CHAPTER ONE: THE SEVEN RECKLESS CRIMSONS

"ARGHH!! PLEEAAASEE!!! STOP!!!!"

A tortured scream of a young boy's voice filled with desperation, echoing through the darkness within an alley way of two buildings covered within the darkness of the night.

His eyes being driven towards the point of insanity, His heart racing wildly, pounding against his chest like a pulsing drum.

"Big bro, Dad, please stop, please, just... Just stop it, please just… take me instead, pleasee," he whispered, voice growing quieter, with each syllable feeling ripped from his soul, as he was forced to witness something that far surpasses evil.

"Just stop!! Stop it!! Stop it!!, stop it!!,"

"JUST STOP IT!!!!," the boy yelled continuously, his face twisting into a mask of anger, and despair.

Hiding a wellspring of pain and loneliness, as slowly the shadows in his eyes started to deepen.

There was a glimpse of something dark, a hint that he might be descending into the abyss of a darkness forced upon him.

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"Hey... Paul...," A quiet voice was heard, piercing through the darkness that was surrounding the young child.

"Hey!!, Paul!! Snap out of whatever you're thinking and focus on running," cutting through the darkness, Alen's voice was heard as the young boy's desperate cries faded, seamlessly transitioning from haunting memories to the urgent reality.

Immediately Paul pulled himself together as he quickly reacted to an obstacle in front of him as he was running on the roof top with the other two, that almost fell him down.

"whow shit, that was close, Sorry Alen, just got lost in thought for a moment there," Paul replied, quickly hiding his tears behind a bright smile, his appearance retaining a sense of casual confidence.

With Paul usual black hair, loose clothes, and his red eyes glinting behind black-framed glasses, that was once filled with unshed tears, now sparkled with mischief as he engaged in conversation with his companion.

"Okay, just focus," Alen was a little confused, but said with a hint of worry in his voice.

We zoom out, witnessing three agile figures swiftly parkouring and running over building edges and across rooftops, beneath the sight of a beautiful evening.

"Seriously, at this pace, we'll never make it on time! Come on, pick up the speed, you guys, unless you really want my brother to start talking!" the young girl out of the three said, laughing easily.

"Yeah I'm very sure, Paul wouldn't want Leo to talk, but how can we catch up when you are going so fast? Honestly, it's starting to feel unfair." Alen said sounding exhausted, running with them.

"yo, it looks like we're nearly there! We Can't miss this, Lola, go on ahead, we'll catch up!" Paul, huffing as he ran alongside them, blurted out, pausing the chatter for a sec.

"Sure thing," Lola, the ever spirited one, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her green eyes sparkling like emeralds, clad in a crop top and cargo pants,

Turned forward, dashing ahead with tremendous speed, her smile shining out as she led the way.

Turning to Alen, Paul's expression grew serious. "Get ready, Alen. We can't afford any surprises."

Alen nodded. "I'm always prepared, Paul."

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"Looks like we're there now," Paul said as he started to slow down, as both him and alen came to a stop facing and looking down at the ice cream store opposite them.

"Alright, let's go in," Alen said, immediately slowing down, happily bringing out his baseball bat and a spoon.

"Even a second must not be wasted. Is Lola already there?" Paul asked trying to look at the building squishing his eyes.

"seems your glasses have gotten weaker, well yeah, I think I can already see her and the four others in there," Alen said to Paul, his demeanor becoming formal, respectful.

His hair covering one eye, tied back in a ponytail, and his tall frame and brown eyes, replied back to Paul, his manner becoming formal and respectful.

"Damn, Lola that girl's way too fast for her size, let's quickly go in before Leo starts to talk trash again," Paul said to Alen as they both found their way down the building they were on and quickly rushed over to the ice cream store.

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"DING!!," the door bell rang out as they pushed the door open.

"Yo, we're here!" Paul yelled, holding up a coupon in his hand after just opening the door.

"Ooh, kid, how's things been going for you, hope you ain't still causing trouble," the old man over at the counter with a long beard, huge muscle and old army veteran feel said to Paul.

"yes Sensei everything is going well although I don't know what kind of trouble you talking about," Paul said rolling his eyes away.

"But It's been well and I must say you seem as lively as always, but let forget all that, I would like to order our monthly specials," Paul said so respectfully it cringed the hell out of Alen.

"no problem, I will bring out the special now, go take your seat, while I go prepare it," the old man happily said taking the coupon as he went into the kitchen.

"Sigh, finally… I was starting to think you guys got lost," Leo with his neat black hair and green eyes wearing his overcoat hoodie with his head phone on his neck,

Teased at paul as Paul and Alen approached him and the 4 others.

"You see, I told you," Paul whispered turning over to Alen's side.

"Sigh!! We're still early either way," Paul said as he brushed leo off.

Leo glanced at his watch. "You're about 30 minutes late."

"Yeah, that's still early!" Paul shrugged, unfazed.

"Let's just forget about that… Yo Tobi, Kazuto, what's up," Paul said, smiling brightly.

"Yo dude wassup, been as good and bored as always, I'm just still looking for a good fight," Kazuto said grinning, his rough demeanor softened by the playful tone.

"Sup man, how you been doing? Hope you've been keeping up with your muscle training," Tobi said smiling warmly as always, extending his fist for a bump, with his physique resembling that of a toned bodybuilder.

Paul grinned back. "Can't complain, and I'm always hitting the gym… well it's kinda on my bed under a warm comfy blanket, of course."

Laughing back Tobi replied, "As always I guess…"

"Uzuki how have you been doing?" Paul said, taking his seat close to her.

"Well, I guess I've been alright, just happy am still breathing," she replied looking gloomy, soon after everyone continued to talk to each other like a vibrant family.

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Bang!

The kitchen door was forced open as the old man walked out holding a massive bowl of ice cream that felt like it came out of another dimension,

then dropping it on their table as immediately all seven of them seated began to drool, unable to keep their eyes off the massive mountain of ice cream.

"Thank you!!" they all yelled with delightful smiles.

"Time to eat!!" All seven of them said, picking their spoons up and moving to gobble it all up.

For the next few moments, only the sounds of seven friends voraciously devouring the super-large bowl, their conversation flowing freely amidst the sweet scent of freshly churned ice cream.

The old-fashioned decor lent a nostalgic charm to the space, with vintage posters adorning the walls and a classic jukebox playing softly in the background.

"Too good… just too good…" Paul and the others kept saying in joy.

But, by chance, Lola glanced out the window, and with sudden shock noticed a huge number of boys holding bats entering an alley not far from them.

"Hey guys, is it just me or are all those dudes carrying bats, heading into our district?" Lola wondered out loud with a mouthful of ice cream.

"It's not just you," Paul sighed after glancing out.

"Geez, of all times, they chose now to pick a fight with us, during ice cream time," Paul said, still stuffing ice cream into his mouth.

A burst of crazy laughter sounded out. "Ha ha ha, like a cherry on top, more fun arrives..." Paul smiled mischievously, looking towards the guys and still absentmindedly eating the ice cream.

"But… What about the ice cream?" Alen said, his voice taking a heartbroken tone.

"Well, I guess hmm… hey Kazuto, stay here and watch the ice cream for us while we handle this, and don't even think about letting it melt," Paul said, placing down his spoon... after taking one last scoop. As he stood up, the others followed.

"What?! that's unfair,"

"Sigh!! Well, whatever you say boss… just don't leave me out next time…" Kazuto replied, his spoon hanging out his mouth.

"Sure thing. Let's go everyone, this is gonna be too much fun for only me to handle," Paul said grinning eerily again and cracking his fists as he walked out into the street with the other five behind him.

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The wind blows ragefully in the middle of a massive alleyway.

Paul, smiling playfully, led his gang into the dimly lit alleyway, his easy smile cutting through the darkness.

Beside him walked Alen, tall and mysterious with a hint of sadness always in his eyes, regardless of whether or not he actually was.

The other four followed him in, as they rounded in front of a massive number of boys with bats in their hands.

As Paul stood before them, his anger radiated off him like waves of heat, his eyes blazing with fury as he addressed the gangsters in front of him.

"You punks! Where the heck do you think you're going, huh? You ruined a special day for us, and if you don't want me to personally use those bats of yours to break every one of your heads permanently, you'd better turn around and run."

"I'll give you a chance to run,escape, feeling lucky, but make no mistake, I will catch you, and will break you to the point that even your worst nightmares will look like child's play!" Paul's voice dominated with fury, his words dripping with anger.

His gang members stood beside him, their expressions varying degrees of concern, as they watched their leader unleash his wrath upon their boys.

Paul's overwhelming presence filled the alley, his aura dominating the space despite facing over fifty armed gangsters.

Once Paul finished his menacing speech, he turned to his comrades with a satisfied grin.

"How was that? Was it threatening enough?" he whispered, seeking their approval.

Each of them gave him a thumbs up, which lit up a childish smile on Paul's face.

The leader of the boys in front, frustrated, yelled out.

"Take this seriously you there in the middle, you're the boss of this turf, right? And what's with the small crew? Ain't You guys are supposed to be seven, sigh!!!, whatever who cares anyway, I ain't losing sleep over it. We're the Silver Dragons, from the next district over, in case your puny brain didn't know."

"It just bugs me that you're holding down this turf with such a small crew. Must be tough for you punks, huh? So here's the deal: you, the 'Seven Reckless Crimsons,' bow down to us, the Silver Dragons, and we'll leave you to play however you want in this sandbox. But in return, this whole sector becomes ours. What do you say?" the silver dragon leader said.

"Huh, wait, can any of you hear what he's saying?" Paul asked, confused.

"Nope," they responded in unison, their voices hinting at their confusion as they soon Realized how far apart the two group was from each other.

"We can't hear you, speak louder!" Paul shouted back, his tone mocking yet defiant.

The Silver Dragon leader's face contorted with anger, a vein pulsing on his forehead as he yelled a threat in response.

"Just pick one, submit to us, or we'll beat the crap out of you and make everyone you care about, scared you to their spines, even your brother and sister…"

The leader of the Silver Dragons laughed mockingly, taunting Paul with the prospect of a fight. But it was his mention of Paul's sister that ignited a fire within him, sparking a deep-seated rage that threatened to consume him.

"Huh, he spoke of my sister. Who the hell gave him the right to speak of her?" Paul muttered through clenched teeth, his friends falling silent beside him, their expressions darkening with anger.

With his resolve hardened, Paul stepped forward, his frown morphing into a wicked smile as he faced his adversary.

The leader of the Silver Dragons laughed again. "So you want a fight huh, what do you even expect to do with six people against fifty of my men?"

"Everyone attack!!!"

The gang leader yelled as fifty of the boys behind him ran forward toward Paul's gang.

As the rival gang charged towards them, Paul and his comrades met them head-on, their faces twisted with bloodlust as they prepared for battle.

"This sure is gonna be fun…" Paul exclaimed with a manic grin, his voice filled with excitement as he launched himself forward.

"Hey Paul, you sure we should have left Kazuto out of this? You know how he usually behaves," Alen said concerned.

"Come on, give him a break, I'm sure he's composed right now just waiting for us to get ba__" Paul was saying nonchalantly when someone dashed past him and the others from behind, leaped, and threw a flying kick, knocking out the first person ahead of them.

"Kazuto!!" Paul was so shocked, that he could only think of his melting ice cream, but Kazuto only laughed back.

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The evening hung heavy with tension as the gang of seven fought against a menacing group of fifty bat-wielding thugs.

Yet, fueled by their unyielding fighting spirit, the seven of them moved fluidly through the chaos, each displaying their unmatched prowess.

Paul unleashed a fury of hand-to-hand mastery, dancing through the mayhem like a martial arts professional. His calculated strikes and overwhelming strength kept every one of them on their toes and knocked out everyone his fists touched, but yet it seemed boredom still haven't left his face.

"Come on guys, you're swinging those bats like you're auditioning for a Junior baseball team or something! Try swinging harder!" Paul said as he moved for another attack on a different person.

Alen, armed with a bat and a dash of martial arts, twirled his weapon with a flair, blending ruthless swings with agile kicks packing a cruel punch.

His fluid attacks created a graceful yet deadly fighting style amidst the chaos.

"Weak..., weak..., weak.., weak!!..." Alen kept repeatedly saying with each hit he made per person.

Lola dashed through the chaos like lightning, landing precise strikes quickly knocking out or leaving her foes disoriented and off-balance.

Her agility was impressive as she swiftly took down her opponents with overpowering speed.

And Leo wielded his staff with all the finesse of a skilled artist.

His movements were as swift as his twin sister Lola's, his moves becoming a rapid symphony of strikes and blocks.

"Hey, sis, try to keep up alright!"Leo said while dodging a strike and glancing at Lola.

"Shut it, dumbass! Anyone can see I'm doing all the heavy lifting here!" Lola said, swiftly taking down an opponent.

"That's because you're just too slow!" Leo said, smirking.

"Slow?? Okay then, let's see who knocks out more of these idiots, me or that stupid stick of yours!"Lola said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, you're on!" Leo said, pleased that his sister had taken the bait.

Leo and Lola kept arguing about their fighting skills between each strike, boasting and teasing each other while effortlessly taking down opponents.

We move to see Kazuto, using his legs as lethal weapons, like a crazy lunatic, executing lightning-fast attacks that felt like they defied the laws of physics.

His strikes landed like thunder, swiftly rendering his opponents unable to continue the fight.

"Ha! ha! ha!" Kazuto continued laughing insanely even as he fought.

The other two gang members, Tobi fueled by raw strength and determination attacked like it was nobody's business,

Uzuki the other member, hidden in the shadow delivering unanticipated attacks, engaged in a relentless brawl, delivering bone-crushing blows with unyielding resolve.

The gang fought together smoothly, each showing off their unique fighting style amidst the chaos, yet still combining it all into a show of insane teamwork.

Amidst the battle, they cracked jokes and teased each other, lightening the mood.

Despite the tough situation, they stood strong, determined to overcome the overwhelming odds.

After the long one-sided fight, Paul and the others came together conversing.

"Whooooooow!! That was freaking fun, let's do it again!" Kazuto exclaimed loudly after delivering a hook kick on the last boy standing.

"SMARK!"

"You bitch, why didn't you listen? What about the ice cream?" Paul yelled, hitting Kazuto in the back.

"Ow ow ow, I just finished it as quickly as possible!, and rushed over here," Kazuto exclaimed in pain.

"Why would you do that? Geez, well, it's gone now," Paul said, trying to calm down.

After the intense skirmish, Paul and the gang gathered, exchanging exhausted grins and banter, united by the thrill of victory and camaraderie.

"Sooo, If we add it all up that's a total of 50 boys we beat up… Wait, where's the last one?, wait did anyone of you get the leader?," Leo said as he immediately turned his head and noticed the gang leader trying to escape.

"Hey you, don't even think you can escape," Paul said as he dashed forward following the gang leader into the side alley that was his escape route.

As Paul dashed forward, hot on the heels of the escaping silver dragon gang leader, his friends watched taking their breath.

"Go get 'em, Paul!" Lola shouted, her voice tinged with relief as she watched Paul move into the escape alley the silver dragon gang leader took.

Suddenly,

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"Bang!"

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A sudden noise reverberated through the alley, causing everyone to freeze in shock.

"What was that?" Lola exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear to see what she couldn't even anticipate.

Paul, who was just seen flinging out of the alley way, was on the ground, his expression twisted in terror, and fear, his eyes locked on a looming figure standing before him as he was shaking.

"What...what are you doing here," Paul stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, betraying his fear.

The mysterious figure said nothing, his very presence suffocating, Paul.

The gang leader, once full of overwhelming confidence, now cowered in the presence of this unknown person.

"What's happening?" Leo muttered, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Paul, get up!" Tobi urged, his voice tinged with desperation as he yelled out to his fallen comrade.

"Paul!!!!!!!!," Lola yelled as she wanted to run to his help but was held back by Leo who was completely scared looking at Paul's face as though this very moment had happened before.

Paul remained rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on the mysterious figure, unable to tear himself away from their gaze.

The air crackled with tension as the gang stood frozen, their minds racing with questions and uncertainty.

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What just happened to Paul? Why is everyone frozen?

Well, we'll just have to wait to find out.