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ARC: Back Attack Land
Jin and Akos walked through the wide corridors of the school. The sound of their footsteps echoed against the cold stone walls. Jin pointed out the different areas with an ease that showed this place was truly his home.
"Over here are the restrooms, and further down are the storage rooms," Jin said, gesturing with his hand. "The school has a total of 18 classrooms. There are also two special rooms, exclusive to the leaders of the organization. No one goes near those without permission."
They continued walking, passing by heavy doors. "Here is Class 1, next to it are 2, 3, and 4," Jin explained.
Akos looked around thoughtfully. "And ours?" he asked in his usual calm voice.
"Ours, Class 5, is on the second floor," Jin replied. He stopped for a moment and looked Akos straight in the eyes. "You know... I was wondering. Where do you really come from?"
"From the mountains," Akos answered simply. "I came down to the city today."
"Have you ever been here before?" Jin asked with curiosity.
"Yes, only during the holidays," Akos said, glancing out a window at the towering skyscrapers.
Jin took a deep breath. "I grew up in an orphanage. I never knew my parents. My life has always been a struggle on the streets."
Akos remained silent for a few seconds. "I don't know who my parents are either. My grandfather raised me, but he passed away a few days ago. That's why I decided to come down here."
Jin lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that, Akos. My condolences."
Akos didn't respond. His gaze remained icy, but Jin felt a connection forming between them.
"Sometimes I think..." Jin continued, "is this world fake or real? I feel like we're all just playing parts in a theater."
Akos turned and looked at him intensely. "I don't know exactly what you mean. But sometimes, when I look at myself in the mirror, I feel something strange. Like a voice inside me is telling me that I need to wake up... something like that."
Jin broke into a short, honest laugh. "Hahaha! It seems we have a lot in common after all, Akos!"
A very slight, almost invisible smile formed on Akos's lips. It was the first time he didn't seem so distant. Jin reached out and placed his hand on Akos's shoulder with confidence.
"I'm sure we'll become a very powerful duo. A pair that no one in this city will be able to stop."
"We'll see," Akos said, but he didn't pull his shoulder away.
Jin stopped and formally extended his hand. "Welcome to our family. I should have said it from the start, but I'm a bit forgetful sometimes!"
Akos took his hand and shook it firmly. "I'm glad to have met you, Jin."
A few minutes later, they arrived in front of a door with a large number '5' painted on it. Jin grabbed the handle and threw the door wide open.
As soon as the door swung open, the noise inside the classroom was deafening. In the center of the room, Oz and Bliss were grappling with each other, fighting as they always did, while the rest of the students shouted and placed bets.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. All eyes turned toward the door, locked onto Jin and Akos. The silence lasted only a few seconds before a guy with a mocking smirk approached them. It was Luno.
"Ooo, look who's here! The street boy is back!" Luno said, looking at Jin with disdain.
Jin didn't flinch. "Luno, before you open your mouth, take a look at your nose. It's grown so long from all your lies that it's about to hit the wall."
Luno's face turned bright red with rage. "Watch your tongue, Jin. You won't like what I'm going to do to you if you keep this up."
"Then show us what you've got, Luno," Jin challenged, standing his ground.
"I don't need to show anything," Luno shouted. "Everyone knows who I am. I'm going to be the leader of Class 5!"
Jin laughed ironically. "You, the leader? You couldn't even lead a swarm of mosquitoes."
That was the final straw. Luno lunged with a powerful punch, but Jin, with a quick tilt of his head, dodged it. Before Luno could react, Jin grabbed his arm and caught him by the throat, tightening his grip. The other students crowded around, waiting for the real brawl to begin.
Luno struggled to break free and, with a sudden headbutt, managed to release himself. He immediately threw another punch, but Jin ducked quickly. As Jin went to counter with an uppercut to the jaw, Luno blocked the strike with his left hand and prepared to throw a kick.
"STOP IT NOW!"
Keal's voice thundered through the room. He stepped into the class, his face darkened with fury. Luno backed off instantly, creating distance, while Jin stood calmly beside Akos.
Keal began shouting at them with a stern look. "What exactly do you think you're doing? In here, we are all family, not enemies! Are you idiots? I want all of you, right now, to get in line! Straight!"
Without wasting a second, the students obeyed and formed a straight line, waiting for the next command.
Keal stood at the front of the line, his eyes inspecting the students one by one. His voice was steady now, filled with a deep sense of pride.
"Listen to me carefully," he began. "ALPHA is not just a gang. It is an empire of 365 members. In here, we are family. When one of us is attacked, we all stand by their side. We live through the bad and the good times together. It's one for all, and all for one!"
The classroom fell silent, absorbing his words. Keal took a step forward and pointed toward Akos.
"Today, we welcome a new member to our family. Akos Tasaku!"
Every head turned simultaneously toward Akos. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, but also doubt. Suddenly, Luno, unable to keep his mouth shut, approached again with a mocking sneer.
"A new member, huh? New fun for us!" Luno said, looking Akos up and down. "And you... where exactly did you come from?"
Keal turned his head slowly and locked eyes with Luno—a gaze that could kill. "Luno," he said in a low, furious voice, "get back to your spot right now, before I break your head."
Luno swallowed hard and retreated instantly, knowing that Keal wasn't joking.
Keal continued, addressing the class: "Akos isn't just anyone. He came here after saving Ronika, Naoto, and Sora from an attack by an unknown gang. He took them all out by himself."
A whisper of surprise spread through the room. The students began to look at Akos in a different light, realizing that the "new guy" was anything but an easy target.
Keal took a deep breath and continued, this time with a mischievous smirk.
"Reino has made a decision. Class 5 needs a leader, and that leader will be chosen through a game... a simple and relaxed one, supposedly."
"The first game is a team challenge," he explained. "You will be split into two groups. Each team will have a bottle. You must fill it with water and deliver it to Mocka. At the same time, the opposing team must stop you by any means necessary. The first team to give the water to Mocka wins."
Everyone began looking at each other, confused. "Who is Mocka?" Sora asked, looking around the room.
"Mocka is the school dog," Keal replied, laughing. "You need to quench his thirst."
"But the second game," he continued, "is my favorite. In that one, everyone is on their own. You must run to the end of the school grounds and complete three laps around the building. Simultaneously, there will be people throwing balls and water at you, or trying to tackle you. Only one person will emerge as the winner of this game. And that person will be the Leader."
At that moment, the door opened and Taro Hax entered, silently handing a piece of paper to Keal. Keal read it over and announced the teams for the first game:
Team One: Ronika Zade, Solon Ray, Riko Aimi, Cairo Dusk, Luno Kei, Sora Haze.
Team Two: Naoto Arin, Jin Ashera, Oz Zephyr, Bliss Noir, Akos Tasaku, Majo Taka.
The students began exchanging glances. Jin nudged Akos on the shoulder. "We're on the same team, see?" Akos, however, gave no reaction, remaining focused on the goal.
Suddenly, Majo stood up to leave. "I'm not participating in this nonsense," he said coldly and walked out of the room. Keal looked at him with irritation, but Majo disappeared so quickly that Keal didn't get a chance to say a word.
"Ah... looks like the second team will be short-handed," Keal commented with a sigh.
"It doesn't matter! we're fine like this. We're going to win, right guys?" Naoto said, trying to cheer up the group.
"Just don't annoy us like you always do," Oz snapped, making Naoto turn red from stress.
A little later, everyone was down in the school courtyard. Keal handed one bottle to Jin and the other to Riko. He stood between them and raised his hand.
"Are you ready?" he shouted.
"GO!"