Max wasn’t afraid to admit that he had no idea what was even going on anymore. After literally being punted away by that monster he and Snek woke up to find most of the other fighters either dead or in various states of unconsciousness. Even more harrowing was the fact that they could see that a third of them were monsters which brought back the words of the first monster to fore.

“Alright, you will all become monsters.”

There wasn’t any time to take it in however as Suiryu was being brutalized by the aforementioned monster. After the two heroes hurriedly change into their preferred uniforms they arrived just in time to save Suiryu from being killed. Together the three of them defeated the three crow lackeys. Max knew they didn’t stand a chance against a monster that could so easily toy around with Suiryu as the man himself easily defeated both of them but it didn’t matter.

They were heroes and despite his strength Suiryu was just a civilian. Max could see it in his eyes, he wasn’t prepared to face this monster. It was ironic in a way, Suiryu mocked them for being heroes and ‘weak’ yet when faced with the kind of situation they have to deal with on an almost regular basis he folded just like any other normal person would. Even more unbelievable was that Max was about to sacrifice his life to save an utter bastard like him.

But it’s alright because that’s what heroes do.

Max’s only regret was that Suiryu would be the only survivor as neither he nor Snek had the power to save the other unconscious fighters. Still Max was prepared to give this monster one hell of a fight even though in all likelihood he would be easily overpowered and killed he would face his death fighting to the bitter end.

That’s what he was prepared for but instead they were all interrupted by the appearance of Tomoro Sazaki. Max would admit to himself that he felt a rush of relief at the man’s sudden appearance. Max and Snek actually talked at length about the man after his disappearance when the ring was being replaced as part of the ending ceremony.

Hidden Grandmaster, that was what Snek referred to him as. In the world of martial arts there are those who have reached a level of mastery in their martial arts to the point where they rival the power of the strongest of S-Class heroes. These individuals seldom appear in public and in fact purposefully seclude themselves from the world as part of their training. Grandmasters like Silver Fang and Atomic Samurai are actually the exceptions to this rule as they are both public figures.

This was all news to Max who in all honestly was actually new to the world Martial Arts. Oh he trained in karate during his teen years and developed a unique style but the finer techniques were lost as he began to rely more on his ‘lightning shoes.’ It was only after his brush with the Deep Sea King that Max took a long look at himself and decided to go back to his old dojo and immerse himself in the Hyper Karate style.

It was actually through his master that he got to compete in the Super Fight tournament as they sent him a ticket every year since he was a past contestant.

But back to Tomoro Sazaki, the man was strong and if Snek (and his gut) was to be believed then he was at least on par with Suiryu. They couldn’t have been in a better situation than if Tatsumaki or Blast appeared. They now had a chance to save everyone! So safe to say that Max expected a few things to go down after Tomoro’s appearance but what actually happened next completely shattered his expectations.

Just moments after Tomoro showed up another monster appeared behind him and crushed him under its fist. Max had developed a pretty good sense for someone was out of his league, he felt it with the Deep Sea King, Suiryu and Gouketsu. That same feeling he now got from this new one who turns out not only was a Dragon level threat but also the once thought deceased Bakuzan who had somehow turned into a monster.

Still don’t know how that happened.

But it turns out that Tomoro was alive and what happened next was by far one of the most horrific things he’s ever seen in his entire career as a hero. Tomoro threw Bakuzan and somehow did it in a way that twisted his body like a pretzel. After that Gouketsu started laughing about something, called Tomoro ‘Shiva’ and then moved. The next thing Max knew he, Snek and everyone else were no longer in the stadium and after experiencing so many confusing things happening all at once in the tensest of situations one can forgive him for freaking out a bit.

“WHAT WAS THAT!? WHERE ARE WE!? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?”

He screamed these questions hysterically at the man who had the gall to take the time to slowly adjust his glasses before responding.

“To answer your questions in order: Gouketsu just destroyed the stadium, I moved us several miles away before we could get caught up in the explosion and I am Tomoro Sazaki, we haven’t been formally introduced” at the end he extended his hand.

Max looked from his hand to the man whose eyes were obscured by the glasses’ glare and back again before numbly reaching out to shake it.

“You saved all of us.”

The voice belonged to Snek and Max turned to find that the older hero was knelt down beside the other unconscious fighters who were all lined up on the pavement.

“Don’t thank me yet, we’re not out of the woods” he frowned before raising his hand, a purple orb of light formed and he flicked it out where it expanded to cover all of them.

“What is this?” Max demanded getting into a loose stance.

“Medicine Ball” Tomoro answered.

A moment later Max felt the injuries and fatigue fading away until he was not only free of them but now full of energy. In just a minute it felt as fresh as before he even started the tournament. Looking back he could also see the injuries fading from the others with his fellow hero clenching and unclenching his hands in wonder.

“How do you feel?”

The Hero met the man’s gaze “better.”

“Good.”

“What did you do?”

“Just a bit of healing so you can skip a visit to the hospital.”

“H-healing…?”

“Think of it as payment for ‘services’ rendered” the man waved off.

The other fighters began to stir before eventually coming to with groans of confusion and gasps of fright. The medicine ball disappeared once all of them were conscious.

“You!”

That was Zakos who was pointing dramatically at Tomoro.

“Me” The purple haired man answered.

“You’re here but…” he trailed off seeming to realize he looked around his new surroundings which seemed to be an abandoned underground parking garage “where are we? What happened with Gouketsu and Suiryu?”

“In order, we’re in a parking garage a few miles from the Super Stadium. I brought you here because Gouketsu destroyed the stadium and I didn’t want you to get caught up in our battle.”

It sounded unbelievable to all those present, yet given that they were here and what some of them could perceive even in their half conscious states back then it seemed to line up. Plus none of them felt like actually challenging the man’s claims after witnessing what he did, both in the tournament and to the monsterized Bakuzan just moments ago.

All Zakos could do was give a subdued “o-oh” at his answer.

“As for Gouketsu I imagine he would be looking for us” he added “and Suiryu is over there” he pointed to the side and lo and behold there was Suiryu standing shirtless and physically uninjured. His impressive physique was on display and his long waist length hair was untamed in its natural splendor yet there seemed to be something troubling the young man.

‘I didn’t even notice him’ Max thought,

His presence along with his mood was just that low at the moment.

Before anyone could comment on that Tomoro clapped his hands receiving the undivided attention of everyone present “I’m glad you’re all awake and able to move because this place isn’t going to be safe for much longer.”

“What do you mean?” Max questioned.

“Right now Gouketsu is waiting for me to return and I don’t think exhausting his patience is a wise decision.”

Tomoro let that sink in for a moment before continuing.

“I should go before he gets it in his head that I ran away and does something stupid to provoke me. But before that” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys “who here knows how to drive stick?”

Gatlin raised his hand and the key was promptly tossed to him. With a press of the attached alarm button there a *chirp* revealing that the keys belonged to an APC inconspicuously parked to the side.

“It belongs to the Hero Association so make sure you return it once you get to the shelter. If you don’t know where that is then just check the GPS.”

Gatlin could only nod “o-okay.”

“Well get going, I doubt any of you want to be near what is about to go down.”

The others agreeing wholeheartedly began to file away and Tomoro also went to leave however he paused after several steps when he felt himself being followed.

“Is there a reason why you’re not going with them?” he looked over his shoulder “don’t tell me you think I’ll have a better chance with your help” turning around fully he added “I don’t mean to sound condescending but your presence would be more of a hindrance.”

Max did not at all disagree and his pride felt no worse for it. In fact he would have left Tomoro to it but it was Snek’s reaction that had him curious enough to stick around.

The snake themed hero swallowed and spoke “back there, that monster called you ‘Shiva.’”

“So you know about that.”

Max was a bit confused “Shiva?”

Who or what is that?

“Shiva, the Destroyer”

All three of them turned to the fourth man whom they didn’t even noticed until then.

“I’ve never heard of him” Max admitted

“I doubt anyone who isn’t part of the martial arts underground knows about him” Snek commented.

“Which is good because stories like that should be forgotten” Tomoro spoke with a frown.

“So it’s true, you are him.”

“Does it matter?” Tomoro asked before walking away.

“Wait!” Suiryu shouted going after him.

Snek turned away and walked towards the armored vehicle that was currently being fiddled with by Gatlin who looked to have no idea how to operate a military convoy.

“What was that all about?” Max asked “who is Shiva?”

Snek sighed “it happened years ago when I was just starting out myself. There was a single person caused an upset in the world of martial arts the likes of which hasn’t been seen since. There are so many stories surrounding it that the details are sketchy but there was always a single person at the epicenter of it all and that person was called ‘Shiva.’ He became a legend, the boogeyman of the martial arts world that even Grandmasters feared.”

“That…” Max didn’t know what to say to that.

‘I’ll have to ask Master about him.’ Max thought before the roar of the APC engine came to life.

It was time to go.

~O~

“Wait!”

“Is there something I can help with Suiryu?”

The two were outside the garage now.

“You can’t go out there.”

“And why is that?”

“He’s too strong you’d just be throwing your life away!”

“I didn’t think you cared that much.”

Suiryu scowled “I’m being serious! That monster is…” he trailed off as memories of his encounter caused him to shiver in fear.

“He really did a number on you huh?”

Suiryu’s gaze snapped to him “what?”

“I’m not just talking physically but up here” he tapped his temple “you’re afraid.”

Suiryu gritted his teeth of course he was afraid not that he would say it out loud.

“That doesn’t matter!”

“On the contrary” Tomoro interrupted “it does matter. Want to know why?”

The younger man bit his lip frustrated but curious nonetheless “…why?”

“Because now you have perspective, remember this the next time you think about looking down on heroes.”

Suiryu stiffened, even if Tomoro’s tone was not accusatory he felt it anyway. Suiryu has been undermining and underestimating the two heroes from the very start. He was always of the mind that being a hero was just a job that people inflate with ambitions, ideals, a sense of morality and justice.

‘Now that I think about it’ his memories of Max and Snek facing down Gouketsu came to the fore ‘those two must have faced odds like that before and yet…’

“We’ll hold him back, even for a little bit, so use that chance and run away.”

‘And yet they were still able to face down that monster.’

His thoughts were interrupted by Tomoro

“If you think my life is still in danger then you’re welcome to come along.”

Suiryu recoiled “w-what?”

Tomoro shrugged “why not. If you’re so concerned with my safety then you might as well come with me in case I actually need help.”

“A-are you being serious?”

“Make your decision because I’m going either way.”

‘Decision?’ Suiryu thought incredulously ‘there is no decision!’

“I mean unless you don’t think you wouldn’t be of any help.”

Suiryu froze for a moment, he knew this to be a fact and yet admitting it felt…wrong. It was less what was left of his pride making a last gasp and more of a morbid sort of curiosity. As if the more time he spent in Tomoro’s presence the less sure he seemed of his earlier thoughts. Those thoughts being that Tomoro would lose against Gouketsu which in hindsight might have been just a knee jerk reaction.

Suiryu fought both of them and obviously Gouketsu’s brutal assault made more of an impression than Tomoro’s comparatively more defensive approach but the truth of the matter was that neither of them took Suiryu serious even as a fighter. With that thought Suiryu came to the startling realization that he really wasn’t sure about Tomoro’s chances.

“Suiryu?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t have all day. Are you coming or what?”

“No I…I will follow you.”

‘What am I doing?’

“I didn’t think you’d actually agree” he chuckled and turned around “alright then, try to keep up.”

And with that Tomoro took off at breakneck speed with Suiryu following close behind.

~O~

Gouketsu stood at the epicenter of destruction that was once the Super Fight Stadium, he hadn’t moved since his initial attack which he has now come to regret for a myriad of reasons. Not only was the display unbecoming of him but it ultimately served no purpose other than to present adequate cover for Shiva to make his escape with the other humans.

‘That other guy is dead too’ he thought looking to what remained of the corpse of that one guy whose name he never got.

Gouketsu didn’t care at all for him, even if he was a disaster level Dragon like himself (as he’d suspected) his pitiful display lost him all viability as a potential Cadre. More importantly he lost whatever respect he’d gain from Gouketsu by surviving his foolish intake of so many monster cells.

“No, the important thing now is finding him.”

No matter how Gouketsu tried, he couldn’t sense him and he didn’t even know where to start looking for him.

Did he even need to?

‘He would never pass up such a blatant challenge’

There was no question in the thought but despite being assured by this Gouketsu patience was at its lowest.

“Gouketsu”

Sensing a familiar approach Gouketsu shifted his gaze to behold winged eyeball with several tentacles for ‘feet.’ This was a creation of the Monster Association’s strategist Gyoro Gyoro, basically a psychic controlled spy drone the monster uses to monitor and communicate with.

The floating eyeball looking about before Gyoro Gyoro’s projected voice came out “what happened here Gouketsu?”

‘No use keeping it from them’

Knowing full well that the Monster King was no doubt also listening in he answered “the recruitment of the martial artists failed.”

He didn’t bother to elaborate further on that. No need to espouse on his failure unless they gave him a reason.

“Hmm, that’s a shame” the voice ‘lamented’ though it hardly showed any emotion “in any case it’s time to go.”

“No” was his simple answer.

“What?” the first hint of emotion since the conversation started.

“I still have some business to attend to.”

“Business” his voice radiated curiosity but shook it off in the next moment “whatever business you have, you can resolve it later. If you linger here any longer then the S-Class heroes will swarm the place. Even you will have a hard time with them. Besides, we’ll be having a strategy meeting and we can’t have one of our Cadre absent now can we?”

“Don’t underestimate me Gyoro Gyoro” he snapped lightly but conceded a point “but you’re right, there’s no longer a need for me to be here.”

His gaze shifted to the city ‘since he saved those humans he must care a great deal for them. If he won’t show himself then I can draw him out by attacking the emergency shelter.’

That was his thought process unbeknownst to Gyoro Gyoro whose drone flew away. Gouketsu watched it leave before taking long strides towards the location of the shelter.”

He only made it out the rubble that was the Super Stadium before a voice spoke out.

“Don’t tell me after causing such a ruckus you believe you can just up and leave.”

Four vertical eyes turned to the source of the voice and standing atop a half collapsed building looking down at him was the object of his thoughts.

“So you hadn’t run away after all.”

The man raised an eyebrow, his sharp violet eyes piercing through the glare of his glasses “why would I ever run from the likes of you?”

“You brought the Void Fist whelp along. Do you intend to fight me with him as your backup?” Gouketsu scoffed.

Gouketsu saw the whelp flinch and felt his amusement well up.

“Suiryu is merely a spectator” Shiva interjected “he seems to be under the impression that you’re a threat to me and I aim to rectify this.”

Gouketsu’s fist clenched “your arrogance will be your undoing, Shiva.”

“It’s funny you don’t see the irony of that statement” with hands in his pockets he stepped off the building and landed lightly on the ground before taking measured steps forward “before we begin, answer a question for me.”

“…”

Taking his silence as confirmation the man continued “you’ve obviously encountered me before, mind telling me who you are and where we met.”

“You don’t remember” Gouketsu’s voice rumbled.

“I usually have a pretty good memory but for the life of me I can’t put one on you. I think I would remember meeting a monster like you. And though you said you were monsterized the name Gouketsu doesn’t ring a bell.”

Rarely has Gouketsu ever felt such indignance, at least since he became a monster.

“…it has been a long time and much about me has changed since then” Gouketsu admitted after a moment of reflection “very well, surely you remember Ryuken of the Demon Fist.”

~O~

??? Years Ago…

Ryuken was an infamous martial arts Grandmaster who made a lot of enemies in his time. So much so that even after his retirement and seclusion he would often be sought out. The reasons for why they seek him out vary from person to person as some want to test their skills, others want the fame of defeating someone of his notoriety, then there are those who seek revenge against him or the most mundane of all, wanting to cash in the bounty he had accumulated.

No matter who it was Ryuken would accept all challengers and any who challenge him will be subjected to a death match. As his only disciple Gouketsu was made to bear witness to these battles to the death with the explicit order to learn from them. The only thing that Gouketsu has learned is that his master was a monster without equal.

At least that was his thought until today.

Earlier Ryuken was challenged again but this one was unlike any who came before him. Whereas the others were fellow martial artists, assassins and even the odd monster, this man was average by comparison. That is not to say that he was actually average, no this man was something else. Even his master thought as much as he held far less back at the beginning than he would normally. There was no toying with this man and they got straight to business after the initial probing.

It was not the longest duel Gouketsu had witnessed but it was by far hardest fought. It was also the first time he saw his sensei pushed to the limit resulting in a duel that was almost fantastical in the way it played out. The dojo and surrounding area were destroyed as a result and now at its climax Gouketsu bore witness to his sensei’s battered form kneeled before his triumphant opponent.

‘This…this can’t be happening…’

“It is my victory Ryuken the Oni” the man spoke using the old Grandmaster’s epitaph.

The older man coughed up some blood “so it seems. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on and finish it!”

Gouketsu felt his hand clenched and teeth grit at the proclamation.

“No”

‘What?’ the disciple thought.

“What?” his master uttered the same sentiment.

“I never said that I’d kill you.”

His master scowled at the man “this is a death match for a reason! Now kill me and claim your victory.”

The man scoffed “and what exactly would killing you do for me? I already got what I came for anyway.”

At that the man turned away from him and began to walk away but Ryuken was not having any of it.

“Who do you think you are!?” Ryuken growled.

“Hm?” the man looked over his shoulder to find Ryuken staggering to his feet.

“Do you think I’ll let you leave like that? No one may leave this place alive unless it’s over my dead body!”

“You’re not exactly in a position to enforce that rule now are you?”

“Disciple!”

Gouketsu stood at attention “yes, Sensei!”

“So long as I draw breath this man is not to leave here alive.”

“Understood” Gouketsu got into a stance.

“You’re really making a mountain out of this old man.”

Ryuken only cackled in response “kakakaka, only one of us will be leaving this place alive! I will not have my defeat be at the hands of a brat too weak to finish the job!” he leapt at the man poised to strike “I will kill you with my own hands!”

*Crack!*

 Gouketsu didn’t catch what happened however he saw the result.

“G-gha!” was the old man’s reaction as he stared at his unresponsive hands caused by his shattered wrists.

“You think I was sparing you because I don’t have the will to kill you? Wrong! I just didn’t want to deprive a young man of his father. You sure you want me to kill you in front of your own son?”

In response Ryuken howled and lunged at his neck “I’ll rip your throat out!”

The man closed his eyes “so be it.”

In fell swoop he brought his elbow down on the old man’s head and Gouketsu watched as it practically exploded in a shower or blood, brain and skull fragments.

*Thud*

“Old fool.”

Gouketsu couldn’t believe what he just witnessed. His eyes saw however his heart could not accept it and so with a howl of grief he smashed his fist into the dojo’s tatami mats creating a shockwave that blew the ground apart.

It was through tear-streaked eyes that he glared at the man and spoke in a deceptively soft tone “you killed my father.”

“…yes” the man eventually admitted passively.

“I’LL KILL YOU!!” he lunged at the man with the intention to make good on his promise.

In the next moment Gouketsu was blasted through the dojo, into the surrounding forest where he smashed through several trees until he slammed into a large boulder.

“Gack!” along with the wind being knocked out of him he also spat up blood.

His body slid down to land sitting on the grass while leaning back on the boulder where he remained upright.

‘I…can’t move’ he realized ‘it was a single attack.’

In just a single attack he was defeated which logically made sense however experiencing such crushing defeat was still a novelty and he sat there in the stew of pain and defeat until a shadow loomed over him. Now that he had the grief and anger beaten out of him another emotion welled up in the young martial artist at the sight of the man, fear.

The man looked down on him both figuratively and literally as he spoke with folded arms “that was a foolish thing to do” despite the fear Gouketsu still glared in defiance at the man “but I will forgive it since you are grieving. I would advise you not to do so again if you value your life.”

“I will kill you.”

The man actually smiled at his words “yes well, that day certainly isn’t today and as for you” he gave him a once over and snorted “you don’t deserve to be killed by my hand.”

And that was the last Gouketsu ever saw of him.

After that he buried his father, burned down his home and began his journey across the world. Along the way he would hear stories, rumors of a purple haired man going around challenging all the Grandmasters and defeating them, even killing them in some cases. With each passing year news of defeated or killed true martial arts masters would increase and with it his notoriety.

Eventually the world of martial arts would come to both fear and respect this man.

His name would be spoken in whispers of awe.

Many would try to seek him to eliminate him, emulate him or even to learn from him

He was more than just a mere master, he ascended past even a Grandmaster into the annals of Legend.

They called him a Demon, a God, the Destroyer but only because his true name has become taboo within the world of martial arts.

But Gouketsu knew because to him that man is and always will be….

Shiva.

~O~

Present…

“You’re Ryuken’s boy” Tomoro realized.

His inward reaction was a bit different however ‘I didn’t see this coming, though in hindsight I should have expected something like this sooner or later.’

It wasn’t as if he was naïve enough to believe that his past misadventures wouldn’t come back to haunt him in some way. Seeing as how things have been going more or less according to what he vaguely remembers from the series he was more worried about not being able to change anything without direct interference and that events would be inevitable regardless.

‘It’s actually kind of reassuring that things change. Or not really I suppose. In the end Gouketsu still fought Orochi, lost and became a monster.’

“I was and I’ve spent a very long time trying to find you” Gouketsu rumbled “but to no avail, you seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth one day. Many thought you died but I knew someone like you couldn’t just die in obscurity.”

‘He’s not wrong.’

“So I suppose you want to kill me to avenge your father?”

“Hmph, of course not” Gouketsu scoffed and his eyes seemed to glow with malice and power “the Gouketsu you knew is no more and I care not for that human’s feelings or aspiration. Your presence here is unexpected but regardless you are no doubt aware of what is happening right now and despite saving those humans you are not a hero so I will ask you just this once. Will you undergo monsterization and join the Monster Association or will you stand against us?”

In response Tomoro chuckled “hehehehe, you must be joking. The idea that someone like you can make demands of me is so very laughable to me.

“So you decline.”

Tomoro closed his eyes and shook his head “yes” when he opened them it was to find a massive fist inches from his face.

“Then DIE!”

*BOOM*

A massive explosion erupted and created a dust cloud from which a body was flung out of it. Gouketsu managed to catch himself with a flip and land with one hand stuck to the ground as he slid to bleed off momentum.

“All the potential in the world and you’ve completely wasted it” Tomoro spoke up from the dust cloud “and I’m not talking about the fact that you’ve become a monster Gouketsu but the fact that you’ve discarded your ideals and ambition to relegate yourself to being someone else’s lapdog.”

“Grr” Gouketsu released a growl of barely suppressed anger in response.

“Oh is the dog getting angry?”

*Whoosh*

*CRASH*

In the next instance something impacted Gouketsu’s head, toppling him backwards and slamming him headfirst into the ground creating another crater.

“Then get angry!” Tomoro shouted from on top of the monster, his hand latched onto Gouketsu’s forehead “I hope this power of yours was worth it Gouketsu because so far it hasn’t worked out well for any of the others.”

“Raargh!”

A giant fist met empty air but the monster wasn’t finished and in an incredible feat of speed and flexibility rolled onto his back to perform a quick handspring tornado kick before flipping onto his feet several meters back. Not even a second after he got back to his feet Gouketsu was slammed face first into the ground again. The force of the blow actually sunk most of his upper body into the ground.

Above him Tomoro fixed his glasses looking down at the monsterized martial artists with a dispassionate gaze “heel, mutt.”

Gouketsu’s elbow suddenly shot out towards him however it only managed to hit an afterimage. Still it gave the monster enough of a reprieve to leap out of the ground and into the air. While still in mid air Gouketsu’s four eyes widened before lashing his leg out in a reverse roundhouse that passed through another afterimage. Tomoro was already behind him, grabbing the back of collar and twisting mid air to do a textbook over the shoulder throw.

Gouketsu rocketed to the ground with the speed and force of a missile but managed to save himself some damage by flipping midair to land in a crouch. The force of impact however caused a crater to form with the monster’s body at the epicenter. Tomoro appeared at the elevated edge of the crater with arms crossed and looking down at the monster.

“Are we done playing games?”

“…”

Gouketsu said nothing as he stood at his full height and went into close fisted stance he recognized as part of Demon Fist martial arts style.

“Apparently not” Tomoro sighed before his body seemed to slide to the side in fading afterimages until he seemingly disappeared into thin air.

Gouketsu remained stationary however all four of his eyes rapidly moved independently as they searched for his opponent who for all intents has disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile Tomoro appeared behind him and lashed out with an arm intent on throwing him to the ground yet again!

“Heh.”

Tomoro’s hand passed through Gouketsu’s afterimage causing his eyes to narrow before shifting to the side just as a fist past through him. Tomoro appeared on the other side however Gouketsu was nowhere to be found.

“You” he muttered as a shadow loomed over him and he turned just in time for Gouketsu’s heel to drop in a destructive axe kick. Tomoro avoided it by leaping towards his face and delivering a mid air tornado kick.

“Something like this?” as he said this Gouketsu vanished in a similar manner to Tomoro before him whose kick ended up hitting an afterimage.

Landing on the ground Tomoro looked about but could not find his opponent “well color me impressed. Were you already aware of that technique or did you happen to figure it out just now?” when he did not receive an answer he shrugged “regardless I commend you on the accomplishment, perhaps I will be able to get some enjoyment out of this fight after all. Now, I wonder what would happen if we both used this technique at the same time, hmm?”

And with that Tomoro faded away from view leaving the destroyed battlefield seemingly devoid of anyone.

~O~

‘What the hell is even happening right now?’

Today has been a roller coaster of a day for Suiryu. Today alone he’s been thoroughly outclassed in martial arts not once but twice. Tomoro had outclassed him mentally and Gouketsu had done so physically but both had a profound impact on the young man. Yet despite these events it was only now, at this very moment that Suiryu truly realized just how lacking he was.

With every punch, kick and even throw delivered the earth rumbled as more and more sections of the already demolished stadium grounds were further blasted apart. Despite the constant destruction and danger of being caught in the crossfire not to mention the ever present fear still in his heart, Suiryu could not bring himself to flee. In fact he has to constantly fight against his instincts in order to follow along the battle that has become very mobile at this stage.

The reason for this was twofold with the first being that he promised Tomoro that he would stick around to provide assistance should he need it though it is quickly clear to see that Suiryu’s presence in this regard has become moot. This brings the second and most prevalent reason for his continued and downright stubborn persistence in witnessing this battle, pure awe.

Before he encountered monsters like Tomoro and Gouketsu Suiryu had a very high opinion of his skills. He always believed that despite everything he was one of the best martial artists in the world. Not only was he wrong (so very wrong) but now he was witnessing two masters who were so far beyond him in terms of strength and skill having a battle that he could barely keep up with.

It took all of Suiryu’s concentration and wit just to keep up with the battle as they were moving so fast but what he managed to catch was awe inspiring. Tomoro he expected to display such skill however it can’t be denied that Gouketsu’s skill in martial arts was not at all diminished with his monsterization. Case in point while they were fighting a battle that was almost completely invisible to Suiryu’s senses it went above just pure speed.

‘They’re using movement techniques’ Suiryu thought in amazement ‘I’ve never seen one used in such a way.’

Movement techniques are something of a rare thing in modern martial arts. The only reason why Suiryu was aware of them was because the Void Fist had a movement technique of its own called the void step. It was amongst the highest tier of techniques in the Void Fist martial art and one that Suiryu himself had not mastered. His grandfather passed away before he could be taught and Suiryu didn’t bother with learning it after reading the description in the scrolls left behind.

A technique that increases ones speed? Why would he bother learning something like that when he could already move faster than the human eye?

The thought made Suiryu’s stomach turned ‘how much of grandfather’s teachings did I discard in pursuit of my ‘carefree life’?’

Too many.

*BOOM*

‘This isn’t the time to be stuck in my head!’ he thought before leaping further away.

That latest explosion of force was closer than the last, too close for his comfort and he was actually quite a distance away from them the last he checked, which was only a moment ago.

‘To think the battle has progressed so far in an instant’ he shook his head ‘I need to see what’s going on here.’

Suiryu actually retreated as far as he could and took up an elevated position on a building just outside the warzone.

“Good, I can see the whole environment from here.”

The first step of plan completed he raised his hands like a frame and proceeded to pour all concentration into his perception. His strained with the effort but he found success as constant explosions going off by a seemingly invisible force gave way to two martial arts grandmasters dueling each other at the highest level.

They still moved incredibly quick and more often than not he would be looking at afterimages but ‘at least I can see them now.’

He could see that for all their quick movements that hits weren’t being landed and so the explosions all came from the shockwave produced by air force.

Tomoro’s high kick was ducked by Gouketsu who retaliated with a side kick that was also dodged when Tomoro used it as a springboard to launch himself forward with a punch that ended with him passing through Gouketsu’s afterimage. Tomoro landed on the ground with a flip and looked over his shoulder just as Gouketsu reappeared.

The monster’s arms then blurred as dozens of fists seemed to converge on his human opponent. Like a tsunami it threatened to wash Tomoro away in a tidal wave of pain and violence. In response Tomoro stood his ground and maneuvered his hands in a wide circular motion. Suiryu was surprised that the man chose to meet the attack head on instead of dodging as he’d been doing this entire time but understood why a moment later when Gouketsu’s attack landed.

Dozens of craters suddenly just appeared but most alarmingly a few of them skirted around his position blowing off chunks of the ground and putting holes in the nearby buildings. Suiryu almost screamed out in shock but luckily none of attacks came close and as he kept his focus he could see why. Tomoro, in a move similar to what he did with Bakuzan, deflected all of Gouketsu’s attacks.

Despite the almost deliberate slowness of the speed his action had the odd effect of producing fading afterimages of his hands. He was the proverbial rock in the stream and as his arms completed their arch becoming vertically perpendicular his right closed into a fist before thrusting forward in a textbook (karate) punch. Suiryu managed to catch a glimpse of shock in Gouketsu’s eyes before he dropped his barrage of fists entirely to put up a hasty cross block.

Gouketsu was sent rocketing away from the force and slamming into a half demolished building. The entire bottom of the structure exploded before the top collapsed on the monster burying him in debris.

Tomoro exhaled as he lowered his arm and straitened his posture “it seems I have underestimated you Gouketsu.”

Suiryu couldn’t believe what he was hearing ‘how could anyone underestimate someone like that!?’

A moment later Gouketsu picked himself up from the debris looking roughed up but otherwise unbothered much like Tomoro himself.

“Hmph, I can say the same for you Shiva. Your reputation precedes you. It’s a shame you chose to fight for the humans.”

“As opposed to joining you?” he mocked “let’s say for one moment that I consider your offer. What could you possibly offer me that I have not already gained or could easily gain as I am now? Because let me tell you I’ve defeated the most powerful Grandmasters in the world, reached the apex of martial arts and became a legendary figure who ruled the martial arts world once upon a time. It was so boring that I voluntarily left it to live in normal society which actually presented me with more challenges and better rewards. So you tell me Gouketsu, what merit would there possibly be for me in joining your little ‘monster club’ hm?

“…”

“I thought so” he shook his head in amusement “and don’t think I haven’t seen through you either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You were sent here to recruit martial artists and yet here stands the strongest of them all and yet you’ve only managed to drum up a token effort. Admit it you want this fight and letting me join the Monster Association never even crossed your mind.”

Gouketsu was silent for a moment before a single sound escaped his lips and he began chuckling.

At the end his face split into a savage grin “you are right. Recruitment? Joining the Monster Association? Why would I ever allow such a thing?”

“Careful, it sounds like you’re going against the will of your master there.”

Gouketsu scoffed “as if you were even interested in joining us.”

“Miracles do happen on occasion” Tomoro shrugged “take for instance despite you being here the only ones who have died are monsters” the smile was wiped off of Gouketsu’s face “you ignored all the civilians giving them ample time to escape, the martial artists who accepted your invitation and became monsters are dead while all the ones who rejected you are alive and well. Now isn’t that something worthy of a miracle in itself?”

“True” he agreed “I will rectify this after I kill you.”

“Kill me? To achieve such a lofty goal you’ll have to try much harder than what you’ve been displaying so far.”

“You are right” Gouketsu rumbled settling into a loose stance before slowly exhaling “come and meet your end Shiva.”

Tomoro had also settled into a stance, raising both his fists up and then his left leg as if he were about to take a step forward. The moment his foot touched the ground he blitzed forward, bypassing Gouketsu’s defenses to slam a single fist into his unprotected chest. The impact was so profound the entire area shook but despite this Gouketsu remained rooted on the spot. The only sign of movement was that his form hunched forward. Even Tomoro looked perplexed for a moment before Gouketsu flexed his chest forward deflecting the man away.

As the man landed he shook his hand “you tightened your muscles at the last moment to absorb the impact.”

“Hmph” was Gouketsu’s reply before he rushed forward with a raised fist.

To Suiryu it was as if the fist launched by Gouketsu was larger than Tomoro’s entire body. Yet the man brushed aside the attack and in one smooth motion directed his other hand in a palm strike. Said strike ended up going through the monster martial artist much to Tomoro’s chagrin. The man turned his head and in that moment Suiryu was sure that his expression mirrored the man’s own behind those glasses.

Why?

Because there were now four Gouketsu!

‘How!?’ Suiryu thought in awe and alarm.

The image of four of that monster surrounding Tomoro would last for only an instant where he heard the suddenly outnumbered martial artist utter a single word.

“Oh.”

Then the four monsters charged him and an explosion occurred. In the following cacophony of noise he heard Gouketsu’s voice roar.

“DEMONIC PRISON MURDER!”

As the last syllable echoed across the area Suiryu’s view was suddenly assault by visions of violence. It started out small at first with a single punch before quickly escalating into of a absolute maelstrom of attacks. It looked like the inverse of his Void Dragon Sky Fist where instead of using the rotation of his body to generate additional force in multiple varied attacks Gouketsu instead attacked from multiple angles with such speed that it generates gale force winds.

In essence the monster trapped Tomoro in a literal tornado of attacks. As moments pass each hit becomes more devastating than the last fueled by his steadily increasing ferocity. Eventually the escalation reached a boiling point ending with yet another explosion, this one larger and more devastating than all the others. Even from his distance Suiryu had to relocate lest he get caught up in the blast radius.

When the dust settled Gouketsu was standing over a sinkhole.

~O~

Gouketsu stared down at the chasm created by his attack.

“So this is all that the great Shiva amounts to” Gouketsu spoke sounding winded “not bad, for a human.”

The Demonic Prison Murder technique is the ultimate technique of Demon Fist martial arts. It was through the creation and prolific use of this technique that Ryuken became a well known and reviled name in the world of martial arts. The attack consists of utilizing advance movement techniques, speed, medical knowledge and ki control to devastating effect.

Through movement technique one is able to surround the enemy with afterimages to confuse and disrupt their flow. Speed was used to blitz and trap them in a rotation patterned ‘cage.’ Medical knowledge, specifically anatomy’ was used to strike at vulnerable areas for maximum pain and disablement. But the lynchpin of the entire technique was the utilization of ki control to inject their own inner power into their opponent to cause a cascading domino effect within the body.

These effects include bones shattering, organs rupturing, muscles breaking apart and nerves burning away. If one did not immediately die during or after experiencing this technique then their body would be so thoroughly destroyed that they will never be able to practice martial arts again. It was a technique that was the epitome of cruelty and it managed to net its creator Ryuken the epitaph of Oni.

That is despite the fact that said technique was incomplete.

When he was human Gouketsu had spent his entire life trying to figure out a means of completing the technique but to no avail. It was only as a monster that Gouketsu was able to finally do it and it was then where he finally understood what set this particular martial arts style from the rest. Unlike other martial arts styles that were created by humans for humans the Demon Fist was created by a human for monsters.

As impossible as it sounded it made sense as Gouketsu’s monsterization came with a smooth transition of utilizing the techniques of Demon Fist. Actually he could say that there was an added layer of sharpness to his movements that went beyond the general increase of his strength and speed that came with being a monster.

‘In any case I’ve done it’ he mentally mused feeling winded ‘I need more training in utilizing Ki control.’

As he got his breathing under control Gouketsu caught sight of the pest who met his gaze with abstract fear.

‘I’ve wasted enough time here.’

“-despite you being here the only ones who have died are monsters”

Shiva’s words echoed in his mind for a bit and it irked him that he was right. He did say he would rectify that after her killed him plus having Suiryu running around would prove to be too much of an annoyance to their plans. So Gouketsu turned fully towards the young man who flinched and adopted a stance. Gouketsu found it peculiar that he would do such a thing instead of attempting to run away as he would earlier.

‘Hmph, not that it makes a difference.’

Gouketsu had no intention of playing around and prepared to simply pulverize the man while on his way out of the city.

“Don’t you know its poor form to turn your back on your opponent without confirming the kill?” a voice whispered in his ears.

“!”

Gouketsu leapt away in genuine fright sliding a good distance away with a stupefied expression. And there he was, standing on the spot where the monster had previously occupied. Shiva looked a bit messed up, his clothes were sporting more damage, his skin had scuff marks but he looked otherwise unharmed and was even smiling.

“Impossible! You shouldn’t have been able to survive that!”

“Don’t feel too bad Gouketsu. That was an excellent technique. I suspect it would have been highly effective even against someone above your weight class. Unfortunately for you it bears a similarity to a little known martial art called the Palm Bell Fist.”

“What?”

“You see this martial arts style utilizes Ki control in their strikes to send vibrations through their opponent’s body thus wreaking havoc on their internals. The sensation was said to be as if a bell had gone off inside their body.”

Gouketsu couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That was in effect the concept of the Raging Demon technique but more importantly “how were you able to survive?”

“After my encounter with the Palm Bell Fist’s master I devised countermeasures against it and well” he began chuckling and damned if it didn’t send a chill down the monster’s spine “let’s just say my body was trained in an unusual fashion.”

Gouketsu’s jaw dropped, it couldn’t have been that simple. It wasn’t, to negate the effects of deliberately rampaging foreign ki in the body would take a lifetime of training.

‘Lifetime…’

Then it suddenly occurred to him, something that in hindsight he should have questioned much sooner but was too distracted to notice.

‘He looks the same as back then…’

Gouketsu first encountered Shiva several decades ago and yet he looked almost exactly the same as he did back then.

How was that possible?

Unless…

“You’re a monster” he realized.

He seemed to find Gouketsu’s words amusing “monster am I? That’s ironic coming from you. More importantly” he took off his now damaged glasses “you managed to destroy my favorite/only pair of glasses. I hope you are prepared to compensate me for this.”

Gouketsu gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He didn’t care for Shiva’s words because his hypothesis made sense. Monsters have a far longer lifespan than humans with some like Elder Centipede measuring their lifetime in centuries. He also knew that some monsterized humans are able to retain their human forms through harsh training. The two cadres Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame are two such examples.

‘Shiva is a monster’ he mentally reiterated and while he had no idea why he was fighting for the humans he knew one thing for now ‘he can’t be allowed to live.’

“Shiva” he began “I will kill you!”

“You will die trying” was his calm reply.

Now thoroughly lost his cool Gouketsu rushed after the man with a roar.

~O~

Suiryu was quite literally blown away by the sudden clash and unlike last time it was no longer a game of tag nor was it an explosion of violence. Rather it was a combination of the two where they moved across the section of the city in isolated pockets of violence at intervals.

“This…is…INSANE!”

Suddenly Gouketsu appeared before his chest practically exploded blood causing the monster to collapse to a knee holding his chest. It looked as if Gouketsu had taken a slash to the chest.

“H-how?” he coughed with blood dribbling from his lips.

Tomoro appeared behind him with his back turned “even if you can make your muscles near impenetrable by hardening them, they can still be shaken to the side” he held up a hand “so I implemented a technique which utilizes a ‘scrubbing effect’ to break down their foundations and tear them apart.”

Suiryu winced just imagining something like that happening to him.

Meanwhile Gouketsu from his kneeling position clenched his fist hard before smashing it into the ground creating a fissure that flung chunks of the ground upwards. Tomoro lost his footing somewhat and Gouketsu used the opportunity to throw himself at the momentarily vulnerable man.

“OOOAAAAHHHH” the monster roared aiming a punch at him.

In response Tomoro bounced off a chunk of debris and did an elegant mid air back flip over the monster’s outstretched fist. The action accelerated his speed and as Tomoro flew towards Gouketsu’s chest he supplements his flipping motion with a spin before slamming a knee strike into the monster’s chest, directly onto the wound itself.

*CRACK*

The sound of Gouketsu’s chest caving in echoed above the cacophony of noise and the monster coughed up a fountain of blood as he was slammed into the ground. The monster reached up to his chest where a bruise was visible and coughed out some more blood.

“Are we done here?”

Both monster and human looked at the man who spoke. Tomoro was standing on an elevated platform of debris looking down on the monster with his hands behind his back. It was at this moment that the two came to a startling realization, one that the monster voiced.

“Y-you were holding back…this entire time” Gouketsu wheezed.

“Of course I was but just to be clear I only ever held back enough so that we were equal in terms of strength and speed. Your loss came as a difference between our skills and experience.”

“I see, kukukukuku” the monster laughed bitterly “so this is the legendary ‘Destroyer’?”

“…”

“What are you waiting for, finish me Shiva.”

“That’s it then? A single hit and you’re giving up?”

“What would be the point of delaying the inevitable?”

“How about proving your worth as a martial artist? Where’s your tenacity?”

“Hmph, Gouketsu the martial artist died years ago. I am Gouketsu, Cadre of the Monster Association.”

Tomoro stared at him for a long while before he spoke or rather he spat out “you’re pathetic and being a monster has nothing to do with it.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

“Clearly” Tomoro scoffed before holding out his palm.

“You may have defeated me but there are other ‘Cadres’ in the Monster Association even stronger than me including the Monster King.”

“Noted, now get out of my sight.”

The man’s body was suddenly enveloped in a deep purple glow.

“Hakai!”

There was no explosion, sudden burst of wind or any kind of indication that a power had gone off. One moment Gouketsu was looking defiantly up at his opponent and the next he was just gone. The only evidence of Gouketsu being there was the imprint he left on the ground when he slammed into it.

“He’s…gone.”

~O~

‘That could have gone better’ Tomoro thought watching as the dust flecks that used to be Gouketsu get destroyed at the atomic level.

A profound sense of disappointment permeated his thoughts at the monster’s last words.

“Maybe I was expecting too much from him.”

Gouketsu’s countenance and savagery may have been tempered by discipline but in the end he was a man who chose to forsake his humanity for power/survival. As a monster Gouketsu was merely the lapdog of Orochi and Gyoro Gyoro so why did he think a neutered dog would bare its fangs when backed into a corner.

‘Stupid’

It pissed him off and to make matters worse “son of a bitch broke my glasses.”

And those were his only pair too. Tomoro had grown attached to the spectacles he wasn’t ashamed in saying the reason why he brutalized Gouketsu at the end was because of the glasses.

‘Can I get a replacement? Will that shop even be open?’ he frowned ‘should I even bother?’

As much as he liked his look, the whole point of getting the glasses was to help him blend into normal society. At this point there really wasn’t a need to maintain the guise anymore

‘They’ve served their purpose.’

In the end Tomoro dropped the spectacles.

“He’s…gone.”

Tomoro looked over his shoulder ‘and then there’s this guy.’

In an instant he appeared before Suiryu who flinched at his sudden appearance “well I hope this has been a productive learning experience for you.”

“What was that attack just now?”

“None of your concern” Tomoro dismissed with finality “more importantly we should go. I don’t know what the public reaction would be to us fighting off Demon and Dragon level monsters but I’d rather not have the Hero Association trying to make me a sales pitch.”

He started to walk away when Suiryu shouted “wait!”

“What now?”

“You…you said that I could become just as strong as Gouketsu right?”

“If you applied yourself with correct training methods and diligence I can see you surpassing him.”

“Then, can I become your disciple?”

Tomoro stared at the young man for a while. In all honesty this was originally the reason why he entered the tournament in the first place. With Suiryu under his tutelage there would be one more powerful asset in the fight against God. But as he witnessed the man throughout his battles something became very clear to him and so he had to ask.

“What exactly do you want out of my mentorship Suiryu?”

“I want to become stronger” he answered immediately.

“Why is that? There’s nothing particularly wrong with your strength as it is now.”

From the look on his face Suiryu begs to differ “are you kidding me!?” he yelled “I was no match for Gouketsu.”

“You were no match for a martial arts Grandmaster several decades your senior who further augmented his strength through monsterization.”

When he puts it like that…

And before he could retort Tomoro continued “monsters like Gouketsu aren’t very common and it’s unlikely that you’d encounter one of his caliber again.”

That’s a blatant lie, shit’s going to hit the fan in a matter of months and who knows how many monster of Gouketsu’s caliber are going to crawl out of their holes.

‘Hell it’s not even going to be that long.’

“I don’t care about that” Suiryu snapped “how could I possibly go on as I am after this?”

“So you no longer wish for an easygoing life?”

This caught the man off guard “I…”

“Remember when I said it would be better for you not to get any stronger than you are if your goal was to just have an easy life?”

Suiryu nodded.

“The reason why I said that is because contrary to popular belief powerful do not have it easy. In fact the truly strong are some of the most burdened people in today’s society. Take the S-Class heroes for example. They have been made into the pillars of safety by the Hero Association, looked upon as protectors by the public and burdened with protecting humans from monsters specifically of Gouketsu’s caliber.”

“I understand such an example doesn’t necessarily relate to you so let’s try something else. Martial arts Grandmasters are often the targets of many for one reason or another but beyond that they are considered pillars of the martial arts world and as such they are often relied upon in times of crisis to maintain order and decorum. They also have a responsibility to pass on their teachings to the next generation and on occasion are made to maintain their place at the top through battles.”

“I guess the whole point of what I’m trying to say is that strength means a lot of things to a lot of people. To you it may be ‘fun’ but to others it could be a security blanket, a symbol of authority or an obligation to do right by others. Whatever it may be there is one absolute thing in this world when it comes to strength and that is you are expected to wield it. For good or for ill you will be forced to use that strength because there is no sitting on the sidelines or neutrality for the strong. Do you understand?”

Suiryu looked down in contemplation before nodding “I do and I don’t want to be strong for ‘fun’ anymore.”

“You don’t?”

He shook his head “no, I want to realize my full potential.”

Tomoro certainly didn’t expect that “your full potential huh?” he scratched his chin in thought “well if that’s the case you don’t necessarily need to become my disciple.”

“But-”

“Let me finish” he held up a hand “now I could be wrong but witnessing and experiencing your utilization of the Void Fist left me with a sense of incompleteness. I understand you’ve mastered it to a certain degree but I have actually fought Suicho before and I can say you are far from his level of mastery.”

“Y-you fought grandfather?”

“I’m not surprised he never told you. That man hated losing” he quirked his eyebrow with a smile “I suppose you two have that much in common with each other.”

Suiryu had a complicated expression at that but shook off his thoughts to ask a more pertinent question “why do you say I don’t need to become your disciple?”

“As I’ve said before you still have a long way to go before you truly master the Void Fist and I very much doubt Suicho would die leaving nothing to his chosen heir and grandson besides the teachings he gave whilst he was alive.”

Suiryu’s eyes widened in realization “ah”

Tomoro smiled “so he did leave something.”

“There was a-”

“I don’t need to know” Tomoro interrupted “what your grandfather may or may not have left is between you and him. With that said clearly Suicho still has much to teach you even from beyond the grave and I don’t believe in poaching another master’s disciple, deceased or not.”

“I…” he hesitated for a moment before squaring his shoulders “I will not become your disciple but I am interested in trading pointers with my senior.”

“How formal of you” Tomoro commented.

‘And out of place.’

Tomoro chuckled “very well, I accept my junior’s plea for a treatise.”

Afterwards they exchange each other’s numbers and with that the young man sped away leaving Tomoro alone in the destroyed, debris filled section of City C.

‘That actually worked out better than I expected.’

Suiryu’s allegiance and potential growth is now secured.

‘Only one thing left to deal with now.’

“I know you’re there, you can show yourself.”

There was a light tap as something landed behind him.

“Thanks for letting me see the kid off” Tomoro turned around “Saitama.”

The bald hero stood before him with arms folded. A wind caught his cape and began to flap in the breeze just as it swept up Tomoro’s hair. Saitama had an unrecognizable expression on his face as he tilted his head, it was as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle.

 “Tomoro” he greeted back.

“So” Tomoro placed his hands in his pockets with a nonchalant look “what’s up?”

~To Be Continued~

Advance chapters available on my Patreon at: www.Patreon.com/Streggaeworks