The sky was a canvas of night, its inky blackness scattered with stars that shimmered faintly, while the silver moon cast its quiet glow over the quiet streets. Aoi walked alone, hands tucked deep into her jacket pockets, the chill brushing against her bare thighs like whispers from the wind. The streets were near-empty—just a few scattered pedestrians, flickering streetlamps, and the distant hum of traffic mixed with faint voices from nearby vendors still tending their stalls.

Her thoughts drifted back to Reina’s words, unshakable and echoing. A quiet scoff escaped her lips, her gaze fixed on the pavement. Damn it. Who the hell does she think she is? she thought, irritation simmering beneath her breath.

But something shifted. A ripple in the atmosphere. Up ahead, startled gasps broke the stillness. Civilians scattered like leaves in the wind, eyes wide in fear. Emerging from the shadows came a swarm—dozens, maybe more—armed with bats, iron pipes, and splintered wooden planks. Boys and girls in cheap streetwear, mismatched layers, and hoodies, homemade gang patches stitched on with pride and defiance.

Aoi had barely crossed three blocks when the weight of their stares settled on her. She slowed. Her fingers curled into fists, the cold forgotten. They weren’t finished with her. And this time, they brought backup. From the crowd stepped their bruised leader, his cheek bruised but still smirking, rage boiling beneath a swollen eye. His expression twisted into something sinister as he spotted her.

“Well, well… look who it is,” he sneered. Aoi stepped forward, the moon catching the edge of her face. Her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes, hiding the fire burning behind them.

“Move. You guys are in the way.” She moved ahead, just a few steps, intent on passing him without a word. But before she could slip by, his hand shot out, landing on her shoulder. The touch wasn’t gentle. He shoved her back, forcing her to stumble a few paces in retreat.

“Thought you were real funny back there, huh?” He sneered, glaring at her while she remained unfazed. “You really think you can humiliate us and walk away like nothing happened?”

Another thug spat on the ground. “Tch. This girl’s got no fear. You don’t know who you messed with, little princess.”

Aoi rolled her shoulders. “Princess? That’s new. Should I be flattered?”

The leader’s smirk dropped. “You’re gonna regret what you did.”

Aoi tilted her head, eyes half-lidded with boredom. “Am I?” 

He clenched his fists, jaw tight with frustration—until the sound of footsteps broke the tension. A figure emerged from the crowd, her steps echoing with confidence. Clad in a sleek black jacket over a light blue undershirt, form-fitting black pants, and white sneakers, she approached with a smirk playing on her lips.

“Well, well… Don’t tell me this scrawny little girl was the one who knocked your teeth in,” the black-haired girl sneered, her onyx eyes sweeping over Aoi with open disdain. She sauntered to his side, resting an elbow on his shoulder while her other hand found her hip. “She looks like she’d fold in the wind.”

“Tch. Just dumb luck, babe. She wasn’t that tough,” he muttered, flashing a smirk back at her.

Aoi gave a short, amused scoff. “Really? That’s the story you’re sticking with?” She stepped forward, eyes sharp. “You get your ego bruised by a ‘scrawny little girl,’ and instead of facing it, you cry to your girlfriend and bring backup? Doesn’t sound like ‘luck’—sounds like fear.”

The couple’s expressions twisted. The girl’s amusement dropped as she strode up to Aoi, gripping her shoulder with sharp nails digging into flesh, forcing her to lock eyes.

“Listen here, you little piece of trash. Don’t run your mouth about my man,” she hissed, venom in her tone.

With a shove, Aoi staggered back—but her feet held firm. She steadied herself and lifted her head, her glare sharp enough to cut glass.

“Look at her now—guess the fire fizzled out,” he taunted, a crooked grin stretching across his face. “What was your name again? Aoi Saku? Or was it... Aoi Sakura?” He dragged out the last syllable with exaggerated curiosity. “Hard to tell when you mumbled like that.”

Laughter rippled through the gang behind him, their jeers echoing in the air. But Aoi said nothing. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her silence louder than any retort. She didn’t want to confirm it. Didn’t want anyone here to make the connection. This town felt like a world away from her old life—but even here, the name Sakuraba still had weight. And danger.

“Oh? Playing the silent game now?” Scarface sneered from within the crew, his bat resting lazily over his shoulder, the other hand buried in his pocket. “Doesn't look like much to me. Never even seen her before we encountered her earlier.”

Then a girl’s voice cut through the crowd, laced with recognition. “Wait—I know that face. That’s Aoi Sakuraba.”

The name dropped like a stone. A ripple of murmurs spread through the gang, confusion turning into curiosity.

“You mean... the Sakuraba Group? That Sakuraba?” another asked, disbelief creeping into their voice. All eyes turned back to Aoi.

“Now that you mention it...” a guy muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“So she’s a rich kid?” another sneered, eyes narrowing.

“Think she’s better than us or something?” a girl scoffed from the crowd.

“Look at her—wandering around this dump of a town. Must’ve lost her mind to give up that kind of life,” someone else laughed.

“She doesn’t even look rich,” another girl chimed in, eyeing Aoi with a curled lip. “Those clothes? Please.”

“Maybe she got kicked out,” someone suggested with a shrug.

“Wouldn’t be surprised,” the first girl said again, her grin sharpening. “They say she’s cursed, after all.”

“I remember reading something years back,” another voice added, scrolling through her already-pulled out phone. “Wasn’t there a scandal? Her stepmom posted about it online or something.”

“And now she’s slinking around here?” a boy murmured, shaking his head.

“Definitely got sent packing,” another said. The insults and speculations flew fast, each more poisonous than the last. Aoi’s head remained bowed, her bangs casting a deep shadow across her eyes. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t speak. But her silence wasn’t weakness—it was something else entirely.

Then the female co-leader stepped forward, her smirk cruel, voice sweet with venom. “What a pitiful little mess. A mistake that should’ve never existed. Honestly, the world would've been better off without you.”

That made Aoi finally lift her head, a quiet scoff slipping from her lips, the corner of her mouth twitching upward into a cold, dangerous smirk.

Now that’s the kind of reaction I expect. People always turn their backs on me. It doesn’t matter—I stopped caring a long time ago. They don’t even know me… yet the lies come so easily. Let them talk. I’ve stopped caring. Aoi exhaled softly through her nose, a ghost of a sigh escaping her lips.

The girl in front of her clicked her tongue, arms folded as she glared. “Look, we’ve got no real beef with you. You’re an outsider, sure—but you messed with my guy. And that payout he was expecting? It was supposed to be our night. Drinks, lights, fun. But then you came along and wrecked it.”

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper just beside Aoi’s ear, the scent of cheap perfume and spite lingering in the air. “You do know what our group's called, don't you, little girl? We're Batsuzoku, and you know what that means, don't ya?” Aoi stood motionless, her hands balled into fists at her sides, her silence deafening.

The girl chuckled coldly. “We deal with anyone who crosses us. Anyone in our way gets punished. But…” She tapped Aoi’s shoulder, nails sharp, smile even sharper. “Maybe if you apologize—real sweet-like—we’ll let you off the hook.”

She gave Aoi’s shoulder a firm pat, voice dripping with condescension. “Go on. Say it. Say you’re sorry for being dumb enough to stand against us.”

Aoi didn’t flinch. Didn’t speak. Her eyes were hidden beneath her bangs like gathering storm clouds.

“Tch. I’m losing patience,” the girl muttered, irritation rising in her voice. “You messed with the wrong gang, brat. And now we’re—” Her words choked mid-sentence. Aoi had moved. Quietly. Calmly. One hand lifted and gripped the girl’s wrist, still resting on her shoulder, tightly. Too tight.

“Eh...?” The girl blinked in surprise as Aoi flashed a glare at her, grabbed her arm, and used her momentum to throw her over her shoulder fiercely. Her body crashed onto the pavement, knocking the wind out of her.

“Ghh—!” The air left her lungs as she doubled over, choking.

“Nozomi!” He called out as his girlfriend crashed to the ground, eyes flaring with rage. His gaze snapped to Aoi.

With a furious yell, he charged at her, arm swinging back, ready to strike.

“You're gonna pay for that!”

Aoi shifted her weight, calm amidst the chaos. His punch flew past her, hitting nothing but air. In a flash, her foot slammed into his stomach, the impact brutal, sending him flying backward. Her eyes darkened, jaw clenched as everything she’d buried boiled to the surface.

This is my life… I do whatever the hell I want! You are the ones who came at me. Like I ruined their world just by existing. I’m a curse? Don’t they think I already know that better than anyone? Like I haven’t lived with it every damn day? His body flew through the air in slow motion, and still, Aoi stood rooted, fists tight at her sides, her expression twisted—fierce, unhinged, defiant.

This is me. This twisted, angry version of myself... this is the only thing I’ve got left!!

Their faces twisted with rage. “GET HER!” A guy shouted.

Aoi barely acknowledged him. She slapped his jaw with her foot, pivoted mid-air, and drilled a spinning back kick straight into another guy’s jaw.

As long as I can stand on my own two feet—fight my own battles—I have every right to be who I am! So what if I’m alone?! I’m done caring what anyone thinks of me! Done with their pity, their judgment... all of it!

Then, they rushed to her all at once.

Aoi dipped low, weaving through their wild swings with precise movements. A metal pipe whooshed past her head—she grabbed the female attacker’s wrist mid-swing, twisted it with a brutal snap—

Clang! The pipe hit the ground. Aoi slammed her elbow into her face, sending her sprawling.

As long as I can fight—no, as long as I can breathe, I'll keep standing! I don’t need anyone’s approval! I don’t care if I’m alone—I refuse to be defined by anyone else’s judgment! You think I need your validation?! Keep it! I’ll carve my own path, even if I have to crawl through hell to do it!! You came after me—you started this! Don’t act like my existence wrecked yours!! Just leave me alone!!

Another came at her with a punch—she sidestepped, caught his arm, and used his momentum to throw him over her shoulder. His body crashed into another, knocking the wind out of them.

Two girls lunged at Aoi from opposite sides—one aiming a punch, the other sweeping a kick toward her ribs. But Aoi twisted low, dodging both at once. In one fluid motion, she drove her foot into the first girl’s chest and slammed her fist twice into the second’s jaw, sending them both flying backward.

“You worthless bitch!” a guy roared, charging at her with a wild kick. Aoi sidestepped, barely brushing his leg, when another girl sprang up from behind him, swinging a bat. It sliced through empty air—Aoi had already flipped into a double somersault, landing hard on another thug and slamming her fist into the gut of a girl coming from behind.

She spun right, her leg whipping out in a clean arc. Her kick landed square in a girl’s chest, launching her like a wrecking ball into three guys behind her.

One of the thugs backed up. “Shit, she’s fast!”

Another scowled. “Tch. Quit whining! She’s just one girl!”

Aoi ducked under a wide punch, grabbed the attacker’s wrist mid-swing, and twisted—

SNAP!

“GAHH—!” the girl shrieked, her weapon clattering to the ground. Aoi didn’t hesitate—her elbow crashed into the girl’s nose, sending her sprawling.

Another thug came swinging with a steel pipe. Aoi snatched the weapon from her mid-swing, reversed it, and slammed it into her ribs—

CLANG! The girl dropped to the floor, gasping for air. Most of the gang was already down, but a few still came charging, desperation on their faces. One guy lunged with a punch—Aoi flipped forward, evading with ease. Another rushed in, but her foot snapped up in a vicious front kick, folding his stomach like paper. He doubled over, gagging. Without pause, she pivoted midair, twisting her body into a ruthless spinning back kick that collided with a girl’s jaw, knocking her out cold.

Aoi swung a punch into another guy’s jaw, sending him stumbling backward. Two more rushed her. She leapt over one who was trying to get up, pivoting midair before lunging straight through the charging pair. In a blink, she landed behind them—her fists slammed down like hammers, then snapped upward, smacking their faces in unison. They hit the ground hard.

Another girl came flying at her, fists swinging. She grabbed Aoi’s collar—Aoi mirrored the move, and they clashed, arms locked in a brief but brutal struggle for control. With a quick shift of weight, Aoi yanked the girl closer and delivered a savage headbutt.

THWACK! The girl gasped, breath stolen by the blow, and crumpled. Three more charged—one guy and two girls. The instant his foot moved, Aoi was already inside his guard. She caught his wrist mid-swing before the blade could drop. Her other hand shot to the back of his head—

SLAM! She smashed his face into the two girls behind him. All three went flying, crashing into a storefront. From inside, onlookers screamed. The boy crashed into a basket of fruit, sending apples and oranges flying. Just as they gasped again, the two girls slammed into the glass door—

THUD! Their faces dragged down the pane, leaving smears as they collapsed like ragdolls.

Aoi let out a sharp yell as she lunged forward, both feet slamming into a guy’s chest. Midair, she twisted, her body pivoting with fierce momentum as her heel crashed into another thug’s side, sending him sprawling. Before a third could react, she vanished—disappearing from his line of sight only to reappear right in front of him.

CRACK! Her fist smashed into his face, the impact launching him backward like a missile. He crashed into two other guys, toppling them like bowling pins. The trio from earlier—the one with the scar and his two buddies—staggered back, their bravado dissolving into panic. Fear sparked in their eyes. They turned and bolted, vanishing down the streetway.