Keep Fighting

𓊈卍 𝟑 卍𓊉

Nakano watches anxiously as her brother stands in front of Kiyomasa. She can see the drastic difference in size and strength already, which only fuels her fear. She's never seen her brother fight before, so she can only assume that he really can't.

'For fucks sake, Takemichi. You'd better know what you're doing...'

"Don't regret this later."

The female Hanagaki holds her breath as Kiyomasa winds up a punch. With a powerful swing, he digs his fist right into her twin's stomach. The impact was so powerful that Takemichi's back arches upward and lifts him from the ground. She bites her lip and grabs hold of the cement stairs, trying not to spring up and attack Kiyomasa too early.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER, HANAGAKI!!?"

Takemichi gets absolutely mauled. He gets fists to the face, knees to the stomach, and kicks to the head. Every strike that makes its mark spews blood.

'There's no way he's going to win this...'

"Nakano, don't try to stop me, and don't step in."

'How am I supposed to just watch you get beaten!?'

Nakano watches blood splatter from her twin's face. As she watches him take punch after punch, and kick after kick, she tries to abide by her brother's request. However, she doesn't know how much longer she can let this go on.

The crowd cheers on Kiyomasa, which only fuels her fury. If all these guys are a part of Toman, she wouldn't be surprised. Just by being entertained by violence sells it all.

"That's enough, Takemichi!!!" Takuya yells, great concern and fear evident in his cry.

"You showed us how strong you are!" Akkun adds loudly from beside her.

Nakano hears the very audible wet crunch as Kiyomasa bashes Takemichi's face with full force. This punch is powerful enough to make Takemichi skid backwards. Just as she expects that he's going to fall, he remains on his feet. She holds her breath while he sways weakly.

"Not... Yet..." She hears him utter ever so faintly. "Not yet... This can't heal... My heart... That's experienced those last twelve years..."

'Takemichi...'

"The hell is he talkin' about?"

She hears echoes of confused comments from behind her, but she doesn't care. The more she watches her twin, the more she gazes into his blue-grey eyes, she can see just how much her twin has grown in this short time.

"I kept running... Running and running... Away from my problems..."

Maybe she doesn't know her brother as well as she thinks. She doesn't know how he grew up while she was gone. Most of their short childhood together are hazy memories. All she knows now is the coward Takemichi who can't do things on his own and runs from fights he knows he can't win.

This Takemichi stands up to any opponent who could very well be a Goliath compared to him. But instead of knocking his opponent out with a single blow, he intimidates them by refusing to back down. Not to mention he's also tanking hits that should have knocked him unconscious by now.

"Give up already, Takemichi!!" Akkun yells at him again. "You showed us enough of your determination!!"

She sees tears forming in his eyes, which don't take long to slip out and streak down his face. She starts losing herself, as her vision tunnels towards Kiyomasa. A searing heat starts building up in her, as her muscles begin to tense up, preparing to charge in.