Alice in Borderland: The Cycle Continues

61.4) Side Story 6 - King of Diamonds [4]

"Both versions of the King of Hearts were accepted, and in the end, the vote was passed to the citizens. And Incrimination won. So, I had to take matters into my own hands."

===Zakū Raisunei===

– – – – – –

In the alleyway covered by dim shadows, rain fell, rustling off the leaves of bushes, clattering off the lids of trash cans.

I was in a dark jacket, my eyes narrow, Kazuto in front of me, slouching over, hands in his pockets. "You have the cigarettes we wanted you to buy for us?" He asked.

His two goons stood behind him. "Better be the right ones, dipshit." One of them snarled.

I smirked, pulling out a gold-rimmed container of cigarettes, holding it out. "Here you go."

Kazato took it, opening the packet, then cursed, tossing it to the ground. The container crinkled, pellets of stone tumbling out.

I smiled, backing closer towards the wall, as he approached me. "You think this is funny?"

"I'm smiling right now."

He punched me. The flesh of my cheek dug into my teeth, seeping blood down my throat. My nose cracked, a stream of blood dripping out.

'Yes. This is working. Keep pushing his limits, until he has overflowed. That's the secret, but it takes a mountain of willpower. I know I won't be coming out of this unharmed; in fact, the worse off I come out, the better.'

"Try that again." I laughed, stumbling backwards.

His eyes turned to slits, as he struck again, this time pummeled my chest, my ribs, the air within me knocking around like a blender. My legs gave out, and I fell to the ground. He spat on me.

"You're getting real testy, Zakū." He hissed. "Don't push me to this point again. Just do what I want you to do, like everyone else, and there won't be any issues. You aren't fooling me with your tough demeanor."

"It's not that I think I'm tough." I said, panting. "I just don't give any shit about you. Your life is worth less than trash to me. It's worth less than dog shit. Why should the commands of someone like you affect someone like me?"

Something in Kazato must've snapped; I doubt anyone has ever come close to talking to him like that, even me. He turned around, fire coursing through his veins, slamming me off the ground with a kick. My body rolled, as he leaped on top, striking my face, throwing my head left and right with each punch, my blood caking his fists.

No other time I had faced him had come anywhere close to today. 'Come on. Keep going. Just a little more. Just take it all.'

He ceased the punches, picking me up by my throat, my breathing cutting off. He slammed me against the wall, the bricks jutting into my back. He slammed me again, the stone again bruising my back, the impact rippling deep into my muscles. He threw me against the dumpster, then again, against its ledge.

"Kazato, stop!" One of the guys said, restraining him. "You're going to kill him!"

He paused, staring at my limp, bloodied body. I hung from his grip, which he loosened from my throat, holding me by my collar instead. A dark ring remained around my neck.

"Fuck..." He cursed, throwing me onto the dumpster, half my body falling in. "I hope you've learned your lesson."

He spat on me again, leaving. Rain still fell, enveloping me in a cold icy sheet. In that moment, a sense of darkness overwhelmed me, and my eyelids fell. Then, I gasped, rising.