Within a matter of moments, Anna had been literally swept from her feet by Baki like an empty bag, swung over his back as he sprinted out the door and into the street. At first, her eyes widened and she clung haplessly around Baki's shoulders as he sprinted down the alleyway within seconds, the profane graffiti passing by all around like a blur before he leapt into the street and powered off down another back alley. It was like riding upon the saddle of a stallion, Baki went forward with such enormous speed despite Anna, almost as tall as his full height, hanging for dear life onto his back. Her Bookbag swung side-to-side from her white knuckled hands as they clamped around Baki's collar bone. She yelped again as Baki sprinted out in front of a car, but instead of stopping for it, he leapt over the hood. Like a true race horse.

"BAKI!" Anna yelled above the rushing air, eyes wide and focussed entirely on the way ahead which seemed as if swaying wildly to her, "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I LIVE!"

"Oh, right! Baki replied, no sign of exhaustion or exertion at all in his voice, "where do you need to go?"

"It's... Near... Yokokawa...shitahara Park!" Anna cried as Baki continued to rocket at seemingly uncontrollable speeds. Baki didn't reply, but seemed to know where to go, as at the end of the alleyway was a T shaped junction, with a gate in the wall, Baki leapt from the gate, kicking off from it with extraordinary power, redirecting himself to the left as well as the gate from its hinges. The echo of the wood splintering and crashing was already left behind as Baki thundered quickly onwards.

Eventually, Baki emerged from the thick, tumbledown housing area, sprinting down a slope between two raised walls and out onto a two lane road without any concern for traffic once more.

"Ya mean Yokoka park? You don't need to say the full name, you know!"

"Baki Hanma! Look out!" Anna shrieked, her heart slamming against her ribcage as Baki dodged, leapt and weaved between speeding cars and to the other side of the road, where, the amber street lights gave way to smaller lamp posts lighting the way of a gravel path along a darkly twinkling, rushing riverside. The sound of the road was left behind, replaced now by the sound of water flowing, the sound of Baki's breathing and laboring and the sound of each footstep crunching loudly as it hit the gravel. The sky was a dark shade of purple, streaked by sunset-soaked clouds.

"There's gotta be a bridge to cross this river up ahead!" Baki said, voice raised for Anna to hear him. She felt as though she might slip off of his shoulders completely, and clutched herself tighter to him. But slowly, she found herself acclimatizing to the jostling of each footfall as she glanced ahead. A dark shape hung across the river, bright white lights glowed from its edges and the path leading up to it. The bridge! Rumbling of motor engines continued, when suddenly, Baki decided to turn left onto a full blown highway from the banks of the river. Anna squeaked as he continued alongside vehicles roaring at speeds of fifty and sixty miles per hour, her hair flowing around her face in an incredible attempt of distraction by nature, perhaps as some kind of assassination attempt.

"You should probably have your hair cut a little, Anna."

"I'm perfectly fine about that, thank you very much! Just get off this highway, you gigantic idiot!"

"If you say so." Baki replied, glancing out over the highway's shock barrier at the dark ground below.. "ah, the other side of the river is below."

Before Anna could even say anything, Baki had already hopped onto the concrete wall and with a single motion, leapt off the side of the highway to the grass below. Anna let out a terrified scream, even as Baki landed harmlessly and unharmed on the thick, swaying grasses below, passing rustling purple and pink wildflowers in the growing darkness as he found his way to a path and followed it along, the sound of the river and even the cars above fading away into the background as the gravel turned to concrete and what seemed like dimly flickering lights lay glowing ahead.

The light was too bright for Anna to become immediately accustom to as Baki barged out from the little concrete channel into what seemed like a fenced-in basketball court under the highway, with two floodlights above. Up to the left, Anna noticed the silhouetted shadow of some short man watching from an underpass splitting from the main highway. His vague shape was leaned up against the concrete pillar

She squinted to make him out, but her attention was soon drawn to the basketball court as Baki yelled ahead.

"Kitizawa!" He called out, voice echoing painfully as he screeched to a halt within the bounds of the chain-link fence.

'Kitizawa? The delinquent from our class?' Anna blinked rapidly, peeking out from behind Baki's head and looking at the charming gentlemen hanging out in a place like this.

There were about eight punks, some of them half sat on chairs, ready to bolt at any second whilst the main four were gathered around the hood of a beaten up looking corolla, mid-card game and mid smoke. Empty beer and sake bottles lay discarded around them. It was a stunned painting.

"Well, if it ain't our favourite guy, Baki Hanma!" The main event yelled. His name was Kitizawa, a tall kid with his hair slicked back in a sort of messy pompadour like a wannabe greaser, he wore a permanent sneer on his face which altogether seemed to old for his age. He still had his uniform on, and he carried himself with an air of aggression.

"Kitizawa.. This is where you guys hang out now?"

"Sure is, Hanma, since you crashed our last place; we moved here!"

"I'll crash you guys again right now!" Baki yelled, rolling up his sleeves again and beginning to march across the court towards Kitizawa and his frightened goons who decided free booze and gambling on cards weren't worth the trouble - half of the poor bastards split, sprinting away and clambering over the fence into the darkness. After this only three were left, crowding around Kitizawa as if it'd save him.

"Baki!? What do you think you're doing!?" Anna exclaimed, letting go of Baki and dusting herself off angrily.

"Huh? Who the hell is that..?" Kitizawa asked, looking around Baki, his eyebrow raised very viscerally. "Hanma? What the— Is that the smart girl? What is this, a charity run?"

"Kitizawa. It's a pleasure." Anna said, sarcasm lacing her voice whilst brushing her skirt off and stretching her sore arms out. Her bookbag hung off the hook of her finger.

"Anna Takeyama!? The hell're you doin' here? Got tired of pen pushin' for Mr. Duck?"

"I was tutoring Hanma, and he's taking me back home." Anna replied snappily.

"Tutorin'? Alright.." Kitizawa replied, walking slowly across the court from his lads, and towards Anna and Baki, who put up his fists, "calm down there, I'm not dumb enough to try and take you one on one.." Baki hesitantly lowered his fists, Kitizawa now right in front of him and Anna, "seeing as you're busy. But I've been meaning to talk with ya about somethin', Baki."

"What is it, Kitizawa?" Baki asked, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.

"Well," the lanky delinquent began, holding a finger up to Baki's face, "I'd like to propose a fun little get-together.. You against my gang."

"Deal." Baki said, without hesitation.

Anna could hardly believe her ears. She swiveled her head between Baki and Kitizawa, absolutely gobsmacked at the sheer stupidity of these two.

"Seriously? You didn't even think about it first!?" Anna exclaimed, he voice wracked with confusion.

"Why would I need to do that?" Baki asked, turning to Anna.

"Shouldn'ta bought your teacher's pet, Hanma." Jabbed Kitizawa, pointing his thumb towards her. Baki shrugged.

"Whatever. So when and where will this thing be?"

"Right here, at this time, on Saturday. Right at the heart of our turf."

"You got it." Baki replied, gritting his teeth determinedly.

"For the love of— WE HAVE A STUDY SCHEDULE!"

"Forget the schedule, Takeyama. Me and your date have a date.." Kitizawa cut in, grinning slimily, "you shouldn't miss it, Miss T..."

With a snort, Kitizawa stuffed his hands into his pocket and stalked away into the dark, his lanky form colluding with the shadows and fading away.

"Oh, Baki.." Anna complained.

"Hey, I didn't complain when you barged into my house earlier, so can ya get off my back already?"

"Well alright, I just don't think this is a very smart idea.." She looked up at the highway above them, taking in a cool breath of fresh evening air. She noticed the figure stood on the underpass had vanished. Baki didn't seem to notice. That, or he just didn't care.

"Aren't you gonna be late?"

"Oh crap, I am!" She yelped, "let me onto your back!"

"By all means.." Baki replied, swinging Anna back over his back again before racing away from the basketball court and into the darkness. Eventually, they emerged again into the lights, in a quiet part of a quiet town. The long lane bordered by the trees of Yokoka Park on either side, quickly opening out to cosy rows of houses on the right hand side whilst the highway split away and headed southward bound into the darkness. The onset of night was pure, peaceful bliss.

"Baki!" Anna yelled, voice echoing between the houses and parked cars around the area, causing him to screech to a halt.

"What is it now, Anna?"

"We can walk from here. It's not too far away."

"Well, alright."

After letting her down, the two young teenagers began to walk alongside each other, but Anna could still feel her heartbeat racing from the barreling speed at which Baki was able to get her here. She figured it had only taken him about twenty minutes to arrive to her neighbourhood, and that includes the run in with Kitizawa.

She took a right turn into a small, long lane. That familiar lane, small houses with gated yards lined up either side with lights glowing behind curtained windows. At the end of the lane was a small two storey house, where on the driveway was parked a little white, slightly scuffed minivan, with stick-figure style stickers of a family together on the back window whilst air fresheners hung from strings around the rearview mirror. One window on the top floor was illuminated with light and two lights were on on the bottom floor.

"Woah," said Baki, "this is a cool house."

"You like it?" He nodded, "hey, how about you come in and meet the family? The Okamotos-"

"Oh, no thanks, Anna.." Baki replied quickly, "I don't wanna be rude, I just won't fit in with your crowd, that's all."

"Well alright.."

A glow of warm light fell upon Anna and Baki suddenly as the front door to her house was opened by someone.

"Anna?" Yoshinori asked, putting his glasses on as he stepped out onto the concrete. Then he clocked Baki, "you."

"Yoshi.. I'm very sorry that I'm so late."

"Don't be, it's only five minutes to seven." Yoshinori replied darkly, his nightgown drawn around him and his dark bangs flicking in the wind as he walked lightly across the drive towards Anna and Baki, positioning himself between them, "just what exactly are you doing with my younger sister at this time of night?"

"Well I-"

"Save your excuses, Hanma, you're infamous around Hachioji.. I'm pretty sure you're talked about all around here, even in Minami Ward.. " He put his fists up, shakily so, "If you come a step closer or cause any trouble, I'll stop you."

"Oh come on, glasses, it's not that serious." Baki replied to this onslaught, shrugging, giving an awkward half-smile and itching the back of his neck with his right hand.

"Just stop, okay Yoshi? He's my tutee. I've been tasked by Mr. Ahiru and Baki's caretaker to help him pass the algebra test our class has next Wednesday!"

"He's a lost cause Anna," Yoshi snorts, but Anna cut in to speak before he can continue.

"Baki's learnt a lot today. We started with some greater addition and used basic substitution for values tonight. Don't be so mean to him." She snapped.

Yoshinori glared at Baki for a moment, before adjusting his glasses and sighing deeply.

"Alright Anna, I'll trust you.. There'll be hell to pay if you do anything stupid, Hanma."

Baki put his hands up innocently.

"Don't worry."

"I'm just gonna say goodbye," Anna said as Yoshi walked past her to go back inside, "I have some homework to give Baki here."

"Well, dinner's ready.. Don't be too long." And with that, Yoshi disappeared inside.

"Your brother's a bit icy.."

"I'm sorry he said all that to you, Baki. He does mean well.. And I'm sure he'll come around."

"Nah, it's fine. Don't sweat it. I told you I don't belong in your crowd." Baki replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets and gazing up at the few stars sparkling sporadically in the skies above. There was a short moment of silence.

"Baki, I want you to take this.." She said finally, digging in her slightly scuffed bookbag and pulling out her little textbook on algebra, "you need it more than I do, and I'd like you to at least try to read it."

Baki took the book from Anna's hands, flipping through it with initial disinterest, but when his eyes met hers again, his brow set and he slapped the book shut.

"I'll do that, Anna. Promise.. I'll go now. Your food's waiting, isn't it?"

Anna just nodded, her hands clasped behind her back as she idly rolled back and forth between the ball and heel of her feet.

"It was.. nice.. to meet you for real today Baki."

"Uhh.." Baki hesitated, "yeah, you're right.. I'm gonna go now."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, Anna. Catch you later."

He waved, gave a brief grin and then shoved his hand in his pocket and walked away, back down the lane and disappeared back the way they had came from. Anna lingered for a few minutes more, letting out a deep sigh before going back inside.

...

..

.

"I saw you speaking with Baki from the underpass up there."

The street was dark. Streetlights of buzzing amber left pools of asphalt bleaching light on the ground of the narrow lane. Two people stood there. A short man in a sharp suit, wearing chunky and dark sunglasses, his tie fluttering in the wind. Kuriyagawa adjusted his sunglasses on his nose, confronting the lanky teen delinquent who now turned around to look down on him.

"Eh? What d'ya want old man? How's the weather down there?"

"I heard you want to fight Baki this Saturday. I'm interested in your plan." Kuriyagawa replied, ignoring the insult.

"What's it to you, old timer?"

"I believe it'll be beneficial to both of us if Baki's presented a real challenge.. say, a hundred men?"

"How the hell am I gonna get a hundre- What, I don't understand ya." Kitizawa complained, poking Kuriyagawa on the top of the head.

"I believe the sum of eight hundred thousand Yen will soothe over any problems."

"Huh?"

"A million."

Kitizawa was dazed and confused, rubbing his forehead in sheer confusion.

"Alright then, whatever you say. So you want me to get a hundred guys and bring them to my fight with Baki on Saturday?"

"Precisely. Don't let my employer down."

Pretty soon, Kitizawa found himself alone in the alleyway, holding a little business card between his thumbs and a fast track to a million Yen.

'HITOSHI KURIYAGAWA, AKEZAWA GROUP; Chief Secretary'

The business card said. On the opposite side, there was a phone number.

The gentle wind whistled between the buildings as clouds streaked across the tranquil starry night.

Soon, the way of life shared by the residents of Hachioji Ward will be disturbed and relinquished. How will the tragic story of Baki the Grappler continue?

To Be Continued.