Hirokazu

I rubbed my eyes and groaned loudly. I looked up and saw an unfamiliar forest above me, I sat up and looked around. I was lying at the base of a large tree, its trunk towering over me.

I looked over to my right as I heard a crunch of leaves. I saw a hunched figure walk out of the trunks and I realised it was Yatsu. She bounded over to me upon seeing that I was awake.

I laughed as her tongue licked at all sides of my face. I scratched her behind the ears and grinned when she purred contentedly.

"You're awake?" A gentle, familiar voice asked.

I looked past Yatsu's huge build and saw Jae standing by a pile of logs and strips of cloth. She grinned and rubbed her head. "I was going to make a fire, but then I realised they're probably out looking for us—you—" She said.

I stood up and swayed slightly. As I did, I remembered everything. I remembered Anja's tormented screams as she watched her beloved Aleksei being attacked in the most singularly painful way they could've thought of at that moment.

"The palace—it's…gone," I murmured, still leaning against the tree trunk. Jae walked slowly over to me.

"I wanted to go back and check the damage, but I couldn't leave you by yourself." She said as if admitting a sin.

I shook my head. "It's okay—but where are we going to go now?"

Jae shrugged. "There's a nearby village across a river not far from here."

I nodded slowly. I knew we had to get as far away as soon as possible. For Jae's safety, for my safety. For Baî's safety.

I sighed and walked out into the clearing, the soft wind and swaying grass, spattered with dots of reds and yellows pulled me into a state of mind. Something I hadn't experienced since before Tsuna arrived, I was always thinking, planning and wondering what would happen next. If what I was doing was okay, if everyone else would be okay with me. If they wouldn't redirect me if they would accept how I thought, and how I acted when I wasn't around people When I was on my own.

"Hiro, we have to go, I can see their campfires," Jae said. I rubbed my face, falling to my knees in the most grateful bow I could manage.

You'll all survive without me…

I trudged through the sea of waist-high grass. If I was going to get one more ant bite, I swore under my breath as Yatsu let out a soft wine.

I called out to Jae who was trampling ahead of us. She made her way back and scratched Yatsu lovingly as I inspected her paw. I saw the stain of red and groaned.

"She must've hurt herself bounding up the hill when we escaped," Jae said, placing a hand on her chin as she tried to recall what it might've been.

I sighed and rubbed Yatsu's head affectionately. I couldn't lose her, I would rather someone else take care of her. Or if she returned home. I would rather never see her again and know she would be fine than never see her again knowing she was dead.

Jae patted my arm reassuringly. She grinned and pulled out a small plant from her pocket. She sent me a knowing look and I frowned.

"What's that?"

She sighed, exasperated. "It's a root, when crushed up it can easily speed up the healing process."

I grinned. "Where the hell you'd get that from?"

Jae shrugged. "Figured we'd need some of it, after all the drama you caused yourself. I knew there was a river not far from here, so I decided to leave you in Yatsu's care and go off looking for some." She winked happily. "It came out to be handy, didn't it?"

I sighed and grinned. "Yeah, it did."

Jae grabbed a nearby stick and made a small clearing on the ground, she spent the next three minutes grinding up the root before she gingerly applied it to Yatsu's paw. She stood up and brushed her hands off.

"We've been walking for about half an hour, so a little more and we'll be at the river." She sent Yatsu a soothing look and started walking again.

I got to my feet and looked down as Yatsu stood up, pressing down on her paw and letting out a small yap of surprise. It seemed the root was already working miracles.

I let out a soft whoop of happiness. I shoved my fists in the air and leapt down to join Jae as she stood on the bank. Her feet sank into the mud. She waved her shoes above her head.

"Come on!" She shouted.

I jumped over a rock and pulled off the makeshift shoes Jae'd recreated from the bark of a tree. I put them above my head and braced myself for cold water.

I was mid-waist when I heard a faint shouting. I pulled the cape Jae gave to me that smelt like smoke, further over my face and hurried through to the water. Hoping to chase Jae as she shook her feet. Washing them in the water.

"Hey! You guys!" The voice grew louder.

Jae spun around and I looked up, hiding my face as much as I could. The person waded over to us, the river pushing against them as they made their way to us on the shore.

Jae stood in front of me as the girl walked up to us. I looked up now that Jae was covering me a little more and saw, in surprise, that she wasn't a nearby villager at all.

She had pink hair that sat neatly just above her shoulder, curving perfectly around her jaw and neck. She watched us with pink eyes too. I frowned, that wasn't a natural colour.

I nearly hit myself in front of everyone. I had weirdly coloured eyes too. She stared at us, hands on hips. She was wearing a blue backpack with a pink jacket, a white shirt and a pink skirt that went up to her mid-thighs. She was carrying her socks and shoes in her backpack, they stuck out as the zip held them in place.

"Where'd you think you're going?" She asked.

Jae stiffened and replied; "It's no business of yours."

The girl frowned. "Well, even a local village would've been slightly suspicious." She looked at Jae's face. "What—you haven't heard?"

Jae and I shook our heads. "Mint Tokyo was attacked last night."

I gaped. How'd they managed to attack two main cities in one night? Just how powerful were these guys? Unless…they were completely different organisations. I refrained from snorting out loud. That was impossible.

"Well, thanks for that, my plan to strike a nice conversation about the ashy remains of my city is ruined now," Jae said sarcastically, a partial taint of shock laced in her voice. "Where are you headed?"

The girl shrugged. "Where else? Baî."

Jae looked back at me, concern lacing her gaze as she met my own. How lethal were they, no one knew.

"Baî was attacked last night as well," Jae said quietly.

The girl scoffed and glared at Jae. "That's too suspicious, you really think they would just attack Baî like that too? Where's your proof?"

Jae's face was so crestfallen that I couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Right here," I said, stepping out from behind Jae and pulling my hood back.

The girl gaped and stared at me. Her gaze was wide as she took in who I was. "You're him…the Tainted King." She said.

I flinched and Jae placed an arm out in front of me and pushed me behind her once again. The girl's eyes met Jae's and she grimaced.

"I'm sorry, I've just heard so much about you…" She said, trailing off. She sighed and looked up at the sky, squinting at the grey clouds overhead.

"If both of our destinations are demolished. Where are we supposed to go?"

I sighed and gave Jae and quick it's-okay look and walked out from behind her. Yatsu limped to my side and sat down at my feet. "Anya was attacked as well, not long ago," I said, squatting down in defeat.

The girl groaned and spat on the ground. "That damn league, what the hell are they after?"

"Me," I said quietly.

The girl was silent, stunned. "Why?"

"Because I'm the only one who can stop them," I said. I stood up out of my crouch and looked at her. "And I'm going to," I said.

"Hiro you're not—" Jae started.

"Not what? Ready? Prepared? Capable? I am the reason so many people have died. I am the reason those two got captured." I felt that hand clench tighter around my heart. Something that I hadn't felt in a long time.

"I will stop them, I can't let my father's death be for nothing."

Jae shifted her gaze to the ground and I looked at the girl. She'd been speculating as we argued over taking down a league that's already wiped out three cities. Maybe more.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Miyoko." She replied simply. Nothing more, nothing less. I nodded and brushed my fringe from my face as the wind pushed it there.

"Do you want to join us? Rebel against this power that's consumed the majority of the kingdoms?"

Miyoko took a deep breath and smiled. "I was about to ask you that myself."

I grinned, I looked at the two of them as they watched me. I remembered my mother's cold hand as I collected her memories so that she would live on. I remembered the first time I met Jae, as she leapt down from the roof of a nearby building and stopped me from committing an unforgivable act. I remembered Anja and Aleksei's screams as they knew they might never see each other again.

I let out a shaky breath. "I vow to stop them, until my last breath."

Jae bowed and Miyoko nodded. "We're with you." They said.