Keisei Street was crowded with neon lights, bars, small restaurants, and entertainment venues.

Sakura Haruka, Nirei Akihiko, and Suo Hayato were walking through the district with Tsubakino.

They had come to Keisei Street because Tsubakino wanted to thank them for helping an elderly man named Ito.

Sakura looked around, clearly uncomfortable with the unfamiliar atmosphere.

Sakura:

“Why did you even bring us here?”

Tsubakino:

“Because I wanted to show you guys something.”

Nirei looked around nervously.

Nirei:

“This place is... definitely different from what I’m used to.”

Suo smiled.

Suo:

“You’re saying that like you’re not enjoying it.”

Before Nirei could answer—

A shadow suddenly appeared above them.

Sakura looked up.

Sakura:

“Huh?”

A girl in a badly torn white dress suddenly fell from above.

She dropped straight toward him.

Sakura:

“WHAT—?!”

THUD!

The girl landed directly on Sakura.

Sakura:

“Ow!”

Nirei:

“SAKURA?!”

Suo:

“That was unexpected.”

Sakura pushed himself up.

The girl was lying against him, clearly exhausted and frightened.

Sakura:

“Hey! Are you okay?”

The girl slowly opened her eyes.

Shizuka:

“Please...”

Sakura:

“What?”

Shizuka looked behind her in panic.

Shizuka:

“Don’t let them take me.”

Before Sakura could ask anything else—

Several men appeared at the end of the street.

Nirei:

“Those guys...”

Suo:

“They’re chasing her.”

Sakura stood up and placed himself between Shizuka and the approaching men.

Sakura:

“You’re not taking her.”

The men rushed toward them.

Sakura, Nirei, and Suo immediately stepped in to protect Shizuka.

After the confrontation, the men were driven away.

Shizuka remained behind Sakura, still shaken.

Nirei:

“Are you hurt?”

Shizuka:

“I’m okay...”

Sakura:

“Then tell us what happened.”

Shizuka hesitated.

Shizuka:

“My name is Shizuka Narita.”

She explained that she had been running away from the group that had been pursuing her.

Before they could ask anything else, another group appeared.

They were dressed in suits.

Sakura immediately became cautious.

Sakura:

“More people?”

The man in front stepped forward.

Kanji Nakamura:

“Relax. We’re not here to hurt her.”

Sakura:

“Then who are you?”

Kanji:

“Kanji Nakamura. We are Roppo-Ichiza.”

Nirei’s eyes widened.

Nirei:

“Roppo-Ichiza?!”

Suo calmly observed them.

Suo:

“So that’s the group we’ve heard about.”

Kanji looked at Shizuka.

Kanji:

“She works with us.”

Shizuka nodded.

Kanji:

“Come with us. We need to get you somewhere safe.”

---

Show Pub OUGI

They arrived at Show Pub OUGI.

Inside, Sakura, Nirei, and Suo met the other members of Roppo-Ichiza.

And then—

Tsubakino appeared.

Sakura:

“You were already here?”

Tsubakino smiled.

Tsubakino:

“Of course.”

Shizuka stayed close to Kanji.

Tsubakino looked at her with concern.

Tsubakino:

“So you’re the girl they were chasing.”

Shizuka:

“Yes.”

Tsubakino then looked at Sakura.

Tsubakino:

“And you caught her when she fell?”

Sakura’s face reddened slightly.

Sakura:

“She literally fell on me. What was I supposed to do?”

Suo:

“Catch her, apparently.”

Nirei:

“That was actually pretty impressive.”

Sakura:

“Shut up.”

The atmosphere became lighter for a moment.

But it didn’t last.

Outside—

A large group began gathering.

Kanji’s expression immediately became serious.

Kanji:

“GRAVEL.”

Sakura:

“Those guys again?”

Kanji:

“They’ve come back for Shizuka.”

---

GRAVEL’s Attack

GRAVEL flooded the streets.

Their numbers were overwhelming.

Kanji and Roppo-Ichiza moved outside.

Sakura, Nirei, and Suo followed.

Sakura:

“We’re not letting them reach her.”

The fighting spread throughout Keisei Street.

No matter how many GRAVEL members were pushed back, more kept coming.

Nirei:

“There’s no end to them!”

Suo:

“They’re certainly persistent.”

Sakura:

“Then we’ll keep going.”

Inside OUGI, Shizuka could hear the fighting.

She looked increasingly worried.

Shizuka:

“This is happening because of me...”

Tsubakino:

“No.”

Shizuka:

“But everyone is fighting because they’re trying to protect me.”

Tsubakino:

“That’s their choice.”

Shizuka looked toward the door.

Shizuka:

“Then I have to stop it.”

She suddenly ran outside.

Tsubakino:

“Shizuka!”

She tried to reach the GRAVEL side and surrender herself.

But Tsubakino and the Saki brothers stopped her.

Shizuka:

“Please! If I go with them, they’ll stop fighting!”

Tsubakino:

“Do you really believe that’s what you want?”

Shizuka froze.

Tsubakino:

“Don’t decide your future because you’re scared of causing trouble.”

Shizuka lowered her head.

Shizuka:

“...I don’t want to leave.”

Tsubakino:

“Then don’t.”

Shizuka slowly looked up.

Shizuka:

“I want to stay.”

Tsubakino smiled.

Tsubakino:

“Then stay with us.”

---

Tsubakino and Suzuri

Eventually, Tsubakino confronted Shuhei Suzuri.

The two exchanged blows, but Tsubakino wasn’t only trying to defeat him.

He wanted to understand him.

Suzuri fought with everything he had.

Tsubakino continued talking to him, trying to reach the person behind his anger.

The fight gradually changed.

Instead of simply becoming another battle, it became a conversation between two people who had completely different ways of seeing the world.

Eventually, Tsubakino extended his hand toward Suzuri.

Tsubakino:

“You don’t have to keep doing this alone.”

Suzuri stared at him.

The members of GRAVEL watched silently.

After a long moment—

Suzuri accepted his hand.

The conflict finally began to end.

GRAVEL and Roppo-Ichiza reached an understanding.

---

After the Conflict

The fighting stopped.

Everyone returned to the diner.

Shizuka stood quietly in front of Kanji and Tsubakino.

Shizuka:

“I’m sorry.”

Kanji:

“You don’t need to apologize for everything.”

Shizuka:

“But you all got involved because of me.”

Tsubakino:

“And we’re glad we did.”

Shizuka looked down.

Shizuka:

“Thank you.”

The atmosphere finally became peaceful.

Sakura stood nearby with Nirei and Suo.

Nirei:

“I’m really glad she’s safe.”

Suo:

“And it seems everyone managed to settle things.”

Sakura:

“Yeah.”

For a moment, everything felt completely calm.

Then—

A voice came from above.

Yamato Endo:

“So this is where everyone ended up.”

Everyone looked up.

A young man was standing high above them.

Tattoos covered his body, extending from his back and shoulders down his arms.

Tsubakino’s expression immediately changed.

Tsubakino:

“...Endo.”

Sakura:

“Endo?”

Endo looked down at them with a relaxed smile.

Yamato Endo:

“Long time no see.”

His eyes moved across the group.

Then they stopped on Sakura.

Yamato Endo:

“So you’re Sakura.”

Sakura:

“How do you know me?”

Endo:

“I’ve heard plenty about you.”

Nirei looked nervous.

Nirei:

“Who exactly is this guy?”

Suo:

“Someone Tsubakino clearly knows.”

Tsubakino remained silent.

Endo continued talking to them from above, completely unconcerned about the distance.

Yamato Endo:

“Furin really has changed.”

Sakura:

“If you’re going to talk, come down here.”

Endo smiled.

Yamato Endo:

“Impatient, aren’t you?”

He stepped closer to the edge.

Nirei:

“Wait...”

Endo suddenly jumped.

He dropped from the building above them.

THUD!

He landed in front of the group.

Nirei:

“HE JUST JUMPED FROM THERE?!”

Suo watched him carefully.

Sakura didn’t move.

Endo straightened himself and looked directly at Sakura.

Yamato Endo:

“Much better.”

Sakura:

“Who are you?”

Endo:

“Yamato Endo.”

Sakura:

“And what do you want?”

Endo smiled.

Yamato Endo:

“I was curious.”

Sakura:

“About what?”

Endo:

“About the new Furin.”

He looked around at everyone.

Yamato Endo:

“And especially about you.”

Sakura’s expression hardened.

Sakura:

“Me?”

Endo raised his hand toward his neck.

His finger touched the distinctive infinity-shaped tattoo there.

Slowly, he traced the symbol with his finger.

Yamato Endo:

“Interesting...”

His eyes remained fixed on Sakura.

Yamato Endo:

“You’ve become quite the interesting person.”

Sakura:

“Stop talking in circles.”

Endo laughed quietly.

Yamato Endo:

“Still impatient.”

Tsubakino stepped forward.

Tsubakino:

“Endo. Why are you here?”

Endo looked at him.

Yamato Endo:

“Why?”

He smiled again while his finger rested against the infinity symbol on his neck.

Yamato Endo:

“Let’s just say I wanted to see what had become of Furin.”

The atmosphere immediately became tense again.

Suzuri stepped forward.

Suzuri:

“If you’re here because of GRAVEL, then deal with me.”

Endo looked at him.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then Endo’s expression changed into an amused smile.

Yamato Endo:

“Hmm...”

He looked back at Sakura.

Yamato Endo:

“Not today.”

Sakura:

“What?”

Endo turned slightly away.

Yamato Endo:

“I’ve got something else to take care of.”