1989

Akira Nishikiyama, Kazuma Kiryu sworn brother. Nishiki grew up as an orphan in the sunflower orphanage alongside Kiryu and Yumi Sawamura before eventually becoming a Yakuza at the tender age of 15, despite the fierce protests and even a brutal beating from their foster father - Shintaro Kazama, a well known figure in the world of Yakuza as the Captain of the Dojima Family. As Opposed to Kiryu who harbored noble intentions of helping Kazama and upholding his legacy, Nishiki's motivations were far more personal and profound - an unshakable sense of gratitude towards the Dojima Family for footing the exorbitant medical bills when his dear sister - Yuko Nishikiyama whom fell gravely ill, her life hanging by a thread, her tiny heart struggling to beat on its own.

Nishiki's slumped against the leather of Serena's booth, fingers tightening around the short glass as the amber liquid sloshed gently, He took a long swig, relishing the burning sensation as it slid down his throat, a fleeting distraction from the weight of his thoughts. He sets the empty glass down with a sharp cling before signaling Reina for another refill. His mind is in a whirlwind of memories what happened just weeks earlier... what a wild ride it had been, he thought bitterly. From belting out "Judgement -Shinpan-" with Kiryu in this very bar to the clusterfuck that erupted all the way from Tokyo to Osaka, with the two biggest Yakuza factions, the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, getting their knickers in a twist. Kiryu being framed for a murder he didn't even commit followed by the Dojima Family wanting Kiryu's death amongst many other things that Nishiki could barely comprehend. All of this because of the Dojima Family wanting a small strip of lands squashed in the middle of Kamurocho owned by a young woman who wasn't even aware she owned it.

He leans back, the leather creaking under his shifting weight as His mind drifts to everything that happened through this bloodshed. the images of the carnage, the screams, the coppery stench of spilled blood, The cries of someone who shouldn't even be involved in all of this. He thinks of the moment he almost squeezed the trigger on Kiryu's skull himself, just to give him a "quick death" before the Dojima dogs could get their claws into him. But he couldn't. Wouldn't. Not his fucking brother.

But That crazy bastard - Kiryu, walked straight into the jaws of hell as a disposable grunt and came out the other side as a Legend. Took on the entire Dojima Family and take down a Dojima lieutenant multiple times - Daisaku Kuze, that mad fucker just doesn't know when to give up. and he even gave the freshly promoted Captain of the Dojima Family after Kazama got Imprisoned a year prior to this incident occuring - Keiji Shibusawa, the beating of a lifetime. Shibusawa was lucky Nishiki intervene before Kiryu have a chance to kill that bastard. Yet, even after having quite a history with the Dojima Family. Kiryu managed to rejoined the Dojima Family.

Once Reina finishes refilling Nishiki glass, he took another swig of the amber liquid, relishing the burn as it courses down his throat. The incident still fresh in his mind no matter how much he drinks in attempt to drift this pain away.