FAMILY GROUNDS
FIELD B, 12:00PM
FEBRUARY 14, 2018
*chain swinging*
*WOOSH*
*CLANG*
To the north of the Grounds, two individuals were sparring together – one armed with a 6-meter-long chain, and the other with a long staff equipped with a blade at the end.
The chain bearer spun his weapon like a propeller, before launching it toward his opponent. As the staff wielder ran toward him, he spun the staff around his body, and used it to intercept the incoming chain, which collared his weapon. Quickly, he maneuvered the weapon to have its tip facing the ground, as he rammed the staff into the earth, trapping the chain.
He sprinted toward his opponent, who then followed up with a series of Shuriken. Grabbing a small sword from the side of his waist, he was able to strike and deflect each one as he advanced, twelve of them in number.
Unbeknownst to him, the throwables hadn’t simply fallen to the ground – they all remained airborne, frozen in place. His opponent outstretched the palm of his hand, and with a swift clench, the shuriken all spun like fidgets, and made their advance toward the boy once again. He quickly took notice, and once again deflected them. In the middle of all this confusion, his opponent had repossessed his chain.
This time, they charged toward each other. The one with the chain held it both hands as he spun the remaining length. The other ran with his sword in hand. As they each prepared their final attack – the chain wielder swung it at his opponent’s head, and at the very last second, the other threw his sword, and it headed straight for his opponent’s liver –
*CLAP*
“That’s enough. Good one, you two.”
Suddenly, the weapons were no longer in their possession. They bumped into each other, unharmed, panting, and smiling, as they high fived each other; they were Genki and Haruo Sanjuro.
Spectating on the sidelines was Akiro, who held the two weapons; he’d marked them beforehand and teleported them into his possession at the last moment. Spectating alongside him were Galib, Satoru, and Amira.
“Heh…we’d be in real trouble if Akiro’s timing wasn’t perfect,” Genki said with a nervous look.
“Your timing at the end was perfect too,” Haruo responded. “I doubt I could’ve avoided that.”
“Wow…they’re so cool!”
A few Academy students were also watching the sparring session. One of them ran to Haruo as he and Genki returned from the Field.
“Haruo-san, your fighting style is amazing!” – his name was Kinji Sanjuro, a third-year Academy student.
“Yeah? When you graduate, I could teach you a thing or two,” he offered.
“Totally!!” his eyes lit up.
Meanwhile, two other students walked over to the Hunters; Satoru specifically.
“Have you both been doing well – Kubo, Ijin?”
“Yes, Satoru-senpai!” – they were both Yamaguchi, disciples of Satoru. Majority of the Yamaguchi Clan, young and old, had as much respect for Satoru as they did for Tenchi.
Around the same time, Haruo and Genki made their way over to their former classmates,
“Thanks for refereeing us, Akiro. I still feel at the top of my game,” Haruo expressed.
“You’ve both grown much stronger,” Satoru applauded them. “Especially you, Genki.”
“You sure you guys still don’t wanna be Hunters?” Amira asked them. After they dropped out 6 years ago, they still hadn’t considered rejoining the Hunters.
“Nah…I don’t really mind guarding this place,” Haruo responded as Akiro gave them back their weapons.
“Yeah, even though nothing goes on around here,” Genki added. “That’s why we’ve gotta keep training to stay on top of our game!” he said as he posed with his staff.
“By the way…have you guys, y’know, had any luck?” Haruo asked.
He was referring to their kidnapped classmates.
“Nope…no luck at all, but we haven’t given up,” Akiro responded.
“Man…I really miss Jamal. I mean, I miss them both, but…” Genki trailed.
“Yeah, we all do. But, like Ilmar always says, we’ll definitely find them. Right, Satoru?” Akiro signaled to him.
“…absolutely.”
SOME YEARS AGO
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE, UNDERGROUND LOUNGE
*THWACK*
*thud*
“Okayy, Gyuwhan: 3, Jamal: half.
Inside the concrete room sat Tarik against a wall as he watched Jamal spar with Gyuwhan. He had sessions with them on a regular basis, for the purpose of practicing his own techniques, as well as gathering test results. Gyuwhan had conducted various experiments on the two, in the form of body enhancements, resistance to deadly substances, and even injecting their bodies with Dragon Energy. It was all to test their effectiveness as the new vessels of the Two Warriors. They suffered a number of near-death experiences at the hands of Gyuwhan, but they survived.
Still, amidst all this, Gyuwhan couldn’t acquire the crucial pieces of evidence to confirm that the two were Reincarnates.
“I have to admit, I’m impressed…you guys really just won’t die, huh?” he asked them as he stretched.
“You’ve far surpassed the two clueless toddlers who’d been fantasizing about being the strongest…now, just look at that - you’ve acquired a taste of true, absolute power.”
He received a silent response, aside from Jamal’s heavy breathing.
“…you could at least say thanks.”
“For what exactly?” Tarik asked with a glare. “For torturing us, and destroying our lives?”
“Huh?” Gyuwhan turned to Tarik with a confused look on his face, “If you’re that upset about it, then just go home.”
Neither of them responded, nor did they have anything to respond with. Gyuwhan had beforehand had this conversation with both of them.
“Like I told you two before, I can deactivate the barrier around this place, and let you walk right on home, free of charge. You’d be reunited with your family, and maybe even throw some big party. Then, when you least expect it, I unleash the full terror of the Dragons on you lot, and eradicate every single one of you third-rate, dogshit, sorry excuses for Hunters.”
“You clearly know what you’re up against, so be my guest! Take your leave and go!”
They were utterly defenseless, and the sarcasm in his final statement was the nail in the coffin. Just as the Upper Ranks of the hunters were able to gather, Jamal and Tarik came to an understanding that the Dragons were hiding something, and until they could confirm what it was, and whether they could deal with it, then making any rash decisions would be unwise. Just as the Hunters were at a standstill in making moves, the two boys were at a standstill in going home – they denied their freedom, in exchange for their family’s safety.
“If you hate me so much, then kill me and the other 8. Simple, right?…or, I guess not,” he remarked as he walked out of the room.
“…well, I’ll be looking forward to that day…” he thought to himself.
PRESENT
“C3, R5.”
“No.”
“…R6?”
“No.”
“Fuck!”
These thoughts took place inside Jamal’s mind, as he and Tarik stood around. Izumi and Fumi sat on the couch inside the concrete room, dressed in clean clothing, while the two walked around the room. Tarik was doing something, but he decided he wouldn’t elaborate to either of the girls. Unfortunately, it had been driving Fumi crazy.
“Is this what my life has become?” she asked with a groan, “Locked up in God-knows-where with two guys cursing while they recite random alphanumeric codes?”
“They’re not random, Noritoshi,” Tarik responded as he walked.
“Then tell us already!”
“Nope. Don’t ask again.”
“It’s random then!”
*sigh*
“Hm…you had that nightmare again last night, didn’t you, Nayumi-chan?”
The previous day, she had revealed everything about herself to Fumi; all that she had known from the days before her parents’ deaths until now. From then on, Fumi ensured to refer to her by her correct name: Nayumi Tsukumo.
“Yes…it’s been this way ever since,” she responded. “I think I’ve gotten used to it by now.”
“That shouldn’t be something you should ‘get used to’. Maybe Jamal and Tarik could help you, and I could try my best too!”
“Yeah? You think I’m a psychiatrist?” Tarik asked.
“I just figured you guys might know something about it,” she responded.
“Well, you figured wrong.”
“Tch! Why are you so rude?!”
Jamal sighed. “Sorry, Noritoshi. We don’t know about Tsukumo’s nightmares.”
“Thank you, Jamal. If only Tarik had a fraction of your decency!”
“Whatever…let’s take a break for now,” he suggested to Jamal, who walked over to the couch and stood next to the girls. Over the course of one day, they found it easier warming up to him more than Tarik, as he frequently checked up on them.
“I’ve been meaning to ask…are the two of you related?” Fumi asked Jamal.
“We’re brothers,” he responded, while Tarik practiced sword swings.
“Really? You guys look nothing alike.”
“I think they do, minus the hair,” Nayumi added.
They remained silent watching Tarik, until Fumi eventually asked,
“So...don’t you guys have any family? Anyone who’d want to save you?”
“If we did, do you think we’d be in this situation?” Tarik asked in response as he trained.
“…like Tsukumo, the two of us are descendants of Ancient Clans. The only family I have left, is right there next to you,” he gestured to Jamal.
“I…see,” she responded.
*sigh*
“The Hunters are probably working on coming to save you two, don’t worry,” he decided to reassure them.
“In that case, you guys could just come with us, then!” Fumi suggested.
“Yeah, sure,” Tarik responded unenthusiastically.
“Speaking of the Hunters…the day before we got kidnapped, I saw a few of them at school fighting a Dragon. They looked so cool, especially Ilmar and Satoru!”
They both pretended not to hear that, but they didn’t disregard it. In fact, they both shared the same thought in that moment:
“Good for you, big brother.”
As Jamal took a seat and sipped some water, he thought to himself,
“Speaking of brothers…I wonder how Fudo’s doing…”
3:00PM
COLONY NO. 3
SHOPPING DISTRICT
Fudo was doing some sightseeing, as well as scouting the area. He’d only ever been to Colony 3 for just a few missions, so he wasn’t too familiar with the area. It was rather busy in the shopping district, with Valentines Day specials and such. Particularly, he was interested in the Dragon Religious-Group, whose preachers were situated within that area, carrying out their daily exhorting to the public, gathering followers to be converted.
He watched them from a distance upon a rooftop, while he remembered everything he and the old man discussed the previous night…
LAST NIGHT
“Tell me…what’s your secret, Satoshi-san?”
As the two sat around the desk, facing each other, Fudo desired to know it all; why was this Dragon an anomaly? How is it that he has this much information, and how is it that he is able to freely divulge such information?
“…alright. Let’s start off with what you probably know,” he began,
“We Dragons…started off just like regular humans. Unfortunately, we were unlucky enough to be enticed by the fantastical powers that existed in this world. Even though we have our own innate talent, we’ve grown lazy to tap into it. We try to find an easy way out through the form of leaders – whether Martial Artists, or Religious Figures. But, of the latter, we were beguiled by the most tempting, most powerful, most elegant ones…the Dragons. Some weak-minded folks aren’t bothered; Gang Members and Followers alike, but for those of us with strong spiritual awareness…once that power enters our bodies, we immediately realize our mistake.”
“What was it like, when you first felt Dragon Energy?” Fudo asked him.
“…all I could hear, was a voice; ever so soothing, and yet so deceitful. My body burned, and I saw hallucinations. Basically, it wasn’t fun,” he explained. “Don’t do Dragons, Mr. Hunter.”
“Hilarious,” he responded sarcastically. “But, wait a minute…earlier, you said ‘Gang Members and Followers alike’. A few years back, I had suspicions that both parties operated under one ulterior motive, even though the Religious Group denies associations with the Gangs.”
“Well…they all have Dragon Energy, don’t they?”
This simple question enlightened Fudo. He felt a cold shiver down his spine as he thought to himself,
“So, we were right…they’re amassing an army out of the Gangs and Followers.”
“…shit,” he muttered to himself.
“Yeah, I’d say the same thing, too,” Mr. Satoshi responded.
“But…you still haven’t explained your anomaly status,” Fudo reminded him.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there. Now, let me continue–”
“I don’t know who commandeers the Gangs and the Religious Group…but, whoever it is, they implemented a special ‘feature’, if you might: a Dragon Binding Seal, based on the standard Binding Seal used back in the day between sorcerers. It’s a form of safety measure, to ensure that whatever happens concerning the Dragons, stays among the Dragons.”
“Yes, I’ve witnessed it firsthand,” Fudo responded. “I’ve seen Dragons suddenly die violently, after trying to say something they shouldn’t.”
“So…what about you?” he leaned into the desk as he asked the old man.
“…there are three Gang Leaders, and three Religious Leaders. Let me ask you…do you believe that it’s possible for any of them, to disobey their Commander?”
Fudo’s eyes widened, and his blood ran cold. He couldn’t believe the idea that the old man just suggested to him.
“Are you saying…” he trailed off, as the old man opened his mouth, and stuck out his tongue. That was when Fudo confirmed it. The Dragons he’d seen before, who died by breaking the Binding Vow, all had an engraved seal on their tongues.
There was no such thing on Mr. Satoshi’s tongue.
“When I received my power…there was no seal attached to me,” he informed.
Fudo was astonished. This information was absolutely critical, and mind-boggling.
“The Leaders can break the rules they received? But, even still, this isn’t to their benefit!” he thought to himself.
“I have no idea why…and I doubt that I’m the only one like this…but, the Binding Vow does not apply to me,” he informed. “To be specific, I received my power from the three Religious Leaders; Kentaro, Arata, and Mamoru.”
Fudo sat in silence for a moment, thinking. Mr. Satoshi didn’t interrupt him, but waited, until his customer broke the silence,
“Even still…why were you willing to tell me all this?”
“…let’s say I was waiting on such a moment as this,” the old man said as he leaned back into his chair. “I have my own reasons, Hunter.”
“In conclusion, Satoshi-san…the Gang Leaders, as well as the Religious Leaders, are sharing Dragon Energy with the population to increase their numbers, in the form of Gang Members and ‘Neutral’ Followers?” he asked him.
“Yes…you’re absolutely correct,” he responded.
“The Religious Leaders – where can I find them?”
This sudden question caught the old man off guard. He looked at the Hunter for a few seconds, discerning his intentions, while he patiently waited for a response, well aware that the old man knew what he was thinking.
“…that’s not a bad idea you have there,” he responded. “Considering the ratio of Followers to Gang Members is, roughly 80:20…taking them out first would be a significant blow to the Dragons’ Top Brass.”
“But, only a suicidal maniac would attempt something like that.”
He expected some kind of change in the young Hunter as he said this, but there was none. He yet awaited the answer to his question.
“…the one and only time you ever get to see the three of them, is through deciding to become a Dragon. There is no other way,” he answered.
“Understood,” Fudo responded as he stood up, turning the opposite direction, and began his walk to the door. “Thank you for everything, Satoshi-san.”
“It might be possible with the help of your associates…but, due to the nature of this situation, it has to be a one-man job,” he continued as Fudo walked.
“I’m able to read your intentions to an extent…are you telling me, that you were planning to execute this operation alone?” he asked him. “Let alone one…I wouldn’t underestimate the power of three Dragon Leaders, Fudo Sanjuro.”
PRESENT
Having departed from the roof, Fudo watched and listened to the preachers, as he remembered his response to Mr. Satoshi –
“Rather…I wouldn’t underestimate the power of one soldier.”
There were a number of people gathered, both Followers and not, listening to the Preachers’ words as well as asking questions. There were two of them present at that time, both middle aged, dressed in black and white robes. They looked like normal individuals, but they were Dragons fulfilling their duty; that which even they themselves were unaware of the ulterior motives behind it.
“My good people…be not deceived by the ideals and philosophical beliefs of man. We have indeed been blessed by God with the power to tap into Magical Energy, for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment and length of days, but by ourselves, we are severely limited! The power of the everlasting Dragons, appointed by our God himself to lay out the very foundations of this world, is key in awakening our true potential as human vessels, and deepening our spiritual understanding! I invite you all: join the Dragon Religious Group, and set your spirit loose!”
Many persons warmed up to them, and even Followers who were present offered sharing their ‘experiences’ since being converted. Most of the civilians were considering joining but were not ready on that day.
“Excuse me, I’d like to join.”
The preachers were approached by a young man in a black hooded jacket, with his face slightly covered by his hair, and a small friendly smile. It was Fudo Sanjuro.
“Blessed be the God of all creation!” the preachers shouted as they took his hand. “Remain within the area and give us your contact information. Tonight, we’ll make our way to the sanctuary, for you to be spiritually awakened.”
“Ok, I’ll be in the area. Thank you,” he responded.
“Behold, a young man who has seen the true light!” they exclaimed as everyone applauded.
“…watch over me, Hayami,” he thought to himself.
7:00PM
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE, UNDERGROUND LOUNGE
Back inside the room of the 4, Tarik was doing the same thing from earlier, but Jamal hadn’t been trailing him. Instead, he sat down with Nayumi watching him, while Fumi stood against the wall, also watching him.
“…he’s quieter than usual, isn’t he?” Fumi asked with a whisper.
“He tends to do that when he’s focused,” Jamal informed her quietly.
He was never really one to make conversation, but Jamal couldn’t help it:
“So, you’re from the Oriki Clan, huh?” he asked Nayumi, surprising her with the sudden question.
“Huh? Oh, well…I still don’t know a lot about my background…I lost my father when I was still young, and my mother didn’t tell me much,” she explained.
“I heard about them, from an old family member. He had a friend who was an Oriki…well, she was more like a big sister,” Jamal opened up to her. “According to him, she was always smiling, never got angry, and she always looked out for him…if it weren’t for her, then…”
A thought came across Jamal’s mind as he said that, and he stopped himself from speaking. The thought being:
“…then we might not have been suffering like this.”
“...then?” Nayumi asked, confused by the last thing he said.
“Oh, sorry, I got sidetracked,” he responded. “But yeah, he said she was a good person.”
“What…happened to her?” Nayumi asked.
“…something that shouldn’t have happened to her,” Jamal responded.
After a while of watching him walk around without saying a word, Fumi gave up.
“Alright, I give…I’m done trying to understand what you two are doing. It’s always the same thing!”
“C12, R8,” Tarik announced.
“And, like every time so far today, the response is always:”
For a brief moment, Jamal’s eyes widened. His response was,
“…correct.”
His answer surprised even the two girls.
“…huh?” Fumi asked.
“FINALLY!” Tarik yelled out, with the happiest look on his face. “I’m gonna go hit the shower, put on a movie or something, J!” he shouted as he ran to the little bathroom.
“What…just happened?” Nayumi asked. Jamal hesitated, but he started to divulge to them in Tarik’s temporary absence,
“…as you guys can see, the floor’s filled with tiles. Tarik’s been walking on each of them, while guessing where exactly he was.”
“For example,” he said as he stood up and walked to a certain tile, “This one here, is C14, R20: Column #14, Row #20.”
They finally understood what he’d been doing, but something still seemed unclear,
“…why was he doing that?” Fumi asked.
“…Tarik took a liking to the Hunters; particularly, the Sorcerers of the Yamaguchi Clan. He practices Spirit Energy training as often as he can. With this specific training, he’s trying to master knowing exactly where he is, even in zero visibility.”
“…I still don’t really get why he’s doing it, but I understand the training itself,” Fumi responded.
“Honestly…” Jamal started,
“…it’s probably to maintain his sanity.”
7:30PM
COLONY NO. 2, CITY OUTSKIRTS
FUJIWARA RUINS
“…never seen this place before…looks like some old, religious site.”
Fudo, and the two preachers, walked through a forested area as they headed to the Religious Group’s Christening Site. As planned, they had contacted Fudo at 7:00pm, and after meeting with him, went to the city’s outskirts via a transportation technique. They walked through the ruins of ancient temples once used by the Fujiwara – a family of sorcerers that went extinct sometime before the Dragon War.
They arrived in front of what seemed to be the remains of an old Cathedral. It was about 25 meters in height, with a perimeter of about 90 meters. It was built with clear brick slabs, and the front face depicted the Fujiwara Clan symbol – two hands cupped together, and the palm of another hand above it, designed as if it were reaching out.
The preachers stepped up on the building’s porch, and Fudo followed suit, but then…he felt it.
*thump, thump*
“…did I just step inside a Soul-Barrier?” he asked himself.
“It didn’t exist until I stepped past the porch, but I feel it…three massive energy signatures…”
The two opened the doors to the cathedral, and the ominous atmosphere from within greeted them. Fudo peered inside to make out building’s inner layout, gathering what he could from the moonlight that beamed in through holes in the roof; it was mostly an empty space, with a few missing stone tiles on the ground. Looking to the sides, there were about ten thick stone columns which supported a balcony, that stretched from both sides, as well as in front.
“Our Fathers…greetings, and blessings forevermore,” the two greeted. “Behold, another fortunate soul has caught on to the glorious light.”
While they bowed themselves, Fudo looked ahead, to see the sources of the energy he felt seconds ago. On the balcony in front of them, on the left and right corners and in the middle, were three seats, on which sat three individuals, all clothed in dark garments. The moonlight shone on them and them only, depicting the superiority they held.
“From the foundation of the world…light was made separate from darkness. Water, from earth; life, from death; good, from evil. But, in this current world where mankind, who was given all authority and power by the Creator, makes darkness to be their light, and finds good within their evil…is it not then presumptuous to set standards on what things are of light, and of darkness?”
One of the three, the one in the middle, spoke as he arose from his seat, revealing his face; pale-looking, with narrow eyes and a deceitful smile, locked hair, and the kanji for Deception 欺 tattooed underneath his right eye. It was Kentaro.
“Whatsoever stands superior in this world…is the true light,” he grinned.
His smile suddenly turned into a look of surprise, when the two preachers fell to their knees – one stabbed from behind through the chest with a long dagger, and the other decapitated. They both died instantly, while residual purple flames from the attacks burned their bodies.
“That simply means, whoever walks out of this place alive, is that superior one,” he responded to Kentaro’s preaching as he flashed the blood from off his Flame Control daggers.
“Did he just…?”
Kentaro was baffled. He quickly understood that the man was a Hunter, but nothing else seemed to make sense; why was he here, and what Hunter in their right mind would kill a Dragon, especially ones from the Religious Group who lack any bad reputation in the public eyes?
On top of all that, from the weapons being used, he understood that it was Fudo Sanjuro.
“Ha…haha…hahaha!”
The Dragon was enthralled.
“Wonderful…marvelous…absolutely thrilling! The clashing of ideals, a death battle to determine what ‘right’ should be…I welcome it!”
Prison Dome • 空間結界 (Kū-kan Kek-kai)
Immediately, the entire cathedral was enclosed within a pitch-black dome from the outside. A Prison Dome can be thought of as a ‘walmart’ Soul-Barrier. It serves the sole purpose of enclosing an area, denying both entry and exit to those desiring to break in, and those wanting to escape. It is easier to create than a Soul-Barrier, which focuses on diversity in its functions, and this barrier is unique in that the entry/exit conditions can be set according to the caster’s whim. This one in particular blocked anybody that didn't possess Dragon Energy - simply put, any potential backup for the hunter was denied entry, and Fudo could not leave.
The caster was seated to Kentaro’s left – he had short, spiky hair, and his face looked as if he lacked a soul, and in his left temple was embedded the kanji for Sorcery 呪術; his name was Arata. He was performing a hand sign as he activated the technique.
The third one landed on the ground floor with a stomp, shaking the whole building as he glared at Fudo; he was Mamoru, donning the kanji for Earth 土 in the midpoint of his forehead.
Unfazed, Fudo gripped his daggers, with the burning dead bodies behind him, and went into a starting position as he focused on all 3 Dragons before him.
“Three against one, huh?” he asked himself, “That's really funny…”
“…you're gonna need a lot more than that to stop me, dragons.”
Battle of the century pending?
HARUO SANJURO
AGE: 16 (DOB: May 27, 2001)
HEIGHT: 5'7"
OCCUPATION: A-Rank Guard
GENKI SANJURO
AGE: 16 (DOB: June 29, 2001)
HEIGHT: 5'6"
OCCUPATION: Semi B-Rank Guard
