Kokuja?

The name is Kenta, Vice Commander of Kokuja's Uroko (Scale). "Come along nicely, and no one will get hurt. Well... at least for now."

"Hinto, don't listen to them!" Nikko said

Hinto got up, and as he did, he wiped his face.

"Nikko, stay here," he said.

"But Hi—" Before she could finish her sentence, Hinto cut her off.

"I'll be okay, trust me," he said with a smile.

In that moment, Nikko felt conflicted but somehow felt a sense of reassurance because he actually made her feel like everything would be alright.

"Let's go then. Take me to your leader," Hinto said.

"Haha, I like the confidence, little demon boy. I hope you keep the same energy," Kenta said.

As they were leaving the school's property.

Hiro went to Hinto's table to borrow one of his pens, and he coincidentally looked out of the window.

He saw Hinto walking away with a group of guys dressed in black, and he saw Nikko on her knees in the rain.

"What is going on?!" he said.

But Hiro didn't have time to analyze the situation too much, so he asked the teacher, "Can I use the toilet, sensei?"

The teacher responded by saying, "Yes, go ahead."

"Thank you!" he said while walking out of the class.

Rika immediately noticed something was off because she looked at Hiro, and he seemed extremely serious.

As Hiro got out of the classroom, he immediately started to run down the stairs at full speed.

Rika thought to herself, What the heck? Why did he suddenly start running?

Hiro thought to himself, I have to be quick. I can't afford to lose them.

Rika immediately started to text him: WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!

Hiro heard his phone chime but ignored it and ran outside.

Nikko, still sitting in the rain, heard the sound of someone running towards her.

Hiro ran out of the school building with the most serious expression on his face.

He stopped and asked, "Nikko, are you okay?"

Nikko, crying, said, "Yes i'm fine, but they—they took Hinto!"

"Don't worry, Nikko. I'll make sure to bring him back, no matter what!

At the hideout

 Hinto and the Kokuja members entered the hideout, which was an old, abandoned fish factory building near the docks.

There, the boss was sitting on what was supposed to look like a throne, but it was an old chair on the first floor. Also, Kazuo was standing right next to him.

Kenta said, "Yooo, boss, we brought our little rascal."

"Bring him over here," the boss said.

Hinto was analyzing his surroundings while going along with them.

"So you're the one that attacked my dog, Kazuo, huh?"

"He caught me off guard, boss," Kazuo said.

The boss got up, and as he did, he backfisted Kazuo.

Hinto gritted his teeth.

"Did I give you permission to speak, Kazuo?"

"No, boss, you didn't... I'm sorry," Kazuo said.

"IS THAT HOW YOU TREAT YOUR FRIENDS!? LIKE DIRT!?" Hinto yelled.

"I get to treat them however I like. Didn't you realize what kind of gang we are?"

"WE ARE THE KOKUJA!" the boss yelled.

Hinto started to laugh, and the boss looked at him confused.

"What's so funny!?" the boss asked.

Hinto smirked. "What a lame-ass name."

"You really have a death wish, don't you? Look at the situation, kid."

Suddenly, the room filled with Kokuja members coming from every corner of the building—about 15 of them surrounding Hinto.

"I've never heard of your organization before, but judging by your hideout, you can't possibly be a high-ranking member," Hinto said.

The boss's expression changed as he walked down the stairs.

"Step back, boys. I have to teach this one a lesson myself."

"I'm so scared," Hinto said sarcastically. "You're probably a bottom-tier thug pretending to be a big boss—recruiting little kids as your bread shuttles, like in some corny manga."

The boss walked up to Hinto while looking down on him; he was at least a head taller.

"IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA SHUT YOUR MOUTH, I'M GONNA SHUT IT FOR YOU!" the boss yelled.

"Bad idea," Hinto said.

The boss threw a punch, but Hinto dodged it.

"Slow as hell… is that all you got?" Hinto taunted.

he boss launched a flurry of punches, but Hinto dodged every single one.

"So, Mr. Self-Proclaimed Boss, is that seriously all? Where can I sign up to become the boss?" Hinto laughed.

The boss, furious, attempted to kick him, but this time, Hinto didn't dodge.

"I got you now!" the boss yelled.

His kick made contact—but not in the way he expected.

Hinto caught the kick with one hand.

"Whoa, that was a pretty decent kick… for a guy like you," Hinto said.

The energy in the room shifted.

Hinto pushed the boss's leg aside and delivered a powerful yoko geri (side kick) to his stomach, sending him flying three meters before he crashed onto the floor.

Everyone stood in shock, their mouths open.

The boss coughed, then looked at his members.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE—GET HIM!"

They all yelled and charged at Hinto.

"Time to let loose a little," Hinto said while cracking his neck.

Hinto fought them off, hitting them with rapid combinations before they could land a single hit.

The boss, watching the chaos, thought, How is he only a first-year in high school?! This is impossible.

One by one, the gang members fell, moaning in pain.

As Hinto knocked out the last guy, the boss rushed at him from behind, ready to strike—

But before Hinto had the chance to react, Hiro appeared, ducked in front of the boss, and landed an uppercut.

"AAAH!" the boss yelled as he hit the ground.

"Hiro! What are you doing here?!" Hinto said.

"Backing you up, brother!" Hiro grinned.

Hinto closed his eyes for a second and smirked. "Haha, we really are two sides of the same coin, huh?"

"Some things never change, I guess," Hiro said.

More gang members got up and ran toward them.

"You take right, I take left?" 

"Yep."

They charged into battle.

The boss realized Kenta was nowhere to be found.

"KENTA WHERE ARE YOU!?" He yelled

"KENTA! YOU BROUGHT THIS GUY HERE, AND NOW YOU'RE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND?!"

Then, he saw Kazuo trembling, frozen in fear.

He walked up to Kazuo and said "First Kenta, and now you, Kazuo?! Are you just going to sit there while the rest of them take all the beating!?"

"Boss… I don't stand a chance against him. We can't do anything," Kazuo stammered.

The boss noticed a steel pipe lying on the floor.

He walked over, picked it up, and turned toward Kazuo.

"You insolent little brat…" he said

Hiro, after knocking out the last gang member, saw the boss approaching Kazuo with the pipe.

"Oh, shit!" Hiro shouted as he sprinted toward them.

The boss swung the pipe at Kazuo, who instinctively covered his face with his arms—

But before it could land, Hinto jumped in front of him, taking the full blow to his face.

The boss, Kazuo, and Hiro all froze in shock.

Hinto stood there, unfazed. His white hair was now streaked red from a wound on the side of his head.

He glared at the boss, who trembled and dropped the pipe, falling to the ground in fear.

"Hinto?" Hiro said cautiously.

Hinto ignored him.

These words started echoing in his head.

"He tried to kill you."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Are you going to let him get away with it?"

Hinto grabbed the boss by the collar and started beating him.

Punch after punch after punch.

"Hinto, that's enough!" Hiro yelled.

Hinto didn't listen.

"Oh no, this is bad. I have to stop him!" Hiro thought while running toward Hinto.

The boss collapsed, but Hinto picked him up and continued.

"HINTO, STOP! IT'S ENOUGH!"

The boss barely opened his swollen eyes. All he could see was a black silhouette with glowing red eyes and a chilling aura.

"End him."

Hinto's fist slammed toward the boss's face—

But it stopped just before impact.

Instead, he opened his hand, grabbed the boss's nose, and honked it like a clown's.

The boss wet himself and passed out.

Hinto laid him on the floor.

Hiro sighed in relief.

"Hahaha, what a clown," Hinto said, dusting off his hands.

Hinto walked out of the hideout, and Hiro ran after him.

"You scared me for a second," Hiro admitted.

"Hahaha, sorry. I was just playing with him, just to scare him a little," Hinto said with a grin.

Hiro laughed but thought, "He definitely wasn't playing. He was really about to kill that guy… But he's a lot more in control of his emotions now, especially after taking a blow like that to the head."

"Is your head okay?" Hiro asked.

"This little scratch? I'll be fine, ahaha." Hinto replied

Meanwhile at school

The school day ended, and students poured out of the building. The weather had started to clear.

Nikko, Rika, Taka, and Hakuho stood outside, discussing the situation.

"Should we call the police?" Nikko asked.

"Hiro told me to wait for his message before making any decisions. I trust his judgment," Rika said.

"Let's hope you're right, Rika," Nikko said.

"I hope so too..." Rika thought to herself

Suddenly, from a distance—

"LOOK, THERE THEY ARE!" Taka shouted.

Nikko sprinted toward Hinto and threw her arms around him.

"Are you okay?! What happened? Did you get hurt?! Why is there blood on your face?!"

She bombarded him with questions, frantically inspecting his injuries.

Rika lost her mind. "WHAAAAA?!"

Taka stood frozen in shock. "IT BLEEDS?!"

"Hakuho, reassured that his friends were safe, sighed in relief and pulled a hidden burger from his jacket and started to eat it.

"I'm alright. Hiro was there to have my back," Hinto said.

"Not that he needed it," Hiro added. "You should have seen this guy."

Nikko bowed deeply. "Thank you for bringing him back, Hiro!"

"Hey, hey, quit it with the bowing. No need to thank me. I'll always be there for my friends," Hiro said.

Nikko smiled. "What amazing friends you have, Hinto." she thought to herself

She stepped closer to him.

"Hinto…" she said

"Yes, Nikko?" he replied

"About that 'White Demon' thing… I really don't care what they call you. I don't see you as a demon, and I never will. Whatever they're saying about you—it isn't true."

Hinto sighed. "It's okay, Nikko. Because… they're kind of right."

Nikko's heart sank.

"Well, at least they were if we're talking about the me from the past," Hinto said.

"They have their reasons for seeing me that way. I did some horrible things when you weren't around," Hinto admitted.

Nikko's expression darkened.

"Don't look so gloomy," Hinto said. 

"Over the summer, I realized I didn't want to be like the old me anymore. I did awful things because of pain and sadness… but I won't let those emotions overpower me any longer. I have enough to be grateful for. Enough to love."

"I have you guys…" he said, while looking at his group of friends

He hesitated for a moment.

and that includes you, too, Nikko-chan."

he looked slightly embarrassed.

"Hinto-kun…" Nikko whispered, tears in her eyes, smiling.

"Also, one last thing. I'm sorry for how I reacted about the letters. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it. I should've just asked you why you didn't write me," Hinto said.

"I understand why you were upset," Nikko replied.

"But there's something I don't understand." she said

Hinto raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Nikko looked at him seriously.

"How didn't you get any of my messages? I've been sending them every week."

Hinto's eyes widened.

Back at the Hideout

A couple of hours after the big fight...

A Kokuja member ran up to the boss.

"Boss! There's a visitor at the door."

"Important? Did they say who they were?" the boss said, holding ice to his face.

"They said you know who they are."

"Tell them to identify themselves or buzz off," the boss snapped.

Before the gang member could return to the door—

BAM!

He was thrown back into the hideout, unconscious.

"What the!?" the boss shouted.

Two figures walked in.

Both had deep blue hair.

One wore a white coat with "Uroko (Scale) Commander" embroidered on the back.

The other wore a jacket labeled "Uroko (Scale) Vice Commander."

The boss's face twisted in fear.

"Commander…" he said

"You really did it this time, Haruto...." the Commander said coldly.

"HAHAHA, Harutooo-kun! You became a boss now?" the Vice Commander sneered.

Haruto Shiranui, also known as "the boss" (fake boss), gritted his teeth. "Eikyuu..."

"HAHAHA, THAT'S ME, YOU IDIOT!" Eikyuu laughed.

"So he replaced me didn't he Commander Amakusa...?" Haruto asked

The Commander ignored him. "Haruto, explain how you got yourself into this mess."

"Ew, yuck. I didn't think we'd have to step into a dump like this," Eikyuu muttered.

"Eikyuu, I'm talking," the Commander snapped.

"SORRY, BIG BRO!" Eikyuu said

"I'm not your big bro." the Commander sighed.

Haruto straightened. "Sir, some high schoolers were harassing my group. We had to teach them a lesson. A fight broke out."

"Before or after you pretended to still be a Kokuja member?" the Commander asked.

Haruto flinched.

"Haruto, wasn't getting kicked out of Kokuja enough? Did you have to embarrass us, too?" Eikyuu laughed.

Haruto felt his heart pounding.

"I'm so screwed" he thought to himself.

"Did you come to punish me, Commander?" Haruto said

The Commander smirked. "Not me... Someone else."

A third person entered.

Haruto's blood ran cold.

"You've never seen me in person, so I can imagine you not knowing who I am," the person said.

"...That voice... it can't be," Haruto said, quivering in fear as he felt the man's aura filling the space around him.

The man wore a long coat with the word "Ryu" (Dragon) and a dragon logo on it, and he had a dragon mask.

Haruto was frozen with fear.

"It can't be... there's no way," he thought.

"So, what happened here? Care to explain?" the masked man asked

Eikyuu started blabbing, "HE WAS PRETENDING TO BE KOKUJA!"

The Commander shouted. "EIKYUU, SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU'RE EMBARRASSING THE BOSS!"

"Am i lying!?" Eikyuu said

"My apologies sir..." Commander Amakusa said while kneeling

"Haha, Amakusa-kun You gotta make sure to control your little pet," the masked man said

As he said that, he backfisted Eikyuu, sending him flying and knocking him out.

"Don't worry, I held back. He'll probably wake up in about an hour," the masked man said.

Haruto told the whole story

The masked man said, So you're telling me you and your whole group got beaten up by a high schooler?"

"This guy was insane... I've never seen anything like this. He was young, maybe 14 or 15," Haruto said. "And his friend was also an insanely skilled kickboxer."

"What are the names of your subordinates—the ones who got the high school kid involved?" the masked man asked

"I can't tell him anything about them," Haruto thought.

"With all due respect, Boss, I'm not gonna tell you that," Haruto said.

Sigh "So if I understand you correctly... you embarrassed the organization, and now you refuse a command from the leader of this very organization?" the masked man said.

"I messed up, but I won't let anyone go down with me, so you're not getting any information out of me," Haruto said.

"You've got stones, Haruto, I gotta give you that. Well, good thing I always have a backup plan," the masked man said.

Members of the Uroko (Scale) Division brought in Kenta, all bloodied and beaten up.

"So, Kenta... do you care to explain to us the names of the guys involved?" the masked man asked.

"The—their names are..." Kenta was trying to speak.

"NO, KENTA, DON'T!" Haruto yelled.

"Shingo..., Jiro... and Kazuo..." Kenta passed out right after spilling the beans.

The members checked on him.

"Oops, boss, I think he might be..."

"We don't need him anymore, so that's fine," the masked man said.

Haruto started yelling his name. "KENTAAAAAAAAAAA, NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Get rid of his body as soon as we leave" the masked man said

"You knew what would happen if you continued to tarnish the organization's name, Haruto... you brought this upon yourself...," the Commander said while walking away.

"Unfortunately your story ends here, Haruto. You have been brave till the end...." the masked man said as he pulled out a katana with text on it that read,

"NANASHI RYUJIN" ("ANONYMOUS DRAGON GOD").

Chapter End - Kokuja?