With Takemichi's barely-decent driving skills, the only reason he manages to tail Hanma and Kisaki is because of Taiju. Even then, it's a hell of a struggle for him, especially with the crazy daytime traffic in the streets of Yokohama.

But then something unexpected happens - Takemichi sees Hanma's car come to a sudden stop. As he gets closer, he realizes what's going on: Kimura has slammed into them out of nowhere, forcing Hanma to brake so hard the wheels skid and both of them crash.

"Nice move, Kimura. How the hell did you show up so damn perfectly?"

Kimura smirks at the compliment. "Well, I've been around all over Tokyo. I'd say I know Yokohama's roads like the back of my hand."

"Should've brought you along from the start, huh?"

"No need to worry, sir. Even if you forget me, I'll always be at your service."

Takemichi still isn't used to that overly formal tone of his. And the way he keeps calling him "sir" - it's just weird, especially when Kimura's older than him. Honestly, the guy gives off strong "butler from a shojo manga" vibes. The type that makes girls swoon. But that's a thought for another time.

"Kisaki. It's over. You're not getting away."

Takemichi glares coldly at Kisaki, who's wincing from the crash, slowly getting back on his feet with hatred burning in his eyes.

"Go, Kisaki. I'll handle this."

Hanma steps in front of him. Kisaki knows he can't do much now - his only option is to run. Without hesitation, he bolts into an alley.

Takemichi goes after him. Hanma tries to intercept, but Taiju and Kimura aren't about to let that happen.

"Keep this in mind - your opponent today is me," Taiju growls.

"I'm so done with you," Hanma mutters, annoyed.

Truth is, Taiju's just as sick of Hanma. For a guy who believes in brute strength, fighting this zombie-like bastard is a nightmare. No matter how many punches he lands, no matter how many times he knocks him down, Hanma just keeps getting up - with that same infuriating smirk.

"Kimura! Go help that brat! This bastard's mine."

Takemichi absolutely hates this chase. It's not the same place. Not the same time. But the images from that night... they start bleeding into reality again. His heart pounds, and it's not just because he's running.

"Kisaki! Still a coward, huh? Is running all you ever do?"

Kisaki's thrown off - completely shaken. This is the first time they've ever faced each other like this. He knows Takemichi's aware of him, but he never expected this... depth. It's like Takemichi sees straight through him - his plans, his next move, even who he really is.

Takemichi catches up, just barely reaching out to grab him when suddenly - his whole body jolts like it's hit by electricity. A sharp pain explodes in his head, stopping him cold.

And then - visions.

A red light flashes over a pedestrian crossing. A countdown - ten seconds. A little farther ahead, Kimura shoves Kisaki out of the way, and a speeding car barrels forward, trying to beat the green...

Then - darkness.

Takemichi gasps, snapping back to the present.

Kisaki is gone. He used that split second to escape.

Takemichi stands frozen, shocked by what he just saw. His body aches all over. His forehead breaks out in sweat, his breathing grows heavier.

But more than anything - What the hell was that?

Fragments of the past resurface. It's his ability. Not just time-leaping - when he's in the past, he can also see glimpses of what's to come. But this future... what the hell is happening? He can't let it unfold. He has to stop it.

The image of Kisaki's sudden accident. The way he dies. His nightmare. His obsession. That moment comes rushing back - vivid, raw, like it just happened, like he's standing there all over again. Takemichi's chest twists in pain.

No. He can't let it happen again. Damn it, how far does fate plan to mess with him? He's changed everything already! Kimura... why the hell did he do it?

Takemichi forces down the ache building in his body as he searches for Kisaki. His steps grow heavy. Where exactly is this place? He doesn't know the streets of Yokohama that well. All he can do is guess, based on the flashes he saw. It has to be nearby.

Kisaki leans against the wall in some narrow alley. His breathing is ragged - he's spent. No strength left to run. If Takemichi hadn't acted so erratically, he wouldn't have escaped. Now he's trying to piece things together.

Damn it. Why did the plan fall apart? How the hell did Takemichi know about it? This isn't the first time.

That meeting back in July - Takemichi must've known something. That look he gave him, that smile - it wasn't normal. Even now, Kisaki still can't figure out what that look meant.

Osanai got caught by the cops in the middle of beating up Pachin's friend. That incident starts to feel off. Takemichi saving Draken - that no longer feels like a coincidence either. He even approached Kazutora before Kisaki did. If it hadn't been for the friction between the two, Kisaki wouldn't have been able to use it to pull Kazutora into Valhalla. Then there's the info about Takemichi clashing with the Black Dragons - Kisaki got it too easily, while no one else in the underground even caught wind. And after that, Takemichi not only survived - he gained the Black Dragons. Then Izana shifts his focus to Takemichi. Now Kisaki realizes: Takemichi must've done something. He knew Izana wanted revenge, wanted to manipulate Mikey, to see him broken, turned into the perfect brother Izana always imagined. Takemichi changed that. He turned Izana's mind around. And in the end, he used Mikey and Emma to resolve the broken mess of that family.

And now... this. Kisaki doesn't fully understand the situation in Shibuya, but this is clearly a trap. The info about the Black Dragons moving through Ginza - it might've been bait to lure them out. Taiju's sudden appearance, the unfamiliar Black Dragon fighters... They're clearly new. Could they be a force Takemichi built himself? When did he even gather them? How many are there? Kisaki's investigated him thoroughly. So why the hell does he know nothing?

There's only one explanation: Takemichi knows he's being watched. He's been hiding everything. Moving in secret. Like Kisaki's been dancing in the palm of his hand this whole time. How? How can someone plan this far ahead? And not just that - Completely tear apart Kisaki's strategy, as if he knows exactly what Kisaki will do next. As if he sees the future. Kisaki freezes for a moment. It doesn't feel like a crazy thought anymore. Takemichi even knows Izana isn't blood-related to the Sano family. In all the chaos earlier, Kisaki only learned that himself - from Izana. That secret - Izana kept it tightly hidden. So how the hell did Takemichi know?

This is insane. He can see the future? Is that even possible?

While Kisaki stands frozen in shock, lost in his own spiraling thoughts, he doesn't realize - he's already been found. Kimura appears out of nowhere, stepping right in front of him. By the time Kisaki registers his presence, it's too late. He's caught.

Without a word, Kimura grabs Kisaki by the throat and slams him against the wall. That signature smile still plays on his lips. His Black Dragon uniform is gone - he's just wearing a plain black T-shirt now.

"Hey there. You run pretty fast, buddy."

Kisaki struggles, thrashing against the grip, but Kimura is far stronger. This is his first time meeting this thug, and he knows absolutely nothing about him. That's what makes it worse - he's unpredictable.

"If you let me go, I'll give you anything you want," Kisaki spits out, desperate. Negotiation is the only card he has left.

Kimura lets out a quiet chuckle at the offer, his smile turning cold.

"Sorry, but I'm into... exciting things. Can you give me that, kid?"

Kisaki frowns. There's something off about this guy.

"You're an interesting one too," Kimura muses. "Heard from sir Hanagaki you're a genius."

"Sir Hanagaki? You don't seem like someone who'd follow trash like him. What made you choose that guy?"

Kimura laughs. "Long story... but - " His expression shifts in an instant. The smile disappears. His brows knit together. His eyes turn icy.

"You think you have the right to talk about him like that?"

"Losers don't get to talk that way," he adds coldly. "Let me share a little something with you. Sir Hanagaki's Black Dragon will grow stronger - far beyond what you can imagine. The future of the underworld belongs to him. I just... have a feeling. And you?" He leans in, whispering. "You're going to be a major obstacle."

A twisted grin creeps onto his face. Kisaki feels a chill run down his spine.

Then, Kimura shifts his grip - releasing Kisaki's throat, only to wrench his arm behind his back and push him forward, out of the alley and toward the street.

Kisaki doesn't know what he's planning. But he feels it - this is danger at its peak.

They move closer to the curb. There aren't many pedestrians - it's still working hours. Besides the occasional glance at his red gang jacket, they look like any two guys walking side by side.

Kimura's expression is eerily calm, though his grip is iron. A car approaches from down the road. The green light's ticking down - fifteen seconds left. The driver speeds up, trying to make it in time.

Kimura looks at Kisaki with those dark, bottomless eyes. His lips curl ever so slightly.

And then - he shoves Kisaki straight into the street.

Kisaki's eyes go wide with horror. This guy - he's actually trying to kill him. The car's almost here. There's no time to run. His heart pounds so violently it feels like it might burst through his ribs.

He doesn't want to die. Not like this.

At that moment, Kisaki is sure - it's over.

"KISAKI!"

Amid all the chaos, he hears only two sounds.

One - his own heartbeat.

Two - that voice calling his name.

Heroes always appear at the most desperate moment. They are the light in the darkest hour. Always blazing like the sun. Always just out of reach - for someone like him.

The screech of tires. The sharp pain from hitting the pavement. Kisaki struggles to open his eyes.

The first thing he sees is Takemichi's face, twisted in pain. It's the first time Kisaki ever sees him this close. And then he realizes - he's being held. Takemichi is cradling him in his arms. His head rests on Takemichi's arm.

For a second, Kisaki forgets how to breathe.

His mind goes completely blank.

He jolts up. The world crashes back in as he catches sight of Kimura, frozen in horror, crumpled at the side of the road.

His heart still pounds like mad when Takemichi comes back into view. The guy stands up, walks over to him, and stares down from above. Then suddenly, as if all strength drains out of him, he collapses to his knees. His head bows toward the ground.

Kisaki flinches. His fingers dig into the asphalt.

Takemichi slowly lifts his face to look at him - and Kisaki's pupils dilate. He sees it. That strained expression, the tears hanging heavy in the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall.

And Kisaki... he still doesn't know what that look Takemichi gave him on that day in July even means.

But maybe it's not that deep. Maybe it's not some unreadable mystery.

Maybe... it's just pity.

Why doesn't he get it?

Because who the hell would pity someone like him?

No one pities a genius.

No one ever cared about how lonely he was. Growing up, all Kisaki gets are stares full of jealousy for his grades, or disgust because he's quiet, withdrawn, not like the others.

Only Hinata talks to him with a smile. She looks at him with admiration - genuine, sincere, not once seeing him as some creepy outcast. That alone makes her special. She becomes his light in those bleak, suffocating days. And he loves her for it.

Later, when he enters the delinquent world, people's gazes change again. Fear. Awe. Interest. Respect. Sometimes even disgust.

But never pity.

Never... until Takemichi.

And now, it's more than pity. It's chaos. It's pure, overwhelming worry - like Kisaki actually matters.

Those emotions mix with the tears in those sky-wide eyes.

Kisaki stares, stunned, seeing his own reflection in them.

And in that moment, he feels it - no one else in this world, not even Hinata, can look at him the way Takemichi does right now.

Kisaki knows Takemichi has bright eyes. Even his smile burns like the sun - blinding and honestly, infuriating. To this day, no other eyes, no other smile, has ever made Kisaki feel so utterly sick.

And it's that light, that brightness, that steals Hinata's heart right in front of him.

Kisaki - the genius, the top student in the entire country - ever since that day, starts seeing this stupid, reckless boy with nothing but a hero complex as his rival.

He decides he'll take Takemichi's dream. He'll surpass him. He'll win.

Since that day, Kisaki's emotions have revolved around two people.

He loves Hinata.

And he hates Takemichi.

He hates him with everything he has. Hates his carefree dreams of being a hero. Hates his stupid smile. Hates his damn eyes. Hates how he's clearly scared just like him, but still charges into that group of bullies without thinking.

He hates all of it.

So even if Takemichi saves him. Even if he looks at him like that. Nothing changes.

Kisaki stays the same. Even though he's still shaking from almost dying, he looks at Takemichi with pure hatred, burning straight down to the bone.

But then -

That hatred freezes.

Takemichi reaches out a hand.

And before Kisaki can react, Takemichi pulls him into a hug, arms wrapping around his still-trembling shoulders.

It might be the gentlest, warmest embrace he's ever felt. And the cruelest irony? It comes from the person he hates most.

"It's okay, Kisaki. It's okay. You're gonna be fine."

Takemichi speaks softly, soothing him like a child - like he's the one meant to protect Kisaki, to be his support. Takemichi is everyone's hero. But the first person to see him as their own? It isn't just Hinata.

Kisaki sits frozen, dazed in his arms, breath caught somewhere between fear and disbelief. The cold that gripped him just moments ago melts into something unfamiliar - something warm. He's never felt this before. His heart races, and he doesn't even know if it's still from fear... or from this hug.

He feels Takemichi trembling. Hears his voice shift into soft sobs. Then, suddenly, Takemichi breaks.

Kisaki stiffens. He tries to breathe deep, to calm himself, but it doesn't work. He just sits there, blank as a fool. Takemichi is saying something - words choked and crushed under his crying. Kisaki can't make them out. Not until the third... maybe the fourth time, when each word begins to sharpen into something he can finally hear:

"Don't die... Kisaki, I... I'm begging you... please don't die."

Each word lands heavy, broken with grief, tearing out of Takemichi's lips like they're bleeding. He looks so fragile now. So desperate. Like someone begging for the life of someone who truly matters. Someone irreplaceable. Kisaki's mind blanks out. Why? Why is Takemichi doing this for him? They're enemies. They hate each other.

What the hell, Takemichi? Where's that righteous fire in you now? What's with this pathetic pleading? Just a moment ago, you looked at me like I was nothing. Go back to that. That's who you're supposed to be.

Damn it. Why is everything so blurry? No... why the hell am I crying? Is it because I'm still scared?

Kisaki grits his teeth, trying to stop the tears, to hold them back. But he can't.

Why, Takemichi? Why treat me like this? If you knew everything I've done... If you really wanted to protect your precious Toman... You should've let me die.

So why are you saving me? Why are you begging me to stay alive? And why does something inside me refuse to settle - why does my chest twist with every sob that escapes you?

You're driving me insane, Takemichi. At least tell me what the hell you're trying to do.

Kisaki's face right now is an absolute mess - he looks completely wrecked, shaken to the core. There's not a single ounce of strength left in him. Not even enough to push the boy off his chest.

Please, just let him go. Treating him like this only throws him deeper into confusion. It only stirs up the thousand unnamed emotions raging inside him, making it impossible to stay in control. He's never felt this awful, this helpless. And what terrifies him most... is this sensation that his body isn't even his anymore. Like it's reaching out on its own, craving the warmth of the other, clinging to it, wanting to make it his.

Kisaki is genuinely horrified by that.

The driver, after finally pulling himself together, gets out of the car to check on the two of them. Passersby notice there's no blood, no dead bodies - just a whole lot of mess - and decide to keep their distance, watching from afar.

"You kids alright? What the hell were you thinking, running out like that?" the driver barks, both worried and angry.

The shout snaps Kisaki out of his daze. He grits his teeth and shoves Takemichi off him. But the idiot won't budge - still holding onto him like a vice.

"That's enough, Hanagaki. Let go of me, damn it! What the hell are you doing?!" Kisaki snaps.

Then suddenly, he feels it - Takemichi's body stiffens, then jerks violently. The arms wrapped around him loosen and fall away. Kisaki instantly knows something's wrong.

It's that same electric jolt again - but worse. The pain crashes into him like a wave, stronger than anything he felt that day.

A high-pitched ringing screeches in Takemichi's ears, like feedback from a blown speaker, and it splits his head open with pain. He slumps to the ground, hands clutching at his ears, but nothing stops the piercing noise. His whole body curls in on itself, trembling from the agony.

The driver, Kisaki, and Kimura all freeze in horror, eyes locked on the boy writhing on the pavement.

"Kid - what's wrong? Are you alright?!"

"Boss!"

Kimura rushes to Takemichi's side, catching him just in time and letting him lean against his shoulder. Takemichi feels a familiar warmth in his nose. A nosebleed - again. Just like before, he tries to stop it with both hands, but the blood slips through his fingers anyway.

But it doesn't stop there.

The pain that wracks his body is unbearable, yet something worse follows. A sudden heat flares up in his chest, like fire searing from the inside. It's sharp, like a dagger stabbing straight through. His throat burns. He coughs - hard - and his ears ring with the force of it. And then... he spits out a mouthful of blood.

Blood now stains his face, streaking across his skin like a cruel paintbrush. His complexion turns deathly pale in an instant, the life draining out of him as if his energy gets sucked away all at once.

His eyes lose focus. The world in front of him blurs, then sharpens, then blurs again. Faces swirl in and out of view. Kisaki's face among them.

Even in that flickering moment of clarity, he sees it all - Kisaki's expression. That look. It pulls Takemichi straight back to that one future. The one where Kisaki murders Chifuyu right in front of him. Right before trying to kill Takemichi too, Kisaki had cried. That last word - "hero" - was his twisted way of saying goodbye.

Regretful. Almost sorrowful.

But your face that day, Kisaki... that expression - it didn't suit you at all.

How could someone cry like that... after killing their own enemy?

Was it because Takemichi is your hero?

A strange curiosity stirs inside him. He wonders - after he dies, how does Kisaki really feel?

That thought is cut short by another wave of pain tearing through his body.

Maybe this is a warning.

Takemichi never understands why he can travel through time. He never thinks about what the cost might be every time he uses this power.

He doesn't know why he ends up back in this timeline again. Maybe... maybe it isn't Mikey's will that pulls him back this time. Maybe it's his own. After all, he begged. He prayed - desperately - for the gods to let him return. To give him one more chance to fix the regrets of the past.

Maybe this really is a divine gift.

But in this world, nothing comes for free. Everything has a reason. Everything has a price. Just like when people pray at shrines - they offer up virtue and sincerity to show their devotion.

So what's the price Takemichi must pay for this power? For this return?

Or more accurately - what's the price of saving everyone, over and over, of changing the flow of time again and again?

Every time he prays, every time he dreams of the future, he always says:

"Everyone will have a happy ending."

But somehow, in that word everyone... He keeps forgetting to include himself.