A FEW YEARS AGO
*SMACK*
“Asshole!”
*BASH*
“Asshole!”
*CRACK*
“Asshole!”
The lifeless, bloodied body of a middle-aged man laid unconscious on the grounds of a basketball court, on the receiving end of consecutive blows to the face from a young teenage boy crouched over him, whilst a few onlookers stood by, taking in the scenery.
After raising his throbbing, blood-soaked hand once more to deliver one final strike for good measure, the boy took his gentle time to slightly elevate his back, as he glanced at the spectators…or rather, his attackers.
“…what are you bastards waiting for? Do whatever you’re gonna do.”
The boy had a short stature, probably nowhere above 5’2”. He had short black hair, piercing dark brown eyes, and a long horizontal scar across his neck, probably the aftermath of a knife attack. But what seemed to stand out the most was his lack of concern for human life.
*HUFF*
“It’s funny…thinking about it all now, I could’ve easily been killed back then,” the boy’s voice began to narrate.
“I never cared for a lot of stuff…never cared too much for people either. Not that I hated ‘em, really, but I had half a brain to be able to tell that they hated me.”
As his voice sounded, he was taken aback a few months prior, where he stood inside a rundown apartment where he watched three men laying out contraband items on a bed – firearms, knives, blunt objects, drugs, you name it. They were members of a street gang, analyzing the goods they’d received from a source not too long ago.
“I don’t remember much of my parents…for as long as I could remember, I’d been used to this kind of stuff. A package came in again today…but I guess there’s no problem this time. They were complaining about damaged goods and such last time, but it seems fine now. At least I won’t have to worry about them looking for a punching bag to blow off steam.”
“So…we all good?” one of the men asked.
“Aside from the usual dull blades. I really expected less,” another responded.
“I heard that kids my age usually go to school to learn like, math and science and stuff…I always wondered what that was like. Me? All I ever learned was how to count bullets, test or sell drugs, play poker, and how to hurt people. Regardless of how extreme that might’ve been…it all felt like second nature to me,” the boy reflected.
“I heard that people were scared of guns…that seemed pretty stupid. It’s not like the thing could shoot you by itself. I spent a lot of time loading up rounds, so I know that for a fact…although, I’d never held a gun on my own…I wonder what it’s like, though?”
He’d failed to even notice that he was reaching out for the pistol on the bed the whole time.
“I don’t see what’s the big fuss…are people that dumb?”
“Well…it wouldn’t hurt to–”
*GRAB*
He snapped out of his train of thought when one of the men grabbed his arm.
“Kid…the fuck are you doing?”
*SLASH*
“…and that was how I got this scar on my neck,” he reflected, running his finger across it as he knelt over the unconscious man’s body. His own life had been endangered many times before, but he definitely felt death approaching him at that moment. The onlookers were actually members of a gang he was apart of, sent in to execute him. He was about to be killed, and he really didn’t care.
“Keh…I wonder if this is that thing about your life flashing before your eyes…I’d rather not have seen that shitshow a second time, but whatever,” he thought to himself.
“Get on with it, assholes…kill me already…”
?
The silence that followed for the past minute seemed odd, but upon raising his head, he saw that all the men surrounding him were faced away, motionless.
“…huh?”
That was until he turned to face both sides…and saw a man dressed in full black to his left.
“He was the only one that faced me. He was in full black from head to foot, like he was a soul reaper or undertaker or something, with the round top hat and everything. He seemed like an older guy, but at the same time he didn’t…he was just, weird. He didn’t say anything until I spoke first, either.”
“…I haven’t seen you before, Gramps,” I addressed him first. I’d seen a bunch of guys from the gang I was in, and others. He was definitely a new face.
“Hmph…you see a thousand faces every day, young dragon.”
“…what kind of response is that?” I asked, puzzled. “You here to finish me off or something? Why are those guys statues?”
“Be slow to speak, and swift to hear, boy,” the man said as he approached him.
“Hey...I’ll make that bad knee more fucked up than it already is, Gramps.”
I didn’t really wanna threaten him, but I learned not to be too welcoming of anyone, not even people around me. But…I could tell he didn’t intend on hurting me, at least.
“Easy, young dragon…stand still and see your salvation,” he said with a small smirk.
Why the hell was he speaking in parables?
“…you’re not bothered by the fact that I bust this guy’s face open?” I asked, referring to the body I was still knelt over.
“He’s done worse to you, no?” he asked.
“Well…not him, but he still deserved something,” I responded.
By this time, Gramps was right there next to me. I really didn’t feel like standing up, but he had no problems crouching down to my level. Even though I got a real good look at his face…I couldn’t say I remembered it well enough to describe it at the time.
“You’d do well under my care, boy,” he spoke, tilting my head a little to get a good look at my scar. His presence felt uneasy, but he had no violent intentions whatsoever.
“No thanks…I don’t wanna catch your old man smell.”
“Haha, good one,” he chuckled as he let go of my chin.
“I see a fire inside you…an ever burning flame, unquenchable and all–consuming. Why waste your life away in such a predicament as this?...”
After that, he placed his palm on my chest, and said…
“Tell you what…as of this very moment, I want you to burn your past life to a crisp.”
As he said that…I felt an overwhelming, intense power welling up inside my body. The knife wounds and bruises on my body all started to sting, and when I looked at them…they were steaming. I watched my injuries heal right before my eyes, all the while my strength skyrocketed to no end. Who the hell was this guy?
I didn’t even notice him walking away until he finished the rest of his statement,
“You’ve got the power, so go right ahead…all the pain, suffering, regret, everything you were once a slave to; burn it all to smithereens.”
“…and when you’re done, don’t think twice about coming to see me.”
Just like that, he vanished…and simultaneously, all those guys who became statues suddenly came back to life and turned to me.
“Eh? What just happened?”
“Did you guys see someone?...”
“Hey, you punks forgetting something? We’re here to kill that brat!”
“That’s right!...Hey, that bastard killed Juno!!”
I was so lost in my thoughts at the moment…those last words I heard from the old guy kept repeating in my brain, as if he was still right there.
“Burn it all away, huh?...”
“You’re fucking dead, kid–”
*SLASHH*
I didn’t feel a single shred of regret when I made that move…I swiped my hand at that guy like a tiger, and half his skull was gone. After that, the rest of his body burst into flames from the point of impact and dropped to the court.
“WHAT THE–?!”
“TAZUNA!!” the men exclaimed in shock.
“Well, for some old geezer…” I started to speak as I stood to my feet, my hands suddenly producing flames, as I took steps toward my executioners,
“…you sure have the right idea of doing things.”
“K…KILL HIM!”
*FWOOOSHH*
“AGHH!!”
“I’M BURNING!!”
“SOMEONE KILL THIS BRAT!!”
*SLASH*
*THWACK*
*BLAZE*
“SHIIIITT!!”
“HELP!!!”
“SAVE MEEE!!!”
“NO, LEAVE ME ALONE!!”
“SOMEONE SAVE ME!!!”
“…you’ve awoken, young dragon.”
I didn’t remember much of what happened…but, at some point I blacked out, and when I woke up, I was in an enclosed room with that same old guy, sitting over to the other end of the room.
“What happened, you may consider to ask?...Nothing much. You did exactly as you were told, and now, here you are.”
I held my hand in front of me and tried focusing, just to make sure it wasn’t all a dream…and sure enough, flames ignited from my palm. It was all real.
“That’s your magical energy…I imparted to you the power of an ancient Dragon that existed from the beginning of time: the Flame Dragon. In fact, I gave you quite the substantial amount, and it seems your body has fully accepted that power. You’re the perfect vessel for it.”
“Dragon…?” I asked, confused. By this point I was totally lost…one moment ago I was beating a guy’s face in before I got executed, and next thing I know, I was burning them alive.
“I know, things might seem all over the place to you, but I’ll educate you thoroughly as time goes on,” he addressed me again as he got up, and took a few steps towards me.
“I know your questions are endless, but before that I have my own question for you…what will it be? A new pathway has revealed itself unto you…but are you willing to set foot on it?”
I didn’t even know what to say to him, and he didn’t seem bothered that it took me a while to respond, either.
Who was this guy? What’s this magic he’s going on about? Why did he save me?
Why…
….why was I going to die?
…why were the people who I knew all my life, willing to kill me?
…why did they hurt me so often?
…why did they put me through hell?
…why wasn’t I born a normal kid?
Why…why was I...born?...
Something…clicked.
I never had an answer to any of those questions…but, as I traced it all back, from the present to the very beginning, something sparked. Like the feeling when you remember something but forget it immediately, except in this case…I found a purpose, but I couldn’t figure out how I came to that conclusion. Regardless…my heart melted at that thought.
…in that case…
“A Family…” I uttered.
“Hm?”
“…for my whole life, I’d been involved in gangs. It was the only life I knew. But…despite all of us being from the same set, we didn’t have loyalty to each other. A chance to score big for the sake of the gang was more important than the lives of the same people running the gang…no matter how I look at it, that was bullshit.”
“…so I think I’ve decided. With this power, I could lead my own gang. Not just some gang either; but a family. A place where nobody will ever feel like the odd one out, or that they’re disposable. Everybody rides for everybody. That’s what I want to do, Gramps.”
I never put a single thing I uttered into thought before I started running my mouth. But, I know that was all from my heart, without a doubt.
“…what’s your name, Kid?” he asked me as he stood before me.
“To be honest…I have no idea, Gramps.” – the only names I ever knew of were all aliases, from what I could tell.
“I see…then, from this point on, how about…”
PRESENT
“Not sure what you expected…Kallavan.”
The Inferno Gang’s Leader had his life flash before his eyes a second time, as he was confronted by the son of the man who saved his life.
“Hmph…so, that’s how it was with you two, huh?” Gyuwhan asked him.
“Huh? You…saw all that?”
Gyuwhan witnessed all of that.
“Ironic, isn’t it? You received your Dragon power from my father, surrounded by people ready to kill you.”
“Now…you lay pathetically at the mercy of his son, surrounded by the corpses of the people you tried to protect,” Gyuwhan thought out loud as he absorbed Kallavan’s Flame Dragon.
“Still, you brought this on yourself. You stubbornly ignored my instructions to contact me on Fudo Sanjuro’s arrival, which would’ve saved both yourself and your allies. Can’t blame anyone but yourself, Gang Leader.”
“They all died at the hands of Hunters…but your decisions allowed that to happen,” Gyuwhan rubbed the salt into the gaping wound.
As his life force departed from him, Kallavan was reluctant to even think on his superior’s words, let alone considering a response. But, he remembered his past, his ambitions, and the leadership of the man who saved his life. With his dying breath, he left his final words to Ivan Ryujin’s son:
“You’re right…through my decisions, I sealed the fate of the Inferno Gang…”
“…but I would rather this outcome hundreds of times over, than to accept you as any leader of mine.”
“You’re just…a fake…”
The last bit of Dragon Energy departed from him, and Kallavan the Inferno died.
“So be it…dragon,” Gyuwhan thought to himself.
*STEP*
Footsteps could be heard behind Gyuwhan, and he turned to see that it was Daisuke, who had accompanied him.
“I half–expected this sort of outcome…but, I wish things could have turned out better,” Daisuke remarked.
“…Kallavan was as loyal as they come. I even heard from my father that he was the forerunner for creating the Dragon Gangs, starting with his Inferno Gang,” Gyuwhan reflected.
“But, I couldn’t control him any longer…he never liked me from the beginning, and what with me assuming my Father’s position, he was bound to go against me and live up to Dad’s vision in his own way. It’s a shame, but it couldn’t be helped.”
“Anyway…what of the survivors?” Gyuwhan asked.
“None from our side…but Fudo Sanjuro is alive, unconscious.”
“Get him. He’d be a convenient replacement, don’t you think?”
“What about those two?” Daisuke asked, referring to the traitors.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to have a chat with them right now.”
As soon as Gyuwhan said that he activated his Transportation technique, opening a portal under his feet through which he disappeared into.
Taking a moment to observe the devastation of the area following the battles that took place, Daisuke fixed his eyes over unto the main warehouse, and uttered with a sigh,
“See you in another life, or in hell…Inferno Gang.”
8:10PM
COLONY NO. 6
“Y’know, come to think of it…pet owners are total assholes, don’t ya think?”
The full moon illuminated the night sky, along with a few clouds surrounding it. The night wasn’t particularly cold, and the view from below depicted lights as sizeable as ants; some of them moving, an indication of them being vehicles. Two young figures, one sitting on the ledge and the other standing just behind, were situated atop a skyscraper. They were none other than the main heroes of the story, Jamal and Tarik…or rather, the aspiring heroes who fell from grace. After escaping the chemical plant, they retreated to this isolated location to decide the next move.
Jamal stared out in space with his Red eye active, still listening to hear what random nonsense his friend and brother had to say, while analyzing his surroundings, as well as figuring out how his eye functioned.
“Well, let me rephrase that: some of them, not all,” Tarik spoke as his legs dangled, gazing down at the night lights. He forgot that Jamal had owned a dog before, too.
“Animals were born as free as can be, without a care in the world other than doing what they were created to do. Then, here comes a human, taming that creature with some rice cake and placing it in a cage. It had its freedom, only to then be limited by the restrictions of a human. And, even then, it still won’t give a shit as long as it gets food and water. It’s so pitiful it makes me cringe.”
“Then there’re people like us, put in the same situation, except we actually care about our freedom…how the hell can you put someone through the wringer, and expect them to forget about all that with a pat on the back and some food?” Tarik ranted.
“But…why is it, that when you finally escape the cage…”
“…it feels as if something’s missing…?” he asked himself, completely lost and disturbed.
Briefly, Jamal looked down at him, and asked him,
“Tarik…do you hate Gyuwhan?”
“I despise that son of a bitch. I want to waterboard him with boiling water and acid,” he responded.
“…but, for some reason, part of me wants to just punch him in the face instead,” he followed up.
“…I see.”
Neither Tarik nor himself could ignore it…the fact that deep down, they couldn’t bring themselves to harm Gyuwhan despite what he put them through…it was as if, unbeknownst to them, a bond had been formed over those years.
“Well, whatever…we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Tarik thought to himself, shrugging off the uneasy feeling and focusing on the now.
“Anyway, what’s our move?”
He got no response. But he quickly noticed why.
“…you’re not worrying about your big brother, are you?” Tarik asked, to which Jamal clenched his fists.
“We should go back…” Jamal suggested. “He’s not safe if Gyuwhan shows up.”
“Relax. Fudo–san’s crazy strong, ain’t he? He put those 3 oldheads out of commission, didn’t he?” Tarik reassured him.
“Gyuwhan isn’t the same as oldheads,” Jamal responded in his mind.
“…fine. I’ll trust him to be safe,” he reluctantly let go of the matter.
“So, what’ll it be? We always wanted to go back home, but now that I’m here…I’m lost. But still, where else would we go?” Tarik wondered.
“It’s not like you guys aren’t welcome to come back.”
*SHOCK*
??!!
The boys froze up completely. The sudden appearance of this third party, and the voice along with it, was one they were all too familiar with.
Gyuwhan appeared there…right behind them.
FAMILY GROUNDS - SOUTH GATE
Back on the family turf, the Hunters and Guards were still engaged in their patrols, searchlights illuminating the darker paths of the complex’s exterior, while some soldiers secluded themselves in the woodland areas keeping a lookout. Of course, there were also Hunters on the interior keeping on high alert. But, for pretty much the entire evening, things remained quiet.
At the time, Zeke and Galib were on patrol, having made their way from the Residential Area by the east and circling the main South Gate to rendezvous with another group.
“Hey…those Inferno bastards are just trolling us, aren’t they?” Zeke wondered.
“Be on your guard, Zeke–kun,” Galib cautioned him. “Disaster tends to strike when you least expect it.”
“Still…I never expected peace and quiet for this long…what could they be thinking?” Galib wondered.
“…I sure hope those guys over there are–”
*SSKRRRT*
*HONK HONK*
In the middle of him expressing his concern, the three black jeeps deployed almost an hour earlier had finally returned, the front vehicle sounding two honks of opposing length to indicate they were not being followed.
“Coast is clear, open the gate!”
One of the Guards alerted the others at the sight, understanding the code used, and the gates were opened for the cars to file in.
“They’re back!” Zeke exclaimed, jogging toward the vehicles as they came to a halt. “Get a move on and forget about that, Galib!”
Word was quickly relayed all around, and all the hunters and guards all gathered to the area, including the appointed captains Katashi and Yuki, encircling the cars as the inhabitants all filed out.
“Thank goodness you guys are alive,” Katashi greeted Chojo, Steffan, Miwa, and the others as they exited. “So, how’d it go?”
The 3 turned to Kodaki, Akiro, Ilmar and Satoru who came out last, and everyone watched as Ilmar slung one person over his shoulder, and Satoru took the other by the hand.
“Are they…?”
“Yes, we rescued the girls,” Chojo confirmed. “Mission accomplished.”
A few hunters were quick to commence celebration, but others including Yuki noticed something:
“Wait, what happened to the ones from The Order – Emilio’s soldiers?” she asked.
“Well, I say accomplished but…” Chojo trailed off.
“…we’ll have to discuss matters privately with Tenchi and Gado–sama,” Steffan continued for him. “But, they should be fine…for now, we got the job done.”
“What about her?...” Yuki asked as Ilmar and Satoru approached with the girls, noticing Nayumi slung over Ilmar’s shoulder.
“She just passed out from the shock, she saw a lot of stuff tonight,” Ilmar informed.
“It feels like forever since I last came here for that tournament…” Fumi thought to herself.
Suddenly, she felt the grip on her hand tighten a bit, making her turn to Satoru.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here,” he reassured her with a whisper. She was still coming to terms with the fact that one of her favorite hunters was Tarik’s brother. But, she gave him a comforting look, letting him know that she trusts them.
“Well, I’m relieved you fine gentlemen and women are alive, and that this mission was a success,” Yuki addressed them. “I imagine we’ve got quite the report to give to the Heads, so have yourselves a breather while we prepare for the meeting.”
“Hunters! I’ll need another half–hour worth of patrolling before we call it a night, just to be on the safe side. If I’d just lost possession of my hostages, I’d strike back ASAP too,” Yuki drilled the hunters.
“HOLD IT! NOT A STEP FURTHER!”
?!
Suddenly, there was commotion just outside the south gate; the hunters on the outside had intercepted an individual approaching the complex on foot, assuming defensive positions and warning the person not to approach.
“That’s right, hunters. Soldiers shouldn’t let their guards down, not even at the last second.”
It was a man who seemed to be at least in his 30s. He was roughly 170cm tall and appeared to have a slim build. He was dressed in dark clothing; roomy ankle–height black pants, black leggings fitted underneath, white socks, and Waraji sandals. On top he wore a black hooded jacket with the hood down, revealing his short red hair and pale white skin, and exposing a diagonal scar across the corner of his mouth, his yellow irises, and a tattoo of the kanji for Apocalypse 災害 underneath his left eye.
“Hmph, I expect nothing less from the one and only Yuki Asagiri…finally running the show from home base now, eh?” he asked with a grin.
“Hey, isn’t that?...” – a few hunters began identifying him via his features, and staring nervously upon realizing who he was.
“Well, you’re certainly the last person I expected to turn up here…” Yuki responded with a calm, but very concerning look on her face, as she identified him:
“…Ringo Himura.”
KALLAVAN THE INFERNO
AGE: 54 (DOB: September 9, 1963)
HEIGHT: 5'5" / 7'3" (Transformation)
HAIR TYPE: Bald
OCCUPATION: Inferno Gang Leader
STATUS: Deceased
RINGO HIMURA
AGE: 33 (DOB: February 1, 1985)
HEIGHT: 5'9"
HAIR TYPE: Red; Short, Straight
OCCUPATION: Apocalypse Gang Leader
