image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/1/19/Kurokaze-kai_Logo.png]
The teenagers took the train heading to Kurokaze-kai headquarters, their hearts heavy with the weight of the impending confrontation. No one spoke, each lost in their thoughts about the difficult fight ahead. Upon reaching their destination, the building before them wasn't as imposing as the towering skyscrapers they had encountered in previous encounters. They crouched behind a stationary car parked just in front of the Kurokaze-kai headquarters, their hearts still heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. It was only 10 stories high, a reflection of Japan's strict earthquake safety regulations. Yet, despite its modest height, the headquarters exuded a foreboding presence. The entrance was guarded by just two stern-faced Yakuza members, a testament to the organization’s confidence in its internal defenses—any intruder would likely be dealt with swiftly inside.
"We need a plan to sneak in without alerting anyone," Jake said, surveying the exterior and eyeing the guards with a tactical mind.
"We can just barge in and fight our way through. It's only two guards!" Carter, always quick to act, gripped his hockey stick tightly, ready to charge in.
"No! Even if we take them out, there are CCTV cameras outside. We'll alert the entire building," Yoko interjected, her voice tense with worry. She had already spotted the cameras positioned around the premises, knowing that if they tripped an alarm, the sheer number of Yakuza inside would overwhelm them in no time.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/5/53/Digital_Blade.png]
"Ahem!" Luna interjected, her voice tinged with playful annoyance. "I think you all forgot about me." Without waiting for agreement, she activated her Digital Blade, seamlessly interfacing with the digital systems of the Kurokaze-kai headquarters. Within moments, the security cameras flickered off, their lights going lifeless, signaling they had been deactivated. The group, realizing they had underestimated Luna's futuristic skills, stared in surprise.
"Right! Luna, you’re awesome!" Carter exclaimed, sheepishly acknowledging his oversight.
Jake nodded, focusing back on the task at hand. "Okay, now we need to take down the two Yakuza guards out front without alerting anyone inside," he said, scanning the exterior with a tactical eye. He noticed the guards had separated, each patrolling in different directions at a considerable distance from each other. This presented the perfect opportunity.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/a/a2/Curveball_Confound.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/9/9d/Slapshot_Smash.png]
Picking up a rock, Jake utilized his Curveball Confound, throwing it down the road with expert precision. As it bounced, it caught the attention of the guard closest to them. Curious, the guard approached and bent down to inspect the rock. At that moment, Carter appeared beside him. With a smug grin, he executed a Slapshot Smash, delivering a powerful, high-speed strike with his hockey stick. The impact was swift, knocking the guard out cold.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/c/c4/Jake_Harada_performing_Home_Run_Swing%2C_swinging_his_baseball_bat_with_exceptional_power%2C_aiming_to_knock_out_opponents_or_send_projectiles_back.png]
Carter quickly dashed back behind the car to hide. The second guard, noticing his fallen comrade, ran over to check on him, bending down to assess the situation. Before he could react, Jake appeared beside him, bat in hand, and swung with a perfect Home Run Swing.
"Plow!" The second Yakuza crumpled to the ground, unconscious, leaving the entrance wide open for the group to proceed into the building.
"Clear," Jake whispered, gesturing for the others to follow as they quietly approached the building. There seemed to be only one entrance, the main door. Peeking through the glass panel, Jake observed a hallway filled with Yakuza members lounging on sofas, casually smoking cigarettes, completely unaware that their guards had been taken out and the security system disabled.
Jake turned to the group, his expression serious, fully aware that a confrontation was inevitable. "Get ready your weapons! This time, we have to fight!" he urged, his voice steady but filled with resolve. Each member of the group readied their weapons, pulling them out with practiced ease, nodding in agreement.
With no time to waste, they burst through the glass doors, catching the Yakuza members off guard. The gangsters, surprised and unequipped for immediate defense, scrambled as the teenagers charged in, ready for battle.
"Intruders! Defend the base!" one of the Yakuza shouted, as chaos erupted around the hallway. Another Yakuza rushed to sound the alarm, frantically pressing the button, but his face turned to surprise as nothing happened. The alarm was disabled, thanks to Luna's earlier intervention with the security system.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/f/f1/Luna_Estrella_performing_Photon_Flash%2C_her_light_saber_emits_a_blinding_flash_of_light%2C_temporarily_disorienting_her_opponents.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/3/3b/Hockey_Stick_Sweep.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/5/5c/Crimson_Flash.png] image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/4/44/Silent_Willow_Strike.png]
Luna seized the moment, stepping forward and unleashing her Photon Flash. Like the flash of a camera, her lightsaber emitted a blinding burst of light, momentarily disorienting the Yakuza, giving her friends a crucial advantage. Carter wasted no time, executing a Hockey Stick Sweep, his wide arc taking down several Yakuza at once. Akane closed the distance with her Crimson Flash, lunging powerfully at her targets one by one with her sais. Yoko, wielding her tanto, performed her Silent Willow Strike, aiming for non-lethal points to incapacitate her foes. "Sorry!" she muttered with genuine regret, as she didn’t intend to cause serious harm.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/1/1e/Jake_performing_Fastball_Flick%2C_sending_a_barrage_of_small_objects_flying_at_high_speed_towards_his_enemies.png]
Jake, standing at a distance, employed his Fastball Flick, picking up random objects like glasses and ashtrays from the hallway and launching them at the Yakuza, knocking several of them down from afar.
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The last of the Yakuza fell, leaving the hallway suddenly silent. The group stood amidst the groaning and unconscious men, checking for any remaining threats.
"Is that all?" Carter asked, his breath heavy from the adrenaline.
"I guess so," Jake replied, scanning the room filled with knocked-out Yakuza, some lying on the floor with their mouths hanging open. Once they confirmed no one else was conscious, they moved towards the elevator. "Alright, let's move up. Stay sharp, we're not done yet," Jake warned.
However, when Jake pressed the call button for the lift, nothing happened. It was unresponsive. "It seems like the lift isn't working," Jake noted with frustration.
"I believe it's connected to the security system I disabled," Luna admitted, her voice apologetic.
"It's alright, Luna," Jake assured her. "It would've been much worse if you hadn't disabled the system."
"We'll have to take the stairs," Carter said, pointing towards the stairwell that spiraled upwards.
The building's unique spiral structure meant they would have to navigate each floor, potentially confronting more Yakuza along the way. Jake looked back at his friends, his face resolute. "I guess we'll have to clear each floor one by one," he said as they all headed towards the staircase, making their way to the second floor.
As they meticulously approached the second floor, it revealed itself to be a training hall where about ten men equipped with katanas were sparring with one another. Jake, leading the group, looked back to his friends, who remained unnoticed by the sparring men. He whispered, "There are about ten men in the room, all equipped with katanas, sparring with each other."
"Luna, any moves to disorient them?" he asked in a hushed tone.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/1/1b/Holographic_Feint.png]
Luna paused for a moment, considering her options. She realized that her Photon Flash might not work, as the men were focused on their sparring and might not look in the direction of the flash. "I think I have an answer to that," she said, stepping forward with confidence. Using her advanced technological knowledge, Luna activated Holographic Feint, creating multiple illusions and visual deceptions that suddenly appeared in the training hall.
The sparring men noticed the strange visual projections, and confusion quickly spread among them. "What's happening?" one of the men shouted, as they all began swinging their katanas wildly, trying to dispel the illusions that seemed to surround them.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/7/79/Power_Check.png]
"Now, everyone!" Jake shouted, seizing the perfect opening created by Luna’s illusions. As they charged forward, the Yakuza remained oblivious to their presence, too focused on dispersing the illusions. Carter lunged forward with a Power Check, slamming his muscular frame into three men in front of him, knocking them to the ground and creating an opening.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/4/42/Silent_Cherry_Blossom_Thrust.png]
Akane, moving in perfect sync, followed up with Silent Cherry Blossom Thrust, swiftly striking pressure points with the grace of falling cherry blossoms, removing the three men from the fight with precision.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/4/44/Luna_performing_Neon_Arc%2C_a_sweeping_motion_with_her_light_saber_that_leaves_a_trail_of_neon_light.png]
Luna, facing the backs of three more men, gracefully performed her Neon Arc, a fluid sweep of her light saber that left a trail of neon light as it sliced through the air, sending the men sprawling to the ground, knocked out cold.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/4/46/Autumn_Leaf_Cut.png]
Yoko, embodying both gentleness and empathy, approached with her Autumn Leaf Cut, executing a precise slash that mirrored the graceful descent of an autumn leaf — seemingly gentle, yet deceptively sharp. The attack struck with precision, taking the man out of the fight. "Sorry, we’re just here to look for my father and friend," she whispered apologetically to the unconscious man, her compassionate nature shining through even in the heat of battle.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/1/14/Home_Run_Swing.png]
Jake, meanwhile, swung his baseball bat with precision, letting out a resounding Home Run Swing that sent the final three men crashing to the ground. "Bam!" With that, the second floor was cleared.
The group, their teamwork and synergy undeniable, exchanged high-fives. "Good job, everyone!" Carter said, delighted with their progress. So far, everything had gone according to plan, and there had been no hiccups.
The group, their teamwork and synergy undeniable, exchanged high-fives. "Good job, everyone!" Carter said, clearly delighted with their progress. So far, everything had gone according to plan, and there had been no hiccups. They proceeded with careful intention, moving cautiously up the spiral stairs to the next level, uncertain of what lay ahead but hoping for another manageable battle like the ones they had faced so far.
As they slowly approached the third floor, an unexpected sight greeted them. What they saw was something that seemed out of place within the building—a large sumo ring. In the center of the vast room was a dohyō, a traditional sumo wrestling ring made of partially buried rice-straw bales, measuring 4.55 meters in diameter. The fine sand covered the floor, while empty audience seats circled the ring under the dim, overhead lights.
image [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swordbound-the-heros-journey-to-silence-the-seven/images/7/7e/Takeshi_in_a_sumo_ring.png]
Standing alone, right in the center of the dohyō, was a familiar face—a towering figure whose large and robust physique was both imposing and formidable. Takeshi Ono. He stood still, his muscular frame radiating strength, as if waiting and anticipating their arrival. He was clearly there to stop them.
Jake’s mind immediately flashed back to their last encounter when Takeshi had easily overpowered him as they tried to cross the path to Yoko’s house. Takeshi was a force to be reckoned with, and Jake was unsure if even their combined efforts could stop the sumo wrestler, given his combat skill and raw physical power.
Jake turned to his friends, his face serious. "Takeshi Ono ahead. Get ready your weapons. This is going to be a tough fight," he warned, feeling the weight of what lay before them.
The group, now more alert and tense, readied themselves, each preparing mentally and physically as they slowly approached the imposing figure of Takeshi Ono standing in their path. Takeshi, seeing the teenagers approach with their weapons drawn and combat stances firm, was not intimidated by their numbers. His broad figure remained solid, unmoved by the threat of being outnumbered.
"I am impressed you all made it this far," Takeshi bellowed in Japanese, his voice echoing through the vast and empty arena, resonating with a confidence that matched his towering presence. Unfazed by the group, he stood tall in the center of the ring, his expression a mix of mild amusement and determination.
"Unfortunately, I have to stop you. This is where your journey ends," he declared, his tone resolute, signaling that he was prepared to fight them all.
Carter then whispered to the group, "Guys, if we all face him together, we might not stand a chance." He glanced at Takeshi, calculating their odds. "I'll be the distraction. I'll keep him busy while you guys move ahead without me."
Jake looked at Carter, concern evident in his eyes. "Are you sure about this, bro? You know the odds of winning aren't in your favor."
Carter flashed a confident smile, flexing his arm to show off his muscles. "It's better if one of us takes the fall than all of us. Besides, I’m the only one strong enough to go up against him. This is a strength versus strength fight."
"I'm counting on you, Carter," Jake responded, clapping his friend on the shoulder, his eyes filled with trust and gratitude. The rest of the group exchanged silent nods, preparing to move forward the moment Carter managed to distract Takeshi.
"Careful, Carter... please be safe," Yoko said softly, her worry clear, but she knew this was their best shot. Luna and Akane nodded in agreement, silently thanking Carter for his sacrifice, understanding the weight of his decision.
Carter squared his shoulders, his hockey stick gripped tightly in his hand, ready to face the towering figure of Takeshi. "Alright big guy, it's just you and me," Carter muttered to himself, knowing this would be his toughest battle yet.