Sakamoto days : The Heinous Flower

Chapter 3

I walked back to the spot where Nagumo and I had split up. "Man... I really wanted to win," I muttered

I sighed and walked over to the spot where Nagumo and I had parted ways. Taking a cigarette from my pocket and putting between my lips, pulled out a lighter and flicked it lighting the cigarette with a steady hand. Taking a slow drag, I let the smoke fill my lungs. ' This'll help clog my arteries ' I thought, exhaling slowly.

That guy was definitely strong... what was his name? Taro...? I huffed, glancing down at my blood streaked arm.' I at least hope he didn't make Nagumo's face unrecognizable '

Reaching my destination, i paused for a moment, surveying the area. The trees were cut in half, and some had been ripped from the ground. The aftermath of a fight. I took another drag from my cigarette, the smoke curling in the air as i stepped forward scanning the area for any sign of Nagumo.

I took another step forward, not noticing the figure lying on the ground.

"Ouch."

I froze, looking down to see Nagumo sprawled out with a pen stuck in his head.

"Dead, my ass. That fucker lied to me!" I muttered, staring down at Nagumo, who tilted his head in confusion.

" h...hey ...I've lost" Nagumo chuckled weakly.

"Well i was about to wi-" I stopped mid-sentence, noticing the state of my own injuries. "I lost too" I finished, sitting down next to him.

"Yeah... figures," he said, scanning my body.

Looking at the sky, I sighed. "Now what?"

"I dont know ? The test is over" Nagumo replied casually

"I know that. What I meant was, what will you do after this?" I said, scratching my chest.

"Take the license exam" he said hesitantly,

'What wrong with him why is he talking like that ? ' I thought glancing at him

"I see " i said Getting up, I patted Nagumo's shoulder.

_____________________

Rion pov

Rion looked down, her gaze fixed on the ground as shame gnawed at her insides. Her grip tightened on her knife, and a bitter laugh escaped her lips. The defeat, the helplessness, it all stung more than she was willing to admit.

"Pathetic," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. Her eyes flickered to the remnants of the battle, but she quickly looked away, not wanting to see the aftermath. The pain from the fight still lingered, but it was the sting of her failure that cut the deepest. If I only had a more weapons...

Her hand trembled slightly as she wiped blood from her lip, but even in that moment, she couldn't shake the feeling of letting herself down. The thought of facing Kasumi again made her blood boil, but deep down, she knew she would lose even if she had a more weapons though the result won't be as bad

' Back there, when I took the knife from his collar '... she thought. Just how the hell did he dodge? Every strike she aimed at his tendons had been evaded with almost inhuman precision. Is he even human?..Well he looks like a gorilla but..

Rion's thoughts were interrupted by the crunch of leaves underfoot. She turned her head to see Sakamoto emerging from the woods, his bloodied face calm as ever, though his shirt was torn and stained.

He stopped a few steps away, glancing at her with a neutral expression. "Need a hand?" he asked, his voice calm and steady.

"Keep it to yourself. I'm fine," she replied, pushing herself up and brushing the dust off her legs. Her eyes flicked to his bloodied face. "How did it go?"

"Looks like they gave up," Sakamoto said with a shrug.

"I see," she muttered, her tone unreadable as she avoided his gaze.

........................................................................

Back to kasumi

After saying goodbye to Nagumo, I walked back to the shore where Yuz had told us all to gather when the test started. The sound of crashing waves greeted me as I approached, the salty breeze cutting through the air. The sky was dimming, and the tension from the day's battles still hung heavy, lingering in the air and in my joints.

I looked down at the waves crashing against my feets the cool water lapping at my skin. My reflection stared back at me, distorted by the movement of the water. A long thin scar ran across my face, a reminder of the fight I had barely survived. I traced a finger over it.

"Ouch."

The pain was sharp, more intense than I expected, and for a moment, I wondered if the wound would ever fully heal ' That's what I get for Underestimating her '

' Now Hyo will definitely kill me 'Sweat trickled down my forehead as the thought of Hyo's reaction made my stomach churn. Just imagining it was enough to make me nervous.

"You!" a voice came out from behind me.

I turned to see Rion with Sakamoto trailing behind her, his expression unreadable as usual. Rion's eyes locked onto me

"What?" I asked, meeting her gaze.

Rion sighed, her glare softening just a fraction. "Nothing," she muttered, brushing past me. "Just… forget it."

Sakamoto followed closely behind, his usual calm expression never faltering as he glanced between us. Neither of them seemed inclined to explain further, and I stood there for a moment, still unsure of what had just happened.

Rion sat on the shore, her gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun slowly dipped beneath the edge of the sea. The golden light softened the world around her, casting long, gentle shadows over the sand. The cool breeze tugged at her hair, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled the silence. Rion's expression remained unreadable as she watched the sunset, her thoughts lost in the fading warmth of the day.

"It seems like the test is ov—Oh," Yuz said, approaching us with a clipboard in hand.

He stopped abruptly when he saw us, his eyes lingering on Rion and me. "How are you two still standing with all these injuries?"

I shrugged at him in response

Staring blankly at me, Yuz sighed. "The likes of you two die first... Assassins try their best to come out of any fight unscathed, even if it means running away. Dragging fights will only bring permanent injuries for the survivors "

"..."

Shaking his head, Yuz continued, "Forget it. How many badges did your team gather?"

Looking down, I was about to answer, "Non-

"Five," I was interrupted by Nagumo, who emerged from the forest, raising five badges triumphantly.

I widened my eyes in shock, my gaze darting between Nagumo and the badges in his hand.

"how?!" I stammered. How did he find five badges this quickly and what happened to his injuries??

Yuz, scribbling something on his clipboard, barely looked up. "Good… what about you two?" He turned his attention to Sakamoto.

Sakamoto reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pile of badges, holding them up with a calm expression. "Eight," he said simply.

Yuz blinked, momentarily stunned, before nodding in approval. "Impressive. Looks like your team is ahead of the game."

"Well, that concludes the seco—"

"Wait..." a voice interrupted him.

I turned, narrowing my eyes at the source of the voice. A white-haired guy emerged from the trees, carrying someone on his back.

Wait... isn't that the guy with the booger on his forehead with a pen in his head ? I thought recognizing the guy trailing behind him ...a pen ? Wait a sec

"Applicant Uzuki... you're late," Yuz said, his voice sharp.

"Sorry... I had to carry him all the way here," Uzuki replied, his tone hesitant as he handed Yuz a bundle of badges while avoiding his gaze.

Yuz took the badges, inspecting them briefly before sighing. "I'll have to deduct two points for being late"

"Y... yes, sir," Uzuki stammered, bowing his head slightly.

"That concludes the second and final test" Yuz announced, looking around at the 6 applicants