As Hajime collapsed, his body twitched slightly. Then, something

  unexpected happened.

  A surge of blue flames erupted from him, but they weren’t

  like before. They didn’t just flicker or dance around him—they roared,

  spiraling upwards like a demonic inferno.

  Ray’s grin faded slightly as he stepped back. "Whoa… that’s

  new."

  Gondo and Hanamoto’s eyes narrowed. The sheer intensity of the

  flames caused the air around them to distort. The ground beneath Hajime cracked

  from the sheer pressure.

  His blue flames had changed.

  Before, they were wild yet controlled. Now, they were chaotic,

  monstrous, and overwhelming. The shape of the flames twisted, forming the

  vague outline of something devilish—horns, sharp claws, a massive figure

  looming over Hajime's unconscious body.

  Gondo’s carefree smile disappeared. "Oi, Ray… is this

  normal?"

  Hanamoto clenched his fists, his battle-hardened instincts flaring

  up. "That’s not normal at all."

  Seline, who had been watching from the sidelines, gasped softly. "His

  aura… it’s changed."

  The pressure in the air was suffocating. It wasn’t just

  powerful—it was violent

  Hajime’s fingers twitched. His unconscious body moved slightly, as

  if something was trying to pull him back up. His breathing was heavy, his

  expression twisted with an almost feral

  Ray smirked, but his usual cockiness was replaced with something

  else—excitement. "Heh… looks like we broke past something in him."

  Then, as suddenly as they appeared, the flames vanished.

  Hajime's body slumped completely, as if whatever force had taken

  hold of him had finally let go. The air returned to normal. The world seemed

  eerily silent.

  Gondo let out a breath, rubbing the back of his head. "Damn.

  Kid's got something nasty buried deep inside him, huh?"

  Hanamoto cracked his knuckles, grinning slightly. "Interesting…

  very interesting."

  Ray kneeled beside Hajime, patting his back. "Well,

  whatever that was, it’s definitely a sign that you’re getting stronger.

  But…"

  "You still have a long way to go, Hajime."

  Hajime, still panting heavily, felt the weights being unstrapped

  from his legs. His muscles screamed in pain, but Ray's voice cut through the

  haze.

  "Alright, Hajime. Time for the next step — sprint."

  Hajime blinked through the sweat dripping down his face. "S-Sprint?

  After all that? I can barely stand…"

  Ray grinned, leaning in. "C'mon, I thought you wanted to

  save Sockoo? Or are you giving up already?"

  Hajime clenched his fists, his body trembling. He forced himself

  up, legs shaky but moving. "I’m not done yet…"

  He took a step forward — and blurred out of sight.

  The ground exploded beneath him, cracking from the sheer force of

  his push-off. The wind howled violently in his wake as he shot forward like a

  missile. Hajime’s eyes widened in shock as everything around him became a blur

  "What the—!? I’m… faster?!"

  Ray laughed, watching Hajime tear through the field, leaving a

  trail of dust and debris. "Faster? Kid, you’re not fast. You’re a damn

  rocket."

  Hajime wasn’t even running at full speed — he could feel it. His

  body wasn’t giving its all, yet he felt like he had shattered the concept of

  speed itself.

  He looked ahead, barely processing the landscape zipping past him.

  The world blurred into streaks of color, and he realized something insane:

  He wasn’t just faster than any human. He was faster than the

  fastest man in history — by a landslide.

  Hajime's mind raced alongside his body. "This… this isn’t

  just speed. It’s like I’m flying on the ground!"

  Hanamoto watched with an impressed grin. "Damn brat's got

  legs now. Not bad."

  Gondo laughed, slapping his knee. "Looks like he’s finally

  finding his stride. Ain't that somethin’?"

  Ray crossed his arms, smirking proudly. "He’s still not

  done. This is only the start."

  Hajime skidded to a halt, his feet tearing through the dirt as he

  came to a shaky stop. His chest heaved as he stared down at his legs, his heart

  pounding with adrenaline and disbelief.

  "I… I’m not weak anymore," he whispered to

  himself, fists trembling.

  Ray approached him, ruffling Hajime’s messy hair. "Yeah,

  you’re getting there. But don’t get cocky, brat.

  He leaned in with his usual teasing grin.

  "We’re just getting started."

  Hanamoto grinned mischievously as he tightened the chains around

  Hajime's arms. The metal clinked ominously, and Hajime's eyes widened — his

  pupils turning into white circles with black outlines, pure confusion washing

  over his face.

  "W-Wait, what is this?!" Hajime stammered, trying

  to move his arms, but the chains held firm.

  Ray smirked from the side. "Good luck, Hajime."

  Before Hajime could even process that, Hanamoto stepped forward

  with a massive boulder — easily the size of a small house — and without

  warning, he slammed it onto the ground behind Hajime, sending dust flying

  everywhere. The chains from his arms and legs connected to the boulder with a

  loud clang

  Hajime's face paled. "H-Hey... what the hell is

  this?!"

  Hanamoto tightened the last chain, patting the boulder like it was

  a friendly dog. "Weight training, kid."

  Hajime blinked rapidly, sweat already forming on his forehead. "T-This

  isn’t weight training — this is torture!!"

  Ray waved him off nonchalantly, turning away. "Nah,

  torture’s way worse. You’ll be fiiiiine." He glanced over his shoulder

  with a grin. "Ten laps. Around the field. Pull the rock. Don’t

  stop."

  Hajime’s jaw dropped. "TEN?!"

  Ray chuckled, already walking away. "Yup. Oh, and if you

  stop or pass out, Hanamoto said he’d restart the count from zero. Anyway, I’m

  starving. Gondo, let’s grab lunch."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Gondo laughed, following Ray. "Ooooh, burgers sound

  good."

  "DON’T JUST LEAVE ME HERE!!" Hajime screamed,

  tugging on the chains as the boulder didn’t budge an inch. His muscles

  trembled, tears already threatening to fall. "THIS ISN’T TRAINING —

  IT’S A DEATH SENTENCE!"

  Ray, now a dot in the distance, yelled back without turning around:

  "Cry harder, maybe it'll make you stronger!"

  Hajime slumped forward, his head hanging low. His body shook as he

  stared at the dirt beneath him. He gritted his teeth, his voice barely above a

  whisper.

  "I... I can’t give up. I have to save Sockoo..."

  His arms trembled, chains rattling. His legs shook like they were

  going to snap under him.

  But then — he took his first step.

  The boulder didn’t move.

  Hajime screamed through his teeth, veins bulging on his neck as he

  pushed harder. His foot slammed into the dirt, tearing up the ground

  beneath him as he pulled again.

  The boulder budged.

  Hajime felt his muscles scream in protest — but he screamed louder.

  "MOVE, DAMN IT!!"

  The boulder shifted, just a little.

  Hanamoto watched from the side, arms crossed, a rare smirk on his

  face.

  "Kid's tougher than I thought."

  Meanwhile, back in the nurse's office, Daka's eyes slowly fluttered

  open. His vision blurred as the sterile white ceiling came into focus. His

  entire body felt heavy, his muscles sore and aching like he’d been hit by a

  truck — no, more like Strikeka himself.

  He groaned, trying to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his

  ribs, making him wince. "Tch... damn it."

  He glanced to his side, noticing the others lying in beds — Bondo,

  Rizra, Makoto, Yosuke, Angel... all unconscious, bandaged up from head to toe.

  The memories hit him like a freight train. Strikeka. Streetka.

  Sockoo leaving with them. Hajime getting beaten into a bloody pulp. His fists

  trembled under the bedsheet.

  "That bastard... we lost." His voice was bitter,

  filled with frustration. He clenched his teeth. "We were completely

  powerless."

  As he looked around, his gaze landed on Amy sitting by Angel’s

  bedside, her head down. She looked exhausted — her clothes still torn from the

  fight, and her face pale.

  Daka’s voice came out raspy but determined. "Amy... what

  happened after...?"

  Amy jolted up, surprised. "Daka! You’re awake!"

  Relief filled her voice. "I... I thought you weren’t gonna make

  it."

  Daka gave a weak smirk. "Tch... like I'd die before getting

  payback."

  Amy hesitated, her voice shaky. "After Sockoo left, I used

  the last of my strength to teleport everyone here... to Hajime’s energy. He was

  gone by then. I-I didn’t know where else to go."

  Daka’s expression darkened. "Hajime’s alive... right?"

  Amy nodded slowly. "Yeah. Ray’s team found him. He’s

  probably with them now."

  Daka exhaled, his head falling back against the pillow. "Good...

  he’s too stubborn to die.""We

  need him now more than ever."

  Amy looked down, her voice barely a whisper. "What about

  Sockoo? Do you think she’s really... gone?"

  Daka’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t answer right away. He wasn’t sure

  what to believe anymore. But one thing burned inside him — a flicker of

  determination.

  "We’ll get her back... no matter what."

  One by one, the Music Club started to stir.

  Rizra groaned first, her hand weakly rubbing her forehead. "Ugh…

  feels like I got hit by a freight train. Did anyone get the license plate on

  that guy?"

  Bondo woke up next, his voice grumbling as he sat up, cracking his

  neck. "It wasn’t a truck. It was Strikeka. And we got flattened."

  His usual smugness was gone, replaced by quiet frustration.

  Makoto blinked awake, wincing as he tried to move. "My…

  guns… where are they?"

  Amy waved him down. "They’re right here, Makoto. Don’t

  worry." She gestured to a table by the wall where their weapons were

  safely placed.

  Yosuke woke up after, his face pale and sweat-covered. He coughed

  weakly. "Poison magic didn’t do anything to that guy… it was like he

  didn’t even notice." His voice trembled a little. He hated feeling

  useless.

  Angel woke last, sitting up fast with wide eyes. "Sockoo!!

  Where’s Sockoo?!"

  The room fell into heavy silence. Everyone avoided eye contact,

  their expressions dark and tense.

  Daka, still sore and barely holding himself up, finally spoke. His

  voice was low and rough. "She’s gone... She left with them."

  Angel’s eyes welled up. "No… she wouldn’t... not like

  this…"

  Rizra, despite her own pain, reached over and gently placed a hand

  on Angel’s shoulder. "We’ll get her back. We’re not giving up on

  her."

  Bondo gritted his teeth, his fist slamming into the mattress. "We

  need to get stronger... all of us. This isn’t over."

  Everyone, even in their battered state, nodded. They weren’t done

  yet — not even close.

  Yu slowly stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He groaned softly, his

  head pounding.

  "W-Where… am I?" he mumbled, his voice weak and

  shaky.

  The room went quiet again as everyone turned to him.

  Angel immediately rushed to his side. "Yu! You’re

  awake!"

  Yu blinked a few times, still dazed. His mind was catching up to

  everything that happened. Then, his eyes widened in horror. He sat up too fast,

  wincing from the pain.

  "Sockoo… Sockoo!! Where is she?!" he shouted,

  panic in his voice.

  Angel looked down, her expression heartbroken. "She… she

  left with them, Yu. With her father and brother."

  Yu froze, his breath hitching. He remembered everything now — how

  he tried to grab her hand, how he promised they’d run together, how Strikeka

  appeared behind him... and how he was too weak to stop any of it.

  His hands trembled. "I… I couldn’t save her…" His

  voice broke, tears pooling in his eyes.

  Daka, still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, spoke

  up — his voice more serious than usual. "None of us could. It wasn’t

  your fault, Yu."

  Yu shook his head, his voice cracking. "I promised her… I

  said we’d get out together! I couldn’t even keep that promise…"

  Makoto spoke softly from his bed. "We all made promises we

  couldn’t keep that night, Yu. But that doesn’t mean it’s over."

  Yu clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He wasn’t

  just sad — he was angry. Angry at Strikeka. Angry at Streetka. Angry at

  himself.

  "I’m done being scared," he muttered, his voice

  low but filled with a new fire. "Next time… I won’t run. I’m going to

  save Sockoo. No matter what."

  The room was silent for a moment — then Daka smirked slightly.

  "Tch. Looks like someone finally grew a spine."

  Yu didn’t even glare at him this time. He just nodded, his eyes

  burning with determination.

  Yu, still filled with a mix of emotions, felt his chest tighten.

  Without thinking, he reached out and pulled Yosuke into a tight hug. Yosuke

  blinked in surprise for a moment but then returned the embrace, his arms

  wrapping around Yu gently.

  Yu buried his face in Yosuke’s shoulder, trying to steady his

  breath. His heart still pounded from the fear and guilt, but now, with Yosuke

  holding him, a sense of comfort started to replace some of that overwhelming

  anxiety.

  "I’m sorry… I should have done more," Yu

  whispered, his voice muffled.

  Yosuke stroked his hair softly, his voice tender. "You

  don’t need to apologize, Yu. None of us could have stopped them."

  Yu tightened his hold, the warmth and reassurance from Yosuke

  giving him some semblance of calm amidst the chaos. "But I could have

  tried harder…"

  Yosuke pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, his gaze

  full of quiet intensity. "You try, Yu. You gave everything

  you had. That’s all anyone can ask for. We’ll get her back… together."

  Yu met Yosuke’s eyes, seeing the determination in them that matched

  his own.

  "Together." He said it with newfound strength,

  knowing that he wasn’t alone anymore.

  Yosuke smiled softly, brushing a lock of hair out of Yu’s face. "Yeah,

  together."

  Selene walked in with a bucket of water in her hands, but as she

  stepped into the room, she froze at the sight of Yu and Yosuke embracing each

  other. Her eyes widened in surprise, the bucket of water nearly slipping from

  her grasp.

  "Oh, uh... sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt," she

  stammered, quickly glancing away as if embarrassed. She didn’t want to make

  things awkward for them, but she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at

  the corner of her lips. "Guess I should have waited to bring the water

  in, huh?"

  Yu quickly pulled away from Yosuke, a faint blush creeping across

  his face as he scratched the back of his head. "No, it’s fine,"

  he muttered, trying to shake off the moment. "We’re just... happy to be

  awake."

  Yosuke, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind the interruption at

  all. "Yeah, waking up and seeing everything still here... it’s a

  relief," he said with a grin. He looked at Selene and noticed the

  bucket. "What’s with the water, though?"

  Selene raised an eyebrow, her tone still playful, but there was a

  softness in her eyes. "I thought you guys might need it. Some of you

  were out for a while. Figured a good splash of water would help wake everyone

  up properly."

  She set the bucket down and started moving around, organizing

  things as she spoke. "I’ve been keeping an eye on you all. It’s not

  exactly the best time for anyone to be too out of it."

  Yu nodded, suddenly remembering just how intense the battle had

  been. "Yeah, we’ll need to make a plan. Sockoo... and the

  others..."

  Selene glanced at him with a solemn expression, her usual playful

  demeanor gone. "I know... I’m not letting this slide either. But we’re

  not gonna get anywhere just sitting around, so get up when you’re ready."

  Yu and Yosuke exchanged a look, both understanding the weight of

  her words. It was time to stop thinking and start doing. "Right,"

  Yu said, his voice steady. "We’re ready."

  The Music Club members, along with Selene, gathered in a spacious

  room inside the training base. The air was tense with the gravity of their

  situation. Everyone had endured the brutal aftermath of Strikeka’s attack, but

  they couldn’t afford to dwell on their injuries or despair. Sockoo and her

  brother, Streetka, were still out there, and the threat from their family

  remained strong.

  From his broken body erupted something new: a violent, chaotic evolution of his blue flames, hinting at a monstrous power buried deep within him. Though the flames faded, the message was clear—Hajime has crossed a threshold.

  Sockoo. Even as his body screams, his will refuses to bend.

  It is about awakening.

  Sockoo is still gone.

  But now—everyone has chosen their path.