AN UNLIKELY ADVERSARY | Kazuma Kiryu
Based on (C.5) on this post by @partylikemajima (hope you don't mind)
Genre: Overly Dramatic Joke Fic
Character(s): Kazuma Kiryu, briefly: Haruka & Haruto Sawamura, Shun Akiyama
Word Count: 4k
Too long for Tumblr? Read on AO3!
He'd been chomping at the bit for an opportunity to go toe to toe with the man that had wreaked such havoc onto his life. He wasn't sure what he'd expected but surely, it wasn't this.
The events leading up to this moment had been a long hard-fought battle and though Kiryu could feel his heart constricting beneath his ribcage on the race to the Millennium Tower, he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. At last, he would be met with the opportunity to glare at the face of the man that had caused him and his family’s pain and torment then bash it in. He flicked a quick glance around the area, verifying that he hadn’t been followed before his long legs lunged up the short flight of stairs ahead of the entrance.
Once inside, a cool burst of air blew against his sweaty face and had he not been so hot from the foot race there, he might have gotten the chills. He paused for a moment, clutching at his hips to widen the span of his chest so that he could catch his breath with ease. As he did this, he scoped the lobby for the band of yakuza who had no doubt been waiting in place to ambush him. When he’d seen no signs of any such attempt, his brow furrows deepened.
His mouth was dry from the run, his heart still turning tricks beneath his hard muscle and a solid lump was beginning to form in his throat. He was sure to begin vibrating with anticipation from the buildup of adrenaline and he couldn’t wait to unleash it. His fists were clenched as he made his way through the empty lobby; it always struck him as odd that there never seemed to be anyone in the building, despite the many offices the tower was home to and the fact that these were typical work hours on a weekday.
It was so quiet that it was almost eerie.
Using a strong pointer, Kiryu pressed the call button for the elevators, still scoping the area as if he expected suited men to drop down from the ceiling. A soft chime called for his attention and with a soft huff, he entered the well-lit elevator. After pressing the rooftop button, he rolled his thumb over his fingers, noting the sweat collecting on them as he recalled his underwhelming entrance.
He was baffled– and slightly offended that there wasn’t an impossibly large amount of adversaries awaiting his arrival. Had he gotten his information mixed up? Had he gone to the wrong rendezvous point? Did his sources screw him over? What sort of yakuza made it this easy for a man like himself to reach their patriarch? Just who was he dealing with here? There was no way in hell that some low-rung family with no foot soldiers at their disposal was capable of wreaking such havoc on his life, to the likes of which Kazuma had never seen. His chest puffed in a snort at the realization that washed over him… He was being set up.
Suddenly, he could feel a rush of adrenaline in his toes.
He was certain now that the ambush would come on the roof in the form of a militia, armed and lethal. There must have been guns, swords and hell, if he was truly unlucky perhaps they’d prepared a fireworks show for him complete with grenades and rocket launchers. This foe must have arranged for the final showdown to begin with a false sense of ease so that he would lower his guard and right when he succumbed to his doubts of their capabilities, they would swoop in for the kill!
Sure, it was a decently impressive strategy but he’d been at this game long enough that even a well thought out plan like that wouldn’t be enough to shake him. His brown, determination filled eyes darted up to the glowing floor indicator and he slung his head in either direction, cracking his neck before assuming his combat stance just as the elevator chimed. He was guarded, uninterested in inviting the first grunt of the evening to a cheap shot. His breathing was heavy but measured as he took long, slow strides out of the elevator, checking both directions before he ventured out into the walkway.
He scanned his surroundings and when there was still zero sign of anyone- not even a potted plant out of place (and surely he would notice by now) – his tense shoulders gradually began to droop. What the hell was going on here? He thought as he semi-casually walked his way up to the helipad. He was starting to get frustrated. All signs pointed to there being no reason to anticipate an attack and yet, he refused to lower his guard.
The bottoms of his white loafers slowly scraped against the tarmac. The stiff Kamurocho wind whipped against his hardened face, loosening just a bit of his mousse styled hair and tickling against the shell of his ear. It wasn’t until he reached the center of the helipad when he heard a single pair of footsteps carefully approaching him from behind. His lips quivered, threatening to pull into a smile of alleviation and delight.
He had been in the right place.
The tension in his shoulders returned when the footsteps halted but he could tell that the owner of the clacking wasn’t close by at all. He parted his lips to speak but they interrupted as if it were intentional.
“Finally…” the voice called loudly, likely knowing that had he not, Kiryu might not have heard him over the harsh wind and ambiance that swallowed the highest rooftop in Kamurocho. “Kiryu Kazuma-san, I’ve got you right where I want you!”
Just as Kiryu began to twist his neck in the direction of the voice, they angrily demanded that he not move. He didn’t know what stood behind him so he decided against defying them. “Who are you?” he called back.
“Not to worry, Kiryu Kazuma-san…” a slight tremble shaped their words, “You will know who I am soon enough… After all, I want you to remember the face of the man who’s going to be responsible for sending you to hell where you belong!”
The man’s voice was soft but the anger beneath it was contradictory; one that ill-suited the polite manner of their speech. Though Kiryu couldn’t quite place it, he was certain that he’d recognized that voice. His furrows fell in deep while his eyes danced among the ground lamps shining up at him, searching his memory for the source. When he came up short, his short nails began to dig into his palms.
“What do you want with me? Where’s Haruka and Haruto?!” he shouted.
“All in due time, Kiryu-san!” the man shouted, seemingly having gained a small amount of confidence. Perhaps it came from hearing the desperation in Kiryu’s voice. “I have no need for a young mother and her small child. I have a heart.”
“Some heart you must have. You ripped a girl and her child from their home in the middle of the night! Her and all of her siblings!”
“Now, Kiryu-san… Let’s be fair, I returned the other orphans safe and sound, didn’t I?”
“You… Do you realize how much trouble you’ve caused them?!”
“Do you realize that I only did what I felt was necessary to bring you here, Kiryu-san? Surely you wouldn’t have met me at Cafe Alps for a latte to discuss our differences.” he chuckled.
“Let them go! Now!” the words all but ripped from his chest, his nails began to draw blood from his palms. “You’ve got me here. There’s no need to hurt them any further!”
“Precisely, Kiryu-san, which is why the moment my sources confirmed that you had entered the building, I made the call to have them released. As I’ve said, I have no need for Sawamura-san and Haruto-chan. They shall arrive in Okinawa with the rest of your gaggle shortly. I even ensured her comfort in first class.”
Just the sound of their names passing the man’s lips turned Kiryu’s stomach. The thought of his loved ones being treated like items that could be discarded the moment they’re no longer needed made him want to turn and strike the man. Still though, he couldn’t be certain whether or not the man’s word could be trusted. So, he didn’t dare risk a move that could jeopardize their wellbeing any further.
After all, they’d only wound up in untrusted hands because of him.
“How do I know that I can believe a word that comes out of your mouth?”
“Mm, of course. You see, I thought you might ask. So…” he said with a pompous air before clapping his hands twice.
A loud clang echoed across the roof. The door that he’d entered from just shortly had opened again and a utility cart carrying a large HDTV pushed by an ordinary looking man dressed in an off-white sweatsuit joined them in the open air. The man had a weathered, round face and Kiryu could tell from his posture that he was a bit of a slouch, well, that and the way he huffed behind the cart. His eyes never once left the man behind Kiryu and as if he’d been waiting for the cue, he halted his pushing then maneuvered the cart until the screen was facing Kiryu.
Kiryu maintained a stern expression despite his profound confusion until the screen was filled with color and on it was Haruka, sitting in a white leather seat across from the mid to bottom half of a man whose suit was certainly familiar. Within her loving arms, rested a gentle breathing Haruto. Physically, she appeared to be at ease but Kazuma could see in his daughter’s eyes that she was deeply troubled.
“Please approach my associate.” the man calmly demanded of Kiryu.
He took brisk steps toward the much shorter man whose eye seemed to widen the closer he got him. There was no way this pudgy, sheepish man was yakuza. He looked as if he would soil himself at any moment. His invasive stare made the man shrink into himself. He stretched his arms out toward Kiryu in an attempt to pass something off to him, his hands unsteady. The moment he collected the item from him, the man bowed curtly then scurried back through the door he came in. Kiryu stared at the item: a headset.
“Put it on. This will prove to you that your family is in safe hands now. “
He didn’t hesitate to slap the set sloppily against his ears, his eyes intensely monitoring the bright screen.
–’Shall I mix him a new bottle, Haruka-chan?’
–’Oh, no thank you. He’s been so fussy these last few hours. I doubt he’ll be waking up again before we touch the ground.
–’I see… Heh, probably a good thing I’m no one’s father yet. I keep bothering you about diapers and bottles but I never seem to take those little things into account.
–’Hehe, Akiyama-san, I think you’d make a good dad if you settled down. If Uncle Kaz…’
–’Hm? What’s the matter?’
–’Oh, I-’
–’Haruka-chan, don’t worry… Kiryu-san’ll be back home safe before you know it. You trust him, right?’
“Uh-oh,” the unnamed man chuckled as the screen cut to black again. “I’m afraid we’ve caught Akiyama-san in a bit of a lie. You see, I’ve no intention of allowing you to leave this rooftop alive. Enjoy the view, Kiryu-san. This’ll be the last time you’ll ever get to see it.”
His eyes never left the screen, he hoped that the now dark monitor would act as a mirror to allow him a peek at what awaited him if he turned around but it didn’t. “How did you get that camera on them?” he asked. “How is Akiyama involved?”
“E-Excuse me? ‘How is he involved?’ Was it not you that sent him snooping around to find myself and my associates?! He went snooping a little too far. They had no choice but to rough him up a bit… Naturally, I refused to waste a perfect opportunity so I had them strip him of his coat and replace one of the buttons with a micro-camera.”
“Micro-camera?”
“Yes.” he laughed, “Isn’t technology splendid? He’s such a slob, I knew he’d never think to check his coat before we returned it to him. Initially, I intended to use it to spy on your whereabouts when Akiyama-san inevitably met with you to inform you of his findings. However, he… complicated things. So, we decided to keep him locked away. That is, until you finally graced us all with your presence.”
He didn’t respond as he’d gone back to attempting to connect the voice he was hearing to one in his memory and nearly burning a whole in the screen before him with his gaze.
“You know, Kiryu-san, you nearly sent the good lender to an early grave.” he said, then laughed again. “Though, that might have worked to my benefit as I would no longer need to repay my loan from him but I’m not like you, Kiryu-san. I see things through to the end. I will repay him every yen even if it takes the rest of my life and with gratitude! After all, it was Akiyama-san’s belief in me that funded this little venture.”
Reacting from the shock of what he heard, Kiryu had forgotten the prior stipulation and angrily turned to face the owner of the voice.
“K-Kiryu-san!” he shouted as he hopped a few steps back then the moment he’d regained his footing, he reached inside his buttoned coat to retrieve a pistol and aimed it at him.
The muscles in Kiryu’s face began to twitch angrily as he sized him up. The man was dressed well enough but his black sharkskin suit was far too simple to make any sort of impact. A folded white collar awkwardly stuck out, each button properly fastened and there seemed to be the flat collar of a white tee peeking out just beneath it. Something about the material of it looked odd at just a glance. The man’s hair was parted down the right side of his head then slicked down by a greasy pomade of some kind.
He didn’t look like yakuza at all, instead, his overall look gave the Kiryu the idea that he’d merely been playing the part of a yakuza, using high budget production films that did little research as the inspiration behind his impression. A layer of sweat sat above his trembling, thin lips and chattering teeth. Just like the anxious man who brought out the television set, there wasn’t one unique quality about this extraordinarily ordinary man apart from the fire in his eyes, a concoction made of pure rage toward him and utter fear of what he may do next.
It made him wonder: What would possess Akiyama to lend money to a man like this?
“You know, the rumors about you were true! You’re as bullheaded as they come! You think that the rules don’t apply to you, don’t you?!” he spat as he wildly gestured with his weapon, the proper manner in which he spoke vanished without a trace. “I told not to face me and yet, you’ve gone and ruined my big reveal!”
Kiryu frowned, “It’s about time you quit the games and tell me who the hell you are and what you want!”
There was a rapid twitch in the man’s brow as his mouth fell agape. He searched Kiryu’s expression in abject disbelief, then slowly lowered his weapon and soon after, his gaze. Though his scrawny arms were now limp at his sides, he continued to clench the pistol grip as tightly as his weak hands would him to. He shook his head, frustrated.
“D-do you seriously not recognize me?” he asked, his tone almost dejected.
Kiryu’s ears perked at the tune of defeat that strung the man’s words together, which only served to further confuse him and he was unable to hide that fact when he finally asked, “Am I supposed to?”
The man clenched his eyes tight before shaking his head again, this time his shoulders bouncing while a hearty laugh rumbled from his chest. It had been a very, very long time since Kiryu found himself utterly stumped by a foe. His emotions were so natural, unguarded and yet, every move the man supposedly made to lure him to this rooftop had been so carefully calculated. Was this really the same man that orchestrated his wild goose chase around the country or had he been set up after all?
“Y-you fucking–” he trailed off then his eyes flashed up to meet Kiryu’s with such indignation that for a moment, a very brief moment, he was actually intimidating. “You FUCKING PROTAGONIST!”
“...Protagawhat?”
“You FUCKING PROTAGONISTS! YOU AND ALL YOUR WEIRD GLOWING FRIENDS! You’ve all made mine and my dad’s life HELL for the last TWENTY YEARS!”
“You and… your dad?” Kiryu repeated, unsure how to even begin to unpack the part about him and the other said ‘protagonists’ and all of their apparent glowing.
“You heard me.”
Kiryu flicked his tongue across his teeth and his brows needled together as he tried desperately to search his memory for a name to stick to this less than memorable face but alas… The man laughed bitterly and this time Kiryu could taste the venom on his own tongue.
“Figures.. You guys are so hellbent on destroying everything in your path that you don’t even realize that there are living, breathing people among you–” he sighed pitifully as he finally lifted his gun toward Kiryu again. “And that Kiryu-san is why I have no choice but to end you! You can’t keep trotting around town like you own the damn place! You can’t keep destroying corner store after corner store just because some punks tried to mug you in broad daylight, without even bothering to offer to pay for the repairs! Our insurance rates have shot through the roof from the constant claims and now we can’t even afford insurance! OTHER INSURANCE COMPANIES WON’T EVEN TAKE US ON AS CLIENTS BECAUSE THEY’VE DECIDED OUR STORES ARE AT ‘HIGH-RISK’! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT’S LIKE, KIRYU-SAN?! DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!”
The realization finally struck Kiryu and his eyes slowly began to widen, “It can’t be.. You’re–”
“THAT’S RIGHT!” the man shouted.
His words dripped with a sudden self-righteousness and in one swift, fluid motion, the man stripped out of his suit coat to reveal something that Kiryu would have never in a million years expected to see on a man that challenged him to a fight atop the Millennium Tower.
“A Poppo store employee?” Kiryu said, studying the man’s uniform shirt and though he’d been the one to say the words, he still couldn’t believe it. He pressed into the cuts in his palm that he’d made earlier with his nails to confirm that this hadn’t been an odd dream.
The Poppo employee let out an annoyed sigh as he smoothed his slicked hair, “Man, you still don’t even know my name?”
Kiryu said nothing.
“Do you even recognize me at all?!” he yelled, thrusting his gun-toting arm into the air.
There was a long silence before Kiryu finally uttered the words that set the man off, “No, I don’t.”
“Are you KIDDING ME?!”
“I’m… sorry.” he said, unsure why he felt inclined to apologize but did anyway. “Why was I supposed to know your name?”
“I wear a goddamn name tag! I greet you when you enter and exit the store! I SELL YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS YOUR FUCKING STAMANAN ROYALES (WHICH YOU BUY TOO MANY OF BY THE WAY) MAKING IT FEEL IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THEM STOCKED! I HOLD THOSE DUMBASS LOOT BOXES THAT THAT DAMN GREEN HAIRED CLOWN DROPS OFF TO ME, SPECIFICALLY TO ISSUE TO YOU GUYS AND YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU’VE NEVER BOTHERED TO EVEN GLANCE AT MY NAME TAG?! YOU KNOW THAT WHEN I WENT TO SKY FINANCE FOR THAT LOAN, AKIYAMA-SAN DIDN’T EVEN RECOGNIZE ME EVEN THOUGH I’VE BEEN THE ONE RINGING UP HIS CONDOMS AND BEER FOR YEARS?! WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I WANTED THE LOAN TO ‘SETTLE SOME SCORES ON MY FATHER’S DEBTS’ HE GAVE ME SOME LAME TEST TO CLEAN HIS OFFICE WHILE HE NAPPED THEN SENT ME ON MY MERRY WAY! AM I REALLY THAT UNMEMORABLE AND UNINTERESTING THAT HE COULDN’T BE BOTHERED TO DO HIS DUE DILIGENCE AND STOP ME BEFORE I RAINED HELL ON ALL OF YOU?! THIS WHY I STOP AT NOTHING UNTIL I HAVE ALL YOUR HEADS–”
The Poppo employee shouted until he was red in the face and then he yelled some more about what? Kiryu couldn’t be sure as his complaints were eventually drowned out by a helicopter cutting the air overhead. The adrenaline that got Kiryu this far had long since subsided by the time the furious rant was over. The thought that the ranting had only ended because Poppo Employee’s voice had gone out slightly amused him but he did his best to keep that from playing on his face.
“And so, Kiryu-san…” Poppo Employee tried, his throat so hoarse that he needed to narrow the large gap between them in order to ensure that he was heard. “I’m gonna kill you here. That way you can never terrorize another customer service employee ever again.”
Kiryu bit back a smirk, “And if you fail?”
The man sighed as he raised his weapon as if he’d only just remembered that he had it, “Then, I guess everything would go on as they always were.” he huffed before cutting his eyes at the older man, “However, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
Just as swiftly as he’d pointed the gun at Kiryu’s head was he disarmed and pinned against the tarmac.
“Let me take this off your arms before you hurt yourself and someone else.” Kiryu said in a tone that used to only be reserved for his kids.
He was quick to toss the gun out of reach while Poppo Employee writhed and groaned beneath his knee, trying his best to wiggle out of his hold and when that failed he reached up to rub at the back of his head, worried that there might have been a lump after being thrown to the ground the way he had. Kiryu sighed before letting the man go and soon he was back on his feet, assuming a stance that he’d seen the big man himself taking outside his store.
Kiryu’s eyes were tired and he huffed, “I don’t raise my hand to civilians.”
Poppo Employee frowned, “I’ve trained for the last five years for a moment like this–”
Kiryu doubted that, given his form.
“Don’t you dare cop out on me! Not when things are finally about to get started! I’m no civilian! Not anymore! I had your kids and grandson kidnapped, remember?! I’m just as cold blooded as the rest of you good-for-nothing, washed up yakuza. DON’T BE A PUSSY! FIGHT ME!” he roared as he dashed toward Kiryu with a drawn fist. “HAAAAHHHHHARG–”
Just as he believed his fist would connect with Kiryu’s face, he was met with an overwhelming urgency to vomit, piss, shit and cry before he fell to the ground while he clutched at his stomach. He let out a gurgle of sobs, his round cheek scraping against the tarmac. Kiryu stared down at the whining man, his brows clenched and lifted as he shook his head.
The man that lie pathetically at his feet had a gang of men storm the Tojo Clan headquarters while its defenses were low to attack and hospitalize Daigo, capture his children then send him on a scavenger hunt to collect them around Kyushu, Kanto and Kansai and yet, all it took to down the unlikely foe was a Tiger Drop? There was something strangely comical about the fact that this cashier hated him so much that was willing to go into debt in an attempt to take him down. Meanwhile, like the man had said, he didn’t even know he existed.
He rested his hands on his hips then drew his nose up to the sky, taking in the night air while he quietly studied the twinkling stars then let out a heavy sigh. He’d fought just about every brand of adversary imaginable but never in a million years did he think he would wind up adding a day-to-day cashier to the list. Sure, it took all kinds to run a place like Kamurocho but this took the cake. Moving forward, he might think twice before asking an underpaid cashier to microwave a punk’s head to end a fight…
Might.
Please do not reupload/repost/rewrite but reblogs are ALWAYS appreciated. Thank you for reading!
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