#houkouwrites

For @asofspades

Suo is squaring off for his first actual fight against Sakura. Words aren't getting across to him, so he'll have to force his way out. To make them leave by his own hand.

The building stress on his body and mind is reaching its peak. Flickering lights of the bookshop pulse around them, pounding behind his covered eye.

Sakura's style includes a lot of punching and kicking, but he's quick on his feet and jumps up to kick his opponent. Suo guesses he may be able to fend off three strikes at most. 

One strike. Sakura's not the kind of fighter to exploit his opponent's weakness, i.e., Suo's vision range. Shifting his feet, Suo parries the punch away. 

"Your stance is weak," Sakura growls as he backs off from the failed attempt to hit. Slightly crouched with one curled fist held just higher than his other hand. "Are you even trying?" 

"I already told you that I'm no match for you, Sakurakun," Suo repeats. His legs are shaking from the effort it took to push the younger boy's attack off him, panting from the strain on his taxed muscles. 

"You'd better take this damn seriously, then." Sakura springs a kick-punch combination on Suo that aims low, trying to take out his stance. It hurts to do so, but Suo grabs those attacking limbs and throws him aside, as someone would do in judo. 

Sakura catches him by the shoulder and headbutts him, hard, making Suo's limited vision go static temporarily. 

His knees hit the ground. 

"Suo..." The tone of his opponent has changed if he can't see him. He sounds... surprised. Unsure. What, isn't he waiting for another hit like this? 

'Not now. not NOW.' He tries to stand, but the stance is gone. He's all shaky legs, one hand waving blindly away in the opposite direction, the other holding his agonized head. "I won't falter like this now," he grunts, struggling. 

Someone's hand touches him, and Suo slaps it away. "Oi... Suo..."

Tries to swing but goes too wide as he literally cannot see Sakura anymore, stumbles, and goes down again. 

"Go....home... this doesn't concern you. You are...wasting your time... and your life coming...here." No shine in that unfocused eye seeks to see but doesn't. "Furin..is better off...without me." 

BAM

Did anyone tell him that someone with a migraine shouldn't be headbutted, much less twice?! Suo falls back, and there's no attempt to catch himself, as both boys collapse in a draw. 

Chapter 11, Bloodborne, is live.

From long-forgotten seeds sown among the elderly in Makocai, Nirei has discovered a secret. One that may be able to remove Suo from the line of succession of the Red Chanpuru. Would it be enough to stop the ritual in time?

Chapter 8 is live: How Not to Conduct a Covert Raid.

By the devil's luck, the leader of the Primaries survives certain death and ends up taken in by KEEL on request to be a bodyguard and a teacher. He reluctantly sings like a canary for Bofurin and is offered protection by now being a member of the town under KEEL's bony wing.

Some discussions on faction later, Tamon's team finds Sakura waiting to board a bus to Bankoku-gai on a single-minded mission to bring Suo back and kick his ass after that.

They won't let him go alone.

If our fan theory of Suo not being born in Bankoku-Gai is true, where do you suppose he came from? We've got one theory saying he's born in Makocai, which I like and can work with.

Chapter 9 is live: Searching Tiger, Trapped Dragon.

Team Tamon's strongest fighters, on blessings from their upperclassmen, have infiltrated the Forbidden City, Bankoku-Gai.

One, find the old granny's bookshop, Hong's informant.

Two, find Suo and "talk".

Three, bust themselves and Suo out of this place.

Four, leave a message that Bofurin doesn't appreciate threats.