No Second Chances

[yasha]

Haruna, Myōga,

Home to almost 800,000 people, Haruna is among the most crime-ridden cities in Ardia. Youth below 18 account for almost 60% of all reported incidents in the city. To alleviate this, the provincial government has put a heavy emphasis on youth extracurricular activities. Among those created in response is the Gakuen Nakahara Boxing Club, a special-category organization for students deemed "at-risk" of falling from grace into a life of crime.

For them, the motto "No Second Chances" is a reminder, that to slip any further down is to never climb back up.

[yasha]

Chapter 1: The Hardest Way

"Have a seat, Murakami." A short, wide elderly woman said, closing the door to her office. "I'm in disbelief, I truly am. To get caught stealing is one thing, to get caught stealing from another's home is that much worse. However, doing that after stealing the keys to that home from another student? Well, that's why you're here now." The principal circled around the office, Yuichi Murakami sat in the middle. "Forty years, I've taught in Haruna, I've had forty years to see all there is to expect from students, good and bad. But I am still amazed on what I've heard you've done today, Murakami."

Growing irritated, but refusing to let it show, Yuichi spoke up. "I understand, Mrs. Yukazawa. What I've done is wrong." he sighed insincerely, prompting the elderly woman to take a seat behind her desk. "Whether you understand is up to debate, Murakami. Let me be honest with you, to punish or lecture you on this any further is pointless, with all the students I've had in my office, one, two or eight times; how many do you think I've managed to straighten out by punishing them or lecturing them about being a good citizen, how many?" Yuichi sat in silence. "One in fifty. So if you're expecting a few stern words from me before I let you off the hook, you're mistaken."

Mrs. Yukazawa let her tone drop into a slightly less stern, concerned one. Yuichi looked out the window to the rainy streets below, the principal's office sat on the top of a 13-floor school building; it wasn't uncommon for schools to be built as highrise buildings in the more densely-populated parts of Himeyama, was closer to home for many. "Look, Yuichi." Mrs. Yukazawa said, getting the young man's attention once more. "I hope you realize I'm not your enemy here, in forty years of dealing with Haruna's problem children, do you think I don't know better about how to deal with them? Punishment works for some, but you're far too stubborn for that, when I try to talk you out of things, you don't listen. But the bottom line is, if someone doesn't reach out to you now, this could be you tomorrow." Mrs. Yukazawa pulled a cut-out newspaper article from her filing cabinet and placed it in front of Yuichi. He took the time to read the piece, a cold, objective description of a killing a bit further west in Haruna.

"That man, stabbed three times by someone he thought he could mug, was in this very office two years ago. And unless we do something here and now about it, I might be reading about you like that soon. How's your mother doing?" Mrs. Yukazawa asked, withdrawing the news clipping off the desk. "Why do you need to know about my mother?" Yuichi inquired defensively. "Because I know that woman, she's a good parent, the only one you have left. Can you imagine her having to read that you got killed in the news? It almost makes me sick to think about, and let me tell you something else, you're a lot closer to going down that path than you can hope to realize. So listen to my proposal, and listen good."

Yuichi sat in silence thinking about the image Mrs. Yukazawa put into his mind, it haunted him like he never thought he could be, though he denied it to himself. "No Second Chances, you ever see that motto around this school? It's for people like you that are this close to becoming like the man in the newspaper, another statistic that died young. Gakuen Nakahara Boxing Club, only the students like you are allowed to join, if you can stick with it until you graduate without getting expelled, you're granted a sports scholarship and a guaranteed spot in one of twelve universities as long as you've made the bare minimum requirements. You truly excel there though, and you'll find even more possibilities in your future. The option is open to you, Yuichi, it's the last I'm able to do for you." Mrs. Yukazawa said standing up, grabbing her coat to go home.

[yasha]

The rain had finally passed over Haruna by the time Yuichi had finished his mandatory disciplinary duties, Gakuen Nakahara was never in shortage of people to clean the building, most of which hanged out on the balconies after their duties were up. Reaching for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, Yuichi figured he'd have a smoke before heading home.

"Hey, forgetting these?" a female voice called. He stopped, halfway through the sliding door, and turned around to face a young woman. He could feel her piercing glare from just under the flat brim of her hat. "For someone who's bad enough to steal someone's keys then break into their place; you're pretty clueless." she gloated, twirling his silver-plated lighter around her finger. Feeling a bit of pride, Yuichi flicked the bottom of the pack and launched a cigarette, catching it with a single fluid motion.

"So I'm famous now?" he chuckled. "Guess so, got some people who wanna throw hands with a celebrity. From what I heard, you're meeting them pretty soon." The young woman said, tossing Yuichi's lighter at him. "I'm Ilyanna from year 6. Don't need to hear your name anymore today." she said, joining Yuichi on the balcony. He stared down at the miserable grey streets below as he set the cigarette alight in his mouth. Behind him, Ilyanna unwrapped a snack bar. "That boxing club is vicious. Nakahara is in the top ten national clubs with Imai-Kokko, Shinka-Tenzai and Tankayama. I don't think a petty thief like you has a chance now." Ilyanna barraged him with put-downs as he tried to ignore her. "Who said I was going to show up?" Yuichi snapped back. "Where else are you gonna go? One day you're gonna try stealing from the wrong person, and they're gonna end up cleaning you off the walls."

"I stopped being Arda Tuluvan awhile ago, the way I am, there's no way I could go back. You Himeyans are clueless like that, no rigid societal customs, individualism is expected instead of frowned upon. It's all I wanted, but since I embraced it, that stereotypical Himeyan attitude, I'm stuck trying to make it out of Haruna alive."

Yuichi tossed the half-finished cigarette off the balcony and turned towards Ilyanna, frowning. "Why is this your business?" he asked with a sneer. "If you can break into someone's home, you can stand me probing at you a little. I better see you Monday." Ilyanna growled, slipping her arms through the sleeves of her fur-lined jacket and disappearing inside.

[yasha]

Dozens of low-hanging heads marched homebound as the sun disappeared behind the horizon and retreating grey clouds, the dreary veil signature to Haruna disappearing with the day's troubles. Yuichi took a moment to count his spoils from the morning, little more than ₭₭10 that he took from a countertop; hardly worth the chewing-out he got afterwards from Mrs. Yukazawa. Merging into the stream of tired men on the way to Bushin Station, the words of the Arda Tuluvan girl echoed in his head, as much as he tried not to think about it. "Where else are you gonna go?" she said over and over, with an attitude that could put even a Himeyan to shame.

He looked around. There was hardly a happy thing about Haruna, industrial and bare described the cityscape well. It was a place for workers and scum, not a bureaucrat or tourist to be found. "Where else will I go? Somewhere that isn't here would be nice." he muttered to himself as he paid at the gate of the station. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a peculiar-looking woman, a police officer among a squad with bleached and dyed blonde hair, head following the weary rabble of Haruna as they boarded and exited the trains. The gold and green seal on the front of her protective vest gave it away that she was with Myōga Provincial Civil Protection, law enforcement that had little reason to be in Haruna unless trouble was brewing.

With a nonchalant, clockwork efficiency, a train came for Yuichi and rocketed away into the forest just beyond the city borders. Staring at the blur of trees and farmhouses, he lost himself again to his thoughts, that strange Arda Tuluvan girl he couldn't seem to wrap his head around. All he could remember hearing about the Arda Tuluvans were elementary school rumours about how kids had their ears chopped off by their parents for the slightest mishap; yet this Ilyanna acted like a born and raised Himeyan thug, right down to the way she modified her school uniform. Obviously wouldn't be the last time they met, he thought, not with the way she could drill words into his head.


"Tatsura-Musu eki, totsumasu." a robotic voice called over the intercom, prompting most of the passengers on the train to stand up and take their bags. With a quiet chime, the train came to a slow inside Tatsura-Musu station, a maze of concrete, small shops and market stalls all sitting high above the ground. The gateway that connected the suburbs to the city of Haruna was bustling day and dark; all the year 3s would hang around Tatsura-Musu's bars and food stalls, keen to get a few drinks in after studies or practice, club emblems worn proudly on their backs with boxing gloves dangling from their waists. They made the best of Himeyama's lax liquor laws, while the adults would drink much closer to home; Yuichi wasn't feeling it though, after hours of disciplinary duties, the last thing he wanted was to put up with the noise of the juniors. He quickly made his way down the stairs towards the bus terminal and was on his way home.

[yasha]

"Until you can win your own pair, these are yours." Ilyanna said, sliding two mounds of ripped fabric and tape across the locker room bench, once able to be called gloves. Yuichi took a moment to examine them before sliding them on over his wrapped hands. "I'll be doing the first fight this evening; you're next, don't disappoint." Ilyanna said, turning her back to Yuichi and leaving for the outdoor ring; an embroidered phoenix proudly displayed on the back of her jacket.

The sparring sessions with Ilyanna had gone surprisingly well, his strength and speed no doubt impressed the ice cold Arda Tuluvan, even if she tried not to let it show. Looking over at an open locker, Yuichi began to understand the pride these fighters felt, fighting in Himeyama was far closer to a rite than a sport. Victory brought them the glory they sought, defeat only tempered the resolve that made Himeyans as stubborn and driven as they are. Despite being dragged into the world of fighting, it took mere days for Yuichi to embrace it. Now he reveled in his upcoming trial by fire.

Under the rainy, overcast skies, Ilyanna attacked her opponent again and again like a swarm of angry hornets, each step she took part of an elaborate dance to close distance between herself and her opponent while disguising the next, every swing a quick and precise blow part of a relentless assault. Yuichi watched in awe as the Arda Tuluvan aggressively punched holes through the dark-skinned Himeyan girl's blocks, leaving her form ragged and sluggish as she tried to recover and counter.

"Amazing, isn't she?" The boy beside Yuichi spoke up, shaking the rainwater out of his hair. "The other clubs in Haruna call her the Burning Phoenix, when she's in the ring, she goes crazy in trying to bring her opponents down. I wanna say she'd be burnt out fighting like that, but nobody has lasted that long!" the pair of boys watched as the Burning Phoenix delivered a final uppercut into her opponent's torso, letting her drop limp against the ropes. "If anyone's gonna win the SAT-F this spring, it's gonna be her."

Yuichi felt anxiety tug at him slightly as club members helped the winded young woman exit the ring. Ilyanna came around to him, a satisfied grin on her face. She casually scanned him up and down before disappearing inside the building. "Guess we're up next." the boy next to him spoke up again, Yuichi failing to realize that he was the only other spectator wearing his gear. "Nothing personal, yeah? It's Nakahara versus the world, this is just practice." he said, flipping over the ropes into the ring, prompting Yuichi to enter in turn.

"I'm Kazuma by the way, everyone knows your name already." he said, pushing in his mouthguard and beating his fists together. The young man's demeanour immediately morphed as the bell rang, Kazuma blasting forwards at Yuichi with a fist aimed straight for the chin.

[yasha]

Chapter 2: An Empire of Stray Youth

Aya Tatsuhira watched downtown Haruna disappear with the last light of day as the old, beaten van took them through Haruna's back roads and into the parking lot of a single-story slab of discoloured concrete. The downtown clan of the Six Eight gang were known for their expensive print clothing, drug peddling and ruthless attitude even towards other Six Eight clans. "I'll go in, see if they want to play nice. If not, we smash some skulls." Aya said as the van rolled to a stop just outside an open garage door. Quickly assessing the pitch black room, Aya scoffed. "You trying to intimidate a Central?" she called into the darkness.

With a heavy snapping sound, dim lamps around the garage flickered to life, revealing a gang of ragtag young men and women perched all around Aya. "What? You want a fucking red carpet? This is Harajuka, our territory, not yours." a tall, muscular man with wild, dyed hair growled, jumping down from the hood of a raised car. "Your territory? You talk big for someone who can't even get their own supply. Until then, you owe us." Aya snarled back, her crew hiding outside, watching the two circle each other like a pair of wolves.

The man nodded off to the side, a girl smoking in the corner tossing a sack towards Aya in response.

"That's your share. The rest we'll send to you next week with whatever we don't sell." the man said begrudgingly while Aya counted the folded and wrinkled plastic bills. She looked up and glared at the Harajukas. "I don't like coming here, I want next week's money now."

"You'll have to take our cut from us then." he said smugly, raising his fists. Without a word, Aya popped her knuckles and lunged at the man, a handful of Centrals pouring into the garage on cue. With a few light punches and feints, she lured the man into getting close enough for her to grab the tonfa tucked into her belt from behind and drive it straight into his chest. He lurched over in pain, only for Aya to unceremoniously deliver another hard blow into his cheek.

Cries of outrage erupted as the Harajuka gangsters realized the Centrals were fighting dirty, examining her surroundings, she noticed a young woman rushing at her with a knife, looking absolutely livid. When she got close, Aya grabbed her by the arm and twisted it with all her strength, a horrible pop being heard through the room. Again, the Harajuka gang turned towards her with a mix of disgust and terror, the fight abruptly stopping, everyone's eyes on the girl groaning in pain on the floor, clutching her arm close as she rolled around.

"Let's make her an example, you don't want to be like that, right?" Aya boasted loudly, noticing some of her rivals visibly shaken. "I want 500 more Kobankai before I leave here tonight, or we can start breaking bones." The rest of the Central crew rejoined her at her sides as the remaining Harajuka gangsters scrambled to open up a safe against the back wall, hastily gathering the extra bills and passing them to her.

"Whenever he wakes up, be sure he knows. Next time we won't stop."

[yasha]

Chapter 3: The Ballad of Gunther Oda

"Read this for me. Out loud."

As he sat on his knees, the man in front of him pointed a large revolver directly at his forehead; before turning it sideways and pointing it down at his neck. "Go on. Tell me what it says." Decked with expensive jewelry, to the point of being almost gaudy; the young man ran his ringed finger across the stamped lettering on the side of the gun. "P-point 500, Arunaya Arms Magnum." He sputtered out.
"Yes very good. This caliber, this pistol, did you know it's illegal to own here? So... do you know why I have it?"

The man on the floor hesitated. "Because... you'r--"

"That's right, Himeyama's rules are irrelevant in Haruna. I am the law here. No cops, no soldiers; this city belongs to the Oda." Finishing this, Gunther pointed the gun back at the man's forehead. He flinched as Gunther imitated the motion of firing it, then quietly putting it back on his belt. "Since you've made yourself useful; we'll call this a minor slip up." The man clasped his hands together in relief. Wordlessly mouthing praise to the heavens. "I don't like underachievers, Mr. Hasekura. Make sure it's the last slip up you make." Silently, Gunther waved the man off; who rose to his feet and left the small office with haste.

"But you. You know exactly what happens next. Right?" Tearfully, the other man wailed while Gunther drew the pistol again, desperately trying to apologize through the cloth gag. "Shhhh..." Gunther whispered gently. "You had your chance already." Without turning to look at him, Gunther raised the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. A deafening slam echoed through the office and into the narrow hallways beyond; and the man now lie face down. A visible split down the top of his head from which the contents inside now ran like a thick slush, onto the carpets and splattered onto the walls. Gunther sighed, another precious bullet wasted.