Another Battle Won

It had only been a couple of days, but Kozue managed to warm up to her situation. Of course, she didn't want to be there, but the resentment for Ren and the others had dissipated. Now, she only had one person she despised. Even when thinking about him, it would cause her heart to skip a beat. She would clutch it, as if her very soul was damaged.

Her friends were murdered.

All, because of Yamishin Kyoki.

Her thoughts were no longer about escaping, but suddenly, the house was raided by Himura Tadashi's men. And his son, her friend, Himura Takeo.

"Where is she?!" Takeo, and all his men, stood in the living room with knifes in hand. Across from them, Ren was standing tall as he drank his green tea, peacefully, "I don't know what you mean?" he replied, taking another sip.

"Don't play games with us! We already killed those guards of yours!" Takeo demanded; his brows furrowed. The information caught Ren off guard. He didn't like the guards, but to say he would be glad over their death would be untrue. However, that does not mean he felt sadness. What he felt, was pity.

"I see, I guess that gives me good enough reason to kill you, then." Ren dug into his suit, which was given to him by Kyoki, and brought forth two brass knuckles. He put them on both hands, clinked them together, and gathered himself into a southpaw boxing stance.

The room began to shrink as the men enclosed around Ren.

The first strike was swift, a lightning-fast jab that connected with bone-jarring force. The metallic resonance of brass meeting flesh reverberated through the confined space. The man's cheek tore as he tumbled down to the ground, his bone completely showing as blood guzzled from within. 

The next victim swung his knife, but ren weaved, then bobbed by sending an uppercut into the man's chin as he went rigid with agony.

The next opponent, a burly figure with a glinting knife, lunged forward with the subtlety of a charging bull. Ren's footwork was a tango, each step choreographed with an innate sense of grace, sidestepping out of the way.

As the knife-wielding assailant overextended, Ren seized the opportunity. His counter was poetry in motion, a staccato burst of movement. The brass knuckles, now an extension of his will, met flesh with the thunderous percussion of a war drum, forcing the man's eyeball to nearly pop out.

Frustrated, Takeo planted his feet, twisted his waist, and launched a straight right at Ren's face. It was quick, but not quick enough as Ren easily weaved out of the way. Ren leaned his shoulder inwards and whirled up a right hook into Takeo's stomach. 

Takeo took a few steps back and fell over the kitchen counter as the remaining men looked at each other, before they nodded their heads, deciding to attack all at once.

Ren switched his approach as well, bending his knees and tackling the man straight across from him. The two of them fell over a table, causing all of Ren's tea to crash and spill over the floor. While on the floor, Ren sent as many punches as possible into the man's face before rolling over and taking a stance again, huffing.

The man's nose was bent, like a question mark, and his teeth were facing inwards into his own mouth, on the brink of falling off as he coughed up blood. 

"Oh, come on, it ain't that bad." Ren mimicked, then crouched down. The remaining two men were confused, but abruptly, Ren started to pound his fists into the wooden ground.

His voice shuddered, "It is that bad..." He was looking at the tea that had been spilt. 

His jaw clenched tightly, and his lips were set in a tight line, revealing the simmering anger beneath.

He pounded his fists into the ground before one last time, his hands crashing through the wooden boards. He got off his knees and before the men could react, he sent both of his fists into their face's. He utilized every muscle in his back as he brought the men crashing down under his fists.

Their eyes turned white.

Ren's calmness had begun to slip away. The thoughts of tea filled his mind, but he heard something in the kitchen move. His fists left the men's face, their flesh clinging to his brass knuckles before snapping off.

Every step was heavy, the wooden boards creaking as he looked for the noise.

"Fuck you!" A noise said from behind.

"ACK!" Ren yelped, looking down at his leg. Nothing showed on the front, so he looked to the back of it, a knife anchored inside of it. He grabbed the hilt, gritting his teeth, and yanked it out. Blood flowed out, but he didn't care. He looked for who stabbed him.

Takeo.

The boy stood there; anger etched into his face.

"Fuck off." Ren tossed the knife into the air, and the moment it made contact with his hand again, he sent it flying through the air.

It sunk into Takeo's shoulder, causing a, "AHHH!"

Takeo went to grab the hilt, but the second he did, it made him rupture with pain as he groaned. He looked around, all men were dead. He turned his head back and dashed outside the front.

Ren fell onto his butt as his vision turned blurry. Within a matter of a few blinks, the time had passed, and the sun rose.

He saw a silhouette above him. The person seemed familiar to him. He tried to make sense of who it was, but there was one defining factor that brought him to an understanding.

White hair.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"He did a good job," Kyoki looked downwards. Remi had told the crew what Tadashi said to her. Originally the crew said they'd all go, but Kyoki shut them down and sent them home.

He and Remi went alone.

"Though it appears he let the kid run away." He finished.

"You're the one who let the kid go first, remember?" Remi reminded him, her hair in a mess as strands were flying in all directions.

"Fair enough," Kyoki replied, headed through the hallway. The echoes of his footsteps bounced off the wall, stopping at the very last door. He placed his fingers on the door and pushed it open.

The darkness stared back.

He walked inside, "Ren won. Now, stop hiding."

Remi flicked the lights on, and red hair began to emerge from under the bed.

Kozue.

"He won?" She asked, confused.

"Yeah, he got those sons of bitches." Kyoki creeped up closer, hunched over her, "but I do have a question for you."

Kozue hesitated to take a step back but chose not to. She held her ground, "w-what is it?"

"Hah," Kyoki scoffed, tiredly, "never mind. I think I got my answer. Get whatever shit you have and follow us. Ren is bleeding out in the living room." He pointed behind him, then turned around and headed for the door.

"W-Wait, what was the question! You can't just ask-hold up, Ren's bleeding out!? I though you said he won!? How could you..." her complaints continued to fill the air, even as Kyoki took Ren inside the car.