I've had this story on blogspot for awhile now.. I've decided to see how it'd do on fanfiction. I'm too lazy to change the chapters around, so i'm putting everything up the way i wrote it in the first place. Anyway, read and review. (Constructive criticism is welcomed.)

Hesitation

Chapter One

My name is Matsuo Ryou. I have black hair, and brown eyes. I'm a 16 year old student studying at Valencia High School.

BRRRRIING!!!

And that, was the bell signaling the end of school for the day.

"Alright class, that's it for today. I want you to finish the rest of this chapter, and pass it up tomorrow."

The entire class groaned.

Well, I'm getting a late night today.

You could just copy from somebody tomorrow morning, you know.

That would mean waking up early.

....Never mind then.

Yes, I talk to myself in my head. Live with it.

I packed up my things, and shoved them in my bag. My best friend and rival, Saruwatari Koike, walked past.

Koike: "Hey, shortie."

Ryou: "What? Stickboy."

It was a long running joke between us. See, I'm about 5 feet 5, and relatively well-toned. He's 5 feet 8, and closely resembles a bamboo plant. His hair is black, but not as dark as mine.

Koike: "You going to the Dojo?"

Ryou: "Whaddaya think?"

Koike: "*chuckles* Thought so. C'mon."

Me and Koike both go the the same Dojo. The master there teaches a style that is mainly based on Taekwondo, but with a little bit of Judo thrown in for good measure. In terms of skill, I'm better than Koike, but his legs are long, and pack a lot of power, so we're quite closely matched.

By this time, we'd left the school, and were walking past our sister school, Valencia Girls School. (Don't ask me why there's a girl's school right next to a mixed school. There just is.) A girl was waiting by the front gate. On seeing us, her face brightened. Let me introduce Akimoto Kumiko, Koike's girlfriend. She started to run up to us, or to be specific, Koike. I tapped Koike on the shoulder.

Ryou: "I'll see you at the Dojo."

Koike: "Sure. Later man."

I raised my hand in acknowledgement, and quickened my pace. I smiled slightly and nodded at Kumiko as she ran past. She returned the smile, then went to Koike. I turned a corner, and breathed out slightly.

Jealous, ain'tcha?

Shut up.

Suddenly, I felt a need to run, fast. To feel the wind rushing past my hair. So I did. Ignoring the stares of the people around me, I ran as fast as I could, losing myself in the steady rhythm of running.

When I reached the Dojo, I was panting hard. I took a few minutes to catch my breath, then walked in. My master, Fujiwara Tadayoshi, looked up from teaching an intermediate class as I entered, and smiled. I bowed, and headed to the back to change into my training gi.

Me and Fujiwara-sensei go way back. When I was little, I was a real crybaby. That, combined with my small size, and hot temper, made me a target of bullies. The first time I met Sensei, I was getting my ass handed to me by a few bullies. Sensei chased them off, and treated my wounds at his Dojo. The next day, the same thing happened. After that, Sensei offered to train me. I went to his Dojo immediately after school, and stayed until past dinner, everyday, for a week. The next time those bullies found me, I left them dazed, bruised, and bleeding. Ever since, I've spent as much time as I could training at the Dojo.

Y'know, when you think about it, Sensei's been more of a father to us than our own father.

Gee, ya think? My real father thinks being bullied builds character. Just how does being beaten up by a few guys bigger than me "build character"?

Yea..Sensei's the one that got me interested in martial arts too. He's a good man. You remember what he said when we asked him whether we could train under different masters?

Haha, yea. I still can't believe it. He actually encouraged us to go learn. Something about gathering more knowledge about martial arts. Knowledge is power and all. You know what?

I agree with him.

I stepped out of the changing room, and tossed my bag into a corner, and looked around. Fujiwara-sensei had founded this dojo twenty years ago, and he'd named it the "Fujiwara Martial Arts Dojo". During his time here, he'd trained several martial artists that went on to become some of the best in the world. He'd asked them not to tell anyone about this dojo though, something about not wanting the fame that would bring. I asked him about it once, and he'd said that the fame would bring lots of students, but most of them would expect to become expert fighters without putting in any effort. Fujiwara-sensei hates students that don't put in any effort. I've seen him expel lazy students. Of course, those students were really REALLY lazy. He respects people who put in effort though, even if they're not very good. Me and Koike train under him for free, in return for helping out around the dojo and with some of the beginner classes. Obviously, we put a lot of effort into both our training, and teaching.

The dojo itself was fairly simple. The floor was covered in tatami mats, a few punching bags, chin up bars and e.t.c lined one wall, some trophies from the local competitions were mounted in a glass cupboard, there was a male and female locker room, complete with showers, and a storeroom where the equipment and weapons were kept. Not many weapons though. As far as I know, the only weapons Fujiwara-sensei uses and teaches are the nunchaku, staff, one-handed sword, and two-handed sword.

I went through my usual stretches, then did a front split. I pushed as low as I could, ignoring the protests from my legs, but still remained a few inches above the ground.

Still got a bit more to go.

I held that position for about thirty seconds, then switched legs, held it for another 30 seconds, then a side split for another thirty seconds. I stood up, and bounced on my ankles to loosen my legs. By that time, Koike had arrived, and changed. Fujiwara-sensei beckoned us over.

Fujiwara-sensei: "Boys, this class will be over in about half an hour. In the meantime, you boys can either do some light sparring, or practice."

Me and Koike both bowed, then walked over to an uncrowded area. I glanced at Koike.

Ryou: "You wanna spar?"

Koike: " Nah, man, I wanna practice nunchaku for a while."

I sighed. Me and Koike started learning nunchaku at about the same time, but Koike had always been better at doing tricks with the nunchaku. Those big hands of his probably didn't hurt too.

Koike grabbed his bag, and pulled put a pair of nunchaku. I went to my bag and pulled out my nunchaku too. When Koike and I had finished the beginner kata for nunchaku, Fujiwara-sensei had given us both these nunchaku. Until then, we'd been using the beginner nunchaku, which were shorter, silver-colored, and made of a softer type of alloy. The nunchaku Fujiwara-sensei had given us were black, longer, harder, and had our names engraved on the both sides in elegant kanji.

Koike started twirling his nunchaku immediately, drawing stares from the intermediate class. I rolled my eyes.

Ryou: "Show off"

Koike just laughed. I put my nunchaku aside for now. I did a few cartwheels, butterfly kicks, crescent kicks, and rolls to loosen up my entire body. I finished up with a handstand, holding it for a few seconds.

Koike: "Now who's the show-off?"

I smirked. Koike might have been better with the nunchaku skills, but I'd always been more agile than him. I picked up the nunchaku, then went through the beginner kata. When I finished, I put the nunchaku beside my bag, then started hitting one of the punching bags until the intermediary class was finished, and the other members of the advanced class arrived.

After the training session, me and Koike showered in the locker room, changed into street clothes, and left. Koike went straight home. I glanced at my cell phone to check the time(I don't carry a watch). It was 6pm. I shrugged, then started for home. When I reached the front door to my house, I stopped and listened. I could faintly hear my parents arguing. Again. I sighed.

Home, sweet home.

I unlocked the door with my key, slipped in, locked the door again, and went upstairs to my room. I find both my mum and dad annoying, plus they fight a lot, so I try not to spend too much time with them. I slipped into my room, and closed the door. I listened. They were still arguing. I winced when I heard a particularly loud thud. The voices ebbed, then they started arguing again. I sighed, and looked around. My room is pretty much a typical teenager's room. A pile of used clothes in the center, a radio, a wardrobe, complete with mirror, a desk with a few photos on it, and a bed. I walked over to my desk and looked at the first photo on my desk. It was a Filipino girl, with long, black hair, and me. Meet my pet sister, Hamano Michiyo. She used to go to my school, and we'd gotten pretty close. More than friends, but never romantically involved. She moved back to the Philippines earlier this year. We still exchange the occasional e-mail.

The second photo was a picture of me, Koike, and some other guys from my class on a class trip. I passed over that one. The third photo was of me and two girls. One was short, with shoulder length black hair. Saruwatari Asuka(no relation to Koike). She's one of my closest friends. The other girl was almost the same height as me, with big, soft, brown eyes, and short black hair. In the photo, she was grinning madly at the camera, her right hand in a "v" sign. Sagami Emi. For the past year and a half, I had a crush on her. When I realised she'd never love me the way I wanted her to, I slowly started to get over her. It's been a long, painful process, but I'm mostly over her now. Still have to be careful not to let myself fall back into love though. But, with all the pain I've felt because of her, I've never once regretted it. It's mainly because of her that I developed most of my better traits.

I stretched, then started doing my homework. About 7pm, I went down for dinner. My mum and dad seemed cheerful, but I noticed a new dent in one of the walls, like someone had hit the wall with something hard. I ate, then went online for a while. About 10pm, I went up to my room. I changed into a sleeveless shirt and boxers, then opened one of the drawers of my desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. I looked at it for a moment, debating whether I should drink some. See, a few months ago, I started having trouble sleeping. So far, a glass of this stuff is the only thing that helps. But I hated having to depend on artificial means for anything. I mean, I don't even take aspirin unless it's really serious. I sighed, then put the whiskey and glass back in my drawer.

Not yet.

I turned off the lights, then climbed into bed. And lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the night to pass.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Two

I was on the top floor of one of the local malls. I looked around. Something was bothering me about the place, but I couldn't place it.

What the-?

Something hit me in the jaw. Instinctively, I twisted, absorbing the blow. I landed on my feet, and looked up. The ugliest person I had ever seen stood in front of me. He was big, too, and well muscled. I shouted. "The hell is your problem?!"

The man growled, and charged again. I ducked his punch, then, pushing up with my legs, I struck out with an uppercut. The man dodged it, then kicked me in the chest.

He's damned fast..

By now, I was throughly pissed. Adrenalin pumped through my body, numbing the pain. I roared, and charged at the man. At the last moment, I jumped, and kicked out in a side kick. The man dodged it again. When I was passing, I punched out with my right hand. The man grabbed my hand, and spun me around. I punched out with my other hand, but he caught that hand too.

This isn't possible!

I pulled back both my hands, kicking out with my foot at the same time. Without letting go of my hands, he dodged my foot, and threw me through a booth. Then I realized what was bothering me. There was no one in the mall. There was only me, and that ugly sonofabitch that was attacking me.

What the hell is going on?

The man jumped at me, and grabbed my shirt. I brought my hands together with all my strength, and hit at the sides of the man's head. Again, the man dodged it, and threw me again. This time, over the railing. My eyes widened.

Shit!

I landed on the ground floor. Somehow, my legs didn't break from the landing. I looked up, and saw the man jumping down. I froze. I watched the man descend toward me.

Move! Damnit, MOVE!

I couldn't. My entire body was frozen. Just before the man landed on me…

I woke up.

Geez. That was one weird-ass dream.

My radio was on. I sighed, staggered over, and turned it off. I stretched, yawned, and fell back onto the bed. I lay there for a while, then rolled off the bed and went to the toilet. I splashed my face with cold water, and brushed my teeth. I put on my school uniform on, picked up my school bag, and went downstairs. I grabbed a bread bun, then left for school. The cool morning air greeted me. As I walked to school, I thought about the dream I just had.

That was strange. A few times, I definitely should have hit him. It was as if he wasn't really there, or my reach had become shorter..

I shrugged, then put it out of my mind. I got to school early, sat down at my desk, and got ready for boring school day. At least it was a Friday, which meant only half a day of school, and no school for the next two days.

After school, Koike and a few of the guys waited for me at the front waved when he saw me. "Hey, wanna go hang out at the mall today?"

"Sure man."

We headed over to the mall, and ate lunch at McDonalds. Personally, I prefer Burger King, but everybody wanted McDonalds, so I was pretty much overruled. After that, we went to the arcade, which was on the top floor. I looked around, remembering my dream, then put it out of my mind. Just a dream, after all.

Koike and the guys went to a racing game. I went to my favourite game in the arcade, Silent Scope 2. It was a sniper game, and somehow appealed to me. I can usually finish at least the first two missions with 100% accuracy. I put in a game token, put my eye to the scope of the rifle, and started shooting. I had almost finished the first mission, and was lining up a shot to the boss's head, which would give me an instant kill, when somebody poked me in the ribs. I jumped, and missed the shot. I turned around to glare at the person who poked me. When I realised who that person was, my glare turned into a surprised look.

It was Sagami Emi. I smiled, reached over, and ruffled her hair. She glared at me. I smiled wider. She hated it when I did that. Which was exactly why I did it. I grinned at her. "Where's Asuka?" Still scowling, or trying to, she replied. " She's buying some game tokens."

Asuka walked over, and smiled at me. "Hi, Ryou."

"Hey Asuka. You guys gonna watch a movie later?"

"Nah, we're just here to kill some time."

"Oh, ok. You wanna go for a drink or something later? Koike's here, and I think Kumiko's coming by later."

Emi made a disgusted face. "As long as they don't make out in front of me."

I laughed. "You could just look away."

Emi glared at me. I smiled, and raised my hands, palms out, in surrender. Emi tried out the sniper game I was playing, and I watched, giving her a few tips here and there.

A few hours later, Koike, Asuka, Emi and me walked out of the arcade. I glanced around, noticing the absence of a certain someone. "Hey, Koike, where's Kumiko?"

"She had to go for church."

"Aww…Your girlfriend ditched you so she could go listen to some old guy preach." I teased him.

Koike glared at me, and I laughed. He knew I was joking.

Emi spoke up. "Hey, guys, where'd everybody go?"

I looked at her, and started to say something. The words never left my mouth when I noticed that she was right. There was no one in the mall. The usual noise was gone, leaving only an eerie silence. I glanced back at the arcade. The machines were all off, as if there was a power cut. The guys from my class who were supposed to be in there, racing each other at a racing game, were gone. In fact, the entire arcade was empty.

What the hell?

This was wrong. I was reminded of my dream. Except, Koike, Emi, and Asuka were here with me. I couldn't remember them in my dream, but then I wasn't looking around much. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I glanced over, but there was nothing.

"Guys, lets get out of here."

There was no response. I looked back. They were gone. I was alone. I felt a tinge of fear.

Shit.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Three

I glanced around, my body tense. I knew what was going to happen next. I waited, then threw myself back. A punch whipped through the air where my head was. I landed, letting my right foot skid backwards, taking up a Taekwondo guard stance, my rear heel off the ground. In front of me, the same ugly-ass sonofabitch stood, and glared at me.

Ryou: "Who the hell are you? What's going on here? Where are my friends?"

The man just kept glaring. Either he was deaf, or he was ignoring me, or he was just retarded. Either way, I was angry. The man growled, and charged.

Just like in the dream. In that case…

I ducked the man's punch, then threw a straight punch towards his solar plexus. The man was as fast as I remembered. His hand blurred in and caught my punch. My other hand whipped through the air, heading towards his throat. He caught that one too. I kicked at his crotch, but he blocked with his knee. I head-butted him, but he didn't seem affected. He twisted, spinning my body around, and let go. I flew through the air, and crashed through a booth. I landed, rolling instinctively. I stood up again. This was impossible. No one could be this fast.

Should have brought my weapons out.

The man leaped at me, and grabbed at my shirt. I jumped backwards, spinning at the same time to throw out a back kick. The man grabbed my leg. I jumped with my other leg, and lashed out with a hook kick. He grabbed that leg too. With a grunt, he threw me again. I went sailing over the railing.

Yep, just like in the dream.

I twisted in mid-air to put my feet under me, and, the moment I landed, I rolled to dissipate the force of the impact. Even so, the impact jarred my ankles. I stood up, wincing at the pain in my ankles. I glanced up just as the man jumped off. He fell towards me, and, just like the dream, I couldn't move. The man landed inches in front of me, knees bending to absorb the force. He drew himself to his full height. I winced as I caught his scent. This guy smelled like shit. At that moment, I regretted honing my senses.

This guy's even taller than Koike

He sneered at me.

"Weak."

I growled, and, suddenly, I could move again. I punched out with my right hand, index middle knuckle extended, aiming for his eye. He caught my punch. Again.

That is fucking annoying

I punched out with my left hand, but this time, I feinted. The man tried to catch it, but he missed. When his hand went past, I immediately threw a straight knife hand pierce. The man dodged, but he wasn't fast enough. My hand grazed the side of his face. At the same time, I kicked up with my left leg, and got him between the legs. His eyes bulged. His grip on my right hand loosened. I tore my right hand free, and punched the man full in the face. He staggered back.

Perfect.

I took one, small, turning step, which helped me add momentum to my spin, and hit him with a back kick. The back kick is a kick that gets most of its power from the spin. Generally, the faster the spin, the stronger the kick. As long as the spin can be controlled, that is. That was a modified back kick that added even more speed to the spin.

I'd practiced that move at Fujiwara-sensei's dojo until I could control the spin well

My kick surged toward him, but he leaped back. He growled. I could see a cut on his cheek where my knife hand pierce got him. I was glad I hadn't cut my fingernails in a while.

So he IS human after all.

I closed my eyes, and let out a breath. I fought to calm myself. Fujiwara-sensei always said emotions affected the ability to fight. I opened my eyes.

Here we go.

The man charged, I waited until he'd committed to his attack, then stepped aside, dodging his punch. My right hand flicked out, grabbing his wrist, then my left palm crashed into his elbow. The man grunted in pain. I let go of his wrist, then moved my hand along his arm to crash into his neck in an inverse knife hand chop. It never made it. He caught my hand just before it hit his neck, then his arm hit me in the ribs, knocking the wind out of me. I landed on my back, gasping for air. The man stepped forward, his right foot rising. I guessed what he was about to do, and rolled aside. His foot smashed into the ground where my head had been. I got on my feet, and leaped backwards.

The man started walking towards me. I couldn't seem to get air into my lungs. My vision was blurring. The man spoke

"Give up. You don't stand a chance against me."

Ryou: "Fuck you."

I stepped forward, both my hands blurring. This was a technique I'd been playing around with. Basically, it relied on human nature. If I can flash enough punches at someone's face, they'll panic, and flinch. It even worked on Fujiwara-sensei, once. I was praying it worked now.

The man's eyes widened, and he flinched back. Not wasting my chance, I stiffened the fingers of my right hand, and stabbed it into his neck. The man choked, and bent forward. I grabbed his head, and rammed my knee into his face. Still holding onto his head, I jumped and twisted, ramming my knee into his temple. I landed, and was going to ram him again, when both his palms slammed into my stomach. All the air in my lungs exploded outward. I fell to my knees. The man stood, and I could see two nasty cuts where my knee had hit him.

"You are annoying."

I cursed, then turned and ran. There was a store here that sold camping supplies, including knives. I hated having to use a weapon against an unarmed opponent, but I needed an edge. I glanced behind me. The man wasn't following me.

What's he up to?

I reached the store, and went in. I ignored the knives on display. They wouldn't be sharp. I went further into the store, and saw what I wanted. A selection of bowie knives were on the wall, under a safety glass cover. I grabbed a pole, smashed the cover, and grabbed two bowie knives. I winced. The last hit that man gave me must have cracked at least one of my ribs on the left side of my body. I tested the edges of the knives. They were sharp. Fujiwara-sensei had told us the basics of fighting with knives. I grabbed some duct tape, and taped the knives to my palms, with the knives in the reverse grip position. I opened and closed my hands. The knives remained securely fastened to my palms. Satisfied, I stood up, and walked out.

"Ready?"

I froze. The man was outside.

What the fuck?! He was WAITING for me?!

I gritted my teeth, then took up my combat stance. I waited. And waited. The man just stood there, arms crossed, that ugly face watching impassively. I had enough. With a roar, I charged towards the man. Suddenly, everything around me disintegrated, turning into a shifting mass of colors.

What the hell?

Shapes took form, and I was standing in a wooden room. I looked around. There were two women, one with long blond hair, another with short black hair, and a man with a tribal tatto on his right arm were standing in front of me. I raised my fists.

"Ryou!"

Emi?

I glanced behind me. Koike, Emi, and Asuka were there. I raised one eyebrow at them.

Ryou: "Where exactly were you guys when I was getting the crap beaten out of me?"

The woman with long hair stepped up and held her hand out towards me.

"There will be time for that later. First, let's get those bruises looked at."

I batted her hand away.

Ryou: "I'm fine. I'd like to know what's going on. If you don't mind."

I said the last few words in a tone that dripped in sarcasm. The man stiffened, and moved forwards, but the woman who had stepped up waved her hand, and he sat down.

Hmm. That woman could be the leader here.

The woman sat down, and gestured for me to sit as well. I remained standing. The woman sighed.

"I can't really blame you for your suspicion. You've been brought here, away from your comfortable world, with no warning whatsoever"

World? Say what?! Are we still on Earth? Or is this woman just crazy?

The woman was still speaking.

"I am Yuki. This" She gestured toward the woman with long hair "is Miharu." She gestured toward the man "And that's Masato. You are here because.."

The man named Masato cut in.

Masato: "I think it would be best if we disarmed him before we tell him."

I raised my fists, with the knives still wrapped in duct tape.

Ryou: "I'm not dropping these until I know what's going on."

Masato: "Oh, really?"

Masato stood up, and faced me.

Seems Yuki isn't going to stop him this time.

Koike moved to stand beside me.

Koike: "I'm with him."

I glanced at Koike. His face was set. Emi and Asuka moved to stand behind me as well.

Thanks, guys.

I looked back at Masato and waited for him to make a move. He was unarmed, which meant that when he attacked me, I'd be able to cut him. His right hand flicked forward.

Fast!

I dodged, my right hand coming up and cutting his wrist. He jumped back with a curse.

Yuki: "Don't underestimate him. This boy managed to give Kazuma three minor cuts on his face. Without the knives.

Masato seemed surprised. Then he smiled.

Masato: "Impressive. I didn't think any human could injure Kazuma. Even one of the Four."

Four? Does he mean us? Wait. "Human"?

He smiled, and licked his cut. Next moment, he was right in front of me, with his hand an inch from my throat.

Oh. Shit.

He leaped back, and smirked.

I watched them a moment, then lowered my hands and started to cut off the duct tape.

Emi: "What are you doing?"

I glanced at her.

Ryou: "You saw that. He could've killed me with one hit. I'm guessing the other two here are at least around his level. I'll listen to their story."

I finished cutting off the duct tape, and looked at them.

Masato grinned, but then something changed. His eyes turned yellow, his fingernails grew longer and sharper, and he grew slightly bigger and more muscled. But the most frightening thing was his mouth. It widened, the teeth turning into huge fangs.

He licked his teeth with an impossibly long tongue. I leaped back, pulling the others with me.

Holy shit!

Ryou: "You're vampires?!"

Masato laughed, the sound of it not sounding human at all. I started to regret dropping my knives.

Yuki: "Not exactly. We are…well, in your world, I suppose you would call us demons. But we're only half demon."

Ryou: "Gee, that makes me feel so much better."

Great. I'm in the same room as three half-demons, all of whom can probably kick my ass with one hand.

Great.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Four

I sighed, then sat down on a chair. After a while, Koike and the others sat too. I looked at Yuki, waiting.

Yuki: "Well, first of all, you are no longer in your home dimension."

I froze.

Say WHAT?!

Koike: "Say WHAT?!"

Apparently, the others shared my opinion. We all started yelling and gesturing wildly. Then Masato, who had reverted to his human form, slammed the wall. The sound of it surprised us, and we all stared at him.

Masato: "Let her finish"

Yuki nodded at him.

Yuki: "First, I better tell you about this dimension. In this dimension, there are beings with speed and strength that far surpass even the most well-trained human. We call these beings, Tenma. There are some Tenma who are peace-loving creatures, and there are some who enjoy killing humans. They are as varied as humans in their opinions and personalities, if not more so. Their appearance can only be described as not human, for their bodies are as varied as their personalities. Some have four limbs, some a hundred limbs, some have tentacles, some have claws, you get the drift. And they can take on human form. Also, there are half-human, half-demon hybrids like us. We are created by a crossing between a Tenma and a human, or by introducing Tenma blood into the body of a human. We are called Ningenbanare. We are as strong as fast as Tenma, but, depending on our level of mastery, we can take on three forms. Normally, a Ningenbanare can shift between human and Tenma forms, as long as he has the strength for the transformation. When a Ningenbanare dies, or is extremely tired, he reverts to human form. But when a Ningenbanare has exceptional strength, or extremely strong willpower, or both, he can achieve a third form. We call this process Awakening. The form, we call Awakened. In this form, we become much more powerful."

"A few years ago, a group of three Ningenbanare, all with the power to Awaken, started gathering other Tenma and Ningenbanare to start a war. Their aim is conquer this land, and kill or enslave all humans. We call them the Mugoi."

Yuki spoke in an toneless voice, her face emotionless. However, when she said 'kill or enslave all humans' I noticed her hands clench.

Seems this is a sore subject with her

Yuki gestured towards herself, Masato, and Miharu.

Yuki: "We, are part of the resistance. However, our power cannot match the theirs. All we have been able to do is stall and slow them down. Then, a year ago, one of us, who had the power to see into the future, had a vision. Unfortunately, she did not have the power to control it. Normally, in her human or Tenma form, she can control it, and her power lets her see only up to one minute into the future. This time, she fought one of the Mugoi, and she Awakened for the first time. While she was fighting, a vision struck her. She could see nothing but the vision, and as a result, the Mugoi dealt her a fatal blow. She did not die immediately from the blow, but there was no chance of her recovering. After she regained consciousness, she told us of her vision. She said she saw four Ningenbanare take on the Mugoi and win. She also sensed their ki, and could tell us for sure that these four Ningenbanare were not among our resistance. Luckily, my power is to open doors to other dimensions. In Awakened form, I can create a pocket dimension. However, even in Awakened form, I can't open links to an entire new dimension. So, we combined the power of all the Ningenbanare we could spare, and with her help, we searched the world, then the dimension, then other dimensions, until we found you. Unfortunately, the effort killed her. After that, we spent some time preparing, and then made another attempt. However, the Mugoi had sensed our first attempt, and were waiting. The leader of the Mugoi has the same ability as me. When we found you, they found you as well. Even with our combined power, we only had enough strength to transport three of you at once. So I put the four of you in a pocket dimension first, and then took the three of you who had the weakest ki signature, and left the one who had the best chance of surviving. While I was pulling you towards our dimension, they sent a Ningenbanare into the pocket dimension I had made. It seems I made it in time."

So that explains why everyone at the mall disappeared, followed by Koike and the others. And also why that guy I fought was such a damned good fighter. But…

Ryou: "But, Koike and I are equal in terms of overall fighting power."

Yuki nodded.

Yuki: "I know. I could sense that your ki was closely matched, so I just chose one of you."

Koike cut in.

Koike: "Something you said bothers me. You said, in the vision, that the person saw four Ningenbanare. Does that mean you expect us to become Ningenbanare?"

I froze.

I can't believe I missed that! Man..i'm more tired than I thought.

Emi and Asuka stiffened. I looked at Yuki.

Ryou: "Well?"

Yuki looked surprised for a moment, then she smiled ruefully.

Yuki: "I had hoped to keep that a secret until you grew used to the idea of Tenma and Ningenbanare, but I will not lie directly to you. Yes, we expect you to become Ningenbanare."

Ryou: "So, basically, you expect us to give up our humanity to help you?"

Yuki's face hardened

Yuki: "We are not monsters, Matsuo Ryou. We have feelings that are the same as humans. We bleed when we are injured, and cry when we are sad. Tenma are the same. They love their children, the same as any human. Besides, will you really stand b and do nothing when an entire nation of humans suffer? Because, we cannot hold off the Mugoi forever. They have already conquered a quarter of this land, and the fugitives from those lands can recount things the Mugoi did that are beyond horrific."

I sighed. All this talk of Tenma and Awakening and Ningenbanare and Mugoi were giving me a headache. The adrenalin rush from fighting that man, no, Ningenbanare in the mall was wearing off. My vision was blurring again. My ribs were hurting more too.

Ryou: "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intent to insult you. Well…I guess…I'll..think..about… it."

With that, for the first time in my life, i blacked out.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Five

Ugh…Damn.. My whole body hurts.

I opened my eyes, and saw the short haired woman from before.

Ryou: "Um…Miharu, isn't it?"

She smiled gently

Miharu: "Yes. Now, you've fractured two ribs on your left side, you've pulled the muscles in both your calves, and both your ankles seem a bit strained. Oh, and you also have a concussion. All in all, you got off pretty lightly. I was expecting a lot worse. I think you're the first person to have fought a Ningenbanare and not get killed straight off."

I scowled

Ryou: "That's because the bastard was playing with me in the beginning. He only got serious about halfway through, but then I ran away."

Miharu nodded.

Miharu: "That was a good decision. If you fought him head to head, and he was serious, you would have been killed"

I looked away.

Ryou: "That doesn't make me feel any better."

She sighed.

Miharu: "Well, you're entitled to your opinion. Personally, I think it's stupid to fight someone you know you can't win."

I looked at her.

Ryou: "Then why are you fighting the Mugoi? Yuki said it herself, this resistance is no match for their power."

She flushed, and looked away.

Miharu: "That's different. We have a reason to fight."

Just then, Asuka came in, carrying a bunch of herbs.

Asuka: "I got the herbs you asked for, Miharu"

Miharu: "Thank you, Asuka. Just put them over there for now."

I glanced at Asuka.

Ryou: "Where are the others?"

Asuka: "Oh, they're training with their masters."

I raised an eyebrow

Ryou: "Masters?"

Asuka: "Oh, that's right! You don't know, cause you passed out. The three of us have been assigned masters. Masato's in charge of Koike, and Yuki's in charge of Emi. Miharu is my master. They'll teach us how to fight, and in my case, how to treat injuries."

Ryou: "What about me?"

Asuka: "Well, the person who's supposed to be your master is away on a mission. Besides, you're in no condition to train."

I glanced down. My chest was wrapped tightly in a bandage. My ankles and calves were similiarly wrapped. I reached up, and sure enough, there was a bandage around my head as well.

Ryou: "Why all the bandages? I'm pretty sure strained muscles don't need bandages, and all a concussion needs is some rest."

Miharu glanced at me

Miharu: "The bandages are there to keep the herbs pressed against the wound. Here, let me show you what the herbs are for. Asuka, you come here too. You can't do this right now, but you may as well learn as much as you can."

Miharu reached out, and touched the bandage on my head. Warmth radiated outward from her touch. When she pulled her hand away, the warmth receded, but the area covered by the bandages remained warm. She did the same with the other bandages, with the same result.

Miharu: "Ryou, describe what you feel to Asuka."

Ryou: "Well, I…feel warmth, I guess. When you touched me, warmth radiated from your hands. When you pulled away, the warmth receded, but remained where the bandages were."

Miharu nodded.

Miharu: "I used my ki to heal your wounds. Normally, I have to keep sending ki into the wound until it heals. But those herbs can retain ki, and then send it into the wound. This allows the healer to move on to other patients. Since we have a shortage of healers, this comes in very handy. Especially since the herbs enhance the effect of the ki."

Cool

I started to get out of the bed, when Miharu stopped me.

Miharu: "Oh no, you don't. I know your type. If I let you go in your condition, you're just going to come back in even worse shape. I'm going to keep you here for the next week or so."

I started to argue, then I noticed the look in her eye. I'd seen that look before. Normally, just before I'm about to lose an argument. I sighed, then slumped back.

Ryou: "Can I at least go and see the others?"

Miharu: "Not for another two days, young man."

Great. This is gonna be boring.

Miharu must have noticed my gloomy expression.

Miharu: "In the meantime, I'm going to teach Asuka about herbs, and their effects. Want to listen in?"

Well, at least it's something to do. And I'll probably need that knowledge soon.

I nodded, and the lessons began.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Six

"HYAAAAA-OOF!!!"

I winced as Yuki drove the hilt of her sword right into Emi's stomach.

It had been two days since we arrived here. Two days since we'd been pulled from our comfortably boring lives, and plonked right in the middle of a war. A war which had demons and half-demon hybrids. One of which had easily kicked my ass, when I was in top physical condition.

Life's great, isn't it?

I took a deep breath.

At least the air here is cleaner.

I watched as Emi got to her feet, and faced Yuki. Emi's chosen weapon was the staff. I'd expected as much. Emi mainly practices wushu, and her favourite weapon is the staff. She'd gotten to be quite good with it. Now, all she has to do is learn how and when to use the moves she had learned.

Over the past two days, Koike and Emi had dropped by the hospital room I was in. Mostly, they were there to get herbal remedies for their bruises. I'd been watching them while we were chatting, and I'd noticed that they were more confident in the way they moved. It wasn't very obvious, so I wasn't sure, but looking at Emi training now, I could see it clearly. She was more confident in her movements, more trusting of her body's reflexes. Two days ago, her main problem was that she thought too much about her movements. Now, that problem was almost gone.

I walked over to the training ground where Koike was training. Koike was progressing even faster than Emi. He'd been training almost nonstop. The only reason he was still able to train was because of Miharu's herbs.

The herbs in this land are incredible.

I sat down on a bench to watch Koike's training.

Koike stood about two meters in front of Masato. Koike's chosen weapon was the nunchaku. Again, I'd expected it. I didn't really like it, as nunchakus have a tendency to bounce if you hit something the wrong way, but hadn't objected. Koike had always been good at controlling the nunchaku, so I didn't think it was necessary. I glanced at Koike's rear foot. He'd raised his heel, putting all his weight on the front sole. I smiled inwardly. I knew what he was planning. Masato stood, his twin tonfa at the ready. Koike pushed off with his rear leg, and covered the distance in a second.

There we go.

A normal human would have had a hard time keeping up, but Masato easily dodged the diagonal downward strike from Koike's nunchaku. Koike followed through, spinning and lashing out with a horizontal strike. Masato blocked it, and struck out with the tonfa on his right arm. Koike was forced to pull the nunchaku to his waist to compensate for the recoil, and he dodged the tonfa. Koike's free hand punched out at Masato's body. Koike spun, and kicked out with a back kick, but Masato side-stepped easily. Koike continued the spin, and brought his nunchaku around in a spinning strike. Masato raised his tonfa to block, but Koike's strike missed it entirely. Instead, Koike spun the nunchaku to his other hand, and, without slowing down at all, struck at Masato. Masato countered by striking Koike in the chest before the nunchaku strike could land.

Damn. That was a good trick. Koike's becoming craftier by the second.

I sighed. I was bored. Miharu had said, in no uncertain terms, that I was to take it easy for the next week. That meant no training whatsoever. I could practice some katas, but nothing complex, and even then, I was only to practice when she was watching. And she didn't have much time either, what with treating the injured of the resistance and teaching Asuka about the medicine of this land. I'd given up after the first day of learning healing. I knew basic first-aid, mostly because I'd had to apply first-aid to myself and others while training under Fujiwara-sensei, but the type of healing that Miharu taught was different. She expected us to be able to memorize hundreds of types of herbs, and the method of preparing them for use. In the end, I gave up, and just memorized a few herbs that could disinfect and accelerate the healing of wounds with minimal preparation. Asuka, however, seemed to have a real gift for this. She devoured all the information that Miharu gave her and always remained eager for more.

I walked out of the training area, and headed away from the headquarters building.. After I had walked for some distance, I glanced back.

So. This is the resistance headquarters.

It wasn't much. It was just a bunch of buildings, and fields of crops. It looked exactly like a medieval era town.

What did you expect? A fortress? If the Mugoi and their army is as powerful as Yuki and the others say, then basically, the resistance is using guerrilla tactics, with priority on keeping the headquarters location secret. I'd bet that this is an actual town, and the residents are either part of the resistance, or have been bribed, or otherwise persuaded, to stay quiet.

I walked further away. I discovered a stream below a ridge, and lay down in the grass, in the shadow of the ridge. Then, I heard a rustle. Curious, I sat up. Three men stood on the other side of the stream, swords on their backs. Because of the grass, and the ridge's shadow, they hadn't seen me until I sat up.

They froze, then one of them laughed. "Its fine, men. It's just a puny human. Scared me for a second. I thought it was one of the enemy Ningenbanare."

I twitched. Probably, at least one of these guys were either Tenma or Ningenbanare. Either way, they could kill me if they wanted to. On the plus side, they were probably on the side of the resistance, and probably had been ordered not to harm humans. Probably.

The man who had spoken started to mutate.

Ningenbanare!

Why is he transforming?

I don't know, but I don't think it'll be good for me.

I started to run, but a tentacle wrapped itself around my neck. I choked as it lifted me up to dangle in the air above the monsters head. It opened its mouth, a huge thing, with lots of sharp-looking fangs.

One of the other men snickered. "Boy, if you tell us if the resistance is anywhere in this area, I might be able to convince my friend here not to eat you."

So much for them being from the resistance.

I clawed at the tentacle, to no effect. My vision was starting to darken

Great. A week ago, I'd never passed out in my life, and now, I'm about to pass out for the second time in three days.

Something slammed into me, and I heard the monster roar. At the same time, I felt the pressure around my neck lessen. I hit the ground and rolled to my knees. I stayed there awhile, sucking in air to my lungs. I glanced up. The tentacle that had been wrapped around my neck was lying on the ground a few feet away, twitching periodically. Between me and the monster, stood a girl. She had black hair, tied up in a ponytail, and a katana in one hand. The monster roared, and lashed out with its other tentacle. She twirled, dodging the tentacle, and slashed it in half. The monster roared, then a dozen tentacles ripped out of its body and attacked the girl, forcing her back. The girl yelled at me. "I'll take care of this! You take out the other two!"

I blinked, then looked at the two men. They smirked, then drew their swords.

You gotta be kidding.

I glanced back at the girl, but she was busy fighting the monster. I stood, facing the men. From their body language, I could tell that they were feeling cocky.

I really hope these guys are just humans.

I burst forward, running through stream. I stumbled, and fell, one hand hitting the bottom of the stream. The men laughed, then one of them stepped forward, raising his sword one handed, obviously intending to strike downward. I almost sighed in disappointment

Please. Anyone could dodge that.

I sidestepped the blow, then swung the fist-sized rock I'd found when I "fell" in the stream. It hit the man right on the head, knocking him out. Without stopping, I charged the second man. The man cursed, and jumped back, swinging his sword. I barely avoided the blade. Out of desperation, I hurled the rock at his face, hoping to knock him off balance, but he just ducked. I dropped into my stance, and watched the man's eyes, at the same time watching his sword in my peripheral vision. He stepped forward, swinging his sword wildly.

Damn. If I had anything that could block his sword, I could beat this guy, easy.

Fine. I'm just going to have to get cut.

Just as I was going to charge in, I caught sight of the sword the other guy had dropped. I dodged the man's next charge, then dashed forward and grabbed the sword. It was fairly heavy, but I could manage. The man swung his sword, and I stepped in, blocked the blade, and headbutted the man. I felt his nose crunch. I twisted, then dealt a back kick to the man's chest, knocking him backwards. I twisted again, and hit the man with a reverse hook kick, knocking him out. I smiled in satisfaction. I'd just taken out two armed men without aggravating my fractured ribs. I looked at the girl, just in time to see her get hit by two tentacles.

That HAD to hurt.

She fell and rolled, putting some distance between her and the monster. I could see that she was protecting the spot where the tentacles had hit her. She was going to need help. So far, the monster was ignoring me.

I took a deep breath, then crossed the stream to the other side, where the girl and the monster was. I maneuvered until I was behind the monster. The girl glanced at me, then looked back at the monster. She yelled loudly, and chopped at some of the tentacles, then jumped away before she got hit.

Good. She understands what I'm going to do.

I've never had any training in sword styles, but I had watched Fujiwara-sensei teaching some students. I had a move in mind that was well-suited for this situation. Fujiwara-sensei's style used a katana, like the one the girl was using, but I was going to have to make do with the double-edged sword I was holding. I gripped the hilt with two hands. This move was fairly simple. Basically, it was just a two-handed thrust, from the middle of the chest. Combined with a forward momentum, this move could go through hard leather.

I eyed the monster's back. I set my stance, rear heel raised. I pushed forward, keeping my body low, and the sword below my body.

This is probably going to hurt my ribs, but it's better than being dead.

I stabbed forward, the blade sliced throught the air, going straight towards the monsters head. I felt a brief surge of triumph. Then the monster disappeared, leaving my blade to slice through thin air. I lost my balance, and fell. I rolled to my feet, and stood up. The girl stepped up beside me.

"Nice try."

I glanced at her.

Ryou: "Would have been better if I actually got the bastard."

The monster stood in front of us, laughing. "Did you actually think you could kill me with an attack that obvious? I could've heard your footsteps a mile away!"

I gripped the sword tighter. Beside me, the girl raised her sword. As one, we charged the monster. The monster laughed, and raised its tentacles.

Well, this is probably it. The "Four" is gonna become the "Three"

Then the monster's head exploded, blood spraying. The girl and I both froze. The monster's body stood there for a few seconds, then slowly toppled over, revealing a man standing behind the body. There was a scar running across the man's face, below his eyes. I glanced at his hand. Blood dripped from it.

He crushed the monster's head with his bare hands?!

The man spoke. "I've been looking for you, Ryou. I'm your master."

"My name is Shigehito."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Seven

I winced as Miharu rebandaged my ribs. They'd gotten torn when I fell while fighting that monster. According to Shigehito, it was a Tenma. Miharu sighed. "I thought I told you to take it easy?"

I scowled at her. "You'd rather I let that Tenma eat me?"

She sighed again. "Yes, yes. I just wish Shigehito had gotten there earlier. Still, I suppose you were lucky he was there at all. He was on his way back on his mission, and sensed the ki that Tenma was putting out. If he hadn't gone to check it out, by the time we'd arranged a squad to investigate, you'd probably have been killed."

She finished tying the bandage, and applied ki to it. Instantly, I felt the aching in my ribs disappear. "There. Now, go pack your things."

I nodded, put my shirt on, and then left. All around me, men and women were carrying boxes, and packing up. The resistance was switching locations. Those Mugoi I had encountered were quite close to the headquarters, and the resistance wasn't taking any chances. Someone clapped a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and saw the girl who had saved me in the forest. She'd introduced herself as Suki. She smiled at me. "I'll see you at the next rally point, all right?" I smiled back. "Yea. I'd like that." She beamed, and walked away.

I walked up to the room I shared with Koike. When we arrived, we had been assigned two rooms. One for the girls, and one for Koike and I. Koike stepped out just as I walked up to the door. I glanced at the pack he was carrying. There was also a nunchaku strapped to his right thigh. "You got any idea where we're headed?" I shrugged. "Another town, probably." He nodded. "We're gathering at the town square." I nodded, then went into the room. We'd each been given three outfits, one pack, one water canteen and our choice of weapons. Emi and Koike had already chosen theirs. However, Asuka and I hadn't chosen. When they had offered us weapons, Asuka had flat out refused. She said she didn't ever want to kill anyone. The rest of us had shared her opinion, but we knew that we'd all have to kill soon. This was a war, after all. Asuka had yet to accept this, and the idea that we had to kill was something that bothered all of us. I'd fought those humans back in the forest, but I'd stopped short of killing them. I hadn't chosen any weapons because I hadn't decided which weapon suited me best.

I stepped into my room, and packed up. It didn't really take long. As I walked out, Asuka and Emi joined me. They were both carrying packs, and Emi had her staff in her hand. We chatted until we got to the town square. I glanced around. Before today, the town square had been used as a training area. Now, it was filled with resistance members and town residents who were setting up the marketplace. The whole thing was quick and efficient, as if they had done it many times. Of course, they probably had. When they were done, there was no evidence that the resistance headquarters had ever been there. Yuki climbed onto a box. In a loud voice, she spoke. "You all know what to do. I'll see you all at the next rally point. Good luck. Now, move out!"

The resistance scattered. Some took horses, and dragged wagons off. Others went on foot. They all went in different directions. I stood with the others, looking around uncertainly. Yuki, Miharu, Masato, and Shigehito walked up. Yuki spoke. "Come, you'll be going with us. You'll be continuing your training while we travel."

I perked up. "Really?"

Shigehito smirked, and was about to say something, when Miharu cut in. "Not you, Ryou. I don't think your ribs are perfectly healed yet." Shigehito opened his mouth again, but Miharu glared at him. Shigehito gulped, then looked away.

I sighed, then lifted my pack. "Let's get going then."

5 days later, we reached the next town. As Yuki and Masato went to find the village chief to negotiate supplies for the resistance personnel who would soon be arriving. While they were gone, Shigehito told me that most towns would house the resistance for free. Because of that, the resistance chose only the towns that could afford it, and always paid a token sum. It might not be enough to cover the cost of food for the resistance, but at least it was something. After that, Miharu took a look at my ribs, and declared them healed.

Finally…..

I grinned, then looked at Shigehito. He grunted, then said. "We'll train when we're done setting up the things the resistance needs.

"How long will that take?"

"Normally, about half a day or so."

"We train this evening, then?"

"Suppose so"

That evening, I went to the field that had been designated as the training ground. Since most of the resistance members that worked in the headquarters hadn't arrived yet, the training field was mostly empty. The only other members were Yuki, Emi, Koike and Masato. Yuki and Emi were at the south end of the field, while Koike and Masato were at the north end of the field. Shigehito and I were at the center. "Well, if I'm going to train you, I need to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. I watched some of your fight with that Tenma the other day, but, it wasn't exactly an epic battle" He chuckled when he said that. I glared at him. Anyway, the fastest way for me to figure out your strengths is to spar with you." I blinked.

He stood easily, feet at shoulder width, arms dangling at his sides.

"Anytime you're ready."

I approached cautiously, then threw a right jab at Shigehito's face. He grabbed my wrist and twisted, flipping me over. I broke my fall with my left hand, and threw a twin side kick at Shigehito. He jumped back, releasing my hand.

"Not bad. For a toddler."

I grinned, then charged.

Half an hour later, I hit the ground for what felt like the fifth hundredth time. I groaned, then forced myself to my feet.

"Enough."

I blinked in surprise. "Sensei?"

Shigehito raised a hand, and said "Don't call me that. I'm not your sensei. I'm here to turn you into the best fighter you can possibly be. I'm here to force you to reach your limits, and then to break them. I don't want any of that teacher-student crap to get in the way. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't call me that either. Just use my name."

"Yes, Shigehito."

"Better. Now, your agility is more or less satisfactory, but you need to bring up your strength and speed. I want you to do these exercises."

I spent the rest of the evening doing the exercises that Shigehito taught me. It was dark by the time he finally told me to go get some rest. I sighed in relief, and dragged myself off to find some food and water before sleeping. All the same, it felt good to stretch my limits after so long without training.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Eight

I woke up to a strange feeling of weightlessness. I opened my eyes, and saw the ground rushing up to me.

What the?!

I rolled, got my feet under me, and looked around. I was in the field again.

"Hmph. Your reflexes need a bit more work."

I looked in the direction of the voice. Even though he was only standing a few meters away, I could only make out a dark shape. I could recognize the voice though. It was the same one that had been yelling at me yesterday.

"Shigehito?"

"And you sleep like a log. That won't do. What if you're attacked in your sleep?"

"Dude, seriously. It's not even dawn yet." I winced as my body reminded me of the punishment it had been given yesterday.

"Exactly"

Huh?

The shape blurred forward, and I got hit in the chest. I jumped backwards to absorb the hit. "Tch!" I opened my eyes as wide as I could, to let my retinas absorb maximum light. Even so, I barely saw the kick flying towards my head. I ducked, then jabbed forward. I didn't use full power. Instead, I concentrated on striking out and pulling back as fast as I could, so each punch became like a flick. He blocked and deflected all of them, but since I didn't use full power, I wasn't thrown off balance. Shigehito took a step back, and twisted. Sensing what was coming, I jumped and twisted, my body parallel to the ground. I actually felt his kick brush past my face. Landing from my jump, I shoulder charged Shigehito. He jumped and somersaulted over me, grabbing my shoulders as he went. When he landed, he threw me away. I bounced and skidded, rolling the whole time to minimize the force. When I finally stopped, I was about 20 meters away from him. I sweatdropped.

You gotta be kidding.

I stood up, and called over to Shigehito. "Y'know, this really isn't fair. You're so much stronger and faster than me that it's ridiculous."

"Oh, I'm sorry, does the wittle whiner want me to slow down?"

I froze. Shigehito had disappeared, and now his voice was coming from a point right beside my ear. I spun, right arm raised in an elbow strike, but he blocked the elbow and hit me in the ribs, sending me flying. I rolled to my feet, clutching my side.

"Wake up, boy! Life's never fair, even more so when in a war. You think you're only gonna be fighting humans? You may only be a human now, but you are one of the Four. The ones who have been prophesized to defeat the three Mugoi. At this moment, you are only human, but you are expected to be able to fight a Tenma, or a Ningenbanare, and win. I am trying to train you to that level! Or are you going to give up?"

I grunted, and pushed myself to my feet. I glared at Shigehito. I could feel the old anger stir. I'd spent a large part of my life trying to suppress that part of me. Even so, right now, anger was only an asset. I whispered. "I won't give up."

"I can't hear you!" shouted Shigehito. I felt the anger envelop me, lending strength to my body. I roared, and charged.

"I WON'T GIVE UP!!!"

An hour later, I collapsed onto the ground, panting. Shigehito squatted down beside me. I twisted, and tried to punch his face. He grabbed my wrist, and grinned. "I'll give you this. You have got to be the most stubborn person I know. Take a break, get some breakfast. I'll start teaching you how to fight later."

With that, he leaped away. Lying there, staring up at the clouds, I grinned.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Nine

Shigehito cracked his knuckles.

"Now, you need to start controlling your anger. Anger is fine, it bolsters your strength, and makes pain easier to deal with. That's why a berserker usually has high destructive potential, and is hard to take down without killing. But it also clouds your judgment, and that can be lethal in battle. That's why berserkers usually have a short lifespan on the battlefield. What I want you to achieve, is to let your anger run wild in your body, while maintaining a calm mind."

I thought about it awhile. "So, basically, you want me to balance anger and calmness?"

"Yes. Sort of like Heart of Fire, Mind of Ice."

I grinned. "It's got a nice ring to it."

I closed my eyes, and focused.

Okay. Now, first thing should be to rouse my anger.

I concentrated. And concentrated. And concentrated.

Eventually, I sighed, and looked up at Shigehito.

"A little help?"

He sighed. "I thought that might happen. You've probably been suppressing your anger for a long time, so now it's hard for you to bring it up. Maybe this'll help" He smacked my head before I could reply.

"OW!"

I grabbed onto the spark of irritation I felt when Shigehito hit me. I fed it, and let it grow, until it raged in my mind. I compartmentalized it, pushing it into a corner. Shigehito moved again. Without thinking, my hand flipped up, and blocked. I blinked, surprise temporarily dulling my anger. It had been the first time I blocked one of Shigehito's hits. He smirked.

"I forgot to mention. Anger is a primal emotion, so when you're using it, you are more in touch with your instincts. That speeds up your reflexes."

I nodded. I let the anger burn hotter.

"Let's go."

At lunch time, we took a break. By now, a lot of the headquarters personnel had arrived, and were watching us train. Apparently, since the headquarters had only just been set up, a lot of them had nothing to do. I sat down, only noticing the fatigue in my limbs when I sat. I sighed. I was too tired too move. Shigehito stood over me, barely even breathing hard.

Man, that incredible strength, speed and stamina almost makes being only part human worth it.

"Get some rest, eat lunch, maybe take a nap. We'll train when it's a bit cooler."

I shaded my eyes against the sun, which was beating down mercilessly. It was hot, but not as hot as some afternoons back in town. Still, it was hot enough to make dragging myself into the shade worth it. I grunted and pulled myself to a sitting position. I looked around for Shigehito. He was gone.

So much for asking for some help

I searched for the nearest big piece of shade. The nearest one was under a tree, about 50 meters away. I groaned, then collapsed.

So faaaaar…..

"Ryou!"

I groaned. I'd just gotten comfortable. I rolled over, and looked in the direction of the voice.

"Suki? Hi! When did you get here?"

She ran up to me, and smiled. "I got here this morning. I'd have come looking for you earlier, but I had to report in. You okay? You look wiped."

I grunted. "I AM wiped. Hey, gimme a hand, will ya? I want to get outta this sun."

She laughed. "Wow. You really are wiped. Unless this is just an excuse to touch me?" She glared at me. I gulped.

"What?! No! Nuh-uh! No way!"

"So you don't find me attractive?"

"Huh? No! I mean, yes! I mean, uh, you're attractive! Really attractive!"

"So you ARE trying to touch me."

I was about to reply, then I saw her trying to hide a smile. I glared at her.

"Having fun, are we?"

She giggled.

"Are you gonna help me, or just stand there and make a fool out of me while I dehydrate under the sun?"

She stood there awhile, smiling, then sighed and grabbed my arm. After some effort, we finally made it into the shade. I collapsed gratefully onto the grass. Then, my stomach growled. She froze for a moment, then giggled.

"Wait here. I'll go get us some lunch." She ran off before I could say anything. I must've dozed off, because the next thing I knew, she was shaking me gently.

"Food's here." It wasn't anything fancy. Just bread, cheese, and roasted meat. But at the moment, it was like a gourmet meal to me. I was famished. Apparently, fighting a Ningenbanare for half a day can really work up an appetite. When I was done, Suki tossed me a small flask. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have my own water canteen, you know."

"That's not water. I bumped into Miharu on the way over here, and she asked me to pass this to you. I think its something to help with your sore muscles."

I took a sip, and blanched. It tasted seriously bitter.

At least its small.

I screwed up my face, and finished the whole thing in one go. I sighed, and laid back. Maybe it was the medicine, or maybe it was the food, but I felt better now.

Suki smiled, she was still eating.

'Wow, you eat fast."

I grunted.

"So, what kind of torture is old Shigehito putting you through now?"

I shrugged. "He's teaching me to harness my anger. Of course, he has to teach me to get angry first."

She blinked. "Are you really THAt hard to annoy?"

I scowled at her. "That's not what I mean. There's a difference between annoyance and anger. When I was growing up, I learned to suppress my anger. By now, it's become instinctive."

"So, he's turning you into a berserker?"

I laughed. "Not really. If I had to put it into words, I'd say he's teaching me to become a calm berserker."

She looked confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I smiled. "It's a very hard concept to grasp. It's even harder to do. I keep letting my anger control me, instead of the other way around."

Just then, Shigehito walked up.

"Okay, let's get back to work. You still need a lot of training."

I groaned, then stood up.

"Well, I guess I'll see ya later."

She stood up as well. "Okay. I have to take care of something anyway. Have fun."

I glared at her as she walked off. Shigehito chuckled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

I scowled at him, then started to feed my anger. It was becoming easier now. Briefly, I wondered whether that was a good thing.

It'll help me stay alive. That counts as a good thing in my book.

I shrugged mentally, then got on with the training.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Ten

I stood at the edge of the training field, looking around. It was night time. Most of the resistance were asleep, except for those on patrol. Other than them, I knew that there were a few Ningenbanare in the buildings who were alert for any trace of enemy ki.

I breathed in the cold air. It had been several months since we first got here. When I started training, at the end of the day, I was so completely exhausted that I sometimes didn't bother going back to the tent I shared with Koike to sleep. Though, when I woke up, there was always a blanket covering me. Anyway, after awhile the training didn't exhaust me as much. It was still tiring, but my body's ability to recover had improved, and I caught my breath faster. Downside, my insomnia was back. Which is why I was here, doing some late night training.

I closed my eyes, then started doing the katas that Fujiwara-sensei had taught me. I hadn't practiced them at all since I got here. Frankly, I was feeling a bit guilty. I was halfway through the last kata he had taught me when my instincts kicked in, and I ducked. A dark blur whipped through the air my head had been.

"Good. You're learning to pay attention to your instincts."

I sighed. "Shigehito. What the hell is it with you and fighting in the dark?"

"You think you'll only ever have to fight in the day? Eventually, you're going to have a fight in a situation where you can't see."

I shrugged. I couldn't argue with that logic.

"Anyway, you shouldn't be out here. Get some rest while you still can. You have training tomorrow."

"I can't sleep."

"Hmph. Then get yourself some ale from the mess tent and drink yourself to sleep."

I was about to reply when the frantic ringing of a bell cut through the night air. It took me a moment to figure out what it was.

Alarm bell.

Shigehito cursed. "The Mugoi have found us! Damnit. You're not ready yet!"

He pushed me in the direction of my tent. "Pack your things! The others will try to hold them off!"

A scream rose from the village entrance, then was cut off. Shigehito pushed me again, then ran in the direction of the scream. I wanted to go after him, but I turned away and ran back to my tent. Koike was just coming out, nunchaku in his hand. From the tent beside us, Emi, armed with her staff, and Asuka climbed out.

"Ryou! What's going on?"

"Mugoi" I replied tersely. "Shigehito told us to pack our things."

"We're leaving?"

"No, you're not."

We froze, then turned in the direction of the voice. Five men stood there, smirks on their faces. "And don't even think about running. We're all Ningenbanare here.

Damn! Five of them. This isn't good.

"Who says we'll be running?"

I glanced to the side. Suki was there, her katana gleaming in the light from the lanterns that had recently been lit. Another two men stepped out from the shadows. One was wielding a broadsword, and another had twin short swords in his hands.

The lead Ningenbanare laughed. "Seven humans against five Ningenbanare? I feel sorry for you."

The Ningenbanare started to spread out. Automatically, we formed a defensive circle around Asuka, the only person in the group without combat training. I didn't have time to ask how the Suki and the strangers knew about Asuka's lack of training. I started to gather my rage.

The leader spoke. "Hmm? You're all protecting one human? Does that mean she can't fight on her own?"

I used the Ningenbanare's mocking tone to fuel my anger. "That's none of your business"

This isn't good. Koike's style requires room to move around, or at least no allies to worry about hitting.

I sighed.

I'm probably going to regret this.

"Koike, stick with me! The rest of you, don't break formation, and protect Asuka!"

Without waiting for a reply, I ran off to the side, Koike following me. Two Ningenbanare followed us. I'd been hoping for only one, but I'd expected this. One of them stopped right in front of me. I jumped to the side, landed on some barrels, and jumped again, vaulting over the Ningenbanare. He tried to catch me, but I managed to twist my feet out of the way at the last moment. I landed in a roll, and kept running. I'd lost sight of Koike by now.

Good luck, buddy.

I'd reached the training field by now. I skidded to a stop, and faced the Ningenbanare that followed me. He grinned. "Tired of running?"

I didn't answer. I stood in a loose ready stance. Because Ningenbanare were much faster and stronger than I was, I had to be able to move at an instant's notice, and a tense stance didn't let me do that. At least it was brighter now. Lanterns had been lit, and I could see everything more or less clearly.

Let's see just how much stronger I've gotten.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Eleven

The Ningenbanare grinned, then charged me head on. I blinked.

No way…

I stepped forward, bringing my elbow up. The Ningenbanare crashed right into my elbow. Only the Ningenbanare's enhanced skeletal structure saved him from broken teeth. My elbow hurt though. My left hand crashed out, strength enhanced by rage. My fist slammed into the Ningenbanare's solar plexus, knocking him backward.

Something's weird about this guy..

The Ningenbanare charged to my left, I didn't bother turning. The daily fights with Shigehito had taught me one thing. The only way for me to follow the speed of Tenma and Ningenbanare was by using my peripheral vision. The Ningenbanare rushed towards my left side, sword swinging wildly.

He's had almost no training.

I stepped forward, and the blade missed. Before I could counterattack, the Ningenbanare was gone. He'd rushed straight past me. I frowned

Strange. I thought for sure he'd try another attack.Could it be?

He charged again. To test my theory, I rolled forward before he reached me. Instead of changing his direction to run at me, he rushed straight past the place I was, and crashed through a few boxes.

Its…as if he can't control his speed! But, how? According to Shigehito, when a human turns Ningenbanare, his speed and strength only increases gradually!

Could the Mugoi have figured out a way to give a newly turned Ningenbanare full speed and strength?

I cursed. There was no time for speculation. This may have been a rookie Ningenbanare who couldn't control his speed and power, but he was still a threat. One direct hit from that sword, and I was dead. Though, I had a little bit of leeway now.

The Ningenbanare ran towards me. I snorted. He should have learned by now that charging me head on wasn't gonna work. I stepped forward, and slid down in a sliding tackle. One foot hit his lead foot, causing him to trip. The other foot, with toes pointed forward, forming a spear, stabbed straight into his groin. He gasped, and bent over. My hands were already moving. Since I was only human, I could only manage two strikes. But I made them count. My left hand struck his solar plexus again, and my right hand, middle knuckles extended, struck his neck. The he flew over me, and skidded through the grass. I was on my feet in an instant. Shigehito had happily stomped on me many times when I didn't get up fast enough. I held the Ningenbanare's stare. By now, rage was burning through my body, and my mind was completely calm. All emotions had long been discarded. In this state, my reflexes were at their fastest, and all hesitation, the one thing that had been holding me back, was gone. The Ningenbanare coughed up blood.

"How is this possible! How am I being defeated by one human?!"

Because you can't even control your own body. Because you've barely had any training. Because you lack the ability to adapt yourself to the situation. Because you underestimated your enemy.

Because I'm better than you.

I felt no need to explain to the Ningenbanare. I was no longer the person that I normally was. Here, in battle, I was ruthless, because battle is ruthless. The Ningenbanare stood up, then charged me again, sword extended in front of him. I slapped the sword away, then struck forwards, into his neck. I switched my hand to the back of his head, then head-butted the Ningenbanare. He reared back, exposing his neck again.

My hand reached up, then I slammed my elbow into his neck. My other hand blurred forward, fingers extended, and stabbed into the neck, almost breaking my fingers. As the Ningenbanare stumbled backward, I grabbed his head, and leapt up, ramming my knee into his face. This time, he fell. I quick-stepped up, and landed an axe kick to his neck. I felt the bone snap. The sound and feel of it sickened me.

I stumbled back from the body and fought the urge to vomit.

Jesus…

"This is why I said you weren't ready."

I looked up to see Shigehito, standing next to the body. I looked away.

"I just killed someone."

Shigehito sighed.

"If it helps, you did well."

"Then why do I feel like I've failed? That man, has family and probably friends! A mother! A father! Brothers! Sisters! Hell, maybe even a wife and kids! What right do I have to take him away from those close to him!? What makes MY life more important than HIS?!

Shigehito stood there a moment, then hit me in the head.

"What-?"

"This is WAR, boy! IF you hadn't killed him, that would've been YOUR body lying there! Imagine what your friends would have felt! Imagine what your family would have felt!"

He grabbed my shirt collar. In a low, dangerous voice, he spoke.

"Also, this war isn't just about you. If you die, here, countless others will die with you. Men, women, children. All of them will die, killed by the Mugoi. We need you to stop them. So I'll be damned, if I'm gonna let some sentimental brat ruin the resistance's best chance of beating the thrice-damned Mugoi!"

He pushed me back.

"Now, lets go back to the others."

With that, he turned and left. I stood there a moment, then followed him.

When we got back to the tent, Koike was already back. I glanced at him.

"You killed the Ningenbanare?"

Koike shook his head. "Masato got to him first."

I nodded, then sat down in front of the fire someone had set up. I glanced at Emi. "What about you?"

She shook her head. "Ralph-" she pointed at the guy with the twin swords "stabbed one in the head, and Yuki took out the other one."

I nodded again, then looked into the fire. "What about you?"

I glanced at Emi. "I did what I had to do."

Suki sat beside me. "You okay?"

I looked back to the fire. "I'm fine."

That's a lie and you know it.

Shut up. I'm not in the mood.

Yuki walked up. Apparently, she'd been having a meeting with the other leaders. I remembered something.

"Hey, Yuki."

"Yes, Ryou?"

"The Ningenbanare I fought. There was something weird about him. He had the speed and strength of a Ningenbanare, but he couldn't control it."

Yuki nodded.

"We know, Ryou. The other Ningenbanare who attacked were the same way. Long ago, the Mugoi found that a combination of herbs, treated in a certain way, would greatly accelerate the development of newly created Ningenbanare. This is the primary reason that, in almost every confrontation with the Mugoi, we inflict more casualties than we sustained."

Miharu reached over, and grasped my right hand. There was a cut on the back of it. I hadn't even noticed, though now I could feel the sting.

Must've been from when I slapped the Ningenbanare's sword away.

I roughly pulled my hand away from Miharu. I immediately felt guilty for it. "I'm fine" I muttered, then crawled into my tent. I heard Yuki talking.

"Okay. We move out in the morning. Everyone, try to get some sleep."

The fire was put out, and Koike crawled into his side of the tent. I stayed awake long after he started snoring.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the face of the man I'd killed, face twisted in bloodlust, reaching for me.

I sighed. This was going to be a long night.