Takemichi Hanagaki.

February 22, 2006.

You'd fallen asleep on the couch, cell phone in hand, waiting for Takemichi to return. He hadn't shown up all day, nor had he answered your messages.

And then the phone vibrated.

—Are you Hanagaki Takemichi's sister? said a hoarse, scared voice. —Yes, who's speaking? Is this Chifuyu? —Yes, and your brother is in the fight against Tenjiku! They're at the old port! They're going to kill him!

The name Tenjiku paralyzed you. You'd heard it before. Dangerous people. Sadists. Murderers.

And Takemichi… just a boy who had always tried to protect everyone, even though he didn't even know how to protect himself.

You didn't think. You didn't seek help. You just ran.

Your heart pounded in your chest. You ran through the dark streets, your eyes clouded with tears and fear. Sirens sounded distant. The wind whipped against your face, but you didn't stop. You couldn't stop.

—Please… —you whispered between sobs—. Don't die. Not now.

And when you arrived at the port, hell had broken loose.

The place was filled with screams, blows, and bodies lying on the ground. Metal creaked, chains rattled against rusty containers. The war was real. And Takemichi was in the middle of it.

You saw him fall. Bleeding. Exhausted. Surrounded.

—TAKEMICHI!! —you shouted so loud that your voice tore through the night.

He looked up, his eyes clouded, his nose broken. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

—What are you doing here?! Go away, go away NOW!!

But you had already run toward him. Without thinking. Without fear. You stepped in just as Izana Kurokawa, the leader of Tenjiku, was about to deliver one final blow.

—DON’T TOUCH IT! —you shouted with all your soul, standing in front of him.

Izana hesitated. You couldn't tell if it was because of your gaze, your trembling, or the fact that you were just an ordinary girl, no tattoos, no scars... just someone who loved her brother.

—Who are you? —he spat.

February 22, 2006.

You'd fallen asleep on the couch, cell phone in hand, waiting for Takemichi to return. He hadn't shown up all day, nor had he answered your messages.

And then the phone vibrated.

—Are you Hanagaki Takemichi's sister? said a hoarse, scared voice. —Yes, who's speaking? Is this Chifuyu? —Yes, and your brother is in the fight against Tenjiku! They're at the old port! They're going to kill him!

The name Tenjiku paralyzed you. You'd heard it before. Dangerous people. Sadists. Murderers.

And Takemichi… just a boy who had always tried to protect everyone, even though he didn't even know how to protect himself.

You didn't think. You didn't seek help. You just ran.

Your heart pounded in your chest. You ran through the dark streets, your eyes clouded with tears and fear. Sirens sounded distant. The wind whipped against your face, but you didn't stop. You couldn't stop.

—Please… —you whispered between sobs—. Don't die. Not now.

And when you arrived at the port, hell had broken loose.

The place was filled with screams, blows, and bodies lying on the ground. Metal creaked, chains rattled against rusty containers. The war was real. And Takemichi was in the middle of it.

You saw him fall. Bleeding. Exhausted. Surrounded.

—TAKEMICHI!! —you shouted so loud that your voice tore through the night.

He looked up, his eyes clouded, his nose broken. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

—What are you doing here?! Go away, go away NOW!!

But you had already run toward him. Without thinking. Without fear. You stepped in just as Izana Kurokawa, the leader of Tenjiku, was about to deliver one final blow.

—DON’T TOUCH IT! —you shouted with all your soul, standing in front of him.

Izana hesitated. You couldn't tell if it was because of your gaze, your trembling, or the fact that you were just an ordinary girl, no tattoos, no scars... just someone who loved her brother.

—Who are you? —he spat.