Our Invincible Protagonist (6)

The sun was already beginning to set by the time Kotaka arrived back at the batting center. To be perfectly honest, he had thought Onimaru would be long gone. But lo and behold, he was sitting exactly where they had shared a drink together. He had a bowl of soba in his hand and tons of cola cans scattered around him. When he saw Kotaka approaching he straightened up.

"Oh you're back." said Onimaru gulping down a mouthful of noodles, "Sorry, but our rent on the machines has expired."

When Kotaka did not reply, Onimaru set his bowl down to one side, "What's wrong boss?"

"Oni of Sugita." Kotaka whispered, "That's what they called you back then right?"

Onimaru seemed stunned for a moment, he chuckled softly as his helmet sealed itself with a soft hiss.

"Something tells me you were gone for more than just a bathroom break." He said in a low voice, "Where did you hear that name?"

"So it's true." Kotaka snarled, "Then you knew this whole time?" the other boy nodded. Kotaka clenched his fists. So he HAD been aware about the truth behind his delinquent persona all along. Suzaku was right, Onimaru Godou had just been toying with him from the start.

Cursing himself for thinking for a second that Onimaru was trustworthy, Kotaka whispered, "Why?"

"Well to be honest, I didn't really know until my last year at Sugita." Onimaru shrugged.

"Eh?" Kotaka looked up, his solemn expression giving way to one of confusion.

"For two years I had been hearing about this crazy guy at school they were calling 'The Oni of Sugita'" Onimaru continued, making air quotes with his hands, "I didn't pay much attention to it but when I finally got curious and asked around I found out he was actually me!" he laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "I had no idea they thought of me like that! I was so embarrassed!"

"No! What?!" Kotaka cried, his previously calm façade breaking apart in an instant, "I meant the fact that I'm not some badass delinquent!"

"Huh?" Onimaru jerked up, turning his attention back to Kotaka, "Ha ha there's no need to act modest with me now boss," he laughed, "I already saw how you dealt with those punks this mor-"

"Onimaru I'm being serious! That was just an act!" Kotaka continued, waving his arms, "I was just trying to scare them off so they wouldn't find out how weak I was!"

At this Onimaru fell silent. Kotaka sighed, it was time to come clean, "Like I said, I'm not a delinquent." He repeated quietly, "I'm just an average guy with the face of a thug."

"I've been pushed and kicked around my whole life because of it, and I thought maybe after moving here I could use it to my advantage for once, make people think I was strong so they'd leave me alone." he continued, the other boy listening intently, "But it backfired and now the leader of those guys you beat up wants our heads, if we want him off both our backs we need to work together."

"Hmm...", Onimaru folded his arms, deep in thought, "I'm not sure I understand." he said, rising to his feet, "but basically you need my help dealing with vermin again?" the grin on his mask looked almost predatory as he said this. Kotaka gulped and nodded slowly.

"Than that's all there is to it!" He bellowed, slapping Kotaka on the shoulders, "What do you need me to do boss?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kotaka pushed Onimaru's hands away and pointed towards the door, "Their leader's got about a dozen guys with him waiting around the corner. They'll probably follow you and try to get you alone. Keep them busy for as long as you can."

"Got it." Onimaru nodded, "What about you?"

"Me?" Kotaka laughed nervously, "It'd be a miracle if I last a second with even one of those guys. I'll leave out back and go get help."

"Heh heh you spoil me boss," Onimaru replied, disposing of his trash and walked past him to the exit. Before he left he paused, one hand on the door, "Today was pretty fun, Thanks."

And with that he was gone, leaving Kotaka even more conflicted about him than before. Was he really a sadistic psychopath like he had heard? or just a simple minded idiot who happened to enjoy fighting? Deep down Kotaka had the feeling it was probably the latter.

It almost made him feel bad for deceiving him.

He didn't want to admit it, but those few hours in the batting center with Onimaru were more enjoyable than he thought. But it was too late to turn back now.

"I had fun too, Godou,", Kotaka thought, taking out his cell phone, "and I'm sorry. "

SSS

Night was falling on the city, and the number of people walking the streets was dwindling with each passing minute. Onimaru Godou walked down these streets well in the knowledge that he was being followed, and quickly turned into a secluded alley. He could feel a dozen eyes on him as he stopped in the middle.

"I know you're there, so why don't you come out?" He called.

There was a brief moment of stillness before they showed themselves. Young men in various uniforms and dress with the same spiked up hairstyle started approaching from all directions, from the front and back of the alley and from the smaller alleys connected to it from the side. All of them had some kind of weapon in hand and there were well over thirty of them in total, but Onimaru did not react as they surrounded him.

"The boss sure has an odd definition of "a dozen"" Onimaru thought as he noticed a blond fellow that seemed vaguely familiar pushing through the crowd.

"So you noticed?" said the blond, "Doesn't matter though, I'm going to enjoy paying you back for this morning."

Onimaru folded his arms and cocked his head to one side, examining the blond carefully.

"Huh? Have we met before?" he finally said, "Sorry, I don't remember the faces of uninteresting people."

"Tch, Laugh all you want," the blond growled angrily, twirling a six-inch switchblade in his hands, "even you don't stand a chance against this many guys."

"I don't see your leader anywhere." Onimaru mused, looking around at people surrounding him, "Looks like the boss is trying to hog all the fun for himself."

"Hey! Pay attention when I'm talking to…"

"I don't suppose any of you would be willing to tell me where he is?" Ignoring the blade swinging delinquent in front of him, Onimaru reached into his jacket and pulled out a dented aluminium bat. He pointed it at the blonde's face, "Maybe you?"

"What? Why would I-?"

Before he could finish Onimaru swung the bat, connecting squarely with the blonde's head in the blink of an eye. The latter smashed facefirst into the adjacent wall and crumpled to the floor, a pool of blood forming around his nose.

"Hmm... about 0.5% with a bat." Onimaru said as he swung the bat in a wide sweep, barely touching the delinquents' faces as they seized up in fear.

"Now then," Onimaru grinned, letting the bat rest on his shoulder, "who wants to be struck out next?"

SSS