Koenji looked up at him, but instead of making a snarky comment or laughing in his face like he always did, he just glared at him, lips quivering and tears staining his cheeks.

He shook his head, mouth clamped shut and unable to move.

It was unnerving, seeing someone who was always such a character now reduced to a shaking body on the floor.

“I said what the hell happened?”

Ariyama applied some assertiveness to his voice. From his dumb little argument with Matsune to the whole vibe of this place, Ariyama wasn't exactly in the best of moods.

Koenji squared his shoulders and did his best to hold his shaking. Slowly looking up to Ariyama, he finally opened his mouth, his voice quiet and monotone.

“I was with Oichi… Then we got separated… Then I came into the room over from this one. I was only trying to find my way back to Oichi, but then I heard this sound…”

His eyes bulged as he reminded himself of the event.

“It was a sharp whistling sound, and I turned around, and I saw something flying towards me. And I tried to dodge it, but… well… it only barely worked…”

His body quaking again, he slowly held up left arm, which had been covered by his right the whole time.

Ariyama audibly gasped as he saw it.

A black bolt, like from some medieval crossbow, was lodged halfway through his forearm. The whole limb was red from blood, and it still leaked from the tears in his flesh around the bolt.

“Dude… what the hell…”

Ariyama was at a loss for words. His belly had opened up again and it felt like a bottomless pit. He never really got queasy from seeing anything gorey in movies or TV, but seeing it in person – and being just three steps away from it – made his whole body feel repulsed.

Ariyama shook his head to level his mind. There was no time to panic, even if that wound was really, really gross.

“OK… OK, let's think about this for a second…”

“What's there to think about, you bastard?!”

Koenji's voice went up a few pitches as he screamed, his forearms twitching from the bolt still lodged in it.

“I'm gonna die! Oh God, I'm gonna die!”

“You're not! Just… let me think.”

Ariyama cursed and pressed his hands to his head, racking his brain for ideas.

“Well, you need medical assistance, so…”

He looked around, scanning the room for something, anything, he could use to stop the bleeding, even for the time being.

But this place had been left to the elements – and rebellious delinquents – for years, so there wasn't a thing of use in sight.

“Bro, I'm going to die! Please do something! I'm sorry, OK? I'm sorry for always being Jack's little bitch. I was just so scared that I wouldn't be respected any other way and I–”

Ariyamaturned back and glared at him.

“Can you just shut up? I don't really care about your apology. Right now, we need to get you out of here.”

He knelt down beside the injured boy and slung his good arm over his own shoulders, using all the muscles in his legs to push himself up to standing. It didn't help that Koenji liked to eat. A lot. And his body showed it.

Koenji, leaning off Ariyama, mumbled something, his previous burst of energy lost. His eyes began to flutter shut, so Ariyama gave him a sharp slap on the cheek.

“Don't do that. Not fall asleep, or talk for that matter. Just save your strength and walk with me…”

As Ariyama's muscles burned and he hoisted the student out of the hallway, trying to retrace his steps, Koenji muttered again.

“You… Why… I've only ever been mean to others. Why not leave me for dead?”

Ariyama didn't even look at him, instead just clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“What type of question is that, you idiot? Sure, I don't exactly like you. Or Yasami or Jack. But do you expect me to leave you here for dead? No. I'm not as messed up as you must think I am. I'm going to save you.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Maybe… this was it.

Was this his ‘big moment’?

Putting his differences aside to help save an injured classmate?

Would that finally free him from the shackles of his father?

Would saving someone really do that?

Would saving Koenji really do that?

Ariyama doubted it.

No one liked Koenji, just as no one liked Yasami or Jack. They were just intimidated, that's all. The three bullies didn't seem to even like each other. Yasami and Koenji were always vying for Jack's attention, but that was only because he was their way to getting some recognition.

Wait, what was he trying to say?

Was he only saving him to get some damn reputation?

What kind of person would that make him?

As they passed another stone room, Ariyama bit his lip till it hurt.

He wasn't going to do this for his big moment. He still wanted that, but it'd come to him when the time was right.

Right now, he was saving Koenji because it was the right thing to do.

Just then, they turned down another hallway, one which had a weird line of holes along one wall. Koenji suddenly stirred from his spot beside Ariyama. He used all the strength he could in his voice to shout.

“Bolts! Bolts from the holes!”

Bolts from the holes? What the hell was he on abou–

Ariyama instantly heard a sharp whistling sound, and looked to his right at the holes on the wall, as a thin black thing shot out of one.

His heart seized with warm panic, Ariyama fumbled and barely managed to drag both himself and Koenji to the floor, the bolt flying overhead before landing into the opposite wall with a thunk.

Breathing heavily, Ariyama waited for another bolt to fly, but when none came, he slowly looked up.

Ah. ‘Bolts from the holes’.

That made sense now.

“Ah! What the hell are we gonna do?”

Ariyama decided to leave Koenji on the floor; it was for his own good. He couldn't stand on his own, so it at least protected him from being impaled by the arrows.

Speaking of which, why the hell did this old ruined building have, not only a glowy red eye on its outside wall, but a whole system of medieval-type boobytraps. Did Jack have the answers?

If he knew all this would be in the building, what was his plan? Did he decide to upgrade from just being an asshole to being a murderer?

“Koenji, just stay down here and try not to bleed out, OK? I'll try and find some help.”

“Oh, hell no! You're not leaving me alone in this dusty, dark, smelly goddamn place. Man, this was a mistake coming here. Now I'm dead and there's nothing to do–”

As if someone was answering Ariyama's prayers, there was a sound of approaching footsteps. Multiple.

Ariyama let out a breath of relief, only for it to be replaced by fear once again. Did they know about the arrow traps? Ariyama didn't think they did, and they were getting closer now, closer and closer, their footsteps getting louder and louder.

“Guys, wait! Don't come in here! There are holes in the wall that shoot out these bolt things. If you get in here, they'll trigger and…”

But those footsteps didn't stop. He heard voices calling his name, so they heard him calling out at least, but not what he was saying. It was useless to try it again, and so before his mind could even catch up, Ariyama made a break for it.

He fell into a straight sprint along the hallway, heading for the opposite side, where the others would soon turn the corner.

He heard arrows narrowly whistling past him as he darted across the floor, teeth grinding and his head tucked low.

Almost there.

Almost there.

Almost–

The running footsteps stopped as a girl turned the corner.

Tan skin. Blonde hair with a purple clip.

Kazura.

They made eye contact for just a moment, as both Jack and Yaranagi turned the corner too.

Everything seemed to slow down, as Ariyama became aware of the arrow shooting out from the hole in the wall.

He pushed her.

Her head was pulled down as her body was raised slightly.

The bolt missed her head, but cut a long gash across her arm.

Blood poured. She screamed in pain.

But it wasn't over. Another bolt was primed. And it was let off with a shrill sound.

This one would hit her head regardless.

Ariyama didn't have time.

So he–

Clenching her teeth against the pain of the cut across her shoulder, Kazura squeezed her eyes shut and flinched heavily as another bolt shot at her.

But then it was Ariyama who grunted in pain… Kazura opened her eyes and saw Ariyama, arm outstretched, the bolt gripped tightly in his fist.

He had miraculously caught it just inches before it would've buried itself in her head.

The speed of it had ripped the skin of his palm, leaving it red and sensitive. Blood seeped from between the gapes in his fingers.

“S-Saato-kun?”

Kazura was breathing heavily, her hand pressed to her wound, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.

“What's… going on?”

Also gasping for breath, Ariyama said nothing as he dropped the bolt, the metal rod slick with his blood clattering to the ground.

“Yeah, what she said. Why are there arrows flying from all around?”

Jack came up behind them, as Ariyama pulled Kazura around the corner and out of the range of the boobytraps. As Kazura sank to the floor, clutching at the bloody line scarring her shoulder, Yaranagi called her name and knelt beside her.

Jack gripped Ariyama's shoulder.

“You hear me, Ariyama? What the hell was that–”

Ariyama smacked his hand away, taking one step back and reeling back his fist as he did so.

He was shaken to the core with anger. Fury that he hadn't known he could muster. It was bad, and in the heat of the moment, uncontrollable.

“What's up with you? I told you to explain to me what in the hell–”

Wordlessly, he let his fist fly, his knuckles crunching into Jack's jaw.