SSS Unknown: Dark Knight's Legacy

In front of me stood five men dressed in black, their sunglasses hiding the cold, calculating eyes beneath. The tattoos that peeked from under their sleeves were intricate, marking them as dangerous. 

Knives hung from their belts, gleaming in the dim light. Their faces were twisted in smug, defiant grins, as if they found some perverse pleasure in my distress.

And there, in the corner of the kitchen, was Sakura. Bound, helpless, and trembling. Fear was etched into her face, her eyes wide with desperation. 

Anger burned through me like a wildfire, and my heart pounded in my chest. This was unforgivable. These bastards dared to lay a hand on her? I could feel the blood rushing in my ears, my pulse thumping as if it would tear through my skin. 

I wasn't exhausted—I was enraged.

"Shirou! Save me!" Sakura's voice pierced the air, a cry for help that shattered my self-control.

Before I could move, they shoved a hand over her mouth, silencing her scream. They eyed me cautiously, and one stepped forward—a familiar face, the one who had caused me more trouble than I ever wanted.

"…Tch, it's you, Tsugimoto Shirou…"

It was Orga, one of the leaders of the largest gang in the city. The kind of guy who thought he was untouchable. I'd crossed paths with him before, back when I worked as a supervisor at the school. 

Every encounter had left a bitter taste in my mouth, and somehow, I'd become a thorn in his side. Normally, I wouldn't have been scared—I was used to facing them in groups. 

But now, with all of them surrounding me, I was at a disadvantage. I couldn't even call the cops; the weight of the situation settled like a heavy fog.

"Orga, why are you here?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady, even though my insides churned. I had to stay calm. If I let my anger show, I'd be playing into their hands.

"Huh. Of course, I'm here to collect a debt," Orga sneered, pulling out a knife and caressing Sakura's cheek. The gesture was meant to taunt me, and I could see it—he knew exactly how to get under my skin.

My blood boiled, but I held it in, clenching my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white. If I attacked now, I'd only make things worse. But I wanted nothing more than to rip him apart.

"She's my sister," I said, my voice tight with controlled fury, my hand slipping into my pocket. I had a knife on me—something I always carried when I visited the grave. I couldn't kill them, but I could certainly incapacitate them.

Without a word, Orga held up a debt document. My eyes narrowed as I read the details—amount, signature, and the name of the bastard uncle who had caused all of this. He'd known I was coming, and now he was using this as a weapon to break me. If I ever saw him again, I'd make him regret everything.

"Go ask him for it," I muttered, rejecting the document with a wave. This was on him, not me. I wasn't responsible for that bastard's mess, and there was no way I was paying for it. Even if I sold the house, it wouldn't cover the debt.

"If I could, I wouldn't be here. You know, he ran off abroad." Orga's voice was dripping with contempt, a cruel smile curling his lips.

That was it. I stomped hard on the floor, my foot smashing into the wood. The scumbag! He'd left behind a mountain of debt and forced Sakura to pay the price. He was living the high life while she suffered. I wanted to tear him apart.

"…So, what do you want?" I forced the words out, though every part of me screamed to attack. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way out of this. Orga was a pragmatic man—maybe he could be reasoned with.

"If the parents can't pay, then the daughter has to. You know she's just an adopted kid, right?" Orga mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. His men pulled out knives, aiming to intimidate me, but I could see it in their eyes—they were scared.

They were the ones trapped here with me, not the other way around.

"No, I'll pay on her behalf," I said firmly, making a decision that tore at my very soul. They wanted to get rid of me; I knew that. But Sakura was innocent. If anyone should suffer, it was me. I should have stopped them before, should have protected her better.

"Shirou! What are you saying? Are you crazy?" Sakura's voice broke through, sharp with disbelief. She bit the hand covering her mouth and screamed at me. Her eyes burned with anger, and for a moment, I saw the blame in them—blame for not being here sooner, for not being able to protect her.

"Brat, shut up!" One of Orga's men raised his hand, ready to strike her. But Orga stopped him. Good call—if anyone was going to die tonight, it was that guy.

"Tsugimoto, you understand how this world works, right? It's illegal, sure, but it's fair. What do you have to offer to pay off the debt?" Orga sneered, his eyes flickering with amusement.

"I'll serve you guys. Is that enough?" I answered, my voice steady. I was willing to give up everything—my future, my life—if it meant Sakura would be safe. I'd sink into hell itself if it would protect her.

"…Shirou… why?" Sakura's voice trembled, and she collapsed to the floor. Pain flickered in her eyes as she stared at me, confusion and hurt mixing with her fear. It was too much for her to bear—the idea that I'd sacrifice everything for her.

She didn't understand. She couldn't.

"…Hm, you're more naive than I thought, Tsugimoto. Don't get cocky. You're nothing. Do you think you can exchange your life for hers? There's no way."

The other men laughed, their eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. Orga knew they'd never accept me into their ranks. This was a game to him, a way to break me.

As a leader, I respected him. But as a human being, I hated people like this.

"Well, in that case, there's no other way." Talking to these people was truly pointless.

The house was a mess—cluttered with obstacles and random items strewn everywhere. The living room, to my left, was a maze of discarded furniture, and the hallway ahead was narrow, barely wide enough for one person. But in this chaos, I saw an opportunity. If I played my cards right, I could take them all down.

I gripped my knife tightly, feeling its weight in my hand, and crouched low. My senses sharpened, every sound and movement amplified. My pupils contracted as I adjusted to the dim lighting. Like a predator in the wild, my gaze locked onto my prey—five thugs, all armed and ready to pounce. Physically, I was their superior, and my skills were unmatched. But numbers and the need to avoid fatal strikes made this a challenge. Still, they were no match for me.

They were in attacking stances, but none dared to move. They watched me warily, unsure of how to approach. Fine. I'd make the first move.

With my right hand firmly holding the knife, I used my left to knock over a shoe rack, sending it crashing to the ground. The sudden noise threw them off guard, creating the distraction I needed. I moved in a flash, using my legs to spring left, toward the dining table and chairs.

Orga, the leader, lunged toward me. He was bigger, probably thinking he could overpower me, but that was his mistake. His attack was slow, predictable. With a quick twist of my body, I kicked a chair at him. It slammed into his hand, knocking the knife from his grasp. He wasn't done, though—he raised his fist, trying to land a punch.

How foolish.

I stepped to the side with ease, sidestepping his punch, then used the hilt of my knife to strike his temple. The blow was swift, precise, and with enough force to knock him out cold. He crumpled to the ground in a heap.

"Who's next?" I taunted, a cruel smile playing on my lips as I pointed the knife at them.

The remaining thugs roared in anger and rushed at me together, hoping to overwhelm me. In their eyes, I saw nothing but hatred—a hatred that made them no different from wild animals driven by bloodlust. They had no idea what they were dealing with.

As they charged, I took a step back. The hallway was too narrow for them to attack all at once. They were too eager, too blinded by rage. Two of them followed my retreat, eager for the kill. They moved like amateurs—slow and overextended. Perfect.

I crouched low, gripping my knife with both hands. I let them come. At the last second, I slid into their strikes, using the flat side of my blade to deflect their wild attacks. The first strike went wide. The second, too slow. I countered in an instant, my fist hammering into the first thug's jaw. His teeth exploded out of his mouth, and he collapsed like a ragdoll. Without hesitation, I grabbed him, spinning him into the other thug. The human shield crashed into his opponent, throwing him off balance.

They hesitated, retreating, realizing they couldn't rush me without paying a price. I tossed the unconscious thug at them, grinning as they scrambled to get out of the way. The fight was mine, and they knew it.

One of them tried to swing a knife, but I kicked it away with ease. As the remaining two hesitated, I kicked the first thug in the head with such force that he went limp. His scream echoed in the room before he passed out.

"Any more of you want to try?" I growled, my eyes glowing with bloodlust. I was ready for them. They weren't.

Desperation set in. The two remaining thugs looked at each other, then at Sakura, still tied up in the corner. They saw their only leverage, and in a panic, decided to take her hostage. My blood boiled, but I stayed focused. I couldn't let them escape.

I grabbed a chair and hurled it at them. It flew through the air like a projectile, but they dodged it, thinking they had outsmarted me. It didn't matter. The moment they moved, I was already on them.

I appeared right beside them, too fast for them to react. One of them raised his knife to defend, but I slammed the flat side of my blade into his hand, disarming him instantly. Before he could recover, I tackled him with all the force I could muster. Like a bull charging, I sent him crashing to the ground. His scream was brief, cut off by a swift kick to his head.

"Stay back, or I'll kill her!" the last one threatened, his voice shaking with fear. He wet himself in his panic, but it didn't matter. His threat was meaningless.

The heavy sound of my footsteps echoed as I advanced, every step deliberate. I looked like one of the villains now, but that was fine with me. Better to be feared than underestimated.

I pointed my knife at him, my eyes narrowing with intent. He was terrified, eyes darting toward the door, but he knew he couldn't escape. The chase was on.

With a precise throw, I hurled the tip of my knife into his leg. He screamed as he tripped, falling to the ground in pain. By the time his scream finished echoing in the room, I was already upon him. Another swift kick to the head, and he was out cold.

The room fell silent, the only sound the echo of my heartbeat in my ears. I looked at the carnage I had created, the bodies of thugs lying motionless around me. I had fought hard, but the battle was over. And I had won.

"…It's over…" I muttered, wiping the blood from my hands, my gaze drifting toward Sakura.

The fight had been effortless, a mere display of power. I hadn't broken a sweat. Human beings, despite their efforts, were weak. The whole battle had lasted no more than five minutes, and it would have been even shorter if I had wanted to kill them all. It was easy to destroy them, as if they were nothing more than insects under my heel.

But I wasn't focused on the fight anymore. My eyes were locked on her. Sakura's trembling form stood in the corner, a silent witness to the chaos I had unleashed. Her eyes were wide, a mixture of fear and admiration—fear from the brutality of my strikes, and admiration for the speed and skill with which I dispatched them.

But her feelings, as intense as they were, didn't matter right now. This place wasn't safe anymore. I had to get her out of here, take her to my new apartment where we could hide, at least for now. It was only a temporary solution. Sooner or later, those bastards would come after us. I had to deal with this once and for all.

"Let's go, Sakura," I said, my voice cold and detached, as I moved toward her and swiftly cut the ropes that bound her.

She flinched at the sound of the blade, but I could feel her heartbeat steadying, her fear beginning to ebb away as the adrenaline wore off. But something was different. She didn't move. Instead, her eyes filled with tears, her pupils dilating in confusion and pain. She reached out, gently placing her small hands on my cheeks, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.

"Why? Why would you sacrifice so much for me?" Her voice was barely a whisper, the pain in her eyes raw and unfiltered.

"You could have run away! Shirou, you could have been killed! Why did you save me?" Her tears began to fall, and I could feel the weight of her gaze burning into me.

I understood her confusion, her anguish. She was scared for me, for the risks I had taken. She didn't want me to throw my life away for her. I didn't blame her for asking. No one had ever loved me the way she did. No one else would ever ask these questions.

But it didn't matter. It didn't matter because I was the one who chose to protect her.

I took a deep breath and spoke, my words coming out steady and firm.

"You're so foolish, Sakura. Isn't it obvious?"

I let out a soft sigh, shaking my head slightly, but this time my words were gentle, my voice softer than it had ever been.

"Sakura... you're my precious little sister."

The words were simple, yet they felt heavy, like a truth I had never fully realized until now. I wasn't pretending, wasn't putting up the mask I wore for the world. For the first time, I gave her the smile I'd been holding back—the smile I reserved only for her.

Her body trembled as she looked at me, and I saw the relief, the confusion, and the emotion in her eyes. The smile on my face was more than just a gesture; it was the answer to all her questions, to all the doubt that had clouded her heart.

"I love you, Shirou. So please... pay attention to me, to Sakura. Look at me. Don't look at your sister!"

The words struck me like a physical blow, each one heavier than the last. Her confession hung in the air, the weight of it suffocating. My heart clenched, a part of me unsure how to process it.

She loved me. Her voice cracked with emotion, the rawness of her feelings flooding me, but it was too much. Too much for me to fully comprehend in this moment.

The warmth of her embrace pulled me back from the edge. In that moment, everything else faded. There was nothing but the sound of our hearts beating in sync, the warmth of her body pressed against mine, the tears she shed against my chest. She was everything I had, everything I could ever need.

But the world had a way of destroying things before they could become real.

Just as I was about to lean in, to close the distance, and finally kiss her, the air around us seemed to crack, as if reality itself was about to shatter. Time seemed to slow.

I could feel her breath, could feel the tremble in her fingers as she tightened her grip. And yet, deep down, I knew. I knew that this moment, this perfect moment of calm and tenderness, could never last. It was too perfect, too fragile.

"…Shirou…"

Before I could respond, before I could finally give in to everything I had been holding back, the sound of a distant door creaking open broke the silence.

"Such a passionate moment, huh? You two really make a great pair!"