The Escape of Ikki: A Family's Betrayal and a Desperate Flight into the Night

Ikki took a step forward in front of Sora, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He flashed her a faint grin, attempting to conceal his melancholy.

"Thank you for everything," he muttered, hardly audible above a whisper. "I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for you."

Sora's eyes welled up, and she drew him into a close embrace. "I'm going to miss you," she murmured, her voice breaking with emotion.

Ikki returned her embrace, a knot forming in his throat. "I'll miss you too," he added gently.

As they pulled away from the hug, Ikki wiped away a stray tear from his cheek. He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself for what was to come. Sora put a hand on his arm, her gaze fixed on his face.

"Are you certain about this?" she said, her voice laced with concern. "You could remain here; we could come up with something together."

Ikki shook his head, knowing that staying was not an option. "I have to go, Sora," he said, his voice firm. "There's nothing here for me."

Sora gently nodded, realizing the gravity of the situation. "All right," she replied gently.

Ikki smiled sheepishly, grateful for her assistance. As his gaze met Sora's, he felt a surge of emotion. He rapidly closed the gap between them and dropped a kiss on her cheek without thinking. That was a little gesture, but it spoke a lot about his feelings for her.

Sora's cheeks flushed pink as she looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She knew that he had to leave, but it was still hard to say goodbye.

Ikki took a step back, feeling a pang of regret as he watched Sora's He turned toward the window and took a deep breath, bracing himself for the journey ahead.

"Ikki!" Sora's voice could be heard behind him.

He turned back to see Sora standing at the edge of the room, tears still in her eyes. She approached him, holding out a piece of paper.

"Find me in Tokyo," she replied tremblingly. "I'll be there waiting for you."

Ikki took the paper and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He watched as Sora turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Ikki turned and made his way to the window with a farewell wave. He cautiously climbed out, utilizing his skills to move as quietly as possible. He couldn't help but feel a feeling of loss and nostalgia sweep over him as he made his way over the roof. He knew that would be the last time he saw his childhood home.

(Flashback)

Ikki sat cross-legged on his bed, his gaze fixed on the wall. He'd been practicing for hours, yet he wasn't tired yet. Instead, he was determined to find a means to defend himself from the bodyguards who were always watching him.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to concentrate. He pictured himself in a gigantic mansion with seemingly limitless corridors and chambers. Each room carried a distinct memory, and he breezed past them.

He spotted the bodyguards outside his door in one room, their demeanor grim and hard. In another room, he saw them walking around the hallways with their eyes darting back and forth as they looked for signs of trouble.

Ikki attentively observed their motions, noting their patterns and routines.

He spent hours remembering every aspect of the bodyguards' conduct in his memory palace. The dawn was already rising when he exited, and he was fatigued but pleased.

Ikki realized he couldn't fight the bodyguards directly, given their power and training. He might, however, outwit them by exploiting his knowledge of their movements to sneak past them unseen.

He laid down on his bed, determined to face whatever trials lay ahead.

(End)

Ikki landed on the snow with a soft thud, his body aching from the long jump. He tried to catch his breath, but a sound caught his attention. A bodyguard was walking towards him, his footsteps crunching on the snow.

Ikki's pulse raced as he desperately searched for a spot to hide. He saw a row of garbage cans close and dashed towards them, hoping to go undetected.

As he crouched behind the bins, Ikki tried to steady his breathing, but his heart was pounding in his chest. The bodyguard was getting closer, and he could hear him muttering something under his breath.

When the security guard moved by the dumpsters, his eyes scouring the area, Ikki held his breath. Ikki attempted to make himself as tiny as possible in the hopes of going unnoticed.

The bodyguard stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he looked in Ikki's direction. "What was that?" he muttered to himself.

Ikki's heart stopped as the bodyguard approached the dumpsters. He was stuck, and there was nowhere for him to go.

As the bodyguard drew closer, Ikki could feel his heartbeat in his throat and his hand move into a drawing position. He closed his eyes and braced himself for what was to come.

Suddenly, the bodyguard's phone rang, and he paused to answer it. Ikki let out a silent sigh of relief as the bodyguard turned and walked away, still talking on his phone.

Ikki waited until he was certain that the bodyguard was gone before standing up and dusting the snow off his clothes. He took a deep breath and continued on his journey through the manor.

"That was close," he muttered to himself, his voice trembling slightly. "I can't let my guard down like that again."

When Ikki scaled the wall, his heart was hammering in his chest, and his hands shook with dread and adrenaline. He was well aware that one wrong move might spell the difference between life and death.

When Ikki got to the top of the wall, he looked around to see if there were any signs of danger. He could see bodyguards walking around the ground below, their eyes darting back and forth as they looked for signs of trouble.

Ikki knew that he had to move carefully and deliberately if he wanted to make it through undetected. He took a deep breath and began to climb down the other side of the wall, his body pressing tightly against the stone surface.

Every muscle in his body tensed as he inched his way down the wall, his eyes fixed on the ground below. He tried to make himself as small as possible, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed.

The bodyguard raised his eyebrows as he scanned the area. "Did you hear something?" he asked his partner.

The other bodyguard shook his head. "Nah, probably just a squirrel or something."

Ikki held his breath, waiting for them to move on. Once they did, he continued on his way through the forest, his senses on high alert. He knew that the bodyguards would be searching for him soon, and he needed to be careful not to get caught.

Meanwhile, the bodyguards continued their patrol, discussing the best brothels in town.

"I heard 5th Street is the best," one of them added. "It's pricey, but it's worth it."

The other bodyguard chuckled. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

They both chuckled, not realizing Ikki was creeping up behind them, just out of earshot. He kept walking, his pulse racing with each step. He knew his family would be furious with him for leaving, but he also knew he couldn't remain somewhere he wasn't wanted.

Ikki held his breath as the bodyguard walked closer and closer to his hiding spot. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest as he tried to remain as still as possible.

The bodyguard came to a halt a few steps away from the garbage cans and peered around, his eyes scanning the surroundings. In the dim light, Ikki could make out the man's shape, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.

"Just my imagination," the bodyguard muttered to himself, turning to walk away.

Ikki sighed and waited until the guy was out of sight before carefully rising up. He strained to keep his balance as he took a step forward, his legs tight from the cold.

Suddenly, he heard a loud snap beneath his feet, and he froze. He looked down to see that he had stepped on a twig, which had broken beneath his weight.

The sound echoed through the quiet field, and he could hear the bodyguard running toward him. He panicked and turned to run, his backpack weighing him down.

He could hear the bodyguard's voice in his earpiece shouting out to his buddies as he bolted.

"Code Red! There is someone on the premises! Repeat, Code Red!"

Ikki's heart hammered in his chest as he hopped over training logs and avoided trees. He could hear the footsteps of the bodyguards closing in on him and knew he needed to find a spot to hide.

He darted behind a large rock and pressed himself against it, trying to make himself as small as possible. The bodyguards raced past him, their footsteps growing fainter in the distance.

Ikki waited for several minutes before he was sure that the bodyguards had moved on. He took a deep breath and continued on his journey, his mind racing with fear and anxiety.

As he ran through the night, Ikki couldn't help but feel bothered by the weight of his rucksack. It included everything he needed for survival, yet it was still hefty and bulky.

He shook his head, dismissing the meaningless ideas. He needed to concentrate!

..................................................................................................

As the hours ticked by, the bodyguards finally realized that there was only one place they were missing. They rushed back to Ikki's room, only to find it empty. Panic set in as they realized that the young lord had fled.

The bodyguards quickly searched the room, looking for any clues as to where Ikki could have gone. They scoured every corner, checked under the bed, and searched through his belongings, but there was no sign of him.

One of the bodyguards took Ikki's backpack and looked through it carefully, hoping to find something that would help. But there was nothing out of the ordinary: just some clothes, a few books, and a small amount of money.

Another bodyguard searched the window and the surrounding area, but there was no sign of a struggle or anything out of the ordinary.

"He must have planned this," one of the bodyguards said, his voice tinged with frustration. "He knew what he was doing."

The others nodded in agreement, their worried expressions on their faces. They were well aware that if Ikki was apprehended by the authorities, it might mean catastrophe for their family.

"We need to find him," one of the bodyguards said firmly. "We can't let him get away."

"We've got to locate him," the other agreed absently. "The elders will be enraged."

.............................................................................................

As they made their way to the elders' room, the bodyguards sped through the hallways, their footsteps ringing loudly. They were panting and out of breath as they broke through the doors. When the elders observed the situation of their guards, they suddenly jumped up in horror, having been peacefully contemplating the approaching date of engagement.

"What is the meaning of this?" one of the elders asked, his voice harsh and irritated.

"It's Ikki, my lord," said one of the bodyguards. "He has vanished."

The elders looked at them in bewilderment, their cheeks flushed with rage. "How could you have allowed this to happen?" said another elder.

The bodyguards shuddered as they realized they had failed. "My lord, we don't know," one of them muttered. "He was there when we made our previous patrol, but he was gone when we returned."

The room fell into a tense silence, and the older people looked at each other and whispered. They knew that this was a grave situation, one that could have disastrous consequences for the entire clan.

The bodyguards nodded, their faces still pale with fear and guilt.

"How could you have allowed this to happen?" said one of them. "He's just a kid!"

"We apologize, sir," the bodyguards said. "We didn't expect him to flee."

The elders scowled at them before turning to each other to plan their next move. They were well aware that the Totokubara family would be able to use Ikki as a bargaining chip in their upcoming planned engagement if the police captured him.

The elders' anger and anxiety weighed heavily in the room. They murmured feverishly among themselves, scarcely audible above a hush.

"We can't let the cops discover him," one elder added, his voice urgent. "The Totokubaras will turn him against us."

"Agreed," another said, nodding in agreement. "We need to find him before they do."

"But how?" another asked, his voice strained with worry. "He could be anywhere by now."

"We'll form a search party," the head elder declared, his voice cutting through the room. "We'll comb every inch of the forest if we have to. We can't let him fall into the wrong hands."

The other elders nodded their agreement, and they quickly set to work, organizing teams and assigning tasks.

One of the elders turned to the others with a sense of foreboding.

"I fear for what will happen if we can't find him," she whispered. "The Totokubara family will stop at nothing to get what they want. "

The other elders looked at each other with worried eyes. The weight of their responsibilities was heavy on their shoulders. They were well aware that the stakes were tremendous and that failure might have disastrous implications.

"We'll find him," the head elder said firmly, his voice ringing with conviction. "We won't let them win."

"We can't let this happen," one of the elders said. "We need to find him before anyone else does."

The other elders agreed with a nod. They realized they had to act fast to guarantee that Ikki was located and returned to privacy.

The elders began to discuss a plan of action, while Mizuki-sama turned to the bodyguards who had been assigned to Ikki's "protection."

"You failed in your duties," he continued, his voice hard and bitter. "You were tasked with safeguarding him, yet he slipped away right under your noses. You will be held accountable for your incompetence."

The bodyguards bowed their heads in shame, knowing they had failed their boss and the Kurogane family.

Meanwhile, Ikki was jogging through the snow-covered woodland, his breath coming out in ragged gasps as he ran. He was exhausted, hungry, and terrified, but he knew he couldn't stop now. He had to keep going if he didn't want to be captured.

He was thinking about what he would do next while he jogged. He had no strategy and no idea where he was going. He just couldn't remain in the Kurogane mansion any longer.

"I'll figure it out as I go," he grumbled to himself, scrutinizing the surrounding woodland for any indication of danger.

The dark forest was eerily silent, the only sound being the crunching of snow beneath Ikki's feet. He couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him, and he had to rely on his other senses to navigate. The air was bitterly cold, and Ikki could see his breath misting in front of him with each exhalation.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and his body was trembling from the cold and exhaustion. Ikki's mind was racing, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Every rustle in the trees or snap of a twig made him jump, but he kept moving forward, determined to escape the clutches of the elders and the Totokubara family.

"Why did I even do this?" he thought to himself. "I could have just stayed and faced the consequences. But no, I had to be stubborn and run away. Now I'm lost in this forest, freezing and scared."

Despite his fears and uncertainties, Ikki continued moving ahead. He knew he had to keep running; he had to get out of the forest and away from the elders. He had to keep going, no matter how afraid he was or how much his body screamed at him to stop.

Back at the Kurogane estate, the search party had begun their investigation. They searched every inch of the property, from the gardens to the stables, but they found no sign of Ikki.

The elders were more anxious. They realized they had to locate him quickly or risk losing him forever.

"He couldn't have gone much farther," one of the elders observed. "He's just a kid."

"But he's also resourceful," said a third elder. "That cretin had intelligence that he displayed as a child. We can't overlook his ingenuity, even if he's simply an F-rank garbage."

The other elders agreed, their concern evident in the air. They knew Ikki could not be taken lightly, particularly after his recent exhibition of talent and dedication.

"We need to act fast," one of them added. "We'll dispatch the main party right now!"

Ikki kept walking through the night with his eyes on the horizon. He was thinking about his sister and Sora while he jogged. He really missed them. With his gaze set on the road ahead, he murmured to himself. "Let me show them..."