Sozen sprinted through the crumbling streets, the weight of his perceived failure pressing heavily on his shoulders. He couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense of disgrace for being pursued by a single individual. The humiliation of being hunted down, especially by someone he had once seen as a mere nuisance, gnawed at his pride. His thoughts were a swirl of self-reproach and dread as he ran, desperate to escape his pursuer.
Meanwhile, a significant shift was occurring among Sozen's former allies. The atmosphere was charged with a new sense of purpose, driven by their dissatisfaction with Sozen’s leadership.
“With the brat gone, we can actually get to doing something productive,” Satoshi Murano declared, addressing the group. His words carried a note of relief, contrasting sharply with the previous uncertainty that had plagued them under Sozen's leadership.
Although on paper, they had followed Sozen’s commands, the reality was far different. Their loyalty to him was more about convenience and less about genuine respect or admiration. Satoshi, on the other hand, was a figure they all looked up to. His reputation for handling things decisively and efficiently had earned him their trust. His role in saving Sozen’s bacon on several occasions hadn’t gone unnoticed, but it was clear that his worth was seen as more substantial than that of Sozen, the spoiled son of a wealthy family.
Satoshi, embodying the pragmatic approach of the worker class, who valued practical skills and hard work over idle luxury, had a device in his pocket that he now retrieved and held up to his ear.
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“Blue bird speaking, we’re nearing his location,” a voice crackled through the device.
“Terminate him,” Satoshi instructed coldly.
“Understood.” The response came quickly, and the device emitted a whizzing sound as the blades designed for eliminating Sozen were deployed toward their target.
Sozen had ventured far from his original base, pushing himself beyond what he thought possible in a desperate bid to escape. But as he glanced back, the sight that met his eyes was one of betrayal: people he once considered allies were now relentlessly pursuing him.
“Why are you doing this?!” Sozen shouted in disbelief as bullets zipped past him.
“Shut your trap and die!” came the harsh reply. The barrage of rifling bullets intensified, further escalating Sozen’s terror. As he sought cover, feeling the crushing weight of fear and realization, he was surrounded by the wreckage of his previous defenses, including most of his guard dogs, which had been obliterated in the conflict.
In those harrowing moments, Sozen was consumed by fear, but his mind echoed with the words his father had imparted to him: “Your strength isn’t in your money or how many people got your back but rather how you choose to use those resources.”
Despite the panic gripping him, Sozen clung to these words, hoping they would guide him through this dire situation. He had to make use of whatever resources he had left—his wits, his training, and whatever remaining support he could muster—to turn the tide of his misfortune.