully, searching for something.

I close my eyes for a second. The fight. The darkness creeping in. That voice whispering, pulling me deeper. Then—nothing.

"…I lost, didn't I?"

"You were never the enemy, Hayato." He taps his fingers against the chair. "We just had to bring you back."

I open my eyes. "And you did."

"Of course. You think we'd let you go that easy?"

I sit there for a moment, clenching and unclenching my fist. The weight in my chest feels different—not heavy, not light. Just… unfamiliar. I know what I need to say, but the words feel strange, stuck somewhere between my throat and my pride.

I glance at Takumi. He's just sitting there, casual as ever, like pulling me back from the abyss was just another day for him.

"…Hey."

"Hm?"

I hesitate. Tch. Why is this so hard?

I exhale, looking away. "Forget it."

"Eh? Forget what?"

"Nothing," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. I'll figure it out later.

Silence stretches between us. It's not awkward, but it's there—like a weight in the air. Takumi doesn't push, doesn't ask. He just sits, waiting, as if he knows I'm working through something.

Tch. Enough of this.

"…Thanks."

"Huh?"

I don't repeat myself. He heard it. I know he did.

But of course, "Whoa, Hayato just thanked me. Should I write this down?"

"Forget it."

"Nah, I won't. Kinda nice hearing it, though."

I roll my eyes, but… somehow, I don't mind.

"You know, Hayato, if you want to thank someone, thank Ruby-san for pulling you out of that darkness. Thank Yora for that weird contraption of his that sucked the dark Seishin out of you. Thank Shizuka-san for keeping your Seishin flow steady, or else we wouldn't even be here talking."

He pauses for a moment, as if considering something. "And... you should probably thank Hana, too. She was there the whole time, worried sick about you."

I just nod, knowing he's right. It wasn't just me, and I'm starting to feel like I owe a lot more people than I thought. But for some reason, it feels different hearing Takumi say it. Maybe I can't thank everyone in one go, but... it's a start.

"See, this is why allies matter. It's not just about fighting alone. It's about having people who got your back. Each one of us plays a part. No one does it alone."

Allies, huh? Never thought much of them. Always figured they were just dead weight, slowing you down.

But now, sitting here... something clicks.

Ruby snapped me out of that darkness. Yora, dunno who he is, pulled that dark energy out. Shizuka kept my Seishin steady. Hana... well, Hana was there too.

And Takumi? He didn't leave me to fend for myself. He kept pushing, kept fighting.

I used to think I could do everything by myself. But maybe I was wrong.

Feels weird, but... I think I'm starting to get it. Allies don't hold you back. They make you stronger.

But...

"You wanna know why I never cared for allies?" I say, "I used to trust people. Used to think, maybe, I could rely on them. But... that was before. Before they turned on me."

I pause, not sure if I even wanna go into this, but Takumi's here, and the words feel like they need to get out.

"Had a group once. Back when I was younger. They all promised we'd rise together. Power, respect... you know, the usual. But when the shit hit the fan, when things got tough, they all scattered. I got left behind to take the fall. No warning, no second chances.

I learned the hard way that when push comes to shove, people drop you. They'll stab you in the back, let you burn... just to save their own skin."

I shake my head. The old bitterness is still there, but it's... fading. Slowly.

"That's why I never trusted anyone. Why I always kept to myself. Thought being alone was better than getting screwed over again."

But now, with Takumi and the others... I'm starting to think maybe there's another way.

"Guess that's why I was always ready to just go solo.

But... I don't know. Maybe I was wrong."

Takumi doesn't say anything right away, but I can feel him listening. And for once, it doesn't feel like I'm wasting my breath.

"You know, I get it. I know. People turning their backs on you... it scars you. I get why you'd want to keep your distance.

But here's the thing, Hayato. Allies aren't just some burden or weakness. They're not just there to drag you down. An ally, the right one, helps carry the weight. They've got your back when you can't hold yourself up anymore. And you do the same for them."

"I used to think the same thing. That it's better to stand alone, that trusting others makes you vulnerable. But... every time I've needed help, someone was there. Kaito-san, Shizuka-san, Ruby-san—hell, even Yora. They all fought with me, stood beside me when I couldn't stand for myself.

It's not about being strong alone. It's about knowing that when you fall, someone's there to pick you up. And when they fall? You've gotta be there for them too."

I'm just silent. But a small part of me feels something shift. Something I've been denying for a long time.

He cracks a grin, probably noticing the wheels turning in my head. "I know it's hard to trust again. But maybe... just maybe, it's worth it. Don't let the past mess with your future."

I stare at the floor for a second, trying to keep my emotions in check, but there's a hint of something in my chest I can't quite place. Maybe it's hope. Or maybe... I'm just tired of carrying everything on my own.

"Anyway," he says, "guess we're both a bit stubborn, huh?"

"You could say that."

"Yeah, I think we're pretty similar in that way. But hey, no harm in learning something new, right?"

"I'm not here to learn life lessons, Takumi. I just want to get back to doing what I do best."

"Which is...?"

I pause, looking out the window for a moment, trying to avoid giving him a direct answer. "Taking down enemies, keeping things simple.

No need for extra baggage."

"Right, right," he chuckles. "No 'baggage' here. Just a bunch of people who'd throw hands for you if you asked. But, you know, no pressure."

"You're impossible," I say, half-smiling, but I'm not even mad.

He shrugs. "So... come along. With the territory."

I roll my eyes again but feel a weird weight lift off my chest. Maybe... just maybe, this whole "working together" thing won't be so bad.

"Alright," I say, no hesitation anymore. "Takumi Hinoyama, I'm in. I'll join the Hyakuren."

"For real?"

"Yeah, for real. I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time, but I'm sick of this solo crap. It's time to stop pretending like I can do everything myself."

His face breaks into that grin again, the one that could almost be called smug if I didn't know how genuine it was. "That's the spirit, Hayato! We could use you around here, seriously. It's not about doing it alone anymore, you get that now, right?"

"Guess I do. Might as well start somewhere."

"Glad to have you on board, man.

You've got a place here, and we've got your back. Always."

I let the words hang in the air for a moment. There's something weird about hearing that, but... it doesn't feel bad.

"Just don't slow me down," I mutter under my breath, but he just laughs.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

I nod. The Hyakuren isn't going to be easy, but... maybe it's the right thing to do. Maybe it's time to stop fighting alone.

---

The cool air of Hokkaido fades as we return to Osaka from the school trip. The city's noise hits me, but it's nothing new.

The trip's over. We're back.

Feels different now. We've been through a lot.

This place always feels tense. But today, it's... calmer.

I step inside the Hyakuren HQ along with Takumi.

What's next? I don't know. But I'm here.

Takumi steps in, "We're back."

I look around.

The place... is a mess. It's nothing like I imagined. Garbage everywhere. The floors are all dirty.

This is the Hyakuren HQ? What a joke.

I try not to let it show on my face, but it's hard not to notice. The place feels like no one's been here in months.

No wonder things are falling apart. If this is how they run their base, no wonder everything's such a mess.

Takumi scratches the back of his head, looking awkward. "Uh... Well, this isn't exactly how I imagined coming back."

"Yeah, me neither."

He lets out a nervous laugh. "I mean... I guess it's been a while since anyone really cleaned up here."

"I wouldn't be surprised if this place hasn't seen a mop in years."

He sighs, rubbing his neck. "I... I should've probably taken care of this before."

I cross my arms, half-amused.

His face reddens, and he waves his hand, flustered. "I-I didn't want it to turn out like this! I swear!"

"Sure doesn't look like it."

Takumi looks genuinely embarrassed now. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll clean it up.

Actually, this place has been the same since the Crimson invasion. Please forgive us."

"Hmm? Figures."

"Anyway, I'm really gonna need some help. Since you are now an official Hyakurensha, you should be also taking care of the place, right?"

"Maybe. Depends on how serious you are about cleaning it up."

"Well, I'm serious now, okay?"

I just nod. "Yeah yeah, leave this to me. Just wait and watch."

Well, he's right. I'm a Hyakurensha now. Guess I'll have to fix this too.

===

In a blink, Hayato moves like a streak of lightning. One moment, he's standing still, the next, he's zipping around, faster than the blink of an eye.

Takumi stares, completely dumbfounded, as Hayato flips, slides, and cleans everything in sight. The floors, the walls, the trash... gone. Everything's spotless.

By the time Takumi catch his breath, it's... like nothing ever happened. The place is gleaming. The smell of garbage? Gone. The mess? Vanished.

"Uhh..." Takumi is still processing with a mouth wide open.

Hayato stands there, as casual as ever, arms crossed. "Done."

Takumi blink. "Wait, how...?"

He shrugs, cool as ever. "It's just cleaning."

"That... that was unreal."

===

After I'm done cleaning, I step back, taking in the now spotless HQ. It doesn't feel too bad. It's different, sure, but it's mine now. Part of something bigger.

Takumi's still standing there, eyes wide, not really getting what just happened. Yeah, that's how I do things—quick, silent. No need to show off. Just do it.

Feels odd, but there's a weight to it now. I'm not just some lone wolf anymore. Hyakuren. That's where I belong now. Doesn't matter what happened before. I've got a place, and I'm gonna brace it. Every bit of it.

TO BE CONTINUED...