9.5th FIGHT: ONWARDS. (2)

-XOXOXOX-

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-XOXOXOX-

Days passed as Myoujou's injuries completely healed at an astonishing rate, placing him back at his 'peak' condition, to which he would then return to his usual 'home' and daily life routine, though one of the only things that changed was the additional presence of two to sometimes three people passing by within his life.

Whether it was in their free time or when they were up to no good, since they began to bump into each other at an increasingly high rate, they started to regularly hang out together seeing as they had nothing better to do most of the time.

Whilst Myoujou was around the twins, he even managed to once again meet this 'Rin' that the two boys were talking about who commonly was seen wearing a cloak made of rags, though encounters were quite scarce since she seemed to disappear every so often.

'They were right- She really is like a 'ninja master'. She wouldn't happen to know any 'Secret Ninja Techniques' that could kill… would she?' Myoujou murmured internally, thinking that maybe the little girl who always wore a cloak may be much more dangerous than he had believed.

In fact, while he wouldn't classify their relationship in the realms of 'best-friends-forever', he could say that they seemed to have formed some kind of… 'friendly rivalry' if you put it that way.

-Well, a one-sided one at that.

When the three would meet up on certain occasions if their schedule wasn't full (Or the fact that there were very few people to rob) they would participate in some tussling, mock-sparring even; though it was nothing too serious as they didn't want to accidentally hurt each other too severely in a place where medical supplies (accessible for children at that) would be scarce.

And while the twins weren't slouches whatsoever when it came to training, against someone such as Myoujou who put his all and then some into gaining strength, they couldn't compete nor compare.

Even when both of them worked together at that.

And although they didn't know each other for that long they were able to at least get along somewhat, seeing as they all had one similar goal in mind.

-And that was to one day leave this place.

'These guys... They're not too bad.' Myoujou thought.

Even though he wouldn't easily admit it anytime soon, he did quite like the change of pace with these three around, as although he wouldn't lose the state of constant battle readiness at all times, he did feel much calmer around them.

It felt quite out-of-the-ordinary for the young boy as he strictly disciplined himself for years on end to not want much more than to live another day, always ready for what may happen.

To Myoujou, It was surprisingly entertaining for him as with them around it was also some of the only nights in which he was able to have a truly good night's rest for once in his life.

-However, the time had come.

Since he was completely healed up there was something he just had to do.

Something that only he could do for himself, and for that reason he needed to set out.

"Yo! Looks like you're taking off, eh?" Kaito asked as he caressed the scar on his cheek. His curiosity had finally won over, as days that would turn into months would pass as Myoujou started to look like a soldier prepared to go to war, which made Kaito's curiosity grow even higher.

"Yeah. It was about time anyway. Gotta spread my 'wings', y'know?" Myoujou replied. Regardless of how short the time spent with these kids was, it was a fun time nevertheless.

"Is that so, huh? Then when we meet again I'll definitely kick your ass, that's a promise you got that?" Kaito said, patting his chest as Kouta simply waved Myoujou goodbye. "You better not forget it!"

"In your dreams, knucklehead." Myoujou snickered. Ignoring the complaints and shouts from Kaito, he continued to speak to them both. "Lose to you? No way. But yeah, it was a blast, so smell you all later."

Saying words he never expected to say, but did regardless, he waved them off as he walked towards his destination. "Let's meet again sometime, okay? Maybe alive if life's good to us."

Waving goodbye to Myoujou, the twins Kaito and Kouta kept looking in the direction that Myoujou left as his figure slowly grew distant before finally vanishing.

"Hey, Big Bro… Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Kouta asked, his curious eyes peeking from his almost obscuring hair bangs.

"Of course we will! He can go against me after all…" Kaito said, his tone boastful.

"Don't you mean beat?"

"Wha- So? He was just a bit stronger, that's all! But I'm not gonna stay like this either, I gotta get stronger too!" 

"Yeah… I think I'll do that too…" Kouta mumbled. 'Becoming stronger… Doesn't sound too bad at all…'

It seemed that in a short time an unlikely bond had formed.

-And would they meet again?

-Who knows?

-Only time could tell whether or not they would meet again.

-XOXOXOX-

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-ABANDONED APARTMENT ROOM-

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-XOXOXOX-

He was chilling in his 'apartment' that he temporarily used when this kid suddenly come around with a pensive yet determined look etched on his face.

Knowing Myoujou and the 'hard-ass' attitude he usually donned, he originally thought that the boy was knee-deep in some serious shit and had to bite his pride to ask for some help, but to his surprise, it wasn't anything like that.

-Though not too far off, it was quite different actually.

That Myoujou with his raven black hair that was always covered in that cloak. That boy who had seemed almost robotic in his daily routine...

-That boy had wanted him to teach him 'Martial Arts'.

"Are you serious about it- You're not joking are you?" Shintarou asked. "So you're saying… That you want me to teach you martial arts, eh brat?"

"Yes. Please teach me your techniques!" Myoujou nodded whilst bowing. After seeing the incredibly tall and muscular man fight, he decided that it was in his best interests to hopefully train under him if he wanted to become stronger, hence he set out to ask.

Staring at Myoujou for a few seconds the corners of Shintarou's mouth lifted as he broke out into an amused chuckle. "Hehehe-! Alright, alright… No need to be so stiff boyo! It almost doesn't suit you, haha."

"So… Is it a 'Yes'?" Myoujou asked, his eyes lighting up a tad bit.

"No."

"?"

What?

What exactly did he mean by that? With how happy the old man seemed, Myoujou was certain that he would've agreed. But instead of a 'Yes', he received a 'No'. So why?

Furrowing his brows Myoujou took a clearer look at Shintarou. "Huh? Why not?"

Lightly sighing, Shintarou rustled through one of the bags he owned, before pulling out a can of cheap beer. In all honesty, he did want to teach the boy alright, but he felt that Myoujou should at least know what he was getting into before anything else.

"You got some real' good potential kiddo, if you left this place you could easily learn some martial arts from somewhere and at least become an 'Expert-Class Fighter', or even a 'Master-Class Fighter'."

"I mean, you've got the genes of your father, the 'Ogre' anyways... So it's sorta impossible for you to be a weak scrub with such blood running through your veins…"

With his eyebrows raising Myoujou tried to control his surprise when he realized that the old man in front of him had some clue of who his father was, remembering that when he felt someone was tailing him and asked Shintarou whom it may be, though he didn't receive an answer, the old man also had made no attempts to hide the fact that he did know something.

"My genes? 'The Ogre'? My father? So you know that guy, Old man? That guy that I met a whole three times total in my life and he kicked my ass in all of them?" Myoujou said, a slight scowl adorning his face as he remembered such events.

"Hmmmn… Something along those lines- but never mind that, what I want to know is…" Shintarou smiled wryly upon hearing Myoujou's words before his face donned a serious expression.

"Just what do you want to use 'Martial Arts' for?"

"What do I… want to use it for?" Myoujou mumbled as he went silent.

He deeply pondered the question.

As Myoujou stood in place frozen, his feet rooted into the ground like a firm tree, he remembered many things that occurred in the years that passed.

-The first time he got tossed into The Inside.

-The first fight he had within The Inside in which he had barely escaped with his life.

-And finally, the encounters with his father whose overwhelming strength had made all of his training and tricks and weapons useless, leaving him utterly defenseless.

Myoujou frowned, digging his nails into his palms as he clenched his fists tightly. "I don't want to be 'just strong'… I want to be stronger- Stronger than the strong, and even stronger than the strongest even!"

"I hate losing! Everything about it! And I hate that this place even exists!"

"It's just that… That I…"

"It's just that I can't stand the idea that there are other people out there that are stronger than me-!" Myoujou said with more emotion than he thought he had as he loosened his fists, his now red palm filled with fingernail marks.

"Heheheh…" Looking at the boy before him after hearing his answer, Shintarou scratched his chin stubble as he broke into a light chuckle.

"Haiyaaa-! You young ones are really something else, eh? I like it!"

"But I have one more question for you, kid." Shintarou said. He was almost done, but this question was arguably the most important one of today.

Shintarou stared directly into Myoujou's eyes as he said. "Just how far are you willing to go, huh? Are you willing to learn under me- Even if you might have to take a life in the future?"

"Even when... You might even lose your own life?"

"?"

Being taken aback a bit due to how sudden the question was, Myoujou lowered his head as he went silent, mulling over what he was asked.

Just how far 'was' he willing to go?

Seeing him go silent, Shintarou continued. "Because anyone can say some kind of shit like 'Leave no stone untouched or leave no loose ends', but to me…"

"Most of those people- Are full of shit."

"Most of the people that talk shit about trying to kill are probably people that have never been in a fight, more or less made someone bleed, and yet they can talk about life or death. And then the ones that 'do' kill, either turn into whiny bitches when it's their turn to die, or end up using a whole bunch of reasons and excuses to justify what they've done… When you think about it, it's funny huh?"

"People talk about killing day to day and never really realize how easy it is to say that when you're in the comfort of your home or a peaceful society…"

"'Well If I was in 'this' situation, I would do 'that', and other lies they can tell themselves.'"

"Whether in your mind, or a fight anyone can say it… But can they mean it? Do they really know the value of a life?"

Upon hearing this Myoujou felt slightly perplexed as he questioned Shintarou. "-The value of a life? How can you ask me that, if you're asking me about if I can kill someone?"

Looking at Myoujou, Shintarou chuckled slightly before opening a can of beer and downing it. "Heh... You should know what I'm talking about, kiddo."

"-Especially since you've got blood on your hands as well."

"!"

A surprised expression rose from Myoujou's face as he lifted his head. Staring at the man he wondered just how he could've figured that out. 'Was it because I live inside these slums, or…'

As if Shintarou knew what the boy was thinking, he shrugged at Myoujou's inquisitive stare. "It ain't too hard to guess you know. Precise strikes aimed at the jugulars coupled with a lack of hesitation are a dangerous combo- A combo that could clue anyone worth their salt in on the answer.…"

"I'm guessing that before The Ogre tossed you in here, you did someone in... But looking at you right now, it was probably in a moment of desperation, in defense even."

"But there's one more clue, and it's one that is kinda easy to miss. And that is…"

"-That clue being your Ki... Your Ki which is pretty soaked in blood, y'know…"

'Ki-? The hell even is that?' Myoujou thought.

"It's easy to see really, your skills, and how you act on a day-to-day basis, a real stroke of luck- A 'lucky' accident that led to you staying alive. Something that I'm sure hasn't happened since then. But do you have the willpower or the strength to do that again?"

"But this time, willingly?" Shintarou asked.

Looking at the center of his palm as if there were something important within, Myoujou sank even deeper into his thoughts. 'Would I… Could I… To do that again-?'

-Almost five years ago in that very manor in which he would later meet 'The Ogre'…

-An event that had changed his life, whether it was for the better or worst.

Tossing the empty can away, Shintarou stood up and paced around his room. "You see kiddo, at the same time when it comes to taking a life; many people got their own idea of it, their philosophy, their motto if you will…"

"There's those 'Katsujinken/ Life-Saving-fist' fellows who believe that no matter where or when, they should never take a life at all when they fight. To them life is sacred, and they should preserve it at all costs."

"Then there's the 'Satsujinken/ Killing-Fist' guys, who on the other hand are the complete opposite in what they believe, thinking that you gotta strike to kill and never hold back when in a fight. While not all of them think you have to kill twenty-four-seven, to them, 'Martial Arts' were made to kill and destroy, so they should do just that."

"And then there's the 'Gedou/ Demon Fist', but they're just the second example taking to the extreme- For strength, they'd kill for the sake of killing." Shintarou said, but if one listened closely, one could hear a faint tone of disdain within his voice as he explained the last belief.

"Nothing more than living like a filthy animal, in my opinion. Even a try-hard wannabe tough guy couldn't give the benefits of believing in shit like that."

"See, I'm not saying you gotta become a stone-cold killer, or even choose one belief at all... It's 'your' life kid, you should make the most of it. But unless you're coming in with the mindset to fight with your all, then it wouldn't be much reason in training you…" Shintarou said.

Shintarou was a man of many words, but a 'Hero' was never any one of them.

Nodding for Myoujou to follow him, the two then left the apartment, walking through the streets of the 'Niko Ward' as he continued to lecture the boy. "I ain't no saint, but at the same time, I don't plan on becoming the antichrist either. As hypocritical as it may be, I got no plans on training somebody who's just gonna become another mass murderer without a purpose, you see?" he said while ruffling the boy's hair.

As they walk through the streets, they saw many things that would make up the usual day-to-day life of the average inhabitants of these glorified slums. Drug selling, prostitution, and violence alike, the two kept on walking as Shintarou finally reached his destination; an open space further away from all of the dilapidated buildings.

Standing before Myoujou with a firm look etched on his face, Shintarou questioned the boy one final time as he reached the end of what he wanted to say. "It's a hard road, and the training will be even more torturous… So with that being said, do you still want to learn, eh kiddo?"

Mulling over all Shintarou told him today, he knew that not only had the man taken many jobs from being a bodyguard to assassination itself, but also possessed the strength to do such tasks, Myoujou realized that the man's opinion that he just received deserved at least this much introspection on it, so he did just that to make sure he wouldn't regret his future decisions.

-He knew that he wanted to set out, and become even more than he was now, with few if none that could even dream to compare to him

-To become so powerful that the even thought of him being threatened or challenged would become something of a taboo.

-And now he had the chance. The chance to finally change one thing within his life and steer it by the captain's seat, instead of sitting in the passenger's seat all of his life.

"Never give up, my son." He could hear his mother's voice echo in his memories.

It echoed over and over. So many times he thought he'd gone crazy.

But this time. It felt good. It felt that it had an ever-growing feeling of hope and purpose mixed in its tone. And he liked that.

Clenching his fists as he gave Shintarou a firm, determined look, Myoujou spoke loudly. "Yes. Once again, I want you to teach me."

"…"

"…"

After a short stare-down that felt like it lasted several minutes between the two, Shintarou broke into a small smile.

"Hehe- Well in that case it's all too simple what happens next then… Welcome aboard chump!" Shintarou cheered, his previous serious attitude vanishing.

"?"

"Huh?" To say Myoujou was confused was an understatement. Wasn't he on a tirade about how it 'wasn't' 'all-too-simple'? At first, he thought that it was the alcohol that had gotten to Shintarou's brain before abandoning that thought, thinking maybe that those who are strong possessed higher alcohol tolerance.

-After all, even if they were all human at the end of the day, the strong were quite different than those who were not.

Settling on a rather pleasing thought of the man being impressed by his determination, Myoujou gave a small smirk as he began to pester Shintarou nonstop on what he would learn, now that he finally found a martial arts Master.

"So what am I even gonna learn, Sensei?"

"Sensei, huh? That doesn't sound too bad…" Shintarou mused, stroking his chin stubble. "You see, I like to consider this the new evolution of an old style I learned with all of my brothers all those years ago, a style those after years and years of revamping I brought to a new level…"

"And its name?" Myoujou asked, beginning to feel a little bit excited. Well… Maybe a lot.

"Impatient huh…" Shintarou smirked. "But its name is…"

"𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐊𝐘𝐎𝐔-𝐑𝐘𝐔/ 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐎𝗥𝗦 𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄."

"Tenrai… Shikyō… ryu?" Myoujou mumbled staring at Shintarou who just nodded his head.

"Right." Shintarou nodded. "It's not enough 'just' to beat people and win against them. With these 'Four mirrors/Shikyō' I developed showcasing their back, their sides, and their front, and everything they have under their sleeves, I wanna effectively dismantle and destroy their cherished techniques when we fight…" Shintarou said, raising his hands to the skies as he clenched them tightly.

"To dismantle and destroy their techniques? It seems as even you too got some kind of ambition, eh, old man?" Myoujou said as he thought once more about what he wanted to become in the future.

Remembering embarrassing childhood memories in which he said he wanted to become a king, or even more, a demon king, he wondered just what kind of mental issues he had back then to even think of such things. But then... He began to understand why he said that all those years ago.

-Someone with all of that money, power, and strength at their disposal just waiting to be used.

-An existence both feared and revered for its unrelenting power and ambition.

-The more he thought about why he wanted to become such things in the past the more he realized.

-What he wanted was the power associated with those names.

-The funds and the ability to move and change not only other people's lives, but his very own.

-And to not only become strong but to become stronger than those who are considered strong themselves.

"Hey." Myoujou asked. "Do you think I could become a 'King/Ōu'? Or even more- Possess strength like a 'Demon King/ Maōu?'"

"A Maōu/ Demon King? You mean like Oda Nobunaga? It seems that even you have some childish dreams, huh. Sounds like a weird aspiration for a kid to want to be like one of the most hated and vilified people in Japanese history…" Shintarou said, raising his eyes at the almost fantastical nature of the question.

"But if it's strength comparable to that stuff, then you got it. But remember… your training is going to be hell if you want that kind of power.'

"Then I'm in old man… I'm in." Myoujou smiled.

Shintarou chuckled as he took a good look at the boy before him. "Now that I think of it, calling you brat or kiddo all the time will get old, so… You got a name to go by?"

'My name huh?' Myoujou thought as he clenched the thick letter he held deep within his pockets. He thought about the name of his mother, the person he wanted to leave these slums to see in the first place.

-'MK. Misao Kurogami.' The name of his mother.

Other than the fond memories he had with his mother, he didn't have any other close relations that he cared about and that cared about him somewhat other than the bastard that he now knew was his father, but he was going to cherish the name that his mother gave him.

-Myoujou. It was a name that could mean a 'Star' or as his mother would say, 'A star of the stage'.

"Myoujou. My name is Myoujou Kurogami, old man. And don't you forget it." Myoujou said with a confident gleam in bright hazel brown eyes.

Nodding while he repeated the name in his head to remember it, Shintarou began to stretch as he stared down the young boy. "Myoujou huh… Well then Myoujou-boyo, how about we cut the semantics and start right now."

"Huh? Right here, right now?" Myoujou asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yep."

"!"

Shintarou had suddenly dashed towards the boy with a speed that even his eyes couldn't track. If the speed of Shintarou when he fought those Yakuza up in those buildings registered as a blur to his eyes, then this speed of Shintarou was currently unfathomable to the young boy.

"Lesson one; There is no such thing as a fair fight, even when people say there is."

"So under no circumstances should you ever let your guard down."

And thus began the story of a star, a bright and shining star whose goal was to reach the top of not only the country, but the world itself, though such a journey would be anything but easy, he was aware of it, and he wasn't going to give up anyway.

What Myoujou wanted wasn't just strength but the power and honor that came with it, and he was willing to persevere for it.

-To become the strongest martial artist and most influential man in the world.

Time had passed as he trained under Satou Shintarou, the man he would now call 'Sensei'.

And so in the year 1999, he would be preparing himself for his eventual departure from the land known as 'The Inside', ready to broaden his horizons.

...

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-3 Years Later.-

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-XOXOXOX-

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9.5th FIGHT: ONWARDS.(2)  END

VOLUME ONE: THE INSIDER END

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-XOXOXOX-