A/N: I warned y'all, this chapter is gonna be devastating. Enjoy! :)

unedited

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈,
𝓝𝙾 𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺.

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The original timeline.

"Didja have fun, Manjiro?" Shinichiro asked.

"Yeah!" Mikey replied.

"C'mon, bringing your little brother over on our final gathering?" Takeomi asked.

"Why not? I'm like his father figure at this point." Shinichiro responded. "It's best for him to learn from his peers, isn't that right, Manjiro?"

"Yep!" Mikey agreed.

"Are you stupid? What kind of parent would let their kids learn from gang rides?" Takeomi questioned.

"You sure are dumb, Shinichiro!" Benkei said.

"Haha. Well, that's Shin-chan for ya." Wakasa gave a smile.

"You shouldn't be talking! You're the same as him, Waka!" Takeomi scolded, gesturing over to a younger Ichirou who was behind Wakasa.

"Takeomi-kun... you're so loud." Ichirou muttered sleepily, gripping onto the back of Wakasa's uniform, not wanting to fall off his older brother's bike.

All of them soon arrived at the meeting place. "The First Gen Black Dragon is disbanded." Shinichiro announced as his members sobbed. "The next generation will be handled by the juniors at the back. Good luck."

"Alright!"

"... I don't like this gloomy situation we're in, so let me say one last thing! I am very proud to have spent all my teen-hood with you guys! So all of you, take pride in fighting alongside Black Dragon! No matter how hard times can be, always remember this moment. Live with your head held high!"

Afterwards, Ichirou was riding back with Wakasa. "Waka-nii, can you teach me to fight?" He asked. "I... want to become a delinquent when I'm older."

"The answer is still the same as the last time you asked me. No." Wakasa responded as Ichirou mumbled something that was inaudible. "What was that?"

"I said, I bet Shinichiro-kun and Takeomi-kun would teach their siblings if they asked." Ichirou answered.

"That's Shin-chan and Takeomi." Wakasa said. "Ichirou, why do you want to learn to fight so bad?"

"I want to become an amazing delinquent like you and be able to protect myself." Ichirou replied honestly.

"Being a delinquent isn't all sunshine and rainbows, Ichirou. It's more than just riding a cool bike and bashing people's heads in." Wakasa informed. "I don't need you in that life, okay?"

"Also, you got me to protect you."

"You promise?"

"I promise. Let me do my job as your big brother."

Promises were always made to be broken...

Wakasa was currently sobbing as he was kneeling down in front of a gravestone.

"I'm sorry..." Wakasa cried out. "I'm sorry..."

Who knew Ichirou would come across some high school gang members while at a park? Wakasa surely didn't.

He also didn't know his little brother would find a place among the dead so soon.

"How could they kill a ten-year-old kid like that?" Wakasa muttered. "I should've listened to Benkei when he told me to stop babying you. Maybe then you would've—"

Wakasa chokes back another sob. "Damn it. It's my fault you're dead. If only I was there to keep you safe. You blame me too, don't you?" He questioned, sniffling before he stood up.

"I'm sorry, Ichirou. I failed to protect you, to be your big brother, and if I had another chance, I wouldn't let myself fail again."

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An older Wakasa was standing in front of his brother's grave. "Hey, kiddo." Wakasa said to himself. "Can't believe it's already been four years... you would've been fourteen now."

"Things would've been so different if I just stopped being stubborn and taught you to fight. But I can't change the past, right?" Wakasa sighed before grinning. "Bet you would've been a badass fighter too. Just like your big brother, huh?"

"Shin is off with this so called time leaper. I think he's gone crazy after Manjiro's passing, but the more I think about it, I would've done the same thing. Just... going back in time to be there to protect you, or to at least teach you to protect yourself." Wakasa continued on.

"I miss you, Ichirou."

"That's about as much as Shin told me. He protected an unknown boy with the power of time." Wakasa finished.

"I guess it's just cause and effect." Mikey said.

"We're connected. Me, too, a long time ago. And Hina. And Kisaki. We met Shinichiro-kun." Takemichi thinks to himself. "That day was the beginning of my story."

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"A couple of days after you gained that ability. Shinichiro died." Mikey said as his words left everyone in shock.

"The 'curse' Shinichiro created by killing the time leaper... that is what my 'dark impulses' are. It affected everyone around him. The same was probably true for Kazutora back then." Mikey continued on.

"The karma that I've carried. This 'dark impulse'... it's eating away at me. Thump, thump, thump. Stronger and stronger. I can't seem to control it anymore. That's why I pushed my friends away. I had no choice but to leave." Mikey finished.

"Mikey-kun..." Chifuyu muttered.

"I still can't wrap my head around how I..." Ichirou trailed off. "You know what, I'm not even going to say it..."

"I feel like... I'm about to go berserk." Mikey said, clenching his shirt.

"You don't have to hold back anymore." Takemichi informed, confusing Mikey.

"Huh?"

"The Second Generation Tokyo Manji Gang... was formed just to save you. So please release your dark impulses with all you've got." Takemichi declared. "I can see the future, so I'll be able to do something about it."

"So! I'm the only one who can crush your dark impulses!" Takemichi continued. "You can let go, Mikey."

"I don't care what happens to you." Mikey said as he was suddenly surrounded by darkness.

"Let's finish all of this!" Takemichi shouted.

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A/N: Surprise! Ichirou was killed in the first timeline. I thought it would've been interesting to add on why Wakasa decided to teach him how to fight. Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 986 words.