The bat came down—
Ren closed his eyes, bracing for the impact. For the pain. For darkness but it never came.
Instead, there was a hollow thunk. The sound of flesh on wood.
Ren's eyes snapped open and a man stood over him. Tall. Bald. Broad-shouldered.
A pristine white jacket hung from his frame, cherry blossom embroidery blooming across the back.
The baseball bat had smashed into the side of the man's head. Blood trickled from his temple, staining the white fabric yet he was smiling.
"Hey. " The man said casually, blood dripping down his cheek, "you helped a ton by being here."
Ren stared up at him, disbelieving. "A white jacket.."
He looked down at his own torn, blood-soaked clothes. Then back up again to the spotless white, to the unmistakable cherry blossom emblem.
"Sakuratei. "
Behind the man, at the edge of the alley, Aoi's eyes widened. Relief flooded her face. "Matsuno…"
