The streets were silent but not peaceful.
Renji Arashi walked alone, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting fractured reflections on the wet asphalt. Rain had left the city slick, but it hadn't washed away the grime, the blood, or the memories that clung to every alleyway.
Up ahead, a group of men blocked a narrow side street. They were laughing. Loud, cruel, the kind of laughter that made your bones ache. A child crouched against the wall, shaking. One of the men raised a weapon, holding it casually, as if wielding death were a game.
Renji's stomach turned. He looked away. But no matter how many steps he took, the screams followed him, echoing off the walls, filling the gaps between the neon lights. Somewhere behind him, a figure leapt from a fire escape, landing on the pavement with a harsh, painful thud. Desperation flashed across their face before they were also a victim of the Legion's Iron Fist.
Tokyo had changed. Or maybe it had always been like this, and the ones who survived had just learned to ignore it. The Legion didn't just rule the streets....they owned them. And they didn't hesitate to kill anyone who wandered into their path. Children. Old men. Stray dogs. Nothing mattered. The city had learned to look the other way. So had the people. So had he… for now.
The next morning, the illusion of safety at school was just that, an illusion. Whispers floated through the hallways like ghosts. Empty desks marked friends who had been there yesterday, now gone. Silent teachers shuffled papers, pretending everything was normal. Renji kept his head low, listening, observing. He was sixteen, but he had already seen more death than most adults. And he knew that this was only the beginning.
During lunch, he overheard snippets of conversations, muffled by fear.
They said the Legion killed over ninety people over in Shibuya yesterday…"
Renji's fists clenched in his pockets. The weight pressed deep into his chest. He didn't know the names of every victim, didn't know the exact stories. But he knew the pattern. The Legion didn't just fight… they killed for fun, to prove dominance, to scare anyone who thought rebellion was possible. And for a city drowning in shadows, fear was stronger than courage.
He thought about the streets he'd walked the night before....the child pinned against the wall, the figure leaping from the fire escape. The images burned themselves into his mind. For a moment, he felt powerless. Then… anger.
"Don't you guys see?!" he suddenly shouted, startling the nearby students."We're living like slaves! The Legion is treating us horribly! If all of us work together, we could—"
A few students shifted uncomfortably.One finally spoke."If you were right, the first uprising against the Tokyo Legion would have been successful. The Legion is the most powerful organization in all of Japan. They control the streets, the government, and even the police. No gang uprising can solve that problem. Use your head, Arashi. It's inevitable we can't save everyone… but we can at least survive by staying hidden."
Renji's jaw tightened. His fists unclenched slowly, and he forced himself to take a deep breath. He wanted to shout back, to argue, to exploded..yet he didn't. Not yet. For now, the fire would stay inside. He couldn't let it burn him out before it had a chance to ignite change.
A sharp knock on the classroom door cut through the tension.
"Renji Arashi…" the voice said, calm but cold.The principal.
Renji looked up, heart hammering.He didn't know why he had been called, but he had a feeling this was about more than just attendance.