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The day after Kiryu and Danzaki had helped Yong-ga Sa-Rhee from a situation, they walked into the Obakimura family office where they saw Anguirou Sano with his feet on the desk.

"OH, h-hey!" the spikeback immediately put his feet down. "Heeey the ol' gang's back together!"

"Sup Angy-chan?" Roberto walked up to him with wings spread. "Still causing trouble?"

"Down the arcades you know my meter's running!"

"Hehellll yeah mi guey."

Sano stood up to bump their fists then bump their heads, a hard clonk like coconuts as Kiryu smiled at them both.

"Is Varan-san upstairs?" he asked.

"Yeah he's on the roof," Sano pointed up, "Obara-kun's learning some secret techniques from the master."

"Ahh, that's good, hope he doesn't get too rough."

"Naaaah you know Varan-san, he always treats Obara-kun with kiddy gloves ever since he first came here."

"I don't know much about Obara," Danzaki shook his head, "this the new chavo in your fam?"

"Yeah so, he was advertising himself as a freelance IT dude, fresh outta college and Varan-san took a real shine to him, like day one he was real impressed by Obara's skills and he's pretty good, he fixes all our phones and set up the website."

"That reminds me," Kiryu clicked his fingers, "he might need your help, he was working on a website for our business but needs someone who knows English."

"Ohh, no prob!" the pterosaur flicked his tongue. "Surprised there's no one else who'd know enough English to help."

"The other families have issues with us, especially Itsumi."

"Ugh he's a fresa pendejo, you know he called my suit trash once?! Said he'd pay me to get a better one, I told him 'sure, how many coupons at Geiger King you save up to get yours?'"

"PFFFT, HAAAHAHAHAA!" Sano clapped with a wheezing laugh. "Hohohhh shit I wish I'd been there to see that!"

"Hhhahaha," Kiryu snorted shaking his head, "that's what he gets for messing with my brother."

"You know it, carnal." Danzaki gave him the fingerguns. "Alright we're just gonna see Varan-san a bit."

"Sure, OH, Kiryu you got a sec?" Anguirou gestured to him. "I got something to tell you, like, private local stuff."

"Sure," Goji nodded, "just need to tell Varan-san something first."

Heading up the stairs they heard the sounds of a tussle, as Obara squeaked with fright from the gentle bapping of fists and the shuffling of feet.

"Come on, one more time!"

"U-UUHH, not so hard!"

"I'm bein' as gentle as I can, now cover yer eyes!"

On the rooftops of Tenkaiju Street, amongst fuming ventilators and garish neon signs now turned off to become black kanji struts, the young Gonkuro was being pelted by Sanjin's fists. The patriarch was light on his feet, taking up a boxing stance as he bopped the junior's face, Obara covering his eyes with his floppy ears that perfectly protected his features with a hole for his horn to shine through.

Despite not being hurt by the blows, Obara flinched when he felt them as he swung out his ears every time they landed. His timing kept being thrown off by hesitation, trembling slightly when he felt the elder's knuckles touch his soft leathery ears.

"Come on kid, you gotta feel thuh fight, counter me!"

"I'm tryiiiing!" he whinged.

"You got a gift with those ears, you gotta use 'em or lose 'em!"

"I'm not gonna lose them, they keep me safe-A-AAAGH!"

He blocked hard against another punch that went straight for his eye, Varan sighing as he kept circling around him.

"I'm tryna help you Obara-kun, you gotta do more than just defend, if all you do is block, they gonna keep hammering ya!"

"I-i know, but I got my flame!"

"Alrigh' well use it then, come on, show me whut you got!"

With a rushing jab Varan came in, planting a fist on Obara's head as he countered with a shrieking burp of flame that barely surprised the patriarch, who started thumping away with rather pathetic taunting blows.

"Uh oh, looks like sumbody don't give a shit about fire!"

"V-varan-saaaaan!" Obara whimpered.

"Dammit kid dontcha remember Beast Fighter Third Strike, you gotta parry!"

"Should we help?" Danzaki muttered beside Kiryu.

"Nah," the lieutenant crossed his arms, "Varan-san knows what he's doing, remember how he kicked my ass for a month?"

"Ohhh yeah, that was fun to watch."

"Wait, you were watching?" Goji looked to him.

"Yeah, I was sitting up there," Roberto pointed at one of the roofs, "I watched all his moves that he put on you, that way I learned how to beat him in like a week!"

"You-...you cheated," gasped the saurian.

"What, no!"

"You absolutely cheated, you told me it took you a month to beat him."

"Oh...shit, did I?" the pterosaur grinned rubbing his neck. "Okayyyy so I told a little lie, I just didn't wanna make you feel bad!"

"Well now I feel like a chump," Kiryu sighed rubbing his head, "no wonder you became patriarch of your own family."

"Hey-ey, you can't blame me for that, you got picked plenty times to be a patriarch and you never took it!"

"Hmmm, I guess...any more secrets you're hiding from me?"

"Nope," Danzaki shook his head, "unless we talk about the dirty mags we used to hide."

"Ugh, I remember," Goji cringed, "Ho-ohnda-sama was really mad."

"Well, we know better."

"Do they have porn in America?"

"Oh gods, mi guey you have NO idea, the shit I found over there would make your head spin."

"Uhhh...okay."

"Watch yerself!"

They looked back at the practice fight as Obara flinched from the jabs, the sounds of the creatures from the street turning to a faint murmur between the blows. Finally, after a good fifty punches, Obara felt a sense of something awaken as he heard the fist approaching. The moment Varan's paw hit against his ear, Gonkuro snapped it open with a parry, and suddenly punched back his mentor in a fit of frustration.

"GET, OFF!"

The old kaiju stumbled back astonished, his mohawk of spikes glinting in the sun with the wind ruffling through his flaps of skin beneath his arms. Kiryu and Roberto looked slightly nervous as Obara clutched his face.

"O-OH! S-sir, V-varan-san I am SO sorry-"

"Hhheh...hhheheheheh, hahahahahaa, ohhhh BOY that wuz a good one!"

Sanjin rubbed his jaw feeling a slight bruise.

"That wuz a damn fine left hook you got there boy."

"Yyou...you're not mad?"

"Whut, nawww course I ain't mad, that's whut I'm tryna git you to do, have sum more confidence in yer fightin'!"

"H-hah...o-okay, Varan-san."

"Now let's try that again, do whut you did before, an' if you wanna punch me, go righ' ahead."

"A-are you sure?" gasped the junior.

"I give you permission," the elder bowed, "besides, not like you can hurt me anyways, I'm too full o' piss an' vinegar to get hurt."

They went through their training a few more times, with each punch that Obakimura threw getting parried more successfully by Obara's sweep of the ear. He also became more confident in his counter, faster and stronger with a hooking jab every time that Varan hit his ears, bashing the knuckles aside to bop Sanjin on the cheek.

"Alrigh', good job Obara-kun!"

"Th-thank you, Varan-san!" the youth bowed. "H-hope I didn't hit you too hard."

"Nawww like hell you could," the patriarch rubbed his bruising chin, "besides, any fight you walk away from, is a good fight. We'll practice more tomorrow, see if any o' that sunk in."

"How do you know that kind of move, when you don't have ears like mine?"

"I uhhh, knew a friend with ears like you," Varan turned rubbing his neck, "thought it be good to teach you that trick-HEY Kiryu-san!"

"Varan-san," Kiryu bowed with Danzaki beside him, "we wanted to ask you something."

"Whut, with another patriarch?" the old lizard walked up to Roberto. "We ain't had much chance to talk at HQ, howsit going Danzaki?"

"Pretty good," the avian bowed, "how's Kaijurocho these days?"

"Ehhh keepin' on, folks're still gamblin' an' fuckin', lettin' all that money reel in."

"Heheh, bueno, so me and Kiryu-san, we were just thinking about reaching out to the Little Asia folks, yanno for some renovations."

"Really?" Obara gasped bouncing up to them. "Did you see Yong-ga lately, I haven't talked to him since-"

"Oh yeah, we met him," Kiryu smiled, "he was in trouble, but we managed to find him thanks to that Paw Patrol app you put in."

"What, really, is he okay?!"

"He's fine don't worry, but yes me and Danzaki want to put in a soccer pitch for the kids in Little Asia."

"Awww!" Gonkuro clutched his chest. "That's a great idea, Kiryu-san!"

"A li'l diplomacy eh?" said Sanjin scratching hs horn. "That's a damn fine idea, I agree, you wan' sum budget put aside fer that?"

"Yes please," Kiryu bowed, "Danzaki-san can bring in some workers, but the materials will be from us."

"They don't like Japanese much in that place," said Roberto shaking his wing, "so I got some workers they'll take more of a liking too."

"Only problem is I need to get their permission, which I'll do tonight."

"Well I'm all for it," said Sanjin patting his lieutenant, "I know you talked with thuh leader o' Little Asia a few times."

"Yes," Goji nodded, "Sa-Rhee-san's an obstinate kaiju but I think I can bring him to my-"

"Wait...Sa-Rhee-san?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Wuz he a bull by any chance?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Huh," Varan shook his head, "think I met 'im a few times actually when we first came to this city. But alrigh', I won't keep ya, you obviously got a ways ahead on this negotiation so you have my permission to outsource materials."

"Thank you Varan-san," Kiryu bowed again, "that was all I wanted to ask."

"Alrigh', keep me posted."

Heading back downstairs, Kiryu went to see Sano whilst Roberto leapt off the roof to the streets below, pulling out a cigarette mid-flight to light it and puff before landing on his feet. A tanuki and a spider gasped at his entrance, before he winked with a smile and made them blush when he asked the middle-aged ladies if their mothers knew they were out on their own.

"Sano-san," Kiryu entered the ground floor, "I'm ready, what you need?"

"This." Anguirou waved a note in his hand. "Rock wants to meet me, Tunnel Snakes."

"Ah, so we're doing this today?"

"Yep, it's now or never. You didn't tell Varan-san, did you?"

"No, this is between you and your gang, we'll play this by your rules."

"Thanks dude."

They bumped fists and left the office, Kiryu taking a small bag from his desk as they found Roberto still chatting up the spider and tanuki.

"Soooo what're you two doing tonight?" he rolled the cigarette along his beak.

"Just bowling," the tanuki shrugged, "I'm a real bitch on the pins."

"Hohohh yeah, you good at knocking pinheads down a notch?"

"Oh you bet," the spider nudged her, "she's pretty good fondling the balls too!"

"OH, Ran-chaaan!" the raccoon shoved her playfully. "We better head off, see you round sir!"

"No prob," Roberto winked at them, "next time I'm bowling, I'll look out for you, adios!"

The two ladies left as the pterodactyl turned to his friends stepping out the office.

"Still got it," he grinne puffing his smoke, "you guys off on your own?"

"Just some local business," Sano waved his hand, "it's kinda sensitive."

"More than Little Asia even?"

"Yes."

"Huh...alright then," Roberto shrugged leaning back, "you do what you gotta do."

"You don't have anything to do today?" Kiryu cocked his head.

"Nah I got minions for that, you'd know if you were patriarch, mi guey."

"Don't listen to him," Anguirou nudged his friend, "you're the best lieutenant I could ask for."

"I know Sano," Goji nodded, "I'll see you around, Danzaki."

"Ni modo," Roberto tapped his cig, "later Goji-chan, see you Angy-chan."

"Later flyboy!"

With a wave to each other, Kiryu and Sano headed towards Showa Street whilst the pteranodon checked his messages.

"When's the meeting?" Kiryu asked.

"About an hour," said Sano, "we head down underground, meet up with Titan, and do the plan."

"Alright, we have time to kill so if you want to go to the arcade-"

"No."

Goji looked to his friend slightly shocked.

"I can't lose my head today," said Anguirou, "this is more important than gaming."

"Wow...alright." Kiryu nodded respectful. "We'll keep patrolling, then when it's twenty-to, we head to Showa Street?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

They walked along Taihei Boulevard, taking it slow to not stray too far from Showa Street in the south as they cast their eye across every shop in the district. Praying mantises nibbled on burgers whilst chatting to crabs.

"Sooo Danzaki told me," said Sano mid-walk, "that you're fighting some Korean dude to get into Little Asia?"

"It's to help with a project," said Kiryu, "I have to gain their trust first, and this guy wants me to fight him."

"When's that happening?"

"Tomorrow, at night, in the parking lot next to Kanrai."

"You need any help?" Anguirou puffed his chest.

"I'll be fine," Kiryu patted his back, "you'll have your work cut out for you today."

"Yeaaah I guess...I'm glad Danzaki's back, you know?"

"I am too," Goji sighed pulling his white sleeves, "feels like the old days back when he's around."

"You're even smiling a lot more, though you do got a boyfriend now, how's that going?"

"Great!" the lieutenant grinned at his friend. "He found out I was Toho, but somehow he's totally fine with it."

"See I TOLD you!" Sano jabbed him. "I told you it'd turn out alright didn't I?!"

"Hm, you did, yes."

"We should say hi to him, yanno me and Danzaki, let's hang out sometime!"

"I don't want to overwhelm him," Kiryu nodded, "but maybe sometime in future, once he's more comfortable."

"WHOA, H-HMMMPH!"

They stopped and turned at a curious sight beneath the Millennium Tower. Balancing on the wall next to the entrance, a long-haired yak was dressed in a purple tank top and black jeans as she tried to bob and weave with little jabs, her arms and legs sturdy with slender muscle beneath layers of thick shag. She ducked and stepped with little twists of her hooves, scraping the marble beneath.

"The fuck is she doing?" Sano squinted.

"I think she's boxing," Kiryu cocked his head.

"I thought they wore tutus and shit."

"I said boxing, not ballet you idiot."

"I know dude I was joking."

"Maybe you need your eyes checked from playing too much at the arcade."

"W-whuh, WOAH, WHAAAA!"

Kiryu rushed forth when she started wobbling, her foot twisting when she fell off the wall as the kaiju grabbed her in both arms. She gasped with a fright, hugging him by instinct with a few claps from passersby in appreciation.

"You alright ma'am?" he put her down.

"Uhh, y-yeah, thank you," the yak bowed with hair over her eyes, "sorry, I was just-"

"Practicing your boxing?" Sano grinned toothily.

"Yeah, uhm...s-sorry!"

"Hey it's cool, there's no law against dancing in public, I mean if you're on your own."

"I...I-i wasn't dancing, I was shuffling."

"It was a joke, seriously what's with everyone today?!"

"You're not funny, that's the problem," Kiryu smirked.

"Fuck you dude."

"Anyways," he nodded to the yak, "that was a little dangerous, wouldn't you be better off boxing in a gym?"

"I'm with a local league!" she grinned at them. "I just wanted to do my lessons so I can really wow my teacher."

"Well, maybe try not to use walls."

"But I have to learn balance! I'm good at my jab-and-weaves but anytime I go off-balance, then boom I'm on the mat! If I don't get off the bottom rung my teacher said I'll never get anywhere!"

"Wow," the spiked kaiju sneered, "your teacher sounds like a hardass."

"Well, s-sorta," the hairy mammal gripped her horns, "I've been trying to learn for years since I came to Kaijurocho, and they're finally putting me up in the ring, so I thought maybe trying my footwork on that wall would help."

"I mean, I see what you're trying to do but it's not gonna help anyone if you fall and break your leg."

"I knooow," she sighed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you it's not really your problem-"

"It's fine," Kiryu smiled waving his hand, "just try not to push yourself, what's your name?"

"Yae, Yae Hakura."

"Wait...Hakura?"

"Mmmmyeah?" the yak put her hands on hips.

"I used to know someone called uhh...Yakura."

"Haha, wow was she a yak too?"

"No, she was...a harpy, so you're planning to be a professional boxer?"

"Mmhmm!" she nodded with hands behind her back. "I been working out at this gym, then I transferred to this league to get really into it, I wanna be out on the ring because I love boxing, I love watching them fight under the spotlight, all their moves with that speed and, the POWER!"

"Well I wish you the best. Just try not to do anymore balancing acts, or at least find something closer to ground."

"You can try one of the parks," Sano suggested pointing back, "they got plenty beams to walk on."

"Naaah, there's always junkies in those places," said Hakura rubbing her arm.

"Why not the back of the Tower then? There's lotsa low walls and benches in the shade."

"OH, shit you're right!" she slapped her head. "Gods how'd I forget, I just liked this wall cuz it was in the sun but, you're right, I'll go there instead. Thanks again uhhh-"

"Kiryu," said Goji bowing, "this is my friend Sano, have a good day, Hakura-san."

"Thanks, you too Kiryu-san, Sano-san!"

She walked off north to behind the Millennium Tower, finding a small resting area of benches that gave her the perfect place to train.

"Did you know that girl?" Sano looked up to his friend.

"Nope," Kiryu scratched his chin, "but this does remind me I have to make a call, back in a bit."

"Uhhh okay."

Heading up to the Tower's raised partition, Kiryu sat on a bench some distance away from Sano and pulled out his phone, calling a lesser-seen number on the dial.

"Yeees, Hakura speaking."

"It's Kiryu. I found your daughter."

"What?! Oh my goodness, Kiryu-san, truly?! How is she, is she well?!"

"She's fine," Kiryu nodded, "she's training to be a boxer at a local league."

"A-...a pugilist?!"

"No, a boxer."

"Th-that is the same thing! Ohhhh this is terrible, I knew that sports channel subscription would lead her to darkness!"

"What, what do you mean?"

"She's always been something of a...strong-headed youth, not interested in the old ways of our family. We were once retainers to the Satsuma Clan, did you know?"

"No I didn't," the saurian shook his head, "that's...really, that far back?"

"That is how I became part of Shisahara-sama's employ, twelve generations of my family have been part of his family's servitude. It is a role I have embraced with great honour, but my dear Yae-kun did not desire such a life, always fascinated by the spotlight, the canvas OH! To think my sweet Yae-kun would throw herself into the world of belligerent ruffians, who answer only with their fists!"

"Yeah," Goji snorted slitting his eyes, "that would be terrible."

"OH of course, I meant," Hakura sputtered, "n-not that, you, the clan I-i, what I meant specifically was-"

"It's fine, Hakura-san. I understand you're worried for your daughter, every father is. But look at it this way. She's training to be a professional boxer, which I have to admit is a cut above those like me in the Toho Clan. She's going to be an actual athlete, not some...belligerent ruffian."

"Y-yes...well put, Kiryu-san." The yak chauffeur gave a deep sigh from the phone. "My apologies, I spoke out of turn, I just cannot bear to think of anyone laying a fist upon my sweet daughter."

"She's doing well," Kiryu nodded, "I can keep tabs on her if you want, but I'm not going out of my way for it, she's serious about her training."

"I see. Well, I shall defer to your judgment in the ways of pugilists. If you say she is well, then I have no grounds to object. Thank you, Kiryu-san, have a good day."

The call ended as Goji headed back down to street level, Sano cocking his head curious at him.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Kiryu nodded, "almost time for your meet-up."

"Yeah, let's go."

The underground mall was their destination, a small subway strip underneath Showa Street with a tavern and clothing stores along its rows. The long grey corridor felt surprisingly cozy, as Sano took Kiryu further down beneath the depths of the city. Under the stairs of the subway mall, there lied the underground parking lot where cars and trucks and motorcycles sat waiting for their owners.

Grand open spaces of cinderblock and hard stone pillars opened before them, the rumbling of ceaseless traffic echoing above their heads with a dull murmur from the distance. Very few kaiju were present, the odd security guard or passing driver heading back to their vehicle as the two wandered between spots.

"Hey!"

The tall figure of Taijin Saurose waved to them from a corner. Sano walked over with a bump of their elbows and Kiryu nodded.

"The meeting's back there," the gangly thug pointed to a service room, "you ready boss?"

"Been ready all month," Sano punched his fists, "you got a way to surprise 'em?"

"Yeah, here put this on."

Taijin gave him a hoodie as Sano slipped it on over his red jacket, hiding the shining lapel of the Toho Clan beneath.

"Wish I could come with you," said Goji crossing his arms.

"Don't worry," Titan shook his head, "when boss challenges him, they're gonna come up here, so you just keep yourself hidden and watch."

"You know the plan Kiryu?" Sano asked looking back.

"You beat his ass," the lieutenant patted his bag, "we tie him up, and leave him for the cops to find, you sure you'll be alright?"

"Oh yeah, this ain't a job for Toho Sano. This...is where feral Sano needs to be."

"Is that a Virtua Fighter reference?" Kiryu smirked.

"No, Kiryu, what?!" Sano squinted.

"Sorry it just sounded like a videogame reference."

"You play Virtua Fighter?" Saurose bent down. "Who you main?"

"Peng Chan, why?" asked Anguirou.

"Yoooo I main Lao Chan, the turtle?!"

"Aww sick, Chan mains for life!" he grabbed Titan's hand in a firm clench. "Hey after all this shit is done, you wanna do some rounds?"

"Fuck yeah boss," said Taijin grinning, "alright...let's do this."

Entering the old service door, Sano went into the depths of the underground as Kiryu stepped back against the wall and waited. Beneath the parking lot were the maintenance tunnels, largely abandoned except for the gang members who watched Saurose walk past.

All of them wore black leather jackets the same as him, blending into the dark, their faces barely lit by the lamps from the ceiling as old pipes and circuit boards framed the walls. Reptiles, mammals and insects snarled at the hooded newcomer who walked behind Titan.

"Sir." Saurose bowed. "I brought our contact."

"Yeah?" a husky voice rattled the air. "Good shit, Titan."

In the centre of a large rotunda, chairs and mattresses had been piled around with a TV, a game console and a few lamps siphoning off the electric panels. To one side there were several boxes where Sano could see small bags filled with white, making him clench his fists beneath the hood.

On an old beaten armchair, was Rokuto Mutsuura, a large silver-backed ankylosaur with spiked tail wrapped round his feet. Several smaller horns framed his grey features, all of them broken to resemble shards as he grinned with jagged teeth, his snout powdered in white.

"So, you're going to help us with distribution?" said Rock shifting his legs.

"I'm here to fix your problem," said the hooded stranger.

"Glad Titan did something good for once, the lanky bitch. I wanna start in Pink Street, seems an easy spot, lotta shits wanna get high, sell to the clubs who want an extra popper."

"Not worried about the Toho?"

"They don't own everything in Pink Street," snorted the grey-spike, "by the time I ramp things up with the first customers, they'll think twice before they fuck with me."

"Right." The hood nodded. "I got some feelers out there anyway, one or two clubs that'll take your wares in."

"Nice. That why I can't see your face?"

"Nah. You wanna see?"

"I mean it's pretty fucking rude not to show your face where the Tunnel Snakes live, we're already in the dark, what are you afraid of?"

"Oh I'm not afraid for me."

He pulled back his hood.

"I'm just afraid for you, after I'm done with you."

With one full sweep, he whipped off the entire hoodie to reveal himself in his red yakuza jacket, the clan lapel glinting in the dark as the gang members reeled back when they saw his face, with eyes wide and a shudder through the tunnels.

"So you've come crawling back." Rock stood up and cracked his fists. "Mister fucking Toho, mister 'I'm too big for a street gang'."

"I didn't get too big," Anguirou shook his head, "I got a fist down my throat and realised we were just small-time."

"Yeah, because you're a little bitch." Rock started walking a circle round Anguirou. "All you did was piss around stealing cars and beating up dumb shits, this gang was wasted on you."

"You call peddling drugs any better?" said Sano keeping still. "I heard about your shit, so I've come to see for myself."

"Why, so you get a cut?"

"Because Toho runs these streets. And I'd rather my old pals don't get beaten to fuck and fill out a hospital ward with the number of limbs that my family are gonna break. So I'm here, to fix this myself, and shut down your little ring-"

"You're not fixing SHIT."

Rock stopped in front of him and gripped Sano's shoulder.

"This is my gang now, little prick. You lost the right when you left us, you don't come back demanding anything."

"You see this?" Anguirou pointed to his clan pin. "This says, if I tell you to stop pushing drugs, you stop, or else I'll make your life hell."

"I don't care if you're the fucking chief of police, I'm gonna give you two ways out of this. Either you walk out, or get dragged out in a body bag-"

Sano grabbed Rock's hand still on his shoulder, shoving him back with a thrust of his palm as the gangsters lurched expecting a fight.

"This is MY city." Anguirou cricked his neck with darkening voice. "You stop pushing drugs, or I break your legs, and then everyone else's."

"HEY!" Titan gasped trying to put on a front. "The fuck you saying, you think you can take on all of us huh, Toho boy?!"

Sano snapped his fingers suddenly towards Titan. The look he gave the towering kaiju was frightening, his eyes tightening to pale slits as the spikebacked yakuza beckoned Titan over with one finger. The tall reptilian shuffled over with long aquatic tail slinking round his legs, as his former boss grabbed Titan's throat and pulled him hard to whisper loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You backtalk me again...I'll rip out the bones from your fucking neck, and THEN put you in a wheelchair so you see things from my level...got it, little guy?"

"...y-yes, sir."

The cowering fear through Saurose was palpable in the Snakes, almost infectious except for Rock who grinned with taunting fingers.

"You wanna die today? I can give you that for free."

"How about this?" Sano turned back to him. "I beat your ass up-top, the way we used to do it for a new leader. Unless you OD before that."

"What can I say," the silver-spike rubbed his snout, "old habits die hard."

"Bad for a pusher to try his own product."

"I care about quality...of my boys, AND my product, which is why I made this gang better than you ever could. You think you can beat me, little prick?"

"Do YOU think you can?" said Anguirou grinning. "You're not scared are ya?"

"Fuck no," sneered Rock. "We do this old-school. You break me in half, I'll walk away. But I break you...I rip off your fucking tail, shove it down your throat, and watch you crawl back where you came from 'til you choke to death."

"Hmm. I could've spared you this, Rock."

"Spare me what?"

"The worst day of your life." Sano spread his arms. "Let's do this, up top, the old garage, two enter, one leaves."

"Fine." The grey-spike shoved past him. "BOYS! We got a murder coming in, Han get me a body bag!"

"Yeah, make sure it's big enough for your boss!"

Sano never changed his expression, putting his hands in his pockets as the Tunnel Snakes marched out from the depths and into the parking lot single file. Kiryu watched from his hiding spot, following at a distance as they went to an old seemingly-abandoned garage at the far back of the underground. The shutter was locked with chains, but the side door was unlocked by a key Rock had, as they all walked in together.

Inside the garage was a large circle that cars would normally be rested on, the walls stripped bare of all their tools leaving nothing but an arena where the Snakes formed a circle. The two leaders squared each other up, copper and silver backs gleaming with spikes as Kiryu watched Anguirou's face from the door. He had never seen his friend like this, all his humour, his cockiness, his smile vanished with hardened eyes as Rock took the first swing.

"TIME TO DIE, LITTLE PRICK!"

The greyspiked kaiju came down hard with a crushing hammerfist, Sano dodging fast with a punch to the face before Rock countered with an uppercut forcing both of them back. The Tunnel Snake swung his arms to close the gap, as the copperspike ducked under the swipes and cracked upwards into Rock's chin. The crowd started chanting, baying for blood to spill with fists pumping the air.

Stumbling back from the blow, the silverspike leaned hard as he could to trick Sano to charge him, before a thundering fist came like a bullet train to Anguirou's stomach and knocked the wind from his lungs. Rock grabbed his opponent's jaw and slammed his head into Sano's, crunching his hard scales on the horned face and knocking Anguirou down on his back.

Rokuto stomped on his foe's chest, crushing his ribs as Sano roared and grabbed the hard bare foot before he balled himself up, throwing the punk backwards over his head in a rolling start to vault his own body back upright. The greyspike also balled himself, launching upright to charge again with a savage lariat, spinning both his arms out wide that Anguirou ducked before grabbing Rock in a bear hug to swing him hard.

"HNNNRRRAAAAAARGH!"

Throwing Mutsuura down to the floor with a heavy crunch, Sano laid on top of him and started pounding his face, managing five blows before Rock grabbed one incoming fist, and slammed his other into Sano's face before pulling up one of his feet to shove him off.

"Heh, little bitch." The boss snorted blood from his white-coated snout. "I thought you were gonna break me in half."

"Just tenderising ya," Sano clenched his fists, "that's what you do with worthless meat."

Circling each other amongst the roaring chant of the Tunnel Snakes, Sano waited for the first punch to block with one arm and punch with the other. Rokuto countered with a hard boot to the gut, the copperspike cringing from the blow and bowing his head as Rock grabbed his horn, before Sano immediately thrust forwards and stabbed through the punk's shoulder.

Blood flew with a sharp cry from the grey ankylosaur, red spilling across the asphalt as Sano grabbed Rock's throat in mid-thrust and hurled him to the floor with a powerful crunch. When he tried to stomp the thug, Rokuto swung his sharp-spiked tail with a wicked snap, throwing Sano off-balance and forcing him to stumble back giving Mutsuura time to roll back on his feet.

With a flying kick, the silverpike slammed Anguirou's chest and sent him falling, but he didn't follow up. Instead Rock took a few steps back, watching and waiting for the Toho member to stagger back onto his feet. A cruel smile came across Mutsuura's snout as he balled himself up, curling into a sharp sphere that came barrelling towards Anguirou, before launching upwards and unfurling full with a wild fist from above.

"RAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Sano couldn't dodge in time, a powerful crunch to his skull throwing him so far against the wall, that the crowd parted instantly to avoid getting crushed. Stunned and wounded with a black eye and scars down his face, Anguirou tried to push himself up before Rock jumped forwards to boot him deep in the stomach. A harsh scream escaped Sano when the boss grabbed his horn and started punching his face with furious blight.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN FUCK WITH ME?!"

"A-AAARGH, AAAAARGH!"

"THINK YOU CAN FIGHT ME CUZ YOU'RE A TOHO FUCK?! YOU LOST YOUR GANG BECAUSE YOU WERE A BITCH, NOW I'M TAKING YOUR CITY, AND YOUR FUCKING LIFE!"

"BOSS!" Titan screamed amongst the chanting crowd. "DON'T GIVE UP, BOSS YOU GOTTA DO THIS, FOR ME, FOR AOSU-CHAN!"

The Tunnel Snake leader slammed his knee into Sano's jaw, blood spilling fresh from the Toho member's snout and staining his jacket as he clenched all the muscles in his face and waited for the next blow. When Rock pulled back his murderous fist, Sano lunged with all his might and threw the silverspike above him, flying high before crunching down on Sano's foot in a rising kick.

Rokuto vomited blood in a strangled gasp, as he flew across the garage like a soccer ball before crumpling against the floor. Sano looked briefly to the door, seeing Kiryu's face and giving a solemn nod with a small wink to show he was fine. Goji nodded back, still watching but relieved.

"You want these streets?" Anguirou snorted. "You have to get through me."

"NNNGH!" the greyspiked kaiju stumbled clutching his chest. "This...is MY city, MY GANG, MY FUCKING BUSINESS! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU, TO TELL ME WHAT I GET TO DO?!"

"I'm Anguirou Sano, motherfucker." He cracked his knuckles. "Not Toho, not Tunnel Snake, but a kaiju who's not going to let scum like you hurt ANYONE AGAIN!"

With a thunderous roar, Rokuto balled himself up with screeching spikes on the asphalt like a burning tire ready to peel out. Sano did the same, rolling his body tight against himself to become a bronze orb dragging hard grooves into the floor, the crowd backing up in fright at the powerful clash about to ensue.

They charged with a mighty crunch, a devastating shockwave filling the room to ruffle leather jackets as they tore each other's backs and cracked several spikes off, spinning faster and harder with a screaming tear as pieces of cloth and skin fell off before they finally repelled each other. Dragging claws against the floor as they both unfurled, the two spikebacks stared each other down with venomous rage as Rock rolled himself up again and charged like a pinball.

Sano rolled up in turn, but not aiming for Rock as he waited for the greyspike to close in fast, before the copperspike suddenly raced past towards the giant shutter door. The Tunnel Snakes pulled back in clamouring fright as Anguirou unfurled himself, and watched Mutsuura turn sharply towards him to come revving fast.

In a dazzling trick, Sano dodged and immediately rolled back up against the shutter, his spikes plunging through the steel door leaving bullet holes behind as he climbed higher before Rock slammed head-first into the door. The shock impact would knock Sano off, straight on top of Mutsuura with a driving elbow slam that crunched the greyspike's skull, in a visual crack as Sano roared:

"YOU FUCK WITH KAIJUROCHO, YOU FUCK WITH ME!"

Rokuto tried to grab the shutter and turn to face Anguirou, but he saw the copperspike pull back for a charging spin of his body, screeching hard as the ball of fury crushed the silverbacked kaiju, and punched him through the shutter door itself with a deafening blast. The sound of a steel steel explosion came rippling through the underground as drivers covered their ears and guards stumbled with fright.

Sano crushed Rock under his body, grabbing him mid-roll to slam his head against the back of a van. The alarm went off with a panicked shriek as the gangsters chanted harder, a blood frenzy awakening as Sano grabbed Rokuto's shoulders before the greyspike threw back his fist and slammed Anguirou's face. The Toho member staggered with a blinding pain, giving Rock time to stand up with bruising rings round his throat.

"How 'bout a park-and-ride, FUCKBOY!?"

Grappling Sano by the shoulders, Mutsuura threw him against a car which also went off with an alarm shrill in his ear, shoving his head against the window and punching his skull in three times before the glass would break and shower Anguirou's face. Sano shoved his head back and scarred Rock with his spikes as the gang leader fell and grabbed one of the glass shards to plunge into Sano's leg.

The yakuza screamed gritting his teeth as he swung round to kick Rock with his other foot, stomping his head then his hand to force him to drop the glass. Grasping Rokuto's arm, Sano dragged him to the car door and wrenched it open before shoving the head inside and crunching the thug's neck with a slam. Hammering his foot thrice, he was stopped on the third slam by Rock elbowing the door hard to throw it back against Sano, the punk whipping his tail to scar Anguirou's chest with heavy cuts through his suit.

"Let's do this like Tunnel Snakes," Rock snarled lifting himself up, "you think you can roll as hard as me?"

"I'll roll you into your fucking GRAVE!" Sano spat licking his bloodied teeth.

Balling himself up, the silverspike started rolling out across the parking lot, Sano following after with a screeching peal. The Tunnel Snakes stood by watching with excitable cheers and pumping fists, the kaijus clashing mid-roll like a chariot race with spikes crunching in the asphalt. Small holes were left pockmarked behind them as they revved round the pillars and shoved each other against partitions.

They crushed into walls and tore up their sides with plunging stabs of their spikes in passing, ripping the skin and shredding their suits with tattered fragments in their wake. When they rolled back round to in front of the gang, Rock turned sharp with a screech and challenged Anguirou once more to a deadly clash. Sano revved his body in response, a smile hidden beneath as he waited for Rock to come peeling out towards him.

The shrieking burn of spikes against stone deafened the crowd as Kiryu clenched his fists. The silverspike came roaring at the speed of a train, the ground trembling underneath as Anguirou kept spinning his body, almost taunting the thug to come faster before they would clash. But the Toho member suddenly sprang out from his sphere, dodged to the left, and swung a giant haymaker straight into Rokuto's eye.

"GAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The cracking blow to his head threw Rock hard, falling to his side with a crumpling roll as Anguirou stepped over to grab his neck from behind in a headlock, and suddenly bite down on his throat with a savage fury. His jaws flexed against the thug's larynx with an unshakeable bite as Rokuto kicked and sputtered, flailing his fists in as Sano tightened his grip, strangling the fiend with his teeth that never punctured the flesh, but squeezed the throat enough for him to feel it pulse against his tongue.

The crowd turned quieter in growing fear, Mutsuura struggling with his breath running out, his tongue stretched from his maw and his feet kicking less and less. All of the Snakes were silent, watching their boss being strangled as Rock desperately tightened his neck to hold on just a few seconds longer, blood dripping down his snout onto Sano's cheek.

"BOSS!" Titan's voice rang out. "BOSS, S-STOP, STOP IT'S OVER, IT'S OVER YOU WON!"

Anguirou did not budge, crushing the throat even tighter.

"BOSS, N-NO, I THOUGHT YOU TOHO DIDN'T KILL!"

But he wouldn't stop. Rock continued gasping, his tongue swelling and eyes flickering as they rolled to the back of his head. The silverspike gritted his teeth, the blood from his snout turning with a laboured breathing. Kiryu shook his head from the dark, a growing concern on his face before Sano's eye drifted towards him, his face bloodied and bruised, as he gave another wink to reassure him.

Then Rokuto stopped, slumping his head back as his struggles finally ceased. Sano dropped him like a stone and rolled him onto his side in recovery position. They could tell he was still breathing, his chest rising softly despite being choked unconscious as the gang members looked to each other stunned and dismayed.

"See that?" Sano stood up licking his teeth. "That was a warning. The Tunnel Snakes are dead, I don't care where you go, but if I see any of you dealing drugs, or coming back to Rock when he wakes up...I'll rip out his fucking neck."

"What the fuck?!" a fox stood up. "I thought you Toho fucks never kill!"

"THE FUCK DID I SAY?!" Sano shouted. "I'm not Toho here, OR a Snake, I'm Anguirou SANO! You wanna die, just fucking say the word and I bite you NEXT!"

"You heard him!" Titan stepped out before his group. "Rules are rules, Rock's been beaten, we're splitting up the gang right here."

"YO FUCK THAT!" shouted a spider. "I'm not leaving this gang, no way!"

Saurose walked over to the arachnid and grabbed him by the neck, hoisting him up off his feet as he struggled and kicked before the speckled saurian slammed him into the earth. A stomp on his chest made the spider shriek to the heavens.

"ANYONE ELSE?!" Titan shouted looking around. "You wanna fuck with Toho, like Rock just did?! The way I see it, you got two choices. Fight him and die, or leave and live a better life."

"But...wh-where we gonna go?" asked a komodo rubbing his sleeves. "We got nothing else Titan, we...the Snakes is all we got!"

"Well, let's see." Sano walked up next to Titan. "What you want out of all this? You want to make the streets yours? You want some place to be?"

"I...I-i dunno, I never been good at nothing, nothing but fighting."

"Sure about that? What if I found you all some place to be?"

"Wait, what?" Saurose looked to him. "You're not talkin' about the Toho, are you?!"

"Depends," Anguirou shrugged, "if you guys wanna protect Kaijurocho, and you don't beat up civilians just minding their own business, maybe we can find a place for you. And if you don't want that, well...we can help you in other ways."

"Like whut?" snorted a tiger at the back.

"I got contacts in lots of places, help you find somewhere you belong."

"But some of us got no place to live!"

"I never said I was kicking you out the tunnels!" Sano waved his finger. "Just the gang itself is no more, or else I'm coming back."

"What about Rock?" asked Titan looking at Mutsuura.

"I'll deal with him. You all leave, now, and if any of you want any help...come to Azumi Finance on Tenkaiju Street, that's where my family work."

Sano watched them leave as Titan stayed behind, the Tunnel Snakes now disbanded and filing out with listless stares like shambling zombies. Goji stepped out from the shadows once they all left, the still-unconscious Rock still beneath Sano's feet.

"You alright?" asked Kiryu.

"Yeah," Anguirou sighed rubbing his wounded face, "I wasn't gonna kill him, don't worry."

"Wait, you weren't?" Titan gasped. "But, jeez you really choked him out!"

"Had to make him know I was serious. Kiryu, help me tie him up."

From his bag, Goji brought out a hard rope and a black hood with breathing holes that he put on Rock's head, tying him up quickly whilst Titan went to get the drugs from the Tunnel Snakes' hideout. The boxes were dumped in the old garage beside Rokuto's body, the closest fire alarm set off by Sano's fist with the garage door left unlocked as they quickly made their escape.

A guard would find the tied-up body, along with the drugs and several broken spikes littering the floor as the police were soon called to surround the parking lot, before Mutsuura was arrested with his produce.

During all of this, Kiryu and Sano walked back to the temple with Saurose behind them. Entering the grounds, they met Aosukawa tending the sand garden as she looked up shocked but delighted.

"Hey girl." The gangly Titan waved bashfully.

"Hey, h-hey!" she ran up to him with a hug. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah. I left the gang, thanks to these two."

"What?!" the heron gasped. "You...you're really out, it's over?!"

"Sure is," Anguirou nodded, "the guy leading them got arrested for drugs."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Does that mean, you...you still want-"

"I mean, if you're still offering," Titan shrugged with a smirk, "see what all this Hindu stuff's about."

"Of course! Please, come in, I'll get you introduced to Shoji-sama."

"Hold up, before I do."

Saurose turned towards Sano and deeply bowed, before slipping off his Tunnel Snakes jacket and handing it over.

"Wait, what?" the spiked kaiju snorted. "Dude I don't want your jacket-"

"I don't care what you do with it," the titanosaurus shook his head, "you saved me boss. You got me out, the gang is dead, and it's all thanks to you so whether you wanna keep this or burn it, I don't care."

"Maybe hang it on your wall," Kiryu nudged him, "like a souvenir."

"Or you could restyle it!" Aosukawa grabbed the jacket. "It does look really good on, what if we just change it up to look real nice, you know without the gang tags?"

"Really?" Saurose rubbed his long neck. "You think that'd be alright?"

"Oh yeah we got tailors, Shoji-sama's real good with a needle I bet she'd turn this out to look real good."

"Huh...alright, sure!" He turned towards Sano and Kiryu with a second bow. "Thank you, again."

"No problem," Goji nodded, "glad we could help."

"And hey, uh, if you ever need an extra pair of fists, you know who to call."

"Just so long as you don't blow up anymore buses," Aosukawa slapped his arm, "fighting's one thing but vandalism we don't accept here."

"Jeez you make me sound like a terrorist, I told you there wasn't anyone on the bus, I just caused two-million yen worth of damage!"

"Wha-TWO MILLION!?"

"The mall was closed, nobody was working there I promise, NOBODY got hurt!"

"Oh my gods Saurose," she cupped her face in his jacket, "okay, we're definitely not mentioning that to Shoji-sama, come on let's get you in."

With a bashful grin Titan followed her in, Sano and Kiryu waving them off as they turned and left the temple grounds onto the corner of Pink Street.

"You alright?" Goji asked his friend.

"Yeah," Anguirou sighed, "thanks again for helping me."

"No problem...I was worried for a moment, you were like a different kaiju when you fought against Rock."

"What, did I scare ya?"

"I'm just surprised how serious you were," Kiryu offered a cigarette from his pocket, "want a smoke?"

"Yeah sure," Sano took it as his friend lit him up, "I'm just glad the gang's over with, but I kinda hope a few drop by to be in our family."

"If they do, we'll handle them together," the saurian took a puff on his own cig, "but it really did look like you were going to kill him."

"You wanna know my secret?"

They stood in a doorway out of the sun, taking a moment to savour the smoke and the crackling burn of atoms.

"I thought about Basu-chan, and what kinda city I want her to live in. I love her, maybe not in the way most guys do and I'm glad she's happy with that but...I just couldn't stop thinking about a fucking scum like Rock, poisoning our home with drugs, and not the nice shit like marijuana, there's a difference between medicine and narcotics we all know that."

"Right," Kiryu nodded, "you just want to keep this city safe for Basu-chan."

"Yeah...but then in the middle of the fight...I thought about Tsuchi-chan."

Sano rolled the cigarette between his fingers as he stared off in the distance.

"Started thinking about what kinda creature would do that to her. Creatures like Rock, like the Host, those who don't give a fuck about the lives they ruin. I wanted to kill Rock, I wanted to do to him what I'd have done to the Host and, there was a moment I thought 'I just choke him a little longer, I could kill him right now, break his fucking neck and no one could've stopped me, nobody would miss him'...but I couldn't. Cuz that's not me."

"I know," Kiryu smiled patting him, "that's why I recruited you."

"Wait...really?"

"You have a good heart, I could tell even back then. You're not afraid to fight for what's right, even if that causes more trouble, even if that ruins your life just so you help someone else. You're a stubborn bastard who always bites off more than he can chew, but that's why I like you. I admire you for that Sano-san. I know I can trust you, to help keep this city safe, and that's what you did today."

"Ki-...Kiryu." The spiked kaiju rubbed his neck. "That...damn dude, that means a lot. Thank you...for believing in me."

They pulled each other in a hug with cigarettes in their teeth, patting their backs before they headed off down the street, and patrolled the streets beneath the sun.